cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Insulin-induced Activation of Atypical Protein Kinase C, but Not Protein Kinase B, Is Maintained in Diabetic (ob/ob and Goto-Kakazaki) Liver CONTRASTING INSULIN SIGNALING PATTERNS IN LIVER VERSUS MUSCLE DEFINE PHENOTYPES OF TYPE 2 DIABETIC AND HIGH FAT-INDUCED INSULIN-RESISTANT STATES

Insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes is characterized by defects in muscle glucose uptake and hepatic overproduction of both glucose and lipids. These hepatic defects are perplexing because insulin normally suppresses glucose production and increases lipid synthesis in the liver. To understand the mechanisms for these seemingly paradoxical defects, we examined the activation of atypical protein kinase C (aPKC) and protein kinase B (PKB), two key signaling factors that operate downstream of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and regulate various insulin-sensitive metabolic processes. Livers and muscles of three insulin-resistant rodent models were studied. In livers of type 2 diabetic non-obese Goto-Kakazaki rats and ob/ob-diabetic mice, the activation of PKB was impaired, whereas activation of aPKC was surprisingly maintained. In livers of non-diabetic high fatfed mice, the activation of both aPKC and PKB was maintained. In contrast to the maintenance of aPKC activation in the liver, insulin activation of aPKC was impaired in muscles of Goto-Kakazaki-diabetic rats and ob/ob-diabetic and non-diabetic high fat-fed mice. These findings suggest that, at least in these rodent models, (a) defects in aPKC activation contribute importantly to skeletal muscle insulin resistance observed in both high fat feeding and type 2 diabetes; (b) insulin signaling defects in muscle are not necessarily accompanied by similar defects in liver; (c) defects in hepatic PKB activation occur in association with, and probably contribute importantly to, the development of overt diabetes; and (d) maintenance of hepatic aPKC activation may explain the continued effectiveness of insulin for stimulating certain metabolic actions in the liver.
Effect of cardiac glycosides on human cerebrospinal-fluid production.

Abstract The effect of cardiac glycosides on cerebrospinal-fluid (C.S.F.) production has been investigated in three patients requiring ventricular drainage. Digoxin in normal doses produced as much as 78% reduction in C.S.F. Digitoxin and a carbonic-anhydrase inhibitor (acetazolamide) were also used. The proposed mechanism is blockage of the ouabain-sensitive, sodium-potassium A.T.P.ase pump system.
Functional Significance of Hemodynamic Overload–Induced Expression of Leukemia-Inhibitory Factor in the Adult Mammalian Heart

Background—Leukemia-inhibitory factor (LIF) is a member of the interleukin-6 family of cytokines that utilize gp130 as a common signaling component. In the present study, we examined the mechanisms that govern LIF expression and functional effects in the adult heart. Methods and Results—LIF mRNA and protein biosynthesis were examined in the adult feline heart after hemodynamic overloading ex vivo. Both LIF mRNA and protein expression were detected within 60 to 90 minutes after hemodynamic overloading. Studies in isolated adult cardiac myocytes showed that these cells synthesized both LIF mRNA and protein. The functional effects of LIF in the heart were demonstrated by studies that showed that LIF stimulation led to a significant increase in general protein synthesis and an increase in sarcomeric protein synthesis. Pretreatment with LIF also protected the cells against hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced cardiac myocyte apoptosis and cellular injury. Finally, LIF had no effect on isolated cardiac myocyte cell mo...
Towards a Compact and Computer-Adapted Formulation of the Dynamics and Stability of Multi Rigid Body Systems

The dynamics of rigid bodies coupled by holo- nomic and non-holonomic constraints are formulated by the Newton - Euler method - employing a compact notation. The compact notation involves the use of two three by three matrices A and B and the totality of constraint vector C. The Lagrangian and Newton - Euler methods are related for a one - link rigid body in order to introduce the methodol- ogy of the paper in full detail. Stability and control of the resulting nonlinear systems are investigated by the use of Lyapunov methods. Digital computer simulations of typical movements are carried out in order to demonstrate feasibil- ity of the formulation and the approach.
AN IMPROVED INDEX OF CENTRALITY.

Increasing interest in the application of graph theory to the behavioral sciences is evidenced by the 1963 publication of the book “Applications of Graph Theory to Group Structure” by Claude Flament. Discussed there is the meaning and limitations of the Bavelas measure of centrality. In this article, the author proposes an improvement of this centrality index for both points and graphs in order to extend its analytical utility.
Long-term disease control and toxicity outcomes following surgery and intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in pediatric craniopharyngioma

