cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Heparan sulfate proteoglycan specificity during axon pathway formation in the Drosophila embryo.

Axon guidance is influenced by the presence of heparan sulfate (HS) proteoglycans (HSPGs) on the surface of axons and growth cones (Hu, [2001]: Nat Neurosci 4:695–701; Irie et al. [2002]: Development 129:61–70; Inatani et al. [2003]: Science 302:1044–1046; Johnson et al. [2004]: Curr Biol 14:499–504; Steigemann et al. [2004]: Curr Biol 14:225–230). Multiple HSPGs, including Syndecans, Glypicans and Perlecans, carry the same carbohydrate polymer backbones, raising the question of how these molecules display functional specificity during nervous system development. Here we use the Drosophila central nervous system (CNS) as a model to compare the impact of eliminating Syndecan (Sdc) and/or the Glypican Dally-like (Dlp). We show that Dlp and Sdc share a role in promoting accurate patterns of axon fasciculation in the lateral longitudinal neuropil; however, unlike mutations in sdc, which disrupt the ability of the secreted repellent Slit to prevent inappropriate passage of axons across the midline, mutations in dlp show neither midline defects nor genetic interactions with Slit and its Roundabout (Robo) receptors at the midline. Dlp mutants do show genetic interactions with Slit and Robo in lateral fascicle formation. In addition, simultaneous loss of Dlp and Sdc demonstrates an important role for Dlp in midline repulsion, reminiscent of the functional overlap between Robo receptors. A comparison of HSPG distribution reveals a pattern that leaves midline proximal axons with relatively little Dlp. Finally, the loss of Dlp alters Slit distribution distal but not proximal to the midline, suggesting that distinct yet overlapping pattern of HSPG expression provides a spatial system that regulates axon guidance decisions. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 71: 608–618, 2011
RESPONSE RESTRICTION AND SUBSTITUTION WITH AUTISTIC CHILDREN

Few studies to date have examined time reallocation in naturalistic, multiresponse human repertoires when one or more responses are restricted. For this experiment, free-operant baseline levels of six responses were measured for four autistic children. The high-probability responses were made unavailable, one at a time, such that subjects had access to five, four, three, and two responses in successive restriction conditions. A return to the six-response free-operant baseline condition completed the experiment. Results were compared to predictions made by four time-reallocation models. These results were described accurately only by the selective substitution model. Further analyses examined alternative explanations for the individual reallocation patterns obtained. An expanded selective substitution definition is proposed that may characterize orderly patterns observed in multiresponse repertoires under restriction conditions more accurately than the other existing models.
The Evidence Supporting Nursing Management of Labor

Although nursing practice is responsive to research findings, the practice site in which a nurse works has an impact on the ability to incorporate research changes into practice in a timely fashion. This review of the evidence base for nursing management of labor care focuses on care that typically falls within the nurses' domain and highlights the evidence in five areas in which there is research on patient preferences. These include management of admission and of progression during the first stage of labor, fetal monitoring, care and comfort practices during labor, and the management of second-stage labor. Directions for achieving progress toward practice change are highlighted.
The Bipolar Filaments Formed by Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 SSB/Recombination Protein (ICP8) Suggest a Mechanism for DNA Annealing

Abstract Herpes simplex virus type 1 encodes a multifunctional protein, ICP8, which serves both as a single-strand binding protein and as a recombinase, catalyzing reactions involved in replication and recombination of the viral genome. In the presence of divalent ions and at low temperature, previous electron microscopic studies showed that ICP8 will form long left-handed helical filaments. Here, electron microscopic image reconstruction reveals that the filaments are bipolar, with an asymmetric unit containing two subunits of ICP8 that constitute a symmetrical dimer. This organization of the filament has been confirmed using scanning transmission electron microscopy. The pitch of the filaments is ∼ 250 A, with ∼ 6.2 dimers per turn. Docking of a crystal structure of ICP8 into the reconstructed filament shows that the C-terminal domain of ICP8, attached to the body of the subunit by a flexible linker containing ∼ 10 residues, is packed into a pocket in the body of a neighboring subunit in the crystal in a similar manner as in the filament. However, the interactions between the large N-terminal domains are quite different in the filament from that observed in the crystal. A previously proposed model for ICP8 binding single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), based upon the crystal structure, leads to a model for a continuous strand of ssDNA near the filament axis. The bipolar nature of the ICP8 filaments means that a second strand of ssDNA would be running through this filament in the opposite orientation, and this provides a potential mechanism for how ICP8 anneals complementary ssDNA into double-stranded DNA, where each strand runs in opposite directions.
Root Development and Nitrogen Influx of Corn Genotypes Grown under Combined Drought and Nitrogen Stresses

