cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regulation of cellular thiol redox status by nitric oxide.

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important biological molecule that participates in a wide range of responses, including vasodilation, platelet regulation, neurotransmission, and cytoxicity (1). NO’s most widely known and best understood mechanism of action is through its interaction with the heme group in proteins such as soluble guanylate cyclase (1). In addition to heme iron, NO has also been shown to react with other functional groups in proteins. However, it is becoming clear that many reactions previously attributed to NO are now known to be mediated through NO-derived species (NOx) and not directly through NO itself (as discussedbelow). The thiol group of cysteine residues represents one potential target of NOx and may be of particular biological relevance since cysteines are important for maintaining the native conformation of proteins, are critical to the activity of many enzymes, and are the most reactive amino acid residues at physiological pH. In fact, modification of protein thiols by NOx alters the function and activity of various proteins including enzymes, signaling proteins, ion channels, receptors, transcription factors, and antioxidants (2–11). These alterations in protein function, through modification of thiols, may be critical for initiating signaling events or may be detrimental to the cell by disrupting essential protein function. This article aims to review the interactions of NOx with protein and nonprotein thiols, including mechanisms of thiol modification, reversibility of NOx-mediated protein thiol modification, and cellular defense mechanisms involved in regulating NOx-mediated modification of protein thiols.
Comparative characterization of the Arabidopsis subfamily a1 β-galactosidases

The Arabidopsis genome contains 17 predicted β-galactosidase genes, all of which belong to glycosyl hydrolase (GH) Family 35. These genes have been further grouped into seven subfamilies based on sequence similarity. The largest of these, subfamily a1, consists of six genes, Gal-1 (At3g13750), Gal-2 (At3g52840), Gal-3 (At4g36360), Gal-4 (At5g56870), Gal-5 (At1g45130), and Gal-12 (At4g26140), some of which were characterized in previous studies. We report here the purification and biochemical characterization of recombinant Gal-1, Gal-3, Gal-4 and Gal-12 from Pichia pastoris, completing the analysis of all six recombinant proteins, as well as the isolation and characterization of the native Gal-2 protein from Arabidopsis leaves. Comparison of the relative expression levels of the subfamily a1 β-galactosidases at the mRNA and protein levels uncovered evidence of differential regulation, which may involve post-transcriptional and post-translational processes. In addition, this study provides further support for the proposed function of the subfamily a1 β-galactosidases in cell wall modification based on analysis of the organ-specific expression and subcellular localization of Gal-1 and Gal-12. Our study suggests that, despite some differences in individual biochemical characteristics and expression patterns, each member of the family has the potential to contribute to the dynamics of the Arabidopsis plant cell wall.
Determination of the effect of Hf additions on phase stability in Nb-silicide based in-situ composites

In-situ composites based on Nb-Si alloys are potential candidates for application as structural materials in future aircraft engines. In order to achieve the balance of properties that is required, additional alloying species, such as Ti, Hf, Mo, Cr, Al, are employed. The present paper describes the effect of Hf additions on phase stability of Nb-Si alloys. Liquid-solid and solid-state phase equilibria have been investigated. The Nb-Hf-Si liquidus surface and the isothermal section at 1500'C will be described. A broad range of Nb and Hf compositions were investigated for Si concentrations up to 35.0%.
The role of dietary calcium on the development of soft tissue mineralization due to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 intoxication in rats

In order to determine the nature of soft tissue mineralization (STM) due to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D3) and the relative importance of hypercalcemia in inducing these lesions, adult rats were fed diets with low (0.05%), normal (0.5%) or elevated (1.0%) calcium levels and administered either daily 0, 1, 2.5, or 5 units of 1,25-(OH)2D3 intraperitoneally for 2 to 10 days. STM evaluated by light and electron microscopy was correlated with changes in serum calcium and phosphorus. 1,25-(OH)2D3 produced a dose-dependent, rapid onset hypercalcemia the degree of which was enhanced by increasing dietary calcium from low to normal or high. In the heart, stomach and lungs, STM had more frequent and generally earlier onset in rats treated with 2.5 and 5 units of 1,25-(OH)2 D3 and fed normal and high calcium diets compared with rats fed the low calcium diet. The incidence of STM in the kidney was not affected by the level of dietary calcium. STM lesions were similar to that reported for parent vitamin D. Mineral deposition occurred in the proximal and corticomedullary portions of the renal tubules, in aortic media and intima, myocardial arterioles and myofibers and gastric glandular mucosa and muscularis. Ultrastructurally in the aorta early mineral deposits were seen as noncrystalline electron-dense material in the smooth muscle processes adjacent to the elastic fibers, pericellular collagenous matrix and as crystalline electron-dense material along the elastic fibers. Electron Dispersive Analytical X-ray (EDAX) analysis showed that the mineral deposits in the aorta contained calcium and phosphorus. Since the frequency of STM correlated better with the dietary-influenced level of serum calcium rather than dose of 1,25-(OH)2D3, it is concluded that hypercalcemia may be more important than a direct toxic effect of 1,25-(OH)2D3 per se in the development of l,25-(OH)2D3-induced STM.
Cellulase Immobilized Nanostructured Supports for Efficient Saccharification of Cellulosic Substrates

