cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pricing-based strategies for autonomic control of web servers for time-varying request arrivals

This paper considers a web service that receives requests from customers at various rates at different times. The objective is to build an autonomic system that is tuned to different settings based on the varying conditions, both internally and externally. The authors have developed revenue-based pricing as well as admission control strategies, taking into account quality of service issues such as slow down and fairness aspects. Three heuristics are developed in this paper to address the pricing and admission control problem. The three heuristics are: (1) static pricing combined with queue-length-threshold-based admission control; (2) dynamic optimal pricing with no admission control; and (3) static pricing with nonnegative-profit-based admission control. These three strategies are benchmarked against a fourth strategy (called-do nothing) with no pricing and no admission control. The paper evaluates and compares their performance, implementability and computational complexity. The conclusion is that the web server revenue can be significantly increased by appropriately turning away customers via pricing or admission control mechanisms, and this can be done autonomically in the web server.
A magnetoelectronic register file cell for a self‐checkpointing microprocessor

A self-checkpointing microprocessor periodically copies the state of the currently executing program to on-chip non-volatile storage, allowing it to resume execution of the program at the last checkpoint after a power supply interruption or shutdown. In this paper, we present a register file cell for a self-checkpointing microprocessor that integrates a magnetoelectronic non-volatile memory cell into a register cell similar to the one used in the Itanium 2 microprocessor. Our design allows the contents of each bit in the register file to be checkpointed simultaneously, reducing the time required to take a checkpoint to a few clock cycles, without compromising the performance of the register file during normal read and write operations. Because the area of the base register file cell is determined by the wiring tracks it requires, adding self-checkpointing to the cell only increases its area by 6%. Similarly, adding self-checkpointing has effectively no impact on the cell's performance, only increasing read and write times from 299 to 300 ps, even when the additional load on the bit lines from the larger cells is considered. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cyanate formation and electrophoretic behavior of proteins in gels containing urea.

Abstract Exposure to cyanate in urea solutions and the resulting carbamylation of amino groups in some components may change the patterns given by protein mixtures upon electrophoresis in starch or polyacrylamide gels as shown by the behavior of water-soluble proteins from wheat flour and crude casein. Depending upon the specific component and the degree of exposure to cyanate, new (artifact) bands may appear in the pattern or the sharpness of bands may be obscured. Procedures to minimize exposure to cyanate in the use of horizontal electrophoresis with polyacrylamide gels are described.
A comparison of the role of charge transfer, hyperconjugation, inductive and field interactions in substitutd methyl and silyl substituent effects on benzene π vertical ionization energies

The first two vertical π-ionization energies of MX3 substituted benzenes as determined by photoelectron spectroscopy are compared with the results of modified CNDO/2 calculations, where M is Si or C and X is H, F, Cl and OCH3. The major substituent interaction mechanisms of MX3 are described within the CNDO/2 model. The results for methylorthobenzoate support intramolecular charge transfer stabilization of the benzene radical cation ground state by oxygen lone pair electrons, whereas the dominant interaction of the Si(OCH3)3 group is a positive charge stabilising field effect. The first vertical ionization energies of PhSiCl3 and PhCCl3 are unexpectedly assigned to ionization from the a′ π orbital rather than the a″ orbital nodal at the substituent site. Carbon-chlorine hyperconjugation is a suggested stabilizing interaction in the PhCCl32A′ cation. The shape of the first band in the PE spectrum of phenylsilane is described as a possible example of a pseudo Jahn—Teller effect. Unlike CX3, SiX3 substituents except, where X is methoxy, exhibit calculated opposing field and σ-inductive effects.
Relationship of nitrogen to the onset and suppression of ligninolytic activity and secondary metabolism in Phanerochaete chrysosporium

Ligninolytic activity in the white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium was previously found not to be induced by lignin, but to develop in cultures in response to nitrogen starvation. Added NH4+suppressed existing activity. The present study examined amino acid profiles and protein concentrations during onset of ligninolytic activity (synthetic 14C-lignin→14CO2) in nitrogen-limited cultures, and defined some characteristics of subsequent suppression by added nutrient nitrogen. During the transition between depletion of medium nitrogen and the onset of ligninolytic activity, total free intracellular amino acids increased, then rapidly decreased; changes in glutamate concentration played a major role. Intracellular protein concentration fluctuated in a manner roughly converse to that of the concentration of free amino acids. Protein turnover was rapid (5–7%/h) during the transition period. Glutamate, glutamine, and histidine were the most effective of 14 nitrogenous compounds in suppressing ligninolytic activity after its onset. The suppressive effect was not mediated through carbon (glucose)-catabolite repression or by alterations in culture pH. Activities responsible for oxidation of lignin and the ligninrelated phenol, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyacetophenone, responded similarly to added nitrogen. Synthesis of a secondary metabolite, veratryl alcohol, like lignin oxidation, was suppressed quite sharply by glutamate and significantly by NH4+. Results indicate that nitrogen metabolism affects ligninolytic activity as a part of secondary metabolism, and suggest a role for glutamate metabolism in regulating this phase of culture development.
Solid-solution hardening and softening by Fe additions to NiAl

