cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Parallel adaptive finite element analysis of large scale structures

Abstract A scalable parallel feedback algorithm for adaptive finite element modeling of large scale structures is presented. This algorithm is implementable on MIMD parallel processors, and uses the p-extension of the finite element method. The problem domain is partitioned into a number of suitable subdomains by using an automatic domain decomposer, and each subdomain is thereupon assigned to a processor in the multiprocessor system. Connection Machine's CM-5 system is being used for the present implementation. Most of the previous efforts to parallelize finite element analysis were confined to parallel algorithms for direct or iterative equation solvers, and did not produce satisfactory performance because of the small granularity of parallel tasks. Also, these efforts were based on the h-extension of the finite element method, and hence could not exploit some of the inherent advantages available in the p-extension. As the current algorithm utilizes the domain decomposition technique and is based on the p-version of the finite element method, it is expected to produce good performance, particularly for large scale structures. The feedback algorithm is based on an iterative scheme derived from the domain decomposition technique for applications to problems of solid mechanics. It has been tested for two-dimensional problems showing good convergence characteristics. Current efforts are also directed towards generalizing the scheme, and include adaptive model refinement.
Effects of isolation of calves on growth, behavior, and first lactation milk yield of Holstein cows.

Abstract Holstein (n = 323) calves in the herds of four experiment stations were reared individually (control) or in isolation to 70 d of age to determine whether isolation affected growth, behavior, and first lactation yield. Treatment differences were not observed for average daily gain for BW at d 28, 56, or 70. Postweaning approach distance was measured in two herds (n = 122; n = 28). Detailed pre- and postweaning behaviors were reported in one herd (n = 26). Isolation did not affect subsequent milk yield or culling percentages. In a second experiment, seven pairs of monozygous twins and a set of identical triplet calves were obtained by transferring split embryos into recipients, one member of each pair was reared in a group, and the twin was reared in isolation. Early rearing previously had been found to affect growth, feed intake, dominance rank, and learning ability of calves, and, in our study, the subsequent milk yield of calves reared in isolation tended to average more than for calves in groups. Intraclass correlations between monozygous twin pairs for milk, fat, relative value milk, and relative value fat were lower than anticipated. These data indicate that preweaning isolation did not affect first lactation milk yield traits.
Fast and Efficient Charge Transport across a Lipid Bilayer Is Electronically Mediated by C70 Fullerene Aggregates

Fullerene anions, made by photoreduction in a lipid bilayer, produce the largest trans-membrane steady state photocurrents yet observed, ∼6.0 μA/cm2. Since these photocurrents are not light saturated, their maximum value is considerably larger. Dithionite was used as electron donor for its ability to reduce photoexcited fullerenes at the donor interface on a time scale faster than 15 ns. Both photovoltage and photocurrent increase 15-fold on adding the acceptor ferricyanide trans to the donor. There are two components to the transit time of negative charge across the bilayer, <100 ns and 6 μs, in the 100 mM dithionite|0.6 mM C70|5 mM ferricyanide system, where | stands for the water−bilayer interface. This is strong evidence that the conduction is electronic and not diffusive-ionic. The plot of the ratio of photovoltage for the dithionite|C70| system to that of the dithionite|C70|ferricyanide system versus concentration of C70 in the lipid-forming solution is highly nonlinear. This suggests that aggregate...
Glucose metabolism in incubated human muscle: Effect of obesity and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

Skeletal muscle contributes significantly to reduced insulin-stimulated glucose disposal in patients with obesity and non-insulin-dependent (type II) diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). The biochemical basis for insulin resistance is not known but may involve reduced glucose transport and/or a defect in intracellular pathways for glucose disposal. To address this question, we measured basal and insulin-stimulated glucose oxidation, glycogen formation, and nonoxidative glycolysis (lactate and amino acid release) in an incubated muscle preparation from nonobese and morbidly obese patients with and without NIDDM. Pathways of glucose disposal were also determined in muscle of obese NIDDM patients incubated under hyperglycemic (20 mmol/L) conditions, which increases glucose uptake by mass action. Under basal conditions (no insulin present) there were no significant differences in glycogen formation or glucose oxidation between nonobese control, obese nondiabetic, or obese diabetics. Lactate release was significantly higher in obese controls compared to nonobese controls in the basal state at 5 mmol/L glucose (10.2 +/- 2.8 v 24.7 +/- 3.5 nmol/min/g, P < .05). Under maximal insulin-stimulated conditions, rates of glycogen formation, glucose oxidation, and nonoxidized glycolysis increased 1.9-, 2.3-, and 2.2-fold over basal (P < .05) in nonobese controls. By contrast, insulin was ineffective at stimulating significant increases in any metabolic pathway of glucose disposal in muscle of obese or obese NIDDM patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Mineralogy and Petrology of Amoeboid Olivine Inclusions in CO3 Chondrites: Relationship to Parent-Body Aqueous Alteration

