cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application of a single-solute non-steady-state phloem model to the study of long-distance assimilate transport.

A mass-balanced, finite-difference solution to Munch's osmotically generated pressure-flow hypothesis is developed for the study of non-steady-state sucrose transport in the phloem tissue of plants. Major improvements over previous modeling efforts are the inclusion of wall elasticity, nonlinear functions of viscosity and solute potential, an enhanced calculation of sieve pore resistance, and the introduction of a slope-limiting total variation diminishing method for determining the concentration of sucrose at node boundaries. The numerical properties of the model are discussed, as is the history of the modeling of pressure-driven phloem transport. Idealized results are presented for a sharp, fast-moving concentration front, and the effect of changing sieve tube length on the transport of sucrose in both the steady-state and non-steady-state cases is examined. Most of the resistance to transport is found to be axial, rather than radial (via membrane transport), and most of the axial resistance is due to the sieve plates. Because of the sieve plates, sieve tube elasticity does not provide a significant enhancement to conductivity at high pressure, as previously suspected. The transit time of sucrose through a sieve tube is found to be inversely proportional to the square of the sieve tube's length; following that observation, it is suggested that 20 1-m-long sieve tubes could transport sucrose 20 times faster than a single 20 m sieve tube. Short sieve tubes would be highly sensitive to differentials between loading and unloading rate, and would require close cooperation with adjacent companion cells for proper function.
Treatment of Late-life Insomnia

Insomnia, defined as difficulty initiating and/or maintaining sleep at least 3 nights/week that is accompanied by complaints of sleep-related daytime impairment 1, 2, is the most common sleep disturbance in later life. Although insomnia can occur as an acute disorder (7 days or less), older adults are often afflicted with chronic insomnia (12 months or more3). Additionally, insomnia in older individuals is most frequently co-morbid in nature, occurring in the context of age-related medical/psychiatric conditions, increased medication usage, and/or polypharmacy. This chapter will focus on the conceptualization, assessment and treatment of late-life insomnia from a behavioral sleep medicine perspective. Evidence for both behavioral and pharmacological treatment approaches will be presented. However, as will be shown, late-insomnia’s chronic and co-morbid nature make behavioral techniques the preferable treatment approach. Rates of Late-Life Insomnia The prevalence and incidence rates of late-life insomnia depend largely on the criteria used in the specific study in question. Epidemiological surveys in the United States generally do not reference the chronicity of the sleep complaint, do not require daytime impairment in the criteria of insomnia, or fail to screen out insomnia participants with comorbid somatic complaints. Likewise, these studies tend to yield larger prevalence rates (i.e., 30%–60%) 4, 5 than rates derived from studies that include these more stringent criteria (i.e., 12–25%) 6, 7. Regardless of the criteria, prevalence and incidence rates of insomnia significantly increase with age 4, 8. The one year incidence rate of insomnia in the 65+ population has been reported to range between 3.1%–7.3% 9, 10. Importantly, the increased prevalence of late-life insomnia may be at least partially attributable to the finding that remission of insomnia is less common in older individuals than it is in younger individuals 11. Research suggests that the increased rates of insomnia from mid-life to late-life are seen most prominently among older women, as elderly women present in a medical setting with insomnia complaints more frequently than men 6, 9, 12, 13. While aging is associated with increased rates of insomnia, normal aging does not necessitate the onset of insomnia 12, 14. Indeed, when mental and physical co-morbidities are controlled, the prevalence of late-life insomnia may be as low as 1%–7.5% 4, 15. Insomnia leads to and is precipitated by several health complaints 16, and because insomnia is often co-morbid with age related health problems, determining if aging has a direct or indirect role in the increased prevalence of insomnia has been difficult.
Imitation and social facilitation in the pigeon

The sight of another pigeon pecking a response key for grain resulted in similar pecking by more pigeons than did the sight of another pigeon eating or the sight of another pigeon {neither pecking nor eating}. But more pigeons pecked the response key when they could see another pigeon that was neither pecking nor eating than when no other pigeon was there {whether or not key-light/grain pairings were observable in the adjacent compartment}. Finally, observation of another pigeon pecking but not eating produced pecking comparable to observation of both pecking and eating. The presence of both imitation and social facilitation of keypecking were demonstrated. Observation of the consummatory response contributed little to keypecking. The present study demonstrated imitative behavior
The influence of signal noise on the accuracy of kinetic constants measured by surface plasmon resonance experiments.

