cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Faster Algebraic Algorithms for Path and Packing Problems

We study the problem of deciding whether an n-variate polynomial, presented as an arithmetic circuit G, contains a degree ksquare-free term with an odd coefficient. We show that if Gcan be evaluated over the integers modulo 2k+ 1in time tand space s, the problem can be decided with constant probability in O((kn+ t)2k) time and O(kn+ s) space. Based on this, we present new and faster algorithms for two well studied problems: (i) an O*(2mk) algorithm for the m-set k-packing problem and (ii) an O*(23k/2) algorithm for the simple k-path problem, or an O*(2k) algorithm if the graph has an induced k-subgraph with an odd number of Hamiltonian paths. Our algorithms use poly(n) random bits, comparing to the 2O(k)random bits required in prior algorithms, while having similar low space requirements.
Neurally dissociable cognitive components of reading deficits in subacute stroke

According to cognitive models of reading, words are processed by interacting orthographic (spelling), phonological (sound), and semantic (meaning) information. Despite extensive study of the neural basis of reading in healthy participants, little group data exist on patients with reading deficits from focal brain damage pointing to critical neural systems for reading. Here, we report on one such study. We have performed neuropsychological testing and magnetic resonance imaging on 11 patients with left-hemisphere stroke (<=5 weeks post-stroke). Patients completed tasks assessing cognitive components of reading such as semantics (matching picture or word choices to a target based on meaning), phonology (matching word choices to a target based on rhyming), and orthography (a two-alternative forced choice of the most plausible non-word). They also read aloud pseudowords and words with high or low levels of usage frequency, imageability, and spelling-sound consistency. As predicted by the cognitive model, when averaged across patients, the influence of semantics was most salient for low-frequency, low-consistency words, when phonological decoding is especially difficult. Qualitative subtraction analyses revealed lesion sites specific to phonological processing. These areas were consistent with those shown previously to activate for phonology in healthy participants, including supramarginal, posterior superior temporal, middle temporal, inferior frontal gyri, and underlying white matter. Notable divergence between this analysis and previous functional imaging is the association of lesions in the mid-fusiform gyrus and anterior temporal lobe with phonological reading deficits. This study represents progress toward identifying brain lesion-deficit relationships in the cognitive components of reading. Such correspondences are expected to help not only better understand the neural mechanisms of reading, but may also help tailor reading therapy to individual neurocognitive deficit profiles.
An Efficient FEM Approach for the Study of Ultrasonic Wave Propagation in Solids

The need for the numerical analysis of the elastic wave equation in solids is driven by the application of ultrasonic techniques to non-destructive evaluation of adhesive bonds and bondlines. Unfortunately, the physics of the problem require numerical models with an excessive number of degrees of freedom and time steps to analyze the response of a system to an ultrasonic pulse input. In the past, super computers and vector processors were used to tackle these problems. Alternately, purely closed form solutions were investigated with idealized boundary conditions. This work presents plane strain and axisymmetric finite element formulations which include viscous damping and anisotropic material capabilities that reduce by orders of magnitude the memory storage and execution time traditionally encountered. The time integration is accomplished using the explicit central difference method. The finite element spatial discretization employs a lumped mass matrix. The resulting decoupled equations are solved on a node by node basis at each time step. The code was verified as accurate by comparing the displacements qualitatively for the expected wave motion and by comparing the displacement histories at specific nodes to both analytical solutions based on the Cagnaird de-Hoop method and experimental pulse-echo piezoelectric transducer data. [1]
Spin distributions in heavy ion fusion at and below the Coulomb barrier

The total cross section for compound nucleus formation at energies near the Coulomb barrier depends sensitively on the penetrability of the ion-ion potential. Many analyses of fusion data have relied on the parabolic approximation to account for the barrier penetration. There has been a great amount of interest recently in studying the details of fusion at and near the barrier. The penetrability of the barrier not only affects the energy dependence of the capture cross section, but the angular momentum dependence of the penetrability also determines the spin distribution brought into the compound nucleus during the capture. We have studied the energy dependence of the cross section and ..gamma.. multiplicity for the reactions ..cap alpha.., /sup 12/C, and /sup 16/O + /sup 154/Sm to determine the average properties of the spin distribution brought into the compound nucleus by fusion. Results are presented and discussed. (WHK)
Ballistic pressure wave contributions to rapid incapacitation in the Strasbourg goat tests

This article presents empirical models for the relationship between peak ballistic pressure wave magnitude and incapacitation times in the Strasbourg goat test data. Using a model with the expected limiting behavior at large and small pressure wave magnitudes, the average incapacitation times are highly correlated (R = 0.91) with peak pressure wave magnitude. The cumulative incapacitation probability as a function of time reveals both fast (t 5 s) incapacitation mechanisms. The fast incapacitation mechanism can be accurately modeled as a function of peak pressure wave magnitude. The slow incapacitation mechanism is presumably due to blood loss via damaged vascular tissue.
Improving Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Dynamics in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

