cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Origin and Evolution of the Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, 1970–90

In the early 1960s William E. Cornatzer, MD, PhD suggested the need for increased USDA research concerning human nutrition and creation of the Grand Forks Human Nutrition Laboratory (later the Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center). He shared ideas with Senator Milton R. Young of North Dakota who requested that the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) prepare a proposal for such a program. In 1963 Senator Young submitted the proposal that included construction of regional centers to the U.S. Senate. The Grand Forks Human Nutrition Laboratory began operation in 1970. The attentions of Senator Young, Representative/Senator Mark Andrews, and Senator Quentin Burdick concerning the budgetary and construction needs facilitated development of the Center from its inception through 1990. Success of the enterprise rests on the creativity, industry, and other qualities of the Center's scientists and support staff, and collaborators at cooperating institutions. Their work resulted in a greater understanding of trace element nutrition and it role in human health.
Evaluation of maize gluten meal as a protein source in canine foods

Abstract Ten mature female dogs (19.0 ± 0.4 kg) were used in a replicated 5 × 5 Latin Square experiment to determine the feeding value of maize gluten meal (MGM) in a complete food fed to dogs. All foods contained 100 g poultry meal/kg and graded levels of MGM (4–320 g/kg dry matter) resulting in foods that were 100, 150, 200, 250 and 300 g/kg crude protein (CP). Daily dry matter (DM) intake averaged 307 ± 7 g/d. An increase in MGM resulted in an increase in faecal moisture from 516 to 575 g/kg (linear; P
Mapping of bovine PRGS and PAIS genes in hybrid somatic cells: syntenic conservation with human chromosome 21.

Somatic cell genetics coupled with enzyme electrophoresis has facilitated the mapping of PRGS and PAIS genes in cattle. Individual cow-hamster hybrid cell lines established by fusion of mutant CHO cells, ade-C and ade-G, with cattle leukocytes required complementing bovine genes for PRGS and PAIS, respectively, when propogated on selective media. Homogenates of 12 PRGS+ hybrid clones and 12 PAIS+ hybrid clones retained the bovine electromorph of SOD1 while extensively segregating 14 biochemical markers of other cattle syntenic groups. Secondary cattle-hamster hybrid subclones which segregated bovine PRGS and PAIS in late passages on nonselective media concordantly segregated bovine SOD1. These data support a syntenic relationship among PRGS, PAIS, and SOD1 on cattle syntenic group U10. An interferon receptor locus, IFREC, is also syntenic with SOD1. This synteny represents an extensive conservation of bovine U10 and the “Down syndrome region” of human chromosome 21.
Baseline sensitivity to proquinazid in Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici and Erysiphe necator and cross-resistance with other fungicides†

BACKGROUND: Proquinazid is a new quinazolinone fungicide from DuPont registered in most European countries for powdery mildew control in cereals and vines. The aim of this paper is to present baseline sensitivity data in populations of Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici EM Marchal and Erysiphe necator (Schw) Burr as well as results from cross-resistance studies with other fungicides. RESULTS: Proquinazid exhibited a high intrinsic activity on B. graminis f. sp. tritici isolates at rates ranging from 0.000078 to 0.02 mg L−1. Erysiphe necator isolates were comparatively less sensitive to proquinazid, with EC50 values ranging from 0.001 to 0.3 mg L−1. Proquinazid controlled equally well B. graminis f. sp. tritici isolates sensitive and resistant or less sensitive to tebuconazole, fenpropimorph, fenpropidin, cyprodinil and kresoxim-methyl. A positive correlation (r = 0.617) between quinoxyfen and proquinazid sensitivities was found among 51 B. graminis f. sp. tritici isolates. Quinoxyfen-resistant B. graminis f. sp. tritici isolates were slightly less sensitive to proquinazid than the quinoxyfen-sensitive isolates; however, proquinazid remained much more active than quinoxyfen on these isolates. A stronger sensitivity relationship (r = 0.874) between proquinazid and quinoxyfen was found among 65 E. necator isolates tested in a leaf disc assay. The sensitivity values for proquinazid were significantly lower than those for quinoxyfen, confirming the higher intrinsic activity of proquinazid on both pathogens. CONCLUSION: Given the history of resistance development in powdery mildew and the observed sensitivity relationship with quinoxyfen, specifically in E. necator, we conclude that the risk of resistance developing to proquinazid might be influenced by the use of quinoxyfen. Based on these results, the authors recommend that proquinazid and quinoxyfen be managed together for resistance management. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry
The discrete continuity equation in primitive variable solutions of incompressible flow

Abstract The use of a non-staggered computational grid for the numerical solutions of the incompressible flow equations has many advantages over the use of a staggered grid. A penalty, however, is inherent in the finite-difference approximations of the governing equations on non-staggered grids. In the primitive-variable solutions, the penalty is that the discrete continuity equation does not converge to machine accuracy. Rather it converges to a source term which is proportional to the fourth-order derivative of the pressure, the time increment, and the square of the grid spacing. An approach which minimizes the error in the discrete continuity equation is developed. Numerical results obtained for the driven cavity problem confirm the analytical developments.
Neuroimmune modulation of lymphocyte function--I. Substance P enhances immunoglobulin synthesis in lipopolysaccharide activated murine splenic B cell cultures.

