cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Planning pre-grasp manipulation for transport tasks

Studies of human manipulation strategies suggest that pre-grasp object manipulation, such as rotation or sliding of the object to be grasped, can improve task performance by increasing both the task success rate and the quality of load-supporting postures. In previous demonstrations, pre-grasp object rotation by a robot manipulator was limited to manually-programmed actions. We present a method for automating the planning of pre-grasp rotation for object transport tasks. Our technique optimizes the grasp acquisition point by selecting a target object pose that can be grasped by high-payload manipulator configurations. Careful selection of the transition states leads to successful transport plans for tasks that are otherwise infeasible. In addition, optimization of the grasp acquisition posture also indirectly improves the transport plan quality, as measured by the safety margin of the manipulator payload limits.
An industrial advisory council for a computer science department: a case study

This paper defines the need for an Industrial Advisory Council for a Computer Science Department and describes how such a Council can benefit the Department in its construction and updating of curriculum, in faculty and student development, in its relationship with the college or university administration and in its work with industry recruiters and management. The paper gives the details of a working Industrial Advisory Council and explains how the Council has actually helped with the items listed above.The Council described functioned for three years while the author was Head of the Department at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. The author now has a new position at Western Illinois University and the paper describes the formation of a new Council at that University.
Energy Detection in the Ocean Acoustic Environment

The performance of the energy detector is evaluated using ambient noise data from several ocean acoustic environments. Estimates of the false alarm probability are presented as a function of the detection threshold for each environment. Estimated values for the corresponding minimum detectable signal‐to‐noise ratio (MDS) are also given for an artificially generated white Gaussian signal. The results presented indicate that nonstationary and non‐Gaussian noise statistics can have a significant impact on the relationship between the false alarm probability and the detection threshold. This threshold adjustment results in a serious degradation of energy detector performance in terms of the MDS for some non‐Gaussian noise environments. [Work supported by the Office of Naval Research.]
Viscous effects on Kelvin–Helmholtz instability in a channel

The effects of viscosity on Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in a channel are studied using three different theories; a purely irrotational theory based on the dissipation method, an exact rotational theory and a hybrid irrotational-rotational theory. These new results are compared with previous results from a viscous irrotational theory. An analysis of the neutral state is conducted and its predictions are compared with experimental results related to the transition from a stratified-smooth to a stratified-wavy or slug flow. For values of the gas fraction greater than about 0.20, there is an interval of velocity differences for which the flow is unstable for an interval of wavenumbers between two cutoff wavenumbers, k - and k + . For unstable flows with a velocity difference above that interval or with gas fractions less than 0.20, k - = 0. The maximum critical relative velocity that determines the onset of instability can be found when the kinematic viscosity of the gas and liquid are the same. This critical value is surprisingly achieved when both fluids are inviscid. The neutral curves from the analyses of potential flow of viscous fluids and the hybrid method, the only theories that account for the viscosity of both fluids in this work, indicate that the critical velocity does not change with the viscosity ratio when the kinematic viscosity of the liquid is greater than a critical value. For smaller liquid viscosities, the critical relative velocity decreases.
Different Antifolate-resistant L1210 Cell Variants with either Increased or Decreased Folylpolyglutamate Synthetase Gene Expression at the Level of mRNA Transcription

Abstract L1210 cell variants selected in the presence of the lipophilic dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor, metoprine, expressed increased levels of one-carbon, reduced folate transport inward (Sirotnak, F. M., Moccio, D. M., and Yang, C.-H.(1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 13139-13144). Growth of one of these variants (L1210/R69), with metoprine in the presence of decreasing concentrations of l,L5-CHO-folateH (natural diastereoisomer of 5-formyltetrahydrofolate), resulted in the selection of other variants (L1210/R82, R83, and R84) with further reduction in one-carbon, reduced folate transport and in two cases (L1210/R83 and R84) with 3-8-fold increased folylpolyglutamate synthetase (FPGS) activity and folate compound polyglutamate formation in situ. Metoprine resistance was further increased, and the requirement for exogenous folate during growth was decreased as well in these variants. The increase in FPGS activity observed in L1210/R83 and R84 was characterized by 3- and 8-fold increases in value for Vmax with no change in K and the same increase in a 60-61-kDa protein as shown by immunoblotting. Northern blotting revealed the same increases in these two variants in the level of a 2.3-kilobase FPGS mRNA when compared with control, while Southern blotting of genomic DNA did not reveal any increase in FPGS gene-copy number or restriction polymorphisms. Also, no difference in stability of FPGS mRNA was found between parental and variant cells. In contrast, nuclear run-on assays revealed differences among these cell types in the rate of FPGS mRNA transcription that correlated with increased FPGS activity, protein, and mRNA level in the variants. Similar studies with a transport-defective, methotrexate-resistant L1210 cell variant (L1210/R25) documented a 2-3-fold decrease in FPGS activity, protein, and mRNA levels that was accounted for by a decrease in FPGS mRNA transcription. These results provide the first examples of constituitively altered transcriptional regulation of FPGS activity associated with acquired resistance to antifolates.
Measurement of nasal and oral respiration using inductive plethysmography.

