cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Induction, distribution and modulation of upper airway allergic inflammation in mice.

Background To further elucidate mechanisms of human allergic rhinosinusitis, we studied the induction, distribution and modulation of allergen-induced upper airway inflammation in a BALB/c mouse model. Methods Allergic inflammation induced with ovalbumin (OVA) by intraperitoneal (IP) injection in alum was compared to repeated intranasal instillation. The type and distribution of inflammatory cells was compared in the respiratory and olfactory epithelial compartments. Eosinophil distribution was assessed using Scarlet Red stain and a polyclonal antibody recognizing eosinophil major basic protein (MBP). The role of interleukin (IL)-5 in upper airway inflammation was tested by administration of polyclonal anti-IL-5 antibody during the sensitization protocol. Results Unsensitized control mice receiving saline failed to develop upper airway eosinophil infiltration. IP OVA-sensitized mice developed marked upper airway mucosal eosinophil infiltration after aerosol OVA challenge, whereas repeated intranasal instillation of OVA produced qualitatively similar, but less intense eosinophil infiltration. Using either sensitization protocol, eosinophil infiltration was seen in areas of the lower portion of the nasal septum, the floor and the lower lateral walls of the mid-caudal region of the nasal cavity. Immunofluorescence staining for MBP confirmed this distribution of eosinophils but also demonstrated some eosinophils in the maxillary sinuses and in circumscribed regions of the ethmoturbinates. All areas of eosinophil infiltration were lined by respiratory epithelium. The selective infiltration of respiratory but not olfactory epithelium by eosinophils was unassociated with a measurable induction of epithelial ICAM-1 or eotaxin expression. OVA-induced upper airway eosinophil infiltration was found to be IL-5 dependent, since administration of a polyclonal anti-IL-5 antibody (TRFK-5) during OVA sensitization resulted in a marked modulation (80% decrease) in eosinophil infiltration in response to subsequent OVA challenge. Conclusion The mouse upper airway, specifically in areas containing respiratory epithelium, is a target for OVA-induced allergic inflammation. This selective infiltration of respiratory, but not olfactory, epithelium is, in part, dependent upon IL-5. This model is useful for further dissection of the inflammatory response with genetic manipulations and targeted immunological approaches.
Primary somatosensory cortex hand representation dynamically modulated by motor output.

The brain’s primary motor and primary somatosensory cortices are generally viewed as functionally distinct entities. Here we show by means of magnetoencephalography with a phantom-limb patient, that movement of the phantom hand leads to a change in the response of the primary somatosensory cortex to tactile stimulation. This change correlates with the described conscious perception and suggests a greater degree of functional unification between the primary motor and somatosensory cortices than is currently realized. We suggest that this may reflect the evolution of this part of the human brain, which is thought to have occurred from an undifferentiated sensorimotor cortex.
X‐ray low‐angle scattering from oriented poly(ethylene terephthalate) films

Low-angle x-ray scattering data are used to deduce the morphology of oriented polymeric films. Generally, the structural models proposed to explain these patterns have been extrapolations of observations made from solution-grown polymer single crystals or from highly crystalline bulk polymers. These models and explanations may not be applicable broadly to oriented systems having only modest amounts of crystallinity or to those generated from precursor states that are grossly different. Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) was chosen as a model polymer system for study. A systematic series of uniaxially and biaxially deformed films were produced from this polymer, made from the initially glassy or crystalline states. The low-angle x-ray scattering patterns generated from these films were studied as a function of (a) the sequence of deformation, (b) the precursor structure, (c) molecular orientation, and (d) the direction of observation. Optical diffraction and model structures were used to aid in the interpretation of the morphology produced. At least three different-sized domains are developed upon deformation, ranging from that of the unit cell (about 10 A) to large laminar domains of average size 2,000 A × 10,000 A. This structure is shown to be substantially different from that developed in an oriented polyethylene film.
A Bimetallic Iron–Nickel Cluster from the Reaction of Nickelocene with a Pentairon Carbonyl Carbide Cluster Complex

The new bimetallic Fe–Ni carbide containing cluster complex, Fe4Ni(Cp)2(CO)10(μ5-C), 4 was afforded by metal–metal exchange and metal cluster rearrangement processes in the reaction of Fe5(μ5-C)(CO)15, 1, with NiCp2 at 80 °C. A minor product Fe5(Cp)2(CO)10(μ5-C), 5, was also obtained from this reaction which contains no nickel and is a di-Cp substituted derivative of 1. Both compounds were characterized by a combination of IR, 1H NMR, mass spectrometry, elemental and single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. Compound 4 consists of an open Fe4Ni(μ5-C) cluster framework with a carbide ligand where one iron atom bridges a butterfly arrangement of one nickel and three iron atoms.
Cigarette smoking and antiplatelet effects of aspirin monotherapy versus clopidogrel monotherapy in patients with atherosclerotic disease: results of a prospective pharmacodynamic study.

