cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A differential response to treatment with divalproex sodium in patients with intractable headache

We consecutively recruited 75 patients with intractable headache syndromes, divided them into three groups (frequent migraine = FM, transformed migraine = TM, and tension type headache = TT) based on their headache symptoms and treated all 75 with divalproex sodium. Thirty-six patients (48%) reported a 350% reduction in headache frequency. We noted significantly different treatment response rates in the three patient groups, with FM patients reporting the highest rate of improvement (11/18 = 61%), TM patients an intermediate rate (22/43 = 51%), and TT patients the lowest response rate (3/14 = 21%), These data suggest that prophylactic therapy with divalproex may be effective in selected patients with intractable headache syndromes and that identification of clinically distinct headache subtypes may assist in predicting response to treatment.
Racial disparities in screening for diabetic retinopathy in youth with type 1 diabetes

Of 1112 children with type 1 diabetes, dilated eye exams were performed in 717 (64%). Children were less likely to be screened for diabetic retinopathy (DR) if they were black (OR=1.6; p=0.005) or had poorer diabetes control (p=0.002). Those at greatest risk for DR were least likely to be screened.
Static characterization of aerogel targets for high energy density physics using x-ray radiography

Knowledge of the density of aerogel foams used in high energy density physics experiments is crucial for simulating and understanding the results of experiments. An average density for the foams is gravimetrically determined, but provides no information on the uniformity of the density. X-ray radiography is used to determine the density uniformity of the foams and the average density of the foams. A comparison between a monochromatic and polychromatic method of determining the density from the x-ray radiography is performed and compared to the gravimetric results.
Utilizing discovery tools for classrooms: how do librarian attitudes on discovery impact tools they teach?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the utilization of discovery tools in classrooms with the aim of trying to assess the attitude toward them. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology adopted in this article is a literature review. Findings – Despite the author's best efforts to look at the data from all angles, the author found no statistical significance in any of the data pulled from the survey. The author also tested to see if personal preference had any bearing on reference preference and found that there was no statistical significance between personal preference and reference preference. The author removed all responses that said “it depends” and the results showed that there still was no statistical significance between personal preference and reference preference. Originality/value – Libraries can rebrand their services by utilizing and advocating for discovery tools, but it will only happen if they are willing to make changes on their attitudes toward discovery tools.
ADAMTS13 reduces vascular inflammation and the development of early atherosclerosis in mice.

ADAMTS13, a metalloprotease, plays a pivotal role in preventing spontaneous microvascular thrombosis by cleaving hyperactive ultra large von Willebrand factor multimers into smaller, less active multimers. Reduced ADAMTS13 activity in plasma has been described in many diseases associated with systemic inflammation. It remains uncertain, however, whether ADAMTS13 contributes to disease pathogenesis or rather simply serves as an inflammation-associated marker. We hypothesized that, by decreasing vascular inflammation, ADAMTS13 reduces the development of early atherosclerotic plaques. Using intravital fluorescence microscopy, we observed excessive leukocyte adhesion and accelerated atherosclerotic plaque formation at the carotid sinus of Adamts13−/−/ApoE−/− mice compared with ApoE−/− mice fed a high-fat Western diet. At 4 months of age, there was a significant increase in atherosclerosis in the aorta and aortic sinus of Adamts13−/−/ApoE−/− mice compared with ApoE−/− mice. Interestingly, we detected a 2-fold increase in macrophage recruitment to the atherosclerotic plaque of the Adamts13−/−/ApoE−/− mice compared with ApoE−/− mice, suggesting that the atherosclerotic lesions in these mice were not only larger but also more inflammatory. These findings reveal a new functional role for the antithrombotic enzyme ADAMTS13 in reducing excessive vascular inflammation and plaque formation during early atherosclerosis.
Three-column ligamentous extension injury of the thoracic spine: a case report and review of the literature

Study design This is a report of a patient with a rare unstable 3-column ligamentous injury of the thoracic spine. Objective To illustrate a rare unstable thoracic spine injury that required internal fixation despite its potentially benign clinical and radiologic presentation. Summary of background data Extension injury of the thoracolumbar spine is uncommon. Although there have been several reports of hyperextension injuries in the thoracolumbar spine, the radiologic findings of the present case was different from those in the previously reported cases. Methods The clinical findings, roentgenographic appearance, treatment, were presented and the mechanism of this lesion was analyzed. Results Physical examination revealed mild weakness in his left hip flexor and quadriceps, ASIA-D motor score of 96. There was no tenderness or step deformity on assessment of his back. The initial roentgenograms showed no evidence of fracture or malalignment. However, evaluation of his computed tomography scan axial images showed a lateral superior endplate fracture, small fracture fragment from T11 right inferior articular process, widening of the left facet joint, and deformed T11 spinous process. The computed tomography scan sagittal images showed a vertical fracture fragment in the central spinal canal. The fragment may have arisen from the posterior cortex of the vertebral body, possibly due to elevation of the PLL. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was obtained due to the suspicion that a much more severe underlying injury was present. The MRI demonstrated disc disruption and high intensity signals in the region of ALL, PLL, ligamentum flavum, supraspinous, and interspinous ligaments as well as in the spinal cord at T11-T12. The MRI also showed high intensity signals in the facet joints at T11-T12. Intraoperative assessment confirmed disruption of the supraspinous and interspinous ligaments, facet capsules and the ligamentum flavum, which was avulsed from its insertion on the underside of the T11 lamina on both sides. There was a tendency during the procedure of the spine to hyperextend, and "fish mouth" at the T11-T12 level, which confirmed the likelihood of this being an extension mechanism. The patient was treated with single segment posterior spine decompression, instrumentation, and fusion. Conclusion A high index of suspicion is necessary to identify such extremely unstable injury despite its relative benign clinical and radiologic presentation.
KINETIC STUDIES OF THE SOLVENT EXTRACTION OF PLATINUM(II) WITH DIPHENYLTHIOUREA