The increased number of cases of type 2 diabetes mellitus (both diagnosed and undiagnosed) parallels the current epidemic of obesity in the United States. Despite receiving treatment, many patients do not achieve established therapeutic goals. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a progressive disease characterized by multiple abnormalities that extend beyond β-cell dysfunction and insulin resistance. Incretin-based agents, including glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors, have become important options in the therapeutic paradigm for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The author reviews physiologic mechanisms of the incretin system and discusses the practical application of GLP-1 receptor agonists and DPP-4 inhibitors in improving GLP-1 dynamics in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Species Comparison of the Influence of Ammonia on Orotic Acid and Urea Biosynthesis in Liver

Although orotic aciduria occurs in both male and female rats fed an arginine-deficient diet, only hepatocytes from male rats exhibited an enhanced rate of orotate biosynthesis to increasing ammonium compared to controls. Inhibition of incorporation [14C]NaHCO3 into urea by norvaline in the rat and mouse was accompanied by a 20 and 25% increase in orotate biosynthesis, respectively. Injection of ammonium chloride (2 mmol/kg) or consumption of a diet devoid of arginine resulted in an increased urinary orotate excretion in the rat. Injection of a similar quantity of ammonium chloride in mice did not result in an orotic aciduria. The influence of ammonia and arginine on the biosynthesis of orotic acid and urea in isolated liver slices from various mammals was also examined. In rat, mouse and pig liver, increasing quantities of ammonia stimulated the incorporation of [14C]NaHCO3 into orotic acid. In porcine, bovine and ovine liver the incorporation of [14C]NaHCO3 into orotic acid was low and was minimally effected by supplemental ammonia. Addition of arginine to the incubation medium diminished the incorporation of [14C]NaHCO3 into orotic acid in the liver of all species examined except the cow and sheep. This decrease was accompanied by a stimulation of urea biosynthesis in the rat, but a depression in the pig. Addition of ammonium (5.0 mM) markedly increased the incorporation of [14C]NaHCO3 into urea in all mammalian liver slices examined. These studies show that the liver of various mammals can respond to increasing ammonia by increasing orotic acid biosynthesis. However, species differences in the response to ammonia are evident.
The relation of psychological, social, and economic variables to fertility-related decisions

To test a recent model of social behavior, a questionnaire was designed and administered to 270 married women in a midwestern city. A stratified random sample was obtained, comprising a 2 × 3 factorial design (Catholic vs. Protestant and high vs. middle vs. low socioeconomic status). It was hypothesized that an individual’s intention to engage in a fertility-related behavior would be highly correlated with (a) her beliefs about the consequences of performing that behavior weighted by the value of those consequences, and/or (b) her beliefs about what relevant others think she should do and her motivation to comply with those others. The data strongly supported this hypothesis for each of three different behaviors. Analysis of variance revealed a significant religious differential for intentions to have a two-child family (Catholics were less likely to intend to have a two-child family than Protestants). This differential was further examined in terms of the proposed model of behavior.
A STUDY OF EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN OPTIMALITY FOR WIENER SYSTEMS

In the context of nonlinear dynamic system identification for Hammerstein systems, Rollins et al. (2003a) studied the information efficiency of the following two competing experimental design approaches: statistical design of experiments (SDOE) and pseudo-random sequences design (PRSD). The focus of this study is the Wiener system and evaluates SDOE against PRS under D-optimal efficiency. Three cases are evaluated and the results strongly support SDOE as the better approach.
Phase Transitions in LiAl5O8

LiAl/sub 5/O/sub 8/ exists in many forms. The equilibrium hightemperature form (I) has a spinel structure. It undergoes a first-order reconstructive transformation at 1295 deg plus or minus 5 deg C to an equilibrium low-temperature form (II) with primitive cubic symmetry, the unit edge changing from a/sub o/ = 7.921 A (I) to ao = 7.907 A (II). In addition, a whole series of phases (II-metastable) exist with the same symmetry as II but with a disorder different from I yields II disorder. (auth)
Paneth cell-derived interleukin-17A causes multiorgan dysfunction after hepatic ischemia and reperfusion injury.

