cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Disturbances in DNA precursor metabolism associated with exposure to an inhibitor of poly(ADP-ribose) synthetase.

Abstract 3-Aminobenzamide (3AB) is widely used as an inhibitor of poly(ADP-ribose) synthetase to study the effect of protein ribosylation on various cellular processes, but the specificity of its inhibition has not been demonstrated. We found that 3AB has a wide range of effects on DNA precursor metabolism, as determined by high-performance liquid chromatographic separation of deoxynucleosides derived from enzymatic digestion of cellular DNA. 3AB (10–20 mM) significantly reduced cell growth in human lymphoblastoid cells. Furthermore, the incorporation of [3H]deoxycytidine into DNA was significantly enhanced relative to incorporation of [3H]deoxythymidine, [3H]deoxyguanosine, and [3H]deoxyadenosine. Incorporation of fragments of [3H]glucose into the pyrimidine fraction of DNA was significantly inhibited relative to incorporation into the purine fraction. At only 1 mM, 3AB had a major inhibitory effect on the incorporation of the methyl group from [3H]methionine into deoxyguanosine, deoxyadenosine, and deoxycytidine, with 50% inhibition into deoxyguanosine and deoxyadenosine and 90% inhibition into deoxycytidine. The specificity of 3AB inhibition to poly(ADP-ribose) synthetase is therefore doubtful in view of this variety of metabolic effects, involving pyrimidine synthesis and de novo synthesis via the one-carbon pool.
Geographical genetic variation in the gene encoding VP3 from the Alberta isolate of epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus

The complete nucleic acid and deduced amino acid sequences of gene segment 3 and the encoded VP3 from the North American, Alberta isolate of epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus serotype 2 (EHDV-2) are reported. Complementary DNA corresponding to segment 3 was 2768 nucleotides in length with an open reading frame of 2697 base pairs which encoded a VP3 polypeptide of 899 amino acid residues. Sequence comparison with genome segment 3 and VP3 from the Australian strain of EHDV-2 indicated genotypic and phenotypic homologies of 79% and 94%, respectively. Two North American field isolates of EHDV-2, as well as EHDV-1 (New Jersey isolate), had virtually identical homology to the Alberta isolate. Sequence analysis delineated North American EHDV strains as members of a genetically homologous and geographically distinct group of orbiviruses (topotype). The data support the hypothesis that geographic isolation between North American and Australian orbiviruses has permitted the viral topotypes to maintain their genetic distinctness.
NO EFFECT OF A SINGLE SUPRATHERAPEUTIC DOSE OF LERSIVIRINE, A NEXT-GENERATION NNRTI, ON QTc INTERVAL IN HEALTHY SUBJECTS

Purpose of the study: Lersivirine (LRV) is a next-generation NNRTI currently under investigation in two Phase IIb studies at doses of 500 - 1000 mg QD. In vitro analyses suggest that LRV is a weak I kr and CA 2+ channel blocker. However, dose-ranging Phase I studies have not shown prolongation of QTc interval to date. This study was performed to investigate the effect of a supratherapeutic dose of LRV on QTc interval in healthy subjects, relative to matched placebo and active control. Supplement: Abstracts of the Tenth International Congress on Drug Therapy in HIV Infection http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1758-2652-13-S4-info.pdf Conference: Tenth International Congress on Drug Therapy in HIV Infection 7-11 November 2010 Glasgow, UK (Published: 8 November 2010) doi:10.1186/1758-2652-13-S4-P225 Cite this article as: Vourvahis et al.: No effect of a single supratherapeutic dose of lersivirine, a next-generation NNRTI, on QTc interval in healthy subjects. Journal of the International AIDS Society 2010 13(Suppl 4):P225. Full text: PubMed Central: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3113011/
A simplified and efficient germline-specific CRISPR/Cas9 system for Drosophila genomic engineering

The type II CRISPR/Cas9 system (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated) has recently emerged as an efficient and simple tool for site-specific engineering of eukaryotic genomes. To improve its applications in Drosophila genome engineering, we simplified the standard two-component CRISPR/Cas9 system by generating a stable transgenic fly line expressing the Cas9 endonuclease in the germline (Vasa-Cas9 line). By injecting vectors expressing engineered target-specific guide RNAs into Vasa-Cas9 fly embryos, mutations were generated from site-specific DNA cleavages and efficiently transmitted into progenies. Because Cas9 endonuclease is the universal component of the type II CRISPR/Cas9 system, site-specific genomic engineering based on this improved platform can be achieved with lower complexity and toxicity, greater consistency, and excellent versatility.
The Neonatal Integrative Developmental Care Model: Seven Neuroprotective Core Measures for Family-Centered Developmental Care

