cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of duplicate gene copies on phylogenetic analysis and divergence time estimates in butterflies

The increase in availability of genomic sequences for a wide range of organisms has revealed gene duplication to be a relatively common event. Encounters with duplicate gene copies have consequently become almost inevitable in the context of collecting gene sequences for inferring species trees. Here we examine the effect of incorporating duplicate gene copies evolving at different rates on tree reconstruction and time estimation of recent and deep divergences in butterflies. Sequences from ultraviolet-sensitive (UVRh), blue-sensitive (BRh), and long-wavelength sensitive (LWRh) opsins, EF-1α and COI were obtained from 27 taxa representing the five major butterfly families (5535 bp total). Both BRh and LWRh are present in multiple copies in some butterfly lineages and the different copies evolve at different rates. Regardless of the phylogenetic reconstruction method used, we found that analyses of combined data sets using either slower or faster evolving copies of duplicate genes resulted in a single topology in agreement with our current understanding of butterfly family relationships based on morphology and molecules. Interestingly, individual analyses of BRh and LWRh sequences also recovered these family-level relationships. Two different relaxed clock methods resulted in similar divergence time estimates at the shallower nodes in the tree, regardless of whether faster or slower evolving copies were used, with larger discrepancies observed at deeper nodes in the phylogeny. The time of divergence between the monarch butterfly Danaus plexippus and the queen D. gilippus (15.3–35.6 Mya) was found to be much older than the time of divergence between monarch co-mimic Limenitis archippus and red-spotted purple L. arthemis (4.7–13.6 Mya), and overlapping with the time of divergence of the co-mimetic passionflower butterflies Heliconius erato and H. melpomene (13.5–26.1 Mya). Our family-level results are congruent with recent estimates found in the literature and indicate an age of 84–113 million years for the divergence of all butterfly families. These results are consistent with diversification of the butterfly families following the radiation of angiosperms and suggest that some classes of opsin genes may be usefully employed for both phylogenetic reconstruction and divergence time estimation.
Does a childhood history of externalizing problems predict smoking during pregnancy

While the demographic characteristics of women who smoke during pregnancy are well established, less is known about psychiatric characteristics that may differentiate among persistent smokers, spontaneous quitters, and nonsmokers. The purpose of the present study was to test the hypothesis that a history of externalizing problems is related to persistent smoking during pregnancy. Participants included 93 pregnant women (mean age=28 years; 89% non-Hispanic White; 46% persistent smokers; and 16% spontaneous quitters). Externalizing problems, as evidenced by conduct disorder (CD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), were assessed using diagnostic interviews. History of CD and ADHD varied by smoking status, with persistent smokers most likely to have a history of both disorders and exhibiting the highest levels of symptomatology. In multivariate analyses, a history of CD, but not ADHD symptoms, distinguished women who persisted in smoking during pregnancy from spontaneous quitters. Results suggest that a childhood history of conduct problems is a risk factor for maternal smoking during pregnancy and that psychiatric history is important to consider in developing more targeted cessation interventions.
The Other White Gold: Salt, Slaves, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and British Colonialism

In one of the more famous slave narratives—in part because it was the first published account by a woman—Bermuda‐born Mary Prince reported that “my master sent me away to Turk's Island. I was not p...
Oncogenic and activated wild-type ras-p21 proteins induce different isoforms of protein kinase C in mitogenic signal transduction.

We have previously found that the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor, CGP 41 251, blocks oncogenic ras-p21 protein- and beta-PKC-induced oocyte maturation, but only weakly inhibits insulin-induced oocyte maturation (which requires activation of wild-type endogenous ras-p21). Because the dose–response curves for inhibition of oncogenic p21- and beta-PKC-induced oocyte maturation by CGP 41 251 superimpose and because the ras-p21-inactivating antibody, Y13-259, does not inhibit beta-PKC-induced oocyte maturation, we concluded that the oncogenic, but not wild-type, protein requires beta-PKC as a downstream target. Because multiple isoforms of PKC exist and several of these, such as epsilon-PKC, have been found to be important on ras signal transduction pathways, we have investigated which PKC isoforms are critical to each ras protein. For this purpose, we used PKC-isoform-specific inhibitors, which have been shown to inhibit selectively the function and translocation of PKC isoforms in vitro and in vivo. Specifically, the peptides KLFIMN, QEVIRN, and EAVSLKPT each inhibit beta-1, beta-2, and epsilon-PKC, respectively, but do not cross-inhibit other PKC isoforms. We find that the epsilon-PKC inhibitory peptide strongly blocks insulin- but not oncogenic ras-p21-induced oocyte maturation whereas the beta-2 inhibitory peptide more strongly inhibits oncogenic ras-p21-induced oocyte maturation, corroborating our previous studies. The beta-1 inhibitory peptide has little effect on either protein. We conclude that selective inhibition of individual PKC isoforms permits the distinction between signal transduction initiated by oncogenic and activated wild-type p21 proteins and implicate different specific PKC isoforms in mitogenic signal transduction by each of these proteins. The ability to dissect the role of individual PKC isozymes in this regulation is of therapeutic significance.
The radiolucent liver