Abstract Purpose To report long-term progression-free survival (PFS) and late-toxicity outcomes in pediatric craniopharyngioma patients treated with IMRT. Patients and methods Twenty-four children were treated with IMRT to a median dose of 50.4Gy (range, 49.8–54Gy). The clinical target volume (CTV) was the gross tumor volume (GTV) with a 1cm margin. The planning target volume (PTV) was the CTV with a 3–5mm margin. Median follow-up was 107.3months. Results The 5- and 10-year PFS rates were 65.8% and 60.7%. The 5- and 10-year cystic PFS rates were 70.2% and 65.2% while the 5- and 10-year solid PFS were the same at 90.7%. Endocrinopathy was seen in 42% at initial diagnosis and in 74% after surgical intervention, prior to IMRT. Hypothalamic dysfunction and visual deficits were associated with increasing PTV and number of surgical interventions. Conclusions IMRT is a viable treatment option for pediatric craniopharyngioma. Despite the use of IMRT, majority of the craniopharyngioma patients experienced long-term toxicity, many of which present prior to radiotherapy. Limitations of retrospective analyses on small patient cohort elicit the need for a prospective multi-institutional study to determine the absolute benefit of IMRT in pediatric craniopharyngioma.
Optimal design of multicomponent VOC condensation systems

Abstract The objective of this work is to address the problem of optimally selecting and designing condensation systems for the recovery of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from gaseous emissions. In a typical VOC condensation system, numerous refrigerants may be technically feasible for achieving the desired VOC recovery. The task of selecting the most economical refrigeration system is a challenging one. All potentially appli- cable refrigerants ought to be simultaneously screened so as to select the best separation system. Such an optimal system may be a hybrid process which includes more than one refrigeration unit. This paper presents a systematic design technique for optimizing the selection of refrigeration systems for gaseous emissions with multiple VOCs. The technique developed involves a three-stage targeting approach. The first stage identifies a VOC condensation network which possesses the minimum annual operating cost. The second stage involves the minimization of the fixed cost of the refrigeration units so as to achieve the minimum operation cost determined in stage one. Stage three entails the determination of the final refrigeration network, whereby tradeoffs between operating and fixed costs are considered. A case study covering the recovery of multiple VOCs from the gaseous emission of a magnetic tape manufacturing plant will be solved using the design methodology.
THE MONETARY AGGREGATES AND THE VELOCITY OF MONEY

The relationship between a new measure of money, called the Rational Transactional Aggregate (RTA), and economic activity was investigated using annual and quarterly data in selected macroeconomic models from 1973–1990. For prediction purposes, the money demand function including RTA which used lagged output changes and lagged interest rates showed the most promise.
A Novel Riemannian Metric for Analyzing HARDI Data

We propose a novel Riemannian framework for analyzing orientation distribution functions (ODFs) in HARDI data sets, for use in comparing, interpolating, averaging, and denoising ODFs. A recently used Fisher-Rao metric does not provide physically feasible solutions, and we suggest a modification that removes orientations from ODFs and treats them as separate variables. This way a comparison of any two ODFs is based on separate comparisons of their shapes and orientations. Furthermore, this provides an explicit orientation at each voxel for use in tractography. We demonstrate these ideas by computing geodesics between ODFs and Karcher means of ODFs, for both the original Fisher-Rao and the proposed framework.
The Effect of Dent Size on the Pressure Distribution and Failure Location in Dry Point Frictionless Rolling Contacts

Finite element simulation is performed for rolling contact over four different size spherical dents. Two rolling contacts are simulated using a portion of a sphere as a counter-face to the dented half-space. The effect of dent size on the pressure distribution and fatigue failure location for dry point contact is studied. The material model used was adjusted to match both the stress amplitude versus strain range curve and ratchetting experimental data for 52100 bearing steel.
Computation of Three Dimentional Flows about aircraft configurations

Abstract The object of this paper is to describe an accurate and efficient numerical procedure to compute the supersonic inviscid flow field about complicated three-dimentional aircraft configurations and to demonstrate how the technique works in a practical case. A two level second order marching scheme is used to integrate Euler's equations in regions where the flow is continuous. Shocks are, however, treated explicitly as descontinuities satisfying the Renkine-Hugoniot equations. Use is made of conformal mappings in order to provide proper resolution in critical areas. Results are presented for several three-dimentional flow field computations including a complete aircraft and the results are compared with experiments.
Laser-induced fluorescence measurements of flow velocity in high-power arcjet thruster plumes

The flow velocity of atomic hydrogen in the plume of an ammonia-propelled arcjet thruster was measured using laser-induced fluorescence (LIF). The velocity was obtained by the Doppler shift of the absorption peak of the Balmer α spectral line. Measurements were made at the nozzle exit, varying the distance from the plume centerline. Results are presented for arcjet operating conditions 13, 20, and 27 kW with a mass flow of 0.31 g/s
Recursive design of a holographic focusing grating coupler

A method for designing and recording a holographic optical element that is used as a waveguide focusing grating coupler is presented. It is based on recording the holographic coupler with two predistorted wave fronts, derived from interim holograms, whose readout and recording geometries are different. The corrected holographic coupler has almost aberration-free performance even for couplers with very small f/numbers or with large wavelength shift between recording and readout.
Measurement of Fenestration Net Energy Performance: Considerations Leading to Development of the Mobile Window Thermal Test (MoWitt) Facility

The authors present a detailed consideration of the energy flows entering a building space and the effect of random measurement errors on determining fenestration performance. Estimates of error magnitudes are made for a passive test cell; they show that a more accurate test facility is needed for reliable measurements on fenestration systems with thermal resistance 2-10 times that of single glazing or with shading coefficients less than 0.7. A test facility of this type, built at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, is described. The effect of random errors in this facility is discussed and computer calculations of its performance are presented. The discussion shows that, for any measurement facility, random errors are most serious in nighttime measurements, and systematic errors are most important in daytime measurements. It is concluded that, for this facility, errors from both sources should be small.
The effect on acidity of size and shape of carboxylated single-wall carbon nanotubes. A DFT-SLDB study

