cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MODELING SURVIVAL CURVES OF SALMONELLA SPP. IN CHORIZOS USING ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORKS AND REGRESSION

Time-dependent survival curves of Salmonella spp. in chorizos were modeled using both the classical method of statistical regression and the newly introduced method of artificial neural networks (ANNs). The survival curves were obtained experimentally for chorizos formulated at five initial water activity (Aw0) levels of 0.85, 0.90, 0.93, 0.95 and 0.97, which had been stored under four different storage conditions: in a refrigerator (Ref) at 6C, at room temperature (RT) of 25C, in a hood (Hd) at 25C with forced inflow air circulation velocity F of 25.4 m/min and in an incubator (Inc) at 30C. The developed models enable prediction of survival curves (log count versus time) for Salmonella in chorizos as affected by a given set of operating conditions (Aw0, storage temperature [T] and F). Additionally, both the 1D- and 2D-values (time to reduce the count by 1 and 2 logs, respectively) were derived from a number of simulated survival curves and were used to develop regression models (R2 = 0.980 and 0.977 for 1D- and 2D-value models, respectively) for predicting these two times as a function of operating conditions. Both 1D- and 2D-values increased with increasing Aw0 and decreasing T and F. Additionally, these times were more sensitive to Aw0 when the latter was above 0.940, and F was more influential at higher T. The ANN-based model (R2 = 0.967) outperformed the regression-based model (R2 = 0.919) and was also used to develop models for predicting the 1D- and 2D-values as a function of Aw0, T and F.
Heat shock protein 90 in neurodegenerative diseases

Hsp90 is a molecular chaperone with important roles in regulating pathogenic transformation. In addition to its well-characterized functions in malignancy, recent evidence from several laboratories suggests a role for Hsp90 in maintaining the functional stability of neuronal proteins of aberrant capacity, whether mutated or over-activated, allowing and sustaining the accumulation of toxic aggregates. In addition, Hsp90 regulates the activity of the transcription factor heat shock factor-1 (HSF-1), the master regulator of the heat shock response, mechanism that cells use for protection when exposed to conditions of stress. These biological functions therefore propose Hsp90 inhibition as a dual therapeutic modality in neurodegenerative diseases. First, by suppressing aberrant neuronal activity, Hsp90 inhibitors may ameliorate protein aggregation and its associated toxicity. Second, by activation of HSF-1 and the subsequent induction of heat shock proteins, such as Hsp70, Hsp90 inhibitors may redirect neuronal aggregate formation, and protect against protein toxicity. This mini-review will summarize our current knowledge on Hsp90 in neurodegeneration and will focus on the potential beneficial application of Hsp90 inhibitors in neurodegenerative diseases.
Preconditioning induces sustained neuroprotection by downregulation of adenosine 5′-monophosphate-activated protein kinase

Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) induces endogenous neuroprotection from a subsequent ischemic injury. IPC involves downregulation of metabolic pathways. As adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a critical sensor of energy balance and plays a major role in cellular metabolism, its role in IPC was investigated. A brief 3-min middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was employed to induce IPC in male mice 72 h before 90-min MCAO. Levels of AMPK and phosphorylated AMPK (pAMPK), the active form of the kinase, were assessed after IPC. A pharmacological activator or inhibitor of AMPK was used to determine the dependence of IPC on AMPK signaling. Additionally, AMPK-α2 null mice were subjected to IPC, and subsequent infarct damage was assessed. IPC induced neuroprotection, enhanced heat shock protein-70 (HSP-70), and improved behavioral outcomes. These beneficial effects occurred in parallel with a significant inhibition of pAMPK protein expression. Although both pharmacological inhibition of AMPK or IPC led to neuroprotection, IPC offered no additional protective effects when co-administered with an AMPK inhibitor. Moreover, pharmacological activation of AMPK with metformin abolished the neuroprotective effects of IPC. AMPK-α2 null mice that lack the catalytic isoform of AMPK failed to demonstrate a preconditioning response. Regulation of AMPK plays an important role in IPC-mediated neuroprotection. AMPK may be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of cerebral ischemia.
Bipolar secretion of androgen-binding protein and transferrin by Sertoli cells cultured in a two-compartment culture chamber.

The influence of various medium supplements on Sertoli cell (Sc) monolayer permeability to [3H]inulin and polarized secretion of transferrin (Trf) and androgen-binding protein (ABP) was investigated in a two-compartment culture chamber. Sc from 14- and 18-day-old rats were maintained for 13 days in one of the following media: 1) Modified Eagle's Medium-Ham's F-12 (DFM), 2) DFM plus insulin, epidermal growth factor, progesterone, hydrocortisone, and vitamins A and E (6F), 3) 6F plus testosterone (7F), 4) 7F plus FSH (8F), 5) 6F plus 2% fetal bovine serum (6F2S), 6) 6F plus 5% fetal bovine serum (6F5S). The monolayer permeability to [3H]inulin decreased rapidly during the initial 3-5 days of culture for the Sc isolated from 18- and 14-day old animals, then remained stable in all media except DFM. Morphological examination revealed the presence of tight junctions between neighbouring Sc in both age groups, indicating their de novo formation. Secretion of Trf was lowest in DFM and steadily declined. In all ot...
Why word error rate is not a good metric for speech recognizer training for the speech translation task

