cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Protein carbamylation in end stage renal disease: is there a mortality effect?

Purpose of review Protein carbamylation is a posttranslational protein modification caused, in part, by exposure to urea's dissociation product cyanate. Additional modulators of protein carbamylation include circulating free amino acid levels, inflammation, diet, smoking, and environmental pollution exposures. Carbamylation reactions can modify protein charge, structure, and function, leading to adverse molecular and cellular responses. These changes have been linked to several pathologic biochemical pathways relevant to patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) such as accelerated atherosclerosis and dysfunctional erythropoiesis, among others. This review examines the consequences of human protein carbamylation and the clinical impact this is thought to have in patients with ESRD. Recent findings Recent well-conducted studies across diverse cohorts of patients have independently associated elevations in protein carbamylation to mortality and morbidity in patients with ESRD. Studies are now examining the best strategies to reduce carbamylation load, including interventions aimed at lowering urea levels and restoring amino acid balance. Whether such carbamylation lowering strategies yield clinical improvements remain to be determined. Summary Numerous fundamental studies provide plausible mechanisms for the observed association between protein carbamylation burden and adverse clinical outcomes in ESRD. Studies employing nutritional and dialytic interventions to lower carbamylation may mitigate this risk but the net clinical benefit has not been established.
Long-distance entangling gates between quantum dot spins mediated by a superconducting resonator

Recent experiments with silicon qubits demonstrated strong coupling of a microwave resonator to the spin of a single electron in a double quantum dot, opening up the possibility of long-range spin-spin interactions. We present our theoretical calculation of effective interactions between distant quantum dot spins coupled by a resonator, and propose a protocol for fast, high-fidelity two-qubit gates consistent with experimentally demonstrated capabilities. Our simulations show that, in the presence of noise, spin-spin entangling gates significantly outperform cavity-mediated gates on charge qubits.
Time to Transplantation (TTT) for Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) in First Complete Remission (CR1) Is Comparable Among Adolescent and Young Adults (AYAs) and Older Adults

Background AYA patients have a myriad of specific psychosocial and other challenges which may influence their ability to obtain appropriate treatment. Healthcare disparities regarding access to healthcare have been well described in this population. We hypothesized that hurdles faced by the AYA patient population also apply to patients with AML requiring allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), resulting in AYAs having a longer TTT compared to older adults. Objectives In this study we aimed to compare TTT, defined as time from diagnosis to transplant for AML in CR1 between AYAs and older adults. Additionally, we aimed to determine if TTT has changed over time for this cohort and to identify factors associated with TTT. Methods BMT Program database was used to identify allogeneic HCT recipients with AML in CR1 from January 2007 to June 2018 for AYAs (age 18-39 years) and older adults (age 40-60 years). All the identified patients underwent allogeneic stem cell transplant in complete remission 1 (CR1). Patients receiving cord blood graft source were excluded. AYA and older adults were compared with Wilcoxon, Chi-square, or Fisher's exact test. Change in TTT over time was assessed with Spearman correlation (r). Factors associated with TTT were assessed with Wilcoxon or Jonckheere-Terpstra test. Results A total of 105 patients were identified: 24 AYAs and 81 older adults. Baseline characteristics were similar between AYAs and older adults aside from Karnofsky performance status; AYAs had better performance status than older adults (p=0.012) . Time to Transplant did not differ from between AYA and older adults (median 4.1 vs 4.0 months, p=0.61). There was no evidence of a change in TTT in more recent years in AYA (r=0.15, p=0.48) or older adults (r=-0.02, p=0.85). The only variable associated with TTT, as expected, was donor type (unrelated donors median 4.3 vs related donors 3.8 months, p=0.022) (Table 1). Conclusion Time to transplant for AYAs in AML is comparable to older adults and has not changed over time. Our analysis is limited to experience from a single center and a larger multicenter effort that takes into account other sociodemographic mediators of healthcare disparities is needed to better describe the association of age and time to allogeneic HCT in AML CR1. Our next step is to explore various psychosocial factors in this cohort and determine if they play a role in the TTT and also determine if TTT has an impact on outcomes.
From media hype to twitter storm: news explosions and their impact on issues, crises and public opinion

Peter Vasterman’s edited book From media hype to twitter storm: news explosions and their impact on issues, crises and public opinion aggregates a variety of contemporary studies contributed by 31 ...
Daring discourse: is nerve block with sedation the safest anesthetic for beach chair position?

Arthroscopic shoulder surgery is one of the most frequently performed orthopedic surgical procedures in the USA, with over 500 000 procedures occurring each year.[1 2][1] The sitting, or beach chair position (BCP), with the back elevated between 45° and 75°, is used in the great majority of
The impact of exposure, relaxation, and rescripting therapy for post-trauma nightmares on suicidal ideation.

