cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Current issues concerning management of the fibrositis/fibromyalgia syndrome

The fibrositis/fibromyalgia syndrome is one of the commonest forms of musculoskeletal pain seen in clinical practice. It is diagnosed on the basis of widespread pain accompanied by the physical finding of multiple tender points in remarkably reproducible locations. Accompanying the pain are two symptoms commonly associated with the "systemic" rheumatic disorders, namely morning stiffness and easy fatigability. Unlike the classical rheumatic diseases, however, fibrositis is not responsive to anti-inflammatory medications, including corticosteroids. Current therapeutic strategies, which are only partly successful, are aimed at modifying those factors that seemingly influence the severity and course of the condition; such afferent features include sleep disturbance, overuse syndromes, mechanical stress, psychic stress, and other causes of chronic pain. Major unresolved issues center around the assessment of functional disability in fibrositis and the apparent relationship to trauma in some patients. Until more is known about the underlying pathogenesis of this common condition, significant progress will be thwarted.
An IgH Enhancer That Drives Transcription through Basic Helix-Loop-Helix and Oct Transcription Factor Binding Motifs: FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS OF THE Eµ3′ ENHANCER OF THE CATFISH *

The transcriptional enhancer (Eµ3′) of the IgH locus of the channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, shows strong B cell-specific activity and differs from the mammalian Eµ enhancer in both location and structure. It occurs between the µ and δ genes and contains numerous transcription factor binding sites, predominantly octamer and µE5 motifs of consensus and variant sequences. It lacks the classical µA-µE3(CBF)-µB core array of binding motifs seen within mammalian IgH Eµ enhancers. To determine the functionally important motifs, a series of mutant enhancers was created using sequence-targeted polymerase chain reaction. Whereas the mutation of consensus and variant octamer motifs (individually or in multiples) decreased enhancer function, mutation of a single consensus µE5 motif destroyed the function of this enhancer in mammalian plasmacytomas. Mutation of this consensus µE5 site, combined with mutations of certain octamer sites, destroyed function in catfish B cells. Experiments using artificial enhancers containing multimers of motifs or short regions of the native enhancer suggested that the minimal Eµ3′ enhancer (a) contains a consensus µE5 site and two octamer sites, (b) is B cell-specific, and (c) is active across species. The dependence of an Ig enhancer on sites that bind basic helix-loop-helix and Oct transcription factors has not previously been observed and confirms large differences in structure and function between fish and mammalian IgH enhancers.
Memory-function approach to ellipticity and Faraday rotation in a metal-oxide-semiconductor system

We use the memory-function approach to calculate the ellipticity and Faraday rotation due to the two-dimensional electron gas at the oxide-semiconductor interface of a metal-oxide-semiconductor system. Experimentally determined memory-function values of Allen et al., as a function of the photon frequency $\ensuremath{\omega}$, are used in our analysis. For the corresponding results with varying external magnetic field $B$ we have used the theoretical results of Ting et al. for the memory function. Comparison is also made with the recently reported experimental results of Piller and Wagner.
Theory of modal character, field structure, and losses for semiconductor lasers

The contemporary semiconductor laser oscillates and radiates power simultaneously in many of the characteristic modes of its cavity, perhaps only a few for the "stripe" laser neat threshold, but hundreds or thousands for power lasers. This article provides a comprehensive theory of the modal characteristics: field structure, polarization, characteristic frequency, radiation pattern, and losses. A new theory is developed for cavities with a nonuniform dielectric. The subject matter is indispensable to understanding or use of the new nonlinear theory of laser processes. Much of it is also relevant to dielectric, optical transmission systems in general
Selected Whiteface Mountain cloud water concentrations summers 1981 and 1982

A statistical analysis was made of source trajectory air mass regions versus receptor [SO4−2] in cloud water at Whiteface Mountain, Wilmington, New York for the summers of 1981 and 1982. Also tested was the assumption that in 1982 sulfate concentrations should decrease in the cloud water when associated with a trajectory from the west northwest. This assumption was based on the fact that Canadian smelters were idle during August 1982 which resulted in a reduction of SO2 emissions by approximately 75%.
A skills training approach to smoking prevention among Hispanic youth.

