cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Patient-Controlled Analgesia in High-Risk Populations: Implications for Safety

We aim to (1) identify the benefits and risks of patient-controlled analgesia and (2) analyze the risks of using various modalities of PCA among patients with traumatic injuries, sleep apnea, chronic pain, or neuropathies. An oral sufentanil PCA system may be as effective as an intravenous PCA. The overall incidence of PCA device error is less than 1%. While IV PCA may not be more effective than nurse-administered opioid among trauma patients, thoracic epidural analgesia may improve outcomes. Patients with obstructive sleep apnea or obesity are at increased risk of opioid-induced respiratory depression (OIRD). Patients with chronic pain or opioid tolerance, who may require higher opioid dosing, benefit from close monitoring. Continuous pulse oximetry and capnography can improve detection of OIRD. Risk of nerve injury after nerve block may be higher among patients with peripheral neuropathy, but this risk may be decreased with lower local anesthetic total dose or concentration. PCA, whether in intravenous, neuraxial, or peripheral nerve form, can have a significant role in postoperative analgesia. Regardless of technique, use of a PCA method should account for the potential risks to the patient, particularly in the presence of comorbidities such as sleep apnea, polytrauma, chronic pain, and preexisting neuropathy.
Afro-Latin dance as reconstructive gestural discourse: the figuration philosophy of dance on salsa

The Afro-Latin dance known as ‘salsa’ is a fusion of multiple dances from West Africa, Muslim Spain, enslaved communities in the Caribbean, and the United States. In part due to its global origins,...
Acting Out Extinction: Sneebles Under Threat

A challenge for introductory students in conservation biology is to understand how different environmental and human factors – in particular, density-dependent and density-independent factors – can interact to increase extinction risk in species. To enhance students' processing of sometimes dry and challenging material, we use a kinetic exercise in which students become an endangered animal, move around their environment, and act out a series of scenarios that highlight how species can be driven down a path toward extinction.
Design of an esophageal deflection device for use during atrial ablation procedures

Abstract To prevent thermal damage of the esophagus during cardiac ablation surgery, a new device, named the esophageal deflection device (EDD), has been designed. The device consists of a curved elastic tube that is straightened by an inner rod (insertion rod) prior to insertion in the esophagus. After insertion of the assembled device in the esophagus, the insertion rod is pulled out, causing deflection of the esophagus as the tube returns to its original pre-curved shape. A nonlinear constitutive equation of the Mooney–Rivlin type was used to describe the mechanical response of the tube material (ethylene vinyl acetate), with material parameters determined experimentally through uniaxial tensile testing. An analytical expression based on nonlinear elasticity theory is derived for the relationship between moment and curvature and used to evaluate the moments required to straighten the initially curved tube. The force vs. deflection relation was determined experimentally in a setup designed to model the straightening of the pre-curved tube. A finite element model was also developed to evaluate displacements and stresses in both the pre-curved and the straightened tube, allowing qualitative comparison of analytical, numerical and experimental results.
SARS-CoV-2 Exploits Sexually Dimorphic and Adaptive IFN and TNFa Signaling to Gain Entry into Alveolar Epithelium

Infection of the alveolar epithelium constitutes a bottleneck in the progression of COVID-19 to SARS presumably due to the paucity of viral entry receptors in alveolar epithelial type 1 and 2 cells. We have found that the male alveolar epithelial cells express twice as many ACE2 and TMPRSS2 entry receptors as the female ones. Intriguingly, IFN and TNF- signaling are preferentially active in male alveolar cells and induce binding of the cognate transcription factors to the promoters and lung-active enhancers of ACE2 and TMPRSS2. Cotreatment with IFN-I and III dramatically increases expression of the receptors and viral entry in alveolar epithelial cells. TNF and IFN-II, typically overproduced during the cytokine storm, similarly collaborate to induce these events. Whereas JAK inhibitors suppress viral entry induced by IFN-I/III, simultaneous inhibition of IKK/NF-{kappa}B is necessary to block viral entry induced by TNF and IFN-II. In addition to explaining the increased incidence of SARS in males, these findings indicate that SARS-Cov-2 hijacks epithelial immune signaling to promote infection of the alveolar epithelium and suggest that JAK inhibitors, singly and in combination with NF-KB inhibitors, may exhibit efficacy in preventing or treating COVID-19 SARS.
New Approaches to Islamic Law and the Documentary Record before 1500: Unsolved Problems and Untried Solutions