Knowledge about the interactive effects of N and drought stresses on corn (Zea mays L.) root morphology and rate of N uptake is important for selecting drought tolerant and/or N efficient genotypes and for determining mechanisms that control root growth under stress. The objective was to study these interactions by growing three and four genotypes of known N utilization efficiency (NUE, kg grain/kg N uptake) responses in greenhouse and field experiments, respectively. Nitrogen application rates were 0, 30, 60, and 90 mg N kg −1 soil in the greenhouse and 0, 60, 120, and 180 kg N ha −1 in the field experiment. Water regimes included nonstress vs. an 8-d water stress in the greenhouse experiment and dryland vs. irrigation in the field []
Self-catalysis by Catechols and Quinones during Heterogeneous Electron Transfer at Carbon Electrodes

Heterogeneous electron transfer kinetics for several catechols were examined on glassy carbon (GC) electrodes in aqueous solution. Electrode preparations yielded GC surfaces with low levels of oxides or adsorbed impurities, which exhibited strong adsorption of dopamine (DA) and related catechols. Conversely, modification of GC with an organic monolayer suppressed DA adsorption and in many cases prevented electron transfer. By relating catechol adsorption to observed electron transfer, it was concluded that an adsorbed layer of catechol acts as an electrocatalyst for solution-phase redox components. Physisorbed or chemisorbed monolayers of several quinones, including duroquinone, anthraquinone, and dopamine itself, are catalytic toward dopamine oxidation and reduction, but nitrophenyl, trifluoromethylphenyl, and methylene blue monolayers severely inhibit electron transfer. The magnitude of inhibition was affected by electrostatic attraction or repulsion between the surface and the redox system, but the maj...
Fast Mencius: Mencius with low commit latency

Mencius is a protocol for general state machine replication that tolerates crash failures. It has high performance in wide-area networks. However, the commit latency of Mencius is limited by the slowest replica. This paper presents Fast Mencius, a crash fault-tolerant state machine replication protocol, which enhances Mencius with Active Revoke and Multi-instance Propose. Active Revoke allows the non-slow replicas to proceed without being delayed by the slowest replica, while Multi-instance Propose enables the slow replicas to have their proposals chosen by the replicated state machine. Our evaluation shows that in presence of slow replicas, Fast Mencius's commit latency is significantly lower than that of Mencius, and it also achieves high throughput.
Impact of non-linearities in density dependence beyond the range of the data on predicting population extinction risk

Summary Population viability analysis (PVA) is often used to predict performance of a population in the future. However, a potential bias in PVA exists when population dynamics are predicted for unobserved population densities. The Allee effect, a change in density dependence at low population densities, is one such factor that can have profound effects on PVA. In contrast to the Allee effect, we explore potential effects of a change in density dependence dynamics at unobserved high densities. As a heuristic example, we parameterised a stochastic Ricker model to a time series of Oncorhynchus clarki . In simulations with the model, the majority of extinctions were directly from population densities higher than observed in the data. To explore the potential consequence of a regulation mechanism affecting the population only at high densities, we placed a reflecting upper bound in simulations of the Ricker model as fit to the data. The upper bound prevented the population from attaining unrealistically high densities that directly resulted in extinction leading to a decrease in the probability of extinction and an increase in the expected time to extinction. This demonstrates a possible error in PVA when population models are used for predictions at high, unobserved densities.
Technological Change and Materials Consumption in U.S. Iron and Steel Manufacturing: An Assessment of Some Environmental Impacts

Shifting public conceptualizations of the environment have led to a comprehensive, ecological view of the impact of industrial activity. Nevertheless, primary attention has been focused on the problem of externalities, i.e., pollution. In an industry such as iron and steel manufacturing, with its heavy demands on mineral resources and various forms of energy, some equally important questions are raised about the extent to which technological change has resulted in environmentally beneficial or harmful tradeoffs or substitutions. It is found that there have taken place, over a 50-year period, substantial reductions in the amounts of iron ore and metallurgical coke required to produce a ton of iron; however, these developments have raised certain new environmental problems. In the energy sector, the industry has responded rationally to changing relative prices in making substitutions among sources. Demand for scrap, the major recycled input, is found to be very priceinelastic; furthermore, despite some radical changes in the contributions of various steelmaking technologies to total production, the overall ratio of scrap input to raw steel output has remained remarkably stable over the past quarter century.
Anisotropic connectivity and cooperative phenomena as a basis for orientation sensitivity in the visual cortex

A computer simulation model of the neural circuitry underlying orientation sensitivity in cortical neurons is examined. The model consists of a network of 3000 neurons divided into two functionally distinct cell types: excitatory (E-cells) and inhibitory (I-cells). We demonstrate that both orientation sensitivity and shape selectivity can be accounted for by making the following assumptions: 1) thalamic afferents to a sheet of cortical neurons are retionotopically organized; 2) thalamic afferents come from a single neuron, or at most a few neurons, in the lateral geniculate nucleus; 3) cortical activity is cooperative, i.e. largely dependent on intracortical connections, some of which have anisotropies along directions parallel to the pial surface. Anisotropies are specified only by the distribution of cells which are postsynaptic to a particular neuron, without specifying the axonal or dendritic contributions. In this paper, orientation sensitivity arises through cooperative interactions among neurons having anisotropic excitatory, and isotropic inhibitory connections.
Elder Abuse in Nursing Homes: The Theft of Patients' Possessions

ABSTRACT Although there has been an increasing concern about physical and psychological abuse in nursing homes, one aspect of elder abuse that has been relatively overlooked and understudied is theft of nursing home patients' property. This paper discusses the nature of this type of abuse and explores some theoretical explanations for it. In addition, some theft-reducing techniques ranging from simple target hardening to formal and informal surveillance are suggested.
Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea and colitis: pathogenesis and therapy.

