cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immunity and mastitis Some new ideas for an old disease

Because the bovine mammary gland is constantly challenged by a variety of contagious and environmental pathogens, maintenance of mammary health may be best thought of in terms of immune defense (responsiveness) rather than strict resistance to mastitis-causing organisms. Basic aspects of the physical, biochemical, and cellular defense components of the bovine mammary gland defense system are well known and described in numerous reviews [1–8]. Summarizing across these reviews, one comes to the definitive conclusion that for most types of bovine mastitis, phagocytic neutrophils—facilitated in their immune defense work by pathogen-reactive opsonizing antibodies—are the key immune effectors in the battle between host and mastitis-causing bacteria. Blood vessel endothelial cells, mammary epithelial cells, milk macrophages, and T and B lymphocytes of the peripheral immune system also play important roles in the local inflammatory response, helping to recruit opsonizing antibodies and neutrophils from blood into milk for rapid phagocytic clearance of the opsonized pathogens. Indeed, it is clear that this inflammatory response effectively deals with most intramammary pathogens on a regular basis because mammary quarters come into contact with mastitis-causing pathogens much more frequently than mastitis occurs. When the inflammatory events that should lead to
Optimization of rat hepatocyte culture in citrated human plasma.

Abstract Background. Maintenance of liver-specific functions in hepatocyte cultures during plasma exposure is critical for the clinical application of bioartificial liver assist systems. Sodium citrate is a common anticoagulant but has been shown to be cytotoxic to hepatocytes. We have tested the effect of various supplements on the viability and function of adult primary rat hepatocytes exposed to citrated plasma. Materials and methods. Freshly isolated rat hepatocytes were cultured in the collagen gel sandwich configuration in culture medium for 6 days followed by exposure to citrated human plasma with various supplements for 1 week. Controls were left in culture medium throughout. Viability and synthetic functions were evaluated. Results. Hepatocytes exposed to unsupplemented citrated plasma lost significant viability and function within the first 2 days. Cells cultured in plasma supplemented with a fivefold concentrate of standard hepatocyte culture medium maintained urea (1.2–2.1 μmol/day/10 6 cells) and albumin (51–62 μg/day/10 6 cells) synthesis rates equal to or higher than those of controls. Among the various components of the concentrated medium supplement, calcium chloride (1.8 mM), magnesium sulfate (0.8 mM), amino acids (fourfold Basal Medium Eagle amino acids including 4 mM glutamine), and glucagon (14 ng/ml) were found to be essential in maintaining urea synthesis. Maintenance of a high albumin synthesis rate also required the addition of hydrocortisone (7.5 μg/ml) and insulin (0.5 U/ml). Conclusions. Appropriate metabolic and hormonal supplementation of citrated human plasma prevents its cytotoxic effects and may be used in conjunction with in vivo use of bioartificial liver assist systems.
The use of panoramic radiography in the evaluation of asymptomatic adult dental patients.

Abstract This article examines the efficacy of panoramic radiography alone and in combination with intraoral films as part of the “full-mouth” radiographic evaluation of asymptomatic dental patients in the diagnosis of dental caries and periodontal disease. Three full-mouth radiographic surveys—the panoramic alone, the panoramic plus posterior bitewing, and the periapical plus posterior bitewing—are compared. Two forms of measurement—comparative and incremental—were used to identify the radiographic survey with the highest single diagnostic yield when measured against the consensus standard. The findings show that the panoramic radiograph alone exhibits very low sensitivities to dental caries, ranging from 0.6% on anterior teeth to 25.6% on premolars. Even when posterior bitewing radiographs are added to the panoramic films, the sensitivities are significantly below those of the full-mouth periapical and bitewing survey. In contrast, the sensitivities of all three radiographic surveys in the diagnosis of periodontal disease are quite high, ranging from 87% to 96%, so that differences are not clinically significant. However, specificities tended to be low for periodontal disease and high for caries. Thus, for dental caries and (to a lesser extent) periodontal disease, the panoramic radiograph was inferior to the full-mouth intraoral series in its ability to correctly detect evidence of the disease.
Conformational Analysis of (+)- (3R)-Methylcyclohexanone from Temperature-dependent Circular Dichroism Measurements