Petrographic and mineralogic studies of amoeboid olivine inclusions (AOIs) in CO3 carbonaceous chondrites reveal that they are sensitive indicators of parent-body aqueous and thermal alteration. As the petrologic subtype increases from 3.0 to 3.8, forsteritic olivine (Fa(sub 0-1)) is systematically converted into ferroan olivine (Fa(sub 60-75)). We infer that the Fe, Si and O entered the assemblage along grain boundaries, forming ferroan olivine that filled fractures and voids. As temperatures increased, Fe(+2) from the new olivine exchanged with Mg(+2) from the original AOI to form diffusive haloes around low-FeO cores. Cations of Mn(+2), Ca(+2) and Cr(+3) were also mobilized. The systematic changes in AOI textures and olivine compositional distributions can be used to refine the classification of CO3 chondrites into subtypes. In subtype 3.0, olivine occurs as small forsterite grains (Fa(sub 0-1)), free of ferroan olivine. In petrologic subtype 3.2, narrow veins of FeO-rich olivine have formed at forsterite grain boundaries. With increasing alteration, these veins thicken to form zones of ferroan olivine at the outside AOI margin and within the AOI interior. By subtype 3.7, there is a fairly broad olivine compositional distribution in the range Fa(sub 63-70), and by subtype 3.8, no forsterite remains and the high-Fa peak has narrowed, Fa(sub 64-67). Even at this stage, there is incomplete equilibration in the chondrite as a whole (e.g., data for coarse olivine grains in Isna (CO3.8) chondrules and lithic clasts show a peak at Fa(sub39)). We infer that the mineral changes in A01 identified in the low petrologic types required aqueous or hydrothermal fluids whereas those in subtypes greater than or equal to 3.3 largely reflect diffusive exchange within and between mineral grains without the aid of fluids.
Did the Olmec know how to write

In their Research Article “Earliest writing in America” (15 Sept. 2006, p. [1610][1]), Ma. del Carmen Rodriguez Martinez et al . suggest that the inscribed “Cascajal block” is the first discovery of Olmec writing. Although we agree with the authors that it is possible that the Olmec did
Abstract 1034: A natural inhibitor of c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL The c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs) pathway plays a important role in many physiological processes including cell proliferation, survival, death, DNA repair and metabolism induced by a variety of stress signals and pro-inflammatory stimuli. The JNK proteins are encoded by three genes, jnk1, jnk2, jnk3. The protein products of jnk1 and jnk2 are found in all cells and tissues, whereas the JNK3 protein is found primarily in the brain, but is also found in the heart and the testes. The unequal expression of the different isoforms of JNK is possibly determined by some unique characteristics. Each JNK appears to have a distinct function in cancer, asthma, diabetes, and Parkinson's disease. Recent studies demonstrate that JNK1 is a key contributor for the serine phosphorylation of the IRS-1. Several other studies also demonstrated the importance of JNK1, but not JNK2, in lung fibrosis and gastric cancer. We have identified a novel flavonoid isolated from natural sources, herein referred to Compound-A, that suppressed JNK1 activity, with no effect on JNK2 in vitro. At 10 μM, Compound-A specifically inhibited JNK1 by about 50%. We also found that compound-A inhibits UVB-induced c-Jun phosphorylation in a cell culture system. In contrast to SP600125, a non-selective JNKs inhibitor that binds to the ATP active site, compound-A appears to target the protein-protein interaction between JNK1 and its binding proteins, including the JNK-interacting protein-1(JIP1) rather than the ATP binding site. In a computer simulation model, compound-A complexed with JNK1, but not JNK2, and formed strong hydrogen bonding at Glu329. Glu329 is a key residue for the JNK complex with JIP1. This interaction induces a hinge motion between the JNK N- and C-terminal domains and decreases the affinity of the kinase and ATP. These results demonstrate that compound-A is a selective JNK1 inhibitor. In humans, JNK1 play a key role in obesity-induced type 2 diabetes mellitus and the absence of JNK1 results in decreased adiposity, significantly improved insulin sensitivity and an enhanced insulin receptor signaling capacity in mouse obesity models. Therefore, we suggest that because of JNK1's critical role in diabetes, compound-A might have therapeutic potential against this devastating disease. 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 1034. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-1034
Adaptive extensions to a multibranch run‐to‐run controller for plasma etching

Fuzzy logic and database learning mechanisms have been incorporated into a generic plasma etching run‐to‐run controller, resulting in a very dynamic, adaptable, and robust system. The system features an Applied 8300 reactive ion etcher controlled by a Techware II equipment controller. A TCP/IP connection links this equipment controller to the run‐to‐run controller residing on a SUN. The run‐to‐run control environment is generic in that the basic control framework and controller development results are applicable to very large scale integrated manufacturing in general. The controller is multibranch as it utilizes multiple algorithms in complementary fashion to achieve process optimization and control. The current implementation utilizes three branches: (1) a linear approximation control algorithm, (2) an optimization algorithm that utilizes (real‐time) data collected in situ to determine optimal run‐to‐run process parameter settings, and (3) a statistical optimization algorithm that utilizes run‐to‐run dat...
The role of grain size distributions in diffusional creep

