cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
HD-Zip proteins: members of an Arabidopsis homeodomain protein superfamily.

Abstract Homeobox genes encode a large family of homeodomain proteins in animal systems. To test whether such genes are also abundant in higher plants, degenerate oligonucleotides complementary to sequences encoding the recognition helix (helix three) of the homeodomain were used to screen genomic and cDNA libraries from the plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Analysis of 8 of the 41 cDNAs isolated revealed that each encodes a presumptive homeodomain; interestingly, most of these clones also contain a leucine zipper motif tightly linked to the homeodomain. It is concluded that Arabidopsis encodes a large family of homeodomain proteins, including members that contain a homeodomain/leucine-zipper (HD-Zip) motif.
Interrelationships among subject variables believed to predict cerebral organization.

Abstract A variety of subject variables have been proposed as having predictive value for determining cerebral organization. Subject variables proposed as likely candidates include strength of handedness, familial sinistrality, writing posture, and sex. The present study examined the interrelationships among these variables by means of a questionnaire given to 847 undergraduates.
Neurocognitive outcomes after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been a therapy of last resort for the treatment of severe cardiorespiratory failure since the 1970s [1]. In recent years, ECMO has seen a resurgence in its use in adults. Recent work examining rates of ECMO use in the US adult population, using Nationwide Inpatient Sample data, quotes an increase in use of 433% from 2006 to 2011 [2]. While much research has focused on neurologic injury after cardiac surgery and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), the effects of ECMO on neurocognitive function are less well described. This review aims to summarize recent findings as they pertain to pathophysiology, monitoring techniques, prevention, therapy, and emerging experimental concepts in the context of ECMO for adult patients. Given that neurocognitive outcomes after cardiac surgery have been recently reviewed [3,4], we will limit the discussion of findings from the cardiac surgery/CPB literature to those especially relevant for ECMO.
Multitude: War and Democracy in the Age of Empire

Multitude: War and Democracy in the Age of Empire. Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri. 2004. New York. Penguin Books. 448 pages. ISBN: 0143035592 (paper).
Separating Fact From Factitious Hemoptysis: A Case Report

A 61-year-old man with a history of testicular carcinoma and more recently diagnosed metastatic renal cell carcinoma was admitted because of recurrent submassive hemoptysis as evidenced by bright red blood in his bedside basin. Despite an exhaustive workup, including multiple invasive procedures, no cause of the bleeding was found. The diagnosis was Munchausen syndrome manifested as factitious hemoptysis via unusual and modern means. The case is a reminder to all members of the critical care team, from nurses to physicians: When dealing with the frustration of a recurrent problem with no clear answer, remain vigilant and remember the age-old advice to look at the patient… and trust your gut.
An optimal control approach to the design of stacked‐ply composite flywheels

This paper presents a novel approach to the design of composite flywheels. Specifically, the paper determines the optimal orientation of fibers in a stacked ply composite disk arrangement. The equations of equilibrium represent the state equations for the system. Classical lamination theory is used to develop the constitutive relations for the composite disk. This allows the orientation of the fibers in the reinforcement ply to be treated as the control variable for the problem. The Tsai‐Wu criterion, which is used to predict failure of the flywheel, is taken as the performance index. Solutions to the optimal control problem yield disk designs that provide energy densities that are 13 percent greater than a benchmark design.
Preserving renal function in liver transplant recipients with rabbit anti‐thymocyte globulin and delayed initiation of calcineurin inhibitors

Early renal dysfunction following liver transplantation is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. To evaluate the impact of delayed initiation of calcineurin inhibitor on renal function, we conducted a retrospective study comparing 118 liver transplant recipients who received rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin and delayed initiation of calcineurin inhibitor with 80 liver transplant recipients who received no antibody and early initiation of calcineurin inhibitor (control group). All patients received mycophenolate mofetil and steroids. Delayed calcineurin inhibitor initiation with anti-thymocyte globulin was associated with significant improvement in renal function throughout the first year post-transplant. At 12 months post-transplant, patients treated with this regimen experienced lower serum creatinine (1.4 +/- 0.5 versus 1.7 +/- 0.5 mg/dL, P < 0.001), a higher estimated glomerular filtration rate (57.4 +/- 20.5 versus 43.7 +/- 14.4 mL/min/1.73 m(2), P < 0.001), and less dependence on dialysis (0.8% versus 13%, P < 0.001) in comparison with no antibody and early calcineurin inhibitor initiation. Patient survival and graft survival were similar between groups; however, there was a trend of a lower incidence of early biopsy-proven acute rejection with anti-thymocyte globulin. Overall infection and cytomegalovirus infection were significantly lower in anti-thymocyte globulin-treated patients, and there was no increased incidence of hepatitis C recurrence in comparison with controls. In conclusion, delayed initiation of calcineurin inhibitor with anti-thymocyte globulin in liver transplant recipients is safe and is associated with improvements in renal function and a lower incidence of early acute rejection in comparison with no antibody and early initiation of calcineurin inhibitor.
A ca. 800-Year Lithologic Record of Drought from Sub-annually Laminated Lake Sediment, East Java