Marina Rustow notes how prevalent scholarly attention is to long-form texts of Islamic law—attention that she argues, comes at the expense of studying Islamic legal documents in a sufficient manner. Study of the documents is an indispensable enterprise if we are to fully understand "how law worked in practice." In view of what we know to have been "heaps" of documents produced by Muslim judges and notaries, Rustow underscores how particularly noticeable a disjuncture there is between those documents and the long-form texts. Moreover, scholars often skip over and thus fail to avail themselves of the utility of documents in adding texture to social and legal history. She cautions social historians against "pseudo-knowledge," that is, the temptation to overlook complex factors, usually embedded in legal documents, that render our otherwise tame scholarly perception of the past truer but more "unruly." In the end, her invitation to join her in the study of documents and thereby improve the state of Islamic legal history is terse and timely: "Please go find yourself some documents."
Online crowdfunding for medical expenses related to hidradenitis suppurativa

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), also known as acne inversa, is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that significantly impairs quality of life. There are high direct and indirect financial burdens associated with HS, which may compel patients to turn to online crowdfunding for assistance covering HS-related costs. Crowdfunding is the financing of a specific initiative by pooling many smaller donations from numerous individuals, and has previously been used to fund dermatologic care.
Inviting New Worlds, Tuning to New Voices: A Post-9/11 Meditation on 'Where Do We Go from Here?'

This article compares, contrasts, and explores the connections between liberation theology and the author's post-subordinationist jurisprudential doctrine, humanity consciousness. The article uses these alternative theoretical lenses to evaluate the United States' military response to the threat posed by Middle Eastern Islamic terrorists. The article asserts that both liberation theology and humanity consciousness bring to the critique of law and foreign policy an appeal to spirituality as a progressive force of social change. When linked with critically informed advocacy, this appeal to spirituality can bring about deeply meaningful transformations within individuals that lead to meaningful changes within the law.
Analysis of valatilion of chosen stock companies, that are tradeable on BCPP

The problems of stocks and stocks exchange belong among the most difficult business areas in world financial and monetary politics. The question, if also for the Czech Republic there is available the fact, that stocks of big corporations are essentially more stabile in price development (and therefore also have lower risk) than the stocks of smaller companies (in this case food industry companies) is analyzed in the contribution.
Cardiovascular biomarkers and sex: the case for women

Measurement of biomarkers is a critical component of cardiovascular care. Women and men differ in their cardiac physiology and manifestations of cardiovascular disease. Although most cardiovascular biomarkers are used by clinicians without taking sex into account, sex-specific differences in biomarkers clearly exist. Baseline concentrations of many biomarkers (including cardiac troponin, natriuretic peptides, galectin-3, and soluble ST2) differ in men versus women, but these sex-specific differences do not generally translate into a need for differential sex-based cut-off points. Furthermore, most biomarkers are similarly diagnostic and prognostic, regardless of sex. Two potential exceptions are cardiac troponins measured by high-sensitivity assay, and proneurotensin. Troponin levels are lower in women than in men and, with the use of high-sensitivity assays, sex-specific cut-off points might improve the diagnosis of myocardial infarction. Proneurotensin is a novel biomarker that was found to be predictive of incident cardiovascular disease in women, but not men, and was also predictive of incident breast cancer. If confirmed, proneurotensin might be a unique biomarker of disease risk in women. With any biomarker, an understanding of sex-specific differences might improve its use and might also lead to an enhanced understanding of the physiological differences between the hearts of men and women.
The Pitch Set as a Level of Description for Studying Musical Pitch Perception

How shall we define the musical stimulus? Traditionally, music theorists interested in pitch phenomena have sought the definition in terms of ratios of whole numbers. Such ratios can provide a description of most, if not all, of the musical intervals in use today, and can be translated readily into ratios of physically realizable tone frequencies. Psychoacousticians, following the dictates of reductionism, have sought a finer grain of analysis than this, pointing out that the essential constituent of an interval is a tone, and that the study of music perception must ultimately refer to the perception of single tones and their frequency components. Accordingly, a great deal of scientific effort has gone into studying the perception of isolated tones.
Chapter 24. RGD-Containing Proteins and Bone

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the structure of bone, the organic and inorganic components of the extracellular matrix, and the cells that are intimately involved in bone destruction (osteoclasts) and bone formation (osteoblasts). The discuission includes the development of this class of proteins or related compounds for the modulation of skeletal metabolism. During intramembranous formation, bone is formed directly from osteogenic precursors while in endochondral formation; bone replaces a cartilaginous model that serves as a template. During the early stages of bone formation, cells that are responsible for the synthesis and deposition of bone matrix (the osteoblasts) perform their task in a somewhat unorganized fashion giving rise to woven bone. As growth and development proceeds, the initial bone is removed and remodeled by osteoclasts, a process termed bone resorption. It need not be identical in that the cells that form bone are present in distinctly different microenvironments and may respond to different factors to carry out the same function. Furthermore, in the adult tissue, the process occurs within the environments created by the marrow cavity on the endosteal surface of bone. However, distinctions between these different sites of bone formation with respect to bone metabolism have not been well defined to date. The group of proteins or analogs, which support cell attachment activity, represents a class of molecules that could be potentially manipulated to influence bone metabolism. After initial formation, bone is constantly going through cycles, termed bone turnover, of bone resorption by osteoclasts, followed by bone formation by cells in the osteoblastic lineage. These two phases must remain “coupled” to maintain homeostasis. Although the rat genome database (RGD)-containing proteins are produced at somewhat different stages of maturation, it is not clear why there are so many of them in mineralized matrix and what role they play in bone turnover. There are two phases of the bone turnover cycle, bone resorption, and bone formation that must remain coupled to maintain normal bone density. Any process that results in an imbalance between these two opposing forces results in disease and skeletal dysfunction.
User agreements and makerspaces: a content analysis

