cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effects of perfusion of the cutaneous vasculature on sodium uptake across isolated frog skin.

Perfusion of cutaneous capillaries in isolated frog skin may remove an unstirred layer along the basolateral membrane of the epidermis that may affect the rate of cutaneous Na+ uptake. To test this hypothesis, the cutaneous artery and vein of a bullfrog were cannulated to allow perfusion of isolated flank skin while the rate of Na+ influx was determined. Rates of sodium influx with and without perfusion were determined in the same experiment. Na+ uptake increased by 59±4.8% during the 1st 0.5 h of perfusion relative to the control, pre-perfusion period and then remained at 26±5.3% above control values. Concomitant with the increase in sodium uptake, the transepithelial potential difference fell by ca. 10% within the 1st 0.5 h of perfusion. The amount of labeled sodium leaving the skin in the venous effluent decreased exponentially in the 1st 0.5 h of perfusion, suggesting a wash out of an unstirred layer within the interstitial fluid. Sodium in the venous outflow accounted for ca. 25% of the sodium uptake during each perfusion period. Perfusion of the cutaneous vasculature thus has a significant effect on Na+ transport and may potentially play a role in the acute regulation of cutaneous ion transport.
Demonstration of accurate prediction of PAVE PAWS embedded element gain

We can now accurately theoretically predict the embedded element gain and 2-way scan loss of the PAVE PAWS array to within 0.25 dB over 420–450 MHz band up to 60° scan and 0.4 dB up to 75° scan. When the PAVE PAWS array, which uses a bent, crossed-dipole element, was built in the 1970's tools were not available for accurate prediction. Expensive experimental trial-and-error measurements were used. The theoretical predictions were made using the Ansoft High Frequency Structure Simulator (HFSS). Accurate mutual coupling measurements made in 1977 on a 320 element PAVE PAWS test array were used for verification.
Local-area health monitoring of aircraft via piezoelectric actuator/sensor patches

A high-frequency-electrical-impedance-signature-based technique for structural integrity monitoring is presented. The technique which has been under investigation at the Center for Intelligent Material Systems and Structures at Virginia Tech for the last 18 months is unique and different from conventional non-destructive damage identification and structural integrity monitoring methods. It relies on tracking the high-frequency (typically > 50 kHz) point impedance of the structure to identify damage. At such high frequencies, the technique is comparable in sensitivity to sophisticated traditional NDE techniques, such as ultrasonics, and is capable of qualitatively detecting incipient-type damage by looking at changes in structural impedance. As yet, it can be implemented in a remote sensing scenario with small non- intrusive piezoelectric (PZT) materials. The structure's high-frequency electrical impedance signature, which is functionally equivalent to its mechanical impedance signature, is obtained through a bonded PZT functioning both as actuator and sensor. A statistic algorithm based on the difference in the electrical impedance of a healthy and a damaged structure, is then applied to extract an index of the health of the structure. High-frequency excitation, which is greatly facilitated by the electrically driven low-power compact PZT patch, assures a clearly visible change in the impedance/vibration signature even for very minor damage/changes. It also limits the actuation/sensing area to a small region, `local-area', close to the PZT patch. Because of the limited actuation/sensing area, the impedance signature is affected only by changes in the structural properties close to the sensor-actuator and is insensitive to changes in far-field boundary conditions, mass loading, etc., which may be part of the normal usage of the structure. As a case study, an application to a real complex aircraft structure is presented. Experimental proof that very minor alterations in the structure are easily identified and the fact that the detection range of the bonded PZT actuator/sensor is constrained to its immediate neighborhood is presented.
Memory for Item Order and Phonetic Recoding in the Beginning Reader.

Abstract A defect in immediate memory for item order is often attributed to poor beginning readers. We have supposed that this problem may be a manifestation of an underlying deficiency in the use of phonetic codes. Accordingly, we expected good and poor readers to differ in their ability to order stimuli that can be easily recoded as words and stored in phonetic form, but not in their ability to order nonlinguistic stimuli that do not lend themselves to phonetic recoding in short-term memory. The purpose of the present study was to test this hypothesis by examining the ability of good and poor readers to reconstruct the order of sets of briefly presented stimuli that varied in the extent to which they could be distinctively recoded into phonetic form: pictures of common objects versus nonrepresentational, “doodle” drawings. As expected, an interaction between reading ability and type of stimulus item was found, demonstrating the material-specific nature of poor readers' ordering difficulties. These findings support the hypothesis that a function of the phonetic representation is to aid in retention of order information, and that poor readers' ordering difficulties are related to their deficient use of phonetic codes.
Kinetics of NO and NO2 Evolution from Illuminated Frozen Nitrate Solutions

