cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exploring Multi-dimensional Hierarchical Network Topologies for Efficient Distributed Training of Trillion Parameter DL Models.

Deep Neural Networks have gained significant attraction due to their wide applicability in different domains. DNN sizes and training samples are constantly growing, making training of such workloads more challenging. Distributed training is a solution to reduce the training time. High-performance distributed training platforms should leverage multi-dimensional hierarchical networks, which interconnect accelerators through different levels of the network, to dramatically reduce expensive NICs required for the scale-out network. However, it comes at the expense of communication overhead between distributed accelerators to exchange gradients or input/output activation. In order to allow for further scaling of the workloads, communication overhead needs to be minimized. In this paper, we motivate the fact that in training platforms, adding more intermediate network dimensions is beneficial for efficiently mitigating the excessive use of expensive NIC resources. Further, we address different challenges of the DNN training on hierarchical networks. We discuss when designing the interconnect, how to distribute network bandwidth resources across different dimensions in order to (i) maximize BW utilization of all dimensions, and (ii) minimizing the overall training time for the target workload. We then implement a framework that, for a given workload, determines the best network configuration that maximizes performance, or performance-per-cost.
Detection by ELISA of C-terminal proBNP in plasma from cats with cardiomyopathy

The B-type natriuretic peptide prohormone (proBNP) is enzymatically cleaved into an inactive N-terminal peptide and a biologically active C-terminal peptide with many beneficial cardiorenal effects. The purpose of this study was to develop and test in cats with cardiomyopathy an immunoassay to quantify the concentrations of C-terminal proBNP in feline plasma. An anti-canine proBNP monoclonal antibody (UI-1021) was shown to have adequate binding affinity to proBNP 80-106 for use in a solid-phase immunoassay, and by epitope mapping to bind within positions 84-87 of feline proBNP. UI-1021 was paired with an affinity-purified rabbit polyclonal detection antibody to feline proBNP 100-106, in a sandwich ELISA with feline proBNP 80-106 standard. The linearity and analytical range and sensitivity of the assay were confirmed from 1.4 to 85 pmol/L. Spike recovery averaged 106.5% (95% confidence interval 78-135%). Within run and intra-assay coefficients of variation were <12%. A protease inhibitor mixture preserved proBNP 80-106 immunoreactivity for at least 5 days in plasma. Clinical verification of the ELISA was done using plasma from 13 cats with cardiomyopathy, whose C-terminal proBNP concentrations ranged from 1.7 to 78.8 pmol/L vs. <1.4-1.8 pmol/L in plasma from 18 healthy cats. Concentrations were found to be substantially lower than reported N-terminal proBNP concentrations, and similar to those of human heart failure patients where relative C-terminal BNP deficiencies have been proposed as contributory to the progression of the disease.
Questions for comparison of clinical Monte Carlo codes

The use of Monte Carlo techniques for routine clinical treatment planning will soon be with us in the sense that various commercial producers of treatment planning systems are actively developing such systems. Since it has long been thought that Monte Carlo techniques represent the “ultimate” answer to the problem of accurate dose calculation, the commercialization of these techniques would appear to be highly desirable.
The Once and Future Delta

Coastal Louisiana faces an extraordinary and unprecedented challenge: millions of people and a vast industrial infrastructure located in a disappearing landscape. The sea is re-occupying delta lobes and a coastal plain cut off from the river that built them. The decline is inexorable. Without systemic changes, coastal Louisiana, having already lost 1,900 square miles in less than a century, will disappear. Faced with this challenge, Louisiana’s people are hampered by an inherent difficulty to comprehend how much the biophysical baseline has shifted. We lack an historic perspective, unaware of just how much more productive the system was and could be again. Many are engaged in a futile effort to hold onto what is doomed or put back what is already lost, rather than allow what could be: a vibrant new river management system that reignites the process that built the delta and its vast productivity in the first place. The key is unleashing the potential of the Mississippi River to build land. The challenge is to accept and adapt to the dislocations that river reintroduction will bring to navigation, fisheries, and coastal communities. The difficulty of adapting pales beside the catastrophe that waits if we do not.
The Physics of Deformation and Fracture of Polymers

1. Structure of non-polymeric glasses 2. Structure of solid polymers 3. Overview of deformation and fracture mechanisms 4. Small strain elastic response 5. Linear visco-elasticity of polymers 6. Rubber elasticity 7. Inelastic behaviour of non-polymeric glasses 8. Inelastic behaviour of glassy polymers 9. Plasticity of semi-crystalline polymers 10. Deformation instabilities in extensional plastic flow of polymers 11. Crazing in glassy homo and hetero polymers 12. Fracture of polymers 13. Toughening of brittle polymers.
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies and prion protein interconversions.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses important natural human and animal transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) diseases and various experimental models. It also summarizes prion protein (PrP) biochemistry and cell biology, especially as it relates to the TSE-associated conversion of PrPc to PrP-res. TSE diseases, or prion diseases, are rare, fatal neurodegenerative diseases of humans and other animals. They are transmissible by inoculation or ingestion of infected tissues. Their primary symptoms in humans are dementia and ataxia. These diseases are usually characterized by spongiform degeneration of the brain, accompanied by the appearance of activated astrocytes. Most distinctive, however, is the accumulation of abnormal protease-resistant forms of host-derived PrP in the central nervous system and, to a lesser extent, in lymphoreticular tissues. Much evidence suggests that abnormal forms of PrP of some sort are critical in the transmission and pathogenesis of TSE diseases. TSE diseases in humans can be divided into three groups—namely, sporadic, familial, and iatrogenic. Familial TSE diseases are all associated with different mutations in the PrP gene and include familial Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, Gerstmann–Straussler–Scheinker syndrome, and fatal familial insomnia.
Quality of service-aware source-initiated ad-hoc routing

