cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development of plant decoration elements skills of second grade students in the average Baghdad province / Karkh

يهدف البحث الحالي الى تنمية مهارات عناصر الزخرفة النباتية لدى طلبة الصف الثاني متوسط في محافظة بغداد – الكرخ من خلال استخدام طريقة تدريس غير نمطية تمثلت بطريقة النمذجة والعرض والتدرج بالتعليم من البسيط الى المعقد وحسب ما جاءت به الفلسفة البنائية واعتماد التغذية الراجعة كاساس لتقويم مخرجات المتعلمين ولاجل تحقيق هذا الهدف صاغ الباحث الفرضيات الصفرية الاتية : لا توجد فروق ذات دلاله احصائية عند مستوى (0,05(بين متوسط درجات طلبة المجموعة التجريبية ومتوسط درجات طلبة المجموعة الضابطة في اختبار لمهارات العناصر الزخرفية القبلي. لا توجد فروق ذات دلاله احصائية عند مستوى )0,05( بين متوسط درجات طلبة المجموعة التجريبية ومتوسط درجات طلبة المجموعة الضابطة في اختبار لمهارات العناصر الزخرفية البعدي . لاتوجد فروق ذات دلاله احصائية عند مستوى )0,05( بين درجات البنين والبنات في المجموعة التجريبية لمهارات العناصر الزخرفية. تحدد البحث الحالي بطلبة الصف الثاني متوسط الدارسين للعام الدراسي 2009-2010 في الثانويات التابعة الى مديرية الكرخ الثانية وعناصر الزخرفة النباتية وهي مفرده من مفردات منهج التربية الفنية في المرحلة المتوسطة . واستخدم الباحث التصميم التجريبي ذو الضبط المحكم والمسمى تصميم المجموعات المتكافئة ذات الاختبار القبلي والبعدي وبعد الانتهاء من تطبيق التجربة والتي استمرت على مدى )7 ( دروس بواقع درس واحد اسبوعيا طبق الباحث الاختبار البعدي على المجموعتين وعند معالجة البيانات احصائيا توصل الباحث الى النتائج الاتية : 1-تفوق طلبة المجموعة التجريبية على طلبة المجموعة الضابطة في تنمية مهارات عناصر الزخرفة النباتية . 2- تفوق البنات على البنين في تعلم مهارات عناصر الزخرفة النباتية بفرق دال احصائيا.
Change and Persistence in the Age of Modernization: Saint-Germain-DAAnxure 1730-1895

Using a unique, comprehensive household-level dataset for a single French village from 1730 to 1895, we study the process of modernization during a period of rapid institutional and demographic transformation. We document changes in fertility, mortality, human capital and intergenerational mobility, looking for structural breaks associated with the French Revolution and paying close attention to the sequencing of changes associated with various aspects of modernization in the village. We find that the fall in fertility preceded the rise in education by several decades. Demographic change is plausibly associated with institutional and cultural change rather than with changes in the opportunity cost of children. The rise in education occurred mostly as the result of an increase in the supply of schooling due to the Guizot Law, rather than demand side forces. All these changes occurred in the absence of industrialization in and around the village. We conclude that institutional and cultural changes originating outside the village were likely the dominant forces explaining its modernization.
Reducing lead exposure in school water: Evidence from remediation efforts in New York City public schools.

Abstract Following the Flint Water Crisis, many states passed legislation requiring schools to measure and remediate lead in school drinking water. In this study, we present new evidence on the level and distribution of lead in school drinking water by examining the case of New York City, which tested water from every public school fixture in the 2016-17 school year, remediated fixtures that showed elevated levels of lead above 15 ppb, and retested a sample of fixtures in 2018–19. Prior to remediation, 8 % of fixtures showed elevated levels of lead; after remediation, 5 % of fixtures did. In both pre- and post-remediation periods, Black children attended schools with a higher proportion of elevated fixtures than White, Asian, and Hispanic children. We observe post-remediation lead exposure reductions that were largest for Black children, though racial disparities in exposure remained. Together, our results show that New York City's remediation efforts significantly reduced lead in its schools' drinking water in a short period of time, providing evidence of the promise of such efforts. However, the continued presence of lead in school drinking water and persistent racial disparities in exposure demonstrate the ongoing challenges to eradicating lead exposure in schools.
The Uses of Strategy

In the sixth Part of this study we looked at the area of ideal ethics. In the seventh Part we surveyed some of the more sordid aspects of concrete morality. Ideal ethics undertakes to study what-ought-to-be, concrete morality describes what-is. Between them lies the largest gap possible. It presents the problem of bridging: how does one get from where one-is to where one-ought-to-be, from concrete morality to ideal ethics? An entirely new and almost completely neglected area of ethical strivings thus presents itself. Its existence has rarely been acknowledged.
Inclusion of Particles in Second-Order Modeling of the Atmospheric Surface Mixed Layer

We present a second-order model for the motion of atmospheric aerosol particles. Third moment terms are constructed from first principles and contain no new adjustable constants; models for drift terms and particle flux relaxation terms are constructed from realizability considerations, and have general validity. The results compare favorably with Csanady’s simple model for the crossing-trajectories effect of Yudine when the particles are passive. It is suggested how the dynamical effect of the particles on the turbulence may be included.
Leveraging Fog to Extend Cloud Gaming for Thin-Client MMOG with High Quality of Experience

