cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Selective oxidation of glycerol over carbon-supported AuPd catalysts

Abstract Carbon-supported AuPd bimetallic nanoparticles were synthesized, characterized, and evaluated as catalysts in the aqueous-phase selective oxidation of glycerol. The bimetallic catalysts were synthesized by two different methods. The first method involved the deposition of Au onto the surface of 3-nm supported Pd particles by catalytic reduction of HAuCl 4 in aqueous solution by H 2 . The second method used the formation of a AuPd sol that was subsequently deposited onto a carbon support. Characterization of the catalysts using analytical transmission electron microscopy, H 2 titration, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the Au L III and Pd K -edges confirmed that the first synthesis method successfully deposited Au onto the Pd particles. Results from the AuPd sol catalyst also revealed that Au was preferentially located on the surface. Measurement of glycerol oxidation rates (0.3 M glycerol, 0.6 M NaOH, 10 atm O 2 , 333 K) in a semibatch reactor gave a turnover frequency (TOF) of 17 s −1 for monometallic Au and 1 s −1 for monometallic Pd, with Pd exhibiting a higher selectivity to glyceric acid. Although the activity of the bimetallic AuPd catalysts depended on the amount of Au present, none of them had a TOF greater than that of the monometallic Au catalyst. However, the AuPd catalysts had higher selectivity to glyceric acid compared with the monometallic Au. Because a physical mixture of monometallic Au and Pd catalysts also gave higher selectivity to glyceric acid, the Pd is proposed to catalyze the decomposition of the side product H 2 O 2 that is also formed over the Au but is detrimental to the selectivity toward glyceric acid.
A versatile two-part system for on-line measurement of multiple response parameters

A two-part system for digital measurement of such diverse response parameters as latency, pulse width, amplitude, and events per unit time is described. The mainframe consists of counters with light-emitting diode (LED) numeric readouts and a quartz crystal controlled internal time base. It also contains all power supply requirements for both the mainframe electronics and the second part of the system, the plug-ins. Each plug-in is designed to use the main unit counters, timers, readouts, and power supplies to measure the desired parameter. Thus, each numeric readout channel of the mainframe may be used to measure various parameters simply by changing the plug-in attached to it. The unit has proved to be very useful in reducing experimenter error in measuring response parameters in classical nictitating membrane conditioning.
Cost of electric power sector carbon mitigation in India: international implications

The Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimated that the near-term cost of reducing carbon emissions would decline with global trading. This decline was based on the assumption that costs of reducing carbon emissions are lower in developing countries than elsewhere. In this paper, we test this hypothesis by estimating the cost of reducing emissions through the use of combined cycle units in place of coal power plants in India. Using data from power plants proposed by independent power producers, we estimate the cost of carbon reduction to be $144/t C. Capital, fuel and other costs are all higher for combined cycles units in India than in the US, while they are comparable for the technologically mature coal plants in the two countries. As the combined cycle technology matures, the cost differential may narrow in the future to as low as $6/t C. A key conclusion of this study is that to the extent project-based activities, e.g., under CDM, rely on new technologies to reduce carbon emissions from similar sources, the cost of carbon reduction may be higher in developing countries, since new technology costs in a nascent market are often higher in these countries.
Hysteresis caused by water molecules in carbon nanotube field-effect transistors

Carbon nanotube field-effect transistors commonly comprise nanotubes lying on SiO2 surfaces exposed to the ambient environment. It is shown here that the transistors exhibit hysteresis in their electrical characteristics because of charge trapping by water molecules around the nanotubes, including SiO2 surface-bound water proximal to the nanotubes. Hysteresis persists for the transistors in vacuum since the SiO2-bound water does not completely desorb in vacuum at room temperature, a known phenomenon in SiO2 surface chemistry. Heating under dry conditions significantly removes water and reduces hysteresis in the transistors. Nearly hysteresis-free transistors are obtainable by passivating the devices with polymers that hydrogen bond with silanol groups on SiO2 (e.g., with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)). However, nanotube humidity sensors could be explored with suitable water-sensitive coatings. The results may have implications to field-effect transistors made from other chemically derived materials.
A numerical approach for flow-induced vibration of pipe structures

Abstract A structural impedance approach is extended for the dynamic analysis of pipe structures conveying fluid flow. The method is efficient in computation and convenient for studying transient responses. Thus, it is possible to study the transition from a stable condition to an unstable condition of the pipe structure as the flow speed increases. The structure may also exhibit different modes of instability. The present approach predicts the mode without prior assumption. Numerical examples are given for a hanging cantilever and a simply supported pipe. The critical speed associated with the dynamic stability is calculated and compared with available analytical and experimental results.
Ability factor differentiation, Grades 5 through 11

