cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of functional domains of endoglucanases from Clostridium cellulovorans by gene cloning, nucleotide sequencing and chimeric protein construction.

The nucleotide sequence of engD, an endo-β-1,4-glucanase gene from Clostridium cellulovorans was determined (Genbank Accession No. M37434). The COON-terminal part of the gene product, EngD, contained a Thr-Thr-Pro repeated sequence followed by a region that has homology to the exoglucanase of Cellulomonas fimi. EngD and EngB, another C. cellulovorans endoglucanase, show 75% amino acid sequence homology at their NH2-termini, in contrast to their carboxyterminal domains which show no homology. EngD had endoglucanase activity on carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), cellobiosidase activity on p-nitrophenyl-cellobioside (p-NPC), and partial hydrolytic activity on crystalline cellulose (Avicel), while EngB showed hydrolytic activity against only CMC. Chimeric proteins between EngB and EngD were constructed by exchanging the non-homologous COOH-terminal regions. Chimeric proteins that contained the NH2-terminus of EngD retained cellobiosidase activity but chimeras with the EngB NH2-terminus showed no cellobiosidase activity. Hydrolysis of crystalline cellulose (Avicelase activity) was observed only with the enzyme containing the EngD NH2-terminus and EngD COOH-terminus.
Application of Phase Behavior in Developing Oil Field Drag Reducer

Surfactants and polymeric drag reducers were developed by studying phase behavior of surfactants. Surfactants forming worm like micelles in dilute region showed drag‐reducing properties. Surfactants with drag‐reducing property in diluted region were delivered from concentrated solution. The mixture of surfactants and cosurfactants was used to reduce the middle phase of hexagonal liquid crystal, which makes its transition to the worm‐like micelle phase during the dilution. In addition to this work, a polymeric drag reducer was also developed as a thermodynamic stable liquid concentrate within microemulsion phase regions.
Self and external management compared with psychotherapy in the control of obesity

Abstract Seventy-four obese TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) members were assigned to one of five conditions: delayed treatment control, insight psychotherapy, self-management training plus external reinforcement, self-management training only, or external reinforcement only. The latter four groups met once per week for ten weeks and were seen at three and six months and followup. It was hypothesized that self-management plus external reinforcement would be superior to other conditions at both post-treatment and followup, and that this condition alone would produce continuing weight losses. Analysis of covariance on body weight, with pretreatment weight as covariate, indicated that self-management plus external reinforcement, self-management only, and external reinforcement only, did not differ in mean body weight at post-treatment. These three groups differed significantly from control and psychotherapy conditions, which did not differ from one another. Self-management plus external reinforcement produced better performance of techniques. At three and six month followup, differences between the four treatment conditions were no longer significant. Results are discussed in terms of evaluation of psychotherapy and behavior modification and durability of results.
A novel approach to determining the three-dimensional location of microscopic objects with applications to 3D particle tracking

Recent technological advances have rendered widefield fluorescence microscopy as an invaluable tool to image fast dynamics of trafficking events in two dimensions (i.e., in the plane of focus). Three-dimensional trafficking events are studied by sequentially imaging different planes within the specimen by moving the plane of focus with a focusing device. However, these devices are typically slow and hence when the cell is being imaged at one focal plane, important events could be missed at other focal planes. To overcome this limitation, we recently developed a novel imaging technique called multifocal plane microscopy that enables the simultaneous imaging of multiple focal planes within the sample. Here, by using tools of information theory, we present a quantitative evaluation of this technique in the context of 3D particle tracking. We calculate the Fisher information matrix for the problem of determining the 3D location of an object that is imaged on a multifocal plane setup. In this way, we derive a lower bound on the accuracy with which the object can be localized in 3D. We illustrate our results by considering the object of interest to be a single molecule. It is well known that a conventional widefield microscope has poor depth discrimination capability and therefore there exists significant uncertainty in determining the axial location of the object, especially when it is close to the plane of focus. Our results predict that the multifocal plane microscope setup offers improved accuracy in determining the axial location of objects than a conventional widefield microscope.
Use of markers of dyslipidemia to identify overweight youth with insulin resistance.