Abstract Density functional theory (DFT) is applied to estimate the gas-phase acidity of several carboxylated SWCNTs, with varying lengths and diameters of the zigzag and armchair tubes. The efficient same level different basis set (SLDB) protocol is used. Deprotonation energy of the open-ended molecular model of NT-COOHs indicates more acidic nature of zigzag-COOH than armchair-COOH. Effect of lengths and diameters on the acidity and stability of acids are discussed. Vibrational analyses reveal differences in carboxylic band (νC O) in the two forms of acid. The effects of solvents on the acidity and stability are evaluated and discussed.
Ghosts, meaning, and faith: after-death communications in bereavement narratives.

After-death communications (ADCs) are reported encounters with a deceased loved one, a contemporary type of ghost experience heralded as therapeutic in coping with bereavement. Pertinent literature generally illustrates the healing power of ADCs with brief, self-contained episodes. The functions of ADCs over the course of grief need exploration. To that end, this article analyzes 20 published book-length autobiographical stories of bereavement in which authors report ADCs. Two functional patterns are identified—instantaneous relief from painful grief symptoms and reinforcement of a consoling religious worldview. The second dynamic links ADCs to meaning-making and religious coping within Christian and Spiritualist frameworks.
Iliac artery evaluation with two-dimensional time-of-flight MR angiography: Update

Purpose To determine the accuracy of two-dimensional (2D) time-of-flight (TOF) magnetic resonance (MR) angiography, performed with state-of-the-art equipment, in the evaluation of the iliac arteries. Materials and Methods The iliac arteries of 50 patients undergoing conventional arteriography for evaluation of lower-extremity ischemia or abdominal aortic aneurysm were also imaged with axial 2D TOF MR angiography. Blinded interpretations of conventional arteriograms and MR angiograms were compared. MR angiography was performed with a 1.5-T system with 2-mm contiguous axial sections, 60° flip angle, 28-msec repetition time, and 7.4-msec echo time. Results Blinded interpretations of 2D TOF MR angiograms matched those of conventional arteriograms in 26 of 50 patients (52%). For the diagnosis of obstructive iliac artery lesions, sensitivity and specificity with MR angiography were 85% and 59%, respectively. Two of three saccular iliac artery aneurysms escaped detection with MR angiography. Conclusion Iliac artery evaluation with axial 2D TOF MR angiography is not sufficiently accurate to warrant its use as a replacement for conventional arteriography in patients who lack contraindications to the latter.
Signal characteristics of spontaneous facial expressions: automatic movement in solitary and social smiles

The assumption that the smile is an evolved facial display suggests that there may be universal features of smiling in addition to the basic facial configuration. We show that smiles include not only a stable configuration of features, but also temporally consistent movement patterns. In spontaneous smiles from two social contexts, duration of lip corner movement during the onset phase was independent of social context and the presence of other facial movements, including dampening. These additional movements produced variation in both peak and offset duration. Both onsets and offsets had dynamic properties similar to automatically controlled movements, with a consistent relation between maximum velocity and amplitude of lip corner movement in smiles from two distinct contexts. Despite the effects of individual and social factors on facial expression timing overall, consistency in onset and offset phases suggests that portions of the smile display are relatively stereotyped and may be automatically produced.
Heat of reaction measurements of sodium borohydride alcoholysis and hydrolysis

Abstract On-board hydrogen storage has been identified as one of the most challenging technical barriers to the possible transition from gasoline to hydrogen powered vehicles. One common developmental system uses sodium borohydride and water to generate hydrogen. The system offers many advantages over other types of storage methods such as compressed hydrogen, liquid hydrogen and metal hydrides. However, previous reports on the heat of reaction of sodium borohydride hydrolysis are inconsistent. As a result, calorimetry measurements have been conducted to clarify this issue. The heat of reaction of sodium borohydride hydrolysis was measured to be - 210 ± 11 kJ / mol (exothermic). Furthermore, a recently filed patent indicates that sodium borohydride alcoholysis using ethylene glycol may offer some advantages over the aqueous system in terms of regeneration and low temperature operation. The heat of reaction of sodium borohydride with ethylene glycol was measured to be - 227 ± 8 kJ / mol (exothermic).
Gametogenic cycle of the Japanese abalone (ezoawabi), Haliotis discus hannai, during conditioning with effective accumulative temperature

Abstract Adult Japanese abalone (ezoawabi), Haliotis discus hannai , were reared under constant conditions to induced gonad maturation (conditioning) with effective accumulative temperature (EAT) [EAT = Σ( T i −7.6°C)]. The gonad development showed a progression from ‘early active’ to ‘ripeness’ by the end of the experiment. The gonad histology showed that individuals in the population were undergoing normal gonad development. The gonads had increasing numbers of gametes and the gametes were of more advanced developmental stages as the EAT increased during the experiment. Gametogenesis was initiated with onset of EAT and continued until 600°C-days. The period between 600°C and 900°C-days was the end of gametogenesis and the start of vitellogenesis in the ovary. The mean oocyte volume rapidly increased after 900°C-days until it reached a maximum at 1500°C-days. All individuals in the population were ripe and ready to spawn at an EAT of 1500°C-days. The ripe individuals were easily induced to spawn, and the spawned gametes were viable and fully mature.
Cross-characteristic representations of Sp6(2a) and their restrictions to proper subgroups