The present study was designed to test the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of a 15-session smoking prevention intervention with a predominantly hispanic (74%) sample of seventh-grade students (N=471) in eight urban schools in the New York area. The smoking prevention curriculum teaches social resistance skills within the context of a broader intervention promoting general personal and social competence and was implemented in this study by regular classroom teachers. Results of logistic regression analyses provided preliminary evidence of the efficacy of this type of smoking prevention strategy with urban minority youth when implemented with a reasonable degree of fidelity. The significance of these findings is that they provide support for the generalizability of an approach previously found to be effective with white middle-class populations to a predominantly hispanic inner-city population.
Detection of adenylyl cyclase activity using a fluorescent ATP substrate and capillary electrophoresis

A capillary electrophoresis laser-induced fluorescence (CE-LIF) assay was developed for detection of adenylyl cyclase (AC) activity using BODIPY FL ATP (BATP) as substrate. In the assay, BATP was incubated with AC and the resulting mixture of BATP and enzyme product (BODIPY cyclic AMP, BcAMP) separated in 5 min by CE-LIF. Substrate depletion and product accumulation were simultaneously monitored during the course of the reaction. The rate of product formation depended upon the presence of AC activators forskolin or Galpha(s)-GTPgammaS as evidenced by a more rapid BATP turnover to BcAMP compared to basal levels. The CE-LIF assay detected EC50 values for forskolin and Galpha(s)-GTPgammaS of 27 +/- 6 microM and 317 +/- 56 nM, respectively. These EC50 values compared well to those previously reported using [alpha-32P]ATP as substrate. When AC was concurrently activated with 2.5 microM forskolin and 25 nM Galpha(s)-GTPgammaS, the amount of BcAMP formed was 3.4 times higher than the additive amounts of each activator alone indicating a positively cooperative activation by these compounds in agreement with previous assays using radiolabeled substrate. Inhibition of AC activity was also demonstrated using the AC inhibitor 2'-(or-3')-O-(N-methylanthraniloyl) guanosine 5'-triphosphate with an IC50 of 9 +/- 6 nM. The use of a fluorescent substrate combined with CE separation has enabled development of a rapid and robust method for detection of AC activity that is an attractive alternative to the AC assay using radioactive nucleotide and column chromatography. In addition, the assay has potential for high-throughput screening of drugs that act at AC.
Evaluation of a Computer Simulation to Assess Subject Preference for Different Types of Incentive Pay

Abstract The study investigated the use of a computer simulation, incorporating a behavioral choice procedure, to assess preference for different types of incentive pay. Subjects were ten undergraduates. Subjects chose to work under pay systems in which they earned 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% or 100% of their total simulated pay in incentives. Subjects were faced with choices involving higher, riskier pay versus lower, more stable pay. Work performance was simulated. The independent variable was the percentage of monthly living expenses relative to expected total pay. Two values were examined, 85% and 95%, using an ABAB design. Each phase lasted 2 simulated years. After four weeks, subjects paid expenses. Every three months, subjects chose the pay system they preferred. The adequacy of the simulation was assessed by examining the stability of choices under the two expense conditions and determining whether subjects chose lower, more stable pay when their expenses were higher. Three of the ten subjects demonstrated ...
Electron transfer in DNA: covalent attachment of spectroscopically unique donor and acceptor complexes

The notion that DNA is capable of electron transfer (ET) has inspired several groups to investigate the nature of this intriguing process. While several factors modulate ET reaction rates, the distance dependence of ET in DNA is the focus of our current investigations. To this end we propose that several design criteria must be met to facilitate the collection of kinetic data corresponding to DNA-mediated ET reactions. These criteria include (1) covalent attachment of site-selective donor-acceptor pairs, (2) incorporation of donor-acceptor pairs that offer minimal structural perturbation of the DNA duplex, and (3) use of spectroscopically distinguishable donor and acceptor complexes that allow identification of kinetic intermediates.
INTERNAL CHARACTERIZATIONS OF LATTICE-ORDERED POWER SERIES FIELDS

There are several ways of constructing lattice-ordered power series fields. The object of this paper is to compare these methods and ,then to characterize the resulting structures in terms of their underlying algebraic properties. In 5 1 and $2, we describe the constructions and compare them. In particular, we describe in detail the relationship between constructions based on the fieldfamilies defined by Raynor and the supporting collections defin.ed by the present author. We show that every field-family is a supporting collection and that not every supporting collection is a field-family, even though in the torsion-free case every strongly supporting collection is a field-family. In f 3, we define the relevant algebraic properties and determine which power series fields possess them. On particular importance are the elements which are special in the sense that they are positive and have only one maximal convex esubgroup not containing them. In the totally ordered case, these elements constitute the entire positive cone and hence form a multiplicative group; however, if the field is lattice-ordered but not totally ordered, the set of special elements will not be the entire positive cone and may not be multiplicatively closed. Two distinguishing features of power series constructions are that every positive element exceeds a special element and that the special elements always form a group. It is well known that every lattice-ordered field L with 1 > 0 contains a unique maximal totally ordered subfield M(L) (cf. 5 3). For a power series field L built over a totally ordered field T, this subfield M(L) can be identified with T precisely when the index group is trivially ordered. We deal with this case in 5 4 and, in 5 5, use the results of 5 4 to obtain complete characterizations in the archimedian case and in the case in which no positive element exceeds an infinite disjoint set. When M(L) is real closed, we use these results and the theory of totally ordered fields to
On Covariance Estimators of Factor Loadings in Factor Analysis

