cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Global modeling: Origins, assessment, and alternative futures

This essay reviews the origins of key concepts used in most global models. Philosophical preconditions for validity are examined. A framework for critically evaluating existing global models is suggested. A philosophy for global modeling is outlined. Global modeling is a much deeper enterprise than its critics seem to be aware. However, because global modeling lacks an academic or institutional home, key issues that have arisen with early global models are left essentially untouched. To critique global models or global modeling meaningfully, at least three perspectives are essential: those of science, philosophy, and practical application (praxis). A firm foundation for global modeling requires that its practitioners adopt an academic paradigm (i.e., university research institutes, schools and departments, a professional association, and a professional peer-reviewed journal). Global modeling is the only methodology capable of helping humanity to self-consciously envision itself and its environment in a ti...
Mobile Haptens in Lipid Bilayers Cause Large-Scale Clustering of IgE Receptors

Rat basophilic leukemia (RBL) mast cells express IgE receptors on the membrane that, when aggregated, initiate biochemical events that lead to the exocytosis of inflammatory mediators (degranulation). Low concentrations of monovalent haptens in fluid supported lipid bilayers have been found to cause degranulation, but microscopically visible aggregation has not been previously observed. To investigate possible receptor aggregation at higher hapten concentration, RBL cells were loaded with a fluorescent anti-DNP IgE and then deposited onto fluid supported lipid bilayers containing DNP-lipids at up to 50 mole %. Total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy was used to image the cells; large clusters were observed at DNP concentrations ≥ 10 mol %. The characteristic cluster sizes and densities were analyzed with image correlation spectroscopy (Petersen et al., BJ 65:1135. 1993), with the improvement that the autocorrelation value g(0,0) was explicitly corrected for shot noise and CCD camera read noise.Monovalent ligands in fluid membranes cause receptor clustering in T-cells and B-cells, in cytoskeleton-dependent processes. The high DNP concentration required for large-scale aggregation in RBLs suggests that degranulation signaling and large-scale aggregation may be two distinct cellular responses that depend differently on hapten concentration and presentation.This research was supported by Sandia National Laboratories. Sandia is a multi-program laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, for the United States Department of Energy under Contract DE-ACO4-94AL85000. KS is supported by ARO grant (W911NF-05-1-0464).
Comparison of patella bone strain between females with and without patellofemoral pain: A finite element analysis study

Elevated bone principal strain (an indicator of potential bone injury) resulting from reduced cartilage thickness has been suggested to contribute to patellofemoral symptoms. However, research linking patella bone strain, articular cartilage thickness, and patellofemoral pain (PFP) remains limited. The primary purpose was to determine whether females with PFP exhibit elevated patella bone strain when compared to pain-free controls. A secondary objective was to determine the influence of patella cartilage thickness on patella bone strain. Ten females with PFP and 10 gender, age, and activity-matched pain-free controls participated. Patella bone strain fields were quantified utilizing subject-specific finite element (FE) models of the patellofemoral joint (PFJ). Input parameters for the FE model included (1) PFJ geometry, (2) elastic moduli of the patella bone, (3) weight-bearing PFJ kinematics, and (4) quadriceps muscle forces. Using quasi-static simulations, peak and average minimum principal strains as well as peak and average maximum principal strains were quantified. Cartilage thickness was quantified by computing the perpendicular distance between opposing voxels defining the cartilage edges on axial plane magnetic resonance images. Compared to the pain-free controls, individuals with PFP exhibited increased peak and average minimum and maximum principal strain magnitudes in the patella. Additionally, patella cartilage thickness was negatively associated with peak minimum principal patella strain and peak maximum principal patella strain. The elevated bone strain magnitudes resulting from reduced cartilage thickness may contribute to patellofemoral symptoms and bone injury in persons with PFP.
Jeffrey D. Simon.Lone Wolf Terrorism: Understanding the Growing Threat

Amherst NY: Prometheus Books, 2013. 335 pp., $26.00 cloth. ISBN: 978-1-61614-646-7. The book offers an overview and analysis of lone wolf terrorism. It examines who the lone wolves are, what motiva...
Production of interleukin-1-receptor antagonist during experimental endotoxaemia

Abstract Interleukin-1 (IL-1) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of sepsis. IL-1-receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) is a naturally occurring inhibitor of IL-1 activity that competes with IL-1 for occupancy of cell-surface receptors but possesses no agonist activity. We induced endotoxaemia in 9 healthy human volunteers by injection of Escherichia coli endotoxin, and measured plasma concentrations of IL-1 and IL-1ra by radioimmunoassay during the next 24 h. Peak plasma concentrations of IL-1ra were about a hundred-fold greater than those of IL-1β. No IL-1 or IL-1ra were detectable in the plasma of 4 volunteers injected with saline. Our results suggest that the predominant natural response to endotoxin in man is the production of antagonist rather than agonist.
Experimental demonstration of “Cold” low contact resistivity ohmic contacts on moderately doped n-Ge with in-situ atomic hydrogen clean

