cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Formation of Chlorophyll A in Etiolated Oat Seedlings

The ratio of chlorophyll a to chlorophyll b has been determined for the green tissues of many species of plants. Chlorophyll a usually lies between 67% and 78% for the normal green tissues of higher land plants (2, 10, 11). In etiolated tissues, however, chlorophyll a has been reported to be formed much more rapidly than b, when the plants are first exposed to light, regardless of the spectral region employed (8). Although not specifically commenting on this interesting phenomenon, Frank (3) has recently published spectrophotometric data indicating that the same thing holds true for completely dark-grown seedlings of Avena byzantium var. satwa, after five-hour exposures to light. It is possible that this early rapid production of chlorophyll a may be correlated with the initial presence in dark-grown plants of a relatively higher percentage of "protochlorophyll a" than of "protochlorophyll &," a condition which reportedly exists in pumpkin seeds (9). In studies on the production of chlorophyll in Avena sativa (5), the authors have observed an almost complete absence of chlorophyll b in chlorophyll extracts obtained from plants irradiated for two or three hours with visible light Husked seeds were laid out on wet absorbent cotton and germinated in complete darkness under controlled conditions of temperature and humidity. After two and a half days, some of the seedlings were irradiated for two hours with monochromatic blue light (4358 ?) isolated with a Corning polished glass filter #5113, 2 mm. thick, a 5-cm. layer of 1.2% CuS04, and a 5-cm. layer of 0.4% quinine hydrochloride in N/5 HCl. The transmissions of the liquid filters have been reported elsewhere (1). Radiation intensity at the level of the plants was approximately 5.5 ergs per mm.2 per second. The shoots of the irradiated seedlings and of dark-grown controls were then removed just below the coleoptilar node and ground in pure acetone. The acetone extract was centrifuged and the pigments transferred to ethyl ether in a separatory funnel. The acetone was removed by successive washings with distilled water to which a trace of calcium carbonate had been added. Extractions were carried out in very dim light and the extracts stored in the dark for two days over solid carbon dioxide, until spectroscopic studies could be made.
Analytic Reviews : Neuropsychiatric Toxicity of Meperidine:

The use of meperidine can lead to neuropsychiatric tox icity manifested by excitatory states and seizure. Nor meperidine, an active metabolite, is the agent responsi ble for this toxicity; its long half-life of elimination allows for significant accumulation with repeated dosing of the parent compound. Normeperidine is proconvul sant, and this property alone may account for the toxic symptoms. Psychiatric symptoms often herald the onset of toxicity and may be the result of complex partial seizure. A pathophysiological mechanism of toxicity is suggested, and management of the toxic patient is dis cussed.
Simulation of Ion Motion in FAIMS through Combined Use of SIMION and Modified SDS

A key application of field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry (FAIMS) has been in selectively transmitting trace analyte ions that are present in a complex ion mixture to a mass spectrometer (MS) for identification and quantification. The overall sensitivity of FAIMS-MS, however, still needs to be significantly improved through the optimization of ion transmission into FAIMS and at the FAIMS-MS interface. Processes that cause ion losses include diffusion, space charge, separation field in the FAIMS and fringe fields around the edges of the FAIMS electrodes. These were studied here by first developing an algorithm using SIMION as its core structure to compute ion trajectory at different ratios of electric field to buffer gas number density (E/N). The E/N was varied from a few Td to ∼80 Td by using an asymmetric square waveform. The algorithm was then combined with statistical diffusion simulation (SDS) model, columbic repulsion, and a parabolic gas flow profile to realistically simulate current ...
Individual Well-Being and Relationship Maintenance at Odds: The Unexpected Perils of Maintaining a Relationship With an Aggressive Partner

Partner aggression negatively affects well-being in ways that the people experiencing aggression may not expect. Individuals (n = 171) who reported aggression by their current partner completed a longitudinal study. At the start of the study, participants rated their current happiness and how happy they expected to feel if their relationship were to end. The data revealed a partner aggression–unhappiness link and evidence of misforecasting future happiness: Committed individuals overestimated their unhappiness after a breakup because they expected worse things from a breakup than actually materialized, and people who experienced high partner aggression overestimated their unhappiness because they became more happy without the partner than they had expected. Forecasting unhappiness after a breakup predicted staying in an aggressive relationship. In aggressive relationships, bias occurs not only in forecasting future happiness but also in misreading how badly one feels now.
Phonational Frequency Ranges of Adults

This paper reports data on the phonational frequency ranges of 332 male and 202 female adults, ages 18–36. Each subject was required to produce a series of consecutive phonations with the f0 corres...
Civic Engagement and Education: An Empirical Test of the Sorting Model

According to the sorting model of education, the impact of education on civic engagement is relative, rather than absolute. Education correlates with greater engagement because it is a marker of social status; the degree of status conferred by your level of education is determined by the average level of education within your environment. This article tests the sorting model by paying strict heed to its assumptions. The analysis confirms the model, but considerably narrows its reach. Sorting applies only to one particular type (electoral activity), only when the educational environment accounts for variation across age and place, and only when one models the interactive relationship between education at the individual and environmental levels. Furthermore, sorting applies more to men than women. The same analytical framework demonstrates that being in a more highly educated environment amplifies the relationship between education and democratic enlightenment (political knowledge and tolerance).
Pediatricians approach to the health care of lesbian gay and bisexual youth.

