cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Drug susceptibility surveillance of influenza viruses circulating in the United States in 2011‐2012: application of the WHO antiviral working group criteria

Background Assessing susceptibility of influenza viruses to neuraminidase (NA) inhibitors (NAIs) is primarily done in NA inhibition (NI) assays, supplemented by NA sequence analysis. However, two factors present challenges for NI assay data interpretation: lack of established IC50 values indicative of clinically relevant resistance and insufficient harmonization of NI testing methodologies among surveillance laboratories. In 2012, the WHO working group on influenza antiviral susceptibility (WHO-AVWG) developed criteria to facilitate consistent interpretation and reporting of NI assay data. Methods The WHO-AVWG classification criteria were applied in interpreting NI assay data for two FDA-licensed NAIs, oseltamivir and zanamivir, for viruses collected in the United States during the 2011–2012 winter season. Results All A (H1N1)pdm09 viruses (n = 449) exhibited normal inhibition by oseltamivir and zanamivir, with the exception of eight viruses (1·8%) with highly reduced inhibition by oseltamivir, which carried the H275Y marker of oseltamivir resistance. A (H3N2) viruses (n = 978) exhibited normal inhibition by both NAIs, except for one virus with highly reduced inhibition by zanamivir due to the cell culture-selected NA change, Q136K. Type B viruses (n = 343) exhibited normal inhibition by both drugs, except for an isolate with reduced inhibition by both NAIs that had the cell culture-selected A200T substitution. Conclusions WHO-AVWG classification criteria allowed the detection of viruses carrying the established oseltamivir resistance marker, as well as viruses whose susceptibility was altered during propagation. These criteria were consistent with statistical-based criteria for detecting outliers and will be useful in harmonizing NI assay data among surveillance laboratories worldwide and in establishing laboratory correlates of clinically relevant resistance.
Initial Orbit Design from Ground Track Points

M OTIVATED by the need for optimal orbit design algorithms for remote sensing spacemissions, the problemof orbit design given three ground sites on the ground track is addressed. Given three ground sites of interest, characterized by their right ascensions and latitudes, the objective is to calculate an orbit such that its ground track passes through the three sites within a given time frame. The problem has been formulated, and two solution algorithms have been developed. The first algorithm finds the exact orbit for which the ground track passes through the given ground sites; the second algorithm calculates an approximate solution. The approximate solution can be used as an initial guess in the first algorithm for an effective search for the exact solution. This note describes the case of three sites. In previous developments [1], a heuristic approach was proposed to search for a natural orbit that enables the spacecraft to visit the n number of sites naturally, without the use of propulsion. This solution, if obtained, is a passive solution, because no propulsion is needed. The method worked for a small number of sites of interest. The success of this method depends on the locations of the sites and the available time frame [2]. In the case of too many sites of interest, the set of sites will be split into subsets, in an optimal sense. Toward developing a splitting algorithm, this note addresses the case of only three ground sites. For three arbitrary ground sites, what are the solutions (orbits) that have ground tracks visiting the sites within a given time frame? Visiting a ground site does not necessarily require that the satellite pass directly above the ground site. However, in this development, the satellite is required to pass directly above the given ground sites. The reason is that, in the case of visiting only three ground sites, there is always at least one orbit that passes directly above the three sites; hence, considering only these orbits limits the number of solutions and simplifies the analysis. In future developments, cases with higher numbers of ground sites will be considered, and the sensor’s field of view will be taken into consideration to allow orbits with ground tracks not passing directly through the sites.
Hysteroscopy in the evaluation and treatment of mucinous adenocarcinoma.

Abstract BACKGROUND: Hysteroscopy to evaluate abnormal uterine bleeding is gaining popularity. The standard methods of evaluation, endocervical curettage, and endometrial biopsy frequently diagnose adenocarcinoma without determining location. Because the treatments of endometrial and endocervical cancers are different, knowing the neoplastic origin is desirable. CASES: Two postmenopausal women were referred for abnormal uterine bleeding. Endometrial biopsies were consistent with mucinous adenocarcinoma without distinction between cervical and endometrial sites. Endocervical curettages were inconclusive. Both patients underwent hysteroscopy at the time of exploratory laparotomy, which revealed the location of the adenocarcinomas, one in the endocervix and one in the uterine fundus. CONCLUSION: The location of adenocarcinoma may be further clarified by the use of intraoperative hysteroscopy, which can aid in determining surgical treatment.
Lifting-Line Analysis of Roll Control and Variable Twist

