cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The aminosteroid U-73122 inhibits muscarinic receptor sequestration and phosphoinositide hydrolysis in SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells. A role for Gp in receptor compartmentation.

Abstract The relationship between muscarinic receptor activation of phosphoinositide hydrolysis and the sequestration of cell surface muscarinic receptors has been examined for both intact and digitonin-permeabilized human SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells. Addition of the aminosteroid 1-[6-[[17 beta-3-methoxyestra-1,3,5(10)-trien-17-yl]amino] hexyl]-1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione (U-73122) to intact cells resulted in the inhibition of oxotremorine-M-stimulated inositol phosphate release and of Ca2+ signaling by greater than 75%. In contrast, when phospholipase C was directly activated by the addition of the calcium ionophore ionomycin, inclusion of U-73122 had little inhibitory effect. Addition of U-73122 to intact cells also inhibited the agonist-induced sequestration of cell surface muscarinic receptors and their subsequent down-regulation with an IC50 value (4.1 microM) similar to that observed for inhibition of inositol phosphate release (3.7 microM). In contrast, when oxotremorine-M-stimulated phosphoinositide hydrolysis was inhibited by depletion of extracellular Ca2+, no reduction in the extent of receptor sequestration was observed. When introduced into digitonin-permeabilized cells, U-73122 more markedly inhibited inositol phosphate release elicited by either oxotremorine-M or guanosine-5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) than that induced by added Ca2+. Addition of oxotremorine-M to permeabilized cells resulted in muscarinic receptor sequestration and down-regulation. Both the loss of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors and activation of phosphoinositide hydrolysis in permeabilized cells were inhibited by the inclusion of guanosine-5'-O-(2-thiodiphosphate). The results indicate that the agonist-induced sequestration of muscarinic acetylcholine receptor in SK-N-SH cells requires the involvement of a GTP-binding protein but not the production of phosphoinositide-derived second messenger molecules.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: Savior or Menace?

One of the centerpieces of the Dodd-Frank financial reform legislation was the creation of a new federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau of the Federal Reserve. Few bureaucratic agencies in American history, if any, have combined the simultaneous degree of vast, vaguely-defined power and lack of public accountability of the new bureau. It is an independent agency inside another independent agency (the Federal Reserve). It is presided over by a single director (rather than a multi-member commission structure) appointed for a term of five years and insulated from removal by the President. It has a guaranteed budget drawn directly from the Federal Reserve and is thus outside of Congress’s appropriations process. Its actions are unreviewable by the Federal Reserve and can be checked bureaucratically only by a supermajority vote of the Financial Stability Oversight Commission (FSOC) and only if its actions would imperil the safety and soundness of the American financial services industry.Proponents of the new agency argue that this extreme level of independence is justified in order to provide the new bureau with insulation from political pressures. But the history of regulation has taught that insulation can be isolation, resulting in rudderless and inefficient regulation. In addition, scholars of regulation over the past several decades have identified a number of common pathologies associated with bureaucratic behavior. Astonishingly, the CFPB is structured in such a manner that it virtually guarantees the manifestation of those bureaucratic pathologies in practice: excessive risk-aversion, agency imperialism, and agency tunnel vision. Indeed, it is as if the CFPB were an agency frozen in amber during the Nixon Administration and thawed out today as if it were completely unaware of the lessons of the past several decades on how to structure an effective and efficient regulatory strategy.In the end, by manifesting these bureaucratic pathologies, the CFPB is likely to raise the price and reduce access to credit, thereby harming the very consumers it was founded to protect.
Pathwise Sensitivity Analysis in Transient Regimes

The instantaneous relative entropy (IRE) and the corresponding instantaneous Fisher information matrix (IFIM) for transient stochastic processes are presented in this paper. These novel tools for sensitivity analysis of stochastic models serve as an extension of the well known relative entropy rate (RER) and the corresponding Fisher information matrix (FIM) that apply to stationary processes. Three cases are studied here, discrete-time Markov chains, continuous-time Markov chains and stochastic differential equations. A biological reaction network is presented as a demonstration numerical example.
Further analysis of a recent cosmic-ray antiproton experiment

Reference is made to the measurements of a cosmic ray antiproton flux at a few hundred MeV reported by Buffington et al. (1981), noting that one of the final background processes to be removed by the data analysis in that study was helium-induced events which satisfied the criteria for topology and timing. The response in the third scintillator S_3 was used to identify and remove these events. For the top two scintillators S_1 and S_2, pulse size information was lost during the data-taking. A method is reported here for the partial retrieval of pulse size information for the scintillator S_2. This is possible because a portion of this signal was subtracted from the Cerenkov response before trigger discrimination and data recording to remove scintillation from the Cerenkov response. For separating protons from more highly charged particles, the method is considered sufficient. It is pointed out that the sample of events identified as antiprotons, for which the method can be applied, has the expected unit charge in scintillator S_2.
Implementing the IDEA Transition Mandates

