cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Co-delivery of synergistic antioxidants from food sources for the prevention of oxidative stress

Abstract Both epidemiological and clinical studies have indicated that antioxidants found within fruits, vegetables, cereals, and teas can decrease oxidative stress and its associated diseases. Various types of nanoparticles have gained attention for their use as nanocarriers to increase the bioavailability of natural antioxidants by providing protection against enzymatic degradation, temperature, light, and pH changes. In addition, synergistic relationships between natural antioxidants have been shown to enhance their overall activity. This paper reviews known antioxidant synergisms as well as the role they can play within co-delivery nano-encapsulation. In addition, the proper methods for investigating possible synergistic relationships amongst natural antioxidants as well as methods on nano delivery system (NDS) design for future research are categorized. This includes the potential benefits and challenges of co-delivering both hydrophilic and hydrophobic natural antioxidants within the same NDS for a shift from mono-encapsulation to co-encapsulation for optimal antioxidant activity.
Demystifying the Diffuse Vibrational Spectrum of Aqueous Protons Through Cold Cluster Spectroscopy.

The ease with which the pH is routinely determined for aqueous solutions masks the fact that the cationic product of Arrhenius acid dissolution, the hydrated proton, or H+(aq), is a remarkably comp...
Milk Yield and Disease

The purpose of our research is to develop a comprehensive economic model to assist dairy producers when making treatment and culling decisions. To make profitable decisions, the producer must account for factors including age, production level, stage of lactation, pregnancy status, and disease history. Establishing the interrelationships among disease, milk yield, reproduction, and herd management is necessary for developing a decision model for disease treatment, insemination, and replacement. The objective of our research presented in this paper was to study the relationship between disease and milk production. First, we studied whether high milk yield predisposes a cow to certain diseases and reproductive disturbances. Second, we studied whether certain diseases cause milk loss and increased culling. Third, we are combining all information to develop a comprehensive economic model which will attempt to assess both the beneficial and deleterious effects of increasing milk yield. The data for this study incorporate health, production, and management components for Holsteins in the Northeastern USA and Ayrshires from Finland. The data were analyzed using the Cornell Theory Center Supercomputer. The effect of milk yield was modeled with logistic regression, and conception and culling with a survival analysis technique. The effect of disease on milk yield was analyzed with mixed model analysis. High milk yield predisposed a cow to certain diseases (particularly mastitis). Many diseases led to decreased production. Both milk yield and disease affected reproductive performance and culling. As expected, high milk yield protected against culling, and non-pregnant and sick cows were more likely to be culled. We now are positioned to develop a simple, accurate, and complete framework for a dairy farmer to determine whether a cow should be kept or replaced by a more profitable heifer using all of the biological variables that impact profit-ability in an objective manner.
Effect of temperature on abrasion erosion in particle based concentrating solar powerplants

Abstract The use of solid particles as a heat transfer medium is being explored for concentrated solar power plants (CSP) to increase their efficiency by achieving operating temperature >700 °C. During operation, these hot particles are expected to move along the various components within the collector system, resulting in material degradation from a combination of high-temperature oxidation and erosion. In the present study, the performance of candidate materials was evaluated through a series of abrasion erosion experiments at room temperature as well as at 800 °C. Wear in metallic and refractory type materials was investigated using CarboBead® HSP 40/70 particles inside a resistance heated kiln. Cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis on the specimens tested at 800 °C determined that the specific wear rate in Inconel 740H and stainless steel 316 metallic specimens was influenced by the thermally grown oxide morphology. High chromium Inconel 740H specimens exhibited greater resistance to wear with a steady state specific wear rate of 1.92E-4 mm3N-1m−1 compared to 5.7E-3 mm3N-1m−1 for Stainless Steel 316.
Technical comment on: Schneider, S. P., & Gonzalez, F. J. (2021). Racial resentment predicts eugenics support more robustly than genetic attributions. Personality and Individual Differences, 180: 110989

Abstract Schneider and Gonzalez (2021) presented evidence that racial resentment more robustly predicted support for eugenics than genetic attributions did. This technical commentary discusses cautions about inferring differences in the explanatory power of predictors without sufficient information on the relative quality of the predictors, about not measuring which genetic attributions are most relevant for an outcome, about interpreting estimates for genetic attributions controlling for a particular type of non-genetic attribution, and about using racial resentment as a measure of racial prejudice. Moreover, the commentary provides an illustration of an advantage in analyses that can capture the multipolar nature of racial attitudes.
The effect of facility background pressure on hollow cathode operation

