cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dimethyl sulfoxide inhibits renal Na+-K+-ATPase at a site different from ouabain and atrial peptides

The present investigation was designed to determine 1) if dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) inhibits renal cortical and medullary Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase at the ouabain binding site and 2) if this inhibition of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase by. DMSO involves atrial natriuretic peptides or prostaglandins. DMSO (10%) inhibited renal cortical and medullary Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase 31% and 29.5%, respectively. Ouabain (0.5 mM) inhibited renal cortical and medullary Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase 32% and 35%, respectively. When DMSO and ouabain were added together the inhibition of renal cortical and medullary Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase was 55% and 59%, respectively. Atrial natriuretic peptides consisting of amino acids 1-30 (i.e., long acting natriuretic peptide), 31-67 (vessel dilator), 79-98 (kaliuretic peptide) and 99-126 (atrial natriuretic factor, ANF) of the 126 amino acid ANF prohormone inhibited renal cortical Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase 27.5%, 20%, 37.5% and 0% at a 10(-11)M concentration. The addition of DMSO caused a doubling (P < 0.05) of this inhibition. Likewise, these same atrial peptides inhibited renal medullary Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase 27.8%, 19.2%, 39.5%, and 0% with DMSO doubling (P < 0.05) their Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase inhibition. There was not any additive effect of any of the atrial peptides with ouabain. Naproxen, a prostaglandin inhibitor, completely blocked atrial peptides and ouabain's inhibition of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase but not DMSO's. Each of the atrial peptides except ANF increased prostaglandin E2 synthesis while DMSO did not increase prostaglandin E2 synthesis. This investigation suggests that DMSO has its inhibiting effect at a site different from the ouabain binding site on renal Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase since it has an additive effect with ouabain in inhibiting Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase while the atrial peptides appear to have their effect at the ouabain binding site. As opposed to the atrial peptides, DMSO's mechanism of inhibiting Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase does not appear to involve prostaglandin E2.
L-PIPECOLIC ACID IS OXIDIZED TO α-AMINOADIPIC ACID IN THE PEROXISOME OF MAN AND MONKEY

L-Pipecolic acid (PIP) accumulation is found in Zellweger syndrome (ZS) and other diseases where the structure or function of peroxisomes is defective. Since there is no primate model for PIP metabolism, we compared the pathway in the cynomologus monkey to that in man. Monkey kidney cortices and livers were homogenized and crudely fractionated by differential centrifugation. After incubation with L-[2, 3, 4, 5, 6-3H]PIP, reaction products were separated by thin layer chromatography and on the amino acid analyser. The only radioactive product comigrated with authentic α-aminoadipic acid (AAA) in all systems employed. PIP oxidation was highest in the light mitochondrial (L) fraction, as was activity of catalase, a peroxisomal marker enzyme. After further separation on a Percoll gradient, PIP oxidation again paralleled catalase activity in both liver and kidney. In purified monkey peroxisomes, the activity was membrane associated and could be released by 100 mM KCI. Structural analogs of PIP, such as L-proline, nipecotic acid, piperidine, and cis-2, 4-dicarboxypiperidine, were not inhibitory. In fresh human liver fractionated on a Percoll gradient, PIP oxidation also paralleled catalase activity. Activity was only 6% of control in liver homogenate from a ZS patient (courtesy of Hugo and Ann Moser, Baltimore). The association of the activity with the membrane may explain why PIP metabolism is impaired in disorders where peroxisomal membrane assembly or biogenesis is defective.
The cunning Rhetor, the complicitous audience, the conned censor, and the critic

(1990). The cunning Rhetor, the complicitous audience, the conned censor, and the critic. Communication Monographs: Vol. 57, No. 1, pp. 73-78.
Abnormal auditory N400 in a case of zolpidem dependence, during a working memory test

Zolpidem is a GABA (A) agonist, which is indicated for the short-term management of insomnia. Recent research provide evidence suggesting that zolpidem produces spatial working memory (WM) deficits and dependence; however, the underlying mechanisms of these effects are unknown. Since the auditory N400 component of event-related potentials (ERPS) is considered as an index of memory use of context processing, the present study focused on N400 waveform of ERPs elicited during a WM task in a case suffering from zolpidem dependence. The patterns of N400 waveform of this case were compared to the patterns obtained from healthy controls. This comparison revealed that zolpidem dependence is accompanied by reduced amplitudes located at posterior brain areas and diffuse prolongation of N400. These findings may indicate that zolpidem dependence manifests alterations with regard to the memory use of context processing, involving or affecting a wide-ranging network of the brain's structures.
Case Report: Cisplatin-lnduced Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome

Two patients developed noncardiogenic pulmonary edema (NCPE), following red blood cell transfusion in a setting of acute cisplatin nephropathy. One manifested the full picture of hemolytic uremic syndrome, the other had transient features following blood transfusion. We further reviewed the clinical records on blood transfusion for all patients with cisplatin nephropathy. A third case of (NCPE) was identified in a patient with acute renal dysfunction. However, none of the 16 patients with cisplatin-induced, mild stable chronic renal impairment had pulmonary dysfunction or other laboratory evidence for microangiopathy following transfusion. Hemolytic uremic syndrome may be a rare manifestation of cisplatin toxicity. Caution is indicated in transfusing patients with acute platinum nephropathy even in the absence of overt microangiopathy. The pathogenesis of this syndrome and the cause for NCPE is unclear. The literature is reviewed and discussed.
Carbon-silica xerogel and aerogel composites

High surface area carbon-silica xerogels and aerogels were prepared by adding various amounts of activated carbon particles during gelation of tetramethyoxysilane (TMOS). Surface areas and pore structure of the gels were determined by nitrogen and water adsorption and desorption measurements. Carbon increased the surface area of silica gel and the carbon-silica gel composites were found to be hydrophobic. The pore structure of xerogel composites was dominated by carbon whereas that of aerogel composites was apparently controlled by silica component.
Tsc3p Is an 80-Amino Acid Protein Associated with Serine Palmitoyltransferase and Required for Optimal Enzyme Activity

Serine palmitoyltransferase catalyzes the first step of sphingolipid synthesis, condensation of serine and palmitoyl CoA to form the long chain base 3-ketosphinganine. TheLCB1/TSC2 and LCB2/TSC1 genes encode homologous proteins of the α-oxoamine synthase family required for serine palmitoyltransferase activity. The other α-oxoamine synthases are soluble homodimers, but serine palmitoyltransferase is a membrane-associated enzyme composed of at least two subunits, Lcb1p and Lcb2p. Here, we report the characterization of a third gene,TSC3, required for optimal 3-ketosphinganine synthesis inSaccharomyces cerevisiae. S. cerevisiae cells lacking theTSC3 gene have a temperature-sensitive lethal phenotype that is reversed by supplying 3-ketosphinganine, dihydrosphingosine, or phytosphingosine in the growth medium. The tsc3 mutant cells have severely reduced serine palmitoyltransferase activity. TheTSC3 gene encodes a novel 80-amino acid protein with a predominantly hydrophilic amino-terminal half and a hydrophobic carboxyl terminus that is membrane-associated. Tsc3p coimmunoprecipitates with Lcb1p and/or Lcb2p but does not bind as tightly as Lcb1p and Lcb2p bind to each other. Lcb1p and Lcb2p remain tightly associated with each other and localize to the membrane in cells lacking Tsc3p. However, Lcb2p is unstable in cells lacking Lcb1p and vice versa.
Processing/Property/Structure . Interactions in a Calcium Aluminate­ Phenol Resin Composite

Relationships among mixing conditions, extensional viscosities of the formed paste, and the morphology and flexural strength of hardened composites have been studied for a calcium aluminate cement-phenol resin composite. Mixing torque was monitored as a function of temperature and resin pH. The behavior of the torque time curves as well as 13C nuclear magnetic resonance and differential scanning calorimetry measurements suggest that paste formation is characterized by an induction period of flat torque, corresponding to dissolution of cement ions followed by a styffening period of rapid torque rise, corresponding to an ionic interaction between the resin and cement particles. The viscoelastic nature of the paste was studied using a biaxial squeeze flow device. The steady biaxial extensional viscosity trends with extension rate are consistent with the formation of an increasingly cross-linked bulk organic phase in the paste. Flexural strengths of hardened material processed under varying degrees of resin pH suggest that an optimal structure forms when the resin is allowed to simultaneously polymerize and ionically interact with cement particles. This conclusion is supported by evidence of scanning electron microscopy, which shows structure formation for a given cut of missing conditions.
Untangling the fungal niche: the trait-based approach.

Fungi are prominent components of most terrestrial ecosystems, both in terms of biomass and ecosystem functioning, but the hyper-diverse nature of most communities has obscured the search for unifying principles governing community organization. In particular, unlike plants and animals, observational studies provide little evidence for the existence of niche processes in structuring fungal communities at broad spatial scales. This limits our capacity to predict how communities, and their functioning, vary across landscapes. We outline how a shift in focus, from taxonomy towards functional traits, might prove to be valuable in the search for general patterns in fungal ecology. We build on theoretical advances in plant and animal ecology to provide an empirical framework for a trait-based approach in fungal community ecology. Drawing upon specific characteristics of the fungal system, we highlight the significance of drought stress and combat in structuring free-living fungal communities. We propose a conceptual model to formalize how trade-offs between stress-tolerance and combative dominance are likely to organize communities across environmental gradients. Given that the survival of a fungus in a given environment is contingent on its ability to tolerate antagonistic competitors, measuring variation in combat trait expression along environmental gradients provides a means of elucidating realized, from fundamental niche spaces. We conclude that, using a trait-based understanding of how niche processes structure fungal communities across time and space, we can ultimately link communities with ecosystem functioning. Our trait-based framework highlights fundamental uncertainties that require testing in the fungal system, given their potential to uncover general mechanisms in fungal ecology.
Crural ligation for primary erectile dysfunction: a case series.

