cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Murexide for Determination of Free and Protein-Bound Calcium in Model Systems,

Abstract The determination with murexide of free and protein-bound calcium in model systems of known composition, ionic strength, and pH was investigated. The spectra of calcium murexide in the presence of varying amounts of calcium ions indicated that the absorption maximum of calcium murexide complex occurs at 480nm while that of murexide ion is at 520nm. The absorbance at 509nm is independent of calcium ion concentration and, therefore, could be used to measure the total dye. The spectra are pH dependent but constant in the range 6.5 to 7.0. The apparent dissociation constant of calcium murexide is dependent upon ionic environment, ionic strength, and free calcium ion concentration. The relationship between the apparent dissociation constant and free calcium concentration was established. Whole casein had no effect on the absorption spectra of calcium murexide and no affinity for calcium murexide complex or murexide ion. Beta-casein, at the concentrations employed, did not influence the dissociation of calcium murexide. At pH 7.0, ionic strength .1, and 2C, Beta-casein bound calcium as if there were 8.65 binding sites per molecule, each of pK 2.23, corresponding to an intrinsic association constant of 168.9 liters per mole.
Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor facilitates recovery of retinal function following retinal ischemic injury

The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether systemically administered granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) can protect against acute ischemic reperfusion injury. Two groups of anesthetized adult male Lewis rats (n = 8 per group) were subjected to an acute (45 min) episode of retinal ischemic injury followed by subcutaneous administration of vehicle (5% dextrose) or G-CSF (0.1 mg/kg/day) once per day x 5 days. Prior to and one week following ischemic insult, retinal function was measured by scotopic electroretinography (ERG). Retinas were harvested and morphologically analyzed one week after ischemic insult. ERG a- and b-wave amplitudes were significantly reduced following ischemic reperfusion injury. G-CSF treatment attenuated ischemic-induced loss of retinal function. In control vehicle-treated rats, ischemic reperfusion injury elicited marked and selective thinning of inner retinal layers while only minimally affecting outer retinal layers. Therapeutically administered G-CSF minimized ischemic-mediated thinning of whole retina and inner retinal layers. G-CSF may be of therapeutic interest for the management of retinal ischemic disorders.
The application of some lifting-body reentry concepts to missile design

The aerodynamic characteristics of some lifting-body concepts are examined with a view to the applicability of such concepts to the design of missiles. A considerable amount of research has been done in past years with vehicle concepts suitable for manned atmospheric-entry and atmospheric flight. Some of the concepts appear to offer some novel design approaches for missiles for a variety of missions and flight profiles, including long-range orbital/reentry with transatmospheric operation for strategic penetration, low altitude penetration, and battlefield tactical. The concepts considered include right triangular pyramidal configurations, a lenticular configuration, and various 75-degree triangular planform configurations with variations in body camber and control systems. The aerodynamic features are emphasized but some observations are also made relative to other factors such as heat transfer, structures, carriage, observability, propulsion, and volumetric efficiency.
The Dependent City? External Influences upon Local Control

The meshing of American cities with nationalizing forces raises the possibility that local control may be either depleted (sandbox model) or enhanced (shopping mall model). The article uses these two models to review urban decisional spaces in light of three major externalizing influences. Higher government mandating is often pictured as power depleting, although evidence of budget and law contents alone may be deceptive. Power depleting is possible from aggregate resource concentration in the economy by corporations and unions, a little studied externality that local systems pay. Finally, the spread of urban professional leadership may influence local agenda setting, with consequences of either power depletion or enhancement. Research implications stemming from this analysis are suggested.
Aryabhata algorithm for polynomials

It is shown how the Aryabhata algorithm can be used to solve a set of polynomial congruences.
Simulation of Rhythmic Tree Growth under Constant Conditions

The observ·ed rhythmic growth of trees under relatively uniform environmental conditions has been ascribed by some authors to endogenous factors, by others to slight fluctua­ tions of environmental factors. A model for the simulation of rhythmic growth was developed based on the assumption that endogenous rhythms can result from feedback inter­ action between two potentially continuous processes, like shoot and root growth, if the slower process is rate limiting for the faster one. Rhythmic growth in trees would be the consequence of feedback mechanisms needed for maintaining a constant shoot : root ratio. Period length of the rhythms depends upon the rates of the growth processes involved. Em·ironmental factors modify period length through affect­ ing growth rates. Growth patterns predicted by the model compare well with growth measurements of tropical trees. The transition from intermittent to continuous growth, as ob­ served under certain. conditions, can be simulated by varying a single parameter in the model.
Treatment of recurrent diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma: the MD Anderson Cancer Center experience

