cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Follow-up of Acute kidney injury in Neonates during Childhood Years (FANCY): a prospective cohort study

Background Very low birth weight (VLBW) neonates commonly experience acute kidney injury (AKI) in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). We hypothesize that VLBW neonates exposed to AKI in the NICU might be at a higher risk of renal dysfunction during childhood.
Air Quality Model Evaluation Data for Organics. 2. C1−C14 Carbonyls in Los Angeles Air

As part of a larger experiment that provides a comprehensive set of observations to be used for testing air quality models for organic air pollutant transport and reaction, ambient air samples have been collected using DNPH-coated C18 cartridges at four urban locations and one background location in the Los Angeles area and have been analyzed for carbonyls as their DNPH derivatives. Twenty-three carbonyls have been identified and their concentrations measured: 14 aliphatic aldehydes (from formaldehyde to tetradecanal), two aromatics (benzaldehyde and m-tolualdehyde), three ketones (acetone, 2-butanone, and cyclohexanone), one unsaturated carbonyl (crotonaldehyde), and three dicarbonyls (glyoxal, methylglyoxal, and biacetyl). Another 19 carbonyls have been tentatively identified including 11 low molecular weight (MW) and intermediate MW carbonyls (of which four may be due to reactions of ambient NO, NO2, and ozone with DNPH on the sampling cartridge), four C4−C6 dicarbonyls present at trace levels, and fo...
Programs in Biomedical Engineering Education: How to Improve it

This work collects information on educational models applied in the teaching of biomedical engineering, in several countries. There is no universal uniformity in teaching subjects and contents of the courses. The result internationally is great variability in the curriculum, the analysis is based in areas covers and didactic modalities. We used information available on the Web sites of careers and we use the AWP model as valuation method. Some optimization proposals are made, based on the results of professional performance of graduates and the demands of the professional field.
Antioxidant Treatment with N-acetyl Cysteine Prevents the Development of Cognitive and Social Behavioral Deficits that Result from Perinatal Ketamine Treatment

Alterations of the normal redox state can be found in all stages of schizophrenia, suggesting a key role for oxidative stress in the etiology and maintenance of the disease. Pharmacological blockade of NMDA receptors can disrupt natural antioxidant defense systems and induce schizophrenia-like behaviors in animals and healthy human subjects. Perinatal administration of the NMDAR antagonist ketamine produces persistent behavioral deficits in adult mice which mimic a range of positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms that characterize schizophrenia. Here we tested whether antioxidant treatment with the glutathione precursor N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) can prevent the development of these behavioral deficits. On postnatal days (PND) 7, 9 and 11 we treated mice with subanesthetic doses (30 mg/kg) of ketamine or saline. Two groups (either ketamine or saline treated) also received NAC throughout development. In adult animals (PND 70-120) we then assessed behavioral alterations in a battery of cognitive and psychomotor tasks. Ketamine-treated animals showed deficits in a task of cognitive flexibility, abnormal patterns of spontaneous alternation, deficits in novel-object recognition, as well as social interaction. Developmental ketamine treatment also induced behavioral stereotypy in response to an acute amphetamine challenge, and it impaired sensorimotor gating, measured as reduced prepulse inhibition of the startle response. All of these behavioral abnormalities were either prevented or strongly ameliorated by NAC co-treatment. These results suggest that oxidative stress is a major factor for the development of the ketamine-induced behavioral dysfunctions, and that restoring oxidative balance during the prodromal stage of schizophrenia might be able to ameliorate the development of several major symptoms of the disease.
Biomimetic lipid nanoparticles as treatment for bacterial sepsis (HUM4P.275)

Sepsis describes a spectrum of potentially fatal medical conditions caused by the inflammatory response of the human body to an infectious insult. Due to significant morbidity and high mortality, new treatments are urgently needed specifically targeting the cause of sepsis. Gram-negative sepsis is elicited by lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Recognition of these bacterial cell wall components by TLR4 and accessory proteins leads to activation of complement and coagulation systems and the release of pro-inflammatory agents. Human high-density lipoproteins (hHDL) can bind LPS and reduce its levels in the blood. However, remodeling and depletion of HDL during sepsis impairs HDLs’ immune-protective capacity. Thus, we sought to design nanoparticles (NP) that mimic hHDL in shape and surface chemistry, yet exceeded its LPS-binding properties and boosted LPS detoxification. Convincingly, our data show that HDL-like NPs effectively reduce the LPS-induced production of cytokines in human monocytic cell lines and in whole human blood. Our NPs, but not hHDL, exert their immune-protective function at low nM concentrations when stimulated with LPS concentrations above those levels reported in sepsis patients. Further, our NPs are non-immunogenic and non-toxic to target cells. As such, our NPs have the great potential for an LPS antidote that rapidly detoxifies LPS in the blood, drastically inhibits the release of inflammatory mediators, and constitutes a highly effective treatment for sepsis.
Cognitive infrastructure - a modern concept for resilient performance under extreme events