Abstract – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the user agreements of makerspaces in public and academic libraries. User agreements, also known as maker agreements, user forms and liability forms, can be very important documents between library patrons, staff and faculty. User agreements are similar to the earlier creation of acceptable use policies for technology use in libraries. The author of this study will delve into the user agreements created for public and academic libraries across the USA. Design/methodology/approach – The researcher used content analysis to investigate 24 different user agreements written for public and academic library makerspaces. NVivo qualitative data analysis software was integrated into this research to aid in the breakdown of commonalities across terms, themes and purpose within the user agreements. Findings – Although makerspaces are a very exciting topic in the field of library science at this time, the implementation of a maker learning space is still new to many l...
"Student teaching abroad will help you get a job": Exploring administrator perceptions of international experiences for pre-service teachers

Given the purported benefits pre-service teachers can gain from international experiences, we chose to conduct a qualitative case-study to explore the extent to which these experiences influenced the hiring decisions of local school administrators. We collected data using questionnaires and follow-up interviews and found that in many instances international experiences did influence hiring decisions. Yet, these influences were conditional, based on transferability to future classrooms, content area, and the location of the international experience. Implications of this study include the need to reexamine broad presumptive benefits attached to international experiences and instead inquire into the promises and challenges accorded to particular experiences.
Retrolental fibroplasia (encephalo-ophthalmic dysplasia); study of 66 cases.

Ninety-two per cent of the 66 cases of retrolental fibroplasia seen at the University of Chicago were born prematurely. No patients found to have retrolental fibroplasia were born at the Chicago Lying-in Hospital before 1937. The incidence of retrolental fibroplasia at the Chicago Lying-in Hospital from 1937 through 1945 was 6.8% of all survivals weighing less than 1600 gm. at birth; from 1946 through 1948, the incidence was 30.4% in the same weight group. The ratio of surviving infants born weighing less than 1600 gm. to the total number of surviving infants born at the Chicago Lying-in Hospital remained relatively constant from 1937 through 1948. The etiology of retrolental fibroplasia cannot yet be explained by prenatal bleeding or specific infection. Cutaneous angiomas cannot be said to have etiologic significance in retrolental fibroplasia since the incidence of cutaneous angiomas is no greater in infants with the disease than in premature infants in general. No relationship between the use of sulfonamide drugs and the development of retrolental fibroplasia can be established in this series of patients. An ocular disease of postnatal origin may be separated from the composite group. With this postnatal disease retinal detachment is the basic sign, prematurity is universal, and associated central nervous system and somatic defects are less common. A large increase in incidence of this postnatal disease occurred with a change in neonatal management. During the same period, no change in the incidence of the disease of prenatal origin was apparent. The change in neonatal management that could be related to the rise and fall in incidence was the use of a multiple vitamin preparation containing a synthetic emulsifying agent. An attempt to correlate the first appearance of or the changes in incidence of the disease at the University of Chicago was the first use of vitamin A or modification of the dosage of vitamin A was unsuccessful. It is suggested that the title retrolental fibroplasia be reserved tentatively for those infants who have bilateral retinal separation as a complication of extreme prematurity until an etiologically appropriate name may be proposed.
A new method for the segmentation of algae images using retinex and support vector machine

Bodies of freshwater act as home to many different types of organisms, including algae. These algae can cause harm when something called a harmful algal bloom takes place, and as such it is desired to classify algae in micro-image samples from the freshwater bodies before a bloom occurs. This paper presents a novel method for improving the quality of the algae micro-image and segmenting the algae in the micro-image, two of the steps involved in the automatic recognition and classification of algae in images. First, the algae image quality was improved through the use of the Retinex enhancement technique. Then, the algae in the improved quality image was segmented from the background using a support vector machine. Experimental results indicate that the detection rate of the proposed method is over 95%.
Reprint of “Size dependence and orientation dependence of elastic properties of ZnO nanofilms” [In. J. Solids Struct. 45 (2008) 1730–1753]☆

