cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Thermal Capacity Effect Upon Transient Natural Convection in a Rectangular Cavity

Transient natural convection in a rectangular enclosure is analyzed using a finite difference scheme. The enclosure is adiabatic and filled with water. The buoyancy induced flow is generated by a flat vertical uniform flux surface that has a finite thermal capacity. The full two-dimensional equations representing conservation of mass, momentum, and energy are solved in their time-dependent form. The solution technique used is a modified finite difference procedure very similar to Simple Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (SALE) technique. Two values of surface thermal capacity are investigated, each resulting in a different flow regime during the transient. At short times a simple one-dimensional conduction regime is found to occur. As the leading edge effects arrive at any downstream location the conduction regime is terminated and true convection effects set in. At intermediate times a different flow regime is detected, namely a steady two-dimensional regime that approaches the steady state similarity solution for a similarly heated surface immersed in an infinite fluid medium. Excellent agreement is found with previous analyses and measurements during the early and intermediate transients.
Life‐Cycle Global Warming Impact of CFCs and CFC‐substitutes for Refrigeration

Summary We have investigated the global warming potential (GWP) of CFC-I I, CFC-12, and their replacements, HCFC-I23 and HFC-I34a, based on a life-cycle methodology for refrigeration. We have extended the definition of the total equivalent warming impact (TEWI), which considers the GWP (direct) and GWP (indirect) warming potential of each chemical compound, by adding the GWP (chemical production), GWP (recycling), and GWP (atmospheric breakdown products) for each chemical. We call the new index “life-cycle warming impact” (LCWI).We find that the GWP (chemical production) contributes by no more than 1% to LCWI, and that the GWP (indirect) is highly dependent on refrigerator eficiency and the fuel mix of the electricity source used to operate the appliance. The GWP (atmospheric breakdown products) may also have a significant impact on LCWI.
Dual source ion mobility-mass spectrometer for direct comparison of electrospray ionization and MALDI collision cross section measurements.

In this report, we describe a dual ionization source ion mobility-mass spectrometer (IM-MS) instrument platform for investigations that critically compare ion mobility collision cross section (CCS) measurements obtained from different ionization methods. The instrument incorporates both matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) and nanoelectrospray ionization (nESI) sources. The nESI source incorporates a keyhole geometry ion funnel design which facilitates axial ion focusing, accumulation, and generation of short duration (10−30 μs) ion pulses for use with the IM-MS. The IM-MS instrument operation is independent of which ionization source is used. This allows comparisons of collision cross section measurements to be made between both ion sources with minimal differences in the instrumental arrangement. The performance of the nESI ion source is evaluated by measuring the collision cross section values of the charge states of equine cytochrome c (z = 9−16), and values are in good agreement (<2% d...
Characterization of the Roles of the 594–645 Region in Human Endothelial Nitric-oxide Synthase in Regulating Calmodulin Binding and Electron Transfer

Abstract It has been postulated that a segment (residues 594–645) inserted in the FMN subdomain of human endothelial nitric-oxide synthase (eNOS) plays a crucial role in controlling Ca2+-dependent CaM binding for eNOS activity. To investigate its functions, we expressed human eNOS in a baculovirus system with deletion of a 45-residue segment from this region (residues 594–606 and 614–645, designated as Δ45eNOS), and characterized the purified mutant enzyme. In contrast with wild-type eNOS, Δ45eNOS exhibited characteristics resembling inducible NOS (iNOS). It contained an endogenously bound CaM, which was essential in folding and stabilizing this mutant enzyme, and retained 60% ofl-citrulline formation in 5 mm EGTA. We also produced four N-terminally truncated reductase domains with or without the 45-residue segment, and either including or excluding the CaM-binding sequence. Basal cytochrome c reductase activity of reductase domains without the 45-residue segment was up to 20 fold greater than that of corresponding insert-containing domains, and higher than CaM-stimulated activity of the wild-type enzyme. A series of mutants with smaller fragment deletion in this region such as Δ594–604, Δ605–612, Δ613–625, Δ626–634, Δ632–639, and Δ640–645 mutants were further characterized. The crude lysate of mutants Δ613–625 and Δ632–639 did not show activity in the presence of Ca2+/CaM, while other four mutants had activity comparable to that of WTeNOS. The purified Δ594–604 and Δ605–612 proteins had a 3–5-fold higher affinity for Ca2+/CaM, but their l-citrulline forming activity was still 80% dependent upon the addition of Ca2+/CaM. Both mutants exhibited a low level of the cytochrome c and ferricyanide reductase activities, which either did not respond to (Δ594–604) or slightly enhanced by (Δ605–612) the exogenous CaM. In contrast, activities of Δ626–634 and Δ640–645 like those of WTeNOS were largely Ca2+/CaM-dependent. Thus, our findings indicate that the N-terminal half of the 594–645 segment containing residues 594–612 plays a significant role in regulating Ca2+/CaM binding.
Combined treatment with sodium butyrate and PD153035 enhances keratinocyte differentiation

