cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 12946: Higher Burden of Atrial Fibrillation is Independently Associated With Lower Cognitive Function: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with greater cognitive decline and increased risk of dementia. However, it is unknown whether AF burden (% of time a person is in AF) is associated with cognition. We aimed to assess the cross-sectional association of AF burden with cognitive test scores in the ARIC study, a community-based prospective cohort study in the USA. Methods: We included 325 (mean age, 76.9 ± 5.2 years; 52.9% female) participants who underwent cognitive tests (Table) and ≥2 days of heart rhythm recording using the Zio ® Patch (a non-invasive, leadless, 2-week continuous ECG recording device by iRhythm Techonologies, Inc.) in July 2013-March 2014. We used multivariable linear regression to assess the association of AF burden (dichotomized at the median) with standardized z-scores of cognitive tests. Results: The mean wear and analysis time of the Zio ® Patch were 13.1 ± 2.1 and 12.7 ± 2.3 days, respectively. Of 325 participants, 13 (4.0%) had a prior ischemic stroke. There were 26 (8%) participants with AF recorded (median AF burden among participants with AF, 51%), of whom 4 (15.4%) had a prior ischemic stroke. Compared with absence of AF, higher AF burden was independently associated with lower MMSE, DWR, and AN scores, but not DSS and CTP. Conclusions: Higher burden of AF is independently associated with lower cognitive function, specifically memory and verbal function. This association needs to be confirmed prospectively and further research is needed to elucidate its mechanism.
The Effects of Figure Size Feedback (Positive vs. Negative) and Target Comparison Group (Particularistic vs. Universalistic) on Body Image Disturbance

The effect of negative versus positive informational feedback regarding body size on subjects' overall body dissatisfaction was assessed in female college students. The target of the appearance comparison was also manipulated–-subjects' figure size was in comparison to a universalistic group (average USA citizen) or a particularistic sample (college student peers). The results revealed a main effect for target comparison group, but no influence of information type (positive vs. negative). Specifically, subjects' whose size feedback was in reference to a particularistic group evidenced greater body image anxiety and distress than subjects whose figures were compared to a universalistic target. The findings are discussed in light of social comparison theory (Festinger, L. [1954]. Human Relations, 7, 117–140) and the possible role of feedback, target group, and comparison processes (i.e., upward and downward comparisons). © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Changes in Ester-Linked Phospholipid Fatty Acid Profiles of Subsurface Bacteria during Starvation and Desiccation in a Porous Medium

Ester-linked phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles of a Pseudomonas aureofaciens strain and an Arthrobacter protophormiae strain, each isolated from a subsurface sediment, were quantified in a starvation experiment in a silica sand porous medium under moist and dry conditions. Washed cells were added to sand microcosms and maintained under saturated conditions or subjected to desiccation by slow drying over a period of 16 days to final water potentials of approximately - 7.5 MPa for the P. aureofaciens and - 15 MPa for the A. protophormiae. In a third treatment, cells were added to saturated microcosms along with organic nutrients and maintained under saturated conditions. The numbers of culturable cells of both bacterial strains declined to below detection level within 16 days in both the moist and dried nutrient-deprived conditions, while direct counts and total PLFAs remained relatively constant. Both strains of bacteria maintained culturability in the nutrient-amended microcosms. The dried P. aureofaciens cells showed changes in PLFA profiles that are typically associated with stressed gram-negative cells, i.e., increased ratios of saturated to unsaturated fatty acids, increased ratios of trans- to cis-monoenoic fatty acids, and increased ratios of cyclopropyl fatty acids to their monoenoic precursors. P. aureofaciens starved under moist conditions showed few changes in PLFA profiles during the 16-day incubation, whereas cells incubated in the presence of nutrients showed decreases in the ratios of both saturated fatty acids to unsaturated fatty acids and cyclopropyl fatty acids to their monoenoic precursors. The PLFA profiles of A. protophormiae changed very little in response to either nutrient deprivation or desiccation. Diglyceride fatty acids, which have been proposed to be indicators of dead or lysed cells, remained relatively constant throughout the experiment. Only the A. protophormiae desiccated for 16 days showed an increase in the ratio of diglyceride fatty acids to PLFAs. The results of this laboratory experiment can be useful for interpreting PLFA profiles of subsurface communities of microorganisms for the purpose of determining their physiological status.
Synthesis and Polymerization of Anhydro Sugars

Publisher Summary This chapter analyzes the preparation of anhydro sugar derivatives that are appropriate starting materials for the synthesis of stereoregular polysaccharides and discuses the methods and mechanisms of polymerization, properties, and characterization of the resultant polymers and their developing applications. The two best-known syntheses of anhydro sugars are those of 1,6-anhydro-β- d -glucopyranose by the alkaline treatment of phenyl β- d- glucopyranoside and of the Brigl anhydride by the treatment of 3,4,6-tri- O -acetyl- β- d -glucopyranosyl chloride with ammonia. A number of anhydro sugar derivatives have been prepared by the treatment of orthoesters with mercuric bromide in nitromethane. There are the two characteristic classes of polymerization process—step growth and chain growth. Currently, minimal structural information is available on 1,3-anhydroaldopyranose polymers, and exploratory studies on alternative catalyst systems are required. The variable selectivity in polymerizations of the 1,4-anhydroaldopyranoses suggests that a systematic investigation of substituent groups, catalysts, and polymerization conditions should lead to stereoregular, (1→4)-linked polysaccharides. If all the challenges are met and comparable progress can be made with the furanosides, there will still be the challenge of the synthesis of regularly ordered copolymers and cis -linked, rather than trans -linked polysaccharides.
Blast: Accelerating high-performance data analytics applications by optical multicast

