cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long-term oxygen therapy: whatever happened to transtracheal oxygen?

Despite the fact that long-term oxygen treatment (LTOT) has been shown to reduce mortality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) ([1]), delivery of LTOT via a simple, comfor...
Long-range force and moment calculations in multiresolution simulations of molecular systems

Multiresolution simulations of molecular systems such as DNAs, RNAs, and proteins are implemented using models with different resolutions ranging from a fully atomistic model to coarse-grained molecules, or even to continuum level system descriptions. For such simulations, pairwise force calculation is a serious bottleneck which can impose a prohibitive amount of computational load on the simulation if not performed wisely. Herein, we approximate the resultant force due to long-range particle-body and body-body interactions applicable to multiresolution simulations. Since the resultant force does not necessarily act through the center of mass of the body, it creates a moment about the mass center. Although this potentially important torque is neglected in many coarse-grained models which only use particle dynamics to formulate the dynamics of the system, it should be calculated and used when coarse-grained simulations are performed in a multibody scheme. Herein, the approximation for this moment due to far-field particle-body and body-body interactions is also provided.
Design of doubly focusing, tunable (5 30 keV), wide bandpass optics made from layered synthetic microstructures

Abstract Layered Synthetic Microstructures (LSMs) show great promise as focusing, high-throughput, hard X-ray monochromators. Experimental reflectivity vs. energy curves have been obtained on carbon-tungsten and carbon-molybdenum LSMs of up to 260 layers in thickness. Reflectivities for three flat LSMs with different bandppasses were 70% with ΔE E = 5.4%, 66% with ΔE E = 1.4%, and 19% with ΔE E = 0.6% . A new generation of variable bandwidth optics using two successive LSMs is proposed. The first element will be an LSM deposited on a substrate that can be water cooled as it intercepts direct radiation from a storage ring. It can be bent for vertical focusing. The bandpass can be adjusted by choosing interchangeable first elements from an assortment of LSMs with different bandpasses (for example, ΔE E = 0.005, 0.01, 0.02, 0.05, 0.1 ). The second LSM will consist of a multilayered structure with a 10% bandpass built onto a flexible substrate that can be bent for sagittal focusing. The result will be double focusing optics with an adjustable energy bandpass that are tunable from 5 to 30 keV.
Surface-induced dissociation of molecular ions

Abstract Fragmentation of polyatomic ions upon collision with a metal surface was studied using a modified hybrid mass spectrometer. Daughter spectra of mass-analyzed parentions obtained upon collision with both solid and gaseous targets are compared. As in conventional gas-phase collisions, the extent of fragmentation in surface-induced dissociation (SID) is observed to depend strongly upon the collision energy chosen. Thus, experiments in which the collision energy is varied give energy-resolved mass spectra (ERMS) which correspond to those observed in the analogous gas-phase experiments. While both methods of activation display the same fragment ions, significant differences in the amount of energy deposited are observed between the two methods. At low collision energy, SID gives essentially no dissociation. On the other hand, selection of higher collision energies can result in deposition of even larger amounts of internal energy than are available from the comparable gas-phase collisional processes at either low (eV) or high (keV) energy.
Color Matching and Color-Difference Matching

The precision of color matching is commonly described by color-matching ellipses, and the precision of matching color differences can be described by color-difference-matching ellipses. Recently obtained sets of color-matching ellipses and color-difference-matching ellipses have been compared and some important correlations are indicated. At a given location in color space, and for a given observer, the orientation and shape of a color-difference-matching ellipse are similar to those of the color-matching ellipse. The size of the color-difference-matching ellipse is always larger than the color-matching ellipse and increases linearly with the perceptual size of the color differences to be matched. There is also an indication that color-matching ellipses generally cannot be used to predict the equality of color differences that are several times a just-noticeable difference. This may have important consequences on the present practice of matching such color differences by methods based on color-matching ellipses.
Role Definition as a Moderator of the Relationship Between Safety Climate and Organizational Citizenship Behavior Among Hospital Nurses

Purpose This field study investigated the moderating influence of role definitions on the association between safety climate and employees’ organizational citizenship behavior (OCB).
Clindamycin Phosphate: Neuromuscular and Blood Pressure Effects in Cats

Three doses (10, 20, and 40 mg/kg) of clindamycin phosphate were tested in each of three feline neuromuscular preparations in a Latin-square sequence, and the muscular responses and blood pressures were compared. No statistically significant dose-related neuromuscular or blood pressure effects were observed.
Inositol hexaphosphate reduces 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced ornithine decarboxylase independent of protein kinase C isoform expression in keratinocytes.