A more practical form of an analytical solution that can be used to predict the roll response for a wing of arbitrary planform with arbitrary spanwise variation of control surface deflection and wing twist is presented. This infinite series solution is based on Prandtl 's classical lifting-line theory and the Fourier coefficients are presented in a form that only depends on wing geometry. The solution can be used to predict rolling and yawing moments as well as the lift and induced drag, which result from control surface deflection, rolling rate, and wing twist. The analytical solution can be applied to wings with conventional ailerons or to wings utilizing wing-warping control. The method is also applied to full-span twisting control surfaces, named "twisterons," which can be simultaneously used to provide roll control, high-lift, and minimum induced drag. A closed-form solution for optimum twist in a wing with linear taper is also presented. Nomenclature An = coefficients in the infinite series solution to the lifting-line equation an = planform contribution to the coefficients in the infinite series solution to the lifting-line equation b =w ingspan bn = twist contribution to the coefficients in the infinite series solution to the lifting-line equation Di C = induced drag coefficient L C = lift coefficient α , L C = wing lift slope α , ~ L C = airfoil section lift slope f L C δ , = change in wing lift coefficient with respect to flap deflection t L C δ , = change in wing lift coefficient with respect to twisteron deflection " C = rolling moment coefficient p C , " = change in rolling moment coefficient with respect to dimensionless rolling rate δ , " C = change in rolling moment coefficient with respect to control surface deflection m
Percutaneous ablation for bone and soft tissue metastases--why cryoablation?

Image-guided percutaneous thermal ablation has been developed into an effective method to help treat patients with bone and soft tissue tumors, including both benign and metastatic disease. Indeed, during the past few decades, many new ablation technologies have been developed and applied to this clinical problem, including cryoablation, radiofrequency ablation (RFA), microwave ablation, laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT), and focused ultrasound therapy. While these are all minimally invasive methods to destroy abnormal tissue, the technologies vary in the type of energy delivered, image guidance methods, treatment monitoring, and patient experience with each procedure. These differences become important in the ability to derive palliation of pain, achieve complete local control of the tumor when necessary, and avoid complications. Cryoablation has a long history of successful treatment of neoplasms in several organs, including prostate, kidney, liver, and lung. Cryoablation has also recently emerged as an exceptional method for treatment of metastatic disease involving bone and soft tissue outside of liver and lung [1]. The rationale for using cryoablation for this clinical need is based on its ability to treat often complex metastatic disease effectively, while preserving adjacent normal critical tissue. Careful monitoring of the cryoablation margin is possible, due to the visibility of the ice ball on computed tomography (CT), which is a key advantage of cryoablation over other methods. While cryoablation has only recently been applied to this clinical problem, RFA has been the most studied and is the most commonly performed ablation method for disease involving the skeletal system. In fact, RFA has emerged as the gold standard for treatment of osteoid osteomas [2–5]. As different ablative technologies have been applied to the treatment of patients with metastatic disease, a rational approach to the treatment of these patients is possible and may be understood on the basis of the goals of the treatment and adjacency of important normal structures. This article highlights some of the advantages of the use of cryoablation for treatment of metastatic disease involving bone and soft tissue over the other ablation technologies and summarizes the data supporting the effectiveness of cryoablation for treatment of metastatic bone and soft tissue tumors.
A qualitative analysis of factors related to late life independence as related by the old-old and viewed through the concept of locus of control

Abstract The purpose of this research was to better understand what factors a sample of independent living oldest-old people believed contributed to their late-life independence. Participants selected from a list of Medicare recipients were interviewed in their homes and asked to identify factors that they felt were responsible for their ability to remain independent in late-life. Content analysis was used to analyze the data. Locus of control emerged as a useful conceptual framework for describing the data. Five styles of locus of control were identified. The fifth style, Integrative Locus of Control, suggested that the oldest-old may integrate multiple styles of internal and external locus of control. Family members and service providers can encourage independence by respecting the oldest-olds' abilities to make decisions, solve problems, and resolve conflicts, while concurrently acknowledging and providing for their identified needs.
Reaching for the Moon: Expanding Transactive Memory's Reach with Wikis and Tagging

Transactive memory systems (TMS) support knowledge sharing and coordination in groups. TMS are enabled by the encoding, storage, retrieval, and communication of knowledge by domain expertsâ€”knowing who knows what. The NASA Ames Intelligent Robotics Group provides an example of how TMS theoretical boundaries are stretched in actual use. This group is characterized as being highly innovative as they routinely engage in field studies that are inherently difficult due to time and technology resource constraints. We provide an expanded view of TMS that includes the technology support system available to this group, and possible further extensions to NASAâ€™s or other such dynamic groupsâ€™ practice.
On Rosa-type labelings and cyclic graph decompositions

A labeling (or valuation) of a graph G is an assignment of integers to the vertices of G subject to certain conditions. A hierarchy of graph labelings was introduced by Rosa in the late 1960s. Rosa showed that certain basic labelings of a graph G with n edges yielded cyclic G-decompositions of K 2n+1 while other stricter labelings yielded cyclic G-decompositions of K 2nx+1 for all natural numbers x. Rosa-type labelings are labelings with applications to cyclic graph decompositions. We survey various Rosa-type labelings and summarize some of the related results.
Seasonal changes in reproductive and related organs in the pine vole, Microtus pinetorum, in southwestern Virginia.