Desirable features of routing protocols for mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) include ability to adapt to changing network conditions due to mobility and provide quality control mechanisms during the life time of a route. Current routing protocols that provide quality of service (QoS) for MANETs have proposed routing based on a single QoS metric. This paper proposes a QoS aware source initiated ad-hoc routing protocol (QuaSAR) that adds quality control to all the phases of an on-demand routing protocol. QuaSAR gathers information about battery power, signal strength, bandwidth and latency during route discovery and uses in route choosing. Additionally, our approach has proactive route maintenance features in addition to the reactive maintenance. We conducted simulation experiments using ns-2 network simulator and compared our results with dynamic source routing (DSR). Our performance results demonstrate that our technique has increased throughput and packet delivery ratio.
Real-time implementation of an IIR acoustic echo canceller on ADSP21020

A practical IIR (pole-zero) lattice adaptive acoustic echo canceller (AEC) for teleconferencing application is proposed. The proposed algorithm consists in two parts: a forward lattice and an inverse lattice. Collectively, they are referred to as the LATIN (lattice and inverse lattice) configuration. While the forward lattice is responsible for acoustic echo cancellation, the inverse lattice is employed in the double-talk (DT) mode only as to undo the distortion of the near-end speech brought about by forward lattice when suppressing the acoustic echo. Assuming M poles and M zeros for the proposed AEC, the complexity of the proposed algorithm is approximately twice the complexity of an M-tap FIR gradient lattice algorithm. Real-time experimentation conducted on an ADSP21020 floating-point DSP chip attests to the stability and fast convergence of proposed IIR algorithm.
Transgression: Ordinary and Otherwise

Thomas E. Wartenberg _Unlikely Couples: Movie Romance as Social Criticism_ Boulder: Westview Press, 1999 ISBN: 0-8133-3438-1 (hb); 0-8133-3439-X (pb) 254 pp.
Distinguishing partitions and asymmetric uniform hypergraphs

A distinguishing partition for an action of a group Γ on a set X is a partition of X that is preserved by no nontrivial element of Γ. As a special case, a distinguishing partition of a graph is a partition of the vertex set that is preserved by no nontrivial automorphism. In this paper we provide a link between distinguishing partitions of complete equipartite graphs and asymmetric uniform hypergraphs. Suppose that m ≥ 1 and n ≥ 2. We show that an asymmetric n -uniform hypergraph with m edges exists if and only if m ≥ f ( n ), where f (2) = f (14) = 6, f (6) = 5, and f ( n )= ⌊ log 2 ( n + 1) ⌋ + 2 otherwise. It follows that a distinguishing partition of K m ( n ) = K n , n , ..., n , or equivalently for the wreath product action S n Wr S m , exists if and only if m ≥ f ( n ).
The Beginnings of British Legislation for Old-Age Pensions

In A society operating completely on the principles of economic individualism, each adult person would be expected to make provision for his own needs and for those of his dependents. He would have to earn enough to provide food, clothing, and shelter, as well as develop the necessary frugality to lay by enough to care for himself and dependents during periods of illness and unemployment. He would likewise be expected to make provision for old age and for funeral expenses. The duties of an adult person in society would be looked upon as being not only economic but also moral in nature, requiring the constant making of choices in expenditure, not merely of what goods to buy but of the spacing of expenditures over long periods of time. If a person met with economic reverses and could not provide, he showed himself to be incapable of dealing with the problems of a responsible adult and ought not to look to others to get him out of his predicament. His condition would be considered to result from lack of the moral qualities required of a person who had taken upon himself the responsibilities of adult life.
Dark Count Statistics in Geiger-Mode Avalanche Photodiode Cameras for 3-D Imaging LADAR

We describe cameras incorporating focal plane arrays of Geiger-mode avalanche photodiodes (GmAPDs) that enable 3-D imaging in laser radar (LADAR) systems operating at wavelengths near 1.0 and 1.5 μm. GmAPDs based on the InGaAsP material system achieve single-photon sensitivity at every pixel of the array and are hybridized to custom CMOS ROICs providing 0.25 ns timing resolution. We present camera-level performance for photon detection efficiency and dark count rate, along with a survey of the evolution of performance for a substantial number of 32 × 32 cameras. We then describe a temporal statistical analysis of the array-level dark count behavior that distinguishes between Poissonian intrinsic dark count rate and non-Poissonian crosstalk counts. We also report the spatial analysis of crosstalk events to complement the statistical temporal analysis. Differences between cameras optimized for the two different wavelengths—1.0 and 1.5 μm—are noted, particularly with regard to crosstalk behavior.
Powers of Ideals Generated by Weak d-Sequences

This paper is concerned with establishing a general method to answer questions concerning the analytic behavior of an ideal Z in a commutative Noetherian ring R. By “analytic” we mean the analysis of R/Z” for n > 1. Two specific questions are the most important: If Z= P is prime, when is P(“) = P”? (Here P(“) is the nth symbolic power of P.) Secondly, if R is local, what are depth R/Z” for arbitrary n ? If I” has finite projective dimension, then of course this is the same question as that of computing the projective dimension of R/r. Even in specific cases which have been extensively studied these questions are extremely hard to answer. The literature concerning symbolic powers is fairly extensive; see for example, [ 11, [S], [ 141, [ 171, or [23]. If K is a field and X= (xu) is a generic r x s matrix (r 2 and Robbiano [21] has conjectured that the depths are independent on n if n > 2. We are able to show
Syndecan-1, a cell-surface proteoglycan, changes in size and abundance when keratinocytes stratify.

