cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cardiovascular involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus

SLE is an inflammatory disease of unknown etiology with the potential of affecting virtually all organ systems. Cardiovascular involvement occurs frequently, although it is often mild enough not to cause clinical concern. Pericarditis is most commonly subclinical, noted only on echocardiogram. Pericardial fluid, which can accumulate rapidly enough to cause tamponade, is inflammatory in nature and can totally mimic infection. The occurrence of Libman-Sacks endocarditis, usually a pathological diagnosis of little clinical significance, has little if any correlation with the presence of audible murmurs. However, valve replacement is occasionally necessary secondary to sterile destruction. These valvular lesions can also embolize or become infected. The incidence of ischemic coronary disease is increased, both secondary to premature atherosclerosis and, rarely, coronary arteritis. Conduction disease and arrhythmias are infrequently reported in adult patients, but congenital CHB has been noted in children born to mothers who have circulating anti-Ro antibody. Evidence is accumulating that suggests there is a mild cardiomyopathy associated with SLE that may be due to thrombotic or inflammatory microvascular coronary disease. Acute clinical myocarditis also rarely occurs. Therapeutically, at present, a reasonable course would seem to be to limit all known possible contributing factors to premature coronary artery and myocardial disease (hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, smoking, steroid therapy, etc), to be vigilant about recognizing the rarer complications associated with SLE (infectious pericarditis and endocarditis, coronary arteritis, pericardial tamponade, clinical myocarditis), and to remember that these uncommon complications are indeed uncommon. The importance of vigorously treating systemic hypertension cannot be overstressed.
SU‐C‐BRA‐06: A Novel Device for Delivering Combined Partial Breast Hyperthermia and Partial Breast Irradiation

Purpose: The attraction of Partial Breast Irradiation (PBI) is related to minimizing the potential negative side effects of radiation therapy and the potential to reduce the total effective tumordose. Heat has also proven to be a significant radiosensetizer. In this paper, we propose a novel technique for delivering combined partial breast irradiation and hyperthermia (PBHI) to gain the added benefits. Methods: Manufacturing of a prototype balloon applicator for PBHI delivery is currently underway at our institution. This new device will use a modified central lumen for heating of the surrounding fill solution by a removable miniaturized resistive heating element. The temperature of the fill solution will be controlled by a feedback loop system utilizing a thermocouple and proportional‐integral‐derivative (PID) industrial temperature controller unit. The feasibility of our system has been verified through mathematical modeling using the finite‐element partial differential equation solver package COMSOL Multiphysics (COMSOL Inc., Burlington, MA). Results: We modeled our balloon as a 6 cm diameter water filled sphere within a 20 cm diameter sphere of breast tissue. The temperature at the balloon surface was kept at 460 C for one hour. The results show a temperature at the 1 cm margin around the balloon of approximately 41 0C is maintained during 30 minutes of heating. The temperature gradient between the balloon wall and the 1 cm margin is very steep due to the low thermal conductivity of the modeled breast tissue. Conclusion: Hyperthermia, in combination with radiation, is a proven method of reducing local recurrence rates of breast cancer as an adjuvant treatment. Modeling of the proposed system confirms the viability for construction of a prototype system which is currently in development. The device will further expand the potential patient population qualifying for partial breast irradiation thus providing an enhanced treatment option with minimized side effects
Biological Implications of Heme Metabolism

Free heme, i.e., protein-unbound heme, can be toxic to cells because it catalyzes the production of reactive oxygen species. To cope with this problem, the body is equipped with various defense mechanisms against high free heme concentrations. Heme oxygenase is the key molecule in the elimination of the prooxidant heme, which catalyzes the conversion of free heme to iron, biliverdin IXα and carbon monoxide. Heme oxygenase-1 is a signature of oxidative tissue injury and plays a critical role in the defense against oxidative stress, while heme oxygenase-2 is now also recognized as an oxygen sensor. Both biliverdin IXα and carbon monoxide have been shown to be important in the protective response against oxidative tissue injuries. Thus, the breakdown products of heme have their own biological functions. Recent evidence suggests that there may be oscillatory control of both heme synthesis and oxidative stress. These findings suggest that heme metabolites may also be important in tissue protection, oxygen sensing, and circadian control of oxidative tissue injury.
Niche and Neutral Effects of Acquired Immunity Permit Coexistence of Pneumococcal Serotypes

Over 90 capsular serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae, a common nasopharyngeal colonizer and major cause of pneumonia, bacteremia, and meningitis, are known. It is unclear why some serotypes can persist at all: They are more easily cleared from carriage and compete poorly in vivo. Serotype-specific immune responses, which could promote diversity in principle, are weak enough to allow repeated colonizations by the same type. We show that weak serotype-specific immunity and an acquired response not specific to the capsule can together reproduce observed diversity. Serotype-specific immunity stabilizes competition, and acquired immunity to noncapsular antigens reduces fitness differences. Our model can be used to explain the effects of pneumococcal vaccination and indicates general factors that regulate the diversity of pathogens.
More Smear-Based Variable Selection Heuristics for NCSPs