An analysis is carried out to investigate the accuracy of kinetic parameters obtained using surface plasmon resonance methodology with a BIAcore instrument. The Cramer Rao lower bound for the least possible variance of an estimator of the kinetic parameters is determined. Using simulations it is shown that the standard least-squares estimation technique provides estimates that achieve this bound. The theoretical and simulation results are compared with experimental data obtained from an analysis of the interaction of the myc peptide with the anti-myc antibody, 9E10. This investigation indicates that the accuracy of the results depends on the signal level which has particular relevance to the design of experiments with low signal levels. It is shown how the accuracy of the estimates of the kinetic constants depends on the kinetic constants themselves and how the accuracy of the association constants depends on the concentration of the analyte that is used in the experiment. In addition, the effects of increasing the number of data points in the analysis of dissociation data on the accuracy of the estimates are quantitated. It is also demonstrated that signal averaging of data derived from repeat sensorgrams can result in a significant decrease in the standard deviation of the estimates.
Coin Reconsidered: The Political Alchemy of Commodity Money

Medieval coin plays an essential role in the imagined history of money: it figures as the primal "commodity money" — a natural medium, spontaneously adopted by parties in exchange who converge upon a metal like silver to represent the value of other goods. As a natural medium with a price objectively established through trade, commodity money appears to offer an independent means of measure in the market. But as the history offered here reveals, medieval money was nothing like its imagined alternative. England’s early coin became a medium when the government began to spend and tax in that unit of account, took coin as a mode of payment, and allowed it to be transferred between people in the meantime. Individuals participated in the arrangement, paying for coin in exchange for the unique quality — liquidity — that set money apart from a commodity. That quality was orchestrated by the very channels that brought public and private together in the project of making a medium. In fact, insofar as the English equated money with the commodity it contained, they engineered instability into the heart of their medium. Depreciating coin — diluting its commodity content — offered a cure. It also confirmed that coin had never been the "commodity money" imagined in later accounts. Coin was, instead, a constitutional medium, one that related the government to its participants and thus helped to configure the world it appeared merely to measure.
Cancer symptom clusters: current concepts and controversies.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Cluster research examines complex interrelationships between multiple concurrent symptoms and their mechanisms. An individual's varying understanding of the cluster concept and variations in assessment tools results in discrepancies. This article will focus on the conceptual and methodological issues associated with definitions, symptom interrelationships, and outcomes of cancer symptom clusters. RECENT FINDINGS: An important issue in symptom cluster research is to clarify the definition of a cluster. Some evidence suggests that 'symptom pairs' should be treated as clusters. There is substantial evidence (both qualitative and quantitative) to support a psychoneurological symptom cluster in cancer patients. It has been proposed that consistent clusters are those that have similar 'core' symptoms over time. Research has also shown that a 'sentinel' symptom can predict the presence of other relevant symptoms within a cluster. Identification of patient subgroups with higher symptom severity may be useful in targeting the most needy individuals for intervention. Symptom clusters are predictors of patient outcomes, including decreased functional performance and shorter cancer survival. SUMMARY: Additional efforts should refine the cluster definition and elucidate the cluster stability and sentinel symptom. Both conceptual and empirical contributions should advance symptom cluster research. The qualitative approaches can explore the experience of symptom clusters and provide a conceptual basis for future research.
Role of vascular decongestion in ischemic acute renal failure defined by postinsult administration of pentoxifylline.

The patholophysiologic significance of vascular congestion in the mechanism of ischemic acute renal failure following postocclusive reflow was studied with a novel hemorheologic probe, pentoxifylline. Using the autoperfused rat kidney model, in-ulin clearances (CIN), urine flow rates (UFR), renal electrolyte excretions, and renal hemodynamic parameters (RVR, RBP, RBF) were compared in saline- and pentoxifylline-treated anesthetized rats prior to and following a 45-min occlusive period. Renal functional and hemodynamic parameters were significantly altered in saline controls. In contrast, postischemia treatment with pentoxifylline was associated with significant recovery in CIN and UFR, and stable RVR, RBF, and RBP. Kidneys treated with saline infusion had pronounced vascular congestion, in contrast to those administered pentoxifylline. Coupled with the absence in medullary hyperemia, the present experiments support the role of vascular congestion in ischemic actue renal failure. Pentoxifylline, administer...
Characterization of recombinant helper retroviruses from Moloney-based vectors in ecotropic and amphotropic packaging cell lines.

Abstract We have characterized the recombinant replication-competent retrovirus (RCV) arising from pΔN2-derived vectors in the packaging cell lines Ψ2 (ecotropic) and PA317 (amphotropic). Detailed restriction patterns and sequence of the envelope region of these RCVs has indicated that they arose from recombination events between the virus plasmids used to create the packaging cell line and the vectors. There was no evidence of recombination involving endogenous murine retroviral sequences in the packaging cell line or in transduced hematopoietic cells. In addition, we have confirmed that the mutation of the start codon of the pXM5(N2) derivatives gag+ sequence drastically decreased the occurrence of RCV production. These results offer encouragement that the risk of RCV production can be adequately decreased in gene therapy applications of defective retrovirus vectors.
Milk consumption during adolescence decreases alcohol drinking in adulthood

