cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inhibitors of sterol synthesis. A major role of chylomicrons in the metabolism of 5α-cholest-8(14)-en-3β-ol-15-one in the rat

Abstract The metabolism of 5α-cholest-8(14)-en-3β-ol-15-one ( I ), a potent regulator of cholesterol (Chol) metabolism which has significant hypocholesterolemic activity upon oral administration to animals, has been investigated in male rats. After intragastric administration of [2,4- 3 H] I and [4- 14 C]Chol in triolein to intestinal lymph duct-cannulated rats, most of the 3 H of the lymph was associated with chylomicrons. Most of the 3 H in the chylomicrons was associated with fatty acid esters of I and the oleate ester represented the major species of the esters of I . After intravenous injection of the isolated doubly-labeled chylomicrons to intact rats, rapid clearance of 3 H and 14 C from blood was observed which was associated with a rapid and selective uptake of 3 H and 14 C by liver. The rate of disappearance of 3 H from blood and the rate of uptake of 3 H by liver were similar, if not identical, to those for 14 C. In contrast, the disappearance of 3 H from the liver was much more rapid than that of 14 C. Studies of the distribution of 3 H in liver demonstrated rapid formation of free I and the formation of [ 3 H]Chol. In addition, significant amounts of the 3 H in liver were associated with polar materials, a finding which was not observed in the case of 14 C. After intravenous administration of the doubly-labeled chylomicrons to bile duct-cannulated rats, very rapid and substantial metabolism of the administered 3 H to polar biliary metabolites was observed. The bulk of the 3 H not recovered in bile at 49 h after the injection of the labeled chylomicrons was recovered in blood and tissues and almost all (∼94%) of this material was associated with Chol and Chol esters. The combined results indicate an important role for chylomicrons in the overall metabolism of I . The selective delivery of I to liver as its oleate ester in chylomicrons (or, more probably, as chylomicron remnants) and the subsequent metabolism of the oleate ester of I in liver has important consequences with respect to the actions of I which are discussed herein.
Plant utilization: Patterns and prospects

Concern for the future of mankind, in a world of expanding human population and increasing demands on the biota, has intensified interest in the greater use of less well-known plants that are presumed to have potential to ameliorate current and predicted shortages of food and other products derived from organic sources. The premise that a wide range of plants is underutilized is examined. Consideration of plant use in hunting-gathering societies and through the development of agriculture places utilization in a different perspective and indicates that man selects from the biota plants that reflect and support his needs in any given cultural context and at any level of technological achievement. The future of agricultural systems and practices is considered. The potential of plants is discussed as an outgrowth of historical trends and predicted changes in the earth’s plant resource base and its genetic diversity, modifications in primary, secondary, and tertiary pools of utilized plants, and advances in biotechnology. The evidence indicates continued humanization of the world, greater management of biotic resources, and increased applications of technology to agriculture, accompanied by a general decline worldwide in species and genetic diversity and increasing simplification and internationalization of the primary and secondary pools of cultivated plants. The direct utilization of wild plants by man will become more limited. Increased use of plants thought to be underutilized is likely to develop largely in relation to new needs and imperatives of mankind.
The long-term outcomes of patients with compensated hepatitis C virus-related cirrhosis and history of parenteral exposure in the United States.

It is well known that hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection may progress to cirrhosis and is linked to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Previous studies have shown that compensated HCV-cirrhosis is related to a certain morbidity and mortality in European patients, but little is known in regard to the clinical outcomes of a similar group of patients in the United States. This study investigated this category of patients in terms of the incidence of decompensation, development of HCC, mortality, and the predictive risk factors for morbidity and mortality. The potential effects of interferon (IFN) therapy on outcomes of the disease also were assessed. A total of 112 patients with compensated HCV-cirrhosis and a documented history of either intravenous drug abuse (IVDA) or transfusion were consecutively enrolled. The mean follow-up interval was 4.5 (2-7.7) years. The cumulative probabilities for decompensation and development of HCC were 22.2% and 10.1% in 5 years, with an estimated yearly incidence of 4.4% and 2.0%, respectively. The cumulative survival probability was 82.8% from entry and 51.1% from decompensation in 5 years, with estimated yearly events of mortality and liver transplantation of 3.4% and 9.8%, respectively. It was found that age at entry and initial exposure, initial levels of albumin, platelet count, and prothrombin time (PT) were predictive risk factors for developing decompensation, whereas age at entry and initial exposure, history of transfusion, lower initial levels of albumin, platelet count, and viral load were predictive risk factors for events of mortality and liver transplantation. The incidence of decompensation was significantly lower in patients treated with IFN, but age may have played a contributory role. In contrast, neither HCC development nor mortality was significantly altered by IFN therapy. In conclusion, our study indicated that patients with compensated HCV-cirrhosis in the United States progressed slowly and experienced eventual morbidity and mortality. Once decompensation develops, the disease will be more progressive and result in even higher mortality. Further studies will be required to determine the efficacy of IFN on clinical outcomes in this group of patients. (Hepatology 1999;29:1311-1316.)
Pathways of signal transduction employed by vertebrate Hedgehogs

