cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A COX-2 metabolite of the endogenous cannabinoid, 2-arachidonyl glycerol, mediates suppression of IL-2 secretion in activated Jurkat T cells

Previous studies from this laboratory have demonstrated that a COX-2 metabolite of the endogenous cannabinoid, 2-arachidonyl glycerol (2-AG), inhibits IL-2 secretion in activated T cells through PPARgamma activation independent of the cannabinoid receptors, CB1/CB2. Because numerous cyclooxygenase (COX) products have been shown to activate PPARgamma, the primary purpose of the present studies was to determine the role of COX metabolism in the inhibition of IL-2 secretion by 2-AG. Pretreatment with nonselective and COX-2-specific inhibitors completely abrogated 2-AG-mediated suppression of IL-2 secretion. In contrast, pretreatment with COX-1-specific inhibitors had no effect upon 2-AG-mediated inhibition of IL-2 secretion. Interestingly, the current studies also demonstrate that while the potency of 2-AG is comparable between human Jurkat T cells and murine splenocytes, anandamide (AEA) is markedly more potent in suppressing IL-2 production in Jurkat T cells compared to murine splenocytes. Additionally, the present studies also demonstrate that COX-2 protein is readily detectable in resting Jurkat T cells, which is in contrast to resting murine splenocytes in which COX-2 protein is virtually undetectable. Furthermore, COX-2 protein and mRNA levels are significantly increased over basal levels by 2h following activation of Jurkat cells, whereas increases in COX-2 protein in murine splenocytes are not observed until 4h after cellular activation. These studies suggest that the potency of AEA in the suppression of IL-2 secretion may correlate with COX-2 protein levels in different T cell models. The present studies are also significant in that they demonstrate 2-AG-mediated inhibition of IL-2 secretion is dependent upon COX-2 metabolism.
An investigation into the origins of a copious vaginal discharge during intercourse: “enough to wet the bed”‐that “is not urine”

A case study of large‐volume vaginal discharge during intercourse originally prepared in 1979, is described, as is the course of investigation into its origin. It is argued that this “wetting of the bed” is not a pathological significance but is within the normal range and variation of the physiological function of the paraurethral glands of Skene. A 1982 addendum discusses developments in this field of sexual research, including the rediscovery of female ejaculation; 2 decades dominated by the “paradigm of cliterocentricity” and a recent shift back to the vagina, specifically the urethro‐vaginal body, in female sexual function. A 1983 addendum reports on an immunohistochemical demonstration of the homology between the female urethral glands and the male prostate. Evidence for the secretion of prostatic acid phosphatase by the female glands suggests an ejaculatory function equivalent to that of the male though without the gonadal, “seminal” component. Further investigations of female ejaculation are discu...
A facile synthesis of [11C]acetylene

Abstract Acetylene is a versatile synthon organic chemistry. The complexity and difficulty of synthesis of [11C]acetylene has limited its use as a labeling intermediate for PET radiotracers. A new method for production of [11C]acetylene has been developed in our laboratory that simplifies the synthesis procedure allowing for easy automation and implementation. The technique is a modification of Madsen et al. (1981, Phys. Med. Biol. 26(5), 875) that utilized carbon dioxide (11C) and barium. First [11/12C]CO2 was trapped at room temperature on barium within a quartz reaction tube, then heated to 900 °C under hydrogen flow to release [11C]acetylene. Hydrogen gas is apparently oxidized to form water vapor which reacts immediately with the formed carbide to liberate acetylene. Radiochemical yields of 31.4–75.4% and specific activities of 0.11–161 mCi/μmol have been obtained with radiochemical purities greater than 99%. This technique provides a new, efficient and very practical synthesis of [11C]acetylene that can be utilized as synthon for novel PET radiopharmaceuticals.
Estimation of traffic variables using a linear model of traffic flow

Abstract Estimation of traffic velocity and the number of vehicles on adjacent sections of a limited access highway is examined. The method evaluated is based upon application of Kalman Filtering Methods to a linear state variable model of traffic flow. The estimator utilizes velocity and flow measurements at selected points along the highway. The flow measurement is a nonlinear function of the state variables and necessitates linearization about the one step ahead prediction of the state (extended Kalman Filter) or about nominal values of the state variables. It is shown that performance using Lincoln Tunnel data is comparable in either case to that of methods previously reported and provides a substantial savings in storage requirements. Also demonstrated is the fact that flow at an internal measurement point may be deleted from the observation vector without a serious effect on performance. This would arise, for example, if control of traffic were to be exercised at such a point.
Effects of simulated approval-seeking and avoiding on self-disclosure, self-presentation, and interpersonal attraction.

