cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Possible interactions of a steroid hormone and neural inputs in controlling the death of an identified neuron in the moth Manduca sexta

The emergence of the adult Manduca sexta moth is followed by the loss of almost half of this insect's abdominal motoneurons and interneurons (Truman, 1983). This programmed cell death completes the transformation of the nervous system of the caterpillar into that of the moth. The death of these neurons has been previously shown to be a response to an endocrine signal: the decline in ecdysteroids that occurs at the end of metamorphosis (Truman and Schwartz, 1984). Our current research is focussed on the regulation of the fate of a pair of identified motoneurons, the MN-12 cells, in the third abdominal ganglion. Isolation of this ganglion from anterior parts of the nervous system can prevent the death of these cells at the time when they would normally die in response to the decline in ecdysteroids. Transection of the ventral nerve cord at various levels revealed that the source of this regulatory "death signal" is the fused pterothoracic ganglion and that it is transmitted via the interganglionic connectives. We hypothesize that the factors mediating this effect may act in concert with the ecdysteroid decline to specify the exact time of death for individual neurons.
Crank it up or dial it down: coordinated multiprocessor frequency and folding control

Dynamic power management features are now an integral part of processor chip and system design. Dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS), core folding and per-core power gating (PCPG) are power control actuators (or "knobs") that are available in modern multi-core systems. However, figuring out the actuation protocol for such knobs in order to achieve maximum efficiency has so far remained an open research problem. In the context of specific system utilization dynamics, the desirable order of applying these knobs is not easy to determine. For complexity-effective algorithm development, DVFS, core folding and PCPG control methods have evolved in a somewhat decoupled manner. However, as we show in this paper, independent actuation of these techniques can lead to conflicting decisions that jeopardize the system in terms of power-performance efficiency. Therefore, a more robust coordination protocol is necessary in orchestrating the power management functions. Heuristics for achieving such coordinated control are already becoming available in server systems. It remains an open research problem to optimally adjust power and performance management options at runtime for a wide range of time-varying workload applications, environmental conditions, and power constraints. This research paper contributes a novel approach for a systematically architected, robust, multi-knob power management protocol, which we empirically analyze on live server systems. We use a latest generation POWER7+ multi-core system to demonstrate the benefits of our proposed new coordinated power management algorithm (called PAMPA). We report measurement-based analysis to show that PAMPA achieves comparable power-performance efficiencies (relative to a baseline decoupled control system) while achieving conflict-free actuation and robust operation.
Effects of temperature on oxidative phosphorylation of liver mitochondria from hamster, rat and squirrel monkey☆

Abstract 1. 1. The effects of temperature on succinoxidase activity have been measured using liver mitochondria from hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus), rats and squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciurea). 2. 2. These studies reveal changes in the temperature sensitivity of this enzyme system in mitochondria from hibernating hamsters which distinguish them from mitochondria of rats, monkeys and active hamsters. 3. 3. At low temperatures, Q 10 values for monkey and rat mitochondria are higher than those for control or hibernating hamsters. 4. 4. At 20–34°C, the Q 10 for mitochondria from hibernating hamsters is higher than that for non-hibernating animals. 5. 5. Hamster liver mitochondria have a higher ADP/O ratio than rat or monkey liver mitochondria when assayed at low temperatures. 6. 6. These changes may be of adaptive significance both in maintenance of functional integrity of liver cells during hibernation and in contributing to rapid rewarming during arousal.
Enhancement of regional myocardial efficiency and persistence of perfusion, oxidative, and functional reserve with paired pacing of stunned myocardium.

BACKGROUND Stunned myocardium reflects postreperfusion dysfunction in myocardium that is destined to ultimately fully recover. Most investigators attribute postreperfusion stunning to a primary defect in excitation-contraction coupling or to an altered sensitivity of the myofilaments to calcium. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the interrelation between myocardial perfusion, oxidative metabolism, and function in an effort to better characterize the phenomenon of myocardial stunning, to define the regional efficiency of stunned myocardium, and to characterize its reserve capacity. METHODS AND RESULTS Regional myocardial perfusion (measured with radiolabeled microspheres), myocardial oxygen consumption (MVO2) (quantified with positron emission tomography using 1-11C-acetate), and myocardial function (assessed with two-dimensional echocardiography) were evaluated in 12 anesthetized, closed-chest dogs subjected to 15 minutes of left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion followed by reperfusion. To evaluate flow, oxidative, and functional reserve after measurements were obtained 1 hour after reperfusion, dogs were subjected to paired pacing (an inotropic stimulus that does not alter systemic hemodynamics), and measurements were repeated. One hour after reperfusion, stunned myocardium was characterized by near-normal levels of myocardial perfusion (0.57 +/- 0.13 mL/g per minute, 81 +/- 13% of that in remote, normal regions) but severe dyskinesis (echo score, 2.6 +/- 0.7; percent wall thickening, 14 +/- 20%). Despite the low level of contractile function, MVO2 averaged 1.72 +/- 0.7 mumol/g per minute, 71 +/- 27% of that observed in remote myocardium. Regional myocardial efficiency (systolic wall thickening divided by MVO2) was markedly diminished. With paired pacing, myocardial perfusion increased proportional to that in remote myocardium, systolic function improved (echo score, 1.4 +/- 0.7; percent wall thickening, 30 +/- 15%), and regional MVO2 nearly doubled (to 3.41 +/- 1.82 mumol/g per minute, P < .05 for each paired measurement). Importantly, with paired pacing, regional myocardial efficiency nearly normalized in reperfused myocardium. CONCLUSIONS Stunned myocardium is characterized by near-normal levels of perfusion and oxygen consumption despite marked dyskinesis. Myocardial efficiency is poor. With inotropic stimulation (in the present study, paired pacing), reperfused myocardium demonstrated considerable perfusion, oxidative, and functional reserve and a dramatic improvement in myocardial efficiency. These results may have implications for the treatment of postreperfusion pump failure.
Treatable and Untreatable Risk Factors for Hip Fracture

