cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Animal Models of Multiple Sclerosis

Publisher Summary The mechanism of immune-mediated inflammation in animal model for multiple sclerosis (MS) has been extensively studied in an effort to develop therapeutic modalities for tissue-specific autoimmune inflammatory diseases. This chapter discusses the first demonstration that chemokine expression was associated with acute clinical experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) disease. The question of whether central nervous system (CNS) parenchymal chemokine expression precedes encephalitogenic T-cell migration or whether expression is necessary to induce T-cell migration into the CNS was addressed by sensitive chemokine mRNA detection. Collectively, the studies examining the role of chemokines in EAE have shown that this class of inflammatory cytokines is an important inflammatory mediator involved in the regulation of CNS inflammatory autoimmune diseases. It is attractive to postulate that differential spatial and temporal chemokine production by specific cell types in the CNS, from infiltrating mononuclear cells and resident perivascular cells to parenchymal astrocytes and microglia, serves as an important regulatory mechanism in the pathogenesis of EAE and similar immune-mediated inflammatory disease. Discovering the cellular sources, expression patterns, and temporal regulation of chemokine production during CNS autoimmune demyelinating disease opens up new potential targets for therapeutic intervention
Multimeric composition of endothelial cell-derived von Willebrand factor.

The multimeric composition of human endothelial cell (EC)-derived von Willebrand factor (vWF) was studied using SDS-agarose gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. Two multimers were found in lysates prepared from confluent cultures of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. The smaller multimer had a molecular weight (mol wt) of approximately 950 Kd, while the second was larger than those seen in plasma. When electrophoresis was performed using the discontinuous buffer system of Ruggeri and Zimmerman, the small multimer consisted of a single band migrating with the slowest-moving component of the corresponding plasma triplet. The large EC-vWF multimer was detected in culture media conditioned with EC monolayers for ten minutes. It remained the only multimer in media conditioned for up to three days. Calcium ionophore A23187 increased the amount of the large vWF multimer released into the culture media, but did not change its multimeric composition. The small multimer was never detected in the EC- conditioned media. These findings suggest that (1) a large, fully polymerized multimer of vWF is released from the ECs, while the small multimer probably represents a major intermediate component in the process of multimerization, and (2) plasma vWF multimers are probably generated from the large endothelial vWF after it is released into the circulation.
Technology and Marketing Alliances, 1996-2003

In the U.S., companies entered into more than 67,000 strategic alliances in the 1996-2003 time period. We investigate the impact of the announcement of alliances by U.S. firms using the Fama-French model. We find firms engaging in technology alliances are likely to be smaller in size and have better price-to-book ratios than firms engaging in marketing alliances. Prior studies find announcement period abnormal stock returns to be positive. Our study, in contrast, finds that technology as well as marketing alliances on average have stock price reaction not significantly different from zero. We find, on average, the market considers the announcement of an alliance by a firm - irrespective of whether it is technology or marketing alliance - as a negative signal about its internal growth options. Despite these similarities for the Technological and Marketing alliances, the determinants of abnormal returns convey a different picture for the two groups during our study period. Cross-sectional findings suggest that the first movers in technology alliances are more likely to experience exploitative hold-up behavior by their partners and that the financial viability of the partners is more important than in marketing alliances. In marketing alliances, the stock market favors those in which the partners are from the same industry, while it shows no such concern in technology alliances. Finally, we find that while alliances do not involve just transfer of wealth from one partner to the other, the bigger partner exhibits better bargaining power against the smaller partner in technology alliances than in marketing alliances.
Interference cancellation for enhanced detection of frequency hopped signals

It is well known that a prewhitening filter, or interference canceller can significantly enhance the detectability of a wideband signal received in the presence of narrowband interference. For example, an adaptive prewhitening filter using the Widrow LMS algorithm has been shown to provide greatly improved performance in wideband direct-sequence (DS) spread-spectrum communications systems. Frequency-hopping is another useful spread-spectrum signaling format that is, however, very sensitive to narrowband jamming. Unlike DS signals, frequency-hopped (FH) signals are instantaneously narrowband, and thus would not seem to be good candidates for the use of prewhitening techniques for interference suppression. However, when observed over a time span encompassing multiple hops, the FH signal becomes wideband. In this paper, we show how prewhitening filters designed using linear least-squares estimation techniques can be applied to improve the detection performance of FH signals. Two specific interference suppression filters are presented, the first, with taps spaced at the hop duration T h , can reject interference with a bandwidth of up to π/T h radians/sec. The second filter uses "fractionally-spaced" taps at intervals of T h /L. This filter can reject interference with a bandwidth of up to Lπ/T h and provides improved detection performance when the FH signal is linearly combined over L hops. We present analytical results for signal-to-noise ratio improvement factors for the two types of FH interference suppression filters and discuss their implementation using the LMS algorithm.
An international study of " normal" levels of lead in blood and urine.

