cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
THE BASIS FOR ECOTOXICOLOGICAL CONCERN IN AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS CONTAMINATED BY HISTORICAL MERCURY MINING

The Coast Range of California is one of five global regions that dominated historical production of mercury (Hg) until declining demand led to the economic collapse of the Hg-mining industry in the United States. Calcines, waste rock, and contaminated alluvium from inactive mine sites can release Hg (including methylmercury, MeHg) to the environment for decades to centuries after mining has ceased. Soils, water, and sediment near mines often contain high concentrations of total Hg (TotHg), and an understanding of the biogeochemical transformations, transport, and bioaccumulation of this toxic metal is needed to assess effects of these contaminated environments on humans and wildlife. We briefly review the environmental behavior and effects of Hg, providing a prelude to the subsequent papers in this Special Issue. Clear Lake is a northern California lake contaminated by wastes from the abandoned Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Superfund Site. The primary toxicological problem with Hg in aquatic ecosystems is biotic exposure to MeHg, a highly toxic compound that readily bioaccumulates. Processes that affect the abundance of MeHg (including methylation and demethylation) strongly affect its concentration in all trophic levels of aquatic food webs. MeHg can biomagnify to high concentrations in aquatic food webs, and consumption of fish is the primary pathway for human exposure. Fish consumption advisories have been issued for many North American waters, including Clear Lake and other mine-impacted waters in California, as a means of decreasing MeHg exposure. Concerns about MeHg exposure in humans focus largely on developmental neurotoxicity to the fetus and children. Aquatic food webs are also an important pathway for MeHg exposure of wildlife, which can accumulate high, sometimes harmful, concentrations. In birds, wild mammals, and humans, MeHg readily passes to the developing egg, embryo, or fetus, life stages that are much more sensitive than the adult. The papers in this issue examine the origin, transport, transformations, bioaccumulation, and trophic transfer of Hg in Clear Lake, assess its potential effects on biota and humans, and provide information relevant to remediation of mine-impacted aquatic ecosystems.
Ceramic components for optical-fibre systems

A technique is described for forming very long fine-bore capillaries in ceramic materials. These capillaries may be formed straight or curved. The technique appears to be of value in the fabrication of components for optical-fibre systems. Prototype components such as splices, connectors and couplers are described.
Probing the Active Center of Benzaldehyde Lyase with Substitutions and the Pseudosubstrate Analogue Benzoylphosphonic Acid Methyl Ester

Benzaldehyde lyase (BAL) catalyzes the reversible cleavage of (R)-benzoin to benzaldehyde utilizing thiamin diphosphate and Mg2+ as cofactors. The enzyme is important for the chemoenzymatic synthesis of a wide range of compounds via its carboligation reaction mechanism. In addition to its principal functions, BAL can slowly decarboxylate aromatic amino acids such as benzoylformic acid. It is also intriguing mechanistically due to the paucity of acid−base residues at the active center that can participate in proton transfer steps thought to be necessary for these types of reactions. Here methyl benzoylphosphonate, an excellent electrostatic analogue of benzoylformic acid, is used to probe the mechanism of benzaldehyde lyase. The structure of benzaldehyde lyase in its covalent complex with methyl benzoylphosphonate was determined to 2.49 A (Protein Data Bank entry 3D7K) and represents the first structure of this enzyme with a compound bound in the active site. No large structural reorganization was detected...
Assessment of pull-to-stand joint reactions in human subjects: Design and instrumentation of an integrated system

An integrated system for the assessment of pull-to-stand joint reactions at the ankle, hip, knee, and shoulder was designed and constructed. The system was evaluated using multiple tests of three healthy adult male subjects during both sit-to-stand and pull-to-stand maneuvers. In the preliminary tests, generalized ground reaction forces in the A-P and vertical directions were found to decrease in the pull-to-stand trials.
Is stoichiometry a new metric for evaluating folded proteins

The folding of randomly coiled polypeptide chains into biologically active protein structures has been intensely studied for many years. In early studies by Anfinsen (1, 2), the unfolding and refolding of disulfide-rich proteins initially led to the formation of mispaired disulfide bonds (i.e., relative to the wild-type). However, in an oxidative environment, the mispaired disulfide bonds returned to their native disulfide pairings, thereby restoring normal enzyme activity. These results suggested that non-bonded interactions drive protein folding rather than the random pairing of stronger covalent disulfide bridges.
Prospect Theory, Rational Choice, and International Relations