Treatable risk factors for hip fracture, such as impaired visual acuity or low bone mass, are useful guides to interventions that can substantially reduce an individual's risk of hip fracture. Programs to treat risk factors in populations will have a limited impact on the rates of hip fracture if prevalence of the risk factor is relatively low or the intervention reaches and changes the risk factors of a limited proportion of the population. Even untreatable risk factors, such as a maternal history of a hip fracture, can be useful in making treatment decisions, because they identify women who are likely to derive more benefit from drugs that maintain or increase bone mass.
Mathematical Modeling of the Depolymerization of Polyamide Mixtures - Part I: Kinetic Mechanism and Parametric Studies in Batch Reactors

ABSTRACTA simplified mechanism for the depolymerization of nylon-66 and nylon-6 mixtures via the ammonolysis route is proposed here. The mechanism includes the amide link breakage and amide end dehydration (nitrilation) reactions, plus the ring addition and ring opening reactions for cyclic lactams in nylon-6. On the basis of the proposed mechanism, a kinetic model has been developed for the ammonolysis of nylon mixtures. Model predictions and results from parametric studies are presented and discussed.
Duodenal perforation with an inferior vena cava filter: An unusual cause of abdominal pain

The insertion of inferior vena cava (IVC) filters results in device migration at rates that exceed 50% in some studies, although the clinical significance of migration remains in question. These filters can also erode or penetrate the IVC wall, injuring adjacent retroperitoneal and abdominal structures. The risk of erosion or perforation is estimated to be as much as 25%, although clinical symptoms are observed far less frequently in patients with these complications. We describe the presentation, evaluation, and treatment of a patient with an IVC strut protruding into the duodenum. This case report discusses complications, presenting symptoms, and treatment of patients with IVC filters complications.
Plasma lipoprotein retinoids after vitamin A feeding in normal man: minimal appearance of retinyl esters among low-density lipoproteins

Retinyl esters have been thought to be carried solely by lipoproteins of intestinal origin (chylomicrons and their catabolic derivatives). Recent reports, however, have indicated that there may be significant transfer of retinyl esters from chylomicrons to low-density lipoproteins (LDL) in vitro, and that in other species, substantial amounts of retinyl esters may appear in LDL. Since in man lipoproteins of intestinal origin are not considered to contribute to a quantitatively significant extent to circulating LDL, we have examined this issue further. The distribution of retinol and retinyl esters within the plasma lipoproteins of eight normal human volunteers was measured following the ingestion of vitamin A along with a mixed meal. Retinyl esters appeared in the chylomicrons and very-low-density lipoproteins. Small amounts of retinyl esters were also detected in the intermediate- and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) classes. Estimates of the masses of retinyl esters, however, indicated that 5% or less of chylomicron retinyl esters appeared in the LDL. These observations are consistent with orderly chylomicron delipidation and provide further evidence that chylomicron-derived components do not contribute directly or to a quantitatively significant extent to circulating LDL.
RapidArc patient specific mechanical delivery accuracy under extreme mechanical limits using linac log files

