cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Algal Carbon Dioxide Concentrating Mechanisms

Photosynthetic microorganisms like cyanobacteria and many eukaryotic algae acclimate to a limited availability of carbon dioxide (CO2) in their environment by inducing a process called the carbon dioxide concentrating mechanism. This process uses an active inorganic carbon (Ci; CO2 and/or HCO3−) uptake system that leads to the internal accumulation of Ci to levels significantly higher than extracellular levels. Carbonic anhydrase activity converts much of the accumulated hydrogen carbonate to CO2, concentrating this substrate around Rubisco and thereby optimising photosynthetic efficiency even under low CO2 conditions. The efficiency of the process is further improved by the sequestration of Rubisco into specialised structures like the cyanobacterial carboxysome or the pyrenoid in eukaryotic algae. The carbon dioxide concentrating mechanism enhances carbon dioxide fixation and growth in algae. With the increasing demands for sustainable energy sources, algae with efficient carbon dioxide concentrating mechanisms are attractive models for biotechnological and transgenic applications for biofuel and biomass production. Key Concepts: The carbon dioxide concentrating mechanism helps photosynthetic algae optimise photosynthesis under limiting CO2 conditions. Rubisco uses both carbon dioxide and oxygen as substrates. Rubisco is localised in the carboxysome in cyanobacteria and the pyrenoid in the green alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The charged hydrogen carbonate needs transporters to enter the cell and cross organellar membranes. Carbonic anhydrase is an efficient enzyme that carries out the reversible interconversion of carbon dioxide and hydrogen carbonate and this reaction proceeds at a much faster rate than the uncatalysed reaction. At higher pH levels most of the inorganic carbon is in the form of hydrogen carbonate. Most algae with carbon dioxide concentrating mechanisms can take up both carbon dioxide and hydrogen carbonate. Carbon dioxide can diffuse out of the cell so algae trap carbon dioxide in the form of the charged hydrogen carbonate anion. Algae are used for large-scale biomass production and are currently being explored as sources of bio-fuel. Keywords: algae; carbon concentrating mechanism; cyanobacteria; Chlamydomonas; photosynthesis; rubisco; pyrenoid; carboxysome; carbonic anhydrase; hydrogen carbonate transporter
A 66-Year-Old Man With a Past History of Relapsing Polychondritis Presented With Right Upper Lobe Consolidation, Nodular Airway Lesions, and a Corticosteroid-Responsive Chronic Cough

A 66-year-old male nonsmoker from Arizona was referred to our practice for evaluation of chronic cough. He had a history of biopsy-proven relapsing polychondritis manifesting as right auricular and nasal pain and swelling 9 months prior to presentation. The onset of his cough coincided with the diagnosis of relapsing polychondritis, and he was prescribed prednisone 90 mg/d, which promptly relieved his rheumatologic and respiratory symptoms. A chest radiograph, obtained prior to the initiation of therapy, was normal. Any attempts at decreasing the dose of the glucocorticoid to
Financial Health and Mental Health Among Clients of a Community Mental Health Center: Making the Connections.

Objectives:This study evaluated financial challenges, satisfaction with financial-management supports, and interest in additional or alternative supports among clients of a mental health center.Methods:Six focus groups were held with 39 clients of an urban community mental health center who reported having difficulty with their finances. Five focus groups were held with direct-care staff who provided services to the clients. Investigators used an inductive analytical approach to distill themes from notes taken during the focus groups.Results:Clients emphasized the challenges of living in poverty and described using complex strategies to sustain themselves, including negotiating benefits systems, carefully planning purchases, and developing and relying on social relationships. They spoke of having uneven access to tools and services for managing their money, such as advice from direct-care staff, representative payees, and bank accounts, and had varying opinions about their value. Noting concerns similar t...
Isolation and characterization of the aspartokinase and aspartate semialdehyde dehydrogenase operon from mycobacteria

Summary Diaminopimelic acid (DAP) is a major component of the peptidoglycan layer of the mycobacterial cell wall. The mycobacterial cell wall has been implicated as a potential virulence factor and is highly immunogenic. The pathway for biosynthesis of DAP may serve as a target in the design of antimycobacterial agents and construction of in vivo selection systems. Despite its significance, this biosynthetic pathway is poorly understood in mycobacteria. In order to develop a better understanding of mycobacterial DAP biosynthesis, the aspartate semialdehyde dehydrogenase (asd) genes of Mycobacterium smegmatis, bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG), Mycobacterium avium, Mycobacterium leprae, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis were isolated. The M. smegmatis asd gene was isolated by complementation in Escherichia coli. This gene was then used to isolate the asd genes from other mycobacteria. The asd-complemening fragments from BCG and M. smegmatis were sequenced. An open reading frame upstream of the mycobacterial asd gene was identified as the mycobacterial aspartokinase gene (ask). Primer extension analysis revealed that the only transcriptional start in this region is found 5’of the ask gene. This observation indicates that the mycobacterial ask and asd genes are in an operon.
Directional Variation of Active and Passive Ankle Static Impedance

