cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Implementation of remote laboratory for engineering education in the field of Power electronics and Telecommunications

This study focuses on the implementation of web based low cost yet effective remote laboratory system for engineering education to utilize limited resources for improving engineering student's practical knowledge as well as self learning ability. The proposed system provides practical experience to the students in the field of power electronics and telecommunications. This lab allows the students to perform experiment by controlling various experimental apparatus on real time from their home or any preferred location using the internet connection. Several experiments related to Power electronics and Telecommunications have been designed for this remote lab. The system is flexible and the range of laboratory experiments can be expanded as required without any complexity. This initializes an openly integrated environment which facilitates the sharing of not only hardware resources, but also educational material for enhancing engineering education in developing countries like Bangladesh.
Subclavian/Brachial Artery Thrombolysis

This section provides a comprehensive procedural report for subclavian/brachial artery thrombolysis procedure with up-to-date explanatory notes, synopsis of the indications, and contraindications and potential complications in an organized and practical format.
Investigating somatic aneuploidy in the brain: why we need a new model.

The steady occurrence of DNA mutations is a key source for evolution, generating the genomic variation in the population upon which natural selection acts. Mutations driving evolution have to occur in the oocytes and sperm in order to be transmitted to the next generation. Through similar mechanisms, mutations also accumulate in somatic cells (e.g., skin cells, neurons, lymphocytes) during development and adult life. The concept that somatic cells can collect new mutations with time suggests that we are a mosaic of cells with different genomic compositions. Particular attention has been recently paid to somatic mutations in the brain, with a focus on the relationship between this phenomenon and the origin of human diseases. Given this progressive accumulation of mutations, it is likely that an increased load of somatic mutations is present later in life and that this could be associated with late-life diseases and aging. In this review, we focus on a particular type of mutation: the loss and/or gain of whole chromosomes (i.e., aneuploidy) caused by errors in chromosomes segregation in neurons and glia. Currently, it is hard to grasp the functional impact of somatic mutation in the brain because we lack reliable estimates of the proportion of aneuploid cells in the normal brain across different ages. Here, we revisit the key studies that attempted to quantify the proportion of aneuploid cells in both normal and diseased brains and highlight the deep inconsistencies among the different studies done in the last 15 years. Finally, our review highlights several limitations of studies performed in human and rodent models and explores a possible translational role for non-human primates.
An In Vitro and In Vivo Evidence That Interleukin-8 Is a Pivotal Hypoxia-Regulated Pro-Angiopoietic Factor Secreted by Human Rhabdomyosarcomas (RMS) - Therapeutic Implications.

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common soft-tissue sarcoma of adolescence and childhood that frequently infiltrates bone marrow (BM). We have demonstrated that the stromal-derived factor (SDF)-1 (Blood 2002;100:2597), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) (Cancer Res. 2003;63:7926) and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) (Cancer Res. 2007;67:2131) play an important role in RMS metastasis. Since RMS tumors are very well vascularized we asked if these factors are secreted by RMS cells and if they stimulate angiogenesis. To address this issue, first we evaluated expression of SDF-1, HGF and LIF as well as several other proangiopoietic factors (IL-8, VEGF, FGF-2) in 9 human RMS cell lines. Expression of these factors was evaluated in both normal steady state conditions and in conditions that lead to overexpression of hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1a) due to hypoxia or exposure to CoCl 2 . We found by RQ-PCR and confirmed by ELISA assays that from all the factors evaluated, IL-8, which expression was very low in steady state conditions was very highly upregulated in all RMS cells lines during hypoxic conditions (∼30–135 times). This selective upregulation of IL-8 was somehow unique for RMS cells, and we did not observe similar phenomenon in several other solid tumor cell lines, where IL-8 was usually already very highly expressed in steady state conditions. To evaluate a biological significance of IL-8 in RMS angiogenesis, we collected conditioned media (CM) from RMS cells and found that they stimulate in IL-8 dependent manner in HUVEC i) phosphorylation of MAPKp42/44 and AKT, and ii) chemotactic responses. Pre-clearing of RMS-derived CM with antibodies against IL-8 significantly inhibited chemotaxis of HUVEC. Finally, by employing shRNA we inhibited expression of IL-8 in human RH-30 cells and noticed that such cells in vivo, if injected into skeletal muscles of immunodeficient mice, have the reduced ability to grow tumors and chemoattract co-transplanted human endothelial cells. We conclude that IL-8 is a pivotal pro-angiopoietic factor that is released by human RMS cells in hypoxic conditions, and that the targeting of IL-8 may prove to become a novel efficient strategy to inhibit RMS growth.
Lawsuits and Leverage

I examine how firms alter their capital structures in response to exogenous increases in liability-driven firm risk. I find that increased lawsuit exposure leads firms to reduce market and book leverage ratios by 9.3\% and 6.4\%, relative to their respective sample means. As expected, these changes are concentrated in industries most susceptible to liability lawsuits. I also find that firms increase capital expenditures and experience significant increases in selling, general, and administrative expenses. In sum, these findings are consistent with trade-off theory predictions that increased bankruptcy risk leads firms to decrease their leverage ratios.
Hippocampal α-Synuclein in Dementia with Lewy Bodies Contributes to Memory Impairment and Is Consistent with Spread of Pathology.

