cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Necroptosis increases with age and is reduced by dietary restriction

Necroptosis is a newly identified programmed cell death pathway that is highly proinflammatory due to the release of cellular components that promote inflammation. To determine whether necroptosis might play a role in inflammaging, we studied the effect of age and dietary restriction (DR) on necroptosis in the epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT), a major source of proinflammatory cytokines. Phosphorylated MLKL and RIPK3, markers of necroptosis, were increased 2.7- and 1.9-fold, respectively, in eWAT of old mice compared to adult mice, and DR reduced P-MLKL and P-RIPK3 to levels similar to adult mice. An increase in the expression of RIPK1 (1.6-fold) and MLKL (2.7-fold), not RIPK3, was also observed in eWAT of old mice, which was reduced by DR in old mice. The increase in necroptosis was paralleled by an increase in 14 inflammatory cytokines, including the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 (3.9-fold), TNF-α (4.7-fold), and IL-1β (5.1-fold)], and 11 chemokines in old mice. DR attenuated the expression of IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β as well as 85% of the other cytokines/chemokines induced with age. In contrast, inguinal WAT (iWAT), which is less inflammatory, did not show any significant increase with age in the levels of P-MLKL and MLKL or inflammatory cytokines/chemokines. Because the changes in biomarkers of necroptosis in eWAT with age and DR paralleled the changes in the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, our data support the possibility that necroptosis might play a role in increased chronic inflammation observed with age.
Some Recent Applications of FDTD for EM Dosimetry: ELF to Microwave Frequencies

In this paper, we describe some of the recent applications of the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method for a number of problems in bioelectromagnetics. This method, used in the past for whole-body or partial-body exposures due to spatially uniform or nonuniform (far-field or near-field) sinusoidally varying electromagnetic fields, and for low-frequency transient fields, such as those for an electromagnetic pulse, has now been modified and used for the following new applications: 1. For short nanosecond pulses with ultrawide bandwidths, a frequency-dependent FDTD has been formulated, which uses frequency-variable properties of the various tissues using the best-fit two-relaxation-constant Debye equations. 2. The FDTD code has been modified and used for specific absorption rate (SAR) calculations for radiofrequency (RF) magnetic fields typical of new and emerging magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques. 3. Using scaled higher quasi-static frequencies, the FDTD method has been used for calculations of internal fields and induced current densities in an anatomically based model of the human body for electric, magnetic, or combined electromagnetic (EM) fields at power-line frequencies.
Eculizumab Bridging before Bone Marrow Transplant for Marrow Failure Disorders Is Safe and Does Not Limit Engraftment

Abstract Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) often develops secondary to other bone marrow failure (BMF) disorders, especially aplastic anemia (AA). Patients with the AA/PNH syndrome may require treatment with both eculizumab to reduce intravascular hemolysis and the risk of thrombosis and allogeneic stem cell transplant for the severe BMF. There has been concern that eculizumab could adversely affect the outcomes for transplant in these patients. This is a retrospective, single-center study of severe AA (SAA)/PNH patients treated with eculizumab immediately before the start of conditioning for transplant. Metrics of engraftment and infectious outcomes are described. Eight patients with SAA/PNH and PNH-related symptoms were treated with eculizumab and then proceeded to transplant. All were successfully transplanted without adverse events related to C5 blockage before conditioning. All were also cured of their both PNH and SAA. Eculizumab is safe and efficacious in patients with PNH clones who require transplant. This is sometimes required to "bridge" patients before bone marrow transplantation and does not appear to adversely impact outcomes even when using HLA matched unrelated or haploidentical donors.
Using Raman shift and FT-IR spectra as quality indices of oil bit PDC cutters

Abstract Nowadays many of oil and gas wells are drilled extensively by Polycrystalline Diamond Compact (PDC) drill bits. Various companies are manufacturing PDC cutters according to their usage. All of these companies concentrate their products of PDC cutters to be well resisting for abrasive wear. The wear of PDC inserts leads to money loss as well as delays the drilling procedures causing unexpected dilemmas. Therefore, it is crucially significant to evaluate the quality of the PDC cutters based on their resistance against abrasive wear. The present work concentrates on assessing the PDC cutters from various sources using two non-destructive analytical approaches: Raman-Shift and Fourier Transformation Infrared Ray (FT-IR) spectra. The analysis of the PDC samples with the analytical techniques were validated with the previous experimental results obtained from micro and nano-scratch tests achieved on the same specimens. The presented work could be performed on many PDC cutters from various manufacturers as the applied tests considered non-destructive compared to the traditional destructive techniques which leads the way for evaluating lots of PDC cutters without causing any damage. The analysis of the applied analytical approaches agreed with the results obtained from previous experimental scratch tests.
Thick Ascending Limb Sodium Transport in the Pathogenesis of Hypertension.

