cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Robust treatment of no-slip boundary condition and velocity updating for the lattice-Boltzmann simulation of particulate flows

Abstract In the past decade, the lattice-Boltzmann method (LBM) has emerged as a very useful tool in studies for the direct-numerical simulation of particulate flows. The accuracy and robustness of the LBM have been demonstrated by many researchers; however, there are several numerical problems that have not been completely resolved. One of these is the treatment of the no-slip boundary condition on the particle–fluid interface and another is the updating scheme for the particle velocity. The most common used treatment for the solid boundaries largely employs the so-called “bounce-back” method (BBM). [Ladd AJC. Numerical simulations of particulate suspensions via a discretized Boltzmann equation Part I. Theoretical foundation. J Fluid Mech (1994);271:285; Ladd AJC. Numerical simulations of particulate suspensions via a discretized Boltzmann equation Part II. Numerical results. J Fluid Mech (1994);271:311.] This often causes distortions and fluctuations of the particle shape from one time step to another. The immersed boundary method (IBM), which assigns and follows a series of points in the solid region, may be used to ensure the uniformity of particle shapes throughout the computations. To ensure that the IBM points move with the solid particles, a force density function is applied to these points. The simplest way to calculate the force density function is to use a direct-forcing scheme. In this paper, we conduct a complete study on issues related to this scheme and examine the following parameters: the generation of the forcing points; the choice of the number of forcing points and sensitivity of this choice to simulation results; and, the advantages and disadvantages associated with the IBM over the BBM. It was also observed that the commonly used velocity updating schemes cause instabilities when the densities of the fluid and the particles are close. In this paper, we present a simple and very effective velocity updating scheme that does not only facilitate the numerical solutions when the particle to fluid density ratios are close to one, but also works well for particle that are lighter than the fluid.
Infrared thermographic techniques for arc-jet testing

Thermography can be used to image materials in the infrared range and to produce two-dimensional maps of surface temperatures of materials in extreme environments and under harsh experimental conditions where directly measuring the surface temperature with probes at all desired locations is either difficult or impossible. Thermography is a process for measuring the surface radiant energy and reducing it to a temperature map of the surface. Until recently quantitative temperature data for arc-jet tests were not easily achievable by thermographic techniques. To obtain quantifiable results, experimenters need reliable effective values for the emittance of the radiating surface, the transmittance of any intervening windows or other media, and the bandpass of any filters. In a new approach, these properties were lumped together and evaluated by integrating the relevant temperature-dependent spectral properties and using the experimental data from a limited set of surface thermocouples. This approach was validated by the good agreement between different surface thermocouples and temperatures derived from thermographic measurements. Thermographic monitoring of a series of arc-jet tests is described. The thermographic data gathered are used to evaluate the heating distribution across the surface of the test model as well as the effect of steps in the model surface on the surface temperature.
Communication Techniques: Relay operated memory-pair

This paper describes a relay-operated one-amplifier memory-pair circuit, which frees a much more expensive track-hold pair of electronically switched integrators in sampled-data system simulation. The circuit is intended for experiments with sampled-data control systems and difference equations on inexpensive educational analog computers. The periodically operated relays can be driven by any laboratory oscillator if no logic circuits are available. Three typical experiments are discribed.
Pharmacokinetic considerations in Roux-en-Y gastric bypass patients.

Purpose Pharmacokinetic considerations in patients who have undergone Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) are explored. Summary The prevalence of obesity, especially morbid obesity, has dramatically increased in recent years. In response, the number of bariatric surgeries performed has risen sharply, as this surgery is the technique demonstrated as being the most effective for sustained treatment of morbid obesity. RYGB, the most popular technique in the United States, combines the principle of restriction (dramatically decreasing stomach size) with malabsorption (bypassing the entire duodenum). It stands to reason that a decrease in gastric and intestinal absorptive surface area may considerably affect oral bioavailability of some drugs. Drugs that require a more acidic environment for absorption, uncoating, or activation and drugs that rely on intestinal transporters located in the duodenum for proper absorption would be most affected. Practitioners looking for guidance in tailoring pharmacotherapy to the RYGB patient will find little help in the primary literature at this time. Until more pharmacokinetic studies are available, practitioners may apply and log P of individual the principles of pKa drugs in the attempt to predict the potential impact of the RYGB on a drug’s absorption. Likewise, if a drug relies on certain transporters located with highest frequency in the duodenum, alternative therapies can be selected that do not rely on such transport mechanisms for absorption. Conclusion The pKa, log P, and intestinal transport mechanisms should be considered when determining which drugs may have altered pharmacokinetics in patients who have undergone RYGB.
Association between Serum Uric Acid Levels and Diabetes Mellitus.

