cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Progression of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy does not Change the Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Calcium Store in the Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat Heart

Abstract The spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) is characterized by elevated blood pressure and the development of left ventricular hypertrophy. During compensatory hypertrophy in the SHR, (26 weeks) when baseline contractile function is normal or increased, the inotropic response toβ-adrenergic stimulation is impaired. We recently showed by electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) that the amount of Ca2+stored in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) following sympathetic stimulation is not decreased in the 26-week-old SHR heart. However, with disease progression, cardiac function declines further in the SHR and the response toβ-adrenergic stimulation is more impaired. To determine whether a decreased availability of SR Ca2+is responsible for the severely depressed inotropic response in the older SHR, we used EPMA to measure directly the amount of Ca2+stored in the SR following activation of theβ-adrenergic pathway in papillary muscles from 76-week-old SHR and Wistar–Kyoto (WKY) controls. In order to determine if there are other alterations in ion homeostasis, we also compared elemental content of A-band and mitochondria. Papillary muscles from 76-week-old SHR and WKY were stimulated by 10μmisoproterenol and then rapidly frozen during relaxation. The elemental content of the junctional SR, A-band and mitochondria was measured by EPMA. We observed no significant difference in SR Ca2+content between SHR and WKY. There was also no strain-dependent difference in mitochondrial or A-band Ca2+. Overall, these results indicate that the impaired response toβ-adrenergic stimulation in the SHR at 76 weeks is not due to altered availability of SR Ca2+.
Nucleostemin prevents telomere damage by promoting PML-IV recruitment to SUMOylated TRF1

Continuously dividing cells must be protected from telomeric and nontelomeric DNA damage in order to maintain their proliferative potential. Here, we report a novel telomere-protecting mechanism regulated by nucleostemin (NS). NS depletion increased the number of telomere damage foci in both telomerase-active (TA+) and alternative lengthening of telomere (ALT) cells and decreased the percentage of damaged telomeres associated with ALT-associated PML bodies (APB) and the number of APB in ALT cells. Mechanistically, NS could promote the recruitment of PML-IV to SUMOylated TRF1 in TA+ and ALT cells. This event was stimulated by DNA damage. Supporting the importance of NS and PML-IV in telomere protection, we demonstrate that loss of NS or PML-IV increased the frequency of telomere damage and aberration, reduced telomeric length, and perturbed the TRF2ΔBΔM-induced telomeric recruitment of RAD51. Conversely, overexpression of either NS or PML-IV protected ALT and TA+ cells from telomere damage. This work reveals a novel mechanism in telomere protection.
Doubt and Skepticism in Antiquity and the Renaissance

Kierkegaard's treatment of scepticism provided the impetus for the project that culminated in Doubt and Skepticism in Antiquity and the Renaissance (2). Though his texts are not discussed in the bo...
In vitro effects of inorganic lead on isolated rat brain mitochondrial respiration

The effects of lead acetate on respiration in cerebral and cerebellar mitochondria from immature and adult rats were studied polarographically. With all substrates low lead concentrations produced an increase in respiration. Higher concentrations produced an inhibition of both this lead-induced respiration and ADP-dependent (State 3) respiration. Lead-induced respiration required inorganic phosphate and was inhibited by oligomycin, suggesting a coupling to oxidative phosphorylation. Inhibition of respiration was produced by much lower lead concentrations with NAD-linked citric acid cycle substrates than with succinate or α-glycerophosphate. In partially disrupted mitochondria, NAD-linked substrate oxidation was inhibited at lead concentrations which did not affect NADH oxidation. Thus, in brain mitochondria the NAD-linked dehydrogenases, located in the matrix space, were more sensitive to inhibition by lead than were inner membrane enzymes. All in vitro lead effects on mitochondrial respiration were comparable in cerebral and cerebellar mitochondria isolated from both immature and adult rats.
Bacterial sialic acid modulates activation of the alternative complement pathway of channel catfish (Ictaluruspunctatus)

Abstract The alternative complement pathway (ACP) provides the non-immune channel catfish ( Ictalurus punctatus ) with protection against many Gram-negative bacteria. Very little serum bactericidal activity (0–13%) was found against 8 fish pathogens, but a strong bactericidal response (100%) was found against 7 non-pathogens. MgEGTA chelation of catfish serum did not essentially change the bactericidal results. Catfish serum heated at 56°C and serum adsorbed with zymosan had no bactericidal activity. This demonstrated that the ACP was responsible for the bactericidal response. The molecular nature of the microbial surface determines whether or not the ACP will be activated. A relative lack of surface sialic acid has been found to be important for binding complement Factor B of the ACP by susceptible microbial surfaces. This study therefore examined the 15 Gram-negative bacterial fish pathogens and non-pathogens by determining their sialic acid content and their ability to elicit a bactericidal response by the catfish ACP. It was found that there was very little bactericidal activity against the fish pathogens that contained sialic acid but a very strong bactericidal response (100%) against the non-pathogens that lacked sialic acid (p=.0043). A relative lack of sialic acid or no sialic acid therefore correlated with a strong bactericidal response by the catfish ACP. Neuraminidase treatment of the bacterial fish pathogens to remove sialic acid greatly increased the bactericidal response against them by the catfish ACP when compared with untreated bacteria (p=.0431).
Neuromuscular transmission in longitudinal muscle of the leech,Hirudo medicinalis

