cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A review of Triassic labyrinthodont amphibians from China

Abstract Labyrinthodont amphibians from China are fragmentary fossils of capitosauroids of Early or Middle Triassic agefrom the northern part of the country. The two named taxa of Chinese Triassic labyrinthodonts — Parotosuchus turfanensis ( Young , 1966 ) and Bogdania fragmenta Young , 1978 — are nomina dubia. P. turfanensis is based on indeterminate capitosaurid skull fragments. The holotype of B. fragmenta is principally capitosauroid skull fragments and a centrum; it is not a metoposaurid. Recognition of “ P. turfanensis ” as an indeterminate capitosauroid removes Parotosuchus as evidence against a Middle Triasic age for the Sinokannemeyeria fauna of northern China. Recognition of “ B. fragmenta ” as an indeterminate capitosauroid removes it as evidence for a Late Triassic age of the Fukang fauna in Xinjiang.
Pathology of heart valve replacement surgery: autopsies of 62 patients with Starr-Edwards prostheses.

Hemorrhage in the atrioventricular conduction system and myocardial necrosis commonly occur in the first week after valve replacement. Later, thrombosis on the prosthesis and infarcts in other organs become important but developing or persistent myocardial damage continuously menaces. Occlusion of small vessels, especially by embolism of foreign material, may contribute to the development of these lesions. Although the extracorporeal circulation, anticoagulation, cardiac pacing and steroid therapy generally applied to patients undergoing Starr-Edwards valve replacement either are necessary to the surgery or effectively overcome some potent dangers, these practices may disguise progression to more serious levels of some maladies induced by operation. Data accumulating from these autopsies and from clinical records include many and varied complications of surgery.
On linear-time algorithms for five-coloring planar graphs

Abstract Certain properties of planar graphs are established in a particularly straightforward fashion. These properties assure good performance in two linear-time algorithms for five-coloring planar graphs. A new linear-time algorithm, based on a third property, is also presented.
Comparison of electrical transients and corrosion responses of pulsed MP35N and 316LVM electrodes

Functional neuromuscular stimulation (FNS) is often limited by electrode malfunctions such as corrosion and breakage, particularly for intramuscular and epimysial type electrodes. As a result, the electrochemical charge injection characteristics and corrosion responses of single strand 316LVM stainless steel and MP35N nickel-cobalt alloy electrodes were evaluatedin vitro. For charge balance, capacitor coupled monophasic protocols with varying charge injections were employed. Electrodes were evaluated with either positive-first or negative-first pulses, 60 Hz, 100 μsec pulse duration, and stimulation periods from 100 to 240 hours. Charge injection densities ranged from 20 to 80 μC/cm2. For both anodic-first and cathodic-first pulsing, the potential transients for the MP35N electrodes were more extreme than for the 316LVM electrodes over the test period, and increased corrosion was apparent on the MP35N electrodes from both optical and scanning electron microscopy. Therefore, 316LVM, but not MP35N, may be suitable for FNS applications with charge injection densities less than 40 μC/cm2.
The transformation of solid atmospheric particles into liquid droplets through heterogeneous chemistry: Laboratory insights into the processing of calcium containing mineral dust aerosol in the troposphere

[1] Individual calcium carbonate particles reacted with gas-phase nitric acid at 293 K have been followed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-Ray (EDX) analysis as a function of time and relative humidity (RH). The rate of calcium carbonate to calcium nitrate conversion is significantly enhanced in the presence of water vapor. The SEM images clearly show that solid CaCO 3 particles are converted to spherical droplets as the reaction proceeds. The process occurs through a two-step mechanism involving the conversion of calcium carbonate into calcium nitrate followed by the deliquescence of the calcium nitrate product. The change in phase of the particles and the significant reactivity of nitric acid and CaCO 3 at low RH are a direct result of the deliquescence of the product at low RH. This is the first laboratory study to show the phase transformation of solid particles into liquid droplets through heterogeneous chemistry.
A nuclear reaction product mass spectrometer

Abstract The design of a mass spectrometer capable of determining directly the mass of nuclear reaction products, independent of the velocity with which they leave the target, is discussed. The spectrometer employs only electric and magnetic dipoles and magnetic quadrupoles to focus all particles of a given mass to the same point on the focal plane. The usable solid angle is a function of the mass resolution and can be as large as 5 msr. The magnification of the device is 3.3 which means that the angular convergence of particle paths at the focal plane is very small with the consequence that the focal plane may, without significant loss of resolution be regarded as straight and perpendicular to the particle path in all practical cases. The mass dispersion of the spectrometer is ∼13 mm/% and the resolving power (a function of solid angle) can be as large as m / Δm = 400.
Convergence, stability, and discrete approximation of Laplace spectra