Recurrent diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPG) are traditionally treated with palliative care since no effective treatments have been described for these tumors. Recently, clinical studies have been emerging, and individualized treatment is attempted more frequently. However, an informative way to compare the treatment outcomes has not been established, and historical control data are missing for recurrent disease. We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients with recurrent DIPG treated between 1998 and 2010. Response progression-free survival and possible influencing factors were evaluated. Thirty-one patients were identified who were treated in 61 treatment attempts using 26 treatment elements in 31 different regimens. The most frequently used drugs were etoposide (14), bevacizumab (13), irinotecan (13), nimotuzumab (13), and valproic acid (13). Seven patients had repeat radiation therapy to the primary tumor. Response was recorded after 58 treatment attempts and was comprised of 0 treatment attempts with complete responses, 7 with partial responses, 20 with stable diseases, and 31 with progressive diseases The median progression-free survival after treatment start was 0.16 years (2 months) and was found to be correlated to the prior time to progression but not to the number of previous treatment attempts. Repeat radiation resulted in the highest response rates (4/7), and the longest progression-free survival. These data provide a basis to plan future clinical trials for recurrent DIPG. Repeat radiation therapy should be tested in a prospective clinical study.
89 TANGIER DISEASE IN A BLACKMALE: AN UNUSUAL CLINICAL PRESENTATION

Tangier disease is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by very low plasma apolipoprotein (apo) A-I and high-density lipoprotein (HDL), by tissue accuiulation of cholesteryl esters, and by peripheral neuropathy. The disease has been describedin Caucasians only. We report on a case of Tangier disease in a black boy. He presented with symptoms of progressive lumbosacral plexopathy. Electromyography and nerve conduction studies, however, indicated an unusal form of diffuse sensorimotor polyneuropathy. Additicnally, deep interstitial keratitis of the cornea was diagnosed. This feature has not been previously reported in Tangier disease. Plasma cholesterol was reduced to 25ng/dl, HDL-cholesterol and apoA-I to <5mg/dl and 0.9mg/dl, respectively. Plasma apoB was 38mg/dl, plasma triglycerides 98mg/dl. Zonal ultracentrifugation showed the virtual absence of HDL, and reduced amounts of low-density lipoproteins enriched in triglycerides. The isoelectric points, molecular weights, and immunoreactivity of the major apoA-I isoproteins and of pro-apoA-I were normal. The amount of mature apoA-I isoproteins was greatly reduced. Apo C and apoE isoprotein patterns were normal. These findings support the view that Tangier disease is not due to a structural alteration of the apoA-I molecule and differ frcm a recent report on an electrophoretic variant of apoA-I in a Tangier patient (Bisgaier, C.L. et al., Biochim, Biophys Acta 1987:918:242.).
Influence of nano-sized highly purified magnesium alumino silicate clay on thixotropic behavior of fresh cement pastes

Abstract Thixotropic behavior of cementitious materials is attracting much attention due to its important applications in concrete practice, such as formwork pressure, multi-lift casting, slip form paving, pumping and segregation. This study investigates the influences of nano-sized highly purified magnesium alumino silicate clay (3 nm in diameter, called nanoclay) on thixotropic behavior, particularly, the structural rebuilding of fresh cement pastes. In this study, rheological properties (yield stress, viscosity and thixotropy) of cementitious pastes, with and without nanoclay, were measured at every 15 min after the pastes were mixed. Flow table tests were conducted, and the results were compared with those measured from the rheology tests. Statistical methods were utilized to determine the rates of changes in thixotropy with time. The results indicate that a small amount of nanoclay addition (0.5–1% by mass of cement) significantly facilitates particle re-flocculation or structural rebuilding, and effectively enhances the thixotropy of cement pastes.
Black and white employed mothers' role experiences

This study examined the maternal, employment, and marital role consequences experienced by 40 Black and 65 White middle-class mothers. Analyses of variance showed that the Black compared to White respondents experienced significantly more marital conflict. However, the two samples reported similar levels of personal costs, personal rewards, marital benefits, insufficient time for husband, and emotional reactions to separation from their children. The similarity of role outcomes across ethnicity is discussed in the context of the similarity of roles. It is suggested that role engagement shapes actual role experiences.
New horizons in lipid management.

The view is now emerging that, despite evidence that there are a number of mechanisms involved in atherogenesis, the contributions of elevated levels of atherogenic lipoproteins containing apolipoprotein B-100, especially low-density lipoproteins (LDL), are assuming a dominant role. Observations on
Modeling lateral geniculate nucleus response with contrast gain control. Part 2: analysis

Cope et al. [J. Opt. Soc. Am. A30, 2401 (2013)] proposed a class of models for lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) ON-cell behavior consisting of a linear response with divisive normalization by local stimulus contrast. Here, we analyze a specific model with the linear response defined by a difference-of-Gaussians filter, and a circular Gaussian for the gain pool weighting function. For sinusoidal grating stimuli, the parameter region for bandpass behavior of the linear response is determined, and the gain control response is shown to act as a switch (changing from “off” to “on” with increasing spatial frequency). It is also shown that large gain pools stabilize the optimal spatial frequency of the total nonlinear response at a fixed value independent of contrast and stimulus magnitude. Under- and super-saturation, as well as contrast saturation, occur as typical effects of stimulus magnitude. For circular spot stimuli, it is shown that large gain pools stabilize the spot size that yields the maximum response.
Spectral Probabilities and Generating Functions of Tandem Mass Spectra: a Strike Against Decoy Databases

