cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Two Dimensional Co2 Adsorption/Desorption in Packed Sorption Beds Under Non-Ideal Flows

The experimental results of CO2 adsorption and desorption in a packed column indicated that the concentration wave front at the center of the packed column differs from those which are close to the wall of column filled with adsorbent material even though the ratio of column diameter to the particle size is greater than 20. The comparison of the experimental results with one dimensional model of packed column shows that in order to simulate the average breakthrough in a packed column a two dimensional (radial and axial) model of packed column is needed. In this paper the mathematical model of a non-slip flow through a packed column with 2 inches in diameter and 18 inches in length filled with 5A zeolite pellets is presented. The comparison of experimental results of CO2 absorption and desorption for the mixed and central breakthrough of the packed column with numerical results is also presented.
MATERNAL LIMIT SETTING DURING TODDLERHOOD, DELAY OF GRATIFICATION, AND BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS AT AGE FIVE

Dans cette etude, la regulation de soi a ete examinee par rapport a la maniere dont la mere impose des limites durant la petite enfance. Le codage observationnel d'interactions durant lesquelles des limites etaient imposees ont ete faits a l'âge de 12, 24 et 36 mois, en utilisant le plan de codage de l'interdiction de Houck et LeCuyer (Prohibition Coding Scheme, Houck & LeCuyer, 1995; LeCuyer-Maus & Houck, 2002). A 5 ans, la regulation de soi a ete evaluee par une observation d'un delai de gratification impose par soi-meme (Shoda, Mischel, & Opeake, 1990) et des problemes de comportement ont ete mesures par un rapport maternel sur une checklist de comportement (CBCL; Achenback, 1991). La facon dont les meres imposaient des limites a chaque âge a fait une difference pour la duree subsequente du delai mais pas pour les problemes de comportement. Un pattern maternel base sur les rapports de force (pattern d'interdiction, d'imposition de limites) a bel et bien eu un effet negatif sur les delais que l'enfant s'imposait plus tard. Bien qu'un pattern indirect d'imposition de limite optimisait la duree du delai de l'enfant, un pattern base sur l'enseignement a produit des resultats plus systematiquement positifs a l'âge de 36 mois et des durees de delai normatives a l'âge de 5 ans.
A Variable Response Phosphine Sensing Matrix Based on Nanostructure Treated p and n-Type Porous Silicon Interfaces

We study the dynamic interplay as PH 3 interacts at room temperature to contribute electrons to nanostructure modified p and n-type porous silicon (PS) interfaces. A nanopore coated microporous interface is treated to form TiO 2 , SnO x , Cu x O, and Au x O (x ≫ 1) nanostructured centers deposited in fractional coverage on the PS interface. Relative sensitivities of the surface sites are measured under 2-5 and 10 ppm PH 3 exposure. The interaction with two p-type nanostructure decorated boron-doped interfaces demonstrates enhancement of sensitivity relative to undecorated PS. The results are explained using the inverse hard/soft acid/base (IHSAB) principle, combining the tenants of acid/base chemistry and semiconductor physics. Analyte coupling to the majority charge carriers of the extrinsic semiconductor determines the nature of directed electron transduction as it induces a change in conductance. As applied, the nanostructured metal oxides serve as gateways, forcing a dominant electron transduction (versus chemisorption) at the decorated extrinsic semiconductor interface. A study of gold clustered oxide depositions on p-type (1-3 Q-cm) PS demonstrates that an optimal fractional deposition can be attained and should not be exceeded to avoid crosstalk between the deposited nanoparticles. It appears that phosphine can be converted on interaction with phosphorous doped n-type PS. A reversal of the response signal observed with increased PH 3 concentration, considered within the IHSAB model, suggests that the conductance might be associated with the formation of the electron withdrawing PH 2 radical.
Retention and clearance of C-11 palmitic acid in ischemic and reperfused canine myocardium

Free fatty acids are the major energy source for cardiac muscle. Oxidation of fatty acid decreases or even ceases during ischemia. Its recovery after transient ischemia remains largely unexplored. Using intracoronary carbon-11 palmitic acid as a tracer of myocardial fatty acid metabolism in an open chest dog model, retention and clearance of tracer in myocardium were evaluated at control, during ischemia and after reperfusion following a 20 minute occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Myocardial C-11 time-activity curves were analyzed with biexponential curve-fitting routines yielding fractional distribution and clearance half-times of C-11 palmitic acid in myocardial tissue. In animals with permanent occlusion and intracoronary injection of C-11 palmitic acid distal to the occlusion site, the relative size and half-time of the early clearance curve component differed markedly from control values and did not change with ongoing ischemia. Conversely, in animals with only 20 minutes of coronary occlusion, the relative size of the early C-11 clearance phase was still significantly depressed at 20 and 90 minutes of reperfusion but returned to control level at 180 minutes. Tissue C-11 clearance half-times remained significantly prolonged throughout the reperfusion period. Regional function in reperfused myocardium monitored with ultrasonic crystals recovered slowly and was still less than control after 3 hours of reperfusion. The data indicate that after transient ischemia, myocardial fatty acid metabolism fails to recover immediately. Because the metabolic recovery occurs in parallel with recovery of regional function, C-11 palmitic acid in conjunction with positron tomography may be useful for studying regional fatty acid metabolism noninvasively after an ischemic injury, and may be helpful in identifying reversible tissue injury.
Tacrolimus: in vitro effects on neutrophil production and apoptosis

