cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
p-n junction heterostructure device physics model of a four junction solar cell

We present results from a p-n junction device physics model for GaInP/GaAs/GaInAsP/GaInAs four junction solar cells. The model employs subcells whose thicknesses have an upper bound of 5μm and lower bound of 200nm, which is just above the fully depleted case for the assumed doping of NA = 1 x 1018 cm-3 and ND = 1 x 1017 cm-3. The physical characteristics of the cell model include: free carrier absorption, temperature and doping effects on carrier mobility, as well as recombination via Shockley-Read-Hall recombination from a single midgap trap level and surface recombination. Upper bounds on cell efficiency set by detailed balance calculations can be approached by letting the parameters approach ideal conditions. However whereas detailed balance calculations always benefit from added subcells, the current matching requirements for series connected p-n multi-junctions indicate a minimum necessary performance from an added subcell to yield a net increase in overall device efficiency. For the four junction cell considered here, optimizing the subcell thickness is an important part of optimizing the efficiency. Series resistance limitations for concentrator applications can be systematically explored for a given set of subcells. The current matching limitation imposed by series connection reduces efficiency relative to independently-connected cells. The overall trend indicates an approximately 5% drop in efficiency for series connected cells relative to identical independently connected cells. The series-connected devices exhibit a high sensitivity to spectral changes and individual subcell performance. If any single subcell within the series-connected device is degraded relative to its optimal design, the entire device is severely hindered. This model allows complex heterostructure solar cell structures to be evaluated by providing device physics-based predictions of performance limitations.
The Surgical Center

The architect generally expresses his understanding of the hospital as a composition consisting of a large and dominant block of nursing units supported by subsidiary forms representing the treatment facilities and the service elements. This expression is based upon our concept of the hospital as a domicile, a place of temporary residence for the ill. Here the ill are collected, assigned to a fixed location, and to them are brought the medical services and the nursing care that offer the promise of health.
Synthesis, structure and optical properties of zinc oxide hexagonal microprisms

Zinc oxide (ZnO) pencil-head-like (PHL) microprisms were synthesized by a hydrothermal route using a zinc (Zn) plate as a source and substrate. The structural analysis confirmed the formation of ZnO with hexagonal wurtzite phase on the hexagonal Zn substrate and the growth of the ZnO microparticles along the [101] direction. The room temperature photoluminescence (PL) of the ZnO microprisms showed a sharp UV emission band located at around 380 nm, which is expected to originate from the radiative recombination of free excitons. The sharp UV emission band, with a full width at half-maximum of about 15 nm and an extremely weak visible emission, confirms the high crystal quality of the synthesized ZnO microprisms. (© 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
When strategic alliances make sense

Suggests that strategic alliances have become a popular competitive weapon, yet knowledge of when effectively to use this interorganizational relationship remains scarce. Examines the use of strategic alliances in the information technology industry. Develops several propositions for the effective use of this competitive weapon, based primarily on the matching of the benefits of strategic alliances to existing and forecast situational characteristics of the information technology industry.
Risk factors and ultrasound can predict chronic hepatitis caused by nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

The diagnosis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is underrecognized. The aim of this study was to develop a scoring system that separates NAFLD diagnosis as a cause of chronic hepatitis from controls by using clinical features and liver ultrasound. A retrospective review of consecutive NAFLD cases and other liver disease controls was undertaken selecting patients from an abnormal liver function test code. To qualify for analysis all patients had to have elevated liver injury tests for more then 6 months, a biopsy-confirmed diagnosis, and an ultrasound as part of the evaluation. There were 84 cases of NAFLD and 75 liver disease controls. The NAFLD group had a larger body mass index (BMI) (34.9 versus 26.1; P ≤ 0.0001), a larger liver span (9.8 versus 8.1 cm; P ≤ 0.0001), and higher triglycerides (252 versus 142.6; P ≤ 0.0001). The ultrasound reports recorded features consistent with fatty infiltration in 65.5% of NAFLD cases, compared to 5.3% of other liver diseases (P ≤ 0.0001). Diabetes mellitus was found in 35% of NAFLD and 6.7% of other cases (P ≤ 0.0001). The BMI was >30 in 79.8% of NAFLD cases and 22.7% of other liver disease cases (P ≤ 0.0001). The liver span was >8 cm in 78.6% of NAFLD cases and in only 16% of controls (P = 0.0001). On multivariate analysis using logistic regression, the odds ratio of having ultrasound report findings suggestive of fatty infiltration was 15.9 (CI, 4.1–60). The odds ratio was 9.4 (CI, 2.3–37.9) for diabetes, 5.0 (CI, 1.7–14.6) for BMI >30, and 2.3 for liver span >8 cm (CI, 1.36–3.90). A scoring system using clinical features and ultrasound was shown to reliably separate NAFLD from other cases of chronic hepatitis.
A Protein Kinase C Translocation Inhibitor as an Isozyme-selective Antagonist of Cardiac Function

