cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluating roughness models of radar backscatter

Three radar backscatter roughness models were assessed using soil moisture data collected by the Space Shuttle flight 41G SIR-B SAR in an intensively farmed area. The SIR-B data swath included a large number of bare, dry fields with a large variety of surface roughnesses. The small perturbation model gives the best results, particularly when fields with a definite periodic row structure were omitted. The standard deviation of surface heights appears to be a good measure of relative roughness conditions, but the correlation length is not a good descriptor of the surface, and does not seem to be related in any way to the measured backscatter.
Approach to Sepsis

Sepsis is commonly seen in the emergency department and inpatient medical settings. Early identification and treatment are critical to reducing mortality. This teaching script is designed to help the learner describe the process of rapid sepsis identification and initial management.
Inpatient Pediatric CKD Health Care Utilization and Mortality in the United States

Rationale & Objective The impact of chronic kidney disease (CKD) on inpatient health care use is unknown. This study aimed to describe the prevalence of pediatric CKD among children hospitalized in the United States and examine the association of CKD with hospital outcomes. Study Design Cross-sectional national survey of pediatric discharges. Setting & Participants Hospital discharges of children (aged>28 days to 19 years) with a chronic medical diagnosis included in the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Kids' Inpatient Database for 2006, 2009, 2012, and 2016. Predictor Presence of primary or coexisting CKD as identified by diagnosis codes. Outcomes Length of stay (LOS), cost, and mortality. Analytical Approach Multivariable analysis using Poisson, gamma, and logistic regressions were performed for LOS, cost, and mortality, respectively. Results A chronic medical condition was present in 6,524,745 estimated discharges during the study period and CKD was present among 3.9% of discharges (96.1% without CKD). Those with CKD had a longer LOS (median of 2.8 [IQR, 1.4-6.0] days compared with 1.8 [IQR, 1.0-4.4] days for those without a CKD diagnosis; P Limitations Lack of access to and adjustment for confounders including patient readmission and laboratory data. Conclusions Pediatric CKD was associated with longer LOS, higher costs, and higher risk for mortality compared with hospitalizations with other chronic illnesses. Further studies are needed to better understand the health care needs and delivery of care to hospitalized children with CKD.
Historische Orte als Chiffre: Protestbewegung und Erinnerungskultur in Belarus. The protest movement and the culture of remembrance in Belarus

The conflict between the Lukashenka regime and the protest movement against the falsification of the presidential election is also being conducted in words. One rhetorical tool that is being used is historical comparison. It is used to reduce reality to a single concept, to mobilise supporters and to discredit the other side. Demonstrators compare the brutality of the apparatus of violence with Stalinist terror. Others compare the prison in Okrestin street with Auschwitz. The regime wants to turn “the entire country into a Brest Fortress” in order to ward off the protest movement. These historical comparisons and parallels, as untenable as they may seem, are an indication of just how ruptured Belarusian society has become. The Belarusian culture of remembrance is extremely polarised, as is reflected in the Chelyuskinites Park in Minsk. The park has been created over mass graves. Only certain victims were commemorated. The issue of perpetrators among the Belarusian population is suppressed, and no mention is made of the murder of the Jews.
Quantification of Deformation-Induced Concentration Fluctuations in Polymeric Liquids by Small-Angle Neutron Scattering

This study demonstrates how the large concentration fluctuations of polymeric liquids under deformation and flow can be quantitatively studied by applying the spherical harmonic expansion technique...
Random metric geometries on the plane and Kardar-Parisi-Zhang universality

This is the article with the same title which is scheduled to appear in the January 2022 issue of the AMS Notices, with additional references which could not be provided in the accepted version due to space constraints. The figures in this article were made collaboratively with Milind Hegde.
Stress Management: Health Workers

Health workers deal day to day with stresses that are unique to their position. Working within settings and contexts that serve people with medical and mental health needs can produce an environment filled with stressors. While not unique to health care, some specialty occupations and work environments exhibit characteristics that are more likely to generate occupational stress than others. Typically those jobs include high responsibility, little down time during the work day, difficult requirements, the possibility of negative outcomes or consequences, lack of personal control and lower recognition. Health workers outside of medical organizations, such as paramedics and emergency medical technicians, are also susceptible. Keywords: health; health management; stress; work
A study on the theoretical and practical accuracy of conoscopic holography‐based surface measurements: toward image registration in minimally invasive surgery

Background Registered medical images can assist with surgical navigation and enable image-guided therapy delivery. In soft tissues, surface-based registration is often used and can be facilitated by laser surface scanning. Tracked conoscopic holography (which provides distance measurements) has been recently proposed as a minimally invasive way to obtain surface scans. Moving this technique from concept to clinical use requires a rigorous accuracy evaluation, which is the purpose of our paper. Methods We adapt recent non-homogeneous and anisotropic point-based registration results to provide a theoretical framework for predicting the accuracy of tracked distance measurement systems. Experiments are conducted a complex objects of defined geometry, an anthropomorphic kidney phantom and a human cadaver kidney. Results Experiments agree with model predictions, producing point RMS errors consistently < 1 mm, surface-based registration with mean closest point error < 1 mm in the phantom and a RMS target registration error of 0.8 mm in the human cadaver kidney. Conclusions Tracked conoscopic holography is clinically viable; it enables minimally invasive surface scan accuracy comparable to current clinical methods that require open surgery. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Bacterial Oxidation of Nicotine VII. PARTIAL PURIFICATION AND PROPERTIES OF 2,6-DIHYDROXYPYRIDINE OXIDASE

