cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High‐temperature elastomers from silarylene‐siloxane‐diacetylene linear polymers

The syntheses and characterization of linear silarylene-siloxane-diacety-lene polymers 3a-c and their thermal conversion to crosslinked elastomeric materials 4a-c are discussed. Inclusion of the diacetylene unit required synthesis of an appropriate monomeric species. 1,4-Bis(dimethylaminodimethylsilyl)butadiyne [(CH 3 ) 2 N-Si(CH 3 ) 2 -C≡C-C≡C-(CH 3 ) 2 Si-N(CH 3 ) 2 ] 2 was prepared from 1,4-dilithio-1,3-butadiyne and 2 equiv of dimethylaminodimethylchlorosilane. The linear polymers were prepared via polycondensation of 2 with a series of disilanol prepolymers. The low molecular weight silarylene-siloxane prepolymers la-c (terminated by hydroxyl groups) were synthesized via solution condensation of an excess amount of 1,4-bis(hydroxydimethylsilyl)benzene with bis(dimethylamino)dimethylsilane. The linear polymers were characterized by 1 H and 13 C NMR, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and DSC. The elastomers exhibited long-term oxidative stability up to 330 °C in air as determined by TGA.
Dopamine D1 Receptor and Protein Kinase C Isoforms in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

-Dopamine, via D1-like receptors, stimulates the activity of both protein kinase A (PKA) and protein kinase C (PKC), which results in inhibition of renal sodium transport. Since D1-like receptors differentially regulate sodium transport in normotensive and hypertensive rats, they may also differentially regulate PKC expression in these rat strains. Thus, 2 different D1-like agonists (fenoldopam or SKF 38393) were infused into the renal artery of anesthetized normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) (n=5 to 6/drug/strain). Ten or 60 minutes after starting the D1-like agonist infusion, both the infused kidney and the noninfused kidney that served as control were prepared for analysis. The D1-like agonists produced a greater diuresis and natriuresis and inhibited Na+,K+-ATPase activity in proximal tubule (PT) and medullary thick ascending limb (mTAL) to a greater extent in WKY (Delta20+/-1%) than in SHR (Delta7+/-1%, P<0.001). D1-like agonists had no effect on PKC-alpha or PKC-lambda expression in either membrane or cytosol but increased PKC-theta expression in PT in both WKY and SHR at 10 minutes but not at 60 minutes. However, membranous PKC-delta expression in PT and mTAL decreased in WKY but increased in SHR with either 10 or 60 minutes of D1-like agonist infusion. D1-like agonists also decreased membranous PKC-zeta expression in PT and mTAL in WKY but increased it in PT but not in mTAL in SHR. We conclude that there is differential regulation of PKC isoform expression by D1-like agonists that inhibits membranous PKC-delta and PKC-zeta in WKY but stimulates them in SHR; this effect in SHR is similar to the stimulatory effect of norepinephrine and angiotensin II and may be a mechanism for their differential effects on sodium transport.
Fe L-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy of low-spin heme relative to non-heme Fe complexes: delocalization of Fe d-electrons into the porphyrin ligand.

Hemes (iron porphyrins) are involved in a range of functions in biology, including electron transfer, small-molecule binding and transport, and O2 activation. The delocalization of the Fe d-electrons into the porphyrin ring and its effect on the redox chemistry and reactivity of these systems has been difficult to study by optical spectroscopies due to the dominant porphyrin ﷿f﷿* transitions, which obscure the metal center. Recently, we have developed a methodology that allows for the interpretation of the multiplet structure of Fe L-edges in terms of differential orbital covalency (i.e., differences in mixing of the d-orbitals with ligand orbitals) using a valence bond configuration interaction (VBCI) model. Applied to low-spin heme systems, this methodology allows experimental determination of the delocalization of the Fe d-electrons into the porphyrin (P) ring in terms of both PfFe U and ﷿-donation and FefP ﷿ back-bonding. We find that ﷿-donation to Fe(III) is much larger than ﷿ back-bonding from Fe(II), indicating that a hole superexchange pathway dominates electron transfer. The implications of the results are also discussed in terms of the differences between heme and non-heme oxygen activation chemistry.
Lectures and the hidden curriculum.

