cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Thermal Death Time Concept and Its Implications Revisited

Apart from actual incubation and/or testing, the mandated way to determine the microbial safety of thermally preserved foods is still anchored in the premise that the isothermal inactivation of bacterial cells and spore survival follows first-order kinetics. This is despite growing evidence to the contrary, and that the D value’s temperature-dependence too need not follow the log-linear model. Also, for technical reasons, the experimental detection level of survival ratios is usually four to six orders of magnitudes higher than that expected to assure a safe product. The theoretical implications of such a gap combined with non-linear inactivation kinetics are explored through simulations with especially constructed mathematical survival models. One of these models produces apparently log-linear or Weibullian survival patterns above the detection despite having a definite thermal death time, while the other has a substantial asymptotic residual survival level albeit below the detection level. The simulations highlight the notion that there is not enough information in an experimental survival curve’s shape to allow its continuation to below the detection level. Thus any thermal death time determined by extrapolation has no logical basis and can lead to either underestimation or overestimation of the thermal process’s lethality depending on the model chosen to describe it. The analysis lends support to the notion that safety factors and efficacy criteria in thermal processes should be based on observable survival ratios and not on log-linear kinetics.
Chapter 36 – Evolution of Language

Evidence from fossils as well as from the archaeological record and its biological bases allows us to rule out implausible scenarios and permit reasonable inferences concerning the evolution of language. Human language serves as a medium of both thought and communication. Specialized anatomy has evolved to enhance the robustness of human speech. Specialized neural capacities are implicated in speech production and confer the cognitive capacities that make language possible. It is unlikely that any single factor, such as social interaction, could have led to the evolution of human linguistic capabilities. Natural selection rules out the universal grammar posited by Noam Chomsky.
Discoloration Effect of Diluents in Contraband Cocaine

In the course of police investigations of confiscated drug samples, cocaine mixtures of various shades from white to brown have been encountered and analyzed at the Crime Laboratory of the New York City Police Department. Slight discoloration of cocaine mixtures is within reason, in view of the reported discoloration of lactose [1,2] and of lactose-amphetamine [3–5] upon storage.
Social Neuroendocrine Approaches to Relationships

Social neuroendocrinology is the study of social behaviors and hormones, using ultimate (evolutionary) and proximate (mechanistic) considerations, alongside social context. In this entry, two scholars from psychology and anthropology focus on social relationships (e.g., parenting, romantic relationships, sexual contacts) and both peptide (e.g., oxytocin, vasopressin) and steroid hormones (e.g., testosterone, estradiol, cortisol). Basic theoretical underpinnings of social neuroendocrinology are discussed, along with classic and cutting edge scholarship alongside newer theories. The challenges and promises of social neuroendocrine approaches to relationships are detailed, with an eye to the future of the discipline. Keywords: hormone; parenting; sexuality; relationships; steroids; peptides; attachment; pair bond
Getting Potomac Fever: Increasing Civic Engagement Through Experiential Learning Communities

Drawing upon the literature on experiential learning, learning communities, and the scholarship of civic engagement, this paper assesses the outcomes of the Washington D.C. Summer Study Program developed by the College of St Benedict and St. John’s University. We are especially interested in examining the extent to which students who undertake this two month, eight credit internship learning community experience engage with politics and political life. Do students learn more about the US political system, its operation and opportunities? Are they more enthusiastic about public policy and politics? Do they increase their level of trust in government or their feelings of efficacy? In addition to these questions, we examine what the students’ experiences mean for them in terms of the integration of past and future course material, and how students use these experiences to examine their career goals, to develop their own career path, and to learn to live and work independently and responsibly in an urban setting. Data gathered from a survey of the program’s interns is compared with an initial survey of 200 students who have not yet undertaken internships either inside or outside a learning community model, as well as data from interviews with students, site supervisors, and faculty, and student archival data from the three decades old program. The study demonstrates that while there are numerous tradeoffs and costs, internships embedded within a learning community create unique benefits not available to the more isolated individual internship model.
CAPSIM: a graphical simulation tool for communication systems

The authors describe the design, operation, and capabilities of CAPSIM (capture and simulate), a complete interactive simulation environment for design and analysis of communication systems. The integrated environment includes the capability to design models, subsystems, and systems in a hierarchical fashion using block diagrams (icons), configure and execute a simulation; review the results of the simulation; and perform design iterations. Each of these capabilities is controlled through a consistent user interface utilizing interactive graphics. Use of icons, popup menus, and a mouse makes simulation entry simple and rapid. Recent advances in software engineering, workstation technology and CAD/CAM (computer-aided design/computer-aid manufacturing) techniques are incorporated in CAPSIM to provide an intelligent, user-friendly and flexible state-of-the-art simulation environment. >
Multi-process control using queuing theory