Purpose: Tacrolimus is a common component of multi-drug immunosuppressive regimens used for the prevention of rejection in transplant recipients. Anecdotal observations and recent evidence suggest an association between tacrolimus therapy in children and the development of neutropenia. We hypothesized that this variety of neutropenia might be related to a negative effect of tacrolimus on neutrophil (PMN) production and/or survival. Methods: We designed in vitro studies to determine the dose-dependent effects of tacrolimus on PMN production and/or apoptosis. PMN and CD34 cells isolated from umbilical cord blood of term gestations were cultured in the presence of tacrolimus (0 1000 ng/mL). To evaluate apoptosis, cells cultured for 24 h were stained with Annexin-V-FITC/ AAD and analyzed by flow cytometry. For clonal analysis, CD34 cells cultured for 10 d in cytokine-enhanced semi-solid media were scored for their myeloid/erythroid (CFU-Mix), myeloid (CFU-GM), and erythroid (BFU-E) progenitor cell contents. Results: We observed that tacrolimus induced a dose-dependent enhancement of myeloid clonogenesis of CD34 cells that peaked at 10 ng/mL (mean SD, colonies/1000 plated cells): CFU-Mix, 14 2 (0 ng/mL) vs. 30 12 (p 0.05); CFU-GM, 61 4 (0 ng/mL) vs. 160 6 (p 0.01). Tacrolimus at these doses did not consistently decrease the survival of either CD34 cells or PMNs. Conclusions: In contrast to our initial hypothesis, we observed that tacrolimus at clinically relevant concentrations enhanced clonogenesis of PMN progenitors and inconsistently affected cell survival. Tacrolimus is generally administered in combination with other immunosuppressive drugs after solid organ transplantation. Our data suggest that tacrolimus alone is unlikely to cause the neutropenia observed in this setting.
Quantum site percolation on triangular lattice and the integer quantum Hall effect

Generic classical electron motion in a strong perpendicular magnetic field and random potential reduces to the bond percolation on a square lattice. Here we point out that for certain smooth two-dimensional potentials with $120\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$ rotational symmetry this problem reduces to the site percolation on a triangular lattice. We use this observation to develop an approximate analytical description of the integer quantum Hall transition. For this purpose we devise a quantum generalization of the real-space renormalization group (RG) treatment of the site percolation on the triangular lattice. In quantum case, the RG transformation describes the evolution of the distribution of the $3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}3$ scattering matrices at the sites. We find the fixed point of this distribution and use it to determine the critical exponent, $\ensuremath{\nu}$, for which we find the value $\ensuremath{\nu}\ensuremath{\approx}2.3\textdiv{}2.76$. The RG step involves only a single Hikami box and thus can serve as a minimal RG description of the quantum Hall transition.
Coronary Thrombosis in the Absence of Angiographically-Evident Obstructive Coronary Disease

A 31-year-old man with an acute myocardial infarction underwent intracoronary thrombolysis with streptokinase. Post-thrombolytic angiography revealed no underlying obstructive coronary disease. This particular syndrome of a documented thrombus in a normal vessel causing infarction has not previously been described. Such a sequence may explain the occurrence of myocardial infarction in some patients with normal coronary arteries. The mechanism by which thrombus occurs in an angiographically-normal coronary artery is at present undefined.
Relative and absolute timing jitter in actively mode-locked semiconductor lasers

The magnitude and origin of the pulse-to-pulse timing jitter that is added to the modulating source by an actively modelocked laser is discussed. Residual and absolute RMS timing jitter measurements as low as 50 fs and 170fs, respectively, have been measured in optimally tuned cavities.
Effects of lincomycin on PSII efficiency, non-photochemical quenching, D1 protein and xanthophyll cycle during photoinhibition and recovery.

Leaves of Parthenocissus quinquefolia (L.) Planch. (Virginia creeper) were treated with lincomycin (an inhibitor of chloroplast-encoded protein synthesis), subjected to a high-light treatment and allowed to recover in low light. While lincomycin-treated leaves had similar characteristics as controls after a 1 h exposure to high light, total D1 levels in lincomycin-treated leaves were half those in controls at the end of the recovery period. In addition, lincomycin delayed recovery of maximal PSII efficiency of open centers (ratio of variable to maximal chlorophyll fluorescence, F v / F m) and of estimated PSII photochemistry rate upon return to low light subsequent to the high-light treatment. Furthermore, lincomycin treatment slowed the removal of zeaxanthin (Z) and antheraxanthin (A) during recovery in low light, and the level of thermal energy dissipation (non-photochemical fluorescence quenching, NPQ) remained elevated. In lincomycin-treated leaves infiltrated with the uncoupler nigericin immediately after high-light exposure, thermal energy dissipation, sustained with lincomycin alone, declined quickly to control levels. In summary, lincomycin treatment affected not only D1 protein turnover but also xanthophyll-cycle operation and thermal-energy dissipation. The latter effect was apparently a result of the maintenance of a high trans-thylakoid proton gradient. Similar effects were also seen subsequent to short-term exposures to high light in lincomycin-treated Spinacia oleracea L. (spinach) leaves. In contrast, lincomycin treatments under low-light levels did not induce Z formation or NPQ. These results suggest that lincomycin has the potential to lower PSII efficiency (F v / F m) through inhibition of NPQ relaxation and Z + A removal subsequent to high-light exposures.
Simultaneous abiotic reduction–biotic oxidation in a microbial-MnO2-catalyzed Fenton-like system

