cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Estimating Overwater Friction Velocity and Exponent of Power-Law Wind Profile from Gust Factor during Storms

During storms, the effects of wind loading and drift currents are among the major hazards to offshore structures. In order to objectively determine overwater friction velocity and the exponent of the power-law wind profile, the concept of in-situ gust factor, which reflects the composite effect of air-sea interaction, is employed. During Hurricane Kate in 1985, pertinent meteorological and oceanographic parameters including wind speeds at the standard 10 m height were measured by National Data Buoy Center buoy 42003, located along the hurricane path at 25.88°N and 85.95°W. It is demonstrated that, during this storm, the mechanical turbulence dominates the thermal effect and the exponent of the power-law wind profile is nearly equal to the turbulence intensity in the downwind direction. Relationships among friction velocity, gust factor, and the exponent of the power-law wind profile are also found and provided for engineering applications.
Plasma rotation and rf heating in DIII-D

In a variety of discharge conditions on DIII-D it is observed that rf electron heating reduces the toroidal rotation speed and core ion temperature. The rf heating can be with either fast wave or electron cyclotron heating and this effect is insensitive to the details of the launched toroidal wavenumber spectrum. To date all target discharges have rotation first established with co-directed neutral beam injection. A possible cause is enhanced ion momentum and thermal diffusivity due to electron heating effectively creating greater anomalous viscosity. Another is that a counter directed toroidal force is applied to the bulk plasma via rf driven radial current.
Applying the “Model of Recovering Alcoholics' Behavior Stages and Goal Setting” to nursing practice

In 1990, the author developed the Model of Recovering Alcoholics' Behavior Stages and Goal Setting as a result of grounded theory research. The model explains the natural progression of recovery through four behavior stages. Each stage is characterized by specific patient goals. Application of the model provides a framework for nursing care planning that is both stage-focused and patient-centered. In this article, the author discusses nursing intervention in relation to the model.
Initial post-buckling behavior of toroidal shell segments☆

Initial postbuckling behavior of double curvature shell segments under several loading conditions determined, using Koiter theory
‘Fraught with Implications’, or Turner’s Back-burner:

This article argues that the works of Terence Turner constitute an important advancement in understanding the object of anthropology’s disciplinary concern - culture. Inspired by the dialectical te...
Efficiency of antisense oligonucleotide drug discovery.

The costs for discovering and developing new drugs continue to escalate, with current estimates that the average cost is more than $800 million for each new drug brought to the market. Pharmaceutical companies are under enormous pressure to increase their efficiency for bringing new drugs to the market by third-party payers, shareholders, and their patients, and at the same time regulators are placing increased demands on the industry. To be successful in the future, pharmaceutical companies must change how they discover and develop new drugs. So far, new technologies have done little to increase overall efficiency of the industry and have added additional costs. Platform technologies such as monoclonal antibodies and antisense oligonucleotides have the potential of reducing costs for discovery of new drugs, in that many of the steps required for traditional small molecules can be skipped or streamlined. Additionally the success of identifying a drug candidate is much higher with platform technologies com...
Untangling spider silk evolution with spidroin terminal domains

Spidroins are a unique family of large, structural proteins that make up the bulk of spider silk fibers. Due to the highly variable nature of their repetitive sequences, spidroin evolutionary relationships have principally been determined from their non-repetitive carboxy (C)-terminal domains, though they offer limited character data. The few known spidroin amino (N)-terminal domains have been difficult to obtain, but potentially contain critical phylogenetic information for reconstructing the diversification of spider silks. Here we used silk gland expression data (ESTs) from highly divergent species to evaluate the functional significance and phylogenetic utility of spidroin N-terminal domains. We report 11 additional spidroin N-termini found by sequencing ~1,900 silk gland cDNAs from nine spider species that shared a common ancestor > 240 million years ago. In contrast to their hyper-variable repetitive regions, spidroin N-terminal domains have retained striking similarities in sequence identity, predicted secondary structure, and hydrophobicity. Through separate and combined phylogenetic analyses of N-terminal domains and their corresponding C-termini, we find that combined analysis produces the most resolved trees and that N-termini contribute more support and less conflict than the C-termini. These analyses show that paralogs largely group by silk gland type, except for the major ampullate spidroins. Moreover, spidroin structural motifs associated with superior tensile strength arose early in the history of this gene family, whereas a motif conferring greater extensibility convergently evolved in two distantly related paralogs. A non-repetitive N-terminal domain appears to be a universal attribute of spidroin proteins, likely retained from the origin of spider silk production. Since this time, spidroin N-termini have maintained several features, consistent with this domain playing a key role in silk assembly. Phylogenetic analyses of the conserved N- and C-terminal domains illustrate dramatic radiation of the spidroin gene family, involving extensive duplications, shifts in expression patterns and extreme diversification of repetitive structural sequences that endow spider silks with an unparalleled range of mechanical properties.
Regional left ventricular wall thickening by magnetic resonance imaging: evaluation in normal persons and patients with global and regional dysfunction.

