cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development of a clinically relevant impingement test method for a mobile bearing lumbar total disc replacement

Abstract Background Context Total disc arthroplasty is an alternative therapy to spinal fusion for the treatment of neck or low back pain and is hypothesized to reduce the risk of disease progression to the adjacent spinal levels. Radiographic and retrieval analyses of various total disc replacements (TDRs) have shown evidence of impingement damage. Impingement of TDRs can occur when the device reaches the limits of its functional range of motion, causing contact between peripheral regions of the device. Purpose Impingement can be associated with increased wear and mechanical damage; however, impingement conditions are not simulated in current standardized mechanical bench test methods. This study explored the test conditions necessary to apply clinically relevant impingement loading to a lumbar TDR in vitro. Study Design An experimental protocol was developed and evaluated using in vivo retrievals for qualitative and quantitative validation. Methods Retrieval analysis was conducted on a set of 11 size 3 retrieved Charite devices using American Society for Testing and Materials F561 as a guide. The impingement range of motion was determined using a combination of modeling and experiments, and was used as an input in vitro testing. A 1-million cycle in vitro test was then conducted, and the in vitro samples were characterized using methods similar to the retreived devices. Results All in vitro tested samples exhibited impingement regions and damage patterns consistent with retrieved devices. Consistent with the retrievals, the impingement damage on the rim was a combination of abrasive wear and plastic deformation. Micro computed tomography (microCT) was used to quantitatively assess rim damage due to impingement. Rim penetration was statistically lower in the retrievals when compared with both in vitro groups. Rim elongation was comparable among all groups. The simulated-facet group had statistically greater angular rim deformations than the retrieval group and the no-facet group. Conclusions Results demonstrate that clinically relevant impingement seen on mobile bearings of lumbar TDRs can be replicated on the bench.
Phototherapy in cosmetic dermatology

Light therapy has been incorporated into the art of healing and cosmesis for thousands of years and currently has found utility in many areas of medicine. Various modalities of cosmetic phototherapy are detailed, as well as the indications and mechanism of action for each modality. These modalities can be used to treat many common cosmetic conditions, including acne vulgaris, solar lentigo, and melasma. Phototherapy is considered a safe and effective option in the treatment of many of these disorders.
Test method for corrosion pit-to-fatigue crack transition from a corner of hole in 7075-T651 aluminum alloy

Abstract The paper presents a protocol to develop a corrosion pit of the order 120–180 μm and characterize the pit to fatigue transition at three stress levels 70, 120 and 180 MPa. The study was carried out using 7075-T651 aluminum alloy and the pit location was at the corner of the hole, simulating damage at the corner of a fastener hole. The study includes effort undertaken to develop micro pits of various size and consistency in obtaining a narrow size range. In addition, the paper presents analysis of the direct current potential drop (dcPD) data from a propagating fatigue crack to assess the crack nucleation and growth phenomenon from these corrosion micro pits. A stress ratio ( R ) of 0.65 was used for the above mentioned stress levels. Marker bands were used to determine the crack front as a function of cycles and to study the crack shape evolution from the post-test fracture surface analysis using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The crack growth data from experimental crack dimensions “ a ” and “ c ” (where “ a ” is the dimension through the thickness and “ c ” the dimension along the specimen width) are in agreement with predictions using (AFGROW, 2014) [1]. Crack growth rates were also compared with that obtained from the Structural Integrity Prognosis System (SIPS) program (Papazian and Anagnostou, 2009) for similar test conditions, and the results are in good agreement.
Hoover's folly over Einstein

On the face of it, one would think that this book was the perfect subject for the perfect author. After some years of trying, the journalist Fred Jerome has been able to obtain the almost unredacted FBI files on Albert Einstein. One knows, if one has done this, that FBI files, when they are released, often come with lines of thick black ink that cover things the bureau thinks you should not know. These include the names of informants and FBI agents.
Exakte Messung subnormaler Reninkonzentrationen bei primärem Aldosteronismus mittels radioimmunologischen Nachweises von Angiotensin I

Das Enzym Renin spaltet von seinem Substrat, dem in der Leber gebildeten Angiotensinogen, das Dekapeptid Angiotensin I ab. Nur uber diese Substanz oder uber das nach Abspaltung von zwei weiteren Aminosauren entstehende Angiotensin II last sich Renin qualitativ oder quantitativ erfassen.
Short Read Mapping: An Algorithmic Tour

