cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
GABAB receptor activation in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of diurnal and nocturnal rodents

Diurnal (day-active) and nocturnal (night-active) animals have very different daily activity patterns. We recently demonstrated that the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) responds to GABAergic stimulation differently in diurnal and nocturnal animals. Specifically, GABAA receptor activation with muscimol during the subjective day causes phase delays in diurnal grass rats while producing phase advances in nocturnal hamsters. The aim of the following experiments was to determine if diurnal and nocturnal animals differ in their response to GABAB receptor activation in the SCN. Baclofen, a GABAB receptor agonist, was microinjected into the SCN region of grass rats or hamsters under free-running conditions and phase alterations were analyzed. Changes in phase were not detected after baclofen treatment during the subjective day in either grass rats or hamsters. During the night, however, GABAB receptor activation significantly decreased the ability of light to induce phase delays in grass rats. Taken together with previous data from our laboratory, these results demonstrate that, in both hamsters and grass rats, GABAB receptor activation in the SCN significantly affects circadian phase during the night, but not during the day.
Analytical Correction of Nonlinear Thermal Stresses Under Thermomechanical Cyclic Loadings

Automotive turbocharger components frequently experience complex Thermo-Mechanical Fatigue (TMF) loadings which require estimation of nonlinear plastic stresses for fatigue life calculations. These field duty cycles often contain rapid fluctuations in temperatures and consequently transient effects become important. Although current FE software are capable of performing these nonlinear finite element analyses, the turnaround time to compute nonlinear stresses for complex field duty cycles is still quite significant and detailed design optimizations for different duty cycles become very cumbersome. In recent years, a large number of studies have been made to develop analytical methods for estimating nonlinear stress from linear stresses. However, a majority of these consider isothermal cases which cannot be directly applied for thermo-mechanical loading. In this paper a detailed study is conducted with two different existing analytical approaches (Neuber’s rule and Hoffman-Seeger) to estimate the multi-axial nonlinear stresses from linear elastic stresses. For the Neuber’s approach, the multi-axial version proposed by Chu was used to correct elastic stresses from linear FE analyses. In the second approach, Hoffman and Seeger’s method is used to estimate the multiaxial stress state from plastic equivalent stress estimated using Neuber’s method for uniaxial stress. The novelty in the present work is the estimation of nonlinear stress for bilinear kinematic hardening material model under varying temperature conditions. The material properties including the modulus of elasticity, tangent modulus and the yield stress are assumed to vary with temperature. The application of two analytical approaches were examined for proportional and non-proportional TMF loadings and suggestions have been proposed to incorporate temperature dependent material behavior while correcting the plasticity effect into linear stress. This approach can be effectively used for complex geometries to calculate nonlinear stresses without carrying out a detailed nonlinear finite element analysis.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
The measurement of loudness using direct comparisons of sensory intervals.

Abstract Subjects were required in each trial to directly compare two pairs of tones and indicate which pair of tones had the greater loudness difference. Ten 1200 Hz tones differing only in intensity were employed. Subjects made binary comparisons among the 45 tone pairs which can be formed from the set of ten tones. The subjects' binary comparisons of the tone pairs were found to satisfy the transitivity and monotonicity requirements of a positive difference structure. These comparisons of loudness intervals were used to construct a rank order of loudness difference. A loudness scale was constructed from a nonmetric analysis of the rank order of loudness difference for the 45 tone pairs and indicated that loudness was a power function of sound pressure with an exponent of 0.26.
Plant photosynthetic production as controlled by leaf growth, phenology, and behavior

In this historical review we summarize discoveries related to the flowering genes in controlling leaf area index (LAI, the leaf area per unit ground area) in sorghum, soybean, or pea crop stands. We also analyze similar work on Arabidopsis and dwarf and intermediate stem height genes in wheat and rice.
When Do Readmissions for Infection Occur After Spine and Total Joint Procedures

The episode-of-care concept promulgated by the federal government requires hospitals to assume the cost burden for all care rendered up to 30 days after discharge, including all readmissions occurring in that time. Although surgical site infections (SSIs) are a leading cause of readmission after total joint arthroplasties (TJA) and spine surgery, it is unclear whether these readmissions occur relative to the 30-day period. We determined whether (1) most readmissions for SSIs occurred in 30 days, (2) the type of procedure performed affected the timing of readmission, and (3) the type of infecting organism influenced the timing of readmission. From our hospital database we identified 91 patients treated with elective TJAs and spine surgery from 2007 through 2010 who were readmitted with SSIs. Of the 91 patients, 46 had undergone spine surgery and 45 had TJAs. For each of these readmissions, we determined the type of surgery, the length of time from initial discharge to readmission, and the type of infecting organism. Readmissions after spine surgery were more likely to occur within 30 days of discharge (80.4% for spine, 58.3% for TJAs). In the TJA cohort, there was a trend toward readmissions occurring within 30 days of discharge more often in the THA subset. We identified no correlation between type of infecting organism and timing of readmission. With the episode-of-care model, SSIs pose a substantial cost burden for hospitals since the majority would be included in the 30-day period included in the bundled reimbursement.
Chronic valproate administration reduces fasting ketonemia in children

