cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparative effects of chemical amendments on salt and Na leaching.

Efficiency of sodic soil reclamation is thought to vary with types of chemicals used. This study examined the effects of five inorganic (H2SO4, CaCl2 · 2H2O, CaSO4 · 2H2O, FeSO4, Al2(SO4)3) and two organic compounds (polyacrylamide, and trihydroxy glutaric acid) on the rate and the extent of salt and Na leaching in moderately Na-affected saline soils: Saneli silty clay loam (Vertic Torrifluvents, ESP=17.5%) and Glendale silty clay (Typic Torrifluvents, ESP=13.5%). Air-dry soil samples (<2mm) were packed in columns, and chemicals, except H2SO4, were incorporated into the surface 5 cm of the soils, and in selected cases, to 30 cm. H2SO4 was surface-applied. Application rates of the inorganic chemicals were 3.57 and 10.7 mmol(+) kg-1 (2.5 and 7.5 Mg ha-1 in gypsum equivalent weight) in the silty clay loam, and 8 and 24 mmol(+) kg-1 in the silty clay, and the organic compounds were applied at rates of less than 620 kg ha-1. The soils were then leached with simulated Rio Grande water (EC = 1.1 dS m-1, SAR = 3.5) under continuous ponding. The tested inorganic compounds removed approximately equivalent amounts of exchangeable Na after approximately 35 cm of water application. However, the rate of water percolation (consequently the rate of salt leaching) from CaCl2 treated columns, became progressively slow after about 20 cm of water intake. The combined effect of rapid electrolyte leaching and insufficient replacement of Na in the surface layer seemed to be responsible for the flow reduction. Gypsum and H2SO4 treatments provided lower ratios of sodicity to salinity in percolating solutions and relatively uniform hydraulic gradients throughout the soil depth. Incorporation of chemicals to the surface 30 cm did not alter performance, except in CaCl2 treatments where water intake rates became even slower. The tested organic amendments improved initial water infiltration, but neither increased subsequent percolation rates nor improved salt and Na leaching. The fastest reclamation may be attained when chemicals are chosen and applied to yield an electrolyte concentration that is high enough to overcome Na effects at any depth of soil profiles throughout the leaching period.
DRM, Complexity, and Correctness

Steve Bellovin looks at the complex code behind Microsoft Vista and its DRM mechanisms. Increased amounts of code add to insecurity, but the real danger with DRM is with increased interaction among different pieces of code. A lot of new mechanisms have been introduced; more seriously, a lot of new communications paths and dependencies have been introduced. Worst of all, these paths and mechanisms are solving a new problem, one with which the profession has very little experience. Did Microsoft get it right?
Effects of certain thiamine analogs on the enzymatic decarboxylation of α-ketobutyric acid

Abstract The effects of neopyrithiamine, oxythiamine, and oxythiamine diphosphate on the decarboxylation of α-ketobutyrate by α-carboxylase have been studied. Oxythiamine diphosphate, but not oxythiamine or neopyrithiamine, inhibited the decarboxylation. The inhibition was dependent upon the order of addition of cocarboxylase and analog to the reaction mixture.
Hypochlorite and tissue sterilization

Trace amounts of sodium hypochlorite that remain on the surface of seeds (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) after sterilization interfere with subsequent uptake and incorporation of leucine into protein when the seeds are used in metabolic studies. The hypochlorite can be washed away with 0.01 N HCl but not by washing several times with water.
Influence of a finite scattering volume on the determination of electron-impact coherence parameters

Superelastic electron scattering from laser-excited Ba-138 ...6s6p (1)P is investigated both theoretically and experimentally. The theoretical framework is developed and incorporated into a model of a realistic scattering geometry of finite spatial extent. Model calculations predict that the dependence of the superelastic scattering intensity on the linear polarization direction of the laser beam can be severely distorted due to the existence of a finite scattering volume. Measurements obtained confirm the presence of this distortion and are well described by the model calculations. Conclusions are drawn concerning the influence of this effect on the extraction of electron-impact coherence parameters.
Steric interaction between the 9-methyl group of the retinal and tryptophan 182 controls 13-cis to all-trans reisomerization and proton uptake in the bacteriorhodopsin photocycle.

The hypothesis was tested whether in bacteriorhodopsin (BR) the reduction of the steric interaction between the 9-methyl group of the chromophore all-trans-retinal and the tryptophan at position 182 causes the same changes as observed in the photocycle of 9-demethyl-BR. For this, the photocycle of the mutant W182F was investigated by time-resolved UV−vis and pH measurements and by static and time-resolved FT-IR difference spectroscopy. We found that the second half of the photocycle was similarly distorted in the two modified systems: based on the amide-I band, the protonation state of D96, and the kinetics of proton uptake, four N intermediates could be identified, the last one having a lifetime of several seconds; no O intermediate could be detected; the proton uptake showed a pronounced biphasic time course; and the pKa of group(s) on the cytoplasmic side in N was reduced from 11 in wild type BR to around 7.5. In contrast to 9-demethyl-BR, in the W182F mutant the first part of the photocycle does not ...
Cognitive effects of ect in the elderly: Preliminary findings