Multicast data dissemination is the performance bottleneck for high-performance data analytics applications in cluster computing, because terabytes of data need to be distributed routinely from a single data source to hundreds of computing servers. The state-of-the-art solutions for delivering these massive data sets all rely on application-layer overlays, which suffer from inherent performance limitations. This paper presents Blast, a system for accelerating data analytics applications by optical multicast. Blast leverages passive optical power splitting to duplicate data at line rate on a physical-layer broadcast medium separate from the packet-switched network core. We implement Blast on a small-scale hardware testbed. Multicast transmission can start 33ms after an application issues the request, resulting in a very small control overhead. We evaluate Blast's performance at the scale of thousands of servers through simulation. Using only a 10Gbps optical uplink per rack, Blast achieves upto 102× better performance than the state-of-the-art solutions even when they are used over a non-blocking core network with a 400Gbps uplink per rack.
Calculation of Fine Structure Constants

The title of my talk may seem a bit ambitious, but please note the plural “constants”. To calculate the fine structure constant, 1/137, we would need a realistic model of just about everything, and this we do not have. In this talk I want to return to the old question of what it is that determines gauge couplings in general, and try to prepare the ground for a future realistic calculation.
Monoclonal antibodies define a domain on herpes simplex virus glycoprotein B involved in virus penetration.

In an earlier report (S.D. Marlin, S.L. Highlander, T.C. Holland, M. Levine, and J.C. Glorioso, J. Virol. 59: 142-153), we described the production and use of complement-dependent virus-neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) and MAb-resistant (mar) mutants to identify five antigenic sites (I to V) on herpes simplex virus type 1 glycoprotein B (gB). In the present study, the mechanism of virus neutralization was determined for a MAb specific for site III (B4), the only site recognized by MAbs which exhibited complement-independent virus-neutralizing ability. This antibody had no detectable effect on virus attachment but neutralized viruses after adsorption to cell monolayers. These findings implied that the mechanism of B4 neutralization involved blocking of virus penetration. The remaining antibodies, which recognized sites I, II, and IV, required active complement for effective neutralization. These were further studied for their ability to impede virus infectivity in the absence of complement. Antibodies to sites I (B1 and B3) and IV (B6) slowed the rate at which viruses penetrated cell surfaces, supporting the conclusion that antibody binding to gB can inhibit penetration by a virus. The data suggest that MAbs can interfere with penetration by a virus by binding to a domain within gB which is involved in this process. In another assay of virus infection, MAb B6 significantly reduced plaque development, indicating that antibody binding to gB expressed on infected-cell surfaces can also interfere with the ability of a virus to spread from cell to cell. In contrast to these results, antibodies to site II (B2 and B5) had no effect on virus infectivity; this suggests that they recognized structures which do not play a direct role in the infectious process. To localize regions of gB involved in these phenomena, antibody-binding sites were operationally mapped by radioimmunoprecipitation of a panel of truncated gB molecules produced in transient-expression assays. Residues critical to recognition by antibodies which affect penetration by a virus (sites I, III, and IV) mapped to a region of the molecule (amino acid residues 241 to 441) which is centrally located within the external domain. Antibodies which had no effect on penetration (site II) recognized sequences distal to this region (residues 596 to 737) near the transmembrane domain. The data suggest that these gB-specific MAbs recognize two major antigenic sites which reside in physically distinct components of the external domain of gB.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
SU-E-J-103: Propagation of Rectum and Bladder Contours for Tandem and Ring (T&R) HDR Treatment Using Deformable Image Registration

Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of using DIR to propagate the manually contoured rectum and bladder from the 1st insertion to the new CT images on subsequent insertions and evaluate the segmentation performance. Methods: Ten cervical cancer patients, who were treated by T&R brachytherapy in 3–4 insertions, were retrospectively collected. In each insertion, rectum and bladder were manually delineated on the planning CT by a physicist and verified by a radiation oncologist. Using VelocityAI (Velocity Medical Solutions, Atlanta, GA), a rigid registration was firstly employed to match the bony structures between the first insertion and each of the following insertions, then a multi-pass B-spine DIR was carried out to further map the sub volume that encompasses rectum and bladder. The resultant deformation fields propagated contours, and dice similarity coefficient (DSC) was used to quantitatively evaluate the agreement between the propagated contours and the manually-delineated organs. For the 3rd insertion, we also evaluated if the segmentation performance could be improved by propagating the contours from the most recent insertion, i.e., the 2nd insertion. Results: On average, the contour propagation took about 1 minute. The average and standard deviation of DSC over all insertions and patients was 0.67±0.10 (range: 0.44–0.81) for rectum,more » and 0.78±0.07 (range: 0.63–0.87) for bladder. For the 3rd insertion, propagating contours from the 2nd insertion could improve the segmentation performance in terms of DSC from 0.63±0.10 to 0.72±0.08 for rectum, and from 0.77±0.07 to 0.79±0.06 for bladder. A Wilcoxon signed rank test indicated that the improvement was statistically significant for rectum (p = 0.004). Conclusion: The preliminary results demonstrate that deformable image registration could efficiently and accurately propagate rectum and bladder contours between CT images in different T&R brachytherapy fractions. We are incorporating the propagated contours into our learning-based method to further segment these organs.« less
Electrical activity evoked by a specific chemical reaction.