We previously found that chronic administration of sodium valproate to suckling infant mice reduced plasma β-hydroxybutyrate levels but had no effect on plasma free fatty acid or glycerol concentrations. We now report that valproate has a similar effect in children taking the drug for epilepsy. In larger doses, valproate also depleted the infant mouse liver glycogen content. These findings may relate to the hepatic toxicity of valproate. We advise caution if the drug is being considered for use in chronically malnourished childrea or when the caloric intake of normal children is likely to be reduced during periods of acute illness.
Chromosome studies of the cultured cells of two species of side-necked turtles (Podocnemis unifilis and P. expansa).

The diploid chromosome number of two species of sidenecked turtles (Podocnemis unifilis and P. expansa) was found to be 28. Under normal culture conditions, half of the chromosomes of P. unifilis consistently show one or two clear secondary constrictions. In P. expansa, the incidence of cells with chromosomes bearing secondary constrictions and the number of such chromosomes per cell are less. Cells of two P. unifilis cell lines maintained a normal diploid karyotype for two years following their initiation. Then one cell line shifted to a hypodiploid mode of 27 and half of the population of the second line became pseudodiploid, the other half remaining diploid. A single six-month-old cell line from P. expansa has maintained a normal diploid mode through 10 passages.
H0 candidates from the decay H0 → Σ−p, observed in heavy ion collisions with 14.6 × A GeV/c Si beam on Pb target

Abstract We present H 0 candidate events, where the H 0 is observed through the decay H 0 → Σ − p . These decays are reconstructed in the three TPC modules of E810 while triggering on central Si Pb events at 14.6 × A GeV/c Si beam.
Synthesis and properties of planar liquid-crystalline bisphenazines

A synthetic route to fused bisphenazine compounds has been developed. Thus, 2,7-di-tert-butyl-quinoxalino[2‘,3‘,9,10]phenanthro[4,5-abc]phenazine-6,7,15,16-tetraalkoxy compounds have been synthesized in good yields. The structures of these new compounds were ascertained by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectroscopy. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarized light microscopy (PLM), and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) studies showed that some of these planar molecules display liquid crystalline phases at elevated temperatures. WAXD analysis also indicated that the molecules undergo π−π stacking in the liquid crystalline phase. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) showed that the compounds undergo two reduction processes. Thus, it is speculated that the materials have potential as electron transporting materials in electronic devices such as organic photovoltaic or light-emitting diodes.
Calcium-dependent regulation of glucose homeostasis in the liver.

Abstract A major role of the liver is to integrate multiple signals to maintain normal blood glucose levels. The balance between glucose storage and mobilization is primarily regulated by the counteracting effects of insulin and glucagon. However, numerous signals converge in the liver to ensure energy demand matches the physiological status of the organism. Many circulating hormones regulate glycogenolysis, gluconeogenesis and mitochondrial metabolism by calcium-dependent signaling mechanisms that manifest as cytosolic Ca2+ oscillations. Stimulus-strength is encoded in the Ca2+ oscillation frequency, and also by the range of intercellular Ca2+ wave propagation in the intact liver. In this article, we describe how Ca2+ oscillations and waves can regulate glucose output and oxidative metabolism in the intact liver; how multiple stimuli are decoded though Ca2+ signaling at the organ level, and the implications of Ca2+ signal dysregulation in diseases such as metabolic syndrome and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Anal cancer treatment: Current status and future perspectives

Anal cancers (AC) are relatively rare tumors. Their incidence is increasing, particularly among men who have sex with other men due to widespread infection by human papilloma virus. The majority of anal cancers are squamous cell carcinomas, and they are treated according to stage. In local and locally advanced AC, concomitant chemoradiation therapy based on mitomycin C and 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is the current best treatment, while metastatic AC, chemotherapy with 5-FU and cisplatin remains the gold standard. There are no indications for induction or maintenance therapies in locally advanced tumors. Many novel strategies, such as targeted therapies, vaccination, immunotherapy and photodynamic therapy are in clinical trials for the treatment of AC, with promising results in some indications.
Robustness of statistical inference in factor analysis and related models

SUMMARY A class of latent variable models which includes the unrestricted factor analysis model is considered. It is shown that minimum discrepancy test statistics and estimators derived under normality assumptions retain their asymptotic properties when the common factors are not normally distributed but the unique factors do have a multivariate normal distribution. The minimum discrepancy test statistics and estimators considered include the usual likelihood ratio test statistic and maximum likelihood estimators.
SOME CONJECTURED UNIFORMLY OPTIMAL RELIABLE NETWORKS