Clinical recovery, cognitive function, and ward behavior indicative of organic brain syndrome were assessed in 12 elderly, depressed patients before, and approximately one week after, treatment with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). There was a statistically significant improvement in depression, and ward behavior, whereas cognitive function was unchanged. These findings support and extend prior studies which indicate that ECT in the treatment of depression in the elderly is not associated with functionally significant decrements in cognitive performance.
Multi-Threaded Parallel I/O for OpenMP Applications

Processing large quantities of data is a common scenario for parallel applications. While distributed memory applications are able to improve the performance of their I/O operations by using parallel I/O libraries, there is no support for parallel I/O operations for applications using shared-memory programming models such as OpenMP available as of today. This paper presents parallel I/O interfaces for OpenMP. We discuss the rationale of our design decisions, present the interface specification, an implementation within the OpenUH compiler and discuss a number of optimizations performed. We demonstrate the benefits of this approach on different file systems for multiple benchmarks and application scenarios. In most cases, we observe significant improvements in I/O performance as compared to the sequential version. Furthermore, we perform a comparison of the OpenMP I/O functions introduced in this paper to message passing interface I/O, and demonstrate the benefits of the new interfaces.
Co-ordinated regulation of TNF expression by multiple MAP kinase pathways

Four MAP kinase pathways are currently believed to be activated in LPS stimulated macrophages: the ERK, JNK/SAPK, p38 and BMK/ERK5 pathways. We have evaluated the effect of each MAP kinase pathway and the combinational effect of these MAP kinase pathways on TNF gene expression. By co-expressing dominant active mutants of different MAP kinase activators with a TNF reporter gene, we have demonstrated that activation of a signal MAP kinase pathway produces only a modest effect on TNF gene expression. Interestingly, a dramatic co-operative effect on TNF gene expression was observed when all of the four MAP kinase pathways were activated. We have shown that this MAP kinase-induced TNF gene expression is not mediated by known cis-elements such as Egr-1, CRE, kB, AP-1, or AP-2, but by, as yet unidentified, MAP kinase responsive elements in a 100 bp region immediately upstream of the transcription initiation site. In addition to their participation in the transcriptional control of TNF gene expression, activation...
Zero-Knowledge Proofs

On a moonless night the spy returns to the castle after a reconnoitering mission to the enemy camp. As he nears the gate a voice whispers, "What's the password?" But is it friend or foe who whispers? How can the spy show that he knows the password without actually revealing it to a possible imposter? The spy's dilemma is commonplace now with the widespread use of telecommunications. When your automatic teller machine communicates with your bank, each must be assured that the other is legitimate; the electronic "passwords" must be unforgeable and must be of no use to imposters and eavesdroppers. One method that has been proposed for exchanging passwords in this context is the zero-knowledge proof. Renaissance mathematicians developed their own primitive zero-knowledge proof systems. When both Tartaglia and Fior claimed knowledge of an algebraic solution to cubic equations, a contest was arranged in which each proposed thirty problems for the other to solve. In the end, Tartaglia had solved all thirty, thus providing a convincing demonstration that he knew the method without actually revealing it. Fior solved none. (It turned out that each had worked out solutions to certain classes of cubics, but neither had solved the general problem [2]). We've progressed considerably in formalizing this idea. An interactive protocol comprises two algorithms P (the prover) and V (the verifier) that read a common input string w of length Iwl and then compute and communicate in alternating turns to determine whether w has some specified property. The verifier is polynomially-bounded: it must eventually halt and its total computation time must be bounded by a fixed polynomial in Iw 1. When it halts, the verifier outputs either accept or reject depending upon whether the property holds for w. The verifier is probabilistic, that is, allowed to make random choices during the computation according to the results of coin tosses. The prover is allowed to have unlimited computational power. A language is a set of strings. An interactive proof system for Z is an interactive protocol in which P helps V to decide whether w E -Z. We require that with high probability the verifier be correct when accepting or rejecting the membership of w in -Z. More precisely, for every constant c > 0, for sufficiently large w E -Z the probability (over all coin tosses) that V halts and accepts must be at least 1 Iwl c. If w e -Z then we require that no prover P* be able to convince V otherwise: that is, for every c > 0 and large enough w, and for any interactive protocol (P*, V), V rejects with probability at least 1 Iw Ic.
Thalamic hemorrhage following carotid angioplasty and stenting

Carotid angioplasty and stenting (CAS) has emerged as an alternative treatment of carotid stenosis for patients poorly suited for endarterectomy. Intracerebral hemorrhage following carotid revascularization is rare and thought to be related to hyperperfusion injury in most cases. Early experience suggests an increased incidence of hemorrhage following CAS as compared to endarterectomy. We describe a patient who suffered a thalamic hemorrhage following CAS. Because this hemorrhage occurred in a vascular territory unlikely to have been supplied by the treated artery, this case suggests that the mechanism of intracerebral hemorrhage following CAS may in some cases be different from the hyperperfusion hemorrhage classically described following endarterectomy.
Effects of Mn2+ and other divalent cations on adenylate cyclase activity in rat brain.

