cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Apex Seal Design for the MEMS Rotary Engine Power System

Design, modeling, and analysis of a novel in-plane cantilever apex seal for maintaining high compression ratios in a MEMS-based rotary internal combustion engine are presented. This work is part of an effort to create a portable, MEMS-based Rotary Engine Power System (MEMS REPS) capable of producing power on the order of tens of milliwatts and with an energy density better than that of a conventional battery. A Wankel-type rotary engine is advantageous for a MEMS-based internal combustion engine due to its planar geometry, self-valving operation, and few moving parts. Large scale rotary engines typically incorporate a complex apex and face sealing system composed of many parts and involved assembly. A MEMS-based apex seal system can be incorporated as part of the rotor in order to eliminate manual assembly. The seal system must also have a minimal footprint and closely follow the epitrochoid profile in order to effectively integrate with the other engine systems. Based on these objectives, an integrated in-plane cantilever apex seal system can be integrated into the rotor with a small footprint. The first step in the development of the MEMS REPS is an air-powered expander which can be used to demonstrate electrical generator operation, engine rotation, and apex seal operation. The apex seals discussed here are optimized for use in an air-powered expander. A performance analysis of this flexure apex seal design is performed which examines 4 major performance constraints: resonant frequency, strain, pressure, and power dissipation. In addition, the seal design also accounts for fabrication tolerances of thick deep reactive ion etching (DRIE). During operation, dynamic effects due to combustion process and mechanical translation may drive the flexures into resonance, leading to galloping of the cantilever tips. Galloping will result in large leakage paths, thereby, reducing the compression ratio. A 0.25% strain limit is imposed to minimize the effect of fatigue on seal performance. Pre-compressed apex seals are used to counteract forces generated on the apex seal due to a pressure differential. The apex seal is also designed to minimize the power dissipated due to frictional losses. To model the cantilever apex seal, two different loading conditions are examined. One condition is distinguished by point loading at the tip, when contact is made between the seal and housing wall. Another condition is characterized by a distributed loading, due to the changing pressure by both the compression and the combustion events. Analytical models in addition to a finite element analysis were performed.© 2003 ASME
Nucleotide sequence of the herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) thymidine kinase gene and predicted amino acid sequence of thymidine kinase polypeptide and its comparison with the HSV-1 thymidine kinase gene.

Abstract To analyze the boundaries of the functional coding region of the HSV-2(333) thymidine kinase gene (TK gene), deletion mutants of hybrid plasmid pMAR401 H2G, which contains the 17.5 kbp Bgl II-G fragment of HSV-2 DNA, were prepared and tested for capacity to transform LM(TK − ) cells to the thymidine kinase-positive phenotype. These studies showed that hybrid plasmids containing 2.2–2.4 kbp subfragments of HSV-2 Bgl II-G DNA transformed LM(TK − ) cells to the thymidine kinase-positive phenotype and suggested that the region critical for transformation might be less than 2 kbp. That the activity expressed in the transformants was HSV-2 thymidine kinase was shown by experiments with type-specific enzyme-inhibiting rabbit antisera and by disc-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analyses. DNA fragments of the HSV-2 TK gene were subcloned in phage M13mp9 and M13mp8. A sequence of 1656 bp containing the entire coding region of the TK gene and the flanking sequences was determined by the dideoxynucleotide chain termination method. Comparisons with the HSV-1(Cl 101) TK gene revealed that Pst I, Pvu II, and Eco RI cleavage sites had homologous locations as did promoter, translational start and stop, and polyadenylation signals. Extensive homology was observed in the nucleotide sequence preceding the ATG translational start signal and in portions of the coding region of the genes. Comparisons of the predicted amino acid sequences of the HSV-1 and HSV-2 thymidine kinase polypeptides revealed that both were enriched in alanine, arginine, glycine, leucine, and proline residues and that clear, but interrupted homology existed within several regions of the polypeptide chains. Stretches of 15–30 amino acid residues were identical in conserved regions. The possibility is suggested that domains containing some of the conserved amino acid sequences might have a role in substrate binding and as major antigenic determinants.
Sleep disturbances in young subjects with visual dysfunction.

Abstract Purpose To determine whether the type of ophthalmic disease is predictive of sleep and wakefulness disturbances in young subjects with visual dysfunction. Design Prospective cohort study. Participants and controls Twenty-five subjects (ages 12–20) were recruited from the Missouri School for the Blind. Twelve controls with normal sight were recruited from a residential school. Methods Daily activity was monitored for 14 days using wrist actigraphy. Sleep and wakefulness measures were derived from actigraphy records by automated analysis. Visually impaired subjects were prospectively stratified by presence or absence of optic nerve disease. Main outcome measures Daytime napping and regularity of awakening time (wake-up time instability). Results Subjects with optic nerve disease napped in the daytime significantly more than other visually impaired children or normal sighted controls: 28.1±4.0 minutes per day (mean ± standard error) versus 11.9±2.4 minutes per day in equally visually impaired subjects with intact optic nerve function versus 6.2±2.2 minutes per day in subjects with normal sight ( P P = 0.02). Blind subjects with optic nerve disease are 21.3 times more likely than children with normal sight to nap more than 20 minutes on average per day (95% CI=1.2–378, P = 0.04). Conclusions Optic nerve disease is predictive of increased daytime napping in young visually impaired subjects, suggesting that the nature and presence of ophthalmic disease affect the probability of concomitant sleep timing disorders.
A critique of the utility of the prediction of protein secondary structure

