cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Steel Corrosion in Aqueous Piperazine at Water Wash Conditions

Corrosion of a carbon steel (C1010) and three stainless steels (430, 304L, and 316L) was measured at water wash conditions in the low-gas flow reactor. Due to the low piperazine (PZ) concentration in the water wash (WW), dissolved CO2 in the WW solution can be acidic and cause C1010 corrosion. The presence of PZ increases the solution pH and reduces the corrosion rate, and the correlation between C1010 corrosion rate and PZ concentration is presented. Solutions saturated with CO2 in N2 mixtures showed lower carbon steel corrosion than those with a CO2 in air mixture. Higher CO2 partial pressure in the gas phase results in a more acidic solution, which requires more PZ to lower the corrosivity. Stainless steels have great resistance to corrosion in the WW.
Fatigue of laser powder bed fusion processed 17-4 stainless steel using prior process exposed powder feedstock

Abstract The rapid pace of development seen in the metal additive manufacturing (AM) process of laser powder-bed fusion (LPBF) requires in-step advances in processes qualification to enable full-scale adoption. This particularly applies to quantifying how powder feedstock conditions impact end-component quality. This study examines how in-machine 17-4 stainless steel powder feedstocks are affected by prior LPBF processes, and how these effects impact subsequent builds. Examinations of powder morphology, chemistry, flowability, and rheology were conducted to characterize the powder conditions. The resultant effects of powder feedstock condition on produced component quasi-static tensile and high-cycle fatigue properties were analyzed. Fatigue life was analyzed using a reliability modeling approach that enabled a robust statistical comparison of life. Powder characteristics were found to evolve with powder exposure to prior LPBF processes, particularly in the extremes of powder size distribution and measures of bulk flow. No significant effects of these changes on tensile properties were observed. Reliability modeling methods, including the lognormal and Weibull distributions as well as the empirical survival function, are shown to be effective tools for modeling fatigue variability in LPBF manufactured components. Through these tools, fatigue life was found to be invariant with changes in powder condition.
A SYNOPTIC CLIMATOLOGY OF NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES TORNADOES

This study documents the spatial and temporal characteristics of northeast United States tornadoes and the synoptic patterns associated with their development. Daily 1200 UTC surface pressure, 500 mb height and 850 mb temperature data are used in a compositing analysis to indicate the general conditions on tornado-producing days during four quasi-seasonal periods. Temporally, two-thirds of all northeast tornadoes occur between the hours of 1800 UTC and 0000 UTC. Annually, greater than 75% occur during the four-month period from May through August. During the period of study (1950 through 1986) the region had an average of 30 tornado occurrences per year. Spatially, three preferred areas of tornadic development are identified across the northeast region. These areas include western and southeastern Pennsylvania and north-central Massachusetts. The general synoptic patterns associated with tornadic events in the northeast United States remain consistent throughout the year. The composite analyses indicate t...
OpenMP support in the Intel® thread checker

The Intel® Thread Checker is the second incarnation of projection based dynamic analysis technology first introduced with Assure that greatly simplifies application development with OpenMP. The ability to dynamically analyze multiple sibling OpenMP teams enhances the previous Assure support and complements previous work on static analysis. In addition, binary instrumentation capabilities allow detection of thread-safety violations in system and third party libraries that most applications use.
Public Opinion, the Congressional Policy Agenda and the Limits of New Deal Liberalism, 1936-1945

This paper begins to leverage the roughly 450 public opinion surveys conducted from 1936-45 to explore the relationship between public opinion and the limits of New Deal liberalism. The rise of the conservative coalition in Congress in the late 1930s left in place many of the liberal policy gains enacted in 1933-35, but it did stall proposals for a more expansive, socially democratic welfare state. Prior work has explored the south’s potentially pivotal role in limiting New Deal liberalism (see, e.g., Katznelson and Farhang) and the internal dynamics of the conservative coalition within Congress, but the interplay between mass politics and the conservative coalition has received much less attention. Yet the ability of Republicans to compete successfully in the north after 1938 is a major reason why northern liberals were so dependent on southern support for their initiatives. This paper provides a first cut tracing the dynamics of public opinion concerning the liberal policy agenda in Congress in this period, with particular focus on the interplay between the mass public and congressional politics on labor policy and civil rights. I find that there is a substantial shift in the public mood to the right on labor unions in the late 1930s. This shift appears to have been quite broadly based across regions and demographic groups. On civil rights, I find that nonsouthern white Democrats began to embrace civil rights liberalism in the late 1930s. Strikingly, economically liberal white Democrats are substantially more pro-civil rights than are economically conservative white Republicans, long before Democratic national elites embraced civil rights liberalism.
Asbestos Fibers in Normal and Cancerous Human Kidneys

