cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Endothelin stimulates phosphatidic acid formation in cultured rat mesangial cells: Role of a protein kinase C-regulated phospholipase D

We have previously reported that endothelin-1 stimulates phospholipase C-induced hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate. Other signal transduction pathways that hydrolyze alternative phospholipids through phospholipase D may also mediate endothelin-stimulated cellular responses. We initially evaluated endothelin-dependent generation of 32P-phosphatidic acid as an indirect indication of phospholipase D activity in rat mesangial cells. Endothelin (10(-7) M) induced an elevation of phosphatidic acid that was maximal at 15 min and persisted upward of 60 min. Pretreatment with the diacylglycerol-kinase inhibitor, R59022, did not reduce formation of endothelin-stimulated 32P-phosphatidic acid, demonstrating that the sequential actions of phospholipase C/diacylglycerol kinase do not contribute to endothelin-stimulated phosphatidic acid formation. We next conclusively identified a role for phospholipase D in the generation of phosphatidic acid by assessing the formation of 3H-phosphatidylethanol from 3H-alkyl lyso glycerophosphocholine and exogenous ethanol. Endothelin stimulated 3H-alkyl phosphatidylethanol formation in the presence but not the absence of 0.5% ethanol. Also, endothelin induced a concomitant elevation of 3H-alkyl-phosphatidic acid that was significantly reduced when the cells were exposed to exogenous ethanol, reflecting the formation of phosphatidylethanol. In addition, endothelin stimulated the release of 3H-choline and 3H-ethanolamine, demonstrating that additional phospholipids may serve as substrates for phospholipase D. Phorbol esters and synthetic diglycerides mimicked the effects of endothelin to stimulate phospholipase D and inhibitors of protein kinase C significantly reduced endothelin-stimulated phospholipase D. In addition, endothelin did not stimulate phosphatidylethanol formation in protein kinase C down-regulated cells. The calcium ionophore, ionomycin, did not stimulate phospholipase D and mesangial cells pretreated with BAPTA to chelate cytosolic calcium did not show a diminished endothelin-stimulated phospholipase D. Thus these data demonstrate that mesangial cells possess a protein kinase C-regulated phospholipase D activity that can be stimulated with endothelin.
The Complexing Action of Eugenol on Sound Dentin

SYNOPSIS IN INTERLINGUALE ACTION COMPLEXATORI DE EUGENOL SUPER DENTINA NORMAL.-Eugenol a oxydo de zinc (EOZ) in applicationes clinic mollifica le dentina. Eugenol o aqua esseva addite in un proportion de 10:1 per peso a dentina in sectiones de 150 μ. Le concentration de Ca in eugenol accresceva a 21,5 mg per 100 ml intra 6 septimanas. In le systema de controlo a aqua le correspondente valor esseva 3 mg per 100 ml. Mixturas de EOZ esseva applicate a sectiones de dentina e le blocos de EOZ esseva tincturate pro Ca++. Le acceptation de Ca++ esseva positive e le controlo esseva negative. Iste datos demonstra le capacitate de eugenol e de EOZ de remover Ca++ ab dentina, possibilemente con le formation de un chelato.
Predicting Young’s modulus of nanowires from first-principles calculations on their surface and bulk materials

Using the concept of surface stress, we developed a model that is able to predict Young’s modulus of nanowires as a function of nanowire diameters from the calculated properties of their surface and bulk materials. We took both equilibrium strain effect and surface stress effect into consideration to account for the geometric size influence on the elastic properties of nanowires. In this work, we combined first-principles density functional theory calculations of material properties with linear elasticity theory of clamped-end three-point bending. Furthermore, we applied this computational approach to Ag, Au, and ZnO nanowires. For both Ag and Au nanowires, our theoretical predictions agree well with the experimental data in the literature. For ZnO nanowires, our predictions are qualitatively consistent with some of experimental data for ZnO nanostructures. Consequently, we found that surface stress plays a very important role in determining Young’s modulus of nanowires. Our finding suggests that the elastic properties of nanowires could be possibly engineered by altering the surface stress of their lateral surfaces.
C-DMRC: Compressive Distortion-Minimizing Rate Control for Wireless Multimedia Sensor Networks

This paper investigates the potential of the compressed sensing (CS) paradigm for video streaming in Wireless Multimedia Sensor Networks. The objective is to develop a rate adaptive video streaming protocol for compressive sensed video, integrated with a new video encoder based on compressed sensing. The proposed rate control scheme is developed with the objectives to maximize the received video quality at the receiver and to prevent network congestion while maintaining fairness between multiple video transmissions. Video distortion is minimized through analytical and empirical models and based on a new cross-layer control algorithm that jointly regulates the video quality and the strength of the channel coding at the physical layer. The end-to-end data rate is regulated to avoid congestion while maintaining fairness in the domain of video quality rather than data rate. The proposed scheme is shown to outperform traditional rate control schemes.
Immunological studies of liver, kidney, and muscle fructose 1,6-diphosphatases.

