cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Content-based image retrieval using joint correlograms

The comparison of digital images to determine their degree of similarity is one of the fundamental problems of computer vision. Many techniques exist which accomplish this with a certain level of success, most of which involve either the analysis of pixel-level features or the segmentation of images into sub-objects that can be geometrically compared. In this paper we develop and evaluate a new variation of the pixel feature and analysis technique known as the color correlogram in the context of a content-based image retrieval system. Our approach is to extend the autocorrelogram by adding multiple image features in addition to color. We compare the performance of each index scheme with our method for image retrieval on a large database of images. The experiment shows that our proposed method gives a significant improvement over histogram or color correlogram indexing, and it is also memory-efficient.
Routine or selective school entry medicals: a review of current literature.

A review of recent literature on school entry medicals (SEMs) assessed whether selective medicals were as effective and/or cheaper than routine medicals. Data were compared with prospective data from the author's ‘patch’ on a one-year cohort of routine SEMs. Routine medicals showed that 40–50% of school entrants had health problems but selective systems detected fewer. Districts with high morbidity were less able to detect problems early but effective child health surveillance was not related to the number of new problems at SEM. Selection did not reduce costs and could increase costs in deprived areas. The SEM is an opportunity for health education which is valued by parents. On present evidence, selection for medicals at school entry cannot be recommended.
Catalytic Function and Substrate Specificity of the Papain-Like Protease Domain of nsp3 from the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus

The papain-like protease (PLpro) domain from the deadly Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) was overexpressed and purified. MERS-CoV PLpro constructs with and without the putative ubiquitin-like (UBL) domain at the N terminus were found to possess protease, deubiquitinating, deISGylating, and interferon antagonism activities in transfected HEK293T cells. The quaternary structure and substrate preferences of MERS-CoV PLpro were determined and compared to those of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) PLpro, revealing prominent differences between these closely related enzymes. Steady-state kinetic analyses of purified MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV PLpros uncovered significant differences in their rates of hydrolysis of 5-aminomethyl coumarin (AMC) from C-terminally labeled peptide, ubiquitin, and ISG15 substrates, as well as in their rates of isopeptide bond cleavage of K48- and K63-linked polyubiquitin chains. MERS-CoV PLpro was found to have 8-fold and 3,500-fold higher catalytic efficiencies for hydrolysis of ISG15-AMC than for hydrolysis of the Ub-AMC and Z-RLRGG-AMC substrates, respectively. A similar trend was observed for SARS-CoV PLpro, although it was much more efficient than MERS-CoV PLpro toward ISG15-AMC and peptide-AMC substrates. MERS-CoV PLpro was found to process K48- and K63-linked polyubiquitin chains at similar rates and with similar debranching patterns, producing monoubiquitin species. However, SARS-CoV PLpro much preferred K48-linked polyubiquitin chains to K63-linked chains, and it rapidly produced di-ubiquitin molecules from K48-linked chains. Finally, potent inhibitors of SARS-CoV PLpro were found to have no effect on MERS-CoV PLpro. A homology model of the MERS-CoV PLpro structure was generated and compared to the X-ray structure of SARS-CoV PLpro to provide plausible explanations for differences in substrate and inhibitor recognition. IMPORTANCE Unlocking the secrets of how coronavirus (CoV) papain-like proteases (PLpros) perform their multifunctional roles during viral replication entails a complete mechanistic understanding of their substrate recognition and enzymatic activities. We show that the PLpro domains from the MERS and SARS coronaviruses can recognize and process the same substrates, but with different catalytic efficiencies. The differences in substrate recognition between these closely related PLpros suggest that neither enzyme can be used as a generalized model to explain the kinetic behavior of all CoV PLpros. As a consequence, decoding the mechanisms of PLpro-mediated antagonism of the host innate immune response and the development of anti-CoV PLpro enzyme inhibitors will be a challenging undertaking. The results from this study provide valuable information for understanding how MERS-CoV PLpro-mediated antagonism of the host innate immune response is orchestrated, as well as insight into the design of inhibitors against MERS-CoV PLpro.
Is phosphatidic acid a calcium ionophore under neurohumoral control