(1967). An International Study of “Normal” Levels of Lead in Blood and Urine. Archives of Environmental Health: An International Journal: Vol. 15, No. 1, pp. 60-63.
Short-term memory for Chinese characters and radicals.

Short-term memory for Chinese radicals and characters, varying in orthographic complexity, frequency, and—for radicals—intercharacter frequency (the number of compound characters that contain the radical), was studied using an immediate free-recall task. When radicals or characters are relatively frequent, so that their pronunciations are well known by literate Chinese, they seem to be maintained in verbal form in short-term memory. For these stimuli, intercharacter frequency and complexity have relatively small influences on memory span. Stimuli low in frequency, with pronunciations that are not apt to be known, seem to be maintained in visual form in short-term memory. Memory span is much smaller for these stimuli and is influenced by both intercharacter frequency and complexity. Furthermore, short-term memory for relatively high-frequency characters is interfered with more by a verbal than by a visual intervening task, whereas the opposite is true for low-frequency characters.
Expression of Multiple Transgenes from a Single Construct Using Viral 2A Peptides in Drosophila

Expression of multiple reporter or effector transgenes in the same cell from a single construct is increasingly necessary in various experimental paradigms. The discovery of short, virus-derived peptide sequences that mediate a ribosome-skipping event enables generation of multiple separate peptide products from one mRNA. Here we describe methods and vectors to facilitate easy production of polycistronic-like sequences utilizing these 2A peptides tailored for expression in Drosophila both in vitro and in vivo. We tested the separation efficiency of different viral 2A peptides in cultured Drosophila cells and in vivo and found that the 2A peptides from porcine teschovirus-1 (P2A) and Thosea asigna virus (T2A) worked best. To demonstrate the utility of this approach, we used the P2A peptide to co-express the red fluorescent protein tdTomato and the genetically-encoded calcium indicator GCaMP5G in larval motorneurons. This technique enabled ratiometric calcium imaging with motion correction allowing us to record synaptic activity at the neuromuscular junction in an intact larval preparation through the cuticle. The tools presented here should greatly facilitate the generation of 2A peptide-mediated expression of multiple transgenes in Drosophila.
The influence of 5-halo substituents on the thermal depyrimidination of the glycosidic bond in 2'-deoxyuridines.

Abstract Following fusion, 2′-deoxynucleosides undergo thermolytic cleavage of the glycosidic bond to yield the corresponding base, furfuryl alcohol, and water. Purine deoxynucleosides are more readily subject to thermal cleavage of the base than are pyrimidine deoxynucleosides, such as 2′-deoxyuridine. However, when the latter deoxynucleoside is substituted by halogens in the 5-position, the glycosidic bond is weakened and loss of halouracil is competitive with ease of depurination. The reduction in strength of the glycosidic bond is linearly related to the corresponding meta Hammett substituent constant.
C III density diagnostics in nonequilibrium plasmas

Mass flow through a temperature gradient can produce substantial departures of the ionization states from their equilibrium values and can change the character of line emission. The effect of such flows on extreme ultraviolet intensities in the solar atmosphere is evaluated for the beryllium-sequence ion C III, which is an easily observed and powerful diagnostic of electron density in a collisionally dominated plasma. A downflow of material in a transition region can lead to an underestimate of the electron density; outflow of material, as in a stellar or solar wind passing from chromospheric to coronal temperatures, yields a reliable density diagnostic. Ambiguities in the analysis of ultraviolet emission lines can be circumvented by measurement of several transitions.
Reducing doubt about uncertainty: Guidance for IPCC's third assessment

Itis usually necessary to apply incomplete and uncertain information to inform policy and decision making, creating the need to characterize the state of knowledge and identify when more certain information may be available. After all, some information is better than none and conversely, even perfect information is of no use if it is available only after a decision has been made. In scientific assessments for global change, the challenges are particularly acute because of scientific complexity, long time horizons, and large political and economic stakes, among other factors. Moss and Schneider prepared uncertainty guidelines for the Third Assessment Report (TAR) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that recommended a process to make expert judgments of levels of confidence and uncertainty more systematic and transparent. The guidance provided calibrated uncertainty terms to improve communication of findings to users and urged preparation of a traceable account of the authors' assessment of the evidence for each major finding. This article reviews the recommendations and their effectiveness and highlights ensuing critiques and the evolution of uncertainty guidance for subsequent assessment reports. It discusses emerging challenges in providing science for decision making in the era of increasing model resolution and complexity and burgeoning interest in information to inform adaptation and mitigation at regional and finer scales. "Uncertainty, or more generally, debate about the level of certainty required to reach a 'firm' conclusion, is a perennial issue in science. The difficulties of explaining uncertainty become increasingly salient as society seeks policy prescriptions to deal with global environmental change. How can science be most useful to society when evidence is incomplete or ambiguous, the subjective judgments of experts about the likelihood of outcomes vary, and policymakers seek guidance and justification for courses of action that could cause significant societal changes? How can scientists improve their characterization of uncertainties so that areas of slight disagreement do
Patient-specific point dose measurement for IMRT monitor unit verification