Serum uric acid has been shown to be associated with cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease in previous studies. However, few studies have examined the association between serum uric acid and diabetes mellitus and their findings are not consistent. Therefore, we examined the association between serum uric acid levels and diabetes mellitus in participants from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey ( 𝑛 = 1 8 , 8 2 5 , 52.5% women). Serum uric acid levels were categorized into quartiles. Diabetes mellitus was defined as fasting glucose ≥126 mg/dL, nonfasting glucose ≥200 mg/dL, or use of oral hypoglycemic medication or insulin ( 𝑛 = 3 9 5 ). In multivariable logistic regression models, we found that higher serum uric acid levels were inversely associated with diabetes mellitus after adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, smoking, alcohol intake, body mass index, hypertension, and serum cholesterol. Compared to quartile 1 of serum uric acid, the odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of diabetes mellitus was 0.48 (0.35–0.66; 𝑃 trend 0 . 0 0 0 1 ). The results were consistent in subgroup analysis by gender and hypertension status. Higher serum uric acid levels were inversely associated with diabetes mellitus in a representative sample of US adults.
A Stochastic Model for the Transition to Strong Convection

A simple stochastic model is designed and analyzed in order to further understand the transition to strong convection. The transition has been characterized recently in observational data by an array of statistical measures, including (i) a sharp transition in mean precipitation, and a peak in precipitation variance, at a critical value of column water vapor (CWV), (ii) an approximate power law in the probability density of precipitation event size, (iii) exponential tails in the probability density of CWV values, when conditioned on either precipitating or nonprecipitating locations, and (iv) long and short autocorrelation times of CWV and precipitation, respectively, with approximately exponential and power-law decays in their autocorrelation functions,respectively.Thestochasticmodelpresentedherecapturesthesefourstatisticalfeaturesintimeseries of CWV and precipitation at a single location. In addition, analytic solutions are given for the exponential tails, which directly relates the tails to model parameters. The model parameterization includes three stochastic components: a stochastic trigger turns the convection on and off (a two-state Markov jump process), and stochastic closures represent variability in precipitation and in ‘‘external’’ forcing (Gaussian white noise). This stochastic external forcing is seen to be crucial for obtaining extreme precipitation events with high CWV and longlifetimes,becauseitcanoccasionallycompensatefortheheavyprecipitationandencouragemoreofit.This stochastic model can also be seen as a simplified stochastic convective parameterization, and it demonstrates simple ways to turn a deterministic parameterization—the trigger and/or closure—into a stochastic one.
The genetics of statin-induced myopathy.

Objective: Our goal was to use genetic variants to identify factors contributing to the muscular side effects of statins. Background: Statins (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors) are usually well tolerated medications, but muscle symptoms, ranging from mild myalgia to clinically important rhabdomyolysis are an important side effect of these drugs and a leading cause of noncompliance. Recent results suggest that genetic factors increase the risk of statin-related muscle complaints. We performed a systematic review of the medical literature to determine genetic factors associated with statin myopathy. Methods: We identified English language articles relating statin myopathy and genetic diseases and gene variants via a PubMed search. Articles pertinent to the topic were reviewed in detail. Results/Conclusions: Our review suggests that some patients are susceptible to statin myopathy because of pre-existing subclinical inherited muscular disorders, or genetic variation in statin uptake proteins encoded by SLCO1B1 or the cytochrome P enzyme system. Variations in genes affecting pain perception and polymorphism in vascular receptors may also contribute to statin myopathy. None of the variants identified in this review suggested novel metabolic mechanisms leading to statin myopathy.
Mapping Human Epilepsy Genes

Recent and ongoing advances in mapping and isolating human epilepsy genes will: (i) modify the classification of the epilepsies; (ii) base antiepileptic drug development on defined epilepsy mutations; and (iii) spur the development of somatic cell and/or germ line therapy for the fatal progressive myoclonus epilepsies and, eventually, the chronic generalised and partial epilepsies.
A team of robotic agents for surveillance

ABSTRACT This paper presents the hardware and software omponents of a roboti team designed for se urity and surveillan e appli ations. The team onsists of two types of roboti agents. The rst type is a larger, heavy-duty roboti platform, alled the \ranger." Rangers are used to transport, deploy, and supervise a number of small, mobile sensor platforms alled \s outs," the se ond type of roboti agent. In an example s enario, the s outs are deployed into an oAE e/lab environment, navigate towards dark areas, and position themselves to dete t moving obje ts using their ameras. A ranger ommuni ates with ea h of the s outs and determines whether there are obje ts of potential interest within the observed area. The paper also in ludes experimental results for individual s out and ranger-s out a tivities.
Analysis of Interacting Cracks Using the Generalized Finite Element Method With Global-Local Enrichment Functions

