cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
3D-Printed Zeolite Monoliths with Hierarchical Porosity for Selective Methanol to Light Olefin Reaction

Herein, we report the rapid synthesis of customized zeolite monoliths with various compositions and hierarchical porosity (macro–meso–micro) using a 3D printing technique. Moreover, several 3D-printed monoliths were synthesized from HZSM-5 and HZSM-5/silica, and SAPO-34 crystals were grown on the as-synthesized 3D-printed ZSM-5 monoliths via a secondary growth method. The 3D-printed zeolite monoliths exhibited hierarchical porosity with pore sizes ranging from 1.5 nm to 1 μm. Characterization results suggested that transformation of zeolite paste into the monolith structure enhanced the mesopore volume and moderated the acidity of the structures. Further incorporation of amorphous silica into the HZSM-5 monoliths reduced the acid site density. The obtained monoliths were evaluated in the methanol to olefin (MTO) reaction and found to exhibit higher stability than their powder counterparts. The selectivity to light olefins was significantly increased as a result of modification in the acidity and porosity of the monolith catalysts, which in turn mitigated the hydrogen transfer, hence suppressing the formation of paraffins and aromatics. The SAPO-34 coating tended to increase the ethylene selectivity due to its intrinsic framework structure. The analysis of spent zeolite monoliths by TGA-DTA indicated that the amount of polyaromatic species formed during the reaction was much lower than that on the powder analogues, due to their diluted acid site density and decreased Bronsted acid sites, as proven by NH3-TPD profiles and py-FTIR spectra. Furthermore, 29Si MAS NMR results confirmed slight dealumination of 3D-printed monoliths after the MTO reaction.
Pyroclast cooling and saturation in water

Abstract In the submarine setting pyroclast cooling and saturation, by controlling the buoyancy of individual clasts and surrounding fluid, exert fundamental controls on the dispersal and fate of volcanic material. In this study we use laboratory experiments to understand and quantify how hot and air-filled pyroclasts cool and saturate in liquid water. By measuring internal temperature and clast submerged weight in over thirty experiments, we find that pumice cools and saturates in two stages. We observe that the first stage is marked by much higher rates of cooling and saturation than the second stage and that the transition between stages is sharp. We propose conceptual and quantitative models for each stage of pyroclast cooling and saturation. Specifically we argue that the first stage is defined by the presence of internal steam. That is, hot pyroclasts ingest liquid water and generate steam. Once a clast's internal pore space is filled with steam, heat loss to the surroundings causes condensation of internal vapor and clast saturation. Stage 1 ends when all internal steam has condensed. We test this idea with a Stefan Model with advection and conclude that heat loss, rather than permeability, controls the saturation of pyroclasts above the boiling temperature. We find that permeability matters for air-filled clasts with initial temperatures below the boiling point. Stage 2 begins after all internal vapor has condensed and we propose that stage 2 cooling and saturation are controlled by heat conduction and thermal contraction of trapped gas, respectively. From our understanding of the processes that govern the stage 1 to 2 transition, we derive an empirical average pyroclast cooling rate of q = 7.5 ± 0.5 W cm−2. Finally, we develop quantitative models for cooling-controlled porous clast saturation and for buoyant clast rise to the ocean surface. We find that meter size clasts stay buoyant for more than 10 min - long enough to reach the surface from a depth of 1000 m. The models developed here test our understanding of clast-scale processes and demonstrate that - in hot and porous clasts - the details of internal texture do not matter because clast saturation, and thus buoyancy and fate in the water column, are governed by heat transfer.
Severe Dermatitis Associated with Spontaneous Staphylococcus xylosus Infection in Rag -/- Tpl2 -/- Mice

Staphylococcus xylosus is a commensal bacterium found on the skin and mucosal surfaces of SPF mice. S. xylosus is rarely pathogenic, most often causing skin lesions and dermatitis in immunocompromised mice, particularly those with impaired NADPH oxidase function. Here we report spontaneous infection with S. xylosus in Rag1-/-Tpl2-/- mice. Infection was characterized by the presence of alopecia, crusts, and scaly skin. S. xylosus was detected in the feces, skin, lymph nodes, and lungs of Rag1-/-Tpl2-/- mice and led to mortality or euthanasia due to humane endpoints. C57BL/6 mice were culture-positive for S. xylosus on the skin, and Rag1-/- and Tpl2-/- mice were culture-positive on the skin and occasionally in the feces. However, S. xylosus did not cause clinical symptoms in C57BL/6, Rag1-/-, or Tpl2-/- mice. Compared with those in Rag1-/- mice, relative concentrations of circulating monocytes, but not neutrophils or lymphocytes, were increased in Rag1-/-Tpl2-/- mice, consistent with their increased incidence of clinical symptoms. Overall, this case study suggests a novel role for Tpl2 in T-cell-independent host resistance to the otherwise commensal organism S. xylosus.
Single-shot liposomal bupivacaine interscalene block versus continuous interscalene catheter in total shoulder arthroplasty: Opioid administration, pain scores, and complications

Abstract Introduction We sought to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the liposomal bupivacaine interscalene block (LBB) compared with continuous interscalene catheter block (CISB) in primary shoulder arthroplasty patients. Methods A prospective database was retrospectively queried over a 4-year period. Results LBB (n = 34) patients had lower opioid consumption and pain scores than CISB (n = 70), especially in opioid naive patients. LBB patients were discharged with less opioids and had fewer revisits to the emergency department. Conclusion Compared with CISB, LBB patients consume fewer opioids, have less pain, are discharged with less opioids, and have fewer revisits to the emergency department.
A gender framework for understanding health lifestyles.

