cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Threshold velocity of non-Newtonian fluids to initiate solids bed erosion in horizontal conduits

Abstract Predicting the minimum velocity of non-Newtonian fluids required to erode a solids bed is an important task for guaranteeing efficient solids transport process. This paper describes a combined theoretical and experimental investigation of the threshold condition of non-Newtonian fluids, including water, water-based mud (WBM) and oil-based mud (OBM), to initiate erosion of a solids bed. Drilling fluids with different base fluids have different threshold velocities, depending on the adhesion effect generated by the presence of stagnant fluids in a solids bed. Therefore, a new semi-mechanistic model of erosion criterion is proposed. In the model, a resistive force is introduced to handle the adhesion effect produced from different fluids, and it is quantified through an empirical correlation developed from the results of drain tests. A torque balance for driving and opposing forces is then constructed and solve numerically at the contact point of a superimposed particle for the determination of the threshold velocity. Model's predictions agree with experimental data obtained from bed erosion experiments with the use of WBM and OBM having similar rheological properties.
Revisiting conventional wisdom: What do we know from 30 years of research on sibling placement in foster care?

Abstract Background Efforts to place sibling groups together in foster care have long been considered best practice and are required under federal law. Practice and policy guidance are based in part on the belief that sibling placement is in the best interests of children. In this article, we first review literature reviews on this topic to assess the extent to which prior efforts to characterize this body of research are thorough, objective, and based on research specific to the foster care population. We then assess the quality and volume of empirical evidence on the effects of sibling placement for the stability, permanency, and wellbeing of children in foster care to ascertain whether existing reviews accurately reflect the empirical evidence or extend beyond it without adequate empirical support. Methods We conducted a scoping search of reviews of published research from the year 1990 to 2019 using Google Scholar, PsycInfo, EBSCO, and PubMed (Medline). From the search results, we extracted all review articles, quantitative studies, and qualitative studies on sibling placement in foster care. We identified 16 literature reviews on sibling placement in foster care. In addition, we identified 27 longitudinal quantitative studies measuring the association between sibling placement and child placement stability, permanency or wellbeing in foster care, and nine qualitative studies on the role of sibling placement or relationships for child wellbeing in foster care. Results Many of the literature reviews relied on research evidence from non-foster care samples and studies with weak methodologies. Moreover, although the research evidence is inconclusive – with studies reporting positive, negative, and null effects –most literature reviews concluded that the practice of sibling placement was supported by research evidence. Conclusion Although there are moral reasons to support sibling placement, the research evidence does not consistently support the practice of placing siblings together. Further research is needed to identify when sibling placement poses a risk to children and when sibling placement is likely to facilitate positive outcomes.
Finite-size scaling analysis of eigenstate thermalization

We study the fluctuations of eigenstate expectation values in a microcanonical ensemble. Assuming the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis, an analytical formula for the finite-size scaling of the fluctuations is derived. The same problem was studied by Beugeling et al. [Phys. Rev. E 89, 042112 (2014)]. We compare our results with theirs.
Teaching in the Service of Community

