cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assay and purification of neuronal receptors for inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate.

Publisher Summary Receptors for inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP 3 ) serve as ligand-activated, Ca 2+ -release channels found in intracellular membrane compartments. This chapter describes procedures for rapid purification of the IP 3 receptor complex and an assay to measure quantitatively, the binding properties of [ 3 H]IP 3 to both native and purified preparations. The mammalian brain, particularly the cerebellum, is an extraordinarily rich source of IP 3 receptor proteins, facilitating development of binding assays, methods of purification and reconstitution, and molecular cloning. The highly charged nature of IP 3 suggests the basis for an assay involving ion exchange to adsorb unbound ligand and size exclusion to exclude ligand bound to receptor. The purification protocols exploit some unusual biochemical properties of cerebellar IP 3 receptors including a complex interaction of the receptor with wheat germ agglutinin and the tendency of the receptor to associate in homotetramers, a property reminiscent of its skeletal muscle homolog, the ryanodine receptor/Ca 2+ release channel.
Duodenal acidity and experimental peptic ulceration.

In the study of digestive processes electrometric determinations of acidity as pH are adequate for practical purposes, and they bear a closer relation to enzyme processes than do measurements of acid concentration. The t echnique in situ permits the study of changes of pH in a localized area , with a continuous record of such changes. A t echnique has been developed for the study in situ of acidity by continuous recording over long periods with minimal disturbance of normal processes. The application reported here was directed mainly to the duodenal part of the uker-bearing region when in its normal state and after those experimental procedures that usually are associated with increase of the tendency toward peptic ukeration. Less extensive studies were made at other sites in the alimentary tract through appropriately placed fistulas. The general plan was to determine the pH of the intestine near the sites where ulceration usually occurs. Obtained for standards were continuous recordings of pH under essentially normal conditions through the 24 hours after feeding. Subsequently surgical and other procedures were applied and the observations of pH were repeated. The results indicated that all procedures which increased the tendency toward peptic uleeration are associated with some increase of acidity in the duodenum, especially during the last phase of digestion . The data, however, do not indicate that acidity is the sole cause of peptic ulcer.
Aqueous, Unfolded OmpA Forms Amyloid-Like Fibrils upon Self-Association.

Unfolded outer membrane beta-barrel proteins have been shown to self-associate in the absence of lipid bilayers. We previously investigated the formation of high molecular weight species by OmpA, with both the transmembrane domain alone and the full-length protein, and discovered that the oligomeric form contains non-native β-sheet structure. We have further probed the conformation of self-associated OmpA by monitoring binding to Thioflavin T, a dye that is known to bind the cross-β a structure inherent in amyloid fibrils, and by observing the species by electron microscopy. The significant increase in fluorescence indicative of Thioflavin T binding and the appearance of fibrillar species by electron microscopy verify that the protein forms amyloid-like fibril structures upon oligomerization. These results are also consistent with our previous kinetic analysis of OmpA self-association that revealed a nucleated growth polymerization mechanism, which is frequently observed in amyloid formation. The discovery of OmpA’s ability to form amyloid-like fibrils provides a new model protein with which to study fibrillization, and implicates periplasmic chaperone proteins as capable of inhibiting fibril formation.
Seasonal inventories and the use of product-flexible manufacturing technology

As advancing technology makes Aexible Manufacturing Systems (FMSs) a viable option for an increasing number of firms and products, determining their economic value has become increasingly important. Despite considerable research in this area, the effect of the ability or inability to hold inperperiod inventories on the value of FMSs has received relatively little attention. This paper proposes a model of the interaction between investment in product-flexible manufacturing technology and the use of seasonal inventories. Analytic results as well as numerical examples are presented for the case of periodic market conditions that are uncertain at the time the investment decision must be made. The analysis leads to some surprising results, including the observation that interperiod inventories and flexible capacity can be complements as well as substitutes.
Identification of candidate genes for type 1 diabetes by microarray expression analysis of islet-specific CD4+ T cells (IRM6P.726)

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a complex genetic disease, resulting from the interplay of multiple insulin dependent diabetes loci (Idd) in both humans and nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice. NOD.B10 Idd9 congenic mice contain the Idd9 from T1D-resistant C57BL/10 mice, mediating significant T1D protection compared to NOD mice. However, the genes and the pathways by which Idd9 controls T1D development remain to be fully elucidated. We have developed novel NOD.B10 Idd9 congenic mice that harbor predominantly islet-specific CD4+ T cells expressing the BDC2.5 T cell receptor (BDC-Idd9.905 mice). To establish functional links between Idd9 genotype and its phenotype, we have performed microarray gene expression analyses of purified CD4+ T cells from these mice and BDC2.5 NOD control mice. We found that among the limited number of differentially expressed genes, those located within the Idd9 region were greatly enriched. Bioinformatics analyses identified Eno1, Rbbp4 and Mtor as differentially expressed Idd9 genes that were part of significant gene networks involved in T cell growth and development. Accordingly, antigen-specific proliferation and Th1 and Th17 responses between BDC-Idd9.905 and BDC2.5 splenocytes differed significantly and were impaired in BDC-Idd9.905 splenocytes. Our findings suggest that these Idd9 genes differentially control proliferation and differentiation of islet-specific CD4+ T cells in the two strains, which may contribute to their differential T1D development.
Nonresonant Contributions in B to rho pi Decay