Protein kinase C (PKC) isozymes translocate to unique subcellular sites following activation. We previously suggested that translocation of activated isozymes is required for their function and that in addition to binding to lipids, translocation involves binding of the activated isozymes to specific anchoring proteins (receptors for activated protein kinase C. Using cultured cardiomyocytes we identified inhibitors, the V1 fragment of epsilonPKC (epsilonV1), and an 8-amino acid peptide derived from it that selectively inhibited the translocation of epsilonPKC. Inhibition of epsilonPKC translocation but not inhibition of delta or betaPKC translocation specifically blocked phorbol ester- or norepinephrine-mediated regulation of contraction. These isozyme-selective translocation inhibitors provide novel tools to determine the function of individual PKC isozymes in intact cells.
SU-E-T-216: Intercomparison of CyberKnife and GammaKnife Stereotactic Radiosurgery Treatment Plans for Metastatic Brain Tumors

Purpose: Over 40,000 patients are treated annually for metastatic brain tumors. A common method of treatment for these patients is stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). Two commercially available options for treatment of SRS are the CyberKnife and GammaKnife. The purpose of this work was to perform a detailed comparison of the quality of the two techniques for the treatment of metastatic brain tumors using quantitative parameters. Methods: Six patients with small metastatic brain tumors (Range: 2.2cc– 14.6cc) that had previously received SRS treatment via the GammaKnife system were planned for equivalent treatment using the CyberKnife treatment planning system. To quantify the quality of the individual plans, the conformity number (CN), homogeneity index (HI) and gradient score index (GSI) were measured and compared. Both plans were created to delivery equivalent tumor coverage (Range: 10–14Gy) to the equivalent prescription volume. This was typically 99% prescription dose coverage to the GTV for both plans. Results: The calculated average HI was 0.497±0.155 versus 0.600±0.049, CI was 0.596±0.159 versus 0.865±0.022, and GSI was 41.4±17.8 versus 65.1±20.09 for CyberKnife vs GammaKnife respectively. Lower HI values imply a higher uniformity of dose throughout the target. CI ideally would be 1.000, and the closest to this value is to one, the better is the conformality to the treated site. High values for GSI implies a steeper dose falloff from the tumor to normal tissue and therefore is preferable. For this study statistical significance was achieved for CI, however due to the small sample size differences in HI and GSI were not statistically significant. Conclusion: This data suggests that SRS treatments on CyberKnife and GammaKnife are of similar quality, with Gamma Knife able to deliver a slightly more conformal plan for the treatment of brain metastases.
Three weeks of running wheel exposure improves cognitive performance in the aged Tg2576 mouse

If begun early in life, exercise effectively reduces the development of cognitive deficits in transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the effectiveness of exercise, once the cognitive impairments are established, is not as clear. In terms of translating research in animal models to treatments involving exercise in Alzheimer's disease patients, it is critical to evaluate exercise intervention at time points that address not only prevention, but also treatment of cognitive decline. We provided exercise wheels to Tg2576 (TG) (n=12) and C57BL6 (WT) (n=17) mice at 17-19 months of age for three weeks. At this age animals have significant cognitive impairment and neuropathology consistent with AD. Age matched sedentary TG (n=13) and WT (n=12) mice were also included, as well as groups provided access to an immobile wheel (TG n=9, WT n=12). After three weeks, animals were evaluated in a radial arm water maze. Significant impairments were observed in the sedentary TG mice compared to WT in reference/long-term and working/short-term memory, as well as in probe trials. Exercised TG mice demonstrated improvements in memory, which made them indistinguishable from WT mice on all tasks. In addition, animals provided with an immobile wheel exhibited improvement in some, but not all cognitive measures. Our findings demonstrate that exercise can improve cognitive performance in a mouse model of AD even if applied after the development of pathology.
194 Energetics and dynamics of adenine protonation in HIV-1’s dimerization initiation site

HIV-1, like most retroviruses, packages two homologous copies of its RNA genome. The two RNA strands are non-covalently linked near their 5’ends. The proposed dimerisation initiation site is a 35-nucleotide (nt) stem loop capable of forming loop–loop interactions (a kissing dimer) via its highly conserved 6-nt loop palindrome. In a structural transformation affected by temperature, salt concentration, and by the HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein, the initial, kinetically-stable kissing dimer (KD) converts to a thermodynamically-stable extended dimer. It has been suggested that this in vitro observed rearrangement is associated with the in vivo viral genome maturation. Mihailescu et al. demonstrated enhanced rearrangement dynamics triggered by the protonation of a specific adenine residue at the genome sequence location 272 (A272) (Mihailescu, 2004). They suggested that the local environment of A272 caused its N1 atom’s pKa to shift upwards (more basic) by approximately 2.5 pH units when compared with 5’-adenosin...
Trends in the national distribution of laparoscopic hysterectomies from 2003 to 2010.