A policy study initiated in 1996 investigated implementation of the transition mandates of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in nine sites across the United States. Five sites were identified as model sites because they had a national reputation for effective implementation of transition policies and practices, while four were identified as representative sites demonstrating progress in the face of challenges typically associated with local level implementation. Visits to each site included in-depth interviews, observations, and document reviews. Following the visits, procedures associated with qualitative inquiry were used to prepare individual summary reports and conduct a cross-case analysis. Results of the cross-case analysis are presented, including factors supporting and posing challenges to implementation.
NIST research in autonomous construction

The National Institute of Standards and Technology Construction Metrology and Automation Group is conducting ongoing research to provide standards, methodologies, and performance metrics that will assist the development of advanced systems to automate construction tasks. Initial research in this project, entitled "Performance of Innovative Technologies for Automated Construction," has focused on autonomous large-scale pick-and-place operations using the assembly of structural steel as a test operation. An Automated Construction Testbed (ACT) is under development to research advanced concepts in crane automation, site metrology, laser-based 3D imaging, construction object identification and tracking, sensor-based data exchange, site status visualization, and design data integration for autonomous system planning. This paper provides an overview of this research effort.
Contact Metamorphism in the Kwoiek Area of British Columbia: An End Member of the Metamorphic Process

The Kwoiek area of British Columbia has undergone high-pressure contact metamorphism at the eastern flank of the Coast Range batholithic complex. The major prograde metamorphic reactions in the sedimentary rocks are: A possible metastable reaction occurring between equations 2 and 3 is Compositional zoning in individual garnets is principally the result of depletion of the constituent elements of the garnet from a homogeneous matrix as the garnet grows. Minerals such as garnet, which by growth can change the composition of the matrix due to the fact that they do not internally equilibrate in response to changing external conditions, are termed “refractory” phases. It is shown that staurolite and probably ilmenite are “refractory” phases. During resorbtion of the refractory phase ilmenite, iron is added to the matrix, which gives rise to decreasing Mg/Fe in the concurrently growing garnet and staurolite. Biotite, chlorite, and presumably muscovite are homogeneous minerals that continuously internally equilibrate in response to changing external conditions, including retrograde metamorphism; therefore, they are considered to form the matrix from which the refractory minerals grow. Differences between measured electron micro-probe profiles of garnet grains and those calculated for a depletion model are due mainly to the effect of Mn on the Mg/Fe ratio in the garnet and partly to changing relative proportions of chlorite, muscovite, and biotite during the growth of the garnet. Higher grade assemblages appear to be the result of bypassing of lower grade assemblages. This leads to a model of overstepping of reactions that is tested by an analysis of garnet zoning profiles from assemblages that contain a limiting garnet composition (that is, the garnet composition projects at a corner of an assemblage polyhedron). The composition of these garnets is a function of the temperature at which they grew, which was nearly constant for each garnet. Magnesian chlorite persists stably with sillimanite, in the absence of muscovite; staurolite with a moderate zinc content persists with quartz in the highest grade rocks of the Kwoiek area.
Negative Transcriptional Regulation of Multidrug Resistance Gene Expression by an Hsp70 Protein

One of the most common origins of multidrug resistance occurs via the overproduction of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter proteins. These ABC transporters then act as broad specificity drug pumps and efflux a wide range of toxic agents out of the cell. The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae exhibits multiple or pleiotropic drug resistance (Pdr) often through the over-production of a plasma membrane-localized ABC transporter protein called Pdr5p. Expression of the PDR5 gene is controlled by two zinc cluster-containing transcription factors called Pdr1p and Pdr3p. Cells that lack their mitochondrial genome (rho(0) cells) strongly induce PDR5 transcription in a Pdr3p-dependent fashion. To identify proteins associated with Pdr3p that might act to regulate this factor, a tandem affinity purification (TAP) moiety was fused to Pdr3p, and this recombinant protein was purified from yeast cells. The cytosolic Hsp70 chaperone Ssa1p co-purified with TAP-Pdr3p. Overexpression of Ssa1p repressed expression of PDR5 but had no effect on expression of other genes involved in the Pdr phenotype. This Ssa1p-mediated repression required the presence of Pdr3p and did not influence Pdr1p-dependent gene expression. Loss of the nucleotide exchange factor Fes1p mimicked Ssa1p-mediated repression of PDR5. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments indicated that Ssa1p was associated with Pdr3p but not Pdr1p in yeast cells. Finally, rho(0) cells had less Ssa1p bound to Pdr3p than rho(+) cells, consistent with Ssa1p-mediated repression of Pdr3p activity serving as a key regulatory step in control of multidrug resistance in yeast.
Quantum lattice-gas model for the many-particle Schrödinger equation in d dimensions