Smokers have a greater relative benefit of clopidogrel therapy compared with nonsmokers, likely attributed to its enhanced pharmacodynamic (PD) effects. However, to date, all PD studies have been conducted in patients on dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and clopidogrel, and it is unknown whether clopidogrel monotherapy can offer more effective antithrombotic effects compared with aspirin alone among smoking patients. Sixty aspirin-treated (81 mg/day) patients with vascular disease, classified as nonsmokers, light smokers, and heavy smokers according to cotinine serum levels, were enrolled. Patients were switched to clopidogrel (75 mg/day) monotherapy for 7–10 days. PD assessments were performed before and after switch by multiple electrode aggregometry (MEA) and kaolin-activated thromboelastography (TEG). Complete PD data were obtained in 57 patients (nonsmokers, n = 27; light smokers, n = 13; heavy smokers, n = 17). On treatment platelet reactivity following MEA, adenosine diphosphate (ADP) + prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) and thrombin receptor-activating peptide (TRAP) stimuli were significantly lower among heavy smokers following switch to clopidogrel. A significant inverse effect was observed with MEA arachidonic acid (ASPI), while neutral findings were shown with MEA collagen (COLL) stimulus. Thrombin and fibrin activity assessed by clot generation parameters were all nonsignificantly different but showed trends towards enhanced antithrombotic activity with clopidogrel among heavy smokers. In heavy smokers with vascular disease manifestations, clopidogrel is associated with enhanced platelet inhibitory effects, affecting purinergic and non-purinergic pathways, compared with aspirin as measured by MEA. Moreover, among smokers, clopidogrel offers trends towards enhanced effects on parameters of clot generation measured by TEG.
The History of Polysomnography

Similar to the first anatomists or the first radiographers, sleep scientists and physicians used electroencephalography and later polysomnography as means of "peering in" to the workings of the human body with the hope of gaining understanding. The rapid advancement of sleep research, made possible by the development of polysomnography, permitted not only a deeper understanding of normal sleep, but a more complete picture of the pathologic processes that affect sleep. After 20 years, not only has polysomnography been fine-tuned as a research tool and vital diagnostic test, but it has also made possible the creation of a new medical specialty and a new allied health field.
Transforming graphical interfaces into auditory interfaces

This work explores transforming graphical interfaces into auditory interfaces. By transparently transforming graphical application written with a commercial toolkit, I have been able to investigate strategies for generically modeling graphical interfaces. I use hierarchical structures to model graphical interfaces since these models best captured abstract representations of the graphical interfaces. These logical representations match how blind users conceptualize graphical interfaces, as well as correspond to the components that sighted users perceive. Additionally, creating usable auditory interfaces based on these models is feasible. I have helped build the Mercator system that transparently creates hierarchical models of graphical interfaces as the applications are executing. With generic models of graphical interfaces, the next task has been designing an interface that utilized only auditory output. Coupled with keyboard input, the Mercator interface allows users to explore and manipulate auditory representations of graphical interfaces. The contents of the interface is conveyed using auditory icons. These nonspeech sounds represent the identity and attributes of interface objects by mimicking real world sounds of the interface structure. This navigation strategy reinforces a blind user's mental model of the interface while providing a consistent set of controls for accessing all objects in the interface. The decision to use auditory icons in the interface spurred questions in designing these cues. By investigating how people described everyday sounds, and how they expected everyday sounds to be used in graphical interfaces, I highlighted several guidelines for designing auditory icons. These guidelines informed the selection of cues to be used in Mercator. My focus on blind users positively influenced my research in two ways. First, their requirements for access to graphical interfaces forced me to investigate generic transformations where the graphical and auditory interfaces shared an underlying representation. The most challenging aspect of the design was facilitating collaboration between sighted and blind users. Second, their real need for access technology has led me to help build a robust system that supports access to numerous applications and levels of user expertise.
Exploring the Diffusion of Molecular Oxygen in the Red Fluorescent Protein mCherry Using Explicit Oxygen Molecular Dynamics Simulations

The development of fluorescent proteins (FPs) has revolutionized cell biology research. The monomeric variants of red fluorescent proteins (RFPs), known as mFruits, have been especially valuable for tagging and tracking cellular processes in vivo. Determining oxygen diffusion pathways in FPs can be important for improving photostability and for understanding maturation of the chromophore. We use molecular dynamics (MD) calculations to investigate the diffusion of molecular oxygen in one of the most useful monomeric RFPs, mCherry. We describe a pathway that allows oxygen molecules to enter from the solvent and travel through the protein barrel to the chromophore. We calculate the free-energy of an oxygen molecule at points along the path. The pathway contains several oxygen hosting pockets, which are identified by the amino acid residues that form the pocket. We also investigate an RFP variant known to be significantly less photostable than mCherry and find much easier oxygen access in this variant. The results provide a better understanding of the mechanism of molecular oxygen access into the fully folded mCherry protein barrel and provide insight into the photobleaching process in these proteins.
Signaling Specificity-- a Complex Affair

GSK3 is a multifaceted kinase that is associated with both the insulin and Wnt signaling pathways in the cell. The question is: How does the cell prevent crosstalk between these two pathways if GSK3 is a key player in both of them? In their Perspective, discussing work published elsewhere, Weston and Davis explain the molecular steps that enable the two pathways to differentially regulate the substrates that are controlled (through phosphorylation) by GSK3.
Intracellular cyclic AMP levels in endothelial cells subjected to cyclic strain in vitro.