Spectral methods have been widely used in a broad range of applications fields. One important object involved in such methods is the Laplace-Beltrami operator of a manifold. Indeed, a variety of work in graphics and geometric optimization uses the eigen-structures (i.e, the eigenvalues and eigen-functions) of the Laplace operator. Applications include mesh smoothing, compression, editing, shape segmentation, matching, parameterization, and so on. While the Laplace operator is defined (mathematically) for a smooth domain, these applications often approximate a smooth manifold by a discrete mesh. The spectral structure of the manifold Laplacian is estimated from some discrete Laplace operator constructed from this mesh.In this paper, we study the important question of how well the spectrum computed from the discrete mesh approximates the true spectrum of the manifold Laplacian. We exploit a recent result on mesh Laplacian and provide the first convergence result to relate the spectrum constructed from a general mesh (approximating an m-manifold embedded in IRd) with the true spectrum. We also study how stable these eigenvalues and their discrete approximations are when the underlying manifold is perturbed, and provide explicit bounds for the Laplacian spectra of two "close" manifolds, as well as a convergence result for their discrete approximations. Finally, we present various experimental results to demonstrate that these discrete spectra are both accurate and robust in practice.
Effects of age and interpersonal contact on stereotyping of the elderly

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the age of an individual, the type of contact an individual has with the elderly, the amount of knowledge an individual has about the elderly, and the extent that the individual stereotypes the elderly. In accordance with the Social Identity Theory and the Contact Hypothesis, stereotyping was predicted to be higher among individuals who did not identify with nor have contact with the elderly. Fifty young (18-25 years of age) and fifty elderly (64-79 years of age) participants completed surveys measuring their level of contact with the elderly, knowledge about aging (knowledge score), and tendency to stereotype the elderly (stereotype score). Results of this study indicated that regardless of age, participant knowledge of aging and application of aging stereotypes were affected by the quality of contact experienced. Although the young participants achieved significantly higher knowledge scores than the elderly participants, there was no significant age difference in stereotype scores for the young and elderly groups. However, as predicted, the young and elderly participants who experienced high levels of contact with the elderly achieved higher knowledge scores and lower stereotype scores. These scores were compared to the respective scores of the young and elderly participants experiencing low levels of contact with the elderly. Moreover, the elderly participants experiencing low levels of contact with the elderly achieved lower knowledge scores than any of the other groups. Elderly participants experiencing low levels of contact with other competent elderly individuals may be more susceptible to the negative effects of aging stereotypes and at risk for not identifying with their own social group.
Impaired translocation of protein kinase C activity in human non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Abstract Calcium- and phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase C; PKC) may be an important mediator in transduction of some of the cellular actions of insulin. We studied PKC activity in freshly isolated circulating mononuclear cells obtained from healthy subjects and patients with non-insulin-dependent (type II) diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). The kinase activity was measured using a specific nonapeptide substrate, Ala-Ala-Ala-Ser-Phe-Lys-Ala-Lys-Lys-amide. There was negligible calcium- and phospholipid-independent kinase activity in cytosolic and particulate fractions of cells from both control and diabetic subjects. Total (cytosolic and particulate) PKC activity of mononuclear cells from poorly controlled diabetic patients was significantly reduced compared with controls; this reduction was mainly due to a decrease in the cytosolic kinase activity. Tumor-promoting phorbol ester (TPA, 0.1 μmol/L) induced translocation of PKC activity in control cells; in contrast, this subcellular redistribution was not observed in cells from a majority of poorly controlled diabetic subjects. Increased calcium influx into the cells caused by the calcium ionophore A23187-triggered translocation of PKC activity in control cells, while it was ineffective in cells from poorly controlled diabetic patients. Cells from well-controlled diabetic patients demonstrated TPA-induced translocation of the PKC activity approaching that of control cells. The total PKC activity in cells from patients with good glycemic control was normal. Impaired activation of PKC is thus associated with the insulin resistance found in patients with poorly controlled NIDDM. Because the serum insulin levels were identical in all groups studied, it is concluded that defects in regulation of PKC activity in human NIDDM are related to level of glycemic control and might be reversible.
A lattice type model for particulate media

In this paper, a lattice-type model to simulate the micro-mechanical behaviour of particulate/granular media is presented. In this numerical model, a particulate assembly is simulated as a lattice/truss. Nodes located at contacts between a particle and its neighbours are linked by bars to each other. Each particle is represented by a lattice within its microstructure and particle interact through load transfer at the nodes. Constraints are prescribed at the nodes to describe active, deactivated and reactivated contacts. When a particulate assembly develops into a mechanism (deformation with zero incremental load), further deformation is simulated through a framework that describes the kinematics of the particles (sliding, rolling and rotation of particles). This framework is formed by introducing nodes at the particle centroids and linking them with bars. Bars-linking particles with a non-sliding contact are assigned large stiffnesses relative to bars linking particles with a sliding contact. Numerical tests are conducted on two-dimensional assemblies of disks, arranged as very loose and very dense packing under simple shear loading conditions. The results concord with the results of numerical tests conducted using the discrete element method and with photoelastic experiments. Additionally, the model is applied to study the effects of initial imperfections caused by particles with low elastic modulus.
Influence of molecular structure on half-life and hydrolysis of dipeptides in plasma: Importance of glycine as N-terminal amino acid residue