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor (EGFR) signalling is a critical determinant of keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation in both normal and diseased skin. Here we explore the effects of combined treatment with the differentiation-promoting agent sodium butyrate (SB) and the EGFR inhibitor (EGFRI) PD153035 on terminal differentiation of normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEKs). Cells treated with SB showed increased expression of the levels of mRNA and protein of the differentiation markers filaggrin and transglutaminase 1. Cotreatment with EGF significantly blunted these effects of SB. Combined treatment with SB and PD153035 alleviated these inhibitory actions of EGF, resulting in improved effects of decreased cell growth and increased terminal differentiation, relative to the individual treatments. These results indicate that the combined use of a differentiation-promoting agent and an EGFR inhibitor may offer an additional approach to the management of hyperproliferative skin diseases.
The Use of Ray Tracing Models to Predict MIMO Performance in Urban Environments

The ray tracing approximation was used to compute propagation channel characteristics in an urban setting and results were used to predict multiple input multiple output (MIMO) performance at 1.5 GHz. The computation used mobile radio parameters and provided the maximum theoretical MIMO capacity gain. Receiver positions were moved relative to a fixed transmitter within the urban area and MIMO performance was evaluated as a function of receiver position. A 2times2 MIMO system was used for simplicity and three propagation related parameters were varied to assess the behavior and capability of this method: MIMO antenna spacing, ground and building electric properties. Spatial averaging of the ray tracing solutions was required to obtain consistent results. The averaging was necessary due to the narrow bandwidth solutions associated with this technique, where results were sensitive to small changes in relative transmitter/receiver positions and computational parameters. Upon appropriate averaging, the ray tracing solutions yielded MIMO capacities that depended on antenna spacing and surface electrical properties in a consistent manner. For example, MIMO gains improved with increased antenna separation. Behavior such as key-holing, where RF energy propagates in an urban corridor, was observed. In those cases, MIMO gains were low
Responses of Some Newly Developed Salt‐tolerant Genotypes of Spring Wheat to Salt Stress: 1. Yield Components and Ion Distribution

The degree of salt tolerance of two newly developed genotypes of spring wheat, S24 and S36 was assessed with respect to their parents, LU26S (from Pakistan) and Kharchia (from India). These four lines along with a salt-tolerant genotype SARC-1 and two salt-sensitive cvs Potohar and Yecora Rojo were subjected to salinized sand culture containing 0, 125 or 250 mol m−3 NaCl in full strength Hoagland's nutrient solution. S24 produced significantly greater grain yield and had greater 1000 seed weight and number of tillers per plant than those of the other cultivars /lines. S36 was not significantly different from its parents in seed yield and yield components. SARC-1 was the second highest in grain yield of all cultivars/lines, but it did not differ significantly from LU26S and Kharchia in 1000 seed weight and number of tillers per plant. The greater degree of salt tolerance of S24 could be related to its lower accumulation of Na+ in the leaves and maintenance of higher leaf K/Na ratios and K versus Na selectivity as compared to its parents. S36, which was as good as its parents in growth, also had lower Na+ and higher K/Na ratios and K versus Na selectivity in the leaves at the highest salt level than those in its parents. SARC-1 did not differ from LU26S and Kharchia in ionic content or K/Na ratios and K versus Na selectivities of both leaves and roots. Both the salt-sensitive cultivars, Potohar and Yecora Rojo, had significantly greater leaf Na+ and Cl− concentrations and lower leaf K/Na ratios and K versus Na selectivities than all the salt-tolerant lines examined in this study. From this study it is evident that improvement in salt tolerance of spring wheat is possible through selection and breeding, and pattern of ion accumulation is not consistent among the salt-tolerant genotypes in relation to their degree of salt tolerance.
Synthesis, molecular structure and spectroscopic characterization of MO(CO)2I2 (η2-dppm)(η1-dppm)

Abstract A new, high-yield method has been developed for the preparation of MO(CO)2I2(η2-dppm)(η1-dppm). The title compound was prepared by the reaction of [Et4N][Mo(CO)4I3] with dppm in benzene in 95% yield. It has been characterized by a single-crystal X-ray study. The crystallographic data are as follows: monoclinic, space group P21/n, a = 19.023(4) A, b = 14.439(3) A, c = 20.141(5) A, β = 100.45(2)°, V = 5440(2) A3 Z = 4. The geometry around the central metal atom could be considered as either a distortion from a capped octahedron with a carbonyl in a capping position or from a trigonal prism with the iodine capping a rectangular face. The solution behavior of Mo(CO)2I2(dppm)2 was examined with 31P NMR, which showed it to be fluxional.
Model Reference Adaptive Force Control in Milling