We consider nonresonant contributions in the Dalitz-plot analysis of $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{B}\ensuremath{\rho}\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\ensuremath{\pi}}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}$ decay and their potential impact on the extraction of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa parameter $\ensuremath{\alpha}.$ In particular, we examine the role of the heavy mesons ${B}^{*}$ and ${B}_{0},$ via the process $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{B}\ensuremath{\pi}{(B}^{*}{,B}_{0})\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0},$ and their interference with resonant contributions in the $\ensuremath{\rho}$-mass region. We discuss the inherent uncertainties and suggest that the effects may be substantially smaller than previously indicated.
Fluctuating Immersed Material (FIMAT) Dynamics for the Direct Simulation of the Brownian Motion of Particles

In the paper a Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) scheme, named Fluctuating Immersed MATerial (FIMAT) dynamics, for the Brownian motion of particles is presented. In this approach the thermal fluctuations are included in the fluid equations via random stress terms. Solving the fluctuating hydrodynamic equations coupled with the particle equations of motion results in the Brownian motion of the particles. There is no need to add a random force term in the particle equations. The particles acquire random motion through the hydrodynamic force acting on its surface from the surrounding fluctuating fluid. The random stresses in the fluid equations are easy to calculate unlike the random terms in the conventional Brownian Dynamics (BD) type approaches.
Potsdam Correction from the Satellite Determined Geopotential

THE absolute value of the acceleration due to gravity at a point on the Earth's surface has generally been measured using reversible pendulums. Recently, however, the method of free fall determinations of gravity1 with its several variations has become increasingly popular because of the availability of electronics sophisticated enough to measure precisely the very short intervals of time involved. Generally, however, the absolute measurements of gravity are expensive, cumbersome and time-consuming; consequently, they are made only at a few selected points called “bases”. The high accuracy of relative measurements achievable with the modern gravimeters has made it possible to find the absolute gravity at any other point by measuring the gravity difference relative to one of these bases. For the sake of uniformity, it seems desirable to select one reference base. The Pendelsaal of the Geodetic Institute, Potsdam, East Germany, has been accepted as the reference base since the beginning of the twentieth century and the international network of relative gravity measurements is tied to it to form the “Potsdam gravity system” Until recently, the value of absolute gravity adopted at the Potsdam site was g=981,274.00 mgal, as determined by F. Kuhnen and Ph. Furtewangler from reversible pendulum measurements during the period 1898–1904. But modern re-examinations of this value have shown that it is in error by about −10 to −15 mgal. This means that the whole system based on this value has a constant scale error; the fiftieth general assembly of the International Union of Geophysics and Geodesy, held in Moscow in August 1971, has therefore recommended that a correction of −14 mgal (based on some of the most recent determinations) should be applied to the Potsdam gravity value.
Strong Motion Accelerograph Records From Sep., 4, 1972 Stone Canyon Earthquake

A magnitude 4.7 (BRK) earthquake on 4 September 1972 in the area of the NOAA Stone Canyon Geophysical Observatory produced a strong-motion accelerograph recording of 0.7 g acceleration, the second highest known recorded acceleration.
Uncertainty in baseline regression modeling and in determination of retrofit savings

The objective of this paper is to discuss the various sources of uncertainty inherent in the estimation of actual measured energy savings from baseline regression models, and to present pertinent statistical concepts and formulae to determine this uncertainty. Regression models of energy use in commercial buildings are not of the standard type addressed in textbooks because of the changepoint behavior of the models and the effect of patterned and non-constant variance residuals (largely as a result of changes in operating modes of the building and the HVAC system). This paper also addresses such issues as how model prediction is impacted by both improper model residuals and models identified from data periods which do not encompass the entire range of variation of both climatic conditions and the different building operating modes.
Bone and joint tuberculosis in children in the Blackburn area since 2006: a case series

This report describes a series of four cases of children between the ages 5 and 14 years with bone or joint infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis diagnosed between June 2006 and March 2008 in the Blackburn area of England. All of the cases were of South Asian descent. The diagnosis was confirmed by the presence of M. tuberculosis on the culture of bone, synovium or joint fluid, or by the presence of the typical histology of tuberculosis (TB). The sites of tuberculous disease were the hip joint, the sacro-iliac joint and the talus. A recent paper by Sandher et al. (J Bone Joint Surg Br 89:1379–1381, 2007) illustrated only two cases of childhood bone and joint TB in the same geographical area in the preceding 17 years.
Network protection with guaranteed recovery times using recovery domains

