cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Atrial Septostomy to Treat Stiff Left Atrium Syndrome.

Radiofrequency ablation is an effective therapy to restore sinus rhythm in patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation. Approximately 1.4% of patients undergoing ablation develop unexplained dyspnea because of isolated left atrial (LA) hypertension.1,2 This condition has been termed the stiff LA syndrome. Ideal treatment strategies for stiff LA syndrome remain unclear. A 71-year-old man presented with dyspnea. He had a history of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation/flutter treated with 3 ablation procedures in the preceding 9 years. Physical examination revealed a rapid, irregular heart rate at 173 and jugular venous distention to 10 cm. ECG demonstrated atrial tachycardia. Echocardiogram demonstrated left ventricular ejection fraction of 50%, biatrial enlargement, mild mitral regurgitation, mild right ventricular enlargement, mild–moderate right ventricular systolic dysfunction, and an estimated right ventricular systolic pressure of 43 mm Hg. He was admitted and rate controlled. However, he continued to complain of severe dyspnea after dismissal, despite diuresis. A cardiopulmonary exercise test demonstrated peak oxygen consumption (VO2) of 10.9 mL/kg/min (43% predicted), suggesting severe cardiac limitation. Chest computed tomography demonstrated normal pulmonary vein anatomy without stenosis. Cardiac catheterization was performed with transseptal puncture (Figure 1). Right atrial pressure was mildly elevated (10 mm Hg). The …
Redox Sensing by Fe2+ in Bacterial Fur Family Metalloregulators.

Abstract Significance: Iron is required for growth and is often redox active under cytosolic conditions. As a result of its facile redox chemistry, iron homeostasis is intricately involved with oxidative stress. Bacterial adaptation to iron limitation and oxidative stress often involves ferric uptake regulator (Fur) proteins: a diverse set of divalent cation-dependent, DNA-binding proteins that vary widely in both metal selectivity and sensitivity to metal-catalyzed oxidation. Recent Advances: Bacteria contain two Fur family metalloregulators that use ferrous iron (Fe2+) as their cofactor, Fur and PerR. Fur functions to regulate iron homeostasis in response to changes in intracellular levels of Fe2+. PerR also binds Fe2+, which enables metal-catalyzed protein oxidation as a mechanism for sensing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Critical Issues: To effectively regulate iron homeostasis, Fur has an Fe2+ affinity tuned to monitor the labile iron pool of the cell and may be under selective pressure to minimize iron ...
Anticancer potency of nitric oxide-releasing liposomes

In this study, fast and slow nitric oxide (NO)-releasing liposomes (half-lives of 2.5 and >72 h, respectively) were prepared by encapsulation of N-propyl-1,3-propanediamine/NO (PAPA/NO) and diethylenetriamine/NO (DETA/NO), respectively, via reverse phase evaporation. The anticancer activity of the otherwise equivalent fast and slow NO-releasing systems was evaluated against several distinct pancreatic, colorectal, and breast cancer cell lines. The anticancer assays (via cytotoxicity) over 72 h revealed that the slower NO-releasing liposomes consistently required lower NO payloads (LD50 6 μg mL−1) to elicit cytotoxicity. The mechanism of intracellular NO build-up in cancer cells was studied using confocal fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry, the results of which indicated that a more gradual NO accumulation was characteristic of the slow NO-release system. Protein expression via western blot analysis revealed that slower NO release resulted in more necrotic/apoptotic cells, while faster release reduced the number of mitotic cells to a greater extent. Overall, these studies demonstrate the potential of NO-releasing liposomes for anticancer therapy and highlight the significance of release kinetics (and NO payloads) required to induce cell death.
Measurements of a potential interference with laser-induced fluorescence measurements of ambient OH from the ozonolysis of biogenic alkenes

Abstract. Reactions of the hydroxyl radical (OH) play a central role in the chemistry of the atmosphere, and measurements of its concentration can provide a rigorous test of our understanding of atmospheric oxidation. Several recent studies have shown large discrepancies between measured and modeled OH concentrations in forested areas impacted by emissions of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs), where modeled concentrations were significantly lower than measurements. A potential reason for some of these discrepancies involves interferences associated with the measurement of OH using the laser-induced fluorescence–fluorescence assay by gas expansion (LIF-FAGE) technique in these environments. In this study, a turbulent flow reactor operating at atmospheric pressure was coupled to a LIF-FAGE cell and the OH signal produced from the ozonolysis of α -pinene, β -pinene, ocimene, isoprene, and 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol (MBO) was measured. To distinguish between OH produced from the ozonolysis reactions and any OH artifact produced inside the LIF-FAGE cell, an external chemical scrubbing technique was used, allowing for the direct measurement of any interference. An interference under high ozone (between 2 × 10 13 and 10 × 10 13 cm −3 ) and BVOC concentrations (between approximately 0.1 × 10 12 and 40 × 10 12 cm −3 ) was observed that was not laser generated and was independent of the ozonolysis reaction time. For the ozonolysis of α - and β -pinene, the observed interference accounted for approximately 40 % of the total OH signal, while for the ozonolysis of ocimene the observed interference accounted for approximately 70 % of the total OH signal. Addition of acetic acid to the reactor eliminated the interference, suggesting that the source of the interference in these experiments involved the decomposition of stabilized Criegee intermediates (SCIs) inside the FAGE detection cell. Extrapolation of these measurements to ambient concentrations suggests that these interferences should be below the detection limit of the instrument.
Dynamics of Valley-Polarized Exciton-Polaritons in Monolayer MoS 2