Purpose: To assess the accuracy of RapidArc (RA) delivery for treatment machine operation near allowable mechanical limits in dynamic multileaf collimator (DMLC) leaf velocities, gantry speeds, and dose rates. Methods: Thirty RA patient plans were created for treatment of lung, gastrointestinal, and head and neck cancers on a Trilogy unit. For each patient, three RA plans were generated; one with medium MLC velocities, highest gantry speeds, and dose rates (case A); one with maximal allowable MLC leaf velocities (case B); and one with lowest gantry speeds (case C). Combinations of dose rates (140–600 MU/min), gantry speeds (2–5.4°/s), and DMLC leaf velocities (1.3–2.4 cm/s) were utilized to test the RapidArc delivery accuracy. Linac delivery log files were acquired after delivery of each plan. In-house developed software was used to read in the original RapidArc DICOM plan and update the plan to reflect the delivered plan by using the leaf position (L), gantry position (G), and MU dose values (D) extracted from the linac log files. This modified DICOM RT plan was imported back to ECLIPSE and the delivered 3D dose map recomputed. Finally, the planned and delivered 3D isodose maps were compared under three criteria to evaluate the dosimetric differences: maximum percentage dose difference, 3D gamma analysis criteria for 3%/3mm DTA, number of dose voxels having a dose difference that is greater than 1%, 2%, or 3% of the maximum dose, and their respective percentages. Results: For the three cases indicated above, MLC leaf position discrepancies between planned and delivered values are 0.8 ± 0.2, 1.2 ± 0.2, and 0.8 ± 0.2 mm; the maximum gantry position discrepancies are 0.9° ± 0.2°, 0.9° ± 0.2°, and 0.6° ± 0.1°, and the maximum differences in delivered MU per control point are 0.2 ± 0.1, 0.2 ± 0.1, and 0.04 ± 0.01, respectively. Maximum percentage dose difference observed is 6.7%, for a case where 1 cm MLC leaves were used with high MLC leaf velocity. Maximum number (percentage) of dose voxels having a dose difference that is greater than 1%, 2%, and 3% of the maximum dose were 4761 (0.35%), 897 (0.07%), and 188 (0.01%). This also corresponds to the plan utilizing the most number of 1 cm MLC leaves. The 3D Gamma factor acceptance rates are better than 99%. Conclusions: This work shows that the accuracy of RapidArc delivery holds across the full range of gantry speeds, leaf velocities, and dose rates with small dosimetric uncertainties for 0.5 cm MLC leaves. However, caution should be exercised when using large MLC leaves in RapidArc. A novel technique to obtain the delivered 3D dose distributions using machine log files is also presented.
Mortality rates in pediatric septic shock with and without multiple organ system failure.

inotropic agent (0%) and patients requiring multiple inotropic agents (42.9%), between oncology patients who had undergone bone marrow transplantation (38.5%) and oncology patients without bone marrow transplantation (5.5%), and between patients with multiple organ system failure (18.6%) and those without multiple organ system failure (0%); p < .05. There did not appear to be differences in the case mortality rates between oncology and nononcology patients or among patients with varying degrees of neutropenia. Conclusions: The mortality rate in pediatric septic shock is lower than has been previously reported. Oncologic illness in the absence of bone marrow transplantation does not appear to be associated with an increased mortality rate in children with septic shock. Bone marrow transplantation patients have an increased mortality rate compared with other patients with septic shock. Mortality from septic shock occurs most frequently in the context of multiple organ system failure. (Pediatr Crit Care Med 2003; 4:333‐337)
Filled with the Spirit from the Old Testament to the Apostle Paul: A Conversation with John Levison

In his chapter on the Pauline epistles in Filled with the Spirit, John R. Levison finds many overarching themes and trajectories that tie the Pauline texts to Israelite and early Judaic texts. But in his eagerness to find parallels with these texts and Paul’s letters, he is sometimes too willing to ignore the possibility that a decisively different understanding of the Spirit has arrived with the death and resurrection of Christ and the inauguration of a new covenant no longer dependent upon Torah obedience.
The rôle of male and female pheromones in the mating behaviour of Tenebrio molitor

Abstract At least one male and one female specific pheromone was found mediating the mating behaviour of Tenebrio molitor . The assay system used was a choice-chamber. The pheromone of the female stimulated the locomotor activity of the male and also mediated copulatory behaviour. In the absence of a female, a stimulated male may attempt to copulate with another male; this tendency was used to assay this pheromone. When live female lures were tested on groups of males, an average of 27 per cent of the males exhibited copulatory behaviour. When male lures were tested, this copulatory response was elicited in less than 2 per cent of the males. When female extracts were tested, the percentage of males which responded positively was dose dependent up to four female equivalents. There was little or no response to male extracts. The pheromone of the male stimulated the female's locomotor activity and the aggregation of females in the vicinity of the male or male extract. In response to a male lure, a significantly higher percentage of females became active and entered the central chamber than in the controls. This stimulation is dose dependent up to ten male equivalents. The second criterion used was the percentage of females which remained in the central chamber at the end of the 30 min observation period. A significantly higher percentage of females remained aggregated when a male rather than a female lure was tested. This effect was dose dependent up to five male equivalents. As no effect could be demonstrated with female extracts, the pheromone of the male also appears sex specific. The question of multiple male pheromones is discussed.
Decrease in the levels of a constitutive cytochrome P-450 (RLM5) in hepatic microsomes of diabetic rats