ABSTRACT The race of extraction of plaCinum(II) wich diphenylthiourea (DPTU) into chloroform has been evaluated as a function of [DPTU]0, [Cl] and the solution pH at 25° C. The homogeneous chemical reaction: PtCl− 3 + DPTU → PtC13(DPTU)− is considered to be the rate determining step with a rate constant of 17.2 M-1s-1 The role of tetraheptylammonium chloride (THA−,C1), thiourea (TU), thiocyanate, and iodide in catalyzing the extraction is examined.
Major Chinese Full-Text Electronic Information Resources for Researchers and Scholars

China's electronic publishing industry has developed very rapidly over the past decade. China has become one of the electronic publishing centers in Asia and will continue to flourish in the future. Chinese electronic databases provide the most efficient way for scholars, researchers, and students to perform searches, as well as to provide information for businesses and governments. In this article the author gives a brief overview of selected databases that represent a small portion of the Chinese electronic resources and will serve as a reference to Chinese scholars worldwide.
Identifying True Udocaine Allergy

An idiopathic reaction to lidocaine is described, and allergy testing is discussed. Allergies to local anesthetics are rare. More often, the allergic response is caused by a metabolite, preservative or unrelated substance. At times, an apparent allergic reaction can be brought on by anxiety. An idiopathic reaction to lidocaine is described, and allergy testing is discussed.
A comparison of numerical and analytical solution of the creeping flame spread over thermally thin material

The present numerical solution for the de Ris (1969) problem of flame-spread over thin condensed fuel in an opposed-flow environment is obtained by reformulating the problem in terms of four nondimensional parameters, while retaining all assumptions of the original theory. While the de Ris theory sees the location of the leading edge and the eigenlocation of the onset of evaporation as identical, this analysis treats the leading edge as part of the solution; the location of the flame leading edge is in this way established to be upstream of the eigenlocation, with significant consequences for the spread rate formula.
Sex chromosome behavior pattern in germ and somatic cells of Mesocricetus auratus

1. The X-chromosome of Mesocricetus auratus, being the largest element in the complement, is readily identifiable at various stages of mitosis as well as meiosis. 2. The behavior pattern of individual sex chromosomes in germ and somatic cells of both sexes presently revealed in this species is identical with that previously observed in Rattus norvegicus, Mus musculus, Didelphis virginiana, and man. Thus, the ambivalent behavior of heterochromatic sex chromosomes may be regarded as a common characteristic of mammals. 3. The behavioral difference between the XY and XX-bivalents during meiosis may be regarded as a phylogenic consequence. A homologous pair of chromosomes of primitive vertebrates separately acquiring opposing sex-determining factors differentiated into the X and Y-chromosomes of mammals. In the heterogametic male sex, this phylogenic modification depended on the condensation of the sex bivalent during meiotic synapsis, which precluded crossing-over between the X and the Y. In the homogametic female sex, there is no suppression of genetic recombination during meiosis. 4. In somatic cells, the presence of two sets of autosomes (2 A) appears to require one X-chromosome in the same nucleus to behave as though made of euchromatin. Any number of X-chromosomes additional to the 2 A-X formula are allowed to form interphase chromocenters. Since somatic cells, particularly those directly concerned with endocrine activities, appear to mold ontogenic sexual development, the fact that only one X in somatic cells exerts its genic influence fully, despite the sex chromosome constitution, may relate directly to the sex-determining mechanism of mammals.
Clostridium difficile Infection in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease

Objective To examine the rate of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) and hospital-associated outcomes in a national cohort of hospitalized patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and assess the impact of long-term dialysis on outcome in these patients.
Excitonic transitions of ordered layers of Xe on ag(111) and Al(111): A low-energy EELS study