The effect of facility background pressure on the operation of a hollow cathode in a Hall thruster-like axial magnetic field is experimentally characterized. Facility pressure was varied between 10 and 88 μTorr-Xe using a secondary flow of xenon into the test facility, and cathode operation was studied using a combination of telemetry and plasma diagnostic measurements. Increasing pressure resulted in decreased discharge voltage, cathode orifice plate temperature, and voltage and current oscillation magnitudes. The plasma diagnostics, which consisted of a radially mounted retarding potential analyzer and an ion saturation probe and emissive probe mounted to a fast reciprocating motion stage, showed that increasing pressure resulted in decreased radial high-energy ions, decreased centerline maximum plasma potential and electron temperature, and increased plasma density farther than 40 mm downstream of the cathode. The effects of background pressure on the cathode plume were largely constrained to between 50 and 100 mm downstream of the cathode, where the largest gradients of plasma potential and electron temperature occur. Experimental measurements were combined with neutral density simulations to identify that the confluence of changes in electron temperature, plasma density, and neutral density result in an increase of almost an order of magnitude in the calculated ionization rate in the same location. These results have implications for both standalone cathode tests and for improving the understanding of facility effects on cathode coupling in Hall thrusters.
Hepatotoxicity during legacy cancer chemotherapy in patients infected with hepatitis C virus: A retrospective cohort study

Background: The rates and causes of significant hepatotoxicity with cancer chemotherapy (CCT) in patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) are incompletely characterized. Methods: We compared ...
Feasibility analysis of an 11,000 m vehicle with a fiber optic microcable link to the surface

This paper discusses the feasibility of an 11,000 m underwater system that utilizes a battery-powered vehicle connected to the surface by a single channel fiber optic microcable. The proposed system has several benefits over conventional remotely operated vehicle (ROV) solutions for ultra deep applications. It avoids the prohibitively expensive tether and winch otherwise necessary for 11, 000 m work. Due to its relatively small size and low weight, the system allows for fast mobilizations and use on a variety of platforms. This concept also allows the vehicle to travel tens of kilometers away from the surface ship, which would be beneficial in applications where the surface ship has limited maneuverability such as under-ice work in the Arctic. This analysis focuses on the feasibility of using a microcable tether with a 450 N (100 lb) breaking strength housed in a constant force payout canister. Tension in the cable is modeled for current conditions in three areas of interest to the scientific community - a deep Western Pacific trench, the Arctic and the Juan de Fuca Ridge - and found to be well within the microcable's working limit.
Markov Chain Analysis of Self-organizing Mobile Nodes

Self-organization of autonomous mobile nodes using bio-inspired algorithms in mobile ad hoc networks (manets) has been presented in earlier work of the authors. In this paper, the convergence speed of our force-based genetic algorithm (called fga) is provided through analysis using homogeneous Markov chains. The fga is run by each mobile node as a topology control mechanism to decide a corresponding node's next speed and movement direction so that it guides an autonomous mobile node over an unknown geographical area to obtain a uniform node distribution while only using local information. The stochastic behavior of fga, like all ga-based approaches, makes it difficult to analyze the effects that various manet characteristics have on its convergence speed. Metrically transitive homogeneous Markov chains have been used to analyze the convergence of our fga with respect to various communication ranges of mobile nodes and also the number of nodes in various scenarios. The Dobrushin contraction coefficient of ergodicity is used for measuring convergence speed for Markov chain model of our fga. Two different testbed platforms are presented to illustrate effectiveness of our bio-inspired algorithm in terms of area coverage.
Thymineless Death in Escherichia coli: Deoxyribonucleic Acid Replication and the Immune State