Abstract Cytochrome P-450 dependent hydroxylation of testosterone has been measured in hepatic microsomes of control, diabetic and insulin-treated diabetic rats. The observed decrease in testosterone 16α-hydroxylase activity in diabetes, an activity previously shown to be largely due to RLM5, was accompanied by a dramatic decrease in immunodetectable RLM5. Diabetic rats which received insulin had elevated testosterone 16α-hydroxylase activity relative to the diabetic animals, which was accompanied by a corresponding increase in the levels of RLM5. These results provide evidence that specific constitutive cytochrome P-450 enzymes are altered in the diabetic state and that these changes are not permanent since they can be overcome, at least partially, by insulin replacement therapy.
Monitoring the clandestine synthesis of methamphetamine in real-time with ambient sampling, portable mass spectrometry

The collection, transport and processing of evidence found at clandestine laboratory installations is a challenging task for forensic practitioners, as samples are often of high magnitude and complexity, as well as located in exceedingly unsafe conditions. Direct sampling, portable mass spectrometers coupled with ambient ionization methods have been reported for forensic applications and have the potential to fulfill the requirements of clandestine laboratory evidence processing, allowing on-site identification of chemical evidence in its native state and expediting criminal investigations. To demonstrate this potential, a portable MS system coupled with simplified DESI, PSI, and APCI ionization sources, was utilized to monitor two common synthetic routes for clandestine methamphetamine production and screen representative evidence types resulting from these installations. Specific evidence examined in these studies included bulk powdered precursor and product, reaction intermediate slurries, and gaseous headspace of utilized solvents emanating from storage media and reaction vessels. Of note, the harsh, complicated nature of the collected samples did not affect molecular identification. Comparison studies between the employed ionization methods showed that the analysis of evidence via PSI was marked by enhanced spectral intensity in comparison to DESI. Results obtained during this study demonstrate the ability of ambient sampling, portable MS instrumentation to conclusively identify a clandestine methamphetamine operation regardless of the synthesis stage.
Eulerian Moment Equations for 2-D Stochastic Immiscible Flow

We solve statistical moment differential equations (MDEs) for immiscible flow in porous media in the limit of zero capillary pressure, with application to secondary oil recovery. Closure is achieved by Taylor expansion of the fractional flow function and a perturbation argument. Previous results in one dimension are extended to two dimensions. Comparison to Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) shows that the MDE approach gives a good approximation to total oil production. For such spatially integrated or averaged quantities MDEs may be substantially more efficient than MCS.
Novel applications of SPICE in engineering education

The author presents several novel applications of the SPICE circuit analysis computer program which should be of use to engineering students of various disciplines. Attention is directed to an implementation of SPICE for the MS-DOS operating system environment, named PSPICE. Three specific examples are presented. The first example shows a method of simultaneously displayed several parametric solutions. The second example demonstrates a method in which PSPICE simulates an analog computer. The third example illustrates the solution to a nonlinear differential equation. >
A Computer Model For Underwater Camera Systems

A computer model is presented which allows the image components of an underwater camera system to be computed. Input parameters to the model are system geometry, source properties, and water optical properties. Output products are the irradiances due to non scattered object light, scattered object light and backscattered light. From these basic quantities other useful parameters such as contrast transmittances and signal to noise ratio can be calculated over the entire field of view of the camera. Sample calculations are presented.
ROBUSTNESS EVALUATION OF A FLEXIBLE AIRCRAFT CONTROL SYSTEM

The structured singular value analysis technique is used to generate stability and performance robustness guidelines for inultivariable, flexible aircraft flight control systems. A stability augmentation and structural mode control system, designed using the same classical technique as on the original production aircraft, is evaluated to produce the new guidelines. Stability margins are computed for simultaneous gain and phase uncertainty in each of the control system feedback loops. Performance weighting filters are chosen specifically from military flying qualities specifications. The results of this research define exactly how robust a control system of this type should be, such that any performance improvements achieved using more advanced design techniques can be compared directly.
Reliability of multiple classifications

Cohen's kappa index is reformulated for multiple classifications based on exchangeable random variables. It is found that kappa is between 0 and 1 inclusive. Two characterizations for kappa are stated in terms of the relationship between such random variables. Within the normal test score model, kappa increases with test reliability and test length. Furthermore, when based on binary classifications, kappa is an inverse U-shaped function of the cutoff score. These trends also hold for the beta-binomial test score model.
Low phase noise 5 GHz VCOs in 0.13 /spl mu/m SOI and bulk CMOS

This paper present 5 GHz LC VCO designs fabricated in 0.13 mum SOI and bulk CMOS process technologies. Technology advantages, considerations, and trade-offs are compared for high performance VCO design. A methodology for designing a low FOM VCO is given. The SOI VCO achieves a phase noise of -131 dBc/Hz at a 1 MHz offset and consumes 6 mW. The bulk VCO has a phase noise of -132 dBc/Hz at a 1 MHz offset and draws 6.2 mW. Both of these VCOs achieve a FOM value of nearly -200 dBc/Hz
Measurement of gaseous hydrogen peroxide with a liquid core waveguide chemiluminescence detector