A study was made of the pattern of motor innervation and neuromuscular transmission in the longitudinal muscle of the body wall of the leech. 1. The chemical sensitivity of muscle fibres was tested by applying acetylcholine (ACh) iontophoretically or in the form of droplets. The depolarizing action of ACh on the muscle fibres was greatest at sites where focal synaptic potentials are recorded after stimulation of the excitatory motor neuron. In many muscle fibres several sites of high ACh sensitivity may occur, a result which suggests that the muscle fibres are multiply innervated. Histologically identified nerve terminals were consistently observed at regions of high ACh sensitivity (Figs. 6, 7). 2. The cholinergic blocking agent curare reversibly reduced the amplitude of the excitatory synaptic potentials evoked by the motor neuron (Figs. 4, 5). 3. It is suggested that ACh is the transmitter released by the longitudinal motor neuron.
On certain non-Kahlerian strongly pseudoconvex manifolds

It has been conjectured that strongly pseudoconvex manifoldsX such that its exceptional setS is an irreducible curve can be embedded biholomorphically into some ℂN ×Pm. In this paper we show that this is true, with one exception, namely when dimℂX = 3 and its first Chern classc1 (KX ¦S) = 0 whereS ≅P1 andKX is the canonical bundle ofX. On the other hand, we explicitly exhibit such a 3-foldX that is not Kahlerian; also we construct non-Kahlerian strongly pseudoconvex 3-foldX whose exceptional setS is a ruled surface; those concrete examples naturally raise the possibility of classifying non-Kahlerian strongly pseudoconvex 3-folds.
Hot dry rock: A versatile alternative energy technology

Hot dry rock (HDR) is the most abundant geothermal resource, and is found almost everywhere at depth. The technology to extract energy from HDR for practical use has been under development at the Los Alamos National Laboratory for more than twenty years. During the 1970`s, the possibility of mining the heat from HDR by circulating water through an engineered geothermal reservoir was first demonstrated on a small scale. Between 1980 and 1986 a larger, deeper, and hotter HDR reservoir was constructed. This large reservoir was subsequently mated to a permanent surface plant. A number of flow tests of this large HDR reservoir were conducted between 1991 and 1995. The results of these tests have indicated that it should be practical to operate an HDR heat mining facility to produce power on a sustained basis. An industry-led, government cost-shared project to produce and market energy generated from HDR is currently being put in place. That project should help demonstrate that HDR reservoirs can be operated to provide energy for long periods of time at rates sufficient to be commercially viable. In the longer run, additional applications of HDR technology such as water and waste treatment, and steam generation for oil field flooding may come into widespread use.
Crop Effects on Closed System Element Cycling for Human Life Support in Space

ABSTRACT Nutrient recycling in a space-based Bioregenerative Life Support System (BLSS) will require an understanding of nutrient dosage effects on crop production, plant tissue partitioning, and geochemical fates within crop systems. Sodium (Na+), fluoride (F−), and iodide (I−) are found in human waste streams. These elements were examined using crops in hydroponic systems. Lettuce, radish, spinach, and beet were used to study Na+ uptake and tolerance. Spinach, lettuce, and radish growth were inhibited at 8.0 × 10−2 M Na+ compared to the control. Beet growth improved at 2.0 and 4.0 × 10−2 M Na+ compared to the control. Rice plants were used to study F− and I− uptake and tolerance. Rice growth was inhibited at 5.0 × 10−4 M F− and at 5.0 × 10−6 M I−. Solution redox and sorption reactions were predicted with the aid of a chemical equilibrium model. A simulation model was used to predict element fates.
Vibrational Sum Frequency Spectroscopic Investigation of the Azimuthal Anisotropy and Rotational Dynamics of Methyl-Terminated Silicon(111) Surfaces

Polarization-selected vibrational sum frequency generation spectroscopy (SFG) has been used to investigate the molecular orientation of methyl groups on CH3-terminated Si(111) surfaces. The symmetric and asymmetric C–H stretch modes of the surface-bound methyl group were observed by SFG. Both methyl stretches showed a pronounced azimuthal anisotropy of the 3-fold symmetry in registry with the signal from the Si(111) substrate, indicating that the propeller-like rotation of the methyl groups was hindered at room temperature. The difference in the SFG line widths for the CH3 asymmetric stretch that was observed for different polarization combinations (SPS and PPP for SFG, visible, and IR) indicated that the rotation proceeded on a 1–2 ps time scale, as compared to the ∼100 fs rotational dephasing of a free methyl rotor at room temperature.
DSM-III personality disorders in opiate addicts