Context: Markers to identify overweight youth with insulin resistance are of clinical importance. Objective: To determine if markers of dyslipidemia could identify overweight adolescents with insulin resistance. Setting, Participants, and Study Design: We retrospectively examined the association between markers of dyslipidemia and insulin resistance in 35 overweight [body mass index (BMI) of ≥95th percentile], white adolescents [mean age 13.5 ± (SD) 1.6 yr] who had participated in hyperinsulinemic–euglycemic clamp studies to evaluate insulin action. Total body fat was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and abdominal fat with computed tomography. Using receiver-operating curves, cut-points for triglyceride (TG)/high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and TG level to identify overweight individuals in the lowest tertile for insulin sensitivity were determined. Main Outcome Measure: Difference in the values for insulin sensitivity among the groups. Results: Of the markers examined (TG, TG/HDL, adiponectin, measures of adiposity and fasting insulin), fasting insulin was the strongest correlate of insulin sensitivity (r = 0.87, p < 0.001). Youth with TG/HDL level ≥3 had lower insulin sensitivity (50% lower median values, p < 0.01) and higher visceral fat (p < 0.05) despite BMI comparable to that of youth with TG/HDL level <3. Youth with TG/HDL ≥3 had a sensitivity of 61% and specificity of 82% for identifying participants with the greatest degree of insulin resistance. Conclusions: TG and TG/HDL are easily obtained markers associated with insulin resistance. Further research is needed to determine if a constellation of clinical findings, such as components of the metabolic syndrome along with other metabolic markers including adiponectin, better predicts insulin resistance in overweight youth.
Journal of School Choice Forum on the Global Phenomenon of Publicly Financed, Privately Operated Schools: Common Policy Issues Among Differing Nation States?

Much of compulsory education in the world is characterized as either public or private, the former implying that the government pays for and provides schooling services (usually for free), and the ...
A computational procedure for tau correlation

Thetau coefficient is defined, and a computational procedure for tied ranks is described. The procedure maintains continuous computational checks, saves labor, and particularly facilitates the use oftau with large samples. It is also shown howtau correlation may be applied toQ-sorts with any shape of forced distribution or with unforced distributions.
Analyzing the quality of argumentation supported by personally-seeded discussions

Several researchers have shown that student participation in discourse paralleling that of scientific communities is critical to successful science education. This study focuses on supporting scientific argumentation in the classroom through a personally-seeded online discussion system. Students use an online interface to build principles to describe data they have collected. These principles become the seed comments for the online discussions. The software sorts students into discussion groups with students who have built different principles so that each discussion group can consider and critique multiple perspectives. We outline a methodology for (a) coding the individual comments in terms of epistemic operation, grounds, and content normativity and (b) parsing and assessing overall argumentation structure of the oppositional episodes. This study therefore contributes to the research literature both in terms of scaffolding and assessing student argumentation in online asynchronous forums.
Improving Intra-Fractional Target Position Accuracy Using a 3D Surface Surrogate for Left Breast Irradiation Using the Respiratory-Gated Deep-Inspiration Breath-Hold Technique

Purpose To evaluate the use of 3D optical surface imaging as a surrogate for respiratory gated deep-inspiration breath-hold (DIBH) for left breast irradiation.
Creation of a biological database using a microcomputer spreadsheet package

Abstract A database was developed to access field data collected from free-ranging Bighorn sheep ( Ovis canadensis ) which were captured and sampled in the western U.S.A. between 1978 and 1987. These data included serological prevalence results for exposure to selected infectious diseases. The database was developed to enable wildlife biologists, veterinarians and wildlife managers to have rapid access to collected data. A microcomputer spreadsheet package was utilized and the database developed using the macro program within the speadsheet. The database was designed to provide in-depth examination of zoographic and disease data, and to facilitate updating of the database when more information was collected. This database was menu operated, allowing rapid access to data without the need for extensive computer knowledge or experience. The data were presented in concise tabular form, and a graphics program allowed visual display of the data.
Modeling Traffic Output for Design of Dynamic Multi-Cycle Control in Congested Conditions

Accurate estimates of intermediate signal traffic output is necessary for designing meaningful multi-cycle intelligent or dynamic signal control in congested conditions. Models are presented that capture traffic output of intersections in congested interrupted flow conditions with explicit consideration of interactions, over space and time, between traffic streams at successive signals. Three unique operational characteristics along with their interactions were found to characterize distinct traffic flow regimes and determine system output. Models to predict the formation and intensity of these operational characteristics and the corresponding flow regimes were derived. Results demonstrate that an accurate representation of these regimes provides critical information for subsequent control steps.
Comparison of computational aeroacoustic prediction methods for transonic rotor noise

This paper compares two methods for predicting transonic rotor noise for helicopters in hover and forward flight. Both methods rely on a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solution as input to predict the acoustic near and far fields. For this work, the same full-potential rotor code has been used to compute the CFD solution for both acoustic methods. The first method employs the acoustic analogy as embodied in the Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings equation, including the quadrupole term. The second method uses a rotating Kirchhoff formulation. Computed results from both methods are compared with one another and with experimental data for both hover and advancing rotor cases. The results are quite good for all cases tested. The Kirchhoff method was somewhat sensitive to the location of Kirchhoff surface, if the surface was positioned too close to the rotor blade. The acoustic analogy method was not as sensitive to the extent of volume included in the quadrupole calculation. The computational requirements of both methods are comparable; in both cases these requirements are much less than the requirements for the CFD solution.
Nanopores and quantum dots by selective area metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

