cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
S-17 : Host recognition of intracellular bacterial pathogens

Our research focuses on studying the complex, dynamic interplay that occurs between two distinct biological systems, the prokaryotic pathogen and the eukaryotic host. We have shown that 2 important innate immune pathways, type IIFN and the inflammasome, are sequentially linked during bacterial infections of macrophages. This 2-tiered innate immune response serves as a way for the host to gauge the level of “danger” before commitment to critical host responses such as cell death. For example, we have shown that dsDNA from cytosolic bacteria, such as Francisella, elicits type I IFN responses within two hours of infection. If the bacteria are capable of replicating, increased levels of dsDNA trigger an AIM2 inflammasome and proinflammatory cell death, which eliminates the intracellular niche and is a host defense mechanism. Importantly, we have shown a similar dependency on type I IFN during Salmonella infections that activates caspase-11 in non-canonical inflammasomes and triggers host cell death. Thus, a comparative analysis of the molecular pathways necessary for recognition of two facultative intracellular pathogens, Francisella and Salmonella,has highlighted the role of type I IFN in potentiating cell death pathways.
An Adaptive Digital Notch Filter Based on Grid Impedance Estimation for Improving LCL Filter Peformance

In the grid-connected system, LCL filters are playing an important role in eliminating the switching frequency compared with the traditional LC filter. Digital notch filter can be used for solving the resonant frequency problem by cancelling the resonant peak. This paper presents an adaptive digital notch filter based on an estimation controller for the grid impedance and the parameters of the notch filter can be adjusted by the estimated grid impedance value. Moreover, the notch filter design and the system stability is also presented in theoretical analysis. Finally, the simulation results shows effectiveness of the estimation algorithm and digital notch filter's function for active damping.
Targeting retinoblastoma protein phosphorylation in combination with EGFR inhibition in pancreatic cancer cells

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a particularly lethal disease that is resistant to targeted therapies. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), including erlotinib and gefitinib, which block the action of the human epidermal growth factor receptor type 1 receptor, provide small increases in patient survival when administered with gemcitabine. The retinoblastoma (Rb) tumor suppressor protein is an additional target in pancreatic cancer, due to its documented inactivation in PDAC. The present study, using cell number, apoptosis and immunoblotting assays, aimed to evaluate the effects of activation of the Rb tumor suppressor via dephosphorylation by small interfering RNA-mediated phosphatase activation. In the Panc1, MIAPaCa-2 and Capan-2 pancreatic cancer cell lines, and in normal H6c7 cells, the effects of phosphatase activation on Rb were revealed to be dependent on expression of the p16 tumor suppressor, which regulates Rb phosphorylation. Phosphatase activation had no effect on non-transformed pancreatic epithelial cells. When comparing kinase inhibition with phosphatase activation, it was demonstrated that kinase inhibition reduced proliferation, whereas phosphatase activation induced apoptosis. Both treatments together resulted in a greater reduction of pancreatic cancer cells than either treatment alone. In addition, the effects of combination treatment of phosphatase activation with TKIs on cell number and activation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) resistance pathway were determined. The combination of Rb phosphatase activation with TKIs resulted in a greater reduction in cell number compared with either treatment alone, without STAT3 pathway activation. These data suggested that targeting Rb phosphorylation by activating phosphatase may be a rational strategy to inhibit pancreatic tumor cell growth, without activation of acquired resistance.
Thermodynamic Methods in Tribology and Friction-Induced Self-Organization

In the preceding chapter, we discussed the basic principles of mechanical contact of rough surfaces, friction, wear, and self-lubrication. Physically, friction and wear are related to the Second law of thermodynamics, since they are the result of the tendencies of energy to dissipate and material to deteriorate. Friction and wear are complex phenomena which do not have single mechanisms, but rather involve physical and chemical process of a different nature. However, there are certain general rules of friction and wear, such as the linearized Coulomb–Amontons and Archard laws, which apply universally to various mechanisms. This makes it attractive to try to deduce common empirical laws of tribology directly from thermodynamic principles, such as the Second law and concepts of nonequilibrium (irreversible) thermodynamics.
Selective Epoxidation of Olefins by Perfluoro-cis-2,3-dialkyloxaziridines(1).

Alkyl-substituted olefins are epoxidized by perfluoro-cis-2,3-dialkyloxaziridines under particularly mild conditions. Electron deficient substrates (e.g. α,β-enones) can also be epoxidized, and the more electron poor the double bond is, the more severe the reactions conditions become. The epoxidation is chemoselective (secondary alcohols and their ethers do not interfere), site selective (the monoepoxide of a diene can be obtained), and stereoselective (cis-alkenes afford cis-epoxides). Various complex and polyfunctional substrates of natural origin (monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, steroids) have been transformed effectively.
WHEN A PULMONARY EMBOLISM IS MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE: INITIAL PRESENTATION OF PATENT DUCTUS ARTERIOSUS IN AN ADULT