In epidermis, keratinocytes in the basal cell layer differentiate, lose their attachment to the underlying extracellular matrix, and form extensive intercellular adhesions as they stratify. The alterations in cell-matrix and cell-cell adhesion required for keratinocyte stratification result from changes in the expression of numerous adhesion molecules. Syndecan-1, a member of a family of cell-surface proteoglycans, is known to bind cells to interstitial matrix. Syndecan-1 localizes to specific layers of mouse epidermal keratinocytes; its expression is modest in the basal layer, heavy in the suprabasal layers, but absent from the most superficial, terminally differentiated layers. This layer-specific difference suggests that syndecan-1 expression changes with keratinocyte differentiation. To assess this hypothesis, syndecan-1 expression was evaluated before and after calcium-induced stratification and differentiation. Cells growing as an unstratified monolayer express a higher molecular mass form of syndecan-1 than do stratified cells (modal relative mass of 160 kD versus 110 kD). This structural difference is due to larger and more heparan sulfate chains on syndecan-1 from monolayer cells. In addition, the amount of cell-surface syndecan-1 changes with stratification; stratified cultures show approximately 2.5 times more syndecan-1 per cell than do unstratified cultures, but do not significantly change the level of syndecan-1 specific mRNA. Thus, the structure and amount of syndecan-1 may be regulated to meet the changing adhesive requirements of stratifying keratinocytes.
Studies on the terminal electron transport system. VI. Fragmentation of the electron transport particle with deoxycholate.

Abstract At an appropriate ratio of deoxycholate to protein the electron transport particle is fragmented into a red particle similar to the succinic dehydrogenase complex and a green particle which acts as a DPNH oxidase when supplemented with cytochrome c . The red particle contains cytochromes b and c 1 (but not a ) and catalyzes the oxidation of succinate or DPNH by ferricyanide and cytochrome c but not by oxygen. The green particle contains cytochrome b , c 1 and a and catalyzes the oxidation of DPNH (but not succinate) by cytochrome c or by oxygen in presence of cytochrome c . Antimycin inhibits the oxidation of succinate by cytochrome c (catalyzed by the red particle) or oxidation of DPNH by oxygen or cytochrome c (catalyzed by the green particle).
Darwin faces Kant: a study in nineteenth-century physiology

Recent explorations into Sigmund Freud's intellectual development by Frank Sulloway and Lucille Ritvo have directed attention to the significance of evolutionary theory for psychoanalysis. In this paper I shall pursue the exploration by showing how Darwin was received by members of the so-called Helmholtz circle (Hermann von Helmholtz, Emil du Bois-Reymond, Ernst Brucke) and certain of Freud's teachers in the University of Vienna medical school. I will make the point that the Leibniz–Kant background of these several scientists was important for this reception. I will argue that the Leibniz–Kant tradition came forward to Freud by two roads, Helmholtz's unconscious inference as foundation for a physiology of the senses, and Arthur Schopenhauer's not unrelated uses of the principle of sufficient reason to explain the possibility of lawlikeness in a universe of lawless energies. Finally, I will suggest ways in which Freud received and used the tradition.
Interlayer electrodynamics of the vortex state in κ-(BEDT-TTF)2Cu(NCS)2

Abstract A microwave cavity perturbation technique is used to probe the interlayer electrodynamics within the vortex state of the organic superconductor κ-(BEDT-TTF) 2 Cu(NCS) 2 . A Josephson plasma mode is observed which is extremely sensitive to correlations in the locations of vortices in adjacent layers and may, therefore, be used to gauge collective effects between vortices and crystal pinning sites in the title compound. Our previous investigations [Phys. Rev. B 62 (2000) 5965] revealed a transformation from a weakly pinned decoupled two-dimensional vortex solid phase, to either a depinned or liquid state. In this study, we carry out a detailed analysis of the magnetic field dependence of the Josephson plasma frequency within the two phases. Our findings agree favourably with recent theoretical models: within the liquid state, the squared plasma frequency ( ω p 2 ) decays with the inverse of the magnetic field strength, B ; whereas, in the solid phase, a much slower decay is observed (ω p 2 ∝ B −0.35 ) , which is indicative of extremely weak pinning.
Do You Want to Know What I Learned? Using Informational Trade Books as Models to Teach Text Structure

Informational text is an important resource for classroom teachers that places unique comprehension demands on young students. Research on teaching expository text structure to young children shows that explicit instruction improves student comprehension. This practical article addresses how to use “well-structured” expository trade book titles to teach text structure. A lesson plan template and an extended example of an explicit lesson on order/sequence are provided.
276: Non Invasive Measures of Right Heart Hemodynamics Associated with Clinical Improvement Post Heartmate II