The thick ascending limb plays a key role in maintaining water and electrolyte balance. The importance of this segment in regulating blood pressure is evidenced by the effect of loop diuretics or l...
Binding of HMGN proteins to cell specific enhancers stabilizes cell identity

The dynamic nature of the chromatin epigenetic landscape plays a key role in the establishment and maintenance of cell identity, yet the factors that affect the dynamics of the epigenome are not fully known. Here we find that the ubiquitous nucleosome binding proteins HMGN1 and HMGN2 preferentially colocalize with epigenetic marks of active chromatin, and with cell-type specific enhancers. Loss of HMGNs enhances the rate of OSKM induced reprogramming of mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and the ASCL1 induced conversion of fibroblast into neurons. During transcription factor induced reprogramming to pluripotency, loss of HMGNs accelerates the erasure of the MEF-specific epigenetic landscape and the establishment of an iPSCs-specific chromatin landscape, without affecting the pluripotency potential and the differentiation potential of the reprogrammed cells. Thus, HMGN proteins modulate the plasticity of the chromatin epigenetic landscape thereby stabilizing, rather than determining cell identity.
Charging ain't all bad: Complex physics in DyScO3.

Abstract Although charging is ubiquitous in electron microscopy, its effects are typically avoided or ignored. However, avoiding charging is not possible in some materials, e.g. lanthanide scandates with well-ordered surfaces positively charge immensely under electron beam illumination because of their electronic structure, and ignoring charging can leave new science undiscovered. In this work, a combination of rapidly acquired electron energy loss spectra and cross-correlation were used to understand and overcome charging effects in DyScO3. A 5.4 eV band gap was extracted from the charging-corrected loss spectrum, in good agreement with previously reported band gaps, and a 3.8 eV in-gap peak was attributed to surface states via comparison with density functional theory calculations. Additionally, ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy measurements indicated that under some conditions well-annealed DyScO3 surfaces charge negatively causing upward band bending associated with occupied surface states in the gap. As was previously found in the case of positive charging under electron beam illumination with in-situ flexoelectric bending observations, the magnitude of negative charging under ultraviolet illumination is Zener tunneling limited in well-annealed DyScO3.
Facing Freedom: An African American Community in Virginia from Reconstruction to Jim Crow. By Daniel Thorp. (Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia Press, 2017. Pp. 304. $39.50.)

Focusing on Montgomery County, Virginia, Facing Freedom enriches the grassroots understanding of the Long Reconstruction era. Thorp contends that African Americans “laid the foundations of a new Af...
Cutaneous coccidiomycosis presenting with a facial plaque

We present the case of a 55-year-old black man with coccidiomycosis presenting as a cutaneous plaque on the upper lip. Coccidiomycosis, or "valley fever," is caused by the virulent, dimorphic, soil-dwelling fungus Coccidiodes immitis. Seen in up to 50% of symptomatic patients, skin involvement by coccidiomycosis can present as papules, pustules, plaques, nodules, abscesses, or ulcerations. Diagnosis of coccidiomycosis relies on serology and identification in clinical specimens, and first-line treatment includes fluconazole, ketoconazole, or itraconazole. Recognizing the cutaneous manifestations of this mycotic infection is essential for diagnosis in otherwise asymptomatic patients.
Dunn, Leslie Clarence

Leslie Clarence Dunn was one of the most influential geneticists in the twentieth century. A student of William Earnest Castle at Harvard, he worked on a number of vertebrate organisms during his career, including mice and chickens. In an era when many geneticists were concerned primarily with problems of transmission and mapping of genes to chromosomes, Dunn always remained interested in the problem of how genes were involved in development. He was also a scientist concerned with the relation between science and society and, as such was active, especially after World War II, in campaigns against racist biology and the proliferation of atomic weapons testing. He was also active in promoting the history of genetics, among other projects, donating his personal and scientific papers to the American Philosophical Society as the nucleus of a major history of genetics collection.
Polysilicon Production: Reaction Engineering and Scaleup Issues

In order to meet the increasing demand for solar energy utilization, polysilicon plants based on existing technologies are being built at an unprecedented rate and newer processes with better economic and environmental potentials are being evaluated. Reaction engineering, optimum reactor design and model based scaleup will therefore play a major role in achieving the dual objectives of capacity expansion and the reduction in cost of production. This paper reviews the various processes for manufacture of polysilicon and discusses the current state of the art in the reactor design and scaleup issues associated with polysilicon production, mainly for the emerging technology of fluid bed reactors.
Cell adhesion molecules in the progression of bladder cancer: The important role of cadherins and catenins.

e15013 Background: Cell-adhesion- molecules (CAMs) are important factors in the maintenance of normal tissue structure, morphology, aggressivity and invasivity of tumors. Few CAMs, such as E-cadher...
Time Trends in Healthcare Utilization Due to Self-Reported Functional Diseases of the Stomach.