Fifteen adult pine voles of each sex were trapped each month for a period of 1 year beginning in June 1967 and ending in May 1968. Measures of reproductive activity and various organ weights were obtained each month. Pregnant females were found only from April through October with peak numbers of pregnancies occurring in July and August. The average number of fetuses per pregnant female was 1.9. A few females had corpora lutea on their ovaries in all months except January. Weights of the ovaries, uteri, clitoral glands, testes, seminal vesicles, and preputial glands were all greater during the season of reproduction than during the remaining 5 months. Thymic and adrenal weights were greatest in early autumn.
Nutritional management of hypoglycemia.

PURPOSE People with type 1 diabetes who follow an intensive management program have an increased risk of hypoglycemia, particularly overnight. New strategies for the nutritional management of hypoglycemia are essential. METHODS The unique properties of foods that affect blood glucose are reviewed, with special attention to a new medical food bar designed to reduce the incidence of nocturnal hypoglycemia. RESULTS All carbohydrate-containing foods affect blood glucose, but each causes a different rise in concentration. Consuming a variety of conventional foods with different glycemic indices can help control hypoglycemia. A new medical food bar that provides a sequential triphasic release of glucose from sucrose, protein, and uncooked cornstarch can help control blood glucose levels. CONCLUSIONS Hypoglycemia can be avoided by consuming foods with varying glycemic indices. A new medical food bar that provides sequential release of glucose into the bloodstream may also help control blood glucose levels.
Nanostructure-Induced Membrane Curvature Recruits Endocytosis Machinary in Living Cells

Nanotechnology innovations have advanced biological science by providing new tools for probing cellular process. Whether or how cellular processes are altered upon interacting with such small scale devices are, however, not well understood. One crucial yet overlooked phenomenon is that nanostructures can induce local curvatures on plasma membrane. Modulation of local membrane curvature is known to be important in creating micro-domains for endocytosis initiation.In the present work, we used electron-beam lithography to make patterned nanopillars arrays with controllable diameters from 60nm to 2000 nm. From both SEM and TEM studies, nanopillars were found to sufficiently induce membrane curvature in living cells. By culturing mammalian cell lines with fluorescent protein labeled clathrin and dynamin on nanopillar substrates, recruitment of these two key proteins in endocytosis machinery were found to preferentially happen on nanopillars in comparison to flat surfaces. Similar phenomenon was also found in adaptor protein AP2 and BAR domain proteins. More interestingly, when changing the nanopillar to other geometries, e.g. nanobar and nanoCUI, such recruitment was found to more correlated with positive and large curvatures. We further studied the dynamics of clathrin and dynamin on nanostructures with gradient geometry, and differential effects were observed. This work provides new insights on the curvature dependent recruitment of endocytosis machinery proteins in living cells, and demonstrates the possibility of using nanofabricated structures as a new platform for membrane curvature manipulation.
The glutathione status of rat kidney nuclei following administration of buthionine sulfoximine

Rat kidney nuclei were isolated by techniques designed to limit the loss of small water-soluble metabolites. Lyophilized rat kidney powder was disrupted with a Tekmar Tissumizer, and nuclei were purified by discontinuous gradient centrifugation through a glycerol-metrizamide solution at 4°C. Purified nuclei exhibited similar DNA to protein ratios as reported for other rat nuclei isolated by nonaqueous isolation techniques. Results suggest that in control animals the concentration of glutathione in the kidney nucleus is similar to that in the cytoplasm. However, following treatment with buthionine sulfoximine, rat kidney nuclear glutathione levels were less than the corresponding cytoplasmic glutathione levels.
Published findings from the spouse assault replication program: A critical review

Published reports from seven jointly developed experiments have addressed whether or not arrest is an effective deterrent to misdemeanor spouse assault. Findings supporting a deterrent effect, no effect, and an escalation effect have been reported by the original authors and in interpretations of the published findings by other authors. This review found many methodologically defensible approaches used in these reports but not one of these approaches was used consistently in all published reports. Tables reporting the raw data on the prevalence and incidence of repeat incidents are presented to provide a more consistent comparison across all seven experiments. This review concludes that the available information is incomplete and inadequate for a definitive statement about the results of these experiments. Researchers and policy makers are urged to use caution in interpreting the findings available to date.
VCSEL-array-based angle-multiplexed optoelectronic crossbar interconnects

A large crossbar switch, which is a desirable building block for any low-latency interconnect network, is difficult to implement because of many practical problems associated with digital electronics. We propose a new method for implementing a large optoelectronic crossbar interconnect to take advantage of a unique principle of optics. Based on an emerging vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) technology, a passive angle-multiplexed beam-steering architecture is proposed as a key component of the optoelectronic crossbar. Various optical system parameters are evaluated. Because there is no optical fan-out power loss, the interconnect capacity of the proposed system is determined by the diffraction-limited receiver power cutoff, and therefore interconnection of more than 1000 nodes with a per node bandwidth of 1 GHz is possible with today's technology. A 64-element VCSEL-array-based proof-of-principle optical system for studying the interconnect scalability has been built. Details of the features of the proposed system, its advantages and limitations, demonstration experimental results, and their analyses are presented.
Mutagenic and chromosomal events in radiation transformation.