Abstract The increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters, as well as escalation of manmade threats, are posing significant threats to the built environment. Further, much of civil infrastructure in developed countries, built after World War II, is experiencing age-related deterioration and thus are vulnerable to damage under extreme events. This vulnerability of infrastructure under severe loading conditions can be assessed through a coupled sensing-structural framework that extends principles of the recently developed “Internet of Things” (IoT) technology into civil infrastructure. This concept aims at monitoring key response parameters (i.e. temperature, strain, deformation, vibration levels etc.) by incorporating cognitive abilities into a structure through interaction of various sensing devices and socio-environmental factors. These response parameters can be utilized to trace performance of critical infrastructure during the course of a disaster so as to predict signs of imminent failure and to provide first responders and occupants with much needed situational awareness. The practicality of the proposed concept in enhancing resilience of new and existing infrastructure is illustrated through two case studies.
Flexible IoT security middleware for end-to-end cloud–fog communication

Abstract IoT (Internet of Things) based smart devices such as sensors have been actively used in edge clouds i.e., ‘fogs’ along with public clouds. They provide critical data during scenarios ranging from e.g., disaster response to in-home healthcare. However, for these devices to work effectively, end-to-end security schemes for the device communication protocols have to be flexible and should depend upon the application requirements as well as the resource constraints at the network-edge. In this paper, we present the design and implementation of a flexible IoT security middleware for end-to-end cloud–fog communications involving smart devices and cloud-hosted applications. The novel features of our middleware are in its ability to cope with intermittent network connectivity as well as device constraints in terms of computational power, memory, energy, and network bandwidth. To provide security during intermittent network conditions, we use a ‘Session Resumption’ algorithm in order for our middleware to reuse encrypted sessions from the recent past, if a recently disconnected device wants to resume a prior connection that was interrupted. In addition, we describe an ‘Optimal Scheme Decider’ algorithm that enables our middleware to select the best possible end-to-end security scheme option that matches with a given set of device constraints. Experiment results show how our middleware implementation also provides fast and resource-aware security by leveraging static properties i.e., static pre-shared keys (PSKs) for a variety of IoT-based application requirements that have trade-offs in higher security or faster data transfer rates.
Evaluating an Electronic Health Record Intervention for Management of Heart Failure Among Veterans

Abstract Background: We studied the feasibility of using the Veteran Health Administration's electronic health record (EHR), My HealtheVet, as an educational and monitoring tool for veterans with heart failure (HF). Methods: We enrolled 120 HF patients with a mean age (±standard deviation): 64.8 ± 9.6, range: 41–91 years. There were 105 (87.5%) non-Hispanics, 15 (12.5%) Hispanics, 91 (75.8%) whites, and 20 (16.5%) blacks, and 62 (51.7%) were married. Study participants received educational material on managing their HF and were monitored on their weight and HF symptoms weekly. Surveys on My HealtheVet use and secondary outcomes including knowledge of their illness, quality of life (QoL), and self-efficacy were conducted at baseline and 26 weeks after enrollment. Results: Among the participants, 55 (45.8%) had used My HealtheVet. The number of weeks each user responded to the weekly messages by the care coordinator ranged from 1 (4%) to 26 (100%) with a median of 8. Secondary outcome data were available fo...
Planning for dynamic configuration of component-based architectures

The Scenario-based Engineering Process (SEP) is a novel approach to developing complex systems. SEP builds new application systems through a selection process that groups primitive components into application specific components. The selection of primitive components and the construction of interfaces among components in an application system is currently a tedious manual undertaking. The automation of this process will require a configuration system that can support the complex interactions of the components, the dynamic requirements of users, and the capabilities of providing multiple viewpoints and managing extensive domains. This paper will discuss our work on a configuration system based upon UM-PRS, the University of Michigan Procedural Reasoning System. To support the SEP methodology, we are developing a system, SEPRS, that will use planning techniques for component selection, integrated with semantic understanding techniques for dynamic interface construction, to create a flexible and powerful system engineering environment.
Ultrasonic Reflection and Wave Propagation in Multilayered Composite Plates

This paper presents selected results of numerous ultrasonic reflection measurements on plates of laminated composites in which the angle of incidence of the acoustic wave and its frequency have been varied. These measurements have been carried out on biaxially laminated graphite-epoxy specimens utilizing water as a fluid coupling medium. The stacking sequence of the samples investigated is restricted to the case of 0–90° lamination. The data are compared to the results of a recent theoretical analysis based on an exact analytical treatment of wave propagation in a fluid-coupled orthotropic plate in conjunction with a transfer matrix approach. Reflection and transmission coefficients are derived for the multilayer anisotropic laminate from which the characteristic behavior of the system is identified. In general, very good agreement is found between prediction and experiment. Moreover, significant changes in the reflection spectra are observed and predicted, depending on the orientation of the composite plates.
Improved Substructure Identification Through Use of an Active Control Device