Though ankle mechanical impedance plays an important role in posture and locomotion, it has been inadequately characterized. Unlike previous studies, which confined themselves to measurements along the primary axes of the ankle in an isolated fashion, the study reported here characterized the static component of ankle impedance in two degrees of freedom. In addition, the effect of active muscle contraction on ankle static impedance was measured. We found that ankle static impedance varied significantly with direction under passive conditions. We further observed that, while muscle contraction increased the magnitude of ankle static impedance, its directional variation was essentially unchanged.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Designing clustering-based web crawling policies for search engine crawlers

The World Wide Web is growing and changing at an astonishing rate. Web information systems such as search engines have to keep up with the growth and change of the Web. Due to resource constraints, search engines usually have difficulties keeping the local database completely synchronized with the Web. In this paper, we study how tomake good use of the limited system resource and detect as many changes as possible. Towards this goal, a crawler for the Web search engine should be able to predict the change behavior of the webpages. We propose applying clustering-based sampling approach. Specifically, we first group all the local webpages into different clusters such that each cluster contains webpages with similar change pattern. We then sample webpages from each cluster to estimate the change frequency of all the webpages in that cluster. Finally, we let the crawler re-visit the cluster containing webpages with higher change frequency with a higher probability. To evaluate the performance of an incremental crawler for a Web search engine, we measure both the freshness and the quality of the query results provided by the search engine. We run extensive experiments on a real Web data set of about 300,000 distinct URLs distributed among 210 websites. The results demonstrate that our clustering algorithm effectively clusters the pages with similar change patterns, and our solution significantly outperforms the existing methods in that it can detect more changed webpages and improve the quality of the user experience for those who query the search engine.
Universality of surface critical behavior of the three-dimensional Ising model in a random surface field.

The Harris criterion is generalized to determine the relevance at bulk criticality (in the scaling theory sense) of a random ordering field acting at a surface only. For surface critical behavior of the three-dimensional Ising model the criterion predicts the random field to be irrelevant for the ordinary transition, and relevant for the surface-bulk multicritical point. Monte Carlo results for the ordinary transition verify the prediction. Moreover, surface critical behavior near substrates chemically altered in part, as used in a series of experiments by Franck and co-workers, is in the universality class mentioned above, and the value of ${\ensuremath{\beta}}_{1}$ found in a random surface experiment [D. J. Durian, and C. Franck, Phys. Rev. Lett. 59, 555 (1987)] agrees with the scaling prediction.
Establishment of an erythroid cell line from primary CD36+ erythroid progenitor cells.

Objective Most continuous cell lines with erythroid characteristics are derived from patients with myelogenous leukemia or erythroleukemia. Among them, a few cell lines have been reported to be positive for CD36. We tried to establish a continuous erythroid cell line from the primary CD36 + erythroid progenitor cells (EPCs) by the lentivirus-mediated gene transduction system. Materials and Methods A lentiviral vector carrying SV40T , hTERT, or the human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) E6 and E7 ( E6 / E7 ) viral oncogenes, was introduced into CD36 + EPCs, singularly or combined. Transformed cells were characterized in terms of histology, phenotype, karyotype, and gene expression profile. Results The lentiviral vector carrying HPV16 E6/E7 genes successfully transformed CD36 + EPCs, creating a continuous cell line, CD36E. Immunophenotype analysis revealed that the CD36E cells had characteristics of erythroid progenitors, among which about 27% of the cell population produced hemoglobin. Colony-forming cell assay demonstrated that the CD36E cells were capable of forming erythroid colonies. Using cytokines or chemical agents, attempts were made to induce differentiation of the CD36E cells but were ineffective, indicating the irreversible erythroid lineage commitment of the cells. The gene expression profile of the CD36E cells displayed a marked difference from that of the CD36 + EPCs. Conclusions The continuous CD36E cell line is an erythroid progenitor cell line possessing the ability to produce hemoglobin. The CD36E cell line would be an excellent tool for applied research involving erythroid lineage cells and comparative studies with primary CD36 + EPCs.
Regulatory protection and definition for recreational uses of Florida lakes

AbstractNational- and state-level water quality policies clearly set forth the intention to protect recreational uses of lakes. Nevertheless, the Clean Water Act, the Florida Water Resources Act, and Florida's Surface Water Quality Standards fail to define recreational uses of lakes. This research presents a generalized definition for recreational uses of Florida lakes and a quantification of the proportion of Floridians that recreate in lakes. Data collected from a survey of 503 Floridians indicate that approximately 23% of Floridians participate in lake-based recreation. A derived definition for the recreational use of Florida lakes, in order of reported use frequency, is “recreation activities of Florida lakes include, but are not limited to, relaxing, boating, fishing, viewing nature, picnicking, swimming, camping, tubing, hunting, wakeboarding, diving, and water skiing.” This generalized definition highlights the diversity of activities occurring in Florida lakes and can inform the regulatory process...
An improved method for covalent attachment of antibody to liposomes.

