cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vaccination with an Attenuated Ferritin Mutant Protects Mice against Virulent Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis the causative agent of tuberculosis affects millions of people worldwide. New tools for treatment and prevention of tuberculosis are urgently needed. We previously showed that a ferritin (bfrB) mutant of M. tuberculosis has altered iron homeostasis and increased sensitivity to antibiotics and to microbicidal effectors produced by activated macrophages. Most importantly, M. tuberculosis lacking BfrB is strongly attenuated in mice, especially, during the chronic phase of infection. In this study, we examined whether immunization with a bfrB mutant could confer protection against subsequent infection with virulent M. tuberculosis in a mouse model. The results show that the protection elicited by immunization with the bfrB mutant is comparable to BCG vaccination with respect to reduction of bacterial burden. However, significant distinctions in the disease pathology and host genome-wide lung transcriptome suggest improved containment of Mtb infection in animals vaccinated with the bfrB mutant, compared to BCG. We found that downmodulation of inflammatory response and enhanced fibrosis, compared to BCG vaccination, is associated with the protective response elicited by the bfrB mutant.
VisANT: An Online Visualization and Analysis Tool for Biological Interaction Data

New techniques for determining relationships between biomolecules of all types – genes, proteins, noncoding DNA, metabolites and small molecules – are now making a substantial contribution to the widely discussed explosion of facts about the cell. The data generated by these techniques promote a picture of the cell as an interconnected information network, with molecular components linked with one another in topologies that can encode and represent many features of cellular function. This networked view of biology brings the potential for systematic understanding of living molecular systems. We present VisANT, an application for integrating biomolecular interaction data into a cohesive, graphical interface. This software features a multi-tiered architecture for data flexibility, separating back-end modules for data retrieval from a front-end visualization and analysis package. VisANT is a freely available, open-source tool for researchers, and offers an online interface for a large range of published data sets on biomolecular interactions, including those entered by users. This system is integrated with standard databases for organized annotation, including GenBank, KEGG and SwissProt. VisANT is a Java-based, platform-independent tool suitable for a wide range of biological applications, including studies of pathways, gene regulation and systems biology. VisANT has been developed to provide interactive visual mining of biological interaction data sets. The new software provides a general tool for mining and visualizing such data in the context of sequence, pathway, structure, and associated annotations. Interaction and predicted association data can be combined, overlaid, manipulated and analyzed using a variety of built-in functions. VisANT is available at http://visant.bu.edu .
Vertical integration with price-setting competitive newsvendors

This article addresses the problem of distribution channel design under demand uncertainty. We consider two manufacturers, each producing a substitutable product and selling it through either a decentralized or an integrated retail store, which is modeled as a price-setting newsvendor. A multiplicative demand function incorporating a random shock term is assumed. Of primary interest is how demand uncertainty and production cost affect the equilibrium distribution channel structure. Results indicate the following: On the one hand, if the random shock term is uniformly distributed on [0, x], then the equilibrium design does not depend on the variance of the shock. On the other hand, if the random shock term is uniformly distributed on [1 −r, 1 +r], then the equilibrium design does depend on the variance of the shock. In particular, an increase in r favors the integrated structure where both channels are integrated and hurts the decentralized configuration where both channels are decentralized. Additionally, we explain the qualitative similarities and differences between the structural properties of the equilibrium distribution channel structure when demand is, and is not, uncertain. We also establish that production cost always favors the decentralized structure, while it hurts the integrated one. One important managerial implication of our study is that, by reducing the number of decisions made in supply chains, the impact of demand uncertainty can be controlled to a certain extent.
Prophylactic and Therapeutic Actions of Supplemental β-Carotene in Mice Inoculated With C3HBA Adenocarcinoma Cells: Lack of Therapeutic Action of Supplemental Ascorbic Acid

Decreased tumor incidence, increased latent period, and increased survival time were observed in C3H/HeJ mice fed supplemental beta-carotene for 3 days and then inoculated with 10(4) C3HBA (syngeneic) tumor cells. In addition, C3H/HeJ, C3H/He, and CBA/J mice, fed supplemental beta-carotene beginning immediately after they were inoculated with 2 X 10(5) C3HBA tumor cells, showed decreased tumor growth and increased survival time. When beta-carotene was fed to mice in which palpable tumors were already present, it similarly slowed tumor growth and extended animal survival time. Ascorbic acid supplementation (5 g/kg diet), introduced into the experiment as a possible synergist for beta-carotene's antitumor action, was without therapeutic action when tested in the presence or absence of beta-carotene supplements. The basal diet, a standard commercial mouse chow, contains more vitamin A than the National Research Council's recommended dietary allowance for normal rodents and supports normal growth, reproduction, and longevity of normal mice. The work reported here is the first demonstration of the antitumor action of beta-carotene in animals with a transplanted tumor.
Point-of-care Ultrasonography by Pediatric Emergency Medicine Physicians.

