cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Metabolic vulnerability disposes retinal ganglion cell axons to dysfunction in a model of glaucomatous degeneration

We tested the hypothesis that glaucoma disrupts electrophysiological conduction properties and axon function in optic nerve as a function of intraocular pressure (IOP) levels and age in the DBA/2J mouse model of glaucoma. The amplitude and the integral of electrical signals evoked along the axons decreased considerably by 6 months of age as a function of increasing IOP levels. At young ages, raised IOP was directly associated with increased vulnerability to metabolic challenge. Changes in the physiological function of the optic nerves were accentuated with aging, leading to loss of compound action potential in an entire population of fibers: small, slow conducting axons. This loss was accompanied with loss of small fiber axon counts and declining metabolic reserve by demonstrating IOP-dependent ATP decrease in mouse optic nerves. These data shed light on a novel potential mechanism of glaucoma pathology whereby increased IOP and declining metabolic capacity lead to axon liability and eventually dysfunction and loss.
Line sources in general relativity

This paper is a preliminary study of how the field of a thin massive "wire" can be characterized in general relativity. For a class of "simple" line sources, a linear stress-energy-momentum tensor can be defined in terms of the extrinsic curvature of a tube of constant geodesic radius centered on the wire, in the limit when the radius shrinks to zero. A number of examples are considered, including the ring singularity of the Kerr metric. The Kerr ring is composed of dustlike material circulating about it with the speed of light. The mass distribution in a cross section is proportional tc $cos(\frac{\ensuremath{\psi}}{2})$, where $\ensuremath{\psi}$ is the angle of rotation about the ring in a plane normal to it. The "half-pole" structure is compatible with single-valuedness because of the two-sheeted character of the Kerr manifold.
Serum Triglyceride Elevation Following High-Dose Vitamin A Treatment for Pityriasis Rubra Pilaris

• We describe two patients with pityriasis rubra pilaris in whom hypertriglyceridemia developed following the oral administration of high-dose vitamin A (retinol). The effects of transient hypertriglyceridemia are unknown, as both patients tolerated high-dose vitamin A therapy with minor, if any, other side effects. Both patients had minimal clinical improvement with this therapy. Patients being treated with 1,000,000 IU of vitamin A each day for ten to 14 days should have frequent determinations of serum lipid levels and liver function during the period of drug administration. ( Arch Dermatol 1983;119:675-676)
Impact of moods and social context on eating behavior.

The relationship of moods and social context to energy and nutrient intakes was examined to ascertain if these variables interact or function independently. The subjects were 78 predominantly white, obese women participating in weight-loss studies. Mean age was 36.7 (SD=7.6) and mean Body Mass Index was 32.1 (SD=3.6). Subjects completed 2-week baseline food diaries recording everything they ate, including moods and people present during the meals. Meals eaten in positive and negative moods were significantly larger than meals eaten in a neutral mood. Meals eaten with other people were significantly larger than meals eaten alone. There were no significant moods by social context interactions for total energy intake. Moods and social context functioned additively to increase the risk of over-eating. Macro nutrient analysis revealed only a main effect for social context. Percentage of calories from fat and protein were greater, whereas the percentage of carbohydrate was less in social context meals compared to meals eaten alone. Clinicians should conduct a functional analysis to assess exposure to the frequency and types of risky situations. Teaching people to cope more effectively with social situations and moods may increase the efficacy of weight loss and maintenance programs.
The impact of image block size on face feature extraction using Discrete Cosine Transform

In this paper we conduct an experiment to study the effects of multiple block sizes in face images using the Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) algorithm. Facial features are extracted from each block using the DCT algorithm. These features are then combined to form a feature vector for facial recognition. The goal of the paper is to discover if there is an underlying principle for determining the best block size for increasing the recognition accuracy with the DCT, when it is being used for facial recognition. The support vector machine (SVM) algorithm is used for facial recognition experiments.
Accident involvement and injury rates for small cars in Japan

A comparison of recent U.S. and Japanese small car accident and injury statistics indicates that the two countries have had dramatically differing experience with such cars. In Japan, for the years 1980, 1981, and 1982, while such cars are involved in more accidents per vehicle or per vehicle kilometer traveled than larger cars, there is a lower likelihood of a fatality if an accident occurs. The lower fatality conditional likelihood more than offsets the higher chance of an accident in 1981 and 1982, resulting in small cars having lower fatality rates per unit of exposure than larger vehicles in those years. The difference is tentatively attributed to the direct and indirect impact of the lower speed limits (80 vs 100 kmh) for such cars in Japan, as well as the greater caution drivers of such vehicles exhibit, as evidenced by the fact that small car drivers cause a significantly lower percent of the accidents they are involved in than larger cars.
Electronic Structure and Superconductivity of Indium-Cadmium Alloys