A key problem in computational proteomics is distinguishing between correct and false peptide identifications. We argue that evaluating the error rates of peptide identifications is not unlike computing generating functions in combinatorics. We show that the generating functions and their derivatives (spectral energy and spectral probability) represent new features of tandem mass spectra that, similarly to Δ-scores, significantly improve peptide identifications. Furthermore, the spectral probability provides a rigorous solution to the problem of computing statistical significance of spectral identifications. The spectral energy/probability approach improves the sensitivity-specificity tradeoff of existing MS/MS search tools, addresses the notoriously difficult problem of “one-hit-wonders” in mass spectrometry, and often eliminates the need for decoy database searches. We therefore argue that the generating function approach has the potential to increase the number of peptide identifications in MS/MS searches.
Knowledge map: An approach to knowledge acquisition in developing engineering expert systems

This paper addresses the critical issues of knowledge acquisition in developing knowledge-based expert systems for engineering tasks. First, it reviews the role of knowledge acquisition and its current practice in expert system development. Then, a new approach based on three stages of knowledge refinement is suggested to improve the process of knowledge acquisition. This approach, calledrule verification without rule construction, is proposed to allow knowledge engineers and domain experts to experience a more intimate and balanced role in developing intelligent systems. The communication tool developed for this concept is calledknowledge map, which provides a systematic way of indexing and quantifying a piece of knowledge in the problem space by defining important attributes as the axes of the map. This approach is demonstrated by constructing a twodimensional map for a knowledge-based engineering design system, IDRILL, which we are currently developing. Future expansions of this knowledge acquisition technique are summarized as the conclusions of this paper.
Fractionation of ragweed extract by semicontinuous electrophoresis-convection.

Abstract A systematic study of the stationary and positively charged components of low ragweed pollen, extracted at pH 5, has been carried out in the Tiselius electrophoresis apparatus over a pH range of 2.9–8.6. Three positively charged components were identified as well as “immobile” material. Simplified fractions of dialyzed pH 5 extracts of low ragweed pollen were prepared by the “semicontinuous” technique of electrophoresis-convection. These fractions were active and had retained their original specificity, according to tests carried out in sensitized areas of normal skin. The most highly simplified preparation, Bottom-1 of extract XLVI, was comprised of a single, almost stationary component when examined at pH 5.5. Doubt is cast on the homogeneity of this fraction, however, by the fact that its counterpart in the whole extract was resolved into two components by extending the analysis to 11 hr. By means of cross-tests among the several EC fractions in sensitized skin, it has been possible to estimate the relative potencies of individual electrophoretic constituents of our pH 5 extract. Although the activity per mg. N of the essentially immobile material was no greater than that of the slowest positively charged component, the electrophoretic area of the former was so much larger that it must have contributed the major activity to the pollen. While activity was demonstrated for another positively charged substance of high mobility, none could be unequivocally assigned to a constituent of intermediate positive charge or to negatively charged material.
Comparison of the Phagocytosis Mechanics of Neutrophils, Monocytes, and Macrophages

We investigate whether different types of immune cells-human neutrophils, monocytes, and murine J774 macrophages-employ a universal mechanistic program during phagocytosis, or if there are quantitative or even qualitative differences in the manner these professional phagocytes engulf pathogens. Following a detailed characterization of the baseline mechanical properties of passive cells, we examine their active mechanical behavior during one-on-one encounters with two different types of target: antibody-coated beads of various sizes, and serum-opsonized zymosan particles. Our immunophysical approach integrates dual-micropipette experiments using individual live cells with finite-element computer models of autonomous leukocyte deformation. With the exception of a striking difference in the regulation of the cortical tension, we find that the mechanical process of the engulfment of antibody-coated beads is essentially the same between the three cell types. In contrast, for zymosan phagocytosis, we identify critical differences between neutrophils on the one hand, and monocytes/macrophages on the other hand. Whereas neutrophils extend a focused pseudopod that pushes the zymosan particle outwards before engulfment, monocytes and macrophages generate a broad patch of frond-like ruffles which appear to entangle and eventually overgrow the zymosan. These and other quantitative insights provided by our experimental/theoretical approach not only deepen our fundamental understanding of innate immunity, but also illuminate the mechanisms underlying eukaryotic cell motility.
Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using bone-patellar tendon-bone grafts: Autograft and allograft endoscopic techniques and two-incision autograft technique

Abstract Developments in arthroscopic technology have allowed surgeons to perform anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction using autologous bone-patellar tendon-bone (BTB) graft endoscopically. Recent short-term follow-up studies have shown excellent results using the endoscopic technique. Middle-term studies have shown continued excellent results with the two-incision technique of ACL reconstruction as well. This article presents our preferred technique for performing ACL reconstruction endoscopically, identifies pitfalls that may lead to poor results, and offers means by which these pitfalls may be avoided. Techniques for performing ACL reconstruction with allograft BTB and using the two-incision technique are also discussed.
Role of paraoxonase (PON1) status in pesticide sensitivity: genetic and temporal determinants.

