cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Space-charge effects on bunching of electrons in the CEBAF injector

Abstract The main injector for the 4 GeV CEBAF accelerator at Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility was designed to deliver simultaneously three CW electron beams for nuclear physics research. The maximum design current for a single beam from the injector is 100 μA, or 0.2 pC per microbunch at a repetition rate of 499 MHz. It was found through computer simulation that space charge even at a subpicocoulomb level can spoil the bunching of electrons significantly, and some unexpected phenomena observed experimentally could be explained accordingly. This problem arises because of the low-momentum tilt allowed for bunching to preserve low-momentum spread. In this paper, we analyze in detail the space-charge effects on bunching of electrons with the CEBAF injector as an example. Conditions for effective matching of longitudinal phase space in the presence of space charge are discussed.
Review of Francois Ansermet and Pierre Magistretti. Biology of Freedom: Neural Plasticity, Experience, and the Unconscious, trans. Susan Fairfield. 1

No moment in the folklore of psychology has more resonance than the hand Sigmund Freud is said to have extended to William James, quite literally, as the older Harvard philosopher struggled to his ...
Enhancement of Dimensional Stability in Soluble Fluorinated Polyimides via the in Situ Formation of Lanthanum(III)−Oxo−Polyimide Nanocomposites

The synthesis and characterization of composite inorganic−polyimide films is described by adding diaquotris(2,4-pentanedionato)lanthanum(III) to soluble, low dielectric, colorless polyimides formed from 2,2-bis(3,4-dicarboxyphenyl)hexafluoropropane dianhydride/1,3-bis(3-aminophenoxy)benzene (6FDA/APB), and 6FDA/2,2-bis[4-(4-aminophenoxy]hexafluoropropane (6FDA/BDAF). The [La(acac)3(2H2O)2]-containing polyimide films were thermally treated from 220 to 340 °C which resulted in substantial lowering of the linear coefficients of thermal expansion at low metal concentrations (<4%) without sacrificing other essential thermal and mechanical properties of the parent polyimide. TEM data are consistent with particle sizes for the lanthanum ion-containing species which are in the nanometer range; thus, the visual clarity of the films was maintained. Refractive index measurements indicate that the films are isotropic. Addition of the lanthanum complex to the poly(amic acid) form of 6FDA/APB and 6FDA/BDAF followed by ...
Quark Model Calculations of Nucleon Structure Functions

We present calculations of those structure functions of the nucleon which are measured in deep inelastic electron scattering. A quark model which preserves translational invariance is used. The model exhibits scaling and the structure functions satisfy the Callan-Gross relation in the scaling region. It is possible to fit the experimental values of F 2 p (x)−F 2 p (x) using wave functions that correspond to a relatively small region of confinement. The ratio of F 2 p (x)/F 2 p (x) is also calculated. One can explain the deviation of the value of the latter quantity from the value 2/3 obtained in the simplest quark model by allowing the neutron confinement radius to be about 10 percent larger than the corresponding proton radius.
Ethical fashion project: partnering with industry

This article shares a platform of apparel design that considers ethical implications within the product development process, which were incorporated into a senior level apparel design course during...
Quantum geometry and strings

Abstract In this paper we analyze the implications of Poliakov's definition of quantum geometry over Migdal's string model of QCD. We propose an ansatz to represent, in term of sums over random surfaces, the Schwinger functions of quantum Yang-Mills over loop space.
The study of distribution coefficients of silver and mercury with chelating ion-exhange resin Dowex A-1

The distribution coefficients (DC) for HgCl42−, Hg(SO4)22−, Hg(NO3)42−, Ag+, Ag(SCN)2− and Ag(NH3)2+ between aqueous solutions and Dowex A-1 were measured in varying hydrogen ion concentrations. The DC of Ag+ in the NO3− media was very low (4 to 6). The DC for the Ag(SCN)2− complex decreased as pH increased. The Ag(NH3)2+ complex had a constant DC of about 65 from pH 8 and above. The trend observed for three mercury complexes in HCl, H2SO4 and HNO3 was similar; the DC decreased steadily from 0.1M to 6M. The HgCl42− complex had the highest DC (9000) while the Hg(NO3)42− complex had the lowest DC (2000).
Abstract 3251: Zebrafish: Is it a viable model for prostate cancer