Objective This study investigated whether a brief psychotherapy for post-trauma nightmares (exposure, relaxation, and rescripting therapy [ERRT]), reduced suicidal ideation (SI). We hypothesized that: (a) nightmare frequency and severity, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and sleep quality would be related to SI at pretreatment; (b) SI would decrease from pre- to post-treatment; and (c) the decrease in SI would remain after controlling for change in PTSD and depression. Method Seventy-five individuals exposed to a traumatic event and who experienced frequent nightmares (minimum one per week) participated in ERRT. Participants were not required to have a psychological diagnosis. Thirty percent endorsed SI at pretreatment. Results Depression and PTSD were related to SI at pretreatment. SI decreased following treatment; however, the third hypothesis was not supported. Conclusion Results suggest brief psychotherapy targeting post-trauma nightmares may decrease SI. More research is necessary to determine what factors contribute to decreases in SI.
Patellar Bone–Tendon–Bone Autografts versus Quadriceps Tendon Allograft with Synthetic Augmentation in a Canine Model

Patellar bone–tendon–bone (pBTB) autografts are often considered the “gold standard” for complete anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction and are also associated with significant complications and early-onset knee osteoarthritis (OA). A novel quadriceps tendon allograft with synthetic augmentation, or “internal brace” (QTIB), has been reported to have potential advantages for ACL reconstruction based on animal model data. In this preclinical canine comparison study, we hypothesized that QTIB allograft compared with pBTB autograft would provide superior durability for knee stability, function, and prevention of OA. Under approval from our Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, adult purpose-bred research hounds (n = 10) underwent arthroscopic complete transection of the ACL followed by either an arthroscopic-assisted all-inside ACL reconstruction using the QTIB allograft (n = 5) or pBTB autograft (n = 5). Contralateral knees were used as nonoperated controls (n = 10). Radiographic and arthroscopic assessments were performed at 2 and 6 months, respectively, after surgery. Anterior drawer, internal rotation, lameness, kinetics, pain, effusion, and comfortable range of knee motion were measured at 2, 3, and 6 months. Biomechanical and histologic assessments were performed at 6 months. All reconstructed knees were stable and had intact ACL grafts 6 months after surgery. At 6 months, QTIB reconstructed knees had significantly less lameness, lower pain, less effusion, and increased range of motion when compared with BTB knees (p
Association of fetal gender and the onset and severity of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

Objective: It was reported that fetal gender was associated with gestational-age related incidence of preeclampsia. However, there is no study to date to evaluate the association of fetal gender di...
Participation and litigation: parallel routes to policy in the South African postcolony

Policy processes in contemporary South Africa draw attention to a phenomenon that is both common in policymaking and under-theorised in the anthropology of policy: the tendency for policy to be mad...
Examining the Perceptions of People with Disabilities on the Use of Accessibility Standards in Web Interface Design

This paper focuses on how a small sample of people with disabilities perceives the usability of web interfaces designed to meet current standards for people with disabilities. Developing accessible interfaces for online educational tools is necessary in providing an inclusive learning environment. Seeking the perceptions of people with disabilities is a logical design step, but it is even more critical due to the emerging evidence on the limitations of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), the standard currently used in the design process. In this work, we report the perceptions of people with disabilities on an example web interface designed according to WCAG standards. In this work-in-progress, we employed 43 workers from Amazon Mechanical Turk to compare the existing interface for CATME (an educational platform for team formation and peer evaluation) to an interface implemented according to web content accessibility guidelines while giving why they might prefer the features of either interface. The majority of the participants preferred the WCAG-compliant designs, a few participants provided useful reflections on their preference for the original interface. For example, WCAG criteria 1.4.11 require that hovering over a button results in a color change of the button from blue to white. Approximately half of the participants supported this feature, but the rest preferred a different method of highlighting a target button. We infer that WCAG criteria should be followed with continued reflections on user-centered design, particularly given that several WCAG criteria apply on a case-by-case basis according to the overall design of the web interface. In this paper, we perform a detailed analysis on the feedbacks and reasons given by the participants on the implementation of various accessibility criteria and examine their reasoning to understand the rationale of this small sample of people with disabilities in web designs. The input from this study will guide further exploration with a larger sample of participants. We hope that our research findings will provide further insights into the development of accessible educational tools.
Bishop William Nicolson of Carlisle and his Dean, Francis Atterbury: A Case Study of Local Ecclesiastical Politics, 1705 to 1708

The beginning of Queen Anne’s reign saw an intense struggle between High Church Tories and the Whiggish Williamite bishops over issues involving the power of Convocation and the practice of occasio...
A Moment in the The Times: Law Professors and the Court-Packing Plan

