cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Contribution Feedstock and Fuel Transportation to Total Fuel-Cycle Energy Use and Emissions

In recent years, various alternative fuels have been proposed and studied for application in motor vehicles. Consequently, fuel-cycle analyses have been conducted to evaluate their energy and emissions effects. In a typical fuel-cycle analysis, feedstock recovery; feedstock transportation and storage; fuel production; and fuel transportation, distribution, and storage are examined. The general belief is that transportation and storage of feedstocks and fuels have small impacts on fuel-cycle results. However, no thorough studies have been conducted to confirm or disprove this belief. Transportation of feedstocks and fuels via different transportation modes requires use of various fuels and generates air pollutant emissions. Storage of liquid and gaseous fuels is subject to fuel losses, which also lead to air pollutant emissions. In fuel-cycle analyses, while feedstock recovery and fuel production have been studied carefully, transportation and storage of feedstocks and fuels are often not studied in detail. As part of a comprehensive fuel-cycle analysis at Argonne National Laboratory, we recently began to characterize transportation modes for different feedstock types, fuel types, production locations, and consumption locations. We collected data on the energy intensities of various transportation modes and the distances traveled for given feedstocks and fuels. We included five transportation modes — ocean tanker, barge, truck, rail, and pipeline — for various feedstocks and fuels. On the basis of the collected data, we estimated energy use and emissions associated with transportation and storage of gasoline, diesel, compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, methanol, ethanol, gaseous and liquid hydrogen, and Fischer-Tropsch diesel. Our assessment indicates that, in some cases, transportation, storage, and distribution (T&S&D) can make a significant contribution to total fuel-cycle energy use and emissions for transportation fuels. For example, nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from T&S&D of gasoline, diesel, liquefied petroleum gas, dimethyl ether, Fischer-Tropsch diesel, and ethanol can comprise over 50% of total upstream emissions. Moreover, when fuel losses are taken into account, T&S&D can contribute over 60% of upstream VOC emissions for gasoline, diesel, liquefied petroleum gas, dimethyl ether, Fischer-Tropsch diesel, and methanol.
The Undiscovered Country: Northern Views of the Defeated South and the Political Background of the Fourteenth Amendment

In 1866, Harper's Weekly announced a new series of woodcuts of Southern life with the remark, "[t]o us the late Slave States seem almost like a newly discovered country." It is difficult for Americans in the Twenty-First Century, in a culture of cable news coverage and national newspapers, to appreciate just how mysterious the former Confederacy seemed to Northerners in the months after Appomattox. It was not simply that four years of war had made communication between the two halves of the nation difficult - though that was true, and both Northern and Southern society had changed during the searing years of war in ways that people in the other region could hardly imagine. More important was the brute historical fact that there had not been a nation before 1861. The North and South had always been separate societies, socially incompatible, culturally different, and mutually incomprehensible. Now, for the first time, the two halves were to become part of one whole, and Northerners found themselves wondering what their new countrymen were like, and how they planned to behave in the new nation forged by war.
Structure prediction of a putative restriction endonuclease (AbaSORF13P) from Acinetobacter baumannii SDF

Restriction enzymes represent a class of endonucleases that cleave DNA in a specific manner. They are widely used in recombinant DNA technology and known as molecular scissors. In this communication, a putative restriction endonucleases from (Acinetobacter baumannii SDF) was identified in NCBI database, and characterized for biophysical properties, sequence homology and a structural modeling. This putative restriction enzyme (AbaSORF13P) shows Molecular Mass equal to 41kDa with high content of aromatics amino acids. In homology search, the enzyme was found to be a member of PLD superfamily. It showed very high sequence similarity with known restriction enzymes BmrI and BfiI. The tertiary structure of the enzyme was determined on the basis homology modeling at SWISS-MODEL workspace using BfiI as the template. The enzyme was found to the made up of two subunits joined together in an asymmetric manner. These studies confirm, restriction endonuclease like behavior of the hypothetical protein, and these findings will be very important in characterization of the enzyme in vitro.
Editorial practice in Smaragdus of St Mihiel's commentary on the Rule of St Benedict

This paper examines the editorial principles that guided Smaragdus of St Mihiel (fl. 809–26) in the composition of his commentary on the Rule of St Benedict. Scholars in the late eighth and early ninth centuries actively engaged in an official programme of educational reform that called for the production of accurate texts. Smaragdus' commentary provides a valuable witness to this movement, revealing how scholars applied grammatical and doctrinal criteria to root out errors in the manuscript tradition. Smaragdus' concern with the monastic life also draws attention to the importance of considerations of practice and observance in the pursuit of textual authority.
Social and Cognitive Skills Training: An Antidote for Adolescent Acting Out

Aggression, delinquency, and other forms of acting-out are examples of maladaptive behavior that seem particularly interpretable as failures in information-processing. Such behavior occurs when the individual’s skills in interpreting and responding to situational demands, constraints, and opportunities are not commensurate with calls for action. Calls for action are challenges with which the individual feels it is necessary to deal. They vary in urgency and become stressful when they lead to such cognitions as “I’m on the spot” and “I’ve got to do something,” and when success is not certain.
Mathematical model for the irradiance probability density function of a laser beam propagating through turbulent media