Early onset of alcohol consumption increases the risk for the development of dependence. Whether adolescent consumption of other highly palatable solutions may also affect alcohol drinking in adulthood is not known. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of adolescent consumption of four solutions: water, sucrose, sucrose-milk and milk on ethanol drinking in adult rats. Rats had limited access to one of the four solutions from day PND 29 to PND 51 and were subsequently trained to consume ethanol (E) using a sucrose (S) fade-out procedure. Adolescent consumption of sucrose and sucrose-milk solutions increased intake of 2.5% E when it was combined with 10% S but it had no effect on the drinking of 10% E alone. Adolescent consumption of milk and sucrose-milk significantly decreased the intake of 10% E when it was combined with 10% S, and milk significantly reduced 10% E consumption alone and when it was combined with 5% S. Adolescent exposure to the sucrose-milk and sucrose solutions was also found to increase sucrose and sucrose-milk consumption. Our findings suggest adolescent exposure to sucrose increases, whereas, exposure to milk reduces ethanol consumption in adult rats. Our results may provide a new theoretical approach to the early prevention of alcoholism.
New Tigridieae (Iridaceae) from Mexico

A comparison of three heretofore undescribed species with the previously known species inTigridia subgen.Hydrotaenia suggests a realignment of taxa within the various complexes inHydrotaenia. Three species,T. venusta, T. illecebrosa, andT. catarinensis, and two subspecies,T. hallbergii ssp.lloydii andT. ehrenbergii ssp.flaviglandifera, are described.Sessilanthera citrina is described and the new taxonomic combinationS. heliantha (Ravenna) Cruden is proposed.
Free Vibration of Serpentine Belt Drive Systems

The vibration of an automotive serpentine belt drive system greatly affects the perceived quality and the reliability of the system. Accessory drives with unfavorable vibration characteristics transmit excessive noise and vibration to other vehicle structures, to the vehicle occupants, and may also promote the fatigue and failure of system components. Moreover, these characteristics are a consequence of decisions made early on in the design and arrangement of the accessory drive system. The present paper focuses on fundamental modeling issues that are central to predicting accessory drive vibration. To this end, a prototypical drive is evaluated, which is composed of a driven pulley, a driving pulley, and a dynamic tensioner. The coupled equations of free response governing the discrete and continuous elements are presented herein. A closed-form solution method is used to evaluate the natural frequencies and modeshapes. Attention focuses on a key linear mechanism that couples tensioner arm rotation and transverse vibration of the adjacent belt spans. Modal tests on an experimental drive confirm the theoretical predictions.
On the Zero-One Law and the Law of Large Numbers for Random Walk in Mixing Random Environment

We prove a weak version of the law of large numbers for multi-dimensional finite range random walks in certain mixing elliptic random environments. This already improves previously existing results, where a law of large numbers was known only under strong enough transience. We also prove that for such walks the zero-one law implies a law of large numbers.
Saturation of Two Level Systems and Charge Noise in Josephson Junction Qubits

We study the charge noise ${S}_{Q}$ in Josephson qubits produced by fluctuating two-level systems (TLSs) with electric-dipole moments in the substrate. The TLSs are driven by an alternating electric field of angular frequency $\ensuremath{\Omega}$ and electric field intensity $I$. It is not widely appreciated that TLS in small qubits can easily be strongly saturated if $I⪢{I}_{c}$, where ${I}_{c}$ is the critical electric field intensity. To investigate the effect of saturation on the charge noise, we express the noise spectral density in terms of density-matrix elements. To determine the dependence of the density-matrix elements on the ratio $I/{I}_{c}$, we find the steady-state solution for the density matrix using the Bloch-Redfield differential equations. We then obtain an expression for the spectral density of charge fluctuations as a function of frequency $f$ and the ratio $I/{I}_{c}$. We find $1/f$ charge noise at low frequencies, and that the charge noise is white (constant) at high frequencies. Using a flat density of states, we find that TLS saturation has no effect on the charge noise at either high or low frequencies.
The homestake chlorine solar neutrino experiment—past, present and future

Abstract The Homestake chlorine solar neutrino detector has measured the total flux of electron neutrinos from the Sun above 0.814 MeV as 2.56±0.16(stat)±0.16(syst) SNU compared to the predicted flux of 7.5 SNU. When combined with the recent SNO measurement of the electron neutrino flux from 8B decays, the Homestake measurement gives 0.55 ± 0.27 SNU for the “1 MeV” electron neutrino flux (7 Be, PeP and CNO) compared to the prediction of 1.83 SNU, assuming no neutrino flavor transitions.
Comments on variational approximations within the hydrodynamic model

(1979). Comments on variational approximations within the hydrodynamic model. Molecular Physics: Vol. 38, No. 4, pp. 1311-1313.
Capillary electrophoresis facilitates determination of metal complex stoichiometry by Job's method of continuous variation