Abstract Immunological methods were employed to investigate possible structural relations between fructose 1,6-diphosphatases present in rabbit liver, kidney, and muscle. The liver and kidney enzymes were found to be immunologically identical, and distinct from the muscle enzyme. Liver and kidney fructose 1,6-diphosphatases were each inhibited approximately 80% by antiserum prepared against pure liver FDPase, whereas the activity of the muscle enzyme was not affected. In the Ouchterlony double-diffusion system liver and kidney FDPases gave a single continuous precipitin band of identity, and also behaved identically in immunoelectrophoresis. Muscle FDPase gave no precipitin bands in these tests and by activity stain was shown to have a different electrophoretic mobility. A method for the purification of rabbit kidney FDPase is described which yields a homogeneous preparation in high yield.
An exact algebraic solution for the recursive path model with manifest variables

It is shown that the classical recursive path “model” By = Ax + Uz, where Cov(x,z) = 0 and B is lower triangular, has a very simple algebraic solution that is essentially given by the choleski factor of the partial variance-covariance matrix, Var (y|x). This solution always exists, and it is unique provided only that Var(x) and Var(y|x) are nonsingular. It may be useful for exploratory work and also as a starting configuration to speed up convergence of iterative estimation schemes.
TCT-530 Long-term Cost Patterns of Directional Atherectomy vs. Other Treatment Choices for Diabetes Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease: a 12-Month Analysis of Administrative Claims Data

Directional atherectomy is an endovascular therapy that is effective in the treatment of diabetes patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). This study was undertaken to assess the prevalence of PAD treatments in a real-world diabetic population, and to compare all-cause healthcare costs of
Functional Reconstitution of Thrombomodulin within a Substrate-Supported Membrane-Mimetic Polymer Film

A stable, protein C activating membrane-mimetic film was produced on a polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) by in-situ photopolymerization of a phospholipid assembly containing thrombomodulin (TM). The monoacrylated phospholipid monomer was initially synthesized and prepared as unilamellar vesicles with varying molar concentrations of TM. Notably, in mixed-lipid systems, K m values for protein C activation increased in direct proportion to the mole fraction of polymerizable lipid, which was likely due to reduced membrane mobility after photopolymerization. Membrane-mimetic films were also constructed on planar substrates with predictable surface concentrations of catalytically active TM. Significantly, at a TM surface concentration of 170 fmol/cm 2 , the rate of protein C activation was comparable to that measured for a variety of confluent endothelial cell monolayers. Serial measurements of contact angles and protein C activation confirmed short-term film stability under a variety of in vitro conditions. Moreover, 1 2 5 I labeling of TM demonstrated little change in TM surface concentration over periods of up to 28 days. Significantly, polymeric lipid membranes functionalized with thrombomodulin efficiently inhibited thrombin generation. We believe that the design of membrane-mimetic films that have the capacity to activate the protein C pathway will provide a useful strategy for generating "actively" antithrombogenic surfaces.
Synthetic Rations for the Dairy Calf

Summary 1.A synthetic milk has been developed for the young dairy calf. This ration will support good growth over a period of 12 weeks from birth. The animals raised on this diet were healthy and thrifty in appearance. 2.On rations containing liberal amounts of vitamin A, the young dairy calf does not require vitamin C. 3.Calves that received soybean oil in the diet grew poorly, scoured, and appeared unthrifty, whereas the animals that received the rations prepared with lard showed good gains in weight, did not scour, and appeared normal and healthy. 4.The calves did much better in all respects when fed the synthetic milk diet than when solid diets fed as a slurry were used.
Influence of Arctic Wetlands on Arctic Atmospheric Circulation

The Arctic’s land surface has large areas of wetlands that exchange moisture, energy, and momentum with the atmosphere. The authors use a mesoscale, pan-Arctic model simulating the summer of 1986 to examine links between the wetlands and arctic atmospheric dynamics and water cycling. Simulations with and without wetlands are compared to simulations using perturbed initial and lateral boundary conditions to delineate when and where the wetlands influence rises above nonlinear internal variability. The perturbation runs expose the temporal variability of the circulation’s sensitivity to changes in lower boundary conditions. For the wetlands cases examined here, the period of the most significant influence is approximately two weeks, and the wetlands do not introduce new circulation changes but rather appear to reinforce and modify existing circulation responses to perturbations. The largest circulation sensitivity, and thus the largest wetlands influence, occurs in central Siberia. The circulation changes induced by adding the wetlands appear as a propagating, equivalent barotropic wave. The wetlands anomaly circulation spreads alterations of surface fluxes to other locations, which undermines the potential for the wetlands to present a distinctive, spatially fixed forcing to atmospheric circulation. Using the climatology of artic synoptic-storm occurrence to indicate when the arctic circulation is most sensitive to altered forcing, the results suggest that the circulation is susceptible to the direct influence of wetlands for a limited time period extending from spring thaw of wetlands until synoptic-storm occurrence diminishes in midsummer. Sensitivities in arctic circulation uncovered through this work occur during a period of substantial transition from a fundamentally frozen to thawed state, a period of major concern for impacts of greenhouse warming on pan-Arctic climate. Changing arctic climate could alter the behavior revealed here.
Regional-scale stratigraphy of surface units in Tyrrhena and Iapygia Terrae, Mars: Insights into highland crustal evolution and alteration history