Abstract An inducible oxidase from Arthrobacter oxydans that catalyzes the oxidation of 2,6-dihydroxypyridine was purified about 50-fold. Reduced pyridine nucleotide is required for oxidase activity; no requirement for ferrous, ferric, or other cation could be demonstrated. Artificial electron acceptors do not substitute for oxygen in the reaction. The oxidase catalyzes the anaerobic reduction of methylene blue by NADH. 2,6-Dihydroxypyridine increases the rate of the anaerobic reaction but is not altered during the reaction. The purified oxidase preparation has absorption maxima at 384 and 455 nm. The maxima disappear during the anaerobic reaction. These and other data suggest that the oxidase is a monooxygenase of molecular weight about 89,000 having a flavin prosthetic group. The only detectable product of the oxidase reaction is a blue pigment. Its formation is decreased or eliminated when oxidase is supplemented with a second enzyme fraction (cleavage enzyme). Blue pigment is not a substrate for the cleavage enzyme. It is proposed that the normal metabolic sequence is the oxidation of 2,6-dihydroxypyridine to a trihydroxypyridine, mediated by the oxidase, followed by pyridine ring cleavage in a second reaction. The over-all stoichiometry of the oxidase reaction, corrected for oxygen utilized in blue pigment formation, is 2,6-dihydroxypyridine:NADH:O2 = 1:1:1.
A malpighian tubule lime gland in an insect inhabiting alkaline salt lakes

The alkali fly, Ephydra hians Say, inhabits alkaline salt lakes which can contain concentrations of dissolved carbonate and bicarbonate as high as 500 mmol l −1 . Larvae of the alkali fly possess two pairs of Malpighian tubules. The posterior pair has a morphology similar to that of the tubules of most other insects, but the anterior pair is modified into an enlarged gland containing white microsphere concretions. We describe the ultrastructure of all cell types in both pairs of tubules. Using scanning electron microscope (SEM) X-ray microanalysis and chemical CO 2 quantification, we demonstrate that the concretions in the lime glands are composed of nearly pure calcium carbonate. Isolated preparations of lime gland tubules accumulate 45 Ca significantly more rapidly than do normal tubules. Although similar to the rime concretions found in the Malpighian tubules of other Diptera, the lime glands of this insect may function to regulate the high concentrations of carbonate and bicarbonate encountered in their aquatic environment. It is proposed that the mechanism of this regulation may be chemical precipitation of carbonate/bicarbonate with calcium in the lumen of these specialized lime gland tubules.
Role of foliar hemibiotrophic and fruit resistance in anthracnose-resistant strawberry genotypes for annual hill plasticulture systems

Anthracnose fruit rot (AFR) caused by Colletotrichum acutatum is one of the most devastating diseases of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) in plasticulture systems in the Southeast US. Host resistance offers the best option to limit crop losses in both nursery and fruiting fields. To evaluate levels of anthracnose resistance and elucidate the role of foliar and fruit resistance in overall field AFR resistance, we tested 14 strawberry genotypes including numerous selections from the North Carolina State University strawberry breeding programme. Inoculations of plug plants with three representative C. acutatum isolates prior to field-set indicated that the commercially standard cultivar Chandler was highly susceptible, with an average fruit rot incidence of over 72% the following spring. In contrast, breeding lines such as NC C99-13 and NC C02-63 showed superior resistance with AFR incidence values of 23.6% and 11.1%, respectively, and showed superior marketable yields. An average hemibiotrophic infection (HI) severity on foliage (percent leaf area covered with acervular growth after paraquat treatment and incubation) did not correlate (r = 0.57) well with in vitro AFR severity on detached fruit, indicating different mechanisms may be operative for resistance to foliar HI and fruit rot resistance. Multiple regression analysis indicated that in vitro fruit rot resistance expressed by lesion diameter and severity of foliar hemibiotrophic infections may be utilized to predict field AFR incidence. Strawberry genotypes bred for resistance against both fruit rot and foliar HI could be effectively selected by using rank-sum classification methods and this process offers an effective strategy to advance selections for superior AFR field resistance.
Toward a theory of intelligence

In 1950, Turing suggested that intelligent behavior might require "a departure from the completely disciplined behavior involved in computation", but nothing that a digital computer could not do. In this paper, I want to explore Turing's suggestion by asking what it is, beyond computation, that intelligence might require, why it might require it and what knowing the answers to the first two questions might do to help us understand artificial and natural intelligence.
The action of piracetam on the electrical activity of the hippocampal slice preparation: a field potential analysis.