Resume La transformation d'une cellule normale en cellule cancereuse est un processus complexe comportant de multiples etapes. Nous presentons des donnees obtenues a partir de cellules de rongeurs et suggerant que le changement induit par l'irradiation initiale ne represente pas une mutation dans un gene de structure, ou groupe de genes, specifique, mais plutot que le dommage cause au DNA par l'irradiation produit un changement hereditaire qui amene, par la suite, la transformation d'une ou de plusieurs des cellules-filles de la cellule initialement irradiee. Ce second evenement, qui est rare, presente certaines caracteristiques d'une mutation. Des etudes effectuees sur des cellules diploides indiquent que l'irradiation induit des rearrangements stables de chromosomes, changements qui persistent tout au long de la duree de vie de ces cellules en culture. Parfois, ces cellules acquierent un avantage selectif de croissance et sont alors reconnues comme des clones anormaux. Ces clones peuvent se developper jusqu'a inclure la totalite de la population cellulaire, et montrent, in vitro une duree de vie notablement prolongee. Nous presentons une hypothese selon laquelle le phenomene de transformation se produit dans ces clones, et resulte probablement d'un changement mutationnel qui, lui, se produit au hasard durant la proliferation cellulaire.
Modal parameter evaluation of degraded adhesively bonded composite beams

This paper presents preliminary results of our recent research on modal parameter analysis of adhesively bonded composite beams with structural defects. Free-free flexural vibrations of composite beams bonded by adhesive with different volumes of defects were simulated and studied by using finite element modal analysis. The influence of structural defects on the dynamic behavior of such beams was analyzed through frequencies and the deformation of elements that are located near the defect zone. The numerical simulations were compared with experimental results. The simulations were not only consistent with the experiments, but also revealed a possible damping mechanism which helps to explain the experimental modal damping data. A phenomenon that differs from the generally accepted opinion about structural defects and their influence on modal parameters was reported and discussed.
Presynaptic Active Zone Density during Development and Synaptic Plasticity

Neural circuits transmit information through synapses, and the efficiency of synaptic transmission is closely related to the density of presynaptic active zones, where synaptic vesicles are released. The goal of this review is to highlight recent insights into the molecular mechanisms that control the number of active zones per presynaptic terminal (active zone density) during developmental and stimulus-dependent changes in synaptic efficacy. At the neuromuscular junctions (NMJs), the active zone density is preserved across species, remains constant during development, and is the same between synapses with different activities. However, the NMJ active zones are not always stable, as exemplified by the change in active zone density during acute experimental manipulation or as a result of aging. Therefore, a mechanism must exist to maintain its density. In the central nervous system (CNS), active zones have restricted maximal size, exist in multiple numbers in larger presynaptic terminals, and maintain a constant density during development. These findings suggest that active zone density in the CNS is also controlled. However, in contrast to the NMJ, active zone density in the CNS can also be increased, as observed in hippocampal synapses in response to synaptic plasticity. Although the numbers of known active zone proteins and protein interactions have increased, less is known about the mechanism that controls the number or spacing of active zones. The following molecules are known to control active zone density and will be discussed herein: extracellular matrix laminins and voltage-dependent calcium channels, amyloid precursor proteins, the small GTPase Rab3, an endocytosis mechanism including synaptojanin, cytoskeleton protein spectrins and β-adducin, and a presynaptic web including spectrins. The molecular mechanisms that organize the active zone density are just beginning to be elucidated.
Resonant photoemission involving super-Coster-Kronig transitions

We extend to photoemission the formal theory of the interaction of many discrete states with many continua and present three model calculations which illustrate the significant aspects of resonant photoemission. The first two models treat $3p$ core level to $3d$ band absorption, followed by super-Coster-Kronig decay (${3p}^{5}{3d}^{n+1}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{3p}^{6}{3d}^{n\ensuremath{-}1}\ensuremath{\epsilon}f$), which interferes with the direct excitation of the $3d$ valence band. The first calculation is for a simple band model which applies approximately to Cr. No $d\ensuremath{-}d$ interactions or atomic effects are included, yet interference characteristic of Fano resonances is clearly evident. Specifically, a strong dip in the valence-band photoemission occurs near threshold. The second model contains hole-hole interactions and exhibits a resonant two-bound-hole satellite in photoemission. The dependence of the photoemission intensity on photon energy shows a larger Fano $q$ parameter for the satellite than for absorption, in agreement with an experiment on Ni. Further, the satellite shows strong enhancement at resonance, whereas the main line (valence-band emission) shows primarily an interference dip, as observed. The third model is for metals with filled $3d$ bands, such as Cu, Zn,.... The absorption is from $3p$ to the $4s\ensuremath{-}4p$ band. The resulting super-Coster-Kronig decay of the $3p$ hole gives rise to the ${M}_{2,3}{M}_{4,5}{M}_{4,5}$ Auger peak (fixed kinetic energy) as well as a resonant satellite at fixed binding energy. The latter is due to a singularity [$N(hv,{E}^{B})\ensuremath{\sim}{({E}^{B}\ensuremath{-}{E}_{0}^{B})}^{\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\lambda}}$] in the photoemission intensity caused by the strong interaction of the $4s\ensuremath{-}4p$ conduction electrons and the ${3d}^{8}$ configuration in the final state.
Behavior of circular domains in GdIG

