cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Unsupervised Embedding of Hierarchical Structure in Euclidean Space.

Deep embedding methods have influenced many areas of unsupervised learning. However, the best methods for learning hierarchical structure use non-Euclidean representations, whereas Euclidean geometry underlies the theory behind many hierarchical clustering algorithms. To bridge the gap between these two areas, we consider learning a non-linear embedding of data into Euclidean space as a way to improve the hierarchical clustering produced by agglomerative algorithms. To learn the embedding, we revisit using a variational autoencoder with a Gaussian mixture prior, and we show that rescaling the latent space embedding and then applying Ward's linkage-based algorithm leads to improved results for both dendrogram purity and the Moseley-Wang cost function. Finally, we complement our empirical results with a theoretical explanation of the success of this approach. We study a synthetic model of the embedded vectors and prove that Ward's method exactly recovers the planted hierarchical clustering with high probability.
Suspense-Optimal College Football Play-Offs

U.S. college football’s traditional bowl system, and lack of a postseason play-off tournament, has been controversial for years. The conventional wisdom is that a play-off would be a more fair way ...
Least Conservative Critical Boundaries of Multiple Hypothesis Testing in a Range of Correlation Values

Under suitable assumptions we prove that there does not exist a perfect exact multiple test procedure that would apply simultaneously to any positive correlation coefficient even with a known distr...
Cornus: One-Phase Commit for Cloud Databases with Storage Disaggregation.

Two-phase commit (2PC) has been widely used in distributed databases to ensure atomicity for distributed transactions. However, 2PC suffers from two limitations. First, 2PC incurs long latency as it requires two logging operations on the critical path. Second, when a coordinator fails, a participant may be blocked waiting for the coordinator's decision, leading to indefinitely long latency and low throughput. We make a key observation that modern cloud databases feature a storage disaggregation architecture, which allows a transaction's final decision to not rely on the central coordinator. We propose Cornus, a one-phase commit (1PC) protocol specifically designed for this architecture. Cornus can solve the two problems mentioned above by leveraging the fact that all compute nodes are able to access and modify the log data on any storage node. We present Cornus in detail, formally prove its correctness, develop certain optimization techniques, and evaluate against 2PC on YCSB and TPC-C workloads. The results show that Cornus can achieve 1.5x speedup in latency.
"Having a non-normative body for me is about survival": Androgynous body ideal among trans and nonbinary individuals.

Abstract The present study focused on trans and nonbinary (TNB) individuals who have an androgynous or non-stereotypical body ideal, with attention to how their body ideal is conceptualized and maintained. Data were collected online from 76 TNB individuals. Based on responses to two open-ended prompts, a two-tiered analysis was conducted. First, thematic analysis was used to develop four central themes describing the way TNB individuals conceptualized their androgynous body ideal: 1) Attaining Neutrality and De-Categorizing Gender; 2) Disaggregating Gender Expression; 3) Managing Gender Dysphoria; and 4) Achieving Authenticity. Second, content analysis was used to document 12 behaviors engaged in or actions taken for the purpose of approaching or maintaining an androgynous or non-stereotypical body ideal. These were grouped into 3 main categories: gender expression (clothes, hair, make-up, body modifications), body shape (weight, muscularity, eating/diet), and sex characteristics (hormone therapy, body hair, vocal, chest, genitals). Results of the present study expand the current body ideal literature by including TNB narratives and by focusing specifically on the ways an androgynous body ideal is conceptualized and maintained. Research and clinical implications are discussed.
Abstract 115: Neutrophil extracellular traps express PD-L1 which promotes T cell exhaustion in the tumor microenvironment

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) have recently been implicated in the growth of tumors, however their impact on immune cells within the tumor microenvironment (TME) remain incompletely understood. We hypothesize that NETs can directly interact with infiltrating T cells to promote an immunosuppressive TME. We performed liver Ischemia/Reperfusion (I/R) in an established colorectal cancer metastasis model to induce NET formation in the TME. In this NET-rich TME we discovered elevated levels of phenotypically and functionally exhausted T cells. We demonstrated that the majority of CD4 and CD8 T cells are not effector cells, but rather express multiple inhibitory receptors and are highly dysfunctional, with reduced cytokine production and proliferative capacity. This effect was limited to the T cells present the the NET-rich TME in comparison to T cells isolated from the spleen. In vitro, NETs contained the immunosuppressive ligand PD-L1 responsible for T cell exhaustion; an effect abrogated by using PD-L1 KO NETs. This exhausted state was directly linked to mitochondrial dysfunction in the T cells. Furthermore, NETs were targeted in vivo by treating mice with DNAse or anti-PD-L1 at time of I/R. Treatment caused decreased metastatic burden, decreased NET formation and higher levels of functioning non-exhausted T cells. Conversely, injecting NETs in tumors led to acceleration of tumor growth and T cell exhaustion in the TME. In addition, we measured sPDL-1 and MPO-DNA, a NET marker, in the serum of patients undergoing surgery for colorectal liver metastases resection. High levels of both markers were significantly associated with decreased disease free survival. Neutrophils isolated from patients after surgery were primed to form NETs that caused a similar exhaustion and dysfunction of human CD4 and CD8 T cells. Our data thus reveal that NETs have the capability of suppressing T cell responses and promoting tumor growth. This mechanism of T cell suppression by NETs represents a viable target for sustaining immune competence within the TME. Citation Format: Christof Kaltenmeier, Hamza Yazdani, Samer Tohme. Neutrophil extracellular traps express PD-L1 which promotes T cell exhaustion in the tumor microenvironment [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 115.
1493 Infants attending the paediatric emergency department with feeding difficulties & referrals to nurse led infant feeding clinic

