cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Zero interface tensions at the deconfining phase transition for a matrix model of a SU(∞) gauge theory

Using a matrix model, we model the deconfining phase transition at nonzero temperature for a $SU(N)$ gauge theory at large $N$. At infinite $N$ the matrix model exhibits a Gross-Witten-Wadia transition. We show that at the critical temperature ${T}_{d}$, both the order-disorder and the order-order interface tensions vanish identically. We estimate how these quantities approach zero in the matrix model as $T\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{T}_{d}$ and as $N\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$. The numerical solution of the matrix model suggests possible nonmonotonic behavior in $N$ for relatively small values of $N$, $N\ensuremath{\sim}5$.
Structure and Gas Barrier Properties of Poly(propylene-graft-maleic anhydride)/Phosphate Glass Composites Prepared by Microlayer Coextrusion

Alternating (A−B−A)n polymer films with individual layer thicknesses in the 3−25 μm range were produced using a robust layer multiplying coextrusion process. Such a film with layers of a poly(propylene-graft-maleic anhydride) (PPgMA) alternating with layers of PPgMA containing a phosphate glass (Pglass) upon biaxial orientation exhibited percolation of high barrier filler platelets resulting in reduction in gas permeation by two to 3 orders of magnitude. This unprecedented reduction in oxygen permeability was attributed to the high volume fraction of highly aligned Pglass platelets in the polymer matrix resembling a brick wall microstructure. Biaxially oriented films with 20 vol % Pglass content exhibited a microstructure resembling alternating organic and inorganic layers, a close replica of natural biocomposites. Structural models for permeability indicated that enhanced barrier resulted from increased tortuosity of the diffusion pathway provided by the aligned high aspect ratio platelets. Aspect ratios...
Glucose deprivation neuronal injury in vitro is modified by withdrawal of extracellular glutamine.

Summary: Cultured cortical neurons deprived of glucose in a defined solution containing 2 mM glutamine became acutely swollen and went on to degenerate over the next day; this neuronal loss could be substantially attenuated by an N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist. Removal of extracellular glutamine produced two effects: an increase in overall neuronal injury and a decrease in the protective effect of an NMDA antagonist. Both effects of glutamine removal were glutamine concentration dependent (EC50 for both ~300 µM) and not reversed by substitution of equimolar concentrations of alanine or argin-ine. These observations suggest that glucose deprivation neuronal injury may be tonically regulated by the presence of extracellular glutamine. We speculate that glutamine may reduce overall injury by serving as an energy substrate in the absence of glucose, but may increase NMDA receptor-mediated injury by serving as a precursor for transmitter excitatory amino acids.
Direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription medications: implications for patients with cancer.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To review the phenomenon of direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of prescription medications in the media, with an overview of pertinent studies in the literature regarding patients' and healthcare professionals' perspectives on DTC advertising. DATA SOURCES Journal articles, media, and clinical experience. DATA SYNTHESIS DTC advertising of prescription medications is extremely prevalent in U.S. society. Advertising of medications is an expensive business; yearly spending is expected to reach $7.5 billion by 2005. Although opinions vary regarding DTC advertising, healthcare professionals, including oncology nurses, must be prepared to discuss DTC-advertised medications and treatments with their patients. CONCLUSIONS Communication is the key to helping patients decipher the deluge of DTC advertisements in the media and determine the accuracy of this ever-increasing source of medical information. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING Oncology nurses need to be aware of the increases in DTC advertising of prescription medications and the importance of guiding patients through appropriate medication choices by education.
Nasopharyngeal acid reflux and Eustachian tube dysfunction in adults.

Objective:This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between nasopharyngeal pH and Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) in adults.Study Design:Unmatched case-control study.Methods:Forty-one subject...
Correlations and pair formation in a repulsively interacting Fermi gas.

A degenerate Fermi gas is rapidly quenched into the regime of strong effective repulsion near a Feshbach resonance. The spin fluctuations are monitored using speckle imaging and, contrary to several theoretical predictions, the samples remain in the paramagnetic phase for an arbitrarily large scattering length. Over a wide range of interaction strengths a rapid decay into bound pairs is observed over times on the order of $10\ensuremath{\hbar}/{E}_{F}$, preventing the study of equilibrium phases of strongly repulsive fermions. Our work suggests that a Fermi gas with strong short-range repulsive interactions does not undergo a ferromagnetic phase transition.
Optical depths and haze particle sizes during AGASP III

Abstract The optical properties of Arctic Haze were studied using a total-direct-diffuse radiometer as part of the Arctic Gas Aerosol Sampling Project, part III (AGASP III). The radiometer was installed on the NOAA WP-3D research aircraft and measured solar downwelling irradiance in seven narrow-band channels in the visible and near-infra-red. Haze optical depths had maximum values near 0.1 in the mid-visible for AGASP flights 310 and 311. An inferred particle size spectrum from flight 311 extinction measurements showed two dominant modes near 0.1 and 0.8 μm. A method of retrieving the angular dependence of scattered radiation is presented and suggests the presence of thin cirrus.
SERIAL CHANGES IN MYOCARDIAL STRAIN IN MEDICALLY MANAGED SEVERE AORTIC STENOSIS AND LONG TERM OUTCOMES

Patients with severe AS can exhibit impaired GLS despite preserved LVEF. The aim of this study was to examine the changes in global longitudinal strain (GLS) over time among patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) and preserved ejection fraction (LVEF) during a period of medical management.
Structure and function of JC virus T' proteins.

