cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Network Based Telemetry Upgrade for the DIII-D Neutral Beam Power Diagnostics

AbstractWater flow calorimetry is utilized at DIII-D to quantify injected neutral beam power. As part of the system upgrades for the past year, the old CAMAC-based telemetry system for the WFC diagnostic was replaced by a fiber optic Ethernet-based telemetry system. The difficulty to obtain replacement CAMAC hardware and the prospect of lower noise and spurious signal sensitivity motivated the move to fiber optic Ethernet-based telemetry. The new system was installed and tested during the 2006 physics campaign startup phase. Both the CAMAC-based system and the new Ethernet-based system were used to acquire data from one common neutral beam ion source in the current year. System performance improvements are presented.
Measuring fishery productivity growth in the Northeastern United States 2007–2018

Abstract Fishing vessel productivity is an important metric in terms of economic performance, and yields information about the financial impact of policy changes on fishing fleets. In this study, a new method is proposed to measure sector-wide commercial fishery total factor productivity (TFP), and is applied using northeastern United States fishery-level data from 2007 to 2018. Results from the study are linked to changes which occurred after 2006 Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act (MSFCMRA). This is accomplished by employing a translog production possibility frontier to measure total outputs, inputs, and TFP using Tornqvist indices. Quality differences embodied in the capital assets are accounted for, and the TFP measurement is adjusted for fishery stock changes. Results show that for most fisheries, improvements in biomass after the MSFCMRA re-authorization led to improved TFP. However, when biomass growth estimates were separated from overall TPP growth, biomass-adjusted TFP annual growth declined about 2% per year. This highlights the importance of separating biomass growth from output growth so managers understand the impact of their policies on the commercial fishing sector separately from biomass growth.
The Marketing System of Exchange Between Regulatory and Political Entrepreneurs Engaging in Arbitrage

After receiving cease and desist letters in 2018, Bird strategically developed hospitable relationships with politicians that allowed the scooter-sharing firm to continue operating. Bird acts as a ...
A Review of High Flow Nasal Cannula Oxygen Therapy in Human and Veterinary Medicine.

Respiratory distress is a common ailment in small animal medicine. Oxygen supplementation is a mainstay of initial therapy. High Flow Nasal Cannula Oxygen Therapy (HFNCOT) has become increasingly popular as a treatment modality in human medicine, and more recently in canine patients. These devices deliver high flow rates of heated and humidified oxygen at an adjustable fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2). This article reviews current literature in human patients on HFNCOT as well as studies that have evaluated its use in veterinary patients. A discussion of the respiratory physiology that is associated with respiratory distress, in addition to an overview of currently available oxygen supplementation modalities is provided. The physiologic benefits of HFNCOT are explained, as are technical aspects associated with its use. Recommendations on initial settings, maintenance therapy, and weaning are also described.
Transplant Arteriopathy: Role of Nitric Oxide Synthase

Endothelial vasodilator dysfunction is a major manifestation of transplant arteriopathy. This impairment reflects abnormalities in the production or activity of several endothelial vasoactive substances. Most notably, there is a significant deficit in the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) pathway. The impairment of the NOS pathway contributes to alterations in vascular reactivity, structure, and interaction with circulating factors. Since endothelium-derived NO suppresses vascular cell proliferation and vascular inflammation, a deficit in vascular NO facilitates the initiation and progression of transplant arteriopathy. The allograft endothelium is made dysfunctional by a number of factors including ischemia‐reperfusion during transplantation; metabolic abnormalities posttransplantation including dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and hypertension due to the use of immunosuppressive agents; the direct effects of some immunosuppressive agents on endothelial function; and infectious agents, most notably cytomegalovirus (CMV). This chapter focuses on factors adversely influencing endothelial dysfunction in transplant arteriopathy. The further delineation of the mechanisms by which the NOS pathway becomes dysregulated in transplant arteriopathy will be useful in the pursuit of new diagnostic and therapeutic modalities.
Using actual equipment data for process prediction in high-mix production

The process result prediction by means of equipment indicators is becoming essential technique for more precise process control. The difficulty in high mix production fab is to create the prediction model with insufficient sample size. It is demonstrated by experiments that the prediction model using a conventional method deteriorates its reliability or precision when sample size is smaller, so that the optimized methodologies in accordance with sample size were developed to obtain reliable prediction model. This method is verified using 45-nm Cu-interconnect via resistance prediction and the prediction result is in good match with the electrical characterization.
Acoustic imaging of objects buried in soil

A high-resolution acoustic imaging system is proposed for imaging objects buried in soil. The system incorporates a transducer array that collects acoustic data as it is moved across the soil surface. A mathematical model and associated computer software are developed in order to simulate the signals acquired by the actual system. Subsurface images are reconstructed from simulated and real data by using delay-and-sum beam-forming and by the application of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) theory to this particular problem.
NeuroQL: a domain-specific query language for neuroscience data

In this paper, we propose a domain-specific query language called NeuroQL for the neuroscience domain. NeuroQL is designed primarily for neuroinformatics database users and aims to enable users to directly interact with neuroscience databases in their professional concepts and terms with the help of a conceptual data model. NeuroQL is DBMS independent and can be translated into traditional query language such as SQL, OQL and XQuery. It integrates some object-oriented features, and supports neuron domain-specific data types and query operators, which can dynamically evolve when the underlying database schema evolves.
Evaluation of Escherichia coli biotype I as a surrogate for Escherichia coli O157:H7 for cooking, fermentation, freezing, and refrigerated storage in meat processes.

