cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Code Generation and Optimization for Transactional Memory Constructs in an Unmanaged Language

Transactional memory offers significant advantages for concurrency control compared to locks. This paper presents the design and implementation of transactional memory constructs in an unmanaged language. Unmanaged languages pose a unique set of challenges to transactional memory constructs - for example, lack of type and memory safety, use of function pointers, aliasing of local variables, and others. This paper describes novel compiler and runtime mechanisms that address these challenges and optimize the performance of transactions in an unmanaged environment. We have implemented these mechanisms in a production-quality C compiler and a high-performance software transactional memory runtime. We measure the effectiveness of these optimizations and compare the performance of lock-based versus transaction-based programming on a set of concurrent data structures and the SPLASH-2 benchmark suite. On a 16 processor SMP system, the transaction-based version of the SPLASH-2 benchmarks scales much better than the coarse-grain locking version and performs comparably to the fine-grain locking version. Compiler optimizations significantly reduce the overheads of transactional memory so that, on a single thread, the transaction-based version incurs only about 6.4% overhead compared to the lock-based version for the SPLASH-2 benchmark suite. Thus, our system is the first to demonstrate that transactions integrate well with an unmanaged language, and can perform as well as fine-grain locking while providing the programming ease of coarse-grain locking even on an unmanaged environment.
Proactive or Reactive Routing: A Unified Analytical Framework in MANETs

We present a mathematical framework for the performance evaluation of proactive and reactive routing protocols operating in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs). The model captures the functionality of the routing protocols together with the characterization of the performance of the medium access control protocol (MAC). It reveals the interplay between the protocol functionality and network parameters, and provides new insight on the relative benefits of proactive and on-demand routing in MANETS. The analytical results are corroborated with results obtained using discrete-event simulations.
Family Structure, Community Context, and Adolescent Problem Behaviors.

A number of models have been proposed to explain the relationship between family structure and adolescent problem behaviors, including several that consider parent-child relations, family income, stress, and residential mobility. However, studies have not explored whether the different types of communities within which families reside affect the association between family structure and problem behaviors. A community context model also suggests that the relationship between family structure and problem behaviors may be conditioned by community characteristics. The results of a multilevel regression model that used data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study (NELS; n = 10,286) indicated that adolescents from homes with a recently divorced mother, a mother and stepfather, a single mother, or a single father reported more problem behaviors regardless of the community context. Moreover, adolescents living in communities with a high proportion of impoverished residents, female headed households, or jobless males reported more problem behaviors irrespective of family structure.
A new approach to determining the performance of superdisintegrants

Superdisintegrants are used in some tablet formulations to improve water penetration and disintegration, leading to improved drug dissolution rates. The extremely fast speeds at which superdisintegrants perform their functions have made it difficult to evaluate differences in their disintegration properties. In this study, a novel technique was developed and explored to measure the swelling pressure of superdisintegrants under compressed conditions. The measurement of swelling pressure was chosen as it is not directly dependent on the mechanisms involved in tablet disintegration (swelling, wicking, and deformation). Three commercial superdisintegrants including Ac-Di-Sol® (internally crosslinked carboxymethylcellulose), Explotab® (internally crosslinked carboxymethylstarch), and Polyplasdone® XL (crosslinked polyvinylpyrrolidone) were evaluated using this technique as well as free swelling and videography. Swelling pressure was found to easily discern the differences among the superdisintegrants that the ...
Influence of Perceived Information-Sharing Norms on Communication Channel Utilization

Research on communication channel use has shown that interpersonal channels are generally more efficient than written channels. However, using interpersonal channels involves a psychological cost, ...
Molecular interactions involved in proton-dependent gating in KcsA potassium channels

The bacterial potassium channel KcsA is gated open by the binding of protons to amino acids on the intracellular side of the channel. We have identified, via channel mutagenesis and x-ray crystallography, two pH-sensing amino acids and a set of nearby residues involved in molecular interactions that influence gating. We found that the minimal mutation of one histidine (H25) and one glutamate (E118) near the cytoplasmic gate completely abolished pH-dependent gating. Mutation of nearby residues either alone or in pairs altered the channel’s response to pH. In addition, mutations of certain pairs of residues dramatically increased the energy barriers between the closed and open states. We proposed a Monod–Wyman–Changeux model for proton binding and pH-dependent gating in KcsA, where H25 is a “strong” sensor displaying a large shift in pKa between closed and open states, and E118 is a “weak” pH sensor. Modifying model parameters that are involved in either the intrinsic gating equilibrium or the pKa values of the pH-sensing residues was sufficient to capture the effects of all mutations.
Impact of comorbidity on overall survival in patients surgically treated for renal cell carcinoma.