Ultra-high-throughput next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology allows us to determine the sequence of nucleotides of many millions of DNA molecules in parallel. Accompanied by a dramatic reduction in cost since its introduction in 2004, NGS technology has provided a new way of addressing a wide range of biological and biomedical questions, from the study of human genetic disease to the analysis of gene expression, protein–DNA interactions, and patterns of DNA methylation. The data generated by NGS instruments comprise huge numbers of very short DNA sequences, or “reads,” that carry little information by themselves. These reads therefore have to be pieced together by well-engineered algorithms to reconstruct biologically meaningful measurements, such as the level of expression of a gene. To solve this complex, high-dimensional puzzle, reads must be mapped back to a reference genome to determine their origin. Due to sequencing errors and to genuine differences between the reference genome and the individual being sequenced, this mapping process must be tolerant of mismatches, insertions, and deletions. Although optimal alignment algorithms to solve this problem have long been available, the practical requirements of aligning hundreds of millions of short reads to the 3-billion-base-pair-long human genome have stimulated the development of new, more efficient methods, which today are used routinely throughout the world for the analysis of NGS data.
Fractional-order approximations to implicitly-defined operators for modeling and control of networked mechanical systems

In many modern engineered systems, including Cyber-Physical Systems, there may be many interacting components with coupled dynamics. Our prior work has shown that such systems exhibit fractional-order dynamics, which may serve as a concise model for such very high-order systems. This paper extends that prior work to a more general class of systems in which the operator describing the dynamics of the system can only be determined implicitly. A system-identification procedure for a specific set of example cases indicates that these systems are also predominantly fractional-order as well. In such cases, then, given the central role of system models in control theory, development and awareness of such fractional-order dynamics in CPS are essential for controls engineers.
Target acquired: Selective autophagy in cardiometabolic disease

The accumulation of damaged or excess proteins and organelles is a defining feature of metabolic disease in nearly every tissue. Thus, a central challenge in maintaining metabolic homeostasis is the identification, sequestration, and degradation of these cellular components, including protein aggregates, mitochondria, peroxisomes, inflammasomes, and lipid droplets. A primary route through which this challenge is met is selective autophagy, the targeting of specific cellular cargo for autophagic compartmentalization and lysosomal degradation. In addition to its roles in degradation, selective autophagy is emerging as an integral component of inflammatory and metabolic signaling cascades. In this Review, we focus on emerging evidence and key questions about the role of selective autophagy in the cell biology and pathophysiology of metabolic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, atherosclerosis, and steatohepatitis. Essential players in these processes are the selective autophagy receptors, defined broadly as adapter proteins that both recognize cargo and target it to the autophagosome. Additional domains within these receptors may allow integration of information about autophagic flux with critical regulators of cellular metabolism and inflammation. Details regarding the precise receptors involved, such as p62 and NBR1, and their predominant interacting partners are just beginning to be defined. Overall, we anticipate that the continued study of selective autophagy will prove to be informative in understanding the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases and to provide previously unrecognized therapeutic targets.
Maternal-Fetal Transmission of Zika Virus: Routes and Signals for Infection

The emerging mosquito-borne virus, Zika virus (ZIKV), has been causally associated with adverse pregnancy and neonatal outcomes, including miscarriage, microcephaly, serious brain abnormalities, and other birth defects indicative of a congenital ZIKV syndrome. In this review, we highlight work from human and animal studies on routes of infection in pregnancy that lead to adverse fetal and neonatal outcomes. A number of innate and adaptive immune mechanisms and signaling molecules that may have key roles in ZIKV infection pathogenesis are discussed along with putative viral entry pathways. A more granular understanding of pathogenesis of ZIKV infection during pregnancy is critical for developing therapeutics and vaccines and mounting a global public health response to limit ZIKV infections. We also report on new therapeutic interventions that have shown success in preclinical studies.
Liberation of Bisexual Consciousness: Maneuvering Through Hostile Life Environments

Developing a healthy bisexual consciousness within an oppressive, monosexual society is difficult. The present article offers a framework for considering bi-consciousness utilizing the work of W. E...
Thermodynamics, Statistical Mechanics and the Complexity of Reductions

That reductions of theories and unifications of science frequently occur by means of identifications is a widely accepted hypothesis of methodology. Usually we are concerned with the micro-reductions of things, in which an entity is identified with a structured aggregate of smaller constituents. And, it is frequently alleged, we must also take into account further identifications in which the attributes of the macro-object, expressed by predicates in the macro-theory, are identified with attributes of the aggregate of micro-entities differently expressed by predicates of the micro- or reducing theory.
Panel: Attracting Students to IT Degrees

Computing degrees in the United States experienced a period of low enrollment in the early 2000s, but enrollment has grown significantly at many institutions in recent years. However, it appears that much of this growth has been concentrated in Computer Science (CS) degree programs. Information Technology (IT) degree programs are well-established on the campuses of many SIGITE members, but many of the programs are smaller and less well-known than programs in Computer Science. This panel will address approaches to recruiting students to IT majors, including a discussion of challenges, ways to raise program visibility, and sharing of techniques for helping prospective students understand the focus and opportunities of IT degrees.
Satellite MIMO Digital Beam-forming under Nonlinear High-Power Amplifier and Keyhole

In a satellite communication (Sat-Com) system, channel coefficients from multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) antennas are correlated strongly because of a long propagation distance and a narrow angle spread. This is referred to as a keyhole (KH) channel, which results in a rank deficiency in the MIMO channel and a reduction in the number of simultaneously supportable multiple-access users. In addition, a high-power amplifier (HPA) in a satellite transponder distorts the transmitted signal due to its nonlinearity and memory. The aim of this paper is to study a satellite beamforming (BF) method and to investigate its signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) degradation due to the KH and HPA nonlinearity effects. A closed form of an optimum BF vector is not available due to HPA nonlinearity and memory, and a BF vector with simple complexity is desirable in practice. Therefore, this paper proposes a satellite transponder that uses column vectors from a discrete Fourier transform (DFT) matrix as precoding BF vectors in order for multiple ground terminals to meet their SINR demands.
Polymorphism of alpha1-acid glycoprotein.