Speech translation (ST) is an enabling technology for cross-lingual oral communication. A ST system consists of two major components: an automatic speech recognizer (ASR) and a machine translator (MT). Nowadays, most ASR systems are trained and tuned by minimizing word error rate (WER). However, WER counts word errors at the surface level. It does not consider the contextual and syntactic roles of a word, which are often critical for MT. In the end-to-end ST scenarios, whether WER is a good metric for the ASR component of the full ST system is an open issue and lacks systematic studies. In this paper, we report our recent investigation on this issue, focusing on the interactions of ASR and MT in a ST system. We show that BLEU-oriented global optimization of ASR system parameters improves the translation quality by an absolute 1.5% BLEU score, while sacrificing WER over the conventional, WER-optimized ASR system. We also conducted an in-depth study on the impact of ASR errors on the final ST output. Our findings suggest that the speech recognizer component of the full ST system should be optimized by translation metrics instead of the traditional WER.
Plasma homovanillic acid and the dopamine transporter during cocaine withdrawal

Background: Plasma homovanillic acid (HVA) has been used as a measure of central dopaminergic activity but the validity of this method continues to be investigated. We used single photon emission tomography (SPECT) assessment of the dopamine (DA) transporter for comparison with plasma HVA in subjects at varying stages of abstinence from cocaine. Methods: Nineteen subjects were studied in two separate treatment sites. Plasma HVA and methoxyhydroxyphenethyleneglycol (MHPG) were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). The DA transporter was quantified using the SPECT ligand [123I]BCIT. Results: At 2 weeks of abstinence and beyond there was an increasing positive correlation between plasma HVA and the SPECT measurement of the DA transporter (V3″). Conclusions: Plasma HVA may be more likely to reflect DA transporter density in the striatum when there is not a major drug-related change in the DA system.
Neck region of gerbil spermatozoa

In the course of the reorganization and degeneration of the proximal centriole in the mature acentriolate spermatozoon of the Mongolian gerbil, both the proximal and distal centrioles appear in the early cap phase of spermatid development. During the acrosome phase, both distal and proximal centrioles become highly active in the formation of a segmented column. The proximal centriole becomes actively involved in the formation of the capitulum, while the distal centriole forms the axonemal complex and dense fibers. During the maturation phase of spermatid development, the “pinwheel” arrangement of the proximal centriole becomes an “S”-shaped structure, turned 90° on its vertical axis. The few “doublet” microtubules that can be detected later in that stage completely disappear during spermiation. The distal centriolar area develops a single central pair of microtubules and membranous elements. Another prominent feature in the neck region of the gerbil spermatozoa is the presence of two dense rudimentary columns in association with the mitochondria. Although their density is similar to that of the other columns, these two columns have no connection with the dense fibers; in fact, they are closely associated with the mitochondria.
Electromagnetic scattering interaction between leaves and thin branches

Recently the effect of multiple-scattering among vegetation particles has been found important for accurately predicting the scattering behavior. Although volume fraction of vegetation particles is very low, smaller vegetation particles generally tend to accumulate around bigger ones. Therefore a single vegetation structure should often be considered as a locally dense medium where multiple scattering could be significant. Characterization of the exact solution including all high-order multiple scattering for a vegetation medium is nearly impossible. Approximate analytical solutions capable of accounting for near-field interactions and computational efficient are extremely useful for developing accurate scattering models vegetation. In this paper, simple formulations which include scattering interaction up to the second order are developed for thin dielectric disks and thin dielectric cylinders representing' vegetation leaves and stems. In this iterative approach, Rayleigh-Gans approximation is used to calculate the internal electric field, or equivalently the induced polarization current, of the particles. The Rayleigh-Gans approximation has been proved to be a valid approach for scatterers having at least one dimension which is much smaller than a wavelength and having a lossy permittivity. First the polarization current induced by the incident wave at each point within a particle is expressed in terms of the incident wave and the polarizability tensor of the thin dielectric disk or cylinder having the same thickness or diameter as that of the particle. To calculate the second-order scatter field, the exact near fields from all nearby particles are calculated numerically and used as the excitation for the second-order induced polarization current.
Optimization of scaling soft information in iterative decoding via density evolution methods

Density evolution has recently been used to analyze iterative decoding and explain many characteristics of iterative decoding including convergence of performance and preferred structures for the constituent codes. The scaling of extrinsic information (messages) has been heuristically used to enhance the performance in the iterative decoding literature, particularly based on the min-sum message passing algorithm. In this paper, it is demonstrated that density evolution can be used to obtain the optimal scaling factor and also estimate the maximum achievable scaling gain. For low density parity check (LDPC (codes and serially) concatenated convolutional codes (SCCC) with two-state constituent codes, the analytic density evolution technique is used, while the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) evolution technique and the EXIT chart technique is used for SCCC with more than 2 state constituent codes. Simulation results show that the scaling gain predicted by density evolution or SNR evolution matches well with the scaling gain observed by simulation.
Enhanced Oleic Acid Content in the Soybean Mutant M23 Is Associated with the Deletion in the Fad2‐1a Gene Encoding a Fatty Acid Desaturase