Abstract Purpose To review intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) monitor unit verification in a phantom for 751 clinical cases. Methods and materials A custom water-filled phantom was used to measure the integral dose with an ion chamber for patient-specific quality assurance. The Corvus IMRT planning system was used for all cases reviewed. The 751 clinical cases were classified into 9 treatment sites: central nervous system (27 cases), gastrointestinal (24 cases), genitourinary (447 cases), gynecologic (18 cases), head and neck (200 cases), hematology (12 cases), pediatric (3 cases), sarcoma (8 cases), and thoracic (12 cases). Between December 1998 and January 2002, 1591 measurements were made for these 751 IMRT quality assurance plans. Results The mean difference (MD) in percent between the measurements and the calculations was +0.37% (with the measurement being slightly higher). The standard deviation (SD) was 1.7%, and the range of error was from −4.5% to 9.5%. The MD and SD were +0.49% and 1.4% for MIMiC treatments delivered in 2-cm mode (261 cases) and −0.33% and 2.7% for those delivered in 1-cm mode (36 cases). Most treatments (420) were delivered using the step-and-shoot multileaf collimator with a 6-MV photon beam; the MD and SD were +0.31% and 1.8%, respectively. Among the 9 treatment sites, the prostate IMRT (in genitourinary site) was most consistent with the smallest SD (1.5%). There were 23 cases (3.1% of all cases) in which the measurement difference was greater than 3.5%; of those, 6 cases used the MIMiC in 1-cm mode, and 14 of the cases were from the head-and-neck treatment site. Conclusion IMRT monitor unit calculations from the Corvus planning system agreed within 3.5% with the point-dose ion chamber measurement in 97% of 751 cases representing 9 different treatment sites. A good consistency was observed across sites.
The role of the Chinese military in national security policymaking

This title provides an in-depth analysis which focuses on the military's ties to four subarenas - national strategic objectives, foreign policy, defense policy, defense policy, and military and civilian research, analysis and intelligence.
Clinicopathologic correlates of solitary fibrous tumors.

BACKGROUND Solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) are rare fibrous neoplasms. Since their initial description as arising from the pleura, SFTs have been reported at a wide range of anatomic sites. To the authors's knowledge, there are no large series reporting both thoracic and extrathoracic SFTs nor are there any large series that analyze clinicopathologic correlates of tumor behavior. METHODS Institutional soft tissue tumor and pathology databases were reviewed to identify patients. Pathologic material was reviewed by an experienced soft tissue pathologist and scored for the presence of a histologically malignant component. Clinical information was obtained from medical records and phone calls to patients. Statistical analysis was performed using the Student t test, Pearson chi-square test, and log-rank test. RESULTS Seventy-nine patients with SFTs treated at a single institution over an 18-year period were identified. These tumors arose in a wide range of anatomic sites. Thoracic and extrathoracic SFTs had similar clinical and pathologic features, although extrathoracic tumors were more likely to be symptomatic on diagnosis. Seventy-five patients underwent surgical excision of a SFT at our institution. Overall, SFTs had a low rate of local recurrence and metastasis after surgical treatment. Extrathoracic SFTs had an increased risk of local recurrence that was small but statistically significant. There was no difference in metastasis-free survival between thoracic and extrathoracic SFTs. Positive surgical margins and the presence of a histologically malignant component were factors predicting worse local recurrence-free survival. Positive surgical margins, tumor size greater than 10 cm, and the presence of a malignant component predicted worse metastasis-free survival. CONCLUSIONS Solitary fibrous tumors are rare tumors that occur at all anatomic sites. Most SFT patients fare well after surgical treatment. Closer surveillance is warranted for those tumors that are larger than 10 cm or with the presence of a histologically malignant component. Cancer 2002;94:1057–68. © 2002 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.10328
Search for Hα Emission from the Companion Radio Sources of Sco X-1

THE radio emission from Sco X-1 originates in a remarkable triple system of sources1,2. The three radio sources lie along a line position angle 29° with the central source coincident in position with the star which is considered to be the optical counterpart of the X-ray source. The companion sources are found 1.3 arc min to the NE and 2.0 arc min to the SW. All three radio sources have non-thermal spectra and, in addition, the central source is highly variable. The evidence that the companion sources are part of the Sco X-1 system and not chance background sources consists of the unusual colinearity of the positions and the apparent detection of a change in the position of the SW source3.
Wounding from biopsy and breast-cancer progression.