In this work we attempt to study and discover the principles behind one of the most succesfulvariable selection heuristics in branch-and-prune interval-based solvers: the Smear-based heuristics. Why these heuristics work? Which is their objective?Can we do any better?Based on the principles of the Smear functionand the well-known first-fail principle: "To succeed, try first where you are most likely to fail" we propose several variable selection heuristics. The heuristics are tested and compared to the Smear-based oneson solving twenty nonlinear systems of equations. We report our first results and conclusions.
Indefinite harmonic forms and gauge theory

Indecomposable representations have been extensively used in the construction of conformal and de Sitter gauge theories. It is thus noteworthy that certain unitary highest weight representations have been given a geometric realization as the unitary quotient of an indecomposable representation using indefinite harmonic forms [RSW]. We apply this construction toSU (2,2) and the de Sitter group. The relation is established between these representations and the massless, positive energy representations ofSU (2,2) obtained in the physics literature. We investigate the extent to which this construction allows twistors to be viewed as a gauge theory ofSU (2,2). For the de Sitter group, on which the gauge theory of singletons is based, we find that this construction is not directly applicable.
The binding problem lives on: comment on Di Lollo

In his opinion article [1], Vincent Di Lollo argues that the binding problem [2–4] is ‘ill-posed’. I disagree. The binding problem is, in fact, a very real problem, solved in the visual system with the aid of selective attention. What was ‘ill-posed’, or just incorrect, was the traditional mapping of the problem onto the brain.
Mutagenicity of 1,2-dicarbonyl compounds: maltol, kojic acid, diacetyl and related substances.

Abstract Our continued interest in naturally occurring mutagens has led us to examine the mutagenic activity of a series of 1,2-dicarbonyl compounds in the Salmonella/microsome assay. Several compounds in this class are of particular toxicological interest because they occur in various foods. Maltol, a product of carbohydrate dehydration, is found in coffee, chicory, soybeans, baked cereals, bread crusts and other products [4,5]. This compound and ethyl maltol, a synthetic homolog of maltol, are also used extensively as flavor-enhancing agents, particularly in carbohydrate-rich foods [10]. Kojic acid was originally isolated from mold-fermented rice. It is a metabolite of many microorganisms including several fungi used in food production [10]. Diacetyl is an aroma component of butter, beer, coffee and other foods [3,12,16,18]. In addition, glyoxal and some related 1,2-dicarbonyl compounds exhibit antiviral and carcinostatic properties [2,19]. We wish to report on the mutagenic activities of these and several other related compounds.
On Information Functions and Their Polars

LetP be a closed convex cone. Information functions, i.e., nonnegative functions onP which are positively homogeneous and concave, are shown to be in a one-to-one correspondence with certain convex subsets ofP. Information functions are always isotone with respect to the vector ordering induced byP, and this order-preserving property distinguishes them from their convex analogues, gauge functions. A polarity concept for information functions is proposed which slightly deviates from the well-known polarity correspondence for gauge functions. Finally, those functions are characterized which differ from information functions only by some nondecreasing concave transformation.
Rape Myth Acceptance Among First- and Second-Generation South Asian American Women

Differences between European American women and first- and second-generation South Asian American women in their acceptance of rape myths were investigated. The Rape Myth Acceptance Scale, the Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation Scale, and a demographic questionnaire were administered to 75 participants. A one-way analysis of variance and planned comparisons analyses showed that first-generation South Asian American women had higher rape myth acceptance than second-generation South Asian American women and European American women. Second-generation South Asian American women and European American women had similar rates of acceptance of rape myths.
Structure and propagation speeds of turbulent premixed flames—A numerical study

Abstract The aim of the work was to gain understanding of turbulent premixed flames, particularly the local flame speed and structure. Full numerical simulations were made for flames (with simple reactions and Lewis number unity) propagating in a constant density, isotropic turbulent flow; the Reynolds and Damkohler numbers were varied. The range of Damkohler numbers allowed investigation of both the unstrained and strained flame regimes. The latter included cases in which local flame extinction was observed. The results showed that the local structure of weakly strained flames, i.e., those at high Damkohler numbers, is similar to that of an unstrained, one-dimensional, steady, planar laminar flame. Moreover, the local propagation speed had a narrow probability density function peaked at the speed of the laminar flame. The results support the validity of flamelet modeling concepts which are used in current combustion models. However, at small values of the Damkohler number, the local flame structure is complex and flamelet models may not be appropriate.
Estimating aminoglycoside clearance and creatinine clearance in underweight patients.

