cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
IMMUNE RESPONSE TO PARASITISM REDUCES RESISTANCE OF DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER TO DESICCATION AND STARVATION

In natural populations, organisms experience simultaneously biotic (e.g., competitors and parasites) and abiotic (e.g., temperature and humidity) stresses. Thus, species must have the capacity to respond to combinations of stressors. How does interaction between biotic and abiotic stress affect organismal performance? To address this question, I studied stress resistance of adult Drosophila melanogaster that survived parasitic attack (as larvae) by the parasitoid Asobara tabida. To determine the impact of genotype on stress resistance, I measured survival under desiccation and starvation of flies within isofemale (genetic) lines. Survivors of parasitism had slightly reduced survivorship compared to unparasitized relatives when both were unstressed, and this difference was exacerbated by desiccation and starvation. These results indicate multiple stressors can compound each other's individual negative effects on fitness. Moreover, isofemale lines differed in their sensitivity to environmental stress and to parasitism. Consequently, genotypic differences in sensitivity to stress may reflect differences in investment priorities between traits that promote survival over other life-history characters.
Optical techniques for actinide research

In recent years, substantial gains have been made in the development of spectroscopic techniques for electronic properties studies. These techniques have seen relatively small, but growing, application in the field of actinide research. Photoemission spectroscopies, reflectivity and absorption studies, and x-ray techniques will be discussed and illustrative examples of studies on actinide materials will be presented.
Seeding Rate and Nitrogen Management Effects on Spring Wheat Yield and Yield Components

Seeding rate, N level, and N application timing are key management factors for spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production in North Dakota. Experiments were conducted under dryland (Casselton, ND) and irrigated (Carrington, ND) conditions in 2003 to 2005 to determine the optimum combination of seeding rate and N management to maximize yield of hard red spring wheat (HRSW). Treatments consisted of a factorial combination of HRSW genotypes ('Briggs', 'Alsen', 'Granite', and ND 740), seeding rates (2.9 and 4.2 million seeds ha 1), N levels (140 and 224 kg ha -1 for the dryland site; 168 and 280 kg ha -1 for the irrigated site), and N application timing (preplant, two-split, and three-split). Nitrogen level, N timing, and seeding rate showed no significant effect on grain yield across environments. However, genotype significantly influenced grain yield. Increasing seeding rate failed to increase grain yield of the three cultivars, but ND 740 was most productive at the lowest seeding rate. Increasing the level of N significantly increased grain protein content (GPC) over all environments. Grain volume weight (GVW) and thousand kernel weight (TKW) decreased with increasing N level and were influenced by genotype. Increased seeding rate significantly increased plant stand and tiller number while increasing N levels significantly increased head count. These data indicate that although genotype was the primary factor in determining grain yield, GPC, and agronomic traits, individual genotypes responded differently to varying seeding rates and N management practices.
Neutrophil Depletion Reduces Myocardial Apoptosis and Attenuates NFκB Activation/TNFα Release After Ischemia and Reperfusion

Background This study tested the hypothesis that depletion of neutrophils (PMNs) reduces myocardial apoptosis via reducing oxidant generation and inhibiting NFκB-mediated signaling pathways after ischemia/reperfusion. Methods Anesthetized rats were randomly divided into one of four groups: Control: 30 min ischemia and 3 h of reperfusion; PMN depletion: anti-PMN serum was injected 6 h before ischemia; N-acetylcysteine (NAC): NAC was given twice before ischemia and at reperfusion. Sham: the ligature was placed without coronary occlusion. Apoptosis was detected by TUNEL staining and DNA fragmentation. PMN accumulation was studied by immunohistochemical staining. Levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and caspase-3 were detected by Elisa kits. Expression in NFκB, Bcl-2, and Bax was assessed by Western blotting analysis. Results Relative to Control, depletion of PMNs or NAC treatment reduced levels of plasma TNFα (567 ± 130* and 231 ± 72* versus 1994 ± 447 pg/ml) and IL-6 (791 ± 473* and 666 ± 300* versus 3724 ± 1233, pg/ml), accompanying a reduction in PMN accumulation (12 ± 1* and 13 ± 0.6* versus 20 ± 1 mm 2 myocardium) in ischemic myocardium. Both groups showed a reduction in expression of nuclear NFκB relative to Control (62 ± 9* and 67 ± 8* versus 124 ± 16 arb.u), consistent with reduced NFκB binding activity. The number of apoptotic cells (%) in area at risk myocardium was comparably reduced in anti-PMN and NAC groups relative to Control (12 ± 1* and 14 ± 0.9* versus 20 ± 1), consistent with reduced appearance of DNA ladders. Furthermore, activated caspase-3 was significantly reduced and Bcl-2 was increased relative to Control. No difference in all parameters measured was detected during the course of experiment in the Sham group. Conclusion These data suggest that the oxidants generated from activated PMNs after ischemia/reperfusion trigger myocardial apoptosis, which is further supported by an anti-oxidant therapy with NAC, potentially mediated by enhanced NFκB-TNFα signaling pathway, activated caspase-3 and down-regulated Bcl-2. * P versus Control.
A Role for cGMP in Inducible Nitric-oxide Synthase (iNOS)-induced Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) α-converting Enzyme (TACE/ADAM17) Activation, Translocation, and TNF Receptor 1 (TNFR1) Shedding in Hepatocytes