Increasingly, researchers turn to substructure identification for civil structural health monitoring for a variety of reasons. First, substructure identification provides inherent damage localization. Second, substructure identification provides greater numerical conditioning than full structure identification because only a small subset of the degrees of freedom are considered in each analysis. Third, substructure identification is perfectly suited for a decentralized implementation within a network of wireless sensors. This implementation can realize cost savings in installation and operation.While the benefits of substructure identification are many-fold, current research shows that certain structure-substructure combinations admit poor performance. Research demonstrates that single story substructures in a shear building are poorly identified (if at all) when interstory acceleration response is low in a specific frequency range. This result shows that portions of the structure are unable to be identified properly with substructure identification.To overcome these results, this paper temporarily re-purposes a structural control device to change the global dynamics of the structure to improve substructure identification at a particular story. A control law for an active mass damper is developed to increase the interstory response at a particular story, which, when implemented, will improve substructure identification of that story. The control law is developed in simulation and will later be tested experimentally on a four story, 12 ft. steel building excited by base motion.
Enhancing Independent Participation Within Vocational Activities for an Adolescent With ASD Using AAC Video Visual Scene Displays

Adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often require support both for learning new skills and for communication. This study used a multiple baseline across activities design to evaluate th...
The impact of changing homework frequency in a computer architecture course

Formative assessment in a computer architecture course is often modeled as lab exercises and written homework. In this paper, we discuss the impact of splitting large homework assignments into daily assignments for a second-year computer architecture course. We describe our motivation for the adjustment, the design goals for the change, and preliminary results showing the effect on student learning. In evaluating the impact, we analyze student homework and test scores, as well as informal and formal course evaluation surveys.
Predicting the Evolution of the 2014–2016 California Current System Marine Heatwave From an Ensemble of Coupled Global Climate Forecasts

Throughout 2014-2016, the California Current System (CCS) was characterized by large and persistent sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTa), which were accompanied by widespread ecological and socioeconomic consequences that have been documented extensively in the scientific literature and in the popular press. This marine heatwave and others have resulted in a heightened awareness of their potential impacts and prompted questions about if and when they may be predictable. Here, we use output from an ensemble of global climate forecast systems to document which aspects of the 2014-2016 CCS heatwave were predictable and how forecast skill, or lack thereof, relates to mechanisms driving the heatwave’s evolution. We focus on four prominent SSTa changes within the 2014-2016 period: (i) the initial onset of anomalous warming in early 2014, (ii) a second rapid SSTa increase in late 2014, (iii) a sharp reduction and subsequent return of warm SSTa in mid-2015, and (iv) another anomalous warming event in early 2016. Models exhibited clear forecast skill for the first and last of these fluctuations, but not the two in the middle. Taken together with the state of knowledge on the dominant forcing mechanisms of this heatwave, our results suggest that CCS SSTa forecast skill derives from predictable evolution of pre-existing SSTa to the west (as in early 2014) and the south (as in early 2016), while the inability of models to forecast wind-driven SSTa in late 2014 and mid-2015 is consistent with the lack of a moderate or strong El Nino or La Nina event preceding those periods. The multi-model mean forecast consistently outperformed a damped persistence forecast, especially during the period of largest SSTa, and skillful CCS forecasts were generally associated with accurate representation of large-scale dynamics. Additionally, a large forecast ensemble (85 members) indicated elevated probabilities for observed SSTa extremes even when ensemble mean forecasts exhibited limited skill. Our results suggest that different types or aspects of marine heat waves are more or less predictable depending on the forcing mechanisms at play, and events that are consistent with predictable ocean responses could inform ecosystem-based management of the ocean.
Modeling Hardware Trojans in 3D ICs

Three-dimensional (3D) integration facilitates to integrate increasing number of transistors into a single package. Despite of improved performance and power efficiency, the integration of multiple dies into the same package potentially leads to new security threats, such as 3D hardware Trojans. In this work, we first provide a thorough survey of reported hardware Trojans in 3D integrated circuits and systems, and then propose comprehensive 3D hardware Trojan models. A case study is performed to verify the implementation feasibility of thermal-triggered 3D Trojan. The activation speed of the 3D Trojan is compared to its 2D counterpart to confirm that 3D IC provides a better environment to hide thermal Trojans.
Dante's Vita Nuova and the New Testament: Hermeneutics and the Poetics of Revelation

