cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mysteries of Magnesium Homeostasis

In this issue of Circulation Research , Romani and colleagues1 report that insulin stimulates uptake of ionized magnesium (Mg2+) into heart. This study is the latest in a series by Romani, Scarpa, and colleagues regarding hormone-regulated Mg2+ fluxes in heart and liver (References 1 and 2 and references therein). Over the past several decades, we have begun to uncover the mysteries of how cytosolic ionized calcium (Ca2+) is regulated and how it regulates cell function. However, the more abundant divalent cation Mg2+ still holds many secrets for us to unravel. Ca2+ signaling is facilitated by the large Ca2+ gradients (up to 10 000-fold) across the plasma and sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membranes. In contrast, only small gradients of Mg2+ (generally a factor of 2 or less) are reported across the plasma or intracellular membranes.3 4 5 In contrast to Ca2+ signaling, agonists do not cause large (order of magnitude) alterations in cytosolic Mg2+. Even upon hormonal stimulation, of heart and liver, which results in a 10% to 15% change in total cell magnesium, there is little or no change in cytosolic Mg2+. This lack of change in cytosolic Mg2+ has led many investigators to question whether Mg2+ is involved in hormone signaling. Cytosolic Mg2+, which is regulated by plasma membrane and organelle transport, and by intracellular binding, is maintained far from electrochemical equilibrium. If cytosolic Mg2+ were at electrochemical equilibrium, it would be ≈188 mmol/L, assuming a membrane potential of −70 mV and extracellular Mg2+ of 1 mmol/L. Because the plasma membrane is not impermeable to Mg2+, there must be transport mechanisms to extrude Mg2+ against its electrochemical gradient (for reviews, see References 6 7 8 ). However, …
The Leading Mode of Observed and CMIP5 ENSO-Residual Sea Surface Temperatures and Associated Changes in Indo-Pacific Climate

AbstractSSTs in the western Pacific Ocean have tracked closely with CMIP5 simulations despite recent hiatus cooling in the eastern Pacific. This paper quantifies these similarities and associated circulation and precipitation variations using the first global 1900–2012 ENSO-residual empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) of 35 variables: observed SSTs; 28 CMIP5 SST simulations; Simple Ocean Data Assimilation (SODA) 25-, 70-, and 171-m ocean temperatures and sea surface heights (SSHs); and Twentieth Century Reanalysis, version 2 (20CRv2), surface winds and precipitation.While estimated independently, these leading EOFs across all variables fit together in a meaningful way, and the authors refer to them jointly as the west Pacific warming mode (WPWM). WPWM SST EOFs correspond closely in space and time. Their spatial patterns form a “western V” extending from the Maritime Continent into the extratropical Pacific. Their temporal principal components (PCs) have increased rapidly since 1990; this increase has be...
Visual Problems Of Office Video Display Terminals

From the early days of commercial television, as we know it today, the scientific community has been concerned with and continuously researched the display design requirements for acceptable presentation. Early research had emphasized the transmission bandwidth requirements, the number of raster lines per frame, the acceptability of and requirement for interlace to avoid flicker, and later the standards for color compatibility. For the most part this research was well done and led to acceptable criteria for the viewer of entertainment programming in the relaxed, nonintensive living room environment.© (1983) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
New constructions of Menon difference sets

Abstract Menon difference sets have parameters (4N2, 2N2 − N, N2 − N). These have been constructed for N = 2a3b, 0 ⩽ a,b, but the only known constructions in abelian groups require that the Sylow 3-subgroup be elementary abelian (there are some nonabelian examples). This paper provides a construction of difference sets in higher exponent groups, and this provides new examples of perfect binary arrays.
Traumatic diaphragmatic hernia. Occult marker of serious injury.

OBJECTIVE: Recent experience with traumatic diaphragmatic hernias at the Massachusetts General Hospital was reviewed to identify pitfalls in the diagnosis and treatment of this injury. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Traumatic diaphragmatic disruption is a common injury and a marker of severe trauma. It occurs in 5% of hospitalized automobile accident victims and 10% of victims of penetrating chest trauma. Numerous reports describe splenic rupture in 25% of patients with blunt diaphragmatic rupture, liver lacerations in 25%, pelvic fracture in 40%, and thoracic aortic tears in 5%. Diaphragmatic rupture is a predictor of serious associated injuries which, unfortunately, is itself often occult. METHODS: A chart review of all patients admitted to the Trauma Service with traumatic diaphragmatic hernias was undertaken for the period of January 1982 to June 1992. RESULTS: Data on 68 patients sustaining blunt (n = 25) and penetrating (n = 43) diaphragmatic rupture or laceration were presented. The diagnosis was made preoperatively in only 21 (31%). Associated injuries were frequent in those injured by either blunt or penetrating trauma. Sixty-six patients underwent repair, 54 (82%) through a laparotomy alone and 12 (18%) with the addition of a thoracotomy. There were five (7.4%) deaths that were caused by coagulopathy, hemorrhagic shock, multisystem organ failure, and pulmonary embolism. Complications were twice as frequent in the blunt-trauma group and included abscess, pneumonia, and the sequelae of closed head injuries. CONCLUSIONS: The recognition of diaphragmatic rupture is important because of the frequency and severity of associated injuries. The difficulties in reaching the diagnosis require an aggressive search in patients at risk.
Short term scheduling of multiple grid-parallel PEM fuel cells for microgrid applications