[1] The compositional, thermophysical and geologic characteristics of surface units in Iapygia and Tyrrhena Terra (60°E–100°E, 0°–30°S) provide new insights into the compositional stratigraphy of the region. Intercrater plains are dominated by two surface units. The older unit (unit 1) is deficient in olivine and more degraded and likely consists of a mixture of impact, volcanic and sedimentary materials. The younger unit (unit 2) is enriched in olivine, exhibits a resistant morphology and higher thermal inertia, and likely represents volcanic infilling of plains. Units 1 and 2 bear a strong resemblance to those previously mapped in Mare Serpentis, a section of highlands crust located northwest of Hellas Basin. Thus, the two major intercrater plains units are even more widespread than previously thought and therefore likely constitute important components of Mars' highland stratigraphy. Many craters in the region contain high thermal inertia deposits (unit 3) that are compositionally identical to unit 2. These may have formed via volcanic infilling or may represent sedimentary materials that have been eroded from crater walls and lithified. Less common units include olivine and/or pyroxene-rich massifs and crater central peaks. These are primarily found within Hellas Basin rim units and may represent mantle materials brought toward the surface during the Hellas impact. Putative chloride deposits are primarily associated with olivine-deficient surfaces (unit 1) that may be heavily degraded occurrences of unit 2. The observations raise a variety of questions related to Martian crustal evolution and alteration that may have more widespread implications outside the study region.
Modeling Wyoming's Carbon Dioxide Pipeline Network

Abstract A model of Wyoming's carbon dioxide pipeline network has been developed and used to analyze its capacity. The inlet to this pipeline is at Exxon Mobil's Shute Creek gas processing plant, and supercritical gas is then sent to Rangeley (Colorado), Rock Springs, Monell, Baroil and Salt Creek (all in Wyoming) fields. Along the way, the supercritical gas is cooled to a liquid. Here it is shown that the pipeline could easily accommodate a rate increase from the current 250 MMSCFD to 325 MMSCFD, utilizing the gas that is currently being vented from the Shute Creek intermediate separator, while maintaining the current inlet temperature and pressure. If new CO2 supplies became available it would be possible to increase the carbon dioxide throughput from 250 MMSCFD to 600 MMSCFD while extending the pipeline to other oilfields such as Beaver Creek and Hartzog Draw. In certain circumstances, this high rate may produce output pressures below the required miscibility pressures and also produce phase changes in...
The League of Nations covenant and the United Nations charter: An analysis of two international constitutions

This paper uses the principles of constitutional economics to analyze the evolution of two international constitutions, the League of Nations Covenant and the United Nations Charter. A graphical model is used to illustrate the formation and success of the international organizations created by these documents. This paper concludes that there were two factors that resulted in the failure of the League. They were the redistribution of power in favor of the smaller nations and the free-rider problem caused by the non-binding nature of the League's decisions. Amendments were proposed to the League's Covenant which may have fixed these problems, but they were never ratified. The reasons for the failure of the League had a strong influence on the wording of the U.N. Charter. The analysis in this paper is an extension of the tools provided by constitutional economics, which have mostly been applied to national constitutions.
The Effect of Acute Acidosis on the Uptake of Parathyroid Hormone and the Production of Adenosine 3′,5′-Monophosphate by Isolated Perfused Bone

Increased bone resorption and negative calcium balance are known to occur in metabolic acidosis. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects are unclear. The present studies examine the effects of lowering pH in vitro on the uptake and action of parathyroid hormone (PTH) in an isolated perfused canine tibia preparation. Both the arterio-venous difference for immunoreactive PTH (iPTH) across bone and cAMP production by isolated bone during infusion of synthetic bovine PTH·(1–34) [bPTH·(1–34)] were studied. At perfusate pH 7.4 (Krebs-Henseleit buffer with 1% bovine serum albumin gassed with 95% O2-5% CO2), basal cAMP production was 6.3 ± 1.8 pmol/min. After the addition of synthetic bPTH·(1–34) (3 ng/ml) to the perfusate, cAMP production rose to 25.9 ± 4.8 pmol/min, and the arterio-venous difference for iPTH across the perfused bone was 35 ± 2% in eight studies. In 10 additional studies after initial control periods for cAMP production (7.6 ± 1.6 pmol/min), the perfusate pH was lowered to 7.0–7.1 by ad...
Effect of two methods of introducing foods during feeding treatment on acceptance of previously rejected items

The effects of using a single food item (e.g. bread) versus using multiple items (e.g. bread, pasta, and rice) when establishing food acceptance via an escape prevention procedure were investigated with six children who presented with food selectivity. Eating was exposed to a differential reinforcement of food acceptance treatment package but food acceptance did not improve. Criterion levels of appropriate eating (> 80% acceptance, < 20% expulsion, and < 20% disruption) were subsequently established with either nonremoval of the spoon or physical guidance for each of the participants. Three of the children were presented with only one food item during acquisition of acceptance. The other children were presented with three different food items from the same food group. It was found that acquisition of acceptance was more rapid for the single-item group but that food acceptance was more likely to generalize to previously rejected items for the multi-item group. The implications for clinical intervention are discussed. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fluorescence of 2-hydroxy-3-naphthoic acid hydrazide derivatives of side-chain carboxyl groups of proteins.