Modelling knowledge as revelation and theology as poetry, this powerful new reading of the Vita nuova not only challenges Dante scholars to reconsider the book's speculative emphases but also offers the general reader an accessible yet penetrating exploration of some of the Western tradition's most far-reaching ideas surrounding love and knowledge. Dante's 'little book', included in full here in an original parallel translation, captures in its first emergence the same revolutionary ferment that would later become manifest both in the larger oeuvre of this great European writer and in the literature of the entire Western canon. William Franke demonstrates how Dante's youthful poetic autobiography disrupts sectarian thinking and reconciles the seeming contraries of divine revelation and human invention, while also providing the means for understanding religious revelation in the Bible. Ultimately, this revolutionary unification of Scripture and poetry shows the intimate working of love at the source of inspired knowing.
Glutamate receptor agonists stimulate diverse calcium responses in different types of cultured rat cortical glial cells

We examined the effects of different types of glutamate receptor agonists on the intracellular calcium concentration, ([Ca2+]i), in cultured rat cortical glial cells. The cells in these cultures were characterized immunocytochemically using antibodies against glial fibrillary acidic protein, A2B5, and OX-42. The metabotropic glutamate receptor agonist (1S,3R)-1-aminocyclopentane-1,3- dicarboxylic acid produced Ca2+ mobilization from intracellular stores in all classes of cells. Agonists at non-NMDA glutamate receptors also produced large increases in [Ca2+]i, primarily in cells of the O-2A lineage. Disruption of intracellular Ca2+ stores with thapsigargin showed that increases in [Ca2+]i produced by activating AMPA/kainate receptors were primarily due to Ca2+ influx rather than Ca(2+)-induced Ca2+ release. Agonists at NMDA receptors were ineffective. Electrophysiological studies revealed that cells of the O-2A lineage exhibited moderate inward currents in response to kainate in Na(+)-containing solutions, but only small inward currents and outward rectification in Na(+)-free solutions. However, in the presence of cyclothiazide, the kainate- induced currents were increased in size and a rightward shift of the reversal potential with increased [Ca2+]o could be demonstrated. Activation of cells by kainate, but not by depolarizing stimuli, stimulated the uptake of Co2+. Polymerase chain reaction studies showed that the glutamate receptor subunits GluR1–4 and GluR6 were all expressed in these cultures, but GluR5 was absent. The nature of the Ca2+ uptake pathway activated by non-NMDA receptor agonists in the O-2A lineage population is discussed. It is considered most likely that the O-2A lineage cells express both non-NMDA receptors that are relatively impermeable to divalent cations, as well as a smaller population that are Ca2+ permeable.
Measuring Thermal, Hydrological, Mechanical, and Chemical Responses in the Yucca Mountain Drift Scale Test

Abstract The Drift Scale Test (DST) in the Exploratory Studies Facility at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, USA is an in-situ heater test to study coupled thermal, hydrological, mechanical, and chemical processes caused by the decay heat from high level nuclear waste emplaced in the proposed geologic repository. The objective of the test is to develop, refine, and verify/validate the coupled-process models to be employed in evaluating the performance of the proposed repository. The four-year heating phase of the test, started in December 1997, was terminated in January 2002, leading into the on-going cooling phase measurements. The DST is also the benchmark experiment central to Task 2 of the DECOVALEX III international research project for the “DEvelopment of COupled models and their VALidation against Experiments.” Several other papers in this GeoProc2003 conference discuss the thermal-hydrologic (TH), thermal- hydrologic-mechanical (THM), and thermal-hydrologic-chemical (THC) processes in the DST. To provide the context to those presentations, this paper describes the DST outlining its configuration, the geologic setting, the instrumentation and measuring systems, and other physical and temporal features of the test. Typical measured results relative to the four processes of interest are presented and discussed.
Conversion of Histidine to Hercynine by Neurospora crassa

Cell-free extracts of Neurospora crassa mycelium catalyze the methylation of l-histidine to form hercynine (histidine betaine). The partially methylated compounds, α-N-methyl-l-histidine and α-N,N-dimethyl-l-histidine, are also methylated by the same enzyme preparation to form hercynine. All three methylation reactions are stimulated by the addition of S-adenosylmethionine.
Denial of service via algorithmic complexity attacks

We present a new class of low-bandwidth denial of service attacks that exploit algorithmic deficiencies in many common applications' data structures. Frequently used data structures have "average-case" expected running time that's far more efficient than the worst case. For example, both binary trees and hash tables can degenerate to linked lists with carefully chosen input. We show how an attacker can effectively compute such input, and we demonstrate attacks against the hash table implementations in two versions of Perl, the Squid web proxy, and the Bro intrusion detection system. Using bandwidth less than a typical dialup modem, we can bring a dedicated Bro server to its knees; after six minutes of carefully chosen packets, our Bro server was dropping as much as 71% of its traffic and consuming all of its CPU. We show how modern universal hashing techniques can yield performance comparable to commonplace hash functions while being provably secure against these attacks.
VLSI neural network with digital weights and analog multipliers