Thymineless death (TLD) and nalidixic acid (NA) inactivation were studied in multiple auxotrophic strains of Escherichia coli B and B/r. As expected, it was found that both E. coli B and B/r exhibited an “immune state,” i.e., a fraction of the population survived inactivation to both TLD and NA. With glucose as a carbon source in minimal medium, 0.1 to 0.3% of strain B and 0.2 to 0.5% of strain B/r survived inactivation; with acetate as the carbon source, the surviving fractions were increased to 1 to 2% and 5 to 7%, respectively. These immune fractions could be increased in magnitude by preincubation in minimal media containing thymine. Systematic analysis of the particular supplements necessary for the immune state indicated that the absence of the required amino acids was essential for the maximal expression of immunity. However, immunity was not abolished in acetate medium even in the presence of the required supplements. Further studies on the replication of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) during preincubation indicated that the degree of immunity did not necessarily correlate with the completion of a round of DNA replication. This finding was supported by examining the immune state in synchronous populations. In both glucose and acetate medium, there was no significant change in the degree of immunity to inactivation within the cell cycles of E. coli B and B/r. We concluded that some other event, possibly inhibition of protein synthesis, was necessary in determining the degree of the immune state. DNA replication was investigated after TLD and NA inactivation, and, as expected, it was found that both events led to premature initiation of replication. The only differences observed in the effects of these two processes on DNA synthesis were the following. (i) NA-induced replication was less sensitive to chloramphenicol than was TLD. (ii) TLD-induced replication was unaffected by pretreatment of the cells with mitomycin C, but this pretreatment prevented the replication of DNA after NA treatment. It was suggested that the mechanism of action of NA could involve a monofunctional attack on the DNA.
Issues in aging: The role of the nurse in the care of older people with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Many people with I/DD are growing older and in increasing numbers. Generally people with I/DD experience the same physical process of aging as do individuals without lifelong disabilities with the exception of those individuals who have Down syndrome who may show physical signs of aging as much as 20 years earlier. Individuals with I/DD may experience some unique concerns associated with aging with similar or even higher rates of age-related conditions than do older persons without lifelong disabilities [20]. Geriatric care principles will guide nurses caring for older people with I/DD, beginning with the assessment of functional status to determine interventions for developmental, aging, and health concerns and health promotion. Nursing interventions must be individualized both according to the person's preferences and health status. A primary goal is to prevent acute exacerbation of any underlying pathological process, prevent unnecessary deterioration of the older individual's physical condition, and maintain optimum physical and mental function. Nurses can provide individuals who are aging and their families or caregivers the needed anticipatory guidance about life transitions during the aging years, including palliative end-of-life care. This is an exciting and challenging time for nurses who care for aging people with I/DD. John F. Kennedy once said, "It is not enough for a great nation to have added new years to life. Our objective must be to add new life to those years." As a profession, nurses have historically added years to life. The challenge of nursing is now to add quality life to those years for all older persons with I/DD.
Epidemiology and Inherited Predisposition for Sporadic Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Given the changing demographics of Western populations, the numbers of pancreatic cancer cases are projected to increase during the next decade. Diabetes, recent cigarette smoking, and excess body weight are the cancer's most consistent risk factors. The search for common and rare germline variants that influence risk of pancreatic cancer through genome-wide association studies and high-throughput-sequencing-based studies is underway and holds the promise of increasing the knowledge of variants and genes that play a role in inherited susceptibility of this disease. Research reported in this review has advanced the understanding of pancreatic cancer.
Coding and multiple access techniques for data transmission in land-mobile satellite networks

The authors compare the performance of four different multiple access protocols for land mobile satellite data networks. These access schemes are: slotted ALOHA, slow frequency-hopping, and two reservation schemes. A hybrid automatic-repeat-request (ARQ) scheme based on Reed-Solomon codes is used to combat the error bursts resulting from multipath fading and shadowing. The advantages of using symbol interleaving and erasure decoding are discussed. The effect of parameters such as the rate of forward error correction (FEC) code, the guard time, and the error rate on the acknowledgement channel is evaluated. >
In vitro Production of IL-6 and IFN-γ is Influenced by Dietary Variables and Predicts Upper Respiratory Tract Infection Incidence and Severity Respectively in Young Adults.

Assessment of immune responses in healthy adults following dietary or lifestyle interventions is challenging due to significant inter-individual variability. Thus, gaining a better understanding of host factors that contribute to the heterogeneity in immunity is necessary. To address this question, healthy adults (n=36, 18-40 years old, BMI 20-35 kg/m2) were recruited. Dietary intake was obtained via 3-day dietary recall records, physical activity level was evaluated using the IPAQ questionnaire, and PBMCs were isolated from peripheral blood. Expression of activation markers on unstimulated immune subsets was assessed by flow cytometry. T cell proliferation and cytokine secretion was assessed following in vitro stimulation with anti-CD3 or LPS. Furthermore, the incidence and severity of cold or flu symptoms were obtained from self-reported URTI questionnaires. The relationship between activation marker expression on T cells and T cell effector functions; and in vitro cytokine secretion and URTI was determined by linear or logistic regression. CD69 and CD25 expression on unstimulated T cells was significantly associated with T cell proliferation and IL-2 secretion. Incidence and severity of cold or flu symptoms was significantly associated with in vitro IL-6 and IFN-γ secretion, respectively. Furthermore, host factors (e.g. age, BMI, physical activity, and diet) contributed significantly to the relationship between activation marker expression and T cell effector function, and cytokine secretion and cold and flu status. In conclusion, these results suggest that lifestyle and dietary factors are important variables that contribute to immune responses and should be included in human clinical trials that assess immune endpoints.
Acute thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura following abdominal surgeries: a report of three cases.

Acute thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) occurred in three patients following abdominal surgeries. One patient underwent extensive lysis for intestinal adhesions with bowel resection, another cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis, and the third right colectomy and partial intestinal resection for colon cancer. The diagnosis of acute TTP was established on the basis of absent hematologic features of TTP prior to surgery and development of microangiopathic hemolytic anemia (MAHA), thrombocytopenia, and unexplained mental changes after surgery. Hematologic evidence of TTP developed 3 to 9 days after surgery. Other clinical features were acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in two patients and peripheral digit ischemic syndrome (PDIS) also in two patients. In all three patients, establishing the diagnosis of TTP was delayed. Exchange plasmapheresis in one patient was ineffective due to associated ARDS and two others died soon after the diagnosis was established. In view of our experience, postoperative TTP should be considered in the differential diagnosis of the patient who develops unexplained anemia and thrombocytopenia following an abdominal surgery. Presence of hemolytic anemia, schistocytosis, and unexplained thrombocytopenia should alert the possibility of TTP.
A survey of one-way functions in complexity theory