Individual differences in detoxication capacities for specific organophosphorous (OP) compounds are due largely to differences in catalytic efficiency or abundance of the HDL-associated enzyme, paraoxonase (PONI). First, we provide evidence that children less than 2 years of age represent a particularly susceptible population for OP exposure due to low abundance of PON1 and variable onset of plasma PONI activity. Second, we describe studies examining the neurotoxic effects of chronic, low-level OP pesticide exposure in mice. PON1 knockout (PON1 - / - ) and wild-type mice were exposed chronically (PN4 to PN21) to low levels of chlorpyrifos oxon (CPO). Endpoints included cholinesterase activity, histopathology, gene expression, and behavior. Even at PN4, when PON1 levels were low in wild-type mice, PON1 - / - mice were more sensitive to inhibition of brain cholinesterase by CPO. At PN22, and persisting as long as 4 months, chronic developmental exposure to 0.18 mg/kg/d or 0.25 mg/kg/d CPO resulted in perinuclear vacuolization of cells in a discrete area of the neocortex and irregular distribution of neurons in the cortical plate, with an increase in the number of affected cells at 0.25 mg/kg/d. Third, we describe a transgenic mouse model in which human transgenes encoding either hPON1 Q 1 9 2 or hPON1 R 1 9 2 were expressed at equal levels in place of mouse PON1. The developmental onset ofexpression followed the mouse time course and was identical for the two transgenes, allowing these mice to be used to assess the importance of the Q192R polymorphism during development. Adult mice expressing hPON1 R 1 9 2 were significantly more resistant than hPON1 Q 1 9 2 mice to CPO toxicity. Our studies indicate that children less than 2 years old, especially those homozygous for PON1 Q 1 9 2 , would be predicted to be particularly susceptible to CPO toxicity.
Why did contracts supplant the cash market in the broiler industry? An economic analysis featuring technological innovation and institutional response

The decision to write contracts for production of commodities can be framed as an institutional response to changing industry and market conditions. When innovations increase available rents to technology owners (or technology appropriators), contracts can replace cash market transactions even though contracts carry higher transaction costs. We proceed by first fully documenting technological innovation in the broiler industry and tracing the evolution of contracts in the broiler industry. Next, we adopt a stylistic model to demonstrate how technological innovation might induce a switch to contract sales from cash market transactions. This paper contributes to the literature by investigating major institutional change in the broiler industry through an integrated analysis that weaves together industry history with elements of institutional economics, transaction cost theory, and game-theoretic economic analysis.
Discontinuous Galerkin Methods Using an hp-Multigrid Solver for Inviscid Compressible Flows on Three-dimensional Unstructured Meshes

The development of optimal, or near optimal solution strategies for higher-order discretizations, including steady-state solutions methodologies, and implicit time integration strategies, remains one of the key determining factors in devising higher-order methods which are not just competitive but superior to lower-order methods in overall accuracy and efficiency. The goal of this work is to investigate and develop a fast and robust algorithm for the solution of high-order accurate discontinuous Galerkin discretizations of non-linear systems of conservation laws on unstructured grids. Herein we extend our previous work to the three-dimensional steady-state Euler equations, by coupling the spectral p-multigrid approach with a more traditional agglomeration h-multigrid method for hybrid meshes, in a full-multigrid iteration strategy. In this hp-multigrid approach the coarse “grid” levels are constructed by reducing the order ( p) of approximation of the discretization using hierarchical basis functions ( p-multigrid), together with the traditional (h-multigrid) approach of constructing coarser grids with fewer elements. The overall goal is the development of a solution algorithm which delivers convergence rates which are independent of “ p” (the order of accuracy of the discretization) and independent of “h” (the degree of mesh resolution), while minimizing the cost of each iteration. The investigation of efficient smoothers to be used at each level of the multigrid algorithm is also pursued, and comparisons between different integration strategies are made as well. Current three-dimensional results demonstrate convergence rates which are independent of both order of accuracy ( p) of the discretization and level of mesh resolution (h).
AMENABILITY, FREE SUBGROUPS, AND HAAR NULL SETS IN NON-LOCALLY COMPACT GROUPS

The paper has two objectives. On the one hand, we study left Haar null sets, a measure-theoretic notion of smallness on Polish, not necessarily locally compact, groups. On the other hand, we introduce and investigate two classes of Polish groups which are closely related to this notion and to amenability. We show that left Haar null sets form a $\sigma$-ideal and have the Steinhaus property on Polish groups which are ?amenable at the identity?, and that they lose these two properties in the presence of appropriately embedded free subgroups. As an application we prove an automatic continuity result for universally measurable homomorphisms from inverse limits of sequences of amenable, locally compact, second countable groups to second countable groups.
THE CRITICAL REQUIREMENT FOR PANTOTHENIC ACID BY THE ADRENALECTOMIZED RAT1

