cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Discovery of novel sulfonated small molecules that inhibit vascular tube formation

Tumor-associated angiogenesis is a complex process that involves the interplay among several molecular players such as cell-surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans, vascular endothelial growth factors and their cognate receptors. PI-88, a highly sulfonated oligosaccharide, has been shown to have potent anti-angiogenic activity and is currently in clinical trials. However, one of the major drawbacks of large oligosaccharides such as PI-88 is that their synthesis often requires numerous complex synthetic steps. In this study, several novel polysulfonated small molecule carbohydrate mimetics, which can easily be synthesized in fewer steps, are identified as promising inhibitors of angiogenesis in an in vitro tube formation assay.
Experimental and Finite Element Analysis of Pultruded Glass-Graphite/Epoxy Hybrids in Axial and Flexural Modes of Vibration

The effects of hybridization on the extensional and flexural dynamic properties of pultruded composite materials are reported in this paper. The composite materials considered were made up of unidirectional glass, graphite fibers in an epoxy matrix, and hybrids of glass-graphite/epoxy produced by the pultrusion manufacturing process. The dynamic storage modulus and loss factor of the rectangular and circular cross-section samples were first evaluated using the nondestructive impulse-frequency response vibration technique. The long and slender flat specimens were analyzed in both extensional and flexural modes of vibration in a free-free test configuration, whereas the thicker round specimens were analyzed only in the axial mode of vibration. The properties of the monofiber type glass/epoxy and graphite/epoxy composites were used as input to the finite element model for predicting and experimental validation of various pultruded (and hypothetical) glass-graphite/epoxy hybrid combinations. The modal strain ...
Using semiclassical surface hopping for coupled partial wave calculations on systems with non-spherically symmetric potentials

It is shown that a semiclassical surface hopping (SH) approach provides a simple and efficient method for scattering calculations with non-spherically symmetric potentials. The calculations are performed by expanding the wave function in an angular momentum state basis. Since the potential is not spherically symmetric, the different angular states are coupled. The semiclassical SH method, which is typically used for problems with coupled electronic states, can, in principle, be employed for any coupled state problem. The particular SH method employed is known to provide highly accurate results for coupled electronic state problems. The method is tested on model two angular state problems using potential surfaces and couplings arising from a non-spherically symmetric scattering problem. The results for these model problems are in excellent agreement with exact quantum calculations. Full calculations, which are converged with regard to the number of angular basis states, are also performed for the non-spherically symmetric problem. It is shown that an approximation to the surface hopping amplitudes that simplifies the numerical implementation of the method provides results in excellent agreement with the full surface hopping calculation.
Near optimality of stochastic control in systems with unknown parameter processes

Stochastic control for systems with an unknown parameter is considered in this paper. The underlying problem is to minimize a functional subject to a system described by a singularly perturbed differential equation with an unknown parameter process driven by fast fluctuating random disturbances. This problem arises in the context of stochastic adaptive control, adaptive signal processing, and failure-prone manufacturing systems. Due to the nature of the wide-bandwidth noise processes, identifying the parameter process for eacht is very hard since the driving noise changes very rapidly. An alternative approach is used, and an auxiliary control problem is introduced to overcome the difficulties. By means of weak convergence methods and comparison control techniques, nearly optimal controls are obtained.
Sterilization of glycerin.

Purpose. The sterilization of glycerin is described. Summary. Glycerin is used in a wide variety of pharmaceutical formulations, including oral, otic, ophthalmic, topical, and parenteral preparations. Of the myriad uses for glycerin, some require a sterile solution. Due to the nature of dry heat sterilization with resulting equipment and validation needs, sterile filtration is the preferred sterilization method for glycerin at the Mayo Clinic Pharmacy Services Production Laboratory in Rochester, Minnesota. A practical procedure was attained with the use of a chemically compatible 0.22-μm capsule filter, peristaltic pump, and sterile tubing. The sterile tubing is attached firmly, with a twisting motion, to the hose barb ends of the filter. The peristaltic pump is set at minimum speed, and a sterile syringe is used to capture the sterile glycerin filtrate. After filtration, filter integrity testing using the bubble point test is performed on the filter used to sterilize the solution. Packaging was then completed by placing glycerin aliquots into unit-of-use sterile syringes, placing a sterile tip cap on each syringe, and labeling the syringe. End testing is needed for preparations, such as sterile glycerin, that are made from nonsterile components, regardless of sterilization technique. This quality-control testing includes but is not limited to visual checks, pH checks, and tests for bacterial endotoxins, particulate matter, and sterility. Beyond-use dating is then assigned based on chemical, physical, microbiological, and packaging considerations. Conclusion. A practical method for sterilization of glycerin by compounding pharmacists is attainable through the use of membrane filtration. Sterility assurance is achieved through appropriate validation, and quality-control checks must be completed before release of the injectable preparation.
Expression of a foreign G-protein coupled receptor modulates the excitability of the peptidergic bag cell neurons of Aplysia.