A half-decade after the first systematic applications of prospect theory to international relations, scholars continue to debate its potential utility as a theoretical framework. Key questions include the validity of the experimental findings themselves, their relevance for real-world international behavior that involves high-stakes decisions by collective actors in interactive settings, and the conceptual status of prospect theory with respect to rational choice. In this essay I assess theoretical and methodological debates over these issues. I review work in social psychology and experimental economics and conclude that challenges to the external validity of prospect theory-based hypotheses for international behavior are much more serious than challenges to their internal validity. I emphasize the similarities between prospect theory and expected-utility theory, argue that hypotheses regarding loss aversion and the reflection effect are easily subsumed within the latter, and that evidence of framing effects and nonlinear responses to probabilities are more problematic for the theory. I conclude that priorities for future research include the construction of hypotheses on the framing of foreign policy decisions and research designs for testing them; the incorporation of framing, loss aversion, and the reflection effect into theories of collective and interactive decision making; and experimental research that is sensitive to the political and strategic context of foreign policy decision making.
Bridging the gap between structural models of nicotinic-receptor superfamily ion channels and their corresponding functional states

Aromatic–aromatic interactions are a most prominent feature of the crystal structure of ELIC (PDB code 2VL0), a bacterial member of the nicotinic-receptor superfamily of ion channels where five pore-facing phenylalanines come together to form a structure akin to a narrow iris that occludes the transmembrane pore. To identify the functional state of the channel this structure represents, we engineered phenylalanines at various pore-facing positions of the muscle acetylcholine receptor (one position at a time), including the position that aligns with the native phenylalanine 246 of ELIC, and assessed the consequences of such mutations using electrophysiological and toxin-binding assays. From our experiments, we conclude that the interaction among the side chains of pore-facing phenylalanines, rather than the accumulation of their independent effects, leads to the formation of a non-conductive conformation that is unresponsive to the application of acetylcholine and is highly stable even in the absence of ligand. Moreover, electrophysiological recordings from a GLIC channel (another bacterial member of the superfamily) engineered to have a ring of phenylalanines at the corresponding pore-facing position suggest that this novel refractory state is distinct from the well-known desensitized state. It seems reasonable to propose, then, that it is in this peculiar non-conductive conformation that the ELIC channel was crystallized. It seems also reasonable to propose that, in the absence of rings of pore-facing aromatic side chains, such stable conformation may never be attained by the acetylcholine receptor. Incidentally, we also noticed that the response of the proton-gated, wild-type GLIC channel to a fast change in pH from 7.4 to 4.5 (on the extracellular side) is only transient, with the evoked current fading completely in a matter of seconds. This raises the possibility that the crystal structures of GLIC obtained at pH 4.0 (PDB code 3EHZ) and 4.6 (PDB code 3EAM) correspond to the to the (well-known) desensitized state.
Degradation of isotopically labeled citric, α-ketoglutaric and glutamic acids☆☆☆

Abstract 1. 1. A new stepwise degradation procedure for citric, α-ketoglutaric, and glutamic acids has been described. 2. 2. The method permits the determination of the isotope concentration of each individual position of the carbon chain of these acids. 3. 3. The formation of symmetrical intermediates has been avoided through the conversion of glutamic acid to butyric acid via succinic acid semialdehyde. 4. 4. The validity of the method has been established with α-ketoglutaric acid-1,2-C 14 and a biosynthetic sample of labeled citric acid.
Vitamin E radical reaction with antioxidants in rat liver membranes.

Abstract The Japanese herbal medicine Sho-saiko-to-go-keishi-ka-shakuyaku-to (TJ-960) has been demonstrated to have an antioxidant action by quenching free radicals. The effects of TJ-960 on the tocopheroxy radicals generated by an arachidonic acid and lipoxygenase oxidation system were compared with those of the ascorbate and glutathione in vitamin E-enriched rat liver microsomes and submitochondrial membrane particles (SMP). Using electron spin resonance spectrometry, the disappearance of the tocopheroxy radicals after addition of glutathione and ascorbate was detected in microsomes and SMP, withh ascorbate displaying a more potent action than glutathione. Addition of TJ-960 demonstrated a similar effect on the tocopheroxy radicals in microsomes and SMP. In the presence of TJ-960, ascorbate, and glutathione, the loss of vitamin E in the vitamin E-enriched microsomes of rat liver undergoing oxidation was slowed down. In this paper, we introduced TJ-960 as another replenisher of vitamin E in membrane, increasing the membrane's resistance against oxidative damage.
Automatic prediction of consistency among team members' understanding of group decisions in meetings

Occasionally, participants in a meeting can leave with different understandings of what had been discussed. For meetings that require immediate response (such as disaster response planning), the participants must share a common understanding of the decisions reached by the group to ensure successful execution of their mission. In such domains, inconsistency among individuals’ understanding of the meeting results would be detrimental, as this can potentially degrade group performance. Thus, detecting the occurrence of inconsistencies in understanding among meeting participants is a desired capability for an intelligent system that would monitor meetings and provide feedback to spur stronger group understanding. In this paper, we seek to predict the consistency among team members’ understanding of group decisions. We use self-reported summaries as a representative measure for team members’ understanding following meetings, and present a computational model that uses a set of verbal and nonverbal features from natural dialogue. This model focuses on the conversational dynamics between the participants, rather than on what is being discussed. We apply our model to a real-world conversational dataset and show that its features can predict group consistency with greater accuracy than conventional dialogue features. We also show that the combination of verbal and nonverbal features in multimodal fusion improves several performance metrics, and that our results are consistent across different meeting phases.
Nonlinearities in the Relation Between the Equity Risk Premium and the Term Structure

