cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Post-myocardial infarction exercise training beneficially regulates thyroid hormone receptor isoforms

Thyroid hormone receptors (TRs) play a critical role in the expression of genes that are major determinants of myocardial contractility, including α-myosin heavy chain (α-MHC) and β-MHC. After myocardial infarction (MI), changes in myocardial TRs consistently correlate with changes in thyroid hormone (TH) target gene transcription, and this is thought to play a key role in the progression to end-stage heart failure. Interestingly, post-MI exercise training has been shown to beneficially alter TH-target gene transcription and preserve cardiac function without changing serum TH. Therefore, in this study, we investigated whether mild exercise training alters expression of α1 and β1 TR isoforms in post-MI rats. Seven-week-old male Sprague–Dawley rats underwent coronary ligation or sham operation, and were assigned to 3 groups (n = 10): sham, sedentary MI (MI-Sed), and exercise MI (MI-Ex). Treadmill training was initiated 1 week post-MI, and gradually increased up to 16 m/min, 5° incline, 50 min/day, 5 days/week, and lasted for a total of 8 weeks. Real-time polymerase chain reaction and gel electrophoresis were performed to quantify changes in TR isoforms. Our results illustrated that mRNA expression of TR-α1 and TR-β1 was higher in both MIs; however, protein electrophoresis data showed that TR-α1 was 1.91-fold higher (P < 0.05) and TR-β1 was 1.62-fold higher (P < 0.05) in the MI-Ex group than in the MI-Sed group. After MI, TR-α1 and TR-β1 protein levels are significantly decreased in the surviving non-infarcted myocardium. Moderate-intensity exercise training significantly increases TR-α1 and TR-β1 protein expression, which in turn may upregulate α-MHC and improve myocardial contractile function and prognosis.
Close to Home : Local Ties and Voting Radical Right in Europe

Who votes for radical right parties and why? This book argues that the increasing popularity of the radical right in Europe originates in community bonds: strong ties to one's locality motivate support for the radical right. These parties use nostalgic themes and symbolic politicking to idealize community, defend local autonomy, and ultimately draw local identity into the electoral realm. While other explanations of the radical right's popularity typify supporters as victims of macro-economic shifts and strains, the author's account explores people's day-to-day experiences that link local connections to political decisions. The analysis also raises questions about the political implications of different formal authority structures such as the level and nature of power devolved to local units. The localist model of radical right support illuminates the psychological, social, and institutional conditions and processes that render people's feelings about their cities, towns, and villages relevant for politics.
Outcomes in oligohydramnios: the role of etiology in predicting pulmonary morbidity/mortality

Objective Early-onset oligohydramnios is typically secondary to renal-urinary anomalies (RUA) or preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM). We compared neonatal pulmonary outcomes between these etiologies. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of women with oligohydramnios identified before 24 completed weeks of gestation attributed to either PPROM or RUA. Patients were excluded if other fetal anomalies were noted. Respiratory morbidity was assessed by the need for oxygen at 36 corrected weeks or at hospital discharge. Results Of 116 eligible patients, 54 chose elective pregnancy termination. A total of 39.5% of PPROM (n=17/43) and 36.8% of RUA (n=7/19) pregnancies experienced pre-viable loss (P=1.00). Significantly fewer PPROM live births resulted in neonatal mortality (26.9% vs. 75.0%, P<0.01). There was no difference in respiratory morbidity (57.9% vs. 66.6%, P=1.00). The collective incidence of respiratory mortality and morbidity was not different between etiologies (P=0.06). Conclusion This analysis suggests that the prognoses for oligohydramnios due to pre-viable PPROM vs. renal anomalies are similarly grave, though RUA infants experienced a higher rate of neonatal respiratory mortality.
Distributed Entity Resolution Based on Similarity Join for Large-Scale Data Clustering

Entity resolution has been widely used in data mining applications to find similar records. However, the increasing scale and complexity of data has restricted the performance of entity resolution. In this paper, we propose a novel entity resolution framework that clusters large-scale data with distributed entity resolution method. We model the clustering problem as finding similarity sub connected graphs from records. Firstly, our approach finds pairs of records whose similarities are above a given threshold based on appjoin algorithm which extends the ppjoin algorithm and are executed on MapReduce framework. Then, we propose a cache-based algorithm which cluster entities with similar pairs based on the Disjoin Set algorithm and are also designed for MapReduce framework. Experimental results on real dataset show that our algorithms can achieve more efficiency than previous algorithms on the entity resolution and clustering.
Strategic Use of Preclinical Pharmacokinetic Studies and In Vitro Models in Optimizing ADME Properties of Lead Compounds