Sections processed through the first part of the Barrnett and Seligman (1958) procedure, which is considered to be selective for side-chain carboxyl groups of proteins, are fluorescent when exposed to incident blue light. The results of a number of tests suggest that the fluorescence can be ascribed principally to binding of 2-hydroxy-3-naphthoic acid hydrazide (HNAH) by mixed acid anhydride derivatives of side-chain carboxyl groups of proteins. Thus, the procedure appears to be a fluorescent counterpart of the bright-field method of Barrnett and Seligman.
Frequency Domain Flutter Boundary Computations Using Navier-Stokes Equations on Superclusters

T HEevaluation of flutter characteristics ofwings and rotor blades is critical to avoid structural failures [1]. Wind-tunnel experiments in this area are rare due to the high expenses involved, and flight tests are almost impossible due to high risk [2]. Computational flutter simulations based on linear theory (LT) methods are well established, but they are not adequate to resolve the flow complexities involved in real flights. High-fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods based on the Navier–Stokes equations are needed. Aeroelastic computations using the potential flow theory-based CFD were started in conjunction with time-integration (TI) and frequency domain (FD) approaches in the late 1970s [3]. Currently, CFD for aeroelasticity has advanced to use Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations [4]. The TI approach [4] needed in the final stages of design is computationally more expensive than the FD [5] approach for computing flutter boundaries, since aeroelastic responses need to be computed for changes in every design parameter. Under certain assumptions, a good prediction of a flutter boundary can be made using the FD approach [5]. The primary assumption in the FD approach is that the aerodynamic loads can be linearly superimposed among modes, since flutter starts as a small perturbation phenomenon. Hence, this approach is computationally less expensive than the TI approach, since only one-time computation of aerodynamic data is required for a selected set of modes and frequencies. Data for arbitrary frequencies are generated by interpolating the precomputed aerodynamic data based on selected frequencies [5]. Similar to the FD, methods based on reduced-order modeling are introduced to reduce the computational cost [6]. However, as stated in [7], studies show that reduced-order models are neither robust with respect to parameter changes nor cheap to generate data when using the Navier–Stokes equations. The FD approach well established in industry [8] for LT-based methods is highly suitable for large-scale computations using CFD. Compared to using LT, the computational time is significantly larger for using the Navier–Stokes-equations-based CFD. Developments in supercomputers have alleviated the computational time issues. This Note describes a procedure using parallel computers for efficiently computing the flutter boundaries by the RANS-based FD approach. The unsteady aerodynamic data are obtained by timeaccurately solving the RANS equations for oscillatory motions. A modal approach is then used to compute the flutter boundary. Contrary to the common practice of generating data by submitting jobs for cases separately (concurrent computing) [9], in the present Note, computations are made efficiently in a single job environment using a parallel protocol [10]. With this protocol, all cases start and end at the same time, eliminating the effort to monitor multiple jobs.
Simultaneous Medullary and Differentiated Thyroid Cancer: A Population-Level Analysis of an Increasingly Common Entity

Simultaneous medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) and differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) is a rare entity. This is the first population-level analysis of the characteristics and outcomes of simultaneous MTC/DTC. In the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (1988–2008), patients with simultaneous MTC/DTC were retrospectively compared with those with MTC alone using χ2, ANOVA, log-rank tests, Cox multivariate regression, and Kaplan–Meier analyses. A total of 162 patients had simultaneous MTC/DTC; 1,699 had MTC alone. MTC was diagnosed first in 67.9 % of simultaneous MTC/DTC cases. Simultaneous MTC/DTC increased from 2.7 % of all MTCs in 1988–1997 to 12.3 % in 2003–2008. Compared with MTC alone, simultaneous MTC/DTC had smaller mean MTC tumor size (2.9 vs. 2.2 cm; p = 0.005) and lower rates of MTC extrathyroidal extension (25.4 vs. 16.8 %; p = 0.015) and distant metastases (15.7 vs. 9.3 %; p = 0.032). Patients diagnosed with DTC first had smaller mean MTC tumor sizes (p = 0.01), whereas patients diagnosed with MTC first had tumor sizes similar to those of MTC alone. Compared with MTC alone, patients with simultaneous MTC/DTC were more likely to receive thyroidectomy (84.7 vs. 93.2 %; p = 0.003) and radioisotopes (4.4 vs. 25 %; p < 0.001). On Kaplan–Meier analysis, disease-specific survival rates were higher for simultaneous MTC/DTC than for MTC alone (10-year survival rates 87 vs. 81 %; p = 0.056). Simultaneous MTC/DTC is diagnosed earlier in tumor development than MTC alone, with a trend toward better prognosis. This entity likely represents a primary tumor with an incidental pathologic finding of a second malignancy. Each malignancy should be treated according to its respective stage and current guidelines.
Effects of groundwater flux on open-channel estimates of stream metabolism