We consider a general class of discrete unitary dynamical models on the lattice. We show that generically such models give rise to a wave function satisfying a Schr\"odinger equation in the continuum limit, in any number of dimensions. There is a simple mathematical relationship between the mass of the Schr\"odinger particle and the eigenvalues of a unitary matrix describing the local evolution of the model. Second quantized versions of these unitary models can be defined, describing in the continuum limit the evolution of a nonrelativistic quantum many-body theory. An arbitrary potential is easily incorporated into these systems. The models we describe fall in the class of quantum lattice-gas automata and can be implemented on a quantum computer with a speedup exponential in the number of particles in the system. This gives an efficient algorithm for simulating general nonrelativistic interacting quantum many-body systems on a quantum computer.
Form and function of the corpus luteum in llamas

Abstract In Part 1, the presence and diameter of the corpus luteum was monitored daily by transrectal ultra-sonography for a minimum of 30 days in 39 llamas. Animals were categorized as non-lactating or lactating and randomly allotted to the following groups (reproductive status), (1) non-mated (anovulatory); (2) mated by a vasectomized male (ovulatory non-pregnant); (3) mated by an intact male (pregnant). In Part 2, luteal diameter was monitored by transrectal ultrasonography in 68 pregnant llamas to characterize its diameter profile for the first 60 days of pregnancy. Results indicated that measurement of the diameter of the corpus luteum by transrectal ultrasonography was an accurate method of assessing luteal function (plasma progesterone concentration) in llamas ( r = 83%, P −1 in anovulatory (non-mated) llamas. The corpus luteum was first detected on mean Day 3.1 ± 0.2 for ovulatory non-pregnant and pregnant llamas, and reached the maximum diameter on mean Day 5.9 ± 0.3 and 21.4 ± 1.2, respectively ( P P P P −1 ; Day 10, 3.1 ng ml −1 ; Day 12, 6.3 ng ml −1 ). Results demonstrated, (1) a close temporal relationship between ultrasonically determined luteal diameter and circulating progesterone concentration, except that progesterone decreased 1–3 days before the morphologic decrease; (2) regression of the corpus luteum between Days 9 and 11 in non-pregnant llamas versus a continued gradual increase until a plateau at Day 25 in pregnant llamas; (3) a fall in circulating progesterone in both non-pregnant and pregnant llamas on Day 8, but with rescue and resurgence of the corpus luteum in pregnant llamas after Day 10. The latter observation was unexpected and requires confirmation.
Infection of Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) by Hesperomyces virescens (Ascomycetes: Laboulbeniales) : Role of mating status and aggregation behavior

The ectoparasitic fungus Hesperomyces virescens was studied on Harmonia axyridis in North Carolina, in the southeastern United States. A primary goal was to investigate transmission of the disease by examining the correlation between the pattern of fungal infection and seasonal change in host behavior. Beetles were collected as they arrived at their winter quarters at two sites; in one site they were also subsampled at mid- and late winter. Insects were sexed and weighed, fungal thalli were counted, and their location on the host body mapped; spermathecae of females were examined for sperm. Infection levels varied between sites, differed significantly between the sexes in one site but not the other, and increased by approximately 40% during winter. The distribution of thalli on the body changed seasonally, in concert with behavioral changes in the host. At fall flight, thalli were found most often on the posterior elytra of mated females, virgin females, and males. This is suggestive that the disease had been spread among both sexes via successful and failed copulation attempts; however, the relatively low incidence of infection on the male venter does not fit the sexual transmission scenario. During winter, thallus location shifts in concert with beetle aggregation behavior, with infections more often located on the head and legs. Fresh weight of beetles decreased by approx. 20% during winter, but was not affected by disease status. Prior to spring flight, uninfected females were preferred as mating partners, but the probable relationship between female age and infection status complicates interpretation of the data.
Brainstem anesthesia presenting as dysarthria

After having a retrobulbar injection for anesthesia before cataract surgery, a patient developed dysarthria. This was the presenting sign for penetration of the optic nerve sheath by the retrobulbar injection, with subsequent brainstem anesthesia. Thereafter, the patient demonstrated cranial nerve dysfunctions with tongue deviation, tachycardia, hypertension, and contralateral sixth and third nerve palsies. I believe this is the first documented case in which dysarthria is the presenting sign for brainstem anesthesia resulting from a retrobulbar injection.
Instability of nonlinear bound states

We establish a sharp instability theorem for the bound states of lowest energy of the nonlinear Klein-Gordon equation,u tt−◃u+f(u)=0, and the nonlinear Schrodinger equation, −iu t−◃u+f(u)=0.
Effects of integrated treatment of nonthermal UV-C light and different antimicrobial wash on Salmonella enterica on plum tomatoes

