cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bacillus subtilis 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate synthase revisited: resolution of two long-standing enigmas

The mono/bifunctional and metallo/non-metallo properties of Bacillus subtilis DAHPS (3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate synthase) have been controversial for several decades. The present study investigated the DAHPSs from both the B. subtilis parent Marburg strain and the derivative strain 168 in detail and clarified the above two long-standing questions. The DAHPSs from the parent and the derivative 168 strains have identical sequence and are both bifunctional enzymes with a CM (chorismate mutase) activity and a DAHPS activity. The parent strain expresses a second independent monofunctional CM, encoded by aroH, that is highly active, while the 168 strain expresses an aroH containing a single residue mutation (A112V) that is significantly less active thus leading to previous confusion regarding the mono/bifunctionality of DAHPS. Metal analysis showed that B. subtilis DAHPS as isolated contained iron and zinc and is inactivated by dipicolinic acid; the inactive apoenzyme can be reactivated by bivalent metal ions, indicating that the enzyme is a metalloenzyme. The enzyme-bound metal is insensitive to EDTA treatment, leading to the previous conclusion that this DAHPS does not require a metal. The enzyme displays a homotetrameric structure in solution and appears to follow Michaelis-Menten kinetics with K(m)(PEP)=139+/-11.4 microM for phosphoenolpyruvate, K(m)(E4P)=1760+/-110 microM for D-erythrose 4-phosphate, kcat=4.6+/-0.1 s(-1) for DAHPS activity and K(m)(chorismate)=850+/-97 microM, kcat=0.41+/-0.01 s(-1) for CM activity. B. subtilis DAHPS is inhibited by the Shikimate pathway intermediates prephenate and chorismate.
Radiation from wire antennas attached to bodies of revolution: The junction problem

A method of moments (MM) formulation for multiple wires attached to biodes of revolution (BOR) is presented. This formulation builds on previous MM analyses for BOR's and wires. A special junction basis function is introduced to represent the physical currents in the BOR-wire attachment (junction) region. In the formulation, currents are represented by 1) mode-dependent and piecewise-continuous expansion functions on the BOR, 2) piecewise-continuous functions on the wires, and 3) a continuity-preserving basis function for the junction region. The block diagonal character of the MM/BOR matrix formulation and the computational economy of the MM analysis for wires are retained. The analysis is demonstrated for surface-attached radiators such as monopoles and loops as well as surface-attached passive elements.
Rural‐Urban Obfuscations: thinking about urban anthropology and labor migration in Thailand

The 2000 SUNTA Anthony Leeds Prize in Urban Anthropology was awarded to Mary Beth Mills for Thai Women in the Global Labor Force: Consuming Desires, Contested Selves (1999). The book traces the movement of young women from rural Thailand into urban wage employment, primarily in the capital city of Bangkok. In her analysis Mills explores migration as one of the complex structures that link rural and urban places into a single social formation as well as the ideological conditions that underlie Thai labor mobility and shape its lived experience. The study seeks to make sense of ruralurban dichotomies and to acknowledge their meaningfulness for local actors without reifying the categories themselves. Mills argues that in order to get beyond what Anthony Leeds called the obfuscations of urban-rural oppositions it is necessary to reframe our understandings of these terms to take account of their discursive meanings and powers. [Labor, rural–urban migration, Thailand]
Voting for President: Elections along the U.S.-Mexican Border

Historically, political discussions in the United States have been laced with phrases such as "the solid South," "the Bible belt," and "the industrial Northeast." The ongoing use of these and similar phrases implies a widespread recognition that there are regional patterns of political behavior. To date, studies examining regional effects on voting behavior have been confined to state level data and broad regional definitions such as "the South," which hide intrastate variation and obscure regional effects that cross state boundaries. Regional differentials in voting behavior are also apparent in other nations, including Mexico. This paper focuses on U.S. presidential voting behavior in the region surrounding the border with Mexico. Its purpose is to determine whether there is a border effect on voting that goes beyond any economic or social peculiarities of the border region. Three basic questions are asked: (1) Is there a statistically significant difference between border and nonborder voting behavior, after controlling for differences in demographic, social, and economic variables? (2) If there is such a border influence, does it extend beyond the immediate border region? (3) Are differences in border voting behavior consistent across elections? Hypotheses based on these questions are tested using economic, social, and presidential voting data from 1992 and 1996. The units of observation include the 360 counties of the four border states of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. The paper provides an overview of border voting patterns, which is followed by a review of the literature on statistical and econometric models of presidential voting patterns. This literature review provides the basis for the third section in which a model is specified to allow statistical tests of various hypotheses regarding presidential voting patterns. Finally, the results are presented and conclusions drawn.
Properties of strongly paired fermionic condensates

We study a gas of fermions undergoing a wide resonance $s$-wave BCS--Bose-Einstein-condensate (BEC) crossover, in the BEC regime at zero temperature. We calculate the chemical potential and the speed of sound of this Bose-Einstein-condensed gas, as well as the condensate depletion, in the low-density approximation. We discuss how higher-order terms in the low-density expansion can be constructed. We demonstrate that the standard BCS-BEC gap equation is invalid in the BEC regime and is inconsistent with the results obtained here. The low-density approximation we employ breaks down in the intermediate BCS-BEC crossover region. Hence our theory is unable to predict how the chemical potential and the speed of sound evolve once the interactions are tuned towards the BCS regime. As a part of our theory, we derive the well-known result for the bosonic scattering length diagrammatically and check that there are no bound states of two bosons.
Prostate Specific Antigen Bounce Phenomenon After External Beam Radiation for Clinically Localized Prostate Cancer.

