cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prediction of Clamp Load Loss Under Fully Reversed Cyclic Loads in Bolted Joints

The amount of clamp load loss due to a fully reversed cyclic service load is determined for a bolted assembly in which both the fastener and the joint were initially tightened beyond their respective proportional limits. After the initial tightening of the fastener, the joint is subsequently subjected to a fully reversed cyclic load that acts as a tensile separating force in the first half cycle, and as a compressive force on the joints during the second half cycle of the loading. During the first quarter cycle, the separating force would increase the fastener tensile stress further into the non-linear range. Such separating force would simultaneously reduce the clamping force in the bolted joint. At the end of the following quarter of the cycle, the bolted joint system reaches a new equilibrium point between the fastener tension and the joint clamping force. At the new equilibrium point, the clamp load is reduced from its initial value, due to the plastic elongation of the fastener. In the third quarter of the cycle, the compressive service load would increase the joint compressive stress into the non-linear range. Similarly, the clamp load loss would be increased at the end of the second half cycle, due to the plastic compression in the joint. The total clamp load loss may significantly lead to joint leakage, loosening, or fatigue failure. A non-linear strain hardening model is implemented in order to determine the clamp load loss due to accumulative effect of the permanent set in the fastener and the joint after the service load had been removed. Various rates of strain hardening are used for modeling the behavior of the fastener and joint materials. The effect of three non-dimensional variables on the amount of clamp load loss is investigated. The variables include the joint-to-fastener stiffness ratio, the ratio of the initial fastener tension to its elastic limit, and the ratio of the external force to its maximum tensile value that would cause joint separation to start.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Reproductive health information for young women in Kazakhstan: disparities in access by channel.

This study explores young women's reliance on reproductive and sexual health information channels, examining the relationship between information sources and reproductive health knowledge. Utilizing 1995 and 1999 Kazakhstan Demographic and Health Surveys, we investigate access to reproductive health knowledge among young women (ages 15–24) during a key period in the development of wide-scale reproductive health programs in Kazakhstan. Despite reproductive health campaigns throughout the 1990s, we find consistently high proportions of young women without family planning information access. Among young women with access to information, few received information from channels most strongly linked to knowledge and behavioral changes (family and medical professionals). Mass media sources and peer information networks remained the most often utilized channels. Urban residence, non-Kazakh ethnicity, older age (20–24), and higher education significantly increased the odds of accessing family planning information a...
Metabolites as feedbacks for control of feed intake and receptor sites in goats and sheep

Abstract To test their role in the hunger-satiety mechanism, metabolites were injected during spontaneous meals into goats and sheep fed a grain ration ad lib. Feed intake of goats and sheep was decreased about 40 per cent by injections of 15 and 31 mM per meal, respectively, of propionate into the ruminal vein (RV), but not decreased by 21 and 50 mM per meal, respectively, into the jugular vein (JV). Injections of an average of 41 mM of propionate per minute decreased feed intake of goats about 36 per cent. Sheep injected with propionate into the carotid artery (CA) (31 mM per meal), or mesenteric (MV) (36 mM per meal), or portal veins (53 mM per meal) did not decrease feed intake significantly. In sheep, glucose (23 mM per meal) when injected into the CA decreased feed intake 35 per cent although when injected into the RV or MV had no effect. Feed intake of both goats and sheep decreased when 19 and 39 mM per meal, respectively, of butyrate were injected into the JV. Lactate injected into the JV decreased feed intake of goats, but not sheep, despite larger injections. Sheep (but not goats) decreased feed intake during RV and JV acetate injections. It is proposed that in the ruminal region of both goats and sheep there are propionate receptors which may function in the control of feed intake.
Malonic ester derivatives of s‐Triazine

Reaction of cyanuric chloride with solutions of sodium diethyl malonate led to three products, 2,4,6-tris(dicarbethoxymethylene)hexahydro-s-triazine, 2,4-bis(dicarbethoxymethylene)-6-oxohexahydro-s-triazine, and 2-dicarbethoxymethylene-4,6-dioxohexahydro-s-triazine. The preferred structures (IV,V,VI) are stabilized by chelated N-H-O protons in six membered rings. The assignment of structures was made on the basis of ir, nmr, uv and mass spectral data.
U.S. flue-cured tobacco industry computer simulation of alternative marketing systems

A preliminary study of the current U.S. flue-cured tobacco marketing system was performed to determine the need for a new system. Computer simulation models of thirteen alternative handling and marketing methods were developed. The throughput, pounds of tobacco processed in a 40 hour period, was measured. Maximum throughput predicted by the thirteen models varied from 42,933 to 2,971,311 pounds per 40 hour period. Design of experiments was used to select a fractional factorial design which allowed determining significant model factors. Statistical models were employed to isolate important factors and differences between alternative marketing systems. Two marketing systems are recommended to the U.S. flue-cured tobacco industry for further study and analysis.
Nine Principles for Design for the Developing World as Derived From the Engineering Literature