Abstract The aim of the investigations has been the demonstration that electrical activity, irreversibly blocked by the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase with organophosphorus compounds, may be restored by a specific chemical reaction, viz. by reversing the process with a specific reactivator which displaces the phosphoryl group from the enzyme. 1. 1. Frog Sartorius muscle, dissected into two strips, was exposed to Paraoxon until irreversible block of electrical activity was reached. One strip was then exposed to the reactivator. 2. 2. Pyridine-2-aldoxime methiodide (2-PAM), a powerful reactivator of phosphorylated enzyme, and several more lipid soluble derivatives did not restore electrical activity either in normal or in denervated muscle. Electrical activity could be evoked in strips in which it had been nearly completely abolished, with benzoyl-2- and -4-pyridine aldoxime methiodide. Nine out of eleven experiments were successful. 3. 3. The inhibitor used was not quite suitable: the transition from irreversible block of electrical activity to a severe damage of the muscle, with gross alterations such as rigidity and decoloration, took place rather fast. The multifiber preparation used was for other reasons unfavorable for the purpose of the experiments. It is suggested that with other organophosphorus inhibitors and other types of preparation a still better demonstration would be possible that electrical activity may be evoked by a specific chemical reaction. 4. 4. Frequently, the spike height and amplitude of the muscle, on exposure to either eserine or Paraoxon, were markedly increased before the decrease and eventual abolition. With Paraoxon the effect occurred sometimes in the recovery phase. These effects support the assumption that the rapid increase in sodium conductance during nerve activity is due to the action of acetylcholine and the rapid restoration to the normal level to that of acetylcholinesterase.
Lead-isotopic data from sulfide minerals from the Cascade Range, Oregon and Washington

Abstract Lead-isotopic studies of mineral deposits associated with Tertiary plutons found in the Cascade Range of Oregon and Washington demonstrate a rather uniform isotopic composition in various sulfide minerals ( 206 Pb 204 Pb = 18.84 to 19.05 ; 207 Pb 204 Pb = 15.57 to 15.62 ; 208 Pb 204 Pb = 38.49 to 38.74 ), show less variation than data from the volcanic rocks of the Cascade Range and fall within the mixing array defined by the MORB regression line and continental sediments. An evaluation of the role of crustal assimilation by hydrothermal convection during emplacement was made on five sulfide deposits associated with a single composite batholith, the Cloudy Pass pluton. The Pb-isotopic data and mass balance calculations suggest that only minor amounts of the lead were derived from the overlying Precambrian (?) Swakane Biotite Gneiss during emplacement. The bulk of the metal that occurs in sulfide deposits in the Cascade mineral belt appears to have been derived from subducted continental detritus. The variation of the Pb-isotopic signature of Sulfides from specific districts or deposits suggests that there is a correlation with age and structure of the crust. 206 Pb 204 Pb is greater than 18.92 in northern Washington and southern Oregon where deposits have intruded Mesozoic or older crust. However, the ore deposits between the northern Oregon border and central Oregon, south of Eugene, have intruded younger crust composed largely of mafic and andesitic volcanic rocks and 206 Pb 204 Pb lies between 18.84 and 18.92. This region, previously called the Columbia embayment, appears to be underlain by Tertiary volcanic rocks. Lead-isotopic data may be used to define the boundaries between discontinuous blocks of Mesozoic crust and Tertiary volcanic cover.
Tyrosine 3 of Poliovirus Terminal Peptide VPg(3B) Has an Essential Function in RNA Replication in the Context of Its Precursor Protein, 3AB

