cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Growth and nitrogen accretion of dinitrogen-fixing Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn. under elevated carbon dioxide

Short-term studies of tree growth at elevated CO2 suggest that forest productivity may increase as atmospheric CO2 concentrations rise, although low soil N availability may limit the magnitude of this response. There have been few studies of growth and N2 fixation by symbiotic N 2-fixing woody species under elevated CO 2 and the N inputs these plants could provide to forest ecosystems in the future. We investigated the effect of twice ambient CO 2 on growth, tissue N accretion, and N2 fixation of nodulatedAlnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn. grown under low soil N conditions for 160 d. Root, nodule, stem, and leaf dry weight (DW) and N accretion increased significantly in response to elevated CO2. Whole-plant biomass and N accretion increased 54% and 40%, respectively. Delta- 15 Na nalysis of leaf tissue indicated that plants from both treatments derived similar proportions of their total N from symbiotic fixation suggesting that elevated CO 2 grown plants fixed approximately 40% more N than did ambient CO 2 grown plants. Leaves from both CO2 treatments showed similar relative declines in leaf N content prior to autumnal leaf abscission, but total N in leaf litter increased 24% in elevated compared to ambient CO2 grown plants. These results suggest that with rising atmospheric CO2 N2-fixing woody species will accumulate greater amounts of biomass N through N2 fixation and may enhance soil N levels by increased litter N inputs.
Consistent kth-order time-frequency representations for (almost) cyclostationary signals

Limitations of existing kth-order time-frequency representations (TFR) are discussed. It is emphasized that consistent estimation of TFRs is possible if the underlying nonstationarity is structured. The role of consistent and asymptotically normal cyclic-statistics in estimating the TFRs of cyclostationarity processes is elucidated, and relationships between cyclic-statistics, ambiguity functions, and Wigner-Ville distributions are discussed. Noise immunity of cyclic-statistics is shown. Conditions for consistent estimation of statistics of a class of nonstationary processes are given without assuming cyclostationarity. >
Augmenting Immune Responses to Varicella Zoster Virus in Older Adults: A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Tai Chi

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of a behavioralintervention, Tai Chi, on resting and vaccine-stimulatedlevels of cell-mediated immunity (CMI) to varicellazoster virus (VZV) and on health functioning in olderadults.DESIGN: A prospective, randomized, controlled trial withallocation to two arms (Tai Chi and health education) for25 weeks. After 16 weeks of intervention, subjects werevaccinated with VARIVAX, the live attenuated Oka/MerckVZV vaccine licensed to prevent varicella.SETTING: Two urban U.S. communities between 2001and 2005.PARTICIPANTS: A total of 112 healthy older adults aged59 to 86.MEASUREMENTS: The primary endpoint was a quanti-tative measure of VZV-CMI. Secondary outcomes werescores on the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short-FormHealth Survey (SF-36).RESULTS: The Tai Chi group showed higher levels ofVZV-CMI than the health education group (Po.05),with a significant rate of increase (Po.001) that wasnearly twice that found in the health education group.Tai Chi alone induced an increase in VZV-CMI thatwas comparable in magnitude with that induced byvaricella vaccine, and the two were additive; Tai Chi,together with vaccine, produced a substantially higherlevel of VZV-CMI than vaccine alone. The Tai Chi groupalso showed significant improvements in SF-36 scores forphysical functioning, bodily pain, vitality, and mentalhealth (Po.05).CONCLUSION: Tai Chi augments resting levels of VZV-specific CMI and boosts VZV-CMI of the varicella vaccine.J Am Geriatr Soc 55:511–517, 2007.Key words: Tai Chi; varicella zoster virus; immunity;shingles; aging
Moral communities and adolescent delinquency: Religious contexts and community social control

This study bridges the sociological subdisciplines of religion and criminology and examines whether religious characteristics of groups and social contexts might profitably augment social disorgani...
Inositol-Limited Growth, Repair, and Translocation in an Inositol-Requiring Mutant of Neurospora crassa

The biochemical consequences of inositol limitation in an inositol auxotroph of Neurospora crassa have been examined as a means of disclosing the cellular role of inositol. The cellular levels of inositol in the inl mutant were proportional to the concentration of inositol in the growth medium whereas inositol phosphate levels remained relatively constant at about 0.1 mumol/g (dry weight). After 72 h of growth, about 57-fold more protein per milligram (dry weight) was released by the mutant grown on limiting inositol than by the inositol-supplemented control. When the inositol-limited growth medium was osmotically buffered with 1% NaCl, 3% NaCl, or 6% sorbitol, there was about 33, 74, or 54%, respectively, less protein released by the mutant. These results are consistent with cell lysis occurring in the mutant grown on limiting inositol because of a structurally weakened cell wall and membrane deterioration. When sufficient inositol for normal mycelial growth was supplied to an inositol-deficient mycelium, there was within 2 h a rapid incorporation of inositol to 85% of control levels. This incorporation occurred without significant growth by any area of the mycelium. About 10 to 15% of the total cell inositol was translocated forward from the older mycelial areas to the growing tips; only 2 to 5% of the total cell inositol was translocated backward toward the older mycelial areas. Possible mechanisms of translocation are discussed.
A new relaxation algorithm for the time optimal control problem of step motors

