cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The problem of forecasting sleet for highway and industrial purposes

Sleet as well as the closely related phenomenon of glaze (clear ice) is one of the most troublesome types of precipitation from the standpoint of highways, transportation-interests, power-companies, etc. Its nature is, from the meteorological standpoint, as yet poorly understood. Even the definition of sleet is fraught with much confusion which unfortunately we are unable to clarify, and will pass over here. However, practically we observe sleet at the ground in various characteristic forms, commonly, for example, as: (1) Dry sleet-pellets alone, which may or may not stick together on the ground; (2) wet sleet-pellets alone, which may or may not be freezing together on the ground; (3) wet sleet-pellets with undercooled raindrops; (4) wet sleet-pellets with warm raindrops (above 32°F); and (5) sleet-pellets with wet snowflakes. Two or more of these conditions may be occurring alternately or in some succession. Obviously there are many intermediate conditions which cannot be simply classified. In the case of glaze (clear ice) on the highways, there are the contrasted types: (1) When the ground is frozen, and (2) when the ground is just 32° or a little above, but the air is colder. Also trees and other objects may be below 32° and taking on ice while the ground or highway is too warm.
Shield volcanoes of Marie Byrd Land, West Antarctic rift: oceanic island similarities, continental signature, and tectonic controls

The Marie Byrd Land volcanic province is largely defined by 18 large (up to ~1,800 km3) alkaline shield volcanoes, each surmounted by a summit section of varied felsic rocks dominated by trachytic flows. They are distributed over a 500 × 800-km block-faulted dome within the West Antarctic rift. The basement contact of volcanic sections is ~500 masl at one site and 3,000 mbsl at another, 70 km away, which illustrates the scale of block faulting but complicates an understanding of volcanic structure. Furthermore, the continental ice sheet buries 16 volcanoes to progressively greater heights inland. However, five are sufficiently exposed to allow meaningful comparisons with alkaline oceanic island volcanoes; these comparisons are used as a guide to estimate the structure of Marie Byrd Land volcanoes. The type example for this study is Mt. Murphy, the most completely exposed volcano. It consists of a 1,400-m section of alkaline basalt overlain by trachyte and benmoreite flows that make up ~7–13 % of the volcano volume. In gross structure and composition, Mt. Murphy is similar to Gran Canaria volcano, Canary Islands, but the percent of felsic rock may be three times that of Gran Canaria, if the estimate is approximately correct. Departures from the oceanic island example are believed to represent the imprint of the Marie Byrd Land lithosphere and tectonic environment on volcano evolution. These include a lack of order in the sequence of felsic rock types, lack of progression toward more silica undersaturated compositions with time, absence of a highly undersaturated mafic resurgent stage, and perhaps, a relatively large volume of felsic rock.
Rate Constants and Arrhenius Functions for Ring Opening of a Cyclobutylcarbinyl Radical Clock and for Hydrogen Atom Transfer From the Et3B−MeOH Complex

Kinetics of ring opening of the 1-cyclobutyldodecyl radical (1) were studied, and an Arrhenius function over the temperature range −20 to 47 °C was determined. The radical clock reaction has kinetics described by log k = 13.2 − 13.5/2.313RT (in kcal/mol), and k = 1.5 × 103 s−1 at 20 °C. Previous kinetic studies of hydrogen atom transfer trapping of radical 1 by the triethylborane−methanol complex at variable temperatures (J. Org. Chem. 2007, 72, 5098) were analyzed with the newly obtained kinetic data.
Only the Two End Helixes of Eight Tandem Amphipathic Helical Domains of Human Apo A-I Have Significant Lipid Affinity Implications for HDL Assembly

Abstract Human apolipoprotein A-I (apo A-I) possesses multiple tandem repeating 22-mer amphipathic α-helixes. Computer analysis and studies of model synthetic peptides and recombinant protein-lipid complexes of phospholipids have suggested that apo A-I interacts with HDL surface lipids through cooperation among its individual amphipathic helical domains. To delineate the overall lipid-associating properties of apo A-I, the first step is to understand the lipid-associating properties of individual amphipathic helical domains. To this end, we synthesized and studied each of the eight tandem repeating 22-mer domains of apo A-I: residues 44-65, 66-87, 99-120, 121-142, 143-164, 165-186, 187-208, and 220-241. Among the 22-mers, only the N- and C-terminal peptides (44-65 and 220-241) were effective in clarifying multilamellar vesicles (MLVs) of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC). These two peptides also exhibited the highest partition coefficient into 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine lipo...
Curriculum and laboratory development for IP telephone: A survey of electronics/networking technology program

Internet Protocol (IP) telephone, a new way of communication, is growing rapidly in the telecommunication industry. A number of major phone carriers are competing to gain customers in home and business markets. However, there are very few schools at the university level that offer IP Telephone courses. It is rare to find documentation on curriculum and laboratory development, even though some schools and business centers have implemented the IP Phone. To meet challenges of these new technologies and the commitment to supply high quality education for students in the networking environment, the authors conducted survey and interview with 10 schools implementing the IP Phone in their laboratories. The survey results suggested effective approaches for creating and developing curriculum and laboratory for IP Phone. This paper also proposed a conceptual model and supporting tools in developing instructional materials for both classroom and Internet-blended delivery.
Experience with prefabricated silicone implants for reconstruction in facially deformed patients