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC Since its introduction as a vertebrate model organism for developmental studies, the Zebrafish model has continued to improve in its useful applications for studying human disease and more recently cancer. However, because there has been no evidence for the presence of prostate glands in fish, this model has not been exploited to study cancer of the prostate gland. In this abstract, we present evidence that fish carry prostate-like cells and, therefore, we postulate that zebrafish could be used as a model for prostate cancer research. We hypothesized that even though a well-defined prostate gland is not present in fish, there may be a few cells similar to thyroid gland. As a first approach, we developed an experimental design for detection of Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) gene and protein expression, as well as PSA gene mapping. PSA is a serine protease that binds in seminal plasma to protein C inhibitor, which is involved in the clotting cascade in humans. When we analyzed the zebrafish genome, we found a PSA gene that is syntenic to human PSA and at the protein level zebrafish PSA is 70% homologous to human PSA. We also found PSA mRNA by RT-PCR analysis of the total testes RNA. In situ hybridization of the 4 day old zebrafish larva revealed expression of PSA in gonad. Treatment of zebrafish larvae with the anti-androgen, hydroxyl-flutamide, showed a PSA response profile similar to that in mammalian models in which there is a reduction in PSA mRNA at low doses and an increase at high doses with a return to baseline levels. Based on these findings we contend zebrafish have cells which are functionally equivalent to the prostate gland. We further believe that this information supports the notion of using zebrafish as a model to generate prostate cancer -like symptoms and propose for future studies expression of SV40 large T antigen under the PSA promoter to be used to demonstrate proof of principle. Such a model would be useful to explore not only early detection of prostate cancer but also to provide the opportunity for large scale studies of chemical suppression of cancer progression. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3251.
Equilibrium solute concentration surrounding elastically interacting precipitates

Elastically induced equilibrium solute concentration profiles surrounding a single isolated precipitate and two elastically interacting precipitates are determined under the conditions of an applied shear and tensile stress, as well as an isotropic stress-free transformation strain. The self consistent open-system elastic constants approach is employed to account explicitly for the coupling between the stress and concentration fields. Substantial concentration changes are predicted near the surfaces of the particles which can sometimes exceed 50 pct. With self consistency to first-order in the concentration change, no net solute enhancement is observed surrounding isolated particles while net solute segregation is observed for elastically interacting particles.
A semi-quantitative approach to assess biofilm formation using wrinkled colony development.

Biofilms, or surface-attached communities of cells encapsulated in an extracellular matrix, represent a common lifestyle for many bacteria. Within a biofilm, bacterial cells often exhibit altered physiology, including enhanced resistance to antibiotics and other environmental stresses 1. Additionally, biofilms can play important roles in host-microbe interactions. Biofilms develop when bacteria transition from individual, planktonic cells to form complex, multi-cellular communities 2. In the laboratory, biofilms are studied by assessing the development of specific biofilm phenotypes. A common biofilm phenotype involves the formation of wrinkled or rugose bacterial colonies on solid agar media 3. Wrinkled colony formation provides a particularly simple and useful means to identify and characterize bacterial strains exhibiting altered biofilm phenotypes, and to investigate environmental conditions that impact biofilm formation. Wrinkled colony formation serves as an indicator of biofilm formation in a variety of bacteria, including both Gram-positive bacteria, such as Bacillus subtilis 4, and Gram-negative bacteria, such as Vibrio cholerae 5, Vibrio parahaemolyticus 6, Pseudomonas aeruginosa 7, and Vibrio fischeri 8. The marine bacterium V. fischeri has become a model for biofilm formation due to the critical role of biofilms during host colonization: biofilms produced by V. fischeri promote its colonization of the Hawaiian bobtail squid Euprymna scolopes 8-10. Importantly, biofilm phenotypes observed in vitro correlate with the ability of V. fischeri cells to effectively colonize host animals: strains impaired for biofilm formation in vitro possess a colonization defect 9,11, while strains exhibiting increased biofilm phenotypes are enhanced for colonization 8,12. V. fischeri therefore provides a simple model system to assess the mechanisms by which bacteria regulate biofilm formation and how biofilms impact host colonization. In this report, we describe a semi-quantitative method to assess biofilm formation using V. fischeri as a model system. This method involves the careful spotting of bacterial cultures at defined concentrations and volumes onto solid agar media; a spotted culture is synonymous to a single bacterial colony. This 'spotted culture' technique can be utilized to compare gross biofilm phenotypes at single, specified time-points (end-point assays), or to identify and characterize subtle biofilm phenotypes through time-course assays of biofilm development and measurements of the colony diameter, which is influenced by biofilm formation. Thus, this technique provides a semi-quantitative analysis of biofilm formation, permitting evaluation of the timing and patterning of wrinkled colony development and the relative size of the developing structure, characteristics that extend beyond the simple overall morphology.
The cost of AIDS: An agenda for research

It is generally not appreciated how much we have learned about AIDS in the relatively short time - about 7 or 8 years - since it made its first appearance in the United States. We have learned not only its cause and its way of transmission, but we also have data, though not perfect data, on its incidence and prevalence as well as an increasing body of data on the medical care costs of persons with AIDS. There are few other diseases for which we have as much information on incidence and prevalence, and especially on costs. In addition, various models have been constructed to project the future incidence and prevalence of the disease and the medical care costs associated with it. Nevertheless, serious gaps in our knowledge remain: inadequacies of current data on the number of persons with AIDS and especially on the number of persons infected with HIV; inadequacies and limitations of the data on the medical care costs of persons with AIDS; and an almost total lack of data on the number of persons infected with HIV with symptoms and conditions other than AIDS and their medical care costs. These gaps in our knowledge will be discussed in detail, and various types of studies to fill them will be suggested.
Differential distribution of signal-transducing G-proteins in retina.