This paper presents a short term scheduling scheme for multiple grid-parallel PEM fuel cell power plants (FCPPs) connected to supply electrical and thermal energy to a microgrid community. As in the case of regular power plants, short term scheduling of FCPP is also a cost-based optimization problem that includes the cost of operation, thermal power recovery, and the power trade with the local utility grid. Due to the ability of the microgrid community to trade power with the local grid, the power balance constraint is not applicable, other constraints like the real power operating limits of the FCPP, and minimum up and down time are therefore used. To solve the short term scheduling problem of the FCPPs, a hybrid technique based on evolutionary programming (EP) and hill climbing technique (HC) is used. The EP is used to estimate the optimal schedule and the output power from each FCPP. The HC technique is used to monitor the feasibility of the solution during the search process. The short term scheduling problem is used to estimate the schedule and the electrical and thermal power output of five FCPPs supplying a maximum power of 300 kW.
Patterns of variance in stage-structured populations: Evolutionary predictions and ecological implications

Variability in population growth rate is thought to have negative consequences for organism fitness. Theory for matrix population models predicts that variance in population growth rate should be the sum of the variance in each matrix entry times the squared sensitivity term for that matrix entry. I analyzed the stage-specific demography of 30 field populations from 17 published studies for pattern between the variance of a demographic term and its contribution to population growth. There were no instances in which a matrix entry both was highly variable and had a large effect on population growth rate; instead, correlations between estimates of temporal variance in a term and contribution to population growth (sensitivity or elasticity) were overwhelmingly negative. In addition, survivorship or growth sensitivities or elasticities always exceeded those of fecundity, implying that the former two terms always contributed more to population growth rate. These results suggest that variable life history stages tend to contribute relatively little to population growth rates because natural selection may alter life histories to minimize stages with both high sensitivity and high variation.
Permittivity of orderly textured mixture dielectrics

Closed form expressions to depict the permittivity characteristics of a two-phase, orderly textured dielectric mixture having shaped inclusions are derived by using the Langevin statistical theory of dipole orientation in an applied electric field. Relevant results are compared with those of ‘average field approximation’ theory pertaining to such mixtures.
The dynamic behavior of a CSTR: Some comparisons of theory and experiment

Mathematical methods employed recently in a theoretical study by Uppal et al. (1974) are applied to the second-order homogeneous reaction between sodium thiosulfate and hydrogen peroxide and are combined with experimental investigations of that reaction using a nonadiabatic continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR). A complete portrayal of the expected behavior of that reaction system is presented in parameter space. Some new experimental studies of reactor instabilities are presented and linked to that portrayal. Close agreement is shown between theoretical predictions and experimental data.
Factors leading to the rejection of accountants' manuscripts

Abstract Manuscript reviewers of 27 leading business and accounting journals were sent a questionnaire to obtain information concerning reasons for manuscript rejection or acceptance. Several factors were found which increase the likelihood of rejection including nonsignificant results, no new information, inclusion of the full manuscript in regional or national meeting proceedings, lack of generalizability of results, lack of a control group, or a topic outside the mainstream of the field. Two factors were found which increase the likelihood of acceptance: manuscripts that contain a new theory with significant results and manuscripts dealing with a topic of interest to the field and content which differs from articles traditionally published in the journal.
Sterilization of root canal spaces using an Nd:YAG laser, in vitro

A smear layer is created during the cleaning and shaping of root canal systems. The Nd:YAG laser has been shown to be effective in removing that smear layer and any tissue remnants from prepared root canal systems suggesting that it may aid in root canal sterilization without detrimental thermal effects to adjacent tissues. The root canal system of 72 single-rooted teeth was conventionally prepared and sterilized using gamma radiation. The teeth were divided into three groups of 24 each, 8 of which were inoculated only with sterile broth and remained as negative controls. Sixteen teeth of each group were inoculated with one of three organisms of 10 6 to 10 10 CFU/(mu) l: B subtilis (BS), E. coli (EC) and S. marcescens (SM) (10 (mu) l). Eight in each group were not treated further and served as positive controls. Sixteen test teeth were treated with the laser three times using each exposure parameter: 1 W, 10 Hz pulses per second (pps); 2 W, 20 Hz; and 3 W, 30 Hz inserted to the radiographic apex. Laser exposures were completed while withdrawing the fiber from the root canal system. At completion of laser exposure, all teeth were cultured, using sterile paper points and plated on brain heat infusion agar. Three cultures were taken for each tooth, the plates incubated for 72 hours, and read for the presence of growth of colony-forming units. The laser was able to reduce the number of organisms placed in root canal systems, and suggests that the laser may be used in root canal therapy for bacterial reduction and cleaning of the root canal space.
Design charts for remanufacturing assessment

Abstract A structured approach, based on having cross-functional teams fill out a series of design charts, has been developed for enforcing design for remanufacture considerations throughout a product life cycle. The lists of design attributes and metrics used to evaluate remanufacturability were compiled through consultation with experienced professionals and searches of relevant literature. Short responses and benchmark comparisons were built into the charts to yield quantitative information in a timely fashion. The results can be used to identify opportunities for remanufacturing enhancement, set goals, and measure progress. A case study is presented that illustrates the use of the charts and demonstrates their sensitivity to product modification. Finally, potential barriers to implementation of the charts, as well as facilitators promoting their introduction, are briefly discussed.
AFM-Based Nanoscratching: A 3D Molecular Dynamics Simulation With Experimental Verification

In this paper, a developed three-dimensional model for AFM-based nanomachining is applied to study mechanical scratching at the nanoscale. The correlation between the scratching conditions, including applied force, scratching depth, and distant between any two scratched grooves, and the defect mechanism in the substrate/workpiece is investigated. The simulations of nanoscratching process are performed on different crystal orientations of single-crystal gold substrate, Au(100), Au(110), and Au(111). The material deformation and groove geometry are extracted from the final locations of atoms, which are displaced by the rigid indenter. The simulation also allows for the prediction of normal and friction forces at the interface between the indenter and substrate. An AFM is used to conduct actual scratching at the nanoscale, and provide measurements to which the MD simulation predictions are compared. The predicted forces obtained from MD simulation compares qualitatively with the experimental results.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Sign change of the hall coefficient with addition of Al to Zr0.5Ni0.5 amorphous alloys

Abstract Room temperature values of the Hall coefficient of melt-spun (Zr 0.5 Ni 0.5 ) 1- x Al x amorphous alloys are reported for x =0 to 0.2. The Hall coefficient of amorphous Zr 0.5 Ni 0.5 is small and negative. The addition of Al increases the value of R H which becomes positive for x ≳0.1, whereas amorphous Al exhibits a negative value of R H close in magnitude to that expected from a free electron metal. These observations appear to be inconsistent with predictions based on s-d hybridization which has previously been used to explain positive values of R H in amorphous transition metal alloys. The side-jump mechanism related to spin-orbit scattering may also be important.
Temperature dependence of enthalpy changes for ethidium and propidium binding to DNA: Effect of alkylamine chains

Calorimetric titrations have been performed on the binding of ethidium and propidium to calf thymus DNA at temperatures in the 15-60 degrees C range. Enthalpy changes (delta HB) derived from these experiments performed with the new Omega reaction calorimeter have a precision of +/- 0.10 kcal/mol or less at all temperatures. For ethidium (a monocation), delta HB varies little with temperature, and the heat capacity change (delta CP) for the binding reaction derived from these parameters is 10 cal/deg/mol. In contrast, delta HB changes from -6.5 to -8.1 kcal/mol for DNA binding of propidium (a dication due to a charged amine group at the end of an alkyl chain attached to the phenanthridine ring nitrogen), and delta CP is -57 cal/deg/mol. At 21 degrees C a plot of delta HB vs mole ratio is curved downward for propidium in the 0.08-0.25 range, whereas the same plot at 45 degrees C is a straight line from 0.05 to 0.15 and sharply downward thereafter. Similar plots for ethidium follow the latter pattern between 25 and 50 degrees C. These observations and our analyses of delta HB and delta SB are consistent with the hypothesis that the location in the DNA complex and the rotational motion of the alkylamine chain change substantially over the temperature range in this study. Only near 50 degrees C is delta HB equal for the binding of these two cations to DNA, and caution must be used in analyses of enthalpic effects when the temperature dependence for delta HB is not available.
Hemocyanin levels in the giant keyhole limpet, Megathura crenulata, from the coast of California

1. 1. The concentration of hemocyanin in the hemolymph of the giant keyhole limpet Megalhura crenulata, has been determined. 2. 2. In 56 specimens of M. crenulata the hemocyanin concentration ranged from 1.53 to 10.81 g/1 with a mean of 5.45 g/1 and a standard deviation of 2.71 g/1. There is no correlation between the hemocyanin concentration and the weight of the animal. The hemolymph volume and the colour of the mantle are not related to the hemocyanin level either. 3. 3. The hemocyanin concentration shows a seasonal variation, the means and the standard deviations for February, April, July, and September being 6.48 ± 2.58, 4.44 ± 1.72, 2.62 ± 1.05, and 7.65 ± 1.54 g/1, respectively. 4. 4. The lability of the hemocyanin concentration in Megathura (7-fold variation) is less pronounced than it is in California Haliotis, but comparable to that of the Australian abalones. 5. 5. It is difficult to reconcile the wide fluctuations observed in the concentration of hemocyanin with an essential respiratory task for this protein.
Cytosolic heat shock proteins and heme oxygenase-1 are preferentially induced in response to specific and localized intramitochondrial damage by tetrafluoroethylcysteine.