Despite considerable research to uncover them, the anatomic and neuropathologic correlates of memory impairment in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) remain unclear. While some studies have implicated Lewy bodies in the neocortex, others have pointed to α-synuclein pathology in the hippocampus. We systematically examined hippocampal Lewy pathology and its distribution in hippocampal subfields in 95 clinically and neuropathologically characterized human cases of DLB, finding that α-synuclein pathology was highest in two hippocampal-related subregions: the CA2 subfield and the entorhinal cortex (EC). While the EC had numerous classic somatic Lewy bodies, CA2 contained mainly Lewy neurites in presumed axon terminals, suggesting the involvement of the EC → CA2 circuitry in the pathogenesis of DLB symptoms. Clinicopathological correlations with measures of verbal and visual memory supported a role for EC Lewy pathology, but not CA2, in causing these memory deficits. Lewy pathology in CA1—the main output region for CA2—correlated best with results from memory testing despite a milder pathology. This result indicates that CA1 may be more functionally relevant than CA2 in the context of memory impairment in DLB. These correlations remained significant after controlling for several factors, including concurrent Alzheimer's pathology (neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles) and the interval between time of testing and time of death. Our data suggest that although hippocampal Lewy pathology in DLB is predominant in CA2 and EC, memory performance correlates most strongly with CA1 burden. Significance Statement This study provides a detailed neuropathologic analysis of hippocampal Lewy pathology in human patients with autopsy-confirmed dementia with Lewy bodies. The approach—informed by regional molecular markers, concurrent Alzheimer's pathology analysis, and relevant clinical data—helps tease out the relative contribution of Lewy pathology to memory dysfunction in the disease. Levels of Lewy pathology were found to be highest in the hippocampal CA2 subregion and entorhinal cortex, implicating a potentially overlooked circuit in disease pathogenesis. However, correlation with memory performance was strongest with CA1. This unexpected finding suggests that Lewy pathology must reach a critical burden across hippocampal circuitry to contribute to memory dysfunction beyond that related to other factors, notably coexisting Alzheimer's disease tau pathology.
Thyroid Disorders at Midlife: An Evolutionary Perspective

This chapter examines thyroid disease from an evolutionary perspective to better understand how adaptive physiological changes can sometimes be associated with deleterious consequences. Thyroid diseases are more common in women than in men, in part because of the hormonal and immunological changes associated with pregnancy. Pregnancy is a critical time for thyroid function because thyroid hormones are essential for fetal growth and development. Maternal hormonal changes and changes in maternal immune function during pregnancy may contribute to thyroid dysfunction during the postpartum period and later life. The connection between estrogen and thyroid function is adaptive when estrogen levels rise with pregnancy; however, the same estrogen–thyroid connection may be deleterious during menopause when estrogen levels fall. This chapter also considers health consequences related to the mismatch between the environment in which thyroid biology evolved and the current, iodine-supplemented diet. When the body is stressed by low environmental iodine or by increased iodine needs associated with pregnancy, the hypothalamic–pituitary–thyroid axis demonstrates a number of effective adaptations to maintain adequate thyroid hormone levels. The many ways in which the human body can adapt suggest that low levels of iodine were characteristic of the environment through much of human evolution.
Patients diagnosed with Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome also fit systemic exertion intolerance disease criteria

ABSTRACTBackground: Myalgic encephalomyelitis/ chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) remains undiagnosed in up to 91% of patients. Recently, the United States-based Institute of Medicine (IOM) developed new diagnostic criteria, naming it systemic exertion intolerance disease (SEID).Purpose: We examined how subjects fit SEID criteria and existing ME/CFS case definitions early in their illness.Methods: A total of 131 subjects fitting 1994 Fukuda CFS criteria at the time of study recruitment completed a survey of symptoms they experienced during their first 6 months of illness. Symptoms were drawn from SEID and existing criteria (1994 Fukuda, 2003 Canadian Consensus Criteria (CCC), and 2011 Myalgic Encephalomyelitis-International Consensus Criteria (ME-ICC)). We calculated and compared the number/percentage of subjects fitting single or combinations of case definitions and the number/percentage of subjects with SEID experiencing orthostatic intolerance (OI) and/or cognitive impairment.Results: At 6 months of ill...
A Landscape Approach to Reconstructing Territorial Mobility during the Parkhill Phase in Southern Michigan and Ontario

ABSTRACTTerritorial mobility during the Middle Paleoindian period is estimated by calculating distance to source for the primary toolstone on Parkhill phase sites in the lower Great Lakes region. E...
Differentially Private Distributed Principal Component Analysis

