cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Engineering the Prenyltransferase Domain of a Bifunctional Assembly-Line Terpene Synthase.

Copalyl diphosphate (CPP) synthase from Penicillium verruculosum (PvCPS) is a bifunctional diterpene synthase with both prenyltransferase and class II cyclase activities. The prenyltransferase α domain catalyzes the condensation of C5 dimethylallyl diphosphate with three successively added C5 isopentenyl diphosphates (IPPs) to form C20 geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP), which then undergoes a class II cyclization reaction at the βγ domain interface to generate CPP. The prenyltransferase α domain mediates oligomerization to form a 648-kD (αβγ)6 hexamer. In the current study, we explore prenyltransferase structure-function relationships in this oligomeric assembly-line platform with the goal of generating alternative linear isoprenoid products. Specifically, we report steady-state enzyme kinetics, product analysis, and crystal structures of various site-specific variants of the prenyltransferase α domain. Crystal structures of the H786A, F760A, S723Y, S723F, and S723T variants have been determined at resolutions of 2.80, 3.10, 3.15, 2.65, and 2.00 A, respectively. The substitution of S723 with bulky aromatic amino acids in the S723Y and S723F variants constricts the active site, thereby directing the formation of the shorter C15 isoprenoid, farnesyl diphosphate. While the S723T substitution only subtly alters enzyme kinetics and does not compromise GGPP biosynthesis, the crystal structure of this variant reveals a nonproductive binding mode for IPP that likely accounts for substrate inhibition at high concentrations. Finally, mutagenesis of the catalytic general acid in the class II cyclase domain, D313A, significantly compromises prenyltransferase activity. This result suggests molecular communication between the prenyltransferase and cyclase domains despite their distant connection by a flexible polypeptide linker.
Single session endoscopic ultrasound-guided double bypass (hepaticogastrostomy and gastrojejunostomy) for concomitant duodenal and biliary obstruction: A case series.

Background Concomitant malignant biliary and gastric outlet obstruction can be difficult to manage endoscopically with traditional ERCP and luminal stenting. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided hepaticogastrostomy (HG) and gastrojejunostomy (GJ) are novel techniques that can relieve both obstructions in a single session. This study aims to describe the outcomes of combined, single session EUS-HG and EUS-GJ. Methods This is a two-center retrospective study of consecutive patients who underwent same session EUS-HG and EUS-GJ. The primary outcome was technical success. Secondary outcomes included adverse events (AE), reduction in total serum bilirubin, length of hospital stay (LOS), and re-intervention rates. Results A total of 23 patients underwent EUS-HG and EUS-GJ (12 males, mean age 66.4 years). 21 were performed for malignant obstruction. Technical success was 100% and 95.6% for HG and GJ, respectively. All patients subsequently tolerated a soft diet and 72.7% (16/22) of patients had a 50% reduction in bilirubin post-procedure. The median LOS for the 17 patients who were not discharged home immediately following the procedure was 2 (range 1-20) days. There were five AEs (2 mild, 3 moderate). Only three patients required reintervention (interventional radiology-guided biliary drainage, stent exchange for a benign biliary stricture, and placement of a second stent through an occluded distal common bile duct stent) over a median follow-up of 78 days. One patient with pancreatic cancer underwent successful tumor resection. Conclusion Single session EUS-guided double bypass (HG and GJ) is technically feasible and safe when conducted by experienced endosonographers. Larger, comparative studies are needed.
Chapter 6 Coastal Upwelling Dynamics

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the results of two experiments that are explicitly designed to elucidate the physical control of mesoscale biomass and nutrient patterns in a region where upwelling processes may be quasi-two-dimensional. Although the study region (the mid-Washington shelf) exhibits significant alongshore gradients in physical and biological properties, it is not as three-dimensional as the persistent upwelling centers are near large promontories, such as near Point Conception, California. The chapter presents objective mapped velocities in an advective-diffusive model to determine the physical contributions to variance in chlorophyll, nitrate, and ammonium for two environmental situations—persistent and intermittent upwelling. The chapter presents an approach to distinguish the conservative physical change from nonconservative biological change by estimating the conservative flux using simultaneous measurements of currents, salt, chlorophyll, and nutrients.
Group Therapy for Substance Use Disorders, by Linda Carter Sobell and Mark B. Sobell

One of the more important aspects of disseminating an evidence-based practice is creating a handbook or manual of a model that is easily understood, accepted, and able to be followed by social work...
The effects of ketamine on the immune response in the fetal ovine brain in response to hypoxic hypoxia (877.8)

Fetal hypoxia is a reduction in oxygen supply to the fetus. HH occurs when maternal and fetal partial pressure of oxygen is decreased due to maternal partial ventilatory restriction. Recently, our lab reported that HH increased inflammatory genes in the fetal brain, and KET reduced the expression by microarray analysis. We hypothesized that HH causes an inflammatory reaction in the fetal ovine brain, and KET attenuates this response. We examined fetal ovine brain (n=3-5/group) where mother and baby were chronically catheterized, and tracheostomy was performed on the ewe. A 50 % decrease in partial pressure of oxygen was induced by administering nitrogen gas directly to the ewe for 30 min. KET was administered intravenously to the fetus 10 min prior to the induction of HH. Brains were collected 24 hrs post HH stimulus, fixated in 4% paraformaldehyde, and then embedded in paraffin blocks for hematoxylin and eosin staining. After tissue examination under light microscope, lymphocytic infiltration, congestion...
International tourism: Coming or going: The methodological problems of forecasting