A rapid and simple method is described for the incorporation of monoclonal antibody coupled with palmitic acid into liposomes prepared by the reverse-phase evaporation method (Szoka, F. and Papahadjopoulos, D. (1978) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 75, 4194-4198). Palmitoyl antibody in 0.15% deoxycholate is added to a liposome suspension after the majority of the organic solvent has been removed by evaporation. Efficient incorporation (over 80%) of palmitoyl antibody occurred without leakage of the encapsulated drug. Native, unmodified antibody did not incorporate under identical conditions. About 50% of the incorporated antibodies could be readily digested by protease, while most of an internal protein marker was not, suggesting that about half of the antibodies were exposed on the outer surfaces of liposomes. Target-specific binding of antibody-liposomes has also been demonstrated in vitro with the RDM-4 lymphoma cells. This method offers a rapid and highly efficient attachment of functional antibody molecules to liposomes with high capture efficiency of drugs, and therefore should be useful in target-specific delivery of drugs mediated by liposomes.
The Spiral Wave of Our Galaxy Near Inner Lindblad Resonance

The dispersion relationship for short-wavelength spiral density waves in our Galaxy has been refined to remove the divergences that occurred in wave number and in amplitude as inner Lindblad resonance is approached. The wave is found to be evanescent in an annular region near 4 kpc. By 3 kpc, the inward propagating trailing wave is completely absorbed. The outgoing leading wave is suppressed compared to the trailing one because it begins in the evanescent state. Throughout this region of inner Lindblad resonance, a smooth wave amplitude has been obtained, and it has a sharp peak correlating well with the observed density of ionized hydrogen.
An MBoC favorite: receptor-mediated endocytosis in the Caenorhabditis elegans oocyte.

In 1999, Barth Grant showed Caenorhabditis elegans biologists and membrane traffic aficionados how to use worms to study membrane traffic (Grant and Hirsh, 1999). Grant fused green fluorescent protein (GFP) to a yolk protein gene and observed receptor-mediated endocytosis of yolk-GFP into germ cells. Trafficking components already known from vertebrates were required in worms as well. This simple experiment set the stage for using worms much as others had used yeast, as a model for identifying new molecular components. Grant and Hirsh’s MBoC paper, as well as parallel work from Jonny Fares and Grant’s ensuing papers, have identified new mechanisms and new components (some not present in yeast) for membrane traffic in animal cells. Their use of worms opened an avenue for study of membrane traffic in a complex, developing, multicellular animal system in which cell polarity and membrane traffic mechanisms turned out to be intertwined, and in which some important tissue-specific differences in membrane traffic mechanisms are being uncovered.
Indoor particulate matter increases asthma morbidity in children with non-atopic and atopic asthma

Background Compared with atopic asthma, fewer environmental modifications are recommended for non-atopic asthma in children. Objective To better understand the role of indoor pollutants in provoking non-atopic asthma, we investigated the effect of in-home particulate matter on asthma symptoms among non-atopic and atopic children living in inner-city Baltimore. Methods A cohort of 150 children ages 2 to 6 years with asthma underwent home environmental monitoring for 3-day intervals at baseline, 3, and 6 months. Children were classified as non-atopic if they were skin test negative to a panel of 14 aeroallergens. Caregivers completed questionnaires assessing symptoms and rescue medication use. Longitudinal data analysis included regression models with generalized estimating equations. Results Children were primarily African American from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and spent most of their time in the home. Thirty-one percent were non-atopic, and 69% were atopic. Among non-atopic and atopic children, increased in-home fine (PM2.5) and coarse (PM2.5–10) particle concentrations were associated with significant increases in asthma symptoms and rescue medication use ranging from 7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0–15) to 14% (95% CI, 1–27) per 10 μg/m 3 increase in particle concentration after adjustment for confounders. Conclusions In-home particles similarly cause increased symptoms of asthma in non-atopic and atopic children. Environmental control strategies that reduce particle concentrations may prove to be an effective means of improving asthma outcomes, especially for non-atopic asthma, for which there are few environmental control practice recommendations.
Effect of ethane-1-hydroxy-1,1-diphosphonate (EHDP) administration on duodenal calcium transport.

Ethane-1-hydroxy-1,1-diphosphonate (EHDP) given subcutaneously to rats in high doses (10 mg P/Kg body weight daily×10) inhibited the transport of calcium by rat duodenal gut sacs, when45Ca serosal/mucosal concentration ratios were used to measure active transport. Electron microscopic studies revealed the accumulation of electron-dense granules in the microvilli, representing a bound form of calcium and a paucity of such granules in mitochondria, changes identical to those seen in rachitic rats. These results suggest that the defect is mediated in part by interference in transport of calcium from microvilli to other intracellular sites.
Rural Implications of Medicare's Post‐Acute‐Care Transfer Payment Policy