Abstract Purpose A health lifestyles approach holds promise for understanding change in women's and men's health behaviors and reducing gendered health disparities. The emerging theoretical and empirical literature on health lifestyles (individuals' bundled health behaviors that are shaped by group-based identities and norms) helps elucidate complex disparities in health behaviors, but research is needed on how gender shapes the development of health lifestyles. This study proposed and assessed a dynamic multilevel framework for understanding health lifestyles that draws on insights from contemporary gender and life course scholarship. Data Using the transition from adolescence into adulthood as an empirical case, we analyzed US data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health; N = 6605), which followed adolescents through young adulthood, collecting information on their health behaviors and social contexts. Findings Latent class analyses showed that health lifestyles differed significantly by gender. Results supported the dynamic multilevel framework, finding more variation in health lifestyle behaviors within genders than between, high levels of change across ages, intersections of gender with age, and socioeconomic status as a structural pathway for gender's influence. Conclusion Taken together, these findings suggest that conceptualizing gender as a dynamic multilevel system intersecting with other social statuses is fruitful for understanding how health lifestyles form and change. These findings can inform more effective policies to change health behaviors.
A snapshot of HIV-1 capsid-host interactions.

Abstract From cellular deposition of the HIV-1 capsid to integration of the viral genome, the capsid constitutes a primary target of a variety of host proteins that work to either promote or inhibit HIV-1 infection. Successful progression of HIV-1 infection depends on interactions between the capsid and host factors involved in stability, cellular transport, nuclear import, and genome integration. The virus must also guard its reverse-transcribing genome inside the capsid from host restriction factors that bind the capsid and suppress infection. Understanding the structure and dynamics of the capsid protein (CA) component and the assembled capsid sheds light on the molecular underpinnings of overall capsid stability, architecture, and flexibility that govern HIV-1 capsid–host interactions. The vast majority of these interactions are mediated through recognition of higher order interfaces only present in the assembled capsid lattice. Patterns formed at these interfaces serve as signposts for capsid-binders. Here we provide a graphical summary of the intricate interactions between host factors and the HIV-1 capsid while highlighting recent research. Insights into how host proteins interact with the capsid is crucial for understanding the HIV-1 replication cycle and developing antiviral therapeutics to prevent viral genome integration.
Venous Angiomas

Venous angiomas are currently widely referred to as developmental venous anomalies (DVAs), reflecting the prevailing concept that they represent anomalous, but functional, venous channels within the brain parenchyma. Although DVAs are not infrequently associated with other vascular malformations that harbor hemorrhage risk or can present symptomatically, isolated DVAs themselves appear to be benign lesions with little demonstrable link to hemorrhage, seizures, or headaches. Treatments to remove or occlude DVAs are consequently unnecessary. Furthermore, obliteration of a DVA can be harmful as it can lead to impairment in regional cerebral venous drainage, with the resultant risk of venous congestion, infarction, and hemorrhagic conversion, and the potential for devastating consequences from cerebral edema and mass effect. Consequently, even in the management of associated vascular malformations, it is important to preserve the DVA. In rare cases, DVAs can produce direct compressive symptoms, leading to obstructive hydrocephalus or neurovascular compression. In such cases, cerebrospinal fluid diversion or direct microvascular decompression, respectively, without disruption of the DVA itself is appropriate. In the uncommon setting of spontaneous DVA thrombosis leading to venous infarction, anticoagulation, as recommended for dural and cortical venous thrombosis, is a reasonable consideration. Hemorrhagic presentation from a presumed isolated DVA should prompt careful evaluation for an associated vascular malformation as the true etiology of hemorrhage.
NMR Studies of Nucleic Acids and Their Complexes

As the study of biological processes has progressed to the molecular level understanding of the underlying mechanisms has required determination of the three-dimensional structures of the molecules involved, their ability to undergo structural interconversions, and the interactions among them. For molecules that form highly ordered crystals, X-ray diffraction provides very precise structural information. However, there are cases in which the crystal packing affects the structure, and there are many molecules for which crystals have not been obtained. With the development of multidimensional experiments and high-field spectrometers, NMR spectroscopy has become an important alternative for structure determination. NMR has the obvious advantages that crystals are not needed, rather only moderately concentrated solutions, and that it is possible to deal quite well with complications such as interconverting conformers. In addition, the solution conditions can be varied widely, changing solvent composition, ions, pH, temperature and so forth without worrying about disrupting the crystallization conditions. These advantages have made NMR an attractive alternative to crystallography for determination of biomolecular structures (Wuthrich, 1986). However, it is still important to understand that there are significant differences between the two methods, which should be considered when interpreting data. As is usually true, it is best if results can be determined on the same system by both of these methods, and then compared.
Hemopathologic consequences of protracted gamma irradiation: alterations in granulocyte reserves and granutocyte mobilization

