cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Kinetics and stoichiometry of the human red cell Na+/H+ exchanger.

We have investigated the kinetic properties of the human red blood cell Na+/H+ exchanger to provide a tool to study the role of genetic, hormonal and environmental factors in its expression as well as its functional properties in several clinical conditions. The present study reports its stoichiometry and the kinetic effects of internal H+ (H i ) and external Na+ (Na o ) in red blood cells of normal subjects. Red blood cells with different cell Na+ (Na i ) and pH (pH i ) were prepared by nystatin and DIDS treatment of acid-loaded cells. Unidirectional and net Na+ influx were measured by varying pH i (from 5.7 to 7.4), external pH (pH o ), Na i and Na o and by incubating the cells in media containing ouabain, bumetanide and methazolamide. Net Na+ influx (Na i <2.0 mmol/liter cell, Na o = 150mm) increased sigmoidally (Hill coefficient 2.5) when pH i fell below 7.0 and the external pH o was 8.0, but increased linearly at pH o 6.0. The net Na+ influx driven by an outward H+ gradient was estimated from the difference of Na+ influx at the two pH o levels (pH o 8 and pH o 6). The H+-driven Na+ influx reached saturation between pH i 5.9 and 6.1. TheV max had a wide interindividual variation (6 to 63 mmol/liter cell · hr, 31.0±3, mean±sem,n=20). TheK m for H i to activate H+-driven Na+ influx was 347±30nm (n=7). Amiloride (1mm) or DMA (20 μm) partially (59±10%) inhibited red cell Na+/H+ exchange. The stoichiometric ratio between H+-driven Na+ influx and Na+-driven H+ efflux was 1∶1. The dependence of Na+ influx from Na o was studied at pH i 6.0, and Na i lower than 2 mmol/liter cell at pH o 6.0 and 8.0. The meanK m for Na o of the H+-gradient-driven Na+ influx was 55±7mm. An increase in Na i from 2 to 20 mmol/liter cell did not change significantly H+-driven net Na+ influx as estimated from the difference between unidirectional22Na influx and efflux. Na+/Na+ exchange was negligible in acid-loaded, DIDS-treated cells. Na+ and H+ efflux from acid-loaded cells were inhibited by amiloride analogs in the absence of external Na+ indicating that they may represent nonspecific effects of these compounds and/or uncoupled transport modes of the Na+/H+ exchanger. It is concluded that human red cell Na+/H+ exchange performs 1∶1 exchange of external Na+ for internal protons, which is partially amiloride sensitive. Its kinetic dependence from internal H+ and external Na+ is similar to other cells, but it displays a larger variability in theV max between individuals.
Optical design of an orbiting low-light cloud imager lens

A conceptual design has been developed for a Low-light Cloud Imager (LCI) to be used on a combination NOAA/DoD weather satellite. This lens was specified to have a ground resolution of 2.4 km over a 1 10 °x7 1 ° field of view. In order to accomplish this resolution on the night-side ofthe earth in the visible/near-infrared waveband (400-1000 nm), a very fast (f/1.72) lens was required. This paper describes the requirements on the lens, the effort to design a lens to meet the requirements, and the resulting performance of the conceptual design. Special attention is given to the following areas: understanding the performance requirements, simultaneously accomplishing a wide field of view and a low f-number, color correction, and distortion correction.
Everyday Aesthetics: Prosaics, the Play of Culture and Social Identities

Contents: Preface Part 1 The Labyrinths of Aesthetics: The problems of aesthetics The fetishes of aesthetics The myths of aesthetics The fears of aesthetics. Part 2 On Aesthesis: Demarcating aesthetics Basic categories for aesthetic analysis Conditions of possibility of aesthesis: the a priori The phenomenology of aesthesis: aesthetic latching-on and latched-by. Part 3 Towards Prosaics: Prosaics and poetics The tangents of prosaics The nutrients of prosaics The play of culture The horizons of prosaics. Part 4 Semio-Aesthetics: Thresholds of semiotic perception: sensation, discernment and regard The axis of the signic The axis of the symbolic Comparative view of both axes: the symbolic and the signic The non-axis of the obtuse Beyond semiosis to aesthesis Aesthetic enunciation and its dialogical character. Part 5 Octadic Model for Aesthetics Analysis: Rhetoric and its registers Dramatics and its modalities The rhetoric-dramatic coupling Con-formations of the rhetoric-dramatic coupling. Part 6 Matrixes and Identities: The matrixes: a general approach Diachronic and synchronic perspective of cultural matrixes The family matrix The religion matrix The school matrix The medical matrix The occultist matrix The arts matrix. Conclusions: matricial symbols and aesthetic games References Index.
Effects of PGF2α infusion on human cortisol biosynthesis

Abstract Intravenous administration of prostaglandin F2α to normal volunteers induced a three-fold increase in urinary cortisol output. Dexamethasone administration significantly inhibited the cortisol response, indicating that prostaglandin does not directly stimulate adrenal cortisol biosynthesis. Prostaglandin infusion appears to increase cortisol biosynthesis through stimulation of pituitary ACTH release.
Invited paper Survey of quantitative feedback theory (QFT)

