cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the life history of Centropages typicus: Responses to a fall diatom bloom in the New York Bight

Laboratory studies and field collections show that egg production by Centropages typicus (Kroyer) in New York shelf waters in autumn 1984 responded to both food and temperature. Rates of egg production were high (43 to 76 eggs female-1 d-1) in October, early in the fall diatom bloom. Later, although food concentrations remained high and female size actually increased, egg production declined, presumably in response to seasonally decreasing temperatures. Carnivorous diets did not support egg production. Development time for autumn-hatched C. typicus was 33 d at 15°C, a rate that gives a Q10 of 2.21 when compared with the spring development rate of 49 d at 10°C. We could find no evidence of physiological adjustments being made by this copepod for overwintering. Development was not arrested at any subadult stage and resting eggs were not produced. Trends in body size of copepodid stage V, however, suggest that an overwintering strategy may be invoked by this copepod in Junuary or February.
Plasma pharmacokinetics and milk residues of flunixin and 5-hydroxy flunixin following different routes of administration in dairy cattle.

The objective of this study was to determine if the plasma pharmacokinetics and milk elimination of flunixin (FLU) and 5-hydroxy flunixin (5OH) differ following intramuscular and subcutaneous injection of FLU compared with intravenous injection. Twelve lactating Holstein cows were used in a randomized crossover design study. Cows were organized into 2 groups based on milk production ( 30 kg of milk/d). All cattle were administered 2 doses of 1.1mg of FLU/kg at 12-h intervals by intravenous, intramuscular, and subcutaneous injections. The washout period between routes of administration was 7d. Blood samples were collected from the jugular vein before FLU administration and at various time points up to 36 h after the first dose of FLU. Composite milk samples were collected before FLU administration and twice daily for 5d after the first dose of FLU. Samples were analyzed by ultra-HPLC with mass spectrometric detection. For FLU plasma samples, a difference in terminal half-life was observed among routes of administration. Harmonic mean terminal half-lives for FLU were 3.42, 4.48, and 5.39 h for intravenous, intramuscular, and subcutaneous injection, respectively. The mean bioavailability following intramuscular and subcutaneous dosing was 84.5 and 104.2%, respectively. The decrease in 5OH milk concentration versus time after last dose was analyzed with the nonlinear mixed effects modeling approach and indicated that both the route of administration and rate of milk production were significant covariates. The number of milk samples greater than the tolerance limit for each route of administration was also compared at each time point for statistical significance. Forty-eight hours after the first dose, 5OH milk concentrations were undetectable in all intravenously injected cows; however, one intramuscularly injected and one subcutaneously injected cow had measurable concentrations. These cows had 5OH concentrations above the tolerance limit at the 36-h withdrawal time. The high number of FLU residues identified in cull dairy cows by the United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety Inspection Service is likely related to administration of the drug by an unapproved route. Cattle that received FLU by the approved (intravenous) route consistently eliminated the drug before the approved withdrawal times; however, residues can persist beyond these approved times following intramuscular or subcutaneous administration. Cows producing less than 20 kg of milk/d had altered FLU milk clearance, which may also contribute to violative FLU residues.
MEARA sequence repeat of human CstF-64 polyadenylation factor is helical in solution. A spectroscopic and calorimetric study.

The primary structure of the human CstF-64 polyadenylation factor contains 12 nearly identical repeats of a consensus motif of five amino acid residues with the sequence MEAR(A/G). No known function has yet been ascribed to this motif; however, according to secondary structure prediction algorithms, it should form a helical structure in solution. To validate this theoretical prediction, we synthesized a 31 amino acid residue peptide (MEARA(6)) containing six repeats of the MEARA sequence and characterized its structure and stability by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). No effects of concentration on the CD or DSC properties of MEARA(6) were observed, indicating that the peptide is monomeric in solution at concentrations up to 2 mM. The far UV-CD spectra of MEARA(6) indicates that at a low temperature (1 degrees C) the MEARA(6) peptide has a relatively high helical content (76% at pH 2.0 and 65% at pH 7.0). The effects of pH and ionic strength on the CD spectrum of MEARA(6) suggest that a number of electrostatic interactions (e.g., i, i + 3 Arg/Glu ion pair, charge-dipole interactions) contribute to the stability of the helical structure in this peptide. DSC profiles show that the melting of MEARA(6) helix is accompanied by positive change in the enthalpy. To determine thermodynamic parameters of helix-coil transition from DSC profiles for this peptide, we developed a new, semiempirical procedure based on the calculated function for the heat capacity of the coiled state for a broad temperature range. The application of this approach to the partial molar heat capacity function for MEARA(6) provides the enthalpy change for helix formation calculated per amino acid residue as 3.5 kJ/mol.
A simple clustering algorithm can be accurate enough for use in calculations of pKs in macromolecules