We consider all-terminal reliability, one of the more popular models in the field of network reliability. A graph with n nodes and e edges, where the nodes are perfectly reliable and the edges survive independently with equal probability p, is said to be a uniformly optimally reliable graph if it has for all values of p (0 ≤ p ≤ 1) an equal or higher reliability among all graphs with the same number of nodes and edges. Boesch et al. [4] verified the existence of uniformly optimally reliable graphs for e = n − 1, e = n, e = n + 1, and e = n + 2; he has also given a conjecture for e = n + 3. Wang [8] proved this conjecture. In this article, we present four new infinite families of graphs that we conjecture to be uniformly optimal.
The relationship between insomnia and patient satisfaction with quality of life in cancer

Goals of work Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder in patients with advanced cancer. The goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between insomnia and patient satisfaction with quality of life (QoL) in cancer.
Genealogical Correspondence of Mushroom Bodies across Invertebrate Phyla

Except in species that have undergone evolved loss, paired lobed centers referred to as "mushroom bodies" occur across invertebrate phyla. Unresolved is the question of whether these centers, which support learning and memory in insects, correspond genealogically or whether their neuronal organization suggests convergent evolution. Here, anatomical and immunohistological observations demonstrate that across phyla, mushroom body-like centers share a neuroanatomical ground pattern and proteins required for memory formation. Paired lobed or dome-like neuropils characterize the first brain segment (protocerebrum) of mandibulate and chelicerate arthropods and the nonganglionic brains of polychaete annelids, polyclad planarians, and nemerteans. Structural and cladistic analyses resolve an ancestral ground pattern common to all investigated taxa: chemosensory afferents supplying thousands of intrinsic neurons, the parallel processes of which establish orthogonal networks with feedback loops, modulatory inputs, and efferents. Shared ground patterns and their selective labeling with antisera against proteins required for normal mushroom body function in Drosophila are indicative of genealogical correspondence and thus an ancestral presence predating arthropod and lophotrochozoan origins. Implications of this are considered in the context of mushroom body function and early ecologies of ancestral bilaterians.
Unraveling Change: Social Bonds and Recidivism among Released Offenders

Abstract Correctional researchers have increasingly focused on social bonding as a key pathway by which parolees desist from crime after release. Most work to date has focused on levels of bonds, either at reentry or as a function of events occurring in the community. However, few have assessed whether the magnitude of change in bonds during incarceration has an additional effect on desistance. Distinguishing between levels and change with respect to bonds may have important implications for understanding how bonds impact behavior. This paper addresses this gap by drawing on survey data from a sample of inmates at the start and end of their six-month prison terms. Recidivism is assessed as a function of change in social bonds (attachments and beliefs) from entrance to exit from prison, as well as levels of bonds at release. Our findings indicate that changes in social relationships predict recidivism, whereas improvements in prosocial beliefs do not. The data also suggest that the level of prosocial belie...
Automated propagation advice for OTHR ship detection

The ability of an over-the-horizon radar to detect ships is critically dependent on the choice of operating frequency. The author describes an automated surface mode propagation advice system which has been installed into the Jindalee Over-the-Horizon Radar Facility at Alice Springs (23.5S, 133.7E). The advice is chiefly derived from backscatter measurements performed by the Jindalee Frequency Management System's Doppler 'miniradar' and includes the optimum operating frequency and a predicted performance indicator for each specific operational radar mission. Global displays of predicted performance, covering the entire surveillance region, are also provided to allow the system to nominate areas where ship detection would be viable with the operational radar. Details on the function, input and output of component modules of the system are included, as well as the basic input data requirements. A sample of the output and diagnostic displays are presented. A few limitations to the system performance have been found. These limitations are described along with the future effort that is required to overcome them.
The ethical shift in the Prisoner’s Dilemma Game1,2

Twenty three-man groups made of ROTC cadets were compared with 20 individuals when playing against a “dummy” strategy of 50% cooperation over 50 trials of the Prisoner’s Dilemma Game. The 20 triads were further divided into two conditions: one with 10 equal status triads, the other with 10 triads comprised of unit commanders with two of their principal subordinates. Results showed groups to be less “trustworthy” than individuals; this was interpreted to be an “ethical shift.” There were no significant differences between triad types.
The relative contributions of parents and siblings to child and adolescent development

Guided by an ecological framework, we explore how siblings' and parents' roles, relationships, and activities are intertwined in everyday life, providing unique and combined contributions to development. In a departure from past research that emphasized the separate contributions of siblings and parents to individual development, we find that examining the conjoint or interactive effects of sibling and parent influences promises to extend our understanding of the role of family in children's and adolescents' social, emotional, and cognitive development. Understood within the context of family and sociocultural characteristics, siblings' unique roles as agents of socialization are illuminated.
HIV-Antibody Testing: Beliefs Affecting the Consistency Between Women's Behavioral Intentions and Behavior1