The release of NO and NO_2 from frozen aqueous NaNO_3 irradiated at 313 nm was studied using time-resolved spectroscopic techniques. The kinetic behavior of NO and NO_2 signals during on-and-off illumination cycles confirms that NO_2 is a primary photoproduct evolving from the outermost ice layers and reveals that NO is a secondary species generated deeper in the ice, whence it eventually emerges due to its inertness and larger diffusivity. NO is shown to be more weakly held than NO_2 by ice in thermal desorption experiments on preirradiated samples. The partial control of gaseous emissions by mass transfer, and hence by the morphology and metamorphisms of polycrystalline ice, is established by (1) the nonmonotonic temperature dependence of NO and NO_2 signals upon stepwise warming under continuous illumination, (2) the fact that the NO, NO_2 or NO_x (NO_x ≡ NO + NO_2) amounts released in bright thermograms performed under various heating ramps fail to scale with photon dose, due to irreversible losses in the adsorbed state. Because present NO/NO_2 ratios are up to 10-fold smaller than those determined over sunlit snowpacks, we infer that the immediate precursors to NO mostly absorb at λ > λ_(max) (NO_3^-) ∼ 302 nm.
Minimally supervised morphological analysis by multimodal alignment

This paper presents a corpus-based algorithm capable of inducing inflectional morphological analyses of both regular and highly irregular forms (such as brought→bring) from distributional patterns in large monolingual text with no direct supervision. The algorithm combines four original alignment models based on relative corpus frequency, contextual similarity, weighted string similarity and incrementally retrained inflectional transduction probabilities. Starting with no paired examples for training and no prior seeding of legal morphological transformations, accuracy of the induced analyses of 3888 past-tense test cases in English exceeds 99.2% for the set, with currently over 80% accuracy on the most highly irregular forms and 99.7% accuracy on forms exhibiting non-concatenative suffixation.
The maturation response of stage IV, V, and VI Xenopus oocytes to progesterone stimulation in vitro

Abstract Full-grown Xenopus oocytes, Stage VI (1200–1300 μm), undergo meiotic maturation when exposed to progesterone. Smaller stage IV (800 μm) and stage V (1000 μm) oocytes remain in prophase arrest when exposed to this steroid. The larger stage VI oocytes undergo an intracellular alkalization from 7.2 to 7.6, a six- to eightfold increase in the phosphorylation of the 40 S ribosomal protein S-6, and a two- to threefold increase in total protein synthesis when exposed to progesterone. It was found that 800- to 1000-μm oocytes do not undergo these physiological changes when exposed to progesterone. This lack of response could explain the failure of small oocytes to undergo germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD). However, when stage IV and V oocytes were artificially alkalized to a pHi of 7.6 by the weak bases, trimethylamine, procaine, or methylamine, S-6 phosphorylation was stimulated four- to sixfold and protein synthesis was stimulated two- to threefold, but they still did not undergo GVBD. Stage IV and V oocytes are able to amplify MPF injected into their cytoplasm and undergo GVBD. Thus, 800- to 1000-μm oocytes appear to contain a store of inactive MPF in their cytoplasm. It seems that an additional physiological parameter(s), that is unique to steroid-treated stage VI oocytes, is responsible for activating this MPF which induces GVBD.
Interspecific competition and predation between immature Amblyseius fallacis, Amblyseius andersoni, Typhlodromus occidentalis and Typhlodromus pyri (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

Interspecific competition and predation in immature Amblyseius fallacis (Garman), Amblyseius andersoni Chant, Typhlodromus occidentalis (Nesbitt) and Typhlodromus pyri Scheuten were examined in small cages at three egg densities (0, 20 and 80) of two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, in the laboratory at 25±1°C,≈80% RH and 16L: 8D photoperiod. For the six possible between-species comparisons, the large polyphagous A. andersoni always outcompeted the other three predator species, which were either smaller and/or less polyphagous; the small oligophagous T. occidentalis was always eliminated by the other three predator species, which were either larger and/or more polyphagous. The small and polyphagous T. pyri tied with the large and oligophagous A. fallacis. The outcome of the interaction was generally similar at the three prey densities except in (1) the A. fallacis-A. andersoni system where the advantage of A. andersoni over A. fallacis was reduced when 20 or 80 eggs per cage were present at the start of the interaction and (2) the A. fallacis-T. occidentalis system where the advantage of A. fallacis over T. occidentalis increased with prey density. This study indicates that predator size, predator degree of polyphagy and prey density can affect the competitiveness of immature phytoseiids.
Emerging concepts of the structure and metabolic functions of bone

Abstract An attempt has been made to describe briefly the changing concepts of bone metabolism. Four new, important yet unproved postulates have been made and are summarized diagrammatically in Figure 2. The maintenance of normal bone physiology depends on: 1.1. The absorption of calcium and phosphate from the gastrointestinal tract. Since serum is supersaturated, some active mechanism or ionpump must be postulated. Presumably, vitamin D is required for the normal operation of this mechanism. 2.2. The mineralization of collagen. It is now fairly certain that the crystalline collagen initiates bone crystal formation. It is not yet settled whether the collagen molecule requires an "activation" mechanism. 3.3. The continuous transfer of ions to and fro across the crystal-solution interface. Here, the crystals of the "available" bone reflect, by passive ion exchange, the electrolyte composition of the body fluids. It is necessary to postulate, however, that the osteocytes actively affect the composition of the fluid locally. Present indications are that local production of citric acid (possibly other acids) by the cells under the metabolic stimulus of parathyroid hormone (possibly also vitamin D) is responsible for maintenance of the serum in its supersaturated state. 4.4. The continuous formation, maturation and resorption of osteones. While the natural course of events is toward complete mineralization, a state of dehydrated inertness, new and maturing osteones continuously provide an "available" skeletal reserve of mineral which can passively buffer against changes in electrolyte balance. 5.5. The regulation of electrolyte composition by selective reabsorption in the kidney. This mechanism, with its intricate hormonal control is, of course, not a postulate [34,53].
Climate Report Focuses on Mitigation Measures