Abstract Human saphenous vein endothelial cells (EC) were grown to confluence in fibronectin-coated culture plates with flexible membrane bottoms and maintained in M-199 supplemented with substrates. One hour prior to experimentation 5 m M IBMX, a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, was added. Vacuum was used to deform the membrane bottoms to 24% strain at 60 cycles/min (0.5 sec elongation alternating with 0.5 sec relaxation). After 10–60 min of cyclic strain, or upon exposure of EC to 100 μ M forskolin or 0.1 μ M galanin, intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) was measured by radioimmunoassay. In parallel experiments, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) secretion was determined after 24 hr of cyclic strain in the absence or presence of forskolin or galanin. The results demonstrate that exposure of EC to cyclic strain led to no change in cAMP levels and confirmed our previous observation that tPA secretion was enhanced with cyclic strain. Addition of forskolin, which led to an almost 10-fold increase in cAMP levels, or galanin, which led to a 34% decrease in cAMP levels, did not significantly alter the rise in tPA induced by cyclic strain.
Marmot: an optimizing compiler for Java

The Marmot system is a research platform for studying the implementation of high level programming languages. It currently comprises an optimizing native-code compiler, runtime system, and libraries for a large subset of Java. Marmot integrates well-known representation, optimization, code generation, and runtime techniques with a few Java-specific features to achieve competitive performance. This paper contains a description of the Marmot system design, along with highlights of our experience applying and adapting traditional implementation techniques to Java. A detailed performance evaluation assesses both Marmot's overall performance relative to other Java and C++ implementations, and the relative costs of various Java language features in Marmot-compiled code. Our experience with Marmot has demonstrated that well-known compilation techniques can produce very good performance for static Java applications – comparable or superior to other Java systems, and approaching that of C++ in some cases. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nonconvulsive Seizure Control in the Intensive Care Unit

Nonconvulsive seizures (NCS) occur in as many as 20 % of comatose critically ill patients. These seizures need to be treated; however, the urgency with which this must be done and the medications that should be used are unclear. Often, data from treatment of convulsive status epilepticus (SE) is used to determine the best therapy for NCS. This may lead to “overtreatment” with sedating medications that prolongs hospitalization and worsens outcome. Nonsedating antiepileptic drug (AED) use is favored by many neurologists as the side effect profile is superior to sedating medications. Though limited, the available data suggests that valproic acid and lacosamide may be preferable to phenytoin/fosphenytoin and levetiracetam based on efficacy and side effect profiles. Other AEDs such as topiramate and pregabalin have also been used, but their data is even more limited, and they do not have an intravenous formulation. Clinical trials that have recently been completed and those that are ongoing will further inform our decisions about which drugs to use in the future.
Elevated-temperature deformation mechanisms and tensile ductility

As the understanding of deformation mechanisms in structural materials at elevated temperatures has progressed, so too has our understanding of tensile ductility at these temperatures, resulting in improved predictions of tensile ductility and new tools that are used for the engineering of advanced materials. An ability to quantitatively predict the tensile ductility of structural materials for specified conditions is of great concern to manufacturing and design. In particular, the prediction of tensile ductility at elevated temperatures is critical to warmand hot-forming processes, including such exotic techniques as superplastic forming. Of even greater long-term significance is the engineering of advanced materials with improved formability and increased ductility in service. Such advances are aided by, and may even require, a basic understanding of the mechanisms that control deformation behavior. Therefore, this issue of JOM addresses the topic of deformation mechanisms and ductility at elevated temperatures through the presentation of three articles that address separate and important aspects of this research area. The first paper, by E.M. Taleff and P.J. Nevland, offers a summary of data for the tensile ductility of nonsuperplastic aluminum materials at elevated temperatures. Particular emphasis is given to aluminum-magnesium materials, which exhibit enhanced tensile ductility well in excess of 100 percent at elevated temperatures. It is an understanding of creep deformation mechanisms that explains Elevated-Temperature Deformation Mechanisms and Tensile Ductility
National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) support of the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS)

The National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) began implementing Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) principles in 2001, when they partnered with the Gulf of Maine Ocean Observing System (GoMOOS). NDBC and GoMOOS collaborated on a project to transmit meteorological and oceanographic data from the GoMOOS buoys to NDBC in real-time. NDBC's data quality control, data format, and communications services to were then used to transmit the data to the NWS Telecommunications Gateway (NWSTG), which disseminated the data to the Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs) in the region.
The structural basis for intramembrane assembly of an activating immunoreceptor complex

Many receptors that activate cells of the immune system are multisubunit membrane protein complexes in which ligand recognition and signaling functions are contributed by separate protein modules. Receptors and signaling subunits assemble through contacts among basic and acidic residues in their transmembrane domains to form the functional complexes. Here we report the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) structure of the membrane-embedded, heterotrimeric assembly formed by association of the DAP12 signaling module with the natural killer (NK) cell–activating receptor NKG2C. The main intramembrane contact site is formed by a complex electrostatic network involving five hydrophilic transmembrane residues. Functional mutagenesis demonstrated that similar polar intramembrane motifs are also important for assembly of the NK cell–activating NKG2D-DAP10 complex and the T cell antigen receptor (TCR)–invariant signaling protein CD3 complex. This structural motif therefore lies at the core of the molecular organization of many activating immunoreceptors.
First committed step of lipid A biosynthesis in Escherichia coli: sequence of the lpxA gene.