We consider the problem of providing network protection that guarantees the maximum amount of time that flow can be interrupted after a failure. This is in contrast to schemes that offer no recovery time guarantees, such as IP rerouting, or the prevalent local recovery scheme of Fast ReRoute, which often over-provisions resources to meet recovery time constraints. To meet these recovery time guarantees, we provide a novel and flexible solution by partitioning the network into failure-independent “recovery domains”, where within each domain, the maximum amount of time to recover from a failure is guaranteed. We show the recovery domain problem to be NP-Hard, and develop an optimal solution in the form of an MILP for both the case when backup capacity can and cannot be shared. This provides protection with guaranteed recovery times using up to 45% less protection resources than local recovery. We demonstrate that the network-wide optimal recovery domain solution can be decomposed into a set of easier to solve subproblems. This allows for the development of flexible and efficient solutions, including an optimal algorithm using Lagrangian relaxation, which simulations show to converge rapidly to an optimal solution. Additionally, an algorithm is developed for when backup sharing is allowed. For dynamic arrivals, this algorithm performs better than the solution that tries to greedily optimize for each incoming demand.
A Counterexample to Integration by Parts

SummaryThe authors exhibit two differentiable functions f and g for which the function f′ g and fg′ are not integrable, so that the integration by parts formula does not apply.
GnRH Release from the mediobasal hypothalamus. In vitro regulation by oxytocin

The effects of oxytocin (OT) on gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) release from the adult male rat mediobasal hypothalamus and median eminence were studied in an in vitro incubation system. OT indu
Strategy for the future

Abstract The Pennsylvania State University at University Park is one of the most dominant materials research institutions in the US with more than $65 million in sponsored materials research funding for fiscal year 2002 1 , and possessing more than twice the number of most highly cited researchers in materials science of any university worldwide 2 . The Materials Research Institute (MRI), an interdisciplinary consortium at Penn State, integrates and leads these activities across the university and maintains world-class facilities to support them. More than 200 faculty and 500 graduate students are engaged in materials research, along with nearly 200 postdoctoral and visiting scientists. This high concentration of faculty and experts at the university has facilitated the formation of cohesive teams to meet specific materials research goals.
Origin of the iron bands in supernovae spectra.

THE visible-region crystal-field spectra of Fe2+ and Fe3+ ions located in silicate minerals show several similar features, in particular a number of relatively sharp bands marking field-independent transitions, which are difficult to assign unless attendant chemical analyses are available. Three absorption bands at 6200 A, 4430 A and 3800 A in optical spectra of Type I supernova were recently assigned1,2 to transitions within octahedral Fe3+ ions in andradite garnet, while two other bands at 5100 A (19,600 cm−1) and 5700 A (17,500 cm−1) were attributed to Fe2+ ions in almandine garnet. Runciman3 also feels that the supernova bands are due mainly to Fe, but he suggests that they may mark transitions in Fe2+ ions in pyroxene minerals. Many stars have appreciable excess emission at 10 and 20 µm, the origin of which has been attributed to circumstellar silicates4–7, possibly orthopyroxenes and olivines.
Dynamin and myosin regulate differential exocytosis from mouse adrenal chromaffin cells.

Neuroendocrine chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla represent a primary output for the sympathetic nervous system. Chromaffin cells release catecholamine as well as vaso- and neuro-active peptide transmitters into the circulation through exocytic fusion of large dense-core secretory granules. Under basal sympathetic activity, chromaffin cells selectively release modest levels of catecholamines, helping to set the “rest and digest” status of energy storage. Under stress activation, elevated sympathetic firing leads to increased catecholamine as well as peptide transmitter release to set the “fight or flight” status of energy expenditure. While the mechanism for catecholamine release has been widely investigated, relatively little is known of how peptide transmitter release is regulated to occur selectively under elevated stimulation. Recent studies have shown selective catecholamine release under basal stimulation is accomplished through a transient, restricted exocytic fusion pore between granule and plasma membrane, releasing a soluble fraction of the small, diffusible molecules. Elevated cell firing leads to the active dilation of the fusion pore, leading to the release of both catecholamine and the less diffusible peptide transmitters. Here we propose a molecular mechanism regulating the activity-dependent dilation of the fusion pore. We review the immediate literature and provide new data to formulate a working mechanistic hypothesis whereby calcium-mediated dephosphorylation of dynamin I at Ser-774 leads to the recruitment of the molecular motor myosin II to actively dilate the fusion pore to facilitate release of peptide transmitters. Thus, activity-dependent dephosphorylation of dynamin is hypothesized to represent a key molecular step in the sympatho-adrenal stress response.
Manipulating Theophylline Monohydrate Formation During High-Shear Wet Granulation Through Improved Understanding of the Role of Pharmaceutical Excipients