This paper investigates the relation between the conditional expected equity risk premium and the slope of the term structure of interest rates. Theoretically, these variables are linked, the relation may be nonlinear, and negative risk premiums are consistent with equilibrium. Given these implications, we employ a nonparametric estimation technique to document the empirical relation between the risk premium and the slope of the term structure using almost two hundred years of data. Of particular interest, the risk premium is increasing in the term structure slope; however, for either small or negative slopes, the risk premium is much more sensitive to changes in interest rates. In addition, the empirical results imply negative expected equity risk premiums for some inverted term structures. Finally, variations in the risk premium do not appear to be related to variations in the variance of equity returns. We illustrate these features in a stylized consumption-based model, and provide the economic intuition behind the results.
INTERPRETING THE MEASUREMENT OF CHANGE IN ORGANIZATIONAL RESEARCH1

Numerous advances have been made in the last two decades in the measurement as well as in the conceptualization of change. Golembiewski, Billingsley, and Yeager (1976) conceptualized change as: (1) gamma change—subjects change their understanding of the variable being measured; (2) beta change—subjects recalibrate the measurement scale; and, (3) alpha change—change detected with a consistent measurement scale (i.e., no beta change) and for which gamma change has been ruled out. The present research examined these types of change by administering the Survey of Organizations questionnaire to a sample of military trainers at Time1 (N1, = 222) and Time2 (N2= 242) with no intervention. This design may be referred to as two premeasures of an abbreviated time series design. The results are discussed within the context of the alpha, beta, gamma change typology. After ruling out gamma change, the results revealed that alpha and beta change could be distinguished from each other and that beta change had been measured. The potential causes of the detected beta change (i.e., the rival hypotheses affecting internal validity) are analyzed. The implications of these results are discussed for the present research as well as for other empirical investigations of organizational change.
Sliding to the rescue of damaged DNA

Single-molecule imaging experiments have shed new light on the methods used by the enzyme RecA to align single- and double-stranded DNA so that double-strand breaks can be repaired.
In situ observations of shape evolution during copper dissolution using atomic force microscopy

In this paper, atomic force microscopy is used to monitor, in situ, the shape evolution of polycrystalline copper during anodic dissolution in 0. 5 M H[sub 2]SO[sub 4]. During dissolution of the copper surface under a small anodic potential (30 mV), an overlayer of material that resulted from mechanical polishing was removed, exposing the underlying grain boundaries. A chemically etched sample was exposed to the same experimental conditions, and no overlayer was observed. Dissolution of the copper bulk metal was monitored under a higher applied potential (100 mV, 0. 5M H[sub 2]SO[sub 4]). The overlayer was immediately removed, and the dissolution produced a nonuniform, crystallographically etched surface. The inhibiting effect of benzotriazole (BTA) on copper dissolution in 0. 5M H[sub 2]SO[sub 4]/20 mM BTA was observed. Copper dissolution did not proceed at 100 mV or 200 mV applied potential; but at 300 mV, rapid localized dissolution resulted in the formation of pit-like features.
Versatile synthesis of nanometer sized hollow silica spheres

Using the controlled precipitation of silicic acid on functionalized polystyrene latexes, nanometer sized silica-coated spheres could be prepared and subsequently modified to allow dispersion in non-aqueous solvents; removal of the interior polymer by calcination resulted in the formation of hollow silica spheres.
A novel tiered sensor fusion approach for terrain characterization and safe landing assessment

This paper presents a novel, tiered sensor fusion methodology for real-time terrain safety assessment. A combination of active and passive sensors, specifically, radar, lidar, and camera, operate in three tiers according to their inherent ranges of operation. Low-level terrain features (e.g. slope, roughness) and high-level terrain features (e.g. hills, craters) are integrated using principles of reasoning under uncertainty. Three methodologies are used to infer landing safety: fuzzy reasoning, probabilistic reasoning, and evidential reasoning. The safe landing predictions from the three fusion engines are consolidated in a subsequent decision fusion stage aimed at combining the strengths of each fusion methodology. Results from simulated spacecraft descents are presented and discussed.
Visual cues-based anticipation for percussionist-robot interaction

Visual cues-based anticipation is a fundamental aspect of human-human interaction, and it plays an especially important role in the time demanding medium of group performance. In this work we explore the importance of visual gesture anticipation in music performance involving human and robot. We study the case in which a human percussionist is playing a four-piece percussion set, and a robot musician is playing either the marimba, or a three-piece percussion set. Computer Vision is used to embed anticipation in the robotic response to the human gestures. We developed two algorithms for anticipation, predicting the strike location about 10 mili-seconds or about 100 mili-seconds before it occurs. Using the second algorithm, we show that the robot outperforms, on average, a group of human subjects, in synchronizing its gesture with a reference strike. We also show that, in the tested group of users, having some time in advance is important for a human to synchronize the strike with a reference player, but, from a certain time, that good influence stops increasing.
A comparison of five treatment protocols for contaminated bone grafts in reference to sterility and cell viability.

