cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The biosynthesis of cell wall carbohydrates. IV. Further studies on cellulose and xylan in wheat.

D-Glucose-1-C14, D-glucose-6-C14, D-mannose-1-C14, D-galactose-1-C14, D-glucuronolactone-1-C14, D-glucuronolactone-6-C14, potassium D-gluconate-6-C14, and L-arabinose-1-C14 were administered to wheat shoots. The cellulose and xylan were isolated after a 5 hour period of metabolism. Glucose was more readily converted to cellulose and xylan than any of the other compounds tested. The distribution of C14 in the glucose and xylose isolated from the polysaccharides indicates that xylan was formed from the aldohexoses and glucuronolactone by processes involving loss of carbon-6. L-Arabinose, unlike D-xylose and D-ribose, was converted to xylan with little rearrangement of the pentose skeleton.
Direct demonstration of viable Staphylococcus aureus biofilms in an infected total joint arthroplasty. A case report.

Infection following total joint arthroplasty is difficult to diagnose and treat; a nascent body of evidence from studies of prosthetic joint infections suggests that biofilm bacteria are the underlying cause1-3. We describe the case of a patient who had chronic recurring symptoms of infection that persisted for years following total elbow arthroplasty despite numerous medical and surgical interventions. Confocal microscopy performed on fluid, tissue, and cement at the final surgical revision demonstrated viable bacteria in biofilm aggregates. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis confirmed the presence of metabolically active Staphylococcus aureus . These observations comprise compelling evidence that viable biofilm bacteria play an important role in refractory infection following joint arthroplasty. Chronic infection following joint replacement is increasingly thought to result from the presence of bacterial biofilm communities attached to the implant1-3. Biofilm bacteria are vastly more resistant to conventional antibiotic therapy than are their single planktonic counterparts (unattached solitary bacteria living freely) and are typically difficult to culture by conventional microbiological methods4,5. The biofilm paradigm can explain contradictory signs and symptoms that suggest infection but are often associated with negative cultures6,7. Moreover, biofilm infections are difficult to detect by simple Gram stain and culture techniques but can persist as a nidus of infection from which recurrent acute exacerbations may arise through episodic planktonic “showering”8. Interestingly, although many articles discuss biofilms as being an important factor in infections affecting orthopaedic implants9,10, the evidence remains largely anecdotal, deriving from paradoxical clinical signs and symptoms, from the detection of bacterial aggregates in sonicate from ex vivo implants11,12, or from in vitro experiments with use of medical materials13. Only a few studies have provided direct evidence …
Horizontal uterine torsion in the setting of complete cervical and partial vaginal agenesis: a case report

Objective To report a case in which uterine torsion in a nulligravid female adolescent was noted upon surgical management of complete cervical and partial vaginal agenesis. Design Case report. Setting University hospital. Patient(s) A 13-year-old nulligravid adolescent female. Intervention(s) Ultrasound-guided vaginal exploration, diagnostic laparoscopy, and hysterectomy. Main Outcome Measure(s) Uterine torsion as complication of cervical agenesis and its management. Result(s) Complete cervical agenesis, hematometra, and resultant 180-degree horizontal uterine torsion and sacral entrapment. Conclusion(s) Cervical agenesis can be a risk factor for uterine torsion. Hysterectomy is a common treatment due to resultant hematometra, pelvic pain, and severe endometriosis, although rare case reports show success with uterovaginal recanalization in cases with cervical dysgenesis.
Thermodynamics of chemical equilibrium—III Effect of heat, work and viscous dissipation

Abstract General thermodynamic expressions are presented for the derivatives of the chemical reaction parameter with respect to incremental variations in work, heat and viscous dissipation under various constraints.
The Relations of Parental Expressivity and Support to Children's Coping With Daily Stress.

The relations of parents' emotional expressivity, mothers' support, and children's daily stress to children's constructive coping were examined in a sample of ninety-four 7- to 12-year-old children. For 2 weeks, children, together with their mothers, completed daily diaries of their stressful events. Mothers and fathers reported on their expression of positive, negative submissive, and negative dominant emotion. Although fathers' expressivity was not related to children's constructive coping, mothers' expression of negative emotion, particularly negative dominant emotion, was negatively related to children's constructive coping. Children's stress was negatively related to their constructive coping, and this relation was stronger for children exposed to low levels of parents' positive emotion and mothers' expression of negative submissive emotion. Children's constructive coping was positively related to mothers' supportive strategies.
An efficient bandwidth-sharing technique for true video on demand systems