Exposure of general population to ubiquitously present asbestos has led investigators to monitor its health effects. This pilot study was undertaken to see if there was an association between kidney cancer and fiber concentration in the kidney. Results of transmission electron microscopic (TEM) analysis for asbestos fibers in normal and cancerous human kidney tissues collected from three Chicago hospitals are presented. Chrysotile fibers were recovered from autopsy or surgery tissues of normal and cancerous kidneys. The study did not indicate a definite association between carcinoma and fiber load of kidney of humans exposed to nonoccupational asbestos.
HPLC separation of heterocyclic β-diketonates of actinide, lanthanide and transition metals

Abstract Liquid-chromatography conditions for the separation of neutral chelates of 1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-benzoyl-5-pyrazolone with transition metals, lanthanides and actinides have been established. The use of reverse-phase liquid chromatography, instead of ion-exchange, is a novel approach for actinide separation. The high molar absorptivities of the β-diketonates in the ultraviolet region allow for their detection at the nanogram level. The potential exists, therefore, for the rapid solvent extraction, concentration and determination of traces of actinides and other metals.
Molecular Determinants of the Prothrombogenic and Inflammatory Phenotype Assumed by the Postischemic Cerebral Microcirculation

Background and Purpose— Circulating blood cells have been implicated in the pathogenesis of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury and stroke. The objective of this study was to define the magnitude and molecular determinants of the platelet- and leukocyte–endothelial cell adhesive interactions induced by I/R in the mouse brain. Methods— Bilateral common carotid artery occlusion was induced for 1 hour in C57BL/6 mice, followed by either 40 minutes or 4 hours of reperfusion. Fluorescent platelets were administered intravenously, and the frontal brain surface was observed with intravital fluorescence microscopy. Leukocyte–endothelial cell adhesion was monitored with the use of rhodamine-6G. Results— Ischemia followed by 40 minutes of reperfusion resulted in the rolling (125.1±23.6/mm2) and firm adhesion (109.5±25.8/mm2) of leukocytes but not platelets in venules. However, with 4 hours of reperfusion, rolling (138.8±24.6/mm2) and firm adhesion (153.7±22.3/mm2) of platelets were detected, and this was acc...
Inequality as temporal process Property and time inTransylvania's land restitution

How is inequality related to time? This article explores some temporal coordinates of newly emerging unequal land distributions inTransylvania (Romania), in the wake of socialism's collapse. Building on a notion of temporally based strategies, it examines both temporal conceptions and temporally based practices to describe how time entered into the initial conception of the land restitution process, how achieving ownership was itself a time-intensive activity, and how the government's economic policy has inadequately supported the time-horizons appropriate for new owners. In each respect, time tends to work to the advantage of the former holders of political and social capital as they seek to convert those forms of privilege into control over land.
Initiation of vesicoureteral reflux after heminephrectomy for ureterocele

Abstract In a male infant profuse flank urine drainage developed after heminephrectomyfor ureterocele. Cystograms then showed bilateral vesicoureteral reflux where none had been present preoperatively. The flank drainage resolved promptly after catheter drainage of the bladder. Decompression of a ureterocele may cause initiation of vesicoureteral reflux.
Super-resolution direction finding with an auxiliary-vector basis

We develop a new direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation procedure that utilizes a modified version of the orthogonal auxiliary-vector (AV) filtering algorithm. The procedure starts with the linear transformation of the array response scanning vector by the input autocorrelation matrix. Then, successive orthogonal maximum cross-correlation auxiliary vectors are calculated to form a basis of the scanner-extended signal subspace. As a performance evaluation example, our studies for uncorrelated sources demonstrate a gain in the order of 15dB over MUSIC, 7dB over ESPRIT, and 3dB over the grid-search maximum likelihood DOA estimator at probability of resolution 0.9 with a ten-element array and reasonably small observation data records. A reduced complexity version of the proposed DOA estimation algorithm is also suggested. Results for correlated sources are reported as well.
Innovation speed: Transferring university technology to market

Abstract This study extends innovation speed theory by empirically linking the antecedents and outcomes of technology commercialization at universities. Assessing university technology transfer offices (UTTOs) in the U.S., we found that the faster UTTOs can commercialize patent-protected technologies, the greater their licensing revenues streams and the more new ventures they spin off. Furthermore, using commercialization time as a surrogate for innovation speed, we identify several determinants of speed. That is, UTTO resources and the competency in identifying licensees are related to commercialization time. Also, the participation of faculty-inventors in the licensing process is a critical determinant of commercialization time. Illustrating that innovation speed is an antecedent of performance as well as a desired outcome in and of itself, provides support for innovation speed theory.
We are out of balance

This paper is a republication of an original blog post by Gene Spafford with a title of the same name. It includes comments on the general lack of women in the computing subfield of cybersecurity and advice for both men and women. The original blog posting can be found at https://www.cerias.purdue.edu/site/blog/post/were_out_of_balance/
Species richness, composition, and abundance of fish larvae and juveniles inhabiting natural and developed shorelines of a glacial Iowa lake