A close-packed array of circular domains was formed by a pulsed magnetic field in a 1-mil-thick slab of
Development of a Monoclonal Antibody-Based Enzyme-Linked Immuosorbent Assay for the β-Adrenergic Agonist Zilpaterol

Zilpaterol is a β-adrenergic agonist approved for use as a growth promoter in cattle in South Africa and Mexico but not in the European Union, United States, or Asia. Here, we report the development of a monoclonal antibody-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for zilpaterol. Mice immunized with zilpaterol−butyrate−keyhole limpet hemocyanin were utilized for monoclonal antibody generation whereas zilpaterol−butyrate−bovine serum albumin was used as a coating antigen for ELISA. Thirteen clones were isolated, and after the initial sensitivity and isotyping experiments, three clones were selected for further ELISA optimization. Studies indicated that the optimum pH was near 7.4. Clone 3H5 had the highest sensitivity to zilpaterol and some interaction with clenbuterol and terbutaline at high concentrations but not other N-alkyl [bamethane, (−)-isoproterenol, (+)-isoproterenol, metaproterenol, or salbutamol] or N-arylalkyl (fenoterol, isoxsuprine, ractopamine, or salmeterol) β-agonists tested. Howev...
Spatial frequency analysis of infant habituation

Infant habituation functions to checkerboard stimuli are dependent on the pattern check-density, age of infant, and temporal dimensions of the stimulus presentations. This study was designed to determine the extent to which these parameters are dependent on the spatial frequency content of the stimuli and the spatial contrast sensitivity of the infant. Data were obtained from 75 2-month-old and 75 3-month-old infants who were presented with either a 4 × 4, 12 × 12, or 20 × 20 achromatic, checkerboard pattern (12 °) for eight trials. Contrast threshold data for 2- and 3-month-old infants were derived from the mean contrast sensitivity function (CSFs) of Banks and Salapatek (1981) and correlated with metrics based on the two-dimensional Fourier amplitude spectrum and both a single-channel filter and multiple-channel filters. In general, the amount of initial fixation, overall fixation, and slopes of the habituation functions were best predicted by a maximum-amplitude model. These findings are discussed in terms of a dual-process theory of infant visual attention in which stimuli with greater suprathreshold energy, as seen through the infant's CSF, potentiate visual fixation via a sensitization pathway.
Phenobarbital induction of egasyn: availability of egasyn in vivo determines glucuronidase binding to membrane.

Abstract Murine egasyn, a protein which stabilizes the binding of β-glucuronidase to microsomal membranes, was induced 1.9 fold in liver by phenobarbital treatment. Accompanying this increase was an alteration of the subcellular distribution of liver β-glucuronidase, although total glucuronidase activity remained constant. In control mice 32.6 ± 4.6% of the activity was microsomal, while after four days of phenobarbital treatment 50.5 ± 3.1% was microsomal. Thus, the availability of egasyn appears to be an important factor in determining the proportion of glucuronidase distributed to either microsomes or lysosomes.
Cavity-mode excitation in a Josephson tunnel junction

Using Takanaka's theory of the zero-field dc-current steps of a Josephson tunnel junction, we have studied the effect of the junction $Q$ factor on the shape of the current step near the first even-order resonant voltage $V=h\frac{{\ensuremath{\nu}}_{c}}{e}$, where ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{c}$ is the frequency of the fundamental cavity mode. In addition, we have found that the effect of a magnetic field on the step height can be qualitatively explained by modifying Takanaka's theory to include a magnetic-field-dependent term.
Computer use levers power sharing: multicultural students' styles of participation and knowledge

Abstract In the study presented here drawing on staff development experiences in four elementary classrooms, research is presented, describing evolving ways teachers came to learn how to build on the knowledge students brought to school with a focus on cultural understandings and practice. This focus on cultural ways of knowing distinguishes this discussion from those which focus on individual learning styles. In the first section, I discuss the past literature about how friction that exists between cultural participation styles for several different cultural populations and what is traditional in classrooms. After a discussion of methods of the research and the settings from which the research was drawn, the findings of the research are presented with discussion and illustration of how four elementary school teachers came to use technology in a way sensitive to cultural differences of the students. Perhaps the most significant finding is that as teachers started using three to five computers in their classrooms, they shifted from large group to small group instruction.
Curriculum Designed for an Equitable Pedagogy

Rather than viewing curriculum as linear, a post-modern, learner-centered curriculum design is a spiral or recursive curriculum. Post-modernism provides a much less stable foundation upon which to build a model of student learning, a model that recognizes and even celebrates individual difference and one that is supported by research on how people learn. We propose one such curricular approach through an examination of a Bachelor of Integrative Studies program.
Baroclinic Instability in the Upper Troposphere