To investigate the effect of common pharmaceutical excipients on the kinetics of theophylline monohydrate formation during high-shear wet granulation. A mixture of anhydrous theophylline and the excipient was granulated in a high-shear granulator, using water as the granulation liquid. Non-contact Raman spectroscopy was used to monitor the rate of transformation of anhydrate to hydrate during the granulation process. The kinetics of conversion was also monitored in slurries of theophylline whereby the excipients were added to the aqueous phase. Optical microscopy was used to visualize the transformation and to measure the linear growth rates of hydrate crystals in the presence and absence of the excipients. At pharmaceutically relevant amounts of excipient, the transformation kinetics of theophylline was unchanged for the majority of excipients tested. However, when granulating with low concentrations of some commonly used polymeric binders, the transformation kinetics could be significantly retarded. For example, methylcellulose polymers delayed both the onset of hydrate formation as well as retarding the transformation rate. When 0.3% (w/w) of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose was added to a model formulation containing 30% (w/w) theophylline anhydrous, the formation of the monohydrate could be completely prevented over the time period of the granulation experiment, without significantly affecting the granular properties. Microscopic observations of hydrate formation in the presence of the polymer revealed that the polymers that inhibited hydrate formation reduced the hydrate crystal growth rates and influenced hydrate morphology. Raman spectroscopy is a useful technique to monitor hydrate formation during wet granulation. Some commonly used polymeric pharmaceutical excipients can be used to manipulate theophylline hydrate formation in aqueous pharmaceutical environments. These excipients may affect either the nucleation and/or the growth of the hydrate phase.
Airborne Lidar Measurements of Aerosol Optical Properties During Safari-2000

The Cloud Physics Lidar (CPL) operated onboard the NASA ER-2 high altitude aircraft during the SAFARI-2000 field campaign. The CPL provided high spatial resolution measurements of aerosol optical properties at both 1064 nm and 532 nm. We present here results of planetary boundary layer (PBL) aerosol optical depth analysis and profiles of aerosol extinction. Variation of optical depth and extinction are examined as a function of regional location. The wide-scale aerosol mapping obtained by the CPL is a unique data set that will aid in future studies of aerosol transport. Comparisons between the airborne CPL and ground-based MicroPulse Lidar Network (MPL-Net) sites are shown to have good agreement.
Model-Independent Characterization of Charge Diffusion in Thick Fully Depleted CCDs

We present a new method to measure charge diffusion in charge-coupled devices (CCDs). The method is based on a statistical characterization of the shapes of charge clouds produced by low-energy X-rays using known properties of the two-dimensional Gaussian point-spread function (PSF). The algorithm produces reliable upper and lower bounds on the size of the PSF for photons converting near the entrance window of a device. It is optimally suited to the case of thick back-illuminated CCDs where the X-ray absorption length is smaller than the silicon thickness and the diffusion scale is of the same order as the pixel size. The only assumptions are that the charge cloud width is a monotonically increasing function of distance from the conversion point to the buried channel, and that the conversion probability is peaked at the surface. Otherwise, no physical models of carrier transport or knowledge of the electric field profile in the CCD are needed. In suboptimal conditions, the upper bound increases and the lower bound is unaffected, so confidence in the correctness of results is retained. The new method has been benchmarked against Monte Carlo simulations and tested on X-ray images measured on thick high-resistivity prototype CCDs for the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope. In Monte Carlo simulations of noiseless images having the optimal diffusion scale, the upper bound approximated the true PSF within 5%, increasing to 10% in simulations with added noise. Even with severely undersampled or truncated PSFs, the method brackets the true value to within 25%. Our method is accurate and computationally efficient and offers a fast and simple experimental setup.
Integrated electric plants in future Great Lakes self-unloaders

The feasibility and potential benefits of using Integrated Electric Plants in future Great Lakes self-unloaders are evaluated. Integrated Electric Plants, the all-electric ships, utilize electrical propulsion motors and central station power generation that powers all propulsion, thruster, self-unloading equipment, and other ship service needs. Inte- grated Electric Plants have become the plant of choice in many recent naval vessels, cruise ships, high technology cargo vessels, and special purpose vessels, such as offshore supply and service vessels and icebreakers. This study considers arrangements, effects on cargo capacity, fuel usage, and environmental emissions in all operating modes, maintenance requirements, and manning. The comparison is made for two notional self-unloading bulk carriers: a 1000 ft Poe Lock maximum self-unloader and a 730 ft MacArthur Lock, Welland Canal, St. Lawrence Seaway maximum self-unloader.
The stability of tachistoscopic measures of hemispheric specialization

Two-week test-retest reliabilities were determined for two tachistoscopic tasks, consonant-vowel-consonant trigrams and dot location, in 48 right-handed university students. Both visual field and laterality scores were determined. Analysis of variance showed no significant main effects or interactions of session for either task, indicating stability of mean performance and laterality scores. Likewise, grouping subjects as “high” or “low” by median laterality scores showed concordance across session for both tasks. Test-retest correlations were moderately high for all verbal task measures and for visual field scores for the dot location test. However, laterality indices for dot location showed low stability despite comparable within-session reliabilities of laterality scores for the two tasks. These findings suggest stability of group means and subgroups for verbal and dot location tachistoscopic measures. However, the degree to which individual scores are predictable from one session to the next differs between the two tasks.
The equivalence of uniform and Shapley value-based cost allocations in a specific game