Abstract Solid-solution hardening in the case of a ternary alloy addition to a B2 compound with the triple defect structure has been investigated. The fact that the ternary element may occupy either of two sublattices or may affect the concentration of other types of point defects present in the material makes this a very interesting problem to consider. Ni-rich (40 at% Al), stoichiometric (50 at% Al), and Al-rich (52 at% Al) alloys were doped with up to 12 at% Fe. Lattice parameter, bulk density and hardness measurements were performed on samples quenched from 1000 °C. It was found that solid-solution softening actually occurs in the Ni-rich alloys, while hardening was observed in the stoichiometric and Al-rich alloys. The vacancy concentration was determined from the experimental data, and the site occupancies of the Fe atoms were estimated from a thermodynamic model. Through careful consideration of all point defect concentrations the solid-solution hardening and softening behaviors could be effectively rationalized.
Establishment of a monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus, Lepidoptera: Danaidae) cell line and its susceptibility to insect viruses

A cell line from the monarch butterfly Danaus plexippus designated BCIRL-DP-AM/JG was established from adult ovaries. The cell line consisted mainly of round cells and took a prolonged period of time in the growth medium ExCell 401 containing 10% fetal bovine serum and antibiotics before it could be subcultured on a regular basis. The cell line had a population doubling time of 32 h and was susceptible to four baculoviruses (MNPV) but was refractile to a fifth baculovirus, a single nucleopolyhedrovirus (HzSNPV). PxMNPV was the most infectious of the MNPV for BCIRL-DP-AM/JG cell line of D. plexippus producing a titer of 5.9×107 TCID50/ml. The non-occluded Hz-1 virus was also infectious for the D. plexippus cell line. The occlusion bodies produced by the BCIRL-DP-AM/JG cell line were infectious for 24 h old Trichoplusia ni larvae and gave LC50 values equivalent to or better than the LC50 for OB produced in the other susceptible cell lines by the MNPV under study. The identity of the monarch butterfly cell line was established by DAF-PCR.
Biotic and taphonomic response to lake-level fluctuations in the Greater Green River Basin (Eocene), Wyoming

The Eocene Green River Formation (GRF) (United States) is one of the best-known and most extensively studied Konservat Lagerstatte in the world. As most studies have focused on the fossil fish and plants, few studies have examined the invertebrates, particularly the ostracodes of the renowned GRF fauna. Six species of ostracodes were recovered from 18 intervals within a 154 m section of the Laney Member (LM) in the Washakie Basin (WB). Ostracode species recovered occupied a variety of biological niches, including plant and mud dwellers as well as nektonic lifestyles. Ecological tolerances of these ostracodes were used to reconstruct environmental conditions of the lake through this portion of its history. The taphonomic mode of the ostracodes varied with lithology and depositional setting. Diversity analyses show that the ostracodes from the lower and upper Laclede beds of the LM are consistent with the lake- level fluctuation model constructed for the WB, which was based on independent, stratigraphic, isotopic, and sedimentological data. Ostra- code response to changing lake conditions within the LM demonstrates an environmental tracking (i.e., coordinated stasis) of the lake-level variation. In addition, the similarity of ostracode faunas between the LM and those reported from the Uinta Basin (UB) supports the possible paleohydrologic connection of various basins with deposits of the GRF, related to the tectonic uplift and concomitant climatic change during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum. The establishment of these paleohydrologic connections provides important constraints pertaining to the tectonic and climatic history of this region.
The Study of Resilience and Decay in Ulema Groups: Tunisia and Iran as an Example

This paper suggests that resilience of ulema groups in adverse environments highly depends upon the levels of their accumulation of three institutional and symbolic capitals; namely doctrinal consensus, institutional autonomy, and leadership charisma. The author uses the examples of Tunisia and Iran to show that the success of ulema institutions to secure a working combination of all three capitals is in turn highly shaped by the possibilities of history, the potentialities of environment, and the imaginative capabilities of the ulema themselves
SU-E-T-244: Interfractional Motion Simulation of Head and Neck and Lung Patients Correlated to Treatment Outcome