This paper reviews the findings of several engineering researchers and practitioners on the topic of design for the developing world. We arrange these findings into nine guiding principles aimed at helping those who are searching for effective approaches for design for the developing world. The findings reviewed come from the mechanical engineering discipline, as well as from other engineering and nonengineering disciplines. For each principle, we provide references to various studies as a means of supporting the principle. We also provide a detailed example of each principle. Based on our own experience and based on the many papers reviewed, we provide a succinct list of suggestions for using each principle. Finally, we relate these nine principles to traditional design principles. Ultimately, we believe that the principles introduced here help overcome the challenges of design for the developing world, which are often dominated by designer unfamiliarity with poverty and foreign culture and the constraint of extreme affordability.
Simulation technique for tropical cyclone occurrences

Abstract In a hurricane or typhoon-prone region, the prediction of tropical cyclone occurrences is an essential element in structural reliability studies. The uncertainty of tropical cyclone generated extreme winds that affect tall structures is currently being undertaken at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. In order to understand the long-range behavior and the patterns of tropical cyclone occurrences, a Monte Carlo method-based simulation technique is investigated. In this approach, the probability distributions of the interarrival time between occurrences of tropical cyclones, the probability distributions of the arrival times of the first as well as the last tropical cyclones of each typhoon season, and the probability distributions of the durations of typhoon seasons are the basic elements in this simulation process. An application of the approach to Shanghai, China data is illustrated.
Diurnal rhythms of paraventricular hypothalamic norepinephrine and food intake in rats

Extracellular levels of endogenous norepinephrine (NE) within rat paraventricular hypothalamus (PVN) vary across the diurnal cycle, with a peak in NE level noted at the onset of the dark cycle, at which time feeding occurs in a burst. The present experiment further examined the relationship between food intake and extracellular levels of NE within the PVN and within sites located outside of the hypothalamus. Adult male rats were implanted with concentric microdialysis probes aimed at either the PVN or brain sites outside the PVN. Measures of food intake and of extracellular NE were collected every hour over a 24-h period. Rats with PVN probes exhibited two peaks in extracellular NE. The first peak in PVN NE occurred within 1 h before the onset of the dark phase (ZT11) and was significantly correlated (p < 0.02) with a marked burst of feeding during the first hour of the dark phase. In addition, a second NE peak occurred 8 h into the dark phase (ZT19) but was not accompanied by feeding. Rats bearing non-PVN probes did not exhibit alterations in extracellular NE yet did show a pattern of feeding similar to that noted in the PVN rats. These data support the hypothesis that the burst of feeding evident at the onset of dark is related, in part, to an increase in PVN extracellular NE.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Two Approximate Methods To Estimate Conversion and Yield in Mixed Chemical Reactors

In many cases, quick methods are needed to evaluate the conversion and yield that may occur in a given reactor with a desired chemical reaction and necessary product. Full experimentation and/or full numerical simulation to evaluate the situation is neither warranted nor needed. In many cases, methods even quicker than computational fluid dynamics (CFD) with closure are needed to approximate yield results for various versions of a reactor. This paper reviews two methods that might be used beyond assuming perfect mixing or perfect plug flow to determine the likely conversion and yield for reactions in tubular reactors with mixing effects and in stirred vessel reactors. These methods can typically be implemented using a simple numerical integration program (such as POLYMATH) and/or a math program (such as MATLAB). In most cases, the results will not perfectly duplicate actual laboratory or pilot results, but simulated comparisons of various reactor setups can be made which are likely to be valid, because th...
Active rescheduling for automated guided vehicle systems

The paper examines the use of knowledge-based techniques to generate a framework for the active rescheduling of an automated guided vehicle system in a manufacturing environment. Our approach to active rescheduling uses ‘cues’ drawn from events on the shop-floor to trigger rescheduling. Simulation experiments are used to capture knowledge about the shop-floor and various scheduling strategies. An extensible agent architecture is developed to facilitate active rescheduling.
Oxygen annealing of silver for obtaining low electrical resistivity: technique and interpretation

A single crystal Ag rod has been annealed in stages in a deliberate but low oxygen partial pressure. The change in the residual resistivity ratio (RRR) after each anneal is reported. During the course of the anneals the RRR is increased from 140 to 9500. The details of the annealing procedure are given, and the dynamics of internal oxidation of impurities in Ag are discussed. It is shown that for achieving high RRR, high annealing temperatures and low partial pressure of oxygen should be employed. In addition, the necessity of including size effects in the interpretation of electron transport phenomena in incompletely oxygen annealed samples is demonstrated.
A Primer for Using and Understanding Weights With National Datasets

