cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Perturbations of Complement in Disease

Alterations in the complement (C) system in human pathology have been recognized for many years, but only within recent years have measurements of serum C components become clinically available. In view of the apparent different biological properties of each component of the C system (Ruddy et al., 1972a; Muller-Eberhard, 1975), a proper understanding of the role of C in disease requires an analysis not only of the whole hemolytic C, but also of its components. Immunochemical measurements using monospecific antibodies against C proteins are available, but fail to distinguish between native proteins and those that have been rendered inactive either because they have participated in the C reaction sequence or because they have been incorrectly synthesized de novo. Stoichiometric hemolytic titrations provide sensitive assessment of the functional activity of the individual C component.
Surface residue and nitrogen fertilization effects on no-till wheat

Surface residue helps to reduce soil erosion, but wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yield in conservation tillage is often less than in conventional tillage, especially when a cereal follows a cereal. Plant development was delayed and tiller initiation less consistent in no-till (NT) winter wheat than in conventionally-tilled (CT) wheat grown following spring wheat. Flattening of the straw rather than leaving it standing improved plant development and grain yield. Burning of straw in NT improved tiller initiation and increased yield. Plants responded to nitrogen (N) similarly in both systems. Lower yield in NT appeared primarily due to poorer tiller initiation and lower tiller survival. To achieve equality with CT, ways must be found to eliminate plant stress during early-tiller initiation.
Experimental Studies of Reactivity and Transformations of Rocks and Minerals in Water-Bearing Supercritical CO2

Abstract Geologic storage of carbon dioxide is a promising strategy for reducing CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. In this process, silicate minerals in the host rock can react to permanently trap CO2 as precipitated carbonates. In addition, expandable clays in caprocks can swell or shrink and impact the integrity of the caprock seal. While the reactivity of minerals in CO2-rich aqueous fluids has been well studied, much less is known about mineral transformations in supercritical CO2 (scCO2) containing dissolved water. This chapter focuses on experimental investigations of mineral reactivity and transformations in variably hydrated scCO2. We summarize research regarding reservoir rocks, including carbonates, sandstone, granite, basalt, and peridotite. We also cover studies on several mineral systems, including phyllosilicate (montmorillonite), olivine (forsterite), serpentine (antigorite), pyroxene (enstatite), and feldspars (albite, anorthite, and microcline). For expandable phyllosilicate clay minerals, it is shown that volume changes are induced by both H2O and CO2 intercalation. For metal silicate minerals, a common observation is the adsorption of angstrom- to nanometer-thick H2O films, which facilitate mineral dissolution, ion transport, and nucleation of metal carbonate precipitates. Many silicates exhibit a threshold concentration of adsorbed H2O, before which carbonation is limited to possibly amorphous phase precipitation or surface complexation, but beyond which carbonation is continuous and crystalline carbonates can form.
294 PSORIASIS AND OBESITY.

Psoriasis is a noncontagious inflammatory skin disease that has been found to lead to the development of obesity. The intent of this study was to identify the factors that contribute to obesity in psoriatic patients. At the time of the interview, the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score was measured to determine the extension of lesions and a questionnaire was administered to assess stress level, exercise, and other medical conditions, such as arthritis. Sixty-six subjects were recruited from UCLA dermatology clinics; 27 subjects were psoriasis patients (average age = 50.33 years,16 males, 11 females), whereas 39 subjects (average age = 50.49 years, 20 males, 19 females) served as control nonpsoriasis patients. Our preliminary results indicate that psoriasis patients (x = 27.75, SD = 5.81) did not have a significantly higher average body mass index (BMI) than control patients (x = 25.79, SD = 4.25, p = .118). A significant positive correlation was found between BMI and PASI (r = .45, p = .02). Psoriasis patients with arthritis (x = 28.81, SD = 5.89) were not found to have a significantly higher average BMI than those without arthritis (x = 24.16, SD = 2.42, p = .514). Psoriatic arthritis patients (x = 2.33, SD = 2.40) were not found to exercise significantly more than psoriasis controls (x = 1.97, SD = 2.09, p = .69). Psoriasis patients (x = 2.09 times/week, SD = 2.16) did not report engaging in strenuous exercise significantly less than control patients (x = 1.91 times/week, SD = 2.05, p = .73). Lastly, psoriasis patients did not report significantly more stress (x = 21.26, SD =8.13) than controls (x = 19.84, SD = 8.83, p = .51). According to these preliminary data, there is a significant positive correlation between BMI and increased severity of psoriatic disease as measured by PASI. However, significant data were not found to show that psoriatic patients have a higher BMI, increased stress, and less physical activity than controls. In addition, psoriatic arthritis patients were not found to exhibit a significantly higher BMI and exercise more than psoriasis control patients. Again, these are preliminary results, and we are planning to increase our power in the future by enrolling a total of 200 subjects in our study.
Prairie Dogs, Persistent Plague, Flocking Fleas, and Pernicious Positive Feedback.