Abstract Previously, S -(1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethyl)- l -cysteine (TFEC) was shown to mediate cytotoxicity by covalently modifying a well-defined group of intramitochondrial proteins including aconitase, α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (αKGDH) subunits, heat shock protein 60 (HSP60) and mitochondrial HSP70 (mtHSP70). To investigate the cellular responses to this mitochondrial damage, microarray analysis of TFEC treated murine hepatocytes of the TAMH cell line was carried out. Results of these studies revealed a HSP response that was significantly stronger than other well-characterized hepatotoxicants including acetaminophen, diquat and rotenone. Specifically, cytosolic HSP25 , HSP40 , HSP70 , HSP105 and microsomal HSP32 ( HO - 1 ) were strongly upregulated within the first few hours of TFEC treatment, while little change was observed among other HSPs that are predominantly localized in the mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Post-translational modification of HSP25 was also observed with the appearance of a unique DTT-resistant immunoreactive band at about 50 kDa, a putative dimer. The biological significance of HSP responses to TFEC-induced toxicity were subsequently demonstrated using the “gain of function” pretreatment: heat shock. Overall, we report an atypical HSP induction profile that does not conform to changes expected of a classical temperature shock. Furthermore, despite a well-defined intramitochondrial origin of toxicity, TFEC rapidly evokes an early and strong upregulation of cytosolic stress proteins. The cytoprotective effects of such HSP responses suggest a plausible role in modulating the progression of TFEC-induced cellular injury.
Modeling of smectite illitization in burial diagenesis environments

Abstract The kinetics of smectite illitization in shale samples from eight wells have been modeled using the equation −dS/dt = kK0.25S5 [Cuadros, J., Linares J., 1996. Experimental kinetic study of the smectite-to-illite transformation. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 60, 439–453], where S is the proportion of smectite layers in illite-smectite (I–S), t is time, k is the rate constant and K is the concentration of potassium. The I–S compositions and the physical parameters were obtained from the literature. Potassium concentration is the only unknown parameter and it was chosen to fit the experimental data. I propose that this variable is termed “effective K concentration,” as it is affected not by the actual K concentration alone but also by those of other cations that compete with K for the smectite interlayer sites, especially Ca, by ion mobility in the sediments and possibly by other variables. The kinetic equation allows an accurate fit to the experimental data in all the wells, reproducing both the illitization onset and the patterns of the plots of % smectite vs. depth. The relative changes of the values of “effective K concentration” compare well with K/Ca equivalent ratios in the whole rock. Three of the modeled wells, located in near proximity, produced similar “effective K concentration” patterns. These results support the validity of the equation used in the models. They also suggest that this equation can be used to assess K concentrations in sediments and K mobility within basins.
Effect of thyroactive materials upon mammary gland growth and lactation in rats.

The feeding of thyroxine and triiodothryonine to rats at levels approximately 13–14 times above the normal thyroxine secretion rate during pregnancy resulted in a marked reduction in the survival rate of the litters, even though a control feed was fed to the dams during lactation. These results did not take place if the thyroactive feed was withdrawn on the 19th day of pregnancy. These levels of thyroactive materials did not affect the litter size or average weight of the young at parturition. The rats receiving the thyroactive materials throughout pregnancy had higher amounts of dry, fat-free tissue and nitrogen contents of the abdominalinguinal mammary glands at parturition than the control animals. In a second experiment it was found that the feeding of these compounds after parturition at a level approximately 10 times above the normal thyroxine secretion rate resulted in a marked decrease in the number of litters surviving through 21 days of lactation and in the growth rate of the surviving young. Th...
Excited State Energy Transfer Pathways in Photosynthetic Reaction Centers. 1. Structural Symmetry Effects

Ultrafast excited state energy transfer to the primary electron donor or special pair in photosynthetic reaction centers has been measured following excitation of the lowest electronic state of the other chromophores. This was achieved by observing the rise time and induced anisotropy in the spontaneous fluorescence from the special pair using fluorescence up-conversion at 85 K. Very fast energy transfer is observed when exciting either of the bacteriochlorophyll monomers. Energy transfer from the bacteriopheophytins, which are considerably further from the special pair than the bacteriochlorophyll monomers, is about 50% slower. The rate, distance, and temperature dependence of energy transfer in both cases are very different from what is predicted by conventional Forster dipole−dipole theory. By working at low temperature and with the reaction center mutant (M)L214H (the beta mutant), which assembles with a bacteriochlorophyll monomer in place of a bacteriopheophytin in the HL binding site (the location ...
Effects of scopolamine and alpha-methylparatyrosine upon predatory attack in cats.

