cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
BIOASSAY OF LUTEINIZING HORMONE1

The increase in content of radio-iodinated serum albumin of immature rat ovaries is employed as an index of the hyperemia produced by pituitary lutcinizing hormone. The assay method consists of the intravenous injection of an LH preparation followed by two micro-curies of radio-iodinated serum albumin two hours later. After 15 minutes, both ovaries are excised and measured for content of the tracer. The regression equation is Y = 1900 log ×+ 2300 and has an index of precision of 0.14. None of the pituitary hormones except FSH interferes with the specificity of the ovarian response to LH. FSH, when present in large amounts, decreases the slope of the LH dose-response lines to of that given by highly purified LH and thereby invalidates LH potency estimates. After treatment of purified FSH with 6M urea for 24 hours at 40° C, the FSH potency is not affected but 75% of the contaminating LH is inactivated. Purified LH is inactivated to the extent of 98% under the same conditions.
Gabriele Fallopio (1523–1562) and his contributions to the development of medicine and anatomy

Introduction Gabriele Fallopio was one of the greatest anatomists of the sixteenth century. He discovered and named numerous parts of the human body. His name survives to this day as it is associated with several anatomical structures including the Fallopian canal, Fallopian hiatus, Fallopian valve, Fallopian muscle, and the Fallopian tube.
Inorganic N incorporation by coniferous forest floor material

We examined the control of incorporation of N into material from a coniferous forest floor in the Sierra Nevada of California. Forest floor material was slurried in solutions containing 15N and the incorporation of N was measured in short-term (< 7 h) experiments. Ammonium incorporation was rapid (≈10 μ g g−1 h−1), but was limited by NH4+ at concentrations found in the soil solution. Methionine sulfoximine (MSX), a glutamine synthetase inhibitor, reduced NH4+ incorporation, also indicating that NH4+ supply to microorganisms was limiting. The half-saturation constants for NH4+ incorporation (Kt) were much greater than published values for fungi, suggesting that diffusion into organic material limited NH4+incorporation. Approx. 20% of NH4+incorporation occurred by abiotic processes. Nitrate incorporation averaged 6% of NH4+ incorporation and was not inducible. Uptake rates by fungal strands and root-fungus associations were similar to those of the bulk material, suggesting that these structures are not a dominant sink for N in this system.
Challenging Chicago: Coping with Everyday Life, 1837-1920

Risky city. This was Chicago during an unprecedented period of rapid growth: a burgeoning metropolis that quickly became a "concentration of risk." The many thousands of immigrants and rural Americans who streamed into the city during these years found it far more congested, crowded, dangerous, unpleasant, immoral, and unhealthy than they had anticipated. Challenging Chicago reveals the survival strategies to which the many people who flocked to the city resorted, especially those of the lower and middle classes for whom urban life was a new experience.
Effects of environment on the incorporation of radioactive carbon atoms of glucose into various structures of the brains of mice; evidence for diurnal rhythmicity.

Abstract After the subcutaneous injection of U-14C- d -glucose, a greater amount of 14C was incorporated into the brains of aggregated mice than into those of their isolated littermates. The increase in radioactivity occurred rather uniformly throughout the several brain structures studied. The percentage difference in cerebral radioactivity between the groups was smaller at 0930–1200 hr and 1800–2000 hr than at 1000–1500 hr. This difference was least at 1800–2000 hr, which is the time that coincides with the peak of general motor activity.
Thermoelectric energy scavenging with temperature gradient amplification

In this paper, we demonstrate the application of fluorocarbon evaporative cooling in thermoelectric energy scavenging. The fabrication and performance characterization of a prototype micro-device is presented. The device consists of a thermoelectric generator mounted on a silicon substrate and encapsulated in a poly(dimethylsiloxane) chamber with a flexible cover. By filling the chamber with a fluorocarbon liquid of low boiling point (34 °C), we were able to increase the body heat contact harvested energy by 226% compared to a device encapsulated in air. The availability of a variety of fluorocarbon liquids with different boiling points allows this harvesting amplification scheme to be used in a wide range of applications.
Electroluminescence from Hybrid Conjugated Polymer−CdS:Mn/ZnS Core/Shell Nanocrystals Devices

Reverse micelle-derived CdS:Mn/ZnS core/shell nanocrystals were synthesized with a core crystal diameter of 2.3 nm and a 0.4 nm thick ZnS shell and used as an electroluminescent material. Direct cu...
Scalable solver software

Towards Optimal Petascale Simulations (TOPS) is a scalable solver software project based on domain decomposed parallelization to research, implement, and support in collaborations with users an open-source package for large-scale discretized PDE problems. Optimal complexity methods, such as multigrid/multilevel preconditioners, keep the time spent in dominant algebraic kernels close to linear in discrete problem size as the applications scale on massively parallel computers. Krylov accelerators and Jacobian-free variants of Newton's method, as appropriate, are wrapped around the multilevel methods to deliver robustness in multirate, multiscale coupled systems, which are solved either implicitly or in more traditional forms of operator splitting. The TOPS software framework is being extended beyond direct computational simulation to computational optimization, including design, control, and inverse problems. We outline and illustrate the philosophy of TOPS. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Waheeda Remembering Her Cat Izzy A Study in the Consciousness of a Child