Poliovirus (PV) VPg is a genome-linked protein that is essential for the initiation of viral RNA replication. It has been well established that RNA replication is initiated when a molecule of UMP is covalently linked to the hydroxyl group of a tyrosine (Y3) in VPg by the viral RNA polymerase 3Dpol, but it is not yet known whether the substrate for uridylylation in vivo is the free peptide itself or one of its precursors. The aim of this study was to use complementation analyses to obtain information about the true in vivo substrate for uridylylation by 3Dpol. Previously, it was shown that a VPg mutant, in which tyrosine 3 and threonine 4 were replaced by phenylalanine and alanine (3F4A), respectively, was nonviable. We have now tested whether wild-type forms of proteins 3B, 3BC, 3BCD, 3AB, 3ABC, and P3 provided either in trans or in cis could rescue the replication defect of the VPg(3F4A) mutations in the PV polyprotein. Our results showed that proteins 3B, 3BC, 3BCD, and P3 were unable to complement the RNA replication defect in dicistronic PV or dicistronic luciferase replicons in vivo. However, cotranslation of the P3 precursor protein allowed rescue of RNA replication of the VPg(3F4A) mutant in an in vitro cell-free translation-RNA replication system, but only poor complementation was observed when 3BC, 3AB, 3BCD, or 3ABC proteins were cotranslated in the same assay. Interestingly, only protein 3AB but not 3B and 3BC, when provided in cis by insertion of a wild-type 3AB coding sequence between the P2 and P3 domains of the polyprotein, supported the replication of the mutated genome in vivo. Elimination of cleavage between 3A and 3B in the complementing 3AB protein, however, led to a complete lack of RNA replication. Our results suggest that (i) VPg has to be delivered to the replication complex in the form of a large protein precursor (P3) to be fully functional in replication; (ii) the replication complex formed during PV replication in vivo is essentially inaccessible to proteins provided in trans, even if the complementing protein is translated from a different cistron of the same RNA genome; (iii) 3AB is the most likely precursor of VPg; and (iv) Y3 of VPg has an essential function in RNA replication in the context of both VPg and 3AB.
The growth rate of cosine families

We discuss the growth rate of a cosine family of operators generated by a linear operator A, on a Banach space, on the domain of A, in terms of the resolvent of A and in terms of the semigroup generated by A.
A study of the ion implantation damage and annealing behavior in GaSb

The effects of damages produced by implantation of Te, Er, Hg, and Pb ions into undoped (100) GaSb single crystals and their recovery by Rutherford backscattering (RBS)/channeling were investigated. The implantations with dosages in the range of 1013 to 1015 ions/cm2 were carried out at liquid nitrogen temperature, at energies corresponding to a projected range of 447A in GaSb. Near surface damage equivalent to that of an amorphous layer was observed even at lower doses. The samples were annealed at 600°C for different durations, with the Te implanted sample of the lowest dosage exhibiting the best recovery (Χmin = 11%) compared to others. This value of Χmin nearly corresponds to that of the virgin crystal. Examination of the surface morphology as a function of mass, dosage, and annealing duration revealed that it was strongly influenced by the dosage of the implanted ions.
Scaling relations for seismic cycles on mid‐ocean ridge transform faults

[1] Mid-ocean ridge transform faults (RTFs) have thermal structures that vary systematically with tectonic parameters, resulting in predictable seismic characteristics and clear seismic cycles. We develop a scaling relation for repeat time, tR, of the largest expected earthquake, MC: tR = μ−1Δσ2/3CMc1/3AT1/4V−1, where μ is the shear modulus, Δσ is the stress drop, CMc is a constant, AT is the area above 600°C, and V is the slip rate. We identify repeating MC earthquakes by measuring differential arrival times of first orbit Rayleigh waves to determine centroid offsets between pairs of events. Comparing our observations of tR (5–14 years for earthquakes on Gofar and Blanco RTFs) with predictions from our scaling relation, we can constrain RTF stress drops. Specific tests of this scaling relation are proposed for earthquakes on Blanco, Gofar, Discovery, and Clipperton RTFs, which are all expected to have large ruptures in the next few years.
Ion species mix measurements in DIII-D and International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor using ion-ion hybrid layer reflectometry

A superheterodyne reflectometer can provide a direct and inexpensive measurement of the concentrations of ion species with different charge to mass ratios. The ion–ion hybrid cutoff frequency is uniquely determined by the cyclotron frequencies and concentrations of the different species. The phase of a ∼20 MHz wave that travels from a launching antenna on the low-field side of a tokamak, reflects off the cutoff layer, then travels to a receiving antenna provides a direct measure of the species mix. Hydrogen concentrations between 3% and 67% are measured in DIII-D using this technique. In theory, the technique can measure the spatial profile of the tritium concentration in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor. Possible practical difficulties include attenuation of the wave in the evanescent layer near the antenna.
Model for radio interference produced by corona pulses on a. c. lines

A model is proposed for radio interference produced by pulsed corona on a.c. lines. This model uses pulse shapes which agree with experimental observations, and it incroporates the timing information forced on the corona by a sinusoidally varying voltage. For applied voltages ranging from the onset Voltage to a level just below the spark voltage, predictions are given of the mean corona current and the spectral density. The effect of the alternating line voltage on the spectral density is indicated through an example.
Beyond the Nature/Society Divide: Learning to Think About a Mountain