Using data from the National Study of Postsecondary Faculty and the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study—Kindergarten Class of 1998-99, the author provides guidelines for incorporating weights and design effects in single-level analysis using Windows-based SPSS and AM software. Examples of analyses that do and do not employ weights and design effects are also provided to illuminate the differential results of key parameter estimates and standard errors using varying degrees of using or not using the weighting and design effect continuum. The author gives recommendations on the most appropriate weighting options, with specific reference to employing a strategy to accommodate both oversampled groups and cluster sampling (i.e., using weights and design effects) that leads to the most accurate parameter estimates and the decreased potential of committing a Type I error. However, using a design effect adjusted weight in SPSS may produce underestimated standard errors when compared with accurate estimates produce...
Qualitative analysis of algal secretions with multiple mass spectrometric platforms

Lipid secretions from algae pose a great opportunity for engineering biofueler feedstocks. The lipid exudates could be interesting from a process engineering perspective because lipids could be collected directly from the medium without harvesting and disrupting cells. We here report on the extracellular secretions of algal metabolites from the strain UTEX 2341 (Chlorella minutissima) into the culture medium. No detailed analysis of these lipid secretions has been performed to date. Using multiple mass spectrometric platforms, we observed around 1000 compounds and were able to annotate 50 lipids by means of liquid chromatography coupled to accurate mass quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF), direct infusion with positive and negative electrospray ion trap mass spectrometry and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC–MS). These compounds were annotated by tandem mass spectral (MS/MS) database matching and retention time range filtering. We observed a series of triacylglycerols (TG), sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerols (SQDG), phosphatidylinositols and phosphatidylglycerols, as well as betaine lipids diacylglyceryl-N,N,N-trimethylhomoserines (DGTS).
Q-band Electron Nuclear Double Resonance (ENDOR) and X-band EPR of the Sulfobetaine 12 Heat-treated Cytochrome c Oxidase Complex *

Heat treatment of the bovine cytochrome c oxidase complex in the zwitterionic detergent sulfobetaine 12 (SB-12) results in loss of subunit III and the appearance of a type II copper center as characterized by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Previous authors (Nilsson, T., Copeland, R. A., Smith, P. A., and Chan, S. I. (1988) Biochemistry 27, 8254-8260) have interpreted this type II copper center as a modified version of the CuA site. By using electron nuclear double resonance spectroscopy, it is found that the CuA proton and nitrogen resonances remain present in the SB-12 heat-treated enzyme and that three new nitrogen resonances appear having hyperfine coupling constants consistent with histidine ligation. These hyperfine coupling constants correlate well with those recently found for the CuB histidines from the cytochrome aa3-600 quinol oxidase from Bacillus subtilis (Fann, Y. C., Ahmed, I., Blackburn, N. J., Boswell, J. S., Verkhovskaya, M. L., Hoffman, B. M., and Wikstrom, M. (1995) Biochemistry 34, 10245-10255). In addition, the total EPR-detectable copper concentration per enzyme molecule approximately doubles upon SB-12 heat treatment. Finally, the observed type II copper EPR spectrum is virtually indistinguishable from the EPR spectrum of CuB of the as-isolated cytochrome bo3 complex from Escherichia coli. These data indicate that the type II copper species that appears results from a breaking of the strong antiferromagnetic coupling of the heme a3-CuB binuclear center.
Scattering of scalar waves from a rough interface using a single integral equation

Abstract Using Green's function methods we consider the problem of scattering from a rough interface separating two semi-infinite homogenous media. We derive a single coordinate-space integral equation of the first kind for the generalized reflection coefficient R. A second integral equation of the first kind is derived for the generalized transmission coefficient T. The two equations are new results. In the limiting cases corresponding to Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions, we recover the usual boundary integral equations from the R-equation. In the flat surface limit, R and T reduce to the usual Fresnel reflection and transmission coefficients. The latter are derived from these more general results rather than assumed as in perturbation methods.
A symposium of mathematical methods for radio engineers

A study of the properties of Fourier series with special reference to functions presenting discontinuities and to radio and pulse problems; summary survey of the methods of harmonic analysis; scope of these methods; extension to the calculation of a great number of harmonics and to the analysis of non-periodic curves.The Fourier series expansions are particularly applicable to functions having discontinuities, and the coefficients of these expansions can be expressed in terms of the discontinuities of the function and its derivatives. The discontinuity formulae thus obtained are very useful in that a great number of expansions can be written straight away. Such is the case of periodic pulses.The Fourier series can also be applied, by means of a limiting process, to the analysis of non-periodic functions such as a single pulse. In some cases the mathematical difficulties encountered when applying Fourier integrals are so avoided. As examples of application, the frequency characteristics of the unit step and of the impulse functions are calculated, and the response of an ideal low-pass filter to a rectangular pulse and to a double pulse is studied.A general survey of the methods of harmonic analysis is given. Methods of calculation are approximate since they start from a limited number of points of the curve to analyse. A considerable variety of methods have been suggested, the main tendency being to get the greatest accuracy with a limited number of points. The writer has studied closely all these methods and has found that they are closely correlated and can be reduced to a single one, the method using Lagrange's equations with Runge's schedules, and the writer's corrective coefficients.Further studies by the writer, particularly on the quick calculation of a great number of harmonics such as 120 or 160, are mentioned.
Beyond the cottage industry