In the mid-1 930s law teachers found themselves at a professional crossroads. Over the past fifty years they had promoted legal education from the trade school to the university by casting their work as a "scientific" endeavor. But by the thirties the idea of "scientific" legal study had taken on so many meanings that it had become almost meaningless. Moreover, some among a new generation of law teachers the legal realists were attacking the Langdellian concept of scientific legal study as sterile and ineffective. At the same time, the Great Depression was snuffing out a "scientific" approach that emphasized empirical research. The writing was on the wall: the profession could no longer rally around abstract scientific principles to organize or promote itself. But what would replace law teachers' perceived affiliation with and service of their "science" as a source of influence, prestige, and professional meaning? The path taken connected the law school to the outside world. In the 1930s law teachers leveraged the respect they had cultivated as "scientists" to move beyond law journals and law-reform commissions and assume a more visible and direct role in influencing public opinion on controversial issues. The authors who have discussed the development of the law professor as a public figure have focused principally on the government service of Felix Frankfurter and his disciples and the legal realists who took part in Franklin Roosevelt's
C5 is almost a fractalizer

We determine the maximum number of induced copies of a 5-cycle in a graph on $n$ vertices for every $n$. Every extremal construction is a balanced iterated blow-up of the 5-cycle with the possible exception of the smallest level where for $n=8$, the Mobius ladder achieves the same number of induced 5-cycles as the blow-up of a 5-cycle on 8 vertices. This result completes work of Balogh, Hu, Lidický, and Pfender [Eur. J. Comb. 52 (2016)] who proved an asymptotic version of the result. Similarly to their result, we also use the flag algebra method but we extend its use to small graphs.
Design Considerations for a Sub-25μW PLL with Multi-Phase Output and 1-450MHz Tuning Range

In this paper, we present the design considerations for a sub-25μW phase-locked loop (PLL) with a wide tuning range and multi-phase outputs, which makes it suitable for applications that involve clock-and-data-recovery with variable data rates, such as broadband body-area-networks. Several architectures for the voltage- controlled-oscillator (VCO) are analyzed for power and performance, and the considerations for keeping the VCO's low-dropout-regulator (LDO) within the loop and outside the loop are discussed. Power consumption is minimized by keeping the LDO outside the loop, which exempts the error-amplifier (EA) from the bandwidth constraints posed by the PLL. Conforming to the analysis, the PLL is designed and simulated in a standard 65nm CMOS process, and the results show that energy-efficiencies as low as 70fJ/cycle can be achieved with a tuning range of 1-450MHz along with multi-phase outputs with RMS timing jitter of 11.4ps (frequency offset < 100ppm) from a 31-stage split-tuned ring oscillator VCO.
Modulation of electrophoresis, electroosmosis and diffusion for electrical transport of proteins through a solid-state nanopore.

Nanopore probing of molecular level transport of proteins is strongly influenced by electrolyte type, concentration, and solution pH. As a result, electrolyte chemistry and applied voltage are critical for protein transport and impact, for example, capture rate (CR), transport mechanism (i.e., electrophoresis, electroosmosis or diffusion), and 3D conformation (e.g., chaotropic vs. kosmotropic effects). In this study, we explored these using 0.5–4 M LiCl and KCl electrolytes with holo-human serum transferrin (hSTf) protein as the model protein in both low (±50 mV) and high (±400 mV) electric field regimes. Unlike in KCl, where events were purely electrophoretic, the transport in LiCl transitioned from electrophoretic to electroosmotic with decreasing salt concentration while intermediate concentrations (i.e., 2 M and 2.5 M) were influenced by diffusion. Segregating diffusion-limited capture rate (Rdiff) into electrophoretic (Rdiff,EP) and electroosmotic (Rdiff,EO) components provided an approach to calculate the zeta-potential of hSTf (ζhSTf) with the aid of CR and zeta potential of the nanopore surface (ζpore) with (ζpore–ζhSTf) governing the transport mechanism. Scrutinization of the conventional excluded volume model revealed its shortcomings in capturing surface contributions and a new model was then developed to fit the translocation characteristics of proteins.
Genomic Screening for Pathogenic Transthyretin Variants Finds Evidence of Underdiagnosed Amyloid Cardiomyopathy From Health Records

Abstract Background New treatments for transthyretin amyloidosis improve survival, but diagnosis remains challenging. Pathogenic or likely pathogenic (P/LP) variants in the transthyretin (TTR) gene...
Ligeti's Laments: Nostalgia, Exoticism, and the Absolute

Contents: Preface The cosmopolitan exception Ligeti's Ur-Laments Lament and the universal exception The transparent tangle of history The singular exotic Lament and the absolute Lament as genre Select bibliography Index.
Vascular Diseases and Ionized Magnesium