We develop a model for the probability density function (pdf) of the irradiance fluctuations of an optical wave propagating through a turbulent medium. The model is a two-parameter distribution that is based on a doubly stochastic theory of scintillation that assumes that small-scale irradiance fluctuations are modulated by large-scale irradi- ance fluctuations of the propagating wave, both governed by indepen- dent gamma distributions. The resulting irradiance pdf takes the form of a generalized K distribution that we term the gamma-gamma distribution. The two parameters of the gamma-gamma pdf are determined using a recently published theory of scintillation, using only values of the refractive-index structure parameter C n (or Rytov variance) and inner scale l 0 provided with the simulation data. This enables us to directly calculate various log-irradiance moments that are necessary in the scaled plots. We make a number of comparisons with published plane wave and spherical wave simulation data over a wide range of turbu- lence conditions (weak to strong) that includes inner scale effects. The gamma-gamma pdf is found to generally provide a good fit to the simu- lation data in nearly all cases tested. © 2001 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumen-
Semi-automated risk estimation using large databases: quinolones and clostridium difficile associated diarrhea†

Purpose The availability of large databases with person time information and appropriate statistical methods allow for relatively rapid pharmacovigilance analyses. A semi-automated method was used to investigate the effect of fluoroquinolones on the incidence of C. difficile associated diarrhea (CDAD). Methods Two US databases, an electronic medical record (EMR) and a large medical claims database for the period 2006–2007 were evaluated using a semi-automated methodology. The raw EMR and claims datasets were subject to a normalization procedure that aligns the drug exposures and conditions using ontologies; Snowmed for medications and MedDRA for conditions. A retrospective cohort design was used together with matching by means of the propensity score. The association between exposure and outcome was evaluated using a Poisson regression model after taking into account potential confounders. Results A comparison between quinolones as the target cohort and macrolides as the comparison cohort produced a total of 564 797 subjects exposed to a quinolone in the claims data and 233 090 subjects in the EMR. They were matched with replacement within six strata of the propensity score. Among the matched cohorts there were a total of 488 and 158 outcomes in the claims and the EMR respectively. Quinolones were found to be twice more likely to be significantly associated with CDAD than macrolides adjusting for risk factors (IRR 2.75, 95%CI 2.18–3.48). Conclusions Use of a semi-automated method was successfully applied to two observational databases and was able to rapidly identify a potential for increased risk of developing CDAD with quinolones. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Structural Determinants for the Differences in Voltage Gating of Chicken Cx56 and Cx45.6 Gap-Junctional Hemichannels

The voltage- and calcium-dependent gating properties of two lens gap-junctional hemichannels were compared at the macroscopic and single channel level. In solutions containing zero added calcium and 1 mM Mg, chicken Cx56 hemichannels were mostly closed at negative potentials and application of depolarizing voltage clamp steps elicited a slowly activating outward current. In contrast, chicken Cx45.6 hemichannels were predominantly open at negative potentials and rapidly closed in response to application of large depolarizing potentials. Another difference was that macroscopic Cx45.6 currents were much smaller in size than the hemichannel currents induced by oocytes with similar amounts of cRNA for Cx56. The aim of this study was to identify which regions of the connexins were responsible for the differences in voltage-dependent gating and macroscopic current amplitude by constructing a series of chimeric Cx45.6-Cx56 channels. Our results show that two charged amino acids that are specific for the α3-group connexins (R9 in the N-terminus and E43 in the first extracellular loop) are important determinants for the difference in voltage-dependent gating between Cx45.6 and Cx56 hemichannels; the first transmembrane-spanning domain, M1, is an important determinant of macroscopic current magnitude; R9 and E43 are also determinants of single channel conductance and rectification.
Influence of tallow and Aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract in dairy cattle rations.

Objectives were to determine the effects of adding 3 g/d of Aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract to diets with or without 5.6% added tallow. Twenty-eight Holstein cows (mean = 98 d of lactation) were assigned to a randomized block experiment in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Treatments were the basal diet 1) without tallow or extract, 2) with extract but no tallow, 3) with tallow but no extract, and 4) with tallow and extract. Milk production, dry matter intake, 3.5% fat corrected milk, digestibility of neutral detergent fiber in the total tract were depressed for cows fed tallow. Addition of fermentation extract did not stimulate fiber digestion or milk production of cows fed diets with or without fat. Addition of extract did not overcome depression of fiber digestibility by cows fed tallow.
OLED-polypropylene bio-CD sensor

With the goal of developing microfluidic platforms for sensing applications, flash-free micro patterns were embossed in polypropylene surfaces with ultrasonic heating for a biosensing lab-on-CD application. The embossed features were designed to act as reservoirs, valves, and reaction chambers to allow, in combination with a compact sensing platform, the monitoring of analyte levels using a standard PC-CD player. To generate the compact sensor, as an example, we chose the photoluminescence (PL)-based detection of lactate and glucose using an OLED-based sensing platform. Once embossed, the surface energy of the plastic substrate was chemically modified to make it hydrophilic. Reagents, placed in separate reservoirs, were directed through burst valves towards a reaction chamber via CD rotation. Lactate or glucose were monitored by measuring the effect of the related dissolved oxygen level on the PL decay time of an oxygen-sensitive dye, following analyte oxidation catalyzed by a suitable specific oxidase enzyme. The results demonstrate the potential of integrating OLEDs as excitation sources in PL-based sensors with microfluidic CD-based platforms, including for simultaneous multiple analyses.
Addition of S-H bonds across electron-deficient olefins catalyzed by well-defined copper(I) thiolate complexes.