We show how the problem of controlling multiple linear processes over a limited number of communication channels, i.e. by scheduling the control attention between the different processes, can be cast as a queuing problem. By defining Lyapunov-like functions for the individual subsystems, that can be interpreted as the queue lengths, we can produce suboptimal but computationally feasible solutions using standard results on optimal control of queues.
Benefits of boundary-scan to in-circuit test

Boundary-Scan 1149.1 and its tight coupling with built-in self test (BIST) has proven to be an integral part in the time-to-market (TTM) and customer satisfaction that NCR computers are experiencing in their product realization cycles. As one of the many benefactors of these designed-in test features, the manufacturing test group within Columbia has realized tremendous increases in efficiencies in delivering tested modules, especially prototypes, to the respective design centers. >
Insights into coal structure from degradation with ruthenium tetroxide and tandem mass spectrometry

Abstract The products of ruthenium tetroxid oxidation of coal (Illinois No. 2) at ambient temperature were examined by tandem mass spectrometry using positive and negative chemical ionization. The negative-ion mass spectrum of the coal sample displays seven homologous series of ions. Individual compounds were characterized by recording daughter spectra. In this way, the following types of compounds were identified: aliphatic dicarboxylic acids, aromatic dicarboxylic and tricarboxylic acids, anhydrides of the di- and tri-carboxylic acids, and dianhydrides corresponding to the tetracarboxylic aromatic acids. The positive-ion mass and daughter spectra provided additional confirmation. Two series of ions dominate the positive-ion mass spectrum, those from the aliphatic dicarboxylic acids, and the corresponding anhydrides. The fragmentation behavior of model compounds was examined to confirm these assignments. The carboxylic acids and anhydrides identified suggest the presence of particular structural features in the coal prior to oxidation. These include C 2 –C 6 aliphatic bridges between aromatic units, fused ring aromatic structures, tetralin and indan structures.
Combining prior day contours to improve automated prostate segmentation

Purpose: To improve the accuracy of automatically segmented prostate, rectum, and bladder contours required for online adaptive therapy. The contouring accuracy on the current image guidance [image guided radiation therapy (IGRT)] scan is improved by combining contours from earlier IGRT scans via the simultaneous truth and performance level estimation (STAPLE) algorithm. Methods : Six IGRT prostate patients treated with daily kilo-voltage (kV) cone-beam CT (CBCT) had their original plan CT and nine CBCTs contoured by the same physician. Three types of automated contours were produced for analysis. (1) Plan: By deformably registering the plan CT to each CBCT and then using the resulting deformation field to morph the plan contours to match the CBCT anatomy. (2) Previous: The contour set drawn by the physician on the previous day CBCT is similarly deformed to match the current CBCT anatomy. (3) STAPLE: The contours drawn by the physician, on each prior CBCT and the plan CT, are deformed to match the CBCT anatomy to produce multiple contour sets. These sets are combined using the STAPLE algorithm into one optimal set. Results: Compared to plan and previous, STAPLE improved the average Dice's coefficient (DC) with the original physician drawn CBCT contours to a DC as follows: Bladder: 0.81 ± 0.13, 0.91 ± 0.06, and 0.92 ± 0.06; Prostate: 0.75 ± 0.08, 0.82 ± 0.05, and 0.84 ± 0.05; and Rectum: 0.79 ± 0.06, 0.81 ± 0.06, and 0.85 ± 0.04, respectively. The STAPLE results are within intraobserver consistency, determined by the physician blindly recontouring a subset of CBCTs. Comparing plans recalculated using the physician and STAPLE contours showed an average disagreement less than 1% for prostate D98 and mean dose, and 5% and 3% for bladder and rectum mean dose, respectively. One scan takes an average of 19 s to contour. Using five scans plus STAPLE takes less than 110 s on a 288 core graphics processor unit. Conclusions: Combining the plan and all prior days via the STAPLE algorithm to produce treatment day contours is superior to the current standard of deforming only the plan contours to the daily CBCT. STAPLE also improves the precision, with a substantial decrease in standard deviation, a key for adaptive therapy. Geometrically and dosimetrically accurate contours can be automatically generated with STAPLE on prostate region kV CBCT in a time scale suitable for online adaptive therapy.
Mass Transfer Coefficient Measurement in Water/Oil/Gas Multiphase Flow

Mass transfer studies in oil-containing multiphase flow provide fundamental knowledge towards the understanding of hydrodynamics and the subsequent effect on corrosion in pipelines. Mass transfer coefficient measurements in two-phase (oil/ferri-ferrocyanide) and three phase (oil/ferri-ferrocyanide/nitrogen) flow using limiting current density technique were made in 10-cm-dia pipe at 25 and 75 percent oil percentage. Mass transfer coefficients in full pipe oil/water flow and slug flow were studied. A relationship is developed between the average mass transfer coefficient in full pipe flow and slug flow. The mass transfer coefficient decreased with a decrease of in-situ water cut. This was due to the existence of oil phase, which decreased the ionic mass transfer diffusion coefficient.
APPLICATION OF A TAUBERIAN THEOREM TO FINITE MODEL THEORY