Differential privacy is a cryptographically-motivated formal privacy definition that is robust against strong adversaries. The principal component analysis (PCA) algorithm is frequently used in signal processing, machine learning, and statistics pipelines. In many scenarios, private or sensitive data is distributed across different sites: in this paper we propose a differentially private distributed PCA scheme to enable collaborative dimensionality reduction. We investigate the performance of the proposed algorithm on synthetic and real datasets and show empirically that our algorithm can reach the same level of utility as the non-private PCA for some parameter choices, which indicates that it is possible to have meaningful utility while preserving privacy.
Mechanisms of Formation of Oxysterols: A General Survey

Oxysterols, the simple oxidation products of the common sterols of biological membranes and tissues, are of current interest for their crucial role in the biosynthesis of other steroids and for their divers biological activities with implications of relevance to human health.l-4 On the one hand oxysterols include derivatives of cholesterol (cholest-5-en-3B-ol, 1) Open image in new window formed in the initial regulated enzymic steps directed to biosyntheses of bile acids and steroid hormones required for metabolism in mammals and are thus necessarily present in mammalian tissues. By contrast, oxysterols exhibit toxic manifestations in intact animals and in tissue and cultured cell bioassay systems and have been suggested as being agents that cause or exacerbate human chronic health disorders such as atherosclerosis and cancer. Also, oxysterols have been spectulatively implicated in the regulation of de novo sterol biosynthesis and metabolism. Each of these topics is of great interest, and there is a regular increase in efforts to examine these matters in depth. Together these points make a strong case for thorough understanding of what oxysterols are and how they are derived.
Detection of MicroRNAs in Cultured Cells and Paraffin-Embedded Tissue Specimens by In Situ Hybridization

Determination of gene expression is essential for understanding the role of a given gene in normal cell growth or disease processes. Recently, newly described microRNAs have been shown to play a key role in the regulation of gene expression; in particular, deregulation of microRNAs is often associated with a variety of human disorders including cancer. Although microRNAs are small RNA molecules with about 20-23 nucleotides in length and detection of their expression is believed to be challenging, with the introduction of modified nucleotides such as locked nucleic acid, the specificity and sensitivity of detection have been greatly improved. There are many methods developed for microRNA detection, but our focus in this chapter is on in situ hybridization (ISH) detection of microRNAs. We have successfully used ISH to detect several microRNAs in paraffin-embedded tumor specimens or cells-cultured in vitro.
Percutaneous Access to the Urinary Tract

Percutaneous access to the kidney is the most important step in percutaneous nephrolithotomy because the site of puncture determines how easily the targeted stone can be treated. Strategies to maximize the use of rigid instruments and allow for the performance of concurrent procedures, such as endopyelotomy, while minimizing patient discomfort and pleural morbidity should be considered when planning the site of access. The ability of the urologist to perform percutaneous access allows for flexibility in the procedure, particularly if multiple accesses are necessary and obviates the need for dependence on a radiologist’s schedule. This chapter reviews the indications for percutaneous nephrolithotomy and the technique of percutaneous access.
Dietary behaviors throughout childhood are associated with adiposity and estimated insulin resistance in early adolescence: a longitudinal study

Despite the growing prevalence of excess weight and prediabetes in children, the contributing role of dietary behaviors throughout childhood remains poorly understood. We examined longitudinal associations of dietary behaviors throughout childhood with adiposity and estimated insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in adolescence. Among 995 children from Project Viva, a pre-birth cohort, we examined associations of child dietary behaviors (frequency of eating breakfast, fast food, family dinner, and eating meals while watching television) reported annually throughout childhood (from ages 4 to 11 years) with body mass index z-score (BMI-z; n = 991), waist circumference (WC; n = 995), DXA overall and central adiposity measurements (n = 721), and HOMA-IR (n = 579) in early adolescence (13.2 ± 0.9 years old). We used mixed effects models adjusted for potential confounders. Eating breakfast daily throughout childhood was associated with lower BMI-z and DXA-measured overall and central adiposity in boys and girls (e.g. for whole-body fat %: β − 1.43% [95% CI: -2.42, − 0.45] and − 1.47% [− 2.25, − 0.68]), and with lower HOMA-IR in boys (% difference − 15.6% [− 22.7, − 7.9]). Daily family dinner and eating fast food less than once per week throughout childhood were both associated with lower BMI-z and adiposity in girls (for BMI-z: β − 0.17 units [− 0.24, − 0.11] and β − 0.09 units [− 0.17, − 0.02]) and lower insulin resistance in boys (% difference − 7.3% [− 12.4,− 1.8] and − 7.6% [− 13.2, − 1.7]). Finally, eating meals while watching television < 1/week throughout childhood was associated with lower adolescent adiposity (e.g. WC: − 1.55 cm [− 2.39, − 0.71]) and HOMA-IR (% difference: − 10.7% [− 15.8, − 5.2]) in boys. Healthful dietary behaviors throughout childhood are associated with less adiposity and lower estimated insulin resistance in early adolescence. NCT02820402
Active Learning in Accounting Classes with Technology and Communication Skills: A Two-Semester Study of Student Perceptions.