Emergency physicians have used point-of-care ultrasonography since the 1990 s. Pediatric emergency medicine physicians have more recently adopted this technology. Point-of-care ultrasonography is used for various scenarios, particularly the evaluation of soft tissue infections or blunt abdominal trauma and procedural guidance. To date, there are no published statements from national organizations specifically for pediatric emergency physicians describing the incorporation of point-of-care ultrasonography into their practice. This document outlines how pediatric emergency departments may establish a formal point-of-care ultrasonography program. This task includes appointing leaders with expertise in point-of-care ultrasonography, effectively training and credentialing physicians in the department, and providing ongoing quality assurance reviews.
An International Perspective on the Importance of Real Estate Concepts and Topics

Executive Summary. As the real estate industry adopts a global perspective for local market activity, real estate academics and practitioners in the United States and Canada need to understand the ...
Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Response to Transglutaminase 2 Cross-linked Collagen Fibril Thin Films

Tissue transglutaminase 2 (TG2) is a ubiquitous protein thought to play an important role in both the normal and abnormal progression of the wound healing response through extracellular matrix (ECM) cross-linking. However, how TG2 cross-linking of ECM affects cell behavior is still ill-defined. Here we use a model ECM system to show that vascular smooth muscle cell (vSMC) spreading, proliferation, actin polymerization, and myosin activation increase with increasing exposure of type 1 collagen fibrils to TG2 activity. A10 vSMC ligate fibrillar type 1 collagen through beta(1) integrins, and beta(1) integrin ligation appeared to be identical before and after TG2 cross-linking of collagen. This result suggests that the observed changes in cell response were not induced by changes in surface chemistry or receptor recognition. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) studies show that untreated fibrils are more susceptible to lateral movement on the surface than cross-linked fibrils, which suggest that the observed cell response is solely due to TG2-induced changes in the mechanical properties of collagen fibrils. The results provide valuable insight into a mechanism by which TG2-modified ECM proteins can influence cell behavior.
On the dynamic range of optical delay lines based on coherent atomic media

We show that the dynamic range of delay lines based on slow light propagation in atomic coherent media is restricted due to absorptive, dispersive, and nonlinear properties of the media. We compare the electro-magnetically induced transparency based delay lines with optical fiber and resonator delays.
Rheological characterization of a charged cationic hydrogel network across the gelation boundary

Abstract The in situ rheological behavior across the gelation threshold has been investigated for an affine network of a completely charged cationic monomer (3-acrylamidopropyl)-trimethylammonium chloride (APTMAC1) when it is crosslinked with a neutral crosslinker ( N , N ′-methylenebisacrylamide) to form a fully charged novel cationic hydrogel. The elastic moduli ( G ′) near the gel point (during the crosslinking or ‘curing’ process) show a power law dependence of the form G ′( t )= e z , where e =(( t − t c )/ t c ) is the distance from the gel point ( t c ). The critical exponent, z , for the hydrogel series investigated is estimated to be 1.5, slightly lower than the predictions based on percolation theory ( z ∼1.7–1.9). From the equilibrium (after the curing process) rheological measurements of a series of samples, it is inferred that there is a critical crosslinker mole percent ( X c ) with respect to the monomer concentration, required to form a well-defined three-dimensional network with a solid-like behavior. The value of this X c is found to be between 0.5 and 1%. The theoretically predicted value of X c using the percolation theory (for the percolation of crosslinks, G 0 ( X )∝[| X − X c |/ X c ] z ) and the exponent estimated from the in situ measurements ( z =1.5), is X c ∼0.6, which is in good agreement with the experiments. The results may have applicability in translating from bulk systems to the nanoscale in hydrogel design.
Effect of the PlA2 alloantigen on the function of β3-integrins in platelets

The polymorphism responsible for the Pl(A2) alloantigen on the beta(3)-component of beta(3)-containing integrins is reported to be a risk factor for coronary thrombosis. This study examined the effect of Pl(A2) on the function of beta(3)-integrins using platelets from subjects homozygous and heterozygous for Pl(A1) and Pl(A2). There was overlap in the distribution of the dissociation constant (K(d)) and maximum fibrinogen binding (B(max)) values for fibrinogen binding to alpha(IIb)beta(3) on platelets from Pl(A1) and Pl(A2) homozygotes and Pl(A1)/Pl(A2) heterozygotes. However, whereas there was no statistical difference in these values for the Pl(A1) homozygotes and Pl(A2) heterozygotes, the K(d) for the Pl(A2) homozygotes was significantly lower than that for the Pl(A1)/Pl(A2) heterozygotes, but was not statistically different from that for the Pl(A1) homozygotes. No differences were detected in ADP sensitivity between platelets from Pl(A1) homozygotes and Pl(A1)/Pl(A2) heterozygotes, in the IC(50) for RGDS inhibition of fibrinogen binding to alpha(IIb)beta(3), in the alpha(v)beta(3)-mediated adhesion of platelets to osteopontin and vitronectin, and in the phorbol ester-stimulated adhesion to fibrinogen of B lymphocytes expressing alpha(IIb)beta(3) containing either the Pl(A1) or the Pl(A2) polymorphism. Finally, no differential effects of Pl(A2) on turbidometric platelet aggregation, platelet secretion, or platelet thrombus formation were found as measured in the PFA-100. Because no differences were detected in the ability of beta(3)-integrins to interact with ligands based on the presence or absence of the Pl(A2) polymorphism, the results suggest that factors unrelated to beta(3)-integrin function may account for the reported association of the Pl(A2) allele with coronary thrombosis.
High conductivity copper-boron alloys obtained by low temperature annealing