Signalling by Hh (Hedgehog) proteins is among the most actively studied receptor-mediated phenomena relevant to development and post-embryonic homoeostatic events. The impact of signalling by the Hh proteins is profound, and work pertaining to the presentation of these proteins and the pathways engaged by them continues to yield unique insights into basic aspects of morphogenic signalling. We review here the mechanisms of signalling relevant to the actions of Hh proteins in vertebrates. We emphasize findings within the past several years on the recognition of, in particular, Sonic hedgehog by target cells, pathways of transduction employed by the seven-pass transmembrane protein Smoothened and end points of action, as manifest in the regulation of the Gli transcription factors. Topics of extended interest are those regarding the employment of heterotrimeric G-proteins and G-protein-coupled receptor kinases by Smoothened. We also address the pathways, insofar as known, linking Smoothened to the expression and stability of Gli1, Gli2 and Gli3. The mechanisms by which Hh proteins signal have few, if any, parallels. It is becoming clear in vertebrates, however, that several facets of signalling are shared in common with other venues of signalling. The challenge in understanding both the actions of Hh proteins and the overlapping forms of regulation will be in understanding, in molecular terms, both common and divergent signalling events.
Thalassemia: current approach to an old disease

This article discusses the approach for recognition, diagnosis, and management of the thalassemias, and reviews new prospects of therapy, focusing mostly on the beta-thalassemias--the more severe and clinically important type, beta-thalassemia major is typically treated with regular transfusion and chelation therapy. New strategies for specific therapy including monitoring of iron induced organ damage, fetal hemoglobin augmentation as an alternative for transfusions, bone marrow transplantation offer hope for prevention of complications and better care of the beta-thalassemias.
Genetic control of erythrocyte esterase (Es-1) in the Pinon mouse, Peromyscus truei (Shufeldt).

Kreuzungsversuche und elektrophoretische Analyse der Erythrocytenesterase bei der MausPeromyscus truei zeigten, dass die Homozygoten je eine Enzymbande mit unterschiedlichen Beweglichkeiten aufweisen, wahrend bei den Heterozygoten beide Enzymbanden vorkommen, was mit der Annahme der Abspaltung von zwei kodominanten Allelen eines einzigen autosomalen Locus ubereinstimmt.
Numerical investigations on springback characteristics of aluminum sheet metal alloys in warm forming conditions

In this study, we investigated the effect of temperature gradients on the final part quality (i.e., springback) in warm forming of lightweight materials. Thermo-mechanically coupled finite element analysis (FEA) models encompassing the heating of the sheet blank and tooling, forming, part ejection, and cooling were developed for simple channel drawing process. A comparison was made between the 2D rigid and 3D elastic tooling FEA models to evaluate the effect of non-uniform temperature distribution and tooling distortion on the forming performance and part quality. The accuracy and reliability of the rigid FEA model were successfully validated through the comparison with the experiments reported in the literature. By accurately measuring the springback amount in three distinct tooling regions (i.e., die corner, punch corner, and side wall), the effect of forming temperature distribution on the part quality were explained in detail under a wide range of operating conditions. In addition, the dependence of springback on blank holder force (BHF), friction condition, and forming rate was also analyzed. The detailed stress distribution of the blank elements was compared to gain a fundamental understanding of the springback mechanism in warm forming process.
HIV prevention in adolescents.

Most HIV prevention programs at present (for example, the World Health Organization) are aimed at 15- to 24-year-olds ([1][1]). This age range unfortunately disregards the well-established fact that girls mature sexually two to three years earlier than boys ([2][2], [3][3]): Girls attain menarche (
Phonological processing and emergent literacy in Spanish-speaking preschool children

Phonological awareness (PA), phonological memory (PM), and phonological access to lexical storage (also known as RAN), play important roles in acquiring literacy. We examined the convergent, discriminant, and predictive validity of these phonological processing abilities (PPAs) in 147 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children whose native language was Spanish. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the validity of each PPA as separate from general cognitive ability and separate from each other. Moreover, structural equation modeling found RAN uniquely associated with knowledge of Spanish letter names and Spanish letter sounds. PA was found the best predictor of children’s ability to distinguish alphabetic text from nonalphabetic text. Finally, general cognitive ability was only indirectly associated with emergent literacy skills via PPAs. These results highlight the importance of PPAs in the early literacy development of native Spanish speaking preschool children.
Winter-to-winter recurrence of sea surface temperature, salinity and mixed layer depth anomalies