AbstractStudents’ perceptions of the learning process are important because they are stakeholders in their education. The authors measured student perceptions on active learning exercises that prom...
The Limits of Liberal Democratic Peacebuilding(s) and the Peacebuilding Architecture

This chapter continues the analysis of the trajectory of the concept of UN ‘peacebuilding’ focusing particularly on a key development at UN headquarters: the establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO) and Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) in 2005–2006. It contends that the three entities were designed and created in response to some of the problems related to the UN practice in peacebuilding as informed by the liberal democratic peace framework. The chapter revises the limits and shortcomings of liberal democratic peacebuilding(s) as implemented by the UN between the early 1990s and the mid-2000s, delves into the political and bureaucratic processes leading to the establishment of those three entities, and describes their mandates, structures and functions.
Effects of Multi-Axial versus Single-Axial Excitation of Jointed Systems

In many structural assembly, the main cause of nonlinearities are jointed interfaces. The nonlinearity manifests as a softening response, which is caused by the joint slipping when stick caused by friction forces is overcome. To quantify the friction nonlinearity, the system is typically experimentally tested in each axis independently. This practice assumes that the nonlinearity is directionally uncoupled and can be modeled using the superposition principle. Previous works have shown this is an incorrect assumption. Joints in structural assemblies may not experience excitation from only one direction at a time. This paper experimentally assesses the slip condition of the removable component of the Box Assembly with Removable Component benchmark structure. The slip condition is first studied using single-axis excitation and superposition assumption, and then studies the slip condition under multi-axis excitation. The results show that the slip condition changes when the structure is excited using multi-directional excitation.
Productive Tensions in Assessment: Troubling Sociocritical Theories Toward an Advancement of Queer Pedagogy

One way of queering teaching, and assessment as a part of teaching, is to draw on various theories that simultaneously make sense with and make trouble for one’s teaching. Queer theory can provoke the queering, challenging how a teacher approaches seemingly axiomatic assumptions about social identities and the expected behaviors of those exhibiting those identities. In this chapter, we focus on queering assessment, and the assessment of student writing through turning to a piece of student writing authored by Justine, an African American lesbian, during her junior year in an urban, arts-based magnet high school. We draw on New Literacy Studies in troubling the approaches we take toward defining “good” writing. Because of the gendered and racial identities Justine claimed, we also turned to feminism and Critical Race Theory (CRT) to make sense of and complicate our understanding of her writing, in terms of both content and form.
Dissolution behavior of TiN in liquid cobalt

Abstract A confocal scanning laser microscope (CSLM) with a hot stage was used to study the dissolution of TiN in liquid cobalt under different gas atmospheres. The dissolution of cubic carbonitrides in cobalt is a key step in the formation of the cobalt enriched zone (CEZ) during cemented carbide production. A model system of cobalt + TiN was used in this work and in-situ observations were made at 1500 °C and 1550 °C in 5%H2-Ar and 5%H2-N2. Dissolution was observed in 5%H2-Ar but not 5%H2-N2. At 1550 °C in 5%H2-Ar, gas bubbles were observed in the liquid cobalt and rapid dissolution was observed. The dissolution rate of TiN was quantified at 1500 °C in 5%H2-Ar. The rate-controlling step of TiN dissolution was hypothesized to be mass transfer of nitrogen in the liquid cobalt to the liquid/gas interface. This was tested by using the shrinking core model to calculate the diffusivity of nitrogen based on the measured dissolution rates. The diffusivity was between 6.4 × 10−5 cm2/s and 5.3 × 10−4 cm2/s, which was consistent with a previous study (approximately 1 × 10−4 cm2/s). The findings of this work can be utilized in detailed models of CEZ formation during cemented carbide production.
Feline-Human Zoonosis Transmission in North Africa: A Systematic Review.

Throughout human history, domestic animal species have represented a unique zoonotic disease risk for the transmission of pathogens ranging from viral, bacterial, parasitic, and fungal. In North Africa, cats have a particularly long record and occupy a specialized niche within many communities. This systematic review was conducted to analyze the current and historical literature documenting the breadth and variety of zoonoses in North Africa, specifically relating to the domesticated feline. Multiple electronic databases were searched on January 16, 2019, for published reports on feline zoonoses in North Africa. A total of 76 studies met the inclusion criteria for a full assessment. Articles selected for the review ranged in publication dates from 1939 to 2019 and included a case study, cross-sectional surveys, genomic analyses, and a book chapter. The most commonly studied pathogen was Toxoplasma gondii (n = 17) followed by a variety of helminths (n = 10). Of the countries in the target region, most publications were of studies conducted in Egypt (n = 53) followed by Tunisia (n = 12), Algeria (n = 11), Morocco (n = 5), and Libya (n = 3). The results of this review identify a variety of viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasitic zoonotic diseases associated with cats in North Africa, ranging from historically endemic diseases in both human and animal populations in the region, to emerging infections with recent confirmatory diagnoses. This review describes reported feline zoonoses in North Africa and provides recommendations for their prevention and control. In addition to vaccination campaigns for domesticated felines and postexposure prophylaxis for humans, prompt veterinary and medical care of exposure risks and subsequent infections are essential in limiting the zoonotic disease burden in North African communities of humans and cats.
Visualization Techniques for Data on 3D Grids: Raleigh-Taylor Simulation Example