High-fiber diets have been shown to have beneficial effects on preventing tumorigenesis. Inositol hexaphosphate (InsP6 or phytic acid) which is a fiber-associated component of cereals and legumes has been demonstrated to inhibit cell proliferation and enhance cell differentiation, indicating its potential for chemopreventive roles. In this study, we investigated the effect of InsP6 on 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity, an essential event in tumor promotion in HEL-30 cells, a murine keratinocyte cell line and SENCAR mouse skin. ODC activity was significantly reduced by 0.5 mM InsP6 in keratinocytes (P<0.01). Furthermore, when mouse skin was treated with 10 mM InsP6, ODC induction was significantly inhibited (P<0.05). In addition, the expression of TPA-induced c-myc mRNA was significantly inhibited by the same InsP6 treatments in HEL-30 cells and CD-1 mouse skin (P<0.01). No changes in protein kinase C (PKC) isoform expression and phorbol dibutyrate binding due to InsP6 treatment were found in HEL-30 cells. These results indicate that InsP6 reduces TPA-induced ODC activity independent of PKC isoform expression.
Sudden death, right ventricular infarction, and abnormal right ventricular intramural coronary arteries in isolated congenital valvular pulmonic stenosis

Abstract Isolated congenital valvular pulmonk stenosis is a relatively common anomaly of the heart. Fontana and Edwards' found pulmonic stenosis in 8 of 357 patients (2%) with congenital cardiac disease studied at necropsy. In unoperated patients with severe forms of this congenital valvular pulmonic stenosis, only 2 (aged 19 and 26 years, both men) had died suddenly.* Only 1 of 186 sudden deaths in patients with congenital cardiovascular disease (age range 1 to 21 years) was caused by pulmonic stenosis? This report describes a patient with isolated pulmonk stenosis who died suddenly, and at necropsy also was found to have right ventricular infarction and abnormal intramural coronary arteries.
Consistent Treatment of Weld Residual Stresses in Fracture Assessment

Over the last decade, as more in-depth understanding of weld residual stresses is being achieved, particularly of their characteristic distributions in pressure vessel and piping components, the residual stress effects on stress intensities at welds are becoming better understood. In this paper, some of the important residual stress characteristics are first identified in the form of either “bending” dominated or “self-equilibrating” dominated types for girth welds. The applicability in other joint configurations in welded structures is then discussed, with a collection of validated residual stress distributions. The characterization of both “bending” and “self-equilibrating” types in residual stress distributions provides a consistent framework for stress intensity factor considerations in either fracture and fatigue assessment. The contribution of weld residual stresses to stress intensities at welds are shown to be in the form of K solutions under displacement controlled conditions. The “bending” type residual stresses provide a longer range of influence than “self-equilibrating” type in K solutions. The contribution of “self-equilibrating” type residual stresses to stress intensities is shown to be dominant when crack size is small, while the contribution of the “bending” type dominant for crack size up to a much large size with respect to wall thickness.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Ligand-modified gene carriers increased uptake in target cells but reduced DNA release and transfection efficiency

Abstract DNA delivery to cells can be improved by using particle carriers made from biodegradable polymers such as poly(lactic- co -glycolic)acid (PLGA). It is speculated that addition of targeting moieties to the particle surface to facilitate uptake can further enhance gene expression in specific cells or tissues. Taking advantage of well-known receptor/ligand interactions in intestinal and renal epithelial cells, we formulated PLGA particles with high density of surface-bound bovine serum albumin (BSA; ∼768 molecules/particle). BSA-coated particles exhibited significantly higher uptake by cells expressing the albumin receptor, megalin, and resisted degradation in low pH. However, gene expression from BSA-coated particles was 3- to 10-fold lower than that from unmodified particles; this reduction in transfection efficiency was probably due to the slower DNA release rate from modified particles. In this setting, addition of a targeting feature to particles reduced their effectiveness. Our study highlights the importance of the interplay between cell uptake and payload release in the design of polymer drug carriers. From the Clinical Editor DNA delivery to cells can be improved by using particle carriers such as PLGA. Taking advantage of known receptor/ligand interactions in intestinal and renal epithelial cells, PLGA particles with high density surface-bound BSA were formulated. BSA-coated particles exhibited significantly higher uptake; however, gene expression was 3 to 10-fold lower. Unexpectedly, the addition of a targeting feature to these particles reduced their overall effectiveness.
Control of V(D)J Recombinational Accessibility of the Dβ1 Gene Segment at the TCRβ Locus by a Germline Promoter

Abstract The germline promoter region upstream of the Dβ1 gene segment in the murine TCRβ locus was deleted to assess its role in controlling V(D)J recombination. Associated with diminished Dβ1 region germline transcription, rearrangement of the Dβ1 but not the Dβ2 gene segment was reduced 10- to 20-fold. A corresponding reduction in RAG-mediated cleavage at the Dβ1 and Jβ1 signal sequences was apparent only when purified CD4 − CD8 − thymocytes were analyzed because, as we demonstrate, cleavage at these gene segments also occurred in CD4 + CD8 + thymocytes. These findings suggest that germline promoters regulate localized accessibility of gene segments for recombination and that in CD4 + CD8 + thymocytes TCRβ allelic exclusion does not result from inaccessibility of Dβ gene segments.
MobilityFirst: a mobility-centric and trustworthy internet architecture