Clostridium difficile is the cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and colitis and is now recognized as one of the most important nosocomial infections. C. difficile infection can produce a spectrum of conditions ranging from asymptomatic carriage to pseudomembranous colitis (PMC), a special form of colitis characterized by the presence on the colonic mucosa of yellow or white plaques composed of mucus, leukocytes and fibrin. Although therapy is available for the majority of patients with C. difficile infection, pseudomembranous colitis is a serious, sometimes life-threatening, disease which, if untreated, can lead to major complications.
The draw-A-Man Test as an index of developmental disorders in a pediatric outpatient population

The Goodenough Draw-A-Man Test was originally conceived as a measure of intelligence but has also been related to measures of sensory defect, visual-motor coordination, neurologic dysfunction, personality, and school readiness. The present study conceived of the Draw-A-Man as a nonspecific “index of psychological functioning” (IF) rather than as an IQ test. Deficient performance was interpreted as a sign of possible developmental disorder to be defined by other means. The Draw-A-Man was routinely administered and scored by nurses for children four years and older seen in a university hospital pediatric outpatient clinic. Children with an IF score below 85 showed significantly greater incidence of developmental disorders including mental retardation, learning problems, communication disorders, and visual-perceptual and perceptual-motor problems than the general clinic population. The Draw-A-Man IF score was most sensitive to intellectual retardation but was also sensitive to other disorders that tend to interfere with cognitive functioning in reasonably intelligent children. These results suggest that the Draw-A-Man could provide pediatricians with a useful developmental screening device and alert them to the possibility of developmental disorders.
22-Year survey of tropical convection penetrating into the lower stratosphere

[1] A 22-year survey of tropical convection penetrating into the stratosphere has been conducted using special subsets of the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project cloud data set. In addition to refined information about the geographic distribution of penetrating convective systems, these results show that penetrating convection occurs predominantly in the larger, organized, mesoscale convective systems, whereas smaller, unorganized convective systems rarely penetrate. Durations of penetrating events are longest for the largest systems, hurricanes and typhoons, generally exceeding one day.
RARE EARTH ELEMENT DISTRIBUTIONS IN EQUATORIAL MID-ATLANTIC RIDGE GABBROS.

THE crustal sections exposed in the fracture zones of the equatorial Mid-Atlantic Ridge afford the deepest direct sampling of the crust. The gabbros, amphibolites and green-schists underlie basalts and are differentiated-along a tholeiitic trend1 during slow cooling. The variations in the chemistry of the principal elements are greater for the coarse grained rocks than for the basalts as shown on the alkali-iron-magnesium diagram2. Oceanic tholeiites are normally considered to have uniform chondrite normalized rare earth element (REE) patterns, characterized by La depletion, little or no Eu anomaly and abundances ten to twenty-five times that of chondrites. The conditions leading to the largest variations of the principal elements in the intrusives should also lead to greater REE diversity. A progressive relative enrichment of Eu and depletion of La is found from granites and continental basalts through continental gabbros to oceanic tholeiites. These coarse grained rocks may increase this trend towards “deeper” depths and thus we would predict a lower La/Sm ratio and larger positive Eu anomaly in the gabbros than in the oceanic basalt.
Large deformations near a propagating crack tip

Abstract The combined effects of large deformation and material inertia on the displacement gradients are analyzed for rapid mode III crack propagation. The constitutive model is linear at small strains, but the stress level cannot increase beyond a critical level. Steady-state dynamic strain fields are presented, which are valid on the crack line, from the moving crack tip to the boundary with the zone of linear behavior. The large-deformation crack-line fields have been matched to appropriate small-strain elastic fields at a transition boundary between the zones of linear and nonlinear behavior, and thus to the elastodynamic stress-intensity factor of linear elastic fracture mechanics. For the constitutive model considered here, the effect of inertia removes the strain singularity at the crack tip. In addition, a first-order asymptotic field around the crack tip has been constructed. This field relates the crack-opening angle to the crack-line field, and hence to the elastodynamic stress-intensity factor. A criterion of critical total strain has been applied to obtain curves relating the small-strain elastodynamic stress-intensity factor to the crack-tip speed. The balance of rates of energies is briefly discussed in the final section.
Who should receive hepatitis A vaccine

Vaccination is recommended for overseas travelers, children, older adults, transplant recipients, patients with chronic liver disease, and others at risk.
The mitochondrial DNA replication bubble has not burst.

