cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In situ imaging of layer-by-layer sublimation of suspended graphene

An individual suspended graphene sheet was connected to a scanning tunneling microscopy probe inside a transmission electron microscope, and Joule heated to high temperatures. At high temperatures and under electron beam irradiation, the few-layer graphene sheets were removed layer-by-layer in the viewing area until a monolayer graphene was formed. The layer-by-layer peeling was initiated at vacancies in individual graphene layers. The vacancies expanded to form nanometer-sized holes, which then grew along the perimeter and propagated to both the top and bottom layers of a bilayer graphene joined by a bilayer edge. The layer-by-layer peeling was induced by atom sublimation caused by Joule heating and facilitated by atom displacement caused by high-energy electron irradiation, and may be harnessed to control the layer thickness of graphene for device applications.
A study of the self-quenched streamer mode using a nitrogen laser

Abstract The characteristics and mechanism of the self-quenched streamer mode have been explored using laser induced ionization. Both the size of the streamer signal and the transformation from proportional to streamer mode depend on high voltage and the primary ionization density. Two nearby tracks influence each other mainly by space charge effects. The zone of influence depends on relative drift time of the tracks but is less than 3 mm along the anode. The influence is less with argon-free strong quenching gas mixtures.
Assessing Adolescent and Adult Attachment: An Update

This article provides an update on two significant contributions to the assessment of attachment in adolescents and adults. Two measures of adult attachment, both based on modifications of Hazan and Shaver's (1987) model of adult attachment, are reviewed. The conceptual bases for the development of each measure are discussed, current research involving each measure is presented, and implications of attachment assessment for counseling research and practice are offered.
Autoradiographic and histological studies of postnatal neurogenesis. III. Dating the time of production and onset of differentiation of cerebellar microneurons in rats

In one experiment rats were injected with single does of thymidine-H3 at 6 hours, 2, 6 and 13 days of age, or with multiple doses during two periods of early life, and were killed when 2, 4 and 6 months old. In the autoradiographic analysis attention was focused on the time of origin and differentiation of basket, stellate and granule cells in different regions of the cerebellar cortex. In another, non-radioactive study, in rats ranging in age from newborn to adult, the development of the cerebellum was studied with quantitative and qualitative histological techniques. In the sagittal plane the area of the cerebellum increases over 20-fold from birth to 21 days. This increase is primarily due to the growth of the cerebellar cortex, much of the increment in the area of the subcortical regions occurring after 21 days. During the first week the growth of the different layers, excepting the proliferative external granular layer, is sluggish. During this period, the cells of the external granular layer do not differentiate but provide stem cells to this growing proliferative matrix. These proliferating and migrating cells of the external granular layer are the precursors of the basket, stellate and granule cells of the cortex; glia cells probably arise from cells multiplying locally. The first cells to differentiate are situated in the lower half of the molecular layer and include basket cells. Stellate cells differentiate later, with a peak at the end of the second week. The bulk of granule cells differentiate during the second and third weeks, with 25–80% of them, depending on the region, being formed between 11–21 days. These differences, together with several histological criteria (thickness of external granular and molecular layers, appearance of Purkinje cells) were used for constructing regional developmental maps of the cerebellar cortex. Granule cells differentiate in the depth of vermian fissures before they do over the exposed surfaces of the lobes; the ventral lobes (lingula and nodulus) mature before the anterior lobes; and the last maturing vermian lobes are the tuber, declive and culmen. The hemispheres, with some exceptions, mature later than the vermis, with the paraflocculus being among the last maturing structures.
The Social Ecology of Early Childhood: Preschool Social Support Networks and Social Acceptance

The focus of this study was on the social networks of preschool children and on the interface between network characteristics and the child's acceptance by peers and teachers. Fifty-six children and their mothers were interviewed about the child's social support network. Social acceptance measures included peer sociometric ratings and teacher ratings of child preference and relationship quality. Frequency of contact with mother-nominated child network members was a determining factors in the concordance of mother and child reports. From the child's perspective, social acceptance was related to the presence and supportiveness of siblings and extended kin. Mother reports were less predictive, with only one significant association between parental support and teacher preference. In general, the children's perceptions regarding the structure and function of their social networks were found to be reliable and to relate meaningfully to social acceptance in the preschool domain.
Impact of obesity on ureteroscopic laser lithotripsy of urinary tract calculi

Purpose: The treatment of urinary tract stones in obese patients may differ from the treatment of non-obese patients and their success rate varies. Our objective was to compare ureteroscopic treatment outcomes of ureteral and renal stones, stratified for stone size and location, between overweight, obese and non-obese patients. Materials and Methods: Charts were reviewed for 500 consecutive patients presenting at our institution for renal and ureteral stones. A total of 107 patients underwent flexible or semi-rigid ureteroscopy with Ho:YAG laser lithotripsy and met criteria for review and analysis. Results: Overall, initial stone-free rates were 91%, 97%, and 94% in normal, overweight and obese individuals respectively. When compared to non-obese patients, there were no significant differences (p value = 0.26; 0.50). For renal and proximal ureteral stones, the stone-free rate in overweight and obese individuals was 94% in both groups; and a stone-free rate of 100% was found for distal stones, also in both groups. Conclusions: Ureteroscopic treatment of stones in obese and overweight patients is an acceptable treatment modality, with success rates similar to non-obese patients.
A correlation between cathodoluminescence efficiency and decay as a function of temperature.