Abstract The action of various doses of piracetam on the electrical responses of in vitro hippocampal slices from the rat was investigated. Piracetam increased dose dependently the amplitude of the population spike response of pyramidal neurons evoked by stimulation of the stratum radiatum. Piracetam began to affect the population spike at a dose of 100 μM and consistently increased it at a dose of 1 mM. The drug had a rapid onset of action and recovery was seen within a few minutes following its removal. The response of the pyramidal neurons to antidromic stimulation was not affected by piracetam at concentrations up to 50 mM. Also, neither the amplitude nor the slope of the dendritic response was changed by the drug. Piracetam also did not affect either posttetanic or long-term potentiation of synaptic potentials. These findings suggest that the drug does not act through depolarization of the pyramidal cells or potentiation of the synaptic processes located on their dendrites. The action of piracetam on the feedforward- and feedback-mediated inhibition of pyramidal cells by basket cells was investigated in several series of experiments. At concentrations of 1 and 10 mM, piracetam did not change either of the two types of inhibitory mechanisms. Several hypothetical sites of action of piracetam are discussed.
60-GHz Retrodirective Array System with Efficient Power Management

In this paper, a 60-GHz retrodirective array system is proposed with an efficient power management. The system consists of three sections; a retrodirective array, a local oscillator (LO), and a power management. For efficient battery operation of the retrodirective array, the power management circuit controls the power of the LO by way of a rectenna technology. While there is no interrogating signal, it is initially in a sleeping mode where the system is off with extremely low power. When it is interrogated by an RF signal, the system is awaken and starts consuming full power. The proposed idea is experimentally demonstrated. When the received power density is larger than 0.013 mW/cm2, the system turns on and starts working as a retrodirectivey array.
A lumped-parameter model to investigate the effect of plantar pressure on arterial blood flow in a diabetic foot.

AbstractThis paper presents a lumped-parameter model for the big-toe region that investigates the effect of plantar pressure on the diameter of the blood vessels, specifically the arteries, in the ...
AIDS and the next 25 years.

Later this month, researchers will gather at the Institut Pasteur in Paris to mark the quarter century since human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was discovered as the cause of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Since then, over 60 million people have been infected with the virus and over 25 million people have died. These numbers make the results of two "proof of concept" vaccine efficacy trials--the STEP and Phambili trials--extremely disappointing. Indeed, these results have raised questions about whether investments in HIV vaccine research are misplaced and whether a vaccine is even achievable. Those views are misguided. The failure of candidate vaccines or drugs is to be expected. More than ever, investigations in humans are essential to explore concepts, test hypotheses, and delineate the human immune response to HIV immunogens.
An evaluation of the wind chill factor: its development and applicability.

The wind chill factor has become a standard meteorologic term in cold climates. Meteorologic charts provide wind chill temperatures meant to represent the hypothetical air temperature that would, under conditions of no wind, effect the same heat loss from unclothed human skin as does the actual combination of air temperature and wind velocity. As this wind chill factor has social and economic significance, an investigation was conducted on the development of this factor and its applicability based on modern heat transfer principles. The currently used wind chill factor was found to be based on a primitive study conducted by the U.S. Antarctic Service over 50 years ago. The resultant equation for the wind chill temperature assumes an unrealistic constant skin temperature and utilizes heat transfer coefficients that differ markedly from those obtained from equations of modern convective heat transfer methods. The combined effect of these two factors is to overestimate the effect of a given wind velocity and to predict a wind chill temperature that is too low.
Two new early hominid vertebrae from Swartkrans.

Last week Dr C. K. Brain introduced the Swartkrans cave site and described some recent discoveries there. Dr J. T. Robinson now describes two hominid vertebrae which he suggests belonged to a Poranthropus individual ; Mr R. J. Clarke, Dr F. Clark Howell and Dr C. K. Brain present evidence for the view that two different hominids once lived at Swartkrans ; and Dr Mary Leakey considers the stone artefacts.
A Sonographer’s Perspective: Quintero Staging System for Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome in Monochorionic Twins

Sonography remains the cornerstone in the assessment of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome in monochorionic twin pregnancies. Twin-to-twin transfusion is a common complication in monochorionic pregn...
Zero-redundancy coding for unequal code symbol costs

Source distributions that can be encoded with zero redundancy for the case of unequal code symbol costs are examined. These distributions provide a natural generalization of the binary, equal costs case for which these distributions are the dyadic distributions. These zero redundancy codes have the property that the expected proportion of codeword symbols given by a particular letter is equal to an experimental function of the code letter cost. The converse is not true in general; however, partial converse results hold. Maximum-entropy zero-redundancy distributions are easily identified through their connection with unequal cost coding for uniform sources. >
Algorithmic and theoretical results on computation of incompressible viscous flows by finite element methods

Primitive variable as well as streamfunction-vorticity and pure streamfunction formulations are discussed. For the primitive variable case alternative choices of the viscous stress term are shown to produce natural boundary conditions which are well suited for matching to various far field conditions. For the other cases recent analytical results, including error estimates are described, and an optical algorithm for pressure recovery as well as treatment for multiply connected domains are given.
Finding the True Voice of the Customer in CPG Supply Chains: Shopper‐Centric Supply Chain Management