Abstract The isolation and physical characterization of mammalian mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) as small, closed, circular DNA was reported more than 35 years ago. The relatively simple purification of mtDNA stimulated numerous studies of its replication mechanism. The model that has emerged, called the strand-displacement model, suggests that the two strands of mtDNA are each replicated in a continuous fashion from widely separated origins, requiring extensive displacement of parental DNA strands during leading-strand synthesis. Recently, two papers have reported candidates for putative replication intermediates (using 2D-gel electrophoresis) that the authors consider to be inconsistent with the strand-displacement model of mammalian mtDNA replication. In this article, we discuss the evidence in support of the strand-displacement model for mtDNA replication and suggest alternative explanations for some of the observations that led to this re-examination.
Party Discipline in War-Time: The Downfall of the Chamberlain Government

The remarkably high level of unified party-line voting in the British House of Commons is so well known that contrasting behavior has been little studied. Analysis of deviant cases, however, is very likely to further our understanding of legislative behavior that is extraordinary by American, and even European, standards. In what circumstances does party cohesion break down in Britain? What pressures or factors work against voting solidarity? Answering such questions should help explain why the normal pattern of British legislative behavior exhibits such great unity. Despite these considerations, no one has attempted to study thoroughly the most significant deviant case of British Parliamentary voting behavior in the twentieth century-the division of 8 May 1940. The fact that Britain was at war enhances this division as a research site. When even the breath of dissent could be made to appear unpatriotic, the bonds of party unity would seem to be maximized. One of those who was a Member of Parliament at the time termed the vote, in discussing it 25 years later, "the most fateful division in parliamentary history."' For two days the Commons debated the Chamberlain Government's conduct of the Norwegian campaign. Fearful that under the circumstances a direct challenge to Chamberlain might rally even the dissident Conservatives to his defense, the Labour party leaders hesitated to demand
Remarks on a paper by W. Schwarz

Abstract The author reports on old work of his on the transcendency of functions satisfying functional equations like F(z 2 )= (1−z)F(z)−z 1−z He suggests a number of directions in which this work might possibly be extended.
Tension-free repair versus watchful waiting for men with asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic inguinal hernias: a cost-effectiveness analysis.

Background Watchful waiting (WW) has been shown to be an acceptable option in men with asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic inguinal hernias when clinical and patient-reported outcomes are considered. Although WW is likely to be less costly initially when compared with tension-free repair (TFR) because of the cost of the operation, it is not clear whether WW remains the least costly option when longer-term costs are considered. Study design We conducted a cost-effectiveness analysis of a randomized controlled trial at six community and academic centers. We examined costs, quality-adjusted life-years (QALY), and cost-effectiveness at 2 years of followup. Costs were assessed by applying Medicare reimbursement rates to patients' health-care use, which was obtained by contacting patients' health-care providers. Quality of life was assessed using the Short Form-36 version 2 health-related quality-of-life survey. Of the 724 men randomized, 641 were available for the economic analysis: 317 were randomized to TFR and 324 were randomized to watchful waiting. Results At 2 years, TFR patients had $1,831 higher mean costs than WW patients (95% CI, $409−$3,044), with 0.031 higher QALY (95% CI, 0.001−0.058). The cost per additional QALY for TFR patients was $59,065 (95% CI, $1,358−$322,765). The probability that TFR was cost-effective at the $50,000 per QALY level was 40%. Conclusion At 2 years, WW was a cost-effective treatment option for men with minimal or no hernia symptoms.
Benefits of Exercise During Pregnancy

There is a direct link between healthy mothers and healthy infants. Exercise and appropriate nutrition are important contributors to maternal physical and psychological health. The benefits and potential risks of exercise during pregnancy have gained even more attention, with a number of studies having been published after the 2002 American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists guidelines. A review of the literature was conducted by using PubMed, Scopus, and Embase to assess the literature regarding the benefits of exercise during pregnancy. The search revealed 219 publications, which the authors then narrowed to 125 publications. The purpose of this review is to briefly summarize the known benefits of exercise to the mother, fetus, and newborn.
E-017 Cerebrovascular Decision Making: Professional and Personal Preferences