Oleic acid is one of the three major unsaturated fatty acids in soybean oil. Expression of the embryo-specific Fad2-1 gene correlates with fatty acid biosynthesis and oil deposition in developing seeds. Elevated levels of oleate in the X-ray-induced mutant line M23 have been shown to be associated with the deletion of a Fad2-1 gene. In soybean, two homologs of the Fad2-1 gene, termed Fad2-1a (L43920) and Fad2-1b (AY611472), presumably encode functional embryo-specific fatty acid desaturase. The objectives of this investigation were to determine which copy of the Fad2-1 gene is associated with the increased oleate content in the mutant line and what is the relative transcript abundance of these two embryo-specific genes. PCR and DNA blot analyses showed that increased oleate content in M23 mutant was associated with the deletion of Fad2-1a. These results were further validated using five independent soybean populations developed by crossing mid-oleate and normal-oleate parents. Investigation of the soybean expressed sequence tag database and reverse transcription PCR analyses revealed that Fad2-1b is the predominantly transcribed copy of the Fad2-1 gene. We hypothesize that null mutation in Fad2-1b in the fad2-1a mutant background should further elevate the oleic contents of soybean oil.
Real-time airport security checkpoint surveillance using a camera network

We introduce an airport security checkpoint surveillance system using a camera network. The system tracks the movement of each passenger and carry-on bag, continuously maintains the association between bags and passengers, and verifies that passengers leave the checkpoint with the correct bags. We present methods for calibrating the camera network and tracking the many moving objects in the environment. We define a state machine for bag tracking and association, dividing the imaged area into several semantically meaningful regions. The real-time algorithms are validated on a full-scale simulation of a security checkpoint with several runs of volunteer groups, demonstrating high performance in a challenging environment.
Preconditioning for Surgical Brain Injury

The invasiveness of neurosurgical procedures into the delicate nervous system inevitably results in collateral damage to normal tissue surrounding the operative site. The manipulation of tissue during these procedures leads to a host of postoperative complications characteristic of surgical brain injury (SBI) that include brain edema and hemorrhage. These complications are not only detrimental to the recovery of neurosurgical patient but may also hinder more aggressive therapeutic strategies. In this chapter, we will describe the rodent model for SBI, review its known mechanisms of pathophysiology in literature, and discuss potential preconditioning therapeutic agents for SBI.
Frequent pattern using Multiple Attribute Value for itemset generation

Data mining is the process of finding correlations or patterns among dozens of fields in large relational databases. While Association Rules Mining (ARM) algorithm especially the Apriori algorithm has been an active research work in recent years. Diverse improvement varies in term of producing more frequent items and also generating further k-length. The idea is to produce better pattern and more interesting rules. In this paper, we propose new approach for ARM based on Multiple Attribute Value within the non-binary search spaces. The proposed algorithm improves the existing frequent pattern mining by generating the most frequent values (item) within the attribute and generate candidate based on the frequent attribute value. The main idea of our work is to discover more meaningful frequent items and maximum k-length items. The experimental results show that our proposed MAV frequent pattern mining enhance the impact in generating more frequents items and maximum length
Health Care Professionals and Their Relationships with Families Who Have Members with Developmental Disabilities

The authors conducted a secondary analysis using combined data sets from two studies offamilies with children and adults with developmental disabilities/mental retardation (DD/MR). The combined sample (N = 72) included 42 parents and siblings of children and adults with DD/MR in Oklahoma and 30 parents and siblings of adults with DD/MR in Ontario. Families identifedfour themes that influenced their interactions with health professionals: valuation of the individual; quality of individual and family life; knowledge of health care professionals; andfacilitative/obstructive professional characteristics. The majorfinding was that parentsfelt that many health care professionals demonstrated a lack of respect toward their children and themselves, ignored their expertise in managing the disability situation, and rarely listened to them.
Optimal dispatching in a periodic review cellular manufacturing system

We examine a periodically reviewed cellular manufacturing system where parts are dispatched from a central control station to n manufacturing cells. After being processed at a cell, parts are routed back to the control station for inspection. An inspection failure will result in a feedback job order. Optimal dispatching policies are pursued to minimize the expected in-process inventory costs over a finite horizon. A dynamic programming formulation is developed for optimal dispatching. We show that the dynamic recursive functions i.e., cost-to-go functions are convex and monotonic under the condition of low defect rates and relative low cost material handling. From the convex and monotonic properties, it is shown that optimal dispatching calls for a combination of zero-inventory and nonzero-inventory policies. The optimal input control is proved to be in the form of a pulling system.
Paleohydrologic and Stratigraphic Significance of Crayfish Burrows in Continental Deposits: Examples from Several Paleocene Laramide Basins in the Rocky Mountains