Murine B cells have been shown to possess substance P (SP) receptors, but their functional and biological significance remains unresolved. While previous studies have suggested that SP can induce B cells to secrete Ig, the effect could be indirect since mixed cultures were used. In order to assess directly the ability of SP to trigger normal B cells, we have studied the effects of this neuropeptide on purified splenic B cells in vitro. Although an activation, e.g. lipopolysaccharide (LPS), was required, the functionality of the B cell SP receptors was clearly shown by the ability of subnanomolar concentrations of this neuropeptide to augment antibody secretion in a dose-dependent fashion. Specifically, IgM and IgG levels, determined by an isotype-specific sandwich ELISA, were greatly enhanced at 10(-10) M SP by as much as 500 and 572% respectively, while IgA levels were only modestly affected. Even picomolar concentrations of SP could significantly increase IgM levels. This observed enhancement of Ig production was SP specific since B cells co-cultured in the presence of excess SP antagonist were reduced to basal LPS-stimulated Ig levels. Furthermore, this synergistic stimulation by SP and LPS upon normal B cells could not be attributed to SP-induced cell proliferation since stimulatory concentrations of SP were not mitogenic and at high concentrations could inhibit cell proliferation. Rather, it was observed that the increased IgM and IgG secretion was in part attributable to a greater number of B cells secreting antibodies as demonstrated with an ELISPOT assay.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Component-based development and sensitivity analyses of an air pollutant dry deposition model

The Urban Forest Effects-Deposition model (UFORE-D) was developed with a component-based modeling approach. Functions of the model were separated into components that are responsible for user interface, data input/output, and core model functions. Taking advantage of the component-based approach, three UFORE-D applications were developed: a base application to estimate dry deposition at an hourly time step, and two sensitivity analyses based on Monte Carlo simulations with a Latin hypercube sampling (LHS-MC) and a Morris one-at-a-time (MOAT) sensitivity test. With the base application, dry deposition of CO, NO"2, O"3, PM10, and SO"2 in the city of Baltimore was estimated for 2005. The sensitivity applications were performed to examine UFORE-D model parameter sensitivity. In general, dry deposition velocity was sensitive to temperature and leaf area index (LAI). Temperature had a non-linear effect on all pollutants, while LAI was important to NO"2 deposition with a nearly linear effect. PAR and wind speed had limited effects on dry deposition of all pollutants; dry deposition was affected by PAR and wind speed only up to their threshold values. The component-based approach allows for seamless integration of new model elements, and provides model developers with a platform to easily interchange model components.
On the Road to Theorizing Practice in the Social Foundations

This essay attempts to shed light on key influences on the process of becoming a social foundations educator, focusing on the problem of how to conceptualize the work and aims of a social foundations practice. A suggested solution to this problem lies in the concept of “theorizing practice.” The essay briefly elaborates this concept, and its potential role in the practice of social foundations educators, and that of their students.
Nearshore Physical Processes and Bio-Optical Properties in the New York Bight

[1] Temporal and spatial variability of physical, biological, and optical properties on scales of minutes to months and meters to ∼50 km are examined using an extensive data set collected on the New York Bight continental shelf during the Hyperspectral Coastal Ocean Dynamics Experiment. Measurements from a midshelf mooring and bottom tripod (∼25 km offshore, 24 m water depth) and two nearshore profiling nodes (∼5 km offshore, 15 m water depth) are utilized to quantify and correlate midshelf and nearshore variability. Towed shipboard undulating profilers and a high-frequency radar (CODAR) array provide complementary spatial data. We show that phytoplankton and dissolved matter each accounted for roughly 50% of total absorption (440 nm) at midshelf. In contrast, particulate compared to gelbstoff absorption dominated total absorption at the nearshore location. A relatively high-salinity, low-temperature, low particulate coastal jet decreased turbidity nearshore and advected lower-salinity, higher-chlorophyll waters to the midshelf region, resulting in increased biomass at midshelf. Small-scale (order of a few kilometers) convergence and divergence zones formed from the interaction of semidiurnal tides with mean currents and a water mass/turbidity front. The front resulted in increased decorrelation scales from nearshore (∼1 day) toward midshelf (2–3 days) for optical and biological parameters. We conclude that optical and biological variability and distributions at midshelf and nearshore locations were influenced mainly by semidiurnal tides and the coastal jet. We present insights into nearshore coastal processes and their effects on biology and optics as well as for the design of future nearshore interdisciplinary coastal programs.
Protein secondary structure prediction using BLAST and exhaustive RT-RICO, the search for optimal segment length and threshold

