cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The origin of interstitial myofibroblasts in chronic kidney disease

Chronic kidney diseases (CKD), independent of their primary cause, lead to progressive, irreversible loss of functional renal parenchyma. Renal pathology in CKD is characterized by tubulointerstitial fibrosis with excessive matrix deposition produced by myofibroblasts. Because blocking the formation of these scar-forming cells represents a logical therapeutic target for patients with progressive fibrotic kidney disease, the origin of renal myofibroblasts is a subject of intense investigation. Although the traditional view holds that resident fibroblasts are the myofibroblast precursor, for the last 10 years, injured epithelial cells have been thought to directly contribute to the myofibroblast pool by the process of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The recent application of genetic fate mapping techniques in mouse fibrosis models has provided new insights into the cell hierarchies in fibrotic kidney disease and results cast doubt on the concept that EMT is a source of myofibroblast recruitment in vivo, but rather point to the resident pericyte/perivascular fibroblast as the myofibroblast progenitor pool. This review will highlight recent findings arguing against EMT as a direct contributor to the kidney myofibroblast population and review the use of genetic fate mapping to elucidate the cellular mechanisms of kidney homeostasis and disease.
S-Adenosylmethionine Blocks Collagen I Production by Preventing Transforming Growth Factor-β Induction of the COL1A2 Promoter

To study the anti-fibrogenic mechanisms of S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet), transgenic mice harboring the -17 kb to +54 bp of the collagen alpha2 (I) promoter (COL1A2) cloned upstream from the beta-gal reporter gene were injected with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) to induce fibrosis and coadministered either AdoMet or saline. Control groups received AdoMet or mineral oil. AdoMet lowered the pathology in CCl4-treated mice as shown by transaminase levels, hematoxylin and eosin, Masson's trichrome staining, and collagen I expression. beta-Galactosidase activity indicated activation of the COL1A2 promoter in stellate cells from CCl4-treated mice and repression of such activation by AdoMet. Lipid peroxidation, transforming growth factor-beta (TGFbeta) expression, and decreases in glutathione levels were prevented by AdoMet. Incubation of primary stellate cells with AdoMet down-regulated basal and TGFbeta-induced collagen I and alpha-smooth muscle actin proteins. AdoMet metabolites down-regulated collagen I protein and mRNA levels. AdoMet repressed basal and TGFbeta-induced reporter activity in stellate cells transfected with COL1A2 promoter deletion constructs. AdoMet blocked TGFbeta induction of the -378 bp region of the COL1A2 promoter and prevented the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and the binding of Sp1 to the TGFbeta-responsive element. These observations unveil a novel mechanism by which AdoMet could ameliorate liver fibrosis.
Design of a stable controller for accurate path tracking of automated guided vehicles systems.

This paper deals with the path tracking and stability of motion of automated guided vehicle systems and wheeled mobile robots. A two degree-of-freedom dynamic model is developed to represent the plane motion of the vehicle. This model along with the instantaneous posture errors (position and orientation errors) of the vehicle are used to formulate their path-tracking problem in state space format. Implementation of stability criterion and application of the actual physical limits of the pertinent parameters of the system are the strategies used to design the controller. It is shown that implementation of a control strategy based on the vehicles’ position and orientation errors gives satisfactory results in vehicles’ path tracking. The feasibility of the approach and the performance of the controlled system are demonstrated by using a prototype vehicle.
From Other-Direction to the Me Decade: The Development of Fluid Identities and Personal Role Definitions*

A comparison of the basic traits of American character in the 1950s and the 1970s suggests that the narcissism of the 1970s is continuous with the other-direction of the 1950s, except that the narcissist makes a virtue out of what the other-directed person saw as problematic. The narcissist accommodates himself more fully to a social structure that demands great personal flexibility. He thus adopts a fluid identity and personal role definitions. Suggestive evidence of such identity change is found in the self-help literature of 1940 to 1979.
Hydroxyproline- O -glycosidic Linkage of the Plant Cell Wall Glycoprotein Extensin

PRIMARY cell walls contain a protein, extensin, which is rich in trans 4-L-hydroxyproline1–3. I suggested earlier that this protein could cross link wall polysaccharides4; if some of these cross linkages were labile, it would provide a chemical basis for changes in cell wall plasticity which are necessary for extension of plant cells. The recent isolation of several glycopeptides, rich in hydroxyproline from enzymatic digests of tomato cell walls5, confirmed the inference of a covalent carbohydrate–protein linkage in extensin. The chemical composition and properties of these glycopeptides also led me to the preliminary conclusion that attachment of the carbohydrate is by a glycosidic link through the hydroxyl group of hydroxyproline5. This rather unexpected possibility receives additional support from results presented in this communication, describing the isolation of hydroxyproline-O-glycosides from partial alkaline hydrolysates of tomato cell walls. These cell wall preparations account for more than 95 per cent of the hydroxyproline of the cells3. Most of this hydroxyproline (about 70 per cent) can be released as hydroxyproline glycosides. The method is based on the fact that glycosidic linkages are usually stable to those alkaline conditions which lead to rapid hydrolysis of peptide bonds6.
Evolutionary relationships of the salmonid fish genus Salvelinus inferred from DNA sequences of the first internal transcribed spacer (ITS 1) of ribosomal DNA.

