cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cardiovascular and Renal Surrogate Markers in the Clinical Management of Hypertension

Surrogate markers represent a significant contribution to early diagnosis, longitudinal prognoses, and outcome prediction in cases of hypertension. They often enable detection of disease and disease potential when the disease is still subclinical and are useful noninvasive tools for designing and evaluating therapeutic programs. Surrogate markers are increasingly employed as predictive endpoints for treatment. Key studies supporting the importance of surrogate markers as diagnostic and prognostic predictors of cardiovascular and renal clinical outcomes in hypertension, as well as what is known about the effects of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system-blocking agents on these biomarkers were reviewed. Clinical data supporting the use of surrogate markers for heart failure, such as brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal prohormone BNP; markers for renal function, such as urinary albumin to creatinine ratio (UACR), urinary albumin excretion rates (UAER), and creatinine, reflecting glomerular filtration; and markers of cardiac remodeling, such as left ventricular hypertrophy and calculations of left ventricular mass index (LVMI), were reviewed for their utility in improving prognosis and treatment efficacy. Finally, hypertension treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, and potentially direct renin inhibitors can significantly improve outcomes predicted by surrogate markers. BNP, UACR, UAER, and LVMI, among others, have been increasingly established as valid surrogate markers with significant value for hypertension prognosis and therapy. The benefits of using surrogate markers to gauge the effectiveness of hypertension therapy in reducing renal and cardiac complications can be seen in improved morbidity and mortality.
Analysis of cathepsin D from breast tissues by capillary electrophoresis

A rapid and simple method for analyzing cathepsin D in breast tissue based on capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) is described. After incubating the tissue extracts with hemoglobin as a substrate, a specific peptide is cleaved and separated by CZE in less than 5 min. This peptide is not produced by the action of pepsin or trypsin. It is inhibited by the addition of pepstatin, a specific inhibitor for cathepsin D. Human hemoglobin acted as a better substrate than bovine hemoglobin. The test compared well to a radioimmunoassay. We have shown that peptides can be stacked by the use of acetonitrile. The method demonstrates the advantages of CZE for assay of proteolytic enzymes in general.
Anthocyanin and Polyphenolic Composition of Fresh and Processed Cherries

ABSTRACT: The distribution of anthocyanin pigments and polyphenolics in 1 sour cherry (Prunus cerasus) and 3 sweet cherry (Prunus avium) cultivars was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection. Changes during frozen storage, canning, and brining were also monitored. Sweet cherry cultivars differed qualitatively with respect to the minor anthocyanins. Hydroxycinnamates are the major class of polyphenolics in sweet cherries, whereas flavanols are in the majority in Montmorency cherries. Hydroxycinnamates were greatly affected by processing and storage, whereas flavonol glycosides were quite stable. Half of the anthocyanins and polyphenolics were transferred to the syrup with canning, and nearly all were transferred to brine during brining.
Feasibility of air capture

Abstract Capturing CO2 from air, referred to as air capture, is being proposed as a viable climate change mitigation technology. Technically, air capture is not a new technology; industrial applications can be traced back to the 1930s. This paper explores the feasibility of this technology as a climate change mitigation option. Two different pathways of air capture are assessed: direct air capture, which uses a chemical process to capture CO2, and biomass coupled with CO2 capture and storage (CCS), which utilizes the biological process of photosynthesis to remove CO2 from the air. We find that direct air capture has prohibitively high mitigation costs compared to the costs of climate change mitigation options being considered today. The pathway of biomass coupled with CCS has much more reasonable costs and could be used to offset certain emissions. However, the large land requirement may limit the amount of offsets available. We conclude that relying on air capture technology to play a major role in mitigating carbon emissions is a very risky policy decision.
Xotch, the Xenopus homolog of Drosophila notch

During the development of a vertebrate embryo, cell fate is determined by inductive signals passing between neighboring tissues. Such determinative interactions have been difficult to characterize fully without knowledge of the molecular mechanisms involved. Mutations of Drosophila and the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans have been isolated that define a family of related gene products involved in similar types of cellular inductions. One of these genes, the Notch gene from Drosophila, is involved with cell fate choices in the neurogenic region of the blastoderm, in the developing nervous system, and in the eye-antennal imaginal disc. Complementary DNA clones were isolated from Xenopus embryos with Notch DNA in order to investigate whether cell-cell interactions in vertebrate embryos also depend on Notch-like molecules. This approach identified a Xenopus molecule, Xotch, which is remarkably similar to Drosophila Notch in both structure and developmental expression.
Cognitive maps of a college campus: A new look at freshman orientation

College freshmen were tested for spatial knowledge of their campus after 3 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months of experience. Surprisingly, knowledge of landmarks, routes, and configurations was very good after only 3 weeks, and increased significantly up to 3 months; further increases in spatial knowledge were not significant. Males had significantly more landmark knowledge than females; however, males and females did not differ significantly on route and configuration knowledge. The results are discussed in terms of the importance of distinguishing various types of spatial knowledge and developing assessment techniques for each that are unconfounded by irrelevant performance factors.
Acute Spinal Epidural Hematoma and Cranial Interdural Hematoma Due to a Rupture of a Posterior Communicating Artery Aneurysm: Case Report