Purpose: To quantify the correlation between gross tumor volume (GTV) margins and local control (LC) outcome in head and neck (H&N) and non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Methods: Interfractional motion simulation was done using the robustness analysis tool in CERR. This tool applies shifts to individual patients fraction by fraction within an entire course of treatment obtaining a final integral dose distribution. The shifts are defined assuming a Gaussian distribution of possible positioning for every fraction. Because of their fractionation schemes, 35 shifts were applied to the H&N, and 30 to the NSCLC dataset. We applied isotropic random shifts sampled from three independent normal distributions all with standard deviations of 3mm. Systematic errors were not included in this study, nor roll rotations. We repeated the process 10 times and averaged the integral doses. Ring structures around the GTV extending isotropically were created. The ring's width ranged from 2 mm to 15mm in H&N, and from 2mm to 20mm in NSCLC. A cell‐kill based equivalent uniform dose (cEUD) metric was calculated for each structure. A logistic regression model was built using cEUD for the margins and for the GTV. LC prediction was evaluated using Spearman correlation coefficient (Rs) on the entire datasets and also on cross‐validation. Results: Adding a margin to GTV did not improve LC correlation in H&N after cross‐validation (Rs= 0.398 p=0.0003 for the GTV alone, and Rs= 0.371 p=0.0007 for the next best added margin). For NSCLC we improved from Rs=0.393 (p=0.003) to Rs=0.413 (p=0.0015) at 5mm margin. Conclusion: Our analysis suggests that in H&N the dose given to the tissue surrounding the GTV is not correlated with LC, but it is for NSCLC. This may be because immobilization devices and setup verification systems are more accurate in H&N and also because the differences in prescription doses.
The effect of temperature on the adsorption rate of hydrogen sulfide on Pt anodes in a PEMFC

Abstract The coverage of a Pt anode in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) by sulfur species resulting from exposure to 5 ppm H2S/H2 is evaluated in situ by using cyclic voltammetry (CV). The coverage is shown to be a function of H2S dosage and temperature at 50, 70, and 90 °C. The rate constant for the H2S adsorption reaction on Pt at 50 °C was approximately 69% lower than at 90 °C. The Pt–sulfur species accounts for 90% of the Pt after 800 min (18 μmol of H2S) at 50 °C and 100% of the Pt after 600 min (13.5 μmol of H2S) at 90 °C. Shifts in the sulfur oxidation potential in cyclic voltammetry to higher values at lower temperatures were observed indicating that sulfur is more strongly adsorbed at lower temperatures. A value of the activation energy of hydrogen sulfide adsorption on Pt is shown to be 28.2 ± 5.5 kJ/mol.
The whole truth: comparative analysis of diaphragmatic hernia repair using 4-ply vs 8-ply small intestinal submucosa in a growing animal model

Abstract Background Diaphragmatic reconstruction remains a challenging problem. There is limited information concerning the use of small intestinal submucosa (SIS) in congenital diaphragmatic hernia repair. A canine model was used to evaluate the use of a SIS patch in diaphragmatic reconstruction. Methods Eleven beagle puppies (1.6-4.2 kg, 8 weeks old) underwent left subcostal laparotomy, central left hemidiaphragm excision (2 × 7 cm, 50% loss), and reconstruction with a 4-ply group I (n = 5) or 8-ply group II (n = 6) SIS patch. Chest radiographs were taken at time of operation and 3 and 6 months postoperatively. Animals were killed at 6 months. Adhesion formation (both pleural and abdominal), gross visual evaluation of the patch, and histology were compared. Results In group I (4-ply), 1 animal died at 3 months from patch deterioration accompanied by stomach herniation that resulted in respiratory failure. In the 4 remaining animals, chest radiographs showed no evidence of herniation or eventration. On physical examination, there was no evidence of chest wall deformity. During gross surgical examination, the 4-ply patches showed thinning, multiple defects, and liver herniation in 3 animals. In 1 pup, the patch was thickened, intact, well incorporated at the repair site, and adherent to the liver and spleen. In group II (8-ply), 1 animal died of cardiopulmonary failure in the early postoperative period. In the other 5 animals, chest radiographs showed evidence of eventration in 1. On gross examination the patch adhered to the liver in all 5 surviving animals. In 4, the patches were thickened, viable, but had some shrinkage. One patch pulled away from the native diaphragm laterally; however, no visceral herniation was present. In the 1 animal with eventration, there was no evidence of a patch. Adhesion scores (AS) were graded and determined by the sum of extent (0-4), type (0-4), and tenacity (0-3). Average abdominal AS in group I was 5.6 ± 0.8 vs 10.2 ± 0.2 ( P = .079) for group II. Average lung AS was 0.6 ± 0.6 in group I vs 3.8 ± 1.1 ( P = .0476) for group II. Histological examination showed group II patches had greater collagen deposition with central calcification and mild inflammation within the residual graft, whereas group I patches were much thinner and were composed of granulation tissue without evidence of residual graft. Conclusions These data indicate that 8-ply SIS repair of diaphragmatic defects was superior (80%; 4/5 to 4-ply, 20%; 1/5, success). Organ adherence appears to be necessary for neovascularization of the SIS composite. Eight-ply grafts appear to be more durable and persist for a longer period, which may improve neovascularization. Long-term follow-up to evaluate remodeling characteristics of the patch material is required.
Resistive transitions of superconducting thin films in strong electric fields

Abstract We report discontinuous current-induced transitions to the normal state of superconducting thin films in the mixed state. The results obtained are in qualitative agreement with the recent theory of Thompson and Hu of dynamic instabilities of vortices.
Viscoelastic effects in patterns between miscible liquids.