Abstract The possibility of simultaneous activity of superoxide-mediated transformations and heterotrophic aerobic bacterial metabolism was investigated in catalyzed H 2 O 2 propagations (CHP; i.e., modified Fenton's reagent) systems containing Escherichia coli . Two probe compounds were used: glucose for the detection of heterotrophic metabolism of E. coli , and tetrachloromethane (CCl 4 ) for the detection of superoxide generated in a MnO 2 -catalyzed CHP system. In the MnO 2 -catalyzed CHP system without bacteria, only CCl 4 loss was observed; in contrast, only glucose degradation occurred E. coli systems without CHP reagents. In combined microbial-MnO 2 CHP reactions, loss of both probes was observed. Glucose assimilation decreased and CCl 4 transformation increased as a function of H 2 O 2 concentration. Central composite rotatable experimental designs were used to determine that the conditions providing maximum simultaneous abiotic–biotic reactions were a biomass level of 10 9 CFU/mL, 0.5 mM H 2 O 2 , and 0.5 g MnO 2 . These results demonstrate that bacterial metabolism can occur in the presence of superoxide-mediated transformations. Such coexisting reactions may occur when H 2 O 2 is injected into MnO 2 -rich regions of the subsurface as a microbial oxygen source or for in situ oxidation; however, process control of such coexisting transformations may be difficult to achieve in the subsurface due to heterogeneity. Alternatively, hybrid abiotic reduction–biotic oxidation systems could be used for the treatment of industrial effluents or dilute solvent wastes that contain traces of highly halogenated compounds.
An invasive DNA approach toward a general method for portable quantification of metal ions using a personal glucose meter

We report herein a general methodology for metal ion detection using low-cost, simple, and widely accessible personal glucose meters through an invasive DNA approach.
Cancer and Altered Metabolism: Potential Importance of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor and 2-Oxoglutarate-Dependent Dioxygenases

Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) deregulation contributes to the Warburg effect. HIF consists of an unstable α subunit and a stable β subunit. In the presence of oxygen, HIFα becomes prolyl hydroxylated by members of the EglN (also called PHD) family, leading to its proteasomal degradation. Under hypoxic conditions, EglN activity is diminished and HIF levels rise. EglN1 is the primary HIF prolyl hydroxylase with EglN2 and EglN3 playing compensatory roles under certain conditions. EglN2 and EglN3 also appear to play HIF-independent roles in regulating cell proliferation and apoptosis, respectively. The EglNs belong to a large family of 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases that includes the TET DNA hydroxymethylases and JmjC-containing histone demethylases. Members of this superfamily can be inhibited by endogenous metabolites, including fumarate and succinate, which accumulate in tumors that have fumarate hydratase (FH) or succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) mutations, respectively, as well as by the 2-hydroxyglutarate detected in isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutant tumors. 2-Oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases therefore provide a link between altered metabolism and cancer.
Regulation of Transcription by Synthetic DNA‐Bending Agents

Gene expression is regulated by a complex interplay between binding and the three-dimensional arrangement of transcription factors with RNA polymerase and DNA. Previous studies have supported a direct role for DNA bending and conformation in gene expression, which suggests that agents that induce bends in DNA might be able to control gene expression. To test this hypothesis, we examined the effect of triple-helix-forming oligonucleotide (TFO) bending agents on the transcription of luciferase in an in vitro transcriptional/translational system. We find that transcription is regulated only by a TFO that induces a bend in the DNA. Related TFOs that do not induce bends in DNA have no effect on transcription. Reporter expression can be increased by as much as 80 % or decreased by as much as 50 % depending on the phasing of the upstream bend relative to the promoter. We interpret the results as follows: when the bend is positioned such that the upstream DNA is curved toward the RNA polymerase on the same DNA face, transcription is enhanced. When the upstream DNA is curved away, transcription is attenuated. These results support the hypothesis that DNA-bending agents might have the capability to regulate gene expression, thereby opening up a previously undervalued avenue in research on the artificial control of gene expression.
Dynamics of soil nitrogen and carbon accumulation for 61 years after agricultural abandonment