A series of monomeric (NHC)Cu(SR) (R = Ph or CH2Ph; NHC = N-heterocyclic carbene) complexes have been synthesized and fully characterized including single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. These complexes catalyze the addition of S−H bonds across electron-deficient olefins to regioselectively produce “anti-Markovnikov” products.
Metabolites and some characteristics of the metabolism of 3H-digoxigenin by rat liver homogenates

Abstract 3 H-digoxigenin is metabolized by rat liver homogenates to 3 H-3-epidigoxigenin and 3 H-3-dehydrodigoxigenin. Maximum conversion occurs after approximately 80 min of incubation. The amount of each metabolite which accumulates depends on the amount of NADP + added to the incubation mixture. No formation of more polar metabolites was observed, indicating that a microsomal hydroxylating system may not be operative in the metabolism of digoxigenin.
Trichloroacetic acid: Updated estimates of its bioavailability and its contribution to trichloroethylene-induced mouse hepatomegaly

Trichloroacetic acid (TCA) is a common drinking water disinfection byproduct that produces a spectrum of liver effects, including hepatomegaly and liver tumors, in mice. It is also an oxidative metabolite of trichloroethylene (TCE), a solvent used in degreasing with widespread environmental exposure, which also produces hepatomegaly and liver tumors in mice. Physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling of TCE and TCA can be used to quantitatively compare the dose-responses for hepatomegaly for these two chemicals on the basis of internal TCA dose, and thereby test the hypothesis that TCA could fully explain TCE-induced hepatomegaly. Previously, using a PBPK model calibrated using kinetic data from i.v. and gavage dosing of TCA and from TCA produced from TCE, it was concluded that TCA accounted for only about one-fifth of the degree of hepatomegaly produced by TCE. However, recently available data suggest a non-linear change in internal TCA dose attributed to a dose-dependent fractional absorption of TCA administered in drinking water, the primary route of exposure of TCA both environmentally and in experimental toxicity studies. Therefore, in the present reanalysis, the PBPK modeling of TCA was updated using these data and the comparison between TCA- and TCE-induced hepatomegaly was revisited using updated internal dose predictions. With respect to updated PBPK modeling results, incorporating less than complete absorption of TCA administered in drinking water substantially improves the PBPK model fit to the newly available data, based on goodness-of-fit comparison. However, inter-experimental variability is high, with nearly complete absorption estimated for some studies. With respect to the comparison of TCA and TCA-induced hepatomegaly, this reanalysis predicts that TCA can account for roughly one-third to one-half of the effect observed with TCE - greater than previously reported, but still inconsistent with TCA being the sole active moiety for this effect. However, given uncertainty as to the precise degree of contribution of TCA and due to high inter-experimental variability in estimated fractional absorption, a more precise quantitative estimate of the relative contribution of TCA may obtained through an appropriate experiment in mice simultaneously measuring TCA kinetics and TCE- and TCA-induced hepatomegaly.
Data recording using one-dimensional holography

Abstract Data in a one-dimensional object format has been stored and reconstructed in one-dimensional holograms on stationary and moving film. In the case of moving film a cw rather than a pulsed laser is used, with the light modulated only by changes in the object. This simplifies the recording configuration considerably. The possibility of using a random diffuser in front of the object is not obvious but is important in that it shows a page composer object need not be phase coherent. The theoretical background and experimental results, including results using a high-speed ferroelectric page composer, are presented.
TAG-1/axonin-1 is a high-affinity ligand of neurocan, phosphacan/protein-tyrosine phosphatase-ζ/β, and N-CAM

Abstract Proteoglycans appear to play an important role in modulating cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions during nervous tissue histogenesis. The nervous tissue-specific chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans neurocan and phosphacan/protein-tyrosine phosphatase-η/β were found to be high-affinity ligands of the neural cell adhesion molecule TAG-1/axonin-1, with dissociation constants of 0.3 nM and 0.04 nM, respectively. Phosphacan binding was decreased by ∼70% following chondroitinase treatment, whereas binding of neurocan was not affected. The contribution of chondroitin sulfate chains to the binding of neurocan and phosphacan to TAG-1/axonin-1 is therefore the opposite of that previously observed for their binding to two other Ig-superfamily neural cell adhesion molecules, Ng-CAM/L1 and N-CAM. Moreover, whereas phosphacan interactions with certain proteins are mediated at least in part by N-linked oligosaccharides on the proteoglycan, N-deglycosylation of phosphacan had no effect on its binding to TAG-1/axonin-1. In addition to the chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans described above, we have demonstrated that N-CAM is a high-affinity ligand of TAG-1/axonin-1 (Kd ∼1 nM), and specific binding of TAG-1/axonin-1 to tenascin-C was also observed (Kd ∼9 nM). Immunocytochemical studies of embryonic and early postnatal nervous tissue showed an overlapping localization of TAG-1/axonin-1 with all four of these ligands, further supporting the biological significance of their ability to interact in vitro.
Meiotic Chromosomes Move by Linkage to Dynamic Actin Cables with Transduction of Force through the Nuclear Envelope