Purpose: Left ventricular assist devices (VAD) reduce pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) in severe heart failure. The Heartmate II (HMII), a continuous axial flow pump improves the clinical status of patients awaiting transplantation. Our aim was to non invasively assess the HMII’s effect on PVR and right heart function in view of the risks associated with right heart catheterisation in VAD patients. Methods and Materials: 18 patients enrolled in the HM II trial were studied. Echocardiograms performed prior to implant and 1 month post implant were reviewed. Tricuspid regurgitation velocity (TRV), right ventricular outflow tract velocity (RVOT VTI), tricuspid inflow velocities (TEV) and right chamber areas were measured. PVR, RV stroke volume (SV) and RV ejection fraction (RVEF) were calculated from the data (PVR TRV/RVOT VTI x 10 0.16; SV RVOT TVI X RVOT area). These results were compared to Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLWHF), VAD speed and flow rate. Results: Significant reductions in PVR, RVSP, TR and MLWHF with increases in the SV and TEV occurred post implant. Patients with more than 50% reduction in their PVR (n 4) had lower MLWHF (35 19 vs 67 29, p 0.05)and higher VAD flow rates (6.1 0.5 L/min vs 5.0 0.7 L/min) without significant difference in VAD support (9350 341rpm vs 9160 227rpm). Conclusions: Doppler echo detected improvements in right heart hemodynamics with HMII 1 month post implant. PVR change was associated with improved symptoms. Doppler echo can measure right heart hemodynamic changes in VAD patients and may assist with optimal timing for transplantation and maximising clinical response in DT. It enables frequent acquisition of hemodynamic data on VAD patients which can improve understanding of the recovering myocardium.
TRPV1 Activation Modulates Acetylcholine Release at Myoneural Junctions

Transient receptor potential (TRP) proteins are non-selective cation channel proteins that are expressed throughout the body. Previous studies show that TRP Vanilloid 1 (TRPV1), capsaicin (CAP) receptor, is expressed in sensory neurons. Here we report that TRPV1 protein is expressed at the motor nerve terminals and that activation of TRPV1 by CAP suppresses acetylcholine release, in vitro. We analyzed twitch tension, spontaneous and nerve stimulus evoked acetylcholine release from phrenic nerve diaphragm nerve muscle preparations (NMP) isolated from isoflurane anesthetized adult wild type mice and that genetically lacked TRPV1 (TRPV1-/-). When acutely applied to isolated NMP, 1 µM CAP produced a concentration-dependent decline of twitch tension and a significant decline in the amplitude of stimulus evoked endplate currents (EPCs) and quantal content without any effect on the miniature endplate currents (mEPCs). The suppression of nerve stimulus evoked acetylcholine release by CAP was antagonized by capsazepine (CPZ; 10 µM), a TRPV1 antagonist. However, CAP did not suppress phrenic nerve stimulus evoked acetylcholine release in TRPV1−/− mice. Also, CAP treatment, in vitro, interfered with the localization of adapter protein 2 in cholinergic Neuro 2a cells. Wortmannin, (WMN; 10 µM; non-selective phosphoinositol kinase inhibitor), mimicked the effects of CAP by inhibiting the acetylcholine exocytosis. Our data suggest that TRPV1 proteins expressed at the motor nerve terminal are coupled to the exo-endocytic mechanisms to regulate neuromuscular functions.
Heat curing Metaseiulus occidentalis (Nesbitt) (Acari, Phytoseiidae) of a fitness-reducing microsporidium

Abstract Laboratory colonies of the predatory mite Metaseiulus occidentalis in Gainesville, FL were found to be infected with an undescribed microsporidium. Experiments were performed to quantify the effect of infection on the fitness of M. occidentalis and to determine if heat treatment can cure mites of the microsporidium. The colonies tested were derived from an isofemale line so that differences in performance could be attributed to the presence of microsporidia. A subcolony of an uninfected isofemale line was infected with the microsporidium by feeding females infected eggs from another colony of M. occidentalis. Infected mites had a shorter mean (±SD) female life span (7.4±2.9 vs. 10.0±2.8 days), lower mean oviposition (1.6±0.7 vs. 2.2±0.4 eggs/day), and a male-biased sex ratio (43±16% vs. 57±15% female progeny). The infection was reduced temporarily in colonies initiated from mites that were reared in a growth chamber at 33 °C from egg to adult, but healthy colonies only were established from the progeny of the heat-treated adults. These colonies remained free of infection for 10 weeks.
New Minor Alkaloids in Fluecured Tobacco Leaf (Nicotiana tabacum cv. BY–260–9)

(1979). New Minor Alkaloids in Fluecured Tobacco Leaf (Nicotiana tabacum cv. BY–260–9) Agricultural and Biological Chemistry: Vol. 43, No. 1, pp. 193-194.
Homoclinic chaos increases the likelihood of rogue wave formation

We numerically investigate dispersive perturbations of the nonlinear Schrodinger (NLS) equation, which model waves in deep water. We observe that a chaotic regime greatly increases the likelihood of rogue wave formation. These large amplitude waves are well modeled by higher order homoclinic solutions of the NLS equation for which the spatial excitations have coalesced to produce a wave of maximal amplitude. Remarkably, a Melnikov analysis of the conditions for the onset of chaos identifies the observed maximal amplitude homoclinic solutions as the persistent hyperbolic structures throughout the perturbed dynamics.
Optical diagnostics in gas turbine combustors