With the increasing popularity of Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG) and fast growth of mobile gaming, cloud gaming exhibits great promises over the conventional MMOG gaming model as it frees players from the requirement of hardware and game installation on their local computers. However, as the graphics rendering is offloaded to the cloud, the data transmission between the end-users and the cloud significantly increases the response latency and limits the user coverage, thus preventing cloud gaming to achieve high user Quality of Experience (QoE). To solve this problem, previous research suggested deploying more data centers, but it comes at a prohibitive cost. We propose a lightweight system called Cloud Fog, which incorporates "fog" consisting of super nodes that are responsible for rendering game videos and streaming them to their nearby players. Fog enables the cloud to be only responsible for the intensive game state computation and sending update information to super nodes, which significantly reduce the traffic hence the latency and bandwidth consumption. Experimental results from PeerSim and Planet Lab show the effectiveness and efficiency of Cloud Fog in increasing user coverage, reducing response latency and bandwidth consumption.
Analysis of target detection via matrix completion

A problem of broad interest is the detection and localization of a target or object from its generated field. In this paper, a detection and localization strategy which exploits the structure of target fields is designed and analyzed. In taking advantage of this structure, one is able to reduce sample complexity requirements while maintaining good performance. In particular, an exploration-exploitation approach to target detection is proposed utilizing the theory of low-rank matrix completion for a decaying separable target field. The assumptions on the field are fairly generic and are applicable to many decay profiles. Our approach does not require specific knowledge of the field, only that it admits a rank-one representation. A performance analysis for localization is presented that characterizes a trade-off with sample complexity in the presence of noise.
Dynamic Load Balancing of Matrix-Vector Multiplications on Roadrunner Compute Nodes

Hybrid architectures that combine general purpose processors with accelerators are currently being adopted in several large-scale systems such as the petaflop Roadrunner supercomputer at Los Alamos. In this system, dual-core Opteron host processors are tightly coupled with PowerXCell 8i accelerator processors within each compute node. In this kind of hybrid architecture, an accelerated mode of operation is typically used to off-load performance hotspots in the computation to the accelerators. In this paper we explore the suitability of a variant of this acceleration mode in which the performance hotspots are actually shared between the host and the accelerators. To achieve this we have designed a new load balancing algorithm, which is optimized for the Roadrunner compute nodes, to dynamically distribute computation and associated data between the host and the accelerators at runtime. Results are presented using this approach, for sparse and dense matrix-vector multiplications, that show load-balancing can improve performance by up to 24% over solely using the accelerators.
Emissions from residential combustion considering end-uses and spatial constraints: Part I, methods and spatial distribution

Abstract This study describes a framework to attribute national-level atmospheric emissions in the year 2010 from the residential sector, one of the largest energy-related sources of aerosol emissions. We place special emphasis on end-uses, dividing usage into cooking, heating, lighting, and others. This study covers regions where solid biomass fuel provides more than 50% of total residential energy: Latin America, Africa, and Asia (5.2 billion people in 2010). Using nightlight data and population density, we classify five land types: urban, electrified rural with forest access, electrified rural without forest access, non-electrified rural with forest access, and non-electrified rural without forest access. We then apportion national-level residential fuel consumption among all land-types and end-uses, and assign end-use technologies to each combination. The resulting calculation gives spatially-distributed emissions of particulate matter, black carbon, organic carbon, nitrogen oxides, methane, non-methane hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide. Within this study region, about 13% of the energy is consumed in urban areas, and 45% in non-urban land near forests. About half the energy is consumed in land without access to electricity. Cooking accounts for 54% of the consumption, heating for 9%, and lighting only 2%, with unidentified uses making up the remainder. Because biofuel use is assumed to occur preferentially where wood is accessible and electricity is not, our method shifts emissions to land types without electrification, compared with previous methods. The framework developed here is an important first step in acknowledging the role of household needs and local constraints in choosing energy provision. Although data and relationships described here need further development, this structure offers a more physically-based understanding of residential energy choices and, ultimately, opportunities for emission reduction.
Use of isogenic lines and simultaneous probing to identify DNA markers tightly linked to the tm-2a gene in tomato.

The Tm-2a gene of tomato confers resistance to the viral pathogen, tobacco mosaic virus. Like many economically important plant genes, Tm-2a has been characterized phenotypically and by classical linkage analysis, yet nothing is known about its gene product. We report here the isolation of two DNA clones which are very tightly linked to the Tm-2a gene. These clones were identified by testing 122 genomic clones as hybridization probes against Southern blots consisting of DNA from pairs of nearly isogenic lines with or without the Tm-2a gene. Screening such a large number of clones in a short period of time was facilitated by co-labeling and simultaneous probing of sets of up to 10 random genomic clones. Tightly linked clones were distinguished by the fact that they exhibited one or more restriction fragment length polymorphisms between the nearly isogenic lines. Tight linkage of the clones with Tm-2a was verified in a segregating F(2) population. Both mapped to the same locus 0.4 +/- 0.4 centimorgans away from Tm-2a and may provide starting points for a genomic ;;walk'' to this gene. Due to the availability of isogenic lines in many plant species, the strategy outlined in this paper should be widely applicable for selecting DNA clones tightly linked to genes of interest.
E-commerce business models: the value of innovation

