cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Correlating the structure and reactivity of a contact allergen, DNCB, and its analogs to sensitization potential.

Abstract We report a study that seeks to find a correlation between the overall sensitization potential quantified by the expression of IL-8 by stimulated monocytes and the chemical structure of a model contact allergen, 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB). We show that structure and reactivity of the chemical compounds play an important role in activation of the monocytes and subsequent inflammation in tissue. However, we observed a non-linear correlation between the rate of reaction and biological activity indicating a required balance of stability and reactivity.
Organizational Political Ideology and Corporate Openness to Social Activism

This paper argues that organizations tend to be more “open” or “closed” as a function of their members’ political ideologies and that this variation can help explain firms’ responses to social acti...
What are the risks of long-term PPI use for GERD symptoms in patients > 65 years?

Jessica Devitt, MD; Corey Lyon, DO; Sarah Beth Swanson, MD; University of Colorado, Family Medicine Residency, Denver. Kristen DeSanto, MSLS, MS, RD; University of Colorado, Health Sciences Library, Denver
Formulation and Characterization of Chemically Cross-linked Microbubble Clusters

The purpose of this study is to introduce a new concept of chemically cross-linked microbubble clusters (CCMCs), which are individual microbubble ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) physically tethered together. We demonstrate a facile means of their production, characterize their size and stability, and describe how they can potentially be used in biomedical applications. By tethering UCAs together into CCMCs, we propose that novel methods of ultrasound mediated imaging and therapy can be developed through unique interbubble interactions in an ultrasound field. One of the major challenges in generating CCMCs is controlling aggregate sizes and maintaining stability against Ostwald ripening and coalescence. In this study, we demonstrate that chemically cross-linked microbubble clusters can produce small (<10 μm) quasi-stable complexes that slowly fuse into bubbles with individual gas cores. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this process can be driven with low-intensity ultrasound pulses, enabling a rapid fusi...
Carboxymethylation of phytoglycogen and its interactions with caseinate for the preparation of nanocomplex

Abstract Phytoglycogen (PG) is a carbohydrate biomaterial with naturally occurring dendrimer-like nanostructures. Being a hyperbranched α-D-glucan, PG holds promising potential to encapsulate bioactive compounds, but on the other hand it is highly susceptible to digestive degradations, limiting its applications as oral delivery vehicles for bioactive compounds. In this study, we exploited chemical modification, i.e. carboxymethylation, to turn PG into a polyelectrolyte (CMPG) with abundant surface carboxylic groups carrying negative charge. Sodium caseinate (NaCas), an amphiphilic protein molecule, was studied to form nanocomplex with CMPG via a pH- and heating-induced complexation. The fabrication of CMPG/NaCas nanocomplex was optimized based on biopolymer concentrations, mass ratios, pH conditions and heating temperatures. Heating the CMPG/NaCas mixture at mass ratio of 2:1, pH 4.6 (isoelectric point of NaCas), and 60 °C for 1 h was the optimal preparation condition to form nanocomplex. Both Fourier transform infrared and fluorescence spectroscopies revealed that the driving forces to form nanocomplex were primarily electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonding, with limited contributions from hydrophobic interactions. Spherical nanoparticles with a size of 65 nm and uniform size distribution were characterized by dynamic light scattering and visualized by transmission electron microscopy. The colloidal stability under simulated gastrointestinal conditions was greatly improved after the formation of nanocomplex. CMPG/NaCas nanocomplex was capable to encapsulate curcumin with a sustained release profile under simulated gastrointestinal conditions. Nevertheless, heating process was found to have a negative impact on the encapsulation capability of nanocomplex for curcumin, due to highly hydrophilic nature of CMPG.
Evaluation of ultrasonic estimates of carcass fat thickness and longissimus muscle area in beef cattle.

Yearling crossbred feedlot steers (n = 495) and heifers (n = 151) were ultrasonically measured at the 12-13th rib interface 24 h before slaughter to evaluate the accuracy of ultrasonic measurements of fat thickness (BFU) and longissimus muscle area (LMAU) for prediction of actual carcass measures. Isonification was with an Aloka 210DX ultrasound unit equipped with a 12.5-cm, 3.0-MHz, linear array transducer by two technicians. Carcass fat thickness (BFC) and longissimus muscle area (LMAC) were measured 48 h postmortem. Differences between ultrasonic and actual carcass measures were expressed in actual (BFDIFF and LMADIFF) and in absolute (magnitude of BFDIFF and magnitude of LMADIFF) terms for backfat and longissimus muscle area, respectively. When expressed as percentages of the actual carcass measures, the average absolute differences indicated error rates of 20.6% for backfat and 9.4% for longissimus muscle area. Average actual differences (BFDIFF and LMADIFF) indicated that underprediction occurred more often than overprediction for both measures. The BFU was within .25 cm of BFC 70% of the time, and LMAU was within 6.5 cm2 of LMAC 53% of the time. Ultrasound measurements BFU and LMAU more accurately predicted BFC and LMAC in thinner and more lightly muscled cattle, respectively. Simple correlation coefficients between ultrasonic and carcass measures were .75 (P less than .01) for BF and .60 (P less than .01) for LMA. Analyses of variance of absolute differences between ultrasonic and carcass measures indicated no significant differences to exist between technicians. Predictive accuracy of ultrasonic measures did not change as the level of experience of technicians increased during the study.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Michael Praetorius’s Variable Opinions on Performance