Abstract The min 4 region of the Escherichia coli genome contains genes (lpxA and lpxB) that encode proteins involved in lipid A biosynthesis. We have determined the sequence of 1,350 base pairs of DNA upstream of the lpxB gene. This fragment of DNA contains the complete coding sequence for the 28.0-kilodalton lpxA gene product and an upstream open reading frame capable of encoding a 17-kilodalton protein (ORF17). In addition there appears to be an additional open reading frame (ORF?) immediately upstream of ORF17. The initiation codon for lpxA is a GUG codon, and the start codon for ORF17 is apparently a UUG codon. The start and stop codons overlap between ORF? and ORF17, ORF17 and lpxA, and lpxA and lpxB. This overlap is suggestive of translational coupling and argues that the genes are cotranscribed. Crowell et al. (D.N. Crowell, W.S. Reznikoff, and C.R.H. Raetz, J. Bacteriol. 169:5727-5734, 1987) and Tomasiewicz and McHenry (H.G. Tomasiewicz and C.S. McHenry, J. Bacteriol. 169:5735-5744, 1987) have demonstrated that there are three similarly overlapping coding regions downstream of lpxB including dnaE, suggesting the existence of a complex operon of at least seven genes: 5'-ORF?-ORF17-lpxA-lpxB-ORF23-dnaE-ORF37-3 '.
Turbulent boundary-layer effects on transient wave propagation in shallow water

The depth-integrated continuity and momentum equations developed by Liu & Orfila are extended to include the effects of turbulent bottom boundary layer. The eddy viscosity model is employed in the boundary layer, in which the eddy viscosity is assumed to be a power function of the vertical elevation from the bottom. The leading-order effects of the turbulent boundary layer appear as a convolution integral in the depth-integrated continuity equation because of the boundary-layer displacement. The bottom stress is also expressed as a convolution integral of the depth-averaged horizontal velocity. For simple harmonic progressive waves, the analytical expression for the phase shift between the bottom stress and the depth-averaged velocity is obtained. The analytical solutions for the solitary wave damping rate due to a turbulent boundary layer are also derived. Prandtl's one-seventh power law is described in detail as an example.
Approaching Storm: Disappearing Winter Bloom in Lake Michigan

ABSTRACT Between 1990 and 2001, late-winter phytoplankton blooms were common in parts of the lower Great Lakes (southern Lake Michigan, Saginaw Bay and southern Lake Huron, and western Lake Erie), providing resources for over-wintering Zooplankton. In Lake Michigan up to 2001, detailed remote sensing and ship studies documented well-developed late-winter blooms in the southern gyre (circular bloom termed the ‘doughnut’). However, from 2001 to 2008, the winter blooms in Lake Michigan also supported early season veliger larvae from the introduced, cold-water adapted “profunda” morph of quagga mussels (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis). Remote sensing and ship studies revealed that settled mussels caused an extraordinary increase in water transparency and a simultaneous decrease of Chl a in the late-winter bloom. Before quagga mussels in 2001, water transparency was 74–85% at deep-water sites, whereas it increased progressively to 89% by 2006 and 94–96% by 2008. Chlorophyll a concentrations in the gyre rings ...
The integrin-mediated cyclic strain-induced signaling pathway in vascular endothelial cells.

The irregular distribution of plaque in the vasculature results from the interaction of local hemodynamic forces with the vessel wall. One well-characterized force is cyclic circumferential strain, the repetitive pulsatile pressure distention on the arterial wall. This review summarizes current research, which has aimed to elicit the signal transduction pathway by which cyclic strain elicits functional and structural responses in endothelial cells; specifically, it summarizes the signaling pathway that begins with the reorganization of integrins. One method by which these extracellular matrix receptors affect signal transduction is through their ability to initiate the process of phosphorylation on tyrosine residues of cytoplasmic protein kinases, including focal adhesion kinase. The strain-induced pathway appears to also involve ras and the mitogen-activated protein kinase family of enzymes, and preliminary data suggests a role for src as well. Ultimately, it is the regulation of gene expression through ...
Implementing a Piezoelectric Transformer for a Ferroelectric Phase Shifter Circuit