Hepatic ischemia and reperfusion (IR) injury is a major clinical problem that leads to frequent extra-hepatic complications including intestinal dysfunction and acute kidney injury (AKI). In this study, we aimed to determine the mechanisms of hepatic IR-induced extra-hepatic organ dysfunction. Mice subjected to 60 min of hepatic IR not only developed severe hepatic injury but also developed significant AKI and small intestinal injury. Hepatic IR induced small intestinal Paneth cell degranulation and increased IL-17A levels in portal vein plasma and small intestine. We also detected increased levels of IL-17A mRNA and protein in Paneth cells after hepatic IR with laser capture dissection. IL-17A neutralizing antibody treatment or genetic deletion of either IL-17A or IL-17A receptors significantly protected against hepatic IR-induced acute liver, kidney and intestinal injury. Leukocyte IL-17A does not contribute to organ injury as infusion of wild type splenocytes failed to exacerbate liver and kidney injury in IL-17A deficient mice after hepatic IR. Depletion of Paneth cell numbers by pharmacological (with dithizone) or genetic intervention (SOX9 flox/flox Villin cre+/− mice) significantly attenuated intestinal, hepatic, and renal injury following liver IR. Finally, depletion of Paneth cell numbers significantly decreased small intestinal IL-17A release and plasma IL-17A levels after liver IR. Taken together, the results show that Paneth cell derived IL-17A plays a critical role in hepatic IR injury and extra-hepatic organ dysfunction. Modulation of Paneth cell dysregulation may have therapeutic implications by reducing systemic complications arising from hepatic IR.
CURRICULUM DESIGN AND EVALUATION: INCORPORATING STUDENT PERSPECTIVES ON MAJORS AND CAREERS

In this paper the authors discuss the curriculum evaluation process. The use of student inputs to this process is supported. A demonstration is given of a methodology for analyzing student attitudes towards areas of study in the curriculum, and their perceptions of the relations between those areas of study and the job market.
Quasioptical hardware for a flexible FIR-EPR spectrometer

In this paper we present and summarize recent accomplishments of the Freed High Field Electron Paramagnetic Resonance group. In particular, we discuss the application of quasioptical design techniques to instrumentation problems in the far-infrared. We stress that there is no “universal spectrometer” or “universal resonator”. Rather, we demonstrate with a variety of examples from the liquid and solid state that the spectrometer configuration and the resonator used should be optimized for the experiment at hand in order to achieve the ultimate in sensitivity. Quasioptical techniques and methods of analysis offer a unified framework to analyze the expected performance of a proposed spectrometer design, as well as suggest the important control parameters for optimizing the sensitivity of a given experiment as we show in the text. The flexibility of quasioptical methods will also be demonstrated with a variety of resonator designs and sample configurations.
95Mo NMR investigation on cationic [C5H5Mo(CO)2L2]BF4 complexes (L = group 15 donor ligands

Abstract Photochemically-initiated oxidative fission of the MoMo bond in [C5H5Mo(CO)3]2 by the ferricenium salt [(C5H5)2Fe]BF4 in the presence of four equivalents of L affords a good yield of [C5H5Mo(CO)2L2]BF4 (L = group 15 donor ligands). 95Mo NMR data are reported and discussed together with the NMR and IR data of new complexes. Decomposition of the title cations in polar solvents affords low yields of the corresponding [C5H5MO(CO)3L]BF4 complexes. The X-ray crystal structure of [C5H5Mo (CO)3{P(C6H5)3}]BF4 is reported. The cation has the CpML4 piano-stool geometry.
A point mutation in the c-myc locus of a Burkitt lymphoma abolishes binding of a nuclear protein

A 20-base pair region in the first intron of the human c-myc gene was identified as the binding site of a nuclear protein. This binding site is mutated in five out of seven Burkitt lymphomas sequenced to date. To investigate the protein-recognition region in greater detail, the abnormal c-myc allele from a Burkitt lymphoma line (PA682) that carries a t(8;22) chromosomal translocation was used. A point mutation in the binding region of the PA682 c-myc DNA abolished binding of this nuclear protein. This protein may be an important factor for control of c-myc expression, and mutations in its recognition sequence may be associated with c-myc activation in many cases of Burkitt lymphoma.
Dynamic landmark triangles: A simple and efficient mechanism for inter-host latency estimation

This paper describes a simple and efficient approach to estimate the network latency between arbitrary Internet hosts. We use three landmark hosts forming a triangle in two-dimensional space to estimate the distance between arbitrary hosts with simple trigonometrical calculations. To improve the accuracy of estimation, we dynamically choose the ''best'' triangle for a given pair of hosts using a heuristic algorithm. Experiments using several data sets of measured inter-host latencies, as well as a live Internet study, demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of our approach.
The earnings of state government employees in the United States