Abstract Hydrogen peroxide is an important atmospheric oxidant that is photochemically produced. It is typically present in the atmosphere at low to sub-part per billion by volume (ppbv) levels. Typically, enzyme-mediated fluorogenic techniques are used for the sensitive measurement of H 2 O 2 . We present here a simple luminol chemiluminescence (CL) measurement of H 2 O 2 with a liquid core waveguide (LCW)-based instrument. The LCW acts both as a reaction cell and a light collector and terminates in a conventional, high numerical aperture optical fiber that carries the CL emission to an inexpensive photomultiplier tube (PMT). Gaseous hydrogen peroxide is collected with a high efficiency Nafion membrane diffusion scrubber. The H 2 O 2 in the scrubber effluent is quantified by Co(II)-catalyzed oxidation of alkaline luminol. The linear range is at least up to 100 ppbv H 2 O 2 . A limit of detection (LOD) of 25 pptv H 2 O 2 is achieved with an inexpensive miniature photomultiplier tube (PMT). The interference equivalent ozone is ∼ 2 and SO 2 do not interfere.
Evolution and analysis of non-autonomous neural networks for walking: reflexive pattern generators

This paper summarizes the results of the dynamical systems analysis of 422 Continuous-Time Recurrent Neural Network (CTRNN) single-leg locomotion controllers evolved under conditions where reliable sensory information was always available. The general principles underlying the operation of all 422 resulting Reflexive Pattern Generators (RPGs) are discussed. Several RPG operation features are explained and verified. Finally, discussion is made of future extensions of this research.
An Analysis of Waiting Times in a Pediatric Emergency Department

Waiting times in a pediatric emergency department were studied using direct observations of patients and health providers on 14 separate days. The mean waiting time (from entry to first physician contact) of the 216 children studied was 49 minutes. Time spent in the waiting room was increased by both the nonavailability of a nurse and the nonavailability of an examining room, and was decreased by the severity of the patient's illness. Time spent in the examination room waiting for the physician was related to the availability of the physician and the number of patients concurrently registered in the emergency department as well as the severity of their complaint. Recommendations for decreasing waiting time, based on the observations, are made. Although each setting is unique, the study provides a model for the analysis of waiting patterns in similar facilities.
Learning Opportunity Costs in Multi-Robot Market Based Planners

Direct human control of multi-robot systems is limited by the cognitive ability of humans to coordinate numerous interacting components. In remote environments, such as those encountered during planetary or ocean exploration, a further limit is imposed by communication bandwidth and delay. Market based planning can give humans a higher-level interface to multi-robot systems in these scenarios. Operators provide high level tasks and attach a reward to the achievement of each task. The robots then trade these tasks through a market based mechanism. The challenge for the system designer is to create bidding algorithms for the robots that yield high overall system performance. Opportunity cost provides a nice basis for such bidding algorithms since it encapsulates all the costs and benefits we are interested in. Unfortunately, computing it can be difficult. We propose a method of learning opportunity costs in market based planners. We provide analytic results in simplified scenarios and empirical results on our FIRE simulator, which focuses on exploration of Mars by multiple, heterogeneous rovers.
Science Signaling Podcast: 24 February 2015

This Podcast features an interview with Venuprasad Poojary, senior author of a Research Article that appears in the 24 February 2015 issue of Science Signaling , about the involvement of an E3 ubiquitin ligase in skin inflammation. Mice lacking the E3 ubiquitin ligases Itch have chronic skin inflammation and persistently scratch themselves. Theivanthiran et al . found that Itch ubiquitylates the adaptor Tab1, thus targeting it for degradation and preventing it from promoting activity of the kinase p38α. In Itch −/− mice, increased p38α activity caused macrophages to produce more inflammatory cytokines, leading to skin inflammation and the itchy phenotype. Disrupting the interaction between Itch and Tab1 with a cell-permeable peptide reduced skin inflammation in Itch −/− mice. Because pharmacological inhibition of p38α has not been clinically successful for treating inflammatory diseases, targeting the Itch-Tab1 interaction is a potential alternative for reducing p38α activity in this context.
Factors influencing small tourism business performance: the case of Central Kentucky, United States.

The purpose of this research was to provide additional insight into small tourism businesses in the United States by empirically examining the relationships among business owner/managers’ personal values, marketing strategies, and perceived business performance. Data for the research were collected in the Bluegrass Region of Central Kentucky, United States. Face-to-face interviews with a structured questionnaire were conducted with the owner/managers of small tourism businesses, such as art galleries or studios, restaurants, historic attractions, museums, perform/visual art centers, unique gift/souvenir shops, and small accommodation facilities. Results showed that personal values of small business owner/managers could influence their selection of marketing strategies. Further, a market-oriented strategy was significantly related to perceived performance of small tourism business on product success and intangible assets (i.e., customer satisfaction and business reputation). The research provides theoretic...
Effective Hamiltonians and Averaging for Hamiltonian Dynamics I