Abstract Neuroplasticity refers to the ability of the brain to make short- or long-term modifications to the strength and number of its synaptic neuronal connections in response to incoming stimuli associated with activity and experience. Neuroplasticity is a lifelong property of the human brain, which peaks during early life during the period of most rapid brain growth. The Neonatal Integrative Developmental Care Model uses neuroprotective interventions as strategies to support optimal synaptic neural connections, promote normal development, and prevent disabilities. Seven neuroprotective core measures for family-centered developmental care of the premature neonate are addressed: healing environment, partnering with families, positioning and handling, minimizing stress and pain, safeguarding sleep, protecting skin, and optimizing nutrition.
Detection of left atrial enlargement using hand-carried ultrasound devices to screen for cardiac abnormalities.

v u e t p t r Left atrial enlargement (LAE) is associated with both he presence and risk of many cardiac disorders and is otentially detectable by “point-of-care” ultrasound. This tudy evaluated left atrium (LA) size as a marker of ardiac pathology and assessed a simple method to assist hysicians unfamiliar with echocardiography to detect AE with handheld ultrasound devices. We analyzed 500 utpatient echocardiography studies and stratified data by A size, patient age, physician referral, and presence of n abnormality. Prevalence, sensitivity, specificity, and ositive and negative predictive values for an abnormal chocardiogram were calculated at increasing LA size hresholds. After brief training, resident physicians (n 6) were tested on their ability to detect LA size greater han 40 mm on 13 video-looped images of the parasternal ong-axis view and then on 6 patient models. Of 500 chocardiography studies, the prevalence of an abnormal chocardiogram was higher when LA size was greater han 40 mm versus LA size of 40 mm or less (69% vs 9%, P .05) and was related to increasing LA size, lder age, and cardiologist referral. In the 13 test cases, ean resident accuracy was 92%, 79%, and 87% for etecting LA sizes 40 mm or less, greater than 40 mm, nd greater than 50 mm, respectively. On the 6 patient odels, residents averaged 82% overall accuracy. LA
Multiple splice patterns of cyclic AMP response element-binding protein mRNA in the central nervous system of the rat.

The alternative splicing pattern of cyclic AMP response element-binding protein (CREB) in the central nervous system (CNS) of the rat has been investigated by an exon-flanking polymerase chain reaction (PCR) strategy. A series of RT-PCR studies with primer pairs flanking all possible alternative splicing sites (corresponding to a genomic region with at least one full exon and two flanking introns) has revealed multiple splice patterns in nine regions of the rat CNS. These include some novel transcripts that lack the phosphorylation site and a segment of the leucine zipper region which is crucial for dimerization and DNA binding. Some isoforms previously reported as testis-specific were also detected in the rat CNS. The findings from this study, which include differential splicing patterns among CNS regions, suggest a complex expression and functional regulation of CREB in the CNS.
Young operator methods for fermion systems

Alternative methods to the standard Young technique for the construction of Fermion wave functions in the spin orbital formalism are presented and shown to be equivalent to the standard technique. To develop these methods: (i) the starting or primitive function is factored into spin and spatial parts, (ii) the conjugacy feature required to satisfy the antisymmetry principle is exploited, (iii) the necessary commutation relations with the Fermion antisymmetrizer are shown to hold and (iv) the one-to-one correspondence between the independent picture of the Young tableaux and the independent Slater determinants is used. This last feature has the advantage of reducing all three methods to rapid efficient graphical procedures. Each method is analyzed to consider the amount of labor involved to carry it out. Several examples of the methods are given for constructing both electronic wave functions and spin functions.
Barotropic Rossby Waves in a Zonal Current: Effects of Lateral Viscosity

Abstract The behavior of a barotropic Rossby wave in a zonal current is studied theoretically using a beta-plane ocean of constant depth in which the current depends only on latitude. The wave may be reflected or absorbed, depending on whether the relative frequency as detected in the moving water increases or decreases, respectively, as the wave penetrates into the current. An eastward-flowing current can reflect a Rossby wave with little transfer of zonal momentum or energy to the current, even in the presence of lateral viscosity. It does transfer meridional momentum. A westward-flowing current can absorb a Rossby wave, receiving all the wave momentum and much of its energy. Near the absorption velocity there is a balance between viscous diffusion and advection of vorticity, and relative accelerators are insignificant.
A model for the time-dependent behavior of rock

Abstract Time-dependent stability of rock structures is studied using a visco-elasto-plastic constitutive model. The model consists of an elasto-plastic Mohr-Coulomb unit in series with a linear viscous unit. Both cohesion and friction are assumed to evolve with plastic and viscous strain in order to incorporate strain softening and time-dependent material degradation. To avoid mesh sensitivity in the numerical analysis, a non-local approach is introduced. The numerical results obtained for the long-term stability of a simulated biaxial test seem to be qualitatively consistent with experimental results reported in the literature.
Adolescents' help seeking in mathematics classrooms: Relations between achievement and perceived classroom environmental influences over one school year