— Mn2+ caused an 8-to 16-fold stimulation of adenylate cyclase activity in homogenates as well as synaptosomcs. isolated synaptic membranes, and slices prepared from rat brain. The stimulation occurred at low concentrations of Mn2+. with a doubling of activity at 50-60μM. and was unaffected by a 60-fold excess of Mg2+. Whether or not Mg2+ was added, inclusion of a low concentration of Mn2+ reduced, but did not prevent the stimulation of adenylate cyclase caused by dopaminc in homogenates of corpus striatum. In contrast, Ca2+. at a concentration that had little effect on basal cyclase activity, completely prevented the stimulation by dopamine. The increase of cyclase activity produced by Mn2+ in brain homogenates was potentiated by F−. Other ions, notably Hg2+. Pb2+. Cu2+ and Zn2+. in order of decreasing potency, inhibited both basal and Mn2--stimulated cyclase activity. It is proposed that the effect of Mn2+ on adenylate cyclase activity may involve only the catalytic subunit of the enzyme, and that the mechanism is different from that by which either dopamine or F− stimulates the enzyme. These results suggest that the effects of low concentrations of Mn2+ and certain other divalent metal ions on adenylate cyclase activity may be involved in their neuropsychiatrie or other toxic effects, and that such ions may also participate in normal physiological mechanisms involving cyclic nucleotides.
Shedj-her-kek em Maa-aku-neferu “Illuminating Shadows of the African Creative Ideal” of W.E.B. DuBois

This article examines the findings of a shedj-her-kek analysis of select text in the corpus of DuBois's writings on creative matters. It defines shedj-her-kek — a heuristic concept derived and developed from kemetic lexicon and Dogon episteme—“as a multileveled reading and afrocentric analysis that illuminates and clarifies latent ideas and assumptions within both verbal text and nonverbal forms.” Using new Africological (Africana) terminology, this article situates DuBois as one of several major African creative—intellectuals (to borrow a term from Harold Cruse) to write on “the truly beautiful and morally effective” in the Africana intellectual tradition. It concludes that DuBois has made significant statements on creative matters that fall under several themes comprising his particular creative ideal and developing portrait of the creative—intellectual thought. Moreover, it finds that DuBois's creative ideal has practical implications and value as a point of theoretical departure and analysis of contem...
The Saving Lie: Harold Bloom and deconstruction

AGATA BIELIK-ROBSON, 2011, Evanston, IL, Northwestern University Press ix +318 pp., ISBN 0810127288, $39.95 Agata Bielik-Robson's monograph on Harold Bloom's antithetical criticism is an imaginativ...
COMPLEX PROBABILITIES AND THE LANGEVIN EQUATION

Abstract Complex probabilities arise in quantum systems where the euclidean action is complex, either because the couplings, or the field variables, are complex. Stochastic quantization using the Langevin equation allows one to study such systems, even though the probabilistic interpretation of the euclidean functional integral measure breaks down. The convegence of long time averages computed with the Langevin equation to the analytic continuation of the functional integral averages is investigated for some simple models. The proposed methods have a variety of applications, including nonperturbative studies of chiral gauge theories on the lattice.
Vascular Proteomics and Subtractive Antibody Expression Cloning

The cloning of genes expressing proteins that are differentially expressed in the organ microvasculature has the potential to address a variety of problems ranging from the analysis of disease pathogenesis to drug targeting for particular tissues. This study describes a methodology designed to analyze differential protein expression in the brain microvasculature. The method can be applied to other organs and is particularly suited to the cloning of cDNAs encoding membrane proteins. The technology merges a tissue-specific polyclonal antiserum with a cDNA library expression cloning system. The tissue-specific antiserum is subtracted with protein extracts from control tissues to remove those antibodies that recognize common antigenic proteins. Then, the depleted antiserum is used to expression clone tissue-specific proteins from a cDNA library expressed in mammalian cells. The methodology was evaluated with a rabbit polyclonal antiserum prepared against purified bovine brain capillaries. The antiserum was absorbed with acetone powders of liver and kidney and then used to screen a bovine brain capillary cDNA library in COS cells. The initial clone detected with this expression methodology was the Lutheran membrane glycoprotein, which is specifically expressed at the brain microvasculature compared with liver and kidney tissues. This subtractive expression cloning methodology provides a new approach to "vascular proteomics" and to the detection of proteins specifically expressed at the microvasculature, including membrane proteins.
Variability of Inversion-Mode and Junctionless FinFETs due to Line Edge Roughness

We investigated the variability impact of line edge roughness (LER) on standard inversion-mode (IM) and junctionless FinFETs (JL-FinFET) designed for the 2009 ITRS high-performance logic 32-, 21-, and 15-nm nodes using technology computer-aided design simulations. Fluctuations in threshold voltage, drive current, leakage current, subthreshold swing, and drain-induced barrier lowering were found to be significantly worse in junctionless devices compared to IM devices at root-mean-square LER amplitudes up to 1 nm. We invoke a simple physical argument to explain these findings based on the operating principles of IM and junctionless devices and the specific means by which LER affects both device architectures. Our findings show that JL-FinFETs are inherently more sensitive to variability than standard IM devices and will pose significant challenges as a feasible post-CMOS technology.
Development of a rapid emergency hemorrhage panel