Abstract Study Objective The purpose of this analysis was to compare the trends in undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy (versus abdominal or vaginal hysterectomy) based on patient age, race, median income and insurance type, from 2003 to 2010. Design Retrospective study (Canadian Task Force classification II-3). Setting National sample of hospital admissions after hysterectomy. Patients Health Cost and Utilization Project-Nationwide Inpatient Sample database was used to review records of women who underwent hysterectomy for either menorrhagia or leiomyoma from 2003–2010. Intervention The predicted probability of undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy was determined for each year according to patient age, race, median income, and insurance type. The slopes of these values (i.e. the trend) was compared for each subgroup (i.e. black, white, Asian, etc.) in these categories. Main Results A total of 530, 154 cases were included in this study. Total number of hysterectomies decreased by 39% from 60,364 to 36,835 from 2003 to 2010. The percent of hysterectomies that were laparoscopic increased from 11% in 2003 to 29% in 2010. All groups analyzed experienced an increase in predicted probability of undergoing a laparoscopic hysterectomy. Of all women undergoing hysterectomy, the probability of undergoing a laparoscopic hysterectomy remained highest for women who were less than 35 years old, white, with the highest median income, and with private insurance from 2003–2010. The slope was significantly greater for (1) white females versus all other races analyzed (p Conclusions There remains a gap in distribution of laparoscopic hysterectomies with regards to age, race, median income and insurance type that does not seem to be closing, despite the increased availability of laparoscopic hysterectomies.
Cost analysis of anterior-posterior circumferential fusion and transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion

Abstract Background context Although lumbar interbody fusion has long been a common procedure in the practice of spine surgery, focus on the technological development has produced the relatively new procedure of transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF). This procedure is often available to surgeons as an alternative to anterior-posterior circumferential fusion (AP fusion), and both procedures have been demonstrated to be clinically equivalent at up to 5 years after surgery. In the context of clinical equipoise, it is unknown which procedure is more economically advantageous. Purpose To compare the hospital costs, charges, and payments received for surgical treatment with either AP fusion or TLIF. Future directions for health economic research with respect to spine surgery are also considered and discussed. Study design This is an institutional review board–approved, single-institution retrospective chart review and cost analysis. Patient sample Our study included patients undergoing either single-level AP fusion or single-level TLIF between 2006 and 2008. All patients were older than 18 years at the time of surgery; the decision of which procedure was performed was entirely at the discretion of the attending surgeon. Outcome measures Hospital costs, charges, and payments received for the treatment of each patient. Methods We performed a retrospective review of the medical and financial records of patients undergoing either AP fusion (n=179) or TLIF (n=90) on one operative level between 2006 and 2008. Medical records were evaluated for a history of spine surgery, operative time, estimated blood loss, and length of stay, whereas financial records were reviewed for the hospital costs, charges, and payments received as recorded by the hospital accounting data. Operative materials and service charges were also isolated and compared separately. This study was departmentally sponsored; there were no interest-associated biases for any of the authors involved. Results AP fusion patients had a longer operative time than TLIF patients, with a mean time of 246.5 versus 202.7 minutes (p Conclusions Our study demonstrates that a single-level AP fusion results in longer operative time, lower blood loss during surgery, higher hospital costs, higher hospital charges, and greater payments received than a single-level TLIF. Although the decision on how best to treat a patient lies solely at the judgment of the attending surgeon, this comparative cost information may be pertinent in cases of clinical equivalence. This study also calls attention to various shortcomings that are found in present spine surgery cost-effectiveness research, as there is an ongoing need for increased standards of quality in the area of health economics research.
Influence of plasma insulin levels on antinatriuretic and vasoconstrictor actions of angiotensin-II.

The objective of the present study is to investigate whether plasma insulin levels play a role in the antinatriuretic and vasoconstrictor actions of angiotensin-II (Ang-II). We evaluated antinatriuretic function of endogenous Ang-II using an AT1 receptor antagonist, candesartan in anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats. In control rats, candesartan produced significant increases in natriuresis and diuresis and these effects were abolished in streptozocin (STZ, 55 mg/kg i.p.) treated rats. Replacement of insulin restored these renal effects of candesartan. In a separate group of rats pretreated with an autonomic ganglionic blocker, pressor responses to Ang-II and norepinephrine (NE) before or after L-NNA, a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor were not affected by STZ treatment. However, insulin replacement greatly augmented these responses. These data provide evidence in vivo showing that insulin can enhance both antinatriuretic and vasoconstrictor actions of Ang-II. Hence exaggerated renal and vascular effects of Ang-II in the obese Zucker rats observed in our previous studies may be related to hyperinsulimemia and this phenomena could contribute to salt-sensitivity and development of sustained hypertension.
Sugar and Sucrose Ester Effects on Maize and Wheat Starch Gelatinization Patterns by Differential Scanning Calorimeter

