cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A method for the determination of the elastic constants for crystals with low trigonal symmetry

The analytical expressions for calculating all the seven elastic constants for crystals with lower trigonal symmetry (point group 3 and 3) in terms of measured ultrasonic velocities are presented. It is suggested a computer program to reduce the possible error should be adopted. Es werden analytische Ausdrucke zur Berechnung der sieben elastischen Konstanten fur Kristalle der niedrigeren trigonalen Symmetrie (Punktgruppen 3 und 3) aus gemessenen Ultraschallgeschwindigkeiten angegeben. Um die moglichen Fehler zu verringern, wird vorgeschlagen, ein Computerprogramm zu benutzen.
The Politics of Racial Reparations

This article seeks to establish the necessary theoretical and political grounds for reparations. It is the aim of the article to examine the various ways in which scholars and politicians have framed the historical debate on reparations and then to introduce a possible approach that would take into consideration something more than slavery. In fact, the article concludes that slavery was just one aspect of the dispossession of the African in the United States. Thus, it will be necessary to consider the entire history of African Americans as constituting a warrant for reparations.
Ultrahigh resolution electron microscopy of the surface structure of (110) Ag2O

Abstract An ultrahigh resolution transmission electron microscope and diffraction investigation of the residual oxidized silver on the surface of (111) Au films has shown that it is possible to resolve a monolayer coverage of silver atoms and the atomic structure of crystalline Ag 2 O surfaces. Localized patches often under 100 A in lateral extent show a reoriented (110) oxide which often exhibits a (2 × 1) surface superstructure. The structure of various different layer coverages has been analyzed from the high resolution micrographs via digital image processing and model building to interpret surface morphology.
JUPITER: a Few Words of Caution

Since the JUPITER trial results were released in November 2008,1 they have been applauded by various sources (the media, the medical literature, cardiology experts, and health authorities) and described as a breakthrough, heralding large public health benefit and potentially dictating change in clinical practice toward the expansion of the use of statins for primary prevention. Such comments include the concept that statins should be given to everyone, regardless of their lipid levels.2,3 Based on the results of JUPITER, an additional 19% of the United States older population (men ≥50 years and women ≥60 years), or more than 11 million people, may become eligible for statin therapy, bringing the proportion of older adults with indications for statin therapy to ≈80%.4 JUPITER, an acronym for Justification for the Use of Statins in Primary Prevention: An Intervention Trial Evaluating Rosuvastatin, tested the hypothesis that statin treatment may reduce vascular events in persons with elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) but without hyperlipidemia. The study enrolled apparently healthy people with LDL cholesterol levels of <130 mg/dL but with high-sensitivity CRP levels of ≥2.0 mg/L. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either rosuvastatin, 20 mg orally per day, or a placebo, and followed for cardiovascular events. The trial was planned to last 4 years, but it was stopped early for benefit by the data and safety monitoring board, after a median follow-up of 1.9 years. The reason for the enthusiasm and early termination of JUPITER was a hazard ratio of 0.56 (95% CI, 0.46 to 0.69), translating into a 44% relative risk reduction for the primary outcome favoring statin treatment, with similar reductions in other cardiovascular end points. But as Dr Hlatky cautioned, in his editorial to the JUPITER trial,5 what really matters for dictating changes in clinical practice is the absolute …
Thermodynamics of Symmetric Diblock Copolymers Containing Poly(styrene-ran-styrenesulfonic acid)

We examine the thermodynamic behavior of diblock copolymers representing the binary pairs of the ternary system: poly(dimethylsiloxane)/poly(ethylene-stat-propylene)/poly(styrene-ran-styrenesulfonic acid), D/EP/SS. We employ small-angle X-ray scattering, electron microscopy, and rheology to characterize the order-to-disorder transition temperature TODT and lamellar period d of 28 materials with varying molecular weights and sulfonation extents. These data are then interpreted in the context of self-consistent mean-field theory employing the continuous Gaussian chain model to deduce the interaction parameters as a function of temperature and sulfonation extent. We find that while EPD and SSEP are amenable to such treatment, the SS/D interaction forces SSD chains to stretch beyond the realm of applicability of the Gaussian chain model.
Aquatic system for fuel and feed production from livestock wastes.