Abstract Using the new DSM-III criteria for personality disorders, the rates of these disorders were evaluated in opiate addicts applying for treatment. Consistent with previous studies, 68% of the sample met diagnostic criteria for a personality disorder. Contrary to older theories of an “addictive personality,” a range of personality disorders was found and 24% of the addicts met the criteria for multiple personality disorders. To compare addicts with differing personality patterns, the eleven DSM-III personality disorders were categorized into five mutually exclusive groups: antisocial (39%), borderline (14%), narcissistic (9%), other personality disorder (6%) and no personality disorder (32%). Addicts in these groups differed demographically and in distributions of concurrent psychiatric diagnoses.
Tensile drawing of fully conjugated poly(2,5-thienylene vinylene)

Abstract A comparative study was made of mechanical and electrical properties of oriented poly(2,5-thienylene vinylene) (PTV) films prepared from the tractable precursor polymer poly[2,5-thienylene(1-methoxyethylene)] via two different processing routes. Materials were made both by the more common simultaneous tensile deformation and conversion method and by sequential conversion and drawing. It was found that both techniques yielded materials of identical, excellent conductivity and mechanical properties, provided that the fully converted PTV was oriented at significantly higher temperatures than the precursor polymer. Interestingly, the sequential conversion and drawing process proved to be the more efficient method. PTV films were obtained with Young's moduli of ∼7 GPa and electrical conductivities in excess of 10 3 S/cm, after doping with iodine.
Attenuation of Coherent Noise Using Localized-adaptive Eigenimage Filter

A new method uses eigenimages to construct a coherent noise model in a localized time-space window and performs the noise attenuation by adaptively subtracting the noise model from the input data. Advantages to this method include minimum spatial-amplitude smearing, effective attenuation on various types of coherent noise such as ground roll, air waves and near-surface scattered energy as well as handling both the aliased and non-aliased noise quite well. This new nonlinear filter significantly outperforms conventional techniques. We demonstrate the performance of this local-nonlinear filter with real data examples.
Short-term creep of cement paste during nanoindentation

Current research interest in multi-scale modeling of cement paste requires accurate characterization of the time-dependent mechanical properties of the material, particularly the C–S–H phase. Nanoindentation is evaluated as a tool for measuring the short-term viscoelastic properties of cement paste. A time-dependent solution derived using the elastic–viscoelastic correspondence principle is used to characterize creep indentation tests performed on hardened cement paste and to extract the time-dependent properties. The effect of approximating C–S–H viscoelastic properties with a time-independent Poisson’s ratio or time-independent bulk modulus is discussed, and arguments for utilizing a time-independent Poisson’s ratio for short-term response are presented. The measured nanoindentation creep results indicate a trimodal trend both in the displacement versus time response of the test data and also in the extracted viscoelastic uniaxial compliance. Expressions for the mean short-term viscoelastic uniaxial compliance of C–S–H are given and a probability density function of the viscoelastic Young’s modulus is plotted.
Increasing nursing workforce diversity: strategies for success.

A small historically black university received a Health Resources and Services Administration Nursing Workforce Diversity grant to increase nursing education opportunities for racial/ethnic minority (primarily African Americans) and/or economically disadvantaged nursing students. The 3-year grant fu
Thyroidal Uptake of I131 by Dairy Calves

Summary This study shows some of the factors causing variation in the 48-hr. uptake of radioactive iodine in 83 dairy calves for 2 yr. The average uptake was 36.4% of the injected dose, with considerable variation within and between trials. The Brown Swiss calves averaged 10% lower than calves of the other breeds. The highest average per cent of uptake was found in the summer, and the lowest in the spring. Hourly counts calculated as the per cent of the 24-hr. count showed little difference in the rate of uptake between breeds. A statistical analysis of the uptake of 64 Brown Swiss, Holstein, and Jersey calves showed a significant difference due to breed, season, breed×season, and other interactions. The age differences were not significant. A correlation coefficient of −0.17 was found when 37 observations of the 48-hr. uptake and the estimated thyroxine secretion rate were analyzed. The addition of iodized salt to the ration, and injecting the isotope intravenously rather than subcutaneously, had no apparent effect on the percentage of uptake. From the findings in this study and those of other workers, it appears questionable whether the thyroidal uptake of I 131 alone will provide worthwhile information on the thyroid status of dairy calves.
John Brown, Terrorist?

Since the Oklahoma City bombing and the September 11th attack, historians have interpreted John Brown as an American terrorist. This article seeks to correct that misinterpretation and situate Brown within the context of guerrilla warfare. While Brown did employ terrorist tactics, this is a common guerrilla action. Further, Brown himself and his contemporaries saw him as a guerrilla fighting in the revolutionary cause of antislavery.
Functional diagnosis of patent ductus arteriosus studied by cineangiocardiography in fifty-three cases.

