cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Eosinophilia in Asthma Patients Is Protective Against Severe COVID-19 Illness.

Background There is a paucity of information on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes in asthmatics. Objective To identify risk factors associated with admission and subsequent mortality among COVID-19–infected asthmatics. Methods Adults at our institution with a positive polymerase chain reaction for COVID-19 between March 14 and April 27, 2020, were retrospectively identified. Comorbidities, laboratory results, and mortality rates during hospitalization were recorded. Results In total, 737 of 951 (77.5%) asthma patients with COVID-19 were seen in the emergency department (ED), and 78.8% of these ED patients (581 of 737) were admitted. Individuals with previously measured mean absolute eosinophil counts (AEC) ≥150 cells/μL were less likely to be admitted (odds ratio [OR] = 0.46, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.21-0.98, P = .04), whereas concomitant heart failure (CHF), chronic kidney disease (CKD), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were risk factors for admission. Hospitalized patients with asthma with peak hospital-measured AEC ≥150 cells/μL (n = 104) were less likely to die compared with those whose AEC remained Conclusions In asthmatics, pre-existing eosinophilia (AEC ≥150 cells/μL) was protective from COVID-19–associated admission, and development of eosinophilia (AEC ≥150 cells/μL) during hospitalization was associated with decreased mortality. Preadmission AEC influenced the AEC trend during hospitalization. Having a Th2-asthma phenotype might be an important predictor for reduced COVID-19 morbidity and mortality that should be further explored in prospective and mechanistic studies.
A stop sign for RAS trafficking

N-Ras lipidation cycling is known to regulate its trafficking and function. A new S-depalmitoylation inhibitor induces N-Ras membrane mislocalization, providing insights into N-Ras function and laying the foundation for a new cancer therapeutic strategy.
Elements of Neuroanthropology.

Neuroanthropology is the integration of neuroscience into anthropology and aims to understand “brains in the wild.” This interdisciplinary field examines patterns of human variation in field settings and provides empirical research that complements work done in clinical and laboratory settings. Neuroanthropology often uses ethnography in combination with theories and methods from cognitive science as a way to capture how culture, mind and brain interact. This article describes nine elements that outline how to do neuroanthropology research: (1) Conceptual triangulation, which brings together anthropology, psychology, and neuroscience in conjunction with field, clinic, and laboratory; (2) Integrating biology and culture through neuroscience and biocultural anthropology, (3) Sizing culture appropriately, from broad patterns of culture to culture in small-scale settings; (4) Understanding patterns of cultural variation, in particular how culture produces patterns of shared variation; (5) Considering individuals in interaction with culture, with levels of analysis that can go from biology to social structures; (6) Critical complementarity as a way to integrate the strengths of critical scholarship with interdisciplinary work; (7) Extending anthropology’s focus on what people say and do to include what people process; (8) Combining ethnographic and ecological validity in a new approach to validity called Humans-Interacting-in-Context (HIC) validity; and (9) using methodological triangulation as a way to advance interdisciplinary research. These elements are illustrated through three case studies: research on US combat veterans and how they use Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as a way to manage the transition to becoming a civilian, work on human-raptor interactions to understand how and why these interactions can prove beneficial human handlers, and adapting cue reactivity research on addiction to a field-based approach to understand how people interact with cues in naturalistic settings.
Biologic aspects of endodontics. V. Periapical tissue reactions to root canal instrumentation beyond the apex and root canal fillings short of and beyond the apex

Abstract The defense resources of the periapical tissues are apparently capable of overcoming the effects of instrumentation, but cements and root canal filling materials in the periapical tissues cause persistence of inflammation.
KASE: An Integrated Environment for Software Design

Software design consists of determining a high-level organization of a system that meets a given problem specification. We present a prototype system called KASE (Knowledge Assisted Software Engineering) that helps system analysts and designers design and redesign software systems. The KASE environment provides knowledge representation and reasoning tools to integrate knowledge about general software design principles, prototypical software architectures, and application domain. Unlike CASE tools and module interconnection languages that represent the structure of a software system without its semantics, the goal of KASE is to integrate both the structure and the semantics of software modules and to provide active assistance in the design of systems. We illustrate the design process in KASE through an example, focusing on the ability of KASE to provide a co-operative man-machine design environment.
Biodiversity assessment among two Nebraska prairies: a comparison between traditional and phylogenetic diversity indices.