Abstract QFT is an engineering design theory devoted to the practical design of feedback control systems. The foundation of QFT is that feedback is needed in control only when plant (P), parameter and/or disturbance (D) uncertainties (sets P; = {P}, D = {D}) exceed the acceptable (A) system performance uncertainty (set A ={A}). The principal properties of QFT are as follows. (1) The amount of feedback needed is tuned to the (P,D,A); sets. If A/ 'exceeds’ (P,D)feedback is not needed at all. (2) The simplest modelling is used: (a) command, disturbance and sensor noise inputs, and (b) the available sensing points and the defined outputs. No special controllability test is needed in either linear or non-linear plants. It is inherent in the design procedure. There is no observability problem because uncertainty is included. The number of independent sensors determines the number of independent loop transmissions (Li,,), the functions which provide the benefits of feedback. (3) The simplest mathematical tools h...
Instrument Data Processing Unit for THEMIS

The Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) mission is a NASA Medium-class Explorer (MIDEX) mission, launched on February 17, 2007. The mission employs five identical micro-satellites, or “probes,” which line-up along the Earth’s magnetotail every four days in conjunctions to determine the trigger and large-scale evolution of magnetic substorms. The probes are equipped with a comprehensive suite of instruments that measure and track the motion of thermal and super-thermal ions and electrons, and electric and magnetic fields, at key regions in the magnetosphere. Primary science objectives require high data rates at periods of scientific interest, large data volumes, and control of science data collection on suborbital time scales. A central Instrument Data Processing Unit (IDPU) is necessary to organize and prioritize the data from the large number of instruments into a 200 MB solid state memory. The large data volume produced by the instruments requires a flexible memory capable of both high resolution snapshots during conjunctions and coarser survey data collection throughout the orbit. Onboard triggering algorithms select and prioritize the snapshots based on data quality to optimize the science data that is returned to the ground. This paper presents a detailed discussion of the hardware and software design of the THEMIS IDPU, describing the heritage design that has been fundamental to the THEMIS mission success so far.
MULTIPLE ENZYME CHANGES IN THE PLASMA OF NORMAL AND TUMOR-BEARING MICE FOLLOWING INFECTION WITH THE LACTIC DEHYDROGENASE AGENT

Within 72 hours after injection of the LDH agent into normal mice, five (LDH, ICDH, MDH, PHI, and GOT) out of the seven plasma enzymes studied were elevated. This elevation persisted for the duration of the experiment. Alkaline phosphatase and aldolase were not elevated. Plasma from mice bearing tumor SS-70429 and infected with the LDH agent showed 7 times more LDH, 8 times more ICDH, and 4 times more MDH activity than the plasma from mice with the same tumor but uninfected. The plasma aldolase activity from the infected tumor-bearing animal was approximately the same as that from the uninfected tumor-bearing animal. Somewhat similar results, but lower in magnitude, were found with mice bearing mammary carcinoma C3HBA. The early rise in plasma enzyme activity (LDH, MDH, ICDH) prior to the actual appearance of the tumor was shown to be due not to the tumor, but to the LDH agent. Uninfected tumor-bearing mice showed a late increase in plasma enzyme activity which appeared to be related to tumor growth. The findings reported above suggest that contamination with the LDH agent may have been responsible for much of the increased plasma enzyme activity previously attributed to the tumor.
Phenotypic characterization of a family with long QT syndrome 13: a different type of variable penetrance.

Congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS) is an uncommon disorder with a prevalence of 1:2500 in the general population. LQTS is a disease of cardiac repolarization defined by 2 characteristics: (1) prolonged heart-rate corrected QT (QTc) interval on a resting surface electrocardiogram (ECG) and (2) the presence of torsades de pointes ventricular tachycardia and/or ventricular fibrillation with associated cardiac events. The first cases of LQTS were described 50 years ago, and over the next 30 years several dedicated investigators worked to understand the pathological mechanisms underlying this disease. The landmark discoveries by Mark Keating’s group that rare variants in genes encoding for cardiac ion channels can act as diseasecausing mutations in families with LQTS clearly defined the primary contribution of ion channel dysfunction in the pathogenesis of this disease. Furthermore, these exciting discoveries created a large amount of interest in LQTS since the phenotype-genotype relationship could be identified and connected to each other. In this case, one phenotype marker is readily assessible as a prolonged QTc interval on the surface ECG, and the genotype is a point mutation in a single well-defined gene. Thus far, disease-causing mutations in 16 genes have been associated with LQTS and genetic screening is now available that can identify the disease-causing gene in 80% of the cases. Knowing who is affected can exclude disease in genotype-negative patients, or help determine the prognosis and guide therapy for genotype-positive patients. However, it was appreciated early on that the symptoms and phenotype of LQTS spanned a broad spectrum and that the penetrance of LQTS is relatively low. Many patients with confirmed disease-causing mutations do not have symptoms or significant QTc interval prolongation, while other affected patients with subtle QTc interval prolongation experience profound symptoms or fatal events. The reason why mutations in the known LQTS diseasecausing genes do not always present as manifest disease is that modifying factors also contribute to the pathogenesis of
The impact of obesity on cardiac dysfunction in patients with sleep-disordered breathing