We describe the metalorganic chemical vapor deposition and patterning by electron beam lithography and selective area growth or wet chemical etching of quantum dot and inverted quantum dot (nanopore) structures suitable for diode lasers.
Elevated blood pressure predicts the risk of acute rejection in renal allograft recipients

Elevated blood pressure predicts the risk of acute rejection in renal allograft recipients. Background Acute rejection (AR) is a strong predictor of renal allograft survival. Recent advances in immunosuppression have reduced considerably the incidence of AR. Still, approximately 25% of patients have AR early post-transplant, and the factors that predispose to AR have not been fully clarified. Methods The study includes 1641 adults, recipients of first cadaveric (CAD, N = 1195) or living related renal grafts (LRD, N = 446), transplanted in one institution. The variables associated with the occurrence of AR during the first year post-transplant were identified. Results By univariate analyses, AR was associated with the following variables: younger (P Conclusions Elevated BP levels post-transplant identify patients at high risk of AR independently of graft function. Treatment of BP and reduction of BP levels appears to be associated with a decreased risk of AR. We hypothesize that high BP may be an indicator of a particular type of allograft damage, perhaps ischemic, that may predispose to AR.
Regeneration of dorsal root axons into experimentally altered glial environments in the rat spinal cord

Exposure of the lumbar spinal cord of rats to X-rays 3 days after birth results in changes in the composition of central glia. Shortly after irradiation, there is both retardation of central myelin formation and a loss of integrity of the astrocyte-derived glia limitans on the dorsal surface of the cord. Subsequently, Schwann cells invade, undergo division and myelinate axons in the dorsal funiculi in the irradiated region of the cord, creating there an environment similar to that of peripheral nerve. The present study was undertaken to compare the ability of lesioned dorsal root axons to grow back into the altered glial environments that exist within the spinal cord after irradiation. This regrowth was assessed by injecting Fluoro-Gold into the spinal cord and subsequently examining neurons in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) for the presence of this label. Numbers of retrogradely labeled neurons were counted in the DRG in both injured and contralateral non-injured sides. Non-irradiated control rats had almost no labeled DRG neurons on the injured side, whereas Fluoro-Gold labeled neurons were observed in substantial numbers in the DRG on the injured side of irradiated rats. There was a definite trend in the data, indicating that the longer the interval between irradiation and root injury, the greater the number of labeled neurons. Since the Fluoro-Gold labeling technique does not allow for visualization of the labeled axons within the spinal cord, a few animals were used to assess anterograde labeling with wheat germ agglutinin-conjugated horseradish peroxidase (WGA-HRP/HRP) from the dorsal root into the spinal cord.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
5.9 A 37μW dual-mode crystal oscillator for single-crystal radios

The emerging Internet of Things (IoT) market is fueled by reductions in power, cost and size of wireless sensors. Wireless nodes reduce average power by using intermittent data transmission, which is synchronized by a continuously operating sleep timer in each node. In some applications, such as disposable sensors, low cost and small physical size are more important than achieving the lowest possible power consumption. Crystal cost and size is a limitation, particularly because each node requires two crystals. The first crystal, in the MHz range, is used to generate the PLL reference clock. The second crystal, usually 32.768kHz, is used to generate an accurate sleep timer used for synchronizing data transmission. A radio SoC may occupy 4×4mm2 board area while a standard size for each crystal is 3.2×2.5mm2. Therefore, the size of the crystals can be larger than the SoC itself, limiting the applications.
Determination of the Order Parameter by Quantitative TEM Techniques

To quantitatively measure the order parameter in ordered III-V materials we have developed two techniques based on electron microscopy. The first technique calculates the diffraction pattern of ordered material quantitatively and fits the calculated data to experimentally obtained data. A test sample, specifically grown for this technique, shows that the method can determine the average order parameter with high accuracy. We found an order parameter of 0.34, which coincides with the value found by piezo-reflectance measurements. To measure the order parameter on a smaller length scale, we use a technique based on image processing of high-resolution TEM images. By comparing ordered and disordered parts of the image, we calculate the relative order parameter on an atomic length scale. Analyzing the data provides information about the development of the ordering in the crystal.
Climate and tectonic influences on continental erosion of tropical South America, 0–13 Ma

Is tectonic uplift or climate change the primary driving force behind continent-scale erosion? Here we examine these two hypotheses for tropical South America by comparing a high-resolution record of terrigenous sediment accumulation rates from the western tropical Atlantic Ocean with continental tectonic reconstructions and both low-latitude and high-latitude climate indices that span the past 13 m.y. Over the full record, terrigenous sedimentation rates most closely follow lowland aridity (as recorded by abundance ratios of terrigenous oxide minerals), an indication that basin-integrated climate is an important control of erosion. Step-like transitions in the flux and composition of terrigenous material near 8 and 4.5 Ma, however, follow dated tectonic events, which suggests progressive expansion of the drainage basin into less humid or less vegetated regions that were more prone to erosion. On long time scales, high-latitude climate variability and sea level (as recorded by δ 1 8 O) do not closely track terrigenous sedimentation. We conclude that regional climate change provides a mechanism for long-term erosion of tropical South America; tectonics plays a significant, but secondary, role in this area, perhaps by shaping the drainage basin to include regions in which the climate is more favorable to erosion.
Rational and transcendental Lyapunov function generation