Demand and supply integration is the subject of increasing scholarly attention. The theoretical emphasis on combining market and supply chain data as the basis for strategic and operational decision making is particularly relevant in the context of Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) supply chains, and offers the basis for advancing our understanding and knowledge in this field. Point-of-sale (POS) data are commonly used as the demand signal in CPG supply chains. Using empirical data, this research demonstrates that POS data can be influenced by nondemand factors. We present a number of issues raised by this finding.
Relationship between Yield Potential and Percentage Yield Suppression Caused by the Southern Root-Knot Nematode in Cotton

Currently available cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) cultivars support significant reproduction of the southern root-knot nematode [Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid & White) Chitwood], but they have not been evaluated for differing levels of yield suppression (tolerance) to this nematode. If nematode tolerant (low yield suppression) but susceptible (high nematode reproduction) cotton cultivars can be identified, they could be grown rather than intolerant cultivars to reduce yield loss. The objective of this study was to evaluate a collection of M. incognita-susceptible cotton cultivars for tolerance to parasitism by this nematode. The yield potential and percentage yield loss to M. incognita were measured in 12 genotypes in 2002 and 2003 by comparing yields in 1,3-dichloropropene-fumigated and nonfumi-gated plots. The percentage yield suppression caused by M. incognita differed among cotton genotypes in both 2002 and 2003. Yield suppression ranged from 18.0 to 47.3% in 2002 and from 8.5 to 35.7% in 2003. Though significant levels of tolerance were measured in our study, 2 yr of data on percentage yield suppression show that tolerance is not consistently related to specific cultivars in the absence of nematode resistance: susceptible cultivars did not consistently express tolerance, but resistant germplasm did. Thus, it appears unlikely that cotton cultivar selection for tolerance to M. incognita can be utilized to minimize yield suppression. Regression analysis based on the 2 yr of field data revealed a relationship in which percentage yield suppression caused by M. incognita increased linearly as yield potential increased. Because the absolute and percentage losses to nematodes increase as yield potential increases, nematode management becomes increasingly important and beneficial in cotton.
Paired H-2-specific monoclonal antibodies react differently to red cells and lymphocytes

Two hybrid clones from a fusion of C57BL/6 anti-DBA/2 spleen cells and the myeloma line Sp2/0 secrete antibodies reactive with a product of the murine major histocompatibility complex (MHC). The two antibodies are provisionally designated 513.11 and 513.29. Both react in rabbit-complementmediated cytotoxicity with spleen cells of H-2d, H-2f, H-2r, and H-2p strains. In addition, both antibodies hemagglutinate red blood cells from these strains. S13.11 is also cytotoxic for H-2a, H-2k, H-2u, and H-2v spleen cells but does not hemagglutinate red blood cells from mice bearing these haplotypes. With the exception of H-2v, this strain pattern mimics the public specificity H-2.8. Quantitative absorption of S13.11 shows that H-2d cells are twice as efficient as H-2k cells in their ability to remove the 513.11 antibody. 513.29 reacts weakly in cytotoxicity with H-2kv spleen cells and does not react with cells from H-2u or H-2v. Blocking studies indicate that 513.11 and S13.29 react with the same or a closely related molecule on the cell surface.
Vasomotor symptoms in menopause: physiologic condition and central nervous system approaches to treatment

Objective The decline in concentrations of gonadal hormones during menopause gives rise to a range of physiologic and psychologic changes that may impact a woman’s health and quality of life significantly. Most notable among these are vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes and night sweats) and mood and sleep disturbances. Study design This article reviews the physiologic condition underlying menopausal vasomotor symptoms and centrally active, nonhormonal therapies that have demonstrated efficacy for their treatment. Results Despite the emergence of a range of nonhormonal treatments for vasomotor symptoms, a need still exists for safe and effective therapeutic options that directly target the underlying thermoregulatory mechanisms for women who want treatment but prefer to avoid hormone therapy or for whom hormone therapy is contraindicated. Conclusion The availability of centrally active therapies for menopausal vasomotor symptoms with risks and benefits clearly defined by results from well-designed clinical trials has the potential to allay safety concerns that are associated with the treatment of these common symptoms.
Biennial Variations in Surface Temperature over the United States as Revealed by Singular Decomposition

Abstract Surface temperature variations over the contiguous United States during the period 1931–75 are examined using mean monthly averages for the 344 climate divisions. This data matrix is decomposed into orthogonal components using the method of singular decomposition. The third empirical orthogonal function, which accounts for nine percent of the nonseasonal variance, exhibits a significant quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO). The phase and amplitude of the QBO implied by this analysis were further studied using an extension of the singular decomposition method which we call Hilbert Singular Decomposition (USD). HSD uses the Hilbert Transformer to augment the data matrix and transform the real elements into complex elements so that coherent “wavelike” variations can be represented in terms of a complex singular decomposition. Additional cross-spectral analyses were performed for selected climate division aggregates. Two areas of maximum QBO amplitude are indicated; one over the northeastern United State...
A retrospective review of chronic anal fistulae treated by anal fistulae plug.