The electrical behavior during annealing of copper films with a nominal concentration of 2 at.% boron has been investigated. The evolution of the resistivity of the film was monitored using an in situ technique, in which the film was rampannealed at constant ramp rates. At temperature of 150–200°C, the resistivity of the Cu(B) undergoes a first drop. This is followed by one or two such drops in resistivity, so that after completion of a ramp-anneal from 50°C to 750°C, the room temperature resistivity decreases from the initial value of 13 μΩ cm to 2.1 μΩcm, close to that of bulk copper. Isothermal annealing of the film also leads to substantial decreases in resistivity, from 13 μΩcm to 3 μΩ cm after annealing at 350°C for 8 h and to 2.5 μΩ cm at 400°C for 4 h. These results show that a dramatic reduction in resistivity of Cu(B) alloys takes place at temperatures below 400°C, suggesting possible applications for silicon device interconnections.
Airborne mass spectrometers: four decades of atmospheric and space research at the Air Force research laboratory.

Mass spectrometry is a versatile research tool that has proved to be extremely useful for exploring the fundamental nature of the earth's atmosphere and ionosphere and in helping to solve operational problems facing the Air Force and the Department of Defense. In the past 40 years, our research group at the Air Force Research Laboratory has flown quadrupole mass spectrometers of many designs on nearly 100 sounding rockets, nine satellites, three Space Shuttles and many missions of high-altitude research aircraft and balloons. We have also used our instruments in ground-based investigations of rocket and jet engine exhaust, combustion chemistry and microwave breakdown chemistry. This paper is a review of the instrumentation and techniques needed for space research, a summary of the results from many of the experiments, and an introduction to the broad field of atmospheric and space mass spectrometry in general.
Obesogenic clusters: multidimensional adolescent obesity-related behaviors in the U.S.

Background Diet, physical activity, and psychosocial factors are independent and potentially interactive obesity determinants, but few studies have explored complex behavior patterns.
Genetic variation in the Texas kangaroo rat, Dipodomys elator merriam

Electrophoretically detectable genetic variation for 19 enzymes and one non-enzymatic protein encoded by 29 loci was analyzed in 95 specimens of five species of kangaroo rats ( Dipodomys ). Six loci were polymorphic in Dipodomys elator and an additional 12 loci exhibited interspecific variation in D. elator, D. merriami, D. spectabilis, D. ordii , and D. phillipsii. D. elator has previously been reported as showing variability at one locus. Coefficients of genetic distance for conspecific populations of D. elator range from 0.028 to 0.039. F -statistics for D. elator indicated significant differentiation for three loci with an overall mean F ST of 0.102. Interspecific coefficients of genetic distance ranged from 0.130 to 0.314. Relationships among the five species of Dipodomys indicate that D. elator is more similar to D. phillipsii than to D. spectabilis, D. merriami , or D. ordii. These results are contrary to some previous studies that placed D. elator in the spectabilis group.
Generation of dc voltages by a magnetic multilayer undergoing ferromagnetic resonance

We predict that a dc voltage $V$ appears across a magnetic multilayer undergoing ferromagnetic resonance. The voltage exists along a direction perpendicular to the layer plane. This is the magnetic analog of a photovoltaic cell. We calculate the rate of spin flip of conduction-electron spins, induced by the precession of the magnetization. Also, we solve the Valet-Fert spin-diffusion equation in the various layers. The dc voltage $V$ is obtained by combining these two equations. For sufficiently large precession amplitude, $V$ converges toward a fixed value of order $\ensuremath{\simeq}\ensuremath{\Elzxh}\ensuremath{\omega}/e\ensuremath{\simeq}10\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{V},$ where \ensuremath{\omega} is the angular frequency of precession and e the electron charge.
Truth in Virtue of Meaning

Russell, Gillian, Truth in Virtue of Meaning, Oxford: Oxford University Press, xv + 232, £35.00 (hardback). When we look at the phrase ‘true in virtue of meaning’ in early analytic philosophy, we s...
Compositional and X-ray data for Luna 20 feldspar

Abstract Electron-microprobe analyses of 46 feldspar grains from the 125–500 μm Luna 20 soil separate range only from 94.5 to 97.5 An (mol. %). One grain differs significantly—An 87 . Minor element contents are low: K wt .%; Mg wt .%; Fe wt .%. Singlecrystal X-ray data for two analyzed grains show sharp b and c diffractions characteristic of primitive anorthite. The 46 grains are similar in composition to those in feldspar-rich fragments found in all the Apollo missions.
Separation of Copper, Iron, and Zinc from Complex Aqueous Solutions for Isotopic Measurement