MobilityFirst is a future Internet architecture with mobility and trustworthiness as central design goals. Mobility means that all endpoints -- devices, services, content, and networks -- should be able to frequently change network attachment points in a seamless manner. Trustworthiness means that the network must be resilient to the presence of a small number of malicious endpoints or network routers. MobilityFirst enhances mobility by cleanly separating names or identifiers from addresses or network locations, and enhances security by representing both in an intrinsically verifiable manner, relying upon a massively scalable, distributed, global name service to bind names and addresses, and to facilitate services including device-to-service, multicast, anycast, and context-aware communication, content retrieval, and more. A key insight emerging from our experience is that a logically centralized global name service can significantly enhance mobility and security and transform network-layer functionality. Recognizing and validating this insight is the key contribution of the MobilityFirst architectural effort.
DIASTEREOFACIAL SELECTIVITY IN INTRAMOLECULAR DIELS‐ALDER REACTIONS OF CHIRAL TRIENE‐N‐ACYLOXAZOLIDONES

Abstract Excellent diasterofacial selection has been observed in asymmetric Diels-Alder cycloadditions of E,E-triene-imides 3 and 6.
Work in progress - academic and social barriers to Black and Latino male collegians in engineering

Using a constructivist approach, in-depth qualitative interviews with 49 men were analyzed to identify academic and social barriers to their success in engineering. Three themes were identified: “Invisible Man” syndrome in the classroom, lack of support with few same-race peers and faculty, and difficulty translating curriculum into personal interests. Findings have implications for broadening STEM participation.
New insights from a not-so-neglected field: Hemispatial neglect

Hemispatial neglect remains one of the most remarkable syndromes investigated by behavioural neurologists. It occurs only after relatively focal (or at least asymmetric) brain damage, most commonly stroke, but is occasionally observed in asymmetric atrophy syndromes such as corticobasal syndrome or Posterior Cortical Atrophy due to Alzheimer’s Disease pathology. It is also sometimes associated with other focal lesions such as tumor, abscess, head injury, or following resection. It is mild and transient in primates, even after large lesions, which reveals that only humans,who may have developed hemispheric asymmetry due to language, have hemispheric specialization for spatial attention or some aspect of attention such that a unilateral lesion causes marked hemispatial neglect. For example, Corbetta and Schulman [1] have proposed a model in which the dorsal spatial attention network is bilateral and symmetric, but the ventral nonspatial frontoparietal attention network is right-hemisphere dominant. Ventral lesions also cause physiological changes and disrupt connections to and within the spatial attention. Only a lesion to the ventral (right) network, which also affects the dorsal network, not the left dorsal network alone, causes marked hemispatial neglect. This model would account for more frequent and severe hemispatial neglect reported in many studies of neglect. However, Kleinman and colleagues [2] reported that hemispatial neglect is equally common after left and right hemisphere stroke, although the type of neglect observed is
In the company of readers: the digital library book as "practiced place"

Most digital libraries (DLs) necessarily focus on the complex issues that arise when library collections are freed from their physical anchors in buildings and on paper. Typical investigations look at supporting adults in work settings, such as school or research. Much less attention has been paid to younger generations of readers. As ever more digital venues cater to youngsters' attentions, a role for the DL as a catalyst of social interactions around traditional literacy practices begins to take shape. Based on prior research on annotation systems, constructive hypertexts, and computer support for cooperative work coupled with our contextual inquiries with children, we have developed a prototype for a digital book that supports social interactions through annotations. By placing and sharing notes, groups of readers transform the book from an artifact into a living record of communal experience. A system of support for marks and notes in the context of reading for pleasure can turn the digital library book into a "practiced place," a location that is not only accessible, but also welcoming, engaging and supportive of the activities children are interested in and therefore likely to engage in. Our experience with Alph, a prototype book-reader supporting a range of rhetorical marks and note-writing, suggests that future DLs need to look beyond augmenting work-based literacy practices by creating dynamic and social reading environments.
Characterization Of Amorphous Gel To Superconducting Oxide Conversion For Sol-Gel Produced Y1Ba2Cu3O7-x

Alkoxide sol-gel processing of Y1Ba2Cu3O7-x was performed using copper(II) ethoxide, barium methoxyethoxide, and yttrium methoxyethoxide precursors in a methoxyethanol/methy ethyl ketone/toluene solvent system. In situ neutron diffraction experiments were performed on individual precursors and mixed component gels during heat treatment. Phase development and consumption was observed for both the calcination and annealing segments of the heat treatment. Formation of Y1Ba2Cu3O7-x was observed as early as 700°C. CuO, Cu2O, BaCuO, YCu2O5, BaCO3, BaCO4, and YlBa2Cu3O7-x were observed during the conversion/ consolidation reactions to 850°C.
Incorporating Genomics into Breast Cancer Clinical Trials and Care

Advances in DNA sequencing provide the potential for clinical assays that are timely and affordable and use small amounts of clinical material. The hypothesis has therefore been raised that marked improvements in patient outcomes will result when DNA diagnostics are matched to an armamentarium of targeted agents. While this may be partially true, much of the novel biology uncovered by recent sequencing analysis is poorly understood and not druggable with existing agents. Significant other challenges remain before these technologies can be successfully implemented in the clinic, including the predictive accuracy of pathway-based models, distinguishing drivers from passenger mutations, development of rational combinations, addressing genomic heterogeneity, and molecular evolution/resistance mechanisms. Developments in regulatory science will also need to proceed in parallel to scientific advances so that targeted treatment approaches can be delivered to small subsets of patients with defined biology and drug reimbursement is available for individuals whose tumor carries a mutation that has been successfully targeted in another malignancy, as long as they agree to participate in an outcome registry.
Purification of L-glutamic acid decarboxylase from catfish brain.