ABSTRACT: Context: Under the Medicare post-acute-care (PAC) transfer policy, acute-care hospitals are reimbursed under a per-diem formula whenever beneficiaries are discharged from selected diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) to a skilled nursing facility, home health care, or a prospective payment system (PPS)-excluded facility. Total per-diem payments are below the full DRG payment only when the patient's length of stay (LOS) is short relative to the geometric mean LOS for the DRG; otherwise, the full DRG payment is received. This policy originally applied to 10 DRGs beginning in fiscal year 1999 and was expanded to additional DRGs in FY2004. The Secretary may include other DRGs and types of PAC settings in future expansions. Purpose: This article examines how the initial policy change affected rural and urban hospitals and investigates the likely impact of the FY2004 expansion and other possible future expansions. Methods: The authors used 1998–2001 Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MEDPAR) data to investigate changes in hospital discharge patterns after the original policy was implemented, compute the change in Medicare revenue resulting from the payment change, and simulate the expected revenue reductions under expansions to additional DRGs and swing-bed discharges. Findings: Neither rural nor urban hospitals appear to have made a sustained change in their discharge behavior so as to limit their exposure to the transfer policy. Financial impacts from the initial policy were similar in relative terms for both types of hospitals and would be expected to be fairly similar for an expansion to additional DRGs. On average, including swing-bed discharges in the transfer policy would have a very small financial impact on small rural hospitals; only hospitals that make extensive use of swing beds after a short inpatient stay might expect large declines in total Medicare revenue. Conclusion: Rural hospitals are not disproportionately harmed by the PAC transfer policy. An expanded policy may even benefit rural hospitals by recognizing their lower use of post-acute-care and readjusting DRG weights so that they are paid more appropriately when providing the full course of inpatient care.
Rocaglamide, silvestrol and structurally related bioactive compounds from Aglaia species

Covering: 2006 to 2013. Investigations on the chemistry and biology of rocaglamide, silvestrol and structurally related bioactive compounds from Aglaia species during the period 2006–2013 are reviewed. Included are new phytochemical studies of naturally occurring rocaglamide derivatives, an update on synthetic methods for cyclopenta[b]benzofurans, and a description of the recent biological evaluation and mechanism-of-action studies on compounds of this type.
The paradox of security cosmopolitanism

This engagement suggests looking at ‘security cosmopolitanism’ with substantive and political caution, arguing that it may not live up to its substantive promises and may present problematic political implications for those interested in finding a ‘way forward’ cognizant of post-structuralist concerns about theorizing global politics. It argues that ‘security cosmopolitanism,’ while seductive, might ultimately be a counterproductive paradigmatic shift, and suggests reevaluating both this paradigmatic shift and the idea of making new paradigms to solve the problems of existing ones.
Globalization and development: Learning from debates in China

Abstract How can a developing country capture the advantages of globalization? In grappling with this question, China has played to its strengths and picked itself up by the bootstraps, though not without mounting signs of apprehension. This case offers clues to what vaults development forward in globalization. Largely overlooked in this search for a key is the range of China's internal debates. This creative dialogue could help overcome the despair of antidevelopment, a multipronged attack on the whole developmentalist paradigm. Although China's encounter with globalization is problematic and does not offer a model to be copied, it is a compelling case of a home-grown strategy of transformation, hope and self-confidence, and a large measure of self-determination. In other contexts, the Chinese narrative prompts the question of how to write a fresh script for development within the compass of neoliberal globalization.
Radiation enhancement by the combined use of topoisomerase I inhibitors, RFS-2000 or CPT-11, and topoisomerase II inhibitor etoposide in human lung cancer cells

Abstract Background and purpose : We have tested the camptothecin analogs, RFS-2000 or CPT-11, in combination with both etoposide and ionizing radiation in vitro to examine the radiation enhancing potential of topoisomerase I plus topoisomerase II (Topo I+Topo II) inhibition in human cancer cells. Materials and methods : H460 human lung carcinoma cells were plated and treated with 10 nM RFS-2000 or 4.5 μM CPT-11 for 4 h. Cells were then irradiated with various doses and treated with 1 μM etoposide for 1.5 h. Cell survival and sublethal damage recovery (SLDR) were determined by clonogenic assay. 7-aminoactinomycin D (7-AAD) staining and flow cytometry were used to analyze cell viability/apoptosis after combined treatment of drugs with radiation. Results : Survival experiments showed radiation dose enhancement ratios (DER) of 1.26, 1.34, and 1.63 for RFS-2000, etoposide, and RFS-2000 plus etoposide, respectively; the corresponding DER values were 1.30, 1.39, and 1.65 for CPT-11, etoposide, and CPT-11 plus etoposide. The analysis of cell viability/apoptosis using 7-AAD staining and flow cytometry showed an additive effect. Greater inhibition of SLDR was observed with RFS-2000 plus etoposide than with either agent separately, but CPT-11 plus etoposide showed a more modest effect upon SLDR. Conclusions : These data show that the combination of Topo I inhibitors, RFS-2000 or CPT-11 plus Topo II inhibitor etoposide, is a more effective radiation enhancer than either agent alone in human lung cancer cells. The mechanism of radiation enhancement may involve inhibition of SLDR with RFS-2000 plus etoposide, but other mechanisms may be involved in the combined treatment including CPT-11.
Gene 3 endonuclease of bacteriophage T7 resolves conformationally branched structures in double-stranded DNA

