cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Extraction of up to 95% of wheat (Triticum aestivum) flour protein using warm sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) without reduction or sonication.

Extraction of glutenin polymers without sonication is an essential prerequisite for accurate determination of their composition and molecular size distribution. Sequential fractionation of wheat flour with 0.1 M KCl and 0.25% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) at 21 °C and 2% SDS at 60 °C extracted up to 95% of total protein. We propose that 2% SDS at 60 °C disrupts hydrogen bonds in glutenin and gliadin aggregates, reduces hydrophobic interactions, and facilitates solubilization. Analysis by size-exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography (SE-HPLC), reverse-phase (RP)-HPLC, and SDS−polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) revealed that partitioning of gliadins and glutenins among the extracts differed for two flours with good baking quality (Butte 86 and Jagger) and one with poor baking quality (Chinese Spring). More gliadin was associated with the 0.25% SDS extract for Chinese Spring, whereas more gliadin was associated with the 2% SDS extract for Butte 86 and Jagger. Unextractable glutenin polymer was...
The Role of Ras Guanine Nucleotide Releasing Protein 4 in FcϵRI-mediated Signaling, Mast Cell Function, and T Cell Development

The RasGRP (Ras guanine nucleotide-releasing protein) family proteins are guanine nucleotide exchange factors that activate Ras GTPases, ultimately leading to MAPK activation and many cellular processes. The RasGRP family has four members. Published studies demonstrate that RasGRP1, RasGRP2, and RasGRP3 play critical roles in T cells, platelets, and B cells, respectively. RasGRP4 is highly expressed in mast cells. Although previous data suggest that it is important in mast cell development and function, the role of RasGRP4 in mast cells and allergic responses has not been clearly demonstrated. In this study, we generated RasGRP4−/− mice to examine the function of RasGRP4. Analyses of these mice showed that mast cells were able to develop normally in vivo and in vitro. Despite high levels of RasGRP4 expression in mast cells, RasGRP4 deficiency led to only a modest reduction in FcϵRI-mediated degranulation and cytokine production. Interestingly, mast cells deficient in both RasGRP1 and RasGRP4 had a much more severe block in FcϵRI-mediated signaling and mast cell function. We also made the unexpected finding that RasGRP4 functions during thymocyte development. Our data suggest that after the engagement of immunoreceptors, immune cells likely employ multiple members of the RasGRP family to transduce critical signals.
Quality of Care and Racial Disparities in Medicare Among Potential ACOs

BACKGROUND The Medicare Accountable Care Organization (ACO) programs encourage integration of providers into large groups and reward provider groups for improving quality, but not explicitly for reducing health care disparities. Larger group size and better overall quality may or may not be associated with smaller disparities.
CONGENITAL INSUFFICIENCY OF THE PULMONARY VALVE.

Congenital insufficiency of the pulmonary valve, whether an isolated entity or associated with other intracardiac defects, is rare. The clinical picture varies from one of total absence of symptoms to one in which signs of congestive cardiac failure occur during the neonatal period. One case is presented with 3 normal cusps and a lack of valvular tissue posteriorly through which regurgitation occurred. Such an anatomic variation has not been recorded previously. The characteristic clinical features are discussed as well as roentgenographic findings, electrocardiographic tracings, and cardiac catheterization data which may be of help in making the diagnosis.
EFFECT OF ASCORBATE ON COLLAGEN SYNTHESIS BY LUNG EMBRYONIC FIBROBLASTS

Total insoluble collagen and hydroxyproline formation were examined in lung embryonic fibroblasts (IMR-90) grown in the presence or absence of added ascorbate. As expected, when the cells from both groups (+ and −ascorbate) are pulsed with [14C]proline in the presence of ascorbate, the percent hydroxylation in a 24-hr period does not vary significantly. However, there are dramatic differences in the quantity and quality of the insoluble collagen fraction produced by those cells grown for a long period of time with added ascorbate. Those cells deprived of continuous addition of ascorbate to the culture medium do not display large quantities of accumulated collagen in the cell layer fractions as measured by the hydroxyproline content, whereas the cells grown in the presence of ascorbate contain significant amounts of accumulated collagen. A new method for examining the extracellular insoluble collagen produced in cell cultures is described in these studies. With the aid of pancreatic elastase relatively pure insoluble collagen can be obtained from cells grown in culture. In those cells grown in the presence of ascorbate, the purified insoluble collagen yeilds appropriately banded fibrils when examined in the electron microscope and has an amino-acid composition that is compatible with pure collagen. On the other hand, those cells grown in the absence of ascorbate do not yield purified insoluble collagen as determined by these same criteria. The elastase procedure for the purification of insoluble collagen in cell cultures is simple, easy to use and allows one to assess additional aspects of collagen biosynthesis.
Autoradiograms of irregular surfaces.