Abstract We classify all pairs ( V , H ) , where H is a proper subgroup of G = S p 6 ( q ) , q even, and V is an l -modular representation of G for l ≠ 2 which is absolutely irreducible as a representation of H . This problem is motivated by the Aschbacher–Scott program on classifying maximal subgroups of finite classical groups.
Asian management research needs broader initiatives and focused incentives

Meyer (2006) has offered an interesting array of initiatives that scholars in Asia can pursue in enhancing their contribution to the body of management knowledge. While the objective of his agenda seems timely and relevant, it raises some fundamental questions that encompass issues such as the scope of research questions that Asian researchers could pursue, the debate over rigor versus relevance, and the role of established top tier journals in furthering the Asian management research agenda. This paper discusses some of these issues in the spirit of fostering a continued dialog on the important questions that Meyer raises.
Who is Muqtada al-Sadr?

Though the United States-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003 aimed to rapidly topple authoritarian leader Saddam Hussein via decisive victory, the unintended consequences of this historical event resulted in full-fledged sectarian warfare. Emerging out of this incident, the captivating populist figure Muqtada al-Sadr moved promptly to capture the spotlight for the Iraqi Shi'a. Muqtada al-Sadr's personal militia ultimately consolidated power under the designation Jaysh al-Mahdi with the sole objective of pushing Coalition Forces out of their cherished homeland. Despite its revolutionary disposition and use of violent tactics in the interim, Jaysh al-Mahdi is indeed a mere tool of Muqtada al-Sadr's strategic objectives, one that can be characterized as an Islamic activist movement striving to restore order to Iraq. After the Iraq invasion, Muqtada al-Sadr likely recognized the unfolding situation as the ideal opportunity to assume authority, in a lack thereof, in order to pursue his family's political goals ...
Clinical differences between idiopathic and scleroderma-related pulmonary hypertension

Objective. Pulmonary arterial hypertension related to scleroderma (PAH-Scl) is associated with high morbidity and mortality as well as poorer response to therapy and worse outcomes compared with the idiopathic form of PAH (IPAH). Scleroderma is an autoimmune disease that can affect left and right heart function directly through inflammation and fibrosis and indirectly through systemic and pulmonary hypertension. This study tested the hypothesis that an increased prevalence of left heart disease might explain the higher mortality in patients with PAH-Scl compared with patients with IPAH. Methods. The study was designed as a retrospective cohort study comparing the baseline clinical data from 91 consecutive patients (41 with IPAH and 50 with PAH-Scl). Cox proportional hazards models were used to predict the effect of clinical covariates on patient survival. Results. Patients with PAH-Scl had a lower mean pulmonary artery pressure (46.6 mm Hg versus 54.4 mm Hg in patients with IPAH; P 0.002) despite similar levels of cardiac dysfunction (cardiac index 2.2 and 2.1 liters/minute/m 2 , respectively; P 0.19). Echocardiography revealed similar degrees of right ventricular dysfunction in the 2 groups, whereas a predominance of left heart dysfunction was observed in patients with PAH-Scl. One- and three-year survival estimates were 87.8% and 48.9%, respectively, in patients with PAH-Scl and 95.1% and 83.6%, respectively, in those with IPAH. Patients with PAH-Scl were 3.06 times more likely to die than were patients with IPAH, after controlling for the presence of pericardial effusion; there was no significant change in increased risk of death in PAH-Scl after controlling for left heart disease. Conclusion. The results confirm that there are significant clinical and survival differences between IPAH and PAH-Scl. The presence of left heart disease, although more common in PAH-Scl, was not predictive of the higher mortality in these patients.
Dicentric chromosome frequency analysis using slit-scan flow cytometry.

Slit-scan flow cytometry (SSFCM) was used to quantify the frequency of dicentric chromosomes in human lymphoblastoid cells following γ irradiation. In this study, cultured human cells were irradiated with 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 Gy of 0.66 MeV γ-rays, cultured for an additional 11 h, and treated for 5 h with colcemid. Chromosomes were then isolated, stained with propidium iodide, and analyzed using SSFCM for total fluorescence and slit-scan profile. The frequency of chromosomes having DNA contents greater than once and less than twice the DNA content of the number 1 chromosome and producing trimodal profiles was determined at each dose. This frequency was used as an estimate of the relative dicentric chromosome frequency at that dose. The estimated dicentric chromosome frequency per cell, f(D), increased with dose, D, in a linear-quadratic manner according to the relation
Catalytic and Electrocatalytic Methane Oxidation with Solid Gxide Membranes