A VLSI feedforward neural network is presented that makes use of digital weights and analog multipliers. The network is trained in a chip-in-loop fashion with a host computer implementing the training algorithm. The chip uses a serial digital weight bus implemented by a long shift register to input the weights. The inputs and outputs of the network are provided directly at pins on the chip. The training algorithm used is a parallel weight perturbation technique. Training results are shown for a 2 input, 1 output network trained with an AND function, and for a 2 input, 2 hidden unit, I output network trained with an XOR function.
New pulsed power supply for the spallation neutron source Linac LEBT chopper system

Four identical pulsed power supplies (pulsers) produce a series of ± 2.5 kV pulses to power four deflection electrodes of the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) Linac Low Energy Beam Transport (LEBT) beam chopping system. The pulsers are required to produce a 1MHz burst of adjustable-duration pulses with a 60 Hz burst repetition frequency and rise and fall times of less than 50 ns into a 200 pF load. The pulsers have experienced many failures during the last 8 years of operation and have undergone significant upgrades. The power semiconductors, associated drive electronics and timing logic circuitry have been repaired many times, resulting in damage to the proprietary printed circuit boards. Many modifications have been implemented to make the operation more reliable [1, 2]. While these improvements have increased reliability, some the components are no longer available. A new state-of-the-art pulsed power supply has been designed at the SNS to address the issues of obsolescence, reliability, serviceability and to improve overall performance. This paper will discuss the performance enhancements, describe the new SNS LEBT pulser and present the results of measurements and testing.
“Forgiving” God: Reflections on Psychological Research Describing Spiritual Struggle:

In A Grief Observed, when contemplating his wife’s death, C.S. Lewis described his fear of “coming to believe … dreadful things about [God].”1 Psychological research has noted that, when suffering, people may experience anger or disillusionment with God. These experiences are also demonstrated in biblical characters like Moses, Jeremiah, and Job. This article describes the use of the term “forgiveness” in the psychological process of the resolution of anger with God for release from this type of spiritual struggle. Yet “forgiving” God may seem illogical, given conceptions of divine perfection. The author further describes the developmental processes in resolution of anger toward God which are both affective and cognitive, involving the accommodation of new “God concepts” with the challenging new experiences of suffering and injustice.
STUDIES ON CONDITIONS OF ACTIVITY IN ENDOCRINE ORGANS.* XXX. THE NERVOUS CONTROL OF THE ANTERIOR HYPOPHYSIS AS INDICATED BY MATURATION OF OVA AND OVULATION AFTER STIMULATION OF CERVICAL SYMPATHETICS

The physiological relationship between the anterior hypophysis and the thyroids and ovary, respectively, is delicately balanced; and its equilibrium can be easily disturbed by permitting the hypophyseal thyreotropic and gonadotropic substances to fall below or exceed their normal concentration in the organism. Thus the rate of secretion of these essential principles is quickly reflected in the functional state of the thyroids and ovary, i.e., these organs atrophy rapidly after hypophysectomy, or show evidence of increased functional activity if the normal secretion of the animal’s own pituitary is supplemented by injections of an active anterior hypophyseal extract (1, 2, 3). With reference to the ovary, it is well established that the anterior hypophysis is responsible for the initial maturation of ovarian follicles and their subsequent ovulation by virtue of its gonadotropic properties (4). The evidence also indicates that in rabbits these gonadotropic substances are discharged into the circulation from...
Clinical uses and controversies of neuromuscular blocking agents in infants and children.

Objective To review the pharmacology of neuromuscular blocking drugs (NMBDs), their use in critically ill or injured infants and children, and the relevance of developmental changes in neuromuscular transmission. Data sources Computerized search of the medical literature. Study selection Studies specifically examining the following were reviewed: a) the developmental changes in neuromuscular transmission; b) the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of all clinically available NMBDs in neonates, infants, children, and adults; and c) clinical experience with NMBDs in the critical care setting. Particular attention was directed toward studies in the pediatric population. Data synthesis Neuromuscular transmission undergoes maturational changes during the first 2 months of life. Alterations in body composition and organ function affect the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the NMBDs throughout active growth and development. Numerous NMBDs have been developed during the last two decades with unique pharmacologic profiles and potential clinical advantages. The NMBDs are routinely used in critically ill or injured patients of all ages. This widespread use is associated with rare but significant clinical complications, such as prolonged weakness. Conclusions Significant gaps in our knowledge of the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of NMBDs in infants and children continue to exist. Alterations in electrolyte balance and organ-specific drug metabolism may contribute to complications with the use of NMBDs in the critical care arena.
Hysteresis of the stress–strain dependences in Hooke’s region

A procedure is proposed for the construction [with high accuracy (∼ 0.02%)] of the stress–strain diagrams for specimens corresponding to a model of restrained circular plate. On the basis of these diagrams for 40Kh steel, it is shown that the phenomenon of hysteresis, the nonlinearity of the dependence of the amplitude of hysteresis on the mechanical stresses σ, and the initial residual strains appear for low σ (10–20 times lower than the yield strength). These results can serve as a basis for the subsequent development of the procedure of prediction of the strength of structural materials for low strains, much lower than the maximum strains corresponding to the ordinary Hooke’s region.
The analgesic effect of electrical stimulation of the diencephalon and mesencephalon.