ABSTRACTPurpose: We characterize the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) bounce in patients who underwent external beam radiation therapy for prostate cancer and correlate the PSA bounce with the development of biochemical disease progression.Materials and Methods: In this study 964 patients received full dose radiation therapy alone. Followup PSA values were obtained 3 months after completion of radiotherapy and every 3 to 6 months thereafter. Median followup of the entire study group was 48 months. All time intervals were calculated from the completion date of radiation therapy. PSA bounce was defined as an initial increase in serum PSA of at least 0.5 ng./ml., followed by a decrease to pre-bounce baseline serum PSA values no more than 60 months after external beam radiation therapy.Results: Of the 964 patients 119 (12%) had a PSA bounce. PSA bounce was unrelated to age, race, pretreatment PSA, Gleason score, clinical T stage or radiation dose. Mean time to PSA bounce was 9 months from the time of therapy. ...
Interaction of Bradyrhizobium sp. with an antagonistic actinomycete in culture medium and in soil

Experiments were conducted to determine the extent to which populations of Bradyrhizobium sp. strain Tal 209SR were suppressed by the antagonistic activity of a Streptomyces sp. isolated from a highly weathered tropical soil. The activity of the actinomycete was evaluated in culture medium in the presence or absence of clay minerals and in the soil from which the actinomycete was isolated after sterilization by gamma-irradiation. The presence of the actinomycete in culture medium was associated with a significant reduction in the density of Bradyrhizobium sp. (Tal 209SR). Nevertheless, the density of the Bradyrhizobium sp. surviving in the medium in the presence of the actinomycete was much higher than that normally observed when comparable densities of rhizobia are introduced into non-sterile soils. The presence of the antagonistic actinomycete in culture medium was associated with a drastic decrease in the optical density of the medium. This decrease was accompanied by a significant decrease in the insoluble exopolysaccharide content of the medium in addition to the significant decrease in bradyrhizobial cells. The actinomycete did not appear to significantly influence the growth and survival of the test Bradyrhizobium sp. in sterile soil. The inability of the actinomycete to significantly antagonize the test bacterium in sterile soil was not adequately explained by the presence of clay minerals.
The Exposure of Drugs to the Effects of Nuclear Explosions

Certain drugs were subjected to high levels of ionizing radiation and shock and the effect of nuclear explosions on their potency and toxicity was determined. Induced radioactivity found in some of the drugs was traced to the presence of mineral excipients such as calcium phosphate. All chlorine-containing drugs became radioactive by transmutation of some of the chlorine to sulfur 35. It appears that only a slight radiological health hazard may be involved in the use of exposed drugs under disaster conditions. Despite this, however, special precautions should be taken in the use of drugs exposed to radioactivity if they contain chlorides or phosphates.
A unified methodological framework for the simulation of nonisothermal ensembles.

A general framework is developed for the simulation of nonisothermal statistical-mechanical ensembles. This framework is intended to synthesize the formulation of advanced Monte Carlo simulation methods such as multihistogram reweighting, replica-exchange methods, and expanded ensemble techniques so that they can be applied to different nonisothermal ensembles. Using Lennard-Jones systems as test cases, novel implementations of these methods are demonstrated with different ensembles including the microcanonical, isobaric-isoenthalpic, and isobaric-semigrand ensembles. In particular, it is shown that the use of multiensemble methods allows the efficient simulation of microcanonical density of states, entropies, vapor-liquid and solid–liquid equilibrium for pure component systems, and fluid-phase coexistence for binary mixtures. In these applications, comparisons are also presented that highlight the advantages of the proposed multiensemble implementations over alternative methods used before.
A numerical investigation of hydrogen combustion in Mach 2 flow

A numerical study is conducted of a reacting flowfield generated by a single hydrogen jet injected transversely behind a rearward facing step. A nonreacting mixing study was followed by a reacting simulation. The computation simulates a current experimental condition. The validation of the numerical solution was limited to a comparison of the wall-pressure distribution along the wall. The comparison indicates agreement between the experiment and the prediction with a maximum error of 7 percent. The addition of the reaction responsible for HO2 production (H + O2 + M = HO2 + M) to an initially simplified chemical mechanism reduced the exponential growth of the free radicals and reduced the amount of heat released by combustion; as a result, the flowfield was significantly changed. A reversed flow was obtained in limited regions of the flow.
Comparison of predicted engine core noise with current and proposed aircraft noise certification requirements