Abstract The relationship between the strain rate and the stress in diffusional creep has usually been derived with the assumption that all the grains have the same size. In a normal polycrystaltine solid, however, grains of widely different sizes are usually present. In order to investigate to what extent the grain boundary diffusion creep rate (for a given stress and metallographic grain size) depends on the grain size distribution and grain arrangement, the strain rates of simple regular arrays of square grains (2 dimensions) with bimodal size distributions were calculated. Depending on the particular grain arrangement employed, variations of the strain rate by up to a factor of 4.4 were found. Also, internal stresses as high as 3.5 times the applied shear stress occur for particular distributions. The grain shape influences the diffusional strain rate in two ways. Changing the shape of approximately equiaxed grain results in a variation of the strain rate by up to a factor of ~13.5. Changing the aspect ratio of the grains while preserving their geometric shape (i.e., the grain boundaries are not allowed to rotate during elongation) reduces the strain rate only moderately, for example by a factor of 1.27 for a strain of 50%. The influence of different grain size distributions and grain arrangements is intermediate between these two effects.
Chemostimulatory protein: a new type of taste stimulus.

Three taste-active proteins have recently been discovered. It is proposed that two of these (monellin and thaumatin) should be classified as chemostimulatory proteins because of their sensory effect; these two proteins taste intensely sweet. The third protein (miraculin), a taste-modifier protein, changes the normal sour taste of acids to sweet. The taste-modifier protein, miraculin, occurs in the fruit of the tropical plant Synsepalum dulcificum. Though itself not sweet, it is able to change the taste of acids from sour to sweet after the tongue has been treated with the protein. Miraculin is a basic glycoprotein with a molecular weight of 44,000. Monellin, a chemostimulatory protein, is found in the fruit of a different tropical plant, Dioscoreophyllum cumminsii. It has been characterized as a basic protein with a molecular weight of 10,700 that contains no carbohydrate. Thaumatin, another chemostimulatory protein, occurs in the fruit of a third tropical plant, Thaumatococcus daniellii. Like monellin, it is a basic protein that contains no carbohydrate. Its molecular weight is around 21,000. Certain gross similarities among the three proteins have been noted. Their basic ionic character and some features of the amino acid compositions are similar. Little is known of the structural features of the chemostimulatory proteins that are required for eliciting their intense sweetness; they are of the order of 10 5 times more effective than sucrose. The precise role of the tertiary structure in their biological activity is not known but appears to be an important area for further study. The relatively large size (11,000 to 21,000 molecular weight) of the chemostimulatory proteins provides indirect evidence that the initial interaction of these stimuli with taste receptor cells occurs at the plasma membrane.
The paradox of genius

Darwin. By Adrian Desmond and James Moore. Michael Joseph: 1991. Pp. 808. £20. To be published in the United States by Warner Books later this year.
Rethinking the Work–Life Interface: It's Not about Balance, It's about Resource Allocation

This article re-conceptualises the framework surrounding work–life balance. Though previous research has focused primarily on the ways in which work life and non-work life influence each other (mostly negatively), we present an alternative perspective that focuses on personal pursuits and the management of personal resources. We introduce a personal resource allocation (PRA) framework that treats all life demands—whether preferred or required—as forcing individuals to make choices about where, when, and how they expend their personal resources across the life domain. Building on self-regulatory theories, such as control theory, self-determination theory, and conservation of resources theory, we suggest ways in which effective personal resource allocation not only decreases negative outcomes (which has been the emphasis in work–life balance research), but also how effective personal resource allocation can actually contribute to positive outcomes. We conclude by providing some practical implications for individuals and organisations based on the PRA framework and suggest future research opportunities.
Fossil diatoms and the paleolimnology of Lake Rukwa, Tanzania

SUMMARY. 1. A 23.1 m sediment core from Lake Rukwa, southwest Tanzania, records 13,000 years of climatic change in five diatom assemblage zones. Zone E (13,000–12,7000 bp) reflects the transition from the waning late glacial arid phase to pluvial conditions, as indicated by the co-occurrence of diatoms associated with fresh and relatively saline conditions. Zone D (12,700–4400 bp) represents a moist period with frequent stratification, indicated by the halophobic genera Melosira and Stephanodiscus, whieh also represent alternating silica-rich and silica-dcpleled waters. Beginning with Zone C (4400–3900 bp) the lake became much more saline with Thalassiosira predominating. This drying trend was reversed slightly in Zone B (3900–3300 bp). During the last three millennia (Zone A), lake salinity was further reduced, while transitory moist phases were occurring in more northerly lakes such as Victoria and Kivu. 2. Lake Rukwa was relatively stable over a time scale of centuries, but on an annual basis is quite variable in salinity depending on the local rainy season. 3. These results agree well with the generalized paleoclimatie chronology of East Africa and suggest that the Holocene climatic regime of East Africa extended at least to 8°S.
The Ly-10 antigen is a marker of mouse-activated T lymphocytes.

Ly-10.1 is a lymphocyte surface antigen controlled by a gene linked to the Ly-1.1 locus and expressed on activated T helper, T suppressor (Ts), and cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). In this report, we describe the following: 1) Ly-10 is a heterodimeric glycoprotein consisiting of a 80 000 heavy and a 34 000 light chain. 2) Although mature CTL are Ly-10+ by negative selection with anti-Ly-10.1 and complement (C), CTL precursors reactive to allogeneic cells are Ly-10−. 3) Similarly, IL-2-producing effector T cells induced by MIs-incompatible cells and semiallogeneic stimulation are eliminated by anti-Ly-10.1 and C after activation but are not eliminated as precursors before activation. 4) In mixed lymphocyte culture with semiallogeneic cells, the frequency of Ly-10.1+ cells was highest on the 2nd to 5th day after stimulation, decreased by the 12th day, and increased after restimulation with fresh antigen as demonstrated by immunofluorescence, C-mediated lysis, and IL-2 production. 5) When spleen cells were treated with anti-Ly-10 and C before concanavalin A (Con A) activation, the suppressive activity in the Con A T blasts was reduced, suggesting that in normal mice, some Ts preexist in a Ly-10+ activated state. These results indicate that Ly-10 is a marker of activation of T cells, not expressed on precursor T cells and whose expression is both transient and dependent on the presence of antigen. The similarities in biochemical and cellular characteristics suggest that Ly-10 is a mouse homologue of the human lymphocyte activation marker 4F2.
Portrayals of Information and Communication Technology on World Wide Web Sites for Girls

This study reports a content analysis of 35 World Wide Web sites that included in their mission the goal of engaging girls with information and communication technology (ICT). It finds that sites emphasize cultural and economic uses of ICT, doing little to foster civic applications that could empower girls as citizens of the information age. The study also finds that sites foster a narrow range of ICT proficiencies, focusing mostly on areas such as communication, in which girls have already achieved parity with boys. An examination of the role models portrayed in ICT occupations indicates that the sites show females mainly in elite technology jobs, reversing stereotypical mass media depictions of females in low-status roles in relation to ICT. Employing an original index of ICT knowledge and skills, the study finds that the sites that scored highest both on fostering comprehensive knowledge and skills as well as featuring civic content were general interest Web communities. Ownership (for-profit or not-for-profit) of sites was less important than editorial control: Sites that offered girls a place to contribute their own content were more likely to offer civic material and a broader range of ICT knowledge and skills. We conclude with recommendations for Web site designers to rethink their design strategies and their rationales for closing the gender gap in computing.
Skewness balancing algorithm for approximation of discrete objects boundaries

Object boundary is an important feature for image processing and computer vision applications. In this paper a new method for extracting the non convex boundaries of an object represented by 2D point clouds is established. In order to determine the object boundaries we started by constructing the convex-hull-based Delaunay triangulation using the point clouds. Given the fact that the points are sampled from the object surface using an instrument such as cameras or laser scanners, the distribution of the edges lengths belonging to the objects follows a Gaussian distribution. However this distribution is skewed due to the existence of long edges introduced by the Delaunay triangulation. Removing the skewness will make the convex boundary built by the Delauny algorithm converge to the real boundary of the object. We tested our method using different datasets that includes synthetic data, urban LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data, and binary images. The results show that the proposed method successfully extracts the object boundary.
A chromatin-mediated reversible drug-tolerant state in cancer cell subpopulations

Accumulating evidence implicates heterogeneity within cancer cell populations in the response to stressful exposures, including drug treatments. While modeling the acute response to various anticancer agents in drug-sensitive human tumor cell lines, we consistently detected a small subpopulation of reversibly "drug-tolerant" cells. These cells demonstrate >100-fold reduced drug sensitivity and maintain viability via engagement of IGF-1 receptor signaling and an altered chromatin state that requires the histone demethylase RBP2/KDM5A/Jarid1A. This drug-tolerant phenotype is transiently acquired and relinquished at low frequency by individual cells within the population, implicating the dynamic regulation of phenotypic heterogeneity in drug tolerance. The drug-tolerant subpopulation can be selectively ablated by treatment with IGF-1 receptor inhibitors or chromatin-modifying agents, potentially yielding a therapeutic opportunity. Together, these findings suggest that cancer cell populations employ a dynamic survival strategy in which individual cells transiently assume a reversibly drug-tolerant state to protect the population from eradication by potentially lethal exposures.
MultiMap: An Expert System for Automated Genetic Linkage Mapping

With the advent of the Human Genome Project, the ability to rapidly construct comprehensive and accurate linkage maps based on genetic marker data from family studies is an absolute necessity. In addition to their usefulness in localizing genes for both simple and complex disorders, linkage maps are invaluable tools for genetic counseling using linked marker genes. Several computer program packages are publicly available which aid in the construction of linkage maps by computing multipoint likelihoods for specified locus orders. However, these programs work in a step-by-step fashion, requiring intensive user-intervention and analysis at each step. Such a repetitive process is amenable to computerized automation. We have developed and tested an expert system computer program, MultiMap, for automated genetic linkage mapping. This program greatly reduces the amount of user-computer interaction, increasing the accuracy and speed with which a map can be constructed. In addition, because the total mapping time is greatly reduced through automation, it is now feasible to explore and compare various mapping heuristics and mapping criteria in order to develop the most appropriate approach, or set of approaches, for genetic linkage mapping. MultiMap need not be restricted to the construction of genetic maps, but could be adapted to aid in the automated construction of physical maps as well.
Mechanism of subunit coordination of an AAA+ hexameric molecular nanomachine.

Abstract Simian virus 40 large tumor antigen (LT) is both a potent oncogenic protein and an efficient hexameric nanomachine that harnesses the energy from ATP binding/hydrolysis to melt origin DNA and unwind replication forks. However, how the six subunits of the helicase motor coordinate during ATP hydrolysis and DNA unwinding/translocation is unresolved. Here we investigated the subunit coordination mechanisms “binomial distribution mutant doping” experiments in the presence of various DNA substrates. For ATP hydrolysis, we observed multiple coordination modes, ranging from random and semi-random, and semi-coordinated modes, depending on which type of DNA is present. For DNA unwinding, however, the results indicated a fully-coordinated mode for the natural origin-containing duplex DNA, but a semi-coordinated mode for a pre-existing fork-DNA, providing direct evidence for LT to use potentially different mechanisms to unwind the two types of substrates. The results of this study provide insights into DNA translocation and unwinding mechanisms for LT hexameric biomotor. From the Clinical Editor The study describes the subunit coordination of simian virus 40 large tumor antigen (LT) showing that multiple mechanisms exist that handle the specific needs of different stages of DNA replication.
Evaluation of low-frequency AC-DC difference of coaxially mounted thermal voltage converter

The paper describes results of measurements of AC-DC transfer difference of a coaxially mounted, thermal voltage converter. Results of experiments, conducted in the 1 kHz to 1 MHz frequency range, are compared with results of simulations, using a simplified model of the converter. AC-DC transfer difference contributions, originating in the input connector and elements of the coaxial enclosure, are presented.
Mandatory versus selective preoperative carotid screening: a retrospective analysis.

Background Extracranial internal carotid artery stenosis is a risk factor for perioperative stroke in coronary artery bypass (CAB) surgery. Although both selective and nonselective methods of preoperative carotid screening have been advocated, it is unclear which approach is most clinically efficacious. Methods Hospital records for 1421 consecutive CAB patients from January 2000 through April 2002 were reviewed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed across selected parameters to identify risk factors for significant carotid stenosis (> or = 70%). Patients were retrospectively stratified into high- or low-risk groups based on risk factors common to carotid stenosis and perioperative stroke. The prevalence of carotid stenosis, surgical management, and perioperative stroke rates were determined for each group. Results One-thousand one-hundred thirty-eight patients out of 1421 patients (80.1%) underwent preoperative carotid screening. The prevalence of significant carotid stenosis was 13.4%. Univariate risk factors for stenosis included an age of more than 65 years, peripheral vascular disease, prior cerebrovascular accident, history of cerebrovascular disease, left main coronary disease, carotid bruit, female gender, and hypertension. Carotid stenosis was a risk factor for stroke, neurologic injury, in-hospital mortality, and longer hospitalization. Prevalence of carotid stenosis was greater in high-risk patients (17.8%, N = 708) versus low-risk patients (6.1%, N = 426). Concomitant or staged carotid endarterectomy (CEA)/CAB was more commonly performed in the high-risk group (5.8% vs. 1%, p Conclusions In our cohort, selectively screening only patients with either an age of more than 65, carotid bruit, or cerebrovascular disease would have reduced the screening load by nearly 40% with negligible impact on surgical management or neurologic outcomes.
Making the basic microbiology laboratory an exciting and engaging experience.

Teaching basic microbiology laboratory techniques to non-biology majors can be challenging. The students take the microbiology laboratory only because it is a requirement for their program and not by personal choice. Recently, we have developed a teaching approach that has shown to increase the interest and involvement of students in learning basic microbiology laboratory techniques. This approach consists of incorporating basic microbiology laboratory techniques in a semester long project that involves isolating an unknown bacterium from their environment at the beginning of the semester. Students apply basic microbiology techniques learned throughout the course to characterize and identify “their organism”. This approach encourages the inquisitiveness of students and provides relevance to the use of laboratory techniques.
Coincident In Situ and W-Band Radar Measurements of Drop Size Distribution in a Marine Stratus Cloud and Drizzle