This paper presents an analysis of interacting cracks using a generalized finite element method (GFEM) enriched with so-called global-local functions. In this approach, solutions of local boundary value problems computed in a global-local analysis are used to enrich the global approximation space through the partition of unity framework used in the GFEM. This approach is related to the global-local procedure in the FEM, which is broadly used in industry to analyze fracture mechanics problems in complex three-dimensional geometries. In this paper, we compare the effectiveness of the global-local FEM with the GFEM with global-local enrichment functions. Numerical experiments demonstrate that the latter is much more robust than the former In particular, the GFEM is less sensitive to the quality of boundary conditions applied to local problems than the global-local FEM. Stress intensity factors computed with the conventional global-local approach showed errors of up to one order of magnitude larger than in the case of the GFEM. The numerical experiments also demonstrate that the GFEM can account for interactions among cracks with different scale sizes, even when not all cracks are modeled in the global domain.
The design and implementation of an intentional naming system

This paper presents the design and implementation of the Intentional Naming System (INS), a resource discovery and service location system for dynamic and mobile networks of devices and computers. Such environments require a naming system that is (i) expressive, to describe and make requests based on specific properties of services, (ii) responsive, to track changes due to mobility and performance, (iii) robust, to handle failures, and (iv) easily configurable. INS uses a simple language based on attributes and values for its names. Applications use the language to describe what they are looking for (i.e., their intent), not where to find things (i.e., not hostnames). INS implements a late binding mechanism that integrates name resolution and message routing, enabling clients to continue communicating with end-nodes even if the name-to-address mappings change while a session is in progress. INS resolvers self-configure to form an application-level overlay network, which they use to discover new services, perform late binding, and maintain weak consistency of names using soft-state name exchanges and updates. We analyze the performance of the INS algorithms and protocols, present measurements of a Java-based implementation, and describe three applications we have implemented that demonstrate the feasibility and utility of INS.
Establishing ultra-reliability by fault injection experiments

A validation procedure combines field data, arguments-from-design, and fault injection experiments to demonstrate high reliability. This paper covers integrating these elements and deriving results that reduce the fault injection effort. A typical argument about the impossibility of demonstrating ultra reliability by experiment is presented to motivate the emphasis on reducing the experimental effort. An example is used to explain the integration of field data, fault injection, arguments-from-design, and performance monitoring. This validation procedure has stringent requirements, but it is shown that these requirements are common to other procedures. There is an extended analysis on number, type, and time of fault occurrence. These results are applied to a system with an extremely high reliability requirement. They reduce the experimental effort to a moderate level.
Phase I Study of Single-Agent AZD1775 (MK-1775), a Wee1 Kinase Inhibitor, in Patients With Refractory Solid Tumors

Purpose Wee1 tyrosine kinase phosphorylates and inactivates cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) 1/2 in response to DNA damage. AZD1775 is a first-in-class inhibitor of Wee1 kinase with single-agent antitumor activity in preclinical models. We conducted a phase I study of single-agent AZD1775 in adult patients with refractory solid tumors to determine its maximum-tolerated dose (MTD), pharmacokinetics, and modulation of phosphorylated Tyr15-Cdk (pY15-Cdk) and phosphorylated histone H2AX (γH2AX) levels in paired tumor biopsies. Patients and Methods AZD1775 was administered orally twice per day over 2.5 days per week for up to 2 weeks per 21-day cycle (3 + 3 design). At the MTD, paired tumor biopsies were obtained at baseline and after the fifth dose to determine pY15-Cdk and γH2AX levels. Six patients with BRCA-mutant solid tumors were also enrolled at the MTD. Results Twenty-five patients were enrolled. The MTD was established as 225 mg twice per day orally over 2.5 days per week for 2 weeks per 21-day cycle. Co...
Coded-Sequence Self-Encoded Spread Spectrum Communications

Self-encoded spread spectrum (SESS) employs non-deterministic spreading codes that have been generated from the random information source and provide unique advantages over traditional pseudo-random codes. In previous work we have shown that the memory in SESS-modulated signals not only can deliver a 3dB gain in AWGN channels, but also can be exploited to achieve time diversity and robust bit-error rate (BER) performance in fading channels. In this paper, we propose an extension to SESS, namely coded-sequence self-encoded spread spectrum (CSSESS), and showed that it can further improve the BER performance. We describe the CS-SESS scheme and present the theoretical analysis and simulation results of the BER performance under AWGN. We also develop an iterative detector and show that it can achieve the expected 4.7dB gain with a complexity that increases linearly with the spreading sequence length.
Probing substrate binding to Metallo-β-Lactamase L1 from Stenotrophomonas maltophilia by using site-directed mutagenesis