Purpose An adjustment factor (AF) was developed and evaluated to determine the best method for estimating aminoglycoside clearance (CLamino) and creatinine clearance (CLcr) in underweight patients. Methods This study was a retrospective, multicenter, chart analysis of aminoglycoside pharmacokinetic data obtained between January 2000 and August 2006 at the University of Southern California University Hospital and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Adult patients were included in this study if they had received inpatient aminoglycoside therapy, were at least 60 inches tall, and were at least 10% below their ideal body weight (IBW). CLcr and CLamino were estimated and compared to actual CLamino using the Cockcroft–Gault equation with actual serum creatinine (SCr) (CGSCr), Cockcroft–Gault equation with SCr rounded to 1 mg/dL (CGrnd), and Cockcroft–Gault equation multiplied by an AF (CGAF). Results An AF of 0.69 was determined from 52 patients and tested in 53 separate patients. The CGAF method was more precise and less biased than the CGSCr equation; the CGrnd equation was less biased than the CGSCr equation; the CGAF method was more precise and less biased than the CGrnd equation, but this difference was not statistically significant. In underweight patients with an SCr concentration of ≥ 1 mg/dL, the CGAF method had less bias compared with the CGSCr equation. Conclusion Both the CGrnd and CGAF methods of predicting CLamino in underweight patients were superior to the CGSCr equation. The CGAF method was more accurate in patients exhibiting greater differences between IBW and actual body weight.
On human remains: Values and practice in the home archiving of cherished objects

Creating digital archives of personal and family artifacts is an area of growing interest, but which seemingly is often not supported by a thorough understanding of current home archiving practice. In this article we seek to excavate the home archive, exploring those things that people choose to keep rather than simply accumulate. Based on extensive field research in family homes we present an investigation of the kinds of sentimental objects, both physical and digital, to be found in homes, and through in-depth interviews with family members we explore the values behind archiving practices, explaining why and how sentimental artefacts are kept. In doing this we wish to highlight the polysemous nature of things and to argue that archiving practice in the home is not solely concerned with the invocation of memory. In support of this we show how sentimental artifacts are also used to connect with others, to define the self and the family, to fulfill obligations and, quite conversely to efforts of remembering, to safely forget. Such values are fundamental to family life where archiving takes place and consequently we explore how home archiving is achieved as a familial practice in the negotiated spaces of the home. From this grounded understanding of existing practices and values, in context, we derive requirements and implications for the design of future forms of domestic archiving technology.
The Quality of Online Privacy Policies: A Resource-Dependency Perspective

Privacy concerns and practices, especially those dealing with the acquisition and use of consumer personal information by corporations, are at the forefront of business and social issues associated with the information age. This research examines the privacy policies of large U.S. companies to assess the substance and quality of their stated information practices. Six factors are identified that indicate the extent to which a firm is dependent upon consumer personal information, and therefore more likely to develop high quality privacy statements. The studyâ€™s findings provide practical and theoretical implications for information privacy issues, particularly for consumers who need to determine whether or not to disclose their personal identifying information to firms. The results illustrate the complexity involved in managing personal private information.
Ultra-wideband statistical channel model for non line of sight millimeter-wave urban channels

This paper presents ultra-wideband statistical spatial and omnidirectional channel models for 28 GHz millimeter-wave cellular dense urban Non-Line of Sight (NLOS) environments, developed from wideband measurements in New York City that used synthesized timing from 3D ray-tracing. An accurate 3GPP-like channel model has been developed, where model parameters are based on empirical distributions for time cluster and spatial (lobe) channel parameters. A statistical simulator capable of reproducing the joint temporal and spatial measured channel statistics is given here. A step-by-step procedure for generating channel coefficients is shown to validate measured statistics from 28 GHz field measurements, thus validating our statistical channel model, for use in standard bodies and system-level simulations for millimeter-wave wideband communications.
Sex differences in anxiety, sensorimotor gating and expression of the α4 subunit of the GABAA receptor in the amygdala after progesterone withdrawal

In a progesterone withdrawal (PWD) model of premenstrual anxiety, we have previously demonstrated that increased hippocampal expression of the α4 subunit of the GABAA receptor (GABAA-R) is closely associated with higher anxiety levels in the elevated plus maze. However, several studies indicate that sex differences in regulation of the GABAA-R in specific brain regions may be an important factor in the observed gender differences in mood disorders. Thus, we investigated possible sex differences in GABAA-R subunit expression and anxiety during PWD. To this end, we utilized the acoustic startle response (ASR) to assess anxiety levels in male and female rats undergoing PWD as the ASR is also applicable to the assessment of human anxiety responses. We also investigated GABAA-R α4 subunit expression in the amygdala, as the amygdala directly regulates the primary startle circuit. Female rats exhibited a greater ASR during PWD than controls, indicating higher levels of anxiety and arousal. In contrast, male rats undergoing PWD did not demonstrate an increased ASR. The sex differences in the ASR were paralleled by sex differences in the expression of the GABAA-R α4 subunit in the amygdala such that α4 subunit expression was up-regulated in females during PWD whereas α4 levels in males undergoing PWD were not altered relative to controls. These findings might have implications regarding gender differences in human mood disorders and the aetiology of premenstrual anxiety.
The role of absorptive corrections in a triple-Regge analysis of pp → Δ++ + X