C ollaboration between plastic surgeons and maxillofacial prothodontists has resulted in existing knowledge concerning the use of prefabricated silicone implants in facial reconstructi0n.l. 2 Silicone offers a high degree of biocompatibility with acceptability and “pseudotake” by the biologic systems.“‘” These implants have been custom-made to fit facial defects I5 that result from surgical ablation, trauma, or congenital anomalies or from surgical reconstruction of the bony frame when there is irregularity or overlapping of the reconstructed segment in certain congenital deformities.14, lG. Ii Prefabricated, custom-made silicone implants arc superior to commercially made implants, because they are manufactured to fit the individual defect-the defect does not have to adapt itself to the implant.‘:’ This advantage is of particular interest in the facial region, where there is limitation of soft tissue spaces and where the surgeon cannot stretch the tight spaces for subdermal alloplastic buildup. The facial skin merely covers the bony skeleton: cutaneous redundancy comes only with old age. Silicone implants, therefore, provide the best alternative to autogenous grafts, in which the prolonged intraoperative time needed for carving is an added disadvantage. The satisfactory results obtained with the use of silicone rubber have led to its wide application in reconstruction of facial deformities. Silicone is the best biocompatible, inert, nontoxic, noncarcinogenic, alloplastic material known today. It is widely used in other parts of the body (e.g., in the mammary region) and as the epoxy of pacemakers. Long-term follow-up has not revealed any untoward effects related to toxicity or carcin0genicity.l” The implants do not undergo any significant chemical changes with time; a minimal fibroblastic reaction surrounds the implant and leads to a thin film, or pseudocapsu1e.l” No foreign body reaction has been demonstrated in the vicinity of the implants.‘” We have been, therefore, encouraged in the use of this material. To date, we have
Evaluation of Pulmonary and Systemic Toxicity of Oil Dispersant (COREXIT EC9500A(®)) Following Acute Repeated Inhalation Exposure.

Introduction: Oil spill cleanup workers come into contact with numerous potentially hazardous chemicals derived from the oil spills, as well as chemicals applied for mitigation of the spill, including oil dispersants. In response to the Deepwater Horizon Macondo well oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, a record volume of the oil dispersant, COREXIT EC9500A, was delivered via aerial applications, raising concern regarding potential health effects that may result from pulmonary exposure to the dispersant. Methods: The current study examined the effects on pulmonary functions, cardiovascular functions, and systemic immune responses in rats to acute repeated inhalation exposure of COREXIT EC9500A at 25 mg/m3, five hours per day, over nine work days, or filtered air (control). At one and seven days following the last exposure, a battery of parameters was measured to evaluate lung function, injury, and inflammation; cardiovascular function; peripheral vascular responses; and systemic immune responses. Results: No significant alterations in airway reactivity were observed at one or seven days after exposure either in baseline values or following methacholine (MCh) inhalation challenge. Although there was a trend for an increase in lung neutrophils and phagocyte oxidant production at one-day post exposure, there were no significant differences in parameters of lung inflammation. In addition, increased blood monocytes and neutrophils, and decreased lymphocyte numbers at one-day post exposure also did not differ significantly from air controls, and no alterations in splenocyte populations, or serum or spleen immunoglobulin M (IgM) to antigen were observed. There were no significant differences in peripheral vascular responsiveness to vasoconstrictor and vasodilator agonists or in blood pressure (BP) responses to these agents; however, the baseline heart rate (HR) and HR responses to isoproterenol (ISO) were significantly elevated at one-day post exposure, with resolution by day 7. Conclusions: In summary, acute repeated exposure to COREXIT EC9500A did not alter pulmonary function, lung injury/inflammation, systemic immune responses, or vascular tone, but did cause transient chronotropic effects on cardiac function.
A new technique for the isolation and purification of the basal lamina from insect tissues.

Abstract A new technique for the isolation and purification of basal lamina from insect tissues using cell dissociation at pH2 is described. Tissue incubation in these solutions results in the spontaneous detachment of cells from the basal lamina which can be collected free of any significant contamination by cellular components. Short lengths of plasma membrane which remain attached to the basal lamina can be removed by subsequent sonication or detergent treatment. Using Malpighian tubules as the primary test tissue, we have found that the procedure only requires a few minutes, works equally well on pooled tissue samples, individual tissue pieces or tissue subregions and involves no loss of basal lamina from the starting material.
Dike-induced deformation and Martian graben systems