Editor – We read with interest Dr Smith’s recent commentary regarding lecture attendance in the pre-clinical curriculum. We agree that the first 2 years of medical school are formative and influence students’ future professional behaviours. However, we submit that the issue of lecture attendance is attributable to far more than students’ lifestyle preferences and involves the medium of lecture itself.
Review of Aristotle's Laptop: The Discovery of Our Informational Mind by Igor Aleksander and Helen Morton

This book is both a history of attempts to understand consciousness, and a presentation of the authors' own theory. The history is well written and informative. The theory has some intriguing aspects, based on how a neurally controlled agent might locate itself in space. But for the most part they base their theory of consciousness on Giulio Tononi's proposal that sensations are trajectories of a neural system through a very high-dimensional state space. Because it is never explained how such a state space could influence verbal reports of the qualia of sensations, the theory leaves consciousness as a sort of vapor misting around the brain while waiting for a precise specification of its causal role.
Divergent Eddy Heat Fluxes in the Kuroshio Extension at 144°–148°E. Part II: Spatiotemporal Variability

The Kuroshio Extension System Study (KESS) provided 16 months of observations to quantify divergent eddy heat flux (DEHF) from a mesoscale-resolving array of current- and pressure-equipped inverted echo sounders. KESS observations captured a regime shift from a stable to unstable state. There is a distinct difference in the spatial structure of DEHFs between the two regimes. The stable regime had weak downgradient DEHFs. The unstable regime exhibited asymmetry along the mean path with strong downgradient DEHFs upstream of a mean trough at ;1478E. The spatial structure of DEHFs resulted from episodic mesoscale processes. The first 6 months were during the stable regime in which fluxes were associated with eastward-propagating 10‐15-day upper meanders. After 6 months, the Kuroshio Extension underwent a regime shift from a stable to unstable state. This regime shift corresponded with a red shift in mesoscale phenomena with the prevalence of ;40-day deep externally generated eddies. DEHF amplitudes more than quadrupled during the unstable regime. Cold-core ring (CCR) formation, CCR‐jet interaction, and coupling between ;40-day deep eddies were responsible for asymmetry in downgradient fluxes in the mean maps not observed during the stable regime. The Kuroshio Extension has prominent deep energy associated with externally generated eddies that interact with the jet to drive some of the biggest DEHF events. These eddies play an important role in the variability of the jet through eddy‐mean flow interactions. The DEHFs that result from vertical coupling act in accordance with baroclinic instability. The interaction is not growth from an infinitesimal perturbation, but from the start is a finite-amplitude interaction.
Science Content Courses: Workshop in Food Chemistry for 4th Grade School Teachers

ABSTRACT: A science content course in food chemistry was offered as a 4-day summer workshop from 1999 to 2001 to 4th grade school teachers in the Seattle School District. The objectives of the workshop were to increase the teachers' knowledge of food science, to perform simple experiments that could be used in the 4th grade classroom, and to help the teachers become more familiar with the scientific method. The workshop is described, and challenges associated with running the workshop from the instructors' perspective are discussed. Protocol for hands-on experiments used in the workshop, discussion questions/answers, and comments about each experiment are included in Appendices. The use of hands-on experiments that were easily adaptable to the 4th grade classroom and the comfortable atmosphere for discussion appear to have contributed the most to a successful workshop.
Symbiosomes: temporary moonlighting organelles

Symbiosomes are a unique structural entity that performs the role of biological nitrogen fixation, an energy-demanding process that is the primary entryway of fixed nitrogen into the biosphere. Symbiosomes result from the infection of specific rhizobial strains into the roots of an appropriate leguminous host plant forming an organ referred to as a nodule. Within the infected plant cells of the nodule, the rhizobia are encased within membrane-bounded structures that develop into symbiosomes. Mature symbiosomes create an environment that allows the rhizobia to differentiate into a nitrogen-fixing form called bacteroids. The bacteroids are surrounded by the symbiosome space, which is populated by proteins from both eukaryotic and prokaryotic symbionts, suggesting this space is the quintessential component of symbiosis: an inter-kingdom environment with the single purpose of symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Proteins associated with the symbiosome membrane are largely plant-derived proteins and are non-metabolic in nature. The proteins of the symbiosome space are mostly derived from the bacteroid with annotated functions of carbon metabolism, whereas relatively few are involved in nitrogen metabolism. An appreciable portion of both the eukaryotic and prokaryotic proteins in the symbiosome are also ‘moonlighting’ proteins, which are defined as proteins that perform roles unrelated to their annotated activities when found in an unexpected physiological environment. The essential functions of symbiotic nitrogen fixation of the symbiosome are performed by co-operative interactions of proteins from both symbionts some of which may be performing unexpected roles. Abbreviations: Hsp, heat-shock protein; IRLC, inverted repeat-lacking clade; PQQ, periplasmic pyrroloquinoline quinine; SNARE, soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein-attachment protein receptor; ZIP, Zrt-, Irt-like protein
Detection-theoretic analysis of desynchronization attacks in watermarking

This paper studies the effects of desynchronization attacks such as delay and warping on the performance of blind watermark detection systems. Detection performance is measured using a probability-of-error criterion. Evaluation of the optimal likelihood ratio test is often computationally expensive, so as a practical alternative, we propose a family of quadratic detectors and construct the detector and family of watermarks that maximize the deflection criterion. For delay attacks, the deflection criterion is shown to increase quadratically with the duration of the host signal. For warping attacks, the deflection criterion increases proportionally to the duration of the signal and proportionally to the correlation time of the warping function. Piecewise-sinusoidal watermarks are shown to be nearly optimal in that case. Some examples are presented.
Melt migration through the oceanic lower crust: a constraint from melt percolation modeling with finite solid diffusion