Abstract Investigation of precipitation formation requires measurements of the drop size distribution in a cloud. These measurements have usually been made using ground-based radar systems or aircraft in situ probes. Difficulties encountered in practice using these systems include accounting for the air motion at points remote from the radar systems and small sample volumes measured using the aircraft probes. An airborne W-band radar system provides a measurement from a much larger sample volume, close to the aircraft, with a correction for air motion possible using the data from the aircraft inertial navigation system. The Coastal Stratus Experiment conducted off the coast of Oregon in late 1995 provided W-band radar and microphysical probe data sampled from much of the same region of a marine stratus cloud. The unique combination of cloud probes and W-band radar on board the University of Wyoming King Air allowed the radar sampling to be only 60 m away from the probe sampling region. Doppler spectrum da...
Chloride ion efflux from liposomes is controlled by sidechains in a channel-forming heptapeptide

A suite of amphiphilic heptapeptides incorporating a glutamic acid derivative on the C-terminal side of a (Gly)3Pro sequence gives dramatically lower chloride ion release from liposomes when present in free carboxyl form rather than as an ester or amide.
Predictors of mortality after colectomy for fulminant Clostridium difficile colitis.

Objectives To present, to our knowledge, the largest experience with colectomy for fulminant Clostridium difficile colitis and to propose factors significant in predicting mortality. Design Retrospective medical record review. Setting University teaching hospital. Patients Seventy-three patients undergoing colectomy between 1994 and 2005 for C difficile –associated pseudomembranous colitis. Main Outcome Measures Preoperative predictors of in-hospital mortality. Results Seventy-three of 5718 cases (1.3%) of C difficile colitis required colectomy. Mean age was 68 years. In-hospital mortality was 34% (n = 25). Eighty-six percent (n = 63) of patients received a subtotal colectomy. Patients presented with diarrhea (84%; n = 61), abdominal pain (75%; n = 55), and ileus (16%; n = 12). Mean duration of symptoms was 7 days followed by 4 days of medical treatment prior to colectomy. On univariate analysis, an admitting diagnosis other than C difficile ( P = .049), vasopressor requirement ( P = .001), intubation ( P = .001), and mental status changes ( P P = .007) was significantly higher and length of medical management (6.4 vs 3.0 days; P = .006) was significantly longer in the mortality group. Platelet counts (169 × 10 3 /μL vs 261 × 10 3 /μL [to convert to × 10 9 /L, multiply by 1]; P = .04) were significantly lower in the mortality group. On multivariate analysis, vasopressor requirement ( P = .04; odds ratio, 5.0), mental status changes ( P = .002; odds ratio, 12.6), and treatment length ( P = .002; odds ratio, 1.4) remained significant predictors of mortality. Conclusions Colectomy for C difficile colitis carries a substantial mortality regardless of patient age and white blood cell count. Preoperative vasopressor requirement, mental status changes, and length of medical treatment significantly predict mortality.
Myocardial necrosis and electrocardiographic changes related to microcirculatory abnormalities

Abstract Studies of the microcirculation of dogs were performed, utilizing the ocular conjuctiva and the mesentery. Intravascular aggregation was noted during total cardiopulmonary by-pass as well as during hypercapneic acidosis. This was associated with microinfarction of the myocardium. The use of low molecular weight dextran prevented intravascular aggregation in the microcirculation of the areas studied and was accompanied by a diminished incidence of microinfarcts in the myocardium.
Social Isolation in America

We offer a new measure for social isolation for contemporary society, where opportunities for making connections with others have become ubiquitous. We develop this measure after reviewing previous research on social isolation that we segment into two perspectives. On the one side, isolation has been studied as a negative outcome of processes related to modernization; on the other side, isolation has been studied as a structural position potentially capable of delivering positive returns. Although academic interest in isolation is long-standing, recent years have seen an explosion of research on the topic. We explore the connection between this explosion and new social media and highlight a division within the literature between researchers who see new social media as creating more feelings of isolation and others who think that the jury is still out. In the final section of the article, we offer our novel conceptual framework for studying isolation.
Modeling Cellular Metabolism and Energetics in Skeletal Muscle: Large-Scale Parameter Estimation and Sensitivity Analysis

Skeletal muscle plays a major role in the regulation of whole-body energy metabolism during physiological stresses such as ischemia, hypoxia, and exercise. Current experimental techniques provide relatively little in vivo data on dynamic responses of metabolite concentrations and metabolic fluxes in skeletal muscle to such physiological stimuli. As a complementary approach to experimental measurements and as a framework for quantitatively analyzing available in vivo data, a physiologically based model of skeletal muscle cellular metabolism and energetics is developed. This model, which incorporates key transport and reaction processes, is based on dynamic mass balances of 30 chemical species in capillary (blood) and tissue (cell) domains. The reaction fluxes in the cellular domain are expressed in terms of a generalized Michaelis-Menten equation involving energy controller ratios ATP/ADP and NADH/NAD+. This formalism introduces a large number of unknown parameters (~90). Estimating these parameters from in vivo sparse data and evaluating dynamic sensitivities of the model outputs with respect to these parameters is a challenging problem. Parameter estimation is accomplished using an efficient, nonlinear, constraint-based, optimization algorithm that minimizes differences between available experimental data and corresponding model outputs by explicitly utilizing equality constraints on resting fluxes and concentrations. With the estimated parameter values, the model is able to simulate dynamic responses to reduced blood flow (ischemia) of key metabolite concentrations and metabolic fluxes, both measured and nonmeasured. A general parameter sensitivity analysis is carried out to determine and characterize the parameters having the most and least effects on the measured outputs.
No more SMS from Jesus: ubicomp, religion and techno-spiritual practices