Gated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides excellent anatomic evaluation of the heart, but its capability for assessing cardiac physiology is less clear. Accordingly, regional left ventricular (LV) wall thickening was evaluated by multiphasic transverse images in 37 patients with a variety of myocardial diseases and in 9 normal subjects. Angiography and 2-dimensional echocardiography (2-D echo) were used for comparison. End-diastolic and end-systolic wall thickness, absolute systolic wall thickening and percent systolic wall thickening were determined in 7 regions. Mean systolic wall thickening in normal subjects was not significantly different among the regions. However, there was considerable individual variation in wall thickening, ranging from 18 to 100%. Patients with LV hypertrophy (n = 4), amyloid cardiomyopathy (n = 1), constrictive pericarditis (n = 5), and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (n = 3) had absolute and percent systolic wall thickening within normal limits. Infarcted segments in patients with ischemic heart disease (n = 17) had reduced absolute and percent systolic wall thickening, often combined with diastolic wall thinning, whereas mean percent systolic wall thickening in adjacent normal myocardial regions was higher than in normal volunteers (p
Do-Not-Hospitalize Orders for Individuals with Advanced Dementia: Healthcare Proxies' Perspectives

Objectives: To determine how well healthcare proxies (HCPs) understand do-not-hospitalize (DNH) orders and why they may or may not initiate them. Design: Semistructured qualitative interviews. Setting: Two nursing homes in western Massachusetts. Participants: HCPs of nursing home residents with advanced dementia. Measurement: In-depth interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Data were qualitatively analyzed in an iterative process, and emergent concepts were conceptually ordered into explanatory categories. Pertinent demographic and clinical information was collected from the Minimum Data Set (MDS) and patient charts. Results: Sixteen of 31 eligible HCPs were interviewed. Major findings included barriers to and facilitators of initiating DNH orders. Barriers included a perceived lack of physician involvement in decision-making and limited understanding of DNH orders and the resident's prognosis. Facilitators included a HCPs' personal experience in health care, understanding the prognosis of advanced dementia, and a desire to limit resident distress. Conclusion: The potential barriers to and facilitators of HCPs initiating DNH orders identified in this study suggest that HCPs may benefit from more in-depth discussions with healthcare providers when making this decision. Interventions to address these barriers may improve the capacity of HCPs to make informed decisions about DNH orders that reflect individuals' values and wishes.
Tributary and mainstem benthic macroinvertebrate communities linked by direct dispersal and indirect habitat alteration

Benthic communities in tributary–mainstem networks might interact via downstream drift of invertebrates or material from tributaries and adult dispersal from the mainstem. Depending on the strength of these interactions, mainstem downstream communities are expected to be more similar to tributary communities due to drift or habitat alteration. Communities not connected by flow are expected to be similar due to adult dispersal but decreasing in similarity with distance from the mainstem. We investigated interactions between invertebrate communities of a 7th order river and 5th order tributary by comparing benthic community structure in the river upstream and downstream of the tributary confluence and upstream in the tributary. Non-metric multidimensional scaling showed invertebrate communities and habitat traits from river locations directly downstream of the tributary clustered tightly, intermediate between tributary and mid-channel river locations. In addition, Bray–Curtis dissimilarity increased between the mainstem and tributary with distance upstream in the tributary. Our results indicate that similarities between mainstem and tributary communities are potentially caused by direct mass effects from tributary to downstream mainstem communities by invertebrate drift and indirect mass effects by habitat restructuring via material delivery from the tributary, as well as potential effects of adult dispersal from the river on proximal tributary communities.
Graphically driven interactive finite element stress reanalysis for machine elements in the early design stage

In this work a new graphically driven interactive stress reanalysis finite element technique has been developed so that an engineer can easily carry out manual geometric changes in a machine element during the early design stage. The interface allow an engineer to model a machine element in the commercial finite element code ANSYS® and then modify part geometry graphically to see instantaneous graphical changes in the stress and displacement contour plots. A reanalysis technique is used to enhance the computational performance for solving the modified problem; with the aim of obtaining results of acceptable accuracy in a short a period of time in order to emphasize the interactive nature of the design process.Three case studies are considered to demonstrate the effectiveness of the prototype graphically driven reanalysis finite element technique. The finite element type considered is a plane stress four-node quadrilateral based on a homogenous, isotropic, linear elastic material. The first two problems consider a plate with hole and plate with fillets. These two examples demonstrate that by changing the hole and fillet size/shape, an engineer can manually obtain an optimum design based on the stress concentration factor, i.e. engineer-driven optimization process. Each case study considered multiple redesigns. A combined approximation reanalysis method is used to solve each redesigned problem. The third case study considers a support bracket. The goal is to design the cantilever portion of the bracket to have uniform strength and to minimize the stress concentration at the fillet.
Thyroxine suppresses thrombocytopoiesis and stimulates erythropoiesis in mice.