Summary1. Autoradiograms of irregular surfaces of mollusc shells and curved surfaces of bone canbe made without difficulty by applying sheets of emulsion removed from Eastman Industrial X-ray Film, Type A. The emulsion is developed while on the object, facilitating the localization of radioactive areas, and maybe removed for densitometric measurements if desired. 2. Darkening of the emulsion may occur as a result of direct contact with sutures and certain definite regions of non-radioactive bone. Accordingly, in making autoradiograms by this method control exposures on non-radioactive bone are required to evaluate this effect.
Human controller modeling in environments that include non-control tasks

In complex environments where the human operator is a supervisor, be must allocate his attention between different kinds of tasks for optimum overall performance, When a portion of the future reference trajectory for the control task is available for preview, scheduling various activities is possible. A model has been developed for this situation using dynamic programming to solve an optimal control problem. An experiment was conducted Where subjects controlled an airplane symbol over a map, shown a fixed distance into the future. Discrete, non-control tasks were introduced as number entry tasks. Results from the model are compared with experimental results.
Script knowledge in right hemisphere-damaged and in normal elderly adults

Right hemisphere brain-damaged (RHD) patients and healthy elderly and younger control subjects were tested on a battery of tasks designed to probe their script knowledge. More specifically, their ability to access and organize script information was assessed under conditions that varied in information-processing demands. For this purpose, two types of script tasks were employed: free response tasks, for which subjects had to structure their own responses, and constrained response tasks, in which subjects had to choose the better of two possible responses. All RHD patients tested had shown impairments on other narrative tasks. Subjects were asked to produce the sequences of steps which comprise two common activities and to provide continuations for segments of scripts (free-response tasks); they also were required to judge script element membership, temporal order, and relative importance (constrained-response tasks). The RHD patients and elderly and control subjects demonstrated a generally preserved knowledge of script information on all tasks. However, because of variability in the response style from the RHD patients and elderly subjects on free-response tasks, individual cases were examined. Several RHD patients' script productions were characterized by tangentiality while other patients showed a tendency to terminate their script productions prematurely. Four of ten elderly subjects produced highly personalized scripts. The relation of performance on these tasks to other documented narrative impairments is considered.
Asymmetric glycosylation of soybean seed coat peroxidase.

Abstract Reanalysis of the tryptic digests of soybean seed coat peroxidase (SBP) and its carboxyamidated peptide derivatives in the light of more complete sequence data has thrown light on the diglycosylated tryptic peptides, TP13 (Leu[183–205]Arg) and TP15 (Cys[208–231]Arg). Matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) analyses indicate that although all potential sites carry some glycan substituents, not all sites are fully occupied. Tryptic glycopeptide TP13, carrying two N-glycosylation consensus sequons (Asn185 and Asn197), occurs mainly (85–90%) as the diglycosylated species, the remainder (10–15%) being monoglycosylated. In contrast, tryptic peptide TP15, also with two N-glycosylation sites (Asn211 and Asn216), is primarily monoglycosylated (∼90%), with the remainder (10%) being diglycosylated. No non-glycosylated TP13 or TP15 was observed. Some artifacts are noted in the reactions of N-terminal cysteine residues and aspartate/asparagines residues in glycopeptide TP15. Mapping the glycans onto the crystal structure of SBP shows that these are asymmetrically distributed on the molecule, occurring primarily on the substrate-channel face of the enzyme. In contrast, the glycans of HRP, isozyme c, are more uniformly distributed over the enzyme surface.
Design of anchor bolts in masonry

A review of the methods used to design anchors for masonry in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the United States was conducted. It was determined that with the exception of the American standard (MSJC), most provisions for connections for masonry require anchors to be designed using some form of performance based criteria. The MSJC uses design equations to predict anchor behavior and an evaluation of these equations using recent published test results suggests that the nominal tension anchor bolt capacity equations appear to give relatively good results at smaller anchor diameters. However, unaccounted for tension splitting/flexural modes appear to be present in larger anchor diameters. The investigations also suggest that the shear load provisions in the MSJC appear to be adequate when predicting the capacity of smaller diameter bolts, but they can be very unconservative for shear load capacities for bolts above 19 mm in diameter. The masonry break out equation does not appear to accurately predict the splitting/prying masonry failures observed with these large diameter anchors. In addition, it appears that splitting failures may occur in smaller masonry assemblies and further work must be conducted to determine if this is a testing protocol artifact or a failure mode that can be realistically expected in the field such as the proposed shear bearing model. Finally, results of combined shear and tension load tests, appear to suggest that the interaction equation for anchors used in grouted cavities in masonry assemblies is a power function, with a value between 1.4 and 1.67.
ENDOTHELIN-1 AS A PUTATIVE MODULATOR OF GENE EXPRESSION AND CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY IN CULTURED HUMAN CORPORAL SMOOTH MUSCLE CELLS

AbstractPurpose: Increases in cytosolic calcium levels trigger smooth muscle contraction while nuclear calcium increases are thought to regulate gene expression. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) affects both. The goal of these studies was to further investigate the importance of ET-1 to corporal physiology by examining its actions on proliferation and immediate early gene (IEG) expression in cultured human corporal smooth muscle cells.Materials & Methods: Early passage (1-3) smooth muscle cells were grown in culture and exposed to either phenylephrine (PE) or ET-1 in the absence and presence of serum, the ETA or ETB selective antagonist BQ123 or IRL1038, or the L-type Ca2+ channel blocker, verapamil. Cell proliferation was assessed with a hemocytometer. The effects of ET-1 on c-myc and c-fos were evaluated using Northern blot analysis. Parametric or nonparametric statistics were used as appropriate.Results: Addition of ET-1 (100 nM) to serum-starved cultured corporal smooth muscle cells was associated with a nearly 2-...
Vitronectin-binding PAI-1 protects against the development of cardiac fibrosis through interaction with fibroblasts

Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) promotes or abates fibrotic processes occurring in different organs. Binding of PAI-1 to vitronectin, an extracellular matrix component, may inhibit vitronectin-integrin complex-mediated cellular responses in pathophysiological conditions. To investigate the importance of plasmin suppression vs vitronectin-binding pathways of PAI-1 in cardiac fibrosis, we studied uninephrectomized mice fed a high salt diet and infused with angiotensin II (Ang II) together with different PAI-1 variants, including PAI-1AK (AK) that inhibits plasminogen activators but does not bind vitronectin, PAI-1RR (RR) that binds vitronectin but does not have protease inhibitory effects or control PAI-1 (CPAI), the control mutant that has similar molecular backbone and half-life as AK and RR while retaining all functions of native PAI-1. Compared with RR and CPAI, non-vitronectin-binding AK significantly increased expression of cardiac fibroblast marker, periostin (Ang+AK 8.40±3.55 vs Ang+RR 2.23±0.44 and Ang+CPAI 2.33±0.12% positive area, both P<0.05) and cardiac fibrosis (Ang+AK 1.79±0.26% vs Ang+RR 0.91±0.18% and Ang+CPAI 0.81±0.12% fibrotic area, both P<0.05), as well as Col1 mRNA (Ang+AK 12.81±1.84 vs Ang+RR 4.04±1.06 and Ang+CPAI 5.23±1.21 fold increase, both P<0.05). To elucidate mechanisms underlying the protective effects of vitronectin-binding PAI-1 against fibrosis, fibroblasts from normal adult human ventricles were stimulated with Ang and different PAI-1 variants. Protease inhibitory AK and CPAI increased supernatant fibronectin, while decreasing plasminogen activator/plasmin activities and matrix metalloproteinase. RR and CPAI variants significantly reduced fibroblast expression of integrin β3, vitronectin level in the supernatant and fibroblast adhesion to vitronectin compared with the non-vitronectin-binding AK. Further, RR and CPAI preserved apoptotic, decreased anti-apoptotic and proliferative activities in fibroblasts. Thus, PAI-1 promotes or protects against development of cardiac fibrosis differentially through the protease inhibitory pathway or through its binding to vitronectin.
Phenotypic effects of overexpression of PKCβ1 in rat liver epithelial cells

We have used a previously described retroviral expression vector pMV7-PKCβ1 to develop derivatives of two rat liver epithelial cell lines, K16 and K22, that stably express about tenfold-higher PKC activity than control cells. Despite these high levels of PKC, these cells did not exhibit gross morphologic changes, anchorage-independent growth, or tumorigenicity. K16PKC-4 and K22PKC-2, two lines with the highest PKC enzyme activity, were studied further in terms of several responses to the phorbol ester tumor promoter TPA. When treated with 100 ng/ml of TPA, the control K16MV7 and K22MV7 cells displayed a slight change in morphology, whereas the K16PKC-4 and K22PKC-2 cells displayed a marked change in morphology. Northern blot analyses demonstrated that TPA induced increased levels of fos, myc, phorbin, and ODC RNAs in control K16MV7 and K22MV7 cells, with maximum induction occurring at about 0.5, 1, 8, and 8 h, respectively. In K16PKC-4 and K22PKC-2 cells, TPA induction of phorbin and ODC RNAs was markedly enhanced, but this was not the case for myc and fos RNAs. In addition, the levels of myc RNA were constitutively higher in both K16PKC-4 and K22PKC-2 cells than in the control cells. Taken together, these results provide direct evidence that PKC plays a critical role in modulating the expression of myc, phorbin, and ODC RNAs. On the other hand, overexpression of PKCβ1 is not itself sufficient to cause cell transformation.
Removal of residual chlorine in coal by steam stripping

ABSTRACT As a part of process engineering study of the perchloroethylene (PCE) coal desulfurization process, the minimization of residual chlorine content after the desulfurization process has been studied in detail. The residual chlorine in the coal is removed by a novel process, which involves the use of steam as the displacing agent. Steam, when passed through a bed of the PCE treated coal, washes away the residual solvent in coal. Two designs, viz. fluidized bed and packed bed steam strippers are discussed in detail. This paper presents the results of the design implementations and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each design. It was found that the chlorine content of the coal treated in the packed bed steam stripper was not only decreased to a level lower than before steam stripping, but to a level lower than that of the raw samples before the PCE extraction.
Zur dielektrischen Dispersion polarer Flüssigkeiten

Die vonMeckbach uber den gesamten Dispersionsbereich gemessenenDK-Werte von α-Bromnaphthalin werden analysiert. Ein langwelliger Dispersionsanteil wird alsDebyesche Relaxationserscheinung gedeutet, wahrend ein kurzwelliger, kleinerer Anteil in Ubereinstimmung mitSaxton einerFrohlichschen Resonanz zugeschrieben wird.
Strategic Maneuvering through Persuasive Definitions: Implications for Dialectic and Rhetoric