Simulations of physical processes are frequently used to study a continuous three-dimensional volume. In order to apply computational methods, the continuous volume is approximated by a discrete grid. Simulations are typically organized to compute variables at each location on the three-dimensional grid. Visualizing the results requires exploring the data with a variety of presentation techniques. Our movie illustrates applying these techniques to a dataset generated by a Raleigh-Taylor astrophysics simulation. However, these general-purpose approaches can be applied to a 3D compute grid produced by other applications. We have implemented the visualization using the VisIt software, based on the Visualization Toolkit (VTK), with Python scripting.
“If I Was a Good Enough Man, She’d Be Jumping on Top of Me, Right?”: Marital Beds Breed Self-Doubt

Men reported lengthy past hurts and resentments within their primary partnerships. Specifically, they believed their primary partners lacked interest in them both as a sexual partner and as an individual. For these men, the dynamics of the marital bed served to sow self-doubt. Men internalized this rejection as proof of their own lacking. Taking on an outside partner helped the men reframe the dynamics of their primary partnerships. In other words, outside partners functioned as evidence that the problem must not be with them. The men believed that their participation in outside partnerships made them better able to act in healthy ways within their primary partnerships.
Vision-based hand signal recognition in construction: A feasibility study

Abstract In construction fields, it is common for workers to rely on hand signals to communicate and express thoughts due to their simple but effective nature. However, the meaning of these hand signals was not always captured precisely. As a result, construction errors and even accidents were produced. This paper presented a feasibility study on investigating whether the hand signals could be captured and interpreted automatically with computer vision technologies. It starts with the literature review of existing hand gesture recognition methods for sign language understanding, human-computer interaction, etc. It is then followed by creating a dataset containing 11 classes of hand signals in construction. The performance of two state-of-the-art 3D convolutional neural networks is measured and compared. The results indicated that a high classification accuracy (93.3%) and a short inference time (0.17 s/gesture) could be achieved, illustrating the feasibility of using computer vision to automate hand signal recognition in construction.
A Neurodegenerative Phenotype Associated With Sjögren-Larsson Syndrome.

Sjogren-Larsson syndrome (SLS) is a rare neurologic disorder caused by pathogenic sequence variants in ALDH3A2 and characterized by ichthyosis, spasticity, intellectual disability, and a crystalline retinopathy. Neurologic symptoms develop in the first 2 years of life. Except for worsening ambulation due to spastic diplegia and contractures, the neurologic disease has been considered static and a neurodegenerative course is distinctly unusual. We describe a young child with Sjogren-Larsson syndrome who exhibited an early and severely progressive neurologic phenotype that may have been triggered by a febrile rotavirus infection. Together with 7 additional published cases of these atypical patients, we emphasize that a neurodegenerative course can be an extreme outcome for a minority of patients with Sjogren-Larsson syndrome.
Influence of salinity on hydrogen isotope fractionation in Rhizophora mangroves from Micronesia

Abstract Hydrogen isotope ratios (2H/1H or δ2H) of plant leaf waxes typically covary with those of precipitation, and are therefore used as a proxy for past hydrologic variability. Mangroves present an important exception to this relationship, as salinity can strongly influence 2H fractionation in leaf lipids. To better understand and calibrate this effect, δ2H values of taraxerol and n-alkanes were measured in the leaves of Rhizophora spp. (red mangroves) from three estuaries and four brackish lakes on the Micronesian islands of Pohnpei and Palau, and compared to the δ2H and δ18O values of leaf water, xylem water and surface water. Net 2H discrimination between surface water and taraxerol increased by 0.9 ± 0.2‰ per part per thousand (ppt−1) over a salinity range of 1–34 ppt. Xylem water was always depleted in 2H relative to surface water, and the magnitude of this depletion increased with salinity, which is most likely due to a combination of greater 2H discrimination by roots during water uptake and opportunistic use of freshwater. Changes in the 2H content of xylem water can account for up to 43% of the change in net taraxerol fractionation with salinity. Leaf water isotopes were minimally enriched relative to xylem water and there was not significant variability in leaf water enrichment with salinity, which is consistent with a Peclet-modified Craig–Gordon model of leaf water enrichment. As leaf water enrichment is therefore unlikely to be responsible for increased 2H/1H fractionation in mangrove leaf lipids at elevated salinities, the majority of this signal is most likely explained either by changes in biosynthetic fractionation in response to salt stress or by salinity influenced changes in the timing of water uptake and lipid synthesis.
Power loss analysis with high primary current in magnetic energy harvesters

This paper presents an analysis of a magnetic energy harvester operating from a high power primary device with substantial current consumption. The existing ‘transfer window alignment (TWA)’ technique that can significantly boost the amount of harvested power from magnetic fields is revisited with a high primary current scenario, revealing that any shifting of the transfer window from passive rectification can be suboptimal once the primary side current goes beyond a certain level. This is caused by undesirable development of flux due to parasitic elements in the circuits. A new model to predict such an issue is first derived, and its simulation results are provided. The estimation of the critical level in the primary side current is explored, and the optimal strategy of a magnetic energy harvester that operates with a wide range of primary current is discussed.
Are MDCK cells transfected with the human MRP2 gene a good model of the human intestinal mucosa

Purpose. To investigate whether Madin-Darby canine kidney cells transfected with the human MRP2 gene (MDCK-MRP2) are a good model of the human intestinal mucosa.
The clinical evaluation of 2-acetylamino-5-nitro-thiazole, an orally effective trichomonacide.