There has recently been renewed interest in a previously observed phenomenon1 whereby hormones and neurotransmitters alter the rate of incorporation of 32P-phosphate into phospholipids, specifically, phosphatidylinositol (PI) and phosphatidic acid (PA)2. This has arisen from a theory formulated by Michell and coworkers which postulates that this ‘phospholipid effect’ is in some way intimately involved in the mechanism by which certain neurotransmitters and hormones activate membrane Ca gates2–5. However, although Michell's observations are consistent with a phospholipid involvement probably somewhere between receptor occupation and Ca gating, they do not suggest what the specific role of the phospholipids in the Ca gating mechanism might be. Recently, Salmon and Honeyman suggested6 that the critical event may be the net formation of PA following the net breakdown of PI which occurs in pancreas7, platelets8 and smooth muscle6,9. PA has been shown to behave as a Ca ionophore in a Pressman chamber10, and thus it is possible that an increase in PA concentration in cellular membranes might increase the Ca permeability of those membranes (see also ref. 5). In the rat parotid, receptors associated with Ca gating (muscarinic, α-adrenergic and substance P) show a phospholipid effect whereas β-adrenergic receptors (which act on adenylate cyclase) do not11,12. The phospholipid effect is Ca independent, and is not produced by the divalent cationophore A23187 (refs 11,12). Also, an easily quantifiable response of this tissue (K efflux measured as release of 86Rb) is absolutely dependent on the concentration of external Ca (ref. 13) and, by inference, on the magnitude of Ca influx14. We report here evidence suggesting that PA, which is formed during the reaction sequence of the phospholipid effect, may directly mediate the inward movement of Ca that results from activation of surface membrane receptors.
Non‐adherence in pediatric transplantation: A review of the existing literature

The degree of medical adherence in pediatric solid-organ transplant recipients frequently correlates with the degree of psychological distress, family functioning, and the physiological side-effects of immunosuppressant medications. This article examines the current literature regarding each of these factors and proposes recommendations for increasing the medical compliance among childhood transplant recipients.
High‐temperature rheology of enstatite: Implications for creep in the mantle

High-temperature deformation experiments have been performed on oriented single crystals of enstatite at 1 atm under controlled conditions of oxygen fugacity and silica activity. The results indicate that creep on the weakest high temperature slip system in enstatite within the protoenstatite stability field is independent of oxygen fugacity and obeys a power law relation with a stress exponent of n = 3.8±0.5 and activation energy of Q = 820±80 kJ/mol. A decrease in creep rate with increasing aluminum and iron content suggests that aluminum or iron ions play an active role in maintaining charge neutrality within the crystals. The single crystal strengths are greater than those reported for polycrystalline enstatite deforming predominantly on the same slip system, suggesting that the polycrystalline samples may have been water weakened. A comparison of the single crystal results with those for olivine deformed at 1 atm indicates that enstatite is probably stronger than olivine under upper mantle conditions, unless the presence of water results in a greater weakening of enstatite than olivine.
Soliton perturbation theory for phi-four model and nonlinear Klein–Gordon equations

Abstract This paper obtains the adiabatic variation of the soliton velocity, in presence of perturbation terms, of the phi-four model and the nonlinear Klein–Gordon equations. There are three types of models of the nonlinear Klein–Gordon equation, with power law nonlinearity, that are studied in this paper. The soliton perturbation theory is utilized to carry out this investigation.
Allergens in paved road dust and airborne particles

Paved road dust present on the surface of streets in Southern California consists of a complex mixture of soil dust, deposited motor vehicle exhaust particles, tire dust, brake lining wear dust, plant fragments, and other biological materials. The research presented here shows that allergens from at least 20 different source materials are found in the paved road dust. These include pollens and pollen fragments, animal dander, and molds. When paved road dust is resuspended into the atmosphere by passing vehicle traffic, allergen concentrations in the air are increased above the levels that would prevail without the vehicle traffic. Using immunological assays that measure the proteins extracted from environmental samples that bind to IgE antibodies present in the blood serum of allergenic patients, it is possible to measure the allergen concentrations present in paved road dust and in airborne particle samples. Total protein contributions to monthly average airborne TSP and PM_(10) concentrations are found to be in the range from 1 to 5.8 μg m^(-3), potentially accounting for a significant fraction of the airborne particulate organic material that has not been identified to date by GC/MS techniques. Results show that up to 5−12% of the allergenicity of atmospheric total suspended particulate matter samples at Long Beach and Rubidoux, CA, is attributable to paved road dust emissions. In an industrial area of urban central Los Angeles where there is less proximity to vegetation and domestic activities, the paved road dust contribution to airborne allergen concentrations is lower, accounting for approximately 0.5% of the total allergenic activity of the atmospheric particle samples. In conclusion, paved road dust when entrained into the atmosphere by passing traffic is a source of allergen exposure for the general population and could be more important in areas with more abundant vegetation or with closer proximity of populations to major highways than is the case for the Southern California air monitoring sites studied here.
A comprehensive modeling study of in-cylinder fluid flows in a high-swirl, light-duty optical diesel engine