Low contact resistivity ohmic contacts are demonstrated on n-Ge at doping level N D of 1×1019 cm−3. Atomic Hydrogen (H*) clean was shown to reduce the specific contact resistivity (ρ C ) by 7% for the first time, due to reduction of barrier height of 70meV compared to the unclean sample. Improvement was primarily due to the reduction of the germanim oxide, GeOx, and surface passivation at the interface by H atoms as confirmed by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The ρ C of 2.7×10−5 Ω-cm2, at a moderate doping density of 1×1019 cm−3, is the lowest with the minimum possible thermal budget.
A novel chemical detector using cermet sensors and pattern recognition methods for toxic industrial chemicals

The development and evaluation of a novel gas sensing system intended for use on US Navy vessels is presented. The purpose of this sensor is to provide real-time detection and quantification of a wide range of known toxic chemicals including toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) and combustible or corrosive gases. The sensor system incorporates an array of ceramic-metal (cermet) gas microsensors with multivariate pattern recognition techniques and represents a rugged, light-weight, and low-cost solution to analysis problems that would otherwise need to be addressed with multiple conventional electrochemical sensors. The smart microsensor arrays are being developed by combining cermet electrochemical sensors utilizing cyclic voltammetry, with intelligent firmware and software to drive the sensors and analyze the data. The chemical microsensor architecture may be modified for detection selectivity of a variety of chemical species. The microsensor arrays have potential application for monitoring hazardous chemicals in the part-per-million to part-per-billion range in a variety of internal and external environments. The arrays sense analytes using pattern recognition techniques to determine the presence of vapors of interest. A test demonstrator has been developed with a four-sensor array, readout electronics, and system control software. The four-sensor array was exposed to 15 test vapors. The 15-analyte sources, including two blood agents, 10 TICs and three simulants were generated at five different concentrations in humid air. The cermet sensor array provided unique responses for the various analytes tested. Similar analyte types produced similar results. The sensitivity is sufficient to detect all the analytes at their respective exposure limits. A variety of feature selection and pattern recognition methods are being investigated for robust detection.
Regulation of the paracellular permeability of cultured human cervical epithelium by a nucleotide receptor

OBJECTIVE We sought to determine what type of regulation of transepithelial transport in leaky epithelium can occur at the level of paracellular permeability. METHODS The epithelial permeability to the polar acid pyranine (Ppyr) and the transepithelial electrical resistance (R) were determined in cultured human cervical epithelium. RESULTS Extracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) acutely and reversibly decreased the paracellular permeability, as evidenced by an increase of R from 10 +/- 3 to 16 +/- 2 omega/cm2 and a decrease in Ppyr from 13 +/- 3 to 9 +/- 3 x 10(-6) cm/sec and (P < .01 for both). The ATP effect was dose related (average median effective concentration 2 +/- 1 microM), saturable at 50 microM, and desensitized with repeated administration; it was mimicked by uridine triphosphate and ATP-gamma-S but not by adenosine monophosphate, adenine, adenosine, or adenosine diphosphate. The ATP effect on resistance remained intact even when the intercellular resistance was decreased with a basal-to-apical pressure gradient, but was abolished by lowering extracellular calcium. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate the following: 1) Paracellular permeability in the cervical epithelial cell line is regulated by a nucleotide receptor; and 2) the tight junctions are effectors of nucleotide-receptor stimulation. We suggest that extracellular ATP may regulate mucus production in the cervix in vivo by acting on a surface receptor and by increasing the resistance of the tight junctions.
Facile solid-phase synthesis of 2,3-disubstituted 6H-pyrano[2,3-f]benzimidazole-6-ones

We report herein the facile solid-phase synthesis of 2,3-disubstituted 6H-pyrano[2,3-f]benzimidazole-6-ones using 7-fluoro-4-methyl-6-nitro-2-oxo-2H-1-benzopyran-3-carboxylic acid as the scaffold. The fluorine of the resin-bound scaffold was first replaced by a primary amine. Reduction of the nitro group with tin(II) chloride afforded an o-dianilino intermediate that was treated with an aldehyde followed by the addition of 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyanoquinone (DDQ). 2,3-Disubstituted 6H-pyrano[2,3-f]benzimidazole-6-ones were obtained in high purity and good yield after cleavage.
C-terminal deletion mutant of pokeweed antiviral protein inhibits viral infection but does not depurinate host ribosomes