Abstract The role of nasal respiratory function in oral and facial development remains unclear in spite of the long-standing interest of clinicians. Much of the current controversy stems from our inability to define mouth breathing in objective terms and evaluate nasal airway impairment quantitatively. Recent advances in respiratory monitoring technology provide new opportunities to assess upper airway breathing more objectively. The purpose of this study was to describe a new approach for measuring oral and nasal respiration and to test its reliability. The technique involves inductive plethysmography and the data provide an assessment of respiratory, mode without the need to enclose the subject's head in an airtight box. The data were compared to pneumotachography and the results demonstrate the reliability of the technique.
The effect of environmental remediation on the cesium-137 levels in white-tailed deer

Due to activities involving nuclear energy research during the latter half of the 1900s, environmental contamination in the form of elevated cesium-137 levels was observed within the Brookhaven National Laboratory, a US Department of Energy facility. Between the years 2000 and 2005, the laboratory carried out a major soil cleanup effort to remove cesium-137 from contaminated sites. In this study, we examine the effectiveness of the cleanup effort by comparing the levels of cesium-137 in the meat of white-tailed deer found within and around the laboratory. Results suggest that the cleanup was effective, with mean concentration of cesium-137 in the meat from within the laboratory decreasing from 2.04 Bq/g prior to 1.22 Bq/g after cleanup. At the current level, the consumption of deer would not pose any human health hazard. Nevertheless, statistically higher levels of cesium-137 were detected in the deer within the laboratory as opposed to levels found in deer 1 mi beyond the laboratory site.
Missed opportunities in the treatment of pediatric appendicitis

Introduction This study sought to evaluate the outcomes of in-hospital delay and determine associated co-morbidities in the treatment of pediatric acute appendicitis.
A grid-based sink location service for large-scale wireless sensor networks

Location-based routing (LBR) is one of the most widely used routing strategies in large-scale wireless sensor networks (WSN). With LBR, small, cheap and resource constrained nodes can perform the routing function without the need of complex computations and large amount of memory space. Further, the nodes don't need to incur in energy consuming periodic advertisements because routing tables, in the traditional sense, are not needed. One important assumption made on most LBR protocols is the availability of a location service or mechanism that the nodes can utilize to find other nodes positions. Although several mechanisms exist in the literature, no efficient mechanism is available for a source to find the location of the sink or sinks. In this paper, we introduce the Anchor Location Service (ALS) protocol, a grid-based location service strategy for source nodes to find the sinks' locations and support location-based routing in large-scale wireless sensor networks. We describe the grid set up and query processes and evaluate the delay and overhead of this mechanism by varying the number of sinks, considering networks of different sizes, and the case where the sink nodes move, not common in the literature. Using simulations, we demonstrate that ALS provides the required service in a scalable and efficient manner.
EVALUATION OF THE POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTIONS FOR DETECTING THE ADHESIN GENE, SPECIES-SPECIFIC ANTIGEN, 16S RIBOSOME RNA GENE, UREASE A GENE, AND UREASE C GENE OF HELICOBACTER PYLORI IN GASTRIC BIOPSY SAMPLES. 687

EVALUATION OF THE POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTIONS FOR DETECTING THE ADHESIN GENE, SPECIES-SPECIFIC ANTIGEN, 16S RIBOSOME RNA GENE, UREASE A GENE, AND UREASE C GENE OF HELICOBACTER PYLORI IN GASTRIC BIOPSY SAMPLES. 687
Ab initio cryo-EM structure determination as a validation problem

Robust ab initio structure determination and outcome validation are significant challenges that limit the potential of single particle structural EM. Stochastic Hill Climbing (SHC) can improve the convergence properties of widely-used projection matching (PM) algorithms and facilitate ab initio structure determination, but outcome correctness remains in question as SHC is an local optimizer. We propose a protocol, VIPER, for determination and validation of ab initio structures based on an evolutionary approach. The outcomes of parallel independent runs are brought into register, monitored for consistency, and crossovers are conducted to improve overall convergence behavior. After each generation, the best candidates are selected according to their L2 norm values used as a goal function. Screening based on reproducibility of individual image parameters allows for outlier elimination. This new approach introduces rigorous outcome validation into EM ab initio structure determination.
Photothermal Response of Near-Infrared-Absorbing NanoGUMBOS:

The photothermal properties of several near-infrared-absorbing nanoparticles derived from group of uniform materials based on organic salts (GUMBOS) and composed of cationic dyes coupled with biocompatible anions are evaluated. These nanoparticles were synthesized using a reprecipitation method performed at various pH values: 2.0, 5.0, 7.0, 9.0, and 11.0. The cations for the nanoparticles derived from GUMBOS (nanoGUMBOS), [1048] and [1061], have absorbance maxima at wavelengths overlapping with human soft tissue absorbance minima. Near-infrared-absorbing nanoGUMBOS excited with a 1064 nm continuous laser led to heat generation, with an average temperature increase of 20.4 ± 2.7 °C. Although the [1061][Deoxycholate] nanoGUMBOS generated the highest temperature increase (23.7 ± 2.4 °C), it was the least photothermally efficient compound (13.0%) due to its relatively large energy band gap of 0.892 eV. The more photothermally efficient compound [1048][Ascorbate] (64.4%) had a smaller energy band gap of 0.861 eV and provided an average photothermal temperature increase of 21.0 ± 2.1 °C.
An analysis of subgrid-resolved scale interactions with use of results from direct numerical simulations

Subgrid nonlinear interaction and energy transfer are analyzed using direct numerical simulations of isotropic turbulence. Influences of cutoff wave number at different ranges of scale on the energetics and dynamics have been investigated. It is observed that subgrid-subgrid interaction dominates the turbulent dynamics when cut-off wave number locates in the energy-containing range while resolved-subgrid interaction dominates if it is in the dissipation range. By decomposing the subgrid energy transfer and nonlinear interaction into ‘forward’ and ‘backward’ groups according to the sign of triadic interaction, we find that individually each group has very large contribution, but the net of them is much smaller, implying that tremendous cancellation happens between these two groups.
FEL oscillation in IR region using a two-mode compact linac

Abstract Free-electron-laser of (FEL) oscillation at 14 μm using a two-mode compact linac is reported. FEL oscillation with a net gain of 7% is obtained using an electron beam with an energy of 24.8 MeV, peak current of 30 A, and pulse duration of 10 μs. Since an electron beam with good properties such as a low emittance and narrow energy spread is essential for the FEL oscillation, a low-emittance gun supplied with a high voltage of DC −200 kV and a klystron modulator having a precise voltage stability were developed. The linac can not only be operated as a FEL source but also an injector for a synchrotron radiation ring. This is the first such linac reported and is expected to enable cost-effective industrial use of FEL.
Development of a model for nerve agent inhalation in conscious rats.

AbstractThis study characterizes the development of a head-out inhalation exposure system for assessing respiratory toxicity of vaporized chemical agents in untreated, non-anesthetized rats. The organophosphate diisopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP) induces classical cholinergic toxicity following inhalation exposure and was utilized to validate the effectiveness of this newly designed inhalation exposure system. A saturator cell apparatus was used to generate DFP vapor at 9750, 10 950, 12 200, 14 625 and 19 500 mg × min/m3 which was carried by filtered nitrogen into a glass mixing tube, where it combined with ambient air before being introduced to the custom-made glass exposure chamber. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (250–300 g) were restrained in individual head-out plethysmography chambers, which acquired respiratory parameters before, during and after agent exposure. All animals were acclimated to the exposure system prior to exposure to reduce novel environment-induced stress. The LCt50, as determined by probit...
Air-Gap Fabrication Using a Sacrificial Polymeric Thin Film Synthesized via Initiated Chemical Vapor Deposition

Thin films of a sacrificial polymer based on poly(cyclohexyl methacrylate) (PCHMA) were synthesized using initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD). iCVD is able to make cross-linked PCHMA in situ on a substrate in one step without using any solvents. Although cross-linked, the polymer was found to decompose cleanly, leaving behind a maximum of 0.3% of residue by thickness upon completion of thermal annealing. Cross-linking renders the polymer stable in practically all solvents, so photoresist used for patterning can be removed by dissolution instead of ashing. The high etch rate (0.35 μm/min) in oxygen reactive-ion etching in addition to the stability in solvents eliminates the need of a hard mask during etching. This represents an improvement over previously reported spin-on sacrificial materials. Infrared spectroscopy and solubility tests confirm the identity of the iCVD polymer and its stability in solvents. The onset of thermal decomposition is 270°C, allowing the polymer to survive high-temperature processing steps. Fabrication using conventional lithographic, etching, and deposition techniques resulted in void structures having feature sizes of a minimum of 1.5 μm. This work represents a novel approach for air-gap fabrication using a sacrificial polymer, combining the rationale behind cross-linking and the technique required for thin-film deposition.
Loop calculations for the Green-Schwarz superstring

Several path integrals are calculated for the heterotic string with the Green-Schwarz covariant action. It is shown that if supersymmetry is unbroken, the cosmological constant vanishes to all orders, and one-and two-particle S-matrix elements for massless particles recieve no loop corrections. In addition, the one-loop calculation at finite temperature gives the correct lowest-order free energy.
Rückstoß-Reaktionen des Tritiums mit organischen Verbindungen