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE We describe an unusual presentation of a ruptured aneurysm of the posterior communicating artery with an acute intracranial hematoma between the dural layers associated with an acute spinal epidural hematoma descending to L1. CLINICAL PRESENTATION A 35-year-old woman presented 3 hours after ictus with a postcoital headache, neck stiffness, and bilateral abducens cranial nerve palsy. No other neurological deficits were present. Clinically, she had a subarachnoid hemorrhage World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies grade 1. CT scan demonstrates an acute subdural hematoma, extending from the right parasellar region, around the clivus, tentorium, and falx. Angio-CT showed a posterior communicating artery aneurysm and an anterior communicating artery aneurysm and an extension of the hematoma to the cervical spine. This justified a spinal and cerebral MRI that confirmed an extension of the hematoma to the epidural space at the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar levels. Three-dimensional digital subtraction angiography confirmed aneurysms on the right posterior communicating artery and on the anterior communicating artery. Both aneurysms were completely occluded by coiling. With reference to the concept of the cranial subdural compartment described in studies conducted using an electron microscope, this group of hematomas was classified as interdural. CONCLUSION Ruptured aneurysm of the posterior communicating artery may cause cranial acute interdural hematoma with a typical subarachnoid hemorrhage clinical presentation, and it rarely can extend to spinal epidural space.
Analysis of mouse germ-cell transcriptome at different stages of spermatogenesis by SAGE: Biological significance

Abstract The transcriptomes of mouse type A spermatogonia (Spga), pachytene spermatocytes (Spcy), and round spermatids (Sptd) were determined by sequencing the respective SAGE (Serial Analysis of Gene Expression) libraries. A total of 444,015 tags derived from one Spga, two Spcy, and one Sptd library were analyzed, and 34,619 different species of transcripts were identified, 5279 of which were novel. Results indicated the germ-cell transcriptome comprises of more than 30,000 transcripts. Virtual subtraction showed that cell-specific transcripts constitute 12–19.5% of the transcriptome. Components of the protein biosynthetic machinery are highly expressed in Spga. In Spcy transcription factors are abundantly expressed while transcripts encoding proteins involved in chromosome remodeling and testis-specific transcripts are prominent in Sptd. The databases generated by this work provide very useful resources for cellular localization of genes in silico. They are also extremely useful as sources for identification of splice variants of genes in germ cells.
Selectivity in the photoproduct ratios from Norrish II reactions of a homologous series of 2-alkanones in their melt and solid phases. Comparison with other environments

The product ratios from Norrish II reactions of 2-tridecanone, 2-tetradecanone, 2-pentadecanone, 2-hexadecanone, 2-heptadecanone, and 2-nonadecanone have been measured at low percents of conversion in the melt and solid phases. Although elimination/cyclization photoproduct ratios from the neat crystals are > 60 in optimal cases, the ratios of cyclobutanol diastereomers (cyclization products) remain near those observed from melt irradiations. From comparisons of the photoproduct selectivities in the neat solids and in their solid solutions, where the solvent molecules are similar in size and shape to the 2-alkanones, it is concluded that the crystalline lattices of some foreign hosts offer environments to the pre-product biradical intermediates, which are at least as restrictive as the environments of the solid 2-alkanones.
Drop formation at low velocities in liquid-liquid systems: Part I. Prediction of drop volume

A correlation is presented for predicting the drop volume for injection at low velocities of one Newtonian liquid into a second stationary immiscible Newtonian liquid in the absence of surface active agents. The analysis, which is based on a two-stage process of drop formation, predicts drop volumes within an average error of 11% for fifteen liquid-liquid systems covering a wider range of variables than any previous study. Although the equation was tested primarily with mutually saturated liquids, if correctly predicted drop size for two systems where mass transfer was occurring.
An integrated framework for optimization under uncertainty using inverse Reliability strategy

In this work, we propose an integrated framework for optimization under uncertainty that can bring both the design objective robustness and the probabilistic design constraints into account. The fundamental development of this work is the employment of an inverse reliability strategy that uses percentile performance for assessing both the objective robustness and probabilistic constraints. The percentile formulation for objective robustness provides us an accurate evaluation of the variation of an objective performance and a probabilistic measurement of the robustness. We can obtain more reasonable compound noise combinations for a robust design objective compared to using the traditional approach proposed by Taguchi. The proposed formulation is very efficient to solve since it only needs to evaluate the constraint functions at the required reliability levels. The other major development of this work is a new search algorithm for the Most Probable Point of Inverse Reliability (MPPIR) that can be used to efficiently evaluate percentile performances for both robustness and reliability assessments. Multiple strategies are employed in the MPPIR search, including using the steepest ascent direction and an arc search. The algorithm is applicable to general non-concave and non-convex performance functions of random variables following any continuous distributions. The effectiveness of the MPPIR search algorithm is verified using example problems. Overall, an engineering example on integrated robust and reliability design of a vehicle combustion engine piston is used to illustrate the benefits of our proposed method.
The contributions of microrotation of lubricant molecules in a thin film journal bearing

