cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Emergency response and effect evaluation on schistosomiasis control in rescue of shipwreck event in Yangtze River

Objective To evaluate the effect of schistosomiasis control in"Oriental Star shipwreck event"in Jianli County, Hubei Province, so as to provide experiences for schistosomiasis prevention and control in rescue of emergency in the future. Methods According to the data of historical schistosomiasis prevalence and the results of the field survey in the townships in the upstream and downstream of the rescue spots, the emergency handling measures of schistosomiasis control were evaluated. Meanwhile, the Oncomelania hupensis snail situation, priority crowd chemotherapy, key aquatic monitoring, and illness monitoring of people and livestock were investigated to evaluate the schistosomiasis control effect after the events comprehensively. Results There were no schistosome-infected snails found in the place of shipwreck and the rescue spots. The average density of O. hupensis snails in 5 townships of Jianli County was 0.064 snails/0.1 m2, and there were no infected snails found. The positive rate of 2 090 migrants in the schistosomiasis serologic tests was 0.29% and there were no positive ones found in the fecal examination. There were no acute schistosomiasis cases found by the sentinel surveillance fever clinics, and also no positive cattle were found. The results of sentinel mice monitoring in the place of shipwreck and 4 villages in the upstream and downstream showed no infected mice were found. Conclusions The schistosomiasis control measures taken after the shipwreck is effective, which achieves the goal of no schistosomiasis transmission after emergency.
Maternal Anti-Dengue IgG Fucosylation Predicts Susceptibility to Dengue Disease in Infants

Infant mortality from dengue disease is a devastating global health burden that could be minimized with the ability to identify susceptibility for severe disease prior to infection. Although most primary infant dengue infections are asymptomatic, maternally derived anti-dengue immunoglobulin G (IgGs) present during infection can trigger progression to severe disease through antibody-dependent enhancement mechanisms. Importantly, specific characteristics of maternal IgGs that herald progression to severe infant dengue are unknown. Here, we define ≥10% afucosylation of maternal anti-dengue IgGs as a risk factor for susceptibility of infants to symptomatic dengue infections. Mechanistic experiments show that afucosylation of anti-dengue IgGs promotes FcγRIIIa signaling during infection, in turn enhancing dengue virus replication in FcγRIIIa+ monocytes. These studies identify a post-translational modification of anti-dengue IgGs that correlates with risk for symptomatic infant dengue infections and define a mechanism by which afucosylated antibodies and FcγRIIIa enhance dengue infections.
3D printing of biomass-derived composites: application and characterization approaches

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is an additive manufacturing technique with a wide range of 3D structure fabrication and minimal waste generation. Recently, lignocellulosic biomass and its derivatives have been used in 3D printing due to their renewable nature and sustainability. This review provides a summary of the development of different types of biomass and its components such as cellulose and lignin in 3D printing, brief data analysis and introduction to characterization methods of the 3D printed composites. Mechanical properties such as tensile properties, Izod impact properties, and flexural properties, thermal properties and morphological properties of 3D-printed composites are discussed. In addition, other available characterization methods of 3D-printed composites are reported. The future direction of biomass and its derivatives in the field of 3D printing is also discussed.
Kirby's Rule of 20: the Veterinary Nurse's Critical Patient Checklist Part 3

Kirby's Rule of 20 is a patient checklist including 20 parameters that should be checked daily in the critically ill patient. It reviews the established evidence-based information regarding patient...
‘I feel proud because I made them stop fighting’: boys’ affective-discursive practices of discouraging physical aggression

Amidst essentialising discourses that circulate through educational spaces (e.g. that ‘boys will be boys’ or that boys are inherently aggressive), there is a need for more research that explores ad...
Law School Specialty Program Rankings: Is the Tail Wagging the Dog?

In addition to its annual ranking of law schools, U.S. News ranks nine law school specialty programs. This year, U.S. News asked survey participants to rate specialty programs on a new 5-point scale mirroring the method used to assess the academic reputation of schools among peers and lawyers/judges. The program rankings show a noticeable bunching of law schools ranked highest by U.S. News also at the top of most specialty programs and an overpopulation of lowest ranked schools at the bottom. To examine the strength of the relationship between a school’s peer assessment and specialty program reputation, scores for each school in every specialty were collected and analyzed using Pearson's correlation. The ratings of some specialty programs (e.g., International (r=.91) and Tax Law (r=.89)) stand out as very strongly correlated with the school’s academic reputation, while two programs were negligible and lacked statistical significance (Dispute Resolution and Legal Writing). A closer look at the distribution of Clinical Training scores showed that program reputations were strongly correlated with a school’s academic reputation (r=.66). Other variables potentially associated with Clinical Training rankings such as school size and the number of slots available in law clinics were less strongly associated. The large correlations for some specialty programs suggest that many U.S. News raters may be cuing off a school’s overall academic reputation and not independently assessing the quality of the school’s particular program.
Editorial Commentary: Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Needs an Anchor to Correlate Pain and Satisfactory Function in New Patient Orthopaedic Visits.

