cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The turnover of radiolabeled nuclear proteins in rats exposed to environmental and chemical stress.

Abstract Exposure to a 12 h light 12 h dark (L/D) cycle for 1 month, followed by reversal to a 12 h D 12 h L (D/L) cycle stimulated within 18 h the incorporation of [ 3 H]leucine and [ 32 P]orthophosphoric acid into new proteins (130–25 kDa) in the G 0 phase of the cell cycle of the non-regenerating and regenerating rat liver as observed in two-dimensional gel autoradiograms. Six additional proteins from the rat submaxillary gland (130–20 kDa) revealed labeling with 32 P within 3 h following combined administration of isoproterenol and sodium arsenite. Labeling disappeared within 7 days for all stressed proteins.
Formal educational preparation: The structural prerequisite to the professional status of the child care worker

This paper describes the present exploited status of the child care worker and suggests that an improvement in that status will only occur if child care workers form strong professional associations, if language concerning their qualifications and responsibilities is written into appropriate State and Federal regulations governing child care, and, most importantly, if formal pre-service educational requirements are enforced.
Alternative length scales for polycrystalline materials. I, Microstructure evolution

Abstract It is a well-documented experimental observation that properties of grain boundaries depend on the atomic structure of the boundary. Yet constitutive relations for properties of polycrystalline materials containing a variety of grain boundaries currently do not take account of this boundary-to-boundary variability. Instead, a single-length scale—the average grain diameter—is utilized with the underlying assumption that all grain boundaries are the same. In this (I) and the following paper (II), we extend the accepted viewpoint to encompass a binary classification of grain boundaries based on their misorientation angle. The resultant new length scale is that associated with clusters of grains linked by grain boundaries sharing misorientations in the same category. This first paper focuses on how a model polycrystal is generated, the energetics of the model, and its evolution under various external influences.
The efficiency of nursing home chains

Data envelopment analysis is used to estimate technical efficiency in for-profit independent and for-profit chain nursing homes. The empirical findings suggestceteris paribus, that significant mult...
Antimalarial and Structural Studies of Pyridine-containing Inhibitors of 1-Deoxyxylulose-5-phosphate Reductoisomerase.

1-Deoxy-d-xylulose-5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR) in the nonmevalonate isoprene biosynthesis pathway is a target for developing antimalarial drugs. Fosmidomycin, a potent DXR inhibitor, showed safety as well as efficacy against Plasmodium falciparum malaria in clinical trials. On the basis of our previous quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) and crystallographic studies, several novel pyridine-containing fosmidomycin derivatives were designed, synthesized, and found to be highly potent inhibitors of P. falciparum DXR (PfDXR) having Ki values of 1.9–13 nM, with the best one being ∼11× more active than fosmidomycin. These compounds also potently block the proliferation of multidrug resistant P. falciparum with EC50 values as low as 170 nM. A 2.3 A crystal structure of PfDXR in complex with one of the inhibitors is reported, showing that the flexible loop of the protein undergoes conformational changes upon ligand binding and a hydrogen bond and favorable hydrophobic interactions between t...
Psychosocial risk, attachment, and behavior problems among school-aged children

The role of environmental risk and protective factors (attachment, verbal intelligence) in school-aged children's adaptation was examined. Subjects were 45 7-year-old children from low socioeconomic status environments. Security of attachment to mother was assessed by reunion behavior in the laboratory following an hour-long separation. Mothers and teachers reported on behavior problems using the Child Behavior Checklist. Results revealed a higher proportion of insecure attachments and behavior problems than in low-risk populations. Greater risk and less security were associated with poorer behavioral adaptation. Multiple regressions tested a model of protective processes; results demonstrated main effects of attachment security, even after controlling for extent of environmental risk.
New Data on Thermal Decomposition of Kaolinite and Halloysite

Using single-crystal electron diffraction data it has been possible to demonstrate more directly the existence of considerable order in dehydroxylated kaolinite and halloysite. The two-dimensional (a-b) plane structure of dehydroxylated kaolinite is very similar to that of kaolinite. This phase, appropriately described by the term “metakaolinite,” decomposes first at about 825°C., γ-Al2O3 being the chief crystalline product. In the case of halloysite the γ-Al2O3 appears first at about 650°C. The products observed on the dehydroxylation of kaolinite depend to a large extent on the particle size of the sample used. Electron microscope studies of dehydroxylated material and the same material treated under very mild hydrothermal conditions show that the main phenomena accompanying dehydroxylation apparently are disalignment along the c-axis, the appearance of discontinuities in the sheets themselves (not visible directly in the crude image of the electron microscope), and the reduction of the effective particle size. The cause of the exothermic peak cannot be the formation of γ-Al2O3 but is assigned to the formation of mullite which is not necessarily detected in an X-ray powder pattern.
Video Processing Via Implicit and Mixture Motion Models