Young-of-the-year fish communities in naturally vegetated sites were compared with those inhabiting nearby sites where lakeshore development (i.e., construction of homes, boat docks, and beaches) reduced nearshore macrophyte species richness and abundance. The study was conducted in a 2266 hectare, glacially formed, eutrophic lake in northwestern Iowa during the summers of 1987 and 1988. Study sites were divided into 3 depth zones, and fishes were collected by seining (0–1 m), plexiglass traps (1–2 m), and a nonclosing Tucker trawl (2–3 m). Species richness and total fish abundance were consistently greater in natural than in developed sites in both nearshore (0–1 m) and intermediate (1–2 m) depth zones, but differed little between natural and developed sites in the offshore (2–3 m) depth zone. Nearly 50% of the species sampled, including yellow perch Perca flavescens and bluegill Lepomis macrochirus, inhabited limnetic areas as larvae before migrating inshore as juveniles. Eighteen of the 20 fish species collected as juveniles were in greater abundance in natural than in developed sites. Smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieui was the only game species consistently found in equal or greater abundance in developed sites. Within all sites, juvenile fishes were generally most abundant where macrophyte abundance and species richness were greatest. Findings from this study demonstrate the importance of nearshore aquatic vegetation to fishes during their first summer of life. If nearshore vegetation beds of lakes continue to be regarded as a nuisance and indiscriminately removed, important fish nursery habitat will be lost. The short-term result will likely be reduced year-class strength of vegetation-dependent species. More importantly, the long-term effects will be changes in fish community richness and composition which will, in turn, alter the lake's fishery.
Energetic Solar Electrons in the Interplanetary Medium

ISEE-3 measurements extending down to 2 keV energy have provided a new perspective on energetic solar electrons in the interplanetary medium. Impulsive solar electron events are observed, on average, several times a day near solar maximum, with ~40% detected only below ~ 15 keV. The electron energy spectra have a nearly power-law shape extending smoothly down to 2 keV, indicating that the origin of these events is high in the corona. These coronal flare-like events often produced 3He-rich particle events.
Rasmussen encephalitis: Epilepsia partialis continua secondary to chronic encephalitis

Abstract Rasmussen encephalitis is a disease consisting of chronic encephalitis with progressive neurologic deficits and focal intractable seizure activity. The etiology is unknown, but pathologic specimens revealed changes consistent with viral encephalitis. Even though neuroimaging techniques, such as positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, offer the prospect of specific, presurgical diagnostic criteria, the initial diagnosis usually is made on a clinical basis. Treatment modalities, including a wide variety of antiepileptic drug therapies and surgical interventions, may result in significant physical and mental impairments. We summarize the clinical presentation, diagnostic considerations, and different treatment protocols in a patient with this rare and debilitating disorder.
A summary of the global Common Body of Knowledge 2006 (CBOK) study in internal auditing

Purpose – The 2006 global Common Body of Knowledge (CBOK) study is part of an ongoing research program designed to document how internal auditing is practiced. The purpose of this paper is to summarize responses to three global surveys of internal auditors.Design/methodology/approach – Based on literature reviews and a pre‐scope questionnaire, the researchers develop three questionnaires that are answered by internal auditors world wide. Topics in the questionnaires, which are translated from English into 16 languages, include the attributes of an effective internal audit activity (IAA); compliance with The Institute of Internal Auditor (IIA) Standards; internal auditor skills, competencies, and knowledge; internal audit tools and techniques; and emerging roles of the IAA.Findings – The profession of internal auditing is a rich resource for organizations as the IAA monitors the adequacy and effectiveness of management's internal control framework and contributes to the integrity of corporate governance; r...
Effects of GABA agonists and GABA-A receptor modulators on cocaine discrimination in rhesus monkeys.

Rationale: Dopaminergic systems thought to mediate the abuse-related effects of cocaine are under inhibitory control by GABAergic systems. These findings suggest that GABA agonists may attenuate some abuse-related effects of cocaine. Objective: To assess the effects of GABA receptor agonists and GABA-A receptor modulators on cocaine discrimination in rhesus monkeys. Methods: Rhesus monkeys were trained to discriminate 0.4 mg/kg cocaine from saline in a two-key, food-reinforced drug discrimination task. The effects of the GABA-A agonist muscimol, the GABA-B agonist baclofen, the barbiturate GABA-A receptor modulator pentobarbital, and the benzodiazepine GABA-A modulators triazolam and imidazenil were examined alone and as pretreatments to cocaine. For comparison, the effects of pentobarbital pretreatment on the cocaine-like discriminative stimulus effects of amphetamine were also examined. Results: When administered alone, the GABA agonists and GABA-A receptor modulators produced primarily saline-appropriate responding. When administered as pretreatments to cocaine, pentobarbital attenuated the discriminative stimulus effects of cocaine in all monkeys tested, and the high efficacy benzodiazepine agonist triazolam attenuated cocaine's effects in three of five monkeys. Muscimol, baclofen and the low efficacy benzodiazepine agonist imidazenil did not alter cocaine's discriminative stimulus effects. Although pentobarbital blocked the effects of the monoamine reuptake blocker cocaine, it did not alter the cocaine-like effects of the monoamine releaser amphetamine. Conclusions: These results are consistent with the hypothesis that GABA-A receptor modulators attenuate the discriminative stimulus effects of cocaine in rhesus monkeys by decreasing the activity of dopaminergic systems. Direct GABA receptor agonists may be less effective in blocking the abuse-related effects of cocaine in rhesus monkeys.
Aberrant processing of a Maize GALACTINOL SYNTHASE transcript is caused by heat stress