Abstract We used specific antibodies in immunoblot studies of membrane fractions derived from bovine retina, and in immunohistochemical studies of sections of rat retina to determine the distribution of two guanine nucleotide binding proteins G o (a G-protein of unknown function discovered in the brain) and transducin, in retina. Both G o and transducin were readily detected in membranes derived from whole retina, and in crude rod outer segment membranes. Purification of rod outer segment membranes by sucrose density gradient centrifugation resulted in enrichment in transducin and depletion of G o immunoreactivity. Transducin-α immunoreactivity was localized to photoreceptor inner and outer segments and the outer nuclear layer. In contrast, G o -α immunoreactivity was localized in the inner and outer plexiform layers and ganglion cell layer. The results indicate that G o unlike transducin, is not associated with rod outer segment membranes and is therefore unlikely to function in phototransduction. G o is, however, relatively abundant in neural layers of retina where it may be involved in signal transduction.
Comparison of cranial form and function in association with diet in natricine snakes

The skull of squamates has many functions, with food acquisition and ingestion being paramount. Snakes vary interspecifically in the frequency, size, and types of prey that are consumed. Natural selection should favor phenotypes that minimize the costs of energy acquisition; therefore, trophic morphology should reflect a snake's primary prey type to enhance some aspect of feeding performance. I measured 19 cranial variables for six natricine species that vary in the frequency with which they consume frogs and fish. Both conventional and phylogenetically corrected analyses indicated that fish-eating snakes have relatively longer upper and lower jaw elements than frog-eating snakes, which tended to have broader skull components. I also compared the ratio of the in-lever to the out-lever lengths of the jaw-closing mechanism [jaw mechanical advantage (MA)] among species. Fish-eating snakes had significantly lower MAs in the jaws than did the frog-eating snakes. This result suggests that piscivores have faster closing jaws and that the jaws of frog-eating snakes have higher closing forces. Cranial morphology and the functional demands of prey capture and ingestion appear to be associated with primary prey type in natricine snakes.
In vivo protein-DNA interactions at the beta-globin gene locus.

Abstract We have investigated in vivo protein-DNA interactions in the beta-globin gene locus by dimethyl sulfate (DMS) footprinting in K562 cells, which express epsilon- and gamma-globin but not beta-globin. In the locus control region, hypersensitive site 2 (HS-2) exhibited footprints in several putative protein binding motifs. HS-3 was not footprinted. The beta promoter was also not footprinted, while extensive footprints were observed in the promoter of the active gamma-globin gene. No footprints were seen in the A gamma and beta 3' enhancers. With several motifs, additional protein interactions and alterations in binding patterns occurred with hemin induction. In HeLa cells, some footprints were observed in some of the motifs in HS-2, compatible with the finding that HS-2 has some enhancer function in HeLa cells, albeit much weaker than its activity in K562 cells. No footprint was seen in B lymphocytes. In vivo footprinting is a useful method for studying relevant protein-DNA interactions in erythroid cells.
Perspectives in surgical infections: what does the future hold?

I am honored and humbled to stand before you today, as I follow in the footsteps of the distinguished prior Surgical Infection Society (SIS) Presidents, Doctors Stephen F. Lowry, John C. Marshall, Timothy R. Billiar, Edwin A. Deitch, and Philip S. Barie, who have served in the last five years. As I contemplated the choice of topic for my Presidential Address, I reviewed the addresses of each of these individuals (Fig. 1). I also reviewed the history of the SIS and its first President, Doctor William A. Altemeier, a true pioneer in surgical infectious diseases. The topic of Doctor Altemeier’s presidential address was ‘‘Sepsis in Surgery,’’ and the paper was read at the first annual meeting of the Society in Chicago on April 25, 1981. In this address, he stated: ‘‘Infection has always been a prominent feature of human life, and sepsis in modern surgery continues to be a significant health problem throughout the world. For this reason, the Surgical Infection Society has been formed and is holding its first meeting here today’’ [1]. I hope you will indulge me today, as I have chosen to return to the topic of surgical infections to provide a current perspective and to contemplate what the future holds and the role the SIS may play. I review three categories of surgical infections: (1) surgical site and skin infections; (2) complicated intra-abdominal infections, and (3) nosocomial and other healthcare-associated infections, including ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and catheter-related blood stream infections (CR-BSI). Lastly, I touch on the topic of acute care surgery and discuss the role the SIS may play in the development of this emerging field.
Post-silicon validation challenges: how EDA and academia can help