Abstract The mean seasonal cycle of mixed layer depth (MLD) in the extratropical oceans has the potential to influence temperature, salinity and mixed layer depth anomalies from one winter to the next. Temperature and salinity anomalies that form at the surface and spread throughout the deep winter mixed layer are sequestered beneath the mixed layer when it shoals in spring, and are then re-entrained into the surface layer in the subsequent fall and winter. Here we document this ‘re-emergence mechanism’ in the North Pacific Ocean using observed SSTs, subsurface temperature fields from a data assimilation system, and coupled atmosphere–ocean model simulations. Observations indicate that the dominant large-scale SST anomaly pattern that forms in the North Pacific during winter recurs in the following winter. The model simulation with mixed layer ocean physics reproduced the winter-to-winter recurrence, while model simulations with observed SSTs specified in the tropical Pacific and a 50 m slab in the North Pacific did not. This difference between the model results indicates that the winter-to-winter SST correlations are the result of the re-emergence mechanism, and not of similar atmospheric forcing of the ocean in consecutive winters. The model experiments also indicate that SST anomalies in the tropical Pacific associated with El Nino are not essential for re-emergence to occur. The recurrence of observed SST and simulated SST and SSS anomalies are found in several regions in the central North Pacific, and are quite strong in the northern (>50°N) part of the basin. The winter-to-winter autocorrelation of SSS anomalies exceed those of SST, since only the latter are strongly damped by surface fluxes. The re-emergence mechanism also has a modest influence on MLD through changes in the vertical stratification in the seasonal thermocline.
Critical exponents for landau point to order ε2

Abstract The exponent Δ 3 for a Landau isolated point on a first-order transition line is evaluated to order ϵ 2 , ϵ = 4 − d , for the case when the order parameters is a symmetric, traceless tensor of order 3. The result is Δ 3 = ( 6 13 )ϵ − ( 63 2197 )ϵ 2 + O (ϵ 3 ) .
Electrogenic events in the ubiquinone-cytochrome bc2 oxidoreductase of rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides

Abstract The reductant of ferricytochrome c 2 in Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides is a component, Z, which has an equilibrium oxidation-reduction reaction involving two electrons and two protons with a midpoint potential of 155 mV at pH 7. Under energy coupled conditions, the reduction of ferricytochrome c 2 by ZH 2 is obligatorily coupled to an apparently electrogenic reaction which is monitored by a red shift of the endogeneous carotenoids. Both ferricytochrome c 2 reduction and the associated carotenoid bandshift are similarly affected by the concentrations of ZH 2 and ferricytochrome c 2 , pH, temperature the inhibitors diphenylamine and antimycin, and the presence of ubiquinone. The second-order rate constant for ferricytochrome c 2 reduction at pH 7.0 and at 24°C was 2 · 109 M −1 · s −1 , but this varied with pH, being 5.1 · 10 8 M −1 · s −1 at pH 5.2 and 4.3 · 10 9 M −1 · s −1 at pH 9.3. At pH 7 the reaction had an activation energy of 10.3 kcal/mol.
Effects of Conductive Nanomaterials on Hydrogen Production During Electrolysis

The world will run out of cheap oil in 20–30 years, causing energy costs to rise, and probably hitting the economies of many nations. Time is now to look for alternative sources of energy, so that a gentle transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources can take place. While several research programs are being conducted mostly on the sun and wind energies, there is one more source that covers 71% of the Earth surface, which is water. Splitting water by electrolysis forms oxygen and hydrogen molecules. Hydrogen has several uses in energy generation, including fuel cells, hydrogen-powered engines and stations, heating, household use, and many others. In this experiment, conductive nanoparticles were dispersed into a tap water at 60 °C with 1M concentration of sulfuric acid solution, and then electric current was passed through the dispersion at different DC voltages, leading to the formation of hydrogen gas at the cathode — the negative side of the cell. The industrial hydrogen production using acid and pressure is very expensive, and at this stage cannot compete with the fossil fuels. However, adding the nanoparticles increased the yield of hydrogen at lower voltages by up to 80%.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Hypoalbuminemia at diagnosis as a marker for severe respiratory course in infants with cystic fibrosis identified by newborn screening.

in treating central nervous system manifestations of Lyme disease. Meningeal symptoms (headache, stiff neck) are usually suppressed rapidly by prednisone administered orally; however, it has not been shown that such treatment hastens resol~ition of neurologie deficits or improves outcome. 2 One of our patients improved without eortieosteroid therapy. The other, who had more severe manifestations of pseudotumor~ received prednisone but has had persistent signs and symptoms of increased intracranial pressure. The limited data gathered from these patients, as well as the association of steroid use or withdrawal in precipitating pseudotumor cerebri, do not support the routine use of corticosteroids in patients with pseudotumor and Lyme disease. Acetazolamide was effective in controlling the intracranial hypertension in these patients. Intravenously administered penicillin also seemed beneficial.
Part I: Subjective Evaluation

The serviceability of a minimum care type garment was studied. Men's slacks made from 65% Dacron 2 and 35% rayon fabric were worn a total of 750 hours. After every 150 hours of wear, half of these garments were drycleaned and half home laundered. The garments were evaluated by both the wearers and members of the research staff after each wear period and after each cleaning.The slacks were found to be generally serviceable after wear and cleaning. The drycleaned and pressed garments were consistently rated as having a better appearance than the laundered and pressed garments, It was necessary to press the laundered slacks before they were acceptable for wear.
Boys or men? Duped or “made”? Palestinian soldiers in the Israeli military