Pokeweed antiviral protein (PAP), a 29-kDa protein isolated from Phytolacca americana, inhibits translation by catalytically removing a specific adenine residue from the large rRNA of the 60S subunit of eukaryotic ribosomes. In addition to its ribosome-inactivating ability, PAP has potent antiviral activity against many plant and animal viruses, including HIV. We recently described the isolation and characterization of nontoxic PAP mutants, NT123-2, which has a point mutation (E176V) in the active site that abolishes enzymatic activity, and NT124-3, which has a nonsense mutation that results in deletion of the C-terminal 25 aa (W237Stop). In vitro translation of rabbit reticulocyte lysate ribosomes was inhibited by the C-terminal deletion mutant, but not by the active site mutant. We expressed both mutants in transgenic tobacco and showed that, unlike PAP or variant PAP, neither mutant is toxic to transgenic plants. In vivo depurination of rRNA was detected in transgenic tobacco expressing variant PAP, but not in transgenic plants expressing either the active site mutant or the C-terminal deletion mutant PAP. When extracts from transgenic plants containing the mutant PAPs were exogenously applied to tobacco leaves in the presence of potato virus X (PVX), the C-terminal deletion mutant had antiviral activity, while the active site mutant had no antiviral activity. Furthermore, transgenic plants expressing low levels of the C-terminal deletion mutant showed resistance to PVX infection, while transgenic plants expressing very high levels of the active site mutant PAP were not resistant to PVX. Our results demonstrate that an intact active site of PAP is necessary for antiviral activity, toxicity, and in vivo depurination of tobacco ribosomes. However, an intact active site is not sufficient for all these activities. An intact C terminus is also required for toxicity and depurination of tobacco ribosomes in vivo, but not for antiviral activity, suggesting that antiviral activity of PAP can be dissociated from its toxicity.
Ceratocystis species associated with the Aspen ambrosia beetle

SUMMARY A new species, Ceratocystis retusi, characterized by brown perithecia and long flexuous, ostiolar filaments, is described. This species and C. brevicollis were commonly found in the pupal cells of the aspen ambrosia beetle, Typodendron retusum, in Colorado. Ceratocystis brevicollis Davidson was described in 1958 from a culture isolated from a gallery of the aspen ambrosia beetle Typodendron retusur (Lec.) (2). At that time, it was not known how closely the fungus was associated with the beetle; the culture has since become inviable. To obtain new cultures of the organism, fresh specimens of beetles and galleries were collected from aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) growing in two areas on the Redfeather District of the Roosevelt National Forest in Larimer County, Colorado, on August 6 and September 3, 1970. The ambrosia beetle invades the green sapwood of live, declining trees and is common throughout the aspen stands of the West. The adults (FIG. 2) are small, stout beetles, 3-4 mm long, dark brown or black, and usually marked with a broad stripe of smoky yellow on each wing cover (1). In making the attack, the beetle bores through the aspen bark into the sapwood for about 1 cm, turns at a right angle to the entrance gallery and extends the gallery around the trunk at
Identification and characterization of serum complement activity in the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus).

Abstract Incubation of unsensitized sheep red blood cells with serum from the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) resulted in a concentration-dependent hemolysis. The hemolytic activity was heat-sensitive, and inhibited by EDTA in a concentration-dependent manner. The EDTA-inhibited SRBC hemolysis could be restored by the addition of excess Ca2+ or Mg2+, but not Ba2+ or Cu2+, revealing the specificity of this activity for these two divalent cations. The hemolytic activity of crocodile serum was titer-dependent, with 329 μL producing 50% of maximal SRBC hemolysis. The complement activity was also temperature-dependent, with decreased activity at lower temperatures (5–15 °C) and maximal activity occurred at 30–40 °C. The hemolysis occurred relatively slowly, with near zero activity after 10 min, 40% of activity observed within 15 min of exposure to SRBCs, and maximal activity at 30 min.
Moscow versus Los Angeles: the Nixon White House wages Cold War in the Olympic selection process

In 1970 the Nixon Administration bribed members of the International Olympic Committee in an effort to bring the 1976 summer games to Los Angeles. These actions injected Cold War issues into the process of selecting Olympic host cities. This effort initiated a political confrontation with the Soviet Union, since Moscow was another of the candidate cities. Although weak and vulnerable to political assaults, the International Olympic movement's decentralized organizational nature made it difficult for the Nixon White House to bring the Olympics to Los Angeles. The administration learned from this failure and was more successful in offering more limited support to efforts to host the 1980 Winter Olympics.
Plastic working in the USA and related environmental issues

Abstract A key feature for global environmental concern is the conservation of the consumption of energy and materials. No doubt, the less energy consumed, the lower the resulting pollution. This observation is reflected in the many aspects of pollution, including air, water, and ground pollution, and through the study of typical processes. Here, attention will be focused on two separate phenomena, namely energy conservation through: (i) reduction in friction losses through the introduction of hydrodynamic lubrication during metal forming processes; and (ii) substituting cold forming for hot-forming processes. Typically, industry is motivated only by profit considerations. No amount of government intervention by incentives and discouragements (the carrot and the stick) can force industry to act otherwise without reflecting, most negatively, on the competitive status of the country involved. An attempt will be made here to show that following energy-conservation measures, in the form of reducing friction losses, and adopting cold-forming processes, does not only save the environment, but also makes better economical sense. For example, when oil burning furnaces are replaced by induction heating, not only are savings in energy and in the amount of pollution affected, but the process is more economical. Much less, and cleaner, energy is spent for fast and focused induction heating of the workpiece, than for wasteful fuel-burning heating of the furnace chamber and pollution of the environment. These savings, due to the lesser amount of energy used, are real, even when onemembers that the electrical energy was produced elsewhere in a power plant.
Applications of medical informatics in allergy/immunology.