This chapter explores the continuing story of one community lawyering clinic situated in West Philadelphia in the United States. It also represents the second installment in these co-authors’ ongoing discussions and reflections about the design and development of the Clinic, and a follow up to an article we published together in 2015 when the Clinic was still very much in its infancy. This chapter focuses mainly on the interplay between two core objectives of the Clinic, teaching law students and promoting community accountability, which sometimes are complementary and other times seem like competing goals. Specifically, we discuss the complexity of working in a clinic that is both deeply committed to being responsive to a particular community‘s expressed interests and to fostering the agency and self-direction that will help our students thrive as legal professionals. The Clinic, which is now known as the Andy and Gwen Stern Community Lawyering Clinic (“Stern CLC” or “Clinic”) is part of a broader initiative for civic engagement led by the President of Drexel University, John Fry. At the same time as fulfilling the University’s mission of civic engagement, the Clinic provides in-depth practical training to law students who enroll in a yearlong course for six credits per semester. The Stern CLC thus has two main goals: 1) providing law students with a broad transferable skill set that equips them to be effective lawyers and change-makers after law school; and 2) offering legal support that builds community capacity and agency in the Promise Zone. In the chapter we seek to explore both the opportunities and the tensions inherent in teaching in a community-driven clinic, while also sharing the practices and policies that the Stern CLC has implemented to ensure a meaningful experience for students and long-lasting and deep partnerships with our community partners. Part I revisits its two guiding pillars as we defined them in 2015: (1) Beloved Community and (2) Deliberative Democracy. These theories have continued to inform how we partner with community residents and organizations and provide the foundation for mutually beneficial and trusting partnerships between the Clinic and our community clients. Part II builds on this theoretical foundation to explore the pedagogical goals we have developed while teaching in a clinic embedded in and accountable to a specific geographic community, and also discusses and some of the unique teaching and learning opportunities provided by this context. Part III explores some of the tensions that have emerged between our pedagogical objectives and our commitment to lawyering in the service of community. And, finally, in Part IV we explain how we are harnessing these tensions to help us re-envision, and ultimately, reinforce our broader teaching goals.
Comprehensive Assessment of the Relationship Between Oral Cavity Dosimetry and Patient Reported Xerostomia and Dysgeusia.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S) Xerostomia and dysgeusia are two common and severe complications for patients undergoing head and neck chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Literature suggests a relationship between mean oral cavity (OC) doses and worsening xerostomia and dysgeusia. However, limited data exists identifying which substructures of the oral cavity are most related to patient reported outcomes (PROs) or how oral cavity dosimetry should be prioritized in relationship to other salivary glands during planning. We hypothesized that only certain substructures of the OC will be related to patient reported xerostomia and dysgeusia and that OC dose will be less impactful than contralateral major salivary gland dose for patient reported xerostomia and dysgeusia. MATERIALS/METHODS 184 and 177 prospectively enrolled patients for de-escalated CRT for HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer submitted PROs at 6 and 12 months, respectively using PRO-CTCAE questionnaire. Patient's OC consisting of the following substructures were segmented: oral tongue, base of tongue, floor of mouth, hard and soft palate, cheek mucosa, and upper and lower lip mucosa. Ordinal logistic regression (no/mild vs. moderate vs. severe/very severe symptoms) was used to compare OAR dosimetry to patient reported xerostomia and dysgeusia at 6 and 12 months. Multivariate ordinal logistic regression models were determined using forward/backward AIC minimization to minimize the number of predictive variables. RESULTS Mean dose to the contralateral parotid (P = 0.04), OC (P = 0.04), and baseline patient reported xerostomia (P = 0.009) were significantly associated with xerostomia severity at 6 months. Only baseline xerostomia (P = 0.02) and mean dose to the contralateral submandibular gland (P = 0.0001) were significantly associated with xerostomia severity at 12 months. The only significant factor related to dysgeusia at either time point was mean dose to the OC at 12 months (P = 0.009). Upon examining substructures, the mean dose to the floor of mouth was implicated for the dose relationship to 6-month xerostomia (P = 0.04) and the oral tongue was found to be implicated for the relationship for 12-month dysgeusia (P = 0.04). CONCLUSION The mean dose to the OC was found to relate to xerostomia symptoms at 6 months post-CRT and dysgeusia symptoms at 12 months post-CRT. The mean dose to the floor of mouth and oral tongue appeared to drive this relationship for xerostomia and dysgeusia symptoms, respectively. This work suggests the floor of mouth and oral tongue should be prioritized during planning over the rest of the OC. The impact of OC dose relative to other salivary structures for xerostomia appeared to depend on time post-CRT (comparable to contralateral parotid at 6 months and not significant at 12 months).
Cordycepin induces M1/M2 macrophage polarization to attenuate the liver and lung damage and immunodeficiency in immature mice with sepsis via NF-κB/p65 inhibition.

Objectives To explore the impacts of cordycepin and underlying mechanism on the sepsis. Methods The sepsis mice model was built and treated with different concentrations of cordycepin. Then the liver and lung injury caused by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) was assessed using H&E staining and TUNEL assay. The expression of relevant genes was detected using qRT-PCR analysis and ELISA assays. Besides, the macrophage polarization was checked by flow cytometry. Key findings Cordycepin could significantly improve the liver and lung injury. Moreover, cordycepin increased the distribution of F4/80+ CD206+ M2-like macrophages and F4/80+ iNOS+ M1-like macrophages through down-regulating the expression of relevant genes. More importantly, cordycepin could monitor the protein expression of iNOS, Arg-1, TNF-α, MCP-1, IL-4 and IL-10 in CLP mice. Meanwhile, the elevated level of p65 induced by CLP was also repressed by the increase of the cordycepin. Moreover, cordycepin played a crucial part in CLP mice through modulating the NF-κB/p65 signalling pathway. Conclusions Cordycepin played an important role in mice with sepsis via reducing the M1/M2 macrophage polarization and modulating the NF-κB/p65 signalling pathway.
Summary of Technical Resource Document on Solidification/Stabilization and Its Application to Waste Materials

The Technical Resource Document on Solidification/Stabilization and Its Application to Waste Materials (TRD) is a technical resource for the S/S user community and a guide to promote the best future applications of S/S processes. A potential hurdle for any S/S project is the fact that although the standard bulk materials handling and mixing equipment processes used in S/S processes make the technology appear simple, there are significant technical challenges to the successful application of S/S processes. In order to help users meet such challenges, the TRD describes technology screening procedures and summarizes the status of S/S processes to assist users and reviewers in their selection, planning, and application of S/S technology.
Japan's Economic Dilemma: The Roads to the Bubble