introduction In earlier experiments it was observed that survival in adrenalectomized rats was significantly prolonged when the diet was supplemented with very large doses of pantothenic acid and the rats were allowed 1% NaCl as drinking water (Ralli, 1946). In view of this finding we were interested in determining the critical dose of pantothenic acid necessary for the prolonged survival of rats following adrenalectomy. This report is concerned with the effect of daily doses of pantothenic acid varying from 0.03 to 6 mg. on survival in adrenalectomized rats. experimental Black rats of the Long-Evans strain, bred in the laboratory, were placed on a diet deficient in pantothenic acid (Ralli and Graef, 1943) when 30 days of age. This diet contained 22% vitamin-free casein, 64% sucrose, 9% Primex, and 5% of the modified salt mixture2 containing no NaCl. 100 gm. of the basal diet was supplemented with 1.9 cc. cod liver oil, 0.3 mg. thiamine hydrochloride, 0.3 mg. pyridoxine hydrochloride, and 0.9 mg. riboflavin.
Life Scientists and the Dual Use Dilemma

The U.S. National Academy of Sciences has recently published a report, “Biotechnology Research in an Age of Terrorism: Confronting the ‘Dual Use’ Dilemma” ([1][1]), in which the first recommendation is to educate the scientific community about the dual use dilemma in biotechnology: the potential risks to humanity that can develop from research done with beneficent intent. In this area, molecular biologists and other life sciences researchers could learn from the experiences of the medical community. Medical research involving human subjects has had a lengthy history involving studies done with beneficent and not-so-beneficent impact on its subjects. As a result of this history, the U.S. government has set up a system of oversight to protect individual subjects. Although not perfect, this system has provided education to the medical community on this issue. For example, since October 2000, the National Institutes of Health require all researchers submitting grants or proposals to complete an online educational course in the protection of human subjects in research ([2][2]). This course covers areas such as the history, legal standards, and bioethics of human subjects research. Certificates are provided to those who complete the course. An analogous online course should be developed and required for scientists seeking funding to do basic science research. The course would include topics such as the history of the Biological Weapons Convention; the Asilomar Conference in 1975; bioethics, legal, and regulatory issues; and the challenges of the dual use nature of life sciences research. Students would be required to take an appropriate-level course before beginning laboratory work. On a global scale, other nations' research funding institutions should require comparable courses for their scientists seeking grants. 1. 1.[↵][3]National Academy of Sciences, “Biotechnology research in an age of terrorism: Confronting the ‘dual use’ dilemma” (National Academies Press, Washington, DC, 2003). 2. 2.[↵][4]National Institutes of Health, Human Participant Protections Education for Research Teams, . [1]: #ref-1 [2]: #ref-2 [3]: #xref-ref-1-1 "View reference 1. in text" [4]: #xref-ref-2-1 "View reference 2. in text"
Revised assignments for the β-, γ- and δ-subunits of the acetylcholine receptor structural model

Revised assignments for the bilayer helices of the β-,γ- and δ-subunits of the acetylcholine receptor are presented. A new feature of the model is extensive charge matching between the polar groups of the ion channel elements of different subunits.
Mechanism of Doxorubicin-Induced Suppression of Cardiac Ankyrin Repeat Protein: Implications for Anthracycline Cardiomyopathy

Doxorubicin (adriamycin) is an effective anti-cancer drug, but its clinical usage is limited by a dose-dependent cardiotoxicity characterized by widespread sarcomere disarray and loss of myofilaments. Cardiac ankyrin repeat protein (CARP, ANKRD1) is a transcriptional regulatory protein that is extremely susceptible to doxorubicin, however, the mechanism(s) of doxorubicin-induced CARP suppression and its specific role in cardiomyocyte biology remains to be elucidated. In this study, we report that treatment of cardiomyocytes with doxorubicin resulted in complete suppression of CARP promoter activity, decreased CARP protein levels, and marked sarcomere disarray. Transfection of CARP siRNA in cardiomyocytes resulted in a complete depletion of CARP and significant disruption of sarcomere ultrastructure. Adenoviral overexpression of CARP, however, was unable to rescue the doxorubicin-induced sarcomere disarray phenotype. GATA4 has previously been shown to regulate CARP, thus we examined the role of GATA4 in doxorubicin-induced CARP depletion. Cardiomyocytes treated with doxorubicin show a concomitant depletion of CARP and GATA4 protein levels. GATA4 siRNA inhibits while GATA4 overexpression enhances CARP promoter activity in cardiomyocytes. Both GATA4 and CARP siRNA significantly repressed titin and actin promoter activity. These data show that in cardiomyocytes transcription factor GATA4 is upstream of CARP and that doxorubicin induces a rapid down-regulation of GATA4 resulting in inhibition of CARP transcription. Our data further support a role for a GATA4/CARP signaling axis in sarcomere maintenance and that suppression of this pathway contributes, in part, to the overall pathophysiology of doxorubicin cardiomyopathy.
Highly ordered titania nanotube arrays with square, triangular, and sunflower structures.