Water injected into aqueous solutions of polyethylene oxide in a Hele-Shaw cell shows a wide variety of patterns as four control parameters are independently varied. Despite the strong variation of patterns, both the initial unstable length scale and the mean and standard deviation of Fourier modes of averaged late-time patterns show a smooth variation with a dimensionless number constructed from the ratio of the imposed shear time scale to the polymer-relaxation time.
Well-traveled cockles: Shell transport during the Holocene transgression of the southern North Sea

Radiocarbon dates from 34 shells of the intertidal bivalve Cerastoderma edule demonstrate that shells were transported in both landward and seaward directions during the Holocene transgression of the southern North Sea. Old shells on the beaches of the East Frisian Islands of Germany document landward transport and young shells in the German Bight and Dogger Bank document seaward transport. The area9s sea-level curve and the shell ages were used to predict the original depth of each specimen. The difference between a specimen9s predicted age and its present depth is a measure of depth displacement. Depth displacements ranged from +35 to −37 m. Eight shells remained within 2.5 m of their original depth and roughly equal proportions of the rest moved landward and seaward. Specimens transported into deeper water are a very small fraction of the shells at that depth, whereas specimens transported into shallow water occur alongside abundant indigenous individuals of the same species. Rare fossils should not be used to estimate paleodepths.
Climatic trends and advancing spring flight of butterflies in lowland California

Many studies, largely from cool-temperate latitudes, have investigated the relationship between the timing of biological events and changes in climatic conditions during the past few decades. Relatively little is known about the response of plants and animals at lower latitudes. Here we show that the average first spring flight of 23 butterfly species in the Central Valley of California has advanced to an earlier date over the past 31 years. Among the species that have appeared significantly earlier, the average shift is 24 days. Climatic conditions (largely winter temperature and precipitation) are found to explain a large part of the variation in changing date of first flight. These results suggest a strong ecological influence of changing climatic conditions on a suite of animals from a mid-latitude, Mediterranean climate.
Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase and Dendritic Cell Tolerogenicity

This article summarizes the molecular and cellular mechanisms that regulate the activity of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), a potent immune-suppressive enzyme, in dendritic cells (DCs). Specific attention is given to differential up-regulation of IDO in distinct DC subsets, its function in immune homeostasis/autoimmunity, infection and cancer; and the associated immunological outcomes. The review will conclude with a discussion of the poorly defined mechanisms that mediate the long-term maintenance of IDO-expression in response to inflammatory stimuli and how selective modulation of IDO activity may be used in the treatment of disease.
The manual handling of the aggressive patient: a review of the risk of injury to nurses

Staff are injured more frequently than patients during the implementation of physical interventions. In essence the application of physical interventions is a form of manual handling, where the aggressive patient is the 'load'. In the non-mental healthcare environment, manual handling contributes to a large chunk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Applying physical interventions against an agitated and aggressive human load is a risk factor for injuries being sustained. This paper discusses physical interventions as a manual handling procedure as a possible explanation of injuries sustained to nursing staff from being in a team applying physical interventions. Possible strategies to reduce the risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders from physical interventions are discussed.
Interaction between high frequency jet ventilation and cardiovascular function

We have studied the interaction of high frequency jet ventilation with cardiovascular pressures and flows. Results in dogs show that the amplitude of all intrathoracic pressures and flows fluctuate with a frequency equal to the difference between the heart rate and ventilator rate. The magnitude of this amplitude variation may be sufficient to obliterate periodically the pulsations in pulmonary artery and right atrial pressures. It is also shown that these cardiovascular beats can occur when the ventilator rate is close to integral multiples of the heart rate. Direct measurement of pleural pressure and the observation that the beats are markedly reduced when the chest is open support the hypothesis that the primary mechanism responsible for these beats is the interaction of the respiratory fluctuations in pleural pressure with the cardiacgenerated pressure pulsations.
Role of p38MAPK in β2AR-induced cardiomyopathy: at the heart of the matter?

Peter PS, Brady JE, Yan L et al.: Inhibition of p38alpha MAPK rescues cardiomyopathy induced by overexpressed beta(2)-adrenergic receptor, but not beta(1)-adrenergic receptor. J. Clin. Invest. 117(5), 1335–1343 (2007). The role of p38MAPK in the progression of heart failure is controversial. In the reference paper, Peter and colleagues demonstrated that p38MAPK plays an important role in the progression of heart failure in transgenic mice over-expressing the β2 adrenergic receptor. The authors show that p38MAPK is involved in apoptosis, fibrosis and decreased left ventricle fractional shortening in mice overexpressing β2 adrenergic receptor but not β1 adrenergic receptor. These results showed that β1 and β2 adrenergic receptors induce cardiomyopathies through different signaling pathways, and suggest an important role for p38MAPK in the development of cardiac disease.
Dietary glycemic load and atherothrombotic risk

Hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia are central features of the metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes mellitus, which contribute to the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease (CHD). Recent data indicate that increased dietary glycemic load (GL) due to replacing fats with carbohydrates or increasing intake of rapidly absorbed carbohydrates (ie, high glycemic index) can create a self-perpetuating insulin resistance state and predicts greater CHD risk. In this paper, we discuss the historic development of the GI and GL concepts and summarize metabolic experiments and epidemiologic observations relating to clinical utilities of these measures. On balance, increased consumption of low-GI foods leads to improvements in glycemia and dyslipidemia in metabolic studies, and a low-GL diet has been associated with lower risk of type 2 diabetes and CHD in prospective cohort studies. We conclude that decreasing dietary GL by reducing the intake of high-glycemic beverages and replacing refined grain products and potatoes with minimally processed plant-based foods such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables may reduce CHD incidence in sedentary individuals and populations with a high prevalence of overweight. Because of advances in food-processing technologies and changes in ingredients in our food supply, the composition and physiologic effects of foods are likely to change over time. Future efforts should continue to quantify and monitor the metabolic impacts of different foods, and such information should be routinely incorporated into long-term prospective studies to allow for the assessment of the interactive effects of diets and other metabolic determinants on chronic disease risk.
Gender indexicality in the Native Americas: Contributions to the typology of social indexicality

This article provides a global survey of categorical gender indexicality that reveals the near exclusive presence of the phenomenon in the languages of the Native Americas, a fact for which a historical rationale is offered. The survey is helpful in contributing to our understanding of social indexicality in three ways. First, while two-place (or relational) social indexicals, like honorifics, have been well studied, one-place (or absolute) social indexicals have not. Systems of gender indexicality, overwhelmingly of the absolute type, thus help flesh out the typology of social indexicality. Second, the survey illustrates the remarkable complementarity of semantic gender, as a category of denotation, and social gender, as an aspect of identity indexed in discourse, in particular as these overlap in cases of gender deixis. Finally, the study of gender indexicality in the Native Americas reveals that not all gender indexicality is equally gender performative. A number of diagnostics of a categorical type—from ubiquitous rule-governed regularity of patterning to quotability—illustrate that in the cases discussed, forms are highly presupposing, not performative, of the social gender of the speech participants they index. (Gender, indexicality, deixis, Native Americas)*
Cell membranes—Composition: Structure: Function

Abstract Cell membranes are structures which form boundary layers between two cellular compartments. Membranes play an extraordinarily important part in the metabolism of cells. In some cells as much as 80% of the dry weight is localized within membranes. In this paper I wish to point out some fundamental differences in the chemical composition of some representative and well studied membranes which may explain, in part, some aspects of their structure and function.
Microwave rotation-inversion spectrum of NT 3

The rotation-inversion spectrum of $^{14}\mathrm{NT}_{3}$ in the ground vibrational state has been measured with high-resolution microwave techniques in the frequency range of 210-633 GHz. Components of the $J=0\ensuremath{\rightarrow}1, 1\ensuremath{\rightarrow}2, \mathrm{and} 2\ensuremath{\rightarrow}3$ transitions were observed. Analysis of the results yielded the following rotational constants: ${B}_{0}=105565.373\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.034$ MHz, ${D}_{J}=2.5981\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.0024$ MHz, and ${D}_{JK}=\ensuremath{-}4.472\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.006$ MHz, with the $^{14}\mathrm{N}$ nuclear quadrupole coupling $eqQ=\ensuremath{-}4.170\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.049$ MHz. The inversion frequency, corrected for rotational distortion, was found to be 305.89 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.11 MHz. Molecular substitution structures obtained were bond length 1.0132 \AA{}A and bond angle 107\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} 13' for the combination $^{14}\mathrm{NH}_{3}$: $^{15}\mathrm{NH}_{3}$, $^{14}\mathrm{NT}_{3}$; bond length 1.0128 \AA{}A and bond angle 107\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} 2' for the combination $^{14}\mathrm{ND}_{3}$: $^{15}\mathrm{ND}_{3}$, $^{14}\mathrm{NT}_{3}$.
U.S. adults and child snacking patterns among sugar-sweetened beverage drinkers and non-drinkers.

Abstract Objective To provide national estimates of snack patterns for sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) drinkers and non-SSB drinkers among U.S. children and adults. Methods We analyzed 24-h dietary recall data obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2010 among children (ages 2 to 19) and adults (aged 20 and older) ( N = 46,932). Results For children and adults, SSB drinkers were significantly more likely than non-SSB drinkers to consume snacks (children: salty, 60% vs. 50%; sweet, 69% vs. 65%; adults: salty, 64% vs. 58%; sweet, 64% vs. 58%), calories from snacks (children: salty snacks, 258 vs. 213 kcal; sweet snacks, 322 vs. 291 kcal; adults: salty snacks, 261 vs. 236 kcal; sweet snacks, 370 vs. 350 kcal), and total calories (children: 2098 vs. 1804 kcal; adults: 2329 vs. 2049 kcal) ( p p p Conclusions Adults and children who drink SSBs are more likely to snack and consume more calories from snacks than non-SSB drinkers, particularly Black adolescents and young adults.
Prediction of the Gibbs energies and an improved equation of state for water at extreme conditions from ab initio energies with classical simulations