Objectives Although the classification of cancer has traditionally focused on the gross and microscopic characteristics of the tumor, the overall health of patients can affect their survival. Because patients with renal cell carcinoma often have other medical conditions, we explored the effect of preexisting medical disease on survival after radical and partial nephrectomy. Methods From January 1995 to August 2003, the comorbidity status of 697 patients with nonmetastatic renal cell carcinoma who had undergone radical or partial nephrectomy was prospectively coded using the Adult Comorbidity Evaluation-27. Histopathologic review of all slides was performed according to the 2004 World Health Organization scheme. Other variables analyzed included age, sex, ethnicity, pathologic stage, Fuhrman grade, and tumor size. The effect of these factors on overall survival (OS) was analyzed using Cox proportional hazards regression model. Results The median follow-up was 32.2 months for survivors and 36.5 months for all patients. The OS rate at 1, 3, and 5 years was 92.0% (641 patients), 75.3% (525 patients), and 52.7% (367 patients), respectively. Univariate analyses demonstrated that age, comorbidity, tumor size, Fuhrman grade, and pathologic stage were significant predictors of OS. Multivariate analysis revealed that age (hazard ratio [HR] 1.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.10 to 1.82, P = .0067), comorbidity (HR 1.37, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.63, P = .0002), pathologic stage (HR 1.97, 95% CI 1.60 to 2.41, P P = .0008) predicted for OS. Conclusions The results of this study have demonstrated that comorbidity is an independent prognostic factor for OS in patients with renal cell carcinoma. Capturing the comorbidity information using validated instruments can improve the preoperative evaluation of patients by providing more accurate prognostic information.
Measuring the Robustness of Resource Allocations in a Stochastic Dynamic Environment

Heterogeneous distributed computing systems often must operate in an environment where system parameters are subject to uncertainty. Robustness can be defined as the degree to which a system can function correctly in the presence of parameter values different from those assumed. We present a methodology for quantifying the robustness of resource allocations in a dynamic environment where task execution times are stochastic. The methodology is evaluated through measuring the robustness of three different resource allocation heuristics within the context of a stochastic dynamic environment. A Bayesian regression model is fit to the combined results of the three heuristics to demonstrate the correlation between the stochastic robustness metric and the presented performance metric. The correlation results demonstrated the significant potential of the stochastic robustness metric to predict the relative performance of the three heuristics given a common objective function.
Telangiectatic oncocytoma: a previously undescribed variant of renal oncocytoma.

OBJECTIVES To identify, describe, and investigate the clinical, radiologic, and pathologic features of 8 cases of telangiectatic oncocytoma. METHODS Fifty-three consecutive renal oncocytomas were reviewed for the telangiectatic pathologic features that were subsequently correlated with the demographic, clinical, and radiographic findings. RESULTS Telangiectatic oncocytoma accounted for 15% of the 53 renal oncocytomas collected in the past 7 years in our institution. On radiology, almost all presented as an enhancing mass and were suspicious for or consistent with a renal malignant tumor. Grossly, the tumors ranged from 2.4 to 6.0 cm (mean, 3.5 cm) and macroscopically were hemorrhagic spongy or multicystic masses without a central stellate scar. Microscopically, they were characterized by variably sized blood-distended spaces (<0.1-mm to 2- to 3-mm blood lakes) lined by typical oncocytoma cells and without evidence of degenerative changes. CONCLUSIONS With its unique radiologic and pathologic presentations in comparison with classic renal oncocytoma, it is important to recognize this new variant of renal oncocytoma.
An Adaptive Approach to Estimation and Compensation of Frequency-Dependent I/Q Imbalances in MIMO-OFDM Systems

In this paper, a novel adaptive approach based on Alamouti scheme is proposed to estimate and compensate frequency-dependent In-phase/Quadrature-phase (I/Q) imbalances in space-time coded MIMO-OFDM communication systems. The I/Q imbalances may be present at both ends of transmitter (TX) and receiver (RX). Although different methods have been proposed to utilize the Alamouti scheme in order to obtain spatial diversity in a MIMO-OFDM system, the inaccurate channel estimation caused by I/Q imbalances degrades the system performance. A new combining scheme is introduced to overcome this significant drawback by using joint estimation and compensation of the multipath fading channel and I/Q imbalances. The simulation results show that the proposed adaptive method can effectively mitigate the effect of the frequency-dependent TX and RX I/Q imbalances in the MIMO-OFDM systems.
μ-Opioid receptor stimulation in the nucleus accumbens elevates fatty tastant intake by increasing palatability and suppressing satiety signals