Factor analyses have been computed in samples of white male and female and black male and fe male students for the same 16 cognitive variables at grade levels 5, 7, 9, and 11. Samples for each of the four independent groups remained constant at the four grade levels. The latent roots as analyzed in three ways show a clear but small increase in the number of common factors during this time period, particularly for the white groups. Rotated factor loadings also support the differentiation hypothesis. For the white males, who showed the clearest evi dence for differentiation of abilities, rotated load ings provide descriptions of the emerging factors. Although the evidence for differentiation is less clear in white females, the emerging factors appear to become identical by the 11th grade. Data for black males and females, which are based on small er Ns, are more ambiguous.
Metastasis of an optic glioma through a ventriculoperitoneal shunt

Metastatic spread of an optic glioma through a ventriculoperitoneal shunt resulted in the accumulation of malignant ascites in a young boy. Chemotherapy with vincristine, CCNU, and prednisone resulted in regression of the ascites and no further tumor progression. Extracranial metastasis of such a slow growing tumor is a rare occurrence; however, in this case, the spread through the shunt further emphasizes the need for protective filters in the shunts.
The church, the monastery and the politician: Perils of entrepreneurial leadership in post-1970s Thailand

In recent decades, Thailand has seen the development of new styles of social and political organisation whose effects can be seen across religious and confessional lines. Among them are charismatically led large-scale organisations emulating the style of large-scale businesses. The article ‘triangulates’ this style via brief case studies of the Thai Rak Thai Party (now the Phuea Thai Party), the Wat Phra Dhammakaya Buddhist meditation movement and the Church of the Divine Call (pseudonym), who share some underlying similarities despite their overt differences. The similarities among the groups flow in part from trends associated with economic development and globalisation. Yet, at the same time these groups – and the ways in which they inspired such fervent opposition – express some enduring features of Thai cultural and social organisation.
Decomposition and compression of Kirchhoff migration operator by adapted wavelet packet transform

Kirchhoff migration operator is a highly oscillatory integral operator. In our previous work (see `Seismic Imaging in Wavelet Domain', Wu and Yang, 1997), we have shown that the matrix representation of Kirchhoff migration operator for homogeneous background in space-frequency domain is a dense matrix, while the compressed beamlet- operator, which is the wavelet decomposition of the Kirchhoff migration operator in beamlet-frequency (space- scale-frequency) domain, is a highly sparse matrix. Using the compressed matrix for imaging, we can obtain high quality images with high efficiency. We found that the compression ratio of the migration operator is very different for different wavelet basis. In the present work, we study the decomposition and compression of Kirchhoff migration operator by adapted wavelet packet transform, and compare with the standard discrete wavelet transform (DWT). We propose a new maximum sparsity adapted wavelet packet transform (MSAWPT), which differs from the well-known Coifman-Wickerhauser's best basis algorithm, to implement the decomposition of Kirchhoff operator to achieve the maximum possible sparsity. From the numerical tests, it is found that the MSAWPT can generate a more efficient matrix representation of Kirchhoff migration operator than DWT and the compression capability of MSAWPT is much greater than that of DWT.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Subsurface water quality from a flat tile-drained watershed in Illinois, USA

Abstract Subsurface drainage is a common practice in many agricultural watersheds in the Mid-Western region of the United States. A typical drainage system in east central Illinois is not spaced in a parallel manner, but the subsurface drain lines are laid out in a random and irregular fashion. These subsurface drain lines most often discharge into numerous man-made drainage channels, which ultimately drain to the rivers and the reservoirs. The Little Vermilion River (LVR) watershed in east central Illinois, USA is an example of a watershed with altered hydrology from subsurface drainage systems. A continuous monitoring study has been conducted from 1991 to 2003 on this watershed to quantify the effects of cropping management practices and random subsurface drainage systems on fertilizer and pesticide transport in subsurface flow. This study investigates the losses and concentrations of nitrate-N and atrazine (2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-isopropylamino-S-triazine) from the LVR watershed that is flat (1% or less slope) and has intensive crop productions. Two of the drainage areas used in this study within this watershed have corn (Zea Mays L.) and soybeans (Glycine max L.) in rotations and the other two have seed corn and soybean in rotations. Long-term data collected from the LVR suggests that surface runoff rarely occurs in this watershed, and most of the soil-water is removed by the subsurface drainage systems. The concentrations of nitrate-N in subsurface drains varied depending on fertilizer application methods; pre-planting application contributed to nitrate-N concentrations higher than 10 mg L−1 (Drinking Water Standard of the US Environmental Protection Agency for nitrate-N) in subsurface drainage water. The pre-planting N application method resulted long-term average nitrate-N concentrations of 15, 17, 19, and 20 mg L−1 at the four monitoring sites, and the long-term average losses were 33, 23, 26, and 25 kg ha−1 of nitrate-N from the respective sites. Atrazine concentrations were lower than 3 μg L−1 (Drinking Water Standard of the US Environmental Protection Agency for Atrazine) in most water samples. The long-term average annual atrazine concentrations were 0.87, 1.0, 1.22, and 0.94 μg L−1 for the four sites. The mean annual atrazine losses varied from 0 to 7.12 g ha−1 during the monitoring period, with major losses of atrazine in drainage water occurring within 3 months of atrazine application.
Regioselective Hydroxylations of 2-Nitrofluorene in Vivo: A Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Study