Summary Forty-eight undergraduate women assigned an approval-seeking or approval-avoiding role disclosed significantly more to a male listener (C) than did control Ss given no particular set, with no difference found between seeking and avoiding conditions in intimacy of disclosure. But content analyses indicated that approval-seeking Ss presented themselves significantly more positively, and approval-avoiding Ss significantly more negatively than did controls. These data supported the hypothesis that disclosure may serve as an instrumental affiliative act associated with both interpersonal approach and avoidance motives. The hypothesis that simulated attraction facilitates actual attraction was supported more clearly in analyses of Ss' liking ratings of C than in Ss' ratings of C's attractiveness or desirability as a dating partner. The latter findings are discussed in terms of intimacy implications of the attraction measures used.
Longitudinal Changes in Ejection Fraction in Heart Failure Patients with Preserved and Reduced Ejection Fraction

Background—Heart failure (HF) can occur in patients with preserved (HFpEF, EF≥50%) or reduced (HFrEF, EF<50%) ejection fraction (EF), but changes in EF after HF diagnosis are not well described. Methods and Results—Among a community cohort of incident HF patients diagnosed from 1984 to 2009 in Olmsted County, Minnesota, we obtained all EFs assessed by echocardiography from initial HF diagnosis until death or last follow-up through March 2010. Mixed effects models fit a unique linear regression line for each person using serial EF data. Compiled results allowed estimates of the change in EF over time in HFpEF and HFrEF. Among 1233 HF patients (48.3% male, mean age 75.0 years, mean follow-up 5.1 years), 559 (45.3%) had HFpEF at diagnosis. In HFpEF, on average, EF decreased by 5.8% over 5 years (P<0.001) with greater declines in older individuals and those with coronary disease. Conversely, EF increased in HFrEF (average increase 6.9% over 5 years, P<0.001). Greater increases were noted in women, younger pat...
Augmented Feedback for Enhanced Skill Acquisition in Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury

Coincident timing by individuals who exhibit traumatic brain injury was measured under conditions of no knowledge of results (no KR; n = 12), KR on every trial (n = 14), summary KR (n = 13), and average KR (n = 12). Following acquisition trials, groups performed immediate and longer retention trials without KR. Absolute constant error and variable error, analyzed in separate repeated-measures analyses of variance, indicated that during acquisition trials subjects receiving KR on every trial were the most accurate and the most consistent in their responses; however, subjects in groups receiving summary and average KR were the most accurate during immediate retention, with the group receiving summary KR being the most accurate during longer retention.
Uncertainty in a pesticide leaching assessment for Hawaii

Abstract In this paper we report the predictive uncertainty associated with using the retardation factor ( RF ) as an index to evaluate pesticide leaching in Hawaii soils when uncertainty exists within the soil and chemical data used to excite the RF model. Our analysis takes two separate but ultimately related tacks. First, we assess the uncertainty caused by extrapolating soil properties between taxonomic categories. Second, we characterize the amount of uncertainty for calculated RF values due to data uncertainty by using first-order uncertainty analysis. Our results indicate that the RF index should only be used with soil information from the lowest taxonomic category and that even then considerable uncertainty will exist in the predicted RF values used to screen and rank chemicals.
Properties of xanthosine 5'-monophosphate-amidotransferase from Escherichia coli.

Abstract Xanthosine 5′-phosphate (XMP)-amidotransferase catalyzes the formation of guanosine 5′-phosphate (GMP) by aminating XMP with either the amide group of glutamine (amidotransferase) or ammonia (aminase). The glutamine-supported activity of the purified enzyme from Escherichia coli has been studied, and its properties have been compared with those of other amidotransferases. The following results have been obtained. (i) The glutamine analog, 6-diazo-5-oxo- l -norleucine (DON), irreversibly inhibits the amidotransferase activity. A maximal rate of inhibition by DON is achieved in the presence of XMP, ATP, and Mg 2+ with a pseudo-first-order rate constant of 0.276 min −1 . (ii) The total number of sulfhydryl groups is approximately 22 per dimer (126,000 M r ). In the absence of substrates, about 8 sulfhydryl groups per dimer are titratable with 5,5-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB), and in the presence of XMP, ATP, and Mg 2+ an additional 6 cysteine residues per dimer become exposed. When the amidotransferase activity is inactivated by DON, only 8 sulfhydryl groups are titratable. DTNB, p -chloromercuribenzoate, and bromopyruvate all selectively inactivate the amidotransferase activity. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that cysteine residues which are exposed by the substrates are involved in the amidotransferase activity. (iii) The purified XMP amidotransferase contains a glutaminase activity which can be measured in the absence of GMP formation. The glutaminase activity requires XMP, Mg 2+ , and either psicofuranine, an analog of adenosine, or inorganic pyrophosphate (PP i ) and is inhibited by p -chloromercuribenzoate and DON. Maximal stimulation is observed with 100 μ m psicofuranine or PP i , and there is no further stimulation in the presence of both effectors. The apparent K m is 31 μ m with PP i and 13 μ m with psicofuranine; the V for glutamine hydrolysis is about 60% of the rate of the amidotransferase activity. The cooperative interactions between the binding of PP i and psicofuranine have been confirmed. In the presence of 2.5 μ m psicofuranine the K m for PP i is reduced 20-fold, but the maximal velocity is unchanged. Similarly, the apparent K m for psicofuranine is reduced by low concentrations (10 μ m ) of PP i . The “uncoupling” of the hydrolysis of glutamine from the amination of XMP is the basis for the reported inhibitory effects of psicofuranine and PP i on the amidotransferase activity. (iv) Tris buffer selectively inhibits the XMP-amidotransferase activity by inhibiting the glutaminase activity. This inhibition is time dependent and reversible and may explain the previous reports on the inability of this enzyme to use glutamine as a substrate.
A high-resolution finite-difference scheme for nonuniform grids