Sociological efforts to understand environment-society relationships fall primarily into four conceptual categories. The first three, involving analytical separation, analytical primacy, and balanced dualism, all draw distinctions between biophysical and social aspects of human experience, with subsequent analyses being based on thesea priori distinctions. The fourth or constructivist approach questions this naturalized dichotomy, calling attention instead to mutual contingency or conjoint constitution: What we take to be “physical facts” are likely to be strongly shaped by social construction processes, and at the same time, what we take to be “strictly social” will often have been shaped in part by taken-for-granted realities of the physical world. Technology offers important opportunities for tracing these interconnections, being an embodiment of both the physical and the social. The point is illustrated with a long-term historical analysis of a specific physiographic feature—a mountain—that has undergone little overtphysical change over the centuries, but has undergone repeated changes in its social meanings and uses. Few of the changes would have been possible in the absence of the mountain's physiographic characteristics; similarly, few would have occurred in the absence of changing sociocultural definitions and possibilities. The challenge for sociology is not just to recognize the importance of both the physical and the social factors, and certainly not to argue over the relative importance of the two, but to recognize the extent to which what we take to be “physical” and “social” factors can be conjointly constituted.
Algorithm for Accurate Three-Dimensional Scene Graph Updates in High-Speed Animations of Previously Simulated Construction Operations

Visualization of construction operations is an important technique to communicate the logic of sim- ulation models in detail. Early efforts resulted in a scene graph and frame update algorithm that was capable of converting discrete information from simulation models into smooth and continuous 3D animations. That algo- rithm did not account for high speed or concurrent ani- mation because the need to do so was not anticipated. Re- cent advances in computing power and an interest in us- ing the technology for next generation applications now demand accurate high speed and concurrent animations. This article presents the design of the original algorithm at a previously undocumented level of detail and speci- ficity, and that allows for the analysis of its shortcomings when used at high speeds or concurrently with simula- tion. Two subsequent but still inadequate designs of the algorithm are also presented and analyzed in detail so that they can serve as an illustration of the path toward the final design and place it in proper context. The ar- ticle concludes with the final design and evaluation of the algorithm, which is accurate at very high animation speeds and supports concurrent animation of simulation models.
Mise à l'arrêt définitif de Creys-Malville : le déchargement et les mises hors service définitives

Le Comite interministeriel sur l'energie, preside par le Premier ministre Lionel Jospin, a confirme le 2 fevrier 1998 l'arret definitif de la centrale de Creys-Malville. EDF, qui dispose des connaissances necessaires pour mener a bien ces operations, met en oeuvre la decision gouvernementale en ayant en priorite le souci du respect des principes fondamentaux concernant la surete des installations, la surveillance et la protection de l'environnement. La premiere etape importante concerne le dechargement des elements combustibles du reacteur. Il sera suivi par la vidange et l'entreposage du sodium. La mise hors service definitive des systemes qui peuvent etre deconstruits est en cours.
Functional Studies of Toung Versus Old Platelets in a Patient with Chronic Thrombocytopenia

The reprdoucible platelet production cycle following infusion of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) in a girl with chronic thrombocytopenia [Blood 16: 943, 1960] provided a unique opportunity to study the functional capacity of young and old platelets. Study cycles were initiated by infusing FFP when the patient's platelet count was less than 20,000/mm3. ‘Young’ platelet studies were done 4 days after FFP when the patient's platelet count was less than 20,000/mm3); ‘old’ platelet studies were done 21 days after FFP (average platelet count, 200,000/mm3). All studies were repeated during several such cycles. In association with a young platelet population, were normal Ivy bleeding times, normal or increased platelet adhesiveness, normal aggregation to ADP and collagen, and normal platelet factor 3 availability (PF-3a). By contrast, when the patient's circulating platelets were old, she was found to have long bleeding times, abnormally low adhesiveness in vivo and in vitro, and decreased PF-3a. Aggregation to ADP and collgen was slightly decreased but remained within normal limits. No abnormalities were seen by electron microscopy on platelet samples obtained throughout the cycle. (Performed by Dr. JAMES WHITE, Univ. of Minn.) It is of interest that on several occasions the patient experienced mild bleeding manifestations at the end of a cycle but while her platelet count was still normal. These episodes correlated with the findings of long bleeding time and decreased adhesiveness.
Protecting Competition And Consumers: A Conversation With Timothy J. Muris

In this interview with William Sage of Columbia University, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) chair Timothy Muris discusses his commission’s role in the health care arena. He details the FTC’s antitrust and consumer protection activities in a variety of sectors, including hospitals, physicians, and pharmaceuticals. Muris affirms the commission’s belief that markets benefit consumers and that markets need basic rules to operate. The FTC’s role is to enforce those rules, based on empirical evidence, in as much of the economy as possible, including health care.
Computer service support at Glenview hospital

This case focuses on the challenges of managing a help desk that supports computer users. There are two main technologies that the Information Center (IC) uses to provide this service: the call distributing system and the knowledge base, which is also available on the Web. The choice of technologies affected the service provided by the help desk staff. Specifically, the call distributing system was unable to provide enough information regarding the number of calls answered, dropped, and allocated among the different staff members. The hospital knowledge base, on the other hand, is created based on people's documentation of the problem and selection of keywords, which has led to inconsistencies in the data entry. One of the management challenges for the Information Center is to foster self-help and minimize the number of requests to the IC staff. This case presents the difficulties and some of the initiatives that the IC has considered to solve these problems.
Remote active queue management

