cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Endoscopic ultrasound-guided rendezvous for biliary access after failed cannulation.

Introduction: Selective cannulation fails in approximately 3 % of endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC) procedures. An endoscopic ultrasound-guided rendezvous technique (EUS – RV) may salvage failed cannulation. The aims of the current study were to determine the safety and efficacy of EUS – RV. Methods: A total of 40 patients underwent salvage EUS – RV. EUS – RV was attempted immediately after failed biliary cannulation. A dilated intra- or extra-hepatic biliary duct (IHBD or EHBD) was punctured from the stomach or the small intestine under EUS guidance followed by cholangiography and antegrade manipulation of the guide wire into the small intestine. Finally, the echoendoscope was exchanged for an appropriate endoscope and biliary cannulation was achieved over or adjacent to the guide wire. Result: EUS–RV appears safe and effective and may be considered as a primary salvage technique after failed cannulation. Antegrade manipulation of the guide wire into the small intestine was achieved in 29 of 40 patients (73 %; EHBD 25 /31 and IHBD 4/9). The reasons for failure were inability to advance the guide wire through an obstruction or a native ampulla. Re-attempt at ERC immediately after failed EUS – RV was made in seven of the 11 patients, and was successful in four. The remaining seven patients underwent percutaneous drainage within 3 days. Complications occurred in five patients (13 %), including pancreatitis, abdominal pain, pneumoperitoneum, and sepsis/death, which was unlikely to be related to the procedure. Conclusion: EUS – RV is safe and effective and should be considered as a primary salvage technique after failed cannulation. Immediate re-attempt at ERC after failed EUS – RV is warranted, as EUS-guided cholangiogram can facilitate biliary cannulation in some cases. Finally, prompt alternative biliary drainage should be available.
Orbital order and uniaxial spin anisotropy in EuBaCo 2 O 5.5 single crystals

Magnetization, resistivity, and magnetoresistance (MR) are measured on detwinned ${\mathrm{EuBaCo}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{5.5}$ single crystals over a wide range of dc magnetic fields (up to 33 T) and temperature (from 4 K to 300 K). ${\mathrm{EuBaCo}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{5.5}$ has a layered structure (along the $c$ axis) with all the Co ions in the trivalent state. The magnetization is highly anisotropic. For $H\ensuremath{\Vert}a$ axis the isothermal magnetization increases gradually until a critical field is reached, where $M(H)$ changes its slope towards saturation. No similar transition is observed for $H$ along $b$ or $c$ axes. The critical field increases linearly upon cooling, reaching an extrapolated 25 T at 0 K. From the $M(H)$ data, a saturation moment of approximately $0.8\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{\mathrm{B}}∕\mathrm{Co}$ is determined. Coinciding with the field induced transition in the magnetization, the isothermal resistivity shows a steep decrease for $H\ensuremath{\Vert}a$ axis, demonstrating large negative MR. The large MR is most likely associated with the orbital ordering of ${t}_{2g}$ states in ${\mathrm{Co}}^{3+}$ via spin-orbit coupling.
Extracting hidden messages in steganographic images

The eventual goal of steganalytic forensic is to extract the hidden messages embedded in steganographic images. A promising technique that addresses this problem partially is steganographic payload location, an approach to reveal the message bits, but not their logical order. It works by finding modified pixels, or residuals, as an artifact of the embedding process. This technique is successful against simple least-significant bit steganography and group-parity steganography. The actual messages, however, remain hidden as no logical order can be inferred from the located payload. This paper establishes an important result addressing this shortcoming: we show that the expected mean residuals contain enough information to logically order the located payload provided that the size of the payload in each stego image is not fixed. The located payload can be ordered as prescribed by the mean residuals to obtain the hidden messages without knowledge of the embedding key, exposing an inherent vulnerability in these embedding algorithms. Experimental results are provided to support our analysis.
Cell-mediated cytotoxicity

Much of immunology is concerned with the nature and consequences of interactions between cells. The T lymphocyte effecters of cell-mediated immunity (CMI) are highly motile, do not maintain stable anatomical relationships, and express an enormous range of cell-surface receptors that determine (among other functions) both antigen specificity and migration pathways. An early breakpoint facilitating the dissection of the cell surface language that determines the operation of the immune system was the development, some 25 years ago, of the cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) Wr release assay (Cerottini, 1993). This provided the first quantifiable, two cell in vitro system for analyzing the interaction between activated CD8+ T lymphocytes and target cells. Application of this simple CTL assay to the dissection of the immunopathological disease caused in mice by lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) resulted in the discovery of class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) restriction (Zinkernagel and Doherty, 1974), which has in turn led to the realization that the clonotypic up T cell receptor (TCR) is essentially specific for nonself peptides presented in the groove of the class I MHC molecule (Townsend et al., 1988; Bjorkman et al., 1985). The analysis of the mechanistic basis of cell-mediated cytotoxicity (CMC) has been pursued over the past 20 years by a relatively small band of dedicated investigators, many of whom met on a hilltop in the Holy Land (Neve lilan, near Jerusalem) from August 29 to September 1, 1993. This European Molecular Biology Organization workshop on CMC was the fifth in a series, commencing in 1981. The group was augmented by others who work on aspects of immunity in which CMC is considered to play a central role. The program dealt with the full spectrum of cytotoxic effecters, including T cells, natural killer (NK) cells, and lymphokine-activated killer cells. The topics ranged from transcriptional regulation of candidate effector molecules, through the electrophysiology of the cell-cell interaction to the nature of cell death and the biological significance of CMC in vivo. Central themes were the underlying nature of CMC and the targeting of cytotoxic effecters to treat tumors and persistent infections.
Bargaining with patriarchy: former female coaches' experiences and their decision to leave collegiate coaching.