Protein secondary structure prediction from its amino acid sequence is a well studied computational problem in bioinformatics and data mining. It can be viewed as an intermediate research objective to solving the more challenging protein three-dimensional structure prediction problem, which is one of the most important research goals of bioinformatics. Although the secondary structure prediction problem was first defined in the 1960s, the prediction accuracy of the most modern methods still hovers around 80%. In [1] this research team presented a protein secondary structure prediction method, BLAST-RT-RICO (Relaxed Threshold Rule Induction from Coverings), that employs a modified association rule learning approach, utilizing multiple sequence alignment information, to predict secondary structures. Despite producing higher prediction accuracy than many other contemporary methods, that preliminary research study identified some crucial areas in need of improvements, such as determining the optimal segment length, finding the optimal threshold value, and improving the time complexity for the rule generation algorithm. In this paper, we present a modified method, BLAST-ERT-RICO (Exhaustive Relaxed Threshold Rule Induction from Coverings), which has an improved time complexity, as well as more optimal choices of segment length and threshold value. Preliminary test results showed that with a segment length of 9 amino acid residues, and a threshold value of 0.8, BLAST-ERT-RICO achieved a Q 3 score of 92.19% on the standard test dataset RS126, which suggests that this approach may be even more useful as a secondary structure prediction method in the future.
The influence of intravascular fluid volume on the permeability of newborn and adult mouse lungs to ultrastructural protein tracers.

The permeability of the alveolar-capillary membrane of newborn and adult mice to horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and catalase was studied by means of ultrastructural cytochemistry, and the permeability to ferritin was studied by electron microscopy. The influence of varying volumes of intravenously injected fluid on the rate of leakage of the tracers from pulmonary capillaries was examined. The tracers were injected intravenously and the mice were sacrificed at timed intervals. Experiments on newborn mice with intranasally instilled HRP were also done. The tissues were fixed in formaldehyde-glutaraldehyde fixative. Chopped sections were incubated in Graham and Karnovsky's medium for peroxidase and in a modification of this medium for catalase. Tissues were postfixed in OsO4 and processed for electron microscopy. In both newborn and adult mice, the ready passage of peroxidase through endothelial clefts was dependent on the injection of the tracer in large volumes of saline. When the tracer was injected in small volumes of saline, its passage through endothelial clefts was greatly reduced. Endothelial junctions of newborn mice were somewhat more permeable to HRP than those of adult mice. In all animals, alveolar epithelial junctions were impermeable to HRP. Catalase and ferritin did not pass through endothelial junctions. Intranasally instilled HRP in newborn mice was taken up by pinocytotic vesicles and tubules of flat alveolar cells.
Synthesis of optically pure epibatidine analogs: (1R, 2R, 5S)-2β-(2-chloro-5-pyridinyl)-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octane and (1R, 2S, 5S)-2α-(2-chloro-5-pyridinyl)-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octane from (−)-cocaine

Abstract Two optically pure epibatidine analogs, 4 and 5 , which contain the 8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octane ring system were synthesized from (−)-cocaine. The nicotinic receptor binding affinity and the stimulant activity of 4 and 5 were measured to be significantly lower than racemic epibatidine (± -1 ).
Design and Development of In Situ Fatigue Sensors for Structural Health Monitoring of Highway Bridges

Initial development work for an in situ fatigue sensor for the detection of fatigue damage in steel bridge structures is presented. The in situ fatigue sensor is designed to be bonded to the base structure and is based on the strain-life fatigue analysis method. Sensors are constructed of electrically conductive material with notched sensor arms producing varying stress concentration factors. The sensor operates on the principle of predictable progressive failure of the parallel arms as fatigue damage is accumulated in the base structure. Experimental results of the behavior of the fatigue sensor under constant amplitude loading of a base structure-mimicking carrier specimen are compared with the simulation results obtained by the finite-element analysis method and show reasonable agreement.
Severe transient cardiomyopathy associated with community-acquired pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae.

We describe a 42-year-old man with the rapid onset and resolution of a dilated cardiomyopathy with evidence for myocarditis complicating community-acquired pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae. Transient cardiomyopathy with myocarditis in the setting of a severe S. pneumoniae infection is a rare but important cardiovascular complication of pneumococcal infection. CASE REPORT A 42-year-old white man with cigarette and narcotic analgesic addictions presented emergently to a community hospital with respiratory distress and an impaired level of consciousness. One week previously, he developed waxing and waning mental status changes, a new cough, and progressive shortness of breath. The patient’s medical history was significant for multiple back surgeries and chronic back pain that was treated with opioid analgesics. The patient regularly overmedicated with these drugs, resulting in recurrent episodes of intoxication and diminished consciousness. Prescription medications included sustained release morphine sulfate and diazepam. Initial physical examination demonstrated the patient to be somnolent, with an oral temperature of
Normal Saline Storage Practices