BACKGROUND: Evaluation of hemostasis in bleeding patients requires both accuracy and speed. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: As an alternative to point-of-care testing, we developed an emergency hemorrhage panel (EHP: prothrombin time [PT], fibrinogen, platelet count, hematocrit) for use in making transfusion decisions on bleeding patients with a goal of less than 20-minute turnaround time (TAT) when performed in the clinical laboratory on automated instruments. Because point-of-care samples are not checked for clotting or hemolysis, we evaluated their effect on automated testing. RESULTS: TAT was reduced by moving the sample immediately to testing and shortening centrifugation times. Clotting in samples was rare (1.1%) and shortened the PT by only 0.7 seconds. It lowered fibrinogen on average 18%, but resulted in only one of 2300 samples changing from normal to low fibrinogen. Hemolysis had no clinically significant effect on the PT or fibrinogen. Therefore, hemolysis checks were eliminated and clot checks minimized. Initially TAT averaged 15 ± 4 minutes (range, 8-30 min), but 9% of samples exceeded the 20-minute goal due to low fibrinogens that slowed testing. A revised fibrinogen assay with expanded calibration range resulted in a TAT of 14 ± 3 minutes (range, 6-28 min) with only 2% of samples exceeding the 20-minute goal. By limiting EHPs to patients that were actively bleeding, EHPs accounted for only 8 of 243 coagulation samples per day. CONCLUSION: Limiting EHPs to bleeding patients and modifications to the process and assays used for hemostasis testing lead to TATs of less than 20 minutes for critical testing in the clinical laboratory.
A Feminist Critique of Organizational Humanism

This article argues that most recent organizational "innovations" or management prescriptions for the future are simply extensions of the human relations or humanist theories of the 1950s and 1960s. Two limitations of these models are suggested: organizational humanism sees diversity as something to be managed rather than valued, and humanist prescriptions often end up being manipulative or disguised forms of control because underlying assumptions of hierarchical control remain in place. Feminist thought is proposed as a way to move beyond these limitations, to stretch our thinking about what organizations of the future might look like, and to offer new ways of approaching the challenges of managing over the next decades.
Quantitative determination of the neutral glycosyl ceramides in human blood

A method is described for the qualitative and quantitative estimation of four neutral glycosyl ceramides from human plasma and erythrocytes. Total lipids extracted from 50 ml of plasma or packed erythrocytes were separated by silicic acid chromatography into neutral lipids, a fraction of mixed glycolipids that was eluted with acetone-methanol 9:1, and phospholipids. After mild alkali-catalyzed methanolysis to remove contaminants from the crude fraction of glycolipids, individual glycosyl ceramides were isolated by preparative thin-layer chromatography. The oligosaccharide portions of these lipids were characterized by cleavage with methanolic hydrogen chloride and gas chromatography of the O-trimethylsilyl methyl glycosides. It was possible to study the composition of the carbohydrate and sphingolipid base fractions in the same gas chromatographic analysis. With mannitol as an internal standard for gas chromatographic estimation of glucose, concentrations of each of the glycosyl ceramides were determined with a precision of about 10%. Recoveries of the lipids from plasma varied with the complexity of the oligosaccharide moiety and ranged from 94% with glucosyl ceramide to 71% with globoside. Concentrations of the four glycosyl ceramides in plasma and in erythrocytes were determined for samples from young, healthy males. Amounts of glycolipid as low as 0.1 micromole can be determined conveniently by this procedure.
A multidisciplinary approach to information and critical appraisal instruction.

Abstract The formulation of clinical decisions based on evidence requires the ability to locate information and evaluate it critically. A ten-week critical appraisal course for third-year medical students, taught cooperatively by library and Department of Medicine faculty, integrates education in the selection, evaluation, and application of information to patient care. The course is distinctive in that information management skills are taught by a multidisciplinary team in a problem-based format as part of the compulsory medical curriculum. Medical faculty provided instruction in reading and evaluating research methodology, as well as statistical analyses in published reports, using clinical scenarios and related journal articles at weekly sessions. Library faculty provided instruction in locating pertinent research on a sample clinical problem using standard printed and computerized indexes and local library resources, and presented criteria for selecting the most useful and significant works from those retrieved. Library faculty also met individually with students to provide instruction in online literature searching. Based on formal evaluation and informal feedback, the course was well received; it effectively presents the literature search as an integral part of critical appraisal of the medical literature and of the clinical decision-making process.
Information fusion for image analysis: geospatial foundations for higher-level fusion

In support of the AFOSR program in Information Fusion, the CNS Technology Laboratory at Boston University is developing and applying neural models of image and signal processing, pattern learning and recognition, associative learning dynamics, and 3D visualization, to the domain of Information Fusion for Image Analysis in a geospatial context. Our research is focused by a challenge problem involving the emergence of a crisis in an urban environment, brought on by a terrorist attack or other man-made or natural disaster. We aim to develop methods aiding preparation and monitoring of the battlespace, deriving context from multiple sources of imagery (high-resolution visible and low-resolution hyperspectral) and signals (GMTI from moving vehicles, and ELINT from emitters). This context will serve as a foundation, in conjunction with existing knowledge nets, for exploring neural methods in higher level information fusion supporting situation assessment and creation of a common operating picture (COP).
Cerebrovascular effects of intravenous dopamine infusions in fetal sheep

Preterm infants are often treated with intravenous dopamine to increase mean arterial blood pressure (MAP). However, there are few data regarding cerebrovascular responses of developing animals to ...
Acute changes in blood pressure in patients with neuroblastoma treated with ¹³¹I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG).