Introduction It is known that physicians sometimes recommend treatment that, in a similar clinical scenario, they might not choose for themselves. We sought to understand this dynamic across cerebrovascular practice and examine how neurosurgeons value the procedures they offer. Methods We conducted an online survey sent to a large cohort of neurosurgeons in May 2013. Respondents were randomised to answer either as the surgeon or as the patient. The questions involved patients presenting with 1) an epidural hematoma (control), 2) un-ruptured anterior communicating artery aneurysm, 3) incidentally found right temporal AVM, 4) spontaneous intracranial and intraventricular haemorrhage in deep structure. Data on practice parameters and experience levels was also collected. Results We obtained 534 survey responses, 279 responding as the “neurosurgeon”, and 255 as the “patient,” with a response rate of 19.7%. Demographics amongst the two groups of survey takers was similar. There was no difference in the management of an epidural hematoma, as expected. For the unruptured aneurysm, the rates of opting for treatment was similar amongst respondees. However within the treatment group there was a trend for survey takers to more often chose coiling for themselves and clipping for patients (p = 0.056). Surgeons, however, with a greater than 30% open-cerebrovascular practice had less of a tendency to do so. For arteriovenous malformation management, there was no statistical difference between choosing treatment or conservative management. However, amongst the respondees who chose treatment, more respondees chose resection/embolization for their patient but radiosurgery for self (p = 0.001). In a case of a large spontaneous intracranial and intraventricular haemorrhage neurosurgeons were more likely to place a ventricular drain in a patient than himself or herself. Neurosurgeons in practice more than 10 years since residency were more likely to recommend against interventions for aneurysms, AVMs or intracranial haemorrhage. Conclusions In the majority of cases altering the role of the surgeon did not change the decision to pursue treatment or conservative treatment. In certain clinical scenarios, however, neurosurgeons choose treatment options for themselves that are different than what they would choose for their patients. For the management of an arteriovenous malformations, intracranial aneurysms, and hypertensive haemorrhage, responses favored less invasive interventions when the surgeon was the patient. These findings are likely a result of cognitive biases, previous training, experience, areas of expertise, and personal values. Disclosures O. Tanweer: None. T. Wilson: None. S. Kalhorn: None. J. Golfinos: None. P. Huang: None. D. Kondziolka: None.
Acetylcholine attenuates cardiomyocyte oxidant stress during simulated ischemia and reoxygenation.

We wanted to determine whether oxygen radicals open the mitochondrial ATP-dependent potassium channels (K(ATP)) during an ischemic period to reduce cell death and oxidant stress. Chick embryonic cardiomyocytes were used. Cell viability was quantified with propidium iodide (5 microM), and free radicals was measured using 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate. Preconditioning was produced by 10 min of simulated ischemia followed by 10 min of reoxygenation. Acetylcholine (1 mM), infused for 10 min instead of preconditioning, reduced cell death similarly (24 +/- 5%, n = 7 and 18 +/- 2%, n = 7, respectively, vs. controls, 49 +/- 6%, n = 8). In control series, 60 min of simulated ischemia and 3 h of reoxygenation generated free radicals more than 300% above the baseline (ischemia: 3.63 +/- 0.58, reoxygenation: 3.66 +/- 0.47, n = 8). Preconditioning and acetylcholine markedly attenuated the oxidant stress during simulated ischemia (1.18 +/- 0.41, n = 6 and 1.34 +/- 0.60, n = 7 vs. controls 3.63 +/- 0.58, n = 8) and re-oxygenation (1.23 +/- 0.36, n = 6 and 1.50 +/- 0.59, n = 7 vs. controls 3.66 +/- 0.47, n = 8). The protection of acetylcholine was abolished with pretreatment with the antioxidant thiol reductant 2-mercaptopropionyl glycine and posttreatment with 5-hydroxydecanoate, a selective mitochondrial K(ATP) channel antagonist (37 +/- 7%, n = 7). These results demonstrate that oxygen radicals open mitochondrial K(ATP) channels, which mediates the acetylcholine-induced preconditioning effect, and that stimulation of this signaling pathway attenuates oxidant stress.
Sensing the Association States of Single Biomolecules by Motion Analysis in an Electrokinetic Trap

The different association states (i.e. bound/unbound, monomer/trimer, etc⋯) of a biomolecule are crucial to its function but yet difficult to differentiate at the single-molecule level. We describe a general approach to probe a single biomolecule's association states, and the time-dependent inter-conversion between these states in solution. Our approach is based on statistical analysis of molecular motions in an electrokinetic trap. This is possible because motion parameters (i.e. diffusion coefficient and electrokinetic mobility) are directly sensitive to intrinsic molecular properties of size and charge, which are modified as a molecule undergoes a change in association states. To accurately estimate single-molecule transport coefficients in solution, we employed photon-by-photon position tracking and developed an efficient algorithm based on Bayesian graphical models to analyze the raw tracking trajectories. As experimental demonstrations, we first used the method to resolve different populations in a multi-component mixture. Each measured single molecule, based on its size and charge characteristics reflected by transport properties, can be classified to a certain population. Differences as small as between the monomeric and trimeric forms of a fluorescent protein can be resolved. Second, to highlight the unique capability to probe time-dependent changes in molecular association states, we studied the hybridization kinetics of a 10-base ssDNA with its complementary partner. Digital, two-state, anticorrelated fluctuations in the measured diffusion coefficient and electrokinetic mobility were observed that directly sensed single-molecule binding and unbinding events in real time. We quantified the rates of the hybridization reaction by hidden Markov analysis of the time-dependent transport coefficients and investigated the destabilizing effect of a single-base mismatch.
Interfacial Thermal Resistance Between a Carbon Nanoparticle and Molten Salt Eutectic: Effect of Material Properties, Particle Shapes and Sizes