Predicted engine core noise levels for subsonic CTOL aircraft engines are compared with measured total aircraft noise levels and to current and proposed federal noise certification requirements. Comparisons are made at FAR-36 measuring stations and take into consideration both full and cutback power operations at takeoff. The spectral shape used for the prediction of core noise is identified as the spectral envelope, with a peak at 400 Hz which is assumed to be shifted in flight by a Doppler shift in frequency. Preceived noise levels are computed for appropriate engine power settings at desired flight conditions, and reductions in sideline noise levels are made to account for jet and airframe shielding effects. Results indicate that core noise can provide a barrier to the proposed EPA stage 4 and 5 federal noise rules for wide-body aircraft, with the most severe core noise problem occurring at takeoff and sideline measuring stations.
Data access and research transparency in the qualitative tradition

As an abstract idea, openness is difficult to oppose. Social scientists from every research tradition agree that scholars cannot just assert their conclusions, but must also share their evidentiary basis and explain how they were reached. Yet practice has not always followed this principle. Most forms of qualitative empirical inquiry have taken a minimalist approach to openness, providing only limited information about the research process, and little or no access to the data underpinning findings. What scholars do when conducting research, how they generate data, and how they make interpretations or draw inferences on the basis of those data, are rarely addressed at length in their published research. Even in book-length monographs which have an extended preface and footnotes, it can sometimes take considerable detective work to piece together a picture of how authors arrived at their conclusions.
Considerations on the use of propranolol in complicated migraine.

SYNOPSIS An analogy is drawn between ergotamines and propranolol treatment of complicated migraine. A case report and supportive clinical and experimental data are presented to caution against the indiscriminate use of beta blocking agents in these patients.
Stress-induced sensitization of cortical adrenergic receptors following a history of cannabinoid exposure.

Abstract The cannabinoid receptor agonist, WIN 55,212-2, increases extracellular norepinephrine levels in the rat frontal cortex under basal conditions, likely via desensitization of inhibitory α2-adrenergic receptors located on norepinephrine terminals. Here, the effect of WIN 55,212-2 on stress-induced norepinephrine release was assessed in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), in adult male Sprague–Dawley rats using in vivo microdialysis. Systemic administration of WIN 55,212-2 30 min prior to stressor exposure prevented stress-induced cortical norepinephrine release induced by a single exposure to swim when compared to vehicle. To further probe cortical cannabinoid–adrenergic interactions, postsynaptic α2-adrenergic receptor (AR)-mediated responses were assessed in mPFC pyramidal neurons using electrophysiological analysis in an in vitro cortical slice preparation. We confirm prior studies showing that clonidine increases cortical pyramidal cell excitability and that this was unaffected by exposure to acute stress. WIN 55,212-2, via bath application, blocked postsynaptic α2-AR mediated responses in cortical neurons irrespective of exposure to stress. Interestingly, stress exposure prevented the desensitization of α2-AR mediated responses produced by a history of cannabinoid exposure. Together, these data indicate the stress-dependent nature of cannabinoid interactions via both pre- and postsynaptic ARs. In summary, microdialysis data indicate that cannabinoids restrain stress-induced cortical NE efflux. Electrophysiology data indicate that cannabinoids also restrain cortical cell excitability under basal conditions; however, stress interferes with these CB1–α2 AR interactions, potentially contributing to over-activation of pyramidal neurons in mPFC. Overall, cannabinoids are protective of the NE system and cortical excitability but stress can derail this protective effect, potentially contributing to stress-related psychopathology. These data add to the growing evidence of complex, stress-dependent modulation of monoaminergic systems by cannabinoids and support the potential use of cannabinoids in the treatment of stress-induced noradrenergic dysfunction.
A short‐lived mRNA linked to blindness

Age-related macular degeneration is associated with an unstable ARMS2 (LOC387715) mRNA Fritsche et al. (2008) Nature Genetics 40 (7): 892–896
Linear and nonlinear runoff from large drainage basins

Abstract A second-order standardized peak discharge distribution (SSPDD) procedure presented in a previous paper is applied to large drainage basins with areas ranging from 450 to 8910 mi. 2 (1166 to 23,077 km 2 ). Several snowmelt hydrographs appear to fit the presented distribution equally as well as rainfall hydrographs. Those hydrographs used in this study had runoff volumes as small as 0.001 in. (0.003 cm) uniformly distributed over the drainage basin. Like small drainage basins, large drainage basins also exhibit linear and nonlinear runoff characteristics.
An unearthly air

Weather and Climate on Planets. By K. Y. Kondratyev and G.E. Hunt. Pp.755. ISBN 0-08-026493-X. (Pergamon: 1982.) $95, £50.
Phenocryst complexity in andesites and dacites from the Tequila volcanic field, Mexico: resolving the effects of degassing vs. magma mixing

