cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Registration of ‘Cavalier’ Soybean

'Cavalier' soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] (Reg. No. CV-499, PI 654358) was first tested as ND02-2019, and was developed by the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station, North Dakota State University. Cavalier was released in January 2008 and is a Maturity Group 00 conventional cultivar (00.7), generally adapted as a full-season cultivar from 48 to 49° N latitude. Cavalier was released because it has (i) resistance to race 4 of Phytophthora sojae (M.J. Kaufmann and J.W. Gerdemann), (ii) high yield in North Dakota environments, (iii) lodging resistance, and (iv) tolerance to iron-deficiency chlorosis.
An Evaluation of the Content and Delivery of Nutrition and Diabetes Education at Pediatric Diabetes Camps

(PA) among 22 local Network for a Healthy California (Network) projects serving low-income youth in the state. Theory, Prior Research, Rationale: Little research has explored the associations between select components of youth-directed Nut-Ed interventions and their intended outcomes. Understanding these relationships could improve the efficacy of such interventions. Study Design, Setting, Participants, and Intervention: Network local projects select, implement, and evaluate Nut-Ed interventions targeting low-income populations. In 2011 to 2012, youth interventions included: Harvest of the Month (HOTM), which features seasonal produce and taste-testing; Power Play! (PP!), a classroom-based, multi-component curriculum; a locally-developed intervention; or a combination of these. Outcome, Measures and Analysis: Using a pre-post design, 22 projects collected FV consumption and PA data from low-income youth (n1⁄46,048) from standardized survey instruments. The methods and details about the intervention were combined with pre-post survey data and analyzed using correlations and t-tests. Results: Significant predictors of FV consumption and PA included length, time, and intensity of the intervention. Projects with the best results had 6more weeks in the intervention, 11 more hours of HOTM instruction, 9 more minutes doing gardening activities, and conducted a more intensive PP! curriculum, as compared to the least successful interventions (p<.001). Conclusions and Implications: Results demonstrate that identifiable factors such as intervention length, time, and intensity predict the best outcomes of Network-approvedNut-Ed.These results canbeuseful tootherprograms to improve the efficacy of Nut-Ed for low-income youth. Funding: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education.
A study of the surface passivation on GaAs and In/sub 0.53/Ga/sub 0.47/As Schottky-barrier photodiodes using SiO/sub 2/, Si/sub 3/N/sub 4/ and polyimide

Studies of surface passivation and antireflection coating on GaAs and In/sub 0.53/Ga/sub 0.47/As interdigitated metal-semiconductor-metal (IMSM) Schottky-barrier photodiodes have been made using SiO/sub 2/, Si/sub 3/N/sub 4/, and polyimide deposited films. The results show that Si/sub 3/N/sub 4/ on GaAs and polyimide on In/sub 0.53/Ga/sub 0.47/As are the most effective dielectric films for reducing the leakage current and reflection loss in these photodiodes. >
Corticosteroids: limitations and future prospects for treatment of severe inflammatory disease

Corticosteroids are the most effective therapy in current use for chronic immune and inflammatory diseases. Severe, detrimental side effects of systemic and topical corticosteroids has limited their effectiveness in severe disease. Compounds that preferentially target inhibition of NF-κB are under development and along with non-steroidal agents that target different aspects of the inflammatory response are probable to lead to safer drugs with a much reduced side effect profile.
A novel supramolecular self-assembly thin film with spontaneous polar order

A novel supramolecular thin film in which a non-linear optical (NLO) chromophore is uniaxially included in the helical cavity of amylose, revealed a spontaneous self-assembly with a long-range polar order of the chromophores perpendicular to the film surface. This was manifested by a significantly large second harmonic generation (SHG) observed from solution-cast solid supramolecular thin films on a glass substrate without any external field. Such self-assembly/self-poling and the long-term polar stability of the supramolecular chromophores are thought to be due to the helical rigid-rod structure, their dipolar and/or chiral recognition in the ordering process following the polar initiation through the interface interaction of the chromophore with the glass substrate, and H-bonding among the ordered supramolecules.
Liver Metal Concentrations in Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus)

Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) are a species of concern due to shrinking populations associated with habitat fragmentation and loss. Baseline health parameters for this species are limited or lacking, especially with regard to tissue metal concentrations. To obtain a range of tissue metal concentrations, livers were collected from 71 Greater Sage-grouse from Wyoming and Montana. Mean±SE metal concentrations (mg/kg wet weight) in liver were determined for vanadium (V) (0.12±0.01), chromium (Cr) (0.50±0.02), manganese (Mn) (2.68±0.11), iron (Fe) (1,019±103), nickel (Ni) (0.40±0.04), cobalt (Co) (0.08±0.02), copper (Cu) (6.43±0.40), mercury (Hg) (0.30±0.09), selenium (Se) (1.45±0.64), zinc (Zn) (59.2±4.70), molybdenum (Mo) (0.93 ± 0.07), cadmium (Cd) (1.44 ± 0.14), barium (Ba) (0.20 ± 0.03), and lead (Pb) (0.17 ± 0.03). In addition to providing baseline data, metal concentrations were compared between sex, age (juvenile/adult), and West Nile virus (WNv) groups (positive/negative). Adult bird...
CRITICAL VELOCITIES AND BOUNDARY INTERACTIONS IN THE ISOTHERMAL FLOW OF SUPERFLUID HELIUM

