cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transcriptional profiling of murine organ genes in response to infection with Bacillus anthracis Ames spores.

Abstract Bacillus anthracis is the Gram-positive, spore-forming etiological agent of anthrax, an affliction studied because of its importance as a potential bioweapon. Although in vitro transcriptional responses of macrophages to either spore or anthrax toxins have been previously reported, little is known regarding the impact of infection on gene expression in host tissues. We infected Swiss-Webster mice intranasally with 5 LD50 of B. anthracis-virulent Ames spores and observed the global transcriptional profiles of various tissues over a 48 h time period. RNA was extracted from spleen, lung, and heart tissues of infected and control mice and examined by Affymetrix GeneChip analysis. Approximately 580 host genes were significantly over or under expressed among the lung, spleen, and heart tissues at 8 and 48 h time points. Expression of genes encoding for surfactant and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) presentation was diminished during the early phase of infection in lungs. By 48 h, a significant number of genes were modulated in the heart, including up-regulation of calcium-binding-related gene expression, and down-regulation of multiple genes related to cell adhesion, formation of the extracellular matrix, and the cell cytoskeleton. Interestingly, the spleen 8 h post-infection showed striking increases in the expression of genes that encode hydrolytic enzymes, and these levels remained elevated throughout infection. Further, genes involving antigen presentation and interferon responses were down-regulated in the spleen at 8 h. In late stages of infection, splenic genes related to the inflammatory response were up-regulated. This study is the first to describe the in vivo global transcriptional response of multiple organs during inhalational anthrax. Although numerous genes related to the host immunological response and certain protection mechanisms were up-regulated in these organs, a vast list of genes important for fully developing and maintaining this response were decreased. Additionally, the lung, spleen, and heart showed differential responses to the infection, further validating the demand for a better understanding of anthrax pathogenesis in order to design therapies against novel targets.
Green fluorescent tortoiseshell mice.

Fig. 1Fig. 1 X-inactivation is the mechanism by which mammals achieve X-linked gene dosage equivalence between the sexes. This event occurs during the early stages of postimplantation embryonic development when XX females silence one of their two active X chromosomes. Somatic X-inactivation is a random event, and so females are in fact mosaic, comprising two populations of cells, each exhibiting exclusive expression of genes located on one or other of the two X chromosomes. The choice of which X chromosome remains active is stably maintained and clonally inherited.Fig. 1View Large Image | View Hi-Res Image | Download PowerPoint SlideThese six, two day old mouse pups are siblings, with all but one (third from the left) having inherited a ubiquitously expressed X-linked GFP transgene, XGFP, from their XGFPX mother (see Genesis 2001, 29:133-140). The activity of the transgenic chromosome in skin cells can be assessed under fluorescent illumination. Green fluorescence indicates expression of the transgenic XGFP chromosome, and lack of fluorescence indicates expression of a non-transgenic X chromosome. The two mice whose skin is uniformly green fluorescent (far left and second from right) are XGFPY males, whereas the three mice exhibiting varying degrees of a tortoiseshell type of green fluorescent pattern (second from left, third from right and far right) are XGFPX females. The XGFPX females have undergone X-inactivation and so have mosaic green fluorescence in their skin; this is the same phenomenon that is seen in the fur of tortoiseshell cats.
Behavioral Intervention for Stress Management in Sports

This article covers stress management for athletes beginning with a brief behavioral conceptualization of athletic performance and analysis of stress. Examples of external and internal stressors are offered, as well as of stress responses from autonomic, somatic, and cognitive domains. Further discussed are specific types of stress management approaches used with athletes, and associated with external vs. internal sources of stress, and with the 3 stress response domains. Although the article focuses on the author’s own conceptualization and experiences with sport interventions, relevant research results from the current literature are cited to provide a broader context.
The molecular and biophysical characterization of the human blood-nerve barrier: current concepts

The internal microenvironment in peripheral nerves is highly regulated in order to maintain normal axonal impulse transmission to or from the central nervous system. In humans, this regulation is facilitated by specialized tight junction (TJ)-forming endoneurial microvascular endothelial cells and perineurial myofibroblasts that form multiple concentric layers around nerve fascicles. The endoneurial endothelial cells come in direct contact with circulating blood and, thus, can be considered the blood-nerve barrier (BNB). Studies on the molecular and biophysical properties of the human BNB in vivo or in situ are limited. Owing to the recent isolation of primary human endoneurial endothelial cells and the development of simian virus 40 large T-antigen immortalized cell lines, data are emerging on the structural and functional characteristics of these cells. These data aim to increase our understanding of how solutes, macromolecules, nutrients and hematogenous leukocytes gain access into or are restricted from the endoneurium of peripheral nerves. These concepts have clinical relevance in understanding normal peripheral nerve homeostasis, the response of peripheral nerves to external insult and stresses such as drugs and toxins and the pathogenesis of peripheral neuropathies. This review discusses current knowledge in this nascent and exciting field of microvascular biology.
Supersonic combustion of hydrogen in a vitiated air stream using stepped wall injection