Abstract Observations show that the lapse rate increases upward in the troposphere. Baroclinic instability spectra are presented for the lapse rate increasing linearly upward from small values in the lower troposphere to large values in the upper troposphere. As compared with spectra for a standard atmosphere, growth rates at short wavelengths are reduced, and the wavelength of maximum instability is increased. When the lapse rate is made constant and large in a layer between 400 mb and the tropopause, an additional, rapidly amplifying, baroclinic mode appears, with maximum growth rate at short wavelengths and maximum amplitude in the upper troposphere. Growth rates are large. Similar results are obtained for large shear in the upper troposphere.
Highly automated transmission-edge mapping

Instrumentation and software are described, which are used to determine maps of properties of materials based on optical transmission spectra. In addition to a Fourier transform spectrometer, the hardware includes an xy-stage containing a small stationary aperture and two computer controlled stepper motors for positioning the sample. This idea has been used for years but this implementation is highly automated compared to those previously described. All mapping has been in the 2-15 micron wavelength range but this is not an inherent limitation of the technique. In this spectral range, useful results may be obtained with apertures as small as 25 microns in diameter. The software is described including the algorithm for obtaining the cut-on wavelength from a semiconductor spectrum. Data from both transverse slices and longitudinal slabs of narrow bandgap alloy semiconductors are shown including composition maps for materials solidified with convex and concave growth interfaces.
Computing reachable states of parallel programs

A concurrency history graph is a representation of the reachable states of a parallel program. A new abstraction for representing the state of a parallel program is presented. This new abstraction is more general than previous work by the authors. At the same time, the new abstraction makes it possible to produce concurrency history graphs that require much less storage than that suggested by a simple worst case complexity analysis. Concurrency history graphs based on this new abstraction form the foundation upon which a static analysis tool capable of detecting race conditions in parallel programs is being built.
A Finite Algorithm for Global Minimization ofSeparable Concave Programs

Researchers first examined the problem of separable concave programming more than thirty years ago, making it one of the earliest branches of nonlinear programming to be explored. This paper proposes a new algorithm that finds the exact global minimum of this problem in a finite number of iterations. In addition to proving that our algorithm terminates finitely, the paper extends a guarantee of finiteness to all branch-and-bound algorithms for concave programming that (1) partition exhaustively using rectangular subdivisions and (2) branch on the incumbent solution when possible. The algorithm uses domain reduction techniques to accelerate convergence; it solves problems with as many as 100 nonlinear variables, 400 linear variables and 50 constraints in about five minutes on an IBM RS/6000 Power PC. An industrial application with 152 nonlinear variables, 593 linear variables, and 417 constraints is also solved in about ten minutes.
Methemoglobin—It's not just blue: A concise review

Hemoglobin has functions besides carrying oxygen to the tissues, and regulates vascular tone and inflammation via a redox couple with methemoglobin. Hemoglobin has iron in the reduced valance Fe(II) and methemoglobin has iron in the oxidized valance Fe (III), with a free energy capable of producing water from oxygen. In generating methemoglobin the couple functions as a nitrite reductase. The degree of oxidation of hemoglobin senses the oxygen level in the blood and uses its ability to produce nitric oxide from nitrite to control vascular tone, increasing blood flood when the proportion of oxygenated hemoglobin falls. Additional cardiovascular damage is produced by methemoglobin mediated oxidation of light density lipoproteins, accelerating arteriosclerosis. In addition, the release of heme from methemoglobin is an important factor in inflammation. These physiologic functions are paralleled by thewell-described role in the oxidation of various drugs resulting in methemoglobinemia. Am. J. Hematol., 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Information independent evaluation of information systems

Abstract Information systems are characterized and their desirable features are identified. Information independence is proposed as a major architectural characteristic underlying many desirable features. Two types of information independence are identified and an approach to quantifying the degree of independence is introduced. Information independence is suggested as a useful and quantifiable measure of the value of an information system.
Estrogen receptor development in the absence of growth hormone and prolactin: Studies in dwarf mice

Abstract The concentration of high-affinity estradiol binding sites in the uteri and pituitaries of normal and two dwarf strains of mice was studied. The two dwarf strains are characterized by their total absence of growth hormone or prolactin synthesis and low or absent TSH production. The uteri of the dwarf mice are small but the receptor concentration per unit of DNA was similar to the normals. Nuclear and cytoplasmic distribution studies and saturation analysis detected no differences in receptor characteristics between dwarf and normal mice. These results demonstrate that prolactin, growth hormone and TSH do not control the developmental increase in uterine estrogen receptor that normally occurs in the young mouse. The concentration of estrogen receptor per unit of DNA in the pituitaries of the dwarfs was only 20–30% of normal animals of the same strain. This suggests that estrogen receptor in the mouse pituitary is associated to a great extent with lactotrophs and/or somatotrophs which are absent in the dwarfs.
Combined execution and monitoring for control of autonomous agents