This paper describes the successful development of a piezoelectric transformer-based driver circuit used to bias a ferroelectric phase shifter. The proof-of-concept circuit achieves voltages in excess of 400 VDC and accomplishes 0 to 180 degrees of phase shift at Ka-band. The ferroelectric phase shifter is the fundamental component in a new type of scanning phased array, the ferroelectric reflectarray. The coplanar ferroelectric phase shifter requires only one control signal, currently generated by magnetic circuit components. However magnetic devices suffer from resistive and magnetic losses, and dimensional and economic costs. New phased array architecture, not reliant on magnetics, can be realized because the piezoelectric transformer allows a low level signal to be routed to each phase shifter and converted to the proper bias voltage levels at each phase shifter. This research explores the use of a piezoelectric transformer (PT) as the alternative enabling component in the voltage supply for a ferroel...
Myosin-like aggregates in trypsin-treated smooth muscle cells.

Segments of the lower small intestine of the toad Bufo marinus were excised and soaked for approximately 2 hr in Ringer's solution (pH 7.4 or 7.8) containing crystalline trypsin and then fixed for electron microscopy at approximately the same pH. Thin sections of the tunica muscularis of these specimens show smooth muscle cells ranging in appearance from severely damaged at one extreme to apparently unaffected at the other. Among these are cells at intermediate stages, including some which exhibit large and conspicuous populations of thick filaments closely resembling artificially prepared aggregates of smooth muscle myosin. The thick filaments have the form of tactoids ∼ 250–300 A in diameter in their middle regions and are ∼ 0.5–1.0 µ in length. In some preparations they also display an axial periodicity approximating 143 A. They are usually randomly oriented and segregated from the thin filaments, which tend to form closely packed, virtually crystalline bundles at the periphery of these cells. "Dense bodies" are absent from cells showing these changes. The simplest interpretation of these data is that smooth muscle myosin normally exists among the actin filaments in a relatively disaggregated state and that trypsin induces aggregation by altering the conformation of the myosin molecule. Alternatively, trypsin may act indirectly through an effect on some other smooth muscle protein which normally forms a stable complex with relatively disaggregated myosin.
Building a better model of cancer.

The 2006 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory meeting on the Mechanisms and Models of Cancer was held August 16–20. The meeting featured several hundred presentations of many short talks (mostly selected from the abstracts) and posters, with the airing of a number of exciting new discoveries. We will focus this meeting review on models of cancer (primarily mouse models), highlighting recent advances in new mouse models that better recapitulate sporadic tumorigenesis, demonstrations of tumor addiction to tumor suppressor inactivation, new insight into senescence as a tumor barrier, improved understanding of the evolutionary paths of cancer development, and environmental/immunological influences on cancer.
The X as Model for RNA’s Niche in Epigenomic Regulation

The X-linked region now known as the “X-inactivation center” (Xic) was once dominated by protein-coding genes but, with the rise of Eutherian mammals some 150–200 million years ago, became infiltrated by genes that produce long noncoding RNA (ncRNA). Some of the noncoding genes have been shown to play crucial roles during X-chromosome inactivation (XCI), including the targeting of chromatin modifiers to the X. The rapid establishment of ncRNA hints at a possible preference for long transcripts in some aspects of epigenetic regulation. This article discusses the role of RNA in XCI and considers the advantages RNA offers in delivering allelic, cis-limited, and locus-specific control. Unlike proteins and small RNAs, long ncRNAs are tethered to the site of transcription and effectively tag the allele of origin. Furthermore, long ncRNAs are drawn from larger sequence space than proteins and can mark a unique region in a complex genome. Thus, like their small RNA cousins, long ncRNAs may emerge as versatile and powerful regulators of the epigenome.
Using Existing Software Assets in SOA Design

Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) is a business-driven IT architecture that is based on services (repeatable business tasks). The move to SOA is performed evolutionarily in most companies and public organizations. Therefore, identifying and leveraging software assets from existing applications or packageshas become a key task in SOA design. This paper summarizes major practical requirements from SOA projects and provides an overview of methodimperatives that address the requirements. Tool functions that support these imperatives conclude this overview
Genomics, gene expression and DNA arrays.

Experimental genomics in combination with the growing body of sequence information promise to revolutionize the way cells and cellular processes are studied. Information on genomic sequence can be used experimentally with high-density DNA arrays that allow complex mixtures of RNA and DNA to be interrogated in a parallel and quantitative fashion. DNA arrays can be used for many different purposes, most prominently to measure levels of gene expression (messenger RNA abundance) for tens of thousands of genes simultaneously. Measurements of gene expression and other applications of arrays embody much of what is implied by the term ‘genomics’; they are broad in scope, large in scale, and take advantage of all available sequence information for experimental design and data interpretation in pursuit of biological understanding.
Four quadrant voltage sag/swell compensation with interphase quasi-Z-source AC-AC topology