Aus Kernreaktionen stammende „heise” Tritiumatome mit mehr als thermischer Energie abstrahieren oder substituieren nach einer gewissen „Abkuhlung” in organischen Verbindungen (RH, RX) Wasserstoff oder Substituenten × (z. B. CH3, NH2, NO2, OH, COOH, F, Cl, Br, J). Bei allen Reaktionen mit Tritium beobachtet man zwischen protonierten und deuterierten Verbindungen Isotopie-Effekte. Fur die Alternative Substitution oder Abstraktion, fur die spezifische Reaktion an bestimmten C-Atomen und fur die Isotopie-Effekte werden Modelle und Mechanismen diskutiert. Diesen liegen sterische, bindungsenergetische und kinetische Annahmen zugrunde.
Acylation of trimethylsilyl acetate. a synthetic route to β-keto acids and methyl ketones

Abstract β-Keto acids are important intermediates for the preparation of ketones1,2 and for the synthesis of a variety of natural products.3,4 These compounds have also been used extensively for studies of the mechanism of decarboxylation.5,6
Effect of impactor radius on low-velocity impact damage of glass/epoxy composites

With composites finding increased use as primary structures in commercial aircraft, it is necessary to understand the development of damage when a laminate is subject to low-velocity impacts from a variety of sources, which often occur during normal service operations and routine maintenance. In particular, contact with ground service equipment can present a blunt impact to the composite structure. Therefore, the effects of bluntness of an impactor are of interest as this is related to the development of any internal damage in the laminate, or even the surrounding structure, and also affects the visual detectability of an impact event. The objective of this investigation is to determine the effect of impactor radius on the impact damage resistance of composite panels. A low-velocity pendulum impactor was used to strike 200 mm2 woven glass/epoxy composite plates of 3.18 and 6.35 mm thickness. Hemispherical steel impactor tips of radius 12.7, 50.8, and 152.4 mm were mounted to a piezoelectric force sensor w...
Periodontal Diseases in the U.S. In 1981: Prevalence, Severity, Extent, and Role in Tooth Mortality

Prevalence, severity, and extent of periodontal diseases as well as the role of periodontal diseases in tooth mortality are described for persons 19 years and older in the U.S. in 1981. The data were collected with a household probability sample of non-institutionalized persons living in the contiguous 48 states. Plaque and calculus scores were collected for six index teeth. All permanent teeth present and capable of being assessed were scored for gingivitis; pocket depths were measured on the mesial of each tooth with a periodontal probe. Examinations were conducted by trained dentists calibrated on specific criteria. Only 15% of persons in the U.S. in 1981 were free from any sign of periodontal diseases. Periodontitis (pockets ≥ 4 mm) affected approximately 36% of the population. Advanced Periodontitis (pockets ≥ 6 mm) was present in 8% of the population and was usually found on only one or two teeth when present. End-stage periodontal destruction requiring extraction of teeth was found in only 4% of al...
Extracellular ATP and P2Y2 receptors mediate intercellular Ca2+ waves induced by mechanical stimulation in submandibular gland cells: Role of mitochondrial regulation of store operated Ca2+ entry

Coordination of Ca(2+) signaling among cells contributes to synchronization of salivary gland cell function. However, mechanisms that underlie this signaling remain elusive. Here, intercellular Ca(2+) waves (ICW) in submandibular gland cells were investigated using Fura-2 fluorescence imaging. Mechanical stimulation of single cells induced ICW propagation from the stimulated cells through approximately 7 layers of cells or approximately 120microm. Our findings indicate that an extracellular ATP-dependent pathway is involved because the purinergic receptor antagonist suramin and the ATP hydrolyzing enzyme apyrase blocked ICW propagation. However, the gap junction uncoupler oleamide had no effect. ATP is released from mechanically stimulated cells possibly through opening of mechanosensitive maxi-anion channels, and does not appear to be directly linked to cytosolic Ca(2+). The ICW is propagated by diffusing ATP, which activates purinergic receptors in neighboring cells. This purinergic signaling induces a Ca(2+) transient that is dependent on Ca(2+) release via IP(3) receptors in the ER and store operated Ca(2+) entry (SOCE). Finally, inhibition of mitochondrial Ca(2+) uptake modified ICW indicating an important role of these organelles in this phenomenon. These studies increase our understanding of purinergic receptor signaling in salivary gland cells, and its role as a coordination mechanism of Ca(2+) signals induced by mechanical stimulation.
Framework for asynchronous discussion design decisions: applied principles from special issue authors

After a discussion of the state of both misaligned and informative online and distance education research, the authors in this special issue (hereafter called the collective) extract evidence-based principles about strategies that work. Both are addressed in this article. First, their criticisms centered on the value of comparative research. Those discussions are compared to debates by the International Board of Standards for Training Performance and Instruction (ibstpi). Second, to summarize and synthesize the evidence-based principles on interactions of online distance learners with content, peers and instructors, I offer a framework for planning, developing, and executing online distance education learning activities. The guidelines from the collective are organized within this framework for making asynchronous discussion design decisions. Finally, a redesign of an existing online distance education course exemplifies how these evidence based principles may be applied in a real example.
Planarity Algorithms via PQ-Trees (Extended Abstract)

Abstract We give an abstract vertex-addition method for planarity testing that encompasses the algorithms of Lempel, Even, and Cederbaum, Shih and Hsu, and Boyer and Myrvold. The main difference between the former and the latter two is the order of vertex addition; the latter two differ only in implementation details. For the general method we give a direct proof of correctness that avoids the use of Kuratowski's theorem. We give a linear-time implementation that simplifies and unifies the Shih-Hsu and Boyer-Myrvold methods. Our algorithm extends to generate embeddings uniformly at random, to count embeddings, to represent all embeddings, and to produce a Kuratowski subgraph of a non-planar graph. Our algorithm keeps track of all possible embeddings by reinterpreting Booth and Lueker's PQ-tree data structure to represent circular instead of linear orders. This interpretation of PQ-trees gives the PC-trees of Shih and Hsu and leads to a simpler, more-symmetric form of PQ-tree reduction.
Dietary Estrogenic Isoflavones Are Potent Inhibitors of β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase of P testosteronii

Abstract The isoflavones daidzein, genistein, biochanin A and formononetin selectively inhibit the γ-isozymes of mammalian alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). Since γ-ADH is the only ADH isoform that catalyzes 3β-hydroxysteroid oxidation, it was conjectured that these isoflavones might also inhibit other enzymes involved in 3β-hydroxysteroid metabolism. P. testosteronii β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (β-HSD) was used to evaluate this hypothesis. Indeed, all isoflavones that inhibit γ-ADH were found to be potent inhibitors of β-HSD. Both the 3β- and 17β-HSD activities of the enzyme are inhibited. Kinetic analyses with pregnenolone (3-beta-OH) and testosterone (17-beta-OH) as substrates reveal that daidzein and genistein inhibit β-HSD competitively with respect to the sterol substrates. Their Ki values are very similar and range from 0.013 to 0.02 μM. These results suggest that isoflavones may exert some of their biological effects by modulating activities of enzymes that metabolize steroids critical to hormonal and/or neuronal functions.
The histo-blood group ABO system and tissue transplantation

In general, one might expect that ABO incompatibility of donor and recipient would be important to some degree if viability of the transplanted allograft is important for graft incorporation and function. This is true for some recipients of organs. However, ABO incompatibility appears to play a minor role, if any, in the clinical success of viable cornea and viable skin allografts. Even though A and B antigens may be present on the transplanted tissue, other factors that can contribute include the strength of the immune response, the avidity of the antibody, and the dose of the antigen presented, which may vary from donor to donor. Although A and B antigens are present on endothelium, the use of ABO-incompatible heart valves is successful, as they carry out their mechanical function by using the strength of the connective tissue rather than the viability of the donor endothelium. The presence, immunogenicity, and significance of A and B antigens in human vessel transplants have not been well studied. With the more commonly transplanted tissue, such as bone and tendon, posttransplant success does not depend on cellular viability or ABO compatibility.
Color-word interference in deaf and hearing children

Demonstrated differences between deaf and hearing Ss in learning and recall of verbal material may reflect differences in the initial apprehension of the Stimuli or in the storage-retrieval process. The Stroop test was used to assess the apprehension of materials with a minimum contribution of memory. Results showed the deaf to be significantly faster on the interference task but slower at naming words alone than were hearing children of the same reading levels.
Bounds for the Distribution Function of a Sum of Independent, Identically Distributed Random Variables

The problem is considered of obtaining bounds for the (cumulative) distribution function of the sum of n independent, identically distributed random variables with k prescribed moments and given range. For n = 2 it is shown that the best bounds are attained or arbitrarily closely approached with discrete random variables which take on at most 2k + 2 values. For nonnegative random variables with given mean, explicit bounds are obtained when n = 2; for arbitrary values of n, bounds are given which are asymptotically best in the “tail” of the distribution. Some of the results contribute to the more general problem of obtaining bounds for the expected value of a given function of independent, identically distributed random variables when the expected values of certain functions of the individual variables are given. Although the results are modest in Scope, the authors hope that this paper will draw attention to a problem of both mathematical and statistical interest.
Low starting current cage induction motors for the offshore petrochemical industry

Offshore electrical power systems are generally compact with low fault levels, yet modem production needs high power electric motors. Examples are product-transfer or re-injection gas compressors, water injection pumps and oil transfer pumps. To start such motors on a small power system requires equipment that is reliable, compact, cost-effective and designed with the system in mind. This paper sets out the main design criteria that need to be satisfied to meet these difficult requirements, as an aid to the specifiers and operators of such equipment. In particular the following topics are covered: offshore specification requirements, including NEMA, EEMUA, API and IEC; power system considerations, including configuration and modelling; practical solutions, including transformer assistance, star-delta starting, soft-starting and special cage design and the comparative costs of different solutions; the design of cage induction motors for low starting current performance <2.8 times full load current, including the prediction of performance, comparison with test and experience in service; the hazardous environment implications of low starting current cage induction motor applications, including cage temperatures, purging and pressurising and motor auxiliaries; experience in major offshore applications of the low starting current induction motors; and pitfalls in making these choices, at the specification stage and in operation.
97. Translational Studies toward Optimizing In Vivo Bone Marrow Stem Cell Gene Transfer Using Lentiviral Vector

strategy is hampered by low efficiency of gene transfer and expression in repopulating HSC. To overcome this problem, we analyze the effect of overexpression of HoxB4, which can expand HSC, in mouse BM cells by transplantation of MLD mice. 5FU treated GFP mouse BM cells were transduced with retroviral vector expressing HoxB4 (B4) or control retroviral vector expressing GFP (MIG). After expansion of these transduced cells in vitro for five days transplantation was performed into irradiated MLD mice. High level of engraftment was observed in B4 transplanted MLD mice (B4MLD) compared to MIG transplanted MLD mice (MIGMLD)(92.4 vs. 36.5 %). ASA enzyme activity in serum was also increased in B4MLD compared to MIGMLD (19.8 vs. 10.3 nm/mg/hr). To evaluate the contribution of bone marrow cells as carriers for gene therapy of neurological disorders, we studied the fate of transplanted BM cells in the adult mouse brain. Efficient GFP positive neuronal cells were detected in B4MLD brain compared to MIGMLD brain. Immunohistochemical staining showed that most of the GFP positive cells ware IbaI positive microglia cells as we and others reported. In addition, O4 positive oligodendocyte like cells were identified only in the B4MLD brain but not in the MIGMLD brain (O4 positive/GFP positive: 6/326 vs. 0/312). This is the first demonstration indicating that systemically infused HSCc could differentiate to oligodendrocytes in adult mouse brain. It was recently suggested that HoxB4 could play a role in oligodendrocyte maturation. Our data strongly support that HSCs transduced with HoxB4 expression vector are useful for ex vivo gene therapy of CNS disorders as carriers of production of therapeutic protein and for regeneration of oligodendrocytes to treat demyelinating disorders such as MLD, Krabbe disease, and multiple sclerosis.
Impact of Rivastigmine on Caregiver Burden Associated with Alzheimer’s Disease in Both Informal Care and Nursing Home Settings

Progressive deterioration in cognitive function and the ability to perform activities of daily living are the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD). As the disease progresses and behavioural/neuropsychiatric symptoms become more predominant, carers of AD patients themselves encounter a raft of physical, emotional, social and financial problems. Appropriate therapeutic management of AD patients, particularly their behavioural symptoms, may reduce the burden placed on family and professional caregivers. Preservation of cholinergic neurotransmission by cholinesterase inhibitors is the mainstay of pharmacological therapy for AD. Rivastigmine, a dual inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase, has pharmacological properties that appear particularly favourable regarding the behavioural symptoms of AD. In addition to its beneficial effects on cognitive and global function, rivastigmine treatment in mild-to-moderate AD is associated with improvements in behavioural symptoms, a decreased requirement for antipsychotic drugs and delays in nursing home placement; reductions in caregiver burden, caregiver time and costs have also been reported. Rivastigmine treatment has also demonstrated improvements in behavioural symptoms and reductions in psychotropic medication usage in nursing home residents with moderate-to-severe AD, and may be associated with a reduction in professional caregiver burden. In summary, the positive effects of rivastigmine on functional and behavioural symptoms of AD help to reduce the time, stress and overall burden associated with caregiving, both in the informal home care and nursing home environments.
Cassiodorus's Commentary on the Psalms as an Ars rhetorica

Abstract: The Commentary on the Psalms is the least studied of Cassiodorus9s sixth-century works. Close knowledge of it significantly alters our understanding of the Introduction to Divine and Human Readings , with which it should be paired. The Commentary serves to establish the Bible as the source for all the liberal arts and a model for rhetorical imitation. This essay examines the eloquence Cassiodorus discovers in the Psalter, focussing in particular on those passages which he marked with the marginal notation for Rhetoric: RT. Cassiodorus finds examples of deliberative, demonstrative, and judicial oration in the Psalter. His elucidation of them does not simply preserve classical lore, but rather presents a sophisticated alternative to pagan theory and practice. A fuller understanding of Cassiodorus9s view helps us to grasp his formative influence on medieval culture, rhetoric, and poetics.
Spontaneous and Amethopterin-induced Death of L1210 Leukaemia Cells in vivo

THE principal aim in cancer chemotherapy is to find compounds which kill the tumour cells without irreversibly damaging normal cells of the host. If the cells of a cancer, like many normal cells of the body, are continuously dying, the cancer could be controlled by slowing the rate of tumour cell proliferation below the rate of tumour cell death. Tumour remissions could then be obtained by administration of a drug which does not directly kill the tumour cells. One of the most successful chemotherapeutic agents, amethopterin (methotrexate), may act in this way.
Fabrication of Pt-Si Schottky diodes using soft lithographic patterning and selective chemical vapor deposition

This work demonstrates the feasibility of using soft lithographic patterning in conjunction with additive metallization to fabricate micron-scale electronic devices. Specifically, the fabrication of platinum/platinum silicide/silicon Schottky diodes is demonstrated using a unique combination of soft lithographic patterning and additive metallization techniques. The diode architecture provides a useful means through which to demonstrate the specific characteristics and general utility of this fabrication technique. A 30 × 10 array of micron-scale diode features was patterned on a silicon substrate using a polymeric film prepared by micromolding in capillaries (MIMIC), a soft lithographic patterning technique. Following etching to remove oxide from the substrate surface, metallization by selective platinum chemical vapor deposition (CVD) was used to form rectifying contacts to the substrate. The polymeric film successfully served both as an oxide etch resist before metallization and as a deposition-inhibiti...
Creating a Vitality Index as an Effective Citizen Participation Tool

One of the fundamental requirements of government-funded economic development activities is a provision guaranteeing citizen participation. An effective citizen participation tool must be understandable to a general audience yet must not obscure the inherent system characteristics of the local development process. To meet these two criteria, our vitality index uses a visual profile of twenty-four demographic, economic, quality of life, geographic, and environmental measures. The index is constructed by transforming the raw data for each category into standard deviations from the state average. This visual profile can encourage the participation of citizens with varying degrees of previous involvement in economic development planning. An example of the vitality index is given using four Nebraska counties.
Optimum conditions for dilute acid hydrolysis of hemicellulose in dried distillers grains with solubles.

Abstract Corn dried distillers grains (DDGS) had high hemicellulose contents and were suitable for conversion to pentose under dilute acid conditions. The effects of the hydrolysis conditions, including reaction temperature (110–130 °C), time (30–90 min), and acid concentration (2–4%, w/v), on profile and yield of mono-sugars were determined using response surface methodology. Three major sugars, namely xylose, arabinose, and glucose were generated during dilute acid hydrolysis. Reaction temperature, time, and acid concentration had significant effects on xylose and arabinose yields, while glucose yield was affected only by temperature and acid concentration. Lower reaction temperature and longer reaction time favorably affected xylose and arabinose yields. The optimum levels of the independent variables were 112 °C reaction temperature for 84.5 min and 3.1% (w/v) acid concentration. The corresponding predicted responses were xylose yield of 267.3 mg/g dry matter, arabinose yield of 121.2 mg/g dry matter, and glucose yield of 46.3 mg/g dry matter. The selected second-order models were deemed the best since the experimental values were close to the predicted values at the optimum conditions, and high correlation coefficients (R2) were obtained for all models.
Impaired immunologic reactivity and recurrence following cancer surgery

One hundred patients were tested for their ability to react to 7 commonly encountered skin test antigens and to develop delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity to 2, 4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB). Following sensitization, more than 95% of normal patients, but only 60% of patients with potentially resectable neoplasms, exhibited delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity to DNCB. A correlation is suggested between the inability to react to DNCB and the incidence of either inoperability, local recurrence, or distant metastases within 6 months post-operatively. Ninety-three percent (27/29) of patients who failed to react to DNCB were inoperable or developed early recurrence, whereas 92% (50/54) of patients who reacted to DNCB were free of disease for 6 months; but many of these patients were nonreactive to all of the common skin test antigens. These studies suggest that there is a significant correlation between cell mediated immunologic reactivity as measured by delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity to DNCB and the course of malignant disease following definitive cancer surgery.
Advances in pressureless densification of boron carbide

The coarsening processes which occur concurrently with the sintering of B4C were deduced using differential dilatometry, weight loss and grain size measurements. B2O3 coatings on B4C particles stalled the onset of densification until these coatings decomposed away at 1840°C. Oxide gaseous species formed in this process were postulated to be one conduit of particle coarsening. At higher temperatures, the volatilization of B4C itself were interpreted to be the second vapor phase coarsening mechanism, starting at temperatures above 2000°C. Carbon additions or soaking the compact in a hydrogen-containing atmosphere at 1350°C removed the oxide coatings at temperatures below those in which sintering or coarsening occurred. Accelerating densification above 2130°C was attributed to nonstoichiometric volatilization, leaving carbon behind to facilitate activated sintering.
Serum α-Fetoprotein in a Mouse Strain (C3H-Avy fB) with Spontaneous Hepatocellular Carcinomas

Summary In a study of the association between circulating α-fetoprotein concentrations and spontaneous hepatocellular carcinomas, we examined C3H- A vy fB mice, which with age consistently demonstrate a rapidly increasing incidence of hepatic cancer. Although elevated α-fetoprotein levels are observed in association with the majority of these tumors, no elevation of α-fetoprotein was observed during the life course of non-tumor-bearing mice despite their age-dependent risk for hepatic cancer. Therefore, whatever the evolutionary or age-related biological changes may be that lead to tumor formation in this mouse, they are not linked to the synthesis of significant amounts of this oncofetal protein.
A Broader Importance of NOPR to the Future of Nuclear Imaging