The free end-velocity time-optimal control of a bifilar-wound hybrid step motor is considered. The necessary conditions for the optimal control are derived from motor, load, and driver circuit models using Pontryagin's minimum principle. A reduced-order relaxation method, involving forward/backward integrations, is presented for finding the solution to the nonlinear two-point boundary value problem specified by the necessary conditions, including generation of an initial control. A driver model for the inverse-diode drive circuit is introduced, and the time-optimal controls for the hybrid step motor with drive circuit are found. Example solutions and comparisons to lead angle controls are presented. >
Worlds of Print: The Moral Imagination of an Informed Citizenry, 1734-1835

The researcher John P. Slifko has defended a thesis and finalized the full dissertation on November 15, 2015, entitled Worlds of Print: The Moral Imagination of an Informed Citizenry, 1734-1835 at the University of California, Los Angeles in the United States of America.
A bounded-space tree traversal algorithm

Abstract An algorithm for traversing binary trees in linear time using constant extra space is presented. The algorithm offers advantages to both Robson traversal and Lindstrom scanning. Under certain conditions, the algorithm can be applied to the marking of cyclic list structures. The algorithm can be generalized to handle N-trees and N-lists.
Challenges for the 'chemical-systems' biologist.

As the field of chemical biology matures, its practitioners are tackling ever more sophisticated biological problems. Chemical approaches, both synthetic and analytical, provide researchers with powerful new technologies to perturb, dissect and even reconstruct complex biological systems. Here we discuss the special challenges and opportunities confronted at the burgeoning interface of chemical and systems biology.
The changing population of the United States and use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Abstract Background Neonatal extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been widely used for the last 25 y. The impact of ethno-demographic changes on ECMO outcomes has not been fully examined. We evaluated the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization registry over a 21-y period to understand these trends. Methods A retrospective review of all neonates undergoing noncardiac ECMO in the United States between the years 1990 and 2010 was conducted based on the years of available live birth census data. Demographic, clinical, and outcome data were collated. Patient specifics, ECMO type, ECMO length, arterial blood gases, and mortality were analyzed. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were then performed. Changes in ethnic composition of neonates on ECMO were compared with similar ethnic trend in available U.S. live birth data. Results Data were available for 18,130 neonates. Comparing ethnicity by year, the proportion of Caucasian neonates requiring ECMO dropped from 64.3% in 1990 to 49.5% in 2010, while African-American and Hispanic neonates on ECMO increased from 21.1% and 11.1% to 26.1% and 17.4%, respectively ( P P Conclusions Neonates of ethnic minorities continue to disproportionally require ECMO support in comparison to their birth rates. Although ethnicity alone does not impact the outcome of these newborns, the increased requirement of ECMO may highlight the need for targeted education, improved prenatal care, and decision making in these groups.
Stable generic structures

Abstract Hrushovski originated the study of “flat” stable structures in constructing a new strongly minimal set and a stable ℵ 0 -categorical pseudoplane. We exhibit a set of axioms which for collections of finite structure with dimension function δ give rise to stable generic models. In addition to the Hrushovski examples, this formalization includes Baldwin's almost strongly minimal non-Desarguesian projective plane and several others. We develop the new case where finite sets may have infinite closures with respect to the dimension function δ. In particular, the generic structure need not be ω-saturated and so the argument for stability is significantly more complicated. We further show that these structures are “flat” and do not interpret a group.
Surface suction on aerofoil aerodynamic characteristics at transonic speeds

This paper presents a numerical study of the effects of an active flow control through surface suction on shock boundary layer interactions over transonic aerofoils. Two different aerofoils were studied. Firstly, for the purpose of validation, an NACA64A010 aerofoil with a trailing edge flap was investigated and the numerical results were compared with experimental data with and without suction for surface pressure distributions and lift and drag coefficients. Grid sensitivity has also been studied regarding the numerical accuracy. The second geometry was an RAE9647 aerofoil, which was designed for superior aerodynamic performance when applied to a helicopter rotor blade. An active surface was used to prevent or alleviate shock-induced separation. The suction strength and location were varied to determine the effect on aerodynamic performance and to provide an effective means of suppressing undesirable flow features. In both cases, increases in both lift and drag were observed when surface suction was app...
Thrombus in Vertebrobasilar Dolichoectatic Artery Treated with Intravenous Urokinase

Background: Vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia is often found in patients with posterior circulation ischemia. Brain ischemia is caused by abnormal flow in the dilated artery and obstru
A test of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in structured populations.