Abstract The Tharsis region of Mars is characterized by large volcanic and tectonic centers with distinct sets of graben systems. Many of the radially oriented grabens have been inferred to form in response to intrusion of magmatic dikes. This interpretation is based primarily upon early physical and numerical (boundary element) models that were developed originally to understand surface deformation associated with dike emplacement on Earth. In this study, we constructed and analyzed two-dimensional discrete element models to test the hypothesis of shallow dike emplacement and widening as a primary mechanism for the production of grabens on Mars. In particular, our models are designed to explore the extent to which a widening subsurface dike—in the absence of regional extension or pre-existing faults—will induce near-surface graben formation. The use of discrete element models allows for the permanent deformation and material heterogeneity to be captured as opposed to boundary element models that are limited by an assumption of homogeneous elastic behavior. Our analyses consider both homogeneous materials as well as mechanical stratification. The results indicate that forcible widening of a dike alone is unlikely to produce grabens at the surface. Furthermore, estimates of subsurface dike widths and emplacement depths based solely on measurements of surface graben widths may significantly over- or underestimate actual parameters. Finally, the model results suggest that the ability to distinguish between fault-induced or dike-induced graben formation mechanisms may not be possible unless the subsurface mechanical stratigraphy can be well characterized.
A plant-produced antigen elicits potent immune responses against West Nile virus in mice.

We described the rapid production of the domain III (DIII) of the envelope (E) protein in plants as a vaccine candidate for West Nile Virus (WNV). Using various combinations of vector modules of a deconstructed viral vector expression system, DIII was produced in three subcellular compartments in leaves of Nicotiana benthamiana by transient expression. DIII expressed at much higher levels when targeted to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) than that targeted to the chloroplast or the cytosol, with accumulation level up to 73 μg DIII per gram of leaf fresh weight within 4 days after infiltration. Plant ER-derived DIII was soluble and readily purified to > 95% homogeneity without the time-consuming process of denaturing and refolding. Further analysis revealed that plant-produced DIII was processed properly and demonstrated specific binding to an anti-DIII monoclonal antibody that recognizes a conformational epitope. Furthermore, subcutaneous immunization of mice with 5 and 25 μg of purified DIII elicited a potent systemic response. This study provided the proof of principle for rapidly producing immunogenic vaccine candidates against WNV in plants with low cost and scalability.
Differences in Coaching Philosophies Between Male Coaches of Male and Female Basketball Teams

Within the universal set of constraints placed on coaches, there is variation in their beliefs, philosophies, and coaching procedures. Some coaches are especially autocratic and demanding while oth...
Growth and properties of digitally-alloyed AlGaInP by solid source molecular beam epitaxy

Digital alloying using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) was investigated to produce AlGaInP quaternary alloys for bandgap engineering useful in 600-nm band optoelectronic device applications. Alternating Ga0.51In0.49P/Al0.51In0.49P periodic layers ranging from 4.4 monolayers (ML) to 22.4 ML were used to generate 4,000-A-thick (Al0.5Ga0.5)0.51In0.49P quaternary materials to understand material properties as a function of constituent superlattice layer thickness. High-resolution x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis exhibited fine satellite peaks for all the samples confirming that digitally-alloyed (Al0.5Ga0.5)0.51In0.49P preserved high structural quality consistent with cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (X-TEM) images. Low-temperature photoluminescence (PL) measurements showing a wide span of luminescence energies ∼ 170 meV can be obtained from a set of identical composition digitally-alloyed (Al0.5Ga0.5)0.51In0.49P with different superlattice periods, indicating the bandgap tunability of this approach and its viability for III-P optoelectronic devices grown by MBE.
Pitfalls of Using Pressure to Assign the Luminescence of Large‐Lattice‐Relaxation Defects

Deep defects are often assumed to be insensitive to applied pressure because of their localized character. However, in recent photoluminescence (PL) experiments, several deep acceptor bands in ZnSe were found to shift with pressure substantially faster than the ZnSe bandgap. This shows that the optical (viz., PL) levels of these acceptors become more shallow under compression, a result that, if also true for the thermal defect levels, is important for p-type doping problems in II±VI semiconductors. We report investigations of the C3v-relaxed isolated Zn-vacancy (VZn) in ZnSe that help to resolve these issues. High-pressure PL and PL-excitation (PLE) experiments and calculations are performed on this system. We find that the VZn-related PL and PLE bands have pressure coefficients that are, respectively, larger and smaller than that of the ZnSe bandgap. Hence, the Stokes-shift decreases with pressure. These results can not be understood without taking explicit account of lattice relaxation. We employ a defect-molecule model with atomic wavefunctions to calculate semi-empirical configuration-coordinate diagrams for the VZn defect as a function of pressure. We find that compression increases the Jahn-Teller coupling, but not sufficiently to overcome lattice stiffening. Overall, the VZn thermal level deepens, inhibiting p-type doping.
Equations and calculations of product yields and preferred pathways for butanediol and mixed‐acid fermentations

Using the available information of fermentation biochemistry, fermentation (stoichiometric) equations are derived for anaerobic saccharolytic fermentations of butanediol and mixed acids. The equations describe the interrelations among the fermentation products, biomass, and consumed substrate (glucose). The validity of the equations is tested using a variety of batch data from the literature. The validity of the equations is expected to extend to steady-state and transient fermentations, as well. Uses, improvements, and extensions of the equations are also discussed in detail. Among others, it is shown that the equations are useful for checking the consistency of experimental data, for calculating maximal yields and selectivities for the fermentation products, and calculating the extent of utilization of the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas pathway versus the Hexose Monophosphate pathway of glucose utilization. 37 references.
Modeling the Microscopic to Macroscopic Dynamics of Actively Streaming Microtubule Suspensions