Abstract We examined the relation between self reported help-seeking tendencies and standardized mathematics achievement as well as the contribution of shared perceptions of the classroom climate – achievement goal structure and emotional support – to the types of help (instrumental, expedient) middle and high school U.S. students seek and from whom (teacher and peers) over the school year. Hierarchical linear modeling (N = 3897 students grades 7–11 in 306 classrooms) revealed that the more students reported seeking help from their teacher and seeking instrumental help, the greater their over-the-year gains in standardized achievement. In general, shared perceptions of the classroom climate predicted changes in students' reported help seeking from the beginning of the school year (T1) to the end (T2). Students in classrooms collectively perceived to be more mastery-oriented at T1 predicted increases in instrumental help seeking and seeking help from peers at T2. Perceived T1 emotional support predicted increases in seeking help from teachers and peers at T2. By contrast, perceived T1 performance-approach goal structure predicted decreases in reported help seeking from teachers at T2 and positively predicted expedient help seeking at T2. Furthermore: (a) adolescent females reported seeking more instrumental help and seeking more help from peers and teachers, whereas, adolescent males reported seeking more expedient help; and (b) high school students sought more instrumental help than did middle school students. We discuss results with regard to the importance of help seeking to mathematics achievement as well as considering emotional support and classroom achievement goals together when examining students' help-seeking behaviors.
Tsunesaburo Makiguchi and Mikhail Bakhtin in dialogue: pedagogy for a spatial literacy of ecological selfhood

This article considers the philosophies of unknown Japanese educator Tsunesaburo Makiguchi (1871–1944) and his Russian contemporary Mikhail Bakhtin (1895–1975) as an Asian-Pacific pedagogical foundation for addressing the fierce urgency of human-induced environmental destruction and global climate shock. Specifically, the author compares Makiguchi's philosophy of geography with Bakhtin's views of chronotope, the other, and architectonics as a means of fostering ecological selfhood. The comparison raises awareness of Makiguchian philosophy, which the author argues anticipated, strengthens, and expands Bakhtin's discussed ideas in an educational context, while it simultaneously recasts Bakhtin's well-established ideas in light of environmental education. The author concludes by contextualizing these convergences in current pedagogical needs vis-a-vis the changing environmental and political nature of the world and multiliteracies education.
Integrated Optics Wavefront Measurement Sensor

This paper is a summary of work described previously on the integrated optics wavefront measurement sensor.1-3 In addition, the previously reported concept to use integrated guided-wave optics to process an optical wavefront with the conjugate of its phase distortion3 is described. In this concept, the distortion of an optical wavefront is removed by producing, using linear techniques, the phase conjugate of the distortion over a large array of waveguides. We believe that the program, the first phase of which is summarized in this paper, is the first application of integrated guided-wave optics to the analog processing of optical wavefronts.
Two exact micromechanics-based nonlocal constitutive equations for random linear elastic composite materials

Abstract A Hashin–Shtrikman–Willis variational principle is employed to derive two exact micromechanics-based nonlocal constitutive equations relating ensemble averages of stress and strain for two-phase, and also many types of multi-phase, random linear elastic composite materials. By exact is meant that the constitutive equations employ the complete spatially-varying ensemble-average strain field, not gradient approximations to it as were employed in the previous, related work of Drugan and Willis (J. Mech. Phys. Solids 44 (1996) 497) and Drugan (J. Mech. Phys. Solids 48 (2000) 1359) (and in other, more phenomenological works). Thus, the nonlocal constitutive equations obtained here are valid for arbitrary ensemble-average strain fields, not restricted to slowly-varying ones as is the case for gradient-approximate nonlocal constitutive equations. One approach presented shows how to solve the integral equations arising from the variational principle directly and exactly, for a special, physically reasonable choice of the homogeneous comparison material. The resulting nonlocal constitutive equation is applicable to composites of arbitrary anisotropy, and arbitrary phase contrast and volume fraction. One exact nonlocal constitutive equation derived using this approach is valid for two-phase composites having any statistically uniform distribution of phases, accounting for up through two-point statistics and arbitrary phase shape. It is also shown that the same approach can be used to derive exact nonlocal constitutive equations for a large class of composites comprised of more than two phases, still permitting arbitrary elastic anisotropy. The second approach presented employs three-dimensional Fourier transforms, resulting in a nonlocal constitutive equation valid for arbitrary choices of the comparison modulus for isotropic composites. This approach is based on use of the general representation of an isotropic fourth-rank tensor function of a vector variable, and its inverse. The exact nonlocal constitutive equations derived from these two approaches are applied to some example cases, directly rationalizing some recently-obtained numerical simulation results and assessing the accuracy of previous results based on gradient-approximate nonlocal constitutive equations.
Randomness testing of non-cryptographic hash functions for real-time hash table based storage and look-up of URLs

Abstract Non-cryptographic hash functions have been investigated to identify their pseudo-random nature when employed in the implementation of hash tables for real-time storage and look-up of uniform resource locators. Statistical studies have been performed on the sequences generated using five widely used non-cryptographic hash functions: (1) CRC, (2) Adler, (3) DJBX33A, (4) FNV, and (5) Murmur. The comparative analysis of tested non-cryptographic hash functions shows that the Adler hash function is not suitable for hash table implementation, whereas, the rest of non-cryptographic hash functions exhibit similar and better randomizing features which make them an attractive choice for hash table implementation.
Impurity-sensitized luminescence of rare earth-doped materials ☆