This paper, building upon ideas of Mather, Moser, Fathi, E and others, applies PDE (partial differential equation) methods to understand the structure of certain Hamiltonian flows. The main point is that the “cell” or “corrector” PDE, introduced and solved in a weak sense by Lions, Papanicolaou and Varadhan in their study of periodic homogenization for Hamilton-Jacobi equations, formally induces a canonical change of variables, in terms of which the dynamics are trivial. We investigate to what extent this observation can be made rigorous in the case that the Hamiltonian is strictly convex in the momenta, given that the relevant PDE does not usually in fact admit a smooth solution.
Time Is of the Essence: An Analytic Autoethnography of Family, Work, and Serious Leisure

While leisure is often represented in public discourse as a realm of freedom and self-actualization, for most adults the pursuit of serious leisure activities involves negotiating familial and professional constraints. Based on the author's autoethnographic experiences with sport skydiving, this article examines the familial and professional constraints that he has experienced, as well as the challenges to recreational skydivers posed by current trends in the sport. The author describes various only partly successful strategies he has used to manage the tensions between his skydiving pursuits, work, and family. Proposing his analysis as an example of “analytic autoethnography” the author concludes by considering the implications of his research for better understanding serious leisure pursuits more generally, as well as for answering the personal question, should I continue to jump out of planes?
Design and Analysis of a MAC Protocol for Vehicle to Roadside Networks

This paper presents a new protocol for vehicle to roadside networks and presents an analysis of the handoff related overhead of general MAC protocols for these scenarios. The proposed protocol's features include the elimination of hidden nodes, prioritized and fast handoff, fairness among nodes and optimal choice of backoff parameters. The analysis presented in the paper derives an information theoretic lower bound on the MAC layer overhead associated with node reassociations. Simulation results are used to demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed protocol in comparison to existing protocols.
Probing Liquid Water Saturation in Diffusion Media of Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells

Neutron radiography (NR) was intended to visualize the accumulation and distribution of product water inside diffusion media (DM) in a polymer-electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC). However, the two-dimensional NR technique is unable to separate anode water from cathode water and resolve the liquid water distribution along the cell thickness, two pieces of information strongly needed to characterize the level of cathode DM flooding or anode dry-out. In this paper, NR data analysis is performed for the first time in the context of a three-dimensional two-phase PEFC model. The numerical study illustrates the difficulty in NR data analysis where the major concern originates from the separation of liquid water in the cathode DM from the water in thick membranes, or from liquid water in the anode DM for the thin membrane case. In addition, the two-phase simulation results show that the calculated amount of water according to NR conditions is well within the range measured by NR experiments in the literature, demonstrating the validity of the present two-phase model. A concern is raised whether the two-dimensional NR technique is suitable for studying water management, which generally requires separation of water between the anode and cathode.
Renal cell carcinoma: evolving approaches to advanced non-clear cell carcinoma

The treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has changed dramatically with the introduction of targeted therapies including sunitinib, sorafenib, and temsirolimus. Because patients with conventional clear cell histology account for 75- 80% of all patients with RCC, there has been little accumulated evidence on the treatment of patients with non-clear cell histologies. Most clinical trials have excluded them from enrolment, except for randomized studies investigating temsirolimus. Many retrospective studies on the use of all three of these targeted therapies in patients with non-clear cell histology have demonstrated response rates ranging from 3.7%–16%. Although response rates may not be as high compared to patients with clear cell histologies, targeted therapy does provide a clinically meaningful response.
Run-time Detection of Heap-based Overflows

Buffer overflows belong to the most common class of attacks on today's Internet. Although stack-based variants are still by far more frequent and well-understood, heap-based overflows have recently gained more attention. Several real-world exploits have been published that corrupt heap management information and allow arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the victim process.This paper presents a technique that protects the heap management information and allows for run-time detection of heap-based overflows. We discuss the structure of these attacks and our proposed detection scheme that has been implemented as a patch to the GNU Lib C. We report the results of our experiments, which demonstrate the detection effectiveness and performance impact of our approach. In addition, we discuss different mechanisms to deploy the memory protection.
Oleic acid and peanut oil high in oleic acid reverse the inhibitory effect of insulin production of the inflammatory cytokine TNF-α both in vitro and in vivo systems