A sample of 763 nonpregnant, heterosexual, sexually active women residing in an HIV-endemic area participated in a study to assess psychological predictors of HIV-antibody testing. In this sample, 464 women said that they might or would be tested that day, although only 56 did so. We examine salient beliefs that influenced testing decisions. In contrast to other studies, which have focused on predictors of behavioral intentions at only one point in time, the current study accounts for the fact that different concerns become salient to women at different stages of the counseling and testing process. Prior to counseling, women were deterred from testing because they feared the anxiety of waiting for their test results. This suggests that efforts aimed at same-day testing may be beneficial for increasing rates of test taking. After counseling and immediately preceding testing, women tended to follow through on their intentions if they believed that testing would better enable them to plan a pregnancy, and if they believed that it would not be too late for treatment. The implications of these findings for the counseling and testing process are discussed.
Colony-stimulating factor 1 regulates novel cyclins during the G1 phase of the cell cycle

Three mouse cyclin-like (CYL) genes were isolated, two of which are regulated by colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSF-1) during the G1 phase of the macrophage cell cycle. CSF-1 deprivation during G1 leads to rapid degradation of CYL proteins (p36CYL) and correlates with failure to initiate DNA synthesis. However, after entering S phase, macrophages no longer require CSF-1 and can complete cell division without expressing CYL genes. During G1, p36CYL is phosphorylated and associates with a polypeptide antigenically related to p34cdc2. The timing of p36CYL expression, its rapid turnover in the absence of CSF-1, and its phosphorylation and transient binding to a cdc2-related polypeptide suggest that CYL genes may function during S phase commitment.
Do Investors Learn? Evidence from a Gold Market Anomaly

This study finds evidence that supports the investor learning hypothesis using data from the gold market. Consistent with conventional wisdom, the prior returns on an equally-weighted portfolio of gold-producing stocks are found to predict gold returns. However, the predictive power is shown to have diminished since the first public discussion of the anomaly, a finding consistent with the investor learning hypothesis.
Smoking prevention: implications of study design, research setting, and goals.

Collaborations among various disciplines concerned with smoking prevention are gaining in currency. Such collaborations are predicated, in part, on recognizing both the implicit assumptions in different fields and the consequences of these assumptions. These issues, however, are often ignored in transdisciplinary research. In this article, we demonstrate how simple indices, such as the risk ratio, attributable fraction, or R 2 , may have different implications for causal inference and interventions, depending on study setting and research goals.
Contrast sensitivity during saccadic eye movements

Abstract The experiment measured contrast sensitivity of three human observers to sinusoidal gratings presented in 10 msec exposures. The gratings were presented to the steadily fixating eye and during 6° horizontal saccades. Experimental conditions of viewing in a Ganzfeld reduced possible effects of contour masking. The use of horizontal gratings minimized retinal smear. Results showed a significant suppression of sensitivity (more than 0.6 log unit of contrast) to low spatial frequency gratings presented during saccades. The magnitude of saccadic suppression decreased as spatial frequency of the gratings increased. We conclude that optical and neural effects combine in normal viewing to produce saccadic suppression. Minimizing the optically originating effects of contour masking and retinal image smear failed to eliminate the considerable impairment of vision that occurs during a saccadic eye movement.
Naphthalene and Benzene Degradation under Fe(III)-Reducing Conditions in Petroleum-Contaminated Aquifers

Naphthalene was oxidized anaerobically to CO2 in sediments collected from a petroleum-contaminated aquifer in Bemidji, Minnesota in which Fe(III) reduction was the terminal electron-accepting process. Naphthalene was not oxidized in sediments from the methanogenic zone at Bemidji or in sediments from the Fe(III)-reducing zone of other petroleum-contaminated aquifers studied. In a profile across the Fe(III)-reducing zone of the Bemidji aquifer, rates of naphthalene oxidation were fastest in sediments with the highest proportion of Fe(III), which was also the zone of the most rapid degradation of benzene, toluene, and acetate. The comparative studies attempted to elucidate factors that might account for the fact that unsubstituted aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene and naphthalene were degraded under Fe(III)-reducing conditions at Bemidji, but not at the other aquifers examined. These studies indicated that the ability of Fe(III)-reducing microorganisms to degrade benzene and naphthalene at the Bemidji s...
Structure and functional connections of presynaptic terminals in the vertebrate retina revealed by activity-dependent dyes and confocal microscopy