Objective To provide a general overview of informatics and its interface with allergy/immunology. Data Sources The PubMed interface to MEDLINE was searched with the keywords asthma, allergy , or immunology together with the keywords informatics, bioinformatics , and information technology to retrieve the articles relevant to this review. Study Selection The authors' knowledge of the field was used to include sources of information other than those obtained through the MEDLINE search. Results A survey of informatics, with emphasis on the relevance to allergy, asthma, and immunology, is presented. Conclusions Several innovative informatics approaches have significant potential to improve health care on diverse fronts. Newer methods of information representation are poised to facilitate the impact of cutting-edge research on clinical practice.
Thermal Activation of 3-Bromocyclohexene on Pt(111)

The adsorption and thermal activation of 3-bromocyclohexene on Pt(111) was studied by temperature programmed desorption (TPD), high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Upon adsorption, the first layer of 3-bromocyclohexene dissociatively adsorbs to make Br-Pt and C 6 H 9 -Pt bonds and produces benzene upon thermal activation. At higher coverages, 3-bromocyclohexene molecularly adsorbs and desorbs as the temperature increases. At lower coverages, the second layer molecular desorption peak at 192 K is distinct from the multilayer desorption peak at 173 K, but as the total coverage grows, the second layer shifts into the multilayer. Following molecular desorption, C s symmetric π-allylic C 6 H 9 species remain on the surface and are stable until 250 K, where they dehydrogenate to benzene;the dehydrogenation is rapidly completed by 280 K. Most of the benzene desorbs above 300 K, but a small amount decomposes to C x H y species above 400 K to form surface carbide. The surface Br either captures H generated by the dehydrogenation and leaves the surface as HBr between 220 and 280 K or recombines as Br 2 above 500 K.
Vanishing Polynomial Sums

Abstract If a sum of univariate polynomials is zero, then there are restrictions on the multiplicities of zeros of the polynomials.
Nonlinear UV damage mechanism in polymer thin films observed from below to above damage threshold

In thin cellulose acetate films, 351-nm laser damage at subnanosecond pulse length can be demonstrated to be driven solely by a slow-buildup-time, transverse stimulated scattering process in which the transverse-scattered wave exhibits neither Raman nor Brillouin spectral shifts. Above threshold, the damage morphology exhibits an orientational selectivity that coincides with the scattered-wave orientation observable down to fluences 20 percent below the damage threshold. The physics of the scattering process remains to be identified.
Two-phase genetic algorithm for size optimization of free-form steel space-frame roof structures

Abstract A two-phase GA approach is presented for minimum weight design of free-form steel space-frame roof structures consisting of discrete commercially available rectangular hollow structural sections (HSS). The new methodology is applied to two roof structures subjected to the AISC LRFD code and ASCE-10 snow, wind, and seismic loadings. They are two of the thirteen train stations making up the Ottawa Light Rail Transit (OLRT) system to be completed in Ottawa, Canada, in 2018. Both examples have a diamond grid pattern and their members are subjected to torsion in addition to bending and axial forces. The initial design in both cases is an actual design performed in a design office by the first author iteratively using general-purpose structural analysis software over a period of days. The optimum solutions obtained using the new methodology resulted in savings of 12% and 7% for the two examples. The advantages of the two-phase GA optimization algorithm presented in this paper are three fold: a) automation of the design process of a complicated and one-of-a-kind structure; b) relieving the designer of days of iterative design process; and c) achieving a lighter and therefore more economical design.
Macrophages as mediators of tumor immunosurveillance

Tumor immunosurveillance is a well-established mechanism for regulation of tumor growth. In this regard, most studies have focused on the role of T- and NK-cells as the critical immune effector cells. However, macrophages play a major role in the recognition and clearance of foreign, aged, and damaged cells. Macrophage phagocytosis is negatively regulated via the receptor SIRPα upon binding to CD47, a ubiquitously expressed protein. We recently showed that CD47 is up-regulated in myeloid leukemia and migrating hematopoietic progenitors, and that the level of protein expression correlates with the ability to evade phagocytosis. These results implicate macrophages in the immunosurveillance of hematopoietic cells and leukemias. The ability of macrophages to phagocytose tumor cells might be exploited therapeutically by blocking the CD47-SIRPα interaction.
High resolution XPS analysis of binary and ternary Cu and Fe doped ZnO catalysts for methane oxidation to formaldehyde