In complexity theory a one-way function is defined to be a one-one, honest, function that is computable in polynomial time whose inverse is not computable in polynomial time. We examine relationships between the complexity of functional computational problems and ordinary set recognition problems. The complexity of inverting one-way functions follows from these relationships. Then we survey various forms of one-way functions that have arisen in relationship to some cryptographic investigations and in relationship to the isomorphism problem.
In Search of John’s Island: Patmos in Botticelli and Burgkmair

During the Renaissance, there existed in Western Europe a widespread tension between hope and doubt with regard to the viability of human society that manifested itself in an increasing interest in the book of Revelation and its visual interpretation. This article explores two portrayals of the scene of John at Patmos, one reflecting a closed, even forbidding perspective, the other offering a decidedly more optimistic view. These different styles reflect the political and religious context in which the artists were working and show a clear contrast between fears of a cosmic collapse and the hope generated by an Eden-like territory portrayed in images related to the discoveries in the New World.
Regulation of cancer cell migration and invasion by sphingosine-1-phosphate

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a bioactive sphingolipid that has been implicated in regulation of a number of cancer cell malignant behaviors, including cell proliferation, survival, chemotherapeutic resistance and angiogenesis. However, the effects of S1P on cancer cell migration, invasion and metastasis, are perhaps its most complex, due to the fact that, depending upon the S1P receptors that mediate its responses and the crosstalk with other signaling pathways, S1P can either positively or negatively regulate invasion. This review summarizes the effects of S1P on cancer cell invasion and the mechanisms by which it affects this important aspect of cancer cell behavior.
Fluorescent dye tracing for defining chlorinated ethene plume remediation targets

Three fluorescent dye traces were designed by Zapata Incorporated at a large portion of Tinker Air Force Base (AFB) near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to replicate the migration of chlorinated ethene plumes from two target source areas and determine if commingling of those plumes has occurred. The target source areas are spatially separated, contributed contaminants into two aquifers, and were to be remediated from two different financial mechanisms. The nature of the shared fiscal responsibility for remediation of the commingled plumes was unclear. Background sampling was performed to verify that the preferred conservative dyes planned for use were suitable for the site. The fluorescent dyes used were fluorescein and eosine. Eosine dye was introduced into two wells in the upper saturated zone (USZ) under Building 3001 in July 2008. Fluorescein dye was introduced into four monitoring wells screened in the lower saturated zone (LSZ) and the lower lower saturated zone (LLSZ) in July 2008 at the industrial wastewater treatment plant. Zapata then conducted a second dye trace using fluorescein dye in a third USZ well to confirm the results of the eosine dye trace in the USZ under Building 3001. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Cyclic operation of reaction systems: the influence of diffusion on catalyst selectivity

Abstract Periodic operation of a catalyst pellet can produce greater selectivity than steady-state operation even when diffusional mass transfer resistance is very large. For the example discussed here improved selectivity is obtained at a switching frequency which is small enough to provide adequate penetration of the catalyst but which simultaneously is sufficiently large to maintain adsorption disequilibrium in the penetration region. The asymptotic dependence of average production rates on a Thiele modulus η is deduced for large η.
Insights into the ceria-catalyzed ketonization reaction for biofuels applications

The ketonization of small organic acids is a valuable reaction for biorenewable applications. Ceria has long been used as a catalyst for this reaction; however, under both liquid and vapor phase co...
Corrosion of Na β″- and Na β-alumina in Co2-H2O

Abstract Sodium β″- and β-alumina react with CO2 and H2O at 25°C resulting in the exchange of H3O+ ions for Na+ ions in the surface region of the electrolytes and the formation of an impurity layer of NaHCO3 or hydrated Na2CO3. Electron micrographs of single crystal and ceramic specimens made after various stages of this corrosion process show that NaHCO3 forms in thick dendritic and structureless clusters.
Influenza-Induced Production of Interferon-Alpha is Defective in Geriatric Individuals

Background The majority of deaths (90%) attributed to influenza are in person’s age 65 or older. Little is known about whether defects in innate immune responses in geriatric individuals contribute to their susceptibility to influenza.
Ultraviolet Absorption of KI Diluted in KCl Cryst als

The absorption of KI diluted in KCl single crystals was studied for concentrations of ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ to ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$ mole fraction KI in the temperature range from 80\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K to 700\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. The exact shape of the long-wavelength absorption peak, which is Gaussian around the maximum and exponential at the edge, was measured quantitatively over four orders of magnitude. The total integrated absorption is proportional to the iodide concentration which was determined chemically. In the limit of high temperatures the half-width of the band is proportional to the square root of the temperature and the edge follows Urbach's law. Deviations at low temperatures were shown to arise from zero-point oscillations. The results were compared with models for localized excitons.
Scaling of nascent nodes in extended-s-wave superconductors