Testing for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) is used routinely as an important initial step for genotype data quality checking. Departure from HWE can be caused by many factors, such as genotyping errors, population stratification, and disease association, if we use affected individuals only. In a structured population, even if a marker is in HWE in each subpopulation, data may show departure from HWE if allele frequencies are different in different subpopulations and such a departure can be misinterpreted as a potential problem in genotyping quality, resulting in false exclusion from future analysis. In this article, we propose a new HWE test, a test for HWE in structured populations (HWES) that can assess departure from HWE and take into account of population stratification at the same time. Our proposed test can distinguish departure from HWE caused by population stratification and departure from HWE caused by other factors. We use simulation studies as well as applications to real data sets to evaluate the performance of the proposed test. Results show that, for a wide range of population structures, our proposed test has correct type I error rates while the traditional χ2 test will lead to false-positive results. In homogenous populations, our proposed test has comparable power with the traditional χ2 test. Genet. Epidemiol. 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. 35:671-678, 2011
Source and Possible Nature of the Odor Trail of Fire Ants

Experimental evidence shows that the odor trail of the fire ant Solenopsis saevissima (Fr. Smith) is produced as a secretion of the accessory gland of the poison apparatus and released through the extruded sting. Preliminary studies suggest that this substance may be chemically allied to or even identical with the toxic principle of the venom.
Free cities in oklahoma

Oklahoma gives its cities greater greedom of local self–government than do most other states. State control is limited to education, pubilc utility rates, tax limits, and methods of removing city officials
Comment on "Free Migration of Interstitials in Tungsten"

Results are briefly summarized of an extensive series of recent field- ion microscope experiments on ion-irradiated (20-and 30-keV W$sup +$) tungsten (with residual resistance ratios varying from 5 x 10$sup 4$ to 5), tungsten specifically doped with carbon, and tungsten--0.5-at. percent- and 3-at. percent- rhenium alloys. The experiments are all consistent with the long-range migration of a self-interstitial atom occurring at approximately 38$sup 0$K. This result is contrasted to the recent conclusions of Okuda and Mizubayashi.
Hydrocarbon synthesis: Ringing the chains

An unusual cyclization reaction to form alkylarenes — which are important chemical feedstocks — from alkanes is mediated by an iridium catalyst.
Mode transformers for substrate removed waveguides

Mode transformers between very compact substrate removed waveguides and very big polymer waveguides were designed and fabricated. Transition loss between two types of waveguides was quantified and 7 dB insertion loss improvement was measured.
Do languages originate and become extinct at constant rates

The shape of phylogenetic trees of language families is used to test the null hypothesis that languages throughout a family originate and go extinct at constant rates. Trees constructed either by hand or by computer prove to be more unbalanced than predicted, with many languages on some branches and few on others. The observed levels of imbalance are not explainable by errors in the trees or by the population sizes or geographic density of the languages. The results suggest changes in rates of origination or extinction on a time scale shorter than the time depth of currently recognized families.
Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Proteins-3 and -5 Form Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate-Stable Multimers☆☆☆

Insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) are important modulators of IGF actions. IGFBP-3 and IGFBP-5 can bind to the extracellular matrix of a number of cell types. We now describe a new posttranslational structural modification of IGFBP-3 and IGFBP-5, which could play a role in determining their localization. We incubated radioiodinated forms of all six IGFBPs in the presence of a redox buffer consisting of 10 mM reduced glutathione and 0.2 mM oxidized glutathione. Under these conditions IGFBP-3 and IGFBP-5, but not the other IGFBPs, formed high molecular weight disulfide-linked multimers. Heparin and a peptide encompassing the high-affinity heparin-binding site in the C-terminal portion of IGFBP-3 were capable of blocking the multimerization of IGFBP-3. IGFBP-3, but not IGFBP-1, was shown to be able to self-associate non-covalently, which could be a requisite first step in the formation of covalent multimers. The self-association of IGFBP-3 required the high-affinity heparin-binding site in the C-terminal portion of the molecule.
Orientation in Cave-Dwelling wood rats

Allegheny wood rats (Neotoma floridana magister) are occasionally found beyond the light penetration zone in caves. The means of orientation used by cave-trapped rats were studied using a radial maze and double-platform jumping tasks. The effects of various sensory manipulations upon their performances were evaluated, including visual deprivation, reversible deafening, control of chemical cues, and vibrissae trimming. The rats performed best when visible light was available, but they were able to do the tasks in the absence of light as long as their hearing was intact. Manipulation of other sensory cues had no effect. Intact animals seldom produced sounds when ambient sounds were available, but when these were very soft they did produce nonvical sounds. It appears that these cave-dwelling wood rats use acoustic means of orientation in the dark and that they are able to use some environmental sounds when these are available.
Improved molecular identification of enteroviruses by RT-PCR and amplicon sequencing.