Abstract This paper has presented a theoretical and empirical analysis of wage determination in the state government sector. The theoretical model is based on the assumption that the state government's objective is to maximize its political support. This objective function leads to predictable behavior regarding how state government employment policies react to changes in the state's wealth, income inequality, composition of constituency groups, and voting behavior. The empirical analysis, conducted on the 1970 U.S. Census Public Use Sample, showed that the wage of state government workers shifts as a result of changes in these political factors. In fact, the results indicated that over three-fourths of the interstate variation in the state government wage rate could be explained by the relatively small vector of political variables introduced in this paper. It should be clear, however, that the analysis conducted in this paper is but a first step in the systematic study of state government behavior. There are several areas where further research may lead to useful results. For example, an important determinant of state government behavior is the composition and power of the various constituency groups. In this paper, the empirical analysis concentrated on three obvious constituencies and ignored the power coalitions in the rest of the population. A more complete accounting of all constituencies may uncover additional results regarding the nature of the income redistribution policies conducted by state governments. Such an accounting could, of course, use the large volumes of available data which divide the state budgets into particular functions. Thus a more general framework could match the data available on the composition of the various constituencies with the data available on expenditures in specific functions. It is not unreasonable to expect that such generalizations of the analysis conducted in this paper will lead to important insights into the labor economics of political markets.
Use of DES-treated rats as an animal model for assessment of pituitary adenoma imaging agents

Prolactin (PRL) secreting pituitary adenomas are the most common type of pituitary tumors. An imaging agent which specifically localized in prolactinomas would be of considerable clinical value for both initial detection and also for monitoring the effects of dopamine agonist therapy. Tritiated spiroperidol ( 3HSp) was selected for initial evaluation as a possible imaging agent based on: (1) demonstrated localization in the pituitary and (2) demonstrated binding to human PRL-secreting tumor tissue. DES was implanted in Fischer F344 rats and induced prolactinoma formation was evidenced by increased pituitary weight, elevated serum PRL levels and by an increase in the proportion of PRL-secreting cells in the pituitary. ‘HSp concentrations in pituitary and other tissues of DES-treated rats were assessed in female rats and correlation studies showed that a S-fold increase in serum PRL was associated with a 6-fold increase in both pituitary weight and % dose/organ accumulation of ‘HSp. The number of pituitary D, receptors per mg of protein in tissue homogenates was similar in both normal and DES-treated females. A blocking study with (+)-butaclamol demonstrated a D, receptor-mediated component to 3HSp localization. In summary, an animal model for prolactinoma was characterized. An assessment of ‘HSp accumulation indicates that radiolabelled spiroperidol shows excellent potential for detecting PRL-secreting tumors of the pituitary.
Liquid fuel droplet heating with internal circulation

Abstract The internal circulation of a liquid droplet moving through a gas is analyzed in a parameter range relevant for a burning air-fuel spray mixture in a typical combustor. The analysis indicates axisymmetric quasi-steady liquid motion with a spherical core vortex surrounded by a viscous boundary layer and an internal wake. The vortex strength is determined as a function of the shear stress along the droplet surface. Furthermore, analysis indicates that the droplet heating is unsteady during its lifetime. The internal circulation is shown to one-dimensionalize effectively the heat conduction in the liquid core. The thermal boundary layer near the surface is also analyzed and it is shown that the droplet temperature field may be determined given the gas-liquid interface constraint.
Riboswitches: Fold and Function

Riboswitches in the 5'-untranslated regions of mRNAs cotranscriptionally couple ligand binding and gene regulation. In this issue of Chemistry & Biology, Lemay et al. describe folding of a key tertiary interaction in the adenine riboswitch and its mechanistic consequences.
Rapamycin reduces clinical signs and neuropathic pain in a chronic model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

Abstract Current treatments used in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) are partly effective in the early stages of the disease but display very limited benefits in patients affected by progressive MS. One possible explanation is that these therapies are unable to target the inflammatory component most active during the progressive phase of the disease, and compartmentalized behind the blood–brain barrier. Our findings show that Rapamycin ameliorates clinical and histological signs of chronic EAE when administered during ongoing disease. Moreover, Rapamycin significantly reduced the hyperalgesia observed before clinical development of EAE which, in turn, is completely abolished by the administration of the drug.
Maintenance of successful weight loss over 1 year: Effects of financial contracts for weight maintenance or participation in skills training

Although recent weight-loss studies suggest that newer methods more reliably produce clinically significant weight losses, maintaining these weight losses remains problematic and little researched. The present study assigned successful weight losers to one of three maintenance treatments: monthly financial contingencies for weight maintenance, monthly financial contingencies for participation in skills training sessions to solidify behavioral changes, and no treatment. Participants were males and females ( N =85) who had completed a 15-week weight-loss program and had lost 10% or more of their body weight. The study lasted for one year beyond initial treatment. Across the three maintenance conditions subjects regained approximately 40% of their weight losses during the year. Mean loss after initial treatment was 29.1±9.1 lbs and at one year 17.3±15.6 lbs. Neither weight regain nor percent of subjects successfully maintaining their weight losses differed significantly across treatment conditions. Financial incentives for weight maintenance appeared the most promising in terms of the number of successful participants, but this success was offset by a large dropout rate. Points for future research are discussed.
CHANGING PATTERNS OF FIRST MARRIAGE IN THE UNITED STATES

