cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Short-contact time liquefaction of Big Brown-2 and Zap-2 lignite by using anthracene oil, water, and hydrogen sulfide

Abstract Big Brown-2 and Zap-2 lignite were liquefied in 24-ml stainless steel tubing microreactors. Synthesis gas was used as the reducing gas. Three solvents were used in the liquefaction studies: (1) a recycle solvent derived from the Big Brown-2 lignite, (2) a commercially obtained anthracene oil (AO4), and (3) water. The effects of solvent and hydrogen sulfide were investigated. In the presence of hydrogen sulfide, anthracene oil (AO4), a known poor donor solvent, was more efficient at shuttling hydrogen to the coal free radicals than water or the recycle solvent. Hydrogen sulfide catalyzed both the coal conversion and the production of distillables. The distillables yield increased as the hydrogen sulfide concentration in the reactor increased. Hydrogen sulfide increased the selectivity of distillables over the other products.
Estimation of solar radiation over Jordan—predicted tables

Abstract As measured solar radiation data for all parts of Jordan are not available, they have to be estimated using correlation relations and models. This paper presents, for the first time, values of solar radiation over Jordan as estimated from these relations. Measurements of global solar irradiance on a horizontal surface and sunshine duration at nine meteorological stations in Jordan are correlated and used for prediction of the regression coefficients of an Angstrom type correlation relation at these stations and others which only have records of sunshine duration. Regional regression coefficients are obtained and used for prediction of global solar irradiance. The agreement with measurements is better than 5% and 1% on monthly and yearly basis respectively. Estimation of diffuse solar irradiance by Page's and also Liu and Jordan's correlations, as well as the direct beam component are also performed and the results are examined and presented. The abundance of solar energy in Jordan is evident from the daily average global solar irradiance which ranges between 5 and 7 kWh/m 2 . A correlation of Angstrom type of the form: H / Ho = 0.448+0.203 S / So is found suitable for Jordan with correlation coefficient r = 0.93.
Thymosin β10 inhibits cell migration and capillary‐like tube formation of human coronary artery endothelial cells

Thymosin β10 is a cytoplasm G-actin sequestering protein whose functions are largely unknown. To determine the direct effects of exogenous thymosin β10 on angiogenic potentials as endothelial cell migration and capillary-like tube formation, human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs) were incubated with increasing doses of thymosin β10 (25–100 ng/ml). By using a modified Boyden chamber assay, thymosin β10 inhibited cell migration in a dose- and time-dependent manner with the maximal effect being a 36% reduction at 100 ng/ml as compared to controls (P < 0.01). In addition, thymosin β10 (100 ng/ml) significantly inhibited the capillary-like tube-formation of HCAECs on Matrigel, showing a 21% reduction of the total tube length as compared to negative controls (P < 0.01). Furthermore, by using real time PCR analysis, thymosin β10 significantly decreased mRNA levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), VEGF receptor-1 (VEGFR-1) and integrin αV after 24 h treatment in HCAECs. By contrast, thymosin β4 significantly increased HCAEC migration. These results indicate that thymosin β10, but not thymosin β4, have direct inhibitive effects on endothelial migration and tube formation that might be mediated via downregulation of VEGF, VEGFR-1 and integrin αV in HCAECs. This study suggests a potential therapeutic application of thymosin β10 to the diseases with excessive angiogenesis such as cancer. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 63: 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Absorption of organic arsenical compounds from the rat small intestine.

Abstract1. The pentavalent organic arsenical compounds carbarsone, tryparsamide, and cacodylic acid were absorbed from the rat small intestine at rates directly proportional to concentration over a 100-fold range.2. Absorption half-times (min) were: carbarsone, 87; tryparsamide, 184; and cacodylic acid, 201.3. Absorption rates (first-order rate constants) ranked in the same order as the CHCl3-to-water partition coefficients of the compounds as measured at pH 5·3.4. The results suggested that these organo-metallic compounds are absorbed mainly by a process of simple diffusion.
Extracellular calcium is required for the polychlorinated biphenyl-induced increase of intracellular free calcium levels in cerebellar granule cell culture.

Abstract Recent studies from the laboratory indicate that polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners can alter signal transduction and calcium homeostasis in neuronal preparations. These effects were more pronounced for the ortho -substituted, non-coplanar congeners, although the mechanisms underlying these effects are not clear. In the present study the time-course and concentration-dependent effects of coplanar and non-coplanar PCBs on intracellular free calcium concentration ([Ca 2+ ] i ) in cerebellar granule cell cultures were compared using the fluorescent probe fura-2. The ortho -substituted congeners 2,2′-dichlorobiphenyl (DCB) and 2,2′,4,6,6′-pentachlorobiphenyl (PeCB) caused a gradual increase of [Ca 2+ ] i while the non- ortho -substituted congeners 4,4′-DCB and 3,3′,4,4′,5-PeCB had no effect. The increase of [Ca 2+ ] i produced by 2,2′-DCB was time- and concentration-dependent. Further studies examined possible mechanisms for this rise in [Ca 2+ ] i . In contrast to the muscarinic agonist carbachol, the effects of 2,2′-DCB on [Ca 2+ ] i were not blocked by thapsigargin and required the presence of extracellular calcium. The effects of ortho -substituted PCBs may depend on their ability to inhibit calcium sequestration as 2,2′-DCB significantly inhibited 45 Ca 2+ -uptake by microsomes and mitochondria while 3,3′,4,4′,5-PeCB had no effect. In addition, 2,2′-DCB significantly increased the binding of [ 3 H]inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate to receptors on cerebellar microsomes, suggesting another possible mechanism by which ortho -substituted PCBs can mobilize [Ca 2+ ] i . These results show that PCBs increase [Ca 2+ ] i in vitro via a mechanism that requires extracelluar calcium, and support previous structure-activity studies indicating that ortho -substituted PCBs are more potent than non- ortho -substituted PCBs.
A single bond covalent radius for IrIII: Crystal and molecular structure of fac-Ir(CH3)3(PMe2Ph)3

Abstract A low temperature (− 145°C) X-ray diffraction structure determination of crystalline fac-Ir(CH3)3(PMe2Ph)3 grown from CH2Cl2/pentane shows it to contain two independent molecules per unit cell with Ir—C = 2.160(9) and 2.158(9), and Ir—P = 2.3343(24) and 2.3307(26) A. Angles C—Ir—C are compressed to 83.4(4) and 83.3(4)°, and angles P—Ir—P are expanded to 99.99(8) and 99.83(8)°. An IrIII covalent radius of 1.40 A can be deduced from these data. Crystallographic data ( − 145°C): Space group R3c with a = b = 14.980(4), c = 41.732(12) A and Z = 12.
Issues That Precipitate Errors in Airline Maintenance

Human factors in Federal Aviation Regulation Part 121 aircraft maintenance operations as they relate to technician performance are important factors that play a significant role in the public safety of air transportation systems. This paper reports on the results of an analysis of one thousand National Aeronautical and Space Administration “Aviation Safety Reporting System” incident reports for aircraft maintenance related issues. This paper identifies aircraft types, including systems, and compares events that precipitate human errors. Five high profile performance based error categories were selected for this paper. They include: technician qualifications, inspections, parts installation, contract maintenance, and log book documentation issues.
Measuring bladder viscoelasticity using ultrasound

Increase in bladder stiffness is associated with various pathological conditions. Measuring bladder viscoelasticity could be an important step towards understanding various disease processes and improving patient care. Here, we introduce Ultrasound Bladder Vibrometry (UBV), a novel method for rapid and noninvasive measurement of bladder wall viscoelasticity. UBV uses acoustic radiation force to excite Lamb waves in the bladder wall and track the motion using ultrasound pulse-echo techniques. Fourier space analysis of the tissue motion is used to calculate the Lamb wave velocity dispersion (change of phase velocity as a function of frequency). The measured phase velocity dispersion is fit with the antisymmetric Lamb wave model to estimate tissue elasticity and viscosity. Finite element analysis of viscoelastic plates was used to study the effect of curvature on Lamb wave dispersion. The feasibility of the UBV technique was demonstrated in ex vivo and in vivo settings.
Bureaucratic Competition in the Policy Process

Recent scholarship has emphasized the important role that strategic bureaucratic actors play in the formulation of public policy. This study builds on that research by exploring the ways in which agencies strategically compete with one another over the content and character of public policy. Using insights from the literature that explicitly models bureaucratic competition, the study adapts an existing model of policymaking in subsystems to generate expectations about the causes and consequences of bureaucratic competition in the policy process. Finally, the article explores the utility of these propositions through a case study of a protracted policy battle over the management of natural resources in the western United States.
A conserved region in the tail domain of vimentin is involved in its assembly into intermediate filaments.

Although the head and rod domains of intermediate filament (IF) proteins are known to play significant roles in filament assembly, the role of the tail domain in this function is unclear and the available information supports contradictory conclusions. We examined this question by comparing transfection of the same cDNA constructs, encoding vimentins with modified tail domains, into cell lines that do and do not contain endogenous IF proteins. By this approach, we were able to distinguish between the ability of a mutant IF protein to initiate assembly de novo, from that of incorporating into existing filament networks. Vimentins with modifications at or near a highly conserved tripeptide, arg-asp-gly (RDG), of the tail domain incorporated into existing IF networks in vimentin-expressing (vim+) cells, but were assembly-incompetent in cells that did not express IF proteins (vim−). The failure of the RDG mutant vimentins to assemble into filament arrays in vim- cells was reversible by re-introducing a wild-type vimentin cDNA, whereupon both wild-type and mutant vimentins coassembled into one and the same IF network. We conclude that the function of the tail domain of type III IF proteins, and possibly of keratins K8 and K18, in IF assembly is distinct from those of other domains; a region encompassing the RDG tripeptide appears to be important in the assembly process. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Protein proton-proton dynamics from amide proton spin flip rates.

