cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Investigation of signal transduction routes within the sensor/transducer protein BlaR1 of Staphylococcus aureus.

The transmembrane antibiotic sensor/signal transducer protein BlaR1 is part of a cohort of proteins that confer β-lactam antibiotic resistance in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) [Fisher, J. F., Meroueh, S. O., and Mobashery, S. (2005) Chem. Rev. 105, 395–424; Llarrull, L. I., Fisher, J. F., and Mobashery, S. (2009) Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 53, 4051–4063; Llarrull, L. I., Toth, M., Champion, M. M., and Mobashery, S. (2011) J. Biol. Chem. 286, 38148–38158]. Specifically, BlaR1 regulates the inducible expression of β-lactamases that hydrolytically destroy β-lactam antibiotics. The resistance phenotype starts with β-lactam antibiotic acylation of the BlaR1 extracellular domain (BlaRS). The acylation activates the cytoplasmic protease domain through an obscure signal transduction mechanism. Here, we compare protein dynamics of apo versus antibiotic-acylated BlaRS using nuclear magnetic resonance. Our analyses reveal inter-residue interactions that relay acylation-induced perturbations w...
Quantum efficiencies of imaging detectors with alkali halide photocathodes. 1: Microchannel plates with separate and integral Csl photocathodes.

Measurements and comparisons have been made of the quantum efficiencies of microchannel plate (MCP) detectors in the far-UV (below 2000-A) wavelength range using CsI photocathodes (a) deposited on the front surfaces of microchannel plates and (b) deposited on solid substrates as opaque photocathodes with the resulting photoelectrons input to microchannel plates. The efficiences were measured in both pulse-counting and photodiode modes of operation. Typical efficiencies are about 15 percent at 1216 A for a CsI-coated MCP compared with 65 percent for an opaque CsI photocathode MCP detector. Special processing has yielded an efficiency as high as 20 percent for a CsI-coated MCP. This may possibly be further improved by optimization of the tilt angle of the MCP channels relative to the front face of the MCP and incident radiation. However, at present there still remains a factor of at least 3 quantum efficiency advantage in the separate opaque CsI photocathode configuration.
The role of pacing for the management of neurally mediated syncope: Carotid sinus syndrome and vasovagal syncope

The role of permanent cardiac pacing for the management of neurocardiogenic syncope is controversial; however, it does have a secondary role in appropriately selected individuals. Neurocardiogenic syncope includes vaso-vagal and enhanced antagonism of sympathetic-parasympathetic mechanisms. Differentiation of the so-called cardiac inhibitory, vasodepressor, and mixed forms of these disorders is frequently misleading when establishment of effective treatment strategies is attempted. Cardiac pacing can artificially restore near-normal heart rate and atrioventricular synchrony during a neurocardiogenic syncopal episode; however, cardiac pacing does not alter the peripheral vasodilatation, nor does it prevent the occurrence of the reflux response. Syncopal patients with carotid sinus hypersensitivity or vasovagal responses that include marked bradycardia and loss of atrioventricular synchrony can be supported by dual-chamber cardiac pacing in combination with other therapeutic interventions that diminish the severity of the reflex response. The conditions of patients with carotid sinus syndrome and carotid sinus hypersensitivity are frequently improved with cardiac pacing, and the conditions of elderly patients with vasovagal syncope are commonly improved with artificial pacing. The classic younger patient with malignant vasovagal syncope derives less benefit from artificial pacing; however, in carefully selected persons dual-chamber pacing combined with drug therapy and education decreases syncopal episodes and permits a return to normal activities.
Human cytomegalovirus UL44 concentrates at the periphery of replication compartments, the site of viral DNA synthesis.

ABSTRACT The formation of replication compartments, the subnuclear structures in which the viral DNA genome is replicated, is a hallmark of herpesvirus infections. The localization of proteins and viral DNA within human cytomegalovirus replication compartments is not well characterized. Immunofluorescence analysis demonstrated the accumulation of the viral DNA polymerase subunit UL44 at the periphery of replication compartments and the presence of different populations of UL44 in infected cells. In contrast, the viral single-stranded-DNA binding protein UL57 was distributed throughout replication compartments. Using “click chemistry” to detect 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU) incorporation into replicating viral DNA and pulse-chase protocols, we found that viral DNA synthesis occurs at the periphery of replication compartments and that replicated viral DNA subsequently localizes to the interior of replication compartments. The interiors of replication compartments also contain regions in which UL44 and EdU-labeled DNA are absent. The treatment of cells with a viral DNA polymerase inhibitor reversibly caused the dispersal of both UL44 and EdU-labeled viral DNA from replication compartments, indicating that ongoing viral DNA synthesis is necessary to maintain the organization of replication compartments. Our results reveal a previously unappreciated complexity of the organization of human cytomegalovirus replication compartments.
Gas chromatographic detection by electron impact-induced fluorescence spectrometry of molecular fragments