We and others have previously shown that the inducible nitric-oxide synthase (iNOS) and nitric oxide (NO) are hepatoprotective in a number of circumstances, including endotoxemia. In vitro, hepatocytes are protected from tumor necrosis factor (TNF) α-induced apoptosis via cGMP-dependent and cGMP-independent mechanisms. We have shown that the cGMP-dependent protective mechanisms involve the inhibition of death-inducing signaling complex formation. We show here that LPS-induced iNOS expression leads to rapid TNF receptor shedding from the surface of hepatocytes via NO/cGMP/protein kinase G-dependent activation and surface translocation of TNFα-converting enzyme (TACE/ADAM17). The activation of TACE is associated with the up-regulation of iRhom2 as well as the interaction and phosphorylation of TACE and iRhom2, which are also NO/cGMP/protein kinase G-dependent. These findings suggest that one mechanism of iNOS/NO-mediated protection of hepatocytes involves the rapid shedding of TNF receptor 1 to limit TNFα signaling.
The Effect of Sample Heterogeneity on Linear Functions of Order Statistics, with Applications to Robust Estimation

Abstract In a certain sense sample heterogeneity can only decrease the variance of a linear function of order statistics compared with that for a homogeneous sample, and thus the variance of those statistics will tend to be overestimated. The magnitude of this effect for robust estimators of location and scale is described, with particular reference to contamination models. It is shown that with asymmetric contamination, extreme observations may have much less influence on these estimators than is generally believed, if trimming is employed.
Far-infrared and Raman studies of mono complexes of 2,2′-bipyridine and 1,10-phenanthroline

Abstract Far-i.r. and low-frequency Raman spectra of the mono complexes M (bipy) X 2 and M (phen) X 2 , where X = Cl for M = Ni, Cu, Zn and X = Cl and Br for M = Mn are reported. Metal-isotope-substitution studies of the Ni, Cu and Zn complexes have enabled the M Cl, M N, and several of the activated-ligand frequencies to be identified. The M N stretching frequenciesoccur at ca. 240–290 cm −1 in the chloride complexes. The chlorine bridging frequencies of the octahedral halogen-bridged complexes occur at ca. 170–200 cm −1 .
Auger electron spectroscopic study of CO2 adsorption on Zircaloy-4 surfaces

Abstract We investigate the adsorption of CO 2 onto Zircaloy-4 (Zry-4) surfaces at 150, 300 and 600 K using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). Following CO 2 adsorption at 150 K the graphitic form of carbon is detected, whereas upon chemisorption at 300 and 600 K we detect the carbidic phase. As the adsorption temperature is increased, the carbon Auger signal increases, whereas the oxygen signal decreases. Adsorption at all three temperatures results in a shift of the Zr Auger features, indicating surface oxidation. The effect of adsorbed CO 2 on the Zr(MVV) and Zr(MNV) transitions depends on adsorption temperature and is less pronounced at higher temperatures. On the other hand, changes in the Zr(MNN) feature are similar for all three adsorption temperatures. The changes in the Zr Auger peak shapes and positions are attributed to oxygen from dissociated CO 2 , with the differences observed at various temperatures indicative of the diffusion of oxygen into the subsurface region.
Procedural Predictors of Outcome in Patients Undergoing Endovascular Therapy for Acute Ischemic Stroke

Purpose To identify factors impacting outcome in patients undergoing interventions for acute ischemic stroke (AIS).
Discrimination and Confidence Bands on Percentiles

Abstract Using the general linear model, y = Xβ+e, where e∼N(0, σ2/): simultaneous confidence bonds are found for the 100 pth percentile, x′β+kpσ, of the normal population with mean x′β and variance σ2 (kp is the 100 pth percentile of the standard normal distribution). The bands are simultaneous in x or in x and p. In the simple linear regression case these bands are used to define simultaneous discrimination sets for any fixed values, yP, of the dependent variable.
Efficient Estimation of a Distribution Function under Quadrant Dependence