Summary form only given. Information systems and their application play a major role in today's businesses. Besides the introduction of new technologies to streamline processes within companies, electronic commerce has become a major trend. Supply chain technologies, service outsourcing and real-time business process are some of the basic capabilities that businesses must have. For many businesses, innovation has become the key driving force behind the business and, in fact, the most important factor on deciding business values. Last year's Google IPO (market cap: $55B, higher than General Motors) has started a new round of technology value discussion. In this presentation, we have studied the innovative value of Internet related technologies, including Web, e-commerce, Web services and pervasive computing. Various innovation approaches and factors were presented, and their values discussed.
Childhood, Intuition, Vocation: Remembering Sara Grant

The following piece is a deeply personal, meditative account of the driving inspiration behind the life and vocation of Sara Grant, a Christian nun who lived in India for forty-five years and founded an ashram in Pune.
Characterization of yolk platelets isolated from developing embryos of Arbacia punctulata

Yolk platelets, a major organelle of sea urchin eggs and embryos, were isolated from Arbacia punctulata and biochemically characterized over the course of development to the pluteus stage. Fractionation by sucrose gradient centrifugation revealed yolk platelets in two major density classes. The low-density yolk platelet fraction could be obtained as a very homogeneous preparation and was highly enriched in acid phosphatase activity, while depleted of mitochondrial (cytochrome c oxidase) and plasma membrane (phosphodiesterase) marker enzymes. The chemical composition of low-density yolk platelets prepared from eggs and embryos at various stages of development remained unchanged in terms of phospholipid, triglyceride, hexose, sialic acid, RNA, and protein. However, analysis of the major yolk platelet glycoproteins by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed a number of stage-specific changes. These glycoproteins were found to be major glycoproteins of crude embryo lysates and were predominantly of the polymannose, N-linked type. The predominance of polymannose-type glycoproteins in yolk platelets was further demonstrated by their staining with concanavalin A-colloidal gold in Lowicryl-embedded sections of embryos. These studies represent the first systematic biochemical characterization of intact yolk platelets and the changes in them during early embryonic development.
Euro-land: any good for the European South?

Abstract Motivated by the “Maastricht proposition” that nominal convergence will generate significant real benefits, the paper investigates the inflation–productivity nexus in 15 European countries over the period 1960–1997. Modern classical and Bayesian econometric techniques organised around I (1) and co-integration analysis are used to test for the existence of a long-run relationship between inflation and productivity. The empirical results suggest the existence of causality in seven countries. Causality is bi-directional in five cases. Notably, causality fails exactly where the “Maastricht proposition” would be more useful: The European South and the smaller member states of the Union — with the notable exception of Greece.
Meta-heuristic approaches with memory and evolution for a multi-product production/distribution system design problem

We consider a multi-product two-stage production/distribution system design problem (PDSD) where a fixed number of capacitated distribution centers are to be located with respect to capacitated suppliers (plants) and retail locations (customers) while minimizing the total costs in the system. We present a mixed-integer problem formulation that facilitates the development of efficient heuristic procedures. We provide meta-heuristic procedures, including a population-based scatter search with path relinking and trajectory-based local and tabu search, for the solution of the problem. We also develop efficient construction heuristics and transshipment heuristics that are incorporated into the heuristic procedures for the solution of subproblems. We present extensive computational results that show the high performance of the solution approaches. We obtain smaller than 1.0% average optimality gaps with acceptable runtimes, even for relatively large problems. The computational results also demonstrate the effectiveness of the construction and transshipment heuristics that impact the solution quality and overall runtimes.
Synthesis and characterization of a catechol-terminated alkanethiolate monolayer adsorbed on gold

Structural, redox, and metal ion binding characterizations of the monolayer formed by the chemisorption of 3,4-dihydroxyphenethyl mercaptan (DHPM) on gold are described. This system was explored as a model for investigations of surface-immobilized molecules that contain redox-transformable coordination sites for binding metal ions from solution. The characterizations were carried out using infrared reflection spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and long optical pathlength thin-layer spectroscopy. The XPS data show that this monolayer adsorbs as a thiolate, and the IRS results indicate that the average orientation of the aromatic ring plane is close to the surface normal. Cyclic voltammetry reveals that the pendant catechol/quinone undergoes the expected two-electron, two-proton redox transformation; however, the oxidized form of the couple is unstable, particularly in alkaline aqueous solutions. A determination of Cu(II) binding ability to the surface-immobilized catechol moieties, using a long optical pathlength thin-layer cell to follow the depletion of Cu(II) from solution, indicated that the complexation of the metal was not substantially different from that for the solution form of catechol. The instability of the oxidized form of the ligand, nevertheless, precluded an assessment of its metal ion binding ability. An approach using these data for estimating the conditional formation constant for the surface complexation reaction is also developed.
Anderson localized optical fibers