ABSTRACTPurpose: Some men with primary erectile dysfunction (ED) have maldevelopment of the crura of the penis. We report our experience with crural ligation for primary venous leakage ED in the la...
Mechanical Evaluation of Locking, Nonlocking, and Hybrid Plating Constructs Using a Locking Compression Plate in a Canine Synthetic Bone Model.

Objective To evaluate the mechanical properties of locking screw placement in hybrid plating in comparison to all-locked and all nonlocked constructs. Study Design Completely randomized design. Forty-eight synthetic bone cylinders (4th generation composite Sawbones®) across 6 construct types (n = 8 each). Methods An 8-hole 3.5 mm LCP was placed across a 2 mm cylinder gap to mimic an unstable fracture model. The plates were secured with all locking screws, all nonlocking screws, or a combination of locking screws and nonlocking screws in the hybrid constructs. Constructs were cyclically tested nondestructively in 4-point bending, axial compression, and torsion, and then tested to failure in torsion. The stiffness and strength of each construct were calculated and compared across construct types. Results Constructs with a locking screw located adjacent to the fracture gap were stiffer in bending and stronger in torsion to failure than constructs without an adjacent locking screw. Hybrid and nonlocking screw constructs more frequently failed by catastrophic breakage of the bone cylinder, compared to all locking screw constructs that failed by plastic deformation of the plate. Conclusions Mechanical testing of synthetic bone model constructs shows that hybrid constructs are at least as stiff and strong as entirely nonlocked constructs, and with some screw configurations, are not statistically different from entirely locked constructs.
Pancreatic adenocarcinoma: CT versus MR imaging in the evaluation of resectability--report of the Radiology Diagnostic Oncology Group.

PURPOSE: To compare findings with computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in pancreatic adenocarcinoma and to determine optimal pulse sequences for MR imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CT scans and MR images were compared of 189 adult patients with known or suspected adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. Levels of confidence were correlated with surgical and pathologic results. RESULTS: The accuracy of CT was 0.73 and of MR imaging was 0.70. The negative predictive value of CT was 0.28 and of MR imaging was 0.23. The positive predictive value of CT was 0.89 and of MR imaging was 0.88. Gradient-echo and T1-weighted spin-echo sequences ranked equally in evaluation of vascular invasion, T1-weighted spin-echo sequences were preferred for assessing lymphadenopathy, and T2-weighted spin-echo sequences were preferred for detecting hepatic metastases. CONCLUSIONS: Cross-sectional imaging modalities are useful in the identification of unresectable pancreatic carcinoma. CT is recommended for initial im...
Modeling the inner plasma sheet protons and magnetic field under enhanced convection

[1] In order to understand the evolution of the protons and magnetic field in the inner plasma sheet from quiet to disturbed conditions, we incorporate a modified version of the Magnetospheric Specification Model (MSM) with a modified version of the Tsyganenko 96 (T96) magnetic field model to simulate the protons and magnetic field under an increasing convection electric field with two-dimensional (2-D) force balance maintained along the midnight meridian. The local time dependent proton differential fluxes assigned to the model boundary are a mixture of hot plasma from the mantle and cooler plasma from the low latitude boundary layer (LLBL). We previously used this model to simulate the inner plasma sheet under weak convection corresponding to a cross polar cap potential drop (ΔΦPC) equal to 26 kV and obtained 2-D quiet time equilibrium for proton and magnetic field that agrees well with observations. We start our simulation for enhanced convection with this quiet time equilibrium and time-independent boundary particle sources and increase ΔΦPC steadily from 26 to 146 kV in 5 hours. Simulations are also run separately to steady states by keeping ΔΦPC constant after it is increased to 98 and 146 kV. The magnitudes of proton pressure, number density, and temperature and their increase from quiet to moderate activity (ΔΦPC = 98 kV) are consistent with most observations. Our simulation at high activity (ΔΦPC = 146 kV) underestimates the observed pressure and temperature. This disagreement indicates possible dependence of the boundary particle sources on activity and possible effects of solar wind dynamic pressure enhancements that have not yet been included in our simulation. The simulated equatorial pressures and temperatures show stronger enhancement on the dusk side than on the dawn side as convection is increased, while density profiles show an increase on the dawn side and a decrease on the dusk side. The simulated proton flow speed at the equatorial plane increases with enhancing convection while the overall flow direction does not change significantly, a result of enhancement in both the earthward electric drift and the azimuthal diamagnetic drift. The equatorial magnetic field strength decreases more in the near-Earth plasma sheet than at larger radial distances as ΔΦPC increases, resulting in an increasing flat radial profile with enhancing convection. The feedbacks from diamagnetic drift and magnetic fields to increasing convection are found to restrain the pressure increase. Based on the good agreement between our results and observations at moderate activity, our magnetic field indicates that the plasma and magnetic field in the plasma sheet can be in a state far from possible force balance inconsistency during periods of moderately enhanced convection. A scale analysis of our results shows that the frozen-in condition E = −v × B is not valid in the inner plasma sheet for moderate activity.
One Man Two Hats: What's All the Commotion!