The aim of this study is to estimate the interfacial thermal resistance between a carbon nano-particle and alkali molten salt eutectics using molecular dynamics simulations. Additionally the effect of particle shapes and sizes on the interfacial thermal resistance was investigated using three different shapes of the carbon nanoparticles. Transient heat transfer simulation between a carbon particle and molecules of a molten salt was performed with the lumped capacitance method. A carbonate salt eutectic which consists of lithium carbonate (Li2 CO3 ) and potassium carbonate (K2 CO3 ) in 62:38 molar ratio was used as a solvent medium for the nanoparticles. Three carbon particles of a single walled carbon nanotube (SWNT), a fullerene (C60 ), and a graphite sheet were used to represent different shapes of cylinders, a spheres, and disks, respectively. The interfacial thermal resistance was determined by a correlation with a specific heat of the carbon particle, their surface area, and the time constant of decaying particle temperature. The results show the interfacial thermal resistance values are independent of the particle size for SWNT and graphite particles. For three carbon particles with a similar particle size, similar resistances were obtained in our simulations. The purpose of this study is to design and develop novel high-temperature Thermal Energy Storage (TES) materials in order to improve the operational efficiencies for harnessing solar thermal power at cheaper costs for Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) systems.© 2011 ASME
Arithmetic Calculation, Short-Term Memory, and Language Performance in Children with Specific Language Impairment: A 5-Year Follow-Up.

A 5-year follow-up of the arithmetic calculation abilities of low-income children with specific language impairment (SLI) is reported. The performance of fourth- and fifth-grade children with SLI w...
Eupatorium rugosum (Asteraceae) flowering as an indicator of edge effect from clearcutting in mixed-mesophytic forest

Abstract We analyzed flowering of white snakeroot (Eupatorium rugosum) as an indicator of edge effect from recent silvicultural clearcutting in mixed-mesophytic forest in northcentral West Virginia. Edge effect estimated by a common, widespread, easily identified perennial herb could permit an estimate of the spatial extent of edge habitat for other understory plant species, an important consideration in forest ecosystem management. The study had two objectives: (1) to analyze flower production and reproductive stem density across existing south- and west-facing edges of similar age and forest type; and (2) to analyze flower production under controlled shading conditions designed to simulate the light environment across the forest edge. The effect of distance from clearcuts and edge aspect on flower production was examined using a two-way factorial model I analysis of variance. Flower biomass did not differ between aspects but decreased significantly with distance, indicating an effect of clearcutting on flower production in adjacent edges. Using regression, independent analyses of the number of flower heads per stem and reproductive stem density were found to decline significantly over distance from clearcuts. Slopes and y-intercepts were similar within and between south- and west-facing edges, indicating a consistent flowering response to adjacent clearcuts. In a greenhouse experiment analyzed as a Latin Square analysis of variance, flower biomass per individual did not differ between no shade ‘clearcut’ and intermediate shade ‘intermediate edge’, but flower biomass in heavy shade ‘far edge’ was significantly different from both of these treatments and in general support of the dramatic decline in flower production beyond 30 m from clearcuts. Consistency in flower production under controlled shading and consistency in flower production as a function of distance from clearcuts demonstrates that white snakeroot is a sensitive, consistent indicator of edge effect. These characteristics, in combination with the species’ widespread distribution, suggest that white snakeroot flowering might prove useful as a phytometer to assay edge effects in mixed-mesophytic forests from even-aged timber harvests, forest road corridors, wildlife openings, or other activities that create large openings in the forest canopy. This idea should be tested in these and similar types of edge environments, as well as in other eastern deciduous forest types where white snakeroot is an abundant component of the herbaceous flora.
One-on-One Spotlight with the RAS President [Student's Corner]

I asked our new IEEE Robotics & Automation Society (RAS) President Prof. Kazuhiro Kosuge a few questions so that we all can get to know him better. Prof. Kosuge was elected by the Administrative Committee (AdCom) to serve as president-elect under Prof. Bruno Siciliano, who was the president in 2008-2009, and succeeded Prof. Siciliano as president on 1 January 2010. Here are his thoughts on the students and Society.
EXPRESSION ANALYSIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ALTERNATIVELY SPLICED TRANSCRIPTS OF HUMAN IL-7Rα CHAIN ENCODING TWO TRUNCATED RECEPTOR PROTEINS IN RELAPSED CHILDHOOD ALL