Background: Occasionally, a bone graft or comminuted fracture fragment is dropped on the operating-room floor and becomes contaminated. The purpose of this study was to determine an optimal method for sterilizing this bone with the minimum sacrifice of cell viability. Methods: A set of discarded bone samples was taken from a series of twenty total knee arthroplasty operations. The bone samples were uniformly contaminated with use of a bacterial broth prepared from culture samples taken from the operating-room floor. The bone samples in each set underwent five different decontamination procedures. Specifically, one sample in each set was autoclaved and four other samples underwent mechanical agitation in normal saline solution, 2% chlorhexidine gluconate, or 10% povidone-iodine (which was either left wet or was dried). Positive and negative controls were used for comparison. Ten sets were then cultured to determine sterility, and ten underwent live/dead trypan blue staining to determine cell viability. Results: Autoclaving, chlorhexidine gluconate, and dry povidone-iodine sterilized all samples; wet povidone-iodine decontaminated four (40%) of ten samples; and saline solution sterilized none. While all decontamination methods reduced the cell count to some extent, autoclaving and chlorhexidine gluconate left no viable cells. When the cell counts were expressed as a percentage of the control value, dry povidone-iodine sterilization maintained significantly fewer live cells than controls (21%; p < 0.01), whereas saline solution and wet povidone-iodine were not significantly different from controls (77% and 66%; p = 0.40 and p = 0.22, respectively). Conclusions: Of the easily accessible protocols studied, mechanical agitation and serial washes of bone graft in povidone-iodine that is allowed to dry offers the best balance between complete sterilization of contaminated bone and maintenance of tissue viability. Clinical Relevance: This study provides a recommended practice in the unexpected circumstance of bone contamination. A protocol consisting of five serial fifteen-second soaks with mechanical agitation in 10% povidone-iodine, followed by a fifteen-minute drying period and a saline solution wash, offers effective sterilization while preserving some cell viability. Importantly, the povidone-iodine solution must be allowed to dry to ensure sufficient sterilization.
Accuracy of Self-Reports of Alcohol Offenders in a Rural Midwestern County:

Self-reports of drinking are of doubtful accuracy as heavy drinkers tend to underreport consistently amounts drunk as well as other alcohol-related data. A sample of 60 people cited for DWI in a rural midwestern county in southeast Nebraska during routine alcohol-dependency evaluations indicated that 10% underreported their Breath Alcohol Content at the time of arrest and 38% their previous number of DWI citations. Subjects were grouped by age (over and under 30) and by accuracy (accurate and inaccurate reporters). A 2 x 2 analysis of variance of later DWI arrests was significant as younger subjects showed greater risk. Those who underreported number of past DWI citations were significantly lower on their self-reported BAC at the time of arrest than accurate reporters. Age and underreporting alcohol-related data are as important for practitioners to attend to as scores on the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test or SCID measuring alcoholic tendencies.
Effects of bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein upon mononuclear cell interactions with endotoxin: evidence for cell binding

Because of the mortality associated with Gram-negative infections, there is interest in the mechanisms by which bacterial endotoxin is processed by leukocytes. Several lipid A binding proteins, including lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) and bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI), mediate the process of LPS activity. Our studies show that BPI was capable of mediating the binding of tritiated LPS to the mononuclear cell line THP-1 in a fashion not affected by the addition of an anti-CD14 antibody, and that such binding did not elicit a TNFa response. Soluble BPI was capable of competing with LBP for LPS and inhibiting the TNFα response associated with LBP-LPS stimulation. In addition, cells pretreated with BPI and then washed were then capable of binding significantly more LPS than controls. These pretreated cells were also capable of inhibiting TNFα production to subsequent LBP-LPS. Western blotting confirmed the uptake of BPI to THP-1 cells both with and without LPS. We conclude that B...
Computer Control of the Large Power System during Faults for Inherently Adaptive Selective Protection

In this paper a new overall approach is presented to the selective network protection problem in the framework of computer control of the power system in normal and emergency conditions. The result is an inherently adaptive selective protection based on the concept of minimal nested protection units. This system uses no explicite individual relays but it is a systemwide interacting computer control. Adherence to classical concept such as distance relays has became an impediment on developing selective protection which actually exploits the potential of digital computer technology. These classics were ingenious developments in an age when microprocessors were built of steel, copper and an aluminum disk. Much more effective selective protection should be possible in todays technological context. This paper tries to point the way.
Dynamic processor assignment in a task system with time-varying load