The fluorescent dyes sulforhodamine 101 (SR 101) and FM1-43 were used as activity-dependent dyes (ADDs) to label presynaptic terminals in the retinas of a broad range of animals, including amphibians, mammals, fish, and turtles. The pattern of dye uptake was studied in live retinal preparations by using brightfield, fluorescence, and confocal microscopy. When bath-applied to the retina-eyecup, these dyes were avidly sequestered by the presynaptic terminals of virtually all rods, cones, and bipolar and amacrine cells; ganglion cell dendrites and horizontal cells lacked significant dye accumulation. Other structures stained with these dyes included pigment epithelial cells, cone outer segments, and Muller cell end-feet. Studies of dye uptake in dark- and light-adapted preparations showed significant differences in the dye accumulation pattern in the inner plexiform layer (IPL), suggesting a dynamic, light-modulated control of endocytotic activity. Presynaptic terminals in the IPL could be segregated on the basis of volume: bipolar varicosities in the IPL were typically larger than those of amacrine cells. The combination of retrograde labeling of ganglion cells and presynaptic terminal labeling with ADDs served as the experimental preparation for three-dimensional reconstruction of both structures, based on dual detector, confocal microscopy. Our results demonstrate a new approach for studying synaptic interactions in retinal function. These findings provide new insights into the likely number and position of functional connections from amacrine and bipolar cell terminals onto ganglion cell dendrites.
Surfactant-enhanced spreading

The spreading of aqueous mixtures of a number of surfactants, including “superspreading” trisiloxane surfactants, has been investigated as a function of surfactant concentration, substrate surface energy, temperature, humidity, and substrate roughness. The substrate surface energy, characterized in terms of the contact angle of water, was controlled by the deposition of mixed organosulfur monolayers with different terminal chemical functionalities. The data demonstrate a strong spreading rate dependence on both surfactant concentration and surface energy. Furthermore, they indicate that nonturbid trisiloxane surfactant solutions, which were previously believed not to promote rapid spreading, display superspreading characteristics, albeit on substrates which were less hydrophobic than those initially investigated. Moreover, both turbid dispersions and nonturbid solutions of nonionic surfactants lacking trisiloxane groups have also been found to promote greatly enhanced spreading on less hydrophobic surface...
PROBING THE PHOSPHOINOSITIDE 4,5-BISPHOSPHATE BINDING SITE OF HUMAN PROFILIN I

Abstract Background: Profilin is a widely and highly expressed 14 kDa protein that binds actin monomers, poly(L-proline) and polyp hosphoinositol lipids. It participates in regulating actin-filament dynamics that are essential for many types of cell motility. We sought to investigate the site of interaction of profilin with phosphoinositides. Results: Human profilin I was covalently modified using three tritium-labeled 4-benzoyldihydrocinnamoyl (BZDC)-containing photoaffinity analogs of phosphatidylinositol 4,5- bis phosphate (Ptdlns(4,5)P 2 ). The P-1-tethered D- myo -inositol 1,4,5- tris phosphate (Ins(1,4,5)P 3 ) modified profilin I efficiently and specifically; the covalent labeling could be displaced by co-incubation with an excess of Ptdlns(4,5)P 2 but not with Ins(1,4,5)P 3 . The acyl-modified Ptdlns(4,5)P 2 analog showed little protein labeling even at very low concentrations, whereas the head-group-modified PtdIns(4,5)P 2 phosphotriester-labeled monomeric and oligomeric profilin. Mass spectroscopic analyses of CNBr digests of [ 3 H]BZDC-Ins(1,4,5)P 3 -modified recombinant profilin suggested that modification was in the amino-terminal helical CNBr fragment. Edman degradation confirmed Ala1 of profilin I (residue 4 of the recombinant protein) was modified. Molecular models show a minimum energy conformation in which the hydrophobic region of the ligand contacts the amino-terminal helix whereas the 4,5-bisphosphate interacts with Arg135 and Arg136 of the carboxy-terminal helix. Conclusions: The Ptdlns(4,5)P 2 -binding site of profilin I includes a bis phosphate interaction with a base-rich motif in the carboxy-terminal helix and contact between the lipid moiety of Ptdlns(4,5)P 2 and a hydrophobic region of the aminoterminal helix of profilin. This is the first direct evidence for a site of interaction of the lipid moiety of a phosphoinositide bisphosphate analog with profilin.
Rip stop in marine algae: minimizing the consequences of herbivore damage

Structural features of marine macrophytes are generally believed to act as defences against herbivores by reducing the ability of herbivores to consume the plants. Thallus form and calcification in particular have been considered structural defences that act by reducing the probability of consumption of tissue by herbivores. Studies directly measuring the mechanical resistance of a variety of marine algae (tropical and temperate) to herbivores of two important feeding types, rasping herbivores (docoglossan limpets) and a biting herbivore (an herbivorous crab), do not support this hypothesis. I suggest that thallus form and calcification may play a more important role in minimizing the impact of herbivores by reducing the probability of subsequent tissue loss due to herbivore-induced damage. For some algal species, tissue lost subsequent to herbivore damage may greatly exceed loss due to direct consumption by herbivores. I suggest that calcification and thallus properties resulting in preferential tear directions reduce the probability of tissue loss subsequent to herbivore damage rather than prevent herbivores from removing tissue as has been suggested in the past.
Feasibility of aggregates in time constrained queries