Lithostratigraphic analyses of a sub-annually laminated core from Ranu Lamongan, a maar lake on the island of Java, document considerable changes in the lake’s chemistry and water balance over the past ca. 800 calendar years. Composition of the dark (clastics) and light (diatoms and/or calcium carbonate minerals) couplets suggests that these laminations form in response to seasonal changes in rainfall and water-column overturn in the lake. Calcium carbonate is not continuous in the core, and when it occurs it varies, sometimes abruptly, in carbonate phase and elemental composition (low Mg-calcite Mg-calcite, and aragonite). A significant correlation between Mg/Ca changes and δ18O variations in authigenic calcium carbonate suggest the basin is highly sensitive to hydrologic variation. Lithologic data suggest calcium carbonate precipitates and thus records hydrologic conditions during the dry season – a season in which rainfall anomalies are highly correlated with the phase of ENSO. Our carbonate-based record of Mg/Ca shows variability in evaporative concentration on a quasi-seasonal frequency for the past ca. 800 years. Our record shows two multi-decadal periods of drought – ca. 1275–1325 and ca. 1450–1650 CE – the latter of which was especially strong and/or prolonged. Our record also shows a possible change in drought frequency at around 1650 CE, in which periods of calcium carbonate precipitation and Mg/Ca change shifted from multi-decadal to interannual variability. Given the strong correlations between modern-day drought in East Java and ENSO variability, our drought record may indicate a regime shift in the behavior of the ENSO system about 350 years ago. Finally, comparisons between our record and others suggest that variation in ENSO on centennial and sub-centennial scales is not strongly associated with changes in the global mean climate state.
Amelioration of sexual adverse effects in the early breast cancer patient

Background As the number of breast cancer survivors increases, the long term consequences of breast cancer treatment are gaining attention. Sexual dysfunction is a common complaint amongst breast cancer survivors, and there are few evidence based recommendations and even fewer well designed clinical trials to establish what treatments are safe or effective in this patient population.
Aqueous humor dynamics in the enucleated deer eye

Abstract 1. 1. Facility of outflow of aqueous humor was determined in ten deer (Odocoileus virginianus) eyes enucleated within 1 hr post-mortem. 2. 2. Although both outflow facility and anterior chamber volume were much greater than values reported in the literature for a variety of other species, calculated values for aqueous humor turnover were within the reported range for other animals as well as for man. 3. 3. These results strengthen the hypothesis that the rate of turnover of aqueous humor is quite similar in eyes of vastly differing dimensions.
Popular Upheaval and Capitalist Transformation in Argentina

In March 1997, as summer was ending, Argentina exploded in a bout of social conflict and popular upheaval that was unexpected to the average observer and lasted until October. Throughout those six months there were riots in townships such as Cutral Co and Plaza Huincul in Patagonia, Tartagal and Jujuy in the Northwest, and La Plata and Buenos Aires on the coast. National highways were blockaded by pickets, students demonstrated and confronted the police, workers and farmers went on strike, and the Colla community in Salta besieged a huge tract of land bought by a U.S. corporation. Incredibly, while all of this was going on, the flow of foreign capital into Argentina was at a record high, and President Carlos Menem spent more time traveling than dealing with social unrest. It was emblematic that, visiting Argentina in October 1997, U.S. President Bill Clinton praised the Menem administration while, outside, police went on a rampage beating up demonstrators and onlookers alike. The contradiction is too flagrant to be ignored. Socially Argentina has all the characteristics of an unsafe haven for any kind of investment (whether productive or speculative), and yet it continues to grow. In a transnationalized world, local or even regional social upheaval seems to have little impact on government and investment policy. However, the uprisings such as those of Cutral Co and Tartagal had an effect on the popular imagination and on the left, which felt reinvigorated. Each new conflict helped to set off others. Innovations in modes of struggle spread from one to the next, suggesting both informal networks of communication and a willingness to confront neoconservative state policies. Over the past decade social scientists and political analysts have suggested that Argentina's working classes had undergone a process of fragmentation as a result of both the 1976-1983 dictatorship and the neoconservative policies of the Menem government. In addition, social disorganization had
Predicted Changes in Interannual Water-Level Fluctuations Due to Climate Change and Its Implications for the Vegetation of the Florida Everglades

The number of dominant vegetation types (wet prairies, sawgrass flats, ridges and sloughs, sloughs, and tree islands) historically and currently found in the Everglades, FL, USA, as with other wetlands with standing water, appears to be primarily a function of the magnitude of interannual water-level fluctuations. Analyses of 40 years of water-depth data were used to estimate the magnitude of contemporary (baseline) water-level fluctuations in undisturbed ridge and slough landscapes. Baseline interannual water-level fluctuations above the soil surface were at least 1.5 m. Predicted changes in interannual water-level fluctuations in 2060 were examined for seven climate change scenarios. When rainfall is predicted to increase by 10 %, the wettest scenario, the interannual range of water-level fluctuation increases to 1.8 m above the soil surface in sloughs. When rainfall is predicted to decrease by 10 % and temperatures to increase by 1.5 °C, the driest scenario, the range of interannual range of water-level fluctuations is predicted to decrease to 1.2 m above the soil surface in sloughs. A change of 25–30 cm in interannual water-level fluctuations is needed to change the number of vegetation types in a wetland. This suggests that the two most extreme climate change scenarios could have a significant impact on the overall structure of wetland vegetation, i.e., the number of vegetation types or zones, found in the Everglades.
Extended solubility in the electrodeposited nanocrystalline Al–Mg alloy dendrites