A multistage aquacultural system based on methanogenic bacteria, photosynthetic bacteria, microalgae, and floating macrophytes was developed to produce methane, protein supplements, and fibrous feeds from swine wastes under subtropical climatic conditions in the southeastern United States. Average biogas yield from anaerobic digestion of settled waste solids at ambient temperature was 0·27m3/kg volatile solids added with an average methane content of 68%. Treatment of raw and anaerobically digested swine waste by photosynthetic bacteria produced liquid medium suitable for algae production. Algal growth potential of this medium was improved by harvesting the bacteria. A carbon and nitrogen balance calculated for the algal stage of the system indicated that it was possible to recycle 50% of the waste nitrogen as protein. Equipment and procedures for harvesting and processing water hyacinth were investigated with special reference to their energy consumption and yield.
The role of flaw geometry in thin film delamination from two-dimensional interface flaws along free edges

Abstract Delamination from planar interface edge flaws between a thin film and a semi-infinite substrate is examined to determine the roles of flaw width and depth relative to the film thickness. The flaws have curved and straight sections, and the crack front intersects the free edge at a right angle. Three-dimensional finite element models are used to extract local energy release rates and mode-mixity angles along the entire crack front. This paper focuses the crack dimensions required to reach steady state, wherein energy release rates are independent of flaw dimensions along the entire crack front. Results indicate that moderate elastic mismatch, although affecting mode mixity, plays a small role in determining the crack aspect ratios required to reach steady state. For wide cracks, the energy release rate for crack advance into the film interior approaches the plane-strain steady-state value when the half-width of the crack is approximately four times its depth (for cracks whose depths is several times the film thickness). For narrow cracks, the energy release rate near the free edge is significantly greater than the plane-strain steady-state result, and reaches a steady state when the depth approximately 10 times its width (for widths several time the film thickness). The results imply that delamination from wide cracks is reasonably accurately predicted via plane-strain analyses. Conversely, two-dimensional models are incapable of accurately predicting delamination from narrow cracks, which have a tendency to widen into flaws with more balanced aspect ratios (i.e. without growth in the depth direction).
Fundamental Limitations of [18F]2-Deoxy-2-Fluoro-d-Glucose for Assessing Myocardial Glucose Uptake

Background The glucose tracer analog [18F]2-deoxy-2-fluoro-d-glucose (FDG) is widely used for assessing regional myocardial glucose metabolism in vivo. The reproducibility of this method has recently been questioned because of a discordant affinity of hexokinase for its substrates glucose and 2-deoxyglucose. We therefore compared rates of glucose utilization simultaneously with tissue time-activity curves of FDG uptake before and after changes in the physiological environment of the heart. Methods and Results Isolated working rat hearts were perfused for 60 minutes with recirculating Krebs buffer containing glucose (10 mmol/L), FDG (1 μCi/mL), [2-3H]glucose (0.05 μCi/mL), and [U-14C]2-deoxyglucose (2-DG; 0.025 μCi/mL). Myocardial glucose uptake was measured by tracer ([2-3H]glucose) and tracer analog methods (FDG and 2-DG) before and after the addition of either insulin (1 mU/mL), epinephrine (1 μmol/L), lactate (40 mmol/L), or d,l-β-hydroxybutyrate (40 mmol/L) at 30 minutes of perfusion and after acute c...
The Evolution of Marine Reptiles

Reptiles have repeatedly invaded marine environments despite their physiological constraints as air breathers. Marine reptiles were especially successful in the Mesozoic as major predators in the sea. There were more than a dozen groups of marine reptiles in the Mesozoic, of which four had more than 30 genera, namely sauropterygians (including plesiosaurs), ichthyopterygians, mosasaurs, and sea turtles. Medium-sized groups, such as Thalattosauria and Thalattosuchia, had about ten genera, whereas small groups, such as Hupehsuchia and Pleurosauridae, consisted of only two genera or less. Sauropterygia and Ichthyopterygia were the two longest surviving lineages, with 185 and 160 million years of stratigraphic spans, respectively. Mesozoic marine reptiles explored many different swimming styles and diets. Their diet included fish, cephalopods, other vertebrates, and hard-shelled invertebrates, whereas no herbivore is known at this point. Sauropterygians and ichthyopterygians gave rise to cruising forms that probably invaded outer seas. Intermediate forms that led to the cruising species are known in Ichthyopterygia but not as much in Sauropterygia. Discovery of new fossils should eventually reduce the gap in the fossil record.
Soil phosphorus stocks and distribution in chemical fractions for long-term sugarcane, pasture, turfgrass, and forest systems in Florida

Phosphorus distribution and stability in soils of the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) of south Florida is important because of changing land uses. We investigated the effects of land use on P distribution in the soil profile and between chemical fractions for a histosol of the Florida Everglades. Labile, Fe–Al bound, Ca-bound, humic–fulvic acid, and residual P pools in 0–15, 15–30, and 30–45 cm depths were determined for drained soils planted to sugarcane (Saccharum sp.) for 50 yr, pasture for 100 yr, turfgrass for 60 yr, and forest for 20 yr. The P concentrations of all chemical fractions decreased with depth in the profile, indicating accumulation in surface soil resulting from oxidation and fertilization. Trends in P distribution between chemical fractions were similar between land uses. Labile P comprised less than 1% of total P. Fe–Al bound P averaged 2.9% of the total P for turfgrass and forest, but 11.4 and 9.6% for sugarcane and pasture. Increasing soil disturbance and long-term fertilization increased P allocation to inorganic fractions, as Ca-bound P contained 49% of total P for sugarcane but 28% for other land uses. Total P stocks in the soil profile (0–45 cm) averaged 1,323, 2,005, 2,294, and 2,317 kg P ha−1 for pasture, sugarcane, turfgrass, and forest, respectively. Under current land uses P in organic fractions represents an unstable pool since the soil is prone to oxidation under drained conditions. In contrast, P sequestered in inorganic fractions is more stable under current land uses, thus sugarcane cultivation and incorporation of bedrock CaCO3 into surface soil by tillage will enhance long-term P sequestration.
Trading Public Goods in the Western Alliance System