We investigate the dynamics of valley-polarized exciton-polaritons in monolayer MoS 2 embedded in a planar dielectric microcavity. We demonstrate both theoretically and experimentally that valley polarization of exciton-polaritons can be tuned with cavity parameters.
The Importance of Potassium for Vascular Protection in A Hypertensive Setting

Statistically, hypertension is harmful because hypertensive people suffer 3 to 4 times more strokes, more myocardial infarctions, and more angina, congestive failure, and renal failure. However, many people have these same high levels of blood pressure and do not get these strokes or myocardial infarctions. Their arteries are seemingly not harmed by the high blood pressure. At the opposite end of the spectrum, patients are often very frightened because three-fourths of their parents or siblings have died of a stroke or have had a coronary death all before the age of 50. Seemingly, the arteries of these families are exceedingly susceptible to relatively mild degrees of hypertension and other risk factors. Actually hypertension would be much less of a problem if it did not involve extra coronary, cerebral, or renal vascular disease. Our findings strongly suggest that with hypertension the blood pressureper seis only one of the determinants of arterial lesions. Other factors apparently are strongly involved and must be considered. Using the antihypertensive treatments of 10 years ago, various trials have indicated that lowering the blood pressure produces only a very small reduction in coronary deaths. In numerical terms, this is certainly the number one complication of hypertension, and the older methods of treatment seemingly cannot solve this problem.
Fabrication of Complex Shaped Ceramic Articles by Slip Casting and Injection Molding

Complex shaped ceramic articles can routinely be formed to net shape by either slip casting or injection molding. Both of these processes are reviewed in general terms. The effect of both material and process variables are discussed. Case studies are presented to illustrate important features of each process.
The Ext Algebra of a Highest Weight Category

In this paper, we survey some recent results of Cline, Parshall, Scott concerning the homological dual of a highest weight category. The main result gives conditions under which the homological dual is also a highest weight category. We also discuss the corresponding theory for graded highest weight categories.
Acyl Transfer Reactions Associated with Cis Golgi Apparatus

Recent work in our laboratory involving cell-free lipid transfer from transitional endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to Golgi apparatus has shown a latent phospholipase A activity localized in the cis Golgi of rat liver (Moreau 1991). Subsequently, phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) was shown to be an important component of ER to Golgi transport vesicles. Because PE has a small hydrophilic head group and a large hydrophobic tail, it has a conical shape which is very conducive to Hexagonal II phase structure formation. The possibility that we examined was that the lysophosphatidylcholine (lysoPC), formed by the phospholipase A activity, could interact with the PE to destabilize the Hexagonal II phase and form a bilayer. However, because levels of PE decrease through the Golgi stacks, the presence of lysoPC will then destabilize the bilayer structure. To retain a stabile bilayer structure, the lysoPC must be removed. This can be accomplished in two ways: 1) degradation by a Golgi lysophospholipid phospholipase or 2) reacylation by a Golgi acyl-CoA:lysoPC acyltransferase activity. The reacylation of Golgi apparatus lysoPC via the Lands pathway (Lands 1976) was investigated.
Chemistry of iron in biological systems.

Iron compounds in biology can be classified in various ways. An organization of these substances based on source—whether microbial, plant, or animal — is certain to suffer from considerable redundancy. Thus, the iron porphyrins, and even more so, the ferredoxins are widely distributed on a phylogenetic basis. I have elected to present this material on the themes of structure and function. First, some relevant properties of iron will be recalled to memory. Then the diversified roles of iron in living systems will be enumerated. Finally, the structures of the lower and higher molecular weight compounds of iron will be discussed.
Preperiosteal Midface Lift/Transtemporal Approach

A preperiosteal dissection plane is an anatomically logical plane in which to elevate the midface. Despite concerns that the facial nerve is in proximity to the dissection, a transtemporal approach to the midface provides a safe and reliable lift with a predictable postoperative course.
Disclosure of HIV serostatus and condomless sex among men living with HIV/AIDS in Florida