Use of ion-selective electrodes (ISE’s) for IMg2+ on plasma, whole blood and sera from patients with a variety of cardiovascular disease syndromes (e.g., hypertension, myocardial infarction, diabetes, long-term renal transplants, liver transplants, during and before cardiac surgery, ischemic heart disease [IHD], non-insulin dependent diabetes (NIDDM), end-stage renal disease [ESRD], peritoneal [HEM] and continuous ambulatory dialysis (CAPD), and stroke syndromes), has revealed interesting data. The results indicate that these vascular disease syndromes are associated with significant depression in serum IMg2+ but not TMg. 60–65% of patients early after acute myocardial infarction exhibit significant depression in serum IMg2+ levels associated with concomitant rises in CPK and CKMB enzyme levels; most patients with mild infarctions fail to exhibit significant depression in IMg2+. Use of 31P-NMR spectroscopy on red blood cells, from several of these disease states, to assess free intracellular Mg ([Mg2+]i), demonstrates a high correlation (r = 0.5-0.8) between IMg2+ and [Mg2+]i. Correlations between the clinical course of several of the above disease syndromes and the fall in IMg2+ and [Mg2+]i were found. The ICa2+/IMg2+ ratio appears, from our data, to be an important guide for signs of peripheral vasoconstriction, ischemia or spasm and possibly atherogenesis. Overall, our data point to important uses for ISE’s for IMg2+ in the diagnosis and treatment of vascular disease states.
On nonlinear oscillations in a suspension bridge system

In this paper, we study nonlinear oscillations in a suspension bridge system governed by two coupled nonlinear partial differential equations. By applying the Leray-Schauder degree theory, it is proved that the suspension bridge system has at least two solutions, one is a near-equilibrium oscillation, and the other is a large amplitude oscillation.
Deduced consensus sequence of Sindbis virus strain AR339: Mutations contained in laboratory strains which affect cell culture and in vivo phenotypes

The consensus sequence of the Sindbis virus AR339 isolate, the prototype alphavirus, has been deduced. THe results presented here suggest (i) that a substantial proportion of the sequence divergence evident between the consensus sequence and sequences of laboratory strains of AR339 has resulted from selection for efficient growth in cell culture, (ii) that many of these changes affect the virulence of the virus in animal models, and (iii) that such modified genetic backgrounds present in laboratory strains can exert a significant influence on genetic studies of virus pathogenesis and host range. A laboratory strain of Sindbis virus AR339 was sequenced and cloned as a cDNA (pTRSB) from which infectious virus (TRSB) could be derived. The consensus sequence was deduced from the complete sequences of pTRSB and HRsp (E. G. Strauss, C. M. Rice, and J. H. Strauss, Virology 133:92-110, 1984), from partial sequences of the glycoprotein genes of three other AR339 laboratory strains, and by comparison with the sequences of the glycoprotein genes of three other AR339 sequence. HRsp differed form the consensus sequence by eight coding changes, and TRSB differed by three coding changes. In the 5' untranslated region, HRsp differed from the consensus sequence at nucleotide (nt) 5. These differences were likely the result of cell culture passage of the original AR339 isolate. At three of the difference loci (one in TRSB and two in HRsp), selection of cell-culture-adaptive mutations was documented with Sindbis virus or other alphaviruses. Selection in cell culture often results in attenuation of virulence in animals. Considering the TRSB and HRsp sequences together, one noncoding difference from the consensus (an A-for-G substitution in the 5' untranslated region at nt 5) and six coding differences in the glycoprotein genes (at E2 amino acids 1, 3, 70, and 172 and at E1 amino acids 72 and 237) were at loci which, either individually or in combination, significantly affected alphavirus virulence in mice. Although the levels of virulence of isogenic strains containing either nt 5 A or nt 5 G did not differ significantly in neonatal mice, the presence of nt 5 A greatly enhanced the effect of a second attenuating mutation in the E2 gene. These results suggest that minimal differences in the "wild type" genetic background into which an additional mutation is introduced can have a dramatic effect on apparent virulence and pathogenesis phenotypes. A cDNA clone of the consensus AR339 sequence, a sequence devoid of occult attenuating mutations introduced by cell culture passage, will allow the molecular genetic examination of cell culture and in vivo phenotypes of a virus which may best reflect the sequence of Sindbis virus AR339 at the time of its isolation.
Autonomous decision-making processes and the responsible cyber commander

With cyber operations conceivably moving at near light speed, commanders in cyber warfare will likely need to rely extensively upon autonomous decision-making processes (ADPs) to be effective. For commanders to meet their obligations under the Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC) and complementary Rules of Engagement (ROE), these ADPs must function in a manner compliant with both. To better understand how such ADPs might be effectively used, it is important to consider the operational challenges cyber commanders face in conducting cyber warfare, the different options available to cyber commanders to decrease the time frame required for making effective, LOAC-compliant decisions, and how ethical ADPs might be created. To that end, this paper focuses on the development of programme architecture and procedures that will be necessary to meet LOAC and ROE requirements, rather than the applicable law or potential ROE.
Blood volume in pre-eclampsia: Fantasy and reality