Cohort studies from referral centers suggest an increasing burden of functional gastric disorders, with frequent emergency room (ER) visits, hospitalizations, or absenteeism. We hypothesized that recruitment from tertiary care sites skews results and thus investigated the burden of these illnesses, using the population-based data of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). Using MEPS data for the years 2000–2015, demographic, economic, healthcare-related, and quality-of-life indicators were extracted for adults reporting the diagnosis of functional gastric diseases to assess trends and to compare results with data from all adults surveyed. Between 2000 and 2015, 2.7 ± 0.2% of the adults surveyed reported a functional gastric illness. Within the period studied, 28.8 ± 2.8% and 17.9 ± 1.6% of this cohort reported ER visits or hospitalizations, respectively. Only a fraction of these persons attributed the ER visits (22.6 ± 0.9%) or admissions (10.9 ± 0.8%) to the functional gastric disorder. Rates remained stable rates during the period studied. Female sex, measures of physical function, comorbidities, and an income below the poverty line were predictors of healthcare utilization. While utilization was stable over time, annual costs increased by 113.9 ± 16.6% during the study period, outpacing the inflation rate of 37.6%. Persons with functional gastric disorders have significant healthcare needs and face increasing costs of care, largely due to coexisting illnesses. While it is important to recognize this impact, the need for emergency care or hospitalizations remained stable and lower than reported for patients seen in tertiary referral centers, providing reassuring information for patients and providers.
Ferritin as a key risk factor for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in children with obesity.

Background The association between serum ferritin and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in children with obesity is not clear. This study was designed to investigate whether serum ferritin can be an independent predictor for NAFLD. Methods According to the hepatic ultrasound results, a total of 347 children with obesity were enrolled in this study. Among them, 95 patients with NAFLD and 95 without NAFLD were matched for gender, age, blood pressure and body mass index, the odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association of ferritin and the risk of NAFLD were analyzed. Results After propensity score matching, ferritin values of the patients with NAFLD were significantly higher than those without NAFLD group. Alanine aminotransferase and ferritin were strongly associated with NAFLD in multivariate stepwise logistic regression analysis. The medium and high levels of ferritin increased risk of NAFLD, and the adjusted ORs were 3.298 (95% CI:1.326-8.204), 7.322 (95% CI:2.725-19.574) across the ferritin concentration tertiles after adjustment for confounders. Ferritin was shown to be the best predictor for NAFLD with sensitivity and specificity of 60.0% and 77.9%, respectively, area under the curve was 0.733. Conclusion The results show that serum ferritin can usefully be considered as a predictor of NAFLD in children with obesity.
Malingering and Factitious Disorder in the Emergency Department

In malingering and factitious disorders, the patient pretends to be ill and intentionally causes his or her own symptoms. Physicians, who are trained to trust what patients tell them, have difficulty assessing and treating patients who lie. This chapter will review the diagnosis, assessment, and management of these difficult patients and provide practical advice to the emergency department (ED) clinician.
Phase behavior and percolation in mixed patchy colloids.

Patchy colloids can be modeled as hard spheres with directional conical association sites. A variety of physical phenomena have been discovered in the patchy colloid system due to its short range and directional interactions. In this work, we combined a cluster distribution theory with generalized Flory and Stockmayer percolation theory to investigate the interplay between phase behavior and percolation for a binary patchy colloid system. The binary patchy colloid system consists of solute molecules with spherically symmetric bonding sites and solvents with two singly bondable sites. Wertheim’s first order thermodynamic perturbation theory (TPT1) has been widely applied to the patchy colloids system and it has been combined with percolation theory to study the percolation threshold. However, due to assumptions behind TPT1, it will lose accuracy for a system in which particles have multiple association sites or multiply bondable sites. A recently proposed cluster distribution theory accurately models association at sites that can form multiple bonds. In this work, we investigate the comparison among cluster distribution theory, TPT1, and Monte Carlo simulation for the bonding states of this binary system in which cluster distribution theory shows excellent agreement with Monte Carlo simulation, while TPT1 has a large deviation with the simulation. Cluster distribution theory was further combined with the Flory and Stockmayer percolation theory to investigate the interplay between phase behavior and percolation threshold. We found that the reduced density and the relative bonding strength of solvent–solvent association and solute–solvent association are key factors for the phase behavior and percolation. Percolation can form at low density and low temperature in the vapor phase of this binary system, where the star-like molecules with 12 long branches formed.
Food Insecurity and Cardiovascular Disease Risk

This review examines the current epidemiological evidence for the relationship between levels of food insecurity and cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes among US adults > 17 years. Review of recent literature revealed that reduced food security was associated with decreased likelihood of good self-reported cardiovascular health and higher odds of reporting CVD-related outcomes such as coronary heart disease, angina, heart attack, peripheral arterial disease, and hypertension. Existing evidence suggests a compelling association between each level of reduced food security and CVD risk with a particularly strong association between very low food security and CVD risk. Policies and public health-based strategies are needed to identify the most vulnerable subgroups, strengthen and enhance access to food assistance programs, and promote awareness and access to healthful foods and beverages to improve food security, nutrition, and cardiovascular health.
Context and novelty increase strength of auditory cues as a weak circadian zeitgeber in songbirds

Light is the best-studied external cue (zeitgeber) for the entrainment of circadian rhythms. Non-photic entrainment is also possible; some organisms can entrain to rhythmic temperatures, drug admin...
Spatial transcriptomics of planktonic and sessile bacterial populations at single-cell resolution