Abstract The measurement of Cu, Fe, and Zn isotopes in natural samples may provide valuable information about biogeochemical processes in the environment. However, the widespread application of stable Cu, Fe, and Zn isotope chemistry to natural water systems remains limited by our ability to efficiently separate these trace elements from the greater concentrations of matrix elements. In this study, we present a new method for the isolation of Cu, Fe, and Zn from complex aqueous solutions using a single anion-exchange column with hydrochloric acid media. Using this method we are able to quantitatively separate Cu, Fe, and Zn from each other and from matrix elements in a single column elution. Elution of the elements of interest, as well as all other elements, through the anion-exchange column is a function of the speciation of each element in the various concentrations of HCl. We highlight the column chemistry by comparing our observations with published studies that have investigated the speciation of Cu, Fe, and Zn in chloride solutions. The functionality of the column procedure was tested by measuring Cu, Fe, and Zn isotopes in a variety of stream water samples impacted by acid mine drainage. The accuracy and precision of Zn isotopic measurements was tested by doping Zn-free stream water with the Zn isotopic standard. The reproducibility of the entire column separation process and the overall precision of the isotopic measurements were also evaluated. The isotopic results demonstrate that the Cu, Fe, and Zn column separates from the tested stream waters are of sufficient purity to be analyzed directly using a multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (MC-ICP-MS), and that the measurements are fully-reproducible, accurate, and precise. Although limited in scope, these isotopic measurements reveal significant variations in δ 65 Cu (− 1.41 to + 0.30‰), δ 56 Fe (− 0.56 to + 0.34‰), and δ 66 Zn (0.31 to 0.49‰) among samples collected from different abandoned mines within a single watershed. Hence, Cu, Fe, and Zn isotopic measurements may be a powerful tool for fingerprinting specific metal sources and/or examining biogeochemical reactions within fresh water systems.
Mechanisms Mediating Vibration-Induced Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain Analyzed in the Rat

Abstract While occupational exposure to vibration is a common cause of acute and chronic musculoskeletal pain, eliminating exposure produces limited symptomatic improvement, and reexposure precipitates rapid recurrence or exacerbation. To evaluate mechanisms underlying these pain syndromes, we have developed a model in the rat, in which exposure to vibration (60–80Hz) induces, in skeletal muscle, both acute mechanical hyperalgesia as well as long-term changes characterized by enhanced hyperalgesia to a proinflammatory cytokine or reexposure to vibration. Exposure of a hind limb to vibration-produced mechanical hyperalgesia measured in the gastrocnemius muscle of the exposed hind limb, which persisted for ∼2 weeks. When nociceptive thresholds had returned to baseline, exposure to a proinflammatory cytokine or reexposure to vibration produced markedly prolonged hyperalgesia. The chronic prolongation of vibration- and cytokine-hyperalgesia was prevented by spinal intrathecal injection of oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) antisense to protein kinase Ce, a second messenger in nociceptors implicated in the induction and maintenance of chronic pain. Vibration-induced hyperalgesia was inhibited by spinal intrathecal administration of ODN antisense to receptors for the type-1 tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) receptor. Finally, in TNFα-pretreated muscle, subsequent vibration-induced hyperalgesia was markedly prolonged. Perspective These studies establish a model of vibration-induced acute and chronic musculoskeletal pain, and identify the proinflammatory cytokine TNFα and the second messenger protein kinase Ce as targets against which therapies might be directed to prevent and/or treat this common and very debilitating chronic pain syndrome.
Abstract 5073: SIAH2 antagonizes the growth-inhibitory activity of the TGFβ signaling pathway and enhances the growth-promoting activity of the RAS signaling pathway during the genesis and progression of human cancer

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC A better understanding of the antagonistic interaction and cross-talk between the pivotal oncogenic and tumor suppressor signaling pathways, and the concerted cancer signaling networks that control tumorigenesis and metastasis should give rise to novel therapeutic interventions. Hyperactivated ERBB/RAS is known to drive neoplastic transformation, tumorigenesis and metastasis in a large percentage of human cancers, and thus finding novel measures to countervail activated EGFR/HER2/RAS signals to reverse tumorigenesis and metastasis remains an important goal in cancer biology. Instead of targeting an upstream signaling component, we targeted the most downstream signaling module in the ERBB/RAS pathway, the SIAH-dependent proteolytic machinery. SIAHs are evolutionarily conserved RING E3 ligases that are the critical downstream “gatekeeper” signaling modules in the RAS signal transduction pathway. We show that human SIAH E3 ligase is upregulated in proliferating tumor cells in human tumor specimens, and that proper SIAH function is required for RAS signal transduction. By inhibiting SIAH2 E3 ligase, we have blocked both tumorigenesis and metastasis in eleven of the most aggressive human cancer cell lines known in athymic nude mice. Our observations highlight the important roles that SIAH2 plays in RAS-dependent tumorigenesis and metastasis in human cancer. In this study, we aim to identify the molecular mechanism underlying SIAH2 deficiency-mediated growth inhibition in human cancer cells. We have found that SMAD2/3/4 - the essential downstream mediators of TGFβ signaling, are novel SIAH2 substrates in that SIAH2 physically interacts with, ubiquitinates and degrades SMAD2/3/4 (not SMAD1). The identification of SIAH2-mediated SMAD2/3/4 modulation may provide an additional molecular mechanism to explain the well documented, but less understood RAS-TGFβ antagonism described in normal development, tumorigenesis and metastasis. We propose that the tumor promoting activity of SIAH2 may be mediated through the degradation of SMAD2/3/4 proteins which enhancing the growth-promoting activity of the RAS pathway while suppressing the growth inhibitory action of the TGFβ pathway. Since the substrate specificity of ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis is primarily determined by the E3 ligase, our results provide new insights into the role of altered proteolysis in mediating the RAS-TGFβ antagonism and cross-talk observed in the genesis and progression of human cancers. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5073.
Physiological signal monitoring in the waiting areas of an emergency room