In the pragma-dialectical research program, strategic maneuvering refers to processes of seeking rhetorical advantage while meeting one’s dialectical obligations. One principal means of strategic maneuvering is the use of persuasive definitions, those in which connotations are changed while keeping the denotation constant, or vice-versa. Brief examples and an extended case study (the labeling of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks as “war”) demonstrate that strategic maneuvering functions analogously, if not identically, in dialectic and rhetoric.
Intracellular pH controls the development of new potassium conductance after fertilization of the sea urchin egg

Abstract Fertilization of the sea urchin egg leads to a sequence of changes at the egg surface and the interior cytoplasm. Among these changes are the transient elevation of internal calcium levels, alkalization of the cytoplasm and development of new K+-conductance. In the series of experiments reported here, we separate the effects on potassium activation of the calcium release and the rise in the intracellular pH. The development of new K+-conductance was dependent on alkalization of the egg cytoplasm, and not on a rise of internal calcium levels. The effects of 2,4-dinitrophenol, N-ethylmalemide, antimycin A and oligomycin suggest that the maintenance of the alkaline internal pH of fertilized eggs appears to be dependent on membrane ATPase activity.
Interpretation of the ampère experiments

Abstract The celebrated Ampere experiments and their phenomenological interpretation by Ampere's equation are, in many respects, more closely allied with the spirit of modern physics than are the flux visualizations of Faraday and Maxwell. Further study of this subject may lead to an improved theory of electrodynamics. Ampere's equation for the force between current elements is unique, assuming the correctness of Ampere's five postulates. But two of these postulates may be questioned. The present paper develops the general equations that apply if either the fifth or the third postulate is omitted.
Linear IgA Disease with Clinical and Immunopathological Features of Epidermolysis Bullosa Acquisita

A 10-year-old boy had a 3-month history of urticarial plaques and vesicles. Histologic and immunofluorescence testing confirmed the diagnosis of linear IgA disease. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed IgA deposits in the sublamina densa area similar to those seen in epidermolysis bullosa acquisita. Milia developed after resolution of the lesions, similar to lesions of epidermolysis bullosa acquisita.
A comparison of composite metal foam's properties and other comparable metal foams

Abstract New closed cell composite metal foams are processed using casting and powder metallurgy (PM) techniques. The foam is comprised of steel hollow spheres packed into a random loose arrangement, with the interstitial spaces between spheres occupied with a solid metallic matrix. The characterization of composite metal foams was carried out using monotonic compression, compression–compression fatigue, loading–unloading compression, micro-hardness and nano-hardness testing. The microstructure of the composite metal foams was studied using optical, scanning electron microscopy imaging and electron dispersive spectroscopy. The composite metal foams displayed superior (5–20 times higher) compressive strengths, reported as 105 MPa for cast foams and 127 MPa for PM foams, and much higher energy absorbing capability as compared to other metal foams being produced with similar materials through other technologies.
Labor union strength and human development in East Asia and Latin America

Ordinary least squares multiple regression is used to test the impact of labor movement strength on growth, income distribution, and premature mortality in sixteen East Asian and Latin American countries. Labor movement strength is measured by a new index based on information from the International Labour Organisation. Controlling for other relevant variables, the Labor Strength Index is found to have a weak positive effect on growth, a weak negative effect on income equality and on infant survival and life expectancy levels, and a strong negative effect on infant survival and life expectancy progress. One reason for the negative overall effect of labor strength on human development may be that unions, together with actors representing better-off urban groups, often induce governments to enact urbanbiased and formal sector-biased policies that contribute to the neglect or impoverishment of the rural poor and shanty-town dwellers.
Formation of ornithine transcarbamylase in cells and protoplasts of Escherichia coli.

Abstract Requirements for the synthesis of ornithine-transcarbamylase activity in Escherichia coli W cells and protoplasts upon release from arginine suppression were studied. Results show that the appearance of OTC activity corresponds to the formation of new protein. A complete inhibition of OTC formation resulting from treatment with chloramphenicol lends additional support to the contention that OTC activity appears concurrently with new protein biosynthesis. Protoplasts prepared with lysozyme seem to magnify requirements for OTC synthesis, as evidenced by the necessity for a complete complement of amino acids and magnesium for full capacity synthesis of OTC by protoplasts. A curious and as yet unexplained by-product of protoplasts formation was the partial loss of arginine's ability to supress OTC synthesis. The following observations suggest a role of RNA in OTC synthesis: RNase inhibition of protoplasts, stimulation by uracil of the uracil-requiring mutant, and stimulation by purines and pyrimidines of both cells and protoplasts. Investigations with a uracil-requiring mutant of E. coli revealed that the burst of OTC formation after release from arginine suppression could be obtained in the absence of uracil. In direct contrast, the presence of uracil was essential for the induction of β-galactosidase by this uracilless mutant. Experiments in which inorganic 32PO4 was incorporated into RNA nucleotides of the uracilles mutant during OTC synthesis indicated that new RNA synthesis was negligible in the absence of uracil. The experimental evidence suggests that performed enzyme-forming sites, held under arginine suppression, commence manufacture of OTC molecules immediately upon release from arginine suppression. It seems likely that, under these conditions, synthesis of this enzyme occurs without new RNA formation.
Reduced retina microglial activation and improved optic nerve integrity with minocycline treatment in the DBA/2J mouse model of glaucoma.