PDA endarteritis is a rare complication in the modern era of widespread antibiotic use. Vegetations are often present on the pulmonary arterial side and embolize to the pulmonary circulation. A 24-year-old male from Mexico presented with left sided upper abdominal pain and a few weeks of fevers. He
Forging a Public Sphere: José Leonilson in the Folha de São Paulo

Between 1991 and 1993, the artist Jose Leonilson contributed a weekly illustration to Folha de Sao Paulo, Brazil’s highest circulation daily newspaper. This article argues that these drawings inser...
Comparison of Priority vs Standard US Food and Drug Administration Premarket Approval Review for High-Risk Medical Devices

This study compares US Food and Drug Administration premarket approval review times for priority vs standard review for high-risk devices.
An EWSR1-CREB3L1 Fusion Gene in Extraskeletal Undifferentiated Round Cell Sarcoma Expands the Spectrum of Genetic Landscape in the "Ewing-Like" Undifferentiated Round Cell Sarcomas

The molecular findings in Ewing sarcoma have greatly expanded in recent years. Furthermore, this is particularly true for the subset termed "Ewing-like" undifferentiated round cell sarcomas in which new translocations have been reported since the fourth edition of the WHO Classification of Tumours of Soft Tissue and Bone. Amid this expanding genetic landscape, we report a case of extraskeletal undifferentiated round cell "Ewing-like" sarcoma in a 27-year-old female. The patient presented with a large lung mass accompanied on staging imaging by deposits suspicious for metastatic disease in the humerus, calvarium, and lymph nodes of the neck and chest. Biopsy of the lung mass revealed a densely packed monotonous proliferation of round, uniform neoplastic cells with scant cytoplasm. By immunohistochemistry, the tumor cells were diffusely positive for CD99, synaptophysin, TLE1, EMA, and MUC4 and negative for FLI1, PAX7, AE1/3, S100, SOX10, WT1, p63, desmin, and HMB45. Fluorescence in situ hybridization demonstrated rearrangement of the EWSR1 gene. Next-generation sequencing based assay revealed an EWSR1-CREB3L1 fusion. Taken together, the histomorphologic and molecular findings were considered consistent with an undifferentiated round cell sarcoma with an EWSR1-CREB3L1 fusion. Although described in entities such as sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma, low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma, and small cell osteosarcoma, this has not been previously described in undifferentiated round cell ("Ewing-like") sarcoma. This finding adds to the growing list of undifferentiated round cell sarcomas with Ewing-like morphologic phenotype-associated fusion genes and may contribute to further defining and characterizing the different subset of tumors in the Ewing family of tumors.
Diffusion Monte Carlo Studies on the Detection of Structural Changes in the Water Hexamer upon Isotopic Substitution.

The ground state structure of water hexamer and several deuterated variants are studied using Diffusion Monte Carlo (DMC). We demonstrate that a recently developed guided DMC approach allows us to ...
Evaluation of biochars derived from food waste for synthesis gas production via pyrolysis and CO2 gasification

Abstract In this paper, a potential carbon negative energy generation process is outlined, whereby bio-waste undergoes pyrolysis and reverse Boudouard gasification to produce synthesis gas for electricity production with a solid oxide fuel cell. Constituent pieces of this process are examined through lab scale, thermogravimetric analysis of its component reactions. Five feedstocks were tested: walnut shell, pumpkin seed shell, coconut shell, pistachio shell, and corncob. It is determined that variability in gasification reactivity across biochar feedstocks correlates with differences in inorganic content that catalyzes the reverse Boudouard reaction, as well as with pyrolysis heating rate that affects biochar morphology. Kinetic studies were performed to adapt a solid-gas kinetic model for the prediction of gasification behavior of different biochar feedstocks and representation of the gasification reaction at larger scale. A modified random pore model was best suited for this application and further demonstrated the importance of inorganic content in determining the progression of reverse Boudouard gasification.
J or H mtDNA haplogroups in retinal pigment epithelial cells: Effects on cell physiology, cargo in extracellular vesicles, and differential uptake of such vesicles by naïve recipient cells.

Abstract Purpose Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are predicted to represent the internal state of cells. In polarized RPE monolayers, EVs can mediate long-distance communication, requiring endocytosis via protein-protein interactions. EV uptake from oxidatively stressed donor cells triggers loss in transepithelial resistance (TER) in recipient monolayers mediated by HDAC6. Here, we examine EVs released from RPE cells with identical nuclear genes but different mitochondrial (mt)DNA haplogroups (H, J). J-cybrids produce less ATP, and the J-haplogroup is associated with a higher risk for age-related macular degeneration. Methods Cells were grown as mature monolayers to either collect EVs from apical surfaces or to serve as naive recipient cells. Transfer assays, transferring EVs to a recipient monolayer were performed, monitoring TER and EV-uptake. The presence of known EV surface proteins was quantified by protein chemistry. Results H- and J-cybrids were confirmed to exhibit different levels of TER and energy metabolism. EVs from J-cybrids reduced TER in recipient ARPE-19 cells, whereas EVs from H-cybrids were ineffective. TER reduction was mediated by HDAC6 activity, and EV uptake required interaction between integrin and its ligands and surface proteoglycans. Protein quantifications confirmed elevated levels of fibronectin and annexin A2 on J-cybrid EVs. Conclusions We speculate that RPE EVs have a finite set of ligands (membrane proteoglycans and integrins and/or annexin A2) that are elevated in EVs from stressed cells; and that if EVs released by the RPE could be captured from serum, that they might provide a disease biomarker of RPE-dependent diseases.
STOCHASTIC CONVERGENCE CONCEPTS AND THEIR PROPERTIES