Several thousand Palestinian citizens of Israel currently volunteer to serve in various branches of the Israeli “security” apparatus. Members of this small group of mostly men are commonly perceived by other Palestinians as traitors to their people and are socially marginalized. Even soldiers who strain and sometimes break the limits of social acceptance, however, relate to their communities in dominant gendered terms. The critiques, explanations, and, occasionally, defenses of soldiering represent much larger concerns about the relationship of Palestinian citizens to the Israeli state, particularly concerns about Israelization, but are measured in relation to a family-centered provider masculinity. What the state offers or withholds from Arab soldiers plays a powerful role in shaping Palestinian discourses on masculinity and citizenship.
Analysis of Structural Relaxation in Glass Using Rate Heating Data

A method was developed to determine the kinetic parameters controlling structural relaxation in the glass transition region from data acquired during continuous heating or cooling. The nonexponential character of the relaxation is accounted for by assuming an equilibrium isothermal relaxation function of the form exp [−(t/Toe)s], where Toe is a relaxation time and 0<β1. The data are linearized using the method of Narayanaswamy, and the continuous temperature variation during heating or cooling is dealt with by invoking the superposition principle. The analysis yields the kinetic parameters A, the relaxation-time preexponential term; Δh★, the relaxation-time activation enthalpy; x, a term describing the relative effects of temperature and structure on the rate of relaxation; and β. The method was applied to analysis of the variation of the enthalpy of vitreous B2O3 during rate heating through the transition region following rate cooling through the same region at a variety of rates.
Re-reform of Latin American Private Pensions Systems: Argentinian and Chilean Models and Lessons

Between 1981 and 2008, 11 countries in Latin America structurally reformed their defined-benefit, Pay-As-You-Go, public pension systems, partially or totally replacing them with defined contribution, fully funded, privately managed schemes based on individual accounts. Initial failures in design and subsequent performance of the private systems led to partial corrections, but in 2008 two countries implemented far reaching “re-reforms”: Chile maintained and improved its system, whereas Argentina closed and integrated it to the public system. Both re-reform models are evaluated based on their fulfilment of International Labour Organization social security principles: universal coverage, equal treatment, social solidarity, gender equality, benefit sufficiency, public supervision, reasonable administrative costs, social participation and financial sustainability. The Chilean model has improved the system in most of such principles while the Argentinian model has not. The potential influence of both models in the region is briefly explored.
Measurement of renal perfusion and blood flow with fast computed tomography.

Fast computed tomography (CT) is one of the few methods available to measure cortical and medullary renal blood flow (RBF) directly. Because these measurements are complicated by passage of the contrast medium into extravascular compartments, we used the residual opacity following the vascular blush as an index to account for extravascular iohexol. Kidneys of anesthetized dogs were examined in situ by fast CT following intra-aortic injections of iohexol. Perfusion was analyzed during a control period and three subsequent periods in which RBF was reduced by 10%, 30%, and 50%. Cortical microvascular distribution volume changed from 19.7 +/- 2.8% to 19.8 +/- 1.7%, 15.3 +/- 1.2%, and 9.9 +/- 1.7%, respectively, without significant alterations in cortical mean transit time. Microvascular distribution volume was divided by mean transit time to determine tissue perfusion. Cortical perfusion changed from 3.8 +/- 0.7 to 3.9 +/- 0.6, 3.1 +/- 0.5, and 2.2 +/- 0.5 mL.min-1.mL tissue-1. Total cortical blood flow (cortical perfusion multiplied by cortical volume) decreased from 164 +/- 32 to 159 +/- 31, 117 +/- 20, and 86 +/- 22 mL/min, respectively. Medullary microvascular distribution volume, mean transit time, perfusion, and total blood flow remained unchanged. Fast CT-determined total RBFs (cortex plus medulla) were similar to simultaneous electromagnetic flow measurements. These results indicate that renal regional perfusion is more dependent on the microvascular distribution volume than mean transit time and that variations in renal tissue perfusion with reduction of RBF are more apparent in the cortex than in the medulla.
Role for 18:1 Lysophosphatidic Acid as an Autocrine Mediator in Prostate Cancer Cells

