cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Methoprene-Tolerant, A PAS Gene Critical for Juvenile Hormone Signaling in Drosophila Melanogaster

Since their discovery, bHLH-PAS genes have been found to be widespread among organisms, ranging from prokaryotes to humans (1,2). Proteins encoded by genes in the PAS family function to sense environmental and developmental signals that reach an organism or a tissue within an organism, and they initiate a response that usually involves the regulation of target gene(s). As discussed in these chapters, the environmental signals range from chemical (planar aromatic hydrocarbons; oxygen tension) to physical (light). The developmental signals are less well-understood, but PAS mutants have shown the importance of PAS genes during development (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10). The availability of the genomic sequence of humans, Drosophila melanogaster, and Caenorhabditis elegans within the past several years has allowed the constellation of PAS genes to be identified in these organisms, and it seems unlikely that new PAS genes having functions that are radically different from those of the present family members will be uncovered. So, our task at present is to elucidate the functions and molecular mechanisms of these genes.
Platelet-derived growth factor in vivo: levels, activity, and rate of clearance

Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) is a potent mitogen for many cultured connective tissue cells. It is present in concentrated form within the platelet alpha-granules and is believed to be released during platelet degranulation at sites of vascular injury. We have used a sensitive radioreceptor assay to measure PDGF levels in whole blood serum from normal humans [17.5 +/- 3.1 (SD) ng/mL] and baboons (2.7 +/- 1.2 ng/mL). PDGF was not detected in plasma from either species. In addition, plasma was found to substantially reduce the ability of added purified PDGF to bind to the cell surface PDGF receptor on cultured cells, suggesting that plasma may contain a PDGF-binding protein that would serve to inactivate PDGF released into plasma. Calculations of PDGF concentrations in serum have been corrected for the effects of the binding protein. 125I-PDGF injected intravenously into normal baboons was cleared rapidly from the plasma (t1/2 = two minutes). The rapid clearance of 125I-PDGF did not result from iodination damage, as purified unlabeled PDGF was cleared with comparable kinetics. The rapid clearance of purified and iodinated PDGF did not result from changes in PDGF structure during purification or from removal of PDGF-associated proteins during purification, as PDGF present in freeze-thaw lysates of fresh platelets was cleared equally rapidly. We conclude that release of PDGF at sites of vascular injury would greatly increase the local concentration of PDGF and that PDGF not localized to the site of injury would be rapidly cleared from the circulation.
Epidemiology of Helicobacter pylori Infection

The discovery of Helicobacter pylori revolutionised thinking about the cause of peptic ulcer disease. The most common causes of peptic ulcers are H. pylori infection and use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. H. pylori is typically acquired in childhood. The risk of acquiring an H. pylori infection is inversely related the standard of living especially sanitary conditions. As the general health of any population improves, the incidence of transmission of H. pylori infection declines. This decline in prevalence is in part due to a fall in the rate of acquisition of the infection and also to ‘spontaneous loss’ of the infection possibly in relation to the use of antibiotics for other conditions. The change in epidemiology of peptic ulcer has made it critical to identify that H. pylori infection is present before embarking on anti-H. pylori therapy for a patient with ulcer disease. The use of multiple antibiotic-containing regimens in a patient with an ulcer but without H. pylori cannot provide any benefit to the patient or the community. It is also important to confirm that the H. pylori infection has been cured. The widespread availability of the urea breath test (and possibly the stool H. pylori antigen test) has made post-therapy testing simple, rapid, and affordable. In the US, the cure rate with the best therapies is less than 90% and is even lower in those with resistant H. pylori. A decision not to provide post-treatment confirmatory testing must include a discussion with the patient regarding the possibilities, options, costs, and outcomes of post-therapy testing and, to protect the physician, must also be recorded in the chart. Offering post-therapy testing should be the standard of care; failure to recommend and offer post-therapy testing gives reasonable grounds for malpractice litigation if the ulcer recurs and an ulcer complication ensues.
DNA Methylation Age—Environmental Influences, Health Impacts, and Its Role in Environmental Epidemiology

DNA methylation-based aging biomarkers are valuable tools for evaluating the aging process from a molecular perspective. These epigenetic aging biomarkers can be evaluated across the lifespan and are tissue specific. This review examines the literature relating environmental exposures to DNA methylation-based aging biomarkers and also the literature evaluating these biomarkers as predictors of health outcomes. Multiple studies evaluated the association between air pollution and DNA methylation age and consistently observed that higher exposures are associated with elevated DNA methylation age. Psychosocial exposures, e.g., traumas and adolescent adversity, and infections are also associated with epigenetic aging. DNA methylation age has been repeatedly associated with mortality, cancer, and cognitive impairment. DNA methylation age is responsive to the environment and predictive of health outcomes. Studies are still needed to evaluate whether DNA methylation age acts as a mediator or modifier of environmental health effects and to understand the impact of factors such as race, gender, and genetics.
In Praise of Kings: Rajputs, Sultans and Poets in Fifteenth-century Gujarat