Anderson localization has been a subject of fascination and intense research for more than fifty years. It is highly desirable to harness its curious and interesting properties in practical applications. We have taken a step in this direction by using this phenomenon as the wave guiding mechanism in optical fibers. We have shown, both experimentally and numerically, that for a moderate amount of disorder in optical fibers, transverse localization results in an effective propagating beam diameter that is comparable to that of a typical index-guiding optical fiber.1, 2 In this work, we investigate the effect of macro-bending on the localization properties in a disordered polymer optical fiber both experimentally and numerically. We show that macro-bending in ranges of practical interest does not significantly affect the beam propagation in Anderson localized fibers as long as the strong localization dominates the effect of bending.
Synthesis of silver/SiO2/Eu:Lu2O3 core–shell nanoparticles and their polymer nanocomposites

Abstract We report a core–shell approach that combines silver nanoparticles as the metal core component with Eu:Lu2O3 as the phosphor shell component. The core–shell design contains an optically transparent SiO2 intermediate layer that separates the metallic nanoparticle core and the phosphor shell. The thickness of the SiO2 layer is in the nanometer range and can be tuned, so as to provide for different interactions between the core and shell. To demonstrate the versatility of the design, spherical silver nanoparticles or wavelength-tunable plasmonic silver nanoplates are used as the core component. In addition, a nanocomposite phosphor was fabricated by embedding the core–shell nanoparticles into a transparent polymeric matrix. The core–shell metal-phosphor design presented here serves as framework for the fabrication of inexpensive nanocomposite scintillator.
Microstructures and Properties of Hypoeutectic Al-Si Alloy Extruded in Semi-Solid State

The microstructures and properties of AlSi7Mg alloy extruded at 575°C in semi-solid state were studied for analyzing the extruding feasibility of the casting aluminum alloy in high solid fraction. The results show that the microstructure of AlSi7Mg alloy through low-superheat direct chill (DC) casting mainly consists of the homogeneous, fine rosette-shaped grains. The microstructure of the billet reheated at 575°C in 15min is composed of stable and near- spherical grains, which are suitable for thixoforming in high solid fraction. Extruded at 575°C in the semi-solid state, the facial-smoothed parts of AlSi7Mg alloy with homogeneous, fine microstructure across the section is obtained, and the properties of extruded part are improved obviously.
Divergent Roles for p55 and p75 TNF-α Receptors in the Induction of Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1

Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) is elevated in obesity and in acute inflammatory states, and contributes to the elevated plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) levels associated with these conditions. Mice genetically deficient in the p55 and p75 TNF-α receptors were used to study the roles of these receptors in the expression of PAI-1 in obese (ob/ob) mice, and in lean mice following acute stimulation with TNF-α. In ob/ob mice, p55 and p75 tumor necrosis factor-α receptors (TNFRs) act cooperatively to induce PAI-1 mRNA in most tissues, including the adipose tissue, kidney, heart, and liver. However, in lean mice, TNF-α-induced PAI-1 expression is mediated primarily by the p55 TNFR. Interestingly, PAI-1 mRNA expression in all tissues of the TNF-α-treated p75-deficient lean mice was significantly higher than that observed in TNF-α-treated wild-type mice. These observations suggest that the p75 TNFR may play a role in attenuating TNF-α-induced PAI-1 mRNA expression in acute inflammatory conditions. Our observation that soluble p75 TNFR was elevated in the plasma of TNF-α-treated mice in comparison to untreated mice supports this hypothesis. These studies thus provide insights into the TNF-α receptors involved in mediating and modulating the expression of PAI-1 in acute and chronic (eg, obesity) inflammatory states associated with elevated TNF-α.
Induction and Persistence of a Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte (CTL) Response against a Herpes Simplex Virus-Specific CTL Epitope Expressed in a Cellular Protein

Abstract CD8 + cytotoxic T-lymphocytes recognize small epitope peptides in association with MHC class I molecules expressed on the cell surface. In this study, we have determined whether an 8 amino acid viral CTL epitope, when expressed in a cellular protein, can be appropriately processed, presented, and recognized by the corresponding epitope-specific CTL and whether it is capable of inducing a CTL response in vivo. An H-2K b -restricted CTL epitope from herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) glycoprotein B (gB epitope, residues 498–505) was cloned into the mouse dihydrofolate reductase protein (DHFR) at amino acid position 87. The recombinant DHFRs were expressed in vaccinia virus recombinants. To distinguish the recombinant DHFR proteins from the endogenous DHFR, an antibody epitope, recognized by monoclonal antibody PAb 901 and derived from simian virus 40 (SV40) T antigen was tagged to the C-termini of recombinant DHFR proteins. In vivo expression of recombinant DHFR was demonstrated by immunoprecipitation with the monoclonal antibody PAb 901. The H-2 b cells infected with recombinant vaccinia virus expressing the recombinant DHFR were specifically lysed by gB epitope-specific CTL. Furthermore, the recombinant DHFR was functional in inducing a long lasting HSV gB epitope-specific CTL response upon immunization of C57BL/6 (B6) mice. These results indicate that a viral epitope expressed in a cellular protein can be efficiently processed, presented, and recognized by epitope-specific CTL and show that cellular proteins expressing CTL epitopes can be used for induction of CD8 + T lymphocyte responses.
Coatings Probed by Positrons