The effects of scopolamine were compared with the effects of α-methylparatyrosine methyl ester (AMPT) upon several aspects of electrically elicited predatory attack in cats. Thresholds of current necessary to elicit predation increased under both drugs. Furthermore, specific deficits developed in suprathreshold predatory patterns for both drugs compared with nondrug baselines. Scopolamine suppressed all aspects of attack, while AMPT suppressed approach of the attack object while leaving reflexive biting intact.
Lymphatics: Where the Circulation Meets the Immune System

On November 12, 2012, a group of investigator-scientists was convened to the campus of the National Institutes of Health by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID). In many cases, these individuals were making an acquaintance for the first time. Of great forward-reaching potential, this workshop was devoted to the topic of Lymphatic Function and the Immune Response to Microbial or Viral Infection. The one-day, interactive series of presentations and discussions was the stimulus for lively discussion and the promotion of new investigative ideas. The presentations were far-reaching and varied, encompassing such topics as the influenza virus, viral-endothelial interaction, HIV, lymphatic contractility in the context of immune function, direct chemical analysis of human lymph, lymphatic filariasis, dendritic-endothelial interactions, lymphatic influences on the natural history of pneumonia, and explorations of lymphatic function in mouse models of head and neck inflammation. The general discussions were spirited, embracing such topics as a definition of the knowledge gaps in this topic area, identification of needed research support, and suggestions for an investigative agenda in moving the field forward. The lymphatic system has historically been mistaken as a simple fluid conduit. In the pages of this journal, and elsewhere,1 we have long advocated the concept that the immune functions of the lymphatic system are at least as important as those that contribute to fluid homeostasis. The subject matter of the NIAID-sponsored symposium has, in large measure been embraced by Lymphatic Research and Biology.2–10 Our lymphatic research community is indebted to NIAID for taking a bold and innovative step in organizing the workshop whose proceedings are published in the pages of this issue. Lymphatic Research and Biology is honored to have the opportunity to disseminate this information, especially in light of the stimulus that it is likely to provide for further investigation of immune mechanisms as they relate to the lymphatic circulation.
SPECIES SPECIFICITY OF LEUKOCYTIC PYROGENS

Polymorphonuclear neutrophilic leukocytes of the dog, cat, and goat release leukocytic pyrogen under the same conditions as the heterophile polymorphonuclear leukocytes of the rabbit. The characteristics of the febrile response to an intravenous injection of homologous leukocytic pyrogen in all four species are very similar: a brisk monophasic fever reaching a peak between 30 and 50 min with smooth defervescence to the baseline by 3 hr. Shivering, which is not obvious in the rabbit, is noted in the dog, cat, and goat during the first 30 min. Quantitative differences in response reveal the cat to be the most sensitive of of these species to homologous leukocytic pyrogen, followed by the rabbit, dog, and goat. The response to heterologous pyrogen is in most cases markedly diminished compared to that after equal doses of homologous protein, suggesting the operation of species specificity, although canine and feline pyrogen behaved very similarly in all tests. Species specificity of leukocytic pyrogen is probably related to amino acid substitutions in different species of a common mammalian protein effector molecule.
Re-Examining the U.S. Social Safety Net for Working-Age Families: Lessons From the Great Recession and Its Aftermath

The Great Recession’s lingering aftermath keeps challenging the federal and state governments’ capacity to weave a responsive, equitable, and adequate social safety net. Through the lens of Schneider and Ingram’s Policy Design Theory, this article critically reviews existing evidence on policy responses of five cash or near-cash programs to the Great Recession. I argue that the bifurcated, decentralized structure of the U.S. social welfare system contributed to uneven policy responses across programs and states. The findings suggest that politically and socially disadvantaged poor families were doubly hurt by the economic shock and the least responsive, uncoordinated state social safety nets.
Frequency and stress ratio effects in high cycle fatigue of Ti-6Al-4V

Experiments were conducted to determine the effects of test frequency on the high cycle fatigue (HCF) behavior of Ti-6Al-4V. Specimens were tested at a range of frequencies for three different stress ratios (0.1, 0.5, and 0.8). Results indicate a frequency dependence that varies with stress ratio (R). At low R, the fatigue strength increases with increasing frequency. As R is increased, this trend continues until a transition zone is reached. Above this transition the frequency effect seems to vanish at the lower frequencies, but it is still apparent at high frequency. In addition, the material exhibits ductile behavior above the transition point. The ductile behavior is characterized by void nucleation and growth and the apparent lack of fatigue crack initiation and growth that is evident at low stress ratios. Scanning electron microscopy is used to examine the failure mechanisms and transition regions. Several possible explanations are presented to explain the observed frequency and stress ratio effects. Strain accumulation at high R is observed and is attributed to cyclic strain ratchetting.
Molecular control of circadian rhythms