The introduction of modern telecommunication services into rural and underdeveloped areas can have a dramatic effect on the local economies in addition to solving cost and skill problems for urban centres of industry and commerce. In this article examples are given where significant investments have been made in telecommunication infrastructure of remote and rural areas resulting in highly encouraging prospects for increased local employment and prosperity.
Organized criminal involvement in the illicit antiquities trade

From the ”glocal” perspective of a large sample of archaeologists conducting fieldwork throughout the world and working on the very sites of interest to looters, this paper explores the question whether and to what extent organized crime is involved in the theft and illicit export of archaeological resources. Two major findings are presented: first, archaeologists tend almost unanimously to consider that organized crime operates within the ‘global’ antiquities market, but when asked about their own personal experiences with looting on the sites where they work, many fewer report observations of organized crime; second, however, it is apparent that respondents’ conceptions of “organized crime” involve media-driven, stereotypical representations of mafia-style structures. Therefore, although in their reporting of observed local activities they do not provide substantial survey evidence of the presence of organized crime so defined, they do report appreciable “organization” among those who have looted their sites—which, again, they have almost unanimously experienced. This paper considers the implications of such findings for both the definitional debate on organized crime and the academic analysis of the trade in looted antiquities.
Theoretical evidence against the existence of polywater.

WE present here new results that disprove a widely discussed, and seemingly successful, structural model for polywater1, which was derived using semi-empirical calculations, and obtained its utility by consistently correlating more than twenty experimental observations. Defeat of this model thus casts serious doubt on the existence of a new water allotrope. It is important to distinguish clearly between the essentially empirical interrelation of experiments achieved by the original model and the current attack on it, because it is obvious from ref. 1 that we have placed ourselves in the unusual and all too easy to discredit position of being authors both of the original model and of the new results against it.
Effects of phenylalanine and its deaminated metabolites on Na+,K+-ATPase activity in synaptosomes from rat brain.

The effects of phenylalanine (PHE) and its deaminated metabolites phenylpyruvate (PHP), phenyllactate (PHL) and phenylacetate (PHA) on sodium and potassium activated adenosinetriphosphatase (Na+, K+-ATPase) in synaptosomes from rat brain were investigated. At very low concentrations (5–10 μM), PHE, PHL and PHA inhibited the activity, while PHP stimulated the activity. At intermediate concentrations (50–100 μM), all compounds had no effect, but at higher (0.5–1.0 mM) concentrations they inhibited the enzyme activity. Thus all the compounds tested showed a biphasic effect on the enzyme activity. Hydroxylamine inhibited the Na+, K+-ATPase activity when present alone; simultaneous addition of hydroxylamine and PHE, however, eliminated the inhibitory effects of each other. Reversal of mutual inhibition also occurred in the presence of hydroxylamine and very low (5–10 μM) concentrations of PHL or PHA. The inhibitory effects of PHE at all concentrations, and of PHL or PHA at low concentrations, were also eliminated in the presence of EGTA. The data indicate that inhibition of brain membrane Na+, K+-ATPase by PHE and by low concentrations of PHL and PHA may involve metal ions, but that the inhibition by high concentrations of these metabolites must occur by a different mechanism. Since Na+, K+-ATPase plays a central role in neuronal function, and the presence of excess PHE and its deaminated metabolites occurs in brain tissue under conditions of experimentally induced hyperphenylalaninemia and genetic phenylketonuria, the neurologic impairment in experimental and genetic PKU may in part be related to the deleterious effects of these compounds on brain ATPase.
The fine structure of the developmental stages of the microsporidian Nosema apis Zander

Schizonts, sporonts and sporoblasts of Nosema apis from honey bees collected in the summer and winter were studied with the electron microscope. The nuclei usually had a diplokaryon arrangement. Intranuclear spindles with polar vesicles were associated with division. Schizonts had a single limiting unit membrane, whereas sporonts had a two-layered wall. Sporonts from summer bees had only a thin single limiting membrane in some areas and evidence of endocytosis was sometimes seen in these. Sporonts from winter bees had branched tubular outpocketings from the wall. In sporoblasts, the development of the polar filament was closely associated with a network of dense structures interwoven with a system of tubules evidently of ER derivation; the Golgi complex was associated with this network.
Leasing the Ivory Tower at a Social Justice University: Freeport McMoRan, Loyola University New Orleans, and Corporate Greenwashing

This article is a case study of the financial ties between Freeport-McMoRan Corporation and Loyola University, New Orleans. Freeport is a large transnational corporation that has a deplorable domes...
Analysis of teleseismic body waves radiated from the Loma Prieta Earthquake