Combustion physics and ignition of hydrogen in supersonic stream of vitiated air or inert gases using stepped-wall injection procedure
Assessment Of Mineral Changes In The Spine With Computer Tomography Using A Calibration Phantom

A single energy technique for measuring and analyzing bone mineral content has been implemented on a Siemens (Somatom-2) head scanner. The measurement is based upon a reference phantom that contains various concentrations of potassium phosphate that is exposed simultaneously with the patient. The method facilitates the analysis of the current status of the patient compared to controls as well as the results of follow-up examinations.
Propagation measurements before, during, and after the collapse of three large public buildings

NIST is investigating radio communications problems faced by emergency responders (e.g., firefighters and police) in disaster situations such as collapsed buildings. A fundamental challenge to communication into and out of large buildings is the strong attenuation of radio signals caused by losses and scattering in the building materials and structures, and the problem is amplified in a collapsed building. We are investigating various schemes for detecting emergency responders and civilians with portable radios or cell phones who may be trapped in voids in a collapsed or partially collapsed building. The first part of this effort is to understand radio propagation in collapsed structures. Buildings scheduled for implosion provide the ideal research environment for investigating radiowave propagation issues in fully or partially collapsed structures. The experiments reported here were performed before, during, and after the implosion of three large building structures. They consisted of measurements of the attenuation of radio signals caused by the building materials and structural components. Measurements were performed at various frequencies of interest to emergency responders, namely frequencies near the public-safety and cell-phone bands (approximately 50 MHz, 150 MHz, 225 MHz, 450 MHz, 900 MHz, and 1.8 GHz).
Cognitive impairment, chronic medical illness, and risk of mortality in an elderly cohort.

Objective The mortality risk for older persons with chronic medical illness and cognitive impairment is relatively unknown. The authors assessed 6-year mortality risks for cognitive impairment and six chronic diseases in 7,482 subjects from the East Boston, Massachusetts, and rural Iowa cohorts of the Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies in the Elderly (EPESE). Methods Cognitive impairment was identified with a modified form of Pfeiffer's Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire. Chronic medical illnesses included diabetes, stroke, myocardial infarction, hypertension, hip fracture, and cancer. The authors examined the association of cognitive impairment and each of the six chronic illnesses with mortality by means of Cox proportional-hazards regression models, and determined the interaction of cognitive impairment and chronic medical illness on mortality. Results Participants who were cognitively impaired at baseline were found to have a 68% increased relative risk of mortality. The relative risks of mortality from diabetes, heart attack, stroke, and hip fracture were similar to the risk from cognitive impairment. Interactions between cognitive impairment and each chronic medical illness on mortality were not statistically significant. Conclusion Survival curves demonstrate that the effects of cognitive impairment and chronic medical illness on mortality are mostly additive, resulting in very poor survival for those with both medical illness and cognitive impairment. Further research should examine the healthcare behaviors and needs of older adults with cognitive impairment.
Pulsatile gonadotropin-releasing hormone release from hypothalamic explants of male marmoset monkeys compared with male rats

The present study was conducted to quantify in vitro gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) release parameters in the male marmoset. We established primary cultures of marmoset hypothalamic tissues ...
A technological platform for trans-media scientific exploration

A considerable body of research has demonstrated the benefits of modeling a variety of scientific phenomena via the multi-agent approach and its vast potential in education. However, most multi-agent simulations are purely virtual, with no connection to the physical world. To address this issue, we designed a platform to enable students to seamlessly link computer models and sensors, in real time. The platform is designed for learners to validate, refine, and debug their computer models using real-world data, in a Constructionist fashion. Also, the platform broadens the types of possible scientific explorations and makes available a low-cost version of apparatus only available in advanced research laboratories. We will focus on technical and educational aspects of this development, describing preliminary pilot studies in which we analyze projects built by students.
Community conservation in belize: Demography, resource use, and attitudes of participating landowners

Surveys of local population resource use and attitudes are essential to the success of tropical conservation projects aiming to promote sustainable development. The following is a report from a survey of landowners participating in a voluntary conservation program for the black howler monkey Alouatta pigra known as the Community Baboon Sanctuary (CBS) in Belize, Central America. Interviews revealed a variety of issues requiring consideration by CBS managers: continued urban flight may jeopardize community stability; hunting and agricultural production methods will require management to lessen impact on wildlife resources and habitat; protection of the black howler monkey is enthusiastically supported for a variety of non-economic reasons; a majority of respondents feel they have benefited from participation in the CBS, but showed diminished confidence in deriving direct economic benefit from increased tourism to the CBS when compared to benefits from tourism at local or national levels. The continued success of the CBS will depend on locally-driven sustainable resource use and agricultural development in addition to well-planned tourism development in order to foster conservation of biodiversity.
Evidence of diketopiperazine and oxazolone structures for HA b2+ ion.

