cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Flowfield Establishment in Hypervelocity Shock-Wave/Boundary-Layer Interactions

Shock/boundary-layer interactions generated over double-wedge and double-cone models in high-enthalpy, hypersonic flows are known to be sensitive to the thermochemical state of the gas. In this study, the transient evolution of shock interactions and separated flow is examined in nitrogen and air freestream conditions with stagnation enthalpies ranging from 2 to 8 MJ/kg and Mach numbers from 4 to 7. The time-dependent flowfield and associated time scales required to reach mean values for both viscous and inviscid processes are investigated using fast-response thermocouples and high-speed schlieren and chemiluminescence imaging. In all cases, the oblique/bow-shock triple point is observed to propagate upstream to a mean location as the bow-shock standoff distance increases with time. For all freestream conditions, the triple point reaches a mean position in less time for the conical than the wedge flow. Distinct differences between nitrogen and air both in the evolution and mean flow features are observed...
Breaking the ice: Theorizing the mechanisms of Arctic thaw

Breaking the Ice: Theorizing the Arctic Thaw;New Brunswick, New Jersey, 12–14 April 2012 Some of the most striking contemporary environmental changes are the warming of the Arctic region and increased mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet. For example, areas of summer melt atop Greenland's massive ice sheet continue to expand, sending large volumes of ice and meltwater into surrounding seas and oceans. This may have profound implications for regional hydrology and marine biogeochemical cycles, as well as global sea level rise. While these trends are readily observable, urgent questions regarding how the Greenland ice sheet will respond to future climate change remain unanswered.
Microstructure and Properties of Graphite Embedded SiC Composite by Coating Method

Gp/SiC composite was prepared with electrode graphite particle and SiC powders as the raw materials, using coating process and hot-pressing sintering technology. The microstructure and phase constitution was measured by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron energy spectrum (EDS). It was found that the graphite cores are embedded in the SiC matrix as the islands. The apparent porosity increased, density decreased, with graphite particle content increasing, the bending strength decreased, however, fracture toughness increased with the graphite particle content increasing. Increasing hot-pressing sintering temperature imparted Gp/SiC composite characteristic behaviors of better mechanical strength. The apparent porosity, bulk density, bending strength, fracture toughness were 4.0%, 2.58 g•cm-3, 50 MPa, 6.3 MPa•m1/2, respectively, with the size 200 μm graphite core at 2050 °C, while the volume rate of SiC and graphite was 6:4.
Understanding the large-scale chemistry of ethyl diazoacetate via reaction calorimetry

Ethyl diazoacetate is an important organic chemistry synthon, but its use as an industrial intermediate is limited due in part to the safety concerns associated with its instability and high reactivity. Reported are the reaction calorimetry results obtained from a new ethyl diazoacetate preparative method, the results from its use in a novel, exothermic reaction and the application of this data toward process development, a successful pilot plant campaign and full-scale reactor design. The results indicate that, given the proper engineering design, in situ preparation and use of ethyl diazoacetate solutions can be used at production scale without significant risk.
The power of alliances: the case of the Ugandan Infectious Diseases Institute initiative

Purpose – This paper seeks to focus on describing the type of relationships that involved public, private and non‐profit organizations in the visioning, planning and building of a large‐scale HIV/AIDS treatment center, stressing the characteristics and role of the partners, with a particular focus on private donors and detailing drivers of alliances that could help in implementing future partnerships in other regions of the World.Design/methodology/approach – Case study, general review. The findings and descriptions in the paper are based on semi‐structured interviews with at least one or more project participants from each key Infectious Disease Institute alliance partner.Findings – Based on interview with project participants, key enablers of project success are identified in communication, local focus, flexible management of funding, access to key stakeholders and business planning based on private sector standards. Specific project shortcomings are also highlighted (lack of planning for knowledge tran...
Enhanced blood pressure responses to loud noise in offspring of monkeys with high blood pressure.

Abstract Sixteen unanesthetized immature Macaca fascicularis monkeys, 18–43 months of age, were tested for mean arterial blood pressure (MBP) and heart rate (HR) responses to 30 minutes of continuous broadband noise (95 dB). Eight animals (OH group) were offspring of monkeys with high blood pressure (parents' MBP=115.5±1.0 (SEM) mmHg), and eight (OC group) were offspring of control animals with normal blood pressure (parents' MBP=96.6±1.7 mmHg). Resting MBP during a 17–24 hour period prior to the experiment in the OH group was 100.6±1.9 mmHg, significantly higher (p
Interpreting mortality data in humanitarian emergencies.