—L-Glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) from brain of the channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) has been purified to homogeneity by a combination of ammonium sulfate fractionation, gel filtration, calcium phosphate gel and preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The purity of the enzyme preparation was established by showing that on both 7.5% regular and 3.7–15% gradient polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis the enzyme migrated as a single protein band which contained all the enzyme activity. The molecular weight of the purified GAD was estimated by gel filtration and gradient polyacrylamide gel to be 84,000 ± 2000 and 90,000 ± 4000, respectively. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed three major proteins with molecular weights of 22,000 ± 2000, 40,000 ± 5000 and 90, 000 ± 6000 which may represent a monomer, dimer, and tetramer. Antibodies against the purified enzyme were obtained from rabbit after four biweekly injections with a total of 80 μg of the enzyme. A double immunodiffusion test using these antibodies and a crude extract from catfish brains showed only a single, sharp precipitin band which still retained the enzyme activity, suggesting that the precipitin band was indeed a GAD-anti-GAD complex. In an enzyme inhibition study, a maximum inhibition of 60–70% was obtained at a ratio of GAD protein/anti-GAD serum of about 1:1.6. Furthermore, the precipitate from the GAD-anti-GAD incubation mixture also contained the enzyme activity, suggesting that the antibody was specific to GAD and that the antigen used was homogeneous. Advantages and drawbacks of the purification procedures described here and those used for mouse brain preparations are also discussed.
Ketolytic and glycolytic enzymatic expression profiles in malignant gliomas: implication for ketogenic diet therapy

Recent studies in animal models, based on the hypothesis that malignant glioma cells are more dependent on glycolysis for energy generation, have shown promising results using ketogenic diet (KD) therapy as an alternative treatment strategy for malignant glioma, effectively starving glioma cells while providing ketone bodies as an energy source for normal neurons and glial cells. In order to test this treatment strategy in humans, we investigated the relative expression of several key enzymes involved in ketolytic and glycolytic metabolism in human anaplastic glioma (WHO grade III) and glioblastoma (GBM, WHO grade IV). Immunohistochemistry was performed on formalin fixed paraffin embedded sections from 22 brain biopsies (17 GBM, 3 anaplastic astrocytoma and 2 anaplastic oligoastrocytoma) using antibodies raised against glycolytic and ketolytic enzymes. The glycolytic enzymes included hexokinase-II (HK2) and pyruvate kinase M2 isoform (PKM2). The ketone body metabolic enzymes included: succinyl CoA: 3-oxoacid CoA transferase (OXCT1), 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2 (BDH1 and BDH2), and acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase 1 (ACAT1). The immunoreactivities were graded using a semi-quantitative scale based on the percentage of positive cells: POS (>20%), LOW (5-20%), and very low (VLOW) (<5%). Focal non-neoplastic “normal” brain tissue within the biopsy specimens served as internal controls. The rate limiting mitochondrial ketolytic enzymes (OXCT1 and BDH1) were either LOW or VLOW, concordantly in 14 of the 17 GBMs and in 1 of 5 anaplastic gliomas, whereas at least one of the glycolytic enzymes was POS in 13 of these 17 GBMs and all 5 anaplastic gliomas. Cytosolic BDH2 and mitochondrial ACTAT1 were, surprisingly, POS in most of these tumors. Our results showing that malignant gliomas have differential expression of ketolytic and glycolytic enzymes are consistent with previous studies that have shown that these are genetically heterogeneous tumors. It seems reasonable to hypothesize that patients with low or very low expression of key ketolytic enzymes in their malignant gliomas may respond better to the KD therapy than those patients with positive expression of these enzymes. Further studies in animal models and/or a large-scale clinical trial would be needed to test this hypothesis.
Autosomal short tandem repeat genetic variation of the Basques in Spain.