The initial sequence analyses of the primate polyomavirus genomes conrmed the identity of 2 proteins, the large and small tumor antigens (TAg and tAg), encoded by the viral early regions. These multifunctional regulatory proteins are translated from transcripts generated by alternative splicing of the viral early mRNA. TAg, and to a lesser extent tAg, mediates viral DNA replication and oncogenic activities. Over a decade after the publication of the simian virus 40 (SV40), JC virus (JCV), and BK virus (BKV) genetic maps, additional early proteins were discovered that are products of transcripts that undergo further processing of each virus’ precursor early mRNAs (Figure 1). There are good reasons to predict that these “truncated” versions of TAg contribute to the pathogenic and oncogenic potential of the viruses that produce them. For example, these proteins are conserved in polyomaviruses of mice,monkeys, and humans, expressed in signicant amounts in cells infected by JCV and BKV, and encoded by sequences overlapping the amino-terminal functional domains of T/tAgs. This paper focuses on the functional analysis of three of these proteins, T135, T136, and T 0 165, produced by JCV. Also included are a summary of their discovery, structure, and interactions with cellular tumor suppressor and chaperone proteins.
Statistical mechanics and Lorentz violation

The theory of statistical mechanics is studied in the presence of Lorentz-violating background fields. The analysis is performed using the Standard-Model Extension (SME) together with a Jaynesian formulation of statistical inference. Conventional laws of thermodynamics are obtained in the presence of a perturbed hamiltonian that contains the Lorentz-violating terms. As an example, properties of the nonrelativistic ideal gas are calculated in detail. To lowest order in Lorentz violation, the scalar thermodynamic variables are only corrected by a rotationally invariant combination of parameters that mimics a (frame dependent) effective mass. Spin-couplings can induce a temperature-independent polarization in the classical gas that is not present in the conventional case. Precision measurements in the residual expectation values of the magnetic moment of Fermi gases in the limit of high temperature may provide interesting limits on these parameters.
Delayed neurotoxicity of O-ethyl O-2,4-dichlorophenyl phenylphosphonothioate: Effects of a single oral dose on hens☆

Abstract Delayed neurotoxicity was produced in hens after the administration of a single oral dose of technical (96.43%) O -ethyl O -2,4-dichlorophenyl phenylphosphonothioate (S-Seven) in a gelatin capsule. Doses ranged from 800 to 5000 mg/kg. Hens given 5000 mg/kg also received atropine sulfate to protect them against acute toxicity. S-Seven caused loss of appetite and weight and resulted in ataxia which progressed in some hens to paralysis and death. Controls consisted of four groups of hens given a single oral dose of 500 mg/kg tri- o -cresyl phosphate (TOCP), 10 mg/kg parathion, 30 mg/kg atropine sulfate, or an empty gelatin capsule. TOCP-Treated hens developed delayed neurotoxicity while those given parathion showed weakness but subsequently recovered. Atropine sulfate and gelatin capsule controls remained normal. Degeneration of axons and myelin in the spinal cord was the most consistent histologic change and was identical to that found in TOCP control hens. Only one hen showed sciatic nerve degeneration. Three groups of hens which were given single oral doses of 100, 200, or 400 mg/kg S-Seven showed no neurologic signs of delayed neurotoxicity and their nerve tissues were not damaged. These results add strong confirmative evidence to the hypothesis that delayed neurotoxicity is a general feature of phenylphosphonothioate insecticides.
On the Nature of a Defect in Cells from Individuals with Ataxia-Telangiectasia

The cells and tissues of patients with ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T), an inherited disease characterized by a high degree of proneness to cancer, are abnormally sensitive to ionizing radiation. Noncycling cultures of normal human and A-T fibroblasts were exposed to x-rays so that the breakage and rejoining of prematurely condensed chromosomes in the G1 phase could be compared. After a dose of 6.0 grays, both cell types had the same initial frequency of breaks and the same rate for rejoining of the breaks, but the fraction of breaks that did not rejoin was five to six times greater for the A-T cells. The results also show that progression of cells into the S phase is not a prerequisite for the increased frequency of chromosome fragments that appear in mitosis after A-T cells are irradiated in the G1 or G0 phase.
Electrical double layer, zeta potential, and electrophoretic charge of double-stranded DNA