An extension of a Tauberian theorem of Hardy and Littlewood is proved. It is used to show that, for classes of finite models satisfying certain combinatorial and growth properties, Cesaro probabilities (limits of average probabilities over second order sentences) exist. Examples of such classes include the class of unary functions and the class of partial unary functions. It is conjectured that the result holds for the usual notion of asymptotic probability as well as Cesaro probability. Evidence in support of the conjecture is presented.
Dysprosium-154, a long-lived α-emitter

Abstract Gadolinium oxide, enriched in 154 Gd, was bombarded with 48 MeV α-particles to form dysprosium isotopes. α-Pulse-analysis of the chemically separated dysprosium resulted in the observation of a new weak α-activity of 2·85 ± 0·05 MeV energy. This activity was assigned to 154 Dy on the basis of a rough excitation function and consideration of α-decay systematics of the neighbouring dysprosium isotopes. The α-half-life was calculated as approximately 1 × 10 6 years by estimating the amount of 154 Dy produced and comparing it with the α-count rate. A lower limit of 10 years for the β-decay half life was established on the basis of the absence of the prominent γ-radiation of 154 Tb in the photon spectrum.
Observer-Based Estimation of Air-Fractions for a Diesel Engine Coupled With Aftertreatment Systems

This paper presents a control-oriented air-fraction dynamic model for a complete diesel engine and aftertreatment system, as well as an observer to estimate the air-fractions in the integrated diesel engine and aftertreatment system. To reduce engine-out emissions and further improve engine efficiency, advanced combustion modes including low temperature combustion, premixed charge compression ignition, and homogenous charge compression ignition, are under intensive investigations. With the popular configuration of dual-loop exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) systems including a high-pressure loop exhaust gas recirculation and a low-pressure loop EGR (LP-EGR), alternative combustion modes can be potentially accomplished. In addition, aftertreatment systems including diesel oxidation catalysts (DOCs), diesel particulate filters (DPFs), and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems, are becoming necessary to satisfy stringent emission standards. With the increasing complexity of modern diesel engines and aftertreatment systems, air-path loop control for the diesel engine systems becomes further challenging partially because LP-EGR couples the aftertreatment systems with the diesel engine air-path system. Most of the current air-fraction dynamic models and observers only consider the air-fractions through the diesel engines and air-fraction dynamics through aftertreatment systems are ignored, which, however, will introduce significant modeling errors in the situations when active DPF regenerations and post-fuel injections are implemented. The purpose of this paper is to develop a control-oriented air-fraction dynamic model for a complete diesel engine and aftertreatment system. Based on the developed model, a Luenberger-like observer is proposed and analyzed using a Lyapunov method as well as the physical meaning of system parameters. Experimental results show that the developed air-fraction model is highly accurate and the designed observer is able to make the estimated air fractions converge to the corresponding true values quickly in both steady-state and transient operations.
Potentiodynamic polarization analysis of silver-palladium alloys in chloride solutions

A comprehensive anodic potentiodynamic polarization analysis of Ag-Pd binary alloys in chloride solutions has revealed composition dependent active-passive polarization profiles. The results are interpreted in terms of the transition metal properties of Pd and the electron donor acceptor theory of passivation.
VISCOMETRIC MEASUREMENT OF CHROMIUM(III)-POLYACRYLAMIDE GELS†

Gelled polymers are being used increasingly to modify the movement of injected fluids in secondary and enhaced oil recovery processes. A common gelation process involves the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) in the presence of polyacrylamide. The Cr(III) reacts or interacts with the polymer to form a gel network. Although correlations of gelation time with principal process variables have been obtained, viscometric data have not been reported during or after gelation. These data are needed for fluid flow calculations in surface equipment and estimation of flow behaviour in reservoir rocks. A Weissenberg Rheogoniometer, with cone and plate geometry, was used to obtain viscometric data for the gelation of polyacrylamide and chromium (III). Solutions consisting of polyacrylamide polymer, sodium dichromate-dihydrate and sodium bisulfite were gelled under a steady shear field at constant temperature. The shear stress versus time profile for the galation process was interpreted to define a gelation time and to det...
Co-localization of vasoactive intestinal peptide- and substance P-containing nerves in cat bronchi.