This article presents Praetorius’s wide-ranging opinions on performance practice, including what distinguishes a good composition from an inferior one, how performance forces are to be selected and deployed, and which performance practices are acceptable and which are to be avoided. His stance varies from laudatory and supportive to censorious and disapproving. These and other issues are presented in both English and the original German, and offer suggestions on how to orchestrate a polychoral work today, including reference to recorded media.
E-128 Disrupting clot adhesion to the vessel wall is an essential step of direct thrombus aspiration

Introduction There are some misconceptions and misunderstandings regarding various implementations of what is generally called A Direct Aspiration First Pass Technique (ADAPT). Variants of the technique may result in significantly different results. We propose a modification of the ADAPT technique that promises faster procedures because of higher rates of single-pass recanalization. Materials and methods Three years (2016–2018) of prospectively collected data on 147 consecutive thrombectomies by a single operator were reviewed retrospectively that included 68 ADAPT cases. The ratio of stent retriever cases versus ADAPT cases were compared. During this 3-year period a new catheter handling technique has been implemented, that intends to mobilize the clot before retrieval. Video animations suggest transcatheter aspiration of a Jello-like substance via the tubing into a canister. In real life that rarely happens. Instead, the goal is to have the embolus wedged, corked into the distal tip of the catheter with the help of vacuum, then to physically remove it along with the catheter, preferably in one piece. We recognized that vacuum alone is frequently insufficient to grab, mobilize and remove the embolus in one piece. Some extra effort, or force, is needed to disrupt the adhesion of the clot to the vessel wall it is wedged in. The pulling force is limited by the vacuum lock between the catheter tip and the embolus. However, a pushing force can be stronger, achieving two goals simultaneously: disrupt the clot adhesion, and help stronger corking of the embolus into the catheter tip where the vacuum will be able to hold it stronger during removal. The guide sheath is advanced as high as possible to provide better support. The aspiration catheter is then advanced right in front of the embolus and vacuum is turned on. The catheter is then pushed forward, beyond the original position of the embolus, during continuous aspiration. If the catheter moves forward with ease, the embolus is almost certainly mobilized and locked. The catheter can be immediately removed. The success or failure of this forward-push technique was correlated with ADAPT ONLY success versus cross-over to stent retriever, based on our fluoroscopic videos. Results During the 3-year period the ratio of ADAPT ONLY cases grew from 35% to 61%. The ratio of ADAPT attempts, eventually crossed over to stent retriever, decreased from 46% to 18%. Forward-push technique was used in 4, 13 and 24 cases in the 3 subsequent years. None of them (0 of 41) required crossing over to stent retriever. During the same 3 years forward-push technique was not used or failed in 26, 20 and 20 cases respectively, of them 17 (65%), 12 (60%) and 10 (50%) required crossing over to stent retrievers. Conclusion Adhesion disruption using the forward-push technique helps to mobilize the embolus and to prepare it for a more efficient, successful removal in a single piece. Further testing, including bench-top evaluation will be needed to optimize the technique. Disclosures L. Miskolczi: None.
Behavioral Markers of Risky Daily Fantasy Sports Play

To understand the natural groups of daily fantasy sports (DFS) players and their associated problematic play, we obtained DFS participation records for 11,130 DFS players from a leading provider. A...
Changes in Murine Lymphocyte Surface Topography Induced by Friend Virus Infection

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of the changes in murine lymphocyte surface topography induced by a friend virus infection. The infection of susceptible strains of mice with an oncornavirus, such as Friend leukemia virus (FLV), invariably results in marked immunodepression, which generally precedes the overt symptoms of disease, such as splenomegaly and blood cell dyscrasia. The chapter describes a study in which the surface topography of splenocytes in FLV-infected mice was examined by scanning electron microscopy. A correlation was readily made between the changes in the number of cells with distinctive topography and cells staining with fluoresceinated antibody to immunoglobulin or theta antigen. It was found from the study that within a few days after infection, the percentage of cells staining with these anti-FLV serums (reagents) decreased markedly. These results indicate that a marked alteration of cell types occurs in the spleen of FLV-infected mice and these changes correlate with an alteration of cell surface.
Prefrontal activation for integration of object and location in working memory