The discovery of novel therapies for a disease often begins with identifying the cellular and biochemical target whose malfunction is implicated in the initiation or progression of the disease. Because abnormally high or low activity of proteins (receptors, enzymes, or transporters) or of the genes that code for these proteins is the underlying cause of most diseases, therapeutic intervention requires modulation of the target protein or gene activity by chemical agents. Identifying the chemical agents that can modulate activities of specific proteins or genes with a high degree of selectivity and potency through rational design or high throughput screening with combinatorial libraries has become a less daunting task in the past two decades. This is because most proteins can be readily expressed, isolated, and structurally characterized, their functional activity can be assessed using in vitro systems, and vast numbers of compounds can be synthesized using combinatorial approaches as potential modulators of their expression or functional activity. However, it is important to recognize that the therapeutic efficacy of these agents in humans can only by achieved if sufficiently high concentration of these compounds can be attained and maintained at the target site. This requires that the compound has appropriate physicochemical properties so that (i) it can be absorbed effectively from the site of administration (e.g. gastrointestinal tract for orally administered compounds), (ii) it escapes extensive metabolism in the liver and other extrahepatic tissues, (iii) it is distributed sufficiently in the target tissue, and (iv) it is not excreted too rapidly via the renal or the hepatobiliary clearance mechanisms.
Oral-Communication Skills in Business Education: Is It Time for Alignment?

The purpose of our research is to identify whether there is alignment between the emphases placed on oral-communication skills by employers versus business schools. A taxonomy of workplace communic...
Identifying and Planning for Individualized Change: Patient-Provider Collaboration Using Lightweight Food Diaries in Healthy Eating and Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Identifying and planning strategies that support a healthy lifestyle or manage a chronic disease often require patient-provider collaboration. For example, people with healthy eating goals often share everyday food, exercise, or sleep data with health coaches or nutritionists to find opportunities for change, and patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) often gather food and symptom data as part of working with providers to diagnose and manage symptoms. However, a lack of effective support often prevents health experts from reviewing large amounts of data in time-constrained visits, prevents focusing on individual goals, and prevents generating correct, individualized, and actionable recommendations. To examine how to design photo-based diaries to help people and health experts exchange knowledge and focus on collaboration goals when reviewing the data together, we designed and developed Foodprint, a photo-based food diary. Foodprint includes three components: (1) A mobile app supporting lightweight data collection, (2) a web app with photo-based visualization and quantitative visualizations supporting collaborative reflection, and (3) a pre-visit note communicating an individual's expectations and questions to experts. We deployed Foodprint in two studies: (1) with 17 people with healthy eating goals and 7 health experts, and (2) with 16 IBS patients and 8 health experts. Building upon the lens of boundary negotiating artifacts and findings from two field studies, our research contributes design principles to (1) prepare individuals to collect data relevant to their health goals and for collaboration, (2) help health experts focus on an individual's eating context, experiences, and goals in collaborative review, and (3) support individuals and experts to develop individualized, actionable plans and strategies.
Use of covered stent and vascular plug to treat recurrent post-surgical aortic coarctation complicated with aneurysm

Abstract Recurrent aortic coarctation and/or aneurysm is not an uncommon complication after surgical repair of coarctation of the aorta. When these lesions involve the origin of the left subclavian artery, its management becomes more challenging. We report a 30-year-old female who developed recurrent aortic coarctation complicated with the aneurysm involving the left subclavian artery after the surgical repair. The aortic aneurysm was effectively treated by occlusion of the proximal left subclavian artery by an Amplatzer Vascular Plug Type II and placement of a NuMed Covered Cheatham Platinum stent.
Thermodynamic and transport properties of meteor melt constituents from ab initio simulations: MgSiO 3, SiO 2, and MgO

Recent experiments have suggested that melt flow plays a critical role in the ablation of meteoroids during atmospheric entry. Thus, modeling ablation requires knowledge of the melt properties of meteoritic constituents. These properties, however, are poorly understood and difficult to obtain with experimental techniques at entry conditions. An alternative means of obtaining high-temperature melt properties is through ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations. Such simulations are performed here to characterize the melt properties of enstatite ( MgSiO 3), which is prevalent in certain types of chondrites, and its constitutive oxides ( SiO 2 and MgO). The structure, thermodynamic properties (density, bulk modulus, heat capacity, and coefficient of thermal expansion), and transport properties (diffusion and viscosity) are computed across the entire liquid phase and agree well with the limited number of available experiments. The high fidelity AIMD results are compared against less accurate models for melt property determination, which include classical molecular dynamics simulations and empirical mixture rules. Properties obtained from these alternative models generally show large relative errors compared to experiment, with viscosity, in particular, having errors of up to 98%. The present results highlight the potential of AIMD simulations to provide “quantitatively accurate” properties for melts of complex silicates found in meteorites and terrestrial rocks.
Multiple Extraaxial Cavernous Hemangiomas: Rare Entity.