An investigation of the temperature variation of the cathodoluminescence efficiency of a manganese-activated zinc-fluoride phosphor (tetragonal-ZnF2·0.005Mn) revealed a pronounced secondary increase in efficiency when the temperature was raised above 210° to about 330°C. This efficiency increase was accompanied by an intensity increase in the power-law-decay “tail” through that temperature range. The rapid emptying of traps at these temperatures, followed by radiative transitions of the freed electrons, can account for both observed results. Similar effects were found for a manganese-activated zinc-sulfide phosphor (hexagonal-ZnS·0.018Mn), and for a copper-activated zinc-cadmium-sulfide phosphor (hexagonal-9ZnS·CdS·0.0001Cu). All measurements were made on aluminum-backed phosphor screens in sealed-off cathode-ray tubes. Decays were measured by photographing the output of a multiplier photo-tube as recorded on a d.c. oscilloscope.
Covariance-based hardware selection-Part I: globally optimal actuator selection

A new covariance based formulation of the actuator selection problem is presented. The proposed optimization problem is aimed at finding the set of minimum cost actuator arrays such that there exists a linear feedback for which all closed-loop signals will satisfy pre-specified variance bounds. Through a linear matrix inequality (LMI) based transformation we exactly convert the original problem into a computationally attractive mixed integer convex program (MICP). The resulting MICP leads to the first computational scheme capable of calculating globally optimal solutions to the covariance based actuator selection problem. It is further shown that the formulation is general enough to incorporate extensions to the actuator noise and actuator dynamics cases. Finally, a set of examples are presented to illustrate the scheme as well as the scalability of required computational effort.
Mesh Phasing Relations of General Compound Planetary Gears

This paper systematically studies the mesh phase relations of general compound planetary gears. The mesh phase relations are described by the relative phases between mesh tooth variation functions of all gear meshes. The analysis allows for the fact that compound planetary gears may have gear meshes with different mesh periods. A numbering method is proposed for the accurate definitions of the relative phases in a general compound planetary gear. The phases of all gear meshes relative to the base referred mesh are calculated analytically. Important relations among these relative phases are also studied. The results from this study are important for the clarification of the mesh phasing properties of general compound planetary gears, and they are necessary for the dynamic analysis of compound planetary gears, which involves time-varying mesh stiffnesses.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Early percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy leads to improved outcomes in critically ill medical patients as compared to delayed tracheostomy

Subjects: All patients in the three medical ICUs who were intubated and mechanically ventilated for acute respiratory failure were screened and included if they were: >18 years old, projected to need mechanical ventilation >14 days, and had an initial APACHE II score >25. Specific exclusion criteria were established to ensure the safe performance of percutaneous tracheostomy (anatomical factors, evidence of potential prolonged bleeding, and PEEP >12 cm H2O).
The empiric use of hypertonic dextrose in patients with altered mental status: A reappraisal

Study hypothesis: Neither response to hypertonic glucose (D 50 W) nor presence of hypoglycemia can be reliably predicted by "typical" clinical findings (tachycardia, diaphoresis, and/or an available history of diabetes mellitus) in prehospital patients with altered mental status (AMS). Population: Three hundred forty consecutive patients who received D 50 W for prehospital AMS as ordered by a university hospital paramedic base. Methods: Review of prehospital records and tape recordings for all subjects to determine presence or absence of tachycardia, diaphoresis, and/or available history of diabetes mellitus at the time of field presentation, as well as response to D 50 W; final diagnosis was determined from emergency department charts in the 301 patients for whom they were available. Results: Twenty-five patients (7.4%) had a complete response to D 50 W: 20 had hypoglycemia, diagnosis for one patient was unknown, and four had other causes of AMS. Three patients with an ED diagnosis of hypoglycemia had partial or equivocal responses to D 50 W, and five had no response. Complete responders were more likely than other patients to have diaphoresis (40% vs 13%, P P P = NS). Nine complete responders, including five with hypoglycemia, had none of the three clinical signs. Conclusion: Although patients with hypoglycemia who respond to D 50 W are diaphoretic and have an available history of diabetes more often than other patients with prehospital AMS, 25% of complete responders who are hypoglycemic would not receive D 50 W if it were used only in patients with "typical" clinical findings. Selective use of D 50 W for AMS is desirable because very few patients respond, but it is only feasible with concomitant field use of a rapid test of serum glucose.
Some new thoughts on the pathophysiology and genetics of polycystic ovary syndrome.