Abstract Natural gas is an inexpensive, abundant natural resource of which about 90% is methane [1]. Methane is a raw material of great synthetic importance. Nevertheless, methane is primarily used only as fuel from which CO2 and H2O are the combustion products. Total proven natural gas reserves and resources are over 1,500 trillion cubic feet, enough to last 75 years at the present rate of consumption (21. Recently, there has been a glut in natural gas, to which the response has been to conserve gas by capping wells. Furthermore, there is enough geopressured gas in the southern United States to possibly last a thousand years [2].
Beak Trimming Benefits Vary Among Egg-Strain Pullets of Different Genetic Stocks,

Abstract The current study examined the effects of three beak treatments and three genetic stocks of White Leghorn pullets on part-year egg production and losses from cannibalistic pecking. Special attention was directed towards the consistency of beak treatment effects over genetic stock. Both beak treatment and genetic stock influenced losses from cannibalistic pecking, and beak treatment by genetic stock interactions were found for several traits. When beaks were intact, two stocks had relatively minor incidences of cannibalism but the third had heavy losses; mean percentages of pullets lost were .7, 2.8, and 18.1, respectively. When beak trimming was carried out once or twice during the rearing period, death losses to 44 wk were so infrequent among all stocks that chi-square analyses were not justified. Inconsistent effects of beak treatment on egg production traits were detected among the three stocks. One stock was not influenced by beak treatment, another benefited somewhat erratically, and the third stock benefited substantially in terms of hen-housed production.
Amine adducts of tert-butylthiolate gallium hydrides—synthetic and X-ray crystallographic studies

Abstract Amine adducts of tert-butylthiolate gallium hydrides were synthesized for possible use as precursors to gallium sulfide films. Reactions of GaH3L (L=NMe3 or quinuclidine) with 1 or 2 equiv. of t-BuSH and GaH3−xClx(quin) with 1 or 2 equiv. of LiS-t-Bu produced mixtures of products. The complexes GaH(St-Bu)2(NMe3) and GaH2(St-Bu)(quin) were isolated as crystalline solids from the product mixtures and both were characterized by X-ray crystallography. In the solid state, GaH(St-Bu)2(NMe3) is best described as having a trigonal pyramidal geometry. The complexes Ga(St-Bu)3L (L=NMe3 or quinuclidine) were synthesized from GaH3L and a slight excess of t-BuSH.
The influences of sequenced instructional strategy and locus of control on preservice elementary teachers' understanding of the nature of science

The intent of this study was to investigate the influence of both locus of control as well as three instructional strategies, which differed in their respective emphases on science content, teaching methods, and process science, to foster an understanding of the nature of science. Data were collected from 135 elementary preservice teachers enrolled in science teaching methods courses at the endpoint of three sequences: (a) introductory process instruction with three subsequent semesters of integrated science content and teaching methods, (b) process instruction with separate subsequent content and teaching methods, and (c) only science content with subsequent teaching methods. Statistical procedures included ANOVA, regression, and correlation. Results revealed that the nature of science was most predictable for a separate process/content/teaching methods strategy. Major conclusions were (1) logical thinking ability was the most influential predictor of understanding the nature of science and (2) separate rather than integrated experiences in content and teaching methods were superior in developing an understanding of the nature of science. Implications for preservice elementary teacher preparation are discussed.
Magnetic Ordering (Tc = 90 K) Observed for Layered [FeII(TCNE•-)(NCMe)2]+[FeIIICl4]- (TCNE = Tetracyanoethylene)

[Fe(TCNE)(NCMe)2][FeCl4] is isolated from the reaction of TCNE and FeCl2(NCMe)2 and orders as a ferrimagnet below 90 K and is the initial member of a new class of magnets. It is the first metal−TCNE magnet with direct bonding between metal ion and [TCNE]•- whose structure has been determined, and it possesses a novel planar μ4-[TCNE]•- spin coupling unit bonded to four FeII's, with an axial pair of MeCNs. The [FeIIICl4]- anion occupies sites between the [FeII(TCNE•-)(NCMe)2]+ layers. [Fe(TCNE)(NCMe)2][FeCl4] has a coercive field of 1730 Oe and a remnant magnetization of 7500 emuK/mol at 50 K.
On the Crystal Structure, Metal Atom Site Preferences and Magnetic Properties of Nd5–xErxTt4 (Tt = Si or Ge)

A crystallographic study of the Nd/Er site preferences in the Nd5–xErxTt4 (Tt = Si, Ge) series prepared by high-temperature methods is presented. For Nd5–xErxSi4, phases with x ≤ 1.0 adopt the tetragonal Zr5Si4-type structure. On the other hand, phases in the composition range of 2.0 ≤ x ≤ 5.0 exhibits the Gd5Si4-type structure. For all silicides, all silicon atoms belong to Si–Si dimers. In the Nd5–xErxGe4 system, phases with x < 3.2 and x = 4.0 adopt the orthorhombic Sm5Ge4-type structure. For the composition range of 3.2 ≤ x ≤ 4.0, a monoclinic U2Mo3Si4-type structure (space group P21/c) occurs as the majority phase. This monoclinic structure, until recently, was not reported for similar RE5T4 systems, and differs from the known monoclinic Gd5Si2Ge2-type (space group P21/a) because all Ge···Ge contacts between slabs are equivalent. The structural relationships between the Zr5Si4-type, Gd5Si4-type, Sm5Ge4-type, and U2Mo3Si4-type structures are discussed. Single crystal refinements of the metal atom occupancies for the three different metal sites in the asymmetric unit of all structure types reveal a partially ordered nonstatistical arrangement of neodymium and erbium atoms. The magnetic properties of some Nd5–xErxGe4 phases are also reported. Nd4ErGe4 shows an antiferromagnetic-type transition similar to Gd5Ge4. As the erbium concentration increases (2 ≤ x ≤ 4), these phases exhibit, at least, ferrimagnetic-type ordering.
Fine mapping of autistic disorder to chromosome 15q11-q13 by use of phenotypic subtypes