Capturing the heterogeneous phenotypes of microbial populations at relevant spatiotemporal scales is highly challenging. Here, we present par-seqFISH (parallel sequential fluorescence in situ hybridization), a transcriptome-imaging approach that records gene expression and spatial context within microscale assemblies at a single-cell and molecule resolution. We applied this approach to the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, analyzing about 600,000 individuals across dozens of conditions in planktonic and biofilm cultures. We identified numerous metabolic- and virulence-related transcriptional states that emerged dynamically during planktonic growth, as well as highly spatially resolved metabolic heterogeneity in sessile populations. Our data reveal that distinct physiological states can coexist within the same biofilm just several micrometers away, underscoring the importance of the microenvironment. Our results illustrate the complex dynamics of microbial populations and present a new way of studying them at high resolution.
Spin Waves and Magnetization Oscillation in Superfluid 3He

Since a pioneering NMR experiment by Osheroff et al,1 it has been gradually realized that the superfluid phases of liquid 3He possess extraordinary magnetic properties. All of the extraordinary magnetic properties reflect the fact that the condensates in both the A and B phases of superfluid 3He comprise the triplet pairs as first recognized by Leggett.2,3 The ground state of superfluid 3He is highly degenerate as to the spin configuration as well as the orbital configuration of the triplet pairs. This implies that the superfluid 3He possesses a class of gapless collective modes associated with the rotation of the spin configuration (i.e., Goldstone boson). As pointed out by Leggett2,3 the dipole interaction energy between nuclear spins of He atoms, though extremely small, will lift partially the high degeneracy of the ground state. The dipole interaction introduces correlations between the orbital and the spin configuration of the condensate, giving rise to an additional shift in the NMR frequencies for example.
[16] Characterization of neuronal antigens and antineuronal antibodies

Publisher Summary Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes are disorders of nervous system function that occur in association with cancer but are not a direct result of tumor mass or of metastasis to the nervous system. These disorders are the rarest neurological complications in cancer patients but they are important for two reasons. First, in one-half to two-thirds of patients, neurological symptoms precede the diagnosis of the tumor and, therefore, can direct the search for an occult and potentially curable cancer. Second, these syndromes provide a unique model to study the relationship between cancer and the nervous system at the biochemical and molecular level. Detection of a specific antibody is generally associated with a characteristic neurological syndrome and specific type of cancer. Therefore, detection of such antibodies confirms the paraneoplastic origin of a neurological syndrome and, in patients with unknown cancer, directs the search for a neoplasm to one or a few organs.
The Interactional Organization of Computer Mediated Communication in the College Classroom

This paper reports the results of a pilot study of computer-mediated classroom discussions using a “quasi-synchronous” program called Aspects. The data for this study are a discussion in a college classroom involving three students. Each students' computer monitor was videotaped, and the information on all three screens was collated onto a single transcript. This single case analysis uses ethnomethodological conversation analysis to discover how participants coordinate their actions in this new type of speech exchange system. In quasi-synchronous computer-mediated communication participants do not have access to each other's messages until they are completed and sent to a group posting board. Thus, participants cannot rely on the ordinary means of coordinating turn exchange and other conversational activities (e.g., monitoring speakers' utterances-in-progress). We found that students' attempts to import conventional procedures from oral conversation resulted in misunderstandings and confusion. Specifically, we found that students experienced what we called phantom responsiveness, phantom adjacency pairs, virtual simultaneity, and the misinterpretation of silence.
ERK1-Deficient Mice Show Normal T Cell Effector Function and Are Highly Susceptible to Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis

T cell activation engages multiple intracellular signaling cascades, including the ERK1/2 (p44/p42) pathway. It has been suggested that ERKs integrate TCR signal strength, and are important for thymocyte development and positive selection. However, the requirement of ERKs for the effector functions of peripheral mature T cells and, specifically, for T cell-mediated autoimmunity has not been established. Moreover, the specific requirements for ERK1 vs ERK2 in T cells have not been resolved. Therefore, we investigated the role of ERK1 in T cell immunity to foreign and self Ags and in the induction of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. The results show that in ERK1-deficient (ERK1-/-) mice, the priming, proliferation, and cytokine secretion of T cells to the self Ag myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein peptide 35-55 and to the prototypic foreign Ag OVA are not impaired as compared with wild-type mice. Furthermore, ERK1-/- mice are highly susceptible to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis induced with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein peptide 35-55. Finally, thymocyte development and mitogen-induced proliferation were not impaired in ERK1-/- mice on the inbred 129 Sv and C57BL/6 backgrounds. Collectively, the data show that ERK1 is not critical for the function of peripheral T cells in the response to self and foreign Ags and in T cell-mediated autoimmunity, and suggest that its loss can be compensated by ERK2.
Fractional Power Operation of Tokamak Reactors: Issues and Prospects