Thin film coatings such as TiN and polymers (paint) have been studied using positrons. Positrons provide information on defect structure. It is shown how the positron response is related to properties of the coatings such as stoichiometry. Further positrons provide a measure of the uniformity of the coating. Preliminary results on the effect of weathering (ultraviolet exposure) of polymer protective coatings are very encouraging
Experimental and numerical studies on the gas flow surrounding a single cluster applied to a circulating fluidized bed

The term cluster or streamer is commonly applied to a collection of particles held together by hydrodynamic forces. Inside a circulating fluidized bed a single cluster has a significant effect on the gas that flows around it. Recent experiments have suggested that large scale gas fluctuations occur as the air flows around the cluster body. This paper examines the effect a single cluster has on the surrounding gas flow. Experimental work focuses on a small riser with the ability to release a single cluster. A specially designed probe measures the gas velocity as the cluster travels by. Numerical work simulates the effect of airflow around a porous body. The fluctuation levels observed are comparable to the experiments. Both results show that large scale velocity fluctuations occur in the gas in the vicinity of a cluster. This has a large impact on gas and particle modeling and mixing inside a circulating fluidized bed.
Pathways for the nuclear transport of proteins and RNAs

The nuclear pore complex catalyses the import and export of both proteins and RNAs. The molecular mechanisms of RNA and protein translocation through the nuclear pore are likely to be similar; however, their signals and targeting apparatus may differ. Recent insights into RNA transport have come from studies of kinetic control mechanisms and the preconditions for translocation that include processing, RNP assembly, and a targeting function for 5' caps.
The Spectrum of Pulmonary Symptoms Due to Gastroesophageal Reflux

Most asthmatics have GER, and the evidence is strong that GER plays an important role in some patients who have asthma. Despite sophisticated study methods and technologically advanced diagnostic tests, the results of published studies on mechanisms have failed to provide a diagnostic test with a degree of certainty great enough to identify which patients have GER-induced or GER-exacerbated asthma and which patients will respond to antireflux therapy. The difficulties involved in establishing a definite cause-and-effect relationship between GER and asthma are real. Even positive results on such direct tests as sputum inspection and scintigraphic monitoring, both of which establish reflux into the tracheobronchial tree, do not necessarily establish cause or effect and cannot be used to predict outcomes. Ambulatory esophageal pH testing can suggest, but cannot prove, the diagnosis of GER-induced asthma, and pH testing cannot be relied on safely to make clinical decisions. A trial of a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) is indicated to assess if asthma improves subjectively and objectively, but the dose must be high enough to prevent even silent esophageal acid exposure, and the duration must be long enough to allow for detection of even subtle trends in subjective and objective respiratory improvement. Antireflux surgery remains a therapeutic option and should not be withheld if GER is a reasonable suspect in asthma exacerbations. Although strong opinions have been voiced as to whether or not a good response to PPI therapy predicts a good response to antireflux surgery, the opinions, although logical, are based on personal experience and gut feelings; a good PPI response may not necessarily predict a good surgery response. Opinions suggesting that a poor response to PPI predicts a poor response to antireflux surgery also may seem logical but are not based on clinical data; a poor PPI response may not necessarily predict a poor antireflux surgery response. When the method is found that predicts which patients who have GER and asthma will respond to antireflux treatment, the results could be profound: fewer hospitalizations for respiratory complications, less pulmonary morbidity and mortality, less need for pulmonary medications, less time lost from work, fewer visits to physicians' offices, and less illness associated with corticosteroid therapy. For the present, however, clinical judgment and good sense still are our best friends. It is not unreasonable to urge patients to alter their lifestyle: the huge volume, calorie-dense, high-fat meals eaten before bedtime are not likely to prevent GER or add to their life expectancy.
Atomic clusters — a possible source for novel materials

Abstract Geometries of neutral and anionic clusters of AlnK and Aln (n=1–5,12–14) have been globally optimized at the first principles level using the density functional theory and generalized gradient approximation. The electronic structures and electron affinities of these clusters clearly illustrate that the bonding of K with Al13 is different from that in the bulk phase where these elements are immiscible. The observation that two metallic elements Al13 and K are bound by an ionic bond, provides a glimpse into the rich chemistry of atomic clusters. Finally such clusters have been proposed as the building block for materials with unusual combinations of properties.
Expression of nitric oxide synthase immunoreactivity by interstitial cells of the canine proximal colon.

