cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Graded Exercise Testing for Risk Stratification of Children and Adolescent Concussion

Hypothesis- Concussion is a physiologic brain injury that produces systemic and cognitive symptoms. Following a concussion patients are in a hypermetabolic state characterized by altered cerebral blood flow (CBF). Normalization of altered CBF has been shown to be a useful marker for recovery from concussion. Graded exercise testing may be a convenient clinical measure for assessing concussion-related physiological dysfunction due to altered cerebral blood flow and for monitoring recovery. Purpose- To determine if a graded exercise test can be used to monitor patient recovery and predict patient outcome following …
Effects of building arrangement on flow and pressure fields generated by a solitary wave interacting with developed coasts

Abstract A series of laboratory experiments and Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) carried out to study the interactions of a solitary wave with arrays of blocks, representing idealized beachfront buildings positioned at different arrangements, show that formation of jet-type channelized flow significantly alters the flow hydrodynamics, delays wave breaking and influences the total loading on the blocks in the back row. The staggered layout yields a 30–60% increase in the maximum force on the block in the back row compared to those of the single-row and straight layouts while the latter creates the highest shielding effect. The total number of primary vortices forming around the blocks is proportional to the number of sharp edges of the blocks. The dimensions of the vortex tubes are controlled by the width of the block. Although vorticities were not directly measured, the critical phenomena are accurately represented by the simulated flow field which was thoroughly validated using observations and measurements.
Chapter 16 – How to read a patent

Publisher Summary This chapter explains how to read a patent. Patents contain information useful in zeolite synthesis. They are often the first and sometimes the only source of this information. Much of it is eventually published in the open literature with the arcane language of the patent discarded along the way. But for those on the cutting edge of discovery, the delay may be intolerable. In reading a patent, it helps to know what to look for and what to ignore. To the beginner, the “state of the art― summary may be a good source of references. Patent attorneys struggle to get the inventor to define exactly what he/she has invented. It helps to be aware of the process by which a patent case is written and prosecuted. The inventor, pushed by the attorney, rushes to assemble the data to support the case and get it filed. Bad data weakens the case so the inventor is obliged to be truthful about the data, but there is no obligation to present data damaging to the case. This data selectivity makes patents a suspect source in the opinion of many scientists.
The Role of Emotion Processing in the Association between Parental Discipline and Adolescent Socio-Emotional Development.

This research investigated whether biases in processing threatening emotional cues operate as an indirect pathway through which parental harsh discipline is associated with adolescent socio-emotional functioning. Participants were 192 adolescents (M age = 12.4), and their parents assessed over two years. Findings revealed two significant indirect pathways involving fear processing. Greater parental harsh discipline was linked to more emotional response inhibition difficulty for fear, which was linked to more depressive symptoms in the following year. Greater parental harsh discipline was also associated with more emotional response inhibition difficulty for fear, and thereby, more peer problems later. Findings suggest that adolescent emotional processing operated as an indirect pathway linking parental harsh discipline and adolescent socio-emotional functioning within the broader social context.
Sources of economically valuable features for selection of vigna (Cowpea) in conditions of absheron peninsula

Background: In recent years, large areas are periodically exposed to drought due to the climate change towards warming. In this regard, there is a need to expand the area of cultivation of drought-resistant leguminous crops. One of these species of interest for cultivation in the central lowlands of the Republic of Azerbaijan, where bean crops are greatly suppressed, is vigna. To date, this culture is not widespread, its biological and energy potential is underestimated. Therefore, the study of morphological and biological characteristics of promising varieties of cowpea in the region and a comprehensive study of the genetic resources of the culture is relevant. The purpose of the research is to study the cowpea collection, to identify forms with economically valuable traits and to create on their basis a new highly productive, technologically advanced, valuable with its quality vigna grain for a selection in the conditions of the Republic of Azerbaijan.Methods: The studies were conducted in 2007-2018 at the Institute of Genetic Resources (IGR) of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) of Azerbaijan. 33 samples were used as research material: 9 of them were local forms and 24 were samples obtained from VIR. The vegetation period and resistance to diseases have been studied and the productivity and structure of the harvest have been analyzed.Result: As a result of research, the most high-yielding and high-quality samples K-269, K-257, AzeVÝG-2, K-271, K-262, AG-340 were revealed in the studied vigna samples. During the implementation of the breeding program using the results, we have developed a new early ripe, drought-resistant, heat-resistant, disease-resistant and high-yielding variety Ayla by the method of repeated individual selection from the VIR collection. These studies are an important initial study for the subsequent production of new varieties. We hope that this will lead to an increase in the acreage of cowpea in the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Timing and Severity of Postoperative Complications and Associated 30-Day Mortality Following Hepatic Resection: a National Surgical Quality Improvement Project Study.