Suspensions of cytoskeletal filaments driven by molecular motors in vitro are a new form of active soft matter. We developed a multi-scale theory of active microtubule suspensions driven by crosslinking motors. At short length scales we use Brownian dynamics simulation of rigid filaments with explicit mobile crosslinks to study the microscopic development of active stresses in this system, and find the novel observation that generation of destabilizing extensional stress occurs both for antiparallel and parallel filament pairs. We describe how extensile stress generation for parallel pairs occurs, in contrast to previous theoretical predictions that it must be zero. The microscopic simulations allow us to compute the key active stress parameter describing stress generation needed in our mesoscopic kinetic theory that describes the nonlinear dynamics and pattern formation in active microtubule suspensions, where the active stresses exerted upon the fluid can induce hydrodynamic instabilities and a large-scale streaming flow. When the suspension is bounded on a liquid-liquid interface, we show that the streaming microtubule nematic exhibits self-generation and annihilation of defects. Our results are similar to the experimental results of Sanchez et al. (2012).
Studies on the interaction of heparin with serum lipoproteins in the presence of Ca2+, Mg2+, and Mn2+.

Abstract The interaction between human serum lipoproteins and heparin in the presence of Ca2+, Mg2+, and Mn2+ was studied. Heparin coupled to 1,4-diaminobutane Sepharose 4B derivative was equilibrated with very low density (VLDL), low density (LDL), and high density (HDL) lipoproteins at pH 7.4 in the presence of various concentrations of metal ions. With LDL and VLDL the interaction is quantitative only within a narrow range of metal ion concentration (0.02–0.04 m ). The reversibility of the reaction above the critical metal ion concentration was 100, 60, and 10% for Ca2+, Mg2+, and Mn2+, respectively. The relative stability of the LDL-heparin complexes with increasing ionic strength was of the order Mn2+ > Mg2+ > Ca2+, Ca2+ and Mg2+ showed specificity for interacting with only LDL and VLDL. In contrast, HDL formed complexes with heparin in the presence of Mn2+; HDL2 formed four times more insoluble complexes than HDL3. Studies with acetylated LDL and LDL treated with phospholipase C indicated the involvement of LDL negative charges in forming insoluble complexes in the presence of Ca2+.
Comet Kohoutek: Ultraviolet Images and Spectrograms

Emissions of atomic oxygen (1304 A), atomic carbon (1657 A), and atomic hydrogen (1216 A) from Comet Kohoutek were observed with ultraviolet cameras carried on a sounding rocket on Jan. 8, 1974. Analysis of the Lyman alpha halo at 1216 A gave an atomic hydrogen production rate of 4.5 x 10 to the 29th atoms per second.
A stochastic programming process model for investment planning

Abstract The usual programming formulation of an industrial process model is extended to incorporate parameters and demand uncertainties by modeling it as a stochastic linear program with simple recourse (SLPR). The SLPR is solved using the less restrictive assumptions that only the mean and variance of the stochastic entities (but not their distribution) are known. An algorithm is derived to solve the particular form of SLPR. The methodology is applied to a study of the steel industry in India with a novel way of modeling investment and economies-of-scale.
Auger spectroscopy of graphite single crystals with low energy electrons

Abstract The Auger spectra resulting from low energy electron bombardment have been used to study the electronic structure in the surface region of graphite. Using a retarding grid technique energy distribution measurements are made of electrons back-scattered from the basal plane of a clean graphite single crystal. The prime Auger distribution occurring in the true secondary region of the energy spectrum is related to a band function, the transition density, by means of a convolution integral. Analysis of the data yields a quantitative determination of the transition density and the results are compared with the previous work of Hagstrum on ion neutralization spectroscopy.
Energy dispatch controllers for a photovoltaic system

In this paper two energy dispatch controllers for use in a grid-independent photovoltaic (PV) system are presented. The first, an optimal energy dispatch controller, is based on a class of Adaptive Critic Designs (ACDs) called Action Dependent Heuristic Dynamic Programming (ADHDP). This class of ACDs uses two neural networks to evolve an optimal control strategy over time. The first neural network or ''Action'' network dispenses the actual control signals while the second network or ''Critic'' network uses these control signals along with the system states to provide feedback to the action network, measuring performance using a utility function. This feedback loop allows the action network to improve behavior over time. The optimal energy dispatcher places emphasis on always meeting the critical load, followed by keeping the charge of the battery as high as possible so as to be able to power the critical load in cases of extended low output from the PV array, and lastly to power the non-critical load in so far as to not interfere with the first two objectives. The second energy dispatch controller is a smart energy dispatch controller and is built using knowledge from an expert, codified into a series of static rules. This smart energy dispatch controller is called the ''PV-priority 2'' controller. These energy dispatchers are compared with a static scheme called the ''PV-priority 1''. The PV-priority 1 controller represents the standard control strategy. Results show that the ADHDP-based optimal energy dispatcher (or controller) outperforms the standard PV-priority 1 energy dispatcher in meeting the stated objectives, but trails the PV-priority 2 energy dispatcher. However, the major advantage of the ADHDP controller is that no expert is required for designing the controller, whereas for a rule-based controller such as the PV-priority 2 controller, an expert is always required.
Investigating The Mechanical Stability Of Sap-1 Transcription Factor By Single Molecule Force Spectroscopy