Abstract DNA sequences of the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) first internal transcribed spacer region (ITS 1) of six species of the salmonid fish genus Salvelinus (alpinus, malma, confluentus, leucomaenis, fontinalis , and namaycush) and the closely related species Hucho perryi were determined. Phylogenetic analysis of the aligned sequences by both phenetic and cladistic methods with H. perryi as an outgroup generated one best topology which pairs S. alpinus with S. malma as the most recently derived species, and pairs S. confiuentus with S. leucomaenis . Three other possible topologies favor the pairing of S. namaycush and S. fontinalis , with one tree placing them on separate branches, and vary the branching order of the interior groups. These results agree with previous studies based on comparisons of morphologies, isozymes, karyotypes, and restriction sites showing a close genetic relationship and possible hybridization between the members of this genus.
Endogenously produced hydrogen sulfide supports tumor cell growth and proliferation.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is an endogenous gaseous biological mediator. In the cardiovascular system, it acts as a vasodilator, proangiogenic hormone, and cardioprotectant, while in the nervous system...
Quantitative optical densitometry with scanning-laser film digitizers.

A new process for eliminating two types of artifacts inherent in commercially available transmission scanning-laser film digitizers is presented. The first kind of artifact results in nonreproducible interference-pattern fluctuations as large as 7%. The second kind results in spreading of transmitted light from low-to-high optical density (OD) in regions with rapidly varying ODs, producing errors as large as 50%. These OD artifacts cause the loss of precision for films with low-OD regions (first type) and the loss of accuracy for films with regions of high-OD near high-OD gradients (second type). Test radiochromic films, produced by uniform exposure to a 6 MV photon beam and a high dose rate 192 Ir brachytherapy source, along with test radiographic films were used to characterize the artifacts of a commercially available scanning-laser film digitizer. The interference-pattern artifact was eliminated by digitizing the films on a masked diffusing ground-glass scanning bed. The light-transmission artifact was eliminated through discrete-fast-Fourier-transform (DFFT) deconvolution of transmission profiles with measured digitizer line-spread functions. Obtaining precise OD distributions after the DFFT deconvolution required prior removal of the interference-pattern artifact and application of a low-pass Wiener noise filter. Light-transmission artifacts are particularly significant for applications requiring measurement of high-gradient OD distributions, such as brachytherapy or conformal photon-beam film dosimetry and quantitation of two-dimensional electrophoresis gels. Errors as large as 15%–35% occur in OD distributions representative of these applications. The data collection and correction process developed in this study successfully removes these artifacts.
Role of overexpressed CFA/I fimbriae in bacterial swimming

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli CFA/I is a protective antigen and has been overexpressed in bacterial vectors, such as Salmonella Typhimurium H683, to generate vaccines. Effects that overexpressed CFA/I may engender on the bacterial host remain largely unexplored. To investigate, we constructed a high CFA/I expression strain, H683-pC2, and compared it to a low CFA/I expression strain, H683-pC, and to a non-CFA/I expression strain, H683-pY. The results showed that H683-pC2 was less able to migrate into semisolid agar (0.35%) than either H683-pC or H683-pY. Bacteria that migrated showed motility halo sizes of H683-pC2 < H683-pC < H683-pY. In the liquid culture media, H683-pC2 cells precipitated to the bottom of the tube, while those of H683-pY did not. In situ imaging revealed that H683-pC2 bacilli tended to auto-agglutinate within the semisolid agar, while H683-pY bacilli did not. When the cfaBE fimbrial fiber encoding genes were deleted from pC2, the new plasmid, pC2(-), significantly recovered bacterial swimming capability. Our study highlights the negative impact of overexpressed CFA/I fimbriae on bacterial swimming motility.
AUSTRALITE INVESTIGATIONS AND THEIR BEARING ON THE TEKTITE PROBLEM

Australites are believed to be meteorites because their occurrence suggests a meteoritic strewn-field and their “secondary” characteristics suggest swift passage thru the air. The australites are considered to have arrived in the Earth's atmosphere as glassy bodies that already possessed rotational shapes. If australites are meteorites, certain other kinds of tektites also are meteorites. The hypotheses of Michel, H. E. Suess, Paneth, and Stair for the origin of tektites are unconvincing in one or more respects. Tektites had probably the same origin as other meteorites, as fragments of a disrupted planet; tektites correspond to granites, as do stony meteorites to the basic mantle of the Earth. The meteorite-planet, however, must have been an autotektic (i.e., self-melting) system, heating up because the proportion of acidic to basic rocks was greater than that of the Earth. Its tektitic surface, containing most of the radioactive material in the planet, was molten at the time of disruption, while the stony meteoritic mantle was still crystalline. The planet may have been disrupted relatively recently.
Meeting the challenges of data-intensive science