Background Conservation of the evolutionary diversity among organisms should be included in the selection of priority regions for preservation of Earth’s biodiversity. Traditionally, biodiversity has been determined from an assessment of species richness (S), abundance, evenness, rarity, etc. of organisms but not from variation in species’ evolutionary histories. Phylogenetic diversity (PD) measures evolutionary differences between taxa in a community and is gaining acceptance as a biodiversity assessment tool. However, with the increase in the number of ways to calculate PD, end-users and decision-makers are left wondering how metrics compare and what data are needed to calculate various metrics.
Model structures for vinyl polymers. III. Equilibrium tacticity of 2,4-dimethylglutaric acid and 2,4,6-tricarboxyheptane†

Model compounds of the general formula H(CH2CHX)nCH3 (where n = 2 and 3 and X = CO2H, CO2CH3, CO2C2H5, CO2CH(CH3)2 and CN) have been prepared. These compounds were brought to steric equilibrium by treatment with alkaline catalysts and the equilibrium concentrations measured by gas chromatography. The syndiotactic configuration is preferred over the isotactic in all cases. Steric factors are more important than polarity for the systems which were investigated. It is proposed that the equilibrium triad content of the high polymers is approximated by the equilibrium composition models where n = 3.
Spatial pattern of expression of Cyl actin-beta-galactosidase fusion genes injected into sea urchin eggs

The Cyl actin gene of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus displays a pattern of expression that is correlated with cell division; the gene is initially activated in all cells of the early blastula stage embryo, but after 18 hours Cyl actin transcripts disappear from the aboral ectoderm at a time when these cells are withdrawing from the cell cycle. As part of our investigation of the transcriptional regulation of Cyl, we tested various Cyl-β-gal fusion genes for their spatial pattern of expression by microinjection into fertilized eggs of the sea urchin, Lytechinus pictus. The plasmid Cyl-β-gal containing 2.5 kb of upstream sequence displayed a pattern of expression which reflected the endogenous Cyl actin gene. Most of the staining was seen in the gut, oral ectoderm, and mesenchyme cells, while fewer embryos had stained cells in the aboral ectoderm cells. Deletions in the upstream sequences to-195 bp resulted in a decrease in the mean number of stained cells, but the overall pattern of expression was similar to Cyl-β-gal. These results indicate that sequences required for correct spatial expression of Cyl are located in the first 195 bp upstream of the Cyl start of transcription and/or within the first intron. A mutation in the highly conserved serum response element and an adjacent protein binding site did not increase the percentage of aboral ectoderm staining nor decrease the relative level of CAT activity from a Cyl-CAT fusion gene containing the same mutation. The implications of these rsults are discussed.
Asymmetry of the os pubis: Implications for the Suchey-Brooks method

Studies of skeletal development frequently document populational incidences of bilateral asymmetry. Degenerative morphological skeletal changes, attributed to age related and irregular ossification, may also progress asymmetrically, either as the result of asymmetric biomechanical factors expressed over the lifespan, asymmetric expression of physiological processes, or progressive magnification of asymmetry acquired previously during development. This study illustrates the effects of bilateral asymmetry on age at death estimates obtained from human skeletal remains. The Suchey-Brooks method, which uses the pubic symphyseal face for age estimation (Katz and Suchey, Am J Phys Anthropol 69 1986 427–435), was selected for the study based on its widespread use. Asymmetry in the Suchey-Brooks symphyseal age phases was found in over 60% of a sample composed of 20th century White male individuals from 18 to 86 years of age (N = 130). However, results suggest that the presence of asymmetry does not compromise the accuracy of the Suchey-Brooks method if the morphologically older symphyseal face of an asymmetric individual is used to estimate age at death. In addition, weak directional asymmetry and a correlation between age and asymmetry were found. This suggests that a comparison of asymmetry in this area with that in other skeletal areas, where the factors originating and influencing asymmetry are better understood, may be useful in better understanding the biological processes which underlie the age markers used in the Suchey-Brooks method. Am J Phys Anthropol 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Environmentally relevant bouts of cooling stimulate corticosterone secretion in free-living eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis) nestlings: potential links between maternal behavior and corticosterone exposure in offspring.

In vertebrates, exposure to stressful stimuli or to elevated glucocorticoids early in development can contribute to phenotypic variation that may have significant fitness consequences. In species with altricial young, offspring may be partially buffered from elevations in glucocorticoids by a period of low glucocorticoid responsiveness to stressors coupled with high levels of parental care. Because altricial young depend heavily on their parents for warmth, parental brooding behavior could buffer offspring from glucocorticoid exposure associated with cooling. We studied eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis) with two goals: (1) to determine whether an experimental drop in body temperature such as that which might occur when a brooding female is off the nest was sufficient to stimulate glucocorticoid secretion in young chicks, and (2) to examine the extent to which chicks experienced such bouts of cooling in the field. We subjected chicks to treatments simulating nest temperatures while females were brooding or absent from the nest. We also recorded chick surface temperatures and ambient temperatures at nests during the first week of the brood period. Reductions of surface temperature of less than 10 °C significantly elevated corticosterone secretion in chicks as young as 5 days old, and thermal and hormonal responses of chicks to cooling increased in an age-dependent manner. One quarter of broods experienced repeated, natural bouts of cooling of this magnitude or greater in the nest. Our data suggest that natural variations in maternal brooding patterns can result in differential exposure of offspring to glucocorticoids, and this may have important phenotypic consequences later in life.
The Role of Complement in the Host's Defense Against Streptococcus pneumoniae