Congratulations to Francesco Checchi and Les Roberts for their excellent recent review on the collection analysis interpretation and use of mortality data in humanitarian emergencies. They highlight the substantial progress in this field over the past few years and point out the remaining major difficulties in collecting and disseminating such data. Only a few years ago epidemiologists and others attempting to gather objective health-data in emergencies were commonly greeted with the cry of: "Why are you wasting time collecting data? We must save lives!" Thankfully most humanitarian-aid workers now understand that programme interventions need to be based on sound data so that life-saving interventions can be targeted toward conditions posing the greatest risk to life. The use of survey methods to measure mortality rates has increased in the past few years. Use of these methods allows mortality to be measured in situations where it would otherwise be impossible. Moreover most humanitarian organisations and donors now understand the need to use outcome indicators--and mortality is the ultimate outcome--to assess the overall quality of the humanitarian response. As a result various recommendations and guidelines have been published on measuring mortality in cross-sectional surveys. These guidelines are aimed at non-epidemiologists because surveys in emergencies are rarely done by people with specific survey training. Underfunded relief organisations rarely have the money to hire specially trained survey personnel. In most cases programme managers take care of all aspects of the relief operation including assessment and monitoring. (excerpt)
A type curve approach to estimatingp for ap-normal transformation

The p-normal transformation plays an important role in reservoir characterization for data sets that are neither normally nor log-normally distributed. The key step in the transformation is to estimate the value of pfor a given data set. Even though there are several ways to determine p,these are more inconvenient than the quicker and easier type curve approach to estimate pwe present in this paper. In addition, the method provides the p-normal transformation with a visual interpretation. We demonstrate the technique by analyzing reservoir permeability and porosity data from the East Velma West Block Sims Sand Unit, Oklahoma.
Our place: design for a day program.

Faced with the challenge of community mental health, those concerned must develop relevant and innovative programs. One such attempt, a day program operating as a therapeutic community under a nonmedical model of treatment and utilizing multiple interlocking group therapy exclusively, is discussed in this paper. Particular emphasis is placed on the importance of nonprofessional and ex-patient staff members.
Sap test to determine nitrate‐nitrogen concentrations in aboveground biomass of winter cover crops

Abstract In the San Luis Valley of south central Colorado, winter cover crops (WCC) are used to reduce soil erosion and scavenge residual soil‐N. Some San Luis Valley farmers are beginning to use WCC as a source of over‐winter or early‐spring grazing. Common WCC used by farmers, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and rye (Secale cereale L.) are reported to accumulate high levels of nitrate nitrogen (NO3 ‐‐N) in aboveground biomass that can be toxic to animals. Evaluation and calibration of a quick Cardy Meter2 Sap Test (CMST) for determination of NO3 ‐‐N status in the field will facilitate the management of these WCC. Field and growth chamber studies were conducted to correlate the CMST with laboratory procedures and with plant and soil parameters. In field and growth chamber studies, the CMST was correlated with standard dry tissue NC3 ‐‐N laboratory analysis (P<.001) and with soil inorganic N content (P<.05). These field and growth chamber studies show that the CMST can be a tool in helping farmers identify f...
Plant and fungal cell wall fragments activate expression of proteinase inhibitor genes for plant defense

Plant and fungal cell wall fragments produced by enzymic degradation during pest attacks are hypothesized to be activators of a universal recognition system for locally and systemically activating genes which control the synthesis of plant defense chemicals such as the antibiotic phytoalexins and antinutritive proteinase inhibitors. Proteinase inhibitor cDNAs have been prepared from wound-induced mRNAs, isolated, and characterized. The cDNAs have been utilized to quantify specific proteinase inhibitor mRNAs in leaves following wounding or simulated insect attacks. The cDNAs have also been utilized as hybridization probes to isolate and characterize proteinase inhibitor genes from tomato and potato genomic DNA. Proteinase inhibitor proteins have been induced in tomato leaves by chewing insects and shown to be highly correlated with a systemically mediated reduction in the nutritional quality of the leaves toward the larval noctuidSpodoptera exigua. Thus, the wound-induced proteinase inhibitors, whose genes in tomato leaves can be activated by wounding, insect attacks, and plant and fungal cell wall fragments, can significantly decrease the quality of the leaves for such herbivorous insects. This inducible set of biochemical reactions leading to the de novo biosynthesis of proteinase inhibitors is, therefore, considered to be a potentially important defense of plant leaves that should be considered both in developing general theories on insect-plant interactions and in selecting insect-resistant crop varieties.
Critical Thinking in General Education in China

AbstractIn the last two decades or so, educating students with critical thinking, creativity and innovative skills has become a primary concern for many teachers, policy makers, university administ...
Perceived task difficulty and intelligence: Determinants of strategy use and recall