Abstract: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common disorder of unknown etiology, but several lines of evidence suggest that there is an underlying genetic cause for PCOS. Studies of first-degree relatives of women diagnosed with PCOS reveal familial clustering of the disease, particularly hyperandrogenemia. A prospective study of first-degree female relatives of PCOS women found that 46% of ascertainable sisters of PCOS women were hyperandrogenemic. The serum bioavailable testosterone in the cohort of sisters showed a bimodal distribution. These observations suggest a dominantly inherited trait controlling androgen levels. Studies on cultures of human theca cells derived from follicles isolated from the ovaries of PCOS and normal women demonstrated that PCOS theca cells produce greater amounts of testosterone, 17α-hydroxyprogesterone, and progesterone than normal theca cells, despite the fact that cells were cultured under identical conditions for multiple population doublings. Examination of the metabolism of radiolabeled steroid hormone precursors and steady-state levels of mRNAs encoding steroidogenic enzymes revealed that there are multiple alterations in the steroidogenic machinery of PCOS theca cells, including elevated expression of the CYP11A, 3BHSD2, and CYP17 genes. The increased mRNA levels are the result, in least in part, of increased gene transcription. Interestingly, the STAR gene is not expressed at a higher level in PCOS theca cells. The stable up-regulation of steroidogenesis in PCOS thecal cells indicates either a genetic abnormality in these cells or a persistent metabolic imprint established in vivo. Linkage and association studies conducted by the National Cooperative Program in Infertility Research using affected sib-pair analysis and the transmission/disequilibrium test to explore candidate genes point a finger at a region on chromosome 19p13.3. The putative PCOS gene lying in this region has yet to be identified. However, existing data suggest that it is probably involved in signal transduction mechanisms leading to altered expression of a suite of genes that affect theca cell steroidogenic activity as well as the metabolic phenotype of other cell types, including muscle and fat.
BURIAL PRACTICES DURING THE LATE FORMATIVE/EARLY CLASSIC IN THE BANDERAS VALLEY AREA OF COASTAL WEST MEXICO

In this article we report on the results of our attempts to locate and study shaft-and-chamber tombs in the Municipality of Puerto Vallarta on the southern (Jalisco) side of the Banderas Valley of coastal West Mexico and to place these tombs in the broader context of burial practices in this area during a time corresponding to the Late Preclassic and Early Classic of Mesoamerica. We located and studied nine sites where shaft-and-chamber tombs had reportedly been discovered and looted, but here we focus on three (El Reparito, El Pozo de Dona Amparo, and La Pedrera) where we were able to excavate un-looted as well as partially looted shaft-and-chamber tombs. In the process we obtained evidence of (1) the location and type of soil selected for the excavation of such tombs; (2) variation in the form and content of the shafts and tomb chambers; (3) the tools used for digging and the manner of sealing such tombs; (4) chronological placement of the tombs; (5) burial of infants, sub-adults, and adults in the chambers; (5) pathology in the pre-Hispanic population responsible for such tombs; (6) cremation of bodies and their curation for different periods of time before incineration; and (7) alternative forms of interment along with shaft-and-chamber tombs in the same cemetery. Also, the data obtained lend support for the idea that the Ameca River and the Banderas Valley formed a “soft frontier” at this time between fairly distinct pre-Hispanic cultural traditions found to the north and to the south of the river, an area in which there was some intermixing of these traditions.
Achieving High Performance with FPGA-Based Computing

Numerous application areas, including bioinformatics and computational biology, demand increasing amounts of processing capability. In many cases, the computation cores and data types are suited to field-programmable gate arrays. The challenge is identifying the design techniques that can extract high performance potential from the FPGA fabric
Probabilistic load-dependent cascading failure with limited component interactions

We generalize an analytically solvable probabilistic model of cascading failure in which failing components interact with other components by increasing their load and hence their chance of failure. In the generalized model, instead of a failing component increasing the load of all components, it increases the load of a random sample of the components. The size of the sample describes the extent of component interactions within the system. The generalized model is approximated by a saturating branching process and this leads to a criticality condition for cascading failure propagation that depends on the size of the sample. The criticality condition shows how the extent of component interactions controls the proximity to catastrophic cascading failure. Implications for the complexity of power transmission system design to avoid cascading blackouts are briefly discussed.
Power engineering design projects: capstone team projects versus topical design courses

Over the years, Michigan Tech has had two different philosophies for teaching design in the power area. Initially, we integrated design into topical courses, teaching the material the students would need to complete the design. Presently, our students complete year-long, industry-sponsored projects. We will give details on the implementation of the two approaches and compare and contrast the outcomes. Both techniques for teaching design have their advantages and disadvantages.
People who make a difference: mentors and role models

The literature of gender issues in computing steadfastly and uniformly has advocated the use of mentors and role models (M&RM) for recruiting and retaining women in computer science [3, 17, 20.] This paper, therefore, accepts the results of research studies and avoids reiterating details of the projects but offers instead a practical guide for using M&RM to recruit and retain women in computer science. The guide provides pragmatic advice, describing several different facets of the M&RM concept.
Serial photography for operative dentistry