Abstract Nanocrystalline, supersaturated and metastable Al–Mg dendrites with stacks of smooth and rough globules were produced through electrodeposition. Rough globules always formed over the smooth ones. The smooth globules possessed face centered cubic (fcc)-Al(Mg) phase with ~ 20 at.% Mg. The rough globules contained ~ 80 at.% Mg and corresponded to hexagonal close packed (hcp)-Mg(Al) phase. Across the smooth-rough boundary a drastic jump in the composition from ~ 20 to ~ 80 at.% Mg was observed in nanometer scale. The metastable equilibrium between the supersaturated fcc and hcp phases was explained using the estimated free energy change-composition (ΔG–x) curves.
Towards petascale simulation of atmospheric circulations with soundproof equations

This paper highlights progress with the development of a petascale implementation of general-purpose high-resolution (nonoscillatory) hydrodynamical simulation code EULAG [Prusa et al. 2008, Comput. Fluids 37, 1193]. The applications addressed are anelastic atmospheric flows in the range of scales from micro to planetary. The new modeldomain decomposition into a three dimensional processor array has been implemented to increase model performance and scalability. The performance of the new code is demonstrated on the IBM BlueGene/L and Cray XT4/XT5 supercomputers. The results show significant improvement of the model efficacy compared to the original decomposition into a two-dimensional processor array in the horizontal — a standard in meteorological models.
Chemisorption-induced surface umklapp processes in angle-resolved synchrotron photoemission from W(001)

Angle-resolved photoemission, using synchrotron radiation, from the chemisorption system W(001)+H shows a very large doublet of peaks at initial energies -1.3 and -0.6 eV for quarter-monolayer coverage which disappear at higher coverage. The emission lobes are strongly peaked in the azimuths and are attributed to essentially pure bulk W transitions. The electrons are emitted in the new directions through the influence of ''extra'' surface reciprocal lattice vectors associated with the hydrogen C (2x2) superstructure. (AIP)
Aerosol deposition in health and disease.

Abstract The success of inhalation therapy is not only dependent upon the pharmacology of the drugs being inhaled but also upon the site and extent of deposition in the respiratory tract. This article reviews the main mechanisms affecting the transport and deposition of inhaled aerosol in the human lung. Aerosol deposition in both the healthy and diseased lung is described mainly based on the results of human studies using nonimaging techniques. This is followed by a discussion of the effect of flow regime on aerosol deposition. Finally, the link between therapeutic effects of inhaled drugs and their deposition pattern is briefly addressed. Data show that total lung deposition is a poor predictor of clinical outcome, and that regional deposition needs to be assessed to predict therapeutic effectiveness. Indeed, spatial distribution of deposited particles and, as a consequence, drug efficiency is strongly affected by particle size. Large particles (>6 μm) tend to mainly deposit in the upper airway, limitin...
Fleeting foreskins: the misclassification of male circumcision status.

Background: Errors in the classification of male circumcision status could bias studies linking infection to lack of circumcision. Goal: To determine the frequency and factors associated with the reproducibility of reporting circumcision status. Study Design: Secondary analysis of data using logistic regression modeling from a multicenter randomized controlled trial was performed. Results: At follow-up assessment, 15.6% of clinician reports on circumcision status disagreed with baseline reports. Disagreement was more common if both clinicians were women than if both were men (odds ratio [OR], 2.8; 95% CI, 1.9-4.1). As compared with whites reported as circumcised (4%, 19/532 visits), the highest disagreement involved uncircumcised Hispanic (OR, 3.3; 95% CI, 1.7-6.3), white (OR, 12.2; 95% CI, 5.8-25.6), or black (OR, 17.1; 95% CI, 10.4-27.9) men. Conclusions: This is one study among a small number of studies examining the reproducibility of clinician-reported circumcision status by comparing multiple clinical examinations of the same patient. The magnitude of the misclassification discovered could bias results and indicates the need for greater accuracy in reporting circumcision status in future studies.
A Political Ecology of “Water in Mind”: Attributing Perceptions in the Era of Global Climate Change

AbstractThis article explores how researchers can apply social science methods and theoretical frames to capture how place-based communities are perceiving and responding to the immediate effects of global climate change. The study focuses on research with Viliui Sakha—native horse and cattle breeders of northeastern Siberia, Russia, who are increasingly challenged by one of global climate change’s most prevalent effects: altered water regimes. By applying the theoretical framework of political ecology, the article shows how researchers can better understand how affected peoples have, in this case, “water in mind” via their histories, cosmologies, and management practices of water. Such awareness can inform research activities and findings, facilitate effective adaptation, and, ultimately, affect policy. Given the widespread emphasis on adaptation, including the urgent need for, increasing interest in, and funding support for transdisciplinary research projects on adaptation, and the facilitative role res...
When to go FISHing.

The myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs) represent a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by bone marrow failure, pancytopenia, and an increased risk of transformation to acute myeloid leukemia (AML).1 The diagnosis and classification of MDSs are based predominantly on the morphologic features of aspirated bone marrow cells. Diagnostic criteria include the fraction of aspirate cellularity consisting of blasts (range, 0%–19%) and, more subjectively, the presence of dysplasia in greater than 10% of cells in one or more of the myeloid lineages. Dysplasia may take the form of a dimorphic RBC population that often includes macrocytes and ringed sideroblasts, misshapen nuclei in cells of any of the myeloid lineages, and abnormal cytoplasmic granules in neutrophils and other granulocytes. Dysplasia is nonspecific for MDS because dysmorphic cells may also be observed in the setting of nutrient deficiencies (eg, vitamin B12, folic acid, and copper), viral infections, and recent treatment with myelotoxic drugs or growth factors.2 Certain forms of dysplasia are also cardinal features of a variety of inherited disorders, such as congenital dyserythropoietic anemias. Conversely, dysplasia in some cases of MDS is quite subtle and undetectable. In such cases, particularly those associated with a normal blast count, the diagnosis of MDS can be challenging. In this setting, detection of an acquired clonal cytogenetic abnormality is a very helpful diagnostic finding; indeed, some MDS cases associated with minimal dysplasia are only diagnosed with confidence in conjunction with cytogenetic findings. Thus, cytogenetic assessment is a critical aspect of the workup of suspected MDS.1 Overall, cytogenetic …
Depressor effect of diabetes in spontaneously hypertensive rat: role of vascular reactivity and prolyl hydroxylase and lysyl oxidase activities.

Abstract Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes (8 weeks) produced a marked depressor effect in the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR), confirming earlier studies, but had no effect on arterial pressure of normotensive controls (WKY). We investigated the phenomenon further by examining the effects of diabetes on the activities of aortic prolyl hydroxylase (PH) and lysyl oxidase (LO), marker enzymes for isolated mesenteric arteries to vasoactive agents. isolated mesenteric arteries to vasoactive agents. PH and LO activities of nondiabetic SHR were greater than those of the WKY controls. Diabetes markedly reduced PH and LO activities of SHR aortae, but had no significant effect on PH and LO activities of the WKY strain. The effects of diabetes on vascular collagen biosynthetic enzymes of SHR were not associated with reductions in mesenteric arterial responsiveness or sensitivity to norepinephrine, methoxamine, serotonin or KCl. These results suggest that the depressor effect of diabetes in SHR is associated with a reduction in vascular collagen biosynthesis but not a reduction in vascular reactivity.
Sexual Selection, Ontogenetic Acceleration, and Hypermorphosis Generates Male Trimorphism in Wellington Tree Weta

Strong sex-specific selection on traits common to both sexes typically results in sexual dimorphism. Here we find that Wellington tree weta (Hemideina crassidens) are sexually dimorphic in both head shape and size due to differential selection pressures on the sexes: males use their heads in male-male combat and feeding whereas females use theirs for feeding only. Remarkably, the sexes share a common ontogenetic trajectory with respect to head growth. Male head shape allometry is an extension of the female’s trajectory despite maturing two instars earlier, a feat achieved through ontogenetic acceleration and hypermorphosis. Strong sexual selection also favours the evolution of alternative reproductive strategies in which some males produce morphologically different weapons. Wild-caught male H. crassidens are trimorphic with regard to weapon size, a rare phenomenon in nature, and weapon shape is related to each morph’s putative mating strategy.
Parallel Heterogeneous Integration of Chip-Scale Parts by Self-Assembly

This letter reports a novel methodology for the orientation-specific parallel heterogeneous integration of parts of various sizes. Assembly sites are designed to only attract specific parts from an unsorted pool using the combined effect of Faraday waves and magnetic forces, achieving one-to-one part-to-site registration. We demonstrate the assembly of two types of thin parts (2000 × 2000 × 100 and 4000 × 4000 × 100 μm3) onto the same substrate through a one-step process. Statistical analysis of the distributions of magnetic forces delimits the suitable range for the strength of Faraday waves to fix nonoptimal initial placements and orientations.
Some Rigorous Results for the Greenberg-Hastings Model

In this paper, we obtain some rigorous results for a cellular automaton known as the Greenberg-Hastings Model. The state space is {0, 1, 2} zd. The dynamics are deterministic and discrete time. A site which is 1 changes to 2, a site which is 2 changes to 0, and a site which is 0 changes to a 1 if one of its 2d neighbors is a 1. In one dimension, we compute the exact asymptotic rate at which the system dies out when started at random and compute the topological entropy. In two or more dimensions we show that starting from a nontrivial product measure, the limit exists as 3m~ m and is Bernoulli shift. Finally, we investigate the behavior of the system on a large finite box.
IDENTIFICATION OF CAMPESTERYL PALMITATE AND SITOSTERYL PALMITATE IN WHEAT FLOUR

