cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of noncommunicable diseases and their risk factors in Guangzhou, China.

Introduction This article reports on the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and their risk factors in the city of Guangzhou, China, and shows a trend toward epidemic proportions when municipal data are compared with provincial data.
Communicating with caps: managing usage caps in home networks

As Internet service providers increasingly implement and impose "usage caps", consumers need better ways to help them understand and control how devices in the home use up the available network resources or available capacity. Towards this goal, we will demonstrate a system that allows users to monitor and manage their usage caps. The system uses the BISMark firmware running on network gateways to collect usage statistics and report them to a logically centralized controller, which displays usage information. The controller allows users to specify policies about how different people, devices, and applications should consume the usage cap; it implements and enforces these policies via a secure OpenFlow control channel to each gateway device. The demonstration will show various use cases, such as limiting the usage of a particular application, visualizing usage statistics, and allowing users within a single household to "trade" caps with one another.
Autonomic dysreflexia in a rat model spinal cord injury and the effect of pharmacologic agents.

The object of this study was to develop a spinal cord injury (SCI) rat model for autonomic dysreflexia (AD), assessing the effect of alpha-adrenergic and calcium channel blockade and to determine the relationship of detrusor-external sphincter dyssynergia (DKSD) to the development of AD. A laminectomy was performed in male rats at the T4 or TI0 level and a controlled 50 g cm blunt SCI was induced using an impounder. Four weeks after injury, changes in arterial blood pressure and heart rate were monitored while simultaneous cystometry (CMG) and pelvic floor electromography (EMG) were performed in vivo in sham (control) and spinal cord injured rats. The effects of terazosin (0.1 mg/kg). diltiazem (0.5 mg/kg). and oxybutynin chloride (0.1 mg/kg) on hemodynamic changes were assessed independently. Both T4 and TI0 SCI rat displayed evidence of DESD (enhanced pelvic floor EMG activity at cystometric capacity) while control rats did not. Only T4 injured rats exhibited evidence of AD, with mean blood pressure elevations from 82.9 ± 13.6 to 93.9 ± 11.3 mm Hg (P < 0.01) and a mean heart rate decrease from 332.2 ± 56.5 to 311.1 ± 54.5 beats/min (P = 0.02) at cystometric capacity. The intravenous administration of terazosin or diltiazem abolished the AD response during CMC. The administration of oxybutynin exhibited the ability to increase bladder capacity and improve compliance in all 3 groups but did not blunt AD. The rat model of SCI effectively reproduced hemodynamic changes consistent with the AD complex in T4 level SCI but not TI0 level SCI animals, despite incomplete lesions. Blockade with either an alpha-1 or a calcium channel antagonist effectively ablated the AD response to bladder distention. Anticholinergic agents had no effect on AD DESD frequently accompanies autonomic dysreflexia, although the development of AD is not a prerequisite for DESD. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Influence of visual cueing on students' eye movements while solving physics problems

Overlaying visual cues on diagrams and animations can help students attend to relevant areas and facilitate problem solving. In this study we investigated the effects of visual cues on students' eye movements as they solved conceptual physics problems. Students (N=80) enrolled in an introductory physics course individually worked through four sets of problems, each containing a diagram, while their eye movements were recorded. Each diagram contained regions that were alternatively relevant to solving the problem correctly or related to common incorrect responses. Each problem set contained an initial problem, six isomorphic training problems, and a transfer problem. Those in the cued condition saw visual cues overlaid on the training problems. Students provided verbal responses. The cued group more accurately answered the (uncued) transfer problems, and their eye movements showed they more efficiently extracted the necessary information from the relevant area than the uncued group.
Effects of ammonia on periphytic communities.

Abstract Laboratory tests were conducted to evaluate the chronic effects of ammonia on periphytic communities. Species richness of the protozoan component of these communities was affected at un-ionized ammonia concentrations of ≤0·01 mg NH 3 litre −1 . A biologically important cocentration was defined as the concentration of ammonia affecting 20% of species and was estimated from a concentration-response regression as 0·011 mg litre −1 . A comparable value based on literature reports of chronic toxicity to fish and invertebrates was 0·0126 mg litre −1 . Other non-taxonomic responses were equally sensitive to ammonia. Biomass (ash-free dry weight) and algal biomass ( in vivo fluorescence) were significantly reduced even at the lowest tested ammonia treatment, 0·01 mg litre −1 , but the abundance of bacteria was reduced only in the highest treatment group, 0·43 mg litre −1 . Net community metabolism was reduced in all ammonia treatments. Periphyton communities were affected at levels below the USEPA chronic criterion of 0·027 mg litre −1 (temperature = 8·8° C and pH = 8·1). Successional maturity or age of the periphytic community affected the amount of biomass and algal biomass, but did not modify sensitivity to ammonia.
Innovation, Entrepeneurship and International Experience