Aplastic anemia and myelogenous leukemia are prominent pathologic effects in beagles exposed to continuous, daily, low-dose gamma irradiation. In the present work, granulocyte reserves and related mobilization functions have been sequentially assessed by the endotoxin stress assay during the preclinical and clinical phases of these hemopoietic disorders. Characteristic patterns of granulocyte reserve mobilization are described that reflect given stages of pathologic progression. For radiation-induced leukemia, a five-stage pattern has been proposed. In contrast, a simple pattern of progressive, time-dependent contraction of granulocyte reserves and mobilization capacity was noted in the development of terminal aplastic anemia. Early preclinical phases of radiation-induced leukemia appear to involve an extensive depletion of the granulocyte reserves (phase I) during the first approx. 200 days of exposure followed by a partial renewal of the reserves and associated mobilization functions between approx. 200 and 400 days (phase II). Sustained, subnormal granulocyte mobilizations (phase III) following endotoxin stress typify the responses of dogs during the intermediate phase, whereas late preclinical, preleukemic stages (phase IV) are characterized by a further expansion of the reserves and in the mobilization capacities, particularly of the less mature granulocytes. Such late alterations in the pattern of granulocyte mobilization, together with other noted cellularmore » aberrancies in the peripheral blood and marrow, appear to indicate leukemia (phase V) onset.« less
The Administrative Conference and the Political Thumb

Two recent drafts posted on SSRN identify very different yet canonical lines of cases, both prominent in the teaching of administrative law, as the source of ills stemming from the pre-notice period of contemporary rulemaking. That period has assumed a determinative importance in seeming conflict with the assumptions of flexibility inherent in the Administrative Procedure Act’s provisions for public comment on notices once published. In “The Administrative Conference and Empirical Research,” http://ssrn.com/abstract=2435638, Richard Pierce celebrates the catalyzing effect the Administrative Conference of the United States has had on hands-on empirical research about administrative law. He finds in two recent studies of the pre-notice period evidence that imbalance in industrial contacts during that time produces inflexible, biased proposals and he lays much of the blame at the feet of judicial review doctrines imposing detailed requirements of notice and explanation, while asymmetrically limiting standing. In “Classical Administrative Law in the Era of Presidential Administration,” http://ssrn.com/abstract=2449258, on the other hand, Liza Heinzerling agrees that pre-notice considerations create conditions for inflexibility in rulemaking proposals; but she attributes this to presidential influence via OIRA’s administration of regulatory impact analysis requirements – influence blessed and protected from judicial review by Judge Patricia Wald’s canonical decision in Sierra Club v. Costle, 657 F.2d 298 (1981). Taking off from Professor Pierce’s welcome celebration of ACUS’s contribution to empirical research about administrative law, my essay reviews ACUS’s distribution of research and recommendation topics; it suggests that, like Judge Wald in Sierra Club and perhaps understandably, ACUS has been hesitant to explore or comment on the role of politics in administrative law – and particularly so where OIRA is concerned.
Order Time, Multiple Shocks, and Short Selling in Security Price Adjustment

We investigate if order time and short selling have any bearing on how prices are formed and adjusted towards full information value in the securities market. We model a competitive dealership market in which complete and incomplete information traders arrive in a probabilistic fashion to trade a single risky security for cash with a market maker. The complete information traders receive a private information about the future value of a security and a signal from a public information release indicating a buy or a sell. The incomplete information traders trade for liquidity on the basis of the public information signal. Derived results from the model suggest that while buy or sell reveals private information, although asymmetrically, no-trade may provide information about the signal from public information depending on whether the market is optimistic (high buy) or pessimistic (high sell) market. Security prices adjust to their full information value at a faster rate when short selling constraints are low. The speed and the nature of adjustment of security prices differ if the market is optimistic vs. pessimistic. In an optimistic market adverse private information is instantaneously impounded into prices.
Eminent Domain Post-Kelo: Hitting Home - The Supreme Court Earns Public Notice Opining on Public Use (Introduction to the 2006 Templeton Lecture)

In this introduction to the 2006 Templeton Lecture, Professor Kmiec discusses the Supreme Court’s decision in Kelo v. New London. He reviews the factual underpinnings of the case and analyzes the Court’s opinion and dissents.He also looks at the public use limitation on the Takings Clause and discusses the future of eminent domain. In response to Kelo, Congress and many states have introduced legislation seeking to bolster the protection of private property. Moreover, condemnation abuses since Kelo may require the Roberts court to revisit the matter.
Youth and parent perceptions of aftercare supports at discharge from residential care