The accuracy of the theoretical model of impurity-sensitized luminescence in rare earth-doped materials presented here is adjusted to the demands of precise modern experimental techniques. The description is formulated within the double perturbation theory, and it is based on the assumption that electrostatic interactions between the subsystems that take part in the luminescence process are the most important ones. The amplitude of the energy transfer is determined by the contributions that represent the perturbing influence of the crystal-field potential and also electron correlation effects taken into account within the rare earth ions. In this way, the model is defined beyond the standard free ionic system and single configuration approximations. The new contributions to the energy transfer amplitude are expressed in the terms of effective tensor operators, and they contain the perturbing influence of various excited configurations. In order to maintain the high accuracy of the model, the radial integrals of all effective operators are defined within the so-called perturbed function approach. This means that they are evaluated for the complete radial basis sets of one electron functions of given symmetry, including the continuum.
EIN DENDRITISCHER MAKROCYCLUS ALS ORGANISCHES HIGH-SPIN-POLYRADIKAL MIT S = 10-GRUNDZUSTAND

Als ferromagnetisch gekoppeltes Spinpentamer wurde das makrocyclische Polyradikal 1 konzipiert. Fur diesen Kohlenwasserstoff ergaben Magnetisierungsmessungen einen durchschnittlichen Spin von S = 10 im Grundzustand, was der bislang grosten fur ein organisches Molekul gemessenen Spinquantenzahl entspricht. Ar = tBuC6H4.
Emanation of water from underground plant parts

A device was designed which used gypsum and electrical conductivity as a means of detecting and quantitizing the amount of water emanating from underground plant parts under natural conditions. Use of this device with the Common French Bean demonstrated that considerable amounts of moisture emanated from the underground part of the stem. The amount of water emanated was found to be influenced by environmental conditions, differences in soil type and degree of soil compaction. When plants were grown in an environment of approximately 100 per cent relative air humidity and at a temperature of 28 to 30°C, 115 to 125 µl of water emanated from an 11 mm length of stem in a 24-hour period, in contrast to 70 to 80 µl of water emanating from plants grown at 50 to 60 per cent relative air humidity and at a temperature of 18 to 20°C. Water emanation was more rapid in a compacted soil than loose soil and also appeared to be dependent on the amount of sand in a soil. Whereas 115 to 125 µl of water emanated in a silt loam soil, only 35 to 45 µl emanated in a loamy sand soil and less than 10 µl in washed sea sand during a 24-hour period. The sensitivity of the conductivity unit to changes in moisture and the utility of its design enables its employment under varied environmental conditions and offers a technique for plant pathologists to study the effect of both the below- and aboveground environments on moisture emanation from underground plant parts and the resultant effect on the associated microflora.
Project based learning for quality and Six Sigma education

Practical application of theoretical knowledge is essential for engineering students, which means students must know when, where, and how to apply concepts. Project based learning was introduced in two engineering courses; Quality, undergraduate level, and Six Sigma, graduate level. The goal of this research was to determine the impact of project based learning on students' knowledge in both courses where practical application of theoretical knowledge is necessary. Student teams were given hands-on collaborative projects conducted with local companies. After project completion, a student evaluation survey was distributed and analysed to determine the impact of the project on students' knowledge. The analysis used a Chi-Square test to examine how similar the students received knowledge from the use of the semester project. Results showed the semester project had a positive impact on the students' knowledge in learning course concepts and the students were able to apply theoretical knowledge to solve real-world problems.
Flexible database-driven opacity and spectrum calculations

The integration of computational atomic physics and information technology can provide flexible, convenient tools for high energy density physicists both computational and experimental. In this work, a flexible atomic database is applied to plasma opacity and spectrum calculations. Multiple atomic data models, such as screened hydrogenic, non-relativistic (ATBASE) and jj split relativistic (RSSUTA), are seamlessly incorporated into the software architecture. High performance parallel programming is applied to accelerate the computation of both the atomic data and the opacity calculations. The user interface is graphical and provided as an easy to use and convenient method to access the data and diagnose the calculations. We present opacity and spectrum results for Kr and Nb plasmas as examples of this new capability.
Comparisons of corrected daily integrated erythemal UVR from the U.S. EPA/UGA network of Brewer spectroradiometers with model and satellite data

