cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Uroporphyrinogen III Synthase AN ALTERNATIVE PROMOTER CONTROLS ERYTHROID-SPECIFIC EXPRESSION IN THE MURINE GENE

Uroporphyrinogen III synthase (URO-synthase, EC 4.2.1.75) is the fourth enzyme of the heme biosynthetic pathway and is the defective enzyme in congenital erythropoietic porphyria. To investigate the erythroid-specific expression of murine URO-synthase, the cDNA and approximately 24-kilobase genomic sequences were isolated and characterized. Three alternative transcripts were identified containing different 5'-untranslated regions (5'-UTRs), but identical coding exons 2B through 10. Transcripts with 5'-UTR exon 1A alone or fused to exon 1B were ubiquitously expressed (housekeeping), whereas transcripts with 5'-UTR exon 2A were only present in erythroid cells (erythroid-specific). Analysis of the TATA-less housekeeping promoter upstream of exon 1A revealed binding sites for ubiquitously expressed transcription factors Sp1, NF1, AP1, Oct1, and NRF2. The TATA-less erythroid-specific promoter upstream of exon 2A had nine putative GATA1 erythroid enhancer binding sites. Luciferase promoter/reporter constructs transfected into NIH 3T3 and mouse erythroleukemia cells indicated that the housekeeping promoter was active in both cell lines, while the erythroid promoter was active only in erythroid cells. Site-specific mutagenesis of the first GATA1 binding site markedly reduced luciferase activity in K562 cells (<5% of wild type). Thus, housekeeping and erythroid-specific transcripts are expressed from alternative promoters of a single mouse URO-synthase gene.
Combined effects of aging and HIV infection on semantic verbal fluency: A view of the cortical hypothesis through the lens of clustering and switching

The profile of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) has classically been characterized as "subcortical," but questions have arisen as to whether aging with HIV in the antiretroviral therapy era has subtly shifted the expression of HAND into a more "cortical" disorder (e.g., decay of semantic memory stores). We evaluated this hypothesis by examining semantic fluency and its component processes (i.e., clustering and switching) in 257 individuals across four groups stratified by age (<40 and ≥50 years) and HIV serostatus. Jonckheere-Terpstra tests revealed significant monotonic trends for the combined effects of HIV and aging on overall semantic (and letter) fluency and switching, but not cluster size, with greatest deficits evident in the older adults with HIV infection. Within the older HIV-infected cohort, poorer switching was uniquely associated with self-reported declines in instrumental activities of daily living and deficits in learning and executive functions, but not semantic memory. Results suggest that HIV infection and aging may confer adverse additive effects on the executive components of semantic fluency (i.e., switching), rather than a degradation of semantic memory stores (i.e., cluster size), which is a profile that is most consistent with combined frontostriatal neuropathological burden of these two conditions.
Validating the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) at a Research-Intensive University

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) has been used at universities across the U.S. and Canada to gather information about the quality of engagement of first-year students and graduating students. Institutions use NSSE’s five benchmarks of effective educational practice to compare themselves with other schools and to focus in on ways to improve the educational experiences of their students. However, studies indicate that these benchmarks may not be a valid way to convey NSSE information. This study was conducted to investigate whether or not NSSE’s five-factor model is the best fit for student engagement data collected at a large, public, research-intensive, land-grant university. The five-factor model did not fit the data for the 2008 sample of senior students at this university. Rather, a revised model using six factors instead of five and 21 of 42 items provided a more valid test blueprint. This new model was then tested and found to fit the 2011 sample of senior students at the same university. Discussion regarding use of a nationally collected data at an individual institution is provided.
Photoinduced charge separation and charge recombination to a triplet state in a carotene-porphyrin-fullerene triad

A molecular triad consisting of a diarylporphyrin (P) covalently linked to a carotenoid polyene (C) and a fullerene (C60) has been prepared and studied using time-resolved spectroscopic methods. In 2-methyltetrahydrofuran solution, the triad undergoes photoinduced electron transfer to yield C−P•+−C60•-, which evolves into C•+−P−C60•- with an overall quantum yield of 0.14. This state decays by charge recombination to yield the carotenoid triplet state with a time constant of 170 ns. Even in a glass at 77 K, C•+−P−C60•- is formed with a quantum yield of ∼0.10 and again decays mainly by charge recombination to give 3C−P−C60. The fullerene triplet, formed through normal intersystem crossing, is also observed at 77 K. The generation in the triad of a long-lived charge separated state by photoinduced electron transfer, the low-temperature electron transfer behavior, and the formation of a triplet state by charge recombination are phenomena previously observed mostly in photosynthetic reaction centers.
Refining esophageal cancer staging