Structure and function of macromolecules depend critically on the ionization states of their acidic and basic groups. Most current structure-based theoretical methods that predict pK of ionizable groups in macromolecules include, as one of the key steps, a computation of the partition sum (Boltzmann average) over all possible protonation microstates. As the number of these microstates depends exponentially on the number of ionizable groups present in the molecule, direct computation of the sum is not realistically feasible for many typical proteins that may have tens or even hundreds of ionizable groups. We have tested a simple and robust approximate algorithm for computing these partition sums for macromolecules. The method subdivides the interacting sites into independent clusters, based upon the strength of site-site electrostatic interaction. The resulting partition function is factorizable into computationally manageable components. Two variants of the approach are presented and validated on a representative test set of 602 proteins, by comparing the pK(1/2) values computed by the proposed method with those obtained by the standard Monte Carlo approach used as a reference. With 95% confidence, the relative error introduced by the more accurate of the two methods is less than 0.25 pK units. The algorithms are one to two orders of magnitude faster than the Monte Carlo method, with the typical settings. A graphical representation is introduced that visualizes the clusters of strong site-site interactions in the context of the three-dimensional (3D) structure of the macromolecule, facilitating identification of functionally important clusters of ionizable groups; the approach is exemplified on two proteins, bacteriorhodopsin and myoglobin.
Physician prescribing patterns of innovative antidepressants in the United States: the case of MDD patients 1993-2007.

Objective:Innovative antidepressants such as SSRIs and SNRIs have been widely adopted. However, the differences in their adoption across patients' and physicians' characteristics, geographic regions, and insurance status need to be further explored. This study was trying to disentangle the patterns of physician antidepressant prescribing and medication choice for major depressive disorder treatment.Method:A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted using the 1993–2007 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey database. A multinomial logistic regression with the Heckman two-step selection procedure was applied to capture the two-step nature of physician prescription decision making.Results:The weighted logistic regression indicated that patients' race/ethnicity and primary source of payment for services, physician ownership status, and physicians' practice regions were associated with differential likelihood of physician' antidepressant prescribing. Non-Hispanic white patients were more likely to be ...
Balancing state-space coverage in planning with dynamics

Sampling-based kinodynamic planners, such as the popular RRT algorithm, have been proposed as promising solutions to planning for systems with dynamics. Nevertheless, complex systems often raise significant challenges. In particular, the state-space exploration of sampling-based tree planners can be heavily biased towards a specific direction due to the presence of dynamics and underactuation. The premise of this paper is that it is possible to use statistical tools to learn quickly the effects of the constraints in the algorithm's state-space exploration during a training session. Then during the online operation of the algorithm, this information can be utilized so as to counter the undesirable bias due to the dynamics by appropriately adapting the control propagation step. The resulting method achieves a more balanced exploration of the state-space, resulting in faster solutions to planning challenges. The paper provides proof of concept experiments comparing against and improving upon the standard RRT using MATLAB simulations for (a) swinging up different versions of a 3-link Acrobot system with dynamics and (b) a second-order car-like system with significant drift.
Damage identification using piezoelectric impedance and spectral element method

The basic idea of the impedance-based damage detection is that the electrical impedance of the piezoelectric transducer is directly related to the mechanical impedance of the host structure. Therefore, damage effect is reflected in the change of the piezoelectric impedance curves before and after damage occurrence. Previous studies in this area mainly focus on declaring damage occurrence. In this research, we develop a model-based identification method that can identify both the damage location and the severity of the damage. The model is built upon the spectral element method, which has high accuracy and numerical efficiency in the high frequency range. Using the difference between the measured and healthy impedance curves as input, an inverse identification procedure is developed to extract directly the property change of the elements. Extensive numerical and experimental studies are carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Fault detection, diagnosis, and data-driven modeling in HVAC chillers

Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems constitute the largest portion of energy consumption equipment in residential and commercial facilities. Real-time health monitoring and fault diagnosis is essential for reliable and uninterrupted operation of these systems. Existing fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) schemes for HVAC systems are only suitable for a single operating mode with small numbers of faults, and most of the schemes are systemspecific. A generic real-time FDD scheme, applicable to all possible operating conditions, can significantly reduce HVAC equipment downtime, thus improving the efficiency of building energy management systems. This paper presents a FDD methodology for faults in centrifugal chillers. The FDD scheme compares the diagnostic performance of three data-driven techniques, namely support vector machines (SVM), principal component analysis (PCA), and partial least squares (PLS). In addition, a nominal model of a chiller that can predict system response under new operating conditions is developed using PLS. We used the benchmark data on a 90-ton real centrifugal chiller test equipment, provided by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), to demonstrate and validate our proposed diagnostic procedure. The database consists of data from sixty four monitored variables under nominal and eight fault conditions of different severities at twenty seven operating modes.
Selective molecular recognition by nanoscale environments in a supported iridium cluster catalyst