This study shows that both campesteryl palmitate and Sitosteryl palmitate are present in wheat flour. These two saturated steryl esters, which appeared as one spot by thin-layer chromatography, were identified as the palmitates of campesterol and sitosterol by gas-liquid chrmoatography and infrared studies. Campesteryl palmitate and sitosteryl palmitate were present in proportions of about 1 to 5 in wheat flour in amounts of 0.0043 and 0.021%, respectively.
The role of cyclic hardening in crack nucleation at high strain amplitude

Abstract Statistical and phenomenological experiments on polycrystalline copper have been carried out in order to check the role of cyclic hardening in crack nucleation at high strain amplitudes. Achievement of saturation was found to be not as important for crack nucleation at high strain amplitudes as at low amplitudes, although the topographical changes which occurred during saturation were found to be more pronounced than those which occurred during the same number of cycles in rapid hardening. It is concluded that strain incompatibility is most responsible for the crack nucleation process in high strain fatigue, irrespective of the state of hardening.
Manipulation of Situational Favorability in Tests of the Contingency Model

Summary Two experimental studies were performed which directly manipulated the situational favorability for the group leader by controlled interference with his ability to communicate with his group. In the first experiment subjects were industrial supervisors; in the second, university students. Evidence indicated that the experimental manipulation was seen as influencing situational favorability. Results obtained provide a measure of support for the contingency model of leadership effectiveness. Experiment 2 utilized an anagram game in which it was possible to parcel out variance resulting from the task-relevant ability of group members.
Cholelithiasis and acute cholecystitis

Although much is still to be learned about the pathogenesis of cholelithiasis, recent investigations have greatly advanced our knowledge regarding the mechanisms of cholesterol supersaturation and nucleation. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has lessened the usual peri-operative morbidity of cholecystectomy, but is associated with a higher bile duct injury rate. Acute cholecystitis, the commonest complication of cholelithiasis, is a chemical inflammation usually requiring cystic duct obstruction and supersaturated bile. The treatment of this condition in the laparoscopic era is controversial. Early operation may lessen hospital stay but an increased risk of biliary injury has been reported.
Patterning and processes: how stomatal development defines physiological potential

Stomata present an excellent opportunity for connecting scientific disciplines: they are governed by complex genetic controls and unique cell biology, while also possessing a large influence over plant productivity and relationships with the environment. For this reason, stomata have engaged scientists for many centuries and continue to be a central interest for many fields of research. Recent technological advances have enabled interdisciplinary studies of stomata that were previously out of reach, and as a result, we are beginning to realize new insights about stomatal biology that place them at the intersection of our changing world. This review is intended to describe these interdisciplinary connections, discuss the relevant scales at which they are having an influence, and highlight ways we can capitalize on such novel approaches. While we incorporate knowledge about molecular advances, this is not intended to be an extensive review of that field, but rather, we focus on how those systems inform plant physiology and are connected to global scales.
Mammography screening matters for young women with breast carcinoma: evidence of downstaging among 42-49-year-old women with a history of previous mammography screening.

BACKGROUND Breast carcinoma is the leading cause of death for women between the ages of 40 and 49 years, yet questions linger regarding the effectiveness of screening mammography in reducing mortality rates among women of this age. In the current study, the authors report on the association between cancer stage at diagnosis and a history of mammography screening in a clinical setting that has emphasized informed choice regarding mammography screening for women in this age group. METHODS Previous mammographic screening for 247 breast cancer patients 42–49 years of age who were diagnosed at Kaiser Permanente Colorado during 1994–2000 was evaluated relative to cancer stage. Cancer stage was dichotomized into early (American Joint Committee on Cancer [AJCC] Stages 0 and I) and late (AJCC Stages II–IV) and previous screening was defined as at least one normal screening mammogram within 24 months before the breast carcinoma diagnosis. RESULTS Women who were screened were less likely to be diagnosed at a late stage than were women who were not screened (40% vs. 52% late stage, respectively). Adjusted for age, year of diagnosis, and family history, screened women were 0.56 (95% confidence interval = 0.32–0.97) times as likely as unscreened women to be diagnosed at a late stage. CONCLUSIONS Women 42–49 of years with breast carcinoma who undergo regular screening mammography have a more favorable cancer stage than do women with breast carcinoma who do not undergo regular screening. This downstaging of breast carcinoma is likely to translate into improved breast carcinoma survival resulting from screening mammography for women 40–49 years of age. Cancer 2003;97:352–8. © 2003 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.11050
Tar and CO2 removal from simulated producer gas with activated carbon and charcoal