A network of 21 Brewer spectroradiometers, owned by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and operated by the University of Georgia, is measuring UV spectral irradiances throughout the United States. Corrections to the raw data have now been implemented. These corrections include (1) stray light rejection, (2) the cosine errors associated with the full sky diffuser, (3) the temperature dependence of the response of the instruments and (4) the temporal variation in the instrument response due to optical changes in the characteristics of the instruments. While for many sites the total corrections amount to less than 10%, for certain sites they are much larger, in some cases amounting to more than 25%. Application of these corrections brings the errors of the absolute irradiance values to approximately ± 5 to 7% for all sources of error. Comparisons of corrected daily integrated erythemal UVR data (DUV) to model and TOMS-inferred values are performed for sites at Acadia National Park, Bigbend National Park, Everglades National Park and the Virgin Islands. All sites show very good agreement with the TUVSPEC model but comparison with TOMS-inferred DUV values indicate a 10-20% overestimate by TOMS for the four sites.
Copyright in context: Carvings, carvers, and commodities in Vanuatu

Much of the anthropology of indigenous copyright and other forms of intellectual property focuses on the ways in which indigenous understandings of reproductive entitlement diverge from the Euro-American or Western property values perceived to be enshrined within national and international legislation. I argue that in Vanuatu, local chiefs and carvers have successfully merged international and indigenous reckonings of entitlement within their understanding of copyright, simultaneously capitalizing on and blurring commonly understood conceptual, economic, and sociopolitical divides. When the people of Vanuatu are asked what copyright is, they invariably refer to the carvings and carvers involved in the ritual hierarchies of entitlement of the region of North Ambrym. I take this locally drawn analogy as my starting point to argue that concepts of “copyright,” and, indeed, copyright legislation and enforcement, may be mutually constituted between spheres of exchange and understandings of entitlement, as much from the bottom up as from the top down.
Origin of the second heart sound: clinical relevance of new observations.

In this day of emphasis upon clinical relevance, and the emphasis placed by governmental granting agencies upon directly applicable research, one wonders if there is any value in detailed investigations related to the mechanism of production of the second heart sound. Points of infinitesimal accuracy are debated, such as whether the second sound starts milliseconds before or after total semilunar valve closure, or whether vibration of nonvalve structures participates in the closure sound. We believe that these issues are important and clinically relevant. Specifically, recent information related to the origin of the second sound permits one to interpret clinical auscultatory phenomena that previously were puzzling and sometimes seemingly paradoxical. In 1915 Wiggersl suggested that there is silent approximation of the semilunar valves and that aftervibrations of the closed valves and the column of blood produce the second heart sound. In 1938 Lewis and Dock2 indicated that the second sound is of purely valve origin and excluded the myocardium as a structure contributing to the heart sounds. Studies a century earlier by Rouanet3 indicated that heart sounds (in this case the first sound) could be caused in a fashion similar to sound produced by any membrane as it passes “from flaccidity to tension suddenly.” In recent years, many factors have been postulated to contribute to sound production although experimental evidence has been limited in some instances. Rushmer4 related the origin of the second sound to oscillations in the arterial and ventricular cavities initiated by the momentum of backward-moving blood, which causes stretch and subsequent recoil of the valve. Coleman5 attributed the second sound to the sudden snapping together of the corpora arantii, which he postulated provides sufficient energy to vibrate the tensed leaflets. Piemme et al.6 suggested that the main
Effects of topography on the spin‐up of a Venus atmospheric model

[1] We study how topography affects the spin-up from rest of a model of the atmosphere of Venus. The simulations are performed with the EPIC model using its isentropic, terrain-following hybrid vertical coordinate, and are forced with the Newtonian-cooling profile used to achieve superrotation in a Venus model with no topography by Lee et al. (2005). We are able to reproduce their results with our model, which was developed independently and uses a different vertical coordinate. Both groups use a horizontal resolution of 5°, which is dictated by the need for reasonable computer runtime and is not a claim of numerical convergence. We find that the addition of topography substantially changes both the evolution and end state of the model's spin-up: the magnitude of the superrotation is diminished from 55 ms−1 to 35 ms−1, and it reaches steady state faster, in a few years instead of a few decades. A large, stationary eddy associated with Ishtar Terra forms that has a local horizontal temperature anomaly of order 2 K at the 0.7 bar level; such a feature may be observable in high-resolution infrared images.
Edge detection from truncated Fourier data using spectral mollifiers

Edge detection from a finite number of Fourier coefficients is challenging as it requires extracting local information from global data. The problem is exacerbated when the input data is noisy since accurate high frequency information is critical for detecting edges. The noise furthermore increases oscillations in the Fourier reconstruction of piecewise smooth functions, especially near the discontinuities. The edge detection method in Gelb and Tadmor (Appl Comput Harmon Anal 7:101---135, 1999, SIAM J Numer Anal 38(4):1389---1408, 2000) introduced the idea of "concentration kernels" as a way of converging to the singular support of a piecewise smooth function. The kernels used there, however, and subsequent modifications to reduce the impact of noise, were generally oscillatory, and as a result oscillations were always prevalent in the neighborhoods of the jump discontinuities. This paper revisits concentration kernels, but insists on uniform convergence to the "sharp peaks" of the function, that is, the edge detection method converges to zero away from the jumps without introducing new oscillations near them. We show that this is achievable via an admissible class of spectral mollifiers. Our method furthermore suppresses the oscillations caused by added noise.
Experimental evaluation of CO poisoning on the performance of a high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell

Abstract We experimentally studied a high temperature proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell to investigate the effects of CO poisoning at different temperatures. The effects of temperature, for various percentages of CO mixed with anode hydrogen stream, on the current–voltage characteristics of the fuel cell are investigated. The results show that at low temperature, the fuel cell performance degraded significantly with higher CO percentage (i.e., 5% CO) in the anode hydrogen stream compared to the high temperature. A detailed electrochemical analysis regarding CO coverage on electrode surface is presented which indicates that electrochemical oxidation is favorable at high temperature. A cell diagnostic test shows that both 2% CO and 5% CO can be tolerated equally at low current density ( −2 ) with high cell voltage (>0.5 V) at 180 °C without any cell performance loss. At high temperature, both 2% CO and 5% CO can be tolerated at higher current density (>0.5 A cm −2 ) with moderate cell voltage (0.2–0.5 V) when the cell voltage loss within 0.03–0.05 V would be acceptable. The surface coverage of platinum catalyst by CO at low temperature is very high compared to high temperature. Results suggest that the PEM fuel cell operating at 180 °C or above, the reformate gas with higher CO percentage (i.e., 2–5%) can be fed to the cell directly from the fuel processor.
LOCALIZATION IN CARBON NANOTUBES WITHIN A TIGHT-BINDING MODEL

We analyze the influence of defects on conductance, density of states, and localization in (N{sub a},N{sub a}) armchair carbon nanotubes within a tight-binding model. Using the transfer-matrix method, we calculate the reflection (related to the conductance) from a sequence of defects and relate its energy dependence near the Fermi level to the appearance of a quasibound state. This state is also seen in the density of states and in the energy dependence of the quasiparticle lifetime. We compute the localization length {xi}({omega}) as a function of energy {omega}. Comparison of {xi}(0) with the mean free path l{sub mfp} in the limit of small defect concentration c and small defect strength E leads to a simple approximate relation {xi}(0){approx}3l{sub mfp}=3{times}3aN{sub a}t{sup 2}/2cE{sup 2} (t{emdash} hopping integral, a{emdash} lattice constant). {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society}
Mercaptopyridine-N-oxide, an NADH-fumarate reductase inhibitor, blocks Trypanosoma cruzi growth in culture and in infected myoblasts

The enzyme NADH-fumarate reductase is not found in mammalian cells but it is present in several parasitic protozoa including Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas' disease. This study shows that the drug 2-mercaptopyridine-N-oxide (MPNO) inhibits NADH-fumarate reductase purified from T. cruzi (ID50=35 μM). When added to intact cells, MPNO inhibited the growth of T. cruzi epimastigotes in culture (ID50=0.08 μM) as well as the infection of mammalian myoblasts by T. cruzi trypomastigotes (ID50=20 μM). At a concentration of 2.4 μM, MPNO also inhibited the growth of amastigotes (intracellular dividing forms) in cultured mammalian myoblasts. Supplementation of culture media with 5 mM succinate, the product of fumarate reductase, partially protected against the inhibition of the growth of epimastigotes by MPNO. Moreover, MPNO inhibited the accumulation of succinate in cultures of epimastigotes, as measured by high performance liquid chromatography. Although MPNO may have other intracellular targets in addition to fumarate reductase, these results support the hypothesis that compounds which inhibit the enzyme fumarate reductase may be potential chemotherapeutic agents against Chagas' disease.
Reentrant isotropic phase in a discotic liquid crystal mixture

Abstract We have used X-ray diffraction and optical microscopy to study binary mixtures of 2,3,7,8,12,13-hexa-n-tetradecanoyloxy- and 2,3,7,8,12,13-hexa(4-n-undecyloxybenzoyloxy) truxenes. Our measurements confirm the existence of a reentrant isotropic phase, which is however always preceded by a mixed phase region rather than by a pure columnar phase. The nematic ND phase displays an anomalously negative thermal expansion coefficient. We speculate on mechanisms for reentrancy in discotic mesogens.
Analysis of crack closure in unidirectional composite plates subject to bending loads

Abstract Finite element analyses were performed to investigate the effect of crack closure in unidirectional fibrous composite plates with through-wall-thickness cracks and subjected to bending loads. The analyses showed that, for a composite plate, crack closure at the compression side of a through-wall-thickness crack increased the crack opening displacement and bending stress around the crack tip at the tensile surface of the plate. This was due to the effect of transverse shear. Thus, not considering crack closure in a composite plate subject to a bending load will result in a not only inaccurate but also non-conservative solution for a through-wall-thickness crack.
Inhibitory Effects of IFN-γ and Acyclovir on the Glioblastoma Cell Cycle