The active sites of enzymes are contained within nanoscale environments that exhibit exquisite levels of specificity to particular molecules. The development of such nanoscale environments on synthetic surfaces, which would be capable of discriminating between molecules that would nominally bind in a similar way to the surface, could be of use in nanosensing, selective catalysis and gas separation. However, mimicking such subtle behaviour, even crudely, with a synthetic system remains a significant challenge. Here, we show that the reactive sites on the surface of a tetrairidium cluster can be controlled by using three calixarene–phosphine ligands to create a selective nanoscale environment at the metal surface. Each ligand is 1.4 nm in length and envelopes the cluster core in a manner that discriminates between the reactivities of the basal-plane and apical iridium atoms. CO ligands are initially present on the clusters and can be selectively removed from the basal-plane sites by thermal dissociation and from the apical sites by reactive decarbonylation with the bulky reactant trimethylamine-N-oxide. Both steps lead to the creation of metal sites that can bind CO molecules, but only the reactive decarbonylation step creates vacancies that are also able to bond to ethylene, and catalyse its hydrogenation.
Development and Evaluation of a Thermally-Processed, Low-Cholesterol Egg Salad Product

Abstract A study was conducted to develop and evaluate a low-cholesterol egg salad product capable of being thermally processed in a retortable pouch. Formulations containing 12% dried egg white solids (EWS) with water binding solutes (modified corn starch or iota-carrageenan), raw yolk, and a heat-stable salad dressing mixture were packaged, processed, and evaluated by a 9- to 10-member taste panel for appearance, color, texture, flavor, and overall acceptability. The formulations were also objectively evaluated for color and for texture using the Instron machine. Results indicated that the formulated egg salad products were significantly better in all parameters than the control egg salad after processing. Color measurements showed the use of glucose-free albumen prevented browning after heat treatment. Rheological measurements indicated that the breaking force and modulus of rigidity of processed EWS gels containing .375 or .625% iota-carrageenan were similar to that of fresh albumen gels while those of processed EWS containing 2% modified corn starch were much higher than fresh albumen gels. Cholesterol content per 100 g of formulated egg salad product was calculated to be 85 mg as compared with 368 mg for control egg salad.
PAKa, a putative PAK family member, is required for cytokinesis and the regulation of the cytoskeleton in Dictyostelium discoideum cells during chemotaxis.

We have identified a Dictyostelium discoideum gene encoding a serine/threonine kinase, PAKa, a putative member of the Ste20/PAK family of p21-activated kinases, with a kinase domain and a long NH2-terminal regulatory domain containing an acidic segment, a polyproline domain, and a CRIB domain. PAKa colocalizes with myosin II to the cleavage furrow of dividing cells and the posterior of polarized, chemotaxing cells via its NH2-terminal domain. paka null cells are defective in completing cytokinesis in suspension. PAKa is also required for maintaining the direction of cell movement, suppressing lateral pseudopod extension, and proper retraction of the posterior of chemotaxing cells. paka null cells are defective in myosin II assembly, as the myosin II cap in the posterior of chemotaxing cells and myosin II assembly into cytoskeleton upon cAMP stimulation are absent in these cells, while constitutively active PAKa leads to an upregulation of myosin II assembly. PAKa kinase activity against histone 2B is transiently stimulated and PAKa incorporates into the cytoskeleton with kinetics similar to those of myosin II assembly in response to chemoattractant signaling. However, PAKa does not phosphorylate myosin II. We suggest that PAKa is a major regulator of myosin II assembly, but does so by negatively regulating myosin II heavy chain kinase.
HIV-1 Ribonuclease H Inhibitory Phenolic Glycosides from Eugenia hyemalis

Three new galloyl arbutins, hyemalosides A−C (1−3), along with nine known compounds were isolated from the evergreen tree Eugenia hyemalis. The structures of compounds 1−3 were determined by analysis of NMR and MS data. Compounds 1−3 inhibited HIV-1 RNase H in vitro with IC50 values of 1.46, >18, and 1.19 μM, respectively. However, in a XTT-based cell viability assay using the human T-cell line CEM-SS infected with HIV-1RT, none of the compounds inhibited the cytopathic effect of HIV-1 infection at the highest dose tested (20 μg/mL).
Asymptomatic severe carotid stenosis

The management of asymptomatic carotid stenosis remains controversial. From December 1983 to December 1987, 188 symptom-free patients were found to have severe (greater than 75%) stenosis by duplex imaging (performed as screening examination). Patients with non-hemispheric symptoms or contralateral symptomatic lesions (within 7 years) were excluded from the study. Follow-up data were available for 141 patients (range 3 to 36 months; mean 21 months). Sixty-two patients received nonoperative therapy. The remaining 79 patients underwent 100 carotid endarterectomies (CAE) (21 staged bilateral repairs and 58 unilateral repairs). There were no statistically significant differences in sex, age, or risk factors (i.e., hypertension, diabetes, or smoking) or in the incidence of bilateral disease. Significant differences were found in the incidence of ischemic attacks (0 vs 21%; p less than 0.001) and stroke (2.5% vs 18%; p less than 0.01) in the operative vs nonoperative group. None of the 11 strokes in the nonoperative group were preceded by neurologic events. The operative group had an overall stroke rate of 2.5% (2/79), a perioperative mortality rate of 1.3% (1/79), and a restenosis (greater than 50%) rate of 3.8% (3/79). Thus favorable results can be achieved with prophylactic CAE. These data support the use of prophylactic CAE in any patient with greater than 75% stenosis identified by duplex image, regardless of sex, age, risk factors, or bilateral disease.
Landscape reclamation at a central Florida phosphate mine

