cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The energy implication of climate change on urban wastewater systems

Abstract Urban wastewater service provision is an important energy consumer as well as a potentially important energy producer. This study aims to advance understandings on the influence of climate change on the intra- and inter-annual patterns of wastewater treatment plants’ net life cycle energy consumption. Historic monthly operational data of a wastewater treatment plant in the northeast United States were obtained and its current net life cycle energy demand was investigated. Comprehensive multivariate and multiple linear regression analyses were then performed. The main climate variables (temperature, rainfall, and snowfall) and the wastewater characteristics (flow rate, water temperature, total suspended solids, 5-day biochemical oxygen demand, and chemical oxygen demand) were used to develop regression models for energy that is directly and indirectly consumed and generated at the treatment plant. Two different approaches, a lumped and a month-based method, for conducting the regression analysis were investigated. Whenever possible, these two approaches were combined to improve the predictive power of the regression models. The obtained result shows the treatment plant’s direct energy use consists of more than 86% of the total energy consumption currently. Various energy recovery strategies allow the treatment plant to offset more than 15% of its total energy consumption. The future annual wastewater influent of the plant was projected to decrease towards the end of the century under climate change, with a significantly larger seasonal variation. The influent wastewater quality is projected to decrease, leading to higher direct and indirect energy consumption for treatment. Projections of future intra-annual responses show that the seasonal variations of wastewater flowrate as well as the monthly cumulative energy demand can potentially experience a two-fold increase, resulting in more frequent system shocks and create operational difficulties.
Focal Atrial Tachycardia from the Non-Coronary Cusp

Focal atrial tachycardia (ATs) can arise from the para-Hisian region and are often due to triggered activity. Mapping and ablation in the non-coronary cusp for these ATs is often needed for successful ablation or to avoid damage to the conduction system.
Role of telomere shortening in anticipation of inflammatory bowel disease.

Background The existence of genetic anticipation has been long disputed in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in the absence of the explanatory mechanism. Aim To determine whether it was predictive of genetic anticipation, we evaluated telomere length in IBD. We hypothesized that multiplex IBD families exhibit a genetic defect impacting telomere maintenance mechanisms. Methods We studied three IBD families with multiple affected members in three successive generations. We determined telomere length (TL) in lymphocytes and granulocytes from peripheral blood of the affected members using flow cytometry and fluorescence in-situ hybridization (flow FISH). We also performed whole exome sequencing in the blood of all available family members and used PhenoDB to identify potential candidate gene variants with recessive or dominant modes of inheritance. Results Out of twenty-four patients of European descent selected to participate in the study, eleven patients, eight parent-child pairs affected by IBD, were included in the genetic anticipation analysis. Median difference in age at diagnosis between two successive generations was 16.5 years, with earlier age at onset in the younger generations. In most of the affected members, the disease harbored similar gastrointestinal and extraintestinal involvement but was more aggressive among the younger generations. TL was not associated with earlier age at onset or more severe disease in members of successive generations affected by IBD. NOD2 gene mutations were present in the Crohn's disease patients of one family. However, no gene variants were identified as potential candidates for inheritance. Conclusion Telomere shortening appears unlikely to be involved in mechanisms of possible genetic anticipation in IBD. Further studies using a larger sample size are required to confirm or refute our findings.
Kaleidoscope: An Efficient, Learnable Representation For All Structured Linear Maps

Modern neural network architectures use structured linear transformations, such as low-rank matrices, sparse matrices, permutations, and the Fourier transform, to improve inference speed and reduce memory usage compared to general linear maps. However, choosing which of the myriad structured transformations to use (and its associated parameterization) is a laborious task that requires trading off speed, space, and accuracy. We consider a different approach: we introduce a family of matrices called kaleidoscope matrices (K-matrices) that provably capture any structured matrix with near-optimal space (parameter) and time (arithmetic operation) complexity. We empirically validate that K-matrices can be automatically learned within end-to-end pipelines to replace hand-crafted procedures, in order to improve model quality. For example, replacing channel shuffles in ShuffleNet improves classification accuracy on ImageNet by up to 5%. K-matrices can also simplify hand-engineered pipelines -- we replace filter bank feature computation in speech data preprocessing with a learnable kaleidoscope layer, resulting in only 0.4% loss in accuracy on the TIMIT speech recognition task. In addition, K-matrices can capture latent structure in models: for a challenging permuted image classification task, a K-matrix based representation of permutations is able to learn the right latent structure and improves accuracy of a downstream convolutional model by over 9%. We provide a practically efficient implementation of our approach, and use K-matrices in a Transformer network to attain 36% faster end-to-end inference speed on a language translation task.
Eradicating the Mothering Effect: Women as Workers and Mothers, Successfully and Simultaneously