The superconducting transition temperatures (in zero magnetic field) of In-Cd alloys in the range 0-60 at.% cadmium have been measured. ${T}_{c}$ decreases from 3.406 to 3.245\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K in the tetragonal solid solution and from 3.55 to 3.00\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K in the cubic phase, with increasing Cd content. A kink in the ${T}_{c}$-versus-composition curve at 2 at.% Cd is attributed to Fermi-surface-Brillouin-zone interaction. This interpretation is supported by lattice-parameter determinations which show an anomaly at 2% Cd, and also by the magnetic susceptibility measurements of Verkin and Svechkarev. The existence of the superconductivity anomaly at $Z=2.98$ supports a recent hypothesis of Svechkarev concerning the electronic structure of indium. Measurement of reduced resistance ratio $\ensuremath{\rho}\ensuremath{\equiv}\frac{{{R}_{4.2}}^{\ensuremath{\circ}}}{({{R}_{273}}^{\ensuremath{\circ}}\ensuremath{-}{{R}_{4.2}}^{\ensuremath{\circ}})}$ show $\ensuremath{\rho}$ to be linear in Cd concentration $x$ up to the solubility limit at 5 at.% Cd, with a slope of 0.042/(at.% Cd). The data for the tetragonal phase are not linear on a plot of $\frac{\ensuremath{\Delta}{T}_{c}}{x}$ versus $\mathrm{ln}x$, and thus do not fit the present theory of ${T}_{c}$ variation in primary solid solutions. At the tetragonal-cubic phase transition, ${T}_{c}$ jumps by 10% without change of electron/atom ratio, cell volume, or ionic mass. The superconductivity data are all consistent with the published phase diagram of Heumann and Predel.
Impact of Measles in the United States

Measles has had a severe impact on children in the United States since colonial times. In the early decades of the 20th century, thousands of fatal measles infections were reported each year. During the 1950s an annual average of greater than 500,000 cases of measles and nearly 500 deaths due to measles were reported in the United States. Surveys indicated that 95% of the population had been infected with measles by the age of 15 years. The introduction of measles vaccine and its widespread use, which began in 1963, has had a major impact on the occurrence of measles in the United States. Reported numbers of cases, deaths due to measles, and complications of measles (e.g., encephalitis) have declined dramatically. Accompanying the decline in reported incidence of measles and following it by approximately seven years, has been a decline in the reported incidence of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE). In recent years, the incidence of measles has dropped to levels that are less than 1% of those seen in the prevaccine era. In 1981, provisional figures indicated that only 10% of counties in the United States reported any cases of measles. The reported incidence in 1981 was 1.3 cases per 100,000 population, compared with an average incidence of 336.3 cases per 100,000 population in the decade 1950-1959. Thus, the impact of measles in the United States has been markedly reduced, and it is anticipated that indigenous transmission will be eliminated entirely from the country within the year.
Stories About Counselors and Computers: Their Use in Workshops

Story-telling has been a traditional method of teaching new ideas and facilitating change. The author presents three fictional dialogues that demonstrate concerns regarding computers and counseling. Evaluation of these dialogues by participants in a computer training workshop is also discussed.
Transactional theory and research on emotions and coping

In this article we examine the fundamental premises of our cognitive‐relational theory of emotion and coping and assess our progress in examining them through 10 years of programmatic empirical res...
Nutritional adequacy of self-selected diets that satisfy the four food groups guide

Abstract The use of the Four Food Groups as a standard for nutritional adequacy of diets was evaluated by an analysis of 1-day dietary records of 212 young adults. For the 46 subjects reporting the suggested number of servings from the Four Food Groups, nutrient adequacy ratios (NARs) were near or over 80 for all nutrients and over 90 for all except vitamin E, vitamin B-6, and iron. However, only one-third of these subjects attained the RDA for vitamin E, vitamin B-6, iron, and zinc; and only two-thirds achieved the RDA for folacin and magnesium. If the goal of a food guide is to ensure an intake equal to the RDAs, a modification of the Four Food Groups guide is indicated to correct for these shortcomings unless an updating of food composition tables or a revision of the RDA changes this assessment. Alternatively, if a goal of 80% of the RDA is acceptable, the current guide is satisfactory.
Regulation of learning and memory by meningeal immunity: a key role for IL-4

Proinflammatory cytokines have been shown to impair cognition; consequently, immune activity in the central nervous system was considered detrimental to cognitive function. Unexpectedly, however, T cells were recently shown to support learning and memory, though the underlying mechanism was unclear. We show that one of the steps in the cascade of T cell–based support of learning and memory takes place in the meningeal spaces. Performance of cognitive tasks led to accumulation of IL-4–producing T cells in the meninges. Depletion of T cells from meningeal spaces skewed meningeal myeloid cells toward a proinflammatory phenotype. T cell–derived IL-4 was critical, as IL-4−/− mice exhibited a skewed proinflammatory meningeal myeloid cell phenotype and cognitive deficits. Transplantation of IL-4−/− bone marrow into irradiated wild-type recipients also resulted in cognitive impairment and proinflammatory skew. Moreover, adoptive transfer of T cells from wild-type into IL-4−/− mice reversed cognitive impairment and attenuated the proinflammatory character of meningeal myeloid cells. Our results point to a critical role for T cell–derived IL-4 in the regulation of cognitive function through meningeal myeloid cell phenotype and brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression. These findings might lead to the development of new immune-based therapies for cognitive impairment associated with immune decline.
Chasles’ fixed point theorem for Euclidean motions