In many applications a task is repeatedly executed on several sets of data in a pipeline fashion. For example, image processing software is frequently executed on a sequence of images. Due to varying semantic content in the data, each subtask of the overall task may experience variations in execution time for different instances of the data. The authors consider the problem of efficiently executing a task on a large parallel machine. In particular, they focus on dynamically assigning processors to subtasks in response to changing workloads seen by the subtasks. They present several processor assignment algorithms and study their performance through simulation. The simulation study is based on an application in computer vision. The results suggest dynamic re-assignment can perform very close to the theoretical optimum and distinctly better than static assignments.
Eigenvectors of a Raman medium

Summary form only given. Two laser beams whose frequency difference is close, but not exactly equal, to that of a Raman resonance in a molecular medium will drive the resonance so as to establish a phased and, in effect, propagating molecular coherence. We discuss the conditions for the existence of Raman eigenvectors. These conditions are: (1) In analogy to electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in atoms, one must use the anti-phased molecular state. (2) There is a requirement on the magnitude of the Raman polarizability as compared to the background dispersive polarizability. (3) The pulse train as a whole (for example 20-ns long for typical Q-switched lasers) must have an energy which is sufficiently large that the total number of photons is large as compared to the number of molecules in the laser path. When these conditions are satisfied, also in analogy to EIT, the Raman coherence is self-consistently prepared by pulses in the front of the pulse train.
Interphalangeal Joint Salvage Arthrodesis Using the Lister Tubercle as Bone Graft

Treating failed interphalangeal joint arthroplasty is challenging. After an implant or surgical device has been removed, minimal cortical bone remains, and cancellous bone is largely absent from the medullary canals. Several surgical techniques exist for athrodesis of these joints, which render the operated digit unnaturally straight and shortened. Using the Lister tubercle as a graft provides the unique benefits of maintaining the natural length of the joint while also lending a natural curvature to the finger.
Connecting the nucleolus to the cell cycle and human disease

Long known as the center of ribosome synthesis, the nucleolus is connected to cell cycle regulation in more subtle ways. One is a surveillance system that reacts promptly when rRNA synthesis or processing is impaired, halting cell cycle progression. Conversely, the nucleolus also acts as a first-responder to growth-related stress signals. Here we review emerging concepts on how these "infraribosomal" links between the nucleolus and cell cycle progression operate in both forward and reverse gears. We offer perspectives on how new cancer therapeutic designs that target this infraribosomal mode of cell growth control may shape future clinical progress.
Learning by experimentation: the operator refinement method

Abstract Autonomous systems require the ability to plan effective courses of action under potentially uncertain or unpredictable contingencies. Planning requires knowledge of the environment that is accurate enough to allow reasoning about actions. If the environment is too complex or very dynamic, goal-driven learning with reactive feedback becomes a necessity. This chapter addresses the issue of learning by experimentation as an integral component of PRODIGY. PRODIGY is a flexible planning system that encodes its domain knowledge as declarative operators and applies the operator refinement method to acquire additional preconditions or postconditions when observed consequences diverge from internal expectations. When multiple explanations for the observed divergence are consistent with the existing domain knowledge, experiments to discriminate among these explanations are generated. The experimentation process isolates the deficient operator and inserts the discriminant condition or unforeseen side effect to avoid similar impasses in future planning. Thus, experimentation is demand-driven and exploits both the internal state of the planner and any external feedback received. A detailed example of integrated experiment formulation is presented as the basis for a systematic approach to extending an incomplete domain theory or correcting a potentially inaccurate one.
Voltage-Controlled Topotactic Phase Transition in Thin-Film SrCoOx Monitored by In Situ X-ray Diffraction

Topotactic phase transition of functional oxides induced by changes in oxygen nonstoichiometry can largely alter multiple physical and chemical properties, including electrical conductivity, magnetic state, oxygen diffusivity, and electrocatalytic reactivity. For tuning these properties reversibly, feasible means to control oxygen nonstoichiometry-dependent phase transitions in functional oxides are needed. This paper describes the use of electrochemical potential to induce phase transition in strontium cobaltites, SrCoOx (SCO) between the brownmillerite (BM) phase, SrCoO2.5, and the perovskite (P) phase, SrCoO3−δ. To monitor the structural evolution of SCO, in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) was performed on an electrochemical cell having (001) oriented thin-film SrCoOx as the working electrode on a single crystal (001) yttria-stabilized zirconia electrolyte in air. In order to change the effective pO2 in SCO and trigger the phase transition from BM to P, external electrical biases of up to 200 mV were appl...
An Empirical Assessment, and Exploratory Study, of Emotionalintelligence Through Interviews with Sales Professionals and Salesmanagers