In the United States, the need for federal legislation to address work-family conflict has never been more pressing. Mothers are the primary caretakers of their children even while they participate in the paid market in record numbers. However, because the workplace is designed to accommodate the needs of the traditional male, mothers often face distinct challenges when combining their paid market and care work. For example, middle-class families are working longer hours than ever before, over 70 percent of mothers participate in the paid labor market, and mothers earn 30 percent less than their male counterparts. Meanwhile, two-thirds of mothers have no federally protected job leave and the U.S. remains one of the only countries in the world that fails to guarantee any paid maternity leave. As a result, work-family conflict is a reality for most working mothers and combining paid market work with mothering, successfully and simultaneously, is a goal for many millions of America’s mothers. This article asserts that federal legislation to address work-family conflict and enable mothers to combine their paid market work with their family care work should be adopted because mothering is of significant value to individuals, families, and society at large. To that end, this article draws on anthropological, psychological, and sociological studies, in addition to governmental data, popular books and articles, and legal scholarship to prove that mothering is of value and that acknowledging its value is of central theoretical significance to the legal discourse surrounding work, family, and gender.
Gromov–Witten theory of n–resolutions

We give a complete solution for the reduced Gromov–Witten theory of resolved surface singularities of type An, for any genus, with arbitrary descendent insertions. We also present a partial evaluation of the T–equivariant relative Gromov–Witten theory of the threefold An×P1 which, under a nondegeneracy hypothesis, yields a complete solution for the theory. The results given here allow comparison of this theory with the quantum cohomology of the Hilbert scheme of points on the An surfaces. We discuss generalizations to linear Hodge insertions and to surface resolutions of type D,E. As a corollary, we present a new derivation of the stationary Gromov–Witten theory of P1.
SARS Wars: the fomites strike back.

Controversy continues about the significance of fomite transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Recent papers continue to advocate concern. However, designs of studies showing virus survival on surfaces under laboratory conditions are unsuitable for extrapolation to real life. Although viral RNA is frequently found on real-life surfaces, actual tests for infectious virus are almost entirely negative, even in hospitals with COVID-19 patients. Fomite transmission should be regarded as no more than a very minor component of this pandemic.
Fentanyl-induced acute and conditioned behaviors in two inbred mouse lines: Potential role for Glyoxalase.

An increase in opioid-overdose deaths was evident before the COVID-19 pandemic, and has escalated since its onset. Fentanyl, a highly potent synthetic opioid, is the primary driver of these recent trends. The current study used two inbred mouse strains, C57BL/6 J and A/J, to investigate the genetics of behavioral responses to fentanyl. Mice were tested for conditioned place preference and fentanyl-induced locomotor activity. C57BL/6J mice formed a conditioned place preference to fentanyl injections and fentanyl increased their activity. Neither effect was noted in A/J mice. We conducted RNA-sequencing on the nucleus accumbens of mice used for fentanyl-induced locomotor activity. Surprisingly, we noted few differentially expressed genes using treatment as the main factor. However many genes differed between strains. We validated differences in two genes: suppressor APC domain containing 1 (Sapcd1) and Glyoxalase 1 (Glo1), with quantitative PCR on RNA from the nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex (). In both regions A/J mice had significantly higher expression of both genes than did C57BL/6 J. In prefrontal cortex, fentanyl treatment decreased Glo1 mRNA. Glyoxalase 1 catalyzes the detoxification of reactive alpha-oxoaldehydes such as glyoxal and methylglyoxal, is associated with anxiety and activity levels, and its inhibition reduces alcohol intake. We suggest that future studies assess the ability of Glo1 and related metabolites to modify opioid intake.
The heritability of personality factors in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes).

Human personality and behavior genetic studies have resulted in a growing consensus that five heritable factors account for most variance in human personality. Prior research showed that chimpanzee personality is composed of a dominance-related factor and five human-like factors—Surgency, Dependability, Emotional Stability, Agreeableness, and Openness. Genetic, shared zoo, and nonshared environmental variance components of the six factors were estimated by regressing squared phenotypic differences of all possible pairs of chimpanzees onto 1 − Rij, where Rij equals the degree of relationship and a variable indicating whether the pair was housed in the same zoo. Dominance showed significant narrow-sense heritability. Shared zoo effects accounted for only a negligible proportion of the variance for all factors.
Extremal Properties of Bases for Representations of Semisimple Lie Algebras

Let \cal L be a complex semisimple Lie algebra with specified Chevalley generators. Let V be a finite dimensional representation of \cal L with weight basis \cal B. The supporting graph P of \cal B is defined to be the directed graph whose vertices are the elements of \cal B and whose colored edges describe the supports of the actions of the Chevalley generators on V. Four properties of weight bases are introduced in this setting, and several families of representations are shown to have weight bases which have or are conjectured to have each of the four properties. The basis \cal B can be determined to be edge-minimizing (respectively, edge-minimal) by comparing P to the supporting graphs of other weight bases of V. The basis \cal B is solitary if it is the only basis (up to scalar changes) which has P as its supporting graph. The basis \cal B is a modular lattice basis if P is the Hasse diagram of a modular lattice. The Gelfand-Tsetlin bases for the irreducible representations of sl(n, \Bbb C) serve as the prototypes for the weight bases sought in this paper. These bases, as well as weight bases for the fundamental representations of sp(2n, \Bbb C) and the irreducible “one-dimensional weight space” representations of any semisimple Lie algebra, are shown to be solitary and edge-minimal and to have modular lattice supports. Tools developed here are used to construct uniformly the irreducible one-dimensional weight space representations. Similar results for certain irreducible representations of the odd orthogonal Lie algebra o(2n + 1, \Bbb C), the exceptional Lie algebra G2, and for the adjoint and short adjoint representations of the simple Lie algebras are announced.
Magnetic Reactivation of Partially Inhibited Trypsin