This article seeks to broaden the scope of analyses of security burden sharing within the Western alliance system beyond the narrow military approach taken by past work in the economic theory of alliances. In contrast to that work, which has shown that the Western allies have been persistently free riding on the military efforts of the United States, an illustrative model is presented that posits the existence of burden sharing across issue areas among the Western allies. The model yields significantly different conclusions regarding (1) the nature of alliance burden sharing, (2) the optimality of alliance security provision, and (3) the future of cooperation in the Western alliance system in the face of declining American hegemony. On a theoretical level, this article begins to formulate a new economic theory of alliances that focuses on “trade” in public goods and adheres closely to the Ricardian theory of comparative advantage. I hypothesize that nations will specialize in the production of those allia...
The effect of age on outcome following traumatic brain injury in rats

✓ Age of the patient is one of the most important predictors of outcome following human traumatic brain injury. This study employs the fluid-percussion model to investigate the effects of aging on outcome following traumatic brain injury in rats. The results revealed that there was an age-associated increase in mortality rate following both low (1.7 to 1.8 atm) and moderate (2.00 to 2.25 atm) levels of traumatic brain injury. Age-related changes in systemic physiological, neurological, and histopathological indexes of brain injury were also examined following a low level of traumatic brain injury. Traumatic brain injury produced equivalent acute hypertension and increased plasma glucose levels in both young adult and aging rats. Injury produced an acute increase in heart rate in the young adult rat group, while the heart rate decreased in the aged rats. At low levels of brain injury, no significant gross histopathological alterations were produced in either age group. Neurological outcome was assessed by ...
BayesWipe: A multimodal system for data cleaning and consistent query answering on structured bigdata

Recent efforts in data cleaning of structured data have focused exclusively on problems like data deduplication, record matching, and data standardization; none of these focus on fixing incorrect attribute values in tuples. Correcting values in tuples is typically performed by a minimum cost repair of tuples that violate static constraints like CFDs (which have to be provided by domain experts, or learned from a clean sample of the database). In this paper, we provide a method for correcting individual attribute values in a structured database using a Bayesian generative model and a statistical error model learned from the noisy database directly. We thus avoid the necessity for a domain expert or clean master data. We also show how to efficiently perform consistent query answering using this model over a dirty database, in case write permissions to the database are unavailable. We evaluate our methods over both synthetic and real data.
Cutaneous tuberculosis in Blackburn district (U.K.): a 15‐year prospective series, 1981–95

Summary Data collected prospectively on all 1065 cases of tuberculosis occurring in the Blackburn district, U.K. (population 265.000), over a 15-year period have been analysed, and from these 47 cases of cutaneous tuberculosis have been identified. The most common form was scrofuloderma, skin involvement with adjacent structural disease, of which there were 2b cases (55. 3%). There was no ethnic bias in this group. The eight white patients with scrofuloderma were of average age 66 years, and are thought to represent reactivation disease.Six palients (12.8%) had lupus vulgaris, four (8.5%) had metastatic tuberculosis and 10 (21.3%) were diagnosed as having one of the tuberculides, of which Bazin's disease (erythema induratum) was the most common. In addition, one patient (2.2%) had orificial tuberculosis. In contrast to scrofuloderma. all other forms of cutaneous tuberculosis occurred almost exclusively in patients from the Indian Subcontinent (ISC).The high incidence of tuberculosis in Blackburn is mainly linked to its significant proportion of residents of ISC ethnic origin. There were no cases of HIV infection coexisting with either cutaneous or other forms of tuberculosis. Recommendations for the treatment of cutaneous tuberculosis are made.
Role of peptide histidine isoleucine in relaxation of cat lower esophageal sphincter