Abstract Memory knowledge may be necessary but not sufficient for strategy use because aspects of the individual and the task may mediate the metamemory-strategy use relation. Belmont and Mitchell (1987) contended that learners will be strategic only on tasks perceived to be moderately difficult. If correct, metacognitive variables (e.g., metamemory and attributional beliefs) would be more likely to predict strategy use on moderately difficult tasks. In the study presented here, strategy use, performance, and perceptions of difficulty among students with and without retardation were assessed. Results showed that students with mental retardation rated tasks as more difficult than did nonretarded students. Relatedly, brief training resulted in a decrease in difficulty ratings only for students without retardation. Although strategy use was not predicted by metacognitive variables (meta-memory and strategy use) on moderately difficult tasks, metacognitive variables significantly predicted recall performance, but did so independent of task difficulty.
Reptin/Ruvbl2 is a Lrrc6/Seahorse interactor essential for cilia motility

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is an autosomal recessive disease caused by defective cilia motility. The identified PCD genes account for about half of PCD incidences and the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. We demonstrate that Reptin/Ruvbl2, a protein known to be involved in epigenetic and transcriptional regulation, is essential for cilia motility in zebrafish. We further show that Reptin directly interacts with the PCD protein Lrrc6/Seahorse and this interaction is critical for the in vivo function of Lrrc6/Seahorse in zebrafish. Moreover, whereas the expression levels of multiple dynein arm components remain unchanged or become elevated, the density of axonemal dynein arms is reduced in reptinhi2394 mutants. Furthermore, Reptin is highly enriched in the cytosol and colocalizes with Lrrc6/Seahorse. Combined, these results suggest that the Reptin-Lrrc6/Seahorse complex is involved in dynein arm formation. We also show that although the DNA damage response is induced in reptinhi2394 mutants, it remains unchanged in cilia biogenesis mutants and lrrc6/seahorse mutants, suggesting that increased DNA damage response is not intrinsic to ciliary defects and that in vertebrate development, Reptin functions in multiple processes, both cilia specific and cilia independent.
A Frailty Mixture Cure Model with Application to Hospital Readmission Cata

Mixture cure models have been utilized to analyze survival data with possible cure. This paper considers the inclusion of frailty into the mixture cure model to model recurrent event data with a cure fraction. An attractive feature of the proposed model is the allowance for heterogeneity in risk among those individuals experiencing the event of interest in addition to the incorporation of a cured component. Maximum likelihood estimates can be obtained using the Expectation Maximization algorithm and standard errors are calculated from the Bootstrap method. The model is applied to hospital readmission data among colorectal cancer patients. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Participation cues: Coordinating activity and collaboration in complex online gaming worlds

The development of digital communication technologies not only has an influence on human communicative practices, but also creates new spaces for human collaborative activity. In this article we discuss a technologically mediated context for interaction, computer games. Closely looking at interactions among a group of gamers, we examine how players are managing complex, shifting frameworks of participation, the virtual game world and the embodied world of talk and plans for action. Introducing the notion of participation cues, we explain how interactants are able to orient to, plan, and execute collaborative actions that span quite different environments with quite different types of agency, possible acts, and consequences. Novel abilities to interact across diverse spaces have consequences for understanding how humans build coordinated action through efficient, multimodal communication mechanisms. (Computer-mediated communication, language and technology, gaming, gesture, participation, multimodality)*
Predictors of Medication Adherence and Associated Health Care Costs in an Older Population With Overactive Bladder Syndrome: A Longitudinal Cohort Study

Purpose: We examined the relationship between self-reported health status data, subsequent antimuscarinic medication adherence and health care service use in older adults with OAB syndrome in a managed care setting.Materials and Methods: This was a longitudinal cohort study of older adults in the southeastern United States with OAB who completed a health status assessment, used antimuscarinic medications and were enrolled in an HMO continuously for 1 to 3 years. Demographic, clinical and use related economic variables were also retrieved from the administrative claims data of patient HMOs. Prescription refill patterns were used to measure medication adherence. Associations were examined with a sequential, mixed model regression approach.Results: A total of 275 patients were included. The severity of comorbidity (Charlson index), patient perception of quality of life (Short Form-12 scores) and total number of prescribed medications during the year prior to enrollment in a Medicare HMO were independently as...
Sperm antibodies after intraperitoneal insemination of sperm: a preliminary report.