Chromosome movement is prominent during meiosis. Here, using a combination of in vitro and in vivo approaches, we elucidate the basis for dynamic mid-prophase telomere-led chromosome motion in budding yeast. Diverse findings reveal a process in which, at the pachytene stage, individual telomere/nuclear envelope (NE) ensembles attach passively to, and then move in concert with, nucleus-hugging actin cables that are continuous with the global cytoskeletal actin network. Other chromosomes move in concert with lead chromosome(s). The same process, in modulated form, explains the zygotene "bouquet" configuration in which, immediately preceding pachytene, chromosome ends colocalize dynamically in a restricted region of the NE. Mechanical properties of the system and biological roles of mid-prophase movement for meiosis, including recombination, are discussed.
Histidine and aspartate phosphorylation: two-component systems and the limits of homology

Autophosphorylating histidine kinase and response-regulator domains constitute the building blocks of two-component signaling systems. These systems use a unique phosphotransfer chemistry to regulate many aspects of bacterial physiology. Homologous systems are now being found in eukaryotes. Despite their common mechanism of phosphotransfer, the two-component systems display an extensive diversity in the arrangement of their domains, and flexibility in their roles in different signal transduction circuits.
Transport of capillary condensate

Abstract When capillary condensation occurs in microporous media due to vapor pressure lowering, the transport mechanism of such condensable vapors becomes very complicated. Some portions are transported in the gas phase while other portions may be transported in an adsorbed phase and/or condensed phase. Experimental results and theoretical interpretations of flow of capillary condensate in the literature are so diversified that in some cases they appear to contradict each other. In the present study, a theoretical model was developed based on the concept of equivalent cylindrical capillaries. There are six different ways to form a capillary condensate in a pore, depending on how the pressure is distributed along the flow path. These different conditions are characterized by domain theory. The important point of this theory lies in the fact that it can produce both results: one with monotonic increasing permeability, and the other with maximum peak permeability when plotted as a function of pressure. Computations were carried out using the overall resistance to transport, which consists of individual resistance of condensate, vapor phase, adsorbed phase, and menisci. It is shown that the interfacial resistances across the menisci play an important role, especially when there is a temperature drop. Experimental studies were also conducted for the flow of ethane, n-butane, and carbon dioxide through Vycor porous glass at various temperatures and pressures. The permeabilities of these vapors increase with mean pressure until they go through maxima, then abruptly decrease much before the saturated vapor pressures are reached. However, above the critical temperature, the permeabilities change very little with pressure as high as 800 psig. This fact strongly indicates that capillary condensation is extremely important in transport of condensable vapors through porous media.
Elevated prothrombin results in clots with an altered fiber structure: a possible mechanism of the increased thrombotic risk

Individuals with elevated prothrombin levels are at increased risk of venous thrombosis. To understand the mechanism behind this observation, we studied the effect of prothrombin concentration on thrombin generation and fibrin clot structure. The pattern of thrombin generation was directly related to the prothrombin level at all concentrations tested. From 0% to 300% of normal plasma levels of prothrombin, increasing the prothrombin concentration increased the initial rate, peak, and total amount of thrombin generated. Importantly, fibrin clot structure was also affected by the prothrombin concentration. Fibrin clots made from prothrombin concentrations less than 10% of plasma levels were weak and poorly formed. Fibrin clots made at 10% to 100% of plasma levels of prothrombin had similar fiber structures (mass-to-length ratio; mu). However, the fiber mass-to-length ratio decreased with increasing prothrombin levels more than 100% of plasma levels, in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that increased levels of prothrombin alter thrombin generation and clot structure. Specifically, elevated prothrombin levels produce clots with reduced fibrin mass-to-length ratios compared with normal clots. We hypothesize that this alteration in fibrin clot structure is an important determinant of the risk of thrombosis.
Commentary. Gaps in public knowledge of peripheral arterial disease: The first national PAD public awareness survey.

The study by Hirsch et al is a cross-sectional, population-based telephone survey of 2501 adults greater than 50 years of age, with oversampling of blacks and Hispanics, to measure the public awareness of lower-extremity peripheral arterial disease (PAD), its relationship to other kinds of vascular disease, and the risk factors associated with its cause. The authors concluded that the general public is poorly informed about PAD, with only 25% of respondents expressing familiarity with the entity, about one fourth aware of its association with stroke and heart attack, and fewer than one half appreciating the risk factors associated with PAD. Patient cohorts at highest risk for PAD (the elderly and minorities) were the least well informed. The authors offered these data as a population-based baseline in which to measure future national efforts toward public education.
PROLIFERATION OF CULTURED LIVER CELLS IN THE PRESENCE OF LYSINE AND ARGININE SALTS OF FATTY ACIDS.