The time-dependent metabolism of 2-nitrofluorene (2-NF) in vivo has been studied after ip administration to rats. After hydrolysis with beta-glucuronidase/arylsulfatase, five hydroxylated 2-nitrofluorenes were isolated by HPLC and identified by a combination of data from NMR, UV, and MS experiments. These metabolites were characterized as 6,9-dihydroxy-2-nitrofluorene (I), 9-hydroxy-2-nitrofluorene (II), 6-hydroxy-2-nitrofluorene (III), 7-hydroxy-2-nitrofluorene (IV), and 8-hydroxy-2-nitrofluorene (V). The highest amounts of metabolites were found after 24 h of injection, and although the major ones were still present after 48 h, only traces of them could be found beyond that time. A unique feature of the present study was our ability to establish the position of the different hydroxylations that occur in vivo by NMR techniques and, thus, to observe the regioselectivity of the metabolism of the 2-NF in vivo. Furthermore, two conjugated metabolites were identified by 1H-NMR and ESI-MS as 6-[(hydroxysulfonyl)oxy]-2-nitrofluorene (2-nitrofluorene 6-sulfate) (VI) and 7-[(hydroxysulfonyl)oxy]-2-nitrofluorene (2-nitrofluorene 7-sulfate) (VII).
Engineering plants to reflect light: strategies for engineering water-efficient plants to adapt to a changing climate

Summary Population growth and globally increasing standards of living have put a significant strain on the energy–food–water nexus. Limited water availability particularly affects agriculture, as it accounts for over 70% of global freshwater withdrawals (Aquastat). This study outlines the fundamental nature of plant water consumption and suggests a >50% reduction in renewable freshwater demand is possible by engineering more reflective crops. Furthermore, the decreased radiative forcing resulting from the greater reflectivity of crops would be equivalent to removing 10–50 ppm CO2 from the atmosphere. Recent advances in engineering optical devices and a greater understanding of the mechanisms of biological reflectance suggest such a strategy may now be viable. Here we outline the challenges involved in such an effort and suggest three potential approaches that could enable its implementation. While the local benefits may be straightforward, determining the global externalities will require careful modelling efforts and gradually scaled field trials.
Fines migration and compaction in diatomaceous rocks

Abstract Reservoir rocks typically have clay and other fine material attached to pore surfaces. Fines mobilization is advantageous in that the removal of fines from pore walls exposes water-wet rock thereby aiding oil recovery. On the other hand, fines mobilization is deleterious if mobilized particles obstruct pore throats. In this work, waterfloods of diatomaceous cores up to 200 °C were conducted using field and outcrop samples to elucidate mechanisms of fines production at conditions potentially important to thermal oil recovery. Because the rock employed is also stress sensitive, it was necessary to also understand compaction in order to gauge any resulting changes in permeability. The effect of temperature on fines migration in situ was studied using time-lapse CT scanning and the resulting permeability reduction was measured and modeled. The temperature at which increased fines concentration is observed coincides with an increase in the range of oscillations of X-ray attenuation in an averaged area in the CT images. Permeability reduction of up to 80% was seen in some cases at high temperatures confirming the importance of temperature in the elution of fines. It was found that the permeability reduction is more sensitive to salinity and temperature in comparison to pH. Such modeling and experimentation provides guidance on appropriate mitigation strategies through completion or other methods. Effluent brine analysis confirms that silica dissolution is an important factor in hot water or steam condensate movement with all of the tests indicating that silica dissolved in increasing quantities with increasing temperatures, even producing precipitates at 150–200 °C. Silica in solution leads to a general decrease in the effluent pH due to silicic acid. Ion exchange was also observed that is consistent with the Hofmeister series. Cations of large valency and smaller hydrated radii displaced cations resident in the rock. The effect of confining pressure on permeability was investigated by repeated loading and unloading of outcrop cores at different intermediate pressures and temperatures. With increasing net effective stress, significant permeability degradation was observed with a noticeable acceleration at about 600 psia. Mercury porosimetry of damaged material indicates that changes may be due to pore collapse. Almost no permeability recovery was detected when the core was unloaded. Significant creep was observed with significant permeability reduction resulting from a constant applied confining pressure. Permeability reduction at a slightly smaller effective stress was observed for the high temperature cases but no significant material differences in the primary compaction curves were detected between 25 °C and 100 °C. Limited rebound suggests that the stress history of diatomites may be a significant factor in determining the degree of acceptable depletion in the field development planning for thermal operations.
Cancer: ADT and acute kidney injury—causal or casual relationship?