Peptide fragmentation can lead to an oxazolone or diketopiperazine b2+ ion structure. IRMPD spectroscopy combined with computational modeling and gas-phase H/D exchange was used to study the structure of the b2+ ion from protonated HAAAA. The experimental spectrum of the b2+ ion matches both the experimental spectrum for the protonated cyclic dipeptide HA (a commercial diketopiperazine) and the theoretical spectrum for a diketopiperazine protonated at the imidazole pi nitrogen. A characteristic band at 1875 cm−1 and increased abundance of the peaks at 1619 and 1683 cm−1 indicate a second population corresponding to an oxazolone species. H/D exchange also shows a mixture of two populations consistent with a mixture of b2+ ion diketopiperazine and oxazolone structures.
Predictors of Stability and Change in Private Safety Nets of Unmarried Mothers

Although the importance of social supports for single mothers in times of crisis is widely recognized, little is known about the stability of such "private safety nets" over time, as children age and maternal and household characteristics change. This study uses multilevel models and 4 waves of data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study to describe trajectories of social support perceptions for 3,065 unmarried mothers. Results suggest that, following a birth, most unmarried mothers perceive the availability of support, but these support perceptions disintegrated somewhat in subsequent years. Mothers who appeared to have the greatest need for support-those without stable employment or a stable partner-experienced more rapid deterioration of their perceived safety nets than more advantaged mothers. Future research should examine network composition and conditions for support provision among the most vulnerable single mothers and consider how safety net stability influences maternal and child health and well-being.
Rapid periportal uptake and translobular migration of parathion with concurrent metabolism in the rat liver in vivo

Abstract Previous studies with rat liver perfused with Waymouth's medium have indicated that parathion is taken up extremely rapidly by hepatocytes of the periportal region of the lobule and undergoes “chromatographic” translobular migration. To determine whether this type of disposition takes place in vivo , two approaches were taken: (1) analysis of translobular behavior of pulse-infused parathion in the rat liver perfused with autologous blood in situ , and (2) autoradiographic demonstration of the tranlobular uptake pattern in vivo and in situ . To examine translobular behavior of parathion in the presence of blood, a recirculating autologous blood perfusion system was developed. Results were similar to those found with perfusion using artificial media. About 98–99% of a 0.4-ml pulse of 5 × 10 −3 M parathion was taken up by hepatocytes during the first pass and the fraction surviving the metabolism was eluted in a well-defined delayed peak. Autoradiographs from liver specimens obtained 4 hr after ip injections of 0.1, 0.8, or 2.0 mg/kg of [ethyl-1- 3 H]parathion showed dose-dependent exposure of intralobular zones. Low-dose (0.1 mg/kg) specimens showed radiolabeling within the first few rows of hepatocytes near portal vein branches whereas labeling in medium-dose (0.8 mg/kg) samples extended midway across the lobule with a sharp margin. In high-dose (2.0 mg/kg) autoradiographs, silver grains covered the entire lobule except for occasional small areas in the immediate vicinity of the central vein. Autoradiography of the liver pulse-infused with parathion in situ directly demonstrated that exposure to parathion/paraoxon was initially limited to the periportal region. These data established that the chromatographic pattern of translobular uptake and migration as observed previously in the liver perfusion with artificial media occurs in vivo and that exposure of centrilobular hepatocytes to parathion/paraoxon is dependent on the migration of parathion surviving metabolism after its initial periportal uptake.
Recoil hadron angular distributions in muon-proton deep-inelastic scattering

The angular distribution of hadrons produced in muon-proton inelastic scattering is measured. The interacting virtual photons are in the kinematic region $0.4l~{q}^{2}l~3.0$ ${(\mathrm{G}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{V}/\mathit{c})}^{2}$, $1.4l~Wl~3.5$ GeV. For $Wg2.5$ GeV the angular distribution does not appear to depend on ${q}^{2}$. For $W$ less than 2.5 GeV, the angular distribution at fixed $W$ possibly shows a ${q}^{2}$ dependence which is less pronounced when the angular distribution is taken at fixed $\ensuremath{\omega}$. Integration of the angular distributions gives a charged-particle multiplicity in agreement with other experimental results.
Studying the code compression design space - A synthesis approach

Embedded domain has witnessed the application of different code compression methodologies on different architectures to bridge the gap between ever-increasing application size and scarce memory resources. Selection of a code compression technique for a target architecture requires a detailed study and analysis of the code compression design space. There are multiple design parameters affecting the space, time, cost and power dimensions. Standard approaches of exploring the code compression design space are tedious, time consuming, and almost impractical with the increasing number of proposed compression algorithms. This is one of the biggest challenges faced by an architect trying to adopt a code compression methodology for a target architecture. We propose a novel synthesis based tool-chain for fast and effective exploration of the code compression design space and for evaluation of the tradeoffs. The tool-chain consists of a frontend framework that works with different compression/decompression schemes and a backend with high-level-synthesis, logic-synthesis, and power estimation tools to output the critical design parameters. We use the tool-chain to effectively analyze different code compression/decompression schemes of varying complexities.
Social choice and the status quo