Sir—Surgical wounding associated with the extirpation of experimental primary cancers can trigger angiogenesis in previously dormant micrometastatic tumour deposits, which can result in the acceleration of relapse and death. The uniform incapacity of randomised controlled studies of screening mammography to show early surgical advantage of screened populations aged 40–49 years might relate to this biology. Data suggest such acceleration of disease occurs in 27% of premenopausal women with node-positive breast cancer—far more than in other groups. In later years, this effect is balanced by a reduction in relapses. We calculate that this effect can explain a surge of 0·11 deaths per 1000 screened women aged 40–49 at 2–3 years after the start of screening. This number is roughly equal to the significant excess 0·15 deaths per 1000 women in the intervention group that is reported 3 years after the start of screening trials. Our calculation does not fully explain the Canadian screening trial. It began in 1980 and is the largest screening trial for young women (25 000 per group) and includes adjuvant chemotherapy for all nodepositive premenopausal patients. No survival advantage in the screened group has been seen even after 10 years of follow-up. Two striking features of the trial are: the excess of deaths in the intervention group (82 vs 72) is attributed to an excess of patients diagnosed with more than three positive lymph nodes in the first year (19 vs 5 controls); and three-fold more biopsies were done in the intervention group (33/1000 in year 1) than in the control group (11/1000). The breast is rich in lymphatics, and the wounding associated with a biopsy might upregulate the secretion of growth factors and induce lymphangiogenesis (A Kaipainan, personal communication). The lack of mammographic benefit in the Canandian study can be explained by the extra 550 biopsies done in year 1 in the intervention group if 14 of these biopsies showed false-negative results and caused lymphangiogenesis and stage progression. If 27% of primary tumour extirpations could produce angiogenic stimulation of dormant micrometastatic lesions in node-positive cases, perhaps 2% of biopsies could cause lymphatic invasion and stage progression from 0–3 to more than three positive lymph nodes. This biologically and medically important effect is small enough that it would escape observation in anything other than a large screening trial. Our hypothesis is that stage progression associated with excessive biopsies in young women with abnormal mammograms offsets any long-term benefit for the screened populations.
C-->T transition mutations are not solely UVB-signature mutations, because they are also generated by UVA.

In this issue, Ikehata et al. confirm data from cell culture models by showing that the C→T transition mutation is also the most common UVA-generated mutation in vivo. This indicates that DNA photoproducts are the most important premutagenic lesions not only in UVB mutagenesis, but also in UVA mutagenesis. C→T transitions cannot therefore be considered solely UVB-signature mutations. In addition, there is no consistent evidence for a separate UVA-generated UVA signature mutation. We hypothesize that weaker anti-mutagenic cellular responses to UVA, as compared to UVB, may result in higher rates of mutation formation for UVA-induced dimers.
Simulation of main-chamber recycling in DIII-D with the UEDGE code

This paper demonstrates a computer simulation model for single-null diverted plasma configurations that include simultaneous interaction of the scrape-off layer (SOL) plasma with toroidally symmetric main-chamber limiter surfaces and divertor plate surfaces. The simulations use the UEDGE code which treats the SOL plasma and recycled neutrals as two-dimensional toroidally symmetric fluids. The spatial domain can include field lines that intersect main-chamber surfaces in the far scrape-off layer, which allows the model to include simultaneous plasma contact with both divertor and main-chamber targets. Steady-state simulation results for low density L-mode plasma discharges in DIII-D show that total core fueling increases by about 70% when the limiter gap is reduced from 6 cm to 3 cm mapped to the midplane. The additional core fueling is due to neutrals which originate from the ion particle flux incident on the upper outer divertor baffle.
Small city community policing and citizen satisfaction

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the impact of the implementation of community‐oriented policing and problem solving in a small city.Design/methodology/approach – Citizen surveys that measure perceptions and activities of the police are completed before and three years after broader implementation of community policing. Because the existing literature supports the influence of a number of individual, neighborhood, and situational characteristics, several variables are included and controlled.Findings – The results show that although the police invest a great deal of time building partnerships with and problem solving in neighborhoods, there are no significant differences over time in citizen satisfaction with police or in fear of crime. Personal contact with police mediates the influence of individual and neighborhood characteristics on citizen satisfaction. Police presence remains a common significant predictor of citizen satisfaction.Research limitations/implications – Ensuring anonymity of subjects...
Nurse Anesthetist Follow‐up of an Adolescent Female With Gunshot Trauma: A Case Study