In this paper, we present an alternative framework for video processing without explicit motion estimation or segmentation. Motivated by the geometric constraint of motion trajectory, we propose an adaptive filtering-based model for video signals in which filter coefficients are locally estimated by the least-square method. Such localized estimation can be viewed as an implicit approach of exploiting motion-related temporal dependency. We also introduce the the concept of a virtual camera to further improve the modeling capability by exploiting the fundamental tradeoff between space and time. Using mixture models, we show how to probabilistically fuse the inference results obtained from virtual cameras in order to achieve spatio-temporal adaptation. Implicit and mixture motion model supplements the existing paradigm and provides a unified solution to a wide range of low-level vision problems including video dejittering, impulse removal, error concealment, video coding, and temporal interpolation.
Decreased Ability of Old Male Rats to Secrete Luteinizing Hormone (LH) Is Not due to Alterations in Pituitary LH-Releasing Hormone Receptors*

The present study was undertaken to determine if the diminished release of LH in male rats with age in response to castration or LHRH injection is due to alterations in the number or affinity of LHRH receptors in the pituitary. Young (3–4 months old) and old (18–20 months old) male Sprague-Dawley rats were killed 0, 2, 4, and 8 days after castration. Serum was collected for determination of LH concentrations, and anterior pituitaries were removed for analysis of LHRH receptors. The numbers and affinity constants of receptors were determined by Scatchard analysis using iodinated des-Gly10-[DAla6] LHRH ethylamide (LHRH-a) as ligand. Plasma LH in young rats increased from 54 ng/ml in intact animals to 319 ng/ ml 8 days after castration, but in old animals, LH increased only from 47 to 119 ng/ml during the same period (P < 0.01). However, there were no age-related differences in LHRH receptors in intact animals, and both young and old animals showed similar increases in pituitary LHRH receptors after castrati...
Accommodating variety in iron-responsive elements: Crystal structure of transferrin receptor 1 B IRE bound to iron regulatory protein 1

Iron responsive elements (IREs) are short stem-loop structures found in several mRNAs encoding proteins involved in cellular iron metabolism. Iron regulatory proteins (IRPs) control iron homeostasis through differential binding to the IREs, accommodating any sequence or structural variations that the IREs may present. Here we report the structure of IRP1 in complex with transferrin receptor 1 B (TfR B) IRE, and compare it to the complex with ferritin H (Ftn H) IRE. The two IREs are bound to IRP1 through nearly identical protein-RNA contacts, although their stem conformations are significantly different. These results support the view that binding of different IREs with IRP1 depends both on protein and RNA conformational plasticity, adapting to RNA variation while retaining conserved protein-RNA contacts.
Long-term glycine propionyl-l-carnitine supplemention and paradoxical effects on repeated anaerobic sprint performance

It has been demonstrated that acute GPLC supplementation produces enhanced anaerobic work capacity with reduced lactate production in resistance trained males. However, it is not known what effects chronic GPLC supplementation has on anaerobic performances or lactate clearance. The purpose of this study was to examine the long-term effects of different dosages of GPLC supplementation on repeated high intensity stationary cycle sprint performance. Forty-five resistance trained men participated in a double-blind, controlled research study. All subjects completed two testing sessions, seven days apart, 90 minutes following oral ingestion of either 4.5 grams GPLC or 4.5 grams cellulose (PL), in randomized order. The exercise testing protocol consisted of five 10-second Wingate cycle sprints separated by 1-minute active recovery periods. Following completion of the second test session, the 45 subjects were randomly assigned to receive 1.5 g, 3.0 g, or 4.5 g GPLC per day for a 28 day period. Subjects completed a third test session following the four weeks of GPLC supplementation using the same testing protocol. Values of peak power (PP), mean power (MP) and percent decrement of power (DEC) were determined per bout and standardized relative to body mass. Heart rate (HR) and blood lactate (LAC) were measured prior to, during and following the five sprint bouts. There were no significant effects of condition or significant interaction effects detected for PP and MP. However, results indicated that sprint bouts three, four and five produced 2 - 5% lower values of PP and 3 - 7% lower values of MP with GPLC at 3.0 or 4.5 g per day as compared to baseline values. Conversely, 1.5 g GPLC produced 3 - 6% higher values of PP and 2 -5% higher values of MP compared with PL baseline values. Values of DEC were significantly greater (15-20%) greater across the five sprint bouts with 3.0 g or 4.5 g GPLC, but the 1.5 g GPLC supplementation produced DEC values -5%, -3%, +4%, +5%, and +2% different from the baseline PL values. The 1.5 g group displayed a statistically significant 24% reduction in net lactate accumulation per unit power output (p < 0.05). The effects of GPLC supplementation on anaerobic work capacity and lactate accumulation appear to be dosage dependent. Four weeks of GPLC supplementation at 3.0 and 4.5 g/day resulted in reduced mean values of power output with greater rates of DEC compared with baseline while 1.5 g/day produced higher mean values of MP and PP with modest increases of DEC. Supplementation of 1.5 g/day also produced a significantly lower rate of lactate accumulation per unit power output compared with 3.0 and 4.5 g/day. In conclusion, GPLC appears to be a useful dietary supplement to enhance anaerobic work capacity and potentially sport performance, but apparently the dosage must be determined specific to the intensity and duration of exercise.
The crossed swords sign: insights into the dilemma of repair in bileaflet mitral valve prolapse.