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate inactivation of inoculated Salmonella enterica on whole tomato surface exploiting integration of nonthermal ultraviolet light (UV-C) treatment with antimicrobial wash. The effect of combined treatment on background microflora (aerobic mesophilic, and yeast and mold), during storage at ambient temperature (22 °C) for 21 days was also determined. A bacterial cocktail containing three serotypes of S. enterica (S. Newport H1275, S. Stanley H0558, and S. Montevideo G4639) was used based on their association with produce-related outbreaks. Tomatoes were spot inoculated using approximately 100 μL of inocula to achieve cell population of about 107 CFU/tomato. An inoculated tomato was initially treated with a low (0.6 kJ/m2) dose of UV-C light (253.7 nm) followed by immersion in selected sanitizing solution (700 ml) to wash under mild agitation (ca. 250 rpm) for 2 min at room temperature (22 °C). Inactivation efficacy of combined treatments varied widely depending on the sanitizer property. Combined UV-C plus aqueous ozone (1 ppm) provided 3.13 ± 0.47 log CFU/fruit Salmonella reduction which was significantly lower (p
Application of the analytical hierarchy process for real-time scheduling and part routing in advanced manufacturing systems

This paper presents a framework that employs the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) in advanced manufacturing systems for real-time scheduling and part routing. The proposed multicriteria decision-making framework brings a new perspective to real-time scheduling and part routing decisions, by implementing pairwise comparison of possible future states of a manufacturing system. The framework includes an extended finite state machine and a scheduler model to facilitate dynamic, short-term decision making. The scheduler model, which is developed on the basis of control theory, uses AHP to assess possible future states in a limited look-ahead horizon by comparing the performance measures of each state. The multicriteria decision-making framework developed in this study is implemented in a simulation environment to validate it for real-time manufacturing system control and investigate its performance under a range of look-ahead horizons. Simulation results indicate that the proposed framework performs better for a mid-range horizon for most of the commonly used performance measures.
Predictors of quality of life in 102 patients with treated Cushing's disease.

Objective To identify predictors for quality of life (QoL) in treated Cushing's disease (CD) and quantify patients' assessment of their disease status. Context Significant reductions in QoL exist in CD patients despite treatment. Identifying predictors of QoL is paramount to the long-term management of these patents. Design A cross-sectional study was conducted of patients with treated CD. Patients completed a medical history questionnaire and three validated quality of life assessments: Cushing's QoL Questionnaire (CushingQoL), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Nottingham Health Profile (NHP). Patients 102 patients (75·7% female, mean time since surgery 7·4 years) with treated CD were included. Measurements Patients were categorized by biochemical and self-identified disease status. Mean CushingQoL, anxiety and depression scores were compared by unpaired t-tests. Multiple linear regressions were performed on the whole cohort to assess for predictors of impaired QoL. Results Ninety-two per cent of the cohort met criteria for biochemical remission, but only 80·4% felt they had achieved remission. Among those with biochemical remission, those who also self-identified as being in remission had higher CushingQoL scores than those who self-identified as having persistent disease (P = 0·042). Anxiety (P = 0·032) and depression (P = 0·018) scores were lower, and CushingQoL scores were higher (P = 0·05) in patients who self-identified as being in remission compared to persistence. Recovery time, BMI, gender and age were also predictors for QoL. Conclusion Our study identifies the discordance that can exist between biochemical and self-assessed disease status and demonstrates its impact on QoL in patients with CD. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating patients' disease perceptions in their management.
Petroleum geochemistry in exploration and development: Part 1—Principles and processes

A 10-million‐barrel oil field occupies a volume of reservoir rock that is typically about 0.2 km3. It is easy to show that this volume of rock cannot contain enough organic matter to generate the oil in the reservoir. So where does it come from? And how far does it have to move to get to the reservoir? How much organic matter do you need to make 10 million barrels of oil? What factors control the generation of oil? And why in some cases is it gas rather than oil? These are the sorts of questions that petroleum geochemists deal with. Part 1 of this two‐part series will outline basic principles, and the second (to be published in July) will concentrate on applications.
The effect of CO2 laser irradiation on PDL cell attachment to resected root surfaces.

Abstract Objectives The effect of CO2 laser irradiation on PDL attachment to resected root ends was evaluated. Study design Forty dentin wafers were divided into 4 equal groups. Groups I and II were not subjected to laser irradiation. Groups III and IV were subjected to irradiation with CO2 laser (wave length 10.6 mm). PDL cells attachment to the resected root surface (lased/non lased) and cell attachment to the root end filling material (gutta percha and MTA) were evaluated utilizing immunoflouresence microscopy and SEM. Results PDL cell attachment was observed on dentin surfaces (control samples) and dentin away from the laser strikes (irradiated samples). PDL cell attachment was observed on MTA but was absent on gutta percha. Conclusion Absence of PDL attachment to laser irradiated dentin could be attributed to morphological surface changes in dentin produced by laser irradiation.
A penalty linear programming method using reduced-gradient basis-exchange techniques☆

Abstract We offer a variant of the piecewise-linear penalty-function approach to linear programming which was proposed by Conn [5]. Our variant makes use of computational techniques which are more closely related to those in existing computer codes for linear programming and which can be more readily adapted for large sparse problems that were the techniques described by Conn. An experimental code for small dense problems has been prepared and some experience with it is reported.
Intraliposomal conversion of lipophilic cis-bis-carboxylato-trans-R, R-1, 2-diaminocyclohexane-platinum (II) complexes into cis-bis-dichloro-trans-R, R-1,2-diaminocyclohexane-platinum (II)