Objective To explore the neural basis of the information integration process that is critical to the episodic buffer using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Methods Eight normal subjects were instructed to perform a working memory task while being scanned with a 1.9 T MRI scanner. In the bound condition, subjects saw three displays in sequence, each with one object at a periphery location. While in the unbound condition, one central object and one peripheral cross were simultaneously presented, subjects were told to first picture the object in the location marked by the cross, and then to remember the object-location pairing as in the bound condition. Subjects were to determine if the probe object occupied its original location (in the bound condition) or its imaginary location (in the unbound condition). Results Regions in bilateral middle / inferior frontal gyrus, parietal cortex and cerebellum were found activated when participants constructed coherent representations of object and location that were perceptually unbound, relative to when these information were perceptually bound. Meanwhile, there were no activation for the bound condition versus unbound condition. Conclusion Results demonstrate a clear involvement of prefrontal cortex in the creation of new cognitive representations that are not perceptually given. With existing evidence identifying prefrontal cortex in chunking and maintaining integrated representations, this study further characterizes the neural basis of information integration process in the episodic buffer.
The problematic use of urban, suburban, and rural in science education

There is an ever-growing body of science education research considering factors associated with teaching and learning in urban, suburban, and rural learning environments. However, there also appears to be a tendency to employ these contexts in euphemistic descriptions, when comparing of subsets of our society here in the USA. With this in mind, we attempted to determine the ways the terms urban, suburban, and rural, are used, defined, and characterized in science education research. This process included two developmental phases, which resulted in the development of our multi-dimensional analytical framework; a trial phase to test the framework; and finally an analytical phase in which we used this framework to examine a decade of science education research. The framework was constructed using emergent themes identified in education and government publications during the first two phases. It proved useful to assess whether urban, suburban, and rural were being explicitly, implicitly, or undefined in science education research. Results suggest scant evidence of the explicit defining/characterization of “urban,” “suburban,” and “rural.” This supported our suspicion that they are frequently being employed in the implication of subsets of our population, or as non-descript adjectives. Selected articles (n = 122) yielded (n = 28) explicit, (n = 60) implicit, and (n = 34) non-definitions of the terms. Such practices may have consequences with respect to educational policy and social justice concerns in science education. This is of particular interest with respect to the normalization of certain settings, cultures, behaviors, and students in science education.
Predictive models to identify Holstein cows at risk of metritis and clinical cure and reproductive/productive failure following antimicrobial treatment.

Abstract Precision dairy farming, specifically the design of management strategies according to the animal’s needs, may soon become the norm since automated technologies that generate large amounts of data for each individual are becoming more affordable. Our objectives were to determine whether the use of behavioral changes could improve the accuracy of prediction of the risk of metritis and the risk of clinical cure of cows diagnosed with metritis. Addition of behavioral data to the algorithms to predict the outcomes of interest increased their accuracy by 7 to 32%. The incidence of metritis in postpartum dairy cows ranges from 20 to 40%. Unfortunately, approximately 30% of cows treated with antimicrobials following the diagnosis of metritis fail to cure and have impaired reproductive performance. Automated behavior monitoring devices have become more affordable and accessible. In the current study, we investigated whether behavioral changes recorded by automated devices improve models for the prediction, within 42 h of calving, of metritis and acute metritis. Furthermore, we determined whether behavioral changes aid on the prediction, 24 h before the diagnosis of metritis, of cure in response to antimicrobial treatments and the reproductive (failure to become pregnant)/productive (bottom quartile of milk yield) success within 200 d in milk (DIM). At enrollment, Holstein cows (n = 555) from two farms were fitted with an automated device (HR-LDn tag, SCR Engineers Ltd., Netanya, Israel) 21 d before the expected calving date. Cows were examined for metritis (fetid, watery, red/brown uterine discharge) and were randomly assigned to receive ampicillin trihydrate or ceftiofur crystalline free acid treatments. Contemporary cows with no clinical diseases (NoCD = 362) were paired with cows with metritis. Cure from metritis was defined as the absence of fetid, watery, pink/brown uterine discharge and rectal temperature
Evolving Role of Calcium Channel Blockers in Heart Failure

Calcium channel blockers are theoretically effective in the treatment of chronic systolic heart failure because of their actions as arteriolar dilators, antiischemic agents, and relaxants of diastolic left ventricular function, and because they may prevent progression of myocardial dysfunction. The first-generation calcium channel blockers nifedipine, verapamil, and diltiazem cause hemodynamic and clinical deterioration and may increase the frequency of cardiac events in postmyocardial infarction patients with heart failure. These drugs depress left ventricular contractility in the short term, and can activate neurohormonal systems due to their hypotensive effects. The second-generation calcium channel blocker felodipine does not activate the sympathetic nervous and renin-angiotensin systems, but has no effect on exercise capacity or mortality. Amlodipine increases exercise time and reduces symptoms and plasma norepinephrine concentration in heart failure. It also reduces morbidity and mortality in New York Heart Association class i.v. patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy, and appears to be effective as primary therapy for patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.
Children With Self-Injurious Behavior