The preliminary observations by Cook1 and Smith2 (see also the previous chapter) of changes in the activity of trypsin following exposure to a static magnetic field have been reinvestigated. Under similar, but more precisely defined conditions, we have observed that partially inhibited trypsin preparations show a 4–12% restoration of activity. Reactivation has been observed in our experiments following deactivation by egg-white trypsin inhibitor and apparently also following deactivation by 1–3 hr autolysis at pH 7–8 in the absence of calcium ions. No reactivation was observed after deactivation by ultraviolet exposure or treatment with soy-bean trypsin inhibitor or diisopropylphosphoro-fluoridate (DPF). Reactivation of the inhibited preparation following exposure to the magnetic field in no case exceeded the usual activity level of the uninhibited enzyme. The maximum reactivation (9–12$) followed the longest magnetic exposures (1008–1106 min). An exposure of 90 min coupled with slight (4$) inhibition appears to be insufficient.
Salivary gland hypofunction induced by activation of innate immunity is dependent on type I interferon signaling

Background Activation of innate immunity through polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)) causes acute salivary gland hypofunction. Since a major consequence of poly(I:C) treatment is type I interferon (IFN) production, this study was undertaken to investigate their role in salivary gland dysfunction.
A vueltas con la Guerra Civil: golpes de ficción en tiempos de capital indiferencia

Y por eso creo en la literatura como puente entre los pueblos. Creo que la curiosidad tiene, de hecho, una dimension moral. Creo que la capacidad de imaginar al projimo es un modo de inmunizarse contra el fanatismo. La capacidad de imaginar al projimo no solo te convierte en un hombre de negocios mas exitoso y en un mejor amante, sino tambien en una persona mas humana. Amos Oz, “Discurso del Premio Principe de Asturias 2008”
Nonlocal robustness of the sign detector with nonstationary data

A popular nonlinear detection system is the sign detector, which is classically considered to be nonparametric when testing for the presence of a constant signal in independent and identically distributed noise whose univariate distribution possesses a fixed known value at the origin. It is shown via a nonlocal robustness analysis that in practice a severe loss in the nonparametric nature of the detector can be experienced. Compensation at the design stage is illustrated. >
The Effectiveness of Couple and Individual Relationship Education: Distress as a Moderator

Current literature yields mixed results about the effectiveness of relationship education (RE) with low-income participants and those who experience a high level of individual or relational distress. Scholars have called for research that examines whether initial levels of distress act as a moderator of RE outcomes. To test whether initial levels of relationship and/or individual distress moderate the effectiveness of RE, this study used two samples, one of couples who received couple-oriented relationship education with their partner (n = 192 couples) and one of individuals in a relationship who received individual-oriented RE by themselves (n = 60 individuals). We delivered RE in a community-based setting serving primarily low-income participants. For those attending with a partner, there was a significant interaction between gender, initial distress, and time. Findings indicate that women who were relationally distressed before RE reported the largest pre-postgains. Those who attended an individual-oriented RE program reported significant decreases in individual distress from pre to post, but no significant relationship gains. Findings also suggest that initial levels of distress did not moderate the effectiveness of individual-oriented RE.
Trans‐Pacific Hydrographic Section along 10°N

Plans are underway for a hydrographic section along ˜10°N in the Pacific Ocean. This work, tentatively scheduled for late 1988 to early 1989, is to be supported by the National Science Foundation's Ocean Sciences Division. Measurements will consist of approximately 240 full-depth casts with a conductivity, temperature, depth, and dissolved oxygen (CTD/;O2) profiler. A rosette sampler with 24 ten-liter bottles will be lowered with the CTD/O2 profiler to provide water samples for additional salinity, oxygen, and nutrient analyses. Stations will be separated nominally by 75 km, with closer spacing planned over major topographic features and near the eastern and western boundaries. In addition, vertical profiles of upper ocean velocity will be measured continuously by an acoustic Doppler current profiler.
The effect of calcium ion transport ATPase upon the passive calcium ion permeability of phospholipid vesicles