To the Editor: The current shortage of a variety of intravenous (IV) admixture solutions including dextrose 5% in water (D5W) and lactated Ringers solution has led to a shortage of 0.9% sodium chloride (normal saline [NS]).1 In an effort to reduce wastage, Puertos 2 evaluated the effect of different storage temperatures (5.2°C, 21.8°C, and 39.2°C) on the stability and sterility of NS solutions (B. Braun, Inc.). All samples were protected from light and stored with the overwrap intact. Stability was determined by measuring pH and sodium concentration. Samples from each bag of NS solution were evaluated for bacterial or fungal growth. Neither the stability nor the sterility of NS solutions was impacted by 199 days of storage under refrigeration or heating. The author stated, “The findings of this study will enable hospitals and emergency medical service facilities to significantly extend the expiration date assigned to these fluids and therefore save time and money and decrease the number of fluids that need to be discarded each month.” Although this study suggests that the manufacturer’s expiration dating may be overly conservative, the data are not sufficient to warrant changes in current storage practices. For example, the NS solutions came from a single manufacturer and there were relatively few samples in each group. Groups of IV bags should have been assigned to various temperature ranges rather than to a specific temperature because storage conditions at other storage sites may differ. Stability and sterility appear to have been tested at the end rather than at specific intervals. Chlorine and plastic particles that leach into solution contribute to osmolality and were not measured. Future studies should use a larger number of NS solutions from a variety of manufacturers, store solutions at a variety of temperature ranges, and evaluate stability and sterility at intervals throughout the study. In addition, more consideration should be given to the types of plastic in the packaging of IV solutions, as each plastic differs in porosity and may degrade at different rates.3 It is not known how long the current shortage of NS solution will last. For now, the US Food and Drug Administration is allowing manufacturers to import sodium chloride 0.9% for injection from other countries into the US market to address this shortage.1 A medication safety alert issued by the Institute for Safe Medicine Practices provides guidance on dealing with the shortage and “urge[s] hospitals to explore other alternatives” before extending expiration dates.4 In addition, the American Society for Health-System Pharmacists5 offers a set of strategies for conserving IV solutions during this shortage.
Modeling the environmental impact of PV and wind large scale penetration in regional grids

We are proposing a model for quantifying the environmental impact from a non-optimal operation of conventional fuel generators serving as reserve capacity for accommodating the intermittent generation from PV and wind. Fluctuations in RE generation would necessitate fuel generators' up- and down-ramping and part-load operation, causing additional emissions. The net emission savings from RE integration are due to the displaced conventional generation minus the incremental emissions from suboptimal and part load generation. The described hourly dispatch and emissions modeling is part of a model development effort proposed for utility planning purposes. The model is applied to a zone of the New York State, using actual solar and wind generation data and a hypothetical fleet of gas and diesel power generators. Results show that RE fluctuations cause a 8-10 % increase in the CO2 g/kWh emissions from fossil-fuel generators, compared to the no RE scenario, due to frequent cycling and start-up of generators. These increases are more than counterbalanced by the zero operational emissions of PV and wind.
Diagnosis and treatment of outpatient insomnia by psychiatric and nonpsychiatric physicians.

Abstract Insomia is commonly encountered in general medical practice, but little is known about how primary care physicians manage this problem. We reviewed medical records describing 536 patient encounters in which either triazolam (Halcion) or flurazepam (Dalmane) was prescribed for outpatient use. Only 12% of the progress notes written by internists or surgeons contained even a remote reference to sleep, whereas 74% of psychiatrist's notes contained at least some sleep symptom documentation. In a multi-variate analysis including the number of medical and psychiatric diagnoses, patient age, and physician gender, only the prescriber department was independently associated with the presence of symptom documentation. We also found that 30% of the prescriptions written by internists or surgeons were for inappropriately large quantities of these drugs (180 or more doses) compared with 6% of the prescriptions written by psychiatrists. We conclude that the evaluation of insomnia by nonpsychiatrists is often incomplete and that hypnotic drugs may be inappropriately prescribed by these physicians. Further efforts are needed to improve the management of insomnia by primary care physicians in the outpatient setting.
Lumry-Eyring nucleated-polymerization model of protein aggregation kinetics. 2. Competing growth via condensation and chain polymerization.

The Lumry−Eyring with nucleated polymerization (LENP) model from part 1 (Andrews, J. M.; Roberts, C. J. J. Phys. Chem. B 2007, 111, 7897−7913) is expanded to explicitly account for kinetic contributions from aggregate−aggregate condensation polymerization. Experimentally accessible quantities described by the resulting model include monomer mass fraction (m), weight-average molecular weight (Mw), and ratio of Mw to number-average molecular weight (Mn) as a function of time (t). Analysis of global model behavior illustrates ways to identify which steps in the overall aggregation process are kinetically important on the basis of the qualitative behavior of m, Mw, and Mw/Mn vs t, and on whether bulk phase separation or precipitation occurs. For cases in which all aggregates remain soluble, moment equations are provided that permit straightforward numerical regression of experimental data to give separate time scales or inverse rate coefficients for nucleation and for growth by chain and condensation polymeri...
Nucleotide sequence and newly formed phosphodiester bond of spontaneously ligated satellite tobacco ringspot virus RNA