The principal aim of this work is the proper interpretation of electrophoresis as an important tool for determining the immediate ionic environment of polyelectrolyte molecules like DNA. We also explore the relation with other experiments. We define an electrostatic model of double-stranded DNA in monovalent salt solutions. The electrical double layer is divided in an inner Stern layer, inside the surface of hydrodynamic shear of DNA, and a Gouy-Chapman type diffuse ionic atmosphere with cylindrical symmetry outside the shear surface. We discuss the assumptions made in applying to DNA the charge-potential relation and the electrical free-energy expression of the charged cylinder with a Gouy double layer. The conclusion is that reliable free-energy data, better than 1kT per phosphate group, require a detailed model of the Stern layer. On the other hand, the Gouy model of a charged cylinder should be fairly good for the interpretation of the electrophoretic mobility of DNA. We introduce several modifications of the linear electrophoresis theory of the cylinder (Henry-Gorin), related to the averaging over the orientations of DNA in the external electrical field, the relaxation effect, the nonlinear charge-potential relation, and to geometrical aspects of the DNA model. Applied to published mobility data the modified theory yields roughly the same ζ potentials as before, but DNA charges which are about twice as high as derived earlier from the linear Henry-Gorin theory. The charge calculation is quite sensitive to the assumed geometrical model of DNA. Our electrophoresis results are somewhat higher than the charges derived from Donnan equilibria of DNA in monovalent salt solutions measured by Strauss et al. The required self-consistency of electrophoretic charge and ζ potential of DNA as a function of the salt concentration is treated on the basis of adsorption of counterions to the DNA phosphate groups (site binding). It is predicted that at low ionic strength the electrophoretic charge of DNA should be independent of the salt concentration.
Calorimetric analysis of the plasma proteome: identification of type 1 diabetes patients with early renal function decline.

Background Microalbuminuria (MA) has been questioned as a predictor of progressive renal dysfunction in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Consequently, new clinical end points are needed that identify or predict patients that are at risk for early renal function decline (ERFD). The potential clinical utility of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis of blood plasma and other biofluids has recently been reported. This method provides an alternate physical basis with which to study disease-associated changes in the bulk plasma proteome.
The diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in community mental health centers: Where and when

The high degree of coexistence of attentional disorders, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), with a number of other disorders continues to pose diagnostic problems and to highlight a continuing need to differentiate better between overlapping diagnoses. The purpose of this study was to assess the extent to which this type of diagnostic confusion continues to exist in referrals for assessment of ADHD to community mental health centers. Using referrals to a specialized ADHD Clinic of our center, 92 children with a previous diagnosis of ADHD were provided comprehensive evaluations, addressing cognitive, intellectual, personality, academic, social, behavioral, developmental, and medical concerns. After comprehensive evaluation and careful review of the results, only 22% of our sample were given a primary diagnosis of ADHD and only 37% a secondary diagnosis of ADHD. Substantial numbers of children were diagnosed instead with primary anxiety and mood disorders. Reasons for this discrepancy are discussed.
Tunneling current through a resonant structure

Tunneling transport through a resonant double-barrier structure is examined, with attention focused on the suppression of transmission current due to Pauli exclusion arising from population growth of the resonant state. A quasi-analytic theory is developed to self-consistently determine the population of the resonant state and its exclusion suppression of tunneling. Furthermore, the role of resonant state population in inducing an electrostatic increase of the resonant level energy, which tends to enhace tunneling, is considered. Taking all these features in joint consideration, a quasi-analytic description of intrinsic bistability in the regime of negative differential conductance is achieved, exhibiting hysteresis in the I-U characteristic
Semiconducting Carbon Nanotube Aerogel Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells

Using a novel two-step fabrication scheme, we create highly semiconducting-enriched single-walled carbon nanotube (sSWNT) bulk heterojunctions (BHJs) by first creating highly porous interconnected sSWNT aerogels (sSWNT-AEROs), followed by back-filling the pores with [6,6]-phenyl-C(71)-butyric acid methyl ester (PC(71)BM). We demonstrate sSWNT-AERO structures with density as low as 2.5 mg cm(-3), porosity as high as 99.8%, and diameter of sSWNT fibers ≤ 10 nm. Upon spin coating with PC(71)BM, the resulting sSWNT-AERO-PC(71)BM nanocomposites exhibit highly quenched sSWNT photoluminescence, which is attributed to the large interfacial area between the sSWNT and PC(71)BM phases, and an appropriate sSWNT fiber diameter that matches the inter-sSWNT exciton migration length. Employing the sSWNT-AERO-PC(71)BM BHJ structure, we report optimized solar cells with a power conversion efficiency of 1.7%, which is exceptional among polymer-like solar cells in which sSWNTs are designed to replace either the polymer or fullerene component. A fairly balanced photocurrent is achieved with 36% peak external quantum efficiency (EQE) in the visible and 19% peak EQE in the near-infrared where sSWNTs serve as electron donors and photoabsorbers. Our results prove the effectiveness of this new method in controlling the sSWNT morphology in BHJ structures, suggesting a promising route towards highly efficient sSWNT photoabsorbing solar cells.
Modification of the Stat1 SH2 Domain Broadly Improves Interferon Efficacy in Proportion to p300/CREB-binding Protein Coactivator Recruitment