Abstract Brief afferent stimulation of the bag cell neurons can trigger a sustained period of spontaneous firing (the `afterdischarge'). Pharmacological activation of a number of second messenger pathways has previously been shown to partially replicate this behavior. One strategy to identify additional pathways may be to heterologously express a variety of G-protein coupled receptors in bag cell neurons, then test whether receptor activation can induce an afterdischarge. We find that expression of the 1 α metabotropic glutamate receptor in single bag cell neurons mimics some features of the afterdischarge. This approach is thus feasible and may allow the reconstruction of different components of afterdischarge in the absence of the afferent input.
Free and cued selective reminding test: Moans norms

Age-adjusted norms are presented for persons age 56-98 years on the Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test (FCSRT; Buschke, 1984; Grober & Buschke, 1987). These data were obtained via several research projects that are known collectively as Mayo's Older Americans Normative Studies (MOANS). These norms should be useful when the FCSRT is used as a "stand alone" test. They should also promote accuracy in the comparison of any person's FCSRT performance against his or her functioning on any other tests with MOANS norms. The unique features of the FCSRT are discussed. These norms will, hopefully, enhance the utility of the test when it is used in clinical and research investigations of various amnestic disorders.
NASA reports on near-Earth objects program

A nuclear explosion could be the surbest option for deflecting an asteroid headed for Earth, according to a NASA report to the U.S. Congress that was released on 9 March. Other options could be used, particularly in the case of a small, solid body, but the report notes that 30–80% of potentially hazardous near-Earth objects are in orbits that cannot be reached by current or planned launch systems. The report also finds that in order for NASA to reach its congressionally mandated goal of finding 90% of all potentially hazardous near-Earth objects by 2020, the agency will need to partner with other government agencies on future groundbased observatories and that one observatory will need to be dedicated to the discovery of these objects.
High Speed (GHz), Ultra-High Pressure (GPA) Sensor Array Fabricated in Integrated CMOS+MEMS Process

In order to observe and quantify pressure levels generated during testing of energetic materials, a sensor array with high temporal resolution (~1 ns) and extremely high pressure range (≫ 1 GPa) is needed. We have developed such a sensor array which utilizes a novel integrated high performance CMOS+MEMS process.
SAR focusing performance for moving objects with random motion components

Synthetic aperture radar imaging is generally based on the assumption that objects in the scene are stationary. Many approaches have been proposed that compensate for a moving target when one wishes to track or image it. In this paper we consider moving objects that have random fluctuations in their motion, for example caused by engine vibration or road jitter. We study the Cramer-Rao bounds for estimating the location and velocity of a scattering center on such a target, and show that with even small random fluctuations, achievable focusing performance can be several times worse than for a stationary object.
Response of cultured tomato cells to aluminum

Abstract Callus cultures of tomato cultivars “Marglobe” and “VFNT Cherry” were subjected to 200 and 400 μM aluminum added to the culture medium. The growth of the “Marglobe” callus was completely inhibited after two passages on aluminum-containing medium, while the “VFNT Cherry” callus was only partly inhibited. The 200 and 400 μM aluminum treatments did not differ significantly in toxicity with either cultivar. Both cultivars took up similar amounts of aluminum, apparently reaching an equilibrium with the culture medium. These experiments demonstrate that aluminum toxicity in tomato is not exclusively a whole-plant phenomenon, and that genotypic differences in aluminum tolerance may be expressed in cell cultures.
Architecture and information technology as factors in surgical suite information sharing and coordination

Scheduling surgeries in hospitals is one of the most challenging activities for surgical staff. Schedule changes occur as often as every few moments, affecting necessary coordination of tasks, resources, and people within and across staff groups, and the stress people feel. In prior fieldwork at four sites, we observed that the physical layout of hallways and rooms, and barriers and spaces around schedule displays and key coordinators, affected information sharing and coordination of the surgery schedule. To generalize beyond the sites studied, we conducted a survey of 135 surgical suite directors across the USA. Our findings suggest how the architecture of the physical space and information availability and practices influence information sharing and coordination outcomes. Visual access between the shared surgery schedule display and the nursing control desk influenced whether staff groups congregated around schedule boards. Traffic-free areas around the surgery schedule display and up-to-date surgery schedule display information reduced coordination stress. We discuss implications for information practices and new information technology in hospital settings.
TOWARDS A METHODOLOGY FOR ROCK MECHANICS MODELLING

Abstract Rock mechanics models fall into the class of “data-limited problems”; one seldom knows enough about a rock mass to model it unambiguously. Modellers are beginning to realize that data-limited problems require a very different modelling approach from that developed in, for example, electrical or aerospace engineering. It follows that one cannot use models in rock mechanics in a conventional way, and that there is a need to adopt a distinctive and appropriate methodology for rock mechanics modelling. Some guidelines and heuristics, which may be considered as the first steps towards developing such a methodology, are presented. Three case studies are then used to illustrate the application, in practice, of these ideas.
Assessing Student Exposure To and Use of Computer Technologies through an Examination of Course Syllabi.