To investigate the effect of molecular structure on plasma disappearance and metabolism of dipeptides, rats were injected intravenously with individual dipeptides, and at various intervals after injection, dipeptide and amino acid concentrations were measured in plasma, tissues, and urine. In addition, plasma hydrolase activity against individual dipeptides was investigated. The half-lives of Ala-Leu, Ala-Tyr, and Ala-Gln were shorter than those of dipeptides with glycine substituting for alanine. Furthermore, the increases in plasma concentrations of leucine, tyrosine, and glutamine and rates of dipeptide hydrolysis by plasma enzymes were far greater with alanyl than glycyl dipeptides. In fact, Ala-Leu behaved like a mixture of corresponding free amino acids in raising the plasma concentration of leucine while Gly-Leu did not. There was no significant difference in either plasma half-life or hydrolysis when Leu-Gly and Leu-Ala were used as substrates, but both had rapid rates of hydrolysis in plasma. In comparison to Gly-Leu, Phe-Leu and Arg-Leu had shorter half-lives and greater rates of hydrolysis in plasma. On the other hand, Asp-Leu had a slower rate of plasma hydrolysis than Gly-Leu, but its excretion in the urine was much greater than that of Gly-Leu. In contrast to Gly-Leu and Ala-Leu, Gly-Pro was detected intracellularly in liver, muscle, and particularly, kidney. In fact, the intracellular concentration of Gly-Pro in kidney was either equal to or greater than Gly-Pro concentration in plasma. Increases in intracellular amino acid concentration after injection of individual dipeptides were considerably greater in the kidney than in either liver or muscle.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Magnified visual feedback exacerbates positional variability in older adults due to altered modulation of the primary agonist muscle

The purpose of this study was to determine whether magnified visual feedback during position-holding contractions exacerbates the age-associated differences in motor output variability due to changes in the neural activation of the agonist muscle in the upper and lower limb. Twelve young (18–35 years) and ten older adults (65–85 years) were instructed to accurately match a target position at 5° of index finger abduction and ankle dorsiflexion while lifting 10 % of their 1 repetition maximum (1RM) load. Position was maintained at three different visual angles (0.1°, 1°, and 4°) that varied across trials. Each trial lasted 25 s and visual feedback of position was removed from 15 to 25 s. Positional error was quantified as the root mean square error (RMSE) of the subject’s performance from the target. Positional variability was quantified as the standard deviation of the position data. The neural activation of the first dorsal interosseus and tibialis anterior was measured with surface electromyography (EMG). Older adults were less accurate compared with young adults and the RMSE decreased significantly with an increase in visual gain. As expected, and independent of limb, older adults exhibited significantly greater positional variability compared with young adults that was exacerbated with magnification of visual feedback (1° and 4°). This increase in variability at the highest magnification of visual feedback was predicted by a decrease in power from 12 to 30 Hz of the agonist EMG signal. These findings demonstrate that motor control in older adults is impaired by magnified visual feedback during positional tasks.
Comparative reliability of the dichotomous choice and open-ended contingent valuation techniques

Abstract The comparative reliability of dichotomous choice and open-ended contingent valuation methods (CVM) is evaluated by resurvey of the same households 9 months after their original survey. Test-retest correlations on willingness to pay are statistically significant at the 1% level and range from 0.57 for the dichotomous choice CVM to 0.62 for the open-ended CVM. The test-retest correlations were not statistically different between dichotomous choice and open-ended CVM. A likelihood ratio test for temporal stability of each method's willingness to pay functions indicates stability half of the time for both methods.
Cost Effective Shared Path Protection for WDM Optical Mesh Networks with Partial Wavelength Conversion

In this paper, we study routing and wavelength assignment of connection requests in survivable WDM optical mesh networks employing shared path protection with partial wavelength conversion while 100% restorability is guaranteed against any single failures. We formulate the problem as a linear integer program under a static traffic model. The objective is to minimize the total cost of wavelength-links and wavelength converters used by working paths and protection paths of all connections. A weight factor is used which is defined as the cost ratio of a wavelength converter and a wavelength-link. Depending on the relative cost of bandwidth and wavelength conversion, the optimization objective allows a proper tradeoff between the two. The proposed algorithm, the shortest-widest-path-first (SWPF) algorithm, uses a modified Dijkstra's algorithm to find a working path and a protection path for each connection request in the wavelength graph transformed from the original network topology. When there are multiple candidate paths that have the same minimum total cost, the path along which the maximum number of converters used at each node is minimized is chosen by the SWPF algorithm. We have evaluated the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm via extensive simulation. The results indicate that the performance of the proposed algorithm is very close to that of the optimal solutions obtained by solving the ILP formulation and outperforms existing heuristic algorithms in terms of total number of converters used and the maximum number of converters required at each node in the network. The proposed algorithm also achieves slightly better performance in terms of total cost of wavelength-links and converters used by all connections. We also investigated shared path protection employing converter sharing. The results show that the technique can reduce not only the total number of converters used in the network but also the maximum number of converters required at each node, especially when a large number of converters are needed in the network. In this study, although the ILP formulation is based on static traffic, the proposed algorithm is also applicable to routing dynamic connection requests.
Progress toward red and near-infrared (NIR) emitting saccharide sensors*