The hemodynamic alterations revealed by cineangiocardiography in 53 cases of patent ductus arteriosus made possible the correct angiocardiographic diagnosis in 90 per cent of the cases. The most constant functional sign is "blanching of the pulmonary artery," which is seen during diastole and consists of a decrease in density of the pulmonary artery and its branches. This phenomenon has been analyzed by projecting the cineangiocardiograms frame by frame and measuring angiographic density and diameter at the same points of the pulmonary artery. The curves obtained were correlated with each other and plotted against time. The findings were correlated with clinical, surgical, and pathologic information. The hemodynamics of the shunt in patent ductus arteriosus are discussed and a theoretical explanation is offered.
Cisplatin Carbonato Complexes. Implications for Uptake, Antitumor Properties, and Toxicity

The reaction of aquated cisplatin with carbonate which is present in culture media and blood is described. The first formed complex is a monochloro monocarbonato species, which upon continued exposure to carbonate slowly forms a biscarbonato complex. The formation of carbonato species under conditions that simulate therapy may have important implications for uptake, antitumor properties, and toxicity of cisplatin.
Myoglobin Coadsorbed on Electrodes from Microemulsions Provides Reversible Electrochemistry and Tunable Electrochemical Catalysis

The iron heme protein myoglobin (Mb) coadsorbs with surfactant onto glassy carbon, pyrolytic graphite, and platinum electrodes from microemulsions of sodium dodecyl sulfate or cetyltrimethylammoniu...
Alexander the Great, Prester John, Strabo of Amasia, and Wonders of the East

In her article "Alexander the Great, Prester John, Strabo of Amasia, and Wonders of the East" I-Chun Wang analyses the wonders referred to the realm of Prester John and the imagination of India as exemplified in the pseudo-letter of Alexander the Great. The pseudo letters attributed to Prester John and Alexander demonstrate imagination and identity construction. Throughout history, terra incognita suggested a longing to discover new lands and utopia. Cathay, India, Timbuktu, and El Dorado have drawn the imagination of Westerners in different periods are represented in legends, folktales, literary texts, and travel and pseudo-travel texts. Including the said pseudo-letters, Wang explores several texts about the East as imagined by the western world of the late medieval and early modern periods. I-Chun Wang, "Alexander the Great, Prester John, Strabo of Amasia, and Wonders of the East" page 2 of 9 CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 14.5 (2012): Special issue New Work about the Journey and Its Portrayals. Ed. I-Chun Wang
To Ablate or Not to Ablate: Issues and Evidence Involved in 131I Ablation of Residual Thyroid Tissue in Patients with Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma

Ablation of residual thyroid tissue after total or near-total thyroidectomy is widely accepted by many practitioners and endorsed by relevant professional societies in the United States and the international community for patients with defined risk factors, including age greater than 45 years, large tumors; tumors with undesirable histopathology; lymph node involvement; positive surgical margins; gross and possibly microscopic extrathyroidal extension; and, of course, evidence or suspicion of distal metastases, including mediastinal lymphadenopathy, pulmonary or osseous metastases or involvement of other organs. (131)I therapy doses of 3.7-5.5 GBq (100-150 mCi) should be used, and additional activity should be used in the event there are additional findings on pretreatment whole-body scans. Depending upon the patient's age, general medical condition, and renal function, nuclear medicine practitioners should be prepared to perform whole body (blood or bone marrow) dosimetry in the event doses >5.5 GBq (150 mCi) are being considered to assure patient safety. Still unresolved is the role of (131)I ablation in the so-called "low risk" patient--particularly in a patient who has undergone a near-total thyroidectomy in the hands of a skilled surgeon. If an ablative dose is to be administered, 0.9-1.8 MBq (25-50 mCi) appears to be sufficient to eliminate most if not all thyroid tissue. The problem is defining the "low-risk" patient. After review of the extensive literature on this subject, it appears that the thoughtful and informed practitioner must make a patient specific decision in this setting on the basis of his/her experience and review of the details in each case and continue to review the evidence on this subject as it becomes available.
Statistical evaluation of ways to analyze nonideal systems by sedimentation equilibrium

Three equations describing sedimentation equilibrium are examined and tested for their ability to analyze data. The testing procedure using simulated data is similar to that described previously (Holladay, L. A., and Sophianopoulos, A. J. (1972) J. Biol. Chem.247, 427–439) and used with another equation. The equations examined here are found to be of much less statistical reliability and of a more restricted range of application than the previously examined equation. The equation described previously, (Holladay, L. A., and Sophianopoulos, A. J. (1972) J. Biol. Chem.247, 427–439) is also used here to examine the conditions necessary to detect isodesmic systems of more than four components. The self-association of lysozyme reported previously (Sophianopoulos, A. J., and Van Holde, K. E. (1964) J. Biol. Chem.239, 2516–2524) is reexamined at pH 8.2, 0.15 ionic strength, and 13°C. The tentative conclusion is that the system is mainly a monomer-dimer, with a small, uncertain amount of tetramer possibly present. Under the above conditions the second virial coefficient, B, is estimated to lie in the range 0–4.4 × 10−6 mole·dl·g−2, the dimerization constant. K21, lies in the range 2.3–2.7 × 10−3m, and the tetramerdimer constant, K42, is in the range 1.5–15 × 10−3m.
From the female perspective: Long-term effects on quality of life of a program for women with asthma.