Plague (caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis) is a deadly flea-borne disease that remains a threat to public health nearly worldwide and is particularly disruptive ecologically where it has been introduced. We review hypotheses regarding maintenance and transmission of Y. pestis, emphasizing recent data from North America supporting maintenance by persistent transmission that results in sustained non-epizootic (but variable) rates of mortality in hosts. This maintenance mechanism may facilitate periodic epizootic eruptions “in place” because the need for repeated reinvasion from disjunct sources is eliminated. Resulting explosive outbreaks that spread rapidly in time and space are likely enhanced by synergistic positive feedback (PFB) cycles involving flea vectors, hosts, and the plague bacterium itself. Although PFB has been implied in plague literature for at least 50 years, we propose this mechanism, particularly with regard to flea responses, as central to epizootic plague rather than a phenomenon worthy of just peripheral mention. We also present new data on increases in flea:host ratios resulting from recreational shooting and poisoning as possible triggers for the transition from enzootic maintenance to PFB cycles and epizootic explosions. Although plague outbreaks have received much historic attention, PFB cycles that result in decimation of host populations lead to speculation that epizootic eruptions might not be part of the adaptive evolutionary strategy of Y. pestis but might instead be a tolerated intermittent cost of its modus operandi. We also speculate that there may be mammal communities where epizootics, as we define them, are rare or absent. Absence of plague epizootics might translate into reduced public health risk but does not necessarily equate to inconsequential ecologic impact.
Marital Status Disruptions and Internalizing Disorders of Children

Marital disruption (i.e., separation or divorce) impacts an estimated 40-50% of married couples. Previous research has shown that marital disruption results in negative health outcomes for children and adolescents. Our study aims to investigate the relationship between marital disruptions and internalizing disorders of children in a prospective cohort. Comparisons between marital status groups at each time point showed a significant difference in CBCL score between children in married and unmarried families at 3 years of age, with children in unmarried families having a 0.10 higher standardized CBCL score (95% CI: 0.09-0.12; p<.0001). Differences in CBCL score by marital status were not significant at 5 and 9 years after adjusting for confounders. Parental marital status is associated with an increased CBCL internalizing behavior score at 3 years of age, but the association disappears at later time points.
Structured Maintenance Policies for Deteriorating Transportation Infrastructures: Combination of Maintenance Types

Maintenance planning for deteriorating transportation infrastructures is quite challenging because multiple maintenance actions with complex effects are usually required. This paper proposes a novel analytical model for deteriorating infrastructures with consideration of multiple types of preventive maintenance actions which have complex effects. Upon each inspection, a decision maker needs to decide whether preventive maintenance is needed, and what type of preventive maintenance action is appropriate if it is desirable. We formulate the maintenance optimization problem as a finite-horizon Markov decision process and investigate the structural properties of the optimal maintenance policies by minimizing the expected cost-to-go function. Computational study is provided to demonstrate the monotonically non-decreasing property of the optimal policies in condition and age using real-world pavement deterioration data. The monotone structure of the optimal policies is appealing in practice, because it can save the computational efforts and facilitates implementation.
Neuropathology of Dystonia.

Background: Dystonia is characterized by sustained or intermittent muscle contractions resulting in abnormal, often repetitive, movements, postures, or both. Neuropathologic research has been essential in understanding the etiology and disease progression of other movement disorders, including Parkinson’s disease and cerebellar ataxias. In the field of dystonia, however, research is stymied by the paucity of post-mortem tissue available and the phenotypic heterogeneity found in those with dystonia. Methods: A PubMed search was conducted using the term ‘‘neuropathology of dystonia’’. The resulting list of references was limited to English-language human neuropathology articles. A total of 20 publications were retrieved and reviewed. Results: Historically, based on study of acquired forms of dystonia, lesions of the putamen and globus pallidus have been identified as causing dystonia. After the identification of genetic causes of dystonia and the study of limited tissue available from those cases, as well as findings from cases of isolated focal and segmental dystonia, there is evidence that brainstem cholinergic neurons and specific cell populations within the cerebellum also play a role in the pathophysiology of dystonia. Discussion: Based on limited available brain tissue, there is evidence that the pathophysiology of dystonia may involve a combination of dysfunction within neurons of the brainstem, cerebellum, putamen, and globus pallidus. In order to gain a better understanding of the pathophysiology of dystonia, a prospective, quantitative study in well-phenotyped subjects with different types of genetic and isolated dystonia is required.
Measuring and Estimating Rotary Joint Axes of an Articulated Robot