The capability of a power plant to operate at a wide range of output power is essential for initial commissioning and normal maintenance. Critical physics issues related to operating a tokamak fusion reactor at fractions of its rated power are explored, and methods for power control are identified. Analysis is carried out with a steady-state, profile-dependent, zero-dimensional power balance model of the plasma, in which several empirical transport scalings appropriate to tokamaks are used. It is found that reactor operation depends strongly on the confinement model, the plasma beta limit, and the effect of alpha power on transport. Parametric calculations indicate that density, auxiliary heating power, and an effective external confinement control mechanism are the key control elements, and burn control is required in most cases. Transition between power plateaus is facilitated by operating in the hybrid transformer mode. In general, the impact of fractional power operation on full-power reactor designs appears to be small.
Ceramic Matrix Materials

In this chapter we briefly review the basic characteristics of ceramics (crystalline and noncrystalline) such as structure and properties, followed by a description of some conventional and nonconventional processing techniques for glass and ceramics. Finally, we examine the characteristics of some important ceramic matrix materials, to wit, glass, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, alumina, glass-ceramics, sialons, intermetallics, and carbon. Clearly, this will be but a cursory review of a very large field, but it should provide the reader with some relevant information on important ceramic matrix materials. For more details, the reader should refer to some of the Suggested Reading at the end of the chapter.
Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxytransphosphorylase. II. Crystallization and properties.

Abstract Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxytransphosphorylase catalyzes reversibly the formation of oxalacetate and pyrophosphate from phosphoenolpyruvate, bicarbonate, and orthophosphate, and also catalyzes in the absence of bicarbonate the irreversible conversion of phosphoenolpyruvate and inorganic orthophosphate to pyruvate and inorganic pyrophosphate. Conditions have been investigated which influence the yield of the enzyme from Propionibacterium shermanii. The yield is higher with glycerol than with glucose as a substrate and increases with time of fermentation, 17 to 50 days being optimum. The enzyme has been purified by ammonium phosphate or sulfate fractionation, and chromatography on cellulose-phosphate and diethylaminoethyl cellulose. The enzyme has been crystallized in the form of very small needles. The resulting enzyme is nearly homogenous on sedimentation, and the molecular weight is 430,000 ± 30,000. The electrophoretic mobility (microns) descending was 10.3 x 10-5 cm2 per volt. Treatment with 6 m urea yields a subunit or units which after dialysis have a sedimentation constant of s20,w = 7.0 S. The pH optimum of the forward reaction, P-enolpyruvate to oxalacetate, extends over the broad range of 6.3 to 8.0. It is somewhat narrower for the back reaction from oxalacetate to P-enolpyruvate. Mg2+, Mn2+, or Co2+ is required for both the forward and back reactions. The reaction is about 7 times faster from P-enolpyruvate to oxalacetate than from oxalacetate to P-enolpyruvate. The Km values, expressed as millimolar concentration, were as follows for the forward reaction: P-enolpyruvate, 0.5; phosphate, 1.2; Mg2+, 1.2; Mn2+, 0.5; Co2+, 0.5; CO2 plus HCO3-, 4.0 at pH 6.5 and 9.5 at pH 7.8. In the back reaction, the values were: oxalacetate, 0.47; Mg2+, 2.5; and pyrophosphate, 0.22. The catalysis is inhibited by numerous compounds, including KCl and NaCl at high ionic strength. Sulfate is a noncompetitive inhibitor of the forward reaction with a Ki of about 20 mm. Buffers such as Tris-HCl, glycylglycine, and imidazole inhibit both the forward and back reactions. All the products and substrates inhibit the back reaction at quite low concentrations. The enzyme is stable in the absence of thiols, but the reaction is stimulated by a large variety of such compounds. Ethylenediaminetetraacetate inhibits the forward reaction but the inhibition is reversible.
Glycine Metabolism LIPOIC ACID AS THE PROSTHETIC GROUP IN THE ELECTRON TRANSFER PROTEIN P2 FROM PEPTOCOCCUS GLYCINOPHILUS

Abstract The electron carrier protein (P2) from Peptococcus glycinophilus, coupling the pyridoxal phosphate-related decarboxylation of glycine to the flavin adenine dinucleotide-mediated electron transfer to diphosphopyridine nucleotide, has been purified to homogeneity. Estimation of the molecular weight by sodium dodecyl sulfate acrylamide gel electrophoresis and by use of Sephadex G-100 gave values of approximately 12,600. The value based on amino acid residues is between 12,010 and 12,600. The protein contains 1 cysteine residue and 1 lipoic acid residue per molecule. Slight tendency for the monomeric form to aggregate into a tetramer having a molecular weight of over 48,000 was observed, but could be prevented by the addition of mercaptoethanol to the preparation. The electron transfer system exhibits high specificity for lipoate derivatives, i.e. α-lipoate, lipoyllysine, or lipoamide with the analogues 1,3-dimercaptopropanol, 1,2-dimercaptopropanol, and dithiothreitol being ineffective electron donors. Thioredoxin from Escherichia coli was unable to substitute for P2 in either the glycine decarboxylation-CO2 exchange reaction or in the electron transfer reaction.
Secure medical-image transmission using independent component analysis

Independent component analysis (ICA) along with a differential pulse-code modulation (DPCM) system has been used for secure transmission of medical images. The advantage of this approach is the ability to compress images that will be transmitted securely. The combined DPCM-ICA system can be designed with varying levels of quantization, however, image quality is sacrificed for low quantization levels.
Tamil Literature in Performance