Self-injurious behavior is a serious problem that is not uncommon among individuals with mental retardation. Medical and developmental characteristics of 97 children, adolescents, and young adults (age range 11 months to 21 years, 11 months) assessed and treated for self-injurious behavior in a specialized, interdisciplinary inpatient unit between 1980 and 1988 were reviewed. This population differed from those reported in previous studies in that it was of school age and predominantly community based. Severe or profound mental retardation was present in 82.5% of our patients. The causative diagnoses associated with self-injurious behavior were similar to those of severe mental retardation alone. Associated disabilities represented at greater than expected frequencies included pervasive developmental disorders, visual impairment, and a history of infantile spasms. Most patients (81.4%) engaged in more than one type of self-injurious behavior. The most common topographies were head banging, biting, head hitting, body hitting, and scratching. Physical injury was documented in 77% of cases; the injuries most frequently reported were excoriations, scars/callus formation, hematomas, and local infection. As community placement of handicapped individuals continues to increase, pediatricians will be called upon to monitor patients who engage in self-injurious behavior.
Auxiliary Field Representation of Fermion Kinetic Energy Density Functional

The kinetic energy, or thermodynamic potential, of a non-interacting Fermion system, as a functional of the non-uniform density pattern evoked by an external potential, serves as a crucial tool in the analysis of interacting system ground states. Examples from classical lattice gas and continuum fluid theory are cited to show that analytic tractability can be dramatically enhanced by the introduction of auxiliary density fields with respect to which a suitable thermodynamic potential is stationary. This strategy is developed for the prototype of one-dimensional spinless Fermions, resulting in an exact highly overcomplete representation. A semi-classical variational ansatz recovers the familiar Thomas-Fermi plus renormalized Weiszacker expression, as well as leading corrections, and a simple extension creates a simple modification of the former. The corresponding 3-dimensional format is set up, and evaluated by extrapolation from the 1-dimensional case.
Evolution: Views of

Darwin's original theory of evolution by natural selection is now almost universally accepted by biologists. It has been broadened by the inclusion of Mendelian inheritance and a mathematical formulation, called the new synthesis. Nevertheless, with more detailed study, different views of various aspects of the process have emerged and these are the subject of this article. Keywords: Darwin; Lamarck; modern synthesis; shifting balance theory; molecular evolution; evo–devo
Sedimentology of New Fluvial Deposits on the Elwha River, Washington, USA, Formed During Large‐Scale Dam Removal

Removal of two dams 32 m and 64 m high on the Elwha River, Washington, USA, provided the first opportunity to examine river response to a dam removal and controlled sediment influx on such a large scale. Although many recent river-restoration efforts have included dam removal, large dam removals have been rare enough that their physical and ecological effects remain poorly understood. New sedimentary deposits that formed during this multi-stage dam removal result from a unique, artificially created imbalance between fluvial sediment supply and transport capacity. River flows during dam removal were essentially natural and included no large floods in the first two years, while draining of the two reservoirs greatly increased the sediment supply available for fluvial transport. The resulting sedimentary deposits exhibited substantial spatial heterogeneity in thickness, stratal-formation patterns, grain size and organic content. Initial mud deposition in the first year of dam removal filled pore spaces in the pre-dam-removal cobble bed, potentially causing ecological disturbance but not aggrading the bed substantially at first. During the second winter of dam removal, thicker and in some cases coarser deposits replaced the early mud deposits. By 18 months into dam removal, channel-margin and floodplain deposits were commonly >0.5 m thick and, contrary to pre-dam-removal predictions that silt and clay would bypass the river system, included average mud content around 20%. Large wood and lenses of smaller organic particles were common in the new deposits, presumably contributing additional carbon and nutrients to the ecosystem downstream of the dam sites. Understanding initial sedimentary response to the Elwha River dam removals will inform subsequent analyses of longer-term sedimentary, geomorphic and ecosystem changes in this fluvial and coastal system, and will provide important lessons for other river-restoration efforts where large dam removal is planned or proposed. Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Comparison of virulence markers of peritoneal and fallopian tube isolates with endocervical Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates from women with acute salpingitis.