Abstract Objective: Cancer staging is dynamic, reflecting accrual of knowledge and experience in treatment. The objectives of this study were to assess current esophageal cancer staging and to determine whether refinements of classification and stage grouping are necessary. Methods: From 1983 through November 2000, 480 patients underwent esophagectomy without induction therapy. Depth of tumor invasion (T), regional lymph node status (N), distant status (M), number of metastatic regional lymph nodes, and histopathologic type and grade were subjected to survival-tree analysis, multivariable Cox and hazard function analysis, and residual misclassification risk analysis. Results: Inhomogenity of survival was found within and lack of distinction was found between current American Joint Committee on Cancer staging groups, supporting the need for refinement. T1 and N1 were redefined on the basis of survival differences. T1a is intramucosal cancer, T1b is submucosal cancer ( P = .008), N1 is 1 or 2 metastatic regional lymph nodes, and N2 is 3 or more metastatic regional lymph nodes ( P = .01). Current subclassification of M1 is not warranted ( P = .9). Histopathologic type ( P = .17) and grade ( P = .3) minimally refined staging. Reassignment of staging groups constrained by American Joint Committee on Cancer definitions of stages 0 and IV produced less monotonic, distinctive, and homogeneous survival than free assignment of staging groups. Conclusions: Current American Joint Committee on Cancer staging of esophageal cancer is inadequate. Refinement requires redefinition of T1, N1, and M1 classifications. Stage grouping within the constraints of American Joint Committee on Cancer definitions produces less accurate prognosis than free assignment based on survival data. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2003;125:1103-13
Inversion of the Radon transform with incomplete data

The Radon transform R(p, θ), θ∈Sn−1, p∈ℝ1, of a compactly supported function f(x) with support in a ball Ba of radius a centred at the origin is given for all , where is an open set on Sn−1, and all p∈(− ∞, ∞), n≥2. An approximate formula is given to calculate f(x) from the given data.
Aberrations And Their Effects On Images

Aberrations occur in all practical image forming systems. Some aberrations are the result of balancing during design, others are intrinsic to a particular image formation system and some are introduced as the result of the fabrication of an actual system. The type and form of these aberrations can be related to the constructional parameters of the system and can be calculated by the process of ray tracing or in some cases by analytic formulae.
Protein kinase C in galactosemic and tolrestat-treated lens epithelial cells

Using isozyme-specific anti-peptide antisera against peptides from the α-, β-, γ-, δ-, σ-, and ϵ-isoforms of brain protein kinase C (PKC), we have identified proteins in bovine lens epithelial cells, in culture, that were reactive with these antisera. Western blots of lens epithelial cell homogenates showed that PKC-α antisera reacted with a major protein, and PKC-γ antisera reacted with a minor protein. When the lens epithelial cells were cultured in media supplemented with 40 mM galactose, to model the conditions of sugar cataracts, a decrease in PKC-γ, but not in PKC-α was observed. These were normalized if the cells were cultured in 40 mM galactose media supplemented with an inhibitor of aldose reductase, Tolrestat (10μM). These results suggest that changes in PKC isoforms occur in the galactosemic diabetic state.
Cytokine production by mite-specific T cells from donors with mild atopic disease

This study was designed to determine whether allergen-specific T cells from patients with mild atopic disease were similar to TH2 cells. Tetanus-specific and house mite-specific T-cell clones were derived from peripheral blood of donors with strong immediate epicutaneous skin tests to Dermatophagoides farinae but with mild allergic disease. Overall, the tetanus- and mite-specific clones produced similar amounts of interleukin-4 (IL-4) and gamma interferon (INF-gamma). However, when donors were divided into those with high and low serum levels of mite-specific IgE as determined by RAST, mite-specific clones from donors with high specific IgE produced significantly more IL-4 and less IFN-gamma than mite-specific clones from donors with low levels of specific IgE. These results suggest that circulating allergen-specific T cells from patients who do not have severe allergic disease may nonetheless be skewed toward a TH2 profile. We also examined IL-4 and IFN-gamma production during primary culture of antigen-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Detectable amounts of IL-4 were not produced. Stimulation with tetanus antigen induced two to three times as much IFN-gamma as did stimulation with mite antigen. However, the amount of IFN-gamma produced during primary culture did not correlate with the cytokine production of the T-cell clones subsequently generated.
A review of the effect of cigarette advertising

Abstract Because of the inconsistency in the findings from past decades of research and the lack of consensus regarding the relationship between advertising exposure and cigarette consumption, the large body of extant research on the effectiveness of cigarette advertising has generated equivocal conclusions on this subject. Therefore, we conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis of cigarette advertising research to determine what impact, if any, cigarette advertising has on cigarette consumption. Unlike previous attempts to synthesize the cigarette advertising literature, this study examined three specific levels of the criterion (i.e., initiation, continuation, and brand behavior) rather than examining only aggregate consumption.
Anisotropic analysis of bone--some two-dimensional problems.