Deregulation of the power industry and increasingly tight emission controls are pushing gas turbine manufacturers to develop engines operating at high pressure for efficiency and lean fuel mixtures to control NOx. This combination also gives rise to combustion instabilities which threaten engine integrity through acoustic pressure oscillations and flashback. High speed imaging and OH emission sensors have been demonstrated to be invaluable tools in characterizing and monitoring unstable combustion processes. Asynchronous imaging technique permit detailed viewing of cyclic flame structure in an acoustic environment which may be modeled or utilized in burner design . The response of the flame front to the acoustic pressure cycle may be tracked with an OH emission monitor using a sapphire light pipe for optical access. The OH optical emission can be correlated to pressure sensor data for better understanding of the acoustical coupling of the flame. Active control f the combustion cycle can be implemented using an OH emission sensor for feedback.
Synthesis and Application of Pyridine-Based Ambipolar Hosts: Control of Charge Balance in Organic Light-Emitting Devices by Chemical Structure Modification

We studied the influence of a pyridine moiety versus a phenyl moiety when introduced in the molecular design of an ambipolar host. These pyridine-based host materials for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) were synthesized in three to five steps from commercially available starting materials. The isomeric hosts have similar HOMO/LUMO energies; however, data from OLEDs fabricated using the above host materials demonstrate that small structural modification of the host results in significant changes in its carrier-transporting characteristics.
Phosphoprotein Secretome of Tumor Cells as a Source of Candidates for Breast Cancer Biomarkers in Plasma

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease whose molecular diversity is not well reflected in clinical and pathological markers used for prognosis and treatment selection. As tumor cells secrete proteins into the extracellular environment, some of these proteins reach circulation and could become suitable biomarkers for improving diagnosis or monitoring response to treatment. As many signaling pathways and interaction networks are altered in cancerous tissues by protein phosphorylation, changes in the secretory phosphoproteome of cancer tissues could reflect both disease progression and subtype. To test this hypothesis, we compared the phosphopeptide-enriched fractions obtained from proteins secreted into conditioned media (CM) derived from five luminal and five basal type breast cancer cell lines using label-free quantitative mass spectrometry. Altogether over 5000 phosphosites derived from 1756 phosphoproteins were identified, several of which have the potential to qualify as phosphopeptide plasma biomarker candidates for the more aggressive basal and also the luminal-type breast cancers. The analysis of phosphopeptides from breast cancer patient plasma and controls allowed us to construct a discovery list of phosphosites under rigorous collection conditions, and second to qualify discovery candidates generated from the CM studies. Indeed, a set of basal-specific phosphorylation CM site candidates derived from IBP3, CD44, OPN, FSTL3, LAMB1, and STC2, and luminal-specific candidates derived from CYTC and IBP5 were selected and, based on their presence in plasma, quantified across all cell line CM samples using Skyline MS1 intensity data. Together, this approach allowed us to assemble a set of novel cancer subtype specific phosphopeptide candidates for subsequent biomarker verification and clinical validation.
Neural transplantation for stroke.

Tremendous achievements in neuroscience over the past three decades have provided a solid foundation for basic and clinical research in neurotransplantation. Restorative neurosurgical procedures will develop from different directions, and it is likely that a combination of approaches will be necessary to maximise patient outcomes. We believe that cerebral infarction and selected neurodegenerative disorders are appropriate initial candidates for this research.
Structural mass spectrometry analysis of lipid changes in a Drosophila epilepsy model brain

Phosphatidylethanolamine (PtdEtn) is one of the most abundant phospholipids in many animal cell types. The Drosophila easily shocked (eas2) mutant, used as an epilepsy model, is null for the PtdEtn biosynthetic enzyme, ethanolamine kinase. This mutant displays bang sensitive paralysis, and was previously shown to have decreased levels of PtdEtn. We have developed a highly selective and sensitive measurement strategy using ion mobility-mass spectrometry for the relative quantitation of intact phospholipid species directly from isolated brain tissue of eas mutants. Over 1200 distinct lipid signals are observed and within this population 38, including PtdEtn, phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) and phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) species are identified to have changed significantly (p < 0.03) between mutant and control tissue. This method has revealed for the first time the structural complexity and biosynthetic interconnectedness of specific PtdEtn and PtdIns lipid species within tissue, and provides great molecular detail compared to traditionally used detection techniques.
On Superoptimal Approximation by Analytic and Meromorphic Matrix-Valued Functions

Abstract It is a well-known fact that for any continuous scalar-valued function φ on the unit circle there is a unique best approximation in the Hardy class H∞ of bounded analytic functions. However, in the matrix-valued case a best approximation by bounded analytic functions is almost never unique. To make it unique, one has to impose additional assumptions. In 1986 N. J. Young introduced the so-called superoptimal solution of the Nehari problem. The word superoptimal means that we are seeking F ∈ H ∞ (matrix-valued) to minimize not only sup {|| Φ (ζ) − F(ζ) || : |ζ| = 1} = sup{s0(Φ(ζ) − F (ζ)) : |ζ| = 1} but also the suprema of further singular values sj(Φ(ζ) − F(ζ)), j ≥ 1. It was proved by V. V. Peller and N. J. Young that for matrix-valued function Φ in H ∞ + C such superoptiminal solution is unique. In this paper an alternative geometric approach to the problem is presented. It allows us to obtain another proof of the uniqueness and some new results: uniqueness of the superoptimal approximation by meromorphic functions (a generalization of the Adamyan-Arov-Krein result on approximation of scalar-valued functions), inequalities between s-numbers of a Hankel operator, and superoptimal singular values. Our approach works well for operator-valued functions as for matrix-valued ones.
Early hemodynamic indicators of gram-negative sepsis and shock in an infant pig model