PURPOSE. In the context of the retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axon degeneration in the optic nerve that occurs in glaucoma, microglia become activated, then phagocytic, and redistribute in the optic nerve head. The authors investigated the potential contribution of retinal microglia activation to glaucoma progression in the DBA/2J chronic mouse glaucoma model. METHODS. The authors treated 6-week-old DBA/2J mice for 25 weeks with minocycline, a tetracycline derivative known to reduce microglia activation and to improve neuronal survival in other models of neurodegenerative disease. They quantified RGC numbers and characterized microglia activation, gliosis, and both axonal integrity and retrograde tracer transport by RGCs in mice systemically treated with minocycline or vehicle only. RESULTS. Minocycline reduced microglial activation and improved RGC axonal transport and integrity, yet it had no effect on the characteristic age-related ocular changes that
Oral Baclofen Increases Maximal Voluntary Neuromuscular Activation of Ankle Plantar Flexors in Children With Spasticity Due to Cerebral Palsy

Although spasticity is a common symptom in children with cerebral palsy, weakness may be a much greater contributor to disability. We explore whether a treatment that reduces spasticity may also have potential benefit for improving strength. Ten children with cerebral palsy and spasticity in the ankle plantar flexor muscles were treated with oral baclofen for 4 weeks. We tested voluntary ability to activate ankle plantar flexor muscles using the ratio of the surface electromyographic signal during isometric maximal voluntary contraction to the M-wave during supramaximal electrical stimulation of the tibial nerve and tested muscle strength using maximal isometric plantar flexion torque. Mean maximal voluntary neuromuscular activation increased from 1.13 +/- 1.02 to 1.60 +/- 1.30 ( P < .05) after treatment, corresponding to an increase in 9 of 10 subjects. Mean maximal plantar flexion torque did not change. We conjecture that antispasticity agents could facilitate strength training by increasing the ability to voluntarily activate muscle.
The influence on creative thinking of locus of control, cooperation, and sex

Random assignment of 312 Ss to dyadic or individual test conditions at each of three I-E levels was accomplished for students enrolled in an urban community college. Independent variables were cooperation, Locus of Control, and sex. Scores on the Unusual Uses Activity of the TTCT were the dependent variables. Multivariate results indicated that all main effects were significant beyond the 0.02 level. One-way univariate analyses showed dyads significantly more flexible and original than individuals; no significant differences between internal, mixed, or external Locus of Control Ss; and males significantly more flexible than females in creative functioning.
Irradiation effects on CTR first wall materials

Abstract The selection of the controlled thermonuclear reactor (CTR) first wall material (refractory metallic alloy or austenitic stainless steel) will be a compromise based on a number of important nuclear, physical, thermal and mechanical properties, and safety, environmental, technological and economic factors. The correlations between helium production, irradiation, and helium embrittlement in the first wall depend mainly on the neutron spectrum, neutron fluence, irradiation temperature, wall material, reactor operating conditions, etc. The suppression of irradiation swelling by alloying elements (C, Si, Mo, and P) is effective and beneficial. The extent of change in mechanical properties of the first wall material due to neutron irradiation, thermal instabilities (thermal shock, thermal fatigue, crack initiation and propagation), corrosion effect, etc. remains undefined or not completely understood. A fabricated CTR first wall material must meet the requirements of design safety, weldment reliability and good operation performance.
Completion of self‐administered questionnaires in a sex survey

This paper examines completion of four self‐administered questionnaires (SAQs) in the 1992 National Health and Social Life Survey (NHSLS), a large national personal‐visit survey on sexual behaviors and attitudes in the United States. Based on interviewer reports, only 66% of respondents self‐administered all four SAQs, while 15% self‐administered none of them, and 20% did some of the SAQs themselves. Three factors that may effect the decision to self‐administer the SAQs were explored: (a) capacity, (b) motivation, and (c) question sensitivity. Support was found for the capacity hypothesis, suggesting that literacy is a factor in the self‐completion decision. Stronger support for the motivation hypothesis was found, with reluctant respondents being less likely to complete the SAQs themselves. Regarding the sensitivity hypothesis, the decision to self‐administer does not appear to be affected by the behaviors engaged in by respondents, or by the perceived sensitivity of these behaviors. However, the respons...
Effects of reproductive and vegetative sink activity on leaf conductance and water potential in Prunus persica L. Batsch

Abstract Reproductive and vegetative sink activities on mature trees of nectarine (Prunus persica L. Batsch. cultivar ‘Fantasia’) were controlled by removal of fruit buds and treatment with the chemical plant growth regulator paclobutrazol (PP-333), respectively. During the period corresponding to Stage III of fruit growth in fruiting trees, de-fruited trees had higher mean leaf water potential (ψ1) and lower leaf conductances (g1) than fruiting trees in a given paclobutrazol treatment. However, paclobutrazol-treated trees generally had both higher g1 and ψ1 than untreated trees within a given fruit treatment. Therefore, across both levels of vegetative growth activity, fruiting trees maintained higher g1 for a given ψl than non-fruiting trees.
Fuzzy nonlinear activity and dynamics of fuzzy uncertainty in the neural complex