A recent observational study has reported that androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer is associated with an increased risk of acute kidney injury. As a result of limited biological plausibility and critical measured and unmeasured confounders, the reported link is more likely to be casual than causal.
Kinetics of CO Ligation with Nitric-oxide Synthase by Flash Photolysis and Stopped-flow Spectrophotometry

Abstract Interaction of CO with hemeproteins has physiological importance. This is especially true for nitric-oxide synthases (NOS), heme/flavoenzymes that produce ⋅NO and citrulline from l-arginine (Arg) and are inhibited by CO in vitro. The kinetics of CO ligation with both neuronal NOS and its heme domain module were determined in the presence and absence of tetrahydrobiopterin and Arg to allow comparison with other hemeproteins. Geminate recombination in the nanosecond time domain is followed by bimolecular association in the millisecond time domain. Complex association kinetics imply considerable heterogeneity but can be approximated with two forms, one fast (2–3 × 106 m −1 s−1) and another slow (2–4 × 104 m −1s−1). The relative proportions of the two forms vary with conditions. For the heme domain, fast forms dominate except in the presence of both tetrahydrobiopterin and Arg. In the holoenzyme, slow forms dominate except when both reagents are absent. Geminate recombination is substantial, ∼50%, only when fast forms predominate. Stopped-flow mixing found dissociation constants near 0.3 s−1. These data imply an equilibrium constant such that very little CO should bind at physiological conditions unless large CO concentrations are present locally.
Interpretation and Deconvolution of Nanodisc Native Mass Spectra

Nanodiscs are a promising system for studying gas-phase and solution complexes of membrane proteins and lipids. We previously demonstrated that native electrospray ionization allows mass spectral analysis of intact Nanodisc complexes at single lipid resolution. This report details an improved theoretical framework for interpreting and deconvoluting native mass spectra of Nanodisc lipoprotein complexes. In addition to the intrinsic lipid count and charge distributions, Nanodisc mass spectra are significantly shaped by constructive overlap of adjacent charge states at integer multiples of the lipid mass. We describe the mathematical basis for this effect and develop a probability-based algorithm to deconvolute the underlying mass and charge distributions. The probability-based deconvolution algorithm is applied to a series of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine Nanodisc native mass spectra and used to provide a quantitative picture of the lipid loss in gas-phase fragmentation.
Advanced flexible CMOS integrated circuits on plastic enabled by controlled spalling technology

We present, for the first time, mechanically-flexible advanced-node CMOS circuits, including SRAM and ring oscillators, with gate lengths DD =0.6V and ring oscillators with record stage delay of ∼16ps, the best reported to date for a flexible circuit.
Compelling reasons to battle bullying and lessons from the field

I suggest a dramatic reframing of bully prevention as a vehicle for critical positive phenomena including appreciation for diversity and pro-social citizenship and leadership development for students. It is these powerful positives, even more than the avoidance of potentially deadly consequences of inaction in the face of bullying, which should move schools and communities to embrace bully-prevention programs and practices. Beyond these compelling reasons to engage in bully prevention, I offer some lessons learned from the field in bringing bully-prevention programs to schools, including how to engage leadership, accomplish strategic, multi-year planning, and achieve program fidelity.
Predicting high-codimension critical transitions in dynamical systems using active learning

Complex dynamical systems, from those appearing in physiology and ecology to Earth system modelling, often experience critical transitions in their behaviour due to potentially minute changes in their parameters. While the focus of much recent work, predicting such bifurcations is still notoriously difficult. We propose an active learning approach to the classification of parameter space of dynamical systems for which the codimension of bifurcations is high. Using elementary notions regarding the dynamics, in combination with the nearest-neighbour algorithm and Conley index theory to classify the dynamics at a predefined scale, we are able to predict with high accuracy the boundaries between regions in parameter space that produce critical transitions.
Marketing–Manufacturing Integration Across Stages of New Product Development: Effects on the Success of High- and Low-Innovativeness Products

The study of marketing-manufacturing integration (MMI) in new product development (NPD) projects is rather limited, and has not clearly indicated how levels of MMI should differ across various stages of development for high and low levels of product innovativeness. Our study builds upon prior research that has applied resource dependency theory to product development projects. We examine the influences of MMI in each of four stages of the NPD process. A path analysis of data drawn from 467 completed NPD projects indicates that stronger MMI accomplished early in NPD is associated with stronger MMI in later stages of NPD. For highly innovative projects, increased MMI in each stage of product development is respectively associated with greater product market success, but MMI in the earliest stages is especially salient. For incremental NPD projects, the strongest positive associations of MMI with product market success are indicated in product commercialization. We compare our findings with prior research, and we identify benefits, detriments, and costs of MMI that should be more deeply explored in future research with the objective of a more complete theory of cross-functional integration in NPD.
Cell Type–Specific Chromatin Structure Determines the Targeting of V(D)J Recombinase Activity In Vitro

A common V(D)J recombinase that recognizes a conserved recombination signal sequence (RSS) mediates the assembly of immunoglobulin (Ig) and T cell receptor (TCR) genes in B and T cell precursors. The rearrangement of particular Ig and TCR gene segments, however, is tightly regulated with respect to cell lineage and developmental stage. Using an in vitro system, we analyzed recombinase cleavage of RSSs flanking Ig and TCR gene segments in nuclei. We found that both the lineage-specificity and temporal ordering of gene rearrangement is reflected in the accessibility of RSSs within chromatin to in vitro cleavage.
Microsatellite markers identify three additional quantitative trait loci for resistance to soybean sudden-death syndrome (SDS) in Essex × Forrest RILs