Abstract Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains which cause acute salpingitis are presumed to ascend the genital tract from the cervix. Previous studies utilized isolates obtained from endocervical canal cultures, although it was not known if the isolates truly represented the organisms present in the fallopian tubes. In this study, we compared N. gonorrhoeae isolates from endocervical canal cultures with fallopian tube or peritoneal cul-de-sac isolates or isolates from both sites obtained at laparoscopy. Potential virulence markers were studied, including colony phenotype, auxotype, antimicrobial agent susceptibility, protein patterns on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and susceptibility to normal human serum. Six of seven cervical isolates had the same antibiograms and molecular weight for major outer membrane proteins as those of the corresponding peritoneal isolates. Auxotypes also were the same and included prototrophic, proline-requiring, and proline-and-arginine-requiring isolates. The isolates as a group appeared to be very susceptible to the bactericidal action of pooled serum from normal women. Colony phenotypes varied between sites; the fallopian tubecul-de-sac isolates were predominantly of transparent phenotype and piliated. The cervical isolates were either mixtures of equal quantities of opaque and transparent phenotypes or predominantly opaque phenotype. By these markers, patients' N. gonorrhoeae cervical isolates appeared to be the same as their isolates from fallopian tubes except for a difference or shift in colony phenotype.
Sex differences in interpersonal sensitivities across acquaintances, friends, and romantic relationships

Abstract Previous research suggests that women generally tend to be warmer and more submissive whereas men tend to be colder and more dominant. In comparison to work on sex differences in individual behaviors, there has been relatively less focus on sex differences in the experience of others' aversive behavior, particularly across different kinds of relationships. The purpose of this study was to investigate sex differences with respect to a range of interpersonal sensitivities across acquaintances, friends, and romantic relationships in a sample of 235 undergraduates. Results suggested that women were significantly more sensitive than men, in general, to others' aversive behavior. Consistent with our predictions, women were also found to be relatively more sensitive to coldness whereas men were relatively more sensitive to warmth across different kinds of relationships. No significant differences were found with respect to dominance, nor were there systematic differences across relationships that vary in their emotional closeness.
Migration to the Slum and Squatter Communities of Cagayan de Oro City, The Philippines*

With regard to Southeast Asia and especially the Philippines there have been several social scientists who have examined squatter and slum populations in the urban centers. An overview into the urban squatter phenomenon in Southeast Asia is provided by Jackson who states that "squatters now comprise between a quarter and a third of the total population of most of the regions capitals" (1974:24; see also Poethig 1971). In the Philippines several social scientists have examined the socioeconomic problems and characteristics of squatter and slum areas in various cities and these studies have all been on one or only a few of the communities within the city. Thus Laquian (1969) Hollnsteiner (1972; 1973) Juppenlatz (1970) Stone and Marsella (1968) and Poethig (1969) have investigated squatter areas in Manila. Laquian (1972) and his colleagues (Carino 1971) have reported findings on an in-depth analysis of one squatter community in each of six intermediate-sized Philippine cities; the study compares the social and economic characteristics of the six communities. And the Hackenbergs (1973) and their colleagues (Feldman 1973) have carefully analyzed several of the squatter communities in Davao City on Mindanao. These studies have all examined the socioeconomic characteristics of the low-income populations under study and in this regard they are valuable for comparative purposes. After reviewing squatter and slum research completed on Southeast Asia (and Hong Kong) however there are at least three areas in which research is lacking. First there has been very little research published which discusses the migration origins trends and characteristics of the squatter and slum population. Second there have been few investigations of squatter areas in the intermediate-sized cities of Southeast Asia; in Southeast and East Asia the primate cities of Manila Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong have been given the most attention. Third and as explained above there have been no empirical studies completed which examine the entire squatter and slum population of a single city. The purpose of this paper is to begin to fill these research gaps. Specifically the paper will examine the migration characteristics of the entire squatter and slum population of one intermediate-sized city in the southern Philippines; Cagayan de Oro City the largest city on the northern coast of Mindanao Island. (excerpt)
Example calculations illustrating methods for analyzing ductile flaw stability in nuclear pressure vessels

Abstract This paper contains example calculations of ductile flaw instability stresses for hypothetical flaws in nuclear pressure vessels. For comparison, three different methods of estimating upper shelf toughness as a function of Charpy impact energy were used, namely a power law R-curve correlation, the Rolfe-Novak correlation, and the Paris J50 correlation. All three methods were used in LEFM calculations including a plastic zone size correction, and gave similar results, with the Paris J50 method being the most conservative at low Charpy upper shelf energy levels. Safety factors based on the tearing modulus ratio T mat T appl can exceed those based on load by considerable amounts and use of them at this time is not recommended. The use of resistance curve data obtained from actual vessel material test specimens is recommended over the use of correlations. Furthermore, evaluation of a recently proposed modified crack extension adjustment procedure for R-curve data, which is not over-conservative, is recommended.
Understanding Construction Industry Experience and Attitudes toward Integrated Project Delivery

Integrated project delivery (IPD) seeks to improve project outcomes through a collaborative approach of aligning the incentives and goals of the project team through shared risk and reward, early involvement of all parties, and a multiparty agreement. Although there has been a huge interest in IPD in principle, the current adoption status by the construction industry is unknown. Several professional organizations are supporting the advancement of IPD, and several projects have demonstrated its benefits; however, the amount of projects using IPD remains relatively small. This research is based on the results of a web-based survey that was designed to target a wide range of construction professionals in an effort to shed light on current status of IPD use and its future widespread adoption by the construction industry. The paper attempts to provide hard data concerning the knowledge and experience levels of construction professionals regarding IPD as well as their opinions concerning its benefits and problems as a project delivery method.
Adaptive Allocation for Binary Outcomes Using Decreasingly Informative Priors