In Praise of Kings is a ground breaking study of the long-neglected fifteenth century in South Asian history. Contrary to the conventional focus on the Delhi-centred empires which consider this period as an age of decline, this book illuminates the cultural and political dynamism of the era. It reconstructs the fascinating world of the royal courts of Gujarat, including those of the Rajput chieftains and the regional sultans, through close readings of rarely used literary works in Sanskrit and Gujarati. The book also complicates another popularly held perception: that of Gujarat as the land of traders and merchants. Instead, it shows how Gujarat's warrior past was also integral to this region's identity and history.
THU0455 Age is more closely associated with positive temporal artery biopsy over biopsy length in large veterans administration database study

Background Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a granulomatous vasculitis with a predilection for older women. While American College of Rheumatology (ACR) diagnostic guidelines exist, temporal artery biopsy (TAB) remains an essential tool often used independently to substantiate long-term steroid use and/or immunosuppression. No consensus exists regarding the ideal length of biopsy to optimise pathological yield. The influence of demographic factors such as age, race, and gender on the yield of biopsies is not defined. Objectives To determine if length of TAB and patient’s race, gender, or age at biopsy influenced TAB results using the Veteran’s Administration (VA) national database. Methods Patients with a procedure code for TAB between 1999–2017 were queried through the VA national database. The biopsy length and result (positive, negative, or indeterminate) were recorded. Demographic information including subject age, gender, and race was also extracted. Logistic regression models were run using Stata to identify independent determinants of a positive TAB. Results 2136 biopsies have been randomly reviewed to date. The average length of TAB was 12.15 mm. TAB results were 9% positive, 89% negative, and 2% indeterminate. There was no statistically significant association between biopsy length and a positive result; however, when compared to the reference group (>10 mm- 20 mm to 30 mm in length. Conversely, there was a trend towards negative biopsy results for samples Conclusions The incidence of positive TAB among patients with suspected temporal arteritis in the VA national database was surprisingly low. The effect of other factors, such as the referring specialty or pre-biopsy steroid use, on TAB result may be insightful in understanding the low yield. Age remains a helpful tool given its association with increased likelihood of a positive biopsy, and the decision to pursue TAB in patients Disclosure of Interest None declared
On the Attack-and-Fault Tolerance of Intrusion Detection Systems in Wireless Mesh Networks

Intrusion detection in Wireless Mesh Networks WMN has recently emerged as an important research area. The diversity in WMN hardware and applications has generated extremely diverse network types, with diverse resource levels and system and threat models. Consequently, a variety of intrusion detection systems IDS have been proposed by the research community, each applicable to a specific type of WMN. Although the design and implementation of specific intrusion detection mechanisms have received considerable attention, little effort has been dedicated to the attack-and-fault tolerance of IDS themselves. In this paper we propose a taxonomy that categorizes state-of-the-art IDS solutions in WMN and we investigate the attack-and-fault tolerance of IDS in this taxonomy. We first survey a series of administrative mechanisms for attack-and-fault tolerant AFT IDS design. Then we propose modified designs for state-of-the-art IDS solutions that are AFT. Finally, through extensive simulations, we evaluate and compare AFT designed IDS with their original designs, with respect to the IDS performance and costs.
Recent tobacco use has widespread associations with adolescent white matter microstructure.

Abstract Importance Given the prevalence of alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco use during adolescence, it is important to explore the relative relationship of these three substances with brain structure. Objective To determine associations between recent alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco use and white and gray matter in a large sample of adolescents. Design, Setting, and Participants MRI data were collected in N = 200 adolescents ages 14–18 (M = 15.82 years; 67% male; 61% Hispanic/Latino). On average, during the past month, participants reported consuming 2.05 drinks per 1.01 drinking day, 0.64 g per 6.98 cannabis use days, and 2.49 cigarettes per 12.32 smoking days. Main Outcomes and Measures General linear models were utilized to examine past 30-day average quantities of alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco use, age, sex, and sex by substance interactions in skeletonized white matter (fractional anisotropy and axial, radial, and mean diffusivity) and voxel-based morphometry of gray matter (volume/density). Results Tobacco use was negatively associated with white matter integrity (radial and mean diffusivity) with peak effects in inferior and superior longitudinal fasciculi. Cannabis use was negatively associated with white matter integrity (axial diffusivity) in a small cluster in the left superior longitudinal fasciculus. No associations were observed between recent alcohol use and white or gray matter overall, but interactions showed significant negative associations between alcohol use and white matter in females. Conclusions and Relevance It is important to note that recent tobacco use, particularly given the popularity of e-tobacco/vaping in this age group, had widespread associations with brain structure in this sample of adolescents.
Advances in Slotted Waveguide Array Antenna Technology