Changes in the liver density on the plain film of the abdomen may be seen when there is a change in the nature of the liver structure. Increased amount of fat is associated with increased radiolucency which can be detected when looked for specifically.
Copper and Zinc Deficiency in a Patient Receiving Long-Term Parenteral Nutrition During a Shortage of Parenteral Trace Element Products

Drug shortages in the United States, including parenteral nutrition (PN) components, have been common in recent years and can adversely affect patient care. Here we report a case of copper and zinc deficiency in a patient receiving PN during a shortage of parenteral trace element products. The management of the patient's deficiencies, including the use of an imported parenteral multi-trace element product, is described.
Effects of arginine vasotocin (AVT) on the behavioral, cardiovascular, and corticosterone responses of starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) to crowding.

Previous studies in European starlings have concluded that conspecific crowding can be a significant stressor that is capable of simultaneously altering behavior, heart rate, and corticosterone (CORT) concentrations. It was hypothesized that the peptide hormone arginine vasotocin (AVT) has a role in the regulation of these three types of responses to crowding. Four male and four female resident starlings were submitted to nine combinations of 3 crowding treatments (0, 1, or 5 intruder starlings) and 3 subcutaneous injections (1, 4 μg AVT, and saline control). Resident starlings were given a treatment injection, their heart rate and behavior were monitored for 30 min, 0, 1, or 5 intruder Starlings were allowed to enter the residents cage, and HR and behavior were monitored for another 30 min. Blood samples were taken before and after all treatments to assess CORT concentrations. Exogenous AVT decreased the frequency of maintenance behaviors (feeding, drinking, preening, and beak wiping), as well as activity in resident starlings. Although aggressive behaviors upright posture, head feather expansion, and pecking) increased during crowding, these increases were significantly attenuated by AVT. Heart rate was significantly lower during these behavioral effects, and the CORT data indicate that the cardiovascular and behavioral effects are not dependent on significant increases in CORT. These data support the hypothesis that AVT's attenuation of general behavior and crowding induced aggression are modulated by a cardiovascular mechanism.
Transfer of responses to open and closed shapes in discrimination learning by cats

Two sets of 32 cats each were matched for performance in learning to discriminate an open and a closed shape and were then trained on a transfer task. The consistent groups were rewarded for choosing the same class of shape (open or closed) in learning and transfer. The inconsistent groups were rewarded for choosing the open figure in one task and the closed figure in the second, or vice versa. After learning the transfer task, all of the Ss relearned the original discrimination task under the same conditions that prevailed in initial training. The inconsistent groups made more errors on both the transfer and retention problems; both these differences were significant at the 0.1% level of confidence. These results and those obtained on preference tests support the hypothesis that cats classify shapes as open or closed in terms of perimeter and number of sides.
Radiographically ossified ganglion cyst of finger in a swimmer

Ganglion cysts are fibrous-walled cystic lesions closely associated with joint or tendon sheaths and contain gelatinous mucinous fluid. The radiographic appearance is usually normal. Calcification or ossification in these cysts is extremely unusual. We report on an unusual appearing ganglion cyst of the little finger in a swimmer with ossification resembling myositis ossificans.
Fractionation of mineral species by electrophoresis

The fractionation of fine-grained aggregates into their major components is a problem in many scientific areas including earth and planetary science. Electrophoresis, the transport of electrically charged particles, immersed in a suspension medium, by a direct current field (Bier, 1959), was employed in this study as a means of separating simulated lunar soil into its constituent minerals. In these tests, conducted in a static analytical cylindrical microelectrophoresis apparatus, samples of simulated lunar soil and samples of pure mineral constituents were placed in the chamber; the electrophoretic mobilities of the lunar soil and the individual mineral constituents were measured. In most of the suspension buffers employed separability was indicated, on the basis of differences in mobility, for all the constituent mineral species except ilmenite and pyroxene, which were not efficiently separable in any of the buffers. Although only a few suspension media were employed, the success of this initial study suggests that electrophoresis may be an important mineral fractionation option in fine-grained aggregate processing.
Continuing Evolution in the Operative Management of Primary Hyperparathyroidism

• During the past several decades the operation for primary hyperparathyroidism at The University of Chicago, Ill, has changed from subtotal parathyroidectomy for all patients to removal of an adenoma with performance of biopsies of all other glands to bilateral neck exploration, resection of the adenoma, and performance of fewer biopsies of normal glands. During the 1980s, 308 operations were performed; 288 patients underwent first operations. Two hundred forty-five (85.1%) of these patients had an adenoma and forty-three (14.9%) had hyperplasia (multiglandular disease); none had a carcinoma. Resolution of hypercalcemia was achieved in 281 patients (97.5%); seven patients experienced failed explorations. The early cure was the same whether or not preoperative localization studies were performed. Nineteen patients underwent 20 reoperative parathyroidectomies during this period. Preoperative localization studies, done in 16 (80%) of 20 cases, were very helpful. Ninety percent of patients with abnormal parathyroid glands in their neck or mediastinum were cured with their initial reoperation. (Arch Surg. 1992;127:831-837)
Needle Slippage From Needle Hub Hardware During Ablation

