cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Corneal edema resolution after descemetorhexis

Abstract A 79-year-old woman had left eye phacoemulsification complicated by inadvertent excision of Descemet's membrane (DM). One day postoperatively, the visual acuity was counting fingers with diffuse corneal edema. The patient was treated medically, with gradual resolution of the corneal edema over a 6-month period. The torn edge of DM could be visualized as the edema cleared, and no endothelial cell count could be obtained centrally. Approximately 1 year postoperatively, the central endothelial cell count was 2114 cells/mm 2 in the right eye and 827 cells/mm 2 in the left eye. The decreased cell count, increased polymegethism, and pleomorphism suggested that endothelial cells migrated to cover the stromal surface area in the absence of DM.
In vitro photodynamic therapy of MG-63 osteosarcoma cells mediated by aminolevulinic acid

This is an in vitro study of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in the MG-63 line of human osteosarcoma cells, as mediated by aminolevulinic acid (ALA). The primary goal of this work is to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of treating osteosarcoma through PDT. In addition, this work is aimed at determining whether the resulting cell death occurs through apoptosis or cellular necrosis. The MG-63 cells are treated with increasing concentrations of ALA from 0.1-10 mM ALA, leading to the accumulation of the photosensitizer protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) within the cells. After incubation periods of 4 and 24 hours in ALA, the cells are illuminated by 0-10 J/cm 2 of 636 nm light in order to activate the PpIX and induce oxidative damage to the cells. Light is administered by an 8x12 array of LED's, which are controlled by an Arduino Duemilanove microcontroller board in order to assure ease of use along with accurate levels of exposure. Controls for this experiment include 0 J/cm 2 of light exposure for all experimental concentrations of ALA, as well as illuminating cells that have not been incubated in ALA at all experimental levels of illumination. MG-63 cells are analyzed through fluorimetry and MTT assays in order to determine the effectiveness of ALA mediated PDT of osteosarcoma.
The NIH Public Access Policy and Federally Funded Research: An Analysis of Problem Recognition and Agenda Setting

Abstract This interpretive and descriptive study examines the development of the U.S. National Institute of Health's (NIH) public access policy which requires NIH funded research to be made publicly available through an open access depository, the PubMed Central database. Using elements of Kingdon's (2003) multiple streams framework, Stone's (2012) challenges to the theory of free market efficiency, and her rhetorical characterization of “good weak interests” vs. “bad strong interests,” this work explores the rationale behind the development of the NIH open access policy . Based upon this rationale and the current structure of the scholarly publishing system, future implications for other federally or publicly funded research are proposed.
Nonlinear dynamics of tubes carrying a pulsatile flow

The nonlinear dynamics of a cantilever tube conveying a pulsatile flow and undergoing planar motions is investigated. The mean flow is near its critical value at which the downward vertical position of the tube gets unstable by flutter and executes limit-cycle oscillations. The pulsations in the flow are assumed to be small and harmonic with frequency nearly twice that of the limit cycle. To study the nonlinear dynamics, the method of averaging is utilized and the governing partial differential equation is reduced to a dynamic system on the plane. These two first-order differential equations depend on three parameters and govern the dynamics of the amplitude of motion of the tube. The planar system is studied for its qualitative behaviour using ideas from the local bifurcation theory and a local bifurcation set in the parameter plane is constructed. Using ideas from codimension-two unfolding of singularities, this bifurcation set is further refined. The resulting partial bifurcation set and the associated...
Reinforced practice and reduction of different kinds of fears in adults and children

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not fears with different origins, course and chronicity could be reduced by a common treatment program. A number of therapeutic procedures that had been experimentally demonstrated to be individually important in prior behavior modification studies with neurotic disorders were combined into a single therapeutic program called ‘reinforced practice.’ The combined elements were: graduated and repeated practice in approaching actual phobic stimuli: reinforcement for gains in performance; feedback of measurable progress; and instructions designed to arouse expectations of gradual success. In each of four experiments involving four different fears, namely fear of heights, snakes and electric shock in adults, and fear of darkness in young children, Ss who expeienced the ‘reinforced practice’ procedure improved their performance by a significant and substantial margin as compared to untreated control Ss. These results suggest that regardless of different etiologies, regardless of whether or not the fears are ‘rational’ or ‘irrational,’ and regardless of whether or not the fears are transitory or long lasting, the same treatment procedure can be equally effective in reducing escape-avoidance behavior.
CO2 Reduction under Periodic Illumination of ZnS

The photoreduction of CO2 to formate (HCOO–) in sphalerite (ZnS) aqueous suspensions is systematically studied in the presence of Na2S hole scavenger. A series of cut-on filters at λcut-on ≥ 280, 295, 305, 320, and 400 nm are used to measure the reaction rate of formate production. The dependence of the measured reaction rates on λcut-on indicates that a wavelength of λ = 345 nm is associated with the actual bandgap of the semiconductor nanocrystallites suspended in water. The results from apparent quantum yield measurements during periodic illumination experiments suggest that (1) valence-band holes on the surface of ZnS disappear within deciseconds due to the oxidation of the scavenger while simultaneously pumping electrons to the conduction band, (2) excited electrons in the conduction band of ZnS are transferred to CO2 to produce the intermediate CO2•–, and (3) CO2•– abstracts a proton from water and undergoes further photoreduction on the surface of ZnS in an overall time scale for steps 2 + 3 of a f...
The adaptive integration method for calculating general free energy functions