Abstract Approximate query processing has been introduced as a way of producing monotonically improving answers to set-valued relational database queries with timing constraints. The approximate query processor utilizes the potentiality of processing parts of a relation at a time, rather than processing the whole relation at once. In this paper we describe how the capability of handling aggregates is added to the previously presented approximate query processor. We identify the semantic information necessary for approximate processing of aggregate queries, and we present a mechanism for maintaining that semantic information. The I/O overhead required by the approximate aggregates is presented and analyzed through a series of simulations. The simulation results provide information about the factors that influence the performance of the approximate query processor when processing queries that include aggregates.
Decoder-assisted channel estimation and frame synchronization of turbo coded systems

Some previous research has demonstrated the feasibility of decoder-assisted frame synchronization and channel estimation as separate processes for coded systems. Here a joint decoder-assisted process of channel estimation and frame synchronization using the same sync word (SW) is proposed. In brief, the method entails using a SW embedded in the mid-packet for both channel estimation and frame synchronization. The method is based on a list-synchronization scheme, where a correlation-based frame synchronizer passes a list of possible delays to the turbo decoder. The turbo decoder makes the final decision about frame synchronization. The turbo decoder is draw upon pilot symbol assisted modulation (PSAM) techniques for channel estimation using the coded SW of frame synchronization. The performance of channel estimation technique using the SW is presented via simulation.
Pharmacist interventions throughout care transitions: a review of current practices.

Transitions of care occur each time a patient moves from one healthcare provider or care setting to another. Challenges that have been identified include: failure of the patient to keep appointments for outpatient chronic care; inability for smooth transfer of information between various healthcare providers; and failure to find appropriate placement for patients who can no longer manage independent living. As pharmacists representing an array of practice settings, these authors here present the models of contributions made by pharmacy services within such multifaceted approaches. An initial literature search was conducted using the National Library of Medicine via PubMed. Studies conducted in the United States that included at least one pharmacy service within the methods of intervention were selected for review. Where there are published findings from each setting, we include the measured impact, if reported. Although pharmacists represent the most skilled healthcare professionals in medication reconciliation and management, the best processes for tapping that expertise have yet to be fully elucidated. We present this review of current practices with the continued hope that the pharmacy profession will, not only continue to be the quiet patient advocate for best medication use, but also to open our minds to the need to measure, adjust, and measure again, the systems and processes we use to best integrate our knowledge for the overall benefit of the patient. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/icpj.v2i10.16409 International Current Pharmaceutical Journal, September 2013, 2(10): 159-164
Optimization-based tuning of low-bandwidth control in spatially distributed systems

We describe a new method for tuning a certain family of low-bandwidth controllers for linear time-invariant and spatially-invariant (LTSI) plants. We consider LTSI controllers with a fixed structure, which is PID in time and local in spatial coordinates. Two spatial feedback filters, assumed to be symmetric and have finite spatial response, modify the local PID control signal based on the error and control signals, respectively, at nearby nodes. Like an ordinary PID controller, this controller structure is simple, but provides adequate performance in many practical settings. We cast a variety of specifications on the steady-state spatial response of the controller as a set of linear inequalities on the design variables, and so can carry out the design of the spatial filters using linear programming. The method handles steady-state limits on actuator signals, error signals, and several constraints related to robustness to plant and controller variation. While the method does not directly handle some important constraints involving the effects of boundary conditions, or guaranteed closed-loop spatial or time decay, it does appear to work very well for low-bandwidth controllers, and so is applicable in a variety of practical situations.
Analysis of c-myc Expression in a Human Hepatoma Cell Line

A tumorigenic human hepatoma cell line, Hep G2, has been shown to have high steady-state levels of c- myc transcripts compared to normal human liver. We have now characterized c- myc expression in Hep G2 cells with regard to message stability, gene rearrangements, gene amplification, chromosomal translocations, promoter utilization, and the effects of protein synthesis inhibitors. We have determined that the half-life of the Hep G2 c- myc transcript is approximately 20 min and conclude that the high steady-state level of c- myc mRNA is not the result of a specific stabilization of the c- myc message but probably results from increased c- myc gene transcription. c- myc expression in Hep G2 cells appears to be constitutive, since it remains constant in different cell growth states (log phase versus nondividing cells). The high constitutive expression of the c- myc gene in Hep G2 cells could not be explained by gene amplification, gene rearrangements, or chromosomal translocations. However, based on an S1 nuclease protection assay, the P1/P2 promoter utilization ratio is approximately 1/1 which differs from the 1/5 P1/P2 ratio observed in normal human liver. Treatment with cycloheximide, a protein synthesis inhibitor, does not superinduce Hep G2 c- myc transcription based on transcription “run on” and RNA slot blot analysis. However, cycloheximide treatment does exert a posttranscriptional effect involving the specific stabilization of the c- myc message.
Determination of methylene blue and leucomethylene blue in male and female Fischer 344 rat urine and B6C3F1 mouse urine.