Patching is a cost efficient channel-sharing technique for video-on-demand systems. However, its performance is limited due to the fact that a video stream cannot be shared unless it delivers the video in its entirety. As a result, larger and larger patches are required to serve new requests as the temporal distance increases. To avoid the overwhelming accumulation of patching cost, the entire video must be delivered frequently. In this paper, we address this problem by introducing a new technique called Transition Patching. Our performance study shows that the new scheme outperforms the existing approach under all scenarios. In particular, the performance gain is more significant when the request rate is higher. We note that such improvement is achieved without extra download bandwidth required at the client site. The implementation cost, therefore, is the same as the original Patching scheme.
Potential risk factors associated with weight control behaviors in elementary and middle school girls

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between weight control behaviors and potential risk factors for disordered eating in a sample of young girls. The McKnight Risk Factor Survey was administered to 523 elementary and middle school girls. In the sample of elementary school girls, results from the multiple regression analyses indicated that frequency/severity of weight control behaviors was associated with body mass index (BMI), self-confidence, peers' weight-related pressures, ethnicity, and the interaction between having divorced/separated parents and BMI. Sensitivity to peers' weight-related pressures and BMI were also associated with weight control behaviors in the middle school girls, along with poor body image, substance use, having divorced/separated parents, and the interaction between having divorced/separated parents and father's pressure for thinness. Longitudinal research is needed to determine how risk factors change over time, beginning in elementary school and continuing through high school.
Calculation of the standard molal thermodynamic properties of crystalline peptides

Abstract To augment the relatively sparse set of thermodynamic data available for high molecular weight biopolymers, group additivity algorithms have been developed to estimate the heat capacity power function coefficients and standard molal thermodynamic properties of crystalline peptides in the multitude of biogeochemical environments in which they are found. Group contributions representing the 20 common amino acids plus 5-hydroxylysine and 4-hydroxyproline for each coefficient and property were generated using the thermodynamic properties of crystalline amino acids, polypeptides and other organic compounds. These group contributions were in turn used to compute the thermodynamic properties of naturally occurring proteins that are found in a crystalline state in cells. The coefficients and properties of the model compounds, group contributions and proteins are tabulated. In a demonstration of the uncertainty of the thermodynamic properties of the groups generated in this study, experimentally determined heat capacities and entropies of crystalline homopolypeptides and proteins taken from the literature have been compared to estimates of these quantities. Additionally, standard molal volumes for 24 amino acids have been recalculated in light of inconsistencies in an earlier analysis, and the standard molal thermodynamic properties of aqueous and crystalline methionine at 25 °C and 0.1 MPa have been reassessed. Calculations of this kind can be carried out to thermodynamically describe the biogeochemical interactions throughout the broad range of environmental settings in which they are known to occur.
My saga with earthworms

Earthworms have been studied as a readily available, easily maintainable and cheap test species to develop toxicity test systems as an alternative to in vivo rodent bioassays. The results obtained, mainly with metals, since the programme was initiated about 15 years ago, are summarized in this review. Metals proved more toxic to rodents than earthworms; the relative order of toxicity for different metals was similar in both species. The effects of metals and other compounds on enzyme activity [glutathione S-transferase (GST) and catalase] and the induction of metallothioneins in earthworms are described. It is concluded that useful preliminary information can be obtained in earthworms on the acute toxicity of inorganic metal ions and on the relative order of toxicity of groups of metal salts.
Complementation of a thr-1 mutation of Escherichia coli by DNA from the extremely thermophilic archaebacterium Methanococcus jannaschii

A restriction-deficient mutant, Escherichia coli ELA103, was isolated from E. coli AB2463 and used to clone a thr-1 complementing gene from the extremely thermophilic archaebacterium Methanococcus jannaschii. A 7.3 kilobase EcoRI fragment of chromosomal DNA was cloned into pUC8 and the recombinant plasmid designated pELA3471. A Southern blot confirmed M. jannaschii as the source of the inserted fragment, and continued complementation in the presence of a repressor of the the pUC8 lac promoter suggested that the cloned fragment of methanogen DNA included its own transcription signals. The archaebacterium M. jannaschii, which was originally isolated from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent, is the most thermophilic species from which a cloned gene product has been actively expressed in a eubacterium to date.
Effect of extended tooth contact on the modeling of spur gear transmissions

In some gear dynamic models, the effect of tooth flexibility is ignored when the model determines which pairs of teeth are in contact. Deflection of loaded teeth is not introduced until the equations of motion are solved. This means the zone of tooth contact and average tooth meshing stiffness are underestimated and the individual tooth load is overstated, especially for heavily-loaded gears. The static transmission error and dynamic load of heavily-loaded, low-contact-ratio spur gears is compared with this effect both neglected and included. Neglecting the effect yields an underestimate of resonance speeds and an overestimate of the dynamic load.
BIOCHEMISTRY OF THE VIOLAXANTHIN CYCLE IN HIGHER PLANTS