Cis-bis-neodecanoato-trans-R,R-1,2-diaminocyclohexane platinum (II) (NDDP) is a lipophilic platinum complex (Pt complex) developed in a liposomal carrier. Prior studies have suggested that NDDP is a prodrug that exerts its biological activity through activation within the liposome bilayers containing dimyristoyl phosphatidylglycerol (DMPG) before in vivo administration. In order to understand the kinetics of the intraliposomal degradation/activation of different liposomal Pt complexes, we studied the effects of their structure, lipid composition, content of acidic phospholipids and size, and the effects of pH, temperature and the presence of residual chloroform on their stability, in vitro cytotoxicity, and in vivo antitumor activity. The following factors were found to enhance the intraliposomal degradation/activation of Pt complexes: (1) the size and spatial configuration of the Pt complex, (2) an acidic pH, (3) a high temperature, (4) the presence and amount of acidic phospholipids, and (5) the presence of residual chloroform. Liposome size did not affect the intraliposomal stability of different Pt complexes. Good inverse relationships between the extent of drug degradation and in vitro cytotoxicity and between the extent of drug degradation and in vivo antitumor potency were observed, thus confirming that the biological activity of these complexes is exerted through the intraliposomal formation of certain active intermediate(s). The only active intermediate that could be identified was cis-bis-dichloro-trans-R,R-1,2-diaminocyclohexane platinum(II) whose structure was confirmed by 1H, 13C, and 195Pt nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.
Pregnane X receptor: predicting and preventing drug interactions.

The pregnane X receptor, PXR, is a member of the nuclear receptor family of ligand-activated transcription factors [1]. The hormones that act through the nuclear receptors include the steroid hormones, thyroid hormone, retinoic acid, and vitamin D [2]. They are all small, lipophilic molecules that diffuse into the cell and interact with their cognate receptors. The receptors bind to DNA and regulate gene transcription directly. There are 48 nuclear receptors in the human genome that share structural features, including conserved DNA binding and ligand binding domains. The so-called borphanQ nuclear receptors contain the DNA and ligand binding domains. However, they are called orphans because at the time they were cloned their physiological ligands were not known [3]. PXR is involved in protecting the body against foreign chemicals or bxenobioticsQ [1]. These chemicals can either be ingested in the diet, inhaled, or absorbed. The liver and the intestine are key tissues for clearing xenobiotics. Within these tissues, there are sets of proteins that play prominent roles in the detoxification of xenobiotics. These
Distinguishing between early and late responders to symptoms of acute myocardial infarction

The present study identified factors that distinguish early responders (i.e., requested medical assistance or = 60 minutes after symptom onset). A questionnaire developed to assess demographic characteristics, contextual factors, antecedents to symptom onset, and behavioral, affective, and cognitive responses was administered in the hospital to 501 patients with documented AMI. Patients who believed that their symptoms were cardiac in nature were more likely to be early responders, whereas patients who attributed their symptoms to indigestion, muscle pain, fatigue, or another cause responded later (p < 0.0009). Early responders believed their symptoms to be more serious (p < 0.0001), felt more comfortable seeking medical assistance (p < 0.0001), were more anxious or upset when they first noticed symptoms (p = 0.0118), and perceived that they had less control of their symptoms (p < 0.0001) than late responders. A stepwise multiple regression analysis further suggested that unmarried patients responded significantly later than married patients, and patients who first experienced their symptoms at work responded significantly later than those who first experienced their symptoms outside of the home but not at work. These results suggest that situational and psychological variables are important determinants of lengthy decision delays in responding to symptoms of AMI.
Impact of annual urodynamic evaluations on guiding bladder management in individuals with spinal cord injuries

Study design A single-center institutional review board-approved prospective cross-sectional observational study. Context Urodynamic studies are essential to accurately direct bladder management following spinal cord injury (SCI). There is no consensus on how often testing should be performed. Objective To determine the impact of annual urodynamic studies on guiding bladder management following SCI. Methods Individuals with traumatic SCI undergoing annual urological evaluations were enrolled in this study. They had to be injured for at least 2 years so that urodynamic changes could be compared with their previous annual urodynamic evaluation. Changes in the urodynamic parameters and autonomic dysreflexia were determined by comparing this study with the previous year's study. All studies were done with the same physician and nursing staff. Demographic data, bladder management, urodynamic parameters, and the need and type of interventions based on the urodynamic study were obtained. The main outcome measure...
Use of bupropion with SRIs and venlafaxine

Because of reported efficacy of combining classes of antidepressants, 25 patients were treated with bupropion in combination with SRI's and venlafaxine. Fifteen patients inadequately responsive to monotherapy received combination treatment; ten patients without residual symptoms received adjunctive bupropion to treat SRI- or venlafaxine-induced side effects. Fourteen subjects (56%) responded, 11 (44%) did not. Twelve of 15 subjects receiving combination treatment to boost the effects of monotherapy responded, while only 2 of 10 subjects receiving combination treatment for side effects responded. Combination therapy was well tolerated even by geriatric and "medically frail" patients.
Electrochemical Deposition of Bi2(Te,Se)3 Nanowire Arrays on Si