Dr. Little and his colleagues report successful results for lung tumor microwave ablation. [1] One underappreciated technical pitfall which can be seen with microwave ablation in the lung is needle slippage and stabilization. This may become more relevant with the emergence of microwave and cryoablation needles which often have heavy hubs, hardware and cords exerting forces on the needle, which can change the depth or angle of insertion of the needle when not stabilized by the operator’s hand. This may pull the needle off-angle or deeper than desired, and may be more common in compliant lung tissue. In one patient, while performing microwave ablation of a lung cancer, the microwave needle advanced 2cm further towards the heart, due to the weight of the device and gravity towards the table (Figure 1). A similar phenomenon can also be seen with steep cranio-caudal access for ablations in the liver dome during respiration, with the liver moving along the needle insertion axis (ie- subcostal skin to liver dome). A common simple technique for needle stabilization is propping the needle's handle in position by rolling sterile towels around its hub, however the needle is not absolutely fixed in place. The “stick” feature in cryoablation may also mitigate this pitfall and prevent migration. Figure 1 Cone beam CT before (A) and after (B) needle slippage. Planned needle path and planned treatment volume (C) in navigation and ablation planner software (Allura Xper FD20, Phillips Healthcare, Best, Netherlands) Disposable needle guidance and stabilization devices, such as the SeeStar® (AprioMed, Uppsala, Sweden) [2,3] and the SimpliFY™ (NeoRad, Oslo, Norway), may help address this challenge. These sterile devices are placed on the skin, and the needle is placed into the clamp of the device allowing fixation of the microwave needle in the insertion angle. (Figure 2) Figure 2 SimpliFY™ (A) stabilizing an radio-frequency ablation needle (Covidien, Boulder, CO, USA) and SeeStar® (B) stabilizing a cryo-ablation needle (Endocare , HealthTronics Inc, Austin, TX, USA) Note bending of needle shaft caused by tension ... However, not all guiding devices secure the depth of insertion. The SimpliFY™ has a mobile needle gripper with an adjustable screw/clamp that can subsequently be used to hold the needle in place at the pre-determined depth. (Figure 2a) In contrast, note the similar SeeStar® allows for simultaneous alignment of the needle along both angular axes (Figure 2b), but does not have a mechanism to secure the depth of the needle insertion. Physicians performing percutaneous interventions should be aware of the possibility of needle slippage and theoretical risks posed to surrounding tissue and organs, as well as potential solutions.
Influence of dietary fats on cell populations of line 168 mouse mammary tumors: a morphometric and ultrastructural study.

Abstract The effect of dietary fat concentration and saturation on cell composition and structure of line 168 mouse mammary tumors in vivo was studied using morphometry and electron microscopy. Both the concentration and saturation of fat fed to mice had a significant influence on the volume ratio of mast cells infiltrating line 168 tumors. Tumors of mice fed diets containing a high concentration (20%) of either safflower oil (SO) or palm oil (PO) had 2–3 times the volume ratio of mast cells than mice fed diets containing a low concentration (5%) of either fat. There were no significant differences among diets with respect to other inflammatory cell populations. Mice fed either one of the high fat diets had tumor cells with inclusions that ultrastructurally, appeared to consist of lipid. Dietary fat, however, had no observable affect on cell junctions or other morphological characteristics. Greater infiltration of mast cells in tumors of mice fed high fat diets and the eventual formation of new blood capillaries may explain the decreased latency of tumor onset and enhanced growth of tumors in mice fed diets with high concentrations of fat.
Could a public ecology approach help resolve the mountaintop mining controversy

Abstract In recent years, controversy has grown around decisions related to mountaintop removal mining of coal in Central Appalachia, USA. While this mining method can be particularly efficient, it necessitates removal and relocation of huge volumes of earth—permanently altering the natural landform and potentially impacting local environments and communities. Current decision-making systems and regulatory frameworks have been largely ineffective at incorporating the values and concerns of stakeholders. This is due, in part, to contradicting policies, a legacy of distrust, and problems related to scale. Further, the lack of good civic science related to mountaintop mining and meaningful routes for public involvement have also hampered effective decision-making. We propose that the fundamental concepts of public ecology may provide a progressive approach to resolving these complex issues, and examine the challenges that must be met along the way.
Analysis of inelastic proton scattering from $sup 14$N between 8.60 and 26.0 MeV