Abstract The hydration free energies of water at two state points (2344 K and 1.0 g/cm3, and 2000 K and 1.8 g/cm3) were calculated using the ABC-FEP method (Wood et al., 1999) that combines interaction energies calculated from ab initio quantum mechanics with configurations sampled from classical simulations. We start with a calculation of the Gibbs energy of an approximate classical water model by a standard simulation method. Next, the difference in Gibbs energy of the approximate model potential and more accurate ab initio interaction potential was obtained using the free energy perturbation method. At 2000 K and 1.8 g/cm3, it was necessary to derive a better classical model from the ab initio results due to the inaccuracy of the classical model at short distances. The estimated accuracy of the predicted free energies is ±15 kJ/mol. The calculated results are used to examine the predictive capability of previously proposed classical simulations and equations of state. The equation of Pitzer and Sterner (1994) was reparameterized using the available experimental data and the newly calculated data points.
Towards Tip Vortex Noise Prediction by High-Order LES on Overset Grids

This paper reports on a multi-block large eddy simulation (LES) code with overset grid capability which has been developed to primarily study the tip vortex noise problem arising on rotating wind turbine blades. The LES code can also be used to simulate the tip vortices around stationary wing geometries typically found in aeronautical applications. It employs state-of-the-art compact flnite difierencing, implicit spatial flltering, and non-re∞ecting boundary conditions on free boundaries, as well as characteristic-type boundary conditions on solid walls. High-order accurate interpolation is used for the transfer of information among the individual component grids that make up the overset grid topology. The multiblock nature and the overset grid capability of the code allow high-order accurate numerical solutions in complex domains. Results for the tip vortex around a stationary wing with a rounded tip are presented to demonstrate the capability of the code. Comparisons of the numerical results with experimental data are also carried out for the validation of the computational methodology.
Immunochemical heterogeneity of human high densiy serum lipoproteins

Abstract High density lipoproteins, HDL2 (d. 1·065–1.124 g/ml) and HDL3 (d. 1·25–1·210 g/ml) were isolated from pooled human serum by preparative ultracentrifugation. The major peptides were isolated from the apoproteins by DEAE-cellulose column chromatography in 8M urea, and characterized by analytical ultracentrifugation, acrylamide gel electrophoresis, amino acid analysis, and by UV absorbance. Antisera were prepared against native lipoproteins, apoproteins and peptides. The reactions between native HDL, apo-HDL and the major peptides with the various antisera were studied by qualitative precipitin analysis, immunodiffusion and immunoelectrophoresis. The results lead to the following conclusions: (1) The antigenic heterogeneity of HDL is due to the presence, within HDL, of subunits of varying peptide composition. (2) The three peptides R-X, R-gln, and R-thr of HDL2 are immunochemically identical to the three major peptides of HDL3. These three peptides are each immunochemically distinct and do not cross-react with each other. (3) Apo-HDL contains some apoprotein subunits which consists of R-gln without R-thr, some which consists of R-thr without R-gln, and some which contain both R-gln and R-thr. (4) Native HDL contains some molecules which are composed only of R-thr. (5) The peptides R-gln and T-thr are predominantly on the surface of the native HDL2 and HDL3, whereas the peptides R-X is not on the surface. (6) The αLpB antigen of HDL3 contains only one of the three major peptides, R-thr. It is suggested that αLpB is generated from HDL2 molecules rich in R-thr.
Assignment of swimmers to dual meet events

Every fall, thousands of high school swimming coaches across the country begin the arduous process of preparing their athletes for competition. With a grueling practice schedule and a dedicated group of athletes, a coach can hone the squad into a cohesive unit, poised for any competition. However, oftentimes all preparation is in vain, as coaches assign swimmers to events with a lineup that is far from optimal. This paper provides a model that may help a high school (or other level) swim team coach make these assignments. Following state and national guidelines for swim meets, we describe a binary integer model that determines an overall assignment that maximizes the total number of points scored by the squad based on the times for swimmers on the squad and for the expected opponent.
Developing Capacity for Change: A Policy Analysis for the Music Education Profession.

Policy can be a useful tool for effecting change, but policy analysis, which shapes policy development, has been underused in music education research. This paper demonstrates how Bardach's (2000) Eightfold Path can be used to develop solutions to problems in music education. Some have argued that school music programs do not prepare students to engage musically in today's society. To develop alternative solutions and project their outcomes, I analyze several current and past efforts to redefine music education and secure its place in the curriculum. Several alternatives, which include revising the National Standards, developing a national curriculum, improving professional development, and reconceiving advocacy, are evaluated, and policy recommendations are made that will enable the profession to redefine music education to better serve today's students.
Adduct simplification in the analysis of cyanobacterial toxins by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry

A novel method for simplifying adduct patterns to improve the detection and identification of peptide toxins using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry is presented. Addition of 200 mM zinc sulfate heptahydrate (ZnSO4 � 7H2O) to samples prior to spotting on the target enhances detection of the protonated molecule while suppressing competing adducts. This produces a highly simplified spectrum with the potential to enhance quantitative analysis, particularly for complex samples. The resulting improvement in total signal strength and reduction in the coefficient of variation (from 31.1% to 5.2% for microcystin-LR) further enhance the potential for sensitive and accurate quantitation. Other potential additives tested, including 18-crown-6 ether, alkali metal salts (lithium chloride, sodium chloride, potassium chloride), and other transition metal salts (silver chloride, silver nitrate, copper(II) nitrate, copper(II) sulfate, zinc acetate), were unable to achieve comparable results. Application of this technique to the analysis of several microcystins, potent peptide hepatotoxins from cyanobacteria, is illustrated. Copyright # 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) occur naturally in all kinds of waters. Many species, but not all, can produce toxins that are harmful to humans and wildlife through damage to the nervous system or liver. When blooms of these organisms generate potentially dangerous levels of toxin in the water, public notification and restriction of access must be achieved as rapidly as possible. Analysis of water samples for these toxins is a key component in the public health management of harmful algal blooms. 1 The most common cyanotoxins in freshwater systems are the microcystins (MCs), produced by several cyanobacterial genera including Microcystis, Anabaena, and Planktothrix. Microcystins are cyclic peptides containing seven amino acids, including five that are unusual in natural peptides (Fig. 1). More than 70 MC congeners have been identified to date. 2 Amino acid variations are known at every position; the most common are L-amino acid substitutions at positions 2 and 4, as well as demethylation at positions 3 and 7. Substitutions at positions 2 and 4 give rise to the naming system; e.g., a congener with leucine (L) at position 2 and arginine (R) at position 4 is known as microcystin-LR. The unique amino acid Adda in position 5, known to be required for toxicity, fits into the hydrophobic cavity of the target
Effects of individual physician-level and practice-level financial incentives on hypertension care: a randomized trial.

Importance Pay for performance is intended to align incentives to promote high-quality care, but results have been contradictory. Objective To test the effect of explicit financial incentives to reward guideline-recommended hypertension care. Design, Setting, and Participants Cluster randomized trial of 12 Veterans Affairs outpatient clinics with 5 performance periods and a 12-month washout that enrolled 83 primary care physicians and 42 nonphysician personnel (eg, nurses, pharmacists). Interventions Physician-level (individual) incentives, practice-level incentives, both, or none. Intervention participants received up to 5 payments every 4 months; all participants could access feedback reports. Main Outcomes and Measures Among a random sample, number of patients achieving guideline-recommended blood pressure thresholds or receiving an appropriate response to uncontrolled blood pressure, number of patients prescribed guideline-recommended medications, and number who developed hypotension. Results Mean (SD) total payments over the study were $4270 ($459), $2672 ($153), and $1648 ($248) for the combined, individual, and practice-level interventions, respectively. The unadjusted baseline and final percentages and the adjusted absolute change over the study in patients meeting the combined blood pressure/appropriate response measure were 75% to 84% and 8.84% (95% CI, 4.20% to 11.80%) for the individual group, 80% to 85% and 3.70% (95% CI, 0.24% to 7.68%) for the practice-level group, 79% to 88% and 5.54% (95% CI, 1.92% to 9.52%) for the combined group, and 86% to 86% and 0.47% (95% CI, −3.12% to 4.04%) for the control group. The adjusted absolute estimated difference in the change between the proportion of patients with blood pressure control/appropriate response for individual incentive and control groups was 8.36% (95% CI, 2.40% to 13.00%; P=.005). The other incentive groups did not show a significant change compared with controls for this outcome. For medications, the unadjusted baseline and final percentages and the adjusted absolute change were 61% to 73% and 9.07% (95% CI, 4.52% to 13.44%), 56% to 65% and 4.98% (95% CI, 0.64% to 10.08%), 65% to 80% and 7.26% (95% CI, 2.92% to 12.48%), and 63% to 72% and 4.35% (95% CI, −0.28% to 9.28%), respectively. These changes in the use of guideline-recommended medications were not significant in any of the incentive groups compared with controls, nor was the incidence of hypotension. The effect of the incentive was not sustained after a washout. Conclusions and Relevance Individual financial incentives, but not practice-level or combined incentives, resulted in greater blood pressure control or appropriate response to uncontrolled blood pressure; none of the incentives resulted in greater use of guideline-recommended medications or increased incidence of hypotension compared with controls. Further research is needed on the factors that contributed to these findings. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:NCT00302718
Allometric scaling and central source systems.