The University of Dayton (UD) Engineers in Technical Humanitarian Opportunities for Service-Learning (ETHOS), in collaboration with UD’s School of Business, UD’s Design Clinic, Grupo Fenix (Nicaragua), and the local Nicaraguan community, is currently working on an 18 month project to research and develop a solar medical device sterilizer (sterilizer) that can be used in rural areas of Nicaragua. Engineering and business students are working in a variety of capacities with the local community and Grupo Fenix in Nicaragua to research, design and develop the device. Once developed, the engineering and business students will continue to work with the community and Grupo Fenix to establish a micro-business for the manufacture and distribution of the device. Although this project will address a particular technical need, the infrastructure and unique partnerships that are being developed and optimized through its facilitation will serve as a model for other projects and programs that will be shared within the University of Dayton and with other universities.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Coordinated Distributed Power Management with Video Sensor Networks: Analysis, Simulation, and Prototyping

In this paper, we explore various design issues for coordinated distributed power management (CDPM) policies in wireless video sensor networks (VSNs). These CDPM policies help to efficiently power manage such networks while benefiting from the advantages gained by using distributed techniques. The design issues we explore include power management under dynamic and adaptive timeout thresholds, two-hop broadcast information dissemination, hybrid CDPM, and remote wakeup. Our investigations use an advanced, event-triggered VSN simulator, as well as a set of VSN prototype nodes we built as a proof-of-concept. Our prototype network includes four digital signal processing (DSP)-based wireless video nodes which form a small multi-hop network. Last but not least, we propose a novel analytical approach to predict the CDPM policy performance, and show that this analytical method matches the measured power savings in the prototype.
Flash points and volatility characteristics of gasoline/diesel blends

Abstract Measured flash points of blends of a commercial diesel and a commercial gasoline are presented along with data on volatility characteristics. The flash point falls very rapidly as the concentration of gasoline is increased and reaches −40 °C at a gasoline concentration of 16% by volume. This suggests that blends with gasoline concentrations of greater than 50% by volume, which are of interest in the development of gasoline compression ignition (GCI) engines, should be safe to use in vehicles because they will be very similar to gasoline which has a flash point of −45 °C.
Active microfluidic mixer and gas bubble filter driven by thermal bubble micropump

Abstract A microfluidic mixer with a gas bubble filter activated by a thermal bubble actuated nozzle-diffuser micropump is successfully demonstrated. The oscillatory flow generated by the micropump can induce wavy interface to increase the contact area of mixing fluids to accelerate the mixing process. The microfluidic mixing channels are 200 μm wide, 50 μm deep and the speed of the mixing liquids are measured at 6.5 μl/min. The optimal mixing result is found when the actuating frequency of thermal bubble reaches 200 Hz. Normalized gray-scale values that correspond to the completeness of the mixing effect are observed to be proportional to the one-third power of the input pulse frequency. Furthermore, a gas bubble filter is integrated and successfully demonstrated in the microfluidic mixing system. A model based on the principle of threshold pressure with respect to the geometry of microchannels is established.
Public support for social security

Abstract This article reports the results of a nationally representative survey of 1,209 Americans that examines their support for Social Security and six other major social welfare programs. It probes the extent to which members of the public are willing to demonstrate their support, the differences in support among population subgroups, and the extent to which perceptions of Social Security and Social Security recipients predict overall support for Social Security. The authors find high levels of support among members of the public, including a willingness both to write letters to congress members and to pay higher taxes. Some groups of citizens—especially blacks and those who classify themselves as liberals—are more supportive than others, but the differences are not great and contribute little toward explaining the variance in support. The perceptions that the program makes a worthwhile contribution to society and that recipients have no alternative sources of income other than Social Security contribute the most toward predicting overall support for Social Security.
Multiple high-affinity cAMP-phosphodiesterases in human T-lymphocytes

Abstract Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs) are the only enzymes that inactivate intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP). Because the functions of T-lymphocytes are modulated by cAMP levels, the isozymes of PDE in these cells are potential targets for new drugs designed to modify the body's immunity through selective alteration of T-lymphocyte PDE activity. Cyclic GMP and 3(2 H )-pyridazinone-4, 5-dihydro-6-[4-(1 H -imidazol-1-yl)phenyl]-5-methyl-monohydrochloride (CI-930) selectively inhibit the catalytic activity of one of the two high affinity cAMP-PDE isozyme families known to occur in mammals, whereas d , l -1,4-[3-butoxy-4-methoxybenzyl]-2-imidazolidinone (Ro 20-1724) selectively inhibits the other. The objectives of this investigation were: (1) to determine whether human T-lymphocytes contain one or both of these pharmacologically distinguishable high-affinity cAMP-PDEs, and (2) to determine the effects of selective inhibitors of these PDEs on lymphocyte blastogenesis. High-affinity cAMP-PDE was found in both the soluble and particulate fractions of T-lymphocyte sonicates. Cyclic GMP and CI-930 inhibited PDE in the particulate fraction better than in the soluble fraction, but the converse was found for Ro 20-1724. CI-930 or Ro 20-1724, used alone, attenuated T-lymphocyte blastogenesis, but neither suppressed it completely. In combination, the same PDE inhibitors caused greater suppression of blastogenesis than either produced alone. The results indicate that human T-lymphocytes contain both CI-930- and Ro 20-1724-inhibitable isozymes. Either of the isozymes can modulate human T-lymphocyte blastogenesis, but inhibition of both isozymes produces synergistic antiblastogenic effects.
What is normal? A characterization of the values and variability in reproductive endpoints of the fathead minnow, Pimephales promelas