Abstract We present a melt percolation model incorporating finite solid diffusion to provide a quantitative constraint on how melt migrates through the oceanic lower crust at fast-spreading ridge axes. The lower crustal, layered gabbro in the Oman ophiolite, which was formed at a fast-spreading ridge, shows correlated variations in primary mineral compositions with a vertical wavelength less than 100–200 m. Possible effects of porous melt flow on these compositional variations are considered. The results of our numerical modeling indicate that melt transport by porous flow must be less than a few percent of the total incoming melt flux from the sub-ridge mantle, in order to preserve the observed correlations between different mineral compositions. It is also shown that rapid damping of compositional variations due to finite solid diffusion is likely, further reducing the potential role of porous flow melt transport. The dominant mode of melt migration through the oceanic lower crust must be more focused than pervasive porous flow, such as ascent in melt-filled fractures.
Elastin, a novel extracellular matrix protein adhering to mycobacterial antigen 85 complex.

The antigen 85 complex (Ag85) consists of three predominantly secreted proteins (Ag85A, Ag85B, and Ag85C), which play a key role in the mycobacterial pathogenesis and also possess enzymatic mycolyltransferase activity involved in cell wall synthesis. Ag85 is not only considered to be a virulence factor because its expression is essential for intracellular survival within macrophages, but also because it contributes to adherence, invasion, and dissemination of mycobacteria in host cells. In this study, we report that the extracellular matrix components, elastin and its precursor (tropoelastin) derived from human aorta, lung, and skin, serve as binding partners of Ag85 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The binding affinity of M. tuberculosis Ag85 to human tropoelastin was characterized (KD = 0.13 ± 0.006 μm), and a novel Ag85-binding motif, AAAKAA(K/Q)(Y/F), on multiple tropoelastin modules was identified. In addition, the negatively charged Glu-258 of Ag85 was demonstrated to participate in an electrostatic interaction with human tropoelastin. Moreover, binding of Ag85 on elastin siRNA-transfected Caco-2 cells was significantly reduced (34.3%), implying that elastin acts as an important ligand contributing to mycobacterial invasion.
Experimental Tests of Mediation Models: Prospects, Problems, and Some Solutions

Experimental tests of assumed mediation models have been recommended by numerous methodologists. However, they may prove problematic for a number of reasons. Thus, this article considers (a) experi...
Electronic structure of highly mismatched semiconductor alloys

We consider a new class of semiconductor alloys in which metallic atoms are partially replaced by highly electronegative atoms. The electronegative atoms introduce localized levels close to the conduction band edge of the host semiconductor matrix. Interaction of the levels with the extended states is described in terms of a band anticrossing. The interaction leads to a massive modification of the electronic structure splitting the conduction band into two highly nonparabolic subbands. The band anticrossing model accounts very well for recent experimental results obtained on several highly mismatched alloy systems including, GaInNAs, GaNP, ZnSTe and ZnSeTe alloys.
Dielectric Characterization of Polyceram Films

Polycerams are an emergent class of hybrid, multifunctional materials which combine the properties of organic and inorganic materials. Films have been prepared from silicon alkoxides and reactive, functionalized polymers such as triethoxysilyl modified polybutadiene (MPBD), (N-triethoxysilylpropyl)O polyethylene oxide urethane (MPEOU) and trimethoxysilylpropyl substituted polyethyleneimine (MPEI). Characterization of dielectric constant and tan δ of the films has been carried out over a range of frequency from 500 Hz to 100 kHz; and the results are used to consider the potential of Polycerams as dielectric materials.
Congenital Cyst of the Esophagus with Nonrotation of the Midgut: A Case Report

Summary A case of nonrotation of the midgut associated with a congenital cyst of the esophagus is reported and discussed briefly. It is believed to be the first such case in the literature.
All-Atom Structural Investigation of Kinesin–Microtubule Complex Constrained by High-Quality Cryo-Electron-Microscopy Maps

In this study, we have performed a comprehensive structural investigation of three major biochemical states of a kinesin complexed with microtubule under the constraint of high-quality cryo-electron-microscopy (EM) maps. In addition to the ADP and ATP state which were captured by X-ray crystallography, we have also modeled the nucleotide-free or APO state for which no crystal structure is available. We have combined flexible fitting of EM maps with regular molecular dynamics simulations, hydrogen-bond analysis, and free energy calculation. Our APO-state models feature a subdomain rotation involving loop L2 and α6 helix of kinesin, and local structural changes in active site similar to a related motor protein, myosin. We have identified a list of hydrogen bonds involving key residues in the active site and the binding interface between kinesin and microtubule. Some of these hydrogen bonds may play an important role in coupling microtubule binding to ATPase activities in kinesin. We have validated our models by calculating the binding free energy between kinesin and microtubule, which quantitatively accounts for the observation of strong binding in the APO and ATP state and weak binding in the ADP state. This study will offer promising targets for future mutational and functional studies to investigate the mechanism of kinesin motors.
The Fluid Mechanics of Genome Mapping.

