cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ultrastructure of the Circumferential Microfilament Bundle and its Role in Maintaining Cell Shape in Cultured Retinal Pigmented Epithelial Cells

Dedifferentiated pigmented epithelial cells exhibit a bipotential phenotype when cultured. The expression of either of two differentiated phenotypes (pigmented or lentoid) is effected by signals in the culture environment which are mediated by the cell surface and its associated cytoskeleton. This paper describes the structural analysis of the circumferential microfilament bundle with the cell membrane of cultured pigment de epithelial cells from chick retina. The techniques of electron microscopy r veal that microfilaments associate both with zonula occludens junctions and with membrane domains that are separate from the specialized junction. At both sites, intermembrane linkages are present which provides structural continuity between cells at their apical surfaces. This ultrastructure contributes to the anchoring of the circumferential bundle to the cell membrane, which in tum provides a structural basis for the generation of tensile force and the characteristic polygonal shape of differentiated cells in the retinal pigmented epithelium.
The Political, Economic, and Social Aspects of Katrina

In this paper, we examine the resiliency of community recovery after a natural disaster. We argue that a resilient recovery requires robust economic/financial institutions, political/legal institutions, and social/cultural institutions. We explore how politically and privately created disaster preconditions and responses have contributed to or undermined institutional robustness in the context of the Gulf Coast's recovery after Hurricane Katrina. We find that where post disaster resiliency has been observed, private-sector responses contributing to the health of these institutional arenas are largely responsible. Where post disaster fragility and slowness has been observed, public-sector responses contributing to the frailty of these institutional arenas are largely the cause. In other words, we engage in a comparative institutional analysis of civil society, entrepreneurial commercial society, and government agencies and political actors in the wake of a natural disaster.
Lymphosarcoma (leukemia) of cattle

This review covers the extent of bovine leukaemia in various countries and its control. Serological tests for bovine leukaemia virus (BLV) and their application are outlined. It has been shown that BLV infection is more widespread in dairy cattle than in beef cattle. The potential hazard of BLV to man is also briefly considered with particular reference to its possible transmission via milk. It has been demonstrated that BLV added to cows' milk is destroyed by commercial pasteurization conditions of 74 deg C for 16 s.
What do time-use patterns tell us about the validity of self-reported health?

Abstract Objective This short communication investigates the usefulness of time-use measures to validate subjective health measures such as self-reported health (SRH). It does this by examining time-use patterns and SRH among middle-age adults in the United States distinguished by race/ethnicity and with additional attention to differences in responses based on language of interview for Hispanics. Methods Data for this study come from the 2013–2016 American Time Use Survey. We calculated average time-use for personal care; housework; paid work; leisure; volunteering/travel; caregiving; and education for every racial/ethnic group differentiating by SRH for 27,063 adults aged 25–64 years. A series of ANOVAs were computed to assess differences in time-use by SRH. Results Non-Hispanic whites and non-Hispanic Blacks who reported poor/fair SRH spent more time in personal care and leisure, and less time in paid work, volunteering/travel, caregiving and education, in comparison to those who reported Excellent/Very Good/Good SRH. Among Hispanics, differences by SRH were found for personal care, paid work, leisure and volunteering/travel. Hispanics who answered in English displayed partially similar patterns in SRH found for non-Hispanic whites and Blacks. Hispanics who answered in Spanish demonstrated differences in SRH in the areas of paid work, leisure and education, diverging from the other groups. Conclusions Time-use differences by health status are consistent between non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks, but not so for Hispanics. To some extent, Hispanics who answered in English have more comparable patterns to non-Hispanic whites and non-Hispanic Blacks than Spanish respondents. Caution should be exercised when self-reported health measures are used to compare diverse samples collected with surveys that are administered in different languages.
Learning and critiquing pairwise activity relationships for schedule quality control via deep learning-based natural language processing

Abstract In construction, schedule mistakes causing delays beyond substantial completion dates cost contractors expensive liquidated damages. Hence, several industry guidelines, such as the DCMA's 14 point assessment, define schedule quality and offer systematic methods for ensuring it. These guidelines list “logic” as an essential control metric, and they require planners to ensure their schedules are free of missing or wrong logical dependencies. Checking the logic requires extensive construction domain knowledge, and planners perform it entirely manually as there are no available software solutions that support it. This paper offers a novel machine learning-based solution that learns construction scheduling domain knowledge from existing records completely automatically and applies it to validate the logic in input schedules achieving an F1 score of 88.3%. Furthermore, we tailor our method to use the learned knowledge to schedule a list of unordered activities. The details of the method, experimental results, benefits, and limitations are discussed.
The Power Is in the Numbers: Using Collaboration and a Data Registry to Answer Our Burning Questions Regarding Fetal Cardiac Intervention.