Chasles’ theorem, a classic and important result of kinematics, states that every orientation-preserving isometry of \({\mathbb{R}^3}\) is a screw motion. We show that this is equivalent to the assertion that each proper Euclidean motion that is not a pure translation, acting on the space of oriented lines, has a unique fixed point (the axis of the screw motion). We use that formulation to derive a simple and novel constructive proof of Chasles’ theorem.
Leakage and breakdown reliability issues associated with low-k dielectrics in a dual-damascene Cu process

Leakage and breakdown characteristics of low-k dielectrics are becoming increasingly important reliability issues for interconnects as they are scaled to 0.18 um and below. Several of the low-k dielectrics, integrated into a dual-damascene Cu process flow, are quite leaky and have difficulty in meeting a leakage spec of 1E-8 A/cm/sup 2/ at 25/spl deg/C. Time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) for some of the low-k candidate films is also an issue because of generally low breakdown strengths <2 MV/cm. Furthermore, Cu out-diffusion through poor barrier confinement can result in increased electronic leakage and premature TDDB. Also, moisture absorption by these low-k materials serves to: increase the dielectric constant, increase the leakage and reduce the breakdown strength. These findings can have important reliability implications for Cu/low-k and care must be exercised in dual-damascene integration schemes.
A fast and efficient algorithm for low rank matrix recovery from incomplete observations

Minimizing the rank of a matrixX over certain constraints arises in diverse areas such as machine learning, control system and is known to be computationally NP-hard. In this paper, a new simple and efficient algorithm for solving this rank minimization problem with linear constraints is proposed. By using gradient projection method to optimize S while consecutively updating matrices U and V (where X = USVT ) in combination with the use of an approximation function for l0-norm of singular values [1], our algorithm is shown to run significantly faster with much lower computational complexity than general-purpose interior-point solvers, for instance, the SeDuMi package [2]. In addition, the proposed algorithm can recover the matrix exactly with much fewer measurements and is also appropriate for large-scale applications.
THE ORIGIN OF COMETS AMONG THE ACCRETING OUTER PLANETS

The hypothesis of formation of comets as an accompaniment to formation of Uranus and Neptune from icy planetesimals is attractive for several reasons, but has suffered from long-standing problems regarding formation of the planets themselves. The history of this problem is reviewed, and recent results are described that may help solve It. Numerical simulations of planet growth show that when the system of planetesimals is no longer artificially constrained to a power-law size distribution, growth of planets may occur in reasonable time. An adeguate number of comet-sized bodies to populate the Oort cloud is not produced as collisional debris during the planet-building process. Rather, the comets are probably a remnant of the original planetesimal “building blocks” from which the planets grew
Spiritual and Moral Friendships: How Campuses Can Encourage a Search for Meaning and Purpose

Helping students understand and cultivate moral and spiritual friends is perhaps one of the most important gifts a college or university can give a student. Having meaningful relationships contributes significant energy to students’ inner lives–their values, moral commitments, and self-understandings. The topic of friendship, and all that it entails, offers educators a powerful tool to engage students in the discovery of meaning and purpose. Individuals should not fear the word “spiritual” at public universities, nor be convinced that faith-based institutions do spiritual well. This article invites colleges and universities to explore friendship as a learning outcome for all students.
Determination of Isomeric Composition of Amphetamine Mixtures from Melting Points of Monohydrogen Succinate Salts

A rapid and simple method for the identification of particular amphetamines and the determination of their isomeric composition is presented. The method involves the preparation of the monohydrogen succinate salt and uses the melting point of this derivative in the accurate determination of the isomeric composition of the amphetamine. Application of this procedure to actual samples as shown has affirmed the utility and validity of this method.
A π-conjugated hydrogel based on an Fmoc-dipeptide naphthalene diimide semiconductor

The β-sheet self-assembly of an n-type NDI-dipeptide into a transparent, self-supporting hydrogel at low concentrations is described. The nanostructure of the gel is stabilized by the intermolecular π–π association of the NDI units and π–π interdigitation of the fluorene groups.
Pharmacokinetics of prednisolone transfer to breast milk

Prednisolone transfer to breast milk was studied in three nursing women who required oral steroid therapy for asthma. Each patient received a 50 mg intravenous dose of prednisolone phosphate, and blood and breast milk were sampled for 6 hours. Concentrations of prednisolone in milk declined more rapidly than in serum but were similar to expected unbound serum concentrations, suggesting that exchange between unbound prednisolone in serum and breast milk is relatively rapid and bidirectional. Because an average of 0.025% (range, 0.010% to 0.049%) of the prednisolone dose was recovered in milk, prednisolone transfer to breast milk does not appear to pose a clinically significant risk to nursing infants.
Genomic analysis of membrane protein families: abundance and conserved motifs