The petrology of five phenocryst-poor (2–5%) andesites and dacites, all of which were erupted from different short-lived, monogenetic vents, is compared to that of phenocryst-rich (10–25%) andesites erupted from the adjacent stratovolcano, Volcan Tequila, in the Mexican arc. Despite differences in phenocryst abundances, these magmas have comparable phase assemblages (plagioclase + orthopyroxene + titanomagnetite + ilmenite + apatite ± augite ± hornblende), and similarly wide variations in phenocryst compositions, coupled to complex zoning patterns. For the phenocryst-poor lavas, equilibrium pairs of two Fe–Ti oxides lead to a narrow range of calculated temperatures for each sample that range from 934 (±24) to 1,073 (±6)°C and oxygen fugacities that range from +0.1 to +0.7 log units relative to the Ni–NiO buffer. Application of the plagioclase-liquid hygrometer to each sample at these calculated temperatures leads to maximum melt water concentrations of 4.6–3.1 wt% during plagioclase crystallization, indicating that the magmas were fluid saturated at depths ≥6.4–4.5 km. There is a wide, continuous range in the composition of plagioclase (≤44 mol% An) and orthopyroxene (≤16% Mg#) phenocrysts in each sample, which is consistent with a loss of dissolved water (≤2.8 wt%) from the melt phase during degassing as the magmas ascended rapidly to the surface. Evidence is presented that shows the effect of dissolved water is to reduce the activity of MgO relative to FeO in the melt phase, which indicates that degassing will also affect the Mg# of pyroxene phenocrysts, with higher melt water concentrations favoring Fe-rich pyroxene. Both plagioclase and orthopyroxene commonly display diffusion-limited growth textures (e.g., skeletal and hopper crystals, large interior melt hollows, and swallow tails), which are consistent with large undercoolings produced by degassing-induced crystallization. Therefore, degassing is proposed as a possible cause for the phenocryst compositional diversity documented in the phenocryst-poor andesite and dacite lavas erupted from peripheral vents, including the coexistence of normally zoned plagioclase and reversely zoned orthopyroxene. Degassing-induced crystallization may also explain some of the phenocryst complexity in crystal-rich andesites erupted from large stratovolcanoes, including Volcan Tequila.
Modeling of thermo-mechanical and irradiation behavior of mixed oxide fuel for sodium fast reactors

Abstract An engineering code to model the irradiation behavior of UO 2 – PuO 2 mixed oxide fuel pins in sodium-cooled fast reactors was developed. The code was named fuel engineering and structural analysis tool (FEAST-OXIDE). FEAST-OXIDE has several modules working in coupled form with an explicit numerical algorithm. These modules describe: (1) fission gas release and swelling, (2) fuel chemistry and restructuring, (3) temperature distribution, (4) fuel–clad chemical interaction and (5) fuel–clad mechanical analysis. Given the fuel pin geometry, composition and irradiation history, FEAST-OXIDE can analyze fuel and cladding thermo-mechanical behavior at both steady-state and design-basis transient scenarios. The code was written in FORTRAN-90 program language. The mechanical analysis module implements the LIFE algorithm. Fission gas release and swelling behavior is described by the OGRES and NEFIG models. However, the original OGRES model has been extended to include the effects of joint oxide gain (JOG) formation on fission gas release and swelling. A detailed fuel chemistry model has been included to describe the cesium radial migration and JOG formation, oxygen and plutonium radial distribution and the axial migration of cesium. The fuel restructuring model includes the effects of as-fabricated porosity migration, irradiation-induced fuel densification, grain growth, hot pressing and fuel cracking and relocation. Finally, a kinetics model is included to predict the clad wastage formation. FEAST-OXIDE predictions have been compared to the available FFTF, EBR-II and JOYO databases, as well as the LIFE-4 code predictions. The agreement was found to be satisfactory for steady-state and slow-ramp over-power accidents.
An expanded Fermi solution for microbial risk assessment.

‘Fermi solution’ refers to an estimate of a quantity of interest derived from a sequence of guesses about factors of which detailed knowledge is unavailable. When one makes such guesses, it is unlikely that the large majority of them will be either too high or too low. Most probably, some of the overestimates will be offset by some of the underestimates, and the final result will be often close to the correct value. The method has been popularized as recreational physics but it has also been applied in risk assessment, where the factors involved, but not their exact magnitudes, are known. The concept has potential application in certain types of food poisoning risk assessments, and in estimating the number victims of a bioterrorist attack on the food or water supply, where some guessing is inevitable because of the absence of accurate relevant data. We consider a version of the method in which ranges instead of single values are entered as the factors' estimates. For simplicity, the risk to be assessed is taken to be the product of the factors, and their true values are regarded as being uniformly distributed over their respective ranges. The risk itself is therefore construed as a random variable with a probability distribution whose parameters are explicitly determined by the individual factors' ranges and which can often be approximated by a lognormal distribution. The mode of this lognormal distribution is taken to be the “best guess” of the risk, and a credible interval is constructed with a specified level of “confidence”. The best guess and credible interval are shown to be robust against small perturbations of the ranges. Thus, even if the ranges are misspecified to some degree, assessments based on the best guess or credible interval will not be substantially altered. This can help to achieve consensus among assessors in situations where very little hard knowledge exists. The calculation procedure has been automated in software that has been made freely available over the Internet. The concept is demonstrated with two hypothetical problems: predicting the number of persons who would come down with acute food poisoning after consuming a contaminated dish, and estimating the number of daily salmonellosis cases in a large metropolitan area.
Models for cell loading and product sequencing in labor-intensive cells