The Scalable Medical Alert and Response Technology (SMART) System was developed to monitor physiological signals from patients in the waiting areas of an emergency department. The system monitors the SpO2 (oxygenation level in the blood), ECG (electrical activity of the heart) and the location of multiple patients wirelessly. It was deployed at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, MA, between June, 2006, and December, 2007. This paper describes the overall architecture, the sensors used, challenges in deploying this technology in a hospital and the degree of patient acceptance. Some sections of this article are based on an article first published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association (J Am Med Inform Assn: 2008; 1) [7].
Structure of mineral glasses—III. NaAlSi3O8 supercooled liquid at 805°C and the effects of thermal history

The distribution of interatomic distances in amorphous NaAlSi3O8 has been determined at 805°C by X-ray radial distribution analysis to investigate structural differences between the glass (T < 763°C) and the supercooled liquid (763°C < T < 1118°C). Except for slight differences attributable to thermal expansion, no significant changes were observed. The sample crystallized during the course of the experiment, but at least one crystal-free data set was obtained. The transition from the inferred six-membered ring structure of the supercooled liquid to the four-membered ring structure of the crystal was clearly visible in radial distribution function (RDF's) determined before and after crystallization. RDF's were also determined at 25°C for two NaAlSi3O8 glasses with different histories. The first was derived from a melt that had been cooled slowly from 1600 to 32°C above the melting point (Tf = 1118°C) to detect possible repolymerization to a more ‘crystal-like’ structure as the melt approached Tf. The second glass was prepared by holding a single crystal of Amelia albite at 50°C above Tf to see if the crystalline four-membered ring structure was preserved in melts at temperatures just above the liquidus. No significant differences were observed between these two RDF's and one obtained from a glass quenched from 1800°C. These results suggest that in addition to the destruction of formation of a periodic structure, melting and crystallization in NaAlSi3O8 also involves a repolymerization of tetrahedra. This would explain the observed kinetic barrier to melting and crystallization in the anhydrous system and the catalytic effect of small amounts of water or alkali oxide.
Swelling in previously neutron-irradiated commercial Fe-Cr-Ni based alloys under electron irradiation

Abstract In order to avoid the artifacts which result because void swelling and precipitate stability are not accelerated to the same degree during radiation damage simulation experiments, a series of electron irradiation experiments were performed on commercial alloy specimens which were first irradiated in-reactor. This procedure is intended to establish a microstructure typical of in-reactor behavior which is then irradiated at accelerated rates in order to provide prediction of behavior to high fluence in-reactor on a reduced time scale. Neutron-irradiated specimens of fully-aged and solution treated Nimonic ∗ PE16, 20% cold-worked AISI 310 stainless steel and aged A-286 were electron irradiated at 500–700°C in the HVEM to determine the effect of reactor-conditioning on the simulation of void swelling at high neutron fluences. For aged PE16 it was found that the swelling behavior under electron irradiation was unaffected by prior neutron irradiation. Specimens from four different reactor temperature/fluence conditions showed the same temperature-dependent swelling rates in the HVEM irradiations. The swelling behavior of aged PE16. A-286 and cold-worked 310 was also consistent with previous results on specimens which were not previously neutron irradiated. However, reactor conditioning did alter the swelling response of solution-treated PE16 under electron irradiation, and this effect is attributed to the irradiaton-enhanced precipitation of γ' which occurs in-reactor. It is concluded that void and dislocation substructures generated in-reactor exert only second order control over void swelling during electron irradiation. Reactor conditioning expriments can be better described as temperature change experiments, providing that the alloy in question remains stable during neutron irradiation.
Cultural studies questionnaire

(1997). Cultural studies questionnaire. Journal of Latin American Cultural Studies: Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 217-222.
Development of an advisory expert system for elastic mechanism design

Abstract The design and analysis of high-speed mechanisms is a complex, iterative process requiring a high level of expertise and engineering intuition. Efficient finite element analysis, analysis validation, and preliminary synthesis techniques are the bottlenecks in the process. All these phases of the design process are thus prime candidates for automation. In order to help automate such complex systems, a prototype advisory expert system for finite element analysis and optimal design of flexible mechanisms was developed. The development of this system and the related backgroud are presented in this paper.
Detroit's Cold War: The Origins of Postwar Conservatism

It's been almost 20 years since The Journal of American History published Thomas Sugrue's brilliant article on grassroots conservatism and neighborhood segregation in postwar Detroit. He meant the ...
What Have We Learned from Over 20 Years of Farmland Amenity Valuation Research in North America

