cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of time span between mixing and compacting on roller compacted concrete (RCC) containing ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS)

Abstract Considerable development of roller compacted concrete (RCC) in different fields of construction such as dam construction, motivated researchers to study the effect of different parameters on the properties of RCC accurately. The time span between the beginning of mixing the materials until the time of finishing compacting, is one of the parameters effecting the RCC properties. In this paper, effect of changing the time span between mixing and compacting on the mechanical properties of conventional concrete and RCC containing ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) was studied. Results shows that the greater the delay in compacting, increased the loss in conventional concrete properties, but by using GGBFS as a part of the cementitious material, more delay in compacting not only does not cause the loss of properties, but, in some conditions, improved the concrete compressive strength, permeability, absorption and adsorption.
The trans-activator gene of the human T cell lymphotropic virus type III is required for replication

The trans-activator gene (tat-III) of the human T lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV-III/LAV) is shown to regulate positively the expression of viral proteins. Viruses in which the tat-III gene is deleted are incapable of prolific replication and do not demonstrate cytopathic effects in T4+ cell lines. These defects can be fully complemented in cell lines that constitutively express the tat-III gene product. We conclude that the tat-III gene product is required for efficient replication of HTLV-III in T4+ cells, and for that reason is important for the cytopathic effects of virus infection. These observations predict that inhibitors of the tat-III gene product may constitute effective therapeutic agents.
Roger Scruton and the Conservation of Culture

As a rule, traditionalist conservatism rarely fares well in American political life. In intellectual circles, its adherents rest uneasily at the margins of discussion, occasionally launching a broadside against modernity’s discontents before returning to self-imposed exile in the suburbs— usually living well on the fruits of the very market-driven society for which they express a great deal of ambivalence. Rooted as this sort of ideal is in what we lose in the modern world rather than in an appreciation of the good things it provides, most Americans—and certainly the majority of selfproclaimed conservatives—pay this movement little heed. Traditionalism is also a brand of thinking that at least in America normally fails in making its case as an intellectually serious political position. In a recent review, Alan Wolfe dismissed Russell Kirk (arguably America’s preeminent representative of traditionalism in the last half of the twentieth century), somewhat unfairly to be sure, as a grumbling, emotive proponent of nostalgia for a world that left him behind. Whatever one thinks of this polemical characterization, traditionalists do indeed deal more often in images than in robust philosophical argumentation. They repeatedly assert the failure of modern American life and avoid any serious engagement with opposing ideas. Not so with Roger Scruton. In his recent works, he provides us with not only insight into where our society departs from the good life but also a deeper set of philosophical justifications on behalf of traditionalist conservatism. While he shares the ordinary traditionalist appreciation for the practices of civil society and rests much of the practical importance of his claims upon them, Scruton roots his conservatism in a developed theory of culture and its meaning for any decent political life. This approach sets his work apart from other sorts of traditionalism and makes it a valuable object of study. Above all, Scruton defends the importance of ideas in politics. Of course, acting as a proponent for any ideal opens men up to the possibility of becoming possessed by it; he acknowledges that in the last century, this outcome became all too frequent and dangerous and argues that we should maintain our skepticism about grand theoretical visions that seek global change. Nevertheless, against the militantly anti-ideological conservatism of Michael Oakeshott and his contemporary student Andrew Sullivan, Scruton argues that conservatism should not oppose the existence of ideology; instead, he insists “[i]t is part of conservatism to resist the loss of ideology” (The Meaning of Conservatism, p. 127. Hereafter, I cite the books under review as MC, PP [A Political Philosophy], and CC [Culture Counts]). This Hayekian insight regarding the way ideas help constitute our understanding of reality leads Scruton to note that the question is not whether we live by a system of thought but rather which one. If the concepts we carry with us frame our comprehension of the world, Scruton argues that as a people, we need Soc (2008) 45:557–561 DOI 10.1007/s12115-008-9140-2
Miniature tensile test specimens for fusion reactor irradiation studies

Abstract Three miniature sheet-type tensile specimens and a miniature rod-tensile specimen are being used in irradiation-damage studies for fusion reactor materials. Miniature specimens are also being used to determine design properties of irradiated materials. Consequently, a comparison of the tensile properties determined with these different specimens was made by testing cold-worked and solution-annealed Type 316 stainless steel sheet and rod at room temperature, 300°C and 600°C. Good agreement was observed when the properties obtained with the different specimens were compared, and all of the specimens can be used for irradiation-damage studies. However, there were small differences in the properties obtained using the different specimens, and it was recommended that before any miniature specimens are used to determine design-type properties, further studies be conducted.
The helix-coil transition: Projection operator methods

Abstract The helix-coil transition in a polypeptide is treated in this paper by projection operator techniques of nonequilibrium statistical mechanics. The polypeptide is represented by a one-dimensional Ising spin system whose dynamics is generated by interaction with a heat bath. In the first part of the paper, the relaxation time for the net number of helical monomer units is obtained from a mean-field approximation. We then reformulate the problem, starting with the Liouville equation for the N-spin density operator. By using a time-dependent projection operator, the equation of motion for the density operator of a single spin is derived. This equation is used to investigate the relaxation of a single spin in the absence of dynamical spin correlations. This relaxation law is found to be a Gaussian decay.
Development of an esophagus acellular matrix tissue scaffold.