Abstract The growth response, or DNA synthesis, by cultured human liver cells in a complete medium was studied in the presence of surface active, water soluble, lysine and arginine salts of fatty acids. At the levels tested (0.2, 0.4, and 0.8 mM) stimulation was absent in all cultures, and growth inhibition was highest at the 0.8 mM concentration. Maximum growth suppression by the saturated fatty acids was produced by the laurate of both lysine and arginine. Inhibition progressively declined as the saturated carbon chain became longer or shorter. The most destructive supplement was 0.8 mM lysine linoleate, though toxicity was barely apparent at the 0.4 mM level. All the salts tested, with fatty acid chains of 8 to 18 carbons, manifested the accumulation of intracytoplasmic fat granules which began to dissipate on the second day.
Mitogenic signaling from P1 and P2 purinergic receptors to mitogen- activated protein kinase in human fetal astrocyte cultures

Abstract To investigate potential trophic actions of extracellular ATP in human astrocytes, we have examined mitogenic signaling by purinergic receptors in cultures prepared from first trimester rostral central nervous system tissue. We found that ATP and ATP γ S, a hydrolysis-resistant analog, stimulated DNA synthesis, thereby indicating that P2 purinergic receptors can stimulate mitogenic signaling in these cells. In addition, ATP activated a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) termed ERK (extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase), a key component of signal transduction pathways involved in cellular proliferation and differentiation. The activation of MAPK was mediated at least in part by P2 purinergic receptors, because a P2 purinoceptor antagonist, suramin, inhibited the ATP-evoked stimulation by 50%, whereas a P1 purinergic-receptor antagonist, 8-(para-sulfonphenyl)-theophylline, was without effect. In contrast to rat astrocytes, adenosine/P1 purinergic-receptor agonists, 2-chloroadenosine and 5′-N-ethylcarboxyamidoadenosine, stimulated MAPK activity and DNA synthesis in human astrocytes. A selective inhibitor of protein kinase C, Ro 31–8220, blocked the ability of ATP and adenosine analogs to stimulate MAPK, thereby indicating that protein kinase C is upstream of MAPK in both P2- and P1-receptor signaling pathways. An inhibitor of the MAPK activator MEK, PD 098059, effectively blocked ATP- and 2-chloroadenosine-induced DNA synthesis, thereby indicating that the ERK/MAPK cascade mediates mitogenic signaling by P2 and P1 purinergic receptors in human fetal astrocytes. These findings suggest a role for P1 and P2 purinergic receptors in the proliferation of human fetal astrocytes.
Should values clarification be a goal or death education

Values clarification is often cited as a goal of death education. Related research has shown this process to be an effective educational methodology. Nonetheless, some distinct philosophical and practical problems have been associated with the values clarification process. This manuscript identifies some of these problems and outlines guidelines for the effective use of value clarification in the death education curriculum.
Distributional convergence of M-estimators under unusual rates

Abstract Usually the rate of convergence of M-estimators is n 1 2 . Kim and Pollard (1990) showed that several estimators have a rate of convergence n 1 3 . Here, we will see that other rates are also possible. This is applied to the study of the convergence of the Lp-medians for 0 1 2 .
State agricultural experiment stations and the development of the west, 1887–1920: A look at the sources

Abstract The early advances in agricultural science coincided with the growth of the West, and that region provided many unique challenges to science. In the development of both agricultural science and the West, the agricultural experiment station was an important contributor to the many and rapid changes that occurred during the late 19th-early 20th centuries. This article discusses representative records available to scholars to study the federal research complex, consisting of state, national, and cooperative institutions, of which the agricultural experiment stations were a part. The article considers only the scientific role of the stations and not their other assigned functions. The extension role, in particular, is not discussed. Consisting of manuscripts, journals, bulletins, proceedings, and newspapers, the records become more voluminous as one moves from the individual stations to the national and cooperative levels and particularly more varied as one moves from the work of the individual stations to the general topic of agricultural science.
Reliability of the Factor Structure of the Wagner and Morse Competence Index

The replicability of the a priori four-factor structure of the Wagner and Morse (1975) sense of competence index was examined across two samples of public employees (N1 = 362, N2 = 484). Results indicate that the factor structure of the measure is highly reproducible across different samples and settings, but for only three rather than four factors. Implications are discussed.
Efficacy of lactase-treated milk for lactose-intolerant pediatric patients.