Background Iodine-131-metaiodobenzylguanidine (131I-MIBG) provides targeted radiotherapy for children with neuroblastoma. The aim of our study was to evaluate systematically the acute effects of 131I-MIBG on blood pressure in patients with neuroblastoma and to identify possible predictors of hypertension. Procedure We conducted a retrospective chart review of neuroblastoma patients who were treated with 131I-MIBG between January 1, 1999 and June 1, 2012 at the University of California, San Francisco. Clinical data for 172 patients with neuroblastoma, receiving 218 administrations of 131I-MIBG, were collected. The primary endpoint was development of systolic blood pressure above the 95th percentile for age. Logistic regression with generalized estimating equations to account for multiple administrations in some subjects was used to identify bivariate and multivariate predictors of hypertension. Results Of the 218 administrations of 131I-MIBG, 112 (51.3%) were associated with at least one episode of systolic hypertension during or after the 131I-MIBG infusion. The majority of these acute elevations in blood pressure resolved within 48 hours of the infusion. Only six administrations in five patients required nifedipine administration to lower blood pressure. Younger age (P = 0.012), lower eGFR (P = 0.047), and elevated blood pressure measurements immediately before infusion began (P = 0.010) were all independently associated with risk of treatment-associated hypertension. Conclusions Acute elevations in blood pressure are common after therapeutic doses of 131I-MIBG. Elevations in blood pressure typically occur only within the first 48 hours after 131I-MIBG administration. Blood pressure monitoring during this period of risk is recommended. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2013;60:1424–1430. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Modeling multivariate time series on manifolds with skew radial basis functions

We present an approach for constructing nonlinear empirical mappings from high-dimensional domains to multivariate ranges. We employ radial basis functions and skew radial basis functions for constructing a model using data that are potentially scattered or sparse. The algorithm progresses iteratively, adding a new function at each step to refine the model. The placement of the functions is driven by a statistical hypothesis test that accounts for correlation in the multivariate range variables. The test is applied on training and validation data and reveals nonstatistical or geometric structure when it fails. At each step, the added function is fit to data contained in a spatiotemporally defined local region to determine the parameters---in particular, the scale of the local model. The scale of the function is determined by the zero crossings of the autocorrelation function of the residuals. The model parameters and the number of basis functions are determined automatically from the given data, and there is no need to initialize any ad hoc parameters save for the selection of the skew radial basis functions. Compactly supported skew radial basis functions are employed to improve model accuracy, order, and convergence properties. The extension of the algorithm to higher-dimensional ranges produces reduced-order models by exploiting the existence of correlation in the range variable data. Structure is tested not just in a single time series but between all pairs of time series. We illustrate the new methodologies using several illustrative problems, including modeling data on manifolds and the prediction of chaotic time series.
Reinterpreted Oriskany structure at the North Summit field, Chestnut Ridge anticline, Pennsylvania

A widely accepted structural model for folds in the outer central Appalachian foreland is partially based on the geologic structure of the North Summit field. The model includes a simple surface anti cline that is detached in Silurian Salina Group salts and cored by imbricated Devonian Tully-Helderberg rocks thrust inward toward a depressed axial low. New data from wells at North Summit show that the core of the Chestnut Ridge anticline is not filled with imbricated reservoir rocks but that the reservoir is deformed into a series of faulted folds. Gas was trapped by a combination of closure and sealing faults. Space problems within collapsing synclines above competent reservoir rocks, the Huntersville-Helderberg lithostructural unit, are resolved by distortion and evacuation of overlying, incompetent Hamilton rocks. Huntersville-Helderberg rocks deformed into a variety of structural shapes, not solely the imbricated model that traditionally has been applied to Plateau folds of the central Appalachian foreland. Disparity in relief between pre- and post-Salina rocks indicates that primary detachment occurs in evaporite beds of the Salina Group. Erratic dips in presalt units and unresolved differences in structural relief between synclines flanking the Chestnut Ridge anticline, however, suggest that the basal detachment lies within the Martinsburg-Reedsville shales under the Allegheny Mountains. Regional decollement in Martinsburg shales ends in a triangle zone at the Intra-Plateau Front, at the Chestnut Ridge anticline, whereas the Salina decollement continues westward under the Pittsburgh Plateau.
Dynamically replicated memory: building reliable systems from nanoscale resistive memories