The use of diagnostic RT-PCR has improved the ability to rapidly detect enteroviruses (EV) in some clinical specimens; however, these methods are not able to identify which enterovirus has been detected. Although the identification of EV serotype rarely impacts the clinical management of the infected patient, typing can provide valuable epidemiologic information, especially in outbreak investigations and in disease association studies. While the gold standard for EV identification is the neutralization of isolates in cell culture using standardized antiserum pools, this method has several disadvantages: (1) it is time-consuming and labor-intensive; (2) only 40 of 64 serotypes are represented in the pools; (3) the world supply of antisera (made more than 30 years ago) is limited; and (4) the technique is confounded by antigenic variants and strains that tend to aggregate (Oberste et al., 2000, 1999a). 2. Primer selection
Ordered Local Domain Structures of Decaneselenolate and Dodecaneselenolate Monolayers on Au{111}

Coexisting adsorbate phases in high-coverage decaneselenolate and dodecaneselenolate [CH3(CH2)nSe, n = 9 and 11] self-assembled monolayers on Au{111} have been characterized by scanning tunneling microscopy and consist of two types: a densely packed distorted hexagonal lattice incommensurate to the underlying gold substrate, as revealed by the observation of a moire pattern, and a commensurate linear missing-row structure. Examination of the nearest neighbor distances in the tightly packed lattice reveal two distinct repeat distances of 4.90 and 5.20 A, which complements previous surface X-ray data. The linear missing row structure manifests in several variants of the (√3 × 3√3)R30° unit cell differentiated by whether the molecules bind at 2- or 3-fold substrate sites. While the number of molecules within this unit cell is typically two, in some cases an additional alkaneselenolate molecule is located at a site one Au atom lower than the rest. The structural conclusions are supported by excellent agreeme...
Immunohistochemical localization of glutamate and glutaminase in guinea pig trigeminal premotoneurons

Previous electrophysiological experiments in guinea pigs from our laboratory [11,36,37] have suggested that synaptic transmission between last-order interneurons (premotoneurons) and trigeminal motoneurons during reflex activation or cortically induced rhythmical jaw movements is mediated by excitatory amino acids (EAAs). In the present study, we performed a series of double-labeling experiments in guinea pigs to determine the location of neurons which contain glutamate or glutaminase and project to the trigeminal motor nucleus (Mo5). This was accomplished by combining immunohistochemical staining and standard retrograde tract-tracing techniques. Injections of a retrograde tracer, colloidal-gold bound to inactivated WGA-HRP (gWGA-HRP), into the trigeminal motor nucleus labeled a column of neurons originating adjacent to Mo5, including the supratrigeminal nucleus, intertrigeminal nucleus and the mesencephalic nucleus of V. The column extended caudally into the parvocellular reticular formation and adjacent trigeminal sensory nucleus oralis and oralis gamma subdivision. In all of these regions, immunoreactivity to glutamate or glutaminase was observed co-localized with gWGA-HRP.
Enrichment and analysis of phosphopeptides under different experimental conditions using titanium dioxide affinity chromatography and mass spectrometry

Titanium dioxide metal oxide affinity chromatography (TiO(2)-MOAC) is widely regarded as being more selective than immobilized metal-ion affinity chromatography (IMAC) for phosphopeptide enrichment. However, the widespread application of TiO(2)-MOAC to biological samples is hampered by conflicting reports as to which experimental conditions are optimal. We have evaluated the performance of TiO(2)-MOAC under a wide range of loading and elution conditions. Loading and stringent washing of peptides with strongly acidic solutions ensured highly selective enrichment for phosphopeptides, with minimal carryover of non-phosphorylated peptides. Contrary to previous reports, the addition of glycolic acid to the loading solution was found to reduce specificity towards phosphopeptides. Base elution in ammonium hydroxide or ammonium phosphate provided optimal specificity and recovery of phosphorylated peptides. In contrast, elution with phosphoric acid gave incomplete recovery of phosphopeptides, whereas inclusion of 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid in the eluant introduced a bias against the recovery of multiply phosphorylated peptides. TiO(2)-MOAC was also found to be intolerant of many reagents commonly used as phosphatase inhibitors during protein purification. However, TiO(2)-MOAC showed higher specificity than immobilized gallium (Ga(3+)), immobilized iron (Fe(3+)), or zirconium dioxide (ZrO(2)) affinity chromatography for phosphopeptide enrichment. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) was more effective in detecting larger, multiply phosphorylated peptides than liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS/MS), which was more efficient for smaller, singly phosphorylated peptides.
Toxicity of purothionin and its homologues to the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta (L.) (Lepidoptera:Sphingidae).

Purothionin from wheat or homologues from barley and rye were injected into the hemocoel of larvae of Manduca sexta and caused 50% mortality at doses of 17–46 μg/g. Applications at 2–50 μg purothionin to a Manduca moth nerve-flight muscle preparation produced a rapid, dose-dependent depolarization of the muscle-fiber membrane. The α-isopeptides were two- to threefold more toxic than the β-forms. Alkylation of the cysteine residues of the peptides abolished both activities.
Effect of ion and surfactant choice on the recovery of a histidine-tagged protein from tobacco extract using foam fractionation