The Chou-Fasman predictive algorithm for determining the secondary structure of proteins from the primary sequence is reviewed. Many examples of its use are presented which illustrate its wide applicability, such as predicting (a) regions with the potential for conformational change, (b) sequences which are capable of assuming several conformations in different environments, (c) effects of single amino acid mutations, (d) amino acid replacements in synthesis of peptides to bring about a change in conformation, (e) guide to the synthesis of polypeptides with definitive secondary structure,e.g. signal sequences, (f) conformational homologues from varying sequences and (g) the amino acid requirements for amphiphilicα-helical peptides.
A Strategy for Evaluating the Mortality Impact of Child Survival Programmes in Africa: Combatting Childhood Communicable Diseases Project

2 of 13 sub-Saharan African countries which have implemented the USAID-funded Combatting Childhood Communicable Diseases (CCCD) Project have used the Mortality and Use of Health Service (MUHS) surveys to determine the impact of the CCCD program on infant and child mortality. MUHS surveys include pre- and post-test surveys and intermediate surveys in program and nonprogram areas. CCCD evaluation also involves monitoring of deaths at health facilities keeping a prospective community-based monitoring system and following vital statistics from registration systems. CCCD MUHS questionnaires differ but all share questions on program coverage impact measures and program-related changes in behavior. They aim specifically to collect data on use of health services and on pregnancy histories. They use pregnancy histories to collect retrospective data on child mortality. A key difference in the questionnaires is the amount of attention paid to determining CCCD-targeted causes of death including malaria diarrhea pertussis and diphtheria. Surveys in some countries reveal that meeting sample size requirements in cumbersome so evaluators have decided to do sample size calculations and tests of impact based on the smallest age group where most of the impact is expected to occur (i.e. 6-35 month old children rather than children less than 5 years old). As mortality rates fall it becomes harder to show the impact of health programs aimed at infectious disease-related mortality reduction. The comparison of the mortality rates of pre-tests with those from post-tests comprises the data analysis strategy. A recommended time interval to compare the rates is 5 years before the 1st survey and 3-4 years before the 2nd survey. CCCD evaluations should link with sentinel surveillance systems for example measles cases at hospital or clinics to strengthen program evaluation. Combining program and control populations with data from sentinel surveillance allows generation of reliable estimates of the impact of health programs on child mortality.
Prediction of protein secondary structure from amino acid sequence.

The conformational parametersP k for each amino acid species (j=1–20) of sequential peptides in proteins are presented as the product ofP i,k , wherei is the number of the sequential residues in thekth conformational state (k=α-helix,Β-sheet,Β-turn, or unordered structure). Since the average parameter for ann-residue segment is related to the average probability of finding the segment in the kth state, it becomes a geometric mean of (P k )av=π(P i,k ) 1/n with amino acid residuei increasing from 1 ton. We then used ln(Pk)av to convert a multiplicative process to a summation, i.e., ln(P k ) av =(1/n)⌆P i,k (i=1 ton) for ease of operation. However, this is unlike the popular Chou-Fasman algorithm, which has the flaw of using the arithmetic mean for relative probabilities. The Chou-Fasman algorithm happens to be close to our calculations in many cases mainly because the difference between theirP k and our InP k is nearly constant for about one-half of the 20 amino acids. When stronger conformation formers and breakers exist, the difference become larger and the prediction at the N- and C-terminalα-helix orΒ-sheet could differ. If the average conformational parameters of the overlapping segments of any two states are too close for a unique solution, our calculations could lead to a different prediction.
Effects of a stroma-free hemoglobin and perfluorochemical combination on ultrastructure and function of the isolated rat kidney.