Abstract In today’s health care climate, the patient perspective is becoming increasingly important. As the health care paradigm shifts toward value-based health care, patient-reported outcomes are becoming increasingly important for not only research but for routine clinical care. While there are many outcome instruments used for musculoskeletal care, the addition of the simple question of “how are you doing” or “are your symptoms manageable” can provide additional valuable insight to the provider and help improve care using a shared decision model. In other words, if you want to know how the patient is doing, you have to ask them. This biopsychosocial approach demonstrates caring for the entire patient. The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) is a patient-reported outcome instrument that was developed using the biopsychosocial model and has the advantage of being administered as a computer adaptive test. It can be used across health care and is comparable across medical specialties as the scores are standardized to US population-based norms. When used in isolation, PROMIS provides an idea of how the patient is doing compared with the population but does not give the insight as to how the patient is coping with their condition. The addition of an anchor question, such as their patient acceptable symptom state, adds further understanding to the individual patient.
PolyDyna: a Matlab implementation for topology optimization of structures subjected to dynamic loads

We present a Matlab implementation for topology optimization of structures subjected to dynamic loads. The code, which we name PolyDyna, is built on top of PolyTop—a Matlab code for static compliance minimization based on polygonal finite elements. To solve the structural dynamics problem, we use the HHT-α method, which is a generalization of the classical Newmark-β method. In order to handle multiple regional volume constraints efficiently, PolyDyna uses a variation of the ZPR design variable update scheme enhanced by a sensitivity separation technique, which enables it to solve non-self-adjoint topology optimization problems. We conduct the sensitivity analysis using the adjoint method with the “discretize-then-differentiate” approach, such that the sensitivity analysis is consistently evaluated on the discretized system (both in space and time). We present several numerical examples, which are explained in detail and summarized in a library of benchmark problems. PolyDyna is intended for educational purposes and the complete Matlab code is provided as electronic supplementary material.
Modern Fat Grafting Techniques to the Face and Neck.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES After studying this article, the participant should be able to: 1. Understand age-related changes to the face and neck and pertinent anatomy and discuss important aspects of fat graft harvesting, processing, and infiltration. 2. Recognize key differences between common techniques for fat processing and infiltration and develop a plan for patients based on site-specific facial anatomical zones. 3. Appreciate the utility of fat grafting as an adjunct to other facial rejuvenating procedures such as face lift and blepharoplasty procedures and list the potential complications from fat grafting to the face and neck. SUMMARY Fat grafting to the face and neck aids in volume restoration, thereby addressing soft-tissue atrophy associated with the aging face, acquired conditions, or congenital malformations. Often, fat grafting may sufficiently restore facial volume alone or in conjunction with other facial rejuvenation procedures. Facial/neck fat grafting requires a systematic and thoughtful approach, with special care to atraumatic technique. This CME article covers the principles and techniques for modern facial fat grafting to the face and neck. Increasing data support the ability of autologous fat to produce significant and sustainable appearance-related changes. The authors follow the general principles of the Coleman technique for facial fat grafting and have observed tremendous success over the years. Other techniques for facial fat grafting are also discussed including microfat and nanofat processing. As the understanding of facial fat compartments continues to evolve, the authors may better predict fat grafting outcomes following augmentation. Finally, the technique described as "lipotumescence" has been successfully used in the breast and other regions of the body that have radiation damage and is discussed in this article specifically for the face and neck.
Thermally regenerative electrochemically cycled flow batteries with pH neutral electrolytes for harvesting low-grade heat.

Harvesting waste heat with temperatures lower than 100 °C can improve the system efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, yet it has been a longstanding and challenging task. Electrochemical methods for harvesting low-grade heat have aroused research interest in recent years due to the relatively high effective temperature coefficient of the electrolytes (>1 mV K−1) compared with the thermopower of traditional thermoelectric devices. Compared with other electrochemical devices such as the temperature-variation based thermally regenerative electrochemical cycle and temperature-difference based thermogalvanic cells, the thermally regenerative electrochemically cycled flow battery (TREC-FB) has the advantages of providing a continuous power output, decoupling the heat source and heat sink, and recuperating heat, and compatible with stacking for scaling up. However, the TREC-FB suffers from the issue of stable operation due to the challenge of pH matching between catholyte and anolyte solutions with desirable temperature coefficients. In this work, we demonstrate a pH-neutral TREC-FB based on KI/KI3 and K3Fe(CN)6/K4Fe(CN)6 as the catholyte and anolyte, respectively, with a cell temperature coefficient of 1.9 mV K−1 and a power density of 9 μW cm−2. This work also presents a comprehensive model with a coupled analysis of mass transfer and reaction kinetics in a porous electrode that can accurately capture the flow rate dependence of the power density and energy conversion efficiency. We estimate that the efficiency of the pH-neutral TREC-FB can reach nearly 9% of the Carnot efficiency at the maximum power output with a temperature difference of 37 K. Via analysis, we identify that the mass transfer overpotential inside the porous electrode and the resistance of the ion exchange membrane are the two major factors limiting the efficiency and power density, pointing to directions for future improvements.
Race and Place

