cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Height Difference in Donor-Recipient Sex Mismatch is Significant in Single Lung Transplant Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Purpose Lung-size matching has been considered a critical factor with few studies evaluating height in association with gender matching based on the etiology of lung failure. This study investigated the role of height and gender matching in donor selection with regards to laterality in single lung transplants for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods A retrospective review of the United Organ Sharing Network (UNOS) database was performed on adult single lung transplants for COPD from 2010 to 2020. Pts with prior transplants were excluded. Difference in donor and recipient height were categorized in ± 10 cm intervals. Donor and recipient sex status were matched and stratified. Baseline characteristics and time to onset of BOS were reviewed. Categorical and continuous variables were described with Chi square and one-way ANOVA respectively, and used as predictors for a multivariate Cox regression model of BOS. Results 1233 transplanted pts with pre-transplant diagnosis of COPD were included. Demographics such as age, sex, and height stratification for the cohorts are described in Table 1. In a multivariate model of freedom from BOS, left lung transplants (LLT) with slightly oversized lungs (5-15 cm difference) demonstrated a protective effect when adjusted for height difference (Hazard ratio 0.76, CI 0.58, 0.99, p=0.04). Donor matching displayed negative effect when there was MD-FR (Hazard ratio 1.43, p=0.02, CI 1.02, 1.07), and a protective effect for FD-FR (Hazard ratio 0.71, p=0.035, CI 0.51, 0.98). In contrast, there was no difference for freedom to BOS for height difference or with differences in sex between donor and recipients and time to BOS for right lung recipients (p=0.90). Conclusion Single lung transplants offer the ability to maximize resources due to the shortage in organ supply versus demand. A combination of gender and size mismatch must be carefully considered, particularly in oversized lungs and male to female recipients.
Interleukin 1 beta-induced calcium signaling via TRPA1 channels promotes mitogen-activated protein kinase-dependent mesangial cell proliferation

Glomerular mesangial cell (GMC)-derived pleiotropic cytokine, interleukin-1 (IL-1), contributes to hypercellularity in human and experimental proliferative glomerulonephritis. IL-1 promotes mesangial proliferation and may stimulate extracellular matrix accumulation, mechanisms of which are unclear. The present study shows that the beta isoform of IL-1 (IL-1β) is a potent inducer of IL-1 type I receptor-dependent Ca2+ entry in mouse GMCs. We also demonstrate that the transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) is an intracellular store-independent diacylglycerol-sensitive Ca2+ channel in the cells. IL-1β-induced Ca2+ and Ba2+ influxes in the cells were negated by pharmacological inhibition and siRNA-mediated knockdown of TRPA1 channels. IL-1β did not stimulate fibronectin production in cultured mouse GMCs and glomerular explants but promoted Ca2+ -dependent cell proliferation. IL-1β also stimulated TRPA1-dependent ERK mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation in the cells. Concomitantly, IL-1β-induced GMC proliferation was attenuated by TRPA1 and RAF1/ MEK/ERK inhibitors. These findings suggest that IL-1β-induced Ca2+ entry via TRPA1 channels engenders MAPK-dependent mesangial cell proliferation. Hence, TRPA1-mediated Ca2+ signaling could be of pathological significance in proliferative glomerulonephritis.
How Should Economic Value Be Considered in Treatment Decisions for Individual Patients

Physicians' primary responsibility is to promote patients' well-being, which includes not causing financial harm. Physicians also have duties to prudently steward health care resources. Balancing these responsibilities requires recommending interventions likely to achieve patients' health goals while avoiding unnecessary expenditures. Cost-effectiveness data should be used to inform population-based conceptions of an intervention's value and are not intended to be used by individual clinicians offering recommendations to individual patients. But cost-effectiveness data should be incorporated into patient-clinician conversations about an intervention's affordability and its influence on adherence to a care plan, as these are key promoters of evidence-based practice, value-based care, and optimal outcomes.
Evolution of host-microbe cell adherence by receptor domain shuffling

ABSTRACT Stable adherence to epithelial surfaces is required for colonization by diverse host-associated microbes. Successful attachment of pathogenic microbes via surface adhesin molecules is also the first step in many devastating infections. Despite the primacy of epithelial adherence in establishing host-microbe associations, the evolutionary processes that shape this crucial interface remain enigmatic. Carcinoembryonic antigen associated cell adhesion molecules (CEACAMs) encompass a multifunctional family of vertebrate cell surface proteins which are recurrent targets of bacterial surface adhesins at epithelial surfaces. Here we show that multiple members of the primate CEACAM family exhibit evidence of repeated natural selection at protein surfaces targeted by bacteria, consistent with pathogen-driven evolution. Inter-species diversity of CEACAM proteins, between even closely-related great apes, determines molecular interactions with a range of bacterial adhesins. Phylogenetic analyses reveal that repeated gene conversion of CEACAM extracellular domains during primate divergence plays a key role in limiting bacterial adhesin tropism. Moreover, we demonstrate that gene conversion has continued to shape CEACAM diversity within human populations, with abundant CEACAM1 variants mediating evasion of adhesins from Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the causative agent of gonorrhea. Together this work reveals a mechanism by which gene conversion shapes first contact between microbes and animal hosts.
Signatures of vibration frequency tuning in human neocortex