The present study investigates the complex physician-patient relationship between pediatrician and lesbian, gay, or bisexual youth. Sixty pediatricians completed the questionnaire. The respondents' answers indicated a need and desire for further training of pediatricians about the health care of these youth.
Stellar Archeology: What White Dwarf Stars Tell Us About the History of the Galaxy

White dwarf stars have played important roles in rather diverse areas of astrophysics. This paper outlines how these stellar remnants, especially those in widely separated "fragile" binaries, have provided unique leverage on difficult astrophysical problems such as the ages of stars, the structure and evolution of the Galaxy, the nature of dark matter and even the discovery of dark energy.
In situ permeability measurement of the mammalian lacunar–canalicular system

Abstract Bone is capable of adapting its mass and structure under mechanical cues. Bone cells respond to various mechanical stimuli including substrate strain, fluid pressure, and fluid flow (shear stress) in vitro. Although tissue-level strains are well documented experimentally, microfluidic parameters around bone cells are quantified mainly through theoretical modeling. A key model parameter, the Darcy permeability of the bone lacunar–canalicular system (LCS), is difficult to measure using traditional methods due to the co-existence of the larger vascular and smaller LCS porosities. In this paper, we developed a novel method to measure the LCS permeability by rapid compaction of intact mammalian bones and recording the intramedullary pressure (IMP). Six canine metacarpals were subjected to three step compression tests with peak loads of 50, 100, or 200 lbs, while the IMP was simultaneously recorded using a catheter pressure transducer. The loading ramp time was chosen to be ~ 2 ms, which was long enough to allow pressure equilibrium to be established between the marrow cavity and the vascular pores, but short enough to observe the LCS fluid flowing into and out of the vascular pores. This loading scheme permitted us to differentiate the contribution of the two intermingled porosities to the IMP responses. The time constant of the IMP pressurization and relaxation due to the LCS was found to be 8.1 ± 3.6 s (n = 18). The mid-shaft cortex of the metacarpals mainly consisted of osteons with an average radial thickness of 65 ± 27 µm, which served as the characteristic distance for the LCS fluid to relax. The LCS permeability was obtained via poroelastic analysis to be 2.8 ± 1.8 × 10−23 m2, which was smaller than previous theoretical predictions (order of 10−19 to 10−22 m2), but within the range of previous experimentally based estimations (order of 10−22 to 10−25 m2). Our results also show that osteoblasts and osteocytes experience hydraulic pressures that differ by three orders of magnitude under physiological compressive strains. These estimates of the in vivo mechanical environments may be used to design in vitro models for elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms of bone adaptation and pathological bone loss.
Longitudinal Modeling of Transmissible Risk in Boys Who Subsequently Develop Cannabis Use Disorder

Background: Risk for substance use disorder is frequently transmitted across generations due to significant heritability. Objective: This longitudinal study tests the hypothesis that initial exposure to cannabis in youths having high transmissible risk is a signal event promoting development of cannabis use disorder (CUD). Methods: At age 22, 412 men were classified into three groups: (1) lifetime CUD, (2) cannabis use without CUD, and (3) no lifetime cannabis use. Transmissible risk, quantified on a continuous scale using the previously validated transmissible liability index (TLI), along with cannabis use and CUD were documented at 10–12, 12–14, 16, 19, and 22 years of age. Results: The CUD group scored higher on the TLI before they began cannabis use compared to the other two groups. In addition, a progressive increase in TLI severity was evinced by the CUD group beginning at the time of initiation of cannabis use whereas cannabis users who did not subsequently develop CUD exhibited a decline in transm...
Massive transfusion in trauma.

The critically injured trauma patient in severe hemorrhagic shock presents a complex and arduous challenge to even the most experienced trauma staff. Lives are at stake as trauma teams feverishly pour massive amounts of blood into severely injured patients attempting to replace entire blood volumes
Digital-lithographic processing for thin-film transistor array fabrication

Digital lithographic patterning was used to fabricate thin-film transistor devices (TFTs). In one case, hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) TFTs were fabricated using a jet-printed masking method to pattern device features in place of photolithography. Device characteristics were comparable to conventional a-Si:H TFTs with a typical threshold voltage (V T ) of 0.3 V, a carrier mobility (μ) of 0.7 cm 2 /V s, and an on/off ratio of 10 8 . In a second case, solution processable polymeric semiconductors were used to fabricate all print patterned TFTs. These devices had an average V T = -3 V, μ = 0.1 cm 2 /V s, and an on/off ratio of 10 6 . a-Si:H TFT arrays having 64×64 pixels with 300 μm pitch were fabricated using digital lithography.
The Theory of Vibronic Interactions in Four Benzene Derivatives