Abstract The biochemistry of the violaxanthin cycle in relationship to photosynthesis is reviewed. The cycle is a component of the thylakoid and consists of a reaction sequence in which violaxanthin is converted to zeaxanthin (de-epoxidation) and then regenerated (epoxidation) through separate reaction mechanisms. The arrangement of the cycle in the thylakoid is transmembranous with the de-epoxidation system situated on the loculus side and epoxidation on the outer side of the membrane. Photosynthetic activities affect turnover of the cycle but the cycle itself consists entirely of dark reactions. Light has at least two roles in de-epoxidation. It establishes through the proton pump the acidic pH in the loculus that is required for de-epoxidase activity and it induces a presumed conformational change in the inner membrane surface which determines the fraction of violaxanthin in the membrane that enters the cycle. De-epoxidation, which requires ascorbate, is presumed to proceed by a reductive-dehydration mechanism. Non-cyclic electron transport can provide the required reducing potential through the dehydroascorbate-ascorbate couple. Whether ascorbate reduces the de-epoxidase system directly or through an intermediate has not been settled. Epoxidation requires NADPH and O2 which suggests a reductive mechanism. In contrast with de-epoxidation, it has a pH optimum near neutrality. The coupling of photosynthetically generated NADPH to epoxidation has been shown. Turnover of the cycle under optimal conditions is estimated to be about two orders of magnitude below optimal electron transport rates. This low rate appears to exclude a direct role of the cycle in photosynthesis or a role in significantly affecting photosynthate levels in a back reaction. The fact that the cycle is sensitive to events both before and after Photosystem I suggests a regulatory role, possibly through effects on membrane properties. A model showing the various relationships of the cycle to photosynthesis is presented. The contrasting view that the cycle can participate directly in photosynthesis, such as in oxygen evolution, is discussed. Violaxanthin de-epoxidase has been purified. It is a lipoprotein which contains monogalactosyldiglyceride (MG) exclusively. The enzyme is a mono-de-epoxidase which is specific for 3-OH, 5–6-epoxy carotenoids that are in a 3R , 5S , 6R configuration. In addition, the polyene chain must be all- trans . A model has been presented which depicts enzymic MG in a receptor role and the stereospecific active center situated in a narrow well-like depression that can accommodate only the all- trans structure.
Spin-labeled gel for the production of radical-free dynamic nuclear polarization enhanced molecules for NMR spectroscopy and imaging.

Abstract Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) has recently received much attention as a viable approach to enhance the sensitivity of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and the contrast of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), where the significantly higher electron spin polarization of stable radicals is transferred to nuclear spins. In order to apply DNP-enhanced NMR and MRI signal to biological and in vivo systems, it is crucial to obtain highly polarized solution samples at ambient temperatures. As stable radicals are employed as the source for the DNP polarization transfer, it is also crucial that the highly polarized sample lacks residual radical concentration because the polarized molecules will be introduced to a biological system that will be sensitive to the presence of radicals. We developed an agarose-based porous media that is covalently spin-labeled with stable radicals. The loading of solvent accessible radical is sufficiently high and their mobility approximates that in solution, which ensures high efficiency for Overhauser mechanism induced DNP without physically releasing any measurable radical into the solution. Under ambient conditions at 0.35 T magnetic field, we measure the DNP enhancement efficiency of 1 H signal of stagnant and continuously flowing water utilizing immobilized stable nitroxide radicals that contain two or three ESR hyperfine splitting lines and compare them to the performance of freely dissolved radicals.
Model compound studies on the amine cure of epoxy resins

Monoepoxy phenyl glycidyl ether, curing agent p-chloroaniline, and the substituted urea type accelerator Monuron were used as a model system for studying the amine cure of epoxies. Reactions were carried out at 120°C with amine to epoxy equivalent rations of 0.25 and 1.0 Reaction mixtures were analyzed primarily by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography. Three types of reactions occur; simple amine addition to epoxy, homopolymerization of epoxy, and epoxy polymerization involving the addition products. In the absence of accelerator the reaction involved simple addition. With the accelerator, there was competition between addition and polymerization, the balance depending on the amine to epoxy equivalent ratio. Both addition and polymerization were important for a ratio of 1, but polymerization far outweighed addition for a ratio of 0.25.
Abstract B92: Combating prostate cancer by targeting androgen receptor with phytochemical resveratrol