This paper focuses on cell loading issues and product sequencing in labor-intensive cells. In labor-intensive cells, there are usually more operators than number of operations and cells usually consists of simple and light-weight machines and equipment. A three-phase methodology is proposed to deal with this problem. The objectives considered are minimizing makespan, total machine requirements, and intra-cell manpower transfers. In the first phase, optimal manpower allocation to operations is determined for each product. Then, similarity among products is established based on the similarity of operator/machine levels. The second phase involves cell loading to minimize makespan and machine requirements. Two mathematical models are developed to accomplish these tasks. One mathematical model (model A) does not allow product splitting whereas model B allows product splitting. Finally, third phase treats the product sequencing problems as traveling salesman problem (TSP) where the objective is to minimize intra-cell manpower transfers. Experimentation is performed and the results are compared with those of a heuristic procedure developed earlier. The results show that model A or model B can be chosen over the heuristic procedure.
Permalloy Patterning Effects on RF Inductors

Permalloy incorporated RF spiral inductors are fabricated on standard Si-substrates with a CMOS compatible process. Various patterns of permalloy thin-film stripe are designed to investigate their influences on the inductor performance with respect to different magnetization orientations, ferromagnetic resonance (FMR), induced eddy current, parasitic capacitance and substrate loss. The BH loop for the array of rectangular permalloy stripes with an aspect ratio of 30 shows good soft magnetic properties, such as a magnetic saturation 4piMs of 25 kG, a dc coercivity of 5 Oe, and an anisotropy field of 8 Oe. Permalloy thin films is proved to have effect on reducing the substrate loss, and the magnetic shielding efficiency depends on the total volume of the permalloy in the patterns.
Role of collagen hydrolysate in bone and joint disease.

Objectives: To review the current status of collagen hydrolysate in the treatment of osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. Methods: Review of past and current literature relative to collagen hydrolysate metabolism, and assessment of clinical investigations of therapeutic trials in osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. Results: Hydrolyzed gelatin products have long been used in pharmaceuticals and foods; these products are generally recognized as safe food products by regulatory agencies. Pharmaceutical-grade collagen hydrolysate (PCH) is obtained by hydrolysis of pharmaceutical gelatin. Clinical studies suggest that the ingestion of 10 g PCH daily reduces pain in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee or hip; blood concentration of hydroxyproline is increased. Clinical use is associated with minimal adverse effects, mainly gastrointestinal, characterized by fullness or unpleasant taste. In a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial performed in clinics in the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany, results showed no statistically significant differences for the total study group (all sites) for differences of mean pain score for pain. There was, however, a significant treatment advantage of PCH over placebo in German sites. In addition, increased efficacy for PCH as compared to placebo was observed in the overall study population amongst patients with more severe symptomatology at study onset. Preferential accumulation of 14C-labeled gelatin hydrolysate in cartilage as compared with administration of 14C-labeled proline has been reported. This preferential uptake by cartilage suggests that PCH may have a salutary effect on cartilage metabolism. Given the important role for collagen in bone structure, the effect of PCH on bone metabolism in osteoporotic persons has been evaluated. Studies of the effects of calcitonin with and without a collagen hydrolysate-rich diet suggested that calcitonin plus PCH had a greater effect in inhibiting bone collagen breakdown than calcitonin alone, as characterized by a fall in levels of urinary pyridinoline cross-links. PCH appeared to have an additive effect relative to use of calcitonin alone. Conclusions: Collagen hydrolysate is of interest as a therapeutic agent of potential utility in the treatment of osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. Its high level of safety makes it attractive as an agent for long-term use in these chronic disorders. Semin Arthritis Rheum 30:87-99. Copyright © 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company
Perfusion decellularization of whole organs

The native extracellular matrix (ECM) outlines the architecture of organs and tissues. It provides a unique niche of composition and form, which serves as a foundational scaffold that supports organ-specific cell types and enables normal organ function. Here we describe a standard process for pressure-controlled perfusion decellularization of whole organs for generating acellular 3D scaffolds with preserved ECM protein content, architecture and perfusable vascular conduits. By applying antegrade perfusion of detergents and subsequent washes to arterial vasculature at low physiological pressures, successful decellularization of complex organs (i.e., hearts, lungs and kidneys) can be performed. By using appropriate modifications, pressure-controlled perfusion decellularization can be achieved in small-animal experimental models (rat organs, 4-5 d) and scaled to clinically relevant models (porcine and human organs, 12-14 d). Combining the unique structural and biochemical properties of native acellular scaffolds with subsequent recellularization techniques offers a novel platform for organ engineering and regeneration, for experimentation ex vivo and potential clinical application in vivo.
Experimental Evaluation of a Metal Mesh Bearing Damper in Parallel With a Structural Support