Improving device performance and extending Moore’s Law can be aided through active solid-state cooling, using thermoelectric (TE) materials with a high figure of merit (zT > 1). TE nanowires promise a path to higher zT, and electrochemical deposition (ECD) is a simple and scalable means for synthesizing TE nanowires. In this paper we report the ECD of 75 nm diameter nanowire arrays with a nominal composition of Bi2(Te0.95Se0.05)3 onto Si substrates. These nanowires show an improved level of compositional control than previously observed for TE nanowires in this system by ECD. This results from our new non-aqueous bath combined with recently described methods for template formation on Si. © 2012 The Electrochemical Society. [DOI: 10.1149/2.084204jes] All rights reserved.
Whatever happened to superconducting generators

Superconducting electric power generators are potentially 50 percent smaller, and 1 percent more efficient than other types of generators with the same power output. The 1 percent improvement in efficiency would result in large dollar savings in power generation for utilities over the service life of a superconducting generator.
Art making, aesthetic considerations and the formation of social and cultural homogeneity with the changing Bush Negro society of Suriname

This paper is based on research done in Suriname and the Netherlands from 1999 to 2003. The focus of this research was on art making practices and aesthetic considerations and how these can lead and contribute to cultural cohesion within the changing society of the Bush Negro of Suriname. Strong indications show that external and internal impacts disrupted the traditional Bush Negro social order and changed attitudes toward their indigenous arts and culture, ultimately leading to their adaptation of artistic expressions. Many artistic activities of the Bush Negroes are today played out and continued in urban settings. The shift from an indigenous existence and adaptations to the norms and standards of living in urban communities have drastic implications for the status quo of indigenous Bush Negro life and their traditional artistic expressions.
High-frequency flux transfer events detected near Mercury

The physical process that creates connections between the magnetic fields emanating from the Sun and a planet—a process known as magnetic reconnection—creates a portal through which solar plasma can penetrate the planetary magnetic field. The opening of these portals, known as flux transfer events (FTEs), takes place roughly every 8 minutes at Earth and spawns a rope of streaming plasma that is typically about half of the radius of the Earth. As early as 1985, scientists analyzing the Mariner 10 observations, collected during their 1974–1975 flybys, have known that FTEs also occur at Mercury. However, using the measurements returned from the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft now orbiting Mercury, Slavin et al. found that Mercurial flux transfer events are proportionally much larger, stronger, and more frequent than those at Earth.
Hyperthyroidism associated with topiramate treatment.

Received January 18, 2006; accepted January 27, 2006. From the Univ. of Rhode Island, Cambridge Health Alliance, and Harvard Medical School, Somerville, MA. Send correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Goren, Cambridge Health Alliance, Somerville, MA. e-mail: jgoren@ challiance.org Copyright 2006 The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine Topiramate is an anticonvulsant that causes significant weight loss in patients. Weight loss reported has ranged from 0.5 kg to 13.5 kg, depending on the population studied. Most studies report approximately a 6-kg weight loss. The mechanism of topiramate-induced weight loss is unknown, and pre-marketing studies did not show weight loss to be associated with topiramate-induced hyperthyroidism. A case of a patient referred to an outpatient clinic is reported here. Referral was made after the initiation and subsequent discontinuation of topiramate, where the patient experienced clinical signs and laboratory abnormalities consistent with hyperthyroidism.
Interdiffusion in mercury cadmium telluride evaluated from vapor phase growth kinetics

A method is presented for determining interdiffusion coefficients from the kinetics of isothermal vapor phase epitaxial growth of mercury cadmium telluride (Hg1−xCdxTe). After an initial transient, growth is interdiffusion limited. Interdiffusion coefficients in the composition range x = 0.1 to 0.7 and a temperature range of 450 to 700 °C are determined using a simple geometric analysis of the composition profiles obtained in this interdiffusion limited regime. The technique offers advantages in simplicity and added control over the defect nature of the material during the interdiffusion process. The interdiffusion coefficients for the composition and temperature range studied are represented by the following equation: Dx(cm2/s) = 300 exp (−7.53 x) exp (−1.92 eV/kT). Comparison with other studies shows good agreement. Es wird eine Methode zur Bestimmung der Interdiffusionskoeffizienten aus der Kinetik des isothermen gasphasen-epitaktischen Wachstums von Quecksilber–Kadmiumtellurid (Hg1−xCdxTe) angegeben. Nach einer Analufphase ist das Wachstum diffusionslimitiert. Diffusionskoeffizienten im Zusammensetzungsbereich x = 0,1 bis 0,7 und einem Temperaturbereich von 450 bis 700 °C werden mittels einfacher geometrischer Analyse der in diesem interdiffusionsbegrenzten Regime erhaltenen Verbindungsprofile bestimmt. Die Technik besticht durch ihre Einfachheit und umfast zugleich eine Kontrolle uber die Defektart des Materials wahrend des Interdiffusionsprozesses. Die Interdiffusionskoeffizienten im untersuchten Zusammensetzungs- und Temperaturbereich lassen sich durch die Gleichung Dx(cm2/s) = 300 exp(− 7,53x) exp (− 1,92 eV/kT) darstellen. Ein Vergleich mit anderen Untersuchungen zeigt gute Ubereinstimmung.
At-school substance use as a marker for serious health risks