In recent years there has been a growing realization that the complement systems plays an important role in the host's defense against infection and that it plays an especially critical role in both natural and acquired immunity to Streptococcus pneumoniae. The terminal components of the complement system, C3-C9, are responsible for most protective functions of the complement system. However, in order to subserve their protective functions, C3-C9 must first be activated. In vitro studies have shown that pneumococci are able to activate the terminal components of complement, C3-C9, by at least two different mechanisms, the classical and alternative pathways. Regardless of the pathway of their activation, C3-C9 produce anaphylatoxic, chemotactic, and opsonic activities in serum, each of which has the potential to play an important protective role in pneumococcal infections. Studies with experimental animals and the experience gained from study of complement deficiencies in humans have each fulfilled the promise of the in vitro studies by demonstrating that the complement system plays a biologically significant role in vivo in the host's defense against S. pneumoniae.
The new International Children's Continence Society's terminology for the paediatric lower urinary tract--why it has been set up and why we should use it.

The new International Children's Continence Society's terminology for the paediatric lower urinary tract : why it has been set up and why we should use it
Hynol—An economical process for methanol production from biomass and natural gas with reduced CO2 emission

Abstract The Hynol process is proposed to meet the demand for an economical process for methanol production with reduced CO2 emission. This new process consists of three reaction steps: (a) hydrogasification of biomass, (b) steam reforming of the produced gas with additional natural gas feedstock, and (c) methanol synthesis of the hydrogen and carbon monoxide produced during the previous two steps. The H2-rich gas remaining after methanol synthesis is recycled to gasify the biomass in an energy neutral reactor so that there is no need for an expensive oxygen plant as required by commercial steam gasifiers. Recycling gas allows the methanol synthesis reactor to perform at a relatively lower pressure than conventional while the plant still maintains high methanol yield. Energy recovery designed into the process minimizes heat loss and increases the process thermal efficiency. If the Hynol methanol is used as an alternative and more efficient automotive fuel, an overall 41% reduction in CO2 emission can be achieved compared to the use of conventional gasoline fuel. A preliminary economic estimate shows that the total capital investment for a Hynol plant is 40% lower than that for a conventional biomass gasification plant. The methanol production cost is $0.43/gal for a 1085 million gal/yr Hynol plant which is competitive with current U.S. methanol and equivalent gasoline prices. Process flowsheet and simulation data using biomass and natural gas as cofeedstocks are presented. The Hynol process can convert any condensed carbonaceous material, especially municipal solid waste (MSW), to produce methanol.
Separation and characterization of barley (Hordeum vulgareL.) hordeins by free zone capillary electrophoresis

Extraction conditions, separation conditions, and capillary rinsing protocols were optimized for the separation of barley hordeins by free zone capillary electrophoresis. Stable hordein extracts were obtained with a single 5 min extraction after the albumins and globulins were removed. Hordeins had to be reduced for optimal resolution. Optimum separation conditions for hordein separations were 100 mM phosphate-glycine buffer containing 20% acetonitrile and 0.05% hydroxypropylmethylcellulose. The addition of zwitterionic sulfobetaine detergents containing hydrocarbon tails of eight and ten carbons slightly improved the resolution of the separations, but not enough to warrant their use on a routine basis. The migration positions of the hordein subclasses were determined by two- dimensional reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography x free zone capillary electrophoresis mapping. The hordein subclasses formed clusters similar to those of wheat gliadins. Separation-to-separation repeatability was good, with migration time relative standard deviations < 1% for a 15-run period. For routine discrimination of cultivars, a 2 min post-separation rinse with 500 mM acetic acid was necessary to prevent protein build-up on the capillary walls. An example of successfully differentiating barley cultivars using this technique is shown.
Promises in Intelligent Plant Control Systems

The control system is the brain of a power plant. The traditional goal of control systems has been productivity. However, in nuclear power plants the potential for disaster requires safety to be the dominant concern, and the worldwide political climate demands trustworthiness for nuclear power plants. To keep nuclear generation as a viable option for power in the future, trust is the essential critical goal which encompasses all others.
Boundary conditions in the theory of the relaxation field

The perturbationf ji ' generated by an external field in the distribution function is derived by integration of the Onsager-Fuoss equation of continuity. The solution isf ji ' (r)=C(I+Ah1+Bh2) whereCI is a particular integral andh 1 andh 2 are solutions of the homogeneous equation. The physical significance of the boundary conditions which evaluate the constantsA andB is discussed. It is then shown that the conditionf ji ' (∞) ≠ 0 requiresB=0 and that the condition lim(f ji ' /n2) ≠ 0 at zero concentration is satisfied if and only ifA=−1.
Managing Sexual Orientation Diversity The Impact on Firm Value

This article examines the relation between a firm's stock market value and the extent to which the firm manages sexual orientation diversity in its workplace. To investigate this issue, we analyze ...
Size Versus Colour in Air-Sea Rescue