Abstract Detection in gas chromatography (GC) via measurement of fluorescence of fragment species formed by 100-eV electron impact (EI) of compounds as they elute from the column is described. The detector is both selective (generating fragment species diagnostic of functional groups present in the parent molecule) and universal (producing a signal for all analytes). Figures of merit (limits of detection, linearity and precision) for EI-induced fragment fluorescence detection in GC are reported.
Effects of comparative claims in prescription drug direct-to-consumer advertising on consumer perceptions and recall

Abstract Although pharmaceutical companies cannot make comparative claims in direct-to-consumer (DTC) ads for prescription drugs without substantial evidence, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration permits some comparisons based on labeled attributes of the drug, such as dosing. Researchers have examined comparative advertising for packaged goods; however, scant research has examined comparative DTC advertising. We conducted two studies to determine if comparative claims in DTC ads influence consumers' perceptions and recall of drug information. In Experiment 1, participants with osteoarthritis ( n = 1934) viewed a fictitious print or video DTC ad that had no comparative claim or made an efficacy comparison to a named or unnamed competitor. Participants who viewed print (but not video) ads with named competitors had greater efficacy and lower risk perceptions than participants who viewed unnamed competitor and noncomparative ads. In Experiment 2, participants with high cholesterol or high body mass index ( n = 5317) viewed a fictitious print or video DTC ad that had no comparative claim or made a comparison to a named or unnamed competitor. We varied the type of comparison (of indication, dosing, or mechanism of action) and whether the comparison was accompanied by a visual depiction. Participants who viewed print and video ads with named competitors had greater efficacy perceptions than participants who viewed unnamed competitor and noncomparative ads. Unlike Experiment 1, named competitors in print ads resulted in higher risk perceptions than unnamed competitors. In video ads, participants who saw an indication comparison had greater benefit recall than participants who saw dosing or mechanism of action comparisons. In addition, visual depictions of the comparison decreased risk recall for video ads. Overall, the results suggest that comparative claims in DTC ads could mislead consumers about a drug's efficacy and risk; therefore, caution should be used when presenting comparative claims in DTC ads.
The Effect of Curriculum-Based External Exit Exam Systems on Student Achievement

Abstract Two presidents, the National Governors Association, and numerous blue-ribbon panels have called for the development of state or national content standards for core subjects and examinations that assess student achievement of these standards. The Competitiveness Policy Council (1993, 30), for example, advocated that “external assessments be given to individual students at the secondary level and that the results should be a major but not exclusive factor qualifying for college and better jobs at better wages.” It is claimed that curriculum-based external exit exam systems (CBEEESs) based on explicit content standards will improve the teaching and learning of core subjects. What evidence is there for this claim? Outside the United States, such systems are the rule, not the exception. What impacts have such systems had on school policies, teaching, and student learning?
Cancer vaccines: The next generation

The field of cancer vaccines is as vibrant as ever. Despite pessimism, considerable advances are being made on a regular basis. Success stories continue to be published and newer, exciting and, perhaps, more potent strategies are being discovered frequently. Over the past two decades, this enormous effort has led to a shifting of how we think of vaccines. Although vaccines are not a standard of care, we have learned significant lessons that will continue to drive the field.
Heat waves: their impact on the health of elders.

A trend toward more hot and humid summers in the United States raises concern for the health of our elderly population. Older adults are more vulnerable to heat illness than younger people because of dysfunctional thermoregulatory mechanisms, chronic dehydration, medications, and diseases involving the systems that regulate body temperature. Heat exhaustion, if untreated, will lead to heat stroke, which is fatal if body temperature is not quickly lowered, and research shows that survivors may suffer long-term disabilities. Prevention requires strong knowledge and application of measures necessary to keep elders healthy in extreme heat. Should illness occur, careful monitoring and assessment will ensure early detection and prompt treatment. This article provides information for caregivers that will enable them to protect their patients from heat illness. It also discusses age-related changes in the thermoregulatory system’s response to heat, risk factors, assessment criteria, preventive measures, and first aid for victims of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. (Geriatr Nurs 2000;21:70-7)
Low-amplitude evolution of break-thrust folding

Abstract This paper proposes a mechanistic explanation for fault-related, flexural-slip folds that form predominantly by fixed-hinge folding (i.e. break-thrust folds). It also presents a stepwise evolutionary history for these folds which contrasts with the model suggested for self-similar, migrating-hinge, fault-propagation fold models. Both mechanical folding theory and rock-fabric evidence suggest that folding in advance of a growing thrust fault can evolve in a five-step process: (1) initial sinusoidal buckling instability (
The syntheses of 3β-steroidal diacylglyceryl sulfides, sulfoxides, and sulfones

The syntheses of the diacylglyceryl-sulfide 4a, sulfoxide 4b, and sulfone 4c of dehydroepiandrosterone (3 beta-hydroxyandrost-5-en-17-one, DHEA, 1a) are described. Nucleophilic substitution of 1,2-dipalmitoyl-3-iodo-rac-3-deoxyglycerol (2) with 3 beta-mercaptoandrost-5-en-17-one (3) afforded the diacylglyceryl-sulfide (4). Selective oxidation of 4 with m-chloroperbenzoic acid gave the diacylglyceryl-sulfoxide 4b and diacylglyceryl-sulfone 4c of DHEA. The sulfide 4a was a very weak inhibitor of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, whereas the sulfone 4c did not inhibit the enzyme.
Sympatholytic effect of clonidine depends on the respiratory phase in rat splanchnic nerve