Humans can perceive and discriminate vibration frequency, yet the central representation of this fundamental feature is unknown. Using fMRI, we discovered that cortical responses are tuned for vibration frequency. Voxel tuning was biased in a manner that reflects perceptual sensitivity and the response profile of the Pacinian afferent system. These results imply the existence of tuned populations that may encode naturalistic vibrations according to their constituent spectra.
Linking Fear of Violent Crime for Oneself and Loved Ones to Satisfaction with Local Area Characteristics

Given the theoretical link between fear of crime and broader quality of life indicators, fear of violent crime is examined within the context of residents’ satisfaction with characteristics of their local area. Fear of violent crime is assessed in terms of worry for personal violent victimization as well as worry for the violent victimization of loved ones. We measure satisfaction with nine local area characteristics: utilities, transit, employment, first responders, shopping, housing, leisure, education, and amenities for special populations. Findings from analyses suggest that those who are less satisfied with first responders or leisure activities are more concerned with personal violent victimization. Those who report being less satisfied with housing or leisure activities are more concerned for the victimization of loved ones. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Deconstructing Active Share

We deconstruct the active share measure proposed by Cremers and Petajisto (2009) and find two-thirds of the outperformance of high active share mutual funds can be attributed to the ability of those funds to select out-of-benchmark stocks. However, that ability is limited to high active share funds that use out-of-benchmark positions sparingly. Funds with large out-of-benchmark positions show little ability to select out-of-benchmark stocks. Our results suggest that the best active funds generally stay within their benchmark, deviating only for particularly good purchases, and that conditioning on the amount of out-of-benchmark investing significantly increases the predictive power of active share.
The Essential Anti-Essentialist

Available Light Anthropological Reflections on Philosophical Topics. Clifford Geertz. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 2000. 287 pp. $24.95, £15.95. ISBN 0-691-04974-2. These 11 essays by the influential and controversial cultural anthropologist Geertz are bound together by the underlying belief in the restricted scope of social science generalizations. The author does not believe there is a universal essence to human nature that strongly determines human behavior.
Photonuclear physics in radiation transport. II: Implementation

This is the second of two companion papers. The first paper describes model calculations and nuclear data evaluations of photonuclear reactions on isotopes of C, O, Al, Si, Ca, Fe, Cu, Ta, W, and Pb for incident photon energies up to 150 MeV. This paper describes the steps taken to process these files into transport libraries and to update the Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) and MCNPX radiation transport codes to use tabular photonuclear reaction data. The evaluated photonuclear data files are created in the standard evaluated nuclear data file (ENDF) format. These files must be processed by the NJOY data processing system into A Compact ENDF (ACE) files suitable for radiation transport calculations. MCNP and MCNPX have been modified to use these new data in a self-consistent and fully integrated manner. Verification problems were used at each step along the path to check the integrity of the methodology. The resulting methodology and tools provide a comprehensive system for using photonuclear data in radiation transport calculations. Also described are initial validation simulations used to benchmark several of the photonuclear transport tables.
Citizen Standing and immigration Reform: Commentary and Criticisms

Mary Douglas explains that dirt is simply "matter out of place."' This relative concept orders and classifies by "rejecting inappropriate elements"2: strands of hair are not inherently dirty, but when left surreptitiously on the dining room table, they normatively transform into something threatening.3 The knee-jerk reaction is to purify the sullied space through what Douglas calls "pollution behavior." "[P]ulverizing, dissolving and rotting" the threatening elements, the pollution behaviorist leaves behind only a "mass of common rubbish."4 Strands of hair, crumbs of food, and discarded wrappings are amassed with other offending objects and collectively swept into the trash. The dirt-turned-rubbish consoles because pollutants are returned to their appropriate place and order is restored.
Following the social media: aspect evolution of online discussion

Due to the advance of Internet and Web 2.0 technologies, it is easy to extract thousands of threads about a topic of interest from an online forum but it is nontrivial to capture the blueprint of different aspects (i.e., subtopic, or facet) associated with the topic. To better understand and analyze a forum discussion given topic, it is important to uncover the evolution relationships (temporal dependencies) between different topic aspects (i.e. how the discussion topic is evolving). Traditional Topic Detection and Tracking (TDT) techniques usually organize topics as a flat structure but it does not present the evolution relationships between topic aspects. In addition, the properties of short and sparse messages make the content-based TDT techniques difficult to perform well in identifying evolution relationships. The contributions in this paper are two-folded. We formally define a topic aspect evolution graph modeling framework and propose to utilize social network information, content similarity and temporal proximity to model evolution relationships between topic aspects. The experimental results showed that, by incorporating social network information, our technique significantly outperformed content-based technique in the task of extracting evolution relationships between topic aspects.
A First and Second Law for Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics: Maximum Entropy Derivation of the Fluctuation-Dissipation Theorem and Entropy Production Functionals

A theory for non-equilibrium systems is derived from a maximum entropy approach similar in spirit to the equilibrium theory given by Gibbs. Requiring Hamilton's principle of stationary action to be satisfied on average during a trajectory, we add constraints on the transition probability distribution which lead to a path probability of the Onsager-Machlup form. Additional constraints derived from energy and momentum conservation laws then introduce heat exchange and external driving forces into the system, with Lagrange multipliers related to the temperature and pressure of an external thermostatic system. The result is a fully time-dependent, non-local description of a nonequilibrium ensemble. Detailed accounting of the energy exchange and the change in information entropy of the central system then provides a description of the entropy production which is not dependent on the specification or existence of a steady-state or on any definition of thermostatic variables for the central system. These results are connected to the literature by showing a method for path re-weighting, creation of arbitrary fluctuation theorems, and by providing a simple derivation of Jarzynski relations referencing a steady-state. In addition, we identify path free energy and entropy (caliber) functionals which generate a first law of nonequilibrium thermodynamics by relating changes in the driving forces to changes in path averages. Analogous to the Gibbs relations, the variations in the path averages yield fluctuation-dissipation theorems. The thermodynamic entropy production can also be stated in terms of the caliber functional, resulting in a simple proof of our microscopic form for the Clausius statement. We find that the maximum entropy route provides a clear derivation of the path free energy functional, path-integral, Langevin, Brownian, and Fokker-Planck statements of nonequilibrium processes.
Building A Business Incubator: A Teaching Case Study

The purpose of this case study is to discuss the feasibility of a business incubation facility in an agricultural region of the United States. The paper explains some of the unique characteristics of this environment, and discusses what an incubator might look like in this region. Our research to date indicates that a business incubator facility can not only be a strong engine for economic development and job creation, even rurally, the incubator model creates an environment that greatly improves a new enterprise’s chance for success. In small-town America, those successes are incredibly important for economic growth. Our goal in this paper was to explore some of the challenges and roadblocks encountered as a few project researchers attempt to determine the feasibility of a business incubation facility in a small, rural and agricultural community like ours. A state-of-the-art incubation facility, if located within the central downtown business district, would likely greatly improve the aesthetics of the area, and perhaps draw new business investment into the core of the community. Business incubation facilities create jobs, with the ultimate goal of producing, or graduating, stand-alone companies, capable of self-sustaining operations within a period of about three (3) years. Such economic development activities can be vital in helping rural areas stem the general population loss many have experienced and also potentially lower the rate of rural unemployment and poverty.
La tragedia tenía sus propias calles

Los ultimos pasos del poeta Raul Gomez Jattin. Vladimir Marinovich Posso (Premio Nacional de Cultura/ Testimonio). Ministerio de Cultura, Bogota, 1998, 106 pags.
Identification of peplomer cleavage site mutations arising during persistence of MHV-A59

Primary mouse glial cell cultures were infected with mouse hepatitis virus strain A59 (MHV-A59) and maintained over an 18 week period. Viruses isolated from these cultures 16–18 weeks postinfection produce small plaques on fibroblasts and cause only minimal levels of cell-to-cell fusion at times when wild type causes nearly complete cell fusion. However, when mutant-infected cultures were examined 24–36 hours postinfection approximately 90% of the cells were in syncytia showing that the fusion defect is not absolute but rather delayed. Addition of trypsin to mutant-infected cultures enhanced cell fusion a small (2- to 5-fold) but significant degree. Sequencing of portions of the spike genes of six fusion-defective mutants revealed that all contained the same single nucleotide mutation resulting in a substitution of aspartic acid for histidine in the spike cleavage signal. Mutant virions contained only the 180 kDa form of spike protein suggesting that this mutation prevented the normal proteolytic cleavage of the 180 kDa protein into the 90 kDa subunits. Examination of revertants of the mutants supports this hypothesis. Replacement of the negatively-charged aspartic acid with either the wild type histidine or a non-polar amino acid was associated with the restoration of spike protein cleavage and cell fusion.
Unzipping of small diameter stents: An in vitro study

Objective The purpose of this study was to determine if small-diameter stents can be unzipped in vitro. Background Small-diameter stents can relieve stenosis in infant blood vessels. As the child grows, refractory stenosis may result. If an implanted stent can be intentionally fractured along its length-“unzipped,” it can be redilated to the eventual adult vessel diameter. Methods Stents of diameters ≤6 mm were dilated using angioplasty balloons until they fractured. The change in length-diameter (dL/dD ratio), and the yield-point-force (σy) for each stent was calculated. Results Thirty-four coronary (CS), 11 biliary, and 10 nitinol peripheral stents (median diameter = 4, 5, and 6 mm; range = 2.75–4.5, 4–6, 6 mm, respectively) were tested. Stainless-steel (SS) CS unzipped predictably at twice their nominal diameter with minimal shortening (n = 24, median dL/dD = 0.4). Nitinol stents fractured in a disorganized fashion. The remaining stents unzipped, had disorganized fractures, and shortened significantly (dL/dD>1). A dL/dD ratio of<1 had a strong, positive correlation with the ability to unzip (Pearson rho = 0.94). By multivariate regression analysis, SS alloy, and closed-cell design were found to be significant predictors (P < 0.05) for unzipping. Optimal cut-off points for stents to unzip included, strut-thickness = 112 µm, alloy-density = 7.7 g/cm3, dL/dD ratio = 0.12 and σy = 108Mpa (Youden's index = 0.8, 0.4, 0.8, and 0.5, respectively). Conclusions Stainless-steel, coronary stents of a closed-cell design unzip at twice their nominal diameter without significant shortening when serially dilated. This study may encourage the implantation of small stents in infant blood vessels and aid in selection of appropriate stent type. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Hemodynamic Effects of Intraaortic Administration of Protamine

Seventy-nine consecutive patients were given protamine rapidly into the ascending aorta during neutralization of heparin at the end of cardiopulmonary bypass. Simultaneously left atrial, diastolic pulmonary arterial, or right atrial pressures were maintained constant by appropriate infusion of oxygenated blood into the aorta. The systemic and pulmonary vascular resistances did not change, mean arterial blood pressure increased slightly, and cardiac output increased significantly (p less than 0.001). It seems that this method of heparin neutralization is safe provided that the intravascular volume can be maintained constant.
CoAdELL: Adaptivity and Compression for Improving Sparse Matrix-Vector Multiplication on GPUs

Numerous applications in science and engineering rely on sparse linear algebra. The efficiency of a fundamental kernel such as the Sparse Matrix-Vector multiplication (SpMV) is crucial for solving increasingly complex computational problems. However, the SpMV is notorious for its extremely low arithmetic intensity and irregular memory patterns, posing a challenge for optimization. Over the last few years, an extensive amount of literature has been devoted to implementing SpMV on Graphic Processing Units (GPUs), with the aim of exploiting the available fine-grain parallelism and memory bandwidth. In this paper, we propose to efficiently combine adaptivity and compression into an ELL-based sparse format in order to improve the state-of-the-art of the SpMV on Graphic Processing Units (GPUs). The foundation of our work is AdELL, an efficient sparse data structure based on the idea of distributing working threads to rows according to their computational load, creating balanced hardware-level blocks (warps) while coping with the irregular matrix structure. We designed a lightweight index compression scheme based on delta encoding and warp granularity that can be transparently embedded into AdELL, leading to an immediate performance benefit associated with the bandwidth-limited nature of the SpMV. The proposed integration provides a highly-optimized novel sparse matrix format known as Compressed Adaptive ELL (CoAdELL). We evaluated the effectiveness of our approach on a large set of benchmarks from heterogenous application domains. The results show consistent improvements for double-precision SpMV calculations over the AdELL baseline. Moreover, we assessed the general relevance of CoAdELL with respect to other optimized GPU-based sparse matrix formats. We drew a direct comparison with clSpMV and BRO-HYB, obtaining sufficient experimental evidence (33% geometric average improvement over clSpMV and 43% over BRO-HYB) to propose our research work as the novel state-of-the-art.
Testing individual capability to lift material: Repeatability of a dynamic test compared with static testing

Abstract This paper describes a new dynamic testing procedure of individual lift capability and its laboratory evaluation with 39 subjects. In test-retesting, the isoinertial “LIFTEST” proved to be less variable than standard isometric lift tests.
BER improvement for RZ-DPSK receivers using saturated asymmetric filtering

We present a new enhanced receiver for noise degraded RZ-DPSK signals. A highly saturated SOA and a detuned filter are used. An error free detection for an 8×10-6 input BER is demonstrated.
The Effect of Thiouracil Feeding upon the Seminal Characteristics of Dairy Bulls

Summary Young bulls and one aged bull reacted differently to thiouracil-induced hypothyroidism. Physical symptoms of thyroid deficiency were produced in both the young and aged bull fed thiouracil. Changes in seminal characteristics were observed only in the aged bull, in which an increase in abnormal sperm and dead sperm, as well as a reduction in sperm motility, livability, and concentration occurred. Natural recovery followed about 6 weeks after thiouracil was withdrawn. It was shown that thiouracil did not have a harmful effect upon normal ejaculated sperm and that thyroxine did not stimulate motility and livability of sperm from the hypothyroid bulls.
Visualization of RNA tertiary structure by RNA-EDTA.Fe(II) autocleavage: analysis of tRNA(Phe) with uridine-EDTA.Fe(II) at position 47

