cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Aortic Arch Morphogenesis and Flow Modeling in the Chick Embryo

Morphogenesis of the "immature symmetric embryonic aortic arches" into the "mature and asymmetric aortic arches" involves a delicate sequence of cell and tissue migration, proliferation, and remodeling within an active biomechanical environment. Both patient-derived and experimental animal model data support a significant role for biomechanical forces during arch development. The objective of the present study is to quantify changes in geometry, blood flow, and shear stress patterns (WSS) during a period of normal arch morphogenesis. Composite three-dimensional (3D) models of the chick embryo aortic arches were generated at the Hamburger-Hamilton (HH) developmental stages HH18 and HH24 using fluorescent dye injection, micro-CT, Doppler velocity recordings, and pulsatile subject-specific computational fluid dynamics (CFD). India ink and fluorescent dyes were injected into the embryonic ventricle or atrium to visualize right or left aortic arch morphologies and flows. 3D morphology of the developing great vessels was obtained from polymeric casting followed by micro-CT scan. Inlet aortic arch flow and cerebral-to-lower body flow split was obtained from 20 MHz pulsed Doppler velocity measurements and literature data. Statistically significant variations of the individual arch diameters along the developmental timeline are reported and correlated with WSS calculations from CFD. CFD simulations quantified pulsatile blood flow distribution from the outflow tract through the aortic arches at stages HH18 and HH24. Flow perfusion to all three arch pairs are correlated with the in vivo observations of common pharyngeal arch defect progression. The complex spatial WSS and velocity distributions in the early embryonic aortic arches shifted between stages HH18 and HH24, consistent with increased flow velocities and altered anatomy. The highest values for WSS were noted at sites of narrowest arch diameters. Altered flow and WSS within individual arches could be simulated using altered distributions of inlet flow streams. Thus, inlet flow stream distributions, 3D aortic sac and aortic arch geometries, and local vascular biologic responses to spatial variations in WSS are all likely to be important in the regulation of arch morphogenesis.
The Role of Plasma Renin Activity, Age, and Race in Selecting Effective Initial Drug Therapy for Hypertension

BACKGROUND Strategies for initial drug therapy of hypertension are a thiazide diuretic for all or drug selection based on age/race criteria or on plasma renin activity (PRA). It is uncertain which of these strategies will achieve the highest control rate among patients with stage 1 essential hypertension. We sought to compare control rates among 3 drug selection strategies: (i) thiazide diuretic for all, (ii) thiazide diuretic for all black subjects and white subjects aged ≥50 years and a renin-angiotensin system blocker for white subjects aged <50 years, or (iii) thiazide diuretic for PRA < 0.6ng/ml/h (suppressed PRA) and a renin-angiotensin system blocker for PRA ≥ 0.6ng/ml/h (nonsuppressed PRA).
Health behaviors, body composition, and coronary heart disease risk in women with multiple sclerosis

Abstract Slawta JN, Wilcox AR, McCubbin JA, Nalle DJ, Fox SD, Anderson G. Health behaviors, body composition, and coronary heart disease risk in women with multiple sclerosis. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2003;84:1823–30. Objectives To explore coronary heart disease risk in a sample of women with multiple sclerosis (MS) by identifying the presence of established risk factors for coronary heart disease and to determine the relationship between disease severity and level of participation in health-related behaviors. Design Survey study. Setting Five general community settings in Oregon. Participants Women with physician-diagnosed MS (N=123) recruited from MS chapters, physician referrals, and newspaper announcements. Interventions Not applicable. Main outcome measures Modified Yale Physical Activity Survey, Block Food Frequency Questionnaire, blood analysis, skinfolds, and waist and hip circumferences. Results The majority of women met current physical activity guidelines. The frequencies of unfavorable levels of metabolic variables and obesity were similar to those reported in the general population. Significant associations were observed between mobility and physical activity, total and abdominal fat, and several dietary habits. Conclusion Coronary heart disease risk in this sample was comparable to that of the general population of women without MS. Physical inactivity, body composition, and perhaps nutritional habits decline with decreasing mobility, emphasizing the need for families and health care providers to work together to find solutions that increase health-promoting behaviors in women with more advanced MS.
Solubility of Pyrene in Organic Nonelectrolyte Solvents. Comparison of Observed Versus Predicted Values Based Upon Mobile Order Theory

Abstract Experimental solubilities are reported at 26.0°C for pyrene dissolved in twenty different organic nonelectrolyte solvents containing ether-, ester-, chloro-, hydroxy-, and methyl-functional groups. Results of these measurements, combined with our previously published pyrene solubility data in benzene, dibutyl ether, 1,4-dichlorobutane, 1-propanol, 2-propanol and saturated hydrocarbons, are used to test the applications and limitations of expressions derived from Mobile Order theory. For the 30 solvents for which predictions could be made computations show that Mobile Order theory does provide fairly reasonable (though by no means perfect) estimates of the saturation mole fraction solubilities. Average absolute deviation between predicted and observed values is circa 79%. In comparison, the average absolute deviation increases significantly to 1380% when ideal solution behavior is assumed.
An Analogy for Certain Anisotropic Plates