: To test the hypothesis that intraperitoneal insemination of sperm induces the expression of anti-sperm antibodies a prospective study was designed. Fifteen women undergoing intraperitoneal insemination (with or without oocyte transfer) were studied with 11 women having evaluation of anti-serm antibodies. Sperm antibodies were detected by the immunobead test prior to intraperitoneal insemination and after each treatment cycle. Two criteria were used to assess positivity: the first based upon negative controls and the second based upon the evaluation of 20 fertile control couples. Using the first criteria, of 11 of the women undergoing IPI for the first time, 7 were initially negative and 4 were initially positive for at least 1 isotype. After treatment, 3 additional patients were positive (for a total of 7) and 4 patients remained negative. This alteration in sperm antibody frequency was not different (P = .4) as determined by the Fisher's Exact Test. Four of the 11 patients underwent a second cycle of IPI. All 4 patients were negative prior to the first treatment and 3 were negative prior to the second treatment. Subsequent to the second exposure, all 4 of these women were positive for at least 1 isotype. This shift in frequency distribution after 2 cycles was significant (P = .01). The frequency of antisperm antibodies for the same 11 patients was evaluated by using fertile control values as the basis of positivity. Two patients (18%) were positive for anti-sperm antibodies prior to intraperitoneal insemination. There was no change in the frequency of positivity after 1 cycle of IPI. After 2 cycles of IPI 1 patient previously shown to be negative for anti-sperm antibodies was subsequently positive. This shift in frequency was not significant (P = 0.1).
Performance of secondary aluminum melting: Thermodynamic analysis and plant-site experiments

Abstract This paper presents the results of plant-site experiments conducted on several natural-gas-fired, reverberatory aluminum furnaces to evaluate overall energy efficiency and to analyze major sources of heat loss, providing an overall picture of current aluminum melting furnaces in the US aluminum industry. Thermodynamic analyses were done for energy utilization according to energy balance and compared with the measured data. Our experimental results indicate that the effective energy efficiency in most melting furnaces measured is around 26–29%, and the major heat loss through flue gas is between 35% and 50%. The energy availability concept is introduced to predict the maximum energy potential and minimum flue gas heat loss in this type of aluminum furnace. Pollutant formation and control of nitrogen oxides and greenhouse gas are discussed. Methods that may improve energy efficiency and reduce pollutant emissions from melting operations are also addressed.
An empirical investigation of JIT effectiveness: an organizational perspective

The organizational facets of JIT are investigated for 130 US manufacturing firms. Five research hypotheses are formulated and tested. The results of this research are presented in the context of a conceptual framework which attempts to shed some light on the organizational facets relevant to successful JIT implementation.
Electrochemical Corrosion Investigation of 49-Cell Combinatorial Library of Titanium-Based Alloys Fabricated by DMD

This combinatorial materials science study investigated the corrosion resistance of titanium alloys. A combinatorial library of 49 alloys of titanium was fabricated by the direct metal deposition (DMD) technique. This library consisted of a single cube of metal with discrete 4 X 4 X 20 mm regions, each region containing discrete, selected percentages of aluminum and iron. In situ characterization of these regions allowed a rapid evaluation of the 49 alloys for potential use in biomedical implants. The resistance to electrochemical corrosion in Hanks' solution of each titanium-based alloy was tested using the cotton tape electrochemical polarization method. High concentrations of Al (corrosion rate of the Ti-9Al = 0.06 mm/yr in the 49-cell sample) or Fe (corrosion rate of the Ti-17Fe = 8.32 X 10 -3 mm/yr) caused an uneven distribution of alloying elements in the phases, which resulted in poor corrosion resistance in biofluids compared to pure titanium (corrosion rate 2.93 X 10 -6 mm/yr). The best corrosion resistance in Hanks' solution was demonstrated by the Ti-5Al-4Fe (corrosion rate 9 X 10 -5 mm/yr).
Electromagnetically induced transparency in paraffin-coated vapor cells

Antirelaxation coatings in atomic vapor cells allow ground-state coherent spin states to survive many collisions with the cell walls. This reduction in the ground-state decoherence rate gives rise to ultranarrow-bandwidth features in electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) spectra, which can form the basis of, for example, long-time scale slow and stored light, sensitive magnetometers, and precise frequency standards. Here we study, both experimentally and theoretically, how Zeeman EIT contrast and width in paraffin-coated rubidium vapor cells are determined by cell and laser-beam geometry, laser intensity, and atomic density. Using a picture of Ramsey pulse sequences, where atoms alternately spend ``bright'' and ``dark'' time intervals inside and outside the laser beam, we explain the behavior of EIT features in coated cells, highlighting their unique characteristics and potential applications.
Effects of ketamine on the isolated perfused rat heart

Abstract 1. 1. Ketamine caused decreases in spontaneous heart rate and isometric systolic tension whereas its effects on coronary flow and diastolic tension were variable. 2. 2. Ketamine altered electrical activity by prolonging PR and QT intervals, but it produced no major changes in the characteristic pattern of the electrocardiographic recordings. 3. 3. Ketamine produced a dose dependent decrease in the tissue content of glycogen and enhanced the conversion of phosphorylase b to a at the highest concentration (10,000 ng/ml) studied.
Accelerated Failure–Time Mover–Stayer Regression Models for the Analysis of Last–Episode Data

This article introduces new models for the analysis of last–episode data—that is, data about the timing of the last occurrence of a repeatable event. The new models are elaborations and extensions of a particular model for backward recurrence times from a renewal process introduced by Allison (1985), and they are accelerated failure–time mover–stayer regression models that permit the separation of covariate effects on event timing from those on event occurrence. Using the data of last residential move from the 1990 Census of Population and Housing, an application of the models, which are found to fit the data adequately, shows distinct patterns in the effects of home ownership, gender, race/ethnicity, education, marital experience, and age group on residential mobility. The patterns differ regarding the relative importance and direction of influence between the effects on the duration of residence in the same house or apartment and the effects on the lifetime probability of not experiencing any residential move.
Sentinel articles in craniomaxillofacial trauma.

Over the years, a great many authors have added to the body of knowledge in the area of craniomaxillofacial trauma. Reports of new approaches, techniques, reviews, and data analysis have all added to our knowledge and armamentarium. A few can be considered sentinel in that they either validated or changed the way things were managed. In this and forthcoming issues, we will review an article of the past and note how it impacted management. The inaugural sentinel article is selected from the Spring 1996 issue of the Journal of Craniomaxillofacial Trauma (Ellis E III. Treatment methods for fractures of the mandibular angle. J Craniomaxillofac Trauma 1996;2[1]:28–36). In this article, Ellis summarized six studies in which he and his colleagues reported on accepted methods for treatment of fractures of the mandibular angle. These included nonrigid fixation and a variety of rigid fixation techniques with convalescent function. The patients were comparable: all from an inner city indigent population. The fractures were comparable: the complication-prone mandibular angle. The surgeons were comparable. This was perhaps the first and only time comparable data on mandibular fractures were assembled and reported comparing “apples to apples.” The results of these studies were startling to say the least. Dynamic compression, the “gold standard” for absolute immobilization, paled in comparison to semirigid fixation with a single transoral miniplate with respect to major complications (32% versus 2.5%). Two-plate fixation for angle fractures was, for many surgeons, now relegated to the “historical approach” category. This article established the evidence base for using either a noncompression miniplate placed on the superior border transorally or a transfacially placed reconstruction plate as the rigid internal fixation technique for the management of mandibular angle fractures.
Correlational and exploratory factor analyses (EFA) of commonly used empathy questionnaires: New insights

Empathy is a concept whose history has been marred by conceptual inconsistencies. Dispositional measures of empathy have varied in constituent subscales and have been suggested to conflate with other related constructs. The current investigation consists of correlational and exploratory factor analyses with self-report empathy measures to assess the commonalities between these measures. Four hundred ninety-seven university undergraduates completed a battery of self-report dispositional empathy measures, along with situational and dispositional sympathy measures. The novel findings include moderate correlations between scales purporting to measure empathy, an interpretable six-factor structure which represent subcomponents of these empathy scales, and the modest ability of existing questionnaires to contribute to these factor structures. The retained factor structure is not consistent with previous definitions of empathy, and it appears that self-report empathy measures do not adequately measure a uniform, consistent construct.
Incorporating movement and reproductive asynchrony into a simulation model of fertilization success for a marine broadcast spawner

Abstract Decline and collapse of populations of harvested marine broadcast spawners has led to broad concern over reproductive Allee effects for these species, acting through spatial challenges to finding a mate. We used an individual-based simulation model to investigate the potential for movement and mate seeking behavior to mitigate spatial challenges. We incorporated asynchrony in spawning spread over a reproductive season rather than the frequently assumed and generally unrealistic scenario of complete synchrony and instantaneous spawning. Movement rules were based on telemetry data for pink abalone (Haliotis corrugata), a severely depleted and formerly harvested species, and we used the model to estimate fertilization success for realistic densities and aggregation states in the Point Loma kelp forest (San Diego, CA, USA). Model rules for abalone movement incorporated conspecific attraction and attraction to a home scar, and produced home range areas of realistic size. Initial aggregation state did not affect home range areas as movement overcame distances separating aggregated from random distributions. Movement was capable of compensating for the fertilization drawbacks to asynchronous spawning. However, fertilization success rates based on movement and spawning asynchrony were comparable to success rates assuming no movement and complete synchrony and declined similarly with decreasing population density. When combined with reproductive asynchrony, movement may not mitigate density decline.
Fin on a pipe (insulated tip): Minimum conditions for fin to be beneficial

Comparisons are made of the one-dimensional and two-dimensional centerline temperature profiles and heat lost ratios for a radial fin of uniform thickness on a pipe. Effects of the Biot number, fin thickness, and size ratio (ratio of radial distances of the tip and root) are investigated. In particular, the more restrictive two-dimensional results as to the usefulness of the fin are demonstrated. Further, the distortion of the two-dimension temperature profile for intermediate values of the Biot number exhibit regions where waste of material in this shape of fin occurs. Finally, information is presented that relates the fin size (radially) and the Biot number magnitude for which the fin is beneficial.
Aggregate demand, food prices, and the underlying rate of inflation

Abstract With the inflation rate rising in the 1970s, the concept of an underlying rate of inflation became increasingly popular. The rationale for subtracting out food and fuel price increases was straightforward: such increases were viewed as reflecting special supply-side factors likely to be temporary and reversible or, at worst, one-time rises in relative prices with no lasting effect on the inflation rate. This paper presents empirical evidence that raises serious questions about these assumptions and procedures. More specifically, shifts in aggregate demand have a statistically significant cumulative effect on food prices and this effect increases quantitatively as food moves from the farm to the retail level. The cumulative effect of demand on food prices was also found to have increased over time (as farmers' value-added declined) and demand appears to effect prices more quickly at the wholesale level than at the retail level.
Competitive binding to a charged leucine motif represses transformation by a papillomavirus E6 oncoprotein.

E6 oncoproteins from HPV-16 and bovine papillomavirus type 1 (BPV-1) bind to similar leucine-rich peptides termed charged leucine motifs found on the cellular focal adhesion protein paxillin and the E3 ubiquitin ligase E6AP. BPV-1 E6 (BE6) mutants that do not bind to paxillin are defective at inducing cellular transformation. It is possible, however, that BE6 mutants that do not bind paxillin are defective for transformation for an unrelated reason than the ability to bind to charged leucine motifs. To address the role of BE6 interaction with charged leucine motifs, we fused a BE6-binding charged leucine motif to the amino terminus of BE6, thereby creating an autoinhibitory binding domain. We found that the fusion protein failed to bind to paxillin or transform murine C127 cells. Mutation of the amino terminal binding motif in the fusion protein restored both interaction with paxillin and transformation. This demonstrates that BE6 transformation requires binding to charged leucine motifs on particular cellular proteins and that transformation by papillomavirus oncoproteins can be repressed by competitive interactions with charged leucine motifs.
Sudden onset of cervical spondylotic myelopathy during sleep: A case report

Cervical spondylotic myelopathy is a common cause of compressive spinal cord dysfunction. The typical course involves either a gradual or an episodic increase in symptoms and neurologic deficits, with impairment evolving over a period of months to years. Acute neurologic deterioration in conjunction with cervical spondylosis has been described almost exclusively in traumatic situations such as disk herniation. We report a case of an acute, nontraumatic onset of tetraplegia in association with cervical spondylosis. A 56-year-old man developed tetraplegia during a 1-hour nap, with loss of volitional control of his extremities, impaired sensation below the C3 dermatome, and increased muscle tone. Magnetic resonance imaging of the cervical spine revealed canal stenosis and increased T2 signal within the cord. This case report describes the rehabilitation course for this patient and reviews the clinical spectrum of onset and progression of cervical spondylotic myelopathy.
Evaluation of irradiation-induced deep levels in Si

The front-illuminated CCD devices on board the Chandra X-ray observatory have been damaged by proton beam irradiation during radiation belt passage. The scattered ions such as protons created the traps in the buried n-channel of the CCD. The effect of proton radiation induced defects in Si is summarized. The generation and evolution of the irradiation defects is studied and its relationship with CCD performance is discussed. The methods for enhancement of dissociation of defects by biasing and/or light illumination are proposed to recover the performance of CCD.
Distributed sensor network control for power and bandwidth allocation in large sensor networks

A variety of autonomous sensory platforms for earth and planetary science require distributed sensing and control capability to be able to operate in dynamic environments where the occurrence and frequency of events could be few and far-between. We discuss a novel control methodology for autonomous monitoring of space habitats and in-situ ground and ocean-based heterogeneous wireless distributed sensor networks. Such sensor networks need to have a lifetime of months or even years, while being effective at detecting and reporting events in real-time before they pose a danger. This requires an on-line resource manager or controller to economize and adaptively control all resources such as energy, communication bandwidth, and sensor sampling frequency. We present an event based control optimization formulation of the resource management problem for sensor networks and discuss a method to adaptively change desired system performance of the sensor network in response to events. This functionality is critical in field-deployable sensor networks where continuous operation is expensive and system adaptation is critical for extended operation in the face of dynamic external events. We show results on various synthetic heterogeneous sensor networks where only partially accurate information about the sensing system is available and illustrate the efficacy of the control algorithm in handling such incorrect models with a negligible increase in transmission of the optimal control settings. We show that the run-time performance of the control algorithm scales well with increasing number of sensors.
Increased prevalence of renal disease in systemic lupus erythematosus families with affected male relatives