We examine performance in publicly listed U.K. companies over a period that encompasses issuance of the Cadbury Committee's Code of Best Practice calling for the abolition of the combined CEO and COB position. We find companies splitting the combined CEO and COB position to conform to the Code's requirement did not exhibit any absolute or relative improvement in performance to various peer-group benchmarks. We do not necessarily scoff at mandated board structures, but the evidence appears to be that such legislature coercing the abandonment of the combined CEO and COB position appears to be wide of the mark.
POK/ZBTB proteins: an emerging family of proteins that regulate lymphoid development and function

The germinal center (GC) is a unique histological structure found in peripheral lymphoid organs. GCs provide an important source of humoral immunity by generating high affinity antibodies against a pathogen. The GC response is tightly regulated during clonal expansion, immunoglobulin modification, and affinity maturation, whereas its deregulation has a detrimental effect on immune function, leading to development of diseases, such as lymphoma and autoimmunity. LRF (lymphoma/leukemia-related factor), encoded by the ZBTB7A gene, is a transcriptional repressor belonging to the POK (POZ and Kruppel)/ZBTB (zing finger and BTB) protein family. LRF was originally identified as a PLZF (promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger) homolog that physically interacts with BCL6 (B-cell lymphoma 6), whose expression is required for GC formation and associated with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Recently, our group demonstrated that LRF plays critical roles in regulating lymphoid lineage commitment, mature B-cell development, and the GC response via distinct mechanisms. Herein, we review POK/ZBTB protein function in lymphoid development, with particular emphasis on the role of LRF in GC B cells.
On the increasing fragility of human teeth with age: a deep-UV resonance Raman study.

Ultraviolet resonance Raman spectroscopy (UVRRS) using 244nm excitation was used to investigate the impact of aging on humandentin. The intensity of a spectroscopic feature from the peptide bondsin the collagen increases with tissue age, similar to a finding reportedpreviously for human cortical bone.
Outlining the bases of person‐centred integrative diagnosis

UNLABELLED RATIONAL AND AIMS: As diagnosis is a critical first step for clinical care, it was early recognized that an appropriate diagnostic model was necessary as informational basis for person-centred clinical care. METHODS The design of a person-centred integrative diagnosis model was based on literature reviews and work meetings in London, Paris, Geneva, Preston, UK and Uppsala, Sweden over the past 2 years. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION The current person-centred integrative diagnosis model argues for a broader concept of diagnosis and covers both ill health and positive health through the following three levels: Health Status (from illness to recovery/wellness and from disabilities to adaptive functioning), Experience of Health (cultural factors and values concerning ill health and positive health) and Contributory Factors (including internal and external risk and protective factors). Each of these domains will be evaluated with standardized categories and dimensions as well as narratives. Specific attention is paid to evaluators (clinicians, patient, family and other carers) and the interactive evaluation process.
Biological sensitivity to context: I. An evolutionary–developmental theory of the origins and functions of stress reactivity

Biological reactivity to psychological stressors comprises a complex, integrated, and highly conserved repertoire of central neural and peripheral neuroendocrine responses designed to prepare the organism for challenge or threat. Developmental experience plays a role, along with heritable, polygenic variation, in calibrating the response dynamics of these systems, with early adversity biasing their combined effects toward a profile of heightened or prolonged reactivity. Conventional views of such high reactivity suggest that it is an atavistic and pathogenic legacy of an evolutionary past in which threats to survival were more prevalent and severe. Recent evidence, however, indicates that (a) stress reactivity is not a unitary process, but rather incorporates counterregulatory circuits serving to modify or temper physiological arousal, and (b) the effects of high reactivity phenotypes on psychiatric and biomedical outcomes are bivalent, rather than univalent, in character, exerting both risk-augmenting and risk-protective effects in a context-dependent manner. These observations suggest that heightened stress reactivity may reflect, not simply exaggerated arousal under challenge, but rather an increased biological sensitivity to context, with potential for negative health effects under conditions of adversity and positive effects under conditions of support and protection. From an evolutionary perspective, the developmental plasticity of the stress response systems, along with their structured, context-dependent effects, suggests that these systems may constitute conditional adaptations: evolved psychobiological mechanisms that monitor specific features of childhood environments as a basis for calibrating the development of stress response systems to adaptively match those environments. Taken together, these theoretical perspectives generate a novel hypothesis: that there is a curvilinear, U-shaped relation between early exposures to adversity and the development of stress-reactive profiles, with high reactivity phenotypes disproportionately emerging within both highly stressful and highly protected early social environments.
Cytosolic Phospholipase A2 Activity in Neutrophilic Oxidative Stress of Platelet-activating Factor-induced Acute Lung Injury