Abstract To assess the hemodynamics of early shock and to determine to what extent hemodynamic indicators of sepsis and shock can be predictive, we evaluated data from several series of experiments (including 136 piglets) in which animals were subjected to fecal- Escherichia coli peritonitis-induced septic shock. Serial measurements of 39 parameters were obtained and their values taken at baseline, at hyperdynamic sepsis, and at shock were compared by analysis of variance. Piglet weights ranged from 1.2 to 7 kg (mean, 3.5) and ages ranged from 5 to 29 days (mean, 15). Of the 39 parameters assessed, 9 (CO ∗ , CI ∗ , SVI ∗ , LVSWI ∗ , SVR ∗ , a-vDO 2 , VO 2 , O 2 delivery ∗ , and CaO 2 ∗ ) proved valuable as indicators of sepsis and shock. Of these parameters, seven (∗), can be measured or calculated by noninvasive techniques and easily can be determined in human neonates. Serial determinations of these hemodynamics in high-risk neonates may be able to accurately predict gram-negative sepsis and shock before these entities are otherwise clinically apparent.
The Prognosis of Pulmonary Metastasectomy Depends on the Location of the Primary Colorectal Cancer

Background Rectal cancer has a higher risk of developing lung metastasis compared with colon cancer. It is unclear whether the prognosis after pulmonary metastasectomy for these distinct tumors is different. Methods Patients who underwent pulmonary metastasectomy for colorectal carcinoma were analyzed for survival and patterns of recurrence depending on the location of the primary colorectal cancer. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to identify clinical variables predictive of survival after pulmonary metastasectomy. Results Between 1985 and 2012, 698 patients underwent pulmonary metastasectomy for metastatic colorectal cancer. Complete information was available in 626 patients. These patients were divided into groups based on whether the primary tumor was colon or rectal in origin. Median follow-up was 45.5 months (range, 23 to 287 months). There were no statistical differences between the two groups in terms of number of lung metastases, tumor size, or lymph node involvement. There was no difference in overall survival ( p = 0.545). Five-year disease-free survival for colon cancer patients was 67.2% compared with 60.1% for rectal cancer ( p = 0.004). The most common sites of recurrence after pulmonary metastasectomy were liver in colon cancer and lung in rectal cancer. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis indicated that rectal cancer (hazard ratio, 1.39; 95% confidence interval, 1.07 to 1.83; p = 0.015) and multiple metastases (>3; hazard ratio, 1.41; 95% confidence interval, 1.04 to 1.89; p = 0.027) were independent adverse risk factors affecting disease-free survival after pulmonary metastasectomy. Conclusions Disease-free survival and site of recurrence after pulmonary metastasectomy for colorectal carcinoma are dependent on the site of the primary tumor. Lung metastases from rectal cancer have a worse disease-free survival compared with colon cancer. This may influence treatment and follow-up strategies.
Purification of Bovine Thyroid Peroxidase

Trypsin-solubilized peroxidase activity from beef subcellular particles was resolved by DEAE-cellulose chromatography into 5 fractions, which contained enzymatically active components that ranged in molecular size from 73,000 to 340,000 daltons. The most active fraction (mol wt, 92,000 by gel filtration) was further purified (59,000-fold overall) by chromatography on hydroxylapatite. This highly purified peroxidase preparation had an absorbance purity ratio (A410:A280) of 0.55 and oxidized iodide (I3-formation) and guaiacol at rates of 300 and 460 micronmol/min/mg, respectively, which were about 3 and 1 1/2 times, respectively, greater than any previously described preparations. The enzyme was contaminated with an inactive protein of equal size. The highly purified peroxidase preparation lost its activity within a few days even when stored at -15 C with iodide. Two of the other DEAE-cellulose fractions contained peroxidase components with estimated sizes (gel filtration) of 73,000, 96,000, and 98,000, which were further purified purified (1,600 and 15,600 fold) on hydroxylapatite. They were 1/4 to 1/40 as active as the highly purified preparation and also became increasingly labile on purification. The remaining two DEAE-cellulose fractions were heterogeneous mixtures of stable peroxidase components whose average molecular sizes (gel filtration) were 220,000, 300,000, and 340,000 daltons, and which were not amenable to further purification on hydroxylapatite. The ratio of guaiacol to iodide activity decreased from 3.0 in the particles to about 1.5 in the highly purified preparations. The turnover numbers of the purest peroxidase component (mol wt. 92,000) for iodide and guaiacol were very similar to those of highly purifed, commericial lacto- and horseradish peroxidases. The pH maxima for iodide oxidation were 7.4, 6.0, and 4.5 for thyroid, lacto-, and horseradish peroxidases, respectively, whereas guaiacol oxidation peaked at pH 7.0-7.8 for all three enzymes. On the basis of these results and the dissimilar molecular sizes reported for trypsin-solubilized thyroid peroxidase by several other investigators, it was concluded that the molecular size is primarily determined by the conditions of proteolysis.
Differential and coordinate responses of the human genes encoding the heat stable alkaline phosphatases to cAMP and sodium butyrate in the choriocarcinoma line JEG-3