This paper describes the design and implementation of a Model Reference Adaptive Controller (MRAC) for force control in milling. First, previous work in this area is discussed. Results from previous work on the performance of fixed gain process controllers is summarized. The design of an MRAC for force control in milling is described, including a discussion of the implementation issues of noise and com­ putational speed. The adaptive controller was found to perform more satisfactorily than fixed gain controllers, but is difficult to implement and tune, primarily because of the unmodeled dynamics or measurement noise resulting from runout on the mill­ ing cutter. In this problem there was sufficient separation between the noise and the signal frequency that the noise could be filtered. However, the addition of the filter added additional dynamics to the system which reduced the overall performance from that expected from digital simulations. Increasing labor costs and the increasing need for machined parts with high precision, complex geometries has caused a dramatic increase in the number of Numerically Controlled (NC) and Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) machine tools being used in production. These NC and CNC machine tools have greatly reduced operator input, resulting in signifi­ cant improvements in productivity. However, it has been demonstrated that further improvements can be made by on­ line manipulation of the programmer specified feedrates [1]. This can be done by implementing a process controller which uses some measure of the process (typically cutting force) to adjust the feedrate. The use of such process controllers has resulted in substantial improvements in productivity [2]; however, they have introduced some serious new problems resulting from variations inherent in the cutting process. For­ tunately, these problems can be reduced or eliminated by using ideas from adaptive control theory in the controller design. The purpose of the research reported in this paper is to ex­ amine the application of a model reference adaptive force con­ troller to the milling process. This paper is organized as follows: in the next section previous work is discussed, in­ cluding the development of a process model and a discussion of the effects of process parameter variations on the perform­ ance of fixed gain process controllers. A subsequent section describes the design of a model reference adaptive controller (MRAC) for milling. The implementation of the MRAC, and experimental results are then presented and discussed. Finally, the research is summarized, major conclusions are drawn, and topics for future research are indicated. Previous Research •«. This section discusses the literature pertinent to the applica­ tion of adaptive control to milling. Before a detailed discus­ sion of the literature can be presented, a point of terminology must be clarified.
Setting events controlling social verbal exchanges between students with developmental delays

The peer social verbal exchanges (social conversational units) between four developmentally delayed students were studied as a function of setting events. A single conversational unit consisted of a verbal exchange in which each individual functioned as both speaker and listener. Each unit included a three term verbal contingency. Data were collected by trained observers viewing videotapes of 20-minute sessions in which running times were burned onto the videotape. Frequencies of social conversational units were measured under two conditions. Comparisons were made between sessions in which the teacher responded only when spoken to and sessions in which the teacher was absent using a combined reversal and multiple schedule design. Results showed that peer conversational units emerged at high rates when the teacher was absent and at low or nonexistent rates when the teacher responded only when spoken to in the living room setting. The setting and audience control for peer verbal exchanges were discussed as functions possibly of either a punishing audience, establishing operations, or response deprivation.
Interatomic potentials for simulation of He bubble formation in W

Abstract A new interatomic pair potential for W–He is described, which includes a short range modification to the Ackland–Thetford tungsten potential. Molecular dynamics simulations using these potentials accurately reproduce ab initio results of the formation energies and ground state positions of He point defects and self interstitial atoms in W. Simulations of larger He–vacancy clusters with up to 20 vacancies and 120 He atoms show strong binding of both He and vacancies to He–vacancy clusters for all cluster sizes. For small clusters, the qualitative agreement with ab initio results is good, although the vacancy binding energy is overestimated by the interatomic potential.
Murine cysteine dioxygenase gene: structural organization, tissue-specific expression and promoter identification.

Abstract The murine gene encoding cysteine dioxygenase (CDO; EC 1.13.11.20), a key enzyme of l -cysteine metabolism, was isolated and characterized, and the proximal promoter was identified. A bacterial artificial chromosome mouse library was screened and a single clone containing the entire CDO gene was isolated. The murine CDO gene contains five exons and spans about 15 kb. The open reading frame is encoded within all five exons. All intron/exon splice junctions and all intron sizes are conserved with the rat CDO gene and are very similar to those of the human CDO gene. The primary transcriptional initiation site is located 213 bp upstream of the initiation ATG codon. The nucleotide sequence of the 5′-promoter region is highly conserved between the mouse and rat genes and contains a TATA-box-like sequence and GC boxes. A variety of consensus cis-acting elements were also identified in the 5′-flanking region. These included HNF-3β, HFH-1, HFH-2, HFH-3, C/EBP, and C/EBPβ, all of which are consistent with the tissue-specific expression profiles of the gene. Gene reporter studies of the CDO 5′-region indicated the presence of an active promoter within the first 223 bp upstream of the transcriptional initiation site and the possible presence of repressor elements upstream of bp −223. Northern blot analyses indicated that the CDO gene displays tissue-specific expression, with the highest mRNA level present in liver and with detectable levels found in kidney, lung, brain and small intestine. Western blot analyses indicated that CDO protein levels parallel mRNA levels. These results are consistent with the known function of CDO in whole-body cysteine homeostasis.
Efects of Micuum Ultraviolet Radiation of Irious Wavelength Ranges on Teflon® FEP Film