Meeting the needs of Data-Intensive Science requires addressing many challenges in the entire life cycle of data including analysis, exploitation and dissemination. The broadening range of data sources often used in multi-discipline and multi-scale science studies present challenges to data providers as well as data consumers. Roles can become blurred as well as where responsibilities fall for data stewardship, curation, metadata collection and the many other necessary functions involved in enhancing Data-Intensive Science. Innovative approaches for data discovery and searching, as well as extending the use of semantics are important technologies to address these challenges. Data science is an emerging discipline that is evolving and expanding to meet some of the challenges of Data-Intensive Science, along with science collaboration portals providing social and professional networking functionality for accelerating and opening scientific exchange and interoperability in many areas.
The Use of Empirical Curriculum Development to Improve Prevention Research.

There is a paucity of curriculum development research. Many people may consider curriculum development an art, not worthy of its own status as an area of research. Yet, in theory, empirical curriculum development—evaluating a curriculum as one develops it—can be a useful tool for drug abuse prevention efforts as well as in other contexts. The present article provides the rationale for an empirical curriculum development process. This article also provides pragmatic and research barriers against engaging in empirical curriculum development. Finally, programmatic and research implications are discussed.
Diakoptics&#8212;The solution of system problems by tearing

A piecewise procedure called diakoptics is described. An overview of the theory is presented, and a summary of the applications that have been carried out to date in the power industry has been included. This paper is not a mere recapitualtion, but contains a number of new ideas which have not been presented previously. Only relevant mathematics have been included, and derivations or detailed mathematical presentations that appear elsewhere have been referenced. The paper starts with a historical review in which the classic problem through which diakoptics was conceived is presented. The tearing cases considered include torn subdivisions radially attached as well as torn subdivisions not attached. Only the most basic cases are considered for brevity and clarity of presentation.
TonB-dependent heme iron acquisition in the tsetse fly symbiont Sodalis glossinidius

Sodalis glossinidius is an intra- and extracellular symbiont of the tsetse fly (Glossina sp.), which feeds exclusively on vertebrate blood. S. glossinidius resides in a wide variety of tsetse tissues and may encounter environments that differ dramatically in iron content. The Sodalis chromosome encodes a putative TonB-dependent outer membrane heme transporter (HemR) and a putative periplasmic/inner membrane ABC heme permease system (HemTUV). Because these gene products mediate iron acquisition processes by other enteric bacteria, we characterized their regulation and physiological role in the Sodalis/tsetse system. Our results show that the hemR and tonB genes are expressed by S. glossinidius in the tsetse fly. Furthermore, transcription of hemR in Sodalis is repressed in a high-iron environment by the iron-responsive transcriptional regulator Fur. Expression of the S. glossinidius hemR and hemTUV genes in an Escherichia coli strain unable to use heme as an iron source stimulated growth in the presence of heme or hemoglobin as the sole iron source. This stimulation was dependent on the presence of either the E. coli or Sodalis tonB gene. Sodalis tonB and hemR mutant strains were defective in their ability to colonize the gut of tsetse flies that lacked endogenous symbionts, while wild-type S. glossinidius proliferated in this same environment. Finally, we show that the Sodalis HemR protein is localized to the bacterial membrane and appears to bind hemin. Collectively, this study provides strong evidence that TonB-dependent, HemR-mediated iron acquisition is important for the maintenance of symbiont homeostasis in the tsetse fly, and it provides evidence for the expression of bacterial high-affinity iron acquisition genes in insect symbionts.
Measurement and Compensation of Coherent Laslett Tune Shifts in the Fermilab Main Ring

The coherent Laslett tune shifts are studied by measuring the dependence on circulating intensity of the coherent betatron oscillation frequency at 8 GeV. The power supply control was modified to adjust the quadrupole currents so as to cancel beam induced tune changes. The article reports on running experience with this modification as well as on the data, its acquisition and reconciliation with the Laslett formulas. 3 refs.
Reducing the Risk of Shoulder Dystocia and Associated Brachial Plexus Injury

Despite persisting controversy over shoulder dystocia prediction, prevention, and injury causation, the authors find considerable evidence in recent research in the field to recommend additional guidelines beyond the current American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines to improve clinical practice in managing patients at risk for experiencing shoulder dystocia. In this article, the authors offer health care providers information, practical direction, and advice on how to limit shoulder dystocia risk and, more importantly, to reduce adverse outcome risk.
Belief, Control, and Conclusive Reasons*

L'A. mesure le role des raisons conclusives dans l'acceptation d'une croyance et met en evidence leurs consequences sur la possibilite de controle qui conditionne la responsabilite de l'individu. Examinant la validite du principe des possibilites alternatives face aux contre-exemples de Frankfurt, l'A. defend la these d'un volontarisme doxastique contre l'argument involontariste concernant les croyances quotidiennes.
Ethanol steam reforming over Co-based catalysts: Role of oxygen mobility