As chemical engineering research becomes increasingly interdisciplinary, it is important to identify areas where chemical engineers can make a unique contribution. This challenge is particularly manifest for problems that originate in biology. This Perspective makes the case that chemical engineers have something unique to contribute to the area of genome mapping through the discipline’s core strength in fluid mechanics. At first glance, it may seem surprising that the dynamics of fluid flow are so closely related to genomic technologies, which are normally associated with biochemistry. However, chemical engineering research into this area is a natural extension of the discipline’s long standing contributions to low Reynolds number hydrodynamics [1] and the rheology of complex fluids [2]. To develop this case, the Perspective begins with an explanation of genome mapping and its connection to DNA sequencing. As this biological application may be unfamiliar to the fluid mechanics community, the problem is recast as a more familiar analogy with numerical methods. After outlining three of the newer approaches used to create genomic maps, the Perspective highlights some of the best examples of chemical engineering work on two of these methods: DNA in extensional flow and DNA in confinement. These examples hardly represent a thorough review of the literature, and readers interested in such a review should consult a recent paper [3]. The end of this Perspective discusses some outstanding questions that are ideally suited to a chemical engineering mindset.
Video‐Game Training

Video-game training generally refers to games designed to improve specific skills, knowledge, and fluid abilities such as executive function and spatial ability. Fluid abilities are important for daily activities but are susceptible to significant age-related decline. As a result, there has been great interest in harnessing video games to ameliorate or reverse these age-related changes. This entry provides a brief overview of the intellectual and social context, theories of the potential mechanisms, the evolution of video-game training with major findings, and the applications of video-game training in cognitive and physical rehabilitation for older persons. Keywords: aging and developmental psychology; applied cognition; cognitive training; video games
Image-based rendering

Image-based rendering (IBR) is unique in that it requires computer graphics, computer vision, and image processing to join forces to solve a common goal, namely photorealistic rendering through the use of images. IBR as an area of research has been around for about ten years, and substantial progress has been achieved in effiectively capturing, representing, and rendering scenes. In this article, we survey the techniques used in IBR. Our survey shows that representations and rendering techniques can differ radically, depending on design decisions related to ease of capture, use of geometry, accuracy of geometry (if used), number and distribution of source images, degrees of freedom for virtual navigation, and expected scene complexity.
Colors for Sizes: An Applied Approach

Fifty auto repairmen were asked to pair eight different sized socket wrenches with eight differently colored handles. Half of subjects were told the purpose of the study was to establish a color code for size while the remainder were misled as to the true intent of the research. Results indicate:a)Subjects did not associate colors with size unless asked specifically to do so.b)Subjects who chose to perform the task with an increasing order of size selection were especially sensitive to color-size associations.c)Relative saturation of hue may be an operant variable in formation of a color-size relationship.
Spatial Encoding of Structured Light for Ranging With Single Camera

A single camera and dot matrix structured light are used for target range measurement with optical triangulation. The probing beams are spatially encoded in the image plane so that each beam can be uniquely identified without confusion. Such an arrangement allows multiple probing beams in a single image frame to obtain target range profiles. Compared with either a stereovision system or an expensive range scanning system, the approach provided in this paper is more practical, efficient, and cost effective. Principles of spatial encoding, optimized optical configuration, beam labeling and system operation are described. The system is demonstrated with 4x7 probing beams and a VGA CMOS camera.
Source Derivation Recordings for Cerebral Electrical Topography

ABSTRACT.Cerebral electrical field maps are based most commonly on a referential montage which frequently uses linked ear electrodes as the reference. Since this electrode combination is not necessarily electrically neutral, difficulties in interpretation of the maps can arise, especially when frequency analyses are being performed. This manuscript points out the problems which can be encountered with the linked ears montage and shows the results when the same data are changed to the common average reference or to source derivation. A brief technical description and explanation of the latter methodology is given and examples are provided to demonstrate that it has the best discriminating power by giving the most discrete focal fields. The possibility of determining the relative depth of a given EEG signal by judicious combination of average reference recordings and source derivation is also presented.
Inhalant abuse in the pediatric population: a persistent challenge

Inhalants remain one of the most commonly abused substances by adolescents in the United States today. Recent epidemiologic studies have demonstrated a decrease in the prevalence of inhalant abuse, but overall rates remain high. Inhalants have the potential to result in serious organ system dysfunct
Efficacy of p-Aminobenzenesulfonamide in Experimental Type III Pneumococcus Pneumonia of Rats

ConclusionsP-aminobenzenesulfonamide therapy is effective in prolonging, and in many instances saving, the lives of rats infected intrabronchially with Type I11 pneumococci suspended in mucin.
Tracheostomy Complications in Institutionalized Children with Long-term Tracheostomy and Ventilator Dependence.