Red-shifted and near-infrared (NIR)-active rhodamine analogs and their boronic acid derivatives were synthesized and studied. These latter compounds function as fluoro- genic NIR active substrates for sugar sensing. The effects of benzannulation and boronic acid functionalization on fluorophore optical and sensing properties are described.
Detection of buried targets via active selection of labeled data: application to sensing subsurface UXO

When sensing subsurface targets, such as landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO), the target signatures are typically a strong function of environmental and historical circumstances. Consequently, it is difficult to constitute a universal training set for design of detection or classification algorithms. In this paper, we develop an efficient procedure by which information-theoretic concepts are used to design the basis functions and training set, directly from the site-specific measured data. Specifically, assume that measured data (e.g., induction and/or magnetometer) are available from a given site, unlabeled in the sense that it is not known a priori whether a given signature is associated with a target or clutter. For N signatures, the data may be expressed as {x/sub i/,y/sub i/}/sub i=1,N/, where x/sub i/ is the measured data for buried object i, and y/sub i/ is the associated unknown binary label (target/nontarget). Let the N x/sub i/ define the set X. The algorithm works in four steps: 1) the Fisher information matrix is used to select a set of basis functions for the kernel-based algorithm, this step defining a set of n signatures B/sub n//spl sube/X that are most informative in characterizing the signature distribution of the site; 2) the Fisher information matrix is used again to define a small subset X/sub s//spl sube/X, composed of those x/sub i/ for which knowledge of the associated labels y/sub i/ would be most informative in defining the weights for the basis functions in B/sub n/; 3) the buried objects associated with the signatures in X/sub s/ are excavated, yielding the associated labels y/sub i/, represented by the set Y/sub s/; and 4) using B/sub n/,X/sub s/, and Y/sub s/, a kernel-based classifier is designed for use in classifying all remaining buried objects. This framework is discussed in detail, with example results presented for an actual buried-UXO site.
A Scribal Solution to a Problematic Measurement in the Apocalypse

Orthographic variation within the manuscripts of the Greek NT is seldom a cause celebre beyond the ranks of diehard textual critics. Even among these most will concede that orthographic irregularities amount to little more than evidence of scribal incompetency or inconsistency in their spelling practices. To find the same word both spelled correctly and misspelled within a single manuscript by the same scribe is not uncommon. It approaches the norm. The critical editions of our Greek NTs have therefore opted, on good grounds, to exclude textual variants displaying non-standardized spelling. To include them would make it impossible for anyone to use the critical apparatuses in a meaningful way. The deluge of senseless errors would drown out variants of demonstrable textual significance.
Copolymerization. VII. Relative rates of addition of various monomers in copolymerization

Information concerning monomer reactivity in copolymerization has been obtained for thirteen copolymerization systems. The influence of substituents and chain length in vinyl polymerization is discussed in the light of this and preceding data. Unsaturated acid behavior in copolymerizations is discussed for the first time.
Generators and the replicator control structure in the parallel environment of ALLOY

The need for searching a space of solutions appears often. Many problems, such as iteration over a dynamically created domain, can be expressed most naturally using a generate-and-process style. Serial programming languages typically support solutions of these problems by providing some form of generators or backtracking.A parallel programming language is more demanding since it needs to be able to express parallel generation and processing of elements. Failure driven computation is no longer sufficient and neither is multiple-assignment to generated values.We describe the replicator control operator used in the high level parallel programming language ALLOY. The replicator control operator provides a new view of generators which deals with these problems.
Simulating the impact of human land use change on forest composition in the Great Plains agroecosystems with the Seedscape model

The expansion and contraction of marginal cropland in the Great Plains often involves small forested strips of land that provide important ecological benefits. The effect of human disturbance on these forests is not well known. Because of their unique structure such forests are not well-represented by forest gap models. In this paper, the development, testing and application of a new model known as Seedscape are described. Seedscape is a modification of the JABOWA-II model, and it uses a spatially-explicit landscape to resolve small-scale features of highly fragmented forests in the eastern Great Plains. It was tested and evaluated with observations from two sites, one in Nebraska and a second in eastern Iowa. Seedscape realistically simulates succession at the Nebraska site, but is less successful at the Iowa site. Seedscape was also applied to the Nebraska site to simulate the effect that varying forest corridor widths, in response to the presumed expansion/contraction of adjacent agricultural land, has on succession properties. Results suggest that small differences in widths have negligible effects on forest composition, but large differences in widths may cause statistically-significant changes in the relative importance of some species. We assert that long-term ecological change in human dominated landscapes is not well understood, in part, because of inadequate modeling techniques. Seedscape provides a much-needed tool for assessing the ecological implications of land use change in forests of predominately agricultural landscapes.
Traumatic brain injury using mouse models.