We report a matrix expression for the covariance matrix of MLEs of factor loadings in factor analysis. We then derive the analytical formula for covariance matrix of the covariance estimators of MLEs of factor loadings by obtaining the matrix of partial derivatives, which maps the differential of sample covariance matrix (in vector form) into the differential of the covariance estimators.
On the real exponential field with restricted analytic functions

The model-theoretic structure (ℝan, exp) is investigated as a special case of an expansion of the field of reals by certain families ofC ∞-functions. In particular, we use methods of Wilkie to show that (ℝan, exp) is (finitely) model complete and O-minimal. We also prove analytic cell decomposition and the fact that every definable unary function is ultimately bounded by an iterated exponential function.
PET Parametric Response Mapping for Clinical Monitoring and Treatment Response Evaluation in Brain Tumors

PET parametric response maps (PRMs) are a provocative new molecular imaging technique for quantifying brain tumor response to therapy in individual patients. By aligning sequential PET scans over time using anatomic MR imaging information, the voxel-wise change in radiotracer uptake can be quantified and visualized. PET PRMs can be performed before and after a particular therapy to test whether the tumor is responding favorably, or performed relative to a distant time point to monitor changes through the course of a treatment. This article focuses on many of the technical details involved in generating, visualizing, and quantifying PET PRMs, and practical applications and example case studies.
Predictors of recurrence after local excision and postoperative chemoradiation therapy of adenocarcinoma of the rectum.

Background: Local excision of rectal cancer preserves anal continence, bladder function, and normal sexual function. However, local recurrence after excision remains a significant problem. To further define the indications for local excision, we analyzed possible factors predictive of recurrence after local excision of rectal cancer.
Dual pathways connecting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex with the hippocampal formation and parahippocampal cortex in the rhesus monkey

Anterograde and retrograde tracing methods including autoradiography, horseradish peroxidase histochemistry and fluorescent dye transport were used to demonstrate that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is connected with the hippocampal formation and associated cortical regions by two distinct pathways. Fibers forming a lateral pathway travel in the fronto-occipital fasciculus and connect the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex with the fundus of the rhinal sulcus, posterior subdivisions of the parahippocampal gyrus, and the presubiculum. A larger medial pathway forms in the cingulum bundle and terminates in the most caudal part of the presubiculum, as well as in adjacent transitional cortices. These cortices form a caudomedial promontory that is located between the posterior cingulate and prestriate areas. In all allo- and mesocortical targets of prefrontal cortex, labeled terminals form banding patterns reminiscent of the columnar organization of afferent fiber columns in neocortex. The same cytoarchitectonic areas that receive prefrontal afferents issue reciprocal projections. The largest source is the caudomedial lobule including its presubicular portion. Neurons in the parahippocampal gyrus and adjacent presubiculum also are retrogradely labeled following implants of horseradish peroxidase or injection of fluorescent dyes into prefrontal cortex. In addition, subicular neurons project to the prefrontal cortex although the subiculum does not appear to receive prefrontal afferent input. These findings emphasize that multiple channels of communication link the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus via the parahippocampal gyrus, subiculum, presubiculum and adjacent transitional cortices. We speculate that each of these prefrontal projections may carry highly specific information into the hippocampus, whereas the reciprocal projections may allow retrieval by prefrontal cortex of memories stored in the hippocampus.
Wavelet identification of transients in noisy time series

The detection of transients in noisy time series is an important part of modern signal analysis because of the importance of its civil and military applications. We present a new denoising procedure, the output of which gives a very reasonable guess for the component of the input signal which was buried in noise.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Repeatability of the hand-held Nidek auto-keratometer in children.

Abstract Measurement of the anterior corneal radius of curvature is important in the pediatric population for proper fitting of contact lenses, calculation of intraocular lens power in patients undergoing cataract surgery, and monitoring changes in shape of the cornea in keratoconus. Because astigmatism in preschool children is mainly the result of corneal asphericity, measurement of the anterior corneal radius of curvature may also be used in screening in children at risk for amblyopia. 1 The aim of this study was to determine the repeatability of the hand-held automated Nidek keratometer (Nidek Co. Ltd, Tokyo, Japan) and its ease of use in children.
Strategies to reduce surface area requirements for carbon dioxide removal for an intravenacaval gas exchange device