In this correspondence, feasibility of generation of rational Lyapunov functions (LF) from any given Lyapunov function, and any RL, RC, or LC immittance function is shown. Extensions of these general results are made. Some methods of generating transcendental Lyapunov functions are also mentioned.
Fabric Uniformity from Top Blending of Wool with Rayon or Nylon

To determine the uniformity attained by top blending, fibers were counted in samples of finished fabrics made of eight blends of 3-den. rayon or nylon with coarse or medium wools. The composition by number of fibers was then converted into composition by weight. The re sults agree with the manufacturing specification and with chemical analyses by the potassium hy droxide method. The average of samples consisting of at least 500 fibers indicates that the blending is uniform. When fibers of different diameter and density are blended, the composition by number of fibers differs markedly from the composition by weight, as would be expected. The composition by number of fibers is a factor in the dyeing, finishing, and hand of the finished fabric and should be taken into consideration in the manufacture of blended fabrics.
Vomiting, hypothermia, and respiratory paralysis due to tetrodotoxin (puffer fish poison) in the cat.

Abstract Crystalline tetrodotoxin (puffer fish poison) was administered to chronic cats by intravenous, intracerebroventricular, and intracisternal routes of injection. The toxin evoked vomiting after intravenous administration but not when given by the other routes. Ablation of the medullary emetic chemoreceptor trigger zone (CTZ) abolished the vomiting response. Intraventricular injection of tetrodotoxin, in doses from 1 250 to 1 500 of the intravenous requirement, caused volitional paralysis, hypothermia, and respiratory failure; pinna, corneal and deep tendon reflexes remained active. These effects are attributed to an action of the toxin on paraventricular brainstem structures since intracisternal injection failed to elicit any notable response. In acute experiments, respiratory failure due to intraventricular tetrodotoxin was characterized by loss of sensitivity to CO2 and development of apneustic breathing; the medullary integrating mechanism continued to respond to stimulation after respiratory arrest.
Structure determination of crystalline lobster d-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase

Abstract Single crystal X-ray data were collected on film for the holoenzyme of lobster d -glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase to 3·0 A resolution. Films of potassium tetraiodomercurate, K 2 HgI 4 , comprising a complete low resolution set, with some additional high resolution terms, were given to us by Drs H. C. Watson and L. J. Banaszak. A 3·0 A high resolution data set was collected of a p -chloromercuri-phenylsulfonate derivative. All these films were processed on a computer controlled Optronics film scanner. The K 2 HgI 4 derivative difference Patterson was initially interpreted in terms of four single sites, one for each polypeptide chain, consistent with the previously determined molecular 222 symmetry. Single isomorphous replacement phases were then sufficient to identify other heavy atom sites. Least-squares refined parameters were used to give multiple isomorphous replacement phases at low resolution, and single isomorphous replacement phases at high resolution. The resultant electron density map was oriented along the molecular 2-fold axes and then averaged over all four equivalent subunits. This process produced a much improved electron density map, which could easily be interpreted in terms of a single polypeptide chain per subunit consistent with the known amino acid sequence. The use of non-crystallographic symmetry to improve the electron density map is equivalent to the molecular replacement method. A comparison is also made with other dehydrogenases.
The Passion of Professor Fischel: Defending Milken's Financial Revolution

Bitter scandals seem inevitably to accompany financial revolutions in America. The financial scandals of the 1930s proved to some the truth of populist denunciations of Wall Street and triggered passage of the great securities acts of the 1930s. The financial revolution of the 1980s was eerily similar. The Wall Street insider-trading scandals, of which Michael Milken's downfall was the greatest, eased passage of state and federal laws that helped to curtail "the market for corporate control"-the process by which entrepreneurs gained control of companies by buying stock directly from shareholders in hostile tender offers.
Shear bands as surfaces of discontinuity

A theoretical characterization of a shear band as a surface of discontinuity is developed. For the one-dimensional problem of unidirectional shearing of a slab, expressions for the jump discontinuities across a possible shear band are derived. This provides a simplified formulation of the problem, which yields a pair of equations for the evolution of stress and temperature along the surface representing the shear band. Two illustrative examples are examined.
BLADDER FUNCTION IN HEALTHY NEONATES AND ITS DEVELOPMENT DURING INFANCY