Abstract The size and nature of absorptive corrections in the triple-Regge region of inclusive reactions are discussed. A triple-Regge model using π, B, ρ and A2 exchanges, both with and without absorption, is presented and compared with the data for pp → Δ++X. Predictions for the x and p⊥2 dependence of the invariant cross section and the Δ++ density matrix elements are given. The effects of absorption in other π exchange dominated reactions are briefly discussed.
A Multiple-Mode Approach to Large-Amplitude Vibration of Moderately Thick Elliptical Plates

Sur la base d'une analyse de modes multiples on presente des solutions des equations de mouvement non lineaires pour des plaques elliptiques. Les equations sont ecrites en termes de deplacement lateral et de fonction de contrainte. Ces equations incluent les effets de cisaillement transversal et d'inertie en rotation
Effects of dopants and defects on light-induced metastable states in a -Si:H

Using photothermal deflection spectroscopy we measure the gap-state optical absorption of light-induced metastable defects in undoped, singly-doped, and compensated a-Si:H. We observe an enhancement in the gap-state absorption after illumination which is shown to be due to the creation of new silicon dangling-bond defects and not to a shift in the Fermi level. For singly-doped material, the number of light-induced defects scales with dopant concentration, while full compensation (counter doping) drastically minimizes the density of these defects. The results provide evidence that the doping level influences the light-induced defect formation mechanism, and imply that simply breaking Si--Si bonds may not be the primary mechanism.
Risk of Clavicle Fracture Following Coracoclavicular Ligament Reconstruction for High Grade Acromioclavicular Joint Dislocations

Finite element models are used for qualitative comparison of the risk of fracture associated with clavicle tunnels in reconstruction of the coracoclavicular ligaments for treatment of high-grade acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) injury. The two-tunnel reconstruction technique is found likely to have higher fracture risk than the less anatomic single tunnel reconstruction. The models suggest that four point bending is more likely than three point bending, cantilever bending, or axial loading to differentiate the reconstruction techniques in a laboratory experiment. The results must be narrowly interpreted only in a laboratory context due to the limitations of the study.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Similarities and differences in secondary structure of viscoelastic polymers of maize α-zein and wheat gluten proteins

Abstract The secondary structure of a dough-like zein polymer was compared to the structure present in a wheat viscoelastic system using FT-IR spectroscopy. When zein was mixed at 35 °C, which is above its glass transition temperature (Tg), changes in its secondary structure suggested that the protein loses its native structure, mainly composed of α-helices (∼68%), and a viscoelastic system is formed by a structural rearrangement that favors β-sheet structures. This rearrangement is very similar to the structural changes observed in gluten viscoelastic polymers. Upon removal of shear stress, the zein polymer showed a rapid decrease in the proportion of β-sheet structures (from ∼48% to ∼28% after the first 3 min) in favor of unordered structures. At the same time, the viscoelasticity of the polymer decreased rapidly. In contrast, gluten, in a similar viscoelastic system and held at the same temperature, showed a fairly constant high content of β-sheet structures (∼49%) coinciding with the slow relaxation time typical of gluten networks after the removal of shear. We speculate that the addition of a protein capable of causing extensive and stable β-sheet formation in the zein–starch viscoelastic polymer could increase the stability and relaxation time of the zein system and, thereby, create the possibility of a zein dough with similar functionality to a wheat viscoelastic system.
Masked Monitoring in Clinical Trials — Blind Stupidity?

In randomized clinical trials of treatment, information about which subjects are receiving the new treatment and which are receiving the standard treatment is often withheld from both the researche...
A mapping technique for efficient random event generation with constraints

Abstract A new technique for handling Monte Carlo integrations with δ-function constraints is presented. Points are generated in the unconstrained volume and then mapped by a scale transformation or other mapping onto the constrained subspace. The correct weight factors associated with such mappings are given for n-particle phase space with energy-momentum conservation constraints. The flexibility and simplicity of this scheme are discussed in comparison with existing alternative methods.
Enhancement of 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-isomerase in the human fetal adrenal by removal of the soluble cell fraction

Abstract To asses whether there is some factor in the soluble cell fraction which might result in inhibition of the 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-isomerase enzyme system in the human fetal adrenal, separate homogenate and microsomal fractions of fetal adrenal tissue were incubated wtih isotopic pregnenolone and dehydroepiandrosterone. The amount of the Δ4-3-ketosteroid, androstenedione, found in the microsomal preparation was 22–27 times higher than that in the homogenate. No labeled C12-Δ4-3-ketosteroids were found. The data are interpreted as suggesting that inhibition of the formation of Δ4-3-ketosteroids occured in the homogenate, even though this enzyme capacity is present. The exact nature of this inhibition was not demostrated. The data further imply a deficiency of a pregnenolone-specific 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-isomerase system and suggest substrate specificity for this enzyme function.
Impact of sedation and anesthesia on the rectoanal inhibitory reflex in children.