Characteristics of a journal bearing were computed for thin film lubrication accounting for microrotation of the lubricant molecules using both the half-Sommerfeld and Reynolds boundary conditions. Although the Reynolds boundary conditions produced higher pressure and loads, the effects of microrotation studied by both schemes showed similar trends. Primary characteristics that effect the contributions of microrotation to the load carrying capacity of the journal bearing were identified. These characteristics were varied and their effects on the load capacity of the journal bearing are shown.
The Problem of Treatment-Resistant Syphilis: Further Studies on a Treatment-Resistant Strain of Spirochaeta Pallida1

This report is a summary to date of a study of treatment-resistant syphilis begun by one of us (H. B.) in 1932 and reviewed in 1936 (1) and 1938 (2). The background of this perplexing problem has been fully described in our earlier papers as well as in the recent publications of Netherton (3) and Beckh and Kulchar (4). For purposes of orientation a statement of the current concepts of the cause of treatment-resistant syphilis will be briefly reviewed. This will be followed by an analysis of the results of our studies in rabbits of a strain of Spirochaeta pallida isolated from a treatment-resistant paitent in 1932. The consensus in the literature places the cause of the failure of a patient with syphilis to respond to the usually effective antisyphilitic therapy on one factor or a combination of three factors: the peculiarities of the host; the potency of the drug; and a special biologic peculiarity in the strain of Spirochaeta paillida Numerous proposals have been advanced to account for the role of these factors in the production of treatment-resistant syphilis. Among them are: Host (a) Deprivations of war. (b) Various factors including racial, physical, and climatic. (c) Changed metabolism of the body with regard to the drug. (d) Changes of drug into a form to which parasite is immune. (e) Failure of "defensive" powers. (f) Host "accustomed" to drug. (g) Failure of certain body cells (blood, lymphoid, reticuloendothelial). (h) Similarity of the course of the disease in conjugal infections is determined by similarity of the hosts. (i) Disorders of the endocrine glands. (j) Indirect evidence—changed treatment leads to return of sensitiveness to drug, e.g., bismuth in arsphenamine resistance. (k) Hepatic insufficiency. (1) Toxin theory. (m) Patients with treatment-resistant syphilis often show signs of intolerance to the drug (reaction). Netherton (3) concluded from his recent study that the host was the basis of treatment-resistance. Resistance to both arsenic and the heavy metals tends, in his opinion, to invalidate the possibility of an arsphenamine-resistant strain of Spirochaeta pallida. 1 Contribution from the Abbott Fellowship in Chemotherapeutic Research. 2 From the Department of Dermatology and Syphilology, School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania, and the Institute for the Control of Syphilis, John H. Stokes, M. D., Director, and the Dermatological Research Laboratories, Division of the Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago, Illinois. The authors wish to thank Dr. George W. Raiziss whose cooperation as Director of the Dermatological Research Laboratories made this study possible. Read at the Fifth Annu,al Meeting of the Society for Investigative Dermatology, Atlantic City, N. J., June 9, 1042.
Clustering of carbon atoms in α-iron☆

Abstract Binding and migration energies and atomic configurations have been calculated for small carbon clusters in α-iron. A mathematical model was used which consisted of a spherical crystallite containing about 530 atoms which were treated as individual particles, surrounded by an elastic continuum with atoms imbedded in it. A two-body central force was used to simulate the interaction between nearest and next nearest neighboring iron atoms in the crystallite and another was used for the iron carbon interaction. The dicarbon, tricarbon, and tetracarbon binding energies were 0.14, 0.36, and 0.66 eV respectively, and the binding energy continued increasing for larger clusters by approximately 0.31 eV per additional carbon atom. The most stable configurations for clusters were very thin platelets on {001} planes in which the individual carbon atoms occupied octahedral sites. The axes of the carbon atoms were parallel to each other and perpendicular to the platelet. The migration energy of the platelets was higher than the single carbon migration energy, and the migration mechanism consisted of peripheral atoms moving around the edges of the platelet.
Selenoprotein p expression in liver, uterus and placenta during late pregnancy