The effect of varying severity and timing of complications after hepatic resection on 30-day mortality has not been thoroughly examined. National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Patient User Files (NSQIP-PUF) were used to identify patients who underwent elective hepatic resection between 2014 and 2019. The impact of number, timing, and severity of complications on 30-day mortality was examined. Among 25,084 patients who underwent hepatic resection, 7436 (29.9%) patients developed at least one NSQIP complication, while 2688 (10.7%) had multiple (≥2) complications. Overall, 30-day mortality was 1.7% (n=424), among whom 81.4% (n=345) patients had ≥2 complications. The 30-day mortality was highest among patients with three consecutive severe complications (47.8%), as well as patients with one non-severe and two subsequent severe complications (47.6%). The adjusted probability of 30-day mortality was 35.5% (95%CI: 29.5–41.4%) when multiple severe complications occurred within the first postoperative week and 16.2% (95%CI: 7.2–25.1%) when the second severe complication occurred at least one week apart. The adjusted risk of 30-day mortality after even two non-severe complications was as high as 5.3% (95%CI: 3.7–6.9%) when the second complication occurred within a week postoperatively. Approximately 1 in 10 patients developed multiple complications following hepatectomy. Timing and severity of complications were independently associated with 30-day mortality.
Modeling study of porosity’s effect on grain evolution during directed energy deposition

Abstract In this work, porosity’s influence on grain evolution during Directed Energy Deposition was studied with the developed Kinetic Monte Carlo model. In the first case, grain evolution was simulated in a purely solid domain without any porosity. In the second case, some internal spheres were inlaid in the simulation domain as internal pores. The porosity’s effect on grain evolution was investigated by comparing the predicted grain morphologies in both cases. This study is the first work focused on porosity’s influence on additive manufacturing microstructure.
Myths of Modern Individualism: Myth and Individualism

Although terms such as mythology and mythical have been part of the English language since the seventeenth century, both myth and individualism are post-Romantic terms. The word “myth” apparently first appeared in English in 1830. Its sense is given by the Oxford English Dictionary as “a purely fictitious narrative usually involving supernatural persons, actions, or events, and embodying some popular idea concerning natural or historical phenomena.” The word comes from the Latin mythus via the French mythe . Its exact meaning, as the OED definition suggests, is elusive: Claude Levi-Strauss, in his classic essay “The Structural Study of Myth,” complains that even today thinking about myth means thinking about “a picture of chaos.” I shall merely characterize very briefly the main modern ways of thinking about myth in an attempt to clarify how the term can properly be used in the sense we have been employing in this study. I shall lean heavily on the fine empirical summary given by Percy S. Cohen in his 1969 Malinowski Memorial Lecture, “Theories of Myth,” which distinguishes seven main types of myth interpretation. The first and earliest type assumes that myths try to answer more or less factual or rational questions. Edward Burnett-Tylor and Sir James Frazer, author of the highly influential book The Golden Bough: A Study in Comparative Religion (1890), both assumed that early man had “characteristics of intellectual curiosity not unlike those of nineteenth-century anthropologists”; thus Frazer used the story of the Tower of Babel as an attempt to explain the variety of human languages.
Solid Phase Synthesis of 1,2,4-Triazinan-3-ones

Solid-phase parallel synthesis is used worldwide to generate libraries of small organic compounds in order to accelerate the drug discovery process [1]. The focus of this field of research, which initially involved the synthesis of peptides and oligonucleotides, is now on the synthesis of small organic molecules on the solid-phase. Heterocycles, such as benzodiazepines, hydantoins, pyrrolidines, and bicyclic guanidines, have received special attention in combinatorial synthesis due to their biological interesting properties [2]. This strategy has permitted the synthesis of large numbers of heterocycles in a short time frame, enabling their use in high-throughput screening. Compounds containing the 1,2,4-triazine moiety are in use as pharmaceuticals, pesticides, herbicides etc. [3]. As part of our ongoing efforts directed toward the solid phase synthesis of small molecule and heterocyclic compounds and the generation of their combinatorial libraries [4], we report here an efficient method for the synthesis of l,2,4-triazinan-3-ones from resin-bound acylated amino acid amides.
SU-E-T-217: Comprehensive Dosimetric Evaluation On 3D-CRT, IMRT and Non-Coplanar Arc Treatment for Prone Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation (APBI)