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is a candidate as an inhibitory neurotransmitter mediating relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) because VIP antiserum reduces LES relaxation in response to neural stimulation. Vasoactive intestinal peptide antiserum, however, does not completely block LES relaxation. Thus it is possible that other neurotransmitters may be involved. Peptide histidine isoleucine has structural homologies with VIP, is synthesized with VIP from a common precursor protein, coexists in some nerve cells, and is coproduced with VIP in some tumors. In numerous organ systems VIP and peptide histidine isoleucine (PHI) produce similar effects, with PHI being less potent than VIP by approximately one log number. In the LES both VIP and PHI produce tetrodotoxin-resistant dose-dependent relaxation, with PHI being almost equipotent with VIP. We therefore tested the hypothesis that PHI may be a second neurotransmitter, partly responsible for relaxation of the cat LES, by using a highly specific rabbit PHI antiserum that exhibits minimal cross-binding with VIP, secretin, and glucagon. In 3 animals, LES and brain tissue were extracted in 0.1 N HCl and assayed with a PHI radioimmunoassay. The antiserum cross-reacted with cat brain and LES showing PHI concentrations greater than 100 ng/g, with the LES containing equal or greater concentrations of PHI than brain tissue. In other animals consecutive LES circular muscle strips were cut, mounted in 1-ml muscle chambers, and stimulated with 6-s square-wave trains of 0.1-, 0.2-, 0.4-, and 0.8-ms pulses at 1, 2, and 5 Hz. These parameters produced relaxation that was completely blocked by tetrodotoxin, and reduced by VIP antiserum, but not affected by adrenergic or cholinergic receptor antagonists. Some strips were incubated in 5% or 10% PHI antiserum, whereas others were incubated in the same concentration of preimmunization serum from the same animal. Incubation in normal serum did not significantly affect relaxation, whereas in the antiserum-treated strips, LES relaxation was reduced by a significant amount (20%-30%) at all parameters of stimulation tested. Incubation in antiserum however had no effect on relaxation induced by VIP (10(-8)-10(-6) M). These data suggest that PHI may play a role in LES relaxation induced by electrical stimulation.
Precise call graph construction in the presence of function pointers

The use of pointers presents serious problems for software productivity tools for software understanding, restructuring, and testing. Pointers enable indirect memory accesses through pointer dereferences, as well as indirect procedure calls (e.g., through function pointers in C). Such indirect-accesses and calls can be disambiguated with pointer analysis. In this paper we evaluate the precision of a pointer analysis by Zhang et al. (1996, 1998) for the purposes of call graph construction for C programs with function pointers. The analysis is implemented in the context of a production-strength code-browsing tool from Siemens Corporate Research. The analysis uses an inexpensive, almost-linear flow- and context-insensitive algorithm. To measure analysis precision, we compare the call graph computed by the analysis with the most precise call graph obtainable by a large category of pointer analyses. Surprisingly, for all our data programs the analysis of Zhang et al. achieves the best possible precision. This result indicates that for the purposes of call graph construction, even inexpensive analyses can provide very good precision, and therefore the use of more expensive analyses may not be justified.
Mengovirus and Encephalomyocarditis Virus Poly(C) Tract Lengths Can Affect Virus Growth in Murine Cell Culture

Many virulent aphthoviruses and cardioviruses have long homopolymeric poly(C) tracts in the 5′ untranslated regions of their RNA genomes. A panel of genetically engineered mengo-type cardioviruses has been described which contain a variety of different poly(C) tract lengths. Studies of these viruses have shown the poly(C) tract to be dispensable for growth in HeLa cells, although the relative murine virulence of the viruses correlates directly and positively with tract length. Compared with wild-type mengovirus strain M, mutants with shortened poly(C) tracts grow poorly in mice and protectively immunize rather than kill recipient animals. In the present study, several murine cell populations were tested to determine whether, unlike HeLa cells, they allowed a differential amplification of viruses with long or short poly(C) tracts. Replication and cytopathic studies with four hematopoietically derived cell lines (CH2B, RAW 264.7, A20.J, and P815) and two murine fibroblast cell lines [L929 and L(Y)] demonstrated that several of these cell types indeed allowed differential virus replication as a function of viral poly(C) tract length. Among the most discerning of these cells, RAW 264.7 macrophages supported vigorous lytic growth of a long-tract virus, vMwt (C44UC10), but supported only substantially diminished and virtually nonlytic growth of vMC24 (C13UC10) and vMC0 short-tract viruses. The viral growth differences evident in all cell lines were apparent early and continuously during every cycle of virus amplification. The data suggest that poly(C) tract-dependent attenuation of mengovirus may be due in part to a viral replication defect manifest in similar hematopoietic-type cells shortly after murine infection. The characterized cultures should provide excellent tools for molecular study of poly(C) tract-mediated virulence.
Cohort Dynamics of Summer-Spawned Bluefish as Determined by Length-Frequency and Otolith Microstructure Analyses

Abstract Elucidating recruitment processes in marine fish is difficult when species occupy distinct habitats at different ontogenetic stages and when multiple cohorts determine year-class strength. Currently, there is insufficient information on the cohort dynamics of the early life history stages of summer-spawned bluefish Pomatomus saltatrix to critically evaluate each cohort's role in regulating population dynamics. The objective of this study was to provide greater insight into the cohort dynamics of summer-spawned bluefish during the summer and fall on the inner continental shelf off southern New Jersey. Length-frequency and otolith microstructure analyses were used to estimate the age, hatch date, and growth of neustonic individuals collected from shelf surface waters during August–October 1998. Bluefish ranged between 9 and 46 d in age, corresponding to back-calculated hatch dates between 27 June and 13 September. Hatch date frequencies were decomposed into a series of normal curves and identified ...
Managing Dysphagia in Long-Term Care Settings: Clinical Considerations