The nexus of race and place continues to impact population health around the world; their interaction within the boundaries of the United States has been an important part of both US health history and the history of racial and ethnic relationships. Health consequences, for many racial and ethnic groups, is not a story about being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but rather a function of the way in which social resources are spatially allocated and constrained by social forces. Segregation is a powerful force that has altered the face of metropolitan areas throughout the United States. Even now, nearly 50 years since the Civil Rights Act was passed, the United States remains a nation physically divided with major disparities in health. These inequalities of health are partly determined by the physical distribution of health care delivery and how access is divided along socially constructed racial and ethnic lines. Regardless, segregation, whether exacerbated or moderated through the concentration of poverty, socioeconomic attainment, and/or a declining physical environment, has increased negative health outcomes among racial and ethnic minorities in the United States. Keywords: environment; inequality; minorities; neighborhoods; race
Integrated middleware framework for service mediation and value-added service provisioning in 3G/B3G networks

The provisioning of value-added-services (VAS) to mobile users is crucial for the proliferation and early adoption of converged voice and data networks, 3rd generation/beyond 3rd generation networks (3G/B3G). In this paper, we describe a VAS provisioning middleware framework for deployment in 3G mobile operator networks. Through this framework, we enable on-demand selection of 3rd party services in 3G/B3G networks. The main contribution, in terms of novelty, is that the framework introduces a new service provisioning paradigm called on demand service selection. The service selection (a requested user task can be accomplished by many similar service offerings, therefore the need for selecting a particular service) is driven by the 3G operator business policies, user profile/preferences and runtime context information. Also, the framework adapts the service selection to changing business-technical performances of the 3rd party CP/SP, and specific user preferences and context
Curvature correction method for a bandgap voltage reference

A reference voltage based on the bandgap principle consists of the summation of two voltages having opposite variations with temperature: a forward biased p-n junction having a Complementary to Absolute Temperature (CTAT) variation and a voltage Proportional to Absolute Temperature (PTAT). The variation with temperature is approximately linear in both cases and the object of the circuit is to cancel the two opposite slopes. If the PTAT and CTAT are well balanced, all that remains is a second order curvature error of the form TlnT (where T is absolute temperature, and In is natural log), which is mainly due to the CTAT voltage component. Minimisation of this non-linear parameter is the key challenge in designing a voltage reference with low temperature coefficient (TC).This paper presents the mathematical basis of this residual non-linear component, and describes a novel circuit to reduce it.
Mental Illness and Discrimination

Discrimination refers to unequal treatment of individuals and groups. It exists at different levels from interpersonal to institutional and comes in different forms from overt to covert. Mounting research has documented significant associations between various types of discrimination and poorer levels of mental health status. There are multiple pathways through which discrimination is linked to mental illness. Discrimination may impair one's physiological and psychological functioning, trigger health risk behaviors, and increase one's exposure and susceptibility to negative environmental and/or social conditions, all of which may in turn lead to mental health problems. Research on discrimination and mental illness can be further advanced by utilizing more nuanced measures of discrimination, exploring different sources of discrimination, studying perpetrators as well as victims, analyzing macrolevel data, and investigating the variations in perceptions and attributions of discrimination. Keywords: mental health; minorities; racism
Physics and Materials Issues of Organic Photovoltaics

Organic materials hold promise for use in photovoltaic (PV) devices because of their potential to reduce the cost of electricity per kWh ultimately to levels below that of electricity produced by coal-fired power plants. Deposition of organics by techniques such as screen printing, doctor blading, inkjet printing, spray deposition, and thermal evaporation lends itself to incorporation in high-throughput low-cost roll-to-roll coating systems. These are low-temperature deposition techniques which allow the organics to be deposited on plastic substrates such that flexible devices can easily be made. In addition to the inherent economics of high-throughput manufacturing, lightweight and flexibility are qualities claimed to offer a simple way to reduce the price of PV panels by reducing installation costs. Flexible PVs also open niche markets like portable power generation and aesthetic-PV in building design. This chapter reviews the current state-of-the-art in making efficient organic and hybrid inorganic–organic PV devices. We discuss the basic physics of operation in a systematic way and also discuss current material limitations and identify areas that need improvement. Special emphasis is given to materials design and materials and device characterization. This chapter should serve as a guide to researchers in the field who plan to develop better material systems and optimize devices to push organic PV power conversion efficiencies above 10%.
Opportunities for microtechnology in ion channel research