At least thirty studies have been conducted in North America over the last twenty-plus years that measure amenity values generated by farmland. A review of these studies provides evidence that estimated farmland amenity values are sensitive to increasing acreage, regional scarcity, alternative land use(s), public accessibility, productivity quality, human food plants, active farming, and intensive agriculture. Farmland amenity values are also sensitive to socio-demographic characteristics of beneficiaries. Inconclusive evidence is provided with respect to the effects of distance, agricultural land use, unique landscape features, property rights, and nonfarmland amenity substitutes. Implications of these results for future farmland amenity valuation research are discussed.
Atomistic simulation of water and salt transport in the reverse osmosis membrane FT-30

Abstract Atomistic computer simulations of water and salt (NaCl) transport in the polyamide discriminating layer of the reverse osmosis membrane FT-30 are reported. We find that water transport occurs by a “jump” diffusion process, similar to the diffusion of simple, dissolved gas molecules in amorphous polymer glasses. As expected, lower water mobilities are observed at higher polymer densities. Cross-linking in the polymer matrix leads to an increase in density, which results in a decrease in water mobility, in accordance with experiment. We also observe a lower mobility for Cl − in the hydrated polymer, relative to Na + , which we attribute in part to the larger number of polar groups on the polymer chain that participate in solvating the anion. That the anion limits salt transport in our model FT-30 structures is consistent with experimental observations. Finally, although we find that the presence of salt reduces water mobility in the polyamide, in accordance with experiments; contrary to previous views, this effect is not related to a change in polymer density. Based on estimates of the salt partition coefficient and the diffusion coefficient of salt in the membrane, we conclude that high salt rejection in FT-30 is due in large part to the large difference in water and salt mobilities within the polyamide discriminating layer.
Microsatellite markers in coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens)

Five polymorphic microsatellite markers are described for coast redwood, a hexaploid conifer. Dinucleotide (three), trinucleotide (one) and tetranucleotide (one) repeat loci were isolated from a genomic plasmid library and amplified in a test population of 25 second-growth redwoods. There were three to 11 alleles per locus and observed heterozygosities ranged from 0.00 to 0.80. The nonheterozygous locus (a CTTA repeat) is probably of chloroplast origin and may have potential as a marker for paternal inheritance.
The Fallacy of Sustainable Production of Biofuel Feedstock: You Are Putting a Tiger in Your Tank

Are ethanol and biodiesel environmentally friendly ways to reduce emissions? Everyone acknowledges that they have damaging side effects, resulting in high food prices and deforestation. To deal with these, however, governments may be adopting policies that will make matters worse. These economists explain.
A cross-sectional survey of sensitization to Aspergillus oryzae-derived lactase in pharmaceutical workers

Abstract Background: The presence of IgE-mediated occupational respiratory sensitization to microbial enzymes has been well documented in a variety of industries. Aspergillus oryzae –derived lactase is used as a dietary aid for patients with lactose intolerance. Objective: In 1993, a cross-sectional survey of 94 pharmaceutical workers exposed to lactase for a mean duration of 23 months and 24 nonexposed recently hired employees was initiated to identify lactase-sensitized workers and potential risk factors that could be used in making recommendations for preventing future cases of lactase sensitization. Methods: The survey included a physician-administered questionnaire, skin prick testing to lactase enzyme and a panel of common aeroallergens, and spirometry. Results: Twenty-seven of 94 lactase-exposed workers (29%) had positive skin test responses to lactase. These workers were 9 times more likely to have upper or lower respiratory symptoms compared with workers with negative skin test responses. Atopic workers were 4 times more likely to have lactase skin sensitivity than nonatopic workers. However, atopy was not a risk factor for the development of upper and/or lower respiratory symptoms. Lactase skin reactivity was not observed in the 24 nonexposed employees. Conclusion: This cross-sectional survey revealed that atopic workers were more likely to have lactase sensitization and that lactase-sensitized workers were more likely to have upper and/or lower respiratory symptoms, but atopy was not a risk factor for upper or lower respiratory symptoms. In spite of these findings, the company allowed only nonatopic, nonlactase-sensitized workers to continue working in high lactase-exposure areas with careful symptom monitoring and use of protective clothing. Although this strategy was successful in total prevention of new cases of occupational respiratory disease after 5 years, the results of this cross-sectional survey do not support exclusion of atopic workers from working with industrial enzymes. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 1999;103:1153-7.)
Use of different signaling modalities to communicate status by dominant and subordinate Heermann's kangaroo rats (Dipodomys heermanni)

Dominance relationships in solitary species may be an important factor in the maintenance of long-term, stable relationships among territorial neighbors. We examined the mediation of intraspecific interactions in a solitary, territorial kangaroo rat, Dipodomys heermanni, and tested whether unfamiliar kangaroo rats establish a dominance hierarchy and then decrease aggression and increase communication (via footdrumming and sandbathing) after initial interactions and the establishment of a social structure. Results revealed that both dominance hierarchies and familiarization with particular individuals are likely to mediate social interactions. After only one pairing per dyad, an almost linear dominance hierarchy emerged, which became perfectly linear after a 90-min familiarization period. During the course of subsequent interactions between dyad partners, fighting decreased and non-agonistic communication increased. Dominant kangaroo rats sandbathed at higher rates than subordinates, possibly to deposit scent to advertise competitive ability, whereas subordinate kangaroo rats footdrummed from inside the burrow, which seemed to indicate an unwillingness to interact. We suggest the kangaroo rats use a conditional strategy when deciding to fight (be dominant) or withdraw (be subordinate) by employing different modes to communicate status and minimize the potential risk of injury during unnecessarily prolonged fights.
Laser Treatment for Ethnic Skin