This chapter discusses the infinite sequences of random variables and their convergence. The various modes of stochastic convergence have a number of similarities with the convergence concept of classical analysis. The main difference is that all definitions of stochastic convergence take into account the existence of a probability measure. There are many relationships between the modes of stochastic convergence. The concepts of almost certain convergence and convergence in probability correspond to the measure-theoretic concepts of convergence almost everywhere and convergence in measure, respectively. These two modes of stochastic convergence are applicable to any sequence of random variables. Another convergence concept is the weak convergence of a sequence of distribution functions. The idea of weak convergence is sometimes carried over to the sequences of random variables. There are several modes of stochastic convergence that are different from each other, for example, almost certain convergence implies convergence in probability. However, the converse is not true.
Time-domain model for prediction of generalized 3DOF buffeting response of tall buildings using 2D aerodynamic sectional properties

Abstract A time-domain method to calculate the buffeting response of a rectangular tall building (AR of B/D = 1.5 and H/D = 6) in along-wind, across-wind and torsional degrees of freedom using 2D aerodynamic sectional properties is presented here. The aerodynamic sectional properties were identified first using wind tunnel section models. Aerodynamic damping, which is critical in wind-induced response analysis of tall buildings, was calculated using the identified aeroelastic derivatives (flutter derivatives) and validated by comparing with those extracted directly from the response measurements of aeroelastic models of the tall building. A good agreement between the numerically simulated responses and the experimental measurements of an aeroelastic model (1:175 scale) shows the capability of the proposed method in the prediction of generalized 3DOF buffeting response of tall buildings in a wide range of wind speeds. Furthermore, the response of a tall building with two other cross-sectional shapes, circular and elliptical, was calculated using the developed method and compared amongst the three cross-sectional shapes to study the effect of cross section on buffeting response. The relative dependency of buffeting response of a tall building along each of the 3DOF on cross section, wind speed as well as angle of attack was assessed. Finally, the effect of taper on tall building’s buffeting response was studied using the developed method which showed that taper could significantly reduce the wind-induced response of tall buildings. The time-domain method to assess wind loads and buffeting response of tall buildings based on experimentally or theoretically derived aerodynamic properties of two-dimensional sections, as presented here, provides a viable and perhaps the only alternative to methods based on aeroelastic model tests and CFD simulations.
'Climate Change, Uncertainties and the Precautionary Principle'

The chapter aims to summarize the current knowledge on the role that the precautionary principle could play in climate change policies.
Regulating the Floor: Tabling Motions in the U.S. Senate, 1865-1946

The motion to table plays a prominent role in many scholarly accounts of policymaking in the Senate. Scholars have argued that it is used with several other motions to allow majority party leaders to bias policy outcomes on the chamber floor. Others maintain it provides bill managers with a means of more efficiently managing the floor. We examine how the motion was utilized both prior to and during the development of Senate floor leadership. Our evidence suggests that in the absence of such leaders, majority party members used the motion to defend the floor from both opposing and fellow party members.
A CT Power Supply Device based on New Three Coil Magnetic Coupling Resonant Radio Power Transmission

CT power supply is a commonly used power supply method for high voltage line monitoring equipment. Because the high voltage monitoring equipment needs to be installed on the tower, a long connection line will lead to more difficult installation, so wireless transmission is considered. This paper explores a new type of CT power collection mode combined with wireless power transmission, which adopts a new type of three coil magnetic coupling resonance wireless power transmission system. It can stably collect power from CT and supply power wirelessly at the same time, which is convenient for the installation of monitoring device and power collection device. Aiming at the important parameters of transmission efficiency of wireless power transmission system: transmission distance, frequency, load, this paper uses chaotic particle swarm optimization algorithm to optimize the system, and explores the optimal parameters corresponding to the highest transmission efficiency.
The Influence of a Climate Change Narrative on the Stated Preferences for Long-term Groundwater Management

The literature identifies cultural values and beliefs as key drivers of climate change risk perception, but evidence is lacking about how media narratives and cultural values influence preferences for adapting to environmental consequences of climate change, including groundwater shortage. We elicited groundwater preferences using a choice experiment survey involving outcomes of the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer. We randomly assigned respondents to an individualistic cultural narrative about climate change to test for framing effects predicted by culturally congruent and incongruent messaging. Results suggest that culturally incongruent messaging (i.e., to non-individualists) emboldens opposition and makes promoted groundwater policies less tractable. This is instructive to policy makers that identifying different stakeholders and avoiding incongruent messages about climate change could improve the effectiveness of collaborative water governance.
Molecular Weight Effects on Enthalpy Relaxation and Fragility of Amorphous Carbohydrates