Abstract The effectiveness of computational fluid dynamics modeling as a tool for researching fuel-lean, low temperature engine combustion strategies relies on its capability to capture the local fluid flow properties that affect spray dynamics, mixture preparation and ignition kinetics. In this study, a comprehensive model of an optically accessible, single-cylinder light-duty diesel engine was developed for engine combustion research. The computational model includes the realistic combustion chamber and ducts geometries. Variable orientation throttles in the intake ducts were modeled to reproduce variable swirl generation. Full induction stroke calculations were run over a portfolio of intake swirl conditions, and validated against extensive measurements featuring global intake swirl ratios, in-cylinder particle image velocimetry (PIV)-measured velocity fields and swirl centers. The results showed good agreement with the experiments, and the model was used to understand the effects of different swirl generation strategies on the in-cylinder flow field. The implications of using simplified sector mesh geometries on the predictiveness of in-cylinder flow and turbulence quantities are described.
CO2 gasification of coal under concentrated thermal radiation: A numerical study

Abstract Solar coal gasification is a promising technology to convert coal into gaseous fuel. In this study, a steady-state one-dimensional (1D) two-phase model was developed to simulate CO2 gasification of coal in a quartz fluidized bed reactor directly exposed to concentrated thermal radiation as the heating source. Coupled with chemical kinetics, the present model encompasses energy equations for the gas phase, the solid phase, and the quartz reactor. The discretized energy equations were solved using the Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm. The initial carbon particle size was 140 μm and the peak radiative heating flux was as high as 1270 kW m− 2. The CO2 flow velocity for fluidization was in the range of 0.10 to 4.0 m min- 1 under standard conditions (25 °C, 1 bar). Simulated gas and coal particle temperature distributions, CO production rates, product gas compositions, and coal conversion rates were in good agreement with the experimental data reported in the literature. Furthermore, the present simulation provided insightful explanation on the optimum fluidization velocity for maximum CO production rate or maximum solar to chemical energy conversion. The present simulation also provided an energy balance analysis of the solar CO2 gasification process, which is challenging to conduct in experimental studies.
Inheritance in turnip of variable-number tandem-repeat genetic markers revealed with synthetic repetitive DNA probes.

Oligomers (16–26 mers) composed of short, tandemly repeated DNA sequences (3–10 bases) were used individually with their complementary oligomer in separate polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) that extended the number of repeats to make 15 different PCR synthetic tandem-repeat (STR) probes. These PCR-STR probes were used to examine the inheritance of variable-number tandem-repeat (VNTR) genetic markers from two parent plants of turnip (Brassica rapa L.) to 20 offspring. Following HinfI digestion and PCR-STR probing of Southern blots, interpretable variable parental and offspring band profiles were found with 9 of the 15 probes used. Each of these nine probes produced a unique set of fragments, and no cases of different probes revealing the same fragment were detected. Seventy-nine parental fragments were found and, of these, 65% (51) appeared to be heterozygous in one or both parents, with 52% (41) appearing to be heterozygous in one of the parents exclusively. That these fragments are transmitted as though heterozygous in the parents implies that they are derived from the nuclear complement of the genome. Chi-square analyses of the transmission of markers are, in general, consistent with Mendelian expectations, although three non-parental bands were found accounting for approximately 0.5% of these transmitted bands. For the fragments heterozygous in one of the parents exclusively, seven alleles exhibited complete linkage in three groups, 12 alleles were incompletely linked in six groups, and four allelic groups involving 11 alleles were identified. PCR-STR probes are relatively rapid to generate and apply (no cloning, clone screening, or sequencing steps are required), and have been shown to reveal VNTR genetic markers in a wide variety of plant species. These results add to the list of studies showing that VNTR genetic markers (and in this case, markers revealed by PCR-STR probes) are transmitted for the greater part in a Mendelian fashion.
BDNF contributes to both rapid and homeostatic alterations in AMPA receptor surface expression in nucleus accumbens medium spiny neurons

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a critical role in plasticity at glutamate synapses and the effects of repeated cocaine exposure. We recently showed that intracranial injection of BDNF into the rat nucleus accumbens (NAc), a key region for cocaine addiction, rapidly increases AMPA receptor (AMPAR) surface expression. To further characterize BDNF’s role in both rapid AMPAR trafficking and slower, homeostatic changes in AMPAR surface expression, we investigated the effects of acute (30 min) and long-term (24 h) treatment with BDNF on AMPAR distribution in NAc medium spiny neurons from postnatal rats co-cultured with mouse prefrontal cortex (PFC) neurons to restore excitatory inputs. Immunocytochemical studies showed that acute BDNF treatment increased cell surface GluA1 and GluA2 levels, as well as their co-localization, on NAc neurons. This effect of BDNF, confirmed using a protein crosslinking assay, was dependent on ERK but not AKT signaling. In contrast, long-term BDNF treatment decreased AMPAR surface expression on NAc neurons. Based on this latter result, we tested the hypothesis that BDNF plays a role in AMPAR “scaling down” in response to a prolonged increase in neuronal activity produced by bicuculline (24 h). Supporting this hypothesis, decreasing BDNF signaling with the extracellular BDNF scavenger TrkB-Fc prevented the scaling down of GluA1 and GluA2 surface levels in NAc neurons normally produced by bicuculline. In conclusion, BDNF exerts bidirectional effects on NAc AMPAR surface expression, depending on duration of exposure. Furthermore, BDNF’s involvement in synaptic scaling in the NAc differs from its previously described role in the visual cortex.
Imaging electron density in a two-dimensional electron gas