Objective: The study objective was to determine whether the rectoanal inhibitory reflex (RAIR) can be elicited during limited anorectal manometry (ARM) performed under general anesthesia (GA). Methods: In this retrospective study, patients with intractable constipation who underwent ARM under GA from November 1999 to March 2002 were evaluated. Rectal biopsy specimens were examined for the presence of ganglion cells. Results: Eighty consecutive patients aged 5 months to 16 years were evaluated. Three patients with Hirschsprung disease were excluded from analysis. Ganglion cells were found in rectal biopsy specimens from 76 patients. RAIR was positive in 69 (90%) and negative in 8 (10%). Forty-five patients received preoperative medications: midazolam (n = 36), midazolam + atropine (n = 3), atropine (n = 1), midazolam + glycopyrrolate (n = 3), and glycopyrrolate (n = 2). Different combinations of general anesthetic medications were used. Ten patients received neuromuscular blockers. The use of preoperative midazolam or atropine did not affect the presence or absence of RAIR; however, the proportion of patients with negative RAIR was higher in those receiving glycopyrrolate (P = 0.007) than in those receiving other medications. There was no significant difference in the effect of the general anesthetic agents or neuromuscular blockers used on the presence or absence of RAIR. Conclusions: The rectoanal inhibitory reflex in children can be elicited even when anorectal manometry is performed under general anesthesia. Glycopyrrolate, an anticholinergic, appears to inhibit the demonstration of the RAIR.
S-methyl-N,N-diethylthiocarbamate sulfoxide elicits neuroprotective effect against N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-mediated neurotoxicity.

Glutamatergic neurotransmission, particularly of the NMDA receptor type, has been implicated in the excitotoxic response to several external and internal stimuli. In the present investigation, we report that S-methyl-N,N-diethylthiocarbamate sulfoxide (DETC-MeSO) selectively and specifically blocks the NMDA receptor subtype of the glutamate receptors, and attenuates glutamate-induced neurotoxicity in rat-cultured primary neurons. Other major ionotropic glutamate receptor subtypes, α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid and kainate, were insensitive to DETC-MeSO both in vitro and in vivo. Disulfiram, the parent compound of DETC-MeSO, also inhibits glutamate receptors partially in vivo; however, it fails to inhibit glutamate receptors in mice pretreated with N-butyl imidazole, a cytochrome P450 enzyme inhibitor, implicating the need for bioactivation of disulfiram to be an effective antagonist. We showed that glutamate-induced increase in45Ca2+ was attenuated in rat-cultured primary neurons following pretreatment with DETC-MeSO. The Ca2+ influx into primary neurons, studied by confocal microscopy of the fluorescent Ca2+ dye fura-2, demonstrated a complete attenuation of NMDA-induced Ca2+ influx. Similarly, DETC-MeSO attenuated NMDA-induced45Ca2+ uptake. Glutamate-induced45Ca2+ uptake and Ca2+ influx, however, were partially blocked by DETC-MeSO, and this is consistent with both in vitro and in vivo studies in which DETC-MeSO partially blocked mouse brain glutamate receptors. In addition, DETC-MeSO pretreatment effectively prevented seizures in mice induced either by NMDA, ammonium acetate, or ethanol-induced kindling seizures, all of which are believed to be mediated by NMDA receptors. These data demonstrate that DETC-MeSO produces the neuroprotective effect through antagonism of NMDA receptors in vivo.
The atomic hydrogen maser oscillator

The basic operational requirements and present technology for high stability hydrogen maser (H-maser) oscillators are described. Design features of a high stability maser oscillator for use in space, maser operation at 0.5 K and present uses of high stability H-masers are discussed.
Conformational Preferences of N,N-Dimethylsuccinamate as a Function of Alkali and Alkaline Earth Metal Salts: Experimental Studies in DMSO and Water As Determined by 1H NMR Spectroscopy

The fraction of gauche conformers of N,N-dimethylsuccinamic acid (1) and its Li+, Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, and N(Bu)4+ salts were estimated in DMSO and D2O solution by comparing the experimental vicinal proton–proton couplings determined by 1H NMR spectroscopy with those calculated using the Haasnoot, de Leeuw, and Altona (HLA) equation. In DMSO, the gauche preferences were found to increase with decreasing Ahrens ionic radius of the metal counterion. The same trend was not seen in D2O, where the gauche fraction for all of the metallic salts were estimated to be approximately statistical or less. This highlights the importance of metal chelation on the conformation of organic molecules in polar aprotic media, which has implications for protein folding.
Transglutaminase: Mechanistic features of the active site as determined by kinetic and inhibitor studies

Abstract 1. 1. The K m values for the transglutaminase-catalyzed (amine: R-glutamine transferase (hydrolyzing) hydrolysis and hydroxylamine incorporation reactions and the K n values for inhibition by carbobenzoxy-(CBZ)-amino acids and CBZ-peptides, all obtained as functions of pH, reveal an enzyme group of pK 7.5 to 8.5. Inhibitor specificity studies indicate that this group is involved in binding substrate at the peptide bond formed through the α-amino group of the glutamine residue. 2. 2. Inhibitor constants for chloroacetyl amino acids show no variation with pH. It is suggested that these inhibitors, as well as chloroacetic acid, are bound to an enzyme active center group through the carbonyl carbon of their chloroacetyl position. The change in K i values for chloroacetic acid at about pH 6.5 has been attributed to an induced shift in pK of another group which is in the close structural vicinity. 3. 3. This group, tentatively identified as an-SH on the basis of its sensitivity to thiol reagents, has an apparent pK of around 6.5, as judged from activity titration versus p H with chloroacetamide, decrease in v max . with pH and induced shift in its pK with chloroacetic acid. 4. 4. The efficient protection against thiol reagent inhibition by substrate supports a supposition that this -SH group forms a covalent bond with substrate during the catalytic reaction.
Aggregation rules that satisfy anonymity and neutrality