Background Cavernous hemangiomas arising in the extraaxial space are rarely encountered, often mimicking other more common pathologies. Furthermore, multiple coexisting lesions and posterior fossa involvement are scarcely reported. Herein, we present the case of a patient with concurrent frontal bone and posterior fossa extraaxial cavernous hemangiomas. We also review the challenges associated with the diagnosis and management of these entities. Case Description An otherwise healthy 41-year-old gentleman presented with a 7-month history of a progressive right forehead mass. Imaging demonstrated a right frontal bone mass and an incidentally noted transverse sinus–based mass. The patient opted for surgical resection of both lesions. A right frontal craniotomy was performed to remove the bony lesion, followed by a suboccipital approach for the dural-based mass. There were no significant complications intraoperatively, and gross total resection was achieved for both lesions. Final pathology for each was consistent with cavernous hemangioma. Conclusions Extraaxial cavernous hemangiomas are uncommon clinical entities that are challenging to distinguish from other diseases. If intraoperative complications can be avoided, treatment with surgical resection often offers excellent patient outcomes.
Provisioning QoS-Aware and Robust Applications in Internet of Things: A Network Perspective

The Internet-of-Things (IoT) has inspired numerous new applications ever since its invention. Nevertheless, its development and utilization have always been restricted by the limited resources in various application scenarios. In this paper, we study the problem of resource provisioning for real-time IoT applications, i.e. , applications that process concurrent data streams from data sources in the network. We investigate joint application placement and data routing to support IoT applications that have both quality-of-service and robustness requirements. We formulate four versions of the provisioning problem, spanning across two important classes of real-time applications (parallelizable and non-parallelizable), and two provisioning scenarios (single application and multiple applications). All versions are proved to be NP-hard. We propose fully polynomial-time approximation schemes for three of the four versions, and a randomized algorithm for the forth. Through simulation experiments, we analyze the impact of parallelizability and robustness on the provisioning performance, and show that our proposed algorithms can greatly improve the quality-of-service of the IoT applications.
Art is the Flower, Life is the Green Leaf

This quilted triptych acquaints viewers with the devastating 2018 blaze at the Glasgow School of Art (GSA). I studied, lived, and worked in the Glasgow area for five years, and this work represents my struggle to comprehend the loss of the GSA while imagining an idyllic future. The design integrates aesthetic properties of the Glasgow Style, such as vertical lines, repeating squares, organic forms, and the Glasgow rose, which represents the GSA itself in each panel. By transforming the background colors and the color of the roses, each panel depicts the passage of time following the fire, including the immediate aftermath, the transition from debris removal to fundraising, and finally a rebuilt school. Quilts are constructed by layering and connecting multiple parts, analogous to the way in which buildings are constructed, and therefore this medium, in combination with needlework, was chosen to advocate for rebuilding.
Intercultural Management as a Powerful Business Tool

Culture represents the new added value in the digital business age. Every country has a different mindset. Knowledge about the thinking and behaviour patterns of staff members from other cultures helps to create a constructive communication flow and to perfect the virtual teamwork. Intercultural management starts with the management of knowledge. Culture is know-how, and with conscious efforts it can be significantly advanced. The skill of intercultural expertise enables you to create communication channels with foreign business partners and to establish a trustful and sustainable partnership. The process to achieve intercultural awareness contains four major steps: mindfulness, perception, perspective and action. For each step, you will find exercises with an image analysis. They provide a better understanding how to perceive occurrences in foreign countries. The main goal is the self-organized learning process and the improvement of the personal ability to deal with strangeness. Each example provides information about a specific cultural background and a customized pattern of local work practices.
ATRIAL ARRHYTHMIA COMMON AFTER LUNG TRANSPLANTATION AND REDUCED WITH BETA BLOCKER USE

Atrial fibrillation and flutter (AF/AFL) are common following lung transplant surgery although risk factors for AF/AFL development are controversial. We reevaluated risk factors and the effects of prophylactic beta blocker use on incident AF/AFL. We performed a single-center retrospective study of
Teaching Social Justice Through 'Hip Hop and the Law'