Dental procedures are photographed in sequential order, and instructions are given for making successful 35-mm color slides. A technique is presented for making 35-mm color slides in the dental office. The method applies to operative dentistry as well as other dental disciplines. Photographs are taken in series during treatment to show dental techniques in sequential order. Coordinated team effort at the dental chair, with attention to details in photography and dentistry, produces favorable results. Proper framing and mounting ensures excellence in final presentation of the finished slides.
Cutting Edge: Control of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection by a Subset of Lung Parenchyma–Homing CD4 T Cells

Th1 cells are critical for containment of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, but little else is known about the properties of protective CD4 T cell responses. In this study, we show that the pulmonary Th1 response against M. tuberculosis is composed of two populations that are either CXCR3(hi) and localize to lung parenchyma or are CX3CR1(hi)KLRG1(hi) and are retained within lung blood vasculature. M. tuberculosis-specific parenchymal CD4 T cells migrate rapidly back into the lung parenchyma upon adoptive transfer, whereas the intravascular effectors produce the highest levels of IFN-γ in vivo. Importantly, parenchymal T cells displayed greater control of infection compared with the intravascular counterparts upon transfer into susceptible T cell-deficient hosts. Thus, we identified a subset of naturally generated M. tuberculosis-specific CD4 T cells with enhanced protective capacity and showed that control of M. tuberculosis correlates with the ability of CD4 T cells to efficiently enter the lung parenchyma rather than produce high levels of IFN-γ.
Lithium tert‐Butoxy(tert‐butyl)cuprate

[41655-91-8] C8H18CuLiO (MW 200.71) InChI = 1S/C4H9O.C4H9.Cu.Li/c1-4(2,3)5;1-4(2)3;;/h1-3H3;1-3H3;;/q-1;;+1; InChIKey = RIGOXYSUSHUTLN-UHFFFAOYSA-N (heterocuprate of greater thermal stability than analogous homocuprate;2 capable of nucleophilic additions2 and substitutions3) Solubility: sol THF. Analysis of Reagent Purity: an assay to determine relative thermal stabilities4 can be used to estimate reagent quality and concentration: a sample of known volume and temperature is quenched with excess PhCOCl; the yield of PhCO(t-Bu) is measured by GC, the response of which is calibrated using authentic product and n-dodecane as internal standard. Preparative Methods: Lithium tert-Butoxide is prepared2 under N2 by dropwise addition of 1.00 equiv of n-Butyllithium in hexanes to a solution of dry t-BuOH in dry THF3b (Potassium tert-Butoxide should not be substituted for the lithium salt); a stirred suspension of 1.00 equiv of Copper(I) Iodide5 in dry THF at rt under N2 is treated with the t-BuOLi solution dropwise; after 15 min, the resulting cloudy, green-brown suspension is cooled to −78 °C and then treated with 1.00 equiv tert-Butyllithium in pentane; the product, a cloudy, brown mixture, is ready for use after stirring for 5 min at −78 °C (alternative methods also may be acceptable; high-purity t-BuOLi is commercially available).6, 7 Handling, Storage, and Precautions: best results are obtained with high-purity copper(I) salts,5, 8 dry, oxygen-free solvents, and alkyllithium solutions free of contaminating alkoxides or hydroxides;9 the t-BuLi used to prepare the reagent is pyrophoric10 and due care must be exercised in its handling; use in a fume hood; thermal decomposition occurs at ≥−30 °C, but the reagent is stable for one or more h at ≤−50 °C.
Black-white racial disparities in sepsis: a prospective analysis of the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort.

Sepsis is a major public health problem. Prior studies using hospital-based data describe higher rates of sepsis among black than whites participants. We sought to characterize racial differences in incident sepsis in a large cohort of adult community-dwelling adults. We analyzed data on 29,690 participants from the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort. We determined the associations between race and first-infection and first-sepsis events, adjusted for participant sociodemographics, health behaviors, chronic medical conditions and biomarkers. We also determined the association between race and first-sepsis events limited to first-infection events. We contrasted participant characteristics and hospital course between black and white sepsis hospitalizations. Among eligible REGARDS participants there were 12,216 (41.1 %) black and 17,474 (58.9 %) white participants. There were 2,600 first-infection events; the incidence of first-infection events was lower for black participants than for white participants (12.10 vs. 15.76 per 1,000 person-years; adjusted HR 0.65; 95 % CI, 0.59-0.71). There were 1,526 first-sepsis events; the incidence of first-sepsis events was lower for black participants than for white participants (6.93 vs. 9.10 per 1,000 person-years, adjusted HR 0.64; 95 % CI, 0.57-0.72). When limited to first-infection events, the odds of sepsis were similar between black and white participants (adjusted OR 1.01; 95 % CI, 0.84-1.21). Among first-sepsis events, black participants were more likely to be diagnosed with severe sepsis (76.9 % vs. 71.5 %). In the REGARDS cohort, black participants were less likely than white participants to experience infection and sepsis events. Further efforts should focus on elucidating the underlying reasons for these observations, which are in contrast to existing literature.
Endothelial survival after Descemet-stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty in eyes with retained anterior chamber intraocular lenses: two-year follow-up.