Let X1, X2, ..., be real-valued random variables forming a strictly stationary sequence, and satisfying the basic requirement of being either pairwise positively quadrant dependent or pairwise negatively quadrant dependent. Let F be the marginal distribution function of the Xis, which is estimated by the empirical distribution function F., and also by a smooth kernel-type estimate F., by means of the segment Xi, . . ., X.. These estimates are compared on the basis of their mean squared errors (MSE). The main results of this paper are the following. Under certain regularity conditions, the optimal bandwidth (in the MSE sense) is determined, and is found to be the same as that in the independent identically distributed case. It is also shown that n MSE (Fn(t)) and n MSE (Fn(t)) tend to the same constant, as n -- oo, so that one can not discriminate between the two estimates on the basis of the MSE. Next, if i(n) = min {k E {1, 2, ...; MSE (Fk(t)) - MSE (Fn(t))}, then it is proved that i(n)/n tends to 1, as n -+ oo. Thus, once again, one can not choose one estimate over the other in terms of their asymptotic relative efficiency. If, however, the squared bias of Fn(t) tends to 0 sufficiently fast, or equivalently, the bandwidth hn satisfies the requirement that nh3 O, 0 as n -* oo, it is shown that, for a suitable choice of the kernel, (i(n) - n)/(nhn) tends to a positive number, as n -- oo. It follows that the deficiency of Fn(t) with respect to FP(t), i(n) - n, is substantial, and, actually, tends to oo, as n -+ oo. In terms of deficiency, the smooth estimate Fn(t) is preferable to the empirical distribution function Fn(t).
An Efficient FE Analysis for Complex Low Flying Air-Bearing Slider Designs in Hard Disk Drives—Part I: Static Solution

Prediction of the steady state flying height and attitude of air-bearing sliders in hard disk drives via simulations is the basis of their design process. Over the past few years air-bearing surfaces have become increasingly complex incorporating deep etches and steep wall profiles. In this paper we present a novel method of solving the inverse problem for air-bearing sliders in hard disk drives that works well for such new designs. We also present a new method for calculating the static air-bearing stiffness by solving three linear systems of equations. The formulation is implemented, and convergence studies are carried out for the method. Mesh refinements based on flux jumps and pressure gradients are found to work better than those based on other criteria.
Unusual infections due to Listeria monocytogenes in the Southern California Desert.

Summary Background During the past 22 years, 14 patients have been hospitalized with infection due to Listeria monocytogenes at the Eisenhower Medical Center, a regional 300-bed hospital in the desert southwest of Southern California. A large number of patients are retired, elderly, and have underlying and often systemic disease. Methods Blood agar and routine media were inoculated with liquid from a sterile site such as blood, cerebrospinal fluid, or joint fluid and observed daily for growth. Appropriate biochemical studies were used to speciate the organism. Results While bacteremia and meningitis constitute 75% of infections in most studies, they made up only 36% of patients in the current study. Listeriosis occurred mostly in patients with infected aortic aneurysms and brain abscesses, and in prosthetic joint infections. While mortality is generally stated to be around 45% in patients with listeriosis, it was 35% in this study. However, there were no deaths in five patients with bacteremia or meningitis inferring that organ involvement poses a greater hazard for survival. Conclusions Listeriosis usually presents as a bacteremia or meningitis due to a food-borne invasive infection. In the desert of Southern California most cases are seen in older patients with underlying disease and present with infected aortic aneurysms, prosthetic joints, and brain abscesses. They represent a greater threat to survival due to organ involvement.
Image-sequence coding with generalized threshold replenishment : A new algorithm for adaptive vector quantization

Vector quantization (VQ) has recently received significant attention as a powerful technique for data compression. VQ is theoretically attractive due to results from rate- distortion theory that show that VQ is asymptotically optical for the coding of stationary data sources. However, the nonstationary nature of the sources common in practical applications has prompted a search for more general VQ algorithms that are capable of adapting to changing source statistics as the coding progress. Such algorithms are commonly referred to as adaptive vector quantization (AVQ). We describe a new AVQ algorithm called generalized threshold replenishment (GTR) which differs from prior AVQ algorithms in that it features an explicit, online consideration of both rate and distortion. Rate-distortion cost criteria are used in both the determination of nearest-neighbor codewords and the decision to update the codebook. Results presented indicate that, for the coding of an image sequence, (1) most AVQ algorithms achieve distortion much lower than that of nonadaptive VQ for the same rate, and (2) the GTR algorithm achieves rate-distortion performance substantially superior to that of the prior AVQ algorithms for low-rate coding, being the only algorithm to achieve a rate below 1.0 bits/pixel for our image-sequence testing data.
Effect of epinephrine and norepinephrine on coronary circulation.

Studies on the intracoronary administration of epinephrine and norepinephrine in the beating, fibrillating or potassium-arrested dog heart indicate that the primary action of these compounds on the coronary vessels is vasoconstriction. The vasodilation observed with epinephrine and norepinephrine is probably secondary to the increased rate of myocardial metabolism induced by these drugs.
Healthy Brain Aging: Role of Cognitive Reserve, Cognitive Stimulation, and Cognitive Exercises

Current knowledge about the roles of cognitively stimulating lifestyles and cognitive training interventions in preserving cognitive function in later life is reviewed. Potential mechanisms for beneficial effects of cognitive stimulation and training are discussed, and key gaps in research identified. Suggestions are provided for advising patients about brain-healthy lifestyles, acknowledging that much remains to be learned in this area of research. More randomized controlled trials, using challenging regimes of training and stimulation and long-term follow-up, are needed, measuring cognitive trajectories in normal aging and relative risk of Alzheimer disease as outcomes.
A protein-tyrosine phosphatase with sequence similarity to the SH2 domain of the protein-tyrosine kinases