This article queries whether it is possible to teach law students about social justice through a course on hip hop and its connection to and critique of the law. We argue, in these dedicated pages of the North Carolina Central Law Review, that yes, hip hop and the law offer an excellent opportunity to teach law students about social justice. But, why publish an article advocating that national law schools offer a legal education course on Hip Hop and the Law, or more specifically, Hip Hop & the American Constitution? Of what benefit might a course be that explores hip hop lyrics and hip hop artists’ critique of United States law and policy? In an era where bar passage rates are slipping across the nation and law schools are struggling to attract students to their hallways and classrooms, is there space and time in a law school curriculum to offer a class on hip hop and its critique of the law? I argue here that time and space must be created to offer law students an opportunity to embrace hip hop’s critique of the U.S. Constitution and its critique of the laws and policies that have always been developed, since the nation’s founding, from the top down — that is to say, developed from an elite, straight, wealthy white male perspective. Here is why: Hip hop music and culture have conquered the world. Born in New York City (the Bronx), this quintessential American cultural phenomenon has captured the hearts and minds of two generations of U.S. residents as well as enthusiasts across the globe. This hip hop takeover, ne revolution, is so recognized in literature and culture, that it bears no further explanation. Suffice it to say, that today, the U.S. law professoriate is infused with a stirring population of hip hop aficionados. Further, current law students are overwhelmingly individuals that know, love, and are deeply impacted by hip hop music, art, and culture. Additionally, hip hop music, at its core, offers a provocative critique of United States law, particularly the criminal justice system. This critique, offered from the bottom up — that is to say, from the perspective of those that have been historically oppressed and voiceless — presents a knowing appraisal of how the law as promulgated, practiced, and enforced in the United States harshly impacts and does positive injury to communities of color and people living in poverty in the United States. Today, more than ever, those that teach, enforce, and practice the law should be paying attention to the critique emanating from faces at the bottom of the well, particularly from hip hop faces. Further, this article seeks to contribute meaningfully to the existing literature and debate that considers and addresses the inclusion of race and inequality within the legal education landscape and law school curriculum.
Parents' and teachers' ratings of the Social Skills of elementary-age students who are blind

Ratings by 23 parents and 21 regular education teachers on the Social Skills Rating Scale (SSRS) for elementary-age students who were blind were compared to ratings for the SSRS sighted norm group....
A second order Calderón’s method with a correction term and a priori information

Calderon’s method is a direct linearized reconstruction method for the inverse conductivity problem with the attribute that it can provide absolute images of both conductivity and permittivity with no need for forward modeling. In this work, an explicit relationship between Calderon’s method and the D-bar method is provided, facilitating a “higher-order” Calderon’s method in which a correction term is included, derived from the relationship to the D-bar method. Furthermore, a method of including a spatial prior is provided. These advances are demonstrated on simulated data and on tank data collected with the ACE1 EIT system.
AN INVESTIGATION OF SEASONAL VARIATIONS IN THE FITNESS TEST PERFORMANCE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT RECRUITS

The purpose of this research was to determine whether different seasons could influence fitness test performance in law enforcement recruits. Retrospective examination was conducted on data from four classes, which included 375 recruits (302 males, 73 females) from an agency. The classes were fitness tested during four different seasons in southern California (Fall: n=89, temperature=22-28°C, humidity=20-32%; Winter: n=84, temperature=18-26°C,humidity=8-11%; Spring: n=102, temperature=22-29°C, humidity=23-50%; Summer: n=100, temperature=21-25°C, humidity=39-71%). Fitness testing occurred in the week prior to academy and included: the vertical jump (VJ); push-ups and sit-ups completed in 60 s; and the 20-m multistage fitness test (20MSFT). A one-way ANOVA was used with Bonferroni post hoc (p<0.05) adjustment to calculate any between-class differences. There were no significant between-class differences for the VJ (p=0.197) and sit-ups (p=0.352). Winter and Summer recruits completed 16% and 19% significantly more push-up repetitions than Spring recruits (p≤0.029). Winter recruits completed 16-22% significantly more MSFT shuttles than Fall, Spring and Summer classes recruits (p≤0.009, 16%, 22%, and 18%, respectively). Variability in fitness test performance across the seasons may be due to class-to-class fitness variations in recruits. However, recruits in the Winter class were clearly superior in the 20MSFT, which is an aerobic maximal running test. Hotter temperatures can increase cardiovascular strain, while humidity can decrease sweat evaporation rates, which can impact a test such as the 20MSFT. Law enforcement staff may need to consider ambient temperatures and humidity during fitness tests due to potential negative effects on recruit performance.
Quantification of gray mold infection in lettuce using a bispectral imaging system under laboratory conditions.

Gray mold disease caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea damages many crop hosts worldwide and is responsible for heavy economic losses. Early diagnosis and detection of the disease would allow for more effective crop management practices to prevent outbreaks in field or greenhouse settings. Furthermore, having a simple, non-invasive way to quantify the extent of gray mold disease is important for plant pathologists interested in measuring infection rates. In this paper, we design and build a bispectral imaging system for discriminating between leaf regions infected with gray mold and those that remain unharmed on a lettuce (Lactuca spp.) host. First, we describe a method to select two optimal (high contrast) spectral bands from continuous hyperspectral imagery (450-800 nm). We then explain the process of building a system based on these two spectral bands, located at 540 and 670 nm. The resultant system uses two cameras, with a narrow band-pass spectral filter mounted on each, to measure the bispectral reflectance of a lettuce leaf. The two resulting images are combined using a normalized difference calculation that produces a single image with high contrast between the leaves' infected and healthy regions. A classifier was then created based on the thresholding of single pixel values. We demonstrate that this simple classification produces a true-positive rate of 95.25% with a false-positive rate of 9.316% in laboratory conditions.
Compiler-based frame formation for static optimization