Abstract A higher-order, high-resolution finite-difference scheme for nonuniform grids is presented. This scheme, derived rigorously from Taylor series expansion at nonuniform grid points with a total-variation-diminishing constraint applied, gives better numerical approximations to the analytical solutions compared with schemes that are only first-order when applied to nonuniform grids. The scheme is suitable even for extremely nonuniform grids, which are often required in large-scale simulation problems. A wide range of flexibility in designing nonuniform grids is achieved.
A mechanical definition of the thermodynamic pressure

A dynamical definition of pressure for grand-canonical Gibbs measures in bounded regions Λ is rigorously discussed: It measures the momentum transferred to the walls of the container by the elastically colliding particles. The local pressureP(r, δΛ) so obtained is proportional to the temperature and the local density at the boundaries of Λ. This allows us to obtain a rigorous proof of the virial theorem of Clausius. In this picture the thermodynamic pressureP d (Λ) is obtained as the average ofP(r, δΛ) onδΛ. Its relationship with the usual equilibrium pressureP eq(Λ) = (βsΛ¦)−1lnZ Λ (Z Λ is the grand-canonical partition function) is then discussed. In the particular case in which the regions A are spheres, it is shown that Pd(Λ) converges in average so that, if the limit of Pd(Λ) exists, it equals Peq, the thermodynamic limit of the equilibrium pressure Peq(Λ). Finally, convergence ofP d(Λ) is proven to hold in the particular case of one-dimensional hard cores in the absence of phase transitions.
Identification of Sleeping Beauty Transposon Insertions in Solid Tumors using Linker-mediated PCR

Genomic, proteomic, transcriptomic, and epigenomic analyses of human tumors indicate that there are thousands of anomalies within each cancer genome compared to matched normal tissue. Based on these analyses it is evident that there are many undiscovered genetic drivers of cancer1. Unfortunately these drivers are hidden within a much larger number of passenger anomalies in the genome that do not directly contribute to tumor formation. Another aspect of the cancer genome is that there is considerable genetic heterogeneity within similar tumor types. Each tumor can harbor different mutations that provide a selective advantage for tumor formation2. Performing an unbiased forward genetic screen in mice provides the tools to generate tumors and analyze their genetic composition, while reducing the background of passenger mutations. The Sleeping Beauty (SB) transposon system is one such method3. The SB system utilizes mobile vectors (transposons) that can be inserted throughout the genome by the transposase enzyme. Mutations are limited to a specific cell type through the use of a conditional transposase allele that is activated by Cre Recombinase. Many mouse lines exist that express Cre Recombinase in specific tissues. By crossing one of these lines to the conditional transposase allele (e.g. Lox-stop-Lox-SB11), the SB system is activated only in cells that express Cre Recombinase. The Cre Recombinase will excise a stop cassette that blocks expression of the transposase allele, thereby activating transposon mutagenesis within the designated cell type. An SB screen is initiated by breeding three strains of transgenic mice so that the experimental mice carry a conditional transposase allele, a concatamer of transposons, and a tissue-specific Cre Recombinase allele. These mice are allowed to age until tumors form and they become moribund. The mice are then necropsied and genomic DNA is isolated from the tumors. Next, the genomic DNA is subjected to linker-mediated-PCR (LM-PCR) that results in amplification of genomic loci containing an SB transposon. LM-PCR performed on a single tumor will result in hundreds of distinct amplicons representing the hundreds of genomic loci containing transposon insertions in a single tumor4. The transposon insertions in all tumors are analyzed and common insertion sites (CISs) are identified using an appropriate statistical method5. Genes within the CIS are highly likely to be oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes, and are considered candidate cancer genes. The advantages of using the SB system to identify candidate cancer genes are: 1) the transposon can easily be located in the genome because its sequence is known, 2) transposition can be directed to almost any cell type and 3) the transposon is capable of introducing both gain- and loss-of-function mutations6. The following protocol describes how to devise and execute a forward genetic screen using the SB transposon system to identify candidate cancer genes (Figure 1).
Applicability of Cholesterol-Lowering Primary Prevention Trials to a General Population: The Framingham Heart Study