Abstract To identify genes that exhibit increased expression in the placenta during late pregnancy, the technique of differential cDNA library screening was used to isolate a clone subsequently identified as the 3' untranslated region of the mouse selenoprotein p gene. Random primed radiolabelled cDNA probes were constructed from this clone and these probes were used to conduct Northern hybridizations against total RNA purified from mouse placenta, liver (maternal and fetal) and uterus collected sequentially during the latter third of pregnancy. Signal is present in the placenta and beginning 4 days before birth, the level of message increases, reaching maximal levels at term. The level of expression in the placenta at maximum is approximately 25 per cent of that observed in adult liver. In liver obtained from pregnant females, the level of message is increased compared to non-pregnant adults, but returns to normal shortly after birth. Message is also found in the fetal liver beginning at 4 days before birth and exhibits a pattern of expression similar to the placenta. The similarity of expression observed in fetal liver and placenta suggests a coordinated regulation of expression of this gene in these tissues. There is a minimal amount of signal present in the uterus and the expression does not appear to vary. We speculate that selenoprotein p may play a role in the transplacental transport of selenium to the fetus during late pregnancy.
Transient Inductive Coupling of Loops Over Near-surface Clay-bearing Sandstones

a single layer within a small number of sandstone layers, or in fractallv distributed lavers embedded within alarger number of sandstone layers. “The manner in which the clay is distributed, as opposed to the total clay content, is the A model is presented of transient electromagnetic induction in a 1-D self-similar geoelectric medium designed to represent finely interbedded clay layers within a porous sandstone aquifer. The model was developed in an attempt to help resolve clay/water table ambiguities in controlled source (horizontal loop-loop) electromagnetic induction data collected over the Hickory sandstone aquifer in central Texas. It is found that the distribution of clay rather than the total clay content is the more important factor shaping the transient electromagnetic response curves. If the total clay content is fairly well constrained, for example by outcrop, core or gamma log analyses, it is possible to acquire information about the subsurface clay distribution by-plotting the peak voltage recorded by the receiver loop as a function of source-receiver separation.
Hydration and conformational mechanics of single, end-tethered elastin-like polypeptides.

We investigated the effect of temperature, ionic strength, solvent polarity, and type of guest residue on the force−extension behavior of single, end-tethered elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs), using single molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS). ELPs are stimulus-responsive polypeptides that contain repeats of the five amino acids Val-Pro-Gly-Xaa-Gly (VPGXG), where Xaa is a guest residue that can be any amino acid with the exception of proline. We fitted the force−extension data with a freely jointed chain (FJC) model which allowed us to resolve small differences in the effective Kuhn segment length distributions that largely arise from differences in the hydrophobic hydration behavior of ELP. Our results agree qualitatively with predictions from recent molecular dynamics simulations and demonstrate that hydrophobic hydration modulates the molecular elasticity for ELPs. Furthermore, our results show that SMFS, when combined with our approach for data analysis, can be used to study the subtleties of polypeptid...
Renal Angiotensinase Activity Its Localization and the Effects of Mercury

A rat bioassay technique was employed to determine the localization and properties of the angiotensinase activity present in kidney homogenates of anesthetized rats. The angiotensinase activity per gram of renal cortex was four times greater than renal papilla or medulla. The complete destruction of proximal renal tubular cells by mercuric chloride resulted in losses of cortical angiotensinase activity averaging 40% of control values. The destruction of cells of both the proximal and distal renal tubules by sodium potassium tartrate caused a 90% reduction in angiotensinase activity. Marked reductions in cortical angiotensinase activity were measured in rats injected with meralluride 2 hours previously. The addition of meralluride to in vitro systems of normal rat kidney homogenates caused similar depressions of angiotensinase activity. The presence of reduced glutathione in the reaction media interfered with the ability of meralluride to inhibit angiotensinase and enhanced the activity of this enzyme to greater than normal levels in the absence of the mercurial. Ammonium ion in a concentration of.18 m inhibited angiotensinase activity of renal cortical homogenates by a moderate degree. When both meralluride and ammonium were present in the homogenate system their effects to depress angiotensinase appeared additive.
Sodium Homeostasis in Chronic Renal Disease

A 63-year-old man was admitted to the Wadsworth Veterans Administration Hospital for evaluation of azotemia and hypertension. The patient had been in apparent good health until one year earlier, when studies during a hospitalization elsewhere revealed a serum creatinine of 5.2 mg/dl, a BUN of 45 mg/dl, and 3+ proteinuria. An intravenous pyelogram was within normal limits. Hypertension was noted on admission and antihypertensive medications were given. The patient subsequently was lost to follow-up. Forty years previously the patient had been hospitalized because of transient gross hematuria of unknown cause.
The Next Generation of Sakhalin Extended-Reach Drilling

Six of the longest-reach wells in the world have been drilled in Chayvo field on Sakhalin Island. Revised completions used standalone screens (SASs), predrilled liners, and swell packers to achieve a low-damage, sand-free completion with zonal isolation. Bit designs, bottomhole-assembly (BHA) configurations, and operations practices were modified to minimize the amount of backreaming, improve the overall rate of penetration (ROP), and achieve a "one-pass trippable hole" (OPTH). Improving rotary-steerable-system (RSS) reliability could eliminate trips to replace the tools.
The absolute zero in intelligence measurement.