We selectively generate and optimize the frames constructed by the rePLay architecture statically. Since static analysis provides a global view of the interaction between the basic blocks and a bigger aggressive optimization space, we propose a method to construct the frames using profiling and static analysis. Frame selection and optimization are analyzed in the criteria to produce well-optimized, frequently executed frames with minimum recovery penalty. In addition, hardware support is reduced to only perform mis-speculation recovery. Empirical results show the frame-optimized code outperforming baseline code on the SPEC integer benchmarks.
Pipeline Reconfigurable FPGAs

While reconfigurable computing promises to deliver incomparable performance, it is still a marginal technology due to the high cost of developing and upgrading applications. Hardware virtualization can be used to significantly reduce both these costs. In this paper we describe the benefits of hardware virtualization, and show how it can be achieved using the technique of pipeline reconfiguration. The result is PipeRench, an architecture that supports robust compilation and provides forward compatibility. Our preliminary performance analysis on PipeRench predicts that it will outperform commercial FPGAs and DSPs in both overall performance and in performance normalized for silicon area over a broad range of problem sizes.
Characteristics of Penicillinase Release by Washed Cells of Bacillus licheniformis

Saline-washed cells of Bacillus licheniformis strain 749/C (constitutive for penicillinase) were able to release exopenicillinase in the presence of concentrations of chloramphenicol that prevented protein synthesis completely. The release reaction was strongly pH-dependent, occurring at a faster rate at alkaline pH in anionic or cationic buffers than at neutral pH. A strongly pH-dependent release reaction was noted in growing cells also. The reaction in washed cells can be stopped completely by changing the pH to 6.0. Within 30 min at pH 9.0, about 55% of the cell-bound penicillinase was released; thereafter, release continued at a greatly reduced rate. Suspensions of washed cells retained their capacity to release penicillinase at pH 9.0 for 90 min. Penicillinase released at pH 9.0 from either cells or protoplasts was not readsorbed over a 60-min period after changing the pH to 6.0. The release reaction was strongly temperature-dependent. We examined the effect of a large number of metabolic inhibitors and other compounds on the pH-dependent release phenomenon. Quinacrine hydrochloride, chloroquine diphosphate, and chlorpromazine hydrochloride reduced secretion substantially at 10(-4)m. Deoxycholate and Triton X-100 were active at 10(-3)m, but tungstate, arsenate, and molybdate had small effects at 10(-1)m. The rate of exopenicillinase release at pH 9.0 from fully stabilized protoplasts was one-half that of intact cells. Protoplasts lysed in hypotonic media or detergents showed even greater reduction in releasing activity. Penicillinase released from washed cells at pH 7.5 or 9.0 appeared to be derived from the periplasmic tubule and vesicle fraction that was released by protoplast formation.
Processing and Packaging that Protects the Food Supply Against Intentional Contamination

This article discusses the state of the current food processing and packaging system in terms of its current and prospective capacity to prevent, detect and remediate an asymmetric attack at various points in the larger context of the food processing, packaging and distribution chain. Examples of failure in the current food safety system point to a supply system that is extremely vulnerable at many points, with contamination prevention methods that are only minimally effective and lax enforcement by inspectors. Balancing this is the fact that the food processing system is intrinsically a hazard-reduction system that seeks to minimize hazards, risk and liabilities. Packaging is designed to be inexpensive, easy to manufacture and fill, and carry both marketing and information functions, but tamper prevention is often not designed into packages. Tamper evidence often relies on stock systems and components that are easily bypassed. Examples are taken from the more stringent pharmaceutical manufacturing and distribution system. Recommendations for systemic improvement in contamination prevention include improvements in responsiveness, resilience and transparency in the food safety system, design method improvements for packages, and continued work on inexpensive, rapid and accurate pathogen and toxin detection methods. The overlap of malicious manufacturing and malicious tampering or contamination is discussed. Keywords: food; packaging; tampering; processing; prevention; bioterrorism; safety; security
A novel ranking method for multiple classifier systems

We introduce an unsupervised optimization method for optimal fusion of multiple classifiers in retrieval problems. The method is based on a ranking loss called the “clarity” index, which does not depend on the label of the test instances. The technique optimizes the weights with which individual classifier scores must be combined to maximize this clarity. Our method is instance-specific; the weights are optimized individually for each test instance. The proposed schema can also be used for instance-specific ranking of classifiers. We also show that the method is highly tolerant to the introduction of noise in classifier outputs.
LIGO: An Overview