Purpose: Accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) is an effective treatment for early stage breast-cancer. Irradiation in a prone position can mitigate breast motion and spare heart and lung. In this study, a comprehensive study is performed to evaluate various treatment techniques for prone APBI treatment including: 3D-CRT, IMRT, co-planar and non-coplanar partial arcs treatment. Methods: In this treatment planning study, a left breast patient treated in prone position in our clinic was imported into Varian Eclipse TPS. Six beams tangential to chest wall were used in both 3D-CRT and IMRT plans. These six beams were coplanar in a transactional plane achieved by both gantry and couch rotation. A 60-beam IMRT plan was also created to explore the maximum benefit of co-planar IMRT. Within deliverable couch rotation range (±30°), partial arc treatment plans with one and up to ten couch positions were generated for comparison. For each plan, 30Gy in 6 fractions was prescribed to 95% PTV volume. Critical dosimetric parameters, such as conformity index, mean, maximum, and volume dose of organ at risk, are evaluated. Results: The conformity indexes (CI) are 3.53, 3.17, 2.21 and 1.08 respectively to 3D-CRT, 6-beam IMRT, 60-beam IMRT, and two-partial-arcs coplanar plans. However, arc plans increase heart dose. CI for non-coplanar arc plans decreases from 1.19 to 1.10 when increases couch positions. Maximum dose in ipsilateral lung (1.98 to 1.13 Gy), and heart (0.62 to 0.43 Gy) are steadily decreased with the increased number of non-coplanar arcs. Conclusions: The dosimetric evaluation results show that partial arc plans have improved CIs compared to conventional 3D-CRT and IMRT plans. Increasing number of partial arcs decreases lung and heart dose. The dosimetric benefit obtained from non-coplanar arcs should be considered with treatment delivery time.
Gone to the Country: The New Lost City Ramblers and the Folk Music Revival

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Ray Allen Year: 2010 Pages: 288 Publisher: University of Illinois Press ISBN: 978-0-252-03560-9 (hard cover). Prices: 80(hard cover).
Lattice model for the SU(N) Néel to valence-bond solid quantum phase transition at large N.

We generalize the $\mathrm{SU}(N=2)$ $S=1/2$ square-lattice quantum magnet with nearest-neighbor antiferromagnetic coupling (${J}_{1}$) and next-nearest-neighbor ferromagnetic coupling (${J}_{2}$) to arbitrary $N$. For all $Ng4$, the ground state has valence-bond-solid order for ${J}_{2}=0$ and N\'eel order for ${J}_{2}/{J}_{1}\ensuremath{\gg}1$, allowing us access to the transition between these types of states for large $N$. Using quantum Monte Carlo simulations, we show that both order parameters vanish at a single quantum-critical point, whose universal exponents for large enough $N$ (here up to $N=12$) approach the values obtained in a $1/N$ expansion of the noncompact $C{P}^{N\ensuremath{-}1}$ field theory. These results lend strong support to the deconfined quantum-criticality theory of the N\'eel--valence-bond-solid transition.
Photoactivation and imaging of photoactivatable fluorescent proteins.

A major advance in the microscopic study of cells and tissues is the introduction of photoactivatable fluorescent proteins, which can specifically mark proteins of interest within a living cell. Fluorescent proteins are now available that allow a pool of molecules to be “turned on” by photoactivation. This unit discusses technical aspects for the general use of photoactivatable fluorescent proteins and introduces some specific applications in the concluding remarks. Curr. Protoc. Cell Biol. 38:21.6.1-21.6.10. © 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: photoactivatable; fluorescent protein; microscopy
Rising to the Top: Gender, Political Performance, and Party Leadership in Parliamentary Democracies

Party leaders are the main actors controlling campaign strategies, policy agendas, and government formation in advanced parliamentary democracies. Little is known, however, about gender and party leadership. This article examines gendered leadership patterns across 71 political parties in 11 parliamentary democracies between 1965 and 2013. It shows that men and women have different access to, and experiences in, party leadership and that these gendered political opportunity structures are shaped by parties' political performances. Women are more likely to initially come to power in minor opposition parties and those that are losing seat share. Once selected for the position, female leaders are more likely to retain office when their parties gain seats, but they are also more likely to leave the post when faced with an unfavorable trajectory. Together, these results demonstrate that prospective female leaders are playing by a different (and often more demanding) set of rules than their male counterparts.
Effects of neck damping properties on brain response underimpact loading

In this paper, head-neck boundary conditions and modeling of the head are studied circumspectly. The neck is modeled using discrete elements and the head model is three-dimensional. In the study presented here, a viscoelastic foundation (i.e., foundation defined by both springs and dampers) concept is introduced to simulate the head-neck boundary conditions during the impact load to the head. Time histories of the brain response in finite element head models with a viscoelastic neck are compared with the corresponding solutions of finite element head models with an elastic neck, and without a neck. It is observed that the magnitude of peaks in the brain's response time histories, at a later stage (i.e., 6 to 15 ms) of the simulation, decreases when dampers are induced to the elastic neck. A parametric study is also conducted to examine the brain response while varying different damping coefficient values for the neck. The magnitude of peaks in the brain's response time histories for models with different neck damping coefficients is observed to maintain some form of proportionality. In other words, the magnitude of peaks in the brain's response time histories decreases with an increased damping coefficient of the neck at the later stage of the simulation (i.e., 6 to 15 ms). From the outcomes of this study, it can be determined that the head-neck boundary conditions during head impact loading are important for studying the brain's response at the later stages of the head impact.
Advanced control of wind turbines: Brief survey, categorization, and challenges