DRAM is facing severe scalability challenges in sub-45nm tech- nology nodes due to precise charge placement and sensing hur- dles in deep-submicron geometries. Resistive memories, such as phase-change memory (PCM), already scale well beyond DRAM and are a promising DRAM replacement. Unfortunately, PCM is write-limited, and current approaches to managing writes must de- commission pages of PCM when the first bit fails. This paper presents dynamically replicated memory (DRM), the first hardware and operating system interface designed for PCM that allows continued operation through graceful degradation when hard faults occur. DRM reuses memory pages that con- tain hard faults by dynamically forming pairs of complementary pages that act as a single page of storage. No changes are required to the processor cores, the cache hierarchy, or the operating sys- tem's page tables. By changing the memory controller, the TLBs, and the operating system to be DRM-aware, we can improve the lifetime of PCM by up to 40x over conventional error-detection techniques.
In vivo characterization of the Drosophila mRNA 3′ end processing core cleavage complex

A core cleavage complex (CCC) consisting of CPSF73, CPSF100, and Symplekin is required for cotranscriptional 3' end processing of all metazoan pre-mRNAs, yet little is known about the in vivo molecular interactions within this complex. The CCC is a component of two distinct complexes, the cleavage/polyadenylation complex and the complex that processes nonpolyadenylated histone pre-mRNAs. RNAi-depletion of CCC factors in Drosophila culture cells causes reduction of CCC processing activity on histone mRNAs, resulting in read through transcription. In contrast, RNAi-depletion of factors only required for histone mRNA processing allows use of downstream cryptic polyadenylation signals to produce polyadenylated histone mRNAs. We used Dmel-2 tissue culture cells stably expressing tagged CCC components to determine that amino acids 272-1080 of Symplekin and the C-terminal approximately 200 amino acids of both CPSF73 and CPSF100 are required for efficient CCC formation in vivo. Additional experiments reveal that the C-terminal 241 amino acids of CPSF100 are sufficient for histone mRNA processing indicating that the first 524 amino acids of CPSF100 are dispensable for both CCC formation and histone mRNA 3' end processing. CCCs containing deletions of Symplekin lacking the first 271 amino acids resulted in dramatic increased use of downstream polyadenylation sites for histone mRNA 3' end processing similar to RNAi-depletion of histone-specific 3' end processing factors FLASH, SLBP, and U7 snRNA. We propose a model in which CCC formation is mediated by CPSF73, CPSF100, and Symplekin C-termini, and the N-terminal region of Symplekin facilitates cotranscriptional 3' end processing of histone mRNAs.
Role of semiconducting compounds in water treeing of XLPE cable insulation

The connection between cleanliness of semiconducting compounds and water tree growth at the semiconductor-dielectric interface was demonstrated. Changes to semiconducting compounds have improved the reliability of solid dielectric cables. >
An iterative 'flip-flop' approximation of the most informative split in the construction of decision trees

The authors seek a fast algorithm for finding the best question to ask (i.e., best split of predictor values) about a predictor variable when predicting membership in more than two categories. They give a fast iterative algorithm for finding a suboptimal question in the N category problem by exploiting a fast algorithm for finding the optimal question in the two-category problem. The algorithm has been used in a number of speech recognition applications. >
Delphinidin, a major anthocyanin in pigmented fruits and vegetables is a potent inhibitor of epidermal growth factor receptor and its downstream signaling pathway

2266 Abnormalities in the expression and signaling pathways downstream of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) contribute to progression, invasion, and maintenance of the malignant phenotype in breast cancer. EGFR is expressed at high levels in at least 30% of breast cancers and is associated with poor prognosis. Many synthetic inhibitors of EGFR are known, but their use is limited because of their unacceptable cytotoxic effects on normal cells. Therefore, identification of a natural, nontoxic agent(s) as an inhibitor of EGFR is of utmost importance. Delphinidin, a major anthocyanin known to be present in pigmented fruits and vegetables (such as pomegranate, berries, dark grapes, egg plant, tomato, carrot and red onion) possesses potent antioxidant and antiproliferative properties. In this study, employing EGFR positive breast cancer cell lines, we evaluated the effect of delphinidin on EGFR and its downstream signaling pathways. Delphinidin (5-40 μM; 3h) treatment to EGFR positive breast cancer cells AU-565 and MCF-10A was found to result in a dose-dependent decrease in the phosphorylation of specific tyrosine residues of EGFR at 1068, 1045 and 845 sites. Delphinidin was also found to inhibit phosphorylation of EGFR in other EGFR positive cancer cells such as A431 and A549. The signaling pathways induced by activated EGFR include the PI3K/AKT and MAPK, both of which play a significant role in the mitogenic and cell survival responses mediated by EGFR. Therefore, we analyzed the expression of these proteins and found that delphinidin treatment of AU-565 and MCF-10A cells inhibited the (i) activation of PI3K, (ii) phosphorylation of AKT, and (iii) phosphorylation of MAPK in a dose-dependent manner. In additional experiments, serum starved AU-565 cells were treated with delphinidin (5-40 μM; 3 h) and then incubated without or with EGF (50 ng/ml) for 15 minutes. We found that delphinidin treatment of AU-565 cells inhibited EGF-induced phosphorylation of EGFR, AKT and MAPK, and activation of PI3K in a dose-dependent manner. We next investigated whether blockage of EGFR signaling pathways by delphinidin would inhibit cell growth and induce apoptosis. Treatment of AU-565 and MCF-10A cells with delphindin (5-40 μM; 48 h) inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis in both these cell lines as determined by MTT assay, confocal microscopy and TUNEL assay. Delphinidin treatment of AU-565 and MCF-10A cells also resulted in cleavage of PARP protein, activation of caspase-3, downregulation of Bcl-2 and increased expression of Bax protein. In summary this study identifies an abundant fruits and vegetables based anthocyanin delphinidin as an effective blocker of EGFR signaling at least in breast cancer cells. Delphinidin could be developed as an agent for the management of EGFR positive human cancers.
Land Application of Compost and Other Wastes (By-products) in Florida: Regulations, Characteristics, Benefits, and Concerns