The metallo-β-lactamases are Zn(II)-containing enzymes that hydrolyze the β-lactam bond in penicillins, cephalosporins, and carbapenems and are involved in bacterial antibiotic resistance. There are at least 20 distinct organisms that produce a metallo-β-lactamase, and these enzymes have been extensively studied using X-ray crystallographic, computational, kinetic, and inhibition studies; however, much is still unknown about how substrates bind and the catalytic mechanism. In an effort to probe substrate binding to metallo-β-lactamase L1 from Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, nine site-directed mutants of L1 were prepared and characterized using metal analyses, CD spectroscopy, and pre-steady state and steady state kinetics. Site-directed mutations were generated of amino acids previously predicted to be important in substrate binding. Steady-state kinetic studies using the mutant enzymes and 9 different substrates demonstrated varying Km and kcat values for the different enzymes and substrates and that no direct correlation between Km and the effect of the mutation on substrate binding could be drawn. Stopped-flow fluorescence studies using nitrocefin as the substrate showed that only the S224D and Y228A mutants exhibited weaker nitrocefin binding. The data presented herein indicate that Ser224, Ile164, Phe158, Tyr228, and Asn233 are not essential for tight binding of substrate to metallo-β-lactamase L1. The results in this work also show that Km values are not reliable for showing substrate binding, and there is no correlation between substrate binding and the amount of reaction intermediate formed during the reaction. This work represents the first experimental testing of one of the computational models of the metallo-β-lactamases.
Dependency graph scheduling in a volumetric ray tracing architecture

We propose a volumetric ray tracing PCI board which uses FPGA components and on chip memory. In a multiboard system a super volume (i.e., one that is larger than on-board memory) can be either distributed or shared. In a single board system it must be fetched from main memory as needed. In any case the volume is sub-divided into cubic cells and process scheduling has a major impact on the rendering time. There is not generally a scheduling order which would allow each sub-volume to be read from memory only once. We introduce instead a new, compact representation of the cell ray-spawning dependencies of all rays, called Cell Tree. We use this Cell Tree to determine a good processing schedule for the next frame based on the ray dependencies from the previous frame. Experimental results show an average miss reduction of30%. The main contribution of this paper is the generation of a Cell Tree for ray tracing which collects coherent bundles of rays with very little overhead. This is used to decrease overall memory access in sequences where there is good inter-frame coherence.
RF coupler for high-power CW FEL photoinjector

A high-current emittance-compensated RF photoinjector is a key enabling technology for a high-power CW FEL. The design presently under way is a 100-mA, 2.5-cell π-mode, 700-MHz, normal conducting demonstration CW RF photoinjector. This photoinjector will be capable of accelerating 3 nC per bunch with an emittance at the wiggler less than 10 mm-mrad. The paper presents results for the RF coupling from ridged waveguides to the photoinjector RF cavity. The LEDA and SNS couplers inspired this "dog-bone" design. Electromagnetic modeling of the coupler-cavity system has been performed using both 2-D and 3-D frequencydomain calculations, and a novel time-domain approach with MicroWave Studio. These simulations were used to adjust the coupling coefficient and calculate the powerloss distribution on the coupling slot. The cooling of this slot is a rather challenging thermal management project.
Compositional and petrographic similarities of CV and CK chondrites: A single group with variations in textures and volatile concentrations attributable to impact heating, crushing and oxidation

Abstract Greenwood et al. (2010) gathered data on O-isotopic and elemental compositions and reevaluated literature data for CV and CK chondrites. They concluded that these two chondrite groups originated on the same parent asteroid, with CK chondrites being metamorphosed CV chondrites (which are otherwise missing types 4 through 6). To test this interpretation we have gathered new instrumental neutron-activation-analysis (INAA) data for CV and CK chondrites and reexamined their petrographic features. The new INAA data like the older data show scatter attributable to weathering effects, but we conclude that the refractory lithophile abundances are the same in CV and CK, in agreement with the Greenwood et al. interpretation. Several volatile elements are significantly lower in CK than in CV chondrites. Among the elements we determine, the greatest difference between CV and CK is found for Br, for which the CV/CK ratio is ∼4; As and Sb are about 20% lower in CK than CV and smaller differences are observed for Zn, Ga and Se. It seems likely that volatiles were lost during impact-heating events that also provided the heat responsible for metamorphic recrystallization. Within statistical uncertainty, chondrules in CV and CK chondrites are the same size and have similar textural distributions. A significant petrographic difference between CK and CV chondrites cited by Kallemeyn et al. (1991) was the much higher percentage of igneous rims around CV chondrules. However, we now recognize that many chondrules in CK3.8 NWA 1559 have igneous rims and in CK4 chondrites, igneous rims are recognizable by their associated sulfide-rich rings; there are no quantifiable CV–CK differences in igneous-rim abundances. We used Ca and Al maps to show that CK chondrites have CAI abundances similar to those of CV chondrites. It thus appears that there are no resolvable pre-metamorphic petrographic differences between CV and CK chondrites. We recommend that the “CK” designation be abandoned and that the CV group be acknowledged as spanning the range of petrologic types 3–6. We suggest that CK3 chondrites be designated CV3OxK. Most CK4 chondrites are highly fragmental; collisional crushing appears to be much more common than in CV chondrites. It seems likely that CK chondrites formed from reduced CV3 materials after the latter was impacted, buried, aqueously altered and annealed.
Giant enhancement in the ferroelectric field effect using a polarization gradient