Technological advances in fetal cardiac imaging have given us a window into the womb, creating the field of fetal cardiology, where the fetus is considered an individual patient from the time of diagnosis. One of the challenges we face as fetal caregivers is that we must strive to understand the “
Access, Board Size, and Incentives in Non-Profit Firms

We study the relation between board size and managerial incentives in non-profit firms. We present a model where board membership is granted to parties that wish to direct the manager's actions in exchange for assets that they bring within the firm. These board members (directors) differ in the relative value they place on the nonprofit's activities. In this setting, we show that the manager's incentives are lower than would be had the board been smaller, although the nonprofit's ability to raise funds is higher. Our empirical results are consistent with the model's predictions. We find that non-profits that pursue more objectives have larger boards, lower managerial pay-performance sensitivities, and higher revenue and program spending growth rates.
Switched Reluctance Motors

Switched reluctance motor (SRM) drives can be used in all types of adjustable speed applications, including high performance servo drives. An important technique used for obtaining high performance from an SRM drive is determination of rotor position. A shaft position transducer is often used for this purpose. However, it is highly desirable to employ indirect position sensing methods which avoid using a transducer. This article reviews existing indirect position detection techniques such as waveform detection and model based estimators. Then, modulation encoding technique which presents a simple alternative to the mentioned methods is described. Various modulation techniques that can be used for position detection are discussed along with their advantages and disadvantages. Some special applications of SRM drives are also presented.
Effect of delignification upon in vitro digestion of forage cellulose.

Orchardgrass forages harvested at two maturities (early and late) were ground through two screens (1 and 8 mm) and digested in vitro as intact forage and forage delignified by permanganate oxidation. Initial and residual cell wall, initial and residual cellulose and potentially digestible cellulose were greater in late intact forage than in the early. In the delignified forage, late cut forage had less residual cellulose than did the early, but initial and potentially digestible cellulose were similar. Particle size had less consistent and smaller effects upon cell wall and cellulose than did maturity. Cellulose of intact orchardgrass was 64% digested at 72 h vs 94% for cellulose of delignified orchardgrass. Digestion rate of cellulose was .0197 and .0220 logn units/hr for early and late cut intact forage and .0554 and .0719 logn units/hr for early and late cut delignified forage. Removal of the inhibitory effects of lignin increased the amount of digestible cellulose, increased the rate at which cellulose degraded and decreased the indigestible cellulose residue. Reduction in lignin could greatly improve forage intake and utilization at moderate levels of animal production.
Iron d-band occupancy in amorphous FexGe1-x.

Fe L/sub III/ and L/sub II/ electron-energy-loss spectra of amorphous alloys Fe/sub x/Ge/sub 1-x/ (0.2< or =x< or =0.6) have shown that there is no charge transfer between germanium and the iron d band, and a charge-transfer mechanism cannot be responsible for the decrease of the iron magnetic moment on alloying with germanium. The results do show substantial hybridization manifested as an intraband or intra-atomic redistribution of electrons within the d band.
Multiple-Shot Ultraviolet Laser Damage Resistance of Nonquarterwave Reflector Designs for 248 nm

The damage resistance of multilayer dielectric reflectors designed for 248 nm has been substantially increased by use of nonquarterwave (QW) thicknesses for the top few layers. These designs minimize the peak standing-wave electric field in the high-index layers, which have proven to be weaker than the low-index components. Previous damage tests of infrared- and visible-wavelength reflectors based on these designs have produced variable results. However, at the ultraviolet wavelength of 248 nm, 99% reflectors of Sc/sub 2/O/sub 3/, MgF/sub 2/, and SiO/sub 2/ strongly demonstrated the merit of non-QW designs. Four sets of reflectors of each of four designs (all QW thickness; one modified-pair substitution; two modified-pair substitution; one modified pair plus an extra half-wave layer of Sc/sub 2/O/sub 3/) were tested for damage resistance with a KrF laser operating at 35 pps with a pulsewidth of 8 ns and spot-size diameter of 0.6 mm. Each of 50 sites were irradiated for 1000 shots or until damage occurred. On the average, the reflectors with one-modified-thickness pair had a 50% higher threshold (10 to 10 sites survived) than the all-quarterwave design. Addition of a second modified-layer pair resulted in no further increase in threshold but the saturation fluence (10 of 10more » sites damage) was 110% higher. Reflectors with an additional half-wave of Sc/sub 2/O/sub 3/ had lower thresholds of the order of 10% as expected. The thresholds correlated best with peak-field models, whereas the best model correlating the saturation fluences involved the sum of the upper two scandia layer thicknesses.« less
Linkage disequilibrium in growing and stable populations

Nonrandom associations between alleles at different loci can be tested for using Fisher's exact test. Extensive simulations show that there is a substantial probability of obtaining significant nonrandom associations between closely or completely linked polymorphic neutral loci in a population of constant size at equilibrium under mutation and genetic drift. In a rapidly growing population, however, there will be little chance of finding significant nonrandom associations even between completely linked loci if the growth has been sufficiently rapid. This result is illustrated by the analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequence data from humans. In comparing all pairs of informative sites, fewer than 5% of the pairs show significant disequilibrium in Sardinians, which have apparently undergone rapid population growth, while 20% to 30% in !Kung and Pygmies, which apparently have not undergone rapid growth, show significance. The extent of linkage disequilibrium in a population is closely related to the gene genealogies of the loci examined, with "star-like" genealogies making significant linkage disequilibrium unlikely.
Experiments with an automated instructional system for numerical methods