While much is known about youth struggles after reintegration into the home and community settings following stays in out-of-home care, little is known about appropriate supports for aftercare, or parent (see Note 1) and youth perceptions during this critical transition period. This study seeks to begin to address these questions through surveys evaluating youth (n = 48) and parent (n = 48) perceptions of (i) transition planning, family preparedness and aftercare; (ii) youth preparedness for the transition period across major life domains (e.g. education, health care, relationships); and (iii) the importance of specific aftercare supports and services. Results indicate differences between youth and parents on perceptions of need for continued supports, likelihood of participation in aftercare programs; and youth preparedness for success in relationships, family and independent living domains. In contrast, similarities were found on youth and parent ratings regarding the importance of specific services and supports, with both groups indicating supports in education as most important and supports in mental health as least. Study limitations, future research and implications are provided.
Toward a consistent model for strain accrual and release for the New Madrid Seismic Zone, central United States

[1] At the heart of the conundrum of seismogenesis in the New Madrid Seismic Zone is the apparently substantial discrepancy between low strain rate and high recent seismic moment release. In this study we revisit the magnitudes of the four principal 1811–1812 earthquakes using intensity values determined from individual assessments from four experts. Using these values and the grid search method of Bakun and Wentworth (1997), we estimate magnitudes around 7.0 for all four events, values that are significantly lower than previously published magnitude estimates based on macroseismic intensities. We further show that the strain rate predicted from postglacial rebound is sufficient to produce a sequence with the moment release of one Mmax6.8 every 500 years, a rate that is much lower than previous estimates of late Holocene moment release. However, Mw6.8 is at the low end of the uncertainty range inferred from analysis of intensities for the largest 1811–1812 event. We show that Mw6.8 is also a reasonable value for the largest main shock given a plausible rupture scenario. One can also construct a range of consistent models that permit a somewhat higher Mmax, with a longer average recurrence rate. It is thus possible to reconcile predicted strain and seismic moment release rates with alternative models: one in which 1811–1812 sequences occur every 500 years, with the largest events being Mmax∼6.8, or one in which sequences occur, on average, less frequently, with Mmax of ∼7.0. Both models predict that the late Holocene rate of activity will continue for the next few to 10 thousand years.
Effects of the cannabinoid antagonists AM281 and AM630 on deprivation-induced intake in Lewis rats

Male Lewis rats (two groups of 10) received intracerebroventricular injections of either AM 630 (vehicle, 2.5, 5, 10 and 20 microg) or AM 281 (vehicle, 5, 10, 20 and 40 microg) following overnight food deprivation. The CB2 antagonist AM 630 failed to block deprivation-induced intake at 0.5, 1, 2, 4 and 6 h. The CB1 antagonist AM 281 significantly blocked intake following 20 microg (1 h) and 40 microg (1, 2, 4 and 6 h). Results are discussed with respect to cannabinoid receptor systems' involvement in ingestion and the differential pharmacological profiles of AM 630 and AM 281.
Cardiovascular responses elicited by electrical brain stimulation in the rabbit

Abstract Long and short trains of electrical stimulation at low and high pulse frequencies were delivered to diencephalic sites in the rabbit. Short train durations elicited BP increases accompanied by HR decreases at all sites, whereas long train durations elicited a variety of different BP and HR changes at different electrode sites. Fifty and 200 Hz pulse frequencies elicited significantly more pressor responses than did 5 Hz pulse frequency, which tended to convert pressor responses elicited by higher frequencies to depressor responses.
Clinical characterization of patients with idiopathic chronic pancreatitis and SPINK1 Mutations

(2004). Clinical characterization of patients with idiopathic chronic pancreatitis and SPINK1 Mutations. Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology: Vol. 39, No. 9, pp. 903-904.
Increased trabecular bone mass in rats treated with human synthetic parathyroid hormone

Abstract Although PTH inhibits bone collagen synthesis acutely, prolonged administration of PTH increases trabecular bone mass. The objectives of this study were to develop a simple method to quantitate the anabolic response of cortical and trabecular bone, to determine if the trabecular bone response is at the expense of cortical bone, and to correlate the bone response with changes in serum calcium or phosphate. Subcutaneous injections of 2 to 16 μg/100 g body weight hPTH(1–34) were given daily to weanling rats for 12 days. The trabecular and cortical bone were manually separated from the distal femur, and calcium, hydroxyproline, and extracted dry weight were measured. Growth and renal function were not impaired. Serum calcium (range: 8.9–9.5 mg%) and serum phosphate (range: 7.7–8.5 mg%) did not differ significantly from control serum calcium, 9.1 mg%, or serum phosphate, 8.1 mg%. A dose-related anabolic response was observed in calcium, hydroxyproline, and dry weight of trabecular bone. At the highest dose of hPTH for 12 days, these values were increased above control by 26%, 33%, and 26%, respectively ( P P
Is indicated or spontaneous preterm delivery more advantageous for the fetus

Abstract We performed a case-control study to determine whether fetuses delivered prematurely because of pregnancy complications (primarily pregnancy-associated hypertensive disease) had a different neonatal course than that of those born after either spontaneous preterm labor or after premature rupture of the membranes. Two case-control populations were matched by gestational age at delivery, fetal sex, and race. There was no perinatal survival advantage in babies delivered from “stressed” pregnancies. Selected neonatal morbidities were generally similar, but there was an increased incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis in babies born after preterm labor and a higher incidence of both necrotizing enterocolitis and neonatal sepsis after premature rupture of the membranes. We conclude that a “stressed” pregnancy confers a negligible survival advantage to the fetus
Effects of treadle training on autoshaped keypecking: Learned laziness and learned industriousness or response competition?