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a lipid mediator that may play an important role in growth and survival of carcinomas. In this study, LPA production and response were characterized in two human prostate cancer (CaP) cell lines: PC-3 and Du145. Bombesin, a neuroendocrine peptide that is mitogenic for CaP cells, stimulated focal adhesion kinase phosphorylation and activated the extracellular signal-regulated kinase/mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. Similar responses were elicited by 18:1 LPA (oleoyl-LPA). Studies using radioisotopic labeling revealed that both PC-3 and Du145 generate LPA and that LPA production is increased by bombesin. The kinetics of bombesin-induced phospholipase D activation and LPA production were similar. Using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, 18:1 LPA was found to be an abundant LPA species in CaP cell medium. Structure activity studies of acyl-LPAs revealed that 18:1 LPA is most efficacious for activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase and phospholipase D in CaP cells. Incubation with 18:1 LPA caused homologous desensitization of LPA response, whereas bombesin caused heterologous desensitization. LPA was present at nanomolar levels in medium from bombesin-treated cells. LPA extracted from the medium induced calcium mobilization in CaP cells. These results demonstrate that bioactive LPA is generated by CaP cells in response to a mitogen and suggest that 18:1 LPA can act as an autocrine mediator.
Deformation mechanics in single-point and accumulative double-sided incremental forming

Single-point incremental forming (SPIF) uses one small hemispherically ended tool moving along a predefined toolpath to locally deform a completely peripherally clamped sheet of metal such that the sum total of the local deformations yields the final desired shape of the sheet. While SPIF is characterized by greater formability than conventional forming processes, it suffers from significant geometric inaccuracy. Accumulative double-sided incremental forming (ADSIF) is a substantial improvement over SPIF in which one hemispherically ended tool is used on each side of the sheet metal. The supporting tool moves synchronously with the forming tool, therefore acting as a local but mobile die. ADSIF results in considerably enhanced geometric accuracy and increased formability of the formed part as compared to SPIF. In light of the aforementioned advantages of ADSIF as compared with SPIF, an investigation of the mechanics associated with the ADSIF process, which has yet to be presented in the literature, is warranted. The present study sheds light on the differences in deformation mechanisms between SPIF and ADSIF. Finite element analyses are performed to simulate deformation in the two processes, and a detailed analysis of the deformation history is presented. It is shown that the presence of the supporting tool in ADSIF elicits substantial differences in the plastic strain, hydrostatic pressure, and shear strains as compared to SPIF. The implications of these trends on the prevalent modes of deformation in ADSIF along with possible explanations for increased formability observed in the process arediscussed.
Indirect evaluation of system parameters for pulsatile flow in flexible tubes

A finite-element model for predicting pulsatile flow and pressure waveforms along a flexible tube is developed. The model is used in conjunction with a parameter estimation scheme to investigate the feasibility of estimating the vessel radius and compliance and peripheral resistance from measurements of flow and pressure waveforms. Model predictions are compared with experimental measurements to assess the accuracy of the method. The computer simulation satisfactorily predicts both pressure and flow waveforms for a variety of boundary conditions. Results show that the sensitivity of the waveforms to parameters generally depends on the type of boundary conditions and on the variable used in the estimation scheme. Vessel radius could not be determined reliably due to lack of sensitivity of the waveforms to this parameter. However, both the vessel compliance and peripheral resistance could be estimated satisfactorily for certain boundary conditions.
The Role of Nitric Oxide in the Central Control of Blood Pressure

In these studies blood pressure responses to intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) infusions were recorded in anesthetized rats. NO donors caused a fall in blood pressure, whereas L-NAME, which blocks the enzyme (NOS) that produces NO, caused a rise in blood pressure. Calcium, i.c.v., stimulates NOS to lower blood pressure. The depressor action of NO is reduced by blocking the action of cGMP. This central NO/cGMP system is tonically active to maintain blood pressure at a normal level.
Ocular Involvement in Castleman's Disease: Response to Radiotherapy

A 21-year-old man with known Castleman's disease, a lymphoproliferative disorder with both local and systemic manifestations, presented with decreased vision in the left eye and chromatopsia. He had infiltration of the left disc and choroid with elevation of the retina, multiple bilateral depigmented areas at the level of the choroid or retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) (also thought to represent infiltrates), and left exophthalmos. A serious retinal detachment (RD) evolved, but then responded to radiotherapy, with recovery of good vision. Occult leptomeningeal involvement resolved during a period of observation. There was no systemic evidence of malignant lymphoma.
Effect of carbohydrate-electrolyte sports beverages on urinary stone risk factors.

Purpose: We evaluated the effects of consuming carbohydrate-electrolyte sports beverages (Gatorade®) on urinary stone risk factors.Materials and Methods: Twelve normal subjects (5 men, 7 women) and 12 hypercalciuric stone formers (2 men, 10 women) participated in a 4-week prospective, crossover study consisting of 3 study phases. In phase 1 subjects were placed on a monitored stone prevention diet that was continued throughout the study. In phase 2 subjects ingested 2 l Gatorade daily followed by a 7-day washout period. In phase 3 subjects ingested 2 l water daily. On the final day of phases 1, 2 and 3 a 24-hour urine collection and blood sample were analyzed for stone risk factors. Effects of group and phase were tested using repeated measures ANOVA and paired t tests.Results: Changes in urinary risk factors after Gatorade consumption revealed no statistically significant difference between normal subjects and stone formers. However, intrasubject variation occurred in both groups. Gatorade consumption in...
Physics-based modeling strategies for diagnostic and prognostic application in aerospace systems