The purpose of this study was to better understand the experiences of former female coaches and their decision to terminate their careers. A feminist perspective and mixed-methods (surveys and interviews) were used to allow for a richer understanding of their experiences. The survey findings, which included 121 former female coaches, suggest that time and family commitments were the main reasons they left coaching. Also, a small number (18%) left coaching for reasons such as opportunity for promotion. Six women from the survey sample were individually interviewed. Through a descriptive analytic strategy and indexing process (Creswell, 1998), three general themes emerged: (a) gender disparities in women's work, (b) technical demands of coaching, and (c) college coaching and normalized sexualities. Overall, the interview findings confirmed the open-ended responses on the survey and described gender discrimination, the centrality of male coaches, and rampant homophobia in U.S. collegiate coaching. In additio...
The Built Environment, Evacuations, and Individuals With Disabilities A Guiding Framework for Disaster Policy and Preparation

Policy and planning for the evacuation of individuals with disabilities would benefit from a more informed and accepted understanding of the complexity of evacuation issues. This article proposes a framework perspective on 4 forms of emergency evacuation according to the timing and duration of the evacuation (protective, preventive, rescue, and reconstructive), as well as 3 overlying factors that affect all emergency evacuations: the behavior of the individual, the planned systems active in the event, and the environment in which the event occurs. The Americans with Disabilities Act Design Requirements for Accessible Egress is discussed to demonstrate the value of evaluating policy and planning according to the proposed framework. Recent catastrophic events have demonstrated a disproportionate effect of emergency evacuations on individuals with disabilities. These events have raised questions concerning the appropriateness and effectiveness of evacuation policies and practices, prompting many organization...
Alcoholism: a disease of internal medicine

CCORDING TO an ancient aphorism in internal medicine, "who knows syphilis knows medicine." Alcoholism has now replaced syphilis in that respect. Not many of us still know syphilis, but some of us still hang on to internal medicine, an increasing but difficult task in view of the information explosion in the field. Keeping abreast of such a vast area of medicine is greatly helped if the endeavor also includes alcoholism. Indeed, there is hardly any tissue in the body that is spared by alcohol. Knowing the pathophysiology of alcohol-induced lesions is understanding the pathologic responses of most organs. This view is not meant to downgrade the social and behavioral aspects of alcoholism, but there is a need to emphasize that in terms of human suffering and economic costs, the disorders of internal medicine associated with alcoholism represent a major part of the problem. In surveys of subjects hospitalized in medical services or treated in medicine or family practice clinics, it is common to find that 30-40% of all individuals are afflicted
Electrodynamic response of metal spheres

A collective dipole model for the electrodynamic response of small metal spheres is presented. Model calculations of the extinction and scattering cross sections of metal spheres as a function of particle radius are compared with the exact Mie formulas. The characteristic size dependences of the peak position, width, and height of the dipole surface plasmon in small metal particles are attributed to the collective nature of the motion.
Writing as a Component of Statistics Education

Abstract Statistics education is often restricted to teaching the mathematical equations and theories that form the foundation of statistical analysis. It can be argued, however, that the interpretation of the analysis and the communication of the results are equally important. The interdisciplinary role of statisticians requires us to examine real-life problems critically and communicate analytical results to nonstatisticians in a clear and concise manner. This article discusses the importance of including writing assignments as a routine part of statistics courses and presents benefits of the increased use of writing.
Indo-European Tripartition and the Ara Pacis Augustae: an Excursus in Ideological Archaeology

The Ara Pacis Augustae or Altar of Augustan Peace, erected by the Emperor outside Rome in 9 B.C., expresses perhaps more clearly than any other monument the ideology of the Augustan Age: the peaceful union of Rome with her Empire. At the same time, in the iconography of the east and west fronts, and especially in the images on the altar table, pedestal and plinth, it contains several expressions whose structures appear consonant with the tripartite Indo-European ideology that was derived from the earliest phases of religion at Rome and elsewhere in the ancient Indo-European speaking domain by Georges Dumezil. Finally, this monument also appears to constitute a crystallized cognitive map-a visible set of reference points-in terms of which the Romans of the period could orient themselves to their contemporary circumstances, future expectations, and a past studded with subconscious echoes of their Indo-European heritage.
Shock conditions for hypoelastic materials

The equations governing the motion of hypoelastic materials (and related models of non-Newtonian fluids) are not in conservation form. Hence there is no obvious formulation of Rankine-Hugoniot jump conditions across a shock. In this paper we demonstrate that a viscosity criterion can be used to obtain meaningful shock conditions. In particular, we discuss shocks of small amplitude. The shock conditions obtained will in general depend on the form of the viscosity term.
Spirometric studies on normal subjects. IV. Ventilatory capacities in healthy children 7-17 years of age.