Pigeons either trained to treadle hop for food or given response-independent food were exposed to positive and negative keypeck automaintenance procedures. Effects of pretraining on acquisition of keypecking were minimal. Measures of asymptotic levels of pecking indicated that treadle-trained pigeons with access to the treadle during automaintenance and pigeons that had obtained free food pecked less than either naive pigeons or treadle-trained pigeons that did not have access to the treadle during automaintenance. On negative automaintenance, treadle-trained pigeons pecked substantially more than either naive or free-food pigeons. These data suggest that prior experience influences automaintenance via response competition, rather than by inducing states of learned laziness or industriousness in organisms, as suggested by Engberg, Welker, Hansen, and Thomas (1973).
Modeling of unsteady two-phase reactive flow in porous beds of propellant

Abstract A model describing reactive two-phase flow through a gas-solid mixture is presented based upon either the concept of continuum mixture or the concept of separated-flow continuum. The resulting governing equations are solved by the method of finite differences. Details of two distinct numerical methods to solve these nonlinear, coupled hyperbolic partial differential equations simultaneously are also presented. In addition, artificial smearing techniques which are generally needed for the shock capturing methods are investigated. The analysis of the transient convective mode combustion process in a highly loaded granular bed of energetic solid propellant indicates a rapidly burning pressure front and an accelerating deflagration front. During the final stages of the burn, the velocity of this deflagration front can range from 1 to 3 mm/μs. A detailed discussion is included which attempts to explain the limits of the theoretical model presented in this study. Assessments are also made regarding the validity of many of the constitutive laws utilized and the assumptions necessary for this analysis. The study concludes with assessment of the modeling effort and how such unsteady flow processes could lead to DDT (deflagration-to-detonation transition) in such porous beds.
Using Soil-Applied Fungicides to Manage Phytophthora Crown and Root Rot on Summer Squash.

Abstract Phytophthora crown and root rot (Phytophthora capsici) of summer squash is especially difficult to manage because all commercial cultivars are highly susceptible to P. capsici. Producers have traditionally relied on foliar fungicide applications to control Phytophthora crown and root rot despite their limited efficacy. Soil fungicide applications, including via subsurface drip chemigation, have recently gained interest as a method of improving control of P. capsici infections. In this study, soil drenches and foliar applications of 11 fungicides were compared for control of Phytophthora crown and root rot of summer squash in replicated field and greenhouse trials. Fungicides were applied at 7-day intervals. Incidence (%) of plant death was assessed from 7 to 42 days post inoculation (dpi) in field trials. Crown rot severity was rated on a scale of 1 (no wilting) to 5 (plant death) from 5 to 21 dpi in greenhouse trials. Results of field and greenhouse trials were similar. Plant death of ‘Cougar’ f...
Astrocytosis in the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus: a study in Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia.

Abstract Recently, several authors have claimed prominent abnormalities in the entorhinal cortex of both patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and schizophrenia. The entorhinal cortex is the origin of the perforant pathway, a major input to granule cells of the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. The present study explored the possibility of a lesion in the entorhinal cortex of both AD and schizophrenic patients by quantitating astrocytic markers within the terminal fields of the perforant pathway. An increase in fibrillary astrocytes was found in half ( 3 6 ) of the AD patients while none of the schizophrenic ( n = 6) or control ( n = 7) brains exhibited gliosis. Since the redistribution and hyperplasia of astrocytes within the molecular layer of the partially deafferented dentate gyrus depend on the chronicity of the entorhinal lesion, the abnormalities observed in AD patients are consistent with the progressive course of the illness. Furthermore, the presence of gliosis in the subiculum of three out of six AD patients suggested pathology secondary to projections from the entorhinal region, amygdala, or prepyriform cortex. The absence of similar changes in schizophrenic patients does not disprove previous claims of entorhinal pathology but suggests that the lesion, if it exists, is either static in nature or occurred long before death.
Differential Particle Swarm Evolution for Robot Control Tuning