Abstract Steam gasification of biomass produces gases such as CO, CO 2 , H 2 , CH 4 , H 2 O, C 2 –C 5 hydrocarbons, tars (aromatic hydrocarbons), NH 3 , HCN, and H 2 S, which are commonly known as producer gas. To produce liquid fuel, CO 2 and tars have to be removed from the producer gas. The CO 2 can be converted into a useful product such as CO using the reverse Boudouard reaction (CO 2 + C ↔ 2CO). Tars can be removed in the presence of carbon by adsorption. Using simulated producer gas flow, reactor studies (200 °C–950 °C) of the reverse Boudouard reaction and the adsorption of toluene and ethylene, tar surrogates, were conducted with different commercially activated carbon and mesquite charcoal. The study showed that the reverse Boudouard reaction is limited by kinetics. The concentration of CO from the reverse Boudouard reaction approaches equilibrium with increase in temperature and residence time. The adsorption of the tar surrogate toluene in the presence of carbon at lower temperature of 200 °C–300 °C is a useful removal mechanism.
A Distributed Newton Method for Network Utility Maximization—Part II: Convergence

The existing distributed algorithms for network utility maximization (NUM) problems are mostly constructed using dual decomposition and first-order (gradient or subgradient) methods, which suffer from a slow rate of convergence. Part I of this paper proposed an alternative distributed Newton-type algorithm for solving NUM problems with self-concordant utility functions. For each primal iteration, this algorithm features distributed exact stepsize calculation with finite termination and decentralized computation of the dual variables using a finitely truncated iterative scheme obtained through novel matrix splitting techniques. This paper analyzes the convergence properties of a broader class of algorithms with potentially different stepsize computation schemes. In particular, we allow for errors in the stepsize computation. We show that if the error levels in the Newton direction (resulting from finite termination of dual iterations) and stepsize calculation are below a certain threshold, then the algorithm achieves local quadratic convergence rate in primal iterations to an error neighborhood of the optimal solution, where the size of the neighborhood can be explicitly characterized by the parameters of the algorithm and the error levels.
Vibrational and magnetic properties of β-UD3

Abstract A neutron diffraction study of β-UD 3 has verified the previously reported ferromagnetic structure. The magnetic moments of the two crystallographically distinct uranium atoms are nearly identical at 1.5 μ B . The cubic lattice constant has a minimum at the Curie point. The Debye temperature for the uranium atoms of θ = 238 K was obtained from a measurement of the Debye-Waller factors.
Delayed post-traumatic bilateral abducens nerve palsy with complete recovery

Isolated bilateral abducens (sixth) nerve palsy is rare in the setting of trauma. To date, most cases have been reported in patients who sustain cranial fractures or have other acute intracranial pathologies, including acute hemorrhage. We describe the case of a 41-year-old man who presented with bilateral abducens nerve palsy in the setting of acute head trauma without evidence of cranial fractures or other acute intracranial pathology. Six months after the initial injury, he regained bilateral function of his abducens nerves with intact extraocular muscle movements. Full recovery is the natural history in the majority of traumatic abducens nerve palsies, and this is an important consideration when counseling patients with such injuries.
Ecological forecasting under climatic data uncertainty: a case study in phenological modeling

Forecasting ecological responses to climate change represents a challenge to the ecological community because models are often site-specific and climate data are lacking at appropriate spatial and temporal resolutions. We use a case study approach to demonstrate uncertainties in ecological predictions related to the driving climatic input data. We use observational records, derived observational datasets (e.g. interpolated observations from local weather stations and gridded data products) and output from general circulation models (GCM) in conjunction with site based phenology models to estimate the first flowering date (FFD) for three woody flowering species. Using derived observations over the modern time period, we find that cold biases and temperature trends lead to biased FFD simulations for all three species. Observational datasets resolved at the daily time step result in better FFD predictions compared to simulations using monthly resolution. Simulations using output from an ensemble of GCM and regional climate models over modern and future time periods have large intra-ensemble spreads and tend to underestimate observed FFD trends for the modern period. These results indicate that certain forcing datasets may be missing key features needed to generate accurate hindcasts at the local scale (e.g. trends, temporal resolution), and that standard modeling techniques (e.g. downscaling, ensemble mean, etc) may not necessarily improve the prediction of the ecological response. Studies attempting to simulate local ecological processes under modern and future climate forcing therefore need to quantify and propagate the climate data uncertainties in their simulations.
Power Iteration Clustering

We present a simple and scalable graph clustering method called power iteration clustering (PIC). PIC finds a very low-dimensional embedding of a dataset using truncated power iteration on a normalized pair-wise similarity matrix of the data. This embedding turns out to be an effective cluster indicator, consistently outperforming widely used spectral methods such as NCut on real datasets. PIC is very fast on large datasets, running over 1,000 times faster than an NCut implementation based on the state-of-the-art IRAM eigenvector computation technique.
Comment on Murry, Stam, and Lastovicka

(1994). Comment on Murry, Stam, and Lastovicka. Journal of the American Statistical Association: Vol. 89, No. 426, pp. 724-724.
The night-time lower ionosphere as deduced from a theoretical and experimental investigation of coupling phenomena at 150 kc/sec