Abstract A great deal has been stated recently about the importance of hypovolemia in pre-eclampsia and eclampsia from the point of view of pathogenesis and management. Some authors even believe that the so-called hypovolemia represents an etiologic factor and should be “corrected”. In this paper, the hemodynamic factors that maintain the circulation in the normal nonpregnant and pregnant states are discussed. These factors are then used as a background for explaining the pathophysiologic abnormalities of the acute hypertensive disease of pregnancy. It is concluded that the slight decrease in blood volume observed in pre-eclampsia has no hemodynamic relevance; the blood volume is merely “fitting” a contracted vascular bed. The major abnormality resides in the constricted arteriolar system and not in the blood volume.
Solving robust optimization models in finance

Leading international financial firms are applying multi-stage stochastic programs for managing asset-liability risk over extended time periods. Prominent examples include: Towers Perrin, State Farm Insurance, Falcon Asset Management, Frank Russell and Unilever. The asset-liability management systems assist pension plan investors, banks, insurance companies and other leveraged institutions. Wealthy individuals can benefit by developing careful risk management strategies. The advantages of integrating assets and liabilities are discussed along with a brief comparison of alternative modeling frameworks. We describe the advantages of high-performance computers for solving these difficult nonlinear robust optimization problems.
Recent progress and open questions in Drosophila dosage compensation.

Sexual dimorphism is observed in many traits across diverse taxa, and often it is quite extreme. Within a species, individuals of opposing sex can appear strikingly different, reflecting differences at the molecular level that may be similarly striking. Among the most extreme cases of such molecular sexual dimorphism is the quantity of sex chromosomes that each sex possesses. Hemizygous sex chromosomes are common to many species, and various mechanisms have evolved to regulate transcriptional activity to ensure appropriate sex chromosome-to-autosome gene expression stoichiometry. Among the most thoroughly investigated of these mechanisms is Drosophila melanogaster's male-specific lethal (MSL) complex-mediated dosage compensation. In Drosophila, the male X chromosome transcription is upregulated approximately two-fold in somatic tissues to counterbalance the effects of sex chromosome hemizygosity on transcript abundance. Despite dramatic advances in our understanding of the Drosophila dosage compensation, ...
Assessing the applicability of trial evidence to a target sample in the presence of heterogeneity of treatment effect.

Purpose To propose methods for the quantitative assessment of the applicability of evidence from a trial to a target sample using individual data. Methods Demonstration was with a trial of drug therapy to prevent mortality and an accompanying registry of people with heart failure. Principal components analysis with biplots did not identify measurement discrepancies. Multiple imputation with chained equations addressed missing predictor values. A proportional hazards model with interaction term, including graphical interpretation and a multivariate interaction test, identified heterogeneity of treatment effect. An interval of homogeneity of treatment effect was the interval of the baseline risk of outcome in which no two treatment effects were statistically significantly different. Absolute risk reduction for individuals was estimated for both benefit and harm outcomes and presented in a bivariate treatment effects scatterplot. Results Overall, the trial evidence applied to most of the registry according to overlapping distributions of estimated benefit and harm. However, 52% of trial and 33% of registry participants were estimated to have net benefit, and 14% of trial and 36% of registry participants were estimated to have strong net harmful treatment effect, that is, the individual estimate of harm was more than twice the estimate of benefit. Conclusions The proposed methods provide quantitative assessment of the applicability of trial evidence to a target sample. They combine the strengths of different study designs, namely, unbiased effects estimation from trials and representation in observational studies, while addressing the practical challenges of combining information, namely, measurement discrepancies and missing data. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Microwave exfoliated graphene oxide/TiO2 nanowire hybrid for high performance lithium ion battery

Lithium ion battery (LIB) is a key solution to the demand of ever-improving, high energy density, clean-alternative energy systems. In LIB, graphite is the most commonly used anode material; however, lithium-ion intercalation in graphite is limited, hindering the battery charge rate and capacity. To date, one of the approaches in LIB performance improvement is by using porous carbon (PC) to replace graphite as anode material. PC's pore structure facilitates ion transport and has been proven to be an excellent anode material candidate in high power density LIBs. In addition, to overcome the limited lithium-ion intercalation obstacle, nanostructured anode assembly has been extensively studied to increase the lithium-ion diffusion rate. Among these approaches, high specific surface area metal oxide nanowires connecting nanostructured carbon materials accumulation have shown promising results for enhanced lithium-ion intercalation. Herein, we demonstrate a hydrothermal approach of growing TiO2 nanowires (TON) on microwave exfoliated graphene oxide (MEGO) to further improve LIB performance over PC. This MEGO-TON hybrid not only uses the high surface area of MEGO but also increases the specific surface area for electrode–electrolyte interaction. Therefore, this new nanowire/MEGO hybrid anode material enhances both the specific capacity and charge–discharge rate. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction were used for materials characterization. Battery analyzer was used for measuring the electrical performance of the battery. The testing results have shown that MEGO-TON hybrid provides up to 80% increment of specific capacity compared to PC anode.
Serving users with a local area network

Abstract The NBS local data network, NBSNET, emphasizes serial, asynchronous service at speeds up to 9600 bauds to terminal users and small computers. Network-wide conventions have been adopted so servers need not be aware of the detailed characteristics of user terminals or computers. These conventions have been implemented in software which resides in the individual network nodes. This software does all of the necessary translation to generate the correct control and escape sequences required by the attached equipment. Nodes attached to terminals handle the following characteristics: speed, echoing, parity, flow control, within-line editing, cursor positioning, delay after format characters, and line-at-a-time or character-at-a-time transmission mode. Each network node has the correct variants of these characteristics for a single specified terminal type, but most of them may be varied under local and/or remote control. Another variant of the node software supports connections to computers acting as either servers or users of the network. Cooperating software in the attached computer can implement both TELNET (simulated terminal) connections, and a file transfer protocol. Full end-to-end flow control is provided in three stages; user-to-node, node-to-node, and node-to-user. This prevents needless lost data packets when output has been suspended by a user, and is required for speed conversion to be done correctly. By segmenting the flow control, a device need not know all the various ways that other devices do flow control. An interrupt feature allows data buffers to be flushed and supporting processes to be notified. A software rotary has been incorporated in all nodes to provide automatic sequencing of connection attempts to a computer acting as a server which has multiple nodes attached to it.
The effects of exposure time and pressure on the temperature-programmed desorption spectra of systems with bulk states

Abstract A mean-field model describing temperature programmed desorption (TPD) spectra for coupled reaction-diffusion (RD) systems is introduced. This finite medium model includes two states; a surface state and a state in the bulk which supports concentration gradients. A unified model which treats both exposure and desorption during a typical TPD experiment is presented. The substantial concentration gradients developed in the bulk during exposure depend sensitively on the rate of exposure, and profoundly influence the spatiotemporal evolution of concentration profiles during TPD. Our approach follows the development of the experiment accurately and can be used to probe the detailed characteristics of coupled RD systems. The nominal exposure in Langmuir units (L) is not adequate for coupled RD systems, since diffusion into the bulk during adsorption depends strongly on time. The detailed exposure schedule used, including exposure pressure and exposure time, must be reported for the correct interpretation of the TPD spectra of RD systems.
Reevaluation of the changes in polygalacturonases in tomatoes during ripening

A procedure was developed for the differential extraction of polygalacturonases (PG) I and II from tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.). Extraction of pericarp tissue from ripe fruit at conventional conditions of 1.0 M NaCl and pH 6.0 yielded nearly equal amounts of the two enzymes. However, most of the PG activity could be extracted also with water at pH 1.6, and the water extract contained only PG II. Subsequent extraction of the pellet with 1.0 M NaCl at pH 6.0 and 10.0 yielded some PG I and high levels of PG converter, the protein in tomatoes that reacts with PG II to form PG I. Application of this procedure to tomatoes at different stages of ripening showed that PG II appeared as ripening began and then increased during ripening. Much lower levels of PG I than of PG II were extracted at all stages of ripeness. The PG converter was present in unripe fruit and increased during ripening. The results demonstrate that PG I is formed when PG II and PG converter are solubilized simultaneously and that PG II is the only endogenous PG in tomatoes.
On the Transport and Angular Momentum Balance of Channel Models of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current

Abstract Angular momentum balances are discussed, both in general as well as in the context of simple channel models of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC). Particular emphasis is placed on the close relationship between the angular momentum balance and the meridional circulation. It is found that topographic form drag is established very early in the integration, whereas interfacial form drag can take much longer to develop. Restrictions on the geostrophic portion of the meridional circulation imposed by zonally reconnecting potential vorticity contours in the upper ocean allow derivation of an estimate for the steady-state transport. The estimate assumes there to be little or no circumpolar flow at great depth, an assumption that stems from the belief that the band of zonally reconnecting geostrophic contours in the Southern Ocean does not extend to the ocean floor. The predicted transport is proportional to the strength of the stratification and compares favorably with numerical results in the lite...
Synergistic anti-cancer effects of grape seed extract and conventional cytotoxic agent doxorubicin against human breast carcinoma cells.

With an approach to enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy agents against breast cancer treatment, here, we investigated the anti-cancer effects of grape seed extract (GSE) and doxorubicin (Dox), either alone or in combination, in estrogen receptor-positive MCF-7 and receptor-negative MDA-MB468 human breast carcinoma cells. GSE (25–200 µg/ml) treatment of cells resulted in 16–72% growth inhibition and 9–33% cell death, in a dose- and a time-dependent manner. In other studies, Dox (10–100 nM) treatment showed 23–96% growth inhibition and 10–55% cell death. Based on these results, several combinations of GSE (25–100 µg/ml) with Dox (10–75 nM) were next assessed for their synergistic, additive and/or antagonistic efficacy towards cell growth inhibition and death. In both MCF-7 and MDA-MB468 cells, a combination of 100 µg/ml GSE with 25–75 nM Dox treatment for 48 h showed a strong synergistic effect [combination index (CI) < 0.5] in cell growth inhibition, but mostly an additive effect (CI ∼ 1) in cell death. In cell-cycle progression studies, GSE plus Dox combination resulted in a moderate increase in G1 arrest in MCF-7 cells compared to each agent alone. GSE plus Dox combination showed a very strong and significant G1 arrest in MDA-MB468 cells when compared with Dox alone, however, it was less than that observed with GSE alone. In quantitative apoptosis studies, GSE and Dox alone and in combination showed comparable apoptotic death of MCF-7 cells, however, a combination of the two was inhibitory to Dox induced apoptosis in MDA-MB468 cells. This was further confirmed in another estrogen receptor-negative MDA-MB231 cell line, in which GSE and Dox combination strongly inhibited cell growth but did not show any increase in apoptotic cell death caused by Dox. Together, these results suggest a strong possibility of synergistic efficacy of GSE and Dox combination for breast cancer treatment, independent of estrogen receptor status of the cancer cell.
Regulation by Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor and/or Steroids Given In Vivo of Proinflammatory Cytokine and Chemokine Production by Bronchoalveolar Macrophages in Response to Aspergillus Conidia

Production of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1 alpha and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and of the chemotactic chemokine macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1 alpha by bronchoalveolar macrophages (BAMs) from mice in response to Aspergillus conidia was tested after in vivo administration of saline, dexamethasone, cortisone acetate, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), or a combination. Dexamethasone suppressed production of IL-1 alpha, TNF-alpha, and MIP-1 alpha; GM-CSF reduced secretion slightly but antagonized dexamethasone suppression when the two were given in combination. Cortisone acetate gave results similar to dexamethasone, but cortisone acetate suppression of BAM responses lasted 7 days, > or = 4 days longer than dexamethasone suppression. The effect of GM-CSF on cortisone acetate suppression lasted at least 7 days. GM-CSF could promote resistance to conidia by maintaining proinflammatory responses.
Long-term survival in renal transplant recipients with graft function.

Long-term survival in renal transplant recipients with graft function. Background Death with graft function (DWGF) is a common cause of graft loss. The risks and determinants of DWGF have not been studied in a recent cohort of renal transplant recipients. We performed a population-based survival analysis of U.S. patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) transplanted between 1988 and 1997. Methods Registry data were used to evaluate long-term patient survival and cause-specific risks of DWGF in 86,502 adult (≥18 years) renal transplant recipients. Results Out of 18,482 deaths, 38% ( N = 7040) were deaths with graft function. This accounts for 42.5% of all graft loss. Patient survival with graft function was 97, 91, and 86% at 1, 5, and 10 years, respectively. The risk of DWGF decreased by 67% (RR = 0.33, P P 30%, African American donor race, age> 45 years, and donor death caused by cerebrovascular disease. Conclusions Patients with graft function have a high long-term survival. Although DWGF is a major cause of graft loss, the risk has declined substantially since 1990. Cardiovascular disease was the predominant reported cause of DWGF. Other causes vary by post-transplant time period. Attention to atherosclerotic risk factors may be the most important challenge to further improve the longevity of patients with successful renal transplants.
USE OF THE HOLMIUM: YAG LASER FOR THE IMPACTED STONE BASKET

Purpose: During ureteroscopic basketing of ureteral calculi a stone may become engaged in the basket and the basket impacted in the ureter. We describe an endoscopic technique of managing the impacted basket and stone.Materials and Methods: The ureteroscope is back loaded off of the basket, and passed into the ureter beside the basket and stone. The holmium:YAG laser is used to irradiate a basket wire, fracturing the wire and releasing the stone. The basket is removed and the stone managed by holmium:YAG lithotripsy.Results: We successfully treated 3 consecutive patients with this technique. No injuries were observed.Conclusions: The holmium:YAG laser may be used to free an impacted stone basket containing a ureteral calculus.
Detection of gluten in human sera by an enzyme immunoassay: comparison of dermatitis herpetiformis and celiac disease patients with normal controls.

We have developed a triple sandwich enzyme immunoassay to detect circulating gluten in human sera. With human sera containing known amounts of added gluten as controls, the assay was sensitive in the range of 0.75 to 75 μ g of gluten per ml of serum. Forty-one control subjects were compared to 21 patients with dermatitis herpetiformis and 11 patients with celiac desease. The dermatitis herpetiformis and celiac disease patients had significant elevation of serum gluten values over the control subjects. Circulating gluten antigenemia is a previously unrecognized feature which may be important in understanding the pathogenesis of dermatitis herpetiformis and celias disease.
Potential lead on play surfaces: evaluation of the "PLOPS" sampler as a new tool for primary lead prevention.

This New Orleans study tested the "potential lead on play surfaces" (PLOPS) sampler, as a tool for measuring the potential lead (Pb) surface loading per area (e.g., microg/ft2) of the soil. The PLOPS is a cylindrical vinyl envelope filled with 1 kg (2.2 lbs) water. A wet wipe, the same type as used for floor wipes, is clipped to the bottom of the cylindrical vinyl envelope and placed on the soil and turned one quarter of a turn and back to obtain a sample. PLOPS samples paired with one conventional soil lead (SL) sample (amount of Pb per mass) up to 2.5 cm (1 in) deep were collected from 25 properties and 67-69 field sites before and after covering them with clean Mississippi River alluvial soil from the Bonnet Carre Spillway (BCS). Permutation methods were used to evaluate results. The correlation was 0.85 between Plops 1 and 2 and the agreement was 0.79 (P-values0.0000001, i.e., extreme). The averages of PLOPS duplicates were used to correlate PLOPS and SL. The simplest mathematical expressions are in the forms y=a+bxc and x=d+eyf, where x is PLOPS and y is SL. The results were:y=-7.42+0.408x0.97 and x=-43.74+24.85y0.69. The agreements were 0.61 and 0.62, respectively (P-value0.0000001). According to the relationship, when the PLOPS measure 40 microg/ft2, the predicted SL is 7.2 mg/kg. Also, when SL measures 400 mg/kg, 1508 microg/ft2 is predicted for PLOPS; therefore, SL concentration underestimates the potential for Pb exposure from the soil surface. The PLOPS tool provides a measurement that is comparable with interior floor wipes because it measures the amount of Pb per area a child is likely to encounter while at play on the soil surface.
Characterization of microsatellite loci for a threatened species, the King Rail, Rallus elegans, using a next-generation sequencing protocol

The King Rail Rallus elegans (Audubon) has experienced population declines of 4.6 % per year on average since the 1960s. Wetland loss, most severely affecting inland marshes, has significantly reduced this species’ distribution to the coastal margins of its historic range. Polymorphic microsatellite markers were generated by 454 pyrosequencing of genomic DNA from King Rails, and Clapper Rails R. longirostris from Louisiana after AFLP enrichment and barcoding of restriction fragment cut sites across individuals. Of 1,419 microsatellite-containing sequences, 20 hypervariable microsatellite loci with up to 20 different alleles were identified at the alignment stage. We characterized nine loci, tested variability in 45 Atlantic coast King Rail samples, and detected 4–19 alleles per locus. Cross-species amplification revealed variability in the Virginia Rail, R. limicola, and Sora, Porzana carolina. These loci will be useful for studying secretive marsh rails, many of which are threatened or endangered.
Alternating direction implicit techniques for two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic calculations

Abstract Alternating direction implicit numerical techniques for solving time-dependent, two-dimensional, two-fluid magnetohydrodynamic equations are presented. The techniques are illustrated with applications to the dynamics of a theta pinch and the expansion of a laser produced plasma and important features of both cases are demonstrated. The enhanced numerical stability of the method is discussed.
Do Energy‐Based PET Models Require More Input Data than Temperature‐Based Models? — An Evaluation at Four Humid FluxNet Sites

It is well established that wet environment potential evapotranspiration (PET) can be reliably estimated using the energy budget at the canopy or land surface. However, in most cases the necessary radiation measurements are not available and, thus, empirical temperature-based PET models are still widely used, especially in watershed models. Here we question the presumption that empirical PET models require fewer input data than more physically based models. Specifically, we test whether the energy-budget-based Priestley-Taylor (P-T) model can reliably predict daily PET using primarily air temperature to estimate the radiation fluxes and associated parameters. This method of calculating PET requires only daily minimum and maximum temperature, day of the year, and latitude. We compared PET estimates using directly measured radiation fluxes to PET calculated from temperature-based radiation estimates at four humid AmeriFlux sites. We found good agreement between P-T PET calculated from measured radiation fluxes and P-T PET determined via air temperature. In addition, in three of the four sites, the temperature-based radiation approximations had a stronger correlation with measured evapotranspiration (ET) during periods of maximal ET than fully empirical Hargreaves, Hamon and Oudin methods. Of the three fully empirical models, the Hargreaves performed the best. Overall, the results suggest that daily PET estimates can be made using a physically based approach even when radiation measurements are unavailable.