Abstract Routine examination of vaginal smears by the culture method of Kupferberg, Johnson, and Sprince showed that 31.6 per cent of gynecologic clinic patients harbored Trichomonas vaginalis . Twenty per cent of pregnant patients were found to be infected when the same diagnostic technique was used. About 60 per cent of these patients had symptoms attributable to the disease. A potent trichomonacidal agent, 2-acetylamino-5-nitrothiazole, was shown to be effective when administered orally. The parasites were eradicated in 35 per cent of infected patients regardless of the presence or absence of symptoms when the drug was administered in a daily dose of 300 mg. as enteric-coated tablets for a period of seven to ten days. With dosages exceeding 450 mg. per day, side reactions such as anorexia, abdominal cramps, nausea, and dark discoloration of the urine became pronounced without a corresponding rise in the parasitologic cure rate. There was no demonstrable change in the hemograms of these patients during and after therapy. Evidence has been presented that T. vaginalis can be cradicated by the systemic action of a new trichomonacidal agent.
A simulation study of file transfers in token ring local area networks

The authors present a simulation study of file transfers in a token-ring local area network. Three service disciplines have been simulated, i.e. exhaustive, gated, and limited. Simulation results are presented in terms of average message (file) delay and power. The message lengths have been assumed to follow a normal distribution. The results show that as the traffic load increases the average delay increases. However, the delay is the lowest with exhaustive service discipline. The effects of standard deviation of message length on the average message delay and power are also considered. >
Climate response to large, high‐latitude and low‐latitude volcanic eruptions in the Community Climate System Model

[1] Explosive volcanism is known to be a leading natural cause of climate change. The second half of the 13th century was likely the most volcanically perturbed half-century of the last 2000 years, although none of the major 13th century eruptions have been clearly attributed to specific volcanoes. This period was in general a time of transition from the relatively warm Medieval period to the colder Little Ice Age, but available proxy records are insufficient on their own to clearly assess whether this transition is associated with volcanism. This context motivates our investigation of the climate system sensitivity to high- and low-latitude volcanism using the fully coupled NCAR Community Climate System Model (CCSM3). We evaluate two sets of ensemble simulations, each containing four volcanic pulses, with the first set representing them as a sequence of tropical eruptions and the second representing eruptions occurring in the mid-high latitudes of both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. The short-term, direct radiative impacts of tropical and high-latitude eruptions include significant cooling over the continents in summer and cooling over regions of increased sea-ice concentration in Northern Hemisphere (NH) winter. A main dynamical impact of moderate tropical eruptions is a winter warming pattern across northern Eurasia. Furthermore, both ensembles show significant reductions in global precipitation, especially in the summer monsoon regions. The most important long-term impact is the cooling of the high-latitude NH produced by multiple tropical eruptions, suggesting that positive feedbacks associated with ice and snow cover could lead to long-term climate cooling in the Arctic.
Urbanization and de-urbanization of the black population before the Civil War.

Pre-Civil War black urbanization is examined using data from federal census records, 1790 to 1860. The black population is found to be as urban as the white population initially, but its urbanization underwent relative decline in the last two decades before the Civil War. Foreshadowing current patterns, the northern black population was heavily concentrated in the largest cities, and the free black population was the most urban of all groups. The timing of black urban decline in the North, as well as regional and size of place differences in that decline, suggest that both competition with immigrants in major eastern seaboard cities and the passage of the Fugitive Slave Law in 1850 contributed to black de-urbanization. For the South, the explanations of black urban decline proposed by Wade, Conrad and Meyer, Goldin, and Bonacich are evaluated, and Bonacich’s split labor market theory is judged to be most consistent with the demographic trends.
Geochemistry of Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks: Evolutionary Considerations to Mineral Deposit- Forming Environmentsby David Lentz (ed.), Geological Association of Canada, GeoText 4, 2004, 184 pp. US$80. ISBN 0-919216-76-5

How can geochemistry be applied to our understanding of the formation and evolution of sedimentary rocks and sedimentary basins? Collectively, the ten papers included in this book address this question and suggest that geochemistry is important for (a) understanding changes that take place in the diagenetic environment, (b) interpreting provenance and developing crustal evolutionary models, (c) dating sedimentary rocks, and (d) understanding the genetic relationships between sedimentary ore deposits and their associated sedimentary sequences. The introduction by David Lentz is a good historical perspective and review of the use of geochemistry in sedimentary rock research that provides perspective for the more data-specific papers that follow. However, a clearer picture of the primary goals of the book and how the papers were chosen would have been useful to help a reader understand the common theme that threads the papers together. The paper by S. McLennan et al. shows the significance that geochemistry can …
Formulation of Binucleate Rhizoctonia spp. and Biocontrol of Rhizoctonia solani on Impatiens.