A cell-extraction protocol yielding an esophagus acellular matrix (EAM) scaffold for use in tissue engineering of an esophagus, including hypotonic lysis, multiple detergent cell extraction steps, and nucleic acid digestion, was developed in a rat model. Histological techniques, burst pressure studies, in vitro esophageal epithelial cell seeding, and in vivo implantation were used to assess cell extraction, extracellular matrix (ECM) preservation, and biocompatibility. Microscopy demonstrated that cell extraction protocols using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) (0.5%, wt/vol) as a detergent resulted in cell-free EAM with retained ECM protein collagen, elastin, laminin, and fibronectin. Burst pressure studies indicated a loss of tensile strength in EAMs, but at intraluminal pressures that were unlikely to affect in vivo application. In vitro cell seeding studies exhibited epithelial cell proliferation with stratification similar to native esophagi after 11 days, and subcutaneously implanted EAMs displayed neov...
Homophily, Selection, and Socialization in Adolescent Friendships

Longitudinal sociometric data on adolescent friendship pairs, friends-to-be, and former friends are examined to assess levels of homophily on four attributes (frequency of current marijuana, use, level of educational aspirations, political orientation, and participation in minor delinquency) at various stages of friendship formation and dissolution. In addition, estimates are developed of the extent to which observed homophily in friendship dyads results from a process of selection (assortative pairing), in which similarity precedes association and the extent to which it results from a process of socialization in which association leads to similarity. The implications of the results for interpreting estimates of peer influence derived from cross-sectional data are discussed.
Structural and Strategic Approaches to Psychosomatic Families

Patterns of relatedness characteristic of psychosomatic families are discussed. A step-wise intervention procedure based on structural and strategic approaches is presented. The goals of the procedure are to establish symptomatic relief and modify concurrently the patterns of relatedness. The procedure is applied to a sample of families in which a child presents with psychogenic abdominal pain. This paper is intended as a detailed and practical guide to working with such families; a degree of generalization is possible, as well.
Emma Goldman, Ben Reitman, and Reitman's wives: A study in relationships

Emma Goldman — Voltarine [l]e Cleyre — Louise Michels — Women Rebels — Angela Balabanoff — Anna Bessant — Maria Breshkovski — Margaret Fuller — Frances Wright — Blatavsky — Florence Nightingale — Madame Curie — Mary Baker Eddy1
Repair of coarctation of the aorta in infancy: Comparison of surgical and balloon angioplasty

Abstract Surgical repair of coarctation of the aorta in infancy has recently been challenged by some investigators who suggest that balloon angioplasty results in a lower mortality rate and similar risk of restenosis. Over a 44-month period, 37 consecutive infants with a mean age of 33 days (median, 15 days; range, 1 to 200 days) and mean and median weight of 3.7 kg (range, 2.4 to 5.4 kg) underwent surgical repair of coarctation of the aorta with either an end-to-end anastamosis (24 patients) or subclavian flap angioplasty (13 patients). There were no operative deaths (95% confidence interval, 0% to 10%). Four patients died late (>30 days) after surgery (11%). Four patients (11%) (95% confidence interval, 3% to 25%) had residual gradients greater than 20 mm Hg. A review of the recent literature on treatment of native coarctation in infants with surgical repair (18 reports, 1189 patients) and balloon angioplasty (8 reports, 57 patients) reveals a similar early mortality rate but a much higher rate of recoarctation in infants who were treated with balloon dilation (57%) as compared with those who underwent surgical repair (14%). Because of the incidence of restenosis, balloon dilation as compared with surgical repair does not yet offer an improved outcome for native coarctation of the aorta in infancy.
Quantitative Electroencephalographic Abnormalities in Fibromyalgia Patients