Abstract Final results of an experimental programme for the investigation of coupling phenomena at 150 kc/sec, which covered a period of some ten months in all, are presented. Conclusions are obtained, from a comparison of the theoretical results presented in the preceding paper and the experimental data, regarding the shape of the night-time D -layer in the coupling region and its seasonal and diurnal variations. Sunset D - E region models for July and November 1953 are proposed. A theoretical recombination coefficient model suggested by Mitra (1954a) is then applied in the usual manner to determine the variation of these models with time of night. Finally, comparison is made both with the conclusions obtained from the data on coupling phenomena and with all other available low-frequency data; very good agreement is obtained in all cases. It is concluded that the theoretical analysis satisfactorily explains the experimental observations.
Optimizing access cost for top-k queries over Web sources: a unified cost-based approach

We study the problem of supporting ranked queries in middleware environments, where queries are evaluated over multiple sources. In particular, we study Web middleware scenarios, querying over various Web sources. To motivate, consider a Web "travel agent" scenario for finding restaurants and hotels. (We use this real scenario as "benchmark" queries for experiments as well). In particular, how to access sources with different capabilities and costs, to answer queries efficiently? As our Web middleware coordinates various sources, each source access incurs network communication and server computation. This paper aims at optimizing such access, costs-which dominate the overall query processing (like I/O in relational DBMS).
Performance improvement dashboard for the perioperative services area

The goal of this project was to create a tool that would allow hospital administration and management in the operating room to effectively monitor various performance indicators of the business in the perioperative services area. By providing management with the capability to track performance, they will also be able to target areas in which to effect change, thus improving things such as patient safety, patient satisfaction, and the bottom line.
In planta Mechanism of Action of Leptospermone: Impact of Its Physico-Chemical Properties on Uptake, Translocation, and Metabolism

Leptospermone is a natural β-triketone that specifically inhibits the enzyme p-hydrophyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase, the same molecular target site as that of the commercial herbicide mesotrione. The β-triketone-rich essential oil of Leptospermum scoparium has both preemergence and postemergence herbicidal activity, resulting in bleaching of treated plants and dramatic growth reduction. Radiolabeled leptospermone was synthesized to investigate the in planta mechanism of action of this natural herbicide. Approximately 50 % of the absorbed leptospermone was translocated to the foliage suggesting rapid acropetal movement of the molecule. On the other hand, very little leptospermone was translocated away from the point of application on the foliage, indicating poor phloem mobility. These observations are consistent with the physico-chemical properties of leptospermone, such as its experimentally measured logP and pKa values, and molecular mass, number of hydrogen donors and acceptors, and number of rotatable bonds. Consequently, leptospermone is taken up readily by roots and translocated to reach its molecular target site. This provides additional evidence that the anecdotal observation of allelopathic suppression of plant growth under β-triketone-producing species may be due to the release of these phytotoxins in soils.
Short-Term Dynamics of Second-Growth Mixed Mesophytic Forest Strata in West Virginia

The short-term dynamics of mixed mesophytic forest strata in West Virginia were examined using similarity analysis and linear correlation of shared ordination space. The overstory tree, understory tree, shrub/vine, and herb strata were stable over a six year interval, whereas the tree seedling and sapling strata were unstable. All strata but the shrub/vine and tree seedling strata were correlated with soil pH, elevation, P, K, Fe, Mn, Ca, and Mg, with the latter two variables being the weakest for the overstory tree, understory tree, and sapling strata. The herb stratum was also significantly correlated with the shrub/vine and tree seedling strata. The soil fertility gradient corresponded with a moisture gradient. More xeric plots tended to be less stable than more mesic plots for all strata. Successful forest management may depend on knowledge of the lower tree strata species composition, because such composition will likely vary prior to future disturbance events.
Shortest path planning for a tethered robot or an anchored cable

We consider the problem of planning shortest paths for a tethered robot with a finite length tether in a 2D environment with polygonal obstacles. We present an algorithm that runs in time O((k/sub l/+1)/sup 2/n/sup 4/) and finds the shortest path or correctly determines that none exists that obeys the constraints, where n is the number obstacle vertices, and k/sub l/ is the number loops in the initial configuration of the tether. The robot may cross its tether but nothing can cross obstacles, which cause the tether to bend. The algorithm can also be applied to planning a shortest path for the free end of an anchored cable.
Reporting Surgical Site Infections Following Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty: Impact of Limiting Surveillance to the Operative Hospital