To pave the way for higher penetration of wind turbines in the power grid, it is necessary to improve efficiency of wind energy conversion systems in terms of production rate maximization and operational cost minimization. In turn, with available technologies, this calls for advanced control strategies in wind industry. In this article, some basic concepts related to the control of wind turbines are introduced, a control-theoretic categorization is proposed, the literature of wind turbine control is briefly surveyed, and some challenges in the control of wind turbines are determined from the literature at the end.
Optimal Portfolio Choice over the Life Cycle with Social Security

This paper examines how households should optimally allocate their portfolio choices between risky stocks and risk-free bonds over their lifetime. Traditional lifecycle models in previous work suggest that the allocation toward stocks should start high (near 100%) early in life and decline over a person’s age as human capital depreciates. These models also suggest that, with homothetic utility, the allocation should be roughly independent of a household’s permanent income. The actual empirical evidence, however, indicates more of a “hump” shape allocation over the lifecycle; the lifetime poor also hold a smaller percentage of their portfolio in stocks relative to higher income groups. Households, therefore, appear to be making considerable “mistakes” in their portfolio allocation. Target date funds, which have grown enormously during the past five years, aim to simplify the investment process in a manner consistent with the predictions of this traditional model. We reconsider the portfolio choice allocation in a computationally-demanding lifecycle model in which households face uninsurable wage shocks, uncertain lifetime as well as a progressive and wage-indexed social security system. Social security benefits, therefore, are correlated with stock returns at a low frequency that is more relevant for lifecycle retirement planning. We show that this model is able to more closely replicate the key stylized facts of portfolio choice. In fact, when calibrated to the age-based income-wealth ratios found in the Survey of Consumer Finances, we demonstrate that the portfolio allocation “mistakes” being made by the vast majority of households actually lead to larger levels of welfare relative to the traditional advice incorporated in target date funds.
General capacity region for the fully-connected 3-node packet erasure network

This work considers the fully-connected 3-node packet erasure network: For each time slot, with some probabilities a packet sent by any node i may be received by both of the other nodes j and k; received only by node j (or node k); or received by neither nodes. Interference is avoided by enforcing that at most one node can transmit in each time slot. We assume that node i can always reach node j, possibly with the help of the third node k, for any i ≠ j pairs (thus the term fully-connected). One example of this model is any Wi-Fi network with 3 nodes within the hearing range of each other. We consider the most general traffic demands. Namely, there are six private-information flows with rates (R 1→2 ,R 1→3 ,R 2→1 , R 2→3 ,R 3→1 ,R 3→2 ), respectively, and three common-information flows with rates (R 1→23 ,R 2→31 ,R 3→12 ), respectively. We characterize the 9-dimensional Shannon capacity region within a gap that is inversely proportional to the packet size (bits). The gap can be attributed to exchanging reception status (ACK) and can be further reduced to 0 if we allow ACK to be transmitted via a separate control channel. For normal-sized packets, say 12000 bits, our results have thus effectively characterized the capacity region. Technical contributions of this work include a new converse for many-to-many network communications and a new capacity-approaching simple linear network coding scheme.
A suggested model program for CIM education

A model CIM (computer integrated manufacturing) education program is described. The program has used a strategy of industry-university collaboration in developing a multidisciplinary approach to CIM education incorporating a laboratory-intensive curriculum. It is believed that adoption of the integrative philosophy of a CIM enterprise should facilitate the continued development of a coherent, integrated CIM program. >
Quantum Mechanics of the H+H2 Reaction: Exact Scattering Probabilities for Collinear Collisions

The H + H2 reaction is very important in theoretical chemical dynamics (1-4). A model that is often used to study this reaction is to restrict the atoms to lie on a nonrotating line throughout the collision and to consider that the system is electronically adiabatic, i.e., it remains the lowest electronic state throughout the collision. This reduces the problem to scattering of three particles on a potential energy surface which is a function of two linearly independent coordinates. This model has been studied classically (5-8), and Mortensen and Pitzer (9) have calculated exact quantum mechanical reaction probabilities at five relative translational energies E0. In this Communication, we present some results of our more extensive exact calculations on this model of the H + H2 reaction and show their consequences for the validity of approximate theories of chemical reactions. For the cases considered here, the assumption of electronic adiabaticity causes very little error (10).
Alterations in mitochondrial DNA of yeast which accompany genetically and environmentally controlled changes in ρ − mutabilitymutability

Alterations in the physical characteristics of mitochondrial DNA accompanied increased spontaneous mutability to cytoplasmic respiratory-deficiency in yeast. Two systems were used to modify mutation rates, one physiological, the other genetic. Cells in log phase were shown to be more mutable than cells in stationary phase, and glucose-repressed cells were shown to be more mutable than unrepressed cells. A nuclear gene which acts as a mitochondrial mutator was found to increase spontaneous mutation rate by a factor of ten. An increase in endogenous formation of G+C-rich fragments of mt-DNA accompanied a physiological state conducive to higher mutability, and it is proposed that increasedin vivo digestion of A+T-rich regions is involved in these alterations. Greater nuclease(s) activity accompanied the presence of the mutator gene, and it is proposed that this gene is concerned with the regulation of nuclease activity or with repair mechanisms.
Tandem events in myoblast fusion.

Abstract Myoblasts, derived from primary chick pectoral muscle explants and grown on collagencoated culture dishes in a low calcium medium, are harvested with EDTA and are gently agitated in suspension. In the presence of calcium, the cells rapidly form easily dissociable aggregates which exclude fibroblasts. The apparent strength of adhesion increases with time until, under appropriate conditions, the myoblasts fuse in suspension to form multinucleate cells. The calcium-dependent dissociable aggregation shows optima for pH, temperature, calcium concentration, and culture age that closely parallel those observed for myotube formation measured with cells attached to tissue culture plates. We conclude from this marked correlation between the effects of these variables on myoblast aggregation and myotube formation that cell-cell adhesion is an integral part of myoblast fusion. Furthermore, we suggest that the formation of multinucleate cells is the result of a sequence of steps beginning with cell-cell recognition and adhesion, progressing to membrane union, and ultimately ending after subsequent morphologic changes producing the morphologies characteristic of multinucleate cells both in suspension and on tissue culture plates.
Bose-enhanced chemistry: amplification of selectivity in the dissociation of molecular Bose-Einstein condensates.

We study the photodissociation chemistry of a quantum degenerate gas of bosonic triatomic $\mathrm{ABC}$ molecules, assuming two open rearrangement channels ( $AB+C$ or $A+BC$). The equations of motion are equivalent to those of a parametric multimode laser, resulting in an exponential buildup of macroscopic mode populations. By exponentially amplifying a small differential in the single-particle rate coefficients, Bose stimulation leads to a nearly complete selectivity of the collective $N$-body process, indicating a novel type of ultraselective quantum degenerate chemistry.
Phase II trial of sunitinib in patients with relapsed or refractory germ cell tumors

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) overexpression and increased angiogenesis have been proposed as having biologic importance in germ cell tumors (GCT). We conducted a single-institution phase II trial of sunitinib, an oral inhibitor of the VEGF receptor, in patients with relapsed or refractory GCT. A Simon’s two-stage design was used to determine the number of patients for enrollment. Responses were assessed using a modified version of Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST), taking into account tumor marker changes. Dose modifications were made according to a nomogram for adverse events. Ten patients were enrolled. The first five received sunitinib 50 mg for four consecutive weeks, followed by a two-week break (4/2). Since four of five treated on this schedule had some tumor marker decline during the four-week “on” period, with subsequent rise during the two-week break, the dose was changed to 37.5 mg continuously for patients six to ten. However, only marker stabilization (no declines) was seen. Overall, there were no objective responses: Five had stable disease and five progressive disease (PD). Sunitinib was well tolerated; only one patient required a dose reduction due to grade 3 mucositis. Two patients experienced tumor-related hemorrhage (grade 3 and grade 1). All patients developed PD within three cycles. Sunitinib is well tolerated, but at standard doses, does not demonstrate significant activity in highly refractory GCT. Correlation between sunitinib treatment and tumor marker changes on the 50 mg 4/2 schedule suggest some pathways targeted by sunitinib (ie, angiogenesis) may be important to GCT biology.
Effect of 4-hydroxyandrostenedione on 19-hydroxylation of deoxycorticosterone in the golden Syrian hamster.

Abstract 4-Hydroxyandrostenedione, a known inhibitor of ovarian and peripheral aromatization of androgen (testosterone and androstenedione) to form estrogen, was studied for its inhibitory effect on the 19-hydroxylating enzyme system of the adrenal for the conversion of deoxycortico-sterone to 19-hydroxydeoxycorticosterone. In vitro incubation of Golden Syrian hamster adrenal homogenates with tritiated deoxycorticosterone demonstrated (80–85%) reduction in label incorporated into 19-hydroxydeoxycorticosterone in the presence of 4-hydroxyandrostenedione.
Nano-mechanical properties profiles across dentin–enamel junction of human incisor teeth

Abstract Understanding how load is transferred from enamel to dentin and how the two tissues function as a single mechanical unit during mastication requires studies of micromechanics in relation to microstructure of the dentin–enamel junction (DEJ) zone. In this investigation, nano-hardness and elastic modulus of human incisor teeth were studied across the DEJ. It was found that, over a length scale of about 20 μm, there were decreasing trends in both hardness and elastic modulus across the DEJ zone profiling from enamel to dentin. Images obtained using atomic force microscopy from polished surfaces of cross-sectioned dental samples showed an interpenetrated microstructure of enamel and dentin at the DEJ zone. This result suggests that the nano-mechanical property profiles across the DEJ were due to a continuous variation in the ratios of relative amount of enamel and dentin. These characteristics of the DEJ zone could be significant for describing the structural and mechanical coupling of the two tissues. By increasing the contact area across the interface between the two hard tissues the stresses are dissipated reducing interfacial stress concentrations at the DEJ, thereby promoting effective load transfer from the hard (brittle) enamel to soft (tough) dentin.
The influence of ras oncogene expression on radiation response in the Rat-1 cell.