Abstract Jensen et al. [Jensen, K.M., Korte, J.J., Kahl, M.D., Pasha, M.S., Ankley, G.T., 2001. Aspects of basic reproductive biology and endocrinology in the fathead minnow ( Pimephales promelas ). Comp. Biochem. Physiol. C 128, 127–141.] investigated aspects of the normal reproductive biology of the fathead minnow (FHM, P. promelas ), and subsequent studies have generated a large amount of additional reproductive data for endpoints such as plasma steroid hormone and vitellogenin concentrations, spawn interval, and secondary sex characteristics (i.e., nuptial tubercle score and fat pad weight). These data were analyzed and fitted with statistical distributions to improve understanding of the variability in normal, unexposed, adult male ( n = 154) and female ( n = 186) FHM. Summary statistics for most endpoints were consistent with results from other more limited studies of FHMs. Male fat pad weight, and in both sexes gonad and liver weights were found to be proportional to body weight. Multiple statistical distributions were found to characterize each endpoint with the exception of spawn interval. Based on one of the largest datasets ever compiled for controlled studies, results presented herein provide a robust point of reference for the quantitative assessment of reproductive processes in the fathead minnow.
A Catholic Theology of the Land?: The State of the Question

14.00 This article contends that forming a Catholic theology that engages the centrality of Eretz Yisrael for Jews is a pressing need in interreligious relations today. It outlines the historical and religious reasons why such a theology does not presently exist. It then sets forth the parameters within which this development should proceed by referring to the last half-century of Catholic teaching on biblical interpretation and on the covenantal status of the Jewish people. Neither a "fundamentalist" transposition of ancient land promises into today's world nor a backsliding to supersessionist models are acceptable. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE HE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-language:AR-SA;}
Teaching and exposing grey literature: what the information profession needs to know ‐ examples from the sciences

Grey literature takes on new meanings as publishers and individuals create new products and release information in different ways. With several choices of access and delivery usually available in different formats, the difficulty once associated with publishing grey literature and the enormous expenses predicted for a relatively low volume, electronic publishing via html and pdf/Adobe Acrobat options, has created new models and opportunities, in an almost magical way. Information access in the global economy forces the information professional to be more aware of a wider spectrum of information, including traditional grey literature. As the hues change, the literature takes on a new sense of value. Explores different examples of scientific grey literature and suggests how it can be introduced to and by information specialists and how better training and exposure can reduce the obstacles in utilizing it more widely. By concentrating on new modes of publishing and delivery, the capabilities of information professionals are reinforced and grey literature in the sciences gains a more prominent role in a range of information use, access and dissemination activities.
"A chosen people": religious discourse and the making of the Republic of Guatemala, 1821-1871.

No clearer testimony evidenced the social upheaval and shifting political landscape in Guatemala in February 1838 than the graphic narrative by the traveling United States' diplomat, John Lloyd Stephens. Recently arrived in the capital for the first time, Stephens witnessed the insurrectionary triumph of the military caudillo, Rafael Carrera, and his “tumultuous mass of half-naked savages, men, women, and children, estimated at ten or twelve thousand.” Stephens described how Carrera's indigenous followers, upon entering the abandoned plaza and within earshot of the terrified white elite shouted “Long live religion and death to foreigners!” Carrera's political uprising incited by religious concerns had laid siege to the power structure inherited from colonial times.
Thermodynamics of poly(α-olefin) solutions

Abstract The Maron theory of polymer solutions was used to examine the 30°C vapor pressure data of Tait and Livesey on solutions of polyheptene-1, polydecene-1, polydodecene-1, and polyoctadecene-1 in toluene. For polyheptene-1 and polydecene-1, excellent agreement was obtained between theory and experiment over the entire concentration range studied. However, for the other two polymers, deviations were observed between the calculated and observed vapor pressures at higher solution concentrations. These deviations were used to show the presence of crystallinity in these and to ascertain the amounts. Further, it was shown that only one crystalline form of the polymer was present in the polydodecene-1, whereas in the polyoctadecene-1 two crystalline forms were detected. These observations, confirmed by measurements with a differential thermal analyzer (DTA), indicate that for polydodecene-1 and one of the crystalline forms in polyoctadecene-1 the crystallization involves alignment of both backbone and side ...
Further Consideration of Bulk Lifetime Measurement with a Microwave Electrodeless Technique