Spatial profiles of the electron density in a two-dimensional electron gas were obtained from the spacing of interference fringes in coherent electron flow. Images of electron flow from a quantum point contact formed in a GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure were recorded with a liquid He cooled scanned probe microscope. The images are decorated with interference fringes spaced by half the Fermi wavelength; the fringe spacing measures the electron density below the scanned probe microscope tip. As the density is decreased with a back gate, the fringe spacing increases in agreement with a planar capacitor model.
Sensitivity of hurricane intensity forecasts to physical initialization

Intensity forecasts of a hurricane are shown to be quite sensitive to the initial meso-convective scale precipitation distributions. These are included within the data assimilation using a physical initialization that was developed at Florida State University. We show a case study of a hurricane forecast where the inclusion of the ‘observed’ precipitation did provide reasonable intensity forecasts. Further experimentation with the inclusion or exclusion of individual meso-convective rainfall elements, around and over the storm, shows that the intensity forecasts were quite sensitive to these initial rainfall distributions. The exclusion of initial rain in the inner rain area of a hurricane leads to a much reduced intensity forecast, whereas that impact is less if the rainfall of an outer rain band was initially excluded.
Use of differential scanning fluorimetry to optimize the purification and crystallization of PLP-dependent enzymes.

Differential scanning fluorimetry (DSF) is a practical and accessible technique that allows the assessment of multiphasic unfolding behavior resulting from subsaturating binding of ligands. Multiphasic unfolding is indicative of a heterogenous protein solution, which frequently interferes with crystallization and complicates functional characterization of proteins of interest. Along with UV–Vis spectroscopy, DSF was used to guide purification and crystallization improvements for the pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP) dependent transaminase BioA from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The incompatibility of the primary amine-containing buffer 2-amino-2-(hydroxymethyl)-1,3-propanediol (Tris) and PLP was identified as a significant contributor to heterogeneity. It is likely that the utility of DSF for ligand-binding assessment is not limited to the cofactor PLP but will be applicable to a variety of ligand-dependent enzymes.
The TIGER system: automating the geographic structure of the United States census.

Abstract The success of a census rests not only on how well the Bureau of the Census collects data, but also on how well the Census Bureau links those data to geographic areas. Problems with the geographic materials produced for the 1980 census caused confusion on the part of the Census Bureau's field staff, the staff processing the collected data, and the users of the resulting information. To avoid similar problems in 1990, the Geography Division of the Census Bureau is developing an automated geographic system that will support numerous Census Bureau operations beginning with the 1990 Decennial Census. A major component of this automated system is the computer-readable map data being developed in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) using the USGS 1:100,000-scale map series as the source.
Expression sequence tag-specific full-length cDNA cloning: actin cDNAs.

Abstract Current strategies for cDNA cloning are based on construction of cDNA libraries and colony screening. The process of obtaining a full-length cDNA clone can be highly time and labor intensive. Using the human actin gene as a model target cDNA, we have developed an RNA-capture method for rapid cloning of full-length cDNAs. The approach involves the capture of mRNA with expressed sequence tag (EST)-derived, biotin labeled antisense ‘capture’ primers and streptavidin-coated magnetic beads. Full-length cDNA is then synthesized from purified EST-specific mRNA and cloned directly into plasmid vectors. The results of using β-actin-based capture primers on cytoplasmic RNA were the isolation of both β- and γ-actin cDNA clones. Of the 16 actin-specific cDNA clones analyzed, 15 (93%) were full-length. This approach for cloning full-length cDNAs from available ESTs or partial cDNA sequences will facilitate a more rapid and efficient characterization of gene structure and function.
Renal arterial encasement: an unusual cause.

Renal artery encasement has been noted in association with a variety of neoplastic and inflammatory lesions. We report a case of renal arterial encasement resulting from previous trauma with chronic intrarenal hematoma formation.
Toward understanding the response of the tropical atmosphere–ocean system to increased CO2 using equilibrium asynchronous coupling