Many food processing techniques such as dehydration, concentration, extrusion, and freezing produce amorphous foods that can be stored below their glass transition temperature (Wungtanagorn and Schmidt 2001). Below glass transition temperature (Tg), amorphous food constituents exist in a thermodynamically unstable nonequilibrium and disordered state. Isothermal storage/aging of glassy amorphous food components results in structural relaxations that achieve a more stable equilibrium state over extended time periods (Struik 1978). Since the equilibrium state is a low energy state, some of the energy is lost/relaxed in the nonequilibrium glassy amorphous state during isothermal storage of food components. This energy can be recovered in the form of enthalpy during the reheating of the glassy system by using a differential scanning calorimeter, since physical aging is a reversible process. The enthalpy recovered during reheating of the aged material system is a measure of the system’s molecular mobility at the selected aging temperature (Gupta et al. 2004). Structural relaxation in the glassy state of amorphous food components during isothermal storage/aging is also known as enthalpy relaxation/physical aging. Many macroscopic properties of glassy materials, such as volume, enthalpy, refractive index, electrical conductivity, and viscosity, change during physical aging (Struik 1978). The changes in macroscopic properties may adversely affect the physicochemical stability during the isothermal storage of low water amorphous foods and food constituents (Farahnaky et al. 2008).
Hardware for Entropy Coding

The entropy coder is the last stage in the encoding pipeline of JPEG, H.261, and MPEG. Unlike transform-based coding, where compression is lossy, entropy coding is lossless. The entropy coder consists of two main data compression/decompression units: a run-length coder (RLC) and a variable-length coder (VLC).
A METHOD FOR SYNTHESIS AND SELECTION OF PROPULSION PLANTS FOR SUBMARINES

Abstract : New concepts for submarine propulsion plants are continuously being presented to the Navy for review and possible application. An analytical method is now being used to determine the effect of power plant weight and thermal efficiency on the cruising radius, speed, and vessel displacement. A mathematical model representing the propulsion plant and vessel hull was prepared and, by means of a digital computer, the effects of varying several design parameters were studied. By comparing the predicted performance of several types of power plants with the results of the computer study it is possible to select those which justify further development for Navy use.
The Faces of Mohammed: Secularism, Muslim Activism and the Refashioning of Democratic Practice

From its philosophical and historical inception secularism has been predicated on a set of principles that were devised to quell the conflict ridden character of public religiosity. These principles included a valuation of human rationality, a disposition towards worldly political and civil life and a humanist orientation concerning political and social problems. As political theorist William Connolly defines it, secularism is broadly understood as a “wish to provide an authoritative and self-sufficient public space, equipped to regulate and limit religious disputes in public life.”3 At the heart of liberal democratic secularism, in particular, was a desire to produce an uncontestable set of values that could be agreed upon by all members of the political community. As the anthropologists and cultural critic Talal Asad argues, “To be fully part of a democratic community, citizens holding different religious beliefs (or none) must share values that enable them to have a common political life.” These shared values, which ostensibly hold the political community together, must always triumph over one’s personal and religious values in order to have a democratically robust society. As a consequence, liberal democracies have expected that those who participate in the public realm to set their ethical and moral compasses to the benefit of the community at large over the specificity of their religious beliefs and affiliations.
Diffusion and Localization of Ultra-Cold Particles on Rough Substrates

Diffusion and localization of ultra-cold particles moving along randomly corrugated substrates is analyzed quasianalytically. The particles are either bound to the substrate or pressed to it by the external holding field. The localization length and diffusion coefficient are expressed explicitly via the correlation radius of surface inhomogeneities. This quantum bouncing hall problem with a random rough wall is solved analytically in three limiting cases of longwave particles, large gaps between bound states, and single-state occupancy. Elsewhere, the diffusion coefficient and localization length are evaluated numerically for Gaussian correlation of inhomogeneities. The results are applied to ultra-cold neutrons in the gravitational trap, electrons on helium and hydrogen surfaces, and hydrogen particles bound to helium surface. Experimental observation of weak 2D localization for neutrons and electrons requires further cooling and substrate preparation.
Biomedical Uses of Amorphous Water Soluble Derivatives of Cyclodextrins

Cyclodextrins can be converted by reactions with epoxides or their precursors into mixtures of chemical derivatives which, due to their multi-component nature, are of intrinsically amorphous character. These water soluble mixtures of cyclodextrin derivatives were found to be potent, nontoxic solubilizers of drugs and lipids. Their use as excipients which enabled effective oral administration of sex hormones is described. Furthermore, these compounds were used as active drugs in intravenous form to assist an organism in unloading a toxic lipophile.
The Logics and Politics of Post-WWII Migration to Western Europe: The Origins and Trajectory of Post-WWII Immigration