Over the last decade, new information and communication technologies have lived a secret life. For individuals and institutions around the world, this constellation of mobile phones, personal computers, the internet, software, games, and other computing objects have supported a complex set of religious and spiritual needs. In this paper, I offer a survey of emerging and emergent techno-spiritual practices, and the anxieties surrounding their uptake. I am interested in particular in the ways in which religious uses of technology represent not only a critique of dominant visions of technology's futures, but also suggest a very different path(s) for ubiquitous computing's technology envisioning and development.
Volunteer potato interference in carrot

Abstract Weed management systems in carrot are limited in part by a lack of fundamental understanding of crop–weed interactions. Irrigated field studies were conducted to quantify the effect of volunteer potato density and duration of interference on carrot yield and to determine relationships among weed density, duration of weed growth, and volunteer potato tuber production. A season-long volunteer potato density of 0.06 plants m−2 produced from 150 to 230 g tubers m−2 and resulted in an estimated 5% crop yield loss. At two volunteer potato plants m−2, the same level of crop loss was estimated with a duration of interference of 430 growing degree days (GDD), a time at which the weed had already produced 130 g tubers m−2. Volunteer potato height at the time of weed removal predicted carrot yield loss (R2 = 0.77) and may be useful for timing of management strategies such as hand weeding. Functional relationships describing carrot–volunteer potato interactions provide simple information that is useful for d...
Transient Electromagnetic Mapping of Clay Units in the San Luis Valley, Colorado

Transient electromagnetic soundings were used to obtain information needed to refine hydrologic models of the San Luis Valley, Colorado. The soundings were able to map an aquitard called the blue clay that separates an unconfined surface aquifer from a deeper confined aquifer. The blue clay forms a conductor with an average resistivity of 6.9 ohm-m. Above the conductor are found a mixture of gray clay and sand. The gray clay has an average resistivity of 21 ohm-m, while the sand has a resistivity of greater than 100 ohm-m. The large difference in resistivity of these units makes mapping them with a surface geophysical method relatively easy. The blue clay was deposited at the bottom of Lake Alamosa which filled most of the San Luis Valley during the Pleistocene. The geometry of the blue clay is influenced by a graben on the eastern side of the valley. The depth to the blue clay is greater over the graben. Along the eastern edge of valley the blue clay appears to be truncated by faults.
The Decline of Political Partisanship in the United States: Negativity or Neutrality?

This article examines attitudes towards the two major political parties in the United States from 1952 to 1980, using national election study data from open-ended likes/dislikes questions. The major trend which is found is a shift toward neutral evaluations of the parties. A reinterpretation of party decline in the electorate is offered, in which the much-discussed alienation from parties is largely rejected as an explanation. Rather, it is argued that the link between parties and candidates has been substantially weakened over the years and hence that political parties have become increasingly meaningless to the electorate.
Chronic dizziness: an integrated approach

The high prevalence of treatable psychiatric illness in patients with unexplained chronic dizziness suggests that evaluation and treatment can benefit from a strategy that considers medical causes but also screens for specific psychological disorders.
Efficacy of ampicillin against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus restored through synergy with branched poly(ethylenimine).

Efficacy of ampicillin against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus restored through synergy with branched poly(ethylenimine)
Evolutionary Theory and the Epistemology of Science

The sciences offer us a detailed picture of the world in which we live. But why is it rational to accept this picture? Evolutionary theory provides a beautiful case study of the way in which scientific theories are supported by their evidence. In this chapter we provide a guide for teachers who wish to use evolutionary theory to explain the way in which scientific theories are supported, and to explain what is required for a theory to be rationally accepted. Our method is to consider evolutionary theory in the light of a range of criticisms that have been made by its critics: that it is a theory rather than a fact, that it cannot be proven, that it is not falsifiable, that it has been falsified, and that it does not make predictions. Using a series of examples, we explain why these criticisms are either false or involve a misunderstanding of the nature of evidential support and scientific knowledge. In the process, we exhibit some of the epistemic principles that are at the heart of scientific inference, and show how they are employed to establish the rational acceptability of evolution.
Sexual Drama in the Early Poetry

A mainstay of Wilde criticism is an attempt to reconcile Wilde’s personality, which led to his public reputation as a decadent dandy and poseur ruined in a spectacular sex scandal, with his achievements in literature. In 1985, in the introduction to a volume of critical essays covering Wilde’s major works, Harold Bloom returns, as most Wilde critics explicitly do, to the ultimate question: why was the artist who was so immersed in life and letters, the author of “The Soul of Man Under Socialism” and The Importance of Being Earnest, “so doom-eager?”1 Why did Wilde, at the height of his reputation as a successful playwright, allow himself to be broken on the public wheel of scandal which he could have avoided? The puzzle is exaggerated by our general tendency to exalt artistic and intellectual achievements, elevating them above other aspects of human behavior, especially above those associated with sexual activity which society labels scandalous.
Religious Differences among Congressional Districts and the Success of Women Candidates