A subpopulation of interstitial cells (ICs) are interposed between nerve terminals and smooth muscle cells in the gastrointestinal tract and may participate in neuromuscular transmission. These cells appear to be targets for NO released from enteric inhibitory nerves and respond to exogenous NO with: (i) an elevation in cGMP levels; (ii) an increase in intracellular Ca2+; (iii) and release of a diffusible substance that has tentatively been identified as NO. For the latter to be possible, ICs must express a constitutive isoform of NOS. This study characterized the expression of NOS-like immunoreactivity (NOS-LI) in ICs of the canine colon using 3 antibodies raised against the 2 known constitutive forms of NOS (i.e., neural (nNOS) and endothelial (eNOS) isoforms). Antibodies raised against cNOS and an antibody raised against rat cerebellar nNOS labeled ICs along the submucosal surface of the circular muscle layer (IC-SM), along the surface of septa that separate the circular muscle into fiber bundles (IC-SM), and in the myenteric region between the circular and longitudinal muscle layers (IC-MY). Another antibody raised against rat cerebellar nNOS failed to label ICs. Cultured IC-SM also expressed NOS-LI, suggesting that this feature of the IC phenotype survives culture conditions. Arteriolar endothelial cells in the canine colon were labeled with the same 2 antibodies that labeled ICs, suggesting there are significant structural similarities between NO synthases in ICs and endothelial cells. The data suggest that IC-SM and IC-MY express a constitutive form of NOS. Synthesis of NO by ICs may influence electrical rhythmicity and may serve to amplify and even propagate enteric inhibitory neurotransmission.
Reduced Vision Secondary to Pigmented Cellular Membranes on Silicone Intraocular Lenses

Purpose Visually significant, pigmented cellular membranes may form on intraocular lenses after implantation. We studied a series of patients to determine the onset, visual significance, treatment, and recurrent nature of these pigmented membranes in patients who underwent surgery with silicone lens implantation. Methods In nine eyes (eight patients) with visually significant pigmented cellular membranes on their Allergan Medical Optics (Irvine, California) silicone intraocular lenses (model SI18NGB or SI26NB), eight underwent combined phacoemulsification, intraocular lens implantation, and trabeculectomy; one underwent phacoemulsification and lens implantation only. We reviewed medical records to identify preoperative, operative, and postoperative similarities and differences in care. Clinical examinations and slit-lamp photographs, over an average of 21.3 ± 7.2 months (range, 11 to 31 months), documented the effects of different treatment modalities. Results The patients sought treatment ten to 20 weeks (mean, 15 weeks) postoperatively. Except for the cellular membranes, each eye was without evidence of inflammation or cystoid macular edema. Subjective complaints decreased, and best-corrected Snellen visual acuity improved with topical corticosteroid therapy alone. Pretreatment best-corrected visual acuities ranged from 20/40 to 20/400 (mean, 20/70 using Snellen fractions) and improved two to eight (mean, five) Snellen lines, to a range of 20/20 to 20/50 (mean, 20/25). All nine eyes had recurrence of the membranes after treatment terminated and required a maintenance regimen of corticosteroid eyedrops. Conclusion The pigmented cellular membranes observed on these silicone lenses were visually significant to each patient. The membranes resolved and visual acuity improved with topical corticosteroid treatment alone but recurred in all patients on cessation of treatment.
The “mud-line”: An erosion—Deposition boundary on the upper continental slope

Abstract A survey of surficial sediments on the outer shelf, shelf break and upper slope between Norfolk and Wilmington canyons provides useful information on outer margin sedimentation off the Mid-Atlantic States. An outer shelf facies (to depths of about 130 m), a transitional facies (on the uppermost slope between the shelf break and 250–300 m), and a slope facies (deeper than 250–300 m) are recognized on the basis of textural and compositional attributes. The “mud-line”, the lower limit of the transitional facies, is the depth of substantially increased mud content and the level on the upper slope where deposition prevails. Below this depth there is a decrease in frequency in currents exceeding the threshold velocities needed to erode fine sediment. The “mud-line” is primarily related to seasonally variable water mass flow patterns and suspended sediment concentrations at and below the shelf break; this line identifies a long-term separation of erosion versus deposition and thus serves as a major energy-level boundary on the upper continental slope.
A soluble, high-affinity, interleukin-4-binding protein is present in the biological fluids of mice.

Abstract Cytokines such as interleukin 4 (IL-4) play a key role in the regulation of immune responses, but little is known about how their multiple activities are regulated in vivo. In this report, we demonstrated that an IL-4-binding protein (IL-4BP) is constitutively present in the biological fluids of mice (serum, ascites, fluid, and urine). Binding of 125I-labeled IL-4 to the IL-4BP is specific and saturable and can be inhibited by an excess of unlabeled IL-4 but not IL-2. The IL-4BP binds IL-4 with an affinity similar to that reported for the cellular IL-4 receptor (Kd approximately 7 x 10(-11) M) and has a molecular mass of 30-40 kDa and pI values of 3.6-4.8. IL-4BP-containing biological fluids or purified IL-4BP competitively inhibit the binding of 125I-labeled IL-4 to mouse T or B cells and inhibit the biological activity of IL-4 but not IL-2. The serum levels of IL-4BP in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice are lower than those of normal mice. The above findings suggest that IL-4BP plays an important immunoregulatory role in vivo.
PP127. CMV infection and TLR2 expression in HELLP syndrome

Introduction The HELLP syndrome is a serious complication in pregnancy characterized by haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelet count occurring in 10–20% of cases with severe preeclampsia and associated with metabolic disorders symptoms later in life. Emerging evidence indicated that cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and TLR signaling activation are associated with severe preeclampsia and metabolic disorder conditions. Objectives The aim of this study was to examine CMV sero-prevalence and its associated TLR signaling activation in patients with HELLPs. Methods A case-control study was performed. Subjects included women with HELLP syndrome ( n =6) and normal pregnancy controls ( n =20), who matched with cases for maternal age, gestational age and parity. Maternal serum CMV serology and cytokines response were measured by ELISA. TLR2 and TLR4 expression on peripheral Neutrophils were detected by real-time PCR. Results CMV IgG seropositivity was more prevalent among HELLP syndrome patients than normal pregnancy controls (85% versus 40%, p p β mRNA expressions ( p α : IL-10 ( p p Conclusion It is important to consider pregnancy CMV infection through TLR2 signaling in modulation of innate immune response in maternal HELLP syndrome, and may be linked with increased metabolic disorders later in life.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae protein Pci8p and human protein eIF3e/Int-6 interact with the eIF3 core complex by binding to cognate eIF3b subunits.