Ion channels are proteins in cell membranes that act as molecular switches and transducers, controlling currents of ions in response to electrical, chemical or mechanical stimuli. The two major problems in ion channel research for which new microdevices are needed are described. The first is the need for better "patch clamp" recordings of ion channel currents in living cells. The second problem is the determination of the structure of ion channels (and other membrane proteins) by electron cryomicroscopy, an alternative to X-ray crystallography. From many images of different views of the protein particles, a 3D reconstruction can be obtained.
A Bayesian beta kernel model for binary classification and online learning problems

Recent advances in data mining have integrated kernel functions with Bayesian probabilistic analysis of Gaussian distributions. These machine learning approaches can incorporate prior information with new data to calculate probabilistic rather than deterministic values for unknown parameters. This paper extensively analyzes a specic Bayesian kernel model that uses a kernel function to calculate a posterior beta distribution that is conjugate to the prior beta distribution. Numerical testing of the beta kernel model on several benchmark data sets reveals that this model’s accuracy is comparable with those of the support vector machine, relevance vector machine, naive Bayes, and logistic regression, and the model runs more quickly than other algorithms. When one class occurs much more frequently than the other class, the beta kernel model often outperforms other strategies to handle imbalanced data sets, including undersampling, over-sampling, and the Synthetic Minority Over-Sampling Technique. If data arrive sequentially over time, the beta kernel model easily and quickly updates the probability distribution, and this model is more accurate than an incremental support vector machine algorithm for online learning.
Detection of low molecular weight GTP-binding proteins associated with rat atrial secretory granules.

Abstract Recent studies suggest that low molecular weight (LMW) GTP-binding proteins are involved in the vesicular transport of proteins along the secretory pathway. In order to determine whether LMW GTP-binding proteins are potentially involved in the regulated secretion of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) from the atrial myocyte, rat atrial secretory granules were purified and the LMW GTP-binding proteins associated with these granules were detected in [α- 32 P]GTP-blotting experiments. Three LMW GTP-binding proteins, displaying molecular weights of 23 000, 25 000 and 29 000, were usually observed in atrial secretory granule preparations. The 29 kDa GTP-binding protein (G 29 ), however, was typically the predominantly labelled band. the binding of [α- 32 P]GTP to G 29 was guanine nucleotide specific and magnesium-dependent. Trypsin treatment of intact secretory granules markedly reduced the binding of [α- 32 P]GTP to G 29 . G 29 is tightly associated with the granule membrane, as evidenced by its resistance to solubilization by high ionic strength buffers but its sensitivity to solubilization with sodium cholate. When secretory granule preparations of rat anterior pituitary glands were examined for the presence of LMW GTP-binding proteins, a different pattern of LMW GTP-binding proteins was observed which did not include a predominantly labelled 29 kDa protein. The results of this study indicate that: (1) LMW GTP-binding proteins are present on atrial secretory granules and may therefore be involved in the regulated secretion of ANF and (2) tissue-specific differences exist between the LMW GTP-binding proteins associated with secretory granules.
Choosing burners for tunnel kilns

Double-duct burners fitted to tunnel kilns have proved themselves. Subsequently, it will be necessary to improve the design of burners and to carry out research into the most rational economic combustion of natural gas. Hot-air injection into burners is undesirable in tunnel kilns heated with natural gas and used for firing chamotte and dinas products.
The rotational technique with a partially inflated laryngeal mask airway improves the ease of insertion in children.

Background: This study compared the ease of insertion of the laryngeal mask airway (LMA™) with a partially inflated cuff using the standard `nonrotational' technique versus the rotational technique. Methods: One hundred and forty-five children undergoing anaesthesia using the LMA were randomly assigned to either method. The cuff was partially inflated in both groups. The ease of insertion was assessed by the time taken to complete the LMA insertion, the number of attempts before successful placement and the occurrence of complications. Results: The success rate of insertion at the first attempt was higher in the rotational technique group (99% versus 79%, P < 0.05). All patients in the rotational group had the mask inserted within two attempts. On the other hand, three patients had the mask inserted on the first attempt with the rotational technique after three unsuccessful attempts by an anaesthesiologist with the standard `nonrotational' technique. Insertion technique made no difference on insertion time. Conclusions: The rotational technique was associated with a higher success rate for insertion and a lower incidence of complications in children. Using the rotational technique with a partially inflated cuff could be the first-choice approach in paediatric patients.
Damping of single-particle wave functions in the alpha-particle interior due to exchange effects in non-local potentials

Abstract The spatial dependence of the single-particle wave function describing the elastic scattering of low-energy neutrons from helium nuclei has been calculated. Use has been made of a non-local, optical-model potential formally derived within the framework of the “no-polarization” approximation in terms of the nucleon-nucleon interaction and the ground state wave function of the target. Emphasis has been on properly including all exchange terms in the optical potential. It was found that the use of this non-local potential leads to a single-particle wave function with values in the alpha-particle “interior” greatly reduced from that given by an “equivalent” local potential ( ψ NL ≈ 0.2 ψ L ). This reduction occurred for all energy cases considered (incident neutron energies of 1.3 to 32 MeV). The damping appeared only when all exchange terms were included in the non-local potential as calculations which used only the “direct” exchange terms gave rise to a wave function essentially identical to that of the local potential.
Smooth muscle cell-specific transcription is regulated by nuclear localization of the myocardin-related transcription factors.