Despite campaigns to increase safer sex practices, there are people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH) who do not disclose their HIV status to sexual partners and engage in condomless sex. The purpose of this research was to: 1) describe factors associated with disclosure of HIV status to sexual partners; and 2) determine if disclosure and/or receipt of prevention counseling are independently associated with condomless sex. We used the Florida Medical Monitoring Project to analyze data from 376 HIV positive men with more than one sexual partner. Results indicated that 55% consistently disclosed their HIV status to sexual partners, 30% inconsistently disclosed, 15% did not disclose, and 48% reported any condomless sex. The odds of having condomless sex was 3.3 (CI = 1.5, 7.3) times greater in men who disclosed to all partners. Results suggest that men who disclose are also those who are more likely to have condomless sex. More research is needed to better understand the complex nature of disclosure and sexual risk behaviors and how disclosure impacts sexual risk.
Magnetoterahertz Response and Faraday Rotation from Massive Dirac Fermions in the Topological Crystalline Insulator Pb 0.5 Sn 0.5 Te

Pb_{1-x}Sn_{x}Te has been shown to be an interesting tunable topological crystalline insulator system. We present a magnetoterahertz spectroscopic study of thin films of Pb_{0.5}Sn_{0.5}Te. The complex Faraday rotation angle and optical conductivity in the circular basis are extracted without any additional assumptions. Our quantitative measures of the THz response allow us to show that the sample studied contains two types of bulk carriers. One is p type and originates in 3D Dirac bands. The other is n type and appears to be from more conventional 3D bands. These two types of carriers display different cyclotron resonance dispersions. Through simulating the cyclotron resonance of hole carriers, we can determine the Fermi energy and Fermi velocity. Furthermore, the scattering rates of p-type and n-type carriers were found to show opposite field dependences, which can be attributed to their different Landau level broadening behaviors under magnetic field. Our work provides a new way to isolate real topological signatures of bulk states in Dirac and Weyl semimetals.
Expanding the Redox Range of Surface-Immobilized Metallocomplexes Using Molecular Interfaces

Rationally designed material interfaces offer opportunities to control matter and energy across multiple length scales, yet remain challenging to synthetically prepare. Inspired by nature, where amino acid residues and soft-material coordination environments regulate the midpoint potentials of metals in proteins, thin-film polymeric coatings have been developed to assemble molecular components, including catalysts, onto solid-state (semi)conducting surfaces. In this report, we describe the immobilization of metalloporphyrins onto transparent conductive oxide supports using either direct grafting to the oxide surface or coordination to an initially applied thin-film polypyridyl coating. The composite materials enable direct measurements of electrochemical and optical properties associated with the surface-immobilized components. Despite the similarity of the core cobalt porphyrin units used in assembling these hybrid architectures, the redox potentials assigned to the CoIII/II relays span a 350 mV range across the distinct constructs. This range in redox potential is extended to 960 mV when including comparisons to constructs utilizing polymer-immobilized cobaloxime catalysts in place of cobalt porphyrins, where reduction of the cobaloximes requires significantly more-negative bias potentials. This work illustrates the use of soft-material interfaces for assembling molecular-modified electrodes where the nanoscale connectivity of the surface coatings determines the electrochemical properties of the macroscopic assemblies.
Editorial—The Trump Administration’s Attacks on Regulatory Benefits

AbstractFor the last four decades, benefit–cost analysis has been a mainstay of the U.S. federal regulatory process and, under Executive Orders in effect since 1981, such analysis must generally be...
Comorbidity and Lymphatic Disease: The Lymphatic Continuum Re-Examined

It has now been ∼20 years since the original Lymphatic Continuum conference was convened, and this continuum has transitioned from a compelling concept to a reality. The explosive growth in our com...
Design of Peptide Vaccine for COVID19: CD8+ and CD4+ T cell epitopes from SARS-CoV-2 open-reading-frame protein variants

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of COVID-19, has challenged public health at an unprecedented scale which has led to a dramatic loss of human life worldwide. To design a protective vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, it is necessary to understand which SARS-CoV-2 specific epitopes can elicit a T cell response and provide protection across a broad population. In this study, PLpro and RdRp, two immunogenic non-structural proteins from an immunodominant gene region ORF1ab, as well as ORF3a and ORF9b are identified as potential vaccine targets against SARS-CoV-2. To select top epitopes for vaccine design, we used various clinical properties, such as antigenicity, allergenicity, toxicity and IFN-y secretion. The analysis of CD8 and CD4 T cell epitopes revealed multiple potential vaccine constructs that cover a high percentage of the world population. We identified 8 immunogenic, antigenic, non-allergenic, non-toxic, stable and IFN-y inducing CD8 proteins for nsp3, 4 for nsp12, 11 for ORF3a and 3 for ORF9b that are common across four lineages of variants of concern - B.1.1.7, P.1, B.1.351 and B.1.617.2, which protect 98.12%, 87.08%, 96.07% and 63.8% of the world population, respectively. We also identified variant specific T cell epitopes that could be useful in targeting each variant strain separately. Including the prediction of mouse MHC affinity towards our top CD8 epitopes, our study revealed a total of 3 immunogenic, antigenic, non-allergenic, non-toxic, stable and IFN-y inducing CD8 epitopes overlapping with 6 antigenic, non-allergenic, non-toxic, stable and IFN-y inducing CD4 epitopes across all four variants of concern which can effectively be utilized in pre-clinical studies. The landscape of SARS-CoV-2 T cell epitopes that we identified can help lead SARS-CoV-2 vaccine development as well as epitope-based peptide vaccine research in the future.
Survey: Motivation and Self-regulation