This paper proposes a new type of interphase voltage sag/swell compensator based on voltage-fed quasi-Z-source ac-ac converter to implement a four quadrant voltage injection. By PWM duty-ratio control, the converter performs as a “solid-state transformers” to provide a larger range of output ac voltage with buck-boost, reversing or maintaining phase angle, reducing in-rush and harmonic current, reducing passive component ratings, and improving reliability. The injected voltage amplitude can vary in a large range and its phase angle can vary in the whole 2π range due to the circuit features. Compared to conventional parallel series back to back dynamic compensator, the quasi-Z-source converter has smaller capacitor and inductor requirement, and also smaller switch voltage and current stress. The theory analysis can be divided into three parts: basic circuit analysis; passive component stress and switch stress comparison to conventional topology; voltage sag/swell compensation strategy. Simulation and laboratory test are also carried out on a prototype to validate the theory analysis.
γp interactions at 5.25 GeV

Abstract Photoproduction of resonances has been studied using positron annihilation radiation at 5.25 GeV in the SLAC 40-inch hydrogen bubble chamber. Results are presented on the nonstrange particle events and related to the vector dominance model.
Surface-Exposed Lipoproteins: An Emerging Secretion Phenomenon in Gram-Negative Bacteria

Bacterial lipoproteins are hydrophilic proteins that are anchored to a cell membrane by N-terminally linked fatty acids. It is widely believed that nearly all lipoproteins produced by Gram-negative bacteria are either retained in the inner membrane (IM) or transferred to the inner leaflet of the outer membrane (OM). Lipoproteins that are exposed on the cell surface have also been reported but are generally considered to be rare. Results from a variety of recent studies, however, now suggest that the prevalence of surface-exposed lipoproteins has been underestimated. In this review we describe the evidence that the surface exposure of lipoproteins in Gram-negative bacteria is a widespread phenomenon and discuss possible mechanisms by which these proteins might be transported across the OM.
An Empirical Investigation of the Consequences of Technostress: Evidence From China

With the growing adoption of information technology in organizations, technostress has become a problem that can no longer be ignored. Despite the fact that this form of stress emanates from excessive dependence on technologies, prior studies investigated its consequences mostly from job-centric points of view. The current study argues that technostress consequences are multi-faceted and lead to not only job-centric but also IT-centric detriments. It proposes a model that theoretically ties together the immediate reactions and extensive consequences of technostress for users. Using a survey of 221 Chinese knowledge workers, it was found that the negative influences of technostress expand far beyond what have been identified in prior research. Putting in a broader perspective, it can be detrimental to both the employee's job satisfaction and global attitude towards using information and communications technologies. Theoretical and pragmatic implications are also discussed.
Graphene/GaSe-Nanosheet Hybrid: Towards High Gain and Fast Photoresponse

While high photoconductive gain has been recently achieved in graphene-based hybrid phototransistors using semiconductor two-dimensional transition/post-transition metal dichalcogenides or quantum dots sensitizers, obtaining fast photoresponse simutaneously remains a challenge that must be addressed for practical applications. In this paper we report a graphene/GaSe nanosheets hybrid photodetector, in which GaSe nanosheets provide a favorable geometric link to graphene conductive layer through van Der Waals force. After a vacuum annealing process, a high gain in exceeding 107 has been obtained simitaneously with a dynamic response time of around 10 ms for both light on and off. We attribute the high performance to the elimination of possible deep charge traps, most probably at the graphene/GaSe nanosheets interface. This result demonstrates high photoconductive gain and fast photoresponse can be achieved simultaneously and a clean interface is the key to the high performance of these hybrid devices.
Risk assessment and management for interconnected critical infrastructure systems at the site and regional levels in California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

This article summarises research-in-progress for improved risk assessment and management (RAM) of critical infrastructures that interconnect across California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The need for improved RAM is patent in the Delta as elsewhere: a 'patch and pray' stalemate has developed which focuses on short-term reactive marginal maintenance and emergency response and recovery systems, all pushing infrastructures - and their engineers, designers and operators - increasingly to their performance edges and beyond. The research focuses on water supply, transportation, energy and flood protection systems, all of which are embedded in a dynamic ecosystem and showing clear signs of deterioration. Provisional findings of research activities are discussed. This article addresses critical infrastructure modelling uncertainties and ways to better understand, reduce or otherwise accommodate human/organisational and informational uncertainties in any RAM focused at the interconnected critical infrastructure system level.
Effect of Anesthesia Staffing Ratio on First-Case Surgical Start Time

On time start of the first case of the day is an important operating room (OR) efficiency metric, in which delays can have effects throughout the day. Although previous studies have identified various causes of first case start delays, none have attempted to evaluate the effect anesthesia staffing ratios have on first case start times. We performed a single-center retrospective analysis at an academic teaching hospital. Data was collected and analyzed over a period of 4 years and on more than 8,700 cases. We examined whether staffing ratios of attending only (solo staffing ratio), attending working with 1 resident/certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) (1 to 1), or attending covering 2 residents/CRNAs (1 to 2) had a significant effect on first patient in room time (FPIR) and first case on time start (FCOTS). In addition, we examined whether staffing ratios had an effect on start times in various surgical subspecialties. We performed a univariate logistic regression analysis to determine if age, anesthesia base units, American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status (ASA PS) classification score, and staffing ratio was associated with FPIR and FCOTS being on time. Then, we performed a multivariate logistic regression analysis to determine if staffing ratio was associated with these outcomes, utilizing age, anesthesia base units, and ASA PS class as covariates. A decreased odds for FPIR being on time were seen in general and orthopedic surgeries when staffed 1 to 1, and cardiac surgery when staffed 1 to 2, when compared to solo staffing. FCOTS showed statistically significant differences when looking at all services with solo staffing having the highest odds for FCOTS being on time. This effect was seen also when analyzing only oncologic and orthopedic surgeries. Hospitals should consider using different staffing ratios in different surgical specialties to minimize delays and maximize OR efficiency.
Assessing the Predacity of Nematode-Trapping Fungi in Vitro