Residue-specific amide proton spin-flip rates K were measured for peptide-free and peptide-bound calmodulin. K approximates the sum of NOE build-up rates between the amide proton and all other protons. This work outlines the theory of multi-proton relaxation, cross relaxation and cross correlation, and how to approximate it with a simple model based on a variable number of equidistant protons. This model is used to extract the sums of K-rates from the experimental data. Error in K is estimated using bootstrap methodology. We define a parameter Q as the ratio of experimental K-rates to theoretical K-rates, where the theoretical K-rates are computed from atomic coordinates. Q is 1 in the case of no local motion, but decreases to values as low as 0.5 with increasing domination of sidechain protons of the same residue to the amide proton flips. This establishes Q as a monotonous measure of local dynamics of the proton network surrounding the amide protons. The method is applied to the study of proton dynamics in Ca2+-saturated calmodulin, both free in solution and bound to smMLCK peptide. The mean Q is 0.81 ± 0.02 for free calmodulin and 0.88 ± 0.02 for peptide-bound calmodulin. This novel methodology thus reveals the presence of significant interproton disorder in this protein, while the increase in Q indicates rigidification of the proton network upon peptide binding, confirming the known high entropic cost of this process.
SIMILARITY CLASSES OF AFFINE MAPS

Abstract We give an explicit description of the similarity classes of affine maps from a finite dimensional vector space to itself. We show that two affine maps which are similar over an extension field are also similar over the ground field. An explicit description is given for the conjugacy classes of the split extension of the symmetric group by the standard permutation module.
Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapies: State of the Science

HIV-related morbidity and mortality have been dramatically improved in populations treated with combination antiretroviral therapy. Although it is widely recognized that adherence to the antiretroviral medication regimens is vital to treatment success, rates of adherence to the regimens are often poor. There is a large body of research exploring the problem of adherence to antiretroviral medications. The literature is, to date, dominated by reports identifying factors that are predictive or associated with antiretroviral adherence. Adherence is increasingly understood as a dynamic behavior influenced by a matrix of interrelated factors that change over time. Preliminary reports suggest varying degrees of success with strategies designed to improve adherence. Multifaceted strategies appear to be the most promising; however, there are few controlled studies substantiating the effectiveness of these approaches and the mechanisms by which the interventions promote adherence are not well understood. More well powered, rigorously evaluated antiretroviral adherence intervention trials are urgently needed. Further, problems in the field exist because of limitations in the available adherence measures. This paper provides a comprehensive review and analysis of the state-of-the-science of this body of work. Despite substantial attention to antiretroviral adherence in recent years, there remain significant gaps in our understanding.
A programmable memory controller for the DDRx interfacing standards

Modern memory controllers employ sophisticated address mapping, command scheduling, and power management optimizations to alleviate the adverse effects of DRAM timing and resource constraints on system performance. A promising way of improving the versatility and efficiency of these controllers is to make them programmable—a proven technique that has seen wide use in other control tasks, ranging from DMA scheduling to NAND Flash and directory control. Unfortunately, the stringent latency and throughput requirements of modern DDRx devices have rendered such programmability largely impractical, confining DDRx controllers to fixed-function hardware.This article presents the instruction set architecture (ISA) and hardware implementation of PARDIS, a programmable memory controller that can meet the performance requirements of a high-speed DDRx interface. The proposed controller is evaluated by mapping previously proposed DRAM scheduling, address mapping, refresh scheduling, and power management algorithms onto PARDIS. Simulation results show that the average performance of PARDIS comes within 8p of fixed-function hardware for each of these techniques; moreover, by enabling application-specific optimizations, PARDIS improves system performance by 6 to 17p and reduces DRAM energy by 9 to 22p over four existing memory controllers.
Absence of a tachycardic response to intraperitoneal hemorrhage.

Abstract Five cases of intraperitoneal hemorrhage associated with hypotension and the lack of a tachycardic response are presented. All patients were young, previously healthy women without a history of myocardial disease. None of our patients fits into the category of “irreversible shock.” Although relative bradycardia associated with hypotension is often considered a preterminal event, each of our patients recovered after laparotomy. In hypovolemic shock due to intraperitoneal bleeding, the lack of a tachycardic response may occur earlier and perhaps more often than has been suggested, and may delay definitive treatment by confusing the clinical picture. Orthostatic vital signs may be helpful in distinguishing those with true hypovolemia.
Immobilization of ammonium and nitrate and their interaction with native N in three Illinois Mollisols

Three Illinois Mollisols were incubated for 2 weeks at 25°C after treatment with different amounts of glucose and/or 15N-labelled (NH4)2SO4 or 15N-labelled KNO3. The objectives were: (1) to compare the immobilization and interaction of NH inf4 sup+ −N and NO inf3 sup- −N with the native soil N, and (2) to study the relationship between immobilization of applied N and the added N interaction. As determined, immobilized N refers to forms not extractable with 2 MKCl (immobilized 15N+clay-fixed 15NH inf4 sup+ ). In all cases, both NH inf4 sup+ −N and NO inf3 sup- −N were actively immobilized and transformed into organic forms in the presence of glucose. In the absence of glucose, a higher proportion of NH inf4 sup+ than NO inf3 sup- was recovered in organic forms. Although the three soils differed considerably in the amounts of applied N immobilized, similar trends in N immobilization were observed. A positive added N interaction occurred with all soils, the magnitude increasing with the rate of N addition. In the absence of glucose, higher added N interactions were obtained for NH inf4 sup+ than NO inf3 sup- , whereas there was very little difference between NH inf4 sup+ and NO inf3 sup- in the presence of glucose. The results indicate that under conditions of rapid immobilization (e.g., in the presence of glucose), NH inf4 sup+ and NO inf3 sup- will show comparable interaction with the native soil N, whereas in unamended soil, the extent of this interaction will be greater with NH inf4 sup+ than with NO inf3 sup- . Significant correlations were observed between applied N immobilized and the added N interaction only in one soil having a high initial mineral N content.
Hepatic phase II biotransformation in C57Bl/KsJ db/db mice: comparison to that in Swiss Webster and 129 REJ mice.