The aim of this article is to chronicle a novel methodology for measuring and estimating rotary joint axes of an articulated robot. The key contribution of the proposed methodology is a practical way of estimating rotary joint axes of an articulated robot by taking static position measurements of every rotary joint, so that the estimated rotary joint axes reflect the real characteristics of the actual robot. Furthermore, the proposed methodology enables an advanced calibration of robot kinematic parameters for a better motion performance. The metrology requires a laser tracker for taking static position measurements. The proposed methodology is intended for articulated robots with serially linked rotary joints. To make the basic concepts easier to understand, the study uses a lower-pair kinematic chain with three serially linked rotary joints. The basic concepts can be extended and applied to higher degree-of-freedom articulated robots. To validate the research outcomes, this article proceeds with a validation experiment that demonstrates the use of the proposed methodology with empirical data produced by a metrology simulation experiment. The results of the validation experiment indicate that the proposed methodology is capable of measuring and estimating rotary joint axes of an articulated manipulator even in the presence of typical sensor noises.
High-Resolution Interactive Immersive Renderings of Real-World Environments

Recent advances in scanning technology have enabled the highly detailed capture and generation of 3D models. However, due to the complexity of these data sets, they are often not experienced immersively. This demo will showcase recent advances in rendering technologies that enable complicated real-world environments to be experienced in VR. The ability to experience a virtual environment replicating a physical space has applications for areas such as CSI, healthcare and cultural heritage.
Effects of acetyl L-carnitine on zebrafish embryos: Phenotypic and gene expression studies

Acetyl L-carnitine (ALCAR), a dietary supplement and an antioxidant, plays a vital role in the bioenergetic process that produces ATP. Although there are reports on antioxidant toxicity, there is no information on the potential toxicity of ALCAR. Here, using zebrafish embryos, we explored whether ALCAR modulated ATP synthesis, generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and expression of specific genes related to major signaling pathways that control metabolism, growth, differentiation, apoptosis and oxidative stress. First, we show that ALCAR elicits a physiologic response, as ATP levels increased after ALCAR treatment. Simultaneously, an increase in the expression of ROS, a by-product of ATP synthesis, was observed in the ALCAR-treated embryos. Consistent with higher ROS expression, the level of cysteine, a precursor of glutathione, was significantly reduced. ALCAR did not have any drastic effect on overall development and heart rate. Polymerase chain reaction-based gene expression array analyses showed no significant change in the expression of 83 genes related to 10 major signaling pathways including: the transforming growth factor β (TGFβ), Wingless and Int-1 (Wnt), nuclear factor κ-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK/STAT), p53, Notch, Hedgehog, Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR), oxidative stress, and hypoxia pathways. Our results show that the expression of 83 genes related to these major signaling pathways did not change significantly.
Dissecting the process of xylem colonization through biofilm formation in Erwinia amylovora

Erwinia amylovora is the causal agent of fire blight, an economically-important disease affecting apple and pear production worldwide. Initial contact and infection of the host by E. amylovora mainly occurs in flowers, or in young leaves at actively-growing shoot tips. Infection via shoot tips encompasses several distinct steps which include the utilization of a Type III secretion system (T3SS) to establish bacterial populations within the apoplast, infection of the parenchyma, invasion of the xylem, attachment to xylem vessels, biofilm formation, and the eventual colonization of the xylem which manifests outwardly as wilting symptoms in the plant. After E. amylovora gains entry into the xylem, initial attachment to the xylem vessels is mediated by type I fimbriae. Conversely, the small RNA (sRNA) chaperone Hfq and associated sRNA ArcZ negatively regulate attachment and promote biofilm maturation. Attachment and biofilm formation within the xylem are enhanced by the mechanical force emerging from the flow of xylem sap. The second messenger molecule cyclic-di-GMP (c-di-GMP) regulates the transition into the biofilm phase of the infection process of E. amylovora. C-di-GMP also regulates the production of critical exopolysaccharides amylovoran and cellulose, that lend to the structural stability and growth of biofilms within the xylem vessels. In this review, we provide an in-depth evaluation of the process of biofilm formation occurring within the host, as a result of E. amylovora infection. We also provide a model encompassing the different physical and signaling factors involved in biofilm initiation and maturation in E. amylovora, and highlight what needs to be done in the future.
Substituted Thioxanthone-Based Photoinitiators for Efficient Two-Photon Direct Laser Writing Polymerization with Two-Color Resolution

Nanolithographic printing by direct laser writing (DLW) photopolymerization has attracted increased attention in recent years, as the speed of this printing has increased, while the feature sizes t...
Having the talk when our little ones just learned to walk: Racial socialization with young children in contemporary times

The world as we knew it changed abruptly in 2020. Whether due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID‐19), or subsequent events, including the murder of George Floyd, the election of Joseph Biden and Kamala Harris, or the US Capital Insurrection, racialized events became a focal point for families who found themselves gathering together much more frequently due to government encouraged stay‐at‐home mandates. Caregivers across races and developmental ages began asking themselves the same question: how can I talk to my child about race? Here, we seek to provide psychoeducation around racial socialization, or the ways we have ‘The Talk’ to our children about race and racism, along with practical strategies to be competent in these conversations with young children in particular. Three steps for parents, including unpacking racial beliefs, practicing with supportive others, and utilizing media to enhance The Talk with children are advanced. We conclude by considering the future as a guidepost by which we can measure our hopes and successes of raising children in a racism‐free society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Infant & Child Development is the property of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
A Scalable Approach to Multi-dimensional Data Analysis

Similarity search is one of the most studied research fields in data mining. Given a query data point Q, how to find its closest neighbors efficiently and effectively has always been a challenging research topic. In this paper, we discuss continuous research on data analysis based on our previous work on similarity search problems, and present an approach to improving the scalability of the PanKNN algorithm [13]. This proposed approach can assist to improve the performance of existing data analysis technologies, such as data mining approaches in Bioinformatics.
Porcine somatotropin and dietary lysine influence bone mineralization and mechanical properties of bones in finishing swine.