We analyze the low-energy properties of superconductors near the onset of accidental nodes, i.e., zeros of the gap function not enforced by symmetry. The existence of such nodes has been motivated by recent experiments, suggesting a transition between nodeless and nodal superconductivity in iron-based compounds. We find that the low-temperature behavior of the penetration depth, the specific heat, and the NMR-nuclear quadrupole resonance spin-lattice relaxation rate are determined by the scaling properties of a quantum critical point associated with the nascent nodes. Although the power-law exponents are insensitive to weak short-range electronic interactions, they can be significantly altered by the curvature of the Fermi surface or by the three-dimensional character of the gap. Consequently, the behavior of macroscopic quantities near the onset of nodes can be used as a criterion to determine the nodal structure of the gap function.
Geostrophic Shock Waves

Abstract Organized depth discontinuities involving a balance between steepening and dissipation are usually referred to as shock waves. An analytical “educed gravity” model is used to examine a special kind of shock wave. The wave under study is a depth discontinuity associated with a transition between a supercritical and subcritical flow in a channel. Even though the wave itself is highly nonlinear, the adjacent upstream and downstream fields are exactly geostrophic in the cross-stream direction. For this reason we term the wave a geostrophic shock wave. We focus on a stationary shock wave whose horizontal projection is a straight line perpendicular to the side walls. Solutions for the entire field are constructed analytically using power series expansions and shock conditions equivalent to the so-called Rankine-Hugoniot constraints. It is found that, for particular upstream conditions, a geostrophic shock wave can be formed if the particle speed exceeds the surface gravity wave speed (i.e., the flow is...
Investigation of effect of process parameters on multilayer builds by direct metal deposition

Abstract Multilayer direct laser deposition (DLD) is a fabrication process through which parts are fabricated by creating a molten pool into which metal powder is injected as. During fabrication, complex thermal activity occurs in different regions of the build; for example, newly deposited layers will reheat previously deposited layers. The objective of this study was to provide insight into the thermal activity that occurs during the DLD process. This work focused on the effect of the deposition parameters of deposited layers on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the previously deposited layers. It is important to characterize these effects in order to provide information for proper parameter selection in future DLD fabrication. Varying the parameters was shown to produce different effects on the microstructure morphology and property values, presumably resulting from in-situ quench and tempering of the steels. In general, the microstructure was secondary dendrite arm spacing. Typically, both the travel speed and laser power significantly affect the microstructure and hardness. A commercial ABAQUS/CAE software was used to model this process by developing a thermo-mechanical 3D finite element model. This work presents a 3D heat transfer model that considers the continuous addition of mass in front of a moving laser beam using ABAQUS/CAE software. The model assumes the deposit geometry appropriate to each experimental condition and calculates the temperature distribution, cooling rates and re-melted layer depth, which can affect the final microstructure. Model simulations were qualitatively compared with experimental results acquired in situ using a K-type thermocouple.
A Clustering Based Methodology for Determining the Optimal Roadway Configuration of Detectors for Travel Time Estimation

This paper deals with the problem of finding the optimal roadway segment configuration for road-based surveillance technologies to estimate route travel times accurately. This problem is inherently a space discretization problem regardless of which travel time estimation function is used. The ad-hoc solution to this problem is the equidistant segment configuration, such as every half-mile, every one-mile. It is shown in this paper that the space discretization problem can be expressed as the common clustering problem. The novelty of the proposed approach is the use of preliminary vehicle trajectory data to obtain statistically significant traffic regime at the study route. Clustering of sample space-time trajectory data is proposed as a viable methodology for solving the optimal roadway segment configuration problem
Thin oxide growth on 6H-silicon carbide

Abstract A marked difference is observed for the initial oxidation rates of 6HSiC (silicon face) obtained with oxygen and argon as carrier gases in a wet oxidation process. A modified Deal-Grove model with surface and bulk reaction constants is presented to model the early oxidation process at the SiO2SiC interface in the case of oxygen as the carrier gas. In the early phase of oxidation there is rapid growth with the oxygen carrier gas, in contrast with the argon carrier gas. This is a surprising result, since silicon oxidation does not demonstrate a dependence on the carrier gas. After a time of approximately 150 minutes, a linear growth rate of 1.2Ȧ/min. occurs for both carrier gases. Thermal oxides on p-type (doping=4×1016/cm3) 6HSiC using oxygen and argon as the carrier gases have interface trap densities (Dit) of 2.5×1011/cm2eV and 5×1011/cm2eV respectively. Fixed charge (Qf) was determined to be 4×1011/cm2 and 8×1011/cm2 for the oxygen and argon carrier gas case respectively. Electrical breakdown measurements indicated oxide breakdown field strengths on fabricated MOS capacitors to be 8.5 MV/cm.
Supermassive monopole stars