Abstract Summary: GALACTINOL SYNTHASE constitutes a highly homologous, small gene family in maize. ZmGOLS2 cDNA probe detects full-length ZmGOLS transcript in dehydration stressed-, and a smaller transcript (ST) in heat stressed-germinating seeds and callus cells. The ST can be detected in seeds imbibed at temperatures above 30 °C, attaining greatest abundance at 40 °C. At 45 °C, the ST is no longer detected and the full-length transcript is again prevalent. Northern blot analysis of poly(A) selected mRNA indicates that the ST is polyadenylated. The ST can be detected by antisense but not by sense RNA probes. Only the five-prime-third of the ZmGOLS2 cDNA is homologous to the ST. However, ribonuclease protection assays (RPA) using a probe to the 5′ portion of ZmGOLS2 , led to the conclusion that only ZmGOLS3- , not ZmGOLS2- transcript, is present in heat stressed seeds. The small transcript detected by ZmGOLS2 probe is not derived from ZmGOLS2 but from an unknown, highly homologous gene. Using 3′ RACE, a full-length and a short ZmGOLS3 cDNA were cloned. Sequencing revealed that the short ZmGOLS3 transcript is a fusion of the 5′- and 3′-UTR regions of ZmGOLS3 . Comparison with the gene sequence revealed that there are no typical intron–exon junction structures around the deleted fragment of ZmGOLS3 . Instead, a five base pair, GC-rich sequence delineates the deletion sites used to form the ZmGOLS3 short transcript. Southern blot analysis using maize genomic DNA as a template confirmed that the aberrant ZmGOLS3 transcript was produced due to aberrant RNA processing and is not due to transcription of a ZmGOLS3 pseudogene.
A data-driven feed-forward decision framework for building clusters operation under uncertainty

Abstract Building plays a significant role for energy consumption and carbon dioxide emission in the United States. Extensive researches are conducted to develop effective operation strategy for the building system. However, less study is to investigate the energy sharing among a cluster of multiple buildings (aka building clusters) under uncertainty. In this research, we propose to develop a data-driven feed-forward decision framework for building clusters operation, through the use of noise-tolerant data fusion techniques. Three stages are implemented in the proposed framework which include: (1) decisions generation stage that employs an augmented multi-objective particle swarm optimization based decision framework to obtain operation decisions for the next future L hours; (2) execution stage that implements the first l hours decisions; and (3) calibration stage that employs data fusion techniques to calibrate the building clusters model in a l′ hour scale. The calibrated model is fed back to the decisions generation stage for the next period decisions. Unscented Kalman filter which is demonstrated to outperform other data fusion techniques in terms of accuracy, robustness and computational efficiency based on our experimental results is employed in the calibration stage. To evaluate the performance of the proposed framework, we compare the operation decisions with and without calibration stage. It is demonstrated that the proposed feed-forward framework can obtain operation decisions to achieve more cost savings. The impacts of different time lengths l in the execution stage are investigated which indicate the selection of l depends on the trade-offs between decision solution quality and computational performance.
Transverse Collective Excitations in Superconductors and Electromagnetic Absorption

With use of the generalized random phase approximation an attempt is made to estimate the absorption of photons with energy less than the energy gap due to transverse collective excitations. The ratio of the surface resistance due to transverse collective excitations to that of normal metals in the extreme anomalous limit, calculated within the weak coupling theory, turns out to be too small to explain the observed data for superconducting lead and mercury. The interpretation of the collective excitations as bound pair states is briefly discussed.
Techniques for improving regression testing in continuous integration development environments

In continuous integration development environments, software engineers frequently integrate new or changed code with the mainline codebase. This can reduce the amount of code rework that is needed as systems evolve and speed up development time. While continuous integration processes traditionally require that extensive testing be performed following the actual submission of code to the codebase, it is also important to ensure that enough testing is performed prior to code submission to avoid breaking builds and delaying the fast feedback that makes continuous integration desirable. In this work, we present algorithms that make continuous integration processes more cost-effective. In an initial pre-submit phase of testing, developers specify modules to be tested, and we use regression test selection techniques to select a subset of the test suites for those modules that render that phase more cost-effective. In a subsequent post-submit phase of testing, where dependent modules as well as changed modules are tested, we use test case prioritization techniques to ensure that failures are reported more quickly. In both cases, the techniques we utilize are novel, involving algorithms that are relatively inexpensive and do not rely on code coverage information -- two requirements for conducting testing cost-effectively in this context. To evaluate our approach, we conducted an empirical study on a large data set from Google that we make publicly available. The results of our study show that our selection and prioritization techniques can each lead to cost-effectiveness improvements in the continuous integration process.
If EM fields do not operate on each other, why do we need many modes and large gain bandwidth to generate short pulses?