Five Escherichia coli biotype I isolates were compared with E. coli O157:H7 under four common meat processing conditions. The processes that were evaluated were freezing, refrigerating, fermentation, and thermal inactivation. For each study, at least one surrogate organism was not statistically different when compared with E. coli O157:H7. However, the four studies did not consistently show the same isolate as having this agreement. The three studies that involved temperature as a method of controlling or reducing the E. coli population all had at least one possible surrogate in common. In the fermentation study, only one isolate (BAA-1429) showed no statistical difference when compared with E. coli O157:H7. However, the population reductions that were observed indicated the isolates BAA-1427 and BAA-1431 would overestimate the surviving E. coli O157:H7 population in a fermented summer sausage. When all of the data from all of the surrogates were examined, it was found that isolates BAA-1427, BAA-1429, and BAA-1430 would be good surrogates for all four of the processes that were examined in this study. There was no statistical difference noted between these three isolates and E. coli O157:H7 in the refrigeration study. These isolates resulted in smaller population reductions than did E. coli O157:H7 in the frozen, fermentation, and thermal inactivation studies. This would indicate that these isolates would overpredict the E. coli O157:H7 population in these three instances. This overprediction results in an additional margin of safety when using E. coli biotype 1 as a surrogate.
Electric dipole moment of Dirac fermionic dark matter

Abstract The direct limit of electric dipole moment and direct searches for dark matter by electric dipole interaction are investigated with including the electromagnetic nuclear form factor, in case that the dark matter candidate is a Dirac particle. The electric dipole moment of dark matter constrained by direct searches must be lower than 7 × 10 − 22 e cm for dark matter mass of 100 GeV to satisfy the current experimental exclusion limits at XENON10 and CDMS II. The CP violation of electric dipole moment and the dark matter discovery by electric dipole interaction in the future are considered.
Modeling Habitat Connectivity to Inform Reintroductions: A Case Study with the Chiricahua Leopard Frog

Abstract Managing species with intensive tools such as reintroduction may focus on single sites or entire landscapes. For vagile species, long-term persistence will require colonization and establishment in neighboring habitats. Therefore, both suitable colonization sites and suitable dispersal corridors between sites are required. Assessment of landscapes for both requirements can contribute to ranking and selection of reintroduction areas, thereby improving management success. Following eradication of invasive American Bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) from most of Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge (BANWR; Arizona, United States), larval Chiricahua Leopard Frogs (Lithobates chiricahuensis) from a private pond were reintroduced into three stock ponds. Populations became established at all three reintroduction sites followed by colonization of neighboring ponds in subsequent years. Our aim was to better understand colonization patterns by the federally threatened L. chiricahuensis which could help i...
Label-free Detection of Lymph Node Metastases with US-guided Functional Photoacoustic Imaging.

By using the photoacoustic measurements of blood oxygen saturation averaged throughout the entire volume of the lymph nodes, a clear difference between healthy nodes and metastatic nodes can be seen.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease: The Classic Gastrointestinal Autoimmune Disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an idiopathic disease thought to be caused by a dysregulated immune response to host intestinal microflora. The role of genetic factors is indicated by familial clustering of cases and higher incidence in monozygotic twins. An interaction between genetic and environmental factors is thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of these disorders. Changes in diet, antibiotic use and intestinal colonization have likely contributed to increased prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease in the past century. Environmental factors or infections are thought to alter the barrier function of the epithelium, leading to loss of immune tolerance to intestinal antigens. This loss of tolerance activates dendritic cells, triggering their transport to mesenteric lymph nodes, where they promote differentiation of naive T cells to TH-1, TH-2, TH-17 cells or T regulatory cells. Production of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines then follows. Circulating effector and regulatory cells enter the intestine through a highly selective mechanism that involves interaction with the vascular endothelium, diapedesis through the vessel wall and migration to the lamina propria. There are several genes implicated in IBD. Mutations in certain genes can cause defective down regulation of the innate immune response, ineffective clearance of intracellular bacteria and proliferation of both luminal and mucosal-adherent commensal bacteria. IBD is a chronic relapsing inflammatory condition that is immune mediated. Results from research in animal models, human genetics, basic science and clinical trials provide evidence that it is heterogeneous, characterized by various genetic abnormalities, leading to a dysregulated and overly aggressive T cell response to commensal enteric bacteria. Different genetic abnormalities can be characterized as causing defects in mucosal barrier function, immunoregulation or bacterial clearance. Advances in our understanding of the interplay between components of innate and adaptive immune response will be central to future progress.
Reconstructing predation pressure on crinoids: estimating arm-loss rates from regenerating arms