A liquid chromatographic method for the determination of methylene blue and leucomethylene blue in male and female Fischer 344 rat urine and male and female B6C3F1 mouse urine was developed for use in supporting toxicokinetic studies, validated, and used to analyze urine samples for a preliminary dose level range-finding study. The method was validated for a concentration range of 10.0 to 20,000 ng/mt in urine. Samples up to 75,000 ng/mL demonstrated good recoveries when diluted into the range of the calibration curve. Six sets of calibration standards were prepared in F344 male rat urine for analysis to demonstrate reproducibility and ruggedness. The stability of sample extracts was determined under various storage conditions. During the course of analyses of the animal samples, a possible metabolic process was observed. Although Azure B is a significant impurity in methylene blue trihydrate, the amount of Azure B seen in urine samples collected from rodents dosed with methylene blue trihydrate is significantly greater than the amount seen in rodent urine spiked directly with methylene blue. This observation suggests possible N-demethylation of the methylene blue as a metabolic transformation to Azure B.
Solar and Infrared Radiation Properties of Parallel-Plate Honeycomb

Three radiative transfer problems are solved for describing the thermal performance of parallel-plate honeycomb arrays used to construct solar-transparent insulated walls. First, solar transmittance is treated with scattering and polarization. Second, effective emittance (or passage transmittance) is derived for partially transparent wall materials. Third, the influence on the effective emittance of the re-radiated energy contributed by the absorbed solar radiation is determined. Results are calculated for thin-walled glass and mylar honeycombs. With the results, the engineer or architect can evaluate the merit of applying homeycombs to solar collectors, greenhouses, residences, and commercial buildings.
SW-AG: Local Context Matching for English Lexical Substitution

We present two systems that pick the ten most appropriate substitutes for a marked word in a test sentence. The first system scores candidates based on how frequently their local contexts match that of the marked word. The second system, an enhancement to the first, incorporates cosine similarity using unigram features. The core of both systems bypasses intermediate sense selection. Our results show that a knowledge-light, direct method for scoring potential replacements is viable.
Complexity Issues in VLSI: Optimal Layouts for the Shuffle-Exchange Graph and Other Networks

This book solves several mathematical problems in the areas of Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) and parallel computation. In particular, it describes optimal layouts for the shuffle-exchange graph, one of the best known networks for parallel computation. Attempts to design a shuffle-exchange computer have been hampered in part by the fact that, until now, no good layouts for the shuffle-exchange graph were known.The mesh of trees network (which may eventually prove as useful as the shuffle-exchange graph) is introduced and the book shows how it can be used to perform a variety of computations, including sorting and matrix multiplication, in a logarithmic number of steps.Next, the book introduces the tree of meshes, the first planar graph that was discovered not to have a linear-area layout. Most recently, the structure of this graph has been used to develop a general framework for solving VLSI graph layout problems.Finally, the book develops techniques for proving lower bounds on the bisection width, crossing number, and layout area of a graph. These techniques significantly extend the power and range of previous methods.Researchers in the fields of VLSI, parallel computation, and graph theory will find this study of particular value; it is also accessible to anyone with an elementary knowledge of mathematics and computer science. The book is self-contained and presents in a unified and original manner many results scattered in the technical literature, while also covering new and fundamental results for the first time.
Small-molecule direct thrombin inhibitors: 1997 - 2000

Thrombin is a multifunctional enzyme whose properties have been well documented. Because of the importance of this enzyme in the blood coagulation cascade, thrombin has emerged as an attractive target for the treatment and prevention of several cardiovascular disorders. Over the years several strategies have emerged in the search for a small-molecule direct thrombin inhibitor. Research efforts in the field have focused on covalent and non-covalent peptides, as well as peptide surrogates that bind to the active site of the enzyme. Recently, thrombin inhibitors lacking the conventional hydrogen bonding capabilities of the aforementioned subtypes have received an increased amount of attention. This review accounts the patent literature covering these classes of thrombin inhibitors since the last review in 1997.
Application of the tight binding formalism in the analysis of finite coupled optical resonator chains

Coupled optical resonators are constantly attracting increased attention in telecommunication applications. For an infinite chain of optical resonators, also known as the coupled resonator optical waveguide (CROW), the tight binding approximation has been used in order to evaluate its dispersion characteristics and the modal fields. In this paper, the tight binding formalism is applied in a finite chain of optical resonators for the first time. This allows the derivation of simple analytical formulas for the resonant frequencies and the corresponding modal fields. The analytical results are compared with the numerical results of the plane wave expansion method in the case of a finite 2D photonic crystal chain of coupled resonators and excellent agreement is observed.
Transcriptional bypass of regioisomeric ethylated thymidine lesions by T7 RNA polymerase and human RNA polymerase II