We review the state of the art of slotted waveguide array antenna technology. Design and analysis techniques of slot arrays in standard rectangular waveguides are discussed first. Subsequently slots cut in ridge waveguides, iris excited waveguides, strip lines, radial waveguides and gap waveguides are addressed. Some applications of slot arrays and manufacturing techniques are also briefly reviewed.
Global Parametrices for Certain Singular Elliptic Operators

A method of constructing pseudo-differential operator type left or right inverses for certain singular elliptic differential operators over ℝn is discussed. The “global parametrices” obtained may have a C∞(ℝ2n)-symbol, or the symbol may only be Ck, with finite k, at certain points, and the growth conditions for the symbols are rather odd. In some cases one obtains continuous operators between certain Sobolev spaces, although the symbol does not satisfy the corresponding Calderon-Vaillancourt type estimates. Typically this works for the Helmholtz operator Δ+k2, and for the Laplace operator Δ, and there matches with well known estimates of S. Agmon and of Nirenberg-Walker-Cantor-McOwen, respectively.
Finding Original Public Meaning

Textualists seek to interpret statutes consistent with their “original public meaning” (OPM). To find it, they ask an avowedly empirical question: how would ordinary readers have understood the statute’s terms at the time of their enactment? But as the Supreme Court’s decision in Bostock v. Clayton County highlights, merely asking an empirical question doesn’t preclude interpretive controversy. In considering how Title VII applies to LGBT people, the Bostock majority and dissent disagreed vehemently over the statute’s bar on discrimination “because of sex” — each side claiming that OPM clearly supported its interpretation. How can textualists’ OPM inquiry yield such divergent conclusions? This Article introduces a new “applied-meaning-experiment” method to answer that question and develop the theory of textualism. The method asks ordinary readers to apply the relevant statutory language in context, under experimental conditions that minimize the effect of potential biases or differences between enactment-era and present-day usage. For Bostock, the applied-meaning-experiment method reveals that the majority was right: an “ordinary reader” at the time of Title VII’s enactment would have understood that it barred LGBT discrimination. The insights from the applied-meaning-experiment method, however, extend far beyond the controversy in Bostock. In other contexts where textualists disagree over OPM, the method sheds light on how ordinary readers would have understood statutory terms at the time they were enacted. More importantly, the method helps diagnose why textualists might disagree about OPM in a given case. Textualists might lack probative evidence of OPM; but they might also implicitly disagree about what they’re looking for. Specifically, inquiry into actual reader understanding highlights two choices textualists inevitably make when determining a given term or phrase’s OPM: (1) the type of question whose answer would reveal the reader’s relevant “understanding,” and (2) the types of extratextual information that the reader would treat as relevant to answering it. To the extent that textualists have considered either question, they have done so inconsistently, without realizing what they are doing. By confronting each question directly, the applied-meaning-experiment method helps build out the theory of textualism in a way that’s needed in order for textualism to be a coherent and normatively attractive theory of interpretation.
Multidisciplinary Management of Postoperative Pancreatic Fistula

Postoperative pancreatic fistulas are complex, challenging problems that often take weeks, months, or longer to resolve. Multiple interventions may be required to achieve a successful outcome. As such, resolution typically involves a multidisciplinary approach by a team whose skills include abdominal imaging, specialized surgery, advanced endoscopy, and interventional radiology. Intensive resources and time are often required, which impacts both patients and their caregivers. While treatment(s) continue to improve, a primary goal of research efforts in this area is the prevention of this significant source of postoperative morbidity, mortality, and economic strain.
TRIPODD: a novel fluorescence imaging platform for in situ measurement of drug distribution and proteomic therapeutic response

Personalized molecularly targeted therapy has largely not lived up to its promise of providing curative therapies due to a lack of durable therapeutic response driven by a lack of drug target engagement (i.e. sublethal drug delivery to the tumor) and cell signaling reprogramming as a mechanism of acquired resistance. To simultaneously measure both of these factors, we have developed and optimized a fluorescence imaging platform, Therapeutic Response Imaging through Proteomic and Optical Drug Distribution (TRIPODD), resulting in the only methodology capable of simultaneous quantification of single-cell DTE and protein expression with preserved spatial context within a tumor.
Myelodysplastic Syndromes and the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Older Adults: A SEER-Medicare Analysis