Abstract 1. 1. Cytochrome P-450 concentrations were similar in male and female carrier ( db /+) and diabetic ( db / db ) mice. Benzphetamine N -demethylase and styrene oxide hydrolase activities were 47 and 65% lower in b /+ than in db / db mice. 2. 2. UDP-Glucuronosyltransferase activity toward 1-naphthol, estrone and diethylstilbestrol was not different between db / db and db /+ but was 40% higher in db / db mice toward testosterone. 3. 3. Glutathione S -transferase activity toward 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene and ethacrynic acid was 47 and 59% lower in db / db mice than in male db /+ mice. Female db /+ mice had similar activities to those found in diabetic animals. 4. 4. The differences in enzyme activity between hyperinsulinemic and normal animals suggest that insulin can influence both phase I and phase II biotransformations. 5. 5. Enzyme activities in db /+ and db / db mice were compared to those in 129 REJ and Swiss Webster mice.
Head displacement and bracing in haloperidol-treated rats compared to rats with lateral hypothalamic damage.

Abstract A characteristic of catecholamine-depletion-induced catalepsy is that such animals resist horizontal displacement, forward, backward or sideward, by bracing, i.e., pushing against the displacing force rather than stepping away as do normal animals [16]. In this report the bracing responses of two cataleptic preparations were compared: (1) intact rats given haloperidol, a dopamine antagonist, and (2) rats with large lesions of the lateral hypothalamus (LH). Although both preparations exhibited exaggerated bracing responses when pushed, the LH rats acted in a non-cataleptic manner when pushed backward by the head; they retreated backward. The backward walking was a head-elicited response, because pushing the body backwards by the shoulders elicited bracing, not walking. Other forms of head displacement elicited body bracing if the body's stability was challenged: as when the head (and thus the body) was pulled forward; or no strong bracing responses if the head was displaced without affecting the body's stability, i.e., when as the head was pushed laterally. Therefore, retreating rather than bracing was elicited by one specific form of head displacement: backward. In contrast, haloperidol-treated rats braced whenever the body's stability was challenged, including when the head was pushed backward.
Molecular and Cellular Characterization of a Zebrafish Optic Pathway Tumor Line Implicates Glia-Derived Progenitors in Tumorigenesis

In this study we describe the molecular and cellular characterization of a zebrafish mutant that develops tumors in the optic pathway. Heterozygous Tg(flk1:RFP)is18 transgenic adults develop tumors of the retina, optic nerve and optic tract. Molecular and genetic mapping demonstrate the tumor phenotype is linked to a high copy number transgene array integrated in the lincRNA gene lincRNAis18/Zv9_00007276 on chromosome 3. TALENs were used to isolate a 147 kb deletion allele that removes exons 2-5 of the lincRNAis18 gene. Deletion allele homozygotes are viable and do not develop tumors, indicating loss of function of the lincRNAis18 locus is not the trigger for tumor onset. Optic pathway tumors in the Tg(flk1:RFP)is18 mutant occur with a penetrance of 80-100% by 1 year of age. The retinal tumors are highly vascularized and composed of rosettes of various sizes embedded in a fibrous matrix. Immunohistochemical analysis showed increased expression of the glial markers GFAP and BLBP throughout retinal tumors and in dysplastic optic nerve. We performed transcriptome analysis of pre-tumorous retina and retinal tumor tissue and found changes in gene expression signatures of radial glia and astrocytes (slc1a3), activated glia (atf3, blbp, apoeb), proliferating neural progenitors (foxd3, nestin, cdh2, her9/hes1), and glioma markers (S100β, vim). The transcriptome also revealed activation of cAMP, Stat3 and Wnt signal transduction pathways. qRT-PCR confirmed >10-fold overexpression of the Wnt pathway components hbegfa, ascl1a, and insm1a. Together the data indicate Muller glia and/or astrocyte-derived progenitors could contribute to the zebrafish Tg(flk1:RFP)is18 optic pathway tumors.
The Major Cold Shock Gene, cspA, Is Involved in the Susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus to an Antimicrobial Peptide of Human Cathepsin G