Background: Polytopic membrane proteins can be related to each other on the basis of the number of transmembrane helices and sequence similarities. Building on the Pfam classification of protein domain families, and using transmembrane-helix prediction and sequence-similarity searching, we identified a total of 526 well-characterized membrane protein families in 26 recently sequenced genomes. To this we added a clustering of a number of predicted but unclassified membrane proteins, resulting in a total of 637 membrane protein families. Results: Analysis of the occurrence and composition of these families revealed several interesting trends. The number of assigned membrane protein domains has an approximately linear relationship to the total number of open reading frames (ORFs) in 26 genomes studied. Caenorhabditis elegans is an apparent outlier, because of its high representation of seven-span transmembrane (7-TM) chemoreceptor families. In all genomes, including that of C. elegans, the number of distinct membrane protein families has a logarithmic relation to the number of ORFs. Glycine, proline, and tyrosine locations tend to be conserved in transmembrane regions within families, whereas isoleucine, valine, and methionine locations are relatively mutable. Analysis of motifs in putative transmembrane helices reveals that GxxxG and GxxxxxxG (which can be written GG4 and GG7, respectively; see Materials and methods) are among the most prevalent. This was noted in earlier studies; we now find these motifs are particularly well conserved in families, however, especially those corresponding to transporters, symporters, and channels. Conclusions: We carried out a genome-wide analysis on patterns of the classified polytopic membrane protein families and analyzed the distribution of conserved amino acids and motifs in the transmembrane helix regions in these families.
Large contribution of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to soil carbon pools in tropical forest soils

The origins and composition of soil organic matter (SOM) are still largely uncertain. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are recognized as indirect contributors through their influence on soil aggregation, plant physiology, and plant community composition. Here we present evidence that AMF can also make large, direct contributions to SOM. Glomalin, a recently discovered glycoprotein produced by AMF hyphae, was detected in tropical soils in concentrations of over 60 mg cm−3. Along a chronosequence of soils spanning ages from 300 to 4.1 Mio years, a pattern of glomalin concentrations is consistent with the hypothesis that this protein accumulates in soil. Carbon dating of glomalin indicated turnover at time scales of several years to decades, much longer than the turnover of AMF hyphae (which is assumed to be on the order of days to weeks). This suggests that contributions of mycorrhizae to soil carbon storage based on hyphal biomass in soil and roots may be an underestimate. The amount of C and N in glomalin represented a sizeable amount (ca. 4–5%) of total soil C and N in the oldest soils. Our results thus indicate that microbial (fungal) carbon that is not derived from above- or below-ground litter can make a significant contribution to soil carbon and nitrogen pools and can far exceed the contributions of soil microbial biomass (ranging from 0.08 to 0.2% of total C for the oldest soils).
AMD biofilms: using model communities to study microbial evolution and ecological complexity in nature.

Similar to virtually all components of natural environments, microbial systems are inherently complex and dynamic. Advances in cultivation-independent molecular methods have provided a route to study microbial consortia in their natural surroundings and to begin resolving the community structure, dominant metabolic processes and inter-organism interactions. However, the utility of these methods generally scales inversely with community complexity. By applying genomics-enabled methods to the study of natural microbial communities with reduced levels of species richness, a relatively comprehensive understanding of the metabolic networks and evolutionary processes within these communities can be attained. In such well-defined model systems, it is also possible to link emergent ecological patterns to their molecular and evolutionary underpinnings, facilitating construction of predictive ecosystem models. In this study, we review over a decade of research on one such system—acid mine drainage biofilm communities. We discuss the value and limitations of tractable model microbial communities in developing molecular methods for microbial ecology and in uncovering principles that may explain behavior in more complex systems.
University of Delaware at Diverstiy Task of Web Track 2010.

We report our systems and experiments in the diversity task of TREC 2010 Web track. Our goal is to evaluate the e ectiveness of the proposed methods for search result diversification on the large data collection. In the diversification systems, we use the greedy algorithm to select the document with the highest diversity score on each position and return a re-ranked list of diversified documents based on the query subtopics. The system extracts di erent groups of semantically related terms from the original retrieved documents as the subtopics of the query. It then uses the proposed diversity retrieval functions to compute the diversity score of each document on a particular position based on the similarity between the document and each subtopic, the relevance score of the subtopic given the query and the novelty of the subtopic given the previously selected documents.
Reduced mydriasis from repeated doses of tropicamide and cyclopentolate.

Pupils are often dilated for examination the day before surgery and again on the day of surgery. The following experiment was performed to determine the effect of serial doses of two commonly used mydriatic agents: on two consecutive days the pupil of one of the eyes of 28 subjects was dilated with tropicamide 1%, and the pupil of one of the eyes of 30 subjects was dilated with cyclopentolate hydrochloride 1%. The other eyes in both groups were dilated only on the second day, and thus served as controls. Pupil sizes were measured from photographs before and after dilation. The pupils of the eyes treated twice with either drug did not dilate as well after the second dose as those of the control eyes (P less than .005 for tropicamide, P less than .001 for cyclopentolate). The pupils of the eyes twice-treated with tropicamide were an average of 0.15 mm smaller than the control pupils; those twice-treated with cyclopentolate were 0.36 mm smaller. For subjects treated with cyclopentolate, this decreased mydriasis was related to age (P less than .05) and to eye color (P less than .025): the younger and blue-eyed subjects dilated less on the second day than the older and brown-eyed subjects. If full mydriasis is required at surgery, pupils should probably not be dilated with either tropicamide or cyclopentolate the day before surgery.
The Distribution by States of United States Insect Records