Conformational analysis of 3-methylcyclohexanone assumed a special importance some time ago in connection with the so-named "3-alkylketone effect." Klyne and Robins and Walker noted that in the axial conformation of 3-methylcyclohexanone one of the 1,3-diaxial H:CH3 interactions of methylcyclohexane was missing and concluded that the conformational energy difference between axial and equatorial methyl forms should be lowered from the value of 7.11 kJ/mol (for methylcyclohexane) to one-half the value, or 3.55 kJ/mol. The difference (3.55 kJ/mol) between methyl A-values in methylcyclohexane and 3-methylcyclohexanone is called the 3-alkylketone effect. In order to generate an experimental value, thermochemical equilibration studies of cis-3,5-dimethylcyclohexanone on Pd(C) were carried out by Allinger and Freiberg to yield a conformational energy of ΔH° = 5.69 kJ/mol for the trans to cis epimerization. The authors concluded in favor of a greatly reduced 3-alkylketone effect of ca. 1.7 kJ/mol. The value of ΔH° differs from that of Rickborn (7.5 kJ/mol) derived from isomenthone and menthone equilibrations, but falls near to the data derived by Cotterill and Robinson in their base-catalyzed equilibration studies of 2,5-dimethylcyclohexanone [ΔH(e → a) = +5.4 kJ/mol and ΔS(e → a) = -0.2 eu] and 2-t-butyl-5-methylcyclohexanone [ΔH(e → a) = 6.4 kJ/mol and ΔS(e → a) = -0.5 eu]. Subsequently, Allinger et al. indicated conformational energies associated with the equatorial (E), axial (A) and twist (T) conformers (Fig. 1) of 3-methylcyclohexanone as 0, 5.9, and 13.8 kJ/mol, respectively, with a room temperature conformational mixture of 94, 5, and 1%, respectively. More recently Nakamura and I'Haya calculated rotational strengths using CNDO/2 and INDO methods for various probable conformers of 3-methyl-cyclohexanone and suggested a mixture of 83% E, 9% A, 7% T and 1% twist chair at 300°K, and 100% E at 81°K. Surprisingly, there has been no experimentally derived conformational analysis of 3-methylcyclohexanone itself; so, we report herein our conformational analysis of (+)-(3R)-methylcyclohexanone using variable temperature circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy.
Analytical Framework for WLAN-Cellular Voice Handover Evaluation

The development of handheld mobile terminals (MT) capable of operating over both Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN) and the cellular media is an important step toward the evolution of next-generation integrated networks. For real-time applications like voice, efficient vertical handover (VH) algorithms are required in maintaining a seamless connectivity and an acceptable level of quality for mobile users in heterogeneous environments. This paper proposes an analytical method for evaluating the performance of a VH algorithm that relies on the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) samples. The system model is portrayed upon addressing relevant factors that affect the quality and continuity of a voice call, and a set of performance metrics is proposed. A rigorous signal strength time series is utilized in characterizing the instantaneous decision metrics, and a novel intermediary system model, namely the N-model, is proposed to capture the large-scale shadowing effects. The performance of a generic algorithm that relies on the RSSI, which itself is susceptible to estimation error, is evaluated for an MT roaming in and out of the WLAN coverage area. Results obtained using the analytical expressions are validated by comparing them to that obtained through Monte Carlo simulation.
Electrical conductivity of a spinel lherzolite and a garnet peridotite to 1550°C: relevance to the effects of partial melting

Electrical conductivity σ of two ultramafic rocks (a spinel lherzolite and a garnet peridotite) has been investigated to melting temperature at 1 bar under known oxygen fugacity environment. The electrical conductivity of the two rocks is found to increase with degree of partial melting and an ∼ 15% melt fraction is necessary for the electrical conductivity to increase by ∼ 1 order of magnitude. For a given melt fraction electrical conductivity of a spinel lherzolite is lower than that of a garnet peridotite and may be attributed to the differences in the composition of the melts formed.
Regional beryllium-10 production rate calibration for late-glacial northeastern North America

Abstract The major uncertainty in relating cosmogenic-nuclide exposure ages to ages measured by other dating methods comes from extrapolating nuclide production rates measured at globally scattered calibration sites to the sites of unknown age that are to be dated. This uncertainty can be reduced by locating production rate calibration sites that are similar in location and age to the sites to be dated. We use this strategy to reconcile exposure age and radiocarbon deglaciation chronologies for northeastern North America by compiling 10Be production rate calibration measurements from independently dated late-glacial and early Holocene ice-marginal landforms in this region. 10Be production rates measured at these sites are 6–12% lower than predicted by the commonly accepted global 10Be calibration data set used with any published production rate scaling scheme. In addition, the regional calibration data set shows significantly less internal scatter than the global calibration data set. Thus, this calibration data set can be used to improve both the precision and accuracy of exposure dating of regional late-glacial events. For example, if the global calibration data set is used to calculate exposure ages, the exposure-age deglaciation chronology for central New England is inconsistent with the deglaciation chronology inferred from radiocarbon dating and varve stratigraphy. We show that using the regional data set instead makes the exposure age and radiocarbon chronologies consistent. This increases confidence in correlating exposure ages of ice-marginal landforms in northeastern North America with glacial and climate events dated by other means.
Spin trapping of ibuprofen radicals: evidence that ibuprofen is a hydroxyl radical scavenger.