The chemopreventive effects of resveratrol (RSV) on prostate cancer have been well established; the androgen receptor (AR) plays pivotal roles in prostatic tumorigenesis. However, the exact underlying molecular mechanisms about the effects of RSV on AR have not been fully elucidated. A model system is needed to determine whether and how RSV represses AR transcriptional activity. The AR cDNA was first cloned into the retroviral vector pOZ‐N and then integrated into the genome of AR‐negative HeLa cells to generate the AR(+) cells. The constitutively expressed AR was characterized by monitoring hormone‐stimulated nuclear translocation, DNA binding, and transcriptional activation, with the AR(−) cells serving as controls. AR(+) cells were treated with RSV, and both AR protein levels and AR transcriptional activity were measured simultaneously. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays were used to detect the effects of RSV on the recruitment of AR to its cognate element (ARE). AR in the AR (+) stable cell line functions in a manner similar to that of endogenously expressed AR. Using this model system we clearly demonstrated that RSV represses AR transcriptional activity independently of any effects on AR protein levels. However, neither the hormone‐mediated nucleus translocation nor the AR/ARE interaction was affected by RSV treatment. We demonstrated unambiguously that RSV regulates AR target gene expression, at least in part, by repressing AR transcriptional activity. Repressive effects of RSV on AR activity result from mechanisms other than the affects of AR nuclear translocation or DNA binding. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2010;3(1 Suppl):B92.
Stream Condition and Infant Mortality in U.S. Mid-Atlantic States

ABSTRACT Infant mortality rate (IMR) serves as a summary measure of the health of a nation's population. The U.S. IMR has declined over the past several decades (to 6.85 per 1000 in 2003), but remains high compared with other developed countries. We hypothesized a relationship between IMR and poor water quality at a local scale. We used degraded stream condition, represented by a multimetric index of biotic condition, as a metric for poor water quality. Using conditional probability analysis on county-aggregated data for the state of Maryland, we show that there is a significant association between the extent of a county's stream miles in poor ecological condition and the probability of a county's IMR exceeding the national norm. The overall relationship appears to be robust, as similar associations were also found for the states of West Virginia and Pennsylvania. We are not implying that IMR and degraded stream condition are directly causally related, but rather that there may be common factors that affe...
Making memories : Brain activity that predicts how well visual experience will be remembered

Experiences are remembered or forgotten, but the neural determinants for the mnemonic fate of experience are unknown. Event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to identify specific brain activations that differentiated between visual experiences that were later remembered well, remembered less well, or forgotten. During scanning of medial temporal lobe and frontal lobe regions, subjects viewed complex, color photographs. Subjects later received a test of memory for the photographs. The magnitudes of focal activations in right prefrontal cortex and in bilateral parahippocampal cortex predicted which photographs were later remembered well, remembered less well, or forgotten.
Emissions control through dry scrubbing

Concern with operating problems, and the desire for system simplicity, has resulted in the development of dry scrubbing systems for flue gas cleanup, and their acceptance by industry as an alternate to the conventional wet scrubbers. These dry scrubbing systems incorporate two commonly used pieces of equipment; spray dryers, which have been used for many years to manufacture everything from detergents to powdered milk, and a particulates removal device (either a fabric filter or an electrostatic precipitator). The first application of this technology to removal of sulfur oxides from high sulfur coal combustion gases occurred when Argonne National Laboratory installed a system in 1981 as the control device on its main coal-fired boiler. To date, this type of pollution control system has shown itself capable of meeting state emission standards and, in a special test run, of removing over 90% of the sulfur oxides produced from combustion of a coal with over 4% sulfur.
Integrating histology and imaging mass spectrometry

MALDI (matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization) imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) is a new technology that generates molecular profiles and two-dimensional ion density maps of peptide and protein signals directly from the surface of thin tissue sections. This allows specific information to be obtained on the relative abundance and spatial distribution of proteins. One important aspect of this is the opportunity to correlate these specific ion images with histological features observed by optical microscopy. To facilitate this, we have developed protocols that allow MALDI mass spectrometry imaging and optical microscopy to be performed on the same section. Key components of these protocols involve the use of conductive glass slides as sample support for the tissue sections and MS-friendly tissue staining protocols. We show the effectiveness of these with protein standards and with several types of tissue sections. Although stain-specific intensity variations occur, the overall protein pattern and spectru...
Energy Analysis of Single Effect Thermal Vapor Compression Desalination Process Based on Pressure Exchange Phenomenon

A closed loop single effect thermal vapor compression desalination process is simulated based on pressure exchange phenomenon. Here the conventional ejector is replaced by a compressor-turbine device, where the high energy primary fluid expands over the turbine that drives the compressor through an ideal drive shaft. The compressor in turn compresses the low energy secondary fluid. Both the fluids are discharged at a constant pressure in a common mixing chamber where they undergo adiabatic mixing and then are discharged at an intermediate energy level. The functionality of the compressor-turbine device is similar to that of an ejector, hence this is also known as the turbomachinery analog of an ejector. The medium of energy transfer between the two fluids in case of compressor-expander device is pressure exchange. Energy analysis of the model is performed under various operating conditions. Key functional parameter like the boiling temperature, compression ratio, compressor-expander efficiencies and primary pressure are varied and its effect on the energy consumption per unit of distillate produced is examined. The system performance is evaluated based on the standard factors that affect the cost of the distillate like, thermal performance ratio, energy performance ratio and specific flow rate of cooling water. The model takes into consideration the inlet seawater conditions and its fouling effects as well as the use of superheated primary steam and its effects on performance of the system. With increase in the analog efficiency the energy consumption and thermal performance ratio improves steadily, where as it is observed that the flow rate of the distillate produced decreases. Initial results have shown performance ratios as high as 5.5 for ideal conditions at low primary pressures and low boiling temperature.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Internal anal sphincter function after total abdominal colectomy and stapled ileal pouch-anal anastomosis without mucosal proctectomy.