On the basis of our previous studies on RhoA signaling in smooth muscle cells (SMC), we hypothesized that RhoA-mediated nuclear translocalization of the myocardin-related transcription factors (MRT...
Hemodynamic effects of renin inhibition by enalkiren in chronic congestive heart failure.

Previous efforts to block the renin-angiotensin system in patients with chronic congestive heart failure (CHF) have focused on 2 distal sites in the system, the angiotensin-converting enzyme and the angiotensin II receptor. Recent work, however, has led to the development of agents that directly inhibit renin, the proximal step in the cascade. In this study, we investigated the hemodynamic effects of renin inhibition in 9 patients with chronic CHF by using enalkiren, a primate-selective, dipeptide renin inhibitor, which has been previously shown to suppress plasma renin activity and to lower blood pressure in hypertensive patients. The acute intravenous administration of enalkiren (1.0 mg/kg) produced increases in cardiac index (2.0 +/- 0.3 to 2.3 +/- 0.1 liter/min/m2) and stroke volume index (26 +/- 3 to 34 +/- 4 ml/m2) and decreases in left ventricular filling pressure (31 +/- 3 to 25 +/- 3 mm Hg), mean right atrial pressure (15 +/- 1 to 13 +/- 2 mm Hg), heart rate (78 +/- 5 to 72 +/- 6 beats/min) and systemic vascular resistance (2,199 +/- 594 to 1,339 +/- 230 dynes.s.cm-5) (all p less than 0.01 to 0.05). These observations indicate that renin inhibition produces hemodynamic benefits in patients with chronic CHF and could potentially provide a novel approach to interfering with the renin-angiotensin system in patients with this disorder.
High-Pressure Transformation of Al2O3

X-ray diffraction measurements indicate that ruby (Cr3+ doped α-Al2O3) transforms to the Rh2O3 (II) structure when heated to temperatures exceeding ∼1000 kelvin at pressures above ∼100 gigapascals, in agreement with predictions from ab initio quantum mechanical calculations. The high-pressure phase did not quench upon decompression to ambient pressure, and the occurrence of this phase transformation may affect interpretations of static (diamond-anvil cell) and dynamic (shock-wave) experiments at ultra-high pressures.
Use of Exponentials in the Integral Solution of the Parabolic Equations of Boundary Layer, Wake, Jet, and Vortex Flows

Incompressible laminar boundary layer, vortex and axisymmetric wake/jet flow parabolic equations solution by weighted residuals method, describing use of exponentials
Noncoherent symbol synchronization techniques

Traditional methods for establishing symbol synchronization (sync) in digital communication receivers assume that carrier sync has already been established, i.e., the problem is addressed at the baseband level assuming that a "perfect" estimate of carrier phase is available. We refer to this approach as coherent symbol sync. Since, for NRZ signaling, a suppressed carrier sync loop such as an I-Q Costas loop includes integrate-and-dump (I&D) filters in its in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) arms, the traditional approach is to first track the carrier in the absence of symbol sync information, then feed back the symbol sync estimate to these filters, and then iterate between the two to a desirable operating level. In this paper, we revisit the symbol sync problem by examining methods for obtaining such sync in the absence of carrier phase information, i.e., so-called noncoherent symbol sync loops. We compare the performance of these loops with that of a well-known coherent symbol sync loop and examine the conditions under which one is preferable over the other.
Orthodontic planning and biomechanics fortransverse distraction osteogenesis

Abstract Orthodontic treatment planning in the transverse dimension has historically been based on the mandible because of the interest in keeping this dental arch width more or less constant for reasons of stability. However, the advent of mandibular (with or without maxillary) transverse distraction osteogenesis (TDO) has allowed the practitioner to achieve results previously thought to be impractical and/or unattainable. There are numerous indications for incorporating TDO into patients' treatment plans because it may lead to enhanced facial esthetics, prevent dental extractions, and improve stability. Planning treatment requires not only an astute diagnosis and the establishment of appropriate goals, but an understanding of the biomechanics. Orthodontic management of the dentition during the predistraction and postdistraction period is discussed. The article also describes the planning, construction, mechanics, rigidity, placement, activation, and stabilization of the expansion appliance. TDO has been shown to be an effective technique for maxillary and mandibular widening in some situations in which other orthodontic and orthognathic procedures have been lacking.
LARGE-SCALE FEATURES OF MONTHLY MEAN NORTHERN HEMISPHERE ANOMALY MAPS OF SEA-LEVEL PRESSURE