A method of outcome-adaptive allocation is presented using Bayes methods, where a natural lead-in is incorporated through the use of informative yet skeptical prior distributions for each treatment group. These prior distributions are modeled on unobserved data in such a way that their influence on the allocation scheme decreases as the trial progresses. Simulation studies show this method to behave comparably to the Bayesian adaptive allocation method described by Thall and Wathen (2007), who incorporate a natural lead-in through sample-size-based exponents.
The Critical Richardson Number and Its Implications for Forecast Problems

Abstract It is shown that, in the lowest few hundred meters, nighttime inversions tend to break down due to onset of turbulence when the Richardson number falls between 0.2 and 0.5. Since the Richardson number is statistically related to the wind speed at one to a few hundred meters, it is found that the dew-point depression in the morning, as well as visibility, is related to the wind speed above the surface. It follows, that objective forecast techniques for the dew-point depression and visibility can be improved by including the wind speed above the surface as a parameter.
Small Molecule Inhibitors of Zinc-dependent Histone Deacetylases

Lysine acetylation is an ancient, evolutionarily conserved, reversible post-translational modification. A multitude of diverse cellular functions are regulated by this dynamic modification, including energy and metabolism, protein folding, transcription, and translation. Gene expression can be manipulated through changes in histone acetylation status, and this process is controlled by the function of 2 opposing enzymes: histone acetyl transferases and histone deacetylases (HDACs). The zinc-dependent HDACs are a family of hydrolases that remove acetyl groups from lysines, and their function can be modulated by the action of small molecule ligands. Inhibition through competitive binding of the catalytic domain of these enzymes has been achieved by a diverse array of small molecule chemotypes. Structural biology has aided the development of potent, and in some cases highly isoform-selective, inhibitors that have demonstrated utility in a number of neurological disease models. Continued development and characterization of highly optimized small molecule inhibitors of HDAC enzymes will help refine our understanding of their function and, optimistically, lead to novel therapeutic treatment alternatives for a host of neurological disorders.
A 64-tap CMOS echo canceller/decision feedback equalizer for 2B1Q HDSL transceivers

A 60-MHz 64-tap adaptive finite-impulse-response (FIR) filter chip was fabricated in 1.2- mu m CMOS. It can implement either an echo canceler or a decision feedback equalizer for 2B1Q high bit rate digital subscriber line (HDSL) transceivers. The 4.3*4.3 mm/sup 2/, 30000 transistor chip is a completely self-contained adaptive filter which incorporates the least mean square (LMS) algorithm for coefficient updating. The device can be cascaded to implement very long filter lengths, which are often required in high bit rate transceivers. At a 60-MHz clock rate, the echo canceler/decision feedback equalizer chip can accommodate symbol rates in excess of 800 kbaud. >
Communication interception of human signal transduction pathways by Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1

Signal transduction pathways are central to most biological processes. Diversion of such pathways is postulated to be central to the mechanism by which the Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 (HIV) takes over the human cellular machinery. In this paper, we present an analysis of the interactions between HIV and human signal transduction pathways. We find that the majority of known human pathways are targeted through at least one HIV, human protein interaction (277 of the 453 pathways we considered). There are some pathways in which HIV interacts with disproportionately many proteins, targeting a single pathway at multiple positions. These numerous interactions are not just a function of the size of the pathways; other large pathways are not necessarily targeted to the same extent. Based on this analysis, we propose a novel rational drug design strategy as one of identifying possible “alternate” pathways. Activating or suppressing them may bypass HIV targeted pathways, thus exploiting redundancies in the human protein interaction network.
Separation and lower bounds for ROM and nondeterministic models of parallel computation

Abstract For the first time we separate the widely used shared-memory models of parallel computation, COMMON(m), ARBITRARY(m), and PRIORITY(m), for small m (the communication width), without the restrictive assumption that each processor has access only to one input. Rather we follow S. A. Cook and C. Dwork (1982 , in “Proceedings, 14th ACM Symp. on Theory of Computing, 1982”, pp. 231–233) and U. Vishkin and A. Wigderson (1985 , SIAM J. Comput. 14, No. 2, 303–314) who assume that the inputs are given in a read only memory (ROM). The previous separation results of F. Fich, P. Ragde, and A. Wigderson (1984 , in “Proceedings, 3rd ACM Symp. on Principles of Distrib. Comput., 1984,” pp. 179–184) and F. Fich, F. Meyer, P. Ragde, and A. Wigderson (1985 , in “Proceedings, 17th ACM Symp. on Theory of Comput., 1985,” pp. 48–58) (Familiarity with these papers would be helpful.) do assume that each processor knows only one input. We introduce a new technique to separate (COMMON(m) with ROM and ARBITRARY(1) (even without ROM). We also generalize a technique of (Fich, Ragde, and Wigderson, op cit.) to separate ARBITRARY(m) with ROM and PRIORITY(1) (even without ROM). These two separation results are tight. Fich, Ragde, and Wigderson (ibid.) have previously obtained tight separation results for the corresponding models without ROM. Also we settle a conjecture of Vishkin and Wigderson about the parallel time (depth) needed to compute PARITY nondeterministically on a PRIORITY(1). They conjecture that the lower bound is Ω(√n) which is the same as the deterministic tight lower bound. We prove a nondeterministic upper bound of O(n 1 3 ) . We also prove a tight lower bound of Ω(√n) for PARITY on nondeterministic PRIORITY(1) without ROM and a lower bound of Ω( log log n) for PARITY on nondeterministic PRIORITY(1) with ROM.
Endocrine treatment of prostatic cancer