Abstract In the case of two alternatives, elementary counting techniques are used to determine the number of aggregation rules that satisfy anonymity and neutrality.
Transient natural convection and conjugate heat transfer in a crystal growth device

Abstract In crystal growth devices, in order to control the growth defects and compositional homogeneity of the crystal, a thorough understanding of the heat transfer characteristics is required. In this effort, the combined natural convection and conjugate heat transfer in an axisymmetric configuration representative of the container used in float zone devices are numerically simulated. The geometry adopted contains two concentric cylinders, the inner one representing the crystal within which heat conduction takes place, and the outer one being the container wall; between them is the domain of a height-to-width ratio of 40, filled with encapsulated argon gas. The main parameters varied in this study are Rayleigh number (Ra) and heating location. Substantial refinement in grid size, from 61 × 81 to 201 × 301 nodes, has been exercised to assess the numerical accuracy of the solutions. For Ra = 1.25 × 10 4 , steady-state solutions exist regardless of the heating location. For Ra = 1.25 × 10 5 , on the other hand, persistently oscillatory convective patterns appear, exhibiting both co-rotating (buoyancy-induced) cells and contra-rotating (shear-induced) cells. Consequently, the overall heat transfer rates fluctuate in time. The heat transfer fluctuation in the heated region is not as strong as in other regions; however, the magnitudes of the heat flux there are strongly influenced by the heating location, indicating that, in order to maintain a uniform thermal environment, the power level of the heat source needs to be adaptively adjusted according to the heating location. This challenge to the design and operation of the materials processing equipment can be met with the aid of knowledge gained from numerical simulations.
Significance of Peripheral Receptors for Excitability of the Central Nervous System

Conclusion and SummaryThe sectioning of the olfactory nerves in dogs and the removal of the olfactory bulbs in rabbits do not cause any general symptoms such as lethargy, as has been claimed by Galkin. The general excitability of the central nervous system remains unaltered after the elimination of olfactory perception in odoriferous animals just as well as the removal of sight and audition does not influence the central nervous system as a whole in the human. The removal of the olfactory bulbs in young rabbits does not interfere with normal growth.
Overview: Methods of Crack Damage Detection Based on Modal Analysis

Introduced the history of development of crack damage detection technology and summarized the current state of damage detection technique based on modal analysis. Finite element method is the main method for mechanical structure modal analysis at present. Many researchers studied a single crack or multiple cracks impact on different structure’s dynamic characteristics, however, these studies only limited to the current state of structures with damage. Considering damage extending when mechanical structure being on work, a new method combines modal analysis and theory of damage extend is proposed to analysis the extending trend of damage, which make it easy to assess remaining life of mechanical structures and make structures that meeting design life can still being on work before they lose their effectiveness, this can save lots of costs
Film evaporation from a micro-grooved surface―an approximate heat transfer model and its comparison with experimental data

An analytical model is presented that can be used to predict the heat-transfer characteristics of film evaporation on a microgroove surface. The model assumes that the liquid flow along a "V"-shaped groove channel is driven primarily by the capillary pressure difference due to the receding of the meniscus toward the apex of the groove, and the flow up the groove side wall is driven by the disjoining pressure difference. It also assumes that conduction across the thin liquid film is the dominant mechanism of heat transfer. A correlation between the Nusselt number and a nondimensional parameter ¥ is developed from this model which relates the heat transfer for the microgroove surface to the fluid properties, groove geometry, and the constants for the disjoining pressure relation. The results of a limited experimental study of the heat transfer during vaporization of a liquid coolant on a microgroove surface are also reported. Film-evaporation transfer coefficients inferred from these experiments are found to correlate fairly well in terms of Nusselt number and ¥ parameter format developed in the model. The results of this study suggest that disjoining pressure differences may play a central role in evaporation processes in microgroove channels.
Revision stapes surgery using the fiberoptic argon laser

It has long been recognized that mechanical revision stapedectomy does not yield results comparable with primary stapes procedures. Revision stapedectomy using an argon laser with a hand-held fiberoptic endo-otoprobe is a safe and effective alternative to mechanical revision stapedectomy. We present our techniques for revision of both total stapedectomy and small fenestra stapedotomy. Using these techniques, our results for revision stapedectomy are better than those obtained using mechanical techniques.
Effects of electroacupuncture on gastric motility and heart rate variability in conscious rats