The gelatinization of various starch-sugar-sucrose ester combinations was examined by differential scanning calorimetry. Onset and peak temperatures and enthalpy of maize starch were higher in all cases than of corresponding wheat starch samples (67.8°C. 71.6°C and 2.42 cal/g vs. 59.1°C, 63.5°C and 1.94 cal/g, respectively). The addition of any of the three sugars tested, sucrose. glucose and fructose. at 50% of the starch weight increased onset and peak temperatures but decreased enthalpy required for gelatinization. The addition of sucrose ester at 1 and 3% to the starches and starchsugar combinations affected both gelatinization temperature and enthalpy only in the case of the wheat starch/sucrose combination. With increasing ester concentration the onset and peak temperatures increased and the enthalpies decreased in this sample. This has interesting implications for the baking industry, which uses mainly wheat starch in combination with sucrose.
Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of Cif, a virulence factor secreted by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa secretes a protein that triggers the accelerated degradation of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) in airway epithelial cells. This protein, which is known as the CFTR inhibitory factor (Cif), acts as a virulence factor and may facilitate airway colonization by P. aeruginosa. Based on sequence similarity Cif appears to be an epoxide hydrolase (EH), but it lacks several of the conserved features found in the active sites of canonical members of the EH family. Here, the crystallization of purified recombinant Cif by vapor diffusion is reported. The crystals formed in space group C2, with unit-cell parameters a = 167.4, b = 83.6, c = 88.3 A, β = 100.6°. The crystals diffracted to 2.39 A resolution on a rotating-anode source. Based on the calculated Matthews coefficient (2.2 A3 Da−1), it appears that the asymmetric unit contains four molecules.
A single solution iron-hematoxylin stain for intestinal protozoa.

A single solution iron-hematoxylin stain is described for staining fecal smears rapidly and simply. The stain is prepared from the following solutions: Solution A: 1% hematoxylin in 95% alcohol, prepared by diluting a stock solution of 10% hematoxylin in 95% alcohol. Solution B: Ferric ammonium sulfate (violet crystals), 4.0 g.; glacial acetic acid, 1.0 ml.; concentrated sulfuric acid (sp. gr. 1.8),0.12 ml.; distilled water, 100 ml. Mix equal parts of Solution A and Solution B; allow to stand overnight, filter and use. For maximum length of staining life, store in full, air-tight bottles. To stain fecal smears, fix in Schaudinn's, pass through iodine alcohol to 50% alcohol, stain for three minutes, wash in running tap water 5 to 15 minutes, dehydrate and mount.
Effect of the core polarization term on Ps formation in low-energy e+–Li collisions

Abstract Previously, we applied the hyperspherical hidden crossing method (HHCM) to s-, p- and d-wave Ps formation in low-energy e+–Li collisions; these calculations did not include the core polarization term in a Li model potential. Here, we present results of a new HHCM calculation in which we include the core polarization term in the model potential. We find that including the core polarization term significantly increases the sum of the s-, p- and d-wave Ps formation cross sections near threshold.
Do religious and control cognitions predict risky behavior? I. Development and validation of the alcohol-related god locus of control scale for adolescents (AGLOC-A)

Adolescent alcohol use is a significant problem. Recent evidence suggests that an individual’s belief that God directly controls his or her alcohol use (i.e., alcohol-related God/Higher Power control) may have particular importance as a protective factor against alcohol use and abuse. However, this relationship has not been investigated in adolescents as there are no appropriate measures to examine such beliefs. To address this need, the present study developed and evaluated a measure of alcohol-related God/Higher Power control beliefs for adolescents (AGLOC-A). African American adolescents (N = 356) completed a questionnaire containing the AGLOC-A, alcohol-related internal control beliefs, and frequency of alcohol use and binge drinking in the past 30 days. Findings supported the AGLOC-A as a reliable and valid measure with AGLOC-A scores inversely related to alcohol involvement and distinct from religiosity and social desirability. Alcohol-related God/Higher Power control beliefs may be a useful protective factor against adolescent alcohol use and abuse.
Melatonin and associated signaling pathways that control normal breast epithelium and breast cancer.

This review article discusses recent work on the melatonin-mediated circadian regulation and integration of molecular and metabolic signaling mechanisms involved in human breast cancer growth and the associated consequences of circadian disruption by exposure to light-at-night (LAN). The anti-proliferative effects of the circadian melatonin signal are, in general, mediated through mechanisms involving the activation of MT1 melatonin receptors expressed in human breast cancer cell lines and xenografts. In estrogen receptor-positive (ERα+) human breast cancer cells, melatonin suppresses both ERα mRNA expression and estrogen-induced transcriptional activity of the ERα via MT1-induced activation of Gαi2 signaling and reduction of cAMP levels. Melatonin also regulates the transcriptional activity of additional members of the nuclear receptor super-family, enzymes involved in estrogen metabolism, and the expression of core clock and clock-related genes. The anti-invasive/anti-metastatic actions of melatonin involve the blockade of p38 phosphorylation and matrix metalloproteinase expression. Melatonin also inhibits the growth of human breast cancer xenografts via MT1-mediated suppression of cAMP leading to a blockade of linoleic acid (LA) uptake and its metabolism to the mitogenic signaling molecule 13-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (13-HODE). Down-regulation of 13-HODE reduces the activation of growth factor pathways supporting cell proliferation and survival. Finally, studies in both rats and humans indicate that light-at-night (LAN) induced circadian disruption of the nocturnal melatonin signal activates human breast cancer growth, metabolism, and signaling, providing the strongest mechanistic support, thus far, for epidemiological studies demonstrating the elevated breast cancer risk in night shift workers and other individuals increasingly exposed to LAN.
Biosynthesis of the tropine moiety of hyoscyamine from δ-N-methylornithine