This paper uses US Census and Current Population Survey (CPS) data from 1880 to 1983 to calculate age-specific first marriage probabilities and to examine historical trends in first marriage by age race and sex. Because there is no consistency in pattern fluctuation across 5-year age groups the authors reorganize the data according to period. The data clearly documents the marriage boom following World War II but reveals that the boom did not affect all age groups: teenage marriage rates continued to rise until 1956 before sharply and steadily declining; rates for those aged 19-23 remained high throughout the 1950s and 1960s; and compared to the younger groups rates for those aged 24-28 and 29-33 declined immediately after the postwar peak. The substantial marriage probabilities decline during the 1970s reversed the marriage boom effects and returned marriage propensities to prewar levels. Variations from the broader marriage trends show that the war did not affect black men or women nor white or black male teenagers. For the 19-23 age group the postwar boom affected whites much more than blacks and decreased previous marriage probability differences between the sexes. For the 24-28 age group white males marriage probabilities exceeded white females after the war and after 1930 rates for black women fell below those for black men. 1970 data sets show steady marriage rates during the first 2-3 years of the decade but a substantial drop between 1973 and 1977. The latter years of the decade saw a leveling off of rates and CPS estimates for the early 1980s continue this trend. Marriage decline during the 1970s was large (especially for black women) and it occurred at all ages. Between 1971 and 1979 age-specific marriage rates at ages less than 25 declined by about 40%. The 1940s and 1950s boom as well as the 1970s decline mostly affected the young. The age/period model allows for more ready interpretation of period events than would a cohort model since although rates vary across ages race and sex the shift timing occurs across all these variables. The data indicate that individual or societal characteristics rather than differences between birth cohorts best explain the marriage trends after World War II and in the 1970s. Cohort analysis further confirms a 1970s marriage decline; the authors question whether the decline is a short-term deviation from the boom years a return to prewar levels or the beginning of a long term decline.
Visibility-constrained routing of unmanned aerial vehicles

Standard vehicle routing problems have been studied for decades in fields such as transportation, manufacturing, and commodity distribution. In this work, we proposed a variation of these problems that arise in routing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV's) in the presence of terrain obscuration. Specifically, the UAV must visit a location from which the object on the ground in mountainous regions can be viewed without actually flying over the object. Numerical results are presented for near optimal and real time algorithms which have been developed using Lagrangian relaxation techniques. Directions for future work that include priorities, time windows, and routing multiple UAV's with periodic and dynamic changes in the object locations are discussed.
FLOW MODULATION OF A PLANAR FREE SHEAR LAYER WITH LARGE BUBBLES--DIRECT NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS

Abstract The flow of a planar free shear layer with cylindrical bubbles is simulated using a finite difference/front tracking scheme. This approach allows direct numerical simulation of the multiphase flow by wholly incorporating the local bubble flow field in conjunction with the large scale vortical structures of the liquid. The role of large bubbles in modifying low Reynolds number ( ∼ 250 ) shear flow structures is investigated, specifically for bubbles whose diameter approaches the scale of the largest liquid eddies. The results indicate that duration of eddy crossing is the main mechanism for flow modulation, which is typically characterized by decreased vortex coherency and size, modified fluctuation statistics and significant variations in pairing/merging phenomena. The comparison of fluctuating statistics and flow field visualization also allowed qualitative discrimination between the modulation of the non-linear eddy dynamics and fluctuations due simply to the random bubble induced perturbations.
Hydrogen purification with palladium and palladium alloys on porous stainless steel membranes

Hydrogen purification membranes have been prepared via a simultaneous electroless plating of Pd and Ag on a 0.5 ?m media grade Porous Stainless Steel (PSS). Effects of the electroless bath temperature, composition, annealing time and temperature were studied while developing the Pd coating. Very low but measurable N2 fluxes were seen, ranging from 0.010 to 0.020 cm?/cm?-min at temperatures varying from 300?C to 400?C. As no helium flux was observed, it appears that nitrogen diffused, albeit much more slowly, through the same interstitial sites that hydrogen did. H2 permeances varying from (1.9?3.1) ? 10?2 cm?/cm?-min-Pa0.5 were recorded between temperatures from 350?C to 550?C. Sievert's Law was seen to hold true at all temperatures. Short term stability and reproducibility of the H2 permeance were confirmed. The activation energy (Ed) for H2 permeance in the Pd-Ag layer was calculated from the permeance data to be 9 ? 1 kJ/mol.
Factors affecting longitudinal trajectories of plasma sphingomyelins: the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging.

