cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Value Evolution Graph and its Use in Memory Reference Analysis

We introduce a framework for the analysis of memory reference sets addressed by induction variables without closed forms. This framework relies on a new data structure, the value evolution graph (VEG), which models the global flow of values taken by induction variable with and without closed forms. We describe the application of our framework to array data-flow analysis, privatization, and dependence analysis. This results in the automatic parallelization of loops that contain arrays addressed by induction variables without closed forms. We implemented this framework in the Polaris research compiler. We present experimental results on a set of codes from the PERFECT, SPEC, and NCSA benchmark suites.
Deletion of TAK1 in the Myeloid Lineage Results in the Spontaneous Development of Myelomonocytic Leukemia in Mice

Previous studies of the conditional ablation of TGF-β activated kinase 1 (TAK1) in mice indicate that TAK1 has an obligatory role in the survival and/or development of hematopoietic stem cells, B cells, T cells, hepatocytes, intestinal epithelial cells, keratinocytes, and various tissues, primarily because of these cells’ increased apoptotic sensitivity, and have implicated TAK1 as a critical regulator of the NF-κB and stress kinase pathways and thus a key intermediary in cellular survival. Contrary to this understanding of TAK1’s role, we report a mouse model in which TAK1 deletion in the myeloid compartment that evoked a clonal myelomonocytic cell expansion, splenomegaly, multi-organ infiltration, genomic instability, and aggressive, fatal myelomonocytic leukemia. Unlike in previous reports, simultaneous deletion of TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1) failed to rescue this severe phenotype. We found that the features of the disease in our mouse model resemble those of human chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) in its transformation to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Consequently, we found TAK1 deletion in 13 of 30 AML patients (43%), thus providing direct genetic evidence of TAK1’s role in leukemogenesis.
Evaluation of a vertical displacement ventilation system

Abstract The effectiveness of a vertical displacement ventilation system was evaluated when contaminants including tobacco smoke were present. Air supply was through a perforated floor and carpet. System performance was evaluated using ADPI (Air Diffusion Performance Index), percentage dissatisfied due to draft, vertical temperature difference, and air change, and contaminant removal indices. Gaseous contaminants were simulated with tracer gas. Cigarettes and occupants also generated particulates, CO 2 , CO, and TVOC (total volatile organic compounds). Several combinations of supply air flow rate and thermal loads were evaluated. The risk of draft was found to be negligible. The air change effectiveness for the room varied from 126 to 145% and the contaminant removal effectiveness for the occupied zone varied from 80 to 700%.
Alkaline earth metal di- and triphenylmethanides: Analysis of ion association modes

Abstract A family of alkaline earth metal di- and triphenylmethanides was prepared and examined to illustrate ion association trends and associated reactivity in dependence of metal, coligand and ligand delocalization. To this effect, we are reporting the contact molecules Ba(18-crown-6)(CHPh2)2 and Ba(dme)2(CHPh2)2 (DME, 1,2-dimethoxyethane), the dissociated ions [Ba(hmpa)6][R]2, R = CHPh2, CPh3 (HMPA, hexamethylphosphoramide), in addition to two compounds with one metal bound anion, and an unassociated one, [Ca(18-crown-6)(N(SiMe3)2)][R], R = CHPh2, CPh3. We are also reporting a highly unusual lithium enolate, [Li2(OCHCH2)(pmdta)2][CHPh2] (PMDTA, N,N,N′,N″,N″-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine), obtained en route to the target compounds via THF scission chemistry.
Sub-mm functional decoupling of electrocortical signals through closed-loop BMI learning

Volitional control of neural activity lies at the heart of the Brain-Machine Interface (BMI) paradigm. In this work we investigated if subdural field potentials recorded by electrodes <; 1mm apart can be decoupled through closed-loop BMI learning. To this end, we fabricated custom, flexible microelectrode arrays with 200 μm electrode pitch and increased the effective electrode area by electrodeposition of platinum black to reduce thermal noise. We have chronically implanted these arrays subdurally over primary motor cortex (M1) of 5 male Long-Evans Rats and monitored the electrochemical electrode impedance in vivo to assess the stability of these neural interfaces. We successfully trained the rodents to perform a one-dimensional center-out task using closed-loop brain control to adjust the pitch of an auditory cursor by differentially modulating high gamma (70-110 Hz) power on pairs of surface microelectrodes that were separated by less than 1 mm.
The Value of CSP with Thermal Energy Storage in the Western United States

Abstract The value of electricity generation varies as a function of season, time of day, location, and the mix of conventional and renewable energy sources. The ability to control the output of a concentrating solar power (CSP) plant via the use of thermal energy storage (TES) creates the opportunity to maximize its value to the grid. This study performs a series of simulations of the grid in the western United States to determine how a CSP plant with TES might be dispatched to maximize its value when replacing conventional fossil fuel plants. The value of CSP with TES is compared to renewable generators without storage including PV. The study finds that TES adds value by timing CSP generation to periods when high marginal cost units would typically be generating. This includes periods of peak net demand in the summer, as well as periods where changes in demand require start-up and operation of high ramp-rate fossil generators. As a result, CSP with TES can avoid the least efficient generators, as well as avoid costly power plant starts. A significant source of value is the ability of CSP to provide operating reserves, requiring greater operation at part-load. This represents a potentially important opportunity for CSP plants, especially in high renewable scenarios where the requirements for reserves will increase. In addition to its operational value, the ability of CSP with TES to provide firm system capacity is also a quantifiable benefit and another important source of value.
Charge fluctuations: Spin fluctuations and superconductivity in a CuO 2 sheet

A {ital U}{sub {ital d}}={infinity} Anderson lattice model with a tight-binding band structure is used to model the CuO{sub 2} sheets of the high-{Tc} oxides. The model is treated within a strong-coupling slave-boson method treating spin and charge fluctuations on equal footing. At the mean-field level the normal state is a Fermi liquid at finite doping with a transition to a charge-transfer insulator at half-filling for a large enough charge-transfer gap. Charge fluctuations give rise to a repulsive quasiparticle interaction, but spin fluctuations give rise to an antiferromagnetic exchange interaction and it is shown that this leads to strong-coupling {ital s}-wave pairing for physically reasonable values of the charge-transfer gap.
A Level of Aspiration Approach to the Measurement of Goal Tenacity

(1955). A Level of Aspiration Approach to the Measurement of Goal Tenacity. The Journal of General Psychology: Vol. 52, No. 1, pp. 97-110.
Effect of modest changes in BMI on cardiovascular disease risk markers in severely obese, minority adolescents

Summary Background African American and Hispanic adolescents have disproportionately higher rates of obesity compared to white adolescents. In adults, modest weight loss of five percent improves CVD risk marker levels. Less is known about the effects of modest changes in BMI on CVD risk markers in adolescents, particularly newer markers such as C reactive protein (CRP), lipoprotein (a) and homocysteine. Objective To examine the effect of modest BMI change on CVD risk marker levels in a group of severely obese, African American and Hispanic adolescents. Study design A six-month longitudinal analysis. Subjects Eighty-three African American and Hispanic adolescents were recruited (mean age±sd: 15.1±2.0 years); 50 (60%) were reevaluated at 6±2 months. Results At baseline, mean BMI was 42.3±7.8kg/m 2 . BMI directly correlated with CRP ( p = p =0.02); insulin ( p =0.05); and systolic and diastolic blood pressures (both p = p =0.001). At six-month follow up, there was a significant p for trend between the three groups of BMI change (those with a ≥5% BMI decrease, those who maintained BMI within 5% and those with ≥5% BMI increase) and CRP ( p =0.05) and insulin ( p =0.04). Conclusions A modest decrease in BMI is associated with improvement in CRP and insulin levels. Obese adolescents should be encouraged to continue with modest weight loss goals as they result in improvement in cardiovascular disease risk markers.
An econometric model of the US egg industry

(1981). An econometric model of the US egg industry. Applied Economics: Vol. 13, No. 3, pp. 321-335.
A flow-through system for exposure of seagrass to pollutants

Abstract A flow-through system for exposure of seagrass to pollutants is described. Sea water with dissolved atrazine or PCP (pentachlorophenol) was pumped through a sealed 2-litre volume glass exposure vessel that contained either whole plants or leaves of Thalassia testudinum. Effects of the compounds on oxygen evolution and uptake by leaves were measured after exposure for 40 and 88 h. Rate of oxygen evolution was depressed strongly after 40 h by 1 ppm of atrazine or PCP. The rate of oxygen uptake was slightly depressed by atrazine but strongly depressed by PCP. Photosynthesis/respiration ratios were depressed to less than one by 1 ppm of atrazine or PCP and by 0·5 ppm atrazine. EC50 values based upon depression of oxygen evolution after 40 hours exposure were: atrazine, 0·32 ppm PCP, 0·74 ppm. The data suggest that leaves may recover from, or adapt to, the presence of either toxicant.
A Case Study on the Effects of Heterogeneous Soil Moisture on Mesoscale Boundary-Layer Structure in the Southern Great Plains, U.S.A. Part II: Mesoscale Modelling

The importance of soil moisture inputs and improved model physics in the prediction of the daytime boundary-layer structure during the Southern Great Plains Hydrology Experiment 1997 (SGP97) is investigated using the non-hydrostatic fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University/National Center for Atmospheric Research (PSU/NCAR) Mesoscale Model MM5. This is Part II of a two-part study examining the relationship of surface heterogeneity to observed boundary-layer structure. Part I focuses on observations and utilizes a simple model while Part II uses observations and MM5 modelling. Soil moisture inputs tested include a lookup table based on soil type and season, output from an offline land-surface model (LSM) forced by atmospheric observations, and high-resolution (\(\approx\) 800 m) airborne microwave remotely sensed data. Model physics improvements are investigated by comparing an LSM directly coupled with the MM5 to a simpler force-restore method at the surface. The scale of land surface heterogeneities is compared to the scale of their effects on boundary-layer structure.
Intracellular signaling: Fleshing out the TGFβ pathway

Recent studies of the intracellular signaling pathway initiated by ligands of the transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta) family have provided new insights into how the receptors for such ligands phosphorylate their substrates - the Smads - and how signaling specificity is achieved.
The dispersion relation of the dynamic structure factor of one-dimensional Lennard-Jones fluids

Abstract A molecular dynamics computer simulation of a one-dimensional repulsive Lennard-Jones system shows that “gaps” exist in the dispersion relation of the dynamic structure factor.
Neuroimaging of herpesvirus infections in children

Six members of the herpesvirus family cause well-described neurologic disease in children: herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1), herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2), varicella-zoster (VZV), Epstein-Barr (EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), and human herpes virus-6 (HHV-6). When herpesviruses infect the central nervous system (CNS), the clinical presentation is non-specific and often confounding. The clinical urgency is often underscored by progressive neurologic deficits, seizures, or even death, and prompt diagnosis and treatment rely heavily on neuroimaging. This review focuses on the spectrum of cerebral manifestations caused by these viruses, particularly on non-congenital presentations. Recent advances in our understanding of these viruses are discussed, including new polymerase chain reaction techniques that allow parallel detection, which has improved our recognition that the herpesviruses are neurotropic and involve the CNS more often than previously thought. Evolving knowledge has also better elucidated viral neuropathology, particularly the role of VZV vasculitis in the brain, HHV-6 in febrile seizures, and herpesvirus reactivation in immunosuppressed patients. The virology, clinical course, and CNS manifestations of each virus are reviewed, followed by descriptions of neuroimaging findings when these agents infect the brain. Characteristic but often subtle imaging findings are discussed, as well as technical pearls covering appropriate use of MRI and MRI adjuncts to help differentiate viral infection from mimics.
Vitamin D metabolism in pregnant and pseudopregnant rats: Identification of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol-1-hydroxylase in decidual tissue

Elevated levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) are found in late pregnancy but the factors responsible for this are not known. To determine if the maternal-fetal calcium flux or the presence of a previously described extrarenal 25-hydroxycholecalciferol-1-hydroxylase (25(OH)-D3-1-hydroxylase) play a role, serum calcium and 1,25(OH)2D3 were measured in pregnant, nonpregnant, and decidua-bearing pseudopregnant rats. Serum calcium was 8.74± 0.26 mg/dl (mean±SEM) in nonpregnant rats. In pregnant rats, serum calcium was not significantly different from nonpregnant controls on day 12 and only slightly higher on day 15. Pseudopregnant rats were significantly hypercalcemic on days 12 (11.93±0.19 mg/dl) and 15 (11.45±0.23 mg/dl) compared with nonpregnant rats (P<0.001). In nonpregnant controls the serum level of 1,25(OH)2D3 was 44.6±6.3 pg/ml. Levels in pregnant rats were not significantly different on days 12 or 15 but tended to be higher by day 15 (75.2±19.7 pg/ml). Pseudopregnant rats had levels of 72.6±13.5 pg/ml on day 12 and 102.8±10.9 pg/ml on day 15, the latter of which was significantly higher than nonpregnant values (P<0.05). 25(OH)D3-1-hydroxylase activity was determined in whole tissue homogenates of placenta and decidua. Placenta from pregnant rats and decidua from pregnant and pseudopregnant rats both formed putative 1,25(OH)2D3 in short-term incubation with 25(OH)D3 as identified by comigration with authentic 1,25(OH)2D3 on high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results suggest that hypercalcemia during pseudopregnancy is due to unregulated production of 1,25(OH)2D3 by decidual tissue. Pregnant rats may not become hypercalcemic because the fetus acts as a calcium sink or the 25(OH)D3-1-hydroxylase is under regulation in the pregnant state.
Numerical simulation of the effect of nanotube orientation on tensile modulus of carbon-nanotube-reinforced polymer composites

By correlating the curvature of carbon nanotubes to the orientation of fibers in a polymer, the effect of the curvature of nanotubes on the tensile modulus of carbon-nanotube-reinforced polymer composites was investigated with a numerical simulation method. The simulation results showed that the tensile modulus of a nanotube-reinforced composite drops sharply when the nanotubes diverge from their orientation in the axial direction, and the presence of curved nanotubes in the polymer matrix significantly decreases the modulus of the composite. This finding could explain, partly, why in most cases, the predicted tensile modulus of a carbon-nanotube-reinforced composite, based on the assumption that the nanotubes are fully isolated and aligned in the polymer matrix, is much higher than the value obtained from experiments. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry
ePlas model simulations of short pulse laser target interaction experiments

We present recent calculations from ePLAS1, an implicit/hybrid simulation model applied to targets used in recent UCSD/GA experiments on Rochester's short-pulse laser. The targets are ∼1 mm long cone-headed wires of gold and copper, designed to provide data on absorption and transport of hot electrons appropriate to Fast Ignition. The code tracks light to the critical surface in laser targets, generating hot electrons. The peak intensity is ∼5xl018 W/cm2, delivered in a pulse of 10-11 picoseconds duration. The energy of the hot electrons is high enough for them to penetrate the gold cone and to propagate both outside and inside the target in a predominantly axial direction. The combination of hot electron propagation and cold electron return flow leads to net surface currents, and O(10 MG) surface magnetic fields. Simulations have been made in both cylindrical and Cartesian geometries to identify geometry dependent effects, and for comparison with the experiments. Results will be reported for dynamic ionization of the initially cold, metallic targets using both tabular and analytic EOS code additions. We will bench-mark K-alpha radiation diagnostics by comparison with simulation results from an ePLAS postprocessor.
Study of the passivation mechanism of c-Si by Al 2 O 3 using in situ infrared spectroscopy

We present an in situ attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy study of the passivation mechanism in the surface passivation of Si solar cells by Al 2 O 3 thin films deposited via atomic layer deposition (ALD) using TMA and O 3 as precursors. The IR measurements suggest that during the annealing stage, the Si-H bonding near the interface decreases. We have used D-terminated c-Si internal-reflection crystals to differentiate the residual H atoms that may migrate from ALD Al 2 O 3 films versus the residual D atoms present at the Al 2 O 3 /c-Si interface after ALD. Within the sensitivity of the ATR-FTIR spectroscopy setup of ∼1012 cm−2 for Si-H bonds, we do not detect any migration of H from Al 2 O 3 to the c-Si interface. Therefore, we conclude that the migration of O, and the subsequent restructuring of the interface during the annealing step, primarily contributes toward the chemical passivation of the Al 2 O 3 /c-Si interface.
Evaluation of an Analytical Model for the Maximum Intensity of Tropical Cyclones

Abstract Several studies have shown that the intensity of numerically simulated tropical cyclones can exceed (by 50%) a theoretical upper limit. To investigate the cause, this study evaluates the underlying components of Emanuel’s commonly cited analytic theory for potential intensity (herein referred to as E-PI). A review of the derivation of E-PI highlights three primary components: a dynamical component (gradient-wind and hydrostatic balance); a thermodynamical component (reversible or pseudoadiabatic thermodynamics, although the pseudoadiabatic assumption yields greater intensity); and a planetary boundary layer (PBL) closure (which relates the horizontal gradients of entropy and angular momentum at the top of the PBL to fluxes and stresses at the ocean surface). These three components are evaluated using output from an axisymmetric numerical model. The present analysis finds the thermodynamical component and the PBL closure to be sufficiently accurate for several different simulations. In contrast, t...
The effects of marriage and parenthood on offending levels over time among juvenile offenders across race and ethnicity

In criminal careers research, reasons why offenders stop offending are of importance. This study tests Sampson and Laub's age-graded theory of informal social control using a nationally representative contemporaneous sample and explores two possible turning points in the life course of individuals that could lead to desistance: marriage and parenthood. Racial and ethnic differences in the impact of these social bonds are also analyzed. In mixed support of the theory, marriage is found to lead to changes in levels of offending among whites and Hispanics but not blacks. Parenthood leads to decreases in offending among whites but not blacks or Hispanics. These results suggest possible modifications are needed to Sampson and Laub's theory. A discussion of these findings is presented.
Visual-Inertial Combined Odometry System for Aerial Vehicles

The requirement to operate aircraft in GPS-denied environments can be met by using visual odometry. Aiming at a full-scale aircraft equipped with a high-accuracy inertial navigation system INS, the proposed method combines vision and the INS for odometry estimation. With such an INS, the aircraft orientation is accurate with low drift, but it contains high-frequency noise that can affect the vehicle motion estimation, causing position estimation to drift. Our method takes the INS orientation as input and estimates translation. During motion estimation, the method virtually rotates the camera by reparametrizing features with their depth direction perpendicular to the ground. This partially eliminates error accumulation in motion estimation caused by the INS high-frequency noise, resulting in a slow drift. We experiment on two hardware configurations in the acquisition of depth for the visual features: 1 the height of the aircraft above the ground is measured by an altimeter assuming that the imaged ground is a local planar patch, and 2 the depth map of the ground is registered with a two-dimensional laser in a push-broom configuration. The method is tested with data collected from a full-scale helicopter. The accumulative flying distance for the overall tests is approximately 78 km. We observe slightly better accuracy with the push-broom laser than the altimeter.
UReturn: University of Minnesota services for faculty and staff with disabilities

While the majority of disability services offices focus on students, the University of Minnesota has a unique model that also serves faculty and staff with disabilities and chronic conditions.
Choosing profile double-sampling designs for survival estimation with application to President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief evaluation.

Most studies that follow subjects over time are challenged by having some subjects who dropout. Double-sampling is a design that selects, and devotes resources to intensively pursue and find a subset of these dropouts; then uses data obtained from these to adjust naive estimates, which are potentially biased by the dropout. Existing methods to estimate survival from double-sampling assume a random sample. In limited-resource settings however, generating accurate estimates using a minimum of resources is important. We propose using double-sampling designs that oversample certain profiles of dropouts as more efficient alternatives to random designs. First, we develop a framework to estimate the survival function under these profile double-sampling designs. We then derive the precision of these designs as a function of the rule for selecting different profiles, in order to identify more efficient designs. We illustrate using data from a United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)-funded HIV care and treatment program in western Kenya. Our results show why and how more efficient designs should oversample patients with shorter dropout times. Further, our work suggests generalizable practice for more efficient double-sampling designs, which can help maximize efficiency in resource-limited settings.
Comments on "A multiaccess frame buffer architecture

D.T. Harper (see ibid., vol.43, no.10, p.618-22, 1994) introduced a storage scheme in a multiaccess frame buffer scenario and showed that the proposed architecture allows parallel access to constant area rectangles of the array of pixels stored in the frame buffer. These comments show that the claim may not be true. There are cases when parallel access is not possible.
Design and evaluation of Bacteroides DNA probes for the specific detection of human fecal pollution

Because Bacteroides spp. are obligate anaerobes that dominate the human fecal flora, and because some species may live only in the human intestine, these bacteria might be useful to distinguish human from nonhuman sources of fecal pollution. To test this hypothesis, PCR primers specific for 16S rRNA gene sequences of Bacteroides distasonis, B. thetaiotaomicron, and B. vulgatus were designed. Hybridization with species-specific internal probes was used to detect the intended PCR products. Extracts from 66 known Bacteroides strains, representing 10 related species, were used to confirm the specificity of these PCR-hybridization assays. To test for specificity in feces, procedures were developed to prepare DNA of sufficient purity for PCR. Extracts of feces from 9 humans and 70 nonhumans (cats, dogs, cattle, hogs, horses, sheep, goats, and chickens) were each analyzed with and without an internal positive control to verify that PCR amplification was not inhibited by substances in the extract. In addition, serial dilutions from each extract that tested positive were assayed to estimate the relative abundance of target Bacteroides spp. in the sample. Depending on the primer-probe set used, either 78 or 67% of the human fecal extracts tested had high levels of target DNA. On the other hand, only 7 to 11% of the nonhuman extracts tested had similarly high levels of target DNA. An additional 12 to 20% of the nonhuman extracts had levels of target DNA that were 100- to 1,000-fold lower than those found in humans.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Alterations in resting metabolic rate as a consequence of 20 wk of endurance training: the HERITAGE Family Study.

This study determined the effects of endurance exercise training on the resting metabolic rate (RMR). It was hypothesized that the RMR would be increased posttraining, but that this increase would reflect the influence of the last exercise bout, not a chronic adaptation to exercise training. Seventy-four subjects (40 men and 37 women) aged 17-63 y participated in a 20-wk endurance training program. RMR and maximal oxygen uptake (V · O2max) were each measured on 2 separate days both pre- and posttraining; the posttraining RMR measurements were taken 24 and 72 h after the last exercise bout. There were small but significant changes posttraining in relative body fat (21.0%), fat mass (20.6 kg), and fat-free mass (0.7 kg) and a 17.9% increase in V · O2max. The RMR remained unchanged post- training, both 24 and 72 h after the last exercise bout, even when the data were adjusted to account for the potential confounding effects of age, sex, body composition, and V · O2max. In conclu- sion, 20 wk of endurance exercise training had no effect on the RMR even in the presence of small changes in body composition and a large increase in V · O2max. Am J Clin Nutr 1998; 68:66-71.
Deterministic global optimization for error-in-variables parameter estimation

Standard techniques for solving the optimization problem arising in parameter estimation by the error-in-variables (EIV) approach offer no guarantee that the global optimum has been found. It is demonstrated here that the interval-Newton approach can provide a powerful, deterministic global optimization methodology for the reliable solution of EIV parameter estimation problems in chemical process modeling, offering mathematical and computational guarantees that the global optimum has been found. Although this methodology is typically regarded as being applicable only to very small problems, it is successfully applied here to problems with over 200 variables. It is a general-purpose technique and is applied here to a diverse group of problems, including examples in reactor modeling, in modeling vapor-liquid equilibrium, and in modeling a heat exchanger network.
Spring-Loaded Heptad Repeat Residues Regulate the Expression and Activation of Paramyxovirus Fusion Protein

During viral entry, the paramyxovirus fusion (F) protein fuses the viral envelope to a cellular membrane. Similar to other class I viral fusion glycoproteins, the F protein has two heptad repeat regions (HRA and HRB) that are important in membrane fusion and can be targeted by antiviral inhibitors. Upon activation of the F protein, HRA refolds from a spring-loaded, crumpled structure into a coiled coil that inserts a hydrophobic fusion peptide into the target membrane and binds to the HRB helices to form a fusogenic hairpin. To investigate how F protein conformational changes are regulated, we mutated in the Sendai virus F protein a highly conserved 10-residue sequence in HRA that undergoes major structural changes during protein refolding. Nine of the 15 mutations studied caused significant defects in F protein expression, processing, and fusogenicity. Conversely, the remaining six mutations enhanced the fusogenicity of the F protein, most likely by helping spring the HRA coil. Two of the residues that were neither located at "a" or "d" positions in the heptad repeat nor conserved among the paramyxoviruses were key regulators of the folding and fusion activity of the F protein, showing that residues not expected to be important in coiled-coil formation may play important roles in regulating membrane fusion. Overall, the data support the hypothesis that regions in the F protein that undergo dramatic changes in secondary and tertiary structure between the prefusion and hairpin conformations regulate F protein expression and activation.
Electronic Prompt to Improve Outpatient Code Status Documentation for Patients With Advanced Lung Cancer

Purpose Rates of documentation of end-of-life care preferences in the medical record remain low, even among patients with incurable malignancies. We therefore conducted a two-phase study to develop and assess the effect of electronic prompts to encourage oncology clinicians to document code status in the outpatient electronic health record (EHR) of patients with advanced lung cancers. Patients and Methods To determine the optimal delivery, content, and timing of the electronic prompt, we first facilitated focus groups with oncology clinicians at an affiliated medical center. Given this feedback, we developed e-mail reminders timed to the start of each new chemotherapy regimen. Between July 2009 and January 2011, 102 eligible patients with incurable lung cancer were approached, and 100 agreed to participate. We compared e-mail prompt participants (EPPs) with a cohort of 100 consecutive historical controls who began therapy for incurable lung cancer at least 1 year before the start of this study. The primar...
Prevention and Control of Tuberculosis

Programs for tuberculosis prevention in health care workers can be complex and often raise questions and controversies among employee health and infection control practitioners alike. Although tuberculosis is declining in incidence in the US, preventive programs for health care workers will continue to be a part of employee health programs. As with other aspects of infection control, the practitioner must develop and modify the program to reflect the state of the art and current thinking in tuberculosis prevention and control.
Poststroke Rehabilitation Practice Guidelines

Any consideration of rehabilitation for individuals who have suffered a stroke must take into account two contemporary events: the explosion of knowledge in neuropsychology and rehabilitation and the increase in rehabilitation facilities that treat patients with impairments due to stroke.
Sacred History: The Formation of Civil Religions in South Africa and the American South in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries

The author comparatively examines South African and American historical literature that focuses on the formation of a “civil religion,” a synthesis of cultural inheritance and religious ideology th...
Birth Order and Managerial Achievement

The article discusses a study that tested the generalizability of the relationship between birth order and achievement in a sample of middle managers. The measure of achievement in the study was de...
Marionette Suspension in the Testing of Long Light Structures

According to the recently proposed Marionette Paradigm, a specimen is suspended for vibration testing with fly beams integrated into a single hierarchy (a generali zed whiffle tree), suspended from one external location. This support subjects the specimen to mechanical conditions truly equivalent to floating in weightlessness, enabling the testing of free-free structural res ponses. In addition to its mechanical simplicity, this passive gravity compensation scheme is also characterized by high imperfection tolerance, compatibility with up to medium scale kinematics, as well as little or negligible response interference, especially for heavy and compact specimens. However, the lower the weight and the larger the dimensions of the tested structure are, the more significant the inertial impact of the fly beam masses — and the more significant some second order stiffness effects — become. These penalties are considered in the present work with special attention paid to the testing of linear structures such as booms and long trusses. Presented is a new form of the suspension weight chart to aid the rapid assessment of the gross weight penalty in the support of linear specimens. Geometric support stiffnesses which are important for compliant structures are examined with earlier approximations abandoned; fly beam fulcrum and specimen anchor point offset s are both discussed. Via formal mathematical insight into how they influence vibration response, geometr ic stiffness effects are seen to generally diminish within the hierarchy faster than inertial pollution.
Bacteriostatic Effects of Sulfanilamide, Pyridine and Thiazol Derivatives upon Colon-Typhoid-Dysentery Group.

ConclusionsOn the basis of in vitro studies sulfathiazol and sulfamethylthiazol have been found to be somewhat more effective than sulfapyridine, sulfaphenylthiazol and sulfanilamide in their in vitro effects upon bacteria representative of the colon-typhoid-dysentery group. In general, the unsubstituted thiazol derivative appears to be the most active compound, being followed in decreasing order of effectiveness by sulfamethylthiazol, sulfapyridine, sulfa-phenyl thiazol and sulfanilamide.
Natriuretic Peptides for Predicting Left Atrial Reverse Remodeling After Atrial Fibrillation Ablation: Too Much of a Stretch?

As techniques for successful ablation and maintenance of sinus rhythm in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) evolve, identifying the group of patients who will respond successfully is becoming an important clinical goal. The efficacy of a single ablation is approximately 60% to 80% [(1,2)][1],
Neurogenic inflammation in cholecystitis

Neurogenic inflammation implies stimulation ofnerves with resultant inflammation in tissue surroundingthe nerve terminals. We hypothesized that neurogenicinflammation has a role in cholecystitis. Capsaicin (stimulant of afferent, nociceptive neurons),6-hydroxydopamine (stimulates release of peptides fromsympathetic nerve terminals), bradykinin,lipopolysaccharide, and saline were instilled intoguinea pig gallbladders for 24 hr (N = 5 in each group).In parallel, test agents were instilled with 1%lidocaine. Water transport across gallbladder mucosa,myeloperoxidase and interleukin-1 release fromgallbladder tissue, and prostaglandin E in luminal fluidwere measured. Capsaicin caused water secretion andsignificant 2 release of myeloperoxidase, interleukin-1,and prostaglandin-E2, effects that wereblocked by lidocaine. 6-Hydroxydopamine did not affectwater transport or prostaglandin E2, but didcause myeloperoxidase and interleukin-1 release.Bradykinin- and lipopolysaccharideinduced inflammationwere partially inhibited by lidocaine. Taken together, theseresults suggest that neurogenic inflammation has a rolein the pathophysiology of cholecystitis.
Viscous textures: Velocity dependence in fingertip-surface scanning interaction

We explore the impact of fingertip velocity and material properties on the lateral force interaction between a fingertip and a texture. Three sinusoidal gratings of varying compliance were scanned by a finger at a variety of speeds while lateral force and fingertip position were measured. Two robust trends were noted: one, for more compliant textures, the DC component of lateral force was larger, and it increased with scanning speed (i.e., it had a viscous component); two, for all textures, but especially the more compliant ones, the 1 /f background noise component of lateral force decreased with increased scanning speed. Focusing on the first of these trends, we used a TPad haptic device to implement virtual gratings with multiple levels of viscosity and DC friction, and we performed a multidimensional scaling analysis as well as comparisons to two of the physical gratings. The results demonstrate that both DC friction level and viscosity have significant perceptual consequences, but suggest that subjects may not be able to distinguish readily between friction and viscosity, at least at the levels implemented here.
On Congratulation Letter by Lun Xun and Mao Dun to the Red Army

The letters to the Red Army by Lun Xun and Mao Dun on March 29th,1936 are valuable historical documents,and they are of great significance for the research of the lives and thoughts of Lu Xun and Mao Dun,for the research of the modern China's history,and for the research of the history of the party history and army history of Communist Party of China.The congratulation letters were published in the 95th issue of Struggle,the official newspaper of CPC northwest bureau,and have remained a hot spot for researchers.
Acute control of fatty acid synthesis by cyclic AMP in the chick liver cell: possible site of inhibition of citrate formation.

Glucagon and N,(6)O(2)-dibutyryl cyclic adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (Bt(2)cAMP) inhibit fatty acid synthesis from acetate by more than 90% and prevent citrate formation in chick hepatocytes metabolizing glucose. With substrates that enter glycolysis at or below triose-phosphates, e.g., fructose, lactate, or pyruvate, Bt(2)cAMP has no effect on the citrate level and its inhibitory effect on fatty acid synthesis is substantially reversed. Because acetyl-CoA carboxylase requires a tricarboxylic acid activator for activity, it is proposed that regulation of fatty acid synthesis by Bt(2)cAMP is due, in part, to changes in the citrate level. Reduced citrate formation appears to result from a cAMP-induced inhibition of glycolysis. Bt(2)cAMP inhibits (14)CO(2) production from [1-(14)C]-, [6-(14)C]-, and [U-(14)C]glucose and has little effect on (14)CO(2) formation from [1-(14)C]- or [2-(14)C]pyruvate or from [1-(14)C]fructose. [(14)C]Lactate formation from glucose is depressed 50% by Bt(2)cAMP. In the presence of an inhibitor of mitochondrial pyruvate transport lactate accumulation is enhanced, but continues to be lowered 50% by Bt(2)cAMP. The activity of phosphofructokinase is greatly decreased in Bt(2)cAMP-treated cells while the activities of pyruvate kinase and acetyl-CoA carboxylase are unaffected. It appears that decreased glycolytic flux and decreased citrate formation result from depressed phosphofructokinase activity. Fatty acid synthesis from [(14)C]acetate is partially inhibited by Bt(2)cAMP in the presence of fructose, lactate, and pyruvate despite a high citrate level. Incorporation of [(14)C]fructose, [(14)C]pyruvate, or [(14)C]lactate into fatty acids is similarly depressed by Bt(2)cAMP. Synthesis of cholesterol from [(14)C]acetate or [2-(14)C]pyruvate is unaffected by Bt(2)cAMP. These results implicate a second site of inhibition of fatty acid synthesis by Bt(2)cAMP that involves the utilization, but not the production, of cytoplasmic acetyl-CoA.-Clarke, S. D., P. A. Watkins, and M. D. Lane. Acute control of fatty acid synthesis by cyclic AMP in the chick liver cell: possible site of inhibition of citrate formation.
Results of Surgical Treatment of Renovascular Hypertension

AbstractWe have used a comprehensive protocol to identify secondary forms of hypertension and operated upon 77 patients with functionally significant renovascular disease. The population included 52 patients with atherosclerotic renal arterial lesions (31 unilateral and 21 bilateral) and 25 patients with fibrodysplasia (19 unilateral and 6 bilateral). In the entire population there was a 90 per cent cured-improved rate, a 5 per cent failure rate and a 5 per cent postoperative mortality. The cure rate was highest in the unilateral fibrodysplasia group and lowest in those with bilateral atherosclerotic disease. The choice of initial operative approach was based on an attempt to preserve renal mass; in 11 patients vascular reconstruction was attempted and these required secondary nephrectomy because of early or late failure. All 11 patients had a good result after nephrectomy. Our observations indicate that a vigorous operative approach to renovascular hypertension is beneficial once accurate demonstration o...
Associated Roles of Perioperative Medical Directors and Anesthesia: Hospital Agreements for Operating Room Management

As reviewed previously, decision making can be made systematically shortly before the day of surgery based on reducing the hours of overutilized operating room (OR) time and tardiness of case starts (i.e., patient waiting). We subsequently considered in 2008 that such decision making depends on rational anesthesia-hospital agreements specifying anesthesia staffing. Since that prior study, there has been a substantial increase in understanding of the timing of decision making to reduce overutilized OR time. Most decisions substantively influencing overutilized OR time are those made within 1 workday before the day of surgery and on the day of surgery, because only then are ORs sufficiently full that case scheduling and staff assignment decisions affect overutilized OR time. Consequently, anesthesiologists can easily be engaged in such decisions, because generally they must be involved to ensure that the corresponding anesthesia staff assignments are appropriate. Despite this, at hospitals with >8 hours of OR time used daily in each OR, computerized recommendations are superior to intuition because of cognitive biases. Decisions need to be made by a Perioperative Medical Director who has knowledge of the principles of perioperative managerial decision making published in the scientific literature rather than by a committee lacking this competency. Education in the scientific literature, and when different analytical methods should be used, is important. The addition that we make in this article is to show that an agreement between an anesthesia group and a hospital can both reduce overutilized OR time and patient waiting: The anesthesia group and hospital will ensure, hourly, that, when there are case(s) waiting to start, the number of ORs in use for each service will be at least the number that maximizes the efficiency of use of OR time. Neither the anesthesia group nor the hospital will be expected to run more than that number of ORs without mutual agreement. Agreements assure that processes mutually beneficial to organizations, but not necessarily to individuals at each point in time, are performed as designed, especially in the setting of cognitive biases.
The Personal, Political, and Professional Life of Sandra Bem

The contributions of Sandra Bem, a pioneer in feminist psychology, are reviewed in the context of her life. From childhood and her early years as a second wave feminist activist in Pittsburgh, Bem challenged established gender conventions including dress codes, segregated employment ads, workplace discrimination, and marital roles. We follow the trajectory of Bem’s education and academic career, highlighting her three main contributions to feminist psychology: (a) psychological androgyny and the BSRI, (b) gender schema theory, and (c) the reproduction of sexual inequality via the lenses of gender. We also review her late life developments, such as her retraining in clinical psychology and her decision to end her own life after a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Placing Bem’s activist and academic work in the context of her personal struggle against gender expectations, we include her own voice to illustrate how she integrated the personal, political, and professional from the beginning of her life until her last days. We show that over the last four decades, Sandra Bem’s contributions to theory and research transformed the study of the psychology of women in the United States and had an international reach—adding immensely to our understanding of gender roles, stereotypes, nonconscious gender ideologies, psychological androgyny, gender schemas, and gender-aschematic parenting, as well as how androcentrism, gender polarization, and biological essentialism work systemically and psychologically to reproduce gender inequality.
Active-Controlled Clinical Trials

In order to fulfill the requirement of a new drug application, a sponsor needs to conduct randomized clinical trials to demonstrate that the test treatment is effective. With placebo control in the clinical trial, efficacy of the test treatment is demonstrated by showing that the test treatment is statistically and clinically superior to placebo. Clinical trials designed with the objective to demonstrate the test treatment is noninferior or equivalent to the active control treatment have long history been applied in drug development for generic and some specific products. On the other hand, due to the ethical concern of exposing patients to placebo when there are proven therapeutic methods available, many of the clinical trials can only be designed with approved active control treatment. Because of the lack of placebo exposure in the current clinical trial, neither sponsor nor the regulatory reviewer can assess whether the test treatment is superior to placebo directly. When the concept of noninferiority and equivalence of bioequivalence trials is applied to this type of trials, it leads to the complication and indirectness to the efficacy assessment of the test treatment (superior to placebo). This chapter discusses the fundamental concepts of noninferiority and equivalence testing applied in generic and some specific drug products and how they be extended in the application for the interpretation for “test treatment is superior to placebo” assessment. We will discuss also why it makes the drug efficacy evaluation so complicated with such an application. Limitations and strength of evidence of using noninferiority or equivalence testing for efficacy evaluation will also be discussed.
Covering a Two-Front War: Three African American Correspondents during World War II

Abstract This article examines the largely unrecognized area of African American foreign correspondence during World War II, and it looks at local reporting about the conflict in order to ascertain how the black press framed the war. The Norfolk Journal and Guide, one of the most respected African American newspapers of the time, sent three journalists overseas to cover the war. This article provides a comprehensive textual analysis of editorials and articles in selected issues of the Journal and Guide between 1940 and September 1945 in order to ascertain how the newspaper framed the conflict. Findings indicate that the contributions and perspectives of the newspaper and its war correspondents reflected the intense African American domestic struggle for recognition, inclusion, and equal rights. In this two-front war, coverage chronicled discrimination against as well as contributions of African Americans, a reporting that used many of the techniques of establishment journalism but was driven by a differen...