Data are drawn from the pertinent literature supporting diethylstilbestrol for initial endocrine treatment of advanced prostatic cancer. When diethylstilbestrol is given in a dosage of 2 mg daily, the risk of cardiovascular complications is low. Bilateral orchiectomy is reserved for high-risk patients or those intolerant of estrogen. To prevent possible complications of uncontrolled tumor growth and perhaps to increase survival time, endocrine treatment of advanced prostatic cancer should be started early.
Genetic diversity and structure in the rare Colorado endemic plant Physaria bellii Mulligan (Brassicaceae)

Physaria bellii (Brassicaceae) is a rare, outcrossing perennial endemic to shale and sandstone outcrops along the Front Range of northern Colorado, USA. This species is locally abundant, but ranked G2/S2—imperiled because of threats to its habitat and a small number of populations—according to NatureServe’s standardized ranking system. Leaf tissue from ten populations was analyzed with ISSR (Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat) markers to discern the amount of genetic diversity and degree of population subdivision in P. bellii. Genetic diversity was moderate (0.22) and a moderately high degree of population structure was found (F ST calculated using two algorithms ranged from 0.17 to 0.24). An AMOVA partitioned most of the variation among individuals within populations (76%), and the remainder among populations (24%). Results from a Principal Coordinates analysis were consistent with the geographic distribution of populations. A Mantel test of the correlation between genetic and geographic distances was highly significant (P < 0.001). The pattern of variation thus appears to be distributed along a gradient, and efforts to conserve this species should involve preserving enough populations so that gene flow between populations is not interrupted.
Edmund Leach: An Anthropological Life

Edmund Leach: An Anthropological Life. Stanley Tambiah. Cambridge University Press. 2002. ISBN: 0521521025 (Paper).
Self-sustained micromechanical resonant pressure sensors

This work presents a new gas pressure sensing technique based on self-sustained oscillations in micromechanical thermal-piezoresistive resonators. Electrothermal force generation in such structures can be coupled to the structural stress through the piezoresistive effect. This could lead to spontaneous mechanical vibrations in the resonant structures upon application of a large enough DC bias current. It has been demonstrated via measurements that resonant frequency of such oscillators is sharply dependent on the surrounding gas pressure. For a 3.46MHz thermal piezoresistive oscillator, frequency shift of −2300ppm was observed by changing the surrounding air pressure from 84kPa to 43kPa. In addition, the same structure was also operated in a forced excitation mode as a resonator actuated by a combination of DC and AC currents. Interestingly, the frequency shift in the self-sustained oscillation mode is far more significant than the frequency shift in forced resonance mode and is opposite in direction. In order to explain this observation, a mathematical model has been developed for the thermal-piezoresistive oscillators. The final solution from this model indicates that the dynamic stiffness of the spontaneously vibrating structures decreases as the value of the damping coefficient is reduced at lower gas pressures.
Analytical and numerical prediction of heat transfer and pressure drop in open-cell metal foams

Abstract Enhanced cooling methods are needed for advanced power systems. A promising method is using an open-cell metal foam to improve the heat transfer rates. However, the pressure drop induced by the metal foams is relatively higher and thus becomes a critical issue in engineering applications. The focus of this research is the modeling and simulation of heat transfer enhancement and corresponding pressure drop. A simplified analytical model based on diamond-shaped unit cells has been developed to predict the heat transfer capability of a foamed channel. The heat transfer rates predicted by the analytical model have been compared with available experimental data from other researchers and favorable agreements have been obtained. To evaluate the pressure drop in metal foams, a unit-cell CFD model was built using software package Fluent. The model is based on a structure of sphere-centered open-cell tetrakaidecahedron, which is very similar to the actual microstructure of an aluminum metal foam. Flow patterns and grid independence are investigated and simulation results are shown to agree well with experimental data.
Comparison of trigeminal receptor location and structure in the periodontal ligament of different types of teeth from the rat, cat, and monkey