A Tn551 insertional library of Staphylococcus aureus strain ISP479 was challenged with an antimicrobial peptide (CG 117-136) derived from human neutrophil cathepsin G (CG). After repeated selection and screening of surviving colonies, a mutant was identified that expressed increased resistance to CG 117-136. Southern hybridization analysis revealed that the Tn551 insert in this mutant (SK1) was carried on a 10.6-kb EcoRI chromosomal DNA fragment. Subsequent physical mapping of this Tn551 insert revealed that it was positioned between a putative promoter sequence and the translational start codon of the cspA gene, which encodes a protein (CspA) highly similar to the major cold shock proteins CspA and CspB of Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis, respectively. This Tn551 insertion as well as a separate deletion-insertion mutation in cspA decreased the capacity of S. aureus to respond to the stress of cold shock and increased resistance to CG 117-136. The results indicate for the first time that a physiologic link exists between bacterial susceptibility to an antimicrobial peptide and a stress response system.
Low‐Spin Pseudotetrahedral Iron(I) Sites in Fe2(μ‐S) Complexes

Fe^I centers in iron–sulfide complexes have little precedent in synthetic chemistry despite a growing interest in the possible role of unusually low valent iron in metalloenzymes that feature iron–sulfur clusters. A series of three diiron [(L_3Fe)_2(μ-S)] complexes that were isolated and characterized in the low-valent oxidation states Fe^(II) S Fe^(II), Fe^(II) S Fe^I, and Fe^I S Fe^I is described. This family of iron sulfides constitutes a unique redox series comprising three nearly isostructural but electronically distinct Fe_2(μ-S) species. Combined structural, magnetic, and spectroscopic studies provided strong evidence that the pseudotetrahedral iron centers undergo a transition to low-spin S=1/2 states upon reduction from Fe^(II) to Fe^I. The possibility of accessing low-spin, pseudotetrahedral Fe^I sites compatible with S^(2−) as a ligand was previously unknown.
Inorganic Quantum Dot - Organic Dendrimer Nanocomposite Materials

Semiconductor quantum dots are of great current interest for their optical properties. We have developed a method for preparing CdS quantum dots in commercially available PAMAM Starburst dendrimers. The resulting CdS-dendrimer nanocomposites are exceptionally stable and emit brightly in the blue. The size of the dendrimer (its “generation”) has a surprisingly small effect on the optical properties of the resulting nanocomposites. The dot-dendrimer nanocomposites can be captured in a silica sol-gel matrix to yield a stable, bright blue-emitting glass.
Suppression of the pituitary-ACTH response in man by administration of ACTH or cortisol.

ABSTRACT A method has been devised for the separation and measurement of cortisol and substance S in plasma. The plasma level of substance S was used as an index of pituitary-ACTH release in human male subjects during infusion of the 11β-hydroxylase inhibitor, Metopirone. After eight hours of Metopirone infusion, the mean plasma level of substance S was 9.1 μg per 100 ml. The failure to attain a higher level may be explained, in part, by the rapid rate of clearance of substance S from the plasma. Subjects pretreated with ACTH for three days and tested 48 hours after the last ACTH administration showed a maintained, decreased endogenous release of pituitary ACTH in response to Metopirone testing. Subjects treated with cortisol for 3 days also showed decreased pituitary- ACTH responsiveness and decreased adrenal responsiveness to exogenous ACTH. It is suggested that since the pituitary-ACTH response is decreased by ACTH therapy, this effect may limit the usefulness of ACTH as a therapeutic adjunct during st...
CMfinder---a covariance model based RNA motif finding algorithm

Motivation: The recent discoveries of large numbers of non-coding RNAs and computational advances in genome-scale RNA search create a need for tools for automatic, high quality identification and characterization of conserved RNA motifs that can be readily used for database search. Previous tools fall short of this goal. Results: CMfinder is a new tool to predict RNA motifs in unaligned sequences. It is an expectation maximization algorithm using covariance models for motif description, featuring novel integration of multiple techniques for effective search of motif space, and a Bayesian framework that blends mutual information-based and folding energy-based approaches to predict structure in a principled way. Extensive tests show that our method works well on datasets with either low or high sequence similarity, is robust to inclusion of lengthy extraneous flanking sequence and/or completely unrelated sequences, and is reasonably fast and scalable. In testing on 19 known ncRNA families, including some difficult cases with poor sequence conservation and large indels, our method demonstrates excellent average per-base-pair accuracy---79% compared with at most 60% for alternative methods. More importantly, the resulting probabilistic model can be directly used for homology search, allowing iterative refinement of structural models based on additional homologs. We have used this approach to obtain highly accurate covariance models of known RNA motifs based on small numbers of related sequences, which identified homologs in deeply-diverged species. Availability: Results and web server version are available at http://bio.cs.washington.edu/yzizhen/CMfinder/ Contact: yzizhen@cs.washington.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary technical details are available at http://bio.cs.washington.edu/yzizhen/CMfinder/
Should I throw out these old COBOL books

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide guidance to librarians about whether to keep or withdraw books on pre-Internet computer programming languages. Design/methodology/approach – For each of the programming languages considered, this article provides historical background and an assessment of current academic library collection needs. Findings – Many older languages (COBOL, FORTRAN, C, Lisp, Prolog, and Ada) are still in use and need reliable sources available for reference. Additionally, books about obsolete languages have educational value due to their influence on the development on newer languages such as C++ and Java. Practical applications – This information will be useful to academic librarians who want to make the best choices about keeping or withdrawing computer programming books. Originality/value – Most librarians responsible for managing computer science collections do not have a computer programming background, so they do not know which older languages are still important.
ProbeMatchDB—a web database for finding equivalent probes across microarray platforms and species