We evaluated the effect of H-ras oncogene expression on resistance to ionizing radiation in cultured rat fibroblasts. The Rat-1 cell line, and two Rat-1 derivatives, MR4 and MR7, carrying a Zn-regulatable metallothionein-rasT24 fusion gene were used to study the effects of the ras oncogene on radiation sensitivity. Cells were irradiated with a 137Cs source (450 cGY/min) in the presence or absence of ZnSO4. Multiple cell survival studies did not show an appreciable difference in sensitivity to radiation among the lines in the presence or absence of ras oncogene expression.
The parallel complexity of coarsest set partition problems

Abstract In this paper we investigate two different versions of coarsest set partition problems. They are (1) single-function coarsest set partition, and (2) multi-function coarsest set partition. We classify the parallel complexity of these two problems and present for them several parallel algorithms. We also note that the single-relation and multi-relation coarsest set partition problems are both P-complete.
The yin and yang of hardware heterogeneity: can software survive?

Power and energy constraints are now the driving force in devices from smartphones to servers. Quantitative power, performance, and energy measurements suggest that hardware heterogeneity to match software diversity has the potential to deliver energy efficiency. However, programmingheterogeneous hardware directly is a nightmare. We discuss some approaches and results that abstract, choose, and exploit hardware heterogeneity. New programming and system abstractions are essential for establishing a parallel heterogeneous ecosystem in the post-Dennard era.
Neuronal thermosensitivity and survival of rat hypothalamic slices in recording chambers.

Abstract Several studies have examined the activity of neurons in hypothalamic tissue slices. The present experiments studied relationships between neuronal activity (firing rate and thermosensitivity) and tissue survival as a function of time and slice thickness. Rat hypothalamic tissue slices were sectioned at different thicknesses (350, 450, and 600 μm) and maintained in an oxygenated interface chamber which was perfused with artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF). Electron and light microscopy were used to examine tissue morphology at different depths from the slice surfaces, and extracellular recordings were used to measure each cell's spontaneous activity and response to changes in temperature. Tissue damage was most evident at tissue layers nearest the gas-exposed surface. At 9 h in the chamber, 350 μm thick slices showed subtle changes in morphology with little difference between the gas-exposed and ACSF-exposed surfaces. In the 450 and 600 μm thick slices, tissue degeneration became more evident with increased damage at the gas-exposed surface. This damage extended fully into the tissue of the 600 μm section. There were no differences in firing rate or thermosensitivity between 350 and 450 μm slices; but in 600 μm slices, there were fewer spontaneously active neurons, although these neurons had a higher mean thermosensitivity. Based on the incidence of spontaneous activity and morphological integrity, the results suggest that electrophysiological experiments using 350 μm slices are preferable to experiments using thicker slices.
The IGF-I Receptor Protects Tumor Cells from Apoptosis Induced by High Concentrations of Serum

Abstract High concentrations of fetal bovine serum (FBS) induce apoptosis of cells in culture. A decrease in the number of insulin-like growth factor I receptors (IGF-IR) sensitizes the cells to serum-induced apoptosis. Autophosphorylation of the IGF-IR is not affected by high serum. These results may explain why the targeting of the IGF-IR renders tumor cells much more sensitive to apoptosis in vivo than in vitro.
Predicting Levels of Postdisaster Stress in Adults Following the 1993 Floods in the Upper Midwest

Studies of mental health have indicated that the stress associated with living in hazardous areas is related, in part, to economic status, gender, kinship relationships, physical health, sociopsychological traits, community structure, and familiarity or experience with the hazard. This research modeled stress variability as manifested through expressed levels of anxiety, depression, and day-to-day function-ability in a flood-prone environment. A telephone questionnaire was used to collect data from adult flood victims in a medium-size midwestern town, 3 months after the floods of 1993, as part of a comprehensive survey of how stress fluctuates over time. Standard measures of anxiety, depression, and stress were incorporated into the survey instrument for comparison purposes. A large percentage (71%) of respondents displayed symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Traditional predictors were not significant, for stress symptoms appeared equally across gender, income, and age stratifications. The results showed ...
Conductivity of dilute gadolinium nitrate and nitric acid solutions in D2O and H2O at 25°C

Electrical conductivities of <0.001 M solutions of Gd(NO3)3 and HNO3 in D2O and H2O were determined at 25°C. Limiting equivalent conductances (Λ°) were calculated by the Onsager limiting law and the Shedlovsky equation. The Λ° values in H2O agreed within 1% with those estimated from the literature. Conductivities of non-stoichiometric (nitrate-rich and nitrate-deficient) gadolinium nitrate systems were also measured.
Comparison of China/USA science and technology performance