Focused ion beam guided anodization enables the fabrication of TiO2 nanotubes in a square arrangement with square cell shapes and in a graphite lattice arrangement with triangular cell shapes, which is impossible through self-organized anodization. TiO2 nanotubes in sunflower patterns are also obtained, which demonstrates the great potential of guided anodization in fabricating asymmetrical nanotubes.
Synthesis of Methanethiol from Methanol over Reduced Molybdenum Sulfide Catalysts Based on the Mo6S8 Cluster

Abstract Catalysts having structures containing the Mo6S8 cluster (crystalline Chevrel phases, amorphous ternary molybdenum sulfides, and ligated molecular clusters) have been discovered to be active for thiol synthesis from methanol and hydrogen sulfide at 250°C and 1 atm. An amorphous lanthanum molybdenum sulfide material was found to be the most selective catalyst (>80% methanethiol) at low conversions. CO2, CO, CS2, and CH4 were the major by-products in these studies.
Characterization of a bovine herpesvirus 4(BHV-4) 1.1-kb RNA and its transactivation by BHV-4 immediate-early 2 gene product

We determined the structure of a 1.1-kb cytoplasmic polyadenylated RNA transcribed from a region of the bovine herpesvirus 4 (BHV-4) genome not conserved among gammaherpesviruses by sequencing its cDNA, by S1 nuclease analysis, and by primer extension analysis. We found that the RNA consists of a short, approximately 193-nucleotide (nt), 5′ exon spliced to a 799-nt 3′ exon and contains two short (53 and 57 codons) overlapping open reading frames (ORFs). The 53-codon ORF was previously designated BORFE1. Neither ORF exhibits detectable amino acid sequence homology with ORFs of other gammaherpesviruses. The 1.1-kb RNA promoter-regulatory region was specifically transactivated by the BHV-4 IE2 gene product, a homolog of the Epstein-Barr virus R transactivator, in cotransfection assays. In gel retardation experiments, IE2 protein formed a complex with DNA in a 129-bp fragment between −23 and −151 relative to the transcription start site of the 1.1-kb RNA, and less efficiently with a 57-bp subfragment between −78 and −22. A sequence similar to sequences of IE2-binding fragments of other BHV-4 IE2 responsive promoters was found partly in the 57-bp subfragment, extending into the portion of the 129-bp fragment not found in the 57-bp fragment. The 129-bp fragment, but not the 57-bp fragment, was sufficient for transactivation of a promoterless chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) reporter gene by IE2. However, the 129-bp fragment did not function efficiently as an IE2-responsive enhancer when inserted approximately 140 base pairs (bp) 5′ to the transcription start site of a CAT reporter gene driven by an enhancerless simian virus 40 early promoter. Based on this and other observations, we propose that IE2 functions as a promoter factor rather than an enhancer factor.
Reduction in size of a thyrotropin- and gonadotropin-secreting pituitary adenoma treated with octreotide acetate (somatostatin analog).

TSH as well as alpha-subunit, secretion has been shown to decrease after the administration of the somatostatin analog octreotide acetate (SMS 201-995). We have studied a 59-yr-old, male patient with a TSH- and gonadotropin-secreting tumor who, because of severe cardiomyopathy, was treated with long-term somatostatin analog rather than surgical resection of the pituitary tumor. Thirteen weeks of treatment with thrice daily sc injection of 100 micrograms octreotide acetate resulted in decreased TSH and alpha-subunit secretion, normal serum thyroid hormone levels, reduction in LH and testosterone level, and significant tumor size reduction. Long-term treatment for 51 weeks has not been associated with any significant side effects. We have shown that octreotide acetate may be a therapeutically valuable modality for certain patients with neoplastic inappropriate secretion of TSH (NIST). A probable effect of octreotide acetate on neoplastic gonadotropes, as evidenced by the reduction of the LH level with a con...
Corticosteroid use and bone mineral accretion in children with asthma: Effect modification by vitamin D

Background The adverse effects of corticosteroids on bone mineral accretion (BMA) have been well documented. Vitamin D insufficiency, a prevalent condition in the pediatric population, has also been associated with decreased bone mineral density (BMD). Objective We sought to determine whether children with asthma who have lower vitamin D levels are more susceptible to the negative effects of corticosteroids on BMD over time. Methods Children aged 5 to 12 years with mild-to-moderate asthma who participated in the Childhood Asthma Management Program were followed for a mean of 4.3 years. Total doses of inhaled corticosteroids and oral corticosteroids (OCSs) were recorded, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 levels were measured at the beginning of the trial, and serial dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scans of the lumbar spine were performed. Annual BMA rates were defined as follows: [(BMD at 4 years' follow-up − BMD at baseline)/4 years]. Results BMA was calculated for 780 subjects. In boys baseline vitamin D levels significantly modified the relationship between OCSs and BMA (vitamin D × OCS interaction, P = .023). Stratification by vitamin D levels showed a decrease in BMA with increased use of OCSs in vitamin D–insufficient boys only ( P Conclusions Vitamin D levels significantly modified the effect of OCSs on BMA in boys. Further research is needed to examine whether vitamin D supplementation in children with poorly controlled asthma might confer benefits to bone health.
Development of a touch screen LCD screen for a hybrid electric vehicle