See page [831][1] In their article published in this issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine ([1][2]), Hillner and coauthors once again emerge from the trove of data that is the National Oncologic PET Registry (NOPR) with valuable insights. This time, the investigators turned their attention to 7
Portable microfluidic chip for detection of Escherichia coli in produce and blood

Pathogenic agents can lead to severe clinical outcomes such as food poisoning, infection of open wounds, particularly in burn injuries and sepsis. Rapid detection of these pathogens can monitor these infections in a timely manner improving clinical outcomes. Conventional bacterial detection methods, such as agar plate culture or polymerase chain reaction, are time-consuming and dependent on complex and expensive instruments, which are not suitable for point-of-care (POC) settings. Therefore, there is an unmet need to develop a simple, rapid method for detection of pathogens such as Escherichia coli. Here, we present an immunobased microchip technology that can rapidly detect and quantify bacterial presence in various sources including physiologically relevant buffer solution (phosphate buffered saline [PBS]), blood, milk, and spinach. The microchip showed reliable capture of E. coli in PBS with an efficiency of 71.8% ± 5% at concentrations ranging from 50 to 4,000 CFUs/mL via lipopolysaccharide binding protein. The limits of detection of the microchip for PBS, blood, milk, and spinach samples were 50, 50, 50, and 500 CFUs/mL, respectively. The presented technology can be broadly applied to other pathogens at the POC, enabling various applications including surveillance of food supply and monitoring of bacteriology in patients with burn wounds.
Hierarchy of Cosmological Baryon Generation

The hierarchy of baryon generation by multiple species of both gauge and Higgs bosons whose interactions do no conserve baryon number are considered. A procedure for computing the final baryon asymmetry in terms of the masses and coupling strengths of all the various species is presented. If the lightest gauge boson has a mass below 10/sup 15/ GeV, then the final asymmetry depends only upon this boson and any lighter Higgs bosons.
Optical implementation of Clos network using reversible nonlinear interface devices

The authors deal with optical implementation of crossbar switches and a Clos network, using reversible nonlinear interface (RNI) devices. The proposed building block for these implementations is a two-by-two optical switch box capable of performing four basic switching actions. The routing algorithms for the Clos network are discussed. Some applications for these networks are suggested. >
Passive Maple-Seed Robotic Fliers for Education, Research and Entrepreneurship.

As inspirations from flora and fauna have led to many advances in modern technology, the concept of drawing ideas from nature for design should be reflected in engineering education. This paper focuses on a maple-seed robotic flier (MRF) with various complexities, a robotic platform modeled after the samaras of maple or ash trees, to teach STEM concepts to K-12 learners. Experiments using MRFs were also designed and incorporated into an undergraduate engineering course. Details are given on how the MRFs have been incorporated into K-12 camps and the undergraduate course. Unique features of MRF development are (a) very simple (using LEGOs and paper) to extremely complex (incorporation of microcontrollers and sensors) learning suitable for pre-K children, free-will adult learners, workforce training, undergraduate and graduate students, (b) research-oriented education, (c) entrepreneurship education and (d) trans-disciplinary education and research. Using microfabrication and nanofabrication technologies, the long range goal is to mass produce MRFs for surveillance in hard-to-reach and dangerous environments.
COM revisited: tool-assisted modelling of an architectural framework

Designing architectural frameworks without the aid of formal modeling is error prone. But, unless supported by analysis, formal modeling is prone to its own class of errors, in which formal statements fail to match the designer's intent. A fully automatic analysis tool can rapidly expose such errors, and can make the process of constructing and refining a formal model more effective.This paper describes a case study in which we recast a model of Microsoft COM's query interface and aggregation mechanism into Alloy, a lightweight notation for describing structures. We used Alloy's analyzer to simulate the specification, to check properties and to evaluate changes. This allowed us to manipulate our model more quickly and with far greater confidence than would otherwise have been possible, resulting in a much simpler model and a better understanding of its key properties.
Unprecedented Mechanism Employed by the Salmonella enterica EutT ATP:Co(I)rrinoid Adenosyltransferase Precludes Adenosylation of Incomplete Co(II)rrinoids.

Three distinct families of ATP:corrinoid adenosyltransferases (ACATs) exist that are capable of converting vitamin B12 derivatives to coenzyme B12 by catalyzing the thermodynamically challenging reduction of Co(II)rrinoids to form “super-nucleophilic” Co(I) intermediates. While the structures and mechanisms for the other two ACAT families have been studied extensively, little is known about the EutT enzymes beyond the fact that they exhibit a unique requirement for a divalent metal cofactor for enzymatic activity. In this study we have obtained compelling evidence that EutT converts cob(II)alamin to an effectively four-coordinate Co(II) species so as to facilitate Co(II) → Co(I) reduction. Intriguingly, EutT fails to promote axial ligand dissociation for the substrate analogue cob(II)inamide, a natural precursor of cob(II)alamin. This unique substrate specificity of EutT has important physiological implications.