The pressure gradient as a function of the superfluid velocity in a 1.1-mm-diam capillary has been measured at four temperatures between 1.26 and 1.57\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. In the flow tube the normal fluid was held at rest by ultrafine porosity filters, while the superfluid flowed isothermally. Superconducting microwave cavities were used as level indicators, making it possible to detect pressure gradients as small as 3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$ dyn/${\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$. A critical superfluid velocity, below which no pressure gradient could be detected, was observed directly. The critical velocity decreased linearly with temperature, being 1.25 mm/sec at 1.26\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, and 0.85 mm/sec at 1.57\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. For a superfluid velocity ${v}_{s}$ greater than the critical velocity ${v}_{c}$, the variation of the pressure gradient with velocity could be described by ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{2}{v}_{s}({v}_{s}\ensuremath{-}{v}_{c})$ or ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{1}{({v}_{s}\ensuremath{-}{v}_{c})}^{1.7}$, where ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{1}$ and ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{2}$ are constants that vary with temperature. It is believed that this represents an interaction between vorticity in the superfluid and the wall of the flow tube.
Intermittent hypoxia, respiratory plasticity and sleep apnea in humans: Present knowledge and future investigations

This review examines the role that respiratory plasticity has in the maintenance of breathing stability during sleep in individuals with sleep apnea. The initial portion of the review considers the manner in which repetitive breathing events may be initiated in individuals with sleep apnea. Thereafter, the role that two forms of respiratory plasticity, progressive augmentation of the hypoxic ventilatory response and long-term facilitation of upper airway and respiratory muscle activity, might have in modifying breathing events in humans is examined. In this context, present knowledge regarding the initiation of respiratory plasticity in humans during wakefulness and sleep is addressed. Also, published findings which reveal that exposure to intermittent hypoxia promotes breathing instability, at least in part, because of progressive augmentation of the hypoxic ventilatory response and the absence of long-term facilitation, are considered. Next, future directions are presented and are focused on the manner in which forms of plasticity that stabilize breathing might be promoted while diminishing destabilizing forms, concurrently. These future directions will consider the potential role of circadian rhythms in the promotion of respiratory plasticity and the role of respiratory plasticity in enhancing established treatments for sleep apnea.
Localization with non-individualized virtual acoustic display cues

A recent development in advanced interface technologies is the virtual acoustic display, a system that presents threedimensional auditory information over headphones [20]. The utility of such a display depends on the accuracy with which listeners can localize the virtual, or simulated, sound sources. Synthesis of virtual sources involves the digital filtering of stimuli using filters based on acoustic HeadRelated Transfer Functions (HRTFs) measured in human ear-canals. In practise, measurement of the HRTFs of each potential user of a 3-D display may not be feasible. Thus, a critical research question is whether listeners from the general population can obtain adequate localization cues from stimuli based on non-individualized filters. In the present study, 16 inexperienced listeners judged the apparent spatial location (azimuth and elevation) of wideband noisebursts that were presented either over loudspeakers in the fkee-field (an anechoic or non-reverberent environment) or over headphones. The headphone stimuli were synthesized using HRTFs from a representative subject in a previous study [23]. Localization of both t%efield and virtual sources was quite accurate for 12 of the subjects, 2 showed poor elevation accuracy in both free-field and headphone conditions, and 2 showed degraded elevation accuracy only with virtual sources. High rates of confusion errors (reversals in judgments of azimuth and elevation) were also observed for some of the subjects and tended to increase for the virtual sources. In general, the data suggest that most listeners can obtain useful directional information from an auditory display without requiring the use of individually-tailored HRTFs, particularly for the dimension of azimuth. However, the high rates of confusion errors remain problematic. Several stimulus characteristics which may help to minimize these errors are discussed.
Discussion of Sue Grand's Maternal Surveillance: Disrupting The Rhetoric of War

The commentary draws out some of the implications of Dr Grand's paper, Combat Speaks: The Gendering of War and War Resistance, focusing specifically on that aspect of gender identity formation that blocks our capacities to discover the way we are mutually implicated in each other's lives and losses. The suggestions in Dr Grand's work about diagnosis and about what it means to be psychoanalytically empathic are elaborated. The paper also relates Dr Grand's comments on different modes of vision to feminist film discussions of the 1970s and 1980s.
Preparation of cytochrome c peroxidase from baker's yeast.