Coupling of switchable ferroelectric polarization with the carrier transport in an adjacent semiconductor enables a robust, non-volatile manipulation of the conductance in a host of low-dimensional systems, including the two-dimensional electron liquid that forms at the LaAlO3 (LAO)-SrTiO3 (STO) interface. However, strength of the gate-channel coupling is relatively weak, limited in part by the electrostatic potential difference across a ferroelectric gate. Here, through application of phenomenological Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire theory and self-consistent Poisson-Schrodinger model calculations, we show how compositional grading of PbZr1−xTixO3 ferroelectric gates enables a more than twenty-five-fold increase in the LAO/STO channel conductance on/off ratios. Incorporation of polarization gradients in ferroelectric gates can enable breakthrough performance of ferroelectric non-volatile memories.
The Lasallian Tradition and Its Broad Possibilities

This paper represents the reaction of a first year doctoral student to his formal introduction to the Lasallian tradition. Tracing the broad contours of the Lasallian tradition, the author suggests a robust Lasallian identity might productively advance dicussions of Catholic institutional identity in higher education as well as initiatives implemented to enhance this identity. With the recommendations of the American Bishops in the ten-year review of the implementation of the apostolic consitution Ex Corde Ecclesiae as the backdrop, the author proposes Lasallian-style community building as a cure for many perceived ailments affecting Catholic higher education.
Real impact of prematurity

Les benefices des agents tocolytiques habituels en terme de gain de temps avant la naissance de l'enfant et d'amelioration de son pronostic doivent etre compares a leurs effets secondaires a la fois maternels et foetaux. Tous les agents tocolytiques existant actuellement sont associes a un certain nombre d'effets indesirables et qui peuvent meme dans certaines circonstances mettre en jeu le pronostic vital. Ces effets sont generalement dus a l'action pharmacologique non selective de ces agents et une amelioration doit etre apportee a ces drogues en optimisant leur selectivite. Des etudes preliminaires suggerent que les antagonistes de l'ocytocine apportent ainsi une plus grande securite due a leurs effets selectifs. Alors que le cout clinique de l'accouchement premature en terme d'hospitalisation et de soins medicaux peut etre considerable, le cout psychologique pour la famille et le cout total pour la societe doivent egalement etre consideres.
Analysis of 105 Reports of New Adverse Reactions Caused by Injection

Objective To analyze the 105 reports of new adverse reactions caused by injection,provide reference for clinical application and quality control.Methods 105 ADR reports collected by Linyi County for ADR Monitoring were analyzed using retrospective study method from January to December 2009.Results High ADR occurrence was also observed in the old patients.Most of ADR were antimicrobial drugs.17 organs systems were involved.It involved 35 kinds of national essential drugs.Conclusion ADR caused by injection should be monitored so as to reduce or avoid severe ADR.
Clinical Observation of Treatment in Periarticular Fractures of the Knee Joint with Less Invasive Stabilization System

Objective: To explore the clinical efficacy of periarticular fractures of the knee joint with less invasive stabilization system(LISS). Method: 71 patients were randomly divided into observed group(36 cases) and control group(35 cases),patients in control group received traditional internal fixation,while others received LISS internal fixation. Result: The mean operation time,vessel bleeding loss,healing of the fracture time and the length of shorten limb in observed group were significantly shorter than those in the control group(P0.05);the cure rate(69.44%) and total efficiency(97.22%) in observed group were significantly higher than those in control group,respectively(P0.05);there was difference in the complication rate between the two groups(P0.05). Conclusion: Compared with traditional internal fixation,the treatment of periarticular fractures of the knee joint with LISS can enhance adsorption,shorten course of treatment,reduce the complication rate and receive satisfactory effect.
Efficacy of emulsifiable concentrate against mosquitoes, flies and cockroaches