Background The need for bileaflet repair in bileaflet mitral valve prolapse (MVP) remains controversial. Will anterior leaflet prolapse resolve with posterior leaflet repair or should both leaflets be addressed? Single-leaflet MVP produces oppositely directed mitral regurgitant jets. Some patients show two crossed jets oppositely directed from the coaptation zone. We hypothesized that these indicate bileaflet lesions requiring complex repair. Methods Echocardiograms and surgical reports of 52 consecutive patients with MVP undergoing surgery were reviewed. Results First, all 14 patients with two oppositely directed jets had prolapse of more than one leaflet. Each jet was related to discrete leaflet distortions causing malcoaptation. Six underwent valve replacement. Seven had both leaflets repaired. One had posterior leaflet repair and annuloplasty, with persistent mitral regurgitation requiring valve replacement. Second, 36 of 38 patients with single jets had single-leaflet MVP. One underwent replacement; all others did well with single-leaflet repair. Two patients with bileaflet MVP but only one jet did well with single-leaflet repair or annuloplasty. Conclusion This crossed swords sign is an important clue to bileaflet mechanism of mitral regurgitation in MVP, associated with complex repair procedures. Thus, it provides a clue in the dilemma of bileaflet versus single-leaflet repair.
The Structure of Health Status Among Hispanic, African American, and White Older Adults

Activities of daily living (ADLs), instrumental ADLs, and disability markers have traditionally been the most common indicators of functional status. The study on Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old (AHEAD) is used to replicate a five-dimensional measurement model composed of these observable indicators among the older adult self-respondents. The items available to measure upper body disability were found wanting, but the lower body disability, and the basic, household, and advanced ADL constructs were confirmed. Analyses of the measurement model separately among subgroups of women, men, Hispanics, Mexican Americans, African Americans, and Whites found no meaningful differences. Two structural models linking the lower body disability, and the basic, household, and advanced ADL constructs to perceived health and depression were also replicated among the older adult self-respondents, as well as separately among African Americans and among Whites. These models reaffirmed the dominant role of lower body disability on the everyday activities of older adults, and on their perceived health and depression.
An update protocol for an OODB with integrity

Some of the implications of providing referential and general integrity are outlined. Different query execution strategies required to support such integrity are described. SIM (semantic information manager) is an object-based database management system that implements some of these strategies. The strategy implementation is described along with some optimizations that have been introduced into the system. Some unresolved issues are described with respect to integrity enforcement in object-oriented databases that support high-level languages. >
Recent Changes in State Policies and Legislation regarding Restraint or Seclusion

In this article, we describe and evaluate the extent to which recent changes to state-level policy are related to seclusion and restraint in schools and detail what components of comprehensive restraint and seclusion policy are indicated. We examined state policy documents and coded them for the presence of specific characteristics related to prevention of problem behavior, intervention, and reporting. Results indicate a clear consensus that restraint and seclusion procedures should be used only as a last resort in the case of emergency and not as a punitive measure. Additional policy trends include recommendations for the use of positive behavior supports and the use of deescalation strategies. Some debate exists about the use of time limits and limitations on specific techniques, such as prone restraints.
Human influence on the abundance and connectivity of high-risk fuels in mixed forests of northern Wisconsin, USA

Though fire is considered a “natural” disturbance, humans heavily influence modern wildfire regimes. Humans influence fires both directly, by igniting and suppressing fires, and indirectly, by either altering vegetation, climate, or both. We used the LANDIS disturbance and succession model to compare the relative importance of a direct human influence (suppression of low intensity surface fires) with an indirect human influence (timber harvest) on the long-term abundance and connectivity of high-risk fuel in a 2791 km2 landscape characterized by a mixture of northern hardwood and boreal tree species in northern Wisconsin. High risk fuels were defined as a combination of sites recently disturbed by wind and sites containing conifer species/cohorts that might serve as “ladder fuel” to carry a surface fire into the canopy. Two levels of surface fire suppression (high/current and low) and three harvest alternatives (no harvest, hardwood emphasis, and pine emphasis) were compared in a 2×3 factorial design using 5 replicated simulations per treatment combination over a 250-year period. Multivariate analysis of variance indicated that the landscape pattern of high-risk fuel (proportion of landscape, mean patch size, nearest neighbor distance, and juxtaposition with non fuel sites) was significantly influenced by both surface fire suppression and by forest harvest (p > 0.0001). However, the two human influences also interacted with each other (p < 0.001), because fire suppression was less likely to influence fuel connectivity when harvest disturbance was simultaneously applied. Temporal patterns observed for each of seven conifer species indicated that disturbances by either fire or harvest encouraged the establishment of moderately shade-tolerant conifer species by disturbing the dominant shade tolerant competitor, sugar maple. Our results conflict with commonly reported relationships between fire suppression and fire risk observed within the interior west of the United States, and illustrate the importance of understanding key interactions between natural disturbance, human disturbance, and successional responses to these disturbance types that will eventually dictate future fire risk.
A Family of microRNAs Encoded by Myosin Genes Governs Myosin Expression and Muscle Performance