Abstract Spatial patterns of circulation variability over the Northern Hemisphere and their changes during the past 70 yr (1899–1969) are examined using eigenvector analyses of mean January and July sea-level pressure maps. The first several eigenvectors display variability associated with the major centers of action (the subpolar oceanic Lows, the subtropical oceanic Highs, the winter Siberian High, and the summer Asiatic Low). The pattern of the first eigenvector of January suggests that the intensity and latitudinal position of the major circulation features over the North Atlantic are associated with the intensity and position of the Aleutian Low over the North Pacific. The time series of the coefficients of the hemispheric eigenvectors are used to identify intervals of change in the hemispheric circulation associated with features on the scale of thc major centers of action. These time series provide a more general description of circulation change than that obtained from local or regional indices; b...
Interactions Between the Lower, Middle and Upper Atmosphere

This survey of atmospheric regions is based on a presentation given at the Workshop on Coupling between Earth’s Atmosphere and its Plasma Environment. The workshop was sponsored by the International Space Science Institute (ISSI) during September 2010. This survey begins with descriptions of aspects of the troposphere, stratosphere, and mesosphere that affect vertical coupling. Then the tropopause, stratopause, and mesopause are considered, with a discussion of how they inhibit or allow the transmission of atmospheric mass or perturbations. Two transition interfaces are emphasized: the tropopause, which separates the troposphere from the middle atmosphere, and the mesopause, which separates the middle atmosphere from the thermosphere. The survey of coupling processes looks at radiative processes, wave propagation, and mass exchange. Each topic includes one or more specific examples drawn from recent literature.
Metabolism of methyl tert-butyl ether and other gasoline ethers in mouse liver microsomes lacking cytochrome P450 2E1.

Abstract To reduce the production of pollutants in motor vehicle exhaust, methyl tert -butyl ether (MTBE) and other ethers such as ethyl tert- butyl ether (ETBE) and tert- amyl methyl ether (TAME) are added to gasoline as oxygenates for more complete combustion. Metabolism of these gasoline ethers is catalyzed by cytochrome P450 (P450) enzymes. P450 2E1, which metabolizes diethyl ether, was suggested to be an enzyme involved. The present study used 2E1 knock-out mice (2E1 −/− ) to assess the contribution of 2E1 to the metabolism of MTBE, ETBE and TAME. Liver microsomes prepared from the 2E1 knock-out mice lacked 2E1 activity (assayed as N- nitrosodimethylamine demethylation), but were still active in metabolizing all three gasoline ethers. The levels of ether-metabolizing activity (nmol/min per mg) in the liver microsomes from 7 week old female 2E1 knock-out mice were 0.54±0.17 for MTBE, 0.51±0.24 for ETBE and 1.14±0.25 for TAME at a 1 mM substrate concentration. These activity levels were not significantly different from those of the sex- and age-matched C57BL/6N and 129/Sv mice, which are the parental lineage strains of the 2E1 knock-out mice and are both 2E1 +/+ . Our results clearly demonstrate that 2E1 plays a negligible role in the metabolism of MTBE, ETBE and TAME in mouse livers.
Lysosome-vacuolar system reactivity during early cell regeneration.

The activities of five selected acid hydrolases have been measured in early regenerating liver, 24 hr after partial hepatectomy. A comparable significant decline in the specific activity of acid phosphohydrolase, β-glucuronidase, β-glucosidase, and β-galactosidase was found. Less significant changes were noted in N-acetylglucosaminidase. No significant decline in the specific activity of cytochrome c oxidase or lactate dehydrogenase was observed. An apparent resistance to thermal and osmotic activation of lysosomal N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase was noted in the partially hepatectomized animals at 24 hr. A significant increase in the ratio; free/total activity of β-galactosidase and N-acetylglucosaminidase was noted following 50 μg100 g body wt glucagon injection in sham and control animals. Glucagon administration to partially hepatectomized animals failed to produce a corresponding increase in the free/total ratio suggesting that regenerating liver is insensitive to the action of large doses of glucagon. Electron microscopy failed to reveal autophagic vacuole formation at 24 hr after partial hepatectomy. Quantitative analysis of organelle populations after partial hepatectomy revealed a significant decline in the number of lysosomes per 100 μm2. Small decreases in mitochondria and uricosomes were evident when expressed per unit area but the lysosome/mitochondria index was significantly lowered after partial hepatectomy. These observations suggest a potential decrease in the reactivity of the lysosome-vacuolar apparatus after partial hepatectomy and may contribute evidence suggesting a decrease in the catabolic potential of the cell at a time of increased macromolecular synthesis.
The effect of the near earth micrometeoroid environment on a highly reflective mirror surface

A resurgence of interest in placing large solar concentrator solar dynamic systems in space for power generation has brought up again a concern for maintaining the integrity of the optical properties of highly specular reflecting surfaces in the near earth space environment. One of the environmental hazards needing evaluation is the micrometeoroid environment. It has been shown that highly reflective polished metals and thin film coatings degrade when exposed to simulated micrometeoroids in the lab. At NASA-Lewis, a shock tube was used to simulate the phenomenon of micrometeoroid impact by accelerating micron sized particles to hypervelocities. Any changes in the optical properties of surfaces exposed to this impact were then evaluated. The degradation of optical properties of polished metals and thin metallic films after exposure to simulated micrometeoroids was determined as a function of impacting kinetic energy area of the particles. A calibrated sensor was developed to not only detect the micrometeoroid environment, but also to evaluate the degradation of the optical properties of thin aluminum films in space. Results of the simulation are presented and discussed.
The role of renal metabolism of PGE2 in determining its activity as a renal vasodilator in the dog