Purpose To evaluate endothelial cell survival 2 years after Descemet-stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) for the treatment of endothelial dysfunction in the presence of an anterior chamber intraocular lens (AC IOL). Setting LSU Eye Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, and Florida Eye Microsurgical Institute, Boynton Beach, Florida, USA. Design Case series. Methods This study comprised eyes with endothelial failure that had DSAEK in the presence of an AC IOL. Donor central endothelial cell density (ECD) was recorded 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years postoperatively and compared with preoperative ECD eye-bank values. Results The study evaluated 25 eyes; data from 20 eyes were available up to 2 years postoperatively. The mean preoperative ECD was 2606 cells/mm2. At 1 year, the mean ECD was 1943 cells/mm2 ± 266 (SD), representing a mean cell loss from preoperative measurements of 24% ± 12%. At 2 years, the mean ECD was 1831 ± 291 cells/mm2, representing a 28% ± 13% cell loss from preoperative values. The additional cell loss between the first and second postoperative years was not statistically significant (P=.265). Conclusions Descemet-stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty grafts in the presence of a well-centered AC IOL with an AC IOL-to-endothelial depth greater than 3.0 mm had a mean postoperative donor endothelial cell loss of 24% at 1 year and 28% at 2 years. There was no significant difference in cell loss in this series compared with ECD loss in DSAEK surgeries in the presence of a posterior chamber IOL. Financial Disclosure No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
Visual topometric localization

One of the fundamental requirements of an autonomous vehicle is the ability to determine its location on a map. Frequently, solutions to this localization problem rely on GPS information or use expensive three dimensional (3D) sensors. In this paper, we describe a method for long-term vehicle localization based on visual features alone. Our approach utilizes a combination of topological and metric mapping, which we call topometric localization, to encode the coarse topology of the route as well as detailed metric information required for accurate localization. A topometric map is created by driving the route once and recording a database of visual features. The vehicle then localizes by matching features to this database at runtime. Since individual feature matches are unreliable, we employ a discrete Bayes filter to estimate the most likely vehicle position using evidence from a sequence of images along the route. We illustrate the approach using an 8.8 km route through an urban and suburban environment. The method achieves an average localization error of 2.7 m over this route, with isolated worst case errors on the order of 10 m.
Modeling web requests: a multifractal approach

World Wide Web (WWW) caching is used to improve network latency and bandwidth usage by storing previously requested files in a cache. Ideally, the cache replacement policy should account for the intrinsic characteristics of WWW traffic, which include temporal locality, spatial locality, and popularity. In this paper, we accurately capture these three characteristics in a stochastic model, which can be used to generate synthetic WWW traces and assess WWW cache designs. To capture temporal and spatial localities, we use a modified version of Riedi et al.'s multifractal model, where we reduce the complexity of the original model from O(N) to O(1); N being the length of the synthetic trace. Our model has the attractiveness of being parsimonious (characterized by few parameters) and that it avoids the need to apply a transformation to a self-similar model (as often done in previously proposed models), thus retaining the temporal locality of the fitted traffic. Furthermore, because of the scale-dependent nature of multifractal processes, the proposed model is more flexible than monofractal (self-similar) models in describing irregularities in the traffic. Trace-driven simulations are used to demonstrate the goodness of the proposed model in terms of generating representative WWW streams and approximating the cache performance of actual WWW traffic.
Body Mass Index Is Associated with Increased Creatinine Clearance by a Mechanism Independent of Body Fat Distribution

Context: Although obesity has been, in general, associated with glomerular hyperfiltration, visceral adiposity has been suggested to be associated with reduced glomerular filtration. Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the differential effects of obesity and body fat distribution on glomerular filtration. Design and Setting: We conducted a cross-sectional study of the Japanese-American community in Seattle, Washington. Participants: We studied a representative sample of second-generation Japanese-American men and women with normal glucose tolerance (n = 124) and impaired glucose metabolism (impaired fasting glucose and/or impaired glucose tolerance) (n = 144) residing in King County, Washington. Main Outcome Measures: Glomerular filtration rate was estimated by 24-h urinary creatinine clearance, body size by body mass index (BMI), and intra-abdominal fat (IAF), sc fat (SCF), and lean thigh areas by CT scan. Results: Creatinine clearance was positively correlated with BMI (r = 0.429; P < 0.001), fasting glucose (r = 0.198; P = 0.001), and insulin levels (r = 0.125; P = 0.042), as well as IAF (r = 0.239; P < 0.001), SCF (r = 0.281; P < 0.001), and lean thigh (r = 0.353; P < 0.001) areas. The association between creatinine clearance and BMI remained significant after adjustments for IAF, SCF areas, and fasting insulin levels (r = 0.337; P < 0.001); whereas IAF and SCF areas were not independently associated with creatinine clearance after adjusting for BMI. Creatinine clearance increased with increasing BMI after adjusting for fasting insulin, fasting glucose, IAF and SCF areas in subjects with normal glucose tolerance (r = 0.432; P < 0.001) and impaired glucose metabolism (r = 0.471; P < 0.001). Conclusions: BMI rather than body fat distribution is an independent determinant of creatinine clearance in nondiabetic subjects. Lean body mass, rather than adiposity, may explain this association.
Perceptions of the Adult Life Course: A Cross-cultural Analysis

A team of seven anthropologists conducted a coordinated, cross- cultural investigation to examine how structural and cultural variables shape the strategies people employ to assure themselves a secure old age. Central to the investigation was the goal of determining how people in the societies involved (Hong Kong, the United States, Ireland, and Botswana) perceive old age and its place in the adult life course, e.g. whether they view old age as an improvement or a decrement compared with other stages of life and the characteristics on which they base their views. The seven sites were selected to ensure broad representation in terms of the key structural variables of scale, complexity, subsistence pattern, residential mobility, and population structure. Both across and within sites people differed in their willingness and ability to discuss the concept of the life course. We attribute this variation to five factors: (i) characteristics of the social field, (2) education, (3) cultural salience of age categorisation, (4) predictability of life events, and (5) variability in timing of normative social or work roles.
Abrogated Thioredoxin System Causes Increased Sensitivity to TNF-α-Induced Apoptosis via Enrichment of p-ERK 1/2 in the Nucleus

Thioredoxin (Trx) and thioredoxin reductase 1 (TR1) are among the major redox regulators in mammalian cells and have a wide variety of roles, including removal of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and prevention of cell death. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) induces cancer cell death. Although ROS have been proposed to participate in this process, the role of the thioredoxin system in TNF-α stimulated cell death remains unclear. We investigated the possibility that the thioredoxin system protects against TNF-α-induced cancer cell death by examining whether TR1/Trx1 status controls TNF-α-induced apoptosis in EMT6 murine breast cancer cells. TR1-deficient cells were more sensitive to TNF-α than control cells. Increased sensitivity to TNF-α was most pronounced in Trx1-deficient cells. TNF-α-induced nuclear localization of phosphorylated ERK 1/2 (p-ERK 1/2) correlated with increased apoptosis in TR1- and Trx1-deficient cells, suggesting a pro-apoptotic role for nuclear p-ERK 1/2 in TNF-α-induced apoptosis. In addition, phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibition dramatically reduced TNF-α-stimulated apoptosis and nuclear localization of p-ERK 1/2. In contrast, inhibition of ROS, MEK, JNK, or p38 did not significantly alter p-ERK 1/2 localization or apoptosis in TR1- and Trx1-deficient cells compared to control cells. Further, NF-κB p65 localization was not changed in TR1- and Trx1-deficient cells in response to TNF-α relative to control cells. Our data suggest that the thioredoxin system plays a critical role in protecting against TNF-α-induced apoptosis by regulating the levels of nuclear p-ERK 1/2 in a PI3K-dependent manner.
Durability of glass‐fiber‐reinforced polymer composites in an alkaline environment

This study investigated the aging of urethane and urethane-modified vinyl ester (UMVE) GFRPs (glass fiber reinforced polymers) when they were exposed to alkaline solution for six months under a sustained load of 34.5 MPa or 16–20% of their tensile strength. The second experiment exposed both types of GFRP to alkaline solution without load for 6 months. The final experiment determined the alkaline solution diffusion coefficients into GFRP and neat polymer resin samples by measuring the change in mass of each sample as a function of time. After the GFRP samples were aged for 6 months, their tensile strengths were measured and compared with that of non-aged samples to determine the aging effect. It was found that alkaline solution alone without sustained load did not significantly reduce or change the tensile strength of any GFRP sample. However, the presence of sustained load greatly increased the aging effect, particularly more for urethane GFRP than on UMVE GFRP. Urethane GFRP experienced a tensile strength reduction of 57.5%, while UMVE GFRP lost 27.3% of its original tensile strength. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 13:221–228, 2007. © 2007 Society of Plastics Engineers
Computer Modeling in Neuroscience: From Imperative to Declarative Programming

Theory and computational modeling have played important roles in neuroscience. Models of neural systems range from coolly abstract to scrupulously biologically detailed, but the overwhelming majority have been implemented using imperative programming languages. Very recently, declarative programming approaches have entered the realm of computational neuroscience, including models implemented in Maude. The declarative approach promises deeper insights into neurobiology, especially into the pathological processes that underlie neurological disorders. This chapter will provide a very short overview of imperative and declarative modeling in neuroscience, and will then describe a specific example of a model of a key neural process implemented in Maude. The Maude model provides potential new insights that would be difficult to obtain using an imperative approach.
Literate Programming