The elastic properties of ZnO nanofilms with different film thickness, surface orientations and loading directions are investigated by using molecular mechanics (MM) method. The size dependence of elastic properties is relevant to both the film surface crystallographic orientation and loading direction. Both atomic structure analysis and energy calculation are employed to identify the mechanisms of the size-dependent elastic properties, under different loading directions and surface orientations. Upon small axial deformation, the relationship between intralayer and interlayer bond length variation and film elastic stiffness is established; it is found that the atomic layers with larger bond length variation have higher elastic stiffness. The strain energies of atomic layers of ZnO nanofilm and bulk are decoupled, from which the stiffness of film surface, intralayers, and interlayers are derived and compared with their bulk counterparts. The surface stiffness is found to be much lower than that of the interior layers and bulk counterpart, and with the decrease of film thickness, the residual tension-stiffened interior atomic layers are the main contributions of the increased elastic modulus of ZnO nanofilms.
LOWER GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT BLEEDING

Lower GI bleeding can be slow and chronic or massive and fatal. ED evaluation of these patients begins with history directed at determining the severity and amount of bleeding, and eliciting symptoms of volume depletion. Physical examination determines orthostasis, exclusion of an upper GI source for bleeding, and rectal examination. Laboratory evaluation is directed at determining baseline status of hemoglobin/hematocrit and platelet adequacy, as well as assessing concomitant medical problems. Although many of these patients are elderly, resuscitation is vigorous and should not be deterred by other medical problems. Differential diagnosis can be broad in the ED, but the vast majority of bleeding is caused by diverticulosis or angiodysplasia. Diagnostic capabilities are limited in the ED, but our skill at stabilization and resuscitation has helped decrease morbidity and mortality in acute lower GI bleeding.
Macro-by-example: Deriving syntactic transformations from their specifications

This paper presents two new developments. First, it describes a “macro-by-example” specification language for syntactic abstractions in Lisp and related languages. This specification language allows a more declarative specification of macros than conventional macro facilities do by giving a better treatment of iteration and mapping constructs. Second, it gives a formal semantics for the language and a derivation of a compiler from the semantics. This derivation is a practical application of semantics-directed compiler development methodology.
Laser Induced Stress Wave Thermometry for In-Situ Temperature and Thickness Characterization of Single Crystalline Silicon Wafer Part II – Experimental Results

TAP-NDE is employed to perform an experimental study on silicon wafers of different thicknesses to determine the maximum possible resolution of TAP-NDE towards temperature sensitivity, and to demonstrate the ability to differentiate between wafers of different deposition layer thickness at temperatures up to 600°C. Temperature resolution is demonstrated for ±10°C resolution and for ±5°C resolution; while thickness differentiation is carried out with wafers carrying 4,000 A and 8,000 A of aluminum deposition layer. The experimental group velocities of a set of selected frequency components extracted using the Gabor wavelet time-frequency analysis compare favorably to their corresponding theoretical group velocities. It is shown that TAP-NDE is a feasible tool for identifying and characterizing thickness and temperature changes simultaneously during thermal annealing that can replace the current need for separate characterization of these two important parameters in semiconductor fabrication.
BCR-ABL Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors for Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia

A 28-year-old woman with recently diagnosed chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) presents for consideration of appropriate treatment. No siblings are available as candidate donors for stem-cell transplantation. Imatinib, an inhibitor of the BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase present in almost all CML, is recommended. The patient may need to take imatinib indefinitely to maintain suppression of abnormal bone marrow clones.
METHODS OF REMOVING POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL FROM PLASMA FRACTIONS

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is a nondenaturing, water-soluble, synthetic polymer which is widely used for purification of proteins by fractional precipitation. Although the polymer is not considered to be toxic, it is desirable to remove as much as possible from the final products. Furthermore, it may be advantageous to remove high concentrations of PEG from various fractions before further processing. Methods which have been used for this purpose include adsorption of the protein to ion exchange or affinity resins, which have no attraction for the inert polymer, or precipitation of the protein from the PEG-containing solution by addition of ethanol. More recently, mixtures of PEG-4000 and albumin were used to demonstrate the feasibility of cross-flow ultrafiltration as an alternative to conventional molecular sieve methods such as dialysis and exclusion chromatography which are of limited value. These studies have been extended to include mixtures of PEG-4000 and crude preparations of human factor VIII, th...
Evaluating assisted target recognition performance: an assessment of DARPA's SAIP system

New advanced imaging systems will soon be capable of collecting enormous volumes of imagery, placing a significant burden on the imagery analysts (IAs) that exploit these data. ATRs and other image understanding tools offer a way to assist IAs in exploiting large volumes of imagery more effectively and efficiently. The Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) Semi-Automated IMINT Processing (SAIP) Program focuses on these technologies to assist IAs in the timely exploitation of SAR imagery. The SAIP system is an integrated set of imagery exploitation tools designed to improve the capability of the IA to support military missions in a tactical environment. To assess the utility of the SAIP technology, a mix of live and playback exercises were conducted. IAs exploited the imagery with the assistance of the SAIP technology. As a benchmark for comparison, the same imagery was exploited in an operational exploitation system without the benefit of SAIP assistance. This paper presents the methodology for assessing exploitation performance and discusses issues related to scoring exploitation performance. The results of a recent assessment event illustrate the issues and provide guidance for future work in this area.
Integrated method of mask data checking and inspection data prep for manufacturable mask inspection: inspection rule violations