Abstract Background: Although, among adults, asthma predominates in women, the role of sex and gender in asthma has only recently been studied. Moreover, only one study has focused on the management of asthma by women, reporting that 1 year subsequent to an intervention addressing sex and gender role factors, women's asthma status was improved. Objective: Data from a 2-year postintervention follow-up were assessed to determine whether there were longer-term effects on the asthma status and quality of life (QoL) of the participants. Methods: A randomized controlled design was used in which female patients with asthma, who were receiving services at the University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan (2002-2006), were assigned to either a control group or a female-oriented intervention group that focused on management challenges related to sex and gender role factors. Data were collected at baseline and 2 years' postintervention (2008) by telephone interview and review of medical records. Measures included asthma-related QoL, health care and medication use for asthma, level of self-regulation, self-confidence in managing the condition, sex and gender role-related asthma problems, and days of missed work or school because of asthma. Data were analyzed using both generalized estimating equations logistic regression and log-linear regression. Results: The mean (SD) age of the 808 women participating in the study was 48.2 (13.1) years in the intervention group and 48.7 (14.3) years in the control group, and the percentage of minority participants was 15.8% and 16.3%, respectively. Despite randomization, women in the intervention group had more persistent asthma at baseline. At 2 years' postrandomization, the only significant difference in health care use was associated with scheduled office visits; no other significant health care use differences were evident. However, the women in the intervention group had a significantly greater decrease of asthma symptoms with sexual activity (P = 0.01) and greater reduction in days of work/school missed for asthma in winter months (P = 0.03), were better able to self-regulate (P = 0.01), were more confident in managing their asthma (P = 0.01), and had higher levels of asthma-related QoL (P = 0.02). They also had a greater reduction in the use of short-acting bronchodilators (ie, rescue medications) than did women in the control group (P ≤ 0.05). Conclusion: An intervention that focuses on female-specific aspects of asthma management may result in improved QoL and health status for women with asthma, as was evident 2 years' postintervention in this study.
System Identification of Physiological Systems Using Short Data Segments

System identification of physiological systems poses unique challenges, especially when the structure of the system under study is uncertain. Nonparametric techniques can be useful for identifying system structure, but these typically assume stationarity and require large amounts of data. Both of these requirements are often not easily obtained in the study of physiological systems. Ensemble methods for time-varying nonparametric estimation have been developed to address the issue of stationarity, but these require an amount of data that can be prohibitive for many experimental systems. To address this issue, we developed a novel algorithm that uses multiple short data segments. Using simulation studies, we showed that this algorithm produces system estimates with lower variability than previous methods when limited data are present. Furthermore, we showed that the new algorithm generates time-varying system estimates with lower total error than an ensemble method. Thus, this algorithm is well suited for the identification of physiological systems that vary with time or from which only short segments of stationary data can be collected.
Course quantization techniques for correlation navigation

Algorithms for correlation-type position fixing are proposed. These algorithms coarsely quantize the stored or sensed data. The algorithms are compared with the mean absolute difference (MAD) algorithm to see if computer storage requirements may be reduced without sacrificing probability of a correct match.
Learning to Count: Robust Estimates for Labeled Distances between Molecular Sequences

Researchers routinely estimate distances between molecular sequences using continuous-time Markov chain models. We present a new method, robust counting, that protects against the possibly severe bias arising from model misspecification. We achieve this robustness by generalizing the conventional distance estimation to incorporate the empirical distribution of site patterns found in the observed pairwise sequence alignment. Our flexible framework allows for computing distances based only on a subset of possible substitutions. From this, we show how to estimate labeled codon distances, such as expected numbers of synonymous or nonsynonymous substitutions. We present two simulation studies. The first compares the relative bias and variance of conventional and robust labeled nucleotide estimators. In the second simulation, we demonstrate that robust counting furnishes accurate synonymous and nonsynonymous distance estimates based only on easy-to-fit models of nucleotide substitution, bypassing the need for computationally expensive codon models. We conclude with three empirical examples. In the first two examples, we investigate the evolutionary dynamics of the influenza A hemagglutinin gene using labeled codon distances. In the final example, we demonstrate the advantages of using robust synonymous distances to alleviate the effect of convergent evolution on phylogenetic analysis of an HIV transmission network.
The effect of serum batch on the in vitro lifespans of cell cultures derived from old and young human donors

Abstract In a senescence study, skin fibroblast cultures grown in the presence of a second batch of fetal calf serum (FCS) revealed delayed onsets of cell culture senescence and prolonged in vitro lifespans when compared to cell cultures grown on the initial batch of serum. These statistically significant differences occurred despite the fact that both sera displayed equal growth promoting abilities as measured by cell culture growth curves performed on parallel cultures with the two sera. When cultures grown in either sera were analyzed separately, the onset of cell culture senescence was earlier and in vitro lifespan was shorter in those cultures derived from the old donor group (ages 63–92) when compared to cultures derived from young donors (ages 21–36).
Effect of the microstructure on anisotropic diffusion in porous media