This paper concerns the possible equivalence of the Shapley value and other allocations in specific games. For a group buying game with a linear quantity discount schedule, the uniform allocation results in the same cost allocation as the Shapley value. In this paper, we explore whether the Shapley axioms can be used to make such connections. We also characterize the functions that result in the equivalence of these two allocations among the class of polynomial total cost functions.
Study on mobility of water and polymer chain in epoxy and its influence on adhesion

This paper presents a study on the mobility of water and polymer chains in epoxy materials and its influence on the rate of adhesion degradation in a humid environment. Solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques (both 1 H NMR and 2 H NMR) were used to study the binding states of water within two epoxy formulations along with the possible plasticizing effects of moisture affecting the mobility of polymer chains. Absorbed water reduces the glass transition temperature of polymeric materials. However, the presence of moisture has no significant effect on the polymer chain mobility at temperatures below the reduced glass transition temperature. Water in an epoxy in its rubbery state above the glass transition has a much higher mobility than in a polymer in its glassy state. The mobility of water absorbed by a polymer in its rubbery state is similar to that of pure water. The translational mobility of water within epoxies was studied by measuring the diffusion coefficient of water in epoxies through the water uptake. Higher rotational mobilities of water and polymer chains in the rubbery state lead to a significant increase of the water diffusion coefficient in the rubbery state polymer matrix as compared to a polymer in its glassy state. The higher mobility of absorbed water and the higher mobility of polymer chains in epoxy lead to faster adhesion degradation during aging in a humid environment.
Outcomes for consecutive patients undergoing single-site laparoscopic colorectal surgery.

Background Single-site laparoscopy (SSL) represents an innovation whose wider adoption may be limited by technical challenges and a current dearth of outcomes data.
Effect of Water Vapor Pressure on Fatigue Crack Growth in Al-Zn-Cu-Mg Alloy Over Wide-Range Stress Intensity Factor Loading

Abstract Investigation of the deleterious effect of high purity water vapor on fatigue crack growth rate (da/dN) in 7075-T651 shows that growth rate declines with decreasing water vapor pressure (PH2O) over a wide range of stress intensity range (ΔK). Decreasing ΔK experiments exhibit a novel minimum in da/dN for intermediate PH2O and low ΔK. This minimum and testing protocol dependent environmental-fatigue behavior are explained by crack wake fracture morphology and R-dependent crack opening displacement effects on molecular flow to the crack tip. This environmentally-based mechanism leads to the onset and reversal of a non-conservative and false high threshold stress intensity range.
Stepwise Evolution of Nonliving to Living Chemical Systems

Steps by which a nonliving chemical system could have transformed into a living system are described and discussed, assuming general features of Wachtershauser's chemo-autotrophic surface theory of the origin of life. Environmental species such as CO2 and H2S are proposed to have reacted to form a quasi-steady state metal-bound intermediate (CH3-M) that slowly decayed into waste (CH4). Unpredictable dispersive reactions expanded the system to include surface-bound forms of the citric acid cycle intermediates (oxaloacetate → citrate). Further reaction yielded an autocatalytic system in which raw materials are converted into the system at exponential rates. Combinatorial dispersive reactions that improved the performance of this system were automatically selected and incorporated into it. Systems evolved critical features of living systems (proteins, membranes, proteins, nucleic acids, etc.) using two related mechanisms called grafting and waste-conversion. Such living systems were transformed from less recognizable types (characterized by autocatalytic spreading, decentralization, poorly defined boundaries, etc.) into more recognizable ones (encapsulated by membranes, controlled by single-molecule genomes, etc.) that self-replicated by a cell division cycle and could evolve by the standard gene-based Darwinian mechanism. The resulting systems are viewed as having an autocatalytic network composed of three linked autocatalytic subreactions.
Statistics of the point spread function for imaging through turbulence

We use a rigorous Markov approximation-based propagation model to calculate statistical properties of the instantaneous turbulent Point Spread Function (PSF) for the weak and strong turbulence condition. Long-Term PSF is well known and is currently widely used for the estimates of the optical system performance and simulation of the image distortions caused by turbulence. We discuss some peculiarities of the Long-Term PSF that are related to the specifics of the propagation in turbulence, and are often overlooked in the recent literature. Models for the Short-term PSF have been used since mid-1960's, and were the subject of some recent publications. We review the recently published model and present sample calculations of the Short-term PSF. We calculate the variances of the power in the instantaneous PSF and the Strehl ratio at the average PSF center, and correlation between the total power and the Strehl ratio. This information allows modeling the instantaneous PSF with random width and height. Analysis of the calculation results shows that for the most practical situations random Strehl ratio is a product of two uncorrelated random variables - power and axial directivity.
Phase-contrast MRI and CFD modeling of apparent 3He gas flow in rat pulmonary airways