Obesity and heart failure are strongly associated with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). However, the determinants of cardiac dysfunction in patients with SDB are not known. We studied 90 patients suspected of having SDB (66 % women and 67 % black), age 50.4 ± 13.4 years and body mass index (BMI) 38.6 ± 9.8 kg/m2. Apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) and nadir pulse oximetry (SpO2) were determined by polysomnography recordings. Left atrial (LA) diameter and left ventricular posterior wall (LVPW) thickness were determined by echocardiography. Patients who had EF 45 mmHg or valvular heart disease were excluded. Univariate analysis revealed a positive correlation between LA diameter and each of BMI, neck circumference (NC), and AHI (coefficients, 0.28, 0.34, and 0.36, respectively; p < 0.05). Multivariable linear regression analysis revealed that BMI was the only independent predictor of LA enlargement (coefficient 0.02, p < 0.05). LVPW thickness correlated with BMI, NC, and AHI (correlation coefficients were 0.43, 0.47, and 0.33, respectively; p < 0.05). Multivariable linear regression analysis revealed a significant relationship between LVPW thickness and each of BMI and NC (coefficients 0.016 and 0.007, respectively; p < 0.05) but not AHI. BMI and LVPW associated with nadir SpO2 (r = −0.60, p < 0.01 and r = −0.21, p = 0.05; respectively), and BMI was a predictor of nadir SpO2 during sleep (B = −0.59; CI: −0.84, −0.33; p = 0.01). Obesity can predict cardiovascular morbidity and nocturnal hypoxemia independent of the severity of the SDB. Our findings suggest the independent contribution of excess body weight on cardiac dysfunction and hypoxia in SDB patients.
Inconsistencies with Physical Functioning and the Child Health Questionnaire in Children with Cerebral Palsy

Objectives To explore the performance of the Physical Functioning (PF) subscale of the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ) in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Study design Parents of 177 children and adolescents (age 3 to 18 years) with CP completed the CHQ -Parent Form 50. Severity of CP was assessed using the 5-level Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS), in which higher levels reflect more severe impairment. Results PF scores were negatively correlated with GMFCS classification (R = −0.62) and were distributed bimodally in subjects with severe motor impairment. For GMFCS classifications IV and V (n = 59), PF scores were very low (means, 9 to 28; medians, 0 to 8); however, 12% of these subjects had excellent PF scores (> 88) despite being nonambulatory. Conclusions Although the CHQ PF subscale correlated well with the GMFCS, the CHQ questions on physical functioning resulted in unexpected responses in approximately 1 in 8 subjects with severe CP. These unanticipated responses to the PF subscale questions may be due to ambiguity in the questions (which do not differentiate between health problems and disability) or to alternative parental interpretation of physical functioning. Confusion in differentiating health status and functional status may make the CHQ less useful in children with significant disabilities.
Studies on the microscopical anatomy and physiology ofAscaris lumbricoides andAscaris megalocephala

The excretory system ofAscaris has been restudied. The tubular emunctorium has been shown to vary greatly in the anterior region and evidence is adduced indicating that this system has some glandular function not related to the excretory process. In all experiments conducted it was impossible to discover any excretory action by the tubular system. Elimination of injected substances does occur, however, directly thru the body wall. The older evidence for excretory function of the tubular system has been discredited. It would appear that in the Anisakinae the “excretory system” is really a salivary gland.
Meridional asymmetry of source nutrients to the equatorial Pacific upwelling ecosystem and its potential impact on ocean–atmosphere CO2 flux; a data and modeling approach

Si(OH)4, NO3, and TCO2 are shown to be distributed asymmetrically in a north/south direction about the equatorial Pacific using data from WEPOCS III and JGOFS EqPac cruises. Equatorial SiOH4 concentrations are shown to be the product of both geochemical and physical interactions with chemical processes, occurring in at least three regions remote from the equatorial Pacific, and physical delivery processes from the equatorial undercurrent (EUC) to the surface layer varying over a range of time scales. The EUC was partitioned into upper and lower portions, the upper providing source water to the central upwelling area and the lower crossing the Pacific without upwelling and thought to reenter the surface along the coast of Peru and to the eastern equatorial upwelling area. The source waters from the North Pacific, the north equatorial countercurrent (NECC) and from the South Pacific, the New Guinea coastal undercurrent (NGCUC) also were partitioned according to source for the upper and lower EUC. Mean concentrations and ranges of nutrients for each source partition were obtained from field data. Current flow and advective data output from a 3-D physical model were used with the field nutrient data to calculate nutrient fluxes into the EUC. Although the inflow of water from the north and south were approximately equal, the stronger asymmetric distribution of Si(OH)4 compared to NO3 resulted in identifying the South Pacific source as only 30% of the total supply of Si(OH)4 to the EUC and the cause of a low Si(OH)4:NO3 condition. These results suggest a coupling between Southern Ocean productivity, equatorial productivity, and the efflux of CO2 to the atmosphere from the equatorial upwelling system.
Fibula osteo-adipofascial flap for mandibular and maxillary reconstruction.