A syllabus analysis instrument was developed to assist program evaluators, administrators and faculty in the identification of skills that students use as they complete their college coursework. While this instrument can be tailored for use with a variety of learning domains, we used it to assess students' use of and exposure to computer technology skills. The reliability and validity of the instrument was examined through an analysis of 88 syllabi from courses within the teacher education program and the core curriculum at a private Midwest US university. Results indicate that the instrument has good inter‐rater reliability and ratings by and interviews with faculty and students provide evidence of construct validity. The use and limitations of the instrument in educational program evaluation are discussed.
A novel folded-torus based network architecture for power-aware multicore systems

Multicore computers are expected to be used to process a higher volume of data in the future. Current mesh-like multicore architecture is inadequate to increase memory-level-parallelism because of its poor core-to-core interconnection topology. In some architecture, each node has communication and computation components - switching component of such a node consumes power while the node is only computing and vice versa. In this paper, we propose a folded-torus based topology to improve performance and energy saving. In this architecture, nodes are separated between network switches and computing cores. Using folded-torus concept, we develop a scheme to connect the components (switches and cores) of a multicore architecture. Experimental results show that the proposed architecture outperforms Raw Architecture Workstation (RAW), Triplet Based Architecture (TriBA), and Logic-Based Distributed Routing (LBDR) architecture by reducing the switches more than 53%, the power consumption by up to 71%, and the average delay by up to 58%.
Experimentally induced Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in chimpanzees

Abstract Eight chimpanzees were examined. Two served as negative control and six inoculated with Mycoplasma pneumoniae became colonized. Colonization persisted for 28-68, 16-50 and 21 days with an average duration of 47, 32.5 and 21 days in the oropharyngeal, tracheal and lung tissues, respectively. Mycoplasma titers ranged from 10 8 to 10 1 color-changing units per specimen during the course of the infections. Seroconversion occurred within 12-15 days and peak antibody titers ranged from 1.256 to 1.1024 and developed between days 28 and 48 post-inoculation. Positive cold agglutinin titers were detected between 12 to 15 days and peak titers ranged from 1:80 to 1:640. Significant increases in sIgA and IgG immunoglobulin antibody levels were detected in lung lavage fluids. Unlike the many other experimentally infected animals examined, chimpanzees infected with M. pneumoniae had positive X-ray findings, developed cold agglutinins and showed overt signs of disease. These signs include persistent cough, low grade fever, rhinitis, oropharyngitis, diarrhea, and loss of appetite. Peak severity of disease corresponded with peak lung colonization, and the detection of cold agglutinins and positive X-ray findings. The microbiological, serological and clinical aspects of pneumonia induced in chimpanzees was similar to naturally occurring primary atypical pneumonia in humans.
Effect of Inoculation Level of Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Yogurt Cultures on Conjugated Linoleic Acid Content and Quality Attributes of Fermented Milk Products

The effect of inoculation concentration of Lactobacillus rhamnosus and yogurt cultures and storage time on conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) content and quality attributes of fermented milk products was determined. Yogurt culture (Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, 1:1 ratio, YC), L. rhamnosus (LB), and LB co-cultured with yogurt culture, were inoculated at 106, 107, 108 CFU/mL into a milk with hydrolyzed soy oil as the lipid source. CLA content, microbial counts, acidity, texture, and volatile flavor profile of the fermented milk products were stable during storage at 4 °C for 14 d. Total CLA contents ranged from 0.51 to 1.00 mg CLA/g lipid following 14 d of storage. Inoculation level of L. rhamnosus and yogurt cultures had no significant effect on CLA content and texture, but affected acidity and the volatile flavor profile of the fermented milk products. The fermented milk products produced by L. rhamnosus co-cultured with yogurt culture with 107 CFU/mL total inoculation level resulted in a high CLA content and desirable quality characteristics. This research demonstrated that the optimal inoculation concentration and the combination of L. rhamnosus and yogurt cultures were important factors to produce fermented milk products with CLA content and acceptable quality attributes.
Between diplomacy and letters: a sketch of Manuel de Oliveira Lima's search for a Brazilian identity

Manuel de Oliveira Lima as an important diplomat of the First Republic in Brazil reflects on an individual, national, and universal plane the convergence of politics and literature. His writing demonstrates an explicit attempt to construct a national identity that emanates not only between literature and diplomacy, but also between the personal and the historical, as well as, the foreign and the national. This paper analyzes brief examples of his criticism, personal correspondence, and fiction that demonstrate the convergence of these fields.
Mentoring Others: A Dispositional and Motivational Approach