A comer system was developed at Purdue University to teach portions of an undergraduate course in numerical methods. Each instructional unit or lesson is divided into three modes of instruction which allow the student to press from a computer-controlled presentation to a student-controlled investigation. The system is designed as a classroom-independent course of study, and has been used for two semesters by students in lieu of conventional classroom instruction. Initial measures of effectiveness, student acceptance, and operational cost are the result of testing the system independent of instructor intervention. The system is operational on a CDC 6500 with teletype terminals.
Generation expansion planning in wind-thermal power systems

The intermittency and volatility of wind generation (WG) would require additional upward and downward reserves, as well as enhanced ramping capabilities in power systems. This study investigates the optimal expansion planning of fast-response generating capacity (e.g. gas-fired units) to accommodate the uncertainty of WG. The study utilises a mixed integer programming-based security-constrained unit commitment for analysing operational and reliability issues related to the proposed optimisation problem. Numerical experiments signify the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Enamel rod matrix formation in the rat’s incisor

In 1850 Tom es1 described the enamel rods in the rat. He found in transverse sections, layers of fibers (rods) running obliquely to each other. H e learned that longitudinal sections might be so made as to cut one layer o f rods lengthwise and the adjacent ones transversely, the latter appearing as ovals. Since Tom es’ observations, numerous descriptions have been made which ignored his account. The rows o f ovals, representing rods cut transversely, seen in sagittal or slightly oblique sections, have been interpreted as globules or segments,2,3 or as the result o f faulty preparations.4,5 Unfortunately, these ob­ servations made on rodents have been incorporated into textbooks as descrip­ tive of the typical mode of enamel rod formation for mammals, including the human. M uch confusion also exists on the pre­ cise mechanism o f the elaboration o f the enamel matrix because of the difficulty o f preparing and interpreting histologic sections. An excellent review o f the con­ flicting interpretations has been presented by Chase,6 who is inclined to believe that the ameloblasts secrete globules which by their confluence become the interprismatic substance. The interprismatic sub­ stance forms a mold which is filled by a semifluid, acidophilic material form ed by the ameloblasts. T he comm only observed terminal bar, at the junction of Tomes’ process and the ameloblasts, is considered by Saunders and co-workers4,5 to be an artifact. Another exception is described by Orban and co-workers,3 who envision uni­ lateral transformation o f the homogen­ ized Tom es’ processes into the preenamel matrix. The formation o f the fibrous enamel in the rat, which constitutes about a third o f the entire thickness o f the enamel, has been given little or no consideration. This omission is regrettable, for the fibrous enamel is probably the most important portion o f the enamel since it is located peripherally and is subjected to wear and chemical changes in the oral cavity. In the decalcification of many mammalian teeth, this portion, varying in thickness, persists much longer and thus indicates its resistance to the decalcifying agent.
Growth of single phase, single crystals of V9O17☆

Abstract Single crystals of Magneli phase V 9 O 17 were successfully grown for the first time by a vapor transport technique utilizing TeCl 4 as a transport agent. No trace of syntactically intergrown V 8 O 15 could be detected in these crystals. The structure is triclinic and is homologous to other Magneli phase compounds V n O 2 n −1 ( n = 3 ∼ 8). The lattice parameters (of the reduced cell) measured are a = 7.009 Ȧ b = 14.518 Ȧ c = 5.418 Ȧ α = 95.5 ° β = 108.9 ° γ = 83.1 ° This compound manifests a metal-insulator transition as in other Magneli phase compounds. The transition temperature has been determined to be 79 K. At and below the transition point down to 16 K, at which an anomalous peak in the resistivity exists, a time dependence of resistivity at fixed temperatures is found. The existence of V 10 O 19 was also confirmed by transmission electron microscopy in a material produced under highly nonequilibrium conditions, intergrown in the matrix of V 9 O 17 in a microsyntactoc fashion. The existence of V 10 O 19 has never been reported.
The Role of Innate Immunity in the Host Defense Against Intestinal Bacterial Pathogens

Eradication of infectious disease is our global health challenge. After encountering intestinal infection with a bacterial pathogen, the host defense program is initiated by local antigen-presenting cells (APCs) that eliminate invading pathogens by phagocytosis and establish localized inflammation by secreting cytokines and chemokines. These pathogen-experienced APCs migrate to the mesenteric lymph nodes, where host immune responses are precisely orchestrated. Initiation and regulation of this defense program appear to be largely dependent on innate immunity which is antigen non-specific and provides a rapid defense against broader targets. On the other hand, many bacterial enteropathogens have evoked abilities to modify the host defense program to their advantage. Therefore, better understanding of the host-pathogen interactions is essential to establish effective eradication strategies for enteric infectious diseases. In this review, we will discuss the current understanding of innate immune regulation of the host defense mechanisms against intestinal infection by bacterial pathogens.
II. USE OF THE METHOD TO MONITOR THE IN VIVO KINETICS OF CELL POPULATIONS PERTURBED BY HYDROXYUREA