The open-channel oxygen method can produce precise estimates of photosynthesis (P) and respiration (R) over a wide range of stream conditions. It is widely recognized that flux of groundwater contributes to the oxygen mass balance for a stream. However, groundwater flux is rarely considered in open-channel estimates of stream metabolism, and no guidelines have been established regarding the conditions under which it can be ignored. The purpose of this paper is to describe a method for predicting the effect of groundwater flux on estimates of metabolism and thereby establish the conditions under which flux of groundwater can lead to large errors in estimates of metabolism. Estimation of P is not significantly affected by flux of groundwater. Ecosystem R, however, can be greatly overestimated where the oxygen concentration of groundwater is substantially lower than the concentration in the channel. Although the effects of groundwater flux on estimates of metabolism often are trivial, rates of flux can be sufficiently high in many streams, at least during some part of the year, to affect estimates of R where the oxygen concentration differs substantially between groundwater and surface water. Thus, the potential contribution of groundwater flux to oxygen mass balance should always be evaluated when the open-channel method is used.
Differential regulation by ATP versus ADP further links CaMKII aggregation to ischemic conditions

CaMKII, a major mediator of synaptic plasticity, forms extra-synaptic clusters under ischemic conditions. This study further supports self-aggregation of CaMKII holoenzymes as the underlying mechanism. Aggregation in vitro was promoted by mimicking ischemic conditions: low pH (6.8 or less), Ca2+ (and calmodulin), and low ATP and/or high ADP concentration. Mutational analysis showed that high ATP prevented aggregation by a mechanism involving T286 auto-phosphorylation, and indicated requirement for nucleotide binding but not auto-phosphorylation also for extra-synaptic clustering within neurons. These results clarify a previously apparent paradox in the nucleotide and phosphorylation requirement of aggregation, and support a mechanism that involves inter-holoenzyme T286-region/T-site interaction.
Evaluation of solar air heaters for crop drying

Abstract Suspended-plate solar air heaters wee installed on farms in Tennessee to supply heat for grain and crop drying. Designs included a wrap-around heater, a portable heater and a multipurpose barn. The heaters were telemetrically monitored to determine thermal performance and to allow subsequent analyses of economic feasibility. Results of the thermal analysis revealed that solar air heaters will successfully provide a suitable air temperature rise during most crop drying conditions. The heaters operated with average thermal efficiencies in the range of 50–70%. Economic analyses considered various combinations of interest and fuel inflation rates as well as initial costs and thermal performances. The analyses indicated that solar air heaters are economically feasible if they are used at least 2 months per year assuming not more than 14% annual interest and at least 4% annual fuel inflation.
Process control with adaptive range coding

Dynamical control with adaptive range coding eliminates fundamental shortcomings found in earlier applications of range (course) coding which used fixed partitioning. Adaptive range coding has the advantages of efficient implementation, execution and generalization. With the adaptive algorithm, region shapes are continually adjusted during operation and will self-organize to reflect the global dynamics of the system and the environment. The system progressively develops a control map relating environmental states, control actions, and future reinforcements.
The pet hamster as a potential reservoir of human campylobacteriosis.

SIR Campylobacter fetus subspecies jejuni has been isolated from animals, including pets, with diarrheal disease, and it is commonly associated with an enteric disease characterized by moderate to severe diarrhea in adults or children. Campylobacter organisms have been recently isolated from hamsters used for biomedical research [1]. In a recent survey of pet hamsters, C. fetus subspecies jejuni was isolated from 24 of 30 golden Syrian hamsters purchased in lots of five from six pet stores located in the greater Boston area. All 15 hamsters from three stores (two of these stores having the same supplier) were positive for the organism; in the remaining three stores, 40%, 60%, and 80%, of the hamsters sampled were positive for C. fetus subspecies jejuni. From each of three of the pet stores, one of five animals had watery diarrhea. All suppliers of the hamsters were located on the East coast.
Thermal analysis of a flat-plate collector in multiphase flows, including superheat

A thermal analysis of the performance of a solar flat-plate collector operating in nonboiling. boiling, and superheated regimes is presented. The performance of the collector under these single and multiphase conditions is governed by the axial fractional channel lengths of the subcooled (nonboiling) and the superheated regions. The overall thermal loss coefficient, the dimensionless capacitance rate, and collector efficiency factors for various collector operating regions are defined. A new "Generalized Heat Removal Factor," ~,, and a new overall thermal loss coefficient, UL, for fiat-plate collectors under any operation mode are developed. The thermal efficiency a flat-plate collector, whether under nonboiling. boiling, or superheated conditions, is evaluated using ~, and UL. It is shown that the value of ~, de- creases and the value of UL increases as the degree of superheat increases. Current applications of fiat- plate collectors having multiphase flows are represented by those charged with refrigerants.
Plasmapheresis Therapy of Pemphigus