A new method for measurement of the lifetime of excess carriers in semiconductors is described. Using a steady light source and measuring changes in microwave power absorption as a function of position of the sample in a waveguide, bulk lifetime can be determined. Measurements described here were made at 9600 mc. The new technique offers the following advantages: First, the method does not require electrode attachments, thus making the preparation of the samples less difficult and the actual experiment less subject to error due to non-ohmic contacts. Second, the effects of surface recombination are made less important, thus giving a greater assurace of the evalaution of bulk lifetime.
Conduction bandstructure in strained silicon by spatially resolved electron energy loss spectroscopy

Silicon 2p core absorption near edge fine structure has been obtained by spatially resolved electron energy loss spectroscopy in strained silicon quantum wells. Extraction of the heterojunction band offset as a function of position in the wells appears to be possible with some caution. The band offset has been correlated with atomic composition using annular dark field, Z-contrast imaging. The results suggest that the poor electron mobility, found in one of the wells by standard electrical measurements, resulted from poor carrier screening in the presence of a heterojunction band offset which varied by as much as 50 meV from place to place within the well.
WCO, ACD and what they reveal about complex demonstratives

This squib presents a rebuttal to two of King’s (Complex demonstratives: A quantificational account. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2001) arguments that complex demonstratives are quantifier phrases like every man. The first is in response to King’s argument that because complex demonstratives induce weak crossover effects, they are quantifier phrases. I argue that unlike quantifier phrases and like other definite determiner phrases, complex demonstratives in object position can corefer with singular pronouns contained in the subject DP. Although complex demonstratives could undergo LF-movement, the ruling out by weak crossover is empirically undetectable. The second rebuttal is in response to King’s argument that because complex demonstratives allow antecedent-contained deletion, they are quantifier phrases. I present data showing that along with quantifier phrases, complex demonstratives pattern with proper names in allowing ACD with restrictive modification, but usually not with non-restrictive modification.
Mechanical trauma as a factor in skin infections

The role of mechanical trauma in the development of skin infections caused by viruses, fungi, and bacteria is discussed. Speculations are made on why there exists a paucity of published information on this topic. Questions are raised regarding procedures to be used to protect workers from skin infections. The need is expressed for epidemiologic studies to accurately define the role of trauma in these disorders.
Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) in carbonized phenolic resins

Abstract Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) has been used as an analytical tool to study the development of microstructure with increasing Heat Treatment Temperature (HTT) of a carbonized phenolic resin, which is often used as matrix in commercial carbon-carbon composites. Processing parameters — heating rate and maximum heat treatment temperature — were the primary variables of interest. Results from SAXS have led to the consideration of a model for microstructure development in carbonized phenolic resins. Local density variations on the 10 A-100 A scale seem to be the predominant feature of these carbonized resins in the temperature range studied (450–900°C). Heat treatment results in a gradual destruction of crosslinks, which leads to clustering of the aromatic units. These clusters enclose pores, the high concentrations of which give rise to scattering maxima in SAXS data. Concentration and dimensions of pores are sensitive both to the heating rate used and the maximum carbonization temperature.
Photodynamics of ethylene: ab initio studies of conical intersections

Abstract We have used extended basis sets and configuration interaction wave functions to systematically characterize the excited state potential energy surfaces of ethylene, including conical intersections between electronic states. The results are consistent with our previous ab initio multiple spawning simulations of ethylene photodynamics and electronic spectra. The C–C bond on the optically accessible V state is extended in planar geometries, suggesting a role for C–C stretching in the electronic absorption spectrum. A cascade of conical intersections connecting the V state in the Franck–Condon region to each of the low-lying Rydberg states has been identified, in addition to intersections connecting the excited state manifold back to the ground state. The D2d twisted geometry of ethylene is found to be a saddle point, not a local minimum. Pyramidalization of one of the methylene units in twisted ethylene is found to be favorable, leading to a conical intersection. We have identified and characterized eight conical intersections involving the V state which are likely to be relevant in the photochemistry of ethylene.
Circulating complexes of the vitamin D binding protein with G-actin induce lung inflammation by targeting endothelial cells