The challenges of post-silicon validation are continuously increasing, driven by higher levels of integration, increased circuit complexity, and platform performance requirements. The pressure of maintaining aggressive launch schedules and containing an increased cost of validation and debug, require a holistic approach to the entire design and validation process. Post-silicon validation is very diverse, and the work starts well before first silicon is available---for example, emulation, design-for-validation (DFV) features, specialized content development, etc. This will require enhancing pre-tape out validation to have healthier first silicon, developing more standard interfaces to our validation hooks, developing more predictive tools for circuit and platform simulation and post-silicon debug, adding more formal coverage methods, and improving survivability to mitigate in-the-field issues. We view the Electronic Design Automation (EDA) industry as a key enabler to help us bridge the gaps between presilicon and post-silicon validation, and extend the considerable intellectual wealth in pre-silicon tools to the post-silicon validation area.
Diffusion-limited coalescence, A + A ⇌ A , with a trap

We study diffusion-limited coalescence, $A+A\ensuremath{\rightleftharpoons}A,$ in one dimension, and derive an exact solution for the steady state in the presence of a trap. Without the trap, the system arrives at an equilibrium state that satisfies detailed balance, and can therefore be analyzed by classical equilibrium methods. The trap introduces an irreversible element, and the stationary state is no longer an equilibrium state. The exact solution is compared to that of a reaction-diffusion equation---the habitual approximation method of choice. The reaction-diffusion equation can also be obtained exactly in this case, making the present model particularly useful.
Relations between introduced fish and environmental conditions at large geographic scales

Data collected from 20 major river basins between 1993 and 1995 as part of the US Geological Survey’s (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program were analyzed to assess patterns in introduced and native fish species richness and abundance relative to watershed characteristics and stream physicochemistry. Sites ( N = 157) were divided into three regions-northeast, southeast, and west- to account for major longitudinal differences in precipitation/runoff and latitudinal limits of glaciation that affect zoogeographic patterns in fish communities. Common carp ( Cyprinus carpio) and largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) were the most frequently collected introduced fish species across all river basins combined. Based on the percentage of introduced fish species, the fish communities most altered by the presence of introduced fish occurred in the western and northeastern parts of the US. Native fish species richness was not an indicator of introduced fish species richness for any of the three regions. However, in the west, introduced fish species richness was an indicator of total fish species richness and the abundance of introduced fish was negatively related to native fish species richness. Some relations between introduced fish species and environmental conditions were common between regions. Increased introduced fish species richness was related to increased population density in the northeast and southeast; increased total nitrogen in the northeast and west; and increased total phosphorous and water temperature in the southeast and west. These results suggest that introduced fish species tend to be associated with disturbance at large geographic scales, though specific relations may vary regionally. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Cyclooxygenase-2 and cancer treatment: understanding the risk should be worth the reward.

Targeting the prostaglandin (PG) pathway is potentially a critical intervention for the prevention and treatment of cancer. Central to PG biosynthesis are two isoforms of cyclooxygenase (COX 1 and 2), which produce prostaglandin H2 (PGH2) from plasma membrane stores of fatty acids. COX-1 is constitutively expressed, whereas COX-2 is an inducible isoform upregulated in many cancers. Differences between COX-1 and COX-2 catalytic sites enabled development of selective inhibitors. Downstream of the COX enzymes, prostaglandin E2 synthase converts available PGH2 to prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), which can stimulate cancer progression. Significant research efforts are helping identify more selective targets and fully elucidate the downstream targets of prostaglandin E2-mediated oncogenesis. Nonetheless, as a key ratelimiting control point of PG biosynthesis, COX-2 continues to be an important anticancer target. As we embark upon a new era of individualized medicine, a better understanding of the individual risk and/or benefit involved in COX-2 selective targeting is rapidly evolving. This review endeavors to summarize developments in our understanding of COX-2 and its downstream targets as vital areas of anticancer research and to provide the current status of an exciting aspect of molecular medicine. Clin Cancer Res; 16(5); 1384–90. ©2010 AACR.
The Impact of Gender, Ethnicity, School Setting, and Experience on Student Leadership: Does It Really Matter?

This research examined how gender, ethnicity, school setting, and experience influenced students’ leadershippractices. Significant differences were found in how student leaders behaved on the basis of these variables.However, further analyses suggested that these differences did not significantly influence the effectiveness of studentleaders. That is, the most effective student leaders engaged in the five leadership practices more than the lesseffective leaders, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or school setting. The impact of these findings for both assessingstudent leaders as well as for developing their leadership capabilities is discussed, along with ideas for future studies.
Performance trade-offs in a parallel test generation/fault simulation environment

Heuristics are proposed to partition faults for parallel test generation with minimization of both the overall run time and test length as an objective. For efficient utilization of available processors, the work load has to be balanced at all times. Since it is very difficult to predict how difficult it will be to generate a test for a particular fault, the authors propose a load balancing method which uses static partitioning initially and then uses dynamic allocation of work for processors which become idle. A theoretical model is presented to predict the performance of the parallel test generation/fault simulation process. Experimental results based on an implementation of the Intel IPSC/2 hypercube multiprocessor using the ISCAS combinational benchmark circuits are presented. >
Combination of cladribine plus topotecan for recurrent or refractory pediatric acute myeloid leukemia

BACKGROUND: The prognosis after recurrence of pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is poor, and effective salvage regimens are urgently needed. METHODS: In phase 1 and pilot studies, the authors evaluated the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) of a 5-day course of cladribine followed by topotecan in pediatric patients with recurrent/refractory AML. The cladribine dose was escalated as follows: 9.1, 13.6, 16.3, and 19.5 mg/m2 per day (8.9 mg/m2 per day in the pilot study). Outcome was analyzed according to the absence (Stratum 1) versus presence (Stratum 2) of previous allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Twenty-six patients (20 in Stratum 1 and 6 in Stratum 2) were treated. RESULTS: The MTD was not reached in Stratum 1, but a DLT occurred at the lowest cladribine dosage (9.1 mg/m2 per day) in Stratum 2. Febrile neutropenia was common in both strata. Nine (34.6%) of 26 patients experienced a complete response, and 7 (30.4%) achieved a partial response; 5 (19.2%) were long-term survivors at the time of last follow‒up. Clinical outcome was not associated with cladribine or topotecan systemic exposure. CONCLUSIONS: The combination was well tolerated in Sratum 1, and the response rate was encouraging. This regimen offers a postrecurrence treatment alternative for patients, especially those who have received anthracycline-containing chemotherapy. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Psychometric properties of the patient activation measure among multimorbid older adults.

Objectives The Patient Activation Measure (PAM) quantifies the extent to which people are informed about and involved in their health care. Objectives were to determine the psychometric properties of PAM among multimorbid older adults and evaluate a theoretical, four-stage model of patient activation.
W-AlignACE

Motivation: Position weight matrices (PWMs) are widely used to depict the DNA binding preferences of transcription factors (TFs) in computational molecular biology and regulatory genomics. Thus, learning an accurate PWM to characterize the binding sites of a specific TF is a fundamental problem that plays an important role in modeling regulatory motifs and also in discovering the regulatory targets of TFs. Results: We study the question of how to learn a more accurate PWM from both binding sequences and gene expression (or ChIP-chip) data, and propose to find a PWM such that the likelihood of simultaneously observing both binding sequences and their associated gene expression (or ChIP-chip) data is maximised. To solve the above maximum likelihood problem, a sequence weighting scheme is thus introduced based on the observation that binding sites inducing drastic fold changes in mRNA expression (or showing strong binding ratios in ChIP experiments) are likely to represent a true motif. We have incorporated this new learning approach into the popular motif finding program AlignACE. The modified program, called W-AlignACE, is compared with three other programs (AlignACE, MDscan and MotifRegressor) on a variety of datasets, including simulated data, mRNA expression and ChIP-chip data. These tests demonstrate that W-AlignACE is an effective tool for discovering TF binding motifs from gene expression (or ChIP-chip) data and, in particular, has the ability to find very weak motifs like DIG1 and GAL4. Availability: http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/ChenXin/Gibbs Contact: chenxin@ntu.edu.sg Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Left ventricular dysfunction and heart failure. Mechanistic and therapeutic distinctions.

Dysfunction of the left ventricle may result from a variety of insults, all of which may initiate a self-perpetuating process of ventricular remodeling which may progress to end-stage heart disease. Symptoms of heart failure may or may not coexist with this ventricular remodeling. Treatment and prevention of these two largely distinct entities differ. Symptoms may respond to diuretics, vasodilators and digoxin. Progressive ventricular remodeling may be slowed by angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, hydralazine + isosorbide dinitrate and beta blockers. Prevention of symptomatic heart failure is dependent on early recognition of ventricular dysfunction and aggressive treatment to slow its progression. Development of more effective and targeted therapies will be dependent on expanded insight into the cellular and molecular mechanisms contributing to the remodeling process.
Case study of a residential-scale hybrid renewable energy power system in an urban setting

A utility-connected, residential-scale, hybrid renewable energy system consisting of wind turbines and a photovoltaic array was investigated for its effectiveness as distributed generation and demand-side management in an urban setting. The most productive type of wind turbine for this system depended primarily upon the wind regime. The hybrid nature of the system showed that wind and solar resource are complimentary and compatible to each other. The small scale, engineering requirements, and availability of resource would make economic deployment in an urban setting difficult, unless bundled with other methods.
The Human Synaptotagmin IV Gene Defines an Evolutionary Break Point between Syntenic Mouse and Human Chromosome Regions but Retains Ligand Inducibility and Tissue Specificity