There is increasing acceptance that pain in fibromyalgia (FM) is a result of dysfunctional sensory processing in the spinal cord and brain, and a number of recent imaging studies have demonstrated abnormal central mechanisms. The objective of this report is to statistically compare quantitative electroencephalogram (qEEG) measures in 85 FM patients with age and gender matched controls in a normative database. A statistically significant sample (minimum 60 seconds from each subject) of artifact-free EEG data exhibiting a minimum split-half reliability ratio of 0.95 and test-retest reliability ratio of 0.90 was used as the threshold for acceptable data inclusion. FM subject EEG data was compared to EEGs of age and gender matched healthy subjects in the Lifespan Normative Database and analyzed using NeuroGuide 2.0 software. Analyses were based on spectral absolute power, relative power and coherence. Clinical evaluations included the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), Beck Depression Inventory and Fischer dolorimetry for pain pressure thresholds. Based on Z-statistic findings, the EEGs from FM subjects differed from matched controls in the normative database in three features: (1) reduced EEG spectral absolute power in the frontal International 10-20 EEG measurement sites, particularly in the low- to mid-frequency EEG spectral segments; (2) elevated spectral relative power of high frequency components in frontal/central EEG measurement sites; and (3) widespread hypocoherence, particularly in low- to mid-frequency EEG spectral segments, in the frontal EEG measurement sites. A consistent and significant negative correlation was found between pain severity and the magnitude of the EEG abnormalities. No relationship between EEG findings and medicine use was found. It is concluded that qEEG analysis reveals significant differences between FM patients compared to age and gender matched healthy controls in a normative database, and has the potential to be a clinically useful tool for assessing brain function in FM patients.
SING SHEN VS. SOUTHWOOD

In 1952 Chinese immigrant Sing Sheng encountered racial discrimination when he tried to purchase a home in the all-white South San Francisco housing tract of Southwood. Sheng, believing that racism could not be the majority sentiment in a democracy, asked white Southwood residents to vote to accept or reject his family. The Shengs lost the unof�cial referendum, but it became national news and created immense sympathy for the family. Many white Americans claimed that housing discrimination against Asian Americans could in�uence Asian nations to reject democracy and embrace communism. The Sheng affair and similar incidents demonstrate that the Cold War improved housing opportunities for California9s Asian Americans, even though many whites perceived them as foreign and continued to discriminate against blacks and Mexican Americans.
Disinfection of respirator tubing: a comparison of chemical versus hot water machine-assisted processing.

Abstract A comparison of machine-assisted chemical disinfection, using a glutaraldehyde solution, and machine-assisted hot water disinfection was made by placing a large inoculum (~10 7 colonies of Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var. anitratus ) in sets of tubing before processing. Machine-assisted chemical processing proved to be the most efficient method with a disinfection failure rate of 6 per cent (two positive tubes out of 35). Machine-assisted hot water processing had a disinfection failure rate of 83 per cent (44 of 53 tubes were not successfully disinfected). Some of the tubes that were disinfection failures were dried in a hot air cabinet after the initial sampling, which further reduced the colony counts in the tubing but did not totally eliminate growth except in one tube. The colony counts after drying, showed that A. anitratus was 15 per cent more sensitive to hot air drying than Ps. aeruginosa , but this was not a statistically significant reduction.
Inhibition of lipemia clearing activity by tissue extracts.

SummaryExtracts of human rabbit tissues inhibited heparin-induced lipemia clearing activity of serum. Extracts of spleen, kidney and liver were strongly inhibitory; those of other organs exercised slight or moderate inhibition. The tissues contained inhibitory components which appear to be associated with proteins since they are nondialyzable, heat-labile and inactivated by trypsin.
Invertibly convergent infinite products of matrices, with applications to difference equations

Abstract The standard definition of convergence of an infinite product of scalars is extended to the infinite product P = П ∞ m=1 B m of k × k matrices; that is, P is convergent according to the definition given here if and only if there is an integer N such that Bm is invertible for m ≥ N and P = lim n→∞ П n m=N (I + A m ) is invertible. Sufficient conditions for this kind of convergence are given. Some of the results seem to be new even for infinite products of scalars. The results are derived by considering related systems of difference equations, and have implications concerning the asymptotic behavior of solutions of these systems.
Confinement of three quarks by infrared singularities

An infrared-divergent interaction previously shown to lead to confinement in the quark-antiquark bound-state problem is used in the three-quark problem. Once again the divergent quark self-energy is canceled by the binding energy, leading to a finite Bethe-Salpeter bound-state equation, only in a color-singlet state. The key to the method is the decomposition of the bound-state amplitude into a sum of three terms, each of which depends on only one energy variable; analysis of the amplitude's pole structure then becomes possible. Confinement is demonstrated and ground-state energy is estimated variationally.
Effective bandwidth and fast simulation of ATM intree networks

Abstract We consider the efficient estimation, via simulation, of very low buffer overflow probabilities in certain acyclic ATM queueing networks. We apply the theory of effective bandwidths and Markov additive processes to derive an asymptotically optimal simulation scheme for estimating such probabilities for a single queue with multiple independent sources, each of which may be either a Markov modulated process or an autoregressive process. This result extends earlier work on queues with either independent arrivals or with a single Markov modulated arrival source. The results are the extended to estimating loss probabilities for intree networks of such queues. Experimental results show that the method can provide many orders of magnitude reduction in variance in complex queueing systems that are not amenable to analysis.
Anastrozole therapy in recurrent ovarian adult granulosa cell tumors: A report of 2 cases