Abstract The surface composition and chemical states of the Cu/ZnO, Fe/ZnO, and Cu/Fe/ZnO catalysts for partial oxidation of methane have been studied by high resolution, high sensitivity X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). A hybrid multiline method is proposed for quantitative XPS analysis that combines the first principles approach with the experimental determination of overall response function specific for the SCIENTA 300 instrument used in this work and the investigated solids. The results revealed the formation of solid solutions with the Cu + ions in substitional (tetrahedral) positions in the near-surface region of the ZnO matrix. The Cu + and Fe 3+ dopants are coupled as Coulombic pairs. Surface enrichment of the dopants from the bulk average of 1 atom% up to 2.6–3.4 atom%, depending on the kind of dopant, was also observed.
Using a CFD Model To Understand the Fluid Dynamics Promoting E. coli Breakage in a High-Pressure Homogenizer

A Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) model of flow in a high-pressure homogenizing valve (APV Gaulin model 30CD) was developed with the Fluent software. The 2D model consists of an unstructured hexagonal mesh, dense in the regions of high gradients. The flow (single-phase) was modeled as laminar upstream of and in the channel (gap) and turbulent downstream of the channel exit. Applying a realizable kappa-epsilon turbulence model, the CFD model accurately predicted the effect of gap space on fluid dynamic conditions upstream (inlet pressure and pressure gradient) and downstream (impact pressure) of the channel for a valve with a standard (CD-0) impact distance (0.25 mm) and a 1 cP fluid. This CFD model was then used to estimate the magnitude of the fluid dynamic parameters (except cavitation effects) presumed to be responsible for cell breakage, as a function of gap space, impact distance and fluid viscosity. The CFD models predicted that for a given volumetric flowrate the upstream fluid conditions (inlet pressure gradient, maximum channel strain rate) and the maximum energy dissipation rate in the post-gap jet depend only on the gap space and the fluid viscosity and not on the impact distance. The impact pressure however depends on the gap spacing, the fluid viscosity and especially the impact distance. Experimental results indicate that higher inlet pressures are required to break cells, if the impact distance is increased. By conducting experiments to isolate individual cell breakage mechanisms for a single pass, threshold values were identified for breaking Escherichia coli cells: pressure gradient, 1.2 x 10(12) Pa/m; energy dissipation rate, 1.0 x 10(10) m(3)/s(2); and impact pressure, 160 psig. By isolating the wall impact as the sole mechanism responsible for breaking the E. coli cells between 3000 and 6000 psig inlet pressure, a relationship between E. coli cell breakage rate and maximum wall impact pressure was established (eq 5).
Some Notions About Assumptions Underlying Health Education

By definition, the objective of health education is to change health behavior. One assumption underlying this objective is that changed health behaviors will result in improved health status. Both the objective and its assumption are based largely on experience with acute health problems. However, health education is now changing its focus towards chronic diseases. This paper examines a number of chronic disease health education studies. Investigation reveals that although there is often an improvement in health status, the associations between changed health behaviors and improved health status are not clear and at times do not appear to exist. In light of this evidence, the authors suggest that there is, in some cases, a need to reevaluate the assumptions that underlie health education and a need in health education programs to study factors other than, or in addition to, behavior change as mediators of health status.
Iron, infections, and anemia of inflammation

Iron is essential to all microorganisms. To obtain iron from the very low concentrations present in their environment, microorganisms have developed sophisticated mechanisms such as the siderophore system. As a primitive defense mechanism, humans have developed mechanisms to withhold iron from microorganisms. Iron-binding proteins such as transferrin, ferritin, and lactoferrin have a central role in human ferrokinetics. These iron-binding proteins also participate in the process of decreasing iron availability for the microorganisms. They do so by decreasing iron reutilization. Anemia of inflammation (previously called anemia of chronic disease) is seen in the setting of infectious, inflammatory, and neoplastic diseases. It results, in part, from changes in the intracellular metabolism of iron. Alterations of iron physiology seen in many clinical circumstances make excess iron available to microorganisms, thus enhancing their pathogenicity. Understanding the molecular basis of iron withholding by the human host, both in the absence of and during infection, and that of iron acquisition by microorganisms may provide us with new and innovative antimicrobial agents and vaccines.
Recoil Reactions of Tritium with Organic Compounds

After “cooling”, the hot tritium atoms formed above thermal energies by nuclear reactions abstract or replace hydrogen atoms, and replace substituents X (e.g. alkyl, NH2, NO2, OH, COOH, F, Cl, Br, or I) in organic compounds. Isotope effects have been observed for protonated vs. deuterated compounds in several hot reactions. Models and mechanisms are discussed for the abstraction and replacement, for specific reactions on certain carbon atoms, and for the isotope effects. These are based on steric, bond-energy, and kinetic considerations.
Role of androgens in mild cognitive impairment and possible interventions during andropause.