Myosin is the primary regulator of muscle strength and contractility. Here we show that three myosin genes, Myh6, Myh7, and Myh7b, encode related intronic microRNAs (miRNAs), which, in turn, control muscle myosin content, myofiber identity, and muscle performance. Within the adult heart, the Myh6 gene, encoding a fast myosin, coexpresses miR-208a, which regulates the expression of two slow myosins and their intronic miRNAs, Myh7/miR-208b and Myh7b/miR-499, respectively. miR-208b and miR-499 play redundant roles in the specification of muscle fiber identity by activating slow and repressing fast myofiber gene programs. The actions of these miRNAs are mediated in part by a collection of transcriptional repressors of slow myofiber genes. These findings reveal that myosin genes not only encode the major contractile proteins of muscle, but act more broadly to influence muscle function by encoding a network of intronic miRNAs that control muscle gene expression and performance.
Assessing the Performance of Evapotranspiration Covers for Municipal Solid Waste Landfills in Northwestern Ohio

Evapotranspiration (ET) covers have gained considerable interest as an alternative to conventional covers for the final closure of municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills, but often produce higher rates of percolation in regions that receive more than 32 cmyear � 1 of precipitation. The goal of this project is to design ET covers for MSW landfills in northwestern Ohio (long-term annual rate of precipitation of 83 cmyear � 1 ) that produce rates of percolation < 32 cmyear � 1 , the rate considered acceptable by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA), and promote habitat restoration. To attain this goal, an adequate soil water-storage capacity was provided using dredged sediment amended with organic material. Two plant mixtures were tested to evaluate the performance of ET covers immediately following construction (immature plants seeded onto the soil) and in the future (mature plants transplanted from a restored tall-grass prairie that is more than 10 years old). ET covers were constructed in drainage lysimeters (1.52-m diameter, 1.52-m depth) and watered at a rate of 91.12 to 95:72 cmyear � 1 , which included simulated 100-year rain events (11.7 cm over 24 h) in July and October. During the 1-year monitoring period, the ET covers using the mature plant mixture produced considerably less percolation (0.12 to 11:44 cmyear � 1 ) than the covers with the immature plant mixture (6.71 to 24:16 cmyear � 1 ). Thus far, all ET covers have produced rates of percolation less than the maximum standard by the OEPA, and they will continue to be monitored. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)EE.1943-7870.0000326. © 2011 American Society of Civil Engineers. CE Database subject headings: Dredging; Sediment; Evapotranspiration; Ohio; Water balance; Municipal wastes; Landfills; Solid wastes.
A proxy based indirect routing scheme for ad hoc wireless networks

The majority of the existing ad hoc wireless network routing protocols has a tendency to use the shortest single path from the source to the destination. However, in constantly changing topologies such as those in mobile ad hoc networks, the shortest single path is quite unstable for reachability and also for traffic load equilibrium. In this paper, we propose a novel scheme, called Applicative Indirect Routing (AIR), to control network traffic congestion and refine the route availability by coping with unreliable links quickly. The proposed scheme, acting as a proactive routing protocol, utilizes additional information about the neighbors shared (defined as proxies) by the sender and receiver to find ondemand an alternative for the original path with unreliable links. The additional bandwidth usage in AIR to obtain the information about shared neighbors is so minimal that the bandwidth availability for data packets is not significantly affected. In our scheme, it is possible for the nodes to dynamically reroute incoming packets into alternative paths so the packets will reach their destinations even when the ideal routing path fails. The conducted simulation experiments show that AIR leads to a much improved system performance in terms of packet delivery ratio, average end-to-end packet delay, and network reliability as compared with a conventional proactive protocol, namely Destination-Sequenced Distance Vector (DSDV). AIR is also a competitive protocol in terms of packet delivery ratio as compared with two existing reactive protocols; namely Ad hoc On Demand Distance Vector (AODV) and Dynamic Source Routing (DSR).
Aggregate risk score for predicting mortality after surgical biopsy for interstitial lung disease

In order to develop a practical risk score for 90-day mortality following surgical lung biopsy (SLB) for interstitial lung disease (ILD) we reviewed 311 consecutive patients undergoing SLB for ILD between 2002 and 2009. Postoperative complication, 30-day and 90-day mortality rates were 11.5%, 9% and 10.6% respectively. Univariable and multivariable analyses, validated by bootstrap statistics, were used to identify factors associated with 90-day mortality. A scoring system was developed by proportionally weighting the regression coefficients of the significant predictors of 90-day mortality: age >67 (P 3 (86%); P<0.0001). SLB entails a considerable surgical risk with an overall 90-day mortality around 10%. We were able to develop a practical risk score which, if validated by other independent studies, can be easily used to stratify the risk of SLB candidates and assess the cost-effectiveness of this procedure.
To Lap or Not to Lap.