The elastic and inelastic proton differential cross sections for /sup 14/ N ha ve been measured at 8.6, 10.6, 12.6, and 14.6 MeV. The variation with energy of the cross sections, as well as the shape of the angular distributions, indicated that the contribution of compound processes to some of the inelastic cross sections was not negligible at these energies. Fits to the elastic scattering data yielded proton optical parameter, which were used in calculating transmission coefficients for a Hauser-Feshbach calculation of the compound nuclear contribution to the inelastic cross sections. These data, corrected for compound effects and measurements for scattering to the 2.31- and 3.95-MeV levels at with a microscopic coupled-channel calculation. The purpose of the analysis was to find out how sensitive the calculations were to the wave functions used for /sup 14/N, to the values of the effective two-body force, and to the channels coupled. The results were also compared to a simple distorted-wave Born- approximation (DWBA) calculation. Calculations for the 3.95- and 7.03-MeV level were also carried out assuming a weak-coupling model for /sup 14/N, two p/sub 1/2/ nucleons coupled to a /sup 12/C core. This collective model gave over-all better agreement with the measured differentialmore » cross sections for these levels than the DWBA or the microscopic coupled-channel calculation. (auth)« less
Respiratory effects of increased air flow resistance in dogs.

Conclusions1. When tracheal air flow is so impeded as to produce pronounced changes in inspiratory and expiratory pressures, breathing rates increase, minute volumes may remain relatively uniform and tidal volumes decrease inversely with the pressure differences. 2. Two factors are involved in the accommodation to this respiratory stress: (a) Increasing carbon dioxide tensions act as primary stimuli to more forced inspiration and expiration; (b) Decreasing oxygen tensions act as stimuli to more rapid breathing by reducing the time of the expiratory phase of the breathing cycle.
Traversing the Matrix: Cyborg Athletes, Technology, and the Environment

Despite the growing body of sport studies literature engaging cyborg theory, and notwithstanding the significant amount of work within sport sociology interrogating sport and space, few scholars ha...
Estimation of NH3 bi-directional flux from managed agricultural soils

Abstract The Community Multi-Scale Air Quality model (CMAQ) is used to assess regional air quality conditions for a wide range of chemical species throughout the United States (U.S.). CMAQ representation of the regional nitrogen budget is limited by its treatment of ammonia (NH 3 ) soil emission from, and deposition to underlying surfaces as independent rather than tightly coupled processes, and by its reliance on soil emission estimates that do not respond to variable meteorology and ambient chemical conditions. The present study identifies an approach that addresses these limitations, lends itself to regional application, and will better position CMAQ to meet future assessment challenges. These goals were met through the integration of the resistance-based flux model of Nemitz et al. (2001) with elements of the United States Department of Agriculture EPIC (Environmental Policy Integrated Climate) model. Model integration centers on the estimation of ammonium and hydrogen ion concentrations in the soil required to estimate soil NH 3 flux. The EPIC model was calibrated using data collected during an intensive 2007 field study in Lillington, North Carolina. A simplified process model based on the nitrification portion of EPIC was developed and evaluated. It was then combined with the Nemitz et al. (2001) model and measurements of near-surface NH 3 concentrations to simulate soil NH 3 flux at the field site. Finally, the integrated flux (emission) results were scaled upward and compared to recent national ammonia emission inventory estimates. The integrated model results are shown to be more temporally resolved (daily), while maintaining good agreement with established soil emission estimates at longer time-scales (monthly). Although results are presented for a single field study, the process-based nature of this approach and NEI comparison suggest that inclusion of this flux model in a regional application should produce useful assessment results if nationally consistent sources of driving soil and agricultural management information are identified.
Role of the carotid bodies in the respiratory compensation for the metabolic acidosis of exercise in humans

1. In response to an acute exercise-induced metabolic acidosis, the fall of arterial pH is constrained by the magnitude of the compensatory hyperventilation. To determine the role of the carotid bodies in this regulatory process, subjects performed prolonged (24 min) square-wave cycle ergometry from a background of unloaded cycling at inspired oxygen fractions (FI,O2) of 0.12 O2 (high carotid body gain), 0.21 O2 (normal carotid body gain) and 0.80 O2 (low carotid body gain). The work rates were selected to provide the same exercise intensity, despite the different inspirates; i.e. resulting in a constant increase in arterial blood [lactate] (delta [L-] approximately 4 mequiv l-1. 2. Ventilatory and pulmonary gas exchange variables were computed breath-by-breath and arterial blood was sampled at intervals throughout the tests and analysed subsequently for [lactate], [pyruvate], arterial partial pressures of oxygen and carbon dioxide (PO2, PCO2), pH, [bicarbonate] and [potassium]. 3. Hypoxia markedly reduced, and hyperoxia magnified, the transient decrease in arterial pH following exercise onset. However, there was a slow acid-base compensatory component, even when carotid chemosensitivity was suppressed by hyperoxia. We therefore conclude that, in humans, carotid body chemosensitivity plays a dominant role in constraining variations of arterial pH in response to the acute metabolic acidosis of heavy exercise, but that secondary-presumably central chemosensory-mechanisms subserve a slower compensatory role.
Dimorphism and virulence in fungi