Objective To study the efficacy of Chuangwei 10% emulsifiable concentrate against mosquitoes, flies and cockroaches. Methods Observing the reduce rate and RPI of density with the method of full coverage spray and ultra-low volume spray. Results Chuangwei 10% emulsifiable concentrate had good efficacy against mosquitoes, flies and cockroaches in the room with the method of full coverage spray. The density reduced rate of mosquitoes was 93.1%～100% after spraying 1 h and 24 h and it’s 75.12%～97.42% for flies, 100% for cockroaches. It had efficacyagairst insects for 3～4 days. 10%Chuangwei emulsifiable concentrate could reduce the density of mosquitoes obviously with the method of ultra-low volume spray outdoors. Conclusion 10% Chuangwei emulsifiable concentrate had good efficacy against insects with the methods of full coverage spray and ultra-low volume spray.
Effect of endotoxemia in mice genetically deficient in cystathionine-γ-lyase, cystathionine-β-synthase or 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has been proposed to exert pro- as well as anti-inflammatory effects in various models of critical illness. In this study, we compared bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‑induced changes in inflammatory mediator production, indices of multiple organ injury and survival in wild‑type (WT) mice and in mice with reduced expression of one of the three H2S‑producing enzymes, cystathionine-γ-lyase (CSE), cystathionine-β-synthase (CBS) or 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase (3MST). Mice were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) with LPS (10 mg/kg). After 6 h, the animals were sacrificed, blood and organs were collected and the following parameters were evaluated: blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels in blood, myeloperoxidase (MPO) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the lung, cytokine levels in plasma and the expression of the three H2S‑producing enzymes (CBS, CSE and 3MST) in the spleen, lung, liver and kidney. LPS induced a tissue‑dependent upregulation of some of the H2S‑producing enzymes in WT mice (upregulation of CBS in the spleen, upregulation of 3MST in the liver and upregulation of CBS, CSE and 3MST in the lung). Moreover, LPS impaired glomerular function, as evidenced by increased BUN levels. Renal impairment was comparable in the CSE‑/‑ and Δ3MST mice after LPS challenge; however, it was attenuated in the CBS+/‑ mice. MPO levels (an index of neutrophil infiltration) and MDA levels (an index of oxidative stress) in lung homogenates were significantly increased in response to LPS; these effects were similar in the WT, CBS+/‑, CSE‑/‑ and Δ3MST mice; however, the MDA levels tended to be lower in the CBS+/‑ and CSE‑/‑ mice. LPS induced significant increases in the plasma levels of multiple cytokines [tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α, interleukin (IL)‑1β, IL‑6, IL‑10, IL‑12 and interferon (IFN)γ] in plasma; TNFα, IL‑10 and IL‑12 levels tended to be lower in all three groups of animals expressing lower levels of H2S‑producing enzymes. The survival rates after the LPS challenge did not show any significant differences between the four animal groups tested. Thus, the findings of this study indicate that a deficiency in 3MST does not significantly affect endotoxemia, while a deficiency in CBS or CSE slightly ameliorates the outcome of LPS-induced endotoxemia in vivo.
Business process simulation with IT depth

We propose a framework for modeling and simulating business processes with IT depth. This enables both business level and IT level users to be supported by a common approach, by developing the models at different levels of granularity. We believe that such a common approach also progress us toward reducing the gap between business and IT. This approach can be used by business users to analyze a business process to gain insight into the business process and analyze the tradeoffs between different key performance indicators. It can also be used by IT users to analyze the business process at an IT level to gain insight to the tradeoffs between performance and cost and analyze the infrastructure for sizing and capacity planning
The histone variant H3.3 in transcriptional regulation and human disease

Histone proteins wrap around DNA to form nucleosomes, which further compact into the higher-order structure of chromatin. In addition to the canonical histones, there are also variant histones that often have pivotal roles in regulating chromatin dynamics and in the accessibility of the underlying DNA. H3.3 is the most common non-centromeric variant of histone H3 that differs from the canonical H3 by just 4-5 aa. Here, we discuss the current knowledge of H3.3 in transcriptional regulation and the recent discoveries and molecular mechanisms of H3.3 mutations in human cancer.
Predicting readiness for diversity training: The influence of perceived ethnic discrimination and dyadic dissimilarity

Abstract. Using data collected from 160 employed professionals in the US, we performed multivariate and univariate multiple regression analyses to examine the joint effect of perceived ethnic discrimination and ethnic dyadic dissimilarity on trainee readiness for diversity training (pre-training motivation to learn, self-efficacy, intention to use, and perceived utility). A significant interaction effect showed that individuals displayed stronger pre-training motivation to learn, intention to use, and perceived utility when they perceived discrimination based on ethnic background and when they were ethnically dissimilar to their supervisor. However, perceived ethnic discrimination was not associated with these three readiness variables when subordinate-supervisor ethnic backgrounds were the same. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
Fabrication of nanoscale structures with nanometer resolution and surface uniformity

We integrated bottom-up and top-down techniques to develop a platform for the fabrication of structures with nanometer resolution and sub-nanometer surface uniformity, to serve as building-blocks of functional nanoscale devices and systems. By engineering surfaces and interfaces, chemically-synthesized gold (Au) nanoplates, with <1 nm surface roughness, are assembled to form nanogaps as small as ∼10 nm in width. Interconnects and contact pads are added using top-down lithography to introduce electrical functionality to the assembled nanogaps. A planarization technique is employed to eliminate nanometer-scale height variations across the gap due to the thickness inhomogeneity inherent to synthesized Au nanoplates. This is achieved by peeling the Au nanoplate electrodes as a uniform layer off the original substrate using an adhesive receiving surface, revealing the coplanar side originally in contact with the substrate. The peeling also eliminates edge defects and minimizes the surface roughness inherent to features formed through lithography. An extension of this technique demonstrates <5 nm vertical resolution in controlling the height variations between neighboring structures. Overall, the proposed technique provides a versatile platform to achieve nanometer resolution and surface uniformity essential in developing nanodevices for applications such as nanoelectromechanical systems, plasmonics, and molecular electronics.
A novel network analysis tool to identify relationships between disease states and risks for red blood cell alloimmunization