Summary: ProbeMatchDB is a web-based database designed to facilitate the search of EST/cDNA sequences or STS markers that can be used to represent the same gene across different microarray platforms and species. It can be used for finding equivalent EST clones in the Research Genetics sequence verified clone set based on results from Affymetirx GeneChip R s. It will also help to identify probes representing orthologous genes across human, mouse and rat on different microarray platforms. Availability: The database is accessible at http: //brainarray.mhri.med.umich.edu/MARRAY/BC ASP/ brainarray.htm by clicking the ‘Query ProbeMatchDB’ link.
An A2A adenosine receptor agonist, ATL313, reduces inflammation and improves survival in murine sepsis models

Background The pathophysiology of sepsis is due in part to early systemic inflammation. Here we describe molecular and cellular responses, as well as survival, in A2A adenosine receptor (AR) agonist treated and untreated animals during experimental sepsis.
Hybrid finite-element methodologies for antennas and scattering

This paper is an overview of the finite-element method (FEM) as applied to electromagnetic scattering and radiation problems. A brief review of the methodology is given with particular emphasis on new developments over the past five years relating to feed modeling, parallelization, and mesh truncation. New applications which illustrate the method's capabilities, versatility, and utility for general purpose application are discussed.
IBFS-HDI: an Effective Resource Searching Model in Database Grid under Pure Unstructured P2P Framework

Most grid services have adopted the centralized register and searching mechanism, currently. Those are easily led to single peer failure and access bottleneck. With expanding of the grid's scale, P2P will become one of the primary frameworks of grid. Inspired by combining the grid with P2P technique, we focus on data resource searching mechanism in database grid on pure non-structural P2P framework, and an effective resource searching model(lBFS-HDI) is put forward, in which, a breadth first resource searching mechanism based on schema matching index routing (IBFS) is raised for reducing the routing filiations as earlier as possible and decreasing the number of peers accessed, while hierarchical top-k query and data integration mechanism(HDI) for lessening the data transmission cost and improving the data integration efficiency. Finally, experiments demonstrated the effectiveness of the resource searching model, and database grid with IBFS-HDI can return satisfying results to user rapidly and efficiently.
Trophoblast infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae and adverse pregnancy outcomes associated with placental dysfunction

Objective We sought to determine whether Chlamydia pneumoniae impairs invasive trophoblast function and is associated with preeclampsia. Study Design We conducted cell viability and invasion assays using primary extravillous trophoblast cells isolated from first-trimester placentas. We performed a case-control study to identify C pneumoniae in trophoblast cells dissected by laser capture microscopy from placentas in women with severe preeclampsia and control subjects who delivered at term. Results Trophoblast cell viability and invasion through extracellular matrices were decreased after infection with C pneumoniae (both P C pneumoniae DNA was detected in trophoblast cells in 15/48 cases but only 3/30 controls (odds ratio, 4.1; P = .02). Positive and negative controls yielded expected results. Conclusion C pneumoniae infection can reduce trophoblast invasion into the uterine wall and is associated with preeclampsia. Further investigation of the mechanisms by which C pneumoniae induces trophoblast dysfunction, and the identification of therapies to prevent adverse outcomes attributed to trophoblast dysfunction, are warranted.
Development and evaluation of a cultural competency training curriculum

Increasing the cultural competence of physicians and other health care providers has been suggested as one mechanism for reducing health disparities by improving the quality of care across racial/ethnic groups. While cultural competency training for physicians is increasingly promoted, relatively few studies evaluating the impact of training have been published. We recruited 53 primary care physicians at 4 diverse practice sites and enrolled 429 of their patients with diabetes and/or hypertension. Patients completed a baseline survey which included a measure of physician culturally competent behaviors. Cultural competency training was then provided to physicians at 2 of the sites. At all 4 sites, physicians received feedback in the form of their aggregated cultural competency scores compared to the aggregated scores from other physicians in the practice. The primary outcome at 6 months was change in the Patient-Reported Physician Cultural Competence (PRPCC) score; secondary outcomes were changes in patient trust, satisfaction, weight, systolic blood pressure, and glycosylated hemoglobin. Multiple analysis of variance was used to control for differences patient characteristics and baseline levels of the outcome measure between groups. Patients had a mean of 2.8 + 2.2 visits to the study physician during the study period. Changes in all outcomes were similar in the "Training + Feedback" group compared to the "Feedback Only" group (PRPCC: 3.7 vs.1.8; trust: -0.7 vs. -0.2 ; satisfaction: 1.9 vs. 2.5; weight: -2.5 lbs vs. -0.7 lbs; systolic blood pressure: 1.7 mm Hg vs. 0.1 mm Hg; glycosylated hemoglobin 0.02% vs. 0.07%; p = NS for all). The lack of measurable impact of physician training on patient-reported and disease-specific outcomes in the current has several possible explanations, including the relatively limited nature of the intervention. We hope that the current study will help provide a basis for future studies, using more intensive interventions with different provider groups.
Kainate-induced excitation and sensitization of nociceptors in normal and inflamed rat glabrous skin