Abstract A simple and readily reproducible procedure is presented for the preparation and purification of cytochrome c peroxidase from baker's yeast. Following autolysis of the yeast and extraction, the enzyme is collected on DEAE-cellulose at moderately high ionic strength, cluted, concentrated, and subjected to gel filtration in 0.1 m sodium acetate buffer, pH 5.0. The properties of the crude preparation make gel filtration in this buffer suitable for near-final purification of the heme protein. The enzyme is then easily crystallized by dialysis.
Aging and T-cell diversity

Naive and memory CD4 and CD8 T cells constitute a highly dynamic system with constant homeostatic and antigen-driven proliferation, influx, and loss of T cells. Thymic activity dwindles with age and essentially ceases in the later decades of life, severely constraining the generation of new T cells. Homeostatic control mechanisms are very effective at maintaining a large and diverse subset of naive CD4 T cells through the 7th decade of life, but eventually and abruptly fail at about the age of 75 years. In contrast, the CD8 T cell compartment is more unstable, with progressive diminution of naive T cells and increasing loss of diversity during mid adulthood. Vaccination strategies need to aim at developing a broad repertoire of memory T cells before the critical time period when the naive CD4 T-cell repertoire collapses. Research efforts need to aim at understanding T-cell homeostatic control mechanisms to ultimately expand the time period of repertoire stability.
The effect of low salinity on amino acid metabolism in the tissues of the common mud crab, Panopeus herbstii (Milne-Edwards)

Abstract 1. 1. Hemolymph Na+ plus Cl− at salinities >22%. was hypotonic to seawater, and hypertonic at low salinities. In crabs exposed to 10‰, the total FAA level decreased in muscle (45%) and hepatopancreas (41%), but not in gill. 2. 2. During the first 24 hr in low salinity, the majority of FAA decreased by an amount attributed primarily to tissue hydration, but glutamate increased significantly. 3. 3. Following an increase between 24 and 72 hr, the total FAA pool decreased between 72 and 240 hr to levels below initial concentrations. 4. 4. It was concluded that: (a) P. herbstii osmoregulates at the hemolymph and intracellular levels, and (b) tissue FAA, although initially diluted when the crab is transferred to low salinity, decrease under metabolic control.
Heat transfer in compartment fires near regions of ceiling-jet impingement on a wall

The problem of heat transfer to walls from fire-plume-driven ceiling jets during compartment fires is introduced. Estimates are obtained for the mass, momentum, and enthalpy flux of the ceiling jet immediately upstream of the ceiling-wall junction. An analogy is drawn between the flow dynamics and heat transfer at ceiling-jet/wall impingement and at the line impingement of a wall and a two-dimensional, plane, free jet. Using the analogy, results from the literature on plane, free-jet flows and corresponding wall-stagnation heat transfer rates are recast into a ceiling-jet/wall-impingement-problem formulation. This leads to a readily usable estimate for the heat transfer from the ceiling jet as it turns downward and begins its initial descent as a negatively buoyant flow along the compartment walls. Available data from a reduced-scale experiment provide some limited verification of the heat transfer estimate. Depending on the proximity of a wall to the point of plume-ceiling impingement, the result indicates that for typical full-scale compartment fires with energy release rates in the range 200-2,000 kW and fire-to-ceiling distances of 2-3 m, the rate of heat transfer to walls can be enhanced by a factor of 1.1-2.3 over the heat transfer to ceilings immediately upstream of ceiling-jet impingement.
Thermoelasticity of networks in swelling equilibrium with single component diluents: Specific polymer-diluent interactions

Using thermoelastic measurements, specific polymer-diluent interactions have been demonstrated for atactic poly(vinyl alcohol) networks swollen in water. This was done by following a thermodynamic parameter as a function of network swelling, which was controlled by varying the extent of network crosslinking. At low crosslinking (high swelling) the ratio of the energy component fe of the force to the total force f was found to be perhaps a little less than −0.38 for poly(vinyl alcohol) swollen in water to less than 0.36 volume fraction of polymer. The method of evaluation is new and should be applicable to other polymer single component diluent systems.
Climate spectra and detecting climate change

Part of the debate over possible climate changes centers on the possibility that the changes observed over the previous century are natural in origin. This raises the question of how large a change could be expected as a result of natural variability. If the climate measurement of interest is modelled as a stationary (or related) Gaussian time series, this question can be answered in terms of (a) the way in which change is estimated, and (b) the spectrum of the time series. These computations are illustrated for 128 years of global temperature data using some simple measures of change and for a variety of possible temperature spectra. The results highlight the time scales on which it is important to know the magnitude of natural variability. The uncertainties in estimates of trend are most sensitive to fluctuations in the temperature series with periods from approximately 50 to 500 years. For some of the temperature spectra, it was found that the standard error of the least squares trend estimate was 3 times the standard error derived under the naive assumption that the temperature series was uncorrelated. The observed trend differs from zero by more than 3 times the largest of the calculated standard errors, however, and is therefore highly significant.
STUDENTS’ AND INSTRUCTORS’ BELIEFS ABOUT EXCELLENT LECTURERS AND DISCUSSION LEADERS

To what extent do students and teachers hold similar beliefs about excellent teaching? Do differences in beliefs have practical implications (e.g., how students rate their teachers on end-of-semester evaluation forms)? In Study 1, undergraduate students (N=414) and faculty members (N=128) responded to questionnaires assessing their perceptions of an excellent discussion leader, lecturer, or instructor. Participants judged items that contributed to a Structure composite as more characteristic of excellent lecturers than excellent discussion leaders and items that contributed to a Process composite as more characteristic of excellent discussion leaders than excellent lecturers. Results for students and teachers showed several systematic differences. In Study 2,278 students and their course teachers rated the characteristics of a hypothetical excellent lecturer. In addition, students rated the effectiveness of their individual teachers. Students’ ratings of their teachers were higher when students and teachers agreed on their perceptions of characteristics of excellent lecturers.
Artificial Heart and Assist Devices: Directions, Needs, Costs, Societal and Ethical Issues

A Working Group appointed by the Director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHBLI) has reviewed the current status of mechanical circulatory support systems (MCSS), and has examined the potential need for such devices, their cost, and certain societal and ethical issues related to their use. The media have reported the limited clinical investigative use of pneumatically energized total artificial hearts (which actually replace the patient's heart) and left ventricular assist devices (which support or replace the function of the left ventricle by pumping blood from the left heart to the aorta with the patient's heart in place). However, electrically energized systems, which will allow full implantation, permit relatively normal everyday activity, and involve battery exchange or recharge two or three times a day, are currently approaching long-term validation in animals prior to clinical testing. Such long-term left ventricular assist devices have been the primary goal of the NHLBI targeted artificial heart program. Although the ventricular assist device is regarded as an important step in the sequence of MCSS development, the Working Group believes that a fully implantable, long-term, total artificial heart will be a clinical necessity and recommends that the mission of the targeted program include the development of such systems. Past estimates of the potential usage of artificial hearts have been reviewed in the context of advances in medical care and in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. In addition, a retrospective analysis of needs was carried out within a defined population. The resulting projection of 17,000-35,000 cases annually, in patients below age 70, falls within the general range of earlier estimates, but is highly sensitive to many variables. In the absence of an actual base of data and experience with MCSS, projection of costs and prognoses was carried out using explicit sets of assumptions. The total cost of a left ventricular assist device, its implantation and maintenance for a projected average of 4 1/2 years of survival might be approximately $150,000 (in 1983 dollars). The gross annual cost to society could fall in the range of $2.5-$5 billion. Ethical issues associated with use of the artificial heart are not unique. For individual patients these relate primarily to risk-benefit, informed consent, patient selection, and privacy. However, for society as a whole, the larger concern relates to the distribution of national resources.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Systematic Controller Design Methodology for Variable-speed Wind Turbines

Variable-speed, horizontal axis wind turbines use blade-pitch control to meet specified objectives for three regions of operation. This paper provides a guide for controller design for the constant power production regime. A simple, rigid, non-linear turbine model was used to systematically perform trade-off studies between two performance metrics. Minimization of both the deviation of the rotor speed from the desired speed and the motion of the actuator is desired. The robust nature of the proportional-integral-derivative controller is illustrated, and optimal operating conditions are determined. Because numerous simulation runs may be completed in a short time, the relationship between the two opposing metrics is easily visualized. Traditional controller design generally consists of linearizing a model about an operating point. This step was taken for two different operating points, and the systematic design approach was used. The surfaces generated by the systematic design approach using the two linear...
Anti-tumor immune response after photodynamic therapy

Anti-tumor immunity is stimulated after PDT due a number of factors including: the acute inflammatory response caused by PDT, release of antigens from PDT-damaged tumor cells, priming of the adaptive immune system to recognize tumor-associated antigens (TAA), and induction of heat-shock proteins. The induction of specific CD8+ T-lymphocyte cells that recognize major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) restricted epitopes of TAAs is a highly desirable goal in cancer therapy as it would allow the treatment of tumors that may have already metastasized. The PDT killed tumor cells may be phagocytosed by dendritic cells (DC) that then migrate to draining lymph nodes and prime naive T-cells that recognize TAA epitopes. We have carried out in vivo PDT with a BPD-mediated vascular regimen using a pair of BALB/c mouse colon carcinomas: CT26 wild type expressing the naturally occurring retroviral antigen gp70 and CT26.CL25 additionally expressing beta-galactosidase (b-gal) as a model tumor rejection antigen. PDT of CT26.CL25 cured 100% of tumors but none of the CT26WT tumors (all recurred). Cured CT26.CL25 mice were resistant to rechallenge. Moreover mice with two bilateral CT26.CL25 tumors that had only one treated with PDT demonstrated spontaneous regression of 70% of untreated contralateral tumors. T-lymphocytes were isolated from lymph nodes of PDT cured mice that recognized a particular peptide specific to b-gal antigen. T-lymphocytes from LN were able to kill CT26.CL25 target cells in vitro but not CT26WT cells as shown by a chromium release assay. CT26.CL25 tumors treated with PDT and removed five days later had higher levels of Th1 cytokines than CT26 WT tumors showing a higher level of immune response. When mice bearing CT26WT tumors were treated with a regimen of low dose cyclophosphamide (CY) 2 days before, PDT led to 100% of cures (versus 0% without CY) and resistance to rechallenge. Low dose CY is thought to deplete regulatory T-cells (Treg, CD4+CD25+foxp3+) and potentiate immune response after PDT in the case of tumors that express self-antigens. These data suggest that PDT alone will stimulate a strong immune response when tumors express a robust antigen, and in cases where tumors express a self-antigen, T-reg depletion can unmask the immune response after PDT.
Chronic passive exposure to aggression decreases D2 and 5-HT1B receptor densities

It has been recently reported that passive exposure to aggression induces aggressive behavior in a rodent model. However, it remains unclear whether this response is correlated with neurochemical changes that correspond either to stress-induced aggression or non-stressed, learned aggression. Stress-induced aggression has been shown to result in increased brain dopamine D(2) receptor and serum corticosterone levels. In contrast, learned aggression is probably associated with reward deficiency syndrome, characterized by low dopamine D(2) receptor levels, without stress effects (i.e., high corticosterone levels). We hypothesized that chronic passive exposure to aggression would produce learned aggression, represented by low levels of dopamine D(2) receptor binding but normal levels of stress hormone. The present study additionally focused on serum testosterone and serotonin 5-HT(1B) receptor density that has been associated with aggression/reward circuits. Hormonal results indicated that there were no differences between the "observer" rats that had been passively exposed to aggression or non-aggression for 10 min per day for 23 consecutive days. However, receptor binding autoradiography identified lower densities of dopamine D(2) receptors in the cortical-accumbal regions (shell of the nucleus accumbens and cingulate and motor cortices) and lower 5-HT(1B) receptor densities in the tegmental regions (ventral tegmental area, substantia nigra pars compacta, and periaqueductal gray) among observers exposed to aggression, compared to controls. Changes in dopamine D(2) receptor densities due to chronic exposure to aggression do not resemble those patterns reported for stress-induced aggressive behavior. Our evidence suggests that the development of aggressive behavior among passive observers occurs through a learned, and not a stress-induced, mechanism. Language: en
The foundations of European Expansion and Dominion: an Equilibrium model

A long time ago – longer than I care to remember – I proposed what an economist would call an equilibrium model of imperialism (1). Briefly stated, the argument went as follows: -Imperialism is a response to disparities of power. The very existence of such disparity is an invitation and temptation to exploit it. Not everyone will respond to such invitation, but there will always be some who try to translate potential dominion into actual . -Motivation is secondary: where a disparity of power exists, imperialism will never lack for reasons or justifications. These will vary from the crudest greed or will to dominance to the loftiest altruism. -To understand the timing and extent of imperialist dominions, therefore, it is more important to study the character and distribution of power than the incentives to its exercise.
Hymnody and Liturgy in the Azusa Street Revival, 1906-1908

Participants in the Azusa Street Revival regularly emphasized the nonliturgical nature of their Spirit-led worship. This article argues, however, that while worshippers eschewed traditional devices such as lectionaries and set schedules, they did create their own, unique form of liturgy through hymnody. The liturgical functions served by music at Azusa Street included selecting Scripture readings, ordering services, and providing theological balance. To make this case, the author surveys references to music, singing, and hymn writing in the official publications of the revival and in later accounts of the revival recorded by participants. From these sources, the author identifies three types of music used at Azusa Street: singing in the Spirit, new compositions written in a conventional style, and traditional hymns. The article further demonstrates how these genres served specific functions in the community, one of the most important of which was to emphasize the christological, as opposed to pneumatological, aspects of Pentecostal theology.
Intensive culture of grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella, in circular tanks

Fingerling grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) were cultured in 380 1 circular fiberglass tanks at stocking densities of 0.53, 1.06, 1.59 and 2.11 fish/1. Fish were fed duckweed (Lemna minima) to satiation. Fish grew from 2.7 g to a maximum mean weight of 72.7 g in 88 days. Fish stocked at 0.53 fish/1 grow more rapidly than those stocked at higher densities. Mean daily consumption rates were strongly correlated with oxygen levels and when oxygen levels dropped below 4 mg/1 consumption was reduced approximately 40%. High biomass, growth, and survival rates obtained during this study indicate grass carp are well suited for intensive tank culture.
Unique TGFBI Protein in Lattice Corneal Dystrophy

Purpose Specific components of transforming growth factor-beta-induced protein (TGFBIp) responsible for amyloid deposits in lattice corneal dystrophy (LCD) have not been delineated. LCD has been associated with various TGFBIp mutations such as R124C, L518P, and L527R. Using recombinant TGFBIp, this study was undertaken to identify TGFBIp components potentially contributing to the protein deposits in LCD. Methods Recombinant wild-type (WT) TGFBIp and four mutants (R124C, R124H, L518P, and L527R) were generated in HEK293FT cells. WT and mutant TGFBIp were collected from crude cell lysates or purified from culture media. Immunoblot analyses were performed with four different anti-TGFBIp antibodies raised against various regions of TGFBIp. Results Consistent with the authors' previous findings, purified recombinant proteins are more prone to polymerize than crude cell lysates. As expected, all monomers and polymers of TGFBIp WT and mutants were detected by these antibodies. However, the authors noted WT and TGFBIp mutants showed differential reactivities with these antibodies. A 47-kDa band was detected in purified 2-tag proteins of L518P by all four antibodies. A unique 43-kDa band was detected in both 1-tag cell lysates and purified proteins of R124C by the authors' custom-made antibody (KE50) and a commercial anti-TGFBIp. Conclusions Based on its universal reactivity with various antibodies, the authors surmise that the 47-kDa protein is a ubiquitous TGFBIp fragment derived from the N-terminus of the L518P mutant. The fact that the 43-kDa protein fragment was present primarily in R124C and R124H but not in WT implicates its potential role in the protein deposits of LCD.
TH-C-201B-03: Computed Tomography Dose Data Mining and Surveillance as an Ongoing Quality Assurance Improvement Process

Purpose: The purpose of this ongoing quality assurance project is to use our Radiology Information System (RIS) as a data mining tool to monitor the computed tomography(CT)dose length product (DLP) at a Level 1 Trauma Center and use it as a general indicator of proper CT exposure technique and radiation dose.Method and Materials: Technologists enter the total exam DLP from the CT console for multiple CT systems after each completed CT study into the RIS system. A query report is run to extract the total CT exam DLP. Data falling outside two SD are removed from the analysis to exclude extreme outliers. The effective dose (ED) is also derived from the DLP by multiplying with age specific k‐factors. This data is compared with the previous quarter's data and initial baseline data to observe the trends with respect to the institutional goals. The results are presented at radiology QA meetings with radiologists technologist supervisors physicists and administrators in attendance. The trend in DLP is then used to modify either CT techniques or protocols to continuously reduce the radiation dose in keeping with the ALARA principle. The entire cycle is repeated every quarter as an ongoing quality assurance improvement project. Results: The ED for traumaCT exams was reduced 22.5% while the ED for non‐trauma of the CT exams was only reduced 2.3%. We are still working on reducing the DLP for CT exams which result in consistently high dose (e.g. CTA) by CT technique modification or the elimination of extra scan series as part of a CT protocol. Conclusion: This project demonstrates that DLP data can be mined successfully to monitor radiation dose in CT and implement ALARA by modifying CT protocols using dose reduction strategies to reduce patient dose.
Numerical Simulations of the Evolution of a Cold Front and Its Precipitation

Abstract Short-range (36-h) simulations of a surface cold front that occurred over the Great Plains of the United States during the SESAME-AYE III period are made using a significantly modified version of a hydrostatic, sigma-coordinate, quasi-Lagrangian, primitive-equation gridpoint model. The necessity of using blended data from FGGE Level IIIb and IIb for input is demonstrated. The evolution of the environment associated with the cold front was well predicted by the model when compared with analyses and observations of the cold front location, horizontal temperature gradient, wind field, dry line, temperature inversion, and precipitation. The current model results caught several observed features that were not present in the other mesoscale model results. Also, comparisons between moist and dry versions of the current model showed a stronger frontal upward motion and a faster moving front showed in the moist version of the model experiment than in the dry version, as expected. The evolution of several ...
Iron depletion increases manganese uptake and potentiates apoptosis through ER stress.

Iron deficiency is a risk factor for manganese (Mn) accumulation. Excess Mn promotes neurotoxicity but the mechanisms involved and whether iron depletion might affect these pathways is unknown. To study Mn intoxication in vivo, iron deficient and control rats were intranasally instilled with 60 mg MnCl2/kg over 3 weeks. TUNEL staining of olfactory tissue revealed that Mn exposure induced apoptosis and that iron deficiency potentiated this effect. In vitro studies using the dopaminergic SH-SY5Y cell line confirmed that Mn-induced apoptosis was enhanced by iron depletion using the iron chelator desferrioxamine. Mn has been reported to induce apoptosis through endoplasmic reticulum stress. In SH-SY5Y cells, Mn exposure induced the ER stress genes glucose regulated protein 94 (GRP94) and C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP). Increased phosphorylation of the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2α (phospho-eIF2α) was also observed. These effects were accompanied by the activation of ER resident enzyme caspase-12, and the downstream apoptotic effector caspase-3 was also activated. All of the Mn-induced responses were enhanced by DFO treatment. Inhibitors of ER stress and caspases significantly blocked Mn-induced apoptosis and its potentiation by DFO, indicating that ER stress and subsequent caspase activation underlie cell death. Taken together, these data reveal that Mn induces neuronal cell death through ER stress and the UPR response pathway and that this apoptotic effect is potentiated by iron deficiency most likely through upregulation of DMT1.
The fluxless soldering process without intermetallic compounds

Basic soldering is a chemical reaction between the solder element such as tin (Sn) and the base metal such as copper (Cu) or nickel (Ni), producing intermetallic compound (IMC) such as Cu 6 Sn 5 or Ni 3 Sn 4 . It is the IMC that connects the solder to the metal. The IMC layer grows with time during usage, resulting in potential reliability issues. In this research, we looked into and developed soldering processes that do not produce IMC. The fundamental concept is to choose barrier metal that does not form IMC with the solder. An example is chromium (Cr). Several bonding experiments have been performed. Preliminary results seem to show that high quality Sn solder joints could be made without IMC and without the use of flux.
Strains and mutants of tobacco mosaic virus are both found in virus derived from single-lesion-passaged inoculum.

Abstract An analysis has been made of variants found in preparations of the common (U1) strain of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) which had been obtained after the inoculum had been passaged through a necrotic local lesion. These lesions were induced with a minimal number of virions (3000 or 30,000) per inoculation point. The relationships of the variants to the U1 strain were analyzed both by nucleic acid hybridization using complementary DNA in nuclease S1 assays and by two-dimensional RNA fingerprinting. Two classes of variants were obtained: Members of one class, because of their close sequence homology to the U1 strain, were considered to arise by mutation of the U1 strain. These variants were isolated from chlorotic or necrotic spots which developed on the leaves of U1-infected plants. The other class represented distantly related strains of TMV which are presumed to have been passaged as contaminants along with the U1 strain, even though the virus from which the inoculum was obtained was itself generated via a single local lesion from minimum dose inoculation. Such data thus cast suspicion on the fidelity of local lesion passage as a means of getting biologically “pure” virus, viz (1) contaminants could be passaged along with the major virus (normally they would not be seen, but they might be expressed under the appropriate environmental conditions), and (2) the high rate of transcriptional infidelity known to occur during RNA synthesis results in a heterogeneous viral RNA population but with one predominant genotype. Occasionally, mutants with a new phenotype may be expressed (as chlorotic or necrotic spots on a leaf of mosaic symptom plants, for example).
Camera selection for real-time in vivo radiation treatment verification systems using Cherenkov imaging

Purpose: To identify achievable camera performance and hardware needs in a clinical Cherenkov imaging system for real-time, in vivo monitoring of the surface beam profile on patients, as novel visual information, documentation, and possible treatment verification for clinicians. Methods: Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS), charge-coupled device (CCD), intensified charge-coupled device (ICCD), and electron multiplying-intensified charge coupled device (EM-ICCD) cameras were investigated to determine Cherenkov imaging performance in a clinical radiotherapy setting, with one emphasis on the maximum supportable frame rate. Where possible, the image intensifier was synchronized using a pulse signal from the Linac in order to image with room lighting conditions comparable to patient treatment scenarios. A solid water phantom irradiated with a 6 MV photon beam was imaged by the cameras to evaluate the maximum frame rate for adequate Cherenkov detection. Adequate detection was defined as an average electron count in the background-subtracted Cherenkov image region of interest in excess of 0.5% (327 counts) of the 16-bit maximum electron count value. Additionally, an ICCD and an EM-ICCD were each used clinically to image two patients undergoing whole-breast radiotherapy to compare clinical advantages and limitations of each system. Results: Intensifier-coupled cameras were required for imaging Cherenkov emission on the phantom surface with ambient room lighting; standalone CMOS and CCD cameras were not viable. The EM-ICCD was able to collect images from a single Linac pulse delivering less than 0.05 cGy of dose at 30 frames/s (fps) and pixel resolution of 512 × 512, compared to an ICCD which was limited to 4.7 fps at 1024 × 1024 resolution. An intensifier with higher quantum efficiency at the entrance photocathode in the red wavelengths [30% quantum efficiency (QE) vs previous 19%] promises at least 8.6 fps at a resolution of 1024 × 1024 and lower monetary cost than the EM-ICCD. Conclusions: The ICCD with an intensifier better optimized for red wavelengths was found to provide the best potential for real-time display (at least 8.6 fps) of radiation dose on the skin during treatment at a resolution of 1024 × 1024.
Studying Evaluation Utilization Through Simulations

Simulation studies evaluation utilization employing communication theory as aparadigm have found that characteristics of the message sender (evaluator), the content of the message (the evaluation report), and characteristics of the receiver (evaluation audience) affect the evaluation audience's reactions. Among the independent variables examined were title and sex of evaluator, language and content of the report, and professional role and personality characteristics of the audience. Dependent measures include indices of credibility and acceptance of the recommendations.
Cardiovascular autonomic modulation by nitric oxide synthases accounts for the augmented enalapril-evoked hypotension in ethanol-fed female rats

In this study, we investigated the role of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) isoforms in the enhanced enalapril-evoked hypotension in ethanol-fed female rats by examining the effect of the selective inhibitors of eNOS [N(5)-(1-iminoethyl)-l-ornithine; l-NIO], nNOS (N(ω)-propyl-l-arginine; NPLA), or iNOS (1400W) inhibition on the cardiovascular effects of enalapril in ethanol- (5% w/v) fed rats and in their pair-fed controls. In liquid diet-fed control rats, enalapril- (10 mg/kg) evoked hypotension was abolished by l-NIO (20 mg/kg), but not by NPLA (1 mg/kg) or 1400W (5 mg/kg), suggesting a preferential role for eNOS in this response. Enalapril had no effect on spectral indices of hemodynamic variability or +dP/dtmax (myocardial contractility). However, in ethanol-fed rats, the greater enalapril-evoked hypotension was associated with reductions in (i) +dP/dtmax, (ii) low-frequency/high-frequency ratio of interbeat intervals (IBILF/HF), suggesting cardiac parasympathetic dominance, and (iii) low-frequency spectral band of systolic blood pressure (BP), a marker of vasomotor sympathetic tone. While NPLA or 1400W attenuated the enalapril-evoked hemodynamic and autonomic responses in ethanol-fed rats, l-NIO virtually abolished the hypotensive response and was more efficacious in rectifying autonomic responses to enalapril. Together, these findings implicate NOS isoforms, particularly eNOS, in the altered cardiovascular autonomic control that leads to the augmented enalapril-evoked hypotension in ethanol-fed female rats.
Carboniferous paleogeographic, phytogeographic, and paleoclimatic reconstructions

Abstract Two revised paleogeographic reconstructions of the Visean and Westphalian C-D stages are presented based on recent paleomagnetic, phytogeographic, stratigraphic, and tectonic data. These data change the positions of some continental blocks, and allow the definition of several new ones. The most important modifications that have been incorporated in these reconstructions are: (1) a proposed isthmus linking North America and Siberia across the Bering Strait; and (2) the separation of China and Southeast Asia in six major blocks, including South China, North China, Shan Thai-Malaya, Indochina, Qangtang, and Tarim blocks. Evidence is presented that suggests that at least the South China, Shan Thai-Malaya, and Qangtang blocks were derived from the northern margin of Gondwana. Multivariate statistical analysis of phytogeographic data from the middle and late Paleozoic allow definition of a number of different phytogeographic units for four time intervals: (1) the Early Devonian, (2) Tournaisian—early Visean, (3) Visean, and (4) late Visean—early Namurian A. Pre-late Visean—early Namurian A floral assemblages from South China show affinities with northern Gondwana floras suggesting a southerly position and provides additional support for our reconstruction of South China against the northern margin of Gondwana. There is a marked decrease in the diversity of phytogeographic units in the Namurian and younger Carboniferous. This correlates closely with the time of assembly of most of Pangaea. The general pattern of Carboniferous phytogeographic units corresponds well with global distribution of continents shown on our paleogeographic reconstructions. In addition, we have constructed paleoclimatic maps for the two Carboniferous time intervals. These maps stress the distribution of rainfall, as this should be strongly correlated with the floras. There is marked change in the rainfall patterns between the Visean and Westphalian C-D. This change corresponds with the closing of the Appalachian-Ouachita ocean between Laurussia and Gondwana, and reflects the removal of a low-latitude moisture source that probably gave rise to monsoonal conditions along the northern margin of Gondwana in the Visean and earlier times. As well, the presence of a substantial heat source at high elevation in the Late Carboniferous significantly influenced the distribution of climatic belts.
Expanding Views of Interpretation/Use Arguments.

I am deeply gratified by the commentators' thoughtful responses and find almost nothing to disagree with in any of them. Each offers additional insights prompting further reflection. In drawing out...
Factors Contributing to Aromatic Stacking in Water: Evaluation in the Context of DNA

We report the use of thermodynamic measurements in a self-complementary DNA duplex (5‘-dXCGCGCG)2, where X is an unpaired natural or nonnatural deoxynucleoside, to study the forces that stabilize aqueous aromatic stacking in the context of DNA. Thermal denaturation experiments show that the core duplex (lacking X) is formed with a free energy (37 °C) of −8.1 kcal·mol-1 in a pH 7.0 buffer containing 1 M Na+. We studied the effects of adding single dangling nucleosides (X) where the aromatic “base” is adenine, guanine, thymine, cytosine, pyrrole, benzene, 4-methylindole, 5-nitroindole, trimethylbenzene, difluorotoluene, naphthalene, phenanthrene, and pyrene. Adding these dangling residues is found to stabilize the duplex by an additional −0.8 to −3.4 kcal·mol-1. At 5 μM DNA concentration, Tm values range from 41.7 °C (core sequence) to 64.1 °C (with dangling pyrene residues). For the four natural bases, the order of stacking ability is A > G ≥ T = C. The nonpolar analogues stack more strongly in general tha...