Autistic disorder (AutD) is a complex genetic disease. Available evidence suggests that several genes contribute to the underlying genetic risk for the development of AutD. However, both etiologic heterogeneity and genetic heterogeneity confound the discovery of AutD-susceptibility genes. Chromosome 15q11-q13 has been identified as a strong candidate region on the basis of both the frequent occurrence of chromosomal abnormalities in that region and numerous suggestive linkage and association findings. Ordered-subset analysis (OSA) is a novel statistical method to identify a homogeneous subset of families that contribute to overall linkage at a given chromosomal location and thus to potentially help in the fine mapping and localization of the susceptibility gene within a chromosomal area. For the present analysis, a factor that represents insistence on sameness (IS)—derived from a principal-component factor analysis using data on 221 patients with AutD from the repetitive behaviors/stereotyped patterns domain in the Autism Diagnostic Interview–Revised—was used as a covariate in OSA. Analysis of families sharing high scores on the IS factor increased linkage evidence for the 15q11-q13 region, at the GABRB3 locus, from a LOD score of 1.45 to a LOD score of 4.71. These results narrow our region of interest on chromosome 15 to an area surrounding the γ-aminobutyric acid–receptor subunit genes, in AutD, and support the hypothesis that the analysis of phenotypic homogeneous subtypes may be a powerful tool for the mapping of disease-susceptibility genes in complex traits.
The significance of postmortem coronary arterial perfusion studies

Abstract Marked alterations of flow through the perfused coronary circulation of human and dog hearts obtained at autopsy were observed and found to be dependent upon the duration of the postmortem period. After death, the total coronary flow decreases with the passage of time, the coronary sinus return declines, and there is a pronounced increase in heart weight as a result of the perfusion. These changes are similar in both the human and dog heart and are gradual and progressive. Data on flow in the coronary circulation obtained from the isolated-perfused heart obtained at postmortem examination may be quite different from flow characteristics present in the normal dog or man and should be interpreted with caution.
Pericardial changes and left ventricular function in ankylosing spondylitis

Support also comes from the observations of Lie et al.,? who reported that 78.6% of saphenous vein grafts from hyperlipemic patients (as opposed to 11.5% from normolipemic subjects) showed atherosclerosis at 13 to 75 months post CABG. As in other individuals with hyperlipidemia, our patient developed severe atherosclerotic disease of the coronary arteries and aorta at a young age. The same atherosclerotic predisposition affected his saphenous vein grafts. We conclude from the foregoing that the majority of saphenous vein aneurysms developing after CABG are atherosclerotic in nature’ and’ occur in those individuals who have underlying hyperlipoproteinemia and who have survived for 5 years’or more after CABG. In patients who develop aneurysms within 6 months, other factors may be operative.
Autocatalytic oxidation of hemoglobin induced by nitrite: Activation and chemical inhibition

The nitrite ion is a direct causative agent for methemoglobinemia. Oxidation of hemoglobin to methemoglobin under aerobic conditions is induced by nitrite, catalyzed by methemoglobin in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, and inhibited by chemical reagents ranging from cysteine and ascorbic acid to sulfite. The stoichiometry of nitrate production is dependent on the initial [NO2-]/[HbO2] ratio, but reaches a limiting value of 1:1 [NO3-]: [Hb+] when [NO2-]/[HbO2] greater than 8. Ascorbic acid is an exceptionally effective inhibitor for the autocatalytic oxidation, but its use does not affect the stoichiometry of nitrate formation. Sulfite reduces nitrate production to a level that is half that observed in its absence. These chemical inhibitors act upon the rapid autocatalytic stage for hemoglobin oxidation, but they do not influence the slow direct oxidation of hemoglobin by nitrite. The autocatalytic stage for hemoglobin oxidation results from nitrogen dioxide formed from nitrite through the peroxidase activity of methemoglobin. Peroxide and methemoglobin are formed during the initiation stage by electron transfer from nitrite that is kinetically first order in oxyhemoglobin and in nitrite.
Self-dual Yang-Mills Chern-Simons Higgs systems with an N=3 extended supersymmetry.