The use of mouse models in traumatic brain injury (TBI) has several advantages compared to other animal models including low cost of breeding, easy maintenance, and innovative technology to create genetically modified strains. Studies using knockout and transgenic mice demonstrating functional gain or loss of molecules provide insight into basic mechanisms of TBI. Mouse models provide powerful tools to screen for putative therapeutic targets in TBI. This article reviews currently available mouse models that replicate several clinical features of TBI such as closed head injuries (CHI), penetrating head injuries, and a combination of both. CHI may be caused by direct trauma creating cerebral concussion or contusion. Sudden acceleration–deceleration injuries of the head without direct trauma may also cause intracranial injury by the transmission of shock waves to the brain. Recapitulation of temporary cavities that are induced by high-velocity penetrating objects in the mouse brain are difficult to produce, but slow brain penetration injuries in mice are reviewed. Synergistic damaging effects on the brain following systemic complications are also described. Advantages and disadvantages of CHI mouse models induced by weight drop, fluid percussion, and controlled cortical impact injuries are compared. Differences in the anatomy, biomechanics, and behavioral evaluations between mice and humans are discussed. Although the use of mouse models for TBI research is promising, further development of these techniques is warranted.
Effect of cyanide and carbon monoxide on the replication of bacterial DNA in vivo.

Abstract Although the deoxyribonucleoside triphosphate pools in Escherichia coli are known to be equivalent to roughly 1% of the DNA content, we show that either cyanide or carbon monoxide can stop DNA replication by lactate-grown bacteria in less than one thousandth of a generation time. Such KCN-inhibited bacteria can be infected with bacteriophage φX174 and will then undergo further DNA synthesis. We therefore conclude that replication of the bacterial chromosome depends, at all times, upon some CO- and KCN-sensitive reaction which is not required, even in vivo, for the first steps in the synthesis of φX DNA. The possible nature of this reaction is discussed.
Solving open problems in right alternative rings with Z-module reasoning

This paper presents our experiments using an automated reasoning program, called the Z-module reasoning system, to prove a number of interesting theorems in right alternative rings. Important results include a computer solution of the conjecture that (x, x, y)2 x(x, x, y) 2=0 holds in every right alternative ring and a computer solution of a generalized version of this conjecture. The paper illustrates how one uses the Z-module reasoning system to solve different problems with varying complexity.
Krzywicki Revisited: Equations for Spectrophotometric Determination of Myoglobin Redox Forms in Aqueous Meat Extracts

ABSTRACT: Krzywicki's equations have been widely used for estimating the relative proportions of myoglobin (Mb) redox forms in aqueous solution. However, these equations have generated negative values for some redox forms, and total Mb estimates obtained by summation of the individual redox forms have deviated from unity. The inappropriate selection of wavelengths (545, 565, and 572 nm) used to generate these equations appears to have been responsible for these problems. Therefore, Krzywicki's equations were modified by using wavelength maxima at 503, 557, and 582 nm, representative for metmyoglobin, deoxymyoglobin, and oxymyoglobin, respectively. Millimolar extinction coefficients at these wavelengths were calculated, and a set of modified equations was established for determining the relative proportions of Mb redox forms in aqueous solution. The new equations demonstrated improved performance in decreasing the occurrence and magnitude of negative values and in estimating total Mb, when compared with Krzywicki' original equations.
Stable analogs of the uranyl ion containing 1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidine

The reaction of 1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidine (HTMG) with [UO(2)Cl(2)(THF)2] yielded [UO(2)Cl(2)(HTMG)2] 1, the first uranyl tetralkylguanidine adduct reported, further investigation led to the synthesis of [UO(2)(DBP)2(HTMG)2] 2 and [UO(2)(DBP-4-Me)2(HTMG)2] 3 via the reaction of [UO(2){N(SiMe(3))2}2(THF)2] with HTMG and the appropriate aryl alcohol, HO-2,6-(t)Bu(2)-4-RC(6)H(2) (R = H, DBP; R = CH(3), DBP-4-Me).
Induction of multiple antibiotic resistance in Bacteroides fragilis by benzene and benzene-derived active compounds of commonly used analgesics, antiseptics and cleaning agents