L'addition de lactose, une β-galactosidase derivee d'Aspergillus oryzae, juste avant son ingestion, a du lait entier, est apparue efficace pour reduire les symptomes d'intolerance au lactose et la production d'hydrogene respiratoire chez les 60 enfants de 3 a 16 ans testes; cout peu important; pas d'effets secondaires notables
Aluthge Transforms of Complex Symmetric Operators

If $$T = U\mid T\mid$$ denotes the polar decomposition of a bounded linear operator T, then the Aluthge transform of T is defined to be the operator $$\tilde{T} = {\mid}T{\mid}^\frac{1}{2}U {\mid}T{\mid}^\frac{1}{2}$$ . In this note we study the relationship between the Aluthge transform and the class of complex symmetric operators (T iscomplex symmetric if there exists a conjugate-linear, isometric involution $$C : {\mathcal{H}} \rightarrow {\mathcal{H}}$$ so that T = CT*C). In this note we prove that: (1) the Aluthge transform of a complex symmetric operator is complex symmetric, (2) if T is complex symmetric, then $$(\tilde{T})^*$$ and $$\widetilde{(T^*)}$$ are unitarily equivalent, (3) if T is complex symmetric, then $$\tilde{T} = T$$ if and only if T is normal, (4) $$\tilde{T} = 0$$ if and only if T 2 = 0, and (5) every operator which satisfies T 2 = 0 is necessarily complex symmetric.
CsLiB6O10: A noncentrosymmetric polyborate

Abstract The new polyborate CsLiB6O10 has been synthesized and its structure determined by the single crystal X-ray diffraction methods. It crystallizes with four formula units in the noncentrosymmetric tetragonal space group 142d in a cell of dimensions a = 10.460(1)A˚, c = 8.955(2)A˚, and V = 979.8(3)A˚3. The structure was determined from 380 unique reflections and refined to the final residuals R = 0.029 and Rw = 0.039. The borate framework is characterized by a full condensation of B3O7 rings. Eight-coordinate Cs atoms and four-coordinate Li atoms lie in tunnels that extend along the a and c axes. The magnitude of the second-harmonic signal produced with a 1064nm laser beam is 160 % of that observed from KDP (KH2PO4).
The bamA gene for anaerobic ring fission is widely distributed in the environment

Benzoyl-CoA is the signature central metabolite associated with the anaerobic metabolism of a diverse range of compounds such as humic acid, lignin, amino acids, and industrial chemicals. Aromatic chemicals with different upstream degradation pathways all funnel into the downstream benzoyl-CoA pathway. Different genes encoding enzymes of the benzoyl-CoA pathway could be used as biomarkers for the anaerobic benzoyl-CoA pathway, however, the ring opening hydrolase, encoded by the bamA gene, is ideal because it is detected under a range of respiratory conditions, including under denitrifying, iron-reducing, sulfate-reducing, and fermentative conditions. This work evaluated DNA samples from six diverse environments for the presence of the bamA gene, and had positive results for every sample. Individual bamA gene clones from these sites were compared to published genome sequences. The clone sequences were distributed amongst the genome sequences, although there were clone sequences from two of the analyzed sites that formed a unique clade. Clone sequences were then grouped by site and analyzed with a functional operational taxonomic unit based clustering program to compare the bamA gene diversity of these sites to that of several locations reported in the literature. The results showed that the sequence diversity of the sites separated into two clusters, but there was no clear trend that could be related to the site characteristics. Interestingly, two pristine freshwater sites formed a subgroup within one of the larger clusters. Thus far the bamA gene has only been examined within the context of contaminated environments, however, this study demonstrates that the bamA gene is also detected in uncontaminated sites. The widespread presence of the bamA gene in diverse environments suggests that the anaerobic benzoyl-CoA pathway plays an important role in the global carbon cycle that has thus far been understudied.
Single Molecule Dynamic Transduction by Carbon Nanotube Circuits

Nanoscale electronic devices like field-effect transistors (FETs) have long promised to provide sensitive, label-free detection of biomolecules. In particular, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) have the requisite sensitivity to detect single molecule events, and have sufficient bandwidth to directly monitor single molecule dynamics in real time. Recent measurements have demonstrated this premise by monitoring the dynamic, single-molecule processivity of three different enzymes: lysozyme, protein kinase A, and the Klenow Fragment of polymerase I. Initial successes in each case indicated the generality and attractiveness of SWNT FETs as a new tool to complement other single molecule techniques. However, further generalization of the SWNT FET technique demands reliable design rules that can predict the success and applicability of these devices. Here, we address this need by focusing on the transduction mechanisms that link enzyme processivity to electrical signal generation in a SWNT FET. Using ten different lysozyme variants synthesized by mutagenesis, we systematically dissect the enzyme-SWNT interaction in order to understand this transduction. The data prove that mechanical displacements of charged functionalities near the SWNT attachment site are the primary sources of transduction, and that the resulting devices are sensitive enough to track the motions of just one charged amino acid. The purposeful incorporation of a charged group at a particular location allows the device to be designed to have sensitivity to particular chemical activities or allosterically-driven mechanical motions. The findings provide rules for the creation of similarly effective nanocircuits using a wide range of enzymes or proteins.
Photophysics of Metal Nanoparticles: Heat Dissipation and Coherent Excitation of Phonon Modes