A normal level of interferon (IFN) responsiveness via the Stat1 transcription factor is critical to the host, since decreased Stat1 signaling causes immune compromise and increased signaling is associated with inflammatory and neoplastic disease. Here we report how this balance may be influenced by novel alterations in the efficiency of Stat1 signaling. To enable disulfide-dependent and spontaneous formation of active Stat1 homodimer (as was done previously for Stat3), we engineered Stat1-CC with double-cysteine substitutions in the Src homology 2 (SH2)-homodimerization domain (at Ala-656 and Asn-658). In this case, however, mutant and wild-type Stat1 exhibited no difference inspontaneousdimerization. Moreover, Stat1-CC still required ligand-dependent Tyr-701 phosphorylation for function and exhibited hyperresponsiveness to IFN-β (that depends on Stat1/Stat2 heterodimerization) as well as IFN-γ (that depends on Stat1/Stat1 homodimerization). Hyperresponsivenss of Stat1-CC was accompanied by increased capacities for Tyr-701 phosphorylation and DNA binding, but these features were also found in a similarly substituted serine mutant (Stat1-SS) that showed no hyperresponsiveness to IFN-γ. This finding raised the possibility that SH2 domain mutations also influence downstream transcriptional efficiency. Indeed, each of these mutations also enhanced recruitment of the normally rate-limiting p300/CREB-binding Protein (CBP) coactivator to the transcriptional complex in proportion to the level of IFN-driven transactivation and gene expression. Additional modifications indicated that the mutant residues in the SH2 domain appeared to cooperate with Ser-727 in the C-terminal domain to regulate p300/CBP interaction with Stat1. The profile of IFN responsiveness translated into the same progressive increase in the level of viral clearance from Stat1- to Stat1-SS- to Stat1-CC-expressing cells. Thus, SH2 domain determinants may be modified to direct better Stat1 phosphorylation, DNA binding, and coactivator recruitment to fully improve IFN efficacy.
Cardiac fibroblasts: the good, the bad, the ugly, the beautiful.

This special issue is focused on the role of fibroblasts in cardiac biology. Fibroblasts are the most numerous cells in the heart, and although their role in promoting fibrosis in the diseased heart has been recognized for more than 50 years, it is only more recently that their active involvement in both normal cardiovascular biology and many other aspects of cardiac pathophysiology besides fibrosis have been recognized. Not only do fibroblasts play a key role in cardiac development, but once theheart has achievedits mature adult form, fibroblastsare thesentinel cells that are continuously reshaping the extracellular matrix to optimize the contractile function of the myocytes embedded within that matrix. Fibroblasts are also the key player in scar formation when the heart is injured. This becomes the double-edged sword in heart disease – when the heart is injured, scar formation is essential to maintain the structural integrity of the heart walls and prevent rupture – however, scar formation also impairs contractile performance and makes the heart susceptible to arrhythmias. The therapeutic dream is to be able to direct cardiac repair in a way that maintains the heart's structural stability without impairing its electromechanical function. Fibroblast biology will play a critical role in attempts to regenerate cardiac tissue using stem cell approaches, since fibroblasts will manufacture the extracellular matrix in which the regenerated myocytes reside. These are challenging issues, as the biology of cardiac fibroblasts is complex because they are comprised of heterogeneous populations of cells with distinct developmental origins which may dictate their basal functions as well as responses to stress.
High Open-Circuit Voltage in Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells

High open-circuit voltage (V{sub oc}) silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells are fabricated in double-heterojunction a-Si:H/c-Si/a-Si:H structures using low temperature (< 225 C) hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) contacts deposited by hot-wire chemical vapor deposition (HWCVD). On p-type c-Si float-zone wafers, we used an amorphous n/i contact to the top surface and an i/p contact to the back surface to obtain a V{sub oc} of 667 mV in a 1 cm{sup 2} cell with an efficiency of 18.2%. This is the best reported p-type SHJ voltage. In our labs, it improves over the 652 mV cell obtained with a front amorphous n/i heterojunction emitter and a high-temperature alloyed Al back-surface-field contact. On n-type c-Si float-zone wafers, we used an a-Si:H (p/i) front emitter and an a-Si:H (i/n) back contact to achieve a V{sub oc} of 691 mV on 1 cm{sup 2} cell. Though not as high as the 730 mV reported by Sanyo on n-wafers, this is the highest reported V{sub oc} for SHJ c-Si cells processed by the HWCVD technique. We found that effective c-Si surface cleaning and a double-heterojunction are keys to obtaining high Voc. Transmission electron microscopy reveals that high V{sub oc} cells require an abrupt interface from c-Simore » to a-Si:H. If the transition from the base wafer to the a-Si:H incorporates either microcrystalline or epitaxial Si at c-Si interface, a low V{sub oc} will result. Lifetime measurement shows that the back-surface-recombination velocity (BSRV) can be reduced to {approx}15 cm/s through a-Si:H passivation. Amorphous silicon heterojunction layers on crystalline wafers thus combine low-surface recombination velocity with excellent carrier extraction.« less
Using space and network diversity combining to solve masked node collision in wireless adhoc network