Abstract The studies addressed in this paper refer to the following: (i) Deducing a functional relationship between the logistic output versus input values in a neural network when the boundaries of the input and output sets are fuzzy and developing a fuzzy Riccardi differential equation (FRDE) which governs the relevant nonlinear process(es) associated with the neural complex. (ii) Evolving the dynamics of learning associated with a fuzzy neural network in terms of a fuzzy uncertainty parameter via a fuzzy Fokker–Planck equation (FFPE). The logistic growth of output versus input in the fuzzy neural complex as dictated by the FRDE, follows not only a generalized representation of a stochastically justifiable sigmoidal function (as decided by the spatial long-range order of neuronal state proliferation across the network), but it also captures the approximate nature of reasoning and perception associated with the “granular information” vis-a-vis the fuzzy set(s) of the variables involved. As regards to the solution of FRDE, it represents the function approximation of overlapping output clusters resulting from the segments of input-space grouped into membership classes (each depicting a certain range of input values). An architecture based on the fuzzy sigmoidal description of the nonlinear process(es) involved is presented and discussed. In reference to the dynamics of learning with an associated fuzzy uncertainty, the relevant stochasticity versus time discourse is described in terms of a FFPE. The fuzzy variable of the FFPE refers to the probability density function (pdf ) of a (fuzzy) error between the network's output and a desired objective function. It is shown that the pdf is related to the grade membership function of the fuzzy attributes; and, the FFPE developed thereof offers a vivid, temporal learning profile of the neural complex under fuzzy considerations.
A comparison of charges for continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis and center hemodialysis

Use of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) is increasing, and it is being promoted as a less expensive alternative to center hemodialysis (CHD). The debate over the relative charges for CAPD and CHD cannot generally be answered without considering the relationship between modality selection and patient characteristics. When selection and patient characteristics are accounted for, the difference between annual charges for CAPD and CHD patients is insignificant, in part because of the current payment system. The analysis suggests that patients using CHD may have lower charges than if they were using CAPD; similarly, patients using CAPD may have lower charges than if they were using CHD. Charges during CAPD training are lower than CHD or CAPD charges. Charges during the transition between CHD and CAPD tend to be higher than either CHD or CAPD due to additional hospitalizations. Estimated results suggest that encouraging current CHD patients to transfer to CAPD (or vice versa) may not have the desired effect of reducing charges.
Sepsis Alters the Megakaryocyte–Platelet Transcriptional Axis Resulting in Granzyme B–mediated Lymphotoxicity

Rationale: Sepsis-related mortality results in part from immunodeficiency secondary to profound lymphoid apoptosis. The biological mechanisms responsible are not understood.Objectives: Because recent evidence shows that platelets are involved in microvascular inflammation and that they accumulate in lymphoid microvasculature in sepsis, we hypothesized a direct role for platelets in sepsis-related lymphoid apoptosis.Methods: We studied megakaryocytes and platelets from a murine-induced sepsis model, with validation in septic children, which showed induction of the cytotoxic serine protease granzyme B.Measurements and Main Results: Platelets from septic mice induced marked apoptosis of healthy splenocytes ex vivo. Platelets from septic granzyme B null (−/−) mice showed no lymphotoxicity.Conclusions: Our findings establish a conceptual advance in sepsis: Septic megakaryocytes produce platelets with acutely altered mRNA profiles, and these platelets mediate lymphotoxicity via granzyme B. Given the contributio...
Continuous intraoperative external monitoring of perfusate leak using iodine-131 human serum albumin during isolated perfusion of the liver and limbs.

Regional isolated perfusion using tumor necrosis factor (TNF) shows significant promise for treatment of cancer which is limited to limbs or organs. The high toxicity of TNF requires very sensitive real time monitoring of leakage in order to avoid serious patient complications. Human serum albumin labeled with iodine-131 is used with an externally mounted and collimated NaI(TI) detector to track the leakage of blood from the isolated perfusion blood circuit into the general systemic vascular space. Blood activity levels measured using the monitor demonstrated a very good correlation with blood serum samples taken concurrently with external monitoring. External monitoring can reduce the risks of perfusion leakage intraoperatively with the precision necessary to safely perform isolated perfusion using TNF.
Chronic Lyme disease: a survey of Connecticut primary care physicians.

Objective To determine how frequently Connecticut primary care physicians are diagnosing and treating patients with chronic Lyme disease. Study design A survey was mailed to a random 33% sample of primary care physicians in Connecticut, which asked how many cases of Lyme disease and chronic Lyme disease they diagnosed and treated in the last 3 years. Results The survey had a response rate of 39.1%. Physician respondents (n = 285) fit in one of 3 groups. Group 1 included 6 of 285 (2.1%) physicians who diagnose and treat patients with chronic Lyme disease. Group 2 included 137 of 285 (48.1%) physicians who are undecided on the existence of chronic Lyme disease, but did not diagnose or treat any patients with chronic Lyme disease. Group 3 included 142 of 285 (49.8%) physicians who do not believe in the existence of chronic Lyme disease. Conclusion A small percentage (2.1%) of primary care physicians diagnose and treat patients for presumed chronic Lyme disease.
Normal-incidence guided-mode resonant grating filters: design and experimental demonstration.