We present the results of low-energy electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) studies of the lower excitonic transitions of Xe thin films on single crystal Ag(111) and Al(111) surfaces. We find that the spectra of cold (≈20 K) deposited, disordered Xe films can be interpreted in terms of broadened atomic-like transitions. However, the spectra of ordered Xe layers. obtained upon annealing, show extra transitions with no optical counterparts. These observations are explained in terms of significant dispersion and lifting of the degeneracy of levels in ordered layers of Xe. Low-energy EELS allows transitions to the split excitonic levels involving large momentum transfer.
Ga4(PO4)4F.N2C7H11.1/2H2O: A three-dimensional open framework with 12-membered pores and bowl-shaped building units

Ga4(PO 4 ) 4 F.N 2 C 7 H 11 .1/2H 2 O was prepared solvothermally in pure form using 4-(dimethylamino)pyridine (4-DMAP) as a template in various solvents (pyridine, pyridine/water, and ethylene glycol) within a broad reaction temperature range (115-180 °C). Its structure was determined from X-ray single-crystal diffraction data at low temperature (-105 °C). Ga 4 -(PO 4 ) 4 F.N 2 C 7 H 11 .1/2H 2 O crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c, with a = 22.093(4) A. b = 13.904(2) A, c = 14,230(2) A, β = 98.431(3)°, V = 4324 A 3 , and Z = 8. Its three-dimensional framework is composed of novel distorted bowl-shaped octameric double 4-ring units, which are built up by corner-sharing PO 4 and GaO 4 tetrahedra and GaO 4 F trigonal bipyramids. The structure consists of a pseudohexagonal array of cylindrical 12-membered pores running parallel to the c axis hosting the protonated 4-DMAP molecules. These pores are interconnected along the b axis through double 8-ring windows. The framework remains stable up to 300 °C under oxygen.
The Composite Nature of the Provo Level of Lake Bonneville, Great Basin, Western North America

Deposits of a transgressive-phase Lake Bonneville stillstand or oscillation are found just below the elevation of the regressive-phase Provo shoreline at numerous exposures throughout the Bonneville basin. Existence of these subProvo shoreline deposits provides a new explanation for the massive size of Provo depositional and erosional landforms, which can no longer be explained by a long stillstand at the Provo shoreline. Provo coastal landforms are large because they are superimposed on subProvo landforms. Results also help to clarify divergent interpretations regarding the relative age of the Provo shoreline and the number of times it was occupied by the water plane. Occupation of approximately the same level during both the transgressive and the regressive phase of Lake Bonneville may be coincidental, or it may indicate that a bedrock sill controlled outflow at subProvo as well as Provo time. Rise to the Bonneville level could have occurred after massive slope failure plugged the outlet pass.
Determination of phenolic compounds in grape skin by capillary electrophoresis with simultaneous dual fluorescence and diode array absorption detection after dynamic superheated liquid leaching

A fast method for the analysis of 10 of the characteristic compounds of the phenolic fraction in grape skin is proposed here. The method is based on a leaching step by superheated ethanol-water at 120 degrees C and 80bar, which enables to maintain the leachant in liquid state and wide the range of leachable compounds (polar, mid-polar and relatively non-polar compounds) by decrease of the dielectric constant; thus, allowing high leaching efficiencies to be achieved in 30min. After leaching, the target analytes were separated by capillary electrophoresis using a 50mM sodium tetraborate with 10% methanol (pH 8.4) solution as background electrolyte. Determination was performed by simultaneous dual diode array absorption and fluorescence detection, the combination of which increased the selectivity of the overall method, particularly interesting taking into account the complexity of the leachate as no additional concentration and/or clean-up steps were required prior to electrophoretic separation, which lasted only 10min. The short time of the electrophoretic step makes it useful as a screening tool of the target analytes in commercial and non-commercial extracts belonging to the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, nutraceutical or food fields.
Novel A-ring analogs of the hormone 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3: synthesis and preliminary biological evaluation

Abstract Prepared from a commercial prostaglandin building block, novel vitamin D 3 analogs with a contracted five-membered A-ring were designed and synthesized to mimic the A-ring diol structure of the natural hormone 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 . Prepared from commercial 1,4-cyclohexanedione, a structurally simplified analog was designed and synthesized in which a suitably oriented primary allylic hydroxyl group at the C-2 position might be a surrogate for the biologically important 1α-OH in the natural hormone.
Laparoscopic port-site metastases in patients with gynecological malignancies.