Abstract This study investigates contributions of peripheral kainate receptors to acute nociception and persistent inflammatory pain in rat. Immunohistochemical analysis of kainate receptor expression using antibodies recognizing glutamate receptor subunits 5, 6, and 7 demonstrates that 28% of unmyelinated axons in normal digital nerve are positively labeled. Following intraplantar injection of complete Freund’s adjuvant, a significant increase in glutamate receptor subunits 5, 6, and 7-labeled axons occurs at 2 days (40%), but not 7 (31%) or 14 days (28%) post-complete Freund’s adjuvant. In behavioral studies, we confirm an increased mechanical sensitivity in complete Freund’s adjuvant-injected hind paws. Furthermore, activation of kainate receptors following intraplantar injection of 1.0mM kainate in normal animals results in a mechanical sensitivity similar to that observed in inflamed animals. A 1.0mM kainate injection into inflamed hind paws further enhances the mechanical sensitivity. Injection of the non– N -methyl- d -aspartate receptor antagonist 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (0.1mM) reverses complete Freund’s adjuvant-induced mechanical sensitivity through a local effect. In single unit recordings from nociceptors in a glabrous skin-nerve preparation, mechanical sensitization is present in inflamed skin evidenced by a decrease in mechanical threshold and an increase in discharge rate during a suprathreshold, constant force stimulus. Thermal sensitization is also present evidenced by a decrease in heat threshold. There is a dose-dependent increase in kainate-induced nociceptor activity in both normal and inflamed skin but the kainate required to induce activation is reduced in inflamed skin. Although proportions of kainate-activated nociceptors are the same in normal and inflamed skin, the kainate-induced mean discharge rate is significantly enhanced in inflamed skin. Exposure of normal and inflamed nociceptors to 0.3mM kainate sensitizes fibers to re-application of kainate and heat. This sensitization is blocked in the presence of 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione or the glutamate receptor subunit 5 selective antagonist 3 S ,4a R ,6 S ,8a R -6-[4-carboxy-phenyl] methyl-1,2,3,4,4a,5,6,7,8,8a-deca-hydroisoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid. The data indicate that peripheral kainate receptors not only play an important role in normal nociception but also contribute to mechanical sensitivity and heat sensitization accompanying inflammatory pain.
Leaching Chemistry of Defense Borosilicate Glass

Interdiffusion and matrix dissolution corrosion modes are inadequate to describe fully the leaching behavior of the more complicated waste glasses that contain large amounts of iron, manganese, and aluminum as will many other elements. A further process, surface layer formation, that must be considered when developing a model describe waste glass leaching has been identified. This process consists of the formation of a layer of insoluble material such as the hydroxides of iron, manganese and other insoluble compounds on the surface of waste glass as it corrodes. This paper describes work leading to the development of a leaching model in which the effect of surface layer formation is considered.
Growth front roughening in silicon nitride films by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition

The dynamic roughening of amorphous silicon nitride growth front prepared by a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition is presented. Morphology of the films grown at different substrate temperatures (from 50 to 350 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C) for various lengths of deposition time was measured ex situ using atomic force microscopy. The dynamic scaling exponents are measured as $\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{\sim}0.77,$ $\ensuremath{\beta}\ensuremath{\sim}0.40,$ and $1/z\ensuremath{\sim}0.28,$ and do not change significantly under the investigated substrate temperature range. An attempt has been made to describe the plasma growth process using a multiparticle reemission model where the incident flux distribution, sticking coefficient, shadowing, surface diffusion, and desorption mechanisms all contributed to the growing morphology.
ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY OF SWIM MUSCULATURE IN THE PTEROPOD MOLLUSC CLIONE LIMACINA

Summary Intracellular recordings from the swim musculature of the pteropod mollusc Clione limacina revealed two types of activity during spontaneous swimming movements. One group of muscle cells produced either excitatory junctional potentials (EJPs) or spike-like responses during both slow and fast swimming. The second group of muscle cells were either silent or produced extremely small EJPs during slow swimming, and EJPs or spike-like responses during fast swimming. Injections of horseradish peroxidase (HEP) into the two types of muscle cells indicated that the former are slow-twitch fibers while the latter are fast-twitch fibers. A comparison of the two muscle cell types indicated that the slow-twitch fibers are larger and have less negative resting potentials than the fast-twitch cells. Electrical coupling was detected between pairs of slow-twitch cells, but could not be demonstrated between pairs of fast-twitch cells or between mixed pairs of cells. Spike-like responses in both cell types exhibited non-synaptic facilitation in response to direct depolarizing stimulation. Both the maximum size and the initial rate of facilitation were frequency-dependent. Spike-like responses were followed by a depolarizing afterpotential that apparently summed to produce a baseline depolarization that may be involved in non-synaptic facilitation.
New problems for modal fictionalism

In this paper, after clarifying certain features of Gideon Rosen’s Modal Fictionalism, I raise two problems for that view and argue that these problems strongly suggest that advocates of a “Deflationist Strategy” ought not to endorse, or adopt Rosen-style Modal Fictionalism.
Impact of IgD receptor-positive T cells on the immune response.