We describe a new adaptive sampling method for computing free energies for a wide variety of applications. The method is both simple and accurate. Results for thermodynamic quantities are obtained with this method in the form of continuous functions.
NUMA-aware memory manager with dominant-thread-based copying GC

We propose a novel online method of identifying the preferred NUMA nodes for objects with negligible overhead during the garbage collection time as well as object allocation time. Since the number of CPUs (or NUMA nodes) is increasing recently, it is critical for the memory manager of the runtime environment of an object-oriented language to exploit the low latency of local memory for high performance. To locate the CPU of a thread that frequently accesses an object, prior research uses the runtime information about memory accesses as sampled by the hardware. However, the overhead of this approach is high for a garbage collector.Our approach uses the information about which thread can exclusively access an object, or the Dominant Thread (DoT). The dominant thread of an object is the thread that often most accesses an object so that we do not require memory access samples. Our NUMA-aware GC performs DoT based object copying, which copies each live object to the CPU where the dominant thread was last dispatched before GC. The dominant thread information is known from the thread stack and from objects that are locked or reserved by threads and is propagated in the object reference graph.We demonstrate that our approach can improve the performance of benchmark programs such as SPECpower ssj2008, SPECjbb2005, and SPECjvm2008.We prototyped a NUMAaware memory manager on a modified version of IBM Java VM and tested it on a cc-NUMA POWER6 machine with eight NUMA nodes. Our NUMA-aware GC achieved performance improvements up to 14.3% and 2.0% on average over a JVM that only used the NUMA-aware allocator. The total improvement using both the NUMA-aware allocator and GC is up to 53.1% and 10.8% on average.
Developmental constraints on the expression of behavioral and heart-rate orienting responses: I. The role of cardiosomatic coupling.

The ontogeny of behavioral and heart-rate orienting responses to a novel olfactory stimulus was examined in three experiments. The results of Experiment 1 demonstrated that behavioral responses to the olfactory stimulus were observed as early as early as Day 1, although heart-rate deceleration in response to the stimulus was not observed until Day 9. In Experiment 2, bradycardia was observed in 6-day-old pups if stimulus-elicited motor activity was reduced with haloperidol. Thus, the developmental asynchrony in the expression of behavioral and heart-rate orienting responses was due, at least in part, to cardiosomatic coupling in the very young animal. The results of Experiment 3 demonstrated that although cardiosomatic coupling interferes with the expression of the heart-rate orienting response very early in development, it has increasingly less impact over the course of the preweaning period.
Comparative mutagenesis by aminofluorene derivatives. A possible effect of DNA configuration.

Abstract The mutagenicity of N-acetoxy-N-2-acetylaminofluorene-(N-acetoxy-2AAF) for Salmonella typhimuricum TA98 is greatly reduced when compared to that of N-hydroxy-2-aminofluorene. This decrease in mutagenic response is accompanied by the formation of a deoxyguanosine-2-acetylaminofluorene adduct. The deoxyguanosine-2-aminofluorene adduct, characteristic of cells exposed to N-hydroxy-2-aminofluorene, was not detected in N-acetoxy-2AAF-treated cells. Enzymic deacetylation of N-acetoxy-2AAF results in restoration of potent mutagenicity. N-Acetoxy-2-acetylamino-7-iodofluorene is also more mutagenic than N-acetoxy-2AAF. Because the acetylated and unacetylated guanine induce greatly different configurational changes, the results may be indicative that the introduction of the syn configuration and a possible shift to the Z-conformation at the mutational hot spot of Salmonella typhimurium TA98 [(dG-dC)8] results in reduced mutagenic potency.
Robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy in patients with previous abdominal surgery: a novel laparoscopic adhesiolysis technique.

Abstract Purpose: We evaluated the feasibility and outcomes of performing a novel laparoscopic adhesiolysis technique before robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALRP) in patients with previous abdominal surgery. Patients and Methods: A total of 18 men with incision scars from previous abdominal surgeries underwent RALRP. A 12-mm trocar was placed at the lateral lower quadrant away from the incision site, and a teaching laparoscope was introduced into the peritoneal cavity. Meticulous adhesiolysis was performed through a single trocar to subsequently allow safe placement of additional robotic trocars. Age, type of previous surgery, total operative time, console time, anastomosis time, estimated blood loss, transfusion rate, complications, and conversion rate were recorded. Results: All patients had multiple abdominal surgeries. Mean operative time was 297 minutes, mean console time was 194 minutes, and mean estimated blood loss was 241 mL. No access-related complication and no conversion to...
The gas phase autophobicity of alcohols adsorbed on alumina