Abstract Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is becoming fashionable as a diagnosis, representing a state of cognitive decline associated with negligible functional loss. MCI is important as it often precedes Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Recognizing MCI may lead to preventive strategies that can delay the onset of AD. Many patients who transition into andropause report problems with their memory. There is strong evidence from basic sciences and epidemiological studies that both estrogens and androgens play a protective role in neurodegeneration. The evidence from small prospective clinical trials lends support to the role of hormones in improving cognitive function. The improvement in cognitive function with hormones is subtle and often not measurable on standard neuropsychological batteries. Patients have reported memory improvements in both declarative and procedural domains after being on hormonal replacement. Functional changes and vascular changes can be detected after hormonal replacement with more sophisticated imaging of the brain like positron emission tomography (PET) scans. We hypothesize androgens and perhaps selective androgen receptor modulators as future treatment options for MCI in aging males.
Anomalous Left Anterior Descending Coronary Artery from the Pulmonary Artery, Unroofed Coronary Sinus, Patent Foramen Ovale, and a Persistent Left‐sided SVC in a Single Patient: A Harmonious Quartet of Defects

Unroofing of the coronary sinus without complex structural heart defects is a rare congenital defect often seen in conjunction with a persistent left-sided superior vena cava. Anomalous origin of the left anterior descending artery from the pulmonary artery with normal origin of the left circumflex coronary artery is an even rarer congenital cardiac defect. We report a case of a 54-year-old woman presenting with mild dyspnea on exertion who was found on invasive and noninvasive evaluations to have a unique combination of defects—unroofed coronary sinus, persistent left-sided superior vena cava, patent foramen ovale, and anomalous origin of the left anterior descending artery from the pulmonary artery without evidence of previous coronary ischemia.
Duct-to-duct biliary reconstruction in right lobe adult living donor liver transplantation.

At the present time the preferred technique for biliary reconstruction in adult living donor liver transplantation (ALDLT) is the Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy (HJ). Patients undergoing HJ are not drained through the normal physiologic route and may suffer from repeated bouts of ascending cholangitis. The inability to evaluate and treat biliary strictures and leaks by endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERCP) may complicate the postoperative management of patients undergoing HJ. Modifications aimed at preserving the blood supply to both the donor and recipient bile ducts may allow a direct duct-to-duct (D-D) biliary reconstruction in selected patients, and aid in visualization of the biliary tree and eliminate complications related to reflux cholangitis. Adult living donor liver transplantation, using a right lobe, is emerging as an effective treatment option for selected patients awaiting liver transplantation. Though many variations in technique exist between centers performing this procedure, most surgeons use an HJ as the preferred method for biliary-enteric reconstruction. The rationale for use of the HJ for biliary reconstruction in segmental liver grafts, such as those used in pediatric recipients, derives from the small size of the recipient bile duct and inadequate length of the donor bile duct. In addition, the underlying liver disease (eg, biliary atresia) often mandates an HJ. Finally, there are concerns relating to the vascular integrity of the anastomosis, especially with left-sided grafts, because important blood vessels may arise to the left hepatic duct from segment IV vessels. Although HJ remains the standard of care in pediatric segmental grafts, the use of HJ in adult segmental grafts, such as those used in ALDLT, would not appear to be mandatory for several reasons. First, most adult liver diseases do not prohibit a choledocho-choledochostomy. Second, the size of the adult bile duct is not a restricting factor; and finally, the vascular integrity of the anastomosis can be preserved by careful attention to surgical technique and a greater understanding of the vascular supply to the bile ducts. The fact that a D-D anastomosis is the preferred method for biliary reconstruction in cadaveric liver transplantation relates to its preservation of the normal physiologic sphincter mechanism and consequent reduction in the incidence of reflux cholangitis. In addition, it reduces operative time, allows easier access for radiologic evaluation of the biliary tract by ERCP, and avoids creation of an enteric anastomosis that may leak, cause infection, or act as a site for internal hernias. This article describes a modification of our standard procedure for ALDLT, which allows a well-vascularized and tension-free D-D anastomosis.
Central Indian Iron Age

There has been little paleoclimatic research in central India, but climatic conditions during the Central Indian Iron Age are believed to be largely similar to modern conditions. Inland Central India is dominated by a monsoon climate, with seasonal rains falling between June and September. Annual rainfall is low and patchy, averaging c. 400 to 800 mm.
Mating of the stichotrichous ciliate Oxytricha trifallax induces production of a class of 27 nt small RNAs derived from the parental macronucleus.

Ciliated protozoans possess two types of nuclei; a transcriptionally silent micronucleus, which serves as the germ line nucleus, and a transcriptionally active macronucleus, which serves as the somatic nucleus. The macronucleus is derived from a new diploid micronucleus after mating, with epigenetic information contributed by the parental macronucleus serving to guide the formation of the new macronucleus. In the stichotrichous ciliate Oxytricha trifallax, the macronuclear DNA is highly processed to yield gene-sized nanochromosomes with telomeres at each end. Here we report that soon after mating of Oxytricha trifallax, abundant 27 nt small RNAs are produced that are not present prior to mating. We performed next generation sequencing of Oxytricha small RNAs from vegetative and mating cells. Using sequence comparisons between macronuclear and micronuclear versions of genes, we found that the 27 nt RNA class derives from the parental macronucleus, not the developing macronucleus. These small RNAs are produced equally from both strands of macronuclear nanochromosomes, but in a highly non-uniform distribution along the length of the nanochromosome, and with a particular depletion in the 30 nt telomere-proximal positions. This production of small RNAs from the parental macronucleus during macronuclear development stands in contrast to the mechanism of epigenetic control in the distantly related ciliate Tetrahymena. In that species, 28–29 nt scanRNAs are produced from the micronucleus and these micronuclear-derived RNAs serve as epigenetic controllers of macronuclear development. Unlike the Tetrahymena scanRNAs, the Oxytricha macronuclear-derived 27 mers are not modified by 2′O-methylation at their 3′ ends. We propose models for the role of these “27macRNAs” in macronuclear development.
Determining the sentiment of opinions

Identifying sentiments (the affective parts of opinions) is a challenging problem. We present a system that, given a topic, automatically finds the people who hold opinions about that topic and the sentiment of each opinion. The system contains a module for determining word sentiment and another for combining sentiments within a sentence. We experiment with various models of classifying and combining sentiment at word and sentence levels, with promising results.
The influence of viscoelasticity on the existence of steady solutions in two-dimensional rimming flow

The steady, two-dimensional flows and interface shapes of the rimming flow of Newtonian and viscoelastic liquid films are studied by finite-element analysis. The viscoelastic flow calculations are based on the elastic-viscous split stress (EVSS) formulation for differential constitutive models. The EVSS formulation is derived by taking into account the mathematical type of the momentum, continuity and constitutive equations and is extended in this paper to calculation of free-surface flows. Calculations for a viscous Newtonian fluid demonstrate the balance between viscous forces and gravity which sets the shape of the interface of the liquid film coating the inside of the rotating cylinder. The liquid shape evolves from a concentric and circular film at high rotation rates to become thicker on the rising surface as the rotation rate is lowered. No steady flows with continuous films are found to exist below a minimum rotation rate, Ω = Ωc, where the family of flows evolves back toward higher values of Ω. Multiple solutions are predicted for a range of rotation rates, Ω > Ωc, and unstable flows develop a pronounced bulge on the rising side of the film. Asymptotic analysis for a thin film predicts this limiting rotation rate. Adding viscoelasticity to the liquid, as modelled by the Giesekus constitutive equation, leads to the existence of steady solutions at lower rotation rates and causes the bulge to appear on stable films. The minimum rotation rate for steady, viscoelastic flow shifts to lower values as the time constant of the fluid is increased.
The achaete-scute complex proneural genes contribute to neural precursor specification in the Drosophila CNS

Abstract Background The Drosophila central nervous system (CNS) develops from a segmentally reiterated array of 30 neural precursors. Each precursor acquires a unique identity and goes through a stereotyped cell lineage to produce an invariant family of neurons and/or glia. The proneural genes achaete , scute and lethal of scute are required for neural precursor formation in the Drosophila CNS, and are expressed in overlapping subsets of ‘proneural cell clusters' from which a single neural precursor later develops. Vertebrate achaete–scute homologues are expressed early during neurogenesis, and promote neurogenesis, neuronal development and/or differentiation. The Drosophila proneural achaete–scute genes govern neural precursor formation, but their role in specifying neural precursor identity has not been tested. Results Here, we test the role of the Drosophila achaete–scute genes in specifying neural precursor identity, focusing on the well characterized CNS MP2 precursor. MP2 delaminates from a cluster of achaete–scute -expressing ectodermal cells. In an achaete–scute double mutant, MP2 formation was reduced (to 11–14 %) as expected because of the function of proneural genes in promoting neural precursor formation. Surprisingly, we also observed that the developing MP2 precursors were incorrectly specified and acquired traits characteristic of adjacent neural precursors. In rescue experiments, achaete or scute , but not lethal of scute , completely restored the normal MP2 identity. Conclusions These results demonstrate that the achaete–scute complex genes specify aspects of neural precursor identity in the Drosophila CNS. Given the phylogenetically conserved function of these genes, our results raise the possibility that achaete–scute homologues may help specify neural precursor identity in other organisms.
Software requirements as negotiated win conditions

Current processes and support systems for software requirements determination and analysis often neglect the critical needs of important classes of stakeholders, and limit themselves to the concerns of the developers, users and customers. These stakeholders can include maintainers, interfacers, testers, product line managers, and sometimes members of the general public. This paper describes the results to date in researching and prototyping a next-generation process model (NGPM) and support system (NGPSS) which directly addresses these issues. The NGPM emphasizes collaborative processes, involving all of the significant constituents with a stake in the software product. Its conceptual basis is a set of "theory W" (win-win) extensions to the spiral model of software development. >
MAPPING CONFLICT: HETERARCHY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE ANCIENT CAPITAL OF BUGANDA