Broad-band data from IRIS and ORFEUS data centers, the ARCESS array and SCP station are analyzed to infer fault plane geometry and the character of rupture during the October 17, 1989, Loma Prieta earthquake. Interference of P and sP seen in the P wave forms is consistent with the 18 km source depth inferred from local observations. A minimum source depth of 14 km is inferred from interpretation of the S wave arrival time, relative to instrument trigger, using horizontal strong motion accelerations observed at Corralitos, California. P, sP, S and sS polarities and relative amplitudes are used in a comprehensive grid search to infer that oblique right-lateral faulting occurred on a steeply dipping (56°–60°) section of the San Andreas fault with an equal amount of thrust component consistent with aftershock locations. A suite of point moment tensor inversions for source depths spanning the observed depth of aftershock hypocenters yields similar mechanisms. The best moment tensor in terms of wave form fit and minimum non-double couple component occurs for a source depth of 8 km, substantially shallower than the locally inferred hypocenter. Seismic moment for this model is 2.3 × 1026 dyn-cm. The slow growth of the P displacement pulse with time and impulsive sP suggests a working model for fault rapture where rupture initiates at 18 km and propagates upwards and outwards along the fault. The P wave forms show the effects of variations in rupture along the plane through observation of a cascade of successively larger subevents.
Managing bilingual employees: communication strategies for hospitality managers

Purpose – One out of four foodservice employees speaks a foreign language at home. Furthermore, 37 percent of those employees speak limited English. Given this, hospitality managers must find ways to effectively communicate with their employees. This paper seeks to address these issues.Design/methodology/approach – The methodology employed a perspective‐taking manipulation. Participants were placed in the role of an individual that does not speak the native language that is used in the workplace. Groups were measured on performance, quality, and accuracy. Groups were video‐taped to measure frequency of non‐verbal behaviors. Participants were surveyed to measure their levels of positivity.Findings – The results of this study identified effective non‐verbal communication strategies for managers (combination of gestures, demonstrating, and pointing). When the leader used these strategies, the groups were able to complete the recipes faster. Managers who spoke another language expressed a more positive behavi...
Noncanonical Neurotransmission at the Neuromuscular Junction

Large-scale proteomic analyses of heterogeneous CNS preparations, such as isolated CNS synaptic vesicles, have provided a wealth of information related to synapse specific proteins, and synaptic signaling pathways. However, these studies under-represent, or lack entirely, many vesicle and neurotransmitter signaling pathways. In particular the neuromodulatory adrenergic and cholinergic pathways are often under-represented. In order to better understand the molecules and signaling pathways involved at cholinergic synapses, we have focused on the classic preparation of the electric lobe and electric organ of Torpedo californica. The abundant macromolecular material available from this preparation has contributed greatly to our understanding of the synthesis, storage, and release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and its postsynaptic activation of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. Many lines of evidence support the idea that in addition to acetylcholine, additional neurotransmitters and/or neuromodulators are also released from cholinergic synapses. Utilizing a single-vesicle imaging approach, we have found that individual synaptic vesicles from the electric ray possess neurotransmitter transporters for glutamate, ATP, and acetylcholine. In addition to those transporters, cholinergic synaptic vesicles from the electric ray also possess an orphaned transporter from the bile acid transport family, SLC10A4. We are now expanding our research to identify the molecules transported by SLC10A4 using multiple biochemical approaches and a mouse knockout model.
Investigating Urban Eighth-Grade Students’ Knowledge of Energy Resources

This study investigated urban eighth-grade students’ knowledge of energy resources and associated issues including energy acquisition, energy generation, storage and transport, and energy consumption and conservation. A 39 multiple-choice-item energy resources knowledge assessment was completed by 1043 eighth-grade students in urban schools in two cities in Pennsylvania, USA. Mean scores for the entire assessment measure indicated low conceptual energy knowledge of the eighth-grade students. Subscale means revealed that student understandings of energy resource acquisition, energy generation, storage and transport, and energy consumption and conservation are not satisfactory. Distractor analysis identified many misunderstandings that eighth-grade students hold with regard to energy resources. Findings revealed that students did not have a sound knowledge and understanding of basic scientific energy resources facts, issues related to energy sources and resources, general trends in the US energy resource su...
Cytoplasmic Localization of Wis1 MAPKK by Nuclear Export Signal Is Important for Nuclear Targeting of Spc1/Sty1 MAPK in Fission Yeast

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade is a ubiquitous signaling module that transmits extracellular stimuli through the cytoplasm to the nucleus; in response to activating stimuli, MAPKs ...
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-β/δ inhibits epidermal cell proliferation by down-regulation of kinase activity