Environmental context Knowledge of metal-chelating agent speciation is integral to our ability to predict and interpret the behaviour of synthetic chelating agents in the environment. Capillary electrophoresis can be used to separate metal–ligand complexes with similar spectroscopic characteristics but different stoichiometries, thereby providing insight into metal–ligand speciation that is not possible by any other technique. Here, we demonstrate the utility of capillary electrophoresis for the determination of metal–ligand stoichiometries and evaluate its limitations. Abstract Job’s method of continuous variation is a traditional method used to determine the stoichiometry of metal–ligand complexes. The method is often applied to whole-sample absorbance measurements but its utility is limited when two or more complexes are present at significant concentrations and have similar absorption spectra. Here we employ capillary electrophoresis (CE), which separates complexes on the basis of charge and hydrodynamic radii, to extend the capabilities of Job’s method. Solutions containing nickel(II) and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) yield three CE peaks. Job’s method plot maxima, based on areas for each of the three CE peaks, coincide with nickel(II)-to-DTPA ratios of 1 : 1 and 1 : 2, which correspond to two complexes previously identified using whole-sample measurements, plus a ratio of 3 : 2, which corresponds to a previously unreported complex. We demonstrate how CE peak areas and electromigration times can be used to determine complex stoichiometries and formation constants. We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of Job’s Method coupled with CE and implications for speciation determination in environmentally relevant systems.
Ballistic Performance of Alumina/S‐2 Glass‐reinforced Polymer‐matrix Composite Hybrid Lightweight Armor Against Armor Piercing (ap) and Non‐AP Projectiles

The ability of light‐weight all fiber‐reinforced polymer‐matrix composite armor and hybrid composite‐based armor hard‐faced with ceramic tiles to withstand the impact of a non‐Armor‐ Piercing (non‐AP) and AP projectiles is investigated using a transient non‐linear dynamics computational analysis. The results obtained confirm experimental findings that the all‐composite armor, while being able to successfully defeat non‐AP threats, provides very little protection against AP projectiles. In the case of the hybrid armor, it is found that, at a fixed overall areal density of the armor, there is an optimal ratio of the ceramic‐to‐composite areal densities which is associated with a maximum ballistic armor performance against AP threats. The results obtained are rationalized using an analysis based on the shock/blast wave reflection and transmission behavior at the hard‐face/air, hard‐face/backing and backing/air interfaces, projectiles’ wear and erosion and the intrinsic properties of the constituent materials of the armor and the projectiles.
Systemic lupus erythematosus — disease management

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic rheumatic disease in which the etiology is multifactorial. The clinical course of the disease is characterized by relapses and remissions. Therefore, therapy is targeted at both suppression of signs and symptoms of acute illness as well as prevention of future pathology. The role of aggressive therapy is associated with increased risks of toxicities to the patient, requiring that treatment be tailored to the needs of the individual. However, recent advances in our understanding of the immune system may translate into improved outcomes in managing patients with SLE.
Focusing of Spin Waves in YIG Thin Films

Previous investigations using YIG found that spin waves showed distinct focusing in two different directions as they hit some impurity in the material.An important property for a material to exhibit focusing is anisotropy, so that the group and phase velocities point in different directions. Since magnetic materials have an inherent anisotropy, we study the focusing behavior of magneto-static waves in ferromagnetic thin films.We also found the focusing effects by varying the applied magnetic field at a constant frequency.We have also studied the focusing of the surface waves. The slowness surface for surface wave shows no points of zero curvature, but the curvature is not same at all points and hence we have weak focusing. The surface wave focusing is also tunable with the external field. One also finds focusing effects of the higher order bulk modes. Finally, we note that it should be experimentally possible to observe the focusing effects using Brillouin light scattering.
Antisense confirmation of μ- and κ-opioid receptor mediation of morphine's effects on body temperature in rats

Abstract Previous studies showed that parenterally administered morphine at 4–16 mg/kg markedly increased body temperature in the rat, but higher doses of morphine (>- 30 mg/kg, subcutaneously, sc) caused a profound decrease in body temperature. Based on the use of selective opioid agonists and antagonists, we postulated that these effects were due to morphine's actions on μ and κ receptors, respectively. In the present study, we sought to determine whether an antisense (AS) oligodeoxynucleotide (oligo) against cloned μ or κ opioid receptors could affect morphine-induced body temperature changes. AS oligos were directed against nucleotides 1–18 of the coding region of the μ receptor and 4–21 of the coding region of the κ receptor. Male SD rats were surgically implanted with intracerebroventricular (icv) cannulae. Rats received icv injections of vehicle or oligo in the animal colony room on days 1, 3 and 5. Either AS oligo or missense (MS) oligo was infused in a volume of 5 μl over 30 s to freely moving animals. On day 6, the rats were tested. The results showed that icv treatment with an AS oligo against μ opioid receptors, but not an MS oligo against the μ opioid receptor or an AS oligo against the κ opioid receptor, significantly attenuated the hyperthermia normally produced by a relatively low dose of morphine administered sc. In addition, treatment with an AS oligo against κ receptors, but not an MS oligo against κ opioid receptor or an AS oligo against the μ opioid receptor, significantly blocked the hypothermia induced by a high dose of morphine. This study confirms our earlier postulate that morphine at 4 mg/kg, sc, induces an increase in body temperature primarily via μ opioid receptors in the brain and a high dose (30 mg/kg) of morphine administered sc produces a decrease primarily through κ opioid receptors in the brain.
Comparison between a modified beta and a modified normal distribution function for the description of populations with a finite size range