This paper describes testing to investigate the effects of vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation on Teflon fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) film, examining differences in mechanical properties degradation for samples of 50.8 jtm thickness exposed to VUV of various lower cut-off wavelengths. Samples were illuminated in a high vacuum facility by deuterium lamps, which provide radiation in the 115-400 nm wavelength range, but with the highest intensity being below 200 nm. Windows of fused silica, crystalline quartz, and magnesium fluoride provided lower cut-off wavelengths of 155, 140 and 115 nm, respectively. Lamp intensity was measured in the 115-200 nm wavelength range throughout the sample exposures. The determined intensities were used to estimate intensity and incident energy of various wavelength ranges, between 115 and 400 nm. Samples were analysed for tensile strength and elongation at failure. The effects of radiation exposures of different wavelength ranges were compared and discussed in terms of...
Cold neutron beams at the Intense Pulsed Neutron Source

Abstract The three moderators at the Intense Pulsed Neutron Source (IPNS) are of cryogenic methane (CH4); one of liquid methane at 100 K, and two of solid methane at 30 K. These moderators produce intense beams of both cold and thermal neutrons. The moderators are each of a different physical configuration in order to tailor their performance for the 14 instruments and test facilities that operate on the 12 neutron beams. IPNS has started a program to enhance the effectiveness of its target/moderator/reflector system. This program involves both Monte Carlo computer modeling of the system and measuring the intensity distributions of the neutron beams. This paper reports the first phases of this project — calculations and measurements of the existing system — which will serve as points of reference for gauging the effectiveness of the proposed improvements. The measurements provide absolute spectra using foil activation techniques joined with time-of-flight measurements performed with thin beam monitor detectors installed at the neutron-scattering instruments. The comparison of the experimental and computational results provides verification for the physical model of the system and the cross-section data used in the calculations.
Spatial and temporal patterns of CH 4 and N 2 O fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems of North America during 1979–2008: application of a global biogeochemistry model

Abstract. Continental-scale estimations of terrestrial methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes over a long time period are crucial to accurately assess the global balance of greenhouse gases and enhance our understanding and prediction of global climate change and terrestrial ecosystem feedbacks. Using a process-based global biogeochemical model, the Dynamic Land Ecosystem Model (DLEM), we quantified simultaneously CH4 and N2O fluxes in North America's terrestrial ecosystems from 1979 to 2008. During the past 30 years, approximately 14.69 ± 1.64 T g C a−1 (1 T g = 1012 g) of CH4, and 1.94 ± 0.1 T g N a−1 of N2O were released from terrestrial ecosystems in North America. At the country level, both the US and Canada acted as CH4 sources to the atmosphere, but Mexico mainly oxidized and consumed CH4 from the atmosphere. Wetlands in North America contributed predominantly to the regional CH4 source, while all other ecosystems acted as sinks for atmospheric CH4, of which forests accounted for 36.8%. Regarding N2O emission in North America, the US, Canada, and Mexico contributed 56.19%, 18.23%, and 25.58%, respectively, to the continental source over the past 30 years. Forests and croplands were the two ecosystems that contributed most to continental N2O emission. The inter-annual variations of CH4 and N2O fluxes in North America were mainly attributed to year-to-year climatic variability. While only annual precipitation was found to have a significant effect on annual CH4 flux, both mean annual temperature and annual precipitation were significantly correlated to annual N2O flux. The regional estimates and spatiotemporal patterns of terrestrial ecosystem CH4 and N2O fluxes in North America generated in this study provide useful information for global change research and policy making.
Fluorocarbon cardioplegia and myocardial protection.

Abstract This study compares myocardial protection using nonoxygenated clear cardioplegia with oxygen-carrying solutions of blood (Po 2 , 100 mm Hg) and fluorocarbon (FC-47 perfluorotributylamine, Po 2 , 500 mm Hg), all containing 25 mEq/L of potassium chloride. Three groups of dogs, each consisting of 5 animals, were placed on cardiopulmonary bypass, and the aorta of each dog was cross-clamped for 45 minutes. Hemodynamic and biochemical variables were measured at baseline and during recovery. Levels of the myocardial isoenzyme of creatine Phosphokinase (CPK-MB) in the coronary sinus were significantly lower in the fluorocarbon cardioplegia group at 15 minutes of aortic cross-clamping ( p p p p p We conclude that oxygenated solutions better protect the myocardial cell, but that further work is needed to determine the most effective oxygen level for maximum protection with cardioplegia.
High dose pulse calcitriol, docetaxel and estramustine for androgen independent prostate cancer: A phase I/II study

ABSTRACTPurpose: We determined the safety and preliminary efficacy of the combination of high dose pulse calcitriol (1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol) with a standard regimen of docetaxel plus estramustine in patients with metastatic androgen independent prostate cancer.Materials and Methods: Patients were treated with 60 μg calcitriol orally on day 1, 280 mg estramustine orally 3 times daily on days 1 to 5 and 60 mg/m2 docetaxel on day 2 (70 mg/m2 after cycle 1) every 21 days for up to 12 cycles. Patients also received 325 mg aspirin and 1 or 2 mg warfarin orally daily. Regimen safety was assessed in the first 6 patients and a dose de-escalation scheme for calcitriol was planned if dose limiting toxicities were noted during treatment cycle 1 in greater than a third of patients.Results: A total of 24 patients, including 11 who were chemotherapy naive and 13 who had previously been treated with docetaxel, were evaluable for toxicity and 22 for prostate specific antigen decrease data. The regimen was generally...
A short proof of an identity of Touchard's concerning catalan numbers