With the growth of new technology and products over the last 10 years, there has been an increased ability to improve a patient's appearance with procedures that can be performed in an office setting, including laser procedures. Demand for these procedures has grown among all ethnic groups. Patients with ethnic skin can have varying response to lasers. This factor should be considered when planning their treatment. After laser treatment, Patients with ethnic skin are at greater risk for laser energy absorption by melanin, postinflammatory hyperpigmentation, and loss of pigment due to laser effects on melanin production leading to hypopigmentation. Therefore, any laser therapy should be planned carefully, especially in the treatment of patients with darker skin types.
Time expansion in vectorcardiography. The advantages of magnetic tape recording.

Abstract A method of recording vectorcardiograms which utilizes magnetic tape to obtain time expansion is described in this report. This method makes it possible to open and close the camera shutter and to modulate the intensity of the beam manually. Manual control under direct vision avoids the problem of center flare and leads to increased clarity of the loop. Time expansion also allows one to use recording devices which have a lower frequency response than the cathode-ray tube. The flexibility of handling the recorded data is an additional advantage.
Cyclosporin a rapidly inhibits epidermal cytokine expression in psoriasis lesions, but not in cytokine-stimulated cultured keratinocytes

Abstract To better understand the cellular target(s) of cyclosporin action in psoriasis, we have studied the effects of systemic short-term (7 d), low-dose (3–7.5 mg/kg) cyclosporin A administration on the expression of the cytokines interleukin (IL)-8 and IL-1 β in psoriatic lesions. RNA blot hybridization analysis of pretreatment keratome biopsies revealed that expression of both cytokine mRNAs was highly variable from patient to patient. Significant covariation of both cytokine mRNA levels was noted (r = 0.86, p in vivo and the allogeneic mixed lymphocyte reaction in vitro , cyclosporine A did not inhibit the induction of intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 or IL-8 mRNAs by cultured keratinocytes in response to IL-1 β or the combination of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interferon (IFN)-γ. These data suggest that epidermal keratinocytes respond to signals produced by activated T cells by coordinate expression of multiple cytokines, and that cyclosporin A acts primarily through blockade of T cells, rather than through keratinocyte activation.
Angiotensin II type 1 receptor activation increases microvascular hydraulic permeability

Abstract Background In addition to its vasoconstricting effects, angiotensin II (Ang II) has also demonstrated the ability to modulate microvessel permeability. We hypothesized that activation of the angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1) would increase hydraulic permeability. Methods Hydraulic permeability (Lp) was measured in rat mesenteric venules using the Landis micro-occlusion technique. Paired measures of Lp were obtained at baseline and after perfusion with the AT1 agonist, [Sar1]-angiotensin II, at 10 μmol/L (n = 6) and 100 μmol/L (n = 6). Activation of the AT1 receptor was also achieved by perfusion with 20 nmol/L Ang II plus the angiotensin II type 2 receptor (AT2) antagonist, PD123319. In these studies, 30 μmol/L (n = 6) and 300 μmol/L (n = 6) of PD123319 were used. Results [Sar1]-angiotensin II increased Lp 2-fold with the 10 μmol/L dose (P = .04) and 4-fold with the 100 μmol/L dose (P Conclusions We conclude that endothelial cell Ang II receptors play an important role in modulating transendothelial fluid flux. Activating the AT1 receptor increases Lp; the AT2 receptor may operate to oppose this action. Pharmacologic manipulation of Ang II receptors may be beneficial during shock states to limit intravascular fluid loss.
Giant Dermoid Cysts of the Orbit

Giant dermoid cysts of the orbit are developmental abnormalities that are usually found near the lacrimal gland in adults. The diagnosis of giant dermoid cysts can usually be established by radiographic studies and computed tomographic scanning. A surgical technique for the removal of these lesions with minimal complications is described in detail. Two cases are presented to demonstrate the methods used to diagnose and completely remove giant dermoid cysts with recovery of visual function and extraocular movements.
ACR Appropriateness Criteria® on Suspected Congenital Heart Disease in Adults

The number of adults with congenital heart disease is increasing in North America. This is attributable to a variety of factors, including improvements in surgical techniques and increases in immigration. Cardiac imaging is critical for the initial assessment of adults with newly suspected congenital heart disease as well as for the serial assessment of adults with known congenital heart disease. Chest radiography and echocardiography continue to be the initial tools used to evaluate adult congenital heart disease. However, cardiac computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging have significantly improved over the years and have become integral to the evaluation of adult congenital heart disease, often precluding the necessity for invasive cardiac catheterization. Noninvasive imaging is particularly useful for the surveillance of patients with surgically corrected congenital heart disease, who often require 2 or more additional operations.
Plastic deformation in nonstoichiometric UO2+x single crystals. I: Deformation at low temperatures

Single crystals of UO/sub 2 + chi/ (5 x 10/sup -6/ less than or equal to chi less than or equal to 10/sup -2/) have been deformed in equilibrium CO/CO/sub 2/ mixtures at 873 K in compression and at 300 K under microhardness indents. The primary glide plane is /111/ under all conditions. The yield stress is independent of chi at 873 K but increases slightly with increasing chi at 300 K. Dislocation substructures consists largely of screw dislocations, indicating that the motion of screw dislocations controls deformation. It is likely that dislocation mobility is controlled by interactions between dislocations and extrinsic defects.
Coussarea granvillei (Rubiaceae, Coussareeae), a new species from French Guiana

Coussarea granvillei is newly described and illustrated from material collected in the environs of Mount Galbao, near Saul, French Guiana. This new species is compared toC. amapaensis, for which the morphological and distributional ranges are extended and briefly discussed, and toC. leptophragma andC. revoluta.
Efficient, deep-blue organic electrophosphorescence by guest charge trapping

We demonstrate efficient, deep-blue organic electrophosphorescence using a charge-trapping phosphorescent guest, iridium(III) bis(4′,6′-difluorophenylpyridinato)tetrakis(1-pyrazolyl)borate (FIr6) doped in the wide-energy-gap hosts, diphenyldi(o-tolyl)silane (UGH1) and p-bis(triphenylsilyly)benzene (UGH2), where exciton formation occurs directly on the guest molecules. Charge trapping on the guest is confirmed by the dependence of the drive voltage and electroluminescence spectrum on guest concentration. Ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy measurements establish the relative highest occupied molecular orbital positions of FIr6 in UGH1 and UGH2. Peak quantum and power efficiencies of (8.8±0.9)% and (11.0±1.1) lm/W in UGH1 and (11.6±1.2)% and (13.9±1.4) lm/W in UGH2 are obtained, while the emission in both cases is from FIr6 and is characterized by Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage coordinates of (x=0.16, y=0.26) in UGH2.
Plasma gas velocities in an argon jet at atmospheric pressure

Abstract The optical emission intensity in a low-swirl transient argon plasma jet at atmospheric pressure has been analyzed to determine plasma gas velocities along the center axis in a region from 0 to 10 mm from the jet exit. An abrupt decrease at about 4 mm from the jet exit is observed under all gas-flow and current conditions. Measurements on a second low-swirl jet with somewhat different anode-cathode geometry did not show such a transition in this spatial region and indicate that the results are very dependent on torch geometry.
An Immortalized Human Blood-Nerve Barrier Endothelial Cell Line for In Vitro Permeability Studies

Solute and macromolecular transport studies may elucidate nutritional requirements and drug effects in healthy and diseased peripheral nerves. Endoneurial endothelial cells are specialized microvascular cells that form the restrictive blood-nerve barrier (BNB). Primary human endoneurial endothelial cells (pHEndECs) are difficult to isolate, limiting their widespread availability for biomedical research. We developed a simian virus-40 large T-antigen (SV40-LTA) immortalized human BNB cell line via stable transfection of low passage pHEndECs and observed continuous growth in culture for >45 population doublings. As observed with pHEndECs, the immortalized BNB endothelial cells were Ulex Europaeus agglutinin-1-positive and endocytosed low density lipoprotein, but lost von Willebrand factor expression. Glucose transporter-1, P-glycoprotein (P-gp), γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (γ-GT), large neutral amino acid transporter-1 (LAT-1), creatine transporter (CRT), and monocarboxylate transporter-1 (MCT-1) mRNA expression were retained at all passages with loss of alkaline phosphatase (AP) expression after passages 16-20. Compared with an SV40-LTA immortalized human blood-brain barrier endothelial cell line, there was increased γ-GT protein expression, equivalent expression of organic anion transporting polypeptide-C (OATP-C), organic anion transporter 3 (OAT-3), MCT-1, and LAT-1, and reduced expression of AP, CRT, and P-gp by the BNB cell line at passage 20. Further studies demonstrated lower transendothelial electrical resistance (~181 vs. 191 Ω cm(2)), equivalent permeability to fluoresceinated sodium (4.84 vs. 4.39 %), and lower permeability to fluoresceinated high molecular weight (70 kDa) dextran (0.39 vs. 0.52 %) by the BNB cell line. This cell line retained essential molecular and biophysical properties suitable for in vitro peripheral nerve permeability studies.
Generalized log-linear models with random effects, with application to smoothing contingency tables

We define a class of generalized log-linear models with random effects. For a vector of Poisson or multinomial means m and matrices of constants C and A, the model has the form C log Aμ = Xβ + Zu, where β are fixed effects and u are random effects. The model contains most standard models currently used for categorical data analysis. We suggest some new models that are special cases of this model and are useful for applications such as smoothing large contingency tables and modeling heterogeneity in odds ratios. We present examples of its use for such applications. In many cases, maximum likelihood model fitting can be handled with existing methods and software. We outline extensions of model fitting methods for other cases. We also summarize several challenges for future research, such as fitting the model in its most general form and deriving properties of estimates used in smoothing contingency tables.