Many mask patterns contain small un-inspectable features (Inspection Rule Violations or IRVs) that create significant through-put time (TPT) impact at mask inspection due to excessive false defects. These small features include a) drawn test designs purposely intended to be small for evaluating process capabilities, and b) un-intended small features that result from errors such as overlap of designs, gaps between cells or synthesis errors. Typically, an IRV is a feature smaller than the minimum feature size capability of the mask inspection tool. This paper describes an integrated method to find such IRVs in the data and either fix them or declare that area as not inspectable. The method includes documented drawn size limits for inspectability, data checks at drawn level, data checks at post-fracture, and functions to define 'Do Not Inspect Regions (DNIRs)' for any remaining IRVs in the data. Data checking at post-fracture must comprehend Optical Proximity Correction (OPC), which generates small features that are not IRVs. The defined DNIRs are listed in the jobdeck for automated inspection data preparation with no engineering intervention. The result is improved mask inspection TPT as well as early detection and correction of certain design or synthesis errors.
Aerodynamic and Aeroacoustic Three-Dimensional Design for a "Silent" Aircraft

This paper presents a three-dimensional airframe design methodology for low noise emission and high fuel efficiency, based on a blended-wing-body type aircraft. The design methodology uses a combination of high and low fidelity tools to assess the performance and acoustics of the aircraft. The goal set by the Silent ** Aircraft Initiative is a viable, commercial aircraft design with noise levels imperceptible outside the airport perimeter in a well-populated urban environment. To be viable, the aircraft requires a fuel burn comparable to modern conventional aircraft. The detailed airframe design incorporates leading edge camber of the centerbody to provide pitch trim without penalties in induced drag, wave drag, and trim drag. A low noise approach is achieved with reduced approach velocity and increased distance between the airframe and the observer. This slow and steep approach profile is enabled through a combination of thrust vectoring, quiet drag generation, and leading edge high-lift devices. The blended-wing-body type airframe design presented in this paper is both quiet with an OASPL of approximately 65 dBA and highly efficient with a cruise ML/D of 18.5. The paper concludes with ideas to further reduce noise to meet the aggressive SAI goal with minimal cruise performance penalty.
Preparation and some properties of an acid phosphatase from white lupine seedlings.

Abstract A procedure is described for approximately 1000-fold purification of a nonspecific acid phosphatase from lupine seedlings. The preparation has both general phosphomonoesterase and pyrophosphatase activity. It shows either very little or no activity toward 5′-nucleotides, glucose 1-phosphate, trimetaphosphate, diphenyl phosphate, diphosphopyridine nucleotide, and ribonucleic acid. With p-nitrophenyl phosphate as substrate, the phosphatase shows optimal activity at pH 5.2–5.5. The Michaelis constant for the reaction is 3 × 10−4M. Fluoride inhibition of the hydrolysis is noncompetitive. Inactivation upon dilution or purification is prevented by the surface-active agent, Triton X-100. Ethylenediamine tetraacetate increases activity further. Of the cations tested, copper is the most inhibitory; manganese and magnesium are slightly stimulatory. Ethylenediamine tetraacetate prevents the inhibition by copper and augments the stimulation by magnesium. p-Chloromercuribenzoate has negligible effect upon enzymic activity at a saturating concentration of p-nitrophenyl phosphate; it is stimulatory, however, at low substrate concentrations. The differences of plant and animal phosphatases in substrate specificity and the kinetics of inhibition by fluoride may reflect differences in the in vivo functions and mode of action of these enzymes.
Socially Isolated Mice Exhibit a Blunted Homeostatic Sleep Response to Acute Sleep Deprivation Compared to Socially Paired Mice

Sleep is an important physiological process underlying maintenance of physical, mental and emotional health. Consequently, sleep deprivation (SD) is associated with adverse consequences and increases the risk for anxiety, immune, and cognitive disorders. SD is characterized by increased energy expenditure responses and sleep rebound upon recovery that are regulated by homeostatic processes, which in turn are influenced by stress. Since all previous studies on SD were conducted in a setting of social isolation, the impact of the social contextual setting is unknown. Therefore, we used a relatively stress-free SD paradigm in mice to assess the impact of social isolation on sleep, wakefulness and delta electroencephalogram (EEG) power during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. Paired or isolated C57BL/6J adult chronically-implanted male mice were exposed to SD for 6h and telemetric polygraphic recordings were conducted, including 18 h recovery. Recovery from SD in the paired group showed a significant decrease in wake and significant increase in NREM sleep and rapid eye movement (REM), and a similar, albeit less robust response occurred in the isolated mice. Delta power during NREM sleep was increased in both groups immediately following SD, but paired mice exhibited significantly higher delta power throughout the dark period. The increase in body temperature and gross motor activity observed during the SD procedure was decreased during the dark period. In both open field and elevated plus maze tests, socially isolated mice showed significantly higher anxiety than paired mice. The homeostatic processes altered by SD are differentially affected in paired and isolated mice, suggesting that the social context of isolation stress may adversely affect the quantity and quality of sleep in mice.
The commissioning of the advanced radiographic capability laser system: experimental and modeling results at the main laser output

The National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is the first of a kind megajoule-class laser with 192 beams capable of delivering over 1.8 MJ and 500TW of 351nm light [1], [2]. It has been commissioned and operated since 2009 to support a wide range of missions including the study of inertial confinement fusion, high energy density physics, material science, and laboratory astrophysics. In order to advance our understanding, and enable short-pulse multi-frame radiographic experiments of dense cores of cold material, the generation of very hard x-rays above 50 keV is necessary. X-rays with such characteristics can be efficiently generated with high intensity laser pulses above 1017 W/cm² [3]. The Advanced Radiographic Capability (ARC) [4] which is currently being commissioned on the NIF will provide eight, 1 ps to 50 ps, adjustable pulses with up to 1.7 kJ each to create x-ray point sources enabling dynamic, multi-frame x-ray backlighting. This paper will provide an overview of the ARC system and report on the laser performance tests conducted with a stretched-pulse up to the main laser output and their comparison with the results of our laser propagation codes.
Minimum-rank matrices with prescribed graph

Abstract We study properties of real symmetric matrices with prescribed graph and lowest possible rank. We concentrate on the case where the graph is a tree and give an algorithm for computing the minimum possible rank in this case. A more general problem is also considered.
Analysis of in-vivo LacR-mediated gene repression based on the mechanics of DNA looping.

Interactions of E. coli lac repressor (LacR) with a pair of operator sites on the same DNA molecule can lead to the formation of looped nucleoprotein complexes both in vitro and in vivo. As a major paradigm for loop-mediated gene regulation, parameters such as operator affinity and spacing, repressor concentration, and DNA bending induced by specific or non-specific DNA-binding proteins (e.g., HU), have been examined extensively. However, a complete and rigorous model that integrates all of these aspects in a systematic and quantitative treatment of experimental data has not been available. Applying our recent statistical-mechanical theory for DNA looping, we calculated repression as a function of operator spacing (58–156 bp) from first principles and obtained excellent agreement with independent sets of in-vivo data. The results suggest that a linear extended, as opposed to a closed v-shaped, LacR conformation is the dominant form of the tetramer in vivo. Moreover, loop-mediated repression in wild-type E. coli strains is facilitated by decreased DNA rigidity and high levels of flexibility in the LacR tetramer. In contrast, repression data for strains lacking HU gave a near-normal value of the DNA persistence length. These findings underscore the importance of both protein conformation and elasticity in the formation of small DNA loops widely observed in vivo, and demonstrate the utility of quantitatively analyzing gene regulation based on the mechanics of nucleoprotein complexes.
On the Fell topology

Let 2 X denote the closed subsets of a Hausdorff topological space . The Fell topology τF on 2 X has as a subbase all sets of the form {A ∈ 2 X :A ∩V ≠ 0}, whereV is an open subset ofX, plus all sets of the form {A ∈ 2 X :A ⊂W}, whereW has compact complement. The purpose of this article is two-fold. First, we characterize first and second countability for τF in terms of topological properties for τ. Second, we show that convergence of nets of closed sets with respect to the Fell topology parallels Attouch-Wets convergence for nets of closed subsets in a metric space. This approach to set convergence is highly tractable and is well-suited for applications. In particular, we characterize Fell convergence of nets of lower semicontinuous functions as identified with their epigraphs in terms of the convergence of sublevel sets.
The role of melting temperature and electron-phonon coupling in the formation of clustered vacancy defects from heavy-ion-generated displacement cascades

Abstract The production of clustered vacancy defects (dislocation loops and stacking fault tetrahedra) from heavy-ion-generated displacement cascades has been investigated by transmission electron microscopy in a series of Cu-Ni and Ag-Pd alloys. The density of defects decreases as the solute content of the alloy increases, but not in a simple manner. These results are interpreted in terms of changes in the lifetime of the thermal spike or molten zone generated within the cascade. The factors which have been considered to affect the lifetime are the melting temperature, the degree of coupling between the electron and phonon systems, and the influence of solutes on the character of the molten zone. A comparison with stacking-fault energy data has also been made. It is demonstrated that the results in the Ag-Pd correlate approximately with changes in the alloy melting temperature and stacking-fault energy, whereas in Cu-Ni the results correlate with the change in the strength of electron-phonon coupling. Fu...
Loss of Cellular K+ Mimics Ribotoxic Stress INHIBITION OF PROTEIN SYNTHESIS AND ACTIVATION OF THE STRESS KINASES SEK1/MKK4, STRESS-ACTIVATED PROTEIN KINASE/c-Jun NH2-TERMINAL KINASE 1, AND p38/HOG1 BY PALYTOXIN