I AM indebted to the Air Ministry and especially to the civilian staff of the Air-Sea Warfare Development Unit for a copy of the valuable report on “The Optimum Dinghy Colour for Air-Sea Rescue”. Colours were tried from a yellow close to the Schott glass O.G.1, through orange and fire orange, near Schott O.G.2, onwards to traffic red and post-office red, like Schott R.G.1. The overall average visual range of the five coloured M-type dinghies for all-round weather conditions around the British Isles was approximately 1.7 nautical miles (3.15 km.). The waters were mostly greenish, but this is not always so on our coasts.
Use of focus groups for identifying specialty needs of primary care physicians

Focus groups were chosen as a needs assessment device to obtain first-hand information from primary care physicians about their interests and needs. The focus group process was used because it generally enables opportunities for discussion with immediately critical commentary, allowing participants to build on and to expand on each other's ideas. Focus groups would also provide a “triangulated” approach to our needs assessment process by having participants provide answers to questions that a previous survey had revealed. Ultimately, we were interested in the beliefs held by primary care physicians concerning their interest in specific medical topics. Knowing about similarities or differences in perspective would greatly inform our curriculum development and instructional development processes. We found a general similarity of interests among the four specialties—family physicians, general internists, pediatricians, obstetrician-gynecologists—participating in the four focus groups. There was a noticeable variety of beliefs within each specialty group. Futher, across the four focus groups, a significant overlap of opinions and ideas was observed. The focus group process, these differences, and implications for our project are discussed.
Safety of different inter-train intervals for repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and recommendations for safe ranges of stimulation parameters

Induction of a seizure in a normal subject with trains of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) applied in close succession suggested that short inter-train intervals, a parameter not considered in our previous safety studies, may not be safe. Here, we evaluate the safety of different inter-train intervals for rTMS in 10 healthy volunteers. Ten rTMS trains at 20 Hz for 1.6 s and a stimulus intensity of 110% of motor threshold (MT) were found to be safe at the inter-train interval of 5 s. However, inter-train intervals of 1 s or less were unsafe for trains of 20 Hz for 1.6 s and stimulus intensities higher than 100% of MT. Based on these results, we propose safety guidelines for inter-train intervals at different stimulus intensities. We also analyzed the stimulus parameters, used in 3 studies, that led to seizures in normal subjects. One seizure was due to short inter-train intervals, one was likely related to intense individual rTMS trains close to the limit of our previous safety recommendations, and one was likely due to a combination of these two factors. To provide an additional safety margin, we suggest reducing the duration for individual rTMS trains by 25% from our previous recommendations. Updated safety tables currently in use at our institution are provided.
Symmetric designs and related configurations

In this paper we study combinatorial designs that are characterized by a (0, 1)-matrix A of order n ⩾ 3 that satisfies the matrix equation ATA = D + [λiλj] where AT denotes the transpose of A, D denotes the diagonal matrix D = diag[k1 − λ1, k2 − λ2, …, kn − λn] and the scalars ki − λi and λj are positive. We call these configurations multiplicative designs. They are a natural generalization of the classical symmetric block designs and the recently investigated λ-designs. We develop certain basic properties of multiplicative designs. But the complete structure of these interesting configurations is far from determined.
Molar absorptivity of poly(methyl methacrylate) in the near‐ultraviolet region

The molar absorptivities of methyl methacrylate monomer and of thermally polymerized, monomer-free poly(methyl methacrylate) have been measured in the range 2200–3000 A, and smoothed values are presented at wavelength intervals of 20 A over much of this range. Typical amounts of monomer present in a thermally polymerized bulk polymer and in films cast from CH2Cl2 solutions of the bulk polymer have been ascertained. The use of such absorptivity values to determine the amount of monomer present in polymer samples is evaluated.
Development of an Electrohydrodynamic Injection Micropump for Cryogenic Cooling

Cryogenic cooling has become a widely adopted technique to improve the performance of electronics and sensors. A potential application of an electrohydrodynamic (EHD) pumping system is its use in pumping fluids in cryogenic cooling systems. In this paper we present the results of a theoretical/experimental investigation to study the feasibility of using an EHD injection micropump for pumping liquid nitrogen. First, the mechanisms of charge transport and ionization phenomenon in cryogenic liquids are discussed. Next, the design and fabrication of an EHD injection micropump that employs an array of interdigitated saw-tooth/plane electrodes are described. Finally, experimental results and observations are presented. An asymmetric saw-tooth/plane geometry was designed to achieve strong inhomogeneous electric field. Each saw-tooth had a base length of 10 μm with a tip angle of 60°. The gap between emitter and collector electrodes was 20 μm and the distance between each stage (a pair of emitter and collector electrodes) from neighboring stage was 40 μm. The dimensions of the patterned area were 10 mm by 20 mm allowing approximately 300 stages to be fabricated along the length of the micropump. The maximum pressure head achieved by this micropump was 550 Pa and 205 Pa for HFE-7100 and liquid nitrogen, respectively.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
New Chiral Amide Ligands Derived from (±)-trans-1,2-Diaminocyclohexane. Applications in Titanium(IV) Chemistry