Objectives(1) To identify tracheostomy complications in institutionalized children with chronic tracheostomy. (2) To determine factors that predispose to development of tracheostomy complications i...
Heart failure in the aged.

Depicting as it does the face of age and seemingly also an appeal for aid, this marble figure, “The Old Fisherman” which stands in the Louvre, was chosen to keynote this paper on a major problem in the medical care of the aged. Note the distended veins, presumably the result of long-standing obstruction of the superior vena cava. Were this venous distention to be misinterpreted as indicating heart failure, the vignette would also symbolize the problem of erroneous diagnosis in the aged, and the unnecessarily poor prognosis such a diagnosis would carry. A curious effect may be achieved by rotating the picture clockwise: The “patient” is found in a semirecumbent position as one might see him on the ward.Coronary atherosclerosis is an outstanding cause of cardiac disease and heart failure in the elderly. Heart failure may be partially masked by cerebral, renal or pulmonary manifestations. Thrombo-embolic complications are frequent and serious incidents contributing to progressive disability in the elderly wi...
Exacted Conservation Easements: The Hard Case of Endangered Species Protection

This article examines the use of conservation easements in the Habitat Conservation Planning process, which is part of the Endangered Species Act’s section 10 permitting program. This article addresses the enforcement difficulties that might arise with HCP-exacted conservation easements. To ensure the reliability of this land preservation tool, I recommend including provisions for continued federal enforcement in conservation easement agreements and enabling public enforcement of the agreements.
Urine Mercury Examination of Workers Exposed to Mercury

Objective To investigate mercury pollution in the production environment and the health hazards of workers exposed to it.Methods Combined with the mercury concentration in the air at worksite,the urine mercury data of 311 workers was analyzed.Results Among 311 samples,the mercury content in 211 urine samples exceed the upper limit with the positive rate 67.8%.The positive rate was the highest for 5-9 working-years operators,up to 78%.For the workers exposed to mercury over 5 working-years,the positive rate declined when the working-years increased,and the mercury content in the urine samples went up first and then went down when the service time increased.Conclusions The positive rate in the urine samples had close relationship to working years,and the mercury content in the urine had positive relation with the mercury concentration in the air of worksites.The secondary pollution of mercury is worth taking into account in the worksite,and omprehensive control measures should be taken to reduce workers′ health risks induced by it.
On the Academic Norms of Chinese Archaeology

Chinese archaeology develops rapidly in modern society and it has become a popular discipline for the public.Therefore,enhancing the academic norms of archeology is necessary.The paper discussed the relation between archeology and history,the archeological trend,the norms of and field excavation,public archeology and market economy and revealed the necessity and urgency of the academic norms of Chinese archaeology.
The effect of mechanical strain on properties of lubricated tablets compacted at different pressures

Abstract A full factorial design of experiments was used to study the effect of blend shear strain on the compaction process, relative density and strength of pharmaceutical tablets. The powder blends were subjected to different shear strain levels (integral of shear rate with respect to time) using an ad hoc Couette shear cell. Tablets were compressed at different compaction forces using an instrumented compactor simulator, and compaction curves showing the force-displacement profiles during compaction were obtained. Although the die-fill blend porosity (initial porosity) and the minimum in-die tablet porosity (at maximum compaction) decreased significantly with shear strain, the final tablet porosity was surprisingly independent of shear strain. The increase in the in-die maximum compaction with shear strain was, in fact, compensated during post-compaction relaxation of the tables, which also increased significantly with shear strain. Therefore, tablet porosity alone was not sufficient to predict tablet tensile strength. A decrease in the ‘work of compaction’ as a function of shear strain, and an increase in the recovered elastic work was observed, which suggested weaker particle-particle bonding as the shear strain increased. For each shear strain level, the Ryskewitch Duckworth equation was a good fit to the tensile strength as a function of tablet porosity, and the obtained asymptotic tensile strength at zero porosity exhibited a 60% reduction as a function of shear strain. This was consistent with a reduced bonding efficiency as the shear strain increased.
Characterization of cloned rat liver Na(+)-bile acid cotransporter using peptide and fusion protein antibodies