Alkylative damage to DNA can be induced by environmental chemicals, endogenous metabolites and some commonly prescribed chemotherapeutic agents. The regioisomeric N3-, O 2 -a ndO 4 ethylthymidine (N3-, O 2 -a ndO 4 -EtdT, respectively) represent an important class of ethylated DNA lesions. Using nonreplicative double-stranded vectors containing an N3-EtdT, O 2 -EtdT or O 4 -EtdT at a defined site in the template strand, herein we examined the effects of these lesions on DNA transcription mediated by single-subunit T7 RNA polymerase or multisubunit human RNA polymerase II in vitro and in human cells. We found that O 4 -EtdT is highly mutagenic and exclusively induces the misincorporation of guanine opposite the lesion, whereas N3-EtdT and O 2 -EtdT display promiscuous miscoding properties during transcription. In addition, N3-EtdT and O 2 EtdT were found to inhibit strongly DNA transcription in vitro and in certain human cells. Moreover, N3-EtdT, but not O 2 -EtdT or O 4 -EtdT, is an efficient substrate for transcription-coupled nucleotide excision repair. These findings provide new important insights into how these alkylated DNA lesions compromise the flow of genetic information, which may help to understand the risk of these lesions in living cells.
Mammalian plasma membrane proteomics

Plasma membrane proteins serve essential functions for cells, interacting with both cellular and extracellular components, structures and signaling molecules. Additionally, plasma membrane proteins comprise more than two-thirds of the known protein targets for existing drugs. Consequently, defining membrane proteomes is crucial to understanding the role of plasma membranes in fundamental biological processes and for finding new targets for action in drug development. MS-based identification methods combined with chromatographic and traditional cell-biology techniques are powerful tools for proteomic mapping of proteins from organelles. However, the separation and identification of plasma membrane proteins remains a challenge for proteomic technology because of their hydrophobicity and microheterogeneity. Creative approaches to solve these problems and potential pitfalls will be discussed. Finally, a representative overview of the impressive achievements in this field will also be given.
A study of the personality types of successful computer science majors (abstract)

This study is to determine the personality types of the Computer Science majors and to investigate whether there is correlation between success or failure in the Computer Science Program and specific personality types.Personality types were defined by C. G. Jung [1] and further articulated by Myers [2], Briggs and others. According to the theory an individual is born with a predisposition for certain personality preferences. There are four pairs of preference alternatives as follows: Extraverted or Introverted Sensing or Intuitive Thinking or Feeling Judging or Perceiving Hence an individual may be one of the sixteen personality types that are determined by a particular preference in each of the four pairs. For example: The individual's personality type may be Introverted - Sensing - Thinking - Perceiving or it may be Extraverted - Sensing - Feeling - Perceiving.David Keirsey [3] developed an instrument for determining personality types called the Keirsey Temperament Sorter. It consists of 70 questions whose answers determine the tendency in each of the four preference alternatives. This test will be administered to senior level students since they have demonstrated success in the program by progressing to the senior level. Results will be analyzed to determine if there is a tendency toward any of the preference alternatives.This test will be administered to senior level students since they have demonstrated success in the program by progressing to the senior level. Results will be analyzed to determine if there is a tendency toward any of the preference alternatives.
Application of the equivalent circuit model for semiconductors to the study of Au-doped p-n junctions under forward bias

The Green-Shewchun method of solution is applied to the transmission line circuit model of Sah to obtain the forward current-, capacitance-, and conductance-voltage characteristics of semiconductor p-n junctions. Numerical solutions are obtained for diffused dopant impurity profiles and several position dependent concentration profiles of gold recombination centers to illustrate the variation of the reciprocal slope parameter m in the dc current, exp (qV/mkT). A new behavior of m = 2 is observed for many decades of current in the low-level range when the recombination centers are concentrated at the edge of the space-charge layer as expected from ion implantation. The theoretical calculations are compared with experimental forward current-, conductance-, and capacitance-voltage data from 10 to 106Hz and 77 to 300 K. Excellent agreements are obtained without adjustable parameters for boron and gold diffused p+-n silicon diodes from low to high injection levels. A twenty-five fold increase of the steady-state hole lifetime from low to high injection level is both observed and predicted. Agreements are also obtained for phosphorus- and gold-diffused n+-p silicon diodes from low to intermediate injection levels where the steady-state electron lifetime is nearly constant and controlled by electron capture into the positively charged gold donor centers.
Warmth is Analgesic in Healthy Newborns

This study identifies a behavioral and nonpharmacologic means of preventing and reducing newborn pain. Our objective was to determine whether warmth is analgesic in newborn infants undergoing vaccination-a routine painful hospital procedure. We used a prospective randomized controlled trial of 47 healthy full-term newborn infants. Infants were randomized into 1 of 3 conditions prior to vaccination: warmth exposure, pacifier suckling, or sucrose taste. Crying, grimacing, and heart rate differences were analyzed between groups before, during, and after vaccination as outcome measures. Warmer infants cried significantly less than sucrose taste or pacifier suckling after vaccination. Heart rate patterns reflected this analgesia. Core temperature did not differ between study groups. Providing natural warmth to newborn infants during a painful procedure decreases the crying and grimacing on par with the "gold" standard treatments of sucrose or pacifier.