Using the technique of dimensional reduction, we construct and study [ital N]=3 supersymmetric Maxwell Chern-Simons Higgs and Yang-Mills Chern-Simons Higgs models. By taking various limits of both theories, we also obtain a host of related reduced ones. Among them is the Yang-Mills Higgs theory whose supersymmetry turns out to be [ital N]=4, or even [ital N]=8 with certain matter multiplets. There is also a pure [ital N]=3 Yang-Mills Chern-Simons theory with an explicit O(3) symmetry. This completes the search for maximally supersymmetric theories with one gauge field and no gravity in 2+1 dimensions.
Hydrodynamic Lubrication during Non-Sinusoidal Oscillation for a Continuous Casting Mould

A hydrodynamic lubrication model of a flux channel was established for a continuous casting mould with non-sinusoidal oscillation. A new experimental apparatus was developed simultaneously for analysing the lubrication mechanism. A mixed oil, which was simulated mould flux, was poured and infiltrated into the channel, and the flux consumption was determined in the process of oscillation. Based on the combination of analytical calculation and cold model experiment, the flux channel is divided into two parts to clarify the behaviours of flux infiltration and shell deformation. The results show that oscillation marks and surface cracks are formed at the bottom of the meniscus during the negative and positive strip time respectively. Meanwhile, the liquid flux is periodically infiltrated into the channel by negative pressure below the meniscus because the cyclic movement of the shell lags behind the mould oscillation. The casting performances were improved by increasing the non-sinusoidal oscillation factor.
An empirical analysis of value function-based and policy search reinforcement learning

In several agent-oriented scenarios in the real world, an autonomous agent that is situated in an unknown environment must learn through a process of trial and error to take actions that result in long-term benefit. Reinforcement Learning (or sequential decision making) is a paradigm well-suited to this requirement. Value function-based methods and policy search methods are contrasting approaches to solve reinforcement learning tasks. While both classes of methods benefit from independent theoretical analyses, these often fail to extend to the practical situations in which the methods are deployed. We conduct an empirical study to examine the strengths and weaknesses of these approaches by introducing a suite of test domains that can be varied for problem size, stochasticity, function approximation, and partial observability. Our results indicate clear patterns in the domain characteristics for which each class of methods excels. We investigate whether their strengths can be combined, and develop an approach to achieve that purpose. The effectiveness of this approach is also demonstrated on the challenging benchmark task of robot soccer Keepaway. We highlight several lines of inquiry that emanate from this study.
Energy, exergy and thermoeconomic analysis of the effects of fossil-fuel superheating in nuclear power plants

Starting with information from Indian Point 1, a full size nuclear plant with fossil-fuel superheat which was built and operated, this paper examines the effect of superheat on both energy and exergy performance, as well as on the thermoeconomics of such plants. The study finds that adding superheat to the nearly saturated steam generated by water-cooled nuclear reactors increases the amount of power generated by at least 70%, the plant efficiency by at least 16%, the plant effectiveness by at least 6%, and reduces the cost of generated electricity by at least 32%. These costs are competitive with fossil-fuel plant generated electricity. These features make fossil-fuel superheat of nuclear power plants interesting both for new plants and for retrofit of existing nuclear plants. Hardware failures which were experienced during the operation of the Indian Point 1 plant appear to be easily avoidable. The superheater accounts for the major portion of exergy destruction in the system excluding the reactor, with the extraction turbine taking second place, and it appears that optimization of their combination will lead to even better system performance.
Ziria: language for rapid prototyping of wireless PHY

Software-defined radios (SDR) have the potential to bring major innovation in wireless networking design. However, their impact so far has been limited due to complex programming tools. Most of the existing tools are either too slow to achieve the full line speeds of contemporary wireless PHYs or are too complex to master. In this demo we present our novel SDR programming environment called Ziria. Ziria consists of a novel programming language and an optimizing compiler. The compiler is able to synthesize very efficient SDR code from high-level PHY descriptions written in Ziria language. To illustrate its potential, we present the design of an LTE-like PHY layer in Ziria. We run it on the Sora SDR platform and demonstrate on a test-bed that it is able to operate in real-time.
Owner/Manager characteristics, organisational characteristics and IT adoption in Small and Medium Enterprises

This article investigates antecedents to the adoption of Information Technology (IT) in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The necessity and importance of IT in supporting the smaller business has generally been recognised; however, the extent of IT adoption seems not to be proportional to this recognition. This article contributes to the body of knowledge in this area by investigating the effect of genuine owner/manager demographic characteristics and the characteristics of their organisations on the adoption of IT. The major findings of the research are that gender, education, firm age and firm size are significant predictors of IT adoption. Owner experience, however, is not related to IT adoption in this study.
Hardware-dependent software synthesis for many-core embedded systems

This paper presents synthesis of Hardware Dependent Software (HdS) for multicore and many-core designs using Embedded System Environment (ESE). ESE is a tool set, developed at UC Irvine, for transaction level design of multicore embedded systems. HdS synthesis is a key component of ESE backend design flow. We follow a design process that starts with an application model consisting of C processes communicating via abstract message passing channels. The application model is mapped to a platform net-list of SW and HW cores, buses and buffers. A high speed transaction level model (TLM) is generated to validate abstract communication between processes mapped to different cores. The TLM is further refined into a Pin-Cycle Accurate Model (PCAM) for board implementation. The PCAM includes C code for all the HdS layers including routing, packeting, synchronization and bus transfer. The generated HdS methods provide a library of application level services to the C processes on individual SW cores. Therefore, the application developer does not need to write low level HdS for board implementation. Synthesis results for an multi-core MP3 decoder design, using ESE, show that the HdS is generated in order of seconds, compared to hours of manual coding. The quality of synthesized code is comparable to manually written code in terms of performance and code size.
Basic Approach to Managing Hyperglycemia for the Nonendocrinologist

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus is growing rapidly worldwide. Reducing the complications of diabetes requires aggressive management of multiple risk factors, including elevated blood pressure, abnormal plasma lipid levels, and elevated plasma glucose. Fortunately, numerous agents are available to control these risk factors. This review discusses the therapeutic options in managing hyperglycemia, including lifestyle, oral agents, and insulin.
Response to Letter Regarding Article, “Drug-Eluting Stents in Animals and Patients: Where Do We Stand Today?”