Abstract The uptake and release of Ca2+ by sarcoplasmic reticulum fragments and reconstituted ATPase vesicles was measured by a stopped-flow fluorescence method using chlortetracycline as Ca2+ indicator. Incorporation of the Ca2+ transport ATPase into phospholipid bilayers of widely different fatty acid composition increases their passive permeability to Ca2+ by several orders of magnitude. Therefore in addition to participating in active Ca2+ transport, the ( Mg 2+ + Ca 2+ )-activated ATPase also forms hydrophilic channels across the membrane. The relative insensitivity of the permeability effect of ATPase to changes in the fatty acid composition of the membrane is in accord with the suggestion that the Ca2+ channels arise by protein-protein interaction between four ATPase molecules. The reversible formation of these channels may have physiological significance in the rapid Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum during activation of muscle.
Ethanol Counteraction of Clonidine‐Evoked Inhibition of Norepinephrine Release in Rostral Ventrolateral Medulla of Rats

Previous studies from our laboratory demonstrated an antagonistic hemodynamic interaction between ethanol and clonidine in conscious and in urethane-anesthetized rats. The present study tested the hypothesis that ethanol produces its effect by counteracting clonidine-evoked inhibition of norepinephrine (NE) release at its major site of action, the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM). In vivo electrochemical measurement of real-time changes in NE level in the RVLM of urethane-anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats was made along with blood pressure and heart rate. Clonidine (30 μg/kg, iv) produced significant decreases (p < 0.05) in NE electrochemical signal and blood pressure. Ethanol (1 g/kg, iv) administered 10 min after clonidine significantly (p < 0.05) increased NE signal and counteracted clonidine-evoked hypotension. Equal volume of saline had no effect on NE signal in the RVLM nor on the hypotensive response to clonidine. Pretreatment with the same dose of ethanol (1 g/kg) caused slight increases in RVLM NE level and in blood pressure, but did not influence the electrochemical and blood pressure responses to clonidine; clonidine (30 μg/kg) administration 10 min after ethanol resulted in significant (p < 0.05) decreases in NE signal and blood pressure. These findings suggest that: (i) ethanol counteraction of the hypotensive action of clonidine involves, at least in part, opposite effects on central pathways that use NE as a neurotransmitter; (ii) the RVLM represents a possible site for the adverse hemodynamic interaction between ethanol and clonidine; and (iii) ethanol-evoked increase in RVLM NE, which correlates with its pressor effect, is much enhanced when RVLM NE level is reduced by clonidine.
Band-gap structure for periodic chiral media

We study electromagnetic wave interactions in periodic chiral media through an examination of the band-gap structure derived from a coupled-mode solution. For oblique incidence the singly periodic chiral medium possesses three separate fundamental Bragg conditions, which lead to a richer band-gap structure than that observed for its achiral counterpart. We examine these fundamental Bragg conditions in three characteristic domains defined as the subchiral, chiral, and superchiral regions. The conditions defining each region and the band-gap characteristics are presented. The chiral band-gap structure suggests that periodic chiral media may be useful as filters, polarization mode converters, mode discriminators, and multiplexers for circularly polarized waves. It also demonstrates the increased degrees of freedom for the design of distributed-feedback or Bragg-reflection devices.
GLUTAMATE TRANSPORT AND STORAGE IN SYNAPTIC VESICLES

Abstract Glutamate plays an important metabolic role in virtually every vertebrate cell. In particular, glutamate is the most common excitatory neurotransmitter in the vertebrate central nervous system. As such, the mechanism by which glutamate is diverted from its normal metabolic activities toward its role as a neurotransmitter has, in recent years, been systematically investigated. In glutamatergic nerve endings, synaptic vesicles accumulate and store a proportion of the cellular glutamate pool and, in response to appropriate signals, release glutamate into the synaptic cleft by exocytosis. Glutamate accumulation is accomplished by virtue of a glutamate uptake system present in the synaptic vesicle membrane. The uptake system consists of a transport protein, remarkably specific for glutamate, and a vacuolar-type H+-ATPase, which provides the coupling between ATP hydrolysis and glutamate transport. The precise manner in which the glutamate transporter and H+-ATPase operate is currently the subject of debate. Recent data relevant to this debate are reviewed in this article. Additionally, pharmacological agents thought to specifically interact with the vesicular glutamate transporter are discussed. Finally, a newly discovered, endogenous inhibitor of vesicular uptake, inhibitory protein factor (IPF), is discussed with some speculations as to its potential role as a presynaptic modulator of neurotransmission.
Measurement of Stiffness and Damping Characteristics of Computer Keyboard Keys

To determine the stiffness and damping of computer keyboard keys, a computer-controlled test rig that can measure computer key displacement, velocity, and contact force has been designed. The test rig, consisting of a single-axis stage carrying a probe for contacting keys, has been used to collect contact force and motion data as computer keys are depressed and released at constant velocities up to 80mm∕s. Keys that employ a rubber-dome under their caps to achieve the necessary compliance and toggling action were tested. The results demonstrate a nonlinear stiffness force versus displacement characteristic at a given speed and the presence of damping-type forces that increase with key depression speed at a given displacement. In particular, the results indicate that the peak force at the 80mm∕s rate of depression increases relative to the quasistatic (0.5mm∕s) force level by over 12% for the “Enter,” “K,” and “Spacebar” keys. This paper describes the hardware and software configuration, and presents sample results of the stiffness and damping characteristics of keys during depression-return stroke tests.
A Cultural Perspective on Emotions and Behavior: An Empathic Pathway to Examine Intergenerational Conflicts in Chinese Immigrant Families:

This article discusses the influence of culture on human emotions and behavior and its significance in understanding the nuances of distress in intergenerational conflicts among Chinese immigrant parents and their children. In examining the differences in values and norms between the two generations, and the inherent conflicts associated with acculturation in immigrant families, this article focuses on the culturally specific experience and expression of emotions underlying these issues. Case vignettes illustrate how cultural meanings often accentuate the interpretation of antagonistic and rejecting behavior as well as how they camouflage the need for validation between parents and children. Intervention approaches that aim to resolve the emotional impasse within the families are illustrated and discussed.
An Improved Scoring Method for Protein Residue Conservation and Multiple Sequence Alignment

One of the most fundamental operation in biological sequence analysis is multiple sequence alignment (MSA). Optimally aligning multiple sequences is an intractable problem; however, it is a critical tool for biologists to identify the relationships between species and also possibly predict the structure and functionality of biological sequences. The most fundamental step of assembling MSA results is identifying the best location to place the sequence residues. And the accuracy of the sequence assembly depends heavily on the reliability of a scoring function used. With an appropriate scoring function, an MSA program can boost its accuracy of multiple sequence alignment up to 25%. In this study, we present a new, fast, and biologically reliable scoring method, hierarchical expected matching probability (HEP), to use in protein multiple sequence alignment. The new scoring method eliminates the burden of gap cost selection process. And it has consistently proven to be more biologically reliable than all other tested scoring methods through all tests on four different theoretical and experimental benchmarks, Valdar's theoretical conservation benchmark, RT-OSM, BAliBASE3.0, and PREFAB4.0. An implementation of our new scoring method into progressive multiple sequence alignment, resembling the alignment algorithm in PIMA, ClustalW, and T-COFFEE, has shown an accuracy improvement up to 7% on BAliBASE3.0 and up to 5% on PREFAB4.0 benchmarks.
Coping with birthparent loss in adopted children.

Background: Relationships among adopted children's appraisals of birthparent loss, their coping strategies for managing such loss, and child and parent reports of child adjustment were investigated within the context of a stress and coping model of adoption adjustment. Methods: Eighty-two 8-12-year-old adopted children and one of their parents participated. Children completed questionnaires assessing their negative affect about birthparent loss, their curiosity about birthparents, their use of coping strategies to manage birthparent-related distress, and their levels of depression, anxiety, and global self-worth. Parents reported on children's externalizing and internalizing behavior problems and social competence. Results: Children who reported higher levels of negative affect about birthparent loss also reported higher levels of depression and lower self-worth. Curiosity about birthparents predicted parent-rated externalizing behavior. Behavioral avoidant coping was associated with greater self-reported anxiety and parent-rated externalizing behavior, whereas problem solving coping was associated with increased parent-rated social competence. Conclusions: The findings, though limited by issues of measurement and sampling, add to the knowledge base regarding adopted children's appraisal and coping behaviors, and provide partial support for a stress and coping model of adopted children's adjustment.
Translational Velocity of Warm Core Rings Relative to the Slope Water

Abstract Five warm Core rings were examined during short time intervals using thermal infrared satellite imagery. A total of 12 pairs of observations of these rings were made, all east of 72°W. The observations concentrated on the translational velocity of the rings and the mean velocity of the surrounding slope water. The mean translational velocity of the rings was found to be 8.5 ± 3.1 cm s−1 at 282° from north. The mean velocity of the surrounding slope water, determined from a combination of in situ observations with a depth weighting based on theoretical arguments, was 5.2 ± 0.3 cm s&−1 at 258°. The difference, i.e., the velocity of the ring relative to the slope water, was 4.6 ± 3.0 cm s−1 at 208°, or, in component form, these rings were found to move relative to the surrounding slope water with a mean northward component of 2.8 ± 1.7 cm s−1 and a mean westward component of 3.2 ± 2,3 cm s−1. The observations presented here are in disagreement with previous observations of ring displacements which s...
An Analysis of HCR's Theoretical and Methodological Evolution

This article traces theoretical and methodological contributions the journal has made to the field of communication by providing a narrative summary supported by descriptive statistics. Findings indicate that the journal has matured both theoretically and methodologically, and there is some support to refute the argument that quantitative research is atheoretical. First, approximately 59% of the articles in the first 24 years have a theory or model driving the research. Second, the journal remains almost exclusively quantitative, and the trend analysis indicates that multiple data collection procedures in an article are becoming more ofa norm. Third, within an International Communication Association content unit, no single theory or group of theories dominates the rationales used to conduct research. As we look to the future, HCR contributors, editors, and reviewers will determine to what extent these trends continue and what the journal's identity will be both within communication and outside the field.
Control‐variate selection criteria