Saskia Kersenboom. Word Sound Image: The Life of the Tamil Text. Washington, DC: Oxford University Press, 1995. 259 pp.
Examining the role of verbal interaction in team success on a design challenge

Collaboration is an essential component of many project-based learning environments; however, verbal interactions within groups can be ineffective. Extending previous research, this study investigated verbal interactions within teams of high school students as they solved a prototypical design-task called the Earthquake task. Videotaped performance assessments of high and low performing teams were analyzed in depth. Teams were categorized as high and low performing using two different methods: (1) highest successful structure built and, (2) percentage of successful designs. Results suggest that teams engaged in three different patterns of verbal interactions: Accept-Build, Accept-Build-Discuss-Modify, and Discussion. High performing teams most often engaged in, and were most successful when, their verbal interactions followed the Accept-Build-Discus-Modify pathway. The instructional implications of these results for promoting productive group collaboration and future research directions are discussed.
Weight loss alters organ concentrations and contents of lead and some essential divalent metals in rats previously exposed to lead.

The loss of adipose tissue during energy restriction may be accompanied by a loss of lean body mass, including bone mass. Because most of the body lead burden is in the skeleton, we studied the effects of weight loss on the concentrations of lead in bone, blood and several organs in rats with prior but not current lead exposure. Concentrations of the essential divalent metals calcium, copper, iron, magnesium and zinc were also determined for comparison with lead. Lead-exposed rats (n = 25) were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups : weight maintenance (WM), moderate weight loss (MWL) or substantial weight loss (SWL). For the two last-named groups, food intake was restricted for 4 wk to 70 and 40% of that of the WM group. Lead concentrations did not differ significantly (ANOVA, P > 0.05) among the three groups for blood, brain and bone. Significantly higher liver lead concentrations were observed in the SWL rats than in the WM and MWL groups. In general, organ concentrations of calcium, copper, magnesium and zinc were either lower or did not differ in the groups losing weight compared with the WM group. In contrast, organ iron concentrations of the SWL group were higher than those of the other groups except in brain where there were no significant differences. The total liver content of lead was highest in the SWL group, but the lead content of other organs did not differ among the treatment groups. The contents of calcium, copper, magnesium and zinc generally were lower in the MWL and SWL groups than in the WM group in the liver and some of the other organs. The results demonstrate that weight loss can increase the quantity and concentration of lead in the liver, even in the absence of continued lead exposure. The data also demonstrate considerable differences among organ divalent metals in response to weight loss.
Punitive Damages, Liquidated Damages, and Clauses Penales in Contract Actions: A Comparative Analysis of the American Common Law and the French Code Civil

Although American common law allows punitive damages for reckless or intentional torts, it will neither allow a jury to assess punitive damages for breach of contract nor permit enforcement of a contractual damages clause that is deemed to be punitive. This approach is rooted in an early Chancery practice of granting equitable relief from oppressive penal bonds and has been more recently justified as a means of facilitating efficient breach. Economic efficiency, however, can be accomplished even if punitive damages could be assessed for intentional breach, because the parties would have an incentive to negotiate a release from the first contract to enable both to share in the surplus offered by an intervening contractual opportunity. Moreover, negotiation of an enforceable penalty clause would allow some parties to maximize their utility by exchanging a signal of assurance of performance for a premium fee. Additionally, the French experience invites a fresh look, because - although it generally disallows punitive damages of a judicial origin for any civil wrong, tort or breach of contract - it honors freedom of contract and the autonomy of the parties by enforcing a contractual penalty clause (although the court may reduce an excessive contractual penalty). Taking a cue from the French approach, American courts and legislatures should reconsider their refusal to sanction freely negotiated penalty clauses and enforce them to the extent that they permit the parties to maximize their collective utility.
Regulatory Perspective on Advanced Finite Element Flaw Growth Analysis of Alloy 82/182 Butt Welds

On October 13, 2006, the Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation performed preweld overlay inspections using manual ultrasonic testing (UT) techniques on the surge, spray, relief, and safety nozzle-to-safe end dissimilar metal (DM) and safe end-to-pipe stainless steel butt welds. The inspection identified five circumferential indications in the surge, relief, and safety nozzle-to-safe end DM butt welds that the licensee attributed to primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC). These indications were significantly larger and more extensive than previously seen for the case of circumferential indications in commercial pressurized water reactors. As a result of the NRC staff’s initial flaw growth analyses, the NRC staff obtained commitments from the nuclear power industry licensees to complete pressurizer nozzle DM butt weld inspections on an accelerated basis. In addition, the industry informed the NRC staff that it would undertake a task to refine the crack growth analyses using more realistic assumptions to address the NRC staff’s concerns regarding the potential for rupture without prior evidence of leakage from circumferentially oriented PWSCC in pressurizer nozzle welds. These new analyses are referred to as advanced finite element (AFE) analyses. This paper will discuss the regulatory review of the industry’s AFE analyses. This discussion will include the NRC staff’s approach to the review, the differences between the industry’s AFE analyses and the NRC staff’s confirmatory analyses, and the NRC staff’s acceptance criteria. The paper will discuss the impact of the AFE analyses on the regulatory process. Finally, the paper will discuss possible future regulatory and research applications for AFE analyses as well as additional NRC research projects intended to address some of the uncertainties in this type of analysis.© 2008 ASME
MEKK4 Sequesters RIP2 to Dictate NOD2 Signal Specificity

