cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of getters for methane and ammonia decomposition

Abstract Getters are used in many tritium purification systems for impurity removal. One getter material, SAES® ST909, can be used to decompose various impurities (methane, carbon oxides, ammonia and others), and release the hydrogen bound in these compounds for further processing. Because, ST909 absorbs eight to nine percent of its initial weight in nitrogen, alternate materials may provide greater operational flexibility to accommodate variable operating carrier gases. The gettering capability of ST909 is related to the tri-metallic alloy (zirconium, manganese, and iron) composition. However, simply using a material with the same composition may not provide similar methane and ammonia decomposition conversion efficiency. For this testing, alternative materials to ST909 are compared to track methane and ammonia decomposition performance. Bench scale tests were performed at elevated temperature using various gas mixtures. Changes in methane and ammonia decomposition performance were tracked using RGA analysis during bench scale testing. Analytical comparisons of chemically equivalent materials to ST909 were also performed and correlated to bench scale test results. Characterization testing performed to evaluate chemically equivalent materials included: X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Results are expounded upon and differences in gettering capability of alternate materials are highlighted.
United States Food Programs for People at Low Socio-Economic Level

The three major food programs of the U.S. Government for the low socio-economic levels of the population are (1) the School Lunch and Breakfast Programs, (2) the Food Stamp Program, and (3) the Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). These programs are operated by the Food and Nutrition Service of the Department of Agriculture. In addition, there is the Nutrition Program for the Elderly, which is operated by the Administration on Aging of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare.
Instruction-level parallel processing: history, overview, and perspective

Instruction-level parallelism (ILP) is a family of processor and compiler design techniques that speed up execution by causing individual machine operations to execute in parallel. Although ILP has appeared in the highest performance uniprocessors for the past 30 years, the 1980s saw it become a much more significant force in computer design. Several systems were built and sold commercially, which pushed ILP far beyond where it had been before, both in terms of the amount of ILP offered and in the central role ILP played in the design of the system. By the end of the decade, advanced microprocessor design at all major CPU manufacturers had incorporated ILP, and new techniques for ILP had become a popular topic at academic conferences. This article provides an overview and historical perspective of the field of ILP and its development over the past three decades.
Cardiac problems associated with electrical injury

Electrical injury is uncommon, and cardiac involvement occurs in a minority of patients who are injured. Cardiovascular complications in the electrically injured patient, however, can be devastating. Because the presentation of electrical injury to the heart can be atypical in nature, delayed in onset, or obscured by other trauma, caution must be exercised in the interpretation of initial symptoms, ECGs, monitor strips, and cardiac enzymes. Whenever there is doubt concerning the presence of cardiovascular injury, the patient should be monitored. When cardiac complications are in evidence, expectant management is generally sufficient. When specific management of cardiac arrest, other dysrhythmias, myocardial necrosis, hypertension, or conduction abnormalities is required, standard therapeutic regimens are generally appropriate. In managing apparent acute myocardial infarction, however, the possibility that the injury is not of ischemic origin must be considered. Reperfusion techniques should be applied only when occlusive coronary thrombosis is strongly suspected or angiographically confirmed. The risk of developing chronic cardiac disease after electrical injury to the heart is unknown. Patients who sustain cardiovascular injuries should be followed for at least 12 months and avoid elective surgery for 6 months after the incident.
Semidynamical Systems and Delay Equations

An autonomous system of delay differential equations is shown to generate a semidynamical system on the space C of continuous functions on the delay interval. Omega limit sets are defined and shown to have the same properties as for ODEs, with minor exceptions, although they are subsets of C. The dynamics of the delayed logistic equation and the chemostat model are treated in detail. A special class of delay equations is shown to generate monotone dynamics; solutions converge to equilibrium. Liapunov functions and the LaSalle invariance principle areused to study the dynamics of a delayed logistic equation with both instantaneous and delayed density dependence
Six1 and Irx1 have reciprocal interactions during cranial placode and otic vesicle formation

The specialized sensory organs of the vertebrate head are derived from thickened patches of cells in the ectoderm called cranial sensory placodes. The developmental program that generates these placodes and the genes that are expressed during the process have been studied extensively in a number of animals, yet very little is known about how these genes regulate one another. We previously found via a microarray screen that Six1, a known transcriptional regulator of cranial placode fate, up-regulates Irx1 in ectodermal explants. In this study, we investigated the transcriptional relationship between Six1 and Irx1 and found that they reciprocally regulate each other throughout cranial placode and otic vesicle formation. Although Irx1 expression precedes that of Six1 in the neural border zone, its continued and appropriately patterned expression in the pre-placodal region (PPR) and otic vesicle requires Six1. At early PPR stages, Six1 expands the Irx1 domain, but this activity subsides over time and changes to a predominantly repressive effect. Likewise, Irx1 initially expands Six1 expression in the PPR, but later represses it. We also found that Irx1 and Sox11, a known direct target of Six1, reciprocally affect each other. This work demonstrates that the interactions between Six1 and Irx1 are continuous during PPR and placode development and their transcriptional effects on one another change over developmental time.
Adenoid cystic carcinoma presenting with bilateral orbital extension from the soft palate