Abstract The method of volume averaging was used to compute the two distinct components of the effective diffusivity tensor in anisotropic porous media. The domain of solution was modified introducing information about the geometrical structure of the real porous media. The values of the components of the effective diffusivity tensor were numerically determined. Good agreement between experimental data and numerical results was achieved.
A branch-and-bound algorithm for the continuous facility layout problem

Finding optimal facility layouts is a classic problem in process system engineering as well as operations research. As initial models were unsuitable for instances of unequal facility sizes or unknown potential positions, continuous facility layout (CFL) models were introduced to address these limitations by modeling facilities as geometric entities and searching for an optimal two-dimensional packing. However, solving these new models becomes dramatically harder: finding optimal layouts for these models is beyond reach of current optimization techniques, except for tiny instances. In this paper, we present several important theoretical results. We prove that it suffices to enumerate finitely many candidate solutions to secure an optimal solution, despite the fact that CFL admits infinitely many feasible layouts. We then develop a specialized branch-and-bound algorithm to further boost search efficiency by exploiting problem structure to prune large portions of the solution space. Comprehensive computational studies show that this new algorithm substantially outperforms three existing approaches. We also discuss extensions of this algorithm to more general layout instances.
Collision induced isomerization of a semirigid bender hydrogen cyanide

The isomerization of a hydrogen cyanide molecule from a localized HCN state to a localized HNC state is formulated as a bimolecular scattering process. The scattering partner is Ar, and the intermolecular interaction potential is written as a pairwise summation of Lennard‐Jones potentials. The parameters of this potential are optimized to yield the correct Ar–hydrogen cyanide van der Waals structure. The intramolecular isomerization potential is based on an approximate reaction path through a three‐dimensional ab initio potential, and HCN/HNC is treated as a semirigid bender. Eighty molecular eigenstates are calculated, and used as a coupled‐channel basis in a scattering calculation in which the hydrogen cyanide rotation is treated in the infinite order sudden approximation. Transition probabilities and cumulative reaction probabilities to HNC states from initial HCN states are focused on; however, some results to final delocalized states are also presented. The bimolecular isomerization rate constant is ...
Synthesis of BaTiO3-20wt%CoFe2O4 Nanocomposites via Spark Plasma Sintering

Barium titanate-20wt% cobalt ferrite (BaTiO{sub 3}-20wt%CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}) nanocomposites were sintered from nanocrystalline BaTiO{sub 3} and CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} powders using spark plasma sintering (SPS) and pressureless sintering (PS) techniques. Using SPS, dense polycrystalline composites were obtained at a sintering temperature as low as 860 C and a time of 5 min whereas PS required a higher sintering temperature (1150 C) and time (120 min) to obtain similarly dense composites. Microstructural analysis of the composites showed that both the techniques retained nanocrystalline grain sizes after sintering. High resolution X-ray diffraction measurements revealed that the BaTiO{sub 3}-20wt%CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} composites sintered by the SPS technique did not exhibit formation of any new phase(s) due to reaction between the BaTiO{sub 3} and CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} phases during sintering. However, the PS technique resulted in the formation of additional phases (other than the BaTiO{sub 3} and CoFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} phases) in the composites. While the composites synthesized by SPS were of superior phase-purity, evidence of Fe diffusion from the spinel to the perovskite phase was found from X-ray diffraction and permittivity measurements.
Sweetening the Deal? Political Connections and Sugar Mills in India

Political control of firms is prevalent across the world. Evidence suggests that firms profit from political connections, and politicians derive benefit from control over firms. This paper investigates an alternative mechanism through which politicians may benefit electorally from connected firms, examining sugar mills in India. I find evidence of embezzlement in politically controlled mills during election years, reflected in lower prices paid to farmers for cane. This result complements the literature on political cycles by demonstrating how campaign funds are raised rather than used. Politicians may recompense farmers upon getting elected, possibly explaining how they can get away with pilferage. (JEL D72, G34, L66, O13, O17, Q12, Q13)
Introducing a primer for career development and promotion: succeeding as a psychologist in an academic health center.

Noting a lack of such a resource, the authors developed a primer summarizing key concepts for career development and promotion for psychologists working in an academic health center. The present article presents a brief summary of the primer; however, the full version is available as an APAHC membership benefit (or for a small fee for non-members) by visiting http://www.div12.org/section8/index.html and is a supplement to the December issue of Volume 19 of the Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings (Supplementary material 1). The primer complements other APAHC membership benefits, which may be helpful for early career or more seasoned psychologists planning for career transitions.
Stimulation of the differential rate of beta-galactosidase synthesis in E. coli by trimethoprim.