We recognize that the superposed light beams do not interact with each other to re-distribute their energy in space or time in the absence of interacting material dipoles. This platform requires that we re-visit the physical model behind the generation of pulses from the so-called "mode-locked" lasers. In the process, we come across the mathematical models behind formulating (i) the autocorrelation due to pulsed light and (ii) the group velocity of pulse propagation are based on the direct summation (integration) of non-causal infinite Fourier frequencies as if the EM waves can actually modify their energy distribution in the time domain. Accordingly, we show by modeling results and proposed experiments that time-frequency Fourier theorem can give rise to self-contradictory predictions, verifiable by simple laboratory experiments. Based on these results, we propose that we replace the paradigm of "interference of light" by "superposition effects due to light beams" as reported by the material dipoles of detectors and beam splitters.
Accurate calculation of reflectance spectra for thick one-dimensional inhomogeneous optical structures and media: stable propagation matrix method

Numerical instability is usually observed when the propagation matrix method is used to calculate the reflectance and transmittance spectra for the thick one-dimensional inhomogeneous optical structures and media. To remove this numerical instability we applied two procedures, the normalization and the singular-value decomposition, for the propagation matrix and the matrix involved in calculating the matrix of reflection coefficients, respectively. Examples of a cholesteric liquid crystal and a helical structure of ferroelectric liquid crystals with a twist defect show that the modified propagation matrix method is able to accurately calculate the reflectance spectra for thick structures.
Three-Dimensional Reconstructions of the Developing Forebrain in Rat Embryos

Using a computerized three-dimensional reconstruction technique with serially sectioned rat embryos, changes in the size and form of the forebrain were studied on Embryonic Days (E) 12 (1 day after closure of the neural tube), E15, E18, and E21 (2 days before birth). During this time, the forebrain changes from a relatively simple tubular structure with thin walls surrounding a large ventricular system to a thick-walled brain with a highly convoluted but reduced ventricular system. On E12, the two components of the forebrain, the telencephalon and the diencephalon, cannot be distinguished. Considering the forebrain as a whole (the embryonic prosencephalon), its volume continually increases between E12 and E21 due to the generation, differentiation, and maturation of neurons and glia. Attention was paid to changes in the sizes of the ventricles, the neuroepithelium and the parenchyma. Volumes of the ventricles and the surrounding neuroepithelium rapidly expanded from E12 to E18 and then decreased by E21, while the volume of the parenchyma continually increased. Differential growth of the telencephalon and that of the diencephalon were compared between E15 and E21. The expansion of the telencephalon was much larger than that of the diencephalon. In the telencephalon, the volumes of the lateral ventricles and the surrounding neuroepithelium increased between E15 and E18 and decreased by E21, while in the diencephalon the volumes of the third ventricle and its surrounding neuroepithelium continually declined between E15 and E21. That observation is compatible with previous work showing that the majority of diencephalic structures develop earlier than those in the telencephalon. It is important to note that volume changes in the ventricles and the neuroepithelium are maintained in "lock-step," suggesting a close relationship between the size of the ventricle and the size of the neuroepithelium.
Polysomnographic and clinical findings in children with obstructive sleep apnea.

• A retrospective study was conducted to determine which types of children might have polysomnographic findings that are most compatible with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The charts of 93 patients who were aged 18 months to 12 years were examined. All 93 patients had symptoms that were initially suggestive of OSA, and they underwent polysomnography. The types of presenting symptoms and associated illnesses were noted. Physical findings, including height, weight, and tonsil size, were examined. Of 93 patients with symptoms that were suggestive of OSA, 34 met sleep study criteria for OSA. In 44 patients, OSA was not demonstrated, and 15 patients had other results. On the basis of age, sex, and symptoms, no significant differences could be found between the group with OSA and the group with normal polysomnographic findings. Cor pulmonale, tonsil hypertrophy, and failure to thrive were associated with OSA. Surprisingly, obesity was not significantly associated with OSA. ( Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1992;118:741-744)
The pathophysiology and biological mechanisms of cervical spondylotic myelopathy