Incorporating essential health information on older adults into the framework of today's clinical dysphagia practice is of essence to the patient and the practitioner. This article will present inf...
Absolute Dating from Mesopotamian Records

In the early 1850s, the pioneering stage of the decipherment of Mesopotamian cuneiform writing, the hallmark of the urban culture of ancient Iraq, was completed. Since then, several hundreds of thousands of clay tablets with this writing have been excavated and are now deposited in various museums of Europe, North America, and the Near East; of these, some tens of thousands have been published. In a sense, we suffer from having too much evidence, textual and archaeological, and, as we shall see, a major problem concerning the chronology of the early second millennium b. c. is the assignment of priorities among the various arguments that have been advanced. I thought that I might best serve the purposes of this meeting if I attempt to give a sketchy outline of the types of evidence, the nature of the results, and some of the complex problems in the field of the chronology of ancient Mesopotamia.
Commentary: Deworming externalities and schooling impacts in Kenya: a comment on Aiken et al. (2015) and Davey et al. (2015)

Commentary: Deworming externalities and schooling impacts in Kenya: a comment on Aiken et al. (2015) and Davey et al. (2015) Joan Hamory Hicks, Michael Kremer and Edward Miguel* University of California, Center for Effective Global Action, Berkeley, California, USA, Department of Economics, Harvard University and NBER, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA and Department of Economics, University of California, Berkeley and NBER
Minimizing social distance: Participatory research with children:

This article reviews and critiques an ethical strategy of minimizing social difference between researcher and child in participatory research with children, and drawing on fieldwork, presents an al...
Phased array antenna design and characterization for next-generation radio telescopes

Instrumentation for radio astronomical observations is currently undergoing a transition from large reflectors with single-pixel feeds to multi-pixel phased arrays. Research efforts aimed at realizing the benefits of phased arrays for highly sensitive, calibrated astronomical measurements have opened up interesting challenges for antenna designers. This paper surveys recent theoretical and experimental results on characterization of beam equivalent noise temperature and efficiency, impedance matching to minimize front end noise, and beamforming and calibration algorithms for phased array feeds.
COL1A1 oligodeoxynucleotides decoy: Biochemical and morphologic effects in an acute wound repair model

Type I collagen is an integral component of granulation tissue and scar, that is highly dependent on TGFβ1, a member of a pro-fibrotic family of cytokines, for its promotion and deposition. Blocking COL1A1 gene transcription obstructs type I collagen synthesis, hindering the progress of granulation tissue deposition and fibrosis. Local injections of a double stranded oligodeoxynucleotide (dsODN) decoy, containing the TGFβ1 regulatory element that is located in the distal promoter of the COL1A1 gene, were investigated in a rat polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) sponge granulation tissue implant model. The effects on the granulation tissue deposition by dsODN decoy therapy were evaluated by the synthesis of types I and III collagens as well as ED-A (cellular) fibronectin. Fluorescently labeled dsODN was used to identify the distribution of the decoy molecules in the sponge implant relative to the observed histological effects. Morphological alterations in cells and changes in the organization of connective tissue were documented and evaluated. Collagen levels were reduced by half in implants treated with 10 nM dsODN decoy compared to scrambled dsODN-treated implants. Histologically, dsODN decoy treated implants had an increased cellular density without a corresponding increase in deposited connective tissue. Polarized light birefringence pattern of Sirius red-stained sections showed less collagen fibers accumulating between fibroblasts. The highest concentration of fluorescently labeled dsODN was identified within the interior margin of sponge implants, correlating to increased cellular density and an altered birefringence patterns. In conclusion, 10 nM dsODN decoy therapy reduced collagen deposition and altered the organization of granulation tissue, supporting its potential as a localized anti-fibrotic therapy for limiting fibrotic conditions.
Neighborhood Environments: Disparities in Access to Healthy Foods in the U.S.

Background Poor dietary patterns and obesity, established risk factors for chronic disease, have been linked to neighborhood deprivation, neighborhood minority composition, and low area population density. Neighborhood differences in access to food may have an important influence on these relationships and health disparities in the U.S. This article reviews research relating to the presence, nature, and implications of neighborhood differences in access to food. Methods A snowball strategy was used to identify relevant research studies (n=54) completed in the U.S. and published between 1985 and April 2008. Results Research suggests that neighborhood residents who have better access to supermarkets and limited access to convenience stores tend to have healthier diets and lower levels of obesity. Results from studies examining the accessibility of restaurants are less consistent, but there is some evidence to suggest that residents with limited access to fast-food restaurants have healthier diets and lower levels of obesity. National and local studies across the U.S. suggest that residents of low-income, minority, and rural neighborhoods are most often affected by poor access to supermarkets and healthful food. In contrast, the availability of fast-food restaurants and energy-dense foods has been found to be greater in lower-income and minority neighborhoods. Conclusions Neighborhood disparities in access to food are of great concern because of their potential to influence dietary intake and obesity. Additional research is needed to address various limitations of current studies, identify effective policy actions, and evaluate intervention strategies designed to promote more equitable access to healthy foods.
Neuroendocrine regulation of food intake.