In wireless ad hoc network, the traditional carrier sensing multiple access/collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) protocol cannot solve the masked node problem, which affect the network performance greatly. Our proposed collision separation technique overcomes the shortcoming of the IEEE 802.11 request-to-send-clear-to-send (RTS-CTS) handshake by combining the space diversity provided by the antenna array and network diversity provided by the media access control (MAC) layer. In this work, the colliding packets caused by masked nodes are not discarded but stored and combined with the selected retransmission packets to separate the data from different nodes. The steady states of the nodes in the network are analyzed via a Markov chain model. The network goodput and delay performance are also investigated. Compared to network assisted diversity multiple access (NDMA), our proposed method, i.e., space and network diversity combination, SNDC for short, can provide higher throughput and lower delay performance.
Development and evaluation of a just-in-time support system.

Objective: To lay the foundation for a framework of just-in-time support (JITS) for novices dealing with urgent, unfamiliar tasks, and to evaluate a JITS system. Background: More than 350,000 peopl...
Insulin-like growth factor binding protein control secretion and mechanisms of action.

The insulin-like growth factors are present in extracellular fluids bound to high affinity soluble binding proteins. This localization of IGF-I and II in the pericellular microenvironment in association with IGF binding proteins suggests a role for these proteins in controlling the amount of IGF that is transported to specific cell types and the amount of growth factor that is available to associate with type I and II IGF receptors. This theory has recently been strengthened by the observation that each of the IGF binding proteins that have been purified has an affinity constant that is higher than the type I IGF receptor.1 Therefore these proteins have the capacity to partition IGF-I and II between receptors and the extracellular fluid compartment. Other proposed functions of the IGF binding proteins include acting as a high affinity carriers in plasma and preventing uncontrolled efflux of the IGFs from the vascular space. In blood IGF-I and II form a 150 kilodalton complex with IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3)2. The complex is not transported across intact capillaries and forms a reservoir of IGF that is available for utilization by peripheral tissues. Since IGF-I and II are believed to be secreted into blood and utilized by peripheral tissues at a relatively constant rate, the binding protein in the vascular compartment may provide a means for maintaining a sustained amount of growth factor that is available for transport into extracellular fluids.
4.4 Å cryo‐EM structure of an enveloped alphavirus Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus

Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV), a member of the membrane-containing Alphavirus genus, is a human and equine pathogen, and has been developed as a biological weapon. Using electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM), we determined the structure of an attenuated vaccine strain, TC-83, of VEEV to 4.4 A resolution. Our density map clearly resolves regions (including E1, E2 transmembrane helices and cytoplasmic tails) that were missing in the crystal structures of domains of alphavirus subunits. These new features are implicated in the fusion, assembly and budding processes of alphaviruses. Furthermore, our map reveals the unexpected E3 protein, which is cleaved and generally thought to be absent in the mature VEEV. Our structural results suggest a mechanism for the initial stage of nucleocapsid core formation, and shed light on the virulence attenuation, host recognition and neutralizing activities of VEEV and other alphavirus pathogens.
COMPARISONS OF UNDEVELOPED AND DEVELOPED SHORELANDS, NORTHERN WISCONSIN, AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR RESTORATION

Development of lakeshores has occurred at unprecedented levels in recent decades. Changes in the shoreland ecosystem concomitant with this development have been little studied. In this study, we compared the structural and floristic characteristics of vegetation at 97 developed and 85 undeveloped (reference) shoreland sites in northern Wisconsin, USA. Quantitative comparisons of vegetation structural characteristics (percent cover of canopy, subcanopy, and understory vegetation layers; percent of shoreline overhung by trees and shrubs; and amount of coarse woody debris) showed significantly greater complexity and cover at undeveloped versus developed sites. We classified plant communities and described plant species composition along three belt transects parallel to shore (upland, shoreline, and shallow water) using ordination techniques to describe the differences between developed and undeveloped sites, as well as among undeveloped sites. The mean number of plant species and the percent of native species were both greater at undeveloped than at developed sites along all three transects. Undeveloped upland sites could be grouped by plant species composition into three types: Northern Wet Forest (bog species), Northern Mesic Forest, and Northern Xeric Forest. Undeveloped shoreline vegetation was also clustered into three categories: bog species, upland species with an abrupt transition to aquatic species, and wet meadow species. Soil characteristics further distinguished the upland and shoreline categories. No distinct vegetation categories emerged in the shallow water ordination. We recommend that appropriate species for shoreland restoration efforts be selected based on the native plant communities present at the undeveloped sites, their relative location along an upland to shallow water gradient, and, in some cases, soil characteristics.
Keynote II: Integrated modeling challenges in extreme-scale computing

Extreme-scale computer systems of the future target orders of magnitude improvement in performance over current large-scale server or supercomputing systems. These targets must be achieved for the same power consumption and reliability at the system level. Accomplishing the goal requires investment in new generation integrated pre-silicon modeling environments that allow rapid exploration of power, performance and reliability tradeoffs. In this talk, I present an overview of the alluded modeling challenges and methods of hierarchical abstractions to ease the pre-silicon simulation bottleneck.
Airborne resistivity mapping

A brief overview is presented of the theory and techniques for mapping the electrical resistivity of surficial formations by interpreting airborne electromagnetic induction data. Although the method has not yet reached its full potential, useful information can be obtained on the thickness, the conductivity, and the depth below the surface of any conductive unconsolidated material. Practical applications of this geophysical method include the mapping of aquifers, the delineation of salt-water intrusions, and the estimation of the depth of valley fill material. The instrumentation is described and both time- and frequency-domain systems are discussed. Methods and examples of automated data interpretation are given. On the basis of the results available it is concluded that with the available equipment and using the limited methods of interpretation described, one can map the thickness of the uppermost layer (be it conductive or resistive) to a depth somewhat greater than 50 m with an accuracy of about 10-20 m. >
New drug target in protozoan parasites: the role of thioredoxin reductase

Amebiasis causes approximately 70,000 deaths annually and is the third cause of death due to parasites worldwide. It is treated primarily with metronidazole, which has adverse side effects, is mutagenic and carcinogenic, and emergence of resistance is an increasing concern. Unfortunately, better therapeutic alternatives are lacking. Re-purposing of older FDA approved drugs is advantageous to drug discovery since safety and pharmacokinetic effects in humans are already known. In high throughput screening studies, we recently demonstrated that auranofin, a gold containing compound originally approved to treat rheumatoid arthritis, has activity against trophozoites of E. histolytica, the causative agent of amebiasis. Auranofin's anti-parasitic activity is attributed to its monovalent gold molecule that readily inhibits E. histolytica thioredoxin reductase. This anti-oxidant enzyme is the only thiol-dependent flavo-reductase present in E. histolytica. Auranofin has also shown promising activity against other protozoans of significant public health importance. Altogether, this evidence suggests that auranofin has the potential to become a broad spectrum alternative therapeutic agent for diseases with a large global burden.
Image steganography and steganalysis

Image steganography is used to embed covert messages in the form of files, text, or other images in digital images. The intent is to transmit hidden information. Steganalysis is the process used to detect hidden messages in images. Although steganography is not a new discipline, it has become increasingly important in today's digital world where information is often and easily exchanged through the Internet, email, and other means using computers. The need for better methods and techniques which can be used both to embed hidden information in images and to detect messages hidden in images is driving new research in the area of steganography and steganalysis. This article surveys image steganography and steganalysis. The aim is to introduce the uninformed reader to image steganography and steganalysis. The key concepts behind image steganography and steganalysis are explained. The history and origin of steganography are outlined. Steganography is compared with watermarking in technique and intent. Details of how images are represented are explained. Methods and algorithms used to embed messages in images and to detect embedded messages are explored. Currently available steganography and steganalysis tools are explained. A demonstration of how to embed hidden information in an image using available steganography tools is provided. WIREs Comp Stat 2011 3 251–259 DOI: 10.1002/wics.152 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
A study of tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) doped plasma-polymerized aniline films

Summary form only given, as follows. Thin films of plasma-polymerized aniline were doped during plasma processing with sublimation vapors from TTF powder. Using techniques described in the literature on Knudsen cells, sublimators and effusion cells, TTF precursor vapors were processed along with aniline vapor using both pulsed and steady state RF excitation. Substrate material was indium tin oxide (ITO) on glass slides. After fabrication the transparent ITO layer formed the positive electrode while the negative electrode consisted of stainless steel, aluminum, gold, silver or carbon. Nonlinear current voltage (IV) characteristics were measured for these solid-state films. Under certain conditions light was emitted from these devices during the IV measurements.
Vegetation competition effects on aboveground biomass and macronutrients, leaf area, and crown structure in 5-year old Douglas-fir

Vegetation control (VC) in forest plantations often increases growth of crop trees but can also affect biomass and nutrient partitioning to tree components. We examined above-ground biomass and macronutrients, leaf area and crown structure in 5-year old Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziessi (Mirb.) Franco) growing with VC and with no vegetation control (NVC) in coastal Washington, United States of America. Trees in VC had larger stem, branch, foliage and total biomass than trees of equal stem diameter at 1.3 m above ground in NVC. The difference in component biomass between treatments was in the order: branch > foliage > stem. Trees in the VC regime did not differ in macronutrient concentration in stem, branch and foliage except for branch N which was greater in NVC than in VC. Differences in tree macronutrient stores between VC and NVC ranged from 2.2 times for Mg to 2.6 times for N and K. The relationship between stem diameter and leaf area was linear in both VC treatments. The relationship between stem diameter and foliage biomass was curvilinear for both VC treatments. Results of this study support the need for separated allometric equations to estimate biomass for young Douglas-fir growing in areas with and without VC.
SHOESTRING DEMOCRACY: GATED CONDOMINIUMS AND MARKET‐RATE COOPERATIVES IN NEW YORK