Transcription factors play an essential role in biological systems, binding specifically to their target DNA sequences to regulate gene expression. Such a binding process must occur on a fast timescale while ensuring a high level of specificity. In order to meet such stringent requirements, DNA-binding proteins search for their specific DNA sequences by first diffusing to nonspecific DNA sites and then sliding to their target sites, thereby speeding up the overall exploration process. In order to facilitate the diffusive process, the “fly-casting mechanism” proposes that DNA-binding proteins such as SAP-1 are partially unstructured in the unbound state, while exhibiting a correct fold when bound to DNA. To learn more about the structural architecture of SAP-1 and to test if it is mechanically stable in the absence of DNA, we engineered polyproteins which combine the I27 module with the ETS-domain of the SAP-1 in a four tandem repeat, (I27SAP-1)4. Since the mechanical properties of I27 are well-characterized, we can unambiguously fingerprint the mechanical stability of SAP-1. Here we show that pulling the engineered polyproteins at constant speed by atomic force microscope (AFM) results in saw-tooth unfolding patterns. We observe that SAP-1 unfolds at a force of 50 ± 26 pN, indicating that SAP-1 is mechanically stable even in its unbound state. The unfolding of each individual SAP-1 module increases the protein length by ΔLC = 26 ± 3 nm, releasing ∼65 amino acids hidden behind the unfolding transition state. We suggest that mechanical unfolding occurs upon shearing hydrogen bonds involving the β2-sheet. Remarkably, the distribution of contour length increments is broader than that found for other mechanically stable proteins, demonstrating the folded state of SAP-1 is surprisingly flexible in the absence of DNA.
Expression of glycoconjugates in human eustachian tubes with otitis media

Objectives To characterize glycoconjugate expression in normal human eustachian tubes and study the alterations in glycoconjugate expression found in eustachian tubes with otitis media. Study design Using lectin histochemistry, alterations in glycoconjugates were studied in three normal temporal bones, in four temporal bones with mucoid otitis media (MOM), and in five with serous otitis media (SOM). Methods Sections of previously processed temporal bones were decelloidinized, and then incubated with seven biotinylated lectins--WGA, SNA, MAA, BPA, PNA, UEA-1, and LcH--that reflect seven carbohydrate residues of glycoconjugates, respectively: GlcNAc/NeuNAc, NeuNAc alpha(2-6)GalNAc, NeuNAc alpha(2-3)GalNAc, Gal beta(1-3) GalNAc, L-fucose, and alpha-mannose residues. Control sections were incubated with inhibitory carbohydrates or without biotinylated lectins. Results In the normal temporal bones, five carbohydrate residues in goblet cells and cilia of the eustachian tube demonstrated moderate to strong activity--NeuNAc alpha(2-6)GalNAc, NeuNAc alpha(2-3)GalNAc, GalNAc, Gal beta(1-3)GalNAc, and L-fucose. Two residues demonstrated weak activity--GlcNAc/NeuNAc and alpha-mannose. Temporal bones with MOM revealed increases in sialic acid and alpha-mannose, and a decrease in L-fucose. Residues of carbohydrates in the cilia of bones with SOM were notably decreased, especially for GalNAc, Gal beta(1-3)GalNAc, and NeuNAc alpha(2-6)GalNAc. Conclusions Glycoconjugates in the normal human eustachian tube are rich in GalNAc, Gal beta(1-3)GalNAc, L-fucose, and NeuNAc alpha(2-3/2-6) GalNAc, but low in alpha-mannose and sialic acid. Eustachian tubes from cases with SOM or MOM demonstrated alterations in glycoconjugate expression in cilia and goblet cells, which may reflect disorder of the carbohydrate metabolism during otitis media, especially in SOM.
Transgenic overexpression of γ-cytoplasmic actin protects against eccentric contraction-induced force loss in mdx mice

γ-cytoplasmic (γ-cyto) actin levels are elevated in dystrophin-deficient mdx mouse skeletal muscle. The purpose of this study was to determine whether further elevation of γ-cyto actin levels improve or exacerbate the dystrophic phenotype of mdx mice. We transgenically overexpressed γ-cyto actin, specifically in skeletal muscle of mdx mice (mdx-TG), and compared skeletal muscle pathology and force-generating capacity between mdx and mdx-TG mice at different ages. We investigated the mechanism by which γ-cyto actin provides protection from force loss by studying the role of calcium channels and stretch-activated channels in isolated skeletal muscles and muscle fibers. Analysis of variance or independent t-tests were used to detect statistical differences between groups. Levels of γ-cyto actin in mdx-TG skeletal muscle were elevated 200-fold compared to mdx skeletal muscle and incorporated into thin filaments. Overexpression of γ-cyto actin had little effect on most parameters of mdx muscle pathology. However, γ-cyto actin provided statistically significant protection against force loss during eccentric contractions. Store-operated calcium entry across the sarcolemma did not differ between mdx fibers compared to wild-type fibers. Additionally, the omission of extracellular calcium or the addition of streptomycin to block stretch-activated channels did not improve the force-generating capacity of isolated extensor digitorum longus muscles from mdx mice during eccentric contractions. The data presented in this study indicate that upregulation of γ-cyto actin in dystrophic skeletal muscle can attenuate force loss during eccentric contractions and that the mechanism is independent of activation of stretch-activated channels and the accumulation of extracellular calcium.
Marfan's syndrome and mitral valve disease: Acute surgical emergencies