In a previous report, we described a new method called FPi analysis to analyze time sequences of DNA histograms taken from a perturbed population of cells. In this paper we utilize the method to analyze the in vivo kinetic response of bone marrow and of lung metastases of the B16 tumor to various chemotherapeutic agents. We show that the technique allows useful kinetic data to be obtained with minimal processing of the raw histograms, thus allowing fast analysis of the data. We also show that, in order to monitor the kinetic response of living tissues, it is essential to collect multiparameter distributions; to monitor only the one dimensional fluorescence histogram can give rise to misleading results. Using these multiparameter histograms, we are also able to monitor the growth fraction of the lung metastases during treatment, allowing discrimination between cell synchrony and cell recruitment from the resting compartment.
On Certain Riccati Integral Equations and Second-Order Linear Oscillation

are closely related is well known. Many important results in the oscillation theory of (1.1) are in fact established by studying either (1.2) or (1.3). Recent studies suggest that a great deal can still be said about (1.2) and (l-3), thus leading to new results on (1.1). See [7-91. Particularly useful in these studies is the theory of differential and integral inequalities. The present work further supports this view point. In this paper, we first give a comparison theorem (Section 2, Theorem 1) for Riccati integral equations of the form (1.3) involving monotonic rearrangements of the function Q(t) = ji q(s) ds. As a corollary, we establish an extension of the well-known oscillation criteria of Hille’s [6] to more general potentials (Section 3, Theorem 4). In Section 4 we elaborate on a method of Hartman to derive a comparison-type result involving the square of the integral j-h q(s) ds and then deduce a Lyapunov-type inequality for disfocality. The preliminaries will be introduced in the appropriate sections. 315 0022-247X/82/020315-16$02.00/O
Preserving objects in Markov Random Fields region growing image segmentation

This paper proposes an algorithm that preserves objects in Markov Random Fields (MRF) region growing based image segmentation. This is achieved by modifying the MRF energy minimization process so that it would penalize merging regions that have real edges in the boundary between them. Experimental results show that the integration of edge information increases the precision of the segmentation by ensuring the conservation of the objects contours during the region-growing process.
Explaining Legal Implementation in the European Union

L'A. examine de quelle maniere les legislations et les directives communautaires sont integrees et mises en pratique au sein des codes juridiques des Etats membres de l'Union europeenne. Il s'attache a definir les notions d'«implementation» et de «directive». Il passe en revue les theories qui permettent de comprendre le processus de modification du droit des Etats membres sous l'influence du droit communautaire. Il s'interesse plus particulierement a l'hypothese du cout dont il teste le bien-fonde. Il analyse l'application des reglementations communautaires en matiere d'egalite des salaires entre les sexes
Ligands Presumed to Label High Affinity and Low Affinity ATP Binding Sites Do Not Interact in an (αβ)2 Diprotomer in Duck Nasal Gland Na+,K+-ATPase, nor Do the Sites Coexist in Native Enzyme

Abstract The interaction of ligands deemed to be ATP analogues with renal Na+,K+-ATPase suggests that two ATP binding sites coexist on each functional unit. Previous studies in which fluorescein 5-isothiocyanate (FITC) was used to label the high affinity ATP site and 2′(3′)-O-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)adenosine 5′-diphosphate (TNP-ADP) was used to probe the low affinity site suggested that the two sites coexist on the same αβ protomer. Other studies in which FITC labeled the high affinity site and erythrosin-5-isothiocyanate (ErITC) labeled the low affinity site led to the conclusion that the high and low affinity sites exist on separate interacting protomers in a functional diprotomer. We report here that at 100% inhibition of ATPase activity by FITC, each αβ protomer of duck nasal gland enzyme has a single bound FITC. Both TNP-ADP and ErITC interact with FITC-bound protomers, which unambiguously demonstrates that putative high and low affinity ATP sites coexist on the same protomer. In unlabeled nasal gland enzyme, TNP-ADP and ErITC inhibit both ATPase activity andp-nitrophenyl phosphatase activity, functions attributed to the putative high and low affinity ATP site, respectively, by interacting with a single site with characteristics of the high affinity ATP binding site. In FITC-labeled enzyme, TNP-ADP and ErITC inhibit p- nitrophenyl phosphatase activity but at much higher concentrations than with the unmodified enzyme. Low affinity sites do not exist on the unmodified enzyme but can be detected only after the high affinity site is modified by FITC.
Simulation of Turbocharged Marine Diesel Engine for Electrical Power System Trainer