Abstract Since the mammalian renal cortex avidly metabolizes prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), we examined the importance of renal metabolism of PGE2 in determining its renal vascular activity in the dog. We used 13, 14 dihydro PGE2 (DHPGE2) as a model compound to study this because DHPGE2 retains similar activity to the parent prostaglandin, PGE2, but is a poorer substrate than PGE2 for both the metabolism and the cellular uptake of the prostaglandins. Using dog renal cortical slices, we found that under similar experimental conditions, PGE2 was metabolized several-fold faster than DHPGE2. Both prostaglandins were metabolized to the 15 keto 13, 14 dihydro PGE2, which was positively identified using GC-MS. In vivo , we infused increasing concentrations of DHPGE2 into the renal artery of dogs and measured renal hemodynamic changes using radioactive microspheres. DHPGE2 was a potent renal vasodilator beginning at an infusion rate of 10−9g/kg/min. When compared to PGE2, DHPGE2 was about 10 times more potent in affecting renal vasodilation. The intrarenal redistribution of blood flow towards the inner cortex seen with DHPGE2 was identical to that seen with PGE2. We conclude that renal catabolism of PGE2 is very important in limiting the in vivo biological activity of PGE2, but regional differences in metabolism of PGE2 within the cortex are an unlikely determinant of the pattern of redistribution of renal blood flow.
Chemical modification of carbonaceous stationary phases by the reduction of diazonium salts.

This paper describes a new strategy for the creation of chemically modified carbonaceous stationary phases. The strategy exploits the electroreduction of arenediazonium salts as a means for functionalizing the surface of glassy carbon (GC) and porous graphitic carbon (PGC) stationary phases. The one-electron reduction of these salts forms an arene radical which then couples via a carbon-carbon linkage to the carbon framework at the surface of the stationary phase. Two arenediazonium-based modifiers were used in evaluating the potential utility of this strategy: 4-nitrobenzenediazonium tetrafluoroborate for the GC and PGC phases and 4-hexylbenzenediazonium tetrafluoroborate for only the PGC phases. Modifications were carried out by packing the phases into a column used for electrochemically modulated liquid chromatography. The effectiveness of the modifications was assessed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and by comparing the liquid separation of a series of mixtures before and after coating deposition. For the nitrobenzyl-modified GC phase, the test mixture contained both anisole and fluoranthene. The performance of the nitrobenzyl- and hexyl-benzyl-modified PGC stationary phases was characterized by the separations of substituted phenols (i.e., nitrophenol and resorcinol) and a few important pharmaceutical agents (i.e., hexobarbital, oxazepam, and nitrazepam). The potential utility of this modification procedure to form stationary phases that are stable upon extended exposure to aggressive mobile phases is discussed and briefly examined.
Simulation and verification of the hot carrier degradation behavior in an analog high-voltage device with graded channel profile

We compare the behavior of standard and high-voltage graded channel MOSFETs in a 0.35 μm BiCMOS technology platform under high-voltage stress conditions. This work is focused on explaining the extreme robustness of the high-voltage device against degradation from hot carrier injection with the help of TCAD simulations. Hot carrier injection does not occur in the channel region, but in the drain finger extension under the gate oxide. The device parameter shift with accumulated gate charge is small compared to standard devices.
The 1.9 A structure of the branched-chain amino-acid transaminase (IlvE) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Unlike mammals, bacteria encode enzymes that synthesize branched-chain amino acids. The pyridoxal 5′-phosphate-dependent transaminase performs the final biosynthetic step in these pathways, converting keto acid precursors into α-­amino acids. The branched-chain amino-acid transaminase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MtIlvE) has been crystallized and its structure has been solved at 1.9 A resolution. The MtIlvE monomer is composed of two domains that interact to form the active site. The biologically active form of IlvE is a homodimer in which each monomer contributes a substrate-specificity loop to the partner molecule. Additional substrate selectivity may be imparted by a conserved N-terminal Phe30 residue, which has previously been observed to shield the active site in the type IV fold homodimer. The active site of MtIlvE contains density corresponding to bound PMP, which is likely to be a consequence of the presence of tryptone in the crystallization medium. Additionally, two cysteine residues are positioned at the dimer interface for disulfide-bond formation under oxidative conditions. It is unknown whether they are involved in any regulatory activities analogous to those of the human mitochondrial branched-chain amino-acid transaminase.
A direct comparison of active and passive amplification electrodes in the same amplifier system.