Inasmuch as the degree to which maps of the distribution of species of insects represent the areas in which the species actually occur depends upon how completely the collecting in the area has been done, I have tried on 2 occasions to determine how many records of insect species were cited from each of the contiguous United States in samples of about 100 taxonomic papers dealing with insects of various orders. The first occasion was 2½ decades ago (Steyskal, 1947), when I tabulated the records contained in 108 papers of various dates and pertaining to insects of 17 orders. The 2nd occasion is reported on at this time; it consists of records from 102 papers published in 1960 or later and dealing with insects of 13 orders (Diptera, 23; Coleoptera, 17; Heteroptera, 16; Hymenoptera, 15; Homoptera, 12; Lepidoptera, 8; Plecoptera, 4; Ephemeroptera, 2; Neuroptera, Orthoptera, Psocoptera, Thysanoptera, and Trichoptera, 1 each). On both occasions, many fine papers could not be used because distribution of species was cited in a summary or generalized manner. Only papers supposedly citing entire distribution of species in the country were used; therefore, no data from local lists is included.
CASUAL SEX: Towards a ‘Prehistory’ of Gay Life in Bohemian America

This essay explores the homosocial world of hobos, tramps, ‘casual labourers’ and other itinerant workers in early twentieth-century North America. In addition to providing evidence suggesting that same-sex sexual behaviour was a common aspect of everyday life in this milieu, the essay also suggests that any serious consideration of it raises certain conceptual problems for the study of the history of sexuality. Among other things, the essay argues that the existing historiography on gay male life in the United States may over-privilege the enabling effects of urban space, and in so doing tilt a potentially geographically expansive prehistory of gay life in what theorist Judith Halberstam would call a ‘metronormative’ direction.
In vitro Inhibition of Glycogenesis by D-a-Tocopherol.∗

SummaryThe in vitro influence of D-a-tocopherol on glycogen levels, lactic acid formation and oxygen uptake has been studied in rectus femoris muscle from control and Vit. E-deficient rabbits. It was shown that less than one mg quantities of tocopherol decrease glycogen stores, increase lactic acid formation in both groups of animals and increase oxygen consumption in control muscle. In purified enzyme systems it was found that tocopherol inhibited phosphoglucomutase and not phosphorylase, hexokinase or glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase.
Numerical Investigation of Magnetogasdynamic High Speed Flows

High speed flows over leading edge of hypersonic airfoil subject to an applied magnetic field is numerically simulated. The governing equations are composed of the Euler equation modified to include the effect of magnetic field. In the current applications, the low magnetic Reynolds number approximation is utilized. A four-stage modified Runge-Kutta scheme augmented with the Davis-Yee symmetric Total Variation Diminishing model in post-processing stage is used to solve the magnetogasdynamic equations. The flow simulations are compared to the existing solutions.
Removing Aggregates from Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Samples by Magnetic Purification

Purification of raw single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) material remains an important challenge in nanotube research and applications. We describe here a simple but effective purification method that uses permanent magnets to remove many nanotube aggregates, as well as residual metallic catalyst, from aqueous suspensions of surfactant-coated SWCNTs. Samples have been characterized by optical absorption, fluorescence, and Raman spectroscopies; atomic force microscopy and near-infrared fluorescence microscopy; and thermogravimetric analysis. It is found that magnetic purification reduces absorption backgrounds and increases average fluorescence efficiencies to levels comparable to those in ultracentrifuged samples. The ratio of individualized SWCNTs to aggregates in magnetically processed HiPco samples is estimated to be approximately 4:1. As compared to ultracentrifugation, magnetic processing promises major advantages in cost, simplicity, energy consumption, and scalability.
Fast Neutron Damage Studies of La1.85Sr0.15CuO4

The effect of fast neutron damage on the superconducting transition temperature Tc and the critical current density jc of the compound La1.85Sr0.15CuO4 has been investigated. Irradiation to a fluence of 1.3×1018 n/cm2 (E > 0.1 MeV) resulted in a decrease of Tc of about 3 K while jc at 4.2 K and H = 2 T increased by a factor of two to 1.2×104 A/cm2.
The nutritional value of dehulled-degermed corn for broiler chickens and its impact on nutrient excretion

Abstract Two experiments were conducted to determine the nutritional value and impact of dehulled degermed corn (DDC) in diets of broiler chickens. In the first experiment, 4 experimental diets were fed from 14 to 21 d of age with increasing quantities of DDC replacing corn as the sole source of energy and protein (93.4% of diet). The AMEn was determined to be 3,267 and 3,364 kcal/kg for the corn grain and DDC, respectively. Apparent ileal amino acid digestibility was determined with birds at 21 d of age. Digestibility of threonine, lysine, arginine, and tryptophan was significantly less in birds fed the DDC versus a corn diet (P 0.05). However, birds fed the DDC diet excreted 78.1 g less DM and 1.54 g less P by 42 d of age (P
Synthesis and properties of copolymer scale inhibitor