Utilizing a modular design with open source software in the development of the touch screen LCD allowed for more efficient development. When inevitable pitfalls slow progress in one area, productivity increased in another sector allowing the project to remain on schedule. Project management foresight insured a smooth recombination of the modules and a successful completion of the project within the scheduled timeframe.
Response to an abnormal ovarian cancer-screening test result: Test of the social cognitive processing and cognitive social health information processing models

All cancer screening tests produce a proportion of abnormal results requiring follow up. Consequently, the cancer-screening setting is a natural laboratory for examining psychological and behavioural response to a threatening health-related event. This study tested hypotheses derived from the social cognitive processing and cognitive–social health information processing models in trying to understand response to an abnormal ovarian cancer (OC) screening test result. Women (n = 278) receiving an abnormal screening test result a mean of 7 weeks earlier were assessed prior to a repeat screening test intended to clarify their previous abnormal result. Measures of disposition (optimism, informational coping style), social environment (social support and constraint), emotional processing, distress, and benefit finding were obtained. Regression analyses indicated greater distress was associated with greater social constraint and emotional processing and a monitoring coping style in women with a family history of...
Circulating CD8 T Lymphocytes in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Individuals Have Impaired Function and Downmodulate CD3ζ, the Signaling Chain of the T-Cell Receptor Complex

Although human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected subjects without acquired immunodeficiency syndrome have a high frequency of HIV-specific CD8 T lymphocytes, freshly isolated lymphocytes frequently lack detectable HIV-specific cytotoxicity. However, this effector function becomes readily apparent after overnight culture. To investigate reasons for T-cell dysfunction, we analyzed T-cell expression of the cytolytic protease granzyme A and of CD3ζ, the signaling component of the T-cell receptor complex. An increased proportion of CD4 and CD8 T cells from HIV-infected donors contain granzyme A, consistent with the known increased frequency of activated T cells. In 28 HIV-infected donors with mild to advanced immunodeficiency, a substantial fraction of circulating T cells downmodulated CD3ζ (fraction of T cells expressing CD3ζ, 0.74 ± 0.16 v 1.01 ± 0.07 in healthy donors; P < .0000005). CD3ζ expression is downregulated more severely in CD8 than CD4 T cells, decreases early in infection, and correlates with declining CD4 counts and disease stage. CD3ζ expression increases over 6 to 16 hours of culture in an interleukin-2–dependent manner, coincident with restoration of viral-specific cytotoxicity. Impaired T-cell receptor signaling may help explain why HIV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes fail to control HIV replication.
The Mediated and Moderated Effects of Family Support on Child Maltreatment

Previous research has linked parents' social support to decreased child maltreatment but questions remain surrounding the mechanisms explaining this association. Further, it is unclear whether this association applies to support provided by family alone (and not friends), and whether it is moderated by the presence of neighborhood violence. Based on a sample of parents of children aged 3-15 in Chicago, we find that parents' family support is associated with a lower risk of child maltreatment. This association is partly mediated by reduced parental depression, but only in neighborhoods with average or high levels of violence. In neighborhoods with low levels of violence, the inverse association between family support and maltreatment is equally strong, but it is not mediated by reduced depression.
Thermocapillary convection in a cylindrical liquid-metal floating zone with a strong axial magnetic field and with a non-axisymmetric heat flux

We treat the steady three-dimensional thermocapillary convection in a cylindrical liquid-metal zone between the isothermal ends of two coaxial solid cylinders and surrounded by an atmosphere. There is a uniform steady magnetic field which is parallel to the common centrelines of the liquid zone and solid cylinders, and there is a non-axisymmetric heat flux into the liquid's free surface. The magnetic field is sufficiently strong that inertial effects and convective heat transfer are negligible, and that viscous effects are confined to thin boundary layers adjacent to the free surface and to the liquid-solid interfaces. With an axisymmetric heat flux, the axisymmetric thermocapillary convection is confined to the thin layer adjacent to the free surface, but with a non-axisymmetric heat flux, there is an azimuthal flow inside the free-surface layer from the hot spot to the cold spot with the circulation completed by flow across the inviscid central core region. This problem is related to the magnetic damping of thermocapillary convection for the floating-zone growth of semiconductor crystals in Space.
Participant Recruitment for Qualitative Research: A Site-Based Approach to Community Research in Complex Societies

The process used to locate and recruit participants in a qualitative study is important for controlling bias and for efficiently obtaining a representative sample. In complex societies without clearly bounded groups from which to sample, participant recruitment requires especially careful consideration. Yet few qualitative researchers discuss their recruitment methods. This paper describes a site-based procedure for locating, selecting, and recruiting participants for qualitative research for communitybased research in contemporary societies. An example of this procedure applied in a study of nutrition and health among older adults of two rural counties in North Carolina is presented. Additional uses for this procedure are discussed.
Destructive disassembly to support virtual prototyping