The phosphorylation of proteins at tyrosine residues is critical in cellular signal transduction, neoplastic transformation and control of the mitotic cycle. These mechanisms are regulated by the activities of both protein-tyrosine kinases (PTKs) and protein-tyrosine phosphatases (PTPases). As in the PTKs, there are two classes of PTPases: membrane associated, receptor-like enzymes and soluble proteins. Here we report the isolation of a complementary DNA clone encoding a new form of soluble PTPase, PTP1C. The enzyme possesses a large noncatalytic region at the N terminus which unexpectedly contains two adjacent copies of the Src homology region 2 (the SH2 domain) found in various nonreceptor PTKs and other cytoplasmic signalling proteins. As with other SH2 sequences, the SH2 domains of PTP1C formed high-affinity complexes with the activated epidermal growth factor receptor and other phosphotyrosine-containing proteins. These results suggest that the SH2 regions in PTP1C may interact with other cellular components to modulate its own phosphatase activity against interacting substrates. PTPase activity may thus directly link growth factor receptors and other signalling proteins through protein-tyrosine phosphorylation.
FINITE DIFFERENCE ANALYSIS OF ROTATIONALLY SYMMETRIC SHELLS USING VARIABLE NODE POINT SPACINGS

The system of equations for the analysis of rotationally symmetric shells under time-dependent or static surface loadings has been formulated with the transverse, meridional, and circumferential displacements as the dependent variables. All loading functions must be continuous. The thickness h of the shell may vary along the meridian. Four of the eight natural boundary conditions will be prescribed as time-dependent boundary conditions at each boundary edge of the shell. Surface loadings and inertia forces in the three displacement directions of the shell have been considered. Fourier series are used in the circumferential direction of the shell. Solutions for each Fourier component are found by replacing all derivatives by their finite difference equivalents and solving the resulting system of algebraic equations at successive increments of the time variable. The complete system of equations is solved implicitly for the first time increment, while explicit relations are used to determine the three primary displacements within the boundary edges of the shell for the second and succeeding time increments. The remaining unspecified primary variables are then determined by separate implicit solutions at each boundary for the second and succeeding time increments. Subsequently, all remaining primary and secondary variables are found explicitly. A variable node point spacing may be specified over the full range of the spatial finite difference mesh. A numerical stability criterion which will ensure stable solutions for selected time increments and spatial meshes has been derived and found to agree with results for typical example solutions. Numerical solutions obtained with the computer program which accompanies this development have been found to be stable and in agreement for a wide range of practical values of both spatial and time increments for typical shells and loadings. Static and dynamic solutions for a parabolic shell with fixed boundary conditions at one edge and free boundary conditions at the other edge have been obtained using both constant and variable node point spacings and presented as examples.
The blow-up rate of solutions of semilinear heat equations

On caracterise le comportement asymptotique de la solution de l'equation de la chaleur semilineaire u t −Δu=exp(u) dans Ω×(O,T), u=−K sur δΩ×(O,T), u(x,0)=φ(x)≥−K pour xeΩ, K≥0 dans un voisinage d'un point d'explosion quand t approche du temps d'explosion fini T<∞
Helium II thermal counterflow at large heat currents: Profound effects of geometry

Data for the temperature difference produced by the thermal counterflow of He II in long glass tubes of rectangular cross section are given and compared to earlier data from circular tubes. Both geometries display a region of mutual friction described by the Vinen theory. In the circular tubes this region terminates at a critical heat current above which an additional source of dissipation is present. This critical heat current and dissipation are not observed in any of the three rectangular tubes studied. The significance of this observation to the nature of the flow in the circular tubes is discussed.
The telomeres of the linear mitochondrial DNA of Tetrahymena thermophila consist of 53 bp tandem repeats

Abstract We have cloned and sequenced the telomeric DNA of the linear mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of T. thermophila BVII. The mtDNA telomeres consist of a 53 bp sequence tandemly repeated from 4 to 30 times, with most molecules having 15 ± 4 repetitions. The previously recognized terminal heterogeneity of the mtDNA is completely accounted for by the variability in the number of repeats. The 53 bp repeat does not resemble known telomeric DNA in sequence, repeat size, or number of repetitions. The termini occur at heterogeneous positions within the 53 bp repeat. The junction of the telomeric repeat with the internal DNA is at a different position within the telomeric repeat on each end of the mtDNA. We propose a model for the maintenance of the mtDNA ends involving unequal homologous recombination.
Fiber-Optic remote Raman probe design for use in monitoring processes in a high-temperature oven

The recent development of fiber-optic probes suitable for exciting and collecting Raman spectra remotely via optical fiber has given rise to the possibility of making in situ measurements for many different applications. Recently, the authors presented a remote Raman probe (RRP) design using special optics and custom filters to enable detection and identification of weak scattering inorganics through 100 meters of optical fiber. However, different applications may require special designs due to restrictions inherent to that application. In particular, the restricted viewing port and excessive temperatures of a high-temperature oven did not allow a dual fiber probe to be used, as in Ref. 24. A new fiber-optic probe design is, therefore, described here which, in conjunction with a charge coupled device (CCD) detector, is suitable for obtaining measurements of the Raman spectra of materials under high-temperature conditions remotely. As opposed to the earlier RRP design, the new design works at 180° scattering geometry, and so is referred to as RRP180. The probe has been successfully fabricated and tested to temperatures of 1223 K.
ANCA (Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody) positive Glomerulonephritis in Children 1800