On etudie la possibilite d'interchanger les deux expressions mathematiques en replacant les donnees obtenues par une des fonctions dans l'autre
Density estimation for data with rounding errors

Rounding of data is common in practice. The problem of estimating the underlying density function based on data with rounding errors is addressed. A parametric maximum likelihood estimator and a nonparametric bootstrap kernel density estimator are proposed. Simulations indicate that the maximum likelihood approach performs well when prior information on the functional form of the underlying distribution is available, while the kernel-type estimator attains stable and good performance in various cases. The proposed methods are further applied to detect the distributional difference of head circumferences from two Chernobyl impacted regions of Ukraine.
Effect of different adatom hopping processes on steady state roughness during growth by molecular beam epitaxy

Steady state interface width is calculated for random deposition by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Arbitrary rates for noninteracting adatoms to diffuse (Wtr) across a terrace of equal atomic heights and jump (Wed) off a terrace edge to the next terrace below are considered. This extends an earlier work by the author which had Wtr = Wed. Both analytic theory and Monte Carlo simulations are used. The width σ2(L) depends on the linear size L of the region under investigation, being logarithmic σ2(L) α In L for a planar d= 2 substrate and linear α2(L) σ L for a linear d = 1 substrate. This dependence holds even for no terrace diffusion, Wtr = 0. For a planar substrate the slope dσ2(L)dIn L likely goes to zero as 1Wtr for large Wtr; but the behavior of dσ2(L)dL with large Wtr is less certain for a one dimensional substrate. Estimates are made for how Wtr influences the value of L beyond which size dependence becomes of practical importance.
Histopathologic features of atypical glands on prostate biopsy: nucleolar size is a predictor of subsequent detection of prostatic adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND Patients whose prostate biopsy reveals the presence of atypical glands suspicious for carcinoma (AGSC) are subject to close monitoring and repeat biopsies, perhaps unnecessarily, as clinicians do not have a clear basis for understanding and stratifying the significance of these findings. METHODS In a retrospective, blinded manner, we histopathologically examined initial biopsies reported as AGSC (82 patients, 93 foci). On subsequent biopsies, 31 (38%)/5 (6%) patients were found to have prostate cancer (PCA)/AGSC, respectively, while no carcinoma (NOCA) was identified in the remainder (56%) of cases. RESULTS Nucleolar grade (on a scale of 1–4 with “1” denoting small, inconspicuous nucleoli and “4” denoting macronucleoli) was significantly higher in PCA cases than in NOCA cases whether comparing all AGSC foci (P = 0.006) or when considering the highest grade in each patient (P = 0.009). However, the number of AGSC per focus was similar (P = 0.926) between PCA (mean ± SD: 7.03 ± 5.35) and NOCA (mean ± SD: 7.13 ± 4.44). Adjacent (P = 0.117) and separate (P = 0.457) high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia was found in 8/37 (22%) foci and 12/31 (39%) cases in PCA, respectively, and in 4/48 (8%) foci and 13/46 (28%) cases in NOCA, respectively. The presence of intraluminal dense secretion, crystalloid, or mucin in AGSC did not show a statistically significant correlation between PCA [5/37 (14%)] and NOCA [10/48 (21%)] (P = 0.567). CONCLUSIONS Our study may thus clarify the significance of AGSC on prostate biopsy and suggests that the size of nucleoli in AGSC is a positive predictor of subsequent detection of prostatic adenocarcinoma. Prostate 73: 376–381, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Visible Mueller matrix spectropolarimetry

A Mueller matrix spectropolarimeter operating between 400- 900nm has been developed for optical element characterization at The University of Alabama in Huntsville. Mueller matrices are measured as a function of wavelength and the spectral behavior of the polarization properties can be determined. Measurements of an achromatic retarder in transmission, a reflective beamsplitter, and the electro- optic dispersion of a spatial light modulator will be presented.
Parental employment, family routines and childhood obesity

Using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey-Kindergarten Class of 1998-1999 (ECLS-K) data from kindergarten through eighth grade, this paper investigate the relationships among maternal employment, family routines and obesity. More hours worked by the mother tend to be negatively related to positive routines like eating meals as a family or at regular times, or having family rules about hours of television watched. Many of these same routines are significantly related to the probability of being obese, implying that family routines may be a mechanism by which maternal employment intensity affects children's obesity. However, inclusion of family routines in the obesity regression does not appreciably change the estimated effect of maternal employment hours. Thus, the commonly estimated deleterious effect of maternal employment on children's obesity cannot be explained by family routines, leaving the exact mechanisms an open question for further exploration.
Key aspects of a computerized statistics course