Functionalized nanomaterials are promising candidates for enzyme immobilization to develop efficient industrial biocatalysts with tailor-made catalytic properties. Cellulase, a saccharifying hydrolase, can be immobilized on various nanostructured supports using different types of binding chemistries. This review examines prior cellulase immobilization strategies and promising future techniques to integrate nanotechnology with biocatalysis.
Attention and Visual Dominance in Motor Learning

Two experiments examined the role of attention in visual dominance during motor learning. On the movement task 10 acquisition trials were given; each included a movement presentation and a blindfolded reproduction. After completion of acquisition trials and a 5-min. interval, subjects were given 5 retention trials with reproduction attempts only. In Exp. 1, subjects receiving only kinesthetic information during movement presentation reproduced criterion movement length more accurately than subjects receiving visual and kinesthetic information. Other subjects, presented both visual and kinesthetic stimuli for the movement, were given instructions to ignore vision and focus on kinesthesis. These subjects exhibited no effects of visual dominance in reproductions. In Exp. 2, subjects were presented visual and kinesthetic stimuli during half of the movement presentations and only kinesthetic stimuli during the other half. They did not exhibit the effects of visual dominance in reproductions. Such effects in motor learning may be modified by manipulation of attention or an alternating presentation of specific sensory stimuli.
Anodic Aluminum Oxide Nanopores as Substrate for Functional and Structural Studies on G Protein-Coupled Membrane Receptors

Functional and structural studies on GPCR are ideally conducted on single, protein-carrying bilayers with unrestricted access for ligands and G-proteins. It is desirable to have a large accessible surface area and protection from a solid support. Reconstitution of GPCR into bilayers supported by porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) nanopores meets those requirements. Extrusion of proteoliposomes through the nanopores resulted in formation of tubules of a single lipid bilayer that covers the inner surface of pores. We successfully reconstituted the GPCRs rhodopsin and recombinant peripheral cannabinoid receptor CB2 at functional conditions and high concentration into the cylindrical AAO nanopores with a diameter of 200 nm and a length of 60 μm. One square centimeter of AAO filter yielded 500 cm2 of membrane surface. The lipid tubules are open at both ends such that buffer passes easily through the pores. Detergents used for protein reconstitution are flushed out within minutes. By 2H NMR we demonstrated that neither lipid headgroups nor hydrocarbon chains of fluid bilayers are perturbed by the solid support. Photoactivation of rhodopsin in the pores, monitored by UV-vis spectrophotometry, was indistinguishable from rhodopsin in unsupported liposomes. Metarhodopsin-II in the tubules activated G-protein that was delivered through the pore openings. By NMR diffusion experiments we determined that tubular bilayers are assembled as short pieces with a length of a micrometer or less that adhere to the surface by their edges. The tubules possess undulation with a radius of curvature of 100-400 nm. We have evidence for a layer of water with an average thickness of 3 nm between the bilayers and the pore surface. It explains why neither protein function nor fluid bilayer properties are perturbed by the solid support.
E-Learning Quality Assurance: A Process-Oriented Lifecycle Model.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose a process‐oriented lifecycle model for ensuring quality in e‐learning development and delivery. As a dynamic and iterative process, quality assurance (QA) is intertwined with the e‐learning development process.Design/methodology/approach – After reviewing the existing literature, particularly focusing on QA frameworks, procedures, and methodology, a process‐oriented model structured around three sequential non‐linear phases is presented: before: planning and analysis; during: design, prototype and production; and after: post‐production and delivery. This model is supported by an advanced information system used to organize, track, collect, and generate reports regarding QA changes and needed updates.Findings – Following a process‐oriented lifecycle approach, the paper emphasises that QA requires a supportive environment that explicitly recognizes quality as a work value and as an enabler for reaching organizational goals.Practical implications – The paper ...
Centimeter-Level Relative Positioning with GPS

Although the Global Positioning System (GPS) was designed primarily for real-time navigation and positioning applications at the decameter level of accuracy, the GPS has been used to determine all three relative position coordinates of fixed points with centimeter-level accuracy, when the distance between the points has been of the order of 10 km. For intersite distances less than 1 km the uncertainty is about 3 mm, and for distances greater than 10 km the uncertainty in each coordinate is about 1-2 ppm of the distance. These results have been obtained with commercially available production equipment (Macrometer model V-1000 interferometric surveyors) operated by regular surveying personnel under real field conditions, not just by university scientists under ideal laboratory conditions. Techniques that promise to reduce the uncertainty to 0.1 ppm for distances greater than 10 km are being developed.
Supporting Social Studies Reading Comprehension with an Electronic Pop-Up Dictionary.