Abstract Objective At-school substance use is associated with increased rates of violence and delinquency. However, whether at-school substance use is a useful marker for other serious health risks and whether this association varies by gender or substance is still unclear. Methods We analyzed data from the national 2011 Youth Risk Behaviors Survey of 15,698 ninth to 12th grade students. We used multivariate regressions controlling for age and race and evaluated whether at-school marijuana and alcohol users were more likely than out-of-school users to exhibit 9 serious health risks (exposure to intoxicated driving, fighting, carrying a weapon at school, substance use with intercourse, experiencing intimate partner violence, being forced to have intercourse, experiencing depression, suicidal ideation, and attempting suicide). We included interaction terms to determine whether this association varied by gender or substance. Results At-school alcohol and marijuana use were both associated with increased odds of all 9 serious health risks. The association between at-school substance use and fighting and being forced to have sex was greater for boys than for girls. Associations did not vary significantly by substance. Specificity of at-school substance use for serious health risks ranged from 0.93 to 0.96, and positive predictive values ranged from 0.23 to 0.69, well above the ranges for out-of-school use and nonuse. Conclusions Students found using alcohol or marijuana at school should be immediately and carefully screened for other serious health risks that pose significant present dangers; this might represent a critical opportunity to identify troubled youth.
Asthma camps for children.

Asthma is a chronic health condition that can have a negative impact on children’s quality of life, social and emotional functioning and health [1–3]. Children with asthma may feel conspicuous or i...
Coordinate regulation of neural tube patterning and proliferation by TGFβ and WNT activity

Abstract Pattern formation and growth must be tightly coupled during embryonic development. In vertebrates, however, little is known of the molecules that serve to link these two processes. Here we show that bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP) coordinate the acquisition of pattern information and the stimulation of proliferation in the embryonic spinal neural tube. We have blocked BMP and transforming growth factor-β superfamily (TGFβ) function in the chick embryo using Noggin, a BMP antagonist, and siRNA against Smad4. We show that BMPs/TGFβs are necessary to regulate pattern formation and the specification of neural progenitor populations in the dorsal neural tube. BMPs also serve to establish discrete expression domains of Wnt ligands, receptors, and antagonists along the dorsal–ventral axis of the neural tube. Using the extracellular domain of Frizzled 8 to block Wnt signaling and Wnt3a ligand misexpression to activate WNT signaling, we demonstrate that the Wnt pathway acts mitogenically to expand the populations of neuronal progenitor cells specified by BMP. Thus, BMPs, acting through WNTs, couple patterning and growth to generate dorsal neuronal fates in the appropriate proportions within the neural tube.
Pretest CS Cueing Facilitates the Recovery of Avoidance Behavior Following Visual Cortex Lesions in the Rat

Abstract Fritts, M. E., E. T. Asbury and W. L. Isaac. Pretest CS cueing facilitates the recovery of avoidance behavior following visual cortex lesions in the rat. Physiol Behav 63(4) 659–666, 1998. Rats were trained on a four-way shuttle box with a compound light-tone conditioned stimulus (CS) until they emitted 7 avoidance responses in 10 trials (7/10) prior to bilateral ablation of the visual cortex or sham surgery. On Day 5 after surgery, rats were cued with either the compound light-tone CS, the light or tone portion of the CS only, or had no exposure to the CS. On Day 10 after surgery, all animals were tested for avoidance retention under the same conditions as preoperative training. The findings indicate that following a lesion, cueing with the light-tone compound CS facilitates performance as does light alone. Cueing to the tone alone has no effect. In sham animals, only cueing with the light-tone CS was effective in enhancing avoidance retention. Results are interpreted as early and modality-specific sensory cueing may facilitate the recovery process.
Mutations of the Adh1 gene in maize following infection with barley stripe mosaic virus

Mutations at the Adh1 locus in maize were selected from plants infected with barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV). Pollen from the infected inbred line 1s2p, which is homozygous for Adh1-S (abbreviated S), Adh2-P, c and r was treated with allyl alcohol and applied to silks of a tester stock homozygous for Adh1-F, Adh2-N, C and R. From these pollinations 356 kernels arose on the F1 ears. Of these eight showed no activity of the S allele in scutellar samples while two exhibited low levels. Five of the putative mutant kernels germinated and two of these contained the contamination markers Adh2-P, c and r. The newly arisen mutations were designated S5446 and S5453. S5453 exhibited an abnormally low level of ADH activity in the F1 scutellum. In the F2 generation the mutant reverted at a high frequency with only about 5% of the S5453 alleles expressing low levels. DNA blotting and hybridization analyses showed no alterations in the restriction patterns of S5453 when compared to the progenitor S allele. S5446 which exhibited no ADH activity in the F1 scutellum is unstable in the pollen; reversion frequencies approaching 10(-2) were observed in samples from some plants. Restriction digestion patterns of DNA from this mutant revealed the presence of a 3.3 kb insertion at Adh. The insert does not appear to contain sequences homologous to the BSMV genome but rigorous analyses remain to be carried out. It is hypothesized that BSMV infection may mobilize endogenous but dormant transposable elements in maize.
Industrial techniques help reduce hospital-acquired infection.