We used two independent methods to determine the dynamics of soil carbon and nitrogen following abandonment of agricultural fields on a Minnesota sand plain. First, we used a chronosequence of 19 fields abandoned from 1927 to 1982 to infer soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics. Second, we directly observed dynamics of carbon and nitrogen over a 12-yr period in 1900 permanent plots in these fields. These observed dynamics were used in a differential equation model to predict soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics. The two methods yielded similar results. Resampling the 1900 plots showed that the rates of accumulation of nitrogen and carbon over 12 yr depended on ambient carbon and nitrogen levels in the soil, with rates of accumulation declining at higher carbon and nitrogen levels. A dynamic model fitted to the observed rates of change predicted logistic dynamics for nitrogen and carbon accumulation. On average, agricultural practices resulted in a 75% loss of soil nitrogen and an 89% loss of soil carbon at the time of abandonment. Recovery to 95% of the preagricultural levels is predicted to require 180 yr for nitrogen and 230 yr for carbon. This model accurately predicted the soil carbon, nitrogen, and carbon : nitrogen ratio patterns observed in the chronosequence of old fields, suggesting that the chronose- quence may be indicative of actual changes in soil carbon and nitrogen. Our results suggest that the rate of carbon accumulation was controlled by the rate of nitrogen accumulation, which in turn depended on atmospheric nitrogen deposition and symbiotic nitrogen fixation by legumes. Our data support the hypothesis that these aban- doned fields initially retain essentially all nitrogen and have a closed nitrogen cycle. Multiple regression suggests that vegetation composition had a significant influence on the rates of accumulation of both nitrogen and carbon; legumes increased these rates, and C 3 grasses and forbs decreased them. C4 grasses increased the C:N ratio of the soil organic matter and thereby increased the rate of carbon accumulation, but not nitrogen accumulation.
Observations of decameter-scale morphologies in sprites

Abstract Using telescopic imaging it is observed that sprite morphologies such as upward branching, downward branching, beading, and columns can assume a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and time scales. Beads at the base of columniform sprites can glow for over 100 ms while slowly drifting upward. Faint positive streamers are observed at the base of angel sprites and immediately prior to bright sprite events. A transition region between streamer formation and diffuse glow is observed at ∼80 km altitude. Telescopic images containing these features are presented for a number of cases.
Brief communication: intraperitoneal galactosamine misdosing as a possible interpretation for responder/nonresponder phenotypes.

Previous reports investigating the mechanisms of galactosamine toxicity have discussed the presence of responders and nonresponders after intraperitoneal (IP) administration of a toxic dose. The in...
Fungal metabolic gene clusters-caravans traveling across genomes and environments.

Metabolic gene clusters (MGCs), physically co-localized genes participating in the same metabolic pathway, are signature features of fungal genomes. MGCs are most often observed in specialized metabolism, having evolved in individual fungal lineages in response to specific ecological needs, such as the utilization of uncommon nutrients (e.g., galactose and allantoin) or the production of secondary metabolic antimicrobial compounds and virulence factors (e.g., aflatoxin and melanin). A flurry of recent studies has shown that several MGCs, whose functions are often associated with fungal virulence as well as with the evolutionary arms race between fungi and their competitors, have experienced horizontal gene transfer (HGT). In this minireview, after briefly introducing HGT as a source of gene innovation, we examine the evidence for HGT’s involvement on the evolution of MGCs and, more generally of fungal metabolism, enumerate the molecular mechanisms that mediate such transfers and the ecological circumstances that favor them, as well as discuss the types of evidence required for inferring the presence of HGT in MGCs. The currently available examples indicate that transfers of entire MGCs have taken place between closely related fungal species as well as distant ones and that they sometimes involve large chromosomal segments. These results suggest that the HGT-mediated acquisition of novel metabolism is an ongoing and successful ecological strategy for many fungal species.
Influence of cardiac-specific overexpression of insulin-like growth factor 1 on lifespan and aging-associated changes in cardiac intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis, protein damage and apoptotic protein expression.

Summary A fall in circulating levels of cardiac survival factor insulinlike growth factor 1 (IGF-1) contributes to cardiac aging. To better understand the role of IGF-1 in cardiac aging, we examined the influence of cardiac IGF-1 overexpression on lifespan, cardiomyocyte intracellular Ca 2+ homeostasis, protein damage, apoptosis and expression of pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins in young and old mice. Mouse survival rate was constructed by the Kaplan–Meier curve. Intracellular Ca 2+ was evaluated by fura-2 fluorescence. Protein damage was determined by protein carbonyl formation. Apoptosis was assessed by caspase-8 expression, caspase-3 and TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling) assay. Pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins including Bax, p53, pp53, Bcl2, Omi/HtrA2, apoptosis repressor with caspase recruitment domain (ARC) and X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) were assessed by Western blot. Aging decreased plasma in IGF-1 levels, elevated myocyte resting intracellular Ca 2+ levels, reduced electrically stimulated rise in intracellular Ca 2+ and delayed intracellular Ca 2+ decay associated with enhanced protein carbonyl formation, caspase-8 expression and caspase-3 activity in FVB mice, all of which with the exception of elevated resting intracellular Ca 2+ were attenuated by IGF-1. Aging up-regulated expression of Bax, Bcl2 and ARC, downregulated XIAP expression and did not affect p53, pp53 and Omi/HtrA2. The IGF-1 transgene attenuated or nullified aging-induced changes in Bax, Bcl2 and XIAP. Our data suggest a beneficial role for IGF-1 in aging-induced survival, cardiac intracellular Ca 2+ homeostasis, protein damage and apoptosis possibly related to pro- and
A Similarity Search Approach to Solving the Multi-query Problems