Systemic corticosteroids are the cornerstone of pemphigus therapy. Their use has transformed an almost invariably fatal illness into one whose mortality is less than 10%, probably closer to 5%. 1 However, the serious side effects associated with the prolonged and high doses of corticosteroids required to treat pemphigus have prompted a search for adjuvant therapies that might reduce the need for this drug. Several adjuvant treatments have been suggested. These include a variety of cytotoxic drugs (azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, cyclosporine, methotrexate), gold, and dapsone. The value of these agents in the treatment of pemphigus is not clear for a variety of reasons, 1 the most important being that no controlled study to formally establish effectiveness has been done with any adjuvant. In addition, most patients in adjuvant studies are concurrently treated with corticosteroids, so that it is difficult to know which agent is responsible for a clinical response. Equally troublesome is
Histamine H1 receptors in human brain labelled with [3H]Doxepin

Doxepin, a tricyclic antidepressant, is one of the most potent histamine H1 antagonists. Therefore, the binding of [3H]doxepin to human brain membranes was examined. Scatchard analysis revealed two distinct binding sites. The high-affinity binding site with a dissociation constant (KD +/- S.E.M.) of 3.1 +/- 0.3 X 10(-10) M was pharmacologically identified as histamine H1 receptors. Dissociation curves at low concentrations of [3H]doxepin were biphasic, suggesting several possibilities about the interaction between [3H]doxepin and histamine H1 receptors. Tetracyclic antidepressants, mianserin and maprotiline, were very potent, with KDs of 3.6 +/- 0.7 X 10(-10) M and 7.9 +/- 0.5 X 10(-10) M, respectively. Mequitazine, a new antihistamine with a weak sedative effect, had a KD of 5.8 +/- 0.8 X 10(-9), making it ten times as potent as the classic antihistamine diphenhydramine. The highest binding of [3H]doxepin to histamine H1 receptors was found in cerebral neocortex and the limbic system. The distribution of histamine H1 receptors in human central nervous system did not correlate with the previously reported distributions in rat brain and guinea pig brain determined by [3H]doxepin binding.
Design of P and PI stabilizing controllers for quasi-linear systems

Abstract The systems studied in this paper are nonlinear systems perturbed by disturbances which are feedback transformable to quasi-linear systems [i.e. z = Az + Bv + ζ( z ) d with ( A , B ) controllable]. We consider the problem of designing stabilizing controllers for perturbed nonlinear systems through their equivalent quasi-linear systems. With the addition of integral action, we can guarantee not only ultimate δ-stabilization but also zero steady state offset for both the output of the quasi-linear system ( y = Cz ) and for the equivalent output [ y = h ( x )] of the nonlinear system. Moreover, when the so-called disturbance matching condition is satisfied, it is shown that all the states of the quasi-linear system (and the nonlinear system) will exhibit zero steady state offset. All the results presented here are for single control input systems.
Synthesis and structure of [Rh4(CO)5(μ-PPh2)5]−, a completely phosphide bridged tetrarhodium cluster

Abstract The synthesis, pre31P {pre1H} NMR spectrum, and structure of the first completely phosphide bridged rhodium cluster is described. This novel complex has an arachno (or “butterfly”) structure, with a dihedral angle of 124°, and contains only PPh2− groups as bridging ligands.
Monte Carlo calibration of the response of the University of Chicago’s Cosmic Ray Nuclei Experiment (CRNE) on IMP-8 to electrons above 0.5 MeV

Abstract Modern instrument-simulation techniques offer the possibility of increasing the scientific yield from archival space datasets. In this paper, we report on a simulation of the electron response of the University of Chicago’s Cosmic Ray Nuclei Experiment (CRNE) instrument on the IMP-8 satellite. IMP-8/CRNE returned data from 1973 to 2006. The CRNE particle telescope was designed to measure the isotopic composition of Galactic cosmic-ray (GCR) nuclei and has also been used in many studies of protons and ions above 10 MeV/nucleon from solar energetic particle (SEP) events. But CRNE also functions as a highly-capable detector for solar electrons above 0.5 MeV, an energy range that has not been extensively studied. Utilization of the CRNE electron data has heretofore been limited by the fact that CRNE was never calibrated for electrons. We have therefore used the GEANT4 Monte Carlo simulation package to model the CRNE response to electrons and (separately) protons for multiple energies and incident angles. The results were used to compute the energy- and angle-dependence of the effective area and the energy-dependence of the geometric factor. The response to protons, which was already well understood, was used to verify the mass model, the simulation settings, and the post-processing software. Our simulation of the IMP-8/CRNE electron response now allows analysis of hundreds of relativistic solar electron events observed by CRNE over the years, including studies of evolution of electron energy spectra with high time resolution. We show examples of these results and briefly discuss potential applications to future scientific investigations.
Electroproduction of low hadronic masses