Objective The aim of this study was to analyse the efficacy of the anal fistulae plug (Cook Surgisis® AFP™) for the management of complex anal fistulae. Method A review of patients with anal fistulae treated using Cook Surgisis® AFP™ between October 2005 and 2007 was undertaken. Patient’s demographics, fistulae aetiology and success rates were recorded. Results Thirty-three patients underwent 49 plug insertions. The median age was 44.4 years; 18 females. The fistulae aetiology was cryptoglandular in 61% and Crohn’s disease in 39%. The median follow up 221.5 days (range 44–684). Twenty-one patients had previous failed surgery. Twenty-eight patients had draining setons in situ at time of plug placement. The overall success rate was 8/32 patients (25%). Two of the 22 Crohn’s fistulae healed (9.1%) and 9/26(34.6%) cryptoglandular fistulae healed. The reasons for failure were sepsis in 87% and plug dislodgement in 13%. Significant predictor factors for improved outcome were African-Americans patients (P = 0.009), and presence of seton (P = 0.05). Conclusions Anal fistulae plug was associated with a lower success rate than previously reported. Septic complications were the main reason for failure.
Developmental biology as a feminist cause

On peut considerer que les femmes ont toujours ete nombreuses dans le domaine de la biologie et ont un interet tout particulier pour la recherche en biologie du developpement, probablement a cause de leur association intime avec la reproduction
Herpesvirus ateles, a new lymphoma virus of monkeys.

A NEW herpesvirus, designated Herpesvirus ateles, has been isolated from a spider monkey (Ateles geofroyii) primary kidney culture. The culture was prepared from a mature male spider monkey (810–69) imported from Guatemala and housed in our laboratory for 12 months. The cell layer was obtained from the renal cortex by trypsinization using standard procedures. Growth medium was Eagle's minimum essential medium with 10% calf serum plus antibiotics. A well grown cell layer developed in 6–8 days. On day 11 the cell layer presented a large number of bizarre cells and polykaryocytes. On day 16 the cell layer was scraped and together with the culture fluid was collected as isolate No. 810 (H. ateles) and stored at 4° C, −86°C, and −176°C. H. ateles strain No. 810 had a titre of 104 TCID50/ml. in squirrel monkey foetal lung cell line No. 241, 104.5 TCID50/ml. in owl monkey kidney cell line No. 210, 103.5 TCID50/ml. in human embryonic lung cell line and 105.0 TCID50/ml. in rabbit kidney cell line at 14, 17, 23, and 30 days, respectively, after inoculation. All cell lines were prepared in our laboratory. The cytopathic effect was characterized by scattered foci of swollen and rounded cells, polykaryocytes and intranuclear inclusion bodies. The classical Cowdry type A inclusion body was observed in owl monkey kidney cultures. In human foetal lung, squirrel monkey kidney and rabbit kidney cell lines the inclusion bodies were small, measuring approximately 1 µm in diameter. The virus was inactivated by ether and heat (56° for 30 min) and inhibited by bromodeoxyuridine. The size was determined to be between 100 nm and 220 nm by filtration. Ultrastructural studies of infected tissue culture cells revealed typical herpesvirus particles (Fig. 1). These physical, chemical and morphological characteristics of the isolate place it in the herpesvirus group. Antisera to H. simplex, Herpes T., infectious bovine rhino tracheitis, sand rat nuclear inclusion agent, H. suis, ground squirrel agent, H. saimiri, spider monkey herpesvirus, and H. aotus failed to neutralize the infectivity of H. ateles1,2. Fluorescent antibody studies have also demonstrated that H. ateles is distinguishable from H. saimiri, OMKI 68–69, Herpes T. and H. simplex3. These data support the conclusion that H. ateles is a distinct member of the herpesvirus group.
Packet classification using tuple space search

Routers must perform packet classification at high speeds to efficiently implement functions such as firewalls and QoS routing. Packet classification requires matching each packet against a database of filters (or rules), and forwarding the packet according to the highest priority filter. Existing filter schemes with fast lookup time do not scale to large filter databases. Other more scalable schemes work for 2-dimensional filters, but their lookup times degrade quickly with each additional dimension. While there exist good hardware solutions, our new schemes are geared towards software implementation.We introduce a generic packet classification algorithm, called Tuple Space Search (TSS). Because real databases typically use only a small number of distinct field lengths, by mapping filters to tuples even a simple linear search of the tuple space can provide significant speedup over naive linear search over the filters. Each tuple is maintained as a hash table that can be searched in one memory access. We then introduce techniques for further refining the search of the tuple space, and demonstrate their effectiveness on some firewall databases. For example, a real database of 278 filters had a tuple space of 41 which our algorithm prunes to 11 tuples. Even as we increased the filter database size from 1K to 100K (using a random two-dimensional filter generation model), the number of tuples grew from 53 to only 186, and the pruned tuples only grew from 1 to 4. Our Pruned Tuple Space search is also the only scheme known to us that allows fast updates and fast search times. We also show a lower bound on the general tuple space search problem, and describe an optimal algorithm, called Rectangle Search, for two-dimensional filters.
OMEGA Upgrade Staging Options

