cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thin locks: featherweight synchronization for Java

Language-supported synchronization is a source of serious performance problems in many Java programs. Even single-threaded applications may spend up to half their time performing useless synchronization due to the thread-safe nature of the Java libraries. We solve this performance problem with a new algorithm that allows lock and unlock operations to be performed with only a few machine instructions in the most common cases. Our locks only require a partial word per object, and were implemented without increasing object size. We present measurements from our implementation in the JDK 1.1.2 for AIX, demonstrating speedups of up to a factor of 5 in micro-benchmarks and up to a factor of 1.7 in real programs.
Fourier transform near infrared absorption spectroscopy of gases

The application of Fourier transform near infrared spectroscopy (FT-NIR) to the analysis of gas phase molecules is presented. The use of this technique with both sealed laboratory cells and open-path measurements is demonstrated. The gas phase absorption spectra of several environmentally important organic molecules were collected for qualitative comparison. Calibration data and detection limits for several of the compounds are presented. For ammonia, the background equivalent concentration for a 10 cm path was determined to be 1.5 ppm while propane in the same pathlength was found to be 180 ppm. Other applications of this technique, including the use of fibre optics for remote sensing, are also discussed.
Feasibility, modeling and economics of sequestering power plant CO2 emissions in the deep ocean

The five processes investigated for capturing CO 2 from the flue gas of coal-fired power plants are (a) combustion of coal in an atmosphere of oxygen and recycled flue gas; (b) scrubbing the flue gas with a recyclable solvent (monoethanolamine); (c) cryogenic CO 2 fractionation of the flue gas; (d) separation of CO 2 by selective membrane diffusion; and (e) scrubbing of the flue gas with seawater. The captured CO 2 is envisioned to be liquefied at 150 atm, piped to deep ocean, and released through a diffuser. Model calculations show that with appropriate release conditions the formed CO 2 drops can be completely dissolved in seawater
Knowledge organization landscape: A content analysis of introductory courses

This paper presents the results of a study examining the subject content of knowledge organization courses taught in ALA-accredited Library and Information Science (LIS) programmes. Close to 2000 course readings of introductory-level knowledge organization courses from 34 LIS schools in the USA and Canada were analysed and indexed. Results indicate that traditional bibliographic methods and practices remain at the core of knowledge organization courses. Findings also show that metadata has become a central component of course content and new topics from information architecture to markup languages and semantic web are becoming part of introductory-level knowledge organization education.
Growth and properties of new wide-gap quantum well structures: Zn1−xMnxSe/Zn1−yCdySe

Abstract We report the MBE growth and characterization of a new system of wide-gap II–VI heterostructures: Zn 1−x Mn x Se/Zn 1−y Cd ity Se. We have grown single and multiple quantum well structures as well as superlattices with low lattice mismatch (⩽0.3%) and with good interface quality for x ⩽0.30, y ⩽0.25. All these structures show robust confinement effects and efficient excitonic luminescence in the blue-green spectral region. Magneto-optical measurements yield a valence band offset of 30±5 meV.
The Upstream Enhancer Is Necessary and Sufficient for the Expression of the Pre-T Cell Receptor α Gene in Immature T Lymphocytes

The expression of the pre-T cell receptor alpha (pTa) gene occurs exclusively in immature T lymphocytes and is regulated by poorly defined mechanisms. We have analyzed the role of the upstream enhancer in pTa expression using conventional and bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) reporter transgenes. The deletion of the enhancer completely abolished the expression of pTa BAC reporter in transgenic mice. Conversely, the combination of pTa enhancer and promoter targeted transgenes specifically to immature thymocytes, recapitulating the expression pattern of pTa. The core enhancer is conserved between mice and humans and contains a critical binding site for the transcription factor c-Myb. We also show that pTa promoter contains a conserved tandem E box site activated by E protein, HEB. These data establish the enhancer as a critical element regulating pTa gene expression and identify additional targets for c-Myb and E proteins in T cell development.
Relative Effect of Chronic Ischemia and a Myocardial Revascularization Procedure on the Ventricular Fibrillation Threshold

Since ventricular fibrillation is the predominate cause of death following experimental coronary occlusion, measurement of the ventricular fibrillation threshold is recommended to assess the value of cardiac revascularization procedures. This determination is quantitative, precise and permits measurement under controlled circumstances. It was dissatisfaction with measurement of mortality rate following coronary occlusion in control and experimental animals (bioassay technic) that led to the adoption of the present more exact method. Acute ligation of the anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery causes an immediate drop in the fibrillation threshold to one-fifth of normal. This is not changed if one releases the artery and retests the animal with occlusion 5 to 6 months later. Implantation of the internal mammary artery into the myocardium of the left ventricle creates a greater resistance to ventricular fibrillation after coronary occlusion. In animals in which the internal mammary artery remained patent, the fibrillation threshold remained after coronary occlusion at 85 per cent (mean) of control without coronary occlusion. This was highly significant. If the internal mammary artery was thrombosed, as demonstrated by vinyl plastic injection technics, the fibrillation threshold dropped markedly after coronary occlusion and did not vary significantly from the controls. When the anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery was permanently ligated in 1 group of dogs, the expected decline of fibrillation threshold occurred. When the survivals from this group were retested 5 to 6 months later, the fibrillation threshold had increased slightly (not statistically significant) but remained below 50 per cent of control without coronary occlusion and significantly different from the threshold of animals with patent internal mammary artery implants. The results of this investigation suggest that a greater resistance to ventricular fibrillation associated with coronary occlusion can be achieved by operative means than by either mild or severe ischemia alone.
Using Video Review for Assessment and Improvement of Team Performance in a Dynamic Medical Domain