Background: The present investigation was performed in rats and isolated human neutrophils in order to confirm the presumptive role of the positive feedback loop of cytosolic phospholipase () activation by plateletactivating factor (PAF). Methods: The possible formation of the positive feedback loop of the activation and neutrophilic respiratory burst was investigated in vivo and in vitro by measurement of the parameters denoting acute lung injury. In addition, morphological examinations and electron microscopic cytochemistry were performed for the detection of free radicals in the lung. Results: Five hours after intratracheal instillation of PAF (), the lung leak index, lung myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, the number of neutrophils and the concentration of cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant (CINC) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were increased by PAF as compared with those of control rats. The NBT assay and cytochrome-c reduction assay revealed an increased neutrophilic respiratory burst in isolated human neutrophils following exposure to PAF. Lung and neutrophilic activity were increased following PAF exposure and exposure to hydrogen peroxide increased activity in the lung. Histologically, inflammatory findings of the lung were observed after PAF treatment. Remarkably, as determined by cytochemical electron microscopy, increased production of hydrogen peroxide was identified in the lung after PAF treatment. Conclusion: PAF mediates acute oxidative lung injury by the activation of , which may provoke the generation of free radicals in neutrophils.
The Political Context of the Percent Black-Neighborhood Violence Link: A Multilevel Analysis

A century of urban research has established that percentage black associates positively with violence at the neighborhood level. We extend traditional structural explanations for this association by drawing attention to the political contexts of cities that may influence the race-violence link. Drawing on insights from social movement and racial politics literatures, we contend that the relationship between percentage black and neighborhood violence will be attenuated in cities with greater black political opportunities and black mobilization. We examine this thesis using multilevel data from the National Neighborhood Crime Study that provide sociodemographic and violence data for census tracts nested within 87 large cities. We pair these data with city-level measures of black political opportunities and mobilization. Multilevel analyses reveal that the relationship between percentage black and violence varies substantially across cities, and that the average positive relationship often is attenuated, and reduced to statistical insignificance, in cities with favorable political contexts. We propose that the substantive and symbolic benefits set in motion by favorable political contexts lay the foundation for neighborhood organization against violence.
Metabolism of one-carbon compounds by chemotrophic anaerobes.

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the metabolism of one-carbon (C1) compounds chemotrophic anaerobes. C1-metabolizing species possess novel physiologies that are distinctive in many ways from the autotrophic and heterotrophic microorganisms, which seemingly are more widespread in the microbial world. C1 compounds refer to any oxidizable one-carbon substrate that contains carbon-bound electrons. A C1 substrate differs noticeably from the C1 compound carbon dioxide because, in addition to being able to be reduced or assimilated, it can also be oxidized and can provide electrons for use in energy metabolism or cell synthesis. The term “chemotrophic anaerobe” refers to any obligately non-oxygen-catabolizing microbial species whose growth is solely dependent on the generation of metabolic energy from chemical substrates. The chapter examines the microbial physiology that accounts for unicarbonotrophy in anaerobes. The C1 metabolites enter anaerobic ecosystems of the biosphere either as pollutants from aerobic environments, volcanic or deep subsurface emanations, or via chemical transformation reactions performed by anaerobic microorganisms. The formation of C1 metabolites often necessitates their removal in biological elemental cycles because they can accumulate and alters normal carbon and electron flow within a cell, or becomes toxic and result in cell death.
'We, the Judges': The Legalized Subject and Narratives of Adjudication in Reality Television

At first a cultural oddity, reality TV is now a cultural commonplace. These quasi-documentaries proliferate on a wide range of network and cable channels, proving adaptable to any audience demographic. Across a variety of types of “reality” offerings, narratives of adjudication — replete with “judges,” “juries,” and “verdicts”— abound. Do these judgment formations simply reflect the often competitive structure or subtext of reality TV? Or is there a deeper, more constitutive connection between reality TV as a genre and narratives of law and adjudication? This article looks beyond the many “judge shows” popular on reality TV (e.g. Judge Judy, etc.) to examine the law-like operations of the genre itself, and how legal narratives dovetail with the increasingly participatory nature of our “convergence culture.” In addition, this article examines the ideologies these shows represent regarding community, and particularly the role of the legalized subject within this community. How does the prevalence of images of judges and judging on reality TV fit into previous notions that media audiences empathize with legal processes by identifying with an “on-screen” jury, embodying shared, democratic decision-making? Do these shows play on pop cultural narratives of conflicts between judges (within the show) and juries (the viewing audience)? Finally, do such shows empower spectators by engaging them in democratic “knowledge collectives,” or instead represent a neo-liberal “technology of governmentality”? Ultimately, through its enactment of a range of adjudicatory and quasi-legal narratives, reality TV emerges as a highly regulatory space. Law is a compelling narrative for recirculation in a contemporary media culture marked by contestations of authority and community, as the interrelationships between cultural producer, text, and cultural consumer shift and are redefined.
A Parameterized Floating-Point Formalizaton in HOL Light