Background The fibula free flap is a reliable method for reconstructing composite head and neck defects. However, its skin paddle has drawbacks, including its thickness, hair-bearing surface, desquamation, difficulty insetting it into maxillary defects, and the potential need for skin-grafting the donor site. The fibula osteo-adipofascial flap (FOAFF) is a modification of the fibula flap that overcomes these problems. Methods A retrospective study of 6 consecutive patients who underwent FOAFF reconstruction was evaluated for outcomes and complications. Results The mean follow-up was 22.6 months. All flaps survived, with complete oral mucosalization by 7 weeks. Four patients had dental implants placed at the time of reconstruction. Two patients received radiation therapy. Aside from loss of the labial sulcus in anterior maxillary reconstructions, complications were negligible. Conclusion The FOAFF is useful for reconstructing defects requiring bone, soft tissue, and mucosal replacement without the disadvantages of the traditional fibula skin paddle. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2011
Factors influencing the effect of bleached kraft mill effluents on drinking water quality

Abstract The taste and odour of drinking waters contaminated with bleached kraft mill effluent (BKME) were investigated. Mill effluents with a wide range of odour thresholds were selected and the effects of biological treatment, conventional water purification, carbon filtration, residual chlorine concentration, and recipient water quality were evaluated. No correlation was found between the original odour of BKME and the drinking water impairment. The taste and odour of drinking water prepared from pure glacial-fed river water to which biotreated BKMEs from three separate pulp mills were added was found to be impaired at effluent concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 0.4%. Effluent biotreatment, conventional water purification, and carbon filtration significantly reduced, but did not completely eliminate, BKME-associated taste and odour in potable water samples. The concentration of residual chlorine in the finished drinking water samples was an important factor influencing the degree of taste impairment.
Comparison of myosin light chain phosphorylation in uterine and arterial smooth muscles

Abstract 1. 1. The phosphorylatable light chain from uterine and arterial smooth muscles appears as four spots on two-dimensional gel electrophoretograms due to the existence of isoforms which may be non-, mono- or diphosphorylated. 2. 2. The phosphorylation sites are serine and threonine residues; the phosphoserine to phosphothreonine ratio is smaller, and the extent of diphosphorylation is larger in uterus than in artery. 3. 3. Different phosphorylation values found at identical tension levels and identical phosphorylation values found at different tension levels narrow the role of light chain phosphorylation to the activation of smooth muscle contraction.
Subcellular distributions of adenosine A1 and A2A receptors in the rat dorsomedial nucleus of the solitary tract at the level of the area postrema

Adenosine A1 and A2A receptors mediate distinct cardiovascular components of defense reactions that are ascribed, in part, to opposing actions within the nucleus tractus solitarius. To assess the cellular sites of relevance to these actions, we examined the light and electron microscopic immunolabeling of adenosine A1 and A2A receptors in the rat dorsomedial nucleus of the solitary tract at the level of the area postrema (dmNTS-AP), a region crucial for cardiovascular regulation involving vagal baroreceptor afferents. Immunoreactivity for each receptor was independently localized to distinct segments of plasma membranes and endomembranes in somatodendritic, axonal, and glial profiles. The dendritic labeling for each receptor also was detected within and near asymmetric, excitatory-type synapses. Of all peroxidase labeled profiles exclusive of somata, approximately 58% were A1- and 39% were A2A-labeled dendrites. Dendrites and astrocytic glia were the profiles that most often expressed both subtypes of adenosine receptors. The axonal labeling for A2A receptors was seen mainly in unmyelinated axons, whereas the A1 receptors were prominently localized within axon terminals. These terminals often formed single or multisynaptic excitatory-type junctions or single symmetric synapses on dendrites, a few of which expressed A1 and A2A receptors. These results provide the first ultrastructural evidence that A1 and A2A receptors have distributions conductive to their dual involvement in modulating the output of single neurons and glial function in the dmNTS-AP, where the predominate presynaptic effects of adenosine are mediated through A1 receptors.
A comparison of informed consent for obstetric anaesthesia in the USA and the UK.

Summary The practice of 75 UK and 75 US obstetric anaesthetists in obtaining informed consent for obstetric anaesthesia (for caesarean section) and obstetric analgesia (for labour) was compared using a postal questionnaire. The response rate was approximately 60% for each group. Of the US anaesthetists 47% obtained separate written consent for obstetric anaesthesia compared to 22% of the UK group ( P =0.012). Corresponding percentages for epidural analgesia were 52% for the US, and 15% for the UK ( P P
Expansion of an ultrafine aerosol through a thin-plate orifice

When a monodisperse aerosol expands through a thin-plate circular orifice into an evacuated chamber, the particles tend to focus at a downstream axial location that is dependent upon the Stokes number. Since viscous drag is negligible within the chamber, the particles continue on straight-line trajectories beyond the focal point forming a cone. This behavior has been exploited for size-selective transmission of ultrafine aerosol into a high vacuum chamber for chemical analysis. In this paper, we present an experimental and theoretical characterization of this behavior. The entire flow is modeled using a potential flow solution upstream of the orifice coupled with a paraxial model employing previously obtained empirical expressions for the centerline Mach number within the orifice. Particle trajectories are calculated from the resulting flow and compared to experimental measurements. Limiting particle trajectories are experimentally determined from measurements of the size of the particle beam cross section. Particle transmission efficiency is measured using a single-particle mass spectrometer. Despite the assumption of inviscid flow, the model provides reasonable agreement with the experimental measurements, suggesting that inertial separation is not strongly influenced by the boundary layer developing along the orifice walls.
Instability of nanostructures patterned in polystyrene under high electric field gradients