Abstract The occurrence of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and substance P in nerve fibers within the lung is well established, and both VIP- and substance P-containing nerve fibers are known to supply pulmonary vascular and bronchial smooth muscle and submucosal glands. In the present study, we have investigated the co-localization of these two peptides in cat lung. The co-localization procedure follows a standard immunocytochemical protocol except that the primary and labeled secondary antisera each contain a combination of two antisera allowing the simultaneous detection of two antigens in a single tissue section. Using fluorescence microscopy, VIP- and substance P-containing nerve fibers were co-localized in bronchial smooth muscle, in the walls of pulmonary and bronchial arteries, and around submucosal glands. VIP and substance P were also co-localized in nerve cell bodies that comprised the intrinsic airway ganglia. Substance P-containing nerve fibers were observed within the bronchial epithelium, but VIP was not present at this location. The co-localization of VIP and substance P in the same nerve fibers suggests that airway and pulmonary vascular function may be partially regulated by the simultaneous or sequential release of VIP and substance P from the same nerve fibers. The results also suggest that, in addition to extrinsic nerve fibers that contain substance P, the airways of cats are suplied by substance P-containing nerve fibers that originate from intrinsic nerve cell bodies.
Female-defence polygyny in a Neotropical bird, the Montezuma oropendola

Abstract Abstract. In a Costa Rican population of the Montezuma oropendola, Psarocolius montezuma , males defended groups of sexually receptive females. Females nested colonially, and males aggressively competed with each other for access to groups of females at nesting colonies. Males were ranked based on the outcome of aggressive interactions. The top-ranking or alpha male physically excluded all lower-ranking males from the colony and prevented them from approaching females. The alpha male was present at the nesting colony during those periods of the day when the highest number of females was present. During other parts of the day, the alpha male was often absent and lower-ranking males moved into the colony and defended females there until the alpha male returned. Over the course of the season, the number of males present at the colony was positively correlated with the number of sexually receptive females there. Male competition was localized at that portion of the colony containing the highest number of nest-building females; when females finished their nests and laid eggs, males shifted to areas containing females that had not yet laid eggs. Males also moved to new colony sites whenever the females moved, both within and between breeding seasons. Male mating success at the focal observation colony was strongly and positively associated with dominance rank; 77% of 88 copulations observed were obtained by the alpha male. These results indicate that the Montezuma oropendola has a female-defence mating system. This mating system is more similar to those of polygynous mammals than it is to those of most other polygynous birds.
Cosmology of the brane world

We develop a possible cosmology for a universe in which there are n additional spatial dimensions of variable scale and an associated scalar field, the radion, which is distinct from the field responsible for inflation, the inflaton. Based on a particular ansatz for the effective potential for the inflaton and radion (which may emerge in string theory), we show that the early expansion of the universe may proceed in three stages. During the earliest phase, the radion field becomes trapped at a value much smaller than the size of the extra dimensions today. Following this phase, the universe expands exponentially, but with a Planck mass smaller than its present value. Because the Planck mass during inflation is small, we find that density fluctuations, in agreement with observations, can arise naturally. When inflation ends, the universe reheats, and the radion becomes free to expand once more. During the third phase the universe is ``radiation dominated'' and tends toward a fixed-point evolutionary model in which the radius of the extra dimension grows, but the temperature remains unchanged. Ultimately, the radius of the extra dimensions becomes trapped once again at its present value, and a short period of exponential expansion, which we identify with the electroweak phase transition, ensues. Once this epoch is over, the universe reheats to a temperature $\ensuremath{\lesssim}{m}_{\mathrm{EW}},$ the electroweak scale, and the mature universe evolves according to standard cosmological models. We show that the present day energy density in radions can be smaller than the closure density of the universe if the second inflationary epoch lasts $\ensuremath{\sim}8 e$-foldings or more; the present-day radion mass turns out to be small ${(m}_{\mathrm{radion}}\ensuremath{\lesssim}$ eV, depending on parameters). We argue that although our model envisages considerable time evolution in the Planck mass, substantial spatial fluctuations in Newton's constant are not produced.
Improving Collaboration in Search and Rescue System of Systems

Abstract Lack of collaboration between individual systems and System of Systems (SoS) program management is identified as one of the leading problems in SoS engineering. In SoS where individual systems have their own interests, it is necessary to incorporate mechanisms to persuade individual systems to participate in the SoS development. In this paper an incentive based negotiation model is outlined as a mechanism to increase participation of individual systems into the Search and Rescue SoS development. The model takes into account variations in outcomes due to uncertainty in the acquisition environment as well as contribution of each system to overall SoS mission. Different levels of individual system effort and different levels of SoS outcome are identified to determine appropriate levels of incentives for individual systems. Study of this application domain provides insights into how incentives can be used by decision makers to increase participation in SoS engineering and development.
Distinction between Two Types of Beta-Thalassaemia by Inducibility of the Cell-free Synthesis of Beta-Chains by Nonthalassaemic Soluble Fraction

β-THALASSAEMIA is a hereditary anaemia in which the β-chains of haemoglobin, though structurally normal, are synthesized abnormally slowly. The β-thalassaemia of the Ferrara region of Italy is distinguished in the homozygote by β-chain synthesis which is not merely reduced but completely absent. It has recently been reported that, in a cell-free system, ribosomes from such subjects do not make β-chains in the presence of their own supernatant but do when nonthalassaemic supernatant is substituted1. It was shown that this effect was due to a factor other than mRNA.
Rotational stagnation point flow