This study investigated the actin scavenger function of the vitamin D binding protein (DBP) in vivo using DBP null (−/−) mice. Intravenous injection of G-actin into wild-type (DBP+/+) and DBP−/− mice showed that contrary to expectations, DBP+/+ mice developed more severe acute lung inflammation. Inflammation was restricted to the lung and pathological changes were clearly evident at 1.5 and 4 hours post-injection but were largely resolved by 24 hours. Histology of DBP+/+ lungs revealed noticeably more vascular leakage, hemorrhage and thickening of the alveolar wall. Flow cytometry analysis of whole lung homogenates showed significantly increased neutrophil infiltration into DBP+/+ mouse lungs at 1.5 and 4 hours. Increased amounts of protein and leukocytes were also noted in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from DBP+/+ mice 4 hours after actin injection. In vitro, purified DBP-actin complexes did not activate complement or neutrophils but induced injury and death of cultured human lung microvascular endothelial cells (HLMVEC) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Cells treated with DBP-actin showed a significant reduction in viability at 4 hours, this effect was reversible if cells were cultured in fresh media for another 24 hours. However, a 24-hour treatment with DBP-actin complexes showed a significant increase in cell death (95% for HLMVEC, 45% for HUVEC). The mechanism of endothelial cell death was via both caspase-3 dependent (HUVEC) and independent (HLMVEC) pathways. These results demonstrate that elevated levels and/or prolonged exposure to DBP-actin complexes may induce endothelial cell injury and death, particularly in the lung microvasculature.
The enterococci: Evidence of species-specific clinical and microbiologic heterogeneity

Investigations of the clinical role of enterococci have been limited largely to enterococcal bacteremia and endocarditis and have not distinguished between the various species of enterococci. To characterize the full spectrum of enterococcal disease and to determine whether clinically important differences exist among infections and/or instances of colonization (infections/colonizations) by the various enterococcal species, cases of enterococcal infection/colonization diagnosed at the Dallas Veterans Administration Medical Center (DVAMC) in 1986 were reviewed. During this period, 220 Enterococcus faecalis, 21 Enterococcus faecium, 12 Enterococcus avium, and no Enterococcus durans isolates were identified in clinical specimens (other than stool) submitted to the DVAMC microbiology laboratory. Clinical characteristics of cases of infection/colonization by the three species of enterococci were similar and did not vary significantly when blood stream invasion occurred. Nevertheless, mortality data and therapeutic response rates suggested differences in virulence of the three enterococcal species. Enterococcal infections/colonizations (including bacteremia) frequently were polymicrobial. Although Enterobacteriaceae were the most common copathogens identified overall, Staphylococcus aureus was the most common copathogen in bloodstream infections. E. avium was more resistant than E. faecalis or E. faecium to penicillin G and ampicillin and less resistant to most other antimicrobial agents. The results of this investigation suggest that enterococci are a heterogeneous group of bacteria that should not be treated as a single entity in clinical investigations.
3He in permanently shadowed lunar polar surfaces

Abstract Because of their cryogenic temperatures, analysis indicates that permanently shadowed polar lunar craters may have substantially higher levels of 3He than sunlit lunar surfaces and are conservatively estimated to contain as much as 50 ppb or more.
A method for modeling nonlinear core characteristics of transformers during transients

An EHV transformer's insulation system must be designed to withstand stresses generated during transient events. Computer models are employed for predetermination of these stresses. The lack of accurate and consistent computer models for use by both utilities and manufacturers, is felt to contribute to the relatively high failure rate of EHV transformers. This paper develops a detailed nonlinear transformer model and a solution method that improves the accuracy with which the effect of the nonlinear characteristic of the magnetic core during transients can be predicted. This model is based on linearization of the core's saturable characteristic during solution time intervals. This paper describes a nonlinear, single phase, detailed transformer model and its verification against measured data. >
Interfacial shear and matrix plasticity during fiber push-out in a metal-matrix composite

Abstract Interfacial shear during thin-slice fiber push-out of sapphre fibers bonded to a niobium matrix has been examined both experimentally and computationally. Observations indicate a failure process involving the combination of interfacial crack growth and diffuse matrix deformation at opposite ends of the fibers being displaced. The result is a stage during which ‘stable’ fiber displacement occurs under increasing axial loads applied to the fiber. A straightforward analysis of the extent of this stage suggests that it obeys a load instability criterion, depending on the competition between geometric softening due to interfacial crack growth and strain-hardening within the matrix near the interface.
Solvent effects on polymer gels: A statistical-mechanical model

A statistical-mechanical model for reversible gelation is developed. This model takes into account solvent effects, which usually are neglected in the classical theory of gelation. The exact solution of this model is given for the limiting case in which "loops" or intermolecular interactions may be neglected (Cayley tree). The general phase diagram is obtained and it is shown that, with a particular choice of a solvent, one can realize the interesting situation in which gelation point and consolute point coincide. This point has peculiar properties associated with the simultaneous divergence of "connectivity" and thermal fluctuations. The recent experimental data of Tanaka and collaborators are in good qualitative agreement with the predictions of the model.
Lepidocrocite, an Apatite Mineral, and Magnetite in Teeth of Chitons (Polyplacophora)

X-ray diffraction patterns show that the mature denticles of three extant chiton species are composed of the mineral lepidocrocite and an apatite mineral, probably francolite, in addition to magnetite. Each of the three minerals forms a discrete microarchitectural unit of the chiton denticles. This is the first indication that lepidocrocite is precipitated by marine organisms and an apatite mineral by chitons.
Aśvamedha and purusamedha in ancient India