PURPOSE. This case study was written to demonstrate the usefulness of standardized nursing diagnoses, outcomes, and interventions in nurse anesthetist care of an adolescent trauma patient. DATA SOURCES. Literature reviews using Academic Premier, Google Scholar, and CINAHL databases were done to find current, relevant articles concerning evaluation and support of female African-American adolescents living in socially vulnerable and economically exploited environments. DATA SYNTHESIS. A case is presented and evidence from current publications is analyzed to support the diagnosis, outcomes, and interventions. CONCLUSION. The investment in extra time, care, and effort sometimes required for the full development of a treatment plan for teenagers who live where they are at high risk for violence and other consequences of stressful environments is a worthwhile one, even if results may require contact over an extended time period. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS. Nurses of all specialty backgrounds need to be concerned with the progress of their patients. Sometimes nurses can best serve their patients by stepping away from the physiological event and focusing instead on responses in the domain of coping and stress tolerance as the root of difficulties.
Endoplasmic reticulum chaperones and their roles in the immunogenicity of cancer vaccines.

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a major site of passage for proteins en route to other organelles, to the cell surface, and to the extracellular space. It is also the transport route for peptides generated in the cytosol by the proteasome into the ER for loading onto major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC I) molecules for eventual antigen presentation at the cell surface. Chaperones within the ER are critical for many of these processes; however, outside the ER certain of those chaperones may play important and direct roles in immune responses. In some cases, particular ER chaperones have been utilized as vaccines against tumors or infectious disease pathogens when purified from tumor tissue or recombinantly generated and loaded with antigen. In other cases, the cell surface location of ER chaperones has implications for immune responses as well as possible tumor resistance. We have produced heat shock protein/chaperone protein-based cancer vaccines called “CRCL” (Chaperone-Rich Cell Lysate) that are conglomerates of chaperones enriched from solid tumors by an isoelectric focusing technique. These preparations have been effective against numerous murine tumors, as well as in a canine with an advanced lung carcinoma treated with autologous CRCL. We also published extensive proteomic analyses of CRCL prepared from human surgically-resected tumor samples. Of note, these preparations contained at least ten ER chaperones and a number of other residents, along with many other chaperones/heat shock proteins. Gene ontology and network analyses utilizing these proteins essentially recapitulate the antigen presentation pathways and interconnections. In conjunction with our current knowledge of cell surface/extracellular ER chaperones, these data collectively suggest that a systems-level view may provide insight into the potent immune stimulatory activities of CRCL with an emphasis on the roles of ER components in those processes.
Variation and repeatability of male agonistic hiss characteristics and their relationship to social rank in Gromphadorhina portentosa

Abstract Male Madagascar hissing cockroaches, Gromphadorhina portentosa , produce a variety of sounds or ‘hisses’ during social interactions. The agonistic signals produced during male-male competition were examined, specifically the intra- and inter-individual variation of agonistic hisses, to determine if these sounds could be reliable indicators of male rank or male size. The relationship between characteristics of the agonistic hiss and social rank were also examined. Among males, agonistic hisses ranged from sounds without clear frequency bands to those with frequency modulation. Agonistic hisses varied in dominant frequency, which was measured at the beginning, middle, and end of the hiss, duration, and hiss rate (number per min). With males, the characteristics of a hiss were repeatable within and between days. Dominant males hissed significantly more than middle-ranking or subordinate males. While dominant, middle-ranking and subordinate males differed in the rate of hissing, there were no significant differences in the duration or dominant frequency of their hisses. Finally, the relationship between male weight and features of agonistic hisses was examined. Both duration and frequency were significantly correlated with male weight. Larger males had longer, lower frequency hisses than smaller males. The possible function of agonistic hissing during male-male interactions and the role of hisses in discrimination between individuals is discussed.
Limit theorems for a sequence of nonlinear reaction-diffusion systems

Abstract A space-time jump Markov process, modeling a nonlinear chemical reaction with diffusion, is compared with the solution of a nonlinear reaction-diffusion equation. A central limit theorem and law of large numbers are shown to hold in the nicest possible state spaces.
Economics: Mangroves' hidden value

Mangroves are being lost at an alarming rate as their conversion for aquaculture and other uses is profitable. Research, however, suggests that valuing the deep reserves of carbon in mangrove sediments may be the key to their survival.
Low-cost technology for multimode radar

A flexible test bed radar architecture is described which includes an integrated RF electronics package that can support multiple radar applications, including surveillance, fire control, target acquisition, and tracking. This type of architecture can significantly reduce the cost, power, size, and weight of electronics on future weapon delivery platforms. The Army Research Laboratory (ARL) is developing technology to support multimode radar requirements. These requirements include the detection and location of moving or stationary low radar cross section targets in heavy ground clutter and the classification and/or recognition of these targets. We address these requirements with commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) products and the integration of several enabling technologies. The test bed radar includes a direct digital synthesizer (DDS) for frequency-diverse waveform generation, a flexible wideband transceiver for bandwidth extension and frequency translation, and an open architecture signal processor with embedded wideband analog-to-digital converters for real-time acquisition and processing. Efficient signal processing algorithms have been developed to demonstrate multimode radar capability. This paper discusses the various subassemblies, algorithm efficiency, and field experiment results.
Topological spatial relations based on components and dimensions of set intersections