Rat synaptotagmin IV (SYT IV) is a depolarization-inducible synaptic vesicle protein. SYT IV homozygous mutant mice are viable and have deficits in fine motor coordination and some forms of memory. In this study, we report the identification of a human SYT IV orthologue. The predicted amino acid sequence of the human SYT IV clone is nearly 90% identical to the rat and mouse SYT IV proteins. In addition, human SYT IV has a characteristic serine for aspartate substitution within the first C2 domain that is conserved among Drosophila, Caenorhabditis elegans, mouse, and rat SYT IV sequences. The human SYT IVgene maps to chromosome band 18q12.3, a region that defines a break point in the synteny with mouse chromosome 18 and has been implicated by associated markers in two human psychiatric disorders. In the human neuroblastoma cell line SK-N-SH, SYT IV is an immediate-early gene inducible by elevated intracellular calcium and by forskolin, an activator of adenylyl cyclase. Expression of human SYT IV mRNA is restricted to brain and is not detectable in non-neuronal tissues. Within brain, human SYT IV mRNA is most highly expressed in hippocampus, with lower levels present in amygdala and thalamus. These results suggest a role for SYT IV in human brain function and in human neurological disease.
Twelve tips for increasing transfer of training from faculty development programs

Physicians serving as faculty in medical schools are taught medical skill and knowledge, but are usually not taught how to be competent teachers, researchers and leaders. Medical schools can provide the appropriate training for academic faculty by providing faculty development. However, to accomplish the purpose of producing competent teachers, researchers and leaders, faculty development programs must be designed to foster transfer of training, the use on the job of what is learned in instruction. Based on experience and empirical research, we provide tips as to how to design and conduct faculty development programs that will enable and motivate medical school faculty to use the skills and knowledge they learn as academic physicians.
Peephole optimization as a targeting and coupling tool

The term peephole optimization is used to mean the pattern matching and conditional replacement performed on small sections of the intermediate form.The circular dependence between the code generation phases implies that local optimals are rarely global optimals. There are several reactions: (1) accept the local optimal, (2) develop intermediate goals whose achievement suggest global optimality, (3) retain the choices so that the decisions can be made later, (4) optimize the object code by replacing awkward or overly constrained segments of code with improved ones. Optimizing the object code has several advantages. First, code generation is greatly simplified. The code generator is allowed to forgo case analysis and utilize only a subset of the machine's instructions and addressing modes [BD88,DF84a,DF84b,DF87]. Second, a phase ordering problem often encountered in optimizations is reduced.
Fostering Risk Taking in Research and Development: The Importance of a Project's Terminal Value

Large firms face a conflict in managing a portfolio of high-risk projects. When an ongoing project is thought to have a low likelihood of success, project team members take risks to improve its chances of success. However, upper-level managers who allocate resources tend to withhold resources from a project with a low likelihood of success in favor of others in the portfolio that look more promising. Because this paucity of resources influences project team members to avoid risk, the total effect of success likelihood on risk taking is conflicted. The influence on risk taking of a project's terminal value—defined as the value that remains in the firm in the event of project failure—is unequivocally positive, because both senior management resource allocation and project team risk-taking propensity are encouraged by terminal value. Thus, firms can override the ambivalent effect of likelihood of success on project decision making by focusing attention on a project's terminal value.
Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid): New Roles, New Requirements?

There is an enormous amount of literature on vitamin C intake and health in animals, cell cultures, and humans. Beyond its function in collagen formation, ascorbic acid is known to increase absorption of inorganic iron, to have essential roles in the metabolism of folic acid and of some amino acids and hormones, and to act as an antioxidant. In recent years, research has increasingly focused on this latter function, stimulated by suggestions that “oxidative stress” may be a causal factor in the etiology of such diverse and important disorders of aging as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and cataract formation. The present evidence is strong enough to have convinced nutritionists that daily vitamin C intake should be many times higher than the amount needed to protect against scurvy, and this is reflected in the present Recommended Dietary Allowances. Suggestions that the recommended levels should be higher still are largely based on extrapolations from results of animal and tissue culture studies. How much ascorbic acid is necessary to achieve in humans the effects seen in animal studies is not clear. In general, the limited human studies have not been persuasive. The data are incomplete, and many of the studies have serious flaws. There are no toxicity studies of the type done fornew compounds being considered for approval as therapy for major disease conditions. Intervention studies will be difficult, but are essential, and methods for tissue saturation measurement must be defined before new recommendations for the public are designed.
Iron Chef around the world Japanese food television, soft power, and cultural globalization

Iron Chef is a Japanese television show in which cooks from around the world challenge the chefs of an eccentric millionaire. By appealing to audiences worldwide, Iron Chef epitomized a new trend in international media trade — a conspicuous rise in the exports of made-in-Japan media entertainment. Scholars have argued that this trend testifies to a shift in Japan’s status in the realm of soft power. This article uses the case of Iron Chef as an entry point to discuss the analytical limitations of the soft power discourse in theorizing shifting patterns of cultural globalization. I argue that this discourse fails to capture the complexities of how cable networks use and how viewers respond to imported media entertainment. I conclude that soft power is a tale of Euro-American modernity that renationalizes transnational cultural traffic in reaction to anxieties that the decentering forces of global capitalism will corrupt the sovereignty of the nation-state.
Multimodal Voxelization and Kinematically Constrained Gaussian Mixture Models for Full Hand Pose Estimation: An Integrated Systems Approach