Objective To distinguish familial differences from sex-related differences in the clinical manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods A total of 372 affected individuals from 160 multiplex SLE pedigrees were analyzed. Twenty-five of these pedigrees contained at least 1 affected male relative. Comparisons of the presence of each of the 11 1982 American College of Rheumatology criteria for SLE were made between female family members with affected male relatives and those without affected male relatives, using Fisher's exact tests. Results The presence of renal disease was significantly increased in female family members with an affected male relative when compared with those with no affected male relative (68% and 43%, respectively; P = 0.002). This trend remained after stratifying by race and was most pronounced in European Americans. A familial basis for differences in hematologic and immunologic manifestations was also suggested, while arthritis and dermatologic features appeared to be most influenced by sex. Conclusios Our results demonstrate that the increased prevalence of renal disease previously reported in men with SLE is, in large part, a familial rather than sex-based difference, at least in multiplex SLE families. Distinguishing familial from sex-related differences may facilitate efforts to understand the genetic and hormonal factors that underlie this complex autoimmune disease.
Inhibitory action of neonatal androgenization on the incorporation of (3H)-lysine in specific hypothalamic nuclei of the adult female rat.

Abstract The purpose of the present quantitative radioautographic study was to determine if the injection of testosterone propionate into neonatal female rats is accompanied by alterations in the incorporation of [ 3 H]-lysine into proteins of the preoptic and specific hypothalamic nuclei following sexual maturation. Two-month-old anovulatory female rats injected 96 hr after birth with 1.25 mg testosterone propionate and control 2-mo-old normally cycling rats at various stages of the estrous cycle were each injected intra-peritoneally with 2 μc/g body wt of [4,5- 3 H]- l -lysine(n) monohydrochloride. Thirty minutes later the rats were perfused with a formaldehyde fixing solution and 6 μm sections cut from paraplast embedded brains were processed for radioautography. Silver grains per neuron were determined for the medial and lateral preoptic nuclei and for eight hypothalamic nuclei, i.e., anterior, arcuate, dorsomedial, paraventricular, periventricular, suprachiasmatic, supraoptic, and ventromedial. Neonatal androgenization significantly reduced incorporation of [ 3 H]-lysine into neurons of the arcuate, paraventricular, periventricular, and supraoptic nuclei below the low values observed during diestrus. The ability of neonatally administered testosterone to inhibit the incorporation of [ 3 H]-lysine into proteins of specific hypothalamic nuclei suggests that these neurons may be involved in the production of the ensuing postpuberal anovulatory syndrome.
Swelling properties of coal chars during rapid pyrolysis and combustion

Abstract Coal devolatilization experiments are commonly conducted at moderate temperatures (800 to 1300 K) and heating rates (103 to 104 Ks−1) in inert environments in order to measure evolved species before secondary reaction in the gas phase. However, chars from these experiments exhibit different physical characteristics than chars obtained under typical combustion conditions (1500 to 2000 K, 105 Ks−1, and 3 to 10 mol% oxygen). Experiments were conducted in two laminar, entrained-flow reactors to determine characteristics of coal chars in inert and oxygen-rich environments. One flow reactor was heated electrically, with gas temperatures of 1250 K, and the mol% oxygen was varied from 0 to 10%. The other flow reactor used a flat flame burner as the heat source, with gas temperatures of 1600 K, and the post-flame oxygen content was varied from 0 to 12 mol%. In both reactors, sampling was limited to regions during and immediately following devolatilization. Five coals of different rank were examined; for a given coal, similar total volatile yields were obtained in both flow reactors, and similarities in chemical compositions of the resulting chars are discussed. For softening coals, the apparent densities of chars obtained in the electrically heated reactor are much lower than that of chars from the flat-flame reactor, regardless of the gas phase oxygen content. This implies that changes in particle swelling behaviour between typical devolatilization experiments and char combustion experiments are not due to the presence of oxygen, but due to heating rate or post-flame gas species other than oxygen.
Study of the effect of liquid bridges on the dynamic behavior of two colliding tablets using DEM

Abstract By incorporating a viscous liquid force model into DEM simulations, the effect of liquid bridging between two tablets during a collision was studied. It was shown that when compared to the viscous force, the capillary force is several orders of magnitude smaller. In order to predict the capture of a falling tablet by the liquid bridge, it was necessary to adjust the limiting separation distance used in the viscous force model. Comparison of experimental results with the simulations, using oils with viscosities in the range of 100–1,000 cP, showed that there was a linear relationship between the limiting separation distance and the viscosity of the silicone oils. This viscosity-dependent separation distance varied in the range of 1–6 mm.
Amylin/insulin secretory ratios in morbidly obese man: inverse relationship with glucose disappearance rate