The notion of topological spatial relations is introduced. It corresponds to the topological type of a pair of intersecting sets in a topological space. The previously introduced 4-intersection (boundary-boundary, interior-interior, boundary-interior, and interior-interior), a topological invariant of topological spatial relations, is further refined by considering the number of components and the dimension of each component in each intersection in the 4-intersection. Properties of these invariants are examined. We show how the topological spatial relations between two 2-disks in the plane can be classified using these invariants.
Power smoothing of doubly fed induction generator for wind turbine using ultracapacitors

Wind energy is an unpredictable and fluctuating energy source. A nearly random wind speed and blade rotational turbulence can produce fluctuations in the output power and consequently voltage of the system. The output power of wind turbines fluctuates due to wind speed variations. This fluctuating power makes the wind power undispatchable, causing frequency deviations when wind power penetration is significant. The fluctuating power has an impact on power balance and voltage at the point of common coupling (PCC). Energy storage devices such as batteries, ultracapacitors, magnetic storage systems and flywheels can be utilized in a hybrid system to mitigate the effects of this problem. This paper uses Ultracapacitors in doubly-fed induction generators (DFIG) to support wind energy in short-term and mitigate high frequency power fluctuations.
Enzymatic fat hydrolysis and synthesis

The hydrolysis of tallow, coconut oil and olive oil, by lipase fromCandida rugosa, was studied. The reaction approximates a firstorder kinetics model. Its rate is unaffected by temperature in the range of 26–46 C. Olive oil is more rapidly hydrolyzed compared to tallow and coconut oil. Hydrolysis is adversely affected by hydrocarbon solvents and a nonionic surfactant. Since amounts of fatty acids produced are almost directly proportional to the logarithms of reaction time and enzyme concentration, this relationship provides a simple means of determining these parameters for a desired extent of hydrolysis. All three substrates can be hydrolyzed, almost quantitatively, within 72 hr. Lipase fromAspergillus niger performs similarly. The lipase fromRhizopus arrhizus gives a slow hydrolysis rate because of its specificity for the acyl groups attached to the α-hydroxyl groups of glycerol. Esterification of glycerol with fatty acid was studied with the lipase fromC. rugosa andA. niger. All expected five glycerides are formed at an early stage of the reaction. Removal of water and use of excess fatty acid reverse the reaction towards esterification. However, esterification beyond a 70% triglyceride content is slow.
The effects of needleless connectors on catheter-related bloodstream infections

Needleless connectors, including the standard split septum and the luer-activated mechanical valve connectors, have been introduced into clinical practice to eliminate the risk of needlestick injuries by avoiding the use of needles when accessing the intravascular catheters. Negative and positive displacement mechanical valves have been associated with increased rates of catheter-related bloodstream infections as compared with split septum connectors. Based on available data, split septum connectors should be preferentially used instead of mechanical valves. Adequate disinfection by scrubbing the access port preferably with chlorhexidine is recommended to minimize the risk of catheter microbial contamination along with proper infection control practices. Large prospective randomized clinical trials are needed to evaluate further the possible causes and effects of different types of mechanical valve needleless connectors on bloodstream infections.
alpha-fetoprotein as a biologic response modifier: relevance to domain and subdomain structure.

AbstractIn the present review, the structure of β-fetoprotein (AFP) is discussed in consideration of AFP membership and position in the albuminoid supergene family in relation to other gene family members. Ontogenetic AFP gene expression is then discussed in view of AFP mRNA presence in various tissues at different times during development. The multiple molecular forms of AFP is also presented in relation to published reports of AFP binding proteins and cell surface receptors. The review proceeds on to present AFP as a potential model of a modular/cassette protein based on sequence comparison with cleaved fragments of prohormones and biological response modifiers. Such cleaved fragments could potentially serve as peptide messengers for vascular, neuroendocrine, and digestive biological activities. Following a discussion on fibrin binding and serine proteases, AFP-cytoskeletal, extracellular matrix, and cellular adhesion interactions are considered. AFP as a carrier/transport protein based on structural re...
Human immunodeficiency virus infection in children: nature of immunodeficiency, clinical spectrum and management.