The Aśvamedha is examined, and its double nature noted—a combination of sacrificial and hierogamic rites of cosmogony. Its relationship with the Purusamedha is examined, and it is proposed that the latter was no mere ‘theoretical rite’ as widely supposed, but predated the former, and was transformed into it following the Āryan settlement in India, as a second function adaptation of a first function rite appropriate to military expansion.
Abstract 4697: Identification, characterization and effects of inhibitors of the human Apurinic/Apyrimidinic Endonuclease 1 (APE1) protein

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL The human Apurinic/Apyrimidinic Endonuclease 1 (APE1) protein has distinct and possibly related functional roles in DNA damage repair and transcriptional regulation of gene expression. Due to its significant role in DNA repair, APE1 is a viable target for chemotherapeutic drugs; inhibition of DNA repair activity of APE1 potentates the cytotoxic effect of lesions caused by DNA-reactive drugs. Using a combination of in silico screening as well as in vitro enzyme-inhibition assays, we identified strong in vitro inhibitors (IC50 < 1 μM) of the APE1 protein. Using human glioblastoma (T98G) cells, it was demonstrated that these inhibitors potentiate the cytotoxicity of DNA damaging agents, especially alkylators, and that these compounds also cause increased accumulation of intracellular abasic sites. We investigated the association of the inhibitors with APE1 protein and DNA by means of CD, UV and fluorescence spectroscopies, and by a fluorescent intercalator/groove binder displacement assay. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4697. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-4697
Proper costimulation of tumor-reactive T lymphocytes may provide a key to unlock their antitumor activity.

Commentary to: Tumor Expression of 4-1BB Ligand Sustains Tumor Lytic T CellsHua Zhang, Melinda S. Merchant, Kevin S. Chua, Chand Khanna, Lee J. Helman, Bill Telford, Yvona Ward, Jeffrey Summers, Jeff Toretsky, Elaine K. Thomas, Carl H. June and Crystal L. Mackall
Column Selectivity Programming and Fast Temperature Programming for High-Speed GC Analysis of Purgeable Organic Compounds.

High-speed gas chromatograms are obtained by the use of relatively short lengths of capillary column operated at relatively large carrier gas flow rates. This approach is difficult for more complex mixtures because of the reduced peak capacity available with shorter columns. A solution to this problem is the use of tunable column ensembles consisting of the series (tandem) combination of a polar and a nonpolar column. By adjusting the pressure at the junction point between the columns, the selectivity of the ensemble can be adjusted within the limits imposed by the individual columns. For mixtures representing a relatively large boiling point range and containing more than ∼20 components, high-speed, isothermal separations are less effective. These limitations are significantly reduced by combining fast temperature programming with selectivity programming. Selectivity programming is obtained by changing the pressure at the column junction point one or more times during the course of an analysis. In the wo...
Preoperative clinical and diagnostic characteristics of patients who require delayed IPP after primary Peyronies repair.

ABSTRACT Introduction Penile vascular abnormalities occur in a high proportion of patients with Peyronie's disease (PD). Penile duplex ultrasonography (PDU) and dynamic infusion cavernosometry and cavernosography (DICC) are tools that can be used to help tailor individualized treatment for patients undergoing surgical intervention for their PD. However, precisely which parameters can be used to predict those patients with PD at risk for developing erectile dysfunction (ED) after intervention without inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) has not been previously elucidated. Aim To evaluate preoperative vascular parameters that predispose PD patients for developing ED after intervention without IPP. Methods Twenty-six patients receiving surgical intervention for their PD at a single center were retrospectively identified. Of these, 11 (42.3%) opted for primary repair without placement of an IPP. Three (27.2%) of these 11 patients went on to develop ED postoperatively. Main Outcome Measures We compared various demographic, PDU, and DICC parameters between patients who did and did not fail primary repair of their PD. Results Mean age and follow-up of patients who went on to develop ED after repair of PD without IPP were not significantly different ( P P Conclusions Penile vascular assessment can aid in counseling patients about their risk of developing delayed ED after primary repair of PD. In our cohort of patients, PDU provided preoperative risk stratification for postoperative erectile dysfunction in men undergoing Peyronie's repair without IPP. We propose the prospective study of an RI cutoff to identify patients at risk of failing primary PD repair without IPP. Alphs HH, Navai N, Kohler TS, and McVary KT. Preoperative clinical and diagnostic characteristics of patients who require delayed IPP after primary peyronies repair.
Sr and Nd isotopes in basalts from the East Pacific Rise: significance for mantle heterogeneity

Isotopic data for Sr and Nd from fresh glassy East Pacific Rise basalts suggest that this part of the suboceanic mantle is characterized by subtle but distinct large-scale regional isotopic variability which may reflect differences between cells of the convecting mantle. In spite of a systematic N—S change in spreading rate of a factor of three along the sampled portion of the EPR, no correlation is observed between spreading rate and range of isotopic composition, indicating that the regional variations override homogenization effects which may be correlated with rate of magma generation and hence spreading rate. There is no clear signature in our data of effects from the postulated global “Dupal Anomaly” [30,31]. However, for a restricted ridge segment at the latitude of Easter Island, anomalously high87Sr/86Sr and low143Nd/144Nd occur, coupled with high incompatible element concentrations. These features are most easily understood as being the result of inclusion of a “plume” component in these ridge basalts.
Computational fluid dynamics perspective on high enthalpy facility calibration and instrumentation requirements