Purpose: Bladder function in healthy neonates and its development during infancy are described.Materials and Methods: Results of free voiding studies of healthy neonates and infants using 4-hour voiding observation and urodynamics studies were reviewed.Results: According to these studies, voiding in the healthy neonate is characterized by small, frequent voids of varying volume in the individual case and interrupted voiding in 30% of the cases. Interrupted voiding is clearly an immature phenomenon since it is seen in 60% of preterm neonates and disappears completely before the age of toilet training. These voidings are considered to be due to a dyscoordination between the sphincter and detrusor, which has also been observed on urodynamic studies and which probably also explains incomplete emptying seen in this age group. Emptying remains incomplete to the age of toilet training when residual urine is median 0 ml. during 4 hours of observation. Voiding rarely occurs during quiet sleep even in the neonatal ...
Literature and Material Culture from Balzac to Proust: The Collection and Consumption of Curiosities

This book addresses the issues of collecting, consuming, classifying and describing the curiosities, antiques and objets d'art that proliferated in French literary texts during the last decades of the nineteenth century. After Balzac made such issues significant in canonical literature, the Goncourt brothers, Huysmans, Mallarme and Maupassant celebrated their golden age. Flaubert and Zola scorned them. Rachilde and Lorrain perverted them. Proust commemorated their last moments of glory. Focusing on the bibelot (the modern French term for knick-knack, curiosity or other collectible), Janell Watson shows how the sudden prominence given to curiosities and collecting in nineteenth-century literature signals a massive change in attitudes to the world of goods, which in turn restructured the literary text according to the practical logic of daily life, calling into question established scholarly notions of order. Her study makes an important contribution to the literary history of material culture.
Carbon-carbon coupling of methyl groups on Pt(111)

Abstract Although methyl radicals are widely postulated to be important intermediates in many catalytic processes involving hydrocarbon species, relatively little is known about their reaction kinetics on metal surfaces. In order to more fully understand the surface chemistry of methyl groups we have developed a source of gas-phase methyl radicals based on the pyrolysis of azomethane. The surface chemistry of methyl groups adsorbed on Pt(111) has been studied using TPD and reflection-adsorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS). Methyl radicals can be dosed directly onto the surface at 150 K and are bound in a C3v geometry. Methyl groups become thermally activated above 230 K, reacting to produce a hydrogenation product (methane) and various dehydrogenation products. The nature of these dehydrogenation products depends upon the initial methyl coverage. At low coverages CHx (x 3) species are predominant while at higher methyl coverages is evidence of carbon-carbon coupling reactions to produce higher order hydrocarbons one of which has been identified as ethylidyne (CCH3) Ethylidyne is also observed as a reaction product on Pt(111), at 150 K, for large methyl radical exposures.
A Paired-Orientation Alignment Problem in a Hybrid Tracking System for Computer Assisted Surgery

Coordinate Alignment (CA) is an important problem in hybrid tracking systems involving two or more tracking devices. CA typically associates the measurements from two or more tracking systems with respect to distinct base frames and makes them comparable in the same aligned coordinate system. In this article, we discuss a sub-problem, Paired-Orientation Alignment (POA), in the category of CA. This sub-problem occurs during the development of an integrated electromagnetic and inertial attitude (orientation) tracking system, where only the orientation information is acquired from the two tracking devices. The problem is modeled as a matrix equation YC = D with constraints, which can be solved as a least-squares problem using quaternions. A closed-form analytical solution is given by the pseudo-inverse matrix. This method is specifically for registering the paired-orientation measurements between two coordinate systems, without using position information. The algorithm is illustrated by simulations and proof-of-concept tracking experiments.
Comment on the Small-Sample Power of Durbin's h-Test

Abstract The power of Durbin's h-test for autocorrelated error terms is compared with the power of the Durbin-Watson d-test. It is argued that, contrary to conclusions reached elsewhere (see [6]), the d-test outperforms the h-test.
Amino Acid Limitations of Yeast Single-Cell Protein for Growing Chickens

Abstract Four experiments were conducted to determine the amino acid limitations of yeast single-cell protein (YSCP) when fed as the only source of protein in semipurified diets for broiler chicks. The results of two experiments showed that methionine and arginine were the first and second most limiting amino acids, respectively, in YSCP for chick growth and feed efficiency. On a calculated basis, YSCP seemed to be deficient in leucine, but leucine supplementation of YSCP diets did not improve chick performance. Weight gain and feed efficiency of chicks fed YSCP diets supplemented with amino acids were inferior to those of chicks fed diets in which soy protein was used. When feed intake was equalized by pair-feeding the soy protein diet with the amino acid supplemented-YSCP diet, chick performance was similar irrespective of protein source. Also, the use of a granular form of YSCP in diets improved chick performance as compared with the use of YSCP in powder form. Data obtained from this research show that methionine and arginine are the most limiting amino acids in the YSCP tested. Also, these data suggest that, when the palatability factor associated with YSCP is alleviated and proper amino acid supplementation is used, YSCP can be fed successfully as the sole source of protein in semipurified diets for chicks.
Effect of air-filled vest on exercise-heat strain when wearing ballistic protection.