Author(s): Yokoe, Deborah S; Avery, Taliser R; Platt, Richard; Huang, Susan S | Abstract: BackgroundPublic reporting of surgical site infections (SSIs) by hospitals is largely limited to infections detected during surgical hospitalizations or readmissions to the same facility. SSI rates may be underestimated if patients with SSIs are readmitted to other hospitals. We assessed the impact of readmissions to other facilities on hospitals' SSI rates following primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA).MethodsThis was a retrospective cohort study of all patients who underwent primary THA or TKA at California hospitals between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2009. SSIs were identified using ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes predictive of SSI assigned at any California hospital within 365 days of surgery using a statewide repository of hospital data that allowed tracking of patients between facilities. We used statewide data to estimate the fraction of each hospital's THA and TKA SSIs identified at the operative hospital versus other hospitals.ResultsA total of 91 121 THA and 121 640 TKA procedures were identified. Based on diagnosis codes, SSIs developed following 2214 (2.3%) THAs and 2465 (2.0%) TKAs. Seventeen percent of SSIs would have been missed by operative hospital surveillance alone. The proportion of hospitals' SSIs detected at nonoperative hospitals ranged from 0% to 100%. Including SSIs detected at nonoperative hospitals resulted in better relative ranking for 61% of THA hospitals and 61% of TKA hospitals.ConclusionsLimiting SSI surveillance to the operative hospital caused varying degrees of SSI underestimation and substantially impacted hospitals' relative rankings, suggesting that alternative methods for comprehensive postdischarge surveillance are needed for accurate benchmarking.
A requirement for retinoic acid-mediated transcriptional activation in ventral neural patterning and motor neuron specification

The specification of neuronal fates in the ventral spinal cord depends on the regulation of homeodomain (HD) and basic-helix-loop-helix (bHLH) proteins by Sonic hedgehog (Shh). Most of these transcription factors function as repressors, leaving unresolved the link between inductive signaling pathways and transcriptional activators involved in ventral neuronal specification. We show here that retinoid signaling and the activator functions of retinoid receptors are required to pattern the expression of HD and bHLH proteins and to specify motor neuron identity. We also show that fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) repress progenitor HD protein expression, implying that evasion of FGF signaling and exposure to retinoid and Shh signals are obligate steps in the emergence of ventral neural pattern. Moreover, joint exposure of neural progenitors to retinoids and FGFs suffices to induce motor neuron differentiation in a Shh-independent manner.
The Prescription Opioid and Heroin Crisis: A Public Health Approach to an Epidemic of Addiction

Public health authorities have described, with growing alarm, an unprecedented increase in morbidity and mortality associated with use of opioid pain relievers (OPRs). Efforts to address the opioid crisis have focused mainly on reducing nonmedical OPR use. Too often overlooked, however, is the need for preventing and treating opioid addiction, which occurs in both medical and nonmedical OPR users. Overprescribing of OPRs has led to a sharp increase in the prevalence of opioid addiction, which in turn has been associated with a rise in overdose deaths and heroin use. A multifaceted public health approach that utilizes primary, secondary, and tertiary opioid addiction prevention strategies is required to effectively reduce opioid-related morbidity and mortality. We describe the scope of this public health crisis, its historical context, contributing factors, and lines of evidence indicating the role of addiction in exacerbating morbidity and mortality, and we provide a framework for interventions to address the epidemic of opioid addiction.
Photoinduced Charge Separation in Lipid Bilayers

Publisher Summary Photoinduced charge separation across membranes and interfaces is the basis of photosynthesis and of artificial solar energy conversion. It was soon found after the discovery of the planar bilayer that photocurrents could occur in bilayers containing photosensitive pigments. There are two explanations of the “photoconduction.” One proposed that the photoinduced current is electronic—that is, it occurs by electron hopping between pigment molecules inside the lipid bilayer. The other suggested that photoformed mobile ions in the lipid bilayer are the current carriers. An ion gradient across the cell membrane is characteristic of all living cells. These ion gradients are created and maintained by biological ion pumps, which are membrane proteins. The energy for maintaining the gradients is supplied by ATP. Conversely, the formation of ATP is driven by proton or electrochemical potential gradients across the membrane which, in turn, is driven photochemically in photosynthesis or by oxidation of foods (from photosynthesis) by respiration. Although all analysis of these processes have been in terms of transmembrane potentials, it is found that ion pumping across a membrane can be effected by photodriven electron transfer across a single lipid water interface.
The homeostasis solution – Mechanical homeostasis in architecturally homeostatic buildings

Abstract We already know, for energy-saving potential, the necessary architectural features in well-designed buildings: high performance building envelope, sufficient interior thermal mass, and hydronic-network activated radiant surfaces for cooling and heating. Buildings with these features may be referred to as architecturally homeostatic buildings (AHBs); such a building-system is thermally semi-autonomous in the sense that its temperature variation stays within a certain range even without conditioning equipment, and, with conditioning equipment in operation, its thermal regulation is handled by its hydronic heat-distribution-network for controlling the temperature level of the building. At the present time conventional HVAC equipment is used for maintaining the heat-distribution-network: this arrangement, however, has resulted in great energy saving only for AHBs with accessible natural water bodies. In operation of general AHBs, a case is made here for a new kind of mechanical equipment having the attribute of mechanical homeostasis (MH). MH is a new energy transformation concept in a triadic framework. Superlative energy efficiency is predicted as a result of combined improvements in higher triadCOPs and lower total (inducted + removed) heat rates—evincing existence of synergy in architectural and mechanical homeostasis, which together will be referred to as the homeostasis solution.