The constant-density inviscid rotational flow in the neighbourhood of a general stagnation point on a wall is investigated. In all but very special cases, the solution is non-analytic and the vorticity at the wall is infinite; the stagnation streamline is tangent to the wall at the stagnation point; stagnation points of saddlepoint type cannot exist.The boundary-layer equations corresponding to the inviscid solutions studied are presented.
8.4.1 Assessing Uncertain Benefits: a Valuation Approach for Strategic Changeability (VASC)

This paper describes a new technique for investigating the value of changeability in complex engineering systems early in the design process. The work is an extension of Epoch-Era Analysis, a framework that models contextual uncertainties over a system's lifecycle as a sequence of finite-duration periods of time. Strategies, defined as statements of intended change mechanism usage, are used to identify executed change mechanisms across the various contexts. Changeability is then evaluated in both time-independent (multi-epoch) and time-dependent (era) domains, using a proposed set of metrics designed to explore different dimensions of value. A case study demonstrates the application of the technique to a conceptual space system.
Response of Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides to Dietary Supplementation of Lysine, Methionine, and Highly Unsaturated Fatty Acids

Abstract.— A 12-wk feeding trial was conducted in aquaria with juvenile (36.0 ± 1.2 g) largemouth bass Microptents salmoides to examine the effects of dietary supplementation of methionine, lysine, and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) on growth, feed conversion and body composition. Diets were formulated to increase dietary concentrations of methionine. lysine, and PUFAs to match levels found in whole body samples of largemouth bass. The control diet was formulated similar to diets previously tested for largemouth bass. Diets 2 and 3 were similar to the control diet hut were supplemented with 2% lysine and 1% methionine, respectively. Diet 4 was formulated to increase PUFAs, especially docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (22:6n-3), by replacing menhaden fish oil with squid oil. Fish were fed all they would consume in 10 min, twice daily. At harvest, there were no statistically significant differences (P > 0.05) in average individual weight or specific growth rate (SGR) among fish fed the four diets. The feed conversion ratio (FCR) of largemouth bass fed the diet supplemented with methionine (1.7) was significantly lower (P≤ 0.05) than fish fed the control diet (2.5). Fish fed the diet high in PUFA had significantly lower (P≤ 0.05) whole body lipid levels and significantly higher (P≤ 0.05) protein levels than fish fed the other three diets. These data indicate that the control diet in this study likely contained sufficient lysine, methionine and PUFA to meet the requirements of largemouth bass; however, additional methionine may improve feed conversion efficiency, and increased levels of PUFAs or other factors in squid oil may have a significant impact on body composition.
Cortical Vascular Blood Flow Pattern By Laser Speckle Imaging

The cortical vascular blood flow pattern is associated with the functional response in cerebral cortex. The pattern of the vascular blood flow can be used to study the spatiotemporal activities of the somatosensory center and the diagnosis of the focal stroke or ischemia. In this present study, temporal laser speckle analysis is used to obtain the cortical blood flow information. By centerline modeling method based on ridge tracking, we extracted the cortical vessels. By fusing with the laser speckle contrast results, we obtained the image of the cortical vascular blood flow pattern in which both the vessels and the blood velocity can be visualized
Lymphoma of the spinal extradural space

Ninety-four patients with lymphoma involving the extradural space with spinal cord compression proven at the time of laminectomy were reviewed. There were about three times as many patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma than with Hodgkin's disease. The majority of those with Hodgkin's disease had a proven histologic diagnosis before the onset of the spinal cord compression syndrome, whereas only 15% of those with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma had previously been so diagnosed. Plain roentgenograms of the spine were suggestive of tumor involvement in less than one-third of the patients, whereas myelograms were invariably abnormal. As noted by others, the outlook for functional recovery and extended life expectancy is relatively good for patients with this type of cancer, in contrast to reports in the literature regarding prognosis for patients who have metastatic carcinoma with extradural spinal cord compression.
Fe–15Ni–13Cr austenitic stainless steels for fission and fusion reactor applications. III. Phase stability during heavy ion irradiation

Abstract The phase stability in Fe–15Ni–13Cr alloys was investigated as a function of minor alloying additions after 4 MeV Ni ion irradiation at 948 K. The results showed that the stability of precipitate phases was dictated mainly by the defects produced by radiation damage and preferential segregation of Si and Ni at defects. In addition, radiation enhanced diffusion and cascade induced dissolution and mixing allowed kinetically sluggish phases to form rapidly under irradiation. These radiation effects caused an enhancement, retardation, or modification of thermal phases, and formation of new phases. The relative stability of precipitate phases varied sensitively with alloy composition. The roles of each alloying element on phase stability and the impact of radiation on the mechanisms of phase evolution were systematically studied and documented. The knowledge obtained from this work provides guidelines for designing alloys that lead to develop desired precipitate microstructures under irradiation.
A Comparison of X-Ray Line Breadth and Internal Friction for Alpha-Brass as Affected by Cold-Working and Annealing