Abstract (1) Substantial levels of surface analgesia were induced in rats by continuous, low intensity, focal unilateral electrical stimulation of diencephalic and mesencephalic sites. Cortical stimulation failed to induce analgesia. (2) Characteristically, a symmetrical surface analgesia was most commonly observed (and most profound) in the hindlimbs, followed by the forelimbs and the ventrolateral surface of the body. (3) Of the 27 animals in which analgesia could be induced by electrical brain stimulation, 13 did not self-stimulate for brain reward through the same brain electrode.
Unusual interaction of RNA polymerase with the bacteriophage Mu middle promoter Pm in the absence of its activator protein Mor.

The bacteriophage Mu Mor activator protein is absolutely required for transcription from the Mu middle promoter Pm. However, when RNA polymerase (RNAP) was incubated with Pm DNA in the absence of Mor, a band at promoter position −51 was hypersensitive to DNase I cleavage, demonstrating an interaction of RNAP with the promoter DNA. The hypersensitivity was similar at four different lengths of Pm DNA assayed from −62 to +10, −62 to +46, −96 to +10, and −96 to +46. The hypersensitivity occurred equally well at 5°C, 15°C, and 30°C, indicating that it did not require open complex formation, which only occurred at 30°C. The −51 hypersensitivity at 5°C and 15°C was eliminated by the addition of heparin, consistent with the possibility that it arose by formation of unstable closed complexes of RNAP bound to Pm DNA. Generation of the hypersensitive band required the complete RNAP with its αCTDs, but neither the αCTD nor intact α were sufficient for the interaction and resulting hypersensitivity. There was no correlation between the level of hypersensitivity observed in vitro and the level of Pm activity in vivo, as assayed by the Mor-dependent production of β-galactosidase from a Pm-lacZ fusion. In an “order of addition” experiment, preincubation of Pm DNA with Mor followed by addition of RNAP led to the fastest open complex formation, whereas preincubation of Pm DNA with RNAP gave the slowest. These results support the conclusion that Mor recruits RNAP to Pm rather than reposition a prebound RNAP, as occurs for C-dependent repositioning of RNAP at the Mu late promoter Pmom.
Love and death in recent Japanese cinema

ABSTRACTSince 2004, Japan has experienced an increase in the release of romantic films involving first-love relationships. These films show a common formula: a young couple strives to be together despite external obstacles, which often includes an incurable disease. Critics identify these films as ‘pure-love’/junai’ narratives. These films are extremely popular and their social effects cannot be ignored. Through an analysis based on genre and filmic iconography, this article analyses Sekai no chūshin de, ai o sakebu/Crying Out Love, in the Centre of the World (2004), Ima, ai ni yukimasu/Be With You (2004), Koizora/Love Sky: A Sad Love Story (2007) and Closed Note (2007). It examines narrative strategies, manifestation of Japanese cinema aesthetics and thematic value of these films. I argue that the nostalgic mood in these films informs and shapes Japanese conceptions of love by promoting the traditional ideology of establishing a family with children.
Producer Surplus without Apology? Evaluating Investments in RD*

Comparison of producer surplus with definitive measures based on the profit function reveals potential problems with using changes in producer surplus to measure the benefits of some common types of technical change. Some illustrative applications indicate that the conventional producer surplus measures may seriously underestimate the change in profit induced by new technology, depending on the characteristics of the underlying technology which define the nature of the supply function, and the nature of the technical change. We provide guidelines for identifying cases where producer surplus will under-estimate producer research benefits, and suggest alternative measures.
Erratum to: Bacteria-responsive microRNAs regulate plant innate immunity by modulating plant hormone networks

The online version of the original article can be found under doi:10.1007/s11103-010-9710-8.
Surf zone bathymetry and circulation predictions via data assimilation of remote sensing observations

Bathymetry is a major factor in determining nearshore and surf zone wave transformation and currents, yet is often poorly known. This can lead to inaccuracy in numerical model predictions. Here bathymetry is estimated as an uncertain parameter in a data assimilation system, using the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF). The system is tested by assimilating several remote sensing data products, which were collected in September 2010 as part of a field experiment at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Field Research Facility (FRF) in Duck, NC. The results show that by assimilating remote sensing data alone, nearshore bathymetry can be estimated with good accuracy, and nearshore forecasts (e.g., the prediction of a rip current) can be improved. This suggests an application where a nearshore forecasting model could be implemented using only remote sensing data, without the explicit need for in situ data collection.
Stochastic automata with large state spaces and low rank