Abstract Mammalian, plant, and Schizosaccharomyces pombe eukaryotic initiation factor-3 (eIF3) contains a protein homologous to the product of int-6 (eIF3e), a frequent integration site of mouse mammary tumor viruses. By contrast,Saccharomyces cerevisiae does not encode a protein closely related to eIF3e/Int-6. Here, we characterize a novel S. cerevisiae protein (Pci8p, Yil071cp) that contains a PCI (proteasome-COP9 signalosome-eIF3) domain conserved in eIF3e/Int-6. We show that both Pci8p and human eIF3e/Int-6 expressed in budding yeast interact with the yeast eIF3 complex in vivo and in vitro by binding to a discrete segment of its eIF3b subunit Prt1p and that human eIF3e/Int-6 interacts with the human eIF3b segment homologous to the Pci8p-binding site of yeast Prt1p. These results refine our understanding of subunit interactions in the eIF3 complex and suggest structural similarity between human eIF3e/Int-6 and yeast Pci8p. However, deletion of PCI8 had no discernible effect on cell growth or translation initiation as judged by polysome analysis, suggesting that Pci8p is not required for the essential function of eIF3 in translation initiation. Motivated by the involvement of Int-6 in transcriptional control, we investigated the effects of deletingPCI8 on the total mRNA expression profile by oligonucleotide microarray analysis and found reduced mRNA levels for a subset of heat shock proteins in the pci8Δ mutant. We discuss possible dual functions of Pci8p and Int-6 in transcriptional and translational control.
On The Relativistic Doppler Effect

The theory of the recent experiment of Ives and Stilwell is developed on the basis of the special theory of relativity. The predictions are shown to be identical with those obtained from electron theory. A possible source of error in the experiment is pointed out, and a method for its elimination is suggested.
Kinetics of phosphine adsorption and phosphorus desorption from gallium and indium phosphide ( 0 0 1 )

Abstract The kinetics of phosphine adsorption and phosphorus desorption from gallium and indium phosphide (0 0 1) has been determined using reflectance difference spectroscopy to monitor the phosphorus coverage in real time. Assuming a Langmuir adsorption mechanism, phosphine exhibited an initial reactive sticking coefficient at 500 °C of 8.7 ± 1.0 × 10 −2 , 3.5 ± 1.0 × 10 −2 and 1.0 ± 0.2 × 10 −3 on the GaP (2 × 4), GaP (1 × 1) and InP (2 × 4) reconstructions, respectively. The sticking coefficient increased with temperature on the gallium phosphide surfaces, exhibiting an activation energy of 0.5 ± 0.2 eV, while on indium phosphide, no temperature dependence was observed. The desorption of phosphorus from the GaP (2 × 1) surfaces was first-order in coverage with rate constants of 5.0 × 10 15 (s −1 ) exp(−2.6 ± 0.2 (eV)/kT). These results may be used to estimate the feed rate of phosphine relative to the group III precursors during the metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxy of gallium and indium phosphide.
Comparative chemical and toxicological evaluation of residual ethylene oxide in sterilized plastics

The use of various gases for the sterilization of non-disposable and disposable plastic medical devices has become firmly established in the past decade and a half. However, the subject of sterilant residues remaining in plastic devices following an ethylene oxide gas sterilization has only recently been investigated. This study correlates ethylene oxide residues as determined by gas chromatography to the ability of these residues in polyolefins to elicit toxicological responses in several biological systems. A comparison of the results from a quantitative hemolysis test, rabbit intramuscular implantations with subsequent pathological investigation, cell culture responses, a series of fish tests, and intradermal irritation studies, to the ethylene oxide desorption data, revealed that within 24 hr. after sterilization, no significant toxicities were produced by ethylene oxide-sterilized polyolefins. The concentrations of the gas had decreased from a high of 3.20 mg./g. of plastic to as little as 0.20 mg./g. of plastic after aeration at room temperature for 24 hr.
Immunohistological Studies of Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma and C Cell Hyperplasia

A series of 59 thyroidal C cell neoplasms was studied by immunoperoxidase histology. These neoplasms included human medullary thyroid carcinoma and C cell hyperplasia and rat medullary thyroid carcinoma. In addition to calcitonin, the tumors were studied by immunohistology for the presence of β-endorphin, ACTH, and somatostatin. All but one of the neoplasms were positive for calcitonin, 25 of 31 were positive for βendorphin, 12 of 18 were positive for ACTH, and 9 of 19 were positive for somatostatin immunoreactivity. Many tissues contained all 4 peptides, and in some sections these peptide immunoreactivities seemed to be present in the same cells. These studies suggest that there is a relationship in these tumors among the 4 peptides studied, but the basis of this relationship is not clear.
High-resolution characterization of a CO2 plume using crosswell seismic tomography: Cranfield, MS, USA