The design paradigm called virtual prototyping (VP) is important because of the need to manufacture products in a short period of time and in a cost effective manner. By replacing the building of physical prototypes for testing various design issues such as usability, life-cycle analysis, functionality and so on with so called “virtual models” on a computer and analyzing them, virtual prototyping is achieved. One of the design issues that has become increasingly important is the “design-for-disassembly (DFD)” paradigm. A well designed product that is easy to disassemble has the obvious advantages when it needs to be taken apart for service or end-of-life recycling. Therefore a design tool that can tie the DFD issues into a virtual prototyping system is of considerable interest. This paper attempts to address this particular issue in the virtual prototyping area: DFD as applied to VP. This paper presents an overview of a detailed DFD method. An algorithm that can be readily tied into a computer aided desig...
Social support provisions as differential predictors of adaptive outcomes in young adolescents

Social support provisions were examined in relation to negative life events, adaptive skills, hope, and grade point average in a sample of 103 inner-city youth (ages 11–14). Analyses focused on seven support provisions: social integration, attachment, guidance and information, reliable alliance, reassurance of worth, nurturance, and instrumental support. For boys, the provision of guidance and information was most strongly related to adaptive skills and grade point average, whereas attachment and reassurance of worth were the strongest predictors of hopefulness. The relation between support provisions and outcomes was less pronounced in the girls. Results underscore the multidimensional nature of social support and emphasize the differential ways in which support networks and their underlying dimensions relate to adaptive outcomes in young adolescents. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effects of Instilled Combustion-Derived Particles in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats. Part II: Pulmonary Responses

A consistent association between exposure to high concentrations of ambient particulate matter (PM) and excess cardiopulmonary-related morbidity and mortality has been observed in numerous epidemiological studies, across many different geographical locations. To elicit a similar response in a controlled laboratory setting, spontaneously hypertensive rats were exposed to an oil combustion-derived PM (HP-12) and monitored for changes in pulmonary function and indices of pulmonary injury. Rats were implanted with radiotelemeters to monitor electrocardiogram, heart rate, systemic arterial blood pressure, core temperature, and activity. Animals were divided into four groups and exposed via intratracheal instillation (IT) to suspensions of HP-12 (0.0, 0.83, 3.33, and 8.33 mg/kg; control, low, mid, and high dose, respectively) in saline vehicle. Telemetered rats were monitored continuously for 4–7 days post-IT and pulmonary function was examined using a whole-body plethysmograph system for 6 h/day on post-IT day...
Scattering From a Large Planar Slotted Waveguide Array Antenna

ABSTRACT The problem of scattering from a large planar slotted waveguide array antenna is investigated. The structural scattering and slot scattering are solved independently through the application of the equivalence principle. The former is calculated by a high-frequency method, such as the physical optics (PO) and the shooting and bouncing ray (SBR) method combined with edge diffraction. The latter is solved using the method of moments (MoM) in conjunction with global sinusoidal basis functions and Galerkin's testing technique. Special attention is paid to the evaluation of the admittance matrix elements, which involve the internal and external mutual coupling. Numerical results are presented to demonstrate the effects of a variety of factors on the radar cross section (RCS) of a slot array, and these include the number of basis functions in the MoM solution, the external mutual coupling between the slots, the waveguide terminations, and the host object. Also given are the RCS space distribution and th...
Effect of Mosquito Salivary Gland Treatment on Vesicular Stomatitis New Jersey Virus Replication and Interferon α/β Expression In Vitro

The sensitivity of vesicular stomatitis (VS) viruses to interferon (IFN)-mediated anti-viral effects has been well documented. Previous studies in our laboratory have shown the ability of mosquito saliva to enhance vesicular stomatitis New Jersey (VSNJ) virus infection in mice. To investigate the effect of mosquito saliva on virus replication and IFN α/β expression, virus titers were analyzed at various time points after infection in cells that were treated with mosquito salivary gland homogenate (SGH). Salivary gland treatment of mouse fibroblast cells (L929) resulted in a significant increase in virus growth kinetics compared with untreated controls. In contrast, Vero cells, which are deficient in the IFN α/β response, did not yield increased viral titers in the time points examined. Treatment of L929 cells with an IFN α/β neutralizing antibody also slightly increased virus yield. Ribonuclease protection assays revealed that induction of IFN α2 expression was reduced in L929 cells treated with SGH. Modulation of IFN α/β by mosquito saliva may be a critical determinant of the transmission and pathogenesis of VSNJ virus.
Variable Length Compression of Codeword Indices for Lossy Compression

Many problems in information theory feature an index into a random codebook being encoded with a fixed length scheme. We propose to purposefully select the index in a manner that skews its distribution, thus making variable length entropy coding of the index more attractive. In an application to lossy compression of a Bernoulli source, we illustrate that variable length coding yields a reduction in the rate over fixed length coding, and allows to reach a requisite rate distortion performance level using a smaller codebook.