Abstract This report calls attention to the occurrence of acute cardiovascular surgical emergencies involving the mitral valve in Marfan's syndrome by presenting the case history of a 4-year-old girl. This patient with classical features of Marfan's syndrome and known mitral insufficiency, documented by cardiac catheterization and angiocardiography, had an acute episode of profound congestive heart failure which appeared to be secondary to a sudden increase in the volume of mitral regurgitation. At surgical exploration, a flail posterior leaflet of the mitral valve with ruptured chordae tendineae was discovered. The patient died 17 hours after mitral valve prosthetic replacement.
Errors in laparoscopic surgery

Laparoscopic surgery is the most significant advancement in the field of surgery over the past 15 years. This minimal access approach has been widely embraced and adopted to many common operations. Demonstrated benefits include decreased post-operative pain, shorter lengths of in-patient hospitalization, increased patient acceptance, and a more rapid return to gainful employment. With its ever-growing popularity, it has become fertile ground for civil litigation, ranking along with birth injuries and failure to diagnose cancer. A brief synopsis of the history of its evolution is presented along with general and specific comments concerning potential errors as they relate to specific common operations which are commonly done utilizing this technique.
Phononic Crystals With Full Phase-Space Properties: Application to Boolean Logic Gates

Based on a phononic crystal (PC) constituted of a square array of cylindrical Polyvinylchloride inclusions in air, a theoretical model is constructed that details three schemes for controlling the relative phase between propagating acoustic waves in this PC. In exploiting the spectral, wave vector and wave-phase properties of this PC, a series of acoustic based Boolean logic gates are constructed. Finite-difference time-domain simulations are employed to validate theoretical models and demonstrate the NAND, XOR and NOT Boolean logic gates.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Inferring polymorphism-induced regulatory gene networks active in human lymphocyte cell lines by weighted linear mixed model analysis of multiple RNA-Seq datasets.

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) contribute to the between-individual expression variation of many genes. A regulatory (trait-associated) SNP is usually located near or within a (host) gene, possibly influencing the gene’s transcription or/and post-transcriptional modification. But its targets may also include genes that are physically farther away from it. A heuristic explanation of such multiple-target interferences is that the host gene transfers the SNP genotypic effects to the distant gene(s) by a transcriptional or signaling cascade. These connections between the host genes (regulators) and the distant genes (targets) make the genetic analysis of gene expression traits a promising approach for identifying unknown regulatory relationships. In this study, through a mixed model analysis of multi-source digital expression profiling for 140 human lymphocyte cell lines (LCLs) and the genotypes distributed by the international HapMap project, we identified 45 thousands of potential SNP-induced regulatory relationships among genes (the significance level for the underlying associations between expression traits and SNP genotypes was set at FDR < 0.01). We grouped the identified relationships into four classes (paradigms) according to the two different mechanisms by which the regulatory SNPs affect their cis- and trans- regulated genes, modifying mRNA level or altering transcript splicing patterns. We further organized the relationships in each class into a set of network modules with the cis- regulated genes as hubs. We found that the target genes in a network module were often characterized by significant functional similarity, and the distributions of the target genes in three out of the four networks roughly resemble a power-law, a typical pattern of gene networks obtained from mutation experiments. By two case studies, we also demonstrated that significant biological insights can be inferred from the identified network modules.
Prevalence of, risk factors for, and consequences of posttraumatic stress disorder and other mental health problems in military populations deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan

This review summarizes the epidemiology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related mental health problems among persons who served in the armed forces during the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, as reflected in the literature published between 2009 and 2014. One-hundred and sixteen research studies are reviewed, most of which are among non-treatment-seeking US service members or treatment-seeking US veterans. Evidence is provided for demographic, military, and deployment-related risk factors for PTSD, though most derive from cross-sectional studies and few control for combat exposure, which is a primary risk factor for mental health problems in this cohort. Evidence is also provided linking PTSD with outcomes in the following domains: physical health, suicide, housing and homelessness, employment and economic well-being, social well-being, and aggression, violence, and criminality. Also included is evidence about the prevalence of mental health service use in this cohort. In many instances, the current suite of studies replicates findings observed in civilian samples, but new findings emerge of relevance to both military and civilian populations, such as the link between PTSD and suicide. Future research should make effort to control for combat exposure and use longitudinal study designs; promising areas for investigation are in non-treatment-seeking samples of US veterans and the role of social support in preventing or mitigating mental health problems in this group.
The balance of planting and mortality in a street tree population