ANCA (Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody) positive glomerulonephritis (GN) is uncommon in children. We report the clinical and pathologic findings of 7 children with ANCA positive GN. ANCA titers were performed on serum using either indirect immunofluorescence (IF) or ELISA. Mean age at presentation was 10.4 years (range 5-13 years). Symptoms at presentation included fever, malaise, abdominal pain, scleritis, arthritis and conjunctivitis. Only one patient had gross hematuria and none had edema. Initial laboratory tests showed microhematuria and proteinuria in all patients. Anemia was prominent with a mean hematocrit of 24%; all patients had a high ESR (mean value 90 mm/hr). Elevated serum creatinine and reduced GFR were seen in 4 of the 7 patients. Proliferative GN was seen on biopsy in each case; four of the biopsies showed prominent crescent formation. Four of the 7 patients had pauci-immune immunofluorescence findings; granular deposits of Ig and complement were seen in 2 cases. Extrarenal manifestations were common including sinusitis, pulmonary hemorrhage and pancreatitis. Two patients had positive ANCA-C; these patients had clinical findings consistent Wegener's Granulomatosis. Five patients had positive ANCA-P. Four of the 7 patients have developed ESRD; each of these patients has received a renal transplant. Mean post transplant follow up is now 27 months. Average serum creatinine is 1.1 mg/dl (range 1.1 - 1.24) and estimated GFR (Schwartz equation) is 69 ml/minute/1.7M2. Mean urine protein-creatinine ratio is 0.24 (range 0.18-0.27). Pretransplant geometric mean ANCA titer was 1/40; post transplant titer was 1/10 (p<0.04, Student's T test). ANCA positive GN is a severe disease in children, but renal transplantation can be successful.
A phenomenological model of the current filamentation instability driven by cathode processes in the Livermore spheromak

The current density on the open field lines of the Livermore spheromak (SSPX) typically exceeds the saturation current density of the bulk plasma. We assume that the mechanism that provides conditions for that is associated with the formation of a thin layer near the cathode surface, where both the plasma and the neutral density are higher than in the bulk plasma and where intense ionization occurs. The ions formed in this layer fall back onto the cathode, whereas electrons contribute to the high current density in the bulk plasma. The particle balance in the ionizing layer is determined by the recycling coefficient, which, in turn, depends on the cathode temperature and the sheath voltage. As it turns out, these dependences give rise to an instability that leads to the current filamentation and the formation of hot spots on the cathode surface. The instability can be characterized in a phenomenological manner without going into the details of the structure of the ionizing layer, whose effect on the instability shows up in the form of a couple of numerical coefficients of the order of one. We predict the characteristic size and the shape of the filaments (and the hot spots), which are in a general agreement with discoloration patterns on the surface of the cathode in the SSPX. If the magnetic field is tilted to the surface, the footpoints of the filaments move with a significant velocity, whose direction depends on the ratio of the ion gyroradius and the thickness of the ionizing layer. This instability, although primarily considered in conjunction with the SSPX experiment, may play a role in spherical tokamaks and other systems with coaxial helicity injection.
Implementation of a randomized algorithm for Delaunay and regular triangulations in three dimensions

Abstract For a set of n points in R3, we can define the Delaunay triangulation of the point set. For each assignment of weights to the points there is a regular triangulation of the point set. We describe the implementation of algorithms to compute the Delaunay triangulation of an unweighted point set and the regular triangulation of a weighted point set. The algorithms run in expected time O(n log n) for uniformly distributed points and other dense point sets. Worst case point sets, which do not occur very often in practice, require O(n2) expected time. The software described in this paper is available via anonymous ftp at ftp.ncsa.uiuc.edu.
The nature of mononuclear ruthenium carbonyl complexes in strongly acidic solutions

The cationic complexes HRu(CO)5+ and HRu(CO)4L+ (L  P(C6H5)3) were prepared in situ by extracting hexane solutions of the neutral complexes Ru(CO)5 and Ru(CO)4L with concentrated H2SO4. The 13C NMR spectra showed both cations to be nonfluxional on the NMR time scale at 25°C and the HRu(CO)4L+ species to have the cis configuration.
The Quality of Local District Assessments Used in Nebraska's School‐Based Teacher‐Led Assessment and Reporting System (STARS)

A sample of 293 local district assessments used in the Nebraska STARS (School-based Teacher-led Assessment and Reporting System), 147 from 2004 district mathematics assessment portfolios and 146 from 2003 reading assessment portfolios, was scored with a rubric evaluating their quality. Scorers were Nebraska educators with background and training in assessment. Raters reached an agreement criterion during a training session; however, analysis of a set of 30 assessments double-scored during the main scoring session indicated that the math ratings remained reliable during scoring, while the reading ratings did not. Therefore, this article presents results for the 147 mathematics assessments only. The quality of local mathematics assessments used in the Nebraska STARS was good overall. The majority were of high quality on characteristics that go to validity (alignment with standards, clarity to students, appropriateness of content). Professional development for Nebraska teachers is recommended on aspects of assessment related to reliability (sufficiency of information and scoring procedures).
The motion of cobbles in the swash zone on an impermeable slope