Resistance to the sudden-death syndrome (SDS) of soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.), caused by Fusarium solani f. sp. glycines, is controlled by a number of quantitatively inherited loci (QTLs). Forrest showed a strong field resistance to SDS while Essex is susceptible to SDS. A population of 100 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross of Essex × Forrest was used to map the loci effecting resistance to SDS using phenotypic data obtained from six environments. Six loci involved in resistance to SDS were identified in this population. Four of the QTLs identified by BARC-Satt214 (P = 0.0001, R2= 24.1%), BARC-Satt309 (P = 0.0001, R2 = 16.3), BARC-Satt570 (P = 0.0001, R2 = 19.2%) and a random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) marker OEO21000 (P = 0.0031, R2=12.6) were located on linkage group (LG) G (Satt309 and OEO21000 were previously reported). Jointly the four QTLs on LG G explained 50% of the variation in SDS disease incidence (DI). All the QTLs on LG G derived the beneficial allele from Forrest. Two QTLs, BARC-Satt371 (P = 0.0019, R2 = 12%) on LG C2 (previously reported) and BARC-Satt354 (P = 0.0015, R2 = 11.5%) on LG I, derived their beneficial allele from Essex and jointly explained about 40% of the variation in SDS DI. Two-way and multi-way interactions indicated that gene action was additive among the loci underlying resistance to SDS. These results suggest that cultivars with durable resistance to SDS can be developed via gene pyramiding.
Hepatitis C infection increases the risk of new-onset diabetes after transplantation in liver allograft recipients.

Abstract Background Recent evidence suggests that new-onset diabetes after transplant (NODAT) adversely affects orthotopic liver transplant (OLTX) patient and graft survival. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of hepatitis C infection on the natural history of NODAT. Methods A retrospective review of 492 OLTX recipients at a single center was conducted from January 1993 to January 2003. Patients were followed for a minimum of 12 months (range 12 months-10 years). The study population consisted of 444 OLTX recipients who were either HCV positive (n = 206) or HCV negative (n = 238). NODAT was defined by the need for antidiabetic medication for at least 7 days starting anytime after OLTX. Statistical analysis was performed by using the Student t test, Kaplan-Meier survival, and chi-square tests. Results The overall incidence of NODAT was 33% (146/444). There was a significant difference in the development of NODAT between the HCV-positive group (82/206, 40%) and the HCV-negative group (64/238, 27%) (P 50 years. Conclusion Hepatitis C infection contributes to the development of diabetes mellitus in OLTX recipients. The mechanisms behind HCV infection and associated NODAT in HCV-positive OLTX recipients warrant further investigation.
Differential expression of rab3 isoforms in oligodendrocytes and astrocytes

The small GTP-binding protein Rab3a is involved in regulated secretory pathways and is enriched in synaptic and neuroendocrine secretory vesicles. We have reported previously the developmental regulation of Rab3a in oligodendrocytes in culture and purified central nervous system myelin (Huber et al.: FEBS Lett 347: 273-278, 1994). Since multiple rab3 isoforms exist in the brain and may be associated with different secretory pathways, we have investigated the differential expression of the rab3 isoforms in oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, and Schwann cell line RT4-D6P2T. The expression of specific rab3 isoforms (rab3a-c) was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and confirmed by sequence analyses. These data show that in addition to the previously reported expression in neurons, the two macroglial populations, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes, also express rab3 isoforms. Rab3b was preferentially amplified from purified, cultured astrocytes, while rab3a and rab3c were preferentially amplified from highly enriched populations of both cultured oligodendrocytes and those isolated directly from the brain by immunopanning. No novel rab3 isoform was detected in glia. These results indicate that glial cells in the brain express specific isoforms of the vesicular trafficking Rab3 protein family.
Effects of fining agents on trans‐resveratrol concentration in wine

Resveratrol has been identified as a wine component related to moderate wine consumption and a reduction in serum cholesterol levels. Processes such as wine fining that result in loss of resveratrol during winemaking are therefore of interest, and led to these present studies. A number of agents were compared and were found to lower resveratrol levels in all wines to some extent. Results from two studies (1996 and 1997) are reported. The standard addition method was used in combination with High Pressure Liquid Chromatography to calculate resveratrol levels. In Study 1 (1996), recommended maximum levels of all fining agents (Level 3), bentonite, egg white, gelatin + kieselsol and polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (PVPP), lowered resveratrol levels significantly compared to controls (Level 0). Nevertheless, addition of fining agents at Level 0 resulted in resveratrol levels that were significantly higher than those at Level 3, but resveratrol levels in wine from Level 0 were not significantly different from Level 1. In Study 2 (1997), carbon + egg white, and gelatin + kieselsol fining was studied, and their effects differed according to grape variety. Least removal of resveratrol by carbon fining occurred in wine from Cabernet Sauvignon (Vitis vinifera) whereas most removal occurred in wines from Cynthiana (Vitis aestivalis) and Noble (Vitis rotundifolia). Resveratrol levels of control wine were significantly higher than resveratrol levels of wile treated with recommended maximum addition of fining agent in all varieties.
Enteroviral meningoencephalitis in a patient with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma treated previously with rituximab