Abstract Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is a common degenerative disease of the spine that is the direct result of spinal cord compression. With age, the spine undergoes natural degenerative changes that can affect its basic anatomy and lead to stenosis of the spinal canal. Various pathologies involving the vertebrae, intervertebral discs, facet joints, and ligaments of the vertebral column can all contribute to the manifestation of this disease and can be categorized into either static or dynamic mechanisms. Of the static mechanisms, degeneration of the intervertebral discs is one of the most characteristic processes associated with CSM. The formation of osteophytes, ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL), ossification of the ligamentum flavum (OLF), and a genetic predisposition to have a tightened spinal canal are also static pathologies that can contribute to the presentation of myelopathic symptoms in patients. Dynamic mechanisms primarily involve excessive motion of the cervical spine due to traumatic injuries, such as motor vehicle collisions. On a macroscopic level, damage to blood vessels and soft tissue can occur due to the previously described mechanisms; however, on a microscopic level, the pressure from constant spinal cord compression can result in ischemia, an underlying mechanism of CSM and the primary molecular cause of the disease. When the neurons of the spinal cord are deprived of oxygen and essential nutrients due to compression, they initiate an irreversible apoptotic cascade in the affected tissue. This molecular sequence of events is believed to target oligodendrocytes and cause the demyelination of adjacent neurons. As oligodendrocytes die, chronic demyelination of the neurons in the spinal cord occurs, causing residual or even permanent nerve damage after surgical decompression. The exact molecular pathway that results in the debilitating symptoms associated with this disease is not yet fully understood. A better understanding of both the biologic and mechanical mechanisms that cause CSM will significantly improve physicians׳ ability to treat patients diagnosed with this disease and decrease the prevalence of patients suffering from spinal cord impairment.
Porometric measurements indicate wound severity and tuber maturity affect the early stages of wound-healing

We demonstrated that porometrically derived wound-healing profiles of whole tubers were greatly affected by the depth or severity of the wound. A rapid decrease in water vapor conductance was detected during the first 24 h of healing after mature, whole tubers were wounded by tangentially cutting into the cortex. The rapid decline in vapor conductance, indicating deposition of soluble waxes, was not concurrent with detectable deposition of polymeric phenolic or polymeric aliphatic components of the suberin polyester; instead these polymerized components were detected after vapor conductance decreased by approximately 80% and was nearly stable. The rate of decline of vapor conductance of wound-healing tubers was hormonally hastened with abscisic acid treatments. Although deeper tangential wounds (3.0 mm) had slower initial rates of wound-healing than did shallow wounds (0.75 mm) through tuber growth and maturation, the ability to wound-heal more rapidly increased as the tubers matured in the field. The vapor conductance of wound healing tubers declined in a log-linear fashion during the first 1 to 3 days after wounding depending upon tuber maturity and genotype.
Probing Electrochemical Adsorbate Structure and Reactions with In-Situ Atomic-Resolution Scanning Microscopy: Some Progress and Prospects

Abstract : Some prospects for applying scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) as an in-situ atomic-resolution probe of adlayer structure at ordered metal-solution interfaces are considered with respect to both equilibrium and reactive adsorbate systems. Illustrative results of the former type are presented for the potential-dependent adsorption of iodide at low-index gold electrodes. The virtues of acquiring composite-domain STM Images, where the electrode potential is altered during data acquisition so to form or remove the adsorbed adlayer, are noted. By generating temporally and spatially adjacent domains featuring substrate and adlayer images in this fashion, the registry between the former and latter atomic arrangements can be deduced with high precision. The suitability of in-situ STM for examining real-space dynamics of surface physical and chemical processes is illustrated for potential-induced reconstruction of Au(100) and for the electrooxidative polymerization of iodide and sulfide. Some limitations as well as strengths of in-situ STM for these purposes are briefly outlined with regard to its anticipated role in the development of in-situ electrochemical surface science. STM, COMPOSITE-DOMAIN IMAGES, ELECTROOXIDATIVE POLYMERIZATION.
Relation of Skim Milk Feeding to Cataract Production.

ConclusionsThe development of cataract in the rat is dependent upon the amount of galactose consumed in the diet. Skim milk alone was not sufficiently high in lactose to cause cataract formation in the rats used in this work.
Sympathetic Neuron Survival and Proliferation Are Prolonged by Loss of p53 and Neurofibromin

The proteins encoded by the p53 and Nf1 tumor suppressor genes are involved in cell signaling and regulation of proliferation during normal development and differentiation, as well as during tumor progression. To characterize the roles of these genes in the proliferation and survival of embryonic neurons, we have used dissociated cultures of sympathetic superior cervical ganglia (SCG) isolated from p53 and Nf1 single and compound-mutant mouse embryos. We have defined a temporal window for p53 involvement in sympathetic neuron survival and proliferation. Moreover, our results indicate that cooperativity between mutations in Nf1 and p53 prolongs SCG neuron proliferation and increases the incidence of neural tube defects in compound-mutant embryos.
Characterization of electrogenerated peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence

Abstract Peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence (PO-CL) is a commonly used chemiluminescent detection method for liquid chromatography. This paper concerns the electrogeneration of peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence (PO-ECL) as a means to eliminate post-column reagent addition which is required with conventional peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence detection in liquid chromatography. In acetonitrile, peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence can be electrogenerated at potentials between −1.5 and −1.9 V (versus Ag/AgCl). Imidazole, a catalyst for PO-CL, was found to interfere with the electrochemisltry of the model peroxyoxalate and thus the emission of light with PO-ECL. Conversely, PO-ECL is enhanced in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. This enhancement is time dependent. Direct comparison showed PO-ECL to be less sensitive than PO-CL.
Role of Metabolic Activation and the TRPA1 Receptor in the Sensory Irritation Response to Styrene and Naphthalene

The current study was aimed at examining the role of cytochrome P450 (CYP450) activation and the electrophile-sensitive transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 receptor (TRPA1) in mediating the sensory irritation response to styrene and naphthalene. Toward this end, the sensory irritation to these vapors was measured in female C57Bl/6J mice during 15-min exposure via plethysmographic measurement of the duration of braking at the onset of each expiration. The sensory irritation response to 75 ppm styrene and 7 ppm naphthalene was diminished threefold or more in animals pretreated with the CYP450 inhibitor metyrapone, providing evidence of the role of metabolic activation in the response to these vapors. The sensory irritation response to styrene (75 ppm) and naphthalene (7.6 ppm) was virtually absent in TRPA1−/− knockout mice, indicating the critical role of this receptor in mediating the response. Thus, these results support the hypothesis that styrene and naphthalene vapors initiate the sensory irritation response through TRPA1 detection of their CYP450 metabolites.
Genetic susceptibility to lung cancer.

Thereareseveralsignificantchallengestounderstandingvariation in an individual’s or a population’s susceptibility to an environmentally induced disease such as lung cancer. Firstly, the genetic landscape of human susceptibility is complex. There are likely to be only rare instances in which mutations within a single gene convey significant sensitivity to typical levels of exposure. More likely, there will be many genes with moderate or small effects, which, in combination, result in disease susceptibility after exposure. Interactions among genetic variants, aswellasgene-environmentinteractionsandepigeneticprocesses, are likely to play a significant role in determining disease susceptibility to an exposure. This etiologic heterogeneity presents methodologic challenges. Secondly, we are only beginning to understand the distribution of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the human genome and to type large numbers of SNPs accurately. Ideally, we would like to handle all known SNPs’ measures in epidemiologic, clinical, or in vitro studies, eliminating the puzzle of whether unmeasured genetic variants contribute to observed variation in diseaseriskorprogression.Currently,inpopulationgenetics,multistaged research strategies, such as linkage to identify potential genomic regions, followed by positional candidate gene studies or genomic scans using tag SNPs followed by fine mapping, are employed to identify a set of genes and their variants that are most significantly associated with disease susceptibility. These multistagedapproachestypicallyassumethatindividualmutationshave statistically significant and context-independent (ie, some disease association in different populations or other contexts) disease associations. However, true multigenic models of susceptibility to common (ie, complex) disorders have not been achievable to date. Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer mortality in theWesternworld,anditsincidenceisincreasingworldwide.Lung cancer is associated strongly with environmental exposures, with the highest population-attributable risk from cigarette smoking. Although smoking accounts for the majority of lung cancer cases, the fact that only a minority of smokers develop lung cancer in their lifetimes makes this disease an important model for assessing
Rapid, Facile Microwave-Solvothermal Synthesis of Graphene Nanosheets and Their Polyaniline Nanocomposites for Energy Strorage

We report here a rapid, microwave-solvothermal synthesis of graphene nanosheets within few minutes at <300 °C without requiring highly toxic chemicals with strong reducing properties or reducing gas atmospheres at elevated temperatures. The graphene nanosheets produced are decorated with polyaniline nanocomposites and exhibit high charge storage capacity in lithium ion batteries and electrochemical capacitors.
The Frank Vectorcardiogram of the Normal 4 Month Old Infant

Abstract Mean values and standard errors of estimate are presented for the magnitudes of several P, QRS and T wave vectors of the Frank lead electrocardiogram for a group of 110 normal 4 month old infants. Angular measurements are also presented for vector quantities. These data were derived from digital computer analysis of data recorded on magnetic tape. From the interindividual variation in magnitude and angular measurements noted in this sample of infants, homogenous both in age and race, it is suggested that uniformity of performance of the Frank lead system in this age group is no greater than that of the standard scalar electrocardiogram.
A New Way of Revitalizing Distressed Urban Communities? Assessing the Impact of the Federal Empowerment Zone Program

ABSTRACT:The Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Community Initiative of 1993 offered targeted funding and tax incentives to distressed urban and rural communities. This initiative required a community...
TGF-β receptor expression and binding in rat mesangial cells: Modulation by glucose and cyclic mechanical strain