The satellite RNA of tobacco ringspot virus (STobRV RNA) replicates and becomes encapsidated in association with tobacco ringspot virus. Previous results show that the infected tissue produces multimeric STobRV RNAs of both polarities. RNA that is complementary to encapsidated STobRV RNA, designated as having the (-) polarity, cleaves autolytically at a specific ApG bond. Purified autolysis products spontaneously join in a non-enzymic reaction. We report characteristics of this RNA ligation reaction: the terminal groups that react, the type of bond in the newly formed junction and the nucleotide sequence of the joined RNA. The nucleotide sequence of the ligated RNA shows that joining of the reacting RNAs restored an ApG bond. The junction ApG has a 3'-to-5' phosphodiester bond. Thus the net ligation reaction of STobRV (-)RNA is the precise reversal of autolysis. We discuss this new type of RNA ligation reaction and its implications for the formation of multimeric STobRV RNAs during replication.
Purification and some properties of porcine brain mitochondrial monoamine oxidase B

Abstract Monoamine oxidase was isolated from pig brain mitochondria in a highly purified state by the following procedures: treatment with Ca-phosphate gel, column chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, mercurial-Sepharose, and hydroxyapatite chromatography and gel filtration on Bio-Gel A-1.5m. The properties of the enzyme disclosed that it is a monoamine oxidase of the B-type. The FAD present in the enzyme was covalently attached to the protein and it was shown to react with S- N , N -dimethylamino-1-propyne which is indicative of a reaction with the N - 5 position of the isoalloxazine ring of FAD. The flavin content from spectral data and from the 14 C-content of the enzyme inactivated with labeled 3- N , N -dimethylamino-1-propyne yielded a FAD content of 1 mole/104,000 g of protein. The subunit molecular weight from SDS-disc electrophoresis yielded a molecular weight of 52,000. Thus, it was concluded that the brain monoamine oxidase probably has two identical subunits, only one of which contained covalently bonded FAD.
Forces controlling protein interactions: theory and experiment

Abstract This work reviews both the theory and experimental measurements of the fundamental forces that control protein solution behavior. In addition to the Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek (DLVO) forces, we also discuss the relative importance of hydrodynamic, solvation, and lock-and-key interactions in controlling protein solution behavior. The more common computational methods used to calculate both electrostatic and van der Waals potentials are described. Particular attention is given to the differences between proteins and ideal colloidal particles, and the computational methods used to address those differences. In addition to theoretical investigations of protein interactions, the results of recent direct measurements of the forces governing protein interactions are reviewed. These experimental results provide not only measurements against which the theories can be tested, but also demonstrate directly the relative importance of both DLVO and non-classical DLVO forces in the control of protein behavior.
A classification scheme for financial accounting research

Abstract This article uses a framework of the policymaking process to summarize and integrate the existing financial accounting research. The framework is first described and then used to identify and integrate six major research perspectives that have emerged in financial accounting. Special emphasis is given in the article to explaining the motivation and evolution of financial accounting research on economic consequences. The framework could best serve as the basis for an outline in a seminar designed to introduce financial accounting research to accounting doctoral students.
Can the Frequency and Risks of Fatal Adverse Drug Events Be Determined

Death is the ultimate adverse drug event. Despite its importance, the frequency of fatal adverse drug events is unknown. Estimates in the United States are as high as 140,000/year, although this number is heavily disputed. Potential reasons and risks for fatal adverse drug events, as well as epidemiologic designs for studying this important public health issue, are discussed and issues are raised to promote further thought.
Anti-CD137 mAb Treatment Inhibits Experimental Autoimmune Uveitis by Limiting Expansion and Increasing Apoptotic Death of Uveitogenic T Cells

Purpose To explore the role of CD137 in the pathogenesis of experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU) and to compare the inhibitory mechanism of anti-CD137 mAb with other costimulatory blockers. Methods EAU was induced in B10RIII mice, either by immunization with a uveitogenic peptide, IRBP161-180, derived from the interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein, or by adoptive transfer of IRBP161-180-specific T cells. The effect of an agonistic anti-CD137 mAb (2A) on the in vivo induction of disease was studied. Subsequently, the mechanism by which anti-CD137 mAb inhibits uveitogenic T-cell activation was investigated, by using the adoptive transfer of T cells derived from anti-CD137 mAb-treated mice, and in vitro, using the proliferative response and apoptotic cell death of IRBP-specific T cells from anti-CD137 mAb-treated mice. Results Administration of anti-CD137 mAb prevented the development of de novo induced uveitis, but not that induced by adoptive transfer of pathogenic T cells. Furthermore, anti-CD137 mAb treatment of the animals resulted in decreased expansion of uveitogenic T cells, accompanied by increased activated cell death and resistance to reinduction of uveitis. Conclusions CD137 plays a critical role in the induction, rather than the effector, phase of the disease. Different costimulatory molecules have different effects on the activation of autoreactive T cells by acting in different phases of T-cell activation.
An Approach for Adaptive DRAM Temperature and Power Management

High-performance DRAMs are providing increasing memory access bandwidth to processors, which is leading to high power consumption and operating temperature in DRAM chips. In this paper, we propose a customized low-power technique for high-performance DRAM systems to improve DRAM page hit rate by buffering write operations that may incur page misses. This approach reduces DRAM system power consumption and temperature without any performance penalty. We combine the throughput-aware page-hit-aware write buffer (TAP) with low-power-state-based techniques for further power and temperature reduction, namely, TAP-low. Our experiments show that a system with TAP-low could reduce the total DRAM power consumption by up to 68.6% (19.9% on average). The steady-state temperature can be reduced by as much as 7.84°C and 2.55°C on average across eight representative workloads.
Synovial fluid and serum beta-mannosidase activity in arthropathic conditions.