Titanium(IV) hydrocarbyl compounds containing chiral bis(amide) ligands derived from (±)-trans-1,2-(NHSiR3)2-cyclohexanes (6a−c: SiR3 = SiMe3 (a), SiMe2Ph (b), SiMePh2 (c) are described. The reaction of (±)-trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane with SiR3Cl and NEt3 affords diamines 6a−c in 60−80% yield. Double deprotonation of 6a−c with 2 equiv of n-BuLi yields the dilithio salts Li2[(±)-trans-1,2-(NSiR3)2-cyclohexane] (7a−c) in 70−97% yield. The reaction of 7a,b with TiCl4(THF)2 in toluene yields mixtures of {(±)-trans-1,2-(NSiR3)2-cyclohexane}TiCl2 (8a,b) and bis(ligand) complexes {trans-1,2-(NSiR3)2-cyclohexane}2Ti (9a,b; mixture of diastereomers). The reaction of 7c with TiCl4 yields {(±)-trans-1,2-(NSiMePh2)2-cyclohexane}TiCl2 (8c; 15% isolated yield). The reaction of 6a,b and Ti(CH2Ph)4 yields {(±)-trans-1,2-(NSiR3)2-cyclohexane}Ti(CH2Ph)2 (10a,b) cleanly, but these species are difficult to isolate due to their high solubility. Iodinolysis of 10a,b with I2 yields {(±)-trans-1,2-(NSiR3)2-cyclohexane}TiI2 (11a...
New Data on the Comanchean Strata of Central Kansas

New stratigraphic sections and information on the distribution of the fossil-bearing members are offered. The writers conclude that (1) cone-in-cone always occurs with the Windom member, and rarely at any other stratigraphic position; (2) the interval between the two marine members of the Comanchean decreases eastward, southward, and westward; (3) the lithic character of the Mentor member varies greatly and the variation in the fauna is equally as great; (4) the Windom member is persistent lithologically, although the fauna varies considerably; and (5) because of the persistent distribution and position of the cone-in-cone layers they may be considered of much correlative value.
Effect of an electric field on the plastic deformation kinetics of electrodeposited Cu at low and intermediate temperatures

Abstract The plastic deformation kinetics of electrodeposited (EP) Cu foil with grain size d=0.6 μm was determined at 293–448 K without and with a concurrent electrostatic field E=2.5 kV/cm and compared with that for vapor-deposited (VP) Cu foil tested at 77–473 K without a field. The electric field produced a 20–25% decrease in the flow stress of the EP Cu. The apparent activation volume v= k T ∂ ln e /∂ σ both without and with electric field, exhibited a minimum at 350–375 K. The strain rate-controlling mechanism at T≤350 K was concluded to be grain boundary shear promoted by the pile-up of dislocations at grain boundaries, while that at T= 373–473 K was concluded to be the intersection of dislocations. The major effect of the electric field was to give a reduction in the dislocation density produced by straining, which was related to the electric charge density at the specimen surface.
Pedometer readings and self-reported walking distances in a rural Hutterite population.

Purpose: This study assessed the accuracy with which a rural population reported daily walking distances using a 7-day activity recall questionnaire obtained quarterly compared to pedometer readings. Methods: Study participants were 48 Hutterite men and women aged 11-66 years. Findings: Pedometer-miles quartiles were associated with self-reported daily miles (P = .008) and self-reported previous-year average miles (P = .03) quartiles. Among males, the relationship between pedometer-miles and self-reported daily miles differed depending upon walking pace, with a stronger correlation at a faster pace (interaction, P = .006). Among females, pedometer-miles correlated with age and remained associated with self-reported daily and previous-year average miles when age was in the statistical model (P = .006 and .008). The difference between pedometer-miles and self-reported previous-year average miles tended to increase with age (P = .06). Conclusions: SDPAR may be a useful instrument in measuring miles walked/day among rural populations.
Pre- and neonatal exposure of the Dahl rat to NaCl: development and regional distribution of myocardial α1-adrenergic and cholinergic receptor sites

Abstract The prenatal and/or postweaning effects of a hypertensinogenic high NaCl-containing diet (8.0% NaCl, w/w) on (1) the regional distribution of α1-adrenoceptors and muscarinic cholinergic receptor sites in the heart and (2) the predisposition/resistance to hypertension (HT) were assessed in the inbred Dahl HT-sensitive (S/JR) and HT-resistant (R/JR) rat. The density of α1-adrenoceptors was reduced in the left ventricle but not consistently affected in the ventricular septum, right ventricle, or atria of S/JR offspring with NaCl-induced HT. Both normotensive and hypertensive S/JR rats also displayed a significantly greater density of cholinergic receptor sites in the atria but few consistent alterations in other regions of the heart, compared to R/JR rats. Maternal diet had no effect on the predisposition/resistance to salt-induced HT and little effect on the regional development of α1-adrenoceptors and cholinergic receptor sites. The results of this study suggest that the reduced density of ventricular α1-adrenoceptors in the S/JR strain is a consequence of HT while the elevated density of cholinergic receptors in the atria may be related to the genetic predisposition/resistance to HT.
Effect of differential gene expression on the chromatin structure of the DHFR gene domain in vivo.