Summary A 75-year-old man, with a long history of recurrent lymphoplasmacytoid lymphoma, presented with diffuse large-cell lymphoma affecting adrenal glands and causing severe hypoadrenalism. The lymphoma responded to rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisolone (R-CHOP) chemotherapy. Seven months postcompletion of chemotherapy, he developed signs of gastroenteritis and septicaemia. He deteriorated 24 h postadmission with a significant fall in Glasgow Coma Scale Score. Polymerase chain reaction testing of cerebrospinal fluid suggested enteroviral encephalitis. He responded symptomatically to intravenous immunogobulins. His immunoglobulin levels were monitored weekly and supplemented to maintain immunoglobulin G level at 10 g/l, but in spite of this, his neurological condition deteriorated and he died after 14 weeks. Rituximab can cause prolonged B-cell deficiency. We speculate that profound immunosuppression induced by rituximab, together with previous chemotherapy, predisposed this patient to fatal enteroviral meningoencephalitis.
Tetracycline suppresses ATPγS-induced CXCL8 and CXCL1 production by the human dermal microvascular endothelial cell-1 (HMEC-1) cell line and primary human dermal microvascular endothelial cells

Tetracyclines (TCN) have powerful anti-inflammatory properties in addition to their anti-microbial effects. These anti-inflammatory effects are thought to play a role in inhibiting cutaneous inflammation in patients with rosacea and acne; however, the mechanism(s) of this action remains poorly understood. We have previously shown that adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP)gamma S, a hydrolysis-resistant ATP analogue, augments secretion of pro-inflammatory messengers by a human dermal microvascular endothelial cell line (HMEC-1). ATP released by the sympathetic nerves during stress may stimulate release of pro-inflammatory chemokines by dermal vessel endothelial cells, resulting in recruitment of inflammatory cells and exacerbation of inflammatory skin disease. Here we demonstrate that TCN inhibits ATP gamma S-induced release of pro-inflammatory mediators by HMEC-1 cells and primary human dermal microvascular endothelial cells. TCN dose-dependently inhibited ATP gamma S-induced augmentation of CXCL8 (interleukin-8) and CXCL1 (growth-regulated oncogene-alpha) production by HMEC-1 cells and primary human dermal endothelial cells in vitro. TCN and ATP gamma S did not affect HMEC-1 cell viability as determined by trypan-blue exclusion and cell counts. Inhibition of production of inflammatory mediators by endothelial cells may be one mechanism by which TCN improves inflammatory skin diseases. The ability to inhibit release of inflammatory mediators induced in HMEC-1 cells by purinergic agonists may be a useful way to screen for potential therapeutic agents for cutaneous inflammation.
Bench to bedside: the development of rapamycin and its application to stent restenosis.

In response to physiological stimuli (eg, wound healing), normally quiescent smooth muscle cells (SMCs) within the vessel wall can be activated to migrate and proliferate to produce new blood vessels. In addition to this physiological response, pathological migration and proliferation within the vessel wall can occur in disease states. Examples of such disease states include tumor growth and metastasis, diabetic retinopathy, arthritis, accelerated arteriopathy after cardiac transplantation, and neointimal proliferation after balloon angioplasty (PTCA) and stent placement. An important limitation of PTCA is restenosis, which is due in large part to luminal narrowing; restenosis occurs in 20% to 40% of patients within the first few months after a successful intervention.1,2 The percentage of patients that develop early restenosis after PTCA can be reduced by stent implantation. However, stents actually increase the amount of late luminal narrowing due to intimal hyperplasia,3 and the overall rate of stent restenosis remains unacceptably high (≈30%). Numerous pharmacological agents, including antiplatelet agents, anticoagulants, ACE inhibitors, and cytotoxic agents, have failed to adequately reduce restenosis after PTCA and stenting. Novel therapeutic approaches based on understanding the molecular mechanisms that cause intimal hyperplasia are needed to reduce the high incidence of stent restenosis. Arterial injury is associated with SMC activation and re-entry into the cell cycle. Multiple approaches to inhibiting SMC proliferation have been and are being evaluated. Gene delivery systems aimed at blocking SMC proliferation after PTCA have been tested4,5; however, the low efficiency and/or potential hazards of this approach may limit its usefulness. Radiation therapy has been evaluated in numerous studies and has shown considerable promise as a nonpharmacological, antiproliferative approach for the reduction of restenosis. However, significant side effects, including late stent thrombosis, may also limit its usefulness.6–8 The unusually late stent thrombosis seen in the patients treated with …
Political Self-Efficacy Tested