We propose a new approach to the hand pose estimation problem using only volume information. We describe a thermal and color image-based approach to generate silhouettes of the hand with which voxel images are produced using shape-from-silhouette. We assume a 16-component, 27 degree-of-freedom kinematically constrained Gaussian mixture model, and fit it over the voxel images. We constrain the otherwise freely-arranged components of this model by a system of equations describing joint characteristics parameterized by component centroids and orientations. We use the EM algorithm and steepest descent to estimate the parameters of the model such that they yield the maximum likelihood and kinematically correct pose estimates. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed system on synthesized as well as captured voxel images of the hand, and show that given appropriate initial conditions, the iterative model parameter estimation procedure effectively converges to and tracks the "voxelized" articulated hand.
An In Vitro Biomechanical Comparison of a 5.5 mm Locking Compression Plate Fixation with a 4.5 mm Locking Compression Plate Fixation of Osteotomized Equine Third Metacarpal Bones

Objectives: To compare the monotonic biomechanical properties and fatigue life of a 5.5-mm-broad locking compression plate (5.5 LCP) fixation with a 4.5-mm-broad locking compression plate (4.5 LCP) fixation to repair osteotomized equine 3rd metacarpal (MC3) bones. Study Design: In vitro biomechanical testing of paired cadaveric equine MC3 with a middiaphyseal osteotomy, stabilized by 1 of 2 methods for fracture fixation. Animal Population: Fifteen pairs of adult equine cadaveric MC3 bones. Methods: Fifteen pairs of equine MC3 were divided into 3 test groups (5 pairs each) for (1) 4-point bending single cycle to failure testing, (2) 4-point bending cyclic fatigue testing, and (3) torsional single cycle to failure testing. An 8-hole, 5.5 LCP was applied to the dorsal surface of 1 randomly selected bone from each pair and an 8-hole, 4.5 LCP was applied dorsally to the contralateral bone from each pair using a combination of cortical and locking screws. All plates and screws were applied using standard ASIF techniques. All MC3 bones had middiaphyseal osteotomies. Mean test variable values for each method were compared using a paired t-test within each group with significance set at P<.05. Results: Mean yield load, yield bending moment, composite rigidity, failure load, and failure bending moment, under 4-point bending, single cycle to failure, of the 5.5 LCP fixation were significantly greater than those of the 4.5 LCP fixation. Mean cycles to failure in 4-point bending of the 5.5 LCP fixation (170,535±19,166) was significantly greater than that of the 4.5 LCP fixation (129,629±14,054). Mean yield load, mean composite rigidity, and mean failure load under torsional testing, single cycle to failure was significantly greater for the broad 5.5 LCP fixation compared with the 4.5 LCP fixation. In single cycle to failure under torsion, the mean±SD values for the 5.5 LCP and the 4.5 LCP fixation techniques, respectively, were: yield load, 151.4±19.6 and 97.6±12.1 N m; composite rigidity, 790.3±58.1 and 412.3±28.1 N m/rad; and failure load: 162.1±20.2 and 117.9±14.6 N m. Conclusion: The 5.5 LCP was superior to the 4.5 LCP in resisting static overload forces (palmarodorsal 4-point bending and torsional) and in resisting cyclic fatigue under palmarodorsal 4-point bending. Clinical Relevance: These in vitro study results may provide information to aid in selection of an LCP for repair of equine long bone fractures.
Grid Resource Availability Prediction-Based Scheduling and Task Replication

The frequent and volatile unavailability of volunteer-based Grid computing resources challenges Grid schedulers to make effective job placements. The manner in which host resources become unavailable will have different effects on different jobs, depending on their runtime and their ability to be checkpointed or replicated. A multi-state availability model can help improve scheduling performance by capturing the various ways a resource may be available or unavailable to the Grid. This paper uses a multi-state model and analyzes a machine availability trace in terms of that model. Several prediction techniques then forecast resource transitions into the model’s states. We analyze the accuracy of our predictors, which outperform existing approaches. We also propose and study several classes of schedulers that utilize the predictions, and a method for combining scheduling factors. We characterize the inherent tradeoff between job makespan and the number of evictions due to failure, and demonstrate how our schedulers can navigate this tradeoff under various scenarios. Lastly, we propose job replication techniques, which our schedulers utilize to replicate those jobs that are most likely to fail. Our replication strategies outperform others, as measured by improved makespan and fewer redundant operations. In particular, we define a new metric for replication efficiency, and demonstrate that our multi-state availability predictor can provide information that allows our schedulers to be more efficient than others that blindly replicate all jobs or some static percentage of jobs.
Temperature Rise and Losses in Solid Structural Steel Exposed to the Magnetic Fields from A-C. Conductors