A comparison, based on results from anal manometry and continence, was made between eight patients after circular stapled ileal J-pouch-anal anastomosis without mucosectomy (Js) and seven patients after endoanal mucosal proctectomy and hand-sewn ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (Jm). The mean and range from ileostomy closure were 3.5 months (1.5 to 12) and 21.7 months (13 to 32), respectively. The mean maximum resting pressure (MRP) (±SEM and range) was 81.3 mm Hg (±6.0 and 61 to 112.5) and 50.0 mm Hg (±6.2 and 17 to 62.5), respectively, for the Js and Jm groups (P<.003). None of the Js patients experienced leakage or wore a pad, while in the Jm group 14 percent experienced minor leakage during the day and 28 percent at night. Seventy-one percent of the Jm group wore a pad at some point. Anal sphincter resting pressures and continence were better in the Js group. The improvement in MRP resulted from avoidance of injury to the internal anal sphincter during dilatation and mucosectomy and the maintenance of a normal anal canal that allowed for proper closure.
Improved display optical performance with notch polarizers and specialized lamps for helmet-mounted display application

The helmet mounted display (HMD) is an important technology for aircraft cockpit information exchange, and is also of advantage for outdoor field use. For both applications, high display luminance is required to maintain acceptable contrast ratio while competing with environmental forward field scene luminance during bright daylight conditions. For the full color HMD, a broad color gamut is required. Notch Polarizers, made from crosslinked cholesteric liquid crystal silicones and utilized to modulate color with high resolution subtractive color twisted nematic diplay image sources, yield substantial improvements in system luminance efficiency, color gamut, and contrast ratio, compared with conventional color polarizers made with dichroic dyes. A TN subtractive color display system design with notch polarizers is presented, resulting in improved luminance, color gamut, contrast ratio, and contrast ratio in the presence of high ambient luminance. Results are given for backlighting with a broad band Xenon arc lamp, as well as with a trichrominance (primary color) lamp. Very substantial improvements in display system luminance efficiency, color gamut and contrast ratio were achieved.
Imaginary Pictures, Real Life Stories: The FotoDialogo Method.

This paper explores methodological issues of recording, revisiting and portraying women’s life experiences and their connections to the past, to their families and to their communities. It examines the personal histories and collective memories of a group of low‐income Hispanic women, through the application of an innovative research tool that uses pictures and storytelling as projective techniques. The FotoDialogo Method uses a set of original drawings to initiate dialogical interviews, to inspire research participants to tell their stories, and to critically analyze the situations presented in these stories. The research study took place at a community‐based organization providing non‐formal education programs to the Spanish‐speaking population in a US inner‐city setting. The FotoDialogo Method has the potential to be an effective tool to help underprivileged women break the silence concerning their experiences of oppression and to engage them in a process of self‐discovery and transformation that empow...
Fault Lines in the Law of Attack

This chapter examines the international humanitarian law governing the conduct of “attacks”. In particular, it identifies and analyzes topics in the law of attack that are presently unsettled as a matter of law. Issues addressed include the scope of the term “military objectives”, the meaning of the term “attack”, application of the rule of proportionality, and the precautions in attack requirements. The author offers his own assessment of how best to resolve such matters.
Aggregation of immunoglobulin fragments in concentrated urine.

Abstract Normal human urine was concentrated by ultrafiltration and chromatographed on a Sephadex G-100 gel column. Fractions containing immunoglobulin subunits, either intact L and H polypeptide chains or fragments thereof were isolated, labelled with 131 I, diluted in the ultrafiltrate and subsequently reconcentrated by ultrafiltration. A portion of the concentrated labelled proteins was found to consist of aggregates with Chromatographie, density gradient ultracentrifugation, immunoelectrophoretic and autoradiographic properties resembling those of intact 7 S γ-globulin molecules.
Navier-Stokes computations of separated vortical flows past prolate spheroid at incidence

The problem of steady incompressible viscous flow past prolate spheroids at incidence is formulated using the unsteady incompressible and compressible thin-layer Navier-Stokes equations. The two sets of Navier-Stokes equations are solved using a pseudotime stepping of the implicit flux-difference splitting scheme on a curvilinear grid, which is generated by a transfinite grid generator. The Baldwin and Lomax (1978) algebraic eddy-viscosity model is used to model the turbulent flow. The computational applications cover a 6:1 prolate spheroid at different angles of attack and Reynolds numbers. The results are compared with experimental data.
Study of gas insulated substation and its comparison with air insulated substation

Abstract This paper basically evaluates the two types of substation namely AIS and GIS on the basis of the life-cycle cost method, reliability, and environmental effects. The problems of very fast transient oscillations (VFTO) faced in GIS and their possible solutions. It substantiates and supports the use of GIS over AIS with an in depth analysis. In the end, HIS (hybrid GIS) has been proposed as a solution to overcome drawbacks of both AIS and GIS and to use the advantages of both in a single system for the best results.
The protein kinase-C activation domain of the parathyroid hormone.