This study evaluates the β-mannosidase activity of serum and synovial fluid. Sixty simultaneous samples of serum and synovial fluid were studied in addition to 232 synovial fluid samples obtained from a variety of arthropathic conditions. The response of this enzyme to intra-articular steroids and its relationship to synovial fluid cell count was also evaluated. The results suggest that only in inflammatory arthropathies does synovial fluid β-mannosidase activity equal or exceed serum levels, and that proliferating synovial tissue may well be a local source of β-mannosidase activity.
CpG DNA functions as an effective adjuvant for the induction of immune responses in aged mice

The present studies demonstrate that the immunization of aged mice with Diphtheria toxoid in formulations containing unmethylated immunostimulatory CpG motifs, promotes the successful development of immune responses that are qualitatively and quantitatively comparable to those induced in young animals vaccinated in a similar manner. Aged mice given vaccines containing CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) expressed primary and secondary systemic humoral immune responses having isotype profiles consistent with an enhancement in Th-1 type immunity. The ability to generate common mucosal immunity was also restored in aged animals given CpG ODN-containing vaccines. Dendritic cells (DCs) were determined to represent one of the cellular targets of CpG ODN activities in aged mice since restoration of immune function was observed when DCs from aged donors were pulsed with antigen and CpG ODNs, prior to injection into syngeneic young adult or aged recipients. Interestingly, antigen-pulsed DCs from young donors were fully capable of stimulating immune responses following their injection into syngeneic young adult or aged hosts, without a need for exposure to CpG ODNs. Although the mechanism(s) by which CpG DNA exerts its beneficial adjuvant effects on the aged immune system remains unclear, our findings suggest that the incorporation of CpG ODNs into vaccine formulations provided to the aged could prove useful in the development of more effective vaccines for the elderly.
Dietary supplementation with d-tagatose in subjects with type 2 diabetes leads to weight loss and raises high-density lipoprotein cholesterol

Oral d-tagatose (d-tag) attenuates the rise in plasma glucose during an oral glucose tolerance test in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and reduces food intake in healthy human subjects. A reduction in food consumption and less weight gain occur in rats fed tagatose. This pilot study explored the metabolic effects of d-tag given daily to 8 human subjects with type 2 DM for 1 year. We hypothesized that this treatment period would lead to weight loss and improvements in glycated hemoglobin and the lipid profile. A 2-month run-in period was followed by a 12-month treatment period when 15 g of oral d-tag was taken 3 times daily with food. No serious adverse effects were seen during the 12-month treatment period. Ten of the initially 12 recruited subjects experienced gastrointestinal side effects that tended to be mild and transient. When 3 subjects were excluded who had oral diabetes, medications added and/or dosages increased during the study and mean (SD) body weight declined from 108.4 (9.0) to 103.3 (7.3) kg (P = .001). Glycated hemoglobin fell nonsignificantly from 10.6% ± 1.9% to 9.6% ± 2.3% (P = .08). High-density lipoprotein cholesterol progressively rose from a baseline level of 30.5 ± 15.8 to 41.7 ± 12.1 mg/dL at month 12 in the 6 subjects who did not have lipid-modifying medications added during the study (P < .001). Significant improvements in body weight and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in this pilot study suggest that d-tag may be a potentially useful adjunct in the management of patients with type 2 DM.
The 1:1 crystal complex of salicylic acid and urea

The 1∶1 crystal complex of salicylic acid (C7H6O3) and urea (CH4N2O), mp 121° C, is monoclinic, with space groupC2/c (C 2 6 h, No. 15) and unit cell dimensionsa=22.206(3),b=5.108(1),c=17.177(2) A,β=106.18(1)°.d calc=1.407 g cm−3,d meas=1.41 g cm−3 forZ=8. The structure was determined by direct methods and refined by a full-matrix least-squares procedure to giveR=0.057 andR w =0.050 for 1652 integrated intensities above 2σ(I). The structure contains a strong OH⋯O hydrogen bond with O⋯O distance 2.54 A in which the carboxyl OH group is donor and urea oxygen atom is acceptor. There are two NH⋯O intermolecular hydrogen bonds with N⋯O distances of 2.90 and 2.96 A. Additionally, the salicyclic acid contains an intramolecular OH⋯O hydrogen bond of 2.56 A.
Fetal nicotine exposure produces postnatal up-regulation of adenylate cyclase activity in peripheral tissues

Abstract Gestational exposure to nicotine has been shown to affect development of noradrenergic activity in both the central and peripheral nervous systems. In the current study, pregnant rats received nicotine infusions of 6 mg/kg/day throughout gestation, administered by osmotic minipump implants. After birth, offspring of the nicotine-infused dams exhibited marked increases in basal adenylate cyclase activity in membranes prepared from kidney and heart, as well as supersensitivity to stimulation by either a β-adrenergic agonist, isoproterenol, or by forskolin. The altered responses were not accompanied by up-regulation of β-adrenergic receptors: in fact, [125I]pindolol binding was significantly decreased in the nicotine group. These results indicate that fetal nicotine exposure affects enzymes involved in membrane receptor signal transduction, leading to altered responsiveness independently of changes at the receptor level.
Acoustic desensitization of single-mode fibers utilizing nickel coatings