Circadian rhythms are virtually ubiquitous in eukaryotes and have been shown to exist even in some prokaryotes. The generally accepted view is that these rhythms are generated by an endogenous clock. Recent progress, especially in the Drosophila, Neurospora and mouse systems, has revealed new clock components and mechanisms. These include the mouse clock gene, the Drosophila timeless gene, and the role of light in Neurospora.
Couple-Oriented Education and Support Intervention for Osteoarthritis: Effects on Spouses’ Support and Responses to Patient Pain

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a couple-oriented education and support intervention for osteoarthritis was more efficacious than a similar patient-oriented intervention in terms of enhancing spouses' support of patients and their positive and negative responses to patient pain. Repeated-measures analyses of covariance with the completers sample (N = 103 dyads) showed that at the postintervention assessment, patients in the couple-oriented intervention reported a greater decrease in their spouses' punishing responses (e.g., anger, irritation) than did patients in the patient-oriented intervention. In addition, a trend effect was observed in regard to the advantage of couple-oriented intervention for increasing spouses' attempts to distract patients from their pain. At the 6-month follow-up, patients in the couple-oriented intervention reported greater increased spouse support than those in the patient-oriented intervention. Findings illustrate the value of examining change in specific types of marital interactions targeted in a couples intervention, and the need to strengthen the impact of future couple-oriented interventions.
Testing Previously Unsubmitted Sexual Assault Kits: What Are the Investigative Results?

Studies and local police jurisdictions have documented the existence of potentially valuable forensic evidence that have never been submitted to a crime laboratory for examination. The failure to a...
Demonstration of neural induction using nuclear markers inXenopus

Two nuclear markers were used to investigate the origin of cells in secondary embryos ofXenopus induced by dorsal lip transplants, and to determine the ability of the chordomesoderm to direct cells to change their fates.3H-thymidine was used to label cells transplanted between individualX. laevis embryos, and nuclear quinacrine fluorescence was used to distinguishX. borealis tissues transplanted toX. laevis hosts. In the first set of experiments, dorsal lip tissue (also known as the dorsal marginal zone; DMZ) was transplanted to the ventral marginal zone (VMZ) of host embryos. The marginal zone is the toroid of presumptive mesodermal cells which involutes during gastrulation. Examination of the secondary embryos resulting from these grafts revealed that their notochords were derived almost exclusively from transplanted cells whereas their nervous systems and somites were composed almost entirely of host cells. Next, the nuclear markers were used to show the normal fates of the tissue of the ventral equatorial region immediately above the VMZ by orthotopic grafting. This tissue was found to give rise to structures in the ventral posterior portions of the tailbud embryo. Finally, the same ventral tissue was labeled and transplanted to the dorsal equatorial region above the DMZ. As a result, it was induced to change its fate and become neural. These results lend unequivocal support to Spemann's theory of neural induction which has recently been questioned.
Enhanced Utilization of Brain Acetylcholine during Morphine Withdrawal in the Rat

MORPHINE prevents the release of acetylcholine (ACh) from cholinergic neurones1–9 when the neurones are stimulated at a low but not at a high frequency. Thus a special mechanism for neurotransmitter release at low frequencies seems to be involved10. Although the relationship of this effect of morphine to analgesia is unclear, it may be important to the sedative actions of morphine as well as to the phenomenon of physical dependence. Some aspects of the morphine withdrawal syndrome have a cholinergic component11–13. Morphine reduces the release of brain ACh1–9,14,15 so it is to be expected that its turnover is reduced in acutely narcotized animals, and enhanced during withdrawal of chronic morphine dependent animals.
A practical and economic method for estimating wind characteristics at potential wind energy conversion sites

Abstract In order to assess the economic viability of installing a wind energy conversion system (WECS) at a site; it is necessary to know the wind characteristics at that site. Since it is usually impractical to measure wind at all potential sites over a suitably long period of time, it is necessary to develop a methodology that can provide accurate estimates of wind economically at potential WECS sites from data that are already available. A physically based, three-dimensional model has been developed that incorporates the effect of underlying terrain and uses available, conventional wind information from selected nearby weather stations. This model—called COMPLEX—is essentially an objective analysis computer program that interpolates values of wind from observations at irregularly spaced stations. The required statistical wind characteristics are estimated from the synthesized hourly winds, which are obtained by using the COMPLEX model; the model is used in conjunction with a method for reducing the number of variables while still retaining most of the information of the original data set. This involves eigenvectors of the covariance matrix of the original data set. The linear characteristics of the COMPLEX model have been used to obtain solutions directly for only the few eigenvectors of the input for any arbitrary set of observations from linear combinations of those solutions. We describe here an example of the application of the method to a potential wind energy conversion site at Boone, North Carolina.
Internal stresses in phobos and other triaxial bodies