Consumers or administrators of small business networks usually cannot directly configure the link which connects their network to their Internet provider. The link setup often provides a sub-optimal configuration for end users' traffic patterns and, at best, favors bulk transfers. We introduce a method of imposing desired active queue management behavior on an upstream queue without requiring administrative control over the queue. We achieve this by observing various externally measurable characteristics of the queue's behavior and then manipulating congestion-controlled traffic through standard feedback channels such as packet drops or ECN notifications. This technique can be directly applied to improve the quality of VoIP connections sharing a bottleneck link with multiple TCP connections. Our approach performs comparably to a RED policy applied on the remote queue, without dropping VoIP packets. The complexity of our approach is independent of the number of connections, and hence it can be implemented on a network gateway without adding noticeable processing overhead.
Strategies for combining and scaling sexual maturity indicators: the Heartfelt Study.

Primary objective: To identify the best variable or combination of sexual maturity variables to use in investigations of adolescent health, and explore possible re-scaling of five-stage sexual maturity stages into 'dummy variables' ('advanced'/'delayed').Research design: Cross-sectional.Subjects: Tri-ethnic sample of 384 US adolescents 11-16 years of age (Heartfelt Study).Methods: Sexual maturity variables are genital, breast and pubic hair stages obtained by clinical examination by nurse practitioners, testes size, menarche and age at menarche.Results: Principal factor analysis of sexual maturity variables, height and age, revealed high commonality among the variables, as no more than a single factor appeared in 27 of 28 factor analyses (by sex and age groups). Genital stage (boys) and breast stage (girls) were most highly related to the first principal factor independent of age and ethnicity. ANOVA of 'key variables' indirectly reflecting endocrine function suggested that some stages could be combined.C...
The resolution of a large sodium iodide crystal using electrons of 25.2 MeV and 40.8 MeV

Abstract We have measured the resolution of a large sodium iodide crystal (8″ dia., 8″ height) using electrons of energy 25.2±0.5 MeV and 40.8±0.8 MeV. Spark chambers made with very thin aluminum foil were used in conjunction with an analyzing magnet to measure the electron momentum. Scintillation counters and associated electronics triggered the system whenever an electron passed along an appropriately defined pathway. The magnet was calibrated by using a floating wire. The resolution (full width at half maximum of the crystal pulse height distribution) was 10.5% at both of the energies used.
Relational Leadership: An Analysis of The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood:

The problem and the solution.The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells describes the remarkable leadership and guidance that women provided their families and friends long before they were leaders in organizations.According to Popper and Mayseless (2003), parents, like transformational leaders, build trust with their children. Parents help guide their children to be autonomous, empowering them to believe and trust in themselves. Thus, parents take on the role of leaders; their characteristics and behaviors illustrate a wide variety of leadership theories, such as leader-member exchange and transformational leadership. Set in 20th-century Louisiana, Wells's (1999) The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood presents an explanation of the relentless support, trust, respect, loyalty, charisma, inspiration, stimulation, and consideration that make women leaders in their personal and professional spheres.
On Bouchet's complementary hypothesis

Abstract Morton's proof of Bouchet's complementary hypothesis has been revisited. The proof's central assumption is that an increase in sensible heat from the surface to the air induces a similar increment in the sensible heat transfer from the air to a hypothetical potential evaporimeter. It is shown that this assumption is not necessary in the derivation. Instead, the complementary hypothesis under simplified conditions can be obtained with the help of the mass conservation equation for water vapor.
Tests with a portable wind tunnel for determining wind erosion threshold velocities

Abstract A portable open-floored wind tunnel was used to develop threshold wind speeds over two pebble covered desert soils and a sandy agricultural soil.
Role of His159 in yeast enolase catalysis.

There are presently several proposed catalytic mechanisms of yeast enolase, all of which have emerged from separate structural investigations of enolase from yeast and lobster muscle. However, the identities of the residues functioning as the general acid/base pair are not yet established unambiguously. In the Mn2+−phosphoglycolate complex of lobster muscle enolase, the imidazole group of His157 (His159 in the yeast enolase numbering system) is in van der Waals contact (4.5 A) with the C2 of the inhibitor [Duquerroy et al. (1995) Biochemistry 34, 12513−12523]. To gain further information about the role played by His159 in the catalytic mechanism of yeast enolase this residue has been mutated to Ala. The gene encoding for the H159A mutation has been constructed and the mutant protein has been expressed in Escherichia coli. The purified mutant protein is folded properly as indicated by near- and far-UV circular dichroism and fluorescence data, and the mutation has no significant effect on the formation of t...
Assessing research network and disciplinary engagement changes induced by an NSF program

To assess the success of the National Science Foundation's Research Coordination Network (RCN) program, a set of publication measures and visualization tools were used to determine how effective the program is in enhancing interdisciplinary publication and information sharing. The publication patterns of a set of researchers were compared before and after receiving RCN awards. These analyses show significant increases in basic collaboration measures--authors per paper and institutions per paper--following RCN support. Various indications suggest increased linkage among the RCN researchers in terms of extent of co-authoring and of cross-citing each other's work. RCN support appears to foster more interdisciplinary research. Diffusion scores (a new metric) showed that the diversity of articles citing RCN-related articles was similar to those citing control group research. Finally, the articles generated by the project activities showed as especially influential; they appear in high impact journals and are more highly cited. Copyright The Author 2012. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com, Oxford University Press.
Sentinel lymph node biopsy and melanoma: 2010 update Part I.