COMPUTERIZED TEACHING involves transforming the three traditional aspects of teaching: lectures, homeworks, and office hours/communications.Chalk-and-blackboard lectures are replaced with multimedia presentations.Work-it-out-and-hand-it-in homeworks are replaced with electronic homeworks with instant grading and detailed explanations.Traditional-office-hours are replaced by e-mail and listserv’s and, more recently, by live computer screen interactions (live TV) between student and professor. The following discussion looks at these aspects of computerized teaching in the context of teaching an undergraduate statistics course.
A rhodopsin is the functional photoreceptor for phototaxis in the unicellular eukaryote Chlamydomonas

Rhodopsin is a visual pigment ubiquitous in multicellular animals. If visual pigments have a common ancient origin, as is believed, then some unicellular organisms might also use a rhodopsin photoreceptor. We show here that the unicellular alga Chlamydomonas does indeed use a rhodopsin photoreceptor. We incorporated analogues of its retinal chromophore into a blind mutant; normal photobehaviour was restored and the colour of maximum sensitivity was shifted in a manner consistent with the nature of the retinal analogue added. The data suggest that 11-cis-retinal is the natural chromophore and that the protein environment of this retinal is similar to that found in bovine rhodopsin, suggesting homology with the rhodopsins of higher organisms. This is the first demonstration of a rhodopsin photoreceptor in an alga or eukaryotic protist and also the first report of behavioural spectral shifts caused by exogenous synthetic retinals in a eukaryote. A survey of the morphology and action spectra of other protists suggests that rhodopsins may be common photoreceptors of chlorophycean, prasinophycean and dinophycean algae. Thus, Chlamydomonas represents a useful new model for studying photoreceptor cells.
Preterm Birth: An Overview of Risk Factors and Obstetrical Management.

Preterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal mortality and a major public health concern. Risk factors for preterm birth include a history of preterm birth, short cervix, infection, short interpregnancy interval, smoking, and African-American race. The use of progesterone therapy to treat mothers at risk for preterm delivery is becoming more widespread. Tocolytics may not prevent preterm birth but have a role in prolonging pregnancy for administration of medications to benefit the preterm infant. These include antenatal steroids and, if indicated, magnesium sulfate for neuroprotection and intravenous antibiotics for Group B Streptococcus prophylaxis. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Disabil Res Rev 2010;16:285–288.
The Pittsburgh Scales of Social Extraversion-Introversion and Emotionality

(1962). The Pittsburgh Scales of Social Extraversion-Introversion and Emotionality. The Journal of Psychology: Vol. 53, No. 1, pp. 199-209.
Glassy behaviour in high-Tc superconductors

Numerical simulations for an XY-spin-glass model are presented. The connection to recent experiments on high-Tc superconductors is outlined. In particular, the glass behaviour in experiments is reproduced by a two-dimensional (2d) model. A phase diagram important for future experiments is also provided. A substantial gain in Tc is predicted for enhanced couplings between plains.
Field assisted self‐assembly for preferential through thickness (“z‐direction”) alignment of particles and phases by electric, magnetic, and thermal fields using a novel roll‐to‐roll processing line

Many functional films including heat spreaders, ultrahigh density information storage systems, capacitors, batteries, and fuel cell membranes require enhanced through thickness properties. In this paper, we describe a design and demonstration of a multipurpose novel film formation process to orient and align functional nanoparticles and polymer phases using external electric, magnetic, and thermal gradient fields. This roll-to-roll processing line uses a casting system that deposits liquid film of a monomer and/or polymer solution on to a flexible substrate. Substrate is carried by belt through an electric field zone that can apply DC, AC, or a biased AC to orient the phases and particles in the vertical direction while subjecting it to UV through its built in transparent conductive carrier. To orient magnetic particles, an electromagnet located along the machine may be used. The final tool that is built on this machine is the thermal alignment zone which is designed to apply a “line of heat” oriented transverse to the machine direction at nine different zones. Using this processing line, we are able to reduce the cost of manufacturing by limiting the amount of functional fillers through directional alignment while enhancing the thickness properties. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 55:34–46, 2015. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers
Correlation between immunosuppression to tumorigenesis. 1. Humoral immunosuppressing factor