It was found that partial inhibition of peptide chain initiation by trimethoprim causes a significant increase in the differential rate of β-galactosidase in cultures of E. coli growing in the presence of suboptimal concentrations of a galactoside inducer. This stimulation is not produced by inhibitors of peptide chain growth, such as chloramphenicol and puromycin. Trimethoprim, furthermore, does not cause a significant increase in the differential rate of β-galactosidase synthesis in E. coli cultures (a) of i+ genotype which are fully induced, (b) of fully constitutive i- genotype, (c) of partially constitutive oc genotype, or (d) of noninducible is genotype. These findings are compatible with the idea that the differential rate of β-galactosidase synthesis is regulated by means of an inducer-dependent growth period of a “regulatory” polypeptide.
Putin and the Public Chamber

In 2004, Putin created a Public Chamber to enhance state-society dialogue and civilian oversight of the state system. Drawing on interviews with individuals active in Russian civil society or the foreign donor community, this article investigates the Public Chamber's role in legitimating Putin's regime. It examines the vision of state and civil society in the doctrine of "sovereign democracy"; Kremlin strategies for enforcing the narrow parameters this vision gives the public sphere; the model of civil society the Chamber provides, and its actual workings. The Public Chamber's ability to legitimate the regime is considered in the context of civil society's status in Russia.
Transition-based Dependency Parsing with Selectional Branching

We present a novel approach, called selectional branching, which uses confidence estimates to decide when to employ a beam, providing the accuracy of beam search at speeds close to a greedy transition-based dependency parsing approach. Selectional branching is guaranteed to perform a fewer number of transitions than beam search yet performs as accurately. We also present a new transition-based dependency parsing algorithm that gives a complexity ofO(n) for projective parsing and an expected linear time speed for non-projective parsing. With the standard setup, our parser shows an unlabeled attachment score of 92.96% and a parsing speed of 9 milliseconds per sentence, which is faster and more accurate than the current state-of-the-art transitionbased parser that uses beam search.
Argon laser initiated resin photopolymerization for the filling of root canals in human teeth

This work was undertaken to determine if 488 nm light is transmitted through dentin in quantities adequate to polmerize resin located several millimeters from the light source (an optical fiber). The spread of polymerization in a camphorquinone activated resin due to 488 nm light emanating from an opaque plastic canal was compared with light emanating from a canal of the same diameter in tooth dentin. Results indicated that irradiation of a resin-filled chamber via an opaque canal generated a series of ellipsoidal forms, while irradiation via a root canal generated bullet-shaped forms of much larger volume and weight. The base of these bullet-shaped forms was flat against the dentin-resin interface and surrounded the canal. These results indicated that 488 nm argon laser light was transmitted through dentin and could act to polymerize resin at a distance of several millimeters from the canal. Further experiments verified that resin in lateral canals of tooth roots was readily polymerized by 488 nm light applied at low power levels (50 mW). These experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the argon laser in polymerizing light activated dental resins located within or adjacent to tooth dentin at distances up to several milimeters from the fiberoptic terminus. The flexibility and control that these procedures make possible in the obturation of root canals may lead to substantial improvements in endodontic therapy.
Paper submissions for SIGCSE conferences

For decades, authors have submitted papers to SIGCSE conferences; reviewers have supplied ratings and comments; and conference leaders have selected papers to yield a balanced, interesting program. Of course, with advances in technology, the process for submitting and reviewing papers has evolved remarkably; and plans are in progress for what we hope will be yet another successful transition for ITiCSE 2012.
Automated design of piecewise-linear classifiers of multiple-class data

A method for designing multiple-class piecewise-linear classifiers is described. It involves the cutting or arcs joining pairs of opposed points in d-dimensional space. Such arcs are referred to as links. It is shown how to nearly minimize the number of hyperplanes required to cut all of these links, thereby yielding a near-Bayes-optimal decision surface regardless of the number of classes. The underlying theory is described. This method does not require parameters to be specified by users. Experiments on multiple-class data obtained from ship images show that classifiers designed by this method yield approximately the same error rate as the best k-nearest-neighbor rule, while possessing greater computational efficiency of classification. >
Phytochrome B Represses Teosinte Branched1 Expression and Induces Sorghum Axillary Bud Outgrowth in Response to Light Signals

Light is one of the environmental signals that regulate the development of shoot architecture. Molecular mechanisms regulating shoot branching by light signals have not been investigated in detail. Analyses of light signaling mutants defective in branching provide insight into the molecular events associated with the phenomenon. It is well documented that phytochrome B (phyB) mutant plants display constitutive shade avoidance responses, including increased plant height and enhanced apical dominance. We investigated the phyB-1 mutant sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and analyzed the expression of the sorghum Teosinte Branched1 gene (SbTB1), which encodes a putative transcription factor that suppresses bud outgrowth, and the sorghum dormancy-associated gene (SbDRM1), a marker of bud dormancy. Buds are formed in the leaf axils of phyB-1; however, they enter into dormancy soon after their formation. The dormant state of phyB-1 buds is confirmed by the high level of expression of the SbDRM1 gene. The level of SbTB1 mRNA is higher in the buds of phyB-1 compared to wild type, suggesting that phyB mediates the growth of axillary shoots in response to light signals in part by regulating the mRNA abundance of SbTB1. These results are confirmed by growing wild-type seedlings with supplemental far-red light that induces shade avoidance responses. We hypothesize that active phyB (Pfr) suppresses the expression of the SbTB1 gene, thereby inducing bud outgrowth, whereas environmental conditions that inactivate phyB allow increased expression of SbTB1, thereby suppressing bud outgrowth.
Determining anion-quadrupole interactions among protein, DNA, and ligand molecules