Abstract Phase-contrast (PC) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with hyperpolarized 3 He is potentially useful for developing and testing patient-specific models of pulmonary airflow. One challenge, however, is that PC-MRI provides apparent values of local 3 He velocity that not only depend on actual airflow but also on gas diffusion. This not only blurs laminar flow patterns in narrow airways but also introduces anomalous airflow structure that reflects gas-wall interactions. Here, both effects are predicted in a live rat using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and for the first time, simulated patterns of apparent 3 He gas velocity are compared with in vivo PC-MRI. Results show (1) that correlations ( R 2 ) between measured and simulated airflow patterns increase from 0.23 to 0.79 simply by accounting for apparent 3 He transport, and (2) that remaining differences are mainly due to uncertain airway segmentation and partial volume effects stemming from relatively coarse MRI resolution. Higher-fidelity testing of pulmonary airflow predictions should therefore be possible with future imaging improvements.
Young infant's perception of object unity in two-dimensional displays

Two-dimensional displays were used to investigate the perception of object unity in 48 2-month-old and 48 4-month-old infants. The infants were habituated to a computer-generated display depicting a rod in motion behind a box. Posthabituation test trials consisted of two rod pieces (broken rod) and a complete rod, presented three times each in alternation. The 4-month-olds looked longer at the broken rod than at the complete rod, suggesting that the hidden unity of the rod behind the box was inferred. This finding replicates results with real-object displays and indicates that computer-generated displays may be successfully employed to study questions of object unity in infants. The 2-month-olds looked equally at both test displays. Two months of age may represent a transitional period, from responding to what is directly visible in a visual display to inferring the existence of the occluded portions of objects. Alternatively, infants at this young age may not be sensitive to the visual information that specifies object unity in the displays.
Abstract C155: Inhibition of TAK1 promotes apoptosis in KRAS and Wnt pathway codependent colon cancers.

Colorectal cancers frequently harbor KRAS mutations but KRAS-mutant cancers are refractory to conventional and targeted therapeutics. The primary aim of this study was to identify novel therapeutic strategies to target KRAS-mutant colon cancers. Firstly, we found that a subset of KRAS-mutant colorectal cancer cell lines are dependent upon KRAS signaling for survival. Secondly, we found that KRAS-dependent colorectal cancer cells require the TAK1 kinase (MAP3K7) for sustained viability. TAK1 depletion or the small molecule TAK1 kinase inhibitor 5Z-7-oxozeaenol results in profound apoptotic cell death in KRAS-dependent cells. Lastly, we noted that sensitivity to TAK1 disruption is associated with enhanced Wnt signaling resulting from APC mutations combined with KRAS hyperactivation. This effect can be attributed in part to a KRAS-mediated activation of BMP signaling, leading to TAK1 activation. TAK1 then directly regulates Wnt signaling specifically in KRAS-dependent cells. In primary human colorectal cancers, expression of a gene signature derived from TAK1-dependent cell lines is correlated with APC and KRAS mutational status. Thus, our studies reveal TAK1 inhibition as a potential therapeutic strategy for the generally treatment-refractory subset of colorectal cancers that are driven by the KRAS and Wnt pathways. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2011 Nov 12-16; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2011;10(11 Suppl):Abstract nr C155.
160,000-Ampere high-speed magnetic-amplifier design

THE PAST 8 years, with the advent of improved semiconductor rectifiers and the availability of high quality magnetic materials have seen greatly renewed interest in the static magnetic amplifier. Current literature offers a number of articles on magnetic-amplifier theory, with a smaller number of reports available on design and application. It is interesting and perhaps a little puzzling to note that in spite of the fact that saturable reactors in the early 1900's were chiefly employed as relatively large power regulating devices, the present-day trend of magnetic-amplifier application has been toward small to moderate signal and power control. The controlled power design tendency has been to use low-level static magnetic amplifiers driving higher power rotating magnetic amplifiers such as rotatrols, amplydynes, and conventional generators or controlling electronic converters such as thyratrons or ignitions. The rationale of this arrangement is sometimes obscure when we consider that the static amplifier has been chosen for the low-level application because of its simplicity, dependability, versatility, etc., while the same characteristics plus high efficiency, low cost, and long life are often overlooked in determining the higher power converting-controlling element.
Synthesis, Structure, and Ligand-Based Reduction Reactivity of Trivalent Organosamarium Benzene Chalcogenolate Complexes (C5Me5)2Sm(EPh)(THF) and [(C5Me5)2Sm(μ-EPh)]2