Received 13 May 2007; returned 30 June 2007; revised 23 August 2007; accepted 24 August 2007Objectives: To determine the potential of active compounds (ACs) present in commonly used analgesics/antiseptics and cleaning agents (detergents and disinfectants) to induce multiple antibiotic resistance(MAR) in Bacteroides fragilis.Methods: B. fragilis ATCC 25285 untreated or pretreated with sublethal concentrations of ACs (n 5 25)was grown for 12 h. Susceptibility of cells pre-treated with various ACs to antibiotics and expression ofresistance nodulation division family (bmeB) efﬂux pumps and putative marA-like global activators(PGAs) were measured.Results: Twelve aromatic ACs containing benzene or its activated derivatives (salicylate, acetaminophen,gingerol, benzoate, phenol, chlorhexidine gluconate, capsaicin, juglone, cinnamaldehyde, benzene, ibu-profen and Triton X-100) induced MAR, which was reduced by carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydra-zone. There was a positive correlation between the predicted degree of benzene activation and the levelof induction. Deactivated benzene or non-aromatic ACs were either poor inducers or non-inducers.Efﬂux pumps bmeB1, 3, 4, 7 and two PGAs bfrA1 and bfrA2 were overexpressed. Expression of bfrA1 orbfrA2 in Escherichia coli caused a >2-fold increase in the MAR and overexpression of acrB, suggestingthat they were putative marA orthologues.Conclusions: These data demonstrate (i) the presence of an MarA-like system(s) in B. fragilis and(ii) the propensity of benzene or its activated derivatives present in pharmaceutical products toinduce MAR.Keywords: cross-resistance, detergents, disinfectants, gene derepression
Seeing through the weather: enhanced/synthetic vision systems for commercial transports

Discussed are the potential benefits of enhanced/synthetic vision systems for commercial transports as well as their various levels of integration and possible associated capabilities. Work at Douglas Aircraft on enhanced/synthetic vision systems is noted. It is concluded that what is needed is a system approach which provides for a highly flexible mix and match family of enhanced/synthetic systems in the mid to late 1990s which can be easily custom tailored (expanded and contracted) to meet different needs for different air carriers, route structures, regional operations, fleet mixes, etc., and provides for future growth and cost-effective evolution into the highly integrated autonomous operations systems of the 21st century. >
Melting studies on spin‐labeled polyadenylic–polyuridylic complexes

Temperature-dependent conformational transitions of spin-labeled poly rA, spin-labeled poly rU and the two-stranded helical complexes consisting either of spin-labeled rA·poly rU or spin-labeled poly rU·poly rA have been measured by electron spin resonance spectrocopy. The polynucleotides were spin labeled with 4-(2-iodoacetamido)2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinooxyl and the spin label to nucleotide base ratio was approximately 1:600. The relationship between the log of tumbling time τ and the reciprocal absolute temperature for the spin-labeled single and double-stranded polynucleotides is presented. An agreement between TmOD (optical density melting) and Tmsp (spin melting) is found for the complexes, which strongly supports the conclusion that the same temperature-dependent structural changes are monitored with both techniques.
Growth of Spread in Convection-Allowing and Convection-Parameterizing Ensembles

During the 2007 NOAA Hazardous Weather Testbed Spring Experiment, a 10-member 4-km grid-spacing Storm-Scale Ensemble Forecast (SSEF) system was run in real time to provide experimental severe weather forecasting guidance. Five SSEF system members used perturbed initial and lateral boundary conditions (ICs and LBCs) and mixed physics (ENS4), and five members used only mixed physics (ENS4 phys ). This ensemble configuration facilitates a comparison of ensemble spread generated by a combination of perturbed ICs/LBCs and mixed physics to that generated by only mixed physics, which is examined herein. In addition, spread growth and spread-error metrics for the two SSEF system configurations are compared to similarly configured 20-km grid-spacing convection-parameterizing ensembles (ENS20 and ENS20 phys ). Twelve forecast fields are examined for 20 cases. For most fields, ENS4 mean spread growth rates are higher than ENS20 for ensemble configurations with both sets of perturbations, which is expected as smaller scales of motion are resolved at higher resolution. However, when ensembles with only mixed physics are compared, mass-related fields (i.e., geopotential height and mean sea level pressure) in ENS20 phys have slightly higher spread growth rates than ENS4 phys , likely resulting from the additional physics uncertainty in ENS20 phys from varied cumulus parameterizations that were not used at 4-km grid spacing. For 4- and 20-km configurations, the proportion of spread generated by mixed physics in ENS4 and ENS20 increased with increasing forecast lead time. In addition, low-level fields (e.g., 2-m temperature) had a higher proportion of spread generated by mixed physics than mass-related fields. Spread-error analyses revealed that ensemble variance from the current uncalibrated ensemble systems was not a reliable indicator of forecast uncertainty. Furthermore, ENS4 had better statistical consistency than ENS20 for some mass-related fields, wind-related fields, precipitation, and most unstable convective available potential energy (MUCAPE) with no noticeable differences for low-level temperature and dewpoint fields. The variety of results obtained for the different types of fields examined suggests that future ensemble design should give careful consideration to the specific types of forecasts desired by the user.
A dosage-dependent suppressor of a temperature-sensitive calmodulin mutant encodes a protein related to the fork head family of DNA-binding proteins.