We wanted workers, but people were arriving. (Max Frisch 1983: 416) If Germany maintains a net immigration at 200,000 yearly … the decline of the German population will be limited to 12 million people. Without immigration, it will shrink by 23 million people compared to 1999/2000. (Sussmuth Commission Report, 2001) This chapter begins to investigate the puzzle of why Western European states have historically permitted, and to a considerable extent continue to abet, relatively high levels of immigration. Although these questions will be considered more fully in later chapters, we will address them here in the context of the origins and characteristics of post-WWII migration to Western Europe. Before we do so, however, two facts should be underscored. First, postwar immigration did not unfold in a single seamless pattern but, rather, in overlapping waves (1945–79, 1973–2007, 1989–2007). As we will see in this chapter, each of the three major waves – labor immigration, family reunification, and irregular/forced immigration – was precipitated by a unique set of short-term stimuli and governed by its own peculiar logics. The second fact that should be highlighted at the outset of this chapter is that the aforementioned waves of immigration are inextricably linked. Even a cursory examination of the historical and contemporary patterns of migration to the immigrant-receiving countries leads to the inescapable conclusion that the efforts (successful or not) of states to restrict the number of persons entering their territory along any one dimension of migration increase the number of immigrants seeking and gaining entry along other dimensions.
Exfoliated MoS2 Nanocomposite as an Anode Material for Lithium Ion Batteries

Disordered nanocomposites comprised of polyethylene oxide and exfoliated MoS2 are cycled in the voltage range of 0.01−3.0 V. The nanocomposites showed a significant increase in reversible capacity and cycle stability when compared to exfoliated or bulk MoS2 and may be used as anode material in lithium ion batteries.
t‐Butyl Trimethylsilylacetate

[41108-81-0] C9H20O2Si (MW 188.34) InChI = 1S/C9H20O2Si/c1-9(2,3)11-8(10)7-12(4,5)6/h7H2,1-6H3 InChIKey = HOHBQWITMXOSOW-UHFFFAOYSA-N (used to prepare lithium enolates which can be alkylated;1, 2 can be alkenated with aldehydes and ketones;3 can be acylated;4 can be reacted with Group 14 halides5) Physical Data: air stable, colorless liquid; bp 67 °C/13 mmHg; nD20 1.4184; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 90 MHz) 0.13 (s, 9H), 1.45 (s, 9H), 1.80 (s, 2H); IR 1710 cm−1. Preparative Methods: an advantage of tert-butyl trimethylsilylacetate over its methyl and ethyl ester analogs is that it can be prepared by C-silylation of the lithium enolate of tert-butyl acetate at −78 °C in THF (85–90% yield). Under the same conditions the enolates of methyl and ethyl acetate give primarily O-silylated products.3 The reagent has also been prepared by a rapid Boron Trifluoride Etherate catalyzed reaction of Trimethylsilylketene with tert-butyl alcohol.6
Using object-orientation in developing an extendible CACSD package

The objective of this paper is to discuss the general development of a computer-aided control system design (CACSD) package in conjunction with various interdisciplinary objectives. In order to meet the needs of a large and diverse community of users using various control theories, a CACSD package should have a contemporary windows interface, have graphical interaction and be easily extendible to include the routines required by current and emerging control theory techniques. The design and implementation of such a software system is approached from an object-oriented (OO) software engineering point-of-view for ease of extension, expansion and maintenance. The evolution of such a CACSD package also involves the development of a DOS windows interface system and graphical interaction with additional emphasis on accurate algorithm structure. >
Synthesis and characterization of the gold dithiolene monoanion, (Bu4N)[Au(pdt = 2,3-pyrazinedithiol)2]

Abstract We report the first synthesis and isolation of the gold dithiolene complex (Bu4N)[Au(pdt = 2,3-pyrazinedithiol)2]. We characterize this complex using X-ray crystallography, infrared spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and UV–Vis spectroscopy. The title complex is structurally similar to other gold dithiolene complexes. We find that the monoanion and dianion are linked by a reversible electrochemical event, but electrochemical generation of other redox states are irreversible processes. Generation of the dianion and protonation of the monoanion lead to reversible changes in the UV–Vis spectroscopy – primarily for the HOMO−1 → LUMO transition.
The influence of conservative surgical practices for malignant ovarian germ cell tumors.

Objective To evaluate demographics, survival, and surgical trends for patients with malignant ovarian germ cell tumors.
A two-dimensional random growth model in layer-by-layer epitaxy

Abstract We present an epitaxial growth model in which a random occupation of substrate lattice sites is assumed before the completion of each layer in layer-by-layer growth. The atomic pair correlation function of the combined adsorbate and substrate system is evaluated. Based on this correlation function we have calculated in closed-form the backscattered electron diffraction beam profile as a function of coverage in the kinematic approximation. We show that the diffracted beams do not broaden but the intensity oscillates as a function of the layer thickness. Realistic applications of this model are discussed.
Solving granular segregation problems using a biaxial rotary mixer

Abstract Granular mixing is a critical but poorly understood aspect in the manufacture of many industrial products, for example, pharmaceuticals, food, cosmetics, ceramics, fertilizer and polymers. The mixing and segregation phenomenon occur in most systems of granular solids and have a significant influence on the quality and outcome of the final product. The usual approach to mix the powders is by using a tumbling blender which rotates around one axis, where, the radial convection is reported to be faster than axial dispersion transport, hindering the mixing performance. A double cone mixer is fabricated which rotates around two axes, causing axial mixing competitive to its radial counterpart. Samples are collected intrusively using the discrete pocket samplers to quantify the characteristics of mixing for millimeter sized glass beads. Digital video recording and MATLAB based image analysis techniques are used for non-intrusive characterization of mixing in micron sized art sands. A parametric study of the effect of particle size, vessel speeds on the granular mixing is accomplished. Incorporation of dual axis rotation enhances axial mixing by 70–90% in comparison to single axis rotation. Particles of smaller sizes (art sand) tend to mix quicker than the bigger particles (glass beads) due to mild cohesive effects.
The Spin-Wave Theory of Antiferromagnetics

The spin-wave theory of antiferromagnets, recently studied by Anderson for the absolute zero of temperature, is examined here for finite temperatures to derive the thermodynamic properties of antiferromagnets at low temperatures. Somewhat differently from Anderson's semiclassical treatment, the present theory has used the formulation devised by Holstein and Primakoff, upon which the thermodynamic quantities are derived quantum-statistically. The parallel susceptibility is shown to be proportional to ${T}^{2}$, while the perpendicular susceptibility is independent of the temperature in the first approximation but decreases with increase in temperature if calculated in the second approximation. A tentative discussion is given of the nature of the divergences which arise in the simple formulation of spin-wave treatments in the absence of any kind of anisotropy.
Risk factors for accelerated atherosclerosis in renal transplant recipients

The factors responsible for atherosclerosis in renal transplant recipients are not known. In the present study, cardiovascular disease was investigated in 403 patients who received 464 kidney transplants during a 10-year period. Among those who had no clinical evidence of vascular disease at the time of transplantation, atherosclerotic complications developed in 15.8 percent during the post-transplant follow-up period (46.1 +/- 36.2 months). Pre- and post-transplant vascular diseases were closely linked. However, after taking pre-transplant vascular disease into account, multivariate analysis showed that a number of known risk factors (age, sex, diabetes, cigarette smoking, hypertension, and serum cholesterol) were independently associated with post-transplant vascular disease. In addition, the number of acute rejection episodes (all treated with high doses of corticosteroids) was also independently linked to vascular disease. These results suggest that an increased prevalence of known risk factors, and events linked to allograft rejection, explain the high incidence of cardiovascular disease in renal transplant recipients.
A new source of cytoplasmic male sterile tobacco obtained by fusion between Nicotiana tabacum and X-irradiated N. africana protoplasts

Abstract A single plant exhibiting cytoplasmic male sterility was found among 210 regenerants derived from fusion between protoplasts of N. tabacum L. cv. Burley 21 and X -irradiated protoplasts of N. africana Merxm. Male sterility was evident from the semi-shed corolla and lack of pollen grains in the anther. Male sterility was maintained in the progeny obtained from backcrosses with normal fertile Burley 21 pollen. Although the chloroplast genome was identical to that of N. tabacum , mitochondrial DNA analysis by several restriction enzymes and Southern hybridizations with mitochondrial DNA probes detected several N. africana - fragments in the male sterile plant.
Structural Investigation of Borrelia burgdorferi OspB, a BactericidalFab Target.

Certain antibody Fab fragments directed against the C terminus of outer surface protein B (OspB), a major lipoprotein of the Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, have the unusual property of being bactericidal even in the absence of complement. We report here x-ray crystal structures of a C-terminal fragment of B. burgdorferi OspB, which spans residues 152–296, alone at 2.0-A resolution, and in a complex with the bactericidal Fab H6831 at 2.6-A resolution. The H6831 epitope is topologically analogous to the LA-2 epitope of OspA and is centered around OspB Lys-253, a residue essential for H6831 recognition. A β-sheet present in the free OspB fragment is either disordered or removed by proteolysis in the H6831-bound complex. Other conformational changes between free and H6831-bound structures are minor and appear to be related to this loss. In both crystal structures, OspB C-terminal fragments form artificial dimers connected by intermolecular β-sheets. OspB structure, stability, and possible mechanisms of killing by H6831 and other bactericidal Fabs are discussed in light of the structural data.
Long-term data indicate a progressive loss in efficacy of adjustable silicone gastric banding for the surgical treatment of morbid obesity.

Abstract Background. Many short-term follow-up reports on the efficacy of the adjustable silicone gastric band (ASGB) and its modification for laparoscopic insertion (Lap-Band) for the surgical treatment of morbid obesity have been reported in the surgical literature. However, long-term studies are lacking. Methods. Between March 17, 1992, and January 7, 1997, 45 females and 17 males consecutively entered this prospective study. Forty ASGB and 22 Lap-Band were implanted. Mean age was 34 years (range 19-51); mean height was 171 cm (range 152-190); mean weight was 145 kg (range 100-214). Weight loss and adverse events associated with the device were observed over time. Results. There was no operative mortality. Thirty intra-abdominal reoperations were necessary to correct complications related to the implanted ASGB and the Lap-Band. In the ASGB cohort, the body mass index (BMI) decreased from 50 to 36 over a 3-year period and then increased to 44 at 8 years after operation. In the Lap-Band cohort the BMI decreased from 47 to 40 at 1 year and then increased to 43 at 6 years after operation. Twenty-seven implantable devices (18 ASGB, 9 Lap-Band) have been removed to date. Conclusion. The results of this study do not support the use of ASGB devices for the surgical treatment of morbid obesity. The Lap-Band is less effective than ASGB. (Surgery 2002;132:724-8.)
Serial estimation of glomerular filtration rate in children after renal transplant

Evaluation of serial monthly estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) may be useful for studying pediatric renal allograft outcome. To determine the validity of this approach, we reviewed our single-center experience in pediatric renal transplant recipients to determine the effect of risk factors for renal allograft failure on eGFR. Clinical parameters recorded monthly through 5 years post transplant allowed serial assessment of eGFR. Monthly clinical data included height, weight, serum creatinine, cumulative number of acute rejection episodes, cyclosporine dose, and cyclosporine trough levels. From these data, eGFR was calculated monthly for each patient using the Schwartz formula. Time post transplant was grouped in 6-month intervals and plotted against mean eGFR to compare eGFR in patients grouped by demographic and clinical factors; 1,786 monthly data sets from 6 months post transplant (n=76 patients) to 5 years post transplant (n=25 patients) were analyzed. Overall mean eGFR from 6 months to 1 year was 75 ml/min per 1.73 m2 and from 4.5 to 5 years 46 ml/min per 1.73 m2. eGFR was lower at all time intervals for recipients of cadaver versus living-related donor grafts, and patients with ≥1 versus 0 acute rejections (P<0.01). After 1 year, eGFR was lower in black patients compared with white or Hispanic patients (P<0.01). Cyclosporine dose greater than 5 mg/kg per day was associated with better early and worse late graft function. These results are similar to those reported in multi-center studies using the outcome variable of graft failure and suggest that serial eGFR may be valid as an outcome variable to study chronic renal allograft dysfunction in children.
Central versus local multiple stage inventory planning: An analysis of solutions

Supply chain management refers to the integration of all activities associated with moving goods from raw material stages through to end users. Yet this system-wide vision of inventory planning often requires the coordination of several commercially independent entities, such as suppliers, manufacturers and distributors. This study explores the issue of friction between replenishment policies, defined as the disparity between centrally and locally planned solutions to 98,820 deterministic, multiple stage inventory planning problems modeling systems of varying levels of complexity. Friction is found to be strongly related to certain cost factors, suggesting that certain supply chains could be more vulnerable to tension and inefficiencies when replenishment policies are derived without cooperation between commercially independent yet logistically interdependent stages. These results can also be applied to identify relationships between the findings of otherwise seemingly disparate previous studies of coordination schemes for supply chain partners.
The ciliopathies in neuronal development: a clinical approach to investigation of Joubert syndrome and Joubert syndrome-related disorders.

A group of disorders with disparate symptomatology, including congenital cerebellar ataxia, retinal blindness, liver fibrosis, polycystic kidney disease, and polydactyly, have recently been united under a single disease mechanism called ‘ciliopathies’. The ciliopathies are due to defects of the cellular antenna known as the primary cilium, a microtubule-based extension of cellular membranes found in nearly all cell types. Key among these ciliopathies is Joubert syndrome, displaying ataxia, oculomotor apraxia, and mental retardation* with a pathognomonic ‘molar tooth sign’ on brain magnetic resonance imaging. The importance of ciliary function in neuronal development has been appreciated only in the last decade with the classification of Joubert syndrome as a ciliopathy. This, together with the identification of many of the clinical features of ciliopathies in individuals with Joubert syndrome and the localization of Joubert syndrome’s causative gene products at or near the primary cilium, have defined a new class of neurological disease. Cilia are involved in diverse cellular processes including protein trafficking, photoreception, embryonic axis patterning, and cell cycle regulation. Ciliary dysfunction can affect a single tissue or manifest as multi-organ involvement. Ciliary defects have been described in retinopathies such as retinitis pigmentosa and Leber congenital amaurosis (defects in photoreceptor ciliary protein complexes), renal syndromes with nephronophthisis and cystic dysplastic kidneys, and liver conditions such as fibrosis and biliary cirrhosis. Recognizing the diverse presentations of the ciliopathies and screening strategies following diagnosis is an important part of the treatment plan of children with cilia-related disorders.
Detection of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protein in vascular and non-vascular cells of the normal and oxygen-injured rat retina.

AbstractVascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a potent and specific endothelial cell cytokine that can be up-regulated by hypoxia. There is evidence that VEGF is a significant mediator in retinal neovascular diseases and other disorders in which hypoxia is believed to influence the pathogenesis. Here we demonstrate the spatial relationships among areas of retinal non-perfusion, VEGF protein and vascular endothelial cells throughout the retina, and relate these results to cellular distribution of VEGF in cross section. Newborn albino rats were oxygen-injured by cycles of alternating 50% and 10% oxygen for 14 days and then placed in room air. On days 16, 21 and 26, oxygen-injured and control (raised in room air) rats were sacrificed, enucleated and retinas were dissected and fixed for whole mount immunostaining for VEGF or embedding in glycol methacrylate for VEGF immunohistochemistry. Intact eyes taken on days 16 and 20 were processed similarly. Vascular endothelial cells were demonstrated by staini...
Bilingual Education for All: A Benefits Model for Small Towns.

Abstract The Benefits Model set forth in this article aims to satisfy the key requirements of an inclusive approach to bilingual education, while taking into consideration the special conditions and challenges faced by small cities and towns. The suggested curriculum, which combines bilingual education based on local languages with multicultural education based on a global perspective, is designed to prepare students to craft their own niche along the local-global frontier. In terms of implementation, the main advantages of the model are (a) its staffing is self-sustaining; (b) the translation of teaching materials would not be required; (c) the funding required is comparable to a regular mainstream program; (d) it would attract extensive involvement in K–12 education by local community members; and (e) it has the potential to strengthen the vitality of small towns and rural communities by building on a distinctive sense of place.
Regulation of liver inflammatory injury by signal transducer and activator of transcription-6

Liver injury induced by hepatic ischemia/reperfusion is characterized by activation of the transcription factor NF-κB, increased production of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα), liver neutrophil accumulation, and hepatocellular damage. Exogenous administration of interleukin-4 (IL-4) or IL-13 was recently shown to regulate this inflammatory injury in association with activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription-6 (STAT6). The objective of the present study was to determine whether STAT6 was required for the regulation of liver inflammation by IL-4 and IL-13. Wild-type and STAT6 knockout mice underwent 90 minutes of hepatic ischemia followed by 8 hours of reperfusion. Hepatic ischemia/reperfusion in wild-type and STAT6 knockout mice significantly increased (P < 0.05) NF-κB activation, serum levels of TNFα, liver accumulation of neutrophils [measured by myeloperoxidase (MPO) content], and hepatocellular damage [measured by serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT)] compared to sham controls. In wild-type mice, activation of STAT6 was not observed after ischemia/reperfusion. Administration of 1 μg of IL-4 or IL-13 at reperfusion reduced serum TNFα, liver neutrophil accumulation, and hepatocellular injury in wild-type mice. Treatment with IL-4 or IL-13 had no effect on liver NF-κB activation but significantly increased activation of STAT6. In STAT6 knockout mice, neither IL-4 nor IL-13 had any effect on TNFα, MPO, or ALT values, the regulatory effects of these cytokines being completely abolished. The data suggest that activation of STAT6 may regulate liver inflammatory injury.
Altering Bubble Dynamics via Vapor Extraction

Bubble dynamics in the presence of a porous confining surface through which vapor is extracted was experimentally investigated. Using a pulsed laser operating at 3500 pulses per second (pps), bubbles were generated at a single, 30 μm diameter nucleation site in a silicon disk. A time-averaged heat flux of 80 W/cm2 and a constant pressure differential of 35 kPa across a porous surface were maintained. The surface, a supported porous Teflon® membrane, has a nominal porosity of 55% and pore diameter of 0.45μm. Steady-state heating was achieved as determined from a one-dimensional conduction model yielding a dimensionless surface temperature fluctuations of less than 0.01%. Bubble diameter and frequency were determined using high-speed imaging for ten gap heights ranging between 0.52 mm and 3.99 mm, where the gap height is defined as the distance between the heated surface and the confining surface. Bubble dynamics of freely departing, coalescing, and rupturing bubbles are considered. Results are compared to diameters and frequencies achieved in unconfined (i.e. pool boiling) conditions. Isolated bubble dynamics depend on gap height and can be grouped into three ranges: greater than, equal to, and less than the bubble diameters for unconfined conditions, which for the present conditions is 1.53 mm. This paper is a work in progress.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Regge trajectories for potential scattering at negative angular momenta

The behavior of Regge trajectories is studied for certain classes of potentials. The asymptotic properties are found to depend on the behavior of the potential at the origin as expected. In particular weak potentials with attractive and repulsive cores are studied. In all cases there are indeterminacy points (crossings of αn(k) and αm(-k) at positive and negative energies and branch points (crossings of αn(k) and αm(-k). Some trajectories are seen to «lie down» at negative integer and half-integerl-values.