Ultrafast laser excitation of metal nanoparticles can create temperature increases of many hundreds of Kelvin. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of our recent experimental studies of heat dissipation and the coherent generation of acoustic phonon modes in the particles. Our results show that the rate of heat dissipation depends on the surface area of the particles, and that both impulsive lattice heating and hot-electron pressure contribute to phonon excitation. The measured periods also depend on the pump laser intensity: higher intensities yield slower periods. This softening of the coherently excited phonon modes is due to the temperature dependence of the elastic constants of the particles.
Behavioral and neurochemical studies on the anticonflict actions of buspirone

A series of behavioral and neurochemical studies were performed in order to determine if buspirone (or an active metabolite of this compound) could perturb a component of the γ-aminobutyric (GABA)-benzodiazepine receptor-chloride ionophore complex. In confirmation of previous findings, buspirone was shown to have anticonflict actions in both the rat and monkey. However, in these tests, buspirone was not as efficacious as benzodiazepines in producing an anticonflict action. The benzodiazepine receptor antagonists CGS 8216 and Ro 15–1788 did not reverse the anticonflict actions of buspirone. Small but statistically significant increases in the binding of [3H]diazepam to brain were observed in vivo after doses of buspirone which are active in the “thirsty rat conflict” test. However, a similar change was not observed in the ex vivo binding of [3H]flunitrazepam. These observations suggest that a metabolite of buspirone may perturb some component of the GABA-benzodiazepine receptor-chloride ionophore complex in an indirect fashion. Further work is necessary to determine whether a causal relationship exists between the changes in [3H]diazepam binding observed in vivo and the anticonflict actions of buspirone.
Photochromic Cross-Links in Thermoresponsive Hydrogels of Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide): Enthalpic and Entropic Consequences on Swelling Behavior

The preparation and properties of thermosensitive gels of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) cross-linked with azoaromatic chromophores were investigated. Polymer gels were prepared with different concentration of the cross-linking agent, 4,4‘-di[2-methacryloylamide]azobenzene (DMAAB). The gels were optically transparent and possessed a high absorption for ultraviolet light. Characterization of the equilibrium swelling in water revealed that an increase in cross-linking density caused a shift in the volume phase transition to lower temperatures. This shift in the transition temperature (Tc) was interpreted to arise from an increase in the unfavorable interactions between the solvent (water) and the polymer network due to the azoaromatic cross-links. A high cross-linker concentration also resulted in a decrease in the degree of equilibrium swelling due to an increase in the topological constraints of the PNIPAM chains. Below Tc, the shrinking dynamics of the PNIPAM gels with photochromic cross-links foll...
Effects of inflammation on cholesterol metabolism: Impact on systemic lupus erythematosus

Inflammation and dysregulated cholesterol metabolism are key components in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Premature atherosclerosis is a characteristic feature of systemic lupus erythematosus. Although the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying accelerated atherogenesis in lupus are not thoroughly understood, inflammation associated with the rheumatic disease state may promote atherosclerosis. Increasing evidence indicates that the systemic inflammatory load in lupus disrupts cholesterol homeostasis, increasing vulnerability to cholesterol accumulation in cells of the artery wall, including macrophages and endothelium. The relationship between the inflammatory state and dyslipidemia in lupus is complex, involving lipoproteins, cholesterol transporters, scavenger receptors, and oxysterols. The impact of lupus on each of these components of the cholesterol flux pathways is discussed. The formation of autoantibodies against epitopes within lipoprotein particles and their controversial role in atherogenesis is addressed.
Resonant short-pulse effects on nuclear motion in the electronic ground state

Abstract We investigate several approximate treatments of the pulse propagators describing the effects of electronically resonant ultrashort light pulses on the states of molecules in condensed phases, including the classical Franck approximation and a quadratic Hamiltonian treatment. Using a Morse oscillator model of iodine, we examine the effects of the initial form and motion of the pump-induced nuclear density matrix increment on pump-probe signals. We also clarify the conditions of high temperature and short-pulse duration under which the contribution of nuclear dynamics in the electronic ground state to a pump-probe signal will bear a definite sign.
Structures and chemistry of the annealed SrTiO3(001) surface

Surface structures and chemistry of the annealed SrTiO3(001) have been studied by scanning tunneling microscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy. Our STM results show that islands arc formed on an originally smooth surface after annealing in ultra high vacuum at a temperature of 1300°C. Tunneling spectra show that the islands exhibit a different electronic structure than that of SrTiO3, with an apparent bandgap of 6 eV rather than 3.2 eV. Auger electron spectroscopy indicates that annealing yields strontium enrichment at the surface. The nature of the islands and change of surface chemistry are discussed in terms of correlation of the STM and Auger results.
On the nature of formic acid adsorption at platinum electrodes in perchloric acid solution

Abstract The adsorption of formic acid was studied on smooth platinum in 1 N HClO 4 at 0·2 V as a function of time at different bulk concentrations of formic acid at 25°. Conditions could be kept such that an appreciable amount of intermediates or side products were not formed. Small volumes of HCOOH were added rapidly to 1 N HClO 4 at 0·2 V under vigorous nitrogen stirring. It is shown that the adsorbed species are HCOOH molecules in the present case and also under voltammetric conditions at a sweep of 30 mV/s.
Hematuria and pleural effusion following parotid tumor