This article will discuss the evidence for and against the therapeutic efficacy of early removal of potentially affected lymph nodes, morbidity associated with sentinel lymph node biopsy and completion lymphadenectomy, current guidelines regarding patient selection for sentinel lymph node biopsy, and the remaining questions that ongoing clinical trials are attempting to answer. The Sunbelt Melanoma Trial and the Multicenter Selective Lymphadenectomy Trials I and II will be discussed in detail. Learning objectives At the completion of this learning activity, participants should be able to discuss the data regarding early surgical removal of lymph nodes and its effect on the overall survival of melanoma patients, be able to discuss the potential benefits and morbidity associated with complete lymph node dissection, and to summarize the ongoing trials aimed at addressing the question of therapeutic value of early surgical treatment of regional lymph nodes that may contain micrometastases.
Evolution of the soluble diiron monooxygenases

Based on structural, biochemical, and genetic data, the soluble diiron monooxygenases can be divided into four groups: the soluble methane monooxygenases, the Amo alkene monooxygenase of Rhodococcus corallinus B-276, the phenol hydroxylases, and the four-component alkene/aromatic monooxygenases. The limited phylogenetic distribution of these enzymes among bacteria, together with available genetic evidence, indicates that they have been spread largely through horizontal gene transfer. Phylogenetic analyses reveal that the α- and β-oxygenase subunits are paralogous proteins and were derived from an ancient gene duplication of a carboxylate-bridged diiron protein, with subsequent divergence yielding a catalytic α-oxygenase subunit and a structural β-oxygenase subunit. The oxidoreductase and ferredoxin components of these enzymes are likely to have been acquired by horizontal transfer from ancestors common to unrelated diiron and Rieske center oxygenases and other enzymes. The cumulative results of phylogenetic reconstructions suggest that the alkene/aromatic monooxygenases diverged first from the last common ancestor for these enzymes, followed by the phenol hydroxylases, Amo alkene monooxygenase, and methane monooxygenases.
LabLink—the key to multi-computer interfacing

The growing complexity of computing environments requires creative solutions to prevent the gain in productivity promised by computing advances from being swallowed up by the necessity of moving information from one environment to another. LabLink is an interfacing tool for accomplishing such transfers in a clinical laboratory environment. It handles the automated data transfer among four systems, as well as providing substantial back-up capacity for critical operations when systems are down for saves or maintenance.
Uniaxial depolarizing dyad artifact removal via spectral domain analysis

Vector potentials are frequently utilized in the electromagnetic analysis of problems involving simple (i.e., linear, homogeneous, and isotropic) media. In recent decades, various scalar and vector potential formulations have been investigated for the analysis of anisotropic and bianisotropic media. This interest has been greatly influenced by the significant developments in material fabrication capability and the phenomena associated with complex media. Uniaxial anisotropic media are particularly interesting from an application viewpoint due to the relative ease of manufacturing this type of material.The goals of this paper are to first briefly review a scalar potential formulation for a magnetically and electrically uniaxial anisotropic medium. Next, expected and unexpected depolarizing dyad contributions are identified in the scalar potential development. It is discussed, from a physical viewpoint, why the unexpected depolarizing dyad should not exist. Based on this insight, the final goal is to demonstrate via two alternative methods that the unexpected depolarizing dyad is actually removable, thus leading to a physically and mathematically consistent theory.
Fatty Acid Distribution in Polar and Nonpolar Lipid Classes of Hazelnut Oil (Corylus avellana L.)

The lipid extract from hazelnuts was classified as polar (glucolipids = 1.4% and phospholipids = <1%) or nonpolar (triacylglycerides = 98.4%) by column and thin-layer chromatography. Fatty acids derivatized as methyl esters were analyzed by gas chromatography with flame ionization detector and mass spectrometer. Oleic acid was predominant in all lipid classes, followed by linoleic, palmitic, and stearic. Myristic, palmitoleic, hexadecadienoic, linolenic, eicosanoic, and eicosenoic acids were also present in minor proportions. Monounsaturated fatty acids predominated in nonpolar lipids, whereas saturated and polyunsaturated acids were more prominent in polar lipids. Fatty acid contents were compared by ANOVA. Significant differences were found for fatty acid contents in the different lipid classes (p < 0.05). A negative correlation was found between monounsaturated−polyunsaturated and monounsaturated−saturated fatty acids. Keywords: Hazelnut oil; nonpolar and polar lipids; fatty acid distribution
The synthesis and structural characterization of the technetium nitrosyl complexes [TcCl(NO)(SC5H4N)(PPh3)2] and [Tc(NO)(SC5H4N)2(PPh3)]