Abstract The adsorption isotherms for n -aliphatic alcohols (C 1 C 4 ) have been obtained on two alumina surfaces of widely different surface area. The isotherms exhibit strong monolayer binding with little tendency toward multilayer formation. However, attempts to ascribe all multilayer adsorption to pendular ring condensate were not successful, and some multilayer contribution remains at high relative pressures. The residual multilayer character is higher for the low specific surface area alumina and decreases for both surfaces in going from C 1 to C 4 . The enhanced multilayer character for the low area alumina is understandable in terms of its supposedly higher electrostatic field strength. The variation with hydrocarbon chain length is due to a gradual isolation of the surface from any multilayer adsorption in the context of previously developed autophobicity concepts presuming strongly oriented first-layer adsorption.
Interactions between pharmacologic concentrations of plasminogen activators and platelets

Abstract Because interactions between platelets and plasminogen activators are likely to influence the clinical outcome of coronary thrombolysis, we characterised changes in aggregation of platelets from canine and human whole blood exposed to pharmacologic concentrations of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) or streptokinase (SK). Aggregation of canine platelets in response to ADP or to collagen decreased markedly after exposure to 5000 ng/ml of t-PA. In contrast, canine platelets exposed to 250 U/ml of SK exhibited little change or slight enhancement of aggregation. After exposure of human platelets to 5000 ng/ml of t-PA, aggregation was decreased significantly in response to ADP and to collagen. In contrast to canine platelets, aggregation of human platelets exposed to 250 U/ml of SK was markedly decreased. The diminished aggregatory response of human platelets exposed to t-PA or SK was both time- and concentration-dependent. It appeared to be dependent on generation of active plasmin as evidenced by depletion of α2-antiplasmin and plasminogen and by preservation of normal aggregation when platelets were exposed to either plasminogen activator and aprotinin concomitantly. The disparate effects of SK on aggregation of canine and human platelets appeared to be related to the more modest activation of plasminogen by SK in canine compared with human blood. Results of surface radiolabelling and immunoblotting experiments indicated that exposure of human platelets to t-PA led to diminution of membrane associated fibrinogen. Thus, exposure of platelets to pharmacologic concentrations of plasminogen activators appears to influence platelet function by a plasmin-dependent mechanism resulting in reduction of membrane associated fibrinogen.
Recognition of recurrent gastroesophageal reflux following antireflux surgery in the neurologically disabled child: High index of suspicion and definitive evaluation☆

Multiple symptoms suggestive of gastroesophageal reflux (GER) developed in 181 of 240 children (75%) with profound neurological impairment (NI) following operative management of GER. Diagnostic testing was performed in 102 children, 56% of patients with symptoms. Recurrent GER was evident on one or more diagnostic studies in 46% of children evaluated. Significant differences (P less than .05) were found in the testing protocols of children with studies positive for GER and those individuals with negative tests. Children with study-documented recurrent GER: (1) had testing conducted at a more remote time postoperatively; (2) received a greater number of total tests; (3) were evaluated by more than one type of diagnostic test; and (4) underwent upper endoscopy and pH monitoring more frequently. No single clinical symptom was predictive of study-documented recurrent GER. These results suggest that recognition of recurrent GER after an antireflux operation in a child with profound NI requires a high index of suspicion. Definitive evaluation of children with postoperative symptoms demands repeated testing over time and the use of more than one type of diagnostic test. A contrast study should be used to evaluate the mechanical properties of the fundoplication and esophagoscopy and/or esophageal pH monitoring to assess the physiological control of GER.
Vocal morphology of the Physalaemus pustulosus species group (Leptodactylidae): morphological response to sexual selection for complex calls

Most male frogs in the genus Physalaemus produce a whine-like advertisement call. Male P. pustulosus, however, add chucks to the call. This enhances the attractiveness of the call to females, and has evolved under the influence of sexual selection despite the increased predation risk from the frog-eating bat (Trachops cirrhosus). This complex call is unusual, if not unique, among anurans because the two call components overlap in time. Here we investigate the morphological changes responsible for the production of complex calls. The Physalaemus purtulosus species group consists of four species. Physalaemus pustulosus and P. petersi are sister species, and recently it has been shown that P. petersi produces chucks. Physalaemus coloradorum and P. purtulatus are sister species and neither is known to produce chucks. Two laryngeal characters vary within the species group. Physalaemus pustulosus has a large fibrous mass (FMI), whose vibration is responsible for production of the chuck. This mass is much smaller in the other three species. In P. pustulosus and P. petersi the FMI is anchored dorsally, deep within the bronchial process, the attachment is more extensive in P. pustulosus. Neither P. pustulatus nor P. coloradorum have such a dorsal attachment associated with their FMI. This character is responsible for allowing the FMI to vibrate independently of the vocal cords, that is, for the production of the complex call. Thus the morphological changes responsible for the evolution of this unusual behavioural innovation, the complex call, are gradual, and almost trival, in nature. This study also shows that the primitive condition of the larynx of the P. pustulosus and P. petersi ancestor, was predisposed to the production of complex calls. We also document ontogenetic and sexually dimorphic patterns in larynx structure.
Second order tidally induced flow in the inlet of a coastal lagoon

