cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of total peripheral resistance on indicator-dilution curves from the central circulation of the dog.

The influence of total peripheral resistance on the dispersion of indicator particles passing through the central circulation was studied in five dogs. The standard deviation of indocyanine green indicator-dilution curves provided a measure of dispersion. The peripheral vascular resistance of the dog was altered during the experiment by the intravenous administration of sodium nitroprusside and methoxamine. We calculated the area of each curve by fitting the first portion of the curve to a random walk function and the cardiac output and the total peripheral resistance were calculated in the usual manner. The mean, standard deviation and area of each of the curves were calculated from the least squares estimate of the random walk function. The relationship of the cardiac output, mean arterial pressure, and total peripheral resistance to the mean and the standard deviation were compared in a multiple stepwise linear regression. For each dog there was a definite linear relationship between total peripheral resistance and standard deviation (p < 0.01). These results indicate that the dispersion of particles passing through the central circulation is directly related to the total peripheral resistance.
Developments in X-ray detectors

Abstract Two types of integrating X-ray detectors, imaging plates and charge-coupled devices, represent the forefront of design in position-sensitive X-ray detectors. Their high dynamic range, spatial resolution, large active area, low noise, and ability to count at high rates make them excellent detectors for X-ray crystallography, fiber diffraction and low-angle scattering data collection.
Risk of second tumors in survivors of childhood cancer

A new malignancy was diagnosed in 19 of 414 long-term survivors of cancer in childhood. All but two lesions were attributable to prior radiotherapy; eight were successfully treated. Excluding 4 patients ascertained in connection with the second malignancy, there were 15 in the series who developed a new cancer, in contrast to 0.7 cases expected (p less than 0.001). The 20-year (5-24 years after initial diagnosis) cumulative probability of a second cancer was 12% (S.E. 4%), and the radiation-related cancer rate was 1.8 cases in exposed tissues per million person-years per rad. Host susceptibility may have had an etiologic role, but an oncogenic effect of chemotherapy was not demonstrable. Another 13 study patients developed benign tumors. These findings emphasize the importance of long-term surveillance of children with cancer.
CD133 antigen expression in ovarian cancer

Much attention has been recently focused on the role of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in the initiation and progression of solid malignancies. Since CSCs are able to proliferate and self-renew extensively, thus sustaining tumor growth, the identification of CSCs through their antigenic profile might have relevant clinical implications. In this context, CD133 antigen has proved to be a marker of tumor cells with stemness features in several human malignancies. The aim of the study was to investigate the clinical role of the immunohistochemically assessed expression of CD133 in a large single Institution series of ovarian cancer patients. The study included 160 cases admitted to the Gynecologic Oncology Unit, Catholic University of Campobasso and Rome. CD133 antigen was identified by the monoclonal mouse anti-CD133-1 antibody (clone CD133 Miltenyi biotec). In the overall series CD133 positive tumor cells were observed in 50/160 (31.2%) cases. A diffuse cytoplasmic pattern was identified in 30/50 (60.0%), while an apical cytoplasmic pattern was found in 20/50 (40.0%) of CD133 positive tumors. As of September 2008, the median follow up was 37 months (range: 2–112). During the follow up period, progression and death of disease were observed in 123 (76.9%), and 88 (55.0%) cases, respectively. There was no difference in TTP between cases with negative (median TTP = 23 months) versus positive CD133 expression (median TTP = 24 months) (p value = 0.3). Similar results were obtained for OS. When considering the TTP and OS curves according to the pattern of CD133 expression, a trend to a worse prognosis for cases with diffuse cytoplasmic versus the apical cytoplasmic pattern was documented, although the statistical significance was not reached. The immunohistochemical assessment of CD133 expression seems not to provide additional prognostic information in ovarian cancer patients. The role of the different pattern of CD133 immunoreaction deserves further investigation in a larger series.
Phylogenetic and developmental study of CD4, CD8 α and β T cell co-receptor homologs in two amphibian species, Xenopus tropicalis and Xenopus laevis.

CD4 and CD8 co-receptors play critical roles in T cell development and activation by interacting both with T cell receptors and MHC molecules. Although homologs of these genes have been identified in many jawed vertebrates, there are still unresolved gaps concerning their evolution and specialization in MHC interaction and T cell function. Using experimental and computational procedures we identified CD4, CD8α and CD8β gene homologs both in Xenopus tropicalis, whose full genome has been sequenced, and its sister species X. laevis. Multiple alignments of deduced amino acid sequences reveal a poor conservation of the residues involved in binding of CD4 to MHC class II, and CD8α to class I in non-mammalian species, presumably related to the coevolutionary pressure of MHC I and II genes. Phylogenetic study suggests that Xenopodinae co-receptor genes are more closely related to their homologs in other tetrapods than those of bony fish. Furthermore, the developmental and cell-specific expression patterns of these genes in X. laevis are very similar to that of mammals. X. laevis CD4 is mainly expressed by peripheral non-CD8 T cells and detected in the thymus as early as four days post-fertilization (dpf) at the onset of thymic organogenesis. CD8β expression is specific to adult surface CD8+ T cells and thymocytes, and is first detected in the thymus at five dpf in parallel with productive TCRγ transrcipts, whereas productive TCRβ and α rearrangements are not detected before 7–9 dpf.
Neuromuscular transmission in cultures of adult human and rodent skeletal muscle after innervation in vitro by fetal rodent spinal cord.