IgD is present on the surface of the majority of B lymphocytes, whereas serum IgD levels are low. This has suggested to previous investigators1, that the major function of IgD is to serve as a surface receptor, but no definite biological role different from surface IgM has been found for this molecule. Investigation of the effect of IgD on immune responses was prompted by our observation that IgD-myeloma-bearing mice exhibit greatly enhanced immune responses2. We find that injections of IgD enhance antibody production and that this effect of IgD is correlated with the induction of receptors for IgD on helper T cells3. Such T cells are able to transfer immuno-augmentation to normal recipients4. It appears that “TS” cells can be induced by cross-linked IgD on the surface of B cells, and lead to enhanced: 1) primary and secondary responses, 2) 1g production of all isotypes studied, and 3) germinal center formation. The findings supporting these conclusions are reviewed below.
Normal and neoplastic Schwann cells in fish - Isolation, culture and preparation for electron microscopy

Peripheral nerve sheath (PNS) neoplasms, primarily neurofibromas, schwannomas and maliganant schwannomas, are among the most common tumors in fishes. Model systems involving PNS tumors in fishes are also valuable because mammalian models of PNS tumors are rare. Schwann cells, the primary cell type suspected of neoplastic transformation in these tumors, have been difficult to culture. We describe techniques for culturing normal and neoplastic Schwann cells from fish. We also present methods for preparing cells on culture dishes for electron microscopy which are especially useful when specific cells in a culture must be located for ultrastructural examination.
Designer Ingredients for Animals from a Plant Breeder Perspective

Abstract Plant breeders genetically manipulate crops to increase crop value per unit of land. Maximizing crop value requires a good understanding of the total market system for agricultural products to consumers and can be achieved through attention to productivity (bushels/acre), reducing crop producer input costs, and enhancing grain value. Methods of enhancing grain value include increasing grain metabolizable energy (higher oil corn), reducing phytate in grain while improving available phosphorous for monogastrics, characteristics of grain, stacking value added traits, and better overall nutrient characterization of hybrids as appropriate for their intended use.
A new multigroup method for cross-sections that vary rapidly in energy

Abstract We present a numerical method for solving the time-independent thermal radiative transfer (TRT) equation or the neutron transport (NT) equation when the opacity (cross-section) varies rapidly in frequency (energy) on the microscale e; e corresponds to the characteristic spacing between absorption lines or resonances, and is much smaller than the macroscopic frequency (energy) variation of interest. The approach is based on a rigorous homogenization of the TRT/NT equation in the frequency (energy) variable. Discretization of the homogenized TRT/NT equation results in a multigroup-type system, and can therefore be solved by standard methods. We demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the approach on three model problems. First we consider the Elsasser band model with constant temperature and a line spacing e = 10 − 4 . Second, we consider a neutron transport application for fast neutrons incident on iron, where the characteristic resonance spacing e necessitates ≈ 16 , 000 energy discretization parameters if Planck-weighted cross sections are used. Third, we consider an atmospheric TRT problem for an opacity corresponding to water vapor over a frequency range 1000–2000 cm−1, where we take 12 homogeneous layers between 1–15 km, and temperature/pressure values in each layer from the standard US atmosphere. For all three problems, we demonstrate that we can achieve between 0.1 and 1 percent relative error in the solution, and with several orders of magnitude fewer parameters than a standard multigroup formulation using Planck-weighted (source-weighted) opacities for a comparable accuracy.
Fast Timing Simulation for Circuit Reliability

The simulation of long-term reliability of MOS VLSI circuits containing a large number of transistors becomes an important problem, as the density of VLSI chips increases with shrinking design rules. The development and use of accurate and efficient reliability simulation tools are therefore crucial for early assessment and improvement of circuit lifetime. Various approaches for modeling and estimating the hot-carrier related degradation of MOS transistors, based on conventional circuit simulation, have been examined in Chapter 5. However, the detailed circuit simulation needed for determining the stress conditions of individual devices restricts the computational efficiency of reliability simulation approaches for very large-scale integrated circuits.
Developmental Trajectories and Health Outcomes Among Emerging Adult Women and Men

With a recent sample of emerging adults, the present longitudinal study examines multiple role trajectories that emerging adult women and men in the United States tend to traverse between the ages ...
Urologic Emergencies and Nonobstetric Surgery During Pregnancy

Urologic emergencies and other medical conditions requiring surgery are not uncommon during pregnancy. Appendicitis, cholecystitis, ovarian cysts, and pregnancy-related conditions remote from term, such as incomplete abortions and cervical incompetence, comprise the majority of complications requiring surgery during pregnancy, although urolithiasis, tumors of the urinary tract, and peripartum urologic complications also occasionally require emergency intervention
Hyponatremia - A rare complication of Gitelman's syndrome

Gitelman's syndrome (GS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in thiazide-sensitive NaCl cotransporter. We report a 49-year-old, normotensive lady with prolonged hypokalemia since her 20s who was diagnosed with GS at our renal clinic. During follow-up, she was found to have mild, asymptomatic, euvolemic hyponatremia with low serum uric acid, inappropriately high urine osmolality and sodium consistent with syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone-like presentation. Despite life-long urinary sodium losses, hyponatremia has rarely been reported in GS to be due to the primary disease process. We present relevant clinical data and hypothesize on why this disease per se may be a risk factor for dilutional hyponatremia.