Objective The purpose of this study is to review all reported cases of laparoscopic port-site metastases in patients with gynecological malignancies. Potential etiologies as well as options for prevention are discussed. Methods We searched the Medline database for English-language articles presenting raw data on laparoscopic port-site metastases in patients with gynecological malignancies. Results We found 31 articles describing port-site metastases in 58 patients. Forty patients had low malignant potential (seven patients) or invasive ovarian carcinoma (33 patients). The median age of these patients was 50 years (range: 22–79), and 83% had advanced (stage III or IV) disease. Seventy-one percent of the patients (24 of 34) had ascites, and 97% (29 of 30) had carcinomatosis. Seventy-five percent of the laparoscopic procedures in this group were performed for diagnosis. Median time to diagnosis of port-site metastases was 17 days (range: 4–730). Seventy-one percent of port-site recurrences (15 of 21) were isolated to a tissue-manipulating port. Twelve patients had port-site metastases after laparoscopy for cervical cancer. The median age was 44 years (range: 31–74). Eighty percent of cases were squamous cell carcinoma. In 75% of the patients, laparoscopy was performed for therapeutic purposes. The median time to diagnosis of port-site metastases was 5 months (range: 1.5–19). Four patients had port-site metastases after laparoscopy for uterine cancer. The median age was 63 years (range: 56–72). The median time to diagnosis of metastases was 13.5 months (range: 6–21). Half of the recurrences were in the tissue-manipulating port. Port-site metastases after laparoscopy were reported for one patient each with a diagnosis of fallopian tube carcinoma and vaginal carcinoma. Conclusions Laparoscopic port-site metastases are a potential complication of laparoscopy in patients with gynecological malignancies, even in patients with early-stage disease.
Interface kinetics at metal contacts on a-Si: H

Abstract The structural interactions at the interface of Cr, Ni, Pd on doped and undoped a-Si:H are measured using interference enhanced Raman scattering. The electrical properties of the barriers are probed by J-V and internal photoemission. After atomic interactions occur the J-V characteristics become nearly ideal while the internal photoemission signal increases but shows no change in barrier height.
Saccadic eye movements and dual-task interference

Four dual-task experiments required a speeded manual choice response to a tone in a close temporal proximity to a saccadic eye movement task. In Experiment 1, subjects made a saccade towards a single transient; in Experiment 2, a red and a green colour patch were presented to left and right, and the saccade was to which ever patch was the pre-specified target colour. There was some slowing of the eye movement, but neither task combination showed typical dual-task interference (the “psychological refractory effect”). However, more interference was observed when the direction of the saccade depended on whether a central colour patch was red or green, or when the saccade was directed towards the numerically higher of two large digits presented to the left and the right. Experiment 5 examined a vocal second task, for comparison. The findings might reflect the fact that eye movements can be directed by two separate brain systems–-the superior colliculus and the frontal eye fields; commands from the latter but ...
Environmental politics and the changing context of interest group organization

Abstract Olson's seminal work, The Logic of Collective Action , holds that rational choice militates against the formation or at least success of collective interests unless such groups offer sufficient selective benefits. A number of scholars, however, have come to argue that changes in the very nature of interest groups, their patterns of organization, and their funding have rendered aspects of Olson's model obsolete. This study attempts to provide empirical support for Olson's critics by examining a case of interest group mobilization and organization involving the extremely polarized policy conflict over old growth forests in Oregon's Siskiyou National Forest. What this study found in this case was that: (1) environmental interests still managed to readily and vigorously organize into manifest groups, (2) the existence of patron-funding and coalition groups undermined the ability of selective incentives to account for such organization, and (3) the very modest incentives that environmental groups offered do not adequately explain the degree and depth of this organization. This study speculates that the pluralist idea of a shared perception of common interests and/or threats offers a more persuasive explanation for group organization in the politics of the Siskiyou.
Vaginal paravaginal repair with porcine dermal reinforcement: correction of advanced anterior vaginal prolapse.

Objective The objective of the study was to determine the efficacy of the vaginal paravaginal repair using porcine dermal graft reinforcement for the correction of advanced anterior vaginal prolapse. Study design One hundred eleven women underwent reinforced vaginal paravaginal repair between September 2001 and January 2004 and met our inclusion criteria. Postoperatively patients were evaluated at 6 weeks, 6 months, and yearly thereafter. Objective cure was defined as point Ba –1 or less. Results Eighty-nine of the 111 (80%) patients were available for follow-up. Mean age of patients was 59.5 ± 11.6 years (range 26 to 82), mean body mass index was 29 ± 5.5 (range 20 to 44), and median parity was 3 (range 0 to 15). Mean follow-up was 24 ± 10.1 months (range 6 to 44) with minimum follow-up required for cure of 12 months. Overall cure rate was 78% (68 of 89). Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon rank test. Conclusion The reinforced vaginal paravaginal repair procedure is safe and effective for correction of advanced anterior vaginal prolapse.
Understanding System Level Caching Behavior in Multimedia SoC

A typical multimedia SoC consists of all or a subset of hardware components for image capture & processing, video compression and de-compression, computer vision, graphics and display processing. Each of these components access and compete for the limited bandwidth available in the shared external memory. Meeting latency (e.g., display) and throughput (e.g., video encode) is a critical problem to solve for such SoCs. In typical SoCs, this problem is solved using system level caches. However in this paper, we show results that indicate system level caches are not beneficial for multi-media traffic both in terms of DDR bandwidth savings as well as for latency reduction. We also show results of desirable features to improve multimedia performance in SoCs using a system cache.
Relation between sedimentation rate and burial of organic phosphorus and organic carbon in marine sediments