In this paper, we present our research on similarity search problems. Similarity search problems define the distances between data points and a given query point Q, efficiently and effectively selecting data points which are closest to Q. It can be applied in various data mining fields. In many applications, information similar to multiple queries is required. In this paper, we explore the meaning of K nearest neighbors from a new perspective, define the distance between a data point and a query point set, and propose an algorithm to find nearest neighbors to multiple queries with possibly different degrees of importance. Our approach works for both full similarities and partial similarities in subsets of dimensions.
Comparison of two total RNA extraction protocols using the marine gorgonian coral Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae and its symbiont Symbiodinium sp.

Marine invertebrates such as soft corals are important sources of secondary metabolites with promising biomedical applications and commercial value. RNA isolation in conjunction with reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) are valuable tools utilized to study the molecular elements involved in secondary metabolite production and functional genomics. Two total RNA extraction protocols were compared using fresh tissue and flash frozen preparations from the coral Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae and from its symbiont Symbiodinium sp. isolated using RNeasy minicolumns ( Qiagen ® ) and Trizol reagent ( Invitrogen ® ). In general, higher yields were obtained by using Trizol reagent when compared to RNeasy. No significant differences were observed in RNA yield when live or flash frozen tissue was used. However, flash frozen holobiont tissue isolated by Trizol resulted in the highest RNA yield of all preparations analyzed. To conclude, both protocols are suitable for RNA isolation. Trizol is recommended if higher yields are the primary concern, but RNeasy is recommended if time is an issue.
Metaphors and strategic information systems planning

It is proposed that: metaphors perform a crucial role in enacting strategy and linking strategic thinking with IT planning; the war metaphor which underlies many of the previous discussions of SISs is inadequate, possibly obsolete, in today's environment, and the shift away from this metaphor in the past few years is evidence of this; alternative metaphors offer potentially more useful foundations for strategic thinking and SIS planning in today's world than the war metaphor; and explicit articulation and exploration of alternative metaphors are useful steps in identifying opportunities for strategic information technology (IT) applications, designing SISs for global enterprises and formulating research on SIS issues. The author outlines these arguments and identifies desirable characteristics of metaphors, discusses alternative metaphors of the organization as: an adapting organism, city-state, participants in organized team sports, an expression of philosophy, and expression of economic forces. The author concludes with suggestions for research on the use of metaphor in strategy formulation and IT planning. >
Meet Elaine: A Persona-Driven Approach to Exploring Architecturally Significant Requirements

Software-intensive projects are driven by quality concerns; however, these can be difficult to elicit and manage in early stages of a project. Architecturally savvy personas provide a tangible approach for capturing performance, reliability, security, and other quality goals and for reasoning about their impact on system design. The Web extra at http://youtu.be/N_LksckqOO8 is an audio podcast of author Jane Cleland-Huang reading her Requirements column, in which she discusses how architecturally-savvy personas provide a tangible approach for capturing performance, reliability, security, and other quality goals and for reasoning about their impact on system design.
Zinc Deprivation Impairs Growth Factor-Stimulated Calcium Influx into Murine 3T3 cells Associated with Decreased Cell Proliferation

Zinc plays a critical role in growth, a process that depends primarily on cell proliferation. Murine fibroblasts, Swiss 3T3 cells, were used to explore the hypothesis that a critical role of zinc in cell proliferation relates to its function in calcium influx. Cells were deprived of zinc by an impermeant chelator, diethylenetriaminepentaacetate (0.6 mmol/L), and low-calcium status was achieved by using a low- (<5 μmol/L) calcium medium. Cells were stimulated by a composite of growth factors (GF): platelet-derived GF, insulin-like GF-I, and epidermal GF. GF stimulation of cell proliferation was assessed by the incorporation of tritiated thymidine and calcium influx by the increase in fluorescence of cells loaded with Fluo-4. Proliferation was dependent on both zinc and calcium and they interacted in this process. GF stimulated an immediate sharp increase in intracellular calcium, indicative of internal calcium release, which peaked within 1 min and decreased to an elevated plateau, a pattern typical of a store-operated calcium channel. The sustained calcium influx of zinc-deprived cells was markedly lower than that of supplemented cells. Verapamil, a calcium channel blocker, also depressed both cell proliferation and calcium influx. In summary, zinc deficiency impaired GF-stimulated calcium influx into murine fibroblasts in association with decreased cell proliferation.
Conformational analysis of proteins: Algorithms and data structures for array processing