From the Publisher: Including early papers on structured programming, as well as the Computer Journal article that launched its study, this anthology of essays from the inventor of literate programming also contains excerpts from the programs for TEX and METAFONT and CWEB, a system for literate programming in C and related languages.
YB-1 regulates tiRNA-induced Stress Granule formation but not translational repression

Stress-induced angiogenin (ANG)-mediated tRNA cleavage promotes a cascade of cellular events that starts with production of tRNA-derived stress-induced RNAs (tiRNAs) and culminates with enhanced cell survival. This stress response program relies on a subset tiRNAs that inhibit translation initiation and induce the assembly of stress granules (SGs), cytoplasmic ribonucleoprotein complexes with cytoprotective and pro-survival properties. SG-promoting tiRNAs bear oligoguanine motifs at their 5'-ends, assemble G-quadruplex-like structures and interact with the translational silencer YB-1. We used CRISPR/Cas9-based genetic manipulations and biochemical approaches to examine the role of YB-1 in tiRNA-mediated translational repression and SG assembly. We found that YB-1 directly binds to tiRNAs via its cold shock domain. This interaction is required for packaging of tiRNA-repressed mRNAs into SGs but is dispensable for tiRNA-mediated translational repression. Our studies reveal the functional role of YB-1 in the ANG-mediated stress response program.
Enterprise knowledge management evaluation model construction based on knowledge audit

In view of the low successful ratio of enterprise knowledge management,with theoretical analysis and quantitative analysis methods,the article points out that the enterprise knowledge management research should start from the knowledge audit perspectives,analyses the knowledge audit-oriented enterprise knowledge management evaluation index elements and establishes the multi-level fuzzy synthetic evaluation model.The example shows that the model has rationality and validity and it is a kind of practical tool for evaluating enterprise knowledge management.
Anderson acceleration of the Jacobi iterative method

We employ Anderson extrapolation to accelerate the classical Jacobi iterative method for large, sparse linear systems. Specifically, we utilize extrapolation at periodic intervals within the Jacobi iteration to develop the Alternating Anderson-Jacobi (AAJ) method. We verify the accuracy and efficacy of AAJ in a range of test cases, including nonsymmetric systems of equations. We demonstrate that AAJ possesses a favorable scaling with system size that is accompanied by a small prefactor, even in the absence of a preconditioner. In particular, we show that AAJ is able to accelerate the classical Jacobi iteration by over four orders of magnitude, with speed-ups that increase as the system gets larger. Moreover, we find that AAJ significantly outperforms the Generalized Minimal Residual (GMRES) method in the range of problems considered here, with the relative performance again improving with size of the system. Overall, the proposed method represents a simple yet efficient technique that is particularly attractive for large-scale parallel solutions of linear systems of equations.
The Class II Molecule as a Signal Transducer to the B Cell: Cellular and Molecular Approaches

The ultimate function of B lymphocytes is the production and secretion of specific immunoglobulin (Ig). This process is regulated by interactions between cells, cell products, and antigen. Particularly significant are antigen-specific interactions between B and T helper (Th) lymphocytes. Activation of the Th cell in such interactions requires that an antigen-presenting cell, such as a macrophage, dendritic cell, or B cell, present antigen to the Th cell in association with molecules encoded by genes of the class II region of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). The function of class II antigens in T cell activation has been the subject of intense investigation in recent years (Schwartz, 1985; Germain and Malissen, 1986; Guillet et. al., 1987). There is little understanding, however, of the role of the B cell class II molecule in transmitting a differentiative signal to the B cell itself. This question has been technically difficult to approach, since all antigen-presenting cells express class II antigens. Thus, the unavoidable contamination of uncloned B cells with at least a small percentage of macrophages makes the use of such cells to define the signaling function of B cell Ia problematic. Although long-term culture of untransformed B cells has met with some success (Braun et. al., 1986; Pike and Nossal, 1986), such cell lines are not yet widely available. An alternative approach employs transformed, immortal B cell lines to study the process of B cell differentiation (Arnold et. al., 1986). A major limitation in the study of many B cell tumors is that the specificity of the Ig which they produce is unknown. Therefore, it is difficult to use them to study antigen-specific interactions. However, several clones of transformed murine B cells have been characterized which bear Ig of defined antigenic specificity and are responsive to immunoregulatory signals (Bishop et. al., 1986a). The CH series of murine B cell lymphomas has proven useful in studying B cell differentiation (Haughton et. al., 1986; Bishop and Haughton, 1987).
Iterative Sparse Triangular Solves for Preconditioning

Sparse triangular solvers are typically parallelized using level-scheduling techniques, but parallel efficiency is poor on high-throughput architectures like GPUs. We propose using an iterative approach for solving sparse triangular systems when an approximation is suitable. This approach will not work for all problems, but can be successful for sparse triangular matrices arising from incomplete factorizations, where an approximate solution is acceptable. We demonstrate the performance gains that this approach can have on GPUs in the context of solving sparse linear systems with a preconditioned Krylov subspace method. We also illustrate the effect of using asynchronous iterations.
Avian Influenza Testing of American Woodcock in an Agricultural Landscape