The femur, a rib, and a third metacarpal were collected from 108 barrows (initial weight = 57 kg) and analyzed to determine the effects of porcine somatotropin (pST) and dietary lysine on bone mineralization and mechanical properties. In Exp. 1, pigs were injected daily with 4 mg of pST and fed diets containing 1.0% Ca and .9% P and either .6, .8, 1.0, 1.2, or 1.4% lysine. Control pigs (placebo injection) received the .6% lysine diet. Bone wall thickness (BWT) of the femur increased (linear, P < .05) but ash content decreased (linear, P < .10) as dietary lysine level increased. Stress and ash content of the rib also decreased (linear, P < .05) with increasing dietary lysine level. In Exp. 2, pigs were injected with either 4 or 8 mg/d of pST and fed diets containing 1.1% Ca and 1.0% P and either .8, 1.0, 1.2, or 1.4% lysine. Control pigs received the .8% lysine diet. Increasing pST dosage increased BWT of the femur (linear, P < .10) but decreased ash content (linear, P < .10). In the rib, increasing pST dosage reduced stress, modulus of elasticity (linear, P < .10), and ash content (linear, P < .01). Increasing lysine level resulted in increased BWT of the femur and decreased ash content of rib, femur, and metacarpal (linear, P < .10). These data indicate that pST administration in conjunction with increasing lysine levels decreases bone ash content but increases BWT of finishing pigs.
Theoretical Aspects of Scanning Tunneling Microscopy

Since its invention by Binnig, Rohrer, and coworkers [14.1], scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) has established itself as a remarkable tool for studying surfaces. This chapter reviews the present theoretical understanding of STM, with emphasis on the interpretation of atomic-resolution STM images. The basic ideas and instrumentation have already been described in detail elsewhere [14.1].
Melatonin for Insomnia and Jet Lag

Recently, an adolescent patient, in for a routine physical examination, asked about the use of melatonin for insomnia. She had actually purchased a melatonin-containing product several weeks before at a local health food store, dosing herself nightly as instructed by the "guy behind the counter." Several other patients and parents have since inquired about my knowledge of this "natural remedy." The body9s internal clock, the circadian system, is regulated by the pineal gland.
Similarity as a credibility cue in online support groups for chronic kidney disease

Patients with lifelong health conditions such as chronic kidney disease (CKD) may search for health information online throughout the course of their illness. On the Internet, patients may encounter patient peers in online support groups (OSGs) focused on their particular chronic illness. We currently know very little about how patients assess the credibility of information posted by other patients in OSGs. This poster examines this issue, presenting data from a grounded theory study on health information seeking and personal health information disclosure in OSGs for CKD. The poster describes how patients use similarity as a credibility cue. The data demonstrate that information on OSGs is assessed differently than information presented on static websites, extending our notions of how users assess trustworthiness and credibility online. These findings also extend our understanding of how users make these judgments on the Internet by describing the development of criteria assessments over time, relative to the illness experiences of the seeker. This poster also highlights the importance of shared experience when judging trustworthiness in OSGs, a concept that has received little attention in the literature to date.
Forming and inhibiting PRT active sites.

Snapshots of an enzyme at three points along its reaction pathway illustrate the importance of conformational change and frame an argument about reaction mechanism.
“No King unless it be a Constitutional King”: Rethinking the Place of the QuebecAct in the Coming of the American Revolution

In January 1775, the Reverend William Edmiston of Baltimore caused a political uproar by simply stating his loyalty to the British government. Baltimore County's Committee of Observation, which now...
Neural Correlates of Visuomotor Learning in Autism

Motor impairments are prevalent in children with autism spectrum disorder. The Serial Reaction Time Task, a well-established visuomotor sequence learning probe, has produced inconsistent behavioral findings in individuals with autism. Moreover, it remains unclear how underlying neural processes for visuomotor learning in children with autism compare to processes for typically developing children. Neural activity differences were assessed using functional magnetic resonance imaging during a modified version of the Serial Reaction Time Task in children with and without autism. Though there was no group difference in visuomotor sequence learning, underlying patterns of neural activation significantly differed when comparing sequence (i.e., learning) to random (i.e., nonlearning) blocks. Children with autism demonstrated decreased activity in brain regions implicated in visuomotor sequence learning: superior temporal sulcus and posterior cingulate cortex. The findings implicate differences in brain mechanisms that support initial sequence learning in autism and can help explain behavioral observations of autism-associated impairments in skill development (motor, social, communicative) reliant on visuomotor integration.
Photon-tagged and B-meson-tagged b-jet production at the LHC