Experience at various institutions has shown staging laparotomy to be an important procedure to define a subset of patients who may be treated with radiation therapy alone. Available clinical tests without staging laparotomy understage patients in approximately one-third of the time. Since the majority of pathologic stage III patients are probably best treated with combination chemotherapy, initial treatment with radiation therapy without staging laparotomy may be suboptimal. The patients with clinical stage I and II Hodgkin’s disease who present for therapy should be treated with a regimen that maximizes the chances for cure the first time around. The group of patients which fails initial radiation therapy after clinical staging may experience toxicities of both full-dose radiation therapy and salvage chemotherapy without survival benefit. Staging laparotomy has acceptable morbidity, and it continues to provide crucial data for effective treatment planning. The Oncologist 1996;1:120-124
Irreversible paraben inhibition of glycolysis by Streptococcus mutans GS‐5

Parabens were found to inhibit irreversibly glycolysis by the cariogenic dental plaque bacterium Streptococcus mutans GS-5 and to decrease the capacity of the bacterium to lower the pH in dense cell suspensions containing excess glucose. The hierarchy of effectiveness was butyl > propyl > ethyl > methyl paraben. Results of studies of the nature of glycolytic inhibition by butyl paraben indicated that it could act at millimolar concentrations as an irreversible inhibitor of the phosphotransferase system for sugar uptake and was lethal for the bacterium at these same levels. Butyl paraben acted also as a reversible inhibitor of the F-ATPase of the organism. Overall, it appeared that the lethal actions of parabens can be interpreted at least in part as due to irreversible damage to key enzymes, such as those of the phosphotransferase system.
Amiodarone and risk of death in contemporary patients with atrial fibrillation: Findings from The Retrospective Evaluation and Assessment of Therapies in AF study

Background There are limited data on mortality outcomes associated with use of amiodarone in atrial fibrillation and flutter (AF). Methods We evaluated the association of amiodarone use with mortality in patients with newly diagnosed AF using complete data from the Department of Veterans Affairs national health care system. We included patients seen in an outpatient setting within 90 days of a new diagnosis for nonvalvular AF between Veterans Affairs fiscal years 2004 and 2008. Multivariate analysis and propensity-matched Cox proportional hazards regression were used to evaluate the association of amiodarone use to death. Results Of 122,465 patients (353,168 person-years of follow-up, age 72.1 ± 10.3 years, 98.4% males), amiodarone was prescribed in 11,655 (9.5%). Cumulative, unadjusted mortality rates were higher for amiodarone recipients than for nonrecipients (87 vs 73 per 1,000 person-years, P P = .51, and propensity-matched hazard ratio 1.02, 95% CI 0.97-1.07, P = .45). The hazard of death was not modified by age, sex, heart failure, kidney function, β-blocker use, or warfarin use, but there was evidence of effect modification among patients diagnosed with AF as an inpatient versus outpatient. Conclusion In a national health care system population of newly diagnosed AF, overall use of amiodarone as an early treatment strategy was not associated with mortality.
Is ATP required for K+ channel activation in Vicia guard cells ?

In vivo, K+ entry into guard cells via inward-rectifying K+ channels is indirectly driven by ATP via an H+-ATPase that hyperpolarizes the membrane potential. However, whether activation of the K+ channels of guard cells requires ATP remains unknown. In the present study, both whole-cell and single-channel patch-clamp techniques were used to address this question. Exogenous ATP, ADP, and adenosine-5[prime]-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) applied to the cytoplasm had no effect on whole-cell K+ currents of Vicia faba L. guard cells. Azide, an inhibitor of oxidative phosphorylation, also had no effect. However, an ATP-scavenging system, glucose plus hexokinase, inhibited whole-cell inward K+ currents by 30 to 40%. Single-channel results acquired from cytoplasm-free inside-out membrane patches showed definite activation of inward K+ channels by ATP. Other nucleotides, such as ADP, adenosine-5[prime]-O(3-thiotriphosphate), and GTP, did not increase channel activity in the membrane patches. Inward K+ channel activity in membrane patches preactivated by exogenous ATP was inhibited by glucose plus hexokinase. These results suggest that a low concentration of ATP is required for activation of the inward K+ channels of the guard-cell plasma membrane. The issue of how ATP as a signal regulates these K+ channels is discussed.
Industry and Country Effects in International Stock Returns

that international returns are predominantly driven by industry factors. Managers who believe that domestic market factors are more important for returns than industry factors decide on a country allocation first, then in the second stage select the most promising stocks from each country. This article presents a simple model to measure country and industry effects in international stock returns, and provides a quantitative framework for analyzing these two approaches to portfolio selection.' We show that there are three reasons for portfolio managers to pay more attention to the geographical than to the industrial composition of an international portfolio. Each of these reasons is based on the finding that country effects in international stock returns are larger than industry effects. First, tilting an international portfolio geographically leads, on average, to larger and more variable tracking errors than tilting the industrial composition of the portfolio. Second, stocks from the same domestic market but in different industries are closer substitutes than stocks from the same industry but in different countries. Finally, the benefits of international I
The worst North American drought year of the last millennium: 1934