Experimental and clinical use of the intravascular oxygenator (IVOX), an intravenacaval gas exchange device, in acute respiratory failure yielded a CO2 transfer of 40-70 ml/min (approximately 30% of adult CO2 production) at normocapnia. Although significant, this rate of CO2 removal is not clinically useful. To maximize CO2 transfer, given the same gas exchange properties and structure design of the IVOX, the authors analyzed the effects of permissive hypercapnia (stepwise increase in arterial blood pCO2 up to 100 mmHg) and active blood mixing (with an intraaortic balloon pump) on different sizes of IVOX (sizes 7, 8, and 9 mm, surface area 0.21, 0.32, and 0.41 m2, respectively) using a previously established ex vivo circuit to model the human vena cava. The CO2 net transfer coefficient (KCO2) was averaged for all sizes and applied to extrapolate the surface area requirements under different pCO2 and with active blood mixing. Results showed that KCO2 increased in a linear relationship with blood flow. Increases in blood flow and blood pCO2 further increase CO2 removal and decrease surface area requirements. For blood flow at 4.0 L/min, the membrane surface area required for 150 ml/min CO2 removal at blood pCO2 of 40 mmHg is 1.76 m2, but can be decreased to 0.47 m2 at blood pCO2 of 80 mmHg, and further to 0.42 m2 with additional active blood mixing. A 0.42 m2 surface area is associated with an O2 transfer of 80 ml/min without and 107 ml/min with active blood mixing. It is concluded that CO2 removal by IVOX alone is limited by insufficient surface area and the resistance in the blood-surface boundary layer. The combination of permissive hypercapnia, adequate blood flow, and active blood mixing can substantially improve CO2 removal and can therefore achieve clinically significant CO2 removal by intravenacaval gas exchange devices during severe respiratory failure.
The effect of island coalescence on island density during epitaxial growth

The effect of island coalescence on island density during epitaxial growth is studied by kinetic Monte Carlo simulations. We find that the ratio N/Nc between the island density N at time t and the number Nc of islands per unit area that have coalesced up to the time t is a function of the coverage, but is independent of the specific material or the growth conditions. We analyze the results of our simulations by using several mean-field kinetic models of increasing complexity. They show that the simulation results are reproduced accurately only by a kinetic model which includes the spatial correlation between the location of the islands. The existence of a denuded zone around each island is particularly important, as it pushes the onset of coalescence towards higher coverages and increases the coalescence rate when the process starts.
Casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate shows promise for preventing caries.

Data sources To find studies to include in the review, searches were made using Biomed Central, Cochrane Oral Health Reviews, Cochrane Library, the Directory of Open Access Journals, PubMed, Science Direct and the Research Findings Electronic Register. Study selection English language clinical trials [randomised clinical trials (RCT) or quasi-RCT; in situ or in vivo] or systematic reviews (with or without meta-analysis) of published trials were selected that reported on the efficacy of phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP) using any mode of delivery. Studies were reviewed and their quality assessed independently. Data extraction and synthesis Data was extracted by two reviewers independently. Trials that were considered clinically and methodologically homogenous and that reported on similar outcomes were pooled for meta-analyses. Results Twelve articles were included of which five in-situ RCT could be pooled for meta-analyses. The pooled in-situ results showed a weighted mean difference (WMD) of the percentage remineralisation scores in favour of chewing gum with 18.8 mg CPP-ACP, compared with chewing gum without CPP-ACP of -8.01 [95% confidence interval (CI), -10.54- -5.48; P 0.00001], and compared with no intervention of -13.56 (95% CI, -16.49- -10.62; P 0.00001). A significantly higher remineralisation effect was also observed after exposure to 10.0 mg CPP-ACP (WMD, -7.75; 95% CI, -9.84- -5.66; P 0.00001). One long-term in vivo RCT (24 months) with a large sample size (N = 2720) found that the odds of a tooth surface's progressing to caries was 18% less in subjects who chewed sugar-free gum containing 54 mg CPP-ACP than in control subjects who chewed gum without CPP-ACP (P 0.03). Conclusions Within the limitations of this systematic review with meta-analysis, the results of the clinical in-situ trials indicate a short-term remineralisation effect of CPP-ACP. Additionally, the promising in-vivo RCT results suggest a caries-preventing effect for long-term clinical CPP-ACP use. Further RCT are needed in order to confirm these initial results in vivo.
WINNING THE VOTE IN THE WEST The Political Successes of the Women's Suffrage Movements, 1866-1919

When Congress passed the 19th Amendment in 1919 granting women voting rights, 13 western states had already adopted woman suffrage. Only 2 states outside the West had done so. Using event history analysis, the authors investigate why woman suffrage came early to the western states. Alan Grimes's hypotheses, that native-born, western men were willing to give women the vote to remedy western social problems and to increase the number of women in the region, receive little support in our analysis. Rather, this study finds that woman suffrage came to the West because of the mobilization of the western suffrage movements and because of political and gendered opportunities existing in that region.
THE TOXICOLOGY OF INHALED WOODSMOKE