Electrophysiologic analyses have been carried out on in vitro-coupled explants of fetal rodent spinal cord and adult skeletal muscle of human as well as rodent origin. The studies demonstrate that characteristic neuromuscular transmission can develop and be maintained in these unusual tissue combinations during long-term culture. After coupling periods of 2–7 weeks in vitro, selective stimulation of spinal cord evokes widespread coordinated contractions in the muscle tissue. Simultaneous microelectrode recordings of cord and muscle responses to local cord, or ventral root, stimuli show that muscle action potentials (and contractions) generally occur with latencies of several msec after onset of cord discharges. Similar temporal relations are often seen during spontaneous rhythmic discharges of the coupled cord and muscle tissues. Long series of repetitive discharges, at 2–5 sec intervals, may occur synchronously between these cord and muscle explants, in response to single cord (or dorsal-root ganglion) stimuli, and they may also appear spontaneously. d-Tubocurarine (1–10 μg/ml) selectively and reversibly blocks neuromuscular transmission in these cultures. Eserine accelerates recovery of normal function. Spontaneous repetitive fibrillations of many of the cultured muscle fibers are observed sporadically, and these contractions often continue unabated after block of neuromusclar transmission by d-tubocurarine. Many of the fibers which show asynchronous fibrillations are probably not innervated (as in denervated muscle in situ). In some cases, however, extracellular as well as intracellular recordings indicate that similar fibrillations may also occur in fibers which are clearly innervated. Repetitive cord and muscle discharges are greatly augmented after introduction of strychnine. Complex rhythmic oscillatory (ca. 10/sec) afterdischarges generated in strychninized cord explants lead to similarly patterned muscle discharges (and contractions), which may also occur, at, times, in normal medium.
Characteristics and outcomes of patients with multiple myeloma who develop therapy-related myelodysplastic syndrome, chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, or acute myeloid leukemia

Abstract Background Patients with multiple myeloma (MM) have had significant improvements in outcomes. An increased risk of therapy-related myeloid neoplasms (t-MNs) has also developed. Little is known about the characteristics and outcomes of these patients. Patients and Methods Patients with MM treated at our institution from 1993 to 2011 were reviewed. Forty-seven patients were diagnosed with t-MN. Our primary objective was to evaluate the interval to t-MN, response to treatment, and overall survival (OS). Results The median patient age at the MM diagnosis was 65 years. Of the 47 patients, 32 (68.0%) initially received conventional chemotherapeutic agents, 7 (14.9%), novel agents (eg, lenalidomide, thalidomide, bortezomib), and 8 (17.0%), a combination. Twenty patients (42.6%) underwent high-dose chemotherapy and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The median interval from the MM diagnosis to t-MN was 7 years (95% CI, 5.0-28.0). Of the 47 patients, 33 (70.2%) developed therapy-related myelodysplastic syndrome (t-MDS), 11 (23.4%) acute myeloid leukemia (t-AML), and 3 (6.4%) chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (t-CMML). The median age at the t-MN diagnosis was 65 years. Of the 47 patients, 26 (78.8%) with t-MDS, 9 (81.8%) with t-AML, and 1 (33.3%) with t-CMML had complex/high-risk cytogenetics. The median OS for all 47 patients after the t-MN diagnosis was 6.3 months (95% CI, 4.0-8.7). Conclusion The development of t-MN in patients with MM is associated with poor outcomes. These patients, in general, have complex cytogenetic abnormalities and short complete remission and OS times. A better understanding of the disease biology and novel therapeutic approaches are warranted.
On the origin of interplanetary dust within recorded history

The possibility of an abrupt origin of interplanetary dust as a result of a collision between asteroids or an extraordinary comet is considered. If all interplanetary dust were produced in one event within recorded history, it would have been visible from the Earth with the unaided eye. The rate, surface area, and brightness of asteroid collision remnants are derived. Ancient Chinese records are searched for extraordinary comets aand bright pointlike objects with small angular motion and concentration to the ecliptic.
Soluble Ecto-Domain Mutant of Thyrotropin (TSH) Receptor Incapable of Binding TSH Neutralizes the Action of Thyroid-Stimulating Antibodies from Graves’ Patients