SUMMARY Vital capacity (VC), forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1.0) and maximum voluntary ventilation (MTV) at free and fixed frequencies have been determined in normal children, 79 boys and 82 girls, 7–17 years of age. These values were found best correlated with the cube of the height. Equations and nomograms for normal values and lower normal limits are given.
Cystic fibrosis disclosure may minimize risk of negative peer evaluations

Abstract Background Given the relatively lower body weight associated with cystic fibrosis (CF) and the visible regimen associated with eating, there is a risk that individuals with CF may be mistakenly perceived to have an eating disorder or otherwise be negatively evaluated. Based upon a theoretical model, this study explored whether disclosing CF would curtail negative peer perceptions. Methods Young adult respondents ( N =391) read vignettes that varied in a 2 (male vs. female character)×2 (preventative disclosure of disorder vs. nondisclosure) design and answered 28 questions, which resulted in three subscales that were validated using confirmatory factor analysis: Abnormal Behavior, Hiding an Eating Disorder, and Worry. Vignettes depicted a lunchtime interaction including concerns about gaining weight and taking enzymes before eating. Results Disclosure of CF significantly reduced perceptions of abnormal behavior, ameliorated perceptions of an eating disorder, and alleviated respondents' worries. Manipulations of vignette character gender did not result in any significant differences; however, female respondents reported significantly more worry for the character than males. Conclusions Individuals who disclose their CF may potentially curtail negative peer perceptions. Those who choose not to disclose may risk having their thinness and appropriate self-care misperceived as signs of an eating disorder.
Enhanced susceptibility of ovaries from obese mice to 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-induced DNA damage

7,12-Dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) depletes ovarian follicles and induces DNA damage in extra-ovarian tissues, thus, we investigated ovarian DMBA-induced DNA damage. Additionally, since obesity is associated with increased offspring birth defect incidence, we hypothesized that a DMBA-induced DNA damage response (DDR) is compromised in ovaries from obese females. Wild type (lean) non agouti (a/a) and KK.Cg-Ay/J heterozygote (obese) mice were dosed with sesame oil or DMBA (1mg/kg; intraperitoneal injection) at 18weeks of age, for 14days. Total ovarian RNA and protein were isolated and abundance of Ataxia telangiectasia mutated (Atm), X-ray repair complementing defective repair in Chinese hamster cells 6 (Xrcc6), breast cancer type 1 (Brca1), Rad 51 homolog (Rad51), poly [ADP-ribose] polymerase 1 (Parp1) and protein kinase, DNA-activated, catalytic polypeptide (Prkdc) were quantified by RT-PCR or Western blot. Phosphorylated histone H2AX (γH2AX) level was determined by Western blotting. Obesity decreased (P<0.05) basal protein abundance of PRKDC and BRCA1 proteins but increased (P<0.05) γH2AX and PARP1 proteins. Ovarian ATM, XRCC6, PRKDC, RAD51 and PARP1 proteins were increased (P<0.05) by DMBA exposure in lean mice. A blunted DMBA-induced increase (P<0.05) in XRCC6, PRKDC, RAD51 and BRCA1 was observed in ovaries from obese mice, relative to lean counterparts. Taken together, DMBA exposure induced γH2AX as well as the ovarian DDR, supporting that DMBA causes ovarian DNA damage. Additionally, ovarian DDR was partially attenuated in obese females raising concern that obesity may be an additive factor during chemical-induced ovotoxicity.
Optimization of Surface-Enhanced Luminescence for Bioassays

We are developing silver nanoparticle surface-enhanced lanthanide chelate luminescence as a proximity bioassay. We have studied different organic linkers and preparation procedures to attach covalently fluorescence dyes and lanthanide chelates to the nanoparticles.
(180-181) Report of the Special Committee on Electronic Publishing with two proposals to amend the Code

At the XVI International Botanical Congress in St. Louis in 1999, a "Special Committee on Electronic Publishing" was re-established (Barrie & Nicolson in Taxon 50: 893-896. 2001) with a charge to report to the XVII International Botanical Congress in Vienna in 2005 on the impact of electronic publishing on the Code. This followed approval of Gen. Prop. A, which authorized continuation of the Electronic Publications Committee established at the Tokyo Congress (Englera 20: 17-18. 2000). The convener was K. Wilson (NSW, Australia), the secretary R. Zander (MO, U.S.A.), with J. McNeill (E, U.K.), Rapporteur-general, and F. Barrie (F, U.S.A.), Secretary of the General Committee, as ex officio members. Committee members (additional to the convener and secretary, and restricted to those actually voting) were B. Baum (DAO, Canada); A. Chapman (CRIA, Campinas, SP, Brazil); M. Crosby (MO, U.S.A.); T. Daniel (CAS, U.S.A.); E. Farr (US, U.S.A.); N. Hind (K, U.K); V. Hollowell (MO, U.S.A.); P. Kirk (IMI, U.K.); J. Kirkbride (USDA U.S.A.); P.-A. Loizeau (G, Switzerland); R. Moe (UC, U.S.A.); A. Orchard (A.B.R.S., Canberra, Australia); P. Philipson (RUH, South Africa); D. Triebel (M, Germany); and J. Zarucchi (MO, U.S.A.). The acronyms are the herbarium abbreviations from Index Herbariorum (http://www.nybg.org/bsci/ih/ih. html). The Report of the previous Committee (Zander & Wilson in Taxon 47: 175-177. 1998) to the St. Louis Congress examined, among others, the following important questions: 1. How can an electronic publication be archived in a form that will remain readable by future hardware and software?
SU‐E‐J‐16: Evaluation of Image Quality From KV Cone‐Beam CT with Couch Offset for Two Image Protocols