The regeneration abilities of crinoids not only are important to understanding crinoid ecology, but also can serve as the basis for assessing the pressure exerted on crinoids by predators both in the Recent and in the geologic past. This is especially true of regenerating arms, because arm loss, and subsequent regeneration, is thought to result from interactions with predators, primarily fish. However, the commonly used regeneration-based proxy for predation pressure (proportion of individuals with regenerating arms) does not provide a measure of the rate at which those events occurred. Here we present a method for reconstructing the arm-loss rate per individual, a more direct proxy of predation pressure. This metric accounts for differences in arm length, arm number, and branching pattern, features highly variable among taxa, among environments, and through geologic time. Normalizing for those characters permits the transformation of observed proportions of regenerating arms to rates that can be compared across samples of morphologically distinct crinoids. Applying this method to a Recent crinoid (Cenometra bella) reveals that this shallow-water comatulid loses arms at a rate of about once every ten days. The same approach reveals that Mississippian shallow-water crinoids (Rhodocrinites kirbyi) experienced arm loss much less frequently, approximately once every 36 days, suggesting that predation pressure on crinoids today is greater than it was in the Mississippian.
Extreme interplanetary rotational discontinuities at 1 AU

[1] This study is concerned with the identification and description of a special subset of four Wind interplanetary rotational discontinuities (from an earlier study of 134 directional discontinuities by Lepping et al. (2003)) with some extreme characteristics, in the sense that every case has (1) an almost planar current sheet surface, (2) a very large discontinuity angle (ω), (3) at least moderately strong normal field components (>0.8 nT), and (4) the overall set has a very broad range of transition layer thicknesses, with one being as thick as 50 R E and another at the other extreme being 1.6 R E , most being much thicker than are usually studied. Each example has a well-determined surface normal (n) according to minimum variance analysis and corroborated via time delay checking of the discontinuity with observations at IMP 8 by employing the local surface planarity. From the variance analyses, most of these cases had unusually large ratios of intermediate-to-minimum eigenvalues (λ I /λ min ), being on average 32 for three cases (with a fourth being much larger), indicating compact current sheet transition zones, another (the fifth) extreme property. For many years there has been a controversy as to the relative distribution of rotational (RDs) to tangential discontinuities (TDs) in the solar wind at 1 AU (and elsewhere, such as between the Sun and Earth), even to the point where some authors have suggested that RDs with large |B n |s are probably not generated or, if generated, are unstable and therefore very rare. Some of this disagreement apparently has been due to the different selection criteria used, e.g., some allowed eigenvalue ratios (λ I /λ min ) to be almost an order of magnitude lower than 32 in estimating n, usually introducing unacceptable error in n and therefore also in |B n |. However, we suggest that RDs may not be so rare at 1 AU, but good quality cases (where |B n | confidently exceeds the error in |B n |) appear to be uncommon, and further, cases of large |B n | may indeed be rare. Finally, the issue of estimating the number of RDs-to-TDs was revisited using the full 134 events of the original Lepping et al. (2003) study (which utilized the RDs' propagation speeds for this estimation, an unconventional approach) but now by considering only normal field components, the more conventional approach. This resulted in slightly different conclusions, depending on specific assumptions used, making the unconventional approach suspect.
Indications, Timing, and Prognosis of Operative Repair of Aortic Dissections

Since the first description of aortic dissection in the 1700s, the understanding and treatment of this catastrophic disease has evolved. Aortic dissections are identified as a tear in the aortic intima and inner layer of the media that allows for blood flow within the aortic wall. The area of the vessel involved determines its classification. The classification, in turn, helps to predict outcomes, which allows for appropriate treatment planning. The goal of this article is to outline the operative indications and timing for Stanford type A and type B dissections, based on prior reported data and our own clinical experience with 176 patients treated surgically at the Yale Center for Thoracic Aortic Disease. With this data we will revisit the importance of looking at each patient individually to devise an appropriate operative plan, with the knowledge that treatment for type A dissections is operative and treatment for type B dissections is medical unless patients present with actual or impending rupture, malperfusion, or failure of medical management.
Effects of Word Frequency and Number of Meanings for Fast and Slow Readers.

Abstract Using a lexical decision task, the effects of frequency and number of meanings are investigated for fast and slow readers. It is shown that different patterns of results emerge for fast and slow readers. For fast readers there are general effects of both frequency and number of meanings; for slow readers the effects are considerably attenuated.
Dextran sodium sulfate inhibition of real-time polymerase chain reaction amplification: A poly-A purification solution

Dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) induces experimental colitis and promotes colitis-associated cancer in rodents. In practice we observe potent inhibition of real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) using cDNA from DSS-exposed mouse tissues, which complicates gene expression analysis. Here we characterize DSS inhibition of qPCR in a wide array of murine tissues following ingestion of DSS. We examine different approaches to RNA purification prior to cDNA synthesis in order to optimize cDNA amplification and gene expression analysis. We find that poly-A purification of DSS-exposed RNA allows cDNA synthesis and permits reliable and cost-effective mRNA quantification for gene expression analysis in DSS-exposed tissue.
Exploring a virtual environment by walking in place using the Microsoft Kinect

When using a head-mounted display (HMD) to explore a virtual environment (VE), it is useful to navigate on foot. This aids spatial awareness because it provides the inertial cues related to physical locomotion. However, the size of the virtual environment that can be physically explored on foot can be no larger than the limits of the tracking system. One way to permit free exploration of any size virtual environment and provide some of the inertial cues of walking is to have the users "walk in place" (WIP)[Slater et al. 1995; Feasel et al. 2008; Williams et al. 2011]. With WIP, each step is treated as a translation of a distance even though the participant remains in the same location. In our prior work [Williams et al. 2011], we had success in implementing a WIP method using an inexpensive Nintendo Wii Balance Board and we showed that participants' spatial orientation was the same as normal walking and superior to joystick navigation. There were two major drawbacks of our previous WIP algorithm. First, our step detection algorithm had a half-step lag. Second, it was slightly annoying for participants to walk in place on the small board. Thus, the current work seeks to use overcome these limitations by presenting an algorithm to WIP using the Microsoft Kinect sensor. This technology is readily available to the public for around 150 USD.
Reliability and condition-based maintenance for multi-stent systems with stochastic-dependent competing risk processes

In this paper, we develop reliability and condition-based maintenance models for a multi-component system of stents implanted in human arteries that is subject to both delayed and instantaneous failures. Considering the physics of failure and probability of failure, we develop a system-level reliability model and maintenance strategy by merging fracture mechanics and stochastic process approaches. In our new system-level reliability model, due to the exposure of stents to the same shocks, the component failure times are probabilistically dependent. Two patient groups with different activity levels are considered, and their corresponding system-level reliability functions are derived. We further develop a new condition-based maintenance policy, in which the replacement is either a preventive or corrective action performed depending on the condition of the system. Numerical examples using data from the literature are presented to analyze the reliability of implanted multi-stent systems and investigate the effectiveness of the proposed condition-based maintenance policy.
Does psychiatry residency training reflect the "real world" of psychiatry practice? A survey of residency graduates.

Objective The authors determine whether Massachusetts General Hospital’s residency graduates believed their training reflected their current practice activities.
Cardiovascular risk factors and obesity: Are baseline levels of blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol and uric acid elevated prior to weight gain?

Abstract The increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality experienced by the obese may be partially mediated through alterations induced in other associated risk factors. The attribution of this cardiovascular risk to obesity presumes that levels of those risk factors are not elevated independently of, or prior to, weight gain. We therefore examined baseline levels of blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol, and uric acid within age and sex specific strata of a population of 4015 individuals followed an average of 15 years to determine if an increasing level of fatness (weight/height 2 ) at follow-up was associated with elevation of other risk factors at baseline. After controlling for baseline fatness we were unable to demonstrate any consistent relationship between future fatness and baseline elevation of any of the factors. The magnitude of the partial correlation coefficients for those age 6–24 or 25–65 years at baseline were less than 0.11 for all of the risk factors. While a metabolic predisposition may link obesity to alterations of other risk factors it appears unlikely that their elevation commonly precedes weight gain. A pre-existing elevation of risk factors has not resulted in the misattribution of cardiovascular risk to obesity.
Detection of acute infection/inflammation with Tc-99m labeled intact polyvalent human IgG

Intact polyvalent human immune globulin (IgG) labeled with Tc-99m by a mild chemical method was investigated with animals infected with either S. aureus or E. coli in the thigh muscle. Focal infection was clearly visualized by Tc-99m IgG scintigraphy within 1 h postinjection. Tc-99m IgG appeared to be concentrated in the liver, spleen, kidneys and urinary bladder. It cleared rapidly via the kidneys resulting minimal of tissue background activity and high infection-to-normal organ ratios. At 24 h postinjection, the ratios of infectious lesion to blood, normal muscle and bone averaged 10:1, 23:1, and 24:1 for S. aureus infection vs 4:1, 9:1 and 9:1 for E. coli infection, respectively. Tc-99m labeled IgG also concentrated in terpentine-induced aseptic inflammatory lesion with a target-to-blood ratio of 4:1, bone 6:1 and normal muscle about 10:1. These findings suggest potential value of Tc-99m IgG as an imaging agent for the early detection of focal infection and inflammation.
Embryonic temperature determines adult sexuality in a reptile

Gonadal differentiation in amniote vertebrates is controlled by one of two mechanisms: genotypic sex determination (GSD) or environmental sex determination (ESD)1. After differentiation the fetal gonad produces sex steroid hormones which govern the development of other components of sexuality2,3. Thus, the primary sex determiner is thought to operate solely as a trigger that initiates a cascade of events culminating in adult sex differences. In the leopard gecko (Eublephans macularius), gonadal and morphological sex is determined by incubation temperature, with relatively 'hot' temperatures (32 °C) resulting in mostly male offspring and relatively 'cold' temperatures (26 °C) resulting in only female offspring4,5. We report here that the reproductive behaviour and endocrine physiology of an adult is influenced by the temperature experienced as an embryo. Also, the perception of a female to courtship by a male is influenced by incubation temperature. These data indicate that incubation temperature, the primary determiner of sex in this species, has differential effects on adult sexuality.
The Transformation of Behavioral Healthcare in New Mexico

Since 1997, public-sector behavioral healthcare in New Mexico has remained under continual transition. We have conducted qualitative research to examine recent efforts in NM to establish a recovery-oriented behavioral healthcare system, focusing on comprehensive community support services, clinical homes, and core service agencies. We examine how decisions made in the outer context (e.g., the system level) shaped the implementation of each initiative within the inner context of service provision (e.g., provider agencies). We also clarify how sociopolitical factors, as exemplified in changes instituted by one gubernatorial administration and undone by its successor, can undermine implementation efforts and create crises within fragile behavioral healthcare systems. Finally, we discuss findings in relation to efforts to promote wraparound service planning and to establish medical home models under national healthcare reform.
Social and spatial ethnic segregation: a framework for analyzing segregation with large-scale spatial network data

While ethnic segregation plays an important role in determining the development trajectories of many countries, empirical measures of the dynamics of segregation remain rudimentary. In this paper, we develop a new computational framework to model and measure fine-grained patterns of segregation from novel sources of large-scale digital data. This framework improves upon prior work by providing a method for decomposing segregation into two types that previous work has been unable to separate: social segregation, as observed in interactions between people, and spatial segregation, as determined by the co-presence of individuals in physical locations. Our primary contribution is thus to develop a set of computational and quantitative methods that can be used to study segregation using generic spatial network data. A secondary contribution is to discuss in detail the strengths, weaknesses, and implications of this approach for studying segregation in developing countries, where ethnic divisions are common but data on segregation is often plagued by issues of bias and error. Finally, to demonstrate how this framework can be used in practice, and to illustrate the differences between social and spatial segregation, we run a series of diagnostic tests using data from a single city in a large developing country in South Asia. The case study we develop is based on anonymized data from a mobile phone network, but the framework can generalize easily to a broad class of spatial network data from sources such as Twitter, social media, and networked sensors.
Efficient Tool-Path Planning for Machining Free-Form Surfaces

This paper presents an analytical method for planning an efficient tool-path in machining free-form surfaces on 3-axis milling machines. This new approach uses a nonconstant offset of the previous tool-path, which guarantees the cutter moving in an unmachined area of the part surface and without redundant machining. The method comprises three steps : (1) the calculation of the tool-path interval, (2) the conversion from the path interval to the parametric interval, and (3) the synthesis of efficient tool-path planning.
LIM domain protein Trip6 has a conserved nuclear export signal, nuclear targeting sequences, and multiple transactivation domains

Abstract Trip6 is a member of a subfamily of LIM domain proteins, including also zyxin, LPP, Ajuba, and Hic-5, which localize primarily to focal adhesion plaques. However, in this report, we demonstrate that Trip6 is largely in the nucleus in cells treated with leptomycin B, suggesting that Trip6 shuttles between nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments and that nuclear export of Trip6 is dependent on Crm1. Consistent with this finding, we have identified a nuclear export signal (NES) in Trip6, and mutation of this NES also results in sequestration of Trip6 in the nucleus. Addition of the Trip6 NES to the nuclear v-Rel oncoprotein redirects v-Rel to the cytoplasm. Trip6 also has at least two sequences that can direct cytoplasmic β-galactosidase to the nucleus. Using GAL4 fusion proteins and reporter gene assays, we demonstrate that Trip6 has multiple transactivation domains, including one that appears to overlap with sequences of the NES. In vitro- or in vivo-synthesized Trip6, however, does not bind to DNA–cellulose. Taken together, these results are consistent with Trip6, and other members of this LIM protein family, having a role in relaying signals between focal adhesion plaques and the nucleus.
Regulation of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3-24-hydroxylase mRNA by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and parathyroid hormone.

The 25-hydroxyvitamin D(3)-24-hydroxylase mRNA is tightly and reciprocally regulated by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (1,25(OH)(2)D(3)) and parathyroid hormone (PTH). The upregulation of the 24-hydroxylase by 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) is well established and occurs at the transcriptional level through two vitamin D response elements in the promoter of the gene. However, this induction is blocked by the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide (CHX) indicating a protein component in the regulation pathway. CHX treatment reduced total vitamin D receptor (VDR) protein levels in cells, but reintroduction of VDR and/or retinoid X receptor protein into cells by transfection did not reduce the inhibition by CHX. This indicates that production of another transcription factor or mRNA-stabilizing protein synthesized in response to 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) is required for optimal accumulation of 24-hydroxylase mRNA. PTH downregulates the 24-hydroxylase mRNA by affecting its stability. The half-life of 24-hydroxylase mRNA is reduced 4.2-fold in AOK-B50 cells by PTH. Untranslated regions of the 24-hydroxylase mRNA in reporter gene assays did not confer PTH responsiveness. Further analysis of the coding region of the rat 24-hydroxylase may reveal sites of action of PTH.
Evaluating the Energy Intensity of the US Public Water System

Previous analyses have concluded that the United State’s water sector uses over 3% of national electricity consumption for the production, conveyance, and treatment of water and wastewater and as much as 10% when considering the energy required for on-site heating, cooling, pumping, and softening of water for end-use. The energy intensity of water is influenced by factors such as source water quality, its proximity to a water treatment facility and end-use, its intended end-use and sanitation level, as well as its conveyance to and treatment at a wastewater treatment facility. Since these requirements differ by geographic location, climate, season, and local water quality standards, the energy consumption of regional water systems vary significantly. While national studies have aggregated averages for the energy use and energy intensity of various stages of the of the US water system, these estimates do not capture the wide disparity between regional water systems. For instance, 19 percent of California’s total electricity generation is used to withdraw, collect, convey, treat, distribute, and prepare water for end-use, nearly doubling the national average. Much of this electricity is used to move water over high elevations and across long distances from water-rich to water-stressed regions of the state. Potable water received by users in Southern California has typically been pumped as far as 450 miles, and lifted nearly 2000ft over the system’s highest point in the Tehachapi Mountains. Consequently, the energy intensity of San Diego County’s water is approximately 11,000 kWh per million gallons for pumping treatment and distribution, as compared to the US average which is estimated to be in the vicinity of 1,500–2,000 kWh per million gallons. With added pressures on the state’s long-haul transfer systems from population growth and growing interest in energy-intensive desalination, this margin will likely increase. This manuscript consists of a first-order analysis to quantify the energy embedded in the US public water supply, which is the primary water source to residential, commercial, and municipal users. Our analysis finds that energy use associated with the public water supply is 4.7% of the nation’s annual primary energy and 6.1% of national electricity consumption, respectively. Public water and wastewater pumping, treatment, and distribution, as well as commercial and residential water-heating were considered in this preliminary work. End-use energy requirements associated with water for municipal, industrial, and self-supplied sectors (i.e. agriculture, thermoelectric, mining, etc.) were not included in this analysis.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Bioavailability of dicumarol from different commercial tablets in dogs

The availability of dicumarol from three different commercial tablets was determined by measuring plasma levels in dogs and by an in vitro dissolution rate test. The products showed significant differences in plasma levels, areas under plasma level curves, peak prothrombin time responses, and rates of dissolution even though they contained the labeled amount of dicumarol.
Effect of Temperature and Preconditioning on Photoperiodic Response of Pharbitis nil.

Temperature and preconditioning effect on photoperiodic response of Pharbitis nil, strain Violet short-day plant
Is the use of prosthetic mesh recommended in severely obese patients undergoing concomitant abdominal wall hernia repair and sleeve gastrectomy

Background The concomitant use of nonabsorbable mesh during stapled bariatric surgery has been discouraged due to potential contamination. The aim of our study was to compare and quantify the extent of bacterial load and gross contamination of the peritoneal cavity in patients undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) vs those undergoing laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB). Study design We prospectively enrolled all patients undergoing LSG and LRYGB. Peritoneal fluid aspirate samples were collected from each subject. Sample A was obtained at the beginning of the procedure, and sample B was obtained at the end of the procedure either from the staple line wash of the LSG or the gastrojejunostomy in the LRYGB. Results A total of 77 patients (51 LSG and 26 LRYGB) and 154 samples (102 from LSG and 52 from LRYGB) were included in this study. All samples obtained at the beginning of each procedure (sample A) were culture negative. Samples of peritoneal fluid obtained at the end of the procedure (sample B) in sleeve gastrectomy procedures were all negative (0%) after a minimum of 72 hours for aerobic and anaerobic cultures. Those obtained for LRYGB (sample B) were culture positive in 4 of 26 (15%). The latter results are statistically significant (p Conclusions Intraperitoneal bacterial cultures in patients undergoing LSG are negative, contrary to those in patients undergoing LRYGB. The concomitant use of prosthetic material to repair ventral hernias in patients undergoing an LSG procedure should be safe and feasible.
Unzipping the Role of Myosin Light Chain Phosphatase in Smooth Muscle Cell Relaxation

Recently, it has been hypothesized that myosin light chain (MLC) phosphatase is activated by cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG) via a leucine zipper-leucine zipper (LZ-LZ) interaction through the C-terminal LZ in the myosin-binding subunit (MBS) of MLC phosphatase and the N-terminal LZ of PKG (Surks, H. K., Mochizuki, N., Kasai, Y., Georgescu, S. P., Tang, K. M., Ito, M., Lincoln, T. M., and Mendelsohn, M. E. (1999) Science 286, 1583-1587). Alternative splicing of a 3'-exon produces a LZ+ or LZ- MBS, and the sensitivity to cGMP-mediated smooth muscle relaxation correlates with the relative expression of LZ+/LZ- MBS isoforms (Khatri, J. J., Joyce, K. M., Brozovich, F. V., and Fisher, S. A. (2001) J. Biol. Chem. 276, 37250 -37257). In the present study, we determined the effect of LZ+/LZ- MBS isoforms on cGMP-induced MLC20 dephosphorylation. Four avian smooth muscle MBS-recombinant adenoviruses were prepared and transfected into cultured embryonic chicken gizzard smooth muscle cells. The expressed exogenous MBS isoforms were shown to replace the endogenous isoform in the MLC phosphatase holoenzyme. The interaction of type I PKG (PKGI) with the MBS did not depend on the presence of cGMP or the MBS LZ. However, direct activation of PKGI by 8-bromo-cGMP produced a dose-dependent decrease in MLC20 phosphorylation (p<0.05) only in smooth muscle cells expressing a LZ+ MBS. These results suggest that the activation of MLC phosphatase by PKGI requires a LZ+ MBS, but the binding of PKGI to the MBS is not mediated by a LZ-LZ interaction. Thus, the relative expression of LZ+/LZ- MBS isoforms could explain differences in tissue sensitivity to NO-mediated vasodilatation.
The microwave spectrum of ammonia in Jupiter's atmosphere

Abstract High-frequency-resolution observations of the microwave inversions lines of ammonia in Jupiter have been compared with the models of the temperature inversion in the stratosphere of the planet to deduce that much of the ammonia must be frozen out in the cloud layer, leaving a smaller mixing ration above.
A fluorescence based assay for DNA damage induced by radiation, chemical mutagens and enzymes

Abstract A simple and rapid assay to detect DNA damage is reported. This novel assay is based on changes in melting/annealing behavior and facilitated using certain dyes that increase their fluorescence upon association with double stranded (ds)DNA. Damage caused by ultraviolet (UV) radiation, chemical mutagens or restriction enzymes produced an assay response. UV radiation at 254 nm (approximating UV-C) and 360 nm (approximating UV-A) were used to induce the damage in dsDNA. Chemical damage was induced using several compounds with known effects on nucleic acids. Restriction enzymes Hind III, Msp1, Sau 3A1 were used to cut the plasmid (pUC19) at specific sequences in addition to the non-specific endonuclease DNase I. The effects of these types of damage on repeated melting and annealing of dsDNA were observed in real time using several fluorescence indicator dyes. Low concentrations of dsDNA (between 10 and 100 ng/ml) and small volumes (20 μl) were required for this assay. Repeated measures yielded a coefficient of variation of 2% (CV%). In addition to measuring various DNA damaging agents, the potential application of this assay to study the efficiency of various sun blocking agents against UV-induced DNA damage is discussed.
Welfare costs of the U.S. antidumping and countervailing duty laws

Abstract The antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) laws in the United States have become the most pervasive form of import relief sought by domestic producers. This paper estimates the collective economic effect of the hundreds of active U.S. AD/CVD orders. Using a computable general equilibrium model, we estimate that the collective net economic welfare cost in 1993 of these orders to be $4 billion. This welfare estimate is sensitive to various modeling assumptions, which are explored in the paper. With the implementation of the Uruguay Round Agreements, the AD/CVD laws remain one of the costliest programs restraining U.S. trade.
More expendable than slaves? Racial justice and the after-life of slavery

The contemporary context of the struggle for immigrant rights is characterized by the detention and deportation of children, ongoing militarization of the border, the demonization and criminalization of migrants, heavily armed vigilantes who kill, humiliate, and threaten immigrants with impunity. The public discourse on immigration is defined by racist antiimmigrant editorials, ballot measures, Congressional speeches, and public affairs “debates”, that are often more adequately described as hate speech. All these things contribute to an environment that definitely undercuts Latino voters and perhaps more importantly Latino non-voters including children, undocumented people, and people residing in detention. This stage of the struggle for immigrant rights reminds people of slavery, bondage, the convict lease system, and resistance to them as well as the direct action taken to mobilize after the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act and to press for Anti-Lynching legislation. It is not accidental that this toxi...
Bifurcation analysis of nonlinear reaction¿diffusion problems using wavelet-based reduction techniques

Using a computational method for numerical homogenization, we perform the coarse-scale bifurcation analysis of nonlinear reaction-diffusion problems in both uniform and spatially varying media. The method is based on wavelet decomposition and projection of the differential equation on coarse scale wavelet spaces. The approach is capable of capturing turning points and pitchfork bifurcations of sharp, front-like solutions at the coarse level.
Brain Carbohydrate Metabolism in Developing Rats During Hypercapnia

: Brain glucose metabolism was studied in developing rats at ages 10 and 20 days postnatal under normal and hypercapnic conditions. Brains were removed and frozen within 1 s with a freeze-blowing apparatus. Glucose utilization was measured with [2-14C]glucose and [3H]deoxyglucose as tracers. Metabolites were determined by standard enzymatic techniques. Data from [3H]deoxyglucose phosphorylation indicated that normal brain glucose utilization increased almost threefold between the 10th and 20th postnatal days. From the relative rates of utilization of the two isotopes in the 20-day-old control group, it appeared that about 25% of 14C label derived from metabolism of [2-14C]glucose was lost from brain (probably as lactate) rather than entering the Krebs cycle. Under hypercapnic conditions (20% CO2-21% O2-59% N2), rates of glucose utilization by brain were decreased by one-half at both ages and there were progressive decreases in the concentrations of many intermediary metabolites. The bases for concluding that these metabolites were used to supplement glucose as a fuel for respiration, rather than being lost by leakage into blood, are discussed. Despite the differences in brain glucose metabolism between 10-day-old and 20-day-old rats, their responses to hypercapnia are remarkably similar: Rates of glucose utilization are reduced to approximately the same proportion of the original rate by 20% CO2, and endogenous metabolites (particularly glutamate and lactate) appear to be oxidized as replacement fuels.
Electromechanical behavior of auxetic piezoelectric cellular solids

Cellular solids and piezoelectrically active materials are important to a wide range of engineering applications in their own right. However, the integration of these two classes of materials into a hybrid porous electroactive composite promises to result in materials with a unique combinations of properties. In this work a multifunctional electroactive cellular material engineered by employing piezoelectrically active constituents in an auxetic and topologically tailored cellular solid is proposed, and its unique properties are highlighted using finite element analysis.
Anomaly based vessel detection in visible and infrared images

Detection of small vessels is a challenging task for navy, coast guard and port authority for security purposes. Vessel identification is more complex as compared to other object detection because of its variability in shapes, features and orientations. Current methods for vessel detection are primarily based on segmentation techniques which are not as efficient and also require different algorithms for visible and infrared images. In this paper, a new vessel detection technique is proposed employing anomaly detection. The input intensity image is first converted to feature space using difference of Gaussian filters. Then a detector filter in the form of Mahalanobis distance is applied to the feature points to detect anomalies whose characteristics are different from their surroundings. Anomalies are detected as bright spots in both visible and infrared image. The larger the gray value of the pixels the more anomalous they are to be. The detector output is then post-processed and a binary image is constructed where the boat edges with strong variance relative to the background are identified along with few outliers from the background. The resultant image is then clustered to identify the location of the vessel. The main contribution in this paper is developing an algorithm which can reliably detect small vessels in visible and infrared images. The proposed method is investigated using real-life vessel images and found to perform excellent in both visible and infrared images with the same system parameters.
Understanding Principal Leadership: An International Perspective and a Narrative Approach.

This article reviews recent literature in educational administration that supports the argument that leadership matters. School principals exert influence on teachers, who in turn affect student achievement. There is a need for an international approach both to replicate large studies and to use a narrative approach to study leaders in their historical and school context. Concepts and methods from adult development can provide an understanding of the role of the principal. Future research in educational administration should address the lives of principals expressed in their own voices.
Smallest Nanotube: Breaking the Symmetry of sp 3 Bonds in Tubular Geometries

We describe how $s{p}^{2}$ carbon, threefold coordinated by other carbons, can be replaced by $s{p}^{3}$ carbon, also threefold carbon coordinated, to produce extremely small-diameter ( $\ensuremath{\sim}0.4\mathrm{nm}$) carbon nanowires with only minimal bond-angle distortion. Under a naming convention analogous to that for ordinary carbon nanotubes, the smallest $s{p}^{3}$ tubes have wrapping indices $(3,0)$ and $(2,2)$. These systems have large band gaps and a stiffness larger even than that of traditional $s{p}^{2}$-bonded carbon nanotubes. They therefore form the stiffest one-dimensional systems known.