Background Four large trials have shown cholesterol-reduction therapy to be effective for primary prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD). Methods To determine the generalizability of these trials to a community-based sample, we compared the total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) distributions of patients in the 4 trials with those of Framingham Heart Study subjects. Lipid profiles that have not been studied were identified. Twelve-year rates of incident CHD were compared between subjects who met eligibility criteria and those who did not. Results The Framingham sample included 2498 men and 2870 women aged 30 to 74 years. Among Framingham men, 23.4% to 42.0% met eligibility criteria for each of the 4 trials based on their lipid levels; 60.2% met eligibility criteria for at least 1 trial. For the 1 trial that included women, 20.2% of Framingham women met eligibility criteria. In general, subjects with desirable total cholesterol levels and lower HDL-C levels and subjects with average total cholesterol levels and average to higher HDL-C levels have not been included in these trials. Among subjects who developed incident CHD during follow-up, 25.1% of men and 66.2% of women would not have been eligible for any trial. Most ineligible subjects who developed CHD had isolated hypertriglyceridemia (>2.25 mmol/L [>200 mg/dL]). Conclusions In our sample, 40% of men and 80% of women had lipid profiles that have not been studied in large trials to date. We observed a large number of CHD events in "ineligible" subjects in whom hypertriglyceridemia was common. Further studies are needed to define the role of lipid-lowering therapy vs other strategies for primary prevention in the general population.
Disparate Goods and Rawls’ Difference Principle: A Social Choice Theoretic Treatment

Rawls’ Difference Principle asserts that a basic economic structure is just if it makes the worst off people as well off as is feasible. How well off someone is is to be measured by an ‘index’ of ‘primary social goods’. It is this index that gives content to the principle, and Rawls gives no adequate directions for constructing it. In this essay a version of the difference principle is proposed that fits much of what Rawls says, but that makes use of no index. Instead of invoking an index of primary social goods, the principle formulated here invokes a partial ordering of prospects for opportunities.
Amino Acid Concentrations in Cerebrospinal Fluid

• Cerebrospinal fluid amino acid concentrations were measured in 16 pediatric patients with febrile convulsions, in 9 with bacterial meningitis, and in 8 noninfected newborn infants. Most CSF amino acids are present in greater concentration in patients with bacterial meningitis than in those without CNS infection. Newborn infants have elevated CNS amino acid concentrations similar to those found in older patients with bacterial meningitis. The reason for increased amino acid concentration in the meningitis group may be due to alterations in brain metabolism, changes in the kinetics of CSF formation, alterations in the removal of amino acids by active transport mechanisms, or a combination of factors. Delayed maturation of transport mechanisms may explain the high levels found in newborn infants.
More than a Metaphor: Assessing the Historical Legacy of Resource Dependence and its Contemporary Promise as a Theory of Environmental Complexity

At its inception, resource dependence (RD) held the promise to become a robustly developed theoretical perspective. However, behind an ever-growing citation count, scholars—including one of its key architects—have asserted that RD no longer inspires much substantive research and now serves as little more than an appealing metaphor about organizations [Pfeffer, J. (2003). Introduction to the classic edition. In J. Pfeffer & G.R. Salancik, The external control of organizations: A resource dependence perspective (classic edition). New York: Harper & Row]. A systematic analysis of RD's uses in the management literature lends some credence to this assessment. However, our analysis also shows a perspective that has been broadly influential and well-supported in applications that cross multiple empirical domains. Moreover, this impact has been achieved despite the widespread neglect of what is arguably RD's most distinctive insight; namely that an organization's external environment is composed of other organiza...
Starch-gel electrophoresis of malate dehydrogenase.

Abstract Malate dehydrogenase preparations were subjected to electrophoresis on starch gel at pH 7.0. Purified preparations of mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase were shown to exist in up to six separable forms on the gel. The distribution pattern of these forms was not influenced by the age of the tissue of origin, the purification procedures used or by a number of degradative treatments, although methyl iodide and urea treatment had some effect on the preparations. After elution from the gel, the components of the mitochondrial enzymes were shown to be relatively similar by some catalytic criteria, but to differ collectively from the “supernatant” (cytoplasmic) enzyme from pig heart.
How much oxygen is too much? Constraining Saturn's ring atmosphere

Abstract The discovery of a molecular oxygen atmosphere around Saturn's rings has important implications for the electrodynamics of the ring system. Its existence was inferred from the Cassini in situ detection of molecular oxygen ions above the rings during Saturn Orbit Insertion in 2004. Molecular oxygen is difficult to observe remotely, and theoretical estimates have yielded only a lower limit ( N n ≳ 10 13 cm −2 ) to the O2 column density. Comparison with observations has previously concerned matching ion densities at spacecraft altitudes far larger than the scale height of the neutral atmosphere. This is further complicated by charged particle propagation effects in Saturn's offset magnetic field. In this study we adopt a complementary approach, by focusing on bulk atmospheric properties and using additional aspects of the Cassini observations to place an upper limit on the column density. We develop a simple analytic model of the molecular atmosphere and its photo-ionization and dissociation products, with N n a free parameter. Heating of the neutrals by viscous stirring, cooling by collisions with the rings, and torquing by collisions with pickup ions are all included in the model. We limit the neutral scale height to h ≲ 3000 km using the INMS neutral density nondetection over the A ring. A first upper limit to the neutral column is derived by using our model to reassess O2 production and loss rates. Two further limits are then obtained from Cassini observations: corotation of the observed ions with the planet implies that the height-integrated conductivity of the ring atmosphere is less than that of Saturn's ionosphere; and the nondetection of fluorescent atomic oxygen over the rings constrains the molecular column from which it is produced via photo-dissociation. These latter limits are independent of production and loss rates and are only weakly dependent on temperature. From the three independent methods described, we obtain similar limits: N n ≲ 2 × 10 15 cm −2 . The mean free path for collisions between neutrals thus cannot be very much smaller than the scale height.
Digital computer-analyzed resting and sleep EEGs (sleep prints) after hemispherectomy in man