In addition to developing nations relying almost exclusively upon biomass fuels, such as wood for cooking and home heating, North Americans, particularly in Canada and the northwestern and northeastern sections of the United States, have increasingly turned to woodburning as an alternate method for domestic heating because of increasing energy costs. As a result, the number of households using woodburning devices has increased dramatically. This has resulted in an increase in public exposure to indoor and outdoor woodsmoke-associated pollutants, which has prompted widespread concern about the adverse human health consequences that may be associated with prolonged woodsmoke exposure. This mini-review article brings together many of the human and animal studies performed over the last three decades in an attempt to better define the toxicological impact of inhaled woodsmoke on exposed children and adults; particular attention is given to effects upon the immune system. General information regarding occurrence and woodsmoke chemistry is provided so as to set the stage for a better understanding of the toxicological impact. It can be concluded from this review that exposure to woodsmoke, particularly for children, represents a potential health hazard. However, despite its widespread occurrence and apparent human health risks, relatively few studies have focused upon this particular area of research. More laboratory studies aimed at understanding the effects and underlying mechanisms of woodsmoke exposure, particularly on those individuals deemed to be at greatest risk, are badly needed, so that precise human health risks can be defined, appropriate regulatory standards can be set, and accurate decisions can be made concerning the use of current and new woodburning devices.
Postponing the social agenda: Reagan's strategy and tactics

This article examines Reagan's strategy and tactics for delaying implementation of the social issues agenda. The author argues that despite criticisms from both the left and right Reagan does believe in the social issues agenda, has not modified or abandoned it, and will, in due time, continue to pursue it. The article focuses on the strategy Reagan is following, the exigencies this strategy has created, and the argumentative tactics employed to meet these exigencies. The essay concludes with a prediction of the possible outcomes to which Reagan's strategy is likely to lead.
Formaldehyde cross-linking for studying nucleosomal dynamics.

Methods are described for the utilization of formaldehyde as a reversible cross-linking agent for the characterization of protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions. The methods include a description of procedures to: (1) isolate and characterize transcriptionally active chromatin from cells cross-linked with formaldehyde; (2) study histone mobility during replication and transcription by the characterization of the formaldehyde-cross-linked histone octamer that is isolated from cells labeled with density-labeled amino acids; and (3) cross-link the in vitro reconstituted histone-DNA complex in order to maintain its structural state during subsequent characterization. Included in these methods are procedures for a second dimensional analysis of protein-protein cross-links in which the monomer components are electrophoretically resolved in the second dimension. The methods also include procedures to selectively reverse protein-DNA cross-links while maintaining the protein-protein cross-links. Potential artifacts are also discussed; i.e., data are presented which indicate that the helical pitch of DNA can be altered if the ionic strength is not properly controlled. The stability of the cross-linked nucleosome in the presence of altered pH or salt/urea concentrations is described in order to indicate that there are limitations to procedures that can be used for the subsequent characterization of the cross-linked complex.
Comparison of available soil water capacity estimated from topography and soil series information

We present a simple and generalized method to predict Available Soil Water Capacity (ASWC-TOP) for a given area using a topographic index, defined as ln(α/tanβ), where α is the upslope area draining past a certain point per unit width of slope, and β is the local surface slope angle. The estimated results (ASWC-TOP) were then compared with the available soil water capacity calculated from soil series information provided by Soil Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (ASWC-SCS). The model implementation was tested with three study cases: the Seeley-Swan valley, Montana, with pixel resolutions of 100 m and 1 km, respectively; and the state of Montana, U.S.A., with a pixel resolution of 1 km. A linear relationship exists between ASWC-SCS and ln(α/tanβ). Standard errors between ASWC-TOP and ASWC-SCS were about 4.4 cm in the Seeley-Swan valley and 5.5 cm in the state. The number of pixels with absolute residuals ≤ 4 cm between ASWC-TOP and ASWC-SCS accounted for 68.2, 64.4, and 51.9% for the valley 100 m, valley 1 km, and the state respectively. Some of the mismatches between ASWC-TOP and ASWC-SCS may indicate an improvement using this method compared to existing data because the topographic method reflects the higher spatial variation of the inputs. The increasing availability of digital elevation data, at various resolutions, may provide an alternative to soil series for estimating ASWC. The accuracy of ASWC-TOP depends on estimation of mean and maximum ASWC for a study area.
Disorder-enhanced synchronization

Abstract We find that an increase in the disorder of an array of Josephson junctions can lead to significant improvement in the synchronization of the array. Both this effect and the opposite, more expected behavior are seen over a broad parameter range.
Resolving the life cycle alters expected impacts of climate change

Recent models predict contrasting impacts of climate change on tropical and temperate species, but these models ignore how environmental stress and organismal tolerance change during the life cycle. For example, geographical ranges and extinction risks have been inferred from thermal constraints on activity during the adult stage. Yet, most animals pass through a sessile embryonic stage before reaching adulthood, making them more susceptible to warming climates than current models would suggest. By projecting microclimates at high spatio-temporal resolution and measuring thermal tolerances of embryos, we developed a life cycle model of population dynamics for North American lizards. Our analyses show that previous models dramatically underestimate the demographic impacts of climate change. A predicted loss of fitness in 2% of the USA by 2100 became 35% when considering embryonic performance in response to hourly fluctuations in soil temperature. Most lethal events would have been overlooked if we had ignored thermal stress during embryonic development or had averaged temperatures over time. Therefore, accurate forecasts require detailed knowledge of environmental conditions and thermal tolerances throughout the life cycle.
Shelf, Paralic, and Fluvial Environments and Eustatic Sea-Level Fluctuations in the Origin of the Tuscarora Formation (Lower Silurian) of Central Pennsylvania