The pressure sensitivity of the phase of light propagating in a single-mode fiber coated with a thin nickel jacket is determined both analytically and experimentally. The measured acoustic response of the fiber is found to be 1 order of magnitude lower than that of the bare fiber, in agreement with analytical predictions. The technique thus appears to be a promising way for desensitizing optical-fiber leads for use with fiber-optic sensors.
Spherical Catadioptric Arrays: Construction, Multi-View Geometry, and Calibration

This paper introduces a novel imaging system composed of an array of spherical mirrors and a single high-resolution digital camera. We describe the mechanical design and construction of a prototype, analyze the geometry of image formation, present a tailored calibration algorithm, and discuss the effect that design decisions had on the calibration routine. This system is presented as a unique platform for the development of efficient multi-view imaging algorithms which exploit the combined properties of camera arrays and non-central projection catadioptric systems. Initial target applications include data acquisition for image-based rendering and 3D scene reconstruction. The main advantages of the proposed system include: a relatively simple calibration procedure, a wide field of view, and a single imaging sensor which eliminates the need for color calibration and guarantees time synchronization.
Probiotics up-regulate MUC-2 mucin gene expression in a Caco-2 cell-culture model.

Enteral probiotics such as Lactobacillus casei GG (LGG) have been used in the treatment of a variety of intestinal disorders in infants and children, including diarrhea, malabsorption, and Clostridium difficile colitis. Previous studies have identified the gene locus for mucin (MUC-2) and its expression in Caco-2 cells. Others have demonstrated that mucin, located on the surface of the intestinal epithelium, inhibits bacterial translocation (BT). We previously demonstrated that both mucin and the probiotic bacterium LGG have an inhibitory effect on BT in both an in-vitro Caco-2 cell model and a neonatal rabbit model. We hypothesized that the decline in BT by LGG is mediated by up-regulation of epithelial MUC-2. Human enterocyte Caco-2 cells were grown to confluence and incubated at 37 � C with either medium (control group) or 10 4 or 10 8 LGG for 180 min. Non- adherent LGG was washed away. Caco-2 cells were then lysed, purified, and quantified for MUC-2 protein and mRNA. The addition of LGG to the enterocyte mono- layer surface resulted in significantly (P < 0.05) in- creased MUC-2 expression compared to the untreated monolayers. Protein densities for MUC-2 significantly (P < 0.05) increased with LGG. Density (expressed as ratio to control group) was 8.6 ± 1.3 in the low-dose group (10 4 LGG) and 15.6 ± 2.3 in the high-dose group (10 8 LGG). LGG may thus bind to specific receptor sites on the enterocyte and stimulate the up-regulation of MUC-2, resulting in increased inhibition of BT.
Improving Nutrition Education Newsletters for the Food Stamp Eligible Audience

The purpose of this study was to identify the types of nutrition newsletter content that reading clientele perceive as relevant to them in making healthy food choices consistent with sound dietary advice, and to identify ways newsletter design and wording affect the usefulness of the content. The authors conducted five focus groups with readers of nutrition education newsletters in three different regions of Pennsylvania between January and April 2003. All participants were obtaining food from their community food pantry, where newsletters are distributed by the Pennsylvania Nutrition Education Program. Major nutrition and health concerns of participants included heart disease, diabetes, dietary fat, and sodium intake. Recipes are the most highly valued portion of the newsletters. To summarize, newsletter readers indicate that effectiveness in facilitating food and nutrition behavior change is a function of the relevance, design, and practicality of the content.
Graphical Interfaces to Complex Systems: Separating the Wheat from the Chaff:

There seems to be a clear consensus that graphical interfaces provide an opportunity to integrate data from complex process in a way that can greatly enhance the problem solving ability of human operators in the future. However, this consensus is maske by a proliferation of terms to express this position in the basic and applied research literatures (e.g., “integrality,” “configurality,” “proximity-compatibility,” “visual momentum,” “direct manipulation,” and “ecological interface”). While the subtle nuances that distinguish among these terms are of academic interest, designers have greater concern for the general principles that might be gleaned from across the subtle distinctions. Base on a thorough review of the basic and applied literature (Bennett & Flach, In press), we argue that there is one basic characteristic of graphical representations that is critical for supporting problem solving. A good graphical display is one whose geometric (space/time) constraints reflect the functional constraints in ...
Do Babies Learn From Baby Media