Abstract Gene 3 endonuclease of bacteriophage T7 has been expressed from the cloned gene, purified, and characterized as to its activity on different UNA substrates. Besides its known strong preference for cutting single-stranded DNA rather than double-stranded DNA, the enzyme has a strong preference for cutting conformationally branched structures in double-stranded DNA, either X or Y-shaped branches. Three types of branched DNA substrates were used: relaxed circular DNAs containing large cruciform structures (a model for Holliday structures, presumed intermediates in genetic recombination); X-shaped molecules having a limited potential for branch migration, made from the cloned phage and bacterial arms of the lambda attachment site; and Y-shaped molecules, made by hybridizing molecules homologous except for a 2 × 21 base-pair palindrome in one of them. Gene 3 endonuclease cuts two opposing strands at or near the branchpoint to resolve these substrates into linear molecules, and does not cut the potentially single-stranded tips of the stem-and-loop structure generated from the palindrome. The position of the cleavage points on the equivalent arm of two X-shaped molecules, constructed from wild-type and mutant lambda attachment sites, show that the enzyme can cut at several different sites within or slightly 5′ of the limited region of branch migration. The various activities of gene 3 endonuclease are consistent with the known role of this enzyme in genetic recombination, in maturation and packaging of T7 DNA, and in degradation of host DNA, and suggest that the enzyme recognizes a specific structural feature in DNA. Its cleavage specificity, ready availability, and ability to act at physiological pH and ionic conditions may make gene 3 endonuclease useful as a probe for specific DNA structures or for binding of proteins that alter DNA structure.
Imparting functional variety to cellulose ethers via olefin cross-metathesis

Olefin cross-metathesis is a valuable new approach for imparting functional variety to cellulose ethers. Starting from commercially available ethyl cellulose, terminally unsaturated alkyl groups were appended as metathesis handles by reaction with allyl chloride, 5-bromo-1-pentene, 7-bromo-1-heptene and 11-bromo-1-undecene, employing sodium hydride catalyst. These olefin-terminal ethyl cellulose derivatives were then subjected to olefin cross-metathesis with a variety of electron-poor olefin substrates, including acrylic acid and acrylate esters under optimized conditions (5–10 mol% Hoveyda-Grubbs’ 2nd generation catalyst, 37 °C, 2 h). The effects of varying the length of the ω-unsaturated alkyl handle, and of the solvent systems used were evaluated. Ethyl cellulose containing a pent-4-enyl substituent performed best in cross metathesis reactions and a hept-6-enyl substituent gave similarly good results. Ethyl cellulose with allyl substituents gave low to moderate metathesis conversion (<50%), possibly due to steric effects and the proximity of the ether oxygen to the terminal olefin. Interestingly, longer tethers (undec-10-enyl) gave high conversions (up to 90%) but relatively slow reactions (ca. 12 h needed for high conversion). While limited in this study by the relatively low DS (OH) of the starting commercial ethyl cellulose materials, this methodology has strong promise for introduction of diverse functionality to cellulose ethers in chemospecific and mild fashion, enabling amorphous solid dispersion and other applications.
Prospective characterization of the clinicopathologic and immunologic features of an immunodeficiency syndrome affecting juvenile llamas

Abstract The clinicopathologic and immunologic features of 15 llamas affected with juvenile llama immunodeficiency syndrome (JLIDS) are described. Healthy adult (n = 10) and juvenile (n = 10) llamas served as controls. JLIDS llamas were characterized by wasting, and clinically apparent, repeated infections were frequently observed. The median age at which a health problem was first perceived was 11.6 months. All 15 affected llamas died or were killed, and JLIDS was confirmed at necropsy. The median duration of illness was 3.5 months. Lymphocyte blastogenesis assays showed suppressed responses (particularly to Staphylococcus sp. Protein A) in JLIDS llamas. No evidence of retroviral infection was detected. Mild, normocytic, normochromic, non-regenerative anemia, low serum albumin concentration and low to low-normal globulin concentrations were typically found on initial clinical evaluation. Lymph node biopsies showed areas of paracortical depletion. All llamas affected with JLIDS had low serum IgG concentrations, pre-vaccination titers against Clostridium perfringens C and D toxoids of ≤1:100, and no titer increase following vaccination.
Design, implementation and maintenance of a model organism database for Arabidopsis thaliana: Reviews

The Arabidopsis Information Resource (TAIR) is a web-based community database for the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. It provides an integrated view of genes, sequences, proteins, germplasms, clones, metabolic pathways, gene expression, ecotypes, polymorphisms, publications, maps and community information. TAIR is developed and maintained by collaboration between software developers and biologists. Biologists provide specification and use cases for the system, acquire, analyse and curate data, interact with users and test the software. Software developers design, implement and test the database and software. In this review, we briefly describe how TAIR was built and is being maintained. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Design considerations for LBTI observer interface