A cDNA encoding a rat liver Na(+)-bile acid cotransporter (Ntcp) has recently been cloned (Hagenbuch, B., B. Steiger, M. Fouget, H. Lubbert, and P. J. Meier. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88: 10629, 1991) using expression cloning in Xenopus laevis oocytes. Although the open reading frame coded for a protein of 39 kDa, in vitro translation experiments produced a 35-kDa protein which increased to a product of 41 kDa after glycosylation by pancreatic microsomes. To more clearly characterize the native protein in rat liver, we have raised antipeptide and anti-fusion protein antibodies to the COOH-terminal part of the cloned transporter. On Western blot analysis both antisera but not preimmune serum specifically detected a protein of approximately 50 kDa in isolated rat liver basolateral plasma membranes (BLPM). The reactivity was abolished when the antiserum was preincubated with the synthetic alpha-337 peptide. Deglycosylation of BLPM with N-glycanase followed by antibody probing led to decrease of the molecular mass to 34.5 kDa, suggesting that the protein is N-glycosylated in vivo. Two-dimensional immunoblotting indicated that the Ntcp protein had an isoelectric point of approximately 6.0. The antibody did not react with any proteins in rat ileal and kidney cortex brush-border membranes, human liver basolateral plasma membranes, or rat hepatoma tissue culture cell homogenates. Immunofluorescence localization studies with both antibodies revealed specific staining of the sinusoidal membrane domain but not of intracellular or bile canalicular membranes. Moreover, there was no acinar gradient in the pattern of staining.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A new route to norms evolution: insights from India’s right to food campaign

AbstractFor over a decade, activists in India have waged a nationwide Right to Food (RTF) campaign aimed at highlighting persistent undernutrition in their country and galvanizing corresponding legal and administrative reform. This article draws on original interview data to demonstrate the process through which the campaign has forged a new and more robust interpretation of the RTF than that prevailing in international law and practice. It has done so by relying largely on domestic law, institutions, and networks rather than through ‘vernacularization’ of international norms or transnational advocacy. The campaign’s innovative conceptualization of the RTF along with the ongoing challenges it faces in attempting to influence the implementation of that right have broader implications for human rights theory and advocacy beyond India.
Effect of Peels on Quality Attributes of Mango Puree Held for Different Times

Mangoes are usually peeled, but this is labor intensive and may not always improve the quality of the puree. Puree was made from peeled and unpeeled mangoes, and held for 5 min or 1 h 45 min. The puree was analyzed for volatiles, viscosity, total phenolics, color, pH, total soluble solids (TSS) and sensory. Puree without peel showed higher levels of most lipoxygenase-derived volatiles but lower levels of both desirable and undesirable terpene hydrocarbons. Increasing holding time increased most lipoxygenase-generated volatiles and methyl esters, but had no effect on ethyl esters or terpenes. Puree made without peel had lower viscosity and total phenolics, higher pH and lower TSS while color showed no significant difference. Holding time had no effect on the total phenolics but affected viscosity. The puree made without peel was more preferred in flavor, aroma, texture, color and overall liking and was considered to be fresher with less off flavor.© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Practical Applications Peeling of mangoes during processing is a common practice but skipping this step is cost effective and increases the level of total phenolics and viscosity. The presence of peel also causes a less desirable color, flavor and aroma of the final product. Conversely, leaving the peel on the mangoes produces higher phenolics and viscosity. In addition, holding time before thermal treatment is essential because it affects the volatile profile and the viscosity of the puree.
A Review of Mathematical Modeling, Simulation and Analysis of Membrane Channel Charge Transport

Abstract The molecular mechanism of ion channel gating and substrate modulation is elusive for many voltage gated ion channels, such as eukaryotic sodium ones. The understanding of channel functions is a pressing issue in molecular biophysics and biology. Mathematical modeling, computation, and analysis of membrane channel charge transport have become an emergent field and give rise to significant contributions to our understanding of ion channel gating and function. This review summarizes recent progresses and outlines remaining challenges in mathematical modeling, simulation, and analysis of ion channel charge transport. One of our focuses is the Poisson–Nernst–Planck (PNP) model and its generalizations. Specifically, the basic framework of the PNP system and some of its extensions, including size effects, ion–water interactions, coupling with density functional theory and relation to fluid flow models. A reduced theory, the Poisson–Boltzmann–Nernst–Planck (PBNP) model, and a differential-geometry-based ion transport model are also discussed. For proton channel, a multiscale and multiphysics Poisson–Boltzmann–Kohn–Sham (PBKS) model is presented. We show that all of these ion channel models can be cast into a unified variational multiscale framework with a macroscopic continuum domain of the solvent and a microscopic discrete domain of the solute. The main strategy is to construct a total energy functional of a charge transport system to encompass the polar and nonpolar free energies of solvation and chemical potential related energies. Using the Euler–Lagrange variation, the coupled PNP equations and other transport equations are derived, whose solutions lead to the minimization of the total free energy and explicit profiles of electrostatic potential and densities of charge species. Current computational algorithms and tools for numerical simulations and results from mathematical analysis of ion channel systems are also surveyed. As this review will be frequently updated, to help improve it, please do not hesitate to send corrections and suggestions to the authors.
Embolized Stems Recover Overnight in Zea mays: The Role of Soil Water, Root Pressure, and Nighttime Transpiration.