A series of wind tunnel nozzle calculations demonstrate sensitivities of hypersonic nozzle flowfields to uncertainties in turbulence and chemistry submodels, and propagation of nozzle flowfield uncertainties to uncertainties in measured results. Measurements that would reduce those uncertainties are recommended. Nozzle calibration measurements of boundary layer growth, chemistry, and turbulence levels are recommended for transient, high enthalpy hypersonic facilities.
Tongue and multiple cutaneous granular-cell myoblastoma

Abstract The granular-cell myoblastoma usually appears as an asymptomatic lesion in the third to the fifth decades of life. Local excision is the treatment of choice, and removal of wide margins is frequently necessary because many lesions have ill-defined borders. As demonstrated in the case reported here, a complete history and a thorough examination are essential when the oral surgeon encounters an unusual tumor of the oral cavity.
Nikolaj Chernyshevsky and the philosophy of realism in nineteenth-century Russian aesthetics

Among the thinkers of the mid-nineteenth century whom Soviet Marxists call "the Russian revolutionary democrats" Nikolaj Gavrilovich Chernyshevsky (1828-1889), Nikolaj Aleksandrovich Dobroljubov (1836-1861), Dmitrij Ivanovich Pisarev (1840?1868), and others ? none is more extravagantly praised in the USSR or more frequently ridiculed in the West than Cherny shevsky. According to the standard Soviet view, Chernyshevsky's master's thesis 'The Aesthetic Relations of Art to Reality' (1855) ? inaugurated a new era in the history of thought that carried not only the philosophy of art but philosophy in general to unprecedented heights. Something on the order of six hundred Soviet university dissertations have been devoted to Chernyshevsky's life and works, and more are being produced each year. In the Soviet philosophical pantheon, Chernyshevsky is firmly enshrined as the third greatest thinker of all time, surpassed in intellectual talent and achieve ment only by Marx and Lenin. According to the common Western view, on the other hand, Chernyshevsky might well be considered a candidate for third worst thinker of all time, outdone in philosophical fatuousness only by Pisarev and Dobroljubov. Chernyshevsky's 'realist' views on art as well as his opinions on other subjects, it is widely held outside the USSR, could simply be dismissed as foolish were it not for the fact that they have been so damag ing to Russian culture. If the Soviet picture of the philosophical significance of Chernyshevsky and his fellow realists is ludicrously overdrawn, we must entertain the possi bility that the Western view is also inaccurate. It is a common tendency in intellectual life ? one both Newton and Hegel would have understood ? to react against an extreme view by embracing its opposite, at the cost of a truth that lies somewhere in between. The case of Chernyshevsky and his colleagues may be one of those in which a middling assessment is both more correct and more productive. Certainly there is substantial evidence that the realists' philosophy was taken seriously by many able and well-meaning people in the 1850s and later, and furthermore that it stimulated certain creative energies in Russian culture. Six hundred dissertations can scarcely be sustained
Studies on Starter Metabolism. III. Studies on Cysteine-Induced Stimulation and Inhibition of Starter Cultures in Milk

Summary During a study of the response of lactic starters to heat-induced changes in milk, and the ability of added cysteine to duplicate some of these heat-induced changes, it was found that: (1) The stimulatory effect of either heat or cysteine could be duplicated by, nutritional supplementation with milk protein hydrolysate; expelling oxygen by nitrogen or hydrogen ebullition, and the addition of cystine, glutathione, or thioglycolate. (2) The inhibitory effect of excess heat (below 100° C.) or excess cysteine could be duplicated by ebullition with hydrogen sulfide, and was closely related to the concentration in milk of heat-evoked volatile sulfides. The following hypothesis was advanced to explain the response of starters in heated milk: 1.The initial stimulation is due to a variety of factors acting independently and in conjunction with each other. Among these factors are the lowering of Eh due to oxygen expulsion; the destruction of heat-labile inhibitors native to raw milk; the partial hydrolysis of protein, and the denaturing of serum protein. 2.The first zone of inhibition is due to excess concentration of cysteine with the concomitant increase in toxic volatile sulfides. 3.The second zone of stimulation is due to a heat-induced diminution in toxic sulfides.
Genes, Personality, and Attachment in Adults: A Multivariate Behavioral Genetic Analysis