This article is based on a single interview session with a 7-year-old girl, Waheeda, regarding the cat Izzy that Waheeda used to have 2 years before the interview. The interview was part of a research project that explored the relationships of multicultural children with their companion animals. The article first tries to give a larger impression of Waheeda’s way of being (including consciousness) in two segments of the interview, using the philosophy, concepts, and techniques of Portraiture in the sense of Lawrence-Lightfoot and Davis, and Witz. The last section suggests that Waheeda’s way of being in the interview is a natural developmental precursor of the consciousness in adults when they talk about things they have experienced in the past, and that her “self-actualized” behavior in the second segment shows the love that had arisen in her for her cat Izzy.
EFFECT OF POLYOLS VERSUS SUGAR ON THE ACCEPTABILITY OF ICE CREAM AMONG A STUDENT AND ADULT POPULATION

A three month pilot study was conducted on the Effects of Polyols vs Sugar on the Acceptability of Ice Cream Among a random sample of students and adults (n = 22) at Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA. Participants were asked to taste samples of regular Creamery vanilla ice cream and no-sugar-added ice cream and indicate their preference for various attributes noted in both products using a nine-point hedonic scale. Results from this study suggest an overall consumer acceptability of the no-sugar-added (Maltisweet) ice cream when compared to the regular Creamery ice-cream product. The physical attribute “sweetness” yielded significant results. Participants rated the no-sugar-added ice cream as tasting less sweet than the regular ice cream, and the regular ice cream was rated significantly too sweet compared to the no-sugar-added product. Statistical analysis also indicated a gender-based preference for “sweetness,” with the males indicating a preference for the product they considered to be sweeter than the other. These findings indicated a plausible sugar replacement for frozen treats that can improve the nutritional profile of these products while still maintaining expected sensory characteristics.
Full-scale decentralized damage identification using wireless smart sensors

Wireless Smart Sensor Networks (WSSN) facilitates a new paradigm to structural health monitoring (SHM) for civil infrastructure. Conventionally, SHM systems employing wired sensors and central data acquisition have been used to characterize the state of a structure; however, wide-spread implementation has been limited due to difficulties in cabling and data management, high equipment cost, and long setup time. WSSNs offer a unique opportunity to overcome such difficulties. Recent advances in sensor technology have realized low-cost, smart sensors with on-board computation and wireless communication capabilities, making deployment of a dense array of sensors on large civil structures both feasible and economical. Wireless smart sensors have shown their tremendous potential for SHM in recent full-scale bridge monitoring examples. However, structural damage identification in WSSNs, a primary objective of SHM, has yet to reach its full potential. This paper presents a full-scale validation of the decentralized damage identification application on the Imote2 sensor platform on a historic steel truss bridge. The SHM application for WSSN developed in the previous research is further combined with continuous and autonomous monitoring application. In total, 144 sensor channels and one base station have been deployed on the bridge for damage localization. The efficacy of the developed application has been demonstrated to compare the damage identification results with the traditional centralized processing.
Catalytic promiscuity of a bacterial α-N-methyltransferase.

The posttranslational methylation of N-terminal α-amino groups (α-N-methylation) is a ubiquitous reaction found in all domains of life. Although this modification usually occurs on protein substrates, recent studies have shown that it also takes place on ribosomally synthesized natural products. Here we report an investigation of the bacterial α-N-methyltransferase CypM involved in the biosynthesis of the peptide antibiotic cypemycin. We demonstrate that CypM has low substrate selectivity and methylates a variety of oligopeptides, cyclic peptides such as nisin and haloduracin, and the e-amino group of lysine. Hence it may have potential for enzyme engineering and combinatorial biosynthesis. Bayesian phylogenetic inference of bacterial α-N-methyltransferases suggests that they have not evolved as a specific group based on the chemical transformations they catalyze, but that they have been acquired from various other methyltransferase classes during evolution.
Playing with fire and fibers

Annealing optical fibers has made the optical-fiber current sensor practical for monitoring and diagnostics by utility companies. To produce an annealed-fiber coil for this application, the annealing process must be held within time and temperature bounds or devitrification and OH absorption will degrade coil performance. Annealed-fiber devitrification can produce other useful fiber components, such as a fiber depolarizer and increased photosensitivity for FBG production.
Collection development in public health: A guide to selection tools

Public health librarians face many challenges in collection development because the field is multidisciplinary, the collection's users have varied needs, and many of the essential resources are grey literature materials. Further, little has been published about public health selection tools. However, librarians responsible for these areas have a number of resources available for their use. As in any subject area, each has its strengths and weaknesses, and users will have to consider their individual collection's needs when deciding which tools are most valuable to them.
Four-quark states in hyperon pair production

We discuss the use of four-quark states as intermediates in the description ofp $$\bar p$$ scattering to exclusive hyperon anti-hyperon pairs. We use four energy-independent parameters to account for initial and final state interactions. Some experimentally observed features of these reactions are easily accounted for in this model, but a few features are not well described. We conclude that less crude initial and final state interactions may make the model more useful.
Expression of insulin-like growth factor 1 isoforms in the rabbit oculomotor system

Abstract Objective The insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) gene encodes two isoforms, IGF-1Ea and IGF-1Eb. Both isoforms can regulate skeletal muscle growth and strength. It has been suggested that IGF-Eb may be more potent in promoting skeletal muscle hypertrophy. Precise contractile force regulation is particularly important in the oculomotor system. However, expression of these isoforms in mammalian extraocular muscles (EOMs) is unknown. Here, we examined their expression in rabbit EOMs and the innervating nerve, two potential sources for myogenic growth factors, and compared isoform expression between EOMs and limb skeletal muscles. Design Expression of IGF-1 isoforms was quantified by real-time RT-PCR in adult rabbit EOMs, trochlear and ophthalmic nerves, and compared with expression in rabbit limb skeletal muscles. The presence of mature IGF-1 peptide in the muscles was further examined by Western blot. Results Both IGF-1Ea and IGF-1Eb were expressed in the EOM and the trochlear nerve. Both isoforms were expressed at significantly higher levels (9-fold) in EOM than in limb skeletal muscle. Transcripts of IGF-1 isoforms, of IGF-1 receptor and of IGF binding proteins showed a gradient distribution along the EOM from proximal to distal. The mature IGF-1 protein showed the same gradient distribution in the EOM. Conclusions Expression of relatively abundant amounts of both IGF-1 splicing isoforms in EOMs, and at a significantly higher level than in limb skeletal muscle, underscores the potential relevance of these myogenic growth factors in EOM plasticity and force regulation.
Guidelines for medical practice and the future of medicine.

The practice of medicine becomes more complex from year to year, and the number of options available in the management of patients continually increases at a high rate. The influx of published research is so large that even when reading is limited to the most prominent journals in a specific specialty, one can hardly cope with the new and often conflicting information. Major technological applications learned in medical school may become outdated by the time one completes residency. Time constraints make it difficult for physicians to contemplate and consider all the options available for each clinical case so as to optimize the management of a given patient. How to cope with this situation? One solution is to set up medical practice situations that mandate the actions to be taken in each particular clinical situation. Such mandating can be readily implemented by medical insurance compensatory policy. Those standards can be developed
The Challenges to Vertical Degree Differentiation within Bulgarian Universities: The Problematic Introduction of the Three-Level System of Higher Education

The on-going higher education reformmovements in Central and Eastern Europe have beenseriously challenged by numerous difficulties in aperiod of political, economic and social transition. The reform of higher education in Bulgaria, as in manyof the post-communist countries, has involved aradical restructuring of the degree system. The 1995Law on Higher Education demanded the introduction ofthe bachelor-master-doctor structure; the new degreeshad to replace the traditional one-phased system ofhigher education. Several important factors haveproved counterproductive to the implementation of thispolicy and especially to the effectiveinstitutionalisation of the bachelor degree. Suchfactors have included the traditionally narrowspecialisation in higher education, the prescribednormative framework, and institutional organisation. The paper argues that, rather than introduce aqualitative change in the educational mission,curricula, and the organisation of the universityprogrammes, the policy reproduces the old educationalprocess under the guise of a new name.
Test of the Concept of “Availability of Functions” in Problem Solving

135 male college students solved Maier's Hatrack Problem (Maier, 1945) in an experiment designed to evaluate Saugstad's “availability of functions” concept. Saugstad has stated that Ss will solve any problem if they have the necessary functions available. The data indicated that: (1) Ss failing to solve the problem had the necessary or relevant experiences, (2) Ss who solved and those who did not solve the problem had very similar experiences, and (3) selecting the relevant experience resulted in the immediate solution of the problem by a majority of Ss. Contrary to Saugstad's contention, Ss will not necessarily solve a problem if they have the essential functions or past experiences. Recognizing experiences as relevant to a problem's requirements, selecting experiences from a given repertoire, fragmenting experiences into parts, and recombining parts of experiences into solutions are functions that seem essential, yet are excluded when problem solving is regarded as a form of generalized learning. Three ...
Patterns of spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking

Abstract A model that exhibits two types of spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking belonging to the same chain, namely SU(2) L ×SU(2) R →SU(2) V , is investigated. In addition to the conventional chiral symmetry breaking due to the qq condesation, a new phase induced by qq and qq condensations, which generate a relativistic superconducting phase of the light fermion system, is shown to be realized. The superconducting phase is unstable against spontaneous separation of matter and anti-matter. The possibility of the existence of localized superconducting phases is compressed baryonic systems is discussed. The fermionic effects on the propagation of photon and gluons are investigated in the superconducting phase of the model.
Epidermal Growth Factor and c-Jun Act via a Common DNA Regulatory Element to Stimulate Transcription of the Ovine P-450 Cholesterol Side Chain Cleavage (CYP11A1) Promoter

The P-450 side chain cleavage (CYP11A1) gene encodes the enzyme that catalyzes the initial step in steroid biosynthesis, resulting in the conversion of cholesterol to pregnenolone. Expression of the CYP11A1 gene is increased by hormones, such as adrenocorticotropin and luteinizing hormone, as well as by a number of growth factors, suggesting that its promoter may contain regulatory elements that respond to multiple signal transduction pathways. Using transient expression assays of the ovine CYP11A1 promoter in JEG-3 placental cells, distinct regulatory elements were found to mediate transcriptional stimulation by cAMP and epidermal growth factor (EGF). The cAMP response was mediated through a GC-rich sequence localized between −117 and −92. In contrast, EGF induced CYP11A1 transcription through an adjacent but distinct sequence (−92 to −77 base pairs) that was shown previously to bind nuclear proteins in DNase I footprinting reactions. This EGF-responsive element (EGF-RE) resembles an activator protein-1 (AP-1) site and was also required for transactivation by co-transfected c-Jun. A point mutation within the EGF-RE impaired stimulation by both EGF and c-Jun, suggesting that these pathways converge on a common regulatory element. Transfer of single or multiple copies of the EGF-RE upstream of an heterologous promoter conferred EGF and c-Jun responses, providing further evidence that this element is sufficient for both responses. Transfection studies employing mutant c-Jun proteins confirmed a requirement for its DNA binding, leucine zipper and amino-terminal domains, each of which are required for activation of a classical AP-1 reporter. Gel shift studies demonstrated that protein binding to the CYP11A1 EGF-RE was competed specifically by a canonical AP-1 site, and the addition of an anti-JUN antibody confirmed the presence of AP-1 proteins. Consistent with the possibility that EGF may act in part via c-Jun, EGF stimulated the activity of a chimeric GAL4 c-Jun protein, indicating that JUN can serve as a potential target of EGF in JEG-3 cells. EGF also induced mitogen-activated protein kinase activity, and a dominant negative mutant of mitogen-activated protein kinase partially blocked EGF stimulation of GAL4 c-Jun activity. We conclude that EGF stimulates the CYP11A1 promoter through an AP-1 like element and that c-Jun is one of the targets of EGF action.
Cross-correlation assessment of synaptic strength of single Ia fibre connections with triceps surae motoneurones in cats.

1. The relation between excitatory post-synaptic potentials (e.p.s.p.s) by single I a fibres and the resultant cross-correlograms in triceps surae motoneurones was investigated in barbiturate-anaesthetized cats. The e.p.s.p.s. were documented first, using the discharge of single Ia fibres evoked by muscle stretch to compile spike-triggered averages of motoneurone membrane potential. Subsequently, Ia fibre action potentials were cross-correlated with rhythmic discharge of the same motoneurones induced by intracellular injection of current. 2. Primary correlogram peaks were statistically significant for thirty-one of forty-nine single Ia fibre-motoneurone connections. Cumulative sums of correlograms were used to identify the onset and duration of peaks. For twenty cases involving more than 2000 trigger spikes, thirteen showed significant correlogram peaks. For these thirteen, the mean percentage increase (m.p.i.) in motoneurone firing probability, defined as the mean height of the correlogram peak above base line, ranged from 29 to 138%. The k values (maximum height divided by base line) ranged from 2.1 to 5.2. Peak duration varied from 1.8 to 3.2 ms. In the remaining seven cases the Ia e.p.s.p.s produced no significant correlogram peak (i.e. P greater than 0.05). 3. A significant positive relationship (r = 0.76; P less than 0.005) was found between m.p.i. in motoneurone firing probability and e.p.s.p. amplitude (n = 13), with a mean slope of 0.30%/microV. The k values were more weakly related to e.p.s.p. amplitude (r = 0.67; P less than 0.01). The correlogram parameter most strongly related to e.p.s.p. amplitude (r = 0.80) was correlogram peak area (number of spikes above base line per excitatory post-synaptic potential). E.p.s.p. rate of rise was not significantly related (P greater than 0.10) to either m.p.i. in firing probability (r = 0.28) or peak area (r = 0.36). 4. The shapes of the primary correlogram peaks could be accounted for largely by a function proportional to the e.p.s.p. derivative (after temporal alignment). Subtracting a function proportional to the e.p.s.p. derivative from the correlogram peak left either a negligible remainder or a remainder term whose duration was shorter than the e.p.s.p. 5. To investigate properties of single-fibre Ia e.p.s.p.s occurring near motoneurone threshold during repetitive firing, e.p.s.p.s were selectively averaged using Ia spikes occurring near the end of the depolarizing ramp in membrane potential. These 'ramp e.p.s.p.s' tended to be somewhat smaller (by ca.8%) than the 'rest e.p.s.p.s' produced at the same connections with the motoneurone at rest.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Fungal peritonitis in children receiving peritoneal dialysis: a report of the NAPRTCS.

Fungal peritonitis in children receiving peritoneal dialysis: A report of the NAPRTCS. Background The rarity of fungal peritonitis (FP) in children receiving chronic peritoneal dialysis (PD) has limited the amount of information available regarding the risk factors and management associated with this infection. Methods We reviewed all cases of FP occurring in patients entered into the dialysis registry of the NAPRTCS between January 1992 and May 1996 in an attempt to identify risk factors for infection, treatment strategies, and patient outcome data. A total of 1592 patients who were less than 21 years of age were enrolled in the dialysis registry and received maintenance PD during the period of observation. Results Of the total 1729 episodes of peritonitis in these patients occurring over 1732 patient-years of follow-up, FP accounted for 51 (2.9%) of the episodes. The patients on PD who developed FP were similar to those who did not develop FP with regard to race, gender, dialysis modality, and dialysis access characteristics. The overall peritonitis rate in patients who developed FP was 2.2 episodes per patient-year compared with 0.96 episodes per patient-year in the patients who did not develop this infection ( P P = 0.26) noted between the presence of a gastrostomy and the development of FP. Candida species caused 33 of 42 (78.6%) FP episodes. Therapy consisted of PD catheter removal and Amphotericin B in the majority of patients. Six months after diagnosis, 27 patients remained on PD, twelve patients were receiving hemodialysis, and only three patients had died, in each case for reasons unrelated to their FP episode. Conclusion FP is an infrequent cause of peritonitis in children receiving chronic PD. The presence of a gastrostomy does not appear to predispose patients to the development of this infection, and successful therapy most often consists of a combination of antifungal medication and dialysis catheter removal. The outcome of FP in children appears to be more favorable than in the adult dialysis population.
Neurocognitive correlates of alexithymia in asymptomatic individuals with HIV

Alexithymia, an impairment of affective and cognitive emotional processing, is often associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and may reflect effects of the virus on brain areas that are also important for multiple cognitive functions, such as the prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices. We hypothesized that there would be a correlation between extent of alexithymia and cognitive performance associated with these brain areas, including attention, executive function, and visuospatial processing. Thirty-four asymptomatic HIV+ participants and 34 matched healthy HIV− volunteers were administered the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, a series of neuropsychological tests, and measures of apathy, depression, and quality of life (QoL). The HIV+ participants had significantly higher levels of alexithymia, depression and apathy than the HIV− group. The extent of alexithymia and two of its processing components (Difficulty Describing Feelings [DDF] and Externally Oriented Thinking), but not depression, correlated with performance on measures of executive and visuospatial abilities, consistent with dysfunction of the frontostriatal circuits and their cortical projections. Apathy was related to alexithymia and two processing components (Difficulty Identifying Feelings and DDF) but to only one cognitive measure. The higher rate of alexithymia, as well as cognitive dysfunction, in HIV may be a consequence of the infection on the frontostriatal system and its cortical connections. Our findings also demonstrated a dissociation of apathy and alexithymia in HIV, pointing to overlapping but distinct neural substrates within frontostriatal circuits. Alexithymia correlated strongly with QoL ratings, underscoring the importance of assessment and treatment of HIV-associated emotional and cognitive processing deficits.
In-stent restenosis of drug-eluting stents

Drug-eluting stents (DES) have emerged as an improved alternative to bare-metal stents by demonstrating reduced rates of restenosis and target lesion revascularization. This emergence has led to the unrestricted use of DES for various indications and lesions, and subsequently revealed DES in-stent restenosis as a novel interventional therapeutic dilemma. Recent insights regarding the patho-physiological processes and therapeutic alternatives have added to the accumulated knowledge regarding the appropriate approach to this phenomenon. This review aims to detail the mechanism and clinical presentation of, and therapeutic strategies for, the treatment of DES in in-stent restenosis.
A weakly singular formulation of traction and tangent derivative boundary integral equations in three dimensional elasticity

Abstract Regularized forms of the traction and tangent derivative boundary integral equations are derived for three dimensional elasticity. Kernels of the resulting equations contain only weak singularities and thus are amenable to the ordinary numerical treatment required by weakly singular integrals. The hypersingular and strongly singular kernels of the displacement gradient representation are regularized independently, through identities of the fundamental solution and its various derivatives, before the integral equations are formed. The stress or traction equations provide an alternate formulation of boundary value problems in the same boundary variables as the displacement boundary integral equations, and are useful for problems where the displacement equations are deficient, such as in crack problems. Alternatively, the tangent derivative equations explicitly introduce surface displacement derivatives and are thus completely independent equations that may be used simultaneously with the displacement or traction equations.
Isospin dependence of the mass-3 optical potential from the comparison of triton and 3He elastic scattering

Abstract Differential cross sections have been measured for the elastic scattering of 21 MeV 3 He particles by 40 Ca, 52 Cr, 54 Fe, 62 Ni, 64 Ni, 90 Zr, 92 Zr, 94 Zr and 118 Sn. These data are compared with recently published 20 MeV triton elastic scattering data for the same targets in a simultaneous optical-model analysis. The strength of the isospin contribution to the optical potential obtained from the elastic scattering studies is compared with that required to describe ( 3 He, t) quasi-elastic scattering data. The major part of the asymmetry dependence previously observed in triton optical potentials is shown to be unrelated to isospin.
Capture Efficiency of Flanged Slot Hoods under the Influence of a Uniform Cross Draft: Model Development and Validation

Abstract Capture velocity is the primary design parameter now used for slot hoods. However, capture velocity has an uncertain relationship with the true variable of interest, capture efficiency, the fraction of contaminant generated which is captured directly by the hood. Using the three-dimensional velocity field developed from potential flow theory, and including an arbitrary cross draft term, a model was developed that predicts the dividing velocity streamline in front of a slot hood. The location of this streamline, together with an empirical factor accounting for turbulent diffusion of contaminant around streamlines, are the parameters needed to determine capture efficiency. Wind tunnel experiments to validate the model consisted of measuring the fraction of a tracer gas captured by six different hoods under various face and cross draft velocity conditions. The measured capture efficiencies are compared directly with predictions, and errors less than 20 percent are observed for most values of capture...
Large scale scientific computing - future directions☆

Abstract Every new generation of scientific computers has opened up new areas of science for exploration through the use of more realistic numerical models or the ability to process ever larger amounts of data. Concomitantly, scientists, because of the success of past models and the wide range of physical phenomena left unexplored, have pressed computer designers to strive for the maximum performance that current technology will permit. This encompasses not only increased processor speed, but also substantial improvements in processor memory, I/O bandwidth, secondary storage and facilities to augment the scientist's ability both to program and to understand the results of a computation. Over the past decade, performance improvements for scientific calculations have come from algoeithm development and a major change in the underlying architecture of the hardware, not from significantly faster circuitry. It appears that this trend will continue for another decade. A future archetectural change for improved performance will most likely be multiple processors coupled together in some fashion. Because the demand for a significantly more powerful computer system comes from users with single large applications, it is essential that an application be efficiently partitionable over a set of processors; otherwise, a multiprocessor system will not be effective. This paper explores some of the constraints on multiple processor architecture posed by these large applications. In particular, the trade-offs between large numbers of slow processors and small numbers of fast processors is examined. Strategies for partitioning range from partitioning at the language statement level (in-the-small) and at the program module level (in-the-large). Some examples of partitioning in-the-large are given and a strategy for efficiently executing a partitioned program is explored.
Simulation study on variance of forecast error for vector arima models

A simulation study has been conducted to lend credible support for the vector extension of Ledolter and Abraham’s (1981) univariate derivation of forecast error variance for ARIMA models.
The effect of NNS type ligands on the stereochemistry and electronic properties of nickel(II) complexes

A series of complexes of the general stoichiometry of (NiLX)n have been prepared where L is NH2(CH2)nNH(CH2)2S and n is 2, 3, 4 and X is chloride or B(C6H5)4. All the complexes in which the anion is a chloride are diamagnetic, while the B(C6H5)4 complexes have magnetic moments varying from 1.07 BM to 1.29 BM. These complexes containing the tetraphenylborate counteranion adhere to the Curie-Weiss law from 300 K77 K. In solution most of these complexes appear to be dimers. However, in the solid from the NiLB(C6H5)4 complexes appear to be more polymeric. Based on spectral and magnetic data these complexes appear to have both square planar diamagnetic sites and paramagnetic sites in which the nickel(II) has a coordination number greater than four.
ABF limitations when using either Toeplitz covariance matrix estimators or the parametric vector AR technique

Two methods which have been proposed for estimating adaptive beamformer weights from a small number of samples are the parametric vector AR technique and the use of Toeplitz covariance matrix estimation. In this paper the relationship between these two techniques is derived. This relationship is used to show that both methods have the same performance limitations when used with antenna arrays which are not precisely uniform linear (or uniform rectangular for two dimensional arrays). In the presence of non-ideal arrays it is shown that both methods degrade to performance levels consistent with deterministic (i.e. non-adaptive) nulling.
Recipient screening and selection: who is the right candidate for hand transplantation

Hand transplantation is an elective non-life saving but quality of life-giving surgery for good candidates that is not without risk. Patient screening and selection is the most critical element to successful transplantation outcomes and cannot be overemphasized in terms of importance in the overall scheme of an active composite tissue allotransplantation (CTA) program. This article discusses the various criteria that are important in the selection of patients for CTA.
Teratogenic action of platinum thymine blue