We present a new, open-source formalization of fixed and floating-point numbers for arbitrary radix and precision that is now part of the HOL Light distribution John Harrison. HOL Light: A tutorial introduction. In Formal Methods in Computer-Aided Design, pages 265-269. Springer, 1996. We prove correctness and error bounds for the four different rounding modes, and formalize a subset of the IEEE 754 IEEE standard for floating point arithmetic. IEEE Std. 754-2008, 2008 standard by gluing together a set of fixed-point and floating-point numbers to represent the subnormals and normals. In our floating-point proofs, we treat phases of floating-point numbers as copies of fixed-point numbers of varying precision so that we can reuse fixed-point rounding theorems.
Taxonomy and Epidemiology

There is no consensus criteria for establishing new genera. At the current time DNA-DNA reassociation and 16S rRNA are the two most commonly used procedures that are applied to the bacteria that are under study. Other procedures, such as guanidine-cytocine (GC) ratios, chemical analysis of cell wall peptidoglycan, and fatty acid content of the cells, are also used to characterize the bacteria. However, in all cases common sense should be used to interpret the data. This means that the data should not dictate your final decision to recommend forming a new genus or to adding a new species. The molecular data should roughly agree with phenotypic data. In most cases the molecular data will make good sense and will correlate with the phenotypic data. However, in some cases the data from molecular experiments can be misleading and do not make good sense.
Histiocytosis X in a 27-year-old woman.

Erythematous, scaling plaques, which were unresponsive to topical steroids, developed on the scalp and perineum in a 27-year-old woman. Light and electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry confirmed the clinical diagnosis of histiocytosis X.
Mössbauer effect study of the 475‡C decomposition of Fe-Cr

Mossbauer effect studies have been carried out to investigate the 475‡C decomposition of binary Fe-Cr alloys. Spectra of Fe-24 and Fe-60 at. pct Cr were obtained in the as-quenched and annealed conditions. When the Fe-60 at. pct Cr alloy was aged at 475‡C for up to 30 hr, the spectrum broadened but showed no signs of resonant absorption at energies expected for the equilibrium two-phase alloy. This data is interpreted as an indication that initial decomposition produces fluctuations about the average composition, consistent with expectations for spinodal decomposition as would be predicted for this alloy at 475‡C. By contrast, the Fe-24 at. pct Cr alloy lies outside the spinodal at 475‡C and gives Mossbauer spectra consistent with decomposition via nucleation and growth. Limited success was achieved in attemptsto synthesize the observed spectra using simple models of the hyperfine spectra and the theory of spinodal decomposition.
Investigating the Perceived Risk of the Elderly Consumer

The present study examines the perceived risk of elderly consumers. The study’s purpose was to provide insight into the differences which exist between elderly consumers and other consumers in three areas: the perceived risk associated with purchasing products, the perceived risk attributed to a full range of retail patronage modes, and the risk reduction strategies employed. The findings support the notion that elderly consumers have different perceived risk profiles when selecting products and in choosing retail patronage modes. Elderly consumers also appear to place differing levels of importance on alternative risk reducing tactics.
Multivariate analysis of prognostic features in malignant pleural effusions from breast cancer patients.

To identify prognostic indicators in breast cancer patients with malignant pleural effusions, we analyzed the cytopathologic features of 57 fluids representing the first pathologic diagnosis of a distant metastasis in these women. The specimens were analyzed prior to reviewing the clinical records. The median survival of 55 patients who died of the disease was five months following the effusion diagnosis (range, 1-114). Univariate analysis identified three cytopathologic features that correlated with relatively prolonged survival: arrangement of tumor cells in spheroids, slight nuclear atypia and low mitotic rate. Women whose tumor cells formed spheroids survived a median of 24.5 months as compared to 4 months for women with all other architectural patterns (P = .004). Multivariate analysis revealed that slight nuclear atypia and low mitotic rate strongly correlated with spheroid formation. Since breast cancers that form spheroids in effusions portend a relatively favorable prognosis, we recommend that cytopathologists comment on this pattern when reporting on metastatic breast carcinoma in pleural fluids.
Fluoride Analysis in Sea Water and in Other Complex Natural Waters Using an Ion-Selective Electrode—Techniques, Potentialities, Limitations