Infusion of a μ-opioid receptor (MOR) agonist into the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) drives voracious food intake, an effect hypothesized to occur through increased tastant palatability. While intake of many palatable foods is elevated by MOR stimulation, this manipulation has a preferential effect on fatty food ingestion. Consumption of high-fat foods is increased by NAcc MOR stimulation even in rats that prefer a carbohydrate-rich alternative under baseline conditions. This suggests that NAcc MOR stimulation may not simply potentiate palatability signals and raises the possibility that mechanisms mediating fat intake may be distinct from those underlying intake of other tastants. The present study was conducted to investigate the physiological mechanisms underlying the effects of NAcc MOR stimulation on fatty food intake. In experiment 1, we analyzed lick microstructure in rats ingesting Intralipid to identify the changes underlying feeding induced by infusion of a MOR-specific agonist into the NAcc. MOR stimulation in the NAcc core, but not shell, increased burst duration and first-minute licks, while simultaneously increasing the rate and duration of Intralipid ingestion. These results suggest that MOR activation in the core increases Intralipid palatability and attenuates inhibitory postingestive feedback. In experiment 2, we measured the effects of MOR stimulation in the NAcc core on consumption of nonnutritive olestra. A MOR-specific agonist dose dependently increased olestra intake, demonstrating that caloric signaling is not required for hyperphagia induced by NAcc MOR stimulation. Feeding induced by drug infusion in both experiments 1 and 2 was blocked by a MOR antagonist. In experiment 3, we determined whether MOR activation in the NAcc core could attenuate satiety-related signaling caused by infusion of the melanocortin agonist MTII into the third ventricle. Suppression of intake caused by MTII was reversed by MOR stimulation. Together, our results suggest that MOR stimulation in the NAcc core elevates fatty food intake through palatability mechanisms dependent on orosensory cues and suppression of satiety signals inhibiting food intake.
Randomized Phase III Trial of Weekly Compared With Every-3-Weeks Paclitaxel for Metastatic Breast Cancer, With Trastuzumab for all HER-2 Overexpressors and Random Assignment to Trastuzumab or Not in HER-2 Nonoverexpressors: Final Results of Cancer and Leukemia Group B Protocol 9840

Purpose Phase II trials suggested that weekly paclitaxel might be more effective and less toxic than every-3-weeks administration for metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) protocol 9840 was initiated to address this question. Subsequently trastuzumab was demonstrated to improve outcomes of paclitaxel therapy for human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2)‐positive patients, and was therefore incorporated. Because inhibition of HER-family signaling had potential efficacy even without HER-2 overexpression, we randomly assigned for trastuzumab in this population. Patients and Methods Patients were randomly assigned to paclitaxel 175 mg/m 2 every 3 weeks or 80 mg/m 2 weekly. After the first 171 patients, all HER-2‐positive patients received trastuzumab; HER-2 nonoverexpressors were randomly assigned for trastuzumab, in addition to paclitaxel schedule. A total of 577 patients were treated on 9840. An additional 158 patients were included in analyses, for combined sample of 735. The primary end point was response rate (RR); secondary end points were time to progression (TTP), overall survival, and toxicity. Primary comparisons were between weekly versus every-3-weeks paclitaxel, and trastuzumab versus no trastuzumab in HER-2 nonoverexpressors. Results In the combined sample, weekly paclitaxel was superior to every-3-weeks administration: RR (42% v 29%, unadjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.75; P .0004), TTP (median, 9 v 5 months; adjusted HR 1.43; P .0001), and survival (median, 24 v 12 months; adjusted HR 1.28; P .0092). For HER-2 nonoverexpressors, trastuzumab did not improve efficacy. Grade 3 neuropathy was more common with weekly dosing (24% v 12%; P .0003). Conclusion Weekly paclitaxel is more effective than every-3-weeks administration for MBC. Trastuzumab did not improve efficacy for HER-2 nonoverexpressors. Neurotoxicity is a treatment-limiting toxicity for weekly paclitaxel. J Clin Oncol 26:1642-1649. © 2008 by American Society of Clinical Oncology
Analysis of epigenetic alterations to chromatin during development

Each cell within a multicellular organism has distinguishable characteristics established by its unique patterns of gene expression. This individual identity is determined by the expression of genes in a time and place-dependent manner. It is becoming increasingly clear that chromatin plays a fundamental role in the control of gene transcription in multicellular organisms. Understanding the regulation of chromatin, and how the distinct identity of a cell is passed to daughter cells during development, is paramount. Techniques with which to study chromatin have advanced rapidly over the past decade. Development of high throughput techniques and their proper applications has provided us essential tools to understand the regulation of epigenetic phenomena and its effect on gene expression. Understanding the changes that occur in chromatin during the course of development will not only contribute to our knowledge of normal gene expression, but will also add to our knowledge of how gene expression goes awry during disease. This review opens with an introduction to some of the key premises of epigenetic regulation of gene expression. A discussion of experimental techniques with which one can study epigenetic alterations to chromatin during development follows, emphasizing recent breakthroughs in this area. We then present examples of epigenetic mechanisms exploited in the control of developmental cell fate and regulation of tissue-specific gene expression. Finally, we discuss some of the frontiers and challenges in this area of research.
Traditional and novel methods to assess and prevent chemotherapy-related cardiac dysfunction noninvasively.

The field of cardio-oncology is challenged to address an ever greater spectrum of cardiotoxicity associated with combination chemotherapy, greater dose intensity, extremes of age, and enhanced patient survival which exposes more protracted risk of developing congestive heart failure (CHF). Recent reports of chemotherapy-induced hypertension as a common adverse effect of angiogenesis inhibitors and immunosuppressants clarify the need for routine blood pressure (BP) monitoring and guideline-based management of hypertension as an integral strategy to preserve LV function. Serial monitoring of radionuclide left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in adults and echocardiography in children continues to provide outcome based, cost-effective prevention of CHF in high risk patients receiving chemotherapy. To optimize treatment and monitoring strategies to eliminate late-onset LV dysfunction and CHF, traditional and novel candidate methods for assessment of chemotherapy-induced LV dysfunction are reviewed. These include serial assessment of LV volume indices by gated SPECT ERNA and gated SPECT MPI, 3D echocardiography and contrast 2D echocardiography; longitudinal strain imaging, diastolic functional parameters, 123I-MIBG, 111In-Antimyosin antibody imaging, and 99mTc-Annexin V apoptosis imaging, biomarkers including troponins and BNP; genetic markers, and both functional and tissue characterization techniques with T1 weighted and T2 weighted images with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR). In our quest to optimize strategies for long-term cancer survival and prevention of CHF for patients receiving chemotherapy, rigorous modality and guideline-specific clinical outcome trials are required. A new multi-modality monitoring approach is proposed, which integrates evidence-based strengths of CMR, echocardiography, ERNA, biomarkers, and BP management for surveillance and validation of cardiotoxicity and prevention of clinical heart failure in patients receiving a broad spectrum of cancer therapies.
Immunohistochemical, molecular, and cytogenetic analysis of a consecutive series of 20 peripheral t‐cell lymphomas and lymphomas of uncertain lineage, including 12 Ki‐I positive lymphomas

Although several independent series of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHLs) have been subjected to cytogenetic studies or analyses of lineages by assaying for clonal immunophenotypes and clonal rearrangements affecting immunoglobulin (IG) and T-cell receptor (TCR) genes, no published reports exist of series of non-B-cell NHLs on which cytogenetic, immunohistochemical, and IG and TCR gene rearrangement studies have been undertaken together. Among 343 NHLs ascertained prospectively between January 1984 and December 1988 at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 278 cases with clonal chromosome abnormalities were identified. Of the latter, 20 were non-B-cell NHLs, which in turn comprised 15 peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs) and 5 lymphomas of uncertain lineage (LULs). The LULs either were biogenotypic, had discordant immunophenotype and immunogenotype, or showed no evidence of B-cell, T-cell, or histiocytic derivation. Of the 15 PTCLs, eight expressed the Ki-1 antigen and four of these had translocations involving the band 5q35 [t(5q35)]. Of the five LULs, four expressed the Ki-1 antigen and one of these had a translocation involving band 5q35. Previous studies have associated t(5q35) with Ki-1 positive NHLs characterized histologically by a pleomorphic diffuse large cell morphology. In our series of 12 Ki-positive non-B-cell NHLs, five (42%) had a 5q35 translocation. They were histologically indistinguishable from the subset without the translocation. The frequent lineage uncertainty exhibited by Ki-1 positive NHLs of similar histology and cytogenetic abnormalities suggests their derivation from an early uncommitted lymphoid cells.
Virtual Scanning Algorithm for Road Network Surveillance

This paper proposes a VIrtual Scanning Algorithm (VISA), tailored and optimized for road network surveillance. Our design uniquely leverages upon the facts that 1) the movement of targets (e.g., vehicles) is confined within roadways and 2) the road network maps are normally known. We guarantee the detection of moving targets before they reach designated protection points (such as temporary base camps), while maximizing the lifetime of the sensor network. The main idea of this work is virtual scan-waves of sensing activities scheduled for road network protection. We provide design-space analysis on the performance of virtual scan in terms of lifetime and average detection delay. Importantly, to our knowledge, this is the first work to study how to guarantee target detection while sensor network deteriorates, using a novel hole handling technique. Through theoretical analysis and extensive simulation, it is shown that a surveillance system, using our design, sustains orders-of-magnitude longer lifetime than full coverage algorithms, and as much as 10 times longer than legacy duty cycling algorithms.
Trajectories of medication attitudes and adherence behavior change in non-adherent bipolar patients

Objectives While medication treatment is necessary for the successful management of bipolar disorder (BD), non-adherence rates are up to 60%. Although medication attitudes are believed to be relevant to adherence behavior, few studies have investigated the trajectories of adherence change. This study evaluated attitudinal correlates of adherence conversion in 86 poorly adherent individuals with BD.
Roosting behaviour of a migratory songbird on Jamaican coffee farms: landscape composition may affect delivery of an ecosystem service

Summary Recent evidence indicates that insectivorous birds in shade coffee farms provide economically significant ecosystem services by reducing insect pests, which should encourage cultivation practices favouring birds and other wildlife. However, the provisioning of this service may be dependent on landscape composition and movement patterns of these mobile consumers. Very little information is currently available on bird movements in coffee-dominated landscapes. We examined roosting behaviour in Black-throated Blue Warblers Dendroica caerulescens on two Jamaican coffee farms using radio telemetry in order to determine whether birds commute between nocturnal roosts and diurnal foraging ranges in coffee habitat. Nocturnal tracking revealed most birds moved outside diurnal foraging ranges on the farms to roost in forested habitat patches, sometimes up to 1 km away. Of 42 roost locations, only eight roosts were within the coffee farm perimeter: one individual in a coffee bush, and seven others in shade trees or vegetated riparian strips. Logistic regression confirmed that birds strongly selected continuous forest and individual trees over coffee for roosting. These findings reflect the ecological connectivity between coffee habitats and the adjacent landscape and raise the possibility that the provisioning of pest reduction services could be at least partly dependent on a farm’s proximity to forest patches.
Effectiveness of eugenol sedation to reduce the metabolic rates of cool and warm water fish at high loading densities

Effects of eugenol (AQUI-S20E, 10% active eugenol) sedation on cool water, yellow perch Perca flavescens (Mitchill), and warm water, Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus L. fish metabolic rates were assessed. Both species were exposed to 0, 10, 20 and 30 mg L 1 eugenol using static respirometry. In 17°C water and loading densities of 60, 120 and 240 g L 1 , yellow perch controls (0 mg L 1 eugenol) had metabolic rates of 329.6–400.0 mg O2 kg 1 h 1 , while yellow perch exposed to 20 and 30 mg L 1 eugenol had significantly reduced
Extraction of alcohols from water with 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide

Ethanol production in the U. S. has increased 36% between 2006 and 2007 (J. M. Urbanchuk, Contribution of the Ethanol Industry to the Economy of the United States, LECG, LLC, Renewable Fuels Association, 2008) in response to a growing demand for its use as a commercial transportation fuel. 1-Butanol also shows potential as a liquid fuel but both alcohols require high energy consumption in separating them from water. 1-Butanol, in particular, is considered an excellent intermediate for making other chemical compounds from renewable resources, as well as being widely used as a solvent in the pharmaceutical industry. These alcohols can be synthesized from bio-feedstocks by fermentation, which results in low concentrations of the alcohol in water. To separate alcohol from water, conventional distillation is used, which is energetically intensive. The goal of this study is to show that, using an ionic liquid, extraction of the alcohol from water is possible. Through the development of ternary diagrams, separation coefficients are determined. The systems studied are 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide/ethanol/water, which exhibits Type 1 liquid–liquid equilibrium (LLE) behavior, and 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide/1-butanol/water, which exhibits Type 2 LLE behavior. Based on the phase diagrams, this ionic liquid (1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide) can easily separate 1-butanol from water. It can also separate ethanol from water, but only when unreasonably high solvent/feed ratios are used. In addition, we use four excess Gibbs free energy (gE) models (NRTL, eNRTL, UNIQUAC and UNIFAC), with parameters estimated solely using binary data and/or pure component properties, to predict the behavior of the ternary LLE systems. None of the models adequately predicts the Type 1 system, but both UNIQUAC and eNRTL aptly predict the Type 2 system.
Carrier phase navigation architecture for shipboard relative GPS

Carrier phase differential GPS (DGPS) navigation architectures and algorithms for automatic shipboard landing of aircraft are described. Processing methodologies are defined to provide high integrity carrier phase cycle estimation and positioning by optimally exploiting the complementary benefits of measurement filtering and satellite geometric redundancy for the terminal navigation problem. Navigation performance sensitivity to the standard deviations of raw carrier and code phase measurement errors, measurement error correlation times, and the filtering duration is quantified. Necessary conditions to ensure acceptable terminal navigation availability are specifically defined.
Realizing the Benefits of Enterprise Architecture: An Actor-Network Theory Perspective

There is growing interest among IT practitioners and academics in Enterprise Architecture (EA) as an effective response to increasingly rapid business, economic, and technological change. EA has been proposed as a path towards better achieving and sustaining stronger business-IT alignment and integration, cost reductions, greater agility, reduced time to market, and other important objectives. Yet there is little theoretical basis to explain how EA work can lead to such achievements; moreover, the creation of a holistic and resilient EA remains an elusive goal for most enterprises. In this paper we use concepts from Actor- Network Theory to highlight some important socio-political and socio-technical aspects of EA work in the context of complex organization situations. Specifically, we focus on such challenges as actor identification in EA negotiations, the importance of soft skills, integration and reconciliation of multiple EA representations, discovering hidden interests and reflecting them in EA representations, dealing with misalignments of interests, as well as creating an environment for continuous EA, and thereby enterprise, improvement.
Chemical manipulation of plant water use

Agricultural productivity is dictated by water availability and consequently drought is the major source of crop losses worldwide. The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) is elevated in response to water deficit and modulates drought tolerance by reducing water consumption and inducing other drought-protective responses. The recent identification of ABA receptors, elucidation of their structures and understanding of the core ABA signaling network has created new opportunities for agrochemical development. An unusually large gene family encodes ABA receptors and, until recently, it was unclear if selective or pan-agonists would be necessary for modulating water use. The recent identification of the selective agonist quinabactin has resolved this issue and defined Pyrabactin Resistance 1 (PYR1) and its close relatives as key targets for water use control. This review provides an overview of the structure and function of ABA receptors, progress in the development of synthetic agonists, and the use of orthogonal receptors to enable agrochemical control in transgenic plants.
Genome-wide analysis of KAP1, the 7SK snRNP complex, and RNA polymerase II

The transition of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) from transcription initiation into productive elongation in eukaryotic cells is regulated by the P-TEFb kinase, which phosphorylates the C-terminal domain of paused Pol II at promoter-proximal regions. Our recent study found that P-TEFb (in an inhibited state bound to the 7SK snRNP complex) interacts with the KAP1/TRIM28 transcriptional regulator, and that KAP1 and the 7SK snRNP co-occupy most gene promoters containing paused Pol II. Here we provide a detailed experimental description and analysis of the ChIP-seq datasets that have been deposited into Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO): GS72622, so that independent groups can replicate and expand upon these findings. We propose these datasets would provide valuable information for researchers studying mechanisms of transcriptional regulation including Pol II pausing and pause release.
Abstract 291: Upregulation of Multiple DNA Methyltransferase Isoforms is Associated With Tissue Inflammation in Human Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm

Thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) is a degenerative condition of the aorta characterized by aortic dilatation secondary to tissue inflammation and matrix remodeling, which ultimately progresses to aortic dissection and rupture. While recent work suggests that in vitro exposure to pro-inflammatory stimuli promotes DNMT3b-dependent DNA methylation in skeletal muscle, epigenetic mechanisms regulating gene expression in TAA remain largely uncharacterized. We therefore tested the hypothesis that expression of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) is increased in human TAA tissue and that such increases are associated with upregulation of DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) levels. Normal aortic samples (n=13) were acquired from non-aneurysmal hearts/aorta not suitable for cardiac transplant, whereas TAA samples from patients with tricuspid aortic valves (n=29) were acquired from patients undergoing elective surgery for aortic aneurysm. We measured relative expression of TNF-α, DNMT1, DNMT3a and DNMT3b mRNA levels in normal and TAA tissue by qRT-PCR, and DNMT3b protein levels by western blot. Marked increases in expression of the inflammatory marker TNF-α were noted in TAA tissue (12.3± 2.34), and were associated with significantly increased DNMT1 (1.4±0.13), DNMT3a (1.44±0.09) and DNMT3b (1.94±0.27) mRNA levels (p<0.05 for all). DNMT3b protein levels were also dramatically increased in human TAA samples (2.99±0.58-fold, n = 10/group, p<0.05) when compared to normal aortic tissue. Collectively, these data suggest a novel potential role for DNA methyltransferases as major regulators of altered gene expression in TAA, and support our working hypothesis that inflammation-induced increases in DNMT3b levels may be critical repressors of protective gene expression in TAA.
Judges of the Kentucky Circuit Courts, 1831-1861

For much of the nineteenth century, the circuit court judge was the law in the counties and small towns of Kentucky. Felonies and the most important civil matters all awaited his twice annual sessions at the county court house. With no criminal appeal allowed until just before the Civil War, the rulings of the circuit judge in matters of life and liberty were final. Despite the importance of these officials to the life of Kentucky, researchers seeking to find information about the men who held this office have had few readily accessible guides. This paper uses old almanacs and statute books to reconstruct a listing of the names of these jurists and the geographic boundaries of the circuits they rode.
Noetic Insight and Noematic Recalcitrance

There are not many facts about the noema, and the portrait that emerges from them is far from clear. Thus a “phenomenology of the noema” that would follow Husserl’s instructions on how to do phenomenology begins with difficulties that may well be responsible for the variety of incompatible descriptions in the phenomenological community and on so many pages of commentary. This lack of consensus about a central feature of Husserlian phenomenology presents a challenge (at best) and a confusion (at worst) to readers new to Husserlian scholarship. But in the context of a symposium devoted not to using noematic analysis for phenomenological investigations of other topics, but to developing a “phenomenology of the noema,” we can appreciate and even savor Husserl’s injunction: Be a perpetual beginner; question, radically, the very subject-matter at issue.1 Very well: our subject-matter is the noema. We want then to consider what it is, why Husserl introduced it, and how it functions in phenomenological practice. In other words, we want to consider the noema’s character, value, and purpose.
Influence of gestational age and birth weight in neonatal cholesterol response to total parenteral nutrition

Background Premature and critically ill infants receiving total parenteral nutrition (TPN) are at risk for dyslipidemia, and altered cholesterol levels in early life may contribute to later cardiovascular risk. Data regarding plasma cholesterol response to TPN in young infants are lacking. Objective To determine the changes in plasma cholesterol levels during the first week of life in infants receiving TPN and a comparison group of infants who did not receive TPN during routine care. Methods In a prospective, pilot cohort study, 38 neonates (30 TPN vs. 8 No-TPN) underwent serial blood sampling during the first week of life. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry was used to measure cholesterol in plasma and TPN administered to study participants. Results Baseline cholesterol level was similar between groups. In contrast to infants who did not receive TPN, cholesterol levels during the first week of life were significantly higher than baseline in infants receiving TPN (maximum cholesterol response 34% vs. 103% change from baseline, No-TPN vs. TPN, respectively, P = .036). After adjusting for cumulative cholesterol received by infants receiving TPN, maximum cholesterol response remained inversely related to gestational age and birth weight ( P Conclusion Plasma cholesterol significantly increases during the first week of life in neonates receiving TPN. A higher cholesterol response was induced by TPN in infants of lower gestational age and birth weight.
Complex Electronic Structure of Rare Earth Activators in Scintillators

To aid and further the understanding of the microscopic mechanisms behind the scintillator nonproportionality that leads to degradation of the attainable energy resolution, we have developed theoretical and experimental algorithms and procedures to determine the position of the 4f energy levels of rare earth dopants relative to the host band edge states.
Simultaneous determination of 5 additives in foods by HPLC

[Objective] To develop a method for detection of acesulfame-K, saccharin sodium, benzoic acid, sorbic acid and aspartame in foods by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). [Methods] The food samples were deproteinized, decolored, ultrasonic extracted, filtered and detected simultaneously using DAD under optimal chromatography conditions. [Results] A good linear relationship was obtained and the correlation coefficient was 0.9995-0.9999.The rate of recovery was 90.70%-98.20% and relative standard deviation (RSD) was 0.41%-2.40%. [Conclusion] This method is simple,rapid,reliable and accurate. It is suitable for popularized application.
Hypertension: Update 2006

The most important objective of this brief update is to thank you, the readers, authors, editorial board members, and reviewers, for your support of Hypertension and for your excellent scientific contributions, the primary reasons for the continued success of the journal. We also wish to provide a brief summary of the current status of the journal and progress in achieving the goals that we outlined previously1: (1) to publish the highest quality original basic and clinical research relating to hypertension, (2) to increase the readership and scientific importance of Hypertension , (3) to ensure rapid and fair manuscript reviews, rapid publication of papers, and to provide the highest possible level of efficiency and “customer satisfaction” in our office operations, and (4) to effectively serve the international community of hypertension researchers and clinicians and to provide an important vehicle for achieving the mission of the American Heart Association (AHA) and its scientific councils. Many other cardiovascular and hypertension journals compete for the “best” papers. Yet, by all objective measures, including “impact factor,” acceptance rate, “customer” feedback, readership surveys, and other data, the quality of manuscripts published in Hypertension appears to be very high, and the journal is recognized as the best in its field. ### Increased Scientific “Impact” and Greater Readership The Journal Citation Reports (JCR) scientific impact factor of Hypertension for the past year was the highest in the journal’s history at 6.33 and was the highest of any journal devoted to basic or clinical hypertension research. The JCR also ranks Hypertension among the top 5 journals in the category of peripheral vascular disease. The cited half-life of Hypertension articles also increased to 6.1 years, indicating that that papers published in the journal have “staying power” and continue to be cited for many years after they are published. Moreover, the immediacy index, a measure of …
Associations between neighborhood context, physical activity, and sleep in adolescents ☆

Abstract Objective This study examined how neighborhood access to recreation facilities and physical activity are linked to multiple indices of adolescent sleep. Physical activity was also assessed as a mediator of the association between access to recreation facilities and sleep. Design The study used a cross-sectional design and path modeling analysis techniques. Setting Participants were recruited from small towns and semirural communities in Alabama. Participants Participants were 231 adolescents (55% girls) with an average (SD) age of 16.75 (0.81) years. Sixty-seven percent of the youth were European American and 33% were African American. The sample was socioeconomically diverse, with more than a third of participants living at or below the poverty line and less than half from middle class families. Measurements Adolescent neighborhood access to recreation facilities and physical activity were assessed via self-report. Sleep minutes, efficiency, and schedule were measured using actigraphy. Results Access to recreation facilities was associated with more sleep minutes and later morning wake time, as well as a trend toward increased sleep efficiency. Access to recreation facilities was also linked to more physical activity, and physical activity was related to more sleep minutes, later wake time, and less wake time variability. Physical activity was a mediating and intervening link between access to recreation facilities and these sleep parameters. Conclusions Findings implicate physical activity as one mechanism linking neighborhood context to adolescent sleep. The results suggest that establishing more neighborhood opportunities for physical activity may have cascading effects on multiple aspects of adolescent physical health.
Empathy and Gender: Are Men and Women Complementary or Opposite Sexes?

Findings from a large number of gender studies indicate that women in the general population and in health professionals-in-training and in-practice often obtain higher scores than men on self-reported measures of empathy. There are some plausible explanations for gender differences in empathy. For example, women are endowed with a greater capacity for social relationship than men, evident by the observations that they often begin showing more sensitivity to social stimuli and emotional signals and demonstrate more care-oriented qualities at an early age. Although social learning and cultural values have important role in determining gender differences in social behavior and empathy, other factors such as human evolution history (e.g., sexual selection, parental investment in child rearing, and ancestral division of labor), constitutional dispositions, and hormonal and biophysiological factors also contribute to the differences. Evidence suggests that some of the gender differences could be pre-wired beyond social or observational learning. Although in a broader context men and women are more similar than different, accumulated evidence continues to confirm that gender differences in some personal qualities and mental abilities should not be considered as trivial or nonexistent. The fact that some of the gender differences are in favor of women (e.g., “communal” inclination, verbal ability) and some in favor of men (e.g., “agentic” inclination, spatial ability) implies that in social skills and mental abilities, men and women should be viewed as “complementary” rather than “opposite” sexes.
Third-order optical nonlinearities of phthalocyanines

We recently reported the third-order optical susceptibilities of the Pt, Pb, and metal free tetrakis(cumylphenoxy)phthalocyanines (Pc) measured at 1.064 μm, a wavelength far from the main absorption bands.1 The third-order susceptibilities were remarkably large and varied substantially with the metal in the order Pt > Pb > metal free. To explore the origin of these large hyperpolarizabilities, the third-order hyperpolarizibility of a sequence of transition metal phthalocyanines has been studied.
Development of a Human Factors Methods Blog for an Audience of Game Developers

We, as human factors practitioners and researchers, often must describe what we study, how we do it, and why it matters. As a part of those efforts, we developed a blog introducing human factors methods and their applications for an audience of game developers. Each method is discussed and illustrated using examples applied to games. We also describe our goals for the blog’s style and structure, and ideas for further refinement.
Energetics in robotic flight at small scales

Recent advances in design, sensing and control have led to aerial robots that offer great promise in a range of real-world applications. However, one critical open question centres on how to improve the energetic efficiency of aerial robots so that they can be useful in practical situations. This review paper provides a survey on small-scale aerial robots (i.e. less than 1 m2 area foot print, and less than 3 kg weight) from the point of view of energetics. The paper discusses methods to improve the efficiency of aerial vehicles, and reports on recent findings by the authors and other groups on modelling the impact of aerodynamics for the purpose of building energy-aware motion planners and controllers.
Building Capacity Among Laity: A Faith-Based Health Ministry Initiative

A systematic review of topic-specific faith-based health programs determined that health outcomes can be improved though faith-based health interventions. A university research team, in partnership with the Kansas United Methodist Church and a United Methodist philanthropy, facilitated planning and development of a statewide initiative to increase the capacity of laity-led health ministry teams. The purpose of this paper is to describe the processes utilized to design and implement an initiative to increase capacity for laity-led comprehensive health ministry among Kansas United Methodist Church congregations and to share the key elements of the initiative.
Environmental impact, life cycle analysis and battery performance of upcycled carbon anodes

For rechargeable lithium ion batteries, natural and synthetic graphite anodes come with great economic and environmental costs. Carbon microsheets, developed from used starch packing peanuts, are a carbonaceous alternative with great electrochemical performance and quantifiable environmental footprint. This work investigates how synthesis route (e.g., ambient inert gas or vacuum) influences microsheet electrochemistry and environmental impact. Carbon microsheets show gravimetric capacity greater than conventional graphite, with argon-derived microsheets demonstrating gravimetric capacity up to ca. 30% greater than vacuum-derived ones. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is used to examine the environmental impact of synthesis routes across standard midpoint TRACI categories (viz., ozone depletion, global warming, smog, acidification, eutrophication, carcinogenics, non-carcinogenics, respiratory effects, eco-toxicity, and fossil fuel depletion). Midpoint LCA illustrates that the impact of the vacuum process is sensitive to the origin of utilized energy. For instance, with respect to ozone depletion, vacuum pyrolysis produces less emission equivalents than its argon analog – assuming conventional domestic energy profile. In this sense, the context of energy should be considered alongside environmental impact in evaluation of process sustainability.
Differences in internal control weaknesses among varying municipal election policies

Abstract In a time when regulators and constituents are growing increasingly concerned with municipal fraud, abuse, waste and inefficiencies, developing a well-designed, effective internal control system is key for municipalities to curb these issues. In this study, the relationship between municipal elections and internal control weaknesses is examined. As elections have been shown to improve public officials’ performance via accountability, appropriate use of elections is expected to have a pivotal effect on a municipality, ultimately impacting the operating effectiveness of the internal control system. Two election variables – election of the Finance official and use of term limits for City Council and the mayor – are evaluated to determine if a relationship with the prevalence of internal control weaknesses reported exists. The contribution of this study is the finding that both the use of term limits and election of the Finance official are associated with fewer instances of internal control weaknesses, implying that these election policies have a meaningful effect on governance quality, impacting the effectiveness of internal controls.