The reaction of the Tc(I) complex [Tc(NO)Cl2(HOMe)(PPh3)2] with stoichiometric amounts of 2-mercatopyridine and a proton scavenger yields [Tc(NO)Cl(Spy)(PPh3)2] or [Tc(NO)(Spy)2(PPh3)], depending upon quantities of ligands employed. These two complexes have been structurally characterized. The small bite angles of the bidentate mercaptopyridine ligands cause significant deviation from octahedral coordination geometry.
Diode laser spectrum of diacetylene near 5 μm

Abstract The ν 5 rotation-vibration fundamental band and the ν 5 + ν 9 band of diacetylene in the region 2000–2037 cm −1 have been measured to an accuracy of better than ±0.004 cm −1 using a tunable-diode laser spectrometer. The l -type doubling in the ( ν 5 + ν 9 − ν 9 band has been resolved. Line positions, assignments, band origins, and rotational constants B ′ v , B ″ v , D ′ v , and D ″ v are reported.
An aberration of glucose metabolism and steroidogenesis in adrenals of thiamin-deficient rats.

Rats were fed a thiamin-deficient(TD) casein-sucrose diet for 32-35 days and controls were pair-fed the same diet with thiamin added. When compared to the pair-fed controls, TD rats had significantly lower rises in plasma corticosterone in response to ether vapor and to ACTH injection. The half-time of iv injected radioactive corticosterone was similar in both groups. Quartered adrenals from TD rats produced significantly less corticosterone in response to ACTH added to the incubation media than adrenals from pair-fed controls. Severe thiamin deficiency was confirmed by the markedly decreased in vitro transketolase activity observed in adrenal and red blood cell (RBC) and by the low activity of pyruvate decarboxylase observed in adrenals. A marked in vitro thiamin pyrophosphate effect was observed only in the activities of RBC transketolase and adrenal pyruvate decarboxylase of TD rats. The effect was trivial in RBC's and adrenals from pair-fed controls. ACTH produced negligible stimulation of 1-14C- and ...
Procedures for Designing Course Evaluation Instruments: Masked Personality Format Versus Transparent Achievement Format:

One important consideration in designing instruments to measure students' attitudes about a course or an instructor is the influence of the format of the instrument on students' responses. This stu...
Investigation of the operating characteristics of the 3.5 &#181; xenon laser

Amplification at 3.508 μ in pure xenon dc-excited discharges has been measured over a wide range of gas pressures and for several discharge diameters. For pressures greater than 10 mTorr, the unsaturated gain increases monotonically as the pressure decreases. Gain varies inversely as the radius for large bore (radius ≥ 3.5 mm) amplifers, but a complicated, pressure-dependent variation between gain and discharge diameter was observed in amplifiers of less than 3-mm diameter. Gain saturation occurs at low Signal levels and results in small output powers from conventional xenon lasers.
The Selective Sparing of Body Part Knowledge: A Case Study

Abstract The selective sparing and impairment of specific categories of knowledge in patients with neurological damage may help reveal the organization of semantic knowledge in the brain. We report the selective sparing of the category of body parts in a patient who is otherwise impaired in naming and comprehending a wide range of other semantic categories. This pattern of performance and its complementary pattern already described in the neuropsychological literature are interpreted within a model of semantic memory that postulates a categorical structure for evolutionarily important categories of knowledge.
Characterizing Strain in the Tibia of Rats Exposed to Hindlimb Unloading With an Exercise Countermeasure

The purpose of this research was to characterize the strains in the rat tibia induced by controlled muscle contractions of the lower limb. The muscle contractions were generated unilaterally by electrical stimulation of the sciatic nerve in anesthetized animals. The technique was developed by muscle biologists as a way of simulating resistive exercise, and it was used in the current research as a countermeasure for rats undergoing hindlimb unloading to simulate musculoskeletal effects of space flight. The intensity of muscle contraction is quantified by measuring the torque generated at the ankle joint. A wide range of torques can be generated by varying the frequency of the electrical stimulating signal. Three specific questions were addressed in the current study. First, what is the relationship between strain and torque? Second, does the relationship between strain and torque change during the period of hindlimb unloading with exercise? Third, are the strain magnitudes in the range generally regarded to be osteogenic? This project is part of a larger effort aimed at assessing the efficacy of the muscle stimulation method as a countermeasure for the negative musculoskeletal effects of mechanical unloading.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Inhibition of adenylate kinase by P1,P5-di (adenosine 5') pentaphosphate in assays of erythrocyte enzyme activities requiring adenine nucleotides

P1,P5-di(adenosine 5')pentaphosphate (Ap5A) is an excellent inhibitor of human hemolysate adenylate kinase at concentrations near 2 microM and above. At ten times this concentration and in hemolysate enzyme assays under conditions described in this paper it appears not to alter reaction data in the case of hexokinase, phosphofructokinase, and phosphoglycerokinase. In the pyruvate kinase assay, very modest reductions in activity are noted, and kinetics with phosphoenolpyruvate, adenosine diphosphate (ADP), and uridine diphosphate (UDP) are unaltered.
The equilibrium vortex melting transition in YBa2Cu3O7

Abstract The dynamic and thermodynamic experimental evidence supporting first order vortex melting in clean crystals of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 is reviewed.