Although the basic differential equations and appropriate boundary conditions for anisotropic plates have been available for many years, exact solutions are unavailable except for the case of infinitely long rectangular plates [1].This note describes an analogy between the differential equations of skew (parallelogram) isotropic plates and rectangular anisotropic plates. Although the analogy is restrictive in applicability, it provides several exact solutions for finite length rectangular anisotropic plates. These solutions are useful by themselves and should prove especially valuable in assessing the accuracy of approximate analyses of anisotropic plates.
Gene therapy against cancer and HIV infection using the gene encoding herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase

The expression of the gene encoding herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-TK) in eukaryotic cells confers sensitivity to antiherpetic drugs such as acyclovir and ganciclovir. This property has been proposed for use in gene therapy approaches to kill either cancer cells or HIV-infected cells. Several animal experiments have shown the regression of tumors after in vivo transfer of the HSV-TK gene followed by ganciclovir treatment. Furthermore, CD4+ T cells harboring the HSV-TK gene under the control of HIV regulatory sequences are protected from HIV spreading in the presence of acyclovir. Thus, the HSV-TK gene has potential applications in gene therapy for the treatment of cancer and HIV infection.
Solvent-Assisted Dewetting during Chemical Vapor Deposition

This study examines the use of a nonreactive solvent vapor, tert-butanol, during initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) to promote polymer film dewetting. iCVD is a solventless technique to grow polymer thin films directly from gas phase feeds. Using a custom-built axisymmetric hot-zone reactor, smooth poly(methyl methacrylate) films are grown from methyl methacrylate (MMA) and tert-butyl peroxide (TBPO). When solvent vapor is used, nonequilibrium dewetted structures comprising of randomly distributed polymer droplets are observed. The length scale of observed topographies, determined using power spectral density (PSD) analysis, ranges from 5 to 100 μm and is influenced by deposition conditions, especially the carrier gas and solvent vapor flow rates. The use of a carrier gas leads to faster deposition rates and suppresses thin film dewetting. The use of solvent vapor promotes dewetting and leads to larger length scales of the dewetted features. Control over lateral length scale is demonstrated by pre...
Esophageal foreign bodies and eosinophilic esophagitis—the need for esophageal mucosal biopsy: a 12-year survey across pediatric subspecialties

Esophageal foreign body impaction (EFBI) is a common problem requiring urgent endoscopy. EFBI may be the first sign of underlying esophageal pathology, yet mucosal biopsies are rarely performed. We report a retrospective analysis of 572 children requiring removal of an EFBI over a 12-year period by pediatric otolaryngologists (ENT), surgeons (PS), and gastroenterologists (PGI). The method of removal [direct laryngoscopy (DL), rigid endoscopy (RE), flexible endoscopy (FE)], type of foreign body (inanimate or food), whether mucosal biopsies were performed, and histologic findings of biopsy samples were recorded for each patient. Foreign body removal was most commonly performed by PGI (298 [52 %]); the remaining were equally distributed between ENT (136 [24 %]) and PS (138 [24 %]). The method of foreign body removal used by ENT was RE (89 %), DL (8 %), and FE (3 %). Pediatric surgery preferred FE (62 %), followed by RE (27 %) and DL (11 %). Pediatric gastroenterology used FE exclusively. Esophageal biopsies were never performed by ENT or PS; PGI performed esophageal biopsies more commonly in children with meat bolus impactions (50 %) than in children with inanimate foreign bodies (12 %). Mucosal pathology was more common in children with meat bolus impaction (100 %) than in children with inanimate foreign bodies (45 %). Esophageal mucosal biopsy should be considered for all children with EFBI not attributed to stricture, particularly those with meat bolus impaction.
A novel gene mutation in an infant with cranial dysmorphology and orbital-maxillary hypoplasia

The craniofacial dysostosis syndromes are composed of a variety of disorders that have the hallmarks of craniosynostosis and orbital-midface hypoplasia. Multiple suture craniosynostosis is a routine finding in children with these disorders, although mildly affected patients without craniosynostosis have been reported. With the exception of Crouzon syndrome, the craniofacial dysostosis syndromes typically include anomalies of the hands or feet. The inheritance is most often autosomal dominant, and the expression is variable. Proper diagnosis is important in the early stages of infancy, because craniosynostosis is associated with increased intracranial pressure in a significant number of patients. This is especially true for patients with multiple suture craniosynostosis. For patients with craniosynostosis, treatment includes early decompression and expansion of the cranial vault to provide room for the rapidly growing brain. The dysmorphic skeletal bones are removed and reshaped into a more appropriate anatomic form, creating greater intracranial volume for brain growth. Once more growth is complete in the cranio-orbital and midface region, midface advancement can be performed. This is usually performed after 5 years of age1,2 and is most often achieved using monobloc, bipartition, or subcranial Le Fort III osteotomies depending on the degree of hypertelorism present and the relative position of the frontal-orbital ridge. Once craniofacial growth is near completion in adolescence, maxillofacial osteotomies can be performed to optimize the occlusion and facial aesthetics.1,2 Treatment of the various deformities associated with the craniofacial dysostosis syndromes are geared toward both function and form. Treatment within the growth phase is performed when there is a compelling functional reason. Aesthetic concerns are usually delayed until a majority of growth occurs. The modalities used for treatment are always tailored to the individual patient and his or her given functional and aesthetic concerns. This report presents the case of a patient with a novel form of craniofacial dysostosis. Treatment in this child differed from that of most children with conventional craniofacial dysostosis syndromes, since understanding the pathophysiology of the disorder helps direct treatment strategies and guides the timing of various procedures. We present the case of a patient with the phenotype consistent with Crouzon syndrome, exhibiting cranio-orbital and maxillary hypoplasia, hypertelorism, and shallow orbits with proptosis. This patient is lacking craniosynostosis, a cardinal sign of Crouzon syndrome,3,4 which is present in the vast majority of cases. The variability of phenotypes in Crouzon syndrome is well described.5 Crouzon syndrome typically has mutations in the FGFR2 gene and at least 30 different gene mutations have been documented.6 This case report represents the first description of a novel gene mutation and of genetic subclassification of Crouzon-like syndrome without craniosynostosis.
Attention, preparation and statistical aspects of cortical evoked potentials

Abstract Auditory averaged evoked responses (AER's) and associated variance (±1.0 S.D.) were measured under conditions wherein subjects were alerted, by a warning signal, to respond to a subsequent test signal, and when such preparation was precluded by means of a “shadowing” task. The present findings indicate that systematic relationships exist between general alertness, focused attention, and strategies of preparation to attend on the one hand, and, on the other, the degree of variance with which neural pools respond. Theoretical implications are explored.
Application of digital electro-hydraulic control system

A digital electro-hydraulic control system was applied to machine tools and other industrial machines. The desired characteristics have been obtained, and the digital electro-hydraulic control system has been put to practical use.Firstly, the paper discusses requirements of manufacturers of industrial machines who have used hydraulics as the back ground of developing an electrohydraulic control system. Then, it briefly outlines the digital control system mentioned above and gives an application example. Some control algorithms are also discussed for current and future developments.
Understanding microscopic binding of human microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 (mPGES-1) trimer with substrate PGH2 and cofactor GSH: insights from computational alanine scanning and site-directed mutagenesis.

Microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 (mPGES-1) is an essential enzyme involved in a variety of diseases and is the most promising target for the design of next-generation anti-inflammatory drugs. In order to establish a solid structural base, we recently developed a model of mPGES-1 trimer structure by using available crystal structures of both microsomal glutathione transferase-1 (MGST1) and ba3-cytochrome c oxidase as templates. The mPGES-1 trimer model has been used, in the present study, to examine the detailed binding of mPGES-1 trimer with substrate PGH2 and cofactor GSH. Results obtained from the computational alanine scanning reveal the contribution of each residue at the protein-ligand interaction interface to the binding affinity, and the computational predictions are supported by the data obtained from the corresponding wet experimental tests. We have also compared our mPGES-1 trimer model with other available 3D models, including an alternative homology model and a low-resolution crystal structure, and found that our mPGES-1 trimer model based on the crystal structures of both MGST1 and ba3-cytochrome c oxidase is more reasonable than the other homology model of mPGES-1 trimer constructed by simply using a low-resolution crystal structure of MGST1 trimer alone as a template. The available low-resolution crystal structure of mPGES-1 trimer represents a closed conformation of the enzyme and, thus, is not suitable for studying mPGES-1 binding with ligands. Our mPGES-1 trimer model represents a reasonable open conformation of the enzyme and is, therefore, promising for studying mPGES-1 binding with ligands in future structure-based drug design targeting mPGES-1.
Do aligned sequences share the same fold

Sequence comparison remains a powerful tool to assess the structural relatedness of two proteins. To develop a sensitive sequence-based procedure for fold recognition, we performed an exhaustive global alignment (with zero end gap penalties) between sequences of protein domains with known three-dimensional folds. The subset of 1.3 million alignments between sequences of structurally unrelated domains was used to derive a set of analytical functions that represent the probability of structural significance for any sequence alignment at a given sequence identity, sequence similarity and alignment score. Analysis of overlap between structurally significant and insignificant alignments shows that sequence identity and sequence similarity measures are poor indicators of structural relatedness in the "twilight zone", while the alignment score allows much better discrimination between alignments of structurally related and unrelated sequences for a wide variety of alignment settings. A fold recognition benchmark was used to compare eight different substitution matrices with eight sets of gap penalties. The best performing matrices were Gonnet and Blosum50 with normalized gap penalties of 2.4/0.15 and 2.0/0.15, respectively, while the positive matrices were the worst performers. The derived functions and parameters can be used for fold recognition via a multilink chain of probability weighted pairwise sequence alignments.
Velocity of coronary sinus blood flow as an indicator of coronary arterial flow

Abstract In order to determine the validity of coronary sinus mean blood velocity as an indicator of coronary arterial mean blood flow, comparisons were made of the effects of various interventions upon coronary sinus velocity and left anterior descending coronary arterial flow. Velocity in the coronary sinus was measured with a cathetertip electromagnetic transducer. Flow in the left anterior descending coronary artery was measured simultaneously with a cuff electromagnetic flow transducer. Forty-two observations of the effects of norepinephrine, isoproterenol, and asphyxia were made in seven dogs under pentobarbital anesthesia. Coronary sinus mean velocity increased nearly in direct proportion to increments of left anterior descending mean flow following norepinephrine, isoproterenol, and asphyxia. As would be expected, increments in coronary sinus velocity were linearly related, but were smaller than the increments in left anterior descending flow during reactive hyperemia of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Coronary sinus velocity qualitatively reflected changes of left anterior descending flow, but did not reliably quantitate these changes following nitroglycerin. The results of this study indicate that coronary sinus blood velocity is a fairly reliable indicator of changes of coronary arterial flow. It can be utilized under rapidly changing conditions and monitored continuously over long periods. The method requires no major surgery and would seem to be potentially applicable to human subjects.
Academic research fleet faces ship shortage

The academic research fleet is facing an impending crisis. In the past decade, we witnessed a remarkable rebuilding of the global and expeditionary ships [Betzer, 1995]. But now, many ships in the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory Systems (UNOLS) fleet, especially those in the intermediate/regional size class, are reaching the end of their useful lives. The Fleet Improvement Committee, with the assistance of the UNOLS staff and operating institutions, has estimated the retirement dates of all the ships in the fleet and tried to look to the future.
Effect of Race and Hypertension on Plasma Amylin Concentrations

Amylin is a recently discovered peptide hormone composed of 37 amino acids that is cosecreted with insulin by pancreatic beta cells. Amylin has been reported to be present in increased amounts in insulin-resistant subjects who are hyper-insulinemic. Because blacks and whites differ in the prevalence of both hypertension and diabetes, we examined amylin levels in 77 individuals; 42 were black (11 hypertensive and 31 normotensive) and 35 were white (10 hypertensive and 25 normotensive) individuals who were either healthy control subjects or hypertensive subjects not receiving antihypertensive medication. Plasma amylin concentrations were measured in two separate monoclonal antibody-based immunofluorescent sandwich-type assays. The F002-2 capture antibody binds amylin plus at least two additional amylin-like peptides, and the F024-4 capture antibody detectably binds only the amylin peptide. There was a significant race-by-diagnosis interaction for levels of amylin immunoreactivity during a 2-hour glucose tolerance test (P<.005 for F002-2 antibody and P<.05 for F024-4 antibody). Highest levels were found in black hypertensive subjects. The results appear to fit with previously observed differences in metabolic status between blacks and whites and with the association between hypertension and alterations in metabolic status.
LTR retrotransposons and the evolution of dosage compensation in Drosophila

Dosage compensation in Drosophila is the epigenetic process by which the expression of genes located on the single X-chromosome of males is elevated to equal the expression of X-linked genes in females where there are two copies of the X-chromosome. While epigenetic mechanisms are hypothesized to have evolved originally to silence transposable elements, a connection between transposable elements and the evolution of dosage compensation has yet to be demonstrated. We show that transcription of the Drosophila melanogaster copia LTR (long terminal repeat) retrotransposon is significantly down regulated when in the hemizygous state. DNA digestion and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analyses demonstrate that this down regulation is associated with changes in chromatin structure mediated by the histone acetyltransferase, MOF. MOF has previously been shown to play a central role in the Drosophila dosage compensation complex by binding to the hemizygous X-chromosome in males. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that MOF originally functioned to silence retrotransposons and, over evolutionary time, was co-opted to play an essential role in dosage compensation in Drosophila.
Coordinated expression and mechanism of induction of HSP32 (heme oxygenase-1) mRNA by hyperthermia in rat organs

Abstract Heme oxygenase isozymes, HO-1 and HO-2, catalyze the cleavage of heme b (Fe-protoporphyrin-IX) at the α-meso carbon bridge to form the antioxidant, biliverdin IXα, and the putative cellular messenger, carbon monoxide. HO-1 is a heat shock (HSP32) or stress protein, while HO-2 is a noninducible enzyme. Presently, we have examined the time course of expression of HSP32 in liver, kidney, and heart of rats exposed to hyperthermia and investigated the mechanism of induction of HO-1 by hyperthermia. We report a coordinated induction response of all organs to elevated ambient temperature (42°C, 20 min). Specifically, the maximum induction of the 1.8 kb HO-1 mRNA was observed 1 h after hyperthermia and reached a value 20–40-fold that of the control; the transcript level approximated the control value by 6 h after heat stress. In contrast, the levels and the ratio of the 1.3 and 1.9 kb HO-2 transcripts were not affected by hyperthermia. As judged by in vitro nuclear transcription run-on assays, thermal stress caused the stimulation of HO-1 gene transcription. The increase in HO-1 mRNA transcription was accompanied by an increase in binding of nuclear factor(s) to the heat shock element in the promoter region of the gene. The increase of the HO-1 mRNA was reflected in increases in both heme oxygenase activity and in immunoreactive HO-1 protein. We suggest that the induction of heme oxygenase by heat stress is a physiologically relevant defense mechanism whereby both the degradation of heme of denatured hemoproteins and the generation of biologically active products of heme catabolism are enhanced.
Photoelectrochemical Etching of GaAs / AlGaAS Multilayer Structures

A study of photoelectrochemical etching of multilayers under conditions of constant potential or constant current is presented. It is shown that the etch rate changes as the process proceeds vertically through the layered sample. In addition, when the etching front crosses the interface between two epilayers a transient reduction in the etch rate is seen. These observations can be explained by the energy band structure of the heterojunction interface, including the presence of the quasi‐two‐dimensional electron gas at such an interface. The changes in potential or current at the interface can be used to form in situ process diagnostics during the etching of multilayer samples. Finally, the morphology of the etched area and the profile of the etch feature have been investigated. The results show that etch‐induced roughness is an important limitation on processing structures with very thin layers.
Union Formation in Fragile Families

In this article, we use data from a new longitudinal survey—the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study—to examine union formation among unmarried parents who have just had a child together. We used multinomial logistic regression to estimate the effects of economic, cultural/interpersonal, and other factors on whether (relative to having no romantic relationship) parents are romantically involved and living apart, cohabiting, or married to each other about one year after the child’s birth. Net of other factors (including baseline relationship status), women’s education and men’s earnings encourage marriage. Cultural and interpersonal factors also have strong effects: women’s trust of men, both parents’ positive attitudes toward marriage, and both parents’ assessment of the supportiveness in their relationship encourage marriage. Supportiveness also encourages cohabitation, while fathers having a problem with alcohol or drugs and reporting higher conflict in the relationship discourage cohabitation. Fathers’ physical violence deters couples’ remaining in romantic nonresident relationships.
The Family Environments of Children with Disabilities: Diverse But Not So Different

This investigation studied the family environments and social support of a national sample of families of young children with handicaps currently enrolled in early intervention programs. The study was designed to describe the status of these families with regard to these issues; to determine whether the functioning of these families was related to the nature of the child's disability; and to determine how family functioning related to mothers' needs for early intervention services. The general pattern of Family Environment Scale (FES) (Moos, 1974) scores was comparable to that reported for an FES normative sample. Although the level of children's disability when controlling for socioeconomic status (SES) had virtually no association with FES scores, families identified as “distressed” were more likely to be of lower SES and have children with more severe disabilities. Parents of children with disabilities had high levels of needs for a variety of services from their children's early intervention program. ...
Work Conditions and Juvenile Delinquency: Is Youth Employment Criminogenic?

In both public and scholarly circles, it often is assumed that employ ment is beneficial to the development of adolescents. To assess this claim, we explored the relationship of working to delinquency among a sample of youths, drawn from the National Youth Survey, who were in school and between the ages of 12 and 19. The analysis revealed that work conditions, especially the number of hours employed, were posi tively associated with delinquent involvement. We argue that these results are consistent with a critical criminological perspective, which would see juvenile employment within its structural context and be sen sitive to how the needs of youths are not served in the prevailing labor market. Accordingly, we caution against a policy agenda that views employment as a panacea for delinquency.
A comparison of four microindentation hardness test methods using copper, 52100 steel, and an amorphous PdCuSi alloy

Abstract Microindentation hardness (microhardness) numbers obtained with Knoop and Vickers diamond indenters can be greatly affected by indenter-test piece interactions. Traditional Knoop microhardness number equations assume that the ratio of the long diagonal to the short diagonal is constant for the impression. Data for large-grained pure Cu, fine-grained 52100 steel, and an amorphous PdCuSi alloy show that the diagonal ratio (defined in terms of a shape recovery index R) of relaxed impressions is seldom that expected for a Knoop indenter. The effects at several loads are examined. Four methods were used to obtain microhardness numbers: (1) a standard Knoop calculation (based on the length of the long diagonal), (2) a standard Vickers calculation (based on the average length of two diagonals), (3) a modified Knoop calculation of projected area hardness (based on the lengths of the long and short diagonals), and (4) an image analysis instrument measurement of the area of the impression (for the PdCuSi alloy only). A discussion of the results supports the accuracy of the two-diagonal modified Knoop method as a means to gain additional insight into the near-surface micromechanical properties of materials.
EHD Conduction Pump Designed for Flow Control of Parallel Evaporators

Non-uniform pressure drops and the uneven heat load can easily cause the mal-distribution of the working fluids in the parallel evaporator lines, which further leads to non-optimum thermal performance. The electrically driven flow based on the electrohydrodynamic (EHD) conduction pumping has potential to actively control the two-phase flow distribution among parallel evaporator lines. In this paper, an EHD conduction pump, designed for active flow control of the parallel evaporators, is experimentally investigated in a single-phase liquid refrigerant loop. specifically, the pressure head, the net flow velocity, and the power consumption at different applied potentials are presented. HCFC refrigerant R-123 is used as the working fluid. In the absence of a net flow, the EHD conduction pump with three electrode pairs generated 1270 Pa at 17 kV with HCFC refrigerant R-123 as the working fluid. In the presence of a net flow, the EHD conduction pump generated a pressure head of 425Pa and a velocity of 8.9cm/s at 15kV. The corresponding power consumption was below 1W. The generated pressure head and the corresponding liquid flow can effectively control the flow distribution among parallel evaporator lines.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Myxomycetes associated with grasslands of the western central United States

The assemblages of myxomycetes associated with the three types of temperate grasslands (tall grass, mixed grass and short grass) found across the western central United States were examined by collecting samples for isolation of these organisms from nine study sites. Samples consisted of two types of ground litter, two types of aerial litter (dead but still attached plant parts) and dung. These were brought back to the laboratory and used to prepare a series of moist chamber cultures. These cultures yielded 1,301 collections of myxomycetes representing 59 species in 18 genera. Some collections could be identified only to genus and one in particular (Lepidoderma sp.) appears to be an undescribed taxon. Physarum spectabile was recorded for the first time in North America. Overall, only eight species (Badhamia melanospora, Didymium anellus, D. difforme, D. squamulosum, Perichaena depressa, Physarum cinereum, P. pusillum, and Stemonitis fusca) were recovered from all nine study sites and thus are considered to represent a core component of the myxomycete biota of temperate grasslands.
Reticular-like Pigmentary Patterns in Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum

Abstract Of 14 consecutive patients with pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE), 9 (64%) had a spectrum of peculiar, sometimes reticular, pigmentary changes in the retina. Ten of 18 (56%) eyes had a random scattering of small, round pigment dots throughout the macula and around the optic nerve, sometimes extending to the equator. In four of 18 (22%) eyes, the pigment clumps appeared in lines, resembling a string of pearls. These strings occasionally radiated from the macula in a spoke-like fashion. In 4 of the 18 (22%) eyes, the pigment clumping occurred in a fishnet, or truly reticular, pattern. Of the 18 eyes in these 9 patients, 12 (67%)had subretinal neovascularization. Of the ten eyes in the five patients who did not show this pigmentary change, two (20%) had subretinal neovascularization.
Cermets From Thermite Reactions

The process whereby thc components of a thermite are pressed into a desired shape amd ignited to form a cermet is described. In this process, the oxide of the cermet (Al/sub 2/O//sub 3/ is produced from the oxidation of powderod alumimum, and the metallic phase is produced from the resulting reduction of its oxide. A third compoment (clay, Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/, or MgO) is added to act as a control agent. Methods of compacting and firing are described. A table of oxides reduced by alumimum using this process is presented. The formation of metallic silicides and borides as the metallic phase of a cermet from the appropriate silicates amd borates, or metallic oxides with silica or boric acid, is discussed. As an example, ZrSi/sub 2/ is produced by the reduction of either ZrSiO/sub 4/ or ZrO/sub 2/ and SiO/sub 2/, and TiB/sub 2/ by the reduction of TiO/sub 2/ and method: inexpensive compositions, low ignition temperatures (1800 deg F), high reaction temperatures (5000 deg F), short firing time (1 hour), and controlled atmosphere unnecessary. A technique was developed whereby cermet test specimems could be prepared from the thermite reactiom between alumimum and zirconium silicate. The tensile strength of the finishedmore » cermet is given at room temperature and at 2200 deg F. The apparatus used for determiming these tensile strengths is described. Modulus of rupture data also are given. Other oxide thermites were sddod to the basic zirconium silicate thermite mixture. The effect of these thermite additions on the strength of the basic thermite is described. (auth)« less
Glass Transition Temperature Of Ultrathin Polymer Films On Silicon

The glass transition temperature, Tg, of polystyrene (PS) thin films on silicon wafers with different surface preparations was determined in order to explore the effect of interfacial interaction energy on local chain dynamics. To enhance interface behavior, the film thickness included in this work was as low as 50 A. PS with monodisperse molecular weights was chosen as a model polymer. Two different silicon surfaces were prepared: sulfuric acid-clean and hydrogen passivated. Tg of thin films was determined by monitoring the film thickness as a function of temperature. Tgwas identified as the temperature where the thermal expansion coefficient underwent an abrupt change. X-ray reflectivity was used to determine film thickness with a precision of a few angstroms. Tg of PS was found to depend strongly on the initial film thickness, as well as the substrate surface.
Calcium calmodulin dependent phosphorylation of proteins: fetal cortical neurons and adult cortex.

In the present investigation, changes in the calcium calmodulin–dependent phosphorylation of proteins have been examined in murine fetal cortical neurons and adult cortex. An ∼80-kD protein in the fetal neurons was not phosphorylated/dephosphorylated in a calmodulin-dependent manner. However, this protein was phosphorylated by PMA both in the presence and absence of calcium. These data suggest that calmodulin inhibits the phosphorylation of a ∼80-kD protein by inhibiting PKC in murine fetal cortical neurons but not in the adult cortex. More importantly, we demonstrate that the calmodulin-mediated inhibition of phosphorylation was restored by preincubating the cortical neurons with KN-62, a CaM kinase inhibitor.
Effect of Aspergillus flavus mycotoxin on Culex mosquito larvae

An isolate of Aspergillus flavus var. columnaris recovered from moribund larvae of the mosquito Culex peus produced metabolites which caused mortality in larvae of C. peus and C. tarsalis. Production of these toxins in vitro on solid substrate rice was based on culture techniques used in making Ang kak. The effect of incubation time on mycotoxin production was determined for cultures fermented from 3 to 13 days. Mycotoxins produced by isolate FU-051 were extracted by refluxing the spent medium with chloroform. Fractionation on a silicic acid column with a methanol-chloroform (3:97 vv) solvent mixture yielded two toxic fractions. Toxic activity was determined using a biological assay with mosquito larvae.
Page protection: another missing dimension of Wikipedia research

Page protection is a feature of wiki software that allows administrators to restrict contributions to particular pages. For example, pages are frequently protected so that they can only be edited by administrators. Page protection affects tens of thousands of pages in English Wikipedia and renders many of Wikipedia's most visible pages uneditable by the vast majority of visitors. That said, page protection has attracted very little attention and is rarely taken into account by researchers. This note describes page protection and illustrates why it plays an important role in shaping user behavior on wikis. We also present a new longitudinal dataset of page protection events for English Wikipedia, the software used to produce it, and results from tests that support both the validity of the dataset and the impact of page protection on patterns of editing.
Infectious Diseases: Filariasis—Bancroftian filariasis, Malayan filariasis, Loiasis (loa loa), Onchocerciasis (river blindness)

This series is based on the Infectious Diseases section of the web site Refugee Health ∼ Immigrant Health, available on the World Wide Web at http://www.baylor.edu/Charles_Kemp/Refugee_Health.htm. The site was developed through a contract with the Texas Department of Health as part of an ongoing effort to improve the health of refugees and immigrants.
Transsulcal microsurgical approach for subcortical small brain lesions: technical note

We describe a transsulcal microsurgical approach for removal of small subcortical brain lesions, guided by frameless stereotaxy. This technique of simultaneous stereotactic localization of the subcortical lesion and its adjacent sulcus, before surgical approach, results in optimal surgical planning, leading to minimal brain tissue loss and excellent surgical outcome.
Solutions for determining equibiaxial substrate strain for dynamic cell culture

Abstract In this work, empirical and analytical solutions of equibiaxial strain on a flexible substrate are derived for a dynamic cell culture system. The empirical formula, which fulfills the mechanistic conditions of the culture system, is based on a regression analysis from finite element analyses for a substrate undergoing large strains (
Optimizing Fourier-domain angle resolved low coherence interferometry for clinical use

Methods for the optimization of a/LCI for clinical use are presented. First, the use of the T-matrix light scattering model to simulate scattering from spheroidal particles is presented as a more appropriate simulation of cell nuclei scattering than the previously used Mie theory. In addition, the use of a broadband light source with a bandwidth greater than 50nm similar to those utilized in OCT applications is demonstrated. Accurate sizing of scatterers in tissue phantoms containing stretched and unstretched polystyrene microspheres along with measurements of unstretched polystyrene microspheres in solution are presented, demonstrating advances in system performance and design. In addition, preliminary human in vivo esophageal tissue data are presented.
Multiscale Modeling of Poly(ethylene oxide)−Poly(propylene oxide)−Poly(ethylene oxide) Triblock Copolymer Micelles in Aqueous Solution

We present a multiscale modeling approach for simulation of poly(ethylene oxide)−poly(propylene oxide)−poly(ethylene oxide) triblock copolymer micelles in aqueous solution. We rely on systematic elimination of computationally expensive degrees of freedom yet retain implicitly their influence on the remaining degrees freedom in a coarser-grained model. Quantum chemistry (QC) calculations, atomistic explicit solvent (AES) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and coarse-grained implicit solvent (CGIS) simulations have been applied to investigate physical properties of these important self-assembling triblock copolymers. High-level QC calculations have been used to parametrize classical atomistic force fields that implicitly take into account and reproduce the important energetic and structural features due to correlations of electronic degrees of freedom. AES MD simulations utilizing the QC-based force fields have been used to provide structural and conformational properties of polymers in aqueous solution w...
Punishment for One's Misdeeds as a Function of Having Suffered From Them

Experimental support was found for the hypothesis that injury to a wrongdoer in the course of his misdeeds reduces punishment of the offender. Models were compared which attributed the effect: 1) directly to attraction toward the offender; 2) to effects on the judgment scale that are induced by attraction; and 3) to scale effects that are not mediated by attraction. The third model fit best.
Abstract 3660: Apigenin suppresses IKK activation and downstream signaling leading to prostate cancer inhibition.

Inhibitor of Nuclear Factor-κB kinase (IKK) complex is the master regulator of the NF-κB signaling pathway. IKK complex activation contributes to major cellular processes and plays a key role in the pathogenesis various human malignancies including prostate cancer. Recently, catalytic IKKs represent attractive targets for intervention with small molecule kinase inhibitors. We aimed to develop apigenin, a plant flavone, as a potent inhibitor of the IKK-kinase domain. IKK complex consist of structurally similar IKKα and IKKβ kinases. Both contains a kinase domain, a leucine-zipper motif through which the catalytic subunits dimerize, and a helix-loop-helix domain followed by a C-terminal tail that, when unphosphorylated interacts with IKKγ, the non-catalytic subunit. Screening of human prostate tumors demonstrated an increase in IKKα in low and high Gleason grade, whereas, IKKβ was higher in benign and low grade tumors. Phosphorylation of IKKα (Ser176/180) and IKKβ (Ser177/181) was significantly increased in prostate tumors compared to benign tissues. Treatment of human prostate cancer 22Rv1 and PC-3 cells to apigenin resulted in a decreased phosphorylation of IKKα/β in dose-dependent fashion, which correlated with lower proliferation and invasiveness. Ex Vivo IKK complex pull down assay using sepharose beads also confirmed direct binding of apigenin with IKK complex. In vivo studies with PC-3 and 22Rv1 xenografts in athymic nude mice further demonstrated that oral intake of apigenin at doses of 20 and 50μg/mouse/day over an 8-wk period resulted in a marked reduction in tumor growth, IKK activity, IKK phosphorylation, and NF-κB/p65 at both doses of apigenin. Furthermore, 3D structural in silico modeling analysis with PS1145, a known IKK inhibitor and apigenin were assessed for IKKα and IKKβ separately for protein-ligand docking studies using glide score. Apigenin was well anchored by hydrogen bonds with amino acid resides in the IKK complex protein at both ends. All three hydroxyl groups of apigenin were favorably oriented around different hydrogen bond acceptor atoms in the protein. Glide score generated by apigenin and PS1145 docking to IKK-α were -8.40 and -5.79, whereas IKK-β were -11.07 and -9.11; lower glide score represents better binding to IKK complex pocket. These results suggest that inhibition of cell proliferation and decrease in tumor growth by apigenin are mediated, at least in part, by its ability to suppress IKK complex and NF-κB signaling pathways. Citation Format: Sanjeev Shukla, Manish Datt, Mark R. Chance, Sanjay Gupta. Apigenin suppresses IKK activation and downstream signaling leading to prostate cancer inhibition. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3660. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-3660
Factors in Children's Attitudes toward Pets

This study investigates parental attitudes, family size, and structure, and presence or absence of household pets as influences on children's attitudes toward pets. 700 parents completed a Melson Parent Questionnaire which assesses children's activities with, interest in, and responsibility for pets, and completed either the Wilson Attitude Inventory for Pet Owners or for Nonpet Owners. Results indicated: that children of strongly attached adults and in pet-owning homes scored higher on Activities and Interest than children of weakly attached adults and in nonpet-owning homes; that children of both sexes in one-parent homes scored higher on Responsibility than in two-parent homes; that boys scored higher on Interest, girls on Activities, and both sexes on Responsibility when mothers worked full time rather than part-time; that girls scored higher on Interest and, in pet-owning homes, on Responsibility than boys; that preschoolers scored lower on Activities and Interest than older children, and that grade ...
Novel treatments for osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a major health problem that affects 4 to 6 million women and 1 to 2 million men in the US, with an even larger number of individuals having osteopenia or decreased bone mineral density (BMD) (1). The most significant consequence of osteoporosis is osteoporotic fractures, which in 1995 resulted in health care expenditures in the US of $13.8 billion (2). Consequently, the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis are of paramount importance. Currently, all therapeutic agents approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of osteoporosis are inhibitors of bone resorption. Although these agents are effective in stabilizing or increasing BMD and reducing the risk of fractures, their exact mechanism of action frequently is not known, and they do not increase bone formation. Alternative drug therapies that either block the function of the bone-resorbing osteoclasts or enhance the anabolic function of osteoblasts could prove beneficial to a number of patients with osteoporosis. A recent issue and, now, the current issue of the JCI feature studies on two promising new agents that operate by these complementary strategies and preserve bone mass to a significant extent in rat models of osteoporosis (3, 4). Figure ​Figure11 shows the effect of these agents on the balance between ongoing processes of bone formation and bone resorption, which together determine bone mass. Figure 1 Two novel approaches to increasing bone mass. Bone mass reflects the relative rates of bone formation, mediated by osteoblasts, and of bone resorption, mediated by osteoclasts. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) has complex effects on bone mass, since it stimulates ...
PDA Serials: Practical and Policy Issues for Librarians

SUMMARY Personal Digital Assistant serials are not just a subset of electronic serials from an acquisitions/collection development point of view because of their total dependence on patron-owned technology. Even if viewed as a “free” resource there are issues of expense and effort involved in gathering, classifying, and providing access and awareness of what the library has. PDA serials make sense if there is an institutional mandate, a desire for the library to be “cutting edge,” or a group of people willing to champion the concept. Otherwise, a library should feel confident waiting until the technology becomes more stable, standardized, and ubiquitous.