Purpose: To evaluate kV cone‐beam CT image quality for two clinical reconstruction algorithms when the volume of interest deviates from isocenter Methods: The CatPhan phantom (The Phantom Lab.) was scanned using CBCT on a TrueBeam LINAC (Varian Medical Systems). The phantom contains various sections designed to assess certain image quality parameters. Images were acquired with the phantom centered about the imaging isocenter (as typically done for routine CBCT QA), and then also acquired with phantom offset 5 cm laterally and longitudinally. At each position, scans were taken using two techniques typically used in the clinic: Head & Pelvis. The centered‐phantom CBCT was used as a baseline, and image quality for this scan was compared against that for each offset scan. The end points of the image quality comparison were four parameters: MTF, low contrast detectability, uniformity and noise. Analysis of all CT sets were performed by the PIPSpro QA software (Standard Imaging, Inc.). Results: For the pelvis protocol, the critical frequency (f50, lp/cm) in lateral and longitudinal offset scans was worse than that of the reference position, meaning lowered small object detectability with high contrast in offset scans. There is no significant difference found in low contrast detectability and noise level for offset scans in both Pelvis and Head protocols. The uniformity index for the lateral shift cases better than the reference image sets. Conclusions: The results show that even though off‐centered CBCT is a useful tool to handle when the volume deviates from isocenter, a precaution is needed because of a decrease in high contrast detectability. A further study of image quality comparison for couch offset will consider different acquisition parameter settings.
Energy threshold effects in the collisionless dissociation of polyatomic molecules by ir laser radiation

The threshold for collisionless dissociation of SF6, SiF4, and CF2Cl2 by focused CO2 laser radiation has been measured. This threshold is a laser pulse energy effect and, within experimental error, is found to be the same for all three gases. Provided collisions cannot occur during the laser pulse, the degree of dissociation produced depends only on the energy in the pulse, which is consistent with simple adiabatic vibrational heating of the molecules by the laser.
Evoked responses from peripheral stimulation of the facial nerve.

Evoked responses to electrical stimulation of the facial nerve were recorded in dogs with vertex electrodes placed both inside and outside the skull. Three waveforms were recorded. The first two wavetorms appeared to be related to electrical activity carried by antidromic propagation within fibers of the facial nerve. The third waveform appeared to be caused by the muscular response that occurred as a result of orthograde conduction in the nerve. The effects of changing the stimulation site, voltage, duration, and frequency were recorded. It appears that, by means of far-field techniques, it is possible to reliably record evoked reponses that reflect antigrade conduction via fibers of the facial nerve.
Association between Common Allergic Symptoms and Cancer in the NHANES III Female Cohort

Background Previous epidemiological studies have investigated the association between allergic symptoms and cancer occurrence. However, the role of allergy in cancer has been elusive, especially for the female population. Methods We examined the relationship between cancer prevalence and common allergic symptoms of rhinoconjunctivitis (RC) and wheezing (WZ) among NHANES III female participants. Results Among 4600 people, 36.3% (n = 1669) did not have any allergic symptoms (NO), while 47.6% (n = 2188) reported RC, and 16.2% (n = 743), WZ. The proportion of cancer among NO groups was 5.43% (91/1669), among RC group, 7.63% (167/2188), and among WZ group, 11.23% (83/743) (RC group- OR 1.44 with 95% CI 1.00–2.08; p = 0.05 while for WZ group- OR 2.20 with 95%CI 1.27–3.80; p = 0.01). After adjusting for all the possible confounding variables including age, smoking, or COPD, having symptoms of RC (AOR 1.49 with 95%CI 1.12–2.36; p = 0.01) or WC (AOR 2.08 with 95%CI 1.11–3.89; p = 0.02) demonstrated consistent strong association with cancer. Among nonsmokers (n = 2505, 54.5%) only symptoms of RC showed association with cancer (AOR 1.51 with 95%CI 1.00–2.28; p = 0.05). Among former or current smokers (n = 2094, 45.5%), only symptoms of WZ demonstrated association with cancer (AOR 2.38 with 95%CI 1.16–4.87; p = 0.02). Among different types of cancers, odds of having breast cancer among participants with symptoms of RC or WZ were approximately twice the odds of having breast cancer among participants without any of these symptoms. AOR for RC group was 1.89 with 95%CI 1.04–3.42 and p = 0.04 while AOR for WC group was 2.08 with 95%CI 0.90–4.78 and p = 0.08. Conclusions In summary, we found associations between common allergic symptoms like rhinitis/conjunctivitis and wheezing and prevalence of cancer, specifically between rhinitis/conjunctivitis and breast cancer that were not found in previous studies. Larger prospective studies are required to validate our findings.
Determination of the asymptotic crack tip fields for a crack perpendicular to an interface between elastic-plastic materials