Chronic inflammation is a key player in pathogenesis. The inflammatory cytokine, tumor necrosis factor-alpha is a well known inflammatory protein, and has been a therapeutic target for the treatment of diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis and Crohn's Disease. Obesity is a well known risk factor for developing non-insulin dependent diabetes melitus. Adipose tissue has been shown to produce tumor necrosis factor-alpha, which has the ability to reduce insulin secretion and induce insulin resistance. Based on these observations, we sought to investigate the impact of unsaturated fatty acids such as oleic acid in the presence of TNF-α in terms of insulin production, the molecular mechanisms involved and the in vivo effect of a diet high in oleic acid on a mouse model of type II diabetes, KKAy. The rat pancreatic beta cell line INS-1 was used as a cell biological model since it exhibits glucose dependent insulin secretion. Insulin production assessment was carried out using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and cAMP quantification with competitive ELISA. Viability of TNF-α and oleic acid treated cells was evaluated using flow cytometry. PPAR-γ translocation was assessed using a PPRE based ELISA system. In vivo studies were carried out on adult male KKAy mice and glucose levels were measured with a glucometer. Oleic acid and peanut oil high in oleic acid were able to enhance insulin production in INS-1. TNF-α inhibited insulin production but pre-treatment with oleic acid reversed this inhibitory effect. The viability status of INS-1 cells treated with TNF-α and oleic acid was not affected. Translocation of the peroxisome proliferator- activated receptor transcription factor to the nucleus was elevated in oleic acid treated cells. Finally, type II diabetic mice that were administered a high oleic acid diet derived from peanut oil, had decreased glucose levels compared to animals administered a high fat diet with no oleic acid. Oleic acid was found to be effective in reversing the inhibitory effect in insulin production of the inflammatory cytokine TNF-α. This finding is consistent with the reported therapeutic characteristics of other monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Furthermore, a diet high in oleic acid, which can be easily achieved through consumption of peanuts and olive oil, can have a beneficial effect in type II diabetes and ultimately reverse the negative effects of inflammatory cytokines observed in obesity and non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.
Tests Between Two Models of Stimulus Predifferentiation.

crimination is contained in the stimulus; hence, stimuli need not be added to in order for discrimination to occur. Discrimination is a process of searching for and isolating the distinctive variables of stimulation according to the differentiation model; it is a perceptual rather than an associative model of discrimination. To illustrate the difference between the mediation and differentiation approaches, rhe Tighes outlined the explanations offered by each model for behavior in the discrimination-shift and stimulus predifferentiation paradigms. An experiment by L. Tighe (1965) was cited as support for the differentiation account of discrimination-shift behavior in children. The present study attempted to test between the mediation and differentiation models within the stimulus predifferentiation ~aradigm.~ The procedures for this paradigm are as follows. An experimental group first learns distinctive names to highly similar stimulus objects and then learns a two-choice simultaneous discrimination between the stimulus objects. Learning by the group is com
A scalable instruction queue design using dependence chains

Increasing the number of instruction queue (IQ) entries in a dynamically scheduled processor exposes more instruction-level parallelism, leading to higher performance. However, increasing a conventional IQ's physical size leads to larger latencies and slower clock speeds. We introduce a new IQ design that divides a large queue into small segments, which can be clocked at high frequencies. We use dynamic dependence-based scheduling to promote instructions from segment to segment until they reach a small issue buffer. Our segmented IQ is designed specifically to accommodate variable-latency instructions such as loads. Despite its roughly similar circuit complexity; simulation results indicate that our segmented instruction queue with 512 entries and 128 chains improves performance by up to 69% over a 32-entry conventional instruction queue for SpecINT 2000 benchmarks, and up to 398% for SpecFP 2000 benchmarks. The segmented IQ achieves from 55% to 98% of the performance of a monolithic 512-entry queue while providing the potential for much higher clock speeds.
Age-related Differences in Emotion Recognition Ability: Visual and Auditory Modalities

Emotion recognition is an important aspect of social interaction. Deficits in emotion recognition have been tied to poor social competence, interpersonal functioning, and communication along with a reduced quality of life and inappropriate social behavior. Recent experimental evidence suggests that emotion recognition ability across modalities seems to change in an age-dependent way, with deficits specifically noted for negative emotion recognition. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study is to assess emotion recognition ability in both the visual and auditory modalities in healthy elderly patients versus healthy young patients to test the hypothesis that deficits in emotion recognition ability are age-related and increase with age across visual and auditory modalities. The secondary purpose of this study is to assess valence-specific emotion recognition ability to test the hypothesis that increased deficits for elderly individuals as compared to young healthy subjects occur for negative emotion recognition specifically. We examined the ability to recognize emotion in the auditory and visual modality in two groups of patients: healthy elderly subjects and healthy young subjects. The Montreal Affective Voices task (MAV), the Distorted Tunes task (DTT), the Awareness of Social Inference test (TASIT), and the Baron-Cohen Mind in the Eyes Test (EYES) were used to gauge emotion recognition ability. For the visual tasks (TASIT and EYES), the elderly subjects and young subjects did not have significant differences in performance. In addition, a significant difference was also not found for the DTT, indicating that both populations had intact lower-level auditory processing abilities. Significant differences were found between the two populations on the MAV task in both baseline accuracy and valence-specific performance. These findings suggest that age-related deficits in emotion recognition may be specific to the recognition of auditory emotion.
Flame Area Fluctuation Measurements in Velocity-Forced Premixed Gas Turbine Flames