This paper presents physics-based models as a key component of prognostic and diagnostic algorithms of health monitoring systems. While traditionally overlooked in condition-based maintenance strategies, these models potentially offer a robust alternative to experimental or other stochastic modeling data. Such a strategy is particularly useful in aerospace applications, presented in this paper in the context of a helicopter transmission model. A lumped parameter, finite element model of a widely used helicopter transmission is presented as well as methods of fault seeding and detection. Fault detection through diagnostic vibration parameters is illustrated through the simulation of a degraded rolling-element bearing supporting the transmission's input shaft. Detection in the time domain and frequency domain is discussed. The simulation shows such modeling techniques to be useful tools in health monitoring analysis, particularly as sources of information for algorithms to compare with real-time or near real-time sensor data.
A Stochastic Mathematical Framework for the Analysis of Spherically-Bound Random Arrays

Random arrays bound by a spherical volume are rigorously analyzed through a stochastic approach for uniform and Gaussian element distributions. The full mathematical derivation and process to determine the array characteristics are discussed and a key result is the form solution which describes both the sidelobe behavior and main beam characteristics. It is also shown that the proposed approach shares many conceptual similarities to the probabilistic approach applied to circular random arrays and comparisons are made. The 3-dB beamwidth, directivity, grating lobes, and sidelobe level are examined analytically and in numerical simulation for a conceptual system of isotropic wide-band radiators with a 100:1 bandwidth.
Quantifying usability in secure graphics: assessing the user costs of protecting 3D content

There is an increasing need for methods for secure dissemination of interactive 3D graphics content, providing protection for valuable 3D models while still allowing them to be widely shared. Existing systems for protected sharing of 3D models may introduce perturbations into the rendered images of the content, in order to defend against potential malicious reconstruction attacks that could otherwise recover the 3D model shape. However, the particular nature and magnitude of these perturbation defenses has not been based upon any rigorous analysis or measurement of their perceptual effect on non-malicious users of the protected graphics system. In this paper, we take the first steps toward such an analysis, conducting a series of user studies that evaluate the impact (as measured by user reaction time) of varying amounts of noise applied to user interactions in a real-time 3D rendering system. We are thus able to experimentally determine the most appropriate tradeoffs between noise perturbation defenses and the security of the 3D content against typical reconstruction attacks.
Still going strong: Leeuwenhoek at eighty

At age 80, Antony van Leeuwenhoek was a world-famous scientist who came from a prosperous Delft family with a heritage of public service. He continued that tradition by serving in paid municipal offices. Self-taught, he began his scientific career in his 40s, when he began making hundreds of tiny single-lens microscopes. Pioneering the use of now-common microscopic techniques, he was the first human to see microbes and microscopic structures in animals, plants, and minerals. Over 50 years, he wrote only letters, more than 300 of them, and published half of them himself. More than a hundred were published in translation in the Royal Society’s Philosophical Transactions. Today, Leeuwenhoek is considered in the lesser rank of scientists and is not well known outside of his homeland. Recent archival research in Delft has contributed new information about his life that helps to contextualize his science, but much remains to be learned.
Treatment and prevention implications of antisocial personality disorder

Recent research efforts have focused on understanding the developmental nature of antisocial personality disorder (APD) in order to better develop intervention strategies. This article reviews what is known about biologic and environmental risk factors for the development of APD as well as issues surrounding treatment. Insights into how these factors may work together, and issues involving approaches to researching them, are discussed. Given the impact of this disorder on the lives of the affected individuals as well as society, prevention of this disorder may be a more important focus than intervention.
CITRUS ROOT GROWTH AS AFFECTED BY SOIL ALUMINUM LEVEL UNDER FIELD CONDITIONS

Most research on the effects of Al on citrus rootstocks has been limited to nutrient-solution studies. This study employed an implanted soil-mass technique to determine the effects of Al level in soils on growth and mineral content of fibrous citrus roots under field conditions. The implanted soil, E horizon material from an Immokalee fine sand (sandy, siliceous, hyperthermic Arenic Haplaquod), had a pH of 4.2 and a very low exchangeable-Al content. It was either limed, unamended, or amended with three levels of Al using AlCl3. Each of the five treatments was replicated 15 times. Mesh bags containing the treated soil were placed in holes at the drip line of mature trees (Citrus aurantium L. sour orange rootstock) in a producing citrus grove. The bags were removed after 46 d. Results showed that, at a concentration of 9.14 mg Al L of soil saturation extract, root density was twice that of the unamended treatment (0.13 mg Al L) and equaled that of the lime treatment (0.03 mg Al L). More roots grew into the bag, and they produced more lateral roots. Aluminum concentrations in roots were lower than those in the unamended treatment, however. Root-length density decreased to about 60% of the value for the unamended treatment when Al concentration increased to 34.60 mg L. The optimum Al concentration for root growth appears to be 10 mg L calculated by a curvilinear regression equation. In general, the concentrations of Zn, Fe, and Mn in roots decreased with increased Al application to the soil, while concentrations of Ca, Mg, K, P, and B were unchanged. View complete article To view this complete article, insert Disc 5 then click button8
Primary Leiomyosarcoma of the Fallopian Tube