The purpose of this study was to use electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy to determine if ibuprofen, [2–(4-isobutylphenyl) propanoic acid], a potent nonsterodial anti-inflammatory agent, could modify hydroxyl radicals generation in vim. Ibuprofen (IBU; 0.1–50 mM) in water or water alone was added to EPR tubes containing ferrous sulfate (0.5–2.0mM). and either 5.5-dimethyl-l-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO; 40mM) or a-phenyl N-tert-butyl nitrone (PBN; 48 mM). Hydrogen peroxide (l mM) was added to inititate the Fenton reaction, and the systems were then analyzed by EPR spectroscopy to determine the type and relative quantity of free radical(s) produced. IBU caused a dose-dependent decrease of signal intensity of the hydroxyl radical adduct of DMPO (DMPO-OH) which is an indication that IBU either scavenges the hydroxyl radical and/or chelates iron. In addition, other radicals (presumably IBU radicals) produced in these systems were trapped by both DMPO (aN = 16.1G, aHβ = 24.0G) and PBN (aN = 15.7G. aHβ...
Factors altering ribozyme-mediated cleavage of tumor necrosis factor-alpha mRNA in vitro.

Abstract Hammerhead ribozymes are capable of cleaving RNA in a sequence specific mannerin vitro.However, the complex environment of the cell differs dramatically from the conditionsin vitro.Therefore, we explored cleavage of full-length target RNA with two ribozymes targeted against the murine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) mRNA. These ribozymes cleaved TNF-α mRNA within a pool of total cellular RNAin vitro,but less efficiently than previously reported for similar ribozymes. Although there may be several factors that could affect ribozyme activity, two of these factors were tested. The first factor was whether non-target polynucleotides inhibited ribozyme-mediated cleavage. Total cellular RNA and to a lesser degree DNA inhibited ribozyme activity. This inhibition was a combination of competitive and non-competitive inhibition. Non-target RNA with minimal complementarity to the ribozyme or target showed no effect on cleavage rates. The second factor was whether denaturing conditions improved ribozyme cleavage efficiency. Hammerhead ribozymes with 24 complementary bases had increased cleavage efficiency in formamide. Thus, the ribozymes may have had too long of an antisense flanking sequence which hybridized with the target RNA and resulted in a high melting temperature. These studies demonstrate that ribozyme cleavage was influenced by the amount of non-target polynucleotide and the strength of the ribozyme-substrate interaction.
Purification of a telomere-binding protein from Physarum polycephalum

Abstract We have purified a telomere-binding protein (PPT) from the acellular slime mold Physarum polycephalum . As shown previously (Coren, J.S., Epstein, E.M. and Vogt, V.M. (1991) Mol. Cell. Biol. 11, 2282–2290), in vitro this protein binds specifically to the double stranded (TTAGGG) n repeats that are found at the telomeres of extrachromosomal ribosomal DNA from this organism, and also at telomeres of mammalian chromosomes. PPT was purified from Physarum nuclear extracts by heat treatment at 90°C followed by heparin-agarose fractionation and gel filtration chromatography. The most purified fraction contained two major protein bands of 10 and 7 kDa when analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. In gel filtration chromatography PPT migrated with a Stokes radius of 1.6 nm. Along with the previously determined sedimentation coefficient of 1.2 S, this value implies a molecular weight of about 8000, making PPT the smallest known telomere-binding protein.
Optical techniques for measurement of chamber spacing

Two optical methods were investigated for accurately measuring the gap, or chamber spacing, that separates two closely spaced transparent plates. The first method uses a special microscope in which the main feature is a unit-magnification catadioptric system that gives an aberration-free image of the chamber outside the plates, where it is accessible to a high-power objective. The second method is based upon the light section principle, where by the image of a slit is projected on to the boundaries of the chamber and is thus doubled. The reflected images are observed with a microscope and the degree of separation, which is proportional to the chamber spacing, is measured. Accuracy better than 2 µm is obtained for the two techniques. The choice of the appropriate method depends on the surface quality of the chamber boundaries.
Brain Death: Assessment, Controversy, and Confounding Factors

When brain injury is refractory to aggressive management and is considered nonsurvivable, with loss of consciousness and brain stem reflexes, a brain death protocol may be initiated to determine death according to neurological criteria. Clinical evaluation typically entails 2 consecutive formal neurological examinations to document total loss of consciousness and absence of brain stem reflexes and then apnea testing to evaluate carbon dioxide unresponsiveness within the brain stem. Confounding factors such as use of therapeutic hypothermia, high-dose metabolic suppression, and movements associated with complex spinal reflexes, fasciculations, or cardiogenic ventilator autotriggering may delay initiation or completion of brain death protocols. Neuro diagnostic studies such as 4-vessel cerebral angiography can rapidly document absence of blood flow to the brain and decrease intervals between onset of terminal brain stem herniation and formal declaration of death by neurological criteria. Intracranial pathophysiology leading to brain death must be considered along with clinical assessment, patterns of vital signs, and relevant diagnostic studies. (Critical Care Nurse. 2013;33[6]:27-48)
Impacts of Narrowband Interference on OFDM-UWB Receivers: Analysis and Mitigation

Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM)-based ultra-wide-band (UWB) transceivers hold the promise to revolutionize the next generation of short-range wireless networks and to be adopted in electronics products for both civil and military applications. For the UWB transceivers to coexist with nearby devices, it is necessary to design efficient UWB receivers whose operation is robust to narrowband interferences (NBI). This paper conducts an in-depth analysis to establish the impacts of NBI on the performance of an OFDM-UWB receiver. A comprehensive study to assess the effects of NBI on the quantization noise in the analog-to-digital converter (ADC), timing, and carrier acquisition is presented. The analytical results show that the efficiency of the ADC is degraded by NBI, although this problem could be slightly remedied by an adaptive autogain controller (AGC). It is also found that, compared with the conventional autocorrelation-based acquisition scheme, the pseudonoise (PN) sequence matched-filtering-based acquisition scheme presents higher robustness to NBI. Nevertheless, both these two acquisition schemes fail at high interference levels. As a conclusion, it is critical to develop novel and low-complexity NBI mitigation schemes for OFDM-UWB receivers that take into account the impacts introduced by NBI
Quality Indicators for the Management of Pneumonia in Vulnerable Elders

Pneumonia is the most common cause of death from infection in persons 60 years of age and older and is the fourth most common cause of death overall for persons 80 years of age and older (1). Furthermore, the annual cost of treating patients with pneumonia in the United States is approximately $9.7 billion (2), and most of this cost is incurred when patients (the majority of whom are older) are hospitalized. It has been estimated that 962 patients per 100 000 persons 65 years and older will require hospitalization for pneumonia annually; this figure is nearly four times the rate in the general population (3). The vulnerable older patient is at even greater risk for death and morbidity from pneumonia, and improving quality of care for this high-risk population may lead to substantial reductions in morbidity and mortality.
A Boundedness Lemma for Iterations

The purpose of this paper is to present a kind of boundedness lemma for direct limits of coarse structural mice, and to indicate some applications to descriptive set theory. For instance, this allows us to show that under large cardinal or determinacy assumptions there is no prewellorder ≤ of length such that for some formula ψ and parameter zif and only ifIt is a peculiar experience to write up a result in this area. Following the work of Martin, Steel, Woodin, and other inner model theory experts, there is an enormous overhang of theorems and ideas, and it only takes one wandering pebble to restart the avalanche. For this reason I have chosen to center the exposition around the one pebble at 1.7 which I believe to be new. The applications discussed in section 2 involve routine modifications of known methods.A detailed introduction to many of the techniques related to using the Martin-Steel inner model theory and Woodin's free extender algebra is given in the course of [1]. Certainly a familiarity with the Martin-Steel papers, [5] and [6], is a prerequisite, as is some knowledge of the free extender algebra. Probably anyone interested in this paper will already know the necessary descriptive set theory, most of which can be found in [4]. Discussion of earlier results in this direction can be found in [3] or [2].
Corporal punishment and child maltreatment in New Zealand.

On May 2, 2007 the New Zealand Parliament passed a law repealing Section 59 of the Crimes Act. In so doing, New Zealand became the first English-speaking nation in the world to make corporal punishment of a child illegal. The passage of this legislation was surrounded by intense and persistent public debate, and supporters of corporal punishment continue to advocate against the law change to the present day. In Sweden, where the first stage of similar repeal took place in 1957, it may be difficult for many to understand the strength of the public opposition to this change in New Zealand. This article will present a viewpoint on the evolution of the debate in New Zealand, review the wider context of child maltreatment and family violence in New Zealand, and summarize a range of attempts to prevent or intervene effectively in the cycle of dysfunction. Conclusion Child maltreatment and family violence are public health issues of great importance, and a stain on all societies. While corporal punishment may be a significant contributing factor, there is no single "solution". Change must occur on multiple levels (political, economic, cultural, familial and professional) before the tide will turn. Language: en
The effect of forage source and particle size on finishing yearling steer performance and ruminal metabolism.

Two finishing trials and a metabolism trial were conducted to evaluate the effect of forage source and particle size in dry-rolled corn finishing diets. In Exp. 1, 224 crossbred yearling steers (BW = 342 ± 11 kg) were used in a randomized complete block design consisting of seven treatments. Treat- ments were an all-concentrate diet or diets containing equal NDF levels provided by alfalfa hay or wheat straw (three treatments each) with each forage source ground to pass through a .95-, 7.6-, or 12.7-cm screen. Steers fed diets containing forage had greater ( P < .05) DMI than steers fed an all- concentrate diet. Steers fed alfalfa diets gained faster ( P < .05) with a greater ( P < .05) concentrate efficiency than steers fed either all-concentrate or straw diets. In Exp. 2, 120 crossbred yearling steers (BW = 307 ± 2 kg) were used in a completely randomized design and fed dry-rolled corn diets containing 10% alfalfa ground to pass through either a .95- or 7.6-cm screen. Alfalfa particle size had no effect on performance or carcass measurements. In Exp. 3, six ruminally fistulated steers (BW = 508 ± 34 kg) were used in a 6 × 6 Latin square design and fed an all-concentrate diet or diets containing equal NDF levels provided by alfalfa hay, wheat straw, or ground corncobs with alfalfa and straw ground to pass through either a 2.54- or 12.7-cm screen. Steers fed straw diets spent more time ( P < .10) chewing than those receiving the other diets. In conclusion, forage particle size had no effect on finishing cattle perfor- mance or ruminal metabolism data. However, cattle consuming different forage sources in dry-rolled corn finishing diets may not respond similarly in animal performance.
Structural and functional succession in the nematode fauna of a soil food web