In 1950–1970, sustained by the Bretton Woods system and the GATT system, the Japanese economic system was reconfigured to strengthen coordination between the state and the private sector, between banks and manufacturers, between trading partners, and between management and labor unions. The insurance mechanisms devised for supporting coordination, however, induced moral hazard – that is, Japanese corporations overborrowed and Japanese banks overlent. Although strong coordination weakened both shareholder control of management and bank monitoring of corporate borrowers, two mechanisms served to control and monitor Japan's payment problems: periodic tightening of the money supply by the Bank of Japan, and tight government regulation of the finance industry. Under these contingent conditions, excessive competition triggered rapid economic growth, which in turn helped absorb overbuilt production capacity. Then in the early 1970s, the contingent conditions that had enabled the economy to tolerate excessive competition began to disappear. After the collapse of the Bretton Woods system, the risks of foreign exchange were privatized. The long-term movement of capitalist economies began to shift gears from the expansion of trade and production of 1950–1973 to a new stage in the expansion of finance and monetary activity. The need to hedge against the risks and the desire to pursue higher profits, both resulting from the fluctuation of exchange rates, led to the liberalization of finance.
An observational pre–post study of re-structuring Medicine inpatient teaching service: Improved continuity of care within constraint of 2011 duty hours

Abstract Background Implementation of more stringent regulations on duty hours and supervision by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education in July 2011 makes it challenging to design inpatient Medicine teaching service that complies with the duty hour restrictions while optimizing continuity of patient care. Objective To prospectively compare two inpatient Medicine teaching service structures with respect to residents’ impression of continuity of patient care (primary outcome), time available for teaching, resident satisfaction and length-of-stay (secondary endpoints). Design Observational pre–post study. Methods Surveys were conducted both before and after Conventional Medicine teaching service was changed to a novel model (MegaTeam). Settings Academic General Medicine inpatient teaching service. Results Surveys before and after MegaTeam implementation were completed by 68.5% and 72.2% of internal medicine residents, respectively. Comparing conventional with MegaTeam, the % of residents who agreed or strongly agreed that the (i) ability to care for majority of patients from admission to discharge increased from 29.7% to 86.6% (p Conclusions According to our residents, the MegaTeam structure promotes continuity of patient care, decreases number of handoffs, provides adequate supervision and teaching of interns and medical students, increases resident overall satisfaction and decreases length-of-stay.
La politique alimentaire et la consommation dans l’Argentine péroniste

Des les debuts du gouvernement de Juan Domingo Peron, les pratiques alimentaires constituent non seulement une dimension essentielle de la politique de l’Etat, mais aussi un element central de la propagande gouvernementale. Cet article s’oppose a la separation analytique de l’etude des politiques de celles des imaginaires afin d’ouvrir de nouvelles pistes de reflexion sur le peronisme. Dans un premier temps, nous mettons l’accent sur le role central joue par les dimensions economiques, politiques et iconographiques de l’alimentation dans les politiques publiques, dans la culture commerciale, la sante publique, ainsi que dans les definitions du bien-etre, qu’il soit social, national ou physique. Dans un deuxieme temps, en replacant l’etude de l’alimentation dans une nouvelle perspective, nous reinterpretons les elements cles de l’ideologie « peroniste » que sont le nationalisme et le programme social argentin mis en place a cette periode. Au-dela de son role comme symbole du bien-etre des classes populaires, l’augmentation de la consommation de bœuf par tete a ebranle l’image de l’Argentine comme economie exportatrice asservit au capitalisme international. En privilegiant la consommation interieure au detriment des marches exterieurs, la politique peroniste concernant la filiere bovine a cree une puissante ideologie cherchant a atteindre la souverainete economique. Cette ideologie a permis a l’Etat de renforcer son engagement dans la distribution de la richesse nationale au profit de la population locale. Le gouvernement a deploye une serie de mesures entre 1946 et 1949 afin d’augmenter la consommation de bœuf parmi la classe ouvriere pour laquelle cette denree etait consideree comme un luxe. Notre analyse demontre enfin que le Peronisme n’a cesse de s’approprier et d’instrumentaliser les principales controverses en Argentine pour redefinir la culture populaire, les discours d’inspiration de gauche et le discours medical, concernant notamment la consommation de bœuf et le nationalisme, le luxe, le droit et la sante, ainsi que l’intervention de l’Etat dans le domaine nutritionnel, l’education alimentaire du peuple et le lien entre le nationalisme, la tradition et la culture culinaire.
A Theory of Qualitative Methodology: The Social System of Analytic Fieldwork

Qualitative social research, whether conducted as ethnography, participant observation, or in situ interviewing, fares poorly when examined by the criteria of representativeness, reactivity, reliab...
Human Nervous System

The sections in this article are: 1 Heterogeneity of Aging of the Nervous System: Genius and Dementia in the Ninth Decade 2 Changes in the Nervous System Associated with Normal Aging 2.1 An Important Caveat: Are Changes due to Differences between Generations or to Aging? 2.2 Evidence That Semantic Knowledge Is Retained Late into the Life Span 2.3 Evidence That We Become Slower as We Age 2.4 Loss of Episodic and Working Memory Is a Common but Not Inevitable Accompaniment of Aging 2.5 How Much Does Perception Change with Age? 2.6 Cerebral Blood Flow and Cerebral Metabolism in Aging 2.7 Gait and Motor Changes in the Elderly 2.8 Biological Bases of Changes in Cognition and Gait during Normal Aging 2.9 Role of Extrapyramidal Changes 3 Alzheimer's Disease 3.1 Dementing Illnesses 3.2 Neuropathology of Alzheimer's Disease 3.3 Molecular Changes in Alzheimer's Disease 3.4 Molecular Genetics of Alzheimer's Disease 3.5 Epidemiological Findings Strengthen the Concept of Alzheimer's Disease as a Chronic Disease 4 What can be Done to Accelerate Research into Normal Aging? 4.1 Overlap of Alzheimer's Disease and Normal Aging Research 4.2 Need for a New Infrastructure for Normal Aging Research
Dissecting aneurysm of the aorta