Abstract Background. Ovarian sex cord stromal tumors are frequently hormonally active, and adult granulosa cell tumors often demonstrate estrogen receptor positivity. Thus, hormonal agents have been evaluated as potential treatments for advanced stage or recurrent adult granulosa cell tumors. Case. Two cases of patients with recurrent adult granulosa cell tumors are presented. Each patient received multiple treatment modalities including chemotherapy and had previously progressed on leuprolide. Both patients were started on anastrozole with subsequent normalization of inhibin B levels and clinical exams. They have been maintained on treatment for 14 and 18 months, respectively, and have tolerated the drug without difficulty. Conclusion. Aromatase inhibitors may be a viable treatment option for women with advanced stage or recurrent ovarian adult granulosa cell tumors.
Attenuation by contextual cues of retroactive interference of a conditional discrimination in rats

We investigated the effect of associating unique contextual cues with an interpolated learning task on retroactive interference in long-term memory. Rats were originally trained in a two-bar operant chamber with an auditory conditional discrimination stimulus. During interpolated learning, which occurred in either the original or a new context, some rats were trained on a probability learning task that did not include the auditory stimuli present during original learning. Subsequent retraining on the original conditional discrimination task in the original context showed that (1) significant retroactive interference occurs in rats, and (2) the presence of unique contextual cues during interpolated learning significantly reduces this interference. These results extend the conditions under which the susceptibility to retroactive interference can be altered by contextual cues.
Designing Effective Computer-Based Education to Teach Reading to Nonliterate Adults.

The basic skills learning system is a modularized network of computer-assisted tutorials, drills, tests, printed materials, and videotaped presentations directed at improving the basic reading, math, and language skills of adults who have mastered these skills at a level above third grade but below the eighth. Performance data from demonstration projects in Maryland, Texas, and Minnesota indicate that adult and adolescent learners made significant grade-level gains in reading and math and that dropout rates were reduced from 60% to less than 5% in some adult basic learning centers. These dramatic gains seem directly attributable to computer technology which utilizes effective instructional strategies. The purpose of this paper is to present the instructional rationale used in the design of this learning system and to define some of the teaching strategies which seem to directly impact reading achievement gains.
Seasonal temperature responses to land-use change in the western United States

Abstract In the western United States, more than 79 000 km 2 has been converted to irrigated agriculture and urban areas. These changes have the potential to alter surface temperature by modifying the energy budget at the land–atmosphere interface. This study reports the seasonally varying temperature responses of four regional climate models (RCMs) – RSM, RegCM3, MM5-CLM3, and DRCM – to conversion of potential natural vegetation to modern land-cover and land-use over a 1-year period. Three of the RCMs supplemented soil moisture, producing large decreases in the August mean (− 1.4 to − 3.1 °C) and maximum (− 2.9 to − 6.1 °C) 2-m air temperatures where natural vegetation was converted to irrigated agriculture. Conversion to irrigated agriculture also resulted in large increases in relative humidity (9% to 36% absolute change). Modeled changes in the August minimum 2-m air temperature were not as pronounced or consistent across the models. Converting natural vegetation to urban land-cover produced less pronounced temperature effects in all models, with the magnitude of the effect dependent upon the preexisting vegetation type and urban parameterizations. Overall, the RCM results indicate that the temperature impacts of land-use change are most pronounced during the summer months, when surface heating is strongest and differences in surface soil moisture between irrigated land and natural vegetation are largest.
Calcium Waves Induced by Large Voltage Pulses in Fish Keratocytes

Intracellular calcium waves in fish keratocytes are induced by the application of electric field pulses with amplitudes between 55 and 120 V/cm and full width at half-maximum of 65-100 ms. Calcium concentrations were imaged using two-photon excited fluorescence microscopy (Denk et al., 1990 Science. 248:73-76; Williams et al. 1994 FASEB J. 8:804-813) and the ratiometric calcium indicator indo-1. The applied electric field pulses induced waves with fast calcium rise times and slow decays, which nucleated in the lamellipodium at the hyperpolarized side of the cells and, less frequently, at the depolarized side. The effectiveness of wave generation was determined by the change induced in the membrane potential, which is about half the field strength times the cell width in the direction of the field. Stimulation of waves began at voltage drops across the cell above 150 mV and saturated at voltage drops above 300 mV, where almost all cells exhibited a wave. Waves were not induced in low-calcium media and were blocked by the nonselective calcium channel blockers cobalt chloride and verapamil, but not by specific organic antagonists of voltage-sensitive calcium channel conductance. Thapsigargin stopped wave propagation in the cell body, indicating that calcium release from intracellular stores is necessary. Thus a voltage pulse stimulates Ca2+ influx through calcium channels in the plasma membrane, and if the intracellular calcium concentration reaches a threshold, release from intracellular stores is induced, creating a propagating wave. These observations and the measured parameters (average velocity approximately 66 micron/s and average rise time approximately 68 ms) are consistent with a wave amplification model in which[equation, see text] determines the effective diffusivity of the propagating molecules, D approximately 300 micron2/s (Meyer, 1991. Cell. 64:675-678).
Homi Jehangir Bhabha: remembering a scientist and celebrating his contributions to science, technology, and education in India