Abstract Acceptable forecasts that indicate the size, direction and characteristics of future international tourist flows are now required by many and various organisations. However the selection of forecasting methodology depends upon the statistical data available and the type of result required. A world international tourism model is described which indicates the potential of applying more sophisticated techniques than econometric methods such as linear programming and simulation.
Post-translational protein modification and expression of ankyrin-binding site(s) in GP85 (Pgp-1/CD44) and its biosynthetic precursors during T-lymphoma membrane biosynthesis.

In this study, we have investigated the biosynthesis and processing of GP85 (Pgp-1/CD44), a lymphoma transmembrane glycoprotein known to contain ankyrin-binding site(s). Using a standard pulse-chase protocol, we have detected a 52-kDa polypeptide precursor (p52) within the first 5 min of pulse labeling which contains a high mannose-type N-linked oligosaccharide chains. The conversion of p52 to GP85 requires further glycosylation (both complex type N-linked and O-linked) which takes place in the Golgi complex within 10-20 min after p52 is synthesized. GP85 is then incorporated into the plasma membrane where its turnover rate is relatively slow, a t1/2 of approximately 8 h. Following tunicamycin treatment, we have detected two other precursor proteins: p42 which is unglycosylated and p58 which is O-glycosylated. p42 appears to be an immediate precursor of p52 because p52 is converted to p42 upon deglycosylation. Therefore, the biosynthesis of GP85 appears to occur in the following sequence: p42 in equilibrium to p52 in equilibrium to GP85. Further analysis reveals that all of the GP85 precursors (i.e. p42, p52, and p58) contain ankyrin-binding site(s). Chemical composition analysis of GP85 indicates that this molecule contains approximately 3 N-linked and 4-5 O-linked oligosaccharide chains. Although neither N-glycosylation nor O-glycosylation appears to play an important role in the formation of ankyrin-binding site(s), O-glycosylation (and to a lesser extent N-glycosylation) of GP85 is required for T-lymphoma cell surface interaction with both collagen and hyaluronic acid. These findings suggest that GP85 (Pgp-1/CD44) and its biosynthetic precursors play a pivotal role in regulating adhesion functions such as lymphocyte homing and binding to the extracellular matrix.
Robust Audio-Codebooks for Large-Scale Event Detection in Consumer Videos

In this paper we present our audio based system for detecting “events” within consumer videos (e.g. You Tube) and report our experiments on the TRECVID Multimedia Event Detection (MED) task and development data. Codebook or bag-of-words models have been widely used in text, visual and audio domains and form the state-of-the-art in MED tasks. The overall effectiveness of these models on such datasets depends critically on the choice of low-level features, clustering approach, sampling method, codebook size, weighting schemes and choice of classifier. In this work we empirically evaluate several approaches to model expressive and robust audio codebooks for the task of MED while ensuring compactness. First, we introduce the Large Scale Pooling Features (LSPF) and Stacked Cepstral Features for encoding local temporal information in audio codebooks. Second, we discuss several design decisions for generating and representing expressive audio codebooks and show how they scale to large datasets. Third, we apply text based techniques like Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) to learn acoustictopics as a means of providing compact representation while maintaining performance. By aggregating these decisions into our model, we obtained 11% relative improvement over our baseline audio systems.
Toward standards for model-based control of dynamic interactions in large electric power grids

This paper is motivated by the recent needs to manage possible instabilities between electrically-connected system components and/or sub-systems (layers) in future electric energy systems. It is shown that standard state-space models of general multi-layered energy systems have fundamentally the same structure which can be expressed in terms of: 1) state variables representing stand-alone layer (sub-system) dynamics; and, 2) an interaction variable between the layer and the rest of the system. Once this is recognized, three possible structure-based control designs are derived and analyzed for their performance using a small power system model. The three control designs considered are: 1) a decentralized component (generator)-level output controller; 2) a decentralized sub-system (control area) layer output controller; and, 3) a full-state centralized system-level controller. Pros and cons of these three control architectures and their implications on three qualitatively different IT architectures and standards for dynamics in future electric energy systems are discussed.
Nonlinear electro-optical holographic storage effects in fullerene C/sub 60/-doped nematic liquid crystal films

There have been intense research interests in nonlinear optical materials capable of recording permanent holographic planar or volume gratings. In this paper, we present the first observation, to our knowledge, of electro-optical holographic storage grating effects in C/sub 60/-doped nematic liquid crystal films. The effect is attributed to molecular axis reorientation caused by the combination of an applied dc field and the optically induced dc space charge field. To generate such reorientational effect, the applied dc field strength needed is on the order of 100 V/cm. This corresponds to a "battery-size" voltage of 1 Volt in typical films with thickness around 100 /spl mu/m.
Algorithms for maximum k-colorings and k-coverings of transitive graphs