Dispositional and motivational variables related to the propensity to mentor others and to the provision of career and psychosocial mentoring were examined. Results indicated that prosocial personality variables (other-oriented empathy, helpfulness) related to willingness to mentor others and also accounted for unique variance beyond variables associated with life and career stages. Other-oriented empathy related to actual experience as a mentor. Results also indicated that motives for mentoring others differentially related to psychosocial and career mentoring.
Generating arbitrary one-dimensional dose profiles using rotational therapy

Conformal radiation therapy can be delivered using several methods: intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) at fixed gantry angles, through the continuous gantry rotation of linac (rotational arc therapy), or by a dedicated treatment unit such as tomotherapy. The recently developed volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT), a form of rotational arc therapy, has attracted lots of attention from investigators to explore its capability of generating highly conformal dose to the target. The main advanced features of VMAT are the variable dose rate and gantry rotation speed. In this paper, we present a theoretical framework of generating arbitrary one-dimensional dose profiles using rotational arc therapy to further explore the new degree of freedom of the VMAT technique. This framework was applied to design a novel technique for total body irradiation (TBI) treatment, where the desired dose distribution can be simplified by a one-dimensional profile. The technique was validated using simulations and experimental measurements. The preliminary results demonstrated that the new TBI technique using either dynamic MLC only, variable dose rate only, or a combination of dynamic MLC and variable dose rate can achieve arbitrary dose distribution in one dimension, such as uniform dose to target and lower dose to critical organ. This technique does not require the use of customized compensators, nor large treatment rooms as in the conventional extended SSD technique.
A model for the rapid development of dispositional and functional tolerance to barbiturates.

The s.c. implantation of a 75 mg pentobarbital pellet in the back of a conscious mouse resulted in a much more rapid development of tolerance to barbiturates than that produced in mice receiving daily i.p. injections of 75 mg/kg sodium pentobarbital. Acceleration in tolerance development by pentobarbital pellet implantation was evidenced by a decrease in sleeping time after the challenge with either sodium pentobarbital or sodium barbital. The degree of hepatic microsomal drug enzyme induction after pentobarbital pellet implantation also was found to be significantly higher than that produced by the injection technique. Further studies demonstrated that the threshold for pentylenetetrazol-induced seizures was significantly reduced compared to that of the sodium pentobarbital daily injected and control groups. These studies provide an animal model for studying the mechanism of barbiturate tolerance and dependence.
Findings From Research on Children's Suggestibility and Implications for Conducting Child Interviews

The primary purpose of investigations of suspected child maltreatment should be to arrive at valid conclusions about the “truth” of the matter. Determinations about whether child maltreatment has occurred are often based, at least in part, on the perceived reliability of the statements of the suspected child victim. This has given rise to questions about children's suggestibility and the impact of various child interview practices on the reliability of children's statements. Recent research has attempted to address some of these questions in a more “ecologically valid” fashion than did earlier research. This article summarizes pertinent research relating to children's suggestibility and discusses the implications of this research as it relates to child interview practices. Specific suggestions are offered for minimizing suggestibility effects and maximizing the reliability of children's statements during child interviews.
The CardioWest total artificial heart bridge to transplantation: 1993 to 1996 National Trial

Abstract Background . We performed a controlled study of a total artificial heart in bridge to transplantation. We hypothesized that the CardioWest total artificial heart used in a selected population of decompensating cardiac transplantation candidates would result in improved survival compared with matched controls. Methods . The CardioWest trial started in 1993 in six United States institutions under an investigational device exemption from the Food and Drug Administration. Four centers contributed 27 implant and 18 matched retrospective control patients. Results . Of the implant patients, 25 (93%) received a transplant, 24 (89% of the total, 96% of those transplanted) were discharged and are currently surviving. In the control group, 10 patients died awaiting transplantation, 8 received a transplant, and 7 were discharged with 6 surviving ( p = 0.00001). All adverse events were documented with respect to time. Thirteen serious adverse events occurred, 11 of which occurred in the 2 patients that died during implant. Conclusions . In a selected group of patients with end-stage heart disease, use of the CardioWest total artificial heart is lifesaving. When compared with the series of matched retrospective controls, a significant improvement in survival was found in the CardioWest implant group.
Inferencing in information retrieval

We have been addressing the problem of providing access to the free text in biomedical databases. The focus of our work is the development of SPECIALIST, an experimental NLP system for the biomedical domain. The system includes a broad coverage parser supported by a large lexicon, a module that provides access to extensive biomedical knowledge sources, and a retrieval module that allows us to carry out experiments in information retrieval. We have recently conducted experiments with a test collection of queries and documents retrieved for those queries. The purpose of the investigation has been to determine the type of information that is required in order to effect a map between the language of queries and the language of relevant documents.
The significance of adnexal involvement in endometrial carcinoma.