A soluble form of the amino-terminal extracellular (ecto-) domain of the human TSH receptor was generated. This protein was capable of binding TSH and autoimmune antibodies found in Graves’ patients. A deletion mutant of the ectodomain lacking nine amino acids in the C-terminal region lost its ability to interact with TSH but retained binding to Graves’ IgGs. In cells expressing recombinant TSH receptors, cotreatment with the mutant protein blocked the cAMP production induced by stimulating antibodies from all Graves’ patients tested but was without effect on TSH action. The ability to dissociate the actions of TSH and Graves’ IgGs provides a tool with which to study the mechanisms underlying Graves’ disease and the possibility of neutralizing the undesirable effects of thyroid-stimulating antibodies without altering the normal responses to TSH.
The Anticipated Effects of Alcohol Scale: Development and Psychometric Evaluation of a Novel Assessment Tool for Measuring Alcohol Expectancies

Alcohol expectancy (AEs) research has enhanced our understanding of how anticipated alcohol effects confer risk for heavy drinking and alcohol-related problems. However, extant AE measures have limitations within 1 or more of the following areas: assessing a comprehensive range of effects, specifying the hypothetical number of drinks consumed, assessing AEs by limb of the blood alcohol curve (BAC), and/or not having undergone psychometric evaluation. Building upon the strengths of existing measures, we employed conceptual and statistical advances in measurement development to create the novel, psychometrically sound Anticipated Effects of Alcohol Scale (AEAS). Unique to this study, pilot data ensured that the AEAS comprised a comprehensive sampling of effects that varied in valence (positive/negative) and arousal (low/high) and were identified as plausible outcomes of drinking. The AEAS specified the number of drinks individuals imagined consuming (adjusted for sex) and the hypothetical drinking episode length (2 hr). AEs were also assessed separately by BAC limb. For validation purposes, the AEAS was included in several survey studies of young adults (ages 18-30). The validity argument for the proposed interpretation of AEAS test scores was based upon the following: (a) exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (N = 546) identified a 22-item, 4-factor internal structure, categorizing alcohol effects into quadrants (high/low arousal crossed with positive/negative valence); (b) scalar measurement invariance was established for BAC limb, sex, and binge drinking status; (c) convergence/divergence was observed with alternative AEs measures and mood; and (d) test-criterion relationships were observed with several alcohol-related outcomes. The reliability argument was based on test-retest and internal consistency coefficients.
Maximal connected topologies

If (X, ) is a set X with topology we shall say that is connected if (X, ) is a connected topological space. We shall investigate the existence of and the properties of maximal connected topologies.
Characterization of intermediates on the 1O2 + R2S potential energy surface. A high-level ab initio study

Abstract High-level ab initio correlated methods, including calculations at various Moller-Plesset, QCISD, and CCSD levels of theory, have been used to study the potential energy surface for the reaction of organic sulfides with singlet oxygen. This has led to the identification and characterization of two discrete intermediates during the oxidation of sulfides to sulfoxides. One intermediate has a persulfoxide structure ( 1 ) while the other is a structure involving a thiadioxirane ring ( 2 ). These results are in excellent agreement with experimental results. The relative importance of improving correlation treatment and basis set completeness are assessed.
Why will some individuals pay for travel information when it can be free? Analysis of a Bay Area traveler survey

Substantial government resources are invested in the provision of dynamic travel information. This information may help travelers make better decisions, which can reduce traffic congestion and pollution. A survey of 1,000 San Francisco Bay Area residents was conducted in 1998 as part of the TravInfo field test, and the stated preference questions were analyzed. Respondents were asked whether they sought travel information and, if so, whether they were willing to pay for a hypothetical advanced traveler information system (ATIS) that provided automatic notification of unexpected congestion on their usual travel routes, estimated time of delay from unexpected congestion on their usual routes, automatic alternate route planning around congestion, and estimated travel time on their usual route and on any planned alternate routes. Overall, willingness to pay for an ATIS was higher than expected from the literature. Sixty-six percent of the respondents sought travel information, and, of these information seeker...
The relationship of vallecular residue to oral involvement, reduced hyoid elevation, and epiglottic function.

The purpose of this investigation was to identify certain variables that may result in vallecular residue after swallowing. The relationship between vallecular residue and oral-stage dysphagia, red...
Indexing for efficient spatial-similarity query processing in multimedia databases

In multimedia databases, one major class of user queries requires retrieving those database images that are spatially similar to a query image. To rank order the database images with respect to the query, the existing spatial similarity algorithms compute the similarity of every database image with the query. For large multimedia databases, this task is computationally expensive and renders interactive query processing difficult. In this paper, we propose an indexing scheme which will eliminate non-relevant images to a query before the actual similarity computation. In other works, the indexing scheme serves as a filter and spatial similarity computation is done only on those images that pas through the filter. Some non-relevant images may pass through the filter ut the proposed indexing scheme guarantees that no relevant images are eliminated. The indexing scheme is robust in the sense that it recognizes translation, scaling, and rotation variant images of the query image as relevant to the query.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The electronics structures of small strained rings. An investigation of the interaction between the oxygen and the π orbitals in 3-methyleneoxetane and 3-oxetanone