The focus of this paper is on the current developments in science education occurring in the posthumously built Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education in Mumbai and to offer context for various indigenous developments that are shaping science education in India today. In this paper, I describe the story of Homi Bhabha and his rich legacy of India’s atomic energy program. Specifically, I focus on the institutions built by Homi Bhabha, including the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and I examine how these institutions have enabled Indian scientists to contribute to the advancement of science knowledge in the world.
Evaluation of the effectiveness of EEG neurofeedback training for ADHD in a clinical setting as measured by changes in T.O.V.A. scores, behavioral ratings, and WISC-R performance.

A study with three component parts was performed to assess the effectiveness of neurofeedback treatment for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The subject pool consisted of 23 children and adolescents ranging in age from 8 to 19 years with a mean of 11.4 years who participated in a 2-to 3-month summer program of intensive neurofeedback training. Feedback was contingent on the production of 16–20 hertz (beta) activity in the absence of 4–8 hertz (theta) activity. Posttraining changes in EEG activity, T.O.V.A. performance, (ADDES) behavior ratings, and WISC-R performance were assessed. Part I indicated that subjects who successfully decreased theta activity showed significant improvement in T.O.V.A. performance; Part II revealed significant improvement in parent ratings following neurofeedback training; and Part III indicated significant increases in WISC-R scores following neurofeedback training. This study is significant in that it examines the effects of neurofeedback training on both objective and subjective measures under relatively controlled conditions. Our findings corroborate and extend previous research, indicating that neurofeedback training can be an appropriate and efficacious treatment for children with ADHD.
Designing a Portable Natural Language Database Query System

One barrier to the acceptance of natural language database query systems is the substantial installation effort required for each new database. Much of this effort involves the encoding of semantic knowledge for the domain of discourse, necessary to correctly interpret and respond to natural language questions. For such systems to be practical, techniques must be developed to increase their portability to new domains.This paper discusses several issues involving the portability of natural language interfaces to database systems, and presents the approach taken in CO-OP — a natural language database query system that provides cooperative responses to English questions and operates with a typical CODA-SYL database system. CO-OP derives its domain-specific knowledge from a lexicon (the list of words known to the system) and the information already present in the structure and content of the underlying database. Experience with the implementation suggests that strategies that are not directly derivative of cognitive or linguistic models may nonetheless play an important role in the development of practical natural language systems.
Physiologic principles of partial extracorporeal circulation for mechanical assistance to the failing heart.

Abstract Partial heart-lung bypass is one form of artificial circulation proposed for assisting the failing heart. Since it involves extracorporeal gas exchanges, respiratory as well as circulatory functions must be considered during the procedure. Our studies reveal that an accurate knowledge of the systemic blood volume is necessary to control the distribution of blood flow between the intracorporeal and extracorporeal circuits. The systemic blood content also influences the pulmonary ventilation. Partial heart-lung bypass can be performed in such a manner that it completely fulfills the metabolic requirements of the body tissues. Whether abnormal hemodynamic conditions in heart failure can be relieved by partial heart-lung bypass after the period of active circulatory assistance is still to be evaluated.
Validating new toxicology tests for regulatory acceptance

Before a new or revised toxicology test is considered acceptable for safety evaluation of new substances, the test users and the industrial and regulatory decision makers must feel comfortable with it, and the decisions it supports. Comfort with, and the acceptance of, a new test comes after knowing that it has been validated for its proposed use. The validation process is designed to determine the operational characteristics of a test, that is, its reliability and relevance, in addition to its strengths and limitations. The reliability of a test is measured by its reproducibility. Its relevance is judged by its mechanistic relationship to the health effects of concern, and its ability to predict or identify those effects. The U.S. government has recently formed the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Alternative Methods (ICCVAM) to work with federal agencies and test developers to coordinate the evaluation and adoption of new test methods. The ICCVAM will provide guidance to agencies and other stakeholders on criteria and processes for development, validation, and acceptance of tests; coordinate technical reviews of proposed new tests of interagency interest; facilitate information sharing among agencies; and serve as an interagency resource and communications link with parties outside of the federal government on matters of test method validation.
Analysis of immobilized cell responses to substrate impulses