JOHN D. BIRKHOFF, M.D . I : This was the first admission to Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center for this forty-three-year-old white, married, male lawyer with a history of gross hematuria of eight days' duration . Two weeks prior to admission, the patient underwent excision of a right parotid tumor at another hospital which was diagnosed as a Warthin tumor . Surgery was uneventful, but during convalescence, gross hematuria developed, painless at first but later with intermittent left flank pain . An intravenous pyelogram (IVP) showed a left lower pole mass, and the patient was transferred to Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center for evaluation. lie denied any prior urologic symptoms, abnormal urinalyses, or tuberculosis exposure. Of note in his history, was that he smoked 20 cigarets per day for twenty-five years . On admission, his temperature was normal, and examination of his skin and nodes was unremarkable . A healing scar was noted from excision of his right parotid tumor with a small salivary fistula . His abdominal examination revealed significant left flank and left upper quadrant abdominal tenderness without distention or peritoneal signs . His admission hematocrit was 38 and white blood cell count 11,000 . Urinalysis confirmed gross hematuria without pyuria ; his urine was sterile . Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was 51 ,mo ./
Nonlinear fracture mechanics of piezoelectric ceramics

The reliable performance of piezoelectric ceramics in smart structures is hampered by the propagation of cracks from microflaws in the devices. Discrepancies between experimental and analytical results indicate that the established linear theory is insufficient to characterize the cracking behavior of these materials. In fact, the direct extension of linear elastic fracture mechanics to coupled electromechanical problems cannot even reproduce the overall trends observed in the laboratory. In the interest of developing a fundamental understanding of piezoelectric fracture, we present a physics-based analytical model which accounts for nonlinear material response to applied electric fields. By adopting a multiscale viewpoint, the mechanical and electrical singularities at the crack trip are separated. At the local length scale, nonlinear electrical behavior is explained in terms of the effects of discrete electric dipoles, and the crack driving force is altered by the resulting interaction forces. A closed-form expression is obtained for the local energy release rate, which is independent of the exact distribution of dipoles. The model is general enough to account for arbitrary material anisotropy and crystal orientation, for any mechanical or electrical mode of cracking. Analytical predictions of the dependence of fracture stress on applied electric field agree qualitatively with empirical observations in cases for which experimental data are available.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The in vitro degradation of cisatracurium, the R, cis-R'-isomer of atracurium, in human and rat plasma.

Objective To assess the mechanism and rate of in vitro degradation of cisatracurium in aqueous buffer and in human and rat plasma. Methods Cisatracurium was incubated in aqueous buffer at various pH values or in human and rat plasma maintained at pH 7.4 with HEPES buffer. Cisatracurium and the degradation products, laudanosine and the monoquaternary alcohol, were quantitated by HPLC with use of fluorescence detection. Results In Sorenson's phosphate buffer, cisatracurium degraded spontaneously by a chemical process commonly referred to as “Hofmann elimination.” The rate of degradation increased with increasing pH. From pH 6.4 to 7.8 there was a 6.5-fold increase in the rate of degradation of cisatracurium and, on a molar basis, the final decomposition product laudanosine accounted for all of the drug. At a pH of 7.4, cisatracurium degraded with a half-life of about 34.1 ± 2.1 minutes. Cisatracurium incubated in human plasma degraded with a mean (±SD) half-life of 29.2 ± 3.8 minutes, which is consistent with Hofmann elimination. Besides laudanosine, and unlike that observed in Sorenson's phosphate buffer, significant amounts of the monoquaternary alcohol were formed that slowly degraded to laudanosine. The micromoles of laudanosine formed eventually accounted for the total amount of cisatracurium incubated with human plasma. The monoquaternary alcohol appears to be a product of ester hydrolysis of a monoquaternary acrylate formed during the first step in Hofmann elimination. Evidence for esterase involvement at this step in the degradation of cisatracurium was based on inhibition studies with O-cresyl benzodioxaphosphorin oxide (CBDP), a specific carboxylesterase inhibitor. The addition of CBDP to human plasma completely blocked the formation of monoquaternary alcohol and converted the degradation of cisatracurium to total Hofmann elimination. In rat plasma cisatracurium was hydrolyzed, with a half-life of only 3½ minutes, by carboxylesterases. The addition of CBDP increased the half-life to 25 minutes, which is consistent with Hofmann elimination. Conclusion In human plasma the rate-limiting step in the degradation of cisatracurium is Hofmann elimination, with the initial formation of a monoquaternary acrylate. The observation that the monoquaternary alcohol results from ester hydrolysis of the monoquaternary acrylate by plasma esterase(s) explains the presence of the monoquaternary alcohol metabolite in human plasma during clinical studies with cisatracurium. The rapid hydrolysis of cisatracurium by rat plasma relative to human indicates a major species difference in plasma esterase(s). Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (1995) 58, 132–142; doi: