cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sizing Storage for Mitigating Frequency Stability Issues of Wind Integrated Systems

Wind energy is one of the fastest growing renewable energy resources in the world today. While wind energy is abundant, cheap, and environment-friendly, it is also variable in nature and has low inertia. These intermittent and low inertia characteristics of wind threaten to disrupt the stability of system as it is widely integrated into the power grid. This paper proposes a methodology by which frequency stability issues of the grid in presence of wind energy can be mitigated by using energy storage systems (ESSs). ESSs are fast-acting devices that can provide virtual inertia to the system by means of active power discharge. The proposed approach is based on estimating the quantity of inertia that the system requires to maintain the maximum frequency deviation under pre-specified limits, and sizing the ESS accordingly. Variation in system inertia due to both forced outages of generating units and replacement of conventional synchronous generation with wind power are considered. System inertia is estimated using Monte Carlo simulation and network constraints are taken into account. Wind speed is forecasted using an autoregressive technique. Effect of load increase on the system inertia is also studied. The proposed method is validated using the Western System Coordinating Council 9-bus test system.
Insights Into Sea Turtle Population Composition Obtained With Stereo-Video Cameras in situ Across Nearshore Habitats in the Northeastern Gulf of Mexico

Population size estimates are one of the key parameters used in assessments to evaluate and determine a species’ conservation status. Typically, sea turtle population estimates are made from nesting beach surveys which capture only hatchling and adult female life stages and can display trends opposite of the full population. As such, in-water studies are critical to improve our understanding of sea turtle population dynamics as they can target a broader range of life stages – though they are more logistically and financially challenging to execute compared to beach-based surveys. Stereo-video camera systems (SVCS) hold promise for improving in-water assessments by removing the need to physically capture individuals and instead extract 3D measurements from video footage, thereby simplifying monitoring logistics and improving safety for the animals and surveyors. To demonstrate this potential, snorkel surveys were conducted at artificial habitats in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico (neGOM) to collect size and photo-identification data on sea turtles in situ using a SVCS. Over 29.86 survey hours, thirty-five sea turtles were observed across three species (Caretta caretta, Chelonia mydas and Lepidochelys kempii) and all neritic life stages (juvenile, sub-adult, and adult) utilizing different habitats, including artificial reefs, jetties, and fishing piers. Greens straight carapace length ranged from 28.55 – 66.96 cm (n = 23, mean 43.07 cm ± 11.26 cm standard deviation; SD) and loggerheads ranged from 59.71 – 91.77 cm (n = 10, mean 74.50 cm ± 11.35 cm SD), and kemps ranged from 42.23 cm – 44.98 cm (mean 43.61 cm ± 1.94 cm SD). Using a linear mixed model, we found that species and habitat type were the most important predictors of sea turtle body length distribution. Overall, this case study demonstrates the potential of SVCS surveys to enhance our understanding of the population structure of sea turtle species within the neGOM and elsewhere.
Comparison of purified alpha-toxins from various strains of Staphylococcus aureus.

Abstract Alpha-toxin from five strains of Staphylococcus aureus, including Wood 46, was purified by isoelectric focusing. The alpha-toxins obtained from different strains were similar. The isoelectric point of the purified toxins was 8.65 ± 0.15. Sharp concentration peaks were not always obtained. In the ultracentrifuge the alpha-toxins migrated usually as three peaks which could be dissociated with propionic acid to yield one peak. A single line of identity was obtained in immunoelectrophoresis when a heterologous antiserum was reacted with the five purified toxins. It was concluded that the widespread use of the Wood 46 strain for the production of alpha-toxin is justified.
SOCIAL DENSITY AND PUBLIC RITUAL IN NON-INDUSTRIAL COMMUNITIES

An implication of Durkheimian theory—that different types of rites and the elaborateness of public rituals are determined by social density—is empirically tested, using data available for 183 non-i...
El uso de "estar comentador" en el español hablado contemporáneo

El presente trabajo se limitaa estudiar una sola faceta del empleo polifacetico de estos dos verbos, a saber, el empleo de estar con adjetivos que normativamente se encuentran empleados con ser.
Review of Experimental Results I

The experimental results on energy and particle confinement in tokamaks are reviewed. MHD-instability effects on confinement can be distinguished when they are strong, but information on microscopic loss mechanisms is still rudimentary. Under the constraint of dominant ohmic heating, the true physical scaling laws of the tokamak transport coefficients cannot be determined. Non-ohmic heating methods, notably neutral-beam injection, are now proving successful and should improve our knowledge of tokamak confinement physics. Non-ohmic heating combined with refinements in tokamak geometry offers the prospect of attaining practical tokamak reactor parameters.
Compressible Flows with Vortical Disturbances Around a Cascade of Loaded Airfoils

A highly efficient numerical method is developed for three-dimensional, periodic, vortical flows around a cascade of loaded airfoils. The method uses the approximation of the rapid distortion theory and thus fully accounts for the effects of distortion of the vortical disturbances as they propagate through the spatially varying mean flow. The numerical scheme is based on the splitting of the unsteady velocity into a vortical part which is a known function of the upstream flow conditions and the Lagrangian coordinates of the mean flow, and a potential part satisfying a nonconstant-coefficient, inhomogeneous, convective wave equation. A new downstream out-flow boundary condition is derived to complete the unsteady boundary value problem. By writing the downstream condition in terms of the unsteady pressure, the difficulties associated with the singular behavior of the unsteady vortical velocity are avoided. This condition is relatively simple and suitable for numerical computations. By using a body-fitted coordinate system, the unsteady potential is computed in the frequency domain. Results are presented to demonstrate the effects of mean blade loading on the aerodynamic response of a cascade to vortical gust excitations.
Rapid horizontal gaze movement in the monkey

1. We studied horizontal eye and head movements in three monkeys that were trained to direct their gaze (eye position in space) toward jumping targets while their heads were both fixed and free to rotate about a vertical axis. We considered all gaze movements that traveled > or = 80% of the distance to the new visual target. 2. The relative contributions and metrics of eye and head movements to the gaze shift varied considerably from animal to animal and even within animals. Head movements could be initiated early or late and could be large or small. The eye movements of some monkeys showed a consistent decrease in velocity as the head accelerated, whereas others did not. Although all gaze shifts were hypometric, they were more hypometric in some monkeys than in others. Nevertheless, certain features of the gaze shift were identifiable in all monkeys. To identify those we analyzed gaze, eye in head position, and head position, and their velocities at three points in time during the gaze shift: 1) when the eye had completed its initial rotation toward the target, 2) when the initial gaze shift had landed, and 3) when the head movement was finished. 3. For small gaze shifts (< 20 degrees) the initial gaze movement consisted entirely of an eye movement because the head did not move. As gaze shifts became larger, the eye movement contribution saturated at approximately 30 degrees and the head movement contributed increasingly to the initial gaze movement. For the largest gaze shifts, the eye usually began counterrolling or remained stable in the orbit before gaze landed. During the interval between eye and gaze end, the head alone carried gaze to completion. Finally, when the head movement landed, it was almost aimed at the target and the eye had returned to within 10 +/- 7 degrees, mean +/- SD, of straight ahead. Between the end of the gaze shift and the end of the head movement, gaze remained stable in space or a small correction saccade occurred. 4. Gaze movements < 20 degrees landed accurately on target whether the head was fixed or free. For larger target movements, both head-free and head-fixed gaze shifts became increasingly hypometric. Head-free gaze shifts were more accurate, on average, but also more variable. This suggests that gaze is controlled in a different way with the head free. For target amplitudes < 60 degrees, head position was hypometric but the error was rather constant at approximately 10 degrees.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Polar Group Burial Contributes More to Protein Stability than Nonpolar Group Burial

On the basis of studies of Asn to Ala mutants, the gain in stability from burying amide groups that are hydrogen bonded to peptide groups is 80 cal/(mol A3). On the basis of similar studies of Leu to Ala and Ile to Val mutants, the gain in stability from burying −CH2− groups is 50 cal/(mol A3). Thus, the burial of an amide group contributes more to protein stability than the burial of an equivalent volume of −CH2− groups. Applying these results to folded proteins leads to the surprising conclusion that peptide group burial makes a larger contribution to protein stability than nonpolar side chain burial. Several studies have shown that the desolvation penalty for burying peptide groups is considerably smaller than generally thought. This suggests that the hydrogen bonding and van der Waals interactions of peptide groups in the tightly packed interior of folded protein are more favorable than similar interactions with water in the unfolded protein.
Cell biology: The not-so-odd couple.

Actively dividing cells do so at a risk — with each division, chromosome ends tend to shorten. Pairing proteins that promote cell division with a chromosome-end repair factor is a smart way to solve this problem. The Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway plays a central role in stem cell biology and has been implicated in tumorigenesis. Telomerase-catalysed addition of DNA repeats to chromosome ends is crucial for stem cell self-renewal and for progenitor cell survival and has also been implicated in tumorigenesis. Park et al. report an unanticipated link between these two pathways with prominent roles in tissue stem cells and cancer. The telomerase component TERT (telomerase reverse transcriptase) is shown act as a transcriptional modulator of the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway. The chromatin remodelling protein BRG1, a modulator of Wnt signalling, is identified as a TERT-interacting protein.
Ultra short-acting intravenous β-adrenergic blockade as add-on therapy in acute unstable angina

To assess the efficacy and safety of the ultra short-acting β-blocking agent, esmolol, in acute unstable angina, we administered esmolol to 21 patients who had persistent angina despite conventional medical therapy. Following a baseline Doppler echocardiographic examination, esmolol was titrated to reduce the rate-pressure product by at least 20%. Once the patients had been receiving a maintenance dosage for 30 minutes, Doppler echocardiographic studies were repeated. Mean esmolol dose at target response was 17 ± 16 mg/min, with the dosage range of 8 to 24 mg/min. Esmolol was effective in alleviating anginal chest pain in 18 of the 21 patients. Seven patients eventually underwent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) and eight had coronary bypass surgery. The remainder were discharged receiving medical therapy including oral β-blockade. During esmolol therapy, heart rate and blood presure decreased significantly (86 ± 14 to 68 ± 12 beats/min and 125 ± 16 to 103 ± 20 mm Hg, both p < 0.001). Cardiac output decreased from 5.4 ± 1.3 to 4.5 ± 1.1 L/min (p < 0.001) secondary to a decrease in heart rate as stroke volume remained unchanged. Left ventricular ejection fraction increased from 47 ± 12 to 49 ± 13 with esmolol therapy, although this change was not statistically significant. Both the one third filling fraction as well as EA ratio (ratio of early-to-late diastolic filling velocities) increased with esmolol therapy (35 ± 8% to 38 ± 8% and 0.73 ± 0.2 to 0.85 ± 0.23, both p < 0.005), indicating improvement in left ventricular diastolic function. Other than transient hypotension, which quickly resolved upon downward titration of the infusion, there were no significant side effects related to the administration of esmolol. Thus the use of ultra short-acting β-blockade as add-on therapy in patients with acute unstable angina appears to be both safe and effective. It should be considered early as a treatment option in these patients.
Position of aminoacylation of individual Escherichia coli and yeast tRNAs.

Abstract Transfer RNAs terminating 2'-or 3'-deoxyadenosine were prepared from unfractionated E. coli and yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) tRNAs and purified to remove unmodified tRNAs. The modified tRNA species were assayed for aminoacylation with each of the 20 amino acids to determine the initial position of tRNA aminoacylation. The E. coli and yeast aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases specific for arginine, isoleucine, leucine, methionine, phenylalanine, and valine, as well as the E. coli glutamyl-tRNA synthetase, aminoacylated only those cognate tRNAs terminating in 3'-deoxyadenosine (i.e., those having a 2'-OH group). On the other hand, those E. coli and yeast synthetases specific for alanine, glycine, histidine, lysine, proline, serine, and threonine, as well as the yeast synthetase specific for glutamine, utilized exclusively those tRNAs having an available 3'-OH group on the 3'-terminal nucleoside, while the E. coli and yeast synthetases specific for asparagine, cysteine, and tyrosine, and the yeast aspartyl-tRNA synthetase, utilized both of the modified cognate tRNAs. The only observed difference in specificity between the E. coli and yeast systems was for tRNATrp, which was aminoacylated on the 2'-position in E. coli and the 3'-position in yeast. The results indicate that the initial position of aminoacylation is not uniform for all tRNAs, although for individual tRNAs the specificity has been conserved during the evolution from a prokaryotic to eukaryotic organism.
Determination of in vivo Alterations in a Phenotype of Human Spermatozoa

A PHENOTYPE of rabbit spermatozoa for the dopa oxidase reaction has been reported1. In the presence of L-dopa (dihydroxyphenylalanine), the cells develop melanin, proportional in amount or intensity to that present in the coat of the donor animal. These methods have been revised extensively to make possible a quantitative examination of the dopa reaction in human sperm.
True antibodies to DNA in systemic lupus erythematosus: activity of Fab and F(ab')2 fragments.

SERA of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) react with DNA, as demonstrated by standard immunological techniques1–4. The localization of activity to immunoglobulins further suggests that this reaction is to be attributed to an antibody to DNA4,5, but it is not excluded that a non-immunological mechanism is involved. Interactions of normal immunoglobulins and complement components with DNA have been demonstrated in particular conditions6,7, and the reaction of SLE sera could result from accentuation of these nonspecific phenomena. Reactions of precipitation, complement fixation and even the Arthus phenomenon have been shown to result from protein-immunoglobulin interaction in the absence of an actual antibody, as in the case of Staphylococcus aureus protein A8,9. Further, DNA is a weakly immunogenic material, which induces antibodies in experimental animals only when conjugated to a carrier molecule4.
ETC-1002 LOWERS LDL-C AND BENEFICIALLY MODULATES OTHER CARDIO-METABOLIC RISK FACTORS IN HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIC SUBJECTS WITH EITHER NORMAL OR ELEVATED TRIGLYCERIDES

ETC-1002 improves imbalances in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism by activating AMP-kinase and affecting enzymes critical to fatty acid, cholesterol and glucose pathways. In this Phase 2, double-blind, parallel group, multi-center study, the lipid-regulating efficacy and safety of ETC-1002 were
Hand care in the new millennium: Surgeon's perspective

C are has been rendered to injuries and other nontraumatic disorders of the hand throughout human history, yet "surgery of the hand" as we know the specialty today has been with us for little more than half a century. As with many surgical disciplines, the wounds of war first suggested the need for specialized hand care. Sterling Bunnell recognized this need and-drawing from the domain of various surgical specialties, including general, orthopedic, neurologic, and plastic surgery began to create the modem practice of surgery of the hand. Bunnell's insights into the care of the hand remain as accurate today as they were during World War II. Disorders of the hand frequently involve elements of the musculoskeletal, neurologic, vascular, and integumentary systems. Care must be administered by someone well versed in each of these disciplines in order to avoid "care by committee," a circumstance that seldom bodes well for the patient or the hand in question. Hand surgery continues to define itself even today. In the last decade, the Certificate of Added Qualifications in Surgery of the Hand has been made available to physicians who are certified by the American Boards of Surgery, Orthopaedic Surgery, or Plastic Surgery.' Although it has been argued by some that such subspecialty certification may prove divisive to members of the parent organizations, few problems seem to have resulted. This certificate serves to identify those surgeons who have additional training, a significant case load, and a demonstrated interest in the field of hand surgery. The purview of hand surgery is itself in a state of flux. Perusal of journals devoted to surgery of the hand and self-assessment examinations sponsored by professional organizations over the last decade reveal an increased interest and level of expertise among hand surgeons regarding disorders of the forearm and elbow. The expertise of the contemporary hand surgeon frequently ranges beyond
Sequence specific detection of DNA using nicking endonuclease signal amplification (NESA)

We have developed a new method for identifying specific single- or double-stranded DNA sequences called nicking endonuclease signal amplification (NESA). A probe and target DNA anneal to create a restriction site that is recognized by a strand-specific endonuclease that cleaves the probe into two pieces leaving the target DNA intact. The target DNA can then act as a template for fresh probe and the process of hybridization, cleavage and dissociation repeats. Laser-induced fluorescence coupled with capillary electrophoresis was used to measure the probe cleavage products. The reaction is rapid; full cleavage of probe occurs within one minute under ideal conditions. The reaction is specific since it requires complete complementarity between the oligonucleotide and the template at the restriction site and sufficient complementarity overall to allow hybridization. We show that both Bacillus subtilis and B. anthracis genomic DNA can be detected and specifically differentiated from DNA of other Bacillus species. When combined with multiple displacement amplification, detection of a single copy target from less than 30 cfu is possible. This method should be applicable whenever there is a requirement to detect a specific DNA sequence. Other applications include SNP analysis and genotyping. The reaction is inherently simple to multiplex and is amenable to automation.
Inhibition of 5β-Dihydrocortisone Reduction in Rat Liver Cytosol: A Rapid Spectrophotometric Screen for Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug Potency

The purified NAD(P)-linked 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase of rat liver cytosol is powerfully inhibited by the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in rank-order of their therapeutic potency. This observation has now been developed into a rapid screen for predicting the potency of these agents. The screening method requires the preparation of a rat liver cytosol and access to a recording spectrophotometer. By monitoring the NADPH-linked reduction of 5β-dihydrocortisone catalyzed by these cytosols in the presence of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, a high correlation between their log IC50 values for this reaction with their recommended daily dose in humans can be obtained (r = 0.960; n = 10; p > 0.0001). This correlation scans four orders of magnitude and demonstrates the value of this method for screening the potency of these drugs. This method is superior to traditional predictive methods (e.g., measurement of cyclooxygenase inhibition), since this assay measures the change in absorbance of a pyridine nucleotide over 5 min and is considerably more rapid than the extraction, separation, and quantitation of prostaglandins. The method does not require enzyme purification, and the cytosol, which can be prepared in a matter of hours, can be stored at –80°C and used routinely for screening purposes.
Interrelationships of Porcine X and Y Chromosomes with Pituitary Gonadotropins and Testicular Size

Endocrine and testicular responses to unilateral castration on 1, 10, 56, or 112 days of age were characterized in 132 Chinese Meishan (MS) x White composite (WC) crossbred boars in which testicular size associates with a quantitative trait locus (QTL) on X chromosome. At 220 days of age, testicles of boars unilaterally castrated on Day 1 or 10 weighed more and had greater total daily sperm production (DSP) than one testicle of bilaterally intact boars (P < 0.05); compensation did not double these two responses. Boars with MS alleles at the X chromosome QTL had smaller testicles, darker colored parenchyma, and lower total DSP than boars with WC alleles (P < 0.05). The MS alleles engendered greater (P < 0.05) plasma FSH and LH during puberty than WC alleles. Plasma FSH increased (P < 0.05) within 48 h of unilateral castration on Days 1, 10, and 56. Subsequent increases occurred earlier during puberty (P < 0.05) after unilateral castration at younger ages than after unilateral castration at older ages. Pubertal increases in plasma FSH and LH were greater (P < 0.05) in boars with MS alleles than in those with WC alleles for the X chromosome QTL. Breed of Y chromosome had no effect on testicular traits, FSH, testosterone, or estrone. For LH, boars with an MS Y chromosome had greater (P < 0.01) plasma LH across all ages than boars with a WC Y chromosome. We conclude that a gene or groups of genes that reside on the porcine X chromosome regulate testicular development and pubertal gonadotropin concentrations.
A population of early fetal thymocytes expressing FcγRIIIII contains precursors of T lymphocytes and natural killer cells

Abstract We have identified a dominant fetal thymocyte population at day 14.5 of gestation in the mouse that lacks CD4 and CD8 but expresses FcγRIIIII several days prior to acquisition of the T cell receptor (TCR) in vivo. If maintained in a thymic microenvironment, this population of CD4−CD8−TCR−FcγRIIIII+ thymocytes differentiates first into CD4+CD8+TCRlowFcγRIIIII− thymocytes and subsequently CD4+CD8−TCRhighFcγRIIIII− and CD4−CD8+TCRhighFcγRIIIII− mature, Ti α-β lineage T cells. However, if removed from the thymus, the CD4−CD8−TCR−FcγRIIIII+ thymocyte population selectively generates functional natural killer (NK) cells in vivo as well as in vitro. These findings show that a cellular pool of FcγRIIIII+ precursors gives rise to T and NK lineages in a microenvironment-dependent manner. Moreover, they suggest a hitherto unrecognized role for Fc receptors on primitive T cells.
Evidence for a metabolic limitation of survival in hypothermic hamsters.

The underlying factors limiting survival in the hypothermic state are studied. Hamsters of both sexes, clipped and unclipped, were inducted into profound hypothermia by the helium cold method until they reached a temperature between 7 and 10 C. It appears that the primary cause of death is failure of respiration due to the depletion of carbohydrate energy supplies and may explain why survival time in hypothermia is shorter than the normal hibernation time of the hamster.
Improving IMRT-plan quality with MLC leaf position refinement post plan optimization.

Purpose: In intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) planning, reducing the pencil-beam size may lead to a significant improvement in dose conformity, but also increase the time needed for the dose calculation and plan optimization. The authors develop and evaluate a postoptimization refinement (POpR) method, which makes fine adjustments to the multileaf collimator (MLC) leaf positions after plan optimization, enhancing the spatial precision and improving the plan quality without a significant impact on the computational burden. Methods: The authors’ POpR method is implemented using a commercial treatment planning system based on direct aperture optimization. After an IMRT plan is optimized using pencil beams with regular pencil-beam step size, a greedy search is conducted by looping through all of the involved MLC leaves to see if moving the MLC leaf in or out by half of a pencil-beam step size will improve the objective function value. The half-sized pencil beams, which are used for updating dose distribution in the greedy search, are derived from the existing full-sized pencil beams without need for further pencil-beam dose calculations. A benchmark phantom case and a head-and-neck (HN) case are studied for testing the authors’ POpR method. Results: Using a benchmark phantom and a HN case, the authors have verified that their POpR method can be an efficient technique in the IMRT planning process. Effectiveness of POpR is confirmed by noting significant improvements in objective function values. Dosimetric benefits of POpR are comparable to those of using a finer pencil-beam size from the optimization start, but with far less computation and time. Conclusions: The POpR is a feasible and practical method to significantly improve IMRT-plan quality without compromising the planning efficiency.
Variability of inter-syllable gaps challenges the branched-chain model of sequence production in Bengalese finches

Songbirds have emerged as a premier model system for studying how brain circuits learn and produce complex action sequences. The adult song of the most widely studied songbird, the zebra finch (ZF), consists of repeats of a stereotyped sequence of vocal gestures known as syllables. These songs are incredibly precise, with individual syllables and inter-syllable gaps varying in length by roughly 5% (std. dev.). Electrophysiological recordings in singing birds reveal that song related neural activity is also precise, with individual neurons in the premotor nucleus HVC producing one burst of action potentials per song sequence, locked to song acoustics with sub-millisecond precision [1]. This precision and reliability has led to the suggestion that the HVC circuit is organized as a synfire chain, with activity propagating down a chain-like network of strongly connected groups of neurons [2]. Here we examine the songs of a closely related species, the Bengalese finch (BF). These birds also learn sequences of highly stereotyped syllables. However, sequencing is variable and includes ‘branching’ in which some song syllables can be followed by more than one (2-4) subsequent syllables (fig​(fig1A).1A). Given the many similarities between species, it has been hypothesized that variable sequencing in BF is accomplished by a branched synfire network in HVC [3] (fig​(fig1B).1B). Such a model suggests that timing precision in BFs should be similar to that of ZFs, perhaps with a bit of added variability due to the competition between branches. However, this added variability should not be longer than the maximum latency between successive links in the synfire chain (~20 msec). Figure 1 Variable sequencing of Bengalese finch song A. Transition diagram for single BF; strength of the arrow is proportional to transition probability. B. Branched synfire chain model. C. Median and inter-quartile range of coefficient of variation for BF gaps, ... To test this, we measured the durations of both syllables and inter-syllable gaps in a large sample of BF songs (32 birds, 52,451 transitions between 303 unique syllable pairs; syllables were hand labeled by visual inspection and durations were determined by a hand-set threshold optimized for each bird.) Overall, the mean and coefficient of variation (CV) for BF inter-syllable gap durations were qualitatively more variable than for BF syllables, ZF syllables or ZF gaps, even at syllable transitions that were not branched (fig ​(fig1C).1C). These results contradict the simplest branched synfire chain model of variable sequencing in BFs, and provide significant challenges for more general models based on this idea.
Reply to Tamma & Cosgrove and Esposito

TO THE EDITOR—We are grateful for the comments of Drs Tamma and Cosgrove [1] on the issue of duration of therapy, particularly as it impacts antibiotic exposure in the child and the community. Greater antibiotic exposure is associated with greater antimicrobial resistance and also adds to costs and toxicities of therapy. This particular issue prompted considerable discussion within the writing group. However, with no scientific evidence in children from randomized controlled trials or even high-quality observational studies conducted in North American centers, the extrapolated data from community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in adults, well-reviewed by Tamma and Cosgrove, was not felt to be of sufficient relevance to make these recommendations for children. Although children may have fewer comorbid conditions than adults, our guidelines do review the many other differences, including the relative immune incompetence in preschool-aged children compared with adults, as well as the role of viral coinfections. Differences in outcomes for children compared with adults with urinary tract infections highlight the challenges of extrapolating adult treatment protocols to children [2]. However, we certainly agree with the critical importance of this issue and included it as one of our research priorities, as provided in our Table 10: “Develop clinical trial designs that can provide information on the lowest effective antimicrobial dose for the shortest duration of therapy to decrease the development of antimicrobial resistance and the risk of antimicrobial toxicity.” Although the guidelines are unable to address the duration of antibiotic therapy based on adequate evidence, they do emphasize the importance of viral infection as a cause of pneumonia in the preschool-aged child and state that “antimicrobial therapy is not routinely required for preschool-aged children with CAP, because viral pathogens are responsible for the great majority of clinical disease.” We believe that if this recommendation is followed, it will significantly decrease the use of inappropriate antimicrobials in children and is well aligned with the goals expressed by Drs Tamma and Cosgrove. We also thank Dr Esposito for her letter citing 8 concerns regarding the Executive Summary of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society and the Infectious Diseases Society of America clinical practice guidelines on the management of CAP in children >3 months [3, 4]. In her review of the Executive Summary, she may have overlooked the reference (p 618) to the full-text electronic article for the guidelines that provides a detailed description of the methods, background, and, most important, the Evidence Summaries that support each recommendation. The comments and questions she raises are all addressed within the full text that is available online (doi: 10.1093/cid/cir531).
Summary of discussion: models and technology used in positron emission tomography

The discussion reported herein centered around three points: (1) multicomponent models relating to actual physiological models, (2) ability of positron emission tomographic (PET) devices to provide data adequate for the applications of these models, and (3) instrumental aspects of PET in order to achieve higher resolution. In order to formulate models, it was pointed out that it must be known what process in what disease is to be modeled. The approach should be to formulate a hypothesis that can be tested with appropriate PET technology, development of appropriate radiopharmaceuticals and meaningful models that will yield the parameters that can provide answers to the proposed questions. Models have been developed for physiological transport of glucose and understanding neuroreceptor ligands.
FDA quality assurance for radioactivity in foods and radiopharmaceuticals

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has regulatory responsibility for radionuclides in foods and radiopharmaceuticals and must maintain an ongoing Quality Assurance Program. These Quality Control Programs involve the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) [1, 2] and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) [3], who supply the necessary reference materials and standards to ensure that the measurements are accurate and reproduceable. Data from EPA (1987 to 1991) and from a NIST “Blind” Source study (1985 to 1991) show the results are accurate with an average variation from NIST values of 1.8% [4–10]. The use of standard materials with the same matrices as the samples being analyzed provides credibility to the measurements.
Structural differences between apolipoprotein E3 and E4 as measured by 19F NMR

The apolipoprotein E family contains three major isoforms (ApoE4, E3, and E2) that are directly involved with lipoprotein metabolism and cholesterol transport. ApoE3 and apoE4 differ in only a single amino acid with an arginine in apoE4 changed to a cysteine at position 112 in apoE3. Yet only apoE4 is recognized as a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. Here we used 19F NMR to examine structural differences between apoE4 and apoE3 and the effect of the C-terminal domain on the N-terminal domain. After incorporation of 5-19F-tryptophan the 1D 19F NMR spectra were compared for the N-terminal domain and for the full length proteins. The NMR spectra of the N-terminal region (residues 1–191) are reasonably well resolved while those of the full length wild-type proteins are broad and ill-defined suggesting considerable conformational heterogeneity. At least four of the seven tryptophan residues in the wild type protein appear to be solvent exposed. NMR spectra of the wild-type proteins were compared to apoE containing four mutations in the C-terminal region that gives rise to a monomeric form either of apoE3 under native conditions (Zhang et al., Biochemistry 2007; 46: 10722–10732) or apoE4 in the presence of 1 M urea. For either wild-type or mutant proteins the differences in tryptophan resonances in the N-terminal region of the protein suggest structural differences between apoE3 and apoE4. We conclude that these differences occur both as a consequence of the Arg158Cys mutation and as a consequence of the interaction with the C-terminal domain.
Should you carry the load? A comprehensive analysis of load and no-load mutual fund out-of-sample performance

Abstract This paper compares the out-of-sample performance of no-load and load mutual funds. Unlike previous studies, this paper provides a more comprehensive analysis as it uses methodologies to incorporate loads directly into the returns. We find two important results. First, after adjusting for loads in the returns data, no-load funds are found to perform much better than load funds, with the differences found to be significant at the 1% level across many different performance metrics. Second, we find that within load funds themselves there is little significant difference in out-of-sample performance between high-load funds and low-load funds even after adjusting for loads.
Free Entry and Efficient Rent-Seeking

This paper concerns rent seeking and the extent to which rents are dissipated under various circumstances. Gordon Tullock’s (1967) insight that expenditures made to capture an artificially created transfer represent a social waste suggested that the cost to the economy of monopoly and regulation is greater than the simple Harberger (1954) deadweight loss. Indeed, under Tullock’s original formulation and in the extensions of his work by Krueger (1974) and Posner (1975), rents are exactly dissipated at the social level ($1 is spent to capture $1), so that the total welfare loss from such activities is equal to the Harberger triangle plus the rectangle of monopoly profits.
Mental Imagery and Idiom Comprehension: A Comparison of School-Age Children and Adults

Previous research has shown that transparent idioms (e.g., paddle your own canoe) are generally easier for children to interpret than opaque idioms (e.g., paint the town red), results that support ...
Perturbation of membranes by the amyloid β‐peptide – a molecular dynamics study

The etiology of Alzheimer's disease is considered to be linked to interactions between amyloid beta-peptide (Abeta) and neural cell membranes. Membrane disruption and increased ion conductance have been observed in vitro in the presence of Abeta, and it is assumed that these same phenomena occur in the brain of an individual afflicted with Alzheimer's. The effects of Abeta on lipid behavior have been characterized experimentally, but details are lacking regarding how Abeta induces these effects. Simulations of Abeta in a bilayer environment can provide the resolution necessary to explain how the peptide interacts with the surrounding lipids. In the present study, we present an extensive analysis of lipid parameters for a model dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine bilayer in the presence of the 40-residue Abeta peptide (Abeta40). The simulated systems examine the effects of the insertion depth of the peptide, temperature, the protonation state of the peptide, and ionic strength on the features of the lipid bilayer. The results show that Abeta40 is capable of disordering nearby lipids, as well as decreasing bilayer thickness and area per lipid headgroup. These phenomena arise as a result of the unfolding process of the peptide, which leads to a disordered, extended conformation that is capable of extensive electrostatic and hydrogen-bonding interactions between the peptide and the lipid headgroups. Comparisons are made using melittin-dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine systems as positive controls of a membrane-disrupting peptide because these systems have previously been characterized experimentally as well as in molecular dynamics simulations.
Space infrared telescope could provide new insights into some solar system objects

NASA's Space Infrared Telescope Facility, which launched on 25 August, promises to open windows about objects within our own solar system, as well as provide a better understanding about galactic and intergalactic objects and phenomena and the early universe. The infrared observatory offers new capabilities to explore and characterize aspects of the solar system which cannot be observed from the ground, including some Kuiper Belt objects, distant planets and satellites, asteroids and comets, and interplanetary dust, according to SIRTF solar system observations scientist Victoria Meadows. The observatory could provide new insights into specific targets through the enhanced observational sensitivity and new measurement capabilities it offers at the 3–180 micron wavelengths.
Concept and properties of lattice gauge theory

A finite lattice in four dimensions and correlation functions defined by integrals are used to formulate quantum gauge theory. Former results on Schwinger-Dyson equations and Ward-Takahashi identities are extended and the much richer structure of quantities and relations, which arises necessarily on the lattice, is discussed. The mechanism of gauge fixing is analyzed and various consequences of this analysis are pointed out. The implications of the generalized fermion degeneracy regularization for the position-space propagator and in the relations for the various currents are shown. An explicit solution for open boundaries is presented and compared with that of the case of the otherwise-used periodic conditions. The analog of continuum methods for dynamical masses and particular decompositions of the fermion determinants are considered. The connection between degeneracy regularization and axial-vector anomaly and the situation for weak interactions are discussed. Further, a number of important details are clarified.
Steroid secretion by the enucleated rat adrenal: measurements during salt retention and the development of hypertension.

It has been shown that rats have an inability to excrete a sodium load following bilateral adrenal enucleation. Rat adrenal vein plasma was analyzed for 18-hydroxy-ll-deoxycorticosterone (18-0H-D0C),1 corticosterone, deoxycorticosterone (DOC), and aldosterone following bilateral adrenal enucleation. All steroids analyzed were secreted in low amounts during the two weeks following enucleation. It appears unlikely that any of these steroids play an important role in the inability to excrete a sodium load which occurs immediately after enucleation. Rat adrenal vein plasma was also analyzed during various stages of adrenal regeneration hypertension. Secretion of all steroids was markedly decreased within 24 hr of enucleation. DOC secretion started to rise at one week and returned to near control levels at three weeks. 18-0H-D0C secretion was markedly diminished during the first three weeks, but greater than control six weeks after enucleation. Corticosterone secretion returned to normal at six weeks, and aldo...
Do you really need your oblique muscles? Adaptations and exaptations.

Background Primitive adaptations in lateral-eyed animals have programmed the oblique muscles to counterrotate the eyes during pitch and roll. In humans, these torsional movements are rudimentary. Purpose To determine whether the human oblique muscles are vestigial. Methods Review of primitive oblique muscle adaptations and exaptations in human binocular vision. Results Primitive adaptations in human oblique muscle function produce rudimentary torsional eye movements that can be measured as cycloversion and cyclovergence under experimental conditions. The human torsional regulatory system suppresses these primitive adaptations and exaptively modulates cyclovergence to facilitate stereoscopic perception in the pitch plane. It also recruits the oblique muscles to generate cycloversional saccades that preset torsional eye position immediately preceding volitional head tilt, permitting instantaneous nonstereoscopic tilt perception in the roll plane. Conclusions The evolution of frontal binocular vision has exapted the human oblique muscles for stereoscopic detection of slant in the pitch plane and nonstereoscopic detection of tilt in the roll plane. These exaptations do not erase more primitive adaptations, which can resurface when congenital strabismus and neurologic disease produce evolutionary reversion from exaptation to adaptation.
High-fidelity audio compression: fractional-band wavelets

Real-time algorithms for the compression of high-fidelity audio are under study. The goal of these algorithms is to provide a compact digital representation for an input stream of audio sample. A subband coding system that performs this is presented. This modular system combines a wavelet-based signal transformation block with adaptive quantization and lossless compression blocks. The design of the signal transformation block is examined. Designs are presented for filter structures that generate fractional octave and geometric subband partitionings of the input frequency band. In particular, designs for 1/2-octave, 1/3-octave and some geometric band partitionings are presented. >
Lack of effect of flurothyl, a non-anesthetic fluorinated ether, on rat brain synaptic plasma membrane calcium-ATPase.

Abstract Plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase (PMCA), a regulator of intracellular calcium, is inhibited by volatile anesthetics and by xenon and nitrous oxide. Response of a cellular system to anesthetics, particularly to volatile agents, raises the question of non-specific, even toxic, side effects unrelated to anesthetic action. Compounds with chemical and physical properties similar to halogenated anesthetics, but which lack anesthetic effect, have been used to address this question. We have compared the effects of halothane and flurothyl, a non-anesthetic fluorinated ether, on PMCA Ca2+ transport across isolated brain synaptic plasma membranes (SPM). Flurothyl, at concentrations predicted by the Meyer-Overton curve to range from 0.4 to 2.6 MAC (minimum alveolar concentration), had no significant on PMCA activity. In contrast halothane, 1.3 MAC, reduced Ca2+ transport 30 to 40 %. These findings provide further evidence for a specific effect of inhalation anesthetics on neuronal plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase.
Radiocarbon Ages from Two Submerged Strandline Features in the Western Gulf of Maine and a Sea-Level Curve for the Northeastern Massachusetts Coastal Region

New radiocarbon dates provide ages for two submerged strandline features on the Massachusetts inner shelf. These ages provide limited control on a relative sea-level (RSL) curve for the late Wisconsinan and Holocene. The curve indicates a late Wisconsinan high stand of RSL of +33 m about 14,000 yr ago and a very short-lived relative low stand of about -43 m at about 12,000 yr ago followed by a rise to present sea level. Rapid changes of RSL around 12,000 yr ago may be related to changes in global glacial meltwater discharge and eustatic sea-level change shown by dated corals off Barbados. Variations in the magnitude and timing of RSL change from south to north along the coast of the western Gulf of Maine are due to greater crustal depression and later deglaciation to the north.
Divergent Perspectives on Food, Culture, and Health among Hmong Mothers with Middle-School Children

AbstractThis study used Q methodology to uncover the rich and divergent perspectives on food, culture and health and nutrition education among Hmong mothers with middleschool children. Forty participants were asked to rank forty statements using a sevenpoint scale and interviewed immediately after completing the ranking task. Mothers were grouped into three divergent themes based on the Q-factor analysis: traditional food culture preservers (n = 20), financially struggling health-conscious mothers (n = 11), and mothers concerned about a parent-child generational gap (n = 4). While participants shared several similar views regarding food and health issues, including the importance of rice in their lives, they demonstrated divergent perspectives on how acculturation, intergenerational value discrepancies in traditional food culture, and limited financial income contribute to obesity among Hmong, especially children. Our study also suggests that parental engagement in their children's education provides heal...
Long chain alkyl heteroaromatics in coal identified by tandem mass spectrometry

Abstract The presence of a series of long chain alkyl aromatic and heteroaromatic hydrocarbons was confirmed in a Utah boghead coal using tandem mass spectrometry. Parent and neutral loss scans were utilized to characterize the complex mixture and daughter scans were used to identify individual components.