Robots and software agents that have to carry out tasks in the real world often have to initiate actions that involve continuous change. But activity in the real world also involves interacting with continous external processes---those initiated by the agent and those initiated by other factors in the world. In this paper, we present an architecture called RAMA, for Routine Activity Management and Analysis, which combines plan execution and process monitoring. RAMA uses a single process based representation to describe plans, external processes, and the way they must be coordinated. As it goes about performing tasks, \textsc{rama} uses a reactive executor to select actions and make predictions based on stored plans and process models. We illustrate the above behaviors with examples taken from LAUNDRY WORLD, a simulation in which RAMA controls a synthetic agent that does laundry.
Thermal reactions of CH2Cl2 in H2/O2 mixtures: Implications for chlorine inhibition of CO conversion to CO2

The thermal decomposition of dichloromethane in hydrogen/oxygen mixtures and argon bath gas was carried out at 1 atm pressure in tubular flow reactors of varied surface-to-volume ratios. The degradation of dichloromethane plus intermediate and final product formation was analyzed from 873 to 1093 K, with average residence times of 0.1–2.0 s. A detailed kinetic reaction mechanism based upon fundamental thermochemical principles and Transition State Theory was developed and used to model our experimental results. Sensitivity analysis was used to determine important reactions effective in inhibiting CO conversion to CO2. The results indicate that the reaction: OH + HCl → H2O + Cl is a major cause of OH loss and this decrease in OH significantly reduces CO conversion by reaction with OH. Lower temperatures result from reduced CO reaction with OH, which increases the importance of HO2. Here, the reaction of HO2 + Cl to the HCl + O2 (termination) channel further inhibits combustion. A significant fraction of the CH2Cl2 conversion occurs through C2 chlorocarbon formation, which results from methyl and chloromethyl combination reactions.
Acidic retinoids synergize with vitamin A to enhance retinol uptake and STRA6, LRAT, and CYP26B1 expression in neonatal lung.

Vitamin A (VA) is essential for fetal lung development and postnatal lung maturation. VA is stored mainly as retinyl esters (REs), which may be mobilized for production of retinoic acid (RA). This study was designed 1) to evaluate several acidic retinoids for their potential to increase RE in the lungs of VA-supplemented neonatal rats, and 2) to determine the expression of retinoid homeostatic genes related to retinol uptake, esterification, and catabolism as possible mechanisms. When neonatal rats were treated with VA combined with any one of several acidic retinoids (RA, 9-cis-RA, or Am580, a stable analog of RA), lung RE increased ∼5–7 times more than after an equal amount of VA alone. Retinol uptake and esterification during the period of absorption correlated with increased expression of both STRA6 (retinol-binding protein receptor) and LRAT (retinol esterification), while a reduction in RE after 12 h in Am580-treated, VA-supplemented rats correlated with a strong and persistent increase in CYP26B1 (RA hydroxylase). We conclude that neonatal lung RE can be increased synergistically by VA combined with both natural and synthetic acidic retinoids, concomitant with induction of the dyad of STRA6 and LRAT. However, the pronounced and prolonged induction of CYP26B1 by Am580 may counteract lung RE accumulation after the absorption process is completed.
Pressurized liquid extraction using water/isopropanol coupled with solid-phase extraction cleanup for industrial and anthropogenic waste-indicator compounds in sediment

Abstract A broad range of organic compounds is recognized as environmentally relevant for their potential adverse effects on human and ecosystem health. This method was developed to better determine the distribution of 61 compounds that are typically associated with industrial and household waste as well as some that are toxic and known (or suspected) for endocrine-disrupting potential extracted from environmental sediment samples. Pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) coupled with solid-phase extraction (SPE) was used to reduce sample preparation time, reduce solvent consumption to one-fifth of that required using dichloromethane-based Soxhlet extraction, and to minimize background interferences for full scan GC/MS analysis. Recoveries from spiked Ottawa sand, commercially available topsoil, and environmental stream sediment, fortified at 4–720 μg per compound, averaged 76 ± 13%. Initial method detection limits for single-component compounds ranged from 12.5 to 520 μg/kg, based on 25 g samples. Results from 103 environmental sediment samples show that 36 out of 61 compounds (59%) were detected in at least one sample with concentrations ranging from 20 to 100,000 μg/kg. The most frequently detected compound, beta-sitosterol, a plant sterol, was detected in 87 of the 103 (84.5%) environmental samples with a concentration range 360–100,000 μg/kg. Results for a standard reference material using dichloromethane Soxhlet-based extraction are also compared.
Control of nonlinear non-minimum phase systems with input-output linearization

In this paper we present a new approach of using input-output linearization to control a single input, single output, input-affine nonlinear non-minimum phase system. We will show that, if the linearized system is stabilizable, we can redefine the output of the system such that the input-output linearized system is locally asymptotically stable. Furthermore we develop an LQR technique for designing the redefined output, which assures stabilization of the zerodynamics. Simulations of a physical system show that the resulting controller, which in a way fuses LQR techniques with input-output linearization, out-performs a regular LQR feedback controller and demonstrates a big region of attraction. The presented technique can be used to regulate the system around an equilibrium and to achieve tracking for certain trajectories. Conditions are established that allow the asymptotic regulation and tracking of desired trajectories for the original output. We will demonstrate the control design on a two-dimensional Segway model.
Effect of Gamma Radiation on Glass Leaching