The responses of immobilized cells cultivated in a steady-state continuous-flow, completely-mixed fluidized bed reactor (FBR) to a range of monoethylamine (MEA) impulses are evaluated. Responses due to bacterial activities and physical flows are separately estimated using mass balance calculations. The experimental data show that the impulse response, in terms of combined total organic carbon (TOC) utilization and nitrification, spreads over a time period that includes an initial lag phase without bacterial activities, followed by a biodegradation phase that can be MEA-inhibited. The pattern of TOC utilization responses is similar to that according to Andrews kinetics, and MEA inhibition is evident at the loadings >0.12 mg TOC/mg volatile solids (VSs). By comparison, nitrifying bacterial cells are more susceptible to MEA impulses than their heterotrophic counterparts, and nitrification activities are impeded at loadings as low as 0.03 mg TOC/mg VS. The ability of the FBR to retain high immobilized biomass inventories is pivotal to its recovery from MEA impulses, in spite of the low cell activities resulted from the cultivation conditions adopted.
Expression, Purification, and Regulation of Two Isoforms of the Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate 3-Kinase

Abstract The level of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate in the cytoplasm is tightly regulated by two enzymes, the inositol 1,4,5,5-phosphatase and the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate 3-kinase. Two isoforms of the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate 3-kinase have been identified, the A form and the B form. The regulatory properties of the two isoforms were compared following overexpression and purification of the proteins from a v-src transformed mammalian cell line. The highly purified, recombinant inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate 3-kinases were differentially regulated by calcium/calmodulin and via phosphorylation by protein kinase C or the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. Both enzymes had similar affinities for inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (K m 2–5 μm). Calcium/calmodulin stimulated the activity of isoform A about 2.5-fold, whereas the activity of isoform B was increased 20-fold. The cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase phosphorylated the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate 3-kinase A to the extent of 0.9 mol/mol and isoform B to 1 mol/mol. Protein kinase C phosphorylated isoform A to the extent of 2 mol/mol and isoform B to 2.7 mol/mol. Phosphorylation of isoform A by the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase caused a 2.5-fold increase in its activity when assayed in the absence of calcium/calmodulin, whereas phosphorylation by protein kinase C decreased activity by 72%. The activity of isoform B in the absence of calcium/calmodulin was not affected by phosphorylation using either kinase. When assayed in the presence of calcium/calmodulin, phosphorylation of isoform A by the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase increased activity 1.5-fold, whereas phosphorylation of isoform B decreased activity by 45%. Phosphorylation of either isoform A or B by protein kinase C resulted in a 70% reduction of calcium/calmodulin-stimulated activity. Differential expression and regulation of the two inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate 3-kinase isoforms provides multiple mechanisms for regulating the cytosolic level of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate in cells.
Elevated interleukin-6 expression in keloid fibroblasts.

Keloids are characterized by a net accumulation of collagen. To date, the role of growth factors and various cytokines in the pathogenesis of these lesions has not been fully characterized. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is an important immunoregulatory cytokine that has been implicated in a number of fibrotic autoimmune diseases such as scleroderma, interstitial nephritis, and pulmonary interstitial fibrosis. However, the role of IL-6 in the development of keloids has yet to be defined. This study demonstrates increased expression of the IL-6 gene in fibroblasts isolated from patients with keloids when compared with control fibroblasts using the ribonuclease protection assay. Subsequent detection of increased levels of IL-6 secretion by keloid fibroblasts is also demonstrated under unstimulated and stimulated conditions using serum and interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) (unstimulated: 0.3694 + 0.2499 pg/cell vs 0.0662 + 0.0786 pg/cell, P = 0.0137; serum: 1.066 + 0.513 pg/cell vs 0.233 + 0.231 pg/cell, P = 0.0027; serum and IFN-gamma: 1.286 + 0.395 pg/cell vs 0.244 + 0.199 pg/cell, P < 0.0001). These results suggest that IL-6 may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of keloids.
Semiconductor Design Archiving for EDA Tool and Environment-Independent Product Reuse and Re-Creation

This paper describes a recommended set of information that should be gathered and archived during the component design process to facilitate the component-level redesign process.The work presented is based on reverse engineering of many obsolete parts.
A RISC Processor with Redundant LNS Instructions

This paper presents Verilog code and FPGA synthesis results for a 32-bit RISC processor (RAWE) that uses the dual redundant logarithmic number system (DRLNS). A benchmark shows pure-software logarithmic arithmetic can be faster than floating point in some applications. An earlier processor (AWE) doubles that speed using hardware support for unsigned LNS values. In this the modest additional hardware allows the proposed RAWE to do signed multiply accumulate two to three times faster than AWE
Electron Attachment and Detachment Processes in Electronegative Gases