Without additional efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions beyond the efforts that are already in place, emissions growth could result in significantly higher global mean surface temperatures by 2100, according to a 13 April report by a working group of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Post-Fire Growth Strategies of Resprouting Florida Scrub Vegetation

Although resprouting is recognized as a key post-disturbance response for plants, few studies have closely examined post-fire growth responses of resprouting species. Following a prescribed burn in Florida scrub, we compared intraspecific and interspecific growth patterns of 16 resprouting shrub species. We then examined how resprouting growth is related to species life history strategies to understand how the resprouting response could contribute to niche differentiation and species coexistence. We defined growth by calculating relative growth rates based on height, crown area, and crown volume of resprouts. In addition, we measured the number, diameter, and height of all resprouting stems. The number and diameter of all stems present before fire were also estimated. The number of resprouting stems after the fire was higher than the number of stems present before the fire for all species. As expected, species varied significantly in their post-fire growth rates, especially between those with differing recovery modes. Resprouting shrubs that are also post-fire seeders had the lowest growth rates compared to those that resprout and grow clonally, those that only resprout, and palmettos. We also found differences in post-fire growth among species with different growth forms, with palmettos having the fastest growth, followed by shrubs, and then by sub-shrubs. Within species, tradeoffs were found between height and the density of new stems, but not between height and diameter of re-sprouting stems. Overall, Florida scrub species exhibit a continuum of post-fire growth rates, suggesting the coexistence of a number of successful strategies for post-fire re-sprouting rather than a single optimal recovery strategy.
Low temperature analysis of quantum dot solar cells

The low temperature operation of GaAs solar cells incorporating a superlattice of InAs quantum dots (QD) was studied to explore carrier removal mechanisms. Dark current-voltage characteristics of QD devices did not show a temperature dependence, which suggests a tunneling-dominated recombination mechanism. Two-photon extraction was investigated using a pump-probe method, but no evidence of two-photon was observed. Finally, 1-sun measurements revealed a resonant-tunneling contribution to the current in the QD devices, which became prominent as temperature was reduced.
Development of fast, background-limited transition-edge sensors for the background-limited infrared/sub-mm spectrograph (BLISS) for SPICA

We report experimental progress toward demonstrating background-limited arrays of membrane-isolated transition-edge sensors (TESs) for the Background Limited Infrared/Sub-mm Spectrograph (BLISS). BLISS is a space-borne instrument with grating spectrometers for wavelengths λ = 35-435 µm and with R= λ/Δ; λ ~500. The goals for BLISS TESs are: noise equivalent power (NEP) = 5×10^(-20) W/Hz^(1/2) and response time τ<30ms. We expect background-limited performance from bilayers TESs with T_C=65mK and G=15fW/K. However, such TESs cannot be operated at 50mK unless stray power on the devices, or dark power P_D, is less than 200aW. We describe criteria for measuring P_D that requires accurate knowledge of T_C. Ultimately, we fabricated superconducting thermistors from Ir (T_C≥135mK) and Mo/Cu proximitized bilayers, where TC is the thermistor transition temperature. We measured the Ir TES arrays in our 45mK base temperature adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator test system, which can measure up to eight 1x32 arrays simultaneously using a time-division multiplexer, as well as our single-pixel test system which can measure down to 15mK. In our previous Ir array measurements our best reported performance was NEP=2.5×10^(-19) W/Hz^(1/2) and τ~5ms for straight-beam TESs. In fact, we expected NEP 1.5×10^(-19)W/Hz^(1/2) for meander beam TESs, but did not achieve this previously due to 1/f noise. Here, we detail improvements toward measuring the expected NEP and demonstrate NEP=(1.3±0.2)×10^(-19)W/Hz^(1/2) in our single-pixel test system and NEP=(1.6±0.3)×10^(-19)W/Hz^(1/2) in our array test system.
A parametric interpolator with confined chord errors, acceleration and deceleration for NC machining

Abstract Parametric interpolation has many advantages over linear interpolation in machining curves. Real time parametric interpolation research so far has addressed achieving a uniform feed rate, confined chord errors and jerk limited trajectory planning. However, simultaneous consideration of confined chord errors that respect the acceleration and deceleration capabilities of the machine has not been attempted. In this paper, the offline detection of feed rate sensitive corners is proposed. The velocity profile in these zones is planned so that chord errors are satisfied while simultaneously accommodating the machine's acceleration and deceleration limits. Outside the zone of the feed rate sensitive corners, the feed rate is planned using the Taylor approximation. Simulation results indicate that the offline detection of feed rate sensitive corners improves parametric interpolation. For real time interpolation, the parametric curve information can be augmented with the detected feed rate sensitive corners that are stored in 2×2 matrices.
Reachability properties of constrained linear systems

This paper presents reachability results for a linear control system and arbitrary terminal pointsp inRn with controls constrained within a compact setU containing the origin. The well-known results forp=0 are then a special case of our results. Geometric properties of the reachable set are presented and include: general containment properties which describe conditions that guarantee the inclusion of a reachable set in another reachable set; classification of the set of all pointsp that ensure the equivalence of two (different) reachable sets and the properties of this set. The topological properties of the reachable set to a pointp depends on the control setU, the final pointp, and the location of the spectrum of the system in the complex plane. We characterize the geometric properties of the reachable set when the spectrum lies in the closed right-half plane, the open left-half plane, or a combination of both.
Origin of impact strength in polycarbonate. III. Effect of liquids and orientation

Abstract The effects of Arochlor 5442 (a chlorinated terphenyl) dibutyl phthalate, butyl stearate, a high molecular weight polyester plasticizer, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, isopropyl alcohol, carbon tetrachloride, and water on the dynamic mechanical properties of polycarbonate have been studied. Results show that all liquids except water and carbon tetrachloride suppress the low-temperature β-transition loss peak and shift the temperature of maximum loss to lower temperatures. Water causes the β loss peak to broaden and be more asymmetrical. Nonpolar carbon tetrachloride causes a splitting of the β loss peak which may indicate a selective suppression of local segmental motions in nonpolar regions of the polymer. Polycarbonate liquid blends may also exhibit additional loss peaks at temperatures above or below the β loss peak. Volume losses are observed for all blends whose specific volume has been measured. Electron microscopy of etched polycarbonate blends indicates 600 to 1100 A structures exist in br...
Analysis of Large-Scale Grid-Based Monte Carlo Applications

Monte Carlo applications are widely perceived as computationally intensive but naturally parallel. Therefore, they can be effectively executed on the Grid using the dynamic bag-of-work model. In this paper we concentrate on analyzing the characteristics of large-scale Monte Carlo computation for Grid computing. Based on these analyses, we improve the efficiency of the subtask-scheduling scheme by implementing and analyzing the âN-out-of-Mâ strategy, and we develop a Monte-Carlo-specific lightweight checkpoint technique, which leads to a performance improvement for Monte Carlo Grid computing. Also, we enhance the trustworthiness of Monte Carlo Grid-computing applications by utilizing the statistical nature of Monte Carlo and by cryptographically validating intermediate results utilizing the random number generator already in use in the Monte Carlo application. All these techniques lead to a high-performance Grid-computing infrastructure that is capable of providing trustworthy Monte Carlo computation services.
Insoluble Nitrogen for Milk Production in Holstein Cows via Increases in Voluntary Intake and Nitrogen Utilization

Abstract Influences of insoluble and soluble N on milk production and N use were studied in 24 Holstein cows. The basal diet (grain: corn silage plus urea, 1:1 dry matter) contained 12% crude protein (60% insoluble N). Urea or soybean meal was added to the basal diet, increasing the crude protein to 15% with 43 and 67% insoluble N, respectively. Balance studies were performed during wk 4, 10, and 22 of lactation. Multiple regression analyses were performed on balance data adjusted for metabolic size to determine coefficients of soluble and insoluble N use. Intake of N, partitioned into insoluble and soluble N, accounted for 76, 30, 61, and 10% of the variation in dry matter intake, milk yield, milk N, and body weight .75 , respectively. Utilization coefficients for insoluble N were higher for dry matter intake, milk N, and weight .75 but lower for milk yield. Urea supplementation increased dry matter intake; however, much of the milk yield by cows fed urea was attributed to a greater weight .75 loss. In contrast, cows fed soybean meal as a source of insoluble N maintained both weight .75 and higher milk production because of higher dry matter intake and more efficient use of N.
Digging into human rights violations: Data modelling and collective memory

Archives of human rights violations reports, by virtue of their poor metadata, basis in natural language, and scale, obscure fine grain analyses of violation event patterns. Cross-document coreference of victim or perpetrator occurrences from across a corpus is challenging, particularly when those mentions relate to different events. These challenges are emblematic of the transition from small scale to big data analysis in the humanities. This paper discusses these issues and proposes a framework to address these challenges so as to explore narrative construction and the formation of collective memory. Though our framework is based on processing human rights violation reports, it can be readily extended to support other big data problems in the humanities.
High-Conflict Television News and Public Opinion

This research assesses whether conflict-laden news coverage affects public perceptions of political institutions and political elites in general. Particularly, is conflict-oriented television news ...
ENVIRONMENTAL CARCINOGENIC POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS: PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOTOXICITY

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of environmental contaminants that has long been of interest in the fields of organic chemistry, theoretical chemistry, physical chemistry, environmental science, toxicology, cancer research, and energy sciences. Concerning environmental science and cancer research, majority of the research has focused on the occurrence, environmental fate, degradation/remediation, chemical transformation, genotoxicity, metabolism and metabolic activation, DNA adduct formation, mutagenesis, and carcinogenesis. Although many books and reviews on these subjects have been published, PAH photochemistry and phototoxicity have received much less attention. Therefore, it is intended for this article to provide an up-to-date source of photochemical reaction, photo-transformation, and phototoxicity of PAHs and their oxygenated, nitrated, halogenated, and amino substituted derivatives on a molecular basis. A perspective for future work is also discussed.
Morbidity and mortality associated with tracheotomy procedure in a university medical centre

This prospective study assessed the morbidity and mortality associated with 192 consecutive tracheotomies. Complications were assessed including intraoperative and/or postoperative bleeding, infection, tracheoinnominate fistulae, tracheoesophageal fistulae, dislodgement of the tracheotomy tube, pneumothorax, wound infection and obstruction of the airway. 16% of the tracheotomy procedures resulted in complications. 22 tracheotomy procedures (11%) resulted in postoperative bleeding, 6 procedures (3%) had intraoperative bleeding which exceeded an estimated blood loss of 5 cc and 2 procedures (1%) developed a tracheoesophageal fistula. One patient (0.5%) experienced airway distress related to obstruction of the airway proximal to the tracheotomy tube. No patients required a return to the operating room to manage their complication, no patients developed a tracheoinnominate fistula and none of the tracheotomy sites became infected. The post tracheotomy ventilator wean to trach-collar supplemental oxygen protocol was accomplished with a mean of 6 days in 119 patients for whom data was available. Results demonstrate that the open tracheotomy procedure is a safe and frequently life saving manoeuvre in situations with an unsecured airway, and it provides better outcomes in patients requiring long term ventilatory support. Mortality rates are low and its potential morbidity is exceeded by its benefits.
Quality of Life Following Prostate Cancer: The Role of Agency and Unmitigated Agency1

The relations of agency (positive focus on self) and unmitigated agency (focus on self to the exclusion of others) to men's quality of life following prostate cancer was examined. Whereas agency was associated with indicators of a good quality of life, unmitigated agency was associated with indicators of a poor quality of life, particularly more intrusive thoughts about the illness, more depressive symptoms, and worse mental functioning over time. The primary psychological mechanism that explained these relations was reduced self-efficacy. Unmitigated agency was associated with feeling less capable of controlling the demands the illness imposed. Unmitigated agency also was associated with adverse changes in bowel and urine function; and changes in bowel and urine function explained the relation of unmitigated agency to poor quality of life.
Issues of reliability in measuring intimate partner violence during courtship

The current paper focuses on problems in conceptualizing and establishing reliability when using self-administered measures of intimate partner violence to assess dating violence. Establishing reliability is an important step in the development of dating violence assessment instruments. However, the nature of dating violence can make it difficult to establish reliability. Most notably, measures of intimate partner violence in courtship yield data that are positively skewed, with almost no one reporting high levels of violence. This could have implications for the calculation of several forms of reliability that assume normality (e.g., Pearson correlations, intraclass correlations). In addition, there are other characteristics of dating violence that could impact reliability. For example, partner violence perpetrators do not necessarily use multiple acts (internal consistency reliability) or repeat specific acts (test-retest reliability). And, gender differences in the perception of partner violence may influence intra-couple reliability in heterosexual couples. Finally, statistical interdependence within couples makes current intra-couple reliability assessment suspect. Research is reviewed and recommendations are made concerning the establishment of test-retest reliability, intra-couple reliability, and internal consistency reliability for measures of dating violence.
Molecular systematics of the Gelidiales: inferences from separate and combined analyses of plastid rbcL and nuclear SSU gene sequences

Nucleotide gene sequences for both the nuclear-encoded small-subunit RNA (SSU) and plastid-encoded large subunit of RuBisCO (rbcL) were determined for 16 species classified in the red algal order Gelidiales. Sequence comparisons indicate that rbcL is evolving at a faster rate than SSU in these species and that there is a more even distribution of changes across the length of the rbcL gene compared with that observed for the SSU gene. The rbcL sequences also showed a marked anti-GC bias at synonymous third-codon base positions. Parsimony and maximum-likelihood analyses were used to generate phylogenetic trees from both separate and combined analyses of the two sequence data sets. Relationships among most taxa are resolved robustly; however, the relative order of branching for the Capreolia and Ptilophora clades remains uncertain. The molecular data provide unambiguous, independent support for recognition of the newly established genus Pterocladiella. Although the position of Pterocladiella within the Gelid...
Temperature aware thread migration in 3D architecture with stacked DRAM

A 3D architecture with DRAM memory stacked on a multi-core processor has many benefits for the embedded system. Compared with a conventional 2D design, it reduces memory access latency, increases memory bandwidth and reduces energy consumption. However it poses a thermal challenge as the heat generated by the processor cannot dissipate efficiently through the DRAM memory layer. Due to the fact that DRAM is very sensitive to high temperature as well as temperature variance, 3D stacking causes more failures to occur because DRAM thermal variance is higher than the conventional 2D architecture. To address this thermal challenge we propose to reduce temperature variance and peak temperature of a 3D multi-core processor and stacked DRAM by thermally aware thread migration among processor cores. This method has very limited impact on processor performance. Using migration-based policy we reduce peak steady-state temperature in the processor by up to 8.3 degrees Celsius, with the average of 4.7 degrees.
MIND THE GAP: Religion and the Crucible of Marginality in the United States and Great Britain

Comparisons between the United States and Great Britain reveal many similarities in broad-based religious concerns and values. Nonetheless, surveys over the last 40 years document a widening gap between the two countries in individual-level religious commitment. This article suggests that the residual effect of prior marginalization of certain groups and the way they responded to the crucible of marginality is a critical variable to consider. The structure of the religious market in Great Britain kept peripheral groups from turning to religion for support or encouragement in their resistance to the establishment; this, however, was not the case in the religious economy of the United States. Using data collected in the most recent wave of the World Values Survey, I show that higher levels of religious commitment among particular groups with a history of marginalized status-namely African Americans and Southerners-in the United States and the lack of similar levels among similar groups in the British context-ethnic minorities and residents of Scotland and Wales-explain part of the gap in religious commitment between the two countries.
Diagnosis and contemporary management of anastomotic leaks after gastric bypass for obesity.

Background Anastomotic leaks are a dreaded complication of bariatric surgery. The objective of this study was to describe the clinical presentation and outcomes of treatment in patients who develop anastomotic leaks after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass for obesity. Study design Prospectively collected data on 3,018 consecutive patients who underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in 4 tertiary referral centers were reviewed. Results Sixty-three patients (2.1%) developed anastomotic leaks (open, 2.1%; laparoscopic, 2.1%) at a median of 3 days (range 0 to 28 days) after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Symptoms and signs included tachycardia (72%), fever (63%), or abdominal pain (54%). Upper gastrointestinal series and CT demonstrated leaks in only 17 of 56 (30%) and 28 of 50 (56%) patients, respectively; when done jointly, both studies were negative in 30% of patients. The 68 anastomotic leaks occurred at the gastrojejunostomy (49%), excluded stomach (25%), jejunojejunostomy (13%), gastric pouch (9%), and uncertain location (4%). Forty patients (63%) required 58 reoperations for drainage of intraabdominal collections (55%), repair of anastomotic defects (34%), or revision of the leaking anastomosis (11%), with an overall morbidity of 53% and mortality of 10%. Nonoperative treatment was successful in 23 of 26 patients, with an overall morbidity of 61% and no mortality (p=NS versus operative). Operative treatment was more common in patients with hypotension or oliguria (p Conclusions Lack of specificity in clinical presentation and imaging studies make diagnosing anastomotic leaks challenging, so operative exploration should be part of the diagnostic algorithm. Nonoperative treatment is safe and effective in a subset of patients who exhibit stable hemodynamic parameters and are known to have controlled leaks.
Equation-free, coarse-grained feedback linearization

We explore a systematic computational approach to the feedback regulator synthesis problem based on the "equation-free" timestepper methodology [Theodoropoulos, K, et al., 2000], [Makeev, A, et al., 2002], [Kevrekidis, A. G., et al., 2003], [Siettos, C, et al., 2003], where both the closed-loop dynamics linearization and pole-placement objectives are simultaneously attained in a single design step [Kazantzis, N, 2001]. This is of particular interest in the case of systems/processes modeled via microscopic/stochastic simulations (e.g. kinetic Monte Carlo) for which coarse-grained, macroscopic models at the level we wish to control the behavior are not available in closed form.
What do teens ask their online social networks?: social search practices among high school students

The majority of American teens use social network sites (SNSs) but little is known about how they leverage their online social networks to find information. As part of a larger study on social media and information behaviors, we surveyed 158 high school students to learn about their online question asking and answering practices. We describe which teens are most likely to ask and answer questions, what they ask about, on which sites they ask questions, and how useful they perceive SNSs to be as information sources. When possible, we draw comparisons with findings in the literature about adult populations. We contextualize these findings using early insights from interviews and focus groups with 80 teens and discuss how perceptions of audience, privacy concerns, and self-presentation all play a role in teens' use of SNSs to ask and answer questions.
U.S. Geological Survey 2013 assessment of undiscovered resources in the Bakken and Three Forks Formations of the U.S. Williston Basin Province

ABSTRACT The Upper Devonian Three Forks and Upper Devonian to Lower Mississippian Bakken Formations comprise a major United States continuous oil resource. Current exploitation of oil is from horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing of the Middle Member of the Bakken and upper Three Forks, with ongoing exploration of the lower Three Forks, and the Upper, Lower, and Pronghorn Members of the Bakken Formation. In 2008, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) estimated a mean of 3.65 billion bbl of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil resource within the Bakken Formation. The USGS recently reassessed the Bakken Formation, which included an assessment of the underlying Three Forks Formation. The Pronghorn Member of the Bakken Formation, where present, was included as part of the Three Forks assessment due to probable fluid communication between reservoirs. For the Bakken Formation, five continuous and one conventional assessment units (AUs) were defined. These AUs are modified from the 2008 AU boundaries to incorporate expanded geologic and production information. The Three Forks Formation was defined with one continuous and one conventional AU. Within the continuous AUs, optimal regions of hydrocarbon recovery, or “sweet spots,” were delineated and estimated ultimate recoveries were calculated for each continuous AU. Resulting undiscovered, technically recoverable resource estimates were 3.65 billion bbl for the five Bakken continuous oil AUs and 3.73 billion bbl for the Three Forks Continuous Oil AU, generating a total mean resource estimate of 7.38 billion bbl. The two conventional AUs are hypothetical and represent a negligible component of the total estimated resource (8 million barrels of oil).
Targeting the Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase Signaling Pathway in Breast Cancer

The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) network plays a key regulatory function in cell survival, proliferation, migration, metabolism, angiogenesis, and apoptosis. Genetic aberrations found at different levels, either with activation of oncogenes or inactivation of tumor suppressors, make this pathway one of the most commonly disrupted in human breast cancer. The PI3K-dependent phosphorylation and activation of the serine/threonine kinase AKT is a key activator of cell survival mechanisms. The activation of the oncogene PIK3CA and the loss of regulators of AKT including the tumor suppressor gene PTEN are mutations commonly found in breast tumors. AKT relieves the negative regulation of mTOR to activate protein synthesis and cell proliferation through S6K and 4EBP1. The common activation of the PI3K pathway in breast cancer has led to the development of compounds targeting the effector mechanisms of the pathway including selective and pan-PI3K/pan-AKT inhibitors, rapamycin analogs for mTOR inhibition, and TOR-catalytic subunit inhibitors. The influences of other oncogenic pathways such as Ras-Raf-Mek on the PI3K pathway and the known feedback mechanisms of activation have prompted the use of compounds with broader effect at multiple levels and rational combination strategies to obtain a more potent antitumor activity and possibly a meaningful clinical effect. Here, we review the biology of the network, its role in the development and progression of breast cancer, and the evaluation of targeted therapies in clinical trials.
AKAP-Lbc Anchors Protein Kinase A and Nucleates Gα12-selective Rho-mediated Stress Fiber Formation

Guanine nucleotide exchange factors of the Dbl family relay signals from membrane receptors to Rho family GTPases. We now demonstrate that a longer transcript of the Lbc gene encodes a chimeric molecule, which we have called AKAP-Lbc, that functions as an A-kinase-anchoring protein (AKAP) and a Rho-selective guanine nucleotide exchange factor. Expression of AKAP-Lbc in fibroblasts favors the formation of stress fibers in a Rho-dependent manner. Application of lysophosphatidic acid or selective expression of Gα12 enhances cellular AKAP-Lbc activation. Furthermore, biochemical studies indicate that AKAP-Lbc functions as an adaptor protein to selectively couple Gα12 to Rho. Thus, AKAP-Lbc anchors PKA and nucleates the assembly of a Rho-mediated signaling pathway.
NDVI saturation adjustment: A new approach for improving cropland performance estimates in the Greater Platte River Basin, USA

Abstract In this study, we developed a new approach that adjusted normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) pixel values that were near saturation to better characterize the cropland performance (CP) in the Greater Platte River Basin (GPRB), USA. The relationship between NDVI and the ratio vegetation index (RVI) at high NDVI values was investigated, and an empirical equation for estimating saturation-adjusted NDVI (NDVI sat _ adjust ) based on RVI was developed. A 10-year (2000–2009) NDVI sat _ adjust data set was developed using 250-m 7-day composite historical eMODIS (expedited Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) NDVI data. The growing season averaged NDVI (GSN), which is a proxy for ecosystem performance, was estimated and long-term NDVI non-saturation- and saturation-adjusted cropland performance (CP non _ sat _ adjust , CP sat _ adjust ) maps were produced over the GPRB. The final CP maps were validated using National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) crop yield data. The relationship between CP sat _ adjust and the NASS average corn yield data ( r = 0.78, 113 samples) is stronger than the relationship between CP non _ sat _ adjust and the NASS average corn yield data ( r = 0.67, 113 samples), indicating that the new CP sat _ adjust map reduces the NDVI saturation effects and is in good agreement with the corn yield ground observations. Results demonstrate that the NDVI saturation adjustment approach improves the quality of the original GSN map and better depicts the actual vegetation conditions of the GPRB cropland systems.
Essential role of ribosomal protein L11 in mediating growth inhibition-induced p53 activation

The ribosomal protein L11 binds to and suppresses the E3 ligase function of HDM2, thus activating p53. Despite being abundant as a component of the 60S large ribosomal subunit, L11 does not induce p53 under normal growth conditions. In search of mechanisms controlling L11–HDM2 interaction, we found that the induction of p53 under growth inhibitory conditions, such as low dose of actinomycin D or serum depletion, can be significantly attenuated by knocking down L11, indicating the importance of L11 in mediating these growth inhibitory signals to p53. We show that L11 is not regulated by transcription or protein stability and its level remains relatively constant during serum starvation. However, serum starvation induces translocation of L11 from the nucleolus to the nucleoplasm, where it participates in a complex with HDM2. We propose that the nucleolus acts as a barrier to prevent L11 interacting with HDM2 during normal growth. Growth inhibition, presumably through suppression of rRNA production in the nucleolus, facilitates translocation of L11 to the nucleoplasm, thus activating p53 through inhibiting HDM2.
Temporary orthodontic anchorage devices for improving occlusion

The objective of the study was to provide insight into clinical and laboratory aspects of mini-screw implant (MI) research conducted in the Department of Orthodontics at Baylor College of Dentistry. Excerpts were selected from clinical and laboratory MI research utilizing one type of implant and one consistent placement protocol to illustrate the clinical usage of MI as skeletal anchorage during Class II bimaxillary correction. In addition, a translational animal model was utilized to illustrate possible side-effects of MI placement. Our studies have shown that successful and consistent clinical results are possible with MI use. Although iatrogenic trauma may occur during the placement of MI, a translational research model has provided data used to develop a placement protocol in order to avoid this dilemma. Absolute skeletal anchorage is a reality with MI use and can be used for successful orthodontic outcomes in the correction of Class II bimaxillary protrusion malocclusions to ideal Class I occlusions. Moreover, meticulous care has been shown to be essential with treatment planning and during placement of MI. Significant and extensive damage can occur with poor placement while healing is possible following minor trauma.
Photoselective vaporization of the prostate for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) commonly occurs in older men. Traditionally, the gold standard for treatment of BPH has been the electrocautery-based transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). However, TURP is associated with several complications and side effects. Therefore, there is an interest in a number of emerging minimally invasive therapies as alterative treatment options. Advancements in laser technology have led to the introduction of photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP) using the GreenLight™ laser (American Medical Systems, MN, USA). PVP uses a 532-nm laser to remove obstructive prostatic tissue. The laser energy is selectively absorbed by hemoglobin in the prostate tissue and results in tissue destruction. The GreenLight PVP laser system has gone through several evolutions from the original 60-W laser to the most recent 180-W GreenLight XPS™ system with MoXy™ Fiber. With the increasing use of GreenLight to treat BPH, there is a need to review the evidence regarding its use...
A novel tumor-promoting role for nuclear factor IA in glioblastomas is mediated through negative regulation of p53, p21, and PAI1

Background Nuclear factor IA (NFIA), a transcription factor and essential regulator in embryonic glial development, is highly expressed in human glioblastoma (GBM) compared with normal brain, but its contribution to GBM and cancer pathogenesis is unknown. Here we demonstrate a novel role for NFIA in promoting growth and migration of GBM and establish the molecular mechanisms mediating these functions. Methods To determine the role of NFIA in glioma, we examined the effects of NFIA in growth, proliferation, apoptosis, and migration. We used gain-of-function (overexpression) and loss-of-function (shRNA knockdown) of NFIA in primary patient-derived GBM cells and established glioma cell lines in culture and in intracranial xenografts in mouse brains. Results Knockdown of native NFIA blocked tumor growth and induced cell death and apoptosis. Complementing this, NFIA overexpression accelerated growth, proliferation, and migration of GBM in cell culture and in mouse brains. These NFIA tumor-promoting effects were mediated via transcriptional repression of p53, p21, and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI1) through specific NFIA-recognition sequences in their promoters. Importantly, the effects of NFIA on proliferation and apoptosis were independent of TP53 mutation status, a finding especially relevant for GBM, in which TP53 is frequently mutated. Conclusion NFIA is a modulator of GBM growth and migration, and functions by distinct regulation of critical oncogenic pathways that govern the malignant behavior of GBM.
Informed Consent for Living Donation: A Review of Key Empirical Studies, Ethical Challenges and Future Research

Given the organ scarcity, live organ donation is increasingly considered a viable alternative for kidney and liver transplantation. Yet living donation challenges the ethical principle of nonmaleficence by subjecting healthy individuals to medical, psychosocial and unknown risks. Therefore, transplant providers, policy-makers and donors are committed to ensuring that prospective donors provide adequate informed consent to undergo the procedure. Informed consent for living donation is ethically required as a means of demonstrating respect for donor's autonomy and protecting their safety. However, all elements of informed consent are fraught with difficulties due to the unique nature of the donation process and outcome. This paper reviews empirical research on informed consent for live kidney donors (LKD) and live liver donors (LLD) for both adult and pediatric recipients. As this review shows, studies that empirically assessed the quality of informed consent elements reveal considerable variability and deficiencies across the informed consent process, suggesting the need for improvement. This review highlights challenges to each element of consent for both LKDs and LLDs, and situates trends within broader policy contexts, ethical debates and avenues for future innovative research.