Abstract Factors that alter cellular immunity, macrophage and lymphoid cell functions can be obtained from sera of animals bearing proliferating tumors. Rats bearing syngeneic mammary adenocarcinoma (R 3230) AdCa) and CFW mice bearing syngeneic spontaneous mammary adenocarcinoma have been examined. Peritoneal macrophages and spleenocytes cytotoxicity against tumor cells, and the effect of serum on incorporation of 3H-thymidine into normal spleenocytes DNA in response to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) were assessed at time intervals during tumour growth. 1. 1. If drawn early, during the 1st to the 6th week, after s.c. injection of tumor cells enhanced, but if drawn later, 7th to expiration week, the serum suppressed the response of normal spleenocytes to PHA. 2. 2. Macrophages and spleenocytes from normal animals had no effect, those from animals bearing a subcutaneous progressively growing syngeneic tumor enhanced proliferation, whereas those from animals immunized against the tumor were cytotoxic against syngeneic tumor cells. 3. 3. Cell-free supernatants harvested from mixed cultures at ratios between 10:1 to 8.3 × 103 of normal spleenocytes, or spleenocytes from immune animals to syngeneic tumor cells enhanced, whereas supernatants from mixed cultures of spleenocytes of tumorbearing animals to syngeneic tumor cells suppressed the response of normal spleenocytes to PHA. 4. 4. Cell-free supernatants harvested from mixed cultures at 1:104 ratio of syngeneic tumor cells with spleenocytes of animals early (during the 1st to 4th week) after s.c. injection of tumor cells enhanced, but those from mixed cultures of cells suppressed the response of syngeneic normal spleenocytes to PHA.
Electronic states and potential energy curves of InN2, In2N, and their ions

Abstract Potential energy curves of low-lying electronic states of InN2, In2N, and their cations and anions are investigated by the complete active space multi-configuration self-consistent field (CASSCF) followed by multi-reference singles + doubles configuration interaction (MRSDCI) computations. The neutral InN2 and In2N exhibit linear 2Π and 2 Σ u + ground states, respectively. The InNN+ cation exhibits a linear C∞v ground state whereas In2N+ ion exhibits two nearly-degenerate singlet and triplet ground states. Whereas In2N− is strongly bound with an adiabatic electron affinity of 2.07 eV, the electron affinity of InNN is only 0.2 eV.
The contribution to bonding by lone pairs

Abstract The terms lone pair and non-bonding pair are not generally equivalent to each other. Regardless of the particular basin decomposition of the molecular space, orbitals of any type cannot be completely localized and will exhibit a presence in bonding regions to varying degrees. Using the degree of polarization (ionicity) of orbitals in the localization procedure of Cioslowski [J. Math. Chem. 8 (1991) 169; Int. J. Quant. Chem. Quant. Chem. Symp. 24 (1990) 15] at the B3LYP/6-311+G(d, p) level we can characterize orbitals as core, lone pair, or conventional bonding orbitals. This allows us to investigate the relative contributions of the bonding and lone pair orbitals to the overall covalent bond order involving atoms described chemically as possessing lone pair electrons. We find that even in what would be deemed chemically conventional systems lone pairs can contribute approximately 10–15% to the covalent bond order. In the classic back bonding PO bond of the phosphine oxides it is some 44% of the total covalent bond order. A similar presence exists in the analogous nitrogen oxides and is sufficiently large in the NO bonds in (HO)3NO and F3NO to characterize them as triple.
Grabfast: A CUDA based GPU accelerated fast short sequence alignment algorithm

Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) platforms typically produce short reads of size 50–150 base pairs (bp). The number of such short reads can be up to 6 billion per run. To align these short reads to a large genome is a computationally challenging problem. In this paper, we address this problem by considering the design and optimization of parallel sequence alignment on GPU based hybrid architectures. Even though the sequence alignment algorithm is inherently data-parallel, issues such as (a) space-time trade-offs in the Indexing schema, (b) need for fast candidate location search (CAL) on GPU, (c) maintaining low divergence along with low space for the dynamic programming based local alignment, make this a very challenging problem. We present the design of our novel parallel algorithm Graphics processor Accelerated BFAST (GrABFAST) for large scale read alignment that overcomes these challenges and demonstrates superior performance compared to Intel multi-core architectures. Using 5 large genomes including those of Humans, Maize, Horse, Dog and Bacteria, we demonstrate a speedup of around 6x using Fermi Tesla C2070 GPUs vs the BFAST algorithm on 16 core Intel Xeon 5570 architecture.
Powder synthesis for electronic ceramics by evaporative decomposition of solutions

Abstract Fine-grained, high surface area ceramic powders that are commonly used for electronic applications were synthesized by the evaporative decomposition of solutions technique from acetate and nitrate precursors. The powder characteristics were similar in all cases; however, the particulate morphology was dependent upon the precursor salt. The nitrates formed hard, spherical aggregates while the morphologies of the acetate-derived powders ranged from hard aggregates to fine, aggregate-free particles. The results are discussed in terms of the decomposition behavior and physical characteristics of the precursor salts.
Morphological pattern elicited by agents affecting spermatogenesis by disruption of its hormonal stimulation