The purpose of this communication is to present the results of a series of laboratory experiments aimed at better understanding the dynamics of the motion of large bottom particles (cobbles) in a swash zone. In this region, a thin sheet of water that results from the collapse of a turbulent bore, runs up the beach and can induce the transport of relatively large solid objects in the on-shore direction. The aims of the study were to: (i) mimic this process in laboratory experiments and identify the associated physical processes involved; and (ii) to develop a suitable theoretical model to describe the motion of cobbles. The experiments employed a solid impermeable bottom and were conducted in a long tank of rectangular cross-section. An impulsive hydraulic bore, produced by a dam-break mechanism at one end of the tank, was used to simulate the water motion in the swash zone. Solid objects of simple discoid shape were used to model the cobbles. The results of the laboratory observations were compared with model predictions. In the range of external parameters used for the experiments (size and density of cobbles, propagation velocity and height of the water front, slope and friction at the bottom), a reasonable agreement between the measured and calculated values of the cobble displacement as a function of time was obtained.
Understanding human rhinovirus infections in terms of QSAR.

Abstract The human rhinoviruses (HRVs) are the single most important cause of common colds. The widespread nature of this affliction, the economic consequences, and the well-known impracticality of vaccine development due to the large number of HRV serotypes (> 100) have justified the search for chemotherapeutic agents. The interest in the application of quantitative structure–activity relationships has steadily increased in recent decades and we hope it may be useful in the search for anti-HRV agents. In the present paper, we have discussed the inhibition of various six compound series against HRV-1A, -1B, -2, -9, -14, -21, -22, -25, -64, and -89 by the formulation of a total number of 14 QSAR. Hydrophobicity is found to be one of the most important determinants of activity. Parabolic correlation with the hydrophobic parameter (Eq. (7) ) is an encouraging example, where the optimal hydrophobicity is well defined. We believe that this may be the predictive model to narrow the synthetic challenges in order to yield very specific HRV-2 inhibitors. On the basis of this model, we have predicted eleven compounds (I-1 to I-11) that may be the next synthetic target. The proposed molecules (I-1 to I-11) also fulfill the conditions of Lipinski's “rule of five”.
Pseudomembranous colitis with associated fulminant ileitis in the defunctionalized limb of a jejunal-ileal bypass. Report of a case.

Presented is what is believed to be the first reported case of a defunctionalized limb of small intestine serving as a reservoir forClostridium difficile.Because of the altered intestinal continuity, the ensuing enteritis and colitis failed to respond to nonoperative management. Current treatment strategies are reviewed. Surgical intervention, including restoration of normal gastrointestinal continuity, should be considered early in the hospital course of this patient population.
CONVERGENCE, ADAPTATION, AND CONSTRAINT

Convergent evolution of similar phenotypic features in similar environmental contexts has long been taken as evidence of adaptation. Nonetheless, recent conceptual and empirical developments in many fields have led to a proliferation of ideas about the relationship between convergence and adaptation. Despite criticism from some systematically minded biologists, I reaffirm that convergence in taxa occupying similar selective environments often is the result of natural selection. However, convergent evolution of a trait in a particular environment can occur for reasons other than selection on that trait in that environment, and species can respond to similar selective pressures by evolving nonconvergent adaptations. For these reasons, studies of convergence should be coupled with other methods—such as direct measurements of selection or investigations of the functional correlates of trait evolution—to test hypotheses of adaptation. The independent acquisition of similar phenotypes by the same genetic or developmental pathway has been suggested as evidence of constraints on adaptation, a view widely repeated as genomic studies have documented phenotypic convergence resulting from change in the same genes, sometimes even by the same mutation. Contrary to some claims, convergence by changes in the same genes is not necessarily evidence of constraint, but rather suggests hypotheses that can test the relative roles of constraint and selection in directing phenotypic evolution.
Cyber security analysis using attack countermeasure trees

Attack tree (AT) is one of the widely used combinatorial models in cyber security analysis. The basic formalism of AT does not take into account defense mechanisms. Defense trees (DT) have been developed to investigate the effect of defense mechanisms using measures such as attacker's cost and security cost, return on investment (ROI) and return on attack (ROA). DT, however, places defense mechanisms only at the leaf node level while the corresponding ROI/ROA analysis does not incorporate the probability of attack. In attack response tree (ART), attacker-defender game was used to fin optimal policy from the countermeasures' pool and it suffers from the problem of state-space explosion, since solution in ART is resolved by means of a partially observable stochastic game model. In this paper, we present a novel attack tree named attack countermeasure trees (ACT) in which (i) defense mechanisms can be applied at any node of the tree, not just at leaf node level, (ii) qualitative analysis (using mincuts, structural and Birnbaum importance measure) and probabilistic analysis (using attacker and security cost, system risk, impact of an attack, ROI and ROA) can be performed (iii) optimal countermeasure set can be selected from the pool of defense mechanisms without constructing a state-space model. We use single and multi-objective optimization to fin suitable countermeasures under different constraints. We illustrate the features of ACT using a practical case study (SCADA attack).
Policy Note: An “ACDA” for UN Policy