The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) is being developed to detect gravitational waves emitted from Astrophysical sources. The facility will consist of two widely separated laboratories housing highly sensitive long baseline interferometers using suspended test masses. The technique and status of the project are discussed.
The evaluation of uterine activity: A comparative analysis

In this study a comparison is made between the most widely accepted method of expressing uterine activity, Montevideo units, and an automated, on-line method expressed as uterine activity units. Although the actual numerical expression differs, the percentage of variation when the two values are compared is small at various phases of labor. The variation between the methods for uterine activity required to progress from 4 to 6 cm cervical dilatation and from 6 to 10 cm cervical dilatation is less than 5%. Both methods closely agree on the actual expression of uterine activity or uterine work.
Measurement of the second-order susceptibility of GaInP films at 1.5 /spl mu/m

Nonlinear second order susceptibility materials are attracting new attention for ultrafast all-optical switches based on the second order cascading mechanism. Recent experiments and analysis have shown the potential of cascading to decrease the switching energy down to a practical level. Here we report measurements of the second order susceptibility in GaInP films. The key feature is the difference between the matrices for ordered and disordered GaInP.
Algebraic multigrid for k‐form Laplacians

SUMMARY In this paper we describe an aggregation-based algebraic multigrid method for the solution of discrete k-form Laplacians. Our work generalizes Reitzinger and Sch¨ oberl’s algorithm to higher-dimensional discrete forms. We provide conditions on the tentative prolongators under which the commutativity of the coarse and fine de Rham complexes is maintained. Further, a practical algorithm that satisfies these conditions is outlined, and smoothed prolongation operators and the associated finite element spaces are highlighted. Numerical evidence of the efficiency and generality of the proposed method is presented in the context of discrete Hodge decompositions. Copyright q 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Design study for multimedia transport protocol in heterogeneous networks

Design of the multimedia transport protocol in heterogeneous wired-cum-wireless environment faces great challenges because of two contradictory objectives. On the one hand, the multimedia application requires smooth transfer rate, i.e., stability objective; on the other hand, vertical handoff in heterogeneous networks requires fast response at transfer rate, i.e., flexibility objective. To address this problem, this paper proposes to use passive bandwidth measurement at the receiver in the design of rate control algorithm for multimedia transport protocol. Moreover, a window based exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) filter with two weights is introduced to achieve stability and flexibility at the same time. Based on these considerations, a multimedia transport protocol (MMTP) is proposed. Its stability and flexibility as well as its fairness are verified by simulations.
Genetic and biochemical analyses of Escherichia coli strains having a mutation in the structural gene (poxB) for pyruvate oxidase.

Abstract Mutants of Escherichia coli K-12 deficient in pyruvate oxidase were isolated from an aceEF (pyruvate dehydrogenase-deficient) strain by selection for a complete absence of growth on medium lacking acetate. Extracts of two of the mutants were shown to contain normal levels of pyruvate oxidase antigen, although the enzymatic activities of the extracts were reduced or absent. The poxB locus was mapped by using closely linked transposon insertions to min 18.7 of the E. coli linkage map between the cmlA and aroA loci, a location far removed from that of the regulatory gene, poxA.
Dual-mode oscillators for clocks and sensors

Frequency can be measured with far higher accuracy than any other quantity. Dual mode excitation of resonators allows the highly accurate measurement of, and compensation for, the effects of temperature, pressure, etc., by means of frequency measurements alone. In dual mode excitation, the two excited modes occupy the same volume of quartz, thereby eliminating gradients between the resonator and sensor. This paper reviews the dual-mode technique and its applications in oscillators, clocks and sensors.
Supervisory Turnover in Outpatient Substance Abuse Treatment

Staff turnover is a significant issue within substance abuse treatment, with implications for service delivery and organizational health. This study examined factors associated with turnover among supervisors in outpatient substance abuse treatment. Turnover was conceptualized as being an individual response to organizational-level influences, and predictors represent aggregate program measures. Participants included 532 staff (including 467 counselors and 65 clinical/program directors) from 90 programs in four regions of the USA. Using logistic regression, analyses of structural factors indicated that programs affiliated with a parent organization and those providing more counseling hours to clients had higher turnover rates. When measures of job attitudes were included, only parent affiliation and collective appraisal of satisfaction were related to turnover. Subsequent analyses identified a trend toward increased supervisory turnover when satisfaction was low following the departure of a previous supervisor. These findings suggest that organizational-level factors can be influential in supervisory turnover.
WELL FIELD CONTAMINATION NEAR BALD KNOB, ALLEGANY COUNTY, MARYLAND

A case study from Allegany County, Maryland illustrates that, in the absence of a baseline of water quantity and quality established prior to coal mining, resolution of conflicts is neither fully possible nor equitable.
The histological localization of squash mosaic virus in cantaloupe seedlings.