The tumor promoter palytoxin has been found to activate the stress-activated protein kinase/c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase 1 (SAPK/JNK1), and it also potentiates, as demonstrated here, the p38/HOG1 mitogen-activated protein kinase and the upstream activator of SAPK/JNK1, SEK1/MKK4. In search of possible mechanisms for both the cytotoxicity and the activation of stress kinases by palytoxin, we found that palytoxin is a potent inhibitor of cellular protein synthesis. The inhibition of translation by palytoxin does not result from its direct binding to the translational apparatus. We have previously demonstrated that ribotoxic stressors (Iordanov, M. S., Pribnow, D., Magun, J. L., Dinh, T.-H., Pearson, J. A., Chen, S. L.-Y., and Magun, B. E. (1997) Mol. Cell. Biol. 17, 3373–3381) signal the activation of SAPK/JNK1 by binding to or covalently modifying 28 S rRNA in ribosomes that are active at the time of exposure to the stressor. Palytoxin acted as a ribotoxic stressor, inasmuch as it required actively translating ribosomes at the time of exposure to activate SAPK/JNK1. Palytoxin has been shown to augment ion fluxes by binding to the Na+/K+-ATPase in the plasma membrane of cells. To determine whether altered fluxes of either Na+ or K+ could be responsible for the effects of palytoxin on translation and on activation of SAPK/JNK1, cells were exposed to palytoxin in modified culture medium in which a major portion of the Na+ was replaced by either K+ or by choline+. The substitution of Na+ by K+ strongly inhibited the ability of palytoxin both to inhibit protein translation and to activate SAPK/JNK1, whereas the substitution of Na+ by choline+ did not. These results suggest that palytoxin-induced efflux of cellular K+ mimics ribotoxic stress by provoking both translational inhibition and activation of protein kinases associated with cellular defense against stress.
Steroid 17α-hydroxylase activity of ovarian granulosa cells from hypophysectomized immature rats treated with pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin (PMS)

Abstract Immature hypophysectomized rats were injected with 2mg of diethyl-stilbestrol to increase granulosa cell numbers and with 20 IU of PMS to stimulate ovarian growth. Steroid 17α-hydroxylase activity of cultured granulosa cells, harvested from mature follicles 48 h after injection of PMS, was demonstrated using a tritium exchange assay with 17α 3 H-pregneneolone as substrate. For comparison, aromatase activity of the same cells was examined by a similar assay using 1β 3 H-testosterone as the substrate. The activities of the two enzymes were similar when expressed in terms of the amount of substrate converted per unit time. While an NADPH generating system in the incubation medium was essential for demonstrating any hydroxylase activity, 10–15% of the total aromatase activity could be found without added cofactor. Attempts to alter hydroxylase activity of granulosa cells by inclusion of LH, FSH or prolactin in the incubation medium were unsuccessful. However, activity could be changed by prostaglandins (PG) or agents which can alter PG synthesis. Activity was increased by low concentrations of phospholipase A2 (PLA2), histamine, and arachidonic acid (AA). Large doses of PLA2, or AA, were inhibitory. PGE2, but not PGF2α, increased, while indomethacin decreased, hydroxylase activity. The results clearly indicate that granulosa cells in the rat have a potent 17-hydroxylase system and therefore do not support the widely held contention that lack of this enzyme is one of the bases for the need of two kinds of cells for ovarian estrogen production.
Freeway Work Zone Traffic Delay and Cost Optimization Model

A new freeway work zone traffic delay and cost optimization model is presented in terms of two variables: the length of the work zone segment, and the starting time of the work zone using average hourly trafficdata. The total work zone cost defined as the sum of user delay, accident, and maintenance costs is minimized and the number of lane closures, darkness factor, and seasonal variation travel demand normally ignored in prior research are included. To find the global optimum solution, a Boltzmann-simulated annealing neural network is developed to solve the resulting mixed real variable-integer cost optimization problem for short-term work zones. The new model can be used as an intelligent decision support system to ~1! find the optimum work zone segment length and optimum starting time; ~2! study the impact of various factors such as number of lane closures and darkness; and ~3! quickly observe the relation between the total work zone cost and the work zone segment length and starting time in a quantitative and rational way.
CLASSIFICATION OF WEDDELL SEAL DIVING BEHAVIOR