Abstract It is shown by means of example that for each n > 3, there is a minimal n -state stochastic automaton whose output behavior is a word function of rank 3. Thus, there are stochastic word functions whose natural representation may be quite unwieldy, but whose values nevertheless can be computed in a rapid, compact fashion.
Infrared Spectra of Massive Solids by Photoacoustic Beam Deflection Fourier Transform Spectroscopy

Since the revival of interest in the photoacoustic effect with solids, prompted by Rosencwaig's work,1 most papers dealing with the analytical applications of photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) have ...
Effectiveness of ranitidine bismuth citrate, clarithromycin, and metronidazole therapy for treating Helicobacter pylori

Effectiveness of ranitidine bismuth citrate, clarithromycin, and metronidazole therapy for treating Helicobacter pylori
Ascending Aorta-Right Pulmonary Artery Shunt in Infants and Older Patients with Certain Types of Cyanotic Congenital Heart Disease

A side-to-side anastomosis between the ascending aorta and the right pulmonary artery was created in 80 infants (less than 1 year of age) and in 61 older children with a variety of cyanotic cardiac abnormalities in which there is pulmonary stenosis or atresia. Seventy-one per cent of the infant group and 90% of patients over 1 year of age were long-term survivors (up to 6 years). Tetralogy of Fallot was the most commonly encountered anomaly in all 141 patients (66%); transposition of the great vessels and pulmonary stenosis occurred in 18%; and tricuspid atresia with pulmonary stenosis in 10%. The presence of an excessively large shunt anastomosis (55% of deaths) and additional (unrecognized) other anomalies (26%) were major causes of postoperative deaths. In patients in whom a systemic-pulmonary artery anastomosis is required, this operation is the procedure of choice in infants under 1 year of age. It is also of value in older patients if a Blalock-Taussig shunt cannot be performed.
Teaching Algebra to Students With Learning Disabilities

Algebra is a gateway to expanded opportunities, but it often poses difficulty for students with learning disabilities. Consequently, it is essential to identify evidence-based instructional strategies for these students. The authors begin by identifying three areas of algebra difficulty experienced by students with disabilities: cognitive processes, content foundations, and algebra concepts. The authors next describe three evidence-based strategies for addressing these needs: classwide peer-tutoring, cognitive strategy instruction, and explicit instructional routines.
Brecht in Algeria: On the Question of Influence in Kateb Yacine's Late Theater

This article questions the formative role that Bertolt Brecht is regarded to have had on Algerian writer Kateb Yacine’s political theater in the 1970s and 80s. While Brecht did indeed play an important role in Algerian theater in the post-independence era, the assumption that he singularly shaped political theatrical forms in Algeria masks the particular trajectory of Kateb’s work. Focusing specifically on his play Mohamed prends ta valise, this essay revisits the broad historical and political contexts of Kateb’s theater to underscore the particularity of his practice after 1971 and to broaden the limiting analytic frames that cast his work in Brechtian terms. Attending to the important influence of local folk forms and Marxism-Leninism on Kateb’s practice, I call attention to both the multiple vectors that shaped his work and further question the flattening effect of metropolitan theater histories that decontextualize Brechtian practice as they ascribe influence.
Life structure decisions: Factors related to career-marriage priorities in college youth

Abstract The present research conceptualizes life structure, or the pattern of life, as the ordering of priorities among competing alternatives. Intentions to emphasize career, marriage, or both were investigated for college students. Variations in these intentions were seen as resulting from differences in two classes of variables: (a) the perceived consequences of emphasizing the alternative; and (b) perceived normative pressures. A subjective probability model of the relationship between beliefs and behavioral intentions was used as a framework for determining the importance of these factors. The considerations identified as most likely to have a direct impact on life structure dealt primarily with interpersonal relations, particularly marriage and family. In general, the data suggested that the subjective probability model may be useful for further understanding of life structure decisions.
Targeted quantitation of overexpressed and endogenous cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator using multiple reaction monitoring tandem mass spectrometry and oxygen stable isotope dilution.

Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) functions as an ion channel in the apical plasma membrane of epithelial cells. Mutations in the gene coding for CFTR cause cystic fibrosis (CF). A major cellular dysfunction is insufficient apical plasma membrane expression of the protein. Its correction is important for developing new CF therapeutics and treatments, which requires a sensitive and precise method for quantifying apical plasma membrane CFTR. We report the first method of liquid chromatography−tandem mass spectrometry for quantifying endogenous and overexpressed CFTR in HT29 and BHK cells. For low level of endogenous CFTR from HT29, the target protein in the cell lysate was enriched by immunoprecipitation using anti-CFTR antibody MAB3484 or M3A7. For overexpressed CFTR from BHK, the cell lysate prepared by differential detergent fractionation or surface biotinylation was used directly without immunoprecipitation. Proteins in the enriched CFTR preparations or cell lysates were digeste...
Regulation of survivin expression through Bcr-Abl/MAPK cascade: targeting survivin overcomes imatinib resistance and increases imatinib sensitivity in imatinib-responsive CML cells