During the summer of 1934, over 70% of western North America experienced extreme drought, placing this summer far outside the normal range of drought variability and making 1934 the single worst drought year of the last millennium. Strong atmospheric ridging along the West Coast suppressed cold season precipitation across the Northwest, Southwest, and California, a circulation pattern similar to the winters of 1976–1977 and 2013–2014. In the spring and summer, the drying spread to the Midwest and Central Plains, driven by severe precipitation deficits downwind from regions of major dust storm activity, consistent with previous work linking drying during the Dust Bowl to anthropogenic dust aerosol forcing. Despite a moderate La Nina, contributions from sea surface temperature forcing were small, suggesting that the anomalous 1934 drought was primarily a consequence of atmospheric variability, possibly amplified by dust forcing that intensified and spread the drought across nearly all of western North America.
Iterative Construction of Regular LDPC Codes from Independent Tree-Based Minimum Distance Bounds

An independent tree-based method for lower bounding the minimum distance of low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes is presented. This lower-bound is then used as the decision criterion during the iterative construction of regular LDPC codes. The new construction algorithm results in LDPC codes with greater girth and improved minimum-distance bounds when compared to regular LDPC codes constructed using the progressive edge-growth (PEG) construction and the approximate cycle extrinsic message degree (ACE)-constrained PEG construction. Simulation results of codes constructed with the new method show improved performance on the additive white Gaussian noise channel at moderate signal-to-noise ratios.
The Pathogenesis of Renal Osteodystrophy: Role of Vitamin D, Aluminium, Parathyroid Hormone, Calcium and Phosphorus

Biochemical data and bone histology from 44 haemodialysis patients was compared using an histologic technique capable of evaluating separately the individual components of osteodystrophy. Hyperparathyroid bone disease was diagnosed by an elevated osteoclast count, and in advanced disease there was also fibrosis and woven bone. Osteomalacia, defined as an impairment in the rate of bone mineralisation, was present in two distinct forms: osteomalacia type I, characterised by wide osteoid seams, and osteomalacia type II, characterised by extensive thin, inactive osteoid. The histologic diagnoses were hyperparathyroid bone disease (15), osteomalacia type I (3), osteomalacia type II (6), hyperparathyroid bone disease and osteomalacia type I (12), hyperparathyroid bone disease and osteomalacia type II (6), normal (2). Aluminium was evident histochemically in 17 biopsies. Vitamin D metabolite levels were low in most patients and did not correlate with any biochemical or histological parameter. Parathyroid hormone levels were highly correlated with histological features of hyperparathyroid bone disease, and also correlated with plasma calcium, suggesting a degree of autonomy of parathyroid hormone secretion. Urea and creatinine were higher in the hyperparathyroid bone disease than the osteomalacia groups suggesting that poor dialysis contributes to the former. Statistical analysis showed that osteomalacia type I was associated with relatively low plasma calcium and phosphorus levels; osteomalacia type II was associated with increased bone aluminium and with the uraemic process itself, as reflected in the plasma creatinine level. This study shows relationships between renal osteodystrophy and plasma calcium and phosphorus levels, but no relationship with vitamin D metabolites. Aluminium appears to impair mineralisation even at relatively low levels of accumulation. However there are other unidentified factors associated with the uraemic process, contributing to all three components of renal osteodystrophy.
Matrix metalloproteinase 1 interacts with neuronal integrins and stimulates dephosphorylation of Akt.

Several studies have demonstrated that matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are cytotoxic. The responsible mechanisms, however, are not well understood. MMPs may promote cytotoxicity through their ability to disrupt or degrade matrix proteins that support cell survival, and MMPs may also cleave substrates to generate molecules that stimulate cell death. In addition, MMPs may themselves act on cell surface receptors that affect cell survival. Among such receptors is the α2β1 integrin, a complex that has previously been linked to leukocyte death. In the present study we show that human neurons express α2β1 and that pro-MMP-1 interacts with this integrin complex. We also show that stimulation of neuronal cultures with MMP-1 is associated with a rapid reduction in the phosphorylation of Akt, a kinase that can influence caspase activity and cell survival. Moreover, MMP-1-associated dephosphorylation of Akt is inhibited by a blocking antibody to the α2 integrin, but not by batimastat, an inhibitor of MMP-1 enzymatic activity. Such dephosphorylation is also stimulated by a catalytic mutant of pro-MMP-1. Additional studies show that MMP-1 causes neuronal death, which is significantly diminished by both a general caspase inhibitor and anti-α2 but not by batimastat. Together, these results suggest that MMP-1 can stimulate dephosphorylation of Akt and neuronal death through a non-proteolytic mechanism that involves changes in integrin signaling.
One Step Forward, Two Steps Back? The Institutional Structure of U.S. Financial Services Regulation after the Crisis of 2008