The rate at which a variety of nematode-trapping fungi captured nematode populations in agar cultures was determined. The number of da required to capture entire populations of nematodes under vari...
OP0093 Income and Patient-Reported Outcomes (PROS) after Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty

Background Few studies have examined the association of lower income with arthroplasty outcomes. To our knowledge, there is only one study in TKA cohort. This study found no differences in pain and function outcomes 2-years after TKA by income level, but higher gains in lower income group. Thus, knowledge gap exists in this area. Objectives To assess whether income is associated with patient-reported outcomes (PROs) after primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Methods We used the prospectively collected data from the Mayo Clinic Total Joint Registry to assess the association of income with index knee functional improvement, moderate-severe pain and moderate-severe activity limitation at 2- and 5-year follow-up after primary TKA using multivariable-adjusted logistic regression analyses. Results There were 7,139 primary TKAs at 2-years and 4,234 at 5-years. In multivariable-adjusted analyses, at 2-year follow-up, compared to income >$45K, lower income of ≤$35K and >$35-45K were associated: (1) significantly with moderate-severe pain with odds ratio (OR) 0.61 [95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.40, 0.94] (p=0.02) and 0.68 [95% CI: 0.49, 0.94] (p=0.02); and (2) trend towards significance for moderate-severe activity limitation with OR 0.78 [95% CI: 0.60, 1.02] (p=0.07) and no significant association with OR, 0.96 [95% CI: 0.78, 1.20] (p=0.75), respectively. At 5-years, odds were not statistically significantly different by income, although numerically favored lowering income. In multivariable-adjusted analyses, overall improvement in knee function was rated as ‘better’ slightly more often at 2-years by patients with income in the ≤$35K compared to patients with income >$45K, with an OR 1.9 [95% CI: 1.0, 3.6] (p=0.06). Conclusions We found that patients with lower income had better pain outcomes compared to patients with higher income. There was more improvement in knee function, and trend towards less overall activity limitation after primary TKA in lower income patients, compared to higher income. Insights into mediators of these relationships need to be investigated to understand how income influences outcomes after TKA. Disclosure of Interest None Declared
Shock Associated with Deep Muscle Burns.

ConclusionsIt was not found possible to produce a progressive decline in arterial pressure, leading to death in lightly anesthetized dogs by means of deep muscle burns alone. A prodromal state of shock was produced, however, since the resistance of these dogs to bleeding was significantly less than that of control dogs similarly anesthetized but not burned. Since the volume of blood which had to be removed from the burned dogs in order to lower their mean arterial pressure to 50 mm Hg, plus the volume of edema in the legs, was as large as or larger in each case than the bleeding volume of the corresponding control dogs, it is concluded that the accumulation of fluid at the site of the burn is the principal factor responsible for the prodromal stage of shock in the burned dogs. Association of the extensive muscle destruction with restriction of movement and with prolonged moderately deep anesthesia converts the prodromal stage into outspoken shock with death of the dog even when the accumulation of fluid a...
Hydrogen production of a heavy hydrocarbon fuel autothermal reformer on NiO-Rh based monolithic catalysts

Catalytic autothermal reforming (ATR) is one promising technology to effectively produce hydrogen and syngas from heavy hydrocarbon fuels for fuel cell applications. The present study describes the development of a cylindrical 1.5 kWe scale autothermal reformer for on-board SOFCs. NiO-Rh bimetallic catalysts supported on 400 cpsi cordierite monoliths were experimentally examined in the reformer. Promoters including cerium, potassium and lanthanum were introduced in the catalysts preparation to improve their performance. Dodecane (C12H26) was used as a surrogate for desulfurized commercial Jet-A fuel (C11.6H22.3) to study the hydrogen selectivity and efficiency of ATR reactions with different catalysts. Gas chromatography (GC) equipped with TCD detector was used to monitor the concentration of H2, CO, CO2 and N2 in the reformate. The catalysts screening tests were performed at the same operation conditions including inlet temperatures, reactor temperature, steam to carbon ratio and oxygen to carbon ratio. The best catalyst was reported to have efficiency about 85 percent. The optimized reactor operation temperature was reported as 700 °C.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Applying the Glover-Rowe Parameter to Evaluate Low-Temperature Performance of Hot Mix Asphalt LTPP Sections