Abstract Objective. To evaluate the prognostic significance of and predictive factors for adnexal involvement (AI) in patients with endometrial carcinoma. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed the pathological features and outcomes of endometrial carcinoma patients. The prognostic significance of AI was examined by univariate and multivariate analyses. Median follow-up was 30.7 months. Results. Of the 382 cases reviewed, 40 (10.5%) had AI. Patients with AI had a worse 5-year disease-free (DFS) survival (73.1 vs 37.1%, P P = 0.56). The 12 AI patients without other extrauterine disease had a favorable outcome (5-year DFS of 70.9%). Factors predictive of AI on logistic regression were metastatic disease, positive peritoneal washings, cervical involvement, and unfavorable histology. Conclusion. Endometrial carcinoma patients with AI have relatively poor prognoses. However, AI per se has little, if any, independent prognostic significance. The poor outcomes seen in these patients appear to result from the preponderance of other adverse pathologic factors.
Polyketide Chain Skipping Mechanism in the Biosynthesis of the Hybrid Nonribosomal Peptide-Polyketide Antitumor Antibiotic Leinamycin in Streptomyces atroolivaceus S-140

A fundamental feature of modular polyketide synthases (PKSs) is the highly predictable relationship between the domain order and the chemical functional groups of resultant polyketide products. Sequence analysis and biochemical characterization of the leinamycin (LNM) biosynthetic gene cluster from Streptomyces atroolivaceus S-140 has revealed a gene, lnmJ, that encodes five PKS modules but with six acyl carrier protein (ACP) domains. The LnmJ PKS module 6 contains two ACP domains, ACP6-1 and ACP6-2, separated by a C-methyltransferase domain. Site-directed mutagenesis experiments were carried out with each of these ACPs to test alternative mechanisms proposed for their role in polyketide chain elongation. The in vivo results revealed a new type of polyketide chain “skipping” mechanism, in which either ACP is sufficient for LNM biosynthesis. Biochemical characterization in vitro showed that both ACPs can be loaded with a malonate extender unit by the LnmG acyl transferase; however, ACP6-2 appears to be pre...
The value of canine semen evaluation for practitioners

Compared to human medicine, little is known in canine medicine regarding specific findings on semen evaluation and their correlation with fertility. Suggestions to optimize quality of semen evaluation in veterinary practice include creating standardized protocols for evaluation of all semen parameters and updating those protocols as needed; creating some form of quality control for the clinic laboratory; educating owners about our inability to predict with 100% accuracy whether dogs with poor semen quality never could impregnate a bitch or whether dogs with excellent semen quality always could impregnate a bitch; and generating protocols for further diagnostic work-up for those dogs with abnormal semen quality.
Impaired oxygen delivery to muscle in chronic fatigue syndrome.

The purpose of this study was to determine if chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is associated with reduced oxygen delivery to muscles. Patients with CFS according to CDC (Center for Disease Control) criteria (n=20) were compared with normal sedentary subjects (n=12). Muscle oxygen delivery was measured as the rate of post-exercise and post-ischaemia oxygen-haem resaturation. Oxygen-haem resaturation was measured in the medial gastrocnemius muscle using continuous-wavelength near-IR spectroscopy. Phosphocreatine resynthesis was measured simultaneously using (31)P magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The time constant of oxygen delivery was significantly reduced in CFS patients after exercise (46.5+/-16 s; mean+/-S.D.) compared with that in controls (29.4+/-6.9 s). The time constant of oxygen delivery was also reduced (20.0+/-12 s) compared with controls (12.0+/-2.8 s) after cuff ischaemia. Oxidative metabolism was also reduced by 20% in CFS patients, and a significant correlation was found between oxidative metabolism and recovery of oxygen delivery. In conclusion, oxygen delivery was reduced in CFS patients compared with that in sedentary controls. This result is consistent with previous studies showing abnormal autonomic control of blood flow. Reduced oxidative delivery in CFS patients could be specifically related to CFS, or could be a non-specific effect of reduced activity levels in these patients. While these results suggest that reduced oxygen delivery could result in reduced oxidative metabolism and muscle fatigue, further studies will be needed to address this issue.
Association of Plant Color and Pericarp Color with Colonization of Grain by Members of Fusarium and Alternaria in Near-Isogenic Sorghum Lines

White sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) grain from tan plants is more desirable for human or animal consumption. Colonization by Fusarium and Alternaria spp. was assessed for near-isogenic lines differing in wound response (purple or tan) and pericarp color (red or white) in field-grown grain and in greenhouse-grown plants. Seeds were screened on a semi-selective medium for Alternaria and Fusarium. Significantly fewer fungal colonies were obtained from tan plants with white seed, and fewer numbers of Alternaria colonies were obtained from white seed, regardless of plant color, from an irrigated field, while there were no differences in fungal composition of seeds grown at a nonirrigated field. Screening of seed from the nonirrigated field on Fusarium semi-selective medium yielded fewer Fusarium isolations from seed grown on purple plants compared with seed from tan plants. When inoculated with Alternaria sp. and F. moniliforme, there can be no differences in lesion lengths on tan/white plants when compared with purple/red plants in most assays; in one assay, tan/white plants had smaller lesion lengths following inoculation with F. moniliforme. These results suggest that plants with white seeds were as resistant as plants with the red pericarp trait to colonization by Alternaria and Fusarium spp. However, the results also suggest that under appropriate environmental conditions seed from tan plants may be more susceptible to Fusarium spp. than seed from purple plants.
Performance of a Sonification Task in the Presence of Verbal, Visuospatial, and Auditory Interference Tasks

An experiment examined performance with sonifications—a general term for nonspeech auditory displays—as a function of working memory encoding and the demands of three different types of interference tasks. Participants encoded the sonifications as verbal representations, visuospatial images, or auditory images. After encoding, participants engaged in brief verbal, visuospatial, or auditory interference tasks before responding to point estimation queries about the sonifications. Results were expected to show selective impact on sonification task performance when the interference task demands matched the working memory encoding strategy, but instead a pattern of general working memory interference emerged in addition to auditory modal interference. In practical applications, results suggested that performance with auditory displays will be impacted by any interference task, though auditory tasks likely will cause more interference than verbal or visuospatial tasks.
Verapamil Inhibits the Glucose Transport Activity of GLUT1

Calcium channel blocker toxicity has been associated with marked hyperglycemia responsive only to high-dose insulin therapy. The exact mechanism(s) of this induced hyperglycemia has not been clearly delineated. The glucose transporter GLUT1 is expressed in a wide variety of cell types and is largely responsible for a basal level of glucose transport. GLUT1 also is activated by cell stress. The specific purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the calcium channel blocker verapamil on the glucose uptake activity of GLUT1 in L929 fibroblasts cells. Dose-dependent effects of verapamil on glucose uptake were studied using L929 fibroblast cells with 2-deoxyglucose. Verapamil had a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on both basal and stress-activated transport activity of GLUT1. Basal activity was inhibited 50% by 300 μM verapamil, while 150 μM verapamil completely inhibited the activation induced by the stress of glucose deprivation. These effects were reversible and required verapamil to be present during the stress. Alteration of calcium concentrations by addition of 5 mM CaCl2 or 4 mM EDTA had no effect on verapamil action. This study reveals the unique finding that verapamil has inhibitory effects on the transport activity of GLUT1 independent of its effects on calcium concentrations. The inhibition of GLUT1 may be one of the contributing factors to the hyperglycemia observed in CCB poisoning.
Current Nursing Practice in Dialysis Care: A Summary

The provision of comprehensive care to patients requiring maintenance hemodialysis has developed into a complex multi-disciplinary effort involving nurses at all levels. Nephrology nursing has evolved over 15 years into a model of so-called “expanded practice,” i.e., one in which technical expertise and broad scientific and professional education are necessary as well as significant commitment to quality of care. This practice includes unusual responsibility for management of many aspects of patient care. Described in this paper are the specific responsibilities expected of nurses in hemodialysis, including the response to clinical problems during dialysis. Also reviewed are the more independent contributions of nurses to home and self-care dialysis. An outline of recommended educational content for nephrology nurses is included.
Omasal Flow of Soluble Proteins, Peptides, and Free Amino Acids in Dairy Cows Fed Diets Supplemented with Proteins of Varying Ruminal Degradabilities

Three ruminally and duodenally cannulated cows were assigned to an incomplete 4 x 4 Latin square with four 14-d periods and were fed diets supplemented with urea, solvent soybean meal, xylose-treated soybean meal (XSBM), or corn gluten meal to study the effects of crude protein source on omasal canal flows of soluble AA. Soluble AA in omasal digesta were fractionated by ultrafiltration into soluble proteins greater than 10 kDa (10K), oligopeptides between 3 and 10 kDa (3-10K), peptides smaller than 3 kDa (small peptides), and free AA (FAA). Omasal flow of total soluble AA ranged from 254 to 377 g/d and accounted for 9.2 to 15.9% of total AA flow. Averaged across diets, flows of AA in 10K, 3-10K, small peptides, and FAA were 29, 217, 50, and 5 g/d, respectively, and accounted for 10.3, 71.0, 17.5, and 1.6% of the total soluble AA flow. Cows with diets supplemented with solvent soybean meal had higher flows of Met, Val, and total AA associated with small peptides than those whose diets were supplemented with XSBM, whereas supplementation with corn gluten meal resulted in higher total small peptide-AA flows than did XSBM. Averaged across diets, 27, 75, and 93% of soluble AA in 10K, 3-10K, and peptides plus FAA flowing out of the rumen were of dietary origin. On average, 10% of the total AA flow from the rumen was soluble AA from dietary origin, indicating a substantial escape of dietary soluble N from ruminal degradation. Omasal concentrations and flows of soluble small peptides isolated by ultrafiltration were substantially smaller than most published ruminal small peptide concentrations and outflows measured in acid-deproteinized supernatants of digesta.
Manufacturing cell simulation