ABSTRACT Paleocene crayfish burrows are present locally in great abundance in the Greater Green River, Hanna, Wind River, and Piceance basins of Wyoming and Colorado. In the Washakie sub-basin of the Greater Green River Basin, burrows are found in (1) lenticular, cross-bedded sandstones of fluvial-channel origin, (2) massive sandstones and mudrocks of floodplain origin that surround and interfinger with the cross-bedded sandstones, and (3) thin, sandy ironstone beds of overbank and crevasse-splay origin. The burrows, which represent crayfish activity in proximal to distal floodplain settings, are assigned to Camborygma symplokonomos, C. eumekenomos, and C. litonomos on the basis of their architectural morphologies. C. araioklados is not present. Crayfish burrows are part of pedogenically modified channel and overbank deposits. In all the basins studied, burrows are abundant only in non-coal-bearing rocks. The presence of elongate burrows indicates that the landscape was imperfectly drained (on a seasonal basis), and the burrow depths suggest the paleo-water table was 1-4+ m below the paleosurface. Swampy conditions prevailed in areas where carbonaceous shales and coals formed, and thus crayfish did not construct deep burrows. The crayfish burrows and associated lithologies suggest a warm, humid, wet-seasonal climate. In the eastern Washakie Basin, the vertical and lateral distribution of burrows and their abundance reflect changes in the paleohydrologic regime over space and time. Burrow depth and overall abundance decreases towards local basin lowlands, where they are rare. The paleohydrologic regime coupled with a progressively less seasonal climate through time allowed the formation of the Cherokee coal zone in the late Paleocene. In an otherwise lithologically homogeneous, non-variegated deposits, stratigraphically significant surfaces may be indicated only by the tops of burrowed intervals and by other types of paleosols. The tops of burrowed intervals represent paleosurfaces of varying environmental stability on which there are different frequency and magnitude of sedimentation events. Immature cumulative paleosols characterized by less intensely burrowed beds or bedsets record higher sedimentation rates. More intensely burrowed beds or bedsets reflect the activity of many generations of crayfish; hence, the tops of these layers record longer durations of exposure and pedogenic modification with infrequent or no sedimentation. Paleosols represented by burrowed intervals, in conjunction with sandstone and mudrock stacking patterns, can be used to identify significant stratigraphic surfaces, such as parasequences and sequence boundaries, in fully continental environments.
Enhanced Hardness and Stress-Driven Delamination in Fe/Pt Multilayers

Polycrystalline Fe/Pt multilayers of varying bilayer period, Λ, were sputter deposited onto SiO2 at room temperature. Film structure was characterized by x-ray diffraction, hardness was determined using nanoindentation, and stresses were examined with wafer curvature. The Fe layers were shown to be predominantly {110} oriented while the Pt layers were mostly {111} oriented. The hardnesses of these multilayer films were enhanced over the rule of mixtures value by a factor of almost 3 and exhibited a dependence on Λ which was similar to that previously observed in epitaxial Fe(001)/Pt(001) multilayers. The hardnesses of the polycrystalline multilayers were higher than those of the epitaxial multilayers, presumably due to grain boundary strengthening in these films. Film stress was large (∼1.5 GPa) and compressive, resulting in buckling-driven delamination of the film from the substrate for films with 40≤Λ≤100 A. Delamination occurred in the “telephone cord” morphology and was observed in real time. A qualitative discussion of our observations of this delamination mechanism is presented.
When Fourth can Precede Second A Developmental Analysis of an Indigenous Numeration System among Ponam Islanders in Papua New Guinea

This article presents a developmental analysis of children's understanding of an indigenous birth-order naming system used in a remote Papua New Guinea island community (Ponam Island). The naming system is organized such that boys are given one set of names depending upon their birth-order relation to other boys of a family, and girls are given a separate set of names depending upon their birth-order relation to other girls of a family. The names are invariant across families. On the basis of Piaget's theory, it was hypothesized that developmental changes in operational reasoning would be necessary for children to understand the determinate and indeterminate age relations implied by birth-order names within and across sex. To test this formulation, 29 Ponam islanders were interviewed who ranged in age from 8 to 23 years. The findings supported the general formulation.
Consumption of Soy Protein Reduces Cholesterol Absorption Compared to Casein Protein Alone or Supplemented with an Isoflavone Extract or Conjugated Equine Estrogen in Ovariectomized Cynomolgus Monkeys