Sphingomyelin metabolism has been linked to several diseases and to longevity. However, few epidemiological studies have quantified individual plasma sphingomyelin species (identified by acyl-chain length and saturation) or their relationship between demographic factors and disease processes. In this study, we determined plasma concentrations of distinct sphingomyelin species in 992 individuals, aged 55 and older, enrolled in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. Participants were followed, with serial measures, up to 6 visits and 38 years (3972 total samples). Quantitative analyses were performed on a high-performance liquid chromatography-coupled electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometer. Linear mixed models were used to assess variation in specific sphingomyelin species and associations with demographics, diseases, medications or lifestyle factors, and plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels. We found that most sphingomyelin species increased with age. Women had higher plasma levels of all sphingomyelin species and showed steeper trajectories of age-related increases compared to men. African Americans also showed higher circulating sphingomyelin concentrations compared to Caucasians. Diabetes, smoking, and plasma triglycerides were associated with lower levels of many sphingomyelins and dihydrosphingomyelins. Notably, these associations showed specificity to sphingomyelin acyl-chain length and saturation. These results demonstrate that longitudinal changes in circulating sphingomyelin levels are influenced by age, sex, race, lifestyle factors, and diseases. It will be important to further establish the intra-individual age- and sex-specific changes in each sphingomyelin species in relation to disease onset and progression.
The 21N(→d,p)22Ne reaction to the Jπ = 2+, 4.46 MeV level in 22Ne☆

Abstract We have used measurements of the 21 Ne( →d ,p) 22 Ne reaction to deduce spectroscopic factors for the three j n values which contribute to the transition to the 4.46 MeV level in 22 Ne. The results agree with the shell-model calculation of Preedom and Wildenthal.
Acute increases in intraluminal pressure improve vasodilator responses in aged soleus muscle feed arteries.

We tested the hypothesis that exposure to an acute increase in intraluminal pressure, to mimic pressure associated with a bout of exercise, improves nitric oxide (NO)-mediated endothelium-dependent dilation in aged soleus muscle feed arteries (SFA) and that improved endothelial function would persist after a 2 h recovery period. SFA from young (4-month) and old (24-month) Fischer 344 rats were cannulated and pressurized at 90 (P90) or 130 (P130) cmH2O for 60 min. At the end of the treatment period, pressure in the P130 SFA was lowered to 90 cmH2O for examination of endothelium-dependent [flow or acetylcholine (ACh)] and endothelium-independent [sodium nitroprusside (SNP)] vasodilation. To determine the role of NO, vasodilator responses were assessed in the presence of N ω-nitro-l-arginine (L-NNA). To determine whether the effects of pressure persisted following a recovery period at normal pressure, SFA were pressurized to 130 cmH2O for 60 min and subsequently lowered to 90 cmH2O for 2 h before assessing function. ACh- and flow-induced dilations were impaired in old SFA. Treatment with increased pressure for 60 min improved ACh- and flow-induced dilations in old SFA. SNP-induced dilation was improved in old and young SFA. The beneficial effect of pressure treatment on ACh- and flow-induced dilation in old SFA was blocked by L-NNA and was not present following a 2 h recovery period. These results indicate that an acute increase in intraluminal pressure improves NO-mediated endothelium-dependent dilation in aged SFA; however, the beneficial effect does not persist after 2 h.
Evaluating the impact of Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles on composite power system reliability

Climate change is a matter of pressing importance for modern society. One method that has been suggested for mitigating the role that fossil fuel based transportation plays in this issue is the introduction of Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) in order to electrify the transportation sector. While these vehicles would have a significant impact in reducing greenhouse gases (GHGs), they may also place a larger strain on the current power grid and the coming Smart Grid. In order to address this issue much work has been completed in order to examine the impact of PHEVs on distribution systems in modern power grids while little effort has been made to examine the effect that the inclusion of this new load will have on generation and transmission systems. As such, this work extends the probabilistic reliability evaluation of power systems by developing a model for reliability evaluation using Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) to examine the impact that PHEVs will have on composite power systems. The model is examined using the IEEE-RTS across multiple load and penetration levels.
STARBRIGHT World and Psychological Adjustment in Children with Cancer: A Clinical Series

Children with cancer face a number of stressors that may have a negative impact on short- and long-term psychological adjustment. Preventive and psychotherapeutic approaches focus on risk and resilience factors that may moderate or mediate the impact of those stressors. STARBRIGHT World was introduced in a pediatric oncology setting as a tool to facilitate adjustment during the initial phases of diagnosis and treatment. Its implementation is described in 4 clinical cases of children between 10 and 17 years old who have been diagnosed with leukemia or lymphoma, focusing on themes of self-competence and mastery, understanding of illness and treatment, and communication with others. Implications for further clinical applications and research are described.
An iodized mounting medium for coal particles