This paper demonstrates the value of using simulation to model a gear manufacturing cell at the Reliance Electric Co. for the purpose of evaluating changes in equipment, layout, operator tasks and operating policies.
Optimizing power allocation to CPU and memory subsystems in overprovisioned HPC systems

Energy consumption and power draw pose two major challenges to the HPC community for designing larger systems. Present day HPC systems consume as much as 10MW of electricity and this is fast becoming a bottleneck. Although energy bills will significantly increase with machine size, power consumption is a hard constraint that must be addressed. Intel's Running Average Power Limit (RAPL) toolkit is a recent feature that enables power capping of CPU and memory subsystems on modern hardware. In this paper, we use RAPL to evaluate the possibility of improving execution time efficiency of an application by capping power while adding more nodes. We profile the strong scaling of an application using different power caps for both CPU and memory subsystems. Our proposed interpolation scheme uses an application profile to optimize the number of nodes and the distribution of power between CPU and memory subsystems to minimize execution time under a strict power budget. We validate these estimates by running experiments on a 20-node (120 cores) Sandy Bridge cluster. Our experimental results closely match the model estimates and show speedups greater than 1.47X for all applications compared to not capping CPU and memory power. We demonstrate that the quality of solution that our interpolation scheme provides matches very closely to results obtained via exhaustive profiling.
A Logistic Regression Model for Predicting Risk of White Mold Incidence on Dry Bean in North Dakota

White mold, caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, is the most important disease affecting dry bean production in North Dakota. This disease currently is managed mainly through fungicides applied during the flowering stage. A disease-forecasting model was developed to help growers with their decision to apply these fungicides. The model was built using weather variables collected during eight consecutive half-month periods between 1 May and 31 August 2003 to 2005 and white mold incidence data obtained from 150 fields. The model was produced using logistic regression analysis, and includes total rainfall, average minimum temperature, and number of rainy days in the first half of June, July, and August, respectively, as predictors and explained 85% of the variability. The model was validated using an independent disease data set collected from 100 fields during the same years. The model exhibited high true positive ratio (0.79) and very high accuracy (0.91) between observed and predicted probabilities of white mold incidence. Results from this study suggest that in-season macro-weather variables could be used to predict the risk of white mold, which in-turn could help growers make better-informed decisions on whether or not to apply fungicides for white mold control.
Light-Dependent Electrogenic Activity of Cyanobacteria

Background Cyanobacteria account for 20–30% of Earth's primary photosynthetic productivity and convert solar energy into biomass-stored chemical energy at the rate of ∼450 TW [1]. These single-cell microorganisms are resilient predecessors of all higher oxygenic phototrophs and can be found in self-sustaining, nitrogen-fixing communities the world over, from Antarctic glaciers to the Sahara desert [2]. Methodology/Principal Findings Here we show that diverse genera of cyanobacteria including biofilm-forming and pelagic strains have a conserved light-dependent electrogenic activity, i.e. the ability to transfer electrons to their surroundings in response to illumination. Naturally-growing biofilm-forming photosynthetic consortia also displayed light-dependent electrogenic activity, demonstrating that this phenomenon is not limited to individual cultures. Treatment with site-specific inhibitors revealed the electrons originate at the photosynthetic electron transfer chain (P-ETC). Moreover, electrogenic activity was observed upon illumination only with blue or red but not green light confirming that P-ETC is the source of electrons. The yield of electrons harvested by extracellular electron acceptor to photons available for photosynthesis ranged from 0.05% to 0.3%, although the efficiency of electron harvesting likely varies depending on terminal electron acceptor. Conclusions/Significance The current study illustrates that cyanobacterial electrogenic activity is an important microbiological conduit of solar energy into the biosphere. The mechanism responsible for electrogenic activity in cyanobacteria appears to be fundamentally different from the one exploited in previously discovered electrogenic bacteria, such as Geobacter, where electrons are derived from oxidation of organic compounds and transported via a respiratory electron transfer chain (R-ETC) [3], [4]. The electrogenic pathway of cyanobacteria might be exploited to develop light-sensitive devices or future technologies that convert solar energy into limited amounts of electricity in a self-sustainable, CO2-free manner.
Automatic generation of library bindings using static analysis