Dietary intake of soy protein is associated with reductions in plasma cholesterol. Isoflavones are thought to be active components of soy and responsible for the beneficial effects because of their structural similarities to estrogen. The purposes of this study were to determine if i) soy protein or a semipurified soy extract, rich in isoflavones, is responsible for improving the lipid profile and ii) altered intestinal cholesterol metabolism is one mechanism for hypocholesterolemic effects. Ovariectomized adult female cynomolgus monkeys (40) were assigned to groups fed diets containing i) casein-lactalbumin (CAS) ii) intact soy protein (SOY), iii) CAS plus an isoflavone-rich semipurified soy extract similar in isoflavone content as SOY (ISO) or iv) CAS plus conjugated equine estrogen (CEE) for 20 wk. Cholesterol absorption was determined using the fecal isotope ratio method. Bile acid excretion was measured using the 3alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase assay. The SOY group had significantly lower total- and VLDL + LDL-cholesterol compared to the other three groups and significantly higher HDL-cholesterol compared to the CAS and CEE groups. Cholesterol absorption was significantly lower in the SOY group compared to the other groups, but bile acid excretion was not significantly affected. The hypocholesterolemic effect of soy protein appears to be mediated in part by decreased cholesterol absorption. The semipurified soy extract, rich in isoflavones, added to casein protein did not have lipid-lowering effects. Other components of soy such as saponins, phytic acid or the amino acid composition may be involved in the hypocholesterolemic effects seen in this study.
Efficacy of Heat Treatment for the Thousand Cankers Disease Vector and Pathogen in Small Black Walnut Logs

ABSTRACT Thousand cankers disease, caused by the walnut twig beetle (Pityophthorus juglandis Blackman) and an associated fungal pathogen (Geosmithia morbida M. Kolarik, E. Freeland, C. Utley, and N. Tisserat), threatens the health and commercial use of eastern black walnut (Juglans nigra L.), one of the most economically valuable tree species in the United States. Effective phytosanitary measures are needed to reduce the possibility of spreading this insect and pathogen through wood movement. This study evaluated the efficacy of heat treatments and debarking to eliminate P. juglandis and G. morbida in J. nigra logs 4–18 cm in diameter and 30 cm in length. Infested logs were steam heated until various outer sapwood temperatures (60, 65, and 70°C in 2011; 36, 42, 48, 52, and 56°C in 2012) were maintained or exceeded for 30–40 min. In 2011, all heat treatments eliminated G. morbida from the bark, but logs were insufficiently colonized by P. juglandis to draw conclusions about treatment effects on the beetle....
Cellular and Molecular Biology of Candida albicans Estrogen Response

Candida albicans is the most common etiological agent of vaginal candidiasis. Elevated host estrogen levels and the incidence of vaginal candidiasis are positively associated. Elevated estrogen levels may affect host and/or fungal cells. This study investigates the effect of 17-β-estradiol, 17-α-estradiol, ethynyl estradiol, and estriol on several C. albicans strains at concentrations ranging from 10−5 to 10−10 M. The addition of 17-β-estradiol or ethynyl estradiol to C. albicans cells caused an increase in the number of cells forming germ tubes and an increase in germ tube length in a dose- and strain-dependent manner. The addition of 17-α-estradiol or estriol did not have a significant effect on germ tube formation by the cultured cells. Exposure to exogenous estrogens did not significantly change the biomass of any C. albicans culture tested. The transcriptional profile of estrogen-treated C. albicans cells showed increased expression of CDR1 and CDR2 across several strain-estrogen concentration-time point combinations, suggesting that these genes are the most responsive to estrogen exposure. Analysis of strain DSY654, which lacks the CDR1 and CDR2 coding sequences, showed a significantly decreased number of germ tube-forming cells in the presence of 17-β-estradiol. PDR16 was the most highly up-regulated gene in strain DSY654 under these growth conditions. The cell biology and gene expression data from this study led to a model that proposes how components of the phospholipid and sterol metabolic pathways may interact to affect C. albicans germ tube formation and length.
PHOTOCHEMISTRY OF 1,3-DIMETHYLTHYMINE IN AQUEOUS SOLUTION

— This paper reports the isolation and the identification of ammonia, methylamine, 5-carboxy-l, 3-dimethyluracil, acetic acid, formic acid, 5-formyluracil, and formaldehyde from an aqueous solution of 1,3-dimethylthymine which was irradiated with 254 mμ light resulting in a decrease of 50 per cent of the original ultraviolet absorbancy. The isolation of 5-formyl-l, 3-dimethyluracil as a major photoproduct indicated the possible photo-oxidation of the 5-methyl group of thymine derivatives. The possible presence of an oxidized intermediate in DNA may prove important in radiation biology.
Fractal aspects of ceramic synthesis

The concept of fractal geometry is used to describe the structure of silica polymers, colloidal aggregates, and critical systems. We illustrate the interpretation of scattering curves (X-ray, neutron and light) for fractal systems, and review simple growth models which generate fractal structures. We describe the polymerization of silica under various conditions and demonstrate that, depending on chemical conditions, polymerization maps onto simple fractal growth processes. The key factors which control growth are monomer-cluster vs. cluster-cluster growth, and reaction-limited vs. diffusion-limited growth.
Computer technology in inventory decision making in a JIT environment