The University of Rochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics is designing an upgrade to its 24-beam OMEGA laser system. OMEGA is a frequency tripled, all-rod system capable of producing 2 kJ at 0.8 ns on target. Important direct-drive-target-ignition physics could be investigated with an upgraded system capable of producing a shaped pulse consisting of a long (5 ns), low-intensity, "foot," smoothly transitioning into a short (0.5 ns), intense, compression pulse. The total pulse energy is 30 Id, which, from target-irradiation uniformity considerations, must be distributed over 60 beams.
Experimental investigation of the damping enhancement in fiber-reinforced composites with carbon nanotubes

Abstract This study experimentally investigates the damping effects of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) embedded in the matrix of fiber-reinforced composite materials. Several different aspect ratios, types, and weight fractions of CNTs are considered, and an analysis of the CNT dispersion in the composite matrix is presented. The composite materials are analyzed using dynamic mechanical analysis and various modal analysis techniques to determine the damping characteristics of the composite as a function of strain, fiber volume fraction, and nanotube type and weight percentage loading. Experiments are conducted using cantilevered beams in both a stationary and rotating frame in order to explore the effects of rotation on the damping behavior of the composite material. The results show that the addition of two weight percent of CNTs to the matrix of carbon fiber reinforced composites can increase the damping in a stationary composite beam by more than 130% and by more than 150% in a composite beam rotating at 500 RPM.
Geographic and Environmental Sources of Variation in Lake Bacterial Community Composition

This study used a genetic fingerprinting technique (automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis [ARISA]) to characterize microbial communities from a culture-independent perspective and to identify those environmental factors that influence the diversity of bacterial assemblages in Wisconsin lakes. The relationships between bacterial community composition and 11 environmental variables for a suite of 30 lakes from northern and southern Wisconsin were explored by canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). In addition, the study assessed the influences of ARISA fragment detection threshold (sensitivity) and the quantitative, semiquantitative, and binary (presence-absence) use of ARISA data. It was determined that the sensitivity of ARISA was influential only when presence-absence-transformed data were used. The outcomes of analyses depended somewhat on the data transformation applied to ARISA data, but there were some features common to all of the CCA models. These commonalities indicated that differences in bacterial communities were best explained by regional (i.e., northern versus southern Wisconsin lakes) and landscape level (i.e., seepage lakes versus drainage lakes) factors. ARISA profiles from May samples were consistently different from those collected in other months. In addition, communities varied along gradients of pH and water clarity (Secchi depth) both within and among regions. The results demonstrate that environmental, temporal, regional, and landscape level features interact to determine the makeup of bacterial assemblages in northern temperate lakes.
Leisure before and after parenthood

The leisure time of 117 wives and husbands was studied to determine the effect of parenthood on this time allocation. Data from both a weekday and a weekend day, both before and after the birth of the first child were analyzed. Ordinary least squares regression was used to analyze the time use model which controlled for weekend/weekday, and looked at the effects of personal characteristics such as wife's education and employment status, husband's wage rate, and number of years married as well as parental status. The time of the wife and the husband and the ratio of the wife's to husband's time were negatively related to parental status. Each personal characteristic was negatively related to the wife/husband ratio of leisure time and unrelated to husband's leisure.
Host Phenotype Characteristics and MC1R in Relation to Early-Onset Basal Cell Carcinoma

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) incidence is increasing, particularly among adults under the age of 40 years. Pigment-related characteristics are associated with BCC in older populations, but epidemiologic studies among younger individuals and analyses of phenotype–genotype interactions are limited. We examined self-reported phenotypes and melanocortin 1 receptor gene (MC1R) variants in relation to early-onset BCC. BCC cases (n=377) and controls with benign skin conditions (n=390) under the age of 40 years were identified through Yale's Dermatopathology database. Factors most strongly associated with early-onset BCC were skin reaction to first summer sun for 1 hour (severe sunburn vs. tan odds ratio (OR)=12.27, 95% confidence interval (CI)=4.08–36.94) and skin color (very fair vs. olive OR=11.06, 95% CI=5.90–20.74). Individuals with two or more MC1R non-synonymous variants were 3.59 times (95% CI=2.37–5.43) more likely to have BCC than those without non-synonymous variants. All host characteristics and MC1R were more strongly associated with multiple BCC case status (37% of cases) than a single BCC case status. MC1R, number of moles, skin reaction to first summer sun for 1 hour, and hair and skin color were independently associated with BCC. BCC risk conferred by MC1R tended to be stronger among those with darker pigment phenotypes, traditionally considered to be at low risk of skin cancer.
Development and function of murine B220+CD11c+NK1.1+ cells identify them as a subset of NK cells.