X-ray line breadth measurements are obtained for samples of alpha-brass cold-stretched in differing amounts and then annealed at various temperatures. A comparison of these data with internal friction measurements made on the same samples reveals marked dissimilarities. For small amounts of cold-work, line breadths appear to be affected by the rate of cold-working, whereas internal friction seems more dependent upon the amount of cold-work. The internal friction introduced by cold-work is removed by low temperature annealing (far below the temperature of recrystallization). Line breadth changes little with annealing until just before recrystallization when it exhibits a comparatively sharp decrease.
Interactions between coronary occlusion and the renin-angiotensin system in the dog

Studies were carried out in 39 barbiturate-anesthetized dogs to determine whether the renin-angiotensin system is important in control of hemodynamics and coronary flow during myocardial ischemia. Plasma renin activity (PRA) was 2.2±0.4 ng·ml−1·hr−1 immediately before coronary artery occlusion (CAO) and increased to 3.8±0.5 (p<.005) 15 minutes after CAO. In nephrectomized dogs, PRA was 0.76±0.14 ng·ml−1·hr−1 two hours after nephrectomy and remained unchanged after CAO. In contrast, hemodynamic changes following CAO were similar between nephrectomized and intact dogs: mean arterial pressure fell from 126±4 pre CAO to 116±4 mm Hg post CAO (p<0.005) in nephrectomized dogs and from 130±11 to 120±11 mm Hg (p<0.005) in intact dogs. Left atrial pressure rose from 5.4±0.9 pre CAO to 7.7±0.9 mm Hg (p<0.005) post CAO in nephrectomized dogs and 6.3±1.3 to 9.0±1.8 mm Hg (p<0.005) in intact dogs. Heart rate remained unchanged in both groups. In sham-operated dogs without CAO, neither the angiotensin II blocker Saralasin nor the converting enzyme inhibitor Captopril had significant effects on systemic (SVR) and coronary (CVR) vascular resistances. In contrast, in dogs with CAO, these drugs reduced CVR from 1.28±0.13 mm Hg·ml−1·min·100 g heart weight (resistance units=RU) to 0.85±0.08 RU (p<0.05) (Saralasin) 15 minutes after treatment and from 1.17±0.09 to 0.88±0.08 RU (p<0.025), (Captopril) respectively. However, only Captopril reduced SVR, from 10.7±1.13 to 8.2±0.8 RU (p<0.025). Both Captopril and Saralasin induced a significant increase in collateral blood flow. Nephrectomy, two hours prior to CAO, significantly reduced the effect of Captopril on CVR and collateral blood flow while the effect on SVR persisted. Thus the reduction in CVR appears to be an effect of inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system; this system participates in control of CVR during CAO and may limit coronary collateral blood flow.
Cardiac hypertrophy and thyroid hormone signaling

Thyroid hormone exerts a large number of influences on the cardiovascular system. Increased thyroid hormone action increases the force and speed of systolic contraction and the speed of diastolic relaxation and these are largely beneficial effects. Furthermore, thyroid hormone has marked electrophysiological effects increasing heart rate and the propensity for atrial fibrillation and these effects are largely mal-adaptive. In addition, thyroid hormone markedly increases cardiac angiogenesis and decreases vascular tone. These multiple thyroid hormone effects are largely mediated by the action of nuclear based thyroid hormone receptors (TR) the thyroid hormone receptor alpha and beta. TRα is the predominant isoform in the heart. Rapid nongenomic thyroid hormone effects also occur, which can be clearly demonstrated in ex-vivo experiments. Some of the most marked thyroid hormone effects in cardiac myocytes involve influences on calcium flux, with thyroid hormone promoting expression of the gene encoding the calcium pump of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SERCa2). In contrast, in hypothyroid animals phospholamban levels, which inhibit the SERCa2 pump, are increased. In addition, marked effects are exerted on the calcium channel of the sarcoplasmic reticulum the ryanodine channel. Related to myofibrillar proteins, myosin heavy chain alpha is increased by T3 and MHC beta is decreased. Complex and interesting interactions occur between cardiac hypertrophy induced by excess thyroid hormone action and cardiac hypertrophy occurring with heart failure. The thyroid hormone mediated cardiac hypertrophy in its initial phases presents a physiological hypertrophy with increases in SERCa2 levels and decreased expression of MHC beta. In contrast, pressure overload induced heart failure leads to a “pathological” cardiac hypertrophy which is largely mediated by activation of the calcineurin system and the MAPkinases signaling system. Recent evidence indicates that heart failure can lead to a downregulation of the thyroid hormone signaling system in the heart. In the failing heart, decreases of thyroid hormone receptor levels occur. In addition, serum levels of T4 and T3 are decreased with heart failure in the frame of the non-thyroidal illness syndrome. The decrease in T3 serves as an indicator for a bad prognosis in the heart failure patient being linked to increased mortality. In animal models, it can be shown that in pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy a decrease of thyroid hormone receptor levels occurs. Cardiac function can be improved by increasing expression of thyroid hormone receptors mediated by adeno-associated virus based gene transfer. The failing heart may develop a “hypothyroid” status contributing to diminished cardiac contractile function.
Broken symmetry and unconventional superconductivity in uniaxial crystals