Soil microplots were amended with organic materials of varying nature and complexity but providing similar amounts of carbon. Materials were either placed on the soil surface or incorporated. Unamended and mineral fertilizer control plots were established. Plots were maintained vegetation-free so that the food web activity was fueled by resident soil organic matter and the input material. Enrichment-opportunist bacterivore nematodes increased rapidly in response to low C/N plant materials and, to a lesser extent, to more complex materials. General-opportunist bacterivores increased in all plots, but at a slower rate. Fungivore nematodes also increased gradually in all plots but most rapidly in those amended with higher C/N and more complex materials. Indices derived from nematode faunal analysis suggested a constant rate of succession from enrichment-opportunist to general-opportunist bacterivore guilds across all treatments, probably mediated by bacterial abundance and differences in life course characteristics of the respective taxa. The rate of succession from bacterivore to fungivore nematodes was greatest in plots receiving high C/N materials. Succession to fungivory, presumably indicating a shift from bacterial to fungal decomposition channels, was slowest in those plots with a high level of organismal metabolic activity, as measured by soil respiration. The cumulative amounts of N mineralized in the plots were directly related to the enrichment index (EI), based on the abundance of opportunistic bacterial- and fungal-feeding nematodes. The amounts of mineralized N were inversely related to the slope of the channel index (CI), that is, the rate at which decomposition changed from bacterial to fungal. Maintenance of adequate soil fertility in systems driven by organic input may require maintenance of food web structure and function as indicated by high levels of enrichment-opportunist bacterivore nematodes. That will require frequent supply of labile organic sources. Allowing food web succession to guilds that indicate lower mineralization potential will result in lower levels of soil fertility.
Regulation of c-ski transgene expression in developing and mature mice

The control of c-ski transgene expression and muscle hypertrophy have been investigated in transgenic mice. In adult animals, the level of transgene expression is linked to the specialized phenotype of individual muscles, high levels occur in fast muscles and significantly lower levels in muscles with high metabolic activity (diaphragm, soleus). These findings have led us to propose that a threshold must be passed before ski-induced growth can occur. We now show that within fast muscles, induced hypertrophy uniquely involves IIb fibers. This pattern of expression is under development control; levels of c-ski mRNA are low in all muscles at birth. In the diaphragm, there is a sevenfold increase in c-ski message levels between 5 d and maturity. By contrast, in fast extensor digitorum longus and anterior tibial muscles, there is a 24-fold increase in levels between 5 and 12 d postpartum. Muscle hypertrophy and antibody staining for c-ski protein in myofiber nuclei emerge concurrently. This pattern of c-ski expression parallels the appearance of IIb myosin heavy chain transcripts (Wydert et al., 1987) and differentiation of IIb fibers, suggesting that amplification of c-ski mRNA levels is linked to the development of IIb fiber specialization. Manipulations that are known to perturb IIb fiber development, neonatal denervation, and neonatally induced hypothyroidism inhibit high levels of c-ski expression and hypertrophy. In the adult fast EDL, denervation leads to rapid atrophy of IIb fibers and a significant decline in levels of c-ski mRNA. The results suggest that the environment of differentiated IIb fibers permits the expression of high levels of c-ski mRNA and this, in turn, induces hypertrophy.
A Granular Concurrency Control for Collaborative Scientific Workflow Composition

Collaborative scientific workflow composition has recently been proposed to support collaborative scientific research projects, which require intensive collaboration among scientists with diverse expertise. A collaborative scientific workflow management system allows participating scientists to design and compose common scientific workflows concurrently. Concurrency control has become one of the key challenges in collaborative scientific workflow composition, which aims to facilitate collaboration throughput while ensuring the correctness and consistency of the results generated from concurrent operations. We have previously proposed a locking scheme to support simple scientific workflow compositions, in which workflows are flat (not hierarchical). In this paper, we take a step forward to propose a new granular scientific workflow locking scheme, which captures dependency relationships between workflows and constructs, to support general hierarchical workflow compositions. We also conduct several experiments to evaluate the performance of the concurrency control.
Analyzing total factor productivity with ROI as a criterion

This research note concerns total factor productivity measurement at the firm level. Specifically the purpose of the note is to describe a means for incorporating return on investment (ROI) as the improvement criterion in profit-linked total factor productivity measurement procedures. The expressions presented here provide a mechanism to explain changes in profits due to productivity performance beyond the level associated with an ROI goal. This is an extension of existing measurement procedures that utilize gross profit margin rather than ROI as the improvement criterion. The formulation presented here is more appropriate than the margin approach when ROI is the primary financial yardstick of the firm. In presenting this formulation, the ROI based expressions for calculating the type of information derived in a profit-linked total factor productivity measurement procedure will first be given. Then the use of these expressions will be illustrated through a case study.
N‐Linked Oligosaccharides Are Required for Cell Surface Expression of the Norepinephrine Transporter but Do Not Influence Substrate or Inhibitor Recognition