Lymphoid organs contain a B220+CD11c+NK1.1+ cell population that was recently characterized as a novel dendritic cell (DC) subset that functionally overlaps with natural killer (NK) cells and plasmacytoid DCs (PDCs). Using Siglec-H and NK1.1 markers, we unambiguously dissected B220+CD11c+ cells and found that PDCs are the only professional interferon (IFN)-α–producing cells within this heterogeneous population. In contrast, B220+CD11c+NK1.1+ cells are a discrete NK cell subset capable of producing higher levels of IFN-γ than conventional NK cells. Unlike DCs, only a minute fraction of B220+CD11c+NK1.1+ cells in the spleen expressed major histocompatibility complex class II ex vivo or after stimulation with CpG. Consistent with being a NK cell subset, B220+CD11c+NK1.1+ cells depended primarily on interleukin 15 and common cytokine receptor γ chain signaling for their development. In terms of function, expression of distinctive cell surface receptors, and location in lymphoid organs, NK1.1+B220+CD11c+ appear to be the murine equivalent of human CD56bright NK cells.
NEEDS ASSESSMENT BASED ON HOUSEHOLD AND KEY INFORMANT SURVEYS

This article describes the approach used in a needs assessment study to produce a meaningful ranking of identified problem areas in terms of the severity of the problem in the city of Duluth, Minnesota. The approach is based primarily on an analysis of the similarities and differences, as well as anticipated biases, in household perceptions, key informant perceptions, and household- reported incidence.
The American Political Discourse in 2012

The concept of globalization refers to a multitude of processes rapidly changing the space in which individuals, institutions, and systems interact with one another. Popular interpretations have seen increasing interconnectedness as the beginning of a “race to the bottom” in which the state is precluded from governance as competition to attract capital and prevent flight mandates a retrenchment of the public sector. As this occurs, outside influences should crowd out opportunities for the “collective priority and preference setting” that defines democratic governance. Instead, much of the convergence toward retrenchment has been endogenous change motivated by ideas and political strategy rather than exogenous economic pressure. America’s protracted battle over the debt ceiling provides a compelling case to explore how the ideational force of globalization has included new voices in domestic preference setting and augmented rather than crowded out public deliberation. Tracking the impact of these influences on the American discourse will help us understand how the 2012 elections are likely to be impacted by the emergence of groups willing and able to compete with the Republican Party on behalf of economic conservatives.
How do you figure

OK, I'm irritated! I just reviewed a manuscript for GEOPHYSICS that had 27 figures! Actually, it had about 80 figures, counting a's, b's, etc. This article does not need 27 compound figures. The manuscript discusses valuable work, but it's not definitive work or a data reference source. Unfortunately, after working hard on a project, the authors fell victim to a pitfall—inflating a project beyond its actual value. Inflated work engenders inflated manuscripts which engender more—many more—figures than are necessary.
Alterations in sulfated chondroitin glycosaminoglycans following controlled cortical impact injury in mice.

Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) play a pivotal role in many neuronal growth mechanisms including axon guidance and the modulation of repair processes following injury to the spinal cord or brain. Many actions of CSPGs in the central nervous system (CNS) are governed by the specific sulfation pattern on the glycosaminoglycan (GAG) chains attached to CSPG core proteins. To elucidate the role of CSPGs and sulfated GAG chains following traumatic brain injury (TBI), controlled cortical impact injury of mild to moderate severity was performed over the left sensory motor cortex in mice. Using immunoblotting and immunostaining, we found that TBI resulted in an increase in the CSPGs neurocan and NG2 expression in a tight band surrounding the injury core, which overlapped with the presence of 4-sulfated CS GAGs but not with 6-sulfated GAGs. This increase was observed as early as 7 days post injury (dpi), and persisted for up to 28 dpi. Labeling with markers against microglia/macrophages, NG2+ cells, fibroblasts, and astrocytes showed that these cells were all localized in the area, suggesting multiple origins of chondroitin-4-sulfate increase. TBI also caused a decrease in the expression of aggrecan and phosphacan in the pericontusional cortex with a concomitant reduction in the number of perineuronal nets. In summary, we describe a dual response in CSPGs whereby they may be actively involved in complex repair processes following TBI. J. Comp. Neurol. 520:3295–3313, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The effect of glutamine on prevention of glucocorticoid-induced skeletal muscle atrophy is associated with myostatin suppression

Excess glucocorticoids (GCs) cause muscle atrophy. Glucocorticoid-induced muscle atrophy is associated with increased intramuscular myostatin expression. Myostatin is a negative regulator of skeletal muscle mass. Glutamine prevents GC-induced muscle atrophy. We hypothesized that glutamine effect on reversal of GC-induced muscle atrophy is mediated in part by suppression of myostatin. We administered daily to male Sprague-Dawley rats dexamethasone, dexamethasone plus glutamine, saline or saline plus glutamine, all pair-fed. Animals were killed on day 5. Body weight and weights of gastrocnemius muscles were measured. Myostatin expression was measured by Northern and Western blots, and was compared with glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Myoblast C2C12 cells were exposed to dexamethasone, or dexamethasone and glutamine, and their myostatin messenger RNA and protein expression compared with glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Myostatin promoter activity was measured by luciferase activity of transfected C2C12 cells, grown in medium including dexamethasone, or dexamethasone plus glutamine. Rats that received dexamethasone showed significant body and muscle weight loss accompanied by an increase in intramuscular myostatin expression, compared with their saline-treated controls. Pair-fed rats given dexamethasone plus glutamine had significantly less reduction in body and muscle weights and lower myostatin expression when compared with those treated with dexamethasone alone. In C2C12 myoblast cells, addition of glutamine to dexamethasone prevented the hyperexpression of myostatin induced by dexamethasone. Myostatin promoter activity increased in cells exposed to dexamethasone, but this increase was partially blocked by addition of the glutamine. Administration of glutamine partially prevents GC-induced myostatin expression and muscle atrophy, providing a potential mechanism for the prevention of muscle atrophy induced by glucocorticoids.
An Octane-Fueled Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