This book chapter provides an overview of the key changes in the structure of U.S. financial services regulation in the wake of the global financial crisis of 2008. The crisis exposed numerous weaknesses in the U.S. system of regulatory oversight of the country’s rapidly growing and complex financial services sector. In response, the U.S. Congress adopted the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the Dodd-Frank Act), a wide-ranging reform statute that explicitly pursues the objective of systemic risk mitigation. Among other things, this large-scale reform effort involved a rearrangement of the federal administrative apparatus in charge of overseeing the U.S. financial services sector. At this stage in the implementation of the Dodd-Frank regime, it is difficult to predict how successful the new financial regulatory structure will be in safeguarding systemic financial stability in the long run. Without claiming to offer any definitive judgments, this chapter draws some preliminary assessments of the Dodd-Frank Act as a major milestone on the path of financial regulation reform in the United States. Placing the discussion of this latest agency restructuring in its broader historical, institutional, and intellectual context is particularly instructive. Against that broader backdrop, the Dodd-Frank Act can be viewed, somewhat paradoxically, both as an important advance and as a regrettable retrenchment on the road toward a better regulatory system.
The Automatic Reporting of Lawyer Misconduct to Disciplinary Authorities: Filling the Reporting Gap

An effective lawyer disciplinary system is essential to the protection of clients, third parties, and the profession as a whole. The present system, however — which relies primarily on complaints filed by lawyers, judges, and clients — often fails to capture misconduct, which, either standing alone or as part of a larger pattern of misconduct, warrants disciplinary attention by sanction or through remedial training. A robust automatic reporting regime, triggered by the occurrence of identifiable acts, would help fill this reporting gap. The system I envision places reporting duties on third parties providing services to lawyers, the courts, and individual lawyers already convicted of a crime or sanctioned for unethical conduct. Some of these duties, like overdraft notification by banks or self-reporting by lawyers, are already well established, although not universally so. Others, like imposing a reporting duty on malpractice insurers or courts, have not been adopted widely. None have been systematically studied. Each of these devices has its own costs, benefits, and unintended consequences. Each can be implemented in a variety of ways. This Article catalogs and critiques those costs, benefits, and consequences, and provides recommendations for the implementation of these devices.
The Design, Fabrication, and Evaluation of Millimeter Wave Lenses for Beamed Energy Applications

Beamed energy methods have the potential to open doors to improved space-based energy transfer systems. The sheer diversity and quantity of both proven and theoretical beamed energy applications provide ample reason to research methods by which they can be improved. Sufficient transmission efficiency can lead to the creation of links along which collected or generated energy can be transmitted to benefit the receiving system. While ground-based facilities will likely possess sufficient acreage to create a system using hundreds of large parabolic reflectors, satellites do not possess such a luxury. This study seeks to show another way in which the propagation of electromagnetic energy in the millimeter wave range can be improved. Three metal lenses were designed using the optical properties of electromagnetic waves, fabricated with aluminum sheet metal, and tested inside an anechoic chamber to quantify their effects upon a propagating beam of microwave energy. Radial data sweeps taken at different distances show a consistent improvement in energy beam propagation in the boresight direction. Up to 70% higher normalized power values were achieved at increasing distances from the source accompanying an expected decrease in beamwidth thereby showing the lenses’ successful focusing of electromagnetic energy in free space. These results have the potential to aid in the creation of an improved beamed energy system concept, particularly when the transmitting constituent is not ground-based.
PRELIMINARY STUDY OF JET FUEL DROPLET COMBUSTION IN MICROGRAVITY

Combustion of stationary JP8 and JP8+100 fuel droplets was studied in a low convection environment. The goal was to promote spherical symmetry in the burning process and to thereby obtain fundamental information on soot structure, burning rate, and evolution of droplet, soot and flame diameters. Spherical droplet flames are an ideal configuration for this purpose because of the one-dimensional droplet burning process it promotes. JP8 and JP8+100 were selected because of their great commercial interest and the fact that little fundamental knowledge is available on their combustion performance, especially for JP8+100. Droplets with initial diameters between 0.44mm to 0.49mm were ignited both in air and in a mixture of 30% oxygen and 70% helium at room temperature to compare results in a nonsooting ambience. Some preliminary experimental results were also obtained at elevated pressure in the helium mixture. High speed 16mm cine photography was the primary diagnostic: color film was used to record the flame structure, and black and white film was used to visualize soot and droplet images. Some data for pure nonane are also included for comparison. At 1atm, significant droplet heating and sooting was found for both JP8 and JP8+100 in air. The ‘+100’ additive influenced only the sooting characteristic as revealed with particularly intense backlighting. As expected, burning in the helium mixture showed much less sooting, and at 3atm in helium significant soot formation returned which indicated a dominant effect of pressure over flame temperature. Droplet burning progressions were nonlinear giving time-dependent burning rates. A scaling relationship was developed that allowed droplet, flame and soot shell diameter data to be presented onto a single curve in a power-law relationship with a scaled time. NOMENCLATURE
Horrible Heroes: Liberating Alternative Visions of Disability in Horror