Fluctuations in the heat release rate that occur during unstable combustion in lean premixed gas turbine combustors can be attributed to velocity and equivalence ratio fluctuations. For a fully premixed flame, velocity fluctuations affect the heat release rate primarily by inducing changes in the flame area. In this paper, a technique to analyze changes in flame area using chemiluminescence-based flame images is presented. The technique decomposes the flame area into separate components which characterize the relative contributions of area fluctuations in the large scale structure and the small scale wrinkling of the flame. The fluctuation in the wrinkled area of the flame which forms the flame brush is seen to dominate its response in the majority of cases tested. Analysis of the flame area associated with the large scale structure of the flame resolves convective perturbations that move along the mean flame position. Results are presented that demonstrate the application of this technique to both single-nozzle and multi-nozzle flames.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
SemPub: An Ontology Based Semantic Literature Retrieval System

The World Wide Web has grown exponentially and has become the most pervasive source of information in the last few years. Since most of this information is scattered and heterogeneous in nature, efficient and accurate retrieval of literature on the web is a challenging area of research. Most of the time the users are not aware of what they are looking for or they have an abstract view of what they want. Modern search engines help them narrow their search but are not sophisticated enough to understand their needs. The Semantic Web is a vision of next generation World Wide Web where the information is defined with an explicit meaning, which machines can understand, process and integrate without human intervention. SemPub centers on semantic retrieval and user customization. In semantic search, we search for terms in a concept space (a graph of terms occurring in documents linked to each other by the frequency and relationships between them and with which they occur together). Hence by reducing the high dimensional and complex object space into a more manageable automatically-generated, meaningful concept space, customized retrieval and information routing is made easy.
Fibroblast Growth Factor-2 regulates proliferation of cardiac myocytes in normal and hypoplastic left ventricles in the developing chick

The developing heart increases its mass predominantly by increasing the number of contained cells through proliferation. We hypothesized that addition of fibroblast growth factor-2, a factor previously shown to stimulate division of the embryonic myocytes, to the left ventricular myocardium in an experimental model of left heart hypoplasia created in the chicken would attenuate phenotypic severity by increasing cellular proliferation. We have established an effective mode of delivery of fibroblast growth factor-2 to the chick embryonic left ventricular myocardium by using adenovirus vectors, which was more efficient and better tolerated than direct injection of recombinant fibroblast growth factor-2 protein. Injection of control adenovirus expressing green fluorescent protein did not result in significant alterations in myocytic proliferation or cell death compared with intact, uninjected, controls. Co-injection of adenoviruses expressing green fluorescent protein and fibroblast growth factor-2 was used for verification of positive injection, and induction of proliferation, respectively. Treatment of both normal and hypoplastic left ventricles with fibroblast growth factor-2 expressing adenovirus resulted in to 2 to 3-fold overexpression of fibroblast growth factor-2, as verified by immunostaining. An increase by 45% in myocytic proliferation was observed following injection of normal hearts, and an increase of 39% was observed in hypoplastic hearts. There was a significant increase in anti-myosin immunostaining in the hypoplastic, but not the normal hearts. We have shown, therefore, that expression of exogenous fibroblast growth factor-2 in the late embryonic heart can exert direct effects on cardiac myocytes, inducing both their proliferation and differentiation. These data suggest potential for a novel therapeutic option in selected cases of congenital cardiac disease, such as hypoplastic left heart syndrome.
Academic Outcome Trajectories of Students With ADHD Does Exceptional Education Status Matter

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been associated with poor academic performance, but little is known about learning trajectories and risk factors for poor academic outcomes. This...
Effects of ochratoxin a in the partially nephrectomized rat

The effects of ochratoxin A (OA), a nephrotoxic mycotoxin, were investigated in partially nephrectomized (PN) rats (approximately 70% reduction in renal mass) following compensatory hypertrophy of the renal remnant. Renal function stabilized 27 d after surgery. PN rats compensated for the initial loss of renal function except for glomerular filtration rate (GFR, inulin clearance); this remained significantly impaired. Sham-operated (SO) rats cleared inulin and p-aminohippurate (PAH) at rates of 3.84 and 7.49 ml/min, respectively, while compensated PN rats cleared inulin at 2.51 and PAH at 8.84 ml/min. Daily administration of low levels of OA produced decreased urine osmolality and body weight with a modest increase in urinary protein of PN versus SO rats. OA-treated rats cleared inulin, creatinine, and PAH at rates significantly lower than nontreated controls: 0.89 and 1.96 ml/min for inulin, 0.35 and 0.56 ml/min for creatinine, and 2.29 and 6.23 ml/min for PAH. Histopathological findings indicated a considerable increase in renal tubular necrosis and subcellular damage (i.e., loss of cytoplasmic ground substance, vacuolization, degeneration of mitochondria, and reorganization of endoplasmic reticulum) in PN animals versus controls, concurrent with alteration in renal function. These results verify that the nephrotoxic action of OA is elicited mainly in renal proximal tubules and is enhanced in the PN rat.