Organic carbon and organic phosphorus concentrations in marine sediment cores with known sedimentation rates were determined and collected from the literature. With the exception of organic-rich sediments from upwelling areas, organic phosphorus concentrations in marine sediments do not correlate linearly with organic carbon concentrations. The C/P ratios of organic matter buried in marine sediments vary systematically with sedimentation rate, over the range studied (0.0001 to 2.5 cm/y). Low C/P ratios (< 200 atomic) occur in sediments with sedimentation rates both less than ∼0.002 cm/y and greater than ∼ 1 cm/y. Higher C/P ratios (up to 600) are found at intermediate sedimentation rates. A simple steady state model is developed for the early diagenesis of organic carbon and organic phosphorus in marine sediments. The processes included are sediment burial, pore water diffusion, and bacterial decomposition of organic matter by oxic respiration and sulfate reduction. Preferential regeneration of phosphorus relative to carbon is assumed to take place during oxic respiration. The modeling shows that both organic matter preservation and the degree of elemental fractionation between phosphorus and carbon depend strongly on the overall sedimentation rate. Very high sedimentation rates (coastal-deltaic environment) result in a good preservation of deposited organic matter with an initial C/P ratio close to the Redfield value. At very slow sedimentation rates (pelagic environment), the oxidation of the sedimentary organic matter is nearly complete and produces a low C/P residual organic material. This residual organic matter may represent either refractory detrital organic compounds enriched in phosphorus or in situ synthesized low C/P bacterial remains. The high C/P ratios at intermediate sedimentation rates (slope and shelf environment) reflect the preferential regeneration of phosphorus during the incomplete decomposition of the metabolizable organic matter.
Reinforcement control via action dependent heuristic dynamic programming

Heuristic dynamic programming (HDP) is the simplest kind of adaptive critic which is a powerful form of reinforcement control. It can be used to maximize or minimize any utility function, such as total energy or trajectory error, of a system over time in a noisy environment. Unlike supervised learning, adaptive critic design does not require the desired control signals be known. Instead, feedback is obtained based on a critic network which learns the relationship between a set of control signals and the corresponding strategic utility function. It is an approximation of dynamic programming. Action-dependent heuristic dynamic programming (ADHDP) system involves two subnetworks, the action network and the critic network. Each of these networks includes a feedforward and a feedback component. A flow chart for the interaction of these components is included. To further illustrate the algorithm, we use ADHDP for the control of a simple, 2D planar robot.
Voltage-Gated Ca2+ Conductances in Acutely Isolated Guinea Pig Dorsal Cochlear Nucleus Neurons

Voltage-gated Ca2+ conductances in acutely isolated guinea pig dorsal cochlear nucleus neurons. Although it is known that voltage-gated Ca2+ conductances (VGCCs) contribute to the responses of dors...
Stability, specificity and fluorescence brightness of multiply-labeled fluorescent DNA probes

In this work, we studied the fluorescence and hybridization of multiply-labeled DNA probes which have the hydrophilic fluorophore 1-(e-carboxypentynyl)-14-ethyl3,3,34,34-tetramethylindocarbocyanine-5,54-disulfonate (Cy3) attached via either a short or long linker at the C-5 position of deoxyuridine. We describe the effects of labeling density, fluorophore charge and linker length upon five properties of the probe: fluorescence intensity, the change in fluorescence upon duplex formation, the quantum yield of fluorescence (Φ f ), probe‐target stability and specificity. For the hydrophilic dye Cy3, we have demonstrated that the fluorescence intensity and Φf are maximized when labeling every 6th base using the long linker. With a less hydrophilic dye, a labeling density this high could not be achieved without serious quenching of the fluorescence. The target specificity of multiply-labeled DNA probes was just as high as compared to the unmodified control probe, however, a less stable probe‐target duplex is formed that exhibits a lower melting temperature. A mechanism that accounts for this destabilization is proposed which is consistent with our data. It involves dye‐dye and dye‐nucleotide interactions which appear to stabilize a single-stranded conformation of the probe.
Performing Show and Tell: Disciplines of Visual Culture and Performance Studies:

This article analyzes parallels and discontinuities between performance studies and visual culture studies, arguing that a comparison between the two newer fields provides a way of foregrounding th...
Reconstructing the stratal geometry of latest Eocene to Oligocene sequences in New Jersey: resolving a patchwork distribution into a clear pattern of progradation