Funding This work is supported in part by National Geographic Society Grant (Project 6935-00) to the University of Kansas Laboratory of Biological Anthropology.
Multicell zero-forcing and user scheduling on the downlink of a linear cell-array

Coordinated base station (BS) transmission has attracted much interest for its potential to increase the capacity of wireless networks. Yet at the same time, the sum-rate with single-cell processing (SCP) is known to scale optimally with the number of users in a Rayleigh fading environment. One may therefore ask if the value of BS coordination is limited in the many user regime from a sum-rate perspective. With this in mind we consider multicell zero-forcing beamforming (ZFBF) on the downlink of a linear cell-array. We first identify the beamforming weights and the optimal scheduling policy under a perbase power constraint. We then compare the number of users m and n required per-cell to achieve the same mean SINR, after optimal scheduling, with SCP and ZFBF respectively. Specifically, we show that the ratio m/n grows logarithmically with n. Finally, we demonstrate that the difference in sum-rate between ZFBF and SCP is significant for all practical values of number of users.
Cooperative-diversity slotted ALOHA

We propose a cooperative-diversity technique for ad hoc networks based on the decode-and-forward relaying strategy. We develop a MAC protocol based on slotted ALOHA that allows neighbors of a transmitter to act as relays and forward a packet toward its final destination when the transmission to the intended recipient fails. The proposed technique provides additional robustness against fading, packet collisions and radio mobility. Network simulations confirm that under heavy traffic conditions, in which every radio always has packets to send, the proposed cooperative-diversity slotted-ALOHA protocol can provide a higher one-hop and end-to-end throughput than the standard slotted-ALOHA protocol can. A similar advantage in end-to-end delay can be obtained when the traffic is light. As a result, the proposed cooperative-diversity ALOHA protocol can be used to improve these measures of quality of service (QoS) in ad hoc wireless networks
Introduction to SIMRAND: Simulation of research and development project

SIMRAND: SIMulation of Research ANd Development Projects is a methodology developed to aid the engineering and management decision process in the selection of the optimal set of systems or tasks to be funded on a research and development project. A project may have a set of systems or tasks under consideration for which the total cost exceeds the allocated budget. Other factors such as personnel and facilities may also enter as constraints. Thus the project's management must select, from among the complete set of systems or tasks under consideration, a partial set that satisfies all project constraints. The SIMRAND methodology uses analytical techniques and probability theory, decision analysis of management science, and computer simulation, in the selection of this optimal partial set. The SIMRAND methodology is truly a management tool. It initially specifies the information that must be generated by the engineers, thus providing information for the management direction of the engineers, and it ranks the alternatives according to the preferences of the decision makers.
The Arabidopsis Mediator Complex Subunit16 Positively Regulates Salicylate-Mediated Systemic Acquired Resistance and Jasmonate/Ethylene-Induced Defense Pathways

Systemic acquired resistance (SAR) is a long-lasting plant immunity against a broad spectrum of pathogens. Biological induction of SAR requires the signal molecule salicylic acid (SA) and involves profound transcriptional changes that are largely controlled by the transcription coactivator nonexpressor of pathogenesis-related genes1 (NPR1). However, it is unclear how SAR signals are transduced from the NPR1 signaling node to the general transcription machinery. Here, we report that the Arabidopsis thaliana Mediator subunit16 (MED16) is an essential positive regulator of SAR. Mutations in MED16 reduced NPR1 protein levels and completely compromised biological induction of SAR. These mutations also significantly suppressed SA-induced defense responses, altered the transcriptional changes induced by the avirulent bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato (Pst) DC3000/avrRpt2, and rendered plants susceptible to both Pst DC3000/avrRpt2 and Pst DC3000. In addition, mutations in MED16 blocked the induction of several jasmonic acid (JA)/ethylene (ET)-responsive genes and compromised resistance to the necrotrophic fungal pathogens Botrytis cinerea and Alternaria brassicicola. The Mediator complex acts as a bridge between specific transcriptional activators and the RNA polymerase II transcription machinery; therefore, our data suggest that MED16 may be a signaling component in the gap between the NPR1 signaling node and the general transcription machinery and may relay signals from both the SA and the JA/ET pathways.
Faecal incontinence as presentation of an ependymomas of the spinal cord

Spinal tumours and ependymomas in particular are rare causes of cauda equina syndrome that present with faecal incontinence. We present a case of a 45 year old gentleman who presents to a colorectal clinic with incontinence. We then present a review of ependymomas with particular reference to the symptoms they cause as well a review of the neurophysiology of faecal continence. Suspicion for non-colonic causes for faecal incontinence should arise when there is absence of other etiologic factors. Establishment of the diagnosis of spinal tumours is with neurological examination and MRI spine.
Formation conditions of plagioclase-bearing type I chondrules in CO chondrites: A study of natural samples and experimental analogs

Abstract About ten percent of type I, FeO-poor chondrules in unequilibrated CO chondrites contain plagioclase that appears to be igneous in origin, crystallizing at a late stage of solidification of host chondrule melts. We have studied plagioclase-bearing chondrules in detail, and compared them with plagioclase-free chondrules, in order to determine the formation conditions of plagioclase and the constraints that the presence of plagioclase places on the conditions of chondrule formation. Plagioclase-bearing chondrules have similar textures, mineral compositions and bulk compositions to plagioclase-free chondrules. The only possible chemical difference that might control the presence or absence of plagioclase in a given chondrule is that most plagioclase-bearing chondrules have a slightly higher bulk Al/Ca ratio than plagioclase-free chondrules. We carried out dynamic cooling experiments on a type IAB chondrule analog in order to investigate chondrule formation conditions. Our experiments at slow cooling rates,
A methodology for extracting temporal properties from sensor network data streams