Abstract The solutions of the two-dimensional problems of concentrated forces, double forces and stresses due to a pressurized cavity in bone have been reported, treating bone as an anisotropic material. Using analytic functions of several complex variables, and starting from Lekhnitskii's solution for a concentrated force in an infinite plane, expressions for stresses for various cases have been obtained. Numerical results of stress distributions for various material axis orientations have been presented and compared with isotropy. The stress distributions for double forces in a semi-infinite plane, for various degrees of anisotropy, have also been included.
Molecular Testing for Infectious Disease

Nucleic acid amplification methods, such as the polymerase chain reaction, are having a significant impact in the diagnosis of infectious diseases. Each of these methods uses an enzymatic replication of key regions of an organism's nucleic acid targets, such as the genome, rRNA, mRNA, or plasmid. Several methods and the diseases they are used to detect are described in the article. Techniques include PCR, AMPLICOR, AMPLIPREP, transcription-mediated amplification, thermophilic strand displacement amplification, nucleic acid sequence-based amplification, and the ligase chain reaction.
Religious nationalism and the making of the modern Japanese state

This article explores the role of religious nationalism in the making of the modern Japanese state. We describe a process of adaptation featuring bricolage, as an alternative to imitation accounts of non-Western state formation that privilege Western culture. The Meiji state, finding it could not impose Shinto as a state religion, selectively drew from religio-nationalist currents and Western models for over two decades before institutionalizing State Shinto. Although we see some similarities to Europe, distinctive features of the Japanese case suggest a different path to modernity: a lack of separation between state and religion, an emphasis on ritual and a late (and historically condensed) development of popular religious nationalism, which was anchored by State Shinto disciplinary devices including school rituals and shrines deifying the war dead.
Nd isotopic variations and petrogenetic models

^(147)Sm ɑ-decays to ^(143)Nd so that ^(143)Nd/^(144)Nd reflects the time-integrated Sm/Nd environment of a sample. The increase in 143/144 in a reservoir with chondritic Sm/Nd is 1.2% in 4.5AE. There exists sufficient variation of Sm/Nd to cause sizeable effects in 143/144. Young samples were measured to elucidate the nature of their source regions. An oceanic high Fe, Ti basalt (113152) and alk. basalt (113031), a continental alk. besalt (BCR-l), an apatite (Khibiny massif) and two reagent "normals", NN1 and NN2, were analyzed. Isotopic ratios of NN2 and BCR-1, normalized to 148/144=0.241572 are tabulated. Following the pioneering work of Lugmair, et al. (EPSL 27, 79) our 143/144 data are presented relative to the total rock value for Juvinas (0.51278). the present value of a chondritic reservoir. Data are given as deviations from this value in parts in 10^4 (є) and show a wide range. Nd in the source regions of the rock samples evolved in an environment of approximately chondritic Sm/Nd (±5%) over the history of the earth. Small variations exist, reflecting long time scale differences of Sm/Nd in the source regions. The low Sm/Nd observed in alkali basalts cannot reflect an ancient source region with low Sm/Nd as є is near zero. REE patterns of alkali basalts must thus reflect relatively recent fractionation from a source with essentially chondritic relative abundances. Study of initial ^(143)Nd/^(144)Nd in conjunction with REE patterns promises to contribute important petrogenetic information.
Europe and the logic of hierarchy

Abstract Building on the view that financial systems from contract and trading structures through regulation are artifacts of law and politics, this paper analyzes the fundamental reasons for the observed hierarchy in all financial systems. Why are financial systems hierarchical? The answer offered here is mutualization at scale : balance sheets with access to larger economic catchment areas impart liquidity discipline or elasticity on smaller balance sheets, thereby setting the terms on which the latter operate. Hierarchy then sets the logical limit to the constructive power of law viz. finance. Yet because hierarchy is an abstract, functional requirement, the concrete institutional form that expresses this function is indeterminate a priori . This openness is a key predicate of the constructive power of law and politics in finance, allowing us to conceptualize systems that are democratic even while they attend to the specific logic of financial systems. These themes are explored in the context of the European Economic and Monetary Union and its recent crisis.
Selective blockade of spontaneous motor stereotypy via intrastriatal pharmacological manipulation.

Abnormal repetitive behavior, including stereotypy, is often observed in conjunction with developmental, neuropsychiatric, and genetic disorders. The present work employed the deer mouse model of spontaneous and persistent stereotypy to identify basal ganglia involvement in the mediation of these abnormal behaviors. To evaluate the hypothesis that stereotypy is expressed in these mice due to alterations in the activity of cortico-basal ganglia motor circuits, intrastriatal pharmacological manipulations aimed at attenuating the spontaneously emitted stereotypy were performed. Bilateral striatal infusion of the NMDA or dopamine D1 receptor antagonists MK-801 or SCH23390, respectively, produced a substantial reduction in levels of stereotypic jumping without inhibiting nonstereotypic motor behavior. These findings support the hypothesis that environmentally related stereotypy is expressed as a consequence of elevated feedback activity occurring along motor circuits of the basal ganglia.
Sex roles, parental experience and reproductive success of eastern kingbirds, Tyrannus tyrannus.