A high electron-density embedding medium was developed for SEM observation of inorganic constituents of organic or carbonaceous particles. The components used are a common epoxy resin in which iodoform is dissolved before the addition of the hardener. An iodoform content of 10% by weight proved satisfactory for obtaining excellent contrast between the matrix and embedded carbonaceous particles in the SEM. The system has been successfully applied in the preparation of polished specimens of coal particles. There is no interference between the iodine and any of the most abundant or most important coal mineral components, but it was found that the epoxy resin contained chlorine as a contaminant.
Locating Amazonian Dark Earths (ADE) using vegetation vigour as a surrogate for soil type

Amazonian Dark Earths (ADE) are patches of archaeological soils scattered throughout the Amazon Basin. These soils are a mixture of charcoal, nutrient vegetable matter and the underlying Oxisol soil. ADE are extremely fertile in comparison to the surrounding soils and they are sought after by local residents for agricultural food production. Research is being conducted to learn how ADE were created and to explore the possibility of replicating them to sequester carbon and to reclaim depleted soils in the Amazon Basin. A factor limiting the success of this research is our current inability to locate ADE sites hidden beneath the tropical forest canopy. We use annual time-series Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) satellite imagery from 2001 to 2005 and harmonic analysis (HA) to examine the spectral differences between forest vegetation growing on ADE and forest vegetation growing on non-ADE. There is a significant difference between the reflectances of veget...
The poverty of organizational theory: Comment on: “Bourdieu and organizational analysis”

American organizational theorists have not taken up the call to apply Bourdieu’s approach in all of its richness in part because, for better or worse, evidentiary traditions render untenable the kind of sweeping analysis that makes Bourdieu’s classics compelling. Yet many of the insights found in Bourdieu are being pursued piecemeal, in distinct paradigmatic projects that explore the character of fields, the emergence of organizational habitus, and the changing forms of capital that are key to the control of modern organizations. A number of these programs build on the same sociological classics that Bourdieu built his own theory on. These share the same lineage, even if they were not directly influenced by Bourdieu.
Elliptic flow at large transverse momenta from quark coalescence.

We show that hadronization via quark coalescence enhances hadron elliptic flow at large ${p}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}$ relative to that of partons at the same transverse momentum. Therefore, compared to earlier results based on covariant parton transport theory, more moderate initial parton densities $dN/d\ensuremath{\eta}(b=0)\ensuremath{\sim}1500--3000$ can explain the differential elliptic flow ${v}_{2}({p}_{\ensuremath{\perp}})$ data for $\mathrm{A}\mathrm{u}+\mathrm{A}\mathrm{u}$ reactions at $\sqrt{s}=130$ and $200A\text{ }\mathrm{G}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{V}$ from BNL RHIC. In addition, ${v}_{2}({p}_{\ensuremath{\perp}})$ could saturate at about 50% higher values for baryons than for mesons. If strange quarks have weaker flow than light quarks, hadron ${v}_{2}$ at high ${p}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}$ decreases with relative strangeness content.
Stimulating appropriate uses of simulation in design

This article addresses the issue of educating undergraduate engineering students in the appropriate use of computer simulation in the design process. The premise that poorly designed assignments involving simulation can actually impair understanding is addressed. A set of goals for simulation-based exercises is suggested, and some tactics for meeting these goals are introduced. Finally, a specific example of a half-term assignment that is used to meet these goals is provided for illustration.
Polymer electrolytes and polyelectrolytes: Monte Carlo simulations of thermal effects on conduction

Abstract Monte Carlo calculations were carried out to simulate ion diffusion through polymer matrices. A dynamic bond percolation (DBP) model was employed that includes local harmonic motion of covalently bound anions in polyelectrolyte systems. The temperature dependence of cation diffusion was investigated in polyelectrolytes and polymer–salt complexes for 0–100 °C. Systems in which the rate of polymer reorganization is independent of temperature display Arrhenius behavior both above and below the Tg of 35 °C. Systems in which the temperature is coupled to the rate of polymer reorganization display VTF behavior above the Tg and near Arrhenius behavior below the Tg. In all cases, the temperature is coupled to the rate of successful ion jumps. Temperature and Tg seem to have no effect on the ion density at which the cation conductivity reaches a maximum.
Homologous pairing and strand exchange promoted by the Escherichia coli RecT protein.