Experimental perfusions of isolated rat kidneys were performed with flow rates adjusted to produce comparable glomerular filtration rates (GFR) in control and experimental groups. The experimental perfusate, consisting of Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate (KRB) containing 3.5% (uncrosslinked) stroma-free hemoglobin (SFH) plus 3.5% of the perfluorochemical (PFC) Fluosol-DA, was found to produce only 48% as much urine as the control perfusate consisting of KRB containing 7% dextran (without either SFH or PFC). Perfusion with the experimental SFH/PFC mixture was associated with mean fractional reabsorptions of sodium 3.3% greater and of potassium 5.1% lesser than perfusion with the control KRB (with dextran) solution (p <. 05). The SFH/PFC mixture was localized histochemically to the capillaries and urinary spaces of glomeruli; and to the apical microvilli, basal laminae, and intracytoplasmic vacuoles of proximal renal tubular cells. Since the glomerular filtration rate was not a factor, decremental urine production ...
Low-energy theorems for nuclear compton and raman scattering and 0+ → 0+ two-photon decays in nuclei

Abstract Low-energy theorems for elastic photon scattering (nuclear Compton scattering) from a nucleus of arbitrary spin are derived in the nonrelativistic approximation through terms quadratic in the photon frequency. The same derivation is made for the special case of 0 + → 0 + nuclear excitation by inelastic photon scattering (nuclear Raman scattering). Use is made of the general principle of gauge invariance, which bypasses the need to specify the form of the current operator explicitly. A general discussion of the contribution of mesonic exchanges is made and their effect is isolated. The center-of-mass correction to the nuclear diamagnetic susceptibility is calculated. The 0 + → 0 + two-photon decay amplitude is obtained from the nuclear Raman amplitude and the transition rate is calculated.
The Key Role of Caveolin-1 in Estrogen-Mediated Regulation of Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase Function in Cerebral Arterioles In vivo

The marked impairment in cerebrovascular endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) function that develops after ovariectomy may relate to the observation that the abundance of cerebral vascular eNOS and its endogenous inhibitor, caveolin-1, vary in opposite directions with chronic changes in estrogen status. The authors endeavored, therefore, to establish a link between these correlative findings by independently manipulating, in ovariectomized female rats, eNOS and caveolin-1 expression, while monitoring agonist (acetylcholine)-stimulated eNOS functional activity. In the current study, the authors showed that individually neither the up-regulation of eNOS (through simvastatin treatment), nor the down-regulation of caveolin-1 (through antisense oligonucleotide administration) is capable of restoring eNOS function in pial arterioles in vivo in these estrogen-depleted rats. Only when eNOS up-regulation and caveolin-1 down-regulation are combined is activity normalized. These results establish a mechanistic link between the estrogen-associated divergent changes in the abundance of caveolin-1 and eNOS protein and eNOS functional activity in cerebral arterioles.
Conformations of a tethered membrane: Crumpling in graphitic oxide?

We have used freeze-fracture electron microscopy and static light scattering to study the conformations of two-dimensional sheets of graphitic oxide suspended in aqueous solution. Electron micrographs show the graphite sheets are flat with some curling at the edges. Scattering experiments yield a fractal dimension of 2.15 (\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.06). Lowering the solvent polarity with acetone enhances the intramembrane affinity and leads to a compact structure. Under no conditions did we find a crumpled phase, which had been hypothesized as possible for 2D tethered membranes.
Inhomogeneous broadening of GaAs shallow-donor spectra

The theory proposed by Larsen for inhomogeneous broadening of GaAs shallow-donor spectra is reexamined. First, a simple model is proposed to explain why the structure of the experimental spectra is not smeared out by field-induced ionization broadening. Then the theory-experiment discrepancy in the separation of the two peaks of the Lyman-$\ensuremath{\beta}$ profile is examined; it appears that most of the discrepancy is due to two effects not considered by Larsen's theory---charged donor-acceptor correlation at low temperature, and mixing of the $n=3$ states with higher excited states.
Longitudinal Changes in Heart Rate-Corrected Measures of Exercise Performance in Children

Interpretation of change in exercise performance over time in children with repaired congenital heart disease is often hampered by poor effort that limits the maximum heart rate; this is often difficult to distinguish from chronotropic impairment, a common finding in these children. In an attempt to address this limitation, we sought to examine measures of exercise performance that are corrected for heart rate in healthy children and to determine if these change with somatic growth. We studied two serial graded exercise tests in 24 healthy children at an interval of >3 years. Paired comparisons revealed that maximum oxygen pulse (O2 pulse), O2 pulse at ventilatory anaerobic threshold, O2 pulse at a heart rate of 140 beats per minute, and slope of the VO2–heart rate relationship all increased with age. However, when indexed to somatic growth, there was no change in the mean values of these parameters over time. We conclude that O2 pulse and slope of the VO2–heart rate relationship during exercise increase in proportion to somatic growth in children so that optimal oxygen delivery to the exercising muscles is ensured. This study provides the “normative” response of exercise parameters to growth, against which responses of children with repaired congenital heart disease may be compared.
Impact of opiate addiction on neuroinflammation in HIV

To investigate the independent and interactive effects of opiate addiction and HIV on neuroinflammation, we measured microglial/macrophage activation and astrogliosis in multiple regions of human brain. Samples of thalamus, frontal gray matter, and frontal white matter were obtained from 46 individuals categorized as: HIV negatives, HIV-negative opiate addicts, HIV positives, HIV-positive opiate addicts, HIV encephalitis (HIVE), and HIVE opiate addicts. Activated brain microglia/macrophages and astrocytosis were quantified by morphometric analysis of immunohistochemical stains for CD68, HLA-D, CD163, and GFAP. The effects of HIV grouping, opiate addiction, and their interaction on expression of the markers were examined in a series of two-way ANOVAs. In opiate addicts, there was generally higher baseline expression of CD68 and HLA-D in HIV negatives, and lower expression in HIV and HIVE, compared to individuals without opiate abuse. Thus, for these markers, and for GFAP in frontal gray, opiates were associated with attenuated HIV effect. In contrast, for CD163, opiates did not significantly alter responses to HIV, and HIV effects were variably absent in individuals without opiate abuse. The divergent impact that opiate addiction displays on these markers may suggest a generally immunosuppressive role in the CNS, with decreased HIV-associated activation of markers CD68 and HLA-D that potentially reflect neurotoxic pathways, and preservation of CD163, thought to be an indicator of neuroprotective scavenger systems. These results suggest a complex impact of opiates on neuroinflammation in baseline and virally stimulated states.
Radial Bipolar Electrode Placement In Scala Tympani: Effects On Neural Potential Profiles And Longitudinal Spread Of Excitation

A three-dimensional, finite-element field model of intracochlear electrical stimulation using a pure radial, bipolar electrode configuration is presented. Fiber potential profiles and longitudinal potential spread functions to a step function electrode potential input are evaluated with regard to placement of the electrode array within scala tympani . These model results suggest that bipolar electrode placement within scala tympani significantly affects the potential patterns created in the vicinity of the n eural elements. In the particular case where the bipolar electrode is near the lateral wall of scala tympani, uniform, n early constant potential profiles are generated near the fibers and many of the unique defining character ist ics of
Improving cache performance using read-write partitioning

Cache read misses stall the processor if there are no independent instructions to execute. In contrast, most cache write misses are off the critical path of execution, since writes can be buffered in the cache or the store buffer. With few exceptions, cache lines that serve loads are more critical for performance than cache lines that serve only stores. Unfortunately, traditional cache management mechanisms do not take into account this disparity between read-write criticality. This paper proposes a Read-Write Partitioning (RWP) policy that minimizes read misses by dynamically partitioning the cache into clean and dirty partitions, where partitions grow in size if they are more likely to receive future read requests. We show that exploiting the differences in read-write criticality provides better performance over prior cache management mechanisms. For a single-core system, RWP provides 5% average speedup across the entire SPEC CPU2006 suite, and 14% average speedup for cache-sensitive benchmarks, over the baseline LRU replacement policy. We also show that RWP can perform within 3% of a new yet complex instruction-address-based technique, Read Reference Predictor (RRP), that bypasses cache lines which are unlikely to receive any read requests, while requiring only 5.4% of RRP's state overhead. On a 4-core system, our RWP mechanism improves system throughput by 6% over the baseline and outperforms three other state-of-the-art mechanisms we evaluate.
Feedback linearization application for LLRF control system

The Low Energy Demonstration Accelerator (LEDA) being constructed at Los Alamos National Laboratory will serve as the prototype for the low energy section of acceleration production of tritium (APT) accelerator. This paper addresses the problem of the low-level RF (LLRF) control system for LEDA. We propose a control law which is based on exact feedback linearization coupled with gain scheduling which reduces the effect of the deterministic klystron cathode voltage ripple that is due to harmonics of the high voltage power supply and achieves tracking of desired set points. Also, we propose an estimator of the ripple and its time derivative and the estimates based feedback linearization controller.
Comparative analysis of the extracellular proteomes of two Clostridium sordellii strains exhibiting contrasting virulence

Abstract Clostridium sordellii is a toxin-producing anaerobic bacillus that causes severe infections in humans and livestock. C. sordellii infections can be accompanied by a highly lethal toxic shock syndrome (TSS). Lethal toxin (TcsL) is an important mediator of TSS. We recently obtained a clinical strain of C. sordellii (DA-108) lacking the TcsL-encoding tcsL gene, which was not fatal in rodent models of infection, in contrast to a tcsL+ reference strain (ATCC9714). Protein preparations derived from cell-free, stationary phase cultures obtained from ATCC9714 were lethal when injected into mice, while those obtained from DA-108 were not, a difference that was attributed to the unique presence of TcsL in the ATCC9714-derived proteins. We questioned whether there were other major differences between the extracellular proteomes of these two strains, apart from TcsL. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis was conducted using crude cell-free supernatants from these strains and 14 differentially expressed proteins were subjected to mass spectrometric analysis. Nine of these 14 proteins were more highly expressed by DA-108 and 5 by ATCC9714. Twelve of the 14 proteins isolated from the 2-D gels were putatively identified by mass spectrometry. Several of these proteins were identical, possibly reflecting enzymatic cleavage, degradation, and/or post-translational modifications. Excluding identical sequences, only 5 unique proteins were identified. Four proteins (ferredoxin–nitrite reductase; formate acetyltransferase; Translation Elongation Factor G; and purine nucleoside phosphorylase) were over-expressed by DA-108 and 1 (N-acetylmuramoyl- l -alanine amidase) by ATCC9714. These results support the concept that TcsL is the major determinant of C. sordellii TSS during infection.
Seasonal CO2 assimilation and stomatal limitations in a Pinus taeda canopy