Abstract In this paper a very short proof is given of an identity concerning Catalan numbers due originally to Touchard.
A Distributed Genetic Algorithm with Migration for the Design of Composite Laminate Structures

This paper describes the development of a general Fortran 90 framework for the solution of composite laminate design problems using a genetic algorithm (GA). The initial Fortran 90 module and package of operators result in a standard genetic algorithm (sGA). The sGA is extended to operate on a parallel processor, and a migration algorithm is introduced. These extensions result in the distributed genetic algorithm with migration (dGA). The performance of the dGA in terms of cost and reliability is studied and compared to a sGA baseline, using two types of composite laminate design problems. The nondeterminism of GAs and the migration and dynamic load balancing algorithm used in this work result in a changed (diminished) workload, so conventional measures of parallelizability are not meaningful. Thus, a set of experiments is devised to characterize the run time performance of the dGA.
Lysosomal and nonlysosomal proteolytic activities in experimental diabetic cardiomyopathy.

Abstract The role of cardiac lysosomal and nonlysosomal protease alterations in the development of the cardiomyopathy that occurs in genetically diabetic C57BL/KsJ db/db mice has been examined. The db/db mice and age-matched controls were sacrificed between 7 and 24 weeks of age. Cathepsin D activity, myofibrillar alkaline protease (MAP) activity (including serine protease activity), and Ca 2+ -activated protease activity were determined by using [ 3 H]acetyl-casein as substrate. There is a significant decrease in cathepsin D, MAP, and serine protease activities in the myocardium of 7- to 20-week old diabetic mice with a rebound of these activities toward normal levels by 24 weeks of age. Cathepsin D and MAP activities are inversely related to heart weight in diabetic mice with the higher levels being recorded in association with the most pronounced decrease in heart weight. In contrast, Ca 2+ -activated protease activity in the hearts of diabetic mice does not differ significantly from controls throughout the period of observation. The results suggest that both lysosomal cathepsin D and nonlysosomal MAP may mediate the accelerated cardiac muscle degradation that occurs in the late stage of diabetic cardiomyopathy in the db db mice.
Site-directed alkylation of cysteine replacements in the lactose permease of Escherichia coli: helices I, III, VI, and XI.

To complete a study on site-directed alkylation of Cys replacements in the lactose permease of Escherichia coli (LacY), the reactivity of single-Cys mutants in helices I, III, VI, and XI, as well as some of the adjoining loops, with N-[ 14 C]ethylmaleimide (NEM) or methanethiosulfonate ethylsulfonate (MTSES) was studied in right-side-out membrane vesicles. With the exception of several positions in the middle of helix I, which either face the bilayer or are in close proximity to other helices, the remaining Cys replacements react with the membrane-permeant alkylating agent NEM. In helices III and XI, most Cys replacements are also alkylated by NEM except for positions that face the bilayer. The reactivity of Cys replacements in helix VI is noticeably lower and only 45% of the replacements label. Binding of sugar leads to significant increases in the reactivity of Cys residues that are located primarily at the same level as the sugar-binding site or in the periplasmic half of each helix. Remarkably, studies with small, impermeant MTSES show that single-Cys replacements in the cytoplasmic portions of helices I and XI, which line the inward-facing cavity, are accessible to solvent from the periplasmic surface of the membrane. Moreover, addition of ligand results in increased accessibility of Cys residues to the aqueous milieu in the periplasmic region of the helices, which may reflect structural rearrangements leading to opening of an outward-facing cavity. The findings are consistent with the X-ray structure of LacY and with the alternating access model [Abramson, J., Smirnova, I., et al. (2003) Science 301, 610-615].
The Twentieth Century Trajectory of Plant Biology

Hans Kende and Elliot Meyerowitz provided helpful insights and critical comments. I thank Roger Beachy, Joe Ecker, Chuck Gasser, Paul Gilna, Roger Hangarter, Steve Kay, Ken Keegstra, Rob Martienssen, Susan McCouch, Dave Meinke, Elliot Meyerowitz, Judy Verbeke, Eric Ward, and Sue Wessler for stimulating discussion about the future of plant biology.
Estimation of the Standardized Risk Difference and Ratio in a Competing Risks Framework: Application to Injection Drug Use and Progression to AIDS After Initiation of Antiretroviral Therapy