Abstract The cmd1-1 mutation of calmodulin causes temperature-sensitive growth in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We have isolated a dosage-dependent suppressor of cmd1-1, designated HCM1. Twentyfold overexpression of HCM1 permits strains carrying cmd1-1 to grow at temperatures up to and including 34 degrees C but does not suppress the lethality of either cmd1-1 at higher temperatures or the deletion of CMD1. Thus, overexpression of HCM1 does not bypass the requirement for calmodulin but enhances the ability of the mutant calmodulin to function. HCM1 is not essential for growth, but deletion of HCM1 exacerbates the phenotype of a strain carrying cmd1-1. HCM1 is located on chromosome III, which was recently sequenced. Our results correct errors in the published DNA sequence. The putative polypeptide encoded by HCM1 is 564 amino acids long and has a predicted molecular weight of 63,622. Antisera prepared against Hcm1p detect a protein that is overproduced in yeast strains overexpressing HCM1 and has an apparent molecular mass of 65 kDa. Eighty-six amino acid residues in the N terminus of Hcm1p show 50% identity with a DNA-binding region of the fork head family of DNA-binding proteins. When fused to the DNA-binding domain of Gal4p, residues 139 to 511 of Hcm1p can act as a strong activator of transcription. However, overexpression of HCM1 does not affect the expression of calmodulin. Furthermore, Hcm1p does not bind to calmodulin in a gel overlay assay. Thus, overexpression of HCM1 enhances calmodulin function by an apparently indirect mechanism.
Dynamics of Magnetic Nanoparticle-Based Contrast Agents in Tissues Tracked Using Magnetomotive Optical Coherence Tomography

Magnetomotive optical coherence tomography (MM-OCT) is an important tool for the visualization and quantitative assessment of magnetic nanoparticles in tissues. In this study, we demonstrate the use of MM-OCT for quantitative measurement of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticle transport and concentration in ex vivo muscle, lung, and liver tissues. The effect of temperature on the dynamics of these nanoparticles is also analyzed. We observe that the rate of transport of nanoparticles in tissues is directly related to the elasticity of tissues, and describe how the origin of the MM-OCT signal is associated with nanoparticle binding. These results improve our understanding of how iron oxide nanoparticles behave dynamically in biological tissues, which has direct implications for medical and biological applications of targeted nanoparticles for contrast enhancement and therapy.
Optical interconnects for phase array antennas

Optical interconnects offer several performance advantages for advanced phased-array antennas. New phased-array architecture designs are possible because of the use of photonic technology, which allows the antenna system to be partitioned differently. Functions that can be provided by the optical interconnect include: transmit/receive switch setting, polarization selection, A/D output bus, phase and amplitude control, local oscillator signal distribution, and beam forming or shaping. Some of these functions require digital transmission links, and some require analog microwave links. For the most part the digital links can be implemented using present fiber optic technology. For analog links the insertion loss and signal-to-noise-ratio performance still need to be improved. Nevertheless, fiber optic delay lines have been demonstrated as wideband true time delay microwave phase shifters for antenna beam steering. >
Reinitiation of Statins After Statin-Associated Musculoskeletal Symptoms A Patient-Centered Approach

A 58-year-old man receives primary care for obesity, hypertension, smoking, and dyslipidemia. He used atorvastatin until a few months ago but stopped because of muscle discomfort with activity, night cramps, and tendon soreness. He comes today to discuss treatment for his dyslipidemia. Coronary artery disease is a leading cause of premature morbidity and mortality worldwide.1 Although highly prevalent, cardiovascular mortality has decreased over the last few decades in high-income countries.2 This success has resulted from improvements in public health, control of cardiovascular risk factors, and increased use of evidence-based therapies to prevent and treat coronary disease.3 The use of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl–coenzyme A reductase inhibitors, or statins, stands tall among evidence-based therapies that are able to reduce cardiovascular risk. The ability of statins to reduce cholesterol blood levels and to reduce cardiovascular risk is well established. The use of adherent statin can reduce coronary risk by 25%, with greater reductions possible with higher doses.4 Worldwide, practice guidelines reflect experts’ confidence in this evidence of efficacy, recommending statins to at-risk patients, making statins one of the most prescribed medication classes in modern medicine.5 This confidence contrasts with the limited or unknown efficacy in reducing coronary risk of other available and commonly used lipid-lowering agents (eg, fibrates, niacin, fish oil, ezetamibe).6–9 The efficacy of statins, however, is limited in part by statin discontinuation. In some cohorts, half of all patients, even those at highest risk of coronary events, discontinue statin therapy within 2 years of their prescription.10,11 Much of this discontinuation may be attributed to the complex phenomenon of patient nonadherence. Another explanation is the development of side effects in general and of musculoskeletal complains in particular. Estimates of the incidence of these musculoskeletal symptoms attributed to statins vary according to study design, …
Preventing Enemy Coalitions: How Wedge Strategies Shape Power Politics