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a rare neoplasm of secretory epithelium that most commonly occurs in the fifth and sixth decades of life. It is characterized by high recurrence rates and poor response to chemotherapy, In the orbit, ACC usually presents as a lacrimal gland mass. We describe the rare case of a 70-year-old woman who presented with pain during mastication and bilateral facial numbness in the cranial nerve V2 distribution. She was found to have adenoid cystic carcinoma involving the orbits bilaterally without lacrimal gland involvement and without a clear primary tumor. Imaging suggested that the tumor arose from the soft palate by extension along cranial nerves V2 and V3. The patient was treated with radiation therapy with some degree of radiographic improvement 27 months after diagnosis. This case emphasizes the importance of considering adenoid cystic carcinoma when evaluating orbital tumors sparing the lacrimal gland. We also suggest the possibility of an oropharyngeal source with anterograde intracranial extension in cases of putative primary orbital ACC without lacrimal gland involvement.
Anisotropic corrections for the downwelling radiative heat transfer flux from various types of aerosols

Abstract Comprehensive Monte Carlo simulations are used to correct deviations in the atmospheric downwelling longwave (DLW) radiative flux calculated by isotropic scattering assumptions. The widely used δ -M approximation is validated for low to medium values of aerosol loading. For very high aerosol loading conditions, the δ -M approximation incurs an error. Here we propose scaling corrections for extreme loading conditions routinely found in selected urban areas in Asia, but also in other continental and coastal areas susceptible to large-scale wildfire pollution (Western USA) or dust storms (Mediterranean regions and Northern Africa). The scaling rules are expressed as functions of the normalized aerosol optical depth t ∗ and the scattering asymmetry factor e g . An exponential relationship between the DLW deviation that assumes isotropic scattering and t ∗ is found, and the corresponding fitting coefficients are correlated for different types of aerosols (sample internal mixing, urban, continental and marine aerosols). The δ -M approximation is sufficiently accurate when aerosol optical depths (AOD) at the ground level are smaller than 0.5. For AOD beyond this threshold, the proposed scaling rule corrections should be used for estimation of downwelling thermal radiative fluxes. The effects of moisture content on aerosol composition and on DLW radiative fluxes are also investigated for all conditions of interest.
The Impact of Obesity and Smoking on Outcomes After Volar Plate Fixation of Distal Radius Fractures

Purpose Distal radius fractures are common fractures of the upper extremity. Whereas surgical outcomes have been extensively investigated, the impact of risk factors such as body mass index (BMI) and smoking on patient outcomes has not been explored. We hypothesized that obesity and smoking would have a negative impact on the functional and radiographic outcomes of surgically treated patients with distal radius fractures. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of patients surgically treated for a distal radius fracture between 2006 and 2017 at 2 level 1 trauma centers. Patients were divided into obese (BMI ≥ 30) and nonobese (BMI Results Two hundred patients were identified, 39 with BMI of 30 or greater and 161 with BMI less than 30. Obese patients had more comorbidities but similar fracture types. At 3-month and 1-year follow-up, both groups achieved acceptable QuickDASH scores, close to those of the general population (21 vs 18, 14 vs 2, respectively). The 2 groups were similar in regard to motion, RUSS score, and alignment. There were 148 never smokers, 32 former smokers, and 20 current smokers. At 3 months, smokers demonstrated higher QuickDASH scores (42 vs 21–24) and a lower percentage of radiographically healed fractures (40% vs 69%–82%). At final follow-up, smokers reported small differences in patient-reported outcomes (QuickDASH 18 vs 9–13) whereas ROM, fracture healing, and complication rates were similar. Conclusions Both obese and nonobese patients can achieve excellent outcomes following surgical treatment of distal radius fracture with similar self-reported outcomes, motion, RUSS score, and alignment. Despite slower healing in the early postoperative period, smokers had similar QuickDASH scores, ROM, and union rates to past smokers and never smokers at final follow-up, with a similar complication profile. Type of study/level of evidence Prognostic IV.
Genotyping and molecular tracing of the first local infection of dengue virus in Taizhou

Objective To determine the first dengue fever case in Taizhou and trace probable transmission sources. Methods Collected serum of three patients for antigen, antibody and nucleic acid detection. Dengue viruses were isolated and cultured in C6/36 cell. The whole length of E gene was amplified by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) and then sequenced. The phylogenetic tree was drawn. Results Three cases were positive in nucleic acid detection. Two cases were IgM positive. One case was NSI antigen postive. Three strains of type I dengue virus were isolated from samples. The phylogenetic trees shown that the three strains were on the same branch. The identities of nucleotide were 99.87%. The identities of amino acid were 99.6%-99.8%. Conclusions The dengue virus strains isolated in Taizhou was imported from Guangdong or Southeast Asia and caused location infection. Key words: Dengue virus; E gene; Phylogenetic tree
Inverse band gap design of elastic metamaterials for P and SV wave control