Objectives: The purpose was to determine if an air-filled vest worn under ballistic protection reduces physiological strain during exercise in the heat either while wearing a tactical military (TM) protective vest or a law enforcement (LE) concealable vest. Methods: Sixteen men (24.5 ± 3.9 years; 179.5 ± 5.6 cm; 84.6 ± 12.3 kg) performed either two or four trials of treadmill walking (1.34 m s −1 ; 2% grade) over 120 min in a hot, dry environment (37°C, 30% relative humidity, wind speed 3.5 m s −1 ). Participants completed trials wearing a TM or LE, with either the air-filled vest (TM a ; LE a ) or no vest (TM c ; LE c ) in random order. During trials, participants wore Army Combat Uniform pants. Physiological variables measured every 5 min included gastrointestinal temperature (T GI ), mean skin temperature (T sk ), and heart rate (HR). Sweat rate (SR) was calculated based on fluid intake and body mass measures. Results: In the tactical trial (TM a versus TM c ), no differences in final T GI (38.2 ± 0.4 versus 38.3 ± 0.4°C), T sk (35.0 ± 0.9 versus 35.0 ± 1.0°C), HR (142 ± 19 versus 143 ± 23 bpm) existed (P > 0.05). In the LE trials (LE a versus LE c ), no differences in final T GI (38.0 ± 0.4 versus 38.1 ± 0.3°C), T sk (35.3 ± 1.1 versus 35.6 ± 0.9°C), HR (132 ± 20 versus 135 ± 20 bpm) existed (P > 0.05). Despite slightly higher SR, there was no statistical difference in TM (1.15 ± 1.13 versus 1.54 ± 0.46 l h −1 ; P = 0.10) or in LE (1.39 ± 0.52 versus 1.37 ± 0.18 l h −1 ; P = 0.35) during trials. Conclusion: When participants exercised with a TM or LE while wearing the air-filled vest, there were no thermoregulatory and physiological differences compared to control trials. In our testing conditions, the air-filled device had little effect on physiological responses during prolonged mild exercise in the heat.
Doxapram Hydrochloride: A Respiratory Stimulant for Patients with Primary Alveolar Hypoventilation

Four patients (ages 43 to 51) with primary alveolar hypoventilation (PAH) syndrome were studied to characterize the pharmacologic augmentation of ventilation with intravenous doxapram hydrochloride. Doxapram hydrochloride evoked a rapid ventilatory increase of 50 to 100 percent in all four subjects with a consequent decrease in arterial CO 2 tendon. Blood pressure and heart rate measurements showed small increases during the doxapram infusion. These responses, however, were only sustained during the infusion, decreasing to their predoxapram level when the drug was discontinued. The ventilatory response to the drug was more marked in the presence of hypoxia than during high O 2 breathing, suggesting that the carotid bodies are a site of action for this drug in man. Doxapram hydrochloride can be an effective respiratory stimulant in patients with PAH.
Predictors of poor response during asthma therapy differ with definition of outcome

Aims: To evaluate phenotypic and genetic variables associated with a poor long-term response to inhaled corticosteroid therapy for asthma, based independently on lung function changes or asthma exacerbations. Materials & methods: We tested 17 phenotypic variables and polymorphisms in FCER2 and CRHR1 in 311 children (aged 5–12 years) randomized to a 4-year course of inhaled corticosteroid during the Childhood Asthma Management Program (CAMP). Results: Predictors of recurrent asthma exacerbations are distinct from predictors of poor lung function response. A history of prior asthma exacerbations, younger age and a higher IgE level (p < 0.05) are associated with recurrent exacerbations. By contrast, lower bronchodilator response to albuterol and the minor alleles of RS242941 in CRHR1 and T2206C in FCER2 (p < 0.05) are associated with poor lung function response. Poor lung function response does not increase the risk of exacerbations and vice versa (p = 0.72). Conclusion: Genetic and phenotypic predictors of ...
Implantation of the Melody Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve in Patients With a Dysfunctional Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Conduit Early Results From the U.S. Clinical Trial

Objectives This study was designed to evaluate the safety, procedural success, and short-term effectiveness of the Melody transcatheter pulmonary valve (Medtronic, Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota) in patients with dysfunctional right ventricular outflow tract conduits. Background Conduit dysfunction has recently been treated with transcatheter pulmonary valve placement. There have been no prospective, multicenter trials evaluating this technology. Methods Standardized entry criteria, implantation, and follow-up protocols were used. Nonimplanting core laboratories were used to evaluate results. Results Between January 2007 and September 2007, 34 patients underwent catheterization for intended Melody valve implantation at 3 centers. Mean age was 19.4 ± 7.7 years. Initial conduit Doppler mean gradient was 28.8 ± 10.1 mm Hg, and 94% of patients had moderate or severe pulmonary regurgitation (PR). Implantation was successful in 29 of 30 attempts and not attempted in 4 patients. Procedural complications included conduit rupture requiring urgent surgery and device removal (n = 1), wide-complex tachycardia (n = 1), and distal pulmonary artery guidewire perforation (n = 1). Peak systolic conduit gradient fell acutely from 37.2 ± 16.3 mm Hg to 17.3 ± 7.3 mm Hg, and no patient had more than mild PR. There were no deaths or further device explants. At 6-month follow-up, conduit Doppler mean gradient was 22.4 ± 8.1 mm Hg, and PR fraction by magnetic resonance imaging was significantly improved (3.3 ± 3.6% vs. 27.6 ± 13.3%, p Conclusions Implantation of the Melody valve for right ventricular outflow tract conduit dysfunction can be performed by experienced operators at multiple centers, appears safe, and has encouraging acute and short-term outcomes.
Exploiting manufacturing variations for compensating environment-induced clock drift in time synchronization