We investigate the response of the tropical Pacific climate system to a tripling of CO2 in a coupled atmosphere–ocean model. Equilibrium asynchronous coupling (EAC) is used to diagnose the climatic forcing mechanisms. Our results corroborate those from most other coupled GCMs, which generally simulate an El Nino-like mean climate state under increased CO2. This pattern is characterized by enhanced warming of the ocean surface in the equatorial Pacific in conjunction with a reduction in the zonal SST gradient, stronger atmospheric convection and precipitation in the central equatorial Pacific, a stronger Subtropical Westerly Jet, and a deepened wintertime Aleutian Low in association with a PNA-like geopotential pattern aloft. We show that these climate changes are triggered by a weakening of the tropical Walker Circulation, which leads to weaker surface easterly winds along the equator and therefore less oceanic upwelling. Furthermore, the main El Nino-like atmospheric anomalies do not depend critically on the existence of an east-west equatorial gradient either in the simulated modern SSTs or in the SST anomalies under increased CO2. Regardless of the details of the SST boundary conditions, the atmosphere seems to respond similarly to a CO2 warming perturbation and in a manner that favors the evolution of the climate system toward an El Nino-like state. An enhanced meridional atmospheric circulation in the Pacific is linked to increased convection along the ITCZ, coinciding with subtropical anomalies of higher surface pressure and stronger subsidence aloft. This anomalous surface pressure pattern is much more pronounced in the Northern Hemisphere, presumably due to a PNA-like atmospheric teleconnection. These surface pressure anomalies produce a stronger meridional outflow of wind toward the equator and weaker easterly winds along the equator. The weaker equatorial easterlies reduce oceanic upwelling in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific, thereby promoting a reduced east-west SST gradient and a maximum warming in the central equatorial Pacific (around 140–170°W).
Protein kinase D mediates a stress-induced NF-κB activation and survival pathway

The activation of the transcription factor NF‐κB is critical for a number of physiological responses. Here, we provide evidence for a signaling pathway that mediates NF‐κB activation in response to oxidative stress. We show that tyrosine phosphorylation of protein kinase D (PKD) at Y463 in the Pleckstrin Homology (PH) domain is mediated by the Src and Abl tyrosine kinase signaling pathway, and that this is both necessary and sufficient to activate NF‐κB in response to oxidative stress. PKD activates NF‐κB through the IKK complex and more specifically, IKKβ, leading to IκBα degradation. We also present evidence that this pathway is required for increased cellular survival in response to oxidative stress. We propose a model in which protection from oxidative stress‐induced cell death requires the tyrosine phosphorylation of PKD leading to the activation of the transcription factor NF‐κB.
The relationship between regional economic conditions and the severity of traffic crashes.

Objectives: To evaluate the relationship between regional economic conditions and the severity of injury suffered by victims of traffic crashes. This analysis augments the research on the relationship between economic conditions and traffic safety by focusing on injury severity per victim, which isolates the protective effect to individuals from other traffic safety effects such as crashes per mile and aggregate exposure to crashes. Methods: A crash-specific data set from the State of Ohio is used together with county-level economic and demographic data to generate estimates that measure the impact of county-level per capita income and unemployment rate on the severity of injury suffered by each individual who is involved in a crash. The estimates are derived from an ordered probit model that controls for other factors that influence injury severity independently of economic conditions. Results: The resulting estimates indicate that on average, individuals involved in crashes that occur in relatively pros...
Moisture Absorption of Graphite/Polymer Composites Under 2000 Feet of Seawater

Studies were conducted to determine moisture absorption properties of a vinyl ester graphite fiber composite under 2000 feet of seawater pressure. The results were compared with moisture absorption curves generated on identical specimens soaking in seawater at the surface. After soaking, samples were tested for flexure strength. Results in dicate diffusion coefficients are the same in both cases, but higher equilibrium moisture contents were obtained on deep submergence samples. Also, samples subjected to pressure experienced a 15 % reduction in flexure strength and stiffness. It is proposed that higher moisture content and loss of strength and stiffness were due to the activation of damage dependent mechanisms in the composite under pressure.
Congestive Heart Failure and QRS Duration: Establishing Prognosis Study

Study objectives There is a lack of epidemiologic information about duration of QRS complex in the general heart failure population. We sought to describe age, sex, and clinical subset specific prevalence of QRS prolongation in this population. Methods Data were abstracted from the Resource Utilization Among Congestive Heart Failure Study, which identified 29,686 patients with heart failure from a large, mixed-model managed-care organization during 1989 to 1999. A target population of 3,471 had echocardiographic data and ECG data obtained from automated sources during the first year of diagnosis. Systolic dysfunction was defined as heart failure plus a left ventricular ejection fraction Measurements and results Among the heart failure population, 20.8% of the subjects had a QRS duration ≥ 120 ms. A total of 425 men (24.7%) and 296 women (16.9%) had a prolonged QRS duration (p Conclusions Approximately 20% of a generalized heart failure population can be expected to have a prolonged QRS duration within the first year of diagnosis, suggesting that as many as 20% of patients with heart failure may be candidates for biventricular pacing.
WHO BENEFITS FROM NONPROFIT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT? EXAMINING THE REVENUE DISTRIBUTION OF TAX‐EXEMPT DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS AMONG U.S. CITIES