Recent work has shown that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor beta (PPARbeta) attenuates cell proliferation and skin carcinogenesis, and this is due in part to regulation of ubiquitin C expression. In these studies, the role of PPARbeta in modulating ubiquitin-dependent protein kinase Calpha (PKCalpha) levels and phosphorylation signaling pathways was evaluated. Intracellular phosphorylation analysis showed that phosphorylated PKCalpha and other kinases were lower in wild-type mouse skin treated with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) as compared with PPARbeta-null mouse skin. No differences in expression levels of other PKC isoforms present in skin were observed. Lower ubiquitination of PKCalpha was found in TPA-treated PPARbeta-null skin as compared with wild-type, and inhibition of ubiquitin-dependent proteasome degradation prevented TPA-induced down-regulation of PKCalpha. The activity of PKCalpha and downstream signaling kinases is enhanced, and expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is significantly greater, in PPARbeta-null mouse skin in response to TPA compared with wild-type mouse skin. Inhibition of PKCalpha or COX-2 reduced cell proliferation in TPA-treated PPARbeta-null keratinocytes in a dose-dependent manner, whereas it only slightly influenced cell proliferation in wild-type keratinocytes. Combined, these studies provide strong evidence that PPARbeta attenuates cell proliferation by modulating PKCalpha/Raf1/MEK/ERK activity that may be due in part to reduced ubiquitin-dependent turnover of PKCalpha.
Yttrium-90 and Iodine-131 Radioimmunoglobulin Therapy of an Experimental Human Hepatoma

Therapeutic trials were performed on the HepG2 human hepatoblastoma implanted s.c. in the athymic nude mouse. Animals were treated with polyclonal and monoclonal antiferritin and control antibodies labeled with either iodine-131 (131I) or yttrium-90 (90Y). Administration of 400 muCi of 131I-labeled polyclonal antiferritin or 300 muCi of 90Y-labeled polyclonal antiferritin significantly increased survival (P less than 0.001). There were no tumor cures with radiolabeled polyclonal antibody therapy. Animals treated with 200 or 300 muCi of 131I-labeled monoclonal antiferritin (QCI054) did not show increased survival compared to controls. Although 400 muCi of 131I-labeled QCI significantly prolonged survival, treatment resulted in no long-term survivors. Monoclonal antiferritin labeled with 90Y significantly prolonged survival of animals (P less than 0.001) at doses of 100, 200, or 300 muCi compared with untreated controls. Fifty % of the animals treated with 200 muCi and 75% of the animals treated with 300 muCi showed no evidence of disease at 140 days following treatment. Four hundred muCi of 90Y-labeled QCI proved toxic to the animals. Increased survival was accompanied by a decrease in tumor mitotic rate and increase in cellular polymorphism as determined by pathological examination. The radiation dose absorbed in the tumor correlated directly with tumor response following treatment. The absorbed dose in tumors for complete decay of the isotope ranged from 165 and 330 cGy at the periphery and center of small tumors for an administered activity of 200 muCi of 131I-labeled polyclonal antiferritin, to 7,573 and 12,400 cGy for 300 muCi of 90Y-labeled monoclonal antiferritin QCI.
Fumonisin-ortho-phthalaldehyde derivative is stabilized at low temperature

Fumonisins are water soluble mycotoxins produced by the fungus Fusarium verticillioides (formerly F. moniliforme). Fumonisin B(1) (FB(1)) is a diester of propane-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid and 2-amino-12, 16-dimethyl-3,5,10,14,15-pentahydroxyeicosane, and is the most abundant of the naturally occurring fumonisins. Upon removal of the two tricarballylic acid side chains, the structure is referred to as hydrolyzed FB(1) (HFB(1)). FB(1) and HFB(1) are structurally similar to sphinganine, a sphingoid base. The fumonisins do not absorb UV light or fluoresce; therefore, derivatizing reagents are used for detection when separation is by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The standard derivatizing reagent used for HPLC is ortho-phthalaldehyde (OPA) plus 2-mercaptoethanol (ME) reaction partner, however, the OPA-FB(1) derivative is not stable at room temperature. The objectives of this study were to: (1). determine the effect of temperature on the stability of the OPA-FB(1) derivative and (2). determine which structural characteristics of FB(1) contribute to the instability of the OPA-FB(1) derivative. The results indicate that OPA-FB(1), OPA-FB(3) and OPA-HFB(1) derivatives are unstable at 24 degrees C but that their stability improves significantly at 4 degrees C. The OPA-sphinganine derivative is stable for at least 24h at 24 degrees C. Thus, the instability of the OPA-FB(1) derivative may be attributed to its lack of a hydroxyl group at the carbon 1 position.
Minority Job Concentration and Wages

This article explores wage inequality resulting from the segregation of minorities and whites into different jobs. Specifically, my analyses investigate the relationship between workplace minority concentration and the hourly wages of blacks and Latinos relative to whites. Using individual-level data from the Multi-City Study of Urban Inequality linked to establishment-level data from the Multi-City Telephone Employer Survey, I find wages are lower for workers in mostly black and Latino jobs compared to mostly white jobs, net of individual, human capital, job, occupation, establishment, and city controls. The study supports two main conclusions. First, racial minorities suffer disproportionately from lower wages because they are more likely than whites to have minority co-workers. Second, jobs, as opposed to local occupations or establishments, are the sites of mechanisms responsible for producing racial wage inequality. Drawing on devaluation and queuing theories to interpret these results, I elaborate on how this analysis advances our understanding of job-level wage processes and racial wage inequality in general.
Welfare Effects of Congestion Pricing and Transit Services in Multiclass Multimodal Networks