Time synchronization is an essential service in distributed computing and control systems. It is used to enable tasks such as synchronized data sampling and accurate time-of-flight estimation, which can be used to locate nodes. The deviation in nodes' knowledge of time and inter-node resynchronization rate are affected by three sources of time stamping errors: network wireless communication delays, platform hardware and software delays, and environment-dependent frequency drift characteristics of the clock source. The focus of this work is on the last source of error, the clock source, which becomes a bottleneck when either required time accuracy or available energy budget and bandwidth (and thus feasible resynchronization rate) are too stringent. Traditionally, this has required the use of expensive clock sources (such as temperature compensation using precise sensors and calibration models) that are not cost-effective in low-end wireless sensor nodes. Since the frequency of a crystal is a product of manufacturing and environmental parameters, we describe an approach that exploits the subtle manufacturing variation between a pair of inexpensive oscillators placed in close proximity to algorithmically compensate for the drift produced by the environment. The algorithm effectively uses the oscillators themselves as a sensor that can detect changes in frequency caused by a variety of environmental factors. We analyze the performance of our approach using behavioral models of crystal oscillators in our algorithm simulation. Then we apply the algorithm to an actual temperature dataset collected at the James Wildlife Reserve in Riverside County, California, and test the algorithms on a waveform generator based testbed. The result of our experiments show that the technique can effectively improve the frequency stability of an inexpensive uncompensated crystal 5 times with the potential for even higher gains in future implementations.
Wetting agent and cultural practices increase infiltration and reduce runoff losses of irrigation water

Wetting agents are mainly used to manage water repellency in soils but they do provide other benefits like increase in water retention and reduction in physiological moisture stress in plants. Experiments were conducted at the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona on a loamy sand soil situated on an 8% slope with an established turfgrass maintained under golf course fairway management conditions. The effect of cultural practices like core aerification followed by sand topdressing and application of a wetting agent in reducing runoff of irrigation water was evaluated. Runoff events after the cultural practices and the wetting agent treatment (Dispatch applied at 877 ml/ha) was repeated four times over a time period when the matric potential ranged from 15-40 kPa. An empirical formula based on Horton's equation was used to predict maximum runtime of sprinklers to prevent runoff from turf on slopes. Total irrigation runoff was calculated based on overspray, surface runoff and percolation or seepage over a specified period of time. When Dispatch was added to the irrigation water vertical movement of water was more pronounced than the control (water alone). The least runoff occurred when the soil had the highest matric potential. Dispatch treatments resulted in 43% and 55% higher total wetting surface area at 30 minutes and 60 minutes respectively compared to the water alone treatment. Cultural practices like core aerification, topdressing with sand and using a wetting agent reduced the volume of surface runoff by increasing the infiltration rate and the time period when visible surface runoff was first observed since the start of the irrigation event.
Engaging Readers and Writers in Adult Education Contexts.

A comprehensive definition of literacy embraces abilities, choices, and attitudes. Literate people not only know how to read and write but also choose to do so. The definition of “engaged reader,” developed and studied at the National Reading Research Center during its five-year tenure, describes fluent, adult readers as having a desire to use literacy (motivation), skills and abilities as readers and writers (strategies), information about reading and writing and how to obtain ideas from or construct ideas using the written word (knowledge), and the ability to learn from and with others in literacy situations (social interaction). This article develops the rationale for this approach in adult education programs and describes current projects that are designed to help teachers offer students opportunities to become engaged readers and writers. Online teaching resources developed as part of these projects are highlighted.
Inhibition of the Ubiquitin-Proteasome System Prevents Vaccinia Virus DNA Replication and Expression of Intermediate and Late Genes