The contribution of N-linked carbohydrates to the function of the human norepinephrine transporter (NET) was investigated using site-directed mutagenesis to inactivate the two most carboxy-terminal (NQQ mutant) or all three (QQQ mutant) sites for N-glycosylation within the extracellular loop between transmembrane domains 3 and 4. In HeLa cells transiently expressing the NET, two glycosylated forms of the transporter at 90 and 60 kDa are immunoprecipitated by NET antisera. A single 50-kDa species is observed in cells expressing the QQQ mutant, and it likely represents the NET core protein. Analyses of substrate transport kinetics showed rank order V max of 19 :9 :1 for NET/NQQ/QQQ without a change in the apparent affinity of the wild-type and mutated carriers for either substrates or transport inhibitors. Cell surface biotinylation indicates that all NET, NQQ, and QQQ transporter species are detected at the plasma membrane but that glycosylated forms are selectively enriched. The transport activities exhibited by each of the carriers correlate well with cell surface content. Subcellular localization of transporters using immunofluorescence microscopy shows that reductions in surface expression and transport are associated with a corresponding increase in the intracellular retention of mutated carriers. Thus, N-linked glycosylation does not alter the apparent affinity of NET for either substrates or inhibitors of transport but, instead, appears to influence the abundance of carriers at the cell surface.
A simplified inverse z-transform expression

An expression is developed here that simplifies determining the inverse z-transform of functions having nonrepeated complex conjugate poles.
Genetic variation in Pueraria lobata (Fabaceae), an introduced, clonal, invasive plant of the southeastern United States.

Pueraria lobata (kudzu), a clonal, leguminous vine, is invading the southeastern United States at a rate of 50 000 ha per year. Genetic variability and clonal diversity were measured in 20 southeastern U.S. populations using 14 allozyme loci. Within its U.S. range, 92.9% of the loci were polymorphic and overall genetic diversity was 0.290. Such high levels of genetic diversity are consistent with its history of multiple introductions over an extended period of time. The average proportions of polymorphic loci and genetic diversity within populations were 55.7% (range 5 28.6‐85.7%) and 0.213 (range 5 0.114‐0.317), respectively. The proportion of total genetic diversity found among populations was similar to species with equivalent life history characters ( GST 5 0.199). No regional patterns of variation were seen. The number of putative genotypes in each population ranged from 2 to 26. Mean genotypic diversity was 0.694, ranging from 0.223 to 0.955. Such high levels of genotypic diversity indicate that local sites are often colonized by several propagules (most likely seeds) and/or that sexual reproduction occurs within populations after establishment. An excess of heterozygosity was observed in populations with few unique genets, implying that selection for highly heterozygous individuals may occur in populations of P. lobata.
Venous aneurysm in the spinal canal of a dog.

Abstract— A 6-yr-old Basset Hound had a cervical spinal cord compression from an aneurysm of the venous sinus. A myelogram utilizing fluoroscopy and spot-filming techniques established the location of the lesion. Dorsal laminectomy disclosed the deformity and decompressed the spinal cord. Resume— Un basset, age de 6 ans, avait une compression de la moelle epinetre, causee par un anevrysme d'un sinus veineux. Un myelogramme, apres injection de fluorure et radiographie permit de localiser la lesion. Une laminectomie dorsale mis a jour la deformite, et la moelle fut decompressee. Zusammenfassung— Ein sechsjahriger Bassethund litt an einer Kompression des Ruckenmarks im Bereich der Halswirbelsaule, hervorgerufen durch ein Aneurysma des venosen Sinus. Mit Hilfe einer Myelographie, Durchlcuchtung und gezielten Aufnahmen war es moglich die Storung zu lokalisieren. Eine Laminektomie zeigte die Veranderung und bewerkstelligte die Dekompression.
Actions of the soy phytoestrogen genistein in models of human chronic disease: potential involvement of transforming growth factor β

The structural similarity, but non-identity, between 17β-oestradiol and the soy phytoestrogen genistein suggests that the two compounds will have actions that may be identical in some target biological systems, but different in others. Epidermal growth factor (EGF)-stimulated proliferation of human mammary epithelial cells (that do not express the oestrogen receptor) was significantly suppressed at genistein concentrations (5–10μM) that are attainable physiologically. Others have shown previously that transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) has similar growth-inhibitory effects on human cells. Analysis of the conditioned medium of human mammary epithelial cells exposed to genistein plus EGF showed increased levels of TGFβ relative to those in the medium of cells exposed to EGF or genistein alone. Related experiments in a primate model of menopause demonstrated that ingestion of soy containing isoflavones was correlated with the suppression of neurodegeneration-relevant phosphorylation of the microtubule-associated protein tau, while intake of Premarin (a hormone replacement therapy that is commonly prescribed for women) was not correlated. The results discussed here indicate that genistein, and probably other related phytoestrogens, have pleiotropic actions, some of which may involve TGFβ activity.
Distribution of Blackside Dace, Chrosomus cumberlandensis, in the Upper Tennessee River Drainage of Virginia