ABSTRACT The Tuscarora Formation (Lower Silurian) of central Pennsylvania owes its origin to a combination of tectonic, eustatic, and depositional events. Tuscarora deposition began at the beginning of the Silurian Period at the time of both glacioeustatic sea-level rise and renewed tectonic elevation of the Taconic source terrain. Braided alluvial systems transported coarse sediment northwestward to a wave-dominated coast, yet sea-level rise was so rapid that the shoreline retrograded from western to eastern Pennsylvania. At the time of transgression, shoreline characteristics varied from high-energy beaches in central Pennsylvania to estuaries along the south-central border region of Pennsylvania. Seaward of the shoreline, sand was fashioned into shelf sand-wave complexes, analogous to moder shoreface-connected sand ridges. Much of the Tuscarora Formation west of the Susquehanna River accumulated in this shallow-marine shelf environment. Later in the Early Silurian, eustatic sea-level fall resulted in progradation of lower energy coastal sand/mud flats northwestward over the former shelf, shortly before a subsequent sea-level rise terminated Tuscarora development with the return of the sea in which the Rose Hill Formation was deposited. The basis for these interpretations is the analysis of five major lithofacies in the exposed Tuscarora Formation of central Pennsylvania. The basal part of the Tuscarora consists of two lithofacies of coastal origin: the horizontally laminated lithofacies (high-energy beach) and the pink transitional lithofacies (estuary). The main body of the Tuscarora comprises the eastern cross-laminated lithofacies (braided fluvial) and the western cross-laminated lithofacies (shelf sand-wave complexes). Capping the Tuscarora is the red, Skolithos-burrowed lithofacies (coastal sand/mud flats).
Proteinuria and Plasma Compositional Changes Contribute to Defective Lipoprotein Catabolism in the Nephrotic Syndrome by Separate Mechanisms

Abstract Triglyceride (TG)-rich lipoproteins are primarily increased in the nephrotic syndrome (NS) as a result of decreased catabolism. Lipoprotein lipase (LpL) is the rate limiting enzyme for lipolysis of TG. The biologically active endothelial bound LpL pool is reduced in NS providing one mechanism for decreased clearance of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL). LpL, however, is also reduced in the Nagase Analbuminemic Rat (NAR) to the same extent as in NS, suggesting that other factors contribute to decreased VLDL clearance. Hyperlipidemia worsens with the onset of proteinuria and is reduced when proteinuria abates. We established that while VLDL from NS rats bind poorly to bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC) in the presence of saturating LpL while, VLDL from NAR bind more avidly than control. We then established that rat aortic endothelial cells (RAEC) incubated with serum from NAR or from NS rats bind significantly less exogenous LpL. Thus decreased clearance of VLDL in NS results from: 1) reduced endothelial bound LpL; an effect of serum from animals with reduced oncotic pressure (π) that makes cells unable to bind LpL; and 2) an alteration in VLDL binding to endothelial bound LpL. The former has no relationship to proteinuria while the latter occurs as a consequence of proteinuria. These effects combine to suppress VLDL clearance.
Noise Reduction of a Turbofan Bleed Valve

A combined experimental and computational research effort investigated the noise sources of a pneumatic bleed valve used in turbofan engines and developed engineering solutions for attenuating those sources. The experimental effort employed 1/4-scale, rapid-prototyped valve designs which enabled the exploration of a large parameter space. Microphone array systems surveyed the sound and its sources, and Pitot surveys measured the mean velocity downstream of the valve. The numerical code solved the Reynolds-Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) in both steady and unsteady modes. The research addressed the flow and acoustics of the valve without and with a muffler. The noise of the isolated valve consists of conventional jet noise with strong excess sound originating from the valve exit. The excess sound was traced to vortex shedding by support struts. Streamlining of the struts, aided by computational parametric studies, eliminated this noise component. The noise of the complete valve, with muffler attached, was attenuated by two principal means: using the streamlined struts and adding a honeycomb flow straightener to the muffler cavity. Proper installation of the honeycomb is critical for maximizing noise reduction. The resulting best design achieved a reduction of approximately 8 decibels in perceived noise level.
Occupational Distribution and Geographic Clustering of Deaths Certified To Be Cryptogenic Fibrosing Alveolitis in England and Wales