Consider a graph G and a positive integer k. The maximum k-coloring problem is to color a maximum number of vertices using k colors, such that no two adjacent vertices have the same color. The maximum k-covering problem is to find k disjoint cliques covering a maximum number of vertices. The present paper contains polynomial time algorithms for finding maximum k-colorings and maximum k-coverings of transitive graphs.
Comprehensive analysis of drive performance when using a dc link choke vs. an input line reactor

Differences between a dc link choke versus an input line reactor in an adjustable speed drive can be examined based on several different aspects of drive performance, including harmonic mitigation, dc bus voltage drop, operation during voltage imbalance, cost of the reactor, electric surge protection, and operation for different types of system grounding. Of these performance aspects, harmonic mitigation, bus voltage drop, operation during voltage imbalance, and cost are well understood in prior art. In this paper, the effectiveness of dc link chokes and input line reactors for both surge protection and common mode (CM) issues on different types of system grounding is examined. The harmonic performance of each reactor type as well as the relative dc bus voltage drop are also reviewed for completeness.
Field-order based hardware cost analysis of non-binary LDPC decoders

Non-binary low-density parity-check codes exhibit excellent coding gain at the cost of decoding complexity. Furthermore, the effects of the Galois field order on the hardware cost have not been well established. We propose a modification to the Min-Max algorithm to simplify calculations while maintaining decoding performance. In addition, a hardware area efficiency analysis is proposed, allowing a quantified exploration of the decoder design space. This analysis reveals that the proposed algorithm yields multiple choices: a GF(4) decoder with 2x hardware efficiency or a GF(8) decoder with 1dB coding gain, relative to the original algorithm in GF(4).
A preliminary survey of Beanrig Moss, a fen in South Scotland

Summary A preliminary survey by the Mires Research Group was carried out at Beanrig Moss, near Selkirk. The distribution of plant communities, showing a zonation from the margins of the site to its centre, appeared to be related mainly to variations in water table depth in relation to surface contours, with differences in the ionic composition of the water itself playing a secondary role. Stratigraphical investigation revealed the presence of a deep basin beneath the thin peat deposit, and within the clays lining this, an Allerod deposit.
Capacitance of thin-film ferroelectrics under different drive signals

Thin-film ferroelectric capacitance can be obtained by 2 different methods. Capacitance obtained using the derivative of its hysteresis loop is related to large applied signals and can be called the large-signal capacitance. Capacitance measured directly with a small, applied ac signal together with a slow changing dc bias is called the small-signal capacitance. This paper investigated the voltage dependence of the large- and small-signal capacitances. Measurements show that the large-signal C-V curve of thin-film ferroelectrics has much sharper peaks and higher peak values than the small-signal C-V curve. Analyses based on the Landau-Khalatnikov model shows that practical small-signal capacitance is closer to the ideal capacitance. However, its C-V curve has clearance areas around the coercive voltage, and the polarization switching is not reflected in the small-signal capacitance. This causes the peaks of small-signal C-V curves to be lower than that of large-signal C-V curves.
Synchronization in chaotic systems

Certain subsystems of nonlinear, chaotic systems can be made to synchronize by linking them with common signals. The criterion for this is the sign of the sub-Lyapunov exponents. We apply these ideas to a real set of synchronizing chaotic circuits.
An approach to the chemical analysis of folic acid: gas chromatography of a degradation product from synthetic folic acid samples.

A new chemical approach to the assay of synthetic folic acid has been investigated. Folic acid is cleaved with bisulphite to give a pteridine fraction and p-amino-benzoylglutamic acid. Acid hydrolysis and subsequent esterification converted the aromatic amine to ethyl p-aminobenzoate. This ester, when analysed by gas chromatography (g.l.c.), gave consistent yields averaging 49% from 50 to 1000 μg of folic acid. The recovery being predictable, the percentage yield can be used as a correction factor for unknown samples. The present procedure can be used for synthetic folic acid.
Experimental measurements of the current, temperature, and density profile changes during a disruption in the DIII-D tokamak

The first simultaneous measurements of the current, temperature, and density profile changes during a disruption have now been made on the DIII-D tokamak. In radiative collapse disruptions the current profile measured using the motional Stark effect diagnostic is observed to flatten rapidly ({approximately}1.2 ms) at the final stage of a 10 ms thermal quench and just prior to the start of the current quench. The current flattening is faster than can be explained by relaxation due to classical or neoclassical resistive processes. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}
WebFlow – a visual programming paradigm for Web/Java based coarse grain distributed computing

We present here recent work at NPAC aimed at developing WebFlow – a general purpose Web-based visual interactive programming environment for coarse grain distributed computing. We follow the 3-tier architecture with the central control and integration WebVM layer in tier-2, interacting with the visual graph editor applets in tier-1 (front-end) and the legacy systems in tier-3. WebVM is given by a mesh of Java Web servers such as Jeeves from JavaSoft or Jigsaw from MIT/W3C. All system control structures are implemented as URL-addressable servlets which enable Web browser-based authoring, monitoring, publication, documentation and software distribution tools for distributed computing. We view WebFlow/WEbVM as a promising programming paradigm and co-ordination model for the exploding volume of Web/Java software, and we illustrate it in a set of ongoing application development activities. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Lasting effects of nicotine treatment and withdrawal on serotonergic systems and cell signaling in rat brain regions: separate or sequential exposure during fetal development and adulthood.