This paper presents an application of the mean value combustion model to simulate large bore turbocharged diesel engines, coupled with large electric AC synchronous generators, to mimic power generation within a training simulator for a ship board electrical power system. A mean value engine model has been developed to simulate the most prevalent phenomena occurring in diesel direct injection internal combustion engines. The combustion process is modeled as a mean value system where characteristics of combustion are averaged over the entire cycle. Detailed models of the air intake, fuel delivery, and internal/external cooling systems have been developed using concepts from fluid dynamics and thermodynamics. The engine model has been created in MATLAB® Simulink® to simulate actual hardware signals sent to the power management controller to facilitate the development of the power system trainer. The model has been structured so that it is highly adaptable and is capable of simulating a wide variety of engine bore sizes and cylinder numbers which has significantly increased the utility of the work presented herein.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Influence of preculture on the prefreeze and postthaw characteristics of hepatocytes

Recent studies performed in our laboratory have shown that a brief period of preculture prior to cryopreservation improves the postthaw viability of hepatocytes. The purpose of this investigation is to characterize specific metabolic and biochemical characteristics of the hepatocytes (both frozen and nonfrozen) to help elucidate the role of preculture on the postthaw viability. Fresh and thawed hepatocytes were cultured in a bioartificial liver (BAL) to determine albumin secretion as a function of time in culture. In addition, cell extracts were analyzed using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to quantify changes in cell membrane composition and energetics as a function of time in culture prefreeze and postthaw. The results of these studies showed an increase in albumin concentration in the culture medium with time in culture for the period tested for both fresh and frozen and thawed hepatocytes. NMR spectroscopy of lipid extracts indicates that in vitro culture of hepatocytes results in an increase in cholesterol relative to membrane phospholipid. Moreover, the NMR results also indicate phospholipid interconversion, via specific lipases in cultured hepatocytes, and these changes are consistent with water permeability measurements performed previously. Significant changes in phosphoenergetics were also observed, with the net energy charge for the cells increasing significantly with time in culture. In addition, NMR spectra show increased levels of 6-phosphogluconate, another indicator of the cellular response to the stresses of isolation and ex vivo culture. These results suggest that energetic considerations may be a significant factor in the ability of hepatocytes to survive the stresses of freezing and thawing. Significant shifts in membrane phospholipids may also influence membrane permeability and postthaw survival. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 71: 173–183, 2000/2001.
FusionArc optimization: a hybrid volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) and intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) planning strategy.

Purpose: To introduce a hybrid volumetric modulated arc therapy/intensity modulated radiation therapy (VMAT/IMRT) optimization strategy called FusionArc that combines the delivery efficiency of single-arc VMAT with the potentially desirable intensity modulation possible with IMRT. Methods: A beamlet-based inverse planning system was enhanced to combine the advantages of VMAT and IMRT into one comprehensive technique. In the hybrid strategy, baseline single-arc VMAT plans are optimized and then the current cost function gradients with respect to the beamlets are used to define a metric for predicting which beam angles would benefit from further intensity modulation. Beams with the highest metric values (called the gradient factor) are converted from VMAT apertures to IMRT fluence, and the optimization proceeds with the mixed variable set until convergence or until additional beams are selected for conversion. One phantom and two clinical cases were used to validate the gradient factor and characterize the FusionArc strategy. Comparisons were made between standard IMRT, single-arc VMAT, and FusionArc plans with one to five IMRT/hybrid beams. Results: The gradient factor was found to be highly predictive of the VMAT angles that would benefit plan quality the most from beam modulation. Over the three cases studied, a FusionArc plan with three converted beams achieved superior dosimetric quality with reductions in final cost ranging from 26.4% to 48.1% compared to single-arc VMAT. Additionally, the three beam FusionArc plans required 22.4%–43.7% fewer MU/Gy than a seven beam IMRT plan. While the FusionArc plans with five converted beams offer larger reductions in final cost—32.9%–55.2% compared to single-arc VMAT—the decrease in MU/Gy compared to IMRT was noticeably smaller at 12.2%–18.5%, when compared to IMRT. Conclusions: A hybrid VMAT/IMRT strategy was implemented to find a high quality compromise between gantry-angle and intensity-based degrees of freedom. This optimization method will allow patients to be simultaneously planned for dosimetric quality and delivery efficiency without switching between delivery techniques. Example phantom and clinical cases suggest that the conversion of only three VMAT segments to modulated beams may result in a good combination of quality and efficiency.
WNK4 inhibits Ca(2+)-activated big-conductance potassium channels (BK) via mitogen-activated protein kinase-dependent pathway