Emotional intelligence (EI) has recently found its way into marketing’s discussions. Originating from the psychology domain, EI is the notion that people have differing abilities to pick up on emotional meanings in interpersonal communications and ultimately in their abilities to use that information when making decisions. Researchers have suggested individuals possessing high EI are more successful than their low EI counterparts. To investigate such claims a concentrated and in depth personal interview field study, including both salespeople and sales managers, was performed to empirically explore the EI/personal selling relationship. Extending this literature stream’s performance measures beyond self-reports, to include peer reports, findings indicate EI is positively related to sales performance – those salespeople with the highest EI levels were found to have higher sales abilities. Additional findings indicate EI may be learned over time, EI was not different across genders in the personal selling field, and EI may be more important in the service sector.
Formation and Control of Sulfur Oxides in Sour Gas Oxy-Combustion: Prediction Using a Reactor Network Model

Sour natural gas currently requires expensive gas cleanup before it can be used in power generation because it contains large amounts of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and carbon dioxide (CO2) that entail a low heating value and highly corrosive combustion products. A potential alternative is to use the gas directly in a gas turbine process employing oxy-fuel combustion, which could eliminate the need for gas cleanup while also enabling the application of carbon capture and sequestration, possibly combined with enhanced oil recovery (EOR). However, the exact influence of an oxy-fuel environment on the combustion products of sour gas has not been quantified yet. In this work, we used a reactor network model for the combustor and the gas turbine together with our recently assembled and validated detailed chemical reaction mechanism for sour gas combustion to investigate the influence of some basic design parameters on the combustion products of natural gas and sour gas in CO2 or H2O diluted oxy-fuel combustion as w...
A DESCRIPTION OF TWO NEWLY-RECOGNIZED RHINOVIRUSES OF HUMAN ORIGIN.

SummaryProperties of 2 new viruses of human origin recovered from the human oro-pharynx are described. These agents were found to be less than 30 mμ in size and ether resistant. By inference they were found to contain RNA. These properties are consistent with their classification as picornaviruses.Both agents were unstable in acid pH; thus they were designated as rhinoviruses. The viruses were immunologically distinct from each other and from all previously characterized rhinoviruses. Nineteen other virus strains serologically related to the prototype viruses were recovered from recruits at a military training camp. Statistical analysis suggested that viruses similar to prototype strain 1200 were associated with occurrence of mild “cold-like” illnesses. These studies also indicated that homologous neutralizing antibodies protected against infection by these viruses.The authors take pleasure in acknowledging the capable technical assistance of Mrs. Carol Uhlendorf, Mrs. Lena Wetherall, Mr. Conard Davis, Mr...
The Mediterranean and the Mediterranean World in the Age of Philip II

The focus of Fernand Braudel's great work is the Mediterranean world in the second half of the sixteenth century, but Braudel ranges back in history to the world of Odysseus and forward to our time, moving out from the Mediterranean area to the New World and other destinations of Mediterranean traders. Braudel's scope embraces the natural world and material life, economics, demography, politics, and diplomacy.
The interaction of alpha-chymotrypsin with alpha-N-acetyl-l-phenylalaninamidoxime.

Abstract α-N-acetyl- l -phenylalaninamidoxime, i.e. , l -α-acetamido-β-phenylpropionamidoxine, although capable of combining with the catalytically active site of α-chymotrypsin is not hydrolyzed by this enzyme under conditions where the corresponding amide and hydroxamide will function as substrates.
Tissue-Resident NK Cells Mediate Ischemic Kidney Injury and Are Not Depleted by Anti-Asialo-GM1 Antibody.

NK cells are innate lymphoid cells important for immune surveillance, identifying and responding to stress, infection, and/or transformation. Whereas conventional NK (cNK) cells circulate systemically, many NK cells reside in tissues where they appear to be poised to locally regulate tissue function. In the present study, we tested the contribution of tissue-resident NK (trNK) cells to tissue homeostasis by studying ischemic injury in the mouse kidney. Parabiosis experiments demonstrate that the kidney contains a significant fraction of trNK cells under homeostatic conditions. Kidney trNK cells developed independent of NFIL3 and T-bet, and they expressed a distinct cell surface phenotype as compared with cNK cells. Among these, trNK cells had reduced asialo-GM1 (AsGM1) expression relative to cNK cells, a phenotype observed in trNK cells across multiple organs and mouse strains. Strikingly, anti–AsGM1 Ab treatment, commonly used as a NK cell–depleting regimen, resulted in a robust and selective depletion of cNKs, leaving trNKs largely intact. Using this differential depletion, we tested the relative contribution of cNK and trNK cells in ischemic kidney injury. Whereas anti–NK1.1 Ab effectively depleted both trNK and cNK cells and protected against ischemic/reperfusion injury, anti–AsGM1 Ab preferentially depleted cNK cells and failed to protect against injury. These data demonstrate unanticipated specificity of anti–AsGM1 Ab depletion on NK cell subsets and reveal a new approach to study the contributions of cNK and trNK cells in vivo. In total, these data demonstrate that trNK cells play a key role in modulating local responses to ischemic tissue injury in the kidney and potentially other organs.
Nutritional therapy of irritable bowel syndrome.