Net CO(2) assimilation (A(net)) of canopy leaves is the principal process governing carbon storage from the atmosphere in forests, but it has rarely been measured over multiple seasons and multiple years. I measured midday A(net) in the upper canopy of maturing loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) trees in the piedmont region of the southeastern USA on 146 sunny days over 36 months. Concurrent data for leaf conductance and photosynthetic CO(2) response curves (A(net)-C(i) curves) were used to estimate the relative importance of stomatal limitations to CO(2) assimilation in the field. In fully expanded current-year and 1-year-old needles, midday light-saturated A(net) was constant over much of the growing season (5-6 mmol CO(2) m(-2) s(-1)), except during drought periods. During the winter season (November-March), midday A(net) of overwintering needles varied in proportion to leaf temperature. Net CO(2) assimilation at light saturation occurred when daytime air temperatures exceeded 5-6 degrees C, as happened on more than 90% of the sunny winter days. In both age classes of foliage, winter carbon assimilation accounted for approximately 15% of the daily carbon assimilation on sunny days throughout the year, and was relatively insensitive to year-to-year differences in temperature during this season. However, strong stomatal limitations to A(net) occurred as a result of water stress associated with freezing cycles in winter. During the growing season, drought-induced water stress produced the largest year-to-year differences in seasonal CO(2) assimilation on sunny days. Seasonal A(net) was more drought sensitive in current-year needles than in 1-year-old needles. Relative stomatal limitations to daily integrated A(net) were approximately 40% over the growing season, and summer drought rather than high temperatures had the largest impact on summer A(net) and integrated annual CO(2) uptake in the upper crown. Despite significant stomatal limitations, a long duration of near-peak A(net) in the upper crown, particularly in 1-year-old needles, conferred high seasonal and annual carbon gain.
Prediction of Future Uniform Milk Prices in Florida Federal Milk Marketing Order 6 from Milk Futures Markets

Abstract This study assessed the accuracy of 3 methods that predict the uniform milk price in Federal Milk Marketing Order 6 (Florida). Predictions were made for 1 to 12 mo into the future. Data were from January 2003 to May 2007. The CURRENT method assumed that future uniform milk prices were equal to the last announced uniform milk price. The F+BASIS and F+UTIL methods were based on the milk futures markets because the futures prices reflect the market's expectation of the class III and class IV cash prices that are announced monthly by USDA. The F+BASIS method added an exponentially weighted moving average of the difference between the class III cash price and the historical uniform milk price (also known as basis) to the class III futures price. The F+UTIL method used the class III and class IV futures prices, the most recently announced butter price, and historical utilizations to predict the skim milk prices, butterfat prices, and utilizations in all 4 classes. Predictions of future utilizations were made with a Holt-Winters smoothing method. Federal Milk Marketing Order 6 had high class I utilization (85±4.8%). Mean and standard deviation of the class III and class IV cash prices were $13.39±2.40/cwt (1 cwt=45.36kg) and $12.06±1.80/cwt, respectively. The actual uniform price in Tampa, Florida, was $16.62±2.16/cwt. The basis was $3.23±1.23/cwt. The F+BASIS and F+UTIL predictions were generally too low during the period considered because the class III cash prices were greater than the corresponding class III futures prices. For the 1- to 6-mo-ahead predictions, the root of the mean squared prediction errors from the F+BASIS method were $1.12, $1.20, $1.55, $1.91, $2.16, and $2.34/cwt, respectively. The root of the mean squared prediction errors ranged from $2.50 to $2.73/cwt for predictions up to 12 mo ahead. Results from the F+UTIL method were similar. The accuracies of the F+BASIS and F+UTIL methods for all 12 fore-cast horizons were not significantly different. Application of the modified Mariano-Diebold tests showed that no method included all the information contained in the other methods. In conclusion, both F+BASIS and F+UTIL methods tended to more accurately predict the future uniform milk prices than the CURRENT method, but prediction errors could be substantial even a few months into the future. The majority of the prediction error was caused by the inefficiency of the futures markets to predict the class III cash prices.
Downgrading policies and relaxed noninterference