It is not currently well-understood how much xylem conductance is lost in maize plants during the day, if conductance is recovered during the night, or what soil water conditions are required for recovery to take place. To answer these questions we designed a greenhouse experiment whereby two genetically dissimilar maize genotypes were subjected to a level of water stress commonly experience in the field (Ψxylem ~ -2 MPa). We then measured the loss of stem conductance associated with this level of stress, as well as the overnight recovery following three re-watering treatments: Ψsoil ~ 0 MPa, Ψsoil ~ -0.40 MPa, and Ψsoil ~ -1.70 MPa. Midday leaf water potentials of -1.98 MPa resulted in stem-specific conductivity (KS) values that were 31.5% of maximal (i.e., 68% loss). Returning soils to field capacity (Ψsoil ~ 0 MPa) overnight allowed for the significant recovery of KS (76% of maximal), whereas partial watering (Ψsoil ~ -0.40 MPa) resulted KS values that were 51.7% of maximal values, whereas not watering resulted in no recovery (35.4% of maximal; Ψsoil ~ -1.7 MPa). Recovery of KS was facilitated by the generation of root pressure and low rates of nighttime transpiration.
Task-irrelevant distractors in the delay period interfere selectively with visual short-term memory for spatial locations

Visual short-term memory (VSTM) enables the representation of information in a readily accessible state. VSTM is typically conceptualized as a form of "active" storage that is resistant to interference or disruption, yet several recent studies have shown that under some circumstances task-irrelevant distractors may indeed disrupt performance. Here, we investigated how task-irrelevant visual distractors affected VSTM by asking whether distractors induce a general loss of remembered information or selectively interfere with memory representations. In a VSTM task, participants recalled the spatial location of a target visual stimulus after a delay in which distractors were presented on 75% of trials. Notably, the distractor's eccentricity always matched the eccentricity of the target, while in the critical conditions the distractor's angular position was shifted either clockwise or counterclockwise relative to the target. We then computed estimates of recall error for both eccentricity and polar angle. A general interference model would predict an effect of distractors on both polar angle and eccentricity errors, while a selective interference model would predict effects of distractors on angle but not on eccentricity errors. Results showed that for stimulus angle there was an increase in the magnitude and variability of recall errors. However, distractors had no effect on estimates of stimulus eccentricity. Our results suggest that distractors selectively interfere with VSTM for spatial locations.
Optimal Bayesian feature selection with missing data

We present a framework for optimal Bayesian feature selection and missing value estimation. Based on this framework, we derive optimal algorithms under an independent Gaussian model, and provide fast sub-optimal methods with superb performance for a dependent Gaussian model.
Mitochondrial Damage and Mitophagy in Ischemia/Reperfusion-Induced Liver Injury

The liver is innately vulnerable to hypoxia and anoxia. Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is a major obstacle in liver resection and transplantation. However, therapeutic strategies to attenuate reperfusion injury remain disappointing largely due to the complex and multifactorial nature of I/R injury. One key mechanism contributing to I/R injury in the liver is the onset of mitochondrial permeability transition and subsequent mitochondrial dysfunction. Mitochondrial integrity is critical for hepatocyte survival and function after I/R. Key quality control machinery in mitochondria is mitophagy that clears damaged or abnormal mitochondria in a timely manner. Evidence is accumulating to indicate that defective mitophagy is an important factor culminating in I/R injury. Here, we highlight our current knowledge on mitochondrial dysfunction after I/R in the liver, role of mitophagy in reperfusion injury, and therapeutic potential of mitophagy. We also discuss mitochondrial dysfunction in aged and fatty livers and their sensitivity to I/R injury and describe the various therapeutic approaches that have been proposed to ameliorate injury.
pH-Dependent Singlet O2 Oxidation Kinetics of Guanine and 9-Methylguanine: An Online Mass Spectrometry and Spectroscopy Study Combined with Theoretical Exploration.

We report a kinetic and mechanistic study on the title reactions, in which 1O2 was generated by the reaction of H2O2 with Cl2 and bubbled into an aqueous solution of guanine and 9-methylguanine (9MG) at different pH values. Oxidation kinetics and product branching ratios were measured using online electrospray ionization mass spectrometry coupled with absorption and emission spectrophotometry, and product structures were determined by collision-induced dissociation (CID) tandem mass spectrometry. Experiments revealed strong pH dependence of the reactions. The oxidation of guanine is noticeable only in basic solution, while the oxidation of 9MG is weak in acidic solution, increases in neutral solution, and becomes intensive in basic solution. 5-Guanidinohydantoin (Gh) and spiroiminodihydantoin (Sp) were detected as the major oxidation products of guanine and 9MG, and Sp became dominant in basic solution. A reaction intermediate was captured in mass spectra, and assigned to gem-diol on the basis of CID meas...
Carbon dioxide source selection and supply planning for fracking operations in shale gas and oil wells