Summary The Crohn's-disease-susceptibility protein, NOD2, coordinates signaling responses upon intracellular exposure to bacteria [1–6]. Although NOD2 is known to activate NFκB, little is known about the molecular mechanisms by which NOD2 coordinates functionally separate signaling pathways such as NFκB, JNK, and p38 to regulate cytokine responses [3–6]. Given that one of the characteristics of Crohn's disease is an altered cytokine response to normal bacterial flora [1, 2], the coupling of signaling pathways could be important for Crohn's-disease pathophysiology. We find that a MAP3K, MEKK4, binds to RIP2 to sequester RIP2 from the NOD2 signaling pathway. This MEKK4:RIP2 complex dissociates upon exposure to the NOD2 agonist, MDP, allowing NOD2 to bind to RIP2 and activate NFκB. MEKK4 thus sequesters RIP2 to inhibit the NOD2:RIP2 complex from activating NFκB signaling pathways, and Crohn's-disease-associated NOD2 polymorphisms cannot compete with MEKK4 for RIP2 binding. Lastly, we find that MEKK4 helps dictate signal specificity downstream of NOD2 activation as knockdown of MEKK4 in macrophages exposed to MDP causes increased NFκB activity, absent p38 activity, and hyporesponsiveness to TLR2 and TLR4 agonists. These biochemical findings suggest that basal inhibition of the NOD2-driven NFκB pathway by MEKK4 could be important in the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease.
Dynamics of surficial trace assemblages in the deep sea

Abstract We present a steady-state model addressing factors that determine surfical trace concentration (fraction of sea floor covered by tracks and trails) relative to the areal density and composition of mobile epibenthic megafauna. Trace concentration is posited to be a direct function of the mean production rate of new traces and their mean residence time. Production rate, in turn, is governed by the density of trace makers, their average width and rate of movement, and the fraction of available (i.e. untracked) space on the sea floor. Trace-maker density is not solely a function of epibenthic megafaunal density, but is also influenced by the microscale roughness of the sediment surface; as roughness increases, a higher proportion of mobile epibenthos (although deforming the sediment surface) do not leave recognizable traces. Trace residence time is controlled by the combination of three destructuve mechanisms; diffusive sediment mixing by infauna, retracking by epifauna, and physical reworking. Explicit predictions of the model are supported by new survey and time-series data from two deep-sea sites that differ radically in epifaunal abundance, Santa Catalina Basin (1300 m, east Pacific) and the HEBBLE area (4800 m, west Atlantic). In the former, due to high sediment roughness, a large proportion of the abundant epibenthic megafauna do not produce recognizable traces; thus trace production rate is low and trace destruction is dominated by retracking. This combination results in a low mean trace concentration (1% of sea floor surface area) relative to the density of epibenthic megafauna (16.5 m −2 ). In the latter region, a much smoother sediment surface results in trace production by most epifaunal taxa. The extremely abundant and active infauna at this site, however, produce high sediment mixing rates and thus low trace residence times and concentrations (5% of sea floor surface area). Application of a steady-state model to data from the HEBBLE region is validated by solving for the unsteady case and showing that approach to equilibrium trace concentration essentially (95%) complete only 10 days after a benthic storm erases all traces. Previous studies of deep-sea lebensspuren and megafauna prove consistent with the model.
Phosphorylation of the glucose transporter in vitro and in vivo by protein kinase C

The Ca2+- and phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase C) is present in many mammalian tissues1, and its important physiological protein substrates are only now beginning to be identified. A useful advance in identifying these i ntracellular substrates has been the recognition that the kinase is the receptor for phorbol esters, which stimulate phosphotransferase activity2–4. Phorbol ester-induced changes in protein phosphorylation in intact cells may thus be taken, in part, as a probable indication of protein kinase C activation. The many cellular effects of phorbol esters include the stimulation of glucose uptake5–8, although the response of glucose uptake to phorbol esters appears to be complex, apparently varying in response time and requirement for protein synthesis6,7. Such observations prompted us to explore one possible explanation for the alteration of glucose uptake, namely, phosphorylation of the glucose transporter by protein kinase C. We report here that incubation of purified human erythrocyte glucose transporter with rat brain protein kinase C results in the phosphorylation of a protein of relative molecular mass (Mr) 50,000–60,000 which has subsequently been identified as the glucose transporter by specific immunoprecipitation with a monoclonal antibody. Immunoprecipitation of membrane proteins from 32P-labelled human erythrocytes revealed a phorbol ester-stimulated phosphorylation of the transporter. This covalent modification of the glucose transporter may thus, in part, underlie the ability of phorbol esters and certain hormones to stimulate glucose uptake.
Hybrid Simulated Moving Bed Processes for the Purification of p‐Xylene