Abstract To test whether intramolecular autocleavage of RNA labeled at a single nucleotide position with EDTA.Fe(II) is a useful approach for the investigation of tertiary structures of RNAs, yeast phenylalanine tRNA was synthesized with uridine-EDTA (*U) at position U47. Autocleavage of [*U47]tRNA(Phe) in the presence of Fe(NH4)2(SO4)2 and dithiothreitol produced a set of cleavage fragments which are in general agreement with the three-dimensional structure derived from x-ray analysis.
Adaptation to kidney transplantation: A case presentation and discussion

Abstract A 25-year-old man who has has two kidney transplants is presented. The patient's adaptation is discussed from different vantage points including: intrapsychic representation of the kidney, cognitive style, developmental influences, character, and potential crises and their management.
Care of the Older Adult in the Office Setting

1. Healthy Aging, Screening, and Risk Factor Reduction (Morley) 2. Nutrition and the Older Adult (Noel and Reddy) 3. Incremental Geriatric Assessment of the Older Patient Who is not Functioning Well (Ensberg) 4. Recognition and Assessment of Cognitive Impairment (Shatz) 5. Depression in the Older Adult (Lawhorne) 6. Managing Hypertension in the Older Adult (Maddens) 7. Diagnosing and Managing Respiratory Infections in the Older Adult (Mehr) 8. Falls and Fractures (Komara) 9. Urinary Incontinence (Keilman) 10. Appropriate Drug Prescribing for the Older Adult (Katz) 11. Shared Decision Making and Determining Decision Making Capacity (Brody) 12. Advance Care Directives and End of Life Care (Ogle) 13. The Interface between the Primary Care Office and Community Resources (Holmes and Lawhorne) 14. The Primary Care Physician's Role in Long Term Care (Evans)
On the role of the outer region in the turbulent-boundary-layer bursting process

The dynamics and interaction of turbulent-boundary-layer eddy structures was experimentally emulated. Counter-rotating streamwise vortices and low-speed streaks emulating turbulent-boundary-layer wall eddies were generated by a Gortler instability mechanism. Large-scale motions associated with the outer region of turbulent boundary layer were emulated with -ω z spanwise vortical eddies shed by a periodic non-sinusoidal oscillation of an airfoil. The scales of the resulting eddy structures were comparable to a moderate-Reynolds-number turbulent boundary layer. Results show that the emulated wall-eddy breakdown was triggered by streamwise acceleration associated with the outer region of turbulent boundary layer
Three-Dimensional Quantitative Photoacoustic Tomography of Osteoarthritis: Initial Clinical Results in the Finger Joints

We report the first application of three-dimensional quantitative photoacoustic tomography for detecting osteoarthritis. Apparent differences, in both the reconstructed size and optical absorption coefficient of the joint cavity, are observed between osteoarthritic and normal joints.
Uncertainty in Effectiveness-NTU Calculations for Crossflow Heat Exchangers

Abstract This paper deals with effectiveness-NTU relations for crossflow heat exchangers. The literature contains algebraic relations for two limiting cases: “unmixed” and “mixed” flows. These are simply thermodynamically defined limiting cases. The authors argue that many practical flow situations may not satisfy either of the above cases. Rather, conditions of “partial mixedness” may exist, which will yield performance between the above limiting cases. Algebraic relations are provided to calculate the effectiveness-NTU relationship for arbitrary values of partial mixedness. Graphs are provided for 25, 50, and 75 % mixedness. It is argued that inadequate knowledge of the actual flow structure exists to define the actual mixedness that will occur in various actual heat exchanger-surface geometries. Definition of the actual mixedness would require measurement of the spatial temperature distribution leaving the heat exchanger. The problem addressed is of particular importance for high effectiveness designs....
Complications following Bariatric Surgery

In recent years, the number of bariatric operations performed annually in the United States has increased dramatically, giving rise to a new set of challenges and postoperative complications that endoscopists will face. To perform endoscopy successfully and safely in these patients, gastroenterologists must become familiar with anatomic alterations created by bariatric surgery and the common adverse gastrointestinal symptoms and structural complications that can arise. This article will review the major bariatric operations, their postoperative complications, and techniques of diagnostic and therapeutic upper endoscopy in bariatric surgery patients.
Re-thinking the dietary supplement laws and regulations 14 years after the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act implementation.

In 1994, after intensive lobbying by the supplement industry, US federal legislation passed the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, and essentially removed so-called ‘dietary supplements’ from the US Food and Drug Administration control. Some companies are marketing herbal medications in the USA as dietary supplements. Even some dietary supplement manufacturers produce a ‘mimic drug’ rather than a ‘dietary supplement’. The US Food and Drug Administration is able to do nothing except wait for the next incident to occur before other dietary supplement products have also caused serious effects. In the present article, the author discusses international regulations and laws of dietary supplements, and hopes to see more new laws and regulations to assure people of continued access to high-quality natural healthcare products and dietary supplements.
The Pacific Ocean Subtropical cell surface limb