Thyroxine has been shown in vitro to stimulate erythropoiesis by two mechanisms: a direct, beta 2-adrenergic receptor-mediated stimulation of red cell precursors, and an indirect, erythropoietin-mediated mechanism. Clinical reports have suggested that excess thyroxine also exerts depressive effects on thrombocytopoiesis, but the most sensitive methods of assessing platelet production, i.e., percentage of 35S incorporation into platelets and determination of megakaryocyte size and number, are not appropriate for analysis of platelet production in human patients. The purpose of this study was to use a mouse model to investigate the effects of the hyperthyroid state on erythropoiesis and thrombocytopoiesis, and to assess in vivo the two mechanisms by which thyroxine has been described to stimulate erythropoiesis in vitro. We found that thyroxine administration significantly depressed platelet production and stimulated erythropoiesis in mice. Both the D- and L-isomers of thyroxine in appropriate doses produced this depression of thrombocytopoiesis, and the effect was dose dependent for both isomers. Daily administration of thyroxine:increased blood volume; decreased the peripheral platelet count, total circulating platelet count and mass, percentage of 35S incorporation into platelets, and megakaryocyte number and size; and concurrently increased indices of red cell production (packed cell volume, red blood cell count, total circulating red blood cell count and mass, and reticulocyte count). Additionally, propranolol, a nonspecific beta-blocker, partially reversed the suppression of platelet production by L-thyroxine, lending credence to the assertion that the direct, beta 2-adrenergic receptor-mediated stimulation of the erythroid cell line by thyroxine reported to exist in vitro may also be important in vivo.
An open-label study of anakinra for the treatment of moderate to severe hidradenitis suppurativa

Background Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by sterile abscesses and fistulae predominantly affecting the axillae and groin. Various biologic agents have been attempted for HS, but there is still no definitive treatment. Objectives We sought to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of anakinra in the treatment of moderate to severe HS. Methods Six patients with moderate to severe HS were enrolled in an open-label study with all patients receiving active treatment for 8 weeks with an additional 8 weeks of follow-up off therapy. Results The 5 patients who completed the 8-week therapy showed a significant mean decrease in their modified Sartorius score of 34.8 points. The physician and patient global assessment of overall activity showed significant reductions between baseline and 8 weeks of therapy: 45.8 points and 35.6 points, respectively. The Dermatology Life Quality Index showed a significant reduction after 8 weeks of treatment with anakinra. Functional T-cell analysis revealed that patients had increased percentages of CD3 + T cells in lesional skin compared with nonlesional skin before therapy. Limitations The limited number of patients and lack of control group are limitations. Conclusions Anakinra demonstrated decreased HS disease activity by both objective and subjective measures.
Optimal connections : strength and distance in valued graphs

Abstract We identify some issues in measuring the strongest path connecting pairs of actors that arise in attempts to generalize binary graph concepts to valued graphs. Neither Peay’s path value nor Flament’s path length indicators take into account the costs of interacting via long chains of intermediaries. We proposed two alternative measures of optimal connections between dyads, respectively, dividing each measure by the distance between a pair (number of lines in a path). We illustrate these average path value (APV) and average path length (APL) measures with a hypothetical five-actor valued graph, observing instances where an indirect path may yield a stronger connection than a direct path. Computer programs to calculate these measures out to three steps for small graphs are available on request.
Ionic transport in mixed sodium rubidium aluminogermanate glass

Abstract Ionic conductivity measurements have been made as a function of temperature and Na/Rb ratio on six series of x (Na, Rb) 2 O: y Al 2 O 3 :(1- x - y )GeO 2 glasses where (1- x - y )=0.9, 0.8,and0.7 and y / x =0.33 and 1.0. The three series with x ⩾0.15 exhibit the common characteristics of mixed alkali glasses; a maximum in the enthalpy for conductivity, H m , for glasses with Na/ (Na+Rb)≌0.4. No maximum in H m was observed in glasses with x ≤0.1. The pre-exponential factors for the conductivity are analyzed to obtain relative values of the physical correlation factor or percolation efficiency, ƒ I . The relative values of ƒ I show a maximum at Na/(Na+Rb)≌0.5 for each of the glass series. An explanation for the mixed alkali effect is given in terms of the temperature dependence of ƒ I .
A high-glycemic meal pattern elicited increased subjective appetite sensations in overweight and obese women.

Abstract We examined the effects of variations in postprandial glycemia and insulinemia on subjective satiety in overweight and obese women. We altered the ingestion rate of a glucose beverage to model the postprandial effects of high- and low-glycemic meals. Fourteen women were tested in a within-subjects’ design with two conditions: (1) Rapid, with a large glucose beverage consumed with breakfast and lunch and (2) Slow, with the same volume of glucose beverage consumed in eight portions (one with each meal, and the remaining seven at 20-min intervals after each meal). Meals were identical in the two conditions. Subjective appetitive sensations were measured with visual analog scales before and after meals, and hourly after each meal until 5 pm. Serum glucose and insulin were measured at similar time points. Subjects reported higher ratings of hunger and prospective consumption in the Rapid versus Slow condition at 4 h after breakfast and several hours after lunch. Serum glucose was more strongly correlated with the appetitive ratings in the Rapid than the Slow condition, and explained more of the variance (20–31%) than insulin (2–4%). The results of this study support the glucostatic theory linking dynamic changes in blood glucose with appetitive sensations.
‘Rules of the game’ during the International Gold Standard: England and Germany

Abstract The paper suggests an alternative framework to test hypotheses about central bank policy rules during the International Gold Standard. This framework is inspired by work of Mundell (1968) on optimal central bank policies, and more recent literature on the theory of economic policy, which stems from Luca's (1976) critique. Empirical tests obtained from this approach are quite different from those appearing in the empirical literature on the Gold Standard. The results of the tests indicate that the Bank of England was not optimally targeting international gold flows. Inthe case of the Rechsbank, the hyphothesis that international gold flows were optimally targeted is not rejected at the 5 per level. Thus the data suggest that the Reichsbank was following the ‘rules of the game’, whereas the Bank of England was not.
Conductance map of the United States (progress report)

Abstract Efforts to determine the conductivity in the Earth at lithospheric and mantle depths are inhibited by the effect of conductive rocks and sea water at the surface on the behavior of electromagnetic fields. Experience has suggested that the surface effect can be modeled as though that layer were vanishingly thin but with a non-zero conductance. A map of the conductance of the surface layer in the 48 coterminous United States is being compiled using electrical conductivity surveys run in deep oil wells as a source of data. Surface conductance values range from less than 1 S in areas of basement outcrop to values of 5000–6000 S in deep, young sedimentary basins, such as those along the southern Gulf Coast of the United States.
An Orientation‐Independent Imaging Technique for the Classification of Blood Cells

This study presents an orientation independent imaging technique for the classification and recognition of blood cells with relevant applications to related problems in cytometry and medical diagnosis. The proposed method integrates three important aspects towards its practical implementation: 1. The use of the principal component (PC) transform to reorient in an optimal fashion the image data and to make of the feature matching an orientation independent process; 2. The establishment of similarity measures to quantify the matching process of the shape of the blood cell populations with any chosen degree of certainty; and 3. The application of the recognition and classification processes once all the similarity measurements are gathered. An extension of this two-dimensional (2-D) method to a three-dimensional (3-D) base is proposed. Results of this technique using real-world image data of blood cell populations are given. It is appropriate to note that although the images used here are real-world samples of blood cell populations, other samples containing different biological specimens could have been used just as well.
Project Icarus: Analysis of Plasma jet driven Magneto-Inertial Fusion as potential primary propulsion driver for the Icarus probe

Abstract Hopes of sending probes to another star other than the Sun are currently limited by the maturity of advanced propulsion technologies. One of the few candidate propulsion systems for providing interstellar flight capabilities is nuclear fusion. In the past many fusion propulsion concepts have been proposed and some of them have even been explored in detail, Project Daedalus for example. However, as scientific progress in this field has advanced, new fusion concepts have emerged that merit evaluation as potential drivers for interstellar missions. Plasma jet driven Magneto-Inertial Fusion (PJMIF) is one of those concepts. PJMIF involves a salvo of converging plasma jets that form a uniform liner, which compresses a magnetized target to fusion conditions. It is an Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF)–Magnetic Confinement Fusion (MCF) hybrid approach that has the potential for a multitude of benefits over both ICF and MCF, such as lower system mass and significantly lower cost. This paper concentrates on a thermodynamic assessment of basic performance parameters necessary for utilization of PJMIF as a candidate propulsion system for the Project Icarus mission. These parameters include: specific impulse, thrust, exhaust velocity, mass of the engine system, mass of the fuel required etc. This is a submission of the Project Icarus Study Group.
Sex differences in novelty- and psychostimulant-induced behaviors of C57BL/6 mice

Women are more sensitive than men to psychostimulants and progress from initial use to drug addiction more quickly. The mouse has been an under-utilized model to study sex differences in psychostimulant action. Mice could serve as an ideal genetically tractable model for mechanistic studies into sex and hormone effects on psychostimulant behavior. The objective of this study was to characterize psychostimulant effects in male and female mice with a combination of automated data collection and behavioral observation. Male and female C57BL/6 mice (Charles River) were given a single dose or sequential ascending binge doses of d-amphetamine (AMPH) or cocaine (COC). Behavior was assessed in open field chambers using both automated photobeam interruptions and behavioral observations. Brain psychostimulant concentrations were determined at the time of maximum behavioral stimulation. Psychostimulants induced behavioral activation in mice including both increased locomotion as detected with an automated system and a sequence of behaviors progressing from stereotyped sniffing at low doses to patterned locomotion and rearing at high doses. Females exhibited more patterned locomotion and a shift towards higher behavior scores after either psychostimulant despite having lower AMPH and equivalent COC brain levels as males. Female C57BL/6 mice exhibit enhanced psychostimulant-induced behavior compared to males, similar to reports in rats. The combination of automated behavioral measures and behavioral observation was essential for verifying the existence of these differences. These results indicate the importance of testing both sexes when characterizing genetically manipulated mice to control for potential sex-specific effects.
Les études visuelles et le tournant iconique

Comment l’etude d’une culture visuelle peut-elle repondre a l’interet croissant porte a la « presence » de l’image ? Ce souci phenomenologique pour la capacite de l’objet a determiner sa propre reception ne pourrait-il pas s’associer a des approches qui mettent en valeur son potentiel politique ? Est-il possible de concevoir l’image a la fois comme « presentation » et comme « representation » ?
Auricular Transcutaneous Electrostimulation Therapy and Intensive Counseling for the Treatment of Smoking Cessation in a Primary Care Practice

Auricular transcutaneous electrostimulation therapy (ATET) which is currently used to treat cigarette smoking in many practices needs further evaluation. The purpose of this study is to explore the efficacy of ATET as an adjunctive treatment to intensive individual counseling on smoking cessation in a primary care practice. The data were collected from 29 subjects who received treatment for smoking addiction that included intensive counseling and ATET. Patients completed a demographic data form, the “Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence,” the “What Are Your Triggers Test” and the “Why Do I Smoke Quiz.” ATET was administered after intensive counseling which stressed benefits of smoking cessation, identified barriers to quitting and developed strategies to overcome these barriers. Follow-up data relied on self-reported smoking cessation during office visits or telephone contact. The smoking cessation rate in this study was 89.7% at 1 week, 73.4% at 3 months, 48.3% at 6 months and 44.8% at 12 months respe...
Transforming Growth Factor-β Regulates DNA Binding Activity of Transcription Factor Fli1 by p300/CREB-binding Protein-associated Factor-dependent Acetylation

Fli1, a member of Ets transcriptional factors, has been shown to be a negative regulator of collagen gene expression in dermal fibroblasts. Although Fli1 down-regulation is implicated in pathological matrix remodeling such as cutaneous fibrosis in scleroderma, very little is known about the post-translational mechanisms regulating Fli1 function. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of acetylation, one of the main post-translational regulatory mechanisms, in regulating Fli1 activity. We initially demonstrated that Fli1 is acetylated by transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 in dermal fibroblasts. An in vivo acetylation assay using 293T cells revealed that Fli1 is mainly acetylated by the histone acetyltransferase activity of p300/CBP-associated factor (PCAF) at lysine 380. Acetylation of Fli1 resulted in a decreased stability of Fli1 protein. More importantly, reduced binding of acetylated Fli1 to the human α2(I) collagen (COL1A2) promoter was observed in DNA affinity precipitation and chromatin immunoprecipitation. Conversely, a Fli1 K380R mutant that is resistant to acetylation by PCAF showed increased DNA binding ability. Furthermore, PCAF overexpression reversed the inhibitory effect of Fli1 on TGF-β1-mediated COL1A2 promoter activity. In contrast, the Fli1 K380R mutant had a greater inhibitory effect on TGF-β1-induced COL1A2 promoter activity than wild-type Fli1, and PCAF failed to reverse this effect. These results indicate that PCAF-dependent acetylation of lysine 380 abrogates repressor function of Fli1 with respect to collagen gene expression. Furthermore, these data strongly suggest that the TGF-β-dependent acetylation of Fli1 may represent the principal mechanism responsible for the TGF-β-induced dissociation of Fli1 from the collagen promoter.
Shock tube studies of deuterium dissociation and oxidation by atomic resonance absorption spectrophotometry

The technique of Atomic Resonance Absorption Spectrophotometry (ARAS) was used to measure deuterium atom concentration profiles in the reaction zones behind both primary and reflected shock waves. Calibration of the ARAS technique over a wide range of D atom concentrations, 3×10 11 to 3×10 14 atom cm −3 , enabled accurate rate measurements to be made of the dissociation reaction: D 2 +Ar→D+D+Ar, over the temperature range 1800 to 4000°K and yielded the Arrhenius expression k d (D 2 +Ar)=2.4×10 −10 exp (−93,400/ RT ) cm 3 molecule −1 sec −1 . The rates of other reactions which included the isotope exchange reactions: H 2 +D→HD+H and D 2 +H→HD+D, and the sequence of oxidation reactions: O 2 +D→ OD+O, D 2 +O→OD+D, and D 2 +OD→D 2 O+D, were also studied at temperatures in the range 1700 to 3100°K.
From philosophy to poetry changes in psychoanalytic discourse

This paper addresses some assumptions underlying psychoanalytic theories. It uses Rorty's concepts of philosophy and poetry to capture distinctions: the former a search for universal truths and the latter an emphasis on meanings in discourse. Freud's embeddedness in 19th‐century positivism organized his metatheorical assumptions, while some object relational theorists are inclined toward a con‐structivist point of view. For many theoreticians these two vantage points overlap; others insist on a sundering of the two. I maintain that polarizing these two positions is not useful. Both philosophical stances ask different kinds of questions and both types of questions are important for a general as well as clinical theory of psychoanalysis.
Mutation of Walker-A lysine 464 in cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator reveals functional interaction between its nucleotide-binding domains

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) chloride channel bears two nucleotide-binding domains (NBD1 and NBD2) that control its ATP-dependent gating. Exactly how these NBDs control gating is controversial. To address this issue, we examined channels with a Walker-A lysine mutation in NBD1 (K464A) using the patch clamp technique. K464A mutants have an ATP dependence (EC50≈ 60 μm) and opening rate at 2.75 mm ATP (∼ 2.1 s−1) similar to wild type (EC50≈ 97 μm; ∼ 2.0 s−1). However, K464A's closing rate at 2.75 mm ATP (∼ 3.6 s−1) is faster than that of wild type (∼ 2.1 s−1), suggesting involvement of NBD1 in nucleotide-dependent closing. Delay of closing in wild type by adenylyl imidodiphosphate (AMP-PNP), a non-hydrolysable ATP analogue, is markedly diminished in K464A mutants due to reduction in AMP-PNP's apparent on-rate and acceleration of its apparent off-rate (∼ 2- and ∼ 10-fold, respectively). Since the delay of closing by AMP-PNP is thought to occur via NBD2, K464A's effect on the NBD2 mutant K1250A was examined. In sharp contrast to K464A, K1250A single mutants exhibit reduced opening (∼ 0.055 s−1) and closing (∼ 0.006 s−1) rates at millimolar [ATP], suggesting a role for K1250 in both opening and closing. At millimolar [ATP], K464A-K1250A double mutants close ∼ 5-fold faster (∼ 0.029 s−1) than K1250A but open with a similar rate (∼ 0.059 s−1), indicating an effect of K464A on NBD2 function. In summary, our results reveal that both of CFTR's functionally asymmetric NBDs participate in nucleotide-dependent closing, which provides important constraints for NBD-mediated gating models.
On the mechanism of the palladium(0)-catalyzed isomerization of epoxides to carbonyl compounds

Abstract The isomerization of trans-3-methyl-2-(2-naphthyl)oxirane to 2-naphthylpropanone by Pd(OAc)2/PBu3 in C6H6 is first order in both epoxide and in palladium catalyst, with activation parameters of Δ H † = 12.5 kcal/mol and Δ S † = −35.7 e.u. . A comparison of the isomerization rates of trans-3-methyl-2-(2-naphthyl)oxirane and trans-3-deuterio-3-methyl-2-(2-naphthyl)oxirane reveals a kinetic isotope effect ( k H k D ) of 1.01 (±0.09). The reaction rates in benzene and acetonitrile are very similar; however, changing from benzene to a hydrogen bond-donating solvent (t-BuOH) increases the reaction rate substantially. These observations are consistent with a mechanism involving: (1) turnover-limiting SN2 attack of Pd(0) at the benzylic position of the epoxide; (b) rapid β-hydride elimination to form a Pd(II) hydrido-enolate complex; and (c) fast reductive elimination to afford the ketone, with concomitant regeneration of the Pd(0) catalyst.
Scheduling independent jobs for torus connected networks with/without link contention

In this paper, we investigate the problem of how to schedule n independent jobs on an m × m torus based network. We develop a model to to quantify the effect of contention for communication links on the dilation of job execution time when multiple jobs share communication links; we then design an efficient algorithm to schedule a set of n independent jobs with different torus size requirements on a given torus with an objective to minimize the total schedule length. We also develop a feasibility algorithm for pre-emptively scheduling a given set of jobs on a torus of given size with a given deadline. We provide analysis for both the algorithms.
Individual differences in personality, position in the organization, and job satisfaction☆

Abstract Recent research has demonstrated that affective responses to work are related more directly to the structural characteristics of the organization than to individual differences. Individual characteristics, however, have often been thought to be antecedent to job satisfaction, but relevant empirical evidence supporting this notion has not been accumulated. The research reported here examines the relationships among 13 individual traits, 3 structural characteristics of the position, and 5 aspects of job satisfaction. Partial correlations were first used to control for the effects of the structural characteristics, and canonical correlations computed to assess relationships among personality variables and job satisfaction. No significant relationships were found. Canonical correlations between structural characteristics and job satisfaction with personality traits partialled out were significant. These results were validated by randomly splitting the sample and recomputing the analyses. The general hypothesis that individual work-related traits affect job satisfaction was supported only insofar as intrinsic traits may predict attainment of position. Structural characteristics appear to be more directly linked to job attitudes than personality traits.
The quiet midlatitude D-region: a comparison between modeling efforts and experimental measurements

Abstract Two long-standing problems in the atmospheric sciences have been the correct modeling of the ion chemistry in the earth's atmosphere and the proper determination of the ion species and densities through in situ measurements. Comparison between experimental data and simulations of the data by computer modeling of atmospheric chemistry is a means of validating the model as well as indicating which processes are in need of further study. The DAIRCHEM computer code is used here to simulate data taken in the midlatitude D-region during quiet conditions. On the one hand, comparison between the total positive ion density profile derived from rocket measurements and the one computed by the code shows very good agreement in the 30–90 km range, with the exception that the simulated ion profile is somewhat smaller than the experimental one in the 60–75 km region. Such discrepancy is only partially explained by the inherent uncertainties in the NO density profile or the total ionization rate profile. On the other hand, comparison between the measured and the computed electron density profiles shows that the measured profile is consistently smaller than the computed profile in the 65–85 km range. We interpret this discrepancy as a deficiency in the modeling of the negative ion chemistry. Also, this deficiency is probably the main cause of the disparity between the total positive ion density profiles in the corresponding altitude range. It is felt that the positive ion chemistry of the D-region is reasonably well understood. However, the negative ion chemistry is in need of further study. Specifically, alternate electron attachment/detachment processes should be considered, as well as an as yet undetermined, possibly very massive, negative species which may affect the ion recombination rates.
High-power room-temperature continuous-wave operation of quantum cascade lasers grown by GasMBE

Very high power continuous-wave quantum cascade lasers are demonstrated in the mid-infrared (3 - 6 μm) wavelength range. λ~6 μm high-reflectivity coated QCLs are demonstrated producing over 370 mW continuous-wave power at room temperature with continuous-wave operation up to 333 K. Advanced heterostructure geometries, including the use of a thick electroplated gold, epilayer-side heat sink and a buried-ridge heterostructure are demonstrated to improve laser performance significantly when combined with narrow laser ridges. Recent significant improvements in CW operation are presented and include the development if narrow (9 μm-wide) ridges for high temperature CW operation. GasMBE growth of the strain-balanced λ~6 μm QCL heterostructure is discussed. X-ray diffraction measurements are presented and compared to computer simulations that indicate excellent layer and compositional uniformity of the structure.
Lessons Learned from Optics Flown on the Materials International Space Station Experiment

The Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE) provided opportunities to study the effect of the low earth orbit space environment on materials. This paper presents observations made on optical samples flown as part of MISSE.
The use of a microporous polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane filter to separate contaminating viral particles from biologically important proteins.

Viral agents (influenza A virus, 80-120 nm; phage T1, 50 nm head, 150 nm head, 150 nm tail; phage PR772, 53 nm; poliovirus, 28-30 nm; and phage PP7, 25 nm) were used to determine the ability of a newly developed, modified polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane filter to remove viruses from several fluids. These included ultrapure water, Dulbecco's modified Eagle minimum essential medium (DMEM) and DMEM with 10% fetal bovine serum (DMEM-10). Small volume (10 ml) filtration experiments were done with 47-mm disks while larger volumes (1 litre) were done with virus suspended in DMEM-10, using cartridge filters with a surface area of 1.63 m2. With 47-mm disks, influenza A virus and phage T1 were removed to below detectable limits in all fluids tested (titre reduction [Tr] > 2.0 x 10(6) and > 5.8 x 10(8), respectively). The retention of phage PP7 and poliovirus was consistent but fluid dependent. The greatest concentration of phage PP7 and poliovirus was removed from ultrapure water (phage PP7, Tr = 2.1 x 10(7); poliovirus, TR > 3.2 x 10(4), while the removal efficiency from DMEM-10 was substantially lower (phage PP7, Tr = 2.3; poliovirus, Tr = 2.1 x 10(2)). Results of cartridge challenges in DMEM-10 were comparable to the corresponding small disk challenges. These results demonstrate that this PVDF membrane filter was very effective (Tr > 10(6)) in removing viral particles (> 50 nm); smaller viruses ( 90%. Efficient virus retention coupled with high recovery of protein < 150,000 Da suggest potential applications of this membrane filter, when protection against adventitious viral contaminants is desired.
Full or partial market coverage? A note on spatial competition with elastic demand

In this paper, a spatial model is used to endogenously determine product locations and prices when consumers have an elastic demand with a finite reservation price. I show under which condition a two-stage Bertrand–Nash equilibrium yields maximal product differentiation with full market covering. Additionally, this paper highlights the effects of a change in the reservation price and in the utility loss rate on the equilibrium values of the model. The ambiguous effect of a change in the utility loss rate on prices constitutes a rather puzzling result. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Anticoagulation: Practice Focus in an Ambulatory Clinic:

Pharmacy practice is in an era of change. Opportunities for clinical practice are not only available in the inpatient setting but also in the ambulatory milieu. Anticoagulation is an excellent area for pharmacist involvement in patient care in the outpatient setting. This article describes the rationale and steps necessary for developing and maintaining a pharmacist-managed warfarin anticoagulation clinic. A discussion of the methodology necessary for justification and implementation of such services is presented. Salient points regarding warfarin use will also be covered.
Kaon B-parameter in mixed action chiral perturbation theory

We calculate the kaon B-parameter, B{sub K}, in chiral perturbation theory for a partially quenched, mixed action theory with Ginsparg-Wilson valence quarks and staggered sea quarks. We find that the resulting expression is similar to that in the continuum, and in fact has only two additional unknown parameters. At one-loop order, taste-symmetry violations in the staggered sea sector only contribute to flavor-disconnected diagrams by generating an {Omicron}(a{sup 2}) shift to the masses of taste-singlet sea-sea mesons. Lattice discretization errors also give rise to an analytic term which shifts the tree-level value of B{sub K} by an amount of {Omicron}(a{sup 2}). This term, however, is not strictly due to taste-breaking, and is therefore also present in the expression for B{sub K} for pure G-W lattice fermions. We also present a numerical study of the mixed B{sub K} expression in order to demonstrate that both discretization errors and finite volume effects are small and under control on the MILC improved staggered lattices.
Simulating Ground Water‐Lake Interactions: Approaches and Insights

Approaches for modeling lake-ground water interactions have evolved significantly from early simulations that used fixed lake stages specified as constant head to sophisticated LAK packages for MODFLOW. Although model input can be complex, the LAK package capabilities and output are superior to methods that rely on a fixed lake stage and compare well to other simple methods where lake stage can be calculated. Regardless of the approach, guidelines presented here for model grid size, location of three-dimensional flow, and extent of vertical capture can facilitate the construction of appropriately detailed models that simulate important lake-ground water interactions without adding unnecessary complexity. In addition to MODFLOW approaches, lake simulation has been formulated in terms of analytic elements. The analytic element lake package had acceptable agreement with a published LAKI problem, even though there were differences in the total lake conductance and number of layers used in the two models. The grid size used in the original LAKI problem, however, violated a grid size guideline presented in this paper. Grid sensitivity analyses demonstrated that an appreciable discrepancy in the distribution of stream and lake flux was related to the large grid size used in the original LAKI problem. This artifact is expected regardless of MODFLOW LAK package used. When the grid size was reduced, a finite-difference formulation approached the analytic element results. These insights and guidelines can help ensure that the proper lake simulation tool is being selected and applied.
3D force prediction using fingernail imaging with automated calibration

This paper demonstrates a system for 3D force prediction using fingernail imaging, in which video images of the human fingernail are used to predict the normal and shear forces that occur when the finger is in contact with a flat surface. The automated calibration uses a magnetic levitation haptic device (MLHD) whose flotor has been modified to apply forces to the human fingerpad. The system accurately predicts forces with an RMS error of 0.3N normal force, 6% of the full range of 10N, and a shear force error of 0.3N, 3% of the full range of ±2.5N. This paper also demonstrates that varying the number of pixels used to represent the finger between 100 and 500 pixels has little effect on the results, indicating that a real-time application could use low-resolution images without loss of accuracy.
Increased incidence of hematologic malignancies in first-degree relatives of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Cases of leukemia in more than one family member occur rarely. Family members of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) may, however, be at increased risk of hematologic malignancy. The charts of all patients with CLL (29) seen by the author from 1987 through 1989 were reviewed and living patients specifically questioned about family history of malignancy. Ten of the 29 (34%) had a first-degree relative with a hematologic malignancy. Three patients had a first-degree relative with CLL including a pair of identical twins. Two additional patients had a spouse with a lymphoid malignancy. No differences were found in serum immunoglobulin levels between those patients with a family history of hematologic neoplasia and those without. The lymphocytes of the majority of patients with a family history of hematologic neoplasia (60%) expressed kappa light chains as did those without (70%). An increased incidence of lymphoid malignancy has been reported in western Ashkenazi Jews and in particular those of Russian descent. The majority of our cases were of Jewish origin and came from Eastern Europe. Seven of 10 patients with a family history of hematologic neoplasia were from Eastern Europe. In contrast only one of three patients with CLL who had a first-degree relative with CLL was of Jewish origin.
Prosthetic reinforcement of posterior cruroplasty during laparoscopic hiatal herniorrhaphy

Symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux after Nissen fundoplication may occur if the wrap herniates into the thorax. In an attempt to prevent recurrent hiatal hernia we employed polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) mesh reinforcement of posterior cruroplasty during laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication and hiatal herniorrhaphy. Three patients with symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux and a large (≥8 cm) hiatal defect underwent laparoscopic posterior cruroplasty and Nissen fundoplication. The cruroplasty was reinforced with a PTFE onlay. No perioperative complications occurred, and in follow-up (≤11 months) the patients are doing well. When repairing a large defect of the esophageal hiatus during fundoplication, the surgeon may consider reinforcement of the repair with PTFE mesh.