: This article develops the concept of shoestring democracy as a way to characterize the resulting social relations of private governance structures embedded in two types of collective housing schemes found in New York City and the adjoining suburbs: gated condominium communities (gated condominiums) and market-rate cooperative apartment complexes (co-ops). Drawing from ethnographies of gated condominiums and co-ops in New York City and neighboring Nassau County, New York, we compare these two forms of collective home ownership regarding the impact of private governance structures on residents and their sense of representation and participation in ongoing community life. “Shoestring democracy” encompasses a broad range of behaviors utilized to insulate residents from local conflicts and disagreements, and limits rather than promotes political participation. The greatest differences between the co-ops and gated condominiums were found in discussions of safety and security, in that condominium residents have developed an elaborate discourse of the fear of crime and others, especially racialized others, to explain why they moved to their secured communities. Co-op interviewees, on the other hand, generally felt a sense of safety in their buildings, often due to the gatekeeper effect of the co-op board and doormen. In gated communities, covenants, contracts, and deed restrictions (CC&Rs) guarantee that most problems are resolved before they start. While the same can be said for co-ops, interviewees find that these rules and regulations seem to mystify everyday governing practices for the average co-op resident. Moral minimalism and a lack of structural and procedural knowledge may insulate residents from local conflicts and disagreement, but also may discourage civic participation. Exploring the apathy residents expressed about participation and a lack of representation suggests that although the Rochdale principles of cooperation that are the legal and social basis for co-ops may have been important at one time, current practices of private governing boards do more to restrict participatory democratic practices than encourage them. The policy implications are outlined with suggestions of how to make homeowners associations and co-op boards more accountable and encourage greater adherence to the original co-op mandate.
PH-responsive hydrogels with dispersed hydrophobic nanoparticles for the oral delivery of chemotherapeutics

Amphiphilic polymer carriers were formed by polymerizing a hydrophilic, pH-responsive hydrogel composed of poly(methacrylic-grafted-ethylene glycol) (P(MAA-g-EG)) in the presence of hydrophobic PMMA nanoparticles. These polymer carriers were varied in PMMA nanoparticle content to elicit a variety of physiochemical properties which would preferentially load doxorubicin, a hydrophobic chemotherapeutic, and release doxorubicin locally in the colon for the treatment of colon cancers. Loading levels ranged from 49% to 64% and increased with increasing nanoparticle content. Doxorubicin loaded polymers were released in a physiological model where low pH was used to simulate the stomach and then stepped to more neutral conditions to simulate the upper small intestine. P(MAA-g-EG) containing nanoparticles were less mucoadhesive as determined using a tensile tester, polymer samples, and fresh porcine small intestine. The cytocompatibility of the polymer materials were assessed using cell lines representing the GI tract and colon cancer and were noncytotoxic at varying concentrations and exposure times.
Economic Analysis of Unrestricted Warfare

Economic analysis offers two concepts relevant to the study and application of unrestricted warfare: a conception of universal human nature (unchanged by culture and by time) and an appreciation for institutions and the constraints they impose. The economist's fundamental analytical framework derives from the combination of these two concepts. Institutions don't make decisions - people do. But an individual makes a decision within an institution. Al Qaeda is an institution; Osama bin Laden is a decision-maker. Iraq did not choose to invade Kuwait in 1990; Saddam Hussein chose to invade, and he made his choices within the institutional constraints of the Office of President of Iraq. Individuals making decisions in conditions of scarcity - this defines economic science and provides the fundamental starting point for the study of unrestricted warfare. The individual decision-maker and the institutional constraints - these two elements compose the building blocks for economic analysis applied to unrestricted warfare.
Open Borders, Intellectual Property Policy, and Federal Criminal Trade Secret Law

The mobility of skilled labor across firms has been identified as an important source of regional advantage. Scholars have shown how cultural, economic, and legal conditions (such as the nonenforceability of covenants not to compete) affect the development of high tech sectors that are geographically concentrated. This paper explores to what extent these theories are applicable to the movement of skilled labor across national borders. This inquiry is relevant because the United States enacted the Economic Espionage Act in 1996, and this Act has been used to prosecute non-US skilled workers for theft of trade secret. The Act has application to mobility within the United States as well. To what extent are justifications for the Economic Espionage Act of 1996 mitigated by its effects on labor mobility and the accompanying transfer of knowledge and technology? This paper addresses this question through a theoretical discussion of international trade and mobility of labor and knowledge across borders and an assessment of the case law under the Economic Espionage Act. The author criticizes the Act because of its effect on the transfer of knowledge and makes the case for open borders to promote the mobility of knowledge. Several policy implications are drawn for limits on the Economic Espionage Act, including extraterritorial application of state trade secret law and federal patent law.
Neoplastic Transformation in Tissues of Rats Exposed to Monocrotaline or Dehydroretronecine