There are few published examples of absolute risk estimated from epidemiologic data subject to censoring and competing risks with adjustment for multiple confounders. We present an example estimating the effect of injection drug use on 6-year risk of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) after initiation of combination antiretroviral therapy between 1998 and 2012 in an 8-site US cohort study with death before AIDS as a competing risk. We estimate the risk standardized to the total study sample by combining inverse probability weights with the cumulative incidence function; estimates of precision are obtained by bootstrap. In 7,182 patients (83% male, 33% African American, median age of 38 years), we observed 6-year standardized AIDS risks of 16.75% among 1,143 injection drug users and 12.08% among 6,039 nonusers, yielding a standardized risk difference of 4.68 (95% confidence interval: 1.27, 8.08) and a standardized risk ratio of 1.39 (95% confidence interval: 1.12, 1.72). Results may be sensitive to the assumptions of exposure-version irrelevance, no measurement bias, and no unmeasured confounding. These limitations suggest that results be replicated with refined measurements of injection drug use. Nevertheless, estimating the standardized risk difference and ratio is straightforward, and injection drug use appears to increase the risk of AIDS.
Vegetation health: Nature's climate monitor

Abstract Observational data to effectively evaluate weather effects, which accumulate into current climate status, are available for affluent nations but often are inadequate elsewhere. Data acquired by satellite sensors in the visible-near infrared portion of the reflected solar energy spectrum have been accumulated daily since 1965 and for the earth's emitted radiance in the 11000 nm window since 1972. With the advent of the TIROS-N satellite in 1978, the solar reflected energy has been sensed in two separate channels and beginning with NOAA-6, the second vehicle of the TIROS-N family, these two channels became complementary rather than overlapping. This feature makes vegetative monitoring possible and now is being exploited to provide daily experimental products. These global vegetative index (GVI) arrays have been used to observe and map the effects of droughts, floods, adverse winds and thermal stresses on the global arable lands. These data and the related sea surface temperatures, both derived from satellite data, provide realistic measures of the global climate and can assist climatic forecasting.
A morally unsurpassable God must create the best

I present a novel argument for the position that a morally unsurpassable God must create the best world that He has the power to create. I show that grace-based considerations of the sort proposed by Robert Adams neither refute my argument nor establish that a morally unsurpassable God need not create the best. I conclude with a discussion of the implications of my argument for the ‘no-best-world’ response to the problem of evil.
Optical theorems for electromagnetic scattering by inhomogeneities in layered dielectric media

The optical theorem, which relates the forward scattering amplitude to the total cross section of a scatterer in free-space, is extended to problems of scattering of an incident transverse electric plane wave or guided mode by inhomogeneities in lossless, waveguiding, dielectric interfaces or layers. The cases of a compact irregularity on either the interface between two unbounded dielectric media or in the waveguiding layer of a dielectric-slab waveguide are considered. Simple formulas that connect the scattered amplitudes of the different types of waves excited by the incident energy are derived. They can be used as an independent check of numerical codes when benchmark solutions are not available or are hard to obtain. In addition, a relationship between the scattered amplitudes and the spectral power of each excited wave is derived using the method of stationary phase. >
Real‐time predictions of geomagnetic storms and substorms: Use of the Solar Wind Magnetosphere‐Ionosphere System model

[1] A low-dimensional, plasma physics-based, nonlinear dynamical model of the coupled magnetosphere-ionosphere system, called Real-Time Solar Wind Magnetosphere-Ionosphere System (WINDMI), is used to predict AL and Dst values approximately 1 h before geomagnetic substorm and storm event. Subsequently, every 10 min ground-based measurements compiled by World Data Center, Kyoto, are compared with model predictions (http://orion.ph.utexas.edu/� windmi/realtime/). WINDMI model runs are also available at the Community Coordinated Modeling Center (http://ccmc.gsfc.nasa.gov/). The performance of the Real-Time WINDMI model is quantitatively evaluated for 22 storm/substorm event predictions from February 2006 to August 2008. Three possible input solar wind-magnetosphere coupling functions are considered: the standard rectified coupling function, a function due to Siscoe, and a recent function due to Newell. Model AL and Dst predictions are validated using the average relative variance (ARV), correlation coefficient (COR), and root mean squared error (RMSE). The Newell input function yielded the best model AL predictions by all three measures (mean ARV, COR, and RMSE), followed by the rectified, then Siscoe input functions. Model AL predictions correlate at least 1 standard deviation better with the AL index data than a direct correlation between the input coupling functions and the AL index. The mean Dst ARV results show better prediction performance for the rectified input than the Siscoe and Newell inputs. The mean Dst COR and RMSE measures do not readily distinguish between the three input coupling functions.
Systems of care and the integrative clinician: A look into the future of psychotherapy.

The widespread implementation of systems of care represents an important opportunity to integrate behavioral, cognitive, milieu, client-centered, group, solution-focused, systems, multicultural, and ecological approaches to child and family therapy. This integrated approach is described and illustrated, and systems of care principles are considered to be a useful foundation for effective therapeutic practices for difficult problems of children, families, and adults.
A study of the sex difference in the number of circulating eosinophils in the guinea pig.