Selected results of recent studies on electron attachment (especially to excited molecules) and detachment processes in electronegative gases are presented and discussed and their relevance to modern technologies is indicated.
Identifying worst performing components in a distribution system using Weibull distribution

A condition based component maintenance scheme for distribution transformers is proposed. The component is analyzed based on its failure modes. Failure modes are defined based on the manufacturer's datasheets, standards / guidelines and historical failure data. Historical failure data is used to determine an importance index (weight) for each failure mode, which is used to calculate the reliability of the component. This work proposes the use of Weibull distribution for failure modes to calculate the statistical reliability model for the component. The potential benefit of this model would be to accurately predict the condition of a component, which will help the utility improve its performance.
Initiation at the third in-frame AUG codon of open reading frame 3 of the hepatitis E virus is essential for viral infectivity in vivo

To determine the initiation strategy of the hepatitis E virus (HEV) open reading frame 3 (ORF3), we constructed five HEV mutants with desired mutations in the ORF1 and ORF2 junction region and tested their levels of in vivo infectivity in pigs. A mutant with a C-terminally truncated ORF3 is noninfectious in pigs, indicating that an intact ORF3 is required for in vivo infectivity. Mutations with substitutions in the first in-frame AUG in the junction region or with the same T insertion at the corresponding position of HEV genotype 4 did not affect the virus infectivity or rescue, although mutations with combinations of the two affected virus recovery efficiency, and a single mutation at the third in-frame AUG completely abolished virus infectivity in vivo, indicating that the third in-frame AUG in the junction region is required for virus infection and is likely the authentic initiation site for ORF3. A conserved double stem-loop RNA structure, which may be important for HEV replication, was identified in the junction region. This represents the first report of using a unique homologous pig model system to study the molecular mechanism of HEV replication and to systematically and definitively identify the authentic ORF3 initiation site.
Scene classification from dense disparity maps in indoor environments

We present our approach for scene classification in dense disparity maps from a binocular stereo system. The classification result is used for tracking and navigation purposes. The presented system is capable of foreground-background separation classifying room structures. The 3D model of the scene is derived directly from the disparity image. This approach is used for initial target selection and scene classification in mobile navigation. It is used on our mobile system for target tracking, but can also be used for localization as described in this paper. We describe the basic principles of our object detection and classification using disparity information from a binocular stereo system. The theoretical derivation is supported by results from the binocular stereo sensor system on our mobile robot.
Utilization of angiography and embolization for abdominopelvic trauma: 14 years' experience at a level I trauma center

OBJECTIVE. The objective of our study was to evaluate the long-term trends in the use of angiography and embolization for abdominopelvic injuries. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Utilization rates for pelvic and abdominal angiography, arterial embolization, and CT were analyzed for trauma patients with pelvic fractures and liver and kidney injuries admitted to a level 1 trauma center from 1996 to 2010. Multivariable linear regression was used to evaluate trends in the use of angioembolization. RESULTS. A total of 9145 patients were admitted for abdominopelvic injuries during the study period. Pelvic angiography decreased annually by 5.0% (95% CI, –6.4% to –3.7%) from 1996 to 2002 and by 1.8% (–2.4% to –1.2%) from 2003 to 2010. Embolization rates for these patients varied from 49% in 1997 to 100% in 2010. Utilization of pelvic CT on the day of admission increased significantly during this period. Abdominal angiography for liver and kidney injuries decreased annually by 3.3% (95% CI, –4.8% to –1.8%) and 2.0% (–4.3% ...
Neurons derived from embryonic stem (ES) cells resemble normal neurons in their vulnerability to excitotoxic death.

Abstract We determined whether embryonic stem (ES) cells could provide a model system for examining neuronal death mediated by glutamate receptors. Although limited evidence indicates that normal neurons can be derived from mouse ES cells, there have been no studies examining pathophysiological responses in mouse ES cell systems. Mouse ES cells, induced down a neural lineage by retinoic acid (RA), were found to have enhanced long-term survival when plated onto a layer of cultured mouse cortical glial cells. In these conditions, the ES cells differentiated into neural cells that appeared normal morphologically and displayed normal features of immunoreactivity when tested for neuron-specific elements. Varying the culture medium generated cultures of mixed neuronal/glial cells or enriched in oligodendrocytes. These cultures were viable for at least four weeks. Real-time PCR analysis of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor subunits revealed an appropriate age-in-vitro dependent pattern of expression. Neurons derived from ES cells were vulnerable to death induced by a 24-h exposure to the selective glutamate receptor agonists NMDA, kainate, and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA). This vulnerability to agonist-induced death increased with age in vitro, and related closely to expression of receptor subunits, as it does in cultured primary neurons. Experiments with selective receptor antagonists showed that glutamate receptors mediated the NMDA- and kainate-induced death. Neuronal differentiated ES cells therefore exhibited an excitotoxic response resembling that displayed by central nervous system (CNS) neurons. Thus, ES cells, which are very amenable to genetic manipulation, provide a valid system for studying glutamate receptor-mediated toxicity at the molecular level.
Successor-invariant first-order logic on finite structures