There are substantial barriers to the introduction of hydrogen fuel cells for transportation, including the high cost of fuel-cell systems, the current lack of a hydrogen infrastructure, and the relatively low fuel efficiency when using hydrogen produced from hydrocarbons. Here, we describe a solid oxide fuel cell that combines a catalyst layer with a conventional anode, allowing internal reforming of iso-octane without coking and yielding stable power densities of 0.3 to 0.6 watts per square centimeter. This approach is potentially the basis of a simple low-cost system that can provide substantially higher fuel efficiency by using excess fuel-cell heat for the endothermic reforming reaction.
Flexible Irrigation Systems: Concept, Design and Application

This paper presents the need, value, and concept of flexible irrigation water supply systems that can deliver water with flexibility in frequency, rate, and duration under the control of the farmer at the point of application using a limited rate arranged-demand or other schedule. It introduces the needed terminology including “congestion”—how much reserve time and capacity is required to assure water delivery at the frequency and rate desired. An illustrative design procedure for the necessary pipeline and reservoir capacities is illustrated. The techniques discussed emphasize the conversion of the economical steady supply canal flows to flexible on-farm usage through the use of service area reservoirs located between the secondary and tertiary systems, and of semiclosed pipelines and/or level-top canals as automated distribution systems which facilitates the farmers’ need for daytime only variable on-farm deliveries to permit optimization of on-farm water management. This improved management is the ulti...
Role of interleukin-10 in monocyte hyporesponsiveness associated with septic shock

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to examine the pattern of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and interleukin (IL)-10 release in endotoxin-stimulated septic monocytes and to determine the role of IL-10 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta in monocyte hyporesponsiveness during septic shock. DESIGN Monocytes isolated from ten healthy controls and ten patients with septic shock were incubated with endotoxin and cytokine release was assessed. Next, normal monocytes were incubated with either normal or septic serum and stimulated with endotoxin. Finally, normal monocytes were incubated with septic serum either with anti-IL-10 antibodies or anti-TGF-beta antibodies and then stimulated with endotoxin. MEASUREMENTS TNF-alpha, IL-10, and TGF-beta levels were measured in the serum and in culture supernatants by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. SETTING Research laboratory. MAIN RESULTS IL-10 and TNF-alpha levels were significantly increased in septic serum, whereas TGF-beta levels were not different from controls. Normal monocytes increased TNF-alpha and IL-10 release in response to endotoxin. In contrast, septic monocyte TNF-alpha release was attenuated in response to endotoxin (1.8 +/- 0.5 vs. 1.0 +/- 0.4 ng/mL, stimulated vs. baseline), whereas IL-10 release increased significantly from baseline (173 +/- 91 vs. 8 +/- 4 pg/mL, stimulated vs. baseline). Incubation of normal monocytes with septic serum attenuated TNF-alpha release in response to endotoxin (32% +/- 8% of normal serum; p < .01), whereas IL-10 release was increased (285% +/- 84% of normal serum; p < .05). When normal monocytes were incubated with septic serum combined with anti-IL-10 antibodies, TNF-alpha release increased significantly to 75% +/- 17% of normal serum (p < .05 vs. septic serum alone). Incubation of normal monocytes with anti-TGF-beta antibodies did not significantly affect either TNF-alpha or IL-10 release in response to endotoxin. CONCLUSION Monocytes from patients with septic shock exhibit persistent IL-10 release at a time when TNF-alpha release is downregulated. The continued release of IL-10 may contribute to impairment of monocyte proinflammatory cytokine release and the development of immune dysfunction in septic shock.
Photophysical Studies of 1,2-C70H2

Photophysical measurements have been made on 1,2-C70H2, the most stable isomer of the simplest C70 derivative. This dihydride's electronic absorption spectrum is more diffuse than that of C70. Red shifts in the fluorescence and phosphorescence emission spectra show that excitations to the lowest singlet and triplet electronic states require approximately 8% less energy in 1,2-C70H2 than in C70 and that the S1−T1 gap of 1,2-C70H2 is ca. 310 cm-1 smaller than that of the parent fullerene. The dominant peak in the dihydride's Tn ← T1 near-infrared absorption spectrum falls at 1050 nm. Compared to the corresponding transition of C70, this absorption feature is broadened, red-shifted by 75 nm, and reduced in peak molar absorptivity by a factor of 2. Derivatization of C70 to form 1,2-C70H2 accelerates T1 decay by more than an order of magnitude, giving an intrinsic triplet lifetime of 2.0 ms at room temperature. The rate constant for triplet deactivation through ground state self-quenching is near 7.6 × 107 M-1...