Abstract A case is reported of a negro male, 58 years of age, with prolonged hypertension and dissecting aneurysm which occurred without any known history of severe chest pain. No evidence of syphilis was found at autopsy, and the Hinton reaction was negative. The original dissection had resulted in a rupture back into the lumen of the aorta, so that a double-barreled aorta was formed. This second aorta must have been present for a long time because there were atheromatous changes in the re-epithelialized surface. Death was due to a rupture and dissection into the adventitial space of the second aorta which, in turn, ruptured into the mediastinal space and pleural cavity.
Clomiphene Citrate Therapy in a Patient With Laennec's Cirrhosis

Clomiphene citrate therapy was initiated in a male with Laennec's cirrhosis complicated by gynecomastia, testicular atrophy, impotence, and loss of libido. The patient had abstained from alcohol and had stable hepatic function tests for 1 year before starting therapy. Luteinizing hormone and endogenous testosterone levels were maximally elevated with low dose therapy (50 mg per day). Follicle-stimulating hormone was maximally elevated with a dose of 100 mg per day and the elevation of total estrogen levels was not affected by increasing the dose. During treatment increase in testicular size was noted with resolution of impotence and improvement of libido which continued for 6 months after cessation of therapy. Gynecomastia remained unchanged despite the increased serum testosterone. Serum prolactin was normal before and after the clomiphene citrate. Semen initially unobtainable was analyzed after completion of therapy. The patient relapsed 8 months after the course of clomiphene citrate therapy.
Differential expression of ARPP-16 and ARPP-19, two highly related cAMP- regulated phosphoproteins, one of which is specifically associated with dopamine-innervated brain regions

ARPP-16 and ARPP-19 are 2 cAMP-regulated phosphoproteins of Mr = 16,000 and 19,000, respectively, which are identical except for the presence of 15 additional amino acids on the NH2-terminus of ARPP-19. The phosphorylation of these 2 proteins is regulated by cAMP and vasoactive intestinal peptide in reaggregate striatal cultures (Girault et al., 1988). Using immunoblots and immunocytochemistry, we have compared the regional, subcellular, phylogenetic, and ontogenetic distributions of these 2 proteins. ARPP-19 was found in all vertebrate species studied and, at various levels, in all tissues of adult rat. ARPP-19 was also present at high levels in malignant cell lines. During development ARPP- 19 concentrations were highest in the embryo and decreased during the pre- and postnatal periods. In contrast, ARPP-16 was detected only in some specific neurons of the dopamine-innervated regions of the basal ganglia and the cerebral cortex, which are known to possess D1 dopamine receptors, in particular the striatonigral neurons. ARPP-16 is phylogenetically recent, being found only in birds and mammals, and appears late in ontogenesis, increasing during the postnatal period. These 2 proteins provide a unique model for studying the specificity of signal transduction and gene expression in dopaminoceptive neurons.
Transcriptional Control of the Cardiac Conduction System

Abstract Cardiovascular disease, often claiming lives through arrhythmias, is a major cause of mortality in western societies. The cardiac conduction system (CCS) is responsible for the initiation, coordination, and synchronization of the heartbeat. CCS dysfunction, which can result from improper embryonic heart development, directly leads to arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Research from the past century has culminated in our current extensive yet incomplete understanding of CCS morphology, function, molecular signature, and regulatory cues governing its formation. In combination with a growing number of molecular markers and sensitive functional assays, mouse models of CCS development, continue to be instrumental in the unraveling of this dynamic process while highlighting the importance of transcriptional control.
The Social (and Economic) Implications of Being an Educated Woman in Iran.

In this essay, Mitra Shavarini captures the lasting impact of violent political conflict on educational access in postrevolutionary Iran. While the Iranian Revolution took place nearly thirty years ago, its impact continues to reverberate throughout Iranian society, particularly as it relates to the lives of women. Captured here is a powerful conversation that helps us conceptualize the subtle nature of what that struggle is about for young women in Iran. Discussing the social meaning and gendered complexity of higher education in Iran, Shavarini raises important questions about women gaining ground for their rights in this context.
Jejunal Perfusion of Simple and Conjugated Folates in Man

The technique of human jejunal perfusion was used to study the process of digestion and absorption of conjugated folates in five healthy volunteers. The test solution of isotonic saline contained equimolar concentrations of purified [3H]pteroylmonoglutamate ([3H]PG-1) and of [14C]pteroylheptaglutamate ([14C]PG-7) which was labeled on the first glutamyl unit. Calculations were made of the luminal disappearance of each labeled folate, and degradation products of [14C]PG-7 were identified in luminal contents obtained 15 and 30 cm from the infusion site. The percentage of disappearance of [3H]PG-1 was 74.7% and of [14C]PG-7 was 52.6% (P
INTERSPECIFIC TRANSMISSION OF BRUCELLA ABORTUS FROM EXPERIMENTALLY INFECTED COYOTES (CANIS LATRANS) TO PARTURIENT CATTLE