I have investigated the social choice problem from the perspective of seeking to insure that a majority of voters are not worse off after the election, such that worse off means selecting an alternative that would lose to the status quo in a majority contest. This investigation led rather naturally to using the status quo as a benchmark against which to judge challengers. Both the F dm and F * dm procedures have attractive properties. Both satisfy the Not Worse-Off and Majority Improvement Principles. The F dm rule is rationalizable by a transitive R and allows for ease of voter response, while the F dm* rule satisfies binary Pareto. Both satisfy IIA, anonymity and (m − 1) neutrality. Examination of the results of repeated applications of the F dm procedure reveals that these results are heavily influenced by the starting point, with there being no guarantee that the process will move into the minmax, M-dominant, or similar solution set. Whether this is considered acceptable will depend on whether one believes the social choice should be a subset of these sets regardless of the identity of the status quo.
Reduced-activation steels: Future development for improved creep strength

Reduced-activation steels for fusion applications were developed in the 1980s to replace the elevated-temperature commercial steels first considered. The new steels were patterned after the commercial steels, with the objective that the new steels have yield stress and ultimate tensile strength and impact toughness in a Charpy test comparable to or better than the steels they replaced. That objective was achieved in reduced-activation steels developed in Japan, Europe, and the United States. Although tensile and impact toughness of the reduced-activation steels exceed those of the commercial steels they were patterned after, their creep-rupture properties are inferior to some commercial steels they replaced. They are even more inferior to commercial steels developed since the 1980s. In this paper, compositional differences between reduced-activation steels and new commercial steels are examined, and compositions are proposed for development of new-and-improved reduced-activation steels.
Darwin theory of heterostructure diffraction

A simplified approach to calculating the two-beam x-ray reflectivity of any planar heterostructure crystal is presented. Darwin's recursion formulas are applied to the individual atomic planes of any layered structure, and the reflectivity is calculated numerically. The results are exact for arbitrary composition profiles and essentially all angles, without requiring crystalline periodicity. This method is equally useful for perfect crystal substrates with submonolayer surface layers, for superlattices, or for arbitrary multilayer structures.
Health-related quality of life of pediatric patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis: comparisons to four common chronic diseases

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is an important indicator of the burden of illness in moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. This study evaluated self-reported generic HRQOL among pediatric patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis based on pooled baseline clinical trial data and compared them to four common chronic diseases and to a healthy sample. The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Version 4.0 (PedsQL™ 4.0) Generic Core Scales was administered to 208 patients ages 4 to 17 years with stable, moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis were compared using one-sample t-tests to published PedsQL™ ( http://www.pedsql.org ) data on healthy children and pediatric patients with arthritis, psychiatric disorders, asthma, and diabetes. Pediatric patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis demonstrated significantly impaired physical, emotional, social, and school functioning in comparison to healthy children. The PedsQL™ Emotional and School Functioning Scales demonstrated the largest mean difference between the two groups (12.1, 11.1 points, respectively). In general, patients with plaque psoriasis demonstrated significantly more impaired generic HRQOL compared to patients with diabetes, comparable HRQOL to arthritis and asthma, and better HRQOL than psychiatric patients. In conclusion, the findings indicate that pediatric patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis have significantly impaired generic HRQOL in comparison to healthy children, and HRQOL generally comparable to other serious chronic diseases. These results demonstrate the significant negative impact of plaque psoriasis on the daily lives of these children from the patients’ perspective.
PHYSICAL AND PHOTOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF A FLUORESCENT CHLOROPHYLL COLLOID

— A fluorescent colloid of chlorophyll a, of which some qualitative properties were noted by Krasnovsky and Brin(11), has been quantitatively characterized. The colloid is formed in neutral PO4 buffer containing 0 1 to 8.0% Tween 20, and is stable in darkness. The extinction coefficient is 7.8 × 104 1. mole cm-1 at the red absorption peak (668 mμ), the yield of fluorescence is ˜ 0.25, and the yield of photoautooxidative bleaching is ˜ 2 times 10-4. The colloid sensitizes the autooxidation of paratoluenediamine with a yield of ˜0.01 to ˜0.3 depending on light intensity and substrate concentration. The yield is independent of detergent and chlorophyll concentrations. In all respects—except the dependence of yield on illumination—the colloid appears to be physically and photochemically equivalent to dissolved chlorophyll, as known in dilute solutions in organic solvents. The light dependence—the yield is inversely proportional to the cube root of absorbed intensity—could be due to a bimolecular back reaction of a chlorophyll or substrate derivative.
Ethyl glucuronide and ethyl sulfate assays in clinical trials, interpretation, and limitations: results of a dose ranging alcohol challenge study and 2 clinical trials.