The unusual dynamical behavior of Phobos, its strange appearance, and its mysterious network of grooves all make it an intriguing object. Geophysical studies, though, have been hampered by the lack of suitable theories applicable to nonspherical bodies. In this paper the Martian satellites are modeled as homogeneous, elastic triaxial ellipsoids subject to tidal, rotational, and self-gravitational stresses. A novel semianalytical treatment then gives the stress and strain fields throughout their interiors. Yield phenomena and their possible surface expressions are also investigated. The results indicate that Phobos and Deimos have always been stable with respect to tidal fracture or disruption, but that Phobos will probably break up before colliding with Mars. Applications of the new formulation to other nonspherical bodies in the solar system are also discussed.
Adult age differences in the functional neuroanatomy of verbal recognition memory

Adult age differences are frequently observed in the performance of memory tasks, but the changes in neural function mediating these differences are largely unknown. We used (H2)15O positron emission tomography (PET) to measure changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) during Encoding, Baseline, and Retrieval conditions of a recognition memory task. Twelve young adults (20-29 years) and 12 older adults (62-79 years) participated. During each task condition, participants made a two-choice manual response to each of 64 words. Analyses of the performance data yielded evidence of age-related slowing of encoding and retrieval processes, and an age-related decline in the accuracy of yes/no recognition (d'). The rCBF activation associated with both encoding and retrieval was greater for older adults than for young adults, but this pattern was more clearly evident for memory retrieval. For young adults, rCBF activation during retrieval occurred primarily in right prefrontal cortex, whereas older adults exhibited a more bilateral pattern of prefrontal activation. Regression analyses predicting reaction time in the memory task from regional PET counts confirmed that the neural system mediating memory retrieval is more widely distributed for older adults than for young adults. Both age groups exhibited some decrease in rCBF activation in the second half of the test session, relative to the first half. The practice-related decrease in rCBF activation was more prominent for young adults, suggesting that the older adults' recruitment of additional neural systems reflects a more continual allocation of attention to support task performance.
Reusable software components for accelerator-based clusters

Abstract: The emerging accelerator-based heterogeneous clusters, comprising specialized processors such as the IBM Cell and GPUs, have exhibited excellent price to performance ratio as well as high energy-efficiency. However, developing and maintaining software for such systems is fraught with challenges, especially for modern high-performance computing (HPC) applications that can benefit the most from leveraging accelerators. If accelerator-based clusters are to deliver on their initial promise to provide a viable and cost-effective HPC solution to researchers and practitioners, one must find a software solution to lower the barrier to entry for the average user. In this paper, we investigate how a software component based approach can be used to provide a reusable and adaptable architecture for executing HPC tasks on accelerator-based clusters. In our implementation, we leverage the lessons from the software engineering research for component-based layered architectures. Our results indicate that the complexity of developing and maintaining accelerator-based cluster software can be as effectively tamed by solid software engineering approaches as that of software in more traditional domains. Specifically, we were able to reuse 83.6% of our implementation code across different architectures and resource configurations, while achieving the overall execution performance only 1.5% off that of an optimally hand-tuned, albeit non-reusable version.
Eigenstructure approach to region detection and segmentation

A new signal processing method is developed for image region detection and segmentation. The proposed technique formulates the region detection problem in a multidimensional signal processing framework such that a signal structure similar to sensor-array-processing signal presentation is created and the advanced sensor-array-signal processing techniques are employed. Following the region detection, the segmentation is completed by region parameter estimation and pixel classification. The developed method is an unsupervised, non-model-based, eigenstructure approach. It eliminates the ad-hoc assumptions in image modeling, and possesses extensive computation speed superiority over existing model-based approaches. Particularly, it properly utilizes the spatial correlations among the pixels. Details of this technique and several examples are presented. The relationships between this and other methods such as decorrelation, multispectral, and AR model are also discussed. >
A Rhizocarpon geographicum growth curve for the Cascade Range of Washington and northern Oregon, usa

Lichen thallus measurements from 22 surfaces of known age on Mount Baker, Mount Hood, and Mount Rainier are used to construct a regional Rhizocarpon geographicum growth curve for the Cascade Range of Washington and northern Oregon. Growth rates determined by measuring the largest thallus diameters on the same surfaces at Mount Rainier in 1976 and 2002 are used for comparison with lichenometric data from Mount Baker and Mount Hood. Similar lichen thallus diameter vs age relationships identified in the data from the three mountains suggest the presence of uniform growth rates over the 400-km range. A regional growth curve developed during our study shows three growth phases of successively slower growth: a rapid phase from 8 to 20 yr, a linear phase from 20 to 145 yr, and a slow phase of unknown duration beyond ca. 145 yr. Uncertainty in lichen growth rates beyond 145 yr limits projection of the curve beyond that age; however, the age range of the constrained growth curve covers an important period of recent climate variability. When applied in appropriate settings, our growth curve can be used to determine numeric ages to ±10 yr for surfaces between 20 and 145 years old in areas where other techniques are not applicable or do not provide unique or well-constrained ages.
Classified Power Capping with Distribution Trees in Cloud Computing