REPORTS on alterations in the number of circulating eosinophils after various experimental procedures are frequently based on samples of varying weight range and different sex. There is some question as to the validity of such pooled populations in view of studies on the guinea pig indicating a sex difference in eosinophil count (Dworetsky, Code and Higgins, 1950; Dew and Code, 1951), and on the mouse (Speirs, 1952) indicating an increase in number of eosinophils with age. In the light of these findings, data on our colony have been recalculated for separate sexes and for various weight ranges. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The 350–600 gram guinea pigs used in these experiments are from our colony, started in 1950 with 4 females and 2 males purchased from a commercial breeder. All counts were made between 9 and 10:30 a.m. to eliminate the possible effect of diurnal fluctuations (Best and Samter, 1951).
Introduction to Multiattribute Utility Theory

In this article, we provide a synopsis of multiattribute utility theory. We begin with a brief review of single-attribute utility theory and then explore preference conditions that allow for multiattribute models of common functional forms. In general, the term utility suggests preference measurement when there is uncertainty about the outcome(s) received. We conclude with an examination of the distinction between choices under certainty and uncertainty and explore the implications for multiattribute preference models. Keywords: multiattribute utility theory; additive value functions; preference modeling; preference independence; single-attribute value functions
Detecting symptoms of alcohol abuse in primary care settings.

Background Studies on alcohol abuse are frequently based on patients who meet minimum diagnostic criteria, thus ignoring patients with individual symptoms of harmful or hazardous use. Consequently, we are unable to characterize alcohol-abusing patients with sufficient clarity to effectively focus screening for primary prevention. Objective To determine the prevalence of harmful and hazardous use of alcohol, assess screening instruments for detecting alcohol abuse or dependence, and assess the impact of alcohol use on other diagnoses treated in outpatient settings. Design Survey (cross-sectional study). Setting Hospital-based outpatient clinic. Participants Three hundred randomly selected adults (aged 18 years and older). Main outcome measure Diagnosis of alcohol abuse or dependence based on the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS). Results About 18% met DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition) criteria of abuse or dependence while almost 50% had at least one symptom of harmful or hazardous use. The T-ACE questionnaire, a modified version of the CAGE questionnaire, was the most effective screening instrument for both men and women. Selected diagnoses, personal characteristics such as family history of alcohol abuse, and self-reported patterns of alcohol use could identify patients likely to meet diagnostic criteria. Conclusions Many symptoms of substance use disorders are not adequately addressed in outpatient practice. Little is known about how alcohol use in varying quantities affects health care utilization and treatment of conditions commonly seen in outpatient medicine. Consequently, we lack a full appreciation of the burden of disease borne by alcohol use and have yet to achieve a universally accepted method of approaching primary and secondary prevention of alcohol-related problems.
PS2-5: The Impact of Diabetes Bundle Management on the Medical Cost of Diabetes: A Four-year Longitudinal Study

<0.001) age (OR = 0.83, P <0.001), Caucasian race (OR = 1.42, P <0.001), unemployment (OR = 2.98, P <0.001), high stressor exposure vs. low (OR = 2.61, P <0.001), low social support vs. high (OR = 1.73, P <0.001), history of drug rehabilitation (OR = 1.45, P <0.001), and higher Charlson comorbidity scores (OR = 1.17, P <0.001). Having SVR to HCV therapy, was protective for depression (OR = 0.77. P = 0.017). The best predictors of poor physical health included Caucasian race (OR = 1.46, P <0.001), unemployment (OR = 3.96, P <0.001), higher Charlson scores (OR = 1.28, P <0.001), high stressor exposure vs. low (OR = 1.78, P <0.001), and moderate social support vs. low (OR = 1.48, P <0.001). Counter to expectation, injection drug use history was protective of poor physical health (OR = 0.71, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Among HCV patients, the best predictors of depression and poor physical health were demographic factors, employment status, Charlson scores, current life stressors, and current social support. While SVR was protective for depression, HCV treatment history was generally not associated with mental health or physical health status, once other covariates were controlled.
The preparation, use, and application of a science experience inventory

The logic of action research demands that a device like the science experience inventory be used in the grade placement of instructional sequences, the selection of course materials, and the planning of in service programs.
Cmv1-Independent Antiviral Role of NK Cells Revealed in Murine Cytomegalovirus-Infected New Zealand White Mice

Ly49H + NK cells play a critical role in innate antiviral immune responses to murine CMV (MCMV). Ly49H b6 recognition of MCMV-encoded m157 on infected cells activates natural killing required for host resistance. We show that mAb 3D10 (anti-Ly49H) recognizes comparable subsets of NK cells from New Zealand White (NZW), New Zealand Black (NZB), and C57BL/6 spleens. However, virus levels in the spleens of MCMV-infected NZW and NZB mice differed greatly. We found that MCMV replication in infected NZW spleens was limited through NK cells. Alternately, NZB mice were profoundly susceptible to MCMV infection. Although 3D10 mAb injections given before infection interfere with Cmv1 -type resistance in C57BL/6 mice, similar mAb injections did not affect NZW resistance, likely because NZW NK cell receptors did not bind MCMV-encoded m157. Instead, anti-MCMV host defenses in hybrid NZ offspring were associated with multiple chromosome locations including several putative quantitative trait loci that did not overlap with H-2 or NK gene complex loci. This study revealed a novel pathway used by NK cells to defend against MCMV infection. Thus, the importance of Ly49H in MCMV infection may be shaped by other additional background genes.
Replicative senescence of CD8 T cells: potential effects on cancer immune surveillance and immunotherapy