: Questions surrounding the distribution of benefits have served as the focus for much research on local economic development. While nonprofit community development corporations (CDCs) emerged in the 1960s as one means of redistributing economic development benefits by targeting job training and business growth programs toward the urban poor, CDCs now represent only a portion of all nonprofit economic development organizations (NEDOs) in the United States. Newer forms of these organizations have emerged in recent years, carrying out diverse economic functions. This evolution of the nonprofit economic development subsector raises a critical question: Do nonprofit economic development activities remain concentrated today in poorer cities, or do wealthier cities also have high levels of nonprofit economic development activity? This study aggregates finance data for several types of NEDOs to the city level, for all U.S. cities with population 50,000 and over, in order to examine this question. Multivariate regression is used to estimate the effects of city-level demographic, institutional, and fiscal explanations on the level of NEDO revenues per capita. The findings demonstrate that revenues from some types of NEDOs, such as CDCs, remain concentrated in higher-poverty cities. However, wealthier cities have higher concentrations of revenue generated by nonprofit business assistance organizations and nonprofit real estate organizations. This paper concludes by discussing the implications of these findings for current federal and local policies related to tax-exempt organizations.
Hemodynamic effects of L- and D-S-nitrosocysteine in the rat : Stereoselective S-nitrosothiol recognition sites

The vasorelaxant effects of the endothelium-derived relaxing factor S-nitrosocysteine (SNC) may not be simply due to its decomposition to NO. The biological actions of SNC may also involve the transnitrosation of amino acids in the blood and in plasma membranes. The possibility that the SNC moiety possesses biological activity prompted us to examine whether the hemodynamic effects of this S-nitrosothiol involves the activation of stereoselective S-nitrosothiol receptors within the cardiovascular system. We examined (1) the hemodynamic effects produced by intravenous injections of the l and d isomers of SNC (l- and d-SNC, respectively; 100 to 800 nmol/kg), the l and d isomers of the parent thiols (l- and d-cysteine, respectively; 100 to 800 nmol/kg), the oxidized thiol l-cystine (100 to 800 nmol/kg), and the NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP, 1 to 36 μg/kg) in conscious freely moving rats, (2) the baroreceptor reflex–mediated changes in heart rate elicited in response to the falls in arterial pressure pro...
Application of Transmission Line Theory for Modeling of a Thermoelectric Module in Multiple Configurations for AC Electrical Measurements

Measurements of assembled thermoelectric modules commonly include investigations of the module output power versus load resistance. Such measurements include non-ideal effects such as electrical and thermal contact resistances. Using an AC electrical measurement, two models for a thermoelectric module have been developed utilizing electrical circuits for both the thermal and electrical characteristics of the module. Measurements were taken over the frequency range of 1mHz to 500Hz using lock-in amplifiers. We present data showing the extraction of ZT from such measurements on commercially available modules utilizing both the magnitude and phase of the measured impedance. Here we extend upon a simple RC equivalent circuit model by utilizing transmission line theory in electrical circuits to explain the thermal activity in a thermoelectric module. This model includes all components of a module such as nickel traces and ceramic end caps, and makes use of their corresponding thermal conductivities, thermal capacitance, and density. This model can then be applied to pn unicouples in either a standard or inline configuration, and to individual p or n legs of the module. Data is presented showing the advantages of both models. Measurements on new thermoelectric materials and modules are also presented.
Preliminary Studies of the Reliability and Validity of the Children's Depression Rating Scale

The Children's Depression Rating Scale, revised version (CDRS-R), is a reliable, clinician-rated scale which differentiates the depressed from the nondepressed child. The sum score of the CDRS-R appears to provide a better estimate of depressive symptomatology than does clinical impression. The relationship of the sum of the CDRS-R with global clinical ratings of depression indicates that the scale measures the severity of depression which is its primary purpose. The scale is not affected by the age of the child in our clinical sample, and the content of the items grouped as mood, somatic, subjective, and behavior all show good correlations with depression. The CDRS-R has been shown to be useful in a variety of settings, suggesting it is useful in both primary and secondary depressions.
The Showdown That Wasn't: U.S.-Israeli Relations and American Domestic Politics, 1973–75

How influential are domestic politics on U.S. foreign affairs? With regard to Middle East policy, how important a role do ethnic lobbies, Congress, and public opinion play in influencing U.S. strat...
DNA Stability in Ionic Liquids and Deep Eutectic Solvents.