The object of this paper is to describe a discovery concerning the variability of intelligence by which it is possible to locate its absolute zero. The discovery will be described with four implications, namely, (i) two laws of variability of intelligence, (2) determination of the absolute zero of test intelligence, (3) the construction of a true mental growth curve which has not hitherto been possible, and (4) determination of the age at which test intelligence begins.
Effect of nitrogen form ratio on pansy growth and nutrition and the palatability to white‐tailed deer

Abstract Pansies are one of the most popular annual bedding plants in the United States. Growth and uptake of essential nutrients as influenced by N‐form ratio was evaluated in pansy as well as what role pansy nutrition plays in the protection of pansy against feeding damage by white‐tailed deer provided by selected repellents. Plants were grown under three N‐form ratios: 100:0, 50:50, and 0:100NO3:NH4. Dry weight was highest for pansy treated with 100:0 and lowest for plants treated with 0:100 NO3:NH4 Mean quality ratings were 4.07 for pansies grown with 100:0,1.80 for pansies grown with 50:50, and 0.78 for pansies grown with 0:100. Potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), and manganese (Mn) content was lower in plants treated with 0:100 than in those treated with 100:0. Ammonium may have competed with these cations for uptake. Boron (B), copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo), and aluminum (Al) content was highest in plants treated with N‐NH4. There was no significant difference shown in nutrient levels caused by repellent...
Erika Bourguignon: A Portrait of the Anthropology of Consciousness

This is an interview with Erika Bourguignon, who has been a presence in the anthropology of consciousness for decades. Her work has examined possession, altered states of consciousness, religion, psychological anthropology, and shamanism. Her own fieldwork in Haiti has been augmented by book-length comparative work with Lenora Greenbaum as well. In a 1996 article in Ethos, Melford Spiro notes that Bourguignon is a scholar who has resisted the trends of "postmodernists and interpretivists" and he describes her as "a preeminent psychological anthropologist as well as the premier anthropological authority on trance, possession, and altered states of consciousness."
Integration of MgO on Si(001) using SrO and SrTiO3 buffer layers by molecular beam epitaxy

Epitaxial MgO was deposited onto Si(001) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy using elemental metallic sources and molecular oxygen at temperatures from 150 to 400∘C. To facilitate epitaxy through misfit strain relaxation, epitaxial MgO layers were grown on SrO and SrTiO3 buffer layers deposited on Si(001) substrates. The structure of the epitaxial layers was determined by X-ray diffraction, reflection high-energy electron diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The observed orientation for the MgO/SrO/Si multilayer is cube-on-cube. The X-ray rocking curve full width half maximum of the MgO on SrO buffer layers was 2.2∘. SrTiO3 buffer layers grown by recrystallization were epitaxial and exhibited improved morphology relative to those grown at a fixed growth temperature. X-ray analysis of a 5.2 nm recrystallized SrTiO3 film indicates a fully relaxed and phase pure film. The observed orientation of MgO using SrTiO3 buffer layers is MgO[100]‖SrTiO3[100]‖Si[110].
USE OF METHOPYRAPONE (SU-4885) IN THE STUDY OF PITUITARY-ADRENAL RESPONSE IN PATIENTS UNDER CORTICOSTEROID TREATMENT.

A study has been made of the response of the pituitary-adrenal system to the administration of Su-4885 in 27 patients (7 with endocrine disease and 20 with nonendocrine disease) under treatment with corticosteroids. The dose schedules of the corticosteroids, the length of time covered by their administration, the moment when the study was carried out (during or after suspension of the corticosteroid treatment), the manner in which suspension had taken place (suddenly or gradually over a period of several days), and the appearance of a clinical picture of iatrogenic hypercortisolism were the factors taken into consideration in order to evaluate the response to Su-4885. An abnormal response was observed in every patient in whom the administration of corticosteroids was accompanied by an intense iatrogenic Cushing's syndrome. No clear conclusions were arrived at from evaluation of the remaining factors. No attempt was made to determine the pathogenesis of the response
Depressive symptoms and associated factors in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Background Depressive symptoms affect anywhere from 11% to 71% of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), which may be related to SLE disease activity, other clinical variables, or sociodemographic factors. Objective We aimed to measure the rate of depressive symptoms in our cohort of patients with SLE and to identify modifiable factors associated with depressive symptoms. Methods Patients in our university-based SLE registry completed the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), pain scores, and demographic information. Disease activity was measured using the physician's global assessment (PGA) and Selena-SLE disease activity index (Selena-systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index (SLEDAI)). Patients were identified as having moderate or severe depressive symptoms (BDI-II ≥ 18) or not (BDI-II Results Fifty-three of 127 people (41.7%) were identified as having moderate or severe depressive symptoms, which were associated with higher pain levels and lower self-reported of current health status. Patients with moderate or severe depressive symptoms were more likely (49%) than those with no or mild depressive symptoms (18%) to have lupus arthritis (P Conclusions This study identified moderate or severe depressive symptoms in 41.7% of our cohort of patients with SLE. The most significant variable associated with these symptoms was pain; improved treatment of pain, and in particular from lupus arthritis, may result in alleviation of depressive symptoms in patients with SLE.
A generalization of rotational tournaments