Abstract Current meter data obtained in Indian River Inlet and Indian River Bay, Delaware are analyzed to compute second order low-frequency tidal flow and tidally induced mean flow in the system. Results from least-squares harmonic analysis show that nonlinearly induced M 4 currents in the inlet and bay occur at order 10 −1 of the M 2 amplitudes, indicating weak nonlinearity in the system. Tidally rectified mean flow computed from M m and M sf is ∼3 cm s −1 , which is of the same order of magnitude as the observed mean current. The estimated low-frequency tidal flow and the tidally induced mean flow agree well with scalings computed for the inlet and with results found by Munchow et al. [Munchow, A., Masse, A.K., Garvine, R.W., 1992. Astronomical and nonlinear tidal currents in a coupled estuary shelf system. Continental Shelf Research 12, 471–498] in Delaware Bay.
Synthesis and Characterization of the Rocksalt Phases (Ca,Th)(N,O) and (Sr,Th)(N,O)

Abstract Alkaline-earth rich (Ca,Th)(N,O) and (Sr,Th)(N,O) can be prepared from reactions of the binary nitrides at 1000°C. Th 2 N 2 O impurities in the starting material, Th 3 N 4 , resulted in oxygen incorporation in the final compound. The black products crystallize in the rocksalt structure type in which the cations are disordered ( a = 5.101(5) A and a = 5.241(2) A, respectively). They exhibit semiconducting behavior.
The End2 mutation in CHO cells slows the exit of transferrin receptors from the recycling compartment but bulk membrane recycling is unaffected

We have characterized a new CHO cell line (12-4) derived from a parental line, TRVb-1, that expresses the human transferrin receptor. This mutant belongs to the end2 complementation group of endocytosis mutants. Like other end2 mutants, the endosomes in 12-4 cells show a partial acidification defect. These cells internalize LDL and transferrin at 70% of the rate of parental cells and externalize transferrin at 55% of the parental rate (Johnson, L. S., J. F. Presley, J. C. Park, and T. E. McGraw. J. Cell Physiol. 1993). In this report, we have used fluorescence microscopy to determine which step in receptor trafficking is affected in the mutants. Transferrin is sorted from LDL and is delivered to a peri-centriolar recycling compartment at rates similar to parental cells. However, the rate constant for exit of transferrin from the recycling compartment in mutant cells is 0.025 min-1 vs 0.062 min-1 in the parental line. We also measured the trafficking of a bulk membrane marker, 6-[N-[7-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl]-amino]hexanoyl- sphingosylphosphorylcholine (C6-NBD-SM) that labels the exofacial side of the plasma membrane. C6-NBD-SM enters the same recycling compartment as transferrin, and it exits the recycling compartment at a rate of 0.060-0.065 min-1 in both parental and 12-4 cells. We conclude that bulk membrane flow in the recycling pathway of 12-4 cells is normal, but exit of transferrin from the recycling compartment is slowed due to retention in this compartment. Thus, in the mutant cell line the recycling compartment carries out a sorting function, retaining transferrin over bulk membrane.
Soy protein isolate and protection against cancer.

Objective: Results from epidemiological and animal studies suggest that consuming soy-containing diets reduces the incidence of certain cancers. The purpose of this presentation was to evaluate the potential of soy protein to prevent occurrence of prostate, breast and colon cancer.Methods: Meta-analyses of published epidemiologic studies associating cancer risk with soy intake were performed. The incidence of chemically-induced mammary or colon tumors was determined for rats fed AIN-93G diets made with either casein or soy protein isolate (SPI). Western and Northern blot and microarray analyses were performed on rat mammary and colon tissues to study mechanisms underlying the effects of soy.Results: Meta-analyses revealed reductions in the mean overall risk estimate for mammary (0.78, p < 0.001), colon (0.70, p < 0.001) and prostate (0.66, p < 0.001) cancer for soy consumers. The incidence of AOM-induced colon tumors and DMBA-induced mammary tumors was reduced (p < 0.05) in rats fed SPI-containing diets. ...
Are There Alternatives to Hemodialysis for the Elderly Patient With End-Stage Renal Failure?

The intensity of medical care for those aged 75 years or older has escalated beyond population growth in the past decade.1,2 This has happened despite a concurrent growth of palliative care with an emphasis on goals of care and quality of life (QoL). The technological imperative3 and access to advanced health care technology drives aggressive care irrespective of age, with a concurrent loss of focus on the health and QoL of the elderly patient.4 This phenomenon may partly account for the results of a recent national survey, which showed that a majority of primary care providers believe their patients are overtreated.5 Hemodialysis (HD) therapy in frail elderly patients is an example of this trend. In this article, we outline recent developments and outcomes of HD treatment for patients aged 75 years or older and provide arguments for an alternative approach in which patients' health care–related goals and QoL take center stage.
Defluidized zone over a horizontally immersed tube in a fluidized bed

Lorsqu'on immerge un tube horizontal dans un lit fluidise on observe, au-dessus du tube, un bouchon de particules relativement stagnantes. Influence de la vitesse de fluidisation du gaz sur la hauteur du bouchon et mise en place d'une correlation a partir des donnees experimentales. La hauteur de cette zone morte ne depend pas de la taille des particules
Technology Transfers and International Competitiveness: The Case of Electronic Calculators

International diffusion of production technologies, along with their creation, is increasingly recognized to cause dynamic changes in the pattern of international trade and investment. This paper seeks to develop a link between innovations, diffusions, and international competitiveness in electronic calculators in order to provide a greater understanding of this dynamic process. The major finding of the study is that changes in factor intensities were responsible for international migrations of electric calculator technology between the U.S. and Japan. Another significant finding is that there is indeed an association between technology transfers and international trade.
The Dependence of the Photocurrent on the Concentration of Electron Mediator (Para-Benzoquinone) in Thylakoids

The photocurrent harvested from the isolated thylakoids has been investigated as a function of concentration of electron mediator. This photocurrent measured has been verified indeed from the photosynthesis on the thylakoid membranes. The photocurrent has a linear dependence on light intensity; the photocurrent shares similar frequency dependence as that of absorption spectrum of chlorophyll; the photocurrent decreases or disappears with the application of 3-(3',4'-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea as an inhibitor. A new finding of a peak in the photocurrent as a function of the concentration CBQ of electron mediator para-benzoquinone (p-BQ) has been reported here. It is found that the photocurrent measured increases at small CBQ, and a maximum current is obtained at CBQ approximately equal to 1.8-2 mM and decreases with further increase in CBQ. A simplistic model has been proposed to explain the peak. The effect of bias voltage applied between the electrodes on photocurrent is studied as well.
Inhibition of the glutamate transporter EAAC1 expressed in Xenopus oocytes by phorbol esters.

Recent evidence indicates that second messengers and protein kinases regulate the activity and expression of glutamate transporters. The aim of the present study was to determine if direct activation of protein kinases C or A modulates the activity of the sodium-dependent glutamate transporter EAAC1. EAAC1 modulation was studied in cRNA-injected Xenopus oocytes by measuring [3H]l-glutamate uptake or glutamate-evoked uptake currents. We found that activation of PKA was ineffective, whereas treatment with the PKC agonist phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) caused a significant decrease in EAAC1 transport activity (IC50=44.7±12 nM). PMA-induced EAAC1 inhibition was PKC-mediated because the inhibition could be blocked by specific PKC inhibitors and incubation with the inactive 4α-phorbol-12,13-didecanoate (4α-PDD) did not affect EAAC1. Saturation studies of glutamate-evoked uptake currents showed that PMA-mediated inhibition was due to a decrease in Imax with no change in Km. PMA simultaneously decreased membrane capacitance (Cm) and transport-associated current and increased cytosolic accumulation of EAAC1 protein, compared to control. These results suggest that PKC activation inhibits EAAC1 by promoting its retrieval from the plasma membrane. PMA also significantly decreased glutamate uptake in a Madin–Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cell line stably transfected with EAAC1 but enhanced EAAC1-mediated glutamate uptake in the rat C6 glioma cells, consistent with previous observations. Because activation of PKC by phorbol esters leads to opposite effects on EAAC1 activity in different culture models, we conclude that the PKC-mediated regulation of EAAC1 is cell-type specific.
Applying the Model-View-Controller Paradigm to Adaptive Test

The paper states that adaptive testing has been a focus area for IC testing in the last few years. The “Model-View-Controller”(MVC) architecture has the potential to improve engineering productivity for analysis and application of Adaptive Testing.
Why Ricker wavelets are successful in processing seismic data: Towards a theoretical explanation

In many engineering applications ranging from engineering seismology to petroleum engineering and civil engineering, it is important to process seismic data. In processing seismic data, it turns out to be very efficient to describe the signal's spectrum as a linear combination of Ricker wavelet spectra. In this paper, we provide a possible theoretical explanation for this empirical efficiency. Specifically, signal propagation through several layers is discussed, and it is shown that the Ricker wavelet is the simplest non-trivial solution for the corresponding data processing problem, under the condition that the described properties of the approximation family are satisfied.
The quadratic multiple knapsack problem and three heuristic approaches to it

The quadratic multiple knapsack problem extends the quadratic knapsack problem with K knapsacks, each with its own capacity Ck. A greedy heuristic fills the knapsacks one at a time with objects whose contributions are likely to be large relative to their weights. A hill-climber and a genetic algorithm encode candidate solutions as strings over {0,1,...,K} with length equal to the number of objects. The hill-climber's neighbor operator is also the GA's mutation. In tests on 60 problem instances, the GA performed better than the greedy heuristic on the smaller instances, but it fell behind as the numbers of objects and knapsacks grew. The hill-climber always outperformed the greedy heuristic, and on the larger instances, also the GA.
Structural characterization and immunochemical detection of a fluorophore derived from 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal and lysine