The singular behavior near a crack tip at the interface between two power-law hardening materials with the crack perpendicular to the interface is studied for both Mode I and Mode II loading under either plane strain or plane stress conditions. The mathematical model developed can be expressed as a fourth order ordinary differential equation with homogeneous boundary condition. A shooting method is applied to obtain the eigenvalues and to solve the differential equation with homogeneous boundary conditions. When both materials have the same hardening exponent,N, another material parameter, β, representing the relative resistance of two materials to plastic deformation, is introduced to reflect the joint effect of the two materials on the singularity. Results indicate that if both materials have the sameN, the singularity at the crack tip is reduced as β increases; however, when β becomes large there appears to be little change in the singularity for a fixedN. When the hardening exponents are not the same, the mathematical model assumes stress continuity across the interface. The results show that the order of the singularity depends largely on the softer material, with the largest stresses in the harder material.
Measuring and predicting managerial success

Abstract This study examined two forms of managerial success—financial success and status success—measured so that possible confounding effects of age were removed. Demographic characteristics, values and ideologies, role characteristics, and characteristics of the unit supervised were investigated and found to be significant predictors of success among a sample of 474 managers in a large U.S. corporation. Some results largely confirmed past results; other results identified new significant predictors. Also, results differed somewhat for the two forms of success.
Body fat, fat distribution and serum lipids, lipoproteins and apolipoproteins in African-American and Caucasian-American prepubertal children.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present study was to determine the impact of body fat mass and fat distribution on serum lipids, lipoproteins and apolipoproteins in African-American and Caucasian-American prepubertal children. SUBJECTS: Study participants included 62 African-American children (age 8.3 1.4 y; body mass 37.3 13.6 kg; height 133 11 cm) and 39 Caucasian children (age 8.6 1.2 y; body mass 34.1 11.0 kg; height 131 9 cm). METHODS: Venous blood samples were obtained after a 12 h overnight fast and serum was analyzed for total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), triacylglycerol (TAG), apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I), apolipoprotein B (ApoB) and lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a)) concentrations. Body composition and body fat distribution were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and computed tomography, respectively. RESULTS: African-American children had lower TAG (46 20 vs 61 32 mg=dl, Pa 0.015) and higher Lp(a) (34 25 vs 17 28 mg=dl, Pa 0.001) and HDL-C (44 11 vs 39 8m g=dl, Pa 0.041). There were no ethnic differences in TC, ApoA-I and ApoB (Pa 0.535, Pa 0.218, Pa 0.418, respectively). The ethnic difference in TAG and Lp(a) was not explained by total fat or abdominal fat. The ethnic difference in HDL-C was explained by visceral fat and TAG. CONCLUSION: In prepubertal children, neither body fat nor fat distribution explain the ethnic difference in TAG or Lp(a), but visceral fat and TAG may contribute to differences in HDL-C. International Journal of Obesity (2001) 25, 198 ‐ 204
SELF-INITIATED ATTEMPTS TO CHANGE BEHAVIOR: A STUDY OF NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS

The tradition of making New Year's Resolutions presents an opportunity to study the formation and stability of self-initiated attempts to change behavior. In an exploratory investigation, Ss were asked to report any resolutions made at the beginning of a new year. In order to provide an objective measure of the effectiveness of resolutions, Ss who were resolved to lose weight were studied independently of Ss making other types of resolutions. Ss who resolved to lose weight and control Ss who made no resolutions were assigned either to a monitoring or nonmonitoring group for a 3-mo. period (monitored Ss were weighed every 3 wk.). No significant differences were obtained in weight change for the factors of resolution or monitoring. Monitoring (by periodic questionnaires) also did not increase the effectiveness of the other resolutions studied. General resolutions were classified, and the resulting categories were related to the duration of kept resolutions and to the circumstances under which resolutions we...
Simplifying resource sharing in voluntary grid computing with the grid appliance

Research projects in many fields are increasingly reliant on the use of computer-based simulation and computing grids. Many projects have successfully leveraged voluntary computing infrastructures by developing and distributing "@home" applications using the BOINC framework. Through generous contributions from the general public, these systems now have a computing backbone on which to have their data processed or simulations run. A shortcoming of such systems is that most users are often limited to contributing resources and few users are capable of developing or porting their own applications in order to use these resources. While many users are satisfied with receiving points (an intangible good) in return for their contribution, the need to port applications presents a barrier to entry to many other users who can potentially benefit from using the voluntary resources. In this paper, we describe enhancements made to the "grid appliance", a virtual machine based system which enables an execution environment in which users are given the opportunity to voluntarily share (providing and using) resources and run unmodified x86/Linux applications. Voluntary grids introduce a host of issues to tackle, most importantly getting users involved quickly. With that in mind, the grid appliance provides many tools for making a user-friendly environment for users, developers, and administrators. This paper summarizes the challenges of getting users involved, reducing the overhead for administrators, and describes the solutions used in the grid appliance.
Dynamics of capsuleplex formed between octaacid and organic guest molecules — Photophysical techniques reveal the opening and closing of capsuleplex