The signature feature of systemic dimorphic fungi - a family of six primary fungal pathogens of humans - is a temperature-induced phase transition. These fungi grow as a mold in soil at ambient temperature and convert to yeast after infectious spores are inhaled into the lungs of a mammalian host. Seminal work 20 years ago established that a temperature-induced phase transition from mold to yeast is required for virulence. Several yeast-phase specific genes, identified one-by-one and studied by reverse genetics, have revealed mechanisms by which the phase transition promotes disease pathogenesis. Transcriptional profiling of microarrays built with genomic elements of Histoplasma capsulatum and ESTs of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis that represent partial genomes has identified 500 genes and 328 genes, respectively, that are differentially expressed upon the phase transition. The genomes of most of the dimorphic fungi are now in varying stages of being sequenced. The creation of additional microarrays and the application of new reverse genetic tools promise fresh insight into genes and mechanisms that regulate pathogenesis and morphogenesis. The use of insertional mutagenesis by Agrobacterium has uncovered a hybrid histidine kinase that regulates dimorphism and pathogenicity in Blastomyces dermatitidis and H. capsulatum. Two-component signaling appears to be a common strategy for model and pathogenic fungi to sense and respond to environmental stresses.
Dual power assignment optimization and fault tolerance in WSNs

Because of limited battery equipped on each sensor, power consumption is one of the crucial issues in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). It therefore has been the focus of many researchers. An important problem concerning power consumption is to minimize the number of maximum-power nodes while maintaining a desired network topology. As fault tolerance is vitally important in practice, it is desirable that the constructed network topology is $$k$$k-edge-connected or $$k$$k-connected. In this paper, we study the dual power assignment problem for $$k$$k-edge connectivity $$(kEDP)$$(kEDP) and biconnectivity in WSNs. While other studies consider only the special case $$k=2$$k=2, our goal is to address the general problem. In addition to showing the APX-completeness of biconnectivity problem in the metric model, we also prove the NP-completeness of the $$kEDP$$kEDP problem in the geometric case and provide a 2-approximation algorithm using linear programming techniques. To the best of our knowledge, this approximation ratio is currently the best one. We also introduce a heuristic whose performance is better compared with an approximation algorithm in Wang et al. (J Comb Optim 19:174---183, 2010).
Object tracking for video annotation

This paper describes a system for tracking objects in a video stream obtained from a moving airborne platform, which is applied to annotate video objects automatically. The object to annotate is indicated by a mouse click. The proposed tracking algorithm uses a spatio-temporal segmentation followed by temporal tracking. It differs from existing techniques by the following features. The same algorithm is used in tracking both moving and stationary objects by making the stationary objects "move." It is general enough to handle any objects of various types and sizes including point objects. The system has a fast implementation because all image operations are applied on small image regions only. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated on a few real video sequences.
Humic acid as a colloidal surfactant

The Na+-humate sol is studied as a surface active substance (surfactant) capable of lowering the surface tension of water, and of spreading on the water surface with observable velocity to form a thin film. Based on these properties, it is concluded that sol should contain molecules of intermediate molecular weight as well as their associates (micelles) whose weight depends on the number of molecules in the micelles.
Where have all the general internists gone

A shortage of primary care physicians is expected, due in part to decreasing numbers of physicians entering general internal medicine (GIM). Practicing general internists may contribute to the shortage by leaving internal medicine (IM) for other careers in and out of medicine. To better understand mid-career attrition in IM. Mail survey to a national sample of internists originally certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in GIM or an IM subspecialty during the years 1990 to 1995. Self-reported current status as working in IM, working in another medical or non-medical field, not currently working but plan to return, or retired; and career satisfaction. Nine percent of all internists in the 1990–1995 certification cohorts and a significantly larger proportion of general internists (17%) than IM subspecialists [(4%) P < 0.001] had left IM at mid career. A significantly lower proportion of general internists (70%) than IM subspecialists [(77%) (P < 0.008)] were satisfied with their career. The proportion of general internists who had left IM in 2006 (19%) was not significantly different from the 21% who left in 2004 (P = 0.45). The proportion of general internists who left IM was not significantly different in earlier (1990–92; 19%) versus later (1993–95; 15%) certification cohorts (P = 0.15). About one in six general internists leave IM by mid-career compared to one in 25 IM subspecialists. Although research finds that doctors leave medicine because of dissatisfaction, this study was inconclusive about whether general internists left IM in greater proportion than IM subspecialists for this reason. A more likely explanation is that GIM serves as a stepping stone to careers outside of IM.
D-Swoosh: A Family of Algorithms for Generic, Distributed Entity Resolution

Entity resolution (ER) matches and merges records that refer to the same real-world entities, and is typically a compute-intensive process due to complex matching functions and high data volumes. We present a family of algorithms, D-Swoosh, for distributing the ER workload across multiple processors. The algorithms use generic match and merge functions, and ensure that new merged records are distributed to processors that may have matching records. We perform a detailed performance evaluation on a testbed of 15 processors. Our experiments use actual comparison shopping data provided by Yahoo!.
Cerium Oxide-Based Sorbents for Regenerative Hot Reformate Gas Desulfurization

