cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diurnal variation in lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2)

Abstract Objectives The aim of our study was to determine the diurnal variation of lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A 2 (Lp-PLA 2 ), an arterial-specific inflammatory enzyme implicated in the formation of vulnerable, rupture-prone plaque that can identify individuals at high risk for cardiovascular disease. Presently, the diurnal variation of Lp-PLA 2 is not known. Design and Methods Ten men and 8 women (age range: 22–76 years) had a blood sample taken every 4 h over a 24-hour time period. Samples were analyzed for both Lp-PLA 2 mass and activity. Results The mean coefficient of variation (CV) for Lp-PLA 2 mass was 5.9% (ranges from 2.5 to 9.4%) for the 18 subjects. Similarly, the mean CV for Lp-PLA 2 activity was 3.7% (ranges from 1.2 to 6.8%). There were no significant correlations between CV and any of the subject characteristics. Conclusions The diurnal variation of Lp-PLA 2 mass and activity is similar to that of well accepted lipoprotein risk factors. With the relatively low diurnal variability, there does not appear to be a need to make sure serial measurements of Lp-PLA 2 mass and activity are taken at the same time of the day.
A high throughput Brassica napus microspore culture system: influence of percoll gradient separation and bud selection on embryogenesis

Microspore culture for the purpose of developing doubled haploid plants is routine for numerous plant species; however, the embryo yield is still very low compared with the total available microspore population. The ability to select and isolate highly embryogenic microspores would be desirable for high embryo yield in microspore culture. To maximize the efficiency of canola microspore culture, a combination of bud size selection and microspore fractionation using a Percoll gradient was followed. This approach has consistently given high embryo yields and uniform embryo development. Microspores isolated from buds 1.5 to 4.4 mm in length of Brassica napus genotypes Topas 4079, DH12075, Westar and 0025 formed embryos at different frequencies. The most embryogenic bud size range varied with each cultivar: Topas 4079 3.5–3.9 mm, DH12075 2.0–2.4 mm, and Westar and 0025 2.5–2.9 mm. When the microspores from 2.0 to 2.4 mm buds of DH12075 were carefully layered on top of a discontinuous Percoll gradient of 10, 20 and 40%, and subsequently spun through the Percoll layers by centrifugation, bands were formed containing populations of microspores of uniform developmental stage. The middle layer of the gradient contained the late uninucleate and early binucleate microspores that were the most embryogenic. In addition, the relationship between the bud size, developmental stage of isolated microspores, Percoll gradient concentration and the embryogenic frequency of each cultivar were studied. Optimization of these factors is required for each genotype evaluated.
Orientation of cells in the experimental periodontal wound

This pilot study was designed to examine the cellular orientation when a second substratum was placed close to the surgically denuded root surface in an experimental periodontal wound. Using mucoperiosteal flaps, windows of standard dimensions were cut on the buccal aspect of mandibular premolars in two beagle dogs. In the experimental wound, a sheet of decalcified bone matrix (DBM) was placed adjacent to the surgically denuded root surface to serve as the second substratum. Both experimental and control wounds were then covered with millipore filters and the flaps were replaced and sutured. Histologic results at 4 and 7 days suggest that a second substratum placed close to the denuded root surface may favorably affect cellular orientation.
The radiocarbon age of organic carbon in marine surface sediments

Abstract Long-term carbon cycling and climate change are strongly dependent on organic carbon (OC) burial in marine sediments. Radiocarbon ( 14 C) has been widely used to constrain the sources, sinks, and processing of sedimentary OC. To elucidate the dominant controls on the radiocarbon content of total organic carbon ( 14 C TOC ) accumulating in surface sediments we construct a box model that predicts 14 C TOC in the sediment mixed layer (measured as fraction modern, Fm). Our model defines three distinct OC pools (“degradable,” “semi-labile,” and “refractory”) and assumes that 14 C TOC flux to sediments is exclusively derived from surface ocean primary productivity, and hence follows a “generic” surface ocean dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) bomb curve. Model predictions are compared to a set of 75 surface sediment samples, which span a wide geographic range and reflect diverse water column and depositional conditions, and for which sedimentation rate and mixed-layer depth are well characterized. Our model overestimates the Fm value for a majority (65%) of these sites, especially at shallow water depths and for sites characterized by depleted δ 13 C TOC values. The model is most sensitive to sedimentation rate and mixed-layer depth. Therefore, slight changes to these parameters can lead to a match between modeled and measured Fm values at many sites. Yet, in some cases, we find that measured Fm values cannot be simulated without large and unrealistic changes to sedimentation rate and mixed-layer depth. These results point to sources of pre-aged OC to surface sediments and implicate soil-derived terrestrial OC, reworked marine OC, and/or anthropogenic carbon as important components of the organic matter present in surface sediments. This approach provides a valuable framework within which to explore controls on sedimentary organic matter composition and carbon burial over a range of spatial and temporal scales.
Effects of the rapid-acting insulin analog glulisine on cultured human skeletal muscle cells: comparisons with insulin and insulin-like growth factor I.