A previous study presented the use of EOQ and price breaks in ordering decisions in a JIT environment. In this paper, an attempt is made to develop a more generaliesd and practical approach in recommending purchase orders for manufactured or purchased parts in a JIT environment. Specifically, a model is presented that incorporates the cost impact of warehouse limitations and the possibility of defective/damaged goods, within an EOQ with quantity discount framework in a JIT environment. A systematic procedure is developed to recommend the optimal purchasing decisions considering the warehouse expansion and/or space allocation costs and the possibility of defective/damaged items. Based upon the model, a user–friendly, efficient, and effective BASIC program is developed to assist a manager's purchasing decisions. In order to illustrate this approach, a set of numerical examples are presented in the paper.
Further studies on the radiation-induced expression of a tumor-specific antigen in human cell hybrids

The neoplastic transformation of human cell hybrids (HeLa x skin fibroblasts) is accompanied by the expression of a cell surface protein for which monoclonal antibodies have been raised. The gamma-radiation-induced neoplastic transformation of these cells has been studied where the expression of this cell surface protein, as detected by immunoperoxidase staining, has been used as an end point. The yield of foci of positively staining cells has been shown to increase with increasing time postirradiation at which the assay is done and decrease with increasing density of viable cells plated postirradiation. The time of plating postirradiation is also an important parameter with transformation frequencies increasing over the first 6 h of postirradiation holding at confluence, followed by a gradual decrease.
646 Donor History of Cigarette Smoking Does Not Adversely Affect Lung Transplant Mortality: A Single Center Experience

Donor History of Cigarette Smoking Does Not Adversely Affect Lung Transplant Mortality: A Single Center Experience R. Hussain, H. Seethamraju, M. Loebe, S. Scheinin, B. Bruckner, S. LaFrancesca, S. Jyothula, A.D. Parulekar. Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX; Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center, The Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX.
Engineering electrochemical capacitor applications

Abstract Electrochemical capacitor (EC) applications have broadened tremendously since EC energy storage devices were introduced in 1978. Then typical applications operated below 10 V at power levels below 1 W. Today many EC applications operate at voltages approaching 1000 V at power levels above 100 kW. This paper briefly reviews EC energy storage technology, shows representative applications using EC storage, and describes engineering approaches to design EC storage systems. Comparisons are made among storage systems designed to meet the same application power requirement but using different commercial electrochemical capacitor products.
Carbon Local Bonding Configurations in Amorphous Hydrogenated Silicon-Carbon Alloys

We present the results of a carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) study of well-characterized thin films of amorphous hydrogenated silicon carbide. The NMR data detail the distribution of carbon local bonding configurations in films which have carbon-to-silicon ratios less than one. In particular, we show data which clearly identify and quantify non-hydrogenated sp2, or unsaturated, carbon bonding environments.
Glycoprotein B genotyping of cytomegalovirus strains isolated in a pediatric population

To better characterize cytomegalovirus (CMV) isolates in a pediatric population, we performed glycoprotein B genotyping of isolates from CMV culture-positive patients during a 3-year period at Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio. The most common sources for CMV isolation were respiratory and urine cultures. Among 61 isolates glycoprotein B genotype distribution was genotype 1, 32%; genotype 2, 24%; genotype 3, 32%; and genotype 4, 10%. Among viremic isolates there was a trend favoring type 1 genotype (P = 0.057).
Effect of alkalis on conjugation of sulfonamides with glucuronic and acetic acid.

SummaryThese studies indicate that alkalis, particularly sodium citrate and sodium lactate, may increase the conjugation of sulfamerazine and sulfadiazine with glucuronic acid and decrease conjugation with acetic acid in human subjects.
Social-support status of patients with stroke and its influencing factors

Objective To study social support for patients with stroke and its influencing factors,and to improve the quality of life of patients with stroke and the degree of social concern.Methods A self-designed questionnaire and social-support rating scale(SSRS) were used for survey and assessment.A total 303 hospitalized patients and recovering period patients took part in this investigation in Xuzhou.Results Scores of objective support,subjective support,utilization rate of social-support and the total score of social-support(9.45±2.0772,22.27±4.237,7.29±2.451,39.72±7.090) were all at a lower level.The single factor analysis showed that census register,marital status,and treatment duration,whether conducting rehabilitation and whether living with children together were influence factors of social-support;multiple factors analysis showed that census register,marital status and treatment duration were influence factors of social-support;The patients who had histories of smoking and sleeplessness before the onset of stroke also influenced the social-support.Conclusion In all,the social-support for stroke patients was at a lower level and patients with a negative attitude towards life were possible influence factors.
Coupling of exothermic and endothermic hydrogen storage materials

Abstract Chemical hydrogen storage (CHS) materials are a high-storage-density alternative to the gaseous compressed hydrogen currently used to provide hydrogen for fuel cell vehicles. One of the challenges of CHS materials is addressing the energy barriers required to break the chemical bonds and release the hydrogen. Coupling CHS reactions that are endothermic and exothermic during dehydrogenation can improve onboard energy efficiency and thermal control for the system, making such materials viable. Acceptable coupling between reactions requires both thermodynamic and kinetic considerations. In this work, models were developed to predict the reaction enthalpy and rate required to achieve high conversions for both reactions based on experimental measurements. Modeling results show that the coupling efficiency of exothermic and endothermic reactions is more sensitive to the ratio of the exothermic and endothermic enthalpies than to the ratio of the rates of the two steps. Modeling results also show that a slower endothermic step rate is desirable to permit sufficient heating of the reactor by the exothermic step. We look at two examples of a sequential and parallel reaction scheme and provide some of the first published insight into the required temperature range to maximize the hydrogen release from 1,2-BN cyclohexane and indoline.
Staining With Basic Fuchsin