Abstract Background Active amplification electrodes are becoming more popular for ERP data collection, as they amplify the EEG at the scalp and thereby potentially decrease the influence of ambient electrical noise. However, the performance of active electrodes has not been directly compared with that of passive electrodes in the context of collecting ERPs from a cognitive task. Here, the performance of active and passive amplification electrodes in the same digitizing amplifier system was examined. Method In Experiment 1, interelectrode impedance in an electrically quiet setting was manipulated to determine whether, in such recording conditions, active electrodes can outperform passive ones. In Experiment 2, the performance of active electrodes at the limits of natural skin impedance was explored, as was the relationship between active amplification circuitry and voltage stability in averaged EOG. Results Results reveal a complex pattern of interrelations between electrode type, impedance, and voltage stability, indicating that which type of electrode is “best” depends non-trivially on the circumstances in which data are being collected. Comparison with existing methods Traditional, passive electrodes acquired the cleanest data observed in any of the acquisition conditions at very low impedance, but not at any impedance >2 kΩ. Conclusion Active electrodes perform better than passive ones at all impedances other than very low ones; however, this is qualified by the additional finding that during fast voltage fluctuations, such as those most desirable in most ERP studies, active electrodes are less able to accurately follow the EEG than passive ones.
Endotoxin Stimulates Secretion of Cortisol, but not ACTH in Heifers Pretreated with Suppressive Doses of a Glucocorticoid

Summary The ability of triamcinolone acetonide (TA) to suppress actions of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the pituitary-adrenal axis was examined in Holstein heifers. The study was carried out using repeated measure / split plot factorial design involving four heifers which were repeatedly used in four experimental groups thus yielding eight experimental units (EU). Each EU received two treatments, the first at zero hour and the second at 28 h. Heifers in Groups I (n = 2) and II (n = 2) were given sterile saline as treatment (TRT) 1. For TRT 2, group I was given sterile saline, and group II received Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In group III (n = 2) and group IV (n = 2) triamcinolone acetonide was given as TRT 1. Sterile saline (SAL) was TRT 2 for GP III, and group IV heifers received LPS. Administration of LPS elicited increases in concentrations of the stress hormones ACTH (P < 0.05) and cortisol (P < 0.001) in SAL-pretreated heifers. However, in TA-pretreated animals, the endotoxin could only cause increase (P < 0.001) in concentrations of cortisol, but not ACTH. Therefore, the significant response of cortisol to LPS stimulation suggest that, at doses used in this study, triamcinolone acetonide did not suppress LPS-triggered cortisol secretion from adrenal zonae fasciculata and reticularis cells. The LPS-induced ACTH response appears to have been blunted by prior administration of triamcinolone acetonide.
Privacy Preserving Techniques for Location Based Services in Mobile Networks

The proliferation of smart phones and handheld mobile devices spurs a variety of personalized information services that utilize users' current location, known as Location-Based Services (LBS). Privacy protection is of great importance for such service users in mobile and wireless networks. However, as mobile devices are highly autonomous and heterogeneous, it is challenging to design generic protection techniques and achieve high level of privacy protection. Our study focuses on both potential privacy threats and privacy preserving mechanisms in mobile ad hoc networks. Preliminary work shows that the proposed system architecture and protection mechanisms exhibit satisfactory performance. The remaining work for completing the PhD dissertation is then presented. The proposed research carries significant intellectual merits and potential broader impacts in the following aspects. (1) We investigate the impact of inferential attacks on LBS users in mobile and wireless networks, and prove the vulnerability of using long-term pseudonyms for camouflaging users' real identities. (2) We propose a novel privacy metric to quantify system's resilience to such attack models. (3) An effective and extensible privacy architecture based on the mix zone model is designed. (4) We conduct rigorous analytical study, and design a privacy protection mechanism under real world constraints, e.g., traffic density and heterogeneity on different roads. (5) This proposal addresses the privacy preservation problem from a novel angle and lays a solid foundation for future research in protecting users' location privacy.
Toward defining the phosphoproteome of Xenopus laevis embryos.

Phosphorylation is universally used for controlling protein function, but knowledge of the phosphoproteome in vertebrate embryos has been limited. However, recent technical advances make it possible to define an organism's phosphoproteome at a more comprehensive level. Xenopus laevis offers established advantages for analyzing the regulation of protein function by phosphorylation. Functionally unbiased, comprehensive information about the Xenopus phosphoproteome would provide a powerful guide for future studies of phosphorylation in a developmental context. To this end, we performed a phosphoproteomic analysis of Xenopus oocytes, eggs, and embryos using recently developed mass spectrometry methods. We identified 1,441 phosphorylation sites present on 654 different Xenopus proteins, including hundreds of previously unknown phosphorylation sites. This approach identified several phosphorylation sites described in the literature and/or evolutionarily conserved in other organisms, validating the data's quality. These data will serve as a powerful resource for the exploration of phosphorylation and protein function within a developmental context. Developmental Dynamics 238:1433–1443, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.