Context: The insulin analog LysB3,GluB29-insulin (glulisine) displays accelerated in vivo bioavailability compared with native insulin. Objective: Biological properties of this rapid-acting insulin analog were compared with the actions of native insulin and IGF-I. Design: The effects of the hormones on hormone binding, glucose uptake, and thymidine uptake were evaluated in cultured human skeletal muscle cells. Setting: This study was performed at a Veterans Administration hospital for patient characterization and tissue biopsies; in vitro studies were performed in a research laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: Skeletal muscle tissue was obtained from nondiabetic (n = 13) and type 2 diabetic (n = 14) subjects. Intervention: Cultured skeletal muscle cells were treated acutely (15–90 min) or chronically (16 h) with varying concentrations of hormones. Main Outcome: The main study outcomes were measures of sensitivity (concentration required to attain 50% displacement of specific [125I]insulin or [125I...
German Intellectuals and Politics, 1789–1815: The Case of Heinrich von Kleist

In January 1949, Thomas Mann wrote to a correspondent: “I must acknowledge the arrival of your book on Kleist and assure you of my earnest attention to it. Of loving attention I cannot speak, since much about this writer, even in your incisive study, strikes me as really dreadful; and, after reading it, I find I can warm to his genius less than ever… In the Hermannsschlacht…one can see what a hysterical—Goethe said hypochondriacal—spirit he was on the whole, and one recoils in horror.”
Metal-optic cavity for a high efficiency sub-fF Germanium photodiode on a Silicon waveguide

We propose two designs of nanoscale sub-fF germanium photodiodes which are efficiently integrated with silicon waveguides. The metal-optic cavities are simulated with the finite difference time domain method and optimized using critical coupling concepts. One design is for a metal semiconductor metal photodiode with <200 aF capacitance, 39% external quantum efficiency, and 0.588 (λ/n)³ cavity volume at 1.5 µm wavelength. The second design is for a vertical p-i-n photodiode with <100 aF capacitance, 51% external quantum efficiency, and 0.804 (λ/n)³ cavity volume. Both designs make use of CMOS compatible materials germanium and aluminum metal for potential future monolithic integration with silicon photonics.
120nm resolution in thick samples with structured illumination and adaptive optics

μLinear Structured Illumination Microscopy (SIM) provides a two-fold increase over the diffraction limited resolution. SIM produces excellent images with 120nm resolution in tissue culture cells in two and three dimensions. For SIM to work correctly, the point spread function (PSF) and optical transfer function (OTF) must be known, and, ideally, should be unaberrated. When imaging through thick samples, aberrations will be introduced into the optical system which will reduce the peak intensity and increase the width of the PSF. This will lead to reduced resolution and artifacts in SIM images. Adaptive optics can be used to correct the optical wavefront restoring the PSF to its unaberrated state, and AO has been used in several types of fluorescence microscopy. We demonstrate that AO can be used with SIM to achieve 120nm resolution through 25m of tissue by imaging through the full thickness of an adult C. elegans roundworm. The aberrations can be corrected over a 25μm × 45μm field of view with one wavefront correction setting, demonstrating that AO can be used effectively with widefield superresolution techniques.
Optical bistability with the waveguide mode

We present an exact plane-wave treatment of the triple-boundary waveguide geometry for the study of optical bistability. It is found that the switching intensity required to observe the desired switching behavior is lower by at least a factor of 25 from that previously reported, thus making this geometry a prime candidate for experimental investigation. A comparison with the results of an approximate theory is also presented, showing that the approximate theory closely describes the behavior of the system as predicted by the exact theory.
Sequence of swallow, a gene required for the localization of bicoid message in Drosophila eggs

We report the sequence of the Drosophila maternal effect gene swallow, one of the genes whose product is required for the localization of bicoid message during Drosophila oogenesis. The inferred swallow protein contains a domain that is predicted to be an amphipathic alpha-helix similar to those implicated in protein:protein associations in other systems. Another part of the predicted protein appears to be a diverged RNA-binding motif. We discuss these structural features in light of the function of the swallow protein in the bicoid message localization process.
The effects on teaching of changes in relative rewards for research and teaching

To the degree that faculty members take into account the relative financial rewards for teaching and research in deciding on the allocation of available time between these two areas, a modification of the reward structure may be expected to produce changes in the amount of time devoted to each. The purpose of this article is to examine with the help of some basic graphic tools of economics the possible results on the “quantity” of teaching and the “quantity” of research that may follow from a modification of the reward structure. The possible results are analyzed in terms of displacement, salary, and work effects of the modification.
Asset price modeling: modeling growth stocks (part II)

Continuing the previous work on growth stocks, we propose a diffusion model for growth stocks. Since growth stocks tend to have low or even negative earnings and high volatility, it is a great challenge to derive a meaningful mathematical model within the traditional valuation framework. The diffusion model not only has economic interpretations for its parameters, but also leads to some interesting economic insight --- the model postulates mean reversion (with a high mean reverting level) for growth stocks, which could be useful in understanding the recent boom and burst of the "internet bubble". Simulation and an empirical evaluation of the model based on the size distribution are also presented. The simulation and numerical results are quite encouraging.
On the shock-on-shock interaction problem

The unsteady, inviscid flowfield that results when a supersonic vehicle strikes a planar oblique shock wave, though difficult to simulate experimentally, is quite easy to model and compute numerically. The complicated flowfield, which contains multiple shock wave interactions, is determined using a second-order, shock-capturing, finite-difference approach which solves the time-dependent Euler equations under a self-similar transformation. A series of numerical results for a simple two-dimensional wedge is presented which describes the entire disturbed region, including the wave structure, and shows good agreement with the available two- and three-dimensional experimental data.-
Head movement co-ordination in the African chameleon.

Abstract Chameleon head movement was studied to learn how information from more than one sensory system can be co-ordinated to produce a single motor behavior. In this study, the co-ordination of visual, vestibular and kinesthetic senses was examined by: (1) moving a cricket back and forth in front of a hungry chamelon, (2) moving the body of an alert chameleon or the body of an anesthetized chameleon, and (3) moving both a cricket and the body of an alert chameleon. During cricket movement, the chameleon locked both eyes straight forward in their orbits and followed the cricket movement with a visually guided head movement. During movement of the body of an alert chameleon, the vestibulo-collic reflex kept the chameleon's head relatively stationary in space. During movement of the body of an anesthetized chameleon, there was no measurable movement of the head relative to the body. Thus, during the body movements used in this study, passively induced kinesthetic stimulation was negligible. It was hypothesized that during movement of both a cricket and the body of an alert chameleon, the visually guided head movement and the vestibulo-collic reflex were additive. This hypothesis was supported by demonstrating that in this situation, the vestibulo-collic reflex was not suppressed. It is suggested that the vestibulo-collic reflex compensated for the passive head movement produced by body movement without canceling active, visually guided head movement. This may have been accomplished by the use of an efference copy system associated with the motor commands that produce visually guided head movement.
Motor unit number estimate-based rates of progression of ALS predict patient survival.

We have examined, as predictors of survival in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), linear estimates of rates of disease progression (LEP), based on motor unit number estimates (MUNE). Motor unit number estimates of thenar, hypothenar, and extensor digitorum brevis muscles (according to the manual method of McComas), isometric grip and foot dorsiflexion (FD) strength, and forced vital capacity (FVC) were available in 34 patients. Linear estimates of rates of disease progression were derived. Probability of survival was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Motor unit number estimates, LEP based on MUNE, and demographic characteristics were tested as risk factors within the Cox Proportional Hazards Model, using regression techniques. Individually, all MUNE-based LEP were highly significant (P < 0.00005); bulbar onset attained modest significance (P = 0.044). Secondary analysis showed MUNE-based LEP were more significant than regionally concordant function-based LEP. Linear estimates of rates of disease progression based on MUNE may thus predict survival of patients with ALS better than LEP based on function.
Performance analysis of SA-3 missile second stage

One SA-3 missile was disassembled. The constituents of the second stage were thoroughly investigated for geometrical details. The second stage slotted composite propellant grain was subjected to mechanical properties testing, physiochemical analyses, and burning rate measurements at different conditions. To determine the propellant performance parameters, the slotted composite propellant grain was machined into a set of small-size tubular grains. These grains were fired in a small size rocket motor with a set of interchangeable nozzles with different throat diameters. The firings were carried out at three different conditions. The data from test motor firings, physiochemical properties of the propellant, burning rate measurement results and geometrical details of the second stage motor, were used as input data in a computer program to compute the internal ballistic characteristics of the second stage.
SIAM 1978 national meeting: invited lectures

There are four invited speakers in the SAM Sessions of the SIAM 1978 National Meeting held on May 24-26 at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Reprinted here by permission are the abstracts as appeared in the Proceedings published by SIAM. Abstracts of contributed papers have been included in the May issue of this bulletin.
Septal lesion and experiential influences on saline and saccharin preference-aversion functions.

Abstract Relatively high (unpalatable) concentrations of saline or saccharin (independent studies) presented in 24 hr choices with water were found to more markedly and persistently suppress the subsequent preference of septal-lesioned rats for lower concentrations when compared with any such shifts in preference displayed by operated-control rats. These data were used to support the notion that the septal region is involved with a comparator mechanism which affects the animal's response to various external and internal cues guiding consumption. In addition, wide individual differences in both groups were presented and discussed to emphasize that future studies should be designed to clarify those uncontrolled genetic and/or early experience variables which must serve, at least in part, to differentially bias the adult animal's consummatory choice behavior.
Dopaminergic neurons: Role of presynaptic receptors in the regulation of transmitter biosynthesis

Abstract 1. 1. Presynaptic dopamine receptors appear to modulate the increase of dopamine synthesis which is observed after both cessation and an increase in impulse flow. Stimulation of presynaptic receptors limits synthesis in both cases by suppressing the activation of tyrosine hydroxylase. 2. 2. Two in vivo models for studying presynaptic receptors are described. In one, impulse flow is abolished by mechanical lesion of the dopaminergic fibers or by administration of γ-butyrolactone, a drug which reversibly inhibits all impulse flow. In the second model, dopaminergic fibers are stimulated at supra-physiological rates. Once the rate of impulse flow is experimentally stablized by either of these methods, various dopaminergic agonists and antagonists are administered. The observed drug-induced changes of dopamine synthesis activity must then be the result of their interaction with receptors on the terminals since the drugs can no longer affect the rate of impulse flow. 3. 3. Using these in vivo models, it was found that dopamine agonists depress synthesis; dopamine antagonists reverse the effects of the agonists. In the stimulation model dopamine antagonists further enhance synthesis above the stimulation-induced increase, presumably by blocking the effects of released dopamine. These pharmacological studies suggest that by responding to the amount of dopamine present in the synaptic cleft, presynaptic receptors may function to modulate changes in transmitter synthesis which normally occur in response to alterations in impulse flow. Some evidence is presented which is consistent with the hypothesis that these changes may be mediated by the ability of presynaptic receptors to gate calcium entry into the dopamine terminals. 4. 4. The two in vivo models have been utilized to demonstrate that presynaptic receptors in different brain regions vary in sensitivity to agonists. Like postsynaptic receptors, presynaptic receptors become supersensitive after chronic treatment and withdrawal of antipsychotic drugs. Some antipsychotic drugs such as clozapine and pimozide were found to be less effective than other antipsychotic drugs in blocking presynaptic receptors. These results suggest that pre- and postsynaptic dopamine receptors may not be identical. The pharmacological implications of the above observations as well as the possible physiological role played by presynaptic receptors are discussed.
Detecting tapping motion on the side of mobile devices by probabilistically combining hand postures

We contribute a novel method for detecting finger taps on the different sides of a smartphone, using the built-in motion sensors of the device. In particular, we discuss new features and algorithms that infer side taps by probabilistically combining estimates of tap location and the hand pose--the hand holding the device. Based on a dataset collected from 9 participants, our method achieved 97.3% precision and 98.4% recall on tap event detection against ambient motion. For detecting single-tap locations, our method outperformed an approach that uses inferred hand postures deterministically by 3% and an approach that does not use hand posture inference by 17%. For inferring the location of two consecutive side taps from the same direction, our method outperformed the two baseline approaches by 6% and 17% respectively. We discuss our insights into designing the detection algorithm and the implication on side tap-based interaction behaviors.
Variational minimization of atomic and molecular ground-state energies via the two-particle reduced density matrix

Atomic and molecular ground-state energies are variationally determined by constraining the two-particle reduced density matrix (2-RDM) to satisfy positivity conditions. Because each positivity condition corresponds to correcting the ground-state energies for a class of Hamiltonians with two-particle interactions, these conditions collectively provide a new approach to many-body theory that, unlike perturbation theory, can capture significantly correlated phenomena including the multireference effects of potential-energy surfaces. The D, Q, and G conditions for the 2-RDM are extended through generalized lifting operators inspired from the formal solution of N-representability. These lifted conditions agree with the hierarchy of positivity conditions presented by Mazziotti and Erdahl [Phys. Rev. A 63, 042113 (2001)]. The connection between positivity and the formal solution explains how constraining higher RDMs to be positive semidefinite improves the N representability of the 2-RDM and suggests using pieces of higher positivity conditions that computationally scale like the D condition. With the D, Q, and G conditions as well as pieces of higher positivity the electronic energies for Be, LiH, ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}\mathrm{O},$ and BH are computed through a primal-dual interior-point algorithm for positive semidefinite programming. The variational method produces potential-energy surfaces that are highly accurate even far from the equilibrium geometry where single-reference perturbation-based methods often fail to produce realistic energies.
Tm:germanate fiber laser for planetary water vapor atmospheric profiling

The atmospheric profiling of water vapor is necessary for finding life on Mars and weather on Earth. The design and performance of a water vapor lidar based on a Tm:germanate fiber laser is presented.
A Belated Appreciation of Justin Dart (1930-2002):

As the grandson of the millionaire founder of the largest drugstore chain in the United States, Justin Dart, Jr., was destined for an elite life of privilege. At age 18, instead of en-rolling at an exclusive university, he was given by fate another growth experience: contracting polio and learning about life from the caring hospital staff who touched him by responding to his hostility with love. This article highlights some other experiences in Dart's transformation into a tireless advocate for disability rights and, ultimately, "justice for all." The author also recounts how his own petty prejudice and stereotyping almost prevented him from getting to know this admirable civil rights leader.
Small-bowel resection. Oral intake is the stimulus for hyperplasia.

Small-bowel resection leads to hyperplasia of the residual small intestine. However, the factors initiating small-bowel hyperplasia are not clearly understood, although oral intake either by direct contact with the small bowel or via hormonal or neurovascular factors has been suggested as the major stimulus. In order to determine whether oral intake is an obligatory prerequisite for small-intestinal hyperplasia, we compared rats one week after undergoing a 70-cm proximal intestinal resection with sham-operated animals. Resected, orally fed rats demonstrated small-intestinal hyperplasia, whereas resected and sham-operated intravenously alimented rats did not. There were no differences in gut weight, mucosal weight, mucosal protein, or DNA between resected or sham-operated intravenously alimented rats. These data provide direct experimental proof that oral intake is a necessary stimulus for small-intestinal hyperplasia after resection.
Racial differences in disability after stroke: Results from a nationwide study

Objective: We sought to characterize racial differences in disability among older stroke survivors. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 806 self-reported stroke survivors from the 2011 National Health and Aging Trends Study was performed. Race was based on self-report. Primary outcome was activity limitations (requiring assistance with mobility, self-care, and household activities). Secondary outcome was participation restrictions, which were defined as reductions/absence in valued social activities because of health. Physical capacity was measured by a validated scale (0 low–12 high). Logistic regression was used to estimate average marginal effects of activity limitations and participation restrictions by race before and after adjusting for sociodemographics, comorbidities, and physical and cognitive capacity. Results: Non-Hispanic black participants had lower physical capacity than non-Hispanic white participants (mean 5.1 vs 6.9, p p Conclusion: After stroke, black individuals have a greater prevalence of activity limitations than white individuals, largely due to their greater physical capacity limitations. Further understanding of the causes of racial differences in capacity after stroke is needed to reduce activity limitations after stroke and decrease racial disparities.
THE “PANEL” AS A NEW TOOL FOR MEASURING OPINION

Dr. Lazarsfeld, who was for many years engaged in social and psychological research at the University of Vienna, and subsequently became director of the Research Center of the University of Newark, is Research Associate in the School of Public Affairs, Princeton University. He is also Research Director of the Princeton Radio Project, an investigation supported by the Rockefeller Foundation. Miss Fiske (A.B. Mt. Holyoke, A.M. Columbia) is an assistant in the Radio Project.
The first ghost image using sun as a light source

This article reports first experimental demonstration on two-photon ghost imaging using the sun as a light source. This experimental results raises a fundamentally important question about whether the nonlocal ghost-imaging effect of classical thermal light is caused by quantum-mechanical two-photon interference. Ghost imaging using the Sun as a light source could also achieve spatial resolution equivalent to that of a classical imaging system taking pictures at a distance of 10km with a 92m-diameter lens.
Ex-premature infant boys with hypospadias are similar in size to age-matched, ex-premature infant boys without hypospadias

Abstract Objective Studies have postulated that hypospadias, prematurity, and low birth weight are linked by defects in androgen signaling. To determine whether premature, hypospadiac boys are small and remain so, we compared their size at birth and at hypospadias repair to premature boys who underwent post-neonatal circumcision. Methods We identified premature boys admitted to Texas Children’s Hospital who underwent either hypospadias repair or circumcision after 4 months of age. Age, weight, and height at birth and surgery were recorded. Results Fifty-four boys had hypospadias and 34 did not. For hypospadiac boys, the mean birth weight and age, height, and weight at surgery were lower than for boys without hypospadias. More importantly, length-for-age and weight-for-age percentiles were also lower for hypospadiac boys. When subset analysis was performed on boys younger than 2 years at surgery, however, there were no significant differences in height or weight between hypospadiac and non-hypospadiac boys. Conclusion Our series suggests that premature, hypospadiac boys are born smaller than age-matched, non-hypospadiac controls. However, there were no age-corrected size differences between hypospadiac and non-hypospadiac boys at surgery. This implies that hypospadiac boys exhibit post-neonatal ‘rebound’ growth. Global growth deficits, if any, do not persist in hypospadiac boys.
Pretty structures, but what about the data?

The “Great pentaretraction” (“A scientist's nightmare: software problem leads to five retractions,” G. Miller, News of the Week, 22 Dec. 2006, p. [1856][1]; “Retraction,” G. Chang et al. , 22 Dec. 2006, p. [1875][2]) in the wake of one of protein crystallography's greatest blunders, while an embarrassment to the authors, nevertheless provides the rest of the field with some small measure of comfort beyond mere schadenfreude. The mistake so clearly illustrates two lessons that we aging baby boomer professors ram down the throats of our proteomically aroused graduate students: (i) that those lovely colored ribbons festooning the covers and pages of journals are just models, not data, and (ii) that you invite disaster if you don't know what your software is actually doing down there in the computational trenches. Students have a hard time subsuming these dicta into their souls for two reasons: the tyranny of authority (the vanity journals occupying the vanguard) and the inherent beauty of the macromolecular models that emerge, as if by magic, from the user-friendly crystallographic software accumulated over decades through the generous labor of the field's talented reciprocal space-cadets. This case highlights the dangers of ignoring biochemical results, conventional but logically solid, as was done in the original papers and as is now outlined in the politely flaccid news report published along with the retractions. Schuldiner's group, for instance, had shown in careful studies published in unglamorous workaday journals that the upside-down topology asserted from the erroneous structures of the multidrug resistance pump emrE could not possibly apply to the protein in its membrane home [e.g., ([1][3])]. It's too bad these results were dismissed as just old-fashioned biochemistry. 1. 1.[↵][4] 1. S. Ninio, 2. Y. Elbaz, 3. S. Schuldiner , FEBS Lett. 562, 193 (2004). [OpenUrl][5][CrossRef][6][PubMed][7][Web of Science][8] [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.314.5807.1856 [2]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.314.5807.1875b [3]: #ref-1 [4]: #xref-ref-1-1 "View reference 1. in text" [5]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DFEBS%2BLetters%26rft.stitle%253DFEBS%2BLetters%26rft.aulast%253DNinio%26rft.auinit1%253DS.%26rft.volume%253D562%26rft.issue%253D1-3%26rft.spage%253D193%26rft.epage%253D196%26rft.atitle%253DThe%2Bmembrane%2Btopology%2Bof%2BEmrE%2B-%2Ba%2Bsmall%2Bmultidrug%2Btransporter%2Bfrom%2BEscherichia%2Bcoli.%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1016%252FS0014-5793%252804%252900240-6%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F15044024%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [6]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1016/S0014-5793(04)00240-6&link_type=DOI [7]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=15044024&link_type=MED&atom=%2Fsci%2F315%2F5811%2F459.2.atom [8]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=000220553000033&link_type=ISI
Efficiency of H2O2 and O2 in supercritical water oxidation of 2,4-dichlorophenol and acetic acid

Abstract The efficiencies of hydrogen peroxide and oxygen as oxidants for the destruction of acetic acid and 2,4-dichlorophenol were compared under supercritical water conditions using a batch reactor system. The effects of temperature, water density, and oxidant concentration on the destruction of both compounds were studied. Diluted oxygen (21% O2 and 79% N2) and premixed hydrogen peroxide (32 % aqueous solution) were used as the oxidants. The reaction temperatures were 400, 450, and 500°C. Water densities were fixed at 0.15 g/mL and 0.35 g/mL. The destruction efficiency of hydrogen peroxide was significantly higher than that of oxygen. For acetic acid, the highest conversion of 97.7% was achieved with hydrogen peroxide at 500°C for a reaction time of 10 min. while 64.3% conversion was achieved with oxygen at the same temperature but for a reaction time of 30 min. For 2,4-dichlorophenol, conversions higher than 99.995% were obtained with hydrogen peroxide at 450°C for a reaction time of 2 min as compared to 87.6% conversion with oxygen at 500°C for the same reaction time. The change in supercritical water density from 0.15 g/mL to 0.35 g/mL at 400°C only slightly increased the conversion of both compounds. The conversion of acetic acid was enhanced by 10% at 450°C as hydrogen peroxide supply was increased from 100 to 200% of stoichiometric demand. However, concentration of hydrogen peroxide higher than 300% of stoichiometric demand did not yield higher conversions of acetic acid. The effect of excess oxygen was not conclusive.
Percutaneous pigtail nephrostomy

Practicing urologists have become more familiar with the use of angiographic equipment and techniques and proficient in their application to percutaneous nephrostomy. The advantage of pigtail catheters for that purpose is noted. Modification of available vascular equipment applicable to percutaneous nephrostomy is discussed, and a new standardized kit for such purposes is described. A logical sequence of steps taken to ensure proper placement of the tube and adequate urinary drainage is considered.
Power-efficient control of thermoelectric coolers considering distributed hot spots

Thermoelectric coolers are compact devices that can target hot spots on a VLSI die. These devices are connected electrically in series and controlled together, i.e., all are ON or OFF at the same time. However, spatial and temporal distributions of hot spots on a VLSI die are non-uniform, and therefore, activating all of TECs to address one or a few localized hot spots is not economical. This traditional technique indeed leads to a significant power waste. This paper suggests that adjacent hot spots with the same thermal behavior can be grouped and controlled by a cluster of TECs. A bypass switch for each TEC cluster is added in order to allow selectively turning OFF some TEC clusters which are needed. More precisely, a clustering problem is formulated which aims to minimize the power waste due to excessive use of TECs. Due to the large number of variables in problems of interesting sizes, a greedy heuristic method for solving the problem is introduced. It is shown that the proposed heuristic can reduce the wasted power on average by 81% and also decrease the total TEC power consumption on average by 42%.
Photomorphogenesis in Sinningia speciosa, cv. Queen Victoria I. Characterization of Phytochrome Control.

The morphological development of Sinningia speciosa plants that were exposed to supplementary far red light was very different from that of plants receiving dark nights. After several nights of such irradiation, stems and petioles were elongated, petioles were angulated, leaf blade expansion was inhibited, plants were chlorotic and the accumulation of shoot dry weight was retarded.Red reversibility of the morphological changes potentiated by far red light indicated control by the phytochrome system. A high P(FR) level during the last half of the night inhibited stem elongation and promoted leaf blade expansion, but both of these processes were hardly affected by the P(FR) level during the first half of the night. Thus sensitivity to P(FR) was cyclic.The interpretation of our experiments was complicated by quantitative morphological differences resulting from long, as compared to short, far red irradiations.
Part II. A Model Academic Integrated Information Center The Setting for the Project

This article describes the academic unit for which the model IIC was developed and the information environment within which the IIC would operate
Distinguishing climate and time in the soil record: Mass-balance trends in Vertisols from the Texas coastal prairie

Mass-balance relationships of 10 major elements in a Vertisol climosequence and chronosequence formed on alluvial terraces on the Texas Gulf Coastal Plain indicate that the soils develop characteristic element translocation patterns in response to climatic forcing and reach mass-flux equilibrium within a relatively short period of time. Vertisols within the climosequence (age 35 ka, 800-1500 mm mean annual precipitation [MAP]) approach a net mass flux of ∼-16% (′3%) of parent element contents, corresponding to a weathering flux of -1.0 x 10 - 3 to -1.3 x 10 - 3 g cm - 2 yr - 1 , when MAP exceeds 900 mm. Net mass-flux assessments in a Vertisol chronosequence (0.4-35 ka, 1000 mm MAP) show that this equilibrium is achieved within 5-6 k.y. Below 900 mm MAP, positive net mass fluxes indicate that Vertisol profiles are gaining material (at a rate of 0.2 x 10 - 3 g cm - 2 yr - 1 ). Vertisols forming in drier MAP areas approach equilibrium with climate by different mechanisms and at different rates, compared to their wetter counterparts, and may not be as sensitive to millennial-scale climate shifts.
Study results suggest a positive effect of light-to-moderate physical activity on disability among those with or at risk of knee arthritis

Commentary on : Dunlop DD, Song J, Semanik PA, et al. Relation of physical activity time to incident disability in community dwelling adults with or at risk of knee arthritis: prospective cohort study. BMJ 2014;348:g2472.[OpenUrl][1][Abstract/FREE Full Text][2] Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a leading cause of disability worldwide and its prevalence increases with age.1 Annual costs due to disability in the USA reached nearly $357 billion in 2010.2 Data indicate that engagement in regular physical activity leads to improved physical function, endurance and mood state, and has the potential to reduce disability.3 This prospective cohort study examines the risk of incident disability and progression of disability in community-dwelling adults with or at risk for KOA. This multisite study included 1680 community-dwelling adults aged 49 and older, either affected by or with established risk factors for KOA, to examine onset of disability. To determine progression of disability, a second cohort of … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DBMJ%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1136%252Fbmj.g2472%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F24782514%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/ijlink?linkType=ABST&journalCode=bmj&resid=348/apr28_6/g2472&atom=%2Febmed%2F20%2F1%2F30.atom
Octet and decuplet magnetic and axial couplings from one-loop self-consistent perturbation theory

Octet and decuplet wave functions, obtained in a recent precision fit to the spectrum using one-loop self-consistent perturbation theory of mesons and gluons interacting with bagged relativistic quarks, are used to evaluate axial couplings and magnetic moments. Results are fully competitive with other models and provide further support to one-loop self-consistent perturbation theory as a useful model of baryon structure.
Piezoelectric effect on optical properties of pseudomorphically strained wurtzite GaN quantum wells

The presence of internal strain in wurtzite quantum-well (QW) structures may lead to the generation of large polarization fields. These piezoelectric fields cause a spatial separation of the electrons and holes inside the QW to screen the internal fields. A self-consistent calculation of optical gain and the corresponding differential gain is presented in pseudomorphically strained GaN quantum wells as a function of carrier density. Based on the local exchange-correlation potential, electron and hole band structures are obtained by coupling Poisson's equation with an effective-mass Schrodinger equation in the conduction band and an envelope-function (or k/spl middot/p) Hamiltonian in the valence band. Our calculations show that self-consistent calculations including the piezoelectric effects are essential for accurate description of strained wurtzite QW structures.
Abnormal T2 relaxation time in the cerebellar vermis of adults sexually abused in childhood: potential role of the vermis in stress-enhanced risk for drug abuse.

Recent studies suggest that childhood sexual abuse (CSA) elicits a cascade of neurohumoral events that affect brain development and is also a risk factor for the later development of substance abuse. We hypothesize that the cerebellar vermis may be a key region linking these observations. The vermis has a protracted ontogeny and a high density of glucocorticoid receptors, rendering it highly susceptible to early stress. The vermis modulates dopamine turnover in the accumbens and receives direct dopamine input through fibers with dopamine transporters. To test this hypothesis, steady-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) (T2 relaxometry) was performed to assess resting blood flow in the vermis of 24 young adults (18–22 years) selected by screening from a large community sample. Eight subjects had a history of repeated CSA but were unmedicated and not under psychiatric care. Sixteen subjects were age-matched controls who had no personal or family history of Axis I psychiatric disorders. All subjects were screened to exclude known abnormalities affecting brain development, and any history of drug or alcohol abuse. CSA subjects had higher T2 relaxation time (T2-RT) than controls in the vermis but not in cerebral or cerebellar hemispheres. Vermal T2RT correlated strongly with Limbic System Checklist (LSCL-33) ratings of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE)-like symptomatology. From 537 prescreened young adults we found that their
Characterization of fluorescent Pseudomonas spp. associated with roots and soil of two sorghum genotypes

Sorghum is used as bioenergy feedstock, an- imal feed, and food. Economical methods for disease prevention and control are valuable for producers. Fluorescent Pseudomonas spp. were isolated from sor- ghumrootsandsurroundingsoilwiththegoaloffinding isolates that significantly inhibited sorghum fungal pathogens. Fluorescent pseudomonads were collected from seedlings of sorghum cultivars RTx433 and Redlan and wheat cultivar Lewjain, grown in two soils. Lewjain is known to support growth of producers of the antibiotic, 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (2,4-DAPG). Isolatesfrom all three plantswere assessedfor hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and extracellular protease production, and for a 2,4-DAPG gene, phlD .B oth soil type and plant type affected HCN- and protease-production, but phlD was not affected. Subsets of phlD + isolates were chosen to determine phlD genotypes and to conduct in vitro inhibitionassaysagainst sorghumpathogens.Most isolates from sorghum and wheat were genotype D, previously associated with superior root colonization. phlD + sorghum isolates were co-cultured with five sor- ghum pathogens. One isolate from each sorghum line exhibited inhibition to all five pathogens but more Redlan isolates were inhibitory to the virulent pathogen, Fusarium thapsinum, than RTx433 isolates. Nearly all inhibitory isolates from either sorghum cultivar were from one soil type. This is consistent with what had been previously observed in field studies: that soil type played a significant role in determining characteristics of fluo- rescent Pseudomonas spp. isolated from roots or soil, but sorghum genotype also had a considerable effect.
Stability-constrained optimal power flow

Stability is an important constraint in power system operation. Often trial and error heuristics are used that can be costly and imprecise. A new methodology that eliminates the need for repeated simulation to determine a transiently secure operating point is presented. The theoretical development is straight-forward: dynamic equations are converted to numerically equivalent algebraic equations and then integrated into the standard OPF formulation. Implementation issues and simulation results are discussed in the context of a 162-bus system.
Evolution of globular cluster systems in elliptical galaxies – I. Log-normal initial mass function

We study the evolution of globular cluster systems (GCS) in elliptical galaxies and explore the dependence of their main properties on the mass and the size of the host galaxy. We focus our attention on the evolution of the GCS mass function (GCMF), on the fraction of surviving clusters and on the ratio of the final to initial total mass in clusters; the dependence of these GCS properties on the structure of the host galaxy as well as their variation with the galactocentric distance inside individual host galaxies is thoroughly investigated. We adopt a log-normal initial GCMF with mean mass and dispersion (log Mi=5.25 and σi=0.6) similar to those observed in the external regions of elliptical galaxies where memory of initial conditions is likely to be well preserved. After a survey over a large number of different host galaxies we restrict our attention to a sample of galaxies with effective masses, Me, and radii, Re, equal to those observed for dwarf, normal and giant ellipticals. We show that, in spite of large differences in the fraction of surviving clusters, the final mean masses, log Mf, of the GCMF in massive galaxies (log Me≳10.5) are very similar to each other (log Mf≃5.16, MV=−7.3, assuming MLV=2) with a small galaxy-to-galaxy dispersion; low-mass compact galaxies tend to have smaller values of log Mf and a larger galaxy-to-galaxy dispersion. These findings are in agreement with those of recent observational analyses. The fraction of surviving clusters, NfNi, increases with the mass of the host galaxy, ranging from NfNi∼0.9 for the most massive galaxies to NfNi∼0.1 for dwarf galaxies. We show that a small difference between the initial and the final mean mass and dispersion of the GCMF and the lack of a significant radial dependence of log Mf inside individual galaxies do not necessarily imply that evolutionary processes have been unimportant in the evolution of the initial population of clusters. For giant galaxies most disruption occurs within the effective radius, while for low-mass galaxies a significant disruption of clusters takes place also at larger galactocentric distances. The dependence of the results obtained on the initial mean mass of the GCMF is also investigated, and it is shown that outside the interval 4.7≲log Mi≲5.5 both the spread and the numerical values of log Mf are not consistent with those observed.
Blind joint estimation of carrier frequency offset and channel using non-redundant periodic modulation precoders

Recent results have shown that periodic modulation precoders allow blind estimation of FIR communication channels from the output second-order cyclic statistics, irrespective of the location of channel zeros, color of additive stationary noise, or channel order overestimation errors. The present paper extends these results to the more general blind problem of joint channel and carrier frequency offset estimation. The performance of a subspace channel identification algorithm is investigated in the presence of carrier frequency offset. Estimation of the frequency offset is simply obtained by exploiting the cyclostationary statistics of received data.