Aging and the progression of certain degenerative diseases are accompanied by increases in intracellular fluorescent material, termed “lipofuscin” and ceroid, respectively. These pigments are observed within granules composed, in part, of damaged protein and lipid. Modification of various biomolecules by aldehyde products of lipid peroxidation is believed to contribute to lipofuscin and ceroid formation. However, little direct evidence currently exists because the structures responsible for the fluorescent, cross-linked nature of this material are not well characterized. In this study, we have identified a fluorescent product formed in the reaction of Nα-acetyllysine and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE), a major product of lipid peroxidation and the most reactive of these compounds under physiological conditions [Esterbauer, H., Shaur, R. J. & Zollner, H. (1991) Free Radical Biol. Med. 11, 81–128]. This fluorescent compound, characterized as a 2-hydroxy-3-imino-1,2-dihydropyrrol derivative, appears to form upon oxidative cyclization of the nonfluorescent 2:1 lysine-HNE Michael adduct-Schiff base cross-link. Polyclonal antibody was raised to the Nα-acetyllysine-HNE fluorophore and found to be highly specific to the chromophore structure of the compound. This antibody has been used to conclusively demonstrate that the lysine-HNE derivative of this fluorophore forms on protein upon exposure to HNE. The results of this study therefore provide the basis for future investigations on the contribution(s) of HNE-derived fluorophore formation to lipofuscin and ceroid accumulation.
Simple implementation of effective permittivity at dispersive metal-dielectric tilt interfaces for open-source FDTD package

Summary form only given. In recent years, metamaterial has gained tremendous attention for its extraordinary properties and applications in both microwave and optical regime. It is categorized as a material with negative permittivity or permeability. At high THz frequency (such as optical communication band), metals possess negative epsilon as metamaterials. Due to the rapid growth of nanotechnology, sub-micron metal waveguides can confine optical fields at nano-scale (much smaller than signal wavelength) that cannot be achieved by pure dielectric. This kind of waveguide is also called plasmonic waveguide that guides wave in the form of surface plasmons, which is known as electron oscillation on metal surfaces. Finite-Difference-Time-Domain (FDTD) method is widely used for the electromagnetic wave propagation in microwave and optical devices/systems for its intuitive algorithm and fast broad band simulation. However, for plasmonic devices, fields are confined around the metal-dielectric interface with regions that are much smaller than the signal wavelength; therefore in order to precisely describe the field behavior, the number of grids in the simulation has to be increased greatly. In the mean time, the stair casing error caused by the index contrast between the metal with negative real permittivity and dielectric with positive real permittivity will affect the numerical stability significantly. Under this situation, some sub-pixel smoothing techniques such as contour-path integral or effective permittivity method have to be imposed at material interfaces to obtain the numerical stability. Currently, the powerful open-source FDTD package, Meep, developed by MIT has no sub-pixel smoothing function enabled for dispersive materials that can be utilized to model metals for plasmonic related problems. This somehow prevents users to simulate structures with large index contrast. In this work, we will demonstrate the use of effective permittivity at metaldielectric tilt interface in Meep without modifying the source code itself to reduce the stair-casing error for the simulation of plasmonic devices, which will help front-end users to utilize it to deal with more complex problems.
‘Isn't It Ironic’: The films of the Coen Brothers

ABSTRACTImmediately after the tragedy of 9/11, Roger Rosenblatt, writing in Time Magazine, proclaimed that this terrible event might ‘spell the end of the age of irony’. Perhaps the real question then and now is not whether irony has come to an end, but how film-makers Joel and Ethan Coen continue to find comedy and social satire in ironic situations. Most college students in the United States, when pressed for a definition of the word irony, can only explain it through examples. This is quite understandable, as looking in The American Heritage Dictionary one finds that the word ironic is defined as ‘marked by or constituting irony’. The dictionary goes on to add to this definition of ironic by saying that it also means ‘given to the use of irony’. If anyone can define irony with crystal clarity and in a much more humourous way it is film-maker/satirists Joel and Ethan Coen. Their numerous movies are grounded in incongruities between what might be expected on the screen and what actually occurs. They use ...
Rover Wheel Charging on the Lunar Surface

The environment at the Moon is dynamic, with highly variable solar wind plasma conditions at the lunar dayside, terminator, and night side regions. Moving objects such as rover wheels will charge due to contact electrification with the surface, but the degree of charging is controlled by the local plasma environment. Using a dynamic charging model of a wheel, it is demonstrated herein that moving tires will tribocharge substantially when venturing into plasma-current starved regions such as polar craters or the lunar nightside. The surface regolith distribution and the overall effect on charge accumulation of grains cohesively sticking to the rover tire has been incorporated into the model. It is shown that dust sticking can limit the overall charge accumulated on the system. However charge dissipation times are greatly increased in shadowed regions and can present a potential hazard to astronauts and electrical systems performing extra-vehicular activities. We show that dissipation times change with wheel composition and overall system tribocharging is dependent upon wheel velocity.
Multiregime states of Arctic atmospheric circulation