Notwithstanding the present low estate of multilateral machinery, it is inevitable that during the next decade governments will have to turn increasingly to international organizations to carry out a variety of tasks well beyond those now performed. In political, economic and technological areas, the need for international political mechanisms of some kind to regulate, control, allocate, adjudicate, operate, inspect, enforce, or monitor will be irresistible.* Whether the major responsibility falls on, or can be carried out by, the UN is not at all clear today. The competence of the UN and its associated organs for assuming new, sensitive tasks is not encouraging. Moreover, the political interest and support for the UN, in developed countries at least, is not calculated to improve the UN's performance. The situation in the United States is no exception, with low political visibility for most UN actions and little real commitment within the executive branch or the legislature to the UN. But in time, and not much time, the UN, or new institutions yet to be created, will have to be able to perform adequately in many functions of great political, economic and social importance. The United States posture towards the UN family, once filled with hope and national commitment, has sunk to a low political ebb. Except for a small number of high politics issues, usually those at the Security Council, most UN matters receive little attention from the public or the higher echelons of government. Future planning is essentially unknown. The Department of State is formally in charge of policy, but on most issues it knows relatively little of the substance. As a conse-
Two-dimensional colloid crystals templated by polyelectrolyte multilayer patterns.

In this paper, we demonstrate that two-dimensional (2D) periodic patterns of polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) can be used as surface templates for assembling highly ordered 2D colloidal microarrays. We report detailed structural features of the 2D colloid crystals produced by depositing silica microspheres onto periodic micrometer-scale PEM patterns arrayed in a square or hexagonal lattice with a pattern pitch (approximately) twice the pattern diameter. Analysis of the images of these 2D colloid monolayers reveals that the distributions of the distances by which the adsorbed particles deviate from the corresponding PEM pattern centers are typically bell-shaped, with the majority of the deposited particles located within a relatively short distance from the respective pattern centers. We show that this behavior reflects the effect of the electrostatic focusing force that (occurs because of the finite size of the PEM pattern and) becomes effective when the depositing particle approaches the pattern site t...
Application of Photostrictive Actuators to Photonic Control of Shallow Spherical Shells

The direct conversion of photonic energy to mechanical motion by photostrictive effect can lead to a new photoactuation technique for active control of flexible structures. It offers the advantage of generating distributed actuation strain without connecting any electric lead wires. In this paper, photonic control of flexible spherical shells using discrete photostrictive actuators are investigated. This paper presents a coupled opto-piezothermoelastic shell theory that incorporates photovoltaic, pyroelectric, and piezoelectric effects, and has the capability to predict the response of a spherical shell driven by the photostrictive actuators. In this study, the effects of actuator locations as well as membrane and bending components on the control action are analyzed. Analytical results indicate that the control forces are mode and location dependent. Analysis also shows that the membrane control action is much more significant than the bending control action.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Differences in Postsecondary Financial Aid Awards.

Abstract This article presents a decomposition technique for a Tobit regression model with a lower bound. It shows that Tobit coefficients can be decomposed into two effects: (1) the effect of the independent variables on the amount of financial aid awards for students who receive financial aid; and (2) the effect of the independent variables on the probability of receiving financial aid for those students who do not receive financial aid. The information gained by the decomposition technique contributes to a clearer understanding of the effects of selected factors on financial aid awards.
Onset of flow instability and critical heat flux in thin horizontal annuli

Abstract The onset of flow instability (OFI) and critical heat flux (CHF) in heated thin horizontal annular flow passages cooled by subcooled water were investigated. For OFI, six different test sections, with inner diameter of 6.4 mm, annular gap widths of 0.724–1.001 mm, and heated lengths of 174–197 mm were used. The test parameter ranges were: 85– 1428 kg/m 2 s mass flux, 0.344–1.034 MPa exit pressure, 50–150 °C inlet temperature, 0.124– 1.0 MW/m 2 surface heat flux and 0–∞ inner-to-outer surface heat flux ratio. In addition, the effect of dissolved non-condensables on OFI was examined by performing similar experiments with degassed water and water saturated with air at test section inlet temperature and exit pressure. A total of 138 OFI test were run addressing important parametric trends. A theoretical model based on the solution of one-dimensional fluid conservation equations, which assumes no voidage upstream the onset of significant void (OSV) point, and accounts for thermodynamic non-equilibrium beyond the OSV point using an empirical quality profile fit, was shown to predict the conditions leading to OFI reasonably well. For CHF, the test section was an annulus with 6.45 and 7.77 mm inner and outer diameters, respectively (0.66 mm gap width), and an 18.5-cm long heated section. The experimental parameters investigated covered the following ranges: test section exit pressure: 0.344–1.034 MPa; coolant (water) mass flux: 100– 380 kg/m 2 s ; wall heat flux: 0.231– 1.068 MW/m 2 ; water inlet temperature: 30–65 °C. The measured CHF values were considerably lower than the expected CHF values for vertical test section configuration. In all the tests CHF occurred at relatively high equilibrium qualities, and was preceded by flow stratification which caused dry-out of the upper surface of the flow channel. The data were correlated in two ways: by introducing empirical correction multipliers into three widely used correlations for vertical channels; and based on the compensated distortions method.
Specifying the Gender-Class-Delinquency Relationship: Exploring the Effects of Educational Expectations:

Traditionally, research on the class-crime relationship has ignored gender, while much of the past research on the gender-delinquency relationship has ignored class. Both feminist criminologists and social psychologists, such as House (1981), suggest that analyses of class and gender should involve the examination of how these factors shape individual lives. In this paper we explore the role of educational expectations as one factor shaped by both class and gender. We consider three issues. First, is social class significantly related to female, as well as male, delinquency? Second, does social class shape educational expectations and do they, in turn, enhance the likelihood of delinquent involvement? Third, are there differences by gender in the ways that social class conditions educational expectations? The findings suggest that gender and class are both important factors shaping educational expectations and through them, delinquency.
Benchmarking GPUs to tune dense linear algebra

We present performance results for dense linear algebra using recent NVIDIA GPUs. Our matrix-matrix multiply routine (GEMM) runs up to 60% faster than the vendor's implementation and approaches the peak of hardware capabilities. Our LU, QR and Cholesky factorizations achieve up to 80--90% of the peak GEMM rate. Our parallel LU running on two GPUs achieves up to ~540 Gflop/s. These results are accomplished by challenging the accepted view of the GPU architecture and programming guidelines. We argue that modern GPUs should be viewed as multithreaded multicore vector units. We exploit blocking similarly to vector computers and heterogeneity of the system by computing both on GPU and CPU. This study includes detailed benchmarking of the GPU memory system that reveals sizes and latencies of caches and TLB. We present a couple of algorithmic optimizations aimed at increasing parallelism and regularity in the problem that provide us with slightly higher performance.
Cultural Differences in Risk Perception: Comparison of USA and Ghanaian Workers

The purpose of this study was to examine differences in risk perception between two cultures — USA and Ghanaian industry workers. A twenty question modified version of a risk perception questionnai...
Kinetic properties and variability of esterases in organophosphate-susceptible and -resistant greenbugs, Schizaphis graminum (Homoptera: Aphididae)

Abstract The organophosphate-resistant strains, OR-0, OR-1, and OR-2, of the greenbug ( Schizaphis graminum ) showed 1.6-, 32-, and 42-fold resistance, respectively, to parathion compared with a susceptible (OSS) strain. Enzyme kinetics revealed that esterase activities in the OR-1 and OR-2 strains were 1.9- and 2.4-fold higher, respectively, than that of the OSS strain when α-naphthyl acetate (αNA) was used as substrate. A good correlation between the αNA-hydrolyzing esterase level and parathion resistance among these strains suggested that these esterases played a predominate role in conferring organophosphate resistance. Microassays of the αNA-hydrolyzing esterase activity in individual greenbugs indicated that the OR-1 and OR-2 strains were less homogenous than the OSS strain. In contrast, there was no significant difference in the enzyme activity among the OSS, OR-0, and OR-1 strains when phenyl acetate (PA) was used as substrate. However, the PA-hydrolyzing esterase activity was approximately 12-fold higher in the OR-2 strain than in the OSS strain. Approximately 90% of the PA-hydrolyzing esterase activity was inhibited by 1 μM of paraoxon, but only 10% of the activity was inhibited by p -hydroxymercuribenzoic acid at the same concentration. The PA-hydrolyzing esterase(s) appeared to have characteristics of both type A (based on the substrate specificity) and type B (based on the inhibitor specificity) esterases and could be a key factor conferring organophosphate resistance in the OR-2 strain.
Open Patellar Tendon Debridement for Treatment of Recalcitrant Patellar Tendinopathy: Indications, Technique, and Clinical Outcomes After a 2-Year Minimum Follow-up

Background:Patellar tendinopathy can be treated surgically for patients that have failed at least 1 year of nonoperative treatment who continue to have debilitating symptoms. Patellar tendinopathy can cause significant functional deficits, yet little has been reported about the operative treatment of patellar tendinopathy.Hypothesis:A combined arthroscopic and open surgical technique for the treatment of recalcitrant patellar tendinopathy results in an improvement in function and pain at a minimum 2-year follow-up. The purpose of this study was to present the indications, combined surgical technique, rehabilitation protocol, and the 2-year minimum follow-up results of the operative treatment of recalcitrant patellar tendinopathy.Study Design:Retrospective case series.Methods:A retrospective review was performed of all patients who underwent a surgical primary patellar tendon debridement for recalcitrant patellar tendinopathy by a single surgeon between July 1999 and December 2005. Every patient failed at ...