Human heat stable alkaline phosphatases are encoded by two closely related genes: the PLAP-1, which specifies the term placental enzyme, and the PLAP-2, which is expressed primarily in germ cells. In the choriocarcinoma line JEG-3, 8-Br-cAMP induced the accumulation of the mRNA of both genes, while sodium butyrate induced the accumulation of PLAP-2 transcripts only. Each agent increased the transcription rate of one or both of the genes, as assayed by run-on transcription. In transfection of JEG-3 cells with PLAP promoters fused to the firefly luciferase gene, the activity of the PLAP-2 promoter (but not PLAP-1) was induced with sodium butyrate, while both promoters were induced by 8-Br-cAMP. Inducibility of the PLAP-2 promoter by 8-Br-cAMP was still observed when the promoter was shortened to -103, leaving intact a sequence resembling a cAMP response element. The extent of transcriptional activation by either agent was not sufficient to explain the accumulation of PLAP mRNA. These studies suggest that both transcriptional and posttranscriptional processes are involved in the induction of the PLAP-1 and PLAP-2 gene in JEG-3 cells.
Yield and yield components of relay-intercropped wheat and soybean

Abstract Relay intercropping, where soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is sown into standing wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), alleviates several problems associated with delayed soybean sowings following wheat in a double-cropping system. However, relay intercropping has resulted in wheat yield reductions at some locations. Little information is available on the relative performance of wheat cultivars in this system or on the effect of wheat cultivar on performance of the soybean crop. This 2-y study compared performance of relay-intercropped versus sequentially double-cropped wheat and soybean and determined the influence of wheat cultivar on performance of wheat and the succeeding soybean crop. Three wheat cultivars were sown in a relay intercropping pattern (33-cm-wide rows with two 61-cm-wide traffic lanes per 11-row planter pass) and in a conventional double-cropping pattern (18-cm-wide rows). Intercropped soybean was sown between wheat rows 19 (1991) or 27 (1992) days before wheat harvest. Double-cropped soybean was sown in 97-cm rows after wheat harvest. Averaged over cultivars and years, intercropped wheat yield was 18% less than double-cropped wheat due to fewer spikes per unit area. No consistent cultivar by cropping system interaction occurred for wheat yield or yield components. The exception was that, in 1991, ‘Williams’ wheat had similar yields in both cropping systems, but its yields in both systems were very low. In the intercropped system, yields (on an area basis) were less in rows bordering traffic lanes than in interior rows. Double-cropped soybean plants were taller at harvest, but intercropped soybean had longer lower internodes and higher lodging scores. However, relay-intercropped and double-cropped soybean yields were similar, and independent of the previous wheat cultivar.
High energy neutrino astronomy and astrophysics: an outlook into the future

Abstract High energy neutrino astronomy at last seems to be nearing reality, after decades of speculation and preliminary experimental work. This review (preview) summarizes the anticipated types of sources, energy regime for first attempts, scale size needed, and techniques. A summary of 12 relevant current proposals and projects for >10,000 m 2 muon collecting area instruments is presented. By the end of the decade there are likely to be several such new generation instruments in operation. The business of high energy neutrino astrophysics will, hopefully, be underway by the turn of the century.
Polymer nanogels: a versatile nanoscopic drug delivery platform

In this review we put the spotlight on crosslinked polymer nanogels, a promising platform that has the characteristics of an “ideal” drug delivery vehicle. Some of the key aspects of drug delivery vehicle design like stability, response to biologically relevant stimuli, passive targeting, active targeting, toxicity and ease of synthesis are discussed. We discuss several delivery systems in this light and highlight some examples of systems, which satisfy some or all of these design requirements. In particular, we point to the advantages that crosslinked polymeric systems bring to drug delivery. We review some of the synthetic methods of nanogel synthesis and conclude with the diverse applications in drug delivery where nanogels have been fruitfully employed.
ELEMENTAL ABUNDANCES IN THE X-RAY GAS OF EARLY-TYPE GALAXIES WITH XMM-NEWTON AND CHANDRA OBSERVATIONS

The source of hot gas in elliptical galaxies is thought to be due to stellar mass loss, with contributions from supernova (SN) events and possibly from infall from a surrounding environment. This picture predicts supersolar values for the metallicity of the gas toward the inner part of the galaxy, which can be tested by measuring the gas phase abundances. We use high-quality data for 10 nearby early-type galaxy from XMM-Newton, featuring both the European Photon Imaging Camera and the Reflection Grating Spectrometer, where the strongest emission lines are detected with little blending; some Chandra data are also used. We find excellent consistency in the elemental abundances between the different XMM-Newton instruments and good consistency with Chandra. Differences in abundances with aperture size and model complexity are examined, but large differences rarely occur. For a two-temperature thermal model plus a point source contribution, the median Fe and O abundances are 0.86 and 0.44 of the solar value, while Si and Mg abundances are similar to that for Fe. This is similar to stellar abundances for these galaxies but SNe were expected to enhance the gas phase abundances considerably, which is not observed.
Performance evaluation of wireless cellular networks under more realistic assumptions