Abstract Resting and sleep EEGs of a patient with a left hemispherectomy were studied using digital computer period analysis and sleep print methods. It was observed that certain EEG potentials recorded in the operated side are not merely a smaller version of the activity originating in the unoperated side. The significantly more frequent occurrence of certain bioelectrical potentials in the operated side, and particularly the fluctuation of the differences in these potentials between the two sides during different phases of sleep, rules out the hypothesis that this activity is exclusively spread from the unoperated hemisphere and suggests the existence of indigenous bioelectrical phenomena in the operated side. Generally, a greater amount of slow potentials, alpha waves and over 40 c/sec superimposed fast activity was seen in the operated than in the unoperated side, indicating that subcortical structures are predominantly responsible for these activities. In contrast, 16–26 c/sec waves, K complexes, parietal humps, vertex sharp waves and spindle activity occurred mainly in the unoperated side, suggesting that these activities are dependent on an intact cortex or an intact thalamocortical functional system or both. The all-night sleep profiles of both hemispheres exhibited almost identical patterns, although the operated side revealed more slow wave spindle sleep.
Strategies for the Control of Unwanted Thoughts in Adolescents: The Adolescent Thought Control Questionnaire (TCQ-A)

A paucity of research on thought suppression exists among adolescents. The present study describes the preliminary psychometrics of the Adolescent Thought Control Questionnaire (TCQ-A) and its relationships with internalizing symptomatology in adolescents. Adolescents between 12 and 18 years of age completed the TCQ-A and other self-report instruments. Principal components analysis yielded five-factors theoretically derived from an adult measure: distraction, social, re-appraisal, worry, and punishment control strategies. The five-factor structure was well fitted to the data in a confirmatory factor analysis. Adequate evidence of reliability was obtained; however, internal consistency of the punishment factor was not adequate in the sample. The TCQ-A evidenced convergent and divergent validity with internalizing and externalizing symptomatology respectively. Future research applications of the TCQ-A, suggestions for further analyses, and refinement of the instrument are also discussed.
The Brezhnev doctrine and polish‐Soviet bargaining, 1971

(1987). The Brezhnev doctrine and polish‐Soviet bargaining, 1971. Journal of Communist Studies: Vol. 3, No. 3, pp. 250-266.
Interferometric and Chirped Optical Probe Techniques for High-Pressure Equation-of-State Measurements

We present experimental work exploring displacement and velocity interferometry as high spatial and temporal resolution diagnostics for measuring target preheat and the speed, planarity, and steadiness of a shock wave. A chirped pulse reflectometry experiment is also proposed as a frequency domain alternative for shock speed measurements. These techniques fill a need for high-precision diagnostics to derive accurate laboratory-based equation-of-state data at shock wave-driven pressures directly relevant to astrophysical systems. The performance of these optical laser probe techniques may exceed conventional passive techniques such as temporally streaked recording of optical emission upon shock breakout or side-on streaked X-ray radiography. Results from Nova laser and high-intensity ultrashort pulse experiments are presented.
Eradication Therapies for HIV Infection: Time to Begin Again

Despite the success of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in decreasing mortality for HIV-1-infected patients, ART has not cured the disease. A persistent viral reservoir in the T cells of HIV patients receiving potent ART is a significant barrier preventing eradication of HIV infection. We will briefly review what is known about the mechanisms that establish and maintain persistent HIV infection despite ART, to create a framework in which to consider approaches to the clearance or eradication of infection ("cure"), or to allow clinical stability in the absence of ART ("functional cure"). With regard to eradication therapies, it could be said that as a field our position is analogous to that of ART early in the HIV pandemic. As then we must now simultaneously develop and optimize platforms and paradigms for the discovery and testing of eradication therapies, and begin to advance candidate therapies toward human testing.
Studies of chromium gettering