Abstract A parallel two‐zone and four‐zone SMB hybrid process was developed for p‐xylene purification. By placing a high‐productivity parallel two‐zone SMB in front of an existing four‐zone SMB, feed was enriched in the parallel two‐zone SMB before it was fed to the four‐zone SMB, which allows a higher feed rate to the four‐zone SMB. A general design procedure for hybrid SMB‐SMB process was developed. Simulations were done with Aspen Chromatography and Aspen Plus. Overall adsorbent productivity was increased by more than 100%, but with 3–5% lower overall p‐xylene recovery. With overall recovery of the hybrid process matching the base case, the feed rate was doubled and the overall adsorbent productivity was 50% higher than the base case. The heat duties of distillation columns per unit product were similar for these hybrid processes compared to the base case. If a two‐feed raffinate distillation column was used, the heat duty of distillation columns per unit product in the hybrid process was 2–4% lower th...
Phosphoprotein phosphatase in bovine tracheal smooth muscle. Multiple fractions and multiple substrates.

Abstract Phosphoprotein phosphatase (phosphoprotein phosphohydrolase, EC 3.1.3.16) from bovine tracheal smooth muscle extracts was isolated and its activity determined using two [ 32 P]phosphorylated proteins as substrates, i.e. phosphorylated histone (H-P) and a phosphorylated muscle specific substrate protein (MS-P) for the tracheal smooth muscle protein kinase. The enzyme was purified by the use of DEAE-cellulose followed by a two stage chromatography on a histone-Sepharose affinity column. Elution from the affinity column resolved the phosphoprotein phosphatase into four activity fractions. While fractions expressed phosphatase activity against both tested substrates the relative amounts of either activity varied. The ratio of activity towards H-P to activity towards MS-P changed from 11.5 to 0.12. The characterization of four phosphoprotein phosphatase fractions was based on the differences found in the following parameters: substrate specificity; sensitivity to NaF; influences of nucleotides (ATP, 5′-AMP, cyclic AMP, cyclic GMP) and the requirement of Mn 2+ for maximal activity. Mg 2+ , Ba 2+ or Ca 2+ could not substitute for Mn 2+ .
Navigating Identity Reformation, Marginalization, and “Soft” Colonization in Former Soviet Immigrant Students

This qualitative case study examines post-immigration reformed identity struggles among high school students from the former Soviet Union (FSU). Specifically, Belarusian, Kazakh, and Russian students in one U.S. public school district recognized and internalized “Russian” and inferior identities given to them by their U.S. teachers and peers, while simultaneously articulating internally viewed identities of superiority over immigrants from different FSU countries and secular superiority over the religious. Data from FSU immigrants, content teachers, and an administrator were analyzed using critical discourse analysis and sociocultural theory. General recommendations to educators, teachers, and administrators are provided.
Valve-sparing aortic root replacement: early and midterm outcomes in 83 patients.

Background Valve-sparing aortic root replacement (VSARR) is an alternative to traditional composite valve graft (CVG) root replacement. We examined early and midterm outcomes after VSARR. Methods A combined retrospective/prospective study was performed in 83 patients who underwent VSARR (16%) among 515 patients who underwent aortic root replacement during a nearly 12-year period. Thirty-six patients (43%) had a connective tissue disorder, 3 patients (4%) had acute aortic dissection, and 40 (48%) patients had at least moderate aortic regurgitation (AR). Twenty-eight patients (34%) had left ventricular hypertrophy or dilatation. The reimplantation VSARR technique was used in 82 patients (99%), and the Florida sleeve technique was used in 1 patient. Thirty-two patients (39%) underwent concomitant aortic arch replacement. For early survivors, the median duration of follow-up was 3.5 years (range, 5 days–12.2 years). Results One patient had severe AR after VSARR that necessitated intraoperative conversion to a mechanical CVG. The 1 operative death and 1 stroke occurred in a patient with acute dissection. Actuarial survival was 96.4% ± 2.0% at 2 years and 86.9% ± 5.6% at 8 years. Six patients (7%) had late valve-related complications: 1 died of endocarditis, 4 underwent reoperation for severe AR and received replacement valves, and 1 had severe AR and is being monitored. Freedom from repair failure (reoperation, endocarditis, or severe AR) was 94.8% ± 2.6% at 2 years and 87.3% ± 5.7% at 8 years. Conclusions Valve-sparing aortic root replacement can have excellent early and respectable midterm outcomes, even when combined with arch repair. Further follow-up remains necessary to evaluate the long-term durability of VSARR.
A THEORY OF INSIDIOUS REGIONALISM

This paper presents an interpretation of rising regionalism in world trade as a coordination failure, based on (i) sector-specific sunk costs in production, and (ii) "friction" in trade negotiation. Given these elements, if a regional trade bloc is expected to form, private agents will make investments that will make bloc member countries more specialized toward each other, but bloc and nonbloc countries mutually less specialized. This diminishes the ex post demand for multilateral free trade. Thus, the expected supply of regionalism generates its own demand, creating a Pareto-inferior equilibrium.