Abstract A 13-ha parcel of phosphate-mined land at the Gardinier Mine near Ft. Meade, Florida, USA, was reclaimed to test several design principles, establish planting and seed-dispersal trails, and monitor groundwater and surface water. The site was designed as a complete hydrologic unit with perched, basin, and lake-fringe wetland communities in upland communities. The design and placement of ecological communities resulted from the reclaimed topography and site hydrology. The percent growth for 11 wetland and mesic tree species averaged 127% (weighted average) in 3 years; some species averaged more than 160%. Percent survival ranged from 0% (Cephalanthus occidentalis) to 100% for several mesic forest tree species (Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Liquidambar styraciflua, Magnolia grandiflora). The percent survival of wetland species (weighted average) was 94.6%. An adjacent forested, floodplain wetland was evaluated as a source of windblown and bird-dispersed seeds to the site. Windblown seeds decreased in densities as distance from forest edge increased. Densities were from 125/m2 to 380/m2 within the forest, 50/m2 to 120/m2 at the forest edge and decreased exponentially as distance increased. Bird-dispersed seed densities at the base of constructed perches and tree “snags” ranged from 100/m2 to more than 300/m2. Rainfall and surface-water inflow along the edge of the site were the largest inputs to the reclaimed landscape's hydrologic budget. Groundwater flow and seepage were more important to growth and survival of planted species because of the maintenance of higher soil moisture during periods of drought.
Cost and performance analysis of semantic integrity validation methods

A principal problem with dynamic validation of transactions with respect to a set of integrity assertions is the cost associated with the evaluation of such assertions. Although several methods of dynamic validation of transactions have been proposed there has been little attempt to analyze and to compare the performance of different validation methods. In this paper we evaluate compile time, run time, postexecution time, and mixed (run time --- postexecution time) validation methods for two semantic integrity subsystem designs. In one case we assume that the arguments of all integrity assertions are stored in secondary slow access memory and in the second we assume that the database is partitioned so that some data used for transaction validation are stored in fast access form.
Probabilistic Analysis and Design of a MEMS Re-Entry Switch

The probabilistic analysis and design of a MEMS switch during atmospheric re-entry is discussed. The switch is modeled as a classical vibro-impact system: a single degree-of-freedom oscillator subject to impact with a single rigid barrier. The excitation is assumed stationary, Gaussian, with prescribed PSD to represent the re-entry environment. A subset of the model parameters are described as random variables to represent the significant unit-to-unit variability observed during fabrication and testing of the device. The metric of performance is the amount of time the switch remains closed during the re-entry event.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
The Elmwood multiprocessor operating system

Elmwood is an object-oriented, multiprocessor operating system designed and implemented during a graduate seminar. It consists of a minimal kernel and a collection of user-implemented services. The kernel provides two major abstractions: objects, which consist of code and data, and processes, which represent asynchronous activity. Objects, like programs, are passive. To operate on an abstraction or to request a service, processes invoke an entry procedure defined by the corresponding object. Objects implement their own protection and synchronization policies using minimal kernel mechanisms. We describe the Elmwood kernel interface, an implementation on the BBN Butterfly parallel processor, and our experiences in developing a multiprocessor operating system under rigid time constraints. These experiences illustrate several general lessons regarding kernel design and trade-offs for implementation expedience.
Boolean-format biocatalytic processing of enzyme biomarkers for the diagnosis of soft tissue injury

The development of a novel enzyme logic sensing concept for the detection of soft tissue injury (STI) is reported. The new biocatalytic scheme employs creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) as enzyme biomarker inputs to a biochemical cascade that mimics the operational functionality of a NAND Boolean logic gate. Under the optimal conditions, physiological and pathological levels of CK and LDH are detected optically and electrochemically by monitoring the level of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) as an output of the logic gate. The latter technique employs a flexible carbon screen-printed electrode (SPE) to facilitate the on-site detection of STI. By establishing a pathologically meaningful threshold, relatively simple optical and amperometric assays tendered the diagnosis in a straightforward ‘True’/‘False’ digital format. Only the simultaneous presence of elevated levels of both enzyme inputs would thus trigger a positive diagnosis. Moreover, an interference investigation is performed that employs circulating levels of potential interferents. Such an enzyme cascade and enzymatically-processed biochemical information offer promise for point-of-care injury screening where a rapid determination of pathological situations is a prime consideration.
Effects of Urea Application, Aeration, and Drying on Total Carbon Concentrations in Pond Bottom Soils