We present a differential particle swarm evolution (DPSE) algorithm which combines the basic idea of velocity and position update rules from particle swarm optimization (PSO) and the concept of differential mutation from differential evolution (DE) in a new way. With the goal of optimizing within a limited number of function evaluations, the algorithm is tested and compared with the standard PSO and DE methods on 14 benchmark problems to illustrate that DPSE has the potential to achieve a faster convergence and a better solution. Simulation results show that, on the average, DPSE outperforms DE by 39.20% and PSO by 14.92% on the 14 benchmark problems. To show the feasibility of the proposed strategy on a real-world optimization problem, an application of DPSE to optimize the parameters of active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) in PUMA-560 robot is presented. I. INTRODUCTION The particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm was originally introduced in (1) as an alternative to the standard genetic algorithm (GA). The PSO was inspired by insect swarms and has since proven to be a competitor to the standard GA when it comes to function optimization. Since then several researchers have analyzed the PSO performance and disadvantages (2-4) and their research indicates that it performs well in the early iterations but has problems reaching a near optimal solution in several real-valued function optimization problems. Differential evolution (DE) is a simple yet powerful evolutionary algorithm (EA) for global optimization introduced by Price and Storn (5). Both PSO and DE received great interest from the evolutionary computation community, and showed great promise in several real-world applications (6-9). As a result, a lot of effort has been spent recently in combining both methods to achieve better optimization result. One method proposed in 2003 (10) applies to the modeling of gene regulator networks in 2007 (11). In this algorithm, the mutations provided by DE operator are applied, and only applied on the personal best individual to prevent the swarm from disorganizing by unexpected fluctuations. Later in 2008, (12) also presents a method of hybrid PSO with DE and its application to a high-frequency transformer can be seen in (13). In this algorithm, the DE mutations are applied to update both personal best and global best. At the same time, Swagatam Das et al. (14) proposed a hybridization of PSO and DE for continuous optimization in 2008. Based on that idea, (15) apply this algorithm for the black-box optimization benchmarking for noisy functions.
Clinical and genetic analysis of a family with PROMM

PROMM (proximal myotonic myopathy) and DM2 (myotonic dystrophy Type 2) are autosomal dominant multisystem disorders that have both been linked to chromosome 3q. Recently, the genetic basis of DM2 has been defined by a `(CCTG)n' expansion mutation in intron 1 of the ZNF9 gene. We identified and studied a multigenerational family in which five members had clinical features consistent with PROMM. Two affected members were available for detailed clinical, electrophysiological, radiological and genetic analysis. Our study confirms that the PROMM phenotype is associated with DM2-(CCTG)n expansion mutations. In addition, our results may extend the clinical spectrum of manifestations to include vestibular symptoms.
Uncoating of tobacco mosaic virus ribonuleic acid after inoculation of tobacco leaves

Abstract Tobacco leaves were inoculated with TMV and, at various times, were extracted and analyzed by methods designed to separate uncoated viral RNA from intact or partially dissociated parental virus. Within 7 min after inoculation, about 10–15% of the RNA had been released from the virus. Most of the uncoated RNA was degraded, but in extracts of leaves infected for 30 min or less, a small amount of material resembling intact TMV-RNA was observed. The amount of RNA released from the virus at later periods appeared to be dependent upon the concentration of TMV in the inoculum. The problems involved in extracting parental TMV and TMV-RNA in a state resembling their condition in vivo are discussed.
Myeloperoxidase Serves as a Redox Switch that Regulates Apoptosis in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

Objectives Resistance to apoptosis is a key feature of cancer cells and is believed to be regulated by nitrosonium ion (NO+)-induced S-nitrosylation of key enzymes. Nitric oxide (NO), produced by inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), is utilized by MPO to generated NO+. We sought to investigate the expression of myeloperoxidase (MPO) and iNOS in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) and determine their effect on S-nitrosylation of caspase-3 and its activity as well as apoptosis.
TNFR2 interposes the proliferative and NF-κB-mediated inflammatory response by podocytes to TNF-α

The development of proliferative podocytopathies has been linked to ligation of tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 (TNFR2) expressed on the renal parenchyma; however, the TNFR2-positive cells within the kidney responsible for podocyte injury are unknown. We detected de novo expression of TNFR2 on podocytes before hyperplastic injury in crescentic glomerulonephritis of mice with nephrotoxic nephritis, and in collapsing glomerulopathy of Tg26HIV/nl mice, kd/kd mice, and human beings. We further found that serum levels of soluble TNF-α and TNFR2 correlated significantly with renal injury in Tg26HIV/nl mice. Thus, we asked whether ligand binding of TNFR2 on podocytes ex vivo precipitates the characteristic proliferative and pro-inflammatory diseased podocyte phenotypes. Soluble TNF-α activated NF-κB and dose-dependently induced podocyte proliferation, marked by the expression of the podocyte G1 cyclin and NF-κB target gene, cyclin D1. Microarray gene and chemokine protein expression profiling showed a marked pro-inflammatory NF-κB signature, and activated podocytes secreting CCL2- and CCL5-induced macrophage migration in transwell assays. Neutralization of TNFR2 on podocytes with blocking antibodies abrogated NF-κB activation and the induction of cyclin D1 by TNF-α, and identified TNFR2 as the primary receptor that induced IκBα degradation, the initiating event in NF-κB activation. These results suggest that TNFR2 expressed on podocytes and its canonical NF-κB signaling may directly interpose the compound pathogenic responses by podocytes to TNF-α, in the absence of other TNFR2-positive renal cell types in proliferative podocytopathies.
A High Performance 4500 Volt Electron Multiplier Bias Supply for Satellite Use