In four separate trials, 10 coyotes (Canis latrans) which had been individually fed mascerated bovine placental tissue experimentally inoculated with Brucella abortus strain 2308 were placed in a 1 ha isolation area with six parturient, non-B. abortus vaccinated, Brucella spp. seronegative Hereford heifers. During the second trial, three of the heifers became Brucella spp. seroreactive (as determined by the card, standard agglutination tube, rivanol, complement fixation, and enzyme labeled immunosorbent assay tests) 14 days after exposure to the B. abortus infected coyotes. Five of 10 coyotes in the second trial seroconverted to Brucella spp. positive by day 14 postexposure (PE) and by day 27 PE seven of the 10 coyotes were Brucella spp. reactive. The three Brucella spp. seroreactive heifers subsequently aborted on days 35, 64 and 66 PE and B. abortus strain 2308 was isolated from vaginal swabs, milk, and placental and fetal tissues. There was no serologic or bacteriologic evidence of transmission from B....
Mass Spectrometry and Glycomics

Abstract Glycosylation defines the adhesive properties of animal cell surfaces and the surrounding extracellular environments. Because cells respond to stimuli by altering glycan expression, glycan structures vary according to spatial location in tissue and temporal factors. These dynamic structural expression patterns, combined with the essential roles glycans play in physiology, drive the need for analytical methods for glycoconjugates. In addition, recombinant glycoprotein drug products represent a multibillion dollar market. Effective analytical methods are needed to speed the identification of new targets and the development of industrial glycoprotein products, both new and biosimilar. Mass spectrometry is an enabling technology in glycomics. This review summarizes mass spectrometry of glycoconjugate glycans. The intent is to summarize appropriate methods for glycans given their chemical properties as distinct from those of proteins, lipids, and small molecule metabolites. Special attention is given ...
Alcohol consumption and the workplace: Prospects for change?

The staff from the head office of a major multinational company sited in London, were surveyed about their levels of alcohol consumption and attitudes towards its use. The findings indicated a sizeable minority (28%) believed it would be difficult for them to give up drinking alcohol should this be required for health reasons. Similar proportions were also found to be drinking above the recommended levels set by the Medical Royal Colleges (29.5% men, 22.7% women). Respondent's attitudes toward alcohol use in general were prodominantly negative but tended to be positive with respect to their own use. Many of the respondents found acceptable, levels of lunchtime drinking which would undoubtedly impair work performance in the afternoon.
Noninformative Priors and Bayesian Testing for the AR(1) Model

Various approaches to the development of a noninformative prior for the AR(1) model are considered and compared. Particular attention is given to the reference prior approach, which seems to work well for the stationary case but encounters difficulties in the explosive case. A symmetrized (proper) version of the stationary reference prior is ultimately recommended for the problem. Bayesian testing of the unit root, stationary, and explosive hypotheses is considered also. Bounds on the Bayes factors are developed and shown to yield answers that appear to conflict with classical tests.
PUBLIC SATISFACTION WITH THE POLICE IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASES: The Importance of Arrest, Expectations, and Involuntary Contact

This study examines the importance of victims’ expectations of the police, the decision to arrest, and voluntary contact on satisfaction ratings of the police in domestic violence cases. Based on results from past research and modern police policy, several hypotheses are tested including: fulfilled expectations, offender arrests, and voluntary contacts resulting in positive satisfaction ratings of the police. To investigate these predictions further, the present study utilizes data from a national study on violence against women in the United States. Logistic regression analyses indicate that fulfilled expectations and the arrest decision are important to positive satisfaction ratings. Findings also indicate that involuntary, not voluntary, contact with the police leads to higher satisfaction ratings.
Lattice theory of ultrafast excitonic and charge-transfer dynamics in DNA

We propose a lattice fermion model suitable for studying the ultrafast photoexcitation dynamics of ordered chains of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) polymers. The model includes both parallel (intrachain) and perpendicular (cross-chain) terms as well as diagonal cross-chain terms coupling neighboring bases. The general form of our Hamiltonian is borrowed from lattice fermion models of quantum chromodynamics. The band structure for this model can be determined analytically, and we use this as a basis for computing the singly excited states of the poly(dA)poly(dT) DNA duplex using configuration interaction singles. Parameters for the model are taken from various literature sources and our own ab initio calculations. Results indicate that the excited states consist of a low energy band of dark charge-separated states followed by separate bands of delocalized excitonic states which have weak mixing between the thymidine and adenosine sides of the DNA chain. We then propose a lattice exciton model based upon the transition dipole-dipole couplings between bases and compare the analytical results for the survival probability of an initially localized exciton to exact numerical results. The results herein underscore the competing role of excitonic and charge-transfer dynamics in these systems.
Red wine polyphenolics reduce the expression of inflammation markers in human colon-derived CCD-18Co myofibroblast cells: Potential role of microRNA-126