Abstract RecT protein of Escherichia coli promotes the formation of joint molecules between homologous linear double-stranded M13mp19 replicative-form bacteriophage DNA and circular single-stranded M13mp19 DNA in the presence of exonuclease VIII, the recE gene product. The joint molecules were formed by a mechanism involving the pairing of the complementary strand of the linear double-stranded DNA substrate with the circular single-stranded DNA substrate coupled with the displacement of the noncomplementary strand. When the homologous linear double-stranded DNA substrate had homologous 3' or 5' single-stranded tails, then RecT promoted homologous pairing and strand exchange in the absence of exonuclease VIII. Histone H1 could substitute for RecT protein; however, joint molecules formed in the presence of histone H1 did not undergo strand exchange. These results indicate that under the reaction conditions used, the observed strand exchange reaction is promoted by RecT and is not the result of spontaneous branch migration. These results are consistent with the observation that expression of RecE (exonuclease VIII) and RecT substitutes for RecA in some recombination reactions in E. coli.
Being an astronomer, being a woman

Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin: An Autobiography and other Recollections. Edited by Katherine Haramundanis. Cambridge University Press: 1984. Pp. 275. £19.50, $34.50.
Inhibition of autoimmune disease in a murine model of systemic lupus erythematosus induced by exposure to syngeneic photoinactivated lymphocytes

MRL/l mice develop progressive, virulent autoimmune disease that has many of the features of systemic lupus erythematosus. Prophylactic treatment of MRL/l mice with syngeneic photoinactivated autoimmune splenocytes improves survival and inhibits the fulminant hyperproliferation of abnormal T cells and the production of high titer anti-DNA antibody invariably found in untreated mice. The proliferation of Thy 1+ splenic T cells was significantly decreased, and prolonged retention of the response to T-cell mitogen was found in treated mice. Treatment with unmodified cells induced a partial inhibition of disease features which did not prolong survival rates. These results suggest that phototherapy potentiates a normal immunoregulatory process which enables suppression of the development of abnormal cell populations in young MRL/l mice with relatively intact immune systems.
SU-FF-T-263: Application of a Heterogeneous Coarse-Mesh Transport Method to a Radiation Therapy Benchmark Problem

Purpose: To apply a new particle transport method that combines coarse-mesh transport and the Monte Carlo (MC) method to photons in radiation therapy to determine dose deposited and to quantify the increased speed and comparable accuracy of this method to the current pure MC methods. Method and Materials: A highly accurate and fast heterogeneous coarse-mesh transport method developed for neutrons in 2D geometry is extended to photon transport for radiation therapy. Its accuracy and speed for energy deposition estimation is shown in a benchmark phantom made of water. The phantom is modeled using a grid of coarse meshes to perform the transport calculation using a heterogeneous response function technique. MC calculations are used to precompute all of the material property dependent response functions that characterize the mesh. These functions that make up the data library are used in the deterministic transport calculation by sweeping through the grid to compute the angular partial currents at each coarse-mesh edge, and the energy deposited in the phantom. To test the method, a comparison of the energy deposition in the benchmark phantom was performed by modeling the entire phantom directly with the MC code MCNP5. Results: The comparison over 150 meshes revealed an average relative error of the deposited energy of 2.25% between the two methods. However, the new method performed the calculation in 45 minutes, while MCNP5 required 2 hours. Conclusion: The work indicates that this new transport method has the potential to provide similar results as those obtained by using a pure MC method while reducing the amount of time required in obtaining these results. With further optimization of the heterogeneous coarse-mesh code, it is expected to further decrease the run time. The eventual 3D extension will allow calculating the actual dose deposited.
Drug-induced pemphigus: Autoantibodies directed against the pemphigus antigen complexes are present in penicillamine and captopril-induced pemphigus

Abstract Pemphigus is an autoimmune blistering disease characterized by circulating autoantibodies directed against the keratinocyte cell surface. The two variants, pemphigus foliaceus and pemphigus vulgaris, can be distinguished at the molecular level by immunochemical studies. The large majority of patients with pemphigus develop the disease spontaneously; however, there is a small group of patients who develop pemphigus after treatment with certain medications, of which penicillamine and captopril are the best documented. Most patients with drug-induced pemphigus have circulating and/or tissue bound epidermal cell surface autoantibodies; however, the molecular specificity of these autoantibodies has not been studied. We performed immunoprecipitation studies utilizing extracts of 125 I-labeled suction blister epidermis and the sera of three patients with drug-induced pemphigus foliaceus (two due to penicillamine and one due to captopril) and one patient with captopril-induced pemphigus vulgaris. We found that the three patients with drug-induced pemphigus foliaceus had circulating autoantibodies that are directed against the pemphigus foliaceus antigen complex and that the one patient with drug-induced pemphigus vulgaris had circulating autoantibodies that are directed against the pemphigus vulgaris antigen complex. This study demonstrates that autoantibodies from drug-induced pemphigus patients have the same antigenic specificity, on a molecular level, as do autoantibodies from other pemphigus patients.
Capacity-Maintaining Conflict Resolution for Adverse-Weather Air-Traffic Rerouting

Abstract This article aims to avoid flow-capacity loss due to merges when rerouting air traffic around adverse-weather regions. However, rerouting without merges can increase the number of route intersections (potential conflicts) in the nearby sectors. To resolve such conflicts, the current work uses decentralized procedures, which can be designed in a decoupled manner without domino effects, and without the need to reduce aircraft-flow levels.