Compost is the product resulting from the controlled biological decomposition of organic material that has been sanitized through the generation of heat and processed to further reduce pathogens as defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and stabilized to the point that the compost is beneficial to plant growth. Organic materials used for composting in Florida are mainly yard wastes (trash) and food wastes. More than 5.7 million tons of composts could be produced from yard trash and food waste in the state. Animal manure and biosolids (treated sludge) can also be composted, but are not discussed in this article. ‘‘Other wastes’’ as discussed herein [food processing wastes, coal ash, wood ash, drinking water treatment residuals (WTRs), and phosphogypsum] are by-products of leading Florida industries and are available in large quantities for reuse. About 5 million tons of food processing waste [citrus (Citrus spp.) and vegetables alone], 1.85 million tons of coal ash (from 28 coal-burning power plants), 0.05 million tons of wood ash, 1000 million tons of phosphogypsum (from the state’s phosphate fertilizer industry), and significant, but unknown, amounts of WTRs are available. Due to the growing interest in sustainable agriculture practices, this article is intended to discuss the current regulations and guidelines for composting and the use of composts and other wastes in Florida, the characteristics, benefits, and concerns of Florida compost and other wastes, and current research and needs of research and extension for incorporating compost and other waste materials in Florida’s sustainable agriculture. Our literature search was largely limited to studies conducted in Florida.
Damage Behavior of HfO2 Monolayer Film Containing Gold Nanoparticles as Artificial Absorbing Defects

ABSTRACT Hafnia is one of the most utilized high-index materials in thin-film multilayer coatings for high-power lasers. It is well established that in the HfO SiO 22 multilayers for 351 nm, nanosecond-pulse applications the damage is driven by the nanoscale absorbers localized in the hafnia layers. In this work, damage-crater formation thresholds and morphology are investigated for the undoped HfO 2 monolayer films and films containing isolated gold nanoparticles of 2- and 5-nm average diameter. Atomic force microscopy is used for characterization of the damage craters produced by 351-nm, 0.5-ns laser pulses. This comparative study of crater-geometry variation with laser fluence for doped and undoped films allowed the estimation of properties of the intr insic absorbing defects in the hafnia films. Key words: Hafnia thin films, laser-induced damage, go ld nanoparticles, atomic force microscopy 1. INTRODUCTION Nanoscale localized absorbers in hafnia and other thin films utilized for 351-nm, nanosecond-pulse applications are sought to be the main source of damage initiation.
Task Analysis in Special Education: Definition and Clarification:

The use and function of task analysis in special education is becoming the most proposed instructional system for teaching children and adults with learning problems. In general, the term task anal...
Exceeding Expectations: Economic Forecasts and Underreaction to Macroeconomic Announcements

Existing research relies on the assumption of rational behavior and argues that only unexpected macroeconomic news may affect stock prices. Unlike these papers, we find significant stock price effects of expected components of macroeconomic announcements, which are revealed by survey forecasts of market participants. Since economic forecasts are systematically biased towards the values of previous announcements, we hypothesize that the historical information embedded in these forecasts may impact stock prices. Our results confirm this hypothesis and suggest that some investors trade on historical macroeconomic announcements.
Measurements of Soil Gas and Atmospheric Methane Content on One Active and Two Inactive Landfills in Wood County, Ohio

Methane concentrations (by volume) in soil gas and in the atmosphere were measured over several days in February and March of 1996, at several on-site stations on three solid waste landfills in Wood County, Ohio. The lower detection limit for methane in soil gas was 0.2 percent (2,000 ppm) and in the atmosphere was 0.1 percent (1,000 ppm). The oldest site, Asman9s Landfill (1962–1973), contained no atmospheric methane at or above the detection limit and had the second highest methane content in soil gas of the three landfills. Wales Road Landfill (1950s–1994) had the highest soil gas methane concentration, as high as 96 percent (960,000 ppm) methane, and had some detectible atmospheric methane (as much as 4,000 ppm) on two occasions over one station. Wood County Landfill (1972-present) had the lowest average soil gas methane content of the three landfills, but the highest atmospheric methane (as much as 8,000 ppm), although all of the methane concentrations at or above the detection limit were measured near four passive vents in the landfill, where soil gas methane content was below the detection limit. Methane concentration in soil gas increased with increasing barometric pressure, but the relationship between atmospheric methane concentration and barometric pressure appears to be more complex, from a few data points for atmospheric methane concentration above the Wood County and Wales Road Landfills. The Wood County Landfill would make an excellent test site for a methane imaging experiment that employs airborne multispectral remote sensing.
Who, What, When, and Where? Toward a Dimensional Conceptualization of Community Violence Exposure:

A plethora of research on the psychological consequences of community violence exposure among youth has conceptualized and measured community violence as a single, homogenous construct that indiscr...
Molecular Dynamics of Crack Propagation in Nickel and Nickel-Aluminum Bimetal Interface

Molecular dynamics simulations were used to study crack propagation in a Nickel single crystal and a Nickel-Aluminum bimetal interface. The embedded atom method interatomic potential was used to investigate the behavior of (001) [100] crack system under mode I loading in the two systems. The propagation mechanisms and fracture behavior and properties of a propagating crack in Ni were compared with propagation, behavior and properties of a surface crack in Ni-Al that initiates and propagates from Ni towards the Ni-Al bimetal interface. Our results for Ni show an initial brittle crack propagation followed by a roughening of the crack surfaces at one-third of the Rayleigh wave speed and are in agreement with previous investigations. In Ni-Al the crack surfaces initially grow brittle. However, two regimes of crack propagation velocities were observed in this case with crack getting decelerated as it nears the interface. Further dynamic analysis of the crack propagation indicated a cease in the crack propagation in Ni due to a brittle to ductile transition. In Ni-Al bimetal interface system, as the crack approaches the interface, a process zone representing local disorder at the crack tip was observed to start growing and interacting with interfacial defects that eventually results in a blunting of the crack tip.© 2010 ASME
Aphotopontius Acanthinus, New Species (Copepoda: Siphonostomatoida), from Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents on the East Pacific Rise

A new species of siphonostomatoid, Aphotopontius acanthinus, is described from deep-sea vents at the East Pacific Rise. Although close to Aphotopontius mammillatus Humes, 1987, the female of A. acanthinus is distinguished by the genital double-somite being wider than long, not indented laterally, and possessing a pair of anterior lateral spiniform processes; the male by the elongated extension on the fifth segment of the antennule having a tripartite tip plus a spiniform seta and a much smaller seta. It is hypothesized that the large population of Aphotopontius acanthinus is sustained by the high production of chemosynthetic bacteria at the vents. Video photographs show the copepod living on the carapaces ofbrachyuran crabs, on limpets, and on bacteria-covered inorganic and organic surfaces. Deep-sea hydrothermal vent areas have a large endemic fauna. Tunnicliffe (1991) listed 236 species from such areas, 223 of them new to science. Siphonostomatoid copepods form a significant part of this fauna, with 40 species described thus far, all as new species. Among these the genus Aphotopontius Humes, 1987, is represented by eight species. A new species belonging to this genus is described here and observations on its ecology noted. MATERIALS AND METHODS The copepods were collected by means of a "slurp gun" operated from the DSRV Alvin during the ADVENTURE program, an Alvin dive program conducted between 9? and 10?N on the East Pacific Rise along the intense hydrothermal vent activity that has been the site of much research over recent years. They were fixed in 10% sea-water buffered Formalin, subsequently (after 48 h) transferred to 80% ethanol, and later studied in lactic acid, both entire and dissected, using the wooden slide method described by Humes and Gooding (1964). The drawings were made with the aid of a camera lucida.
The Pacific Northwest Light Metals Industry

THE Pacific Northwest has suffered a war-change as have so many other regions of the United States. Unlike most industrial communities, however, the increment of war orders has not only been disproportionately heavy but the entire load has been largely superimposed upon a prewar industrial pattern which has remained essentially unchanged except for some expansion. In contrast with Detroit, for example, where the old industry of automobile making was cut off or greatly modified and a new industry of tank and aircraft and other war production substituted, in the Northwest the old businesses of lumber manufacturing, farming, and fishing, continued or were expanded and, in addition, aircraft, shipbuilding, and an entire new light metals industry were added. To be sure Boeing's was in existence before the war, as was the United States Navy Yard at Bremerton, and a few shipyards which built small craft and repaired larger ones. But in comparison with the war peak operations the activities of these institutions were very limited.
DNA MICROEXTRACTION FROM DRIED BLOOD SPOTS ON FILTER PAPER BLOTTERS AND ITS APPUCATION TO THE IDENTIFICATION OF SEX

DNA microextraction procedure was used to extract and isolate DNA from dried blood spots on filter paper blotters,and a routine yield of 0.5ug of DNA from the dried equivalent of approximately 50ul of whole blood have been achieved.Dot hybridiza- tion and Southern hybridization of the isolated DNA with a Y-specific DNA probe, supplied by Dr.Y.W.Kan of UCSF,showed this will provide a rapid means for identification of human sex.This micromethod for preparation of DNA will promote application of recombinant DNA technology to the diagnosis and investigation of here- ditary diseases in populations of remote areas.
Using innovative technologies to set new safety standards for the infusion of intravenous medications

Intravenous (IV) administration errors present a particularly challenging problem to hospital pharmacists. Current control systems intercept only 2% of drug administration errors causing preventabl...