Abstract Peri-event averaging of the sympathetic nerve discharge was done to measure the magnitude of the sympatholytic effect of the anti-hypertensive drug clonidine during three different phases of the respiratory cycle (inspiration, I; postinspiration, post-I; late expiration, pre-I). Arterial pressure (AP) and discharges of splanchnic sympathetic (SND) and phrenic nerves (PND, onset used for peri-event averaging) were recorded in urethane-anesthetized, vagotomized, aortic deafferentated, paralyzed and artificially ventilated Sprague-Dawley rats ( n = 7). During control periods (mean AP 106 ± 10 mmHg) SND was distributed equally throughout the three selected respiratory periods, though two brief peaks were noted during the I and post-I periods. Low doses of clonidine (15–30 μg/kg i.v.) produced brief hypertension ( 10 min, 173 ± 3 mmHg) and silence of SND. During this sustained hypertension, lowering AP by i.v. nitroprusside retrieved a component of SND that was barosensitive but insensitive to clonidine. During those hypotensive periods (spontaneous after a low dose of clonidine, and induced by nitroprusside after a high dose of clonidine), SND was most attenuated during the pre-I period and least during the I period. The I component of SND was significantly less attenuated than the post-I component by clonidine and, in most cases (6 out of 7), SND showed a single inspiratory peak following clonidine administration. It is concluded that ( i ) the pre-I component of SND is the most sensitive to clonidine and ( ii ) the I component of SND is the most resistant to the drug.
“Pin-Well”-NaI(Tl) counting of 59.5-keV γ-rays in the decay of 241Am

Abstract The 59.5-keV γ-ray-emission rate in the decay of an 241 Am source has been measured using a specially constructed NaI(Tl) thin-walled-well detector. From this measurement, and an α-particle-emission rate measurement on quantitatively related sources, the 59.5-keV γ-ray probability per decay is 0.3582 ± 0.0012.
MANAGING ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY SYSTEM DEPLOYMENT: AN OPTIMAL ALLOCATION BETWEEN R&D AND PROTOTYPE FUNDING

The research and development manager allocates R&D funds to maximize the expected discounted net value of the R&D programme. Because public R&D managers do not have the same market discipline (or rewards) as private R&D managers, public R&D managers require a methodology for maximizing the expected net benefits. The US National Research Council of the National Academies in Prospective Evaluation of Applied Energy Research and Development at DOE (Phase One): A First Look Forward (2005) proposed a cost-benefit methodology to evaluate US Department of Energy's Research, Development, and Demonstration (RD&D) programmes. This paper specifies and extends this methodology, e.g., by adding cost targets into each stage of the RD&D process. Expected benefits are modelled as a function of funding levels, stage durations, stage transition probabilities, and target costs. With this method, the paper determines an optimal allocation of pre-prototype R&D funding, given a total funding constraint for an advanced energy s...
Myelin breakdown mediates age-related slowing in cognitive processing speed in healthy elderly men.

Abstract Background To assess the hypothesis that in a sample of very healthy elderly men selected to minimize risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and cerebrovascular disease, myelin breakdown in late-myelinating regions mediates age-related slowing in cognitive processing speed (CPS). Materials and methods The prefrontal lobe white matter and the genu of the corpus callosum myelinate later in brain development (late-myelinating white matter; LMWM) and are more vulnerable to breakdown due to the effects of normal aging. An in vivo MRI biomarker of myelin integrity (transverse relaxation rates; R 2 ) of LMWM was obtained for 38 very healthy elderly adult men (mean age = 66.3 years; SD = 6.0; range = 55–76). To evaluate regional specificity, we also assessed a contrasting early-myelinating region (splenium of the corpus callosum; SWM), which primarily contains axons involved in visual processing. CPS was assessed using the Trail Making Test. Results LMWM R 2 and CPS measures were significantly correlated ( r = .515, p = .0009), but no significant association between R 2 and CPS was detected in the splenium ( p = .409). LMWM R 2 , but not SWM R 2 , was a significant mediator of the relationship between age and CPS ( p = .037). Conclusions In this very healthy elderly sample, age-related slowing in CPS is mediated by myelin breakdown in highly vulnerable late-myelinating regions but not in the splenium.
Singular value decomposition of torsional angles of analogs of the dopamine reuptake inhibitor GBR 12909

Analysis of large, flexible molecules, such as the dopamine reuptake inhibitor GBR 12909 (1), is complicated by the fact that they can take on a wide range of closely related conformations. The first step in the analysis is to classify the conformers into groups. Here, Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) was used to group conformations of GBR 12909 analogs by the similarity of their nonring torsional angles. The significance of the present work, the first application of SVD to the analysis of very flexible molecules, lies in the development of a novel scaling technique for circular data and in the grouping of molecular conformations using a technique that is independent of molecular alignment. Over 700 conformers each of a piperazine (2) and piperidine (3) analog of 1 were studied. Analysis of the score and loading plots showed that the conformers of 2 separate into three large groups due to torsional angles on the naphthalene side of the molecule, whereas those of 3 separate into nine groups due to torsional angles on the bisphenyl side of the molecule. These differences are due to nitrogen inversion at the unprotonated piperazinyl nitrogen of 2, which results in a different ensemble of conformers than those of 3, where no inversion is possible at the corresponding piperidinyl carbon.
HIGH-CONTRAST, NARROW-FIELD EXOPLANET IMAGING WITH A MULTI-APERTURE TELESCOPE PHASED-ARRAY CORONAGRAPH

The coronagraphic imaging of nearby solar systems with a densely packed array of small, inexpensive collector telescopes is considered. A reduced-scale segmented pupil can be assembled downstream of the collectors either by means of an array of delay lines, or more conveniently, by means of an array of single-mode fibers. In either case, the individual pupil elements are completely decoupled from each other. Tuning the intensity and phase of the light in each pupil element then allows complete control over the pupil-plane field, thus enabling arbitrary and tunable complex pupil-plane apodization. Calculations show that such a "phased-array coronagraph" (PAC) can in principle provide the10–10 image-plane contrast required for terrestrial exoplanet observations near bright stars. A PAC may thus provide a route to coronagraphic observations of faint exoplanets that is both flexible and potentially relatively inexpensive.
Undulant-block elimination and integer-preserving matrix inversion

A new formulation for LU decomposition allows efficient representation of intermediate matrices while eliminating blocks of various sizes, i.e. during “undulant-block” elimination. Its efficiency arises from its design for block encapsulization, implicit in data structures that are convenient both for process scheduling and for memory management. Row/column permutations that can destroy such encapsulizations are deferred. Its algorithms, expressed naturally as functional programs, are well suited to parallel and distributed processing. A given matrix A is decomposed into two matrices (in the space of just one), plus two permutations. The permutations, P and Q, are the row/column rearrangements usual to complete pivoting. The principal results are L and U′, where L is properly lower quasi-triangular; U′ is upper quasi-triangular with its quasi-diagonal being the inverse of that of U from the usual factorization (PAQ = (I − L)U), and its proper upper portion identical to U. The matrix result is L + U′. Algorithms for solving linear systems and matrix inversion follow directly. An example of a motivating data structure, the quadtree representation for matrices, is reviewed. Candidate pivots for Gaussian elimination under that structure are the subtrees, both constraining and assisting the pivot search, as well as decomposing to independent block/tree operations. The elementary algorithms are provided, coded in Haskell. Finally, an integer-preserving version is presented replacing Bareiss's algorithm with a parallel equivalent. The decomposition of an integer matrix A to integer matrices L, U′, and d = detA follows L + U′ decomposition, but the follow-on algorithm to compute dA−1 is complicated by the requirement to maintain minimal denominators at every step and to avoid divisions, restricting them to necessarily exact ones.
Children, families, and feminism: Perspectives on teaching

Feminist theorists are raising questions about assumptions still common in the fields of family and child development which are relevant to early childhood educators. This article discusses why content and pedagogy work together in feminist classrooms and reviews research on the stages that many students and instructors move through as they learn about ways in which women continue to struggle for equal status in modern American society.
Optical mapping of optically paced embryonic hearts

Conduction maps of early embryonic hearts with optical mapping point to heterogeneous conduction patterns that quickly evolve over time. In adult hearts, electrical pacing is utilized to determine the anisotropy of the conduction patterns and the susceptibility of the tissue to arrhythmias. However, studying electrophysiology in developing hearts is limited due to their size. Electrical pacing creates an electrical artifact that obscures recordings from the entirety of early embryonic hearts. In this study, optical point stimulation using a 1440-nm near-infrared diode laser with a 12-μm diameter beam waist was used to pace embryonic quail hearts. Electrical activity was recorded across the surface of the embryonic hearts by high resolution optical mapping using di-4-ANEPPS and cytochalasin D. While there were no electrical artifacts produced by the optical point stimulation, an optical artifact due to thermal lensing did obscure the optical mapping near the point of stimulation. The optical artifact can be minimized by optimizing the stimulation parameters to minimize the energy deposited and can be further reduced by signal processing. Despite the presence of the optical artifact, the electrical activity over the majority of the heart can be obtained.
Postcranial sex estimation of individuals considered Hispanic.

When forensic anthropologists estimate the sex of Hispanic skeletal remains using nonpopulation specific metric methods, initial observations cause males to frequently misclassify as female. To help improve these methods, this research uses postcranial measurements from United States–Mexico border migrant fatalities at the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner in Tucson, Arizona, as well as Hispanic individuals from the Forensic Anthropology Data Bank. Using a total of 114 males and 28 females, sectioning points and discriminant functions provide classification rates as high as 89.43% for Hispanic individuals. A test sample assessed the reliability of these techniques resulting in accuracy up to 99.65%. The clavicle maximum length measurement provides the best univariate estimate of sex, while the radius provides the best multivariate estimated of sex. The results of this research highlight the need for population specific data in the creation of a biological profile, especially when working with individuals considered Hispanic.
First report of Sclerotinia stem rot of chickpea caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in North Dakota and Washington.

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is cultivated as a rotational crop in the cereal-based production system in the U.S. Pacific Northwest (PNW) and its production is expanding to other northern tier states. During July 2005, symptoms of Sclerotinia stem rot were observed on chickpea cv. Dwelley and Dylan in fields near Spangle, WA and Carrington, ND, respectively, with disease incidence of approximately ≤1% in affected areas at both locations. Symptoms included stem whitening, wilting, and stem breakage. Occasionally, white fluffy mycelium was observed; however, production of sclerotia on infected plants was rarely observed. Sclerotinia sclerotiorum was isolated from diseased stems collected from both states. The isolates produced a ring of sclerotia near the edge of potato dextrose agar (PDA) plates in 7 days and produced neither conidia nor other fruiting bodies in culture after 30 days. PCR amplification of the rDNA internal transcribed spacer region from two representative isolates and subsequent digestion with restriction enzymes, Mbo I and Taq I, produced identical banding patterns to previously identified isolates of S. sclerotiorum from pea from the PNW (2). Chickpea cvs. Dwelley and Spanish White (eight plants of each) were inoculated by fastening mycelial agar plugs from an actively growing colony on PDA onto the stems with Parafilm. Symptoms of stem whitening were observed as early as 2 days after inoculation, and the lesions extended upward and downward from the inoculation site. Wilting and stem breakage were also observed. Control inoculations of four plants of each cultivar with PDA plugs without mycelium produced no visible symptoms. S. sclerotiorum was consistently reisolated from inoculated plants but not from control plants. Chickpea had been grown in the PNW for more than 20 years without any reported incidence of Sclerotinia stem rot although the disease has been reported from Arizona (3) and Asian countries (1). This is likely because of the upright growth habit of the chickpea plant coupled with relatively dry conditions late in the growing season. Previous chickpea cultivars were very susceptible to Ascochyta blight, an early-season disease of chickpea in the PNW that reduced chickpea stands and canopy coverage. Current cultivars possess much improved resistance to Ascochyta blight, allowing greater vegetative growth to occur and creating microenvironmental conditions conducive to Sclerotinia stem rot. In North Dakota, where humid conditions prevail late in the growing season, symptoms of Sclerotinia stem rot had been observed in previous years but had not been documented because of a recent history of chickpea cultivation there. To our knowledge, this is the first report of confirmed Sclerotinia stem rot of chickpea in North Dakota and Washington. References: (1) G. J. Boland and R. Hall. Can. J. Plant Pathol. 16:93, 1994. (2) I. Jimenez-Hidalgo et al. Phytopathology (Abstr.) 94(suppl.):S47, 2004. (3) M. E. Matheron and M. Porchas. Plant Dis. 84:1250, 2000.
Pulmonary sequestration: Ultrasonic appearance

Pulmonary sequestration is a congenital anomaly in which aberrant, nonfunctioning lung tissue receives its entire blood supply from the systemic circulation. Early diagnosis may be difficult because the radiographic and clinical presentation may be mimicked by other lesions, such as cystic adenomatoid malformation, congenital bronchogenic cyst, pleural effusion, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, or large diaphragmatic eventration. The following case is presented to describe and illustrate the sonographic appearance of pulmonary sequestration. To our knowledge, a case in which sonography provided the correct preoperative diagnosis has not been reported.
Updated Users' Guide for RSAP -- A Code for Display and Manipulation of Neutron Cross Section Data and SAMMY Fit Results

RSAP [1] is a computer code for display and manipulation of neutron cross section data and selected SAMMY output. SAMMY [2] is a multilevel R-matrix code for fitting neutron time-of-flight cross-section data using Bayes' method. This users' guide provides documentation for the recently updated RSAP code (version 6). The code has been ported to the Linux platform, and several new features have been added, including the capability to read cross section data from ASCII pointwise ENDF files as well as double-precision PLT output from SAMMY. A number of bugs have been found and corrected, and the input formats have been improved. Input items are parsed so that items may be separated by spaces or commas.
A comparative evaluation of money-based and energy-based cost-benefit analyses of tertiary municipal wastewater treatment using forested wetlands vs. sand filtration in Louisiana

Abstract Forested wetlands have been used to provide advanced secondary and tertiary treatment for municipal wastewater for a number of cities in southern Louisiana. Wetland assimilation provides the same services as conventional methods in improving wastewater quality, while having positive impacts on wetlands. Suspended solids and nutrients in wastewater increase net primary productivity (NPP), which leads to increased organic soil formation. This leads to increased elevation that offsets subsidence, a major cause of coastal wetland loss in Louisiana. The City of Breaux Bridge, LA, has discharged secondarily treated municipal wastewater into a forested wetland since 1950, and wetland assimilation was permitted by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) in 1997. We compared benefits and costs of utilizing forested wetlands and conventional sand treatment using money-based and energy-based cost–benefit analyses (CBA). The wetland method had a higher benefit–cost ratio than conventional treatment by 6.0 times based on dollar-based CBA, and by 21.7 times from the energy analysis. Methodologically, dollar-based CBA is a market price-based assessment, liming to an anthropocentric framework, while embodied energy analysis accounts for monetary and nonmonetary values such as carbon sequestration by wetlands, which contributes a more complete assessment of the interaction between the natural environment and the human economy. Wetlands treat more wastewater per unit of energy and with less financial cost than conventional methods, because the wetland method utilizes natural energies such as sunlight, wind and rain, while conventional treatment methods depend on imported nonrenewable energies and materials such as chemicals and electricity and require additional capital investment. Increasing application of natural energies is becoming more important with depleting fossil fuels. Further, wastewater addition increases NPP and wetland elevation, which has potential for wetland mitigation credit.
Keynote speech 2: Wind energy conversion systems (WECS)

Constantly growing demand for energy cannot continue indefinitely relies only upon fossil fuel. The earth's finite supply will eventually exhaust. Energy is a major key to industrial development and the world's well-being. The awareness of depletion of fossil fuel resources has challenged scientists and engineers to search for alternative energy sources that can meet energy demand for the near future. Recently the global warming, pollution and high oil prices forced politicians, utility companies (UC) and the general public to pay more attention to renewable energy sources (RES) such as wind, photovoltaic and bio fuels. RES are located right where the customers are, so they are used more efficiently, they are not polluting renewable and modular.
High-temperature electrical behavior of nanocrystalline and microcrystalline diamond films

Chemical vapor deposition of diamond has opened up new applications in microelectronics, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), and coating technologies. This paper compares and contrasts the high-temperature electrical behavior of microcrystalline versus nanocrystalline diamond films. Through-thickness current–voltage characteristics between room temperature and 823 K are presented for a series of films synthesized with different gas phase concentrations of nitrogen and argon. One set of samples was characterized by measurements between room temperature and 823 K and a second set by two-step thermal cycling from room temperature to 573 and 823 K. It was found that with increasing nitrogen concentration (up to 0.1% N2), the resistivity slightly increased followed by a decrease at higher concentrations. Activation energies and barrier heights were in general lower for the more defective films. These results in conjunction with material characterization indicated that more defective diamond films were synthesized at higher nitrogen concentrations in the gas phase.
Bombers and Bivalves: First North American Occurrence of the Rudist Durania sp. (Bivalvia: Radiolitidae) in the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian) Greenhorn Limestone of Southeastern Colorado

A colonial monospecific cluster of rudist bivalves from the lowermost Bridge Creek Limestone Member, Greenhorn Limestone (Upper Cenomanian) are attributable to Durania cf. D. cornupastoris. This discovery marks only the eighth recorded pre-Coniacian occurrence of rudist bivalves in the Cretaceous Western Interior and the only Cenomanian record of rudist Durania in North America. Discovered in 2011, the specimen was unearthed by aerial bombing at a training facility utilized during World War II. The appearance of rudist bivalves at mid-latitudes coincident with marked change in marine sediments likely represents the onset of mid-Cretaceous global warming.
Transseptal left heart catheterization and the incidence of persistent iatrogenic atrial septal defects.

Introduction: Access to the left atrium for invasive and interventional cardiac procedures requires a transseptal (TS) puncture that creates an iatrogenic atrial septal defect (iASD). The utilization of TS access is increasing in cardiology, and the frequency of iASD is, therefore, likely to increase as well. Here, we discuss the TS technique, review existing series of iASD with regard to incidence and clinical significance of residual iASD, and present emerging techniques utilizing TS access where iASD may result. Methods and Results: A PubMed search for “iatrogenic atrial septal defects” was performed to identify prospective series addressing the incidence of iASDs after TS procedures. We identified 10 series with primary attention to iASD. Cases involving TS access included electrophysiology ablation procedures, atrial appendage closure, and percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty. Immediate postprocedural incidence of iASD was as high as 87%, with decreased incidence of residual iASD detected over time. At 18 months of follow-up, up to 15% of iASD cases persisted. Residual iASDs were not associated with clinical sequelae of embolism, cyanosis, or right heart failure. Conclusions: iASDs are frequent following TS access and a majority resolve over time. Available evidence suggests iASDs are well tolerated but late term follow-up is limited. With the increased utilization of TS transcatheter procedures, the frequency and size of iASDs may rise. Understanding the rare but serious clinical implications of iASD and the need for systematic surveillance in the future is warranted. (J Interven Cardiol 2011;24:254–263)
Manifestations of Osgood-Schlatter's disease in late teen age and early adulthood.

Abnormalities in the tibial tuberosity were observed in the roentgenograms of thirty-seven male patients on active duty in the military service. These patients were older than those usually described as having the Osgood-Schlatter lesion. Three types of change in the tibial tuberosity could be distinguished in the roentgenograms, and these changes are thought to be definite manifestations of this lesion. The presence of soft-tissue swelling anterior to the tibial tuberosity suggests acute symptoms, whereas a prominent, irregular tuberosity suggests inactive disease. No other correlation between the roentgenographic appearance of the tuberosity and the clinical status of the patient could be made in this age group. Our studies indicate that the etiology of the Osgood-Schlatter lesion in the majority of patients is injury to the lower end of the patellar tendon with resulting new-bone formation.
Erratum to: Bottom–Up Energy Analysis System (BUENAS)—an international appliance efficiency policy tool

The original version of this paper unfortunately contained an error. The second paragraph and first sentence of the second paragraph of the Discussions and Conclusions section should read: In absolute terms, it is difficult to gauge the significance of the CO2 savings represented in Table 8. These results benefit from some comparison. For example, these results can be compared to reductions that the International Energy Agency deems sufficient to stabilize global CO2 concentration at 450 ppm [9]. Emissions projections in the IEA’s World Energy Outlook 2012 (WEO) are divided into emissions related to power generation and emissions from transport and ‘on site’ consumption in the buildings and industrial sector. Most of the savings covered by BUENAS is in the form of electricity, which accounts for 1005 Mt of the 1075 Mt total, or 93 %. Annex A of the WEO report projects power-related emissions in 2030 to be 18,329 Mt in the Current Policies Scenario (CPS) compared to 6,696 Mt in the 450 Scenario. The difference between these two scenarios implies a policydriven mitigation of 11,633 Mt in the power sector, or about two-thirds of the total mitigation of 16,316 Mt. The 1005 Mt of electricity savings from BUENAS is 8.6 % of the WEO power sector savings. This is a very significant contribution to the target, especially since BUENAS is extensive in scope, but not comprehensive. Energy Efficiency (2013) 6:617 DOI 10.1007/s12053-013-9213-y
Design and characterization of a controlled wet spinning device for collagen fiber fabrication for neural tissue engineering

Type I collagen was extruded into well-defined fibers using a novel controlled wet spinning device. The device significantly improved the yield of collagen fibers on the micron scale. Collagen scaffold materials fabricated from the device will provide contact-guided growth of neuronal cultures. Fibers composed of different weight percentages, 75, 2, and 3.4 wt% collagen dispersions, were used to validate Schwann cell alignment along the fibers. Interestingly, the different concentrations of extruded collagen dispersions demonstrated unique morphologies and directed growth patterns of Schwann cells.
On mitigating TCP Incast in Data Center Networks

TCP Incast, also known as TCP throughput collapse, is a term used to describe a link capacity under-utilization phenomenon in certain many-to-one communication patterns, typically in many datacenter applications. The main root cause of TCP Incast analyzed by prior works is attributed to packet drops at the congestion switch that result in TCP timeout. Congestion control algorithms have been developed to reduce or eliminate packet drops at the congestion switch. In this paper, the performance of Quantized Congestion Notification (QCN) with respect to the TCP incast problem during data access from clustered servers in datacenters are investigated. QCN can effectively control link rates very rapidly in a datacenter environment. However, it performs poorly when TCP Incast is observed. To explain this low link utilization, we examine the rate fluctuation of different flows within one synchronous reading request, and find that the poor performance of TCP throughput with QCN is due to the rate unfairness of different flows. Therefore, an enhanced QCN congestion control algorithm, called fair Quantized Congestion Notification (FQCN), is proposed to improve fairness of multiple flows sharing one bottleneck link. We evaluate the performance of FQCN as compared to that of QCN in terms of fairness and convergence with four simultaneous and eight staggered source flows. As compared to QCN, fairness is improved greatly and the queue length at the bottleneck link converges to the equilibrium queue length very fast. The effects of FQCN to TCP throughput collapse are also investigated. Simulation results show that FQCN significantly enhances TCP throughput performance in a TCP Incast setup.
Parameterization improvements and functional and structural advances in version 4 of the Community Land Model

[1] The Community Land Model is the land component of the Community Climate System Model. Here, we describe a broad set of model improvements and additions that have been provided through the CLM development community to create CLM4. The model is extended with a carbon-nitrogen (CN) biogeochemical model that is prognostic with respect to vegetation, litter, and soil carbon and nitrogen states and vegetation phenology. An urban canyon model is added and a transient land cover and land use change (LCLUC) capability, including wood harvest, is introduced, enabling study of historic and future LCLUC on energy, water, momentum, carbon, and nitrogen fluxes. The hydrology scheme is modified with a revised numerical solution of the Richards equation and a revised ground evaporation parameterization that accounts for litter and within-canopy stability. The new snow model incorporates the SNow and Ice Aerosol Radiation model (SNICAR) - which includes aerosol deposition, grain-size dependent snow aging, and vertically-resolved snowpack heating – as well as new snow cover and snow burial fraction parameterizations. The thermal and hydrologic properties of organic soil are accounted for and the ground column is extended to ∼50-m depth. Several other minor modifications to the land surface types dataset, grass and crop optical properties, surface layer thickness, roughness length and displacement height, and the disposition of snow-capped runoff are also incorporated. The new model exhibits higher snow cover, cooler soil temperatures in organic-rich soils, greater global river discharge, and lower albedos over forests and grasslands, all of which are improvements compared to CLM3.5. When CLM4 is run with CN, the mean biogeophysical simulation is degraded because the vegetation structure is prognostic rather than prescribed, though running in this mode also allows more complex terrestrial interactions with climate and climate change.
Role of glutamine in protection of intestinal epithelial tight junctions

Glutamine, a conditionally essential amino acid, is consumed predominantly in the gastrointestinal tract as a source of energy, particularly under the conditions of trauma, sepsis and surgery. In this article, we discuss the unique role of glutamine in the preservation of epithelial barrier function in the gastrointestinal tract. Glutamine supplementation protects the gastrointestinal mucosal homeostasis during total parenteral nutrition, diarrhea, radiation injury, starvation, sepsis and trauma. A significant body of evidence indicates that glutamine preserves the gut barrier function and prevents permeability to toxins and pathogens from the gut lumen into mucosal tissue and circulation. Recent studies demonstrated that the mucosal barrier protective effect of glutamine relates to its effect on preservation of epithelial tight junction integrity. The current understanding of glutamine-mediated protection of intestinal epithelial tight junction integrity and the potential mechanisms involved in this protective effect of glutamine are discussed.
Desensitization Mechanism of GABA Receptors Revealed by Single Oocyte Binding and Receptor Function

Prolonged exposure of most fast neurotransmitter-operated ion channels to agonist drives the receptors into a nonfunctional, or desensitized, state. Despite extensive investigation, desensitization remains a thoroughly characterized, yet poorly understood, process. Part of the difficulty in elucidating the mechanism of desensitization has been an inability to resolve the kinetics of both agonist binding and functional desensitization in the same set of operable receptors. To overcome this limitation, we applied single oocyte3H-ligand binding and two-electrode voltage clamp to oocytes expressing recombinant α1β2γ2 GABA receptors. Using this approach, we report several observations fundamental to the mechanism of desensitization. First, we confirm that desensitization reversibly shifts GABA receptors into a high-affinity state. For [3H]GABA binding, the half-maximal binding of the desensitized state was ∼0.040 μm. Second, we show that, upon agonist removal, this high-affinity state disappears with a time constant of 127 ± 12 sec ( n = 4), similar to the time constant for functional recovery from desensitization of 124 ± 26 sec ( n = 5). [3H]GABA, however, dissociates fourfold faster (τ = 30 ± 2 sec; n = 3) than functional recovery, indicating that desensitized receptors need not be bound by GABA. These data provide direct evidence for a cyclical model of receptor desensitization.
Phase Transformation Studies of Metal Oxide Nanowires

Here, we report that the postsynthesis nitridation of tungsten oxide nanowires can result in single crystal nitride nanowires when the initial diameters of the nanowires are less than 10 nm. For nanowires with diameters greater than 10 nm, the nitridation of nanowires resulted in polycrystalline but highly oriented tungsten nitride domains in nanowires. Partially nitrided nanowires show an epitaxial relationship between the nitride nuclei and the oxide nanowire, being oriented with respect to the axial direction of the nanowires. The stress resulting from the strain due to lattice mismatch between oxide and nitride phases seems to control the critical size of the nitride nuclei within oxide nanowires. The photoluminescence data show that the resulting bandgap of the tungsten nitride nanowires was downshifted to 2.95 eV from 3.54 eV for tungsten oxide nanowires.
Is human culture carcinogenic for uncontrolled population growth and ecological destruction

Numerous observers have described the human species as a kind of planetary disease, even comparing it to cancer (Eisley 1961, Forrester 1991, Gregg 1955). In a previous article (Hern 1990), I described the species as a “malignant epiecopathologic process” that is destroying the global ecosystem. I stated that the sum of human activities, viewed over the past tens of thousands of years, exhibits all four major characteristics of a malignant process: rapid, uncontrolled growth; invasion and destruction of adjacent tissues (ecosystems, in this case); metastasis (colonization and urbanization, in this case); and dedifferentiation (loss of distinctiveness in individual components). In this case, dedifferentiation implies that through the invention of culture, humans have developed the ability to adapt to and survive in alll ecosystems. We are no longer bound, as are most other organisms, to the specific ecosystems in which we originally evolved. Human culture gives us a unique relationshi with all ecosystems as well as with each other. What are the implications of these characteristics? In an organism, a malignant process continues until the supporting organism ceases to function – it dies. In the case of human populations, parallels to cancer raise the most fundamental questions about our relationship with the planetary ecosystem. The purpose of this article is to discuss the process by which human culture has brought about this malignant transformation in our relationship with the ecosystem, to show why it is important to examine and test the hypothesis that human activities have become malignant for the planet, and to discuss some of the implications of this hypothesis for the
Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project Tax Credit

![Figure][1] Victoria E. Boegh CREDIT: DELOITTE TAX LLP The U.S. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act includes an opportunity for small life sciences companies to earn tax credits for research and development activities or exchange these credits for grants. The U.S. Patient