Abstract In 1995, personnel from the Tennessee Valley Authority discovered a population of a Chrosomus sp. in the North Fork Powell River system in Lee County, VA. Subsequent survey work revealed the species to be Chrosomus cumberlandensis (Blackside Dace). Since 1999, approximately 90 sites targeting the genus have been surveyed in the upper Powell and Clinch River systems of Lee and Scott counties, VA and Hancock and Hawkins counties, TN. Chrosomus cumberlandensis was found in two creek systems in the North Fork Powell River system and a single creek system in the Upper Clinch River system. Distribution patterns and previous genetics work suggests these populations are introduced.
Race, Human Variation, and Health, the Interaction of

Health disparities by ‘race’ are large, consistent, and persistent. These disparities are attributed to two divergent causal pathways, either: (1) genetic differences in disease susceptibility among races or (2) variation among groups socially defined as ‘races,’ and deriving from lived experiences of discrimination, including both subtle and more overt forms of racism. I argue that a genetic explanation is both epistemologically and epidemiologically flawed, mainly because human genetic variation maps poorly onto racial groups. The preponderance of evidence suggests that racial differences in health have little to do with genetics and much more to do with the conditions that render individuals socially assigned to racial categories more vulnerable to the processes that cause ill health, including what we conventionally define as racism.
A generalized flow for multi-class and binary classification tasks: An Azure ML approach

The constant growth in the present day real-world databases pose computational challenges for a single computer. Cloud-based platforms, on the other hand, are capable of handling large volumes of information manipulation tasks, thereby necessitating their use for large real-world data set computations. This work focuses on creating a novel Generalized Flow within the cloud-based computing platform: Microsoft Azure Machine Learning Studio (MAMLS) that accepts multi-class and binary classification data sets alike and processes them to maximize the overall classification accuracy. First, each data set is split into training and testing data sets, respectively. Then, linear and nonlinear classification model parameters are estimated using the training data set. Data dimensionality reduction is then performed to maximize classification accuracy. For multi-class data sets, data-centric information is used to further improve overall classification accuracy by reducing the multi-class classification to a series of hierarchical binary classification tasks. Finally, the performance of optimized classification model thus achieved is evaluated and scored on the testing data set. The classification characteristics of the proposed flow are comparatively evaluated on 3 public data sets and a local data set with respect to existing state-of-the-art methods. On the 3 public data sets, the proposed flow achieves 78–97.5% classification accuracy. Also, the local data set, created using the information regarding presence of Diabetic Retinopathy lesions in fundus images, results in 85.3–95.7% average classification accuracy, which is higher than the existing methods. Thus, the proposed generalized flow can be useful for a wide range of application-oriented "big data sets".
Constructivist Approaches to Logic

The first part of this paper recalls contributions of general philosophical interest which have been made by foundational research, and lists some specific contributions of this sort made by constructivist foundations; in particular, to the history of ideas, and to the correction of wide-spread convictions. The second part goes into the heuristic value of developing constructivist foundations systematically, and into the conflict between the (naive) requirement of (i) solving a problem by means of constructive operations, and the additional (sophisticated) requirement of establishing (i) by a constructive proof. The third part contains some new results on constructive propositional logic (also of interest to specialists in the subject), which illustrate pedagogic uses of constructivist foundations; in particular, for understanding phenomena in advanced model-theoretic socalled classical logic, in connection with functional and deductive completeness, or with extending the domain of definition of familiar operations.
Gain of regularity for equations of KdV type

Abstract This article discusses questions of the smoothness of solutions to nonlinear dispersive evolution equations. We consider equations of KdV type, that is, of the general form ∂ t u + f ( ∂ x 3 u , ∂ x 2 u , ∂ x u , u ; x , t ) = 0 with x ∈ R. The hypothesis on the nonlinear function f is principally that ∂ ∂ x 3 u f ≧ C ≧ 0 , so that dispersive effects are dominant. We show that if the function u(0, x) decays faster than polynomially on R+, and possesses certain minimal regularity, then a priori the solution u(t, x) ∈ C∞ for t > 0. Furthermore, the relationship between the rate of decay and the amount of gain of regularity is quantified; if ∫ − ∞ ∞ u 2 ( 0 , x ) ( 1 + | x + | k ) d x ∞ then u ( t , . ) ∈ H loc k ( R ) for all 0 < t ≦T, and u ( t , x ) ∈ L 1 ( [ 0 , T ] ; H loc k + 1 ( R ) ) where T is the existence time.
Testing the Limits of 'Representation': The Effects of Citizen Biases on Legislative Accountability