Background Infants with feeding difficulties are a common presentation to the Paediatric Emergency Department (PED). Families have often seen their General Practitioner/Health Visitor (HV) but have felt it necessary to attend the PED acutely, this has especially been an issue due to COVID with reduced access to Primary Care services. In Autumn 2020 a new pathway was introduced for PED clinicians to refer directly to a specific ‘Infant Feeding Clinic’ (IFC). This is run within the hospital by a Paediatric Nurse and HV. There are clear referral criteria and infants who have been assessed in PED are offered a virtual/face to face consultation. Objectives To assess whether infants presenting to PED with feeding problems are being appropriately referred to IFC. To assess the presentation and management of infant feeding problems in the local paediatric population. Methods Retrospective case-note audit on infants 34 weeks gestation, no known co-morbidities, no red flags as per regional Infant feeding pathway, no evidence of faltering growth. Results 30 infants were identified attending with a feeding problem to the PED. Mean age was 58 days (range 3–149 days old), 25 were formula fed, 3 breast fed & 2 breast fed with formula top ups. There were a range of presenting complaints – the majority being ‘unsettled’ or ‘reflux’. 53% were first time parents, 33% had already seen their GP and 20% already attended an ED previously for the same problem. 58% of infants had no treatment, the remaining patients being prescribed hydrolysed formula (16%), gaviscon/carobel (23%) or Omeprazole (3%). Despite CMPA being 40% of patients’ final PED diagnosis only 16% were prescribed a hydrolysed formula (table 1). Once seen at the IFC the mean number of patient reviews was 2 visits. 78% had further treatment or onward referrals (eg allergy clinic), 11% had no further action and 11% were not brought to their appointment. Conclusions Feeding problems are a common presentation to the PED. GOR & CMPA are the most common diagnoses. GOR appeared to be over-diagnosed in the PED but CMPA appeared to be comparable from PED to the IFC. 58% of infants received no medication in the PED. 60% of infants were referred on to the IFC for further care with 27% discharged to their GP/HV (table 2). This audit shows that direct access from PED to an infant feeding clinic with clear referral criteria is beneficial for this group of patients and provides a valuable service.
Enhancement of dynein-mediated autophagosome trafficking and autophagy maturation by ROS in mouse coronary arterial myocytes (1077.10)

We have recently demonstrated that dynein-mediated autophagosome (AP) trafficking contributes to the formation of autophagolysosomes (APLs) and autophagic flux process in coronary arterial myocytes (CAMs). It remains unknown how the function of dynein as a motor protein for AP trafficking is regulated under physiological and pathological conditions. The present study tested a hypothesis that the dynein-mediated autophagy maturation is regulated by a redox signaling mechanism associated with NADPH oxidase. First, we showed that in primary cultures of CAMs reactive oxygen species (ROS) including H2O2 and O2-. generated by xanthine/xanthine oxidase (X/XO) significantly increased APs as shown by largely increased level of LC3B, an AP marker. It was also found that ROS dramatically increased the number of APLs in CAMs as shown by flow cytometic analysis of APLs using acridine orange. Furthermore, fluorescent confocal microscopy demonstrated that both ROS increased the fusion of APs with lysosomes in CAMs as de...
RESEARCH PRODUCTIVITY AND SELECTED CHARACTERISTICS OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS RESEARCH AND TEACHING FACULTY IN THE SOUTHERN REGION

Economics. Among universities contributing to major national economic journals, only one Data for the study were gathered as part of a of the top twelve was in the Southern region. general survey of 500 randomly selected acaAn obvious question raised by these findings is demic agricultural economists at major land to what extent do agricultural economics grant universities.' Questionnaires mailed in faculty in the Southern region differ in terms February 1980 had been pretested and deof research productivity and rewards from signed to secure individual information withtheir colleagues in other regions. A related out threatening respondent anonymity. question is how faculty trained in the Southern Faculty members were extremely responsive region have fared professionally in comparison to the mailed questionnaire: 313 questionwith faculty trained outside the South. In naires were returned, of which 275 were deterother words, do the research productivity of mined to be appropriate for consideration in faculty and the institutional characteristics of the general sample. 2 Of the persons who sent one's school of graduate training influence re- usable responses, 197 held a Ph.D. degree and search productivity after graduation? had a research appointment of 10 percent or Conspicuously absent from our under- more. These individuals formed the sample standing of faculty activities and rewards is upon which our results are based. information on average faculty performance in For the descriptive and comparative analyselected categories. Knowledge of mean per- sis, individuals at institutions in the Southern formance offers faculty and administrators a region were separated from the rest of the norm with which the performance of individ- sample. Regional definitions were based on uals can be compared. Young faculty would Peck and Babb's study of employment and mofind such information useful in setting inter- bility patterns of agricultural economists. The mediate goals and determining a pace for Southern region is defined to include the folachieving such goals. Administrators and lowing universities: Auburn, Arkansas, college-wide promotion committees should find Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana State, such information useful in comparing the per- Mississippi State, North Carolina State, Clemformance of individual faculty for salary and son, Tennessee, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, promotion decisions.
Evolution of Vertebrate Fibrin Formation and the Process of its Dissolution

The thrombin-catalysed conversion of fibrinogen into a fibrin gel is common to all extant vertebrates. Because fibrin formation is both temporary and risky, an effective scheme for fibrinolysis evolved concomitantly. In this regard, the fibrinogen molecule is well adapted both for network polymerization and for subsequent dismantling. The question is, has it always been so? It has long been known that the three non-identical chains that compose vertebrate fibrinogen are descended from a common ancestor, and the original molecule must have been either a homotrimer or a dimer thereof. Three-dimensional studies on core fragments of fibrinogen are revealing new insights about both fibrin formation and its destruction. These studies are also showing exactly what structural changes have accompanied changes in function for the various domains. Chief among these is the reversal of direction for the alpha chain after replacement of its C-terminal domain.
Abstract 15761: New Onset Atrial Fibrillation After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation: A Pooled Meta-Analysis

Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) after cardiac surgery is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Data comparing the occurrence of AF after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) is unknown. Methods: We identified all studies reporting outcomes after TAVI in all available electronic databases. Meta-analysis of all the studies was performed using random effects model to a) evaluate the incidence of AF and b) compare the incidence of AF between TAVI and SAVR. Results: The incidence of AF was reported in 7 studies, 5 prospective observational studies and 2 randomized controlled studies. The cumulative event rate for new onset AF at 30 days after TAVI was 0.1 (95% CI; 0.06 -0.17). Three studies reported incidence of AF after TAVI and SAVR. The odds ratio (OR) of developing new onset AF with TAVI compared to SAVR was 0.3 (95% CI; 0.10 - 0.88) at 30 days. One year outcome of new onset AF was reported in only two studies. Although, the incidence of AF was lower in the TAVI group, this did not reach statistical significance (OR 0.7, 95% CI; 0.46 -1.07). Conclusion: The incidence of new onset AF after TAVI is 10% within the first 30 days. This risk is 70% lower in patients undergoing TAVI compared to SAVR. The impact of AF after TAVI in terms of stroke, mortality and future recurrences of AF are unknown. Further studies are therefore necessary to study these outcomes.
Introduction and Preliminaries

This chapter presents an assortment of material, covered in varying degrees of detail, which is needed as background material for the rest of this book. Students with a strong background in mathematics can probably skim some of the sections in this chapter. Section 1.1 discusses why differential equations are important to study in engineering. Section 1.2 discusses functions in mathematics, which is important not only because functions are solutions to differential equations but also because it helps define the types of variables that appear in differential equations. Implicit functions are also reviewed. The most important sections in this chapter are Sections 1.3 and 1.4 because they present new material that is used throughout the entire book related to the types of differential equations and their solutions. Section 1.5 reviews concepts from mechanical and electronic systems, including the properties of the common elements that make up simple electromechanical engineering systems. Finally, Section 1.6 presents the most basic method to use a computer to determine an approximate solution to an initial value problem for a given ordinary differential equation. More advanced numerical methods are considered in Chapter 12, but this introductory material is presented so that, even in the earliest chapters, students can check their work using a computer-solving method.
On-Farm Corn Fertilizer Trials

All cropping systems require fertilizer inputs in order to maintain crop yields. However, excess fertilizer, especially nitrogen and phosphorus, can increase problems with water quality. Starter fertilizer applied with the corn planter has been shown to sometimes increase corn yields. It is important for farmers to use the appropriate rates and methods of fertilizer application to optimize corn yields and minimize the impact on the environment.
Public participation in national forest management: a case study of the Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia

What does the public contribute to the decision-making process? Congress has mandated that the public be involved in environmental and natural resource policy-making, yet little is understood about what the public actually contributes to these decision-making processes. This research analyzes the public comments from an important national forest planning process to determine exactly who participated what they said and how they said if to better understand how the role for the public should be defined in environmental and natural resource decision-making efforts.
Design and evaluation of reconfigurable ultrasonic testing system

Ultrasonic data acquisition systems used in the medical imaging and nondestructive testing applications have critical requirements in order to be capable of evaluating and prototyping ultrasound applications. In this paper, a system-on-chip (SoC) based reconfigurable ultrasonic testing system (RUTS) is developed for implementation of high-speed ultrasonic signal processing algorithms. RUTS comprises of a fully reconfigurable analog front-end (AFE) sub-system for efficient data acquisition, and a Xilinx Zynq SoC module for dynamic feature control. Computationally intensive ultrasonic signal processing algorithms are implemented on Zynq SoC using hardware-software co-design methodologies. AFE supports up to 8 transducers for phased-array implementation. This Linux-based system is analyzed for ultrasonic data compression implementation providing a very versatile environment for further ultrasound system development and research work.
The Mosaic Theory in Individual Rights Litigation: On the Genealogy and Expansion of a Concept

This Article explores the use of the concept of “mosaics” in individual rights litigation, a topic that has received virtually no scholarly attention. Originally a construct used in analysis of intelligence data, the mosaic theory has been transposed to the litigation context and applied in a range of recent caselaw. Here, I examine its use in two settings that have important implications for individual liberties: to support the state secrets privilege as a form of information control, and to defeat habeas petitions filed by “war on terror” detainees. We can see the mosaic concept used in two distinct ways here: restrictively to inhibit information development by the public, and expansively to enhance information development by the government. These uses of the “mosaic theory” threaten civil liberties and thwart processes of ensuring executive accountability. I argue that courts can and should limit the use of the mosaic theory in the contexts I discuss. Mosaics will likely remain part of the narrative structure of legal claims and defenses, but we should resist the absorption of “mosaic” into the grammar
DualSum: a Topic-Model based approach for update summarization

Update summarization is a new challenge in multi-document summarization focusing on summarizing a set of recent documents relatively to another set of earlier documents. We present an unsupervised probabilistic approach to model novelty in a document collection and apply it to the generation of update summaries. The new model, called Dualsum, results in the second or third position in terms of the ROUGE metrics when tuned for previous TAC competitions and tested on TAC-2011, being statistically indistinguishable from the winning system. A manual evaluation of the generated summaries shows state-of-the art results for Dualsum with respect to focus, coherence and overall responsiveness.
Mechanical engineering of a linac for the Spallation Neutron Source

The linac for the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) Project will accelerate an average current of 1 mA of H/sup -/ ions from 20 MeV to 1 GeV for injection into an accumulator ring. The linac will be an intense source of H/sup -/ ions and as such requires advanced design techniques to meet project technical goals as well as to minimize costs. The DTL, CCDTL and CCL are 466 m long and operate at 805 MHz with a maximum H/sup -/ input current of 28 mA and 7% RF duty factor. The drift tube linac is a copper-plated steel structure using permanent magnet quadrupoles. The coupled-cavity portions are brazed Cu structures and use electromagnetic quads. RF losses in the copper are 80 MW peak, with RF power supplied by 52 klystrons. Additionally, the linac is to be upgraded to the 2and 4-MW beam power levels with no increase in duty factor. We give an overview of the linac mechanical engineering effort and discuss the special challenges and status of the effort.
OR29 Computer assisted algorithm for assessing HLA DPB1 donor:recipient compatibility

Aim In November 2014, the OPTN/UNOS Board of Directors mandated that DPB1(DP) typing be performed for deceased donors (DD) predicated on data showing that a significant number of highly sensitized patients possessed antibodies to these antigens (AJT 15:284; 2015). Currently, there are >430 DP alleles but only 27 are represented on single antigen bead (SAB) products. Thus, for donor DP antigens that do not correspond to a SAB, a sensitized recipient’s compatibility cannot be easily determined. To address this problem, we developed a computer-assisted tool to assess donor:recipient (D/R) DPB1 compatibility. Methods We compared the amino acid (AA) sequence of D/R DP alleles to the AA sequence of DP alleles to which the recipient had antibodies as defined by SAB testing. Compatibility assessments were based on the 6 recognized hypervariable regions (HVRs A-F) for DPB1 (Tissue Antigens 75:278; 2010) associated with HLA antibodies. Based on this comparison, donor DP alleles were classified as “incompatible” or “likely compatible” using a custom Java web application. Results This software tool creates a static equivalency table for all DP alleles, classifying them based on similarity of the 6 HVRs. Furthermore, it specifically compares the D/R HVR AA sequences and renders an assessment of compatibility (Fig. 1). Conclusions Given the impending requirement for DP typing, we reasoned that a tool to predict D/R DP compatibility would be useful, particularly since there are far more DP alleles than present on any current SAB products. While the software tool successfully identified incompatible pairings, it was limited to differences in the 6 common HVRs; the tool was not designed to identify incompatibilities due to SNP differences between DP alleles sharing the same 6 HVRs. Nonetheless, we believe this tool will be an invaluable asset to organ allocation, readily identifying incompatibilities between donors and recipients for the 6 DP HVRs and, by extension, inferring when compatibility between donors and recipients is likely. Download : Download full-size image
Effect of intrathecal amikacin administration and repeated centesis on digital flexor tendon sheath synovial fluid in horses.

Objective— To determine the effect of intrathecal amikacin administration and repeated tenovaginocentesis on the total nucleated cell count (TNCC), total protein (TP) concentration and cytologic characteristics of synovial fluid of the equine digital flexor tendon sheath (DFTS). Study Design— Randomized, cross-over experimental design. Animals— Adult horses (n=8). Methods— Synovial fluid was aseptically collected from the DFTS and either 1 mL amikacin sulfate (250 mg/mL) or lactated Ringer's solution (LRS) was injected into the DFTS. Serial synovial fluid samples were obtained at 0, 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours. The opposite treatment was administered to the contralateral DFTS after a washout period of 2 weeks. Results— Treatment increased TP concentration, TNCC, percentage of neutrophils, and neutrophil counts from baseline levels. There was no difference between treatment of the DFTS with amikacin or LRS. Values peaked at 12–24 hours after the initial centesis and then declined toward baseline levels. Conclusions— Injection and repeat centesis of the normal DFTS with 250 mg amikacin or an equivalent volume of LRS resulted in mild increases in synovial fluid analytes from baseline. Synovial inflammation in this study was not accompanied by lameness at the walk and measured analytes returned toward baseline levels within 12–24 hours of first injection. Clinical Relevance— The effect of tenovaginocentesis and intrathecal administration of amikacin or LRS on DFTS synovial fluid values are modest in most horses; however, some horses can develop marked increases in synovial fluid values that may be interpreted as sepsis.
The Inertia of Adjustment of the Eye for Clear Seeing at Different Distances.

This is a study of the time required to adjust the eye for clear seeing at different distances. The article contains a description of the apparatus and method used in making the determinations and a statement of the results obtained under certain selected conditions. Other types of ocular lag are also considered briefly in passing and points bearing on the application of. the method to the selection of aviators, to the work of the clinic, etc., are discussed.
Calpain-dependent endoproteolytic cleavage of PrPSc modulates scrapie prion propagation.

Abstract Previous studies using post-mortem human brain extracts demonstrated that PrP in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) brains is cleaved by a cellular protease to generate a C-terminal fragment, referred to as C2, which has the same molecular weight as PrP-(27–30), the protease-resistant core of PrPSc (1). The role of this endoproteolytic cleavage of PrP in prion pathogenesis and the identity of the cellular protease responsible for production of the C2 cleavage product has not been explored. To address these issues we have taken a combination of pharmacological and genetic approaches using persistently infected scrapie mouse brain (SMB) cells. We confirm that production of C2 is the predominant cleavage event of PrPSc in the brains of scrapie-infected mice and that SMB cells faithfully recapitulate the diverse intracellular proteolytic processing events of PrPSc and PrPC observed in vivo. While increases in intracellular calcium (Ca2+) levels in prion-infected cell cultures stimulate the production of the PrPSc cleavage product, pharmacological inhibitors of calpains and overexpression of the endogenous calpain inhibitor, calpastatin, prevent the production of C2. In contrast, inhibitors of lysosomal proteases, caspases, and the proteasome have no effect on C2 production in SMB cells. Calpain inhibition also prevents the accumulation of PrPSc in SMB and persistently infected ScN2A cells, whereas bioassay of inhibitor-treated cell cultures demonstrates that calpain inhibition results in reduced prion titers compared with control-treated cultures assessed in parallel. Our observations suggest that calpain-mediated endoproteolytic cleavage of PrPSc may be an important event in prion propagation.
A qualitative factor analysis of renewable energy and Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) in the Asia-Pacific

This study assesses the factors responsible for the success and failure of renewable energy access programs in Bangladesh, China, Laos, Mongolia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea. Based on 441 research interviews over the course of four years, site visits to 90 renewable energy facilities, and focus groups with almost 800 community members in 10 countries, this study develops a series of overarching qualitative factors that correlate with programs that met their targets, sometimes ahead of schedule, and produced measurable benefits exceeding costs. The inverse of these factors is associated with programs that did not meet their targets, were behind schedule, and/or produced measurable costs exceeding benefits. It concludes by offering 10 lessons for energy analysts and development practitioners concerning appropriate technology, income generation, financing, political leadership, capacity building, programmatic flexibility, marketing and awareness, stakeholder engagement, community ownership, and technical standardization.
String models of interfacial pattern formation

Abstract We introduce a new approach to describe the dynamics of interfacial pattern formation. The central idea is that local properties may dominate the dynamics of the interface in many realistic situations. Here we have chosen to present a model for dendritic solidification where the basic mechanism which allows pattern formation — the Mullins-Sekerka instability — is well understood. In this and many other cases where the dynamics is driven by an additional field such as thermal or chemical diffusion, the coupling of this field to the interface may be phenomenologically described by a boundary layer with its own dynamics. With the inclusion of the non-equilibrium effect of crystalline anisotropy, our preliminary results appear to reproduce the observed dynamics of dendritic growth.
Dinitrogen fixation of soybean and alfalfa: comparison of the isotope dilution and difference methods.

Abstract Measurement of N 2 -fixation by either the isotope dilution technique (IDT) or difference method (DM) involves comparison of a N 2 -fixing (or test) crop with a non-N 2 -fixing control. We compared non-nodulating soybean ( Glycine max [L.] Merr.) and ineffectively nodulating alfalfa ( Medicago sativa L.) as controls for the IDT and DM with their normal, effectively nodulated counterparts in field experiments on a soil (Typic Hapludoll) with high and low available N. Dry matter production and distribution, and partitioning of total N and 15 N in the N 2 -fixing and non-fixing counterparts of each species were investigated. The agreement and precision of the IDT and DM using whole plant compared with shoot samples were determined. The N 2 -fixing and non-fixing isolines of soybean and the two populations of alfalfa were similar in dry matter, total N, and 15 N partitioning in the plant and individual organs when both species were grown at high available soil N. Under lower available soil N, differences in dry matter, total N, and 15 N partitioning occurred between the roots and seeds of the soybean isolines but not between the organs of the alfalfa populations. Values of N 2 -fixation measured on shoots or whole plants of each species by IDT and DM were not significantly different, suggesting that inclusion of roots and nodules is not necessary for accurate estimation of N 2 -fixation. The agreement between whole plant and shoot sampling data suggests that the differential partitioning of 15 N among organs of the soybean isolines was of no importance to measurement of N 2 -fixation by IDT at individual harvests or over the entire season. The non-N 2 -fixing soybean isoline and alfalfa population used were suitable controls for the IDT or DM. However, the DM will probably underestimate N 2 -fixation compared to the IDT and will also be less precise.
Thalictrum Alkaloids I: Thalicarpine, A New Hypotensive Alkaloid from Thalictrum dasycarpum

A preliminary study of the roots of Thalictrum dasycarpum Fisch. and Lall from Wisconsin yielded magnoflorine and a new alkaloid, thalicarpine. Evidence is presented for assignment to thalicarpine of the empirical formula C 41 H 48 O 8 N 2. carpine was evaluated in a variety of pharmacologic procedures and found to possess a modicum of biological activity.
SIMULTANEOUS PARALLEL REDUCTION ON SIMD MACHINES

Proper distribution of operations among parallel processors in a large scientific computation executed on a distributed-memory machine can significantly reduce the total computation time. In this paper, we propose an operation called simultaneous parallel reduction(SPR), that is amenable to such optimization. SPR performs reduction operations in parallel, each operation reducing a one-dimensional consecutive section of a distributed array. Each element of the distributed array is used as an operand to many reductions executed concurrently over the overlapping array's sections. SPR is distinct from a more commonly considered parallel reduction which concurrently evaluates a single reduction. In this paper we consider SPR on Single Instruction Multiple Data (SIMD) machines with different interconnection networks. We focus on SPR over sections whose size is not a power of 2 with the result shifted relative to the arguments. Several algorithms achieving some of the lower bounds on SPR complexity are presented...
Zone-Boundary Phonon Instability in Cubic LaAl O 3

Inelastic-neutron-scattering measurements have been performed on the high-temperature cubic perovskite phase of LaAl${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$. Dispersion curves for phonons with q along [111] establish that near the zone corner ($R$ point), the frequency of the lowest branch is both anomalously low and temperature-dependent. The nature of the associated scattering changes continuously from inelastic to quasi-elastic as the temperature is lowered, indicating that the soft-phonon modes become overdamped. The intensity of this quasi-elastic scattering exhibits a Curie-law divergence as the temperature is lowered further toward the transformation temperature of (535\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}5)\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C. The displacements associated with the rhombohedral low-temperature structure result from the condensation of a particular linear combination of these soft triply degenerate ${\ensuremath{\Gamma}}_{25}$ modes, as proposed by Cochran and Zia.
The role of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha pathway in pathological remodeling of the diabetic heart.

Purpose of reviewCardiovascular disease is exceptionally prevalent in patients with diabetes mellitus, which is an emerging pandemic. Unfortunately, the pathogenesis of diabetic myocardial disease is still poorly understood.Recent findingsEvidence has emerged that perturbed cardiac energy metabolism
EEWWW!!: tangible interfaces for navigating into the human body

Tangible interfaces have the potential to support learning for non-expert users, ease 3D navigation, and foster collaboration. We developed two physical devices aimed at school children for navigating a 3D virtual model of the human body. Results from a 40-subject user study suggest that these devices can encourage collaboration and improve the learnability of a navigational interface.
Boundary Integral Equation Method Calculations of Surface Regression Effects in Flame Spreading

A solid-phase conduction problem that is a modified version of one that has been treated previously in the literature and is applicable to flame spreading over a pyrolyzing fuel is solved using a boundary integral equation (BIE) method. Results are compared to surface temperature measurements that can be found in the literature. In addition, the heat conducted through the solid forward of the flame, the heat transfer responsible for sustaining the flame, is also computed in terms of the Peclet number based on a heated layer depth using the BIE method and approximate methods based on asymptotic expansions. Agreement between computed and experimental results is quite good as is agreement between the BIE and the approximate results.
Can prison farming be profitable? The case of Arizona correctional industries

Standard correctional system accounting methods may provide inadequate information for managers and for policy makers considering closure of facilities. This case study of Arizona Correctional Industries' (ACI) hog operation using prime element accounting methods found that the hog operation was profitable in a farm sense although ACI's accounts showed it operating at a loss. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Increased expression of monoamine oxidase-B results in enhanced neurite degeneration in methamphetamine-treated PC12 cells

In vivo administration of methamphetamine (MA) produces selective damage to dopaminergic nerve terminals, which is hypothesized to be due to release of dopamine from synaptic vesicles within the terminals, allowing the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) via dopamine metabolism. Hydrogen peroxide formed during this reaction can interact with free iron to form hydroxyl radicals, which can oxidize proteins, nucleic acids, and membrane lipids, leading to terminal degeneration. Elevation of activity of the dopamine-metabolizing enzyme monoamine oxidase (MAO) in nerve growth factor-treated PC12 cells resulted in a substantial rise in products of dopamine metabolism following MA treatment, including 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and hydroperoxides, as well as an increase in lipid peroxidation and a decrease in neurite number and length compared with control cells. These latter effects could be reversed by treatment with the MAO-B specific inhibitor, deprenyl. These data suggest that dopamine metabolism and subsequent ROS production may be key elements in MA-induced neurite degeneration in dopaminergic neurons.
Profile Control in Block Copolymer Nanostructures using Bilayer Thin Films for Enhanced Pattern Transfer Processes

Although control over the domain orientation and long-range order of block copolymer nanostructures self-assembled in thin films has been achieved using various directed self-assembly techniques, more challenging but equally important for many lithographic applications is the ability to precisely control the shape of the interface between domains. Here, a novel layer-by-layer approach is reported for controlling the interface profile of block copolymer nanostructures and the application of an undercut sidewall profile for an enhanced metal lift-off process for pattern transfer is demonstrated. Bilayer films of lamellar-forming poly(styrene-block-methyl methacrylate) are assembled and thermally cross-linked on wafer substrates in a layer-by-layer process. The top layer, while being directed to self-assemble on the lamellae of the underlying layer, has a tunable composition and polystyrene domain width independent of that of the bottom layer. Undercut or negative sidewall profiles in the PS nanostructures are proven to provide better templates for the lift-off of Au nanowires by achieving complete and defect-free pattern transfer more than three times faster than comparable systems with vertical sidewall profiles. More broadly, the layer-by-layer approach presented here provides a pathway to achieving sophisticated interface profiles and user-defined 3D block copolymer nanostructures in thin films.
Evaluating stereoselective sorption by soils of 17α-estradiol and 17β-estradiol.

Abstract The application of manure and biosolids onto agricultural land has increased the risk of estrogenic exposure to aquatic systems. Both αE2 and βE2 have been routinely detected in surface and ground waters with higher concentrations reported near concentrated animal feeding operations and agricultural fields. Although movement through the soil to a water body is highly dependent on hormone–soil interactions, to date, only the interaction of βE2 with soils has been characterized despite αE2 often being the more common form excreted by livestock such as beef cattle and dairy. In predicting the transport of estradiol, sorption characteristics for the stereoisomers have been assumed to be the same. To evaluate this assumption, sorption of αE2 and βE2 was measured on seven surface soils representing a range in soil properties. Soils were autoclave-sterilized to minimize loss due to biotransformation, and both solution and soil phase concentrations were measured. Overall, E2 sorption is best correlated to soil organic carbon (OC) with an average log OC-normalized distribution coefficient (log K oc , L kg oc - 1 ) of 2.97 ± 0.13 for αE2 and 3.14 ± 0.16 for βE2 with βE2 consistently exhibiting higher sorption than αE2 with the highest β/α sorption ratio of 1.9. Assuming that the two isomers sorb the same is not a conservative decision making approach. The lower sorption affinity of αE2 increases the likelihood that it will be leached from agricultural fields.
Selective Counterregulatory Hormone Responses after Oral Glucose in Man

The plasma response of various counterregulatory hormones was measured after an oral glucose tolerance test in 19 normal subjects. Significant elevations in plasma epinephrine (P < 0.05) and human GH (P < 0.05) were observed late in the course of the oral glucose tolerance test coincident with the fall in plasma glucose. Plasma norepinephrine, glucagon, and cortisol levels did not change during the latter phase of the test. The elevations in plasma human GH and epinephrine levels were unrelated to either absolute hypoglycemia or to clinical symptoms of hypoglycemia. These data suggest a possible role for adrenergic mechanisms in glucose counterregulation under physiological conditions. (J Clin Endocrinol Metab 55: 787,
Basic level categorization in seven- and nine-month-old infants.

The current reliance on linguistic data for inferences about the concept–word relationship has led to serious questions being raised regarding the existence and facilitative role of prelinguistic categories in early word learning. In three experiments a multiple habituation paradigm was used to examine the ability of 7- and 9-month-old prelinguistic infants to form a natural, basic-level object category. In Experiment 1, 9-month-old infants appeared to form a category of bird, but only when habituated to prototypical exemplars as opposed to poor exemplars. Discriminability between prototypical habituation exemplars and test stimuli was demonstrated in Experiment 2. In Experiment 3, 7-month-olds did not form a category of bird when habituated to prototypes. These findings constitute independent evidence for the existence of a linguistically relevant nonlinguistic category prior to the onset of word comprehension. Moreover, formation of prelinguistic categories appears to be facilitated by exposure to prototypes. Such goodness-of-exemplar effects suggest a structural similarity between infants' prelinguistic categories and early semantic categories. Finally, nonlinguistic categorization of natural basic-level objects, as represented in line drawings, appears to emerge between 0;7 and 0;9.
Adenovirus-mediated Expression of the Catalytic Subunit of Glucose-6-phosphatase in INS-1 Cells EFFECTS ON GLUCOSE CYCLING, GLUCOSE USAGE, AND INSULIN SECRETION

Glucose-6-phosphatase (Glu-6-Pase) catalyzes the terminal step of gluconeogenesis, the conversion of glucose 6-phosphate (Glu-6-P) to free glucose. This enzyme activity is thought to be conferred by a complex of proteins residing in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), including a Glu-6-P translocase that transports Glu-6-P into the lumen of the ER, a phosphohydrolase catalytic subunit residing in the lumen, and putative glucose and inorganic phosphate transporters that allow exit of the products of the reaction. In this study, we have investigated the effect of adenovirus-mediated overexpression of the Glu-6-Pase catalytic subunit on glucose metabolism and insulin secretion, using a well differentiated insulinoma cell line, INS-1. We found that the overexpressed Glu-6-Pase catalytic subunit was normally glycosylated, correctly sorted to the ER, and caused a 10-fold increase in Glu-6-Pase enzymatic activity in in vitro assays. Consistent with these findings, a 4.2-fold increase in3H2O incorporation into glucose was observed in INS-1 cells treated with the recombinant adenovirus containing the Glu-6-Pase catalytic subunit cDNA (AdCMV-Glu-6-Pase). 3-[3H]Glucose usage was decreased by 32% in AdCMV-Glu-6-Pase-treated cells relative to controls, resulting in a proportional 30% decrease in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Our findings indicate that overexpression of the Glu-6-Pase catalytic subunit significantly impacts glucose metabolism and insulin secretion in islet β-cells. However, INS-1 cells treated with AdCMV-Glu-6-Pase do not exhibit the severe alterations of β-cell function and metabolism associated with islets from rodent models of obesity and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, suggesting the involvement of genes in addition to the catalytic subunit of Glu-6-Pase in the etiology of such β-cell dysfunction.
The modeling of socio-economic-resource systems

Abstract It has been recognized that social considerations, such as population growth, should be included in economic models if they are to be used over long time periods; the present emphasis on problems of natural resource limitation leads to an argument that resource systems should also be included in economic models. Procedures of modeling are important; in fact, a model of model-making may be developed. Socio-economic-resource models may include aspects of econometric, input-output and system dynamics modeling, together with optimization techniques. Somewhat different models for long- and short-range forecasting may be used in conjunction with one another. And, the recognition that transnational corporations, cartels and both user and consumer organizations may be larger than many countries means that they should be included in many large socio-economic models.
There's a darkness on the edge of town: Merton's five modes of adaptation in the lyrics of Bruce Springsteen

One of the most popular theories of crimes causation is Merton's ‘'strain'’ theory. This theory asserts that strain results when legitimate opportunities to attain success goals are blocked by structural obstacles. It is often said that art imitates life. Just as novels and plays are representations of life, so too is music, including rock music. Rock music has, however, been criticized by scholars for its failure to address the realities of life. The music of Bruce Springsteen is an exception to such criticism. Much of his work deals with the lack of equity in America and the consequent strain experienced by many individuals. While strain theory is intuitively appealing, the bulk of discussion of the theory has been limited to the pages of academic journals. Springsteen, however, is able to articulate, on a popular level, many of the concepts expressed by academicians. This article provides a content analysis of the lyrics of one Springsteen album, Darkness on the Edge of Town, and discusses how his worl...