Abstract The teratogenic activity of the antitumor agent cisplatinum-2-thymine (platinum thymine blue) was investigated in rats. Pregnant Wistar-derived albino rats were given single ip injections of an aqueous solution of platinum thymine blue (PTB) at one day of pregnancy from day 5 through day 14 (sperm day=day 0). The dosages used ranged from 20 to 80 mg/kg maternal body weight. At autopsy (day 20) fetuses were recovered and subsequently examined for skeletal and soft-tissue abnormalities. PTB was embryolethal and teratogenic at several stages during rat gestation. Embryonic deat occured following all doses, and was dose dependent, except at day 5. The majority of malformed fetuses, however, were observed only after treatment at day 6 or 7 following injection with 50, 60, or 80 mg/kg. Eye defects were the predominant abnormality followed by hydrocephalus, gastroschisis, and ectopia cordis. The skeleton was only slightly affected. PTB is a potent inhibitor of DNA synthesis, but its mechanism of teratogenic action is unknown.
Substrate stiffness affects sarcomere and costamere structure and electrophysiological function of isolated adult cardiomyocytes

Abstract Introduction The mechanical environment is a key regulator of function in cardiomyocytes. We studied the role of substrate stiffness on the organization of sarcomeres and costameres in adult rat cardiomyocytes and further examined the resulting changes in cell shortening and calcium dynamics. Methods Cardiomyocytes isolated from adult rats were plated on laminin-coated polydimethylsiloxane substrates of defined stiffness (255 kPa, 117 kPa, 27 kPa, and 7 kPa) for 48 h. Levels of α-actinin and β1 integrins were determined by immunofluoresence imaging and immunoblotting, both in the absence and presence of the phosphatase inhibitor calyculin A. Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was used to measure message levels of key structural proteins (α-actinin, α7 integrin, β1 integrin, vinculin). Sarcomere shortening and calcium dynamics were measured at 2, 24, and 48 h. Results Overall cardiomyocyte morphology was similar on all substrates. However, well organized sarcomere structures were observed on only the stiffest (255 kPa) and the most compliant (7 kPa) substrates. Levels of α-actinin in cells were the same on all substrates, while message levels of structural proteins were up-regulated on substrates of intermediate stiffness. Inhibition of phosphatase activity blocked the degradation of contractile structures, but altered overall cardiomyocyte morphology. Shortening and calcium dynamics also were dependent on substrate stiffness; however, there was no clear causative relationship between the phenomena. Conclusions Extracellular matrix stiffness can affect structural remodeling by adult cardiomyocytes, and the resulting contractile activity. These findings illuminate changes in cardiomyocyte function in cardiac fibrosis, and may suggest cardiac-specific phosphatases as a target for therapeutic intervention
Abstract 5082: c-Abl function in TPA- and radiation-induced apoptosis in human prostate cancer cells

We previously reported that 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) decreased transcription and protein levels of Ataxia-Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM) in human prostate cancer cell lines LNCaP and CWR22-Rv1, de-repressing the enzyme ceramide synthase (CerS) to promote apoptosis. Here we analyzed the expression and subcellular distribution of the six mammalian CerS isoforms and their specific ceramide species generated within mitochondrial-associated membranes (MAM) and within the mitochondria in these cells before and after TPA±radiation treatments. This analysis revealed that TPA±radiation induces de novo synthesis of ceramide by specifically activating CerS isoforms 5 and/or 6 generating pro-apoptotic C16-ceramide species in mitochondrial membranes. In addition we demonstrate that LNCaP cells transfected with a c-Abl kinase dead (KD) mutant showed a significant decrease in both TPA and TPA + radiation-induced apoptosis compared with c-Abl (WT) transfected LNCaP cells. Thus, this result indicates that the kinase activity of c-Abl is necessary for TPA±radiation-induced apoptosis in LNCaP cells. In LNCaP cells transfected with WT-c-Abl, ceramide elevation was observed in response to TPA coupled to a synergistic increase of ceramide after TPA+radiation treatment. However, ceramide elevation was abolished in LNCaP transfected with the KD-c-Abl, for both TPA and TPA+radiation treatments. These findings identify kinase active c-Abl as a pro-apoptotic factor in these cells, which utilizes the activation of the CerS pathway to transduce this apoptotic response. Whether c-Abl directly or indirectly activates CerS5 and/or 6 activities, responsible for the generation of the pro-apoptotic ceramide species in response to TPA±radiation, remains to be elucidated. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5082. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-5082
Progress report on the study of program reading

We present some ideas here about prose reading comprehension tests, with analogies to program reading exercises, and suggest the potential usefulness of a standardized, nationwide program reading comprehension test as a means to assess on a comparative basis individual and department-wide progress through the computer science curriculum. We conclude with a research agenda on program reading and encourage contributions to the work from interested colleagues.
Gelation in Physically Associating Polymer Solutions

Simulations were performed on solutions of associating polymers, where the pairing energy between ``stickers'' is comparable to thermal energy, to gain insights into the nature of reversible gelation. At high temperatures, interchain associations relax over microscopic time scales, so that geometrical percolation is unrelated to macroscopic gelation. However, with decreasing temperature, the stickers undergo a clustering ``transition,'' resulting in a transient localization of stickers and hence the chains. These findings imply a close similarity between the dynamics of associating polymer solutions and vitrification of glass-forming liquids, in agreement with many experimental results.
Patterns of quantitative sensation testing of hypoesthesia and hyperalgesia are predictive of diabetic polyneuropathy: a study of three cohorts. Nerve growth factor study group.