The extraction of temporal characteristics from sensor data streams can reveal important properties about the sensed events. Knowledge of temporal characteristics in applications where sensed events tend to periodically repeat, can provide a great deal of information towards identifying patterns, building models and using the timing information to actuate and provide services. In this paper we outline a methodology for extracting the temporal properties, in terms of start time and duration, of sensor data streams that can be used in applications such as human, habitat, environmental and traffic monitoring where sensed events repeat over a time window. Its application is demonstrated on a 30-day dataset collected from one of our assisted living sensor network deployments.
Architectural Support for Network Applications on Simultaneous MultiThreading Processors

As network applications become increasingly sophisticated and Internet traffic is getting heavier, future network processors must continue processing computation-intensive network applications at line rates. Most programmable network processors on the market today, such as the Intel IXP2800, target low performance (from 100 Mbps to 10 Gbps). However, low cost edge routers find it hard to cope with the forthcoming sophistication of network applications to be processed at those speeds. Hence, new architectures should be designed for the programmable network processors of the future. The goal of this paper is to evaluate the applicability and efficiency of simultaneous multi-threaded (SMT) as a network processor. Indeed, the SMT model inherently allows the multiple parallel threads which must be dealt with in network processor applications. In this paper, we investigate the architectural implications of network applications on the SMT architecture. We demonstrate that, when executed as independent threads, applications chosen from different network layers show an improved IPC and cache behavior when compared with the situation where the program executed comes from a single network application. Finally, a new architectural solution to cope with packet dependency is proposed and evaluated.
Fine frequency selection techniques for aluminum nitride Lamb wave resonators

This paper reports fine frequency selection techniques for aluminum nitride (AlN) Lamb wave mode resonators (LWR) to control the relative frequency of resonators in an array to 0.1%. The technique that works the best is by adjusting the so-called AlN “overhang” dimension, OH, measured from the center of the outermost electrode to the edge of AlN plate independently of the interdigital transducer (IDT) pitch. Experimental results suggest the center frequency can be linearly adjusted by up to ±2.5% with no significant effect on other resonator parameters including Q, R m , C 0 , and k2 t . Preliminary results of filter banks at 735 MHz utilizing this technique demonstrate that the relative center frequency of each channel can be evenly spaced by 0.05% without post-process trimming.
Metabolic acidosis increases fibroblast growth factor 23 in neonatal mouse bone

Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) significantly increases with declining renal function, leading to reduced renal tubular phosphate reabsorption, decreased 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, and increased left ventricular hypertrophy. Elevated FGF23 is associated with increased mortality. FGF23 is synthesized in osteoblasts and osteocytes; however, the mechanisms by which it is regulated are not clear. Patients with chronic kidney disease have decreased renal acid excretion leading to metabolic acidosis, which has a direct effect on bone cell activity. We hypothesized that metabolic acidosis would directly increase bone cell FGF23 production. Using cultured neonatal mouse calvariae, we found that metabolic acidosis increased medium FGF23 protein levels as well as FGF23 RNA expression at 24 h and 48 h compared with incubation in neutral pH medium. To exclude that the increased FGF23 was secondary to metabolic acidosis-induced release of bone mineral phosphate, we cultured primary calvarial osteoblasts. In these cells, metabolic acidosis increased FGF23 RNA expression at 6 h compared with incubation in neutral pH medium. Thus metabolic acidosis directly increases FGF23 mRNA and protein in mouse bone. If these results are confirmed in humans with chronic kidney disease, therapeutic interventions to mitigate acidosis, such as bicarbonate administration, may also lower levels of FGF23, decrease left ventricular hypertrophy, and perhaps even decrease mortality.
FIRST RECORD OF THE EASTERN PIPISTRELLE (PIPISTRELLUS SUBFLAVUS) FROM SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO

Abstract The range of the eastern pipistrelle (Pipistrellus subflavus) recently has expanded westward in the United States. New records of this species have been reported along the entire western boundary of its range from South Dakota to Texas. In August 2004, we captured an adult, male eastern pipistrelle at Carlsbad Caverns National Park in southeastern New Mexico. Our record represents the second capture of this species in New Mexico and the first in the southern part of the state. Because no eastern pipistrelle was captured at this site during previous surveys (1973 to 2003), this record represents the continued westward expansion of the distribution of this species in the United States.
Ground-state energy calculation of the electron-hole liquid in semiconductors