Abstract The notions of rotational tournament and the associated symbol set are generalized to r -tournaments. It is shown that a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of a rotational r -tournament on n vertices is ( n , r )=1. A scheme to generate rotational r - tournaments is given, along with some examples.
Does Online Social Media Lead to Social Connection or Social Disconnection

AbstractToday’s young generation (often called Millennials, GenY, or Generation Me) are the first to grow up with the Internet and social networking websites. Have these experiences led to more and better social connections, or fewer and atrophied ones? Social media use may lead to online political action such as signing an e-mail petition but does not appear to lead to other engagement in public life (such as writing to public officials or having more knowledge about politics). Youth who spend more time online are more likely to fight and carry weapons and are less likely to help others, although the direction of causation is unclear. Social media build shallow, “weak” ties, increase self-focus (including narcissism), and may lead to mental health issues for some individuals. Over the time social media became popular, young people’s empathy for others, civic engagement, and political involvement declined.
Computational and experimental investigations of two-dimensional nonlinear peristaltic flows

An implicit finite-difference technique employing orthogonal curvilinear co-ordinates is used to solve the Navier–Stokes equations for peristaltic flows in which both the wall-wave curvature and the Reynolds number are finite (§2). The numerical solutions agree closely with experimental flow visualizations. The kinematic characteristics of both extensible and inextensible walls (§3) are found to have a distinct influence on the flow processes only near the wall. Without vorticity, peristaltic flow observed from a reference frame moving with the wave will be equivalent to steady potential flow through a stationary wavy channel of similar geometry (§4). Solutions for steady viscous flow (§5) are obtained from simulation of unsteady flow processes beginning from an initial condition of potential peristaltic flow. For nonlinear flows due to a single peristaltic wave of dilatation, the highest stresses and energy exchange rates (§6) occur along the wall and in two instantaneous stagnation regions in the bolus core. A series of computations for periodic wave trains reveals that increasing the Reynolds number from 2[sdot ]3 to 251 yields a modest augmentation in the ratio of flow rate to Reynolds number but induces a much greater increase in the shear stress (§7.1). The transport effectiveness is markedly reduced for pumping against a mild adverse pressure drop (§7.2). Increasing the wave amplitude will lead to the development of travelling vortices within the core region of the peristaltic flow (§7.3).
Reprint of “Efficacy of propentofylline, a glial modulating agent, on existing mechanical allodynia following peripheral nerve injury” [Brain Behav. Immun. 21 (2007) 238–246]☆

Increasing evidence points to a role for spinal neuroimmune dysregulation (glial cell activation and cytokine expression) in the pathogenesis of chronic pain. Suppression of astrocytic and microglial activation with the methylxanthine derivative, propentofylline, pre-emptively attenuates the development of nerve injury-induced allodynia. Currently, we investigated the ability of systemic propentofylline to reverse existing, long-term allodynia after nerve injury-a clinically relevant paradigm. Rats received L5 spinal nerve transection or sham surgery and the development of mechanical allodynia was assessed daily for 2 weeks, at which time injured rats exhibited robust responses to non-noxious von Frey filaments. On days 14-27, rats received either saline or 101 mg/kg propentofylline by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection. On day 28 or 42 (after a 14-day drug washout period), lumbar spinal cord sections were processed for assessment of astrocytic glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and microglial OX-42 (antibody against CR3/CD11b). Propentofylline treatment to nerve injured rats resulted in significant reversal of allodynia that lasted throughout the 14-day washout period. Spinal microglial activation was observed at days 28 and 42 post-injury at the protein level, in the absence of mRNA level changes. Less robust increases in GFAP immunoreactivity were observed at days 28 and 42 post-transection. Interestingly, propentofylline treatment suppressed microglial activation at both time points in this paradigm. Taken together, our results highlight the clinical potential of the glial modulating agent, propentofylline, for the treatment of neuropathic pain as well as a role for microglia in the long-term maintenance of allodynia.
Isolation and characterization of ribonuclease I mutants of Escherichia coli.

Two nitrosoguanidine-induced mutants of Escherichia coli, selected for their inability to degrade RNA, have been isolated and shown to have less than 1% of wild-type RNase I activity. No differences were found between the parental and mutant strains with respect to sensitivity to phages, susceptibility of spheroplasts to infection by phage RNA, and the half-life of rapidly labeled RNA. In vitro protein synthesis, stimulated by natural mRNA or poly U, is identical in extracts from RNase I+ and RNase I− strains. It is concluded that RNase I is not involved in mRNA degradation and is not a necessary ribosomal component. RNase I free ribosomes are more stable than wild-type ribosomes under conditions that lead to activation of latent enzyme.
Angiogenesis and antiangiogenic strategies in pancreatic cancer