AbstractThis study investigated how middle school students’ comprehension was impacted by reading social studies texts online with a pop-up dictionary function for every word in the text. A quantitative counterbalance design was used to determine how 129 middle school students’ reading comprehension test scores for the pop-up dictionary reading differed from test scores for reading hard-copy texts or an online text without the dictionary. The pop-up dictionary reading was shown to be a statistically effective method for improving student test scores. The results suggest pop-up dictionaries may provide a helpful intervention for increasing middle-level learners’ reading comprehension.
On the use of numerical methods for analysis and control of nonlinear convective systems

A common approach to designing feedback controllers for nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs) is to linearize the system about an equilibrium and use the linearized model as a starting point in the design process. In many practical applications (fluid flow control, thermal fluids, etc.) the equilibrium of interest is not the trivial zero state and this equilibrium must be computed numerically. This can be a complex task, especially if the equilibrium is unstable. In an earlier paper the authors showed that even for the 1D Burgers? equation, standard time marching numerical schemes can produce false steady state solutions. Consequently, in this case the first step in the design and analysis process is based on an erroneous linearization and even robust controllers may fail. It has been suggested that replacing the time marching scheme by a Newton algorithm would eliminate this false equilibrium. In this short paper we illustrate that even Newton?s method can produce a numerically false equilibrium in problems that are highly sensitivity to boundary conditions. This result has important consequences when one uses numerical tools for design and control of non-linear partial differential equations that govern typical fluid flows.
Lyapunov-based tracking control in the presence of uncertain nonlinear parameterizable friction

Modeling and compensation for friction effects has been a topic of considerable mainstream interest in motion control research. This interest is spawned from the fact that modeling nonlinear friction effects is a theoretically challenging problem, and compensating for the effects of friction in a controller has practical ramifications. If the friction effects in the system can be accurately modeled, there is an improved potential to design controllers that can cancel the effects; whereas, excessive steady-state tracking errors, oscillations, and limit cycles can result from controllers that do not accurately compensate for friction. A tracking controller is developed in this paper for a general Euler-Lagrange system that contains a new continuously differentiable friction model with uncertain nonlinear parameterizable terms. To achieve the semi-global asymptotic tracking result, a recently developed integral feedback compensation strategy is used to identify the friction effects on-line, assuming exact model knowledge of the remaining dynamics. A Lyapunov-based stability analysis is provided to conclude the tracking and friction identification results. On-going efforts are being directed at the development of an experimental testbed to illustrate the tracking and friction identification performance of the developed controller.
A CMOS RF-receiver front-end for 1 GHz applications

We present a 0.5 /spl mu/m CMOS RF-Receiver Front-End (RFE) for potential use in a fully integrated Rockwell transceiver IC aimed at GSM and DCT (Digital Cordless Telephone) applications. The RFE is fully packaged in a standard TSSOP 20-pin device with ESD protection comparable to modern bipolar devices of similar performance. To our knowledge, this RFE represents the first reported RF-CMOS device mounted in a standard TSSOP 20-pin package with a minimum of 1 kV ESD protection. The RFE includes a 940 MHz low noise amplifier (LNA), a super-heterodyne downconversion mixer and a local oscillator (LO) buffer. The RFE has a noise figure of 4.8 dB (including the external image-rejection filter), power gain of +10.7 dB and IIP3 of -8 dBm with a total current consumption of 13 mA from a 2.7 V supply. The minimum protection of 1 kV ESD is primarily constrained by the LNA input frequency (940 MHz) and its noise figure. Unlike previously reported work, the packaged RFE device is unconditionally stable through the entire frequency spectrum.
The Aging of Wolff’s “Law”: Ontogeny and Responses to Mechanical Loading in Cortical Bone

The premise that bones grow and remodel throughout life to adapt to their mechanical environment is often called Wolff's law. Wolff's law, however, is not always true, and in fact comprises a variety of different processes that are best considered separately. Here we review the molecular and physiological mechanisms by which bone senses, transduces, and responds to mechanical loads, and the effects of aging processes on the relationship (if any) between cortical bone form and mechanical function. Experimental and comparative evidence suggests that cortical bone is primarily responsive to strain prior to sexual maturity, both in terms of the rate of new bone growth (modeling) as well as rates of turnover (Haversian remodeling). Rates of modeling and Haversian remodeling, however, vary greatly at different skeletal sites. In addition, there is no simple relationship between the orientation of loads in long bone diaphyses and their cross-sectional geometry. In combination, these data caution against assuming without testing adaptationist views about form-function relationships in order to infer adult activity patterns from skeletal features such as cross-sectional geometry, cortical bones density, and musculo-skeletal stress markers. Efforts to infer function from shape in the human skeleton should be based on biomechanical and developmental models that are experimentally tested and validated.
Elastic parameters of brittle, elastic solids containing slits - Mean field theory