Background The ethanol metabolites, ethyl glucuronide (EtG) and ethyl sulfate (EtS) are biomarkers of recent alcohol consumption that provide objective measures of abstinence. Our goals are to better understand the impact of cutoff concentration on test interpretation, the need for measuring both metabolites, and how best to integrate test results with self-reports in clinical trials.
Distal landmarks and hippocampal place cells: effects of relative translation versus rotation.

Hippocampal neurons are selectively active when a rat occupies restricted locations in an environment. These place cells derive their specificity from a multitude of sources, including idiothetic cues and sensory input derived from both distal and local landmarks. Most exper- iments have attempted to dissociate the relative strengths and roles played by these sources by rotating one set against the other. Few studies have addressed the effects of relative translation of the local cue set versus salient distal landmarks. To address this question, ensembles of place cells were recorded as a rectangular or circular track was moved to different locations in a room with controlled visual landmarks. Place cells primarily maintained their firing fields relative to the track (i.e., occupying new locations relative to the distal landmarks), even though the track could occupy completely nonoverlapping regions of the room. When the distal landmarks were rotated around the circular track, however, the place fields rotated with the landmarks, demonstrating that the cues were perceptible to the rat. These results suggest that, under these conditions, the spatial tuning of place cells may derive from an interaction between local and idiothetic cues, which define the precise firing locations of the cells and the relationships between them, and distal landmarks, which set the orientation of the ensemble representation relative to the external environment. Hippocampus 2003;13:604 - 617. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
When did the modern human pattern of childbirth arise? New insights from an old Neandertal pelvis

Human birthing is difficult owing to a tradeoff between large neonatal brain size and maternal pelvic dimensions, which are constrained by aspects of bipedal biomechanics (1, 2). The net effect is that human neonatal head size closely matches maternal pelvic dimensions, unlike in our closest living relatives, the great apes, whose pelvic dimensions are larger than neonatal head sizes. This size relationship, along with a twisted birth canal shape, makes human parturition mechanically difficult and results in a unique pattern of “rotational” birth (Fig. 1). As in humans, and unlike great apes, monkey neonatal head size closely matches the mother's pelvic dimensions. Although birth rotation occurs in some monkeys, the rotation pattern is different from that in modern humans, with monkey neonates exiting the birth canal facing forward (1). Therefore, in both apes and monkeys, it is relatively easy for a mother to guide her infant out of the birth canal, keep the umbilical cord from wrapping around the neck, and extract mucous from the nose and mouth to facilitate breathing. All of these critical activities are much more difficult for a human mother, whose infant emerges facing backwards, and pulling on the infant from this position also risks serious neck injury. For these reasons, humans uniquely engage in assisted birth (obligate midwifery). Although unassisted birth, the norm for nonhuman primates, does occasionally occur in humans, assisted birth and its myriad social implications are the human norm cross-culturally (1).
Faces of Federalism: From Bullinger to Jefferson

This study argues that the eighteenth-century political philosophy of federalism found its roots in the covenant theology of early Reformed Protestantism in Zurich. It contends that there was a progression in covenant orfederal thought from the first published articulation of the theological covenant by Heinrich Bullinger in 1534, through the use of the covenant notion in defense of tyrannicide by Philippe DuplessisMornay, to Johannes Althusius's political philosophy of federalism, as well as the political theories of Thomas Hobbes andJohn Locke, to the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. These different faces or variations offederalism shared several common elements over the 250year span.
Anti-proliferative effects of O -acyl-low-molecular-weight heparin derivatives on bovine pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells

Heparin (HP) inhibits the growth of several cell types in vitro including bovine pulmonary artery (BPA) smooth muscle cells (SMCs). In initial studies we discovered that an O-hexanoylated low-molecular-weight (LMW) HP derivative having acyl groups with 6-carbon chain length was more potent inhibitor of BPA-SMCs than the starting HP. We prepared several O-acylated LMWHP derivatives having 4-, 6-, 8-, 10-, 12-, and 18- carbon acyl chain lengths to determine the optimal acyl chain length for maximum anti-proliferative properties of BPA-SMCs. The starting LMWHP was prepared from unfractionated HP by sodium periodate treatment followed by sodium borohydride reduction. The tri-n-butylammonium salt of this LMWHP was O-acylated with butanoic, hexanoic, octanoic, decanoic, dodecanoic, and stearyl anhydrides separately to give respective O-acylated LMWHP derivatives. Gradient polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) was used to examine the average molecular weights of those O-acylated LMWHP derivatives. NMR analysis indicated the presence of one O-acyl group per disaccharide residue. Measurement of the inhibition of BPA-SMCS as a function of O-acyl chain length shows two optima, at a carbon chain length of 6 (O-hexanoylated LMWHP) and at a carbon chain length 12-18 (O-dodecanoyl and O-stearyl LMWHPs). A solution competition SPR study was performed to test the ability of different O-acylated LMWHP derivatives to inhibit fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 1 and FGF2 binding to surface-immobilized heparin. All the LMWHP derivatives bound to FGF1 and FGF2 but each exhibited slightly different binding affinity.
Factors Affecting Requirement and Use of Crude Protein in Calf Starter

Abstract In five trials 385 calves under 12 wk of age were used to study effects of factors related to utilization of crude protein on performance of young dairy calves. Calves abruptly were changed to starters containing 1.35% urea without apparent toxicity, and in one trial urea was as effective as soybean meal as a protein supplement. Sulfur supplementation to starters already containing .2% sulfur apparently stimulated starter consumption by calves previously adapted to urea. Dried whey was beneficial in starters containing urea when calves had been fed dry feeds for a short time. The requirements for protein exceeded 11.7% of air dry starter for weaned calves to 12 wk of age.
Induction of 72-kDa heat shock protein does not produce second window of ischemic preconditioning in rat heart

Ischemic preconditioning (PC) induces delayed phase of protection, known as the second window of protection (SWOP). We investigated this phenomenon in rat and correlated it with the expression of 7...
Closed-form solutions within sparsifying transform learning

Many applications in signal processing benefit from the sparsity of signals in a certain transform domain or dictionary. Synthesis sparsifying dictionaries that are directly adapted to data have been popular in applications such as image denoising, and medical image reconstruction. In this work, we focus specifically on the learning of orthonormal as well as well-conditioned square sparsifying transforms. The proposed algorithms alternate between a sparse coding step, and a transform update step. We derive the exact analytical solution for each of these steps. Adaptive well-conditioned transforms are shown to perform better in applications compared to adapted orthonormal ones. Moreover, the closed form solution for the transform update step achieves the global minimum in that step, and also provides speedups over iterative solutions involving conjugate gradients. We also present examples illustrating the promising performance and significant speed-ups of transform learning over synthesis K-SVD in image denoising.
Pore-network modeling of liquid water transport in gas diffusion layer of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell

A pore-network model is developed to study the liquid water movement and flooding in a gas diffusion layer (GDL), with the GDL morphology taken into account. The dynamics of liquid water transport at the pore-scale and evolution of saturation profile in a GDL under realistic fuel cell operating conditions is examined for the first time. It is found that capillary forces control liquid water transport in the GDL and that liquid water moves in connected clusters with finger-like liquid waterfronts, rendering concave-shaped saturation profiles characteristic of fractal capillary fingering. The effect of liquid coverage at the GDL–channel interface on the liquid water transport inside GDL is also studied, and it is found that liquid coverage at the GDL–channel interface results in pressure buildup inside the GDL causing the liquid water to break out from preferential locations.
Experiments with a science-chamber apparatus for rubidium BEC

Summary form only given. We report on experiments with a new apparatus for BEC of rubidium, including the transport and manipulation of condensates in a science chamber using optical tweezers, and a study of superradiant scattering in the short-pulse regime.
PIKACHU: how to rebalance load in optimizing mapreduce on heterogeneous clusters

For power, cost, and pricing reasons, datacenters are evolving towards heterogeneous hardware. However, MapReduce implementations, which power a representative class of datacenter applications, were originally designed for homogeneous clusters and performed poorly on heterogeneous clusters. The natural solution, rebalancing load among the reducers running on heterogeneous nodes has been explored in Tarazu, but shown to be only mildly effective. In this paper, we revisit the key design challenge in this important optimization for MapReduce on heterogeneous clusters and make three contributions. (1) We show that Tarazu estimates the target load distribution too early into MapReduce job execution, which results in the rebalanced load far from the optimal. (2) We articulate the delicate tradeoff between the estimation accuracy versus wasted work from delayed load adjustment, and propose a load rebalancing scheme that strikes a balance between the tradeoff. (3)We implement our design in the PIKACHU task scheduler, which outperforms Hadoop by up to 42% and Tarazu by up to 23%.
Exploring the hardware/software continuum in a computer engineering capstone design class using FPGA-based programmable logic

The focus of the computer engineering capstone design classes at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, UAH, has been the application of modern design methodology to the development of electronic systems that have both digital hardware and software components. In these classes, it is stressed that efficient digital system design involves the careful consideration of the many possible hardware/software design trade-offs - areas which we feel are the cornerstone of the Computer Engineering discipline. This paper describes the manner in which FPGA-based rapid prototyping techniques have been applied to allow students to empirically explore sets of design alternatives that span the entire hardware/software continuum.
Simultaneous activation of multiple signal transduction pathways confers poor prognosis in acute myelogenous leukemia