A subset of citizens in a democratic system directly test their political self-efficacy by petitioning government for assistance of one kind or another. Drawing on survey data gathered in India in 1967, this investigation focuses on the consequences of success or failure for perceived self-efficacy and for perceived government responsiveness. The analysis demonstrates that (1) successful petitioners come to enjoy a somewhat enhanced sense of self-efficacy but do not view government as particularly responsive, (2) unsuccessful petitioners do not see themselves as inefficacious but—possibly instead—do see government responsiveness in distinctly negative terms, and, (3) the kind of evidence that can help sustain a positive sense of self-efficacy will not suffice to undergird a belief in system responsiveness.
A Pitch Estimation Algorithm Based on the Smooth Harmonic Average Peak-to-Valley Envelope

We propose SHAPE, a novel pitch estimation algorithm (PEA) that builds upon previous PEAs, addressing and solving some of their limitations. The SHAPE algorithm estimates the pitch using a smooth function to compute the average peak to valley distance at harmonic locations. This is done by performing an integral transform over the square-root magnitude of the spectrum using a truncated decaying cosine as a kernel. SHAPE was designed to both match human perception particularly for inharmonic sounds and to be competitive with numerous other PEAs as demonstrated on a common database.
Strength in Numbers? Cognitive Reappraisal Tendencies and Psychological Functioning Among Latinos in the Context of Oppression

The typically positive relationship between cognitive reappraisal and psychological functioning may be nullified for Latinos embedded within multiple contexts of oppression (Perez & Soto, 2011). Multiply oppressive contexts are characterized by exposure to oppression at a societal level (distal oppression), in the immediate environment (proximal oppression), and at an individual level (personal oppression). We replicated and extended Perez and Soto's (2011) findings by examining whether the reappraisal-psychological functioning association was moderated by (a) relative numerical representation of Latinos within the environment (proximal oppression) and (b) personal perceptions of discrimination (personal oppression) among 425 Latino college students throughout the United States. For Latinos in high-Latino counties, greater use of reappraisal was associated with better psychological functioning, regardless of perceived discrimination; this relationship was absent for Latinos in low-Latino counties who perceived greater discrimination. Findings highlight the importance of considering how contextual factors can alter the adaptive functions of emotion regulation strategies.
Workings of collective intelligence within open source communities

Open source communities have been of great interest for researchers recently, yet little can be agreed upon when it comes to developers motives. While it has been shown that participants are mostly driven to contribute based on work related needs, it has also been shown that they contribute to fulfill an ideological purpose. We believe that the majority of participants contribute to satisfy their own personal goals. We reveal how developers function as a collective intelligence by modeling the open source community as a disjoint group of contributors. We show that most developers contribute to only one project and only to a small portion of its source code. We demonstrated that useful functionality of most OSS software is an emergent phenomenon created by a collection of developers with different motivations and personal goals.
Inhaled iloprost in eight heart transplant recipients presenting with post-bypass acute right ventricular dysfunction.

Background: During heart transplantation, weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass may be particularly laborious as a result of superimposed acute right ventricular dysfunction in the setting of pre-existing pulmonary hypertension. Research in recent years has focused on inhaled vasodilatory treatment modalities which selectively target the pulmonary circulation. Methods: We present a series of eight patients in whom inhaled iloprost, a synthetic prostacyclin analog, was used to treat pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular dysfunction detected by transesophageal echocardiography during a heart transplant procedure. In addition to conventional inotropic support, 20 μg of inhaled iloprost was administered via nebulized aerosol for a 20-min period. Complete sets of hemodynamic measurements were obtained before inhalation and during and after cessation of the inhalation period. Results: Inhaled iloprost decreased the transpulmonary gradient at the end of the inhalation period relative to baseline (8.2 ± 1.6 mmHg vs. 11.2 ± 0.9 mmHg, P < 0.05). The mean pulmonary artery pressure to systemic artery pressure ratio decreased over this period (0.24 ± 0.07 vs. 0.44 ± 0.09, P < 0.05). A statistically significant decrease in the pulmonary vascular resistance to systemic vascular resistance ratio was also observed (0.10 ± 0.02 vs. 0.19 ± 0.02, P < 0.05). Improved indices of right ventricular function were observed in echocardiographic monitoring. Conclusion: During heart transplantation procedures, episodes of pulmonary hypertension can be successfully treated with inhaled iloprost administration, without untoward side-effects or significant systemic impact.
Specific post-translational histone modifications of neutrophil extracellular traps as immunogens and potential targets of lupus autoantibodies