The present study focuses on the derivation of effective elastic properties for a two-dimensional elastic continuum containing several different distributions of rec tangular slits. The emphasis of the study is placed on the slit induced anisotropy and com parison of results derived using three different methods belonging to the class of mean field theories. Added is a short study of higher order theories incorporating direct interac tion of adjacent slits.
The NASA Ground Network Vision for the Future

This paper will highlight the GN's mission, motivation, and future plans, specifically in relation to the increase of commercialization for routine services and partnership opportunities for routine and unique services with the goal that other agencies can benefit from our approach as they pursue their science and exploration goals.
Maternal and Fetal Alternative Complement Pathway Activation in Early Severe Preeclampsia

Problem We sought to determine whether alternative complement activation fragment Bb (Bb) levels are elevated in the maternal, fetal, and placental blood in cases of severe preeclampsia (PE) compared with normotensive controls. Method of study This was a cross-sectional study of women admitted at ≥24 weeks gestation with or without severe PE. Maternal plasma was collected at the time of enrollment. Umbilical venous cord and intervillous space blood were collected at delivery. Plasma Bb levels were assessed using ELISA. Bb levels were compared between cases and controls. Results Median Bb levels were higher in the maternal plasma of severe PE subjects (n = 24) than in controls (n = 20), 1.45 ± 1.03 versus 0.65 ± 0.23 μg/mL, P < 0.001. In umbilical venous plasma, Bb levels were higher in severe PE subjects (n = 15) compared with controls (n = 15), 2.48 ± 1.40 versus 1.01 ± 0.57 μg/mL, P = 0.01. Conclusion Activation fragment Bb is increased in the maternal and umbilical venous blood of cases of severe PE when compared with normotensive controls. These data provide support for alternative complement pathway involvement in the pathogenesis of severe PE and demonstrate that alternative complement activation occurs not only in the maternal but also in the fetal compartment.
Viewing a cold air outbreak using satellite‐based synthetic aperture radar and advanced very high resolution radiometer imagery

In this phenomenological study we compare nearly simultaneous visible-wavelength advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR) and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images of a cold air outbreak that occurred off the ice pack in the Bering Sea. The visible image shows the spatial evolution of the cloud structure from the ice edge to several hundred kilometers offshore. Near the ice edge, the clouds form regular linear features, known as cloud streets. These streets are spaced about 5 km apart, 5 times the depth of the boundary layer. By 200 km offshore, the visible image shows nascent, closed-cell, mesoscale cellular convection (MCC), with connected disks and smears of white clouds surrounded by arcs and rings of dark, cloud-free regions. The diameters of the disks range between 10 and 15 km. The SAR image shows the same, broadly defined spatial pattern but with a substantial increase in detail uncorrelated with the AVHRR image. In the area of the cloud streets shown in the AVHRR image are two-dimensional, elongated regions of enhanced radar backscatter, called SAR streaks, with the same cross-wind spacing as the cloud streets. This suggests the presence of quasi-two-dimensional roll vortices in the atmospheric boundary layer. Downstream, in the area of proto-MCC, are broadly spaced expanses of enhanced backscatter that form two-dimensional patterns, such as connected arcs that have structure and scales similar to the spaces between the clouds. The spatial evolution of the streaks and streets broadly conforms to the patterns of downdrafts and updrafts, respectively, exhibited in modeling studies of cold air outbreaks. However, the comparison with modeling studies is more successful for the cloud streets than for the SAR streaks. We suggest that this difference is because the clouds in the AVHRR images give a time-integrated signal of large-scale, quasi-two-dimensional atmospheric turbulence, whereas mesoscale radar patterns of surface roughness give a relatively instantaneous view of fundamentally three-dimensional structure within the atmospheric boundary layer.
Bagging is a small-data-set phenomenon

Bagging forms a committee of classifiers by bootstrap aggregation of training sets from a pool of training data. A simple alternative to bagging is to partition the data into disjoint subsets. Experiments on various datasets show that, given the same size partitions and bags, disjoint partitions result in better performance than bootstrap aggregates (bags). Many applications (e.g., protein structure prediction) involve the use of datasets that are too large to handle in the memory of a typical computer. Our results indicate that, in such applications, the simple approach of creating a committee of classifiers from disjoint partitions is preferred over the more complex approach of bagging.
Partial Proteome Map of Campylobacter Jejuni Strain Nctc11168 by Gel-Free Proteomics Analysis

A proteome map of the foodborne pathogen Campylobacter jejuni NCTC11168 was analyzed using a state-of-the-art gel-free proteomic approach for the first time . A whole cell protein extract was prepared from the C. jejuni strain NCTC11168 grown in brain heart infusion (BHI) broth at 42°C under microaerobic conditions. A gel-free technique using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) was employed to create a protein expression profile of the strain. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used to identify the proteins. Protein functionalities were searched to classify them. A total of 235 proteins were identified in the whole cell protein fraction of C. jejuni NCTC11168 cells using iTRAQ analysis. Functional grouping of the identified proteins showed that forty percent of these proteins were associated with energy metabolism, protein synthesis and genetic information processing. iTRAQ was faster, easier and proved more sensitive than two-dimensional gel-based proteomics approaches previously applied to C. jejuni , making it an attractive tool for further studies of cellular physiological response. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijasbt.v2i4.11253 Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol. 2(4): 464-477
Disease and ethnicity in an urban environment.