Trauma resuscitation, the initial management and treatment of injured patients in the emergency department, is an example of a dynamic medical domain in which coordinated team activity is essential for achieving optimal patient outcome. Identifying individual and teamwork behaviors associated with optimal performance is essential for developing effective training interventions and assessing the impact of new technologies in this setting. Although observational techniques can be used for this purpose, these techniques have limitations because the work in this domain is executed sequentially, concurrently, or in parallel by different providers. In this paper, we will describe how we have used video analysis to track the work during trauma resuscitation and used it to identify factors associated with team performance.
Valves in development for autogenous tissue valve replacement.

Currently available valve and conduit artery substitutes have one or more significant disadvantages including limited durability, thrombogenicity, susceptibility to infection, and a lack of growth potential. Prior attempts to use autologous tissues in the construction of valve or arterial substitutes to overcome some of these limitations have not been successful. The use of tissue engineering techniques to construct valve and arterial substitutes from individual autologous cell lines and biodegradable polymer scaffolds are now under investigation in the laboratory, and the initial short term results in animals have been encouraging. These tissue engineering techniques offer the possibility of creating structures for replacement of valves and conduit arteries which are viable and have the capacity for self-repair and therefore greater durability. In addition, these structures should be non-thrombogenic and less susceptible to infection, and will have growth potential.
Control of electric power systems using real-time measurements

Microprocessor-based relaying systems are described, and technology involved in the measurement systems is explained. Estimation and control problems most affected by the real-time measurements are discussed. These include dynamic estimation and control, transient stability and related protection functions, and load shedding and restoration. >
A mechanical perspective on foliage leaf form and function

The mechanical behaviour of large foliage leaves in response to static and dynamic mechanical forces is reviewed in the context of a few basic engineering principles and illustrated in terms of species drawn from a variety of vascular plant lineages. When loaded under their own weight or subjected to externally applied forces, petioles simultaneously bend and twist, and thus mechanically operate as cantilevered beams. The stresses that develop in petioles reach their maximum intensities either at their surface or very near their centroid axes, where they are accommodated either by living and hydrostatic tissues (parenchyma and collenchyma) or dead and stiff tissues (sclerenchyma and vascular fibres) depending on the size of the leaf and the species from which it is drawn. Allometric analyses of diverse species indicate size-dependent variations in petiole length, transverse shape, geometry and stiffness that accord well with those required to maintain a uniform tip-deflection for leaves with laminae differing in mass. When dynamically loaded, the laminae of many broad-leaved species fold and curl into streamlined objects, thereby reducing the drag forces that they experience and transmit to their subtending petioles and stems. From a mechanical perspective, the laminae of these species operate as stress-skin panels that distribute point loads more or less equally over their entire surface. Although comparatively little is known about the mechanical structure and behaviour of foliage leaves, new advances in engineering theory and computer analyses reveal these organs to be far more complex than previously thought. For example, finite-element analyses of the base of palm leaves reveal that stresses are decreased when these structures are composed of anisotropic as opposed to isotropic materials (tissues).
Low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations are associated with total adiposity of children in the United States: National Health and Examination Survey 2005 to 2006

A negative association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamn D (25[OH]D) concentrations and adiposity has been found in adults. We hypothesized that serum 25(OH)D concentrations of children would correlate positively with vitamin D intake and correlate negatively with adiposity measures. Using a nationally representative sample of children aged 6 to 18 years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2006 (n = 2492), serum 25(OH)D concentrations were compared with measures of adiposity (weight, waist circumference [WC], WC-to-height ratio, body mass index, skinfold thickness, and percent body fat). Based on Endocrine Society's serum 25(OH)D concentration criteria, 26.9% ± 2.3% of the children were vitamin D deficient (<20 ng/mL) and 26.5% ± 2.6% had sufficient levels (≥30 ng/mL). Controlling for age, sex, ethnicity, and income, linear regression analysis indicated that dietary vitamin D intake was positively associated with serum 25(OH)D levels (P < .05) and markers of adiposity were negatively associated with serum 25(OH)D levels: WC, WC-to-height ratio, body mass index, and triceps skinfold thickness (P < .05). A subgroup analysis (n = 2086; 8-18 years) of body fat, fat mass index, and percent body fat measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry also was negatively associated with serum 25(OH)D levels (P < .05). When standardized β coefficients were compared, strength of the inverse relationship to serum 25(OH)D concentrations was very similar for several adiposity measures. In conclusion, risk of a vitamin D deficiency was fairly common among children based on Endocrine Society criteria and low serum 25(OH)D concentrations were strongly associated with increased adiposity in children.
A Synergistic Approach to Program Comprehension

Program comprehension involves the process of extracting properties from a program in order to achieve a better understanding of the software system. The most common approaches are code-based with focus primarily on the program code. More attention needs to be given to information encoded in comments and identifiers and the valuable clues they may provide. This paper describes a technique that combines a code-based program understanding approach with a comment understanding approach. The goal is to match the comments and identifiers to the code in order to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the software under analysis. The method has application to software development and maintenance. It can also be used as an instructional tool for software students. Keywords: program understanding, comments
The Human α-Amylases

About 12 years ago in 1965, Kamaryt and Laxova105,106 suggested a genetic basis for the inheritance of salivary and pancreatic amylase in human serum. Although results from these and other early isozyme studies of α-amylase differed when obtained from saliva, pancreas, serum, and urine,157 it was not until extensive studies performed after 1969 that the multiple isozymes demonstrable in various tissue fluids and extracts were shown to be the heterogeneous products of two loci, Amy 1 (salivary-type amylase) and Amy 2 (pancreatic-type amylase).
The Russian Industry in August 2013

According to the data of business surveys of the Gaidar Institute, in August the Russian industry demonstrated positive changes in the dynamics of the demand and output, as well as growth in ex-factory prices. However, enterprises are not sure that the above trends will continue in the following months and do not still plan to increase investments.
Total Power Failure in a Desflurane Vaporizer Resulting in Discontinuation of Anesthetic Delivery

An unrecognized power failure in a desflurane vaporizer is possible with a concomitant alarm battery failure. Consequent discontinuation of desflurane delivery may go unrecognized and create the potential for intraoperative awareness and inad- equate depth of anesthesia. Preventive measures could include assignment of an exclusive power outlet for the desflurane vaporizer, periodic replacement and testing of the alarm battery, vigilant monitoring and documentation of desflurane levels, and even potential re-design of the vaporizer alarm system.
Tube-Feeding Decisions in the Elderly

Tube feeding decisions in the elderly can be challenging, especially decisions for coenitivelv impaired patients. Insofar as artificial nutrition or tube feeding is a medical treatment, like other medical therapies, it should be given when benefits to the patient outweigh patient burdens. A time trial of tube feeding may help sort out this decision for a cognitively impaired patient; at times, tube feeding may be ethically withdrawn if restraints prove necessary or medical complications ensue. State legislation should not single out artificial nutrition from other life-sustaining therapies and should be amended to minimize conflict between the ethical choices of physicians, patients, and their families and what statutes require.
Abstract SS01-02: Microbial sulfur metabolism and colorectal cancer risk

Both sporadic and IBD-associated colon cancer result from multifactorial interactions among common alleles of polymorphic genes and insults in the intestinal environment. We are examining the extent to which bacterial-derived hydrogen sulfide may serve as a proinflammatory and genotoxic insult that modifies colon cancer risk. Data will be presented which demonstrate that the human colonic mucosa is persistently colonized by bacteria capable of generating sulfide from both inorganic and organic sulfur sources along with evidence that sulfide activates molecular pathways that underlie epithelial inflammation and hyperplasia, a phenotype common to both ulcerative colitis and colorectal cancer. Our published studies will also be summarized, which demonstrate that exogenous sulfide is a potent genotoxin that acts independent of cellular metabolism and mediated by free radicals. These observations highlight the possible role of sulfide as an intestinal insult that, given a predisposing genetic background, may lead to genomic instability or the cumulative mutations characteristic of colorectal cancer. Citation Format: H. Rex Gaskins. Microbial sulfur metabolism and colorectal cancer risk. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Sixth AACR Conference: The Science of Cancer Health Disparities; Dec 6–9, 2013; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2014;23(11 Suppl):Abstract nr SS01-02. doi:10.1158/1538-7755.DISP13-SS01-02
Statistical description of turbulent mixing

The material contained in this chapter closely parallels the presentation in Chapter 2. In Section 3.1, we review the phenomenological description of turbulent mixing that is often employed in engineering models to relate the scalar mixing time to the turbulence time scales. In Section 3.2, the statistical description of homogeneous turbulent mixing is developed based on the one-point and two-point probability density function of the scalar field. In Section 3.3, the transport equations for one-point statistics used in engineering models of inhomogeneous scalar mixing are derived and simplified for high-Reynolds-number turbulent flows. Both inert and reacting scalars are considered. Finally, in Section 3.4, we consider the turbulent mixing of two inert scalars with different molecular diffusion coefficients. The latter is often referred to as differential diffusion , and is known to affect pollutant formation in gas-phase turbulent reacting flows (Bilger 1982; Bilger and Dibble 1982; Kerstein et al . 1995; Kronenburg and Bilger 1997; Nilsen and Kosaly 1997; Nilsen and Kosaly 1998). Phenomenology of turbulent mixing As seen in Chapter 2 for turbulent flow, the length-scale information needed to describe a homogeneous scalar field is contained in the scalar energy spectrum E φ (k, t) , which we will look at in some detail in Section 3.2. However, in order to gain valuable intuition into the essential physics of scalar mixing, we will look first at the relevant length scales of a turbulent scalar field, and we develop a simple phenomenological model valid for fully developed, statistically stationary turbulent flow. Readers interested in the detailed structure of the scalar fields in turbulent flow should have a look at the remarkable experimental data reported in Dahm et al . (1991), Buch and Dahm (1996) and Buch and Dahm (1998).
Graphics-Processing-Unit-Accelerated Multiphase Computational Tool for Asteroid Fragmentation/Pulverization Simulation

The simulation of asteroid target fragmentation or pulverization is a challenging task that demands efficient and accurate numerical methods with large computational power. To this end, the high-order spectral difference method is implemented with graphics-processing-unit computing. Hypervelocity kinetic-energy impactors are of practical interest, which generate high-pressure deformational shock waves in the target bodies upon impact. Due to the extremely short deformation time associated with hypervelocity impact, the material behaves in a similar manner to a compressible fluid, and the compressible Euler equations can be applied. To model the multiple material interactions, an n-phase equation model is adopted into the spectral difference method. All simulations presented are solved with graphics processing units, producing solutions orders of magnitude faster than the central-processing-unit counterpart. Several impact cases are compared, including a heavy impactor and multiple impactor system, against...
Evidence and Consequences of Fossil Turbulence in the Ocean

Abstract Turbulence in stably stratified fluids such as the ocean appears intermittently in isolated patches. Inertial forces characteristic of turbulence are rapidly overcome by buoyancy forces of the entrained fluid, converting the turbulent kinetic energy to internal waves at the intrinsic frequency N of the ambient fluid. The scrambled temperature, salinity and density fluctuations persist in the bobbing fluid as fossil turbulence remnants and preserve information about the previous turbulence such as its overturning scale L P ° ≈O.6(e ° /N 3 ) ½ and dissipation rate e ° at the beginning of fossilization. A fossil turbulence model developed in previous work allows microstructure to be classified according to hydrodynamic state using hydrodynamic phase diagrams. These diagrams compare indicated Froude numbers and Reynolds numbers of the microstructure with critical values established by theory and experiment. Four states are possible: active turbulence, fossil turbulence, mixed active-fossil turbulence and non-turbulence. Most microstructure patches in the ocean are fossil turbulence for the largest scales and active turbulence for the smallest scales. “Active” patches which dominate averages in most data sets are found to be fossil, indicating the turbulence processes are undersampled and the average values subject to undersampling errors. Dissipation rates of velocity and temperature variance e and χ are distributed as lognormals with large intermittency factors σ 2 Ine and σ 2 Inσ where σ 2 is the variance of either Ine or Inσ. Values of σ 2 in the ocean range from 1 to 7 depending on the layer, with 1-3 confined to the surface and the extremely intermittent range 3-7 comprising the interior. Very large dissipation rates implied by extrapolating the measured distributions are not found in the data, but are implied by the fossil turbulence interpretation of the dominant patches. Egregious quantitative undersampling errors may arise in the interpretation of microstructure data if such large intermittency factors and the fossil hydrodynamic states are ignored, and if the data set is small. Qualitative undersampling errors are also possible; for example, false minimum average σ and χ values may actually reflect maximum quantitative undersampling errors in layers of maximum dissipation and maximum intermittency. The preceding fossil turbulence description is contrasted with a recent model of oceanic billow turbulence in which the billow forms and begins to collapse before the turbulence begins, and both the turbulence and other microstructure collapse together leaving no fossil turbulence remnants.
Kinesin's Front Head is Gated by the Backward Orientation of its Neck Linker

Kinesin-1 is a two-headed motor that takes processive 8-nm hand-over-hand steps and transports intracellular cargos toward the plus-end of microtubules. Processive motility requires a gating mechanism to coordinate the mechanochemical cycles of the two heads. Kinesin gating involves neck linker (NL), a short peptide that interconnects the heads, but it remains unclear whether gating is facilitated by the NL orientation or tension. Using optical trapping, we measured the force-dependent microtubule release rate of kinesin monomers under different nucleotide conditions and pulling geometries. We find that pulling NL in the backward direction inhibits nucleotide binding and subsequent release from the microtubule. This inhibition is independent of the magnitude of tension (2-8 pN) exerted on NL. Our results provide evidence that the front head of a kinesin dimer is gated by the backward orientation of its NL until the rear head releases from the microtubule.
“And Now I’m Just Different, but There’s Nothing Actually Wrong With Me”: Asexual Marginalization and Resistance

This article explores the relationship between contemporary asexual lives and compulsory sexuality, or the privileging of sexuality and the marginalizing of nonsexuality. Drawing on 30 in-depth interviews, I identify four ways the asexually identified individuals in this study saw themselves as affected by compulsory sexuality: pathologization, isolation, unwanted sex and relationship conflict, and the denial of epistemic authority. I also identify five ways these asexually identified individuals disrupted compulsory sexuality: adopting a language of difference and a capacity to describe asexuality; deemphasizing the importance of sexuality in human life; developing new types of nonsexual relationships; constituting asexuality as a sexual orientation or identity; and engaging in community building and outreach. I argue that some of these practices offer only a limited disruption of compulsory sexuality, but some of these practices pose a radical challenge to sexual norms by calling into question the widespread assumption that sexuality is a necessary part of human flourishing.
A Nationwide Assessment of the Emergency Department Management of Acute Urinary Retention Due to Urethral Stricture.

Objective To evaluate the nationwide practice patterns of the management of acute urinary retention (AUR) secondary to urethral stricture (US) in an emergency department (ED) setting. Materials and Methods We used the 2006-2010 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample to identify men with US who received treatment for AUR. We excluded patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia, vesicourethral anastomotic stenosis, neurogenic bladder, and bladder cancer. Primary outcome was urethral dilation or suprapubic tube (SPT) placement as initial AUR management. Patient demographics and hospital factors were also examined. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to examine factors associated with initial AUR management. Results We identified 4794 weighted ED encounters of men with US who underwent urethral dilation or SPT placement for AUR. Mean age was 58.6 ± 0.8 years. A total of 4084 (85%) men received urethral dilation, whereas 710 had SPT (15%) placement. In bivariate analysis, patients who received SPT were likely to be younger (P <.001), treated in recent years (P = .002), and in hospitals in the West region (P = .003). In multivariate analysis, SPT placement was significantly associated with younger age (P = .004), public insurance (P = .03), recent treatment years (P = .02), and hospitals in the West region (P = .02). Income and hospital teaching status did not have significant association with initial treatment choice. Conclusion Urethral dilation remains the most common urologic intervention in the ED for AUR due to US; however, there is an increasing trend toward SPT placement. Patients who are younger, publicly insured, or who receive care in the West region are more likely to receive a SPT for initial treatment of AUR due to US.
Adapting and Evaluating a Rapid, Low-Cost Method to Enumerate Flies in the Household Setting

Diarrhea is a leading cause of death among children under 5 years of age worldwide. Flies are important vectors of diarrheal pathogens in settings lacking networked sanitation services. There is no standardized method for measuring fly density in households; many methods are cumbersome and unvalidated. We adapted a rapid, low-cost fly enumeration technique previously developed for industrial settings, the Scudder fly grill, for field use in household settings. We evaluated its performance in comparison to a sticky tape fly trapping method at latrine and food preparation areas among households in rural Kenya. The grill method was more sensitive; it detected the presence of any flies at 80% (433/543) of sampling locations versus 64% (348/543) of locations by the sticky tape. We found poor concordance between the two methods, suggesting that standardizing protocols is important for comparison of fly densities between studies. Fly species identification was feasible with both methods; however, the sticky tape trap allowed for more nuanced identification. Both methods detected a greater presence of bottle flies near latrines compared with food preparation areas (P < 0.01). The grill method detected more flies at the food preparation area compared with near the latrine (P = 0.014) while the sticky tape method detected no difference. We recommend the Scudder grill as a sensitive fly enumeration tool that is rapid and low cost to implement.
Cybernetic Psycho-Syndrome

When humans used to communicate through postal mail, telephones, and facsimile, the sense of touch, smell, taste, and feelings were sacrificed as a result of distance. They were only palpable by keeping hard record copies of them and generations to come had access to these records. Migration is as old as the earth itself, but never in human history has the sense of togetherness been so alien as we now have in the age of digital communication. Humans are now sharing digital spaces on the Internet and texting or blogging to one another and that has caused a strain in the in-person world as well as the virtual world as a result of multiple spaces and identities. To resist these new forms of communication is tantamount to rejecting a cold bottle of water on a hot summer afternoon.
Automated Synthesis of Well‐Defined Polymers and Biohybrids by Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization Using a DNA Synthesizer

A DNA synthesizer was successfully employed for preparation of well-defined polymers by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), in a technique termed AutoATRP. This method provides well-defined homopolymers, diblock copolymers, and biohybrids under automated photomediated ATRP conditions. PhotoATRP was selected over other ATRP methods because of mild reaction conditions, ambient temperature, tolerance to oxygen, and no need to introduce reducing agents or radical initiators. Both acrylate and methacrylate monomers were successfully polymerized with excellent control in the DNA synthesizer. Diblock copolymers were synthesized with different targeted degrees of polymerization and with high retention of chain-end functionality. Both hydrophobic and hydrophilic monomers were grafted from DNA. The DNA-polymer hybrids were characterized by SEC and DLS. The AutoATRP method provides an efficient route to prepare a range of different polymeric materials, especially polymer-biohybrids.
Single-stranded nucleic acid elasticity arises from internal electrostatic tension