Current efforts to determine the nature of the interactions that influence protein folding involve, among other things, minimization of an appropriate empirical conformational energy function (ECEPP, Emprical Conformational Energy Program for Peptides) to obtain the native structure. Because of the prohibitive cost of such a massive computational project, either on a conventional large-scale machine at a self-supporting installation or on a dedicated minicomputer, an alternative computer hardware system has been developed to aid in the conformational analysis of proteins. It consists of a Floating Point Systems AP-120B array processor and a Prime 350 minicomputer host. A version of ECEPP has been adapted to run on the AP-120B. The data structures and algorithms chosen for this version reflect the highly unusual parallel architecture of this machine. Benchmark comparisons with BPTI (Bovine Pancreatic Trypsin Inhibitor), a protein of 58 residues and a known structure, have been carried out on this system as well as on an IBM 370/168. They show a significant advantage in speed for the AP-120B/Prime 350 system as well as a substantially lower cost. An energy minimization of BPTI with 154 variable dihedral angles is reported, an effort heretofore prohibited by the computer costs involved.
Grasp planning to maximize task coverage

This paper proposes a task-oriented grasp quality metric based on distribution of task disturbance, which could be used to search for a grasp that covers the most significant part of the disturbance distribution. Rather than using a uniformly distributed task wrench space, this paper models a manipulation task with a non-parametric statistical distribution model built from the disturbance data captured during the task demonstrations. The grasp resulting from maximizing the proposed grasp quality criterion is prone to increasing the coverage of most frequent disturbances. To reduce the computational complexity of the search in a high-dimensional robotic hand configuration space, as well as to avoid the correspondence problem, the candidate grasps are computed from a reduced configuration space that is confined by a set of given thumb placements and thumb directions. The proposed approach has been tested both in simulation and on a real robotic system. In simulation, the approach was validated with a Barrett hand and a Shadow hand in several manipulation tasks. Experiments on a physical robotic platform verified the consistency between the proposed grasp metric and the success rate.
Beta-adrenergic or parasympathetic inhibition, heart rate and cardiac output during normoxic and acute hypoxic exercise in humans

Acute hypoxia increases heart rate (HR) and cardiac output (Qt) at a given oxygen consumption (VO2) during submaximal exercise. It is widely believed that the underlying mechanism involves increased sympathetic activation and circulating catecholamines acting on cardiac beta receptors. Recent evidence indicating a continued role for parasympathetic modulation of HR during moderate exercise suggests that increased parasympathetic withdrawal plays a part in the increase in HR and Qt during hypoxic exercise. To test this, we separately blocked the beta-sympathetic and parasympathetic arms of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) in six healthy subjects (five male, one female; mean +/- S.E.M. age = 31.7+/-1.6 years, normoxic maximal VO2 (VO2,max)=3.1+/-0.3 l min(-1)) during exercise in conditions of normoxia and acute hypoxia (inspired oxygen fraction=0.125) to VO2,max. Data were collected on different days under the following conditions: (1)control, (2) after 8.0 mg propranolol i.v. and (3) after 0.8 mg glycopyrrolate i.v. Qt was measured using open-circuit acetylene uptake. Hypoxia increased venous [adrenaline] and [noradrenaline] but not [dopamine] at a given VO2 (P<0.05, P<0.01 and P=0.2, respectively). HR/VO2 and Qt/VO2 increased during hypoxia in all three conditions (P<0.05). Unexpectedly, the effects of hypoxia on HR and Qt were not significantly different from control with either beta-sympathetic or parasympathetic inhibition. These data suggest that although acute exposure to hypoxia increases circulating [catecholamines], the effects of hypoxia on HR and Qt do not necessarily require intact cardiac muscarinic and beta receptors. It may be that cardiac alpha receptors play a primary role in elevating HR and Qt during hypoxic exercise, or perhaps offer an alternative mechanism when other ANS pathways are blocked.
The Post-Merger Performance of Corporate Takeovers

Event studies on announcement-period stock returns have found that takeovers are expected to improve firm performance, yet the dominant finding in the existing literature on post-takeover long-term performance is that mergers destroy corporate value. This paper examines this apparent contradiction by developing a new benchmark methodology which is based on forecasts of performance and a control portfolio matched to the event firms on the basis of expected future performance and other exogenous variables. This benchmark captures what the performance of the bidder and target firms would have been had the merger not occurred, and controls for many of the inherent problems due to endogeneity (of the decision to merge) found with other approaches taken in the literature. I find that the long- term post-takeover performance of the merged firm is better than it would have been without the merger. The method is verified by examining the performance of a portfolio of canceled takeovers, where no effect is found.
Representation aiding: a ten year retrospective

Representation aiding provides a theoretical base for human-computer interaction and decision aiding and, at the same time, a practical means for guiding the design of computer-based displays of data. This work traces the development of the representation aiding and points to a research agenda for future work. >
The Contribution of Harvester Ant Nests, Pogonomyrmex rugosus (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), to Soil Nutrient Stocks and Microbial Biomass in the Mojave Desert