Abstract Preliminary results have shown that hydrogen pumping by chromium is a surface effect. Unlike with titanium, the getter material used in many present day tokamaks, there is no significant diffusion into the bulk. This feature, which would minimize the tritium inventory, makes chromium a viable alternate to titanium gettering for future tokamaks. Additional experiments have been carried out to measure the basic characteristics of chromium films for gases of interest in tokamak research. These gases include deuterium, oxygen and nitrogen. A vacuum system is described which allowed precise control of the test gas, a constant wall temperature and determination of the projected getter surface area. A quadrupole mass spectrometer, rather than simply a total pressure gauge, was utilized to measure the partial pressure of the test gas as well as the residual gas composition in the system. A quartz crystal monitor was used to measure film thickness. Pumping speeds and sticking coefficients are given as a function of surface coverage for each test gas. A comparison will be made with titanium films deposited in the same vacuum system and under similar conditions.
Ethanol Transport and Chemistry in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Biofuels are receiving significant interest as a source for sustainable, locally produced hydrocarbon fuels. While solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) can operate efficiently on biomass fuel streams, their use can prove problematic if process conditions are not carefully monitored, as carbon-deposit formation presents a significant risk. In this study, we examine the chemistry and transport processes underway when SOFC anodes are exposed to ethanol-steam mixtures. Through use of a unique Separated-Anode Experiment, this study decouples anode chemistry processes from charge-transfer, cathode-activation, and other electrochemical processes in an effort to focus on ethanol decomposition in SOFC environments. Experiments are combined with numerical simulations that include Dusty-Gas transport modeling within the anode pore structure, and elementary, multi-step heterogeneous and homogeneous chemical kinetics mechanisms representing fuel conversion within the anode. Process windows for deposit-free operation are postulated, and alternate anode architectures that minimize the risk of deposit formation are discussed.© 2008 ASME
A Community-Grounded Approach to Understanding Preservation of the Cultural Heritage of Refugee Communities

Project APRCH (Agency in the Preservation of Refugee Cultural Heritage), is an effort to ask refugees to speak in their own voice, attaining agency, about the direction they wish to take in the preservation of their (refugee) cultural heritage. Project APRCH focuses on learning from/about the refugee population in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina, USA, as a microcosm of similar communities across the United States. It seeks to understand the relationships of particular community members to their intangible cultural heritage as a process for authentic cultural heritage preservation.
Recognition memory for modes of perceptual forms under two conditions of presentation.

Summary.-20 undergraduates were presented with 16 stimuli consisting of differing patterned lines. In 8 the lines formed closed figures; the other 8 stimuli were unconnected lines presented in an arrangement of parallel lines. On a recognition test, recall for lines presented in an unconnected mode was superior to recall for lines presented as figures. It was suggested that the figure is an added factor in the memory span and hinders retention of its component lines. The organization of units into a coherent whole form would normally be considered as an aid to the perception and retention of the form. Asch, Ceraso, and Heimer (1960) have found that "the ability to recall jointly the parts of a stimuliis distribution was substantially superior when the data belonged to the same perceptual units." Similarly, verbal units such as words are generally easier to recall if they are presented as parts of an organized whole than in a random or non-articulated manner (Miller & Selfridge, 1950). Girgus ( 1972), however, has argued that in some instances a new emerging theme, such as that belonging to a coherent paragraph, may serve to hinder retention of some of its component units. For example, the surface structure of sentences is harder to recognize if the sentences have been presenced as part of a coherent paragraph rather than as unrelated sentences. It would be of interest to see if this detrimental effect on unit retention in memory is more general in nature and can be demonstrated with material ocher than verbal units. This paper reports an attempt co extend this finding in an analogous fashion co the perception of visual forms.
Carbonylation of mitochondrial proteins in Drosophila melanogaster during aging

Age-related changes in carbonylation of mitochondrial proteins were determined in mitochondria from the flight muscles of Drosophila melanogaster. Reactivity with antibodies against (i) adducts of dinitrophenyl hydrazone (DNP), commonly assumed to react broadly with derivatized carbonyl groups, (ii) malondialdehyde (MDA), or (iii) hydroxynonenal (HNE), was compared at five different ages of flies. MDA and HNE are carbonyl-containing products of lipid peroxidation, which can form covalent adducts with proteins. Specific objectives were to address the following inter-related issues: (1) what are the sources of adducts involved in protein carbonylation in mitochondria during aging; (2) is carbonylation by different adducts detectable solely by the DNP antibodies, as assumed widely; (3) can the adducts formed by lipid peroxidation products in vivo, be used as markers for monitoring age-associated changes in oxidative damage to proteins. The total amounts of immunoreactive proteins, detected by all three antibodies, were found to increase with age; however, the immunodensity of individual reactive bands and the magnitude of the increases were variable, and unrelated to the relative abundance of a protein. While some protein bands were strongly immunopositive for all three antibodies, others were quite selective. The amounts of high molecular weight cross-linked proteins (>200kDa) increased with age. In general, the anti-HNE antibody reacted with more protein bands compared to the anti-MDA or -DNP antibody. The results suggest that sources of the carbonyl-containing protein adducts vary and no single antibody reacts with all of them. Overall, the results indicate that HNE shows robust age-associated increases in adductation with mitochondrial proteins, and is a good marker for monitoring protein oxidative damage during aging.
Women‐Headed Families: Problems and Copings Strategies