Behavioral genetic methods were used to estimate genetic and environmental contributions to (a) attachment-related anxiety and avoidance and (b) the overlap between these attachment dimensions and the Big Five personality traits. Two major findings emerged from these analyses. First, individual differences in attachment-related anxiety and avoidance were heritable, and second, much of the overlap between adult attachment and the Big Five traits was due to shared genetic influences. Discussion focuses on the implications of these results for attachment theory and research and provides a speculative account of the interplay between temperamental dimensions and internal working models of relationships across the life span.
Body size, energetics, and the Ordovician restructuring of marine ecosystems

Abstract Major shifts in ecological dominance are one of the most conspicuous but poorly understood features of the fossil record. Here we examine one of the most prominent such shifts, the Ordovician shift from trilobite to brachiopod dominance of benthic ecosystems. Using an integrated database of high-resolution paleoecological samples and body size data, we show that while the average local richness and relative abundance of trilobites declined significantly through the Ordovician, the estimated standing biomass of trilobites, and by implication the amount of energy that they used, remained relatively invariant. This is attributable to an increase in the average body size of trilobite species in our data set, and especially to the widespread occurrence of the exceptionally large Middle–Late Ordovician trilobite genus Isotelus. Brachiopods increase in both mean body size and relative abundance throughout the Ordovician, so that estimates of brachiopod biomass and energetic use increase substantially be...
Leukotriene C4 synthase

LTC(4) synthase conjugates LTA(4) with glutathione (GSH) to form LTC(4), the parent compound of the cysteinyl leukotrienes. LTC(4) synthase is a membrane protein that functions as a non-covalent homodimer of two 18-kDa polypeptides. The enzymatic activity of LTC(4) synthase is augmented by Mg(2+) and inhibited by Co(2+) and the FLAP inhibitor MK-886. The K(m) and V(max) values of human LTC(4) synthase are 3.6 microM and 1.3 micromol/mg/min for LTA(4) and 1.6 mM and 2.7 micromol/mg/min for GSH, respectively. The deduced amino acid sequence and the predicted secondary structure of LTC(4) synthase share significant homology to FLAP, mGST-2, and mGST-3. Site-directed mutagenesis of LTC(4) synthase suggests that Arg-51 is involved in opening the epoxide ring of LTA(4) and Tyr-93 in GSH thiolate anion formation during catalytic conjugation. LTC(4) synthase is a TATA-less gene whose transcription involved both cell- and non-specific regulatory elements. LTC(4) synthase gene disrupted mice grow normally, and are attenuated for innate and adaptive immune inflammatory permeability responses.
Democratic Values and Public Opinion Toward Immigrants: The Case of Ecuador

Scholars of support for democracy traditionally have been concerned with its causes, with the assumption that higher citizen support for democratic values will enhance democracy's chances of survival in a country. Beyond this fundamental proposition, however, the consequences of varying levels of support for democratic values remain largely unexplored. This article examines the relationship between support for democratic values and views toward immigration in Latin America, a region that is experiencing an unprecedented increase in the movement of people across borders. Through an analysis of Ecuadorian attitudes toward Colombian immigrants, this study finds strong evidence for the argument that support for democratic values has potential benefits not only for democratic sustainability in the region, but also for the reduction of social conflict and distrust that can stem from increasing immigration in a volatile economic context.
Indirect bottom-up control of consumer-resource dynamics: Resource-driven algal quality alters grazer numerical response

The nature of the growth-rate response of grazing zooplankton to algal concentration depends critically upon food quality, which is often a plastic function of environmental conditions. Phytoplankton quality depends upon nutrient and light availability, which together affect cell C : P and C : N, so that the links from external environment to phytoplankton and then to zooplankton can vary in ways that influence consumer-resource interaction strengths, and ultimately, food web structure. We measured the effects of resource-limitation on the population growth rate of rotifers, Brachionus calyciflorus, feeding on the alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, and grown in nitrogen-limiting, phosphorus-limiting, or nutrient-sufficient conditions. Consumption of nutrient-sufficient algae produced a Type II numerical response with a low half saturation constant (Ks) and high asymptotic growth rate (λmax) consistent with high food quality; P-limited algae also yielded a Type II response but with high Ks and low λmax, meaning poor food quality. In contrast, N-limited Chlamydomonas resulted in a novel Type IV numerical response in which rotifer growth rate rose to an intermediate λmax and then declined at the highest algal densities, suggesting the production of toxic compounds whose negative effect on growth increases as a function of cell density. Experiments with mixed diets confirmed that N-limited food was indeed toxic, whereas P-limited food was simply nutritionally deficient compared with light-limited algae. Additional experiments showed that even the filtrate of N-limited algae can be detrimental to rotifer growth.
AGRICULTURAL LOAN EVALUATION WITH DISCRIMINANT ANALYSIS

Agricultural lending institutions are faced with a perpetual task of periodically evaluating personal and financial attributes of their borrowers. This examination is necessary in order to determine the present quality of the loans and to assess the current financial position of each borrower. Moreover, analysis of each borrower's financial performance establishes a basis for extending, limiting or withdrawing the present line of credit and for determining the amount and kind of supervision needed.