Scholars exploring the female representation gap in the U.S. Congress have pointed to district-level differences to explain why some districts regularly field women candidates and elect congresswomen while others almost never do. Specifically, demographic, economic, and political characteristics strongly influence a district's female candidacy, nomination, and election rates. This article asks whether also knowing about a district's religious environment helps us better predict the presence and success of women candidates. My central finding is that religiosity, in general, and the strength of some denominations within a district are strong predictors of where women will run and how well they will compete.
Basal Tumor Cell Isolation and Patient-Derived Xenograft Engraftment Identify High-Risk Clinical Bladder Cancers

Strategies to identify tumors at highest risk for treatment failure are currently under investigation for patients with bladder cancer. We demonstrate that flow cytometric detection of poorly differentiated basal tumor cells (BTCs), as defined by the co-expression of CD90, CD44 and CD49f, directly from patients with early stage tumors (T1-T2 and N0) and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) engraftment in locally advanced tumors (T3-T4 or N+) predict poor prognosis in patients with bladder cancer. Comparative transcriptomic analysis of bladder tumor cells isolated from PDXs indicates unique patterns of gene expression during bladder tumor cell differentiation. We found cell division cycle 25C (CDC25C) overexpression in poorly differentiated BTCs and determined that CDC25C expression predicts adverse survival independent of standard clinical and pathologic features in bladder cancer patients. Taken together, our findings support the utility of BTCs and bladder cancer PDX models in the discovery of novel molecular targets and predictive biomarkers for personalizing oncology care for patients.
The Kindling Effect of Ethanol on Neuronal Membranes

Many membrane transport processes in brain are altered due to hydrophobic interaction of alcohol with membrane. Since the activity of synaptosomal ( Na+ + K+) -ATPase is very much dependent on the microenvironment of the synaptic plasma membranes (SPM), we have investigated the effect of acute and chronic ethanol on this enzyme in the brain. After acute intragastric intubation of ethanol (30% w/v) to adult Sprague Dawley rats, there was no significant increase in synaptosomal (Na++K+)-ATPase activity at dose levels of 2 and 4 g/kg, but the activity increased more than 30? at dose levels of 6 and 8 g/kg as compared with controls (p<0.01). The increase in enzymic activity was first observed at 2 hr after administration and persisted for 16 hr before returning to basal levels after 24 hr. Besides changes in memorane transport activity, the physicochemical properties of SPM are also altered after chronic ethanol treatment. The biphasic response of TNS- fluorescence to different concentrations of ethanol disappeared and the membrane became more susceptible to lipid peroxidation. Furthermore, a lower transition temperature was observed with SPM isolated from alcoholic rats as compared with controls. The kindling development of membrane excitability during chronic ethanol administration is thus correlated to a change in physicochemical properties of the SPM due to a distrurbance of the dynamic turnover of membrane phospholipids. It is apparent that this type of excitable membrane can adapt and compensate for the stress imposed on the membranes due to presence of ethanol.
Faculty Development Online

Online learning has assumed a mainstream role in health professions education. Abundant evidence across all levels of learners shows that, when properly implemented, online learning can be as effective as traditional teaching activities. However, online learning has thus far been used infrequently to develop the education, research, and leadership skills of faculty members. This chapter will describe past and potential roles for online learning in faculty development. After a brief overview of online learning, the chapter will discuss innovations (published descriptions of creative approaches to online faculty development), instructional design (a review of evidence-based principles), implementation (anticipating problems and practical solutions), and integration (coordinating online elements with other activities). It will conclude with a brief comment on evaluation and research.
Conservative Exposure Predictions for Rapid Risk Assessment of Phase-Separated Additives in Medical Device Polymers.

A novel approach for rapid risk assessment of targeted leachables in medical device polymers is proposed and validated. Risk evaluation involves understanding the potential of these additives to migrate out of the polymer, and comparing their exposure to a toxicological threshold value. In this study, we propose that a simple diffusive transport model can be used to provide conservative exposure estimates for phase separated color additives in device polymers. This model has been illustrated using a representative phthalocyanine color additive (manganese phthalocyanine, MnPC) and polymer (PEBAX 2533) system. Sorption experiments of MnPC into PEBAX were conducted in order to experimentally determine the diffusion coefficient, D = (1.6 ± 0.5) × 10−11 cm2/s, and matrix solubility limit, C s = 0.089 wt.%, and model predicted exposure values were validated by extraction experiments. Exposure values for the color additive were compared to a toxicological threshold for a sample risk assessment. Results from this study indicate that a diffusion model-based approach to predict exposure has considerable potential for use as a rapid, screening-level tool to assess the risk of color additives and other small molecule additives in medical device polymers.