A model satisfying analytic, unitary, and soft-meson requirements is found to account for all electroproduction data in the $\ensuremath{\Delta}(3,3)$ region even at very high photon momentum transfers. The $\ensuremath{\Delta}$, pion, and nucleon axial-vector form factors are discussed within the framework of this simple yet accurate model.
Galerkin approximations of the generalized Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equation

In this paper we study the convergence of the Galerkin approximation method applied to the generalized Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (GHJB) equation over a compact set containing the origin. The GHJB equation gives the cost of an arbitrary control law and can be used to improve the performance of this control. The GHJB equation can also be used to successively approximate the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equation. We state sufficient conditions that guarantee that the Galerkin approximation converges to the solution of the GHJB equation and that the resulting approximate control is stabilizing on the same region as the initial control. The method is demonstrated on a simple nonlinear system and is compared to a result obtained by using exact feedback linearization in conjunction with the LQR design method.
Genetic Aspects of Milk Yield and Reproductive Performance

Abstract The genetic relationship between milk yield and reproductive performance was investigated in 72,187 records with breeding information from 201 California dairy herds. Traits characterizing reproductive performance were days to first and last breeding, days open, and number of services; their heritabilities in primaparous cows were 4, 4, 2, and 1. Genetic correlations between reproductive performance and 60-day, 180-day, and 305-day fat-corrected-milk-yields were positive, indicating that higher producing cows were bred later, took longer to conceive, and required more services per conception. Genetic correlations were highest between measures of reproductive performance and 305-day yield but were less for the 180-day and 60-day yields which were unaffected by pregnancy.
The role of a bentonite-based packing in limiting steady radionuclide release from an underground high-level waste respository

Abstract Steady fractional release rates are calculated for an isolated waste canister protected by bentonite-based and alternative packing materials in both basalt and tuff repositories. The bentonite-based packing is shown to be superior to either crushed basalt or crushed tuff packing in reducing nuclide release. Additional fractional release rates assessing the role of the packing permeability, K p , are also studied. Nuclide release is found to be insensitive to large changes in K p , reducing concern over possible alteration of the bentonite to nonsmectite minerals.
Factor Validity of Scores on a Social Support and Conflict Measure among Chinese Americans

Data collected from the Chinese American Psychiatric Epidemiological Study (CAPES) were used to examine the factor validity of selected social support and conflict indices among 1,152 married Chinese Americans. Gender, age, and a 36-item social interaction scale consisting of six separate indices of social support and social conflict (spouse, family, and friend) were factor analyzed. As expected, cross-cultural validity of scores on all six social interaction indices was confirmed, lending empirical support to the notion that social support and conflict from different sources are distinct constructs in Chinese Americans.
Activin-A, Inhibin and Transforming Growth Factor-β Modulate Growth of Two Gonadal Cell Lines*

The proliferative and differentiating effects of the gonadal hormones inhibin and activin-A were examined on cell lines derived from the ovary and testis. Activin-A was found to inhibit the growth of CHO-K1 (Chinese hamster ovary) cells in culture, with an IC50 of 3 ng/ml. The maximal response (50% inhibition) required 3 days of incubation in the presence of 40 ng/ml activin-A, and the inhibitory effect was accompanied by morphological changes. Inhibin (10 ng/ml) partially blocked the inhibition of growth by activin. Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF beta), which is structurally related to activin and inhibin, was a very potent inhibitor of the proliferation of CHO-K1 cells, with an IC50 of 0.2 ng/ml and a maximal effect (70% inhibition) at 2 ng/ml. The combination of high concentrations of both TGF beta and activin-A did not result in a greater inhibitory effect than that observed with TGF beta alone, suggesting an overlapping step in the mechanism of action for both factors. In contrast to the results with CHO-K1 cells, differential effects of activin-A and TGF beta were observed in R2C (rat Leydig cell testicular tumor) cells. Activin-A had only a slight effect on proliferation over a 4-day incubation, but inhibited progesterone accumulation ina concentration-dependent fashion within 12 h. TGF beta, on the other hand, was a potent inhibitor of both growth and steroidogenesis in R2C cells. These studies suggest that activin-A and inhibin may regulate proliferation as well as functions of gonadal cells.
Ocean color instrument intercomparisons and cross-calibrations by the SIMBIOS project (1999-2000)

The NASA Sensor Intercomparison and Merger for Biological and Interdisciplinary Oceanic Studies (SIMBIOS) Project has a worldwide, ongoing ocean color data collection program, as well as an operational data processing and analysis capability. SIMBIOS data collection takes place via the SIMBIOS Science Team and the NASA Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET). In addition, SIMBIOS has a calibration and product validation component. The primary purpose of these calibration and product validation activities are to (1) reduce measurement error by identifying and characterizing true error sources such as real changes in the satellite sensor or problems in the atmospheric correction algorithm, in order to differentiate these errors from natural variability in the marine light field; and (2) evaluate the various bio-optical algorithms being used by different ocean color missions. For each sensor, the SIMBIOS Project reviews the sensor design and processing algorithms being used by the particular ocean color project, compares the algorithms with alternative methods when possible, and provides the results to the appropriate project office.
Determination of time-of-flight surfaces using the method of moments (US imaging)