Significant increases in the leaching rate of PNL 76–68, a complex simulated nuclear waste glass, were observed to occur in the presence of gamma radiation. Some of the enhanced leaching is due to the generation of nitric acid from air radiolysis in the leach vessel. Nitric acid appears to preferentially attack zinc and lanthanides, both of which normally build up on the surface of the glass when leached in nonacidic solutions. Increased rates were also found for samples irradiated while leaching but with air excluded to eliminate nitric acid formation, indicating that water radiolysis products may also be important. Samples irradiated prior to leaching showed dissolution rates indistinguishable from those of unirradiated specimens.
Bovine Brain Region-Specific Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase Expression and Fatty Acid Composition

In this study, we sought to determine the relationship between stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) gene isoform expression in the bovine brain and the accumulation of 18:1n-9. Two SCD gene isoforms are found in cows—SCD1 and SCD5. Samples of six brain regions (cerebellum, frontal cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus, midbrain, and pons) were collected from animals at four different ages (neonates, weanlings, yearlings, and adults) for mRNA isolation and fatty acid analysis. Expression of SCD1 and SCD5 mRNA was compared across age groups to determine its developmental regulation. Fatty acid composition and SCD isoform mRNA expression were compared to examine the correlation of SCD1 and SCD5 with 18:1n-9 content in different brain regions. We found statistically significant correlations between SCD1 and SCD5 mRNA expression and the ratio of 18:1n-9 to 18:0 across age groups, with stronger correlations observed for SCD5. Similarly, there was a significant correlation between the ratio of 18:1n-9 to 18:0 and SCD5 mRNA expression across brain regions. SCD1 mRNA and the 18:1n-9 to 18:0 ratio were negatively correlated in the hippocampus. There was no trend of increasing 18:1n-9 content or SCD expression with age. Correlations indicated a stronger relationship between SCD5 mRNA expression and the 18:1n-9 to 18:0 ratio, potentially indicating a strong contribution of the SCD5 isoform to brain 18:1n-9 content. This is the first study examining a potential role for SCD5 in providing 18:1n-9 for brain lipids.
More homologies among the vertebrate plasma proteins

Many of the proteins of vertebrate blood plasma share common ancestry. As more sequences are reported, the network of relationships continues to expand in unexpected directions. Computer analysis now reveals that a minor plasma protein of unknown function, gamma-trace protein, is related to the kininogen family. Some other possible relationships have been uncovered also, including a resemblance between the histidine-rich hinge regions of high molecular weight kininogen and hemopexin and between Factor VIII and Von Willebrand Factor.
Manifold learning, a promised land or work in progress?

Tasks of image clustering and classification often deal with data of very high dimensions. To alleviate the dimensionality curse, several methods, such as isomap, LLE and KPCA, have recently been proposed and applied to learn low-dimensional, non-linear embedded manifolds in high-dimensional spaces. Unfortunately, the scenarios in which these methods appear to be effective are very contrived. In this work, we empirically examine these methods on a realistic but not-so-difficult dataset. We discuss the promises and limitations of these dimension-reduction schemes.
The glycine decarboxylase complex multienzyme family in Populus

In plants, the glycine decarboxylase complex (GDC) cooperates with serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT) to mediate photorespiratory glycine–serine interconversion. GDC is also postulated to be an integral component of one-carbon (C1) metabolism in heterotrophic tissues, although molecular evidence in plants is scarce. An initial report of a xylem-specific isoform of GDC component H-protein, PtgdcH1 ,i n aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) provided molecular evidence consistent with an important role for GDC in plant C1 metabolism. PtgdcH1 is phylogenetically distinct from the leaf-abundant photorespiratory PtgdcH3, but both isoforms restored GDC activity in a yeast H-protein knockout mutant, suggesting their functional equivalence. The Populus genome contains eight transcriptionally active GDC genes, encoding four H-proteins, two T-proteins, and single P- and L-proteins. The two Populus T-protein isoforms, PtgdcT1 and PtgdcT2, exhibited differential expression in leaves and xylem, similar to PtgdcH3 and PtgdcH1. In silico identification of AC elements in the promoters of xylem-abundant PtgdcH1 and PtgdcT2, as well as many lignin biosynthetic genes of Populus is consistent with a prominent role for GDC in methyl-intensive lignification during wood formation. The AC element is absent from Arabidopsis GDC promoters, and GDC expression has not been linked to secondary growth in this herbaceous annual. Taken together, the results suggest that the association of distinct H-protein and T-protein isoforms with photorespiration and C1 metabolism is a distinguishing feature of Populus, and may signify molecular adaptation of GDC to cope with the C1 demands of lignification in woody perennials.