The distribution of soil nutrients in deserts is heterogeneous, with high concentrations of organic and inorganic nutrients occurring under shrubs and near animal dwellings. Attention has focused on shrubs in creating “fertile islands.” In this study, we compare the effects of the harvester ant Pogonomyrmex rugosus Emery (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and shrubs on soil composition in the Mojave Desert. Soil organic matter, total N, mineral N, and available P were significantly more concentrated in the nests of P. rugosus than under the dominant vegetation and in sparsely vegetated interspaces between shrubs and ant nests. Ant nests also contained high concentrations of total C, organic C, and soluble organic C and N relative to other microhabitat types. On an areal basis, ant nests stored 3% of mineral N and 0.7–1.6% of organic matter, total N, and available P on the landscape while covering 0.5% of the surface. At field moisture, microbial biomass C and N were significantly more concentrated in ant nests at one of two study sites. When moistened, ant nest soils had a higher capacity for microbial growth than soils from other microhabitats. As a result of ant activities, ant nests accumulated surface materials at an average rate 3.5 mm/yr faster than the surrounding soil. We conclude that P. rugosus nests impact arid ecosystems by creating highly concentrated patches of soil nutrients and microflora on the landscape that could affect biogeochemical cycling rates and plant community dynamics.
Effective Client Interviewing and Counseling

Our success in helping our clients often depends on how effective we are in developing a strong professional relationship with them. Strong professional relationships build on trust, comfort, and communication. Effective client interviewing and counseling can facilitate the development of a strong professional relationship with our clients. This article provides a brief summary of effective client interviewing and counseling. The first section outlines the format for a general client interview. The second section provides short descriptions for each part of the client interview. The third section highlights some fundamental counseling skills that may improve how effectively we interview and counsel our clients.
Explaining the Rise and Fall of African-American Fortunes -- Interest Convergence and Civil Rights Gains

This Essay reviews Mary Dudziak's Cold War Civil Rights, which demonstrates how the self-interest of elite groups fueled breakthroughs for blacks in order to advance U.S. strategic objectives in the Cold War with international communism. An impressive feat of historical research, Cold War Civil Rights strengthens the case for crediting material explanations for the uneven line of racial progress and retreat. The essay goes on to show how interest-convergence explains not only how the civil rights movemnt began when it did, but also how it came to an end about 15 years later.
LMS-Based Digital Assisting for Data Converters

Aggressive device scaling down to the nano-meter range offers IC designers both opportunities and challenges. Digital designers benefit greatly from the system flexibility and affordability, but analog/RF designers are struggling with flawed devices. Since scaled devices are faster and smaller, the incentive to use such strengths advantageously has prompted many efforts to overcome analog imperfection by digital means. Designers are introducing more DSP functionality to enhance the performance of analog/RF systems. More intelligence is being built into analog/RF designs as in linear PA, RF receiver front-end, ADC/DAC, digital PLL, etc. Such pervasive design techniques with digital assisting will prevail in the future SOC design. After a brief overview of the trend, examples of the LMS-based calibration algorithm applied to the pipeline and CT cascaded ΔΣ modulator are discussed.
Effects of Permethrin on the Behavior of Individually Tagged Honey Bees, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Individually tagged honey bee foragers were treated topically with a sublethal dose of permethrin at a feeding station, and their behavior was observed inside an observation beehive. Permethrin-treated adult bees exhibited a significantly higher percentage of time in self-cleaning, trembling dance, abdomen tucking, rotating, and cleaning of abdomen while rubbing hind legs together. In contrast, untreated bees exhibited a higher percentage of time in walking, body insertion, and food giving, and made more foraging trips.
Effects of Light Sources and the Presence or Absence of Males on Reproduction of Female Breeder Turkeys

Abstract The effects of sodium vapor (SV), daylight fluorescent (DF), and incandescent (IN) light sources and the influence of the presence or absence of males on reproduction of female turkeys were evaluated. Hens under SV and DF lights consistently laid more eggs than those under IN lights. There were no significant differences in hen-day egg production among hens in the physical presence of males and hens allowed visual and vocal contact with males. However, hen-day egg production was significantly lower for females in pens in which males were absent. Fertility, hatchability, days to first egg, egg weight, and egg specific gravity were unaffected by light source treatments or by the presence or absence of males in pens of females.
US Pivotal Studies of Irinotecan in Colorectal Carcinoma

Phase I trials of irinotecan (CPT-11 [Camptosar]), conducted at Johns Hopkins and the University of Texas, San Antonio, demonstrated some activity in patients with refractory advanced cancer. Three pivotal phase II studies of irinotecan in advanced colorectal carcinoma were conducted at The University of Texas, San Antonio, Mayo/North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG), and the CPT-11 Study Group in a total of 304 patients. All patients had received prior fluorouracil (5-FU) chemotherapy, and over 90% had progressed while on treatment within the last 6 months. The initial starting dose of irinotecan ranged from 100 to 150 mg/m2. The overall response rate was 12.8% (95% confidence interval, 9.1% to 16.6%) with a 15% response rate at a recommended starting dose of 125 mg/m2. The response durations and overall median survivals were similar in the three studies. The principal toxicities included diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and neutropenia. Severe diarrhea was limited by use of an intensive loperamide regimen and appropriate dose modification. The three pivotal studies of irinotecan in advanced colorectal carcinoma demonstrate consistent response rates and duration, with manageable toxicity. Future studies will focus on the use of irinotecan in chemotherapeutically naive colorectal carcinoma, the adjuvant treatment of colon carcinoma, combination chemotherapeutic regimens, and treatment of other malignant diseases.
Identification of Initial Stop Consonants Processed by the Patterson–Holdsworth ASP Model