Study objectives: The etiology of cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis (CFA) remains largely obscure, although a 1996 report suggested an increased risk from occupational exposure to metal and wood dusts. Using data from death certificates in England and Wales, we sought evidence of any relationship between occupation and CFA and of the extent of any temporospatial clustering of place of birth and place of death as possible evidence of a geographically related environmental factor. Design and setting: Data on occupation and address (postal code) were obtained from certificates of men and women dying as a result of CFA between 1981 and 1990 and were compared with national mortality statistics. Place of birth data were extracted from certificates for deaths between 1993 and 1995, the only available years, and were compared with national birth statistics. Measurements and results: Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) were raised (p < 0.05) in the following four occupational groups: members of the armed forces (SMR, 217.8); miners and quarrymen (SMR, 142.0); service, sports, and recreation workers (SMR, 118.6); and electrical and electronic workers (SMR, 146.6). Of these four groups, the latter group might be worth testing in a future study. There was statistical evidence of geographic clustering in postal code sectors for the recorded place of death, but the high-rate areas were different in men and women. Deaths were increased for those subjects born in urban areas, although these did not follow a clear geographic pattern. Conclusions: Overall, these analyses provide little evidence of any important contribution from environmental factors to the etiology of CFA and suggest that more consideration be given to alternative concepts of causation. (CHEST 2001; 119:428 ‐ 433)
Sliding mode attitude control of a small satellite for ground tracking maneuvers

This paper deals with spacecraft attitude control using sliding mode techniques. Two distinctions of the proposed method from most reported methods are: 1) the measure of attitude error used is intrinsically defined, Euclidean-geometric, and intuitive; and 2) a novel, dynamically nonlinear sliding function is used that results in a simple control law. As an example we consider the ground station tracking of UASat.
Velocity-pressure integrated versus penalty finite element methods for high Reynolds number flows

Velocity-pressure integrated and consistent penalty finite element computations of high Reynolds number laminar flows are presented. In both methods the pressure has been interpolated using linear shape functions for a triangular element which is contained inside the biquadratic flow element. It has been shown previously that the pressure interpolation method, when used in conjunction with the velocity-pressure integrated method, yields accurate computational results for high-Reynolds-number flows. It is shown in this paper that use of the same pressure interpolation method in the consistent penalty finite element method yields computational results which are comparable to those of the velocity-pressure integrated method for both the velocity and the pressure fields. Accuracy of the two finite element methods has been demonstrated by comparing the computational results with available experimental data and/or fine grid finite difference computational results. Advantages and disadvantages of the two finite element methods are discussed on the basis of accuracy and convergence nature. Example problems considered include a lid-driven cavity flow of Reynolds number 10000, a laminar backward-facing step flow and a laminar flow through a nest of cylinders.
Slowing down and stretching DNA with an electrically tunable nanopore in a p-n semiconductor membrane.

We have studied single-stranded DNA translocation through a semiconductor membrane consisting of doped p and n layers of Si forming a p‐n-junction. Using Brownian dynamics simulations of the biomolecule in the self-consistent membrane‐electrolyte potential obtained from the Poisson‐Nernst‐Planck model, we show that while polymer length is extended more than when its motion is constricted only by the physical confinement of the nanopore. The biomolecule elongation is particularly dramatic on the n-side of the membrane where the lateral membrane electric field restricts (focuses) the biomolecule motion more than on the p-side. The latter effect makes our membrane a solid-state analog of the -hemolysin biochannel. The results indicate that the tunable local electric field inside the membrane can effectively control dynamics of a DNA in the channel to either momentarily trap, slow down or allow the biomolecule to translocate at will.
The DIADEM and Beyond

Among the many challenges in understanding the functions of healthy and diseased brain is our limited ability to thoroughly analyze its structure and activity at neuronal, circuit and network levels. Despite the advent of computer technology, neuronal reconstructions are still largely performed by hand. Reconstructing a single cell may take months, presenting a bottleneck to progress. To meet this challenge, the DIADEM (Digital Reconstruction of Axonal and Dendritic Morphology) Challenge provided incentives for the development of computer algorithms to support accurate high-speed, automated three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of neuronal projections. Together with the sponsors of the DIADEM Challenge, several Institutes of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) co-sponsored the DIADEM Scientific Conference in conjunction with the final phase of the DIADEM Challenge. The conference brought together computational scientists and experimental neuroscientists to evaluate the advances made by the finalist teams, to summarize stateof-the-art technologies, and to discuss the remaining challenges and future research directions. Over sixty scientists attended the conference, including many postdoctoral fellows and graduate students. The conference opened with remarks by the sponsors, which was followed by an overview of “The Future of Connectomics” by keynote speaker Dr. Jeff Lichtman of Harvard University. The original articles, mini-reviews, and commentaries published in this special issue of Neuroinformatics address central themes of the DIADEM Challenge. This editorial provides a brief summary of the Challenge and the Conference. Additional DIADEM legacy material can be found at the DIADEM Challenge website coordinated and maintained by Dr. Giorgio Ascoli’s laboratory (http:// diademchallenge.org).
Roles of neuroepithelial cell rearrangement and division in shaping of the avian neural plate