In traditional information-flow type systems, the security policy is often formalized as noninterference properties. However, noninterference alone is too strong to express security properties useful in practice. If we allow downgrading in such systems, it is challenging to formalize the security policy as an extensional property of the system.This paper presents a generalized framework of downgrading policies. Such policies can be specified in a simple and tractable language and can be statically enforced by mechanisms such as type systems. The security guarantee is then formalized as a concise extensional property using program equivalences. This relaxed noninterference generalizes traditional pure noninterference and precisely characterizes the information released due to downgrading.
Performance of SNS Front end and warm linac

The Spallation Neutron Source accelerator systems will deliver a 1.0 GeV, 1.4 MW proton beam to a liquid mercury target for neutron scattering research. The accelerator complex consists of an H-injector, capable of producing one-ms-long pulses at 60 Hz repetition rate with 38 mA peak current, a 1 GeV linear accelerator, an accumulator ring and associated transport lines. The 2.5 MeV beam from the Front End is accelerated to 86 MeV in the Drift Tube Linac, then to 185 MeV in a Coupled-Cavity Linac and finally to 1 GeV in the Superconducting Linac. With the completion of beam commissioning, the accelerator complex began operation in June 2006 and beam power is being gradually ramped up toward the design goal. Operational experience with the injector and linac will be presented including chopper performance, transverse emittance evolution along the linac, and the results of a beam loss study.
Plant defense priming against herbivores: getting ready for a different battle.

Plants have evolved various strategies to defend themselves against herbivores and pathogens. Although some of these strategies are constitutive, i.e. present at all times, others are induced only in response to herbivore feeding or pathogen infection. The induction of direct and indirect plant
Cognitive impairment in musculoskeletal pain patients

To assess the incidence and relationship of cognitive/intellectual impairments to pain problems, seventy-three adults with musculoskeletal pain seen in a PM&R outpatient clinic were screened using the Neurobehavioral Cognitive Status Examination (NCSE). Subjective pain complaints were assessed using portions of the McGill Pain Questionnaire. Patients with prior diagnoses of neurocognitive problems or those who had taken narcotic analgesics in the last 24 hours were excluded. Results showed that 32 percent of subjects had impaired performance in at least one cognitive domain. Individuals with poorer performance on the NCSE had higher levels of reported pain or disability and psychological distress. Possible factors contributing to poor performance on cognitive tasks include psychological disorders or distress, undiagnosed organic brain dysfunction, social/psychological factors such as education, or a combination of these. Results suggest the need for further research to understand the relationship of poor performance on cognitive tasks to the etiology, maintenance and rehabilitation of pain problems.
BDNF activates CaMKIV and PKA in parallel to block MAG-mediated inhibition of neurite outgrowth

The environment of the adult CNS prevents axonal regeneration after injury. This inhibition of axonal regeneration can be blocked by elevating cAMP. Previously, we showed that the cAMP pathway can be activated via pre-treatment with neurotrophins and requires activation of several signaling pathways which converge at activation of the transcription factor, CREB. Here, we show that calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase IV (CaMKIV) is necessary for the neurotrophin-induced phosphorylation of CREB and the block of myelin-mediated inhibition of axonal growth. Pharmacological inhibition of CaMKIV or over-expression of a dominant-negative mutant form of CaMKIV blocks the neurotrophin effect. Interestingly, CaMKIV activation is not necessary if cAMP levels is already elevated. Finally, calcium flux from intracellular stores is necessary for this CaMKIV signaling. These results demonstrate that CaMKIV is another player in the neurotrophin-induced signaling which leads to axonal regeneration and therefore, is a potential target for therapeutic intervention following injury to the adult CNS.
Assessing the Quality and Value of Quality-of-Life Measurement in Breast Cancer Clinical Trials

It was more than 30 years ago that the first efforts to incorporate quality-of-life (QOL) measurements into cancer treatment trials began in studies of women with advanced breast cancer (1). In that study, the investigators used an ad hoc instrument with linear analog scales to focus on the common side effects of chemotherapy that was being given to women with advanced metastatic breast cancer, and they proposed that self-report by the patient herself would provide valuable information about toxicity and tolerability. This proposed assessment strategy paralleled the first use of multimodal chemotherapy in the setting of metastatic breast cancer, in which endocrine therapies had dominated treatment for nearly a century. At that time, women routinely received radical mastectomy as primary surgery and no one would have dreamed of the dramatic changes that ensued in early detection, surgical management, and multimodal adjuvant therapies that are now standard for women with early-stage breast cancer (2). Nor would those early QOL investigators have anticipated the explosion in the development and psychometric evaluation of various tools to evaluate QOL and patient-reported outcomes (3), as well as the routine incorporation of these assessments in a wide range of randomized clinical trials of treatment and supportive care for women with breast cancer (4). In this issue of the Journal, Lemieux et al. (5) extend a previously published systematic review of randomized clinical trials in breast cancer that included studies published through 2000 (4). In this update of studies from 2001 to 2009, which used a systematic search and reporting strategy similar to that in the previous review, these authors further our understanding of how measurement of QOL outcomes adds value to randomized clinical trials in breast cancer. During the past decade, an impressive number of trials were published (n = 190) that added to those previously reported on (n = 66), reflecting the increasing interest in the inclusion of QOL and patient-reported outcomes in clinical trials, as well as the high volume of treatment and behavioral intervention research focused on patients with breast cancer. However, despite this expansion in the number of trials, the authors identified persistent limitations in the quality of statistical methods used in these studies—with new emphasis on description of statistical power and/or sample size calculation for the QOL outcomes, documentation of missing data, and reporting of the clinical significance of the QOL findings. Inclusion of these elements of trial design and analysis has become a standardized part of QOL study design in recent years, especially with respect to labeling claims for devices
Toxic plume source localization in urban environments using collaborating robots