Abstract The relative performance of science and technology (S&T) in the USA and PRC was compared in terms of quantity and quality, as reflected in their technical literatures. Three databases (Science Citation Index (SCI), INSPEC, Ei Compendex) were selected for the quantity comparison, and citation analysis in the SCI was used for the quality comparison. Thirty technology and research areas were compared for quantity production, and are presented in this paper. These 30 areas were selected based on our previous assessment of PRC S&T output, and represented areas of emphasis by the PRC in physical, environmental, engineering, and life sciences. In almost all technical areas, the USA had the quantity (number of papers) lead (for the period 2002–2007) based on the SCI results, although the PRC has made dramatic strides to overtake the USA. In most of the technical areas, by 2007 PRC had attained parity with, or exceeded, the S&T literature production of the USA in the INSPEC database. The major exceptions were the biomedical field and some aspects of environmental science, where the USA still had a large lead. For most technical areas, by 2007 the PRC had even higher relative S&T literature production, based on the Ei Compendex , compared to the INSPEC results. Moreover, the USA production appears to have peaked (in the Ei Compendex) in the 2005 time frame, despite increasing amounts of funding for S&T research. The PRC challenge in non-biomedical research and technology sectors becomes apparent in those databases that do not contain substantial biomedical research papers, and therefore remove a substantial intrinsic USA advantage. For quality computations, the publication and citation results were normalized to discrete slices of time, and are presented for nanotechnology only (for the period 1998–2003). While the USA held a commanding lead in quality over the PRC (and the other major nanotechnology producer nations as well) during the past decade, the PRC has increased the quality of its publications monotonically, and now appears to be competitive with France, Italy, Japan, and Australia, using the quality metric in this paper.
Reactions of Microsolvated Organic Compounds at Ambient Surfaces: Droplet Velocity, Charge State, and Solvent Effects

The exposure of charged microdroplets containing organic ions to solid-phase reagents at ambient surfaces results in heterogeneous ion/surface reactions. The electrosprayed droplets were driven pneumatically in ambient air and then electrically directed onto a surface coated with reagent. Using this reactive soft landing approach, acid-catalyzed Girard condensation was achieved at an ambient surface by directing droplets containing Girard T ions onto a dry keto-steroid. The charged droplet/surface reaction was much more efficient than the corresponding bulk solution-phase reaction performed on the same scale. The increase in product yield is ascribed to solvent evaporation, which causes moderate pH values in the starting droplet to reach extreme values and increases reagent concentrations. Comparisons are made with an experiment in which the droplets were pneumatically accelerated onto the ambient surface (reactive desorption electrospray ionization, DESI). The same reaction products were observed but differences in spatial distribution were seen associated with the “splash” of the high velocity DESI droplets. In a third type of experiment, the reactions of charged droplets with vapor phase reagents were examined by allowing electrosprayed droplets containing a reagent to intercept the headspace vapor of an analyte. Deposition onto a collector surface and mass analysis showed that samples in the vapor phase were captured by the electrospray droplets, and that instantaneous derivatization of the captured sample is possible in the open air. The systems examined under this condition included the derivatization of cortisone vapor with Girard T and that of 4-phenylpyridine N-oxide and 2-phenylacetophenone vapors with ethanolamine.
Cremation in Southwestern North America: Aspects of Taphonomy that Affect Pathological Analysis

Abstract The taphonomy of cremation has a great impact on the variety of bioarchaeological information that can be retrieved in the analysis of cremated bone. Aspects of the incineration process such as shrinkage, warpage and fragmentation obscure pathological evidence. Poor gleaning practices and mode of interment also limit data recovery. Despite these factors, a comparative analysis of pathology exhibited in inhumations and cremation deposits shows that certain classes of pathology can be reliably recovered from cremation deposits. These include pathology related to degenerative disease and also the lesions of porotic hyperostosis. However, evidence of dental disease and lesions of cribra orbitalia are largely destroyed by the cremation process. The results of the analysis show that pathology data can be retrieved from cremations. However, a review of cremation practice in the Southwest shows that alternate forms of cremation can affect the recovery of pathological data. From this comparison, one can predict whether or not cremation practices in any given study area will limit or enhance the retrieval of pathological data.
Irradiation effects in ceramics: transition from low to high dose behavior

Abstract Ceramics subjected to irradiation show a wide variety of damage responses, depending on composition, nature of bonding, crystal structure, starting microstructure, and type of bombarding particles. As doses reach high damage levels (a condition that varies in magnitude from one material to another), major changes in physical properties can occur, and atomic arrangements may change from crystalline to disordered. However, some ceramics show marked resistance to damage, and some properties may improve. More work is needed to fully understand these phenomena, but it is currently possible in many cases to predict at least qualitatively both microstructural damage response and observed property changes.
Resistance to extinction as a function of amount of pretraining in a free-operant situation

Two groups of five albino rats were given either no dipper training (NP) or four days of dipper training (P) in a free-operant situation, then alt Ss were given 25 days of bar-press training. Acquisition was followed by six days of extinction. Results showed both more rapid learning and more rapid extinction of the bar-pressing response by the P-group. However, the extinction results depended on the measure employed.
Metabolic Management following Bariatric Surgery