Despite a global obesity epidemic suggesting that human physiology is unable to prevent unhealthy gains in body weight, ample evidence indicates that weight can be tightly regulated. Food intake regulation is complex and in this article we will present a basic endocrine feedback loop model of energy homeostasis. Next, integration of long-term regulation with short-term, meal specific regulation and satiety will be discussed. Finally, the role of adiposity signals in modulation of food reward will be highlighted. A basic understanding of the structure–function of these systems will inform the challenges of clinical care for those with disorders of energy balance. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2012; 58: 149–153. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
SOI for digital CMOS VLSI: design considerations and advances

This paper reviews the recent advances of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology for complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) very-large-scale-integration memory and logic applications. Static random access memories (SRAMs), dynamic random access memories (DRAMs), and digital CMOS logic circuits are considered. Particular emphases are placed on the design issues and advantages resulting from the unique SOI device structure. The impact of floating-body in partially depleted devices on the circuit operation, stability, and functionality are addressed. The use of smart-body contact to improve the power and delay performance is discussed, as are global design issues.
Impurity halide diffusion in silver chloride and silver bromide

Abstract Using the standard microtome-sectioning technique, the diffusion of bromide and iodide tracers in silver chloride and of chloride and iodide tracers in silver bromide has been studied. In silver chloride both bromide and iodide ions diffuse with the same activation energy as that of the chloride ion. In silver bromide the Arrhenius plots are curved: whereas the iodide ion has the same temperature-dependent activation energy as does bromide, the chloride ion appears to have a rather higher value at high temperatures, with all three energies approaching the same value at low tempeatures. These results are discussed in terms of vacancy mechanisms.
Detection of doxorubicin-induced apoptosis of leukemic T-lymphocytes by laser tweezers Raman spectroscopy

Laser tweezers Raman spectroscopy (LTRS) was used to acquire the Raman spectra of leukemic T lymphocytes exposed to the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin at different time points over 72 hours. Changes observed in the Raman spectra were dependent on drug exposure time and concentration. The sequence of spectral changes includes an intensity increase in lipid Raman peaks, followed by an intensity increase in DNA Raman peaks, and finally changes in DNA and protein (phenylalanine) Raman vibrations. These Raman signatures are consistent with vesicle formation, cell membrane blebbing, chromatin condensation, and the cytoplasm of dead cells during the different stages of drug-induced apoptosis. These results suggest the potential of LTRS as a real-time single cell tool for monitoring apoptosis, evaluating the efficacy of chemotherapeutic treatments, or pharmaceutical testing.
Control of pyrimidine synthesis in Pseudomonas fragi.

Aims: To study the regulation of the de novo pyrimidine biosynthetic enzymes in the food-spoilage agent Pseudomonas fragi ATCC 4973. Methods and Results: The de novo pyrimidine biosynthetic enzymes were measured in extracts of Ps . fragi ATCC 4973 cells and of cells from auxotrophs deficient for dihydroorotase or OMP decarboxylase activity. Pyrimidine biosynthetic enzyme activities in ATCC 4973 were influenced by pyrimidine supplementation to the culture medium. The pyrimidine limitation of each auxotroph elevated the de novo enzyme activities, indicating that this pathway may be repressible by a pyrimidine-related compound. Aspartate transcarbamoylase activity in ATCC 4973 was inhibited in vitro by pyrophosphate and purine or pyrimidine nucleotides. Conclusions: Pyrimidine synthesis in Ps . fragi appeared to be controlled at the transcriptional level and at the level of activity for aspartate transcarbamoylase. Its transcriptional regulation seemed to be more highly controlled than what was observed in the closely related species Pseudomonas putida and Pseudomonas fluorescens . Significance and Impact of the Study: This study demonstrates that pyrimidine synthesis is regulated in Ps. fragi . This could prove useful to future studies examining its biological control and its taxonomic assignment.
Storage management for evolving databases

The problem of maintaining data that arrives continuously over time is increasingly prevalent in databases and digital libraries. Building on a model for sliding window indices developed by N. Shivakumar and H. Garcia-Molina (1997), we devise efficient algorithms for some of the central problems that arise. We also show connections between the problems in this model and some fundamental problems in optimization and graph theory.
Force Spectroscopy of Complex Biopolymers with Heterogeneous Elasticity