The PTH activates both adenylate cyclase and a mechanism that increases membrane-associated protein kinase-C (PKC) activity. To define the hormone's PKC activation domain we have used a panel of PTH fragments and ROS 17/2 rat osteosarcoma cells as the target cells. PTH equally and maximally increased PKC activity in ROS 17/2 cell membranes at physiological concentrations between 1-50 pM and 5-50 nM, but not at intermediate concentrations or concentrations above 50 nM. The PKC-stimulating picomolar concentrations of PTH did not stimulate adenylate cyclase in ROS 17/2 cells, while the PKC-stimulating nanomolar concentrations of the hormone did stimulate adenylate cyclase, with an EC50 of 1-2 nM. Very high concentrations of PTH, such as 100 nM, that did not increase membrane PKC activity were still able to maximally stimulate adenylate cyclase. PTH fragments lacking the N-terminal amino acids needed for adenylate cyclase activation increased membrane PKC activity, and the PKC activation domain was found to l...
Selective Gas Chromatographic Stationary Phases for Nitrogen-Containing Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds

Abstract Several selective polysiloxane stationary phases were evaluated for the resolution of nitrogen-containing polycyclic aromatic compounds (N-PAC) in coal tar fractions by capillary column gas chromatography. A new liquid crystalline polysiloxane exhibited the highest selectivity for isomeric alkylated 3- and 4-ring N-PAC, whereas a polarizable biphenyl polysiloxane and a moderately polar crown ether-substituted polysiloxane were more applicable for the analysis of 2- and 3-ring N-PAC. The thermal stabilities of these phases made them suitable for GC-MS applications.
The upper-ocean response to monsoonal forcing in the Arabian Sea: seasonal and spatial variability

Abstract Observations from four towed profiler surveys undertaken between December 1994 and October 1995 examine the seasonal and spatial variability of the upper ocean response to the Monsoon cycle in the Arabian Sea. Although observed atmospheric forcing agrees well with modern climatologies, cross-basin patterns of mixed-layer depth and water properties observed in 1994–1995 are not entirely consistent with an upper-ocean response dominated by Ekman pumping. During the winter monsoon, the mixed-layer deepens dramatically with distance offshore. Surface cooling intensifies with offshore distance, and a one-dimensional response dominated by convective overturning could explain observed wintertime mixed-layer depths. Except for waters associated with a filament extending offshore from the Omani coast, mixed-layer depths and water properties show only modest cross-basin contrasts during the Southwest Monsoon. Filament waters differ from surrounding mid-basin waters, having shallow mixed-layers and water properties similar to those of waters upwelled near the Omani coast. In September, following the Southwest Monsoon, waters within 1000 km of the Omani coast have cooled and freshened, with marked changes in stratification extending well into the pycnocline. Estimates of Ekman pumping and wind-driven entrainment made using the Southampton Oceanographic Center 1980–1995 surface flux and the Levitus mixed-layer climatologies indicate that during the Southwest Monsoon wind-driven entrainment is considerably stronger than Ekman pumping. Inshore of the windstress maximum, Ekman pumping partially counters wind-driven entrainment, while offshore the two processes act together to deepen the mixed-layer. As Ekman pumping is too weak to counter wind-driven mixed-layer deepening inshore of the windstress maximum, another mechanism must act to maintain the shallow mixed-layers seen in our observations and in climatologies. Offshore advection of coastally upwelled water offers a mechanism for maintaining upper ocean stratification that is consistent with observed changes in upper ocean water properties. Ekman upwelling will modulate wind-driven entrainment, but these results indicate that the primary mechanisms acting inshore of the windstress maximum are wind-driven mixing and horizontal advection.
Comparison of 24 h averaged VOC monitoring results for residential indoor and outdoor air using Carbopack X-filled diffusive samplers and active sampling--a pilot study.