Abstract As a promising alternative approach for shale gas and oil withdrawal, fracking using CO2 instead of water has been proved to be not only technically feasible but also environmentally friendly. This paper aims at evaluating CO2 fracking from an economic perspective by considering the collection, supply, transportation, and storage of CO2. More specifically, a CO2 source selection and supply planning problem is defined and discussed from three aspects: CO2 collection and storage at sources, CO2 transportation, and CO2 storage and usage at well pads. Cost models for the three aspects are built, based on which, a mixed-integer nonlinear programming model is developed to determine the optimal set of sources, the corresponding supply and transportation plan, and the investment in associated facilities and equipment. A two-stage algorithm is proposed, which decomposes the original model into a large set of simple sub-problems and a mixed-integer linear problem. A case study for three emerging well pads in North Dakota is presented to illustrate the implementation of the mathematical model and algorithm, and a sensitivity analysis is conducted to analyze the influences of four key parameters over the cost of using CO2.
Characteristics and outcomes of head and neck cancer in solid organ transplant recipients.

e17529Background: The immune system plays a major role in anti-tumor surveillance in healthy individuals. Immunosuppression after solid organ transplant prevents graft rejection, but leads to incre...
Liquid crystal aerogels as window retrofitting films (Conference Presentation)

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning of buildings account for about 15% of the global energy consumption, but about 20% of this building-related energy is lost because of inefficient windows. Is there a solution to this challenging problem? Starting from an overview of the physical principles associated with energy loss through windows, I will describe our development of visibly transparent, infrared-reflecting, thermally super-insulating and mechanically robust materials that may replace or retrofit the inefficient windowpanes of residential and commercial buildings. I will discuss how this technology has much in common with liquid crystal displays and how production of such unusual transparent aerogel materials is aided by bacteria to make them affordable.
On Use of the Standard Deviation of the Mass Distribution as a Parameter in Raindrop Size Distribution Functions

AbstractUse of the standard deviation σm of the drop mass distribution as one of the three parameters of raindrop size distribution (DSD) functions was introduced for application to disdrometer dat...
Functional pathways regulated by microRNA networks in CD8 T-cell aging

One of the most prominent immunological changes during human aging is the alteration in CD8 T-cell subset distribution, predominated by a loss of naive CD8 T cells. The molecular mechanisms that contribute to the loss of naive CD8 T-cells during aging remain unclear. Considering that many CD8 T-cell functions are influenced by microRNAs (miRNAs), we explored miRNA expression profiling to identify novel dysfunctions that contribute to naive CD8 T-cell loss during aging. Here, we describe age-dependent miRNA expression changes in naive, central memory, and effector memory CD8 T-cell subsets. Changes in old naive CD8 T-cells partially resembled those driven by an underlying shift in cellular differentiation toward a young central memory phenotype. Pathways enriched for targets of age-dependent miRNAs included FOXO1, NF-κB, and PI3K-AKT signaling. Transcriptome analysis of old naive CD8 T-cells yielded corresponding patterns that correlated to those seen with reduced FOXO1 or altered NF-κB activities. Of particular interest, IL-7R expression, controlled by FOXO1 signaling, declines on naive CD8 T cells with age and directly correlates with the frequencies of naive CD8 T cells. Thus, age-associated changes in miRNA networks may ultimately contribute to the failure in CD8 T-cell homeostasis exemplified by the loss in naive cells.
Implications of the 2011 U.S. Survey of Doctoral Education in Leadership Preparation

As the number of U.S. doctoral educational leadership programs and graduates has increased dramatically in recent years, there is not only more attention to the purpose, design, and assessment for ...
ARGuing for a new kinase class.

Arginine protein kinases regulate bacterial signaling cascades through phosphorylation of key arginine residues. Crystal structures of the kinase McsB provide the first glimpse of how these unusual enzymes recognize their protein substrates and are allosterically regulated.
Serotonergic modulation across sensory modalities

The serotonergic system has been widely studied across animal taxa and different functional networks. This modulatory system is therefore well positioned to compare the consequences of neuromodulation for sensory processing across species and modalities at multiple levels of sensory organization. Serotonergic neurons that innervate sensory networks often bidirectionally exchange information with these networks but also receive input representative of motor events or motivational state. This convergence of information supports serotonin's capacity for contextualizing sensory information according to the animal's physiological state and external events. At the level of sensory circuitry, serotonin can have variable effects due to differential projections across specific sensory subregions, as well as differential serotonin receptor type expression within those subregions. Functionally, this infrastructure may gate or filter sensory inputs to emphasize specific stimulus features or select among different streams of information. The near-ubiquitous presence of serotonin and other neuromodulators within sensory regions, coupled with their strong effects on stimulus representation, suggests that these signaling pathways should be considered integral components of sensory systems.
Patient factors associated with changes in functional status during systemic cancer therapy in older adults: A systematic review.

e24022Background: Maintaining function and preventing functional decline during cancer treatment is critically important to older adults. This systematic review characterized and identified patient...