This paper analyzes the welfare effects of congestion pricing with the use of a general bimodal network with heterogeneous users. Transit service is modeled as a cheaper (because of its lower operating cost) and undesirable (because of the relatively long travel time) alternative to the highway network and is added to an origin-destination pair as an exclusive link. The analysis characterizes the critical users—those who suffer the greatest loss from pricing—as those who experience the least change in travel time after pricing. Accordingly, the paper shows that critical users could be rich, poor, or middle class, depending on their origin and destination. This finding highlights the spatial heterogeneity of distributional effects. Furthermore, numerical experiments indicate that (a) those with a low value of time tend to benefit more from greater coverage of transit services than those with intermediate values of time; (b) in the presence of poor transit coverage, users with access to transit may share a ...
Dysfunction of guinea‐pig pulmonary surfactant and type II pneumocytes after repetitive challenge with aerosolized ovalbumin

Summary Background Asthma symptoms may partially be caused by a surfactant dysfunction. The inflammatory reaction, so characteristic of asthma, involves a protein invasion of airways which harmfully affects the surfactant function. However, mild asthma attacks might also impede the surfactant synthesis in alveolar type II cells. Objective The present study evaluates the hypothesis that type 11 pneumocyte metabolic function might be disturbed in a model of mild asthma. Methods Immunized, as well as not immunized control guinea-pigs, were challenged three times at two-day intervals with 0.04% ovalbumin aerosol. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed one day after the last challenge and the fluid was evaluated for surface activity, and content of phospholipids and proteins. Alveolar type II cells were isolated and their ability to incorporate a 3H labeled surfactant precursor was evaluated. Results BAL fluid from immunized and challenged animals showed less surface activity (P < 0.01) when compared with BAL fluid from controls, not immunized but challenged. Most likely the reduced surface activity was caused by a 14% increase in the protein concentration (P < 0.05). Isolated type II cells from immunized and challenged animals had 33% less phospholipids than cells from controls (P < 0.05), and phosphatidylcholine synthesis was reduced 35% (P < 0.05). Conclusion Conclusion These results suggest that the synthesis, intra-cellular storage, and biophysical activity of surfactant are decreased in an intermittent and mild form of asthma.
Comparative analysis of the vaginal microbiome in health and disease

Diseases of the vaginal tract result from perturbations of the complex interactions among microbes of the host vaginal ecosystem. Recent advances in our understanding of these complex interactions have been enabled by next-generation-sequencing-based approaches, which make it possible to study the vaginal microbiome. In harnessing these approaches, we are beginning to define what constitutes an imbalance of the vaginal microbiome and how such imbalances, along with associated host factors, lead to infection and disease states such as bacterial vaginosis (BV), preterm births, and susceptibility to HIV and other sexually acquired infections. We have exploited various approaches to this end: comparative analysis of reference microbial genomes of vaginal isolates; comparative microbiome, metabolome and metagenome analysis of vaginal communities from subjects deemed to be healthy and individuals with BV; and comparative microbiome analysis of vaginal communities from humans and non-human primate species. The results from comparative genome sequencing have led us to suggest that different strains of the proposed pathogen Gardnerella vaginalis have different virulence potentials and that the detection of G. vaginalis in the vaginal tract is not indicative of a disease state [1]. Comparative microbiome, metabolome and metagenome analysis of vaginal communities from humans has demonstrated that the microbial communities from subjects with BV have a defined bacterial composition and metabolic profile that is distinct from subjects who do not have BV [2 and unpublished observations]. Our studies of microbial communities from non-human primate species and humans provide a unique comparative context. From an evolutionary perspective, humans and non-human primates differ considerably in mating habits, estrus cycles and gestation period. Moreover, birth is difficult in humans relative to other primates, increasing the risks of maternal injury and infection. In light of these numerous differences between humans and non-human primates, we hypothesize that humans have microbial populations that are distinct from those of non-human primates. Preliminary results show that the vaginal microbiomes of non-human primates are more diverse and are compositionally distinct from human vaginal microbiomes [3,4]. The composition of bacterial genera found in non-human primates is dissimilar to that seen in humans, most notably with lactobacilli being much less abundant in non-human primates. Our observations point to vaginal microbial communities being an important component of an evolutionary set of adaptations that separates humans from other primates and is of fundamental importance to health and reproductive function.
A Distributed Hidden Markov Model for Fine-grained Annotation in Body Sensor Networks

Human movement models often divide movements into parts. In walking the stride can be segmented into four different parts, and in golf and other sports, the swing is divided into section based on the primary direction of motion. When analyzing a movement, it is important to correctly locate the key events dividing portions. There exist methods for dividing certain actions using data from speci?c sensors. We introduce a generalized method for event annotation based on Hidden Markov Models. Genetic algorithms are used for feature selection and model parameterization. Further, collaborative techniques are explored. We validate this method on a walking dataset using inertial sensors placed on various locations on a human body. Our technique is computationally simple to allow it to run on resource constrained sensor nodes.
The need for controlled studies of the effects of meal frequency on health