Abstract Tagged jet measurements in high energy hadronic and nuclear reactions provide constraints on the energy and parton flavor origin of the parton shower that recoils against the tagging particle. Such additional insight can be especially beneficial in illuminating the mechanisms of heavy flavor production in proton–proton collisions at the LHC and their modification in the heavy ion environment, which are not fully understood. With this motivation, we present theoretical results for isolated-photon-tagged and B-meson-tagged b-jet production at s N N = 5.1 TeV for comparison to the upcoming lead–lead data. We find that photon-tagged b-jets exhibit smaller momentum imbalance shift in nuclear matter, and correspondingly smaller energy loss, than photon-tagged light flavor jets. Our results show that B-meson tagging is most effective in ensuring that the dominant fraction of recoiling jets originate from prompt b-quarks. Interestingly, in this channel the large suppression of the cross section is not accompanied by a significant momentum imbalance shift.
Expression of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor NR1 splice variants and NR2 subunit subtypes in the rat colon.

N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors and the expression of their different splice variants and subunits were previously characterized in the brain and spinal cord. However, knowledge on the NMDA receptor expression and function in the enteric nervous system is limited. Previous work suggested that NMDA receptors were involved in a rat model of visceral hypersensitivity. The aim of this study was to characterize the expression of the NMDA receptor NR1 splice variants and the NR2 subunit subtypes in the rat colon. We visualized the expression of NR1 protein in the rat submucosal and myenteric plexuses. The NR1 splice variants found in the colon of rats lacked the N1 and C1 cassettes and contained the C2 and C2′cassettes (NR1000 and NR1001). The NR2B and NR2D subunits were also found in the rat colon. Moreover, NMDA receptors in the rat colon were heteromeric, since NR1 was co-localized with NR2B and NR2D subunits using fluorescent immunohistochemistry. The identification of the NMDA receptors in the enteric nervous system could lead to the development of drugs that selectively modulate bowel function.
Case report: An unusual association of a rectovaginal fistula with the currarino triad

Currarino et al. in 1981 described an association between an anterior sacral defect, congenital anorectal stenosis or another type of low anorectal malformation and a presacral mass. We are only aware of one previous report in the English literature of the association of a rectovaginal fistula with this triad and to our knowledge the association has not been described in the radiological literature.
Evidence that the adaptive response of human lymphocytes to ionizing radiation acts on lethal damage in nonaberrant cells.

Abstract In a previous study we found that a cytogenetic adaptive response could lead to increases in survival if there was a sufficient increase in nonaberrant cells (Shadley and Dai, 1992). Since the high challenge doses used produced mainly multiply aberrant cells, we suggested using challenge doses that gave mainly singly aberrant cells in order to improve detection of a survival adaptive response. To test this, human lymphocytes from 6 donors were exposed in the first G 1 phase to 5 cGy of X-rays, followed by 100 cGy 6 h later. Nearly all of the aberrant cells bore only one chromosome aberration with this challenge dose, and in agreement with our proposal, survival adaptive responses were seen in 4 of 6 donors. A near 1:1 relationship between the % nonaberrant cells and % survival was found with 100 cGy, suggesting that the lymphocyte populations scored in the survival and aberration assays were representative of each other. However, the increase in nonaberrant cells was not sufficient to account for the increase in survival. Thus, a large fraction of the increase in survival was due to a decrease in lethal damage in cytologically nonaberrant cells. Such damage could range sub-microscopic lesions, to larger alterations not visible in Giemsa-stained cells. In conjunction with adaptive response studies of others, these results intimate that the adaptive response affects damage at different levels of chromosomal hierarchy (i.e. from the chromosome to DNA). The process(es) responsible for the effects observed in this study may act on lethal, rather than mutagenic lesions.
Electroreduction in aqueous media, saturation of polycyclic aromatics

Abstract The preparative cathodic reduction of anthracene and phenanthrene was investigated aiming at obtaining Birch-type products in aqueous solutions. Following previous reports, reductions were carried out using mercury pool cathodes and tetrabutylammonium electrolytes. Optimum conditions were found to involve tetrabutylammonium hydroxide as the electrolyte and water as the sole solvent. Reactions were carried out in a simple cell, using constant-current and the products were isolated and identified. Anthracene formed initially 9,10-dihydroanthracene which reduced with additional charge transfer to 1,4,5,8,9,10-hexahydroanthracene in high yield. To obtain more saturated anthracene derivatives, a process was developed which involves a “one pot” reduction-isomerization-reduction sequence. Anthracene was electrolyzed first to completion, the product was isomerized by reflux in the electrolyte solution (in the cell but without charge transfer) and was then electrolyzed again. Using this process 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-octahydroanthracene and 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10-decahydroanthracene were formed in significant yields. Reduction of phenanthrene resulted in mixtures of high saturated derivatives without need for isomerization steps. The major products varied with the amount of charge transferred from dihydrophenanthrene ( 3F mol ) to octahydrophenanthrene ( 10F mol ) and decahydrophenanthrene ( 20F mol ). In general it was shown that cathodic hydrogenation of polycyclic aromatics is possible in aqueous solutions. The products resemble those obtained by metal-amnonia or amine reductions. The degree of saturation can be controlled by the amount of charge transferred and can be increased by a combination of alternate reductions and isomerizations.
Effect of Long Range Interactions on the Depletion Force between Colloidal Particles

Abstract A force balance approach is used to calculate the depletion force between two charged spheres in a solution of charged spherical macromolecules. When compared to the case of hard sphere interactions only, the presence of a long-range electrostatic repulsion increases greatly both the magnitude and range of the depletion effect. In addition, a virial expansion of the single particle distribution function, correct to O ( p 2 ∞ ), is used to estimate the second-order effects arising from two-body macromolecule interactions. It is found that even at concentrations as small as 1% volume, a depletion repulsion can arise as two particles first approach. Upon closer approach, the force switches sign and a significant depletion attraction results. This effect is similar qualitatively to results obtained using nonadsorbing uncharged, flexible macromolecules. However, both the range and magnitude of the force produced by charged spheres are much greater (e.g., interaction energies exceeding 1 kT are predicted at separation distances as large as 13 Debye lengths). Depending on the macromolecule concentration, the depletion effect can either promote stability of a colloidal dispersion or induce flocculation.
GAT1 (GABA:Na+:Cl-) cotransport function. Kinetic studies in giant Xenopus oocyte membrane patches.

To explain cotransport function, the “alternating access” model requires that conformational changes of the empty transporter allow substrates to bind alternatively on opposite membrane sides. To test this principle for the GAT1 (GABA:Na+:Cl−) cotransporter, we have analyzed how its charge-moving partial reactions depend on substrates on both membrane sides in giant Xenopus oocyte membrane patches. (a) “Slow” charge movements, which require extracellular Na+ and probably reflect occlusion of Na+ by GAT1, were defined in three ways with similar results: by application of the high-affinity GAT1 blocker (NO-711), by application of a high concentration (120 mM) of cytoplasmic Cl−, and by removal of extracellular Na+ via pipette perfusion. (b) Three results indicate that cytoplasmic Cl− and extracellular Na+ bind to the transporter in a mutually exclusive fashion: first, cytoplasmic Cl− (5–140 mM) shifts the voltage dependence of the slow charge movement to more negative potentials, specifically by slowing its “forward” rate (i.e., extracellular Na+ occlusion); second, rapid application of cytoplasmic Cl− induces an outward current transient that requires extracellular Na+, consistent with extracellular Na+ being forced out of its binding site; third, fast charge-moving reactions, which can be monitored as a capacitance, are “immobilized” both by cytoplasmic Cl− binding and by extracellular Na+ occlusion (i.e., by the slow charge movement). (c) In the absence of extracellular Na+, three fast (submillisecond) charge movements have been identified, but no slow components. The addition of cytoplasmic Cl− suppresses two components (τ < 1 ms and 13 μs) and enables a faster component (τ < 1 μs). (d) We failed to identify charge movements of fully loaded GAT1 transporters (i.e., with all substrates on both sides). (e) Under zero-trans conditions, inward (forward) GAT1 current shows pronounced pre–steady state transients, while outward (reverse) GAT1 current does not. (f) Turnover rates for reverse GAT1 transport (33°C), calculated from the ratio of steady state current magnitude to total charge movement magnitude, can exceed 60 s−1 at positive potentials.
Multiple Microtektite Horizons in Upper Eocene Marine Sediments: No Evidence for Mass Extinctions

Microtektites have been recovered from three horizons in eight middle Eocene to middle Oligocene marine sediment sequences. Five of these occurrences are coeval and of latest Eocene age (37.5 to 38.0 million years ago); three are coeval and of early late Eocene age (38.5 to 39.5 million years ago); and three are of middle Oligocene age (31 to 32 million years ago). In addition, rare probable microtektites have been found in sediments with ages of about 36.0 to 36.5 million years. The microtektite horizon at 37.5 to 38.0 million years can be correlated with the North American tektite-strewn field, which has a fission track age (minimum) of 34 to 35 million years and a paleomagnetic age of 37.5 to 38.0 million years. There is no evidence for mass faunal extinctions at any of the microtektite horizons. Many of the distinct faunal changes that occurred in the middle Eocene to middle Oligocene can be related to the formation of the Antarctic ice sheet and the associated cooling phenomena and intensification of bottom currents that led to large-scale dissolution of calcium carbonate and erosion, which created areally extensive hiatuses in the deep-sea sediment records. The occurrence of microtektite horizons of several ages and the lack of evidence for faunal extinctions suggest that the effects of extraterrestrial bolide impacts may be unimportant in the biologic realm during middle Eocene to middle Oligocene time.
Soybean electrophysiology: effects of acid rain

Abstract Acid rain is a serious environmental problem with impact on agriculture, forestry and human health. Plants generate several types of extracellular observable electrical events, which have been correlated to environmental stress. Acid rain induces fast action potentials and decreases the variation potential in green plants. This is the first attempt in plant electrophysiology of high-speed non-invasive automatic measurements of action potentials induced by simulated acid rain. The speed of the propagation of action potentials in soybean, induced by spraying H 2 SO 4 or HNO 3 on the soybean or by acidification of soil, varies from 0.5 to 5 m/s. The duration of a single action potential after spraying the soybean with simulated acid rain varies from milliseconds to 0.5 ms by H 2 SO 4 and 0.4 ms by HNO 3 . The duration of single action potential after soil acidification varies from 20 ms to 0.8 ms after treatment with H 2 SO 4 and 0.5 ms after treatment with HNO 3 . Certain forms of aluminum compounds become more soluble in acidified soils. Addition of water soluble aluminum salts induces ultra fast action potentials in soybean with an amplitude of 60 mV and duration times of 0.5 ms (AlCl 3 ), 0.25 ms (Al(NO 3 ) 3 ), and 0.3 ms (Al 2 (SO 4 ) 3 ). The automatic measurements of the electrical potential difference can be effectively used in environmental plant electrophysiology for the studying of molecular mechanisms of ion transport and the influence of external stimuli on plants. Results of this work can help in development of new environmental biosensors based on electrical phenomena in plants.
Studies of atomic correlations in quaternary semiconductor alloys using the extended X-ray absorption fine structure technique

Abstract The local structure of a III–V quaternary alloy, GaxIn1-xAsySb1-y, has been determined using the EXAFS technique. Our measurements show a consistent deviation of nearest-neighbor occupation from randomness with GaAs pairs being clearly preferred over InAs pairs. The near-neighbor distances were found to be nearly constant, in agreement with other studies.
Typical cell signaling response to ionizing radiation: DNA damage and extranuclear damage

To treat many types of cancer, ionizing radiation (IR) is primarily used as external-beam radiotherapy, brachytherapy, and targeted radionuclide therapy. Exposure of tumor cells to IR can induce DNA damage as well as generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) which can cause non-DNA lesions or extracellular damage like lipid perioxidation. The initial radiation-induced cell responses to DNA damage and ROS like the proteolytic processing, as well as synthesis and releasing ligands (such as growth factors, cytokines, and hormone) can cause the delayed secondary responses in irradiated and unirradiated bystander cells through paracrine and autocrine pathways.
Survey of Application Data on Baked Phenolic Coatings Used in Process Industries

Abstract A summary of experience data concerning baked phenolics used as coatings in vessels storing chemicals, with emphasis on organies. Principal characteristics of phenolic coatings are reviewed. Sandblasted, meticulously clean surfaces are stipulated. Necessity for proper drying between coats is underlined and the virtual impossibility of achieving pinhole-free coatings emphasized. Thickness recommendations are made and proper backing procedure discussed, with a review of changes that take place during the baking cycle. Two methods of achieving pinhole-free coatings systems using metallic undercoating and organic overcoatings are described. Characteristic properties of baked coatings are summarized. Chemical resistance of baked phenolic coatings to 18 classes of organic acids, anhydrides, aldehydes, alcohols, hydroxy compounds, organic esters, amines and others is tabulated. Cautions to be observed in cleaning are given. Coatings are not recommended for inorganic acids. Oxidizers or alkalis rapidly d...
Ectopic AtCBF3 expression improves freezing tolerance and promotes compact growth habit in petunia

Freezing temperatures can be devastating for annual bedding plants, including Petunia × hybrida (petunia). The C-repeat binding factor (CBF) transcriptional activator proteins induce expression of a cascade of genes during the process of cold acclimation that results in a transient improvement in freezing tolerance for many plant species. Petunia ‘Mitchell’ plants were transformed with either AtCBF3 from Arabidopsis thaliana or SlCBF1 from Solanum lycopersicum, both under the strong constitutive CaMV 35S promoter. AtCBF3, but not SlCBF1, expression improved basal (non-cold-acclimated) freezing tolerance compared to wild-type plants, and induced expression of putative members of a petunia CBF-regulon. The basal freezing tolerance of AtCBF3 lines was similar to cold-acclimated freezing tolerance for wild-type plants. Additionally, freezing tolerance of AtCBF3 lines improved further following cold acclimation. Constitutive AtCBF3 expression also resulted in a dwarf phenotype, with reductions in plant height, internode length and leaf area, but did not impact leaf mass, resulting in a decreased specific leaf area (mm2 mg−1). Flowering of AtCBF3 lines was also delayed compared to wild-type.
Characterization of hybrid entanglement via a photonic basis converter

Photonic entanglement interconversion between time-bin and polarization bases has application to quantum communication, computation and memories. We characterize hybrid-basis entanglement between a pair photons obtained through such interconversion and show that non-classical correlations persist.
The bottom sediments of the Amazon shelf and tropical Atlantic Ocean

Abstract Analytical results of bottom sampling of the equatorial Atlantic Ocean affected by the Amazon River show a concentration of material smaller than 2 μ along the shore northwest of the mouth of the Amazon River for 2000 km. A zone having a high percentage of material coarser than 20 μ extends outward from the Amazon River and along the outer continental shelf northwestward for 2000 km. Areas having high carbonate percentages are encountered only on the outer shelf and in deep water.
Building brains, forging futures: the pediatrician's role

Abstract Recent leaps in the understanding of early brain growth and child development provide us with scientific underpinnings for strategies to improve child health outcomes. Genetic, environmental, and behavioral factors impact the growing child and have a profound impact on lifelong health and function. Recent advances in knowledge concerning the biologic underpinnings of brain development provide a better understanding upon which to base interventions. All growing children experience stress. However, if children are stressed in a manner that exceeds their coping capability, the stress is considered toxic. Toxic stress can impede the cognitive and social emotional growth of the developing brain. Pediatricians have the opportunity to intervene through screening for families at risk, supporting optimal parenting, and linking in a team fashion with other providers of care for young children to support development.
Coupling Recursive Hyperspheric Classification with Linear Discriminant Analysis for Improved Results

Recursive Hyper spheric Classification (RHC) can accurately and succinctly classify large datasets by dissecting labeled vectors into their constituent groups, or hyper spheres. While RHC is a powerful classification tool, coupling RHC with other linear classifiers enhances the ability and accuracy of the classification system, improving recognition of unlabeled vectors. In this paper, RHC is paired with Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) for improved classification and recognition rates.
Effect of Strain Rate and Pressure on the Flame Structure and Emission Characteristics of Syngas Flames

Synthesis gas or “Syngas” is being recognized as a viable energy source worldwide, particularly for stationary power generation due to its wide flexibility in fuel sources. There are gaps in the fundamental understanding of syngas combustion and emissions characteristics, especially at elevated pressures, high strain rates and in more practical conditions. This paper presents a numerical and experimental investigation to gain fundamental understanding of combustion and emission characteristics of syngas with varying composition, pressure and strain rate. Two representative syngas fuel mixtures, 50% H2 / 50% CO and 5% H2 / 95% CO (% vol.), are chosen, three detailed chemical kinetic models are used namely, GRI 3.0, Davis et al. and Li et al. mechanisms. Davis et al. mechanism agrees best with the experimental data hence is used to simulate the partially premixed flame structures at all pressures. Results indicate that for the pressure range investigated, a typical double flame structure was observed characterized by a rich premixed reaction zone (RPZ) on the fuel side and a nonpremixed reaction zone (NPZ) at the oxidizer side nozzle with the stabilizing due to the H2 chemistry rather than the CO chemistry. Sensitivity analysis to mass burning rates for unstretched laminar flame shows that flames are more sensitive to H2 chemistry. For both representative mixtures an increase in pressure leads to a significant increase in NO due to increase in flame temperature. The emission index for these flames is also found to follow a similar behavior with pressure. Although flame temperatures were higher for flame A, total NO is lower for these flames due to increases in reburn characteristics. Thermal route dominates NO production while, prompt route is negligible. Experimental analysis on the stability of nonpremixed syngas/air flames showed that the flames were very stable for the range of strain rates investigated. At low strain rates it required 0.5% H2 to establish a stable flame.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Prognosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and the effect of referral selection

We followed two cohorts of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) patients to examine the survival and prognostic factors of ALS and the impact of selective referral on prognosis of ALS. The first cohort consisted of population-based incident ALS cases from Harris County, Texas, first diagnosed between 1985 and 1988. The second was a clinical series from a tertiary care center in Houston, Texas, diagnosed between 1977 and 1989. The overall 3-year survival was 29% in the incidence cohort and 32% in the referral cohort; however, the 5-year survival was much lower for the incidence cohort than the referral cohort (4% vs 21%). The large difference in 5-year survival was not explained by the distributions of prognostic factors in the two cohorts but due to stronger unfavorable effects of prognostic factors in the incidence cohort than the referral cohort. In both cohorts, older age at diagnosis, bulbar onset, and positive family history of ALS were unfavorable prognostic factors while blacks had better survival than whites or hispanics. We confirmed that longer duration from onset to diagnosis was a favorable prognostic factor in both cohorts but the effect was more pronounced in the referral series.
The realist gesture in the films of Wim Wenders: Hollywood and the New German cinema

(1980). The realist gesture in the films of Wim Wenders: Hollywood and the New German cinema. Quarterly Review of Film Studies: Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 205-216.