ABSTRACT Isolates BNR621 and P9023 of binucleate Rhizoctonia spp. (BNR) in Pesta and rice flour formulations were evaluated for control of preemergence damping-off of impatiens caused by R. solani. Amendment of a soilless potting mix with the formulations at 0.47% (vol:vol) 3 days prior to seeding and infesting did not improve control compared to amendment 1 day prior to seeding and infesting regardless of whether the moistened amended potting mix was stored in closed plastic bags or in plug trays under a mist system. BNR fungi were no more effective in biocontrol of R. solani in formulations amended at 0.9%. Control of damping-off was comparable but not consistent between formulations of BNR fungi and the fungicide thiophanatemethyl. Damping-off was controlled better with formulations of BNR fungi than with SoilGard based on Trichoderma virens. Shelf life of Pesta and rice flour formulations at 4°C was determined by assessing viability of BNR isolates over time. Viability of the BNR isolates, measured as...
Differential scanning calorimetric survey of brominated PAN, pitch-based and vapor-grown fibers

A differential scanning calorimetric survey of brominated PAN, pitch-based and vapor-grown fibers revealed that only vapor-grown fibers heat-treated to temperatures of 2250 C or above exhibited the phase change at 100 C associated with the two-dimensional melting of bromine, similar to that observed in HOPG. All the pitch-based fibers tested, as well as vapor-grown fibers annealed to 2250 C, showed a substantial decrease in resistivity upon bromination but gave no indication of a phase change, suggesting that the bromine in these fibers does not have the long-range order needed to undergo two-dimensional melting. The brominated PAN fibers and unannealed vapor-grown fibers showed no phase change and no change in resistivity, indicating that these fibers do not intercalate bromine.
ABNORMAL N-GLYCOSYLATION OF PROTEINS OF THE GLUTAMATE SYNAPSE IN SCHIZOPHRENIA

Recent data suggest abnormalities of glutamate transmission in schizophrenia. While many findings of abnormal glutamate receptor expression in schizophrenia have been published, findings are subtle or even contradictory. These conflicting studies on the expression of these receptors leads to a reconsideration of the “glutamate hypothesis of schizophrenia” as not “too many” or “too few” receptors, but rather one of alterations in the cell biological processes that manage the total pool of receptors. Recent data point to abnormalities of glutamate receptor trafficking, delivery, dendritic localization, recycling, and degradation in the brain in schizophrenia. In this study, we extend our findings of abnormalities of intracellular trafficking of the AMPA subtype of glutamate receptor in schizophrenia. AMPA receptor trafficking starts in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), in which AMPA receptor subunits are postranslationaly N-glycosylated. N-linked high mannose containing sugars added to AMPA subunits, which are trimmed and replaced by more elaborate sugars in the Golgi, after which AMPA subunits are trafficked for insertion into the plasma membrane. We assayed N-glycosylation status of AMPA subunits in prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia. N-glycosylation was assessed following digestion with endoglycosidase H (Endo H), which removes immature high mannose containing sugars, or with peptide-Nglycosidase F (PNGase F), which removes all N-linked sugars. We found that both GluR2 and GluR4 were sensitive to Endo H and PNGase F treatment, indicating that they are N-glycosylated; neither GluR1 nor GluR3 are N-glycosylated in human brain. GluR2 was found to have less N-linked high mannose and/or hybrid sugars in schizophrenia. This was confirmed by immunoprecipitation of GluR2 and probing with Concavalin A, a mannose-specific lectin. GluR2 immunoprecipitated from schizophrenia cortex was significantly less reactive to Con A comparing to the comparison group. These results indicate that GluR2 is abnormally glycosylated in schizophrenia, consistent with abnormal assembly or trafficking of the AMPA receptor. Abnormalities of glycosylation in schizophrenia may be more extensive, as we also have preliminary results suggesting abnormalities of Nglycosylation of NMDA subunits and two of the glutamate transporters. These results suggest that there are changes in glutamate receptors in schizophrenia that involve abnormalities of intracellular processes that effectively reduce receptor function even though total cellular levels of these receptors may be normal. Such findings are important because they point to the complexity of molecular and intracellular abnormalities in schizophrenia, and highlight novel sites that may be profitably targeted for drug.
The immature rat ovary is innervated by vasoactive intestinal peptide (vip)-containing fibers and responds to vip with steroid secretion