Allometric scaling relations abound in nature. Examples include the power law relating the metabolic rate of animals and plants to their masses and the power law describing the dependence of the size of the drainage basin of a river on the total amount of water contained in that river. The exponent is of the form $D/D+1$, where $D$ is the dimension of the system. We show that this scaling exponent is simply a consequence of the source distribution of the systems considered and requires no further assumptions. To demonstrate the wide range of validity of the result we present a simple experiment that shows the predicted behavior in one dimension.
To Teach or Not to Teach "Social" Skills: Comparing Community Colleges and Private Occupational Colleges

This article examines the approach to teaching social skills in two kinds of colleges: community colleges, and private for-profit and nonprofit ‘‘occupational’’ colleges, with a focus on college credit programs that lead to applied associate’s degrees in a variety of business, health, computer, and technical occupational programs. Nearly all occupational faculty at both types of colleges believe that employers in these fields require certain social skills relevant to professional support occupations. Community college staff—with the exception of health programs—provide three reasons that they neither demand nor teach these social skills. In contrast, the ways in which private occupational colleges make these skills an explicit part of their curriculum is discussed. This study suggests that schools differ in whether they teach and cultivate social skills, which suggests a potentially important way that schools may shape students’ opportunities in the labor market and their social mobility. Contrary to Bowles and Gintis, these findings raise the disturbing possibility that community colleges may be actively contributing to the social reproduction of inequality by avoiding instruction in the cultural competencies and social skills required in today’s workplace.
Trait Influences on Stress Appraisal and Coping: An Evaluation of Alternative Frameworks

According to contemporary trait models, personality variables influence the relation of certain social-cognitive processes to coping and adjustment. Specifically, neuroticism may effect a greater perception of threat in a given stressor and thus effect a greater propensity for emotion-focused coping efforts. Similarly, higher levels of conscientiousness may be related to a greater use of problem-focused coping. We tested these presumed effects of personality traits on the association between stress appraisals and coping among 141 undergraduates. Resulting models indicated that certain personality characteristics are related to appraisal and coping activities, but these relations do not fully explain the association between stress appraisal and coping.
Spiritual Self-Schema Therapy, Drug Abuse, and HIV

Abstract This case report describes the use of Spiritual Self-Schema (3-S) therapy in the treatment of an HIV-positive inner-city drug user maintained on methadone and referred for additional treatment due to unremitting cocaine use. 3-S therapy is a manual-guided intervention based on cognitive self-schema theory. Its goal is to help the patient create, elaborate, and make accessible a cognitive schema—the “spiritual” self-schema-that is incompatible with drug use and other HIV risk behaviors. 3-S therapy facilitates a cognitive shift from the habitual activation of the “addict” self-schema, with its drug-related cognitions, scripts and action plans, to the “spiritual” self-schema, with its associated repertoire of harm reduction beliefs and behaviors.
Photosynthetic and other phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase isoforms in the single-cell, facultative C4 system of Hydrilla verticillata

The submersed monocot Hydrilla verticillata (L.f.) Royle is a facultative C4 plant. It typically exhibits C3 photosynthetic characteristics, but exposure to low [CO2] induces a C4 system in which the C4 and Calvin cycles co-exist in the same cell and the initial fixation in the light is catalyzed by phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC). Three full-length cDNAs encoding PEPC were isolated from H. verticillata, two from leaves and one from root. The sequences were 95% to 99% identical and shared a 75% to 85% similarity with other plant PEPCs. Transcript studies revealed that one isoform, Hvpepc4, was exclusively expressed in leaves during C4 induction. This and enzyme kinetic data were consistent with it being the C4 photosynthesis isoform. However, the C4 signature serine of terrestrial plant C4 isoforms was absent in this and the other H. verticillata sequences. Instead, alanine, typical of C3 sequences, was present. Western analyses of C3 and C4 leaf extracts after anion-exchange chromatography showed similar dominant PEPC-specific bands at 110 kD. In phylogenetic analyses, the sequences grouped with C3, non-graminaceous C4, and Crassulacean acid metabolism PEPCs but not with the graminaceous C4, and formed a clade with a gymnosperm, which is consistent with H. verticillata PEPC predating that of other C4 angiosperms.
The prediction of thoughts of death or self-harm in a population-based sample of female twins.

Background. Although suicide is a leading cause of death, few studies have attempted to predict suicidal ideation prospectively using epidemiological samples or multivariate methods.Method. Discrete-time event history analysis was used to model the onset of thoughts of death or self-harm (TD/SH) in a population-based sample of female twins (N=2164) using variables from the demographic, psychopathological, childhood adversity, personality and life event domains. Univariate, multivariate-within domain and multivariate-across domain regression analyses were performed.Results. Most variables predicted TD/SH in the univariate analyses. However, the only variables to predict TD/SH independently were obsessive symptoms, childhood sexual abuse, rural residence, unemployment, older age, lifetime history of cocaine misuse and low levels of education, personal religious devotion and altruism, as well as divorce/separation, loss of confidant, assault, job loss and financial problems in the previous month. This final model explained 16% of the variance in TD/SH. Lifetime histories of major depression, panic disorder and alcohol misuse had no significant independent effect.Conclusions. Many variables, from all five domains of risk factors, are associated with the risk of TD/SH, but many of these effects may be mediated by other risk factors. Proximal life events and psychopathology may have more independent effects than other domains. The overall ability of these risk factors to predict TD/SH is modest. We cannot rule out that differences between these analyses and previous reports were due to our use of TD/SH as the dependent variable instead of thoughts of committing suicide per se.