Deregulation of signal transduction pathways (STPs) may promote leukemogenesis by conferring cell proliferation and survival advantages in acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). Several agents targeting STPs are under development; however, redundancy and cross-talk between STPs could activate multiple downstream effectors and this could negate the effect of single-target inhibition. The frequency of concurrent activation of multiple STPs in AML and the prognostic relevance of STP activation in AML are unknown. STP protein expression (PKCα, ERK2, pERK2, AKT, and pAKT) was measured by Western blot in samples from 188 patients with newly diagnosed, untreated AML. In univariate and multivariate analysis high levels of PKCα, ERK, pERK, and pAKT, but not AKT, were adverse factors for survival as was the combination variable PKCα-ERK2&pERK2-pAKT. Survival progressively decreased as the number of activated pathways increased. Patients were more likely to have none or all 3 pathways activated than was predicted based on the frequency of individual pathway activation, strongly suggesting that cross-activation occurred. Simultaneous activation of multiple STPs is common in AML and has a progressively worse adverse effect on prognosis. It is thus likely that only combinations of agents that target the multiply activated STPs will be beneficial for patients with AML.
Stenting and medical therapy for atherosclerotic renal-artery stenosis

BACKGROUND Atherosclerotic renal-artery stenosis is a common problem in the elderly. Despite two randomized trials that did not show a benefit of renal-artery stenting with respect to kidney function, the usefulness of stenting for the prevention of major adverse renal and cardiovascular events is uncertain. METHODS We randomly assigned 947 participants who had atherosclerotic renal-artery stenosis and either systolic hypertension while taking two or more antihypertensive drugs or chronic kidney disease to medical therapy plus renal-artery stenting or medical therapy alone. Participants were followed for the occurrence of adverse cardiovascular and renal events (a composite end point of death from cardiovascular or renal causes, myocardial infarction, stroke, hospitalization for congestive heart failure, progressive renal insufficiency, or the need for renal-replacement therapy). RESULTS Over a median follow-up period of 43 months (interquartile range, 31 to 55), the rate of the primary composite end point did not differ significantly between participants who underwent stenting in addition to receiving medical therapy and those who received medical therapy alone (35.1% and 35.8%, respectively; hazard ratio with stenting, 0.94; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.76 to 1.17; P = 0.58). There were also no significant differences between the treatment groups in the rates of the individual components of the primary end point or in all-cause mortality. During follow-up, there was a consistent modest difference in systolic blood pressure favoring the stent group (−2.3 mm Hg; 95% CI, −4.4 to −0.2; P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS Renal-artery stenting did not confer a significant benefit with respect to the prevention of clinical events when added to comprehensive, multifactorial medical therapy in people with atherosclerotic renal-artery stenosis and hypertension or chronic kidney disease. (Funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and others; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00081731.) abstr act
Photographic Study of Chick Embryo Development In vitro

Abstract A photographic study of development of chick embryos cultured in vitro was conducted in order to demonstrate the relationship between embryos and extraembryonic membranes during culture. Survival of embryos in this system has been extended to 21 days of total incubation (3 days in shell plus 18 days in vitro) and development to Hamburger-Hamilton stage 45 (partial or complete yolk sac retraction). A few mature cultured embryos have “pipped” through the chorioallantoic membrane and have emitted audible peeping. Three-day embryos and egg contents were cultured in commercial plastic wrap suspended in plastic tripods. The yolk sac expanded and flattened to cover the bottom of the culture chamber by five days of total incubation. Downgrowth of the yolk sac vascular system along the plastic wrap walls of the chamber began by six days, while downgrowth of the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) began by eight days. The CAM often completely enclosed cultured egg contents by 17 days, an event which occurs in ovo by 11 to 12 days. Lack of formation of the albumen sac resulted in inhibition of albumen uptake during the latter portion of incubation. A small number of embryos were on their right side rather than on the normal left side during the first two days of culture. Many of the right side cultured embryos experienced “compensatory torsion” onto their left side by three days of culture (six days of total incubation).
Development of a sub-scale dynamics model for pressure relaxation of multi-material cells in Lagrangian hydrodynamics

We have extended the Sub-Scale Dynamics (SSD) closure model for multi-fluid computational cells. Volume exchange between two materials is based on the interface area and a notional interface translation velocity, which is derived from a linearized Riemann solution. We have extended the model to cells with any number of materials, computing pressure-difference-driven volume and energy exchange as the algebraic sum of pairwise interactions. In multiple dimensions, we rely on interface reconstruction to provide interface areas and orientations, and centroids of material polygons. In order to prevent unphysically large or unmanageably small material volumes, we have used a flux-corrected transport (FCT) approach to limit the pressure-driven part of the volume exchange. We describe the implementation of this model in two dimensions in the FLAG hydrodynamics code. We also report on Lagrangian test calculations, comparing them with others made using a mixed-zone closure model due to Tipton, and with corresponding calculations made with only single-material cells. We find that in some cases, the SSD model more accurately predicts the state of material in mixed cells. By comparing the algebraic forms of both models, we identify similar dependencies on state and dynamical variables, and propose explanations for the apparent higher fidelity of the SSD model.
Trends in Unmet Need for Genetic Counseling Among Children With Special Health Care Needs, 2001-2010.