Understanding of the conformational ensemble of flexible polyelectrolytes, such as single-stranded nucleic acids (ssNAs), is complicated by the interplay of chain backbone entropy and salt-dependent electrostatic repulsions. Molecular elasticity measurements are sensitive probes of the statistical conformation of polymers and have elucidated ssNA conformation at low force, where electrostatic repulsion leads to a strong excluded volume effect, and at high force, where details of the backbone structure become important. Here, we report measurements of ssDNA and ssRNA elasticity in the intermediate-force regime, corresponding to 5- to 100-pN forces and 50-85% extension. These data are explained by a modified wormlike chain model incorporating an internal electrostatic tension. Fits to the elastic data show that the internal tension decreases with salt, from [Formula: see text]5 pN under 5 mM ionic strength to near zero at 1 M. This decrease is quantitatively described by an analytical model of electrostatic screening that ascribes to the polymer an effective charge density that is independent of force and salt. Our results thus connect microscopic chain physics to elasticity and structure at intermediate scales and provide a framework for understanding flexible polyelectrolyte elasticity across a broad range of relative extensions.
Antagonistic effect of 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine and 5-aza—2′-deoxycytidine in human leukemic cells through regulation of DNA methylation

1601 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine ( cytarabine; ara-C ) is the most active agent in myeloid leukemia. 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine ( 5aza-dC) is a cytosine analog that inhibits DNA methylation and also has activity in myeloid leukemia. In order to investigate the possible therapeutic combination of these agents, we studied the interaction of ara-C and 5aza-dC on human Acute Myeloid Leukemia (HL-60, ML-1), and Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (RAJI) cell lines. We initially examined inhibition of cell growth. The combination of 5aza-dC 1uM + ara-C 0.01 uM, 0.1uM, or 1uM showed antagonism on day 3 or day 5 compared to either agent alone in HL60, ML-1 and RAJI. For example, 5aza-dC 1uM alone caused 43% growth inhibition at day 3 in HL60, ara-C 1uM alone caused 78% growth inhibition, while the combination showed 58% inhibition. Antagonism was also observed when 5aza-dC 1uM was given first followed by ara-C (0.1uM, 1uM) on day 3 or day 5 in HL60, ML-1 and RAJI. In searching for a possible mechanism for this antagonism, we initially examined reactivation of silenced genes. RIL and P57 were activated 5-fold or greater by 5aza-dC in HL60 and ML-1, but this activation was almost completely inhibited by the addition of ara-C to 5aza-dC. We next looked at DNA methylation of Alu repetitive elements in these cells as a surrogate for global methylation. In HL60, 5aza-dC induced Alu demethylation by 18% after 3 days and 30% after 5 days. With co-administration of ara-C at 0.1uM, Alu demethylation was reduced to 4.1% on day 3 and 5.0 % on day 5. Increasing ara-C to 1uM, 5aza-dC further reduced demethylation to 0.9% on day 3 or 3.9% on day 5. Similar results were seen in ML-1. These data show that ara-C administered with 5aza-dC or shortly after inhibits demethylation and gene reactivation, accounting for the observed antagonism. This is likely related to the fact that 5aza-dC and ara-C compete for deoxycytidine kinase for incorporation into DNA. Our results suggest that combination of 5aza-dC + ara-C must be designed with a large interval between the 2 drugs.
Ultra-high resolution PET: A CZT-based scanner for the mouse brain

293 Objectives The mouse is an appealing model for brain research particularly because many transgenics are available. However, the use of PET in this case is limited by spatial resolution which is typically worse than 1 mm even in small-animal scanners. This work explores the feasibility of achieving improved resolution more suitable for the mouse brain using a solid-state detector approach. Methods A prototype PET scanner was designed and constructed using cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) pixel detectors with a 1 mm pixel pitch. Six of these detectors were assembled into a complete ring in a novel configuration. The field of view of the scanner is 20 mm in diameter and 5 mm axially. In addition to standard coincidence processing, a maximum likelihood image reconstruction method was developed including a fully measured system matrix acquired with a 250 micron diameter Na-22 source embedded in steel. Results The scanner achieved a preliminary image resolution in the range of 500-800 microns FWHM throughout the field of view. Energy resolution was excellent at Conclusions The resolution is arguably the best ever achieved in a full-ring PET system. The uniformity of the resolution despite an extremely compact geometry demonstrates that the depth-of-interaction capability of the detectors is sufficient to minimize parallax distortions. This technology holds great promise for enabling more meaningful PET imaging of the mouse brain as well as for other applications requiring the highest resolution. Research Support This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (OBER) under Prime Contract No. DE-AC02-98CH10886.
Investigating Home Court Advantage

Scores of 1997 Big Ten Conference men's basketball games involving the University of Iowa Hawkeyes are analyzed with a series of scatterplots accompanied by formal bivariate statistical inference. ...
Acute Loss and the Social Construction of Blame