Abstract The distribution of squash mosaic virus (SqMV) in infected cantaloupe seedlings was studied. Antibodies specific for SqMV were coupled with 125I, and virus antigen in germinating seeds from virus-infected seed lots was visualized by radioautography. Virus antigen could not be detected in seedlings younger than 5 days old. In older seedlings, highly localized increases in virus were observed in certain cells. Similar unequal distribution of virus was evident in cells near the meristem, but no pattern of infection could be recognized. It was hypothesized that the probability of an infected plant arising from an infected seed is determined by the number, location, and/or activity of infected cells in the seed.
Natural Religion; Consciousness and its Implications

Eighteen years ago, when Emerson Hall was nearing its completion, the motto chosen for its portal was that insistent query of the psalmist, “What is man that Thou art mindful of him?” No words could have been more appropriate for a building devoted to philosophy and psychology; and if we knew the answer to the question they propound we should have at least the key to the more fundamental problems of Natural Religion.
Xwnt-2b is a novel axis-inducing Xenopus Wnt, which is expressed in embryonic brain.

Abstract Xwnt-2b is a novel member of the Wnt gene family and is 73–74% similar to human and mouse Wnt-2 proteins. Starting from stage 15, Xwnt-2b transcripts are localized to a non-contiguous stripe in the anterior neural plate of the Xenopus embryo. In the tailbud, Xwnt-2b is expressed along the dorsoanterior side of the prosencephalon-mesencephalon boundary. At the tadpole stages, the brain-specific expression fades, but the total amount of Xwnt-2b mRNA does not decline due to activation of its expression in non-brain areas. Microinjection of Xwnt-2b mRNA into a ventral blastomere of 4–8-cell embryos results in the formation of complete secondary body axes. These results suggest that Xwnt-2b is a member of the axis-inducing Wnts and that it is involved in brain development and in later organogenesis.
Two-dimensional resolution improvement in standing wave microscopy using fast acousto-optic laser scanning

We present a versatile scheme for two-dimensional (2D) resolution enhancement in standing wave fluorescence microscopy (SWFM). This SWFM scheme consists of an interferometer, where both beams are focused at the back focal plane of the objective lens. Their position is controlled by a pair of acousto-optic deflectors (AODs). This results in two collimated beams that interfere in the focal plane, creating a lateral periodic excitation pattern with controlled fringe spacing and orientation. The phase of the standing wave (SW) pattern is controlled by the phase delay between two RF sinusoidal signals driving the AODs. An enlarged fluorescence image formed using the same objective lens is captured by a cooled CCD camera. Data collection involves acquiring images with excitation pattern of three equi-polar orientations (0°, 60° and 120°) and three different phases (0°, 120°, 240°) for each orientation. The SWFM image is algebraically reconstructed from these 9 acquired images. The SWFM image has enhanced 2D lateral resolution of about 100 nm with nearly isotropic effective point-spread function (PSF). As a result of the acousto-optic scanning, the total acquisition time can be as short as 100 μs and is only further limited by the fluorescence intensity, as well as sensitivity and speed of the CCD camera. Utilizing acousto-optic laser scanning for advanced SWFM provides the exceptional precision and speed necessary for real-time imaging of subresolution processes in living biological systems.
Cooling Penetration into Normal and Injured Brain via Intraparenchymal Brain Cooling Probe: Theoretical Analyses

The selective cooling of severely injured brain tissue while maintaining normal temperature throughout the remaining body, to avoid cooling-related systemic side effects, has been proposed as a desirable method to improve the outcome of patients with acute brain catastrophes. One approach for targeted brain cooling may utilize miniature cooling probes directly inserted into injured brain tissue. Based on experimental data obtained in primates with normal and injured brains, this study simulates the expected temperature distributions surrounding a prototype brain cooling probe. Our model employs the Pennes bioheat equation to define the effects of local brain perfusion rate on the temperature field within brain tissue. Cooling penetration achieved by this probe under normal and globally ischemic conditions extended from 10 mm to 25 mm, respectively, from the device surface into the surrounding brain parenchyma, and was strongly dependent on the local brain perfusion, with a larger cooling penetration being...
Neurobiology: New memories from new neurons.