The copolymer scale inhibitor was synthesized via polymerization of maleic anhydride,vinyl acetate and acrylic acid in aqueous solution with the initiator of ammonium persulfate and its properties were evaluated.The effects of the system conditions including copolymer concentration,temperature and pH value on the anti-scaling rate were studied.Experimental results showed that the scale inhibition synthesized was good to prevent the formation of calcium carbonate.
General Corrosion of Inconel Alloy 625® in Simulated Superheat Reactor Environment

INCONEL alloy 625® fuel-cladding material has been corrosion-tested under heat-transfer conditions at metal temperatures up to 1500°F (816°C) in specially designed out-of-pile superheat facilities....
Differential Feedback Regulation of Δ4-3-Oxosteroid 5β-Reductase Expression by Bile Acids

Δ4-3-oxosteroid 5β-reductase is member D1 of the aldo-keto reductase family 1 (AKR1D1), which catalyzes 5β-reduction of molecules with a 3-oxo-4-ene structure. Bile acid intermediates and most of the steroid hormones carry the 3-oxo-4-ene structure. Therefore, AKR1D1 plays critical roles in both bile acid synthesis and steroid hormone metabolism. Currently our understanding on transcriptional regulation of AKR1D1 under physiological and pathological conditions is very limited. In this study, we investigated the regulatory effects of primary bile acids, chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) and cholic acid (CA), on AKR1D1 expression. The expression levels of AKR1D1 mRNA and protein in vitro and in vivo following bile acid treatments were determined by real-time PCR and Western blotting. We found that CDCA markedly repressed AKR1D1 expression in vitro in human hepatoma HepG2 cells and in vivo in mice. On the contrary, CA significantly upregulated AKR1D1 expression in HepG2 cells and in mice. Further mechanistic investigations revealed that the farnesoid x receptor (FXR) signaling pathway was not involved in regulating AKR1D1 by bile acids. Instead, CDCA and CA regulated AKR1D1 through the mitogen-activated protein kinases/c-Jun N-terminal kinases (MAPK/JNK) signaling pathway. Inhibition of the MAPK/JNK pathway effectively abolished CDCA and CA-mediated regulation of AKR1D1. It was thus determined that AKR1D1 expression was regulated by CDCA and CA through modulating the MAPK/JNK signaling pathway. In conclusion, AKR1D1 expression was differentially regulated by primary bile acids through negative and positive feedback mechanisms. The findings indicated that both bile acid concentrations and compositions play important roles in regulating AKR1D1 expression, and consequently bile acid synthesis and steroid hormone metabolism.
“Opening the Doors” One Year Later: Reflections on the Iraq War and the Middle East Studies Community

Word began to trickle out of Baghdad in mid-April 2003 that the Iraqi National Library and Archives and the library of the Ministry of Holy Endowments and Religious Affairs (al-Awqaf) had been burned and looted during the paroxysm of aggravated mayhem that followed the collapse of the Baathist regime. Soon, it became clear that in addition to the damage to those libraries, universities, research centers and private institutions had also been harmed or destroyed, and that additional elements of Iraq's rich cultural heritage in the form of historic buildings, musical archives and contemporary art were at risk. These were moments of deep and profound sadness that ultimately gave way to conversations about ways to work to assess, rebuild and restore what had been lost. As these conversations continued, several of us primarily a group of historians of the contemporary Arab Middle East from Germany, France. Jordan and the US decided to travel to Baghdad to catalog the extent of the damage to institutions of higher learning and cultural production. In our planning that an exclusive focus on libraries and burnt archives was somehow a sterile exercise and instead, what also was required was a record of the needs of Iraq's academic and intellectual community as it rebuilds itself in the face of a generation of brutish rule by Saddam Hussein, a decade of debilitating UN sanctions, a brief and humiliating war, and an open-ended American-led military occupation. The larger goal of the group would be outlined in the letter of introduction we received from Lisa Anderson, past-president of the Middle East Studies Association. We translated that letter into Arabic and it proved a tremendous asset in conversations with Iraqis, UN officials and American government and military representations. In the words of the letter, we went to: A) Establish contacts with Iraqi colleagues in the local academic community;
Combination of Disease Resistance, Drought Tolerance, and Dollar Value among Runner and Virginia-Type Peanut Cultivars in Georgia.