Background: Despite recent data on clonal hematopoiesis, it remains unclear if patients with Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared to the general population, as prior studies have not included a control group. Methods: Matched cohort study of MDS cases identified between 2004 and 2014 from Medicare claims linked to the SEER tumor registry, with controls from a 5% random sample of non-cancer Medicare beneficiaries. Patients with CVD prior to MDS diagnosis were excluded. Findings: A total of 9,047 MDS cases were 1:1 propensity-matched with non-cancer controls, based on age, gender, race and urban residence. The cumulative incidence of CVD was higher among MDS patients compared to controls (17% vs. 13%, p<0.001). In multivariate regression adjusted for gender, age, race, and comorbidities, MDS was associated with a higher risk of incident CVD (HR 1.2; 95% CI, 1.1-1.3), and death after incident CVD (HR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.9-2.4) compared to controls. MDS was associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction (HR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.2-1.5) but there was no association with risk of ischemic stroke. In multivariate analysis of the 13,972-patient MDS cohort, higher-risk MDS (HR, 1.1; 95% CI, 1.02-1.2) and red blood cell transfusion dependence (HR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.2-1.5) were associated with a higher risk of CVD. Interpretation: MDS is an independent risk factor for CVD, especially myocardial infarction. Optimal CVD screening and preventive strategies in MDS patients might improve survival. Funding Statement: SBM is supported by the National Institutes of Health (K23NS105948). AS is supported by the National Cancer Institute Paul Calabresi Career Development Award (5K12CA132783-10). Declaration of Interests: The authors declare no potential financial or ethical conflicts of interest. Ethics Approval Statement: The study was approved by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center Institutional Review Board.
Characterizing Heterogeneity and Determining Sample Sizes for Accurately Estimating Wheat Fusarium Head Blight Index in Research Plots.

Since Fusarium head blight (FHB) intensity is usually highly variable within a plot, the number of spikes rated for FHB index (IND) quantification must be considered when designing experiments. In addition, quantification of sources of IND heterogeneity is crucial for defining sampling protocols. Field experiments were conducted to quantify the variability of IND ('field severity') at different spatial scales and to investigate the effects of sample size on estimated plot-level mean IND and its accuracy. A total of 216 7-row x 6-m-long plots of a moderately resistant and a susceptible cultivar were spray inoculated with different Fusarium graminearum spore concentrations at anthesis to generate a range of IND levels. A one-stage cluster sampling approach was used to estimate IND, with an average of 32 spikes rated at each of 10 equally spaced points per plot. Plot-level mean IND ranged from 0.9 to 37.9%. Heterogeneity of IND, quantified by fitting unconditional hierarchical linear models, was higher among spikes within clusters than among clusters within plots or among plots. The projected relative error of mean IND increased as mean IND decreased, and as sample size decreased below 100 spikes per plot. Simple random samples were drawn with replacement 50,000 times from the original dataset for each plot and used to estimate the effects of sample sizes on mean IND. Samples of 100 or more spikes resulted in more precise estimates of mean IND than smaller samples. Poor sampling may result in inaccurate estimates of IND and poor interpretation of results.
In the End, There Is No Such Thing as Unconscious Racism: CRT/Asian American Crit Counterstories by Undergraduate Students During the Pandemic

This article emerged from undergraduate students in an Honors College class on critical race theory at the University of Utah during the spring semester 2020 during the pandemic. The counterstories evolve around critical race theory/Asian American Crit and the historical and current violence against the Asian American community in the United States. Given the recent anti-Asian American backlash which has emerged through the COVID-19 crisis, to the March 2021 murders of the Asian American women and others in Atlanta, we present these counterstories with the imperative of their importance for critical social justice to combat White supremacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Cultural Studies/Critical Methodologies is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
A theology of public life

Introduction: life in the epilogue, during the world Part I. A Theology of Engagement: Introduction 1. Life before God 2. Life in the world 3. Life together Part II. The Liturgy of Citizenship: Introduction 4. Faithful citizenship 5. Hopeful citizenship 6. Charitable citizenship Conclusion: The republic of grace or, the public ramifications of heaven.
Sources in the Development of Mathematics: Algebraic Analysis: The Calculus of Operations

Preliminary Remarks The operator or operational calculus, the method of treating differential operators as algebraic objects, was once thought to have originated with the English physicist and electrical engineer Oliver Heaviside (1850–1925). Indeed, Heaviside revived and brilliantly applied this method to problems in mathematical physics. But the basic ideas can actually be traced back to Leibniz and Lagrange who must be given credit as the founders of the operational method. With his notation for the differential and integral, Leibniz was able to regard some results on derivatives and integrals as analogs of algebraic results. The later insight of Lagrange was to extend this analogy to infinite series of differentials so that, in particular, he could write the Taylor expansion as an exponential function of a differential operator. In fact, this formal approach to infinite series appeared in the work of Newton himself. For Newton, infinite series in algebra served a purpose analogous to infinite decimals in arithmetic: They were necessary to carry out the algebraic operations to their completion. Newton's insightful algorithms using formal power series were of very wide applicability in analysis, algebra, and algebraic geometry; their power lay precisely in their formal nature. Thus, the algebraic analysis of the eighteenth century can trace its origins to Newton's genius. A branch of algebraic analysis focusing on the combinatorial aspects of power series was developed by the eighteenth-century German combinatorial school.
Gene translocation links insects and crustaceans

The evolutionary relationships among the four major lineages of arthropods remain controversial, despite extensive study. We report here a derived gene rearrangement common to insects and crustaceans but absent in the other arthropod groups. This finding strongly supports an insect-crustacean evolutionary lineage that is separate from those leading to myriapods and chelicerates.
Directional laser emission from square, spiral and mismatched semi-circular dye-doped polymer based micropillar cavities

Summary form only given. We report the first observation of spatially discrete laser emission from the side of a square microcavity. Spectrally resolved lasing modes were measured for four different sized squares. We observed unidirectional laser emission from the spiral that is quite different from the three-lobe pattern of the mismatched two semi-circles, although the two shapes appear identical.
The Jobs Model Forecast: Well Done in 2004

nomic performance, a conceptual variable lying at the core of most of these efforts. Take, as a representative example, the Growth Model in Table 1, Column 1. Its forecast for George W. Bush was 54.0% (almost exactly at the median for the abovementioned group of forecasters). This model was earlier reported by us, but rejected on grounds of specification error (Lewis-Beck and Tien 2004, 754). We argued that the changing nature of the American econ-
Esophagectomy and staged reconstruction.

Objective: Esophageal resection with diversion and staged reconstruction of the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract is an option in the management of complex problems. This study characterizes circumstances, indications, outcomes and their predictors for staged reconstruction, and estimates the optimal timing for reconstruction. Methods: Between October 1981 and March 1999, 43 patients were identified with planned staged reconstruction. Twenty-six had esophageal cancer, and 17 had complications of benign disease. Primary diversion with esophageal resection was needed in 16 patients, and secondary diversion with takedown of previous esophageal reconstruction was needed in 27. Common indications were failed esophageal anastomosis and esophageal perforation. Death before and death after reconstruction were considered as competing risks. Multivariable analyses were used to estimate the optimal timing of reconstruction. Results: The survival was 75, 21 and 9% at 3 months, 5 and 10 years, with survival only somewhat better (Pa 0:06) among patients having benign versus malignant disease. A similar proportion of patients died before reconstruction as underwent reconstruction, resulting in only 17 reconstructions, typically 9 months after diversion. The risk factors for death included cancer and primary diversion. The survival was best for benign disease when reconstruction was early. The survival was poor after reconstruction in the few patients with malignant disease. Conclusions: Patients requiring staged esophageal reconstruction are heterogeneous, with malignant or benign disease, and primary or secondary diversion. The outcome is poor, and is influenced by the pathology and timing of diversion. Patients with benign disease should be reconstructed as early as feasible; reconstruction is rarely indicated for patients with cancer. q 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
An Algorithmic 3D Rock Roughness Measure Using Local Depth Measurement Clusters

A computational algorithm which uses depth data from a reference plane to a rock fracture surface in calculating a new three-dimensional joint roughness coefficient is presented. Two independent sets of fracture data are investigated. The new coefficient is compared to Barton’s 2D joint roughness coefficient JRC. A measure indicating corrupt data is discussed. The algorithm is also used to show that, in general, rock roughness is only a local variable, not a directional one.
Conflicto político en el Poema de Fernán González

This article deals with the ways in which different political conflicts surrounding the emergence, independence, and consolidation of Castile as a political agent are managed and solved in the Poema de Fernan Gonzalez. It shows how internal conflicts within the Castilian community are settled by favoring an authoritarian vision of leadership, discouraging consensus and shared decision making. Regarding conflicts with other political domains, the poem legitimizes Castilian independence by means of a narrative that makes natural Castilian claims on Visigothic heritage, while at the same time presenting Castile as following legal procedures and as a victim of external aggression.
Assessment of Treatment Acceptability: A Review of the Literature

This paper reviews the treatment acceptability literature starting with Kazdin's (1977) and Wolfs (1978) earlier discussion of social validity. Treatment acceptability is defined, and the instruments used in its assessment are reviewed. The paper then discusses the research methodology (analogue or clinical) and reviews the individuals who have rated acceptability, as well as the treatments and problem behaviors that have been evaluated in the literature. Factors that may influence acceptability or produce changes in acceptability are discussed. Finally, the paper suggests how research in treatment acceptability may be extended to the field of early childhood special education.
Validation of checkout procedures by computer simulation.

Saturn 1 Instrument Unit electric networks computer simulation written in ATOLL for checkout computer to control network operations
A test of the normality assumption in ordered probit model

This paper presents a Lagrange multiplier test of the normality assumption underlying the ordered probit model. The test is presented both for the standard ordered probit model and a version in which censoring is present in the dependent variable. The test is then compared to normality tests proposed here compares favorably to tests based on artificial regression techinques.
Probabilistic assessment of structures with SPSW systems and LYP steel infill plates using fragility function method

Abstract Steel plate shear walls (SPSWs) have been used as primary lateral force-resisting systems in seismic design of new and retrofit of existing buildings. Employment of low yield point (LYP) steel infill plates with considerably low yield strength and high ductility, on the other hand, has been shown in a number of studies to improve the structural performance of SPSW systems. By considering the various sources of randomness and uncertainties involved in the design and retrofit process, adoption of a probabilistic methodology can result in a robust seismic performance assessment of such structural systems. This paper presents the results of a study on the seismic performance and vulnerability of retrofitted structures employing SPSW systems and LYP steel material through probabilistic seismic demand analysis (PSDA). Three 9-story code-designed and retrofitted structural models including a moment-resisting and two SPSW frames are considered. Appropriate seismic response and ground motion intensity parameters, and damage as well as repair states are selected. Structural and nonstructural drift and acceleration fragility functions are subsequently developed based on nonlinear time-history analysis results. The effectiveness of SPSW systems in improving the seismic performance and reducing the vulnerability of buildings is demonstrated through seismic response assessment and fragility analysis. Also, it is shown that employment of relatively thicker LYP steel infill plates in seismic design and retrofit of SPSWs results in smaller damage potential and better seismic performance of such systems.
Stability of a Lyapunov Controller for a Semi-active Structural Control System with Nonlinear Actuator Dynamics

Abstract We investigate semi-active control for a wide class of systems with scalar nonlinear semi-active actuator dynamics and consider the problem of designing control laws that guarantee stability and provide sufficient performance. Requiring the semi-active actuator to satisfy two general conditions, we present a method for designing quickest descent controllers generated from quadratic Lyapunov functions that guarantee asymptotic stability within the operating range of the semiactive device for the zero disturbance case. For the external excitation case, bounded-input, bounded-output stability is achieved and a stable attractor (ball of ultimate boundedness) of the system is computed based on the upper bound of the disturbances. We show that our wide class of systems covers, in particular, two nonlinear actuator models from the literature. Tuning the performance of the simple Lyapunov controllers is straightforward using either modal or state penalties. Simulation results are presented which indicate that the Lyapunov control laws can be selected to provide similar decay rates as a “time-optimal” controller for a semi-actively controlled single degree of freedom structure with no external excitation.
The Use of an Audience Response System in an Elementary School–Based Health Education Program

Background. The audience response system (ARS) allows students to respond and interact anonymously with teachers via small handheld wireless keypads. Despite increasing popularity in classroom settings, the application of these devices to health education programming has not been studied. We assessed feasibility, engagement, and learning among children using an ARS compared with traditional pencil–paper formats, (ARS) for a stroke health education program. Method. We compared outcome data generated via an ARS-based intervention to pencil–paper controls, including test scores and missing data rates among 265 schoolchildren 9 to 11 years old participating in stroke education. Among 119 children, we evaluated the feasibility of ARS use and explored student motivation with a 10-item questionnaire. We assessed facilitator experience with both methods. Results. ARS use is feasible. Students reported having more fun (p < .001), increased attention (p < .001), participation (p < .001), and perceived learning outc...
Effect of phase fraction on the tri-junction in two-phase nanoparticle systems

Abstract The equilibrium dihedral angles at the solid–solid–vapor tri-junctions of two-phase Cu–Ag alloy nanoparticles 40–100 nm in diameter were measured as a function of phase fraction using transmission electron microscopy. The {111} solid–solid interface was cusp-oriented while the surface orientations of the Cu-rich and Ag-rich phases at the tri-junction were mostly free to vary. The dihedral angles at the tri-junction were found to vary with the phase fraction, due to the coupling between the relative amounts of each phase and the equilibrium conditions at the tri-junction. This equilibrium condition was used to measure the ratio of the Ag-rich and Cu-rich surface energies to the {111} interfacial energy, which were found as 2.1 and 3.5, respectively.
Comparison of methods with respect to efficiencies, recoveries, and quantitation of mercury species interconversions in food demonstrated using tuna fish

Eight different analytical extraction procedures commonly used to extract mercury species from biological samples were evaluated by analyzing Tuna Fish Tissue Certified Reference Material (ERM-CE464) certified for the content of total mercury and methylmercury. Speciated isotope dilution mass spectrometry (SIDMS; US Environmental Protection Agency’s method 6800) was utilized to evaluate and effectively compensate for potential errors during measurement and accurately quantify mercury species using all the extraction methods. SIDMS was used to accurately evaluate species transformations during sample pretreatment, preparation and analysis protocols. The extraction methods tested in this paper were based on alkaline extraction with KOH or tetramethylammonium hydroxide; acid leaching with HCl, HNO3 or CH3COOH; extraction with l-cysteine hydrochloride; and enzymatic digestion with protease XIV. Detection of total mercury and mercury species from all extraction methods was carried out by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography–ICP-MS, respectively. Microwave-assisted extraction and ultrasound-assisted extraction were found to be the most efficient alkaline digestion protocols that caused the lowest levels of transformation of mercury species (6% or less). Extraction with 5 M HCl or enzymatic digestion with protease resulted in the second-highest extraction efficiency, with relatively lower transformation of methylmercury to inorganic mercury (3 and 1.4%, respectively). Despite frequent use of acid leaching for the extraction of mercury species from tuna fish samples, the lowest extraction efficiencies and the highest mercury species transformation were obtained when microwave-assisted extraction with 4 M HNO3 or CH3COOH was used. Transformations as high as 30% were found using some literature protocols; however, all the extractions tested produced accurate quantitation when corrected in accordance with the SIDMS method standardized in the US Environmental Protection Agency’s method 6800.
The Role of Color-Magnetic Monopoles in a Gluonic Plasma

Abstract The role of color-magnetic monopoles in a pure gauge plasma at high temperature T > 2 T c is considered. In this temperature regime, monopoles can be considered heavy, rare objects embedded into matter consisting mostly of the usual “electric” quasiparticles, quarks and gluons. The gluon-monopole scattering is found to hardly influence thermodynamic quantities, yet it produces a large transport cross section, significantly exceeding that for pQCD gluon-gluon scattering up to quite high T. This mechanism keeps viscosity small enough for hydrodynamics to work at LHC.
Efficient method for generating nuclear fractions from marrow stromal cells

Stem cells have received significant attention for their envisioned potential to treat currently unapproachable diseases. No less important is the utility of stem cells to serve as model systems of differentiation. Analyses at the transcriptome, miRNA and proteome levels have yielded valuable insights into events underlying stem cell differentiation. Proteomic analysis is often cumbersome, detecting changes in hundreds of proteins that require subsequent identification and validation. Targeted analysis of nuclear constituents would simplify proteomic studies, focusing efforts on transcription factor abundance and modification. To facilitate such studies, a simple and efficient methodology to isolate pure nuclear fractions from Marrow Stromal Cells (MSCs), a clinically relevant stem cell population, has been developed. The modified protocol greatly enhances cell disruption, yielding free nuclei without attached cell body remnants. Light and electron microscopic analysis of purified nuclei demonstrated that preparations contained predominantly intact nuclei with minimal cytoplasmic contamination. Western analysis revealed an approximately eightfold enrichment of the transcription factor CREB in the isolated nuclei over that in the starting homogenates. This simple method for isolation of highly purified nuclear fractions from stem cell populations will allow rigorous examination of nuclear proteins critical for differentiation.
Reversal of visual discrimination problem and differential frustration effects in dominant and submissive rats

Two experiments are reported comparing performance in dominant and submissive rats as determined by a food-competition procedure. Ss in Experiment I were either trained to criterion or overtrained before being reversed on a visual discrimination task. Although the two groups did not differ significantly in learning the initial task, the dominant Ss were significantly slower on reversal than the submissives. Experiment II, which utilized a tandem runway, showed that when the reinforcer which maintained the running response was not available in the first goalbox, submissive rats responded with a greater increase in running speed in the second runway than dominant rats. These findings were discussed as reflecting motivational differences between dominant and submissive rats.
Atomic resolution analytical microscopy

It is possible under favorable circumstances to identify composition, bonding, and electronic structure with atomic resolution in microelectronic device structures. In current device structures, where only a few interface atoms can dominate the performance of a device, this can contribute important understanding relevant to product development. This paper is a brief overview of work in our laboratory using scanning transmission electron microscopy to achieve such capabilities.
Finding effective support-tree preconditioners

In 1995, Gremban, Miller, and Zagha introduced support-tree preconditioners and a parallel algorithm called support-tree conjugate gradient (STCG) for solving linear systems of the form Ax = b, where A is an n x n Laplacian matrix. A Laplacian is a symmetric matrix in which the off-diagonal entries are non-positive, and the row and column sums are zero. A Laplacian A with 2m off-diagonal non-zeros can be interpreted as an undirected positively-weighted graph G with n vertices and m edges, where there is an edge between two vertices i and j with weight c((i,j)) = --Ai,j = --Aj,i if Ai,j = Aj,i ‹ 0. Gremban et al showed experimentally that STCG performs well on several classes of graphs commonly used in scientific computations. In his thesis, Gremban also proved upper bounds on the number of iterations required for STCG to converge for certain classes of graphs. In this paper, we present an algorithm for finding a preconditioner for an arbitrary graph G = (V,E) with n vertices, m edges, and a weight function c › 0 on the edges, where w.l.o.g., mine∈ec(e) = 1. Equipped with this preconditioner, STCG requires O(log4n · √Δ/α) iterations, where α = minU⊂V,|U|≤|V|/2c(U,V\U)/|U| is the minimum edge expansion of the graph, and Δ = maxυ∈Vc(υ) is the maximum incident weight on any vertex. Each iteration requires O(m) work and can be implemented in O(log n) steps in parallel, using only O(m) space. Our results generalize to matrices that are symmetric and diagonally-dominant (SDD).
Personality as a source of individual differences in cognition among older African Americans

Previous research suggests that demographic factors are important correlates of cognitive functioning in African Americans; however, less attention has been given to the influence of personality. The present study explored how dimensions and facets of personality predicted individual variability in cognition in a sample of older African Americans from the Baltimore Study of Black Aging. Cognition was assessed by verbal learning and attention/working memory measures. Personality was measured by the NEO Personality Inventory. Linear regressions controlling for demographic factors showed that Neuroticism, Openness, and Agreeableness were significant regression predictors of cognitive performance. Individual facets of all five personality dimensions were also associated with cognitive performance. These findings suggest personality is important in understanding variability in cognition among older African Americans.
Vision: a moving hill for spatial updating on the fly.

A new study reveals a dynamic neural map that provides a continuous representation of remembered visual stimulus locations with respect to constantly changing gaze. This finding suggests a new mechanistic framework for understanding the spatial dynamics of goal-directed action.
Lead-induced cell proliferation and organ-specific tumorigenicity.

While lead acetate is a renal carcinogen in rodent studies, the mechanism by which it induces cancer has not been established. This report proposes that the enhanced susceptibility of renal tubular epithelial cells to lead-induced mitogenicity at the levels comparable to those administered in the cancer bioassay may contribute to the carcinogenic response seen in this target organ. Of relevance is that the nonresponsiveness of the liver to lead-induced carcinogenicity was associated with significantly less capacity (i.e., 675-fold) of lead to induce the mitogenic response in the rodent liver.
Functional heterogeneity of polymorphisms in the human organic anion transporter, OAT3 (SLC22A8)

Background The human organic anion transporter, OAT3 (SLC22A8), mediates renal excretion of various drugs including cephalosporins. To test whether genetic variants of OAT3 exhibit altered function in vitro and in vivo, we conducted a series of studies. Methods Coding region variants of OAT3 were identified in an ethnically diverse population of 276 humans. Variants were constructed by site-directed mutagenesis and expressed in human embryonic kidney cells. Cellular uptake of radiolabeled estrone sulfate (ES) was determined in the presence and absence of 5 mM cefotaxime. To evaluate in vivo variant function, subjects with selected alleles were given an IV dose of 2 gm cefotaxime and serial blood and urine cefotaxime concentrations were measured. Results We discovered 10 non-synonymous OAT3 variants. In in vitro assays, three variants (F>L, A>S, V>I) showed minimally reduced ( W, I>F) showed moderately reduced (33–66%) uptake; and four (R>S, Q>X, I>R, A>V) were non-functional. Cefotaxime significantly inhibited ES uptake by all variants that retained function. Preliminary results of the in vivo trial show that two subjects (one heterozygous for I>F, and one with both Q>X and R>S alleles) had reduced cefotaxime renal clearance compared to two controls. Conclusions We identified a number of OAT3 variants with reduced function. Preliminary results suggest that individuals with these variants have reduced renal cefotaxime clearance. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2005) 77, P96–P96; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2004.12.260
Prostaglandin E inhibition of mitogen stimulation in patients with multiple sclerosis

Abstract Kirbey et al have reported that leukocyte function from patients with multiple sclerosis is not suppressed by PGE2, as are normal leukocytes. We examined the ability of PGE2 (0.01–0.5 μg/ml) to suppress Phytohemagglutinin induced 3H-thymidine incorporation in peripheral blood lymphocytes from multiple sclerosis patients and normals. There was no difference in sensitivity between the two groups. There was also no difference in activity of the prostaglandin producing suppressor cell between the multiple sclerosis patients and controls.
On performance of quadrant-recursive spatial orders

The performance of many computational paradigms can be considerably improved by using appropriate quadrant-recursive spatial orders. The Hilbert order has received intensive interest in literature. Its encoding and decoding processes, however, are time-consuming. It is desired to design new spatial orders that are competitive with the Hilbert order in performance yet require simpler encoding and decoding procedures. In this paper, several new quadrant-recursive spatial orders are proposed. Of them the Q4 order behaves best, and its algorithm is more efficient than the corresponding algorithm of the Hilbert order.
A model for gas‐liquid slug flow at reduced gravity conditions

The gas-liquid slug flow pattern exists over a broad range of flow rate space at reduced gravity conditions and for that reason is expected to be widespread in many space applications. The objective of this work was to develop a model predicting the characteristics of slug flow at reduced gravity including the bubble length, shape, velocity and other properties of the slug flow. Observations derived from low-gravity experiments suggested the use of a boundary layer-type approach. Multiple solutions exist, and a criterion for selecting the solution which corresponds to experimental observation is indicated.