Tobacco plants can be used for the production of proteins for pharmaceutical applications. One of the most difficult and expensive tasks associated with this technology is isolating the product of interest from the hundreds of other chemicals found in tobacco. We describe a new recovery strategy in which the protein of interest is “tagged” with a histidine structure, which forms a complex with metal ions and a surfactant that will accumulate in the foamate of a foam fractionation step. His-gus, a histidine-tagged enzyme, was selectively recovered in the presence of two different surfactants and two different metal ions. The foam fractionation with N-∈-dodecylamido-N-α, N-α,-bis(carboxymethyl)-l-lysine surfactant and Ni2+ ions resulted in an average His-gus activity recovery value of 88% and an activity enrichment of 2.27. The performance of the recovery strategy without tobacco extract resulted in an average activity recovery value of 63.32% and an average activity enrichment value of 5.16, utilizing lauroylethylenediaminetriacetate surfactant and Ni2+ ions. It was shown that even though a majority of the native tobacco proteins are removed during the prefoaming step, the presence of tobacco extract does affect the recovery of His-gus.
Circadian Variation in Coronary Stent Thrombosis

Objectives We sought to determine the circadian, weekly, and seasonal variation of coronary stent thrombosis. Background Other adverse cardiovascular events such as acute myocardial infarction are known to have higher incidences during the early morning hours, Mondays, and winter months. Methods The Mayo Clinic Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Registry was searched for patients admitted to our center who underwent repeat percutaneous coronary intervention in a previously stented coronary artery segment. Stent thrombosis was confirmed by angiographic review, and date and time of symptom onset were obtained from medical records. Results We identified 124 patients with definite stent thrombosis and known date and time of symptom onset. In these patients, onset of stent thrombosis was significantly associated with time of day (p = 0.006), with a peak incidence around 7:00 am . When patients were subdivided into early stent thrombosis (0 to 30 days; n = 49), late stent thrombosis (31 to 360 days; n = 30), and very late stent thrombosis (>360 days; n = 45), only early stent thrombosis remained significantly associated with time of day (p = 0.030). No association with the day of the week was found (p = 0.509); however, onset of stent thrombosis did follow a significant seasonal pattern, with higher occurrences in the summer (p = 0.036). Conclusions Coronary stent thrombosis occurs more often in the early morning hours. Early stent thrombosis follows a circadian rhythm with a peak at 7:00 am . This pattern was not significant in late and very late stent thrombosis. Occurrences throughout the week were equally distributed, but stent thrombosis was more likely to occur in the summer months.
An evaluation of activated bismuth isotopes in environmental samples from the former Western Pacific Proving Grounds

207Bi (T1/2 = 32.2 y) was generated by activation of weapons material during a few "clean" nuclear tests at the U.S. Western Pacific Proving Grounds of Enewetak and Bikini Atolls. The radionuclides first appeared in the Enewetak environment during 1958 and in the environment of Bikini during 1956. Crater sediments from Bikini with high levels of 207Bi were analyzed by gamma-spectrometry in an attempt to determine the relative concentrations of 208Bi (T1/2 = 3.68·105 y). The bismuth isotopes were probably generated during the "clean", 9.3 Mt Poplar test held on 7/12/58. The atom ratio of 208Bi to 207Bi (R value) ranges from ∼12 to over 200 in sections of core sediments from the largest nuclear crater at Bikini atoll. The presence of bismuth in the device is suggested to account for R values in excess of 10.
Newly Emerging Therapies Targeting Viral-Related Lymphomas

Gamma-(γ)-herpes virus lymphomas comprise a heterogenous group of B-cell and T-cell neoplasms most commonly associated with Epstein-Barr virus and rarely human herpes virus-8 infection. Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) is a unique disease entity caused by the human T-cell lymphotrophic virus, type 1 (HTLV-I), the only retrovirus known to cause cancer in humans. Viral lymphomas behave aggressively and disproportionally affect immunocompromised individuals and those living in underdeveloped regions. These diseases are often difficult to treat with conventional approaches. Despite recent advancements using cytotoxic, lymphoma-specific, and adoptive therapies, the long-term outcome of patients with γ-herpesvirus lymphomas occurring in severely immunocompromised patients and ATLL continues to be poor. Lytic-inducing therapies targeting NF-κB, and viral and tumor cell epigenetic mechanisms afford the advantage of exploiting the intrinsic presence of oncogenic viruses to eradicate infected tumor cells. In this review, viral-related lymphomas and newly emerging clinical approaches targeting viral latency are discussed.
Effects of feeding acarbose on muscle glucose transport and GLUT4 protein in lean and obese diabetic (ZDFGmi-fa) rats☆

Abstract The Zucker diabetic fatty rat ( ZDF Gmi -fa ), a model for noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), was used to evaluate the action of dietary acarbose (20 week, 40 mg/100 g diet) in improving hyperglycemia. Muscle glucose uptake and glucose transport were measured during hindlimb perfusion. GLUT4 protein was also measured in the perfused muscle. Insulin resistance was not observed in skeletal muscle from diabetic animals compared with lean controls as concluded from equivalent hemicorpus glucose uptake and muscle glucose transport rates. Three fold increases in both GLUT4 protein and glucose transport were observed in acarbose-fed lean rats compared with lean controls. Acarbose feeding significantly decreased hyperglycemia in diabetic rats. This improvement seems not to be the result of an increase in insulin-stimulated glucose transport in muscle as insulin sensitivity and responsiveness were unchanged.
Therapy with gastrin antibody in the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.

