cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nucleotide sequence and analysis of the purA gene encoding adenylosuccinate synthetase of Escherichia coli K12.

Abstract Adenylosuccinate synthetase (EC 6.3.4.4), encoded by the purA gene of Escherichia coli K12, catalyzes the synthesis of adenylosuccinate (SAMP) from IMP, the first committed step in AMP biosynthesis. The E. coli K12 purA gene and flanking DNA was cloned by miniMu-mediated transduction, and the nucleotide sequence was determined. The mature SAMP synthetase subunit, as deduced from the DNA sequence, contains 427 amino acid residues and has a calculated Mr of 47,277. The size of the purA mRNA was determined by Northern blotting to be approximately 1.5 kilobase pairs. The 5'-end of the purA mRNA was identified by primer extension and is located 23 nucleotides upstream of the ATG translational initiation codon. Comparison of the purA control region with the guaBA control region revealed a common region of dyad symmetry which may suggest mutual elements of regulation. The purA control region did not resemble the control regions of the other known pur loci.
Critical Heart Disease in Infants and Children

Written by cardiac surgeons, cardiologists, and pediatric intensive care physicans and nurses, this text offers a multidisciplinary approach to the care of children with critical heart disease. Throughout, Dr. Nichols and colleagues provide practice-oriented guidance on: * scientific principles * diagnostic and therapeutic techniques * specialized equipment * managing congenital and acquired special conditions * anesthesia, CPR, and respiratory care ...all with more than 400 illustrations to help you visualize anatomy and techniques, numerous charts and tables to summarize critical data, and much more.
Passive Detection of Nat Routers and Client Counting

Network Address Translation (NAT) routers pose challenges to individuals and organizations attempting to keep untrusted hosts off their networks, especially with the proliferation of wireless NAT routers. Residential NAT routers also create problems for Internet Service Provider (ISP) taps by law enforcement by concealing network clients behind cable or DSL modems. This paper discusses the feasibility and limitations of methods for detecting NAT routers and counting the number of clients behind NAT routers.
Loss of PU.1 Expression Following Inhibition of Histone Deacetylases

Altering chromatin structure by blocking histone deacetylase activity with specific inhibitors such as trichostatin A can result in an up-regulation of gene expression. In this report, however, we show that expression of the ETS domain transcription factor PU.1 is down-regulated in cells following the addition of trichostatin A. The loss of PU.1 is seen at both the mRNA and protein levels in multiple cell lines and is reversible following removal of the drug. More importantly, we show that the loss of PU.1 results in a loss of PU.1 target gene expression, including CD11b, c-fms, Toll-like receptor 4, and scavenger receptor. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis of cells treated with trichostatin A showed a significant increase in the acetylation of histone H4, but not histone H3, across approximately 650 bp of the PU.1 promoter region. Our data suggest that the consequences of using drugs that inhibit histone deacetylase activity may be a loss of blood cell development and/or function due to a block in PU.1 gene expression.
The Effect of Nesiritide on Renal Function and Other Clinical Parameters in Patients With Decompensated Heart Failure and Preserved Ejection Fraction

The role of nesiritide in patients with decompensated heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (dHFpEF) has not been previously studied. In this investigation, the authors retrospectively analyzed the effect of nesiritide on renal function and clinical outcomes in patients admitted with dHFpEF. Of the 658 patients included, 328 were treated with nesiritide while 330 patients were treated with standard diuretic therapy. In both the nesiritide and no nesiritide groups, there was a significant change in mean glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and creatinine at 72 hours as well as at day of discharge (P 25% decrease of GFR anytime through day 30 (25% vs 29.69%, P=.236) between the two groups. On multivariate analysis, nesiritide was an important predictor of renal function at 1 month (P<.05). Thus, nesiritide can be administered safely without negatively impacting long-term renal function in patients admitted with dHFpEF. ©2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Structure of the rhsA locus from Escherichia coli K-12 and comparison of rhsA with other members of the rhs multigene family.

Abstract The complete nucleotide sequence of the rhsA locus and selected portions of other members of the rhs multigene family of Escherichia coli K-12 have been determined. A definition of the limits of the rhsA and rhsC loci was established by comparing sequences from E. coli K-12 with sequences from an independent E. coli isolate whose DNA contains no homology to the rhs core. This comparison showed that rhsA comprises 8,249 base pairs (bp) in strain K-12 and that the Rhs0 strain, instead, contains an unrelated 32-bp sequence. Similarly, the K-12 rhsC locus is 9.6 kilobases in length and a 10-bp sequence resides at its location in the Rhs0 strain. The rhsA core, the highly conserved portion shared by all rhs loci, comprises a single open reading frame (ORF) 3,714 bp in length. The nucleotide sequence of the core ORF predicts an extremely hydrophilic 141-kilodalton peptide containing 28 repeats of a motif whose consensus is GxxxRYxYDxxGRL(I or T). One of the most novel aspects of the rhs family is the extension of the core ORF into the divergent adjacent region. Core extensions of rhsA, rhsB, rhsC, and rhsD add 139, 173, 159, and 177 codons to the carboxy termini of the respective core ORFs. For rhsA, the extended core protein would have a molecular mass of 156 kilodaltons. Core extensions of rhsB and rhsD are related, exhibiting 50.3% conservation of the predicted amino acid sequence. However, comparison of the core extensions of rhsA and rhsC at both the nucleotide and the predicted amino acid level reveals that each is highly divergent from the other three rhs loci. The highly divergent portion of the core extension is joined to the highly conserved core by a nine-codon segment of intermediate conservation. The rhsA and rhsC loci both contain partial repetitions of the core downstream from their primary cores. The question of whether the rhs loci should be considered accessory genetic elements is discussed but not resolved.
Layer-by-Layer Assembly of Halogen-Free Polymeric Materials on Nylon/Cotton Blend for Flame Retardant Applications

Abstract : Thin films of environmentally safe, halogen free, anionic sodium phosphate and cationic polysiloxanes were deposited on a Nyco (1:1 nylon/cotton blend) fabric via layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly to reduce the inherent flammability of Nyco fabric. In the coating process, we used three different polysiloxane materials containing different amine groups including 35-45% (trimethylammoniummethylphenythyl)-methyl siloxane-55-65% dimethyl siloxane copolymer chloride salt (QMS-435), aminoethylaminopropyl silsesquioxane-methylsilsesquioxane copolymer oligomer (WSA-7021) and aminopropyl silesquioxane oligomers (WSA-991) as a positive polyelectrolyte. Thermo-gravimetric analysis showed that coated fabric has a char yield around 40% at 600 degrees C whereas control fabric is completely consumed. The vertical flame test (VFT) on the LbL-coated Nyco fabric was passed after a flame time of 2 s, with a char length of 3.81 cm. Volatile and nontoxic degradation products of flame retardant-coated fabric were analyzed by pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectroscopy (Py-GCMS). Surface morphology of coated fabrics and burned fabric residues were studied by scanning electron microscopy.
Westphalian Eurocentrism in International Relations Theory

In the past 10–15 years, an increasing number of revisionist scholars have rejected the most significant elements of the argument about the centrality of the Peace of Westphalia (1648) to the evolution and structure of international society. At the same time, the prominence of this argument has grown in the English School and constructivist international relations scholarship. I deconstruct the function of the Westphalian narrative to explain its pervasiveness and persistence. I argue that it was first developed by nineteenth century imperial international jurists and that the Westphalian narrative perpetuates a Eurocentric bias in international relations theory. This bias maintains that Westphalia created an international society, consolidating a normative divergence between European international relations and the rest of the international system. This dualism is predicated on the assumption that with Westphalia European states had solved the anarchy problem either through cultural or contractual evolution. Non-European states, lacking this European culture and social contract, remained in anarchy until the European states allowed them to join the international society—upon their achievement of the ‘‘standards of civilization.’’ This Westphalian narrative distorts the emergence of the modern international system and leads to misdiagnoses of major problems of contemporary international relations. Furthermore, their commitment to the Westphalian narrative prevents international relations scholars from adequately theorizing about international interdependencies and accommodating global pluralism.
Chaotic-identity maps for robustness estimation of exascale computations

Exascale computing systems are expected to consist of millions of components, and the current engineering and manufacturing practices cannot guarantee their complete fault-free operation during the code executions lasting several hours. Consequently, the outputs of computations executed on them must be quantified with confidence estimates that reflect their failure-free execution. We propose (i) light-weight computational modules that utilize chaotic computations and customized identity maps to detect component failures, and (ii) statistical estimation methods that generate robustness estimates for the system and computations based on the module outputs. The diagnosis modules execute multiple Poincare and identity maps, which are customized to detect certain classes of failures in the compute nodes and interconnects. We propose statistical methods that generate robustness estimates for the system using the outputs of pipelined chains of diagnosis modules. These diagnosis modules can be inserted into application codes to identify failures, and generate confidence estimates for the application outputs. We present proof-of-principle simulation examples to illustrate the proposed approach.
Adaptation in Digital Games

Designers typically create digital games for either a specific audience, such as fans of the first-person shooter genre, or for mass appeal, such as Will Wright's The Sims (http://thesims.ea.com/us). These games encapsulate the designer's hypothesis for what a particular and ideally large population would enjoy playing. Digital games, unlike traditional media such as film or even board games, have the unique advantage of using computing power to break beyond this simple notion of designing for the masses. Games are, more than most media, mutable, flexible, and confined only by the data and reasoning we as developers give them.
Values and Rationales of Key Organisational Members for Participation

Clarification of the term participation is sought through asking key organisational members, (a) why participation is being introduced in their organisation; (b) what are the conditions seen as necessary for its success; (c) what is the likely process in participative meetings; and (d) what are the likely outcomes of participation. Managers in large companies were found to give reasons for introducing participation in terms of increasing opportunities to communicate to employees and to gain acceptance of decisions. Managers in small companies see the benefits of participation primarily in terms of increased employee morale. Endorsement of participation occurs more often in modern organisations (light engineering, trained younger managers and less entrenched unions), where managers see it as a forum for two‐way communication. In traditional organisations (heavy engineering, traditional managers, entrenched unions) participation is seen as a response to political and union pressure and is endorsed only grudgingly.
Using non-ideal gates to implement universal quantum computing between uncoupled qubits

In many physical systems, when implementing quantum gate operations unavoidable global and relative phases occur as by-products due to the internal structure of the governing Hamiltonian. To correct, additional phase rotation gates are used, which increases the computational overhead. Here, we show how these phase by-products can actually be used to our advantage by using them to implement universal quantum computing between qubits not directly coupled to each other. The gate operations, CNOT, Toffoli, and swap gates, require much less computational overhead than present schemes, and are achieved with fidelity greater than 99%. We then present a linear nearest-neighbor architecture that takes full advantage of the phase by-products, and we show how to implement gates from a universal set efficiently in this layout. In this scheme gate operations are realized by only varying a single control parameter per data qubit, and the ability to tune couplings is not required.
Border enforcement in daily life: Palestinian day laborers and entrepreneurs crossing the green line.

Changing procedures at the border between the West Bank and Israel burdened the lives of many Palestinians. By tracing the intersections between these state practices the demands of capital and the local behavior of individuals this article describes the impact of the border on those who work in Israeli construction and those sub-contracting garment assembly from Israeli clothing manufacturers. The border struggle fundamental to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict shapes relations of production and relations of work. Like other cases of border enforcement intensifying the imminence of violence at the "Green Line" has had schismogenic results. (authors)
Concussion Education for High School Football Players: A Pilot Study.

This survey study compared high school football players’ knowledge and attitudes about concussion before and after receiving concussion education. There were no significant changes in the Concussio...
Dielectric Properties of Niobium and Lanthanum Doped Lead Barium Zirconate Titanate Relaxor Ferroelectrics

The lead barium zirconate titanate (PBZT) relaxor ferroelectrics are ideal for high voltage capacitor applications due to their high dielectric constant, stability under DC bias, and temperature stability. In this study the composition (Pb0.65Ba0.35)(Zr0.70Ti0.30)O3 was selected as the base composition. It exhibited typical relaxor characteristics such as frequency dispersion and diffuse phase transition. The dielectric constant is ∼ 6000 at room temperature and remains almost constant under electric field as high as 20 kV/cm. To further enhance the dielectric properties, various amounts of niobium oxide and lanthanum oxide dopants were added to the base PBZT to alter the defect structure and hence the dielectric properties. It was found that the dielectric constant of 1% Nb-doped samples was increased by 20–25% while maintaining similar voltage stability. This increase was attributed to the abnormal grain growth in the Nb-doped sample, and the correlation between microstructure and dielectric constant was drawn through a grain size study. The La addition only caused a monotonic decrease of dielectric constant and slightly improved voltage stability.
Physical illness and convalescence: Their meaningto the child

Summary Emotional disturbances in children often develop in the setting of physicalillness. An understanding of the meaning of the illness to the child is helpful in the prevention of lasting emotional upset. To many children illness comes as punishment. A common psychologic reaction is a regression to an immature level of social and emotional adaptation. While many children react to illness in a constructive way, others may respond with persistent dependency patterns, rebellion, or chronic invalid reactions. Attention to the psychologic needs of the child during the convalescent period is also important in the over-all care of the sick child.
Nondrinker Mortality Risk in the United States

The literature has shown that people who do not drink alcohol are at greater risk for death than light to moderate drinkers, yet the reasons for this remain largely unexplained. We examine whether variation in people’s reasons for nondrinking explains the increased mortality. Our data come from the 1988–2006 National Health Interview Survey Linked Mortality File (N = 41,076 individuals age 21 and above, of whom 10,421 died over the follow-up period). The results indicate that nondrinkers include several different groups that have unique mortality risks. Among abstainers and light drinkers the risk of mortality is the same as light drinkers for a subgroup who report that they do not drink because of their family upbringing, and moral/religious reasons. In contrast, the risk of mortality is higher than light drinkers for former drinkers who cite health problems or who report problematic drinking behaviors. Our findings address a notable gap in the literature and may inform social policies to reduce or prevent alcohol abuse, increase health, and lengthen life.
Prolactin augmentation of dopamine and norepinephrine release from superfused medial basal hypothalamic fragments.

A superfusion technique was employed in the study of the release of dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE) from medial basal hypothalamic fragments. The DA and NE collected in the superfusion fluid were quantified by a radioenzymatic assay. The amounts of DA and NE released by the medial basal hypothalamic fragments were found to be dependent upon the Ca2+ and K+ concentrations in the superfusion fluid. The effect of PRL on the amounts of DA and NE released during exposure to a submaximal stimulus of 30 mM K+ was evaluated. PRL in concentrations of 50–5000 ng/ml augmented the K+-induced release of DA and NE in a concentration-dependent manner. The PRL augmentation of the release of both DA and NE was prevented by the addition of anti-PRL γ-globulin to the superfusion medium. In view of the inhibitory effect of DA on PRL secretion, these findings are consistent with the conclusion that PRL can influence its own secretion by stimulating the release of hypothalamic DA. The observation that PRL can also augmen...
Correlation of operative findings with angiographic and noninvasive hemodynamic factors associated with failure of polytetrafluoroethylene grafts

Abstract The causes of autogenous saphenous vein (ASV) graft failure have been well described and are predominantly due to stenosis of the ASV graft during the first year after implantation. Distal atherosclerotic disease is a late cause of ASV graft failure. Furthermore, with failure of the ASV graft the clinical and hemodynamic status of the limb usually reverts to the preoperative state. To better define the causes and hemodynamic consequences of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) graft failure, we reviewed the pathologic findings at surgery and compared these with arteriograms made prior to and after occlusion and sequential noninvasive hemodynamic studies in 36 patients with failed PTFE grafts (>30 days after operation). Distal atherosclerotic disease was the most frequent cause of PTFE failure (23 of 36 limbs, or 64%), and it appeared as early as the first 6 months after implantation. Doppler pressure after PTFE failure deteriorated significantly (p
Coordinated Ontogeny of Food Preference and Responses to Chemical Food Stimuli by a Lizard Ctenosaura pectinata (Reptilia: Iguanidae)

When important ecological factors change predictably during the life of an organism, the ontogeny of related behaviors must be timed to maintain appropriate behavioral responsiveness to current ecological conditions. In the brown iguana, Ctenosaura pectinata, hatchlings in natural populations eat primarily insects, consuming little plant matter, whereas adults eat primarily plants, consuming some insects as well. We conducted laboratory experiments on diet preferences and responses to chemical cues that the lizards sampled by tongue-flicking and used to identify food. All hatchlings ate crickets, but only one of six ate romaine lettuce. They responded strongly to chemical cues from prey, as indicated by elevated tongue-flick rates, but not from romaine lettuce. All older individuals ate both crickets and romaine lettuce. They responded much more strongly to chemical cues from both crickets and romaine lettuce than to control chemicals, as indicated by higher proportions of individuals that bit and higher tongue-flick attack scores. Thus, an ontogenetic change to increased responsiveness to plant chemical stimuli was coordinated with an ontogenetic change to an herbivorous diet. The mechanisms underlying these ontogenetic changes are unknown, but folivory may be unprofitable before juveniles acquire intestinal flora that degrade cellulose by ingestion of feces of adult conspecifics. Possible mechanisms are discussed, including the detection of chemical cues from appropriate food plants during consumption of feces from older individuals. Studies of other squamate reptiles suggest that exposure to these chemicals might affect both future responsiveness to the chemical cues and a tendency to eat the corresponding plants.
Study of Biologically Inspired Flapping Mechanism for Micro Air Vehicles

This paper explores the design of a flapping mechanism inspired by the insect thorax. A two-degree-of-freedom model of the insect thorax is developed that governs the flapping and rotational (pitching) motions of the wing. The wing kinematics are optimized experimentally using a dynamically scaled wing driven by a robotic flapper. Next, optimal parameters of the thorax model are determined in order to generate the optimal wing kinematics. For this purpose, analytical methods as well as numerical optimization are used. This analysis also reveals the significance of the mechanical design of the insect wing in improving aerodynamic performance. A prototype mechanism is developed based on the thorax model. Experimental evaluation of the mechanism shows good agreement with theoretical results. Additionally, the design is very simple and shows substantial lift generation capability.
Utility of Computed Tomography Scans in Predicting Need for Surgery in Nasal Injuries

In many centers, computed tomography (CT) scan is preferred over plain film radiographs in the setting of acute nasal injury because CT scan is thought to be more sensitive in predicting nasal bone fracture. However, the usefulness of CT scans in predicting the need for surgery in acute nasal injury has not been well-studied. We conducted a retrospective review of 232 patients with known nasal bone fracture and found very similar rates of surgery in patients with a diagnosis of nasal fracture by CT scan as by nasal radiographs (41 and 37%, respectively). This suggests that experienced clinical examination remains the gold standard for determining the need for surgery in isolated nasal trauma, regardless of CT findings.
Skeletal morphogenesis of the vertebral column of the miniature hylid frog Acris crepitans, with comments on anomalies.

Although the vertebral columns of anurans have received much study in the last 150 years, few detailed descriptions exist of the skeletal morphogenesis of this anatomical unit. Herein, the ontogeny of the vertebral skeleton of the hylid frog Acris crepitans is described based on cleared and double-stained specimens, radiographs, and 3D reconstructions generated from synchrotron microCT scans. The adult axial formula is 1-7-1-1, and the vertebral centra are epichordal and procoelous. The neural arches are nonimbricate, and there is a medial articulation between the laminae of Presacrals I and II. Free ribs are absent. The sacral diapophyses are uniform in width or slightly expanded distally. The urostyle is slender, round in cross section, and about equal in length to the presacral region. Presacral vertebrae are the first to form, developing in a cephalic-to-caudal sequence. However, development and growth are decoupled and growth is fastest initially in the posterior presacrals and sacrum. In addition, there is a time lag between the formation of the presacral/sacral region and the postsacral region. More than 8.5% of the specimens examined have vertebral anomalies, and about 50% display small variants from the typical vertebral column morphology. However, these malformations do not seem to have been so severe as to have affected survival. J. Morphol., 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The DRD2 TaqI-B polymorphism and its relationship to smoking abstinence and withdrawal symptoms.

The DRD2 Taq I-B polymorphism and its relationship to smoking abstinence and withdrawal symptoms
Salt hydrates as absorbents in heat pump cycles

Abstract A thermodynamic analysis has shown that inorganic salt hydrates are attractive candidates for absorbents in heat pump cycles. Their computed performance efficiencies compare favorably to those of previously proposed solid and liquid absorbents, under conditions typical of domestic, solar-powered, intermittent operation. It was found that hydrate cooling cycles, with coefficients-of-performance in the range of 0.6-0.7, can significantly outperform all others considered. In space heating applications, solid-absorbent cycles were far superior to a typical liquid-absorbent cycle in both overall efficiency and per cent of thermal energy input stored. Predicted hydrate coefficients-of-performance were in the range 1.4-1.6 with 75–85 per cent effective storage.
Classification of flat slant surfaces in complex Euclidean plane

It is well-known that the classification of flat surfaces in Euclidean 3space is one of the most basic results in differential geometry. For surfaces in the complex Euclidean plane C2 endowed with almost complex structure J, flat surfaces are the simplest ones from intrinsic point of views. On the other hand, from J-action point of views, the most natural surfaces in C2 are slant surfaces, i.e., surfaces with constant Wintinger angle. In this paper the author completely classifies flat slant surfaces in C2. The main result states that, beside the totally geodesic ones, there are five large classes of flat slant surfaces in C2. Conversely, every non-totally geodesic flat slant surfaces in C2 is locally a surface given by these five classes.
The HIF family member EPAS1/HIF-2α is required for normal hematopoiesis in mice

Hypoxic stress plays a role in pathophysiologic states such as myocardial infarction and cerebral vascular events as well as in normal physiologic conditions including development and hematopoiesis. Members of the hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) family function as transcriptional regulators of genes involved in the hypoxic response. After generating adult mice that globally lack endothelial PAS domain protein 1 (EPAS1, also known as HIF-2α/HRF/HLF/MOP3), the second member of the HIF family, characterization of the hematopoietic cell population indicated that the loss of EPAS1/HIF-2α resulted in pancytopenia. Using bone marrow reconstitution experiments of lethally irradiated hosts, we have defined the extent and site of hematopoietic impairment in the EPAS1/HIF-2α null mice. These data suggest a critical role for EPAS1/HIF-2α in maintaining a functional microenvironment in the bone marrow for effective hematopoiesis.
Functional Assignment by Chimera Construction of the Domain Affecting Heterotropic Activation of Deoxyadenosine Kinase fromLactobacillus acidophilus R-26

Abstract The heterodimeric subunits of deoxyadenosine kinase (dAK)-deoxyguanosine kinase (dGK) from Lactobacillus acidophilus R-26 exhibit contrasting conformations manifested in the nearly unidirectional heterotropic activation of dAK when dGK binds deoxyguanosine. This is mediated, in part, by the conserved Ras switch I-like sequence (residues 153–161) [Guo et al. (1997)J. Biol. Chem. 272, 6890–6897]. In an attempt to identify domains differentiating the specificities of dAK and dGK, we constructed several chimeras splicing heterodimeric dAK within this region. In Chimera-III, dAK residues 120–170 were replaced by the homologous section of dGK. dAK activity was elevated 40%, but although it retained its original specificity and K m values, it could no longer be activated by deoxyguanosine. Moreover, both the activated dAK and the “dAK” of Chimera-III exhibited (i) an increased K s for the leading substrate ATP-Mg2+, suggesting the formation of intermediate enzyme species along their respective kinetic pathways, and (ii) broadened and lower pH optima for the dAK activities. These observations further indicate the importance of dAK residues 120–170, including the Ras-like segment, in catalysis and heterotropic activation. The other conformational properties of dAK (e.g. self-inactivity and MgATP being the leading substrate) were unaltered by this substitution, thus localizing the responsible domains even further upstream.
FatTreeSim: Modeling Large-scale Fat-Tree Networks for HPC Systems and Data Centers Using Parallel and Discrete Event Simulation

Fat-tree topologies have been widely adopted as the communication network in data centers in the past decade. Nowadays, high-performance computing (HPC) system designers are considering using fat-tree as the interconnection network for the next generation supercomputers. For extreme-scale computing systems like the data centers and supercomputers, the performance is highly dependent on the interconnection networks. In this paper, we present FatTreeSim, a PDES-based toolkit consisting of a highly scalable fat-tree network model, with the goal of better understanding the design constraints of fat-tree networking architectures in data centers and HPC systems, as well as evaluating the applications running on top of the network. FatTreeSim is designed to model and simulate large-scale fat-tree networks up to millions of nodes with protocol-level fidelity. We have conducted extensive experiments to validate and demonstrate the accuracy, scalability and usability of FatTreeSim. On Argonne Leadership Computing Facility's Blue Gene/Q system, Mira, FatTreeSim is capable of achieving a peak event rate of 305 M/s for a 524,288-node fat-tree model with a total of 567 billion committed events. The strong scaling experiments use up to 32,768 cores and show a near linear scalability. Comparing with a small-scale physical system in Emulab, FatTreeSim can accurately model the latency in the same fat-tree network with less than 10% error rate for most cases. Finally, we demonstrate FatTreeSim's usability through a case study in which FatTreeSim serves as the network module of the YARNsim system, and the error rates for all test cases are less than 13.7%.
Subinhibitory concentrations of cinnamaldehyde interfere with quorum sensing

Aims: To investigate the effect of cinnamaldehyde (CA) on transcription from selected quorum sensing (QS) promoters. Methods and Results: The action of CA on QS was assayed using three E. coli green fluorescent protein (GFP) based bioreporters (two inducible and the other constitutive) and two Vibrio harveyi bioluminescent reporter strains. LuxR-mediated transcription from the PluxI promoter, which is induced by 3-oxo-C6-homoserine lactone (HSL), was reduced by 70 per cent following exposure to 200 μmol l−1 CA (26 ppm). The bioluminescence of Vibrio harveyi BB886, which is mediated by 3-hydroxy-C4-HSL, was reduced by 55 per cent after exposure to 60 μmol l−1 CA (8 ppm), and 100 μmol l−1 CA (13 ppm) inhibited the bioluminescence of the autoinducer-2 (AI-2) responsive reporter strain V. harveyi BB170 by nearly 60 per cent. CA did not inhibit the growth of the bioreporter strains at these concentrations. CA had a minimal effect on LasR promoter activity, induced by 3-oxo-C12-HSL. Conclusions: Low concentrations of CA were effective at inhibiting two types of acyl homoserine lactone mediated QS, and also autoinducer-2 mediated QS. Significance and Impact of Study: Because CA is widely used in the food and flavour industries, its potential to affect bacterial QS regulated processes should be recognized.
Prenatal diagnosis in two pregnancies of an achondroplastic woman

We present the results of the ultrasonographic examination of two successive pregnancies of an achondroplastic woman. The limb bones were measured and shown to be normal in length. Other pertinent literature reports are discussed.
MINERALOGICAL RELATIONSHIPS IN SEYMOUR, A COARSE OCTAHEDRITE

Seymour is a coarse octahedrite weighing 24.5 kg. It contains two types of troilite-graphite nodules (massive graphite nodules with irregular troilite rims, and troilite nodules with irregular, partial or total, rims of graphite); four morphologically distinct types of phosphide (lamellar, swathing, grain boundary, and rhabdite); and three types of cohenite (lamellar, swathing, and inclusions in kamacite). It is believed that lamellar and swathing schreibersite crystallized from taenite at approximately 900°C. This was followed by the crystallization of kamacite, then the development of cohenite, and finally a second period of phosphide nucleation giving rise to grain boundary schreibersite and rhabdite. Compositional data indicates that grain boundary schreibersite and rhabdite grew simultaneously.
High-power single-mode antiresonant reflecting optical waveguide-type vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

Antiresonant reflecting optical waveguide (ARROW) techniques are employed in vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) to achieve high-power single-mode emission. Using the effective-index method and fiber mode approximation, the cold-cavity lateral modal behavior for the circular shaped ARROW VCSEL demonstrates significant reduction of radiation loss from that of a single antiguide, while maintaining strong discrimination against high-order modes. The circular-waveguide is created by selective chemical etching and two-step metal-organic chemical vapor deposition growth, with proton implantation used to confine the current injection to the low-index core region. A single-mode CW power of 7.1 mW has been achieved from an 8 /spl mu/m diameter ARROW device (index step /spl Delta/n = 0.05, emission at /spl lambda//sub 0/ = 980 nm) with a far-field FWHM of 10/spl deg/. Larger aperture (12 /spl mu/m) devices exhibit multimode operation at lower drive currents with a maximum single-mode continuous-wave output power of 4.3 mW.
Corrigendum to: “Six1 transcription factor is critical for coordination of epithelial, mesenchymal and vascular morphogenesis in the mammalian lung” [Dev. Biol. 353 (2011) 242–258]

a Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine Program, Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, 4650 Sunset Boulevard MS35, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA b Department of Urology, Children's Hospital Boston, and Department of Surgery and Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA c Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
Influence of ammonia and pH on protein and amino acid metabolism in LLC-PK1 cells.

Influence of ammonia and pH on protein and amino acid metabolism in LLC-PK 1 cells. Metabolic acidosis inhibits protein synthesis (PS) and stimulates protein degradation (PD) in muscle and cultured myocytes but causes hypertrophy of the proximal tubule. The reason for this tissue-specific difference in response to acidosis is unknown, but it might be related to stimulation of renal ammonia production since ammonia reportedly increases PS and inhibits PD in cultured kidney cells. We examined how ammonia and pH could interact to change protein turnover in confluent LLC-PK 1 cells. Varying extracellular pH from 6.95 to 7.60 did not alter PS or PD even though intracellular pH changed predictably. Six millimolar NH 4 Cl did not change PS while 20mM inhibited PS; there was no interaction with pH. This unexpected difference from the reported stimulation of PS by NH 4 Cl could be explained by our use of L-[U- 14 C]phenylalanine rather than radiolabelled leucine to measure PS. NH 4 Cl was found to inhibit leucine degradation which would increase radiolabelled leucine available for incorporation into protein. Either 6mM or 20mM NH 4 Cl inhibited PD measured as the release of L-[ 14 C]phenylalanine from prelabelled protein. Experiments with an inhibitor of lysosomal function, chloro-quine, suggest that NH 4 Cl inhibits lysosomal proteolysis. There was no interaction of cell pH and ammonia-induced changes in PD. Thus, the response of renal cells to acidification differs markedly from myocytes and ammonia changes protein turnover primarily by suppressing PD.
THE ROLE OF WATERLOGGING IN MAINTAINING FORB PANNES IN NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND SALT MARSHES

Areas of high plant diversity, known as forb pannes, characterize many northern New England salt marshes. These pannes are physically harsh habitats where stress-tolerant forbs escape the competitively dominant clonal turfs. In this paper, we ex- perimentally examine the hypothesis that soil waterlogging maintains forb pannes. Experimentally draining pannes led to the replacement of typical panne vegetation by Spartina patens. After four years, S. patens cover increased by greater than 300% in the drained plots, while in adjacent, unmanipulated controls, its cover remained unchanged. In a second experiment, forb panne elevation was manipulated to either increase or decrease soil drainage. After three years elevated plots were dominated by S. patens, whereas lowered plots were dominated by Spartina alterniflora, with reduced forb densities. Our results demonstrate that forb panne communities are the consequence of poor drainage and waterlogged soils that limit the success of competitively dominant clonal turfs and permit the persistence of panne forbs. These results imply that the extensive ditching of New England salt marshes over the past three centuries to increase the value of marshes for livestock grazing, development, and mosquito control has likely eradicated most of these forb panne habitats.
Multisite Study of New Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) Algorithms for Toddlers and Young Preschoolers

Using two independent datasets provided by National Institute of Health funded consortia, the Collaborative Programs for Excellence in Autism and Studies to Advance Autism Research and Treatment (n = 641) and the National Institute of Mental Health (n = 167), diagnostic validity and factor structure of the new Autism Diagnostic Interview (ADI-R) algorithms for toddlers and young preschoolers were examined as a replication of results with the 2011 Michigan sample (Kim and Lord in J Autism Dev Disord 42(1): 82-93, 2012). Sensitivities and specificities and a three-factor solution were replicated. Results suggest that the new ADI-R algorithms can be appropriately applied to existing research databases with children from 12 to 47 months and down to nonverbal mental ages of 10 months for diagnostic grouping.
Algebraic constructs for the graphical and computational solution to balancing chemical equations

Abstract This paper uses an algebraic analysis to develop chemical constructs for the graphical and computational solution to balancing molecular chemical equations. Mathematical techniques are used to simplify the handling of a large number of matrix elements. In principle, graphs and computation may be performed for an unlimited number of chemical components of reactants and products. The “bounding” of the range of matrix elements needed for a given chemical system is determined from the atom-balance (“AB”) relationships of the chemical equation. Examples and illustrations of graphs and computation are presented and discussed.
Is laparoscopic antireflux surgery for gastroesophageal reflux disease in the elderly safe and effective

Background: The elderly have prevalence rates and clinical features of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) similar to those in younger individuals, but the role of laparoscopic antireflux surgery (LARS) in the elderly has not been clearly established. The purpose of this study was to determine if the results of LARS in the elderly are comparable with those in younger patients. Methods: All patients undergoing LARS for GERD at the Washington University Medical Center were entered prospectively into a computerized database. Between May 1992 and June 1998, 339 patients underwent LARS and were divided into two groups based on age: nonelderly (ages, 18–64 years; n= 303) and elderly (age, ≥65 years; n = 36). Data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation (SD) and statistical analysis was performed. Results: Elderly patients had a higher American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) score (2.3 ± 1.5) and a longer hospital stay (2.1 ± 0.2 days) than the younger group (ASA, 1.9 ± 0.5; hospital stay, 1.6 ± 0.9 days; p < 0.001). Operation times averaged 154 ± 68 min in the elderly compared with 134 ± 49 min in the nonelderly (p= NS). Grade I complications occurred significantly more frequently in the elderly (13.9%) than in the nonelderly (2.6%), but the incidence of grade II complications was similar between the groups (elderly 2.8% vs nonelderly 2.7%). There were no grade III complications in either group, but there was one death in the nonelderly group. At follow-up ranging to 81 months (median, 27 months), the two groups had similar low incidences of heartburn and dysphagia. Anatomic failures of LARS developed in 19 nonelderly patients (6.2%) compared with 2 elderly patients (5.5%; p= NS). Conclusions: As shown in this study, LARS is safe and effective in elderly patients with GERD. Age older than 65 years should not be a contraindication to laparoscopic antireflux surgery in properly selected patients.
Spectra and structure of silicon containing compounds. XL. Infrared and Raman spectra, conformational stability, vibrational assignment and ab initio calculations of ethylmethylsilyl difluoride☆

Abstract The infrared (3100–40 cm −1 ) spectra of gaseous and solid and Raman (3100–20 cm −1 ) spectrum of liquid ethylmethylsilyl difluoride, CH 3 CH 2 SiF 2 CH 3 , have been recorded. Both the trans and gauche conformers have been identified in the fluid phases but only the trans conformer remains in the solid. Variable temperature (−105 to −150 °C) studies of the infrared spectra of ethylmethylsilyl difluoride dissolved in liquid krypton have been recorded and the enthalpy difference has been determined to be 20±4 cm −1 (0.24±0.05 kJ/mol) with the trans conformer the more stable form. At ambient temperature it is estimated that there is 64±1% of the gauche conformer present. The geometrical parameters, harmonic force constants, vibrational frequencies, infrared intensities, Raman activities and depolarization ratios, and energy differences have been obtained for the trans and gauche conformers from ab initio MP2/631G(d) calculations. Relatively complete vibrational assignments are proposed for both conformers based on the relative infrared and Raman spectral intensities, infrared band contours, depolarization ratios, and normal coordinate calculations. The potential functions governing the conformation interchange have been predicted with barriers of 509 and 497 cm −1 from ab initio MP2/6-31G(d) calculations and 581 and 500 cm −1 from MP2/6-311+G(d,p) for the trans to gauche and gauche to gauche transitions, respectively. Structural parameters and energy differences have also been obtained by utilizing the larger 6-311+G(d,p) and 6-311+G(2d,2p) basis sets. The results of these spectroscopic and theoretical studies are discussed and compared to the corresponding results for some similar molecules.
Secondary ionization processes due to proton bombardment in aurorae

Abstract It is suggested that excited hydrogen atoms arising from the deposition of protons in the upper atmosphere, as inferred from the observed auroral Hα emission, may provide an important secondary source of auroral ionization. The mechanisms discussed are photoionization of O 2 by HLβ and collisions of the second kind between excited hydrogen atoms and O 2 .
Bombesin-induced hypothermia: a dose-response and receptor antagonist study.

Abstract Bombesin infusion into the preoptic area (POA) has previously been shown to induce hypothermia in rats that are food deprived or made hypoglycemic with insulin. The present study evaluated the potency and receptor specificity of this response. Bombesin was microinfused into the POA of food-deprived rats ( n = 7) and insulin-pretreated rats ( n = 7) at doses of 0, 5, 12, 25 and 50 ng/0.5 μl. Changes in core body temperature (rectal) were assessed at 1 h. Hypothermia was observed under both conditions with doses as low as 5 ng (3.1 pM) as compared to vehicle (0 ng). In a separate study, infusion of the reduced peptide bond analog (Psi 13,14 Leu 14 ) bombesin (2.5 μg) prior to bombesin injection (25 ng) was found to prevent the hypothermic response observed in the bombesin control condition. These data suggest that bombesin is a potent hypothermic agent that interacts with gastrin-releasing peptide receptors localized within the POA region to impact thermoregulation.
QCD thermodynamics with two flavors of Wilson quarks at Nt=6.

We report on a study of hadron thermodynamics with two flavors of Wilson quarks on 12 3 × 6 lattices. We have studied the crossover between the high- and low-temperature regimes for three values of the hopping parameter, k=0.16, 0.17, and 0.18. At each of these values of k we have carried out spectrum calculations on 12 3 ×24 lattices for two values of the gauge coupling in the vicinity of the crossover in order to set an energy scale for our thermodynamics calculations and to determine the critical value of the gauge coupling for which the pion and quark masses vanish
Molecular Design and In Situ Spectroscopic Investigation of Multilayered Supported M1Ox/M2Ox/SiO2 Catalysts

The group 5−7 transition metal oxides (V2O5, CrO3, MoO3, WO3, and Re2O7) were anchored on a surface modified SiO2 support containing surface alumina, zirconia, and titania species prepared via incipient wetness impregnation of soluble precursors and calcination. The molecular and electronic structures of these “multilayered” supported M1Ox/M2Ox/SiO2 catalysts were characterized with in situ Raman and UV−vis DRS spectroscopies under dehydrated conditions to provide insights into the interactions between the metal oxide overlayer (M1Ox) and the surface oxide modifiers (M2Ox) on the silica support. The supported M1Ox transition metal oxides preferentially coordinate to the surface M2Ox modifiers over exposed SiO2 support sites and are present as isolated surface M1Ox species. Although the molecular and electronic structures of monoxo surface O═VO3 and trioxo surface (O═)3ReO species are not appreciably perturbed by the surface modifiers, the group 6 surface CrOx, MoOx and WOx species are significantly altere...
A generalized mandelbrot set and the role of critical points

Abstract We examine the Julia sets for certain cubic and quartic polynomials and observe the structure of the Julia set as determined by the orbits of the critical points. In examples where the orbits of some critical points diverge and others converge, or where orbits converge to different cycles, we note the local structure of the Julia set is dominated by the behavior of the nearest critical point. This information is encoded in a generalized Mandelbrot set reflecting the behavior of all the critical points.