Neurons are born throughout adulthood in specific regions of mammalian brains. It now turns out that — in rats at least — these new neurons are essential for the formation of one type of memory.
Mechanisms underlying recovery of eye-head coordination following bilateral labyrinthectomy in monkeys

Since during active eye-head turning the eyes move first and with higher velocity than the head, the lines of sight reach the target while the head is still moving. Then for the remaining duration of the head movement the eyes maintain their fixation by performing a movement which is counter to that of the head and perfectly compensates for it. It is agreed that this compensatory eye movement is critically influenced by visual, vestibular and neck afferents and that it is not initiated centrally. We have investigated a) the relative contribution of the vestibular and neck afferents to the compensatory eye movement made during active and passive head turning in monkeys and b) the mechanisms underlying the recovery of compensatory eye movements following either the removal of the vestibular or neck loop or both. Our results have shown that 1. normal monkeys display perfect ocular stability in darkness, 2. at least 95% of ocular stability is due to the vestibular loop, and 3. the contribution of the neck loop is negligible. Following bilateral vestibulectomy the recovery of compensatory eye movements occurs gradually and reaches 90% within seven weeks but only during active head movements. We have shown that there are at least three mechanisms underlying this recovery: 1. an increase in gain of the neck loop. 2. the occurrence of a centrally programmed compensatory eye movement, and 3. a recalibration of the saccadic and head motor system.
Review of Clinical Trials for Mitochondrial Disorders: 1997–2012

Over the last 15 years, some 16 open and controlled clinical trials for potential treatments of mitochondrial diseases have been reported or are in progress, and are summarized and reviewed herein. These include trials of administering dichloroacetate (an activator of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex), arginine or citrulline (precursors of nitric oxide), coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10; part of the electron transport chain and an antioxidant), idebenone (a synthetic analogue of CoQ10), EPI-743 (a novel oral potent 2-electron redox cycling agent), creatine (a precursor of phosphocreatine), combined administration (of creatine, α-lipoate, and CoQ10), and exercise training (to increase muscle mitochondria). These trials have included patients with various mitochondrial disorders, a selected subcategory of mitochondrial disorders, or specific mitochondrial disorders (Leber hereditary optic neuropathy or mitochondrial encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes). The trial designs have varied from open-label/uncontrolled, open-label/controlled, or double-blind/placebo-controlled/crossover. Primary outcomes have ranged from single, clinically-relevant scores to multiple measures. Eight of these trials have been well-controlled, completed trials. Of these only 1 (treatment with creatine) showed a significant change in primary outcomes, but this was not reproduced in 2 subsequent trials with creatine with different patients. One trial (idebenone treatment of Leber hereditary optic neuropathy) did not show significant improvement in the primary outcome, but there was significant improvement in a subgroup of patients. Despite the paucity of benefits found so far, well-controlled clinical trials are essential building blocks in the continuing search for more effective treatment of mitochondrial disease, and current trials based on information gained from these prior experiences are in progress. Because of difficulties in recruiting sufficient mitochondrial disease patients and the relatively large expense of conducting such trials, advantageous strategies include crossover designs (where possible), multicenter collaboration, and the selection of very few, clinically relevant, primary outcomes.
An analysis of the technical and economic performance of a parabolic trough concentrator for solar industrial process heat application

Abstract An identification of the principal design factors that influence the technical performance of a parabolic trough concentrator and which relate directly to design and manufacturing decisions is presented. These factors include spectral-directional reflectivity of the mirror system, the mirror-receiver tube intercept factor, the incident angle modifier and absorptivity-transmissivity product of the receiver tube and cover tube, the end loss factor and a factor describing the effect of tracking errors and receiver tube misalignment. Each of these factors has been quantified in terms of design and manufacturing tolerances and associated performance degradation. Other design considerations that relate to thermal loss from the receiver tube are low emissivity coatings, evacuation and anti-reflection coating. The analysis of energy costs using the parabolic trough concentrator is developed. This analysis determines both the break-even, current metered cost of energy and the annual cash flow over periods of investment ranging from 5 to 15 yr. The economic factors include investment tax credit, energy equipment tax credit, income tax bracket, cost of auxiliary system, foundations and controls, cost of collector at installation, costs of maintenance and taxes, costs of fuel, cost of capital, general inflation rate and fuel escalation rate. Economic determinations were made at three U.S. locations: Albuquerque, New Mexico; Fresno, California ; and Caribou, Maine using the thermal performance characteristics of the Sandia Advanced Trough Prototype Collector. The collector costs used were those determined by a manufacturing cost analysis for various manufacturing volumes up to 100 000 modules (each 516 ft2 ; 48 m2) per year. The results show that for a 10 yr period of investment, the current metered breakeven costs are less than $7.00 per 106 BTU at all locations for a collector having a total installed cost of $15.79 ft−2 ($170.00 m−2), which includes manufacturing and installation ($11.50), foundations and controls ($1.50) and auxiliary system ($2.79). For a 15 yr period of investment the corresponding fuel costs are less than $4.00 per 106 BTU at all locations. For a total installed collector cost of $22.79 ft−2 ($245 m−2), the break even metered fuel cost is less than $9.00 per 10° BTU at all locations, also for a 10 yr period of investment. Other conditions are evaluated. The analysis is general which permits other circumstances to be evaluated.