We used the perforated whole-cell recording technique to examine the effect of with-no-lysine kinase 4 (WNK4) on the Ca(2+) activated big-conductance K channels (BK) in HEK293T cells transfected with BK-α subunit (BK-α). Expression of WNK4 inhibited BK channels and decreased the outward K currents. Coexpression of SGK1 abolished the inhibitory effect of WNK4 on BK channels and restored the outward K currents. Expression of WNK4(S1169D//1196D), in which both SGK1-phosphorylation sites (serine 1169 and 1196) were mutated to aspartate, had no effect on BK channels. Moreover, coexpression of SGK1 had no additional effect on K currents in the cells transfected with BKα+WNK4(S1169D//1196D), suggesting that SGK1 reversed WNK4-induced inhibition of BK channels by stimulating WNK4 phosphorylation. Expression of WNK4 but not WNK4(S1169D//1196D) increased the phosphorylation of ERK and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK); an effect was abolished by coexpression of SGK1. The role of ERK and p38 MAPK in mediating the effect of WNK4 on BK channels was further suggested by the finding that the inhibition of ERK and P38 MAPK completely abolished the inhibitory effect of WNK4 on BK channels. In contrast, inhibition of MAPK failed to abolish the inhibitory effect of WNK4 on ROMK channels in both HEK cells and Xenopus oocytes. Expression of dominant negative dynaminK44A (Dyn(K44A)) or treatment of the cells with dynasore, a dynamin inhibitor, not only increased K currents but also largely abolished the inhibitory effect of WNK4 on BK channels. However, inhibition of MAPK still increased the outward K currents in the cells transfected with BKα+WNK4 and treated with dynasore. Similar results were obtained in experiments performed in the native tissue in which inhibition of ERK and p38 MAPK increased BK channel activity in the cortical collecting duct (CCD) treated with dynasore. We concluded that WNK4 inhibited BK channels by stimulating ERK and p38 MAPK and that activation of MAPK by WNK4 may inhibit BK channels partially via a mechanism other than stimulating endocytosis.
Nanoengineering Structures on Graphene with Adsorbed Hydrogen “Lines”

It is shown that the lines of adsorbed hydrogen pair atoms divide a graphene sheet into electronically independent strips and form an electron waveguide or 2H-line graphene-based superlattice (2HG-...
Estimating spatial and temporal patterns of defects

This work investigates the use of stochastic modeling and statistical estimation to study patterns of defects in or on products. We conjecture about underlying defect patterns by estimating the unknown intensity function based on the observed defects. This work does not assume the patterns follow a parametric form and therefore the described estimate is flexible enough to be used in many different production settings. Details for estimation are provided and an example is presented using data collected from a steel rolling process.
Serological evaluation of human brain tumors using a microradioisotopic staphylococcal protein a assay

A microradioisotopic staphylococcal protein A assay was applied to the serological evaluation of preoperative sera from brain tumor patients. The assay was performed in Terasaki plates, and a stainless steel punch and multiholed die facilitated sample prearation. Using allogeneic astrocytoma target cells, 15/19 of the brain tumor patients' sera were reactive, compared to 1/21 controls 0/7 nonmalignant brain disease patients' sera were positive, and 5/20 sera from patients with epithelial malignancies. The brain tumor sera were not reactive against a rectal cancer cell line.
Cell interactions in the repair of wounds in an insect (rhodnius prolixus).

Abstract The epidermis in Rhodnius normally migrates over excisions through the integument and secretes a complete new cuticle at the next moult. The epidermis will also migrate around both sides of inert impermeable implants of glass or Teflon to form pockets which preserve the integrity of the surface integument. The epidermal cells presumably migrate until they re-establish a connexion with other epidermal cells. However, the epidermis does not migrate around millipore filters even when these have pores as small as 100 A. This is probably because of the porosity of the filter rather than its chemical nature, since migration will take place upon one side when the millipore filter is implanted flat in place of a piece of excised integument. This suggests that there may be communication between epidermal cells across the filter to prevent migration. Since it is capable of traversing a 125 μ thick millipore filter, it may involve movement of molecules rather than cell contact.
A field-ion microscope study of vapour-deposited platinum

Abstract The vapour deposition of Pt by flash evaporation (10 2 –10 3 A sec ) onto W, Ir and Mo emission-tip substrates at temperatures of 78°, 300°, 600° and 700°K has been studied by field-ion microscopy. Pt vapour deposited onto (001) NaCl substrates at 600°K was also studied for comparison by transmission electron microscopy. The overgrowth of the emission tips was characterized by continuous pseudomorphic layer growth having a perfect epitaxial relationship { hkl } Pt ‖ { hkl } substrate for a stable overgrowth thickness. The observed stable overgrowth thickness, which is dependent upon the high electric field stresses in the field-ion microscope, increased with an increase in substrate temperature and a decrease in crystallographic misfit between the overgrowth and substrate, which ranged from 2 to 20% for the systems investigated in the field-ion microscope. Nucleation and cluster formation occurred simultaneously at steps, terraces and in { hkl } plane faces as a result of the kinetic and thermal properties of the high vapour flux.
Good Neighbors: Covenantal Rhetoric, Moral Aesthetics, and the Resurfacing of Identity Politics