In a previous ASME paper experiments were reported on metal mesh bearing dampers (MMD) that were tested in a power turbine rotor at speeds up to 12,000 rpm. They were made of 0.229 mm stainless steel 304 wire mesh, compressed to 57% density, which is close to the maximum density that was economically available. After balancing, a level of vibration was achieved similar to that previously observed with squeeze film dampers. These experiments showed that the MMD could suppress vibration amplitudes of the 22.7 kg rotor at critical speeds of 4,000 rpm and 9,300 rpm. Much of the testing showed the rotor having little or no response to unbalance on coastdown through the critical speeds. The donut-shaped MMD in those tests were the only bearing supports; no squirrel cages were used. A question was raised about the feasibility of using MMD in parallel with a squirrel cage bearing support so that the stiffness can be controlled independently of the damping. This paper presents experimental results for metal mesh dampers with a squirrel cage as a parallel bearing support. Experiments with copper mesh as seal elements (on another project) had indicated that copper mesh has higher damping than stainless steel, so copper was chosen for these experiments. Both a linear viscous damping model and a hysteretic damping model were investigated. Some hysteretic damping models predict that damping depends on stiffness. A different hysteretic model turned out to be useful and promising as a prediction model for two reasons: a) it fits the measured data, and b) it predicts that the damping is not lost if the MMD is put in parallel with a steel structure such as a squirrel cage bearing support. The measurements reported here support the validity of that prediction.Copyright © 2001 by ASME
A model of the oxidation of iron and cadmium sulfide in sediments

A model is presented for the temporal and vertical variation of acid-volatile sulfide (AVS), simultaneously extracted cadmium (SEM{sub Cd}), and cadmium interstitial water concentration in sediments. The model is based on the one-dimensional advective-dispersive mass balance equation. Transport by particle and pore-water mixing is considered. The state variable include the components of AVS and SEM{sub Cd}, namely iron sulfide (FeS) and cadmium sulfide (CdS), and sorbed + pore-water cadmium (Cd{sub T}). In addition, particulate organic carbon (POC), iron oxyhydroxide, and dissolved oxygen are explicitly modeled. The oxidation, displacement, and partitioning reactions that are sources and sinks of the state variables are included. The model is applied to three experimental data sets. Two of these employed marine sediments with typical organic carbon and AVS concentrations. The third employed a freshwater sediment with a high POC and low AVS. The calibration produced similar partitioning parameters on an organic carbon basis for both sediments. However, the oxidation and partitioning behavior of the FeS in the low AVS freshwater sediment was distinctly different from the high AVS cases. The model successfully reproduces the major features of the experimental data: the progressive decrease in AVS and SEM{sub Cd}, and an increase in the SEM{sub Cd}more » to AVS ratio in the surface layers. It is less successful in reproducing the pore-water cadmium concentrations.« less
Hatching, attachment, and outgrowth of mouse blastocysts in vitro: Fixed nitrogen requirements

Hatching, attachment and outgrowth of mouse blastocysts in vitro are dependent upon the presence of specific free amino acids in the medium. When grown in Eagle's Basal Medium (BME) containing 1% dialyzed fetal calf serum, 67% of blastocysts hatch. Omission of histidine, methionine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine, or valine from BME significantly reduces the incidence of hatching. For attachment to occur, cystine and lysine are also required, and for trophoblastic outgrowth, every essential amino acid except isoleucine is required. Omission of glutamine reduces the extent of outgrowth. Addition of higher (10X–20X BME) concentrations of cystine, histidine, or lysine increases the extent of outgrowth, but addition of 10−5–10−2M concentrations of non-essential amino acids does not stimulate either hatching, attachment, or outgrowth. When all essential amino acids are at optimal concentrations, nearly 100% hatching occurs in a chemically defined medium in the absence of a macromolecular fixed nitrogen source. Extensive trophoblastic outgrowth and inner cell mass growth occur at optimal amino acid concentrations, but only in the presence of serum. Under these conditions, a collagen substrate is not necessary for growth and differentiation of the inner cell mass into endoderm and ectoderm in vitro. These requirements indicate that during post-blastocyst development in vitro the mouse embryo gradually becomes dependent upon specific exogenous fixed nitrogen sources, including essential amino acids and a non-dialyzable component from serum.
Claudin-7 expression induces mesenchymal to epithelial transformation (MET) to inhibit colon tumorigenesis.