Abstract The hyoscyamine and hyoscine isolated from Datura stramonium plants which had been fed dl -α- N -methyl- 14 C-ornithine-2- 14 C were not radioactive. However, a significant incorporation of activity (0·63%) was found in hyoscyamine and hyoscine obtained from plants which had been fed dl -δ- N -methyl- 14 C-ornithine-2- 14 C. A systematic degradation of the hyoscyamine indicated that all the activity was located in the tropine base at the bridgehead carbon C-1 (having the (R)-configuration) and on the N -methyl group. Furthermore, the ratio of activity at these two positions indicated that the δ- N -methylornithine had been incorporated without any cleavage of its N -methyl group.
A wavelet deconvolution method for impact force identification

The inverse problem of solving for impact force history using experimentally measured structural responses tends to be ill conditioned. A computationally efficient deconvolution method with similarities to Fourier analysis and wavelet analysis is introduced. Force reconstructions obtained using measured acceleration responses from beam and plate models are used to verify the method.
A Comparative Study of ARL Linux Cluster Performance

Since 2003, with the installation of a 256 processor Linux Networx XEON 1686 system (Powell), Army Research Laboratory (ARL) has been providing large- scale Linux cluster production systems for use within the Department of Defense (DoD) High Performance Computing Modernization Program (HPCMP). This initial system was followed in 2004 with the 2,048 processor Linux Networx XEONEM64T (JVN) and 2,304 processor IBM Opteron (Stryker) systems, and in 2007 by the 3,368-core Intel Dempsey (Humvee) and 4,488-core Intel Woodcrest (MJM) systems. These latest systems provide an increased peak performance of over 15 times the original Xeon 1686 system in a four year period. The purpose of this paper is provide a comparative study of the three generations of Linux clusters' capabilities to process some of the most widely used production codes used within the ARL environment. The codes to be benchmarked will include CTH, CFD++, GAMESS, and OVERFLOW. The codes will be run on Powell, JVN and Ping (the Woodcrest testbed machine). The results will focus attention on how architecture enhancements (including CPU speed, memory per node, cache size, and interconnect fabric transfer rates) have affected the overall performance of these systems.
On Using Stress Relaxation Tests to Characterize Material Behavior

Resultats d'essais de relaxation de contrainte effectues sur un alliage d'aluminium. Determination, a partir de ces essais, d'une relation entre la contrainte et la vitesse de deformation inelastique. Comparaison des resultats avec l'approche de Hart
UHF RFID impedance matching: When is a T-match not a T-match?

The T-match is a frequently cited impedance matching technique for UHF RFID tags. However, there appear to be many misconceptions about what the term “T-match” actually implies and when the relevant assumptions no longer apply. This work focuses on creating a clear definition of the T-match design space in order to differentiate it from other impedance matching techniques. A comparison between analytic solutions and numerical simulations shows that the analytic solution is valid only in those cases where very close spacing (s ≤ 0.009λ) between the dipole and T-match arms is maintained, and the length of the T-match is relatively short (l 2 ≤ 0.06λ).
Privatisation in Developing Countries

We survey empirical studies examining privatisation’s effects in developing economies. Most of these studies find that privatisation yields improvements in the operating and financial performance of divested firms, and only a handful document outright performance declines after privatisation. Almost all studies that examine post-privatisation changes in output, efficiency, profitability, capital investment spending and leverage document significant increases in the first four measures and significant declines in leverage. The studies examined here are far less unanimous regarding the impact of privatisation on employment levels in privatised firms. Studies that explicitly address the sources of post-privatisation performance improvement using data from multiple non-transition economies tend to find stronger efficiency gains for firms in regulated industries, in firms that restructure operations after privatisation, and in countries providing greater amounts of shareholder protection.
Information Extraction from Voicemail

In this paper we address the problem of extracting key pieces of information from voicemail messages, such as the identity and phone number of the caller. This task differs from the named entity task in that the information we are interested in is a subset of the named entities in the message, and consequently, the need to pick the correct subset makes the problem more difficult. Also, the caller's identity may include information that is not typically associated with a named entity. In this work, we present three information extraction methods, one based on hand-crafted rules, one based on maximum entropy tagging, and one based on probabilistic transducer induction. We evaluate their performance on both manually transcribed messages and on the output of a speech recognition system.
Generalized Quasicontinuum Approach to Atomistic-Continuum Modeling of Complex Oxides

A formalism of the quasicontinuum method suitable for atomistic-continuum modeling of oxide crystals is presented. Multiple interacting quasicontinua, one per sublattice, which overlap in the physical crystal space, are used to model the oxide crystals. The method is implemented with the shell model for atomic interactions in ionic crystals, along with the Wolf’s method for treating the long-range forces. Results are presented for the structural relaxation of strained and unstrained Fe2O3 crystal under periodic boundary conditions.
Quantification of coronary hemodynamics and plaque morphology using X-ray angiography and intravascular ultrasound

Abstract While the mechanisms of plaque development in coronary arteries are not yet completely understood, vessel geometry and its influence on hemodynamics are of major importance. This manuscript presents an overview on our method for spatio-temporal modeling of the coronary arteries by fusion of data from X-ray angiography and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and elaborates on the aspects of 4-D computational hemodynamics as well as an approach to directly correlate vessel geometry with plaque morphology.
Inhibition of InhA, the enoyl reductase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, by triclosan and isoniazid.