In their letter regarding my editorial1, Drs Virmani, Wilson, and Finn highlight the parallels between inflammation in pig coronary arteries treated with sirolimus-eluting stents and human coronary arteries in which thrombosis has occurred in relation to the same stent platform. Clearly, inflammation may occur in some human arteries treated with sirolimus-eluting stents. In cases where inflammation is severe, perhaps due to a rare hypersensitivity reaction, the treated …
Nonoscillation and integral inequalities

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses nonoscillation and integral inequalities. The chapter presents an assumption involving a system dy/dt = A(t) y where A = (a jk ) n 1 is an n × n real valued matrix and y = (y 1 , …, y n ) is an n column real valued vector. The variable t varies on a domain D where D⊂R 1 if t is real and D ⊂ R 2 if t is complex. This system of equation is called nonoscillatory if the homogenous system has a unique solution for the initial value problem.
The Response of Thurber’s Needlegrass to Fall Prescribed Burning

Thurber’s needlegrass (Achnatherum thurberianum [Piper] Barkworth) is an important component of many sagebrush communities in the Intermountain West. Prescribed fall burning is often implemented in sagebrush plant communities to mimic historic wildfires, improve wildlife habitat, and increase livestock forage production. Burning is used because it shifts dominance from sagebrush to herbaceous vegetation. The effects of prescribed fall burning on Thurber’s needlegrass are largely unexplored. The purpose of this study was to determine the response of Thurber’s needlegrass to prescribed fall burning. A randomized block design was used, and each block consisted of a fall burned and unburned (control) Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata subsp. wyomingensis [Beetle & A. Young] S. L. Welsh)–bunchgrass communities. Response variables measured in the first and second years after burns were Thurber’s needlegrass community foliar cover and density, vegetative and reproductive biomass, photosynthetic rates, tissue carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) content, and N ( 15 N: 14 N) and C ( 13 C: 12 C) isotope ratios. Density of Thurber’s needlegrass in both postburn years and cover in the second postburn year were not different between treatments (P . 0.05), but cover was less in the burned than control treatment in the first postburn year (P 5 0.008). Carbon isotope ratios in Thurber’s needlegrass differed between the burn (225.9 6 0.1 SE) and control (226.3 6 0.1 SE) treatments in the first postburn year (P 5 0.019). Nitrogen isotope ratios indicated nitrogen was more available in the burned than control treatment in both years (P , 0.05). Photosynthetic rates of Thurber’s needlegrass were also generally greater in the burned than control treatment (P 5 0.045). Our results suggest burning altered the availability of resources to Thurber’s needlegrass plants. Our results also suggest that prescribed fall burning is not detrimental to Thurber’s needlegrass and, thus, can be used as a method to shift dominance from sagebrush to herbaceous vegetation.
Can Agility be Introduced into Requirements Engineering for COTS Component Based Development

The Rational Unified Process is a popular software development process framework that can be tailored to meet the needs of different kinds of projects (large, small, component development, component based application development, etc.). This position paper presents an overview of a comprehensive RUP based process for developing COTS based systems and poses a set of questions that need to be considered to introduce agility into the process from a requirements engineering perspective.
Playing for Identity and Independence: The Issue of Palestinian Statehood and the Role of FIFA

While the United Nations has 193 members, FIFA has 208 members. One reason for the disparity in these figures is that FIFA allows some regions with special political circumstances, such as Palestine, to play alongside other de jure recognized states in the world. This essay examines the role of international football in providing the Palestinians the chance to participate with other countries in two ways. First, this essay examines the opportunity that Palestine has to participate in major cup tournaments. Although their on-field success has been limited, the presence of a Palestinian national team allows to compete and participate like any other country and this has helped retain a sense of national identity. Secondly, football, especially at the youth level, also provides a mechanism for peaceful interaction, which could potentially help to build bridges between the Palestinian and Jewish communities and to resolve the ongoing Middle East crisis.
Control of Plastic Shrinkage Cracking of Concrete with Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Grids

Five different configurations of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) grids were tested for the control of plastic shrinkage cracking of concrete using carbon FRP rods with two different spacings, two configurations of conventional steel wire meshes, and fiber reinforced concrete with two different fiber volume fractions. The experimental program followed the standard acceptance criteria test method for concrete with synthetic fibers. Test results showed that carbon FRP grids meet or exceed the acceptance criteria of minimum 40% reduction in shrinkage cracking of concrete. Introducing a crack reduction efficiency factor as the ratio of crack reduction to the equivalent area of steel reinforcement, carbon grids proved to be the most efficient type of reinforcement tested in this study.