We outline the design considerations and principles for developing a graphical user interface for configuring and operating Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer (LBTI) on sky, and examine the "weblication" methodology to deliver this astronomical software over the web. LBTI is an instrument to be installed at the Large Binocular Telescope to search for exo-planets. The instrument consists of a universal beam combiner to combine the light from both arms of the LBT, an L and M band science camera, a K band nulling channel along with wave front sensor units for adaptive optics correction. Additionally, the application will have an interface to the telescope control system and XML based telescope telemetry data flow.
Rhetorical dilemmas in catholic discourse: The case of Bishop John J. Myers

Examining Bishop John J. Myers’ pastoral discourse advances understanding of dilemmas as rhetorical response to dissent. Dilemmas offer multiple problematic choices and are relevant to the dialectical tensions in religious discourse. Myers exploits dilemmas by presenting authoritative arguments which challenge dissenting Catholics to examine their faith commitments to Church identity and practices. The dilemma structures Myers uses, though generally acceptable to many Catholics, may result in alienating, rather than gathering, dissenting members.
Mechanics of Buckled Structure MEMS for Actuation and Energy Harvesting Applications

Buckled structures offer many great benefits to microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), using naturally occurring residual stresses to provide structures with switchable stable states capable of large transverse deflections. In this work a simple, circular bi-layer diaphragm style of buckled MEMS devices is discussed. The buckling behavior of the system, including buckling height and switching criteria, is modeled and analyzed in ANSYS, then compared with theoretical equations and experimental measurements. Results of this work will help to yield optimal design parameters for both energy harvesting and actuation MEMS applications.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Role of aldosterone for control of colonic NaKATPase activity in weanling rats.

ABSTRACT: Experiments were performed to examine how aldosterone modulates colonic NaKATPase activity during the weaning period. NaKATPase activity was determined in proximal and distal colon in control rats aged 16, 20, and 40 days, in rats aged 20 and 40 days fed low sodium diet for 4 days and in 20-day-old rats adrenalectomized on day 16. In some protocols net sodium and water transport was determined with in vivo perfusion technique. In control rats colonic NaKATPase activity increased significantly between day 16 and 20. This increase was abolished by adrenalectomy but restored by aldosterone substitution, 5 µg/100 g body weight/12 h. No significant increase in NaKATPase activity occurred between day 20 and 40. Serum levels of both aldosterone and of corticosterone were low until day 14 and increased to peak level at day 18-20. In 20- and 40-day-old rats fed a low sodium diet, NaKATPase activity increased significantly in proximal and distal colon in both age groups but the increases were significantly greater in the 20- than the 40-day-old animals. A low sodium diet increased serum aldosterone, but not serum corticosterone levels in both age groups: also the low sodium diet significantly increased net sodium and water transport in 20- but not in 40-day-old rats. Aldosterone is of physiological importance for the regulation of NaKATPase activity in the colon at the time of weaning. The immature colon may have an enhanced sensitivity to aldosterone.
Renal medullary adenylate cyclase in drug-induced nephrogenic diabetes insipidus.

SummaryIn rats with drug-induced nephrogenic diabetes insipidus the response of renal medullary adenylate cyclase to ADH in vitro is markedly diminished. It is suggested that this defect in hormone-dependent cyclic AMP formation could be the underlying cause of the ADH resistance as found in vivo.
Aortic regurgitation in women. Does the measuring stick need a change

The outlook for patients with aortic regurgitation has improved dramatically over the past two decades. Operative mortality has decreased from as high as 20% in the early 1970s to 2% to 4% today.1 2 3 Survivorship after aortic valve replacement for aortic regurgitation has also improved so that there now is approximately an 85% 5-year and 70% 10-year survivorship.3 4 5 Improvement in survival derives from several underlying factors, including (1) newer prosthetic valves, which have improved hemodynamic profiles and a reduced risk of thromboembolism; (2) the almost universal use of intraoperative cardioplegia, which protects the enlarged left ventricle of aortic regurgitation from ischemic damage; and (3) progressively earlier surgery performed on candidates with better preoperative left ventricular function resulting, in turn, in better postoperative left ventricular function. While once surgery was delayed until the patient suffered from far-advanced symptoms refractory to medical therapy,6 now patients with mild symptoms and even asymptomatic patients are referred for surgery if preoperative echocardiographic evaluation demonstrates evidence of early left ventricular dysfunction.7 Although valvular heart disease imparts abnormal loading conditions on the left ventricle, making load-sensitive ejection phase indexes such as ejection fraction sometimes difficult to interpret, the “55” rule has been extremely effective in helping physicians time aortic valve replacement for patients with aortic regurgitation. By operating on patients before ejection fraction falls below 55%8 or before the left ventricle can no longer contract to an end-systolic dimension of 55 mm or less,9 low operative mortality and normal postoperative ejection fraction is expected unless an unusual event such as perioperative myocardial infarction or an unexpectedly long extracorporeal perfusion time is encountered. Even if left ventricular function has begun to deteriorate and markers of dysfunction have been exceeded, ejection fraction usually becomes normal after surgery because careful surveillance, …
Widely tunable source generating subpicosecond pulses at 1550 nm