The activity and stability of lanthanum- or copper-containing cerium oxide sorbents for hot reformate gas desulfurization were investigated in this work. Reformate gas, derived from the catalytic partial oxidation or autothermal reforming of heavy fuels such as JP-8, is rich in hydrogen and CO and may also contain up to 500 ppmv H2S. Desulfurization at temperatures in the range of 650-800°C is required before using the fuel gas in solid oxide fuel cells. In this work, regenerable cerium oxide-based sorbents were used in desulfurization. The sorbents were prepared with high surface area by the urea coprecipitation/gelation method, followed by slow heating and calcination in air at 650 °C for 4 h. Lanthanum doping (up to 50 at. %) was determined to be effective in moderating the surface area loss of cerium oxide (ceria) in H2S-free reformate gas at 800 °C. On the other hand, severe sintering occurred when copper was used as an additive, even in amounts as low as 10 at. % copper in ceria. However, the copper-containing ceria had the best sulfidation kinetics among the ceria-based sorbents. Sorbents were evaluated in cyclic sulfidation/regeneration tests at 650 and 800 °C, using a simulated reformate gas mixture in sulfidation, and a 3% O2-He gas mixture for regeneration. Using very high space velocities, we determined that sulfidation could be limited to the sorbent surface. The surface sulfur capacity of the sorbents was stable in cyclic sulfidation/regeneration under these conditions.
Arabidopsis TCH4, Regulated by Hormones and the Environment, Encodes a Xyloglucan Endotransglycosylase

Adaptation of plants to environmental conditions requires that sensing of external stimuli be linked to mechanisms of morphogenesis. The Arabidopsis TCH (for touch) genes are rapidly upregulated in expression in response to environmental stimuli, but a connection between this molecular response and developmental alterations has not been established. We identified TCH4 as a xyloglucan endotransglycosylase by sequence similarity and enzyme activity. Xyloglucan endotransglycosylases most likely modify cell walls, a fundamental determinant of plant form. We determined that TCH4 expression is regulated by auxin and brassinosteroids, by environmental stimuli, and during development, by a 1-kb region. Expression was restricted to expanding tissues and organs that undergo cell wall modification. Regulation of genes encoding cell wall-modifying enzymes, such as TCH4, may underlie plant morphogenetic responses to the environment.
Local and regional recurrence of carcinoma of the colon and rectum: I. Tumour-host factors and adjuvant therapy

A review of 13 studies (published from 1976 to 1991) shows that the mean loco-regional recurrence rate after resection of colorectal carcinoma is 17%, and nearly one-third of these had only a loco-regional relapse. Approximately half of the pelvic recurrences of rectal cancer appeared within 1 year, and half of the colonic loco-regional recurrences within 2 years. Among 5336 patients studied, there was a progressively higher loco-regional recurrence rate with increased pathological stages: the medians were 2%, 7%, 19%, 21% and 32%, respectively, for Dukes A, B1, B2, C1 and C2 lesions. Other significant prognostic factors include the age of the patient, site of the primary tumour, mucinous subtype, degree of differentiation and vascular or lymphatic invasion. For resected rectal cancers, adjuvant radiotherapy has decreased loco-regional recurrence by 20–30%, especially when it is given preoperatively and/or with added systemic chemotherapy. These quantitative loco-regional recurrence data were collected before systemic adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy were popularized, and before laparoscopic minimal invasive surgery was widely practiced. Thus, they are a useful baseline of information to study the changes in rates and types of relapse in the future.
A DSM design flow: putting floorplanning, technology-mapping, and gate-placement together

This paper presents an integrated design flow which combines floorplanning, technology mapping, and placement using a dynamic programming algorithm. The proposed design flow consists of five steps: maximum tree sub-structure formation, levelized cluster tree construction, minimum area implementation using 2-D shape functions, critical path identification, and repeated application of simultaneous floorplanning, technology mapping and gate placement along the timing critical paths. Experimental results obtained from an extensive set of benchmarks demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed flow.
Mpv17l protects against mitochondrial oxidative stress and apoptosis by activation of Omi/HtrA2 protease

Cellular localization determines whether the serine protease HtrA2 exerts pro- or antiapoptotic functions. In contrast to the well-characterized proapoptotic function of cytosolic HtrA2, mechanisms underlying the mitochondrial protective role are poorly understood. Mpv17l is a transmembrane protein previously implicated in peroxisomal reactive oxygen species metabolism and a close homolog of the inner mitochondrial membrane protein Mpv17. Here we demonstrate a previously undescribed direct interaction between Mpv17l and HtrA2 in mitochondria. The interaction is mediated by a PDZ domain and induces protease activation of HtrA2. HtrA2 inhibits mitochondrial superoxide generation, stabilizes mitochondrial membrane potential, and prevents apoptosis at baseline and in response to extracellular inducers of mitochondrial stress. The physiological role of Mpv17l is underscored by the finding that oxidative stress-induced downregulation of Mpv17l is a consistent feature in renal injury models. Our findings identify Mpv17l as a unique interacting protein and regulator of HtrA2 protease mediating antioxidant and antiapoptotic function in mitochondria.
Multiplexing Techniques for Digital Correlator Speed Improvement