The research work presented herein is part of a large effort in R&D of a physics-based approach to develop networks of mobile sensing agents for monitoring, tracking, reporting and responding to hazardous conditions such as those resulting from the release of a WMD. We present the development of an efficient and robust distributed collaborative search algorithm for a team of unmanned robots that must locate the emitter of a toxic plume in an urban setting. We aim to provide a scientific, yet practical, approach to the design and analysis of rapidly deployable, scalable, adaptive, cost-effective groups of autonomous robots to replace or complement humans in the hazardous task of localizing the source of toxic chemical, biological or radiological plumes. In our approach, the robot group coordination and control are based on a physics-based framework called physicomimetics, and the collaborative search algorithm, called fluxotaxis, is based on fluid mechanics.
Multicommodity Maximal Covering Network Design Problem for Planning Critical Routes for Earthquake Response

A multicommodity maximal covering network design problem (MCNDP) is formulated for identifying critical routes for earthquake response and seismically retrofitting bridges. MCNDP seeks routes that minimize the total travel time over the selected routes and maximize the total population covered, subject to a budget constraint on bridge retrofitting costs on the selected routes. The problem is formulated as a two-objective integer programming model and solved with the branch-and-cut module in the CPLEX optimizer. The model performance is analyzed with the transportation network of a seismically prone region in southwestern Indiana. A problem reduction strategy is introduced to reduce computational times by recognizing that the critical routes usually are not circuitous. Thereby, the search for the critical routes for an origin-destination (O-D) pair is confined to a limited geographical region around it. To further reduce computational costs, the formulation is extended to incorporate valid inequalities that exploit the problem structure. Computational experiments are conducted to investigate the effects of varying the budget and the relative weights of the two objectives. Noninferior frontiers that illustrate the trade-offs between the conflicting objectives for different budgets are constructed to provide practical insights to decision makers. In addition, a vulnerability analysis is performed for the various solution instances to infer their ability to ensure connectivity between all O-D pairs after an earthquake.
Nanos interacts with cup in the female germline of Drosophila.

Nanos (Nos) is a translational regulator that governs abdominal segmentation of the Drosophila embryo in collaboration with Pumilio (Pum). In the embryo, the mode of Nos and Pum action is clear: they form a ternary complex with critical sequences in the 3′UTR of hunchback mRNA to regulate its translation. Nos also regulates germ cell development and survival in the ovary. While this aspect of its biological activity appears to be evolutionarily conserved, the mode of Nos action in this process is not yet well understood. In this report, we show that Nos interacts with Cup, which is required for normal development of the ovarian germline cells. nos and cup also interact genetically--reducing the level of cup activity specifically suppresses the oogenesis defects associated with the nos(RC) allele. This allele encodes a very low level of mRNA and protein that, evidently, is just below the threshold for normal ovarian Nos function. Taken together, these findings are consistent with the idea that Nos and Cup interact to promote normal development of the ovarian germline. They further suggest that Nos and Pum are likely to collaborate during oogenesis, as they do during embryogenesis.
Predictors of outcome after the Fontan operation: is hypoplastic left heart syndrome still a risk factor?