SUMMARY Nutritional factors relative to IBS include diagnostic and therapeutic considerations. Etiologically, foods do not cause IBS. A small percentage of patients with childhood allergic diatheses, usually in association with atopic dermatitis and asthma, may be intolerant to one or more of wheat, corn, dairy products, coffee, tea, or citrus fruits. Diagnostically, many patients labeled as IBS subjects are in fact intolerant to the ingestion of lactose-containing foods, sorbitol, fructose, or combinations of fructose and sorbitol. A precise dietary history will characterize this group. Taken in its broadest context, IBS involves the entire hollow tract inclusive of esophagus, stomach, small bowel, and colon. The symptomatic presentation relative to the hollow organ involved allows the selection of dietary manipulations that may help to reduce symptoms. Gastroesophageal reflux, a consequence of low LES pressure in some IBS patients, may be treated with the elimination of fatty foods, alcohol, chocolate, and peppermint. Delayed gastric emptying may be helped by the elimination of fatty foods and reduction of soluble fiber. Aberrant small bowel motor function may be ameliorated by reduction of lactose, sorbitol, and fructose and the addition of soluble fiber. Gas syndromes may be improved by reduced intake of beans, cabbage, lentils, legumes, apples, grapes, and raisins. Colonic motor dysfunction may be overcome by the gradual addition of combinations of soluble and insoluble fiber-containing foods and supplements. The selective use of activated charcoal and simethicone may be helpful.
The Last Detail: Platelets, Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Antagonists, and Excipients.

Shortly after platelet participation in thrombosis was described in the 1880s, thrombocytopenia was recognized as an adverse prognostic sign, particularly with regard to bleeding [(1)][1]. A century later, reports among patients hospitalized with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) who were treated with
Curcumin affects gene expression and reactive oxygen species via a PKA dependent mechanism in Dictyostelium discoideum

Botanicals are widely used as dietary supplements and for the prevention and treatment of disease. Despite a long history of use, there is generally little evidence supporting the efficacy and safety of these preparations. Curcumin has been used to treat a myriad of human diseases and is widely advertised and marketed for its ability to improve health, but there is no clear understanding how curcumin interacts with cells and affects cell physiology. D. discoideum is a simple eukaryotic lead system that allows both tractable genetic and biochemical studies. The studies reported here show novel effects of curcumin on cell proliferation and physiology, and a pleiotropic effect on gene transcription. Transcriptome analysis showed that the effect is two-phased with an early transient effect on the transcription of approximately 5% of the genome, and demonstrates that cells respond to curcumin through a variety of previously unknown molecular pathways. This is followed by later unique transcriptional changes and a protein kinase A dependent decrease in catalase A and three superoxide dismutase enzymes. Although this results in an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS; superoxide and H2O2), the effects of curcumin on transcription do not appear to be the direct result of oxidation. This study opens the door to future explorations of the effect of curcumin on cell physiology.
Real-Time Scheduling for Cognitive Radio Networks

Real-time scheduling protocols for cognitive radio (CR) networks that can be implemented in the spectrum manager of IEEE 802.22 are proposed. The protocols take into consideration the inherent uncertainties in CR networks that are caused by the unknown future primary user channel usage and the dynamic channel allocation demands of the CR users in each time slot. Scheduling is performed at the beginning of each time slot. The proposed mean throughput maximization (MTM) scheduling protocol schedules the CRs available in the current time slot considering past channel allocations and possible future demands without introducing the delay of waiting for future CR resource demands to be revealed. A variation of the MTM called throughput loss minimization (TLM) is introduced to further reduce the delay in MTM scheduling. The upper bound on the throughput loss and the relation of TLM to MTM in terms of computational complexity and approximation ratio are analyzed. In addition, Markov chance decision processes are used for CR real-time scheduling. Tradeoffs in the upper bound of the throughput loss allow the cognitive base station to enhance the sum throughput of the CR network to maintain both scheduling time and throughput loss below a desired level.
New Insights Into the Use of the 12-Lead Electrocardiogram for Diagnosing Acute Myocardial Infarction in the Emergency Department