[1] Ensemble simulations of Arctic circulation can develop multiple dynamical regimes. We use ensemble simulations for June–December 2007 by the Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting model to examine regime development and to understand differences in the atmospheric circulation regimes caused by sea ice. Multiple regimes are common in our ensemble simulations, although there are differences through the period. Multiple-regime states tend to be preferred slightly more in June, July, and August than October, November, and December. September has the fewest multiple-regime periods. September is also the month of sea ice minimum, suggesting that open ocean may inhibit the occurrence of multiple regimes in ensemble simulations compared to periods when substantial sea ice is present. The regime behavior occurring here suggests that as future summer ice cover wanes in the Arctic, the predictability of the atmosphere may increase.
Spontaneous Proliferation and Type 2 Cytokine Secretion by CD4 + T Cells in Patients with Metastatic Melanoma Vaccinated with Antigen-Pulsed Dendritic Cells

We observed the induction of spontaneous, i.e., without adding exogenous antigen, in vitro proliferation of PBMCs from patients with stage IV melanoma who underwent repeated vaccinations with antigen-loaded dendritic cells (DCs) derived from CD34+ hematopoietic progenitors (CD34-DCs). Proliferating cells are CD4+T cells. Their proliferation is dependent on (1) CD11c+ myeloid DCs, since their depletion from PBMCs abolishes it; and (2) IL-2, as it can be blocked by neutralizing anti-IL-2 antibodies. Spontaneous proliferation is associated to the secretion of type 2 cytokines. To analyze the frequency of spontaneous proliferation induction in the cohort of 18 vaccinated patients, an index of spontaneous proliferation was defined as a ratio of PBMCs proliferation from post- vs pre-DC vaccination blood samples. Ten out of sixteen analyzed patients showed an index > 2. The index of spontaneous proliferation correlates with antigen-specific PBMC proliferation to the vaccine antigen KLH. Furthermore, both spontaneous- and antigen-specific proliferation in PBMC cultures are dependent on blood myeloid DCs.
Navigating the advanced cancer experience of underserved Latinas.

Objective Previous cancer research does not adequately inform us about the experiences of managing a more serious, life-threatening cancer condition, especially for underserved Latinas. This study was designed to explore the ways in which Latinas navigate through and deal with advanced cancers.
An efficient algorithm for finding the k longest testable paths through each gate in a combinational circuit

Testing the K longest paths through each gate (KLPG) in a circuit detects the smallest local delay faults under process variation. In this work a novel automatic test pattern generation (ATPG) methodology to find the K longest testable paths through each gate in a combinational circuit is presented. Many techniques are used to significantly reduce the search space. The results on the ISCAS benchmark circuits show that this methodology is very efficient and able to handle circuits with an exponential number of paths, such as c6288.
Changes in cry acoustics and distress ratings while the infant is crying

Acoustics and distress ratings were examined during four minutes of naturally occurring crying from 20 healthy, 1-month-old infants. Two listeners made continuous judgements of infant distress during every 10-s segment of each cry sample. Dysphonation, number of wails, and pause duration were related to distress ratings across the 4 min of crying. Means and variances of ratings and acoustics, and the predictive value of each acoustic variable to ratings, differed in the first and second halves of the samples. Differences in the pattern of results occurred for individual infants. The results highlight the importance of studying the cry as a dynamic acoustic signal that may provide unique information about an individual infant's level of distress. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Decrements in children's responses to big and tall: A reconsideration of the potential Cognitive and Semantic causes☆

Abstract The potential causes of decrements in children's understanding of big and tall ( Maratsos, 1973 , Maratsos, 1974 , 10, 367–375) are reconsidered. On the basis of data from English-speaking children, two of these hypotheses, the Strong Cognitive Hypothesis and the Strong Semantic Hypothesis, offer equally plausible explanations for those decrements. However, data from Arabic-speaking children between 2;9 and 6;3, who do not show a similar decrement in their understanding of kabiir, support the Strong Semantic Hypothesis that decrements in English-speaking children's understanding of big and tall are due to their positing semantic features such as [+ Vertical] for one word and overgeneralizing them to related words. This, in turn, supports Carey's (M. Halle, J. Bresnan, & G. Miller (Eds.), Linguistic theory and psychological reality. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1978 . Pp. 264–293) theory that features are abstracted out for words after children are able to use those words correctly on the basis of stored haphazard examples. Further, the results support the view that children at least sometimes posit features for a word on the basis of its individual privileges of occurrence, rather than on the basis of what that word contrasts with.
Effects of native and invasive species on stream ecosystem functioning