Abstract A nanolithography technique based on the lateral displacement of electrically biased AFM tip was developed for nanostructures formation of 30–100 nm in width and 1–10 nm in height in the polystyrene (PS) films. It was demonstrated that the nanostructures patterned in annealed PS films (90K Mw) show slow exponential relaxation between 55 and 265 h depending on their size. Relaxation of the nanostructures in non-annealed films usually occurred in minutes. It was observed that in the annealed samples a negative electric charge accumulated in the areas where the nanostructures formed while in the non-annealed samples only the positive charge in exposed areas was detected using the electric force microscopy. After 320 h of monitoring under the humidity maintained between 25 and 27% it was suggested that slow dynamical changes of the nanostructures can be attributed to the negative electric charge dissipation in the annealed samples.
SU-FF-T-205: Ionization to Dose for Electron Beams: A Comparison of Three Approaches

Purpose: To compare methods of converting depth‐ionization to depth‐dose for electron beams. The current TG‐25 standard is based on TG‐21 calibration protocols and uses stopping power ratios for monoenergetic beams. The current IPEMB code of practice uses stopping power ratios for realistic electron beams, which are also used for the current TG‐51 and other electron dose calibration protocols. Method and Materials: Depth‐ionization curves measured with a cylindrical ion chamber were converted to percentage depth dose (pdd) using the current TG‐25 approach, the current IPEMB code of practice, and a hybrid method that uses the stopping power ratios of the latter and the replacement correction of the former. For depths greater than the practical range, the stopping power ratio and the replacement correction were set to the values at the end of the practical range. Results: For energies of 12 MeV or lower, and depths greater than dmax, all method give results that are almost identical. In the buildup region, the hybrid pdd was up to 0.8% higher than the TG‐25 approach and up to 1.0% less than the IPEMB code of practice. For 16 MeV in the buildup region, the hybrid pdd was almost identical to the TG‐25 pdd but 0.7% lower than the IPEMB pdd. For 16 MeV at R90, the hybrid method was about 0.6% less than TG‐25 and 0.7% greater than IPEMB. For the 20‐MeV beam at R90, the hybrid and TG‐25 results were about 1% higher than the IPEMB results. Conclusion: The hybrid method proposed here gives very similar results to the previous TG‐25 method and the IPEMB code of practice. The IPEMB method has replacement corrections for only one size of ion chamber, so the hybrid method is more widely applicable, and should be considered as an alternative or replacement for the TG‐25 method.
Fidelity of DNA replication in isolated L-cell nuclei.

Abstract Satellite DNA synthesis was studied in synchronous cultures of mouse L-cells and in nuclei derived from such cells. The following observations were made: 1. 1. In intact cells the amount of satellite DNA synthesized was highest in early S. Synthesis of this species dropped to a minimum at mid S then rose again in the last quarter of the S-phase. 2. 2. In a nuclear incorporating system the relative amount of satellite DNA synthesized depended on the synthetic potential for satellite synthesis in the cells from which the nuclei were derived. 3. 3. The cytoplasm of cells actively engaged in satellite DNA synthesis contained an activity which increased the fraction of counts incorporated into satellite DNA in a test system composed of nuclei isolated from cells having a diminished level of satellite DNA synthesis. The activity of early S-phase cytoplasm was heat labile, while that of late S-phase cells was heat stable. The accumulation of activities in the cytoplasm of cells (early or late in the S-phase) could be blocked by short exposure to inhibitions of protein or RNA synthesis.
The design and implementation of a multi-level content-addressable checkpoint file system

Long-running HPC applications guard against node failures by writing checkpoints to parallel file systems. Writing these checkpoints with petascale class machines has proven difficult and the increased concurrency demands of exascale computing will exacerbate this problem. To meet checkpointing demands and sustain application-perceived throughput at exascale, multi-tiered hierarchical storage architectures involving solid-state burst buffers are being considered. In this paper, we describe the design and implementation of cento, a multi-level, content-addressable checkpoint file system for large-scale HPC systems. cento achieves in-flight checkpoint data reduction across all compute nodes through compression and elimination of duplicate blocks over a series of checkpoints. Through a detailed analysis of checkpoint dumps, we assess the benefits of data reduction for scientific applications that are representative of production workloads. We observe upto 40% data reduction within a limited sample of representative workloads. Finally, experiments on existing systems show a decrease in checkpoint commit latencies by 5 to 20 % reducing the load on the parallel file system.
The condition of Steffensen's acceleration in several variables

Abstract To improve the efficiency of the straightforward algorithm for general secant methods in several variables, Wolfe initiated a fast secant algorithm in 1959, which became very popular in the 1980s and 1990s, notably with Brezinski, Sadok, and others. However, the condition number of such a fast algorithm increases as fast as the iterations converge, which guarantees at most one-half as many accurate digits as used in the computation. In contrast, the condition number of the straightforward algorithm may remain bounded, for example, in certain instances of the method—suggested by Henrici in 1964 and 1982—to compute Steffensen's acceleration by means of Aitken's acceleration. Specifically, the present work shows that if the ambient space is cyclic with respect to the Jacobian matrix, then every neighbourhood of the fixed point contains initial estimates from which the iteration matrix for the next step remains uniformly nonsingular. In particular, for maps of the real plane with no real eigenvalues at the fixed point, Henrici's straightforward algorithm converges stably from all sufficiently close initial estimates. Numerical examples confirm that the straightforward algorithm converges faster than the fast secant algorithm.
MANAGERS' REACTIONS TO UTILITY ANALYSIS AND PERCEPTIONS OF WHAT INFLUENCES THEIR DECISIONS

Recent research on providing utility analysis (UA) information has shown small positive effects on acceptance of selection tests by human resource decision-makers (Carson, Becker, & Henderson, Journal of Applied Psychology, 83 84–96 (1998). In the present study, 218 managers provided reactions to UA information. Not only do our findings replicate the positive effects of UA, we found managers also responded favorably to UA information when asked independently of the decision making process. Specifically, when asked to rank order information in terms of what they perceived to be most influential in helping them make their final decisions, those who received UA information ranked it among the highest.
Relationship Between the Uptake of Isoniazid and Its Action on In Vivo Mycolic Acid Synthesis in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

A direct relationship was established between the rate of uptake of isoniazid and the action of this drug on in vivo mycolic acid synthesis in Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra. The rate of uptake of isoniazid increased linearly with its external concentration and appeared to reach a maximal value of 52 pmoles per hr per 109 cells at an external concentration of about 13 μm. Correspondingly, the rate of inhibition of mycolic acid synthesis increased with the rise in the rate of uptake of the drug. A 50% inhibition of mycolic acid synthesis occurred when the uptake of isoniazid reached 5.2 pmoles per 109 cells. Calculations showed that this level of drug uptake represents an internal cellular concentration of 9 μm. These results show clearly that the action of isoniazid on the mycolate synthetase system of M. tuberculosis is rapid and that this enzyme system is highly sensitive to the drug.
Classical laminate theory model for twill weave fabric composites

Abstract The present paper is concerned with the development of an analytical model, based on Classical Lamination Theory, to predict the stiffness of twill in composites. A very simple yet quite general model is developed to obtain the elastic properties, i.e. extensional stiffness (A), extension–bending coupling stiffness (B) and bending stiffness (D). The model takes into account effects of the fabric structure by considering tow undulations and continuity along both the fill and warp directions. Various tow cross sections are possible and can be easily incorporated for a particular application. The model results in simple formulae for calculating in-plane and bending elastic constants, which can be used further in structural analysis.
Water self-diffusion in the calf lens.

Abstract Proton pulsed gradient spin-echo (PGSE) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was used to explore the free and restricted non-Brownian nature of lens water self-diffusion in calf lens tissue. At all temperatures investigated the water self-diffusion coefficient (Dw) of the cortical homogenate (25% protein) was 1·6–1·7 times greater than that for the nucleus (42% protein), and 0·3–0·5 times the value of Dw for pure water. The nuclear lens homogenate displayed anomalous temperature dependent water diffusion behavior, i.e. a departure from the smooth monotonic decrease in Dw with decreasing temperature, in the temperature range of 3–5°C. By contrast, no such behavior was observed for cortical homogenate. Analysis of water proton echo attenuation data employing a parallel-plate model of restricted diffusion provided values for the parallel-plate barrier separation and self-diffusion coefficient in the limit of free diffusion. Nuclear material showed a smaller spatially average barrier separation and a significantly stronger barrier separation temperature dependence than cortical material.
An evaluation of ice formation in large‐eddy simulations of supercooled Arctic stratocumulus using ground‐based lidar and cloud radar

[1] In order to evaluate possible ice formation processes in mixed phase Arctic stratocumulus, we compare measurements of radar reflectivity and Doppler velocity and lidar backscatter coefficient and circular depolarization ratio with the corresponding quantities computed from large-eddy simulations (LES). The measurements are taken from the Millimeter Cloud Radar and the Arctic High Spectral Resolution Lidar during the Mixed-Phase Arctic Cloud Experiment in October 2004. Lidar depolarization, computed from LES results including well-known ice formation and multiplication processes and measured ambient ice nuclei (IN), is near 0%, indicating negligible ice formation, whereas measured median depolarization is 84%, indicating strong ice formation, consistent with in situ aircraft measurements. Reducing ice particle fall speeds, increasing IN concentrations, or introducing a surface source of IN does not sufficiently increase the simulated depolarization values and/or results in poor agreement of other simulated parameters with the measurements. Introducing additional hypothetical ice formation processes (i.e., formation of IN from evaporating drops, freezing of evaporation drops, or droplet freezing rates per unit surface or volume) generally brings all investigated parameters into relatively close agreement with the radar and lidar measurements. These results provide additional evidence for the existence of one or more unestablished ice formation processes in Arctic stratocumulus.
Coastal foredune evolution: The relative influence of vegetation and sand supply in the US Pacific Northwest

Biophysical feedbacks between vegetation and sediment are important for forming and modifying landscape features and their ecosystem services. These feedbacks are especially important where landsca...
Burden of hospitalizations for bicycling injuries by motor vehicle involvement: United States, 2002 to 2009.

BACKGROUND: Bicycling and bicycling injuries have increased during the past decade in the United States, but research on the extent and outcomes of injuries has lagged behind. This study aimed to estimate the current burden of injury from bicycling injury hospitalizations by motor vehicle crash (MVC) and non-MVC in the United States. METHODS: We included patients with primary or secondary diagnosis e-codes corresponding to MVC or non-MVC bicycle injury, drawn from the US Nationwide Inpatient Sample (2002-2009). Descriptive statistics, linear regression, and logistic regression were used to examine patient and hospital characteristics (length of stay, total charges, nonroutine discharges, and demographics) associated with hospitalizations for bicycling injuries by motor vehicle involvement. RESULTS: On average, from 2002 to 2009, there were an annually estimated 6,877 MVC and 18,457 non-MVC bicycle injury hospitalizations nationwide. This translates to more than $1 billion of hospital charges overall, $425 million for MVC and $588 million for non-MVC per year. After controlling for covariates, MVC bicycling injury hospitalizations had an average length of stay that was 2 days longer (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.8-2.3) and an average hospitalization charge of $23,424 more (95% CI, $21,360-$25,538) than non-MVC. Those with MVC bicycling injuries were more than two times as likely to have a nonroutine hospital discharge than non-MVC (odds ratio, 2.22; 95% CI, 2.06-2.39). CONCLUSION: The burden of injury from bicycle crashes is large overall, and MVC-related bicycling injuries result in longer hospital stays, higher costs, and more nonroutine hospital discharges than non-MVC, despite the fact that non-MVC hospitalizations are more frequent and result in higher total charges, overall. To have the greatest impact on reducing the burden of injury from bicycle crashes, educational interventions, policy, and infrastructure changes should include all age groups and prioritize reducing bicycle-motor vehicle collisions. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Epidemiologic study, level III. Language: en
Factors associated with falls in older patients with diffuse polyneuropathy.

OBJECTIVES: To identify clinical factors associated with falls by older persons with polyneuropathy (PN). DESIGN: A cross-sectional study of 82 subjects aged 50 to 85 with clinical and electrodiagnostic evidence of PN. SETTING: Electrodiagnostic and biomechanical research laboratories. PARTICIPANTS: Patients referred to the electrodiagnostic laboratory. MEASUREMENTS: History and physical examination, including semiquantitative methods of peripheral nerve function, and clinical balance testing. Falls were defined by retrospective self-report over a 2-year period. RESULTS: Forty (48.8%), 28 (34.1%), and 18 (22.0%) subjects reported a history of at least one fall, multiple falls, and injurious falls, respectively. Factors associated with single and multiple falls were similar, so only results for multiple and injurious falls are reported. Bivariate analysis showed that an increased body mass index (BMI) and more severe PN (as determined by the Michigan Diabetes Neuropathy Score) were associated with both fall categories. Men reporting falls also demonstrated a decreased unipedal stance time. Age, sex, nerve conduction study parameters, Romberg testing, medications, and comorbidities were not consistently associated with either fall category. Logistic regression demonstrated that multiple and injurious falls were associated with an increased BMI and more severe PN, controlling for age, sex, medications, and comorbidities (pseudo R 2 � 0.458 and 0.484,
Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease and spastic paraplegia type 2: Two faces of myelin loss from mutations in the same gene

Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease and X-linked spastic paraplegia type 2 are two sides of the same coin. Both arise from mutations in the gene encoding myelin proteolipid protein. The disease spectrum for Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease and spastic paraplegia type 2 is extraordinarily broad, ranging from a spastic gait in the pure form of spastic paraplegia type 2 to a severely disabling form of Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease featuring hypotonia, respiratory distress, stridor, nystagmus, and profound myelin loss. The diverse disease spectrum is mirrored by the underlying pathogenesis, in which a blockade at any stage of myelin proteolipid protein synthesis and assembly into myelin spawns a unique phenotype. The continuing definition of pathogenetic mechanisms operative in Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease and spastic paraplegia type 2, together with advances in neural cell transplant therapy, augurs well for future treatment of the severe forms of Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease.
Studies of serum lecithin-cholesterol acyl transferase activity in rat: Effect of vitamin E deficiency, oxidized dietary fat, or intravenous administration of ozondies or hydroperoxides

Serum lecithin-cholesterol acyl transferase activity in the rat was studied in animals raised on diets devoid of vitamin E or containing oxidized fat and in the serum of normal animals after intravenous administration of hydroperoxides or ozonides. Lecithin-cholesterol acyl transferase activity was suppressed by a vitamin E deficiency but was elevated in the serum of the animals fed diets containing oxidized fat. The intravenous injection of hydroperoxides or ozonides of linoleate into the tail vein of rats caused an immediate depression of serum lecithin-cholesterol acyl transferase activity. The effect of hydroperoxides was more severe than the ozonides, but, with sublethal doses of these compounds, the activity of the enzyme became normal within 24 hr. Hydroperoxides and ozonides also suppressed the activity of lecithin-cholesterol transferase of rat serum of normal animals in vitro. The suppression of lecithin-cholesterol acyl transferase activity by hydroperoxides of ozonides was only partially restored by the addition to the serum of 2-mercaptoethanol.
Density functional study of BaNi2As2 : Electronic structure, phonons, and electron-phonon superconductivity

We investigate the properties of ${\text{BaNi}}_{2}{\text{As}}_{2}$ using first-principles calculations. The band structure has a similar shape to that of ${\text{BaFe}}_{2}{\text{As}}_{2}$, and in particular shows a pseudogap between a manifold of six heavy $d$ electron bands and four lighter $d$ bands, i.e., at an electron count of six $d$ electrons per Ni. However, unlike ${\text{BaFe}}_{2}{\text{As}}_{2}$, where the Fermi energy occurs at the bottom of the pseudogap, the two additional electrons per Ni in the Ni compound place the Fermi energy in the upper manifold. Thus ${\text{BaNi}}_{2}{\text{As}}_{2}$ has large Fermi surfaces very distinct from ${\text{BaFe}}_{2}{\text{As}}_{2}$. Results for the phonon spectrum and electron-phonon coupling are consistent with a classification of this material as a conventional phonon-mediated superconductor although spin fluctuations and nearness to magnetism may be anticipated based on the value of $N({E}_{F})$.
Vascular ENaC proteins are required for renal myogenic constriction.

The myogenic response is an essential component of renal blood flow autoregulation and is the inherent ability of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) to contract in response to increases in intral...
The quest for a T cell-based immune correlate of protection against HIV: a story of trials and errors.

The lack of natural immunity against HIV has been a major hindrance to the search for immune correlates of protection. Here, the authors propose a new approach for clinical trials of HIV vaccine efficacy that should help to increase our chances of identifying immune correlates of protection.
Magnetohydrodynamic “Shallow Water” Equations for the Solar Tachocline

We argue that the classical "shallow water" equations of geophysical fluid dynamics should be useful for studying the global dynamics of the solar tachocline and demonstrate the existence of an MHD analog that would allow taking into account the strong toroidal magnetic field likely to be present there.
Characterization and expression of the HLA-DC antigens defined by anti-leu 10

Abstract The expression of HLA-DC antigens on peripheral blood mononuclear cells, in tonsil and lymph node tissue sections, on tumor cell lines, and on activated T cells was studied using monoclonal antibody, anti-Leu 10. Anti-Leu 10 reacts with HLA-DC molecules on homozygous B cell lines expressing HLA-DR 1,2,4,5,6,8, and 9. It reacts with heterozygous B lymphocytes expressing DR7 and DRw10, suggesting it also recognizes HLA-DC molecules linked to DRw10. The HLA-DC molecules detected by anti-Leu 10 are expressed on all Ig-positive and DR-positive peripheral B lymphocytes and an apparent subpopulation of DR-positive periperal blood monocytes. Two-color immunofluorescence experiments using phycoerythrin-anti-HLA-DR (L243) and FITC-anti-Leu 10 demonstrated a correlation of the amounts of HLA-DR and DC antigens expressed on B lymphocytes. Cells expressing relatively low or high amounts of one Class II molecule express respectively low or high amounts of the other Class II molecule. Anti-Leu 10 reacted with all B lymphocyte derived tumor cell lines not with lines of myeloid or erythroid origin, and with only one T cell derived line, HUT-78 which has an activated T cell phenotype. Consistent with this result, anti-Leu 10 binding suggested the presence of HLA-DC on activated T cells in lymphoid tissue, in addition to staining B cells. HLA-DC was also detected on mitogen and MLC activated T cells by anti-Leu 10 binding. Anti-Leu 10 is, therefore, a useful reagent for further studies of the role of HLA-DC in T cell activation and in normal B cell and monocyte functions.
Evaluation of two techniques for attaching radio transmitters to turkey poults

Abstract We conducted a pen study to evaluate two methods of attaching radio transmitters to Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) poults. Transmitters (1.8 g) were attached interscapularly to 2-d-old turkeys, either with glue or as implants. Attachment method had no detectable effect on the growth or survival of poults. Transmitter retention differed between the methods. Mean retention times were 27.6 d for glued backpacks and 30.5 d for interscapular implants. Ease of implementation and behavioral differences of birds immediately after application suggest that glued backpacks are preferred in situations where a retention time of 29 d is adequate.
Possible explanation of ϱ0ϱ0 production in Jψ radiative decay

Abstract The ϱ0ϱ0 production in the recent Mark II experiment of J/ψ radiative decay is interpreted as due to two isoscalar 2++ four-quark (q2 q 2) states which together with the isotensor 2++ four-quark state are responsible for the major part of the ϱ0ϱ0 enhancement observed in γγ→ϱ0ϱ0. It is believed to be different from the θ (1640) meson, a glueball candidate, which decays to ηη and k k . In order to distinguish between them, we propose to measure the angular correlation between γ and ϱ0 in e+e−→J/ψ→γϱ0ϱ0 and the branching ratio of the decay mode J/ψ→γωω. The 2++ φφ resonance (at 2.16 GeV) observed in hadronic reactions is predicted to be produced in J/ψ radiative decay also with BR(J/ψ→γφφ)/BR(J/ψ→ γϱ0ϱ0)∼0.18.