The 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) remains the most immediately accessible and widely used initial diagnostic tool for guiding management in patients with suspected myocardial infarction (MI). Although the development of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin assays has improved the rule-in and rule-out and risk stratification of acute MI without ST elevation, the immediate management of the subset of acute MI with acute coronary occlusion depends on integrating clinical presentation and ECG findings. Careful interpretation of the ECG might yield subtle features suggestive of ischemia that might facilitate more rapid triage of patients with subtle acute coronary occlusion or, conversely, in identification of ST-elevation MI mimics (pseudo ST-elevation MI patterns). Our goal in this review article is to consider recent advances in the use of the ECG to diagnose coronary occlusion MIs, including the application of rules that allow MI to be diagnosed on the basis of atypical ECG manifestations. Such rules include the modified Sgarbossa criteria allowing identification of acute MI in left bundle branch block or ventricular pacing, the 3- and 4-variable formula to differentiate normal ST elevation (formerly called early repolarization) from subtle ECG signs of left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion, the differentiation of ST elevation of left ventricular aneurysm from that of acute anterior MI, and the use of lead aVL in the recognition of inferior MI. Improved use of the ECG is essential to improving the diagnosis and appropriate early management of acute coronary occlusion MIs, which will lead to improved outcomes for patients who present with acute coronary syndrome.
Family-friendly academic conferences: a missing link to fix the “leaky pipeline”?

Traveling to academic conferences to present research and network is essential for scholars to achieve success in the academy. Scholars with family obligations face barriers to participating in con...
Sensing-motion co-planning for reconstructing a spatially distributed field using a mobile sensor network

We investigate the problem of simultaneous parameter identification and mapping of a spatially distributed field using a mobile sensor network. We first develop a parametrized model that represents the spatially distributed field. Based on the model, a recursive least squares algorithm is developed to achieve online parameter identification. Next, we design a global state observer, which uses the estimated parameters, together with data collected by the mobile sensor network, to real-timely reconstruct the whole spatial-temporal varying field. Since the performance of the parameter identification and map reconstruction algorithms depends on the trajectories of the mobile sensors, we further develop a Lyapunov redesign based online trajectory planning algorithm for the mobile sensor network so that the mobile sensors can use local real-time information to guide them to move along information-rich paths that can improve the performance of the parameter identification and map construction. Lastly, a cooperative filtering scheme is developed to provide the state estimates of the spatially distributed field, which enables the recursive least squares method. To test the proposed algorithms in realistic scenarios, we first build a CO2 diffusion field in a lab and construct a sensor network to measure the field concentration over time. We then validate the algorithms in the reconstructed CO 2 field in simulation. Simulation results demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method.
Research Ethics and a Case of Positionality

This chapter takes up a contemporary practice in educational research in which an ethics is posited in positionality by the researcher. This is especially prevalent in qualitative social justice research in the USA. Its approach is to present elements of a case, itself out of a classical tradition in ethics. The case has these sections following an opening hypothetical: Introduction, Research ethics, Positionality and social justice, Standpoint positionalities, Reflexive positionalities, and Concluding discussion. Central to the chapter is presentation of roots of positionalities in feminist theorizings that are primarily epistemological and not ethical. On this issue, differences in the two formulations are set out. US research ethics can be reconceived given insights from the chapter
Endothelial Differentiated Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Improvement of Survival and Neovascularization in Fat Transplantation.

Background Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) assisted lipotransfer have been considered to facilitate the survival of fat grafts. However, emerging evidence of insufficient vascularization is another obstacle for fat graft survival in cell-assisted lipotransfer. Objectives This study evaluated if endothelial phenotype ASCs with fat lipoaspirate improves survival and neovascularization in fat transplantation. Methods ASCs were isolated from human periumbilical fat tissue and cultured in endothelial growth medium for 2 weeks. Fat lipoaspirate was mixed with fresh adipose stroma vascular fraction (SVF), endothelial differentiated ASCs (EC/ASCs), and fat lipoaspirate alone. Three fat mixtures were subcutaneously injected into the adult male Sprague-Dawley rat's dorsum at 3 locations. At 8 weeks after transplantation, the grafted fat lipoaspirates were harvested, and the extracted fat was evaluated using photographic, survival weights measurements and histological examination. Neo-vascularization was quantified by immunofluorescence and real-time RT-PCR. Results Grafts from the EC/ASC assisted group had a higher survival rate, morphologic integrity, and most uniform lipid droplets. They also revealed less inflammation and fibrosis with increased number of vessels by histological and immunofluorescence analysis. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis indicated that the expression levels of EC-specific markers of CD31 and vWF were higher in the EC/ASC group compared with in the control and fat with SVF transplants. Conclusions These results indicated that co-implantation of fat lipoaspirate with ASCs differentiated toward an endothelial phenotype improves both survival and neovascularization of the transplanted fat lipoaspirate, which might provide benefits and represents a promising strategy for clinical application in autologous fat transplantation.
The Stabilized March Technique Applied to the Diffusion Equation

The multigroup diffusion equations are solved by treating them as an initial value problem. The inherent error growth is controlled by repeated conditioning transformations; the error bounds on the...