Power management is becoming very important in data centers. Cloud computing is also one of the newest promising data center techniques which is appealing to many big companies. As cloud computing is different from current data centers in terms of power management due to a dynamic structure and property for its online service. Power budgeting, in terms of its important role in power management, provides powerful solutions for cloud computing with dynamic capabilities. To be specific, existing methods for data centers are based on power distribution units (PDU) divided by fixed locations on physical levels. However, it is not suitable for cloud with the dynamic property. We propose a power management design based at the logical level which uses a distribution tree with classified power capping by different service or workload types. By setting multiple trees, we can differentiate and analyze the effect of workload types and Service Level Agreements (SLAs) in terms of power characteristics.
Ovarian and adrenal contributions to postnatal growth and differentiation of the rat uterus.

We tested the hypothesis that ovarian and/or adrenal factors contribute to uterine growth, differentiation, and acquisition of estrogen responsiveness in the postnatal rat. In untreated control rats, normalized uterine weight (5.2 mg/1O g BW on postnatal days IPNDI 1-10) increased by about 35% on PND 11-19; PND 6 ovariectomy (OVX) eliminated this increase. Adrenalectomy (ADX) on PND 6 lowered normalized uterine weight only when combined with OVX and only on PND 16 and 19, demonstrating the presence of uterotropic adrenal products. OVX + ADX on PND 6 delayed uterine gland genesis by about 2 days but did not alter final gland numbers. There was no change in the normal pattern of luminal epithelium morphology. A uterotropic response to 170-estradiol (E2) occurred on PND 10 in OVX rats and on PND 12 in OVX+ADX rats, but not until PND 14 in controls. We conclude that normal uterine growth is independent of the ovaries and adrenals prior to PND 10, partially dependent during PND 10-15, and completely dependent during PND 16-26. Additionally, a uterotropic response to exogenous E2 occurs concomitantly with, but independently of, the endogenous estrogen surge. Finally, while uterine gland genesis is slightly retarded by OVX ± ADX, estrogens from these organs do not induce uterine differentiation.
Central West Antarctica among the most rapidly warming regions on Earth

The West Antarctic Ice Sheet is contributing to sea-level rise, but temperature trends in the region have remained uncertain. A complete temperature record for Byrd Station in central West Antarctica, spanning from 1958 to 2010, establishes West Antarctica as one of the fastest-warming regions globally.
Active removal of inorganic phosphate from cerebrospinal fluid by the choroid plexus

The P(i) concentration of mammalian cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is about one-half that of plasma, a phenomenon also shown here in the spiny dogfish, Squalus acanthias. The objective of the present study was to characterize the possible role of the choroid plexus (CP) in determining CSF P(i) concentration. The large sheet-like fourth CP of the shark was mounted in Ussing chambers where unidirectional (33)P(i) fluxes revealed potent active transport from CSF to the blood side under short-circuited conditions. The flux ratio was 8:1 with an average transepithelial resistance of 87 ± 17.9 Ω·cm(2) and electrical potential difference of +0.9 ± 0.17 mV (CSF side positive). Active P(i) absorption from CSF was inhibited by 10 mM arsenate, 0.2 mM ouabain, Na(+)-free medium, and increasing the K(+) concentration from 5 to 100 mM. Li(+) stimulated transport twofold compared with Na(+)-free medium. Phosphonoformic acid (1 mM) had no effect on active P(i) transport. RT-PCR revealed both P(i) transporter (PiT)1 and PiT2 (SLC20 family) gene expression, but no Na(+)-P(i) cotransporter II (SLC34 family) expression, in the shark CP. PiT2 immunoreactivity was shown by immunoblot analysis and localized by immunohistochemistry in (or near) the CP apical microvillar membranes of both the shark and rat. PiT1 appeared to be localized primarily to vascular endothelial cells. Taken together, these data indicate that the CP actively removes P(i) from CSF. This process has transport properties consistent with a PiT2, Na(+)-dependent transporter that is located in the apical region of the CP epithelium.
Narrow-band optical A/D converter with suppressed second-order distortion

A high dynamic range narrow-band optical analog-to-digital converter configuration is proposed and demonstrated in which a narrow-band electrical input signal is converted to a baseband digitized signal while suppressing second-order modulator distortion products. Operation is demonstrated at 439 MHz, resulting in 72 dB of intermodulation suppression for a 0.8-ms sampling time.