A tuned-secondary sinewave oscillator combined with a Cockcroft-Walton voltage multiplier has been developed which produces 40 ?A at 4500 volts from 12 VDC with 80% efficiency. Optimum efficiency is obtained by considering the Cockcroft-Walton multiplier as part of the oscillator design. Equations are developed for calculating the multiplier output voltage and ripple as a function of the oscillator output frequency and amplitude, the capacitance of the multiplier, the number of multiplier stages, and the load current. The Atmosphere Explorer Photoelectron Spectrometer electron multiplier bias supply is also described to illustrate practical design tradeoffs and techniques employed when the supply is used in a satellite-borne particle detection experiment.
Alternative measures of effective exchange rates for agricultural trade

Alternative measures of multilateral exchange-rate changes appropriate for agricultural trade are analyzed. The economic theory of index numbers was consulted in analyzing published exchange-rate indices and in constructing new indices. Comparisons among indices were made for the period 1970-85, and differences were found to be significant. Results were particularly sensitive to the use of global rather than bilateral trade weights used in the U.S. Department of Agriculture index. The relative importance of alternative exchange-rate measures and trade elasticities is illustrated in terms of an agricultural trade model. Copyright 1987 by Oxford University Press.
The regulation by carbon dioxide of protein synthesis in tomato leaves.

Summary The presence of atmospheric carbon dioxide supresses the light-dependent synthesis of proteinase Inhibitor I in leaves of intact, wounded tomato plants and in detached leaves induced with the proteinase inhibitor inducing factor, PIIF. In carbon dioxide-free air, or in 100% oxygen, the rate of synthesis of Inhibitor I is over two times the rate in the presence of normal air. The results suggest that either CO 2 directly or through a product or products of photorespiration is regulating protein synthesis in tomato leaves.
Effect of cryogenic temperature deposition on Au contacts to bulk, single-crystal n-type ZnO

Abstract Au contacts were deposited on bulk, n-type single-crystal ZnO at either 77 K or 300 K.The room temperature deposition produced contacts with ohmic characteristics. By sharp contrast, the cryogenic deposition produced rectifying characteristics with barrier heights around 0.4 eV. The differences in contact behavior were stable to anneal temperatures of ∼300 °C. There were no differences in near-surface stoichiometry for the different deposition temperatures, while the low temperature contacts showed a more uniform appearance. With further optimization of the pre-deposition cleaning process, this may be a useful method for engineering barrier heights on ZnO.
Promoting innovation in a big business

Abstract While a smaller business will permit more flexibility and cohesion and larger conglomerates are currently considered unwieldy and unreceptive to innovation, the author argues that there are two important hindrances which successful large organizations must confront i.e. self-complacence and management systems obsolescence. The latter is the main subject of this article which deals with the management process, the need for improvement and innovation and the necessary role of management education and development.
An Unusual Presentation of Medium-Chain Acyl Coenzyme A Dehydrogenase Deficiency

• Objective. —To report an atypical presentation of medium-chain acyl Coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency in a 13-year-old girl with hyperammonemic encephalopathy and orotic aciduria meeting the accepted criteria for diagnosis of a female heterozygous for ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency. Design. —Case report and definitive biochemical testing. Setting. —Children's hospital and university laboratory. Participant. —One teenager. Interventions. —Diagnosis and treatment with carnitine. Measurements/Main Results. —Assay ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency had normal results. The diagnosis was confirmed by DNA analysis, which revealed homozygosity for prevalent mutation (the adenine to guanine transition at position 985). Conclusions. —Patients with a clinical diagnosis of Reye's syndrome have, in general, an inborn error of metabolism. Medium-chain acyl Coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency and other disorders of fatty acid oxidation may present long after infancy. They may mimic the presentation of defects in the urea cycle. (AJDC. 1992;146:1459-1462)
High-silica molecular sieve syntheses using the sparteine related compounds as structure-directing agents

Abstract Three quaternary ammonium compounds are synthesized from sparteine and their performances in high-silica molecular sieve syntheses investigated. N (1)-Methyl- α -isosparteinium (compound A) is found to form the pure-silica molecular sieve with the CFI topology that was first synthesized with its diastereomer N (16)-methylsparteinium (B). The crystallization time for the synthesis of pure-silica CFI using A as an organic agent is shorter than that with B. The crystal size of the product obtained with A is much smaller than that recovered when using B. These results indicate that A is a better structure-directing agent for the formation of the CFI than B. Molecular modeling studies suggest that the reason A is a better structure-directing agent for CFI than B is that A can form a greater number of Van der Waals interactions with the silica framework of CFI. The very rigid and bulky compound, N (1), N ′(16)-endo- methylenesparteinium (compound C) does not yield any crystalline molecular sieves over a range of the reaction conditions. The lack of success with C could be due to its decreased hydrophobicity and hydrothermal stability compared to A and B.
Polymorphism in a conformationally flexible substituted anthraquinone; a crystallographic, thermodynamic, and molecular modeling study