To clarify the mechanism of site-specific effects of acupuncture on gastric motor function, we studied the simultaneous recording of gastric motility and electrocardiogram (ECG) for heart rate variability (HRV) analysis in conscious rats. Gastric motility and ECG were recorded before, during and after electroacupuncture (EA) at ST-36 (hind limb) or ST-25 (abdomen). EA at ST-36 significantly increased gastric motility and decreased the ratio of low frequency (LF)/high frequency (HF) of the HRV analysis. In contrast, EA at ST-25 significantly inhibited gastric motility and increased LF/HF ratio. There was a significant correlation observed between the changes of gastric motility and LF/HF ratio in response to EA. It is suggested that the stimulatory effect of EA at ST-36 on gastric motility is associated with its stimulatory effect on vagal activity. The inhibitory effect of EA at ST-25 on gastric motility is associated with its stimulatory effect on the sympathetic nerve activity.
A forced perturbation method of assessing pulmonary mechanical function in intubated infants.

ABSTRACT: Short pulses in airway pressure were used to assess the pulmonary mechanical function of nine infants suffering acute respiratory distress syndrome or broncho-pulmonary dysplasia. All patients were intubated, spontaneously breathing, and mechanically ventilated at the time they were examined. The endotracheal tube was disconnected from the ventilator and connected to a mechanical oscillator that produced brief pulses in airway pressure at a rate of two pulses/s. These pulses were applied to the infants airway for 20–30 s, at which time the infant was replaced on the ventilator. The mean airway pressure during the procedure was maintained at the level of the positive and expiratory pressure that was set on the ventilator. Two classes of patients were identified from the pulse response primarily by the presence or absence of a local resonance in the impedance spectra. Similar results were obtained in five other patients who were examined with zero mean airway pressure, suggesting that the pulse response is little influenced by changes in mean lung volume or total lung compliance. Patient classification appeared related to the duration of ventilation therapy and the transition from one class to another was consistent with the development of high peripheral airway resistance and significant volume shunting in the central airways. These results suggest that brief pulses in airway pressure can be used to detect changes in the pulmonary mechanical function of preterm infants that result from long-term ventilation therapy.
Effects of Doxycycline on Cancer Cells in Vitro and in Vivo

M ortality from cancer is usually due to metastatic disease, which represents the uncontrolled proliferation of cells that no longer respond to the normal regulatory controls of the organism (Silverberg et al, 1990). There are several factors which may accelerate metastasis, including: increased extracellular matrix degradation, due to increased matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity, which can facilitate tumor spread (Liotta et al, 1980; DeClerck et al, 1992; Azzam et al, 1993); increased angiogenesis, which is related, at least in part, to elevated MMP activity, permitting the hematogenous spread of tumors (Moscatelli and Rifkin, 1988; Tamargo et al, 1991); and decreased apoptosis, or programmed cell death, in cancer cells, allowing the abnormal cells to escape one of the principal mechanisms for their removal and survive to spread through the body (Armstrong et al, 1992; Furuya et al, 1994). We have been examining the effects of doxycycline, a synthetic tetracycline (TCN), on several human cancer cell lines in vitro, as well as in vivo in the athymic mouse/ xenograft model of metastatic human breast cancer produced by orthotopic implantation of the human breast adenocarcinoma cell line, MDA-MB-435, into the inframammary fat pads of athymic mice. The ability of doxycycline and other TCNs to inhibit MMP activity has been described in the literature. We have shown that doxycycline suppresses MMP activity and cell proliferation in this and other cancer cell lines. We hypothesize that doxycycline inhibits tumor growth in breast and other cancers by a direct effect on the regulation of cell proliferation, which may be distinct from its ability to inhibit MMP activity.
Finding electron affinities with approximate density functionals

There has been a long discussion about the reliability of approximate density functionals for atomic anions. It is well known that the extra electron produces a strong self-interaction error, so strong that the extra electron is unbound. Despite this, electron affinities have been calculated using finite basis sets and very good results have been reported by Schaefer and others. We recently suggested how to resolve the contradicting viewpoints between theory and calculation. We calculate electron affinities using Hartree–Fock or exact exchange DFT densities which bind the extra electron correctly and show excellent results with well-defined basis-set limit. Here we give further data in support of our argument, and explain further how and why accurate densities and total energies of anions may be obtained from approximate density functional theory, despite positive HOMO energies.
Discretization of the Navier-Stokes equationswith slip boundary condition II

Multilevel methods are a common tool for solving nonlinear systems arising from discretizations of elliptic boundary value problems (see, e.g., [1,2]). Multilevel methods consist of solving the nonlinear problem on a coarse mesh and then performing one or two Newton correction steps on each subsequent mesh thus solving only one or two larger linear systems. In a previous paper by the author [3], a two-level method was proposed for the stationary Navier-Stokes equations with slip boundary condition. Uniqueness of solution to the nonlinear problem (Step 1 of the two-level method) is guaranteed provided that the data of the problem (i.e., the Reynolds number, and the forcing term) is bounded. In practice, however, the aforementioned bound on the data is rarely satisfied. Consequently, a priori error estimates should not rely upon this bound. Such estimates will be established in this report. For the two-level method, the scalings of the meshwidths that guarantee optimal accuracy in the H^1-norm, are equally favorable to those in the uniqueness case.
Status of uncooled infrared imagers