We consider successor-invariant first-order logic (FO + succ)inv, consisting of sentences Φ involving an “auxiliary” binary relation S such that (𝔞,S1) ⊨ Φ {⋔} (𝔞,S2) ⊨ Φ for all finite structures 𝔞 and successor relations S1,S2 on 𝔞. A successor-invariant sentence Φ has a well-defined semantics on finite structures 𝔞 with no given successor relation: one simply evaluates Φ on (𝔞,S) for an arbitrary choice of successor relation S. In this article, we prove that (FO + succ)inv is more expressive on finite structures than first-order logic without a successor relation. This extends similar results for order-invariant logic [8] and epsilon-invariant logic [10].
A description of Deinonychus antirrhopus bite marks and estimates of bite force using tooth indentation simulations

ABSTRACT We report the discovery of a specimen of Tenontosaurus tilletti from the Cloverly Formation that bears lesions we interpret as bite marks of Deinonychus antirrhopus. Some of the bite marks are in the form of exceptionally deep punctures through the long bone cortices. These provide a rare opportunity to estimate the bite-force capacities of this taxon through tooth indentation simulations. These experiments showed that approximately 4100 N of bite force were required to generate one of the bite marks, and 8200 N would have been generated simultaneously at a distal-most tooth position. These values are higher than those reported for large carnivoran mammals but similar to values recorded for comparably sized crocodilians. Although current evidence does not indicate how D. antirrhopus actually used its claws and teeth to acquire prey resources, it is clear that large individuals were capable of generating forces great enough to bite through bone.
99% External quantum efficiency from a GaAs heterostructure at 100 K

Record external quantum efficiency (99%) is obtained for a GaAs/InGaP heterostructure bonded to a dome lens at 100 K. This was measured using a differential luminescence thermometry technique with temperature resolution ~ 30 muK.
Contacts 3.0: bringing together research and design teams to reinvent the phonebook

We present a narrative of the design of Contacts 3.0, a service and updated phonebook application on a mobile device that combines on-device communication with communication from online social networks to create a central hub for communication on the device. We discuss how research and design teams worked together to create design assets, technical architectures, and business cases around this concept.
Giftedness and Genetics: The Emergenic-Epigenetic Model and Its Implications:

The genetic endowment underlying giftedness may operate in a far more complex manner than often expressed in most theoretical accounts of the phenomenon. First, an endowment may be emergenic. That is, a gift may consist of multiple traits (multidimensional) that are inherited in a multiplicative (configurational), rather than an additive (simple) fashion. Second, the endowment may not appear all at once but, rather, will more likely unfold via an epigenetic process. These 2 complications have consequences regarding such aspects of giftedness as the likelihood of early signs, the appearance of early versus late bloomers, the distribution of giftedness in the general population, and the stability and continuity of gifts over the course of childhood and adolescence. These complexities lead to a 4-fold typology of giftedness that has important practical implications.
No increased mortality risk in older persons with unexplained anaemia

Background: in older persons, anaemia is associated with a number of unfavourable outcomes. In approximately 30% of older persons with anaemia, the cause of the anaemia is unexplained. We assessed the clinical differences between subjects with explained and unexplained anaemia and investigated whether these subjects have different mortality patterns compared with subjects without anaemia. Design: observational prospective follow-up study. Setting: the Leiden 85-plus study. Participants: four hundred and ninety-one persons aged 86 years. Methods: the study population was divided in three groups: (i) no anaemia (reference group, n= 377), (ii) explained anaemia (iron deficiency, folate deficiency, vitamin B12 deficiency, signs of myelodysplastic syndrome or renal failure, n= 74) and (iii) unexplained anaemia, (n= 40). Mortality risks were estimated with Cox-proportional hazard models. Results: haemoglobin levels were significantly lower in subjects with explained anaemia than in subjects with unexplained anaemia (P< 0.01). An increased risk for mortality was observed in subjects with explained anaemia [HR: 1.93 (95% CI: 1.47–2.52), P< 0.001], but not in subjects with unexplained anaemia [HR: 1.19 (95% CI: 0.85–1.69), P= 0.31]. Adjusted analyses (sex, co-morbidity, MMSE, institutionalised and smoking) did not change the observed associations for both explained and unexplained anaemic subjects. Conclusion: older subjects with unexplained anaemia had similar survival compared with non-anaemic subjects. Increased mortality risks were observed in subjects with explained anaemia compared with non-anaemic subjects.
A Custodian Cured the Doctor

Opinions expressed in commentaries are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the American Academy of Pediatrics or its Committees. Commentaries are not peer-reviewed.