Male Sprague-Dawley rats received sc injections biweekly of either the pyrrolizidine alkaloid monocrotaline or its metabolite dehydroretronecine for 1 year. The animals were then observed for an additional 12 months for the induction of neoplasms. Of 60 rats that received dehydroretronecine, 39 developed rhabdomyosarcomas at the injection site, and 5 of these neoplasms metastasized. In the 60 monocrotaline-treated rats, 31 widely dispersed tumors of various cell types were recorded. The reason suggested for the variation in tissue response was that the metabolite dehydroretronecine is a proximate carcinogen, whereas monocrotaline must first be metabolized before its carcinogenic potential is realized.
Value of Complete Full‐length Lower Extremity Sonography in Patients Undergoing Computed Tomographic Pulmonary Angiography

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the diagnostic yield of complete lower extremity venous sonography for diagnosing deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in patients undergoing computed tomographic (CT) pulmonary angiography for suspected pulmonary embolism (PE). METHODS We retrospectively reviewed all cases of lower extremity venous sonography and CT pulmonary angiography performed within 1 day of each other (n = 147) in a tertiary care center. Indications for the studies performed, angiographic findings, sonographic findings, age, sex, inpatient/outpatient status, lower extremity symptoms, and treatment status were recorded. Prevalence rates and patient characteristics were compared by χ(2) and Fisher exact probability tests where appropriate. Multivariable logistic regression with acute PE as the outcome was performed for age, sex, interval between angiography and sonography, indication for angiography, inpatient/outpatient status, and venous sonographic findings. RESULTS The prevalence of PE (23.8%) was similar to the prevalence of DVT (27.9%). Angiographic findings were not associated with the interval between angiography and sonography or inpatient/outpatient status. Acute DVT was more likely (P = .0009) when angiographic findings were positive (51.4%), but DVT prevalence was still substantial (20.5%) in patients with negative angiographic findings. Lower extremity symptoms were not associated with DVT in cases with negative angiographic findings (P = .48). Eighteen of the 23 patients with acute DVT and negative angiographic findings were treated. CONCLUSIONS There is a high rate of DVT in a population undergoing CT pulmonary angiography for suspected PE even when PE is not diagnosed. Our data apply to a tertiary care institution, suggest a surveillance bias, and favor the utility of venous sonography in this population.
Adopted Children: Who Do They Turn to for Help and Why?

The overwhelming majority of adoption studies have focused on adoptive parents' perceptions and feelings about post-adoption services and resources. Perhaps unintentionally, the adoption community has neglected the personal experiences of adoption told from the point of view of adopted children. This pilot study attempted to close this gap in the research literature by asking a sample of adopted children to describe their challenges vis-a-vis adoption, how they cope with such challenges, the barriers they encounter in seeking support, and what things they or someone else could do to help assist them. Concept mapping, an alternative methodological approach combining qualitative and quantitative strategies, was used to analyze the statements generated by the adopted children. Implications for future research on post-adoption service provision are discussed.
Results of Surgical Treatment of Severe Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Adjunctive internal neurolysis of the median nerve followed by release of the transverse carpal ligament is widely performed for treating carpal tunnel syndrome. However, the efficacy of internal neurolysis is still controversial. In this series, eleven hands in eleven patients had internal neurolysis of the median nerve and carpal tunnel release, twelve hands in eleven patients had standard ligament release alone.Thenar muscle strength and bulk were recorded in all hands. Median nerve function was evaluated using the two-point discrimination test and electromyography. Preoperatively, all hands had severe thenar muscle atrophy with no motor response to stimulation.Analysing the postoperative data, the majority of hands in both groups achieved satisfactory results and there was no significant difference between the results of the two groups. Results of this study indicate that standard surgical release of the transverse carpal ligament is equally effective in patients with severe carpal tunnel syndrome. Therefore, it can be suggested that internal neurolysis is not necessary in the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome.
Overt Trial and Error in the Problem Solving of Preschool Children

*Recommended by George D. Stoddard and received for publication by Carl Murchison of the Editorial Board, March 24, 1930. 1See (1). 2This investigation was directed at the Iowa Child Welfare Research Station by Dr. Beth L. Wellman.
Fluid and electrolyte movement across intestinal wall of bullfrog.

Summary1) Isolated sacs of small and large intestine of the bullfrog incubated at room temperature, transfer water and electrolyte from mucosa to serosa. The transfer of chloride results not only in a net movement but also in creation of concentration gradients which are pronounced in the case of both small and large intestine. There is an increase in bicarbonate concentratiion at the mucosal surface of the small intestine and a decrease in bicarbonate concentration at the mucosal surface of the large intestine. 2) Eversion of the intestines resulted in sacs that were significantly permeable to radio-inulin. Associated with this abnormal permeability, there is a greater transfer of water and smaller ionic concentration gradients develop.