Abstract Photoactivated psoralen was used to probe region-specific chromatin structure in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Specifically, the chromatin structure of six regions within the dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) gene was probed with photoactivated psoralen in cells cultured in such ways as to differentially express the DHFR gene. Cells were irradiated with X-rays prior to the psoralen photocross-linking reaction in order to eliminate the influence of any DNA torsional tension on the psoralen binding and the sequence-specificity of psoralen binding was adjusted for. It was found that a region encompassing the promoter of the serum-regulated DHFR gene was about 50% more accessible to psoralen photocross-linking in serum-stimulated cells and about 90% more accessible in serum-starved cells than the other five regions of the DHFR gene analyzed and the genome overall. Treating serum-stimulated cells with the RNA polymerase II transcriptional inhibitor 5,6-dichloro-1-β- d -ribofuranosyl-benzimidazole (DRB) or the topoisomerase I inhibitor camptothecin reversed the elevated accessibility of the DHFR promoter region. These results suggest that the accessible chromatin structure of the DHFR promoter is not dependent on serum-stimulated poising of the gene for transcription, but may reflect the ability of the RNA polymerase to clear the promoter.
A STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF PRODUCTIVITY IN SELECTED SERVICE INDUSTRIES IN THE UNITED STATES, 1939–1963

This paper examines differentials in output, employment and productivity across seventeen service industries in the United States from 1939 to 1963. Included are 9 retail trades and 8 services mostly from the personal service group. The industries chosen were those for which it was possible to obtain from available data reasonably comparable measures of output and input for selected years since 1939. Also, they are industries for which it is possible to calculate a measure of real output that is not based on labor input. Sixteen of the industries show positive rates of change of real output per man. Thus there appears to be no basis for assuming that productivity cannot or does not increase in industries providing services. However, the rate of increase for the group as a whole was not as rapid as in manufacturing or in goods production as a whole. The data for the seventeen industries give strong support to the hypothesis of a positive correlation between industry rates of growth and rates of change of productivity. The correlations are of the same order of magnitude as those found by other investigators in studies of manufacturing industries. The coefficient of correlation between growth of output per man and growth of output is .93; between growth of output per man and growth of employment it is .54 for 1939–1963. The comparable coefficients for the 1948–1963 period are .70 and .13. The results also parallel those reported for manufacturing in one other respect, namely, the absence of any correlation between changes in output per man and changes in compensation per man. The paper concludes with a discussion of the problems encountered in measuring changes in real output in these industries and presents some alternative estimates based on different concepts and different sources.
IMPROVING UPON THE BEST INVARIANT ESTIMATOR IN MULTIVARIATE LOCATION PROBLEMS

Summary We are concerned with estimators which improve upon the best invariant estimator, in estimating a location parameter θ. If the loss function is L(θ - a) with L convex, we give sufficient conditions for the inadmissibility of δ0(X) = X. If the loss is a weighted sum of squared errors, we find various classes of estimators δ which are better than δ0. In general, δ is the convolution of δ1 (an estimator which improves upon δ0 outside of a compact set) with a suitable probability density in Rp. The critical dimension of inadmissibility depends on the estimator δ1 We also give several examples of estimators δ obtained in this way and state some open problems.
Ramsey interferometry with photons

We demonstrate a photonic Ramsey interferometer using four-wave mixing in which the photon energies are analogous to atomic/molecular levels. This technique is highly promising for frequency-based quantum key distribution.
Estrogen Treatment Prevents Osteopenia and Depresses Bone Turnover in Ovariectomized Rats

Female Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to bilateral ovariectomy (OVX) or sham surgery (control). Groups of ovariectomized (OVX) and control rats were injected daily with low, medium, or high doses of 17β-estradiol (10, 25, or 50 μg/kg BW, respectively). An additional group of OVX and control rats was injected daily with vehicle alone. All rats were killed 35 days after OVX, and their proximal tibiae were processed undecalcified for quantitative bone histomorphometry. Trabecular bone volume was markedly reduced in vehicletreated OVX rats relative to that in control rats (12.1% vs. 26.7%). This bone loss was associated with a 2-fold increase in osteoclast surface and a 4-fold increase in osteoblast surface. The bone formation rate, studied with fluorochrome labeling, was also significantly elevated in vehicle-treated OVX rats (0.111 vs. 0.026 μ3/μm2.day). \n contrast, treatment of OVX rats with the three doses of estradiol resulted in normalization of tibial trabecular bone volume and a decline in histom...
Improved HF183 quantitative real-time PCR assay for characterization of human fecal pollution in ambient surface water samples

Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assays that target the human-associated HF183 bacterial cluster within members of the genus Bacteroides are among the most widely used methods for the characterization of human fecal pollution in ambient surface waters. In this study, we show that a current TaqMan HF183 qPCR assay (HF183/BFDrev) routinely forms nonspecific amplification products and introduce a modified TaqMan assay (HF183/BacR287) that alleviates this problem. The performance of each qPCR assay was compared in head-to-head experiments investigating limits of detection, analytical precision, predicted hybridization to 16S rRNA gene sequences from a reference database, and relative marker concentrations in fecal and sewage samples. The performance of the modified HF183/BacR287 assay is equal to or improves upon that of the original HF183/BFDrev assay. In addition, a qPCR chemistry designed to combat amplification inhibition and a multiplexed internal amplification control are included. In light of the expanding use of PCR-based methods that rely on the detection of extremely low concentrations of DNA template, such as qPCR and digital PCR, the new TaqMan HF183/BacR287 assay should provide more accurate estimations of human-derived fecal contaminants in ambient surface waters.
Growth and Dissolution of Encapsulated Microbubble Used in Ultrasound Contrast Imaging

Steady dissolution of a bubble with two gases and a permeable shell has been modeled. At first the shell is modeled without elasticity. Factors such as permeability of the shell, surface tension, mole fraction of the osmotic agent, gas concentration in the bulk have been varied to study the growth and the time scale for dissolution of the bubble. It has been found that the inclusion of shell elasticity also plays a vital role in the growth and dissolution of the bubble.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Enhancing the Performance of Photovoltaic Powered Reverse Osmosis Desalination Systems by Active Thermal Management

Reverse osmosis (RO) is a well-known process for desalinating seawater and brackish groundwater. Desalination is energy-intensive, so using photovoltaic (PV) panels to power the process is an attractive and cost-effective concept, especially for community-scale systems. Increasing the system efficiency will lower the total cost of water produced, making the systems more economically competitive for a greater number of geographic locations. It is noted in this paper that the amount of water produced by a PV-powered RO (PVRO) system can be increased if the temperatures of the solar panel and the reverse osmosis feed water are actively managed. For a given level of solar radiation, a photovoltaic panel produces more power at a lower temperature. Also, for a given power, an RO system produces more clean water at a higher input (feed) water temperature. An active thermal management system is needed to exploit these complementary characteristics by cooling the solar panel and warming the RO feed water, increasing the amount of fresh water produced. This can be accomplished by running the RO feed water through a heat exchanger attached to the back of the solar panel, cooling it. Furthermore, the ability to cool the solar panels permits the addition of low-cost, flat-plate concentrating mirrors to be used with the PV panels, which further increases the PV power output. The flow of the water through the respective units must be actively controlled as there are limits for the maximum temperatures of both the RO water and PV panels. In this paper, a concept for an active PVRO thermal control system is presented. Simulations and experimental results show the effectiveness of this approach. In experiment, a 57% increase in fresh water production was achieved. These experimental results agree well with simulation models.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
A Generalized Madymo Modeling Approach With Both Frontal Occupants in a Range of Impact Situations

A generalized MADYMO model that includes both the driver and passenger was developed to simulate the occupant responses under different restraint conditions in various impact situations. Traditionally in safety simulations the occupant was given the inverse of the vehicle acceleration and the vehicle compartment remains stationary. This approach works for frontal impacts where the longitudinal motion of the occupants dominates the kinematics. For an offset or angled impact, where the vehicle experiences a general three-dimensional motion, this approach loses its advantage. A prescribed motion approach is used instead, where the vehicle was given a prescribed three-dimensional motion, and the occupant’s responses are recorded similar to an actual crash. Driver and passenger models are generally being developed separately for each impact situation. This creates a maintenance and updating problem, because a single design change could require modifying a family of models. In this study a master model was developed using the prescribed motion approach, and both the driver and the passenger were incorporated into the model. This has the advantage of streamlining the restraint system development process, and avoiding tedious maintenance at the same time. A single model can be used for a range of impact situations, and all occupant responses can be generated. The model can be used to simulate frontal impacts at different speeds, angled impacts, and offset deformable barrier tests. A pair of angled impacts and an NCAP test were used as examples to demonstrate the versatility of the model and correlations to barrier tests were discussed.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Solving banded systems on a parallel processor

Abstract In this paper we examine ways of solving dense, banded systems on different parallel processors. We start with some considerations for processors with vector instructions, then discuss various algorithms for the solution of large, dense, banded systems on a parallel processor. We analyze the behavior of the parallel algorithms on distributed-storage architectures configured as rings, two-dimensional meshes with end-around connections (tori), boolean n -cube configured architectures, and bus-based and switch-based machines with shared storage. We also present measurements for two bus-based architectures with shared storage, namely, the Alliant FX/8 and the Sequent Balance 21000.
An inorganic application of transient direct current photoconductivity: corroboration of a charge-transfer assignment for the luminescing states of Pt(dpphen)(ecda)1.