Using interview and observation data from white and African-American parents of murdered children, this article explores a primary social process accompanying acute loss: the social construction of...
The effects of early sandbar formation on the abundance and ecology of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in a central California coastal lagoon

We investigated how extreme drought conditions influenced the abundance, growth, movement, and seawater readiness of juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus my...
High-bandwidth acoustic detection system (HBADS) for stripmap synthetic aperture acoustic imaging of canonical ground targets using airborne sound and a 16 element receiving array

High Bandwidth Acoustic Detection System (HBADS) is an emerging active acoustic sensor technology undergoing study by the US Army’s Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate. Mounted on a commercial all-terrain type vehicle, it uses a single source pulse chirp while moving and a new array (two rows each containing eight microphones) mounted horizontally and oriented in a side scan mode. Experiments are performed with this synthetic aperture air acoustic (SAA) array to image canonical ground targets in clutter or foliage. A commercial audio speaker transmits a linear FM chirp having an effective frequency range of 2 kHz to 15 kHz. The system includes an inertial navigation system using two differential GPS antennas, an inertial measurement unit and a wheel coder. A web camera is mounted midway between the two horizontal microphone arrays and a meteorological unit acquires ambient, temperature, pressure and humidity information. A data acquisition system is central to the system’s operation, which is controlled by a laptop computer. Recent experiments include imaging canonical targets located on the ground in a grassy field and similar targets camouflaged by natural vegetation along the side of a road. A recent modification involves implementing SAA stripmap mode interferometry for computing the reflectance of targets placed along the ground. Typical strip map SAA parameters are chirp pulse = 10 or 40 ms, slant range resolution c/(2*BW) = 0.013 m, microphone diameter D = 0.022 m, azimuthal resolution (D/2) = 0.01, air sound speed c ≈ 340 m/s and maximum vehicle speed ≈ 2 m/s.
2017 Veterans Studies Bibliography

The bibliography contains a comprehensive listing of publications in veterans studies during the 2017 calendar year. Entries are categorized by topic.
Solid Organ Transplantation, Chronic Renal Impairment, and Skeletal Complications

A 58-year-old Caucasian man with a history of successful orthotopic liver transplantation 7 years ago for idiopathic cirrhosis, renal insufficiency [baseline serum creatinine of 3.4 mg/dL – estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) ∼20mL/min/1.73m2 – stage 4 according National Kidney Foundation (NKF) Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (KDOQI)], secondary to interstitial nephritis, anemia, and recently diagnosed atrial fibrillation for which he is anticoagulated and rate controlled, presented for management of his metabolic bone disease(s). There was no history of fractures and his family history was unremarkable. He had smoked for 20 years at one pack per day and quit 12 years ago. Currently, he was consuming two glasses of wine per week. His medications included tacrolimus, a calcineurin inhibitor, as the main immunosuppressant drug, warfarin, Epogen, metoprolol succinate extended-release tablets (Toprol XL), and multivitamins. He had been on corticosteroid regimens for 4 years following his liver transplant at doses of 10 mg daily or higher. Recent blood tests showed borderline low-normal total serum calcium at 8.5 mg/dL (normal range 8.5–10.5), high-normal phosphorus at 4.8 mg/dL (normal range 2.5–5.0), alkaline phosphatase at 115 IU/L (normal range 50–125), elevated intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) at 142 pg/mL (normal range 15–65), and low 25-OH vitamin D at 10 ng/mL (normal sufficient:>32 ng/dL) and 1,25(OH)2 vitamin D at 14 pg/mL (normal range 15–75 pg/mL). There was a degree of anemia with hemoglobin at 9.9 g/dL with reduced serum iron. His thyroid-stimulating hormone
Limitations of efficiency and of martingale models

In the moving away process $$C(t) = \sum\limits_{s = - \infty }^t {L(t - s)N(s)} $$ , the quantities N(s), called “innovations,” are random variables with finite variance and are orthogonal (uncorrelated) but are not necessarily Gaussian. Knowing the value of C(s) for s < t, that is, knowing the present and past “innovations” N(s),the optimal least squares estimator of C(t + n) is the conditional expected value E c C(t + n) In terms of the N(s), $${E_c}C(t + n) = \sum\limits_{s = - \infty }^t {L(t + n - s)N(s)} $$ , which is a linear function of the N(s) for s ≤ t. This paper that the large n behavior of E c C(t + n) depends drastically on the value of \(\Lambda = \sum\nolimits_{m = 0}^\infty {L(m)} \).
Risk Factors for Survival in Children with Refractory AML Treated According to AML Relapse Strategies

About one third of the children treated within the national studies for AML in Germany (BFM studies) experience recurrence of their disease. In order to estimate the value of intensive salvage therapy for children with AML, we analysed the relapse regimens of the BFM study group for outcome and risk factors.
The Characteristics of Superplastic-Like Flow in Ceramics

When pulled in tension, polycrystalline materials generally break after rather modest amounts of plastic deformation. However, under some conditions of tensile testing, it is possible to achieve very high or superplastic elongations.
Black Esophagus: A Rare Case of Acute Esophageal Necrosis Induced by Diabetic Ketoacidosis in a Young Adult Female.