This manuscript is concerned with the opening and closing of a capsuleplex made up of organic guest molecules and two cavitand molecules known as octaacid (OA). The capsuleplex is loosely held toge...
Effects of temperature and activity on aerobic and anaerobic metabolism and heart rate in the turtles Pseudemys scripta and Terrapene ornata

1. 1. The aerobic metabolic scope for activity is 1·75 times greater in the active, aquatic, red-eared turtle, Pseudemys scripta, than in the more sluggish, terrestrial, ornate box turtle, Terrapene ornata, at their common preferred body temperature of 30°C. 2. 2. Oxygen consumption increases eight- to thirtyfold during activity. 3. 3. Both heart rate and oxygen pulse rise with an increase in body temperature and with exercise. 4. 4. At 30°C glycolysis supplies 60–75 per cent of the energy available during a burst of activity. 5. 5. At 30°C total metabolic scope for activity is 1·14 times greater in P. scripta than in T. ornata.
Effects of surface‐modified scaffolds on the growth and differentiation of mouse adipose‐derived stromal cells

Purpose Adipose-derived stromal cells (ADSCs) have been shown to increase angiogenesis in ischemic tissue. Maintaining cell survival and facilitating angiogenesis in ischemic tissue, however, continues to be the major challenge of ADSCs implantation. Recently, bioengineered scaffolds were introduced to support and facilitate cell culture and differentiation. The effects of a surface modified three-dimensional (3D) scaffold on ADSC function have not been investigated. Accordingly, the objective of this study was to determine the influence of a gas-plasma treated scaffold on ADSC growth, differentiation into endothelial cell, and angiogenic gene expression. Methods Freshly isolated mouse ADSCs were characterized by flow cytometry and cultured into wells containing gas-plasma treated scaffolds, non-treated scaffolds, or control wells. Either endothelial growth media or differentiation media was used to alter cell environment. After 3 and 6 days, cell proliferation was analyzed. VEGF concentration in the medium was measured by ELISA. Gene expression was quantified by real-time PCR for VEGF receptor-2 (KDR), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and matrix metalloproteinases-2 (MMP-2). Results ADSCs expressed stem/endothelial progenitor markers CD34 and CD133 and endothelial cell marker CD31. ADSCs grew in the 3D scaffold. Cells grown on gas-plasma treated scaffolds displayed significantly increased expression of VEGF, COX-2, and MMP-2 when grown in differentiation but not growth media. When cultured in endothelial growth media, VEGF secretion and the expression of KDR, COX-2 and MMP-2 were lower in 3D scaffolds than controls. Conclusions This study suggests that 3D scaffolds, especially gas-plasma treated scaffolds, support ADSC growth and support differentiation into endothelial cells. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Antibody functionalization of carbon nanotubes for breast cancer applications

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are remarkable solid state nanomaterials with unique electrical and mechanical properties. The electronic properties of nanotubes combined with biological molecules, such as proteins, could make miniature devices for biological sensing applications. The interaction of single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with antibodies is presented. This approach is used towards developing a biosensor for breast cancer detection, by functionalizing the CNTs with antibodies that are specific to cell surface receptors of breast cancer cells. The degree of binding of antibodies on CNTs was found to be 67-88% by confocal microscopy. The key to achieving such a high degree of functionalization is due to the separation of CNTs using surfactants that leads to a high surface-area-to-volume ratio and a higher number of active sites for charge transfer that enhances binding. Further, van der Waals forces and the charges on the antibodies and SWNTs are manipulated to achieve specificity of binding.
Optical interconnects at the multi-chip module level; a view from the system level

To the optical interconnect technologist, there exists a vision of implementation of the optical alternative at the multi-chip module (MCM) level. Expressed in its most basic form, the vision is that of a MCM being designed at a computer terminal wherein the designer has 10 or more layers of metal interconnect levels available,and perhaps 2 other layers, referred to as "opto" layers (optol, opto2). The opto layers consist of some electronically compatible dielectric layer that can be laid down and patterned to form very low-loss optical waveguides within the multi-layer MCM structure. These waveguides, and the associated driver/receiver electronics, have sufficiently superior optical performance characteristics and sufficiently robust mechanical/thermal properties that implementing them at the MCM level amounts to straightforward delineation of design rules for the layout engineer. >
Towards content-driven reputation for collaborative code repositories

As evidenced by SourceForge and GitHub, code repositories now integrate Web 2.0 functionality that enables global participation with minimal barriers-to-entry. To prevent detrimental contributions enabled by crowdsourcing, reputation is one proposed solution. Fortunately this is an issue that has been addressed in analogous version control systems such as the wiki for natural language content. The WikiTrust algorithm ("content-driven reputation"), while developed and evaluated in wiki environments operates under a possibly shared collaborative assumption: actions that "survive" subsequent edits are reflective of good authorship.In this paper we examine WikiTrust's ability to measure author quality in collaborative code development. We first define a mapping from repositories to wiki environments and use it to evaluate a production SVN repository with 92,000 updates. Analysis is particularly attentive to reputation loss events and attempts to establish ground truth using commit comments and bug tracking. A proof-of-concept evaluation suggests the technique is promising (about two-thirds of reputation loss is justified) with false positives identifying areas for future refinement. Equally as important, these false positives exemplify differences in content evolution and the cooperative process between wikis and code repositories.
Examination of vigilance and disengagement of threat in social anxiety with a probe detection task