Native consumers play a vital role in main- taining ecosystem functioning, but species invasion may alter these processes. We hypothesized that the individual effects of large-bodied native and invasive consumers on ecosystem functioning and invertebrate community assemblages differ from the interactive effects. In the San Marcos River (Texas, USA), big claw river shrimp (Mac- robrachium carcinus, Decapoda: Palemoides) is a large- bodied native freshwater shrimp species with low abun- dance, and armored catfish (Hypostomus plecostomus, Loricariidae) is an abundant, large-bodied invasive species. To examine natural distribution of these consumers, we conducted repeated field surveys of the river. Catfish had a wide range of distribution with high densities in the river, while shrimp with low densities had a patchy distribution in the open areas adjacent to openings and crevices. To investigate their individual and interactive effects, we performed a 2 9 2 factorial mesocosm stream channel experiment cross-classifying the presence and absence of catfish and shrimp for assessing their effects on ecosystem engineering and ecosystem functioning. Presence of inva- sive catfishes in mesocosms showed a significant influence on ecosystem functioning by decreasing periphyton bio- mass, altering periphyton nutrient ratios, and facilitating detrital decomposition. Catfish presence altered inverte- brate community composition in leaf packs and produced ecosystem engineering effects by altering benthic habitat. The native big claw river shrimp had little effect on eco- system functioning in mesocosms, but its presence appeared to mitigate the effects of catfish on periphyton and sediments. Our results suggest that native consumers can have the ability to mitigate the effects of invasive taxa, thus conservation of native species is critical to the pres- ervation of ecosystem functioning in stream ecosystems.
Modeling Wind Effects on Shallow Water Waves

AbstractA mechanism for the growth of waves by wind is included in a time-domain Boussinesq-type model. To facilitate direct analysis of the effect of wind on nonlinear wave–wave interactions over a flat bottom, a set of three harmonic evolution equations is derived from the time-domain model. These equations simulate the evolution of the principal components of three-wave (triad) nonlinear interactions, now including the effect of wind. A case of wave recurrence, in which energy is cycled between three harmonics, shows that a following wind can increase energy exchange to higher harmonics owing to nonlinearity, whereas an opposing wind suppresses this interaction. The time-domain model is then used to simulate wave propagation over a planar slope in the presence of wind. It is shown that wave growth is assisted by onshore winds and hindered by offshore winds. In addition, wave skewness and asymmetry, which quantify wave shape, are also similarly affected by wind direction. The results also show that the ...
Planning spatial paths for automated spray coating applications

Automated spray coating is an important component of finishing operations in many industries. Robotic manipulators are used in such units to traverse around the object to be coated. This paper describes a framework for determining a good spatial path for the manipulator, in order to achieve uniform deposition over the surface and reduce wastage of coating material outside the surface. By imposing an arc-length based conditioning, the formulated variational problem is shown to be well-posed. The variation in deposition rate, the deposition outside the surface, and the arc length are minimized in a weighted combination. The necessary conditions for a minimizing spatial path are given by a set of nonlinear differential equations that are numerically solved.
Entrainment in cumulus clouds. I: Thermodynamics and buoyancy

Conclusions drawn from thermodynamic composition diagrams are examined in terms of their applicability in real conditions. Displays show the temperature and wet-bulb temperature of samples calculated at 1000 mb. Additional lines show total mixing ratio and saturation pressure. A point giving the composition where there is a minimum of liquid water in cloud can be taken as a saturation pressure point. Such a point can be selected with a PC ‘mouse’ on the monitor display of the thermodynamic diagram, whereupon the program draws the associated constant virtual-temperature (density and buoyancy) or the constant temperature line. Buoyancy can then be used to eliminate some sources of outside air as possible components for in-cloud mixtures. Similarly, constant temperature lines associated with constant-altitude-aircraft cloud measurements provide an estimate of the composition which would remain after precipitation removed the condensed water and ice. Examination of Cooperative Convective Precipitation Experiment data show that many cloud compositions consist of cloud-base air mixed with air remaining from previous clouds. Sometimes this air is from clouds which have precipitated, even though the sampled cloud is not precipitating. Similarly, balloon soundings in clear air may show parcels containing most patches from previous clouds. Such soundings, not representing air near the cloud under study, cannot be used to give unambiguous information about the level of mixing. Studies based on balloon soundings often suggest that the entrained air originates from above the level where the cloud is sampled, but several claim otherwise. The moist air may be important in radiation studies.
Fermi surface changes in dilute alloys of magnesium in cadmium

Abstract The addition of Mg in concentrations up to 2 at.% is found to reduced the cross section of the Cd Fermi surface near the point H such that ϖ In A/ϖ(c/a) is 4.8 ± 0.2 compared with the uniaxial compression result of 4.
Genetic Evaluation of Somatic Cell Scores for United States Dairy Cattle

Increases in milk yield from genetic selection may be accompanied by correlated increases in genetic susceptibility to clinical mastitis and somatic cells. Unlike clinical mastitis, somatic cell scores can be easily determined and recorded and are related to milk loss from subclinical mastitis. Selection against high somatic cell scores should decrease incidence of clinical mastitis and provide direct economic benefits through higher milk quality premiums. Genetic evaluation for lactation means of linear somatic cell scores has been implemented by USDA and parallels that for yield traits. Because additive genetics accounts for only about 10% of differences in somatic cell scores among cows, more information is needed for the same degree of confidence in genetic estimates as for yield. Only 80% of DHIA cows currently have somatic cell records. Thus, reliabilities of somatic cell evaluations are smaller than those for yield traits. Most progress in selection for lower somatic cell scores will come through sires of cows considered as bull dams. Somatic cell evaluations may best be reported through an economic index with a small amount of emphasis on somatic cell score relative to yield traits. Greater emphasis on somatic cell scores would decrease genetic gain in yield traits, which are economically more important.