Abstract In the family of cytokines and cytokine receptors, alternative splicing of pre-mRNA is a frequently observed process that generates different protein isoforms from a single genetic locus. The splicing-derived cytokine receptor protein isoforms are mostly soluble receptors or show alterations in their cytoplasmic domain. It is possible that receptor abnormalities or a pathological ratio of different isoforms may contribute to leukaemia by circumventing normal growth factor control or altering the balance of proliferation and differentiation. IL-7 plays a critical role in early stages of both B and T cell maturation. Moreover, it stimulates the expansion of mature T cells including anti-tumour reactive cells as well as a number of T and B cell malignancies underlining its potential importance for deregulated lymphoid proliferation and leukaemogenesis. Here, we present detailed data on the expression of the interleukin 7 receptor α chain (IL-7Rα) in leukaemic cells from 210 children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and describe two novel alternatively spliced transcripts of human IL-7Rα coding for truncated receptor proteins which are still capable of binding IL-7. IL-7Rα mRNA expression was more frequent in more mature pre-B ALL [91% (30/33)] than in common [81% (81/100)] or pro-B ALL [64% (18/28)], or even in T ALL [64% (29/45)]. These results are in concordance with flow cytometric analyses on the proportion of IL-7Rα bearing cells among total blast cell population. Our results lead us to assume that splicing derived IL-7Rα isoforms play a potential role in modulating IL-7 signal transduction and might be important for the pathogenesis of leukaemia.
The evolution of the thrombospondin gene family

Thrombospondin-1 is an adhesive glycoprotein that is involved in cellular attachment, spreading, migration, and proliferation. To date, four genes have been identified that encode for the members of the thrombospondin gene family. These four genes are homologous to each other in the EGF-like (type 2) repeats, the calcium-binding (type 3) motifs, and the COOH-terminal. The latter has been reported to be a cell-binding domain in thrombospondin-1. Phylogenetic trees have been constructed from the multisequence alignment of thrombospondin sequences from human, mouse, chicken, and frog. Two different algorithms generate comparable results in terms of the topology and the branch lengths. The analysis indicates that an early form of the thrombospondin gene duplicated about 925 million years ago. The gene duplication that produced the thrombospondin-1 and -2 branches of the family is predicted to have occurred 583 million years ago, whereas the gene duplication that produced the thrombospondin-3 and -4 branches of the family is predicted to have occurred 644 million years ago. These results indicate that the members of the thrombospondin gene family have existed throughout the evolution of the animal kingdom and thus probably participate in functions that are common to most of its members.
Optical Three-Dimensional Sensing For Machine Vision

A review of optical range sensing techniques for machine vision is given. Four basic categories of range sensing techniques are discussed: geometric techniques, time-of-flight techniques, interferometric techniques, and diffraction techniques. The basic principles are elucidated, and general comparisons are made between the groups. Representative examples are given of many different approaches. The challenge for optics and optical computing is to develop new range sensors that are fast and accurate and require little or no post-detection processing.
A New Cavitation-Induced-Momentum-Defect (CIMD) Correction Approach to Track Cavitation Events

A new unsteady cavitation event tracking model is developed for predicting vapor dynamics occurring in multi-dimensional incompressible flows. The procedure solves incompressible Navier-Stokes equations for the liquid phase with an additional vapor transport equation for the vapor phase. The model tracks regions of liquid vaporization and applies compressibility effects to compute the local variation in speed of sound using the Homogeneous Equilibrium Model (HEM) assumptions. The variation of local cell density as a function of local pressure is used to construct the source term in the vapor fraction transport equation. The novel Cavitation-Induced-Momentum-Defect (CIMD) correction methodology developed in this study serves to account for cavitation inception and collapse events as relevant momentum source terms in the liquid phase momentum equations. Effects of vapor phase accumulation and diffusion are incorporated by detailed relaxation models. A modified RNG K-e model, including the effects of compressibility in the vapor regions, is employed for modeling turbulence effects. Turbulent kinetic energy and dissipation contributions from the vapor regions are integrated with the liquid phase turbulence using relevant source terms. Numerical simulations are carried out using a Finite Volume methodology available within the framework of commercial CFD software code Fluent v.6.2. Simulation results are in qualitative agreement with experiments for unsteady cloud cavitation behavior in planar nozzle flows. Multitude of mechanisms such as formation of vortex cavities, vapor cluster shedding and coalescence, cavity pinch off are sharply captured by the supplemented vapor transport equation. Our results concur with previously established theories concerning sheet and cloud cavitation such as the re-entrant jet motion, cavity closure and the impact of adverse pressure gradients on cavitation dynamics.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
ALIGNMENT-TO-ALIGNMENT EDITING WITH “MOVE GAP” OPERATIONS

An alignment of k given sequences is a k-rowed matrix frequently used by molecular biologists to display correspondences between entries from each sequence. Under one approach, an alignment is represented by a matrix of ‘x’ and ’-’ characters, where each x in row r indicates the position of an entry of sequence r. It is sometimes efficient to store only the run-length encoding of each row of this bit-matrix. A natural class of commands for editing one such row into another consists of operations of the form: “Move the d dashes that begin at position i of row r to position j of that row,” for relevant values of r, d, i and j. We show that the problem of determining a shortest sequence of such operations that converts one given alignment to another is NP-hard and give a polynomial-time algorithm that always comes within a factor 5/4 of optimality. An application of these ideas to alignments of long DNA sequences is discussed.
Epidemiology of Anemia in the Elderly: Information on Diagnostic Evaluation