ABSTRACT With increasing production cost, southeast U.S. peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) growers are continually seeking to lower inputs to enhance economical return and sustainability of their farming operation. Utilization of peanut cultivars with the best combination of disease resistance, drought tolerance, and greatest dollar value return would be beneficial. Fifteen peanut cultivars were evaluated for 5-years (2011–15) and seventeen cultivars were evaluated for 4-years (2012–15) with minimum inputs and without irrigation at two locations in Georgia. Each year, minimum inputs for disease control included only three fungicide sprays at recommended rates on a 28 d schedule beginning 37 d after planting. No insecticide, nematocides, miticides, or irrigation were applied during the growing seasons each year. ‘Georgia-06G', ‘Georgia-12Y', ‘Georgia-13M', ‘Georgia-14N', and Florida-EP ‘113’ had the lowest TSWV and total disease incidence (disease resistance) among the ten runner-type cultivars for both Georgia...
Distress Associated with Dementia-Related Psychosis and Agitation in Relation to Healthcare Utilization and Costs

Objectives Explore the relationship between behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD; specifically, delusions, hallucinations, and agitation/aggression) and associated caregiver distress with emergency department (ED) utilization, inpatient hospitalization, and expenditures for direct medical care. Design/Setting/Participants Retrospective cross-sectional cohort of participants with dementia (N = 332) and informants from the Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study, a nationally representative survey of U.S. adults >70 years old. Measurements BPSD of interest and associated informant distress (trichotomized as none/low/high) were assessed using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI). Outcomes were determined from one year of Medicare claims and examined according to presence of BPSD and associated informant distress, adjusting for participant demographics, dementia severity, and comorbidity. Results Fifty-eight (15%) participants with dementia had clinically significant delusions, hallucinations, or agitation/aggression. ED visits, inpatient admissions, and costs were not significantly higher among the group with significant BPSD. In fully adjusted models, a high level of informant distress was associated with all outcomes: ED visit incident rate ratio (IRR) 3.03 (95% CI: 1.98–4.63; p Conclusions A high level of informant distress related to participant BPSD, rather than the symptoms themselves, was associated with increased healthcare utilization and costs. Effectively identifying, educating, and supporting distressed caregivers may help reduce excess healthcare utilization for the growing number of older adults with dementia.
Tacrolimus Trough Concentration Variability and Disparities in African American Kidney Transplantation.

BackgroundLow tacrolimus concentrations have been associated with higher risk of acute rejection, particularly within African American (AA) kidney transplant recipients; little is known about intrapatient tacrolimus variabilities impact on racial disparities.MethodsTen year, single-center, longitudi
Generation and Characterization of SULT4A1 Mutant Mouse Models.

Sulfotransferase 4A1 (SULT4A1) belongs to the cytosolic sulfotransferase (SULT) superfamily of enzymes that catalyze sulfonation reactions with a variety of endogenous and exogenous substrates. Of the SULTs, SULT4A1 was shown to have the highest sequence homology between vertebrate species, yet no known function or enzymatic activity has been identified for this orphan SULT. To better understand SULT4A1 function in mammalian brain, two mutant SULT4A1 mouse strains were generated utilizing clustered regulatory interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)–content-addressable storage (Cas) 9 technology. The first strain possessed a 28-base pair (bp) deletion (Δ28) in exon 1 that resulted in a frameshift mutation with premature termination. The second strain possessed a 12-bp in-frame deletion (Δ12) immediately preceding an active site histidine111 common to the SULT family. Homozygous pups of both strains present with severe and progressive neurologic symptoms, including tremor, absence seizures, abnormal gait, ataxia, decreased weight gain compared with littermates, and death around postnatal days 21–25. SULT4A1 immunostaining was decreased in brains of heterozygous pups and not detectable in homozygous pups of both SULT4A1 mutants. SULT4A1 localization in subcellular fractions of mouse brain showed SULT4A1 associated with mitochondrial, cytosolic, and microsomal fractions, a novel localization pattern for SULTs. Finally, primary cortical neurons derived from embryonic (E15) CD-1 mice expressed high levels of SULT4A1 throughout the cell except in nuclei. Taken together, SULT4A1 appears to be an essential neuronal protein required for normal brain function, at least in mammals. Mouse models will be valuable in future studies to investigate the regulation and functions of SULT4A1 in the mammalian brain.
Reinterpreting recent thymic emigrant function: defective or adaptive?

Recent thymic emigrants (RTEs) are those peripheral T cells that have most recently completed thymic development and egress. Over the past decade, significant advances have been made in understanding the cell-extrinsic and cell-intrinsic requirements for RTE maturation to mature naive (MN) T cells and in detailing the functional differences that characterize these two T cell populations. Much of this work has suggested that RTEs are hypo-functional versions of more mature T cells. However, recent evidence has indicated that rather than being defective T cells, RTEs are exquisitely adapted to their cellular niche. In this review, we argue that RTEs are not flawed mature T cells but are adapted to fill an underpopulated T cell compartment, while maintaining self tolerance and possessing the capacity to mount robust immune responses.
From Burnt Bricks to Sanctification: Rethinking ‘Church’ in colonial southern Africa

AbstractThis article argues that the early independency efforts of African Christians foundered because of their desire to control church buildings. Given the symbolic and practical affinity breakaway congregations felt towards these structures such a desire is understandable, but the missions, backed by the colonial state, claimed title to these buildings and effectively shut down the early African Initiated Churches by locking out rebellious congregations and their leaders. Both the desire to stay in the churches, and the consequences of this desire, were manifested in the schism of the Zulu congregation at Noodsberg, a small American Zulu Mission station in northern Natal. Led by Pastor Mbiyana Ngidi, nearly the entire body disassociated from the Americans in 1890 and claimed the church for themselves; when the state forced them to cede control, however, the effort failed and most returned to the fold. This pattern repeated itself elsewhere. The article concludes by noting that the power of church was ...
Rapid 3D Modelling of an Existing Building using Photos

A three-dimensional (3D) laser scanner is one of the most well known devices when it comes to creating a 3D model of existing bridges and buildings. Most 3D scanners can pick up point clouds very accurately, which can be used to create an accurate 3D model of existing objects. One may speculate that a 3D laser scanner can also be used to pick up the status of a construction project on the job site and transform them into a 3D computer model. However, most 3D laser scanners are still expensive and they are not easy use yet especially on a congested construction site. In addition, it takes a significant amount of time to create a 3D computer model using point clouds picked up by the laser scanner. As emerging photogrammetry techniques demonstrated the use of photos instead for rapid 3D modelling, one may be wondering 1) if this technique can be used to create a 3D model of a construction site quickly, and 2) if this model is accurate enough to help project managers make some decisions. This paper presents our test demonstrating the process of creating a 3D model of an existing building using photos. It presents some challenges we faced when taking photos and creating a 3D model. This paper also presents the method we came up with to create a 3D model of the entire building without using any control points.
Meta-Analyses in Functional Neuroimaging

Meta-analysis has become an essential tool for summarizing the vast and growing neuroimaging literature. It allows researchers to (i) assess the consistency of activation across laboratories and task variants, (ii) compare across many types of tasks and evaluate the specificity of activated regions for particular psychological conditions, (iii) identify and define boundaries of functional regions, and (iv) develop models of functional systems and pathways.
Using Puppets with Children in Narrative Therapy to Externalize the Problem

A clinical application is presented for using puppets with children in narrative therapy to externalize the problem. A case example illustrates the clinical application. Implications for the practice of narrative therapy are considered.
Membrane–cytoskeletal dynamics in a new dimension

The recent Airlie House meeting on 'Cytoplasmic Organization and Membrane Traffic' (22–25 March 2001), sponsored by the Keith Porter Endowment, proved not to be the typical exchange of advances among specialists familiar with each other's work, but rather a series of interesting and diverse presentations that together illuminated the pace and pattern of membrane and cytoskeletal interactions in living cells.
Allogeneic marrow transplantation for acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia after first relapse

Sixty-two patients with acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia in first relapse or second remission were treated with allogeneic marrow transplantation from HLA-matched siblings. In 17 patients (group 1), no attempt at reinduction of remission was made prior to transplantation. In 20 patients (group 2), attempts at inducing a second remission prior to transplantation were unsuccessful; and in 25 patients (group 3), a second remission was achieved. Five of 17 patients (29%) in group 1, 2 of 20 (10%) in group 2, and 5 of 25 (20%) in group 3 are surviving disease-free 2–6 yr after grafting. Early mortality from nonleukemic causes was equal in the 3 groups, but the risk of recurrent leukemia after transplantation was less in patients transplanted without attempts at reinduction (group 1). Among patients transplanted in relapse, those in early relapse (less than 30% blast cells in the marrow) appeared to do better than patients in florid relapse. The results obtained in group 1 are as good as or better than those achieved in patients transplanted in second or subsequent remission. Thus, for patients with acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia not transplanted in first remission, the optimal time for transplantation would appear to be as soon as possible after the first relapse.
Cardiac troponin T is elevated in asymptomatic patients with chronic renal failure.

Patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) are at increased risk for myocardial events that are difficult to evaluate due to atypical symptoms and chronically elevated protein markers of cardiac damage. This study evaluated cardiac troponin T (cTnT), a sensitive marker of cardiac injury, in patients with CRF without myocardial infarction symptoms, and assessed potential causes for elevated cTnT. Blood was obtained from 38 patients with CRF immediately before hemodialysis and from 16 of them post-dialysis, from 21 peritoneal dialysis patients, 10 patients with CRF not on dialysis, 11 patients with cardiomyopathy, and 10 adolescent patients with CRF undergoing hemodialysis. Samples were analyzed for myoglobin, creatine kinase, creatine kinase isoenzyme- MB (CK-MB), lactate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase isoenzyme-1 (LD-1), and cTnT. Cardiac TnT was elevated in: 71% of patient with CRF undergoing hemodialysis with no significant differences between pre- and post-dialysis values, 57% of patients with CRF on peritoneal dialysis, 30% of patients with CRF without dialysis, 18% of patients with cardiomyopathy, and 20% of adolescent patients with CRF undergoing hemodialysis. Myoglobin was elevated in almost all patients with CRF undergoing hemodialysis and without dialysis, whereas CK-MB and LD-1 were rarely elevated. Cross-reacting dialyzable substances and myocardial stretch were not major causes for elevated cTnT. Until future studies clarify the etiology of elevated cTnT in patients with CRF, results should be interpreted cautiously.