Abstract We show that the coupling of a two-dimensional order parameter to a field that breaks the symmetry of a uniaxial crystal splits the superconducting transition, leading to two superconducting phases in zero field. The high-temperature superconducting phase is one-dimensional and exhibits the broken symmetry of the symmetry breaking field (SBF) while the two-dimensional low temperature phase spontaneously breaks time-reversal symmetry. We calculate the specific heat jumps at both transitions. We show that H c1 ( T ), a probe of the zero field phase, displays an abrupt change in slope at the second transition. Moreover, a kink in H c2 ( T ) occurs for fields in the basal plane reflecting a finite field phase transition. For an SBF fixed to the lattice, the symmetry of H c1 and H c2 is broken in the basal plane. The observation of all three of these features, whether intrinsic or induced by external means, on the same crystal with uniaxial symmetry would provide convincing evidence of unconventional superconductivity. Our results are in qualitative agreement with recent measurements on different samples of the heavy electron system UPt 3 . We find that sizeable strong-coupling corrections are needed to explain the magnitudes of the heat capacity jumps and the splitting of the transition in some samples. Comparison of the discontinuity in the slope of H c2 ( T ) with the data of Taillefer et al. (on a different UPt 3 crystal) leads to SBF couplings in qualitative agreement with those inferred from the heat capacity data. More recently, a kink in H c1 ( T ) has also been observed. A quantitative comparison with specific heat and critical field measurements on the same sample would provide a stringent test of this model for UPt 3 .
Azbel'-Kaner Cyclotron Resonance in Thallium

The angular dependence of Azbel'-Kaner cyclotron resonance in single crystals of high-purity thallium has been investigated at 24 GHz and 1.4\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K for sample surfaces perpendicular to the three principal crystal-lographic directions. These measurements have revealed sections of Fermi surface not previously reported. Detailed comparisons are made with the nearly free-electron Fermi surface and with Soven's relativistic orthogonalized-plane-wave calculations. While several orbits were observed to be compatible with these models, other orbits were observed which we are unable to assign using either model. Cyclotron resonance for magnetic field directions making oblique angles with a ($10\overline{1}0$) surface has also been investigated. These studies revealed highly anisotropic, large-amplitude resonances for magnetic field directions making angles of up to 80\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} with the sample surface. These resonances have been attributed to extended orbits that are possible because of magnetic breakdown effects. The extended-orbit mechanism proposed by Khaikin and Cheremisin was found to account qualitatively for the observed behavior. The experimentally determined masses were quantitatively compared with the nearly free-electron predictions, resulting in estimates of the mass enhancement factors ranging from 1.4 to 1.8. These values were found to disagree with the most recent determinations of the specification-heat mass enhancement factor.
Safety and efficacy of rituximab in childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus and other rheumatic diseases.

Objective. Rituximab (RTX) has been used to treat many pediatric autoimmune conditions. We investigated the safety and efficacy of RTX in a variety of pediatric autoimmune diseases, especially systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods. Retrospective study of children treated with RTX. Effectiveness data was recorded for patients with at least 12 months of followup; safety data was recorded for all subjects. Results. The study included 104 children; 50 had SLE. Improvements in corticosteroid dosage, physician’s global assessment of disease activity, and SLE-associated markers of disease activity were seen. The incidence of hospitalized infections was similar to previous studies of patients with childhood-onset SLE. Conclusion. RTX can be safely administered to children and appears to contribute to decreased disease activity and steroid burden.
Electrocardiographic and oximetric changes during partial complex and generalized seizures

Summary Significant autonomic changes occur during seizures and may be related to sudden unexplained death in epilepsy (SUDEP). Accordingly, we performed a study to determine the prevalence of heart rate, QTc, and oximetric changes during seizures and analyzed their association with SUDEP risk factors. We analyzed 218 seizures from 76 patients. Ictal sinus tachycardia occurred in 57% of seizures and was associated with ≥3 failed AEDs ( p =0.001), generalized seizures ( p p =0.04). Ictal sinus bradycardia was rare, occurring in 2% of seizures. Ictal bradycardia was associated with seizure clustering ( p =0.028) and reported history of ≥50 seizures/month ( p =0.01). Depending on the correction formula utilized for calculating QTc, clinically significant ictal QTc prolongation (≥460ms for children ≤13 years, ≥470ms for males age >13, and ≥480ms for females age >13) occurred in 4.8–16.2% of seizures, while ictal QTc prolongation ≥500ms occurred in 2.9–16.2%. Ictal QTc shortening ≤340ms was observed in 3.8–4.8% of seizures. Ictal hypoxemia occurred in 25% of seizures and was associated with normal MRI ( p =0.01), longer seizure duration ( p =0.049), and ictal tachycardia ( p =0.003). Such findings may have implications for understanding the pathogenesis of SUDEP.
A PDE-based inverse solver for diffusion tomography using multiple continuous wave sources