Cellular biopolymers can exhibit significant compositional heterogeneities as a result of the non-uniform binding of associated proteins, the formation of microstructural defects during filament assembly, or the imperfect bundling of filaments into composite structures of variable diameter. These can lead to significant variations in the local mechanical properties of biopolymers along their length. Existing spectral analysis methods assume filament homogeneity and therefore report only a single average stiffness for the entire filament. However, understanding how local effects modulate biopolymer mechanics in a spatially resolved manner is essential to understanding how binding and bundling proteins regulate biopolymer stiffness and function in cellular contexts. Here, we present a new method to determine the spatially varying material properties of complex biopolymers from the observation of passive thermal fluctuations of the filament conformation. We develop new statistical mechanics-based approaches for heterogeneous filaments that estimate local bending elasticities as a function of the filament arc-length. We validate this methodology using simulated polymers with known stiffness distributions, and find excellent agreement between derived and expected values. We then determine the bending elasticity of microtubule filaments of variable composition generated by repeated rounds of tubulin polymerization using either GTP or GMPCPP, a nonhydrolyzable GTP analog. Again, we find excellent agreement between mechanical and compositional heterogeneities.
Subdural Empyema in Bacterial Meningitis

Researchers at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, evaluated the occurrence, treatment, and outcome of subdural empyema as a complication of community-acquired bacterial meningitis in 28 (2.7%) adults.
Troponin I isoforms and differential effects of acidic pH on soleus and cardiac myofilaments

Differences in pH sensitivity of tension generation between developing and adult cardiac myofilaments, which contain the same isoform of troponin C (TnC), have been proposed to be due to troponin I (TnI) isoform switching from the slow skeletal (ss) to cardiac (c) TnI isoforms (21). We investigated the effects of acidic pH on Ca(2+)-activation of force in chemically skinned preparations of adult rat trabeculae and single soleus fibers that also share the same TnC isoform. Compared with the soleus fibers, trabeculae demonstrated a greater suppression of tension and a rightward shift in pCa50 (-log half-maximally activating molar Ca2+ concentration) when pH was decreased from 7.0 to 6.2. The pH-induced shift in pCa50 in soleus fibers did not change with sarcomere length. Troponin subunit interactions were also investigated, using cardiac troponin C (cTnCIA) labeled with a fluorescent probe, 2-(4'-iodoacetamidoanilino)-naphthalene-6-sulfonic acid. Under acidic conditions, cTnCIA demonstrated a decrease in Ca(2+)-affinity. This decrease was amplified both in the binary complex cTnCIA-cTnI and in the complex cTnCIA-cTnI-cTnT-tropomyosin to the same extent. In contrast, substitution of ssTnI for cTnI in these complexes produced the same decrease in Ca2+ affinity in response to acidic pH as cTnCIA alone. These results support our hypothesis that differential effects of pH on tension generation and Ca2+ sensitivity between soleus fibers and trabeculae are due to the presence of different isoforms of TnI.
Cardiovascular Effects of a Graded Increase in ICP

In previous models of brain injury, we have found immediate and lasting reduction in cardiac output (CO) and stroke volume (SV) to near 50% of control (Brown 1980), (Levett 1980). These reductions occurred despite normal cardiac preload and afterload, which suggested that myocardial contractility was reduced. The present study was undertaken to determine how intracranial hypertension without primary brain injury might effect cardiac function.
Polymorphic microsatellite loci for the Puerto Rican crested anole ( Anolis cristatellus ) and their amplification in related Puerto Rican species

We isolate six highly polymorphic microsatellite loci for the Puerto Rican crested anole (Anolis cristatellus) from a genomic library enriched for CA repeats. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 14 to 19, with levels of observed heterozygosity ranging from 0.60 to 0.73. Most of these loci were successfully cross-amplified in other members of the cristatellus species group (A. evermanni, A. gundlachi, A. krugi, A. stratulus), but levels of polymorphism were lower.
Single-Molecule Studies of Eukaryotic DNA Replication

The earliest step in eukaryotic DNA replication is the loading of the Mcm2–7 replicative DNA helicase onto origin DNA. This event marks all potential origins of replication and establishes the head-to-head configuration required for bidirectional replication initiation. Helicase loading requires the coordinate action of the Mcm2–7 helicase, and three helicase-loading proteins: the origin-recognition complex (ORC), Cdc6 and Cdt1. In an ATP-hydrolysis-dependent process, these proteins open the Mcm2–7 ring, insert the double stranded DNA into the central channel, and close the Mcm2–7 ring. The final outcome of this process is a head-to-head Mcm2–7 double hexamer. We have developed a reconstituted single-molecule helicase-loading assay using Colocalization Single Molecule Spectroscopy (CoSMoS). We use co-localization of the fluorescently-labeled DNA and proteins as a real-time assay for protein-DNA binding and helicase loading. This assay recapitulates all the know requirements of Mcm2–7-loading. Using this a...
Identifying growth morphs from mixtures of size-at-age data