In normal colon, claudin-7 is one of the highly expressed claudin proteins and its knockdown in mice results in altered epithelial cell homeostasis and neonatal death. Notably, dysregulation of the epithelial homeostasis potentiates oncogenic transformation and growth. However, the role of claudin-7 in the regulation of colon tumorigenesis remains poorly understood. Using a large colorectal cancer (CRC) patient database and mouse models of colon cancer, we found claudin-7 expression to be significantly downregulated in cancer samples. Most notably, forced claudin-7 expression in poorly differentiated and highly metastatic SW620 colon cancer cells induced epithelial characteristics and inhibited their growth in soft agar and tumor growth in vivo. By contrast, knockdown of claudin-7 in HT-29 or DLD-1 cells induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), colony formation, xenograft-tumor growth in athymic mice and invasion. Importantly, a claudin-7 signature gene profile generated by overlapping the DEGs (differentially expressed genes in a high-throughput transcriptome analysis using claudin-7-manipulated cells) with human claudin-7 signature genes identified high-risk CRC patients. Furthermore, Rab25, a colon cancer suppressor and regulator of the polarized cell trafficking constituted one of the highly upregulated DEGs in claudin-7 overexpressing cells. Notably, silencing of Rab25 expression counteracted the effects of claudin-7 expression and not only increased proliferation and cell invasion but also increased the expression of p-Src and mitogen-activated protein kinase–extracellular signal–regulated kinase 1/2 that were suppressed upon claudin-7 overexpression. Of interest, CRC cell lines, which exhibited decreased claudin-7 expression, also exhibited promoter DNA hypermethylation, a modification associated with transcriptional silencing. Taken together, our data demonstrate a previously undescribed role of claudin-7 as a colon cancer suppressor and suggest that loss of claudin-7 potentiates EMT to promote colon cancer, in a manner dependent on Rab25.
On rate and sharp optimal estimation

Andrew,LucienandPascalaretobecongratulatedfordescribingandstudying an important problem of model selection via penalization. I also offer my congratulations for the solution of many well known subproblems, such as rate-optimal adaptation over the range of all ellipsoids, adaptive estimationforrichsievesandestimatingthesupportofadistribution.Ibelievethat your interpretation of the results of Talagrand will be employed by many statisticians. I would like to comment on some of the obtained results (mainly for the case of nested family of sieves) via some known and recent results on sharp minimax estimation where the squared integrated risk converges with optimal rate and the best constant.
Remapping Arab Narrative and Sexual Desire in Salwā al-Naʿīmī’s Burhān al-ʿasal (The Proof of the Honey)

AbstractThe return to the pre-modern tradition of erotic literature in The Proof of the Honey is a deliberate act of unearthing the archives to reclaim the lost corporal memory of the Arabs, and to locate narrative, sexual, and diasporic desires on the Arab world’s cultural map. More than simply an escape from censorship, listening to the archives reflects a rejection of Western theoretical and literary frameworks. In the process of such an endeavor, the author makes a concerted effort to go beyond the fragmentation, the contestation, and the binaries of postcolonial and feminist articulations, and to shun the West’s prescribed role for the native informant. As the Arabic language and libido are resurrected, so is the belief in a more autonomous and secure Arab self.
Identifying and treating adult survivors of sexual assault.

About 18% of women and 3% of men report being a victim of sexual assault, but fewer than one-third of victims seek immediate medical attention or psychological counseling. Over time, victims may experience physical and emotional reactions and turn to primary care providers, who should be prepared to identify survivors of sexual assault and provide thoughtful referrals for long-term follow-up. Language: en
Inverse relationship between adipose tissue and skeletal muscle in the uptake of injected triglyceride fatty acid of chyle lipoproteins by diabetic rats

Chez des rats diabetiques, l'arret du traitement insulinique est suivi (a) d'une augmentation de la proportion des acides gras triglyceriques du chyle marques du14C prelevee dans le sang par les muscles du squelette apres injection des triglyceriques, (b) d'une diminution de la proportion prelevee par les depots gras abdominaux, et (c) d'une augmentation de leur oxydation en CO2 expire.
FTIR and Raman spectra and structure of Cu(NO3)+ in aqueous solution and acetone

Abstract FTIR and Raman spectra of copper(II) nitrate hydrate dissolved in water, acetone and their fully deuterated counterparts indicate that the copper nitrate complex, CuNO+3, is formed at high solute concentration. The spectra show new bands that can be attributed to symmetry lowering of the complexed nitrate ion. Four possible structures are discussed for the complex, with Raman depolarization ratios favoring a complex with C2υ symmetry. A new Raman band at 335 cm−1 is assigned to the symmetric copper—oxygen stretch in a bidentate complex.
State Political Cultures and Public Opinion About Abortion

We investigate the distinctiveness of state attitudes and their impact on attitudes toward legal abortion. We find modest differences in the level of support for legal abortion and for additional restrictions on abortion, but these differences are not significant after controls for the demographic characteristics, religion, and ideology of each state's citizens. Our results suggest that the abortion debate is a national debate, and that state differences in abortion attitudes can be explained by differences in the charateristics and other attitudes of the states' citizenry.
Tunneling Spectroscopy of Single-Crystal CoSi2 and NiSi2 Epilayers on n-type Si

Electron tunneling spectroscopy experiments have been performed on single-crystal epitaxial silicide films grown on (111)-oriented (off 4 °) Si:As. 250 A-thick films of CoSi2, and type-A and -B NiSi2 on degenerate substrates (Nd = 2 × 1019 cm−3) have been studied. All spectra show forward bias peaks at energies corresponding to k-conserving bulk Si phonons while in reverse bias only the Si TA phonon is observed for NiSi2 /Si structures. Plots of dV/dI vs. V for CoSi2 /Si structures yield maxima at a forward bias of 39meV, indicating an enhancement in n-type dopant concentration within ˜ 100 A or more of the silicide-silicon interface.
Deciding site of biopsy at metastatic relapse: reply.