Street trees have aesthetic, environmental, human health, and economic benefits in urban ecosystems. Street tree populations are constructed by cycles of planting, growth, death, removal and replacement. The goals of this study were to understand how tree mortality and planting rates affect net population growth, evaluate the shape of the mortality curve, and assess selected risk factors for survival. We monitored a street tree population in West Oakland, CA for 5 years after an initial inventory (2006). We adapted the classic demographic balancing equation to quantify annual inputs and outputs to the system, tracking pools of live and standing dead trees. There was a 17.2 % net increase in live tree counts during the study period (995 in 2006, 1166 in 2011), with population growth observed each year. Of the live trees in 2006, 822 survived to 2011, for an annual mortality rate of 3.7 %. However, population growth was constrained by high mortality of young/small trees. Annual mortality was highest for small trees, and lower for mid-size and large trees; this represents a Type III mortality curve. We used multivariate logistic regression to evaluate the relationship between 2011 survival outcomes and inventory data from 2006. In the final model, significant associations were found for size class, foliage condition, planting location, and a multiplicative interaction term for size and foliage condition. Street tree populations are complex cultivated systems whose dynamics can be understood by a combination of longitudinal data and demographic analysis. Urban forest monitoring is important to understand the impact of tree planting programs.
Comparing CONCEPT and FLOWTRAN using a process simulator evaluator

Abstract A test flowsheets has been written to the specifications evolced by a group of engineers with academic and industrial backgrounds. Incorporated into it are features which are known to give problems in simulations. The test flowsheet was evaluated by carrying out a comparison of CONCEPT and FLOWTRAN. It was demonstrated that the test could be used to identify strengths and weaknesses, major and minor. The study revealed a serious weakness in both systems.
Metrics and management: applying the results of the balanced scorecard

The paper reviews the balanced scorecard's first year of operation at the University of Virginia Library. It focuses on outcomes, offering answers to some basic questions. How were the results used? What was done to address shortfalls? Were successful metrics and their targets revised? What changes were made to the overall suite of metrics? Has the scorecard improved the organization? The paper serves as a case study in the use of the balanced scorecard in an academic library, and informs the audience of the strengths and weaknesses of this management tool.
Diencephalic and brainstem afferents to the hippocampal formation of the rat

The afferents to the hippocampal formation (Ammon's horn and dentate gyrus) of the rat were studied with the horseradish peroxidase (HRP) retrograde tracing method. HRP was deposited microelectrophoretically in the dorsal or ventral hippocampal formation of adult female rats. In addition to well-known afferents (e.g., entorhinal cortex and septum), labeled neurons were found in the thalamus, hypothalamus, and brainstem. In the thalamus, extensive labeling was found in nucleus reuniens, paraventricular and paratenial nucleus, as well as a few scattered labeled neurons in the ventromedial nucleus, nucleus rhomboidus, and zona incerta. The projection from nucleus reuniens is topographically organized: the dorsomedial portion of the nucleus projects to dorsal hippocampus and the ventrolateral portion of the nucleus projects to ventral hippocampus. In the hypothalamus, scattered labeled neurons were found in most nuclei and areas. The supramammillary region contained the largest number of labeled cells. The projection from the supramammillary region is topographically organized: the anterior-lateral region projects primarily to dorsal hippocampus and the posterior-medial region projects principally to ventral hippocampus. In the brainstem, labeled neurons were observed in the mesencephalic raphe (both raphe dorsalis and central superior), nucleus locus coeruleus, the dorsal magnocellular dividion of the interpeduncular nucleus and surrounding regions, the lateral dorsal tegmental nucleus, and the region caudal to the nucleus raphe dorsalis apparently corresponding to the dorsal tegmental nucleus pars ventromedialis.
Stomatal response of cotton to water stress and abscisic Acid as affected by water stress history.

The threshold leaf water potential required to initiate stomatal closure in cotton (Stoneville 213) became progressively more negative when plants were subjected to a series of water stress cycles. The shift in the threshold water potential required for induction of stomatal closure was dependent on the number of previous stress cycles and leaf age. The basal level of endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) in fully turgid leaves increased in response to the stress treatments, whereas the amount accumulated in response to a subsequent stress did not differ greatly among plants that had experienced different degrees of stress conditioning. Stomatal sensitivity to (±)-ABA fed through the transpiration stream was enhanced in detached leaves of plants which had experienced repetitive water stresses. The increased sensitivity was apparently the result of ABA synthesized during the stress periods since foliar applications of ABA sensitized stomata in an analogous manner. Furthermore, the amount of (+)-ABA required to initiate stomatal closure in leaves from the various stress treatments was not related to the amounts accumulated during wilting.
A tale of two toxicities: malformed selenoproteins and oxidative stress both contribute to selenium stress in plants.