Fluoride activities and concentrations can be measured simply and rapidly in a wide range of natural waters using an ion-selective electrode. Direct potentiometry is convenient in sea water and appears well-suited for in situ instruments. Known-addition techniques yield total concentration directly in sea water and in other fluids whose ionic composition is not well-defined, such as water from estuaries, rivers, or saline lakes, and no additional information about ionic strength or complexing ions is required. A combination of these methods provides information on the distribution of ions between free and complexed species. The general case is examined to define the range of. solutions in which such methods may be used with confidence. The principles apply equally well to electrodes for other ions. Accuracy and precision is given for measurements down to 0.02 mg F/Kg in a variety of solutions containing different interfering substances, and a simple approximate technique (good to a factor of 2) is discussed for measurements in rain water down to 0.0003 mg/Kg (0.3 ppb).
An Economic and Constitutional Analysis of Foreign Aid

The purpose of this paper is not to fully analyze the various programs or arguments that have been given over the years to justify or attack foreign aid, but rather to examine the practice of foreign aid through the lens of economic analysis and constitutional analysis, which has not really been done in the literature. Most analyses of foreign aid do not apply either utilitarian economic analysis (or they don’t apply it properly) or constitutional analysis to this very important issue. The aim of the present paper is to fill that gap in the literature.
Elementary Higher-Order Differential Equations

This chapter discusses the elementary higher-order differential equations. A differential equation of order n is a relation F(x, y, y′, y′,…,y (n) ) = 0, F y(n) # 0. The general solution of the equation is a function y = f(x, c l ,…, c n ) of x , which depends on n independent parameters c 1 , c 2 , …, c n and such that y satisfies the equation identically in x . Though there is no general method of solving n th-order differential equations, it is possible to indicate some particular cases where a solution or at least a reduction to a lower order is possible.
Limited-Communication Distributed Model Predictive Control for Coupled and Constrained Subsystems

This brief presents the limited-communication distributed model predictive control (LC-DMPC) algorithm for coupled and constrained linear discrete systems. In this framework, the global control problem is divided into a number of coupled subsystems based on a neighbor upstream and downstream structure. According to this structure, a subsystem views the coupling signals from upstream neighbors as measured disturbances and at the same time has outputs to downstream neighbors. In contrast with most DMPC schemes, the individual subsystems solve a different cost than the centralized problem. At each iteration, two bidirectional signals are communicated: predicted disturbances for downstream neighbors and local cost sensitivity to disturbances from upstream neighbors. With only neighbor-to-neighbor communication, the LC-DMPC scheme can converge to the centralized optimum without sharing dynamics or costs between the distributed agents. The closed-loop stability is guaranteed by assuming sufficiently long horizons. To reduce the computational burden, local control actions are parameterized by Laguerre functions. This leads to smaller distributed control problems and allows more iterations per sampling. A coupled tank process demonstrates the main aspects of the proposed algorithm.
An adaptable model for teaching mobile app development

As mobile software development becomes more mainstream, universities recognize a need to integrate mobile platform programming into the curriculum. This integration requires an understanding of mobile software development that defines it not just as a collection of topics but that acknowledges cross-topic areas that serve as the basis for specific interests. This paper presents a platform-agnostic model for teaching mobile software development that identifies established foundational topics, offering an adaptable teaching model aimed at providing enhanced understating of the topics and their integration. The model identifies three core areas of importance to computer science education: asynchronous programming, model view controller, and platform underpinnings. This framework enables mobile-specific topics like location, notifications, sensors, and more that are positioned with respect to the core areas to assist with lecture and assignment planning. Testing this model showed that students exhibited better skills and knowledge of both the core concepts and the specific topics as observed in their integration of features in term projects. This suggests that, through emphasis on core areas and repeated exposure to them in the context of new topics, students exhibit higher quality of integration of various mobile topics and deeper understand of the core-cross topic areas for mobile software development. Next steps are adoption by the education community in project-based mobile development classes of various format, scope, level, and purpose.
Investigation of concrete mixtures for additive construction

Purpose This paper aims to qualify traditional concrete mixtures for large-scale material extrusion in an automated, additive manufacturing process or additive construction. Design/methodology/approach A robust and viable automated additive construction process must be developed that has the capability to construct full-scale, habitable structures using materials that are readily available near the location of the construction site. Accordingly, the applicability of conventional concrete mixtures for large-scale material extrusion in an additive construction process was investigated. A qualitative test was proposed in which concrete mixtures were forced through a modified clay extruder and evaluated on performance and potential to be suitable for nozzle extrusion typical of additive construction, or 3D printing with concrete. The concrete mixtures were further subjected to the standard drop table test for flow, and the results for the two tests were compared. Finally, the concrete mixtures were tested for setting time, compressive strength and flexural strength as final indicators for usefulness in large-scale construction. Findings Conventional concrete mixtures, typically with a high percentage of coarse aggregate, were found to be unsuitable for additive construction application due to clogging in the extruder. However, reducing the amount of coarse aggregate provided concrete mixtures that were promising for additive construction while still using materials that are generally available worldwide. Originality/value Much of the work performed in additive manufacturing processes on a construction scale using concrete focuses on unconventional concrete mixtures using synthetic aggregates or no coarse aggregate at all. This paper shows that a concrete mixture using conventional materials can be suitable for material extrusion in additive construction. The use of conventional materials will reduce costs and allow for additive construction to be used worldwide.
Low-temperature, organics-free sintering of nanoporous copper for reliable, high-temperature and high-power die-attach interconnections