Chronic intestinal inflammation is an established risk factor for colon cancer. Polyphenolic compounds from fruit and vegetables have been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties in several cell lines and tissues. However, their anti-inflammatory mechanisms, involving microRNAs in the regulation of inflammation, have not been extensively investigated. The goal of this research was to assess the chemopreventive potential of polyphenolics extracted from red wine made with Lenoir grapes (Vitis aestivalis hybrid) in human colon-derived CCD-18Co myofibroblasts cells, and to assess the potential involvement of microRNA-126 (miR-126) in the underlying mechanisms. The results show that the polyphenolic red wine extract (WE) decreased mRNA expression of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory mediators NF-kB, ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and PECAM-1 by 1.95-, 1.98-, 1.52-, and 1.84-fold respectively, in a dose dependent manner (0–100 μg of gallic acid equivalent (GAE) mL−1) down to 0.80-, 0.79-, 0.66-, and 0.68-fold in DMSO-treated control cells not challenged with LPS, respectively. Correspondingly, miR-126, which has a target region within the 3′-UTR of VCAM-1 mRNA, was increased 2.79-fold by the WE at 100 μg GAE mL−1. The potential role of miR-126 was confirmed by transfecting cells with a specific miR-126-antagomir, as-miR-126. Transfection with as-miR-126 down-regulated miR-126 to 0.71-fold in the control cells and up-regulated mRNA levels of NF-kB, ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and PECAM-1 to 1.80-, 1.49-, 2.30-, and 1.95-fold of controls, respectively. WE at 100 μg GAE mL−1 partially reversed the effects of the as-miR-126 to 1.02-, 1.01-, 1.04-, and 1.05-fold, for mRNA levels of NF-kB, ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and PECAM-1 respectively. This indicates the potential role of miR-126 in the anti-inflammatory properties of polyphenolics from red wine in CCD-18Co myofibroblasts cells.
Buffered and unbuffered dike emplacement on Earth and Venus - Implications for magma reservoir size, depth, and rate of magma replenishment

Models of the emplacement of lateral dikes from magma chambers under constant (buffered) driving pressure conditions and declining (unbuffered) driving pressure conditions indicate that the two pressure scenarios lead to distinctly different styles of dike emplacement. In the unbuffered case, the lengths and widths of laterally emplaced dikes will be severely limited and the dike lengths will be highly dependent on chamber size; this dependence suggests that average dike length can be used to infer the dimensions of the source magma reservoir. Probable examples on Earth of the unbuffered case are flanking rift zones on shield volcanoes such as the Hawaiian Kilauea East Rift Zone, in which the dikes of average widths of less than a meter extend for several km from the central part of the edifice. In contrast, emplacement of lateral dikes in the constant driving pressure (buffered) case can produce dikes which have sizes and widths which are very large, and are independent of chamber size. For relatively shallow magma chambers, buffered emplacement is expected to produce graben of relatively fixed length which are associated with eruptive fissures and long, large volume lava flows. A decline in magma supply rate and loss of pressure buffering during the later stages of such eruptions may give rise to caldera formation/collapse events. Deeper dikes are not likely to erupt but will produce surface graben of variable length. Therefore, edifices or dike swarms which show an extremely wide variation in fracture or dike lengths are likely to have been formed in buffered conditions. On Earth, the characteristics of many mafic-dike swarms suggest that they were emplaced in buffered conditions (e.g., the Mackenzie dike swarm in Canada and some dikes within the Scottish Tertiary). On Venus, the distinctive radial fractures and graben surrounding circular to oval features and edifices on many size scales and extending for hundreds to over a thousand km are candidates for dike emplacement in buffered conditions.
Small-X: an environment for constructing expert systems on a microcomputer

This paper describes a programming environment designed as a means for implementing prototype expert systems on microcomputers. The system is being implemented with attention to keeping the language simple while at the same time providing a set of programming constructs rich enough for most expert system applications. The Small-X programming environment consists of a language interpreter and an editor that does syntax checking of programs as they are being entered. The Small-X system is being implemented in the C language.
Kinetic mechanism of acetylcholine receptor-controlled ion flux: Flow quench kinetic measurements of acetylcholine-induced flux in membrane vesicles.

Abstract The dependence of acetylcholine receptor-controlled transmembrane ion flux on acetylcholine concentration was measured in the msec time region using membrane vesicles and a quench flow technique. Four measurements were made: (1) transmembrane ion flux, (2) rate of inactivation of the receptor, (3) rate of recovery, and (4) ion flux mediated by “inactivated” receptor. A minimum model which relates the ligand binding and ion translocation processes, which has been previously proposed to account for carbamylcholine-induced ion flux, can also account for acetylcholine-induced flux. The integrated rate equation, based on the model, predicts the time dependence of the ion flux over the 160-fold concentration range of acetylcholine investigated. The receptor-controlled ion flux exhibits simple kinetics, and this has permitted the use of simple analytical expressions for the dependence on acetylcholine concentration of the various constants of the minimum mechanism. The evaluation of the constants, and methods for the separation of vesicles which contain functional receptors from those which do not, have led to the determination of the specific reaction rate, J , of the acetylcholine receptor-controlled translocation of inorganic ions. J = 3 × 10 7 M −1 sec −1 . The value for J allows one to calculate the number of ions translocated per receptor per msec, ∼6 × 10 3 . A value of 1 × 10 7 ions translocated per receptor site per unit time has also been determined by analysis of acetylcholine-induced noise in cells. Therefore it becomes possible to integrate the results obtained in two types of measurement of receptor function: chemical kinetics, which establishes the relationship between the ligand binding and ion translocation processes, and noise analysis, which measures elementary steps in the formation of receptor-formed ion channels.
Avidity and titer of immunoglobulin G subclasses to Porphymmonas gingivalis in adult periodontitis patients