Selective attention for threat faces in social anxiety is commonly measured with a probe detection task. Various studies that have used this task show socially anxious individuals exhibit selective attention for threat faces (Mogg & Bradley, 2002; Mogg, Philippot, & Bradley, 2004b; Pishyar, Harris, & Menzies, 2004). Selective attention for threat when measured with a probe detection task is interpreted as an attentional shift toward threat ("vigilance"). Yet, there is data that show socially anxious individuals may have difficulty in shifting their attention away from threat ("disengagement"; Amir, Elias, Klumpp, & Przeworski, 2003). A step toward clarifying the extent to which selective attention for threat comprises vigilance or disengagement effects is described by Koster, Crombez, Verschuere, and de Houwer (2004). We adapted their modified probe detection task to examine vigilance and disengagement effects for threat and happy faces in individuals with and without social anxiety. The results indicate that socially anxious individuals exhibit vigilance for threat faces, but not for happy faces, compared to individuals without social anxiety. Our study is consistent with cognitive theories of anxiety that propose vigilance for threat may contribute to the maintenance of anxiety disorders.
Ballistic FET modeling using QDAME: quantum device analysis by modal evaluation

We present an algorithm for self-consistent solution of the Poisson and Schrodinger equations in two spatial dimensions with open-boundary conditions to permit current flow. The algorithm works by discretely sampling a device's density of states using standing wave boundary conditions, decomposing the standing waves into traveling waves injected from the contacts to assign occupancies, and iterating the quantum charge with the potential to self-consistency using a novel hybrid Newton-Broyden method. A double-gate FET is simulated as an example, with applications focused on surface roughness and contact geometry.
Sedimentary records of intense storms in Holocene barrier sequences, Maine, USA

Coastal-morphological, geophysical (ground-penetrating radar [GPR]), and sedimentological data document extreme storm events along the sandy barriers of Maine’s south–central (Hunnewell and Flat Point barriers) and southwestern (Saco Bay barriers) coastal compartments. The Hunnewell barrier contains four equally spaced buried storm scarps behind the exposed scarp of the Blizzard of 1978, a 100-year storm that eroded more than 100 m of shoreline, causing extensive property loss. These scarps dip 3–5j steeper than the normal beachface slope and consist of sands with more than 50% heavy minerals. The heavy minerals produce distinct subsurface reflections that facilitate the location of buried supratidal parts of storm scarps and the mapping of ancient poststorm shoreline positions. The imaged scarps likely formed within the past 1.5–2.0 ka BP. The Flat Point barrier consists of a prograded sequence overlain by a laterally extensive, seaward-thinning layer of freshwater peat and capped by aeolian sands. This stratigraphy suggests that the bog varied in size through time, contracting during overwash events and aeolian deposition and expanding across washover sheets during extended periods of barrier stability. The main overwash event accompanied by barrier planation and wetland expansion may be linked to the first historical storm in New England, the ‘‘Great Colonial Hurricane’’ of 1635. Evidence of near-modern and mid-Holocene storm events along Saco Bay includes washover units and marsh ridges. Washovers interfinger with saltmarsh peat that ranges in age from 4.5 ka BP to modern. The presence of isolated sandy ridges behind existing and former tidal inlets reflects overtopping of marshes and high intertidal mudflats during major storms. Radiocarbon ages indicate that this process took place at different locations along the Saco Bay barrier complex from 3 to 1 ka BP. D 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Models of access delays in multiprocessor memories

The performance of an interleaved common memory accessed uniformly by multiple processors is modeled by queuing and simulation methods. The model includes access conflicts at the bank level while assuming an ideal access network. A general scaling law is derived that indicates that memory access delays are given by the product of the bank reservation time and a function of the memory utilization, which is the average number of access requests arriving at a bank per bank reservation time. For light, uniform memory traffic. access delays are proportional to the square of the bank reservation time and to the ratio of the number of active memory access streams to the number of memory banks. With an assumption of random access patterns, an open and a closed queuing model are developed. To model pipelined access operations a new negative feedback model is introduced that includes the open and the closed models as special cases and is also well suited for modeling linked access streams. Delay dependence on bank reservation time is quadratic for light loads and linear for very heavy loads. The queuing models are validated by simulations. >
A new pathway for the synthesis of α‐ribazole‐phosphate in Listeria innocua