The effect of oxygen mobility on the bio-ethanol steam reforming of ZrO2- and CeO2-supported cobalt catalysts was investigated. The supported catalysts were prepared by incipient wetness impregnation (IWI) and characterized through N2 physisorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, temperature programmed oxidation, laser Raman spectroscopy, diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy, O2 pulse chemisorption, isotopic labeling, and transmission electron microscopy techniques at various life stages of the catalyst. The results indicated that the catalyst deactivation was due mostly to deposition of various types of carbon on the surface although cobalt sintering could also be contributing to the deactivation. The addition of ceria was found to improve the catalytic stability as well as activity, primarily due to the higher oxygen mobility of ceria.
Quantitative multispectral analysis following fluorescent tissue transplant for visualization of cell origins, types, and interactions.

With the desire to understand the contributions of multiple cellular elements to the development of a complex tissue; such as the numerous cell types that participate in regenerating tissue, tumor formation, or vasculogenesis, we devised a multi-colored cellular transplant model of tumor development in which cell populations originate from different fluorescently colored reporter gene mice and are transplanted, engrafted or injected in and around a developing tumor. These colored cells are then recruited and incorporated into the tumor stroma. In order to quantitatively assess bone marrow derived tumor stromal cells, we transplanted GFP expressing transgenic whole bone marrow into lethally irradiated RFP expressing mice as approved by IACUC. 0ovarian tumors that were orthotopically injected into the transplanted mice were excised 6-8 weeks post engraftment and analyzed for bone marrow marker of origin (GFP) as well as antibody markers to detect tumor associated stroma using multispectral imaging techniques. We then adapted a methodology we call MIMicc- Multispectral Interrogation of Multiplexed cellular compositions, using multispectral unmixing of fluoroprobes to quantitatively assess which labeled cell came from which starting populations (based on original reporter gene labels), and as our ability to unmix 4, 5, 6 or more spectra per slide increases, we've added additional immunohistochemistry associated with cell lineages or differentiation to increase precision. Utilizing software to detect co-localized multiplexed-fluorescent signals, tumor stromal populations can be traced, enumerated and characterized based on marker staining.1
Eclipse effects on the F1-layer observed at Cambridge on 30 June 1954

Abstract A study is made of the solar eclipse effects on the F1-layer, observed at Cambridge on 30 June 1954, using the critical frequency data following the method developed by C. M. Minnis . The h'(f) records were made during the period 26 June to 5 July 1954 using a panoramic ionosphere recorder. Only a lower limit can be set for a the recombination coefficient in the F1-layer and a value of 8 × 10−9 is not unsuitable. The major part of the radiation causing the F1-layer ionization is almost uniformly distributed over the entire visible disc of the sun, except for some west limb brightening to explain a discontinuity in the eclipse variation of the critical frequency at 1330 hours. To fit the computed eclipse variation with the observed variation of the critical frequency, a source of radiation 10 per cent of the whole will have to be assumed to lie beyond the visible disc of the sun.
AUGMENTING THE SEPARATION OF ADJACENT PAIRS OF RARE EARTHS IN ELUTIONS WITH HYDROXYETHYLETHYLENEDIAMINETRIACETATE (HEDTA).

Abstract Rare-earth mixtures have been eluted with ammonium HEDTA at 92° with substantial gains in the separation of ErHo, HoDy, DyTb and TbGd pairs. Individual stability constants at 92° have been derived from the observed separation factors, and a simple mechanism has been proposed to account for a drastic drop in chelate stability which occurs when only the lighter rare-earth chelate species are heated from 15° to 92°. A scheme for economical recovery of pure yttrium from yttrium-lanthanide mixtures is discussed.
Interaction between Carbon Black and Polymer in Cured Elastomers

Abstract This research was initiated to determine whether the interaction at the interface between the surface of finely divided solids, such as carbon black, and cured elastomers is primarily physical or chemical in nature. Further, it was desired to correlate some physical property of the reinforced stock with the surface properties of the solid pigment. Through an examination of the thermodynamic changes accompanying the deformation of loaded stocks it is shown that physical adsorption of the van der Waals type occurring at the interface between pigment and polymer is inadequate to account for the experimental observations. However, if chemical bonding occurs at the interface between polymer and pigment, then the entropy of deformation of the stock may be correlated with the extent of this bonding. By a calorimetric method it was demonstrated that the surface of a carbon black particle contains sites that react with bromine to liberate the same amount of heat as low molecular-weight olefins. It is, the...
1A7 - The measurement of the frequency fluctuations of a laser field