Primary leiomyosarcoma of the fallopian tube is an extremely uncommon neoplasm. We report a 39-year-old premenopausal woman with leiomyosarcoma confined to the right fallopian tube, who is alive without evidence of disease 2 years after surgical resection followed by adjuvant doxorubicin and cisplatin chemotherapy. An accompanying literature review indicates that the clinical signs and symptoms of fallopian tube sarcomas are usually nonspecific and include lower abdominal pain and pelvic pressure. The age at diagnosis varies from 21 to 70 years, with a median of 47 years. Prognosis is poor, however, several longterm survivors have been reported. The primary treatment remains surgical excision, although adjunctive chemotherapy or radiation may be of some benefit.
London as text: Eighteenth‐century women writers and reading the city

Moral convention required that the eighteenth‐century English novelist express disapproval of the opportunities London afforded women for mobility, deception, and independence. Women novelists of the period, however, subverted this code by depicting urbanized heroines who gain forbidden knowledge about male and female sexuality and social roles, and are thus able to manipulate convention rather than merely following it. Examination of five novels of the period — two by men, three by women — demonstrates that male and female novelists, while allegedly working within the same moral framework, generated vastly different moral texts out of the complex semiotic of the London environment. As the novel gained in respectability, women novelists’ use of the London convention became on the surface more conventional, and their heroines’ attitudes toward urban mores more disapproving, but subversive alternative behaviors are still depicted in late eighteenth‐century novels.
The confounding influence of urban informality on innovation and production specialisation in production clusters: evidence from Nairobi

This paper investigates two agglomeration economies, innovation and production specialisation, within Nairobi's handicraft sector. The paper asks if and by what mechanics urban informality might interfere with these important potential outcomes of clustered production. A hundred and two semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants of the industry. Findings suggest that informality contravenes innovative and specialised outcomes for firms through the introduction of high levels of entrepreneurial risk, diseconomies of informal agglomeration, and rational but problematic factors of production decisions by firms. The paper concludes by making intervention recommendations.
Are magnetospheric suprathermal particle distributions (κ functions) inconsistent with maximum entropy considerations

The Maxwellian distribution is the most popular plasma distribution and has become the default assumption when the detailed distribution function is unknown. The reason is in part because, given a fixed average energy, the distribution that maximizes the specific entropy is the Maxwellian. However, magnetospheres are dynamic systems and space plasma particle distributions gain and lose energy, for example by fueling and damping wave activity, so that the average energy is not fixed as these distributions evolve. Thus, it is not surprising, and in fact is expected, that the distributions most commonly observed in magnetospheric charged particle populations are not Maxwellians. We argue that taking the average order of magnitude of the energy, rather than the average energy, of the distribution as constant is a more appropriate constraint for dynamic space plasma distributions. We show that the distribution that maximizes entropy subject to this constraint is exactly the κ function.
Dissection of the XChk1 Signaling Pathway in Xenopus laevis Embryos

Checkpoint pathways inhibit cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) to arrest cell cycles when DNA is damaged or unreplicated. Early embryonic cell cycles of Xenopus laevis lack these checkpoints. Completion of 12 divisions marks the midblastula transition (MBT), when the cell cycle lengthens, acquiring gap phases and checkpoints of a somatic cell cycle. Although Xenopus embryos lack checkpoints prior to the MBT, checkpoints are observed in cell-free egg extracts supplemented with sperm nuclei. These checkpoints depend upon the Xenopus Chk1 (XChk1)-signaling pathway. To understand why Xenopus embryos lack checkpoints, xchk1 was cloned, and its expression was examined and manipulated in Xenopus embryos. Although XChk1 mRNA is degraded at the MBT, XChk1 protein persists throughout development, including pre-MBT cell cycles that lack checkpoints. However, when DNA replication is blocked, XChk1 is activated only after stage 7, two cell cycles prior to the MBT. Likewise, DNA damage activates XChk1 only after the MBT. Furthermore, overexpression of XChk1 in Xenopus embryos creates a checkpoint in which cell division arrests, and both Cdc2 and Cdk2 are phosphorylated on tyrosine 15 and inhibited in catalytic activity. These data indicate that XChk1 signaling is intact but blocked upstream of XChk1 until the MBT.
Experimental dry-season N deposition alters species composition in southern Californian mediterranean-type shrublands