Nine latest Eocene to Oligocene (34.2‐23.9 Ma) sequences were identified and dated from eight sites situated on the onshore New Jersey Coastal Plain and nearshore region. These sequences show a patchy distribution, with more complete lower Oligocene sections updip and more complete upper Oligocene sections downdip. We projected these sequences onto a dip profile and reconstructed their original thicknesses and distributions by 2-D flexural backstripping. This demonstrated that depocenters migrated offshore during the Oligocene, indicating that the patchy distribution can be best explained by progradation of generally thin and spacially limited clinoforms over an Eocene carbonate ramp. During the late Eocene to Oligocene, the New Jersey passive margin underwent a major morphologic change. Reconstructions indicate that the margin was a relatively steeply dipping carbonate ramp (1:500 paleoslope gradient) during the Eocene and was transformed into a siliciclastic margin characterized by a gentler gradient of 1:1000 and prograding clinoforms by the Miocene. Clinoform progradation probably began during the latest Eocene. Increased sediment supply during the Oligocene resulted in the further progradation of sediments across the antecedent carbonate ramp. The heights of the clinoforms ranged from ,20 m during the latest Eocene and earliest Oligocene to nearly 50 m during the late Oligocene. Most sediment accumulated within clinoform wedges, with little or no sediment being preserved behind the clinoform inflection point. q 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Minimizing startup costs for performance-critical threading

Using the well-known ATLAS and LAPACK dense linear algebra libraries, we demonstrate that the parallel management overhead (PMO) can grow with problem size on even statically scheduled parallel programs with minimal task interaction. Therefore, the widely held view that these thread management issues can be ignored in such computationally intensive libraries is wrong, and leads to substantial slowdown on today's machines. We survey several methods for reducing this overhead, the best of which we have not seen in the literature. Finally, we demonstrate that by applying these techniques at the kernel level, performance in applications such as LU and QR factorizations can be improved by almost 40% for small problems, and as much as 15% for large O(N3) computations. These techniques are completely general, and should yield significant speedup in almost any performance-critical operation.We then show that the lion's share of the remaining parallel inefficiency comes from bus contention, and, in the future work section, outline some promising avenues for further improvement.
Monocytes Mediate HIV Neuropathogenesis: Mechanisms that Contribute to HIV Associated Neurocognitive Disorders

HIV infected people are living longer due to the success of combined antiretroviral therapy (cART). However, greater than 40-70% of HIV infected individuals develop HIV associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) that continues to be a major public health issue. While cART reduces peripheral virus, it does not limit the low level, chronic neuroinflammation that is ongoing during the neuropathogenesis of HIV. Monocyte transmigration across the blood brain barrier (BBB), specifically that of the mature CD14(+)CD16(+) population that is highly susceptible to HIV infection, is critical to the establishment of HAND as these cells bring virus into the brain and mediate the neuroinflammation that persists, even if at low levels, despite antiretroviral therapy. CD14(+)CD16(+) monocytes preferentially migrate into the CNS early during peripheral HIV infection in response to chemotactic signals, including those from CCL2 and CXCL12. Once within the brain, monocytes differentiate into macrophages and elaborate inflammatory mediators. Monocytes/macrophages constitute a viral reservoir within the CNS and these latently infected cells may perpetuate the neuropathogenesis of HIV. This review will discuss mechanisms that mediate transmigration of CD14(+)CD16(+) monocytes across the BBB in the context of HIV infection, the contribution of these cells to the neuropathogenesis of HIV, and potential monocyte/macrophage biomarkers to identify HAND and monitor its progression.
Scaling Behavior and Equilibrium Lengths of Knotted Polymers

We use numerical simulations to investigate how the chain length and topology of freely fluctuating knotted polymer rings affect their various spatial characteristics such as the radius of the smallest sphere enclosing momentary configurations of simulated polymer chains. We describe how the average value of a characteristic changes with the chain size and how this change depends on the topology of the modeled polymers. Although the scaling profiles of a spatial characteristic for distinct knot types do not intersect (at least, in the range of our data), the profiles for nontrivial knots intersect the corresponding profile obtained for phantom polymers, i.e., those that are free to explore all available topological states. For each knot type, this point of intersection defines its equilibrium length with respect to the spatial characteristic. At this chain length, a polymer forming a given knot type will not tend to increase or decrease, on average, the value of the spatial characteristic when the polymer is released from its topological constraint. We show interrelations between equilibrium lengths defined with respect to spatial characteristics of different character and observe that they are related to the lengths of ideal geometric configurations of the corresponding knot types.
Information sharing and coordination in make-to-order supply chains

Abstract This research, based on our observations of an industrial vendor–manufacturer relationship, investigates the impact of information sharing and physical flow coordination in a make-to-order supply chain. We mathematically model and develop simulation-based rolling schedule procedures for analyzing the manufacturer's ordering policies, transportation activities, and the vendor's manufacturing and order fulfillment processes under five alternative integration strategies. Our objective is to measure the value of information sharing and system coordination across the strategies, identify whether the source of the benefits come from information sharing or coordination, study the allocation of system benefits among channel members, and analyze the impact of environmental factors on system cost performance. The experimental results indicate a 47.58% cost reduction moving from a traditional supply chain to a fully integrated system. While information sharing reduces costs, the main economic benefit comes from coordinated decision-making. The savings associated with system integration are not equally allocated among channel members, and vary by strategy. The procedures developed in the research provide economic insight that fosters the sharing of technological and strategic efforts.
Analysis of a region of the human cytomegalovirus (AD169) genome coding for a 25-kilodalton virion protein.

Abstract In a previous study, we reported the isolation of a lambda gt11 cDNA clone (C3) for a virus message that mapped to the HindIII R fragment (human cytomegalovirus [AD169]). In this report, we further analyze transcription from this region of the genome. C3 was used to probe Northern (RNA) blots of RNA isolated from infected cells. Two abundant messages, 1.3 and 1.6 kilobases (kb) in size, were detected at 62 h postinfection (p.i.). Examination of different time points determined that the 1.6-kb mRNA accumulated in infected cells between 24 and 48 h p.i. and was classified as a late message. The 1.3-kb message was transcribed early in infection and was initially detected around 12 h p.i. Both transcripts were suppressed when infected cells were treated with inhibitors of DNA synthesis. Sequencing and S1 analysis identified the 5' ends of these two messages within 240 nucleotides of each other. Two CAAT-TATA motifs were found upstream of the 1.3- and 1.6-kb mRNA initiation sites, which suggested that the promoters were also closely associated. Antisera made to the fusion protein, synthesized from the C3 clone, detected a 25-kilodalton (kDa) virus protein found in infected cells and purified virions. Western blot (immunoblot) analysis of infected-cell proteins at various times after infection demonstrated that the accumulation of the 25-kDa protein coincided with the appearance of the 1.6-kb message. Therefore, we conclude that the 25-kDa virion protein is translated from the 1.6-kb message.
Minimum Base Reaction Control for Multi-Link Systems in a Field with Obstacles

An iterative linear programming based technique is proposed for the determination of control pro les which minimize the base reaction force of multi-link systems in a eld with obstacles. The center of mass transformation is exploited to permit posing the dynamics of the multi-link system as a point mass, reducing complex manipulator dynamics to a set of linear dynamic equations. The problem of minimizing the base reaction force is reduced to minimizing the 2 norm of the control vector. A recursive approach for approximating the spherical control constraint with multiple planes permits posing the problem as a linear programming problem. The technique developed requires no initial guess and guarantees the globally optimal solution. The proposed technique is illustrated on a 3 degrees of freedom two-link manipulator.
Amphetamine-induced activation of forebrain EEG is prevented by noradrenergic β-receptor blockade in the halothane-anesthetized rat

Rationale: Amphetamine (AMPH)-like stimulants represent an intensively studied class of psychoactive drugs. Despite the well-known and potent arousal-enhancing effects of these drugs, the neurobiological substrates of AMPH-induced arousal have rarely been examined explicitly. Activity of the locus coeruleus-noradrenergic system is causally and positively related to behavioral and electroencephalographic (EEG) indices of arousal. For example, activation of locus coeruleus neurons or stimulation of medial basal forebrain noradrenergic β-receptors elicits activation of forebrain EEG in the anesthetized rat. Further, stimulation of noradrenergic β-receptors within the medial basal forebrain elicits a substantial increase in alert, active waking. These and other observations suggest that at least some of the arousal-enhancing actions of AMPH-like stimulants derive from AMPH-induced increases in noradrenergic neurotransmission at β-receptors. The current study examines the extent to which AMPH-induced activation of cortical EEG is dependent on actions of central β-receptors. Methods: The effects of intracerebroventricular (ICV; 2 µl) pretreatment with either vehicle (artificial extracellular fluid) or the β-antagonist, timolol (25, 50 or 100 µg), on the cortical EEG activating effects of intravenous AMPH (0.15 mg/kg) were examined in the halothane-anesthetized rat. EEG was recorded on polygraph and video recording tape and later analyzed using power spectral analyses (PSA). AMPH-induced alteration in cortical EEG activity was measured using PSA in vehicle- and timolol-pretreated animals. Results: Neither vehicle nor timolol ICV infusions altered cortical EEG activity patterns. In vehicle-pretreated animals, AMPH elicited a robust activation of cortical EEG, characterized by the substantial decrease in large-amplitude, slow-wave activity. Timolol pretreatment dose-dependently prevented AMPH-induced cortical EEG activation. This effect of timolol was statistically significant at the 50 µg and 100 µg dose. Conclusions: These observations indicate that, under these experimental conditions, AMPH-induced activation of the forebrain is dependent on actions of noradrenergic β-receptors. Combined with previous observations, these observations support the hypothesis that AMPH-induced increases in arousal involve noradrenergic neurotransmission at β-receptors.
New biomarkers of Maillard reaction damage to proteins

The amount of advanced glycation end-products (AGE) in tissue proteins increases in diabetes mellitus, and the concentration of a subclass of AGEs, known as glycoxidation products, also increases with chronological age in proteins. The rate of accumulation of glycoxidation products is accelerated in diabetes and age-adjusted concentrations of two glycoxidation products, N epsilon-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML) and pentosidine, correlate with the severity of complication in diabetic patients. Although AGEs and glycoxidation products are implicated in the development of diabetic complications, these compounds are present at only trace concentrations in tissue proteins and account for only a fraction of the chemical modifications in AGE proteins prepared in vitro. The future of the AGE hypothesis depends on the chemical characterization of a significant fraction of the total AGEs in tissue proteins, a quantitative assessment of their effects on protein structure and function, and an assessment of their role as mediators of biological responses. In this manuscript we describe recent work leading to characterization of new AGEs and glycoxidation products. These compounds include: (1) the imidazolone adduct formed by reaction of 3-deoxyglucosone with arginine residues in protein; (2) N epsilon-(carboxyethyl)lysine, an analogue of CML formed on reaction of methylglyoxal with lysine; (3) glyoxal-lysine dimer; and (4) methyl-glyoxal-lysine dimer, which are imidazolium crosslinks formed by reaction of glyoxal or methylglyoxal with lysine residues in protein. The presence of 3-deoxyglucosone, methylglyoxal and glyoxal in vivo and the formation of the above AGEs in model carbonyl-amine reaction systems suggests that these AGEs are also formed in vivo and contribute to tissue damage resulting from the Maillard reaction.
Measurement and modeling of a large-area normal-metal/insulator/superconductor refrigerator with improved cooling

In a normal-metal/insulator/superconductor (NIS) tunnel junction refrigerator, the normal-metal electrons are cooled and the dissipated power heats the superconducting electrode. This paper presents a review of the mechanisms by which heat leaves the superconductor and introduces overlayer quasiparticle traps for more effective heat sinking. A comprehensive thermal model is presented that accounts for the described physics, including the behavior of athermal phonons generated by both quasiparticle recombination and trapped quasiparticles. We compare the model to measurements of a large-area ($g$$400\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}{\mathrm{m}}^{2}$) NIS refrigerator with overlayer quasiparticle traps, and demonstrate that the model is in good agreement experiment. The refrigerator IV curve at a bath temperature of 300 mK is consistent with an electron temperature of 82 mK. However, evidence from independent thermometer junctions suggests that the refrigerator junction is creating an athermal electron whose total excitation energy corresponds to a higher temperature than is indicated by the refrigerator IV curve.
Effects of Prevailing Winds on Turbidity of a Shallow Estuary

Estuarine waters are generally more turbid than lakes or marine waters due to greater algal mass and continual re-suspension of sediments. The varying effects of diurnal and seasonal prevailing winds on the turbidity condition of a wind-dominated estuary were investigated by spatial and statistical analyses of wind direction, water level, turbidity, chlorophyll a, and PAR (Photosynthetically Active Radiation) collected in Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, USA. The prolonged prevailing winds were responsible for the long-term, large-scale turbidity pattern of the estuary, whereas the short-term changes in wind direction had differential effects on turbidity and water level in varying locations. There were temporal and spatial changes in the relationship between vertical light attenuation coefficient (Kd) and turbidity, which indicate difference in phytoplankton and color also affect Kd. This study demonstrates that the effect of wind on turbidity and water level on different shores can be identified through system-specific analyses of turbidity patterns.
Mood and Global-Local Focus: Priming a Local Focus Reverses the Link Between Mood and Global-Local Processing

Positive moods promote a focus on the forest (global focus) and negative moods, a focus on the trees (local focus). Is this well-established link fixed or variable? Does it reflect a direct influence of affect, as usually assumed, or is it frequently observed simply because a global perspective is often dominant? If affect serves as information about the value of currently accessible inclinations, and a global focus is generally the default perspective, then the global focus of positive affect and local focus of negative affect might be variable rather than fixed. Two experiments tested this hypothesis using different mood inductions, different tests of global-local focus, and different methods of inducing global and local perspectives. In each, we discovered that positive affect empowered whatever focus was momentarily dominant. Thus, whether individuals in happy moods saw the forest or the trees depended only on which of the two had been primed.
Voices from the Frontlines: Teachers' Perceptions of High-Stakes Testing.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether teachers perceived Florida’s high-stakes testing program to be taking public schools in the right direction. More importantly, we sought to understand why teachers perceived the tests to be taking schools in the right or wrong direction. Based on the survey results of 708 teachers, we categorized their concerns and praises of high-stakes testing into ten themes. Most of the teachers believed that the testing program was not taking schools in the right direction. They commented that the test was used improperly and that the one-time test scores were not an accurate assessment of students’ learning and development. In addition, they cited negative effects on the curriculum, teaching and learning, and student and teacher motivation. The positive effects cited were much fewer in number and included the fact that the testing held students, educators, and parents accountable for their actions. Interestingly, teachers were not opposed to accountability, but rather, opposed the manner in which it was currently implemented. Only by understanding these positive and negative effects of the testing program can policymakers hope to improve upon it. To this end, we discuss several implications of these findings, including: limiting the use of test scores, changing the school grading criteria, using alternative assessments, modifying the curriculum, and taking steps to reduce teaching to the test.