This article calls attention to a turn in popular political discourse to covenants, a form of social pact that promises unity in place of divisive identity politics. Drawing on Kenneth Burke's account of covenantal rhetoric, the author analyzes residential covenants, the restrictions that govern suburban neighborhoods, finding them to impose an authoritarian moral structure that enforces aesthetic practices to compensate for an absence of communal identity. By foregrounding acts and scenes and sidestepping the nature of the agents bound by the covenants as well as the agency they may exercise, covenants gain distance from their historical role as tools of racial and ethnic exclusion and embrace a communitarian and “colorblind” rhetoric that reinscribes White affluent privilege. Overall, this study of covenants reveals that they mandate an aesthetic unity that disavows the divergent histories and different social statuses of diverse resident identities. However, the moral structure of these texts contain t...
Patient-reported Hip Symptoms following Treatment with Proton Therapy for Prostate Cancer

Abstract Purpose: We investigated patient-reported hip pain, stiffness, and physical function scores following proton therapy (PT) for prostate cancer. Patients and Methods: Between April 2012 and August 2012, men treated ≥18 months earlier with PT for localized prostate cancer were asked to participate in an institutional review board-approved study by answering the Western Ontario and McMaster Index (WOMAC) questionnaire for scoring patient-perceived hip symptoms. The questionnaire was returned by 325 patients treated at our institution; 290 patients completed all 24 questions and are the subject of this study. A higher WOMAC score indicated more problems. Patients had received PT doses ranging from 70-72 Gy (relative biological effectiveness [RBE]) at 2.5 Gy (RBE)/fraction or 78-82 Gy (RBE) at 2 Gy (RBE)/fraction using passively scattered protons. Using a Wilcoxon signed rank test, the post-PT normative scores for hip pain, stiffness, and functional difficulty were compared with the averages from gener...
Fracture analysis of acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene resins

The fracture properties of three grades of acrylonitrile-buta-diene-styrene(ABS) were evaluated and compared. In preliminary studies, J1c (J integral) results obtained using the Begley and Landes procedure for single-edge-notched tension specimens and compact tension specimens were compared to establish the validity of the J1c criterion. It is shown that the Rice single-specimen approximation can be applied for this material, resulting in considerable simplification of the testing procedure. The J1c values for two of the grades were evaluated at two or more rates using the compact tension geometry and the single-specimen procedure over a temperature range of–60° to + 75°C. The results are analyzed in terms of a modified Eyring model, and the activation energies for the two grades of ABS were found to be 13.7 and 36.7 Kcals/mole, respectively.
Effect of Discontinuities on the Group Delay of a Microwave Transmission Line (Short Papers)

The problem is considered of the effect of reflections from discontinuities at each end of a transmission line on the group delay at microwave frequencies. Previous work is briefly reviewed and a general analysis is made. Graphical data are presented based upon the formulas developed. Experimental results are given which confirm the theory.
EPR of mesoscale polyanilines

Abstract Electron paramagnetic resonance studies of the undoped and d,l -camphorsulfonic acid-doped tetra-, octa-, and hexadecamer of aniline are reported. Undoped oligomers have ~1 spin per 1000 2-ring repeats, increasing with oligomer length, that are suggested to originate from self-doping mechanisms. Doped oligomers have a temperature-independent Pauli susceptibility of ~40×10 −6 emu/mole 2-ring repeats, showing the importance of three-dimensional delocalization. There is also a localized spin density of ~1 spin per twenty-five 2-ring repeats, and nearly Lorentzian lineshapes. Doped samples have 6 to 300 K FWHM linewidths decreasing from 10 to 4, 6 to 3.5, and 5 to 1.5 Gauss in the tetra-, octa-, and hexadecamer, respectively, implying increasing delocalization.
Tackling alcohol misuse in the UK

Higher alcohol taxes and restricting availability are more likely to succeed than partnerships with industry
Solution and Membrane-Bound Conformations of the Tandem C2A and C2B Domains of Synaptotagmin 1: Evidence for Bilayer Bridging

Synaptotagmin 1 (syt1) is a synaptic vesicle membrane protein that functions as the Ca2+ sensor in neuronal exocytosis. Here, site-directed spin labeling was used to generate models for the solution and membrane-bound structures of a soluble fragment of syt1 containing its two C2 domains, C2A and C2B. In solution, distance restraints between the two C2 domains of syt1 were measured using double electron–electron resonance and used in a simulated annealing routine to generate models for the structure of the tandem C2A–C2B fragment. The data indicate that the two C2 domains are flexibly linked and do not interact with each other in solution, with or without Ca2+. However, the favored orientation is one where the Ca2+-binding loops are oriented in opposite directions. A similar approach was taken for membrane-associated C2A–C2B, combining both distances and bilayer depth restraints with simulated annealing. The restraints can only be satisfied if the Ca2+ and membrane-binding surfaces of the domains are oriented in opposite directions so that C2A and C2B are docked to opposing bilayers. The result suggests that syt1 functions to bridge across the vesicle and plasma membrane surfaces in a Ca2+-dependent manner.
Decision maker perception of information quality in a net-centric military command and control environment: A case study of feed-forward control within a system of systems