High-level languages are growing in popularity. However, decades of C software development have produced large libraries of fast, time-tested, meritorious code that are impractical to recreate from scratch. Cross-language bindings can expose low-level C code to high-level languages. Unfortunately, writing bindings by hand is tedious and error-prone, while mainstream binding generators require extensive manual annotation or fail to offer the language features that users of modern languages have come to expect.We present an improved binding-generation strategy based on static analysis of unannotated library source code. We characterize three high-level idioms that are not uniquely expressible in C's low-level type system: array parameters, resource managers, and multiple return values. We describe a suite of interprocedural analyses that recover this high-level information, and we show how the results can be used in a binding generator for the Python programming language. In experiments with four large C libraries, we find that our approach avoids the mistakes characteristic of hand-written bindings while offering a level of Python integration unmatched by prior automated approaches. Among the thousands of functions in the public interfaces of these libraries, roughly 40% exhibit the behaviors detected by our static analyses.
Negative Capacitance in Short-Channel FinFETs Externally Connected to an Epitaxial Ferroelectric Capacitor

We report subthreshold swings as low as 8.5 mV/decade over as high as eight orders of magnitude of drain current in short-channel negative capacitance FinFETs (NC-FinFETs) with gate length $L_{g}=100$ nm. NC-FinFETs are constructed by connecting a high-quality epitaxial bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3) ferroelectric capacitor to the gate terminal of both n-type and p-type FinFETs. We show that a self-consistent simulation scheme based on Berkeley SPICE Insulated-Gate-FET Model:Common Multi Gate model and Landau–Devonshire formalism could quantitatively match the experimental NC-FinFET transfer characteristics. This also allows a general procedure to extract the effective $S$ -shaped ferroelectric charge–voltage characteristics that provides important insights into the device operation.
Instruction in Spatial Demography

In December 2011 a specialist meeting on Future Directions of Spatial Demography brought together specialists from multiple disciplines to discuss the state of the science in spatial demography, emergent geospatial data and measurement issues, and spatial statistical methods (for further details on this specialist meeting see Matthews SA, Janelle DG, Goodchild MF, Future directions in spatial demography specialist meeting: final report, 2012). It is not the intent to review and update the discussions that took place at this meeting but rather to focus on arguably the most important cross-cutting theme that emerged from the meeting: instruction in spatial demography. In this chapter I will begin by discussing spatial perspectives in demographic research; this is both a selective review and as an introduction to emergent trends in geospatial data and methods. This opening section illustrates a major challenge associated with instruction in spatial demography, namely the breadth of topics that legitimately fall under an umbrella of spatial demography. Next I describe available instructional resources (courses, textbooks, software and other resources), few of which focus on demographic research, and then transition to a discussion of potential new directions and strategies (action items) in instruction in spatial demography.
Prenatal Cytogenetic Analysis of Women With High Risk For Genetic Disorders

165 prenatal cytogenetic analyses are reported. The culture and Giemsa or quinacrine mustard (QM) staining processes are described. Karyotypes from both Giemsa and QM metaphases were analyzed. The main indications for amniocentesis were: 1)previous child with Downs syndrome (65) 2)advanced maternal age (74) 3)D/G carrier (5) 4)Duchenne muscular dystrophy (5) or 6)previous indication of other chromosomal anomaly. In the advanced maternal age group 4 G21 and 1 E18 trisomy fetuses were detected. No chromosomal abnormalities were seen in the group referred for a previous child with Downs syndrome although one woman was found to have a 9/13 translocation herself. Another woman with 13/14 translocation gave birth to a healthy boy with a 13/14 translocation as predicted. Of 5 women referred for D/G translocation carriers 1 had a fetus with a 46 XY-D + t(DqGq) karyotype. Sex determination for X-linked anomalies resulted in detection of 2 Duchennes muscular dystrophy 1 hemophilia 1 Norries syndrome and 1 Pelizaeus-Merzbachers syndrome.
Next-Generation Sequencing of a Single Domain Antibody Repertoire Reveals Quality of Phage Display Selected Candidates

Next-Generation Sequencing and bioinformatics are powerful tools for analyzing the large number of DNA sequences present in an immune library. In this work, we constructed a cDNA library of single domain antibodies from a llama immunized with staphylococcal enterotoxin B. The resulting library was sequenced, resulting in approximately 8.5 million sequences with 5.4 million representing intact, useful sequences. The sequenced library was interrogated using sequences of known SEB-binding single domain antibodies from the library obtained through phage display panning methods in a previous study. New antibodies were identified, produced, and characterized, and were shown to have affinities and melting temperatures comparable to those obtained by traditional panning methods. This demonstrates the utility of using NGS as a complementary tool to phage-displayed biopanning as a means for rapidly obtaining additional antibodies from an immune library. It also shows that phage display, using a library of high diversity, is able to select high quality antibodies even when they are low in frequency.