For multiresponse simulations requiring point and confidence-region estimators of the mean response, we propose control-variate selection criteria that minimize mean-square confidence-region volume in two situations: (a) Only the mean control vector is known, and standard linear control-variate estimation procedures are used. (b) Covariances among controls are also known and are incorporated into new linear control-variate estimation procedures. An example illustrates the performance of these selection criteria.
Quantification of bone stresses during remodeling

Abstract An experiment to quantitate the effect of compressive stress upon bone remodeling rate was devised. Remodeling herein is described as the renewal process of bone separate from initial formation. A finite element mathematical model of the rabbit calvarium was devised. Actual rabbit calvaria were stressed utilizing a load cell monitored lever type loading device. They were periodically stained with fluorescing bone seeking dyes. Upon necropsy, histologic sections were prepared and the growth rate at known locations in the stressed area was measured by planimetry. Observed bone formation was subdivided into lamellar and fibrous. Lamellar bone formation (remodeling) rate remained above control levels until stresses of approximately 360 psi were reached; above this level remodeling rate fell to or below control. Fibrous bone exhibited higher formation rates which decreased with increasing stress but remained above control. At stresses approaching 1000 psi the technique could not measure formation rates due to the confused fibrous bone formation.
Breakdown of Passive Film on Iron

Abstract The breakdown of passive films potentiostatically formed on iron in borate and phosphate solutions of pH 8.42 and 11.50 is investigated in 0.5 kmol/m3 NaCl solution at a constant potential of −0.195 V(SHE) higher than a critical pitting potential of −0.295 V in the same solution. The investigation revealed that the logarithmic plots for pitting current (ip) or amount of electric charge (Qp) vs time curves were composed of two straight lines with different slopes after a short period in which ip scarcely flows. The time, τ, required for the transition from the first to the second line was found to be a linear function of passivation potential irrespective of anion species and solution pH in which a passive film was formed. However, the slope of their linear relation depended on anion species and solution pH. It is believed that the first straight line corresponds to pit nucleation and the second one to pit growth. The dependence of τ on log (Cl−) gives the critical chloride ion concentration of 0....
Cloning the gyrA gene of Bacillus subtilis

Abstract We have isolated an eight kilobase fragment of Bacillus subtilis DNA by specific integration and excision of a plasmid containing a sequence adjacent to ribosomal operon rrn O. The genetic locus of the cloned fragment was verified by linkage of the integrated vector to nearby genetic markers using both transduction and transformation. Functional gyrA activity encoded by this fragment complements E. coli gyrA mutants. Recombination between the Bacillus sequences and the E. coli chromosome did not occur. The Bacillus wild type gyrA gene, which confers sensitivity to nalidixic acid, is dominant in E. coli as is the E. coli gene. The cloned DNA precisely defines the physical location of the gyrA mutation on the B. subtilis chromosome. Since an analogous fragment from a nalidixic acid resistant strain has also been isolated, and shown to transform B. subtilis to nalidixic acid resistance, both alleles have been cloned.
A binary-rounding heuristic for multi-period variable-task-duration assignment problems

Multi-period assignment problems seek to allocate employees to tasks as required across multiple time periods. This type of problem is a subset of three-dimensional assignment problems and is NP-complete. A binary-rounding heuristic, which allows the determination of a feasible zero-one solution from a feasible continuous solution was developed and applied to 72 test problems. The heuristic found the optimal solution to 68 of the 72 problems and was within 95% of the continuous optimum in the other four cases. The CPU time and iterations required were significantly reduced over those required by a pure integer solution process.
Reliability of Daniels systems subject to quasistatic and dynamic nonstationary Gaussian load processes

Abstract A general method is developed for estimating reliability of Daniels systems subject to quasistatic and dynamic Gaussian load processes. The method is based on a generalization of the Slepian model, an identity involving first passage time probabilities and conditional mean crossing rates of response processes, and first/second order reliability estimates (FORM/SORM). The use of the method is illustrated by an example.
Essential role of caspases in epigallocatechin-3-gallate-mediated inhibition of nuclear factor kappaB and induction of apoptosis

Green tea constituent (-) epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) has shown remarkable cancer-preventive and some cancer-therapeutic effects. This is partially because of its ability to induce apoptosis in cancer cells without affecting normal cells. Previous studies from our laboratory have shown the involvement of NF-kappa B pathway in EGCG-mediated cell-cycle deregulation and apoptosis of human epidermoid carcinoma A431 cells. Here we show the essential role of caspases in EGCG-mediated inhibition of NF-kappa B and its subsequent apoptosis. Treatment of A431 cells with EGCG (10-40 microg/ml) resulted in dose-dependent inhibition of NF-kappa B/p65, induction of DNA breaks, cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and morphological changes consistent with apoptosis. EGCG treatment of cells also resulted in significant activation of caspases, as shown by the dose- and time-dependent increase in DEVDase activity, and protein expression of caspase-3, -8 and -9. EGCG-mediated caspase activation induces proteolytic cleavage of NF-kappa B/p65 subunit, leading to the loss of transactivation domains, and driving the cells towards apoptosis. EGCG-mediated induction of apoptosis was significantly blocked by the caspase inhibitor N-benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp(OMe)-fluoromethylketone (Z-VAD-FMK), and moderately blocked by the specific caspase-3 inhibitor Z-DEVD-FMK. Further, pretreatment of cells with Z-VAD-FMK was found to suppress the cleavage of NF-kappa B/p65 subunit, thereby increasing nuclear translocation, DNA binding and transcriptional activity, thus protecting the cells from EGCG-induced apoptosis. Taken together, these studies for the first time demonstrate that EGCG-mediated activation of caspases is critical, at least in part, for inhibition of NF-kappa B and subsequent apoptosis.
Toxicological manifestations of 2,4,5,‐2’,4’,5'‐, 2,3,6,2’,3’,6'‐, and 3,4,5,3’,4’,5'‐hexachlorobiphenyl and Aroclor 1254 in mink