Guided-mode resonant grating filters have numerous applications. However, in weakly modulated gratings designed for use at normal incidence, the filtering resonance of these subwavelength-period devices splits for angles of incidence that are even slightly off normal incidence. Strongly modulated gratings are designed that essentially overcome this practical problem near normal incidence. In addition, these gratings can have, by design, either broad or narrow spectral characteristics. An experimental demonstration (1.5-2.0-mu m wavelength range) of such a normal-incidence guided-mode resonant silicon grating upon a sapphire substrate is presented. The measured reflection resonance had a FWHM of 67-100 nm for angles of incidence of 0-8 degrees and peak efficiency of ~80% .
Intercalation Chemistry: A New Approach to the Synthesis of Low-Dimensional Conducting Materials

Intercalation of tetrathiafulvalene (TTF), tetrathiatetracene (TTT), and related planar organo-sulfur electron donors into FeOCl results in a new series of low-dimensional materials with increased ...
Structural changes of wurtzite-type and zincblende-type boron nitrides by shock treatments

Wurtzite-type boron nitride (w-BN) and zincblende-type boron nitride (z-BN) powders were shock-treated in the pressure range of 60 to 200 GPa to clarify their polymorphic transformations. The recovered BN powders revealed the effects of the shock wave and residual temperature on phase transition of BN. W-BN was partly transformed to z-BN by shock compression at a pressure of about 100 GPa. At pressures greater than 100 GPa, portions of the w-BN and z-BN powders changed into the BN having a turbostratic structure. Subsequently, this form was crystallized to graphite-like BN (g-BN) and a new form of BN due to high residual temperatures. This new BN modification, probably stabilized by the high surface energy associated with its fine crystallite size of less than 50 nm, was identified as fcc structure with a lattice parameter ofa0 = 0.8405 nm. The transformation of z-BN to w-BN was not detected in this post-shock study, as was observed in static high pressure studies.
Work in progress — Rochester Institute of Technology, One Laptop Per Child and Open Source; a unique approach to service education

In January 2009, the Rochester Institute of Technology's (RIT) Lab for Technological Literacy (LTL) and Department of Interactive Games and Media (IGM) offered a seminar around the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) and Sugar educational platforms. The goals of the seminar were to create games and teaching materials to support 4th grade math curricula while teaching the use of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) development tools and processes. Over the three sessions that the seminar was offered, the beginnings of a complete educational ecology began to emerge. Students who had completed the course came back on their own-time to mentor new students and encourage them to continue work on the projects that had emerged in a previous course session. This paper will examine the course content, the factors that came together to form this emerging ecology and the next steps needed to formalize it within the institution.
A radiographic method for rapid detection ofHylemya brassicae puparial parasitism

The efficiency of detecting parasitism in puparia ofHylemya brassicae (Bouche) with X-radiography was established as 92% as compared with results of actual rearing. The technique is more efficient with host puparia collected in the spring than in the previous fall, because both host and parasite are in more advanced developmental stages. the procedure did not affect host adult emergence, host oviposition, host egg hatching, or parasite emergence.
Postoperative management: The role of mixed venous oxygen saturation monitoring

The results of the Norwood operation have improved considerably over the last decade, due in part to improvement in postoperative care. Mixed venous oxygen saturation (Mvo2) monitoring has been an important addition to postoperative management. Our use of Mvo2 monitoring in Norwood patients has included 96 infants operated from 1996 to the present. This strategy has proven to be technically straightforward and adds information not provided by monitoring systemic saturation alone. Mvo2 has a nadir at 6–12 hours after surgery and below a value of 30% is associated with anaerobic metabolism. It identifies patients at risk for early mortality. It also allows evaluation of management of treatment strategies that evolve over time and of specific interventions in individual patients. Optimizing Mvo2 constitutes an important goal of postoperative management after the Norwood procedure.
Iron transport in NRK cells synchronized in G1 by picolinic acid

Abstract NRK cells treated with picolinic acid are arrested in G1(G0). After removal of the agent a wave of transferrin-dependent iron uptake was observed only in early G1. Therefore, iron transport is a primary event in the reinitiation of cell growth and may be connected with subsequent metabolic steps leading to initiation of DNA synthesis.
Interventions to improve secondary prevention after stroke are needed: Adherence to prescribed preventative drugs after stroke declines rapidly during the first 2 years after hospital discharge

Commentary on: EL Glader, M Sjolander, M Eriksson, et al.. Persistent use of secondary preventive drugs declines rapidly during the first 2 years after stroke. Stroke2010;41:397–401.
Prejunctional facilitatory α1-adrenoceptors in the rat urinary bladder