Abstract Somatic growth is critical to the biology of individuals and to population dynamics. Variability in size at age can often be attributed to the existence of distinct groups, or growth morphs, that differ in their growth trajectories. We develop a framework for identifying multiple growth morphs from mixture data, with utility for describing somatic growth at the population level as well as for classifying individuals into their most likely groups. For illustration, growth trajectories are modeled using the von Bertalanffy function, but the framework is general enough to accommodate any suitable growth function. After describing the framework, we demonstrate proof of concept using a simulation study, and then apply the proposed method to size-at-age data for Cubera snapper Lutjanus cyanopterus. In addition, we compare several Bayesian model selection criteria for inferring the unknown, underlying number of morphs.
Coupling of Earth science models and earth observations through OGC interoperability specifications

Modeling, a common method in Earth science research, needs a significant amount of data for model initialization, validation, verification, and calibration. Most of those data requirements could be met by the Earth observation data and their derived products. However, currently the use of Earth observation data in modeling requires significant effort for data preparation. This paper presents a Web service based general framework for making Earth observation data easily accessible and usable by various Earth science models. The framework uses OGC and ISO geospatial standards and specifications for facilitating the interoperability between Earth observation data sources and Earth science models (ESMs), and geospatial processing modeling, web service workflow and product virtualizations for automatically producing model-specific data products. The framework has been implemented as CyberConnector, a building block of NSF EarthCube cyberinfrastructure. Case demonstration of CyberConnector with three representative ESMs shows the reduction of at least one order of magnitude in time and effort spent by modelers for data preparation.
Preventing human papillomavirus-related cancers: we are all in this together

Human papillomavirus-related cancers, which include cervical, vulvovaginal, anal, and oropharyngeal cancers, are on the rise in the United States. Although the human papillomavirus vaccine has been on the market for 10 years, human papillomavirus vaccination rates are well below national goals. Research identified many barriers and facilitators to human papillomavirus vaccination, and provider recommendation remains the most important factor in parental and patient decisions to vaccinate. While much of the burden of human papillomavirus vaccine provision falls on pediatricians and primary care providers, they cannot do it alone. As clinicians who care for a large proportion of human papillomavirus-related conditions, obstetrician-gynecologists and other women's health care providers must share the responsibility for vaccination of eligible patients. Obstetrician-gynecologists can support the efforts to eradicate human papillomavirus-related disease in their patients and their families via multiple avenues, including providing the human papillomavirus vaccine and being community leaders in support of vaccination.
Defining the chemotherapy (CT) response in well-differentiated (WD) and dedifferentiated (DD) liposarcomas (LPS) of the retroperitoneum (RP): A tertiary referral cancer center experience.

10583 Background: WD/ DD LPS is the most common LPS subtype, predominantly arising in the RP. Surgery is the primary treatment, but recurrences are frequent. CT is usually reserved for unresectable...
Backchannelmedia: Making Television 'Clickable'

Backchannelmedia (BCM), a three year old start-up, intended to completely disrupt the world of advertising by transforming the way Americans watched television. BCM had developed a technology to make television "clickable," enabling viewers to interact with the content on their television screens. By April 2009, BCM had conducted consumer studies and field tests and the results were very promising. However, the industry was dominated by large players who could impede the introductions of new technologies. BCM's founders would have to make critical decisions about how quickly to roll-out their technology, and to whom. Which industry players were allies? How would BCM monetize the value they would create? Would investors see as much potential in BCM as its founders? And how would the company's cash constraints impact the strategy in the current economic environment?
Argentine Ant (Linepithema humile, Mayr) Eradication Efforts on San Clemente Island, California, USA

The Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (Mayr), is a highly invasive ant species that has spread into urban, agricultural, and natural areas worldwide. The pervasive expansion of this species is detrimental both ecologically and economically, resulting in the allocation of vast amounts of resources for control. New efforts are underway to control the Argentine ant in ecologically sensitive habitats, such as those on the California Channel Islands. We tested the efficacy of thiamethoxam liquid bait at a concentration of 6 ppm on San Clemente Island, California, where the Argentine ant has spread into natural areas hosting protected endemic species. Applied by hand, helicopter, and ATV, hygroscopic polyacrylamide beads were used as a bait matrix to deliver the liquid bait (thiamethoxam and sucrose) for Argentine ant infestations at 5 sites (totaling 177 ha) on San Clemente Island. Treatments reduced the number of monitoring points at which the Argentine ant was detected 1 year posttreatment (17.91% vs. 3.65%), suggesting that these methods are a promising conservation tool. Continued monitoring to detect remaining infestations will be necessary for eventual eradication of the Argentine ant from San Clemente Island.
Metrics for Measuring ISP Badness: The Case of Spam

We consider the problem of ISP targeting for spam prevention through disconnection. Any such endeavor has to rely on adequate metrics that consider both the badness of an ISP as well as the risk of collateral damage. We propose a set of metrics that combines the two. Specifically, the metrics compare each ISP’s “spamcount” with its “disconnectability”. We offer a concrete methodological approach to compute these metrics, and then illustrate themethodology using datasets involving spam statistics and autonomous system relationships. This analysis represents the first step in a broader program to assess the viability of economic countermeasures to spam and other types of malicious activity on the Internet.