A rise in the aging population has been predicted, and, as a result, it is expected that the incidence of age-related health conditions will also increase. Although common in the elderly, anemia is often mild and asymptomatic and rarely requires hospitalization. However, untreated anemia can be detrimental, because it is associated with increased mortality, poor health, fatigue, and functional dependence and can lead to cardiovascular and neurological complications. Several factors have been suggested to cause anemia in this population, for example, blood loss or chronic disease. In some cases, the cause is unknown. It has been suggested that this is a result of the presence of comorbid conditions that can mask the symptoms of anemia. Therefore, appropriate diagnosis and management strategies of anemia in the elderly need to be identified, particularly because anemia may indicate the presence of other serious diseases.
Roughening and smoothing behavior of Al/Zr multilayers grown on flat and saw-tooth substrates

Diffraction gratings with high efficiency and high groove density are required for EUV and soft x-ray spectroscopy techniques (such as Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering, RIXS) designed for state-of-the-art spectral resolution and throughput. A multilayer coated blazed grating (MBG) fabricated by deposition of a multilayer on a saw-tooth substrate could address these challenges. In order to obtain high diffraction efficiency one should provide perfect triangular grooves on a substrate and perfect replication of the groove profile during the multilayer deposition. However, multilayers trend to smooth out the corrugated surface of the substrates, resulting in the main limiting factor for efficiency of ultra-dense MBGs. Understanding of the growth of multilayers on saw-tooth substrates is a key for further grating improvement. In this work we investigate growth behavior of Al/Zr multilayers on saw-tooth substrates with a groove density of 10,000 lines/mm. We apply existing growth models to describe an evolution of Power Spectral Density functions of a grating surface during the multilayer deposition, and identify a main smoothing mechanism. We found that growth of flat multilayers is well modeled with surface diffusion caused by surface curvature as a main relaxation mechanism, while growth of the multilayer on saw-tooth substrates obeys different kinetics. Limitations of the linear approach and possible model improvements by accounting for an additional component of the surface diffusion flux, caused by a gradient of adatom concentration on a corrugated surface are discussed.
In Vitro Inhibition of Stable 1,3-β-D-Glucan Synthase Activity from Neurospora

AbstractGlucan synthase activity of Neurospora crassa was isolated by treatment of protoplast lysates with 0.1 % 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)-dimethylammonio]-l-propanesulfonate and 0.5% octylglucoside in 25 mM 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-l-piperazineethanesulfonic acid buffer, pH 7.4, containing 5mM EDTA, I mM phenylmethylsulfonylfluoride, 200 mM inorganic phosphate, 10 μM GTP, 1 mM DTT, lOmM sodium fluoride, and 600 mM glycerol. Resulting activity was partially purified by sucrose gradient density sedimentation. Approximately 70% of enzyme activity in the sucrose gradient peak fraction was soluble and enzyme activity was purified 7.3-fold. Partially purified enzyme activity had a half-life of several weeks at 4°C, and a Km app of 1.66 + 0.28mM.Inhibitors (Cilofungin, papulacandin B, aculeacin A, echinocandin B, sorbose and UDP) of 1,3-β-D-glucan synthase activity were tested against crude particulate and detergent treated enzyme fractions and the Ki app of each inhibitor determined. It seems likely that this stable pr...
Effects of postharvest treatments on recovery of Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri in infected grapefruit leaves

Studies were conducted to evaluate treatments that reduce recovery of Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xcc) in infected grapefruit leaves. To investigate effects of temperature (0, 10, 40, and 50 °C), disinfectant (none or Pro-San), and treatment duration (0, 2, 10, and 20 min) on survival of Xcc in vitro, a split–split plot experimental design was utilized. Recovery of Xcc in vitro in the absence of Pro-San decreased with increasing treatment duration at 50 °C but not at temperatures <50 °C. Xcc in vitro was not detected after any treatment combination involving Pro-San. Decontamination of grapefruit leaves infected with Xcc in relation to disinfectant (none or Pro-San), temperature (0, 10, 40, 45, and 50 °C), treatment duration (0, 2, 5, 10, and 20 min), and assessment time (0, 2, 7, and 14 days post treatment [dpt]) was examined using a split–split–split plot design. Reductions in Xcc recovery generally increased with increasing treatment duration and temperature, and they were greater for treatments involving Pro-San. To examine the general trend of increased Xcc recovery with increasing dpt, nonlinear mixed regression analysis was used to fit a monomolecular model to relative Xcc recovery data. Results indicated that increases in relative Xcc recovery after 14 dpt were insignificant and unsubstantial. Treatment at 45 °C for 20 min or 50 °C for ≥5 min resulted in leaf tissue damage in some instances; in two cases, tissue damage was observed on untreated leaves 14 dpt. Experiments were conducted to investigate the relationships of tissue damage with leaf age and location of tissue damage in relation to point of inoculation. Tissue damage was observed on only the youngest, most supple leaves, and its localization did not appear to be related to naturally occurring citrus canker lesions or artificial inoculation sites. Results from these studies may be useful in formulation of future regulatory policies regarding trade of citrus foliage, especially those used as condiments.