We present the results of a high-resolution time-lapse crosswell seismic survey carried out at a large-scale CO2 injection pilot located in Cranfield, MS, USA. This dataset, spanning an injector and two monitoring wells, provided a detailed view of the boundaries and internal structure of the injection unit, the Tuscaloosa D/E sand. Time-lapse tomographic processing of one well pair revealed the signature of the injected plume, two zones of decreased P-wave velocity which spatially correspond to higher permeability sections of the reservoir unit. We then used White's model for patchy saturation, combined with secondary information from core and well-log measurements, to convert the imaged changes in P-wave velocity into estimates of supercritical (sc) CO2 saturation in the interwell region. Our estimate is relatively consistent with existing lithologic and core data as well as independent measurements of scCO2 saturation derived from pulsed neutron logging. While effective in mapping the zone of CO2 invasion in the interwell region, several sources of uncertainty still exist in quantifying saturation using crosswell seismic methods, including (but not limited to) the degree of mesoscale mixing or “patchiness” at scales below a seismic wavelength.
Role of Metabolism in Pathogenesis of Bacteremia Due to Diplococcus pneumoniae in Rabbits

role of metabolic alterations was investigated. Bacteremia was produced in rabbits by infection with Diplococcus pneumoniae, and the animals were grouped by severity of the disease as determined by progressive increments in the level of bacteremia, concentration of lactate in whole blood, and change in body temperature. Adenosine triphosphate and adenosine diphosphate in blood, liver, heart, and skeletal muscle were normal. Hepatic glycogen was variably decreased, and 45% of the animals were hypoglycemic despite normal hepatic glucogenesis. Concentrations of lactate in heart and liver increased. In-vitro oxidation of glucose, acetate, and pyruvate decreased in liver only. Glycolysis was normal in liver, heart, and muscle, but it was markedly increased in the lung. Hepatic synthesis of the triglyceride from acetate increased markedly. Hepatic microsomal protein synthesis apparently was normal, but amino acids in plasma, liver and skeletal muscle were increased. Complex multifaceted alterations in metabolism occurred. It is doubtful that any one of these could be responsible for death, but the role played by these changes as a whole is unknown.
Classical solutions of the quantum Yang-Baxter equation

The classical analogue is developed here for part of the construction in which knot and link invariants are produced from representations of quantum groups. Whereas previous work begins with a quantum group obtained by deforming the multiplication of functions on a Poisson Lie group, we work directly with a Poisson Lie groupG and its associated symplectic groupoid. The classical analog of the quantumR-matrix is a lagrangian submanifold in the cartesian square of the symplectic groupoid. For any symplectic leafS inG, induces a symplectic automorphism σ ofS×S which satisfies the set-theoretic Yang-Baxter equation. When combined with the “flip” map exchanging components and suitably implanted in each cartesian powerS n , σ generates a symplectic action of the braid groupB n onS n . Application of a symplectic trace formula to the fixed point set of the action of braids should lead to link invariants, but work on this last step is still in progress.
Dispersion of Ellipsoidal Particles in an Isotropic Pseudo-Turbulent Flow Field

Dispersion of ellipsoidal particles in a simulated isotropic pseudo-turbulent field is studied. A procedure using Euler`s four parameters in describing the particle orientations is used, and the governing equations for the translational and rotational motions of particles are outlined. Turbulence fluctuation velocity field is simulated by a Gaussian random model. Motions of ellipsoidal particles of different sizes and lengths are analyzed. Ensemble and time averagings are used for evaluating various statistics of particle motion. Effects of size, shape, and density ratio on the mean square particle velocities and the relative particle diffusivities are studied. By applying the orientation-averaging procedure, an analytical model for estimating the mean-square particle velocities and the relative diffusivities is developed. The predictions of the approximate model are compared with the simulation results and discussed.
The outcome of transobturator cystocele repair using biocompatible porcine dermis graft: our experience with 32 cases

This study aims to evaluate the outcome of cystocele repair using Perigee® with biocompatible matrix (InteXen®). After IRB approval, a retrospective chart review of patients who underwent Perigee®/InteXen® repair was done. Success was defined as a postoperative anatomical stage 0 or I using POP-Q system. Thirty two patients were included with 14 (43.75%) who had failed previous repair. Preoperatively, eight patients (25%) had stage II cystocele, 21 (65.6%) had stage III, and three (9.4%) had stage IV. Twenty six patients (81.25%) were available for a median follow up of 8.72 (6–31) months that showed success in 25 patients (96%) with 14 (54%) having stage 0 and 11 (42%) having stage I. Complications included bladder perforation (n = 1), incidental cystotomy (n = 1), mesh erosion (n = 1), and wound dehiscence (n = 1). This study suggests cystocele repair using Perigee® with InteXen® has a high short-term success with lower morbidity.