KBM5 cells, derived from a patient with blast crisis Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), and imatinib-resistant KBM5 (KBM5-STI571) cells were found to express high levels of survivin. Inhibition of Bcr-Abl by imatinib significantly decreased survivin expression and cell viability in KBM5, but much less so in KBM5-STI571 cells. Inhibition of MEK, downstream of the Bcr-Abl signaling cascade decreased survivin expression and cell viability in both KBM5 and KBM5-STI571 cells. In addition, down-regulation of survivin by a survivin antisense oligonucleotide (Sur-AS-ODN) inhibited cell growth and induced maximal G2M block at 48 hours, whereas cell death was observed only at 72 hours in both KBM5 and KBM5-STI571 cells as shown by annexin V staining. Further, the combination of Sur-AS-ODN and imatinib induced more cell death in KBM5 cells than did either treatment alone. Down-regulating survivin also decreased colony-forming units (CFUs) in blast crisis CML patient samples. Our data therefore suggest that survivin is regulated by the Bcr-Abl/MAPK cascade in Ph+ CML. The facts that down-regulating survivin expression induced cell-growth arrest and subsequent cell death regardless of the cell response to imatinib and enhanced the sensitivity to imatinib suggest the potential therapeutic utility of this strategy in patients with CML, both imatinib sensitive and resistant.
On the adaptive structures of the collagen fibrils of bone and cartilage

In order to investigate how bone and cartilage respond at the molecular level to changing demands of the skeleton, the influence of endogenous and external chemical stresses on collagen fibrillar structure as a function of locale in the femoral articular cartilage from 2 to 14 year old cows has been studied by x-ray diffraction. The fibrils were found to be osmotically compressed by vicinal proteoglycans. For most locales, the molecular packing density was less at the articular surface and increased to a maximum adjacent to the bone. This gradient in structure became more accentuated with animal age. For all ages, the packing density gradients could be almost completely eliminated upon enzymatic removal of the proteoglycans. However, in the regions of cartilage which had experienced the greatest stress in locomotion, the fibrils had a hyperswollen structure. This tendency towards hyperswelling increased with animal age. We have concluded that the collagen fibrils in articular cartilage adapt a structure that is in response to their respective mechanico-chemical histories.
A CFD EVALUATION OF NATURALLY VENTILATED, MULTI-SPAN, SAWTOOTH GREENHOUSES

A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) program, Fluent V4, was used to predict natural ventilation rates and airflow patterns of a multi-span, sawtooth greenhouse for various roof and side vent openings and outside wind speeds. Predicted rates were found to be both well above and well below a standard volumetric air exchange rate of 1.0 A.C. min–1. The maximum and most acceptable ventilation rates were obtained with the combined use of a windward side vent and leeward roof vents on all multi-span sections. Ventilation rates ranged from 1.4 to 4.01 A.C. min–1 for the best two-span case and 0.14 to 2.0 A.C. min–1 for the similar four-span case for outside wind speeds of 0.5 and 2.0 m s–1, respectively. Predicted ventilation rates ranged from 0.17 to 0.7 A.C. min–1 when no side vent was used and the roof vents were fully open.
Regulation of transcription by unnatural amino acids

Small-molecule regulation of gene expression is intrinsic to cellular function and indispensable to the construction of new biological sensing, control and expression systems. However, there are currently only a handful of strategies for engineering such regulatory components and fewer still that can give rise to an arbitrarily large set of inducible systems whose members respond to different small molecules, display uniformity and modularity in their mechanisms of regulation, and combine to actuate universal logics. Here we present an approach for small-molecule regulation of transcription based on the combination of cis-regulatory leader-peptide elements with genetically encoded unnatural amino acids (amino acids that have been artificially added to the genetic code). In our system, any genetically encoded unnatural amino acid (UAA) can be used as a small-molecule attenuator or activator of gene transcription, and the logics intrinsic to the network defined by expanded genetic codes can be actuated.
Using Bloom's Taxonomy to Teach Critical Thinking Skills to Business Students

ABSTRACT Using Bloom's Taxonomy, this article provides a practical approach for enhancing critical thinking by business students. The article first describes Bloom's Taxonomy and how the model may be used as a framework for engaging business students in higher-order thought. It then explains how secondary research methods can be used to move business students to the higher planes of thought identified in Bloom's Taxonomy. Lastly, Herrick's criteria are used as a framework to analyze and evaluate the quality of secondary sources.
Morality of Public Deficits: A Historical Perspective

This article examines the morality of public deficits through the views of political leaders, economists and public finance experts. It looks at the changing attitude about borrowing for the modern state and examines the ability of current generations to shift the debt burden to future generations. The article also explores whether the adoption of an organic or individualistic concept of the role of the state affects conclusions concerning the morality of public debt.