Background An extensive search through the Protein Databank (about 4500 nonredundant structures) was previously completed within our lab to analyze the energetic and geometric characteristics of an understudied molecular interaction known as an anion-quadrupole (AQ) interaction. Such an interaction occurs when the positively charged edge of an aromatic ring, resulting from a quadruple moment (i.e., a dual dipole moment), renders the aromatic molecule noncovalently bound to a nearby anionic molecule. The study considered a very limited scenario of molecules that can participate in AQ interactions, consisting of the phenyl group of a phenylalanine (phe) amino acid as the aromatic participant and the carboxylate group of an aspartate (asp) or glutamate (glu) amino acid as the anionic participant. The results revealed anion-quadrupole pairs to be prevalent within most of the protein structures. It was also observed that the interaction energy for AQ pairs was heavily dependent on the angle between the anion and plane of the aromatic ring, favoring a more planar interaction. In light of these critical observations being made from such a limited scenario, only phe-glu and phe-asp pairs and in a reduced sample set of the PDB, we are now continuing this work of identifying AQ interactions using a greatly expanded strategy. We are following these four aims: 1. Optimizing the AQ-search program to run in a semi-parallel fashion and on a large cluster of processors in order to handle larger analyses, 2. Adding to our search additional anionic participants which will include non-protein structures such as DNA and small ligands, 3. Studying a subset of the AQ pairs with molecular dynamics simulations in buried and solvent exposed environments to observe non-static behavioral traits as well as the reproducibility of AQ interactions by force field parameters. 4. Building an online database for public access to our data and search program.
Pharmacists' Ability to Influence Outcomes of Hypertension Therapy

We measured the impact of pharmaceutical care on outcomes of antihypertensive therapy for patients with elevated baseline blood pressures who were attending an urban university-affiliated internal medicine clinic. The intervention group received education about hypertension, drug and nondrug management, and assistance to enhance compliance. The pharmacist made recommendations to physicians regarding pharmacotherapy. The control group received no such education, and interventions relating to pharmacotherapy were only physician initiated. Over an average follow-up of 5 months, significant decreases in mean blood pressures were noted for the intervention group from baseline to final assessment (156.5/144.5 mm Hg systolic, p=0.001; 91.6/86.9 mm Hg diastolic, p=0.01), with insignificant changes in mean pressures in the control group (153.7/151.0 mm Hg systolic, p=0.48; 90.4/87.8 mm Hg diastolic, p=0.29). Comparing the groups, the change in diastolic pressures was insignificant (4.7 vs 2.6 mm Hg intervention vs control, p=0.49), but the change in systolic pressure was more impressive (12.0 vs 2.7 mm Hg, respectively, p=0.05). There was no significant difference in SF-36 Health Survey scores between groups. A significant decrease (p=0.03) in the SF-36 physical functioning domain was seen in the intervention group, but no other significant changes in health-related quality of life scores. Pharmaceutical care contributed to improved blood pressure control in these patients.
Noncompliance Revisited: A Disciplinary Perspective of a Nursing Diagnosis

One of the nursing diagnoses accepted by NANDA is noncompliance. However, this diagnosis has been criticized because it implies coercion and dominance by health professionals, and because of the negative stereotyping the term promotes. The authors argue that noncompliance should not be used as a nursing diagnosis because of incongruence with nursing history, philosophy, ethics, theory, and the need for clinical utility of diagnoses. Alternative diagnoses are proposed.
'Cooperative sedation': optimizing comfort while maximizing systemic and neurological function

Common indications for sedation in the intensive care unit (ICU) include patient comfort, management of agitation, pain, ventilator dysynchrony, and intracranial hypertension. Current trends in ICU care, however, have shifted towards sedation strategies that provide the minimally effective amount of sedation, to improve patient autonomy and preserve both the neurological exam and neurocognitive function.
Doses on the central axes of narrow 6-MV x-ray beams.

The absorbed doses on the central axes of narrow beams (radii 0.07--2.5 cm) of 6-MV x rays have been studied by experiments and Monte Carlo simulations. The measurements were made in a geometry used for irradiation of intracranial lesions. For radii {lt}1.0 cm the dose on the central axis is progressively reduced due to electron disequilibrium. This leads to measurement artifacts when the detector is too large, as was readily observed with ionization chambers. Radiographic and radiochromic films were used with densitometric evaluation to provide the resolution necessary to measure absorbed doses for the narrowest beams. The contribution by phantom-scattered photons is significant even at small field sizes, and scatter factors were determined from the experimental results. Photons scattered by the auxiliary collimator did not add appreciably to the dose on the central axis. The data were used to characterize the dose-to-kerma ratio as a function of beam radius. Differences between experimental results and those from Monte Carlo calculations were observed.