Analytical results obtained by thermal desorption GC/MS for 24 h diffusive sampling of 11 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are compared with results of time-averaged active sampling at a known constant flow rate. Air samples were collected with co-located duplicate diffusive sampling tubes and one passivated canister. A total of eight multiple-component sampling events took place at fixed positions inside and outside three private homes. Subsequently, a known amount of sample air was transferred from the canister to an adsorbent tube for analysis by thermal desorption GC/MS. Results for the 11 most prevalent compounds—Freon 11, 1,3-butadiene, benzene, toluene, tetrachloroethene, ethylbenzene, m,p-xylene, o-xylene, 4-ethyltoluene, 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene, and p-dichlorobenzene—show that the ratio of average study values (diffusive sampling to active sampling) is 0.92 with 0.70 and 1.14 extreme ratios. Absolute percent difference for duplicate samples using diffusive sampling was <10% for the four most prevalent compounds. Agreement between the two sampling approaches indicates that the prediction of approximately constant diffusive sampling rates based on previous laboratory studies is valid under the field conditions.
“Peninsula-Style” Transverse Aortic Arch Replacement in Patients With Bicuspid Aortic Valve

Although the optimal surgical treatment of the dilated aortic arch is controversial in patients with a bicuspid aortic valve, such exists in more than 70% of bicuspid aortic valve patients. Aortic wall histologic abnormalities are present from the aortic root to the distal arch regardless of aortic size. We describe a simple "peninsula-style" technique of transverse arch replacement used in conjunction with valve-sparing aortic root replacement for patients with a bicuspid aortic valve. This provides resection of the entire dilated thoracic aorta, preserving the arch branches in continuity with the proximal descending aorta.
Use of a universal virus detection assay to identify human metapneumovirus in a hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipient with pneumonia of unknown origin.

Background Development of uncommon viral infections in immunocompromised transplant recipients can pose major diagnostic challenges. We present a case report of an immunocompromised patient suffering from pneumonia, for which the causative agent was not identified by routine methods.
Effect of temperature on microbial growth rate-mathematical analysis: the Arrhenius and Eyring-Polanyi connections.

Abstract: The objective of this work is to develop a mathematical model for evaluating the effect of temperature on the rate of microbial growth. The new mathematical model is derived by combination and modification of the Arrhenius equation and the Eyring–Polanyi transition theory. The new model, suitable for both suboptimal and the entire growth temperature ranges, was validated using a collection of 23 selected temperature–growth rate curves belonging to 5 groups of microorganisms, including Pseudomonas spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., Clostridium perfringens, and Escherichia coli, from the published literature. The curve fitting is accomplished by nonlinear regression using the Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm. The resulting estimated growth rate (μ) values are highly correlated to the data collected from the literature (R2= 0.985, slope = 1.0, intercept = 0.0). The bias factor (Bf) of the new model is very close to 1.0, while the accuracy factor (Af) ranges from 1.0 to 1.22 for most data sets. The new model is compared favorably with the Ratkowsky square root model and the Eyring equation. Even with more parameters, the Akaike information criterion, Bayesian information criterion, and mean square errors of the new model are not statistically different from the square root model and the Eyring equation, suggesting that the model can be used to describe the inherent relationship between temperature and microbial growth rates. The results of this work show that the new growth rate model is suitable for describing the effect of temperature on microbial growth rate. Practical Application: Temperature is one of the most significant factors affecting the growth of microorganisms in foods. This study attempts to develop and validate a mathematical model to describe the temperature dependence of microbial growth rate. The findings show that the new model is accurate and can be used to describe the effect of temperature on microbial growth rate in foods.
Report on the Performance of the Superconducting Injector for the Stanford Linear Accelerator

This report describes some recent experiments performed with a prototype of the injector section eventually to be used in conjunction with the superconducting linear accelerator at Stanford University.
Concentration- and Compensation-Dependent Spin-Lattice Relaxation in n -Type Silicon

Electron spin-lattice relaxation rates have been measured on silicon, double-doped with phosphorus donors and the various shallow acceptors, in the low-temperature, low-magnetic-field region where concentration-dependent relaxation mechanisms dominate. By optically neutralizing the charged impurities, the concentration-dependent relaxation rate due to neutral donor pairs, ${(\frac{1}{{T}_{1}})}^{\mathrm{n}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{n}}$, is isolated. The compensation-dependent mechanism arising from neutral-impurity and ionized-impurity complexes, ${(\frac{1}{{T}_{1}})}^{\mathrm{n}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{i}\mathrm{c}}$, is determined from the compensated samples in their equilibrium charge state. A theory is presented for the (n-n) mechanism in which the Zeeman energy of close exchange-coupled donor pairs relax via an exchange reservoir to the lattice, and the isolated donors relax because of spin diffusion (within narrow spin packets) from the fast centers. The number of effective fast centers, and hence also ${(\frac{1}{{T}_{1}})}^{\mathrm{n}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{n}}$, depends on temperature and magnetic field; on the former because high-exchange-energy pairs populate a nonmagnetic singlet state as the temperature is lowered, and on the latter through the relative heat capacities of the Zeeman and exchange systems. Taking into account the distribution of exchange energies in the random impurity distribution leads to agreement of the calculated and experimental values of ${(\frac{1}{{T}_{1}})}^{\mathrm{n}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{n}}$ with respect to magnitude and with respect to temperature, magnetic field, and concentration dependences. Random spin diffusion plays an important role in the relaxation, and a simplistic theory is presented which works well for the relaxation results as well as for separate spectral-diffusion experiments. The ${(\frac{1}{{T}_{1}})}^{\mathrm{n}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{i}\mathrm{c}}$ are found to be magnetic-field-independent and approximately linearly dependent on temperature, both of which are properly accounted for theoretically. The concentration dependence of ${(\frac{1}{{T}_{1}})}^{\mathrm{n}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{i}\mathrm{c}}$ is not in agreement with any theory. Resonant spin-spin interaction of donor electrons with holes bound to the various acceptors is encountered in low-field relaxation measurements on optically pumped samples, and the results agree qualitatively with the theory.
Father Peter John De Smet: Jesuit in the West

Clad in the black robe of his priestly order and armed only with a crucifix, for more than a quarter of a century Father De Smet relentlessly tramped the American frontier to bring peace and religion to the tribes of the Pacific Northwest and the upper Missouri River country. In this biography, Robert Carriker describes De Smet's love for the great American West and the native tribes who lived there, the Potawatomis, Flatheads, Coeur d'Alenes, Kalispels, Blackfeet, Yankton Sioux, and others to whom the Jesuit father carried Christianity. Soon the man called Black Robe became known throughout the mountains and plains as a man of peace and a friend of all Indians.
On the State Assignment Problem for Sequential Machines II

In this paper, the problem of determining economical state assignments for finite-state sequential machines is studied. The fundamental idea in this study is to find methods for selection of these assignments in which each binary variable describing the new state depends on as few variables of the old state as possible. In general, these variable assignments in which the dependence is reduced yield more economical implementation for the sequential machine than the assignments in which the dependence is not reduced. The main tool used in this study is the partition with the substitution property on the set of states of a sequential machine. It is shown that for a sequential machine the existence of assignments with reduced dependence is very closely connected with the existence of partitions with the substitution property on the set of states of the machine. It is shown how to determine these partitions for a given sequential machine and how they can be used to obtain assignments with reduced dependence.
EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF THIN CYLINDRICAL SHELLS UNDER LOCAL AXIAL LOADINGS.

A thin cylindrical shell was subjected to local axial loads. These loads were transferred to the shell through uniformly spaced pads mounted inside the cylinder. The stress distribution in the vicinity of these pads was determined experimentally, and the results were then compared with theoretical findings.
Evidence for specific lead-δ-aminolevulinate complex formation by carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy☆☆☆

Abstract Lead is known to have toxic effects on heme synthesis, being an especially potent, and, relative to other metals, specific inhibitor of the enzyme δ-aminolevulinate dehydratase (ALAD). The mechanism of inhibition of ALAD by lead is uncertain, but binding of lead to ALAD sulfhydryl groups has been assumed. Mechanisms involving lead interaction with the enzyme substrate (ALA) rather than the enzyme are also reasonable, but have not as yet been considered; therefore the interaction of lead acetate with ALA was investigated by carbon-13 NMR spectroscopy, a technique shown to be very powerful in examining ligand-metal interactions. Addition of lead acetate solution to 0.25 m ALA at pH 6.5 resulted in a pronounced shift of certain of the carbon resonances of the latter, a maximal effect occurring at an ALA: Pb concentration ratio of 2. No similar effects were observed with acetates of calcium, zinc, cadmium, silver, or mercury. Studies on the variation in shift of resonances from invididual carbon atoms with lead acetate concentration suggested that lead interacted most strongly in the region of the carboxyl and α-carbon atoms of ALA. The variation of shift with pH showed that at an ALA: Pb ratio of 1 the p K a of the ALA carboxyl group was decreased by 1.2 units. These studies demonstrate that lead is specific among the metals tested in forming a complex with δ-aminolevulinic acid. Such complex formation may be important in the mechanism of lead toxicity on the heme biosynthetic pathway.
A general overlay/underlay analytic expression representing cognitive radio waveform

Several studies have revealed that spectrum congestion is primarily due to the inefficient use of spectrum versus unavailability. Cognitive radio (CR) and ultra wide band (UWB) technologies have been proposed as candidates to address this problem. Currently, a CR determines unused frequency bands and transmits overlay waveforms in these bands, while UWB transmits underlay waveforms that span the entire frequency band while coexisting with primary users. This suggests that most of the spectrum occupied by primary users is underused. This work proposes a general soft decision cognitive radio (SDCR) framework, based on a previous developed spectrally modulated, spectrally modulated (SMSE) framework, to combine benefits of overlay/underlay techniques while maximizing channel capacity. We also show that current CR and UWB implementations represent two extreme SDCR cases and that current overlay/underlay waveforms are two special cases of the general waveform platform.