Summary In wireless cellular networks, performance evaluation is an important part in modeling and designing effective schemes to utilize the limited resource. In the past, performance evaluation was carried out either under restricted assumption on some time variables such as exponential assumption or via simulations. In this paper, we present a survey on a new analytical approach we have developed in the last few years to evaluate the performance of wireless cellular networks under more realistic assumptions. In particular, we apply this approach to the analysis of call connection performance and mobility management under assumptions that many time variables such as call holding time, cell residence time, channel holding time, registration area (RA) residence time, and inter-service time are assumed to be generally distributed and show how we can obtain more general analytical results. Copyright # 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Satisfactory elbow flexion in complete (preganglionic) brachial plexus injuries: Produced by suture of third and fourth intercostal nerves to musculocutaneous nerve

The third and fourth intercostal nerves were sutured to the musculocutaneous nerve to restore flexion of the elbow joint in complete (preganglionic) brachial plexus injuries. Seventeen patients were followed on the average for 5 years and 7 months after surgery. The results were evaluated by means of manual muscle tests and electrical diagnostic tests. Good (grade IV), or better, flexion of the elbow joint occurred in 12 patients over 3 years after the operation.
Hysteresis and negative cooperativity in human UDP-glucose dehydrogenase.

Human UDP-α-d-glucose 6-dehydrogenase (hUGDH) forms a hexamer that catalyzes the NAD+-dependent oxidation of UDP-α-d-glucose (UDG) to produce UDP-α-d-glucuronic acid. Mammalian UGDH displays hysteresis (observed as a lag in progress curves), indicating that the enzyme undergoes a slow transition from an inactive to an active state. Here we show that hUGDH is sensitive to product inhibition during the lag. The inhibition results in a systematic decrease in steady-state velocity and makes the lag appear to have a second-order dependence on enzyme concentration. Using transient-state kinetics, we confirm that the lag is in fact due to a substrate and cofactor-induced isomerization of the enzyme. We also show that the cofactor binds to the hUGDH:UDG complex with negative cooperativity. This suggests that the isomerization may be related to the formation of an asymmetric enzyme complex. We propose that the hysteresis in hUGDH is the consequence of a functional adaptation; by slowing the response of hUGDH to su...
Effect of nitrogen fertilization on disease progress of rice blast on susceptible and resistant cultivars

The effects of three nitrogen fertilization treatments on the development of rice blast were studied on eight cultivars under field conditions in Arkansas in 1995 and 1996. The eight cultivars (Kaybonnet, Cypress, Lacassine, Mars, Adair, Alan, Newbonnet, and RT7015) ranged from resistant to susceptible to blast according to previous field observations. The recommended nitrogen levels for the eight cultivars varied from 123 to 168 kg/ha/year. Three treatments, consisting of different rates and timing of nitrogen applications, were tested over 2 years at one location. The first treatment consisted of a single nitrogen (N) application applied to plots at the recommended rate at preflood during the midtillering stage. The second treatment consisted of applying nitrogen as a single preflood application but at 1.5 times the recommended N rate used in treatment one. The third treatment (control) consisted of applying the recommended amount of nitrogen fertilizer used in treatment one, but in a three-way-split application with 56 to 100 kg/ha (depending on the cultivar) of urea applied at preflood followed by the application of 34 kg/ha of N applied approximately 10 and 20 days after the panicle differentiation (PD) growth stage. Inoculated spreader plots were used to initiate rice blast epidemics in the test plots. The results indicate that the disease progress for rice blast, regardless of N treatments, followed a unimodal curve, whereby disease incidence and total lesion area per plant reached a maximum near midseason (PD growth stage) and then gradually declined. This decline in disease was attributed to adult resistance, leaf senescence, and the formation of new (noninfected) leaves. Application of nitrogen above the recommended rate for any given cultivar significantly increased disease incidence and total lesion area per plant on all cultivars except Kaybonnet, a highly resistant cultivar. Furthermore, a differential cultivar response to nitrogen was observed when measuring both disease incidence and total lesion area per plant. Leaf blast was significantly more severe on the susceptible and very susceptible cultivars when N fertilizer was applied as a single application at preflood than in the split application treatment. Nitrogen treatments did not significantly affect the incidence of collar rot or neck blast.
Assessment of Control in Intermittent Exotropia

In the context of intermittent exotropia, the term “control” is used to refer to the proportion of the time the eyes are manifestly exotropic and the time to recovery of fusion after the eyes have ...
PRELIMINARY CHEMICAL EXAMINATION OF DIGITALIS TISSUE CULTURES FOR CARDENOLIDES.

Three Digitalis species were grown as callus or suspension tissue cultures, extracted and examined by paper chromatography. Kedde-positive substances (cardenolide glycosides) were found.
Generosity: A winner's advice

Mathematical models can reveal how prosocial human behaviour — and even social intelligence and language — have evolved, argues Martin A. Nowak. Joining previous essays in the 'Being human' series is the latest offering, on the theme of generosity. Mathematical models predict, and experiments confirm, that generosity is an essential feature of winning strategies in games that explore human interactions, says Martin Nowak. 'Prosocial behaviour' has evolved within a framework of direct or indirect reciprocity, and the latter may even have provided the selection pressures for social intelligence and language.