ABSTRACT The impact of the cholera epidemic of 1849 in Buffalo was not uniform. Ethnicity, socioeconomic status, neighborhood, and the physical urban environment directly influenced the direction and timing of the spread of the disease. Diffusion was limited by cultural and physical isolation of the different components of the urban population. Immigrants, situated in the least favorable areas of the city, fared the worst.
Genetic Testing and the Future of Equine Genomics

Abstract Genetic tests are now available for most coat color traits and many simple Mendelian diseases in the horse. The horse genome sequence was completed in 2006, with sequence available online to researchers in June of that year. This wealth of new data has already been exploited to provide some very powerful tools that can be used to define more simply inherited diseases in horses at the molecular level, as well as potentially more complex diseases. With the continued availability of genetic testing in horses, veterinarians, and particularly reproduction experts, need to have a good basic understanding of these tests to assist their clients in making informed breeding decisions.
Keyword: International Research on Higher Education

Together with overall research on higher education, comparative and international studies of higher education have expanded considerably over the past decade in different parts of the world. While truly comparative research is still rather rare, it is beginning to yield important theoretical insights into such issues as the institutionalization of higher education, governance, access, curricula, and quality assessment. In addition, a growing body of more descriptive work on higher education, together with new and expanding data sources, provides an increasingly rich basis for further comparative work along different methodological lines. The gap between theoretically inspired and policy-triggered research on higher education is still considerable, but some initial bridges are being built.
Summary of the Fourth Report on the Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescents

The Working Group on High Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescents has published the Fourth Report on the Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescents1 (www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/hypertension/child_tbl.htm). This publication, from the National High Blood Pressure Education Program, updates the previous 1996 publication.2 The purpose of the Fourth Report is to inform clinicians on the latest scientific evidence regarding blood pressure in children and to provide recommendations for evaluation and treatment of hypertension in the young. The Working Group reexamined the childhood blood pressure database with the addition of new data from the 1999 to 2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The Working Group also evaluated the recent information on instrumentation for blood pressure measurement in the young, the evidence of target-organ damage in children and adolescents with hypertension, and the results of recent studies on antihypertensive therapy in the young. The fourth report provides new guidelines to clinicians on evaluation and management of children with hypertension and also for children with significant risk for hypertension. The definition of hypertension in children and adolescents remains unchanged and is based on blood pressure percentile. Hypertension is defined as average systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure that is ≥95th percentile for gender, age, and height on 3 or more separate occasions. Blood pressure levels that are ≥90th percentile but 120 mm Hg by age 12 years. Adolescents with blood pressure ≥120/80 mm Hg (but <95th percentile) have prehypertension. The Fourth Report has added a method for staging the severity of hypertension by providing the range of blood pressure elevation for stage 1 and stage 2 hypertension. Stage 2 hypertension is generally ≈12 …
ALGEBRAIC PROOF IV FERMAT’S LAST THEOREM

The special case 4 4 4 z = x  y is impossible [1]. In view of this fact, it is only necessary to prove, ifx, y, z, are relatively prime positive integers,  is an odd prime,    z = x  y (In this article, the symbol  will represent an odd prime). Also, a new proof is given that 4 4 4 z = x  y is impossible.
Solidification of Single-Phase Alloys; Cells and Dendrites

In the preceding discussion we have not concerned ourselves with the morphology of the solid/liquid (S/L) interface. For calculation purposes it has been considered to be reasonably smooth. However, this is seldom the case in solidification of castings. It will be demonstrated that the thermal and compositional field ahead of the solidifying interface determines its morphology. If such influences are not considered, there is no reason for the interface to lose its planar morphology and become unstable. To evaluate the evolution of interface morphology, interface stability arguments are used. A perturbation is assumed to form at the interface. Then, if the perturbation is damped out in time, the interface is considered to be stable. If the perturbation is amplified in time, the interface is unstable.
A case report of sevelamer-associated recto-sigmoid ulcers