Abstract A variety of agents (clomiphene citrate, cyproterone acetate, estradiol 17-β, medrogestone, medroxyprogesterone, and methoxychlor) thought to disrupt the normal pathway by which hormones stimulate the testis were tested in rats to determine the early morphologic changes in the testis. After initial trial experiments at which dose and sacrifice intervals were determined, the earliest morphological abnormalities were assessed quantitatively and related to the particular spermatogenic stage in which these defects were initiated. All agents tested produced an identical morphological pattern of response displaying a significant increase in Stage VII degenerating cells (pachytene spermatocytes, step 7 and step 19 spermatids) as compared with vehicle-administered rats. The number of degenerating cells in other stages did not significantly change. The rise in degenerating cells in Stage VII, as seen in this study, was similar to that reported by Russell and Clermont (1972) utilizing hypophysectomized rats, and that reported by other investigators who have used a variety of agents to disrupt the hormonal stimulation of the seminiferous tubules. The data indicate that no matter how, or at what level the hormonal stimulation of the testis is interrupted, the morphological pattern of response is the same, and that such a pattern is useful in predicting the mechanism of action of agents suspected of interfering with hormone action.
Evaluation of Africa-Europe patient safety hospital partnerships: a framework

Evaluation is critical to continuous improvement. African Partnerships for Patient Safety (APPS) has 3 core objectives – partnership strength, patient safety improvement and patient safety spread – for which an evaluation framework was necessary. Action on health care-associated infections (HAI) provides a common platform of activity.
A Practical Theory for Dielectric Image Guide Leaky-Wave Antennas Loaded by Periodic Metal Strips

The dispersion behavior of metal-strip-loaded dielectric image guide leaky-wave antennas is carefully analyzed and completely characterized. Many measurements have been made on this antenna type but until now no direct practical theory was available from which such antennas could be systematically designed. The theory is based on a novel multimode transverse equivalent network that is simple in form and easy to use. Finally, it is shown how the dispersion behavior and the antenna performance can be effectively controlled by properly adjusting the structural parameters.
The effect of mere presence on social facilitation: An unobtrusive test

Abstract An unobstrusive experimental manipulation was used to test the hypothesis that the mere presence of others can influence an individual's performance. A task was employed for which there were no clear performance criteria, and which was very unlikely to engender evaluation aprehension. Performance times on this task (dressing and undressing in familiar and unfamiliar clothing) were compared for subjects working alone, in the presence of a passive inattentive person, and in the presence of an attentive spectator. In contrast with the Alone condition, both social conditions (Audience and Incidental Audience) enhanced performance on the well-learned aspects of the task (dressing and undressing with one's own clothing) and hindered performance on the more complex aspects (working with unfamiliar clothing). It is concluded that the mere presence of others is a sufficient condition for social facilitation and social interference effects.
Quantitative evaluation of passage retrieval algorithms for question answering

Passage retrieval is an important component common to many question answering systems. Because most evaluations of question answering systems focus on end-to-end performance, comparison of common components becomes difficult. To address this shortcoming, we present a quantitative evaluation of various passage retrieval algorithms for question answering, implemented in a framework called Pauchok. We present three important findings: Boolean querying schemes perform well in the question answering task. The performance differences between various passage retrieval algorithms vary with the choice of document retriever, which suggests significant interactions between document retrieval and passage retrieval. The best algorithms in our evaluation employ density-based measures for scoring query terms. Our results reveal future directions for passage retrieval and question answering.
Surface tension effects on adiabatic gas–liquid flow across micro pillars

The effect of surface tension on adiabatic two-phase flow across a bank of 100 μm diameter staggered circular micro pillars, 100 μm long with pitch-to-diameter ratio of 1.5, for Reynolds number between 5 and 50, was investigated. Experiments with ethanol were performed and compared to results with water. Flow maps revealed similar flow patterns, but the transition lines were different for the two liquids. Void fraction measurements of the two fluids were also compared, and no significant deviations were observed. The two-phase pressure drop characteristics were significantly affected by the reduction in surface tension. Interfacial friction was attributed to this deviation, and a two-fluid model was developed to account for surface tension force. In addition, a modified form of Chisholm correlation was developed that accounts for surface tension.
Hypofractionated passively scattered proton radiotherapy for low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer is not associated with post-treatment testosterone suppression.

AbstractBackground. To investigate post-treatment changes in serum testosterone in low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients treated with hypofractionated passively scattered proton radiotherapy. Material and methods. Between April 2008 and October 2011, 228 patients with low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer were enrolled into an institutional review board-approved prospective protocol. Patients received doses ranging from 70 Cobalt Gray Equivalent (CGE) to 72.5 CGE at 2.5 CGE per fraction using passively scattered protons. Three patients were excluded for receiving androgen deprivation therapy (n = 2) or testosterone supplementation (n = 1) before radiation. Of the remaining 226 patients, pretreatment serum testosterone levels were available for 217. Of these patients, post-treatment serum testosterone levels were available for 207 in the final week of treatment, 165 at the six-month follow-up, and 116 at the 12-month follow-up. The post-treatment testosterone levels were compared with th...