In this paper, the evolution of a superheavy monopole-dominated universe is reexamined; in particular, the evolution of rotation-stabilized monopole-burning 'stars', balancing effects of radiation and annihilation are examined. In contrast to earlier results, it is found that this can lead to complete burning of all poles present in such an object within finite time. If monopoles can be brought within acceptable limits by dynamical processes, an inflationary epoch of the early universe need not be associated with grand unification.
NANOMATERIALS FOR PROTEIN MEDIATED THERAPY AND DELIVERY

There has been a significant amount of research done on liposomes and nanoparticles as drug carriers for protein drugs. Proteins and enzymes have been used both as targeting moieties and for their therapeutic potential. High specificity and rapid reaction rates make proteins and enzymes excellent candidates for therapeutic treatment, but some limitations exist. Many of these limitations can be addressed by a well-studied nanotechnology-based delivery system. Such a system can provide a medium for delivery, stabilization of the drugs, and enable site-specific accumulation of drugs. Nanomedicines such as these have great potential to revolutionize the pharmaceutical industry and improve healthcare worldwide.
New Jobs for Ancient Chaperones

The article discusses the functioning of heat shock proteins (HSP) in living cells, and the chance they may be useful in developing innovative therapies and medicines. Produced in response to stress, HSPs attend to other proteins, help ensure amino acids take their proper shape and get where they need to go, and trigger immune responses. Possible use of HSPs in cancer therapies is discussed.
Exhaled nitric oxide in a population-based study of southern California schoolchildren.

Determinants of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) need to be understood better to maximize the value of FeNO measurement in clinical practice and research. Our aim was to identify significant predictors of FeNO in an initial cross-sectional survey of southern California schoolchildren, part of a larger longitudinal study of asthma incidence. During one school year, we measured FeNO at 100 ml/sec flow, using a validated offline technique, in 2568 children of age 7–10 yr. We estimated online (50 ml/sec flow) FeNO using a prediction equation from a separate smaller study with adjustment for offline measurement artifacts, and analyzed its relationship to clinical and demographic characteristics. FeNO was lognormally distributed with geometric means ranging from 11 ppb in children without atopy or asthma to 16 ppb in children with allergic asthma. Although effects of atopy and asthma were highly significant, ranges of FeNO for children with and without those conditions overlapped substantially. FeNO was significantly higher in subjects aged > 9, compared to younger subjects. Asian-American boys showed significantly higher FeNO than children of all other sex/ethnic groups; Hispanics and African-Americans of both sexes averaged slightly higher than non-Hispanic whites. Increasing height-for-age had no significant effect, but increasing weight-for-height was associated with decreasing FeNO. FeNO measured offline is a useful biomarker for airway inflammation in large population-based studies. Further investigation of age, ethnicity, body-size, and genetic influences is needed, since they may contribute to substantial variation in FeNO.
TENDERNESS OF PRERIGOR STRETCHED PORCINE LONGISSIMUS MUSCLE

Bone and connective tissues at the 14th thoracic vertebra of one randomly selected side of each of six pork carcasses were cut 90 min postmortem by the TendercutTMprocedure, while companion sides served as controls. Carcasses were suspended from the hock tendon and chilled for 24 h. The Longissimus muscle (LM) was removed between the 9th thoracic and 4th lumbar vertebra and divided into three equal sections (locations 1, 2, 3; anterior to posterior) to determine the effect of Tendercut on Warner-Bratzler and Lee-Kramer peak force, sarcomere length, fat and moisture content. Tendercut resulted in lower (P < 0.05) Warner-Bratzler peak force, Lee-Kramer peak force and total energy in all locations within the LM. The average decrease was 14.2% for Warner-Bratzler peak, force and 14.5% and 16.2% for Lee-Kramer peak force and total energy, respectively. The Tendercut treatment also resulted in longer (P < 0.05) sarcomere lengths in all locations within the LM, with an average increase of 19%.
Cultivar Differences in Milling Yields under Delayed Harvesting of Rice

Cultivar response to delayed harvesting followed four patterns ranging from constant head-rice yields through-out the period to significant weekly reductions. Threshing delays reduced head-rice yields by an average of 5.8% for all cultivars. Total milled-rice yields was reduced 3% across cultivars by a 2-week delay in harvest or by a 4-day delay in threshing. Cultivar performance patterns detected could be used to check the reaction of other cultivars for harvest delay effects
Electrochemical Patterning of Amorphous Carbon on Diamond

The ability to pattern ion-implantation damaged or other nondiamond carbon on a diamond substrate is useful for fabricating a variety of devices. We accomplished such patterning by an unmasked implantation into a diamond substrate followed by photolithography and a selective electrochemical etch. The use of a high resistivity medium coupled with applied biases over 50 V permitted etching without requiring contact between the substrate and an electrode. Many electrolytes gave etches that exhibit high selectivity for nondiamond carbon over both diamond and dielectrics such as photoresist. Optical, electrical, and Raman spectroscopic measurements elucidate the effects of the etch on the implanted diamond surface.
Enthalpies of formation and stabilization energies of Br− (H2O)n (n=1,2, …, 15) clusters. Comparisons between molecular dynamics computer simulations and experiment