Abstract We quantified parental behaviour of eastern kingbirds during the incubation and nestling periods to determine parental roles, and to examine the impact of previous breeding experience (defined as having bred on the territory in the past) on behaviour and reproductive success. Females performed all incubation, while males spent more than 60% of their time in vigilant or nest guarding behaviour during incubation. Parental roles were not defined as sharply during the nestling period. Females spent more time vigilant, but males provisioned young at only 54% of the rate of females. Vigilance and nest watching were still primarily male duties. Male and female behaviour did not vary with the pair’s combination of experience (e.g. experienced–experienced versus inexperienced–inexperienced in previous–current breeding season, respectively) during either phase of reproduction, but experienced males were more vigilant during incubation and fed young relatively more than inexperienced males. Experienced females were also more efficient foragers. Although behaviour did not differ among the four combinations of pair experience, inexperienced pairs none the less lost the most young to starvation and predation. Consequently, inexperienced pairs fledged one less nestling per nesting attempt than did pairs with at least one experienced breeder. Our results suggest that having at least one experienced breeder substantially improved a pair’s reproductive success. We propose that female site fidelity is a safeguard to avoid the lower breeding success a female would incur if she were to move to a new territory and breed with an inexperienced male.
Durable efficacy of early postoperative radiation therapy for high-risk pT3N0 prostate cancer: the importance of radiation dose

Objectives. To determine the durable efficacy of early postoperative radiation therapy (RT) in patients with pT3N0 prostate cancer who were at an increased risk of biochemical failure. We also evaluated the long-term benefit derived from using higher RT doses. Methods. Seventy-nine patients with pathologic Stage T3N0 prostate cancer and high-risk postoperative features underwent RT within 6 months after surgery. No patient received prior hormonal therapy. Fifty-nine patients had positive surgical margin, 29 had pathologic seminal vesicle invasion, and 27 had persistently elevated postoperative prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. Freedom from biochemical relapse (bNED) was defined as an undetectable (less than 0.2 ng/mL) PSA level. Median follow-up time was 39 months, and the median radiation dose was 64.8 Gy. All patients were followed for at least 2 years to be considered biochemically controlled. Results. Patients receiving adjuvant RT for an undetectable pre-RT PSA level had a 3-year bNED rate of 90%, compared with 44% for those receiving salvage RT for a detectable level (P < 0.0001). In the group of adjuvant patients, RT doses more than 61.2 Gy resulted in a 3-year bNED rate of 90% compared with 64% for those receiving a lower dose (P = 0.015). The salvage patients irradiated with a dose of 64.8 Gy or greater had a 3-year bNED rate of 52% compared with 18% for those irradiated with lower doses (P = 0.048). Severe late RT-related complications were infrequent and did not correlate with dose. Conclusions. In patients with high-risk pT3N0 prostate cancer, an RT dose response may exist. Although some studies suggest limited durable efficacy for early postoperative RT, our data suggest that RT doses of 64.8 Gy or more appear superior to prevent future biochemical failures. A prospective randomized study evaluating a postoperative RT dose response is warranted.
Applying a Modified Situational Leadership Model to Residential Group Care Settings

This paper offers a new perspective on staff interactions with children and youth in care. The author proposes a four part, two-dimensional design adapted from empirically-based models found in the literature on organizational leadership, parenting, and group development. A review of those sources suggests that, whereas each of four “leadership styles” might be used appropriately in one situation or another, there is one style, combining control and empathy, that is best suited to meet the needs of the majority of children and youth in care most of the time.
Infertility services reported by men in the United States: national survey data.

Objective To describe the extent to which men report they or their partners had made use of infertility services, what services and conditions were reported, and what factors were associated with their use of services. Design Analysis of the male sample of the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth, a nationally-representative household survey of men 15-44. Analysis involved estimation of percentages, chi-squared tests of difference, and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Setting The 2002 National Survey of Family Growth, Cycle 6. Patient(s) A total of 4109 sexually experienced men aged 15–44 years in the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth who had received infertility services. Intervention(s) None. Main Outcome Measure(s) Percentage of men reporting that they had sought help with having a baby. Result(s) A total of 7.5% of all sexually experienced men reported a visit for help with having a child; 2.2% reported a visit in the past year, equivalent to 3.3–4.7 million men reporting a lifetime visit and 787,000–1.5 million a past-year visit. Visits were reported more frequently by older men, those currently or previously married, and the more highly educated. Male-related infertility conditions were reported by 18.1% of those who sought help, the most frequent being sperm or semen problems and varicocele. Conclusion(s) Previous estimates of infertility help-seeking were based on data from women. Men report a percentage seeking help that appears to be somewhat lower than reported by women. About 1 in 5 of those seeking help reported male-related infertility conditions.
Data broadcasting and reduction, prefix computation, and sorting on reduced hypercube parallel computers