Several approaches to time-division multiplexing of digital correlator devices are developed whereby k operations are overlapped in time. Where synchronization with the input signal exists, the resulting multiplexed correlators provide k -fold speed improvement over individual correlator devices. A completely synchronized correlator can be formed from k such multiplexed correlators by proper selection of outputs. A simplified realization is presented which only requires one set of k N/k -bit signal and reference registers and k sets of N -bit comparator circuits. Laboratory experimentation and computer simulations to support these concepts are described.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Herpes Simplex Infection During Pregnancy

When pregnant women acquire primary herpes simplex genital infections or experience recurrent infections around the time of delivery, the risk of transmitting the disease to their newborns is significant. This perinatal transmission can result in a serious neonatal illness. Issues surrounding screening, treatment, and mode of delivery to prevent perinatal transmission often are confusing and controversial. Nurses delivering care to childbearing women and their newborns must be aware of the current information to give accurate and helpful information and support. Nurses also need to understand the effect this disease has both physiologically and psychosocially on women with primary infections, recurrent infections, and women at risk of acquiring the infection during pregnancy.
Assessing the Impact of Relative Social Position and Absolute Community Resources on Depression and Obesity Among Smokers

We tested two competing hypotheses—relative social position and community resources—in regards to their effect on two co-occurring health problems (depres- sion, and obesity) in a sample of smokers participating in an online smoking cessation intervention. Income and education data at the zip code level from the 2000 Census was linked with individual level data. Logistic regression models were used for each co-occurring problem to determine how each SES variable (individually and inter- actively) was associated with the presence of co-occurring health problems. We found that lower individual education was related to poorer health for all outcomes (Depression: OR = 1.25; Obesity: OR = 1.24; Both: OR = 1.46), lower community education was only related to obesity (OR = 1.20). Lower individual income was related to higher rates of depressive symptoms (OR = 1.64) and both health problems (OR = 1.55); a significant interaction of individual and community income (Wald = 6.13, p \ .05) revealed that high income individuals were less likely to be depressed if they lived in lower-income communities and became more likely to be so as community income increased. Relative social position was confirmed for depression, whereas community resources were promi- nent only for obesity. Higher individual education most consistently predicted positive health outcomes, making it a potentially powerful target to reduce health disparities.
Film cooling on a gas turbine blade pressure side or suction side with axial shaped holes

Abstract The film cooling effectiveness on the surface of a high pressure turbine blade is measured using the pressure sensitive paint (PSP) technique. Four rows of axial laid-back, fan-shaped cooling holes are distributed on the pressure side while two such rows are provided on the suction side. The coolant is only injected to either the pressure side or suction side of the blade at five average blowing ratios ranging from 0.4 to 1.5. The presence of wakes due to upstream vanes is simulated by placing a periodic set of rods upstream of the test blade. Effect of the upstream wakes is recorded at four different phase locations with equal intervals along the pitch-wise direction. The freestream Mach numbers at cascade inlet and exit are 0.27 and 0.44, respectively. Results reveal that the tip leakage vortices and endwall vortices sweep the coolant film on the suction side to the midspan region. The film cooling effectiveness on the suction side is usually higher than that on the pressure side except the regions affected by the secondary vortices. The presence of upstream wakes results in lower film cooling effectiveness on the blade surface. The moderate blowing ratios (M = 0.6 or M = 0.9) give higher film cooling effectiveness immediately downstream of the film cooling holes. Further downstream of the holes, higher blowing ratios cover wider surface area.
inGAP: an integrated next-generation genome analysis pipeline

Summary: We develop a novel mining pipeline, Integrative Next-generation Genome Analysis Pipeline (inGAP), guided by a Bayesian principle to detect single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), insertion/deletions (indels) by comparing high-throughput pyrosequencing reads with a reference genome of related organisms. inGAP can be applied to the mapping of both Roche/454 and Illumina reads with no restriction of read length. Experiments on simulated and experimental data show that this pipeline can achieve overall 97% accuracy in SNP detection and 94% in the finding of indels. All the detected SNPs/indels can be further evaluated by a graphical editor in our pipeline. inGAP also provides functions of multiple genomes comparison and assistance of bacterial genome assembly. Availability: inGAP is available at http://sites.google.com/site/nextgengenomics/ingap Contact: ude.usp.xb@scs Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Designing a component-based architecture for the modeling and simulation of nuclear fuels and reactors