The causative agent of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a retrovirus, human T lymphotropic virus type III/lymphadenopathy-associated virus, now known as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Infection of children with HIV results in a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations, ranging from asymptomatic to symptomatic, with the severest disease forms including neurologic deterioration, opportunistic infections and malignancy. This virus infects preferentially T cells bearing the CD4 receptors and also seems to exhibit preference for the central nervous system. The predominant route of infection in children is transplacental, and most affected children are infected at the time of birth. For women who give birth to infants with congenital infection with HIV, the main risk factor is intravenous drug abuse; a smaller percentage of these women acquire the infection via sexual contact and a few are infected via blood transfusions. Estimates for the incidence of transmission of the virus from an infected mother to her offspring vary from about 20 to 70%. Infection in most children and adults is documented by serologic testing, inasmuch as almost all infected people are HIV antibody-positive. Mothers of congenitally affected children are always HIV antibody-positive and also frequently have immune abnormalities. Women who give birth to infected children may, however, be asymptomatic in 50% of instances or more. Because antibodies to HIV are predominantly of the IgG class, they cross the placenta. All infants born to infected women therefore acquire passively transferred antibodies to HIV irrespective of whether or not the infants are infected with the virus itself. These passively transferred antibodies may sometimes persist for as long as 15 months. Thus in infants and children under 15 months of age in the absence of symptoms, the only definitive way to establish diagnosis is by viral isolation or viral antigen detection. Clinically the HIV-infected children can be divided into two groups, symptomatic and asymptomatic. Among the symptomatic group the main diagnostic specific features are: (1) opportunistic infection, e.g. with Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia; (2) interstitial pneumonitis with respiratory distress resulting from lymphocytic interstitial pneumonitis; (3) microcephaly and other neurologic abnormalities; (4) recurrent bacterial infections.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
A Canonical Bremmer Series Decomposition of Solutions to the Lossless Wave Equations in Layered Media

Abstract : In this paper, we prove the truth of the following decomposition of the solutions to the lossless wave equation in layered media; the complete output from a K-layer media system, which is comprised of the superposition of primaries, secondaries, tertiaries, etc., can be obtained from a single state space model of order 2K - the complete model - or from an infinite number of models, each of order 2K, the output of the first of which is just the primaries, the output of the second of which is just the secondaries, etc. This decomposition of the solution to the lossless wave equation into physically meaningful constituents (i. e., primaries, secondaries, etc) is called a canonical Bremmer Series decomposition, after Bremmer, who in 1951 established a similar decomposition. (Author)
Modified determinantal method

Abstract An improved version of the determinantal method for solving N D equations is developed. Unlike the determinantal approximation, the accuracy of this method is not limited to small coupling constants. Further, this method guarantees a real residue at the position of a pole in the partial wave amplitude whereas the determinantal approximation yields a complex residue when the pole lies on the left-hand cut in the s-plane. Both nonrelativistic and relativistic cases are considered. Numerical accuracy of the new method is examined in some typical applications.
Traditional medicine: an agenda for medical geography.

Abstract Traditional medical systems coexist and complement Western scientific or “modern” medicine throughout Africa, Asia and Latin America. At least 2.3 billion people, or 56% of the world's population, continue to rely upon traditional practitioners and healing techniques for treatment of a wide variety of physical and mental illnesses. The persistence of traditional medicine may be attributed largely to its consumer orientation and reputation for being accessible, available, acceptable, and dependable. Modern medical services reach only a fraction of the population in most Third World countries. They are likely to continue to provide only a small part of the total available health care for the foreseeable future. Recently, the World Health Organization and some individual governments, health professionals, and social scientist have drawn attention to the vast manpower resources of traditional medicine. Collaboration with or integration of traditional practitioners may be a means of expanding primary care in the modern health sector. Yet lack of information is the greatest initial barrier to assessing the feasibility of such proposals in relationship to national health goals and health planning. Although there are a number of sophisticated studies of traditional medical systems, even the most primitive geographic questions about the organization and behavioral patterns of traditional medicine have not been asked. It is proposed that medical geographers recognize traditional medicine as a major and immediate problem area for basic and applied research. The rationale for geographic study is explained and essential lines of inquiry are suggested.
When What You See Is Not What You Get: Rashbam's Commentary on Job and the Methodological Challenges of Studying Northern French Jewish Biblical Exegesis

This article explores the implications of recent debate over the attribution of a commentary on Job to the medieval exegete Samuel ben Meir that has arisen since the appearance of Sarah Japhet's edition of the text in 2000. A review of the debate provides an access point for discussion of the methodological difficulties faced by all scholars of medieval northern French Jewish biblical exegesis.
Use of a virtual information system for bibliometric analysis

Abstract This article defines and discusses bibliometrics, particularly as carried out in automated systems. The specific requirements to which the data should conform in order to support bibliometric analysis are detailed and explained. Examples of earlier bibliometric work are presented, followed by a discussion of efforts supported by the Intelligent Gateway of the University of California's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Difficulties in doing manual analysis are discussed and the article concludes with a recommendation for greater use of this type of analysis via the increasingly available automated tools.
The ultrasonic inspection of rotors from the bore using an automated ultrasonic inspection system