Structural and genetic studies indicate that the antibacterial compound triclosan, an additive in many personal care products, is an inhibitor of EnvM, the enoyl reductase from Escherichia coli. Here we show that triclosan specifically inhibits InhA, the enoyl reductase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis and a target for the antitubercular drug isoniazid. Binding of triclosan to wild-type InhA is uncompetitive with respect to both NADH and trans-2-dodecenoyl-CoA, with Ki‘ values of 0.22 ± 0.02 and 0.21 ± 0.01 μM, respectively. Replacement of Y158, the catalytic tyrosine residue, with Phe, reduces the affinity of triclosan for the enzyme and results in noncompetitive inhibition, with Ki and Ki‘ values of 36 ± 5 and 47 ± 5 μM, respectively. Consequently, the Y158 hydroxyl group is important for triclosan binding, suggesting that triclosan binds in similar ways to both InhA and EnvM. In addition, the M161V and A124V InhA mutants, which result in resistance of Mycobacterium smegmatis to triclosan, show significa...
Clinical Data Sets of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Reverse Transcriptase-Resistant Mutants Explained by a Mathematical Model

Treatment of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection during the clinical latency phase with drugs inhibiting reverse transcriptase (RT) reduces the HIV-1 RNA load and increases the CD4+ T-cell count. Typically, however, the virus evolves mutations in the RT gene that circumvent the drugs. We develop a mathematical model for this situation. The model distinguishes quiescent from activated CD4+ T cells, incorporates the fact that only activated cells can become productively infected by HIV-1, embodies empirical estimates for the drug resistance and the mutation frequency for each of the HIV-1 drug-resistant mutants, and assumes the antiviral immune response to remain constant over the course of the experiments. We analyze clinical data on the evolution of drug-resistant mutants for the RT inhibitors lamivudine and zidovudine. The results show that the evolutionary sequence of the drug-resistant mutants in both data sets is accounted for by our model, given that lamivudine is more effective than zidovudine. Thus, current empirical estimates of the mutation frequencies and the drug resistances of the mutants suffice for explaining the data. We derive a critical treatment level below which the wild-type HIV-1 RNA load can rebound before the first drug-resistant mutant appears. Our zidovudine data confirm this to be the case. Thus, we demonstrate in the model and the data that the rebound of the HIV-1 RNA load in the case of zidovudine is due to the outgrowth of wild-type virus and the first drug-resistant mutant, whereas that in the case of lamivudine can only be due to the drug-resistant mutants. The evolution of drug resistance proceeds slower in the case of zidovudine because (i) zidovudine is not as effective as lamivudine and (ii) the first zidovudine drug-resistant mutant is competing with the rebounding wild-type virus.
Nursing, Our Public Deaths, and the Tobacco Industry

What made this particular set of events so shocking, I think, was so much death and suffering all at once in one place, a circumstance that created widespread public anguish and generated policy changes aimed at prevention, preparations for comprehensive responses on many levels, and unprecedented political unanimity. Such situations suddenly disrupt our ability to cope with the sheer, irrevocable power of death to stop us—every one of us—in our tracks. If we could watch all this from afar, as one watches ants when their numbers are decimated suddenly by the swipe of a sponge or a heavy footfall across their trail, we might better understand an enduring mystery: why our society’s response to death—and to its proximate causes—is so different when it is slow and widely distributed rather than fast and localized. Every week, 52 weeks a year, some 8000 people in this country die from tobacco-related diseases, their lives ended prematurely by an aggressive tobacco industry and the addictive properties of nicotine. They, too, have done nothing to “deserve” death— nothing except to succumb, typically as adolescents or very young adults, to sophisticated marketing and promotion that falsely equate smoking with adult privilege, glamour, independence, emancipation, toughness, naturalness, authenticity, social success, and other desirable attributes, in messages selectively delivered for maximum impact. The total: more than 400 000 premature deaths yearly in the United States and 3 million worldwide. Among the dead will be many nurses, providing evidence that mere knowledge—even firsthand knowledge—about tobacco’s harmful effects on health is not enough to prevent them. Although most nurses are nonsmokers and there is evidence that many nurses have quit during the past 2 decades, smoking rates among nurses (18.3% for registered nurses, 27.2% for licensed practical nurses) are still far higher than those for physicians (3.3%), and nurses’ rates of quitting are lower than physicians’ rates. 2 Some evidence indicates that smoking may be more common among nurses in critical care specialty areas and psychiatry than among nurses in women’s health, pediatric, and general practice areas. 3
PMM: a pipelined maximal-sized matching scheduling approach for input-buffered switches