AbstractLong-term pavement performance (LTPP) projects with hot mix asphalt were evaluated using three proposed indicators for low temperature cracking resistance. The primary objectives were to compare ways to combine stiffness and relaxation properties to correlate with cracking, assess data collection schemes in the LTPP relating to the analysis methods, and provide agencies with information to develop approaches for cataloging binders and performance. The Superpave low-temperature specification was compared with the recently developed Glover-Rowe parameter to relate laboratory-measured properties to field cracking. Complex modulus and phase-angle master curves were constructed to plot binder properties in Black Space. Results show the Superpave specification and Glover-Rowe parameter were able to capture one significantly cracked section which had test data obtained within a reasonable amount of time from field measurement. However, the available LTPP data was not ideal for Glover-Rowe analysis, where...
ERMO-DG: Evolving Region Moving Object Dataset Generator

It is often essential to create datasets with foreseeable characteristics. For the design and testing of advanced spatiotemporal pattern mining algorithms,adaptable and large datasets are needed. In this paper, we present a synthetic dataset generator, ERMO-DG, that is intended for creating spatiotemporal patterns. Generated datasets consist of spatiotemporal object instances of different feature types, where these instances are represented by spatial regions evolving over time. The generator allows researchers to systematically create spatiotemporal datasets with predictable characteristics such as number of patterns, cardinality of patterns, velocity, acceleration, lifetime and spatialareas of instances.
Enzymatic synthesis and characterization of N(5)-(carboxymethyl)-L-ornithine and N (6)-(carboxymethyl)-L-lysine.

This report describes the enzyme-catalyzed synthesis, characterization, and chromatographic separation of N6-(carboxymethyl)-L-lysine and N5-(carboxymethyl)-L-ornithine. The two N ω -(carboxyalkyl)amino acids are formed via a reductive condensation between glyoxylate and thee- orδ-amino groups of lysine and ornithine, respectively. Both reactions are catalyzed by the NADPH-dependent enzyme, N5-(carboxyethyl)ornithine synthase [EC 1.5.1.24], found in some strains of the lactic acid bacteriumLactococcus lactis subsp.lactis.
Chest Computed Tomography in Children

This article describes the use of computed tomography for the evaluation of pediatric patients with a variety of chest diseases. Indications for chest CT, constraints of technical factors on the study, and analysis of the benefits of CT examination versus risks will also be discussed.
Endoscopic evaluation of the postoperative stomach.

Assessment of the postoperative stomach is one of the more challenging areas of upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopy. The anatomic variations encountered and associated physiologic aberrations are diverse and complex. Use of special techniques and integration of information from complementary nonendoscopic studies may aid the endoscopist greatly in this endeavor. The utility of appropriate endoscopic therapy in this setting is significant due to the difficulties with repeat surgical intervention in this situation.
Oxidation increases the strength of the methionine-aromatic interaction

Oxidation of methionine disrupts the structure and function of a range of proteins, but little is understood about the chemistry that underlies these perturbations. Using quantum mechanical calculations, we found that oxidation increased the strength of the methionine-aromatic interaction motif, a driving force for protein folding and protein-protein interaction, by 0.5-1.4 kcal/mol. We found that non-hydrogen-bonded interactions between dimethyl sulfoxide (a methionine analog) and aromatic groups were enriched in both the Protein Data Bank and Cambridge Structural Database. Thermal denaturation and NMR spectroscopy experiments on model peptides demonstrated that oxidation of methionine stabilized the interaction by 0.5-0.6 kcal/mol. We confirmed the biological relevance of these findings through a combination of cell biology, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations on (i) calmodulin structure and dynamics, and (ii) lymphotoxin-α binding toTNFR1. Thus, the methionine-aromatic motif was a determinant of protein structural and functional sensitivity to oxidative stress.
Continuous Measurements on Immobilized Cells by a Mass Filter

The possibility of a continuous assay based on direct measurement of volatile reactants of an enzyme-catalyzed reaction has been described (1,2). Extension of this analytical approach to immobilized cells should offer the same potential for speed and sensitivity. Also, it should allow a variety of species, such as carbon dioxide, HCHO, methanol, or acetic acid, to be monitored directly. Or, by downstream continuous enzymatic conversion, using a suitabale immobilized enzyme, nonvolatile species, such as glucose, pyruvate, lactate, and acetylcholine, could be used. The rationale for pursuing such measurements includes the possibility of studying the effects of many stimuli on immobilized cells. It also includes applications directed at environmental measurements, including the possibility of continuous, rapidly responding bioassays for environmental monitoring.
Theological Librarianship: An Unapologetic Apology

This essay is revised from an address given to the Fellowship of Christian Librarians and Information Scientists at the 2009 ALA conference (July 13, 2009). What does it mean to be a Christian librarian? Do Christian librarians have a particular vocation; if so, how would affect one's work? Is there a way to involve librarians who might be interested in a conversation? What various associations and groups would have a stake? How have these questions influenced my life and work, and how do they continue to do so?