DNA molecules are known as the genetic information carriers. Recently, they have been explored as a new generation of biocatalysts or chiral scaffolds for metal catalysts. There is also growing interest in finding alternative solvents for DNA preservation and stabilization, including two unique types of solvents: ionic liquids (ILs) and deep eutectic solvents (DES). Therefore, it is important to understand how DNA molecules interact with these novel ionic solvent systems (i.e. ILs and DES). It is well known that inorganic divalent and monovalent ions preferentially bind with major and minor grooves of DNA structures. However, in the case of ILs and DES, organic cations may intrude into the DNA minor grooves; more importantly, electrostatic attraction between organic cations and the DNA phosphate backbone becomes a predominant interaction, accompanied by hydrophobic and polar interactions between ILs and DNA major and minor grooves. In addition, anions may form hydrogen bonds with cytosine, adenine and guanine bases. Despite these strong interactions, DNA molecules maintain a double helical structure in most ionic solvent systems, especially in aqueous IL solutions. The exciting advances of G-quadruplex DNA structures in ILs and DES are also discussed. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
AutONA: a system for automated multiple 1-1 negotiation

For any organization, saving on procurement costs has an impact on profitability that is multiplied by gross margin. Although much research focus has been placed on achieving the lowest possible cost for the goods/services purchased we concern ourselves here with the operational procurement costs of the organization. The AutONA (automated one-to-one negotiation agent) system was conceived as a means of reducing these operational procurement costs enabling procurement departments to automate as much price negotiation as possible thus creating the option of reducing direct costs and/or redeployment of operational effort into strategic procurement requiring high human involvement. The problem domain has been limited to the automation of multiple 1:1 negotiations over price for quantities of a substitutable good subject to the organizations procurement constraints of target quantity, price ceiling and deadline. We present the design of the core reasoning system and preliminary results obtained from a number of experiments conducted in HP's Experimental Economics Lab. Our main conclusion is that AutONA could reasonably be deployed for automated negotiation having shown no evidence for being identified as an automated system by suppliers.
The human gluteus maximus and its role in running

The human gluteus maximus is a distinctive muscle in terms of size, anatomy and function compared to apes and other non-human primates. Here we employ electromyographic and kinematic analyses of human subjects to test the hypothesis that the human gluteus maximus plays a more important role in running than walking. The results indicate that the gluteus maximus is mostly quiescent with low levels of activity during level and uphill walking, but increases substantially in activity and alters its timing with respect to speed during running. The major functions of the gluteus maximus during running are to control flexion of the trunk on the stance-side and to decelerate the swing leg; contractions of the stance-side gluteus maximus may also help to control flexion of the hip and to extend the thigh. Evidence for when the gluteus maximus became enlarged in human evolution is equivocal, but the muscle's minimal functional role during walking supports the hypothesis that enlargement of the gluteus maximus was likely important in the evolution of hominid running capabilities.
Factors Affecting Uptake of NaF-18 by the Normal Skeleton

Background : The primary aim of this study was to examine if factors such as renal function, height, weight and age could affect the uptake of sodium fluoride-18 (NaF-18) by the normal bone. This is the first study to examine the possible factors that can influence NaF-18 uptake in the normal bone. Methods: A retrospective study was done on NaF - 18 PET/CT bone scans from January 2010 to May 2012 at our institution. All NaF - 18 PET/CT studies used the same clinical protocol. Our excluding criteria w ere patients with abnormal renal function and patients with past history of cancer and metabolic bone diseases. Spearman ’ s correlation was used to analyze the data. Results: From our study (n = 11 patients), no correlation was found between SUV max and serum creatinine and between SUV max and age. However, significant correlations were found between SUV max and height (cm) and between SUV max and weight (kg) for thoracic 5, 7, 12 and lumbar 2 vertebral levels. Conclusion: Based on our findings, SUV max values in NaF-18 PET/CT bone scans can vary depending on the patient’s height, weight and bone region. This information can be helpful in diagnosing and monitoring bone pathologies and can help explain the clinical findings. J Clin Med Res. 2014;6(6):435-442 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jocmr1901w
Childhood Stress Leads to Later Suicidality via Its Effect on Cognitive Functioning

The present study examined the etiology of suicidal behavior from cognitive and developmental perspectives in a sample of 181 suicidal and nonsuicidal college students. We hypothesized that cognitive functioning would serve as a mediator between early life events and suicidal behavior. The present study examined child maltreatment, family instability, and poor general family environment as early negative life events, and examined self-esteem, locus of control, hopelessness, and problem-solving deficits as cognitive factors. In addition, individuals' perceived social support before age 18 and current social support and life stress were also examined in relation to the preceding variables. A series of structural equation analyses indicated that early negative life events have a mild impact on suicidal behavior, but a stronger impact on cognitive deficits, which in turn have a strong impact on suicidal behavior.
User-level communication in cluster-based servers

Clusters of commodity computers are currently being used to provide the scalability required by several popular Internet services. In this paper we evaluate an efficient cluster-based WWW server, as a function of the characteristics of the intra-cluster communication architecture. More specifically, we evaluate the impact of processor overhead, network bandwidth, remote memory writes, and zero-copy data transfers on the performance of our server. Our experimental results with an 8-node cluster and four real WWW traces show that network bandwidth affects the performance of our server by only 6%. In contrast, user-level communication can improve performance by as much as 29%. Low processor overhead, remote memory writes, and zero-copy all make small contributions towards this overall gain. To be able to extrapolate from our experimental results, we use an analytical model to assess the performance of our server under different workload characteristics, different numbers of cluster nodes, and higher performance systems. Our modeling results show that higher gains (of up to 55%) can be accrued for workloads with large working sets and next-generation servers running on large clusters.
Cognitive Function Index for Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