Amylin/insulin secretory ratios were determined in nine morbidly obese subjects consenting to portal venous catheterization at the time of gastric bypass surgery. By subtracting recirculating insulin and amylin concentrations (arterial values) from portal venous hormone concentrations, instantaneous amylin/insulin secretory ratios could be determined before and after iv glucose administration. Baseline portal venous amylin levels were 32% higher than peripheral concentrations (7.3 +/- 0.8 vs. 5.6 +/- 0.6 pmol/L). Portal venous amylin and insulin concentrations peak 90 s after the initiation of a 2-min glucose infusion. When instantaneously secreted amylin and insulin were compared at each of the eight time points, a highly significant correlation was observed in seven of the nine subjects. However, large interindividual variations in amylin/insulin secretory ratios were observed, with molar ratios from 0.2-1.6%. The amylin/insulin secretory ratios calculated at the time of surgery varied inversely (r = -0...
Mechanobiology and diseases of mechanotransduction

The current focus of medicine on molecular genetics ignores the physical basis of disease even though many of the problems that lead to pain and morbidity, and bring patients to the doctor's office, result from changes in tissue structure or mechanics. The main goal of this article is therefore to help integrate mechanics into our understanding of the molecular basis of disease. This article first reviews the key roles that physical forces, extracellular matrix and cell structure play in the control of normal development, as well as in the maintenance of tissue form and function. Recent insights into cellular mechanotransduction--the molecular mechanism by which cells sense and respond to mechanical stress--also are described. Re-evaluation of human pathophysiology in this context reveals that a wide range of diseases included within virtually all fields of medicine and surgery share a common feature: their etiology or clinical presentation results from abnormal mechanotransduction. This process may be altered by changes in cell mechanics, variations in extracellular matrix structure, or by deregulation of the molecular mechanisms by which cells sense mechanical signals and convert them into a chemical or electrical response. Molecules that mediate mechanotransduction, including extracellular matrix molecules, transmembrane integrin receptors, cytoskeletal structures and associated signal transduction components, may therefore represent targets for therapeutic intervention in a variety of diseases. Insights into the mechanical basis of tissue regulation also may lead to development of improved medical devices, engineered tissues, and biologically-inspired materials for tissue repair and reconstruction.
Oxidative Dimerization of Phenylhydrazones by Nickel Peroxide

Phenylhydrazones were oxidized by nickel peroxide at 0 °C through a radical mechanism to afford C-C and C-N dimers in nearly 1:2 ratio in excellent yields. The C-N dimer either decomposed under acidic conditions in CDCl3 to give the parent phenylhydrazone and carbonyl compounds or, upon heating, underwent rearrangement to form the corresponding C-C dimer.
Differential sensitivity of cultured retinal neurons and photoreceptors to herpes simplex infection

Infection of the retina with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) causes devastating lesions usually leading to blindness. However, the interactions between individual retinal cell types and this virus have not been well characterized, probably because of limitations posed by the complexity of the intact retina. We have now approached this problem through the use of separate, purified populations of isolated chick embryo retinal neurons and photoreceptor cells, of glial cells, and of pigmented epithelial cells. This manuscript deals with the initial part of these studies, aimed at determining the susceptibility of different retinal types to HSV-1 infection. The different cultures were exposed to HSV-1 for 3–48 hr, and cell infection was evaluated by immunocytochemical detection of viral antigens or by autoradiographic study of viral DNA replication. Practically 100% of the retinal glial cells and pigmented epithelial cells appeared susceptible to HSV-1 infection. On the other hand, as many as 70% of the neurons present in gliafree, pigment epithelium-free cultures, also appeared infected after a 24-hr exposure to the virus. Neuronal susceptibility to HSV-1 was already present in early (2-day) cultures, was time- and concentration-dependent, and led to neuronal degeneration after 24–48 hr. Neuronal infection was also corroborated by the detection of viral particles by transmission electron microscopy. Photoreceptor cells were consistently and selectively resistant to HSV-1 autoradiographic studies showed similar results. Photoreceptor resistance to HSV-1 appears to be selective, since they could be readily infected with RNA viruses such as vesicular stomatitis virus and influenza virus. These cell culture preparations offer an attractive system for the investigation of cellular mechanisms involved in the differential susceptibility of retinal cells to viral infection. Moreover, they could also help in the screening of treatments potentially capable of preventing and (or) curing HSV-induced retinal infection.
Hypoxia potentiates killing of hepatocyte monolayers by leukotrienes, hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acids, or calcium ionophore A23187

Potentiation of chemical toxicity by hypoxia was studied in confluent hepatocyte monolayers. Addition of either hydroperoxyarachidonic acid (50 micrograms), leukotriene C4 (10 micrograms), or calcium ionophore A23187 (1.8 micrograms) to hepatocyte monolayers followed by incubation in 2% oxygen for 24 h killed 95% of the hypoxic cells, but was without effect on the normoxic cells. The greater than 10-fold increase in toxicity of A23187 suggests that hypoxic cells are less able to regulate intracellular calcium. The increased toxicity of hydroperoxyarachidonic acid and leukotriene C4 may be due to a related reduction in activity of protective enzymes.