1. The effect of activation of alpha 1-adrenoceptors on acetylcholine (ACh) release and neurally evoked contractile responses induced by electrical field stimulation was investigated in smooth muscle strips from the rat urinary bladder. 2. Neurogenic contractions were facilitated by the alpha 1-adrenoceptor agonists, phenylephrine (PE) (2-128 microM) and methoxamine (2-128 microM) in a dose-dependent manner. These agents also increased small amplitude spontaneous contractions of bladder strips and in 10% of strips increased basal tone. However, contractions elicited by exogenous ACh (1-10 microM) were not affected by alpha 1-agonists. 3. The magnitude of the PE facilitation was higher at lower frequencies (1-5 Hz) or at submaximal intensities of stimulation and at lower Ca2+ concentrations (0.5-1 mM). The selective alpha 1-adrenoceptor antagonist, terazosin (TRZ) (0.05-1 microM), competitively inhibited (pA2 value: 8.6) the PE facilitation of the neurally evoked contractions but not the PE induced increase of spontaneous contractions. 4. [3H]-noradrenaline (NA) and [14C]-ACh release evoked by electrical field stimulation were increased (140% and 173%, respectively) by 2 microM PE. TRZ (0.05-0.1 microM) blocked the PE facilitation of ACh release but not the facilitation of NA release. TRZ alone did not alter the release of ACh or NA nor the amplitude of the neurogenic contractions. 5. PE (2 microM) did not alter the basal release of ACh but did increase (by 180%) the basal release of NA. Desipramine (2 microM) blocked this effect of PE and also the PE-facilitation of evoked ACh and NA release. 6. It is concluded that cholinergic terminals in the rat urinary bladder exhibit alpha 1-adrenoceptors which can facilitate the release of transmitter. However, under the conditions of our experiments it appears that cholinergic transmission is not modulated by alpha 1 adrenergic mechanisms. Further studies are necessary to determine whether these receptors can be activated by endogenous noradrenaline released within the bladder.
McrEngine: a scalable checkpointing system using data-aware aggregation and compression

High performance computing (HPC) systems use checkpoint-restart to tolerate failures. Typically, applications store their states in checkpoints on a parallel file system (PFS). As applications scale up, checkpoint-restart incurs high overheads due to contention for PFS resources. The high overheads force large-scale applications to reduce checkpoint frequency, which means more compute time is lost in the event of failure. We alleviate this problem through a scalable checkpointrestart system, MCRENGINE. MCRENGINE aggregates checkpoints from multiple application processes with knowledge of the data semantics available through widely-used I/O libraries, e.g., HDF5 and netCDF, and compresses them. Our novel scheme improves compressibility of checkpoints up to 115% over simple concatenation and compression. Our evaluation with large-scale application checkpoints show that MCRENGINE reduces checkpointing overhead by up to 87% and restart overhead by up to 62% over a baseline with no aggregation or compression.
Sol-gel coating of composite mirrors to provide a surface for optical figuring

We have achieved reliable, repeatable coatings of solgel- deposited glass on Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic sandwich panel mirrors of sizes 10 to 90 cm. Very lightweight CFRP panels up to 2 meter size have been produced with high thermal and temporal stability, but replicated surface accuracy limited to millimeter applications. The solgel coatings of 20 to 200 micrometers thickness provide a surface which can be optically ground, polished, and figured to provide IR and optical quality mirrors. We have demonstrate this with both flat and concave spherical mirrors.
Autonomous Clocks in Sequential Machines

A necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of an autonomous clock in a sequential machine M is found to be the existence of a nontrivial input-independent partition on the set of internal states of M, no matter whether M is completely specified or incompletely specified. Two different techniques are given for generating the smallest input-independent partition ?I, from which all other input-independent partitions can be obtained. One is suitable for a sequential machine whose state behavior is specified in the form of a flow table, while the other is convenient for a sequential machine whose state behavior is specified in the form of a connection matrix. Both techniques are efficient, and give all possible assignments to the redundant conditions of an incompletely specified sequential machine to reach the same nontrival input-independent partition, and hence the same autonomous clock.
Evaluation of site characterization methods for sinkholes in Pennsylvania and New Jersey

This study addresses the question of what is the state-of-the-practice of site characterization methods for locating sinkholes or potential sinkholes in the Great Valley Section of eastern Pennsylvania and northern New Jersey. This geographic area has recently experienced the failures of a large office building and a number of residential structures. Sixty engineering firms practicing in this area were asked to respond to a survey concerning the methods currently being employed for locating sinkholes. Twelve firms responded. This paper provides a summary of the 12 methods used to detect voids, the percentage of firms using the different methods and a description of the reliability of each methods. Recommendations concerning site characterization methods for the Great Valley area are also given.
Factors affecting the proportion of nucleoprotein components of tobacco streak virus.

Two strains of tobacco streak virus were each purified from tissue of 16 hosts, and the proportion of nucleoprotein components was determined by centrifugation in sucrose density gradients. The proportion was typical of the strain except that strain WC produced significantly less of the T component in Nicotiana affinis and N. glutinosa. Infected Datura stramonium contained more virus of each strain than did other hosts; yields were also high from Vigna cylindrica. The T component was produced in as high a proportion by plants inoculated with only components a and b as by plants inoculated with components a, b, and T. The proportion of the T component in virus purified from plants at different times after inoculation consistently decreased between 24 and 60 hr after inoculation.