Despite numerous advances in the treatment of solid tumors, the prognosis of patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer remains dismal. Results of both surgical and non-surgical treatment for pancreatic cancer have been extremely disappointing beeause of the tumors propensity to metastasize, failure of chemotherapy to achieve adequate levels within the tumor, and resistance of pancreatic cancer to cytotoxic agents. Current chemotherapeutic agents and radiation treatments rely on the rapidly dividing nature of tumor cells and are limited by their cytotoxic effects on normal cells. The need to exploit the difference between normal and malignant cells has resulted in an enormous amount of research into the process of tumor neovascullarization. New agents are currently being developed that block tumor growth and metastasis through inhibition of angiogenesis. This article reviews the process of angiogenesis and antiangiogenic strategies with a special emphasis on pancreatic cancer.
High-average-power diode-pumped solid state lasers (Abstract Only)

High Average Power Diode-Pumped Solid-State LasersCamilleBibeau, Ray Beach, Eric Honea, Chris Marshall, Steve Sutton, Mark Emanuel, Jay Skidmore, and Steve PayneLawrence Livermore National Laboratory,P0 Box 808, L-441, Livermore, CA 94550, USATel: (510) 422-7798, Fax: (510) 423-6195, Email: bibeau1l1nl.govThe combination of our unique capabilities at LLNL in diode development, crystal growth, and system designs haveallowed us to pursue a variety of research areas of interest to the commercial, medical, and defense industries. We havedeveloped a flexible diode pumping technology which utilizes low cost silicon microchannel coolers to enable highaverage power diode operation and a shaped cylindrical microlens technology which allows the radiance conditioningof large two-dimensional laser diode arrays. The flexibility that this diode technology has brought to pump powergeneration in both average power and radiance have broadly expanded the number of ion-host combinations that can beefficiently excited and used in diode pumped solid state lasers.Many potential applications in the area of materials processing motivate the development of efficient, compact cw 1 jtm
In vitro induction of reactive oxygen species by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-P-dioxin, endrin, and lindane in rat peritoneal macrophages, and hepatic mitochondria and microsomes

Hepatic mitochondria and microsomes as well as peritoneal macrophages from female Sprague-Dawley rats were incubated for up to 30 min at 37 degrees C in the presence of 0-200 ng/ml 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), endrin (1,2,3,4,10,10-hexachloro-6,7-epoxy-1,4,4 alpha,5,6,7,8,8 alpha-octahydroendo, endo-1,4:5,8-dimethanonaphthalene), and lindane (hexachlorocyclohexane). Production of reactive oxygen species was determined by chemiluminescence and cytochrome c reduction, while potential tissue damage was assessed by alterations in membrane fluidity. Chemiluminescence, a sensitive but nonspecific measure of free radical generation, increased 40-70% when macrophages (3 x 10(6) cells/ml), mitochondria and microsomes (1 mg/ml) were incubated with the three polyhalogenated cyclic hydrocarbons (PCH). Maximum increases in chemiluminescence occurred within 5-10 min of incubation and persisted for over 30 min. The cytochrome c reduction assay is most specific for superoxide anion production. When hepatic mitochondria were incubated with endrin and lindane for 15 min at 100 ng/ml, increases in cytochrome c reduction of 6.5- and 7.5-fold occurred, respectively, while when microsomes were incubated with these same two PCH, increases in cytochrome c reduction of 8.6- and 11.6-fold occurred, respectively. When mitochondria, microsomes, and macrophages were incubated with TCDD under identical conditions, small increases in superoxide anion production were detected. Changes in microsomal membrane fluidity were determined spectrofluorometrically following incubation with the three PCH using diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene as the fluorescent probe. TCDD, endrin, and lindane enhanced microsomal membrane apparent microviscosity by 2.3-, 2.1-, and 2.5-fold, respectively, indicating a significant decrease in membrane fluidity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Investigation of ZnO:Al Doping Level and Deposition Temperature Effects on CIGS Solar Cell Performance

Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) photovoltaic cells require a highly conducting and transparent top electrode for optimum device performance. ZnO thin films doped with 2 wt.% Al (ZnO:Al) are commonly used to ensure sufficient conductivity while providing acceptable transparency to the active absorber layers. Deposition of transparent conducting oxide (TCO) films on CIGS cells often is performed at room temperature in the manufacturing process because of production advantages. However, material properties and reproducibility may be poorer at room temperature than at higher temperatures. Maximum mobilities of 2 wt.%-doped ZnO:Al grown at room temperature in pure Ar are typically ∼20-25 cm2V-1s-1. Relatively high carrier concentration is therefore required to achieve the desired conductivity. This high carrier concentration produces low infrared transmittance due to increased free-carrier absorption. World-record CIGS cells produced at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are known to tolerate photolithographic processing temperatures of ∼100Â°C, though significant changes in device performance occur beyond 200Â°C. In this study, we investigate whether ZnO:Al films with superior material properties can be produced at the elevated temperatures consistent with CIGS processing parameters. We examine undoped ZnO and ZnO:Al with doping levels of 0.5, 1, and 2 wt.% Al2O3 for growth at substrate temperatures from 25Â° to 360Â°C using radio-frequency magnetron sputtering. For films grown in a 100% Ar ambient, optimal electrical and optical properties are achieved at ∼150Â°-200Â°C. Controlled incorporation of H2 in the Ar sputtering ambient at 200Â°C increases mobility to 48 cm2V-1s-1 for undoped ZnO and 36 cm2V-1s-1 for 0.5 wt.%-doped ZnO:Al. Both values are considerably higher than the 25 cm2V-1s-1 of 2 wt.%-doped ZnO:Al deposited at 200Â°C in 100% Ar. We have explored whether these higher-mobility films can be exploited in the design of high-quality CIGS devices produced at NREL. Preliminary results show similar open-circuit voltage and only slightly lower short-circuit current compared to devices utilizing the standard 2 wt.%-doped ZnO:Al deposited at room temperature. This suggests that higher-performance devices may result once the TCO thickness is optimized for the higher mobility.
Characterization of protein kinases involved in dentinogenesis.

Protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation control many different cell functions as well as responses to internal and external signals. It has also been shown that highly phosphorylated acidic proteins have an important role in matrix mediated biomineralization, perhaps functioning as nucleators for crystal formation. Dentine phosphoprotein (DPP) is one of such proteins which is exclusively synthesized by the odontoblast cells and therefore a likely candidate to play a significant role in normal and abnormal dentine biomineralization. These studies are directed at characterizing the protein kinases involved in dentinogenesis and in particular the enzyme(s) responsible for DPP phosphorylation. In this report we present data which indicate that there are several different types of kinases in the odontoblast-enriched dental papilla mesenchyme (DPM), some of which can phosphorylate DPP, such as casein kinase I and II. However, a different DPP-kinase activity was identified. This enzyme(s) appears to be dif...
A Systematical Analysis for the Mechanism of Urban Industry Ecological Transformation

Industrial ecosystem has become the focus of urban environmental management research in a rapidly changing environment. In this paper, we explores the mechanism of urban industry ecological transformation from a systematic perspective and surveys driving force and resistance force in order to promote the formation of urban industrial ecosystem. The environment of urban industry ecological transformation is firstly presented. Then, we analyze driving forces influencing industrial ecology and point out resistance factors. It is conclude that the transformation of urban industry ecology is interaction result between various driving forces with resistance. It is a long, fuzzy and systematic engineering. So the author suggests that relevant government should take institutional mechanism innovation during the process of developing transformation strategies and related policies, and make best use of the role of dynamic mechanism to eliminate the effect of resistance factor in order to effectively create a good urban industrial ecosystem.
Estimating the Technology Coefficients in Linear Programming Models

Estimation of a linear programming model's technology coefficients using data from a sample of firms is viewed as an application of random coefficient regression (RCR). An RCR estimator restricting predicted coefficient values to be nonnegative is proposed. The estimator's finite sample performance is examined in Monte Carlo experiments. The proposed estimator performs well compared with inequality-restricted least squares, despite its use of an estimated covariance matrix. In sampling a population of firms, a dependency may arise between coefficients and activity levels. Two tests for dependence are proposed and examined in Monte Carlo experiments. The tests' reliability varies with characteristics of the sampled population.
Skin and core temperature response to partial- and whole-body heating and cooling

Abstract 1. Human subjects were exposed to partial- and whole-body heating and cooling in a controlled environmental chamber to quantify physiological and subjective responses to thermal asymmetries and transients. 2. Skin temperatures, core temperature, thermal sensation, and comfort responses were collected for 19 local body parts and for the whole body. 3. Core temperature increased in response to skin cooling and decreased in response to skin heating. 4. Hand and finger temperatures fluctuated significantly when the body was near a neutral thermal state. 5. When using a computer mouse in a cool environment, the skin temperature of the hand using the mouse was observed to be 2–3 °C lower than the unencumbered hand.
Operational Space Control of Multibody Systems with Explicit Holonomic Constraints

This paper presents an operational space control approach for the general class of holonomically constrained multibody systems. As a point of departure, the general formulation of constrained dynamical systems is addressed using multiplier and minimization approaches. The constrained dynamics problem is interpreted with respect to its underlying symmetry with task space dynamics. A framework for constrained operational space control is then presented which casts the general formulation of constrained multibody systems into a task space setting. This provides a means of exploiting natural task-level control structures within the constrained environment. A set of examples illustrate this control implementation.
Closing the Gap: Inquiry in Research and the Secondary Science Classroom

Teaching students how to conduct authentic scientific inquiry is an essential aspect of recent science education reform efforts. Our National Science Foundation-funded GK-12 program paired science graduate students—fellows—with secondary science teachers in order to enhance inquiry-based instruction. This research examined the roles of the fellows, teachers, and school culture in the implementation of inquiry and the fellows’ conceptions of classroom inquiry versus that in their own research. Qualitative data were collected for two academic years. Overall, the classrooms shifted toward a more inquiry-oriented approach over the academic year. Several aspects of school culture influenced inquiry implementation. Fellows described their research as similar in overall structure but less constrained by known concepts, less guided by mentors, and more in-depth than that of secondary school students. The teacher-fellow scientist partnership is a potentially effective professional development model to create positive and lasting change within the science classroom.