Glioblastoma multiforme is one of the most aggressive and frequently occurring forms of brain cancer. It originates from astrocytes and is characterized by a loss of cell cycle control frequently involving mutations in tumor suppressor genes, such as p53 and p16. Nucleoside analogs, such as acyclovir (ACV), are currently being used in the treatment of viral diseases, such as those caused by members of the herpes family. Further, ACV in combination with type I interferons (IFN) has been shown to be more effective at lower doses in treatment of viral diseases. We show here that ACV at high concentrations (up to 500 μg/ml) inhibited growth in tissue culture of the human glioblastoma cell lines T98G, SNB-19, and U-373 by as much as 68.3% while inhibiting normal human astrocytes by only 38.3%. Related to this, the tumor cells were more than sevenfold more efficient in phosphorylation of ACV to the active phosphate form than normal human astrocytes. Analogous to treatment of virus-infected cells, suboptimal con...
Aldosterone Modulates Steroid Receptor Binding to the Endothelin-1 Gene (edn1)

Aldosterone and endothelin-1 (ET-1) act on collecting duct cells of the kidney and are important regulators of renal sodium transport and cardiovascular physiology. We recently identified the ET-1 gene (edn1) as a novel aldosterone-induced transcript. However, aldosterone action on edn1 has not been characterized at the present time. In this report, we show that aldosterone stimulated edn1 mRNA in acutely isolated rat inner medullary collecting duct cells ex vivo and ET-1 peptide in rat inner medulla in vivo. Aldosterone induction of edn1 mRNA occurred in cortical, outer medullary, and inner medullary collecting duct cells in vitro. Inspection of the edn1 promoter revealed two putative hormone response elements. Levels of heterogeneous nuclear RNA synthesis demonstrated that edn1 mRNA stimulation occurred at the level of transcription. RNA knockdowns corroborated pharmacological studies and demonstrated both mineralocorticoid receptor and glucocorticoid receptor participated in this response. Aldosterone resulted in dose-dependent nuclear translocation and binding of mineralocorticoid receptor and glucocorticoid receptor to the edn1 hormone response elements. Hormone receptors mediated the association of chromatin remodeling complexes, histone modification, and RNA polymerase II at the edn1 promoter. Direct interaction between aldosterone and ET-1 has important implications for renal and cardiovascular function.
Theory of Solid Ne, A, Kr, and Xe at 0°K

A quantum-mechanical variational technique is applied to an Einstein model of a solid, and the heats of sublimation and equations of state of solid Ne, A, Kr, and Xe are calculated at 0\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. Mie-Lennard-Jones 6-12 potentials appropriate to the gas-phase data are used throughout, and the importance of quantum-mechanical effects is discussed; in general, good agreement with experiment is obtained. From the theoretical zero-point energies equivalent Debye temperatures, $\ensuremath{\theta}$, are calculated, and from the dependence of these $\ensuremath{\theta}$ on volume, Gr\"uneisen constants are computed in good agreement with experiment. Theoretical compressibility curves (at 0\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K) are presented, and compared with the available experimental data; in the case of Ne, the only substance for which high-pressure data are available, the agreement is rather good up to 20 k atmos.
Principles of Water Management under Drought Conditions

Abstract In rain-fed agriculture the options for water management are much more limited than for irrigated agriculture and the management rools available to the farmer are few. The major variable at his disposal is the selection of the crop to be grown. The economic return per unit of water is the major factor to be considered. This usually implies the maximum possible ratio of grain or other harvested plant part to total dry matter. When the rainfall is just below amount needed for maximum dry matter production, this maximum can be achieved through appropriate manipulation of the plant population. The optimum population depends both upon the characteristics of the plant and the amount and distribution of the precipitation. When the amount of precipitation is significantly less than about 25% of the optimum, then other management approaches are required. A widespread solution to this problem has been summer-fallowing. However, in certain circumstances some variation on surface water management or water harvesting may be more advantageous. Criteria for decision making for optimum production under dry-land conditions are given.
Atrial fibrillation complicating lung cancer resection.

Objective To (1) characterize atrial fibrillation complicating lung cancer resection, (2) evaluate its temporal relationship to other postoperative complications, and (3) assess its economics. Methods From January 1998 to August 2002, 604 patients underwent anatomic lung cancer resection. Atrial fibrillation prevalence, onset, and temporal associations with other postoperative complications were determined. Propensity matching was used to assess economics. Results Atrial fibrillation occurred in 113 patients (19%), peaking on postoperative day 2. Older age, male gender, heart failure, clamshell incision, and right pneumonectomy were risk factors (P Conclusion Atrial fibrillation occurs in 1 in 5 patients after lung cancer resection, with peak onset on postoperative day 2. Risk factors are both patient and procedure related, and atrial fibrillation may herald other serious complications. Although often solitary, atrial fibrillation is associated with longer hospital stay and higher cost. It therefore requires prompt treatment and should stimulate investigation for other problems.
Control of selectivity and electroactivity on underoxidized polypyrrole film electrodes

Neutral (or under-oxidized) PPY film electrodes were directly prepared by electropolymerization and elimination of the subsequent oxidation of the deposited PPY layers during the polymerization process. Electroactivity and selectivity could be established on these nonconducting, densely packed neutral PPY film electrodes through controlled oxidation. Development of electroactivity for different redox solutes was concluded to be a combination of the creation of conducting areas and the opening of transport channels in the neutral PPY network by the oxidation. Selectivity of the PPY film electrode was controlled by selection of electrolyte counter-anion, management of molecular size, and change of pH.
Angle of attack distribution on wind turbines in yawed flow

This paper presents a new approach to model the induction for wind turbines in yawed flow to find the effective angle of attack distribution along the blades. There is an inherent difficulty in determining the angle of attack required by aeroelastic codes as input to tabulated airfoil data. Unlike two-dimensional (2D) conditions where the angle of attack is the angle between the unperturbed flow and the airfoil chord, for the rotating blade, the incoming flow is bended because of rotation and affected by the induction of the blade circulation and the tip and root vortices, making the definition of the angle of attack uncertain. In this work, the analogy with 2D potential flows suggests that a coupling term between the unperturbed geometric angle of attack and the unitary velocity in the radial direction should be included to calculate the effective angle of attack seen by the blade strips. The model introduces two radially dependent interferences on the geometric angle, obtained from axial flow conditions that give the effective angle of attack under arbitrarily yawed flow conditions. The model gives a uniform treatment to the radial flows associated with yawed conditions or coned rotors and can be applied directly to calculate the effective angle of attack distribution on coned rotors in yawed flow. The accuracy of the method compares with results obtained from conventional or higher degree of complexity methods. The model can be incorporated into blade element momentum theory codes as an option to calculate angle of attack distributions. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Diagnosis and treatment of vitamin D deficiency

The recent discovery--in a randomised, controlled trial--that daily ingestion of 1100 IU of colecalciferol (vitamin D) over a 4-year period dramatically reduced the incidence of non-skin cancers makes it difficult to overstate the potential medical, social and economic implications of treating vitamin D deficiency. Not only are such deficiencies common, probably the rule, vitamin D deficiency stands implicated in a host of diseases other than cancer. The metabolic product of vitamin D is a potent, pleiotropic, repair and maintenance, secosteroid hormone that targets > 200 human genes in a wide variety of tissues, meaning it has as many mechanisms of action as genes it targets. A common misconception is that government agencies designed present intake recommendations to prevent or treat vitamin D deficiency. They did not. Instead, they are guidelines to prevent particular metabolic bone diseases. Official recommendations were never designed and are not effective in preventing or treating vitamin D deficiency and in no way limit the freedom of the physician--or responsibility--to do so. At this time, assessing serum 25-hydroxy-vitamin D is the only way to make the diagnosis and to assure that treatment is adequate and safe. The authors believe that treatment should be sufficient to maintain levels found in humans living naturally in a sun-rich environment, that is, > 40 ng/ml, year around. Three treatment modalities exist: sunlight, artificial ultraviolet B radiation or supplementation. All treatment modalities have their potential risks and benefits. Benefits of all treatment modalities outweigh potential risks and greatly outweigh the risk of no treatment. As a prolonged 'vitamin D winter', centred on the winter solstice, occurs at many temperate latitudes, < or = 5000 IU (125 microg) of vitamin D/day may be required in obese, aged and/or dark-skinned patients to maintain adequate levels during the winter, a dose that makes many physicians uncomfortable.
The Bacterial Communities Associated with Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Foragers

The honey bee is a key pollinator species in decline worldwide. As part of a commercial operation, bee colonies are exposed to a variety of agricultural ecosystems throughout the year and a multitude of environmental variables that may affect the microbial balance of individuals and the hive. While many recent studies support the idea of a core microbiota in guts of younger in-hive bees, it is unknown whether this core is present in forager bees or the pollen they carry back to the hive. Additionally, several studies hypothesize that the foregut (crop), a key interface between the pollination environment and hive food stores, contains a set of 13 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) that inoculate collected pollen and act in synergy to preserve pollen stores. Here, we used a combination of 454 based 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the microbial communities of forager guts, crops, and corbicular pollen and crop plate counts to show that (1) despite a very different diet, forager guts contain a core microbiota similar to that found in younger bees, (2) corbicular pollen contains a diverse community dominated by hive-specific, environmental or phyllosphere bacteria that are not prevalent in the gut or crop, and (3) the 13 LAB found in culture-based studies are not specific to the crop but are a small subset of midgut or hindgut specific bacteria identified in many recent 454 amplicon-based studies. The crop is dominated by Lactobacillus kunkeei, and Alpha 2.2 (Acetobacteraceae), highly osmotolerant and acid resistant bacteria found in stored pollen and honey. Crop taxa at low abundance include core hindgut bacteria in transit to their primary niche, and potential pathogens or food spoilage organisms seemingly vectored from the pollination environment. We conclude that the crop microbial environment is influenced by worker task, and may function in both decontamination and inoculation.