The subtropical cells (STCs) cycle subtropically subducted water to the equator, where it upwells and flows pole ward at the surface, exchanging heat and freshwater with the atmosphere. Pacific STC surface flow is analyzed using drifter data. Mean surface velocities are estimated. The mean divergence reveals substantial equatorial upwelling. Off-equatorial downwelling around ±4° latitude suggests that about half the upwelled water may recirculate in shallow tropical cells. Pathways and time scales for the poleward surface limb of the STC are estimated. Mean streamlines reach ±9° latitude after half a year and ±22° after 2 years, taking a more convoluted path in the northern hemisphere. They reenter the subtropics in the western half of the basin, far from the subduction regions feeding the equatorward limbs of the STCs, reinforcing the point that the STCs are intrinsically linked with the global ocean circulation.
bcnQL: A query language for biochemical networks

This paper proposes a graph data model that can represent information present in Biochemical Networks. The study presented in this paper also proposes a query language, called bcnQL, which empowers users to query entities, interactions, processes and pathways with arbitrary conditions. We then discuss the query-processing techniques, more specifically, the translation of bcnQL queries into G-algebra and a set of algebraic operators on graph objects. Some query examples are presented to demonstrate the applicability of the language for this specific domain. Finally, we provide details of a prototype implementation for the query language.
CRITERION‐RELATED VALIDITY OF THE TOEFL IBT LISTENING SECTION

The study investigated the criterion-related validity of the Test of English as a Foreign Language™ Internet-based test (TOEFL® iBT) Listening section by examining its relationship to a criterion measure designed to reflect language-use tasks that university students encounter in everyday academic life: listening to academic lectures. The design of the criterion measure was informed by students' responses to a survey on the frequency and importance of various classroom tasks that require academic listening, and the relationship of these tasks to successful course completion. The criterion measure consisted of three videotaped lectures (in physics, history, and psychology) and included tasks created by content experts who are former university professors of the relevant content area. These tasks reflected what the content experts expected students to have comprehended during the lecture. The criterion measure and the TOEFL iBT Listening section were administered to nonnative speakers of English who were enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs. Data from 221 participants were analyzed. Substantial correlations were observed between the criterion measure and the TOEFL iBT Listening section score for the entire sample and for subgroups (Pearson correlation coefficients ranging from .56 to .74 and disattenuated correlations ranging from .62 to .82). Moreover, the analysis of the mean scores on the criterion measure for different ability groups indicated that participants who scored at or above typical cut scores for international student admission to academic programs (i.e., TOEFL iBT Listening section score of 14 or above) scored, on average, nearly 50% or more on the criterion measure, demonstrating reasonable comprehension of the academic lectures.
The role of ferrocene in flame synthesis of silica

Abstract The effect of ferrocene additive on the specific surface area of silica particles synthesized in a diffusion flame reactor was studied. Three different mixing configurations of the reactant gases were investigated. The SiCl 4 mole fraction in the flame was varied from 1.2 × 10 −3 to 4 × 10 −3 . Ferrocene concentrations in the flame ranged from 4 × 10 −8 to 6 × 10 −7 mol/L. The ferrocene/SiCl 4 mole ratio was varied from 0.004 to 0.09. Silica particles collected from ferrocene-doped flames had a higher specific surface area compared with particles produced in the absence of ferrocene. The specific surface area was enhanced up to 150% depending on the reactant mixing and the silica and ferrocene loadings in the flame. Ferrocene was more active at intermediate loadings. Furthermore, ferrocene was found to remove the coarse tail of the silica aggregate size distribution.
The lac repressor

Few proteins have had such a strong impact on a field as the lac repressor has had in Molecular Biology. Over 40 years ago, Jacob and Monod [Genetic regulatory mechanisms in the synthesis of proteins, J. Mol. Biol. 3 (1961) 318] proposed a model for gene regulation, which survives essentially unchanged in contemporary textbooks. It is a cogent depiction of how a set of 'structural' genes may be coordinately transcribed in response to environmental conditions and regulates metabolic events in the cell. In bacteria, the genes required for lactose utilization are negatively regulated when a repressor molecule binds to an upstream cis activated operator. The repressor and its operator together form a genetic switch, the lac operon. The switch functions when inducer molecules alter the conformation of the repressor in a specific manner. In the presence of a particular metabolite, the repressor undergoes a conformational change that reduces its affinity for the operator. The structures of the lac repressor and its complexes with operator DNA and effector molecules have provided a physical platform for visualizing at the molecular level the different conformations the repressor and the molecular basis for the switch. The structures of lac repressor, bound to its operator and inducer, have also been invaluable for interpreting a plethora of biochemical and genetic data.
Low NOx Rich-Lean Combustion Concept Application

The rich/quench/lean (RQL) combustion concept has demonstrated a significant reduction in NOx formation in gas turbine applications. The success of this approach relies on the effective and rapid mixing that is required for the transportation of the rich mixture to the lean zone of the combustor. It is realized that better design tools are required to achieve further reduction of NOx to meet the goal for high speed civil transport application. In the present investigation, a 3-D analysis was performed to evaluate its capability to detect the features of the mixing process. The analysis also helped to point to regions of the combustor where NOx could form in larger quantities. A calculation approach was developed, based on chemical reaction concepts, to evaluate the NOx formation and destruction in various combustor zones. The calculated values agreed fairly well with the measurements obtained for the RQL combustor.
Understanding geologic processes with xenotime: Composition, chronology, and a protocol for electron probe microanalysis