Many authors have analyzed the fluctuations of the laser oscillator, considering it as a regenerative classical oscillator. According to this model, the spectral line broadening can be calculated as due to the amplitude and to the phase fluctuations of the laser oscillation. There is as yet no good method available for the measurement of the phase or frequency fluctuations and the resultant spectral broadening. The method we propose allows the measurement of the cross-correlation function of the phase or frequency fluctuations of the optical field at two points of a laser beam. The optical signal from a single laser at two points P 1 and P 2 is mixed separately with two other independent lasers in two photo-devices. After detection of the beats, the two signals are passed each through a limiter and a frequency discriminator tuned to the center frequency of the beats. The output signals are then proportional to the fluctuating instantaneous frequency differences between the incoming beam and each of the local oscillator lasers. These two signals are then correlated with an electronic correlator. The details of the calculations are presented. It is shown that the signal-to-noise ratio attainable in such a measurement can be quite satisfactory.
3-D real-time database

Summary form only given. A SIMD architecture consists of one instruction processor (IP) with a separate memory for instructions, and a set of processing elements (PEs), each with its own separate memory. The instructions issued by the IP are sent to every PE simultaneously. When memory is addressed, the value in memory for each PE is simultaneously sent to its PE. Thus, thousands of data elements may be sent to their respective PEs simultaneously through execution of a single instruction. What's a MIMD? The MIMD architecture consists of a collection of SISD (single instruction single data) machines coupled together in some way to act on the RTDB problem. The MIMD architecture connects SISD processors to work on the RTDB problem. The MP spends most of its time passing data back and forth between the SISDs. Then the MP executes concurrent processes, and resynchronizes the system.
Shadow method for convex programming with application for navy credit sea/shore rotation problem

One develops a special method for approximating the solution to the convex programming problem based on the «interval» approach. This method incorporates upper and lower bound constraints on manning percentage in the main body of the algorithm and is rather convenient in practical application. The result of this type of approximation is again a «network problem with side constraints». One provides the technical base for designing a method of solving convex programming problem which one called the Shadow Method. Then one gives a brief description of the credit system model, which is presented as a multi-objective convex problem. Finally, one provides results and analysis of some practical runs
Low ON-State Voltage Optically Triggered Power Transistor for SiC Emitter Turn-OFF Thyristor

In this letter, a new optically triggered power transistor (OTPT) rated for 100-A load current is proposed. Moreover, some modifications in the base epitaxial layer are made to reduce both the ON-state voltage drop and the required optical power for the driving laser. This new structure benefits the fact that increasing the leakage current yields to a lower ON-state voltage in power semiconductor devices (PSDs). Although the proposed structure has a higher leakage current during the OFF-state, the high leakage current is blocked by a high-power low-leakage SiC thyristor that is connected in series with the proposed OTPT. Therefore, one can use the advantage of a rather leaky OTPT to further decrease the ON-state voltage. ON-state voltage drop of 0.8 V is achieved across the proposed OTPT in operating condition of 100 A and 100 °C while it is illuminated by optical power of 5 W. The proposed OTPT, respectively, features 22% and 92% improvement in the textscon-state voltage drop at optical powers of 5 and 2 W, as compared with the conventional low-leakage OTPT.
Genetic algorithm-based optimum vehicle suspension design using minimum dynamic pavement load as a design criterion

Abstract In this paper, the design of a passive vehicle suspension system was handled in the framework of nonlinear optimization. The variance of the dynamic load resulting from the vibrating vehicle operating at a constant speed was used as the performance measure of a suspension system. Using a quarter-car model, the performance measure was derived as an integration of a complex function of several variables. A genetic algorithm is applied to solve the nonlinear optimization problem. It was found from the sensitivity analysis that appropriate mutation rate, crossover rate and population size are 1.0%, 25% and 100, respectively. The optimum design parameters of the suspension systems obtained are k s = 622,180 N / m , k t = 1,705,449 N / m and c s = 26,582 N s / m , respectively.
Lung Inflammatory Responses to Intratracheal Interleukin-1α in Ventilated Preterm Lambs

Interleukin-1alpha is an early response proinflammatory cytokine that has been associated with chorioamnionitis and preterm labor, brain injury, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia. However, IL-1alpha also can increase expression of surfactant proteins and induce lung maturation in the preterm fetus. We measured the effects of IL-1alpha given by intratracheal instillation (IT) and compared the responses with injection of i.v. IL-1alpha in surfactant-treated and ventilated premature lambs. IT recombinant ovine IL-1alpha at doses of 5 and 50 microg/kg caused a similar large recruitment of neutrophils into the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. The neutrophils expressed CD11b, CD14, and CD44, but did not produce increased amounts of H(2)O(2). Cells from the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid had increased expression of proinflammatory cytokines, which also were increased in mRNA from lung tissue. The IT IL-1alpha also suppressed the expression of surfactant protein-C mRNA. Systemic effects were decreased neutrophils in blood, decreased lung function, increased heart rate, and hypotension or death in the 50 microg/kg IL-1alpha IT group and only decreased neutrophils in the blood in the 5 microg/kg IL-1alpha IT group. The i.v. IL-1alpha caused no lung inflammation or injury but did result in severe neutropenia and hypotension leading to early death. IT IL-1alpha can cause intense lung inflammation and systemic shock in ventilated preterm lungs.
IMAGING OF MUSCULOSKELETAL INFECTIONS