Optimal phosphorous control is an important aspect of the care of patients with end-stage renal disease, and phosphate binders are usually needed. A 74-year-old woman with end-stage renal disease on maintenance hemodialysis presented to the emergency room with abdominal discomfort, rectal pain, and blood-tinged stools. Initial concern was for a rectal carcinoma, based on the symptoms and imaging in initial computerized tomography of the abdomen showing rectal wall thickening, and her clinical presentation. She had been treated with the phosphate binder sevelamer for two months. In this case report, we explore the unique features of sevelamer-associated recto-sigmoid ulcers which led to her symptoms. Sevelamer is widely used in chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease patients with hyperphosphatemia. It is a crosslinked polymeric amine that binds phosphates and bile acids; it is not systemically absorbed. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first reported case of recto-sigmoid ulcers associated with use of this phosphate binder. Nephrologists, pathologists, and gastroenterology sub-specialists should be aware of this recently-reported entity in patients on sevelamer with suggestive symptoms, as this medication is widely used in renal patients.
What ocean biogeochemical models can tell us about bottom-up control of ecosystem variability

Gnanadesikan, A., Dunne, J. P., and John, J. 2011. What ocean biogeochemical models can tell us about bottom-up control of ecosystem variability. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 68: 1030–1044.Processes included in earth system models amplify the impact of climate variability on phytoplankton biomass and, therefore, on upper trophic levels. Models predict much larger relative interannual variability in large phytoplankton biomass than in total phytoplankton biomass, supporting the goal of better constraining size-structured primary production and biomass from remote sensing. The largest modelled variability in annually averaged large phytoplankton biomass is associated with changes in the areal extent of relatively productive regions. Near the equator, changes in the areal extent of the high-productivity zone are driven by large-scale shifts in nutrient fields, as well as by changes in currents. Along the poleward edge of the Subtropical Gyres, changes in physical mixing dominate. Finally, models indicate that high-latitude interannual variability in large phytoplankton biomass is greatest during spring. Mechanisms for producing such variability differ across biomes with internal ocean processes, such as convection complicating efforts to link ecosystem variability to climate modes defined using sea surface temperature alone. In salinity-stratified subpolar regions, changes in bloom timing driven by salinity can produce correlations between low surface temperatures and high productivity, supporting the potential importance of using coupled atmosphere–ocean reanalyses, rather than simple forced ocean reanalyses, for attributing past ecosystem shifts.
Influence of acute viral hepatitis on disposition and plasma binding of tolbutamide

To study the influence of acute hepatic disease on the disposition of tolbutamide, we measured tolbutamide plasma protein binding and pharmacokinetic parameters after intravenous administration of the drug to 5 subjects during and after apparent recovery from acute viral hepatitis. Although during the acute phase of illness protein binding of the drug decreased in all, volume of distribution of tolbutamide (0.15 +/- 0.03 L/kg) did not change. Clearance based on total concentration of tolbutamide in plasma increased in all subjects during the acute phase of study (26 +/- 5.4 ml/hr/kg) in comparison to the recovery phase (18 +/- 2.8 ml/hr/kg, p less than 0.02). Protein binding decreased after unconjugated bilirubin was added to plasma from the recovery phase, but not to the extent observed during the acute phase of illness at comparable levels of bilirubin. Clearance based on unbound drug concentration, calculated by dividing the observed plasma clearance by the fraction of unbound drug in plasma, did not differ significantly between the 2 study phases (300 +/- 47 and 260 +/- 39 ml/hr/kg). These observations suggest that the increase in clearance based on total drug concentration in plasma during hepatitis can be attributed solely to decreased plasma binding. This decrease in binding may be attributed in part, but not entirely, to increased combination of bilirubin during illness. The concentration of unbound drug in plasma at steady-state is determined by the rate of drug administration and the clearance based on unbound drug. If this clearance does not change during hepatic disease, no dosage alterations for tolbutamide and other comparable drugs are necessary to maintain a constant concentration of unbound drug.
Aerodynamic and aeroacoustic properties of flatback airfoils.

In 2002, Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) initiated a research program to demonstrate the use of carbon fiber in wind turbine blades and to investigate advanced structural concepts through the Blade Systems Design Study, known as the BSDS. One of the blade designs resulting from this program, commonly referred to as the BSDS blade, resulted from a systems approach in which manufacturing, structural and aerodynamic performance considerations were all simultaneously included in the design optimization. The BSDS blade design utilizes “flatback” airfoils for the inboard section of the blade to achieve a lighter, stronger blade. Flatback airfoils are generated by opening up the trailing edge of an airfoil uniformly along the camber line, thus preserving the camber of the original airfoil. This process is in distinct contrast to the generation of truncated airfoils, where the trailing edge the airfoil is simply cut off, changing the camber and subsequently degrading the aerodynamic performance. Compared to a thick conventional, sharp trailing-edge airfoil, a flatback airfoil with the same thickness exhibits increased lift and reduced sensitivity to soiling. Although several commercial turbine manufacturers have expressed interest in utilizing flatback airfoils for their wind turbine blades, they are concerned with the potential extra noise that such a blade will generate from the blunt trailing edge of the flatback section. In order to quantify the noise generation characteristics of flatback airfoils, Sandia National Laboratories has conducted a wind tunnel test to measure the noise generation and aerodynamic performance characteristics of a regular DU97-300-W airfoil, a 10% trailing edge thickness flatback version of that airfoil, and the flatback fitted with a trailing edge treatment. The paper describes the test facility, the models, and the test methodology, and provides some preliminary results from the test.
The Attack and Strike of Some North American Raptors

QUALITATIVE observations of the attack and strike of raptorial birds are numerous, but few quantitative measurements are available of the velocity, descent, acceleration, and deceleration of the pelvis, legs, and feet. My anatomical studies of the adaptations of the pelvic limb of selected species of North American birds of prey (MS) led to the present study because an understanding of how raptors use their feet and legs during the attack and strike facilitates the interpretation of anatomical differences. I used cinematography as a means of recording these data accurately (Hildebrand, 1963, 1964). The data presented here are somewhat limited. As the prey species were loosely tethered to the ground or a piece of canvas some distance from the raptor, the prey situations presented to the predator were not so varied nor were the prey so active as those normally encountered. Secondly although some variety of prey species was used, it was not possible to present each hawk or falcon with many different kinds. A given species of raptor captures a diversity of prey: Beebe (1960) and Storer (1966) indicate that the accipters and falcons are opportunists, preying upon those animals available and most easily secured. Possibly hawks and falcons attack and strike larger prey in a different manner than they do smaller ones. Lastly, an individual bird may employ a variety of hunting, attacking, and s.triking attitudes not characteristic for its particular species (Cade, 1960; White, 1962; Mead, 1963).
Serological assessment of samples from patients complaining of dyspepsia.

Background: Many people consult their GP for upper gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, which are often associated with pain or burning and discomfort in the abdomen and range from heartburn and acid regurgitation to nausea and vomiting. Historically, all of these symptoms have been grouped together under the single term ‘dyspepsia’, defined as having one or more symptoms of epigastric pain, burning, postprandial fullness, or early satiation. While gastric or oesophageal cancer is an unusual finding in patients with dyspepsia, excluding malignancy is a common reason for performing endoscopy. Methods: Quest Diagnostics has been offering the GastroPanel® assays for those patients who have been referred to the walk-in clinic complaining of ‘dyspepsia’. This is a set of three assays (Pepsinogen I, Gastrin 17 and Helicobacter pylori) and the results use an algorithm which can provide information about the stomach health and about the function of the stomach mucosa. Results: Of all the samples tested 63.5% showed no abnormalities and were reported as ‘normal function of gastric mucosa.’ These patients would be classed as having functional dyspepsia. Thirty-six samples (19.9%) were positive for Helicobacter pylori and the remaining samples had a variety of abnormal results. Conclusion: Dyspepsia is a common problem seen both by primary care physicians and gastroenterologists. Using the results from the serological analysis of the patients’ serum the clinician can delineate between gastric atrophy and a normal health stomach usually without the need to refer the patient for endoscopy.
ON THE PERIODIC SOLUTIONS OF COMPLETE SECOND ORDER DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS ON HILBERT SPACES

For the complete, second order differential equation u''(t)=Au'(t)+Bu(t)+f(t)(*),0?t?T on a Hilbert space E, we find the necessary and sufficient conditions so that (*) has a unique T-periodic solution. Some applications are also given.
Long-Term Dynamics in “Trophy” Sizes of Pelagic and Coastal Pelagic Fishes among California Recreational Fisheries (1966–2013)

AbstractIn California, recreational fisheries contribute a significant amount to coastal economies, with pelagic and coastal pelagic species constituting a principal set of target species during summer and fall. Although traditional catch frequency (landings) data sets exist for these species, size-specific information is limited, especially for the largest size-classes. We digitized weekly records of trophy catch reported in the “Whoppers of the Week” section of the Western Outdoor News, a California fishing and hunting newspaper published since 1953. The resulting database contained catch records that described the largest fish caught at each sportfishing landing site along the California coast during 1966–2013. We then assessed the temporal dynamics in trophy size of the top-15 pelagic and coastal pelagic species, with a combined total of 21,440 individual catch records. Among the 15 pelagic and coastal pelagic species examined, the Yellowfin Tuna Thunnus albacares and Striped Bass Morone saxatilis wer...
Automotive Applications of Plastics: Past, Present, and Future

Abstract Plastics have increasingly become the premier material of choice in the automotive sector, leading to enhancements in safety, performance, and fuel efficiency. Current legislative and regulatory requirements combined with rising concerns regarding environmental sustainability and fuel economy improvement have led to greater focus on deploying lightweight materials in cars. This chapter gives a brief description of the different parts of a car and properties they are required to possess, along with a list of plastics and composites used in manufacturing them. The chapter concludes with a discussion on the future outlook for the use of sustainable bioplastics and green composites in automobile components where they are not currently used.
Chromatin remodeling in DNA repair and replication

The genetic information encoded in enormous length of DNA is packaged and compartmentalized into the nucleus of eukaryotes as chromatin. Chromatin consists of nucleosomes as the fundamental unit, where ~146 bp of DNA is wrapped around an octamer of histones in nearly two superhelical turns. Within the histone octamer, two copies of H2A-H2B and H3-H4 dimer pairs form the core histones, whereas, histone H1, also called as linker histone, locks the DNA at the either end of the nucleosome and, along with other architectural proteins, folds the chromatin into more condensed and yet poorly defined higher order structures (see Chap. 1). In almost all nuclear processes involving DNA as a substrate, such as transcription, replication, recombination, and repair, the packaging of the genome in chromatin presents inherent barriers that restrict the access of DNA to processing enzymes. Therefore, to access DNA within a chromatin context, the chromatin is reversibly and locally unfolded by counteracting these chromatin constraints during the nuclear process and refolded back after the process is completed. In this regard, the eukaryotic cell has developed two fundamental chromatin modification strategies that includes: (1) Covalent modification of histones catalyzed by histone-modifying enzyme complexes and (2) ATP-dependent perturbations of histone–DNA interactions catalyzed by the SWI/SNF family of ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes. The covalent modification of histone residues that primarily occurs at the N-terminal region of histones can disrupt histone interaction with DNA or alternatively serve as the binding sites for chromatin-associated factors (Jenuwein and Allis 2001). However, the mechanism employed by ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes uses the energy of ATP hydrolysis to alter the positions or composition of nucleosomes in chromatin (Eberharter and Becker 2004). Much of what we currently know about the biological roles of these two classes of chromatin-modifying factors has come from research on the transcriptional regulatory mechanisms that occur during gene activation, whereas studies from the past decade have also shown the link between chromatin modifications and other nuclear events such as DNA repair and replication. Both covalent modification of histones and ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling have been shown to maintain genome integrity and transmit the genetic and epigenetic information to the next generation. This chapter elaborates how the ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes employ mechanisms that work in concert with the DNA repair and replication processes.
Properties of Hydrogenated Nanoporous SiC

Nanoporous silicon carbide is part of the important organosilicate class of low dielectric constant alloys. We report first-principles microscopic calculations of the properties of crystalline nanoporous SiCH systems. Properties examined include the density, pore size, dielectric constant, and strain moduli. We examined the relationship between the various properties and the amount of hydrogen in the material. In addition, the bonding topology is examined. The present results are compared with a variety of experiments.
Compute-in-Memory Architecture for Data-Intensive Kernels

Energy efficiency has emerged as a major barrier to system performance and scalability, especially when dealing with applications which require processing large datasets. These data-intensive kernels differentiate themselves from compute-intensive kernels in that increased processor performance through parallel execution and technology scaling are unlikely to sufficiently improve energy-efficiency. This chapter describes two embodiments of a novel and reconfigurable memory-based computing architecture which is designed to handle data-intensive kernels in a scalable and energy-efficient manner, suitable for next-generation systems.
Probenecid and Diethyldithiocarbamate as Modifiers of Cisplatin Toxicity

Cisplatin (CP) has proved to be the most important new chemotherapeutic agent in the last two decades. The clinical use of CP in treating cancer was initially severely limited by nephrotoxicity. With the use of hydration and mannitol diuresis, renal damage was minimized for CP used at standard doses (up to 100 mg/m2). Now long-term use of the drug in responding patients is limited by renal dysfunction in approximately 20% of patients. In attempting to expand the use of cisplatin with high doses, clinicians have found nephrotoxicity, as well as other toxicities, to be dose-limiting. At Stanford University, we have conducted trials to ameliorate toxicity through two different mechanisms of action: inhibition of platinum renal secretion in the kidney by probenecid and chelation of platinum with diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC).
Masking release for hearing-impaired listeners: The effect of increased audibility through reduction of amplitude variability

The masking release (i.e., better speech recognition in fluctuating compared to continuous noise backgrounds) observed for normal-hearing (NH) listeners is generally reduced or absent in hearing-impaired (HI) listeners. One explanation for this lies in the effects of reduced audibility: elevated thresholds may prevent HI listeners from taking advantage of signals available to NH listeners during the dips of temporally fluctuating noise where the interference is relatively weak. This hypothesis was addressed through the development of a signal-processing technique designed to increase the audibility of speech during dips in interrupted noise. This technique acts to (i) compare short-term and long-term estimates of energy, (ii) increase the level of short-term segments whose energy is below the average energy, and (iii) normalize the overall energy of the processed signal to be equivalent to that of the original long-term estimate. Evaluations of this energy-equalizing (EEQ) technique included consonant identification and sentence reception in backgrounds of continuous and regularly interrupted noise. For HI listeners, performance was generally similar for processed and unprocessed signals in continuous noise; however, superior performance for EEQ processing was observed in certain regularly interrupted noise backgrounds.