Bariatric surgery is an effective treatment option for obesity. Commonly utilized procedures are either restrictive, malabsorptive, or both. Substantial weight loss can be achieved. Postoperatively, patients experience nutritional, metabolic, and hormonal changes that have important clinical implications. The postoperative diet should be advanced carefully, according to protocol. Micronutrient deficiencies such as vitamin C, vitamin A, and zinc deficiencies are common, especially following malabsorptive procedures. Bone metabolism is greatly affected, in part due to vitamin D deficiency, decreased calcium absorption, and secondary hyperparathyroidism. Diabetes improves acutely in malabsorptive procedures and in sequence with weight loss in restrictive procedures. Polycystic ovarian syndrome improves in nearly all women with this condition who undergo bariatric surgery. Testosterone levels in men also improve after surgery. Consideration of these nutritional, metabolic, and hormonal changes allows for optimal medical management following bariatric surgery.
Irreducible polynomials over finite fields with prescribed trace/prescribed constant term

We obtain an equivalent version of Carlitz's formula for the number of monic irreducible polynomials of degree n and trace @c 0 over a finite field via an integer recurrence. Similar expressions for the @c=0 case are also given. We also obtain formulas for the number of monic irreducible polynomials of degree n and prescribed constant term.
Resistance Exercise Increases Muscle Protein Synthesis and Translation of Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 2Bϵ mRNA in a Mammalian Target of Rapamycin-dependent Manner *

The contribution of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling to the resistance exercise-induced stimulation of skeletal muscle protein synthesis was assessed by administering rapamycin to Sprague-Dawley rats 2 h prior to a bout of resistance exercise. Animals were sacrificed 16 h postexercise, and gastrocnemius protein synthesis, mTOR signaling, and biomarkers of translation initiation were assessed. Exercise stimulated the rate of protein synthesis; however, this effect was prevented by pretreatment with rapamycin. The stimulation of protein synthesis was mediated by an increase in translation initiation, since exercise caused an increase in polysome aggregation that was abrogated by rapamycin administration. Taken together, the data suggest that the effect of rapamycin was not mediated by reduced phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) binding protein 1 (BP1), because exercise did not cause a significant change in 4E-BP1(Thr-70) phosphorylation, 4E-BP1-eIF4E association, or eIF4F complex assembly concomitant with increased protein synthetic rates. Alternatively, there was a rapamycin-sensitive decrease in relative eIF2Bϵ(Ser-535) phosphorylation that was explained by a significant increase in the expression of eIF2Bϵ protein. The proportion of eIF2Bϵ mRNA in polysomes was increased following exercise, an effect that was prevented by rapamycin treatment, suggesting that the increase in eIF2Bϵ protein expression was mediated by an mTOR-dependent increase in translation of the mRNA encoding the protein. The increase in eIF2Bϵ mRNA translation and protein abundance occurred independent of similar changes in other eIF2B subunits. These data suggest a novel link between mTOR signaling and eIF2Bϵ mRNA translation that could contribute to the stimulation of protein synthesis following acute resistance exercise.
Contemporary pharmacologic issues in the management of traumatic brain injury.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of death and disability in the United States. While there are no pharmacotherapeutic options currently available for attenuating the neurologic injury cascade after TBI, numerous pharmacologic issues are encountered in these critically ill patients. Adequate fluid resuscitation, reversal of coagulopathy, maintenance of cerebral perfusion, and treatment of intracranial hypertension are common interventions early in the treatment of TBI. Other deleterious complications such as venous thromboembolism, extremes in glucose concentrations, and stress-related mucosal disease should be anticipated and avoided. Early provision of nutrition and prevention of drug or alcohol withdrawal are also cornerstones of routine care in TBI patients. Prevention of infections and seizures may also be helpful. Clinicians caring for TBI patients should be familiar with the pharmacologic issues typical of this vulnerable population in order to develop optimal strategies of care to anti...
Grand challenges in statistical genetics/genomics methodology.

Recent developments in genomic technologies have provided researchers with an unprecedented ability to probe the genetic basis of complex biological processes as well as phenotypic expression. However, as impressive as these technologies are, the analysis and interpretation of the data they generate is exceptionally challenging due to the amount and sophistication of these data. In fact, it has been said of next-generation genomic technologies that they often result in situations in which researchers are “drowning in data, but thirsting for knowledge.” Frontiers in Statistical Genetics and Methodology (FSGM) will provide a forum for theoretically minded statistical geneticists to publish methodology in an effort to help quench this thirst. In this context, as the senior editors of FSGM we feel that there are a number of important areas in modern statistical genomics that have immediate needs for methodological developments. We outline some of these below, but by no means want to convey the sense that FSGM will only publish papers dealing with these areas, as the field of statistical genomics is simply too broad and filled with too many challenges and needs to restrict attention of FSGM to a few thematic areas.