TGF-β receptor expression and binding in rat mesangial cells: Modulation by glucose and cyclic mechanical strain. Background Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is a causal factor in experimental glomerulosclerosis, and it mediates the increased extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation that occurs in cultured mesangial cells (MCs) exposed to high glucose concentrations and cyclic mechanical strain. This change is associated with increased levels of TGF-β, but may also involve alterations in receptor expression and binding. Methods Rat MCs cultured in media containing either 8 or 35 mM glucose were seeded into culture plates with elastin-coated flexible bottoms. Thereafter, they were subjected to cyclic stretch or static conditions and then examined for 125 I-TGF-β1 binding and expression of TGF-β receptors at the gene and protein levels. Results Kinetic studies showed that MCs bound TGF-β1 in a time- and concentration-dependent manner, expressing 6800 high-affinity receptors per cell, with an apparent dissociation constant (K d ) of 15.4 pM, while cross-linking analysis identified three TGF-β receptors (βR) corresponding to βRI, βRII, and βRIII of 54, 73, and 200 kDa, respectively. Immunocytochemical studies of βRI and βRII protein revealed MC expression in a homogeneous, punctate distribution, whereas Northern analysis demonstrated the presence of the corresponding mRNAs. Exposure to cyclic stretching significantly increased (10%) the overall number of TGF-β receptors, whereas ligands associated with βRs I, II, and III also increased (25 to 50%). The finding of increased (30 to 40%) βRI and βRII transcript levels and immunoreactive protein (163 and 59%, respectively) in the absence of significant changes in the apparent K d indicated that stretch-induced binding was the result of increased receptor synthesis and expression and not due to a change in binding affinity. In a similar, but more dramatic fashion, exposure to high glucose also elevated (50%) the receptor number, as well as the amount of ligands associated with βRs I, II, and III (100 to 250%). This same treatment also increased the levels of βRI and βRII mRNA (30 to 40%) and the immunoreactive protein (82 and 82%, respectively), without significantly altering the binding affinity of the receptor. A concerted or synergistic effect of both stimuli was not evidenced. Conclusion These results suggest that the modulation of TGF-β receptors may be an additional control point in mediating the glucose- and mechanical force-induced increase in ECM deposition by MCs.
Circulating Cytokines as Mediators of Fever

The febrile response is thought to be mediated by endogenous mediators, generically called endogenous pyrogens. In the classical model of pathogenesis, induction of fever is mediated by the release of pyrogenic cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, and interferons into the bloodstream in response to exogenous pyrogens. These mediators act at the level of the organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis in the central nervous system (CNS), inducing synthesis of prostaglandins, which are the central mediators of the coordinated responses leading to fever. However, analysis of recent data suggests that multiple pathways may be involved in the induction of fever by cytokines, such as local cytokine production leading to signaling through vagal fibers, release of cytokine-induced circulating mediators at the tissue level, the use of membrane-bound cytokines as mediators, or the local release of cytokines in the hypothalamus by circulating activated monocytes. In addition, certain bacterial products can stimulate cytokine production directly at the level of hypothalamus, probably by activation of Toll-like receptors. A multipathway mechanism for the induction of fever is therefore suggested.
Protein Solubility, Amino Acid Composition, and Biological Value of Regular and Heat-Treated Soybean and Sunflower Meals

Commercially available soybean and sunflower meals were subjected to moist heat in a cooker extruder. Heat treatment reduced solubility of nitrogen of soybean and sunflower in diluted Burroughs mineral solution 27 and 35%. Amino acid composition of the heated soybean and sunflower meals were similar to composition in the unheated meals. Essential amino acids tended to be slightly more insoluble than nonessential amino acids. Heat treatment tended to reduce solubility of all amino acids in soybean meal to about the same extent whereas the relative solubility of several amino acids differed substantially between sunflower meal and heated sunflower meal. Comparisons of essential amino acid compositions to the composition of milk indicated that methionine was the first limiting amino acid in soybean meal and remained first limiting in heated soybean meal as well as in the insoluble fraction of both meals. Lysine was first limiting in sunflower meal and its insoluble fraction but was second limiting after threonine in heated sunflower meal and its insoluble fraction. Growth rates of mice fed heated protein supplements were the same as those fed regular soybean and sunflower meals, indicating that the heat treatment did not reduce protein quality. This heat treatment may be an appropriate method for reducing the solubility of ration proteins in the cow's rumen and yet allowing the proteins to be digested and utilized in the intestines.
Automation of DNA extraction from food and plants using MagneSil paramagnetic particles

MagneSil paramagnetic particles allow the flexibility of automating the isolation of DNA from as little as 20mg of plant material to as much as 500 grams of vegetable oil for use in testing for DNA sequences from genetically modified organisms (GMO), or plant breeding applications such as random amplification polymorphism detection (RAPD) or polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Given the wide variety of plant materials, foods and highly processed food ingredients that require testing, the purification system must be both scalable and flexible in its ability to purify DNA from such a wide array of sample types. The procedures used in these purification systems are similar to other methods used for the walkaway automation of plasmid purification and DNA sequencing reaction cleanup used in genomics applications, as well as DNA purification of DNA from PCR reactions used for genetic interogations or DNA immobilizations. These purification systems can be used with a variety of robotic workstations in 96 well formats.