α1-ACID glycoprotein1,2, a human plasma protein of low molecular weight, has been prepared in a state of extremely high purity as evidenced by electrophoresis and ultracentrifugation over a pH range of 1–12 and by terminal amino-acid and immuno-chemical analyses. Starch-gel electrophoresis of this blood constituent at pH 8.5 according to Smithies3,4 also demonstrated homogeneity. α1-Acid glycoprotein is further distinguished by the unusually low isoelectric point reported to be at pH 2.7 and the high carbohydrate content accounting for 40 per cent and consisting of sialic acid, galactose, mannose, fucose and N-acetyl-glucosamine.
Nucleosome and ubiquitin position Set2 to methylate H3K36.

Histone H3 lysine 36 methylation (H3K36me) is a conserved histone modification deposited by the Set2 methyltransferases. Recent findings show that over-expression or mutation of Set2 enzymes promotes cancer progression, however, mechanisms of H3K36me are poorly understood. Set2 enzymes show spurious activity on histones and histone tails, and it is unknown how they obtain specificity to methylate H3K36 on the nucleosome. In this study, we present 3.8 A cryo-EM structure of Set2 bound to the mimic of H2B ubiquitinated nucleosome. Our structure shows that Set2 makes extensive interactions with the H3 αN, the H3 tail, the H2A C-terminal tail and stabilizes DNA in the unwrapped conformation, which positions Set2 to specifically methylate H3K36. Moreover, we show that ubiquitin contributes to Set2 positioning on the nucleosome and stimulates the methyltransferase activity. Notably, our structure uncovers interfaces that can be targeted by small molecules for development of future cancer therapies. Set2 methyltransferase catalyzes the lysine 36 methylation of histone H3 (H3K36me) and the enzyme is mutated in many cancers. The authors provide mechanistic insights into how Set2 methylates nucleosomes by determining the 3.8 A cryo-EM structure of Set2 bound to a H2B ubiquitinated nucleosome core particle.
Mode-selective image upconversion through turbulence

We experimentally and numerically show the selective image up-conversion of Laguerre-Gaussian modes through turbulent noise, with potential applications in areas of image recognition and free-space optical communications.
Regulation of intestinal lipid metabolism: current concepts and relevance to disease

Lipids entering the gastrointestinal tract include dietary lipids (triacylglycerols, cholesteryl esters and phospholipids) and endogenous lipids from bile (phospholipids and cholesterol) and from shed intestinal epithelial cells (enterocytes). Here, we comprehensively review the digestion, uptake and intracellular re-synthesis of intestinal lipids as well as their packaging into pre-chylomicrons in the endoplasmic reticulum, their modification in the Golgi apparatus and the exocytosis of the chylomicrons into the lamina propria and subsequently to lymph. We also discuss other fates of intestinal lipids, including intestinal HDL and VLDL secretion, cytosolic lipid droplets and fatty acid oxidation. In addition, we highlight the applicability of these findings to human disease and the development of therapeutics targeting lipid metabolism. Finally, we explore the emerging role of the gut microbiota in modulating intestinal lipid metabolism and outline key questions for future research. The small intestine is a key site for the absorption of nutrients, including lipids. In this Review, the physiology and biochemistry of intestinal fat absorption during health and disease is discussed, including insights into enterocyte biology and clinical disorders of intestinal fat absorption.
Oral typhoid vaccine Ty21a elicits antigen-specific resident memory CD4+ T cells in the human terminal ileum lamina propria and epithelial compartments.