To produce an image from backscattered signals requires a knowledge of the time of flight from each source to each sensor in a transducer array. The authors reduced the determination of the rectangular coordinates of a new point on any time-of-flight surface, which requires finding the square root of the sum of squares, to the time of a single addition. To do this, the time-of-flight surface was represented by a two-dimensional, positive-integer-degree polynomial and then that polynomial was implemented in its forward-difference form. Two solutions for such a polynomial were found using the method of moments. A minimum-mean-square-error constraint yields polynomial coefficients from a numeric evaluation of the moments of arbitrary surfaces over rectangular regions, and an analytical solution for moments of time-of-flight surfaces over sector-shaped regions. For a 7*6-cm region at a minimum range of 4 cm centered in a 74 degrees sector, the maximum error for a second-degree polynomial was 0.30% of the average time of flight over the region for the numeric solution and 0.32% for the analytic solution, assuming a 1500-m/s background velocity. >
Compilation for fast calculation over pedigrees.

Efficient computation of probabilistic relationships over family pedigrees is an important tool for a variety of problems in genetics, including genetic counseling and linkage analysis. The development of faster and more comprehensive algorithms has preoccupied geneticists for decades [?], and recent general-purpose algorithms for probabilistic inference over arbitrary networks (e.g., [?]) have also been proposed as useful tools for such problems [?]. We present a set of engineering speed-up methods developed as part of the implementation of a prototype program for assisting genetic counselors, geninfer-ii. The design of the underlying computational algorithm is due to Cooper [?], and treats the problem of finding an efficient way to evaluate a Bayes network as a problem of factoring algebraic formulae. It is thus an extension of the method of [?] (though I believe it was independently formulated) and handles consanguinity by extending the factoring method rather than by cutset conditioning (as does, for example, [?]). The main arguments presented in this paper are:
Repair of Concrete Bridge Deck Expansion Joints Using Elastomeric Concrete

AbstractThe deterioration and failure of bridge deck expansion joints is an ever-growing concern among bridge researchers and designers alike. Deterioration of bridge deck expansion joints can lead to the decay of the structure beneath it, and dangerous debris can materialize in the roadway. Although repair methods vary throughout the United States, guidelines for the repair of bridge deck expansion joints do not currently exist. The purpose of this study was to provide preliminary data for the behavior of bridge deck expansion joints repaired with elastomeric concrete. The experimental study included 30 test specimens simulating the failure and repair of existing bridge deck expansion joints. The blockouts used various configurations filled with elastomeric concrete to determine the capacity of the repairs under a combination of simulated wheel and braking loads. The results showed the capacity of the repair to be more dependent on the depth of the blockouts rather than the longitudinal dimension in the ...
An experimental study of propeller noise due to cyclic flow distortion

Large scale non-uniformities in the approach flow to a propeller result in periodic unsteady blade forces that radiate tonal noise at the blade passing frequency and its higher harmonics. The current research experimentally investigates the free-field directivity of a four-bladed propeller interacting with matched and mismatched cyclic distortions. The study employs non-uniform flow generators that provide a three-cycle and four-cycle azimuthal distortion of the flow field. As the inflow distortions contain just one dominant Fourier mode, a well-defined axisymmetric free-field directivity exists only for the fundamental tone. Higher harmonics, originating from small scale flow gradients, have a random directivity. An extensive comparison of the measured tonal noise levels with the theoretical predictions shows an excellent agreement, both in magnitude and directivity.
EDUCATIONAL CAPACITY OF LOW CIRCLE WEIGHT CHILDREN UP TO THE AGE 24 YEARS

The attendance to further education after the compulsory education and completion to further studies was examined among LBW = low birth weight = < 2500g) and NBW (=normal birth weight = 250Ug) children. Of the Northern Finland one year birth cohort for 1966 72% olsory education at the age of 19 in finland. 8.9 % of LBW and 7.0 % of NBW children did not enroll in further education. The enrollment of the disabled LBW children compared to the disabled NBW children however, was significantly worse, 57.1% of the disabled LBW children and 36.8 % of the disabled NBW children did not enroll. Especially the disabled LBW girls enrolled poorly, 76.9 % of these and 52.5 % of NBW disabled girls did not enroll. Completing further studies before the age of 24 was more poor among the LBW children compared to the NBW children. 22.0 % of the LBW children and 17.5 % of the NBW children did not graduate. However, if disabled children were excluded, healthy LBW children succeeded as well as healthy NBW children. The healthy and especially the disabled LBw girls graduated more infrequently than the LBW boys. When excluding disabled children and controlling for confonding factors by stratification, low birth weight did not affect on enrolling and on nongraduation. Altogether the success of LBW children and on nongraduation. Altogether the success of LBw children seemed satisfactory regarding their intermediate-level schooling and their graduation, the exception being the disabled LBw children, especially girls.