Abstract We describe a systematic approach for engineering the dispersive properties of elastic metamaterials in order to band-gap, at user-defined frequency ranges, the propagation of elastic waves, accounting simultaneously for both P and SV waves. To this end, we focus on the inverse design of a metamaterial’s unit cell, and cast the design problem as an optimization problem, driven by the desired band gap, and constrained only by the cell’s dispersive characteristics; the latter are expressed in terms of the Floquet–Bloch eigenvalue problem. Numerical results in the time-domain, using metamaterial assemblies with only narrow periodicity, demonstrate that the engineered metamaterial attains the desired behavior. Extensions to wave steering, shielding, and other wave-control applications, follow naturally.
Creation of a technician education program in laser and precision optical technology at Pasadena City College

An Associate of Science Degree is essential for technical students who seek applied, hands-on employment in the technical workforce after education at a community college. Pasadena City College administration has stepped up to work with experienced faculty to create a program in Laser Technology that is based on tested, industrial skill-driven curricula. This paper will discuss the foundation of this Laser Tech Program and its guidance by its many industrial advisors.
Multi-Trial Episodic Recall and Recognition of Emotion-Laden Words in First Versus Second Language

Monolingual studies contrasting memory for positive versus negative emotion-laden words have generally used single-trial paradigms and have produced inconsistent results (no difference or an advantage for either positive or negative valence). However, monolingual studies with multiple presentations of stimuli have consistently found a positivity advantage in recall. No bilingual study has examined whether L2 testing, using a multi-trial procedure, will also produce a positivity advantage. We report two experiments in which L1 and L2 participants performed three learning trials (aural exposure, oral recall), followed by multiple delayed oral recall trials and a recognition trial, using lists of English words from ad-hoc semantic categories, with equal numbers of positive versus negative valence words. Results, including an overall positivity advantage, a greater positivity advantage in L2 than L1, and greater valence-based clustering in L2 than L1, were discussed in terms of the effects of stimulus exposure and gist consolidation.
Darunavir-Resistant HIV-1 Protease Constructs Uphold a Conformational Selection Hypothesis for Drug Resistance.

Multidrug resistance continues to be a barrier to the effectiveness of highly active antiretroviral therapy in the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) infection. Darunavir (DRV) is a highly potent protease inhibitor (PI) that is oftentimes effective when drug resistance has emerged against first-generation inhibitors. Resistance to darunavir does evolve and requires 10–20 amino acid substitutions. The conformational landscapes of six highly characterized HIV-1 protease (PR) constructs that harbor up to 19 DRV-associated mutations were characterized by distance measurements with pulsed electron double resonance (PELDOR) paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, namely double electron–electron resonance (DEER). The results show that the accumulated substitutions alter the conformational landscape compared to PI-naive protease where the semi-open conformation is destabilized as the dominant population with open-like states becoming prevalent in many cases. A linear correlation is found between values of the DRV inhibition parameter Ki and the open-like to closed-state population ratio determined from DEER. The nearly 50% decrease in occupancy of the semi-open conformation is associated with reduced enzymatic activity, characterized previously in the literature.
Inverted body-shift concept in macroimplant design to enhance biologic and esthetic outcomes: A clinical report

Abstract A new implant design to increase labial plate dimension and tooth-implant distance in maxillary anterior extraction sockets over traditional tapered implant designs is presented. Generally, tapered implants are divergent and wider at the coronal aspect of the implant adjacent to the lowest bone volume. Decreasing bone around implants over time can lead to ridge collapse, recession, and a graying effect of the gingival tissues that eventually impacts esthetic outcomes adversely. This implant design incorporates a body-shift in both diameter, shape, and thread pattern and reduces the coronal portion to allow greater circumferential bone thickness to be created where it is needed most for long-term stability.
Financial Incentives and Nurse Coaching to Enhance Diabetes Outcomes (FINANCE-DM): a trial protocol.

Introduction Given the burden of diabetes in ethnic minorities and emerging data on the efficacy of financial incentives in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), it is critical to examine the efficacy of financial incentives across and within racial/ethnic groups. Methods and analysis This trial is an ongoing 5-year, randomised clinical trial designed to test the efficacy of a Financial Incentives And Nurse Coaching to Enhance Diabetes Outcomes (FINANCE-DM) intervention composed of (1) nurse education, (2) home telemonitoring and (3) structured financial incentives; compared with an active control group (nurse education and home telemonitoring alone). The study also will evaluate whether intervention effects are sustained 6 months after the financial incentives are withdrawn (ie, 18 months post-randomisation) and whether the intervention is differentially efficacious across racial/ethnic groups. Participants will include 450 adults with a clinical diagnosis of T2DM and HbA1c of 8% or higher who self-identify as White, African American or Hispanic. Participants will be randomised to one of two groups: the FINANCE intervention or Active Control. The location and setting of this study include primary care clinics at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) in Milwaukee, WI and community partner sites affiliated with the Center for Advancing Population Science at MCW. Ethics and dissemination This trial was approved by IRB at MCW under PRO00033788. Trial registration number Registration for this trial on the United States National Institute of Health Clinical Trials Registry can be found under ID: NCT04203173 and online (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04203173?id=NCT04203173&draw=2&rank=1).
Is the Use of Routine Echocardiogram Warranted in Large Pediatric Burns

Introduction Cardiac dysfunction can develop in large pediatric burns during the acute and recovery phase. When occurring in this population, the cardiac abnormality appears as left ventricular dysfunction or dilated cardiomyopathy. Recent studies have demonstrated perioperative and long-term cardiac dysfunction resulting in longer hospital stays for patients over 40% total body surface area. The objective of this study was to assess if early use of echocardiograms in large burns would allow for early recognition of patients at risk for cardiac dysfunction. Material and methods Pediatric burn patients ages 0-18 years who sustained a burn injury of 30% TBSA or more or developed cardiac dysfunction during hospital course were evaluated. Echocardiograms were obtained upon admission with monthly repeats until three normal studies were attained or the patient was discharged and when symptomatic. Results Of the 130 acute burn patients admitted during 7/2017-10/2018, 10 patients met criteria for enrollment in this study. The average age was 5 years (0.8 to 10 yrs), 70% were males and 90% sustained flame injuries.Total TBSA average was 45% (24-70%) with average full thickness burns of 33% (0-67%). Twenty echocardiogram studies were obtained. One patient with 25% TBSA burn, demonstrated severe left ventricular dysfunction with an EF of 25% from post arrest myocardial stunning. Repeat echocardiogram studies demonstrated full recovery with normal EF. The remaining patients, despite large TBSA injuries, did not exhibit any abnormalities on ECHO examinations. No cardiac interventions were required. Conclusions Use of echocardiograms is best performed on symptomatic burn patient populations.
Higher Serum Urate Levels Are Associated With an Increased Risk for Sudden Cardiac Death.

Objective. To determine the association of serum urate (SU) levels with sudden cardiac death and incident coronary heart disease (CHD), separately, among adults without a history of CHD. Methods. We conducted a case-cohort analysis of Black and White participants aged ≥ 45 years enrolled in the REason for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study without a history of CHD at baseline between 2003 and 2007. Participants were followed for sudden cardiac death or incident CHD (i.e., myocardial infarction [MI] or death from CHD excluding sudden cardiac death) through December 31, 2013. Baseline SU was measured in a random sample of participants (n = 840) and among participants who experienced sudden cardiac death (n = 235) or incident CHD (n = 851) during follow-up. Results. Participants with higher SU levels were older and more likely to be male or Black. The crude HR (95% CI) per 1 mg/dL higher SU level was 1.26 (1.14–1.40) for sudden cardiac death and 1.17 (1.09–1.26) for incident CHD. After adjustment for age, sex, race, and cardiovascular risk factors, the HR (95% CI) per 1 mg/dL higher SU level was 1.19 (1.03–1.37) for sudden cardiac death and 1.05 (0.96–1.15) for incident CHD. HRs for sudden cardiac death were numerically higher among participants aged 45–64 vs ≥ 65 years, without vs with diabetes, and among those of White vs Black race, although P values for effect modification were all ≥ 0.05. Conclusion. Higher SU levels were associated with an increased risk for sudden cardiac death but not with incident CHD.
Chilled Chambers: Constitutional Implications of Requiring Federal Judges to Disclose Their Papers Upon Retirement

When the cost of transparency rises to the level of unduly interfering with the ability of judges to carry out their constitutionally assigned responsibilities, principles of separation of powers preclude Congress from imposing that transparency. That is what this essay is about—whether, as has been repeatedly proposed, Congress can constitutionally require federal judges, upon retirement, to reveal their internal deliberations through the disclosure of their bench memos, correspondence with colleagues, initial votes at conferences, early drafts of judicial opinions, and other papers.
PLANT TISSUE CULTURE IN RELATION TO DEVELOPMENTAL CYTOLOGY.

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the plant tissue culture in relation to developmental cytology. The maintenance and growth of plant cells in vitro under aseptic conditions constitutes the plant tissue culture. Relatively little definitive work has been done in the general area of developmental plant cytology through the application of the tissue or cell culture techniques. Observations of polyploidy and other nuclear deviations in plant tissues are largely explicable as a disorganized manifestation of normal tendencies of somatic cells. The prevailing nuclear condition of a tissue culture can be seen to be responsive to differences in the medium and in the culture method. Thus, there are tools available for the experimental manipulation of these processes. In some cases, for example, Haplopappus, the problem may be one of finding conditions that minimize the aberrations, thereby supplying as clean a point of departure as possible for the full utilization of this excellent cytological tool. A promising approach is the microculture technique, with the necessary improvements, coupled with periodic photographic records or with microcinematographic studies of the same cell over a long period. Such studies, with various environmental factors carefully controlled, could be invaluable to a correlation of various events with the eventual fate of a cell.
The Top Technologies Every Librarian Needs to Know: A LITA Guide. edited by Kenneth J. Varnum

Today’s technology boom brings with it many opportunities for libraries to be on the cutting edge of services, but also there is the very real possibility that libraries will invest in something th...
Ym1 is a stem cell secreted factor that augments NK cell killing of tumor cells

We previously observed that embryonic stem cell-derived hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) were resistant to NK cells in vitro despite their poor expression of MHC antigens. In contrast, HPCs were readily deleted by NK cells in vivo . This discrepancy led us to study protein expression by HPCs pre and post-transplantation using proteomics. The rationale was that in response to serum cytokines in vivo , HPCs likely upregulated certain proteins that enhanced NK cell cytotoxicity. Upon sequencing, most of these proteins were determined to be housekeeping proteins except for one protein, which we identified as Ym1, also known as chitinase 3-like protein 3. Subsequently, recombinant Ym1 was generated in E. coli . Ym1 strongly enhanced NK cell cytotoxicity to HPCs in vitro by activating NK cells into the highly cytotoxic Mac1 hi subsets. This process was APC-dependent, suggesting cross-presentation of IL-15 to NK cells by APCs. In vivo , Ym1 induced the emergence of mature CD27 lo Mac1 hi peripheral blood NK cells, which have been found to be most effective at lysing tumor cells. Further, Ym1 caused a significant increase in the production of IFN- γ , perforin and granzyme B. Indeed, Ym1 remarkably enhanced target cell killing by 3-4 fold, which is a novel finding that has promising implications for the application of Ym1 in cancer treatment.
Polymorphism in a marine bacterium in relation to population growth.

Greenfield, Leonard J. (University of Miami, Miami, Fla.), Janet J. Hines, and Linda L. Boral. Polymorphism in a marine bacterium in relation to population growth. J. Bacteriol. 84:357–363. 1962.—A marine pseudomonad, MB-1, from South Florida waters, exists in three forms: orange (y), lemon-yellow (xy), and white (x), each of which is polymorphic. Replicate growth curves of each form were obtained by culturing at 25 C in 1% peptone-sea water using a controlled inoculum. The controlled inoculum was obtained by growing an isolate on a 1% peptone-sea water agar (1.5%) slant for 24 hr at 25 C, transferring a wire loopful of culture to 50 ml of 1% peptone-sea water in a 125-ml flask, and incubating at 25 C for another 24 hr. The resulting bacterial suspension in 0.5-ml amounts was used to inoculate 50 ml of 1% peptone-sea water broths in which growth was measured. The logarithmic growth phase occurred in x and xy between 12 and 18 hr of incubation; in y, this period was between 18 and 24 hr. The stage of growth could also be characterized by the percentage of cell types present at a given period. In late lag phase, single cells outnumbered binary types by about two to one. During logarithmic growth, the single cells predominated by 2.5 or 2.4 to 1. In the stages following this ratio increased, but all cells showed considerable variation in size. Chains of cells were present in all stages but were reduced in number during the logarithmic phase.
Research on Stimulus-Response Compatibility: Toward a Comprehensive Account

Publisher Summary This chapter examines the researches on stimulus-response ((S-R) compatibility. Studies of the role of mental representation in S-R compatibility have focused primarily on coding explanations. Compatibility is not merely a function of physical correspondence, but of a correspondence between abstract mental codes that are formed to represent the stimulus and response sets. The psychophysiological research has focused primarily on the P300 wave. The P300 latency has been shown to be influenced strongly by stimulus processing. The evidence regarding whether the P300 is affected by response-selection processes is far less clear. Some studies have found little or no effect of such processes on the P300 latency, whereas other studies have shown stronger effects. Speculation about the neurophysiological basis of S-R compatibility effects has taken two forms. The compatibility effects have been used as estimates of interhemispheric transmission time. The studies that explicitly investigated the role of S-R compatibility in motor performance have been concerned primarily with controlling compatibility effects, so that motor-programming effects could be studied. The distinction between response selection and motor programming by showing the independence of compatibility effects from movement-precuing effects is also elaborated.
Regulatory Enzymes of Aromatic Amino Acid Biosynthesis in Bacillus Subtilis II. THE ENZYMOLOGY OF FEEDBACK INHIBITION OF 3-DEOXY-D-ARABINO-HEPTULOSONATE 7-PHOSPHATE SYNTHETASE

Abstract Enzymological studies of the action of the inhibitors, chorismate and prephenate, upon purified preparations of 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate (DAHP) synthetase in Bacillus subtilus are described for an allosteric system of feedback inhibition in aromatic amino acid biosynthesis. 1. The Ki values for chorismate and prephenate are 2.8 x 10-4 M and 4.0 x 10-5 M, respectively. 2. The following evidence is consistent with the absence of intersite interactions between substrate-binding sites: (a) the observation of first order kinetics in substrate saturation curves; (b) strictly noncompetitive inhibition; and (c) the determination of an interaction coefficient, n = 1.0, with the Hill system of coordinates. 3. Cooperative inhibitions were observed between inhibitor-binding sites. Plots of kinetic data take the form of sigmoid inhibition curves. The interaction coefficient, n', is 1.5 at inhibitor concentrations causing more than 35% inhibition of enzyme activity. Lower concentrations yield a value of 2.8 for n'. 4. Inhibition of DAHP synthetase by chorismate and prephenate is potentiated at low temperatures. This effect of temperature is correlated with the alteration of the overall dissociation constant, K. The cooperative interactions between substrate-binding sites are independent of temperature as judged by measurements of interaction coefficients at different temperatures. 5. Monomer-polymer protein interactions probably do not play a major role in the feedback inhibition of DAHP synthetase by intermediary metabolites in aromatic amino acid synthesis since the sedimentation pattern of the enzyme is unchanged in the presence of inhibitors. 6. DAHP synthetase is activated by p-chloromercuribenzoate and iodoacetate and these compounds potentiate the inhibition of the enzyme. In contrast, 2-mercaptoethanol inhibits DAHP synthetase and partially desensitizes the enzyme to inhibitor effects. 7. DAHP synthetase is partially desensitized with mercuric acetate. Heat treatment and exposure to urea have no effect upon inhibition of remaining enzyme activity. Total desensitization is never observed. Neither the feedback effectors nor the aromatic amino acids protected the enzyme from a number of inactivating agents.
Physical Accessibility of Routine Prenatal Care for Women with Mobility Disability

Abstract Background: Routine prenatal care includes physical examinations and weight measurement. Little is known about whether access barriers to medical diagnostic equipment, such as examination tables and weight scales, affect prenatal care among pregnant women with physical disabilities. Methods: We conducted 2-hour, in-depth telephone interviews with 22 women using a semistructured, open-ended interview protocol. All women had significant mobility difficulties before pregnancy and had delivered babies within the prior 10 years. We recruited most participants through social networks. We sorted interview transcript texts using used NVivo software and conducted conventional content analyses to identify major themes. Results: Interviewee's mean (standard deviation) age was 34.8 (5.3) years. Most were white, well-educated, and higher income; 8 women had spinal cord injuries, 4 cerebral palsy, and 10 had other conditions; 18 used wheeled mobility aids. Some women's obstetricians had height adjustable exami...
Characterization of factor VIII B-cell inhibitory epitopes.

Introduction: Factor VIII contains three epitopes that are the usual targets of clinically significant antibody inhibitors. Two of these epitopes are located in the A2 and C2 domains of factor VIII. The third epitope appears to be in the A3 domain. Ongoing studies continue to provide higher resolution maps of these epitopes and to understand the mechanism by which inhibitors produce a bleeding diathesis. The manipulation of inhibitor epitopes using recombinant DNA technology may lead to improved forms of factor VIII that have lower antigenicity and/or lower immunogenicity.
Diagenesis of Fe and S in Amazon inner shelf muds: apparent dominance of Fe reduction and implications for the genesis of ironstones

It is commonly observed that SO42− reduction dominates the anaerobic decomposition of organic matter and determines redox properties in organic-rich shelf environments. Some areas of inner shelf muds near the mouth of the Amazon River are apparent exceptions to such a generalization. These deposits are sufficiently rich in organic carbon (0.6 ± 0.1%) to support NH4+ production rates in the upper 0–20 cm of 0.4–6 mmol m−2 day−1 (average of 3.0 ± 0.3), comparable to reactive sediments on other shelves. Anoxic conditions usually occur near the sediment-water interface, as evidenced by the absence of NO3− and the presence of dissolved Mn and Fe a few centimeters below the surface. In contrast to other similarly reactive deposits, Fe-reduction zones in Amazon shelf muds (and presumably other comparable environments) are often vertically extensive (>∼1 m) and characterized by high concentrations of dissolved Fe (0.3−0.7 mM) and elevated levels of HCO3− (12–14 meq l−1). These extensive Fe-reduction zones occur with or without evidence of significant SO42− depletion (surface values ∼20–28 mM) in essentially unbioturbated deposits. Total solid phase S seldom exceeds 0.1% weight (often 7) and allows Fe and, to a lesser extent, Mn reduction to dominate the sediment redox properties. Pore waters are supersaturated with respect to a variety of authigenic minerals including siderite and vivianite, often typical of nonsulfidic sediments and low SO42− environments. Authigenic siderite was also observed in SEM photographs. These Fe2+-generating deposits are interbedded with or lie up-current from Fe-coated quartz and ‘glauconitic’ sands (superficial oolites?), implying Fe precipitation on sand nuclei during mud/sand mixing or lateral export and segregation of Fe colloids from disturbed muds. The overall facies relations and authigenic mineral suites are, in many ways, similar to Paleozoic oolitic ironstones and may represent an incipient or actual analogue.
Impact of stray field on the switching properties of perpendicular MTJ for scaled MRAM

For the first time, we show the stray field (Hs) from the pinned layer of perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions (pMTJs) plays multiple important roles: its out-of-plane component degrades pinned layer stability of scaled MTJ, while its in-plane component assists spin-transfer torque switching. Through stray field engineering, one can retain its advantage, and minimized its detrimental effect. We also show that etching process plays a vital role in the stray-field engineering. Our pMTJ exhibits robust pinned layer performance, symmetrical R-H loop and balanced spin-torque switching current. The switching current of our pMTJ is ∼60uA@20us for a 80nm diameter pMTJ.
Effect of Chlorothiazide on Response of Renal Vascular Bed to Vasoactive Substances

In the anesthetized dog, administration of an isosmotic solution of chlorothiazide into the renal artery failed to affect renal vascular resistance but did acutely attenuate the constriction produced by intra-arterial injection of l -epinephrine, levarterenol, and Val-5-angiotensin II and potentiated the dilation produced by intra-arterial injection of MgCl2.
Central projections of spinal dorsal roots in the monkey. I. Cervical and upper thoracic dorsal roots

A study of the central distribution of cervical and upper thoracic dorsal roots (DR) was made in 18 monkeys subjected to 31 dorsal rhizotomies. Degeneration was studied in multiple spinal and medullary sections stained by the Nauta technic. Dorsal roots C2 through T7 project fibers to: (1) portions of laminae III and IV, (2) the intermediomedial nucleus, and (3) portions of laminae VII, VIII and IX. DR C5 through T1 project fibers to medial parts of lamina VI. DR fibers reach cell groups of lamina IX via different trajectories, one of which is dominant in the brachial enlargement. Fibers project to the spinal accessory nucleus from C2 through C5 DR, while portions of the dorsal nucleus receive fibers from C5 to T7 DR. Ascending fibers in the fasciculus cuneatus: (1) arise from C1 through T7 DR, (2) exhibit only general segregation due to overlap, and (3) project somatotopically throughout the extent of the cuneate (CN) and accessory cuneate (ACN) nuclei. Fiber terminations in CN and ACN are: (1) similar for C1 through T1 DR, and (2) distinctive for T2 through T7 DR. The upper five cervical DR project fibers to: (1) the supraspinal nucleus, and (2) both the central cervical and intermediate nuclei. Cytological and degeneration studies suggest that the central cervical and intermediate nuclei constitute parts of the same cell column.
Screening mammography for older women. A case of mixed messages.

The efficacy of screening mammography has been well documented compared with most preventive practices, but the test remains poorly implemented in this country, especially in older women. Commonly cited reasons for this fact include lack of physician or patient education, expense, discomfort, and concern about radiation exposure. 1 We believe that, in addition, the underutilization of screening mammography illustrates a more global problem operating in the medical care of elderly patients, the deficit of data regarding many aspects of health care in the elderly, particularly for preventive and screening practices. In the case of screening mammography, the impact of the lack of efficacy studies in the elderly was exacerbated by a system whereby one arm of the federal government (in this case the National Cancer Institute [NCI]) makes health care recommendations while another arm (in this case the Health Care Financing Administration [HCFA]) determines what will be reimbursed. In this
Restriction of Cl hemolytic function by human proline-rich salivary proteins

Acidic proline-rich salivary proteins, PRPI, PRPII, PRPIII, PRPIV, upper Db and Statherin, were isolated from parotid saliva and tested for interaction with complement. It was determined that each of the isolated proline-rich proteins blocked C1 hemolytic activity in assay systems where C1 was rate-limiting. Further studies comparing the specific activity of the proline-rich proteins to unfractionated parotid saliva indicated that other salivary substances (sensitive to urea treatment of parotid saliva) were also interacting with the first complement component but in a time-dependent manner. Based on a series of experiments examining the effect of the sequence of addition of the proline-rich proteins in the complement assay systems, it is postulated that these salivary proteins are able to block the proper interaction of C1 with EAC4 cells (sheep erythrocytes coated with antibody and C4gp). The proline-rich salivary proteins had no effect on C1 once C1 was bound to the immune complexes on the EAC4 cells. The C1 macromolecular complex undergoes conformational changes upon interaction with immune complexes resulting in a more avid binding of the C1q-Clr-Cls subunits with one another. Thus it is speculated that the EAC4-bound C1 becomes resistant to disruption by the proline-rich salivary proteins. Although the urea-sensitive factors had the highest specific C1-fixing activity, the activity of the acidic proline-rich proteins on C1 is important because of their relatively high concern in salivary secretions. Since complement-containing serous exudates and transudates are present on inflamed mucosal tissues, salivary substances which interact with C1 may play a role in regulating the initiation of the classical complement pathway, particularly at those mucosal sites where there is a high ratio of salivary secretion to serous exudate.
Challenges in the therapy of HIV infection

Drugs that inhibit HIV replication have been shown to have clinical utility in patients with HIV infection. However, the immunological improvement induced by available anti-HIV therapies in patients with AIDS is incomplete and transient. Explanations for this may include immunological barriers to complete reconstitution, low therapeutic indices of the available drugs, and the development of viral resistance. An understanding of these processes may provide important leads for the development of improved therapy for AIDS.
Electrical properties of prostatic tissues: I. Single frequency admittivity properties.

Purpose: Electrical properties of the prostate may provide sufficient contrast for distinguishing malignant and benign formations in the gland. We evaluated how well these electrical properties discriminate cancer from noncancer tissues in the prostate.Materials and Methods: Electrical admittivity (conductivity and permittivity) was recorded at 31 discrete frequencies of 0.1 to 100 kHz from each of 50 ex vivo human prostates. A specifically designed admittivity probe was used to gauge these electrical properties from sectioned prostate specimens. The specific tissue area probed was marked to provide precise colocalization between tissue histological assessment and recorded admittivity spectra.Results: Adenocarcinoma, benign prostatic hyperplasia, nonhyperplastic glandular tissue and stromal tissue were the primary tissue types probed. Mean cancer conductivity was significantly less than that of glandular and stromal tissues at all frequencies (p <0.05), while mean cancer permittivity was significantly gre...
Numerical Algorithms for Network Modeling of Yield Stress and other Non-Newtonian Fluids in Porous Media

Many applications involve the flow of non-Newtonian fluids in porous, subsurface media including polymer flooding in enhanced oil recovery, proppant suspension in hydraulic fracturing, and the recovery of heavy oils. Network modeling of these flows has become the popular pore-scale approach for understanding first-principles flow behavior, but strong nonlinearities have prevented larger-scale modeling and more time-dependent simulations. We investigate numerical approaches to solving these nonlinear problems and show that the method of fixed-point iteration may diverge for shear-thinning fluids unless sufficient relaxation is used. It is also found that the optimal relaxation factor is exactly equal to the shear-thinning index for power-law fluids. When the optimal relaxation factor is employed it slightly outperforms Newton’s method for power-law fluids. Newton-Raphson is a more efficient choice (than the commonly used fixed-point iteration) for solving the systems of equations associated with a yield stress. It is shown that iterative improvement of the guess values can improve convergence and speed of the solution. We also develop a new Newton algorithm (Variable Jacobian Method) for yield-stress flow which is orders of magnitude faster than either fixed-point iteration or the traditional Newton’s method. Recent publications have suggested that minimum-path search algorithms for determining the threshold pressure gradient (e.g., invasion percolation with memory) greatly underestimate the true threshold gradient when compared to numerical solution of the flow equations. We compare the two approaches and reach the conclusion that this is incorrect; the threshold gradient obtained numerically is exactly the same as that found through a search of the minimum path of throat mobilization pressure drops. This fact can be proven mathematically; mass conservation is only preserved if the true threshold gradient is equal to that found by search algorithms.
Low-potential cyclometalated osmium(II) mediators of glucose oxidase

The osma(II)cycles [Os(phpy)(LL)(2)]PF(6) (LL = 1,10-phen (3a) and 4,4'-Me(2)-2,2'-bpy (3b)) are made from [(eta(6)-C(6)H(6))Os(micro-Cl)Cl](2) (1) either via transmetalation using the [Hg(phpy)(2)] organomercurial in MeOH or via the sp(2)-C-H bond cleavage of 2-phenylpyridine (phpyH) in MeCN to afford [(eta(6)-C(6)H(6))Os(phpy)Cl] or [(eta(6)-C(6)H(6))Os(phpy)(MeCN)]PF(6), respectively. The latter two react cleanly with LL to give 3a and 3b, the M(II/III) redox potentials of which equal 30 and -100 mV (vs Ag/AgCl), respectively. The electrochemically made Os(III) species oxidize rapidly reduced glucose oxidase. The second-order rate constant equals 1.1 x 10(7) M(-)(1) s(-)(1) for 3a at 25 degrees C, pH 7.
Microsomal acetaldehyde oxidation is negligible in the presence of ethanol

The microsomal ethanol oxidizing system (MEOS), inducible by ethanol and acetone, oxidizes ethanol to acetaldehyde, which causes many toxic effects associated with excess ethanol. Recent studies reported that rat liver microsomes also oxidize acetaldehyde, thereby challenging the validity of the assessment of MEOS activity by measuring acetaldehyde production and suggesting that MEOS activity results in the accumulation not of acetaldehyde but, rather, of its less toxic metabolite, acetate. To address these issues, we compared both metabolic rates of ethanol and acetaldehyde and the effect of ethanol on the acetaldehyde metabolism. Liver microsomes were prepared from Sprague-Dawley rats induced either with acetone for 3 days or ethanol for 3 weeks. NADPH-dependent acetaldehyde (300 /μM) metabolism was measured in two ways: (1) by detection of acetaldehyde disappearance by headspace gas chromatography, and (2) by assessment of acetaldehyde oxidation by liquid scintillation counting of acetate formed from [1,2-14C]acetaldehyde. Ethanol (50 mM) oxidation was measured by gas chromatography. In acetone- and ethanol-induced rat liver microsomes, the acetaldehyde disappearance (p < 0.0001) and oxidation (p < 0.0001) rates were both significantly increased. The rates of acetaldehyde oxidation paralleled those of p-nitrophenol hydroxylation (r= 0.974, p < 0.0001), with a Km of 82 ± 14 μM and a Vmax of 4.8 ± 0.5 nmol/min/mg protein in acetone-induced microsomes. Acetaldehyde disappearance in acetone-induced microsomes and acetaldehyde oxidation in acetone-induced and ethanol-induced microsomes were significantly lower than the corresponding ethanol oxidation, with rates (nmol/min/mg protein) of 4.6 ± 0.6 versus 9.0 ± 0.8 (p < 0.005), 4.4 ± 0.3 versus 9.1 ± 0.5 (p < 0.0005), and 14.0 ± 0.9 versus 19.5 ± 1.8 (p < 0.05), respectively. The presence of 50 mM ethanol decreased this metabolism to 0.9 ± 0.3 (p < 0.005), 0.5 ± 0.1 (p < 0.001), and 1.8 ± 0.3 (p < 0.001), resulting in rates of acetaldehyde metabolism of only 9.8 ± 3.2%, 6.0 ± 0.5%, and 9.5 ± 1.2% (respectively) of those of ethanol oxidation. In conclusion, rat liver microsomes oxidize acetaldehyde at much lower rates than ethanol, and this acetaldehyde metabolism is strikingly inhibited by ethanol. Accordingly, acetaldehyde formation provides an accurate assessment of MEOS activity. Furthermore, because acetaldehyde production vastly exceeds its oxidation, the net result of MEOS activity is the accumulation of this toxic metabolite.