We hypothesized that diagnoses may be associated with alloantibody ‘responder’ status and examined associations between disease states and alloimmunization. Patients with ≥1 alloantibody and non-alloimmunized controls were analysed. Pearson's coefficients were calculated to determine associations between alloimmunization and diseases; significant correlations were selected to construct a network. Inflammatory disorders and diseases requiring chronic transfusion support were associated with responder status. Mitigation steps may be considered in patients with these disorders.
Fundamental hemodynamic mechanisms mediating the response to myocardial ischemia in conscious paraplegic mice: cardiac output versus peripheral resistance

Autonomic dysfunction, a relative sedentary lifestyle, a reduced muscle mass and increased adiposity leads to metabolic abnormalities that accelerate the development of coronary artery disease (CAD) in individuals living with spinal cord injury (SCI). An untoward cardiac incident is related to the degree of CAD, suggesting that the occurrence of a significant cardiac event is significantly higher for individuals with SCI. Thus, understanding the fundamental hemodynamic mechanisms mediating the response to myocardial ischemia has the potential to positively impact individuals and families living with SCI. Accordingly, we systematically investigated if thoracic level 5 spinal cord transection (T5X; paraplegia) alters the arterial blood pressure response to coronary artery occlusion and if the different arterial blood pressure responses to coronary artery occlusion between intact and paraplegic mice are mediated by changes in cardiac output and or systemic peripheral resistance and whether differences in cardiac output are caused by changes in heart rate and or stroke volume. To achieve this goal, the tolerance to 3 min of coronary artery occlusion was determined in conscious intact and paraplegic mice. Paraplegic mice had an impaired ability to maintain arterial blood pressure during coronary artery occlusion as arterial pressure fell to near lethal levels by 1.38 ± 0.64 min. The lower arterial pressure was mediated by a lower cardiac output as systemic peripheral resistance was elevated in paraplegic mice. The lower cardiac output was mediated by a reduced heart rate and stroke volume. These results indicate that in paraplegic mice, the arterial pressure response to coronary artery occlusion is hemodynamically mediated primarily by cardiac output which is determined by heart rate and stroke volume.
Assessing teacher education and professional development needs for the implementation of integrated approaches to STEM education

Given the growing interest in, and relevance of, integrated approaches to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education, there is an urgent desire to understand the challenges and obstacles to developing and implementing integrated STEM curricula and instruction. In this article, we present phase 1 of a two-phase needs assessment study to identify challenges and needs of promoting integrated approaches in STEM education. Utilizing a key informant approach, 22 K-12 teachers and four administrators selected as potential leaders in STEM education in an unidentified state on the East Coast of the USA were interviewed. Participants were asked to identify challenges and perceived supports to conduct integrated STEM education. Questions were open-ended in order to inform a larger, state-wide questionnaire study in phase 2 to be reported subsequently and were qualitatively coded. Several distinctive themes were identified as described by teacher participants when discussing challenges and obstacles of implementing integrated STEM education, as well as supports that would be most helpful in overcoming them. Participants also provided specific suggestions for teacher education needed to support integrated STEM education. Preliminary findings suggest that many teachers are interested in integrated approaches to STEM, but do not believe they are well prepared to implement them. Teachers and administrators also suggest that adequate preparation in integrated STEM would entail a considerable rethinking and redesigning of pre-service courses and in-service workshops. Findings provide a starting point for better understanding teacher needs in integrated STEM and a springboard for further study.
EFFECT OF M1 MATRIX PROTEIN ON HEMAGGLUTININ EXPRESSION AND INFLUENZA VIRUS-LIKE PARTICLE (VLP) PRODUCTION IN TRICHOPLUSIA NI

Virus-like particles (VLPs) are a new flu vaccine approach that is gaining traction because VLPs are non-infectious and can produce robust immune responses. Flu VLPs are historically created by co-expressing the flu hemagglutinin (HA) surface antigen and M1 matrix proteins in tissue culture cells. However, theoretical advantages exist for producing HA-only VLPs in living bioreactors. Reducing or eliminating M1 may result in higher HA expression and therefore more efficient vaccine production. This project examined the effect of M1 matrix protein on HA expression and VLP production in a Trichoplusia ni living bioreactor expression system. T. ni pupae were injected with varying doses and ratios of influenza HA and M1 baculoviruses. On day 3 post-infection, the pupae were extracted and a VLP-enriched particulate fraction prepared by differential centrifugation. Samples were analyzed by gel electrophoresis and Western blotting. We found that exclusion of M1 does not preclude formation of VLP-like particles, and that HA expression increases as M1 decreases. We also found that lower doses of infecting baculovirus(es) correlated with higher HA expression. Transmission electron microscopy studies are planned to investigate the effects of matrix M1 content on VLP morphology. The goal of this research is to maximize flu HA VLP expression in a T. ni pupal bioreactor expression system, and enable rapid and economical production of material for pre-clinical evaluation of broadly-protective flu vaccine candidates.
Public health regulation and mortality: Evidence from early 20th century milk laws