The popular hypercube interconnection network has high wiring(VLS1) complexity. The reduced hypercube (RH) is obtained by a uniform reduction in the number of channels for each hypercube node in order io reduce the VLSI complexity. It is known that the RH achieves performance comparable to that of the hypercube, at much lower hardware cost, through hypercube emulation. The reduced complexity of the RH permits the construction of powerful, massively parallel computers. This paper proposes algorithms for data broadcasting and reduction, prefix computation, and sorting on the RH. These operations are fundamental to many parallel algorithms. A worst case analysis of each algorithm is given and compared with that of equivalent algorithms for the hypercube. It is shown that the proposed algorithms for the RH yield performance comparable to that of the hypercube.
A Comparison of radiationless transitions involving single-minimum and double minima potential energy surfaces

Abstract The quantum-statistical-mechanical (QSM) approach to molecular relaxation phenomena is employed to compare radiationless transitions originating from an electronic state characterized by a single minimum and double minima potential surface for a vibronically active, non-totally symmetric mode. The vibronic level dependence of the decay rates of these two cases has been investigated for both small and large energy gap transitions. It is shown that the behavior of a molecular system is quite different for an initial state possesing a double minima potential surface as compared to the case in which the initial state possesses a single minimum.
Design of a high-performance slide and drive system for a small precision machining research lathe

The development of high-accuracy machine tools, principally through interest in diamond turning, plus the availability of new cutting tool materials, offers the possibility of improving workpiece accuracy for a much larger variety of materials than that addressed by diamond tools. This paper describes the design and measured performance of a slideway and servo-drive system for a small lathe intended as a tool for research on the above subject, with emphasis on the servo-control design. The slide system provides high accuracy and stiffness over a travel of 100mm, utilizing oil hydrostatic bearings and a capstan roller drive with integral dc motor and tachometer.
Protein and free amino acids in wheat grain as affected by soil types and salinity levels in irrigation water

The effects of four lysimeter soil series under three salinity levels were evaluated for grain yield, wt/1000 seeds, protein, and amino acids in Mexican dwarf wheat (Triticum aestivum L. var. Cajeme 71). The soil series consisted of: Holtville clay loam, Greenfield sandy loam, San Emigdio sandy loam, and Altamont clay loam. The irrigation water salinity levels were designated: low −2.2 mmho, medium −4.2 mmho, and high −7.1 mmho.
Talking About Trayvon in 140 Characters Exploring NFL Players’ Tweets About the George Zimmerman Verdict

This research explored how National Football League (NFL) players used Twitter to discuss the verdict in the George Zimmerman murder trial in the immediate aftermath of its announcement. A textual analysis, using constant comparative procedures of 465 tweets from 125 NFL players, was conducted. Results revealed that players discussed the case in the following ways: (a) anticipation, (b) disbelief, (c) critiques of the American Justice System, (d) social commentary, (e) condolences and support, (f) responding to fans, and (g) freedom of speech arguments. The results suggest that Twitter is a viable mechanism for African American and other minority athletes to engage in activism and initiate important conversations about social justice issues. Although empowering, this also may create conflict for team personnel and fans who may be uncomfortable with athletes using Twitter to question structures that favor Whiteness.
A NUMERICAL MODEL FOR THE ESTIMATION OF PHOTOSYNTHETIC PRODUCTION, INTEGRATED OVER TIME AND DEPTH, IN NATURAL WATERS1

A numerical solution of Vollenweider’s photosynthesis model is presented. This model provides for varying types and degrees of inhibition of photosynthesis by light. A digital computer is used to estimate the photosynthetic inhibition parameters and to integrate the model numerically over time and depth. The numerical approach exploits the full generality of the model by allowing the inhibition parameters to assume any values and by using the actual distribution of surface light over a day, thereby removing all the mathematical approximations made by previous authors. The assumptions and limitations of the solution and the data necessary to test it are discussed.
Engineering design of lossless passive soft switching methods for PWM converters. II. With nonminimum voltage stress circuit cells

This paper proposes the analysis and design methodology of lossless, passive soft switching methods for PWM converters. The emphasis of the design and analysis is for PWM converters that use nonminimum voltage stress (non-MVS) circuit cells to provide soft switching. PWM converters with non-MVS circuit cells have several distinct advantages over converters that use minimum voltage stress (MVS) cells. With the same relative size of the inductor and capacitor added for soft switching, the non-MVS cells have a substantially larger duty ratio range where soft switching is guaranteed. In addition, the overcurrent stress of the main switch, under most conditions, will be lower and an optimum value of inductor and capacitor added for soft switching can be used. Therefore, with proper design, the non-MVS cells provide higher efficiency. These advantages are obtained with the price of higher switching voltage stress and one additional inductor. The loss model for a MOSFET and optimum capacitor and inductor values are utilized in the design procedure. Examples of the design procedure are given for PFC and DC-DC applications. Experimental results backup the claim of higher efficiency.
A Tunable Metamaterial Frequency-Selective Surface With Variable Modes of Operation

A reconfigurable miniaturized-element frequency-selective surface (FSS) is presented in this paper. A standard waveguide measurement setup is used to evaluate the performance of the design. The proposed FSS consists of two periodic arrays of metallic loops, with the same periodicity, on either side of a very thin dielectric substrate. The tuning of the reconfigurable surface is shown numerically to be possible by incorporating tuning varactors into the structure. Using varactors on both layers, a reconfigurable frequency response is achieved, which has two modes of operation: bandstop and bandpass. In addition to two completely different modes of operation, the center frequency, as well as the bandwidth of the response can be tuned independently. Frequency tunability with a constant bandwidth over 3-3.5 GHz is shown. A bandwidth tuning at a fixed center frequency is also demonstrated. Simulation results are verified experimentally by fabricating prototypes of the design at S-band loaded with lumped capacitors. To demonstrate the tunability, different pairs of fixed-valued capacitors, as opposed to varactors, are used in a waveguide measurement setup to avoid difficulties associated with biasing varactors in the waveguide.
Cells of renin lineage are progenitors of podocytes and parietal epithelial cells in experimental glomerular disease.

Glomerular injury leads to podocyte loss, a process directly underlying progressive glomerular scarring and decline of kidney function. The inherent repair process is limited by the inability of podocytes to regenerate. Cells of renin lineage residing alongside glomerular capillaries are reported to have progenitor capacity. We investigated whether cells of renin lineage can repopulate the glomerulus after podocyte injury and serve as glomerular epithelial cell progenitors. Kidney cells expressing renin were genetically fate-mapped in adult Ren1cCreER×Rs-tdTomato-R, Ren1cCre×Rs-ZsGreen-R, and Ren1dCre×Z/EG reporter mice. Podocyte depletion was induced in all three cell-specific reporter mice by cytotoxic anti-podocyte antibodies. After a decrease in podocyte number, a significant increase in the number of labeled cells of renin lineage was observed in glomeruli in a focal distribution along Bowman's capsule, within the glomerular tuft, or in both locations. A subset of cells lining Bowman's capsule activated expression of the glomerular parietal epithelial cell markers paired box protein PAX2 and claudin-1. A subset of labeled cells within the glomerular tuft expressed the podocyte markers Wilms tumor protein 1, nephrin, podocin, and synaptopodin. Neither renin mRNA nor renin protein was detected de novo in diseased glomeruli. These findings provide initial evidence that cells of renin lineage may enhance glomerular regeneration by serving as progenitors for glomerular epithelial cells in glomerular disease characterized by podocyte depletion.
Efficient full-wave modeling of high density TSVs for 3D integration

This paper presents a full-wave electromagnetic approach for modeling the electrical performance of massively-coupled and coated through silicon vias in a sandwiched SiO 2 -Si-SiO 2 substrate. The planar guided wave is analyzed to determine the fundamental mode and high order modes in stratified media. Cylindrical wave expansions and Foldy-Lax equations for multiple scattering techniques are used to efficiently calculate the couplings among the vias. The effect of SiO 2 coating around the via is modeled by general T-matrix coefficients. Both silicon loss and copper loss are included in this approach. Numerical simulations of insertion loss, return loss and crosstalk of 1-by-3 and 4-by-4 through silicon via arrays are presented and compared with general-purpose field-solver.
Temporal integration of loudness in listeners with sloping sensorineural hearing losses

Temporal integration of loudness, as measured by the level difference between equally loud short and long tones, can be related directly to the loudness function if one assumes that ratio between equal-SPL long and brief tones is the same at all SPLs. This assumption is supported by measurements of temporal integration of loudness in listeners with gradual and abrupt high-frequency hearing losses. The amounts of temporal integration obtained in listeners with abrupt losses are larger than those obtained in listeners with gradual losses and in listeners with normal hearing. This finding is consistent with the slow growth of loudness with increasing intensity observed in listeners with abrupt losses.
A Preliminary Investigation of Computer-Aided Schwarz-Christoffel Transformation for Electric Machine Design and Analysis

An alternative method to finite element analysis (FEA) for electric machine design and analysis is presented that applies Schwarz-Christoffel (SC) conformal mapping theory using the SC toolbox for MATLABreg that has appeared in the previous literature. In this method, a two-dimensional (2D) developed machine cross-section domain is mapped via SC transformation to a concentric cylinder domain where solutions for the electromagnetic (EM) fields are known. These solutions are mapped back to the original domain, thus solving the original problem. All mapping is done via the SC toolbox. Examples are given in which the procedure is used to calculate the EM field in the air gap of and the force on the rotor of various 2D developed machine cross-sections. The numerical accuracy of the results is verified by comparing the solutions as the air gap gets small with magnetic equivalent circuit (MEC)-derived coenergy solutions
Seeking professional fulfillment: US symphony orchestra members in schools:

Symphony orchestra musicians have characterized their careers as stressful, boring, and lacking in artistic integrity. In addition, they typically do not score high on job satisfaction inventories....
Estimating side-information for Wyner-Ziv video coding using resolution-progressive decoding and extensive motion exploration

In Wyner-Ziv video coding (WZVC), the quality of side information (SI) has a critical impact on the coding efficiency. Most existing WZVC schemes generate SI using decoder-side motion estimation (ME), where the current frame is unavailable and the ME accuracy is greatly impaired. In this paper, without introducing additional bitrate overhead, we incorporate fractional-pel motion search, reduced block sizes and multiple hypothesis prediction into our previously proposed decoder-side multi-resolution motion refinement framework [1], where the current frame is progressively decoded, and based on which the decoder iteratively refines the motion to improve its accuracy. Theoretical analysis shows significant gain of the combination of these advanced techniques. A practical SI estimator is implemented and provides prediction performance comparable to H.264/AVC.
SPIDER BITES IN THE UNITED STATES

The bite of the brown recluse spider rapidly causes an infarction in skin that is painful and can be slow to heal. This is the only North American spider to cause such severe necrosis. The bite sometimes can produce a sudden, severe hemolysis. Conservative care without drugs is the safest proven treatment.
Chronic hypoxia stimulates an enhanced response to immune challenge without evidence of an energetic tradeoff

There is broad interest in whether there is a tradeoff between energy metabolism and immune function, and how stress affects immune function. Under hypoxic stress, maximal aerobic metabolism is limited, and other aspects of energy metabolism of animals may be altered as well. Although acute hypoxia appears to enhance certain immune responses, the effects of chronic hypoxia on immune function are largely unstudied. We tested: (1) whether chronic hypoxia affects immune function and (2) whether hypoxia affects the metabolic cost of immune function. First, flow cytometry was used to monitor the peripheral blood immunophenotype of mice over the course of 36 days of hypoxic exposure. Second, hypoxic and normoxic mice were subjected to an adaptive immune challenge via keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) or to an innate immune challenge via lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The resting metabolic rates of mice in all immune challenge treatments were also measured. Although hypoxia had little effect on the peripheral blood immunophenotype, hypoxic mice challenged with KLH or LPS had enhanced immunological responses in the form of higher antibody titers or increased TNF-α production, respectively. Initially, mice exposed to hypoxia had lower metabolic rates, but this response was transitory and resting metabolic rates were normal by the end of the experiment. There was no effect of either immune challenge on resting metabolic rate, suggesting that mounting either the acute phase response or a humoral response is not as energetically expensive as previously thought. In addition, our results suggest that immune responses to chronic and acute hypoxia are concordant. Both forms of hypoxia appear to stimulate both innate and adaptive immune responses.
Recovering Aerodynamic Side Loads on Rocket Nozzles using Quasi-Static Strain-Gage Measurements

During over-expanded operation of rocket nozzles, which is defined to be when the exit pressure is greater than internal pressure over some part of the nozzle, the nozzle will experience a transverse forcing function due to the pressure differential across the nozzle wall. Over-expansion occurs during the nozzle start-up and shutdown transient, even in high-altitude engines, because most test facilities cannot completely reproduce the near-vacuum pressures at those altitudes. During this transient, the pressure differential moves axially down the nozzle as it becomes pressurized, but this differential is never perfectly symmetric circumferentially. The character of the forcing function is highly complex and defined by a series of restricted and free shock separations. The subject of this paper is the determination of the magnitude of this loading during sub-scale testing via measurement of the structural dynamic response of the nozzle and its support structure. An initial attempt at back-calculating this load using the inverse of the transfer function was performed, but this attempt was shown to be highly susceptible to numerical error. The final method chosen was to use statically calibrated strain data and to filter out the system fundamental frequency such that the measured response yields close to the correct dynamic loading function. This method was shown to capture 93% of the pressure spectral energy using controlled load shaker testing. This method is one of the only practical ways for the inverse determination of the forcing function for non-stationary excitations, and, to the authors' knowledge, has not been described in the literature to date.
Comparative Evaluation of Profiles of Antibodies to Mycobacterial Capsular Polysaccharides in Tuberculosis Patients and Controls Stratified by HIV Status

Despite the complexity of tuberculosis (TB) serology, antibodies (Abs) remain attractive biomarkers for TB. Recent evidence of a mycobacterial capsule that consists mainly of the polysaccharides arabinomannan (AM) and glucan provides new options for serologic targets. For this study, Ab responses to AM and glucan for 47 U.S. TB patients (33 HIV negative [HIV−], 14 HIV positive [HIV+]), 42 healthy controls, and 38 asymptomatic HIV+ controls were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). The results were compared with Ab responses to the mycobacterial glycolipid cell wall antigen lipoarabinomannan (LAM) and to the proteins malate synthase (MS) and MPT51. We found that the main immunoglobulin (Ig) isotype response to polysaccharides was IgG, predominantly of subclass IgG2. IgG responses to AM were significantly higher for HIV− and HIV+ TB cases than for controls (P, <0.0001 and <0.01, respectively); significantly higher for HIV− than for HIV+ TB cases (P, <0.01); and significantly higher in sputum smear-positive than smear-negative patients in both HIV− and HIV+ cases (P, 0.01 and 0.02, respectively). In both TB groups, titers of Ab to glucan were significantly lower than titers of Ab to AM (P, <0.0001). IgG responses to AM and MS or to AM and MPT51 did not correlate with each other in HIV− TB patients, while they correlated significantly in HIV+ TB patients (P, 0.01 and 0.05, respectively). We conclude that Ab responses to AM could contribute to the serodiagnosis of TB, especially for HIV− TB patients. This study also provides new and important insights into the differences in the profiles of Abs to mycobacterial antigens between HIV− and HIV+ TB patients.
Interdependence of NG and electricity infrastructures in Turkey

This paper takes a brief look at economic and security issues pertaining to natural gas and electric power industries in Turkey. Both sectors are at heir early stages of restructuring with similar and diverse characteristics in their processes. The current and future projections of the two industries are analyzed and interdependence issues are addressed.
Commentary: quality and managed care: where is the fit?

Quality in health care is broad, complex, and not eas ily measured. This essay explores the many dimensions of quality in health care and shows that many under standings of it are narrowly configured to the agendas of the respective participants—providers, patients, and institutions-in today's health care arena. Also, there are many aspects of quality that defy measurement in the epidemiological sense. These are seen in the physi cian-patient relationship and in special clinical situa tions, such as the process of dying. Using the idea of quality to buttress ethical and policy decisions, partic ularly by managed care organizations, is often problem atic, given this complexity. It is thus imperative that those so using quality be accountable that their under standing of it be arrived at by responsible means, that it addresses something meaningful, and that it not eclipse the many other dimensions of quality.
Dependence of dielectric and piezoelectric properties on film thickness for highly {100}-oriented lead magnesium niobate–lead titanate (70/30) thin films

Fiber textured {100}-oriented lead magnesium niobate–lead titanate (PMN–PT) (70/30) films with thicknesses between 0.35 and 2.1 mm were prepared using chemical solution processing. The degree of preferred orientation changed little with increasing thickness. However, the measured dielectric constant, remanent polarization, and piezoelectric coefficients (d31) increased with increasing film thickness. The effective d31 coefficients of highly {100}-oriented PMN–PT films on Pt-coated Si substrates were found to range from −16 to −96 pC/N. Ultraviolet illumination during poling resulted in abnormal aging behaviors and lower overall aging rates for the films. The initial nonlinear aging behavior was attributed to the presence of an internal space-charge field that developed from photoinduced charge carriers. As the space-charge field decays over time, the magnitude of d31 increased until 450–500 min after poling, at which time d31 remained either constant or declined slightly. Thus, the changes in d31 were limited to 1–2%/decade 500–600 min after poling.
Drilling of (Al2O3)p/6061 metal matrix composites

Abstract Metal matrix composites have been found to be quite useful in a number of engineering applications including the consumer goods. However, the machining of these materials is tough because of the abrasive characteristics of the reinforced particulates. In this paper drilling studies on Al2O3 aluminum-based metal matrix composites have been conducted by using different drills (high-speed steel, carbide-tipped, and polycrystalline diamond (PCD) drills) to produce holes in 10 and 20 vol.% (Al2O3)p/6061. The drilling forces were recorded using dynamometer. Surface finish was evaluated by a surface profilometer, and tool wear and geometry were inspected using optical and scanning electron microscopes (SEM). The drilling characteristics were evaluated in terms of drilling forces, tool wear, chip formation, and drilled-hole quality. It was found that PCD drills outperformed all other drills in terms of drilled-hole quality and minimum drilling forces induced. Better results achieved with the PCD drills are inline with other similar studies with other processes.
Effects of Artisanal Fishing on Marine Communities in the Galápagos Islands

The Galapagos Islands harbor some of the least impacted marine ecosystems in the tropics, but there are indications that local artisanal fishing is affecting exploited marine communities. To quantify these effects, I sampled communities of fishes and sea urchins at a number of heavily fished and lightly fished sites throughout the central islands of the archipelago. Sites were selected based on information collected as part of a local fisheries monitoring study and standardized across a number of abiotic factors. Abundance and bio­ mass of the primary target species were significantly lower in the heavily fished sites than in the lightly fished sites. Community structure also differed between heavily and lightly fished sites. Cluster analyses of the full community of fishes and a subset of nontarget fishes revealed that sites within a treatment were more similar to one another than sites between treatments. Herbivorous fishes tended to be lower in abundance and sea urchins tended to be higher in abundance in heavily fished sites, but these differences were not significant. My results are encouraging in that the direct effects of artisanal fishing are limited to the primary target spe­ cies, which probably results from a high specificity of fishing gear. The differences in community structure, however, suggest that artisanal fishing also has cascading effects on noncommercial species throughout the community. An improved understanding of important ecological interactions, increased ecological and fish­ ery monitoring, and effective precautionary management are needed to ensure that human effects in these waters remain minimal.