Concerns over the environment and energy security have recently prompted renewed interest in the U. S. in nuclear energy. Recognizing this, the U. S. Dept. of Energy has launched an initiative to revamp and modernize the role that modeling and simulation plays in the development and operation of nuclear facilities. This Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) program represents a major investment in the development of new software, with one or more large multi-scale multi-physics capabilities in each of four technical areas associated with the nuclear fuel cycle, as well as additional supporting developments. In conjunction with this, we are designing a software architecture, computational environment, and component framework to integrate the NEAMS technical capabilities and make them more accessible to users. In this report of work very much in progress, we lay out the "problem" we are addressing, describe the model-driven system design approach we are using, and compare them with several large-scale technical software initiatives from the past. We discuss how component technology may be uniquely positioned to address the software integration challenges of the NEAMS program, outline the capabilities planned for the NEAMS computational environment and framework, and describe some initial prototyping activities.
Power control for wireless networks using TCP/RED

This paper develops an optimal congestion control algorithm for wireless networks using TCP Reno/RED based on utility maximization techniques. The algorithm requires no modifications to TCP. Several simulations are presented and indicate a substantial gain in performance. A simplified heuristic is also presented.
In Situ Three‐Dimensional Synchrotron X‐Ray Nanotomography of the (De)lithiation Processes in Tin Anodes

The three-dimensional quantitative analysis and nanometer-scale visualization of the microstructural evolutions of a tin electrode in a lithium-ion battery during cycling is described. Newly developed synchrotron X-ray nanotomography provided an invaluable tool. Severe microstructural changes occur during the first delithiation and the subsequent second lithiation, after which the particles reach a structural equilibrium with no further significant morphological changes. This reveals that initial delithiation and subsequent lithiation play a dominant role in the structural instability that yields mechanical degradation. This in situ 3D quantitative analysis and visualization of the microstructural evolution on the nanometer scale by synchrotron X-ray nanotomography should contribute to our understanding of energy materials and improve their synthetic processing.
The Poetic Transmission of Zen Buddhism

This paper intends to understand the experience of enlightenment in Zen Buddhism from a perspective of poetics. Enlightenment is understood as an existential breakthrough, which delivers people from the habitual or conventional mind set into new horizon of consciousness. This breakthrough takes place in one’s overall consciousness rather than only in cognitive thought. Therefore, it cannot be adequately described on an abstract level with a conceptual paradigm. The poetic language provides a significant alternative for capturing this leap and revealing the spiritual meaning and the practical wisdom of enlightenment. Enlightenment, as concrete experiences in the “flux” of the mind, can be most directly expressed and effectively transmitted in poetic language.
Abbreviated Environmental Enrichment Enhances Neurobehavioral Recovery Comparably to Continuous Exposure After Traumatic Brain Injury

Background. Environmental enrichment (EE) is a complex living milieu that has been shown to enhance functional recovery versus standard (STD) housing after experimental traumatic brain injury (TBI) and therefore may be considered a rodent correlate of rehabilitation. However, the typical EE paradigm consists of continuous exposure to enrichment after TBI, which is inconsistent with the limited time frame in clinical rehabilitation. Objective. To determine whether abbreviated EE (ie, rehabilitation-relevant dose response) confers benefits similar to typical EE after TBI. Methods. Adult male rats received either a controlled cortical impact (2.8 mm depth at 4 m/s) or sham injury and were then randomly assigned to TBI + EE, TBI + EE (2 hours), TBI + EE (4 hours), TBI + EE (6 hours), TBI + STD, and respective sham controls. Motor (beam balance/beam walk) and cognitive (Morris water maze) performance was assessed on postoperative days 1 to 5 and 14 to 19, respectively. Results. The TBI + EE (2 hours) and TBI +...
Parallel Markov chain Monte Carlo - bridging the gap to high-performance Bayesian computation in animal breeding and genetics

Background Most Bayesian models for the analysis of complex traits are not analytically tractable and inferences are based on computationally intensive techniques. This is true of Bayesian models for genome-enabled selection, which uses whole-genome molecular data to predict the genetic merit of candidate animals for breeding purposes. In this regard, parallel computing can overcome the bottlenecks that can arise from series computing. Hence, a major goal of the present study is to bridge the gap to high-performance Bayesian computation in the context of animal breeding and genetics.
Leader-follower containment control over directed random graphs

The leader-follower consensus problem for multi-agent systems over directed random graphs is investigated. Motivated by the fact that inter-agent communication can be subject to random failure when agents perform tasks in a complex environment, a directed random graph is used to model the random loss of communication between agents, where the connection of the directed edge in the graph is assumed to be probabilistic and evolves according to a two-state Markov Model. In the leader-follower network, the leaders maintain a constant desired state and the followers update their states by communicating with local neighbors over the random communication network. Based on convex properties and a stochastic version of LaSalle's Invariance Principle, almost sure convergence of the followers' states to the convex hull spanned by the leaders' states is established for the leader-follower random network. A numerical simulation is provided to demonstrate the developed result.