The focus of this research is on the development of a new Partial differential equation (PDE) diffusion-based inverse solver for the Helmholtz equation in the frequency domain, in the context of optical tomography. The approach is through a simplification of the previously developed Elliptical Systems Method with the use of a certain new PDE of the second order, with related boundary and special conditions. We report on the recovery of the absorption coefficient in the presence of noise with theory and numerical examples, with focus on the accuracy of the centers and capacities. The examples explore the case of incomplete data collection using multiple continuous wave (zero frequency) sources over a domain with four inclusions of different signs and shapes. The incomplete data collection is over a rectangular region and includes use of sources and detectors limited to the top and bottom sides, detectors on the transmitted sides only and detectors on the back-reflected sides only.
Biosynthesis of a Highly Stable Coiled-Coil Protein Containing Hexafluoroleucine in an Engineered Bacterial Host

Incorporation of nonnatural amino acid residues allows engineering of proteins with novel chemical functionality and unusual physical properties. We have shown recently that coiled-coil proteins prepared in vivo can be stabilized significantly by replacement of leucine by trifluoroleucine (1). In the same series of experiments, however, we were unsuccessful in our attempts to incorporate the more highly fluorinated analogue hexafluoroleucine (2). We report here that modification of the leucyl-tRNA synthetase (LeuRS) activity of the host allows efficient incorporation of 2 into recombinant proteins prepared in Escherichia coli. Furthermore, the coiled-coil protein used to demonstrate incorporation of 2 exhibits enhanced stability in comparison to the same protein enriched in 1, possibly due to the increased hydrophobic character of the additional trifluoromethyl group in the protein core.
Quantitation and molecular species determination of diacylglycerols, phosphatidylcholines, ceramides, and sphingomyelins with gas chromatography☆

In addition to the role of building block for biological membranes, phospholipids and their metabolites have been implicated in other important cellular functions, such as proliferation and apoptosis. Ceramides and their precursor, sphingomyelin, are thought to play a role in cellular apoptosis. In contrast, the metabolism of diacylglycerols and one of their precursors, phosphatidylcholine, is thought to be partly responsible for the opposite effect, cellular proliferation. Quantitative determination of these lipids in biological samples is important in investigating the complicated interactions between these molecules. In this report, we describe a capillary gas chromatographic procedure for the quantitative determination of molecular species of diacylglycerols, ceramides, phosphatidylcholines, and sphingomyelins. Lipid extracts are separated into these classes with a silica gel column. Diacylglycerols and ceramides are analyzed as trimethylsilyl derivatives. Phosphatidylcholines and sphingomyelins are converted to their diacylglycerol and ceramide components with sphingomyelinase hydrolysis. Internal standards for each analyzed fraction are used in the procedure. This method is used to determine the lipids in liver homogenate and subcellular fractions, including mitochondria, light mitochondria, and microsomes from young and old Fischer 344 rats. Our data show that the ceramide and sphingomyelin content is higher in the mitochondria of old rats. This relationship is consistent with the potential role of ceramide in mitochondria-induced apoptosis. More study is needed to substantiate this relationship.
Unleashing Cardiopoiesis: A Novel Role for G-CSF

Identifying pathways for cardiac muscle creation is a paramount objective of cardiac stem cell biology. In this issue of Cell Stem Cell, Shimoji and colleagues (2010) report the unforeseen ability of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) to drive cardiopoiesis in mouse, primate, and human pluripotent cells.
Channel learning and communication-aware motion planning in mobile networks

In this paper we propose a communication-aware motion planning framework to ensure robust cooperative operation of a mobile network in realistic communication environments. We use a probabilistic multi-scale model for channel characterization. We then utilize our previously proposed model-based channel prediction framework in order to devise communication-aware motion-planning approaches. We first propose a motion generation strategy that optimally plans the trajectory of the robot in order to improve its channel learning in an environment. We then propose a communication-aware navigation approach in which link quality predictions are combined with sensing goals in order to ensure cooperative and networked task accomplishment. Our simulation results show the superior performance of our proposed communication-aware motion planning framework.
Interaction of daunomycin with nucleic acids: effect of photoirradiation of the complex.

Quale effetto dell'irradiazione UV e stato osservato un legame insolitamente forte tra daunomicina ed acidi nucleici, che suggerisce la possibilita della formazione di un legame covalente.
Novel 2-Oxoamide Inhibitors of Human Group IVA Phospholipase A2

A novel class of potent human cytosolic phospholipase A(2) (GIVA PLA(2)) inhibitors was developed. These inhibitors were designed to contain the 2-oxoamide functionality and a free carboxyl group. Among the compounds tested, a long-chain 2-oxoamide containing L-gamma-norleucine was the most potent inhibitor, causing a 50% decrease in GIVA PLA(2) activity at 0.009 mole fraction.