Abstract Objective Access to genetic counseling is increasingly important to guide families' and clinicians' decision making, yet there is limited research on accessibility and affordability of counseling for families with children with special health care needs (CSHCN). Our study's objectives were to measure changes in unmet need for genetic counseling for CSHCN from 2001 to 2010 and to characterize child, family, and health system factors associated with unmet need. Methods We used parent-reported data from the 2001, 2005–2006, and 2009–2010 National Survey of Children With Special Health Care Needs. We used a logistic regression model to measure the impact of survey year, child (sex, age, severity of health condition), family (primary language, household income, insurance, financial problems related to cost of CSHCN's health care), and health system factors (region, genetic counselors per capita, having a usual source of care) on access to genetic counseling. Results Unmet need for genetic counseling increased significantly in 2009–2010 compared to 2001 (odds ratio 1.89; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.44–2.47). Being older (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.04; 95% CI 1.02–1.06), having severe health limitations (aOR 1.72; 95% CI 1.16–2.58), being uninsured (aOR 3.56; 95% CI 2.16–5.87), and having family financial problems due to health care costs (aOR 1.90; 95% CI 1.52–2.38) were significantly associated with greater unmet need for genetic counseling. Having a usual source of care was associated with decreased unmet need (aOR 0.55; 95% CI 0.37–0.83). Conclusions Unmet need for genetic counseling has increased over the past 12 years. Uninsurance and financial problems related to health care costs were the largest drivers of unmet need over time.
Building an active citizenry: the role of neighborhood problems, readiness, and capacity for change

Community-building initiatives strive to involve residents as the drivers of the change process, involving them in an array of activities including collective action efforts. Recent evaluations of many of these initiatives, however, suggest that developing the levels of resident involvement needed in such efforts is challenging. This study examines the neighborhood conditions that are related to whether and how much residents become involved in individual activism and collective action efforts. A random-digit-dial phone survey of 460 residents in 7 distressed neighborhoods suggested that while demographic variables were relatively unimportant, resident perceptions of neighborhood readiness (i.e., hope for the future and collective efficacy) and capacity for change (i.e., social ties and neighborhood leadership), and the level of neighborhood problems were strongly related to whether and how much residents were involved in individual and collective action efforts. Moreover, different elements of these neighborhood conditions were more or less important depending on the type and level of resident involvement. For example, while perceptions of neighborhood problems was the strongest predictor of whether an individual became involved at all, perceived strength of neighborhood leadership was the strongest predictor of an individual's level of activity. The implications of these findings for practitioners and scientists are discussed.
Sensitivity of Diagnosed Convective Fluxes to Model Assumptions

Abstract The sensitivity of diagnosed cloud mass and heat fluxes over tropical oceans to assumptions about cumulus-scale updrafts and downdrafts is tested. The ensemble of clouds investigated is the population of precipitating clouds observed in GATE. The basic input to the calculations is radar data. However, a previous paper shows that the same sensitivity is involved in diagnostic calculations based on large-scale heat and moisture budgets. The assumptions investigated include the relationship between entrainment rate and cloud size, thermodynamic conditions at the base of convective updrafts. thermodynamic properties of entrained air, thermodynamic conditions at the tops of convective downdrafts. and the mass flux profiles in the updrafts and downdrafts. Diagnostic results are most sensitive to the relation between cloud size and entrainment rate and the thermodynamic conditions at the base of the updraft. It is found that assumed mass flux profiles that do not concentrate all of the detrainment from ...
Two-Day Regimen of Acyclovir for Treatment of Recurrent Genital Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Infection

The standard course of antiviral therapy for recurrent genital herpes requires administration of multiple doses of medication for 5 days. To assess the efficacy of a shorter course of antiviral therapy, patients with recurrent genital herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of acyclovir (800 mg given by mouth 3 times per day [t.i.d.]) for 2 days. Of 131 people enrolled in the study, 84 (51 women and 33 men) were observed for >/=1 recurrence and 65 were observed for 2 recurrences, for which the patient was administered the same study drug (acyclovir or placebo). Acyclovir therapy (800 mg given by mouth t.i.d. for 2 days) significantly reduced the duration of lesions (median for acyclovir versus placebo, 4 days versus 6 days; P=.001), episode (4 days versus 6 days; P<.001), and viral shedding (25 hours versus 58.5 hours; P=.04), and it increased the proportion of aborted episodes (P=.029). A 2-day course of acyclovir is a convenient alternative for treatment of recurrent genital herpes.