Abstract The ultraviolet photoelectron spectra of 3-methyleneoxetane (I), 3-oxetanone (II) and β-propiol-octane (III) have been investigated for the purpose of studying the interaction processes between the endocyclic oxygen and the methylene or carbonyl groups of I and II, respectively. Molecular orbital calculations at the MINDO/3, MNDO, and STO-3G/431-G levels have been performed to aid analyses of the data. The interaction process occurs primarily through the pseudo-π-CH 2 orbitals for I and II. Substantial stabilizing inductive effects are noted for the lone-pair and π orbitals for these molecules.
Cultural Aspects of Caring for Navajo Indian Clients

Cultural factors significantly influence the Navajo's interactive processes as well as perceptions of health and illness. Unfortunately, very limited published information is available about the problems that may occur when health care practitioners ignore the influence of culture. The interactive processes are made even more complex when health care providers have cultural expectations that are different from those held by their patients. The article reviews some of the complex factors (i.e., family structure, health/illness beliefs, traditional remedies, and cultural practitioners) that influence the Navajo's decision to seek, accept, or reject the assistance of professional health care providers. In addition, some implications, strategies, and suggestions are included that may assist the nurse in improving the quality of care provided to the Navajo patient.
Endovenous laser ablation: mechanism of action

ObjectivesThe objective of this study is to review the basics of laser and established tissue response patterns to thermal injury, with specific reference to endovenous laser ablation (EVLA). This ...
Physical Modification of Food Starch Functionalities

Because, in general, native starches do not have properties that make them ideally suited for applications in food products, most starch is modified by dervatization to improve its functionality before use in processed food formulations, and because food processors would prefer not to have to use the modified food starch label designation required when chemically modified starches are used, there is considerable interest in providing starches with desired functionalities that have not been chemically modified. One investigated approach is property modification via physical treatments, that is, modifications of starches imparted by physical treatments that do not result in any chemical modification of the starch. Physical treatments are divided into thermal and nonthermal treatments. Thermal treatments include those that produce pregelatinized and granular cold-water-swelling starches, heat-moisture treatments, annealing, microwave heating, so-called osmotic pressure treatment, and heating of dry starch. Nonthermal treatments include ultrahigh-pressure treatments, instantaneous controlled pressure drop, use of high-pressure homogenizers, dynamic pulsed pressure, pulsed electric field, and freezing and thawing.
Effects of finite op-amp gain-bandwidth product on first generation current conveyors

This work is devoted to the analysis of the effects of op-amp gain-bandwidth product (=1/ tau , where tau is the time constant of the op-amp) on the performance of the first generation current conveyor circuit developed by J.L. Huertas (1980) and its modifications. Huertas's original realization employs two op-amps and several resistors. Two op-amp buffers can be added to the circuit to prevent loading effects. However, op-amp finite gain-bandwidth product introduces limitations in the performance of this circuit. these limitations are analyzed for the first generation current conveyor. It has been found that the two circuits presented by Huertas have identical characteristic equations. Also, two buffers can be added to the original circuit to reduce loading effects without increasing the amount of pole migration of the dominant poles. Circuits employing buffered versions of Huertas's circuit can be analyzed as if the buffers were ideal. >
Differential rapid adhesion of bovine ocular surface epithelial cells to laminin isoforms.

PURPOSE. To examine the ability of bovine corneal and conjunctival epithelial cells to adhere to different types of exogenous laminin preparations. METHODS. The ability of bovine corneal and conjunctival epithelial cells in primary culture to attach to laminin isolated from human placenta or from mouse EHS tumor was measured using a short-term colorimetric adhesion assay. Focal adhesion formation in response to interaction with laminins was determined by immunofluorescence microscopy using antibodies to vinculin and morphometric analysis. The influence of laminin on the secretion of adhesion complex proteins by bovine corneal epithelial cells in culture was analyzed using immunofluorescence microscopy. RESULTS. In short-term assays, primary bovine corneal epithelial cells demonstrate rapid and efficient adhesion to placental laminin, and significantly more cells contain focal adhesions, compared to those incubated on EHS laminin. In contrast, primary bovine conjunctival epithelial cells adhere equally wel...
Glucocorticoid receptor transcriptional activation via the BRG1 dependent recruitment of TOP2β and Ku70/86

BRG1, the central ATPase of the human SWI/SNF complex, is critical for biological functions, including nuclear receptor (NR)-regulated transcription. Analysis of BRG1 mutants demonstrated that functional motifs outside the ATPase domain are important for transcriptional activity. In the course of experiments examining protein interactions mediated through these domains, Ku70 (XRCC6) was found to associate with a BRG1 fragment encompassing the conserved helicase-SANT-associated (HSA) and BRK domains of BRG1. Subsequent transcriptional activation assays and chromatin immunoprecipitation studies showed that Ku70/86 and components of the topoisomerase IIβ (TOP2β)/poly(ADP ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) complex are necessary for NR-mediated SWI/SNF-dependent transcriptional activation from endogenous promoters. In addition to establishing Ku-BRG1 binding and TOP2β/PARP1 recruitment by nuclear receptor transactivation, we demonstrate that the transient appearance of glucocorticoid receptor (GR)/BRG1-dependent, TOP2β-mediated double-strand DNA breaks is required for efficient GR-stimulated transcription. Taken together, these results suggest that a direct interaction between Ku70/86 and BRG1 brings together SWI/SNF remodeling capabilities and TOP2β activity to enhance the transcriptional response to hormone stimulation.
Method for Evaluating the Elastic Properties of Knitted Fabrics