This paper proposes an innovative pipeline-based maximal-sized matching scheduling approach, called PMM, for input-buffered switches. It dramatically relaxes the timing constraint for arbitration with a maximal matching scheme. In the PMM approach, arbitration operates in a pipelined manner, where K subschedulers are used. Each subscheduler is allowed to take more than one time slot for its matching. Every time slot, one of them provides the matching result. The subscheduler can adopt a pre-existing efficient maximal matching algorithm such as iSLIP and DRRM. PMM maximizes the efficiency of the adopted arbitration scheme by allowing sufficient time for a number of iterations. We show that PMM preserves 100% throughput under uniform traffic and fairness for best-effort traffic of the pre-existing algorithm.
Generalized Masing Approach to Modeling Hysteretic Deteriorating Behavior

The modeling of hysteretic behavior is of significant importance in several areas, including civil engineering and mechanics. This paper focuses on finding a method for modeling hysteretic behavior that is simple and efficient in terms of capturing the response and retaining the memory, if any, and at the same time is proper for use in physically meaningful modeling and identification of the system with few parameters. A distributed-element model (DEM) capable of capturing deterioration is used as a starting point, and its characteristics are studied, with a particular focus on the way memory is stored in the model. It is observed that keeping track of the response at a few of the past extremes of input displacement, called the Sequence of Dominant Alternating Extremes, is enough for representing the effect of history. The relation of this behavior to a generalized Masing model is studied. A set of rules is proposed which is a generalization of the Masing rules and can capture the deteriorating (or nondeteriorating) response of DEMs with any distribution of element yield displacement thresholds to any arbitrary loading. The presented formulation provides a framework for efficient modeling and identification of dynamic models of very different characteristics with only a few physically meaningful parameters.
Genetic and epigenetic variation of the glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1) in placenta and infant neurobehavior.

The intrauterine environment can impact the developing infant by altering the function of the placenta through changes to the epigenetic regulatory features of this tissue. Genetic variation, too, may impact infant development or may modify the relationship between epigenetic alterations and infant outcomes. To examine the association of this variation with early life infant neurodevelopment, we examined the extent of DNA methylation of the glucocorticoid receptor gene (NR3C1) promoter and a common SNP in the promoter region in a series of 186 placentas from healthy newborn infants. We associated these molecular features with specific summary measures from the NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scales. After controlling for genotype and confounders, we identified significant associations of NR3C1 methylation with infant quality of movement (P=0.05) and with infant attention (P=0.05), and a potential interaction between methylation and genotype on infant attention score. These results suggest that epigenetic alteration of the NR3C1 gene in the placentas of genetically susceptible infants can have impacts on neurodevelopment which may have lifelong impact on neurobehavioral and mental health outcomes. Further research is needed to more precisely define these relationships and the interaction between epigenetic alterations and genetic variations on infant health.
Circadian Signaling in the Retina

The neurohormone, melatonin, is a primary output signal of the circadian clock in the retina and pineal gland. Melatonin enhances the susceptibility of rat photoreceptors to light-induced cell death. It also appears to enhance the sensitivity of the retina and central visual system to light. Thus melatonin, synthesized at night, may act as a paracrine hormone, and bind to receptors in the retina and brain to increase the sensitivity of the visual system to facilitate dark adaptation and other diurnal events that occur in the retina. Because one function of melatonin may be to increase the sensitivity of the retina to light as part of a dark-adaptation mechanism, an undesirable consequence of this may be an increased sensitivity by the photoreceptors to the damaging effects of light.
MACHINE TRANSLATION OF TELUGU BOILING VERBS

Cuisine terms are an integral part of a community’s culture and language. Telugu language is rich in various types of cuisine terms. It is challenges to machine translate these terms from Telugu to English. Present paper analyses and describes a sub field of cuisine terms called boiling verbs through Machine Translation. Following are the major findings based on boiling verbs in Telugu. The word ‘uduku’ ‘to boil’ stands in hypernimic relation to subsets which contain a large number of cooking verbs. Boiling verbs are inter related to each other on the basis of semantic relations of synonymy, hyponymy, hypernymy and compatibility. Boling verbs the semantic components remain the same. There is only chase in the syntactic requirements. Morphologically boiling verbs are formed in Telugu adding suffix ‘inchu’. Some of the boiling verbs are marked by null subject phenomena in sentential context.
Integrins Modulate Fast Excitatory Transmission at Hippocampal Synapses