The relative avidity and titer of antibodies representing the 4 immunoglobulin G (IgG) subclasses (IgG1-4) reactive with Porphyromonas gingivalis, P. gingivalis-lipopolysaccharide (-LPS), streptokinase (SK) and tetanus toxoid (TT) in the sera of patients having adult periodontitis and of healthy controls were measured. Patient antibody titers to P. gingivalis and P. gingivalis-LPS were found to be significantly elevated for IgG, IgG1 (no P. gingivalis-LPS antibodies) and IgG2. The predominant antibody response to P. gingivalis and P. gingivalis-LPS occurred in the IgG2 subclass. When the relative avidity of the antibodies to P. gingivalis and P. gingivalis-LPS were examined, no significant differences between control and patient sera could be identified. However, anti-P. gingivalis and P. gingivalis-LPS antibodies were found to possess significantly lower relative avidity than either SK or TT antibodies. The IgG1 subclass antibodies to P. gingivalis, SK and TT all appeared to be of high relative avidity. In contrast, anti-P. gingivalis and P. gingivalis-LPS of the IgG2 subclass were of significantly lower relative avidity. Since the predominant humoral response to P. gingivalis occurs in the IgG2 subclass, the low relative avidity of these antibodies predominates in measurements of whole serum activity.
Rise in chlorotetracycline fluorescence accompanies tracheary element differentiation in suspension cultures of Zinnia

Developing tracheary elements in suspension cultures ofZinnia elegans fluoresce intensely relative to non-differentiating cells when stained with chlorotetracycline (CTC), a fluorescent chelate probe for membrane associated calcium. This suggests that a change in calcium uptake or subcellular distribution accompanies the onset of tracheary element differentiation. A few cells in early differentiating cultures were brightly fluorescent, but did not have visible cell wall thickenings, suggesting that a rise in sequestered calcium may precede visible differentiation. Diffuse CTC fluorescence in early differentiation most likely results from sequestration of calcium in the endoplasmic reticulum. Late in differentiation, CTC fluorescence becomes punctate in appearance, probably due to loss of plasma membrane integrity occurring at the onset of autolysis.Zinnia suspension culture cells were found to be very sensitive to CTC and low concentrations (10 μM) were used to assure accurate localization of membrane-associated calcium in healthy cells.
Approximations used in calculating many-body effects in resonant

The approximations needed to treat the resonant formation of the compound molecule ((dt..mu..)dee)/sup */ as a line-broadening process are examined. The necessary criteria for applying the impact (Lorentzian) approximation are shown to be seriously violated under the usual conditions of muon-catalyzed fusion. Neither the condition for binary collisions nor the requirement that the detuning not be too large holds. A much more appropriate description is the many-body quasistatic approximation, which is valid for large detunings at any density and for practically the whole profile at high densities. The convenient factorization of the three-body rate into a convolution of a two-body rate with a broadening factor is shown to hold within some approximations, but the broadening factor itself depends on the transition being considered.
Mutational analysis of the promoter region of the alpha 27 gene of herpes simplex virus 1 within the context of the viral genome.

Abstract In herpes simplex virus 1-infected cells, the first set of genes to be expressed (alpha genes) is induced by the alpha gene trans-inducing factor (alpha TIF), a virion structural protein. The cis-acting site in the 5' untranscribed domain of alpha genes was previously reported to be the sequence 5'-GYATGNTAATGARATTCYTTGNGGG noncoding (where Y is a pyrimidine, R is a purine, N is any base), which binds a host protein designated alpha H1 (also termed the octamer binding protein, OTF-1, Oct-1, etc.) and which, together with this and possibly other proteins, forms complexes with alpha TIF. To determine the role of the various components of this cis-acting site and of other sequences shared by the alpha genes, we constructed 17 mutants spanning 110 nucleotides of the promoter domain of the alpha 27 gene and made a series of chimeric genes. Each chimeric gene embodying one set of these mutations was inserted into the viral genome and measurements were made of (i) accumulated mRNA under conditions in which only alpha genes were expressed and (ii) the capacity of the mutated sequence to form complexes containing alpha TIF and alpha H1 proteins. We report that (i) transversions in the "TAAT" sequence abolished both complex formation and induction of the chimeric alpha gene, (ii) mutations in the octamer binding site sequence upstream from TAAT or of the downstream GARAT abolished alpha TIF complex formation and also reduced alpha mRNA accumulation, (iii) mutations in a "CAAT" box also reduced expression of mRNA without affecting the formation of DNA-protein complexes containing alpha TIF, and (iv) mutations in sequences immediately downstream from TAATGARAT and in a pair of GA-rich elements reduced alpha mRNA expression whereas mutations between these elements had no effect on the accumulation of the mRNA. The results are consistent with the conclusion that both the alpha H1 octamer binding site ATGNTAAT and the GARAT sequence play a significant role in the induction of alpha genes. For optimal gene expression, however, additional elements downstream from the GARAT sequence and in other regions of the alpha promoter must be present.
Fluctuation and rotation in diffusion‐influenced monomolecular reactions