Abstract Neurodevelopmental vulnerability to nicotine extends from fetal stages through adolescence. The recently proposed “sensitization-homeostasis” model postulates that, even in adulthood, nicotine treatment permanently reprograms synaptic activity. We administered nicotine to rats throughout gestation or in adulthood (postnatal days PN90-107), using regimens that reproduce plasma levels in smokers, assessing effects on serotonin (5HT) receptors, the 5HT transporter and responses mediated through adenylyl cyclase (AC). Evaluations were then made on PN105, PN110, PN120 and PN180. Prenatal nicotine exposure elicited persistent suppression of 5HT 1A receptors and upregulation of 5HT 2 receptors, effects that were selective for males and that first emerged in young adulthood. In addition, AC activity was reduced and there was uncoupling of receptor-mediated responses. With nicotine exposure restricted to adulthood, there were few changes in 5HT synaptic proteins during treatment or in the first 2 weeks post-treatment, distinctly different from the robust alterations seen earlier with similar nicotine regimens given in adolescence. Nevertheless, there was long-term upregulation of the proteins in males at 6 months of age; females were unaffected. Exposure to prenatal nicotine followed by adult nicotine overcame the protection of females, so that they, too showed long-term effects not seen with either treatment alone; the effects in males were exacerbated in an additive manner. Our results indicate that the effects of nicotine during prenatal or adolescent stages are indeed distinct from the effects in adults, but that even adults show persistent changes after nicotine exposure, commensurate with the sensitization-homeostasis model. These effects may contribute to lifelong vulnerability to readdiction.
Geophysical and Geochemical Evidence for Deep Temperature Variations Beneath Mid-Ocean Ridges

The temperature and composition of Earth’s mantle control fundamental planetary properties, including the vigor of mantle convection and the depths of the ocean basins. Seismic wave velocities, ocean ridge depths, and the composition of mid-ocean ridge basalts can all be used to determine variations in mantle temperature and composition, yet are typically considered in isolation. We show that correlations among these three data sets are consistent with 250°C variation extending to depths >400 kilometers and are inconsistent with variations in mantle composition at constant temperature. Anomalously hot ridge segments are located near hot spots, confirming a deep mantle-plume origin for hot spot volcanism. Chemical heterogeneity may contribute to scatter about the global trend. The coherent temperature signal provides a thermal calibration scale for interpreting seismic velocities located distant from ridges.
25-Hydroxycholesterol suppresses interleukin-1–driven inflammation downstream of type I interferon

Type I interferon (IFN) protects against viruses, yet it also has a poorly understood suppressive influence on inflammation. Here, we report that activated mouse macrophages lacking the IFN-stimulated gene cholesterol 25-hydroxylase ( Ch25h ) and that are unable to produce the oxysterol 25-hydroxycholesterol (25-HC) overproduce inflammatory interleukin-1 (IL-1) family cytokines. 25-HC acts by antagonizing sterol response element–binding protein (SREBP) processing to reduce Il1b transcription and to broadly repress IL-1–activating inflammasomes. In accord with these dual actions of 25-HC, Ch25h-deficient mice exhibit increased sensitivity to septic shock, exacerbated experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, and a stronger ability to repress bacterial growth. These findings identify an oxysterol, 25-HC, as a critical mediator in the negative-feedback pathway of IFN signaling on IL-1 family cytokine production and inflammasome activity.
19F and 1H Magnetic Relaxation Dispersion Determination of the Translational Encounter between Ionic Salts and Nitroxide Free Radicals in Aqueous Solution

Measurements of 19F and 1H nuclear spin−lattice relaxation times from aqueous solutions of PF6- and (H3C)4N+ containing small concentrations of nitroxide free radicals were made at applied magnetic field strengths ranging from 0.00025 to 7.05 T to directly determine the form of the frequency-dependent spectral densities that modulate relaxation. This magnetic relaxation dispersion (MRD) technique may provide detailed information concerning molecular dynamics over the time scale range from milliseconds to picoseconds. The MRD data compare well to a theory for translational diffusion of hard spheres, one that accounts for the intermolecular electrostatic potential between ionic solutes. Theoretically accessible parameters are extracted, and the treatment of the intermolecular potential as a reduction (increase) in the number of effective translational encounters between ions of like (unlike) charge is discussed. Represented by a mean field, the relatively long range Coulombic interaction does not impose spa...
Non-Stoichiometry and Bonding in Refractory Monocarbides

The refractory monocarbides with the sodium-chloride type structure have a wide homogeneity range. Equations have been derived from statistical considerations to give the activity of each component as a function of composition and temperature based on the interaction energies between the various components.
Mechanism of Spontaneous Termination of Functional Reentry in Isolated Canine Right Atrium: Evidence for the Presence of an Excitable but Nonexcited Core

Background According to the spiral wave hypothesis of reentry, the core of functional reentry remains excitable but not excited. We sought to determine whether the core remains excitable and whether excitation of the core by an outside wave front leads to termination of the reentry in the atrium. Methods and Results In nine isolated canine right endocardial atrial tissues (3.8 by 3.2 cm wide), reentry was induced by a premature point stimulus (S2). The isochronal activation maps and dynamics of the activation patterns were visualized with the use of 509 bipolar electrodes (1.6-mm resolution). The S2 applied after 8 regular beats induced reentry with a mean cycle length of 162±20 ms (15 episodes). Reentry had a large excitable gap (93±26 ms) as determined by early capture with twice the level of threshold stimuli. The central area (core) around which the wave fronts rotated had a mean surface area of 12±3 mm2. The electrograms located in the core of the reentry registered no or very low amplitude potential...
Apoptosis-dependent acute lung injury and repair after intratracheal instillation of noradrenaline in rats

Earlier work in this laboratory showed that noradrenaline (NA) induces apoptosis in primary cultures of alveolar epithelial cells (AECs). Apoptosis of alveolar epithelial cells may promote the collapse of lung barrier function. On this basis we hypothesized that exogenous NA, administered by intratracheal (I.T.) instillation, might induce AEC apoptosis in vivo followed by acute lung injury. Delivery of NA (10 μM) I.T. into male Wistar rats increased labelling of both fragmented DNA, measured by in situ end labelling (ISEL), and the active form of caspase 3 (anti-Casp3) 6 and 20 h after administration (P < 0.05), but instillation of the vehicle alone (PBS) had no effect. Both ISEL and anti-Casp3 labelling were attenuated by concurrent I.T. delivery of the broad-spectrum caspase inhibitor ZVADfmk. After 6 h, most ISEL- and Casp3-positive cells were located in the surfaces of alveolar walls, but after 20 h more were found in alveolar spaces (P < 0.05). Instillation of NA also increased the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) content of fluorescent albumin (BODIPY-alb), which had previously been injected intravenously; the increase was reversed by concurrent ZVADfmk administration. These data suggest that NA-induced apoptosis of AECs in vivo is sufficient to invoke transient collapse of AEC barrier function that is rapidly repaired.
Detection of chemically-induced dysplasia in rat urinary bladder with laser-induced fluorescence

ABSTRACTThe ability of laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) to detect flat dysplasia has not been carefully studied. A multi- excitation wavelength LIF system was used to develop analgorithm to detect chemically-induced dysplasia in the rat urinary bladder. Dysplasia was generated using intravesicaldoses of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU). A total of the 108randomly selected sites, 1 5 untreated controls and 93 MNU- treated, were examined. Of the treated sites, 34% were histologically classified as dysplasia, 1 1% as carcinoma insitu (CIS), 15% as squamous metaplasia, 12% as hyperplasiaand 28% as being normal. For fluorescence measurements, 6excitations wavelengths from 360 nm to 425 nm were usedand complete emission spectra recorded. The data were splitinto neoplastic (dysplastic and CIS sites) and non-neoplastic (normal and hyperplastic sites) groups using 3 different scoring criteria and a stepwise multivariate linear regression analysis was performed on the excitation-emission matrix. In one algorithm, only 3 excitation-emission pairs:
A three-year clinical assessment of a composite resin and its radiopaque counterpart

Abstract Two composite resin materials, one containing a radiopaque filler, gave similar clinical results over the 3 year test period. There was a color shift toward a darker restoration, and a marginal stain occurred. Loss of marginal integrity was slight, and only three restorations showed wear or loss of material. There were no recurrent caries. It should be reemphasized that the major advantage of the radiopaque material is the capability of radiographic evaluation. Voids, caries, improper contours, and overhangs may be detected with this material.
Amiloride directly inhibits the Na,K-ATPase activity of rabbit kidney proximal tubules

Amiloride inhibited the ouabain-sensitive rate of oxygen consumption (QO2) of a suspension of rabbit intact proximal tubules in the presence of different concentrations of extracellular sodium. Measurements of the ouabain-sensitive QO2 in the presence of nystatin, the tissue sodium and potassium contents of the tubules in suspension, and the sodium- and potassium-dependent adenosinetriphosphatase (Na,K-ATPase) activity of lysed tubule membranes indicated that the effect of amiloride was due to a direct inhibition of the Na,K-ATPase activity of the proximal tubule.
677 THE SEASONAL INCIDENCE OF CHRONIC RECURRENT DIARRHEA ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR PATHOPHYSIOLOGY

The purpose of this study was to establish a possible role of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in the pathogenesis of chronic recurrent diarrhea (CRD). We have reviewed 153 patients presenting over a period of 6 years with CRD. The median age of onset of CRD in our population was 3 months (range: B-30 mos). CRD was defined as a stool volume 3 times normal occurring at least weekly for a period longer than 2 months. The median duration in our population was 7 months (range: 2-36 mos). All patients with bacterial and parasitic infections and specific malabsorption syndrome were excluded. The number of admissions to our hospital for AGE was taken as an index of the disease in the community for each month of the 6 year period. We found a seasonal variation in the onset of CRD which had a close correlation with the incidence of AGE in the community (P<.01). Both incidences showed a consistent trough in late spring with a distinct peak in Aug-Sept and a secondary peak in Nov-Jan. Infants born in the months immediately prior to the peak of AGE in Aug-Sept had a higher incidence of CRD and a younger median age of onset than those born following the peak. There was a close correlation (P<.001) between the age of onset of CRD and the age of admission for AGE. The significant chronological, seasonal and age relationships between AGE and CRD suggests a pathogenetic role of enteric infection in chronic diarrhea of infancy.
Estimating system and component reliabilities under partial information on cause of failure

Estimating component reliabilities along with system reliability frequently requires using lifetimes from the system level. Due to cost and time constraints, however, the exact cause of system failure may be unknown. Instead it may only be ascertained that the cause of system failure is due to one component in a subset of components, e.g. the subset forms a subsystem. Confronted with such data, this article discusses how to fully exploit all of the available information using a maximum likelihood approach. We extend and clarify the useful work of Miyakawa (1984). A small Monte Carlo simulation study indicates the helpfulness of this approach.
The solution structure of lidocaine: Conformational analysis and NMR lanthanide‐induced shifts

Proton lanthanide-induced shifts (LIS) were measured for Yb(fod)3—lidocaine complexes in CCl4 solution. The data were used in conjunction with empirical conformational energy calculations to determine the preferred conformations of lidocaine in complex with the lanthanide shift reagent. Energy calculations gave two pairs of symmetry-related low-energy conformations for lidocaine. The LIS analysis ruled out, on the basis of poor agreement factors, both members from one possible pair. This combination of methods therefore yielded two low-energy, good agreement factor, symmetry-related conformations for lidocaine in solution. These two conformations differ significantly from the reported crystal structure of lidocaine hydrochloride in the value of the NCOCH2N dihedral angle.
FDTD simulations of quasi-optical MESFET oscillator arrays

A method for the FDTD analysis of quasi-optical MESFET arrays is presented in this paper. To analyze active devices such as MESFETs, this method creates a set of field-state central finite difference equations; and all the field and state variables are solved simultaneously at the same FDTD time step. It will be shown in this paper that this formulation is simple and straightforward. The analysis of quasi-optical MESFET oscillator arrays have been performed to show the application of this method. Excellent agreements have been obtained between the results from this simulation method, from commercial softwares, and from experimental measurements to show the validity of this method.
Cognitive consequences of student estimation on linear and logarithmic scales

Estimation is a general problem solving task that has cognitive consequences for students. Many physical and biological phenomena are best modeled using logarithmic scales, but there has been little research that addresses students' understanding of logarithmic scales. Forty junior high school students were asked to solve two types of estimation problems, linear and logarithmic. A microcomputer simulation was used to provide data on students' performance on the two estimation tasks. Past research has shown that this simulation can provide an interesting and reliable method for examining students' learning on an estimation task. Results from this study showed that performance on the linear scale could be described by a general learning curve with improved performance over time. In addition the logarithmic scale results indicated a more complex interaction involving both the number of estimation trials and the position of the estimation “target” on the logarithmic scale. Students' strategy use did not relate to performance on the linear task but did influence performance on the logarithmic task. The results are discussed in terms of students' knowledge of logarithmic scales and their general strategies for problem solving. Implications for teaching and using logarithmic scales in science classes are also discussed.
Nonclassical Heat Transfer Models for Laser-Induced Thermal Damage in Biological Tissues

To ensure personal safety and improve treatment efficiency in laser medical applications, one of the most important issues is to understand and accurately assess laser-induced thermal damage to biological tissues. Biological tissues generally consist of nonhomogeneous inner structures, in which heat flux equilibrates to the imposed temperature gradient via a thermal relaxation mechanism which cannot be explained by the traditional parabolic heat conduction model based on Fourier’s law. In this article, two non-Fourier heat conduction models, hyperbolic thermal wave model and dual-phase-lag (DPL) model, are formulated to describe the heat transfer in living biological tissues with blood perfusion and metabolic heat generation. It is shown that the non-Fourier bioheat conduction models could predict significantly different temperature and thermal damage in tissues from the traditional parabolic model. It is also found that the DPL bioheat conduction equations can be reduced to the Fourier heat conduction equations only if both phase lag times of the temperature gradient (τT ) and the heat flux (τq ) are zero. Effects of laser parameters and blood perfusion on the thermal damage simulated in tissues are also studied. The result shows that the overall effects of the blood flow on the thermal response and damage are similar to those of the time delay τT . The two-dimensional numerical results indicate that for a local heating with the heated spot being smaller than the tissue bulk, the variations of the non-uniform distributions of temperature suggest that the multi-dimensional effects of thermal wave and diffusion not be negligible.© 2011 ASME
Real-time routing in flexible flow shops : a self-adaptive swarm-based control model

This paper presents a self-adaptive, swarm-based control model for real-time part routing in a flexible flow-shop environment. The proposed control model is a multi-agent system that exhibits adaptive behaviour, which has been inspired from the natural system of the wasp colony. The production problem, which has been previously studied in the literature by several researchers, involves assigning trucks to paint booths in real-time in a flexible flow-shop environment with the objective of throughput maximization and minimization of number of paint flushes accrued by the production system, assuming no a priori knowledge of the colour sequence or colour distribution of trucks is available. The proposed control model is benchmarked with the results of previous studies reported in the literature in solving the same production problem. The proposed control model uses self-adapting threshold parameters to facilitate the production flow in real time. A simulation-based software environment is designed and develop...
Verbal and visual training in face recognition

Black and white Ss were given recognition training for black and white faces. One experiment asked black and white Ss to describe black or white faces verbally, to recognize faces from verbal descriptions, and to describe similarities and differences in triads of faces. While verbal training did affect verbal usage and verbal recognition performance, there was no indication, either before or after training, of verbal usage or performance patterns which parallel visual recognition performance. Black Ss yielded higher recognition scores for black faces than for white; white Ss yielded higher recognition scores for white faces than for black. The second experiment trained white Ss for recognition of black or white faces by feedback trials, using a four-alternative forced-choice procedure. The initial difference in performance for white and black faces (W > B) was not present after 100 training trials. Results are related to an earlier study of face recognition by Malpass and Kravitz (1969).
Forging a Frontier: Social Capital and Canada's Mounted Police, 1867–1914

This article examines the role of the North West Mounted Police in creating communities in the Canadian Prairies during the first decades of Confederation. Despite being created as an institution of law enforcement, the Mounted Police acted more often as a social bonding agent, creating the necessary conditions and organizations required to establish permanent communities otherwise isolated from one another. As the only federal presence in the frontier, the force evolved into an autonomous institution of cultural stability, performing vital services and advocating for frontier objectives to the government in Ottawa.
‘Do Latin@ interests always have to “converge” with White interests?’: (Re)claiming racial realism and interest‐convergence in critical race theory praxis

The interest‐convergence principle proposes that change benefitting people and communities of color only occurs when those interests also benefit Whites. As newly transplanted Chicano/a residents of a state facing exponential growth of its Latino immigrant population, we have attempted to counter the efforts criminalizing members of our Latino/a community, and have witnessed attempts to do so through an alignment of interests between Latinos/as and Whites. In this article, we examine the current scholarship regarding interest‐convergence and present a counterstory of educational leadership and politics affecting our own community. We use the counterstory to particularize and problematize how critical race theory concepts operate in real‐world situations. Ultimately, the counterstory reveals that using interest‐convergences as a political strategy divorces activism from the foundational tenets of critical race theory, preventing discussions that center race and racism and distorting Bell's original notion ...
Polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies to prostate-specific antigen can cross-react with human kallikrein 2 and human kallikrein 1.

Abstract Objectives. The human tissue kallikrein family contains three closely related proteases: human kallikrein 1 (hK1), human kallikrein 2 (hK2), and prostate-specific antigen (PSA). The structural homology between these three proteins suggests potential cross-reactivity interference when different immunologic techniques are used. This study evaluated PSA and hK2 monoclonal antibody (mAb) and polyclonal antibody (pAb) reactivities to hK1, hK2, and PSA. Methods. mAbs and pAbs to hK2 and PSA were evaluated using Western blot analysis on hK1, hK2, PSA, and seminal plasma. Results. pAbs to PSA and hK2 recognized all three human kallikreins, as well as fragments of hK2 and PSA. An mAb with minimal (less than 0.4%) cross-reactivity between PSA and hK2 and a cross-reactive mAb were found. mAbs specific to PSA or hK2 did not cross-react with the less homologous hK1 protein. A PSA mAb raised specifically to PSA fragments recognized both PSA and hK2 but did not cross-react with hK1. pAbs to hK1 cross-reacted slightly with PSA and not at all with hK2. Conclusions. Both pAbs and mAbs to hK2 and PSA may exhibit immunocross-reactivity. pAbs to PSA or hK2 react with all three human tissue kallikreins. The potential for cross-reactivity should be considered in any clinical or research procedures that use hK1, hK2, and PSA antibodies.
Dextran Decreases Extracellular Tortuosity in Thick-Slice Ischemia Model

An unexpected decrease of extracellular space (ECS) tortuosity was recently reported in thick (1000 μm) ischemic slices using radiotracers. The current study shows that the tortuosity in thick slices from rat neocortex can increase or decrease depending on experimental conditions, whereas ECS volume fraction remains diminished to approximately 10%. Using diffusion of tetramethylammonium, it was found that tortuosity rose from a normoxic value of 1.66 to 1.99 in thick slices. However, tortuosity dropped to 1.54 when dextran (70,000 molecular weight) was added to the bathing medium. The current results show that dextran enhances diffusion in thick ischemic slices without increasing the size of the ECS.
Teleosemantics and the troubles of naturalism

S'opposant aux strategies naturalistes dominantes, l'A. critique l'approche teleosemantique de la representation mentale developpee par R. Millikan a partir de la notion de fonction biologique. Comparee a la conception teleologique du mental, l'A. reconnait que la position de Millikan est la seule a rendre compte des connexions psychophysiologiques normales
Grafting of end-functionalized poly(tert-butyl acrylate) to poly(ethylene-co-acrylic acid) film

Poly(tert-butyl acrylate) (PtBA) was grafted to the surface of poly(ethylene-co-acrylic acid) (EAA) film and the pendant groups of the tethered PtBA were modified to create chemically tailored surface modifying layers. The carboxylic acid groups in the copolymer film served as the grafting sites for the covalent tethering of end-functionalized PtBA. The progression of these reactions was monitored using attenuated total reflectance (ATR)-FTIR and X-ray photoelectron (XPS) spectroscopies along with static contact angle measurements. By controlling the reaction conditions, the chemical functionality of the grafted layer ranged from tert-butyl ester (EAA-g-PtBA) to carboxylic acid (EAA-g-PAA) and was demonstrated by corresponding changes in wettability. The choice of PtBA as the tethered polymer allows for the subsequent substitution of the tert-butyl ester groups. To demonstrate, a novel procedure was used to replace the tert-butyl ester with N,N-dimethylethylenediamine (DMEDA) to form EAA-g-PDMEDA. These reaction schemes can be used to create tunable surface-grafted layers with various pendant group chemistries.
Mach number dependence of the coherent structure in high speed subsonic jets

The coherent structure in high Reynolds number, Mach 0.6 to 0.8 axisymmetric cold air jets exhausting at atmospheric pressure has been studied. The mean flow and the statistical time averaged turbulence properties have been measured. The coherent structure in the jets was measured using two hot-wire probes and cross correlations. The coherent structure was represented in a wave format. The axial wavelength was measured for several frequencies and was compared to results obtained by other investigators for various Mach and Reynolds numbers. The results indicated that the axial wavelength-frequency relationship was the same for a wide range of Mach and Reynolds numbers.
Corneal and ocular surface histochemistry

In summary, this review has provided information concerning the application of histochemical and cytochemical procedures used to detail the normal versus pathological cornea and ocular surface. Specifically, histochemical analysis has been used to study protein and peptide degradation in cornea, to analyze stromal non-collagenous and collagenous fibers and associated extracellular matrix. Cytochemistry of the ocular surface has been used to detail the morphology of corneal and conjunctival mucin. Use of small cationic probes as well as lectin-gold binding was advantageous to quantitatively demonstrate that ocular mucin contains sialylated residues and that the number of these residues significantly changes (increases) with age. These data are important in that the degree of sialylation has been shown to correlate with the ability of bacterial organisms to adhere to and infect the immature in contrast to the mature corneal surface. The use of lectin analysis of diseased ocular tissue also has shown that there are specific alterations in glycoconjugates which occur in the diseased versus normal human cornea. Wound healing in cornea is an important problem which has been studied at length using combined histochemical and biochemical approaches. Results support the hypothesis that apical cell surfaces of the leading edge of a migrating sheet differ from those of the normal epithelium. During wound healing, alpha 6 integrin expression by corneal epithelial cells has been demonstrated, but another protein, syndecan was only seen in non-migrating epithelium which had restratified. The association of immunoglobulins with the ocular surface epithelium of the cornea, their change with age and kinetics of appearance also has been demonstrated using a cytochemical approach. Histochemical procedures have been used to localize Class I and Class II molecules in cornea and conjunctiva. Class II antigen expression has been shown to be absent on corneal endothelium, but it can be induced by treatment with IFN-gamma. These data are of importance in corneal pathology such as that resulting in rejection of corneal transplants. Langerhans cells (Class II, Ia positive) also are not found in normal central cornea. They are localized in the peripheral cornea and are stained histochemically by ADPase, ATPase and by specific anti-Ia and other antisera. Increased numbers of LC have been demonstrated in cornea following various stimuli and in diseases of the cornea including both bacterial and viral induced keratitis.
“On−Off” Au(I)···Cu(I) Interactions in a Au(NHC)2 Luminescent Vapochromic Sensor

Reaction of the Au(I) N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) compound [Au(im(CH2py)2)2]PF6 with 2 equiv of [Cu(MeCN)4]PF6 affords the tricationic compound [Au(im(CH2py)2)2(Cu(MeCN)2)2](PF6)3 (1), which exhibits blue luminescence (λmax = 462 nm). Reaction of 1 with either liquid MeOH or MeOH vapor affords [Au(im(CH2py)2)2(Cu(MeOH))2](PF6)3 (2), which produces green luminescence (λmax = 520 nm) under UV excitation. The molecular structures of 1·2MeCN and 2·2MeOH·2Et2O were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Compound 1 contains a linearly coordinated [Au(NHC)2]+ core in which each picolyl side arm bridges a [Cu(MeCN)2]+ center. The Au···Cu separations are long at 4.596 A. Compound 2 exhibits two short Au···Cu interactions of 2.7195(7) A, with the Au(NHC)2 core acting as an additional ligand toward each copper center to complete its tetrahedral coordination mode. Exposure of 2 to atmosphere produces a partial loss of MeOH accompanied by a luminescence color change to yellow (λmax = 543 nm). The uptake and ...