One of the central features of representative democracy is the ability of citizens to hold legislators accountable for their votes on major issues. The potential electoral consequences of casting votes at odds with constituency preferences are, in theory, the most significant guarantee that public policy will be generally congruent with public opinion. The logic of this accounatbility mechanism, however, assumes reasonably accurate citizen perceptions of their representatives’ voting records. This study examines the tenability of that assumption, looking at two key issues: the absolute levels of citizen knowledge about their U.S. Senators’ major roll-call votes, and the systematic cognitive biases that shape misperceptions of those votes. The evidence is clear that overall levels of knowledge are modest, and that ignorance and error are not random, but systematically related to constituents’ pre-existing attitudes about the Senator. In other words, projection effects are widespread and significant, with troubling implications for legislative accountability and for the influence of public opinion on public policy.
Search for a β − Branch in I 124

A mass spectrometric search for a ${\ensuremath{\beta}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ branch in 4.2-day ${\mathrm{I}}^{124}$ has been made by examining the isotopic composition of xenon from deuteron-irradiated tellurium. The expected ${\ensuremath{\beta}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ branch, based on nuclear mass data and $\mathrm{ft}$ values, is 0.017%. There was good agreement between calculated and measured isotopic composition. No ${\mathrm{Xe}}^{124}$ was detected, so an upper limit of 0.1% was established for this branching.
Implementation of a Sharp Immersed Boundary Method in a 3-D Multi-block Large Eddy Simulation Tool for Jet Aeroacoustics

Experimentation with different nozzle geometries has gained importance in recent years for reduction of jet noise. These geometrical complexities pose a significant challenge to the computational studies of these nozzles, especially when structured grids are employed with high-order numerical methods. In the present work, a ghost-point-based immersed boundary method is implemented in a highly-scalable, multi-block, high-order, structuredgrid large eddy simulation tool to tackle this problem. The implementation is not limited to using uniformly-spaced and/or Cartesian grids as background grids, and therefore allows an efficient grid point distribution, which is imperative for high-Reynolds number jet noise simulations. Three test cases selected to assess specific aspects of the implementation are presented. The impact of the immersed boundary method on order of accuracy of the base solver is quantified. The method is demonstrated to perform well in predicting scattering of acoustic waves from a solid cylinder, and in producing realistic low-Reynolds number viscous flow over a solid sphere.
Active Control of MR Wearable Robotic Orthosis for Pathological Tremor Suppression

Given the side effects and possible complications of current clinical treatments for severe pathological tremor, many researchers pursue the less invasive alternative of suppression at the musculo-skeletal level. In wearable robotics applications, the high strength-to-weight ratio, the low power consumption, and their adaptability allow magnetorheological (MR) fluid dampers and actuators to be personalized to the individual needs of a patient. Moreover, their rapid dynamic response makes them suitable for use in real time active devices. This paper presents the theoretical development and experimental validation of a tremor suppression control algorithm based on a dynamic lump parameter model of the MR damper and a real time adaptive tremor frequency estimator. The control strategy was experimentally evaluated using a one-DOF joint simulator. Experiments with ten datasets from patients with severe Parkinsonian and Essential Tremor show suppressions for the first and second harmonics of 28.7±2.2 dB and 11.8±4.8 dB, respectively. These results compare favorably with the suppression levels obtained by other researchers using constant current approach. In addition, the resistance that the orthotic device imposes to the voluntary motion was reduced by 33% under the active control strategy, while the power usage was dramatically reduced by nearly an order of magnitude.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
The Immediate Family and the Kinship Group: A Research Report

in an area of 10,000 square miles so that they would be about 50 miles apart with the farthest distance between any two cities not more than 140 miles. Now in a city of 500,000 a citizen can ride anywhere in a streetcar for 10 cents, and the schedules are frequent. If helicopters could furnish sufficiently cheap transportation with frequent schedules, there would be no essential difference between a city of 500,000 on 100 square miles and 10 cities ,of 50,000 on 10,000 square miles. The breaking up of large cities as a defense against bombing and the spacing of the small cities is thus a function of fast, frequent and, above all, cheap local transportation.
Approaching Terahertz Graphene Transistors

Graphene is emerging as an attractive electronic material for future electronics due to its exceptionally high carrier mobility and single-atomic thickness. However, the conventional dielectric integration and device fabrication processes cannot be readily applied to graphene transistors because they can often introduce substantial defects into the monolayer of carbon lattices and severely degrade the device performance. Here we describe a new strategy to fabricate high performance graphene transistors through the hetero-integration of graphene with inorganic nanostructures. First, I will describe the fabrication of high mobility top-gated graphene transistors by first synthesizing free-standing high-k oxide nanostructures and then transferring them onto graphene as top-gate dielectrics. We show that single crystalline Al2O3 nanoribbons can be synthesized with excellent dielectric properties, and can be used as the top-gate dielectrics to enable graphene transistors with the highest carrier mobility exceeding 20,000 cm2/V•s. Furthermore, we describe a self-aligned approach using a metal-dielectric core-shell nanowire as the top-gate, with the source and drain electrodes defined through a self-alignment process and the channel length defined by the nanowire diameter. This fabrication approach preserves the high carrier mobility in graphene, and ensures nearly perfect alignment between source, drain, and gate electrodes. It therefore affords unprecedented transistor performance with the projected intrinsic cut-off frequency approaching terahertz regime.