In recent years, parents in the United States and worldwide have purchased enormous numbers of videos and DVDs designed and marketed for infants, many assuming that their children would benefit from watching them. We examined how many new words 12- to 18-month-old children learned from viewing a popular DVD several times a week for 4 weeks at home. The most important result was that children who viewed the DVD did not learn any more words from their monthlong exposure to it than did a control group. The highest level of learning occurred in a no-video condition in which parents tried to teach their children the same target words during everyday activities. Another important result was that parents who liked the DVD tended to overestimate how much their children had learned from it. We conclude that infants learn relatively little from infant media and that their parents sometimes overestimate what they do learn.
Estrogen Increases CD38 Gene Expression and Leads to Differential Regulation of Adenosine Diphosphate (ADP)-Ribosyl Cyclase and Cyclic ADP-Ribose Hydrolase Activities in Rat Myometrium

Hormones influence uterine contractility through their effects on intracellular calcium. The regulation of intracellular calcium in uterine smooth muscle is achieved by several mechanisms and includes mobilization from intracellular stores by inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and ryanodine-sensitive channels. Cyclic ADP-ribose (cADPR), a metabolite of NAD(+), is known to mediate calcium release through ryanodine receptor channels. A cell surface glycoprotein, CD38, catalyzes the synthesis and breakdown of cADPR and thus possesses bifunctional enzymatic activity. The regulation of cADPR synthesis by ADP-ribosyl cyclase (cyclase) or degradation by cADP-ribose hydrolase (hydrolase) by hormones in the myometrium is poorly understood. We investigated the effects of estradiol-17 beta on CD38 expression and the synthesis and degradation of cADPR in myometrial smooth muscle obtained from ovariectomized rats. CD38 expression was studied by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analyses. In uterine microsomal fractions, cyclase and hydrolase activities were measured using nicotinamide guanine dinucleotide and [(32)P]cADPR as substrates, respectively. Microsomal proteins subfractionated by SDS-PAGE and gel filtration were used to determine the fractions containing cyclase and hydrolase activities. The results demonstrate that cyclase and hydrolase activities are associated with a single protein fraction, similar to CD38 in uteri from both ovariectomized and estradiol-treated rats, and estradiol-17 beta causes 1) increased CD38 mRNA and protein expression and 2) significantly enhanced cyclase but not hydrolase activity. The differential regulation of CD38 by estradiol-17 beta, resulting in increased cADPR synthesis, would have profound effects on calcium regulation and myometrial contractility.
Motion correction for phase-resolved dynamic optical coherence tomography imaging of rodent cerebral cortex

Cardiac and respiratory motions in animals are the primary source of image quality degradation in dynamic imaging studies, especially when using phase-resolved imaging modalities such as spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), whose phase signal is very sensitive to movements of the sample. This study demonstrates a method with which to compensate for motion artifacts in dynamic SD-OCT imaging of the rodent cerebral cortex. We observed that respiratory and cardiac motions mainly caused, respectively, bulk image shifts (BISs) and global phase fluctuations (GPFs). A cross-correlation maximization-based shift correction algorithm was effective in suppressing BISs, while GPFs were significantly reduced by removing axial and lateral global phase variations. In addition, a non-origin-centered GPF correction algorithm was examined. Several combinations of these algorithms were tested to find an optimized approach that improved image stability from 0.5 to 0.8 in terms of the cross-correlation over 4 s of dynamic imaging, and reduced phase noise by two orders of magnitude in ~8% voxels.
Synthesis of hierarchical finite-state controllers for POMDPs

We develop a hierarchical approach to planning for partially observable Markov decision processes (POMDPs) in which a policy is represented as a hierarchical finite-state controller. To provide a foundation for this approach, we discuss some extensions of the POMDP framework that allow us to formalize the process of abstraction by which a hierarchical controller is constructed. We describe a planning algorithm that uses a programmer-defined task hierarchy to constrain the search space of finite-state controllers, and prove that this algorithm converges to a hierarchical finite-state controller that is e-optimal in a limited but well-defined sense, related to the concept of recursive optimality.
Well-controlled polymerization of 2-azidoethyl methacrylate at near room temperature and click functionalization

A functional monomer with a pendant azide moiety, 2-azidoethyl methacrylate (AzMA), was polymerized via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization with excellent control over the molecular weight distribution (PDI = 1.05–1.15). The subsequent copper-catalyzed Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of phenyl acetylene with polyAzMA was achieved at room temperature with high conversion. The resulting functional polymer exhibited identical 1H NMR and IR spectra with the polymer of the same molecular structure but prepared by a prefunctionalization approach, confirming the retention of the azide side chains during the RAFT polymerization of AzMA. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 4300–4308, 2007
Text-mining based journal splitting

This paper introduces a novel journal splittingalgorithm. It takes full advantage of various kinds ofinformation such as text match, layout and page numbers.The core procedure is a highly efficient text-miningalgorithm, which detects the matched phrases between thecontent pages and the title pages of individual articles.Experiments show that this algorithm is robust and ableto split a wide range of journals, magazines and books.
Subband decompositions for hyperspectral image analysis

Several multidimensional filter banks are described and analyzed for the purpose of processing hyperspectral data. A new octave band directional filter bank (OBDFB) is introduced that is able to isolate directional bands in three-dimensional Fourier space. The new OBDFB is a maximally decimated exactly reconstructing representation with high computational efficiency. The OBDFB is compared with traditional octave band and uniform band decompositions with respect to compaction and feature identification for analysis.