A device is described which was designed and built primarily for evaluating the visco-elastic behavior of knitted fabrics. This apparatus can be used in measuring the stretch and elastic recovery of knitted materials in either the lengthwise or crosswise direction or in both directions simultaneously when various loads are applied. Measurements made with this machine are presented which show the relationship between strain and elastic recovery in plain knit fabrics of cotton, nylon, rayon, and wool. Elastic re covery values as determined on the new device are considerably higher than those obtained with the incline-plane serigraph machine commonly employed in determining the breaking strength and elongation of yarns. This difference in values is due to the fact that in the method using the incline-plane machine only the recovery which occurs instantaneously is measured, whereas with the new device it is possible to determine the combined instantaneous and delayed recovery.
Directed evolution of xylose isomerase for improved xylose catabolism and fermentation in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The heterologous expression of a highly functional xylose isomerase pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae would have significant advantages for ethanol yield, since the pathway bypasses cofactor requirements found in the traditionally used oxidoreductase pathways. However, nearly all reported xylose isomerase-based pathways in S. cerevisiae suffer from poor ethanol productivity, low xylose consumption rates, and poor cell growth compared with an oxidoreductase pathway and, additionally, often require adaptive strain evolution. Here, we report on the directed evolution of the Piromyces sp. xylose isomerase (encoded by xylA) for use in yeast. After three rounds of mutagenesis and growth-based screening, we isolated a variant containing six mutations (E15D, E114G, E129D, T142S, A177T, and V433I) that exhibited a 77% increase in enzymatic activity. When expressed in a minimally engineered yeast host containing a gre3 knockout and tal1 and XKS1 overexpression, the strain expressing this mutant enzyme improved its aerobic growth rate by 61-fold and both ethanol production and xylose consumption rates by nearly 8-fold. Moreover, the mutant enzyme enabled ethanol production by these yeasts under oxygen-limited fermentation conditions, unlike the wild-type enzyme. Under microaerobic conditions, the ethanol production rates of the strain expressing the mutant xylose isomerase were considerably higher than previously reported values for yeast harboring a xylose isomerase pathway and were also comparable to those of the strains harboring an oxidoreductase pathway. Consequently, this study shows the potential to evolve a xylose isomerase pathway for more efficient xylose utilization.
Nosocomial pneumonia in pediatric trauma patients: A study using the NTDB

ETHODS: Study Design: Secondary analysis of the National rauma Data Bank (NTDB) Setting: 700 Trauma facilities nationide between 2001-2005. Subjects: Blunt trauma patients ventilated or 48 hours. Measures: Demographics, GCS, location of intuation, injury characteristics, and ISS scores. Outcomes: Developent of pneumonia, hospital length of stay (HLOS) and mortality. ata Analysis: Descriptive statistics, univariate analysis to compare atients with and without pneumonia; Multivariate Logistic Regresion to describe risk factors predictive of pneumonia.
Identifying Proper Scales on Digital Maps for In-Vehicle Navigation Systems

Current commercial mobile navigation systems often use a pre-determined scale selection schema without considering differences in spatial complexity of locations. To identify what map scales people may need and what spatial features make relevant maps stand out, we conducted an experiment on subjective map selection in a route planning task between two cities in the United States. Our results suggest that the distribution of selected maps is fairly concentrated on those maps that contain spatial information about both the origin and the destination, the current location and the destination, and the transition between different important roads in a route. These results suggest that the choice of map scales should not follow a preset scale rule for diverse locations, and instead, it should be adaptive to the complexity of local roads and decision-making processes.
Gene Expression Profile of Adipocyte Differentiation and Its Regulation by Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-γ Agonists

PPAR gamma is an adipocyte-specific nuclear hormone receptor. Agonists of PPAR gamma, such as thiazolidinediones (TZDs), promote adipocyte differentiation and have insulin-sensitizing effects in animals and diabetic patients. Affymetrix oligonucleotide arrays representing 6347 genes were employed to profile the gene expression responses of mature 3T3-L1 adipocytes and differentiating preadipocytes to a TZD PPAR gamma agonist in vitro. The expression of 579 genes was significantly up- or down-regulated by more than 1.5-fold during differentiation and/or by treatment with TZD, and these genes were organized into 32 clusters that demonstrated concerted changes in expression of genes controlling cell growth or lipid metabolism. Quantitative PCR was employed to further characterize gene expression and led to the identification of beta-catenin as a new PPAR gamma target gene. Both mRNA and protein levels for beta-catenin were down-regulated in 3T3-L1 adipocytes compared with fibroblasts and were further decreased by treatment of adipocytes with PPAR gamma agonists. Treatment of db/db mice with a PPAR gamma agonist also resulted in reduction of beta-catenin mRNA levels in adipose tissue. These results suggest that beta-catenin plays an important role in the regulation of adipogenesis. Thus, the transcriptional patterns revealed in this study further the understanding of adipogenesis process and the function of PPAR gamma activation.
Light‐scattering molecular weight of rabbit myosin A

Proper correction of angular light-scattering data for reflection effects results in agreement between determinations by light scattering and by sedimentation equilibrium of the molecular weight of rabbit myosin A prepared in the same manner. This leaves the question of molecular weight dependence on the method of sample preparation unsettled. Reflection corrections for angular light-scattering measurements by the more exact Tomimatsu–Palmer (T–P) method are compared to those by the less adequate Sheffer–Hyde (S–H) method.
Sphingolipids, Insulin Resistance, and Metabolic Disease: New Insights from in Vivo Manipulation of Sphingolipid Metabolism

Obesity and dyslipidemia are risk factors for metabolic disorders including diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Sphingolipids such as ceramide and glucosylceramides, while being a relatively minor component of the lipid milieu in most tissues, may be among the most pathogenic lipids in the onset of the sequelae associated with excess adiposity. Circulating factors associated with obesity (e.g., saturated fatty acids, inflammatory cytokines) selectively induce enzymes that promote sphingolipid synthesis, and lipidomic profiling reveals relationships between tissue sphingolipid levels and certain metabolic diseases. Moreover, studies in cultured cells and isolated tissues implicate sphingolipids in certain cellular events associated with diabetes and cardiovascular disease, including insulin resistance, pancreatic β-cell failure, cardiomyopathy, and vascular dysfunction. However, definitive evidence that sphingolipids contribute to insulin resistance, diabetes, and atherosclerosis has come only recently, as researchers have found that pharmacological inhibition or genetic ablation of enzymes controlling sphingolipid synthesis in rodents ameliorates each of these conditions. Herein we will review the role of ceramide and other sphingolipid metabolites in insulin resistance, β-cell failure, cardiomyopathy, and vascular dysfunction, focusing on these in vivo studies that identify enzymes controlling sphingolipid metabolism as therapeutic targets for combating metabolic disease.
A Field-Coherence Technique for Meteorological Field-Program Design for Air Quality Studies. Part II: Evaluation in the San Joaquin Valley

Abstract In Part I of this paper, a field-coherence technique (FCT) was developed to provide objective guidance for cost-effective siting of meteorological observations on the mesoscale for air quality applications. The FCT is evaluated here in Part II using the Fifth-Generation Pennsylvania State University–National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesoscale Model (MM5) and the rich datasets of the San Joaquin Valley Air Quality Study (SJVAQS) and the Atmospheric Utility Signatures, Prediction, and Experiments (AUSPEX), which were combined in the SJVAQS–AUSPEX Regional Modeling Adaptation Project (SARMAP). The FCT is used to define a data-starvation Observing System Experiment in which the size of the SARMAP meteorological dataset used for four-dimensional data assimilation (FDDA) in the mesoscale model is reduced optimally by about half. The meteorological conditions for the 2–7 August 1990 period are simulated using the FCT-based reduced-data distribution (partial FDDA), all available data (full FDDA), ...
Immunology of the Neuromuscular Junction

Although the vertebrate neuromuscular junction has surely been the most intensively studied synapse in the nervous system, we know remarkably little about its structure and function at a molecular level. One simple reason for this is that the junction forms only a miniscule part of the total muscle tissue, and methods have not been devised for its purification as an intact structure. Isolation of any molecular component of the synapse is thus a formidable task. The only protein that has been extensively purified from the neuromuscular junction is the acetylcholine receptor (AChR); even in this case, the small amount of protein that can be obtained limits severely the kinds of experiments that can be done.
Flows with Density Variations and Compressibility: Similarities and Differences

Similarities and differences between low speed, variable density flows and compressible flows are discussed. To aid in this comparison, flows of a binary mixture of ideal gases are considered. Under appropriate conditions significant density variations can arise in such systems, with or without compressibility. For simplicity, chemical reactions are excluded from consideration. The effects of density fluctuations and compressibility are examined in the context of the averaged transport equations with emphasis on the physical processes occuring in the flow. The roles of pressure fluctuations, differential acceleration and baroclinic vorticity are highlighted. A synopsis of the behavior of the variable density mixing layer and its compressible counterpart is given. The need for experiments and numerical simulations specifically designed to yield fundamental information about the effects of density variations and compressibility is stressed.
Characterization of instabilities in a Rotating Detonation Combustor

Abstract Rotating Detonation Combustor (RDC) operation is investigated under different air and fuel flow rates, and varied geometries to reveal four fundamentally different instabilities. Select test points are chosen to study these instabilities using qualitative and quantitative tools. First, for RDC operation at lean limits, or with subsonic air injection, or with large fuel injection orifices, the detonation wave inside the combustor undergoes aperiodic chaotic propagation around the combustor annulus characterized by incoherent pressure-time traces. The high incoherence in recorded pressure, along with the considerable variation in subsequent pressure peaks suggests numerous failure and re-initiation of the detonation wave. Second, almost all operating points at the variety of conditions tested exhibit some degree of low frequency sinusoidal oscillations characterized by periodic waxing and waning of subsequent detonation peak pressures. It occurs between 200 Hz and 500 Hz for the operating maps studied. Third, the phenomenon of mode switching in the RDC is also defined as instability since the sudden change in the number of detonation waves existing in the combustor is temporally unpredictable, and often unpredictable for a given geometry. It is found that RDC operation is more stable when there are multiple detonation waves inside the chamber. With a back-pressurizing convergent nozzle, at certain operating points, the RDC exhibits axisymmetric pulsed operation like the Pulsed Detonation Combustor (PDC). There is significant evidence to suggest that these longitudinal pulsed detonations (LPD) are manifested due to shock-reflection from the RDC exit followed by a subsequent shock-initiation of the fresh reactants. The frequency of this instability is around 3.8 kHz for the test case investigated.
Thyroid Activation of Olfactory Imprinting in Coho Salmon

From the work reviewed here (Chap. 3), we formulated the hypothesis that olfactory imprinting is facilitated by increases in levels of thyroid hormones at the time of smolt transformation (Scholz 1980). Our overall plan for testing this hypothesis was to inject TSH or ACTH into pre-smolt coho salmon while simultaneously exposing them to a synthetic chemical, either morpholine or phenethyl alcohol. Ten months later behavioral tests were performed to determine if the fish had retained a long-term olfactory memory of the odor to which they had been exposed at the time of hormone treatment. Although this experiment is simple conceptually, it proved to be difficult to perform because of the controls that were required. In performing this set of experiments we had three major objectives:
Rapid protocol for visualization of rust fungi structures using fluorochrome Uvitex 2B

Histological examination using fluorochromes is one of the standard methods for observation of microorganisms in tissues and other compartments. In the study of fungi, especially those that cannot be cultured in axenic media such as biotrophic fungi, histological examination of processes associated with the fungal growth, differentiation, infection and other cellular functions can lead to the better understanding of host-parasite interactions. Fluorescence microscopy coupled with Fluorochrome Uvitex 2B have been extensively utilized to study rust fungi structures and host-pathogen interactions. In this study, we report development of a rapid staining protocol of the rust fungus Puccinia triticina using fluorochrome Uvitex 2B. The newly developed rapid procedure was compared with a standard staining technique to observe in planta fungal infection structures development during the wheat—Puccinia triticina interaction. While significantly reducing the time for staining, the rapid protocol described here was equally efficient or better compared to standard procedure in detecting fungal infection structures using Uvitex 2B. In the rapid staining procedure, pre-heating of the stain increased efficiency to detect all the infection structures including haustoria with highly reduced background noise from plant tissue. This staining process described here is simple and quick. It can be completed in 4 h, which is of 6 times faster than the standard Uvitex 2B staining procedure.
Orgasmology / Love and money: queers, class, and cultural production / Queer youth suicide, culture and identity: unliveable lives?

It is by now a critical commonplace that sexuality is central to the production of modern subjectivity. But as Annamarie Jagose reminds us in Orgasmology, sexuality has also functioned throughout t...
Counteracting Problems of Bureaucracy in Public Welfare

The purpose of this paper is to place in perspective the common view of public welfare as an implacable and impersonal institution. Rule theories of Weber, Mer ton, and others will be reviewed as well as empirical studies that point to a current emphasis on bureaucratic dysfunctioning. Some unique characteristics of public wel fare departments will be discussed—infor mal rules by which dysfunctional and rigid rules of an agency may be counterbalanced.
2016: Creating a Culture of Safety in Oncology.

Nurses play vital roles in preventing errors and improving the quality of care for patients. However, in the breakthrough Institute of Medicine (IOM) reports, To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System (IOM, 1999) and Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century (IOM, 2001), it was estimated that about 44,000-98,000 Americans die each year as a result of medical errors. Gibson and Singh's (2003) book, Wall of Silence: The Untold Story of the Medical Mistakes That Kill and Injure Millions of Americans, shared real-life stories of medical mistakes to help raise awareness and create a sense of urgency for the issues surrounding healthcare errors. Gibson and Singh (2003) also included aspects of the human side of errors-the perceptions of the healthcare providers regarding their errors and the responses of patients who had been harmed. .
A study of tandem-airfoil interaction in different flight regimes

Tandemor dual-wing aircraft, like any aircraft configuration, respond differently under different flight conditions. In this investigation, previous work on lowspeed tandem wing cases has been expanded to include flow in the transonic range, as well as unsteady effects due to changes in angle of attack and velocity. A NavierStokes analysis adapted for external flow was used to calculate the flow field around the dual-wing geometry. A symmetrical configuration was selected, and a series of numerical experiments was performed in which the stagger (chord-wise distance between the mid-chord of each airfoil) was varied. For each stagger position, the aerodynamic response was investigated for several simulated flight conditions. The aft airfoil was shown to operate at a more shallow angle of attack for all conditions. The lift-to-drag ratio of the fore airfoil was increased by the interaction effects, and it was shown that the lift and drag give a cyclical response to unsteady loading. The predicted results indicate that at transonic speeds, the aft airfoil experiences a less severe shock. At very large or very small stagger distances, little aerodynamic benefit is seen. An optimization study may be required to find the best stagger distance.
Establishment of EPF -McAb-ELISA in Measurement of EPF activity

Objective To develop a double monoclonal antibodies sandwhich ELISA assay for the detection EPF. Methods The hybridoma cell lines that secrete monoclonal antibodies against EPF were screened. Ascitic fluid containing the monoclonal antibodies against EPF was obtained by intraperitoneal injection of the hybridoma cells. Purified monoclonal antibodies were labeled with HRP by sodium iodide method. Capture and sandwich McAbs were selected by sandwich ELISA matched with each other. A double EPF-McAb sandwich ELISA method for measurement EPF activity was then established. Results Two hybridoma cell lines that secrete monoclonal antibodies against EPF were obtained. The lowest threshold of detection was 0.01ug/ml, and the calibration curves for EPF were linear ranged between 0.01-10.0ug/mL, when two serum plasma samples from one batch were assayed repeatedly for 8 times and another 2 samples from other batch were assayed repeatedly for 6 times ,the average intra-assay and the inter-assay CV were 7.7% and 5.8% respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of this method were 90.2% and 92.8%. Conclusion This method is simple and rapid with high sensitivity and stability,which is valid for measurement of the serum EPF activity.
Minor head injury.

The evaluation and treatment of minor head injuries are reviewed, with particular emphasis on those problems of head injury commonly seen by family physicians. Clinical history, physical examination, and radiologic studies that are of value in diagnosing minor head injuries are highlighted.
Multimedia information access using multiple speaker classifiers

There have been several new systems for multimedia information access reported in recent years. The system presented here shares many of their aspects, but it differs in a significant way from them; it extends the realm of multimedia access to include speaker-based information. We have already prototyped and reported such a system elsewhere whose main features include SVAPI-based speaker recognition combined with speech recognition for joint text- and speaker-based retrieval from audio and video. A vital component of such a system is speaker identification whose performance degrades for utterances smaller than eight seconds to such an extent that such segments have to be dismissed with a catch-all, neutral label. Here, we use a Bayesian Information Criterion based speaker clustering technique to analyze the same audio data. The results of this classifier are combined with those from our SVAPI-based speaker classifier using a decision integration scheme to produce new labels for many such short speaker segments. We discuss the details of this combined analysis and its results. We additionally report on a on-the-fly speaker enrollment scheme using this BIC-based speaker clustering technique.
Agency & peacebuilding: the promise of local zones of peace

AbstractInternational peacebuilding has expanded rapidly in the two decades since the Agenda for Peace was published. Alongside this growth of peacebuilding has come the realisation that many peacebuilding projects conceived of and sponsored by the international community have failed to meet their own objectives or, more importantly, failed to have been embraced fully by those they were supposed to help: the individuals and communities attempting to rebuild their lives in post-conflict countries. Critical analysts discuss the current state of peacebuilding and model what they see as the post-liberal peacebuilding paradigm. In doing so, they point to agency as a missing element in local peacebuilding practice. This paper unpacks and theorises agency as a form of human need and proposes the use of zones of peace (ZoPs) as one method for engendering local agency while encouraging good governance, transparency and accountability in local peacebuilding projects.
Consumption of Salt Cedar and Willow Baccharis by Boer-Cross Goats☆

Both salt cedar (Tamarix ramosissima Ledeb.) and willow baccharis (Baccharis salicina Torr. & Gray) are readily invading rivers, streams, and lake basins throughout Texas. Both outcompete desirable vegetation and reduce biodiversity. The purpose of this study was to determine if goats would consume either plant and if protein supplementation would improve intake. In Trial 1, 36 recently weaned Boer-cross goats were randomly allocated to four treatments. Treatments included feeding salt cedar, willow baccharis, both, or neither plant. Goats were fed salt cedar and/or willow baccharis for 1 h daily for 14 d with intake measured daily. All goats were also fed alfalfa pellets (2% body weight [BW]) throughout the trial to meet maintenance requirements. Goats ate more (P < 0.05) salt cedar than willow baccharis and increased intake of salt cedar over the 14 d of feeding. In Trial 2, 20 recently weaned Boer-cross goats were randomly allocated to two treatments. One treatment received a protein supplement (37%) daily in addition to salt cedar. The other treatment did not receive any additional protein. Regardless of treatment, all goats received alfalfa pellets (2.5% BW) to meet maintenance requirements. Both groups increased intake of salt cedar over 10 d of feeding. Protein supplementation did not improve intake of the plant. Given a choice, goats will consume more salt cedar than willow baccharis and will readily consume the plant. Protein supplementation will not improve intake of the plant, but goats will increase intake of the plant when fed the plant at weaning.