We report on a passively mode-locked stretched pulse APM fiber laser that generates subpicosecond pulses and is tunable over a 58 nm range. A 5 nm interference filter external to the laser provides the tunability.
The effect of photoperiod and melatonin feeding on reproduction in the ewe

Abstract Sixty anestrous ewes were used to determine the effects of artificial photoperiod and/or melatonin feeding on seasonality of reproduction. Treatments included natural daylight (ND), 8 h of light, 16 h of darkness (8L: 16D), natural daylight plus 3.5 mg melatonin fed per ewe daily (ND + MEL), and 8L: 16D plus 3.5 mg melatonin fed per ewe daily (8L: 16D + MEL). The percentage of ewes lambing was lower (P
Analytical and numerical solutions of the density dependent Nagumo telegraph equation

Abstract In this paper, we obtained analytical and numerical solutions to a class of density dependent diffusion equations with memory–delay effect. This is a generalization of the density dependent diffusion Nagumo equation we studied recently [R.A. Van Gorder, K. Vajravelu, Physics Letters A 372 (2008) 5152]. Furthermore, we obtained series solutions for various strengths of the density dependence along with bounds on the range of the convergence. The numerical solutions are obtained by the Runge–Kutta–Fehlberg 45 method. The dependence of the traveling wave solutions on various parameters, particularly the memory–delay term, is discussed.
Episodic breathing in alligators : role of sensory feedback

Abstract The episodic breathing pattern in many reptiles consists of two or more clustered breaths separated by variable non-ventilatory periods. This pattern is commonly postulated to result from oscillations in lung and/or blood PO2 or PCO2 via chemoreceptor feedback. We tested this hypothesis by monitoring breathing pattern in: (1) awake, undisturbed alligators and (2) sedated alligators (approx. 25 mg/kg pentobarbital, i.p.; 3 days prior to data collection). In sedated alligators, measurements were made: (1) before and after bilateral cervical vagotomy, a procedure that removes peripheral arterial chemoreceptors, CO2-sensitive intrapulmonary chemoreceptors and pulmonary stretch receptors (n = 6); and (2) during unidirectional ventilation (UDV) at high flow rates (> 2 L/min), thereby minimizing oscillations in lung and blood PO2 and PCO2 (n = 6). Measurements on sedated alligators were made at 30 and 20 °C in each of these conditions. In awake, undisturbed alligators, breathing was typically episodic with 2–7 breaths/cluster, although the pattern was easily altered (increased breaths/cluster) by even seemingly minor disturbances. In sedated alligators, episodic breathing was still evident after vagotomy, but only at increased inspired CO2; at 5% CO2 four of six alligators exhibited episodic breathing consisting of 2–3 breaths/cluster interspersed with occasional single breaths. An episodic breathing pattern was also evident during UDV; at low levels of CO2, 2–4 breaths/cluster interspersed with occasional single breaths were evident in four alligators, while two had 6–8 breaths/cluster. Increasing CO2 in the UDV gas stream generally increased the number of breaths/cluster. After vagotomy, all six alligators could manifest an episodic breathing pattern during UDV in at least one CO2 condition (> 2 breaths/cluster interspersed with occasional single breaths). The episodic breathing pattern was very labile, sometimes changing to single breaths without apparent cause. The results suggest: (1) episodic breathing requires neither feedback from vagal sensory receptors nor oscillations in respiratory gases; and (2) changes in arterial PCO2 modulate, but do not initiate episodic breathing. Episodic breathing in alligators may be due to complex interactions of higher brain structures with the central rhythm generator.
Scar thinning due to ibuprofen administration after experimental myocardial infarction.

Although much attention has been directed toward interventions which reduce myocardial infarct size, the effect of such agents on the healing phase of myocardial infarction is not well understood. The present study examines the effect of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent ibuprofen, previously demonstrated to be able to reduce infarct size, and of aspirin on the healing of experimentally produced myocardial infarcts. Thirty-nine anesthetized, open-chest dogs were subjected to proximal left anterior descending coronary artery occlusions for 6 weeks. Four groups of dogs were studied: (1) a control (untreated) group: (2) ibuprofen, 12.5 mg/kg intravenously 15 minutes and 6, 12, 18, and 24 hours after occlusion (high dose); (3) ibuprofen, 12.5 mg/kg intravenously 15 minutes and 3 hours after occlusion (low dose); (4) aspirin, 30 mg/kg intravenously 15 minutes and 3 hours after occlusion. The average thickness of the transmural scar and of the noninfarcted left ventricular wall was determined from multiple measurements of formalin-fixed left ventricular slices. The ratio of transmural scar to noninfarcted wall thickness was determined. In control animals the ratio was 0.87 with only 1 of 15 animals having a ratio
Virtual Reality Interface Design for Multi-Modal Teleoperation