The nature and role of the peptidergic innervation of the ovary were examined by determining the location and function of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)-containing nerve fibers in the immature rat ovary. Immunohistofluorescence analysis of prepubertal ovaries using a specific VIP antibody revealed sparse delicate VIP-immunoreactive fibers localized around veins and arterioles, in the interstitial tissue, and associated with the thecal layers of developing follicles. Radioimmunoassayable VIP content was found to be approximately 100 pg/ovary (3 nM). The VIP immunoreactivity coeluted with authentic VIP when subjected to Sephadex G-25 chromatography. VIP enhanced in vitro progesterone release from infantile (12 days old), juvenile (30 days old), and peripubertal ovaries and estradiol release during the two latter developmental periods. The maximal estradiol response to VIP occurred during the early and first proestrous phases of puberty. No response was observed during estrus or first diestrus. The progesterone response to VIP increased moderately between day 12 and first proestrus, and then strikingly at estrus and first diestrus. The stimulatory effect of VIP on ovarian steroid production was dose related, as determined in ovaries from PMSG-treated immature rats (ED50 = 215, 44, and 51 nM for estradiol, androgen, and progesterone, respectively). The specificity of the VIP effect was tested using five other gastrointestinal peptides (porcine peptide histidine isoleucine, gastric inhibitory polypeptide, secretin, motilin, and glucagon). Only peptide histidine isoleucine, which has the greatest sequence homology with VIP, enhanced ovarian steroid production at 50% of VIP effectiveness. VIPergic nerves thus appear to be involved in the developmental regulation of ovarian steroidogenesis.
Carbon Monoxide in Modified Atmosphere Packaging Affects Color, Shelf Life, and Microorganisms of Beef Steaks and Ground Beef

ABSTRACT— Color and microbiology of steaks and ground beef stored in 0.4% CO, 30% CO2, and 69.6% N2 (but removed from the modified atmosphere before display) were compared with product displayed immediately after packaging in polyvinyl chloride film (only atmospheric oxygen). Storage of ground beef, loineye, inside round, and tenderloin steaks for up to 35 d in 0.4% CO resulted in typical initial bloomed color. Compared with product exposed to only oxygen, storage of ground beef and loineye steaks in 0.4% CO decreased color stability, whereas color life increased for tenderloin and inside semimembranosus muscles. No steaks having acceptable color had spoilage levels of microbes (≥log 7). Thus, carboxymyoglobin formed from 0.4% CO did not mask microbial spoilage.
Fabrication and thermal analysis of submicron silver tubes prepared from electrospun fiber templates.

Submicron silver tubes have been synthesized by a polymer-based template approach. Two different approaches to metallization, electroless deposition and exchange plating, were evaluated within the template approach. Silver films with average thickness ∼50−100 nm were deposited on polycarbonate fibers ∼400 nm in diameter by each technique, resulting in tubes with a diameter between 450 and 500 nm after thermal degradation of core fibers. These nanomaterials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and scanning thermal microscopy. The thermal conductivity of the silver submicron tubes was found to differ depending on the method of preparation, with tubes from electroless plating possessing relative thermal conductivity values that were 1 order of magnitude higher than that from exchange plating, 3000 W/m·K and 660 W/m·K, respectively. Interestingly, these results indicate that silver submicron tubes possess higher thermal conductivity than the bulk meta...
Flow diversion for complex middle cerebral artery aneurysms

Introduction This study aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of flow diversion for treatment of large and complex middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysms.
Laminar, buoyancy induced flow structures in a bottom heated, aspect ratio 2 duct with throughflow

Three-dimensional, transient calculations have been made for flow far downstream in a horizontal, bottom heated, aspect ratio 2 duct with throughflow in the low supercritical Rayleigh number (Ra) and low Reynolds number (Re) regime. The two flow types present are longitudinal rolls and distorted, convecting transverse rolls. Longitudinal rolls results confirm previous studies. Ra and Re dependence of the transverse rolls flow field is investigated. The Nusselt number (Nu) is seen to be essentially independent of Re, and perhaps also of the flow regime. Isotherms and velocity vector plots are presented. Comparisons are made with published experimental and numerical results.
Distortion-Band-Pass Considerations in Angular Modulation

The distortion introduced into an angular modulated signal transmitted through a network or medium is analyzed using the sideband approach. An exact open-form solution of the output signal is derived; however, the usefulness of this equation is limited by the ability to perform the indicated integrations. It is shown that exact solutions may readily be found for transfer functions which are linear exponential functions of frequency, and since over a given frequency interval, any transfer function may be expanded in an orthogonal set of linear exponential functions of frequency, a solution is always obtainable. A few examples of possible transfer functions are treated, illustrating the distortion tendencies for both the amplitude and phase characteristics. A rule-of-thumb formula is derived to determine the maximum undistorted modulation frequency which may be transmitted through a network of a given band-pass characteristic. It is concluded that linear phase characteristics are a more important design objective than flat amplitude characteristics in minimizing distortion.
Gd(III)-Nanodiamond Conjugates for MRI Contrast Enhancement

A Gd(III)-nanodiamond conjugate [Gd(III)-ND] was prepared and characterized, enabling detection of nanodiamonds by MR imaging. The Gd(III)-ND particles significantly reduced the T1 of water protons with a per-Gd(III) relaxivity of 58.82 ± 1.18 mM−1 s−1 at 1.5 T (60 MHz). This represents a 10-fold increase compared to the monomer Gd(III) complex (r1 = 5.42 ± 0.20 mM−1 s−1) and is among the highest per-Gd(III) relaxivities reported.