This article presents an in‐depth profile of women headed families by exploring the problems of single mothers and their coping strategies and evaluate single motherhood as an opportunity for self‐development and building support systems. It offers suggestions for policy making by local, state, and federal government agencies and private sector, and stresses the need for systematic on‐going research.
Derivation of daily values used for nutrition labeling

Abstract Daily Values (DVs) are the daily dietary intake standards used for nutrition labeling. Information on the derivation of DVs is important for dietetics professionals and nutrition educators who use DVs to educate and instruct patients and students about diet planning and evaluation and about adherence to modified diets. The first daily intake standards for nutrition labeling were established in 1973 and were referred to as the US Recommended Daily Allowances (US RDAs). They were based on the 1968 Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) developed by the National Academy of Sciences. These intake standards were mandatory for 8 and optional for 12 food components on nutrition labels. Regulations revising the daily intake standards for nutrition labeling were published in 1993. The new standards included Reference Daily Intakes (RDIs) for 19 food components and Daily Reference Values (DRVs) for 8 food components. The RDIs were based on the 1973 US RDAs, and the DRVs were based on consensus recommendations. On the nutrition label, the RDIs and DRVs are referred to as DVs. Percent DVs are mandatory on nutrition labels for 10 food components and optional for 16 food components. In 1995, DVs were established by regulation for 6 additional food components; these DVs are optional for nutrition labels. The DVs established in 1995 were based on information from the 1980 and 1989 revisions of the RDAs and Estimated Safe and Adequate Daily Dietary Intakes. Currently, percent DVs are mandatory on nutrition labels for 10 food components and optional for 22. Optional percent DVs become mandatory if claims are made about the food components or if the food components are added to the food through fortification or as food additives. J Am Diet Assoc. 1997;97:1407-1412.
Disparate regulation of insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins in a primitive, ictalurid, teleost (Ictalurus punctatus).

Abstract Vertebrate growth is principally controlled by growth hormone (GH) and, its intermediary, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). The actions of IGF-I are modulated by high-affinity binding proteins called insulin-like growth factor binding-proteins (IGFBPs). Channel catfish exhibit atypical responses (increased percentage body fat and reduced percentage protein) to GH treatment, despite GH-dependent IGF-I production. Among possible explanations for this atypical response to GH treatment is an unusual regulation of blood IGFBPs. In this species, there has been one report of a single 33-kDa plasma binding protein. To examine the occurrence and regulation of plasma IGFBPs in this species, two strains of channel catfish (Norris and USDA-103) were treated with weekly injections of recombinant bovine GH at different temperatures (21 °C versus 26 °C). In a separate experiment involving catfish of a different strain, endogenous GH levels were altered via injection of the GH secretogogue, bGHRH1–29-amide, and held in fresh water or transferred to brackish water (12 ppt). Following these treatments, the type and regulation of plasma IGFBPs in these catfish strains were examined by Western ligand blotting. We have identified five IGFBPs (19, 35, 44, 47, and >80 kDa) in catfish plasma that are differentially altered by experimental treatment and genetic lineage. Levels of the 19-kDa IGFBP were elevated in catfish of Norris and USDA-103 strains that were exposed to a higher environmental temperature (26 °C versus 21 °C), but was not seen in those animals used for the GH secretogogue/salinity study. In most vertebrates, treatment with GH increases levels of plasma IGFBP-3 (∼40–50 kDa). In the USDA-103 and Norris catfish strains, bGH injection reduced plasma levels of the 44- and 47-kDa IGFBPs. Similarly, elevations in plasma GH levels in GH secretogoge-treated and brackish water-adapted catfish resulted in reductions of the 44- and 47-kDa IGFBPs as well as a reduction in presence of a 35-kDa IGFBP that was not detected in the Norris or USDA-103 strains. Reduced levels of the 35, 44, and 47 kDa IGFBPs, seen in the plasma of the GH secretogogue-treated and brackish water-adapted animals, suggests that the atypical response of channel catfish to GH treatment is not attributed to the use of heterologous (bovine) GH. This negative response of the 35–47 kDa IGFBPs to GH has not been reported in any teleost or vertebrate (healthy) and may be partly responsible for the atypical physiological responses of channel catfish to GH treatment.
Adaptive PIFS model in fractal image compression

To achieve higher compression ratios in medical images while preserving quality, a new fractal method is developed, examined, and tested in this paper. The basic idea of fractal image compression is to reduce the similarity redundancy by identifying a given image with the fixed-point of an appropriate partitioned iterated function system (PIFS), that consists of a set of contractive affine transformations. Since conventional PIFS models use only affine transformations to represent similarity for the whole image, the quality of the re-created images is quite limited in some cases. Because the grayscale in most images is dependent on location, it is not sufficient to describe the relationship using linear transforms when there are complex textures present. Effective interpolation polynomials should adapt to the nature of the underlying texture; that is the basis of the new method. The new fractal image-compression algorithm uses adaptive PIFS (APIFS), that is based on variants of affine transformations and lossless compression methods. Polynomials of various orders are used to represent adaptively the similarity of grayscale based on the local details of the image, and the contractive condition for the generalized transformation is shown to hold. In this approach, quadratic and linear models are applied adaptively to the contractive transformations. The variants of the affine transform are used where similarities can be identified, while lossless compression techniques are used for those local areas in which similar domains do not exist or cannot be found. Preliminary experiments indicate that the APIFS model has the potential to increase the useful compression ratio. Experiments with medical images indicate that this new algorithm can be extended to yield a compression ratio of about 30:1 without perceptible degradation.
Symmetrization Inequalities for Difference Equations on Graphs

We prove symmetrization inequalities for positive solutions of (not necessarily linear) difference equations of the form??u=?u?c·u+?,where ? is a discrete Laplacian, ? is a convex decreasing function,cis a positive function and ? is a real function, on subsets ofX×Y, whereXis a graph andYis the line Z, the circle graph Zm, them-regular treeTm, the line graphL(Tm) ofTm, or the edge graph of the octahedron. Instead of ?, we may also have some other operators, including the heat operator. The typical result says that we use a discrete version of Steiner symmetrization to symmetrize the domain on which the equation is defined, and if all the functions and boundary values involved are appropriately symmetrized as well, then the increasing convex means ofu(x,·) are increased for each fixedx?X.
Spinal extradural hematoma in an infant with hemophilia A: An unusual presentation of a rare complication

Epidural hematomas are a rare complication of hemophilia. This article documents the first case of an infant who initially had irritability alone without neurologic symptoms. The infant's disease was diagnosed and treated early and the child had a good neurologic outcome.
Estimating net radiation with remotely sensed data: Results from KUREX‐91 and FIFE studies∗

Net radiation (Rn) is the major source of energy for evaporating water, heating the soil and air, and photosynthesis. The objective of this study is to estimate this important parameter with various models that have been developed to estimate the radiation balance components with remotely sensed data, and readily available meteorological data. Data used in this paper were collected over grassland vegetation during the FIFE‐87, ‐88, ‐89 studies and the KUREX‐91 study. For all studies estimated values of Rn were within about 10% of measured Rn. For the KUREX‐91 study, measured and estimated Rn agreed to within about 1%. Improvement in a model(s) to estimate the reflected shortwave flux would provide an even better estimate of Rn since in all studies the reflected radiation stream was overestimated compared to the measured values. There was no clear trend for under or over‐estimation of incoming short‐wave radiation from study to study. Components of the long‐wave balance were estimated with low mean relativ...
Predictors of HVOT performance in Parkinson's Disease

Evidence suggests that the Hooper Visual Organization Test (HVOT) has naming and executive components that vary in size depending on neurological diagnosis. The current study used a sample of individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) to demonstrate for the first time that an executive measure can be the best predictor of HVOT performance. Forty-eight nondemented and nondepressed individuals with idiopathic PD completed the HVOT and other measures of visuoperception, executive function, and visual confrontation naming. Despite average performance on all neuropsychological measures, an executive measure, time to complete Trail-Making Test Part B minus time to complete Part A, was clearly the best predictor of HVOT performance in a standard regression. The pattern of neurocognitive predictors is unlike that reported in healthy individuals and other patient samples. This finding suggests that the presence of a neuropathological process can alter neurocognitive correlates even when performance is intact, and supports the contention that executive function is paramount in the cognitive profile associated with PD.
Aid for Whom? Distance Caring and Corporate Practices

Making the world a better place through simple acts of consumption is a very appealing prospect. It is not surprising that campaigns such as “buy pink” to help curb breast cancer, or the RED campaign to stem AIDS, have taken hold in the United States and beyond. If buying a red toaster oven helps a woman somewhere in Africa get the antiretrovirals (ARVs) she needs, is that not a win-win arrangement? Unfortunately, corporate campaigns—such as the Bono-endorsed RED campaign to channel antiretroviral drugs to those living with AIDS in high-burden countries in Africa through proceeds from product sales—work to obfuscate corporate practices more than they solve global health problems. Unlike some consumer-driven causes such as fair-trade coffee, the RED campaign addresses nothing about the social relations of production behind, or environmental impact of, consuming particular products (Richey and Ponte ⇓). So, while those buying products from participating companies might feel good that profits, however vaguely specified, are going toward buying ARVs, this humanitarian act is contravened by the fact that the majority of multinational corporations today participate to varying degrees in offshoring their manufacturing and assembly operations. They do so because they are able to cut costs—and increase profits—through low wages, lax environmental regulations, and draconian working conditions such as enforced and unpaid overtime, no vacation leave or insurance coverage. Why is this relevant? Because buying a RED product is, of course, not just about contributing a percentage of the cost toward AIDS drugs, it …