The therapeutic effectiveness of parenterally administered rabbit antigastrin antibody was evaluated in a patient with the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome who had a fasting serum gastrin level of 3020 pg/ml and a basal gastric acid secretion of 48.9 mEq/hr. Control globulin reduced gastric secretion to 32 mEq/hr. Gastrin antibody reduced it further to 8.7 mEq/hr. Betazole hydrochloride which was given 75 min after administration of gastrin antibody stimulated acid secretion to 57.2 mEq/hr. One day later basal acid secretion was uninhibited although some antibody activity was present in the patient's serum. The results suggested that gastrin antibody acutely inhibited basal but not betazole-stimulated secretion.
Laparoscopic approach to acute small bowel obstruction: review of 1061 cases.

Background Acute small bowel obstruction has previously been considered a relative contraindication for laparoscopic management. As experience with laparoscopy grows, more surgeons are attempting laparoscopic management for this indication. The purpose of this study is to define the outcome of laparoscopy for acute small bowel obstruction through an analysis of published cases.
First-principles studies on bonding mechanism at Ni/X bimetallic interfaces (X=Ta, W, Re and Ru)

Abstract The atomic structures and bonding mechanism of Ni/X [X=Ta(110), W(110), Re(0001) and Ru(0001)] bimetallic surfaces have been studied using the local-density full-potential linearized augmented plane-wave (FLAPW) method with the atomic force approach. The strength of the overlayer–substrate bonding decreases in the sequence Ta>W>Re>Ru, which agrees with the thermal desorption mass spectroscopy results of Rodriguez et al. Charge polarization induced in the nickel layer by the substrate plays the key role in determining or altering the electronic and chemical properties of the nickel overlayer and the bonding of the bimetallic systems.
Production of poly-(β-hydroxybutyrate) from saponified Vernonia galamensis oil by Alcaligenes eutrophus

Saponified vernonia oil was converted exclusively to poly(β-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) by Alcaligenes eutrophus in a single-stage batch culture. After harvesting, centrifugation followed by lyophilization, the resulting dried cells contained up to 42.8 wt% PHB having a peak molecular mass of 381 863 Da, weight-average molecular mass of 308 390 Da, and a polydispersity of 1.1. The PHB had a melting point (Tm) range of 163–174°C with a maximum at 172°C (lit. Tm, 175°C), and heat of fusion of 18.43 cal g−1. Fermentation performed under varying conditions of nitrogen limitation indicated that there was no significant effect of nitrogen concentration on the molecular mass of PHB produced from vernonia oil by A. eutrophus.
On the Determination of the Centers of Twist and of Shear for Cylindrical Shell Beams

Abstract : The authors have recently proposed new definitions for the centers of twist and of shear, in terms of influence coefficients for tip-loaded cantilever beams. These definitions are here applied in conjunction with a minimum complementary energy method for the approximate determination of the influence coefficients of the problem of thin-walled open and closed cross section beams, with the possibility of a continuous transition from closed cross section to open cross section. The result is an explicit formula for the coordinate of the centers of twist and of shear of beams the cross sections of which have one axis of symmetry. This formula includes as special cases the known elementary formula for open cross sections, an extension of this formula so as to include the case of flat plates, and a known formula for closed cross section thin-shell beams. (Author)
Effect of crystalline structure on the trapped radical spectra of irradiated cellulose

The effects of crystalline modification of cellulose and of water on the ESR spectra generated by the trapped free radicals in gamma-irradiated celluloses were investigated for cotton cellulose I, II, III, and IV, partially decrystallized cotton cellulose, ballmilled cotton cellulose, hydrocelluloses of cellulose III and IV, and ramie. On irradiation of the celluloses, free radicals were formed on the cellulose molecule, probably following dehydrogenation or chain cleavage. The free radicals located within the less ordered or amorphous regions of the cellulose reacted readily with water and were terminated. The radicals located within the more ordered regions of the celluloses could be made accessible to reaction with water by the interaction of the celluloses with solvents which caused dimensional changes in the cellulosic structure. In the highly ordered regions of the celluloses, even after long periods of time in solvents which caused large dimensional changes in the cellulosic structure, the trapped free radicals were not terminated by reaction with solvent or water. The ESR spectra of the irradiated, dried celluloses were determined at −160°C, the single-line spectra recorded had line widths of about 18-24 gauss. On the absorption of water by the irradiated celluloses, the ESR spectra changed and were dependent on the crystalline structure of the irradiated celluloses. The effects of different arrangements of the irradiated celluloses, as shown by their trapped radical spectra, particularly after interaction with water, were discussed.
Machine vision photogrammetry: a technique for measurement of microstructural strain in cortical bone

Understanding local microstructural deformations and strains in cortical bone may lead to a better understanding of cortical bone damage development, fracture, and remodeling. Traditional experimental techniques for measuring deformation and strain do not allow characterization of these quantities at the microstructural level in cortical bone. This study describes a technique based on digital stereoimaging used to measure the microstructural strain fields in cortical bone. The technique allows the measurement of material surface displacements and strains by comparing images acquired from a specimen at two distinct stress states. The accuracy of the system is investigated by analyzing an undeformed image set; the test image is identical to the reference image but translated by a known pixel amount. An increase in the correlation sub-image train parameter results in an increase in displacement measurement accuracy from 0.049 to 0.012 pixels. Errors in strain calculated from the measured displacement field were between 39 and 564 microstrain depending upon the sub-image train size and applied image displacement. The presence of a microcrack in cortical bone results in local strain at the crack tip reaching 0.030 (30,000 microstrain) and 0.010 (10,000 microstrain) near osteocyte lacunae. It is expected that the use of this technique will allow a greater understanding of bone strength and fracture as well as bone mechanotransduction.
Implantable Unpowered Parylene MEMS Intraocular Pressure Sensor

This paper presents the first implantable, unpowered, parylene-based micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS) pressure sensor for intraocular pressure (IOP) sensing. From in situ mechanical deformation of the compliant structures, this sensor registers pressure variations without power consumption/transduction. Micromachined high-aspect-ratio thin-walled tubes in different geometric layouts are exploited to obtain a high-sensitivity pressure response. An integrated packaging method has been successfully developed to realize suture-less implantation of the device. In vitro testing results have demonstrated that the IOP sensor can achieve 0.67 degree/mmHg angular sensitivity with a spiral-tube design, 3.43 mum/mmHg lateral sensitivity with a long-armed-tube design, and 0.38 mum/mmHg longitudinal sensitivity with a serpentine-tube design. This IOP sensor is designed to be implanted in the anterior chamber of the eye and anchored directly on the iris so that, under incident visible light, the pressure response of the implant can be directly observed from outside the eye, which enables faithful and unpowered IOP monitoring in glaucoma patients
Health Sources of Cancer Screening Knowledge for Vietnamese Women

The study examined sources of health information among Vietnamese women and whether these sources were associated with cancer screening outcomes. One hundred eleven participants completed a questionnaire with measures of breast and cervical cancer screening attitudes, efficacy, and behavior. A factor analysis of items that measured sources for information on cancer screening produced three factors: English media sources, Vietnamese media sources, and informal sources. These sources were included along with demographic variables in regression analyses to predict cancer screening outcomes. Results indicated that using informal sources for breast screening information predicted positive attitudes toward breast cancer screening and efficacy for breast and cervical cancer screening. Reliance on Vietnamese media sources was associated with lower cervical screening efficacy. Being older, having health insurance, and a higher income were associated with favorable cancer screening outcomes. The findings suggest that cancer screening programs for Vietnamese women should take into consideration preferred mediums for receiving health information.
The subpectoral pocket: the preferred implant site for pediatric pacemakers

Implantation technique for pediatric pacemaking has evolved from predominantly epicardial to predominantly endocardial. One of the potential problems with endocardial pacing in children is their very thin subcutaneous tissue, which can result in an unpleasant cosmetic result. The superficialness of the pacemaker pulse generator also may render it more susceptible to erosion and infection. A series is presented of pediatric patients who underwent implantation of a transvenous bipolar pacing system in the pediatric catheterization laboratory. The pacemaker was implanted under the pectoralis major muscle after a muscle spreading incision was made. The lead was also introduced into the subclavian vein under the pectoralis muscle. No complications resulted, and the cosmetic result was judged to be good to excellent by the parents and physicians. No infections or erosions occurred. The subpectoral pocket is recommended as the preferred site for implantation of transvenous pacemakers in pediatric patients.
Absolute high-resolution Se+ photoionization cross-section measurements with Rydberg-series analysis

Absolute single photoionization cross-section measurements for Se${}^{+}$ ions were performed at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory using the photo-ion merged-beams technique. Measurements were made at a photon energy resolution of 5.5 meV from 17.75 to 21.85 eV spanning the 4${s}^{2}$4${p}^{3}$ ${}^{4}{S}_{3/2}^{\mathrm{o}}$ ground-state ionization threshold and the ${}^{2}{P}_{3/2}^{\mathrm{o}}$,${}^{2}{P}_{1/2}^{\mathrm{o}}$,${}^{2}{D}_{5/2}^{\mathrm{o}}$, and${}^{2}{D}_{3/2}^{\mathrm{o}}$ metastable state thresholds. Extensive analysis of the complex resonant structure in this region identified numerous Rydberg series of resonances and obtained the Se${}^{2+}$ 4${s}^{2}$4${p}^{2\mathrm{ }3}$${P}_{2}$ and 4${s}^{2}$4${p}^{2\mathrm{ }1}$${S}_{0}$ state energies. In addition, particular attention was given to removing significant effects in the measurements due to a small percentage of higher-order undulator radiation.
Regulation of Thioredoxin by Ceramide in Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells

The purpose of this study was to determine the expression, regulation and signaling of a key redoxin family member thioredoxin 1 (Trx1) in normal, oxidant-stimulated and growth factor-pretreated RPE cells. Trx1 is expressed in early passage, human RPE cell cultures. RPE cells exposed to C(2)-ceramide for 24h showed no significant change in expression of Trx1 vs. controls with and without pretreatment for 24h with hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). Neither hypoxia from 1% O(2) or from CoCl(2) exposure resulted in any alteration in Trx1 expression in RPE cells. C(2)-ceramide treatment caused translocation of Trx1 from cytosol to the nucleus, which was abolished by pre-treatment of cells with a p38 MAPK-specific inhibitor. Furthermore, the gene and protein expression of thioredoxin interacting protein (Txnip) increased with ceramide treatment and was significantly (p<0.001) elevated with HGF preincubation vs. untreated controls. Prominent protection from ceramide-induced RPE cell death by exogenous rTrx1 was demonstrated. Although Trx1 directly interacts with its inhibitor, Txnip, p38 inhibition does not appear to have a role in this interaction. We found no direct interaction between apoptosis signal regulating kinase (ASK-1) and Txnip under the same experimental conditions. In summary, our data demonstrate the expression of Trx1 and Txnip in human RPE cells. Ceramide treatment results in translocation of Trx1 to the nucleus, and upregulation of Txnip expression; exogenous rTrx1 protects from ceramide-induced cell death. These results suggest that Trx1 and Txnip play an important role in the response of RPE to ceramide toxicity.
Influence of alcohol pre‐infusion on the quality of VARTM composites

In the vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) process, part-to-part variations such as the uncertainty in the permeability and race tracking phenomenon make it difficult to achieve consistent mold filling and ensure part quality of composites. Alcohol pre-infusion was presented in this study as a novel real-time monitoring and control approach for the flow process in the VARTM process, alcohol test fluid is infused before the actual resin infusion to locate the potential dry spots without using the large quantity of sensors. Then corresponding process control strategy is designed, such as opening the auxiliary gate at specific moment on those predicted dry spot locations to compensate flow defects. Moreover, alcohol can be easily removed by heat without changing the local permeability. The influence of alcohol pre-infusion on the quality of VARTM composites were investigated in this study. The mechanical tests were conducted to verify that the alcohol pre-infusion approach has no significant effect on composite properties because alcohol can be removed from fiber by heat and air flow. Specifically, DMA, TGA, and FTIR spectrum proved that negligible difference existed on the resin–fiber interface between the composites with or without alcohol pre-infusion. Finally, the microscopy results revealed a similar failure path in a resin matrix. TMA results also demonstrated similar dimension stability. This alcohol pre-infusion approach was effective when compared with computer simulation and could eliminate the occurrence of dry spots and voids without using sensors or data-acquisition system. The control schemes were shown in a case study to be capable of compensating the flow defects and achieving desired fill patterns in the face of permeability uncertainty. POLYM. COMPOS., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers
Recent Changes in the US Business Cycle

The US business cycle expansion that started in March 1991 is the longest on record. This paper uses statistical techniques to examine whether this expansion is a onetime unique event or whether its length is a result of a change in the stability of the US economy. Bayesian methods are used to estimate a common factor model that allows for structural breaks in the dynamics of a wide range of macroeconomic variables. We find strong evidence that a reduction in volatility is common to the series examined. Further, the reduction in volatility implies that future expansions will be considerably longer than the
A hierarchical approach to the study of the exponential failure model

The exponential failure model is studied from the hierarchical point of view. The parameter of the exponential is considered as a random variable with a gamma function as a prior. Futhermore, the scale parameter of the gamma prior isassumed to be a random variable with known hyperprior. Under these assumptions estimators are derived for the exponential parameter and reliability function. Monte Carlo simulation is utilized to compare the various estimators.
Refining code-design mapping with flow analysis

We address the problem of refining and completing a partially specified high-level design model and a partially-defined mapping from source code to design model. This is related but not identical to tasks that have been automated with a variety of reverse engineering tools to support software modification tasks. We posited that set-based flow analysis algorithms would provide a convenient and powerful basis for refining an initial rough model and partial mapping, and in particular that the ability to compute fixed points of set equations would be useful in propagating constraints on the relations among the model, the mapping, and facts extracted from the implementation. Here we report our experience applying this approach to a modest but realistic example problem. We were successful in expressing a variety of useful transformations very succinctly as flow equations, and the propagation of recursively-defined constraints was indeed useful in refining the mapping from implementation to model. On the other hand, our experience highlights remaining challenges to make this an attractive approach for general use. Special measures are required to identify and remove inconsistent constraints before they propagate through a system. Also, while the required flow equations are succinct, they are also rather opaque; it is not obvious how their expressive power might be preserved in a more accessible notation.