Single crystal X-ray structures of two polymorphs of 1-(1,6-dithiahexyl)anthracene-9,10-dione are reported. These structures reveal a conformational difference in the orientation of the hydrocarbon chain between the two polymorphs. This small change in the molecular conformation dramatically influences the packing of the anthraquinone ring systems; in one case the anthraquinone rings exist as discrete pairs, and in the other they exist in infinite lamellar stacks. Differences in the packing results in different thermal behavior and spectroscopic properties of the two polymorphs. The yellow, triclinic structure is lower melting, whereas the orange, monoclinic structure is higher melting. Uses of this compound as a model for de novo computation of crystal structures and tuning of crystal packing through side chain variation are discussed.
1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and PI3K/AKT inhibitors synergistically inhibit growth and induce senescence in prostate cancer cells.

BACKGROUND 1-Alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) inhibits proliferation of multiple cancer cell types including prostate cells and upregulates p21 and/or p27, while loss of Pten and PI3K/AKT activation stimulates survival and downregulates p21 and p27. We hypothesized that inhibition of the PI3K/AKT pathway synergizes with the antiproliferative signaling of 1,25(OH)2D3. METHODS Viability, cell cycle and senescence of cells were evaluated upon combinational treatment with 1,25(OH)2D3 and pharmacological PI3K/AKT inhibitors. RESULTS Pharmacological inhibitors of PI3K or Akt and 1,25(OH)2D3 synergistically inhibited growth of DU145, LNCaP, primary human prostate cancer cell strains and Pten null mouse prostatic epithelial cells (MPEC). The inhibitors used included API-2 (Triciribine) and GSK690693 which are currently in clinical trials for treatment of cancer. A novel mechanism for antiproliferative effects of 1,25(OH)2D3 in prostate cells, induction of senescence, was discovered. Combination of 1,25(OH)2D3 and AKT inhibitor cooperated to induce G1 arrest, senescence, and p21 levels in prostate cancer cells. As AKT is commonly activated by PTEN loss, we evaluated the role of Pten in responsiveness to 1,25(OH)2D3 using shRNA knockdown and by in vitro knockout of Pten. MPEC that lost Pten expression remained sensitive to the antiproliferative action of 1,25(OH)2D3, and showed higher degree of synergism between AKT inhibitor and 1,25(OH)2D3 compared to Pten-expressing counterparts. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide the rationale for the development of therapies utilizing 1,25(OH)2D3 or its analogs combined with inhibition of PI3K/AKT for the treatment of prostate cancer. Prostate 70: 1658–1671, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Sensitivity of indirect immunofluorescence and ELISA in detecting intercellular antibodies in endemic pemphigus foliaceus (Fogo Selvagem)

Background Since 1967 dermatology has used the classic technique of indirect immunofluorescence (IFI) for the detection of autoantibodies against antigens of the skin in diseased people with endemic pemphigus foliaceus. Thirty years later enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays – ELISA (rDsg1 and rDsg3) appeared as a viable option. A group of highly recognized researchers have concluded that ELISA is a simple, sensitive and highly specific method, allowing for diagnostic differentiation between pemphigus vulgaris (PV) and endemic pemphigus foliaceus (EPF). Scientific literature certifies that both ELISA and IIF bear high sensitivity in spite of the fact that a direct comparison between the ELISA and IIF tests has never been performed. Objectives This study was conducted to compare the sensitivity of these tests in detecting antibodies in the EPF. Material and methods Thirty-two serum samples were collected from patients with EPF. The control serum of 15 healthy individuals was tested to detect the presence of antibodies of EPF by indirect immunofluorescence and ELISA (rDsg1 and rDsg3). The IIF was performed, taking human skin as a substrate. Results Antibodies in patients with EPF were detected more commonly by the ELISA (rDsg1) (91%) compared with IIF (81%). Conclusions The ELISA (rDsg1) is slightly more sensitive than IIF in detecting antibodies related to EPV. However, according to our results, we do not currently possess a test with 100% accuracy in differentiating EPF from PV. Although previous studies have associated Dsg3 with PV, the tests performed during this study showed that 12% (4/32) of patients with EPF (cutaneous diseases only) also had Dsg3 antibodies.
Quantitative Analysis of Bisphenol A Leached from Household Plastics by Solid–Phase Microextraction and Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (SPME–GC–MS)

The measurement of trace levels of bisphenol A (BPA) leached out of household plastics using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) is reported here. BPA is an endocrine-disrupting compound used in the industrial manufacture of polycarbonate plastic bottles and epoxy resin can liners. This experiment allows students to use modern instrumentation and analytical techniques to investigate a timely and relevant issue involving the contamination of food products by a packaging component. The impact of handling conditions and container type on the quantity of BPA released from the plastics is explored. This experiment is suitable for an undergraduate analytical chemistry or instrumental analysis course and requires two, 3-h laboratory periods to complete.