States use wedge strategies to prevent hostile alliances from forming or to disperse those that have formed. These strategies can cause power alignments that are otherwise unlikely to occur, and thus have significant consequences for international politics. How do such strategies work and what conditions promote their success? The wedge strategies that are likely to have significant effects use selective accommodation—concessions, compensations, and other inducements—to detach and neutralize potential adversaries. These kinds of strategies play important roles in the statecraft of both defensive and offensive powers. Defenders use selective accommodation to balance against a primary threat by neutralizing lesser ones that might ally with it. Expansionists use selective accommodation to prevent or break up blocking coalitions, which isolates opposing states by inducing potential balancers to buck-pass, bandwagon, or hide. Two cases—Great Britain's defensive attempts to accommodate Italy in the late 1930s a...
An optimal paging scheme for minimizing signaling costs under delay bounds

This letter introduces a method for minimizing paging costs in wireless systems with delay constraints. An optimal partition algorithm is proposed and the corresponding paging procedure is provided. Numerical results demonstrate that the new scheme outperforms other previous schemes for uniform and nonuniform location probability distributions.
Interactions of silicate glasses with aqueous environments under conditions of prolonged contact and flow

This paper discusses mechanisms involving saturation and reactions that lead to the formation of altered phases in silicate glasses considered for use in geologic repositories for nuclear waste. It is shown that the rate of dissolution of silicate glasses exposed to a broad range of contact times, leachant compositions, and surface-to-volume ratios is strongly affected by the presence of reactive species such as Al, Mg, and Fe. The reactive materials may originate in the leachant or, under conditions of high surface-to-volume ratio, in the glass itself. The effects of glass composition on the course of the corrosion process can be viewed in terms of the formation of a surface layer on the leached glass; the type, composition, and structure of this layer control the dissolution behavior of the glass.
Optimizing cost and performance for content multihoming

Many large content publishers use multiple content distribution networks to deliver their content, and many commercial systems have become available to help a broader set of content publishers to benefit from using multiple distribution networks, which we refer to as content multihoming. In this paper, we conduct the first systematic study on optimizing content multihoming, by introducing novel algorithms to optimize both performance and cost for content multihoming. In particular, we design a novel, efficient algorithm to compute assignments of content objects to content distribution networks for content publishers, considering both cost and performance. We also design a novel, lightweight client adaptation algorithm executing at individual content viewers to achieve scalable, fine-grained, fast online adaptation to optimize the quality of experience (QoE) for individual viewers. We prove the optimality of our optimization algorithms and conduct systematic, extensive evaluations, using real charging data, content viewer demands, and performance data, to demonstrate the effectiveness of our algorithms. We show that our content multihoming algorithms reduce publishing cost by up to 40%. Our client algorithm executing in browsers reduces viewer QoE degradation by 51%.
Mycobacterial Infection in the Ferret

Mycobacteriosis is an important disease in the feral ferret (Mustela putorius furo) of New Zealand; elsewhere, reports of tuberculosis in the ferret are sporadic. Genus Mycobacterium consists of aerobic, non-spore-forming, gram-positive, nonmotile bacteria that characteristically feature a cell wall rich in mycolic acids and esters. The epidemiology of mycobacteriosis in the ferrets of New Zealand involves complex interactions between ferrets, possums, and livestock. Investigators have shown that the ferret is highly susceptible only to Mycobacterium bovis infection and is more resistant to infection by other Mycobacterium spp. The principal site of all mycobacterial infection in the ferret is the gastrointestinal tract.
The storage lesion of packed red blood cells affects coagulation

Background The storage lesion of packed red blood cells (PRBCs) consists of biochemical changes associated with increased inflammatory mediators and decreased oxygen-carrying capacity. The effect of storage on the coagulation system is less well studied. The purpose of this study is to determine how PRBC storage time affects the activated coagulation time (ACT), using an in vitro model. Methods Type-matched PRBCs and fresh-frozen plasma were mixed, warmed to 37°C, and recalcified. The microsample ACT was repeatedly determined by 2 methods (ACT+ and ACT-LR) at 1 week, 3 weeks, and 5 weeks after date of donation. Hematocrit, pH, and ionized calcium were measured to assess how the model compared to physiologic circumstances. Statistical analysis was performed using the Student 2-tailed t-test with unequal variance. Results Hematocrit, pH, and ionized calcium were successfully maintained within narrow ranges. The model was notably acidotic, consistent with circumstances of shock and massive transfusion. There was no significant difference in the ACT+ between week 1 and week 3 ( P = .183), but there was a significant difference between week 3 and week 5 ( P = .029) and between week 1 and week 5 ( P = .007). The ACT-LR showed a significant difference between week 1 and week 3 ( P = .001), but not between week 3 and week 5 ( P = .286). There was again a strong difference between week 1 and week 5 results ( P = .011). Conclusion In an isolated in vitro model, the storage lesion of PRBCs is associated with decreased coagulation. This may have relevance for transfusion practices in coagulation-sensitive circumstances such as trauma.