Recent experiments have shown that electrons and holes in normal Ge and Si undergo a gas-liquid-type transition at low temperatures as a function of density. In this paper we present results of numerical calculations of the ground-state energy of an electron-hole liquid for five different cases: i) isotropic electron-hole liquid, ii) Si under a large [100]-strain, iii) Ge under a large [111]-strain, iv) Ge and v) Si, using a self-consistent theory which takes multiple scattering between all components of the quantum plasma into account. Important effects of anisotropy have also been considered. Results of these calculations have been compared with those based on approximations which neglect multiple scattering. Numerical results for the binding energy, equilibrium density, enhancement factors and partial pair correlation functions are presented and discussed in the light of available experimental data.
Sanctioning Policies-Australian, American and British Cross-National Reflections and Comparisons

Over the last two decades welfare policies have undergone major reforms in Anglo-Western nations such as the U.S., U.K. and Australia. Central to these reforms have been the revision of welfare recipient entitlements and responsibilities and the emergence of a responsibility and obligations agenda. The essence of this agenda is conditionality and reciprocity, and it includes the threat of punitive sanctions for failing to comply with mandatory participation requirements. This paper highlights the potent influence of the ideas of American conservatives on policy reforms in the U.S., the U.K. and Australia and provides a thematic crossnational comparison of sanctioning policies in these nations.
Accountability and Private Governments

It is commonly believed that residential community associations (RCAs)-a.k.a. homeowners associations and condominium associations - enhance the value of residents' properties. If RCAs provide a level of services with benefits equal to or exceeded by residents' willingness to pay for them, then property values should remain constant or increase. But the organizations may not provide an efficient level of services because of inadequate oversight by community residents. Instead, RCAs may adopt policies that reflect the preferences of community activists who have higher demands for services than the mean or median resident. In the most likely type of inefficient RCA, an increment in expenses for services reduces property values because the marginal purchaser gets less benefit out of the services than their cost. In that case, the excessive fee will be negatively capitalized into property values.
Pathogenic mutation R959W alters recognition dynamics of dysferlin inner DysF domain

Dysferlin, a 220 kD protein, plays a major role in regulating plasma membrane repair in muscle cells. Mutations in the dysferlin inner DysF domain are known to cause different types of muscular dystrophy, including limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2B (LGMD2B) and Miyoshi myopathy (MM). Replacement of arginine in position 959 by tryptophan has been frequently associated with both LGMD2B and MM, but the molecular mechanisms by which this mutation alters dysferlin function remain unknown. In this study, we have used protein binding site predictions and microsecond molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to determine the effects pathogenic mutation R959W on the structural dynamics of dysferlin inner DysF domain. Analysis of 2 μs long MD trajectories revealed that mutation R959W does not induce local destabilization, unfolding or misfolding of the domain. We used a binding site predictor to discover a protein-binding site (residues T958-I966 and E1031-H1037) that resembles pincers in shape. Cartesian principal component analysis and interresidue distance distributions of the wild-type domain showed that the predicted protein-binding site undergoes a pincer motion, and populates two structural states, open and closed. We found that mutation R959W inhibits the pincer motion of the protein-binding site and completely shifts the equilibrium toward the open state. These differences in the structural dynamics of the predicted binding site suggest that mutation R959W alters recognition dynamics of the inner DysF domain. Based on these findings and on previous experimental studies, we propose a novel role for the inner DysF domain in muscle membrane repair through recruitment of dysferlin to plasma membrane. In conclusion, these findings have important implications for our understanding of the structural aspects of muscular dystrophies in atomic-level resolution.
Financial Costs as a Defense to an Employment Discrimination Claim

The article discusses under what circumstances an employer's financial costs are relevant to a claim of employment discrimination. The article discusses both disparate treatment and disparate impact claims, using four hypotheticals to analyze the issues. The article concludes that while potential financial costs should never be recognized as a defense to intentional discrimination motivated by stereotyping or customer preference, courts should take costs into account in other contexts. If an employer attempts to establish a BFOQ and the plaintiff claims that the employer could hire her if it restructured the environment, hired more employees, or made other changes involving some expense, courts should examine whether the proposed expenditures are reasonable in light of all the circumstances. To aid in the analysis, courts could look to the reasonable accommodation and undue hardship concepts under the ADA. In these situations courts may expect employers to undergo significant costs but the employer will not have to demonstrate that it is faced with financial ruin. The article concludes, however, that disparate impact cases are different. When there is no intentional discrimination, the employer should have to show that a challenged practice significantly serves the employer’s legitimate business interest. Such interests could include cost savings and efficiency, so long as these savings are more than de minimis. Similarly, an employer should not have to adopt a suggested alternative employment practice if the employer would have to spend a significant amount of money to adopt the practice. In analyzing these disparate impact problems, courts could look to the reasonable accommodation and undue hardship concepts in the cases and regulations involving religious discrimination.
Decision analysis for robust CO2 injection: Application of Bayesian-Information-Gap Decision Theory