Background. Acute esophageal necrosis is an uncommon clinical disorder diagnosed on endoscopy as a black esophagus. It has a multifactorial etiology that probably represents a combination of poor nutritional status, gastric outlet obstruction, and ischemia secondary to hypoperfusion of the distal esophagus. It typically occurs in older males with comorbidities. Case. A 37-year-old woman presented with diabetic ketoacidosis and hematemesis. At esophagogastroduodenoscopy acute esophageal necrosis was diagnosed. The treatment included fluid and electrolyte management, insulin, and a proton pump inhibitor. She improved and left the hospital on day 3. Conclusion. Diabetic ketoacidosis can result in a profound osmotic diuresis, fluid loss, and hypoperfusion of the distal esophagus. This condition can then lead to ischemic injury and acute esophageal necrosis. Awareness of the possibility of its presence in young women with hematemesis and poorly controlled diabetes is important since early identification with esophagogastroduodenoscopy is necessary to prevent serious postnecrotic complications.
Efficacy and safety of aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular events: a meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Aims The role of aspirin in the primary prevention setting is continuously evolving. Recent randomized trials have challenged the role of aspirin in the primary prevention setting. Methods and results Electronic databases were searched for randomized trials that compared aspirin vs. placebo (or control) in subjects without established atherosclerotic disease. The primary efficacy outcome was all-cause mortality, while the primary safety outcome was major bleeding. Summary estimates were reported using a DerSimonian and Laird random effects model. A total of 11 trials with 157 248 subjects were included. At a mean follow-up of 6.6 years, aspirin was not associated with a lower incidence of all-cause mortality [risk ratio (RR) 0.98, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.93-1.02; P = 0.30]; however, aspirin was associated with an increased incidence of major bleeding (RR 1.47, 95% CI 1.31-1.65; P 7.5%). Aspirin was associated with a lower incidence of myocardial infarction (RR 0.82, 95% CI 0.71-0.94; P = 0.006); however, this outcome was characterized by considerable heterogeneity (I2 = 67%), and this effect was no longer evident upon limiting the analysis to the more recent trials. Trial sequential analysis confirmed the lack of benefit of aspirin for all-cause mortality up to a relative risk reduction of 5%. Conclusion Among adults without established cardiovascular disease, aspirin was not associated with a reduction in the incidence of all-cause mortality; however, it was associated with an increased incidence of major bleeding. The routine use of aspirin for primary prevention needs to be reconsidered.
Information before information theory: The politics of data beyond the perspective of communication:

Scholarship on the politics of new media widely assumes that communication functions as a sufficient conceptual paradigm for critically assessing new media politics. This article argues that commun...
STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF AIRWAYS NERVOUS RECEPTORS

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the structure and the function of airways nervous receptors. There are two obvious types of respiratory modulation encounterable within the vagal afferent fibers: (1) one with a rather regular change in its rate of discharge when either volume or flow varies and (2) another with an essentially irregular discharge pattern, occurring in bursts, during the respiratory movements. Both these fibers have conduction velocities compatible with a medullated type. When a given transpulmonary pressure is applied and maintained, the first type shows a maintained rate of discharge whereas the second type has a rapidly fading activity. The slowly adapting receptors (SARs) appear to be far more numerous than the rapidly adapting receptors (RARs). The SARs are not distributed evenly throughout the tracheobronchial tree: their number per unit lateral surface area is greater in the extrapulmonary airways and sharply decreases along the intrapulmonary airways. The RARs, as the SARs, are not uniformly distributed along the tracheobronchial tree: their concentration is greater in the larger airways with the highest value in the main stem and the lobar bronchi.
Coupling a single electron on superfluid helium to a superconducting resonator.

Electrons on helium form a unique two-dimensional system on the interface of liquid helium and vacuum. A small number of trapped electrons on helium exhibits strong interactions in the absence of disorder, and can be used as a qubit. Trapped electrons typically have orbital frequencies in the microwave regime and can therefore be integrated with circuit quantum electrodynamics (cQED), which studies light–matter interactions using microwave photons. Here, we experimentally realize a cQED platform with the orbitals of single electrons on helium. We deterministically trap one to four electrons in a dot integrated with a microwave resonator, allowing us to study the electrons’ response to microwaves. Furthermore, we find a single-electron-photon coupling strength of $$g/2\pi =4.8\pm 0.3$$ MHz, greatly exceeding the resonator linewidth $$\kappa /2\pi =0.5$$ MHz. These results pave the way towards microwave studies of Wigner molecules and coherent control of the orbital and spin state of a single electron on helium. Electrons on the surface of helium have strong interactions with each other but weak coupling to dissipation mechanisms, providing opportunities for many-body physics and storing quantum information. Here the authors demonstrate a circuit QED platform for manipulating and probing few-electron clusters.