Abstract To understand the role of many-body potentials in the description of water clusters imbedded with a bromide anion, we performed molecular dynamics simulations on Br − (H 2 O) n ( n =1,2 …, 15) clusters using both a pair-wise additive model and a polarizable model. We calculated the enthalpies of formation and electrostatic stabilization energies and compared them with experiment. We found that in order to reproduce all experimental data the many-body potential was needed. Both models predicted that the bromide anion is located on the surface of the cluster.
CD36 ligands promote sterile inflammation through assembly of a Toll-like receptor 4 and 6 heterodimer

In atherosclerosis and Alzheimer's disease, deposition of the altered self components oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and amyloid-beta triggers a protracted sterile inflammatory response. Although chronic stimulation of the innate immune system is believed to underlie the pathology of these diseases, the molecular mechanisms of activation remain unclear. Here we show that oxidized LDL and amyloid-beta trigger inflammatory signaling through a heterodimer of Toll-like receptors 4 and 6. Assembly of this newly identified heterodimer is regulated by signals from the scavenger receptor CD36, a common receptor for these disparate ligands. Our results identify CD36-TLR4-TLR6 activation as a common molecular mechanism by which atherogenic lipids and amyloid-beta stimulate sterile inflammation and suggest a new model of TLR heterodimerization triggered by coreceptor signaling events.
Glycopeptide storage in fibroblasts from patients with inborn errors of glycoprotein and glycosphingolipid catabolism.

Summary A glycopeptide fragment, undetectable in normal cells, was isolated from cultured skin fibroblasts obtained from patients with four lysosomal storage disorders. The glycopeptide isolated from G MI -gangliosidosis Type I (β-galactosidase deficiency) cells contained Gal, Man and Glc N Ac in the ratio 1. 8:2. 8:4. 0; in G M2 -gangliosidosis Type II (Sandhoff's disease: β- N -acetylhexosaminidase deficiency) cells the ratio was Man:Glc N Ac, 2. 7:4. 0; in mannosidosis (α-mannosidase deficiency) cells, the ratio was 3.4:1.0 and in fucosidosis (α-fucosidase deficiency) cells the ratio was Fuc:GlcNAc, 1.0:1.0. A scheme for glycoprotein catabolism can be envisioned in which sugars are sequentially removed and these four disorders are caused by enzyme deficiencies at different locations in the pathway. The relative homogeneity of the storage material confirms that the same oligosaccharide unit is common to most of the glyco-proteins synthesized by the cell.
New composite reflectance spectra of Mars from 0.4 to 3.14 μm

To verify the quality and accuracy of Phobos-2 Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (ISM) spectra of Mars, we have performed comparisons with telescopic data obtained contemporaneously and which have spatial and spectral overlap with the ISM measurements. We find general agreement between the independently-calibrated data sets in terms of spectral shape and absorption band strength and position in the 0.77 to 0.93 micron overlap region. The telescopic data were scaled to the ISM reflectance values in this overlap region to yield new bright and dark region composite reflectance spectra from 0.40 to 3.14 microns. We ascribe the increase in band depth and overall spectral heterogeneity of the ISM data relative to previous telescopic observations to the more than order of magnitude increase in spatial resolution achieved by ISM from Martian orbit. Further increases in spatial resolution from future orbital imaging spectroscopic instruments can be expected to reveal even greater degrees of compositional and mineralogic diversity on Mars.
Einstein Observatory resumes operation

The orbiting Einstein Observatory has returned to full-time scientific operation after an onboard gyro that failed last August inexplicably came back to life, according to controllers at the Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. First indications of maneuvering problems in the X ray observing satellite were noted last August, limiting the observatory's scientific investigations. During the following 6 weeks, ground controllers modified radio command instructions to the spacecraft, allowing them to bypass the troubled gyro and continue operations with the two remaining gyros. Since mid-October, controllers had attempted repeatedly to reactivate the faulty gyro by sending literally thousands of radio commands to the ailing subsystem, with no effect.
Performance of thermal distribution systems in large commercial buildings

Abstract This paper presents major findings of a field study on the performance of five thermal distribution systems in four large commercial buildings. The five systems studied are typical single-duct or dual-duct constant air volume (CAV) systems and variable air volume (VAV) systems, each of which serves an office building or a retail building with floor area over 2000 m 2 . The air leakage from ducts is reported in terms of effective leakage area (ELA) at 25 Pa reference pressure, the ASHRAE-defined duct leakage class C L , and air leakage ratios. The specific ELAs ranged from 0.7 to 12.9 cm 2 /m 2 of duct surface area, and from 0.1 to 7.7 cm 2 /m 2 of floor area served. The ASHRAE-defined duct leakage classes ranged from 34 to 606 for the five systems and systems sections tested. The air leakage ratios were estimated to be up to approximately one-third of the fan-supplied airflow in the constant air volume systems. The specific ELAs and leakage classes indicated that air leakage in large commercial duct systems varied significantly from system to system, and from system section to system section even within the same thermal distribution system. Overall, the duct systems measured were much leakier than the ductwork specified as “unsealed ducts” by ASHRAE. On the other hand, thermal losses from supply ducts induced by conduction (including convection and radiation) were significant, on the scale that was comparable to the losses induced by air leakage in the duct systems. The energy losses induced by leakage and conduction suggested that there exist significant energy savings potentials from duct sealing and duct insulation practice in large commercial buildings.
Elastic Interaction of Small Defects and Defect Clusters in Hexagonal Crystals