Introduction: Autoreactivity to histones is a pervasive feature of several human autoimmune disorders, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Specific post-translational modifications (PTMs) of histones within neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) may potentially drive the process by which tolerance to these chromatin-associated proteins is broken. We hypothesized that NETs and their unique histone PTMs might be capable of inducing autoantibodies that target histones. Methods: We developed a novel and efficient method for the in vitro production, visualization, and broad profiling of histone-PTMs of human and murine NETs. We also immunized Balb/c mice with murine NETs and profiled their sera on autoantigen and histone peptide microarrays for evidence of autoantibody production to their immunogen. Results: We confirmed specificity toward acetyl-modified histone H2B as well as to other histone PTMs in sera from patients with SLE known to have autoreactivity against histones. We observed enrichment for distinctive histone marks of transcriptionally silent DNA during NETosis triggered by diverse stimuli. However, NETs derived from human and murine sources did not harbor many of the PTMs toward which autoreactivity was observed in patients with SLE or in MRL/lpr mice. Further, while murine NETs were weak autoantigens in vivo, there was only partial overlap in the immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM autoantibody profiles induced by vaccination of mice with NETs and those seen in patients with SLE. Conclusions: Isolated in vivo exposure to NETs is insufficient to break tolerance and may involve additional factors that have yet to be identified.
The Peace and Security Council of the African Union: evaluating an embryonic international institution

How has the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union helped promote peace, security and stability on the African continent ? This article assesses the PSC’s activities in light of insights generated by the literature on international security institutions. After providing an overview of the immediate origins of the PSC, it discusses five elements of the Council’s institutional design. It then evaluates the PSC’s activities during its first five years (2004–9), by examining the Council’s political relevance, its efficiency and productivity, and whether it is the institution best placed to deal with the continent’s security problems. It concludes that the PSC’s future will hinge on whether more of the African Union’s members can be persuaded to devote more serious levels of resources (human and financial) to it.
Responses of Primate Visual Cortical Neurons to Stimuli Presented by Flash, Saccade, Blink, and External Darkening

Our visual experience constitutes an unending chain of transient events, including those caused by saccadic eye movements, by blinks, and by localized or global changes in the external world. The c...
The importance of space, time, and stochasticity to the demography and management of Alliaria petiolata

As population modeling is increasingly called upon to guide policy and management, it is important that we understand not only the central tendencies of our study systems, but the consequences of their variation in space and time as well. The invasive plant Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard) is actively managed in the United States and is the focus of a developing biological control program. Two weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Ceutorhyn- chus) that reduce fecundity (C. alliariae) and rosette survival plus fecundity (C. scrobicollis) are under consideration for release pending host specificity testing. We used a demographic modeling approach to (1) quantify variability in A. petiolata growth and vital rates and (2) assess the potential for single- or multiple-agent biocontrol to suppress growth of 12 A. petiolata populations in Illinois and Michigan studied over three plant generations. We used perturbation analyses and simulation models with stochastic environments to estimate stochastic growth rates (kS) and predict the probability of successful management using either a single biocontrol agent or two agent species together. Not all populations exhibited invasive dynamics. Estimates of kS ranged from 0.78 to 2.21 across sites, while annual, deterministic growth (k) varied up to sevenfold within individual sites. Given our knowledge of the biocontrol agents, this analysis suggests that C. scrobicollis alone may control A. petiolata at up to 63% of our study sites where kS . 1, with the combination of both agents predicted to succeed at 88% of sites. Across sites and years, the elasticity rankings were dependent on k. Reductions of rosette survival, fecundity, or germination of new seeds are predicted to cause the greatest reduction of k in growing populations. In declining populations, transitions affecting seed bank survival have the greatest effect on k. This contrasts with past analyses that varied parameters individually in an otherwise constant matrix, which may yield unrealistic predictions by decoupling natural parameter covariances. Overall, comparisons of stochastic and deterministic growth rates illustrate how analyses of individual populations or years could misguide management or fail to characterize complex traits such as invasiveness that emerge as attributes of populations rather than species.
Enhanced Sensitivity for Detection of Low-Level Germline Mosaic RB1 Mutations in Sporadic Retinoblastoma Cases Using Deep Semiconductor Sequencing

Sporadic retinoblastoma (RB) is caused by de novo mutations in the RB1 gene. Often, these mutations are present as mosaic mutations that cannot be detected by Sanger sequencing. Next-generation deep sequencing allows unambiguous detection of the mosaic mutations in lymphocyte DNA. Deep sequencing of the RB1 gene on lymphocyte DNA from 20 bilateral and 70 unilateral RB cases was performed, where Sanger sequencing excluded the presence of mutations. The individual exons of the RB1 gene from each sample were amplified, pooled, ligated to barcoded adapters, and sequenced using semiconductor sequencing on an Ion Torrent Personal Genome Machine. Six low-level mosaic mutations were identified in bilateral RB and four in unilateral RB cases. The incidence of low-level mosaic mutation was estimated to be 30% and 6%, respectively, in sporadic bilateral and unilateral RB cases, previously classified as mutation negative. The frequency of point mutations detectable in lymphocyte DNA increased from 96% to 97% for bilateral RB and from 13% to 18% for unilateral RB. The use of deep sequencing technology increased the sensitivity of the detection of low-level germline mosaic mutations in the RB1 gene. This finding has significant implications for improved clinical diagnosis, genetic counseling, surveillance, and management of RB.