Most studies of pinniped diving behavior have manually grouped dives according to similarities in the depth, duration, and appearance of the dive profile. Dives of 15 adult female Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) were recorded with time-depth recorders and 39, 119 dives were classified manually and statistically (principal components analysis, discriminant function analysis, cluster analysis, and shape-fitting algorithms). Four dive types, common to all classification methods, and a fifth dive type, common to two of the methods, represented most of the observed diving behavior. However, a few variations of these dive types, specifically a flat-bottomed dive determined manually, may have also represented important behavior. Using a combination of these methods, all dives were classified into six dive types, Inspection of dive variables (mean maximum depth, mean duration, and frequency) over time for each dive type, as well as comparisons to previous studies of pinniped diving behavior, indicated different behaviors that the dive types may represent. Hypothesized functions for the dive types were pelagic foraging, benthic foraging, exploration, and traveling. The results indicate that there are strong similarities in diving behavior across various phocid species, that statistical analyses of diving behavior are useful in the analysis of a large data set, and that these analyses reduced human subjective bias in interpreting diving behavior.
A methodology for semantic integration of metadata in bioinformatics data sources

Semantic heterogeneity is becoming increasingly prominent in bioinformatics domains that deal with constantly expanding, dynamic, often very large, datasets from various distributed sources. Metadata is the key component for effective information integration. Traditional approaches for reconciling semantic heterogeneity use standards or mediation-based methods. These approaches have had limited success in addressing the general semantic heterogeneity problem and by themselves are not likely to succeed in bioinformatics domains where one faces the additional complexity of keeping pace with the speed at which data and semantic heterogeneity is being generated. This paper presents a methodology for reconciliation of semantic heterogeneity of metadata in bioinformatics data sources. The approach is based on the proposition that by globally monitoring, clustering, and visualizing bioinformatics metadata across disparately created data sources, patterns of practice can be identified. This can facilitate semantic reconciliation of metadata in current data and mitigate semantic heterogeneity in future data by promoting sharing and reuse of existing metadata. To instantiate the methodology, a research architecture, MicroSEEDS, is presented and its implementation and envisioned uses are discussed.
A developmental framework for research with gifted children

By extending and transforming certain Piagetian ideas about development, it is possible to construct a coherent framework for research on creativity, giftedness, and genius.
An Effective Routing Algorithm for Dynamic Shared Path Protection in ASON

This paper proposed an efficient online algorithm, called JPS-SR, for shared path protection under dynamic traffic conditions in GMPLS. The algorithm was improved by introducing the set ve, parameter α and e, which reduced average hops of paths, and increased utilization of resources. The performance of JPS-SR was evaluated via simulation with FIR based on SPS (SPS-FIR) on a typical network (NSFNet). The simulation results show that JPS-SR can optimize the resource utilization and blocking probability.
DAPI as a Useful Stain for Nuclear Quantitation

A simple-to-use fluorescent stain, 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI), visualizes nuclear DNA in both living and fixed cells. DAPI staining was used to determine the number of nuclei and to assess gross cell morphology. Following light microscopic analyses, the stained cells were processed for electron microscopy. Cells stained with DAPI showed no ultrastructural changes compared to the appearance of cells not stained with DAPI. DAPI staining allows multiple use of cells eliminating the need for duplicate samples.
INFLUENCE OF DIETHYLSTILBESTROL UPON THE ADRENAL CORTEX OF THE GUINEA PIG

THAT THERE is an intimate relation between gonadal and adrenal cortical function seems well established. Andersen and Kennedy (I) showed that the adrenal glands vary in size and histology at different stages in the estrous cycle, reaching their maximum development during estrus. Zuckerman, Bourne and Lewes (2) produced cyclical changes in the adrenal glands of spayed rats over 5-day periods by the daily injection of a threshold dose of estrone. Here, too, the adrenals were found to be significantly hypertrophied at the time of estrus. That this adrenal hypertrophy occurs at the usual time of greatest estrogen concentration in the blood is consistent with the majority of data, discussed below, upon the effect of estrogen treatment upon the adrenal glands. Conversely, Corey and Britton (3) have shown that the normal estrous cycle is dependent upon a functioning adrenal cortex.
Equivalence and optimal strategies for some minimum fuel discrete systems

Abstract This paper discusses the notion of equivalence between discrete time systems with finite duration processes, and applies it to find strategies for minimum fuel control of some PWM systems, from the known optimal strategies for related PAM systems.
Induction of ceruloplasmin synthesis by copper

Abstract The incorporation of 14 C-L-lysine into plasma ceruloplasmin from copper-injected adult rats was significantly greater than that of control animals. Moreover, the turn-over rate of labelled ceruloplasmin was equal in both copper-injected and control animals, indicating that copper induces ceruloplasmin biosynthesis. In addition, actinomycin D, and inhibitor of mRNA synthesis, inhibited the increase in plasma ceruloplasmin following copper injections. These results suggest that ceruloplasmin synthesis is regulated at the transcriptional (DNA) level.