A multi modal teleoperation interface is introduced featuring an integrated virtual reality (VR) based simulation augmented by sensors and image processing capabilities on-board the remotely operated vehicle. The proposed virtual reality interface fuses an existing VR model with live video feed and prediction states, thereby creating a multi modal control interface. Virtual reality addresses the typical limitations of video-based teleoperation caused by signal lag and limited field of view. The 3D environment in VR along with visual cues generated from real time sensor data allows the operator to navigate in a continuous fashion. The vehicle incorporates an on-board computer and a stereo vision system to facilitate obstacle detection. A vehicle adaptation system with a priori risk maps and real state tracking system enables temporary autonomous operation of the vehicle for local navigation around obstacles and automatic re-establishment of the vehicle’s teleoperated state. Finally, the system provides real time update of the virtual environment based on anomalies encountered by the vehicle. The VR interface architecture is discussed and implementation results are presented. The VR based multi modal teleoperation interface is expected to be more adaptable and intuitive when compared to other interfaces.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Multiple-Hole Approach to Zero-Order Release

We describe an approach to zero-order drug delivery systems that utilizes a device consisting of multiple holes uniformly distributed in an impermeable membrane. The interior of the device is filled with a suspension of a drug in a polymeric matrix. Near zero-order release is attained by using the proper density and configuration of holes on the surface of the device.
Attenuation of a plane wave in a two-phase medium

Abstract An analytic expression for the attenuation of a plane wave travelling through a continuous medium, containing randomly distributed spherical droplets, is derived, assuming conditions of negligible diffraction, refraction and reflection. A simpler derivation for aligned cubic droplets is shown to give similar results.
Question-Order Effects of Presidential Approval Ratings on Gubernatorial Approval Ratings: A Research Note

Data from four Ohio polls, conducted between June 1983 and May 1984, showed a significant question-order effect of presidential approval on gubernatorial approval. The Governor of Ohio, Richard Celeste, received significantly higher approval ratings when the gubernatorial approval question was asked just before the presidential approval question than when it was asked immediately afterward. The analysis also suggests that the order effect on gubernatorial ratings may be due, in large part, to a tendency for strong Reagan partisans to contrast Celeste's job performance to that of Reagan's when the question about Reagan's job performance was askedfirst. The results have significant implications for the ordering of questions on sociopolitical objects or figures within a survey interview. Public opinion researchers have demonstrated repeatedly that the order and context in which a question is asked can significantly affect the results of a survey (see e.g., Bishop, Oldendick & Tuchfarber 1982, 1984a, 1984b; McFarland 1981; Schuman & Presser 1981). The purpose of this article is to examine question-order effects on presidential and gubernatorial approval (cf. Crespi & Morris 1984; Sigelman 1981) and to suggest a theoretical scheme for understanding how and why such effects occur. We will also discuss the implication of these findings for the design of survey questionnaires.
ELECTRONIC BAND STRUCTURE AND PHOTOEMISSION : A REVIEW AND PROJECTION

Revue breve des calculs des structures electroniques des solides, en vue de l'interpretation des resultats de photo-emission. Trois types de calculs sont effectues: 1) Calculs de la structure electronique des bandes, dont les electrons sont consideres comme particules independantes, 2) calcul des effets de surface, 3) calculs des proprietes des effets electroniques a N corps et des modifications produites dans le solide, pendant la photoemission, par la correlation dynamique des electrons
Avoiding the death zone: choosing and running a library project in the cloud

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the evolving field of cloud computing and its usefulness for library technology departments. It seeks to consider what types of projects are good candidates for the cloud and which are not.Design/methodology/approach – The authors spent a year trying out different projects using Amazon's Web Service. They discuss what went right and what went wrong. They brought up their own machine image and tested out web sites and applications in the cloud. They discuss the different types of cloud services, evaluating and choosing a provider and the types of projects which best fit into this architecture. Advantages and considerations are highlighted as well as an alternative to the public cloud.Findings – There are some projects that are better suited to cloud computing than others. Flexibility and cost savings are the best reason for moving projects to the cloud. There are also good and valid reasons not to move some projects off into the cloud.Originality/value – Th...
Computational Complexity of Stochastic Programming: Monte Carlo Sampling Approach

For a long time modeling approaches to stochastic programming were dominated by scenario generation methods. Consequently the main computational effort went into development of decomposition type algorithms for solving constructed large scale (linear) optimization problems. A different point of view emerged recently where computational complexity of stochastic programming problems was investigated from the point of view of randomization methods based on Monte Carlo sampling techniques. In that approach the number of scenarios is irrelevant and can be infinite. On the other hand, from that point of view there is a principle difference between computational complexity of two and multistage stochastic programming problems – certain classes of two stage stochastic programming problems can be solved with a reasonable accuracy and reasonable computational effort, while (even linear) multistage stochastic programming problems seem to be computationally intractable in general.