Adult female mink were fed diets that contained 2.5 ppm Aroclor 1254, 0.1 or 0.5 ppm 3,4,5,3’,4’,5'‐hexachlorobiphenyl (345 HCB), 2.5 or 5.0 ppm 2,4,5,2’,4’,5'‐hexa‐chlorobiphenyl (245 HCB) or 2,3,6,2’,3’,6'‐hexachlorobiphenyl (236 HCB), or a control diet from 1 mo prior to breeding through parturition. All mink fed 0.5 ppm 345 HCB died within 60 d, while those fed 0.1 ppm showed 50% mortality after 3 mo exposure. Only one stillborn kit was whelped in the Aroclor 1254 group. No adverse reproductive effects were observed in the animals fed 236 HCB or 245 HCB. Plasma progesterone concentrations were significantly depressed by Aroclor 1254 and significantly elevated by 0.1 ppm 345 HCB. 170‐Estradiol concentrations were not significantly altered by any of the dietary treatments. Hepatic microsomal cytochrome P‐450 concentrations were significantly elevated by all treatments except 236 HCB, with the largest increases occurring in mink exposed to Aroclor 1254 and 345 HCB. Aminopyrine N‐demethylase activity was ...
A Spatially Explicit Model for Estimating Annual Average Loads of Nonpoint Source Nutrient at the Watershed Scale

The overloaded nonpoint source (NPS) nutrients in upper streams always result in the nutrient enrichment at lakes and estuaries downstream. As NPS pollution has become a serious environmental concern in watershed management, the information about nutrient output distribution across a watershed has been critical in the designing of regional development policies. But existing watershed evaluation models often encounter difficulties in application because of their complicated structures and strict requirements for the input data. In this paper, a spatially explicit and process-based model, Integrated Grid’s Exporting and Delivery model, was introduced to estimate annual in-stream nutrient levels. Each grid cell in this model was regarded as having potentials of both exporting new nutrients and trapping nutrients passing by. The combined nutrient dynamics of a grid is mainly determined by the grid’s features in land use/land cover, soil drainage, and geomorphology. This simple-concept model was tested at some basins in north Georgia in the USA. Stations in one basin were used to calibrate the model. Then an external validation was employed by applying the calibrated model to stations in the other neighbor basins. Model evaluation statistics implied the model’s validity and good performance in estimating the annual NPS nutrients’ fluxes at the watershed scale. This study also provides a promising prospect that in-stream annual nutrient loads can be accurately estimated from a few public available datasets.
Two patients with Hashimoto's encephalopathy and uncontrolled diabetes successfully treated with levetiracetam

Hashimoto's encephalopathy (HE) is a rare syndrome of progressive or relapsing-remitting encephalopathy associated with elevated serum anti-thyroid antibody concentrations. It is thought to be an autoimmune process that generally responds well to high-dose corticosteroids and other immunomodulatory therapies. However, some patients are unresponsive to steroids or are unable to receive immune therapy. A viable alternative is needed for this group. Given that seizure and EEG abnormalities are commonly associated with this syndrome, we postulate that treatment with levetiracetam, which has duel anti-inflammatory and anti-seizure mechanisms, might show clinical benefit. We present the cases of two patients who met the criteria for HE but were unable to receive steroids due to labile diabetes. They were both successfully treated with levetiracetam.
Black leaders of the twentieth century

Recounts the accomplishments of fifteen Black American men and women, including Martin Luther King, Mary McLeod Bethune, Adam Clayton Powell, and Booker T. Washington.
Anaerobic and aerobic energy metabolism in brain and liver tissue from rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) and bullhead catfish (Ictalurus nebulosus)