Care must be taken when choosing a site for geological CO2 sequestration to ensure that the CO2 remains sequestered for many years, and that the environment is not harmed. Making a decision between sites for sequestration is not without its challenges because, as in the case of many subsurface problems, there are a lot of uncertainties. A method for making decisions under various types and severities of uncertainties, Bayesian-Information-Gap Decision Theory (BIG DT), is coupled with a numerical multiphase flow model for CO2 injection. The framework is used to make a decision between two CO2 sequestration sites; data are collected during a test injection and are used by the framework to assess the robustness of each site against failure by either leakage or induced seismic activity. A discussion of how the data are used to decide on a site follows. The results show that at the two synthetic sites examined here, the one with the less leakage potential is preferred. This indicates that the potential for leakage is more prone to violate decision goals at these sites than the potential for overpressurization.
Mycoplasmacidal activity of a leukocytic myeloperoxidase-hydrogen peroxide-halide system.

macrophages and L-cells. J. Exp. Med. 133:231259, 1971. 22. Eaton, M. D. The nature of mycoplasma infections. In S. Mudd [ed.]. Infectious agents and host reactions. Saunders, Philadelphia, 1970. p. 391-425. 23. Dajani, A. D., Clyde, W. A., Jr., Denny, F. W. Experimental infection with Mycoplasma pneumoniae (Eaton's agent). J. Exp. Med. 121:10711086, 1965. 24. Fernald, G. W. Immunologic aspects of experimental Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection. J. Infect. Dis. 119:255-266, 1969. 25. Clyde, W. A., Jr. An experimental model for human mycoplasma disease. Yale J. Biol. Med. 49:436443, 1968. 26. Fernald, G. W., Clyde, W. A., Jr. Protective effect of vaccines in experimental Mycoplasma pneumoniae disease. Infec. Immun. 1:559-565, 1970.
The Role of the Pfeiffer Bacillus in the Recent Epidemic of Influenza

Since the recent visitation of influenza, which has been pandemic throughout the greater part of the civilized world, much has been written relative to its etiology and in particular to the part played by the influenza bacillus. While it is universally admitted that the pandemic disease of 1918-19 has not differed in any essential pathologic or clinical feature from that of the pandemic of 1890-92 when the cause was regarded as definitely established by Pfeiffer,1 there is now considerable doubt, apparently, as to the etiologic relationship between clinical influenza and the Pfeiffer bacillus. Probably the main incentive for questioning the causal role of the Pfeiffer bacillus in the recent pandemic has been the severity and almost overwhelming clinical aspect of the disease prevalent in the infection. One was inclined to regard the picture as ascribable to some very virulent micro-organism or virus out of all accord in intensity of infection with the category of sporadic clinical entities promiscuously termed influenza, grip, and the like, usually noted in normal times. It must be recalled, however, that extraordinary circumstances existed in the massing of man power which formed the most desirable condition for intensifying the virulence of pathogenic microbes. Such an exaltation of the invasive power would explain the malignant character of B. influenzae when extending from military confines to adjacent municipalities. It must be remembered that the loss in virulence of greatly attenuated pathogenic species, long in stock as laboratory cultures, can be regenerated or exalted to a marked degree by animal passage. Certainly, in the conditions existing in military concentrations, the most desirable circumstances for repeated human passage were present. In brief, there are three views extant today regarding the relationship of B. influenzae to the epidemic disease: (1) The acceptance of
System-Level Performance Evaluation of ATD-1 Ground-Based Technologies

A series of large-scale human-in-the-loop simulations were conducted in the Airspace Operations Laboratory (AOL) at NASA Ames Research Center to evaluate the system-level performance of NASA Air Traffic Management Technology Demonstration-1 (ATD-1) ground-based technologies. The ATD-1 ground-based technologies are the Traffic Management Advisor for Terminal Metering (TMA-TM) and Controller-Managed Spacing (CMS) tools. The simulations compared current operations to ATD-1 operations for peak-period arrivals to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX). Results indicate that controllers new to ATD-1 operations can increase the use of Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) in complex arrival flows without undue increases in workload.
Perceived Parental Acceptance-Rejection and Artistic Preference: Replication Thirty Years Later

In 1982, Rohner and Frampton investigated if there is a relationship in the U.S. between the degree to which adults recall themselves as having been accepted or rejected as children and their current preference for graphic art varying in complexity of design. The researchers found a relationship between these two constructs – the participants’ perceived parental acceptance in childhood was associated with a preference for more complex art forms, which differed from their expectations based on the findings of previous studies. The purpose of our study was to replicate Rohner and Frampton’s (1982) work, 30 years later, in order to determine if similar findings would emerge. Among our 133 participants, perceived maternal acceptance in childhood was associated with a preference for more complex art forms [similar to Rohner and Frampton’s (1982) findings]. However, our participants’ perceived paternal acceptance in childhood had no association with artistic preference. We suggest that in the future, researchers work to uncover the underlying reasons for the relationship between artistic preference and perceived parental acceptance and rejection.
Use of the Neodymium:YAG Laser to Control Refractory Bleeding from the Prostate

Prostatic hemorrhage is a condition that often requires hospitalization and can be life-threatening. We present a simple, effective method using the neodymium:YAG laser with a right angle energy delivery system to control prostatic hemorrhage successfully in 3 difficult clinical situations.