To compare the ligand-based reduction chemistry of (EPh)- ligands in a metallocene environment to the sterically induced reduction chemistry of the (C5Me5)- ligands in (C5Me5)3Sm, (C5Me5)2Sm(EPh) (E = S, Se, Te) complexes were synthesized and treated with substrates reduced by (C5Me5)3Sm: cyclooctatetraene; azobenzene; phenazine. Reactions of PhEEPh with (C5Me5)2Sm(THF)2 and (C5Me5)2Sm produced THF-solvated monometallic complexes, (C5Me5)2Sm(EPh)(THF), and their unsolvated dimeric analogues, [(C5Me5)2Sm(μ-EPh)]2, respectively. Both sets of the paramagnetic benzene chalcogenolate complexes were definitively identified by X-crystallography and form homologous series. Only the (TePh)- complexes show reduction reactivity and only upon heating to 65 °C.
Executive functioning deficits in preschool children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Executive function (EF) deficit is a hallmark of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), but the vast majority of available evidence comes from school-age children and adolescents. Very little is known about EF during the critical developmental period prior to 6 years of age in FASD. We evaluated EF in 39 children with FASD (3.0–5.5 years) and a comparison group of 50 age-matched, nonexposed controls. Measures included the EF Scale for Early Childhood and a Delay of Gratification task. Compared to age-matched controls, preschool children with FASD had impairments on the EF Scale and showed more impulsivity on the Delay of Gratification task. To confirm the EF Scale finding, FASD group performance was compared to a separate normative dataset (N = 1,400). Those with FASD performed below normal (M = –0.57, SD = 0.92). Within the FASD group, IQ was correlated with the EF Scale (partial r = .60, p = .001) and Delay of Gratification (partial r = .58, p = .005). EF Scale performance did not differ significantly...
Characterizing the effects of the protein environment on the reduction potentials of metalloproteins

The reduction potentials of electron transfer proteins are critically determined by the degree of burial of the redox site within the protein and the degree of permanent polarization of the polypeptide around the redox site. Although continuum electrostatics calculations of protein structures can predict the net effect of these factors, quantifying each individual contribution is a difficult task. Here, the burial of the redox site is characterized by a dielectric radius R p (a Born-type radius for the protein), the polarization of the polypeptide is characterized by an electret potential ϕ p (the average electrostatic potential at the metal atoms), and an electret-dielectric spheres (EDS) model of the entire protein is then defined in terms of R p and ϕ p. The EDS model shows that for a protein with a redox site of charge Q, the dielectric response free energy is a function of Q 2, while the electret energy is a function of Q. In addition, R p and ϕ p are shown to be characteristics of the fold of a protein and are predictive of the most likely redox couple for redox sites that undergo different redox couples.
The effects of ethnicity, age and sex upon processing through an emergency alcohol health care delivery system.

Summary This study provides a basic demographic profile of an emergency room alcohol patient population, and examines the relationships of age, ethnicity and sex to type of complaint at admission, likelihood of referral for further aid, type of psychiatric diagnosis given, and ultimate disposition of the case. One thousand, one hundred and eleven consecutive alcohol related admissions were included from the emergency room of a large, inner-city county hospital of a city in which a substantial proportion of the population is Spanish and Negro. Alcohol admissions were predominantly Caucasian and male, with a modal age of 35 to 49 years. The most common medical diagnoses were, respectively, acute intoxication and chronic alcoholism, followed by organic brain syndromes and psychoses attributed to alcohol use, seizure disorders and alcohol-related somatic complaints, and suicide attempts and bizarre behaviour under the influence of alcohol. 16.8% of these patients received psychiatric evaluation and only 21.8% were referred for further help with their alcohol related problems. Further breakdowns and relationships of these variables are discussed, and possible reasons for the observations are suggested.
Respondent Salivary Conditioning during Operant Lever Pressing in Dogs

The lever-pressing response of four dogs was reinforced with food on a 2-minute fixed-interval schedule, with salivation also being recorded continuously. Respondent salivary conditioning was found to occur during operant leverpressing conditioning, the occurrences of the two conditioned responses being positively correlated.
Minding the Gate Data-Driven Decisions about the Literacy Preparation of Elementary Teachers

This article examines data from nine statewide administrations of the Idaho Comprehensive Literacy Assessment (ICLA) over three-years. The ICLA measures pre-service teachers' knowledge of research-based content and pedagogy related to reading instruction and assessment. The purpose of this article was first to examine pre-service candidates' performance on areas of literacy knowledge. Candidates scored highest when matching literacy terms to definitions; they were mildly less successful matching terms to descriptions of research-based instructional activities; moderately less successful when asked for words containing specified phonic patterns from a passage; and least successful when addressing essay-formatted scenario questions. Idaho literacy instructors have used this information to inform them of their teaching effectiveness. A second purpose of this article was to highlight the challenges and benefits for faculty and programs interested in adopting a similar testing model. The article also points ou...
New high precision approach for measuring 15N-N2 gas fluxes from terrestrial ecosystems