Models of partially absorbing boundaries for calculating diffusion-influenced chemical reactions are examined analytically. The limitations of diffusion-equation and random-walk models are indicated; the presence of an ambiguous length parameter in a standard radiation-boundary-condition (RBC) model is demonstrated; the RBC model for a boundary with oscillation (at a rate much faster than the rate of thermal collisions) between absorbing and nonabsorbing states is considered; an alternative stochastically switching absorber (SSA) model is introduced and shown to be physically consistent; the equivalence of one-dimensional RBC and SSA models under some conditions is shown; one time passage is calculated for an axially symmetric three-dimensional SSA model with anisotropic absorption; and the analogy between rotation and stochastic switching is explored.
The effects of experimental hyperinsulinemia on steroid secretion, ovarian [125I]insulin binding, and ovarian [125I]insulin-like growth-factor I binding in the rat.

We randomized 32 cycling female Sprague-Dawley rats (82 days old) into experimental and control groups (16 animals/group). Hyperinsulinemia was induced and maintained for 22 days in the experimental group with NPH human insulin (Novolin, Squibb-Novo, Princeton, NJ) as previously described. Controls received an identical volume of vehicle. Fifteen minutes before death, each rat received a sc injection of 100 ng synthetic GnRH (Factrel, Ayerst Laboratories, New York, NY). The mean serum insulin level was significantly higher in the insulin-treated group than in the control group (165 ± 57 vs. 49 ± 9 μU/ml; P < 0.05). The mean final weight also was significantly higher in the insulin-treated group (283 ± 4 vs. 242 ± 7 g; P < 0.001). There were no significant differences in mean final serum levels of testosterone, estradiol, estrone, or androstenedione or in GnRH-stimulated serum levels of LH or FSH. The androstenedione to estrone ratio, however, was significantly lower in the insulin-treated group (2.5 ± 0.3...
Introduction to Part III: The Intersection of Contemporary Latin American Art and Religion

‭This introduction examines the usefulness of Habermas’s “post-secularity” for discussions of religion in contemporary Latin American art, as well as the Nahuatl concept of “nepantla,” or in-betweeness, and Nestor Garcia Canclini’s “multi-temporal heterogeneity.” These terms are examined in relation to the work of artists Delilah Montoya and Francis Alys.‬
Effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid on 33Pi incorporation into rat brain phospholipids in vivo.

Abstract The effects of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), bicuculline and strychnine on the incorporation in vivo of 33 Pi into phospholipids of rat brain were studied at 10 and 30 minutes after intracisternal injection of the radionuclide. GABA inhibited labeling of phospholipids in the three brain regions studied at both times. Bicuculline by itself had no significant effect on 33 Pi incorporation, but totally blocked the inhibitory effect of GABA in all three brain regions. Strychnine by itself inhibited phospholipid labeling in the brain stem and forebrain, had no significant effect on GABA inhibition of 33 Pi incorporation in the cerebellum and forebrain, and partially blocked the GABA effect in the brain stem. GABA inhibited 33 Pi incorporation into phosphatidic acid, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidyl choline and phosphatidyl ethanolamine but had no effect on phosphatidyl serine. The data suggest that the inhibitory effects of GABA on CNS phospholipid labeling are mediated specifically through GABA receptor sites.
A technique for laser-facilitated equine pastern arthrodesis using parallel screws inserted in lag fashion.

Objective— To report a technique for laser-facilitated, minimally invasive proximal interphalangeal joint (PIJ) arthrodesis in horses. Study Design— Case series. Animals— Horses (n=6); 5 thoracic and 2 pelvic limb PIJ. Methods— PIJ osteoarthritis (OA) diagnosis was confirmed by radiography. A diode laser was used to apply 2000 J of energy to the joint followed by insertion of 3 parallel 5.5 mm screws in lag fashion through stab incisions to achieve PIJ arthrodesis. After anesthetic recovery, limbs were maintained in bandages (n=2) or bandage casts (5) for 3 weeks. Horses were allowed exercise or turnout by 3 months. Results— Three horses (4 limbs) were sound throughout follow-up (6–18 months). One horse remained lame the 1st month, another had mild lameness at pasture at 6 weeks, and another had persistent low-grade lameness and delayed joint fusion (1 year). Within 6 months, 5 horses were sound, 4 had radiographic evidence of successful joint fusion, and 5 had returned to intended use. Conclusion— Diode laser-facilitated, 3 parallel screw arthrodesis for PIJ OA costs less and is associated with less pain compared with standard, open PIJ arthrodesis using 3 parallel screws inserted in lag fashion. Clinical Relevance— In horses with advanced PIJ OA, this technique appears to be a viable alternative for PIJ arthrodesis. Further study including characterization of the effects of the laser, ideal case selection indications, and optimal laser dose is indicated before this technique is recommended for routine PIJ arthrodesis.