Transient direct current photoconductivity measurements were performed on solutions of Pt(dpphen)(ecda) in order to identify the nature of its luminescing states. The measurements reveal that the s...
Theism, metaphysics, and D. Z. Phillips

Section I argues that theistic religions incorporate metaphysical systems and that these systems are explanatory. Section II defends these claims against D. Z. Phillips's objections to “the epistemic realism and correspondence theory of truth” which they imply. I conclude by raising questions about the status of Phillips's own project.
Scalable partitioning and exploration of chemical spaces using geometric hashing.

Virtual screening (VS) has become a preferred tool to augment high-throughput screening1 and determine new leads in the drug discovery process. The core of a VS informatics pipeline includes several data mining algorithms that work on huge databases of chemical compounds containing millions of molecular structures and their associated data. Thus, scaling traditional applications such as classification, partitioning, and outlier detection for huge chemical data sets without a significant loss in accuracy is very important. In this paper, we introduce a data mining framework built on top of a recently developed fast approximate nearest-neighbor-finding algorithm2 called locality-sensitive hashing (LSH) that can be used to mine huge chemical spaces in a scalable fashion using very modest computational resources. The core LSH algorithm hashes chemical descriptors so that points close to each other in the descriptor space are also close to each other in the hashed space. Using this data structure, one can perf...
Do Student Achievement Outcomes Differ Across Teacher Preparation Programs? An Analysis of Teacher Education in Louisiana:

Achievement outcomes for students taught by recent program completers of Louisiana’s teacher preparation programs (TPPs) are examined using hierarchical linear modeling of State student achievement data in English language arts, reading, mathematics, science, and social studies. The current year’s achievement in each content area is predicted using previous achievement data, student characteristics, classroom characteristics (e.g., percentage of students with disabilities), school characteristics, and attendance of teachers and students. The contribution of a teacher having recently completed a specific TPP is modeled at the classroom level as an indicator variable for each TPP. Results for programs with 25 or more new teachers are reported. Results demonstrate substantial overlap in confidence intervals (CI) among programs. In some instances, 68% and/or 95% CI for programs in specific content areas did not overlap results for the average new teacher or experienced teachers (i.e., they were lower than ave...
Long-Term Financing Decisions: Views and Practices of Financial Managers of NYSE Firms

This paper reports the findings of a 1990 survey of a sample of NYSE firms conducted to learn about the managerial opinions and practices with respect to longterm financing decisions. Relying on a hierarchy of financing sources is discovered to be a far more common practice among the sample firms than maintaining a target capital structure. The risk-return dimensions of the investment being financed are found to be the most important inputs in determining financing decisions. In spite of the perceived lack of fairness in the market pricing of their securities, the sample firms do not report making financing decisions to signal a need for reevaluation of their securities. Financial managers display a much greater flexibility with capital structure decisions than with either dividend policy decisions or investment decisions. The firms which attempt to maintain target capital structures are found to perceive the average debt ratios in their respective industries to be important determinants of their own debt ratios. The firms which follow financing hierarchies on the other hand, are found to view their firms' past profits and past growth to be important determinants of their debt ratios.
Are sexual partners met online associated with HIV/STI risk behaviours? Retrospective and daily diary data in conflict

The association between Internet sex-seeking and sexual risk-taking was explored using both retrospective and daily diary methodology. Men who have sex with men (MSM) (N=113) were recruited through a variety of Internet sites. Participants completed retrospective questionnaires on their history of Internet use to seek sexual partners and their engagement in sexual risk-taking behaviours. Participants also completed daily diaries for up to 30 days, which assessed if partners were met through the Internet and what types of sexual contact occurred. Multilevel modelling was used to analyze the daily diary data. The retrospective and daily diary data produced opposite results. In the retrospective data, a history of online sex-seeking was associated with greater numbers of sexual partners in the last year, one-time sex partners, sex without condoms and failure to discuss partners' sexual histories. In the daily diary data, unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) was less likely to occur with partners met online than with partners met by other means. These data suggest that men who engage in high-risk sex with other men use the Internet as a tool for meeting sexual partners, not that meeting partners online causes high-risk sex.
Sum Rules for Magnetic Quadrupole and Electric Dipole Moments: An Application of the Algebra of Current Components

Assuming simple commutation relations between the various components of the vector current density, we derive three commutation relations between electric dipole and magnetic quadrupole operators. Taking these commutators between proton states at rest, we get three sum rules. Considering only one intermediate state, namely the $I=\frac{1}{2}$, $J={\frac{3}{2}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ pion-nucleon resonance ${N}^{**}(1518)$, we have a consistency relation between them. The sum rules are then used for deriving the ratio between the ${E}_{2}$ and ${M}_{2}$ amplitudes in single-pion photoproduction, and one obtains a result in good agreement with experiment.