A novel die-attach joining technique based on low-temperature film sintering of nanoporous Cu is demonstrated. Nanoporous Cu films are proposed as a low-cost replacement of nano-sintering pastes with the following benefits: (i) synthesis by electrochemical dealloying, compatible with standard lithography processes; (ii) no organic content to minimize risks of voiding and corrosion; and (iii) controllable physical properties post sintering through tailorable initial nanostructure and morphology. As a first proof-of-concept, thin films of nanoporous Cu with 25–50nm feature size and ∼60% relative density were synthesized by dealloying of Cu-Si films. The nanoporous Cu films were then sintered on bulk Cu metallizations at temperatures of 200–250°C for 5–15min with an applied pressure of 6–9MPa, in reducing atmosphere. A maximum shear strength of 4.2kgf was achieved and analysis of the fracture profiles showed failure through the sintered joints, confirming strong metallurgical bonding to bulk Cu. Cross-sections of joints formed at 200°C and 250°C −15min observed by SEM showed relative density as high as 85%, achieved for the first time with sintered copper.
Using Eye Tracking to Detect the Effects of Clutter on Visual Search in Real Time

Display clutter causes decrements in visual search performance and can be a threat to safety and efficiency in complex, data-rich domains. Addressing the problem requires a means to detect the presence of clutter in real time, predict its effects, and then trigger countermeasures before breakdowns in information search can occur. Eye tracking is a promising technique for achieving these goals; however, to date, it has been used almost exclusively offline for display evaluation purposes. The goal of this research was instead to develop and evaluate models that combine eye tracking metrics to detect the effects of clutter early on in the search process. Participants were asked to locate targets in a simulated graphics program. Three eye tracking metrics—scanpath length, mean saccade amplitude, and mean fixation duration—were calculated over a 3-second time window. These metrics were then used as input to a set of logistic regression models to predict whether users’ response time will be relatively long or short. The accuracy of the models averaged 75% and the true positive rate was above 90%, with an ability to predict response time as early as 3.6 s into the visual search task. The results of this study confirm that eye tracking metrics can be used to predict the effects of display clutter in real time. They add to the knowledge base in attention and eye tracking, and they ultimately contribute to the design of adaptive displays that lead to improved operator performance.
Systemic Biomarkers of Accelerated Aging in Schizophrenia: A Critical Review and Future Directions

Author(s): Nguyen, Tanya T; Eyler, Lisa T; Jeste, Dilip V | Abstract: BACKGROUND:Schizophrenia is associated with increased physical morbidity and early mortality, suggesting that the aging process may be accelerated in schizophrenia. However, the biological underpinnings of these alterations in aging in schizophrenia are unclear. METHOD:We conducted a detailed search of peer-reviewed empirical studies to evaluate evidence for accelerated biological aging in schizophrenia based on systemic, age-related biomarkers. We included studies that investigated differences between persons with schizophrenia and healthy comparison subjects in levels of biomarkers known to be associated with aging and examined the relationship of these biomarkers to age in the 2 groups. RESULTS:Forty-two articles that met our selection criteria were reviewed. Nearly 75% reported abnormal biomarker levels among individuals with schizophrenia, including indices of inflammation, cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, metabolic health, gene expression, and receptor/synaptic function, with medium to large effect sizes reported in many studies. Twenty-nine percent of the studies observed differential age-related decline in schizophrenia. Markers of receptor/synaptic function and gene expression were most frequently differentially related to age in schizophrenia. Schizophrenia patients with greater disease severity and longer illness duration exhibited higher levels of inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers and shorter telomere length. CONCLUSIONS:Most studies show biomarker abnormalities in schizophrenia, and there is some suggestion for accelerated aging. Although definitive interpretation is limited by cross-sectional design of the published reports, findings in the area of gene expression and synaptic function are promising and pave the way for future longitudinal studies needed to fully test this hypothesis.
The response of eosinophils to total-body x-radiation of the monkey.

1. Circulating levels of eosinophils in the monkey have been followed before and after total-body exposure to a near median-lethal dose of x-radiation. 2. Eosinophils are moderately decreased during the first three days and strongly depressed in the second and third weeks. During the fourth week these cells rapidly reappear, and an absolute and relative eosinophilia ensues which is maximal at the fifth to seventh week.
Epidermal inclusion cyst with foreign-body giant-cell reaction treated with surgical excision and rotational flap closure: A case report:

Epidermal inclusion cysts (epidermoid cysts) occur from penetration of epidermal cells into underlying dermal tissue. They are most commonly found on the scalp, face, neck, and back with a reported...