Musculoskeletal infections occur commonly in children and may involve the bones, joints, supporting soft tissues, and muscle. History and physical examination guide the initial evaluation, which often includes laboratory studies and conventional radiographs. Additional imaging studies are often performed to define, detect, or diagnose the abnormality better; assist with surgical planning; and assess treatment response. This article reviews the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and the clinical and imaging presentations of musculoskeletal infections in children.
LVIII. An absolute determination of the coefficients of viscosity of hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen

1. 1. The viscosities of hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen were determined by means of the constant deflexion apparatus which was designed and developed by Professor Millikan. 2. 2. These determinatio...
Preprocessing remotely sensed data for efficient analysis and classification

Interpreting remotely-sensed data typically requires expensive, specialized computing machinery capable of storing and manipulating large amounts of data quickly. In this paper, we present a method for accurately analyzing and categorizing remotely-sensed data on much smaller, less expensive platforms. Data size is reduced in such a way an efficient, interactive method of data classification.
Total mercury in some fish and shellfish along the Mexican coast

The paper reports a preliminary evaluation of mercury levels in fish and shellfish species from very important localities of the Gulf and Pacific coasts of Mexico.
Communication: Art or science?

This paper discusses the problem of teaching technical communications to engineering students and of how an engineering college can increase the quality of communications. First, students lacking prerequisites in basic English should be screened from such communications courses; the program should then consist of systematic instruction in technical writing and speaking principles augmented by continued exercise. An outline is given of the technical communications program at UCLA.
How useful are CBC and reticulocyte reports to clinicians

We surveyed 1,353 attending and 689 house staff physicians of the University Hospitals of Cleveland to ascertain the parameters of the CBC, leukocyte differential, and reticulocyte reports perceived as useful in clinical practice. The response rate was 33% for attending and 22% for house staff physicians. Only 4 of 11 parameters routinely reported in the CBC battery were selected as frequently or always useful by more than 90% of physicians: hemoglobin, hematocrit, platelet count, and WBC count. Among primary care physicians, the mean cell volume also attained this level of usefulness for the evaluation of anemia. There were no differences between academic physicians and community physicians in the use of RBC indices; however, physicians who had been in practice for fewer than 10 years indicated higher use of the red cell distribution width than physicians practicing for more than 10 years. Most physicians prefer differentials reported as percentages rather than absolute counts. Among physicians who monitor reticulocyte counts, the immature reticulocyte fraction is not widely used. Our results indicate that many physicians do not use much of the data provided in routine CBC/differential and reticulocyte reports. Some modifications of report formats may facilitate physician perception of hematology laboratory results.
Developmental Intervention for Infants with Handicaps: Purposes and Programs

Developmental intervention for infants with handicaps and their parents has taken many forms, each with its own unique purpose. In this paper, three broad types of infant intervention are identified as prevention, infant focused, and family level, and the purposes for each are examined. For each intervention type, exemplary programs are described. Finally, issues related to efficacy and the theoretical base for infant intervention are examined.
Whaling Effects on Deep-Sea Biodiversity

Vast reductions in whale populations due to human hunting may have altered deep-sea biodiversity by redistributing and ultimately greatly diminishing an important source of organic matter and the stepping stones for chemosynthethic-based communities associated with hydrothermal vents and other regions of high organic input. The recent exciting discovery of Smith and colleagues (Smith et al. 1989; Smith 1992; Bennett et al. 1994), that decaying whale skeletons support a chemosynthetic-based deep-sea community similar to communities in hydrothermal vent and seep areas, indicates a greatly expanded role for falling whale bodies in creating and maintaining deep-sea biodiversity. Whaling represents one of the most dramatic alterations of mammalian species diversity by humans. It is difficult, however, to evaluate quantitatively the effects of whaling on deep-sea biodiversity because of the lack of historical or even good contemporary data on the size and distributions of most whale populations (Evans 1987) because the affected region is far removed from the disturbance source and because effects are being considered nearly a century after the fact. This marine example, however, does underscore the importance of thinking big and thinking to the long term in evaluating the potential effects of society's activities on nature. Organisms in the deep sea are highly food-limited and rely primarily on organic material falling from above (Grassle 1989). Large animal remains are quickly exploited by mobile local fauna (Dayton & Hessler 1972). These and other sources of concentrated, imported, organic matter-pulses of phytoplankton (Billet et al. 1983), drifting seaweed (Wolff 1979), and wood
Atomic structures of IAPP (amylin) fusions suggest a mechanism for fibrillation and the role of insulin in the process

Islet Amyloid Polypeptide (IAPP or amylin) is a peptide hormone produced and stored in the b-islet cells of the pancreas along with insulin. IAPP readily forms amyloid fibrils in vitro, and the deposition of fibrillar IAPP has been correlated with the pathology of type II diabetes. The mechanism of the conversion that IAPP undergoes from soluble to fibrillar forms has been unclear. By chaperoning IAPP through fusion to maltose binding protein, we find that IAPP can adopt a a-helical structure at residues 8-18 and 22-27 and that molecules of IAPP dimerize. Mutational analysis suggests that this dimerization is on the pathway to fibrillation. The structure suggests how IAPP may heterodimerize with insulin, which we confirmed by protein crosslinking. Taken together, these experiments suggest the helical dimerization of IAPP accelerates fibril formation and that insulin impedes fibrillation by blocking the IAPP dimerization interface.
A fuzzy approach for the analysis of rotor-bearing systems with uncertainties

The components of most structural and mechanical systems exhibit considerable variations or uncertainties in their properties and the performance characteristics of such systems are subject to uncertainties. In the case of a rotor bearing system, the nonlinear bearing restoring force is usually represented as a third or fourth power of displacement or as a piecewise linear function of displacement. The coefficients of these models are acquired from experiments and approximations, and will vary considerably during the operation of the bearing. Hence it is more reasonable to treat them as uncertain values. Other bearing parameters such as the inertial properties of concentrated disks, distributed mass and damping of the rotating assemblies are also uncertain due to manufacturing and assembly errors and imprecise operating conditions. It is known that the vibration response of a rotor is highly sensitive to small fluctuations or variations in the bearing parameters. Therefore, any realistic analysis and design of rotor-bearing systems must take the uncertainties into account. In this paper, a methodology is presented for the fuzzy analysis of nonlinear rotor-bearing systems along with numerical results to demonstrate the computational feasibility of the methodology.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Carrageenans and their use in meat products

Carrageenans are sulfated linear polysaccharides of D-galactose and 3,6-anhydro-D-galactose extracted from red seaweeds. They have been used by the food industry for their gelling, thickening, and stabilizing properties, and more recently by the meat industry for reduced fat products. Meat is a complex system of muscle tissue, connective tissue, fat, and water; during processing, numerous interactions occur among all these components. These interactions are responsible for the functional properties of the meat system. In meat products, carrageenans contribute to gel formation and water retention. Their addition is of special interest in low-fat meat products because fat reduction often leads to unacceptable, tough textures. When carrageenans are incorporated in these formulations, they improve the textural characteristics of the product by decreasing toughness and increasing juiciness. Although carrageenan interactions with milk proteins have been studied extensively, the mechanism by which carrageenans interact with meat proteins and the other meat components is not fully understood.
Preoperative gene expression may be associated with neurocognitive decline after cardiopulmonary bypass

Objective Despite advances in surgical techniques, neurocognitive decline after cardiopulmonary bypass remains a common and serious complication. We have previously demonstrated that patients with neurocognitive decline have unique genetic responses 6 hours after cardiopulmonary bypass when compared with normal patients. We used genomic microarray to objectively investigate whether patients with neurocognitive decline had associated preoperative gene expression profiles and how these profiles changed up to 4 days after surgery. Methods Patients undergoing cardiac surgery underwent neurocognitive assessments preoperatively and 4 days after surgery. Skeletal muscle was collected intraoperatively. Whole blood collected before cardiopulmonary bypass, 6 hours after cardiopulmonary bypass, and on postoperative day 4 was hybridized to Affymetrix Gene Chip U133 Plus 2.0 microarrays (Affymetrix Inc, Santa Clara, Calif). Gene expression in patients with neurocognitive decline was compared with gene expression in the normal group using JMP Genomics (SAS Institute Inc, Cary, NC). Only genes that were commonly expressed in the 2 groups with a false discovery rate of 0.05 and a fold change greater than 1.5 were carried forward to pathway analysis using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (Ingenuity Systems, Redwood City, Calif). Microarray gene expression was validated by Green real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. Results Neurocognitive decline developed in 17 of 42 patients. A total of 54,675 common transcripts were identified on microarray in each group across all time points. Preoperatively, there were 140 genes that were significantly altered between the normal and neurocognitive decline groups ( P Conclusions Patients in whom neurocognitive decline developed after cardiopulmonary bypass had increased differential gene expression before surgery versus patients in whom neurocognitive decline did not develop. Although significant differences in gene expression also existed postoperatively, these differences gradually decreased over time. Preoperative gene expression may be associated with neurologic injury after cardiopulmonary bypass. Further investigation into these genetic pathways may help predict patient outcome and guide patient selection.
A portable swipe monitor for alpha contamination

A portable swipe monitor has been developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory for the state of New Mexico. The monitor is intended for use at New Mexico ports of entry to detect removable alpha contamination on shipments bound for the proposed Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). This detector uses Long-Range Alpha Detection (LRAD) technology, which monitors ionization created by alpha interactions with ambient air, and includes built-in background subtraction of external radiation fields and radon. Its sensitivity to alpha contamination is on the order of a few tens of dpm, and it has excellent linearity throughout its entire range of over 200,000 counts per minute of alpha activity. Designed to be used primarily in the field, the monitor is battery-powered and can operate continuously for up to five hours.
Synthesis of Communicating Finite-State Machines with Guaranteed Progress

We present a methodology to synthesize two communicating finite-state machines which exchange messages over two one-directional, FIFO channels. The methodology consists of two algorithms. The first algorithm takes one machine M , and constructs two communicating machines M' and N' such that 1) M' is constructed from M by adding some receiving transitions to it, and 2) the communication between M' and N' is bounded and free from deadlocks, unspecified receptions, nonexecutable transitions, and state ambiguities. The second algorithm takes the two machines M' and N' which result from the first algorithm, and computes the smallest possible capacities for the two channels between them. Both algorithms require an O(st) time, where s is the number of states in the given machine M , and t is the number of state transitions in M ; thus, the methodology is practical to use.
Activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ by rosiglitazone protects human islet cells against human islet amyloid polypeptide toxicity by a phosphatidylinositol 3′-kinase-dependent pathway

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is characterized by a deficit in β-cell mass, increased β-cell apoptosis, and islet amyloid derived from islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP). Human IAPP (h-IAPP) applied to β-cells forms toxic oligomers that induce apoptosis. Thiazolidinediones, ligands of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ), can delay the onset of T2DM. Objective: We questioned whether activation of endogenous PPAR-γ in human islets by rosiglitazone (RSG) inhibits h-IAPP-induced islet cell death and, if so, by which mechanism. Methods and Results: Vehicle or h-IAPP was applied to human islets with or without RSG (10 and 50 μm) for 48 h. A 2-fold increase in the number of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxy-UTP nick end labeling-positive nuclei was detected in h-IAPP-treated human islets (P < 0.001). RSG (10 and 50 μm) prevented h-IAPP-induced apoptosis in human islets (P < 0.001). Thioflavin T binding assays confirmed that this effect was not mediated by interfer...
Bioinformatics: searching for primers

In order to help predict the way proteins will act in an organism, biologists cross-examine sequences of amino acids from many proteins. There are a total of 20 amino acids in existence and proteins often consist of 300 or more amino acids. Amino acids are categorized into groups by degree of biological similarity. The sequences are collected in a tabular format with one row per sequence and each sequence beginning at the leftmost column. A "multiple alignment" is performed on the collection of sequences to maximize the areas where the amino acids belong to the same group. The process involves inserting "wild cards" in each sequence to shift the columns and thus altering the alignment. Online websites presently are available to accomplish the task.
A DBMS prototype to support extended NF2 relations: an integrated view on flat tables and hierarchies

Recently, extensions for relational database management systems (DBMS) have been proposed to support also hierarchical structures (complex objects). These extensions have been mainly implemented on top of an existing DBMS. Such an approach leads to many disadvantages not only from the conceptual point of view but also from performance aspects. Thus paper reports on a 3-year effort to design and prototype a DBMS to support a generalized relational data model, called extended NF2 (Non First Normal Form) data model which treats flat relations, lists, and hierarchical structures in a uniform way. The logical data model, a language for this model, and alternatives for storage structures to implement generalized relations are presented and discussed.
Late stages of the synchronized macrophage fusion in osteoclast formation depend on dynamin

Macrophage fusion that leads to osteoclast formation is one of the most important examples of cell–cell fusion in development, tissue homoeostasis and immune response. Protein machinery that fuses macrophages remains to be identified. In the present study, we explored the fusion stage of osteoclast formation for RAW macrophage-like murine cells and for macrophages derived from human monocytes. To uncouple fusion from the preceding differentiation processes, we accumulated fusion-committed cells in the presence of LPC (lysophosphatidylcholine) that reversibly blocks membrane merger. After 16 h, we removed LPC and observed cell fusion events that would normally develop within 16 h develop instead within 30–90 min. Thus, whereas osteoclastogenesis, generally, takes several days, our approach allowed us to focus on an hour in which we observe robust fusion between the cells. Complementing syncytium formation assay with a novel membrane merger assay let us study the synchronized fusion events downstream of a local merger between two plasma membranes, but before expansion of nascent membrane connections and complete unification of the cells. We found that the expansion of membrane connections detected as a growth of multinucleated osteoclasts depends on dynamin activity. In contrast, a merger between the plasma membranes of the two cells was not affected by inhibitors of dynamin GTPase. Thus dynamin that was recently found to control late stages of myoblast fusion also controls late stages of macrophage fusion, revealing an intriguing conserved mechanistic motif shared by diverse cell–cell fusion processes. Abbreviations: CCD, charge-coupled device; DMEM, Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium; DNM2, dynamin 2; LPC, lysophosphatidylcholine; M-CSF, macrophage colony-stimulating factor; RANKL, receptor activator for NF-κB (nuclear factor κB) ligand; TRAP, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase