cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In search of elusive high-valent manganese species that evaluate mechanisms of photosynthetic water oxidation.

Significant progress in the understanding of biological water oxidation has occurred during the past 25 years. Today we have a somewhat clearer description of the structure of the Mn4Ca cluster and an idea of the appropriate oxidation states for the enzyme during catalysis. At issue is the mechanism of water oxidation. Depending on one’s belief of the manganese ion oxidation levels at the catalytically active S4 configuration, one can invoke a variety of different processes that could lead to water oxidation. We have suggested that the most likely process is the nucleophilic attack of a water bound to calcium (or manganese) onto a highly electrophilic MnV═O center. In this Article, we explore the difficulties of preparing MnV in dimeric systems and the even more arduous task of definitively assigning oxidation states to such highly reactive species.
Time-resolved step-scan Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy of triplet excited duroquinone in a zeolite

The infrared spectrum of triplet excited duroquinone occluded in zeolite NaY has been recorded by time-resolved Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy on the nano- and microsecond time scale. A commercial step-scan instrument whose capability was expanded to allow absorption spectroscopy at nanosecond resolution was employed for this study. {sup 18}O isotope labeling allowed assignment of a strong absorption at 1542 cm{sup -1} to the CO stretching mode. The 100 cm{sup -1} red shift of this band relative to the CO stretch of the ground state establishes the {pi}{pi}{sup *} character of the lowest triplet state of duroquinone. This is consistent with the highly polar environment of the zeolite NaY cage. The lifetime of the excited triplet state is 20 {mu}s (-50{degree}C). This constitutes the first time-resolved infrared spectrum of a transient molecule in a zeolite. 38 refs., 5 figs.
Assessment of precision of a passive sampler by duplicate measurements

Abstract Duplicate measurement is a common method to determine precision of a sampling method in an air pollution field study. Several evaluating measures for the precision of the sampling method are explored with duplicate measurements of two types of passive samplers, such as nitrogen dioxide diffusive badge and carbon monoxide passive sampler. Presentation of duplicates in a graph as one of the evaluating measures can be affected by different assignment of each measurement to vertical and horizontal axes. Although absolute difference or relative error among duplicates can quantitatively represent the precision, interpretation of these values depends on the measured concentration range. Intraclass correlation coefficient, often used for an indicator of the reliability of measurements, is an appropriate statistical measure to present a relative similarity of duplicate measurements. Intraclass correlation coefficient is an appropriate way to indicate precision of passive samplers which is usually determined by duplicate field measurements in air pollution studies.
Efficient application migration under compiler guidance

Mobile computing based upon wireless technology as the interconnect and PDAs, Web-enabled cell phones etc. as the end devices provide a rich infrastructure for anywhere, anytime information access. Wireless connectivity also poses tough problems [11, 12]. Network nodes may be mobile and the connectivity could be sporadic. In many cases, application mobility involving migration from one network node to another could provide interesting possibilities. However, the migration process is expensive in terms of both time and power overheads. To minimize the migration cost, an efficient strategy must decide which parts of the program should migrate to continue execution and at which program point the migration should take place.In this work we develop a compiler framework to achieve the above two goals. First, the potential migration points are decided by analyzing the call chains in the code. Then the compiler determines what parts of the program are dead at these points. At run time, using the current context of the call chain, a decision on whether to migrate now or later is taken. Such a decision depends mainly upon the cost of migration involved at the current program point vs. at a later potential migration point. Our experiments with multimedia applications show that both the migration state and the latency are significantly reduced by our techniques over the base case of migration with full state in the absence of any compiler guidance. Thus, the key contribution of the paper is to provide an efficient migration methodology removing barriers to application mobility.
Welding Colloidal Crystals with Carbon Dioxide

The effect of CO2 on the welding kinetics for a PS colloidal crystal was determined by in-situ measurement of Bragg diffraction and by ex-situ SEM microscopy. The welds grow tangentially from the points of contact of the spheres in all directions transforming the spheres into a continuous film. The dissolved CO2 provides the mobility for the polymer chains at the interface needed for welding, which removes the energetically unfavorable interfacial area between the polymer and CO2. At high pressures where CO2 is relatively incompressible, the relaxation time for welding increased by 6 orders of magnitude with an increase in thermal energy, and a glass transition temperature was observed. At constant temperature, an anomalous increase in the welding rate by 1−2 orders of magnitude with a decrease in pressure was observed in the region where CO2 is highly compressible. It is likely that this increase in welding dynamics is influenced by the excess CO2 in the interfacial region.
Mercury's albedo from Mariner 10: Implications for the presence of ferrous iron

Mariner 10 clear filter (490 nm) images of Mercury were recalibrated and photometrically normalized to produce a mosaic of nearly an entire hemisphere of the planet. Albedo contrasts are slightly larger than seen in the lunar highlands (excluding maria). Variegations indicative of compositional differences include diffuse low albedo units often overlain by smooth plains, the high albedo smooth plains of Borealis Planitia, and high-albedo enigmatic crater floor deposits. A higher level of contrast between immature crater ejecta and average mature material on Mercury compared to the Moon is consistent with a more intense space weathering environment on Mercury that results in a more mature regolith. Immature lunar highlands materials are ∼1.5 times higher in reflectance than analogous immature mercurian materials. Immature materials of the same composition would have the same reflectance on both bodies, thus this observation requires that Mercury's crust contains a significant darkening agent, either opaque minerals or ferrous iron bearing silicates, in abundances significantly higher than those of the lunar highlands. If the darkening agent is opaque minerals (e.g. ilmenite or ulvospinel) Mercury's crust may contain significant ferrous iron and yet not exhibit a 1-μm absorption band.
Resetting global expectations from agricultural biofuels

Aggressive renewable energy policies have helped the biofuels industry grow at a rate few could have predicted. However, while discourse on the energy balance and environmental impacts of agricultural biofuel feedstocks are common, the potential they hold for additional production has received considerably less attention. Here we present a new biofuel yield analysis based on the best available global agricultural census data. These new data give us the first opportunity to consider geographically-specific patterns of biofuel feedstock production in different regions, across global, continental, national and sub-national scales. Compared to earlier biofuel yield tables, our global results show overestimates of biofuel yields by ~100% or more for many crops. To encourage the use of regionally-specific data for future biofuel studies, we calculated complete results for 20 feedstock crops for 238 countries, states, territories and protectorates.
Adherence of Helicobacter pylori to areas of incomplete intestinal metaplasia in the gastric mucosa

Abstract BACKGROUND & AIMS: Helicobacter pylori is not usually found in areas of intestinal metaplasia. Thus, the development of intestinal metaplasia has been viewed as a mechanism by which the stomach eliminates H. pylori. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of H. pylori adherence to intestinal metaplasia in different populations. METHODS: Mapped gastric biopsy specimens from 378 H. pylori-positive subjects from various geographical regions were examined. Intestinal metaplasia was typed by staining with periodic acid-Schiff/alcian blue and high-iron diamine/alcian blue. RESULTS: In 32 patients, H. pylori was found in intimate contact with intestinal metaplasia. This was documented by electron microscopy. All areas of intestinal metaplasia showing adherence contained sulfomucins and had no brush border. Posttreatment biopsy specimens from 4 patients whose infection was not cured showed persistence of H. pylori in intestinal metaplasia. CONCLUSIONS: These patients may have a strain of H. pylori with unusual adhesion characteristics, or their type of intestinal metaplasia may have biochemical properties that make it hospitable for H. pylori. The exclusive association of H. pylori adherence with incomplete intestinal metaplasia (a putative precursor of carcinoma) and its greater frequency in Koreans (a population at risk for gastric cancer) suggest that this phenomenon may play a role in the hypothetical sequence metaplasia > dysplasia > carcinoma. (Gastroenterology 1996 Nov;111(5):1206-11)
How eukaryotic genes are transcribed

Regulation of eukaryotic gene expression is far more complex than one might have imagined 30 years ago. However, progress towards understanding gene regulatory mechanisms has been rapid and comprehensive, which has made the integration of detailed observations into broadly connected concepts a challenge. This review attempts to integrate the following concepts: (1) a well-defined organization of nucleosomes and modification states at most genes; (2) regulatory networks of sequence-specific transcription factors; (3) chromatin remodeling coupled to promoter assembly of the general transcription factors and RNA polymerase II; and (4) phosphorylation states of RNA polymerase II coupled to chromatin modification states during transcription. The wealth of new insights arising from the tools of biochemistry, genomics, cell biology, and genetics is providing a remarkable view into the mechanics of gene regulation.
Vectorizing compilers: a test suite and results

A collection of 100 Fortran loops used to test the effectiveness of an automatic vectorizing compiler is described. The results of compiling these loops using commercially available, vectorizing Fortran compilers on a variety of supercomputers, minisupercomputers, and mainframes are presented. The testing methodology and loop scoring are explored. >
Scalability and performance evaluation of hierarchical hybrid wireless networks

This paper considers the problem of scaling ad hoc wireless networks now being applied to urban mesh and sensor network scenarios. Previous results have shown that the inherent scaling problems of a multihop ldquoflatrdquo ad hoc wireless network can be improved by a ldquohybrid networkrdquo with an appropriate proportion of radio nodes with wired network connections. In this work, we generalize the system model to a hierarchical hybrid wireless network with three tiers of radio nodes: low-power end-user mobile nodes (MNs) at the lowest tier, higher power radio forwarding nodes (FNs) that support multihop routing at intermediate level, and wired access points (APs) at the highest level. Scalability properties of the proposed three-tier hierarchical hybrid wireless network are analyzed, leading to an identification of the proportion of FNs and APs as well as transmission range required for linear increase in end-user throughput. In particular, it is shown analytically that in a three-tier hierarchical network with nA APs, nF FNs, and nM MNs, the low-tier capacity increases linearly with nF, and the high-tier capacity increases linearly with nA when nA = Omega(radic{nF}) and n A = O(nF). This analytical result is validated via ns-2 simulations for an example dense network scenario, and the model is used to study scaling behavior and performance as a function of key parameters such as AP and FN node densities for different traffic patterns and bandwidth allocation at each tier of the network.
SPECIES RICHNESS AND BIOMASS: DISSECTION OF THE HUMP-SHAPED RELATIONSHIPS

The relationship between species richness and biomass is and has been one of the most controversial subjects in ecology. This paper examines these relationships from the perspectives of habitat heterogeneity and environmental gradients measured within and cross five microhabitat types. Species richness, aboveground biomass, and their relationships were compared in two ways: with samples aggregated by microhabitat type, and with analysis of all microhabitat types. Within microhabitat types, in which the environment was relatively homogeneous, we found the species richness–biomass relationship to be positive, negative, or non-existent. The relationship is positive when biomass is low (in open and half-shrub microhabitats) and negative when it exceeds a certain level (e.g., under shrubs). When the sample area encompassed different microhabitat types, a “hump-shaped” relationship was detected. The mechanisms underlying these observed patterns are discussed from the perspectives of environmental gradients and ...
Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor, p53 Mutation, and Pathological Response Predict Survival in Patients with Locally Advanced Esophageal Cancer Treated with Preoperative Chemoradiotherapy

Purpose: Despite the availability of cellular markers associated with cell cycle, apoptosis, and DNA repair, predictive factors for pathological complete response (CR) and overall survival (OS) are few in patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer. This study evaluates the role of clinical and cellular markers in predicting CR and OS in patients with esophageal cancer. Experimental Design: Patients were treated with infusional cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil combined with daily radiotherapy followed by esophagectomy. Pretreatment tumors ( n = 54) were analyzed for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R), bax, and bcl-2 expression by immunohistochemistry and for p53 mutations by direct DNA sequencing of exons 5–8. Clinical covariates included patients’ age at enrollment; gender; Barrett’s metaplasia; and tumor location, histology, and differentiation. Logistic regression and survival analyses were used to evaluate the predictors. Results: Age ranged from 32 to 75 years; most patients were male (45 male; 9 female); and tumors were distal (47 distal; 7 mid), adenocarcinoma (41 adenocarcinomas; 13 squamous cell carcinomas), and moderately differentiated (33 moderate; 6 well; 15 poor). Female gender predicted CR (odds ratio 7.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.4–41). The OS was 43% at 5 years. Presence of CR ( P P = 0.051 log rank) correlated with increased OS, whereas increased EGF-R expression predicted poor OS ( P = 0.009 log rank). EGF-R remained significant when adjusted for clinical covariates. There was a trend toward increased OS related to better tumor differentiation and decreased bcl-2. Conclusions: These data suggest that EGF-R and p53 mutation may be used as both outcome predictors and targets for molecular therapy for esophageal cancer.
Effectiveness of Varicella Vaccine in Children Infected with HIV

Background Varicella vaccine is now frequently administered to HIV-infected children who remain relatively healthy because it has been shown to be safe and immunogenic, but its effectiveness for this population remains unknown.
Spherical shells of a classical gauge field and their topological charge as a perturbative expansion.

Fermion number is not conserved in the standard model1, yet reliable techniques for calculating fermion number violating rates in high energy collisions have not been fully developed. At very low energy where the processes are best described as tunnelling events, the calculational methods make use of solutions to the Euclidean field equations — instantons. At energies comparable to but below the sphaleron barrier, Euclidean methods2 and other methods in which part of the calculation is done in Euclidean space3 have also been applied. However, at energies well above the tunnelling barrier, it may be more appropriate to work directly in Minkowski space.4, 5 To this end, E. Farhi, V. V. Khoze, R. Singleton, and I are investigating solutions to the Minkowski space classical equations of motion. In the work I sketch here,6 we study SU(2) gauge theory without the Higgs field. Working in the (spatial) spherical ansatz,7 we explore solutions which have the property that in the far past they describe freely propagating incoming shells of energy. We do this by developing a perturbative expansion in the coupling g which can be used to systematically solve the equations of motion once arbitrary initial profiles have been specified. We discuss the topological charge of these solutions, which we also develop in a power series expansion in g. We show that the topological charge is nonzero at order g 5, by doing an explicit analytic calculation of the order g 5 contribution to Q for specific initial pulses. We then describe the associated anomalous fermion production in the presence of these solutions, and speculate on the physical implications of our results.
The beneficial effect of increased cathode water content on magnesium battery performance

The author discusses the results of work directed towards alleviating the negative effects of the anode corrosion in magnesium-manganese dioxide (Mg/MnO/sub 2/) batteries. Because of anode corrosion, magnesium batteries lose their excellent storability after being partially discharged and, hence, are unsatisfactory for long-term intermittent usage. It was found that increasing the cathode water content enhanced battery performance by as much as 41%. At 40 degrees F and following four weeks of intermittent storage, the capacity increased by 29% compared to the baseline (no additional cathode moisture) performance. >
5-Hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) in the gastrointestinal tract.

Purpose of reviewAlthough the gut contains most of the body's 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), many of its most important functions have recently been discovered. This review summarizes and directs attention to this new burst of knowledge.Recent findingsEnteroendocrine cells have classically been regarde
Using evolutionary programming to schedule tasks on a suite of heterogeneous computers

A virtual heterogeneous machine (VHM) can be used to process tasks more quickly than a suite of homogeneous machines because jobs can be scheduled on machines that are particularly effective for each job's computational requirements. Such scheduling presents a combinatorial optimization problem. This paper assesses various greedy algorithm and evolutionary programming approaches over sets of randomly generated scheduling problems. The results indicate the potential for effectively using a hybrid scheduling method that takes advantage of both greedy and evolutionary optimization.
ABNORMALITIES OF IN VITRO LYMPHOCYTE RESPONSES DURING RUBELLA VIRUS INFECTIONS

In vitro rubella virus infections of lymphocytes from normal adult humans impaired their responsiveness to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) stimulations; a situation which seemed analogous to the PHA unresponsiveness of peripheral lymphocytes from babies with the congenital rubella syndrome. Such in vitro viral infection of normal cells also decreased the synthesis of normal nucleic acids and structural proteins, and abrogated the enhanced DNA synthesis induced by pokeweed and specific antigen stimulations. Furthermore, it was shown that live rubella virus, but not ultraviolet-irradiated virus, was necessary for the impaired mitogenic responses of normal leukocytes. These observations are interpreted to favor the view that the virus achieves its inhibitory effect on the action of mitogens by interference either directly or indirectly at an intracellular site. Such an action could reduce the functional potential of lymphocytes and impair their effectiveness as immunologically competent cells or as effectors in immunologic reactions.
An Overview of Immigration and the Changing Face of Rural California: The Central San Joaquin Valley

This paper examines the aggregate performance of California agriculture relative to Florida and U.S. agriculture, 1960-1993, the economics of the California raisin grape industry which uses large quantities of migratory labor for the grape harvest, and schools and schooling of farm workers' children in the Parlier area. The major conclusions are that the labor intensity of California (and Florida) agriculture hasfallen much less thanfor thewhole U.S., the raisin grape industry oftheCentral San Joaquin Valley isstruggling due to labor availability and prospects of greater foreign competition, andschooling is one ofthemost promising routes to a better life for the children of adult farm workers
Adaptive control of single-input, single-output linear systems

A procedure is presented for designing parameter-adaptive control for a single-input, single-output process admitting an essentially unknown but fixed linear model, so that the resulting closed-loop system is globally stable with zero steady-state tracking error between the output of the process and the output of a prespecified linear reference model. The adaptive controller is a differentiator-free dynamical system forced only by the process input and output, as well as by a reference input.
A methodology for managing distributed virtual environment scalability

Distributed Virtual Environments (DVEs) are a large class of real-time simulation systems. We present an implementation-independent methodology for measuring, analyzing, and comparing DVE systems performance. The methodology comprises of a process of requirements elicitation and their conversion into measurable objectives. The process for determining quality requirements for a DVE is discussed, with a focus on interaction-based scenario analysis. An example is given with a simple game --- Asteroids --- that has been modified to support two players (users).
Scanning Force Microscopy Study of Phase Segregation in Fuel Cell Membrane Materials as a Function of Solvent Polarity and Relative Humidity

Scanning force microscopy (SFM) phase imaging provides a powerful method for directly studying and comparing phase segregation in fuel cell membrane materials due to different preparation and under different temperature and humidity exposures. In this work, we explored two parameters that can influence phase segregation: the properties of the solvents used in casting membrane films and how these solvents alter phase segregation after exposure to boiling water as a function of time. SFM was used under ambient conditions to image phase segregation in Nafion samples prepared using five different solvents. Samples were then subjected to water vapor maintained at 100°C for periods ranging from 30 minutes to three hours and re-imaged using the same phase imaging conditions. SFM shows what appears to be an increase in phase segregation as a function of solvent polarity that changes as a function of water exposure.
Recent Advances Regarding the Definition of the Atomic Environment, Film Growth and Microelectronic Device Development in Silicon Carbide

The extreme thermal and electronic properties of silicon carbide provide multiplicative combinations of attributes which lead to one of the highest figures of merit for any semiconductor material for use in high-power, -speed, -temperature, -frequency and radiation hard applications. Structurally, silicon carbide exists in a host of polytypes, the origins of which are incompletely understood. Recent magic angle spinning-NMR studies have provided considerable information regarding the positions of the inequivalent carbon sites in the simple polytypes. The continual development of the deposition of silicon carbide thin films and the associated technologies of impurity incorporation, etching, and electrical contacts have culminated in a host of solid state devices including field effect transistors capable of operation to 925K. The results of several research programs and the remaining challenges related to the development of silicon carbide vis' a' vis' microelectronics are presented and discussed in this review.
The Physics of Proto-Neutron Star Winds: Implications for r-Process Nucleosynthesis

We solve the general-relativistic steady-state eigenvalue problem of neutrino-driven proto-neutron star winds, which immediately follow core-collapse supernova explosions. We provide velocity, density, temperature, and composition profiles and explore the systematics and structures generic to such a wind for a variety of proto-neutron star characteristics. Furthermore, we derive the entropy, dynamical timescale, and neutron-to-seed ratio in the general relativistic framework essential in assessing this site as a candidate for r-process nucleosynthesis. Generally, we find that for a given mass outflow rate (), the dynamical timescale of the wind is significantly shorter than previously thought. We argue against the existence or viability of a high entropy (300 per kB per baryon), long dynamical timescale r-process epoch. In support of this conclusion, we model the proto-neutron star cooling phase, calculate nucleosynthetic yields in our steady-state profiles, and estimate the integrated mass loss. We find that transonic winds enter a high-entropy phase only with very low (1 × 10-9 M☉ s-1) and extremely long dynamical timescale (τρ 0.5 s). Our results support the possible existence of an early r-process epoch at modest entropy (~150) and very short dynamical timescale, consistent in our calculations with a very massive or very compact proto-neutron star that contracts rapidly after the preceding supernova. We explore possible modifications to our models, which might yield significant r-process nucleosynthesis generically. Finally, we speculate on the effect of fallback and shocks on both the wind physics and nucleosynthesis. We find that a termination or reverse shock in the wind, but exterior to the wind sonic point, may have important nucleosynthetic consequences. The potential for the r-process in proto-neutron star winds remains an open question.
Voters Don't Care Much About Incumbency

US House incumbents enjoy profound electoral advantages, yet existing research has not asked whether individual voters actually prefer incumbents over newcomers, other things being equal. Instead, existing research has focused on showing that other things are not equal by emphasizing the structural advantages that incumbents enjoy. Political scientists, economists, and pundits have frequently speculated that voters either reward or punish incumbency, even when structural advantages are ignored. A randomized survey experiment administered in two waves to 1,976 respondents suggests that voters respond only minimally—if at all—to incumbency status once the structural advantages are held constant. Voters do not exhibit a strong general preference either for or against incumbency.
66 UNREGULATED SATIETY AND WEIGHT GAIN DUE TO A BRAINSTEM LESION.

Background Weight gain and obesity after brain damage have been described in both children and adults. Most commonly, they are caused by damage to the hypothalamus. We report here a case of hyperphagia and rapid weight gain after surgical removal of brainstem cavernoma, followed by resolution after gastric bypass surgery. Case Presentation A 30-year-old woman presented with acute onset of facial paresthesias, left-side weakness, and double vision. Brain MRI disclosed a 1.5 × 1.7 × 2.3 cm heterogeneous lesion in the posterior right pons with signs of recent bleeding and an intact hypothalamus. The lesion was resected, and the histologic examination confirmed the suspected diagnosis of cavernous hemangioma. Immediately after surgery, she noted onset of a voracious appetite and lack of satiety. She had no symptoms suggestive of hypothalamic dysfunction, such as abnormal thermoregulation, water balance, sleep-wake cycles, and aggressive behavior. Despite extreme dietary counseling, 10 months postoperatively, her weight had increased 120 pounds, at a rate of 10 to 15 pounds per month. Her brain MRI revealed hypertrophic olivary degeneration with no hypothalamic damage. Treatment with centrally acting stimulants, phentermine and sibutramine, partially decreased her appetite but only lowered the rate of weight gain to 2 lb per month. One and a half years after initial surgery, she underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGP), followed by immediate resolution of hyperphagia, weight loss, and return to baseline body weight within 3 years. Discussions Energy homeostasis involves interactions between afferent hormonal and neuronal signals, the central nervous system and brainstem, and efferent pathways. Unregulated appetite and weight gain after brain damage have, until now, been exclusively reported in those with ventromedial hypothalamus lesions. Previous reports of brainstem lesions often described paraparesis and weight loss. This is the first report of unwanted weight gain in humans with an exclusive brainstem lesion. Destruction of the brainstem ventral noradrenergic bundle (VNAB) has been shown to cause hyperphagia and obesity in rats. Therefore, we hypothesize that the surgery resulted in damage to the VNAB, or its ascending projections to the hypothalamus. Other potential mechanisms may involve damage to the nucleus of solitary or vagal projections carrying satiety signals from the gut (CCK, GLP-1, PYY, oxyntomodulin) to the NTS. Restoration of satiety and body weight after RYGP suggests correction of this defect via alterations in the levels of gut hormones, vagal signaling, or both.
Study on Safe Distance for Crane Operation in ±500 kV Converter Station

The existing specifications have not provided the safe distance of cranes which are frequently used at ±500 kV HVDC converter stations.To ensure the security while using the crane,the paper analyzes the electric field status of bus line,DC filter,bushing,and post insulator and select their representative surface as the typical test electrodes to carry out AC/DC hybrid high voltage test.The most severe test condition is applied on the test,namely,while carrying out the composite voltage discharge characteristics test(DC voltage plus operational impact),a positive operational impact is superimposed on a positive polarity DC voltage at the operation gap.Based on the test data,statistical analysis tools provides the minimum gap of safe operation,and the standard of safe distance of crane work at ±500 kV HVDC converter station is derived.
Growth and Yield Relative to Competition for Loblolly Pine Plantations to Midrotation- A Southeastern United States Regional Study

Lohlollypine (Pinus taeda LJplantations were studied across 13 southeastern sites grown for 1.5 yr with near-complete control o f woody, herbaceous, and woody plus herbaceous components during the f irst 3-5 yr . This mult iple object ive experiment ( the COMProject) documents stand dynamics at the extreme corners o f the response surface that encompasses most compet i t ion condi t ions common to pine plantat ions . This is the second of two companion reports. Merchantable pine volume after 15 yr with ear&, near complete competition controlreached2,35&4,415f~/ac by site compared to I, 132-2,965f$/ac on the no controls. With control o f both woody and herbaceous competi t ion, 15 yr volumes were increased by 23-121% and gains increasedas hardwoods andshrubs increased on the no controls . Early woody control increased merchantable pine volume on 1 I s i tes by 14-1 I8%, while herbaceous control yielded somewhat less on average, a I7-50% increase on ten sites. Nogains andsome volume losses occurred when control ofone component releasedsevere competi t ion from an enhanced remaining component , otherwise gains were generally addi t ive for control o f both components. Pine volume was decreased by about 1% for each 1 f?/ac of hardwood basal area (BA) present at age 1.5. Annual measurements detemzined that culmination of current annual increment (CAI) with control of both competition components occurred in.yr 8-I I at 250-4 7Of$/ac/yr. CAIsforpine height, BA, and volume were decreased by about 5-27% when growing Season rainfall (March-October9 was less than 36 in, Mean annual increment had not culminatedfor any treatment at any locat ion by yr 15 and rangedfrom 195250 f$/ac/yr with both woody and herbaceous control . Fusiform rus t mainstem ga l l s [Cronart ium quercuum (Berk.) Miyabe ex Sh ira i f. sp. fusiforme (Hedge. & Hunt) Burdsall & Snow] in high severi ty areas increased additively with control of both components, more so with herb control. Contrary to the widespread assumption that hardwood out-competepine, the hardwoodproport ion qfstand BA decreasedfrom yr 5-15 on s i tes where hardwood BA in yr 5 exceeded 10 f$. South. J. Appl. For. 27(4):00-00.
Preoperative Protective Endovascular Covered Stent Placement Followed by Surgery for Management of the Cervical Common and Internal Carotid Arteries with Tumor Encasement.

Objective The objective of this study was to report the outcomes on a preliminary cohort of patients with tumor encasement of either, or both, the cervical internal carotid artery (ICA) and common carotid artery (CCA) following preoperative covered stent placement and surgical resection. Setting This study was set at the University of Florida College of Medicine, Jacksonville, FL. Participants Subjects who received preoperative stenting of the cervical ICA/CCA before surgical resection of head and neck tumors between April 1, 2015, and July 31, 2015 were participated. Main Outcome Measures The outcomes assessed were resectability of tumors after stenting, histopathological assessment of specimen margins, complications associated with stenting. Results Five subjects received preoperative covered stent placement of the ICA/CCA before surgical resection. The mean age was 65.2 years. Median follow-up was 3.5 months. Excision of the adventitia from the stent was performed in all subjects. No intraoperative complications occurred. One vascular-related complication occurred in one subject who suffered occlusion of the stent, sustaining a ministroke. No involvement of tumor at the deep margin (inner surface of adventitia) of the resection was seen in any subjects. Conclusions Preoperative covered stent placement of the cervical ICA/CCA in the management of subjects with head and neck tumors who display encasement on preoperative imaging may represent a safe and effective treatment.
Characterizations of Substrate Delivery Pathways in the Nitric Oxide Reductase

Nitric oxide reductase (NOR), a structurally homologous enzyme of the heme-copper oxidoreductase superfamily and an integral membrane protein, carries out the intermediate step of denitrification by reducing nitric oxide (NO) to nitrous oxide (N2O). The reduction reaction occurs at the buried heme-iron complex. However, experiments demonstrated that the NO binds NOR at a rate near the diffusion limit (5×108 M−1s−1), and that NOR requires only a few nanomolar of NO to reach its half-maximal reduction activity. To provide atomistic and quantitative descriptions of the NO delivery mechanism, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have been performed, using the crystal structure of cytochrome-c dependent NOR (cNOR) from Pseumonas aeruginosa as the starting model. Independent explicit ligand sampling simulations with high NO concentration have been carried out to accelerate the sampling of NO within the simulation timescale. The results indicate that substrate NO enters the enzyme via three membrane-accessible hydrophobic tunnels, two of which correspond to the observed xenon-bound hydrophobic tunnel of B-type HCO from Thermus thermophilus (cytochrome ba3) by X-ray crystallography. All three tunnels merge into one pathway. Two bottlenecks of NO migration, composed of highly conserved residues, are identified. One is at residues I65 and W209, located 15A from the reduction site, while the other is at residue V206, located 6-8A from the reduction site. Umbrella sampling simulations and in silico mutations have also been performed to characterize the free energy of NO insertion along the pathway and confirm the identified bottlenecks. Alanine substitutions of the bottleneck residues result a decrease in the free-energy barriers, and result in an increase of NO delivery events. The study demonstrates that pathways facilitate the delivery of small gases, such as NO, in enzymes.
Uncertainty evaluation of European efficiency in Photovoltaic inverter

In order to evaluate the accuracy of the European efficiency measurement result in Photovoltaic inverter, the uncertainty evaluation of European efficiency in Photovolatic inverter is searched in this paper. According to the standards of EN50530-2010 “Overall efficiency of grid connected photovoltaic inverters” and CNAS-GL08 “Guidance on evaluating the uncertainty in electrical apparatus testing”, the class A uncertainty of test results and class B uncertainty of testing equipment are evaluated. Based on this, the European efficiency is evaluated according to the calculation formula of inverter efficiency and European efficiency. The evaluation case indicated that the uncertainty evaluation method has practicality.
Die Geschichte der biologischen Diversität

Die im vorangegangenen Kapitel kaum interpretierte Darstellung der Evolutionsgeschichte wirft eine Reihe von Fragen auf. Wie hat sich die Diversitat (Vielfalt) insgesamt wahrend der Evolution verandert? Erreicht die Diversitat ein Gleichgewicht, nimmt sie grenzenlos zu oder fluktuiert sie zufallig? Was verursacht den Wandel der Diversitat? Gibt es Trends in der langfristigen Evolution? Wie kann man die geographische Verbreitung von Arten erklaren? Welche genetischen Prozesse sind am Ursprung der hoheren Taxa beteiligt?
The Human Severe Congenital Neutropenia-Associated Gfi1N382S Mutant Critically Requires Deregulated Expression of CSF1 To Block Granulopoiesis.

Severe Congenital Neutropenia (SCN) is characterized as a deficiency of mature neutrophils, which leads to recurrent bacterial and fungal infections. Mutations in the Ela2 gene predominate in SCN, but Ela2 mutation in mice does not recapitulate SCN. The Growth factor independent-1 (Gfi1) transcriptional repressor regulates Ela2. The N382S mutation in Gfi1 is associated with human SCN. Unlike Ela2, genetic deletion of Gfi1 results in murine neutropenia. Here we show that the human-SCN-associated Gfi1N382S mutant blocks murine granulopoiesis in a Csf1 dependent manner. Gfi1 functions as a rate-limiting granulopoietic molecular switch, and the DNA-binding-defective Gfi1N382S mutant acts as a dominant negative to block granulopoiesis by selectively derepressing a subset of Gfi1 target genes. One gene repressed by Gfi1 and derepressed by Gfi1N382S is the macrophage colony stimulating factor (Csf1). Chromatin immunoprecipitation and electrophoretic mobility shift analyses demonstrate direct binding of Gfi1 to the Csf1 promoter. Importantly, both antibody absorption of Csf1 and genetic deletion of Csf1 prevent the Gfi1N382S-mediated block to granulopoiesis. These data represent the first identified Gfi1 target gene to be critically required for SCN-like phenotypes engendered by Gfi1N382S, and suggest new potential treatment avenues for Gfi1-mutant SCN patients.
Effects of deep brain stimulation on vocal fold immobility in Parkinson's disease.

Background Vocal fold (VF) immobility is a rare, potentially fatal complication of advanced Parkinson's disease (PD). Previous reports suggest that subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) may influence laryngeal function, yet the role of STN-DBS on VF immobility remains unexplored. Case description We report a case of a patient with advanced PD and bilateral VF immobility ultimately requiring a tracheostomy. To assess the effects of STN-DBS on vocal cord function and to correlate these effects with peripheral motor symptoms at different stimulation settings, the patient was evaluated before and after initiation of bilateral STN-DBS. Measures included direct observation of VF mobility via transnasal laryngoscopy, levodopa equivalent dose of anti-PD medication, and motor scores. High frequency (150 Hz) STN-DBS resulted in improved motor scores, reduced medication requirement, and modestly improved right VF abduction although insufficient for safe decannulation. Low frequency (60 Hz) stimulation resulted in lower motor scores, but without worsening VF abduction. Conclusions STN-DBS may play an important role in the neuromodulation of PD-induced laryngeal dysfunction, including VF mobility. Characterization of these axial symptoms is important when programming and evaluating responsiveness to DBS.
The Evolution of Venom by Co-option of Single-Copy Genes

The classic model for the evolution of novel gene function is through gene duplication followed by evolution of a new function by one of the copies (neofunctionalization) [1, 2]. However, other modes have also been found, such as novel genes arising from non-coding DNA, chimeric fusions, and lateral gene transfers from other organisms [3-7]. Here we use the rapid turnover of venom genes in parasitoid wasps to study how new gene functions evolve. In contrast to the classic gene duplication model, we find that a common mode of acquisition of new venom genes in parasitoid wasps is co-option of single-copy genes from non-venom progenitors. Transcriptome and proteome sequencing reveal that recruitment and loss of venom genes occur primarily by rapid cis-regulatory expression evolution in the venom gland. Loss of venom genes is primarily due to downregulation of expression in the gland rather than gene death through coding sequence degradation. While the majority of venom genes have specialized expression in the venom gland, recent losses of venom function occur primarily among genes that show broader expression in development, suggesting that they can more readily switch functional roles. We propose that co-option of single-copy genes may be a common but relatively understudied mechanism of evolution for new gene functions, particularly under conditions of rapid evolutionary change.
Best Practices in Blood Cultures

Rapid and accurate detection of sepsis is critical, yet errors in collection lead to unnecessary testing, use of antimicrobial agents, and prolonged hospitalizations. Strict attention to the various components that compose the blood culture collection process can help to reduce factors leading to rising costs in health care as well as inaccurate test results.
Nanostructural evidence of mechanical aging and performance loss in ballistic fibers

It is understood that the ballistic resistance of aromatic polyamide fibers is related to the fiber's ultimate tensile strength, strain-to-failure, and Young's modulus. Ideal high-performance ballistic materials maximize these properties while minimizing material density. Equally important is long-term mechanical and chemical stability: the fibers should not exhibit performance loss over their lifetime. However, less is known quantitatively about their modes of degradation, and experimental methods to quantify the aging and degradation in these fibers are critical. Multiple variations of next generation high-performance fibers have been investigated under chemical and mechanical accelerated aging conditions. Performance losses have been empirically correlated to chemical degradation of the polymer chain and nanostructural changes in the fiber morphology through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Here, we introduce positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy measurements as a sensitive method to quantify the early onset of damage in the flexed fibers as quantified through changes in the nanoscale void structure in the material. Published 2017.† J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2017, 55, 1711–1717
Abstract Sifter: A Comprehensive Front-End System to PubMed

The Abstract Sifter is a Microsoft Excel based application that enhances existing search capabilities of PubMed. The Abstract Sifter assists researchers to search effectively, triage results, and keep track of articles of interest. The tool implements an innovative “sifter” functionality for relevance ranking, giving the researcher a way to find articles of interest quickly. The tool also gives researchers a view of the literature landscape for a set of entities such as chemicals or genes. The Abstract Sifter is available as a Microsoft Excel macro-enabled workbook application.
An Overview of Percutaneous CT-Guided Lung Biopsies

Abstract Percutaneous computerized tomography-guided lung biopsy is a valuable tool in the evaluation of pulmonary lesions because it is minimally invasive and has a high degree of accuracy. However, this procedure is not without its risks, the most common of which is pneumothorax. This article includes an overview of preprocedure planning, contraindications, patient preparation, informed consent, patient positioning, sedation, breathing instructions, recovery after procedure, potential complication, and recovery at home.
Sustained CGM Use in Low Income Youth following Insurance Coverage

California Children’s Services (CCS) is a supplemental state medical insurance for low income children with chronic medical conditions. Until June 2016, continuous glucose monitors (CGM) were rarely covered by CCS for children with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Current CCS criteria for CGM includes: checking blood sugar 4 times/day and concerns that interfere with T1D management (such as fear of hypoglycemia). Ongoing approval requires CGM use for 5/7 days/week. We evaluated 6 months of CGM use by the first 41 children approved by CCS attending our clinics (age= 11.1 ± 4.7 years [range 3-21 years], T1D duration=4.8 ± 3.7 years, 59% male, 66% on pumps, 63% ethnic minorities and 15% non-English speakers). Most patients used the Dexcom receiver (73%). Thirty-three (81%) remained on CGM for ≥6 months. Of the 8 who stopped, 2 were due to lapses in insurance coverage. The other 6 stopped due to personal preference (5 within 3 months). All who stopped CGM use were English speakers. Among those who continued CGM with complete data (n=29, 71%), the mean percentage time worn at 6 months was 97±8% based on review of the CGM download. HbA1c remained stable over 6 months of CGM use (8.2±1.2%). Blinded CGM use was not available prior to initiation of personal CGM, so we cannot assess if hypoglycemia decreased. However, many of these children with CCS started CGM due to hypoglycemia and/or fear of hypoglycemia. Time in hypoglycemia as low at 6 months (4.3±4.8%). The number of fingersticks remained stable with 6.3/d at initiation and 5.6/d at 6 months. Our clinic data from the first 41 CCS patients approved for CGM demonstrates sustained CGM use for 6 months, even among non-English speakers. In this initial chart review, the incidence of hypoglycemia is low while on CGM. These data on sustained usability of CGM support CCS coverage of CGM. Given FDA approval of CGM use for insulin dosing decisions, expansion of CCS coverage of CGM should be considered to improve bolus adherence. Further studies are needed to promote improved clinical use and outcomes with CGM in this population. Disclosure P. Prahalad: None. B. Buckingham: Advisory Panel; Self; Novo Nordisk Inc., ConvaTec Inc.. Research Support; Self; Medtronic, Insulet Corporation, Dexcom, Inc., Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc.. Consultant; Self; Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc., Becton, Dickinson and Company. D. Wilson: Research Support; Self; T1D Exchange, Medtronic MiniMed, Inc., Dexcom, Inc., National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Insulet Corporation. Advisory Panel; Self; Tolerion. D.M. Maahs: Advisory Panel; Self; Insulet Corporation. Consultant; Self; Abbott. Research Support; Self; Medtronic, Bigfoot Biomedical, Dexcom, Inc., Insulet Corporation, Roche Diabetes Care Health and Digital Solutions.