Abstract The potential for migratory bird species to transfer pathogenic Eurasian strains of avian influenza to the Americas has created international concern over monitoring efforts. Avian influenza has been isolated in multiple migratory shorebird species, and those that spend time in agricultural areas are more likely to share the virus with poultry. Scolopax minor (American Woodcock) are migratory and winter in agricultural landscapes throughout coastal North Carolina. Thirty nine woodcock were tested during February 2009 and December–March 2009–2010 for Type A avian influenza virus; all tests were negative. To our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate woodcock for avian influenza. Wildlife disease surveillance, especially testing of novel species, is critical to monitor and control virus emergence and spread between wild and domestic populations.
On the electric strength of gases at elevated pressures

A systematic investigation of the electric strength of nitrogen gas has been made under conditions where the gas density was continuously increased by pressure change from the ambient value to a density approaching that of the liquid state. Such a study is of interest for several reasons: (1) the increased sparking potential makes the use of pressurized gases very attractive for the insulation of electrical equipment; (2) the study of breakdown in this region of intermediate density yields important information which will elucidate the mechanism of breakdown in condensed phases of matter(1) and (3) virtually no measurements at elevated pressures have been made heretofore in the region of very small electrode spacing used by us (1–25 mils). The use of such spacings makes it possible to generate very high field strengths with relatively low voltage.
Automotive control systems: past, present, future

The authors survey a decade of computer control applications in the automotive industry, which has been characterized by a dramatic increase in the use of electronics and associated devices. The most matured and widespread applications have been functional in nature and involved the computer control of power trains. For this reason the authors focus on power train controls, which are illustrated through a few representative examples including idle speed, electronics transmission, and traction anti-wheelspin control. In particular, the idle speed control development is used to evaluate different modern and classical control techniques. To this end, the complementary attributes of each method are outlined along with their main advantages and possible shortcomings. Furthermore, the authors discuss how these characteristics would apply to the other power train and overall vehicle control system problems. The authors conclude with a discussion of possible future automotive system structures and the role of control theory in their development. >
Neotropical Migrants Exhibit Variable Body-Size Changes Over Time and Space

Abstract Recent changes in the Earth's climate have been linked to changes in phenology, geographic distributions, and morphology of species, and warming temperatures associated with climate change have been predicted to result in decreases in avian body sizes. We examined changes in wing length and fat-free mass of 34,844 fall migrants from 31 neotropical migratory species captured at Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Maryland between 1980 and 2012. Body size changes varied across species, but wing length and fat-free mass increased significantly over time in the pooled sample of all species. Magnitudes of change were small and similar to other studies, with mean wing length increasing 0.55% and mean fat-free mass increasing 1.30% across all species. General morphological changes at our site differed from those at a banding station located 235 km away. Across species, changes in wing length were weakly correlated between stations, and changes in fat-free mass were uncorrelated. Populations of some spe...
The University of Kentucky Distance Education Program in Moderate and Severe Disabilities

This article describes the distance education program in Moderate and Severe Disabilities in the Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling at the University of Kentucky from the perspectives of a faculty member and administrator who have worked with the program since its inception as well as from the perspective of a faculty member new to the program. The history of the programs, the authors' involvement in distance education, and predictions for the future of distance education in special education are included.
Influenza virus induces mast cell death independent of mast cell activation

Influenza A virus (IAV) infects over a million individuals each year, resulting in significant morbidity, and during pandemic years, significant mortality. Severe IAV infection is characterized by a dysregulated cytokine response, termed a ‘cytokine storm’. Recent evidence indicates mast cells can play a central role in initiating this cytokine storm, though the long-term effects of IAV infection on mast cells is poorly understood. To this end, we infected bone marrow cultured mast cells with IAV at a low multiplicity of infection, allowing us to track IAV infection in mast cell cultures over time. Within hours mast cells express viral proteins, but fail to release appreciable levels of infectious viral particles throughout the course of infection. Despite the abortive nature of this infection, it is highly cytotoxic, with significant cell death occurring between 12–48 hours post infection. This cell death is the result of simultaneous activation of apoptosis and necroptosis pathways. Remarkably, while UV-inactivated virus activates mast cells, it does not induce cell death. Conversely, infection with a neuraminidase mutant is cytotoxic despite the fact this mutant fails to activate mast cells. These data suggest the induction of programmed cell death is dependent on viral replication, but independent of mast cell activation. In support of this hypothesis, the RIG-I and interferon signaling pathways are dispensable for the induction of cell death, as mast cells derived from MAVS −/− , AG129 (IFNAR1/IFNGR DKO), and STAT1 −/− mice die at rates comparable to WT cells. Together, these data indicate mast cells detect IAV infection using multiple innate sensors, with each mode of detection resulting in the activation of a distinct response.