In this paper, I estimate the impact of city-level public health regulations in the market for cow's milk on the mortality of infants and young children between 1900 and 1920. I find that the introduction of city-level dairy farm inspections reduced mortality from Diarrhea & Enteritis for one-year-old children by 1.3 annual deaths per thousand, a 14 percent effect relative to the baseline rate for this cause and a 3 percent effect relative to the baseline rate for all causes for this age group. Back-of-the-envelope calculations reveal that the benefits from these regulations exceeded costs by at least a factor of two.
The C terminus of the bacterial multidrug transporter EmrE couples drug binding to proton release

Ion-coupled transporters must regulate access of ions and substrates into and out of the binding site to actively transport substrates and minimize dissipative leak of ions. Within the single-site alternating access model, competitive substrate binding forms the foundation of ion-coupled antiport. Strict competition between substrates leads to stoichiometric antiport without slippage. However, recent NMR studies of the bacterial multidrug transporter EmrE have demonstrated that this multidrug transporter can simultaneously bind drug and proton, which will affect the transport stoichiometry and efficiency of coupled antiport. Here, we investigated the nature of substrate competition in EmrE using multiple methods to measure proton release upon the addition of saturating concentrations of drug as a function of pH. The resulting proton-release profile confirmed simultaneous binding of drug and proton, but suggested that a residue outside EmrE's Glu-14 binding site may release protons upon drug binding. Using NMR-monitored pH titrations, we trace this drug-induced deprotonation event to His-110, EmrE's C-terminal residue. Further NMR experiments disclosed that the C-terminal tail is strongly coupled to EmrE's drug-binding domain. Consideration of our results alongside those from previous studies of EmrE suggests that this conserved tail participates in secondary gating of EmrE-mediated proton/drug transport, occluding the binding pocket of fully protonated EmrE in the absence of drug to prevent dissipative proton transport.
Preventative Metallurgical Failure Evaluation of Free Power Turbine Nozzle of Aero-Derivative Gas Turbine Engine

A set of free power turbine first stage nozzle guide vanes (NGVs) was investigated with the objective of extending its service life after completing 100,000 operating hours. The investigation covered material microstructure examination, mechanical properties, physical parts visual inspection as well as predicting the formation of deleterious phases. New and removed from service NGVs were used as investigation vehicles with testing specimens taken from the NGV root, 10, 50 and 90% span wise direction. Optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and XRD were used in the analysis. The investigation concluded that there were no secondary phases formation due to the operation in the as-removed NGV and Nv for both new and as removed from service NGVs were below the specific superalloy Nv limit.
The field of communication’s uptake of computers, networks, and the internet: 1970–2000

Our goal in this article is to understand the historical sequences as well as consequences of the internet on the development of the academic field of communication. As a field that has one foot in...
"Everybody Makes it Until they Don't": Survival as Metaphor

We are obsessed with the specter of disaster and we seem to be living in catastrophic times. Since the events of 9/11, we exist in a state of high alertness and live with the constant awareness of ...
Identification and analysis of the structure, expression and nucleotide polymorphism of the GPAT gene family in rice

Abstract Glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (GPAT), a family of membrane-bound enzymes, is involved in the initial step of glycerolipid biosynthesis in plant cells. In this study, we performed an in-silico genome-wide analysis of rice (Oryza sativa) and identified 26 GPAT genes annotated according to their chromosomal locations. Putative orthologs of the rice genes were identified in five monocot and dicot plant species. The study characterized the rice GPAT gene structures, genome localization, gene duplications, conserved motifs, and cis-elements in their promoter regions. Segmental duplication contributed to the expansion of the GPAT family in rice with purifying selection pressure. We analyzed the phylogeny between six different monocots and dicot GPAT genes and compared them with rice orthologs and their exon-intron structure to understand their evolutionary relationships. Based on RNA-seq data, we found rice GPAT genes have diverse expression patterns. Some genes had high expression in specific tissues, including; OsGPAT2,13 and 8 in the root; OsGPAT3 and 10 in the shoot; OsGPAT4 in panicle; OsGPAT25 in the leaf; OsGPAT8, 25, and 26 in the anther and OsGPAT10, and 25 in the seed. Expression analysis under salt, cold, and heat conditions showed that GPAT genes positively respond to abiotic stress conditions. Some genes demonstrated sustained up-regulation in specific stresses including; OsGPAT2, OsGPAT18, OsGPAT19, OsGPAT5, and OsGPAT12 in cold stress; OsGPAT6, 11, 13, 18, 19 and 21 in heat stress; and OsGPAT5, 14, 18, 19 and 24 during salt stress. Moreover, we used the 3000 rice genomes project (3 K RGP) data to analyze nucleotide polymorphism at each rice GPAT locus among hundred Chinese rice varieties. This study will provide a framework for future studies and further broaden our insights into the evolution and functional elucidation of GPAT genes in rice.