The genomes of Listeria spp. encode all but one of 25 enzymes required for the biosynthesis of adenosylcobalamin (AdoCbl; coenzyme B(12) ). Notably, all Listeria genomes lack CobT, the nicotinamide mononucleotide:5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole (DMB) phosphoribosyltransferase (EC 2.4.2.21) enzyme that synthesizes the unique α-linked nucleotide N(1) -(5-phospho-α-D-ribosyl)-DMB (α-ribazole-5'-P, α-RP), a precursor of AdoCbl. We have uncovered a new pathway for the synthesis of α-RP in Listeria innocua that circumvents the lack of CobT. The cblT and cblS genes (locus tags lin1153 and lin1110) of L. innocua encode an α-ribazole (α-R) transporter and an α-R kinase respectively. Results from in vivo experiments indicate that L. innocua depends on CblT and CblS activities to salvage exogenous α-R, allowing conversion of the incomplete corrinoid cobinamide (Cbi) into AdoCbl. Expression of the L. innocua cblT and cblS genes restored AdoCbl synthesis from Cbi and α-R in a Salmonella enterica cobT strain. LinCblT transported α-R across the cell membrane, but not α-RP or DMB. UV-visible spectroscopy and mass spectrometry data identified α-RP as the product of the ATP-dependent α-R kinase activity of LinCblS. Bioinformatics analyses suggest that α-R salvaging occurs in important Gram-positive human pathogens.
Mutant Huntingtin Impairs Vesicle Formation from Recycling Endosomes by Interfering with Rab11 Activity

Huntingtin (Htt) localizes to endosomes, but its role in the endocytic pathway is not established. Recently, we found that Htt is important for the activation of Rab11, a GTPase involved in endosomal recycling. Here we studied fibroblasts of healthy individuals and patients with Huntington's disease (HD), which is a movement disorder caused by polyglutamine expansion in Htt. The formation of endocytic vesicles containing transferrin at plasma membranes was the same in control and HD patient fibroblasts. However, HD fibroblasts were delayed in recycling biotin-transferrin back to the plasma membrane. Membranes of HD fibroblasts supported less nucleotide exchange on Rab11 than did control membranes. Rab11-positive vesicular and tubular structures in HD fibroblasts were abnormally large, suggesting that they were impaired in forming vesicles. We used total internal reflection fluorescence imaging of living fibroblasts to monitor fluorescence-labeled transferrin-carrying transport intermediates that emerged from recycling endosomes. HD fibroblasts had fewer small vesicles and more large vesicles and long tubules than did control fibroblasts. Dominant active Rab11 expressed in HD fibroblasts normalized the recycling of biotin-transferrin. We propose a novel mechanism for cellular dysfunction by the HD mutation arising from the inhibition of Rab11 activity and a deficit in vesicle formation at recycling endosomes.
Postdiapause Development and Prediction of Emergence of Female Blueberry Maggot (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Predictive models were developed to forecast the emergence of female blueberry maggot flies in highbush blueberries. Time to emergence at 20°C for pupal samples transferred from outdoors late February through mid-March, in 1997 and 1998, was very similar, suggesting both diapause completion and minimal postdiapause development at this time. Linear and nonlinear models were fitted to postdiapause development rates at several constant temperatures (7, 11, 15, 20, 25, and 30°C). The low temperature development threshold for the linear model was estimated at 4.7°C, and the heat accumulation required for median emergence was 934.3 degree-days. Rate summation was initiated on 1 March, over 3 yr, and model predictions were validated with field emergence data. The linear model predicted emergence with an average error of <4 d of observed field emergence, for percentiles at and below the median, over a 3-yr period, compared with 4.0–5.4 d for the nonlinear biophysical model. The results of this study indicate that a simple linear model, driven by soil temperatures, can assist the monitoring of blueberry maggot fly in integrated pest management programs.
Data on Na,K-ATPase in primary cultures of renal proximal tubule cells treated with catecholamines.

This data article is concerned with chronic regulation of Na,K-ATPase by catecholamines. After a chronic treatment, inhibition of Na,K-ATPase activity was observed in cultures with dopamine, while a stimulation was observed in cultures treated with norepinephrine. Following a chronic incubation with guanabenz, an α adrenergic agonist, an increase in Na,K-ATPase α and β subunit mRNAs was observed. This data supports the research article entitled, “Renal proximal tubule Na, K-ATPase is controlled by CREB regulated transcriptional coactivators as well as salt inducible kinase 1” (Taub et al. 2015) [1].
Ionization Chamber Study of the Disintegration of He 3 and N 14 by Thermal Neutrons

The total ionization produced by the reactions ${\mathrm{He}}^{3}(n,p)$ and ${\mathrm{N}}^{14}(n,p)$ in a gas mixture consisting mainly of argon was measured by means of a cylindrical ionization chamber operated under conditions of electron collection. High resolution was achieved by suitable choice of chamber geometry and by use of a low noise level amplifier. The total ionization charges collected from polonium alpha-particles, from the disintegration products of ${\mathrm{He}}^{3}(n,p)$ and from those of ${\mathrm{N}}^{14}(n,p)$ are found to be in the ratio 1:0.145\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.002:0.119\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.001, respectively. Comparison with polonium alpha-particles on the assumption of a constant average energy per ion pair in argon then yields reaction energies of 766\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}10 kev for ${\mathrm{He}}^{3}(n,p)$ and 630\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}6 kev for ${\mathrm{N}}^{14}(n,p)$. The difference between these energies agrees well with the difference between the end points of the beta-ray spectra of ${\mathrm{C}}^{14}$ and ${\mathrm{H}}^{3}$. This agreement supports the assumption of a proportionality between energy and ionization in argon independent of particle type. A value of 785\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}6 kev is computed for the neutron-hydrogen mass difference from these data.