Background Despite selenium's toxicity in plants at higher levels, crops supply most of the essential dietary selenium in humans. In plants, inorganic selenium can be assimilated into selenocysteine, which can replace cysteine in proteins. Selenium toxicity in plants has been attributed to the formation of non-specific selenoproteins. However, this paradigm can be challenged now that there is increasingly abundant evidence suggesting that selenium-induced oxidative stress also contributes to toxicity in plants. Scope This Botanical Briefing summarizes the evidence indicating that selenium toxicity in plants is attributable to both the accumulation of non-specific selenoproteins and selenium-induced oxidative stress. Evidence is also presented to substantiate the claim that inadvertent selenocysteine replacement probably impairs or misfolds proteins, which supports the malformed selenoprotein hypothesis. The possible physiological ramifications of selenoproteins and selenium-induced oxidative stress are discussed. Conclusions Malformed selenoproteins and oxidative stress are two distinct types of stress that drive selenium toxicity in plants and could impact cellular processes in plants that have yet to be thoroughly explored. Although challenging, deciphering whether the extent of selenium toxicity in plants is imparted by selenoproteins or oxidative stress could be helpful in the development of crops with fortified levels of selenium.
[(1,2,5,6‐η)‐1,5‐Cyclooctadiene][(1,2,3,4,5‐η)‐1‐(4‐hydroxyl‐1‐oxo‐butyl)‐2,4‐cyclopentadien‐1‐yl] Cobalt

[195446-42-5] C17H23O2Co (MW 318) InChI = 1S/C9H11O2.C8H12.Co/c10-7-3-6-9(11)8-4-1-2-5-8;1-2-4-6-8-7-5-3-1;/h1-2,4-5,10H,3,6-7H2;1-2,7-8H,3-6H2;/b;2-1-,8-7-; InChIKey = YJTLUXWRQOYAKG-GHDUESPLSA-N (catalyst in the trimerization of an alkyne in aqueous media to yield highly substituted aromatic compounds.1 Catalyzes the cyclotrimerization of one nitrile with two alkynes to yield functionalized pyridines2) Physical Data: air and light stable dark orange crystals, mp 55–56 °C.1 Solubility: 20 mM of catalyst 1 is soluble in 80% H2O/MeOH.1 Purification: readily prepared in a two-step procedure and purified by flash chromatography (alumina).1
Fear-Related Chemosignals Modulate Recognition of Fear in Ambiguous Facial Expressions

Integrating emotional cues from different senses is critical for adaptive behavior. Much of the evidence on cross-modal perception of emotions has come from studies of vision and audition. This research has shown that an emotion signaled by one sense modulates how the same emotion is perceived in another sense, especially when the input to the latter sense is ambiguous. We tested whether olfaction causes similar sensory modulation of emotion perception. In two experiments, the chemosignal of fearful sweat biased women toward interpreting ambiguous expressions as more fearful, but had no effect when the facial emotion was more discernible. Our findings provide direct behavioral evidence that social chemosignals can communicate emotions and demonstrate that fear-related chemosignals modulate humans' visual emotion perception in an emotion-specific way--an effect that has been hitherto unsuspected.
Ecological responses to altered flow regimes: a literature review to inform the science and management of environmental flows

Summary 1. In an effort to develop quantitative relationships between various kinds of flow alteration and ecological responses, we reviewed 165 papers published over the last four decades, with a focus on more recent papers. Our aim was to determine if general relationships could be drawn from disparate case studies in the literature that might inform environmental flows science and management. 2. For all 165 papers we characterised flow alteration in terms of magnitude, frequency, duration, timing and rate of change as reported by the individual studies. Ecological responses were characterised according to taxonomic identity (macroinvertebrates, fish, riparian vegetation) and type of response (abundance, diversity, demographic parameters). A ‘qualitative’ or narrative summary of the reported results strongly corroborated previous, less comprehensive, reviews by documenting strong and variable ecological responses to all types of flow alteration. Of the 165 papers, 152 (92%) reported decreased values for recorded ecological metrics in response to a variety of types of flow alteration, whereas 21 papers (13%) reported increased values. 3. Fifty-five papers had information suitable for quantitative analysis of ecological response to flow alteration. Seventy per cent of these papers reported on alteration in flow magnitude, yielding a total of 65 data points suitable for analysis. The quantitative analysis provided some insight into the relative sensitivities of different ecological groups to alteration in flow magnitudes, but robust statistical relationships were not supported. Macroinvertebrates showed mixed responses to changes in flow magnitude, with abundance and diversity both increasing and decreasing in response to elevated flows and to reduced flows. Fish abundance, diversity and demographic rates consistently declined in response to both elevated and reduced flow magnitude. Riparian vegetation metrics both increased and decreased in response to reduced peak flows, with increases reflecting mostly enhanced non-woody vegetative cover or encroachment into the stream channel. 4. Our analyses do not support the use of the existing global literature to develop general, transferable quantitative relationships between flow alteration and ecological response; however, they do support the inference that flow alteration is associated with ecological change and that the risk of ecological change increases with increasing magnitude of flow alteration. 5. New sampling programs and analyses that target sites across well-defined gradients of flow alteration are needed to quantify ecological response and develop robust and general flow alteration–ecological response relationships. Similarly, the collection of pre- and post-alteration data for new water development programs would significantly add to our basic understanding of ecological responses to flow alteration.