To the editor, It is plausible that the heterogeneous biology of metastatic lesions at different metastatic sites can have different implications for patients’ prognoses and treatment outcomes. In addition, a so-called ‘mixed response’ has been observed more frequently in a setting where targeted therapies are used for treatment [Janku, 2014]. For instance progressing liver metastases, even when there are other cancer lesions responding elsewhere, can have a far greater clinical significance due to the biological importance of liver parenchyma. Venniyoor suggests that tumor tissue acquisition and molecular profiling should be performed on the basis of clinical relevance rather than accessibility [Venniyoor, 2014]. Even though such an approach can be advisable, several potential caveats need to be recognized. First, biopsies are not always feasible or recommended if the risk–benefit ratio is unfavorable. Overall, these procedures are associated with a small, but definite, risk of complications such as pain, bleeding, infection, and damage to adjacent tissues. In our institution, we reviewed 745 research biopsies performed on 576 patients. Overall and major complication rates were 5.2% (39 of 745 biopsies) and 0.8% (6 of 745 biopsies), respectively [Overman et al. 2013]. It is plausible that the risk of complications can increase when less accessible material is obtained. Furthermore, the molecular profile can differ even within the same cancer lesion, which was elegantly demonstrated in a small study that demonstrated three different results for PIK3CA mutation status (H1047R, E542K and wild-type PIK3CA) in different areas of a single lesion [Dupont Jensen et al. 2011].
An approach to genuine dynamic linking

This paper describes a new approach to dynamic link/unlink editing. The basis of this approach is a library of link editing functions that can add compiled object code to or remove such code from a process any time during its execution. Loading modules, searching libraries, resolving external references, and allocating storage for global and static data structures are all performed at run time. This approach provides the efficiency of native machine code execution along with the flexibility to modify a program during its execution, thereby making many new applications possible. This paper also describes three sample applications of these dynamic link editing functions: program customization, incremental program development, and support for debugging and testing. A prototype of this approach is implemented under UNIX as a library package called dld for the C programming language and is available for VAX, Sun 3 and SPARCstation machines.
Predictors of Political Activism among Social Work Students

This article identifies factors inspiring greater political participation among undergraduate social work students (N=125). When separating students into self-identified liberals and conservatives, the study uses resource, mobilizing, and framing variables to explain greater levels of activism. After several multivariate regressions, this article concludes that political activism is spurred by many motivators. For liberals and conservatives, belonging to an activist network and maintaining activist identities were crucial to different modes of activism. Moreover, the perceived legitimacy of traditional institutions predicted protest actions of liberals and conservatives, whereas notions of collective efficacy influenced only electoral activism. Finally, demographic status mattered only for conservative students, as female and African American conservatives were less likely to protest than male and Euro American conservatives.
Error Probability Performance of Unbalanced QPSK Receivers

A simple technique for calculating the error probability performance and associated noisy reference loss of practical unbalanced QPSK receivers is presented. The approach is based on expanding the error probability conditioned on the loop phase error φ in a power series in φ and then, keeping only the first few terms of this series, averaging this conditional error probability over the probability density function of φ. Doing so results in an expression for the average error probability which is in the form of a leading term representing the ideal (perfect synchronization references) performance plus a term proportional to the mean-squared crosstalk. Thus, the additional error probability due to noisy synchronization references occurs as an additive term proportional to the mean-squared phase jitter \sigma_{\phi}^{2} directly associated with the receiver's tracking loop. Similar arguments are advanced to give closed-form results for the noisy reference loss itself.
Gene Expression Profiles of Genistein-Treated PC3 Prostate Cancer Cells

Our previous studies have shown that genistein inhibits the growth of PC3 prostate cancer cells and induces apoptosis by inhibiting nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) and Akt signaling pathways. To better understand the precise molecular mechanism(s) by which genistein exerts its effects on PC3 cells, we utilized cDNA microarray to interrogate 12,558 known genes to determine the gene expression profiles altered by genistein treatment. We found a total of 832 genes that showed a greater than twofold change after genistein treatment from two independent experiments with a high degree of concordance. Among these genes, 774 genes were down-regulated and 58 genes were up-regulated with genistein treatment. Cluster analysis showed nine different types of expression alternations. These genes were also subjected to cluster analysis according to their biological functions. We found that genistein regulated the expression of genes that are critically involved in the regulation of cell growth, cell cycle, apoptosis, cell signaling transduction, angiogenesis, tumor cell invasion and metastasis. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis was used to confirm the results of cDNA microarray, and the results of RT-PCR were consistent with the microarray data. We conclude that genistein affected the expression of a large number of genes that are related to the control of cell survival and physiologic behaviors. The gene expression profiles provide comprehensive molecular mechanism(s) by which genistein exerts its pleiotropic effects on cancer cells. Genistein-induced regulation of these genes may be further exploited for devising chemopreventive and/or therapeutic strategies for prostate cancer.