If basic fuchsin is used in acid-fast, Taylor bacterial, and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) stains, it makes little difference whether the basic fuchsin is pararosanilin, rosanilin, magenta II, new fuchsin, or combinations thereof. However, only pararosanilin at 50% or greater dye content is satisfactory in the aldehyde fuchsin methods. New fuchsin is of no value in either aldehyde fuchsin or Feulgen staining methods, but does work well in the bacterial and PAS procedures.
Igpet software for modeling igneous processes: examples of application using the open educational version

We provide here an open version of Igpet software, called t-Igpet to emphasize its application for teaching and research in forward modeling of igneous geochemistry. There are three programs, a norm utility, a petrologic mixing program using least squares and Igpet, a graphics program that includes many forms of numerical modeling. Igpet is a multifaceted tool that provides the following basic capabilities: igneous rock identification using the IUGS (International Union of Geological Sciences) classification and several supplementary diagrams; tectonic discrimination diagrams; pseudo-quaternary projections; least squares fitting of lines, polynomials and hyperbolae; magma mixing using two endmembers, histograms, x-y plots, ternary plots and spider-diagrams. The advanced capabilities of Igpet are multi-element mixing and magma evolution modeling. Mixing models are particularly useful for understanding the isotopic variations in rock suites that evolved by mixing different sources. The important melting models include, batch melting, fractional melting and aggregated fractional melting. Crystallization models include equilibrium and fractional crystallization and AFC (assimilation and fractional crystallization). Theses, reports and proposals concerning igneous petrology are improved by numerical modeling. For reviewed publications some elements of modeling are practically a requirement. Our intention in providing this software is to facilitate improved communication and lower entry barriers to research, especially for students.
An overview of renal metabolomics

The high-throughput, high-resolution phenotyping enabled by metabolomics has been applied increasingly to a variety of questions in nephrology research. This article provides an overview of current metabolomics methodologies and nomenclature, citing specific considerations in sample preparation, metabolite measurement, and data analysis that investigators should understand when examining the literature or designing a study. Furthermore, we review several notable findings that have emerged in the literature that both highlight some of the limitations of current profiling approaches, as well as outline specific strengths unique to metabolomics. More specifically, we review data on the following: (i) tryptophan metabolites and chronic kidney disease onset, illustrating the interpretation of metabolite data in the context of established biochemical pathways; (ii) trimethylamine-N-oxide and cardiovascular disease in chronic kidney disease, illustrating the integration of exogenous and endogenous inputs to the blood metabolome; and (iii) renal mitochondrial function in diabetic kidney disease and acute kidney injury, illustrating the potential for rapid translation of metabolite data for diagnostic or therapeutic aims. Finally, we review future directions, including the need to better characterize interperson and intraperson variation in the metabolome, pool existing data sets to identify the most robust signals, and capitalize on the discovery potential of emerging nontargeted methods.
Analytical modeling of semiconductor losses in three level inverter for FACTS applications

Power circuits used in prototype applications for flexible AC transmission systems (FACTS) have consisted of multiple three level or neutral point clamped power converters interfaced to the power system using transformer arrangements for improving waveform quality. This paper presents analytical modeling to determine semiconductor losses in such multi-pulse voltage source DC-AC converters used for FACTS applications. Device current and voltage waveforms during all operating conditions are used to develop behavioral loss models to determine power losses in each of the power semiconductors constituting an inverter pole. The results are used to determine the total power losses in an SSSC application. Computer simulation waveforms are used to demonstrate overall system performance.
Intra-operative multi-dimensional fluoroscopy of guidepin placement prior to iliosacral screw fixation for posterior pelvic ring injuries and sacroiliac dislocation: an early case series

Traditional fluoroscopic techniques during percutaneous fixation of the posterior pelvic ring at times cannot adequately visualize errant or malpositioned iliosacral screws. Intra-operative fluoroscopic techniques have been advanced using multi-dimensional fluoroscopy to generate computed tomography-like images. This provides the surgeon not only the ability to assess iliosacral screw placement, but also the opportunity to assess reduction. We present a case series of four patients in which the Ziehm RFD multi-dimensional fluoroscopy was used to assess reduction and guidepin placement prior to definitive iliosacral screw fixation. Four patients at our university level 1 trauma center with posterior pelvic ring disruptions were treated with percutaneous iliosacral screw fixation. Traditional fluoroscopic techniques were used during guidepin placement. Multi-dimensional fluoroscopy was performed using the Ziehm RFD 3D to assess guidepin placement and reduction prior to definitive iliosacral screw fixation. Our case series highlights two patients in which multi-dimensional fluoroscopy was utilized to ensure safe placement of iliosacral screws. In one of these two patients, a change was made after reviewing the imaging as a guidepin was found to be intruded into bilateral S2 neural tunnels. We also present two patient examples in which multidimensional fluoroscopy was used to assess reduction achieved by less invasive methods, precluding the need for direct visualization using more extensive open approaches. This retrospective case series demonstrates the direct impact that the Ziehm RFD 3D technology provides in surgical management of patients with complex posterior pelvic ring injuries.
The Pharmacology of Anabolic-Androgen Steroids