The vibronic theory, developed to explain the presence of forbidden character in allowed electronic transitions, is reviewed and slightly expanded in light of new experimental data. On the basis of this theory, the changing polarizations of absorption and emission in some aryl amines are interpreted as evidence for vibronic mixing in the first excited singlet state. The experimental data are treated by the theory to extract the perturbation energy matrix elements. These are compared with the theoretically calculated perturbation energies. This assumes the apparently dominant vibronic interaction of the lowest singlet with the nearest allowed singlet, here the second excited state, from which the forbidden intensity is obtained. It is found that the vibronic perturbation energies for the amines in absorption are twice those of benzene in the first excited state. The calculations suggest that, unlike the lowest forbidden transition in benzene, the 1600 cm−1b3g vibration is vibronically active. This reflects on the nature of the wave functions in the benzene derivatives. The pertubation energies for emission are smaller than for absorption, a fact that can be explained in terms of an expanded nuclear framework of the equilibrium excited state. A qualitative treatment of the triplet state shows that vibronically mixed triplets are spin-orbit coupled to the singlet states, as in benzene. The great utility of vibronic theory and complete polarization measurements is therefore demonstrated. Die Theorie der Elektronen-Schwingungs-Wechselwirkung, wie sie entwickelt wurde, um den “teilweise verbotenen Charakter”, d.h. von den Kernkoordinaten abhangige Komponenten, in erlaubten Elektronen-ubergangen zu erklaren, wird zusammenfassend dargestellt und auf Grund neuer experimenteller Daten etwas erweitert. Der Gang des Polarisationsgrades in der Absorption und Emission einiger Arylamine wird als Beweis fur die Elektronen-Schwingungs-Kopplung im ersten angeregten Singulettzustand interpretiert. Aus den experimentellen Werten werden die Matrixelemente der Storungsenergie gewonnen und mit berechneten Werten verglichen, wobei angenommen wird, das der Hauptanteil der “verbotenen” Intensitat aus einer Schwingungskopplung des niedersten mit dem nachsthoheren erlaubten, hier dem zweiten, Singulettzustand stammt. Die Storungsenergien fur die Amine in Absorption sind doppelt so gros wie fur den ersten angeregten Zustand des Benzols. Nach den Rechnungen ist anzunehmen, das im Gegensatz zum Benzol die b3g-Schwingung mit 1600 cm−1 fur die Mischung aktiv ist. Dies erlaubt Ruckschlusse auf die Natur der Wellenfunktionen in den Benzol-derivaten. Fur die Emission sind die Storungsenergien kleiner als fur die Absorption; dies kann man mit einer Aufweitung des Kerngerusts im angeregten Zustand erklaren. Eine qualitative Behandlung des Triplett-Zustandes ergibt, das die uber Schwingungen gemischten Triplettzustande durch Spin-Bahn-Wechselwirkung mit den Singuletts koppeln wie im Benzol. Die Nutzlichkeit sowohl der dargelegten Theorie als auch umfassender Polarisationsmessungen wird demonstriert.
Overview of Current Noninodilator Therapies for Acute Heart Failure Syndromes

Several treatment strategies exist for patients hospitalized with acute heart failure syndromes (AHFS). These therapies traditionally focus on improving hemodynamics and relieving congestion. This review focuses on noninodilator therapies, including diuretics, nitrovasodilators (nitroprusside and nitroglycerin), vasodilators (nesiritide), digoxin, and intravenous angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. These agents are used based on their associated symptomatic improvements alone. In the hospitalized setting, none of these agents have demonstrated benefits on long-term outcomes. Future work in AHFS should strive to understand the influence of conventional and new pharmacologic therapies on the underlying pathophysiology of AHFS, the processes that lead to myocardial injury and progressive heart failure, and measurable clinical outcomes.
Extraction of information from hyperspectral imagery using wavelets

An airborne test platform known as the Airborne Visible and Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) has been in operation since 1989. The data gathered form AVIRIS comes in 224 bands covering the 0.4 - 2.4micrometers range of the electromagnetic spectrum. The bands are spaced approximately 10nm apart with a bandwidth of just 10nm. Thus AVIRIS provides a nearly continuous spectral signature for a ground area 20m square. Because of the high dimensionality of such data, previous techniques for extracting information from multispectral imagery become computationally prohibitive. In the technique presented the wavelet transform is used to select features in the spectral signature on which the classification of the AVIRIS data set is carried out. The ability of the wavelet transform to localize both in time and frequency may make the technique able to characterize absorption bands better than many other transform techniques. The results of the technique will be compared against a classification using coefficients of the discrete cosine transform as features and a classification of the original data set.
Estimation and Comparison of Impact of Single Airport Delay on National Airspace System with Multivariate Simultaneous Models

U.S. air transport is under significant stress, experiencing frequent delays and high levels of congestion. At certain times, individual airports become bottlenecks within the National Airspace System (NAS). Major causes of flight delay at airports include overscheduling, en route convective weather, reduced ceiling and visibility around airports, and upstream delay propagation. Delay at one airport can be passed on to other airports in the NAS. Hence, to allocate resources for airport capacity expansion in an optimal way, the impact of single airport delay to the NAS and vice versa must be quantified. This research applies multivariate simultaneous regression models to quantify airport delay spillover effects across 34 of the 35 Operational Evolution Partnership airports and the rest of the NAS. This analysis considers such contributing factors as average daily arrival delay, deterministic queuing delay, weather patterns, aircraft equipment type, and others. The three-stage least-square method is used to...
Results of Mujeres Felices por ser Saludables: a dietary/breast health randomized clinical trial for Latino women.

Background: Data are limited on the efficacy of health-fo-cused interventions for young, low-acculturated Latino women. Because breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the most common cause of cancer mortality in this population, combined interventions that address both early detection and dietary patterns could help reduce both morbidity and mortality associated with breast cancer in this underserved population.Purpose: Mujeres Felices por ser Saludables was a randomized intervention study designed to assess the efficacy of an 8-month combined dietary and breast health intervention to reduce fat and increase fiber intake as well as to increase the frequency and proficiency of breast self-examination (BSE) and reduce anxiety related toBSE among LatinasMethods: Blocked randomization in blocks of 6 was used to randomize 256 20- to 40-year-old Latinas to the intervention (n = 127) or control group (n = 129). The intervention group attended an 8-month multi-component education program designed specifically for low-acculturated Latinas. The control group received mailed health education material on a schedule comparable to the intervention. A total of 195 women (76.2%) completed both the baseline and 8-month follow-up interviews.Results: The intervention and control groups were similar on baseline sociodemographic characteristics. At the 8-month follow up, the intervention group reported lower dietary fat (p >.001) and higher fiber intake (p = .06); a higher proportion reported practicingBSE at the recommended interval (p > .001) and showed improvedBSE proficiency (p >.001) compared to the control group.BSE-related anxiety was low for both groups at baseline, and no diffirrence in reduction was observed.Conclusions: This project provides a successful model for achirving dietary change and improving breast health behavior in young, low-acculturated Latinas.
The relationship between per capita income and diffusion of medical technologies

It is commonly known that per capita income is correlated with the level of health care spending and that technology is a major factor in explaining the increase in health care spending. This study examines differences in the rate of diffusion of medical technologies in Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries between 1975 and 1995. We find that the importance of income in explaining the long-term availability of a technology generally declines over time and becomes insignificant for some technologies. In other words, more affluent countries are earlier adopters of new technologies, but access to technology becomes less dependent on income over time. The evidence also suggests that the effects of reimbursement incentives are greater for purchases of diagnostic technologies than for lifesaving technologies and that reimbursement incentive effects are less significant for older technologies.
Geotechnical properties and behavior of high-porosity, organic-rich sediments in Eckernforde Bay, Germany

Abstract The organically rich, fine-grained, very soft, high porosity sediments in the inner portion of Eckernforde Bay, Germany have varying amounts of methane gas, with the horizon of gas fluctuating vertically on a seasonal cycle. The sharp vertical gradient in water content, with values exceeding 500% at the sediment–water interface, and corresponding gradient in density can be expected to cause a significant subbottom acoustic impedance contrast in these surficial sediments. Equations are presented to characterize geotechnical property variations of the upper 5 m. The upper 1.5 m exhibits appreciable ‘apparent’ overconsolidation with a trend toward a normally consolidated stress state at 2.5 m depth. The coefficient of permeability of the upper 40 cm is low (4×10-6 cm s-1) and the sediment is highly compressible with compression indices of 2.7–6.8. Triaxial compression test results indicate that the sediment behaves as a normally consolidated clay with a low friction angle (22°). The rheological behavior of the upper 20–30 cm, determined with a small vane device, is indicative of a shear-thinning material, implying that the resistance to penetration decreases with increasing velocity.
Phosphorus uptake kinetics of Spirogyra fluviatilis (Charophyceae) in flowing water

The inorganic phosphorus (Pi) uptake kinetics of Spirogyra fluviatilis Hilse were examined as a function of phosphorus cell quota (QP) and flow velocity in a laboratory stream apparatus. Short-term uptake and the acclimation of the uptake mechanism to flow were measured by the disappearance of Pi pulses in a recirculating flow cell. Short-term Pi uptake was biphasic. When the alga was P-deficient, Phase 1 and 2 half-saturation constants and maximum uptake rates were 11.0 and 47.2 μg P·L−1 and 473 and 803 μg P·g dry wt−1 h−1, respectively. Flowing water altered short-term uptake when the alga was P-deficient, but not when it was P-replete. When QP was less than 0.21%, increases in flow velocity from 3 to 15 cm·s−1 enhanced uptake with maximum uptake for any Pi pulse at 12 and 15 cm·s−1. At 22 and 30 cm·s−1, uptake was reduced by 12% or more relative to the maxima. If, however, the alga was cultivated at 22 and 30 cm·s−1 and short-term Pi uptake was measured at 12 cm·s−1, uptake was on average 33% greater than when the alga was cultivated at the latter velocity. Apparently, the alga could adjust short-term uptake to compensate for the suboptimal conditions of the faster velocities. Long-term Pi uptake and net phosphorus efflux were estimated by a non-steady state application of the Droop equation. Long-term uptake of very low Pi concentrations was not reduced by fast flowing water. Instead, uptake increased proportionately with flow velocity. Maximum phosphorus efflux from S. fluviatilis was 3% of cellular P per hour and occurred when QP was greater than 0.2%. At lower QP, the hourly efflux rate was typically less than 1%. Flowing water did not greatly enhance efflux, although when Pi was undetectable, efflux did tend to increase slightly with velocity. The data show that the effects of flowing water on Pi uptake were varied and not always beneficial. If the effects of flowing water on nutrient acquisition by other lotic algae are similarly varied and complex, flow may be an important determinant of nutrient partitioning among benthic algae in streams.
Mutations in rpoD, the gene encoding the σ70 subunit of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase,that increase expression of the lac operon in the absence of CAP-cAMP

We have isolated a new class of mutations in rpoD, the gene encoding the sigma 70 subunit of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase, that alter the transcription initiation properties of RNA polymerase holoenzyme. The rpoD(Lac) mutations increase expression of the lac operon in the absence of CAP-cAMP, allowing a strain lacking adenyl cyclase to grow on lactose. Four of the six alleles isolated have three- to fivefold increases in the amount of lac mRNA and beta-galactosidase per cell. We show that these four mutations increase transcription initiation from the same promoter used by wild-type RNA polymerase. The mutations were mapped and sequenced. One mutation occurs in the codon for amino acid 389 of the sigma 70 polypeptide. The remaining five mutations are clustered, affecting residues 570, 571 and 575. These five mutations are within or near a proposed helix-turn-helix motif in the C terminus of sigma 70.
Multiple Agents Potentiate α1-Adrenoceptor–induced Conduction Depression in Canine Cardiac Purkinje Fibers

BACKGROUND Halothane more so than isoflurane potentiates an alpha1-adrenoceptor (alpha1-AR)-mediated action of epinephrine that abnormally slows conduction in Purkinje fibers and may facilitate reentrant arrhythmias. This adverse drug interaction was further evaluated by examining conduction responses to epinephrine in combination with thiopental and propofol, which "sensitize" or reduce the dose of epinephrine required to induce arrhythmias in the heart, and with etomidate, which does not, and responses to epinephrine with verapamil, lidocaine, and l-palmitoyl carnitine, a potential ischemic metabolite. METHODS Action potentials and conduction times were measured in vitro using two microelectrodes in groups of canine Purkinje fibers stimulated at 150 pulses/min. Conduction was evaluated each minute after exposure to 5 microm epinephrine (or phenylephrine) alone or with the test drugs. Changes in the rate of phase 0 depolarization (Vmax) and the electrotonic spread of intracellular current were measured during exposure to epinephrine with octanol to evaluate the role of inhibition of active and passive (intercellular coupling) membrane properties in the transient depression of conduction velocity. RESULTS Lidocaine (20 microm) and octanol (0.2 mm) potentiated alpha1-AR-induced conduction depression like halothane (0.4 mm), with maximum depression at 3-5 min of agonist exposure, no decrease of Vmax, and little accentuation at a rapid (250 vs. 150 pulses/min) stimulation rate. Thiopental (95 microm), propofol (50 microm), and verapamil (2 microm) similarly potentiated epinephrine responses, whereas etomidate (10 microm) did not. Between groups, the decrease of velocity induced by epinephrine in the presence of (10 microm) l-palmitoyl carnitine (-18%) was significantly greater than that resulting from epinephrine alone (-6%; 0.05 </= P </= 0.10). Current injection experiments were consistent with marked transient inhibition of cell-to-cell coupling correlating with alpha1-AR conduction depression in fibers exposed to octanol. CONCLUSIONS Anesthetic "sensitization" to the arrhythmogenic effects of catecholamines may be a special case of a more general phenomenon by which not only some anesthetics and antiarrhythmic drugs but also possible ischemic fatty acid metabolites potentiate conduction depression due to acute alpha1-AR-mediated cell-to-cell uncoupling.
Kinetic Stabilization of an Oligomeric Protein under Physiological Conditions Demonstrated by a Lack of Subunit Exchange: Implications for Transthyretin Amyloidosis†

Kinetic stabilization of transthyretin (TTR) is established to prevent human neurodegeneration. Therefore, small molecule-mediated kinetic stabilization of the native state is an attractive strategy to prevent the misfolding and misassembly associated with TTR amyloid disease. Since the physiological microenvironment resulting in human TTR amyloidogenesis remains unclear, the conservative approach is to identify inhibitors that function under a variety of conditions. Small molecule kinetic stabilization of TTR has been established by concentration-dependent inhibition of acid-mediated amyloidogenesis and urea-induced tetramer dissociation. Since denaturing conditions reduce the binding affinity of inhibitors making it difficult to predict inhibitor efficacy under physiological conditions, we introduce a method for quantifying kinetic stabilization under physiological conditions. The rate of subunit exchange between wild-type TTR homotetramers and wild-type TTR homotetramers tagged with an N-terminal acidic flag tag is dictated by the rate of tetramer dissociation to its monomeric subunits prior to reassembly, rendering this method ideally suited for assessing the kinetic stabilization of TTR imparted by small molecule binding and evaluating small molecule binding constants. Addition of amyloidogenesis inhibitors to this exchange reaction slows tetramer dissociation in a concentration-dependent manner, stopping dissociation at concentrations where at least one inhibitor is bound to each tetramer in solution. Subunit exchange enables the rate of tetramer dissociation and the kinetic stabilization imparted by small molecule binding to be evaluated under physiological conditions in which the TTR concentration is not reduced by aggregation or irreversible dissociation.
Analytical determination of contact stresses in mechanically fastened composite laminates with finite boundaries

Abstract The present analysis focuses on the assessment of the contact stresses in mechanical joints with a single fastener, with two fasteners, and with a row of fasteners perpendicular to loading in finite composite laminates. The solution is obtained by solving the governing equations of elasticity under plane-stress assumptions using the modified mapping-collocation method. The load exerted by the fastener through the contact region, which consists of no-slip and slip zones due to the presence of friction, is modeled with appropriate mixed boundary conditions. The analysis results compare favorably with the photoelastic experimental measurements available in the literature.
Field-Scale Evaluation of Leak Detection for Gas-Liquid Two-Phase Flow in Deepwater Production Systems

This paper focuses on validating a theoretical method for the detection of leaks in deep water, multi-phase pipelines. [1] Six field-scale, two-phase flow tests were conducted to compare small leaks with a no-leak condition. These tests qualitatively demonstrate the feasibility of Scott’s concept. Knowing the characteristic pressure loss versus throughput in a line without a leak provides a basis for determining the presence of a leak by measuring pressure loss and flowrate out of the line. If the pressure loss is higher than expected for that flowrate, a leak is a likely possible cause. In these full-scale tests, a leak was readily detectable once the leak rate exceeded 16 percent for the case where the average rate exiting the line was 547 MCFPD. These tests were performed on a 3.64 inch (9.25 cm) internal diameter 9,640 foot (2,938 m) long flow loop with the leak occurring at the midpoint.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Descriptive study of clinical profile and benefit of therapy in childhood hypercalciuria

Clinical, biochemical, and ultrasonographic findings in 91 consecutive children presenting with hypercalciuria were analyzed along with the results of treatment to determine the clinical profile of hypercalciuria and its outcome. Hypercalciuria was common in children aged 1–5 years (39.6%), and hematuria was the most frequent symptom. There was no significant difference between 24-hour urinary calcium and random urinary calcium/creatinine ratio values between males and females. The random urinary calcium/creatinine ratio was found to be useful for screening and also for documenting the benefit of therapy. The children were essentially treated with thiazides, and the majority showed a good response, with a good overall outcome on follow-up.
Structural characteristics of the lipoglycan from Acholeplasma axanthum

Abstract The membrane-associated lipoglycan from Acholeplasma axanthum consists of a linear oligosaccharide chain containing branched glycerophosphate and galactose phosphate residues. The lipid portion is represented by N -acyl saturated and 3-hydroxy fatty acids distributed along the oligosaccharide chain. The polymer has a monomeric weight of 100000 and is composed of glucose, galactose, N -acyl and N -acetyl fucosamine, N -acyl and N -acetyl quinovosamine, glycerol and phosphorus. The proposed structure of the 19-sugar repeating unit (of which the monomer contains 24) is: Glc p (β1→ 2)-Glc p (β1 → 2)-Glc p (β1 → 6)-Gal p (β1 → 4)-Glc p (α1 → 4)-Glc p (α1→ 4)-FcNAc(β1→ 4)-FcNAc(β1→ 4)-FcNAc(β1→ 4)-FcNAc(β1→ 4)-FcNAc(β1 → 4)-FcNAc(β1→ 3)-Gly-P Gal-P Gly-P (3 → 6) (α1→ 6) (3→ 6) -Glc p (β1 → 3)Glc p (β1→ 3)-Glc p (β1 → 4)-QvNAc(β1→ 4)-QvNAc(β1 → 4)-QvNAc(β1 → 4)-. The positions shown for the two amino sugar sequences are arbitrary and could be reversed.
The origin of rotational barriers in amides and esters.

Abstract We discuss in this article the origin and magnitude of the single bond rotational barrier in amides and esters. The high rotational barrier of amides is biochemically manifested in the limited conformational freedom of proteins, Since there are only two instead of three bonds to rotate about per arnino acid residue. On the basis of thermochemical estimates with model compounds, we find that the resonance energy of esters is somewhat higher than that of amides. However, the experimental rotational barrier for the former is considerably lower than the latter. We suggest esters have lower rotational barriers than the corresponding amides because they retain a large fraction of the resonance energy in the transition state. Justification is offerred using an orbital delocalization argument.
Effects of Testosterone Implants and Hypothalamic Lesions on Luteinizing Hormone Regulation in the Castrated Male Rat

The effects of intrahypothalamic and subcutaneous implants of testosterone (T) and those of hypothalamic lesions on resting levels of circulating LH and pituitary responsiveness to exogenous LHRH were studied in castrated male rats to elucidate hypothalamic and pituitary regulation of LH secretion. Two hundred μg implants of testosterone propionate (TP) in the median eminence region suppressed plasma LH titers before evidence of direct inhibition of pituitary function (as indicated by testing with LHRH) was found. Such implants release appreciable amounts of T into the peripheral circulation in the immediate postoperative period, and SC Silastic (constant release) capsules containing T have similar effects. The findings suggest that, regardless of the site of implant, the initial negative feedback inhibition of LH by T is not dependent on direct action at the pituitary level but rather appears to be a hypothalamic effect. In the days following exposure to hypothalamic or peripheral implantation of T, howe...
An Attempt to Forecast Price Spikes in Electric Power Markets

Price forecasting has become one of the main focus of electric power market research efforts. Existing price forecasting methods have shown a good ability to forecast normal electricity prices. However, none of the research efforts have demonstrated to be effective in forecasting price spikes in electric power markets. This paper presents a methodology to forecast price and spikes using system identification approach and radial basis functions neural networks. The results obtained using PJM interconnection data with mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of less than 5% demonstrate the feasibility and accuracy of the proposed method.
Homogeneous catalytic hydrogenation and isomerization of olefins with dichlorobis (triphenylphosphine) platinum(II)-tin(II) chloride catalyst

It has been shown (i) that a mixture of dichlorobis(triphenylphosphine)platinum(II) and tin(II) chloride acts as a homogeneous catalyst for the hydrogenation of a number of polyolefinic compounds. This catalyst appeared to be unique in that, unlike similar catalysts, it does not catalyze hydrogenation of these olefins beyond the monoene stage. This behavior has been explained by proposing that the catalyst must first form a labile intermediate with a conjugated diene species. Since this earlier publication, we have made a detailed study of a series of simple dienes and monoenes. These have shown several important features about the mechanism of hydrogenation which conflict with some previously held concepts. Table 1 lists the results of hydrogenation experiments for a series of simple monoenes. Hydrogenation is most effective for olefins having terminal double bonds; removal of the double bond from a terminal position significantly reduces the amount of hydrogenation.
Development of Fluorescence assays for Studying Protein Disaggregation by Molecular Chaperones

The concentrated and complex interior of a cell presents a difficult challenge to folding of many essential proteins. Partially structured folding intermediates, populated during biosynthesis or upon environmental stress, are prone to assemble into large, non-functional aggregates. A network of specialized molecular chaperones evolved to deal with this problem. How aggregate disassembly is accomplished, its impact on disease progression, and how disaggregation is coupled to productive folding is not well understood. We have therefore initiated an effort to establish the enzyme RuBisCo as a model substrate for studying GroEL-dependent protein folding. We have engineered the sequence of RuBisCo so that exogenous fluorescent probes can be coupled to designed surface cysteine residues in a highly specific manner. We are applying fluorescence based techniques to the study of RuBisCO aggregate formation and disassembly by the DnaK-ClpB bi-chaperone system. Our preliminary studies with acid and urea denatured RuBisCo have shown that this protein populates at least two general aggregate assembly pathways, distinguishable by their distinctly different types of aggregate growth. We have also found that the DnaK system (DnaK/DnaJ/GrpE) is capable of altering the progression of RuBisCo aggregation on its own, without either fully arresting aggregation or fully disassembling RuBisCo aggregates. using both light scattering and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), we find that RuBisCo aggregates are good substrates for the full DnaK-ClpB system.
Design of low-power, scalable-throughput systems at near/sub threshold voltage

Voltage scaling has been a prevalent method of saving energy for energy constrained applications. However, voltage scaling along with shrinking process technologies exacerbate process variation effects on transistor. Large variation in transistor parameters, result in high variation in performance and power across the chip. These effects if ignored at the stage of designing will result into unpredictable behavior when deployed in the actual field. In this paper, we leverage the benefits of voltage scaling methodology for obtaining energy efficiency and compensate for the loss in throughput by exploiting parallelism present in the various DSP designs. To achieve scalable throughput, we depend on both dynamic voltage scaling with a few operating voltage options and active unit scaling, where the number of active parallel units is reduced using power gating. We show that such hybrid method consumes 8%–77% less power compared to simple dynamic voltage scaling over different throughputs. We study this system architecture in two different workload environments, one static and one dynamic. In the former, the desired target throughput is predetermined and fixed and in the latter, it can be changed dynamically. We show that to achieve highest level of energy efficiency, the number of cores and the operating voltages vary widely between a base designs versus a process variation aware (PVA) design. We further show that the PVA design enjoys an average of 26.9% and 51.1% reduction in energy consumption for the static and dynamic designs respectively over six different DSP applications. This is because the base design needs to compensate for the effects of process variation as an after fact, while the PVA is able to make suitable decisions at the time of the design.
Better early or late? Examining the influence of age of exposure and language proficiency on executive function in early and late bilinguals

Previous research has shown that early and late bilinguals differ in their language learning experiences and linguistic outcomes. However, evidence of differences between these bilinguals on measures of executive function (EF) has been mixed. As a result, the current study sought to (1) determine whether early and late bilinguals vary from one another and (2) exhibit cognitive advantages in EF relative to monolinguals. One hundred and five participants (42 monolinguals, 40 early bilinguals and 23 late bilinguals) completed the study. Participants' EF skills were assessed using the Auditorily Cued Number Numeral Task. Overall, the results did not reveal clear advantages for the early bilinguals compared to the two other groups. In fact, early bilinguals and monolinguals were equivalent in their performance on the EF task, whereas the late bilinguals were less accurate, relative to the other two groups. The differences in the performance of early and late bilinguals are discussed in terms of the competition...
Immunotherapy of Prostate Cancer in the Dunning Rat Model: Use of Cytokine Gene Modified Tumor Vaccines

Abstract Adenocarcinoma of the prostate is the most common cancer in men. The majority of cancers are discovered once they have already metastasized, and there is no effective therapy for prostatic cancer at this stage. The use of cytokine-secreting tumor cell preparations as therapeutic vaccines for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer was investigated in the Dunning rat R3327-MatLyLu prostatic tumor model. IL-2 secreting, irradiated, tumor cell preparations were capable of curing animals with s.c. established tumors, and induced immunological memory that protected animals from subsequent tumor challenge. Immunotherapy was less effective when tumors were induced orthotopically, but nevertheless led to improved outcome, significantly delaying, and occasionally preventing, recurrence of tumors after resection of the cancerous prostate. Granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor secreting tumor cell preparations were less effective, and interferon-γ secreting cells had only a marginal effect. Induction of a potent immune response in tumor bearing animals against the nonimmunogenic MatLyLu tumor supports the view that active immunotherapy warrants further investigation as a potential therapeutic approach to prostate cancer.
Race, Ethnicity, and the Weberian Legacy:

The whole conception of ethnic groups is so complex and so vague that it might be good to abandon it altogether.—Max Weber (1922/1968)Economy and Society[The present century has witnessed] explosio...
Frequency of CPV infection in vaccinated puppies that attended puppy socialization classes.

Socialization is one method of preventing behavior problems in dogs; however, some oppose socialization before 16 wk of age due to the risk of contracting infectious diseases. The objectives of this study were to determine if puppies that attended puppy socialization classes and were vaccinated by a veterinarian at least once were at an increased risk of confirmed canine parvovirus (CPV) infection compared with puppies that did not attend classes and to determine the frequency of suspected CPV infection in puppies vaccinated at least once that attended classes with trainers. Twenty-one clinics in four cities in the United States provided information regarding demographics, vaccination, CPV diagnosis, and class attendance for puppies # 16 wk of age. In addition, 24 trainers in those same cities collected similar information on puppies that attended their classes. In total, 279 puppies attended socialization classes and none were suspected of or diagnosed with CPV infection. Results indicated that vaccinated puppies attending socialization classes were at no greater risk of CPV infection than vaccinated puppies that did not attend those classes. (J Am Anim Hosp Assoc 2013; 49:95–100. DOI 10.5326/JAAHA-MS-5825)
Nanocone array glass

We report a novel method of producing ordered arrays of glass nanocones with precisely controlled height, lattice constant and aspect ratio. As with nanochannel glass, fibre drawing, bundling and redrawing are used to produce structured glass composite material. The surface of the composite is etched to form nanocones through a differential etching process. The lattice constant of the arrays ranges from 40 µm to 1.6 µm, while the aspect ratio of the nanocones is varied from 0.4 to 13 by simple changes in the chemistry of the hydrofluoric acid etching solution.
A Complexity-Distortion Approach to Joint Pattern Alignment

Image Congealing (IC) is a non-parametric method for the joint alignment of a collection of images affected by systematic and unwanted deformations. The method attempts to undo the deformations by minimizing a measure of complexity of the image ensemble, such as the averaged per-pixel entropy. This enables alignment without an explicit model of the aligned dataset as required by other methods (e.g. transformed component analysis). While IC is simple and general, it may introduce degenerate solutions when the transformations allow minimizing the complexity of the data by collapsing them to a constant. Such solutions need to be explicitly removed by regularization. In this paper we propose an alternative formulation which solves this regularization issue on a more principled ground. We make the simple observation that alignment should simplify the data while preserving the useful information carried by them. Therefore we trade off fidelity and complexity of the aligned ensemble rather than minimizing the complexity alone. This eliminates the need for an explicit regularization of the transformations, and has a number of other useful properties such as noise suppression. We show the modeling and computational benefits of the approach to the some of the problems on which IC has been demonstrated.