Thus, from an evolutionary perspective, human beings were adapted to intermittent feeding rather than to grazing. Although eating three or more meals every day can promote rapid growth and sexual maturation in children, it might not be the healthiest dietary pattern for adults. Indeed, the rising tide of obesity in many developed countries occurs among individuals who consume several large meals per day. Overeating is now widely accepted as a major cause of premature death from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancers, 3 but surprisingly, few studies have determined how meal frequency affects health and disease risk. Nevertheless, individuals in the health-care professions and in the lay press have repeatedly stated that consumption of smaller and more frequent meals is healthier than that of larger and less frequent meals. This advice is given despite the lack of clear scientific evidence to justify it. Studies that have attempted to determine the effects of meal frequency on health have resulted in mixed conclusions. For example, an early survey study 4
CONGENITAL ABSENCE OF THE PERICARDIUM CONFIRMED BY SPONTANEOUS PNEUMOTHORAX

This article describes a case of complete absence of the left pericardium which was diagnosed on the chest radiograph and subsequently confirmed on computed tomography and thoracoscopy. Diagnostic confidence was bolstered by the presence of pneumopericardium which communicated via the defect with a spontaneous left pneumothorax. The clinical and imaging findings of pericardial absence are reviewed.
Currency Substitution And European Monetary Union

Results from cointegration and error-correction models for testing the effects of currency substitution in Greece, Portugal and Spain, in light of their upcoming participation in the European Monetary Union, revealed no significant short- or long-run currency substitution behavior in any country, suggesting that joining the union now would offer them no real benefits, unless significant economic convergence is achieved.
Fate of Oral Neutralizing Antacid and Its Effect on Postprandial Gastric Secretion and Emptying

The fate and neutralizing efficiency of oral antacids (aluminum and magnesium hydroxides) as well as their effect on postprandial gastric function were quantified in 6 patients with duodenal ulcer disease. We employed a double-marker technique for measurement of gastric secretion and emptying and combined this with back-titration of the gastric samples and analysis of aluminum to trace the fate of antacid in the stomach and duodenum. These studies show that: (a) antacid therapy with aluminum and magnesium hydroxides significantly increases gastric secretion; (b) intragastric neutralization of gastric acid produces a significant and substantial decrease in net acid output (acid secreted minus acid neutralized), but the beneficial effects of neutralization are partially offset by incomplete intragastric formation of aluminum trichloride; (c) most but not all of the ingested antacid is utilized in acid neutralization in the stomach (average 78.6% in our 6 patients); and (d) antacid therapy does not modify the absolute rate of postprandial gastric emptying, but increases dilution of gastric contents, expanding the intragastric volume. Thus, the fractional gastric emptying rate declines, and this, in turn, should enhance antacid utilization by delaying its emptying.
Comparison of Selected High Oleic Acid Breeding Lines, Florunner and NC 7 Cultivars for Roasted Peanut, Sweet and Other Sensory Attribute Intensities1

Abstract Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) breeding lines with the high oleic fatty acid trait, acceptable yield, and acceptable grade have shelf-life quality characteristics that are much better than existing cultivars, however, the effects of this changed fatty acid composition on peanut sensory attributes are not known. Sensory evaluation of roasted-peanut paste from four high oleic acid breeding lines (F1250, F1315, F1316, F1334), Florunner, and NC 7 indicates that improvement in fatty acid composition of peanut lines does not appear to be associated with changes in roasted peanut attribute intensity. The breeding lines had similar attribute intensity to an accepted industry standard, Florunner, and were significantly better than NC 7 (4.4–4.8 vs. 3.9, respectively). F1316 and F1334 had higher (though not significantly higher) roasted peanut intensities than the other high oleic acid breeding lines (4.8 vs. 4.4–4.7, respectively). Comparisons for other sensory attributes, fruity, sweet, bitter, stale, pain...
Interferons: Physicochemical Properties and Control of Cellular Synthesis

Publisher Summary Interferons are a class of protein capable of suppressing viral replication in competent animal cells. They are produced by a variety of animal cells in response to stimulation with a fairly wide range of materials. This characteristic cell-mediated antiviral action of interferons has proved to be the most useful parameter for the definition of interferons. This chapter reviews information on the general aspects of interferon production and action. It also focuses on the known physicochemical properties of interferons and control of the cellular synthesis of interferons. The chapter also discusses interferon induction by viruses and other agents. Although interferons had once been considered specific products of cell-virus interaction, more recent evidence shows that interferon production by animal cells can also be stimulated by a number of other agents. The still growing list of nonviral interferon inducers includes complex infectious agents, as well as relatively simple chemicals. The relationship between the structure and activity of polynucleotide interferon inducers is also discussed in the chapter.