Abstract Xenotime (YPO 4 ) is iso-structural with zircon-group minerals and lies at one end of a compositional solid-solution with monazite. As with monazite and zircon, naturally occurring xenotime may accommodate significant concentrations of rare earth elements, as well as Th and U, making it an important repository for these valuable geochemical marker elements and a potential geochronometer. Xenotime grows in sediments during diagenesis, in low- to granulite-grade metamorphic rocks, in migmatites, and is common in peraluminous igneous rocks. Xenotime can be a complement, or indeed an alternative, to monazite and/or zircon in geochemical and geochronological studies. To maximise the petrographic potential of xenotime, a complete understanding of its composition and relationship to rock-forming assemblages is essential. Electron beam techniques provide micron-scale resolution of compositional and textural variation and yield precise dates for individual micro-volumes in multi-domain grains. Methods for collecting trace element data by electron probe microanalysis differ from those routinely employed to collect major element concentrations. Careful characterisation of background curvature and background interferences around the Th, U and Pb peaks is required. To avoid large overlap correction for Y–Lγ 2,3 on Pb–Mα, analysis of Pb is made on the Mβ-peak. A broad array of geochemical and geochronological applications can take advantage of the links between xenotime composition and texture and the evolution of silicate–mineral assemblages in a diversity of environments. One example of metasomatised xenotime from a pegmatite in SW Norway demonstrates a practical application to dating geologic processes, as well as the potential limitations that arise in compositionally heterogeneous xenotime.
Pets and health

Beneficial and adverse effects of pets for individuals in a wide range of circumstances have been reported. Nevertheless, well-designed unbiased experiments and long-term follow-up studies are needed. Pets appear to be therapeutic for some individuals and deleterious for others. The controversies concerning the effects of pets on health merit objective assessment by unbiased researchers.
Source of optical loss in tellurite glass fibers

Abstract Non-silica-based optical fibers generally suffer from high optical loss and low strength, whereas they have other optical properties superior to that of silica for certain device applications. Tellurite glasses offer one of the best compromises among optical, mechanical, and processing properties. The goal of this study was to achieve low loss tellurite fibers for active and non-linear applications. In this paper, single mode tellurite fibers doped with KNbO 3 were made with losses varying from 1.3 to 6 dB/m. The sources of loss were striation, dust particles, and bubbles. The decrease of striation was observed by employing lower pouring temperature, and the increase of fiber strength was achieved by hydrochloric acid etching of preform.
Effect of a Vacancy on the Jahn-Teller-Distorted Γ 4 − Excited States in KI: Sn 2 + as Observed in Polarized Luminescence

Four emission bands related to the $A$ and $C$ excited states, ${A}_{T\ensuremath{\Pi}}$, ${A}_{T\ensuremath{\Sigma}}$, ${C}_{T\ensuremath{\Sigma}}$, and ${C}_{T\ensuremath{\Pi}}$, have been observed in KI:${\mathrm{Sn}}^{2+}$ at 4.2\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, and the degree of polarization has been studied. The results indicate that the $\ensuremath{\Gamma}_{4}^{}{}_{}{}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ ($^{3}T_{1\mathrm{u}}$ and $^{1}T_{1\mathrm{u}}$) excited states are tetragonally distorted by a strong Jahn-Teller effect and are also perturbed by a charge-compensating vacancy located in the nearest-neighbor position.
Hybridization barriers between diploid Solanum tuberosum and wild Solanum raphanifolium

Wild potato germplasm represents a unique, diverse and accessible resource for disease and pest resistance, along with useful agronomic traits that may be introgressed into the cultivated potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). Hybridization of diploid wild Solanum species with haploids (2×) of cultivated potato (4×) is generally an effective technique for introducing genetic diversity and desirable traits into potato. However, in this study, hybridization barriers were found in crosses between S. tuberosum haploids and the wild species S. raphanifolium. Male sterility, likely due to nuclear-cytoplasmic interactions, was observed in some haploid tbr × S. raphanifolium hybrids. In addition, pollen-pistil incompatibilities were observed in backcross, F2, and reciprocal cross hybridization attempts that failed to produce seed. More crosses were successful when F1 clones were crossed as females to wild clones than to cultivated clones. When crosses were made in the other direction, with F1 hybrids used as male parents, seeds were almost never produced.
Mapping Genes in Diabetes: Genetic Epidemiological Perspective