Abstract Objective: This study was undertaken to evaluate factors contributing to a decrease in early mortality and morbidity after the Fontan procedure between January 1, 1992, and December 31, 1999. Methods: Outcomes evaluated were early survival, duration of pleural effusions, and duration of hospitalization. Potential predictors evaluated included anatomic diagnosis, presence of a common atrioventricular valve, preoperative pulmonary artery pressure, type of Fontan operation, type of intentional right-to-left shunt or baffle fenestration, and use of modified ultrafiltration. Results: The modified Fontan procedure was performed in 332 patients at a median age of 22 months (range, 11-380 months) and a median weight of 11 kg (range, 5.8-120 kg). Prior stage I reconstructive surgery for classic or variant hypoplastic left heart syndrome had been performed in 205 (53%) of 332 patients, and 318 (96%) had undergone an interim superior cavopulmonary connection. A lateral-tunnel Fontan operation was performed in 281 patients, and an extracardiac conduit Fontan operation was performed in 51 patients. An intentional right-to-left shunt was created in 298 (90%) patients. Between 1992 and 1999, the outcome after the modified Fontan operation improved significantly. Overall mortality was 6.6% (22/332), with only 2 deaths since 1994. Morbidity was also reduced, with a decreased duration of pleural effusions and decreased hospital stay. In a multivariable analysis of the entire cohort, only the presence of a common atrioventricular valve (odds ratio, 7.64; 95% confidence limits, 2.07-28.14; P = .0002) and increased preoperative pulmonary artery pressure (odds ratio, 1.46/1 mm Hg increase; 95% confidence limits, 1.2-1.78; P P = .02) and use of modified ultrafiltration (odds ratio, 0.14; 95% confidence limits, 0.03-0.72; P = .019) decreased the risk of death. The risk of prolonged pleural effusions (>3 days) was increased in patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (odds ratio, 1.73; 95% confidence limits, 1.07-2.81; P = .03) and was decreased by use of a single-punch fenestration in a lateral-tunnel Fontan operation (odds ratio, 0.17; 95% confidence limits, 0.07-0.4; P P Conclusions: In a contemporary series of Fontan operations performed largely in patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome or variants, systemic ventricle morphology had no effect on mortality. Some patient characteristics, however, continue to influence outcome. The decrease in mortality and morbidity in the current era is attributed to changes in management strategies, specifically the use of modified ultrafiltration and baffle fenestration.
Light, temperature, and soil moisture responses to elevation, evergreen understory, and small canopy gaps in the southern Appalachians

Abstract Small canopy openings often alter understory microclimate, leading to changes in forest structure and composition. It is generally accepted that physical changes in the understory (i.e., microclimatic) due to canopy removal drive changes in basic forest processes, particularly seedling recruitment which is intrinsically linked to soil moisture availability, light and, to a lesser extent, temperature. We examined the impact of small canopy gaps of the type (snags) and size (∼300 m2) most frequently observed in the southern Appalachians on the understory microclimate. We created artificial canopy gaps at two elevations (a.m.s.l.) by girdling trees in areas with and without a Rhododendron maximum L. (rosebay rhododendron) understory. Soil and air temperature (°C), photosynthetically active radiation (PAR; μmol m−2 s−1), and volumetric soil water content (%WC) in the upper 15 cm of soil were measured along transects generally running north to south through each gap. Overall, PAR was substantially less in rhododendron gaps than in non-rhododendron gaps. We found a slight increase in PAR in non-rhododendron gaps during spring and summer compared to controls. Very little seasonal variation in PAR was observed in rhododendron gaps compared with non-rhododendron gaps. In general, %WC in rhododendron gaps was lower than in non-rhododendron gaps and less variable. We also found a gap response in incident PAR during the spring and summer seasons. There was no significant effect of gap creation on %WC, nor were there site (elevation) differences or effects due to the presence of rhododendron. Further, there was no significant gap effect on mean, maximum, or minimum soil and air temperature; however, there were significant effects from the presence of rhododendron and between sites for PAR and soil and air temperature during certain seasons of the year. Although there is some certainty about measurable responses in key microclimatic variables in rhododendron and non-rhododendron gaps found in this study, we could not be certain if responses represent a significant enough departure from values in undisturbed conditions to elicit a tree recruitment response. Our results indicate that for openings of the size examined here, topography and evergreen understory are the primary determinants of spatial and temporal heterogeneity in understory microclimate.
Artifacts in the localization of GUS activity in anothers of petunia transformed with a CaMV 35S-GUS construct

Summary Blue staining of pollen in transgenic petunia plants containing a β-glucuronidase gene under the control of a cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter, is an artifact caused by the diffusion of reaction products from sites in the another and their dimerization into indigo in pollen. The CaMV 35S promoter is active in various tissues of the another. When pollens from Tradescantia and snapdragon are mixed with transgenic petunia anothers during staining they stain blue, whereas they are colorless when stained alone. In assays for promoter activity in pollen it is essential that pollen is isolated from the another or another section prior to staining for GUS activity, to prevent diffusion artifacts and false staining of pollen.
Technical Advice: Scientific Method and Approaches for Collecting Data

Our Six Sigma program puts a very heavy emphasis on the importance of data for the success of our projects. However, our training really does not tell us how we should collect data other than an occasional designed experiment. Can you enlighten me?
A theoretical framework for the analysis and design of size-limited multirate filter banks

A theoretical framework for analyzing and designing maximally decimated, size-limited filter banks for finite-length input signals is presented. This flexible framework allows for the analysis of many different methods which have recently been proposed to handle the special issues which arise when processing finite extent input signals. Size-limited filter banks are viewed as linear transformations which can be implemented using filter banks composed of linear, time-varying filters and resamplers. The framework is convenient for designing exact-reconstruction, size-limited filter banks which combine almost any signal extension and analysis filter pair. >