The ubiquitin-proteasome system has a central role in the degradation of intracellular proteins and regulates a variety of functions. Viruses belonging to several different families utilize or modulate the system for their advantage. Here we showed that the proteasome inhibitors MG132 and epoxomicin blocked a postentry step in vaccinia virus (VACV) replication. When proteasome inhibitors were added after virus attachment, early gene expression was prolonged and the expression of intermediate and late genes was almost undetectable. By varying the time of the removal and addition of MG132, the adverse effect of the proteasome inhibitors was narrowly focused on events occurring 2 to 4 h after infection, the time of the onset of viral DNA synthesis. Further analyses confirmed that genome replication was inhibited by both MG132 and epoxomicin, which would account for the effect on intermediate and late gene expression. The virus-induced replication of a transfected plasmid was also inhibited, indicating that the block was not at the step of viral DNA uncoating. UBEI-41, an inhibitor of the ubiquitin-activating enzyme E1, also prevented late gene expression, supporting the role of the ubiquitin-proteasome system in VACV replication. Neither the overexpression of ubiquitin nor the addition of an autophagy inhibitor was able to counter the inhibitory effects of MG132. Further studies of the role of the ubiquitin-proteasome system for VACV replication may provide new insights into virus-host interactions and suggest potential antipoxviral drugs.
Initial explorations on design pattern energy usage

As the use of computers has grown, so too has concern about the amount of power they consume. Data centers, for example, are limited in scalability as they struggle with soaring energy costs from many large companies relying on fast, reliable, and round-the-clock computing services. On large-scale computing clusters, like data centers, even a small drop in power consumption can have large effects. Across computing contexts, reducing power consumed by computers has become a major focus. In this paper, we present a new approach for mapping software design to power consumption and present empirical results of the approach on different software implementations. In particular, we compare the power profiles of software using design patterns against software not using design patterns as a way to explore how high-level design decisions affect an application's energy usage. We show how mappings between software design and power consumption profiles can provide software designers and developers with useful information about the power behavior of the software they are developing. The goal is for software engineers to use this information in designing and developing more energy efficient solutions.
Transgenic soybean plants overexpressing O -acetylserine sulfhydrylase accumulate enhanced levels of cysteine and Bowman–Birk protease inhibitor in seeds

Soybeans provide an excellent source of pro- tein in animal feed. Soybean protein quality can be enhanced by increasing the concentration of sulfur-con- taining amino acids. Previous attempts to increase the concentration of sulfur-containing amino acids through the expression of heterologous proteins have met with limited success. Here, we report a successful strategy to increase the cysteine content of soybean seed through the overex- pression of a key sulfur assimilatory enzyme. We have generated several transgenic soybean plants that overex- press a cytosolic isoform of O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase (OASS). These transgenic soybean plants exhibit a four- to tenfold increase in OASS activity when compared with non-transformed wild-type. The OASS activity in the transgenic soybeans was significantly higher at all the stages of seed development. Unlike the non-transformed soybean plants, there was no marked decrease in the OASS activity even at later stages of seed development. Over- expression of cytosolic OASS resulted in a 58-74% increase in protein-bound cysteine levels compared with non-transformed wild-type soybean seeds. A 22-32% increase in the free cysteine levels was also observed in transgenic soybeans overexpressing OASS. Furthermore, these transgenic soybean plants showed a marked increase in the accumulation of Bowman-Birk protease inhibitor, a cysteine-rich protein. The overall increase in soybean total cysteine content (both free and protein-bound) satisfies the recommended levels required for the optimal growth of monogastric animals.
Tracker fusion for robustness in visual feature tracking

Task-directed vision obviates the need for general image comprehension by focusing attention only on features which contribute useful information to the task at hand. Window-based visual tracking fits into this paradigm as motion tracking becomes a problem of local search in a small image region. While the gains in speed from such methods allow for real-time feature tracking on off-the-shelf hardware, they lose robustness by giving up a more global perspective: Window-based feature trackers are prone to such problems as distraction, illumination changes, fast features, and so forth. To add robustness to feature tracking, we present `tracker fusion,' where multiple trackers simultaneously track the same feature while watching for various problematic circumstances and combine their estimates in a meaningful way. By categorizing different situations in which mistracking occurs, finding appropriate trackers to deal with each such situation, and fusing the resulting trackers together, we construct robust feature trackers which maintain the speed of simple window-based trackers, yet afford greater resistance to mistracking.
A Simple Model for the Interaction between Vertical Eddy Heat Fluxes and Static Stability

A numerical model for studying the interaction of vertical eddy heat fluxes and vertical temperature structure in midlatitude regions is described. The temperature profile for the model was derived from calculations of the equilibrium among heating rates in simplified representations of large-scale vertical eddy heat flux, moist convection and radiation. An eddy flux profile is calculated based on the quasi-geostrophic, liner baroclinic instability of a single wave. Model equilibrium states for summer and winter conditions are compared with observations, and the results are discussed in detail.
10-(2-Pyrid­yloxy)phenanthren-9-ol

In the title compound, C19H13NO2, the pyridyl ring makes a dihedral angle of 87.04 (6)° with the plane of the phenanthrene ring system. In the crystal, mol­ecules are linked through weak inter­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds and C—H⋯π inter­actions.