The anabolic-androgen steroids (AAS) are chemicals that have both properties contained in the same molecule. Therefore, it is impossible to discuss one type of action without including the other because the effects of intoxication from these compounds are both anabolic and androgenic. Anabolic action is the performance-enhancing and muscle-mass-proliferation property, whereas the androgenic action is characteristic of male sex hormones. The pharmacological objective in use by athletes is to promote the anabolic or performance-enhancing effect while attempting to minimize the androgenic effect.
Can U Turn ILC2s Up

Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are tuned to quickly respond to and amplify tissue-specific signals. Work of three independent groups in Nature uncovers a novel mode of inflammatory communication between ILC2s and neurons at mucosal surfaces.
A unique cytoskeleton-associated protein in Cryptococcus neoformans.

Cryptococcus neoformans (Cn) is the leading cause of fungal infections of the central nervous system and accounts for significant patient morbidity and mortality [1]. The patients most susceptible ...
Nearing saturation of cancer driver gene discovery

Extensive sequencing efforts of cancer genomes such as The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) have been undertaken to uncover bona fide cancer driver genes which has enhanced our understanding of cancer and revealed therapeutic targets. However, the number of driver gene mutations is bounded, indicating that there must be a point when further sequencing efforts will be excessive. We found that there was a significant positive correlation between sample size and identified driver gene mutations across 33 cancers sequenced by the TCGA, which is expected if additional sequencing is still leading to the identification of more driver genes. However, the rate of new cancer driver genes being discovered with larger samples is declining rapidly. Our analysis provides a general guide for determining which cancer types would likely benefit from additional sequencing efforts, particularly those with relatively high rates of cancer driver gene discovery. Our results argue that past strategies of indiscriminately sequencing as many specimens as possible for all cancer types is becoming inefficient. In addition, without significant investments into applying our knowledge of cancer genomes, we risk sequencing more cancer genomes for the sake of sequencing rather than meaningful patient benefit.
Conservation Laws and Their Application in Global Differential Geometry

Most of E. Noether’s mathematical research was in the field of algebra, or related to it. Outside this work in algebra is one very famous theorem of Noether’s which is stated in every book on classical mechanics, as well as in many texts on more recently developed physical theories [20]. This well-known theorem applies to the following situation: an (action) integral in the calculus of variations has continuous one-parameter groups of symmetries (or the infinitesimal version of these). Then Noether’s theorem states that to each such symmetry is associated a conservation law, or first integral† of the Euler-Lagrange equations for the integral.
NMR Approaches to the Study of Structure-Function Relationships in Iron-Sulfur Proteins

Newer NMR methods, particularly in conjunction with stable isotope labeling (with 2H, 13C, and 15N), offer powerful approaches to the elucidation of structure-function relationships in paramagnetic proteins such as iron-sulfur proteins. The optimization ofNMR pulse sequences for rapidly-relaxing spins and the utilization of multidimensional multinuclear NMR spectroscopy have made it possible to determine sequence-specific assignments for a large number of NMR signals in rubredoxins, ferredoxins, and high-potential iron proteins, including some from the cysteine residues that ligate the iron ions. Such assignments are the key to a wealth of information derived from NMR parameters, such as the temperature and pH dependence of chemical shifts and the relaxation properties of the resonances that report on interactions between nuclei of the protein and unpaired electron density from the metal center. This information can be used to test theoretical descriptions of electron distribution within these molecules and to model the structures and dynamic properties of the proteins in solution. Mutagenesis of these proteins, followed by biochemical evaluation of their functional properties and biophysical analysis of their structures and stabilities, is beginning to reveal which residues are important for cluster formation and which residues play a role in electron transfer to and from redox partner proteins. This review discusses recent NMR studies from our laboratory of six iron-sulfur proteins: Clostridium pasteurianum rubredoxin, the vegetative and heterocyst ferredoxins from Anabaena 7120, human ferredoxin, and the Pseudomonas mendocina KR1 tmoC Rieske protein.
The Use of Vehicle Presence Detectors in Metropolitan Traffic-Control Systems

In recent years, a characteristic possessed by some types of vehicle detectors, referred to as presence detection, has been the foundation of a new approach to the measurement and control of traffic. This characteristic is that property of a vehicle detector which allows it to examine a small segment of a traffic lane and to indicate either continuously or periodically whether any portion of a vehicle is occupying that segment. Presence detectors are most generally recognized by their ability to indicate the presence of a parked vehicle for an indefinite period of time.