Understanding disability requires understanding its social construction, and social construction can be read in cultural products. In this essay, I look to one major locus for images of persons with disabilities—horror. Horror films and fiction use disability imagery to create and augment horror. I first situate my understanding of disability imagery in the horror genre using a case study read through the work of Julia Kristeva. But, I go on to argue that trademark moves in the horror genre, which typically support ableist assumptions, can be used to subvert ableism and open space for alternative social and political thinking about disability. I point to the work of Tim Burton and Stephen King to demonstrate these possibilities in horror.
Epigenetic Modulation of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Differentiation to Oligodendrocytes

Pluripotent stem cells provide an invaluable tool for generating human, disease-relevant cells. Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system, characterized by myelin damage. Oligodendrocytes are the myelinating cells of the central nervous system (CNS); they differentiate from progenitor cells, and their membranes ensheath axons, providing trophic support and allowing fast conduction velocity. The current understanding of oligodendrocyte biology was founded by rodent studies, where the establishment of repressive epigenetic marks on histone proteins, followed by activation of myelin genes, leads to lineage progression. To assess whether this epigenetic regulation is conserved across species, we differentiated human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells to oligodendrocytes and asked whether similar histone marks and relative enzymatic activities could be detected. The transcriptional levels of enzymes responsible for methylation and acetylation of histone marks were analyzed during oligodendrocyte differentiation, and the post-translational modifications on histones were detected using immunofluorescence. These studies showed that also in human cells, differentiation along the oligodendrocyte lineage is characterized by the acquisition of multiple repressive histone marks, including deacetylation of lysine residues on histone H3 and trimethylation of residues K9 and K27. These data suggest that the epigenetic modulation of oligodendrocyte identity is highly conserved across species.
High Fidelity Quasi Steady-State Aerodynamic Model Effects on Race Vehicle Performance Predictions Using Multi-Body Simulation

ABSTRACTWe described in this paper the development of a high fidelity vehicle aerodynamic model to fit wind tunnel test data over a wide range of vehicle orientations. We also present a comparison between the effects of this proposed model and a conventional quasi steady-state aerodynamic model on race vehicle simulation results. This is done by implementing both of these models independently in multi-body quasi steady-state simulations to determine the effects of the high fidelity aerodynamic model on race vehicle performance metrics. The quasi steady state vehicle simulation is developed with a multi-body NASCAR Truck vehicle model, and simulations are conducted for three different types of NASCAR race tracks, a short track, a one and a half mile intermediate track, and a higher speed, two mile intermediate race track. For each track simulation, the effects of the aerodynamic model on handling, maximum corner speed, and drive force metrics are analysed. The accuracy of the high-fidelity model is shown t...
Surgical Treatment of Anomalous Origin of One Pulmonary Artery from Ascending Aorta

Objective To explore the surgical treatment of anomalous origin of one pulmonary artery from ascending aorta(AOPA).Methods From May.2006 to Aug.2008,8 children with AOPA aged from 1 to 96 months and weighted from 4 to 24 kg,accepted surgical repair in Beijing Children′s Hospital.Seven of them was right pulmonary artery abnormal origin with patent ductus arteriosus and pulmonary hypertension,in which 4 cases had acleistocardia.One case was left pulmonary origin from ascending aorta and tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary atresia.All cases were confirmed by enhanced CT.Surgery was performed by direct anastomosis under cardiopumonary bypass(CPB) except one case who accepted central shunt with 7 mm Goretex tube because of diminutive pulmonary arteries.Results There were no operative death.Re-echocardiography after 1 month leaving hospital showed that mean flow speed of anastomosis was(1.71±0.24) m/s,mean gra-dient(1.60±0.45) kPa,without any pulmonary stenosis.Conclusions AOPA can have a good result if receiving early diagnosis and treatment.But it still need long time to appraise.
THE ACJD AND BASE PROPERTIES OF LEAN RIVER SEDIMENT AND THEIR INFLUENCE, ON THE RELEASE OF HEAVY METALS CONTAINED IN SEDIMENT SAMPLES

The release of sediment-bound heavy metals has significant influence on the metal toxicity to aquatic life. Generally speaking, the variations of pH is one of the most important factors that affect the mobility of sediment-bound metals. In this research, we determined the metal release potential from Lean river sediment through the metal rer lease batch experiments. It have been found that the in-place Cu,Pb,Zn,Cd and As concentrations of the Lean river sediments are much higher than the normal background values along the whole river but Ni is not elevated. As should arouse further investigation. There would be the risk of second pollution in the way of mobilization of bound metals to the overlying water. The order of the metal release ratio in terms of pH dependencies is ZnCuCd,Pb.