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi) is a highly invasive bacterium that infects the human intestinal mucosa and causes ~ 11.9–20.6 million infections and ~ 130,000–223,000 deaths annually worldwide. Oral typhoid vaccine Ty21a confers a moderate level of long-lived protection (5–7 years) in the field. New and improved vaccines against enteric pathogens are needed but their development is hindered by a lack of the immunological correlates of protection especially at the site of infection. Tissue resident memory T (TRM) cells provide immediate adaptive effector immune responsiveness at the infection site. However, the mechanism(s) by which S. Typhi induces TRM in the intestinal mucosa are unknown. Here, we focus on the induction of S. Typhi-specific CD4+TRM subsets by Ty21a in the human terminal ileum lamina propria and epithelial compartments. Terminal ileum biopsies were obtained from consenting volunteers undergoing routine colonoscopy who were either immunized orally with 4 doses of Ty21a or not. Isolated lamina propria mononuclear cells (LPMC) and intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) CD4+TRM immune responses were determined using either S. Typhi-infected or non-infected autologous EBV-B cell lines as stimulator cells. T-CMI was assessed by the production of 4 cytokines [interferon (IFN)γ, interleukin (IL)-2, IL-17A and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α] in 36 volunteers (18 vaccinees and 18 controls volunteers). Although the frequencies of LPMC CD103+ CD4+TRM were significant decreased, both CD103+ and CD103− CD4+TRM subsets spontaneously produced significantly higher levels of cytokines (IFNγ and IL-17A) following Ty21a-immunization. Importantly, we observed significant increases in S. Typhi-specific LPMC CD103+ CD4+TRM (IFNγ and IL-17A) and CD103− CD4+TRM (IL-2 and IL-17A) responses following Ty21a-immunization. Further, differences in S. Typhi-specific responses between these two CD4+TRM subsets were observed following multifunctional analysis. In addition, we determined the effect of Ty21a-immunization on IEL and observed significant changes in the frequencies of IEL CD103+ (decrease) and CD103− CD4+TRM (increase) following immunization. Finally, we observed that IEL CD103− CD4+TRM, but not CD103+ CD4+TRM, produced increased cytokines (IFNγ, TNFα and IL-17A) to S. Typhi-specific stimulation following Ty21a-immunization. Oral Ty21a-immunization elicits distinct compartment specific immune responses in CD4+TRM (CD103+ and CD103−) subsets. This study provides novel insights in the generation of local vaccine-specific responses. Trial registration This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board and registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier NCT03970304, Registered 29 May 2019—Retrospectively registered, http://www.ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT03970304)
Detection of Group A Streptococcus in the Saliva of Children Presenting With Pharyngitis Using the cobas Liat PCR System

Rapid turnaround real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has recently become available as a point-of-care test for group A Streptococcus (GAS) in children presenting with pharyngitis. Our aim in this pilot study was to determine if GAS can be detected in the saliva of children with sore throat using swabs inoculated by children sucking on them as they would a lollipop. Twenty children with positive rapid antigen detection tests for GAS from pharyngeal swabs were enrolled. Pharyngeal and lollipop samples underwent PCR testing using the cobas Liat system. All 20 pharyngeal swabs were positive; 19 of 20 lollipop samples were positive. The increased sensitivity of the new PCR kits for GAS may permit use of less invasive and more comfortable sampling techniques for diagnosis.
Heat and Mass Transfer-Enhancement Technique Used for Vapour Absorption Refrigeration System

The vapour absorption refrigeration system (VARS) as a future cooling–heating system to meet the energy crises and to replace the mechanical vapour compression systems (VCR) also utilized the waste and renewable energy. The different renewable energy sources uses as the driving source for the VARS are waste energy from the industrial exhaust heat or solar thermal energy to efficiently run, meet the cooling load capacity, and have lesser impact on the climate and the environment. Nowadays, the cost of electric power raising high and the change in climate require the system for more efficient design to make the system more compatible size which guides to save energy. Absorber is a vital component for a VARS, heat and mass transfer (HMT) analysis concern. Better design of absorber impacts on the absorption process, coefficient of performance (COP) of the VARS which reduces the shape and size absorber and generator sizes. The objective of this paper is to identify various enhancement techniques used for heat and mass transfer like absorber and generator and summarize the system performance, on experimental and numerical studies. The enhancement techniques are classified into passive and active methods; twisted tape, swirl generator, axial guide vane, internal grooved, internal and external fins, rotation of tube are the geometrical device used as a passive methods, and use of additives, nano-fluids, induced pulsation by cams, reciprocating plungers, vibrators, use of magnetic fields, etc., are the passive technique. Finally, the present literature database contains suggestions for future work for the absorber and generator for enhancement in the HMT in absorbers and performance of the VARS.
Strong-Coupling and the Stripe Phase of ^3He

Thin films of superfluid $$^{3}$$ He were predicted, based on weak-coupling BCS theory, to have a stable phase which spontaneously breaks translational symmetry in the plane of the film. This crystalline superfluid, or “stripe” phase, develops as a one-dimensional periodic array of domain walls separating degenerate B phase domains. We report calculations of the phases and phase diagram for superfluid $$^{3}$$ He in thin films using a strong-coupling Ginzburg–Landau theory that accurately reproduces the bulk $$^{3}$$ He superfluid phase diagram. We find that the stability of the Stripe phase is diminished relative to the A phase, but the Stripe phase is stable in a large range of temperatures, pressures, confinement, and surface conditions.
A detailed solution framework for the out-of-plane displacement of circular dielectric elastomer actuators

The out-of-plane displacement (OPD) of a circular dielectric elastomer actuator (DEA) membrane has been explored in recent years for a variety of important applications. Circular DEAs consist of an elastomer membrane that is prestretched to a rigid frame and coated with compliant electrodes. Such a simple configuration has found many interesting applications such as in, pumps, pulse tracking, hopping search and rescue robots, dielectric elastomer (DE) generators for renewable energy harvesting, linear actuators, and many others. Here, we present an easy-to-follow implementation of the OPD equations for circular DEAs via a detailed numerical solution using the shooting method (SM) on a system of differential algebraic equations (DAE), based on previous theoretical work. The SM numerical solution to the system of DAEs is applied to a practical range of values based on the reported literature. Analysis of the results and comparison against other studies are provided. The current work provides a go-to framework for implementation in further research and development.
Ethics and Climate Change

As global climate change becomes more and more evident and more and more dangerous, it is important to examine the many ethical dimensions of the problem, both the solutions, technical and social, and the problem itself. Many solutions, for example, affect poor and marginalized people more than the more wealthy, though they are less responsible for the problem.
Community Colleges Evolve during the COVID-19 Pandemic: What Worked, What Did Not Work, and Lessons Learned

In 2021, community college practitioners, scholars, researchers, and leaders accepted a challenge to document what worked, what did not work, and lessons learned during the era of the COVID-19 pand...
Regional Evaluations of Acid Deposition Effects on Forests

Having reviewed the results of the Integrated Forest Study (IFS) project, we now try to place the results in a larger perspective by very briefly summarizing acid deposition effects and their potential role in forest health in the several forest types represented in the IFS project. This chapter gives brief overviews of the situation in eastern spruce-fir, eastern hardwood, and southern pine forests in North America; and a very brief overview of air pollution in arid forest ecosystems in Europe (with special emphasis on the situation in Norway where the single European IFS site was located). What follows in this chapter is by no means intended to be a comprehensive review of forest health and atmospheric deposition; such an analysis would require a volume of this size for each forest type and is well beyond the scope of this chapter. A comprehensive analysis of forest health and the role of atmospheric deposition has been published for Norway spruce in Europe (Schulze et al. 1989), and one is in preparation for red spruce (Eagar and Adams, in press); the reader is referred to those volumes for a far more detailed discussion than is possible here. The intent of this chapter is merely to highlight those aspects of forest health and atmospheric deposition that have bearing on, or that can be illuminated by, the IFS results.
A test of adolescent internalizing and externalizing symptoms as prospective predictors of type of trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder.

The present study utilized longitudinal data from a high-risk community sample (N = 377; 166 trauma-exposed; 202 males; 175 females; 73% non-Hispanic Caucasian) to test pretrauma measures of adolescent internalizing and externalizing symptoms as unique prospective predictors of type of trauma exposure and PTSD over and above the influence of correlated family adversity (a composite of family conflict, stress, and parental psychopathology). Data were analyzed with logistic and multinomial logistic regressions. Results indicated that females, but not males, with higher levels of internalizing (OR = 2.91) and externalizing (OR = 2.37) symptoms during adolescence were significantly more likely to be exposed to assaultive violence (over and above family adversity). In fact, males with higher levels of internalizing symptoms were significantly less likely to be exposed to assaultive violence (OR = 0.54). Neither internalizing nor externalizing symptoms uniquely predicted exposure to traumatic events that did not involve assaultive violence. Among trauma-exposed participants, the unique association between internalizing symptoms and later PTSD yielded an odds ratio of 1.79 (p = .07) over and above the influences of family adversity, type of trauma exposure, and gender. Assaultive violence exposure fully mediated the association between females’ externalizing symptoms and future PTSD. Findings may help inform the prevention of both assaultive violence exposure and PTSD.
Let our voices be heard and amplified. The time is now

The future health and well-being of all our citizens is at stake. We must make our voices heard, we must amplify their effect by mobilizing our entire society. We are doing this not for ourselves, but for the country, for all our citizens, and for our future generations. As citizens, we are obliged to help our administration and Congress set their agenda. If there was ever a time to voice the need to support biomedical research, it is now. Please give this your highest priority. If we do not take up this responsibility, we will have no one else to blame if medical progress is retarded due to inadequate funding. Rise to the occasion and meet the challenge. Let our voice be amplified and be heard, loudly and clearly. Do not wait; do not postpone even for a moment. NOW.
Carbon suboxide as a quasilinear molecule with a large amplitude bending mode: Determination of the molecular constants and the ν7 potential function

Abstract The model of a quasilinear molecule with a large amplitude bending mode is used to treat C 3 O 2 . The Hamiltonian operator, including the rotation-vibration interaction, is derived allowing only a single vibrational degree of freedom, namely, the ν 7 mode corresponding to the bending at the central carbon atom. The CCO angle is constrained to be 180°. With this model the rotational energy levels and, thus, the molecular constants can be computed for any ν 7 level once the ν 7 potential is specified. The l -doubling is included only for π states. The model contains three adjustable parameters: the rotational constant in the linear configuration and two terms in the potential function, and these are determined by fitting three experimental quantities: the rotational constants in and the separation between the ground and 2 ν 7 0 states. The resulting ν 7 potential has a 30.56 cm −1 barrier at α = 0 with a minimum at α = 11.04°, where 2α is the angular deviation from linearity. The model gives a good fit to the 2 ν 7 Raman data and to the rotational and centrifugal distortion constants in all of the nν 7 l states which have been analyzed. A similar analysis is applied with equal success to the states with ν 4 , the asymmetric CC stretch mode at 1587 cm −1 , simultaneously excited with a ν 7 mode. The potential in this case has a 56.58 cm −1 barrier at α = 0 with a minimum at α = 13.02°.
Limiting Factors in High Performance Computing

By examining the details of typical HPC computations, we have shown that data output rates represent the major obstacle to scaling HPC computations to the Tflops range. If past experience is to be a guide, we can safely conclude that manufacturers will concentrate on peak performance and internal I/O rates while largely ignoring the more significant external I/O issues. Unless pressure is put on the vendors, there is a real danger that Tflops machines will not deliver on expectations for this reason. High speed communication protocols and switching systems such as a ATM will likely play an increasingly important role in HPC in coming years.
Abstract B20: Design, synthesis and SAR studies of novel survivin inhibitors with potent antiproliferative properties

A series of novel survivin inhibitors were designed and synthesized based our recently reported compound UC-112. All the new analogs were tested against several cancer cell lines including multidrug-resistant melanoma cancer cell lines. The in vitro results showed that several compounds had excellent antiproliferative activity with IC50 values within nanomolar range. Mechanism of action of those new analogs was investigated by Western blot assay. The study confirmed that the new analogs acted by selectively suppressing survivin with the similar mechanism as the parent compound UC-112. Those new analogs represent promising agents that can be further developed for selective anticancer treatment. Citation Format: Min Xiao, Jin Wang, Yan Lu, Duane D. Miller, Wei Li. Design, synthesis and SAR studies of novel survivin inhibitors with potent antiproliferative properties. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Melanoma: From Biology to Therapy; Sep 20-23, 2014; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(14 Suppl):Abstract nr B20.
Chapter 8 Structure and function of plasma membrane Na+ \H+ exchangers

Publisher Summary The plasma membranes of most eukaryotic cells contain an integral membrane transport protein, the Na+/H + exchanger, which under usual physiological conditions directly couples Na+ flux into the cell to uphill the extrusion of H+. This chapter reviews the progress made within the last five years on the structural characterization of plasma membrane Na+/H+ exchangers using biochemical and molecular biological techniques and correlates the structural findings with previous functional information. An important development recently has been the recognition that functionally distinguishable isoforms of plasma membrane Na+ /H+ exchangers exist in various cell types and even within the same cell. This observation has been best characterized in the porcine renal epithelial cell line and in the rabbit ileum. Molecular cloning of cDNAs in several species has permitted the inference of the primary structure of the human Na+/H+ exchanger (NHE-1) amiloride-sensitive isoform and indirectly led to the immunolocalization of the gene products. Biochemical studies of plasma membrane Na+/H+ exchangers have been directed at two major goals: (1) the identification of amino acids that are involved in the transport mechanism and (2) the identification and characterization of the transport protein.
Spatio-Temporal Subthreshold Receptive Fields in the Vibrissa Representation of Rat Primary Somatosensory Cortex

Moore, Christopher I. and Sacha B. Nelson. Spatio-temporal subthreshold receptive fields in the vibrissa representation of rat primary somatosensory cortex. J. Neurophysiol. 80: 2882–2892, 1998. Wh...
Surface Formation and Depth in Monocular Scene Perception

The visual perception of monocular stimuli perceived as 3-D objects has received considerable attention from researchers in human and machine vision. However, most previous research has focused on how individual 3-D objects are perceived. Here this is extended to a study of how the structure of 3-D scenes containing multiple, possibly disconnected objects and features is perceived.Da Vinci stereopsis, stereo capture, and other surface formation and interpolation phenomena in stereopsis and structure-from-motion suggest that small features having ambiguous depth may be assigned depth by interpolation with features having unambiguous depth. I investigated whether vision may use similar mechanisms to assign relative depth to multiple objects and features in sparse monocular images, such as line drawings, especially when other depth cues are absent. I propose that vision tends to organize disconnected objects and features into common surfaces to construct 3-D-scene interpretations.Interpolations that are too ...
Estimation of chemical toxicity to wildlife species using interspecies correlation models.

Ecological risks to wildlife are typically assessed using toxicity data for relatively few species and with limited understanding of differences in species sensitivity to contaminants. Empirical interspecies correlation models were derived from LD50 values for 49 wildlife species and 951 chemicals. The standard wildlife test species Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) and mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) were determined to be good surrogates for many species within the database. Cross-validation of all models predicted toxicity values within 5-fold and 10-fold of the actual values with 85 and 95% certainty, respectively. Model robustness was not consistently improved by developing correlation models within modes of action (MOA); however, improved models for neurotoxicants, carbamates, and direct acting organophosphorous acetylcholenesterase inhibiting compounds indicate that toxicity estimates may improve if MOA-specific models are built with robust datasets. There was a strong relationship between taxonomic d...
Adolescent Pregnancy and Loneliness

The number of adolescent pregnancies in the United States has reached epidemic proportions. Loneliness and adolescent sexuality, however, have not been previously studied. This descriptive study investigated the relationships of characterological and situational loneliness in childbearing adolescents. Related variables of shyness, self-esteem, perceived maternal and paternal expressiveness, and social support also were studied. The data were collected at multiple sites in Northern California using a convenience sample of adolescents ranging in age from 12 to 21 years: early (n = 11), middle (n = 22), and late (n = 24). Results of the analysis of variance and the Tukey-HSD indicated situational variables were more significant than characterological variables in understanding loneliness in early and middle adolescence. The characterological variables were not statistically significant. Using Pearson's correlation coefficient, significant relationships were found among and between variables. The findings suggest parental relationships were powerful in influencing the existence of loneliness as well as self-esteem, shyness, and social support.
The Chinese in space: the third man in the fourth battlefield?

This commentary piece explores the several ramifications of China's October 2003 successful manned space mission, when the People's Republic of China became the third nation, following the lead of the USA and the Soviet Union, to independently launch a manned space mission. While the achievement resulted in prestige and justifiable pride in China, the potential ‘dual use’ of space for military purposes remains speculative, and is of concern to Washington's ‘Blue Team’, suspicious of China's possible aggressive intentions. While China's space efforts include militarisation, it remains an open question as to whether it intends to fully develop space weapons against a background of its belief that the USA already has ‘abundant power’, especially in space. Copyright © 2004 Henry Stewart Publications
Denitrification Following Land Application of Swine Waste to Bermudagrass Pasture

Abstract Nitrogen (N) losses following land‐applied animal wastes present an environmental and economical dilemma for producers. Gaseous N losses from pastureland contribute to global warming, ozone depletion, acid rain, and inefficient plant N uptake. This study was designed to monitor nitrous oxide emissions following swine waste and commercial fertilizer treatments to bermudagrass (Cynedon dactylon [L.] pers) pastures. Denitrification rates were monitored on a biweekly basis for six 0.12‐ha bermudagrass pastures for three consecutive growing seasons (1998–2000). Treatments consisted of three split applications of either swine effluent supplemented with ammonium nitrate (SW) or commercial fertilizer (CF). Peak denitrification rates were greatest in 1998, ranging from 0.6 to 1.7 µg N2O‐N m−2 h−1 for effluent‐treated plots and 0.3–1.5 µg N2O‐N m−2 h−1 for commercially fertilized plots. Results from this study suggest denitrification is not a significant N loss pathway in swine waste‐amended bermudagrass s...
The composition of highly polymerized human splenic desoxypentose nucleic acids.

Abstract Highly polymerized desoxypentose nucleic acid (DNA) preparations were isolated from leukemic, diseased but nonleukemic, and normal human spleens. The purine and pyrimidine bases in these preparations were analyzed by quantitative paper-partition chromatography. All preparations of human DNA were found to be of the “A-T” type with a preponderance in the molar amounts of adenine and thymine over guanine and cytosine. The total amount of purines versus pyrimidines was approximately equimolar. In none of the preparations did 5-methylcytosine occur in detectable amounts. Digestion of three of the DNA preparations with desoxyribonuclease resulted in the production of non-dialyzable “cores” corresponding to 23–40% of the original preparations in weight, and exhibiting a preponderance of adenine and thymine over guanine and cytosine in their composition, with maintenance of the original purine-pyrimidine ratio.
What's on the other side of the great firewall? Chinese Web users' motivations for bypassing the Internet censorship

We explored Chinese Web users' motivations of bypassing GFW in and outside China.Chinese Web users bypassed GFW in China mainly for information and socializing.Chinese Web users bypassed outside Mainland China primarily for entertainment.Male Internet users bypassed GFW more than female users in Mainland China.Attitude towards censorship is significant in predicting GFW-bypassing behaviors. Firewall bypassing is referred to as the behaviors of Internet users who resort to any software or proxy to get access to the websites or online resources that are blocked by the Great Firewall (GFW). Under the uses and gratification framework, a web-based survey (N=319) was conducted to explore Chinese Internet users' motivations of bypassing firewall in and outside Mainland China. The findings showed that Chinese Web users bypassed the firewall in China mainly for information and socializing, and bypassed outside China primarily for entertainment. Comparison between the motivations for bypassing GFW in and outside China was conducted among the participants who had experience in both cases. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.
Measurement of Trust in Humans in Hybrid Inspection for Different Levels of Error Randomness

The focus of this research is on the effect of human trust in a hybrid inspection system with different levels of error randomness. The experimental designs were developed to conduct inspection tasks with four levels of error randomness, and subjects were requested to rate their trust at different levels in the system. Each randomness level comprised of stages, and human trust variation for each stage was observed. These levels were administered through the use of a hybrid inspection simulator. Analysis of the results revealed that human trust in the hybrid inspection system is sensitive to error randomness.
Characterizations of certain classes of Hankel operators on the Bergman spaces of the unit disk

Let f be an integrable function on the unit disk. The Hankel operator Hf is densely defined on the Bergman space Ap by Hfg = fg − P(fg), where g is a bounded analytic function and P is the Bergman projection (orthogonal projection from L2 to A2) extended to L1 via its integral formula. In this paper, the functions f for which Hf extends to a bounded operator from Ap to Lp are characterized, 1 < p < ∞. Also characterized are the functions f for which Hf extends to a compact or Schatten class operator on A2. The proofs can be extended to handle any smoothly bounded domain in C in place of the unit disk.
TREATMENT OF URAEMIC BLEEDING WITH CONJUGATED OESTROGEN

Abstract A conjugated oestrogen preparation ('Premarin') was given to 6 uraemic patients with abnormal bleeding tendency in whom bleeding time was more than 30 min despite their being on chronic dialysis. In 4 patients the bleeding time became normal after 2 to 5 days of premarin therapy. In 1 of the 4 the prolonged bleeding time was repeatedly restored to normal (
The Relevance of Glucose Counterregulatory Systems to Patients with Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus

THE CENTRAL nervous system (CNS) can neither synthesize nor store glucose, its predominant metabolic fuel. Thus, it is dependent upon a continuous supply of glucose from the circulation. Hypoglycemia can cause profound dysfunction of the brain, even brain death. The fact that hypoglycemia is an uncommon clinical event, except in persons who use drugs that lower the plasma glucose concentration, is testimony to the efficacy of the physiological mechanisms that normally prevent or correct hypoglycemia. Glucoregulation is normally the result of the glucoselowering actions of insulin and the glucose-raising actions of glucose-counterregulatory factors (1, 2). It has long been recognized that deficient insulin secretion is the fundamental abnormality in patients with insulindependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). The contribution of counterregulatory systems to glycemic excursions ranging from hypoglycemia to hyperglycemia, in the context of imperfect insulin replacement, has been documented more recently in patie...
Stability and dynamics of G-actin: back-door water diffusion and behavior of a subdomain 3/4 loop

Molecular dynamics simulations have been performed on solvated G-actin bound to ADP and ATP, starting with the crystal structure of the actin-DNase 1 complex, including a Ca2+ or Mg2+ ion at the high-affinity divalent cation-binding site. Water molecules have been found to enter the nucleotide-binding site (phosphate vicinity) along two pathways, from the side where the nucleotide base is exposed to water, as well as from the opposite side. The water channels suggest a "back-door" mechanism for ATP hydrolysis in which the phosphate is released to a side opposite that of nucleotide binding and unbinding. The simulations also reveal a propensity of G-actin to alter its crystallographic structure toward the filamentous structure. Domain movement closes the nucleotide cleft, the movement being more pronounced for bound Mg2+. The conformational change is interpreted as a response of the system to missing water molecules in the crystal structure. The structures arising in the simulations, classified according to nucleotide cleft separation and radius of gyration of the protein, fall into two distinct clusters: a cluster of states that are similar to the G-actin crystal structure, and a cluster of states with small cleft separation and with the subdomain 3/4 loop 264–273 detached from the protein. The latter states resemble the putative filamentous structure of actin, in which the loop connects the two strands of the actin filament.
Is the String Field Big Enough

Cubic open string field theory uses a string field which can be roughly thought to represent the tangent space to the space of two-dimensional field theories at the point corresponding to a space-filling D-brane background. It is then natural to wonder if string backgrounds corresponding to field theories a finite distance away can be reached with this string field. In this lecture, I examine various case studies, including the tachyon vacuum, lower dimensional D-branes, marginal operators, and tachyon effective potentials, and argue that the string field is indeed large enough. Contribution to the proceedings of the workshop “The Quantum Structure of Spacetime and the Geometric Nature of Fundamental Interactions”, Berlin, October 2000.
Accessibility of lysolecithin in catecholamine secretory vesicles to acyl CoA:lysolecithin acyl transferase.

Abstract Lysolecithin (monoacylglycerophosphorylcholine) accounts for 13 to 20% of the lipid phosphorous of the bovine adrenal catecholamine secretory vesicles (chromaffin granules). We have incubated purified vesicles with [1-14C] oleyl coenzyme A and rat liver microsomes containing acyl coenzyme A: monoacylglycerophosphorylcholine acyl transferase to determine the accessibility of the granule membrane lysolecithin to another membrane. No acylation of lysolecithin occurs when the chromaffin granules are intact. The accessibility of the granule membrane lysolecithin increases markedly when the vesicles are broken.