This study tested the hypothesis that tissue from a fish species relatively resistant to anoxia would exhibit a reduced Pasteur effect, as has been shown for some other anoxia-resistant animals. The extent to which temperature compensation occurs in glycolysis was also examined. The production of ATP by oxidative metabolism and glycolysis was partitioned in brain and liver tissue from rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri), an anoxia-sensitive species, and bullhead catfish (Ictalurus nebulosus), an anoxia-resistant species. Measurements were made under normoxic and anoxic conditions and at different temperatures, using glucose as a substrate. Oxidative metabolism (estimated by oxygen consumption) and glycolysis (estimated by lactate accumulation) under normoxic conditions exhibited relatively good temperature compensation, compared with that of anoxic glycolysis. Exposure to anoxia caused a two- to threefold increase in glycolysis in brain tissue but not in liver (i.e., brain exhibited a Pasteur effect). At 5°C, the Pasteur effect was lost in both species. The findings do not support the hypothesis; instead, the catfish brain tissue actually had a slightly larger Pasteur effect than did the trout. Bullhead catfish brain tissue has approximately five times the glycogen concentration of the trout. Thus brain tissue of the catfish has both a somewhat greater anaerobic scope and a much larger anaerobic capacity than does the trout.
Impaired contractile response of human peripheral arterioles to thromboxane A-2 after cardiopulmonary bypass

Background We studied the contractile response of human peripheral microvasculature to thromboxane A-2 (TXA-2) before and after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), with and without the blockade of TXA-2 receptors, or the inhibition of phospholipase C (PLC), phospholipase A-2 (PLA-2) or protein kinase C (PKC)-α. We also examined the protein/gene expression and localization of TXA-2 receptors, TXA-2 synthase, PLC, and other TXA-2–related proteins. Methods Skeletal muscle arterioles (90–180 μm in diameter) were harvested pre- and post-CPB from patients ( n = 28) undergoing cardiac surgery. Results The post-CPB contractile response of skeletal muscle arterioles to TXA-2 analog U-46619 was impaired compared with pre-CPB ( P −6 mol/L) prevented the contractile response to U-46619 ( P −6 mol/L) significantly inhibited the U-46619–induced contractile response ( P −6 mol/L) or PKC-α inhibitor safingol (2 × 10 −5 mol/L), however, failed to affect U-46619–induced contraction. Total protein levels and gene expression of TXA-2 receptors, and TXA-2 synthase of skeletal muscle, were not altered post-CPB. Confocal microscopy showed no differences in the expression of PLCβ-3 in the microcirculation. PLCβ-3 was localized to both smooth muscle and endothelium. Conclusion CPB decreases the contractile response of human peripheral arterioles to TXA-2 soon after cardiac surgery. This response may be in part responsible for the decrease in vascular tone, and accompanying hypotension sometimes observed after cardiac operations utilizing CPB.
Land application of domestic wastewater, wood production, and sludge composting: An integrated design

Abstract Regulations set forth by the United States Environmental Protection Agency encourage the use of innovative domestic wastewater and sludge treatment and disposal techniques. A process which combines land treatment of wastewater following primary sedimentation with tree production and sludge composting was evaluated for land requirements. The sludge composting process generally utilizes a bulking material to reduce the moisture content and increase the carbon/nitrogen ratio of the sludge. The cost of the bulking material, which is often woodchips, can represent a substantial portion of the total system operating cost. Growing trees in the land application system produces both woodchips for composting, and firewood, for which there may be a market. Background information, including design criteria, is given for the land application and composting processes. In addition, laws and regulations pertaining to both processes are also reviewed. The general range of land area necessary to apply a wastewater flow of 0.044 m3/s was determined for the Omaha, Nebraska area. The analysis included the land requirements based on hydraulic loading (dependent on soil permeability) and nitrogen loading (dependent on nitrogen uptake by the crop). Calculations showed that 25–320 hectares would be required according to the hydraulic loading criteria while 41–85 hectares would be required according to nitrogen-loading constraints. Only 2.2–11.2 hectares would be required to grow enough trees in order to produce woodchips for the composting process. Thus, the majority of land under irrigation could be used for the production of firewood.
Ability of medication adherence, knowledge and skills to predict emergency department visits in older adults with heart failure

Purpose Chronic heart failure (HF) affects 5 million Americans most of whom are over 65 years of age. The resultant cost approaches $18 billion annually largely due to exacerbations that may result in emergency department visits. Drugs, which are the primary treatment for HF, have limited effectiveness when patients are non-adherent. Our purpose is to determine whether medication adherence, knowledge, and skills predict the number of emergency department visits in older adult patients with HF. Methods In a six-month prospective, observational study at an urban, university-affiliated hospital we assessed medication knowledge and skills of 61 older HF patients. Medication adherence to cardiovascular drugs was calculated from electronic dosing monitors and pharmacy refill records. Results Patients were 65%+ 9 years of age (72% women, 51% white) with 11 ± 2 years of formal education, New York Heart Association functional class I: 35%; II: 47%; III: 18%, and were taking 10.2 ± 3.1 oral prescription medications. Mulitvariate log-linear model adjusted for demographic variables showed that insufficient ability to read standard prescription and auxiliary labels (P = 0.002) and reduced medication adherence (P <0.001) were associated with increased number of ED visits. Conclusion Adherence to cardiovascular medications and ability to read a prescription label predicted emergency department visits and represent potential targets for educational intervention. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2004) 75, P76–P76; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2003.11.286