The periodontal ligament is richly innervated by mechanoreceptors whose cell bodies are located either in the trigeminal ganglion (TG) or the mesencephalic (MS) trigeminal nucleus. Both are sensitive to stretch of the ligament induced by tooth movement, but their thresholds, central connections, and functional significance differ. This study compared the location of TG and MS receptors in the periodontal ligament of cat teeth after labeling each by anterograde axonal transport. We also compared the location and ultrastructure of the feline TG receptors with labeled TG receptors in the periodontal ligament of monkey teeth and rat incisors in order to determine their location and ultrastructural properties. We found that the MS and TG receptors had a different distribution in the periodontal ligament of cat teeth; the MS terminals were concentrated below and next to the base of the roots, whereas the TG receptors were most numerous around the middle of the roots. The TG receptors of monkey teeth had a similar location to the feline TG receptors, but those of rat incisors were very different. Rat incisors are curved, continuously erupting teeth, and their TG receptors were located primarily on the lingual side in the alveolar (nonerupting) portion of the ligament. Ultrastructural comparisons found that most mechanoreceptors in the periodontal ligament of all the teeth had an unencapsulated branched Ruffini-like structure. The TG receptors in the rat incisor ligament were the largest; those of monkey had the most varied form. Some coiled or encapsulated receptors were found in the monkey and cat ligament, but not in the rat incisor ligament. The TG receptors appear to be located at sites that would be most easily stretched during tooth contact. The different sites and intensity of the stretch forces occurring during the use of different types of teeth may determine the variations in the size and location of the TG mechanoreceptors and of their associated support cells. The different distribution of MS receptors may contribute to their response thresholds and static properties, which differ from those of TG receptors.
Transient inability of neonatal rat motoneurons to reinnervate muscle.

Abstract We studied the reinnervation of internal intercostal muscles of newborn rats. The distal halves were denervated by nerve section at various ages between birth and 6 weeks. Regardless of the age at denervation, neither evoked nor spontaneous nerve-muscle transmission reappeared until the animals were at least 3 weeks old. Older rats recovered a substantial degree of function within 7 days of nerve section. Normally the motor units in this muscle are narrowly distributed, so most axotomized motoneurons lost their entire synaptic periphery. Reinnervation was by axons which had been sectioned, and regenerated motor units were of normal size and number. There was no collateral sprouting from end plates left intact. Motoneurons axotomized at birth did regenerate axons the full length of the muscle within 7 days of operation. Their failure to reinnervate the muscle was due to delay in forming functional end plates. Nerve section in animals aged 1 month or older resulted in an abnormal pattern of reinnervation; reinnervated motor units were diffusely spread through large portions of the muscle, although they still did not overlap with the region left intact. This indicates that thoracic motoneurons respond to axotomy differently in neonatal rats than they do in adults.
Redundant Spares Allocation to Reduce Reliability Costs

Abstract : Due to rapid developments in technology, provision of adequate number of spares at the time of acquisition of equipment has become a significant problem. Increased complexities of modern electronic equipments have resulted in modular designs. In the event of failure of one such a module, it is readily removed and replaced by a new one from the inventory. The problem considered here is the optimal selection of the inventory of spares for a system build from two kinds of modules, the larger of which can be connected so it performs the role of the smaller one. The optimal inventory is the least costly one which achieves a specified probability that the spares will not be exhausted over the design lifetime. For some costs and failure rates it is most economical to use the larger module for both roles because of the resulting increase in flexibility in the deployment of a single type of spare module. The problem has been approached by analytical as well as simulation methods. (Author)
Environmental Science in the Media: Effects of Opposing Viewpoints on Risk and Uncertainty Perceptions

Media reports of environmental science often give equal weight to opposing viewpoints, which can make the science seem more controversial than it actually is. The current study extended the research in this area by examining whether discrediting one expert viewpoint would minimize false perceptions of controversy. Participants (N = 247) read articles about environmental risks containing one viewpoint, two balanced viewpoints, or two viewpoints with one discredited. Results showed that a discredited opposing viewpoint often influenced risk and uncertainty perceptions in similar ways to a balanced opposing viewpoint, implying that this tactic may not necessarily minimize false perceptions of controversy.
Adsorption of Cu(II) and Zn(II) by estuarine, riverine and terrestrial humic acids

Adsorption constant (Kads) values for Cu(II) and Zn(II) adsorption from an artificial seawater matrix onto suspended humic acids were determined. The humic acids were extracted from estuarine and riverine surface sediments and from surface soils. Solution state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was used to characterize the humic acids. Values of Kads for Cu(II) onto suspended solid humic acids were found to be significantly greater than those for Zn(II), in agreement with the Irving-Williams series, suggesting that the process of metal adsorption by suspended humic acids is similar to the process of metal complexation by specific functional groups of dissolved humic acids. In general, greater Kads values were associated with lignin-rich humic acids as compared to lignin-poor humic acids.