An analysis is given of the elastic interaction between small defects and/or defect clusters in hexagonal crystals. Simple explicit expressions for the interaction energy are obtained directly from the Green's function given by Kroener. Some typical calculated results are presented for various combinations of axially symmetric defects, e.g., a pair of point defects, a pair of dislocation loops, and a point defect and a dislocation loop. Applications to a study of Frenkel defects recombination processes in irradiated hexagonal crystals are discussed. (auth)
Neural and Cognitive Basis of Spiritual Experience: Biopsychosocial and Ethical Implications for Clinical Medicine

The role of patient spirituality and spiritual/liminal experience(s; SE) in the clinical setting has generated considerable equivocality within the medical community. Spiritual experience(s), characterized by circumstance, manifestation, and interpretation, reflect patients' explanatory models. We seek to demonstrate the importance of SE to clinical medicine by illustrating biological, cognitive, and psychosocial domains of effect. Specifically, we address where in the brain these events are processed and what types of neural events may be occurring. We posit that existing evidence suggests that SE can induce both intermediate level processing (ILP) to generate attentional awareness (ie, "consciousness of") effects and perhaps nonintermediate level processing to generate nonattentive, subliminal (ie, "state of") consciousness effects. Recognition of neural and cognitive mechanisms is important to clinicians' understanding of the biological basis of noetic, salutogenic, and putative physiologic effects. We posit that neurocognitive mechanisms, fortified by anthropologic and social contexts, led to the incorporation of SE-evoked behaviors into health-based ritual(s) and religious practice(s). Thus, these experiences not only exert biological effects but may provide important means for enhancing patients' locus of control. By recognizing these variables, we advocate clinicians to act within an ethical scope of practice as therapeutic and moral agents to afford patients resources to accommodate their specific desire(s) and/or need(s) for spiritual experiences, in acknowledgement of the underlying mechanisms and potential outcomes that may be health promotional.
Primary structure of an unusual glycine tRNA UGA suppressor

We have determined the nucleotide sequences of two UGA-suppressing glycine transfer RNAs. The suppressor tRNAs were previously shown to translate both UGA and UGG and to have arisen as a consequence of mutation in glyT, the gene for the GGA/G-reading glycine tRNA of Escherichia coli. In each mutant tRNA, the primary sequence change was the substitution of adenine for cytosine in the 3' position of the anticodon. In addition, a portion of mutant glyT tRNA molecules contained N6-(delta 2-isopentenyl)-2-thiomethyl adenine adjacent to the 3' end of the anticodon (nucleotide 37). The presence or absence of this hypermodification may be a determinant in some of the biological properties of the mutant tRNA.
Regulation of eIF2α phosphorylation in hindlimb-unloaded and STS-135 space-flown mice

Abstract Various environmental stresses elevate the phosphorylation level of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 alpha (eIF2α) and induce transcriptional activation of a set of stress responsive genes such as activating transcription factors 3 and 6 (ATF3 and ATF6), CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein (CHOP), and Xbp1 (X-box binding protein 1). These stress sources include radiation, oxidation, and stress to the endoplasmic reticulum, and it is recently reported that unloading by hindlimb unloading is such a stress source. No studies, however, have examined the phosphorylation level of eIF2α (eIF2α-p) using skeletal samples that have experienced microgravity in space. In this study we addressed a question: Does a mouse tibia flown in space show altered levels of eIF2α-p? To address this question, we obtained STS-135 flown samples that were harvested 4–7 h after landing. The tibia and femur isolated from hindlimb unloaded mice were employed as non-flight controls. The effects of loading were also investigated in non- flight controls. Results indicate that the level of eIF2α-p of the non-flight controls was elevated during hindlimb unloading and reduced after being released from unloading. Second, the eIF2α-p level of space-flown samples was decreased, and mechanical loading to the tibia caused the reduction of the eIF2α-p level. Third, the mRNA levels of ATF3, ATF6, and CHOP were lowered in space-flown samples as well as in the non-flight samples 4–7 h after being released from unloading. Collectively, the results herein indicated that a release from hindlimb unloading and a return to normal weight environment from space provided a suppressive effect to eIF2α-linked stress responses and that a period of 2–4 h is sufficient to induce this suppressive outcome.