Multiple, overlapping, and competing forms of authority contributed to the highly centralized Buganda kingdom. Their enduring salience, commonly considered characteristic of heterarchy, challenges our understanding of the early history of the kingdom. A map that specifies the location of 292 chiefs and authority figures in the capital reveals not only the critical importance of multiple forms of authority but also the development of those forms over several centuries. The allocation of space in the capital and other historical sources indicate that compromise and co-optation characterized the practice of power in the ancient kingdom: the king was surrounded, literally and figuratively, by others who curbed his authority.
The Four Corners of Our Brain

Throughout religious, scientific, and humanist literature on ideas one finds categorical subdivisions that are four in number: the four corners of the Earth, the four cardinal directions, the four proteins constituting DNA, Maxwell's four equations, Toynbee's four societies, Pythagoras’ four elements of arithmetic, Pythagoras’ four elements, Hayden White's four aspects of imagination. The list is endless. From where does the “four” come? Why not five, or six, eight, or nine? Andersen tracks back to the beginnings of arithmetic utilized in the architecture of conceptual thinking. He finds the answer not only in the quadration of the human body as having four sides and giving a stabilizing structure to the brain but equally in the architecture of memory. Using the slot-theory of short-term memory processing, he demonstrates how easily the four-count comes to mind and how the brain resists moving on to five.
Dielectric Flashover Testing Results and Their Application to a Study on Magnetic Flashover Inhibition

Magnetic flashover inhibition (MFI) is being considered as a method to increase hold-off at water vacuum barriers. This technique would reduce the size and therefore inductance and cost of future pulsed power machines. Self-generated magnetic fields have been studied to increase the flashover strength of insulator barriers, but many questions remain. Self-generated MFI conditions are being tested at the Missouri-University terawatt test stand (MUTTS). Although dielectric flashover tests have been performed many times, non-magnetic field flashover characteristics were obtained for future comparison to self-generated magnetic field experimentation. The non-magnetic field testing included effects from shielding triple points on zero degree and 45 degree insulators. Shielding was tested at the cathode triple point outside of the dielectric and at the anode triple point inside the dielectric. A discussion of the status of the insulating barrier flashover testing at MUTTS will be presented. Future flashover tests will be conducted on the upgraded MUTTS facility. The new facility will be capable of producing high currents necessary for self-generated MFI experiments. An overview of the design for the MFI experiments on the new facility will be presented.
Collaborative Learning Using Wiki Web Sites for Computer Science Undergraduate Education: A Case Study

This paper proposes a collaborative approach to enhancing the student learning experience based on Web 2.0 principles. Specifically, wiki Web sites are used by students for collaboration and for publication of course assignments, which are then shared with the class. Web 2.0 principles include: the Web as platform, harnessing collective intelligence, data are the next Intel Inside, and rich user experiences. Based on a case study in a junior-level undergraduate class, this paper studies a set of six factors with comprehensive grading and evaluation criteria that are critical to make this approach successful. The six factors are knowledge base, motivation, research, social aspects, presentation, and feedback and support. The data collected show that most of the students who participated feel that this approach is exciting and rewarding, and that even some undergraduate students are able to produce original and innovative concepts. The data also show other interesting phenomena with respect to motivation, undergraduate research, and social aspects. Finally, the paper proposes a methodology of conducting a wiki project in a university class using a cyclic constant improvement process.
Geoacoustic characterization of shallow-water marine sediments for high-frequency applications

The macroscale (mm-to-cm) density structure was determined for sea-floor sediment cores from Eckernforde Bay (western Baltic Sea) using a modified computed tomography (CT or CAT) scanner. The vertical distributions of selected statistical CT parameters reveal the existence of tiers, and a conceptual model is presented to relate sediment macrostructure, physical property variability, and environmental processes. This characterization of the seafloor should prove useful in modeling high-frequency sound-sediment interactions, as well as, assist in a variety of other scientific and engineering investigations. >
Time Budgets of Male Calliope Hummingbirds on a Dispersed Lek

Abstract Several authors have suggested that male Calliope Hummingbirds (Selasphorus calliope) perform their dive and shuttle displays on “dispersed leks” where the dramatic aerial displays of several individuals can be seen or heard from a single location. To expand on the limited information available on breeding territorial behavior, I provide detailed time budget data from 3 years of observation of males in a 20-year-old seed-tree cut in Montana. Males spent the vast majority of their time (76%, on average) perched on dead willow branches that extended upward to 4–5 m in height, and an average of 90% of perch time was spent at no more than three perch sites. Most of the rest of the males' time (15%, on average) was spent off territory, where they conducted a good portion of their feeding. About 6% of a male's time was spent performing energetically demanding dive and shuttle displays, which were directed primarily toward females, but also toward other bird species perched within the male's territory. ...