Experimental investigations were made for the determination of the temperature rise and the losses occurring in structural steel members exposed to the fields from a-c. conductors. The worlz originated fromn the demand among the designing engineers of an electrical manufacturing company for practical data which would enable them to estimate, at least roughly, the temperature rise and the heat losses in the more common cases of structural steel members passing near the conductors. In the paper presented here are given the results of the investigations in question. Examples are given illustrating the method of procedure in estimating temperature rise and losses in structural steel. The method of calculation applied is, in most cases, empirical. The major factors affecting temperature rise and losses are discussed on the basis of the test data. An understanding of these factors will often permit a designer to avoid iron heating without sacrifice of space or of economy. Thus a good part of the data presented apply to cases for which the temperature rise of the steel would ordinarily be considered not seriously objectionable. Iron members passing between going and return conductors in adjacent-phase layouts may reach very high temperatures; on the other hand, iron members passing at right angles to, but outside of, a group of going and return conductors will usually heat less than an iron member crossing a single conductor, when the current and minimum spacings are the same.
Paraguay and Mercosur: The Lesser of Two Evils?

ABSTRACT This article examines Paraguay's experience with Mercosur in terms of its impact on economic growth, trade, investment, industrial competitiveness, and income distribution. Of particular interest is Mercosur's impact on the flourishing border trade taking place under the “regimen de turismo,” a special tax regime for consumer goods, especially electronics. The author concludes that while Mercosur has not brought all the benefits expected from membership in the customs union, being excluded from Mercosur might have been worse for the Paraguayan economy.
Dietary Energy Density Is Associated with Overweight Status among 5 Ethnic Groups in the Multiethnic Cohort Study

Differences in BMI among ethnic groups may be partially explained by the consumption of energy-dense foods, which influences energy intake in controlled laboratory studies. However, the role of dietary energy density (ED, kJ/g) in free-living persons is less understood. Our objective was to determine whether ED is related to current BMI and the risk for overweight and obesity and whether these relations are consistent among ethnic groups. We calculated ED from responses to a quantitative food frequency questionnaire and validated the measures against multiple 24-h recalls. Subjects consisted of 191,023 participants in the Hawaii-Los Angeles Multiethnic Cohort who were African American, Native Hawaiian, Japanese American, Latino, or Caucasian. Mean ED varied from a low of 4.62 kJ/g in Japanese American men to a high of 5.08 kJ/g in African American men. Mean BMI was lowest in Japanese Americans of both sexes and highest in Native Hawaiian men and African American women. After adjusting for the amount of food consumed per day, age, current smoking status, physical activity, chronic disease, and education, a 1 kJ/g increase in ED was associated with an increase in BMI of approximately 1 kg/m2 in each ethnic sex group. This same increase in ED was associated with a significantly increased risk of being overweight in all ethnic sex groups, varying from 4% in African American men to 34% in Japanese American women. Our findings suggest that consumption of an energy dense diet is a risk factor for higher BMI in both men and women across ethnic groups.
Effect of the ac Field Level on the Aging of the Dielectric Response in Polycrystalline BaTiO3

BaTiO3 ceramics with grain sizes from 0.6 to 60 μm and relative densities of 89% to 92% were prepared by hot forging and conventional sintering from very pure-oxalate-derived powder. The aging of both the dielectric constant and the dielectric loss was examined at weak and strong fields with respect to grain size and frequency. It was concluded that the main aging mechanism is the aging of hysteretic domain wall motion for coarse-grained ceramics. At grain size of less than 1 μm, the lack of frequency and EAC dependence, along with a lower aging rate, suggests that domain motions or hysteretic domain wall motions are restricted in finegrained ceramic BaTiO3 and contribute little to the aging.
Integrating reinforcement learning, bidding and genetic algorithms

This paper presents a GA-based multi-agent reinforcement learning bidding approach (GMARLB) for performing multi-agent reinforcement learning. GMARLB integrates reinforcement learning, bidding and genetic algorithms. The general idea of our multi-agent systems is as follows: There are a number of individual agents in a team, each agent of the team has two modules: Q module and CQ module. Each agent can select actions to be performed at each step, which are done by the Q module. While the CQ module determines at each step whether the agent should continue or relinquish control. Once an agent relinquishes its control, a new agent is selected by bidding algorithms. We applied GA-based GMARLB to the Backgammon game. The experimental results show GMARLB can achieve a superior level of performance in game-playing, outperforming PubEval, while the system uses zero built-in knowledge.
A parallel block-diagonal preconditioned conjugate-gradient solution algorithm for circuit and device simulations

The authors present a general purpose, parallel matrix solver based on the conjugate gradient squared (CGS) method which features a novel preconditioning scheme commensurate with massive parallel computing. The solver algorithm has been successfully used for solving linear systems of equations arising from circuit and device simulations with MOS and bipolar junction transistor (BJT) circuits, both digital and analog, as well as high-level injection conditions in devices. The performance of the algorithm can be further improved by a matrix partitioning scheme. >