The present study provides the first evidence that adhesion receptors belonging to the integrin family modulate excitatory transmission in the adult rat brain. Infusion of an integrin ligand (the peptide GRGDSP) into rat hippocampal slices reversibly increased the slope and amplitude of excitatory postsynaptic potentials. This effect was not accompanied by changes in paired pulse facilitation, a test for perturbations to transmitter release, or affected by suppression of inhibitory responses, suggesting by exclusion that alterations to alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate (AMPA)-type glutamate receptors cause the enhanced responses. A mixture of function-blocking antibodies to integrin subunits alpha(3), alpha(5), and alpha(v) blocked ligand effects on synaptic responses. The ligand-induced increases were (i) blocked by inhibitors of Src tyrosine kinase, antagonists of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors, and inhibitors of calcium calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II and (ii) accompanied by phosphorylation of both the Thr(286) site on calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II and the Ser(831) site on the GluR1 subunit of the AMPA receptor. N-Methyl-d-aspartate receptor antagonists blocked the latter two phosphorylation events, but Src kinase inhibitors did not. These results point to the conclusion that synaptic integrins regulate glutamatergic transmission and suggest that they do this by activating two signaling pathways directed at AMPA receptors.
Animal models of osteoporosis--necessity and limitations

There is a great need to further characterise the available animal models for postmenopausal osteoporosis, for the understanding of the pathogenesis of the disease, investigation of new therapies (e.g. selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs)) and evaluation of prosthetic devices in osteoporotic bone. Animal models that have been used in the past include non-human primates, dogs, cats, rodents, rabbits, guinea pigs and minipigs, all of which have advantages and disadvantages. Sheep are a promising model for various reasons: they are docile, easy to handle and house, relatively inexpensive, available in large numbers, spontaneously ovulate, and the sheep's bones are large enough to evaluate orthopaedic implants. Most animal models have used females and osteoporosis in the male has been largely ignored. Recently, interest in development of appropriate prosthetic devices which would stimulate osseointegration into osteoporotic, appendicular, axial and mandibular bone has intensified. Augmentation of osteopenic lumbar vertebrae with bioactive ceramics (vertebroplasty) is another area that will require testing in the appropriate animal model. Using experimental animal models for the study of these different facets of osteoporosis minimizes some of the difficulties associated with studying the disease in humans, namely time and behavioral variability among test subjects. New experimental drug therapies and orthopaedic implants can potentially be tested on large numbers of animals subjected to a level of experimental control impossible in human clinical research.
Policy folklists and evolutionary theory

Policy folklists present a set of alleged historical facts seen as relevant to some social issue. Although the validity of these folklists is dubious, leaders and writers circulate them in the media, variants arise, and the lists continue on, sometimes for decades. Folklists are repeated because their messages are appealing and their users are credible. Because folklists are on the record, we can examine their origins and changes. This report draws an analogy with evolutionary theory and suggests that biological mechanisms of self-repair, boundary maintenance, plasticity, speciation, and predation have significant interpretations for folklists, and clarify how the lists win the credence of otherwise skeptical people.
Very large debris-avalanche deposit within the Eocene volcanic succession of the northeastern Absaroka Range, Wyoming

A very large debris-avalanche deposit found within the Eocene volcanic succession in the northeastern Absaroka Range, Wyoming, is a result of the failure and collapse of an ancient volcanic edifice in the vicinity of Sunlight Peak, a principal early middle Eocene center of volcanic-plutonic activity. The debris-avalanche deposit is a sheetlike body that consists of blocks, individually as large as several square kilometres, of well-stratified vent medial facies lava flows, breccias, and sandstones within a thin, heterogeneous, and complexly deformed matrix of boulder- to sand-sized volcaniclastic material. The avalanche was directed to the southeast along a broad paleovalley, and remnants have been found >40 km from the source area. The deposit initially covered an area of at least 450 km2 and had a minimum volume of 100 km3, making it one of the largest subaerial avalanches ever recognized.
Condensational growth of atmospheric aerosols

Abstract It is demonstrated that condensation-removal growth processes for a model of aerosol particles in the atmosphere produce “characteristic” particle size distributions. These characteristic distributions are skewed, long-tailed distributions and in this respect resemble experimentally observed distributions for the continental tropospheric aerosol.
DNAPL Characterization Methods and Approaches, Part 2: Cost Comparisons

Contamination from the use of chlorinated solvents, often classified as dense nonaqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) when in an undissolved state, pose environmental threats to ground water resources worldwide. DNAPL site characterization method performance comparisons are presented in a companion paper (Kram et al. 2001). This study compares the costs for implementing various characterization approaches using synthetic unit model scenarios (UMSs), each with particular physical characteristics. Unit costs and assumptions related to labor, equipment, and consumables are applied to determine costs associated with each approach for various UMSs. In general, the direct-push sensor systems provide cost-effective characterization information in soils that are penetrable with relatively shallow (less than 10 to 15 m) water tables. For sites with impenetrable lithology using direct-push techniques, the Ribbon NAPL Sampler Flexible Liner Underground Technologies Everting (FLUTe) membrane appears to be the most cost-effective approach. For all scenarios studied, partitioning interwell tracer tests (PITTs) are the most expensive approach due to the extensive pre-and post-PITT requirements. However, the PITT is capable of providing useful additional information, such as approximate DNAPL saturation, which is not generally available from any of the other approaches included in this comparison.