Abstract Aerated ponds did not accumulate as much carbon in bottom soils as control ponds. Application of urea to manured ponds did not accelerate carbon loss from bottom soils. When ponds were drained for fish harvest, appreciable carbon was eroded from the surface layers of bottom soil. Further decomposition of soil carbon occurred during the 5-week drying period between crops. Within-pond variation in soil carbon concentration was high; a technique for selecting replication and sample size requirements for experiments on changes in bottom soil carbon concentration is provided.
(Mal)Development in Central America: Globalization and Social Change

This article develops a globalization framework and a model of transnational processes for analysing social change and development, and then applies the model to Central America. The analysis emphasizes determinacy, in the last instance, of social forces in historic developmental outcomes, and documents how social forces in struggles in an emergent transnational environment have shaped Central America's changing profile within the global economy and society. Revolutionary movements, a new class structure, US geo-political considerations, and the internationalization of East Asian economies, have all contributed to a new model of development; from the 1960s into the 1990s the national model of development is being replaced by a transnational model. Maquiladora garment production, tourism, non-traditional agricultural exports, and remittances from emigrant workers are coming to eclipse traditional agro-exports as the most dynamic economic sectors linking the region to globalized circuits of production and distribution. The article also examines Central American migration to the US and gender dimensions of the new transnational model of development.
Discourses of Consumption in US-American Culture

This paper explores varieties and examples of discourses of consumption, focusing primarily on US-American cultural discourses. The international community has in recent years developed an extremely valuable body of literature examining strategies for facilitating sustainable consumption; economic ramifications of varying consumption behaviors; attitudes and social structures that encourage or discourage sustainable consumption; approaches to consumption as a component of a sustainable or “green” lifestyle; and considerations of consumption practices in relation to inequities between North and South. The United States has made relatively few contributions to this body of literature thus far. But although the U.S. has not been one of the primary sources of academic literature on sustainable consumption, several types of discourses on consumption have become prominent in U.S. popular culture. These types of discourses include examinations of the moral status of consumption; investigations of the environmental or health consequences of modern consumption behaviors; explorations and critiques of green consumerism; and discourses that either construct or critique the commodification of the nonhuman world to produce objects for consumption. Throughout this paper I outline and offer examples of these strains of popular discourse, drawing on a newly-emerging body of U.S. literature and critically analyzing instances of discourse about sustainable consumption in film, television, internet, and print media. I conclude by examining new perspectives on sustainable coexistence that offer transformative possibilities for establishing relationships with the more-than-human world that are not based primarily on consumption.
Episodic deposition and 137Cs immobility in Skan Bay sediments: A ten-year 210Pb and 137Cs time series

Abstract A geochronology time series provides a powerful tool for elucidating sedimentary processes such as episodic deposition and diffusive mobility of particle-reactive constituents. Depth distributions of 210 Pb and 137 Cs from Skan Bay, Alaska were determined for sediment cores collected in 1980, 1984, 1987, and 1990. Sediment X-radiographs reveal distinct layers indicating that sediments were not continuously mixed by bioturbation. However, the geochronology time series is inconsistent with an undisturbed, steady-state sediment column. Profiles from 1980, 1984, and 1990 reveal subsurface regions in which 210 Pb activity is relatively constant. In addition, the depth of the primary 137 Cs maximum (reflecting the 1963 peak in atmospheric bomb testing) does not increase in a regular fashion between 1980 and 1990. The 210 Pb and 137 Cs geochronologies can be reconciled by removing the effects of an instantaneous depositional event. The average 210 Pb sedimentation rate (corrected for episodic deposition) in cores that were collected over a ten year period (0.241 ± 0.006 g cm −2 yr −1 ) is in excellent agreement with the average 137 Cs sedimentation rate (0.258 ± 0.008 g cm −2 yr −1 ) calculated from three stratigraphic markers [peak fallout (1963), first appearance in the sediment record (1952), and the Chernobyl accident (1986)]. The mobility of bomb-derived 137 Cs under in situ conditions was evaluated by a time-dependent numerical model applied to the 137 Cs time series. The model indicates that bomb-derived cesium is immobile in Skan Bay sediments with a solid-liquid distribution coefficient ( K d of ⩾ 10 5 (ml g −1 ).
Effect of α-actinin on actin structure Actin ATPase activity

Abstract α-Actinin increases the ATPase activity of actin by up to 84%, depending on pH, divalent cations present and the added Mg 2+ : ATP ratio. Dithiothreitol decreases actin ATPase activity approx. 20% but does not reduce the ability of α-actinin to increase actin ATPase activity. Increasing amounts of added α-actinin up to 1 mol α-actinin to 49 mol actin cause an increasing increment in actin ATPase activity, but adding α-actinin beyond 1 mol α-actinin to 49 mol actin elicits only small additional increments in activity. Actin ATPase activity ranges from approx 100 nmol P i /mg actin per h (4.3 mol P i /mol actin per h) at high levels (10 mM) of ATP in the presence of lower amounts (1 mM) of added Mg 2+ to approx. 12.5 nmol P i /mg actin per h (0.52 mol P i /mol actin per h) at high pH (8.5) or at low levels (0.5–1.0 mM) of ATP in the presence of higher amounts (10 mM) of added Mg 2+ . ATP uncomplexed with Mg 2+ inhibits the ability of α-actinin to increase F-actin ATPase activity. Activities with different divalent cations showed that the actin ATPase in these studies, which was 1/100 as great as Mg 2+ -modified actomyosin ATPase activity, was not due to trace amounts of myosin contaminating the actin preparations. The results are consistent with the concept that α-actinin can alter the structure of actin monomers.
Bubble growth mechanism in carbon foams

The present work is a numerical study to predict the growth mechanism of a non-spherical bubble assisted for a carbon foam fabrication process. An approach for two dimensional non-spherical mass-diffusion controlled bubble growth in an isothermal Newtonian liquid of infinite extent is considered. Using the two dimensional unsteady form of the equations governing the conservation of mass and momentum, bubble growth is solved as a function of time using a fixed-grid sharp interface finite volume method. A comparative study is performed by considering previous cases of study and shows good agreement, which reflects the validity of the present model. A parametric study highlighting the effects of the non-spherical growth of the bubble is performed in order to emphasize how controlled bubble growth can be achieved. In each case a change in a particular parameter resulted in a distinct change of the bubble shape.
Losing and finding a way at C: new promise for pharmacologic ascorbate in cancer treatment.

The wall of waves that nearly swamped vitamin C as an agent for cancer treatment began innocuously. Fifty-five years ago, Robert McCormick hypothesized that cancer metastases spread through weakened collagen and that metastases could be blocked by vitamin C, which made collagen stronger [1]. Nearly 2 decades later, the Scottish surgeon Ewan Cameron embellished the hypothesis by adding that ascorbate inhibited the enzyme hyaluronidase, which otherwise destroyed collagen so that cancers could metastasize [2]. Based on only minimal in vitro data, he and Allan Campbell began treating terminally ill cancer patients with high doses of vitamin C in the early 1970s, with at least one spectacular success [3]. Campbell and Cameron settled on a treatment dose of 10,000 mg daily. By comparison, at that time the maximum recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for vitamin C in many countries was 60 mg daily. Cameron contacted the two-time Nobel Laureate Linus Pauling, who had his own interests in high-dose vitamin C for treatment of colds and schizophrenia. Pauling joined and championed Cameron's efforts. Together, they published a retrospective case series in 1976 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences [4], a paper that created a typhoon in that journal, among cancer scientists and physicians and with the general public. A follow-up paper in the same journal intensified the controversy 2 years later, with additional cases [5]. In both papers, the authors concluded that patients who had ascorbate treatment benefited with enhanced quality and prolongation of life. Multiple scientific objections were raised: the lack of blinding inherent to a retrospective case-series design, the underlying susceptibility of the rural Scottish patient population to endogenous scurvy, the lack of independent pathologic confirmation of diagnosis, and the possibility of a placebo effect [6–8]. Charles Moertel and colleagues at the Mayo Clinic designed two prospective double-blind placebo-controlled treatment trials to attempt to restore scientific balance and civility. Neither, unfortunately, was restored. Enrolled patients in the first trial had prior chemotherapy [6] and in the second trial had none [7]. Both trials, using the same dose that Pauling and Cameron recommended, were published in the New England Journal of Medicine and showed no effect of ascorbate. Pauling had multiple objections, but they were drowned by passionate opinions, and the medical community
Kinesins in the nervous system.

Both the development and the maintenance of neurons require a great deal of active cytoplasmic transport. Much of this transport is driven by microtubule motor proteins. Membranous organelles and other macromolecular assemblies bind motor proteins that then use cycles of adenosine 5′-triphosphate hydrolysis to move these ‘cargoes’ along microtubules. Different sets of cargoes are transported to distinct locations in the cell. The resulting differential distribution of materials almost certainly plays an important part in generating polarized neuronal morphologies and in maintaining their vectorial signalling activities. A number of different microtubule motor proteins function in neurons; presumably they are specialized for accomplishing different transport tasks. Questions about specific motor functions and the functional relationships between different motors present a great challenge. The answers will provide a much deeper understanding of fundamental transport mechanisms, as well as how these mechanisms are used to generate and sustain cellular asymmetries.
Utility of cytomorphologic criteria and p53 immunolocalization in distinguishing benign from malignant cystic squamous-lined lesions of the neck on fine-needle aspiration.

Fine-needle aspiration can effectively distinguish between benign and malignant cystic lesions of the head and neck. However, in some instances it may be difficult to arrive at a definite diagnosis due to limited cellularity, reactive changes, and cellular degeneration. In this study we examined the usefulness of six cytomorphologic features including the presence or prevalence of nuclear atypia, anucleated cells, tissue fragments, necrosis, and background inflammation in distinguishing between benign and malignant cystic lesions of the head and neck. The case cohort comprised 14 benign and 22 malignant cases. P53 immunostain was performed in 19 cases. These features were semiquantitatively measured on a sliding scale of 0-4 in both air-dried Diff-Quik-stained, alcohol-fixed Papanicolaou-stained smears and Millipore filter preparations. Mean and standard errors were calculated and statistical significance was evaluated by unpaired t-test (StatView). Increased number of tissue fragments (P < 0.001), greater degree of nuclear atypia (P < 0.001), and background necrosis (P < 0.001) were more frequent in cystically degenerating squamous carcinoma as compared to benign squamous cystic lesions. No significant differences were noted in the number of single cells, anucleated cells, or in the amount of background inflammation found in aspirates of benign vs. malignant cystic squamous lesions. A higher percentage of the malignant cystic squamous lesions FNA cases demonstrated p53 immunolocalization but this difference was not statistically significant. Application of the above-mentioned cytomorphologic criteria and the use of p53 immunostain could effectively distinguish between benign and malignant cystic lesions of the head and neck.
Selective activation of cannabinoid CB2 receptors suppresses spinal fos protein expression and pain behavior in a rat model of inflammation

Activation of cannabinoid CB(2) receptors attenuates thermal nociception in untreated animals while failing to produce centrally mediated effects such as hypothermia and catalepsy [Pain 93 (2001) 239]. The present study was conducted to test the hypothesis that activation of CB(2) in the periphery suppresses the development of inflammatory pain as well as inflammation-evoked neuronal activity at the level of the CNS. The CB(2)-selective cannabinoid agonist AM1241 (100, 330 micrograms/kg i.p.) suppressed the development of carrageenan-evoked thermal and mechanical hyperalgesia and allodynia. The AM1241-induced suppression of carrageenan-evoked behavioral sensitization was blocked by the CB(2) antagonist SR144528 but not by the CB(1) antagonist SR141716A. Intraplantar (ipl) administration of AM1241 (33 micrograms/kg ipl) suppressed hyperalgesia and allodynia following administration to the carrageenan-injected paw but was inactive following administration in the contralateral (noninflamed) paw, consistent with a local site of action. In immunocytochemical studies, AM1241 suppressed spinal Fos protein expression, a marker of neuronal activity, in the carrageenan model of inflammation. AM1241 suppressed carrageenan-evoked Fos protein expression in the superficial and neck region of the dorsal horn but not in the nucleus proprius or the ventral horn. The suppression of carrageenan-evoked Fos protein expression induced by AM1241 was blocked by coadministration of SR144528 in all spinal laminae. These data provide evidence that actions at cannabinoid CB(2) receptors are sufficient to suppress inflammation-evoked neuronal activity at rostral levels of processing in the spinal dorsal horn, consistent with the ability of AM1241 to normalize nociceptive thresholds and produce antinociception in inflammatory pain states.
Assessment of communication technologies for a home energy management system

Design of an effective home energy management (HEM) system requires selection of an appropriate communication technology. The objective of this paper is to compare commonly used communication technologies for HEM implementation in a premises area network, in terms of their latency, throughput, reliability, power consumption and implementation costs. Communication technologies of interest include ZigBee, Wi-Fi and Ethernet. These technologies are simulated in OPNET. This paper compares the performance of selected communication technologies using two communication schemes, i.e., Always-on and Turn-on-in-loop. It also analyzes the impact of the number of devices being controlled by the HEM on the technology performance.
The Perceptual Impact of U.S. News & World Report Rankings on Eight Public MBA Programs

ABSTRACT U.S. News & World Report has published a ranking of the top 50 MBA programs since 1990. Today, there are more than a half dozen different rankings of MBA programs and they are so popular and powerful, that prospective students, alumni, legislators, college presidents, deans, and admissions officers wait with bated breath to see where their school will be ranked. This qualitative study looked behind the numbers of the U.S. News & World Report ranking to discover the perceptual impact of the ranking on eight differentially ranked, public MBA schools, as perceived by 45 faculty and administrators. Three schools from the top 25, three from the bottom 25, and two unranked schools participated. Many themes emerged from the data and supported much that has been reported in the literature regarding the rankings, including the notion that rankings matter! The implications for future research, policy, and practice for administrators, faculty and other interested parties are discussed.
Lipid emulsion therapy given intraosseously in massive verapamil overdose

Intravenous fat emulsion (IFE) therapy has been widely used in the emergency department (ED) for treating various medication overdoses. The standard recommended route to administer IFE therapy is intravenously through a peripheral or central vein. No reports of intraosseous (IO) administration in humans could be found in the literature after a brief search. We report of a patient emergently receiving IFE through the IO route. A 24-year-old woman presented to ED after a massive deliberate verapamil overdose. A decision was then made to start both vasopressors and 20% IFE therapy. Central access was established, and a norepinephrine drip was started. Intravenous fat emulsion was to be started, but peripheral access was lost at that time and not able to be reestablished. An IO line was then placed without difficulty in the left proximal tibia using an EZ-IO system. Approximately half way during the bolus administration, the intravenous pump began to alarm that the infusion was not flowing adequately. At this point, peripheral access was obtained, and IFE infusion was moved to that site. We believe that this is the first report of IFE administered via the IO route in a human. This case report illustrates a novel way of administering IFE therapy in an emergency situation where intravenous access may be difficult to obtain.
A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Evaluation, Reconstruction and Rehabilitation of the Multi-Ligament Injured Athlete

Knee dislocations with multi-ligamentous involvement are potentially limb-threatening injuries that require extensive surgical and rehabilitative intervention. These knee injuries, such as combined anterior cruciate ligament, posterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament and/or lateral collateral ligament injuries, are devastating injuries with results that vary from total disability to nearly full recovery of function. Recent surgical advances, including the use of allograft tissues, have increased the efficacy of these procedures while posing new challenges. By combining scientifically based surgical and rehabilitative approaches, improved outcomes in these difficult cases are being reported in the orthopaedic literature. This review details the epidemiology and biomechanics of these serious knee ligament injuries. In addition, state-of-the-art surgical and rehabilitative techniques will be outlined. Clinical and diagnostic imaging evaluation of these knee injuries is reviewed in order to plan and execute the surgical and rehabilitative practices. We review the basic science, surgical and rehabilitative theories and practices associated with bringing patients with these serious knee injury injuries to full recovery, and detail the development of strategies for developing protocols to address these complicated cases.
Charge distribution and response time for a modulation-doped extrinsic infrared detector

The electric charge distribution and response time of a modulation-doped extrinsic infrared detector are determined. First, it is demonstrated theoretically that the photoconductive layer is effectively depleted of ionized majority-impurity charges so that scattering is small and mobility is high for photogenerated carriers. Then, using parameters appropriate to an actual detector, the predicted response time is 10 to the -8th to about 10 to the -9th s, which is much faster than comparable conventional detectors. Thus, the modulation-doped detector design would be valuable for heterodyne applications.
Chronic anterior dislocation of the shoulder

The treatment of 17 chronic, unreduced anterior dislocations of the shoulder was reviewed. Eleven women and six men with on average age of 67 years (range 36 to 88 years) were studied. The duration of dislocation averaged 2.3 years (8 weeks to 8 years). Seven patients were treated without surgery despite severe functional deficits, for reasons of health or motivation. Ten were treated with surgery. One patient with preserved joint surfaces underwent open reduction and corticoid transfer to bone graft an eroded anterior glenoid. Nine patients with destroyed articular surfaces underwent unconstrained replacement orthroplosty. Humeral retroversion was increased for stability. The soft tissues were reattached, and rehabilitation was modified as with a repair of recurrent dislocations. Anterior glenoid erosion was often present and required bone grafting to support the glenoid component in four shoulders. Two chronic rotator cuff tears required repair. Nine patients were followed from 2 to 6 years, with an average of 3.9 years. The results were four excellent, four satisfactory, and one unsatisfactory. Although the reconstruction is complex, the surgical results were clearly superior to those of the nonoperative group.
Flow Regulation Characteristics of Thin-Walled Compliant Tubes: Part I—Theoretical Analysis

The objective of this investigation is the study of the flow limitation behavior of thin-walled compliant tubes for the design of a flow regulator employing a collapsible tube as its active element. The theoretical basis is set up for the high-Reynolds-number wave-speed flow regulation and the low-Reynolds-number frictional flow regulation behaviors of thin-walled compliant tubes
A single chain precursor of C4 in human serum

THE fourth component of complement (C4) in human serum is a glycoprotein with a molecular weight of 209,000 and consists of three covalently linked polypeptide chains1–3. A three-chain structure in proteins is exceptional and there is a possibility that C4 is synthesised as one or two chains which are subsequently cleaved. This hypothesis is in agreement with Hall and Colten4, who presented evidence that polysomes from homogenates of guinea pig liver synthesised a precursor form of C4. This pro-C4 has a single polypeptide chain of the same molecular weight as intact serum C4. We report here the presence in human serum and plasma of a functionally inactive protein with antigenic properties of human C4, which does not dissociate in reducing conditions into the α, β and γ chains characteristic of haemolytically active serum C4. This molecule probably represents a circulating precursor form of C4, or material that has escaped from the cell without being processed.