AbstractBackground: A comprehensive approach to assessing neuropsychological deficits in CFS patients is developed by assessing cognitive function across a number of domains using a battery of tests, rather than relying on any single instrument.Objective: A factor analytic approach was employed to examine the underlying dimensionality of 15 standard cognitive function related test variables in CFS patients. A cognitive function index (CFI) was then developed using appropriately weighted and interpreted factors.Methods: Factor analysis was applied to an initial sample of 65 CFS patients, identifying eight factors accounting for over 70% of total variation. This factor structure was then independently verified on a separate sample of 124 CFS patients. An overall combined CFS sample of 212 was then used to derive the CFI using an appropriately interpreted and weighted average of the derived factors.Results: After including age and education as separate factors, the CFI consists of nine factors accounting for...
Demo: Distributed MaxRS in Wireless Sensor Networks

This work presents a distributed implementation for processing Maximizing Range Sum (MaxRS) query in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN). MaxRS query is useful in many spatially-distributed event monitoring and target tracking applications. Given the location and current readings of the nodes, and a rectangle R, MaxRS finds a location of R that maximizes the sum of the readings of all the nodes covered by R. Our system performs MaxRS query in a user-specified time-interval γ and using the result obtained, attempts to maintain a certain degree of energy conservation in the WSN, based on a user-defined threshold δ. Since centralized processing of the raw readings and subsequently determining the MaxRS may incur significant communication overheads, we developed a distributed algorithm to compute MaxRS. We implemented our system in a heterogeneous WSN consisting of TelosB and SunSPOT motes, and illustrate the end-user tools: GUI for specifying required parameters, and real-time visualization of MaxRS solutions and estimated network energy consumption.
Measuring Pump Efficiency: Uncertainty Considerations

The objective of this paper is to analyze the uncertainty associated with pump efficiency measurements and to determine reasonable confidence internals for these data. In the past. many industrial sales and some pieces of academic research have been based upon the experimental data of pump efficiencies; yet few have questioned the accuracy of the experimental data and no one has provided a confidence interval which reflects the range of uncertainty in the measurement. In this paper, a method for calculating this confidence interval is presented and it is shown that substantially large confidence intervals exist within the testing results of a pump. Furthermore, it is recommended that these confidence intervals be included with the efficiency data whenever it is reported.
Performance Analysis of a Middleware Demultiplexing Pattern

A key enabler of the recently adopted, assembly-centric development approach for distributed real-time software systems is QoS-enabled middleware, which provides reusable building blocks in the form of design patterns that codify solutions to commonly recurring problems. These patterns can be customized by choosing an appropriate set of configuration parameters. The configuration options of a pattern exert a strong influence on system performance, which especially for real-time systems is of paramount importance. Despite this significant influence, currently there are no techniques available to analyze performance at design time, prior to the use of a pattern in a system. Many software systems are based on an event-driven paradigm, primarily because it fosters evolvability and composability. The event demultiplexing and dispatching capabilities that are uniform across such systems are encapsulated in the reactor pattern, which can be used to facilitate their development. Design-time performance analysis of these event-driven systems thus requires a model of the reactor pattern. In this paper, we present a performance model of the reactor pattern based on the stochastic reward net (SRN) modeling paradigm. We discuss how the model can be used to obtain performance metrics such as throughput, loss probability and upper and lower bounds on the response time. We illustrate the use of the model to guide the selection of configuration options and for sensitivity analysis using a case study of a handheld mobile device. We also validate the performance estimates obtained from the model using simulation
Three-dimensional Cartesian-mesh finite-difference time-domain codes

The author describes the capabilities and programming aspects of a typical finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) code for scattering and radiation analysis. The major functions of the code are discussed, and several examples are included, along with memory, CPU, and running-time information. FDTD has been around since the 1960s, but its application to complex composite geometries has primarily occurred during the past decade or so. The code described provides a look at the capabilities of modern FDTD codes. >
The Evans Function for nth-Order Operators on the Real Line

The primary goal of this chapter is the construction of the Evans function for eigenvalue problems associated with nth-order, exponentially asymptotic linear operators acting on L2(R). The construction, through the Jost solutions, is distinguished from the construction for second-order operators by the fact that the matrix eigenvalues and associated eigenvectors for the nth-order problem may not be analytic in the natural domain of the Evans function. Moreover, while it is relatively easy to determine the essential spectrum for these problems, the matrix eigenvalues and the absolute spectrum do not generally have an explicit representation. We sidestep these issues via an analytic extension of the stable and unstable spaces of the asymptotic matrix which leads to the construction of Jost matrices.