Research on mapping diabetes-susceptibility genes is dependent on several factors, including the existence of a single major gene for susceptibility, genetic homogeneity, and the existence of appropriate clinical material. The power to detect susceptibility genes is dependent on the risks in relatives and the distance of genetic markers from the susceptibility genes. For insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), the bestfitting risk models are those with a single major locus with residual polygenic factors. The major locus effect is likely represented by genes in the HLA complex, because specific genotypes have been found to affect IDDM risk significantly. Thus, mapping the remaining polygenic IDDM susceptibility factors—each of small effect—is a difficult and long task. For non-insulindependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), the likely risk models result in few genes with moderate effect. Models of NIDDM have significant residual polygenic variation remaining, reflecting the importance of multiple loci with small effect, environmental effects, or genetic heterogeneity; however, the prospects for mapping genes that provide at least moderate susceptibility for NIDDM now appear promising.
The expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein in a rat cerebellar cell line

A rat cerebellar cell line, WC5, derived by transformation with Rous sarcoma virus, which is temperature-sensitive for transformation (ts-RSV), can be induced to express glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Immunofluorescence, radioimmune assay, and electron microscopy studies show that GFAP is expressed in WC5 cells grown at the nonpermissive temperature (NPT), but not at the permissive temperature (PT) for transformation. GFAP is first detectable about 3 days after incubating cells at the NPT, and reaches an apparent plateau by the seventh or eighth day. The expression of GFAP is reversible; shifting cells from the NPT to the PT causes a dramatic decrease in GFAP after 96 hr. In order to determine if the expression of GFAP is linked to the temperature-sensitive transforming activity of the viral src gene product, phenotypic revertants of WC5 were established. By the criteria of morphology and growth in agar, the revertant lines, in contrast to the parent cell line WC5, were shown to exhibit a transformed phenotype at both the NPT and PT. Immunofluorescence studies on several of the revertant cell lines show that they do not express GFAP at either the PT or NPT. These findings suggest that the expression of GFAP in WC5 is linked to the expression of the src gene product. The advantage of using ts-RSV to derive neural cell lines which exhibit differentiated properties is discussed.
Structural divergence and distant relationships in proteins: evolution of the globins.

The globin family has long been known from studies of ∼150-residue proteins such as vertebrate myoglobins and haemoglobins. Recently, this family has been enriched by the investigation of the sequences and structures of truncated globins, which have the same basic topology but are approximately 30 residues shorter and exhibit functions other than the familiar one of binding diatomic ligands. The divergence of protein sequences, structures and functions reveals Nature's exploration of the potential inherent in a folding pattern, that is, the topology of the native structure. The observation of what remains constant and what varies during the evolution of a protein family reveals essential features of structure and function. Study of proteins with a wide range of divergence can therefore sharpen our understanding of how different amino acid sequences can determine similar three-dimensional structures. Globins have provided, and continue to provide, interesting material for such studies.
Computer-aided design and optimization of control units for VLSI processors

This review presents the models, methods and algorithms for synthesis and optimization of control units for VLSI processors. First, circuit structures used for control in the state-of-the-art processors are described. the control synthesis methods are then presented as well as the algorithms for optimizing the control unit representation. Among these techniques, the symbolic design methodology is described that can be applied to optimize the silicon area taken by some particular structures of control units.
Interpreting Vortex Interactions With a Free Surface

An understanding of the process by which vorticity interacts with a free surface is sought by analytical examination of the free-surface condition for the vorticity flux. A novel mechanism is suggested that permits closed vortex loops to evolve into open loops terminating at the free surface. It is hypothesized that abrupt vortex «disconnection,» observed in physical experiments, arises from a smooth diffusion of vorticity through the interface, with a necessary coincident tangential acceleration of the interface attributed to viscous forces
Diagnostic evaluation of pulmonary atresia and ventricular septal defect: Cardiac catheterization and angiography

Summary A thorough understanding of the hemodynamic and anatomic variations of the pulmonary arterial system is of vital importance in the evaluation of all of the treatment options available for patients with PA-VSD. To determine arteriolar resistance and rule out pulmonary arteriolar obstructive disease, accurate measurements of pulmonary arterial pressure and blood oxygen saturation must be made beyond areas of stenosis and distally in arteries supplied by a ductus arteriosus, aorticopulmonary arterial collaterals, or surgically created aortic-pulmonary arterial shunts. The perferred method to define the pulmonary arterial abnormalities is x-ray-based angiography. Although these invasive procedures involve some risk, they are necessary for optimal patient management. Since significant amounts of contrast media (4–6 ml/kg) are frequently used to fully define the anatomy of interest, careful attention to hydration and renovascular status is required. While debate about the comparative renal toxicity of different radiographic contrast media continues, using the low osmolar contrast agents exclusively is recommended. Since most patients with PA-VSD will require follow-up evaluations, it is imperative to document all pertinent angiographic findings to facilitate future comparisons. In this way several important aspects, such as the growth of the central peripheral pulmonary arteries, the number of pulmonary artery segments in continuity, and the progression of stenotic lesions, can be evaluated. Accurate determination of the pulmonary artery resistance, anatomy, and sources of pulmonary arterial blood supply is a requirement for a rational choice of the therapeutic options for all patients with PA-VSD.