Comprehensive life extension services have been developed by turbine generator manufacturers, including Parsons, to assure the integrity and maximise the safe life of turbine plant. The life assessment comprises a thorough nondestructive and metallurgical examination of critical components in conjunction with a stress analysis using lower bound material properties. In addition a complete rehabilitation and retro-fitting service is also offered for the repair and upgrading of turbine plant. The ultrasonic inspection of rotors from the bore by PRIES (Parsons Rotor Inspection and Evaluation System), a fully automatic computer controlled inspection system, is one part of this service. The EPRI NDE Centre has completed an independent evaluation of test data collected by the system on bore blocks containing artificial and natural defects. Results show the detection rates to be among the highest achievable, together with a high degree of positional and sizing accuracy.
Translocation of Hydrophilic Molecules across Lipid Bilayers by Salt-Bridged Oligocholates

Macrocyclic oligocholates were found in a previous work (Cho, H.; Widanapathirana, L.; Zhao, Y. J. Am. Chem. Soc.2011, 133, 141−147) to stack on top of one another in lipid membranes to form nanopores. Pore formation was driven by a strong tendency of the water molecules in the interior of the amphiphilic macrocycles to aggregate in a nonpolar environment. In this work, cholate oligomers terminated with guanidinium and carboxylate groups were found to cause efflux of hydrophilic molecules such as glucose, maltotriose, and carboxyfluorescein (CF) from POPC/POPG liposomes. The cholate trimer outperformed other oligomers in the transport. Lipid-mixing assays and dynamic light scattering ruled out fusion as the cause of leakage. The strong dependence on chain length argues against random intermolecular aggregates as the active transporters. The efflux of glucose triggered by these compounds increased significantly when the bilayers contained 30 mol % cholesterol. Hill analysis suggested that the active transp...
Implications of blood soluble and cell surface tumor necrosis factor receptors in childhood nephrotic syndrome.

We investigated whether leukocyte cell surface TNF receptors (cTNFR) and plasma soluble TNF receptors (sTNFR) could serve as predictors of childhood steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) during the early stage of diagnosis. We recruited 39 nephrotic children for studies correlating plasma sTNFR and leukocyte cTNFR with disease activity and therapeutic response. We found that patients with idiopathic childhood nephrotic syndrome (NS) had higher pre-treatment plasma sTNFR1 (P<0.001) and sTNFR2 levels (P<0.001) than controls without NS. In contrast, cTNFR1 (P<0.001) and cTNFR2 (P=0.014) expression on granulocytes but not lymphocytes was lower in patients than controls. Patients with SRNS, similar to steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome (SSNS), had higher sTNFR1 and sTNFR2 levels pre treatment. However, patients with SRNS revealed higher expression of cTNFR1 (P<0.001) and cTNFR2 (P=0.023) than those with SSNS. After 4 weeks of steroid treatment, plasma sTNFR1 and sTNFR2 levels returned to normal in both patients with SRNS and SSNS. Post treatment, the decreased cTNFR1 and cTNFR2 expression on granulocytes in patients with SSNS returned to normal, while patients with SRNS revealed no change before and after treatment. This study suggests that a higher plasma sTNFR level associated with lower cTNFR expression reflects NS disease activity, whereas a higher initial granulocyte cTNFR expression tends to predict steroid resistance. TNFR may play a pathophysiological role in childhood NS.
Calculated Valence-Band Densities of States and Photoemission Spectra of Diamond and Zinc-Blende Semiconductors

Density-of-states calculations are presented based on band structures computed using the empirical pseudopotential method. Data from recent measurements of x-ray photoemission spectra and ultraviolet photoemission spectra are used to obtain the theoretical parameters. It was necessary to include a nonlocal pseudopotential to obtain consistency with experiment. Results for the density of states, including critical-point assignments and band structures, are given for Si, Ge, GaAs, InSb, GaP, ZnSe, and CdTe.
A two-tiered collaborative design for observational science activities in simulated environments

Elementary school science focuses on the early phases of science inquiry: observation, description, data collection, reflection, and reporting. Technologies afford opportunities to scaffold and extend the domains of inquiry, but successful adoption depends on their integration with classroom organization and practice. In elementary schools, small group and whole class activities dominate over solitary activity, and the effective use of traditional desktop computer systems has proven to be a difficult challenge for classroom teachers. Increasingly affordable large-format displays more naturally support small-group collaboration, but require careful activity design to maximize utility. We describe an activity design employing large displays that accommodates both the constraints of the classroom and the play experiences of children in support of observational science learning.