Brassboard infrared imagers containing focal plane arrays of more than 80,000 uncooled detectors sensitive to radiation in the 8- to 14-micrometer wavelength region have been fabricated and tested. These imagers, which have demonstrated noise-equivalent temperature difference (NETD) values of 0.10 degree(s)C, do not require cryogenic cooling or mechanical scanning. Two different types of detector, one ferroelectric and the other bolometric, are used for the focal plane arrays. Measurements of NETD, minimum resolvable temperature (MRT) and modulation transfer function (MTF) are reported. Uncooled sensor technology is being incorporated into prototype security sensors and weapon sights that can also be used as handheld surveillance devices.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A study of molecular interactions and mobility at liquid/liquid interfaces by NMR spectroscopy

Abstract The titration of a strong solution of decyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) in water with chloroform resulted successively in the formation of an isotropic phase, a viscous birefringent phase, and a second isotropic phase of low viscosity. High-resolution NMR spectra were taken of the various phases at a variety of chloroform concentrations. The CHCl 3 resonance position was found to shift to the low-field side of the position in pure CHCl 3 as its concentration decreased. The maximum shift was found to be −1.04 p.p.m., which is comparable to the shift in such strong electron-donor solvents as triethylamine. It is concluded that the shift reflects a specific interaction of the CHCl 3 with the polar portion of the DTAB cation, leading to a reduction in electron density and/or diamagnetic circulation at the CHCl 3 proton. The complete absence of all the DTAB resonances in the birefringent liquid-crystal phase stands in marked contrast to the narrow DTAB lines noted in the isotropic phases and the narrow H 2 O line observed in all phases. The absence of the DTAB resonances is attributed to extreme broadening, which is the result of a rigidity in the DTAB chains comprising the liquid-crystal interface. NMR spectra of solutions of DTAB in CHCl 3 at a variety of water concentrations gave evidence for a broadening of the H 2 O resonance with decreasing water concentration. The broadening is attributed to an immobilization or bonding of H 2 O molecules to the interface. NMR spectra were also taken of 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol and 2-amino-1-butanol oleates in benzene at a variety of water concentrations. The marked broadening of the H 2 O resonance in the aminomethylpropanol system at low H 2 O content stands in contrast to the nearly invariant H 2 O line width in the aminobutanol system and the close similarity of the resonance positions in the two systems. The broadening in the aminomethylpropanol system is considered to result from the participation of H 2 O molecules in a hydrogen-bond network at the interface. The bulk of the ethyl group in aminobutanol prevents the formation of such a hydrogen-bonded interface and accounts for the near-invariant width observed.
Turnover of low-density lipoprotein isolated from interstitial inflammatory fluid of the rabbit.

Utilizing the polyvinyl sponge-implant model in the rabbit, we have described in vivo modification of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) in interstitial inflammatory fluid (IF). In the present studies, plasma clearance rates of IF-LDL were determined and compared with normal whole plasma LDL (WP-LDL) as well as plasma LDL modified by chemical reaction with acetic anhydride (Ac-LDL). Li-poproteins were labeled with125I and injected into the lateral ear vein of recipient rabbits. At 10 min after injection, only 51.5% of IF-LDL could be accounted for in recipient plasma, as compared to 91.9% for WP-LDL, and 2.4% of Ac-LDL. Sub-sequent log-linear decay rates were similar for IF-LDL and WP-LDL (t1/2= 9.5 vs. 11.0 h). Autoradiography of plasma obtained from recipient animals at 15 min and 1 h after injection revealed a return to normal electrophoretic mobility of [125I]IF-LDL. These results indicate that IF-LDL is a mixture of both modified and essentially unmodified particles. We propose that the modified particles may be removed from the circulation by mechanisms described for Ac-LDL.
The Ethylene Response Mediator ETR1 from Arabidopsis Forms a Disulfide-linked Dimer

Mutations in the ETR1 gene of the higher plant Arabidopsis confer insensitivity to ethylene, indicating a role for the gene product in ethylene signal perception and transduction. The ETR1 gene product has an amino-terminal hydrophobic domain and a carboxyl-terminal domain showing homology to the two-component signal transduction proteins of bacteria. We report here that in both its native Arabidopsis and when transgenically expressed in yeast, the ETR1 protein is isolated from membranes as a dimer of 147 kDa. Treatment with the reducing agent dithiothreitol converted the dimer to a monomer of 79 kDa, indicative of a disulfide linkage between monomers. Expression of truncated versions of ETR1 in yeast confirmed that the high molecular mass form is a homodimer and demonstrated that the amino-terminal region of ETR1 is necessary and sufficient for this dimerization. Site-directed mutagenesis of two cysteines near the amino terminus of ETR1 prevented formation of the covalently linked dimer in yeast, consistent with a role in disulfide bond formation. These data indicate that ETR1 may use a dimeric mechanism of signal transduction in a manner similar to its bacterial counterparts but with the additional feature of a disulfide bond between monomers.