learning lab for healthcare improvement, since healthcare is the region’s largest economic sector, employing one in eight workers and conducting more than $7.2 billion in business. The region is a national healthcare microcosm, as it struggles with high healthcare costs, a malpractice crisis, increasing numbers of uninsured people, and issues of patient safety. In 1997, the Pittsburgh Regional Healthcare Initiative (PRHI) convened an array of the region’s healthcare stakeholders to ask: Could Southwestern Pennsylvania, working and learning together as a region, make healthcare safer and better? PRHI has since become a community resource, a consortium of 44 hospitals, four major insurers, dozens of large and small business healthcare purchasers, corporate and civic leaders, and elected officials, working toward the goal of improving healthcare quality for patients, and improving the financial picture for those who pay for it.
Treatment of tuberculosis: The Arkansas experience

The optimal tuberculosis control program is based on aggressive and expedient contact investigations and effective treatment regimens. The standard of care now includes directly-observed therapy to assure adherence to treatment, significant reductions in relapse rates, and the development of drug-resistant organisms. The Arkansas experience is presented in this article as a model of a public health tuberculosis control program that has an established track record of using short-course chemotherapy with directly-observed therapy on nonadherent children only. Over the past two decades, this case management approach, in partnership with county health nurses, has produced a successful tuberculosis control program. We present the epidemiology, contact investigations, evolution of treatment protocols, and results of this approach for the treatment of children with tuberculosis. We also present a large collection of asymptomatic children treated for pulmonary tuberculosis with hilar adenopathy as the only manifestation.
Effect of reinforcement type and length on physical properties, surface quality, and cycle time for sheet molding compound (SMC) compression molded parts

One of the fastest growing applications of sheet molding compound (SMC) compression molding is the manufacture of truck body panels. The trucking industry requires parts with high strength and stiffness, but the surface quality is also important. In this study, the effect of reinforcement type and length on physical properties, surface quality, and cycle time are evaluated. In particular, the effect of different lengths of carbon fibers and glass fibers with different sizing are studied. It was found that for the same volume percent, carbon fibers greatly improve the stiffness of the SMC at the sacrifice of strength and surface quality and also require larger fill times for the same molding force, as compared to glass fibers. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 2557–2571, 2003
Should infliximab be used as an adjuvant to IVIG in the treatment of children with Kawasaki disease who are at high risk for resistance to conventional therapy

The recently published article, entitled “Extensive Coronary Aneurysms with Thrombosis in Resistant Kawasaki Disease” by Sivakumar and Pavithran [5], concisely delineates the limitations in the treatment of Kawasaki disease (KD). There is no one accepted treatment algorithm for treatment-refractory patients, and the efficacy of infliximab as a first-line therapy adjunct has not yet been studied. Although a retrospective study showed improvement in various clinical outcomes, use of infliximab as second-line therapy is not convincingly supported by highly powered studies [1]. As this case illustrates, the treatment of KD is neither universal nor intuitive. The efficacy of infliximab in this population would perhaps be enhanced if administered at an earlier time point, especially in children who are at high risk for resistance to therapy. Children who are resistant to first-line treatment with IVIG carry a higher risk for development of coronary artery aneurysms [4]. Therefore, to avoid such devastating outcomes, should infliximab be used as an adjunct to IVIG in the treatment of children with KD who are at high risk? These high-risk patients (male, young age, recurrence of fever) could possibly be identified with a risk stratification algorithm and may benefit from more aggressive early therapy. It has been shown that tumor-necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha inhibitors decrease inflammation and endoarteritis in murine models, specifically the inhibition of neutrophil adhesion to endothelial cells, which is seen in the early phase of vasculitis [2]. This proof of concept experiment further elucidates the role of TNF-alpha inhibitors in the treatment of panvasculitis. Based on the mechanism of endoarteritis and the success of other patients treated with infliximab, we believe that high-risk KD patients may benefit from early treatment with infliximab in conjunction with conventional IVIG therapy [3,4]. In keeping with this hypothesis, researchers at The University of California at San Diego recently completed a phase III placebo-controlled, multicenter, randomized clinical trial of infliximab plus standard therapy versus placebo plus standard therapy in children with acute KD to determine if the addition of infliximab to primary therapy can decrease the percentage of children who are resistant to therapy. Results of this study will perhaps further guide our primary management of KD.