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the types of dynamic auditory cues that may be important in the perception of syllable-initial stop consonants. Auditory representations are not an adequate or reasonable reflection of actual dynamic auditory processing. The 1/6 octave filter bank and mel-scale frequency axis are used to approximate the peripheral filtering of the normal ear. The auditory speech processing (ASP) front-end closely simulates the peripheral filtering of the human auditory system. Rather than processed, running spectra, the output of the ASP model is a stabilised auditory image (SAI), which preserves the spectral dynamics of time-varying, complex sounds in a display that mimics the pattern of excitation within the nervous system. The chapter discusses whether a sufficient set of the dynamic cues are available in the SAI and recoverable by viewers, which could signal both the place-of-articulation and the voicing distinctions of initial stop consonants in American English.
Administrative Rule-Making in the United States: An Examination of the Values that Have Shaped the Process

Published in Australia, this article explores the evolution of informal rulemaking in the United States from the enactment of the Administrative Procedure Act in 1946 through the 1980s. It focuses especially upon the values that influenced the development of “hard look” judicial review and the expansion of the public participation elements of the rulemaking process. The article grew out of a presentation that was made at the 1991 Conference on Fair and Open Decision Making, which was sponsored by the Royal Australian Institute of Public Administration (ACT Division) and the Australian Institute of Administrative Law.
Status of Hand Hygiene among Medical Staff in Neonatal Department:An Investigation

OBJECTIVE To observe the hand hygiene compliance among medical staff in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU),and to provide a reliable basis for the purpose of the proper training and management. METHODS The status of hand hygiene compliance among medical staff was recorded according to the hand washing directions and their knowledge about hand hygiene as well as the relationship between hand hygiene and nosocomial infection were investigted. RESULTS There were 645 times-personnel of hand hyqiene compliance among medical staffs and there was no stotistical significance between doctors and nurses,but with statistical significance between medical staffs of less 3 years length of service (P0.05); and more 5 years,length of service also between doctors. There were 98.3% of medical staffs being aware of health care law for six-step hand-washing and hand hygiene 97.8% being aware of hand hygiene compliance and 86.7% obtained knowledge after proper training,but most of them did not know the relationship between hand hygiene and hospital infection. CONCLUSIONS A good hand hygiene compliance need not only a reliable and convenient environment,but also training,inspection,supervision and management.
Development of the Productivity-Study-Research Cooperation Education in China

In the development of the productivity-study-research cooperation education in China,there exist the defects that the concept is laggard,the system is to be improved further,and the experience of the productivity-study-research cooperation is short,which restrict its further development.In China,the cooperation education of productivity,study and research has not only the necessity,but also has solid social foundation and bright developing future.The developing strategy of Chinese cooperation education of productivity,study and research is pertinently raised in the theory research and practical exploration,and which will promote the development of the productivity-study-research cooperation education actively and effectively.
CV-width: a new complexity parameter for CNFs

We present new complexity results on the compilation of CNFs into DNNFs and OBDDs. In particular, we introduce a new notion of width, called CV-width, which is specific to CNFs and that dominates the treewidth of the CNF incidence graph. We then show that CNFs can be compiled into structured DNNFs in time and space that are exponential only in CV-width. Not only does CV-width dominate the incidence graph treewidth, but the former width can be bounded when the latter is unbounded. We also introduce a restricted version of CV-width, called linear CV-width, and show that it dominates both pathwidth and cutwidth, which have been used to bound the complexity of OBDDs. We show that CNFs can be compiled into OBDDs in time and space that are exponential only in linear CV-width. We also show that linear CV-width can be bounded when pathwidth and cutwidth are unbounded. The new notion of width significantly improves existing upper bounds on both structured DNNFs and OBDDs, and is motived by a new decomposition technique that combines variable splitting with clause splitting.
Brain Volume, Connectivity, and Neuropsychological Performance in Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: The Impact of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms.

Abstract Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is commonly associated with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). To better understand their relationship, we examined neuroanatomical structures and neuropsychological performance in a sample of individuals with mTBI, with and without PTSD symptoms. Thirty-nine subjects with mTBI were dichotomized into those with (n = 12) and without (n = 27) significant PTSD symptoms based on scores on the PTSD Checklist. Using a region-of-interest approach, fronto-temporal volumes, fiber bundles obtained by diffusion tensor imaging, and neuropsychological scores were compared between the two groups. After controlling for total intracranial volume and age, subjects with mTBI and PTSD symptoms exhibited volumetric differences in the entorhinal cortex, an area associated with memory networks, relative to mTBI-only patients (F = 4.28; p = 0.046). Additionally, subjects with PTSD symptoms showed reduced white matter integrity in the right cingulum bundle (axial diffusivity, F = 6...
Acute kidney injury: Preventing acute kidney injury through nephrotoxin management

Nephrotoxin-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) is a considerable risk among hospitalized children. The development and use of a proactive, nephrotoxin screening system seems to have led to a significant improvement in AKI rates in one children's hospital, suggesting that such systems might have broader implications for patient care.