Shaping of the neural plate, one of the most striking events of neurulation, involves rapid craniocaudal extension. In this study, we evaluated the roles of two processes in neural plate extension: neuroepithelial cell rearrangement and cell division. Quail epiblast plugs of constant size were grafted either just rostral to Hensen's node or paranodally and the resulting chimeras were examined at selected times postgrafting. By comparing the size of the original plug, the number of cells it contained and the distribution of cells within it to those same features of the grafts in chimeras, we were able to ascertain that, during transformation of the flat neural plate into the closed neural tube (a period requiring 24 h), the graft undergoes a maximum of 3 rounds of craniocaudal extension (each round of craniocaudal extension was defined as a doubling of graft length, so 3 rounds equaled an 8-fold increase in length). Such extension is accompanied by 2 rounds of cell rearrangement and 2-3 rounds of cell division (cell rearrangement occurred mediolaterally, so each round was defined as a halving of the number of cells in the width of the graft and a doubling of the number of cells in its length; each round of cell division was defined as a doubling of graft cell number). Modeling studies demonstrate that these amounts of cell rearrangement and division are sufficient to approximate the shaping of the neural plate that normally ensues during neurulation, provided that some of the cell division occurs within the longitudinal plane of the neural plate and some within its transverse plane: longitudinal cell division results in craniocaudal extension of the neural plate, whereas transverse cell division results in lateral expansion of the neural plate such as that occurring at its cranial end; cell rearrangement results in craniocaudal extension of the neural plate as well as in its narrowing. In conclusion, our results provide evidence that shaping of the neural plate involves mediolateral cell rearrangement and cell division, with the latter occurring within both the longitudinal and transverse planes of the neural plate.
Adherence to Vitamin D Recommendations Among US Infants

OBJECTIVES: In November 2008, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) doubled the recommended daily intake of vitamin D for infants and children, from 200 IU/day (2003 recommendation) to 400 IU/day. We aimed to assess the prevalence of infants meeting the AAP recommended intake of vitamin D during their first year of life. METHODS: Using data from the Infant Feeding Practices Study II, conducted from 2005 to 2007, we estimated the percentage of infants who met vitamin D recommendations at ages 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.5, 9, and 10.5 months ( n = 1952–1633). RESULTS: The use of oral vitamin D supplements was low, regardless of whether infants were consuming breast milk or formula, ranging from 1% to 13%, varying by age. Among infants who consumed breast milk but no formula, only 5% to 13% met either recommendation. Among mixed-fed infants, 28% to 35% met the 2003 recommendation, but only 9% to 14% would have met the 2008 recommendation. Among those who consumed formula but no breast milk, 81% to 98% met the 2003 recommendation, but only 20% to 37% would have met the 2008 recommendation. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that most US infants are not consuming adequate amounts of vitamin D according to the 2008 AAP recommendation. Pediatricians and health care providers should encourage parents of infants who are either breastfed or consuming
Bioimprovement of Soils for Highway Applications Using Rolled Erosion Control Products

Highway departments are regularly faced with minimizing the soil erosion from highway construction sites. One of the most effective ways of minimizing soil erosion is to provide ground cover that can intercept raindrops. Although bioimprovement (vegetation) is commonly used, it is difficult to establish on steep slopes and in high flow areas, and to a suitable density to provide adequate ground coverage. As a result, rolled erosion control products (RECPs) are often used to provide immediate ground cover protection for soils, enhance the growth of vegetation, and reinforce vegetation once it is established. The success of RECPs has led to development of a wide variety of different RECPs that can vary significantly in basic properties and performance. Although many studies have been published documenting the successful use of RECPs, limited work has been done to compare the rainsplash erosion performance of different types of vegetated RECPs and their mechanisms in minimizing soil erosion. On the basis of ...
Transcriptional Regulation in Plants: The Importance of Combinatorial Control

Combinatorial control: use of a discrete number of transcription factors in different combinations to give rise to a wide spectrum of expression patterns. Enhanceosome: a higher-order nucleoprotein complex that is formed by the binding of a specific combination of transcription factors to the
Hardware/software resolution of pipeline hazards in pipeline synthesis of instruction set processors

One major problem in pipeline synthesis is the detection and resolution of pipeline hazards. We present a new solution to the problem in the domain of pipelined application-specific instruction set processors, based on hardware/software concurrent engineering approach. An extended taxonomy of inter-instruction dependencies is proposed for the analysis of pipeline hazards. Hardware/software resolution candidates are then associated with these dependencies. Algorithms using the taxonomy and the resolutions are developed to detect and resolve pipeline hazards, and to explore the hardware and software design space. Application benchmarks are used to evaluate the designs and guide the design decision. The power of these tools are demonstrated through the pipeline synthesis of two processors including industrial one. Compared with other approaches, our method achieves higher throughput, and provides a way to explore the hardware/software tradeoff. Our method can be combined with current approaches to achieve even higher performance since they are orthogonal.