The process of replicative senescence, which stringently limits the proliferative potential of normal T cells, constitutes a potential problem for cancer immunotherapy. The ability of CD8 T cells to recognize and destroy tumor cells has been well-established, but the requirement for massive, prolonged proliferative T-cell expansion and maintenance of functional integrity poses a significant obstacle to the success of cancer immunotherapy. Cancer immune surveillance may also be compromised by the long-term exposure of T cells to tumor antigens, particularly those of latent viruses, which could drive certain T cells to replicative senescence. This review summarizes the major characteristics of T-cell replicative senescence and raises the possibility that this process has the potential to affect both cancer development and treatment. Experimental strategies aimed at preventing T-cell replicative senescence are discussed in the context of cancer immunotherapy and vaccines.
Special issue on learning techniques for compositional reasoning

This special issue of Formal Methods in System Design (FMSD) was initiated by Professor Ed Clarke and contains a selection of articles on using learning techniques to automate compositional verification in the assume-guarantee style. Model checking is an automated verification technique that can be used to determine whether a concurrent system satisfies certain properties. It works by systematically exploring all the system states, which is intractable for most systems of realistic size, a limitation known as the “state-explosion problem”. Compositional verification has been identified as a promising approach for alleviating state explosion in model checking. This technique decomposes the verification task for the system into simpler verification problems for the individual components of the system. In checking components individually, assume-guarantee reasoning introduces assumptions, which incorporate knowledge of the contexts in which each component is expected to operate. Assumptions have traditionally been defined manually, which has limited the practical impact of assume-guarantee reasoning. Over the last decade, researchers have focused on the automated generation of assumptions for assume-guarantee reasoning. The papers included in this issue all present solutions to automated assumption generation based on learning. The order in which they appear is chronological, based on the publication of the original conference articles that they extend. The first article, “Learning to Divide and Conquer: Applying the L* Algorithm to Automate Assume-Guarantee Reasoning”, outlines the assume guarantee framework that uses the L* learning algorithm to automatically build assumptions, as originally proposed in [3], and presents extensions with symmetric rules and alphabet refinement. While the first article deals with components described as finite labeled transition systems in the context of
Application of Autoregressive Extrapolation to Seismic Tomography

Seismic tomography used in the laboratory, as well as in the field, is strongly affected by limited and nonuniform ray coverage. A two-stage autoregres- sive extrapolation technique is proposed that can be used to extend the observed data and provide better tomographic images. The algorithm is based on the principle that the extrapolated data add minimal information to the existing data. The first stage of the extrapolation is to find the optimal prediction-error (PE) filter. The second stage is to use the PE filter to find the values of the missing data. The missing data are estimated to have the same spectrum as the observed data and are similar to maxi- mizing an entropy criterion. To test the method, synthetic tomography experiments for laboratory rock samples are used in which full ray coverage can be obtained. Autoregressive methods are then used to extrapolate the partial ray coverage and the tomographic results are compared with the full ray coverage case. The synthetic tests show that the autoregressive method can extrapolate known data to find missing data and can provide improved tomographic images. The autoregressive extrapolation is also tolerant to noise. Although the method was applied to a laboratory geometry where the ray coverage can be controlled, autoregressive methods may have impor- tant applications to tomography experiments in the field where complete ray coverage often cannot be easily realized. regressive methods to seismic tomography problems. We propose and implement a data extrapolation method based on Claerbout's approach for performing seismic data pre- diction beyond the measurement range. The idea of our al- gorithm is that the useful information in the known data is relevant and can be used to estimate the missing values by autoregressive extrapolation methods, and the estimated data only add minimum information to the known data. We apply this algorithm to synthetic arrival time data, with and without random noise added, and also to real laboratory experimental data. The results show that the proposed technique can ex- trapolate seismic travel-time data for seismic tomography, and the method is tolerant to random noise in the data.
alpha2-Heremans Schmid glycoprotein, a putative inhibitor of tyrosine kinase, prevents glucose toxicity associated with cardiomyocyte dysfunction.

Background Diabetes leads to impaired glucose metabolism and insulin signaling in the heart, which may contribute to the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy. Insulin stimulates tyrosine phosphorylation of the insulin receptor and insulin receptor substrates. A two-fold increase in insulin-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation has been reported in diabetic myocardium. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of a putative inhibitor of tyrosine kinase phosphorylation, α2-Heremans Schmid glycoprotein (AHSG), on the mechanical dysfunction under a simulated diabetic environment.