OBJECTIVE: To test quantitative sensation testing (QST) patterns of hypoesthesia and hyperalgesia as indicators of diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) and its severity RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We used Computer-Assisted Sensory Examination IV; characterized the QST results of the foot of each patient in three diabetic cohorts (approximately 1,500 patients) as hyperesthetic ( or = 97.5th percentile); and tested associations with symptoms, impairments, and test abnormalities. RESULTS: Overall neuropathic impairment was most severe in the pancreas-renal transplant and nerve growth factor cohorts, but it was much less severe in the population-based Rochester Diabetic Neuropathy Study (RDNS) cohort. The frequency distribution of sensory abnormalities mirrored this difference. When the QST spectra of diabetic cohorts were compared with those of the control subject cohort for vibration and cooling sensations, the only abnormality observed was hypoesthesia, which was expressed as an increased number of subjects with values at or above the 97.5th percentile or by an increased percentage of cases with high-normal values. Symptoms and impairments of DPN were significantly more frequent in the subjects with values at or above the 97.5th percentile than in the subjects whose values were between the 50th and 97.5th percentiles. For heat pain (HP) sensation thresholds (intermediate pain severity [HP:5], pain threshold [HP:0.5], and pain-stimulus response slope [HP:5-0.5]), an increased frequency of both hypoalgesia and hyperalgesia was observed (especially in the RDNS cohort). Steeper pain-stimulus response slopes were significantly associated with sensory symptoms, including severity of pain. CONCLUSIONS: 1) Decreased vibratory sensation (hypoesthesia) appears to be characteristic of mild DPN, whereas panmodality hypoesthesia is characteristic of severe DPN. 2) A shift of vibratory and cold detection thresholds (and also of attributes of nerve conduction and a measure of autonomic dysfunction) from low-normal (2.5th-50th percentiles) to high-normal (50th-97.5th percentiles) appears to precede overt expression of DPN and to thereby provide evidence of subclinical abnormality 3) Heat stimulus-induced hyperesthesia (low thresholds) occurs especially in mild DPN, and, because it correlates with DPN symptoms and impairments, it must be attributed to hyperalgesia rather than to supersensitivity Therefore, hypoalgesia or hyperalgesia may be an indicator of early DPN.
A biomass burning source of C1–C4 alkyl nitrates

[1] We report the first observations of the emission of five C1–C4 alkyl nitrates (methyl-, ethyl-, n-propyl-, i-propyl-, and 2-butyl nitrate) from savanna burning. Average alkyl nitrate mixing ratios in the immediate vicinity of three bushfires in Northern Australia were 47–122 times higher than local background mixing ratios. These are the highest alkyl nitrate mixing ratios we have ever detected, with maximum mixing ratios exceeding 3 ppbv for methyl nitrate. Methyl nitrate dominated the alkyl nitrate emissions during the flaming stage of savanna burning, whereas C2–C4 alkyl nitrates were mostly emitted during the smoldering stage. To explain the formation of alkyl nitrates from biomass burning, we propose a reaction mechanism involving the combination of reactive radicals at high temperature. Bearing in mind the uncertainties associated with extrapolating small data sets to much larger scales, alkyl nitrate emissions from global savanna burning are estimated to be on the order of 8 Gg/yr.
Workload representations in queueing models of computer systems

There are two basic representations of workload populations in load independent, separable queueing network models. These correspond to the notions of open and closed classes, an open class being one in which customers may arrive and depart the model, and a closed class being one in which the number of customers is fixed. This paper examines the effect on mean system performance measures of the workload representation chosen. Open and closed representations are compared under the equivalency constraints that they result in identical system throughput or mean system population level for the class being considered. It is shown formally for a limited class of networks that the open representation results in larger system response times than equivalent closed representations, and that one of the closed representations results in the smallest system response time of those considered. Extensive numerical results show for a more general class of models that there is a strict ordering (in terms of system response time) of the natural class representations considered.These results can be used in at least two ways. One is to guide the initial representation of computer system workloads in performance models. The other application is as a component of approximate analysis techniques for queueing models that decompose individual networks into multiple submodels, each of which is then solved in isolation. Here the goal is to represent customer classes in each submodel in a way that is convenient computationally, and that results in performance measures closely matching those observed in the full network. It is this latter application that we assume in this paper. An example of the application of our results to an existing approximation technique is given.