Perception of one's environment is the first level in Endsley's three-part situational awareness (SA) development process critical for effective decision making. However, technological advances allow decision makers removed from the environment upon which they base their decisions to be increasing dependent upon indirect observations, or cues, provided by complex system of systems. One aspect of indirect cueing is that contextual cues, such as information quality criteria (e.g., accuracy, relevance, timeliness, completeness, usability, brevity, security, etc.) associated with cues from direct observation, are lost if the contextual meta-data are not also generated by the system. A novel information flow model incorporating the process of feed-forward control (FFC) allows for the detection of contextual meta-data anomalies based on user requirements able to feed mitigation control actions and contextual cue creation to facilitate decision maker perception.
Hypoglycemic and hypoxic modulation of cortical micro-EEG activity in rat brain slices

Abstract Objective : Electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings exhibit stereotypic alterations during transient ischemia in mammals. One disadvantage of using in vitro models for ischemia studies is the lack of a sensitive electrophysiological measure for the degree of ischemic damage to a large population of neurons. The present study examined effects of hypoglycemia, hypoxia or both on an in vitro micro-EEG model, to determine whether this model provides a sensitive measure. Methods : Theta frequency (4–8 Hz) micro-EEG oscillations were evoked in rat neocortical brain slices using the cholinergic agonist carbachol (100 μM) and the GABA A antagonist bicuculline (10 μM). Extracellular field micro-EEG signals and whole cell patch clamp recordings were used to monitor electrical activity. Results : Upon removal of oxygen and/or glucose, theta oscillation amplitudes progressively declined to isoelectric levels. Low frequency delta oscillations (0.5–3.0 Hz) and burst suppression discharges were prominent during hypoglycemic episodes and upon recovery. Time to onset of isoelectric activity was faster in slices deprived of both glucose and oxygen (7.0±1.8 min) and oxygen alone (5.0±1.5 min) compared to hypoglycemia alone (25.6±3.8 min, P P >0.35 ( t test compared with control) for hypoglycemia; 93.6±27.0%, P >0.72 for hypoxia). Spreading depression (SD) was observed in 11/12 (91.7%) slices deprived of both sugar and oxygen, but not in hypoxic (0/4) or hypoglycemic (0/5) slices. In all cases, SD occurred later than isoelectric activity. Theta oscillations recovered within 10 min in 12/13 (92.3%) slices that did not undergo SD, but slices that underwent SD failed to recover theta activity (0/4), though all (4/4) at least partially recovered the population spike (>40%). Conclusions : These results suggest that synchronized micro-EEG activity may be a useful and sensitive indicator of early-onset and possibly reversible ischemic damage.
Nonoperative management of symptomatic urachal anomalies

Abstract Introduction Symptomatic urachal anomalies are rare disorders that consist of urachal remnants or fistulas with or without an associated cyst. Traditionally, when a urachal anomaly was recognized, operative excision was performed. There has been a shift toward the nonoperative management of urachal anomalies at many centers, although there is little in the literature to support this practice. Methods A retrospective chart review of patients with urachal anomalies was performed from January 2002 to March 2008. Children with a draining umbilicus and no radiographic or surgical confirmation of a urachal anomaly were excluded. Results Fifteen patients with symptomatic urachal anomalies were identified. The average age was 3.5 years (4 weeks to 14 years). Symptoms included umbilical drainage (n = 10), abdominal pain (n = 6), omphalitis (n = 4), intraabdominal mass (n = 3), dysuria (n = 1), recurrent urinary tract infections (n = 1), and fever (n = 4). The diagnosis was confirmed by ultrasound (n = 13) and/or computed tomographic scan (n = 4). The surgically treated cases included 7 urachal cysts (5 uninfected, 2 infected) and 1 patent urachal fistula. Mean follow-up is 37 months, and there have been no reported recurrences. Those treated without surgical excision included 4 patent urachal fistulas (mean follow-up, 20 months—no recurrences) and 3 infected urachal cysts (percutaneous drainage [n = 2] and laparoscopic drainage [n = 1]—no recurrences on ultrasound at 26 months). Conclusion Nonoperative management of urachal anomalies is a reasonable approach and may be extended to infected urachal cysts after initial drainage. Infected cysts that are adequately drained seem to obliterate with time. Modern ultrasonography facilitates thorough follow-up. We propose a treatment algorithm for the management of suspected urachal anomalies.
A compensation scheme for CVT transient effects using artificial neural network

Capacitive voltage transformers (CVTs) provide instrument-level voltage signals to meters and protective relays in high voltage (HV) systems. The transients in CVTs could lead to protective relay mal-operation. This paper proposes the use of an artificial neural network (ANN) scheme to correct CVT secondary waveform distortions due to CVT transient. This is accomplished by using samples of voltage signals to achieve a good approximation of the inverse transfer function of CVTs, thus an accurate estimation of the primary voltages. Simulations are performed and the impacts of different parameters are studied. Performance results show that the proposed scheme is accurate and reliable. The proposed scheme can also be implemented on a digital signal processor board for real-time application.