This chapter focuses on the critical roles teacher candidates’ self-report of their learning and teaching experiences have in their development as aspiring teachers. Through survey reports, four teacher candidates have an opportunity to demonstrate their readiness for teaching, their perception of the teaching profession, and their self-regulation of learning that is needed for successfully completing their teaching training. The importance of self-regulation of learning during student teaching was found to be an important component in the success of the four teacher candidates. An investigation of all four teacher candidates’ cognitive, motivational, and self-regulatory perceptions of their learning and teaching preparation was a significant component of the case study. Self-report questionnaires used to collect data are validated instruments from which mean differences are reported. The purpose of examining these self-reports is not to make generalizations, but to understand the direction and magnitude of these associations. The findings point to the reality that self-regulation of learning in teacher preparation programs has been largely neglected while they are so highly needed among teachers who could teach in diverse and urban communities.
Different Modes of Regulation Involved in Nodulin Gene Expression in Soybean

The root nodule is a specialized plant organ in which the resident bacteria belonging to the genus Rhizobium/Bradyrhizobium, fix N2 while the plant provides the ideal environment for the bacteria to fix N2. The fixed N2 is assimilated by host encoded enzymes. Several unique host genes are specifically expressed in the nodule and these gene products, nodulins, probably have specific functions in the nodule. To date, all studies appear to show that nodulin gene expression is regulated primarily at the transcriptional level and induction of transcription precedes the onset of nitrogenase activity. In this chapter, we will focus on the regulatory role of specific AT rich DNA elements, distributed in the 5’ and 3’ flanking regions of a representative soybean nodulin gene. This chapter will also focus on the regulation of glutamine synthetase (GS) genes and demonstrate that regulation of nodulin gene expression can be controlled at a step other than transcription. Nodule-specific GS genes, like other nodulin genes appears to be developmentally regulated independent of N2-fixation (5), while the activation of nodule-specific GS enzyme appears to require the products of active N2-fixation.
Empirical Analysis of Commercial Solid Waste Generation

Commercial establishments contribute significantly to the stream of solid wastes which must be collected, transported, treated, and disposed of in a sanitary manner daily. Government and private agencies engaged in the management of solid waste must consider the commercial contribution in the design and operation of their systems. A study was designed and conducted to provide information on the quantities of solid waste generated by various commercial establishments. Solid waste generation rates were determined, and data indicating operational characteristics were obtained for each establishment studied. Generation rates are related to operational characteristics through multiple step-wise regression analyses. Generation of solid waste by the establishments studied was most closely related to number of employees, number of hours open for business, and type of commercial activity.
Mode of action of glucocorticoids: II. Early effects of triamcinolone on amino acid incorporation into various tissues in vivo

Abstract 1. 1. Acute effects of the glucocorticoid triamcinolone (350 μg per 100 g body weight, 2 to 4 h) on labeled amino acid incorporation into protein of subcellar components in various tissues have been investigated in fed rats. 2. 2. The incorporation of uniformely labeled L -[ 14 C]valine and DL -[3- 14 C]phenylalanine into proteins of nuclei, mitochondria, microsomes and supernatant fractions of hepatic cells was not modified by the administration of triamcinolone, whereas the incorporation of these amino acids into proteins of each of these fractions of the thymus was reduced by triamcinolone given either 2 or 4 h previously. 3. 3. The administration of triamcinolone increased liver glycogen, but did not significantly affect the concentration of blood sugar and muscle glycogen in fed animals. The incorporation of 14 C from uniformely labeled L -[ 14 C]valine as well as DL -[3 14 ]phenylalanine into liver glycogen and blood glucose were s by triamcinolone administration, indicating increased gluconeogenesis from the carbon of phenylalanine as well as from that of valine. 4. 4. The size of the pool of free amino acids and the specific activities of free amino nitrogen in the blood and thymus, were not significantly modified by triamcinolone, but the size of the pool and the radioactivities of free amino acids in hepatic cells were increased. 5. 5. These findings suggest that triamcinolone inhibits protein synthesis in the thymus even in very short-term experiments and that this inhibiting effect is due neither to the effect of hormone on cell membrane transport of amino acids nor to the catabolism of amino acids in the liver for gluconeogenesis with resultant shortage of amino acids for protein synthesis in peripheral tissue.
Harmonizing wordnet and framenet

Lexical semantic resources are a key component of many NLP systems, whose performance continues to be limited by the "lexical bottleneck". Two large hand-constructed resources, WordNet and FrameNet, differ in their theoretical foundations and their approaches to the representation of word meaning. A core question that both resources address is, how can regularities in the lexicon be discovered and encoded in a way that allows both human annotators and machines to better discriminate and interpret word meanings? WordNet organizes the bulk of the English lexicon into a network (an acyclic graph) of word form-meaning pairs that are interconnected via directed arcs that express paradigmatic semantic relations. This classification largely disregards syntagmatic properties such as argument selection for verbs. However, a comparison with a syntax-based approach like Levin (1993) reveals some overlap as well as systematic divergences that can be straightforwardly ascribed to the different classification principles. FrameNet's units are cognitive schemas (Frames), each characterized by a set of lexemes from different parts of speech with Frame-specific meanings (lexial units) and roles (Frame Elements). FrameNet also encodes cross-frame relations that parallel the relations among WordNet's synsets.
The helium atom without external fields

Schrodinger’s equation for atoms having two electrons is $${\Delta _1}u + {\Delta _2}u + 2(E + \frac{Z}{{{r_1}}} + \frac{Z}{{{r_2}}} - \frac{1}{{{r_{12}}}})u = 0$$ (24.1) r 1 and r 2 are the distances of the first and second electrons from the nucleus, r 12 their mutual separation; \({\Delta _1} = \frac{{{\partial ^2}}}{{\partial x_1^2}} + \frac{{{\partial ^2}}}{{\partial y_1^2}} + \frac{{{\partial ^2}}}{{\partial z_1^2}}\) is the Laplacian operator in the space of the first electron; u is a function of the six coordinates x 1, y 1,z 1, x 2, y 2 and z 2.
Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate-induced Ca2+ release from skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum terminal cisternal membranes. Ca2+ flux and single channel studies.

We report here that the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) precursor, L-alpha-phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) is a potent molecule (1 microM) which activates the ryanodine-sensitive Ca2+ release channel from rabbit skeletal muscle terminal cisternae incorporated into a phospholipid bilayer. It also stimulates Ca2+ release from these membrane vesicles. Therefore, it may play a modulating role in excitation-contraction coupling. In the bilayer, PIP2 added on the cytoplasmic side increased the mean channel opening probability 2-12-fold in the presence and absence of physiological Mg2+ and ATP. From flux studies, PIP2-induced Ca2+ release, occurring through the ryanodine-sensitive Ca2+ release channel, displayed saturation kinetics. The rate of Ca2+ release induced by PIP2 was approximately greater than 50% slower than the rates induced by other agents (e.g. caffeine, Ca2+, ATP). PIP2, and not IP3, effectively elicited Ca2+ release from terminal cisternae. On the contrary, IP3, and not PIP2, specifically mediated Ca2+ release from dog brain cerebellum microsomes, where IP3 receptors are known to be found. The PIP2-induced Ca2+ release from muscle membranes was not dependent on medium [Ca2+] (from less than 10(-9) to approximately 10(-4) M). However, IP3 could activate the terminal cisternae Ca2+ channel in the bilayer when there was low Ca2+ (less than 10(-7) M). The data suggest that the ionic microenvironment around the Ca2+ channel may be different for observing the two phosphoinositide actions.
Parties and Party Leaders in Belgium: Measuring the Learning Effectiveness of Role-Playing Simulations in Government-Formation Processes

Focusing on student experiences before and after a role-playing simulation on government formation in contemporary Belgium, I use a pretest/posttest methodology to measure the effectiveness of a role-playing simulation in an introductory comparative politics course. By using a survey instrument I measure student beliefs about the dynamics of government formation in parliamentary systems before they cover theories and examples of government formation in parliamentary systems. I then retest their beliefs after they have engaged in the role playing simulation where their roles as competing party leaders show how they would act in an actual government formation game. The results of the waves of the survey instrument as well as their post-simulation debriefing papers demonstrate a significant change in their beliefs about the dynamics of government formation in parliamentary systems and they also illustrate significant levels of knowledge acquisition.
Rapid Production of TNF-α following TCR Engagement of Naive CD8 T Cells

The acquisition of effector functions by naive CD8 T cells following TCR engagement is thought to occur sequentially with full functionality being gained only after the initiation of division. We show that naive CD8 T cells are capable of immediate effector function following TCR engagement, which stimulates the rapid production of TNF-α. Stimulation of splenocytes from naive mice of differing genetic backgrounds with anti-CD3e mAb resulted in significant production of TNF-α by naive CD8 T cells within 5 h. Moreover, naive lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus-specific TCR-transgenic CD8 T cells stimulated with either their cognate peptide ligand or virus-infected cells produced TNF-α as early as 2 h poststimulation, with production peaking by 4 h. Naive CD8 T cells produced both membrane-bound and soluble TNF-α. Interfering with TNF-α activity during the initial encounter between naive CD8 T cells and Ag loaded dendritic cells altered the maturation profile of the APC and diminished the overall viability of the APC population. These findings suggest that production of TNF-α by naive CD8 T cells immediately after TCR engagement may have an unappreciated impact within the local environment where Ag presentation is occurring and potentially influence the development of immune responses.
Integrated production and logistics planning: Contract manufacturing and choice of air/surface transportation

We study the operational problem of a make-to-order contract manufacturer seeking to integrate production scheduling and transportation planning for improved performance under commit-to-delivery model. The manufacturer produces customer orders on a set of unrelated parallel lines/processors, accounting for release dates and sequence dependent setup times. A set of shipping options with different costs and transit times is available for order delivery through the third party logistics service providers. The objective is to manufacture and deliver multiple customer orders by selecting from the available shipping options, before preset due dates to minimize total cost of fulfilling orders, including tardiness penalties. We model the problem as a mixed integer programming model and provide a novel decomposition scheme to solve the problem. An exact dynamic programming model and a heuristics approach are presented to solve the subproblems. The performance of the solution algorithm is tested through a set of experimental studies and results are presented. The algorithm is shown to efficiently solve the test cases, even the complex instances, to near optimality.
Dietary nutrients associated with short and long sleep duration. Data from a nationally representative sample

Short sleep duration is associated with weight gain and obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, psychiatric illness, and performance deficits. Likewise, long sleep duration is also associated with poor physical and mental health. The role of a healthy diet in habitual sleep duration represents a largely unexplored pathway linking sleep and health. This study evaluated associations between habitual sleep parameters and dietary/nutritional variables obtained via the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2007-2008. We hypothesized that habitual very short (<5h) short (5-6h) and long (9+h) sleep durations are associated with intake of a number of dietary nutrient variables. Overall, energy intake varied across very short (2036kcal), short (2201kcal), and long (1926kcal) sleep duration, relative to normal (2151kcal) sleep duration (p=0.001). Normal sleep duration was associated with the greatest food variety (17.8), compared to very short (14.0), short (16.5) and long (16.3) sleep duration (p<0.001). Associations between sleep duration were found across nutrient categories, with significant associations between habitual sleep duration and proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. In stepwise analyses, significant contributors of unique variance included theobromine (long sleep RR=0.910, p<0.05), vitamin C (short sleep RR=0.890, p<0.05), tap water (short sleep RR=0.952, p<0.001; very short (<5h) sleep RR=0.941, p<0.05), lutein+zeaxanthin (short sleep RR=1.123, p<0.05), dodecanoic acid (long sleep RR=0.812, p<0.05), choline (long sleep RR=0.450, p=0.001), lycopene (very short (<5h) sleep RR=0.950, p<0.05), total carbohydrate (very short (<5h) sleep RR=0.494, p<0.05; long sleep RR=0.509, p<0.05), selenium (short sleep RR=0.670, p<0.01) and alcohol (long sleep RR=1.172, p<0.01). Overall, many nutrient variables were associated with short and/or long sleep duration, which may be explained by differences in food variety. Future studies should assess whether these associations are due to appetite dysregulation, due to short/long sleep and/or whether these nutrients have physiologic effects on sleep regulation. In addition, these data may help us better understand the complex relationship between diet and sleep and the potential role of diet in the relationship between sleep and obesity and other cardiometabolic risks.
Indomethacin and salicylate decrease epinephrine-induced glycogenolysis

Abstract Epinephrine (E) produces an immediate (0–30 minutes) rise in hepatic glucose production (Ra), largely due to activation of glycogenolysis; thereafter, E-stimulated gluconeogenesis becomes the major factor maintaining glucose production. To investigate the possible role of arachidonic acid metabolites on Ra during E stimulation, we infused E in trained conscious dogs before and during administration of two inhibitors of arachidonic acid metabolism, indomethacin (INDO) and salicylate (S). On separate days, experimental animals were treated with both oral and IV INDO and oral acetylsalicylic acid and IV sodium salicylate. Ra and glucose utilization (Rd), both in mg · kg−1min−1, were calculated by isotope dilution using 3-3H-glucose. After achieving steady state specific activity, control (C) and experimental animals (n = 6 per group) received E (0.1 ug · kg−1min−1) for 150 minutes, raising plasma levels to approximately 1500 pg/mL in each group. In C, plasma glucose (G; mg/dL) rose by 17 ± 5 at 10 minutes and 19 ± 3 at 20 minutes due to an initial spike in Ra (2.7 ± 0.2 to 4.9 ± 0.5; P
Effects of La substitution on the superconducting state of CeCoIn 5

We report the effects of La substitution on the superconducting state of the heavy-fermion superconductor ${\mathrm{CeCoIn}}_{5},$ as seen in transport and magnetization measurements. As opposed to the case of conventional superconductors, pair breaking by nonmagnetic La results in the depression of ${T}_{c}$ and indicates a strong gap anisotropy. The upper critical field ${H}_{c2}$ values decrease with increased La concentration, but the critical field anisotropy, $\ensuremath{\gamma}{=H}_{c2}^{a}{/H}_{c2}^{c},$ does not change in ${\mathrm{Ce}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{La}}_{x}{\mathrm{CoIn}}_{5}$ $(x=0--0.15).$ The electronic system is in the clean limit for all values of x.
A mechanistic investigation of the asymmetric Meerwein-Schmidt-Ponndorf- Verley reduction catalyzed by BINOL/AlMe3 - Structure, kinetics, and enantioselectivity

The kinetics of the Al-catalyzed asymmetric Meerwein−Schmidt−Ponndorf−Verley (MSPV) reduction are presented. Structural identification of the catalytic precursor formed in situ between (S)-2,2‘-dihydroxy-1,1‘-binapthyl ((S)-BINOL), AlMe3, and 2-propanol was established through 1H and 27Al NMR spectroscopies, and APCIMS. All experimental evidence points toward the formation of a BINOL-chelated, pentacoordinate aluminum species in solution. Ligand-accelerated catalysis was confirmed for the phenolate/AlMe3/2-propanol system. The rate law for the catalytic reaction was determined to be nearly unimolecular dependent on aluminum, zero-order dependent on substrate, and inversely dependent on 2-propanol. At the low catalyst loading employed in the BINOL/AlMe3 system, the inherent reversibility of the MSPV reaction does not affect product yield or enantiomeric excess over time. Systematic ligand studies imply that while a tetrahedral geometry around the aluminum center may result in the most active MSPV reduction...
Maximizing Data Quality in the Gravimetric Analysis of Personal Exposure Sample Filters

ABSTRACT The weighing of particle sampler filters has always been plagued by problems in the weighing environment: humidity, temperature, drafts, vibration, and electrostatic charges on the filters. These are particularly critical for samples with small mass collections, such as those encountered in personal exposure monitoring for PM25. While modern electronic balances offer substantial reductions in the effects of temperature and vibration, these balances are still sensitive to factors such as thermal drafts and zero shifts from tilting. Drafts may be controlled through room ventilation modifications, and zero drift can be eliminated by computer-assisted data collection algorithms. A less well-understood influence is static charge, which is often controlled with a simple radioactive neutralizer. Although radioactive neutralizes are effective, their effectiveness decays rapidly with time, and their use may be objectionable for nontechnical reasons. We have analyzed a number of environmental factors influ...
Sampling artifacts in measurement of elemental and organic carbon: Low-volume sampling in indoor and outdoor environments

Abstract Experiments were completed to determine the extent of artifacts from sampling elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) under sample conditions consistent with personal sampling. Two different types of experiments were completed; the first examined possible artifacts from oils used in personal environmental monitor (PEM) impactor plates, and the second examined artifacts from microenvironmental sampling using different sampling media combinations (quartz, Teflon, XAD denuder, and electrostatic precipitator). The effectiveness of front and backup filters was evaluated for most sampling configurations. Mean total carbon concentrations from sampling configurations using impactor oils were not statistically different from the control case (using a sharp cut cyclone). Three microenvironments were tested (kitchen, library, and ambient); carbon concentrations were highest in the kitchen using a front quartz filter (mean OC of 16.4 μg m −3 ). The lowest front quartz filter concentrations were measured in the library using XAD denuders (mean OC of 3.6 μg m −3 ). Denuder removal efficiencies (average of 82% for total carbon) were lower compared with previous ambient studies and may indicate that indoor sources influenced denuder efficiency during sample collection. The highest carbon concentrations from backup quartz filters were measured using the Teflon–quartz combination.
Evaluation and comparison of three enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay formats for the detection of ricin in milk and serum

Abstract When applied to the detection of a specific protein toxin in food or biological fluids in the incidence of a potential contamination, it is crucial that the assay be both sensitive and specific. In order to identify an immunoassay which is sensitive, simple, and accurate for the detection of ricin in milk and serum, three formats of sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were compared utilizing the same pair of antibodies. The ELISA using a biotinylated primary detection antibody and streptavidin-linked horseradish peroxidase (HRP) system was shown to be the most sensitive assay with limits of detection (LOD) of 25 pg/mL in phosphate buffered saline (PBS), 50 pg/mL in non-fat milk, mouse serum, and 100 pg/mL in whole milk. The second best was the ELISA using a streptavidinylated primary detection antibody and biotin–HRP system, the LOD for ricin was 100 pg/mL in PBS and milk, and 1 ng/mL in serum. The ELISA using a non-tagged primary detection antibody and HRP-labeled secondary antibody performed the least sensitive among all and the LOD was 1 ng/mL in all matrices tested. Compared with the direct ELISAs (without using the capture antibody), the sandwich ELISAs were 50–500-fold more sensitive in PBS buffer. Estimation of the accuracy of these immunoassays using the Coefficient of Variability (CV) showed that the most sensitive ELISA format also had the lowest inter- (4.28%) and intra-assay CV (2.15%) although the inter- and intra-assay CV for the other two ELISAs were less than 10% and 6%, respectively, well below the maximum acceptable level. To conclude, the ELISA using a biotinylated primary detection antibody and streptavidin–HRP system is the best assay for detection of ricin in PBS, milk and serum among three ELISA formats tested and the application of this assay will be valuable to food safety research and clinical diagnosis.
Communication in the context of long-distance family caregiving: An integrated review and practical applications

Abstract Objective Understanding how geographic distance impacts how individuals communicatively negotiate family caregiving is important for a number of reasons. Though long-distance caregiving (LDC) is a growing phenomenon with serious relational and health implications, this topic has yet to be approached from a communication perspective. In this review, LDC is thus considered as a communication context to offer caregiving scholars practical applications for contributing to this emerging research area. Methods Review of the literature from 1999 to 2009 that studied aspects of distance caregiving communication obtained through searching Academic Search Premier, EBSCO, Communication and Mass Media Complete, PsycArticles, PsycInfo, PubMed/Medline, and Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition online databases. Results Eight published original research studies were included in the review. Conclusion The extent to which LDC communication is studied by caregiving researchers has the potential to provide helpful guidance for distant caregivers and care recipients to achieve successful health and relational outcomes. Practice implications Upon reviewing distance caregiving communication research findings, four applications are discussed: (1) defining distance as a subjective experience; (2) encouraging the use of mediated communication in LDC; and examining (3) interpersonal conflict and (4) topic avoidance processes in the LDC context.
Differential diagnosis of neurodegenerative dementias using structural MRI

CONCLUSIONS: STAND-Map of each dementia syndrome in pathologically confirmed cases is unique and may be very useful for the differential diagnosis of new incoming subjects. The proposed framework establishes a direct relationship between a structural abnormality biomarker (MRI) and the “gold standard” of pathology. This information is then incorporated to provide differential diagnosis in new incoming patients with dementia. This system can also be used to determine the relative contribution of several different disease processes underlying the clinical presentation of dementia in an individual subject.
Aging promotes pro-fibrotic matrix production and increases fibrocyte recruitment during acute lung injury

Fibrotic lung diseases increase with age. Previously we determined that senescence increases tissue expression of fibronectin EDA (Fn-EDA) and decreases fibroblast expression of Thy-1, and that fibrocytes contribute to fibrosis following bleomycin-induced lung injury in mice. In this study we hypothesized that fibroblasts lacking Thy-1 expression produce an extracellular matrix that promotes fibrocyte retention and myofibroblast transdifferentiation, thereby promoting fibrogenesis. Young and old mice were treated with bleomycin intratracheally; fibrocytes in the bone marrow, blood, and lungs were quantified, and lung fibroblast Thy-1 expression assessed. Bone marrow-derived fibrocytes were cultured on matrices derived from Thy-1(+) or Thy-1(-) fibroblasts ± the pro-fibrotic cytokine TGFβ1. Older mice had more fibrocytes in their bone marrows at baseline and more fibrocytes in their lungs following bleomycin treatment. In parallel, lung fibroblasts in older mice had lower expression of Thy-1 at baseline that increased transiently 7 days after bleomycin treatment but then rapidly waned such that 14 days after bleomycin treatment Thy-1 expression was again markedly lower. Fibrocytes cultured on matrices derived from Thy-1(-) fibroblasts + TGFβ1 had increased gene expression for collagen type 1, fibronectin, Fn-EDA, and α-smooth muscle actin. In parallel, whereas the matrices derived from Thy-1(-) fibroblasts stimulated phosphorylation of Akt in cultured fibrocytes, the matrices derived from Thy-1(+) fibroblasts induced apoptosis. These findings suggest that senescence increases fibrocyte recruitment to the lung following injury and that loss of Thy-1 expression by lung fibroblasts promotes fibrocyte retention and myofibroblast trans-differentiation that renders the "aging lung" susceptible to fibrosis.
Kinetics of paclitaxel 2'-N-methylpyridinium mesylate decomposition.

This study was designed to examine the kinetics of decomposition of paclitaxel 2′-N-methylpyridinium mesylate (PNMM), a derivative of paclitaxel. Further, the potential for PNMM to act as a prodrug of paclitaxel was assessed in vitro. Stability studies of PNMM were conducted over a pH range of 4.0 to 8.0 at 25°C. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) of PNMM was determined by pulsating bubble surfactometry. Studies of the conversion of PNMM to paclitaxel were conducted in vitro in human plasma. Decomposition of PNMM followed apparent zero-order kinetics. The pH-rate profile exhibited no evidence of acid catalysis down to pH 4.0, while the rate was accelerated under base conditions. Surface tension studies suggested that PNMM formed micelles with a CMC of approximately 34 μg/mL. Conversion studies in phosphate buffer showed that no more than 5% of PNMM converted to paclitaxel, while in human plasma the conversion was about 25%. The degradation of PNMM was via apparent zero-order kinetics and was dependent upon pH. The observed apparent zero-order kinetics of decomposition of PNMM was consistent with the formation of micelles in phosphate buffer. In buffered aqueous media alone or in human plasma, PNMM did not convert quantitatively to paclitaxel. Thus, the limiting factor in the application of PNMM as a prodrug would appear to be the poor potential to convert to paclitaxel.