Abstract Dinitrogen (N 2 ) production from denitrification and anaerobic ammonium oxidation represents a loss of reactive nitrogen (N) from terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems to the atmosphere. The large 15 N additions required to detect 15 N 2 production against the high atmospheric background precludes the use of the 15 N tracer technique in natural terrestrial ecosystems. We present an isotope ratio mass spectrometry technique that dramatically improves the precision of 15 N 2 measurements. The approach uses gas chromatography to remove oxygen and gas purification techniques to remove water vapor and trace gases that can interfere with 15 N 2 analysis. The analytical precision for manual gas sample injection was 0.018‰ δ 15 N; this translates to a minimum detectable N 2 flux of 0.12 ng-N g −1 h −1 over a 24 h incubation using our experimental parameters. We measured denitrification-derived N 2 production rates of 0.67 ± 0.04 ng N g −1 dry soil h −1 following the addition of 0.1 μg 98 atom % 15 N–NO 3 − g −1 dry soil to anaerobically-incubated soils; rates were significantly higher with the addition of 1.0 μg 98 atom % 15 N–NO 3 − g −1 dry soil ( p n = 5), averaging 1.3 ± 0.03 ng N g −1 dry soil h −1 . The N 2 :N 2 O ratio at 24 h after 15 N addition was 48 ± 12 and 5.4 ± 1.9 for the 0.1 μg 15 N g −1 and 1.0 μg 15 N g −1 treatments, respectively. The decrease in the N 2 :N 2 O with the addition of only 1 μg 15 N g −1 underscores the need to use very low rates of 15 N addition to accurately characterize denitrification dynamics. This analytical advance will allow us to better estimate the N 2 :N 2 O ratio of denitrification, constrain ecosystem N budgets, and explore the mechanisms of and controls on N 2 production.
Cilostazol, clopidogrel or ticlopidine to prevent sub-acute stent thrombosis: A meta-analysis of randomized trials☆

Abstract Background Sub-acute thrombosis is a serious complication of coronary artery stenting. Clopidogrel plus aspirin is the accepted prophylactic regimen, but has yet to be proven superior to ticlopidine plus aspirin, and a new regimen combining cilostazol and aspirin has been introduced. Methods We conducted a meta-analysis of all trials that compared ≥2 oral anti-thrombotic strategies in patients undergoing coronary stent placement to determine which treatment optimally prevents adverse cardiac events in the 30 days following stent insertion. We used meta-regression to compare all strategies to a shared control strategy: ticlopidine plus aspirin. We also compared randomized trials to historically controlled and other non-randomized trials. We conducted sensitivity analysis and subgroup analysis to assess for possible heterogeneity. Results In comparison to ticlopidine plus aspirin the odds-ratios for cardiac events, with 95% confidence intervals were: aspirin alone, 4.29 (3.09–5.97), coumadin plus aspirin, 2.65 (2.18–3.21), clopidogrel plus aspirin, 1.06 (0.86–1.31), cilostazol plus aspirin, 0.73 (0.47–1.14). Among trials that compared clopidogrel plus aspirin to ticlopidine plus aspirin, historically controlled trials were statistically distinct from randomized trials. The analysis of cilostazol was sensitive to the small size of the included studies. Conclusions Neither clopidogrel plus aspirin nor cilostazol plus aspirin can be statistically distinguished from ticlopidine plus aspirin for the prevention of adverse cardiac events in the 30 days after stenting. A randomized trial including cilostazol is warranted.
QUANTUM NOISE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL SOLITON

We investigate the noise in a fundamental soliton state constructed from the exact energy eigenstates of the quantized nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation. It is shown that such a state has statistical properties that are substantially different from those of a coherent state with the same mean field. We can construct, for example, a fundamental soliton state that has initially minimum fluctuations for the four linearized soliton operators (particle number, phase, momentum, and position). We also show that the linearized noise analysis is not valid for nonlinear phase shifts larger than ${\mathit{n}}_{0}^{1/4}$, where ${\mathit{n}}_{0}$ is the average number of particles in the fundamental soliton. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Adult rat myocardial slices: A tool for studies of comparative cardiotoxicity.

Abstract The applicability of myocardial slices in comparative cardiotoxicity studies was investigated using the known cardiotoxicants allylamine (AAM) and doxorubicin (DOX). Precision-cut adult rat myocardial slices are a recently developed in vitro system. Previously, it has been demonstrated that myocardial slices are viable for up to 24 hr in organ culture. Myocardial slices exhibited a concentration- and time-dependent loss of viability in response to exposure to AAM or DOX (10 −7 , 10 −6 or 10 −5 m ) during 24 hr in culture, as assessed by biochemical parameters including protein synthesis, ATP content, lipid peroxidation and the loss of the cytosolic enzyme creatine kinase. Protein synthesis and ATP content were sensitive indicators of slice viability, while lipid peroxidation was affected only by 10 −5 m DOX. Myocardial slices appear to be a useful in vitro system for the study of the cardiotoxic potential of chemicals. The maintenance of normal cellular architecture makes myocardial slices uniquely attractive for these studies.
Numerical study on heat transfer in laminar flow through co-rotating parallel disks

Abstract A theoretical model is developed to determine heat transfer performance in laminar flow through a pair of co-rotating parallel circular disks. the dual-stream flow influx enters the flow field from both sides, proceeding radially outward. A finite-difference scheme is employed to obtain numerical results by means of the SIMPLER algorithm. the effects of governing dimensionless parameters such as the rotational number through-flow Reynolds number, Prandtl number and system geometry on the heat transfer performance are determined.