Nitrogen (N) deposition in heavily polluted southern Californian shrublands is estimated to be 20-45 kg Nha-1yr_1, but more exposed locales can receive as much as 145 kg Nha_1yr_1. This large anthropogenic N input has the capacity to alter the composition of plant communities. We conducted N-fertilization experiments in chaparral and coastal sage scrub (CSS) stands over a five-year period to test the hypothesis that plant community composition would change in response to dry-season N addition because of an increase in the relative abundance of herbaceous plant species. Our results indicate that dry-season addition of N significantly altered the community composition of CSS but not chaparral. Contrary to our original hypothesis, changes in community composition were due to changes in the relative abundance of dominant shrubs and not herbaceous plant species. Given that community-level responses to changes in resource availability may take years to decades in order to fully materialize, our results suggest that continued dry-season input of N will cause even larger changes in community composition over time. These results have implications for plant species composition and diversity of mediterranean-type shrublands as N deposition increases with population growth and fossil-fuel use.
Teaching Information Processing System (TIPS): Evaluation in a Large Introductory Psychology Class

This evaluation suggests that TIPS improves performance by forcing distributed learning and it is an attractive alternative to PSI.
Strategies for viral RNA stability: live long and prosper

Eukaryotic cells have a powerful RNA decay machinery that plays an important and diverse role in regulating both the quantity and the quality of gene expression. Viral RNAs need to successfully navigate around this cellular machinery to initiate and maintain a highly productive infection. Recent work has shown that viruses have developed a variety of strategies to accomplish this, including inherent RNA shields, hijacking host RNA stability factors, incapacitating the host decay machinery and changing the entire landscape of RNA stability in cells using virally encoded nucleases. In addition to maintaining the stability of viral transcripts, these strategies can also contribute to the regulation and complexity of viral gene expression as well as to viral RNA evolution.
Primitive erythropoiesis in the Xenopus embryo: the synergistic role of LMO-2, SCL and GATA-binding proteins

Hematopoietic stem cells are derived from ventral mesoderm during vertebrate development. Gene targeting experiments in the mouse have demonstrated key roles for the basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor SCL and the GATA-binding protein GATA-1 in hematopoiesis. When overexpressed in Xenopus animal cap explants, SCL and GATA-1 are each capable of specifying mesoderm to become blood. Forced expression of either factor in whole embryos, however, does not lead to ectopic blood formation. This apparent paradox between animal cap assays and whole embryo phenotype has led to the hypothesis that additional factors are involved in specifying hematopoietic mesoderm. SCL and GATA-1 interact in a transcriptional complex with the LIM domain protein LMO-2. We have cloned the Xenopus homolog of LMO-2 and show that it is expressed in a similar pattern to SCL during development. LMO-2 can specify hematopoietic mesoderm in animal cap assays. SCL and LMO-2 act synergistically to expand the blood island when overexpressed in whole embryos. Furthermore, co-expression of GATA-1 with SCL and LMO-2 leads to embryos that are ventralized and have blood throughout the dorsal-ventral axis. The synergistic effect of SCL, LMO-2 and GATA-1, taken together with the findings that these factors can form a complex in vitro, suggests that this complex specifies mesoderm to become blood during embryogenesis.
Fulminant myocarditis associated with novel H1N1 influenza A

Myocarditis secondary to H1N1 influenza has been described in children, but only very rarely in adults. We describe a 36-year-old man with no significant medical history who presented with flu-like symptoms of 3-week duration. When he sought medical attention, he was already manifesting heart failure secondary to fulminant myocarditis, along with multiorgan failure. Despite aggressive management, including circulatory support with a catheter-based mechanical cardiac assist device (Impella 2.5 Cardiac Assist Device, Abiomed, Danvers, MA) as a bridge to cardiac transplant, and aggressive antiviral and antibacterial therapy, the patient died of cardiac arrest. An H1N1 polymerase chain reaction postmortem assay produced positive results, and a diagnosis of fulminant viral myocarditis and multiorgan system failure was established.
Fractional differential equations with worsening right-hand sides

We suggest methods for studying fractional differential equations with Caputo and Riemann-Liouville derivatives. Existence and uniqueness theorems are proved for the Cauchy problem for differential equations with worsening operators in scales of Banach spaces.
The Influence of Race and Gender on Periodontal Microflora

Previous studies have demonstrated that demographic characteristics of subject populations influence both the incidence of periodontal diseases and various aspects of host responses to periodontal bacteria. In this study we analyzed the components of the subgingival microflora from individuals with adult periodontitis, early onset periodontitis, gingivitis, and periodontal health as a function of gender and race (black and white). Clinical categories were analyzed individually so that there were no differences in the clinical characteristics of the sampled sites. No significant differences were noted in the subgingival microflora between males and females. When either the first two bacterial samples from each subject or all bacterial samples taken from each subject were included in the analysis, it was found that Porphyromonas gingivalis was more significantly associated with black subjects in the adult periodontitis group. When all samples were considered in the analysis, it was found that Peptostreptococcus anaerobius was associated with black subjects in the adult periodontitis group, while Fusobacterium nucleatum was associated with white subjects in both the adult periodontitis and early onset periodontitis groups. Thus a limited number of important bacterial components of the subgingival microflora are influenced by the race and diagnosis of the subject group.