cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A seroepidemiologic study of Chlamydia pneumoniae in Rhode Island. Evidence of serologic cross-reactivity.

Objective Although Chlamydia pneumoniae is considered a common cause of pneumonia worldwide, the evidence is mainly serologic. Therefore, we examined whether the currently used chlamydial microimmunofluorescence (MIF) antibody test is specific for C pneumoniae infection. Design and setting Secondary analysis of data from a cohort study of sarcoidosis among the graduates of ten consecutive apprenticeship classes of firefighters and police officers. Participants One hundred forty-seven young adult men. Measurements Immunoglobulin G and M antibodies to C pneumoniae , 15 serovars of C trachomatis, and 2 strains of C psittaci as measured by MIF. Results Evidence of previous C pneumoniae and C trachomatis infection (IgG ≥1:16 yet C pneumoniae and C trachomatis infection (IgM ≥1:16 or IgG ≥1:512) was present in 19 (13 percent) and 14 (10 percent) subjects, respectively. Chlamydia pneumoniae and C trachomatis IgM titers were highly correlated (r=0.80; 95 percent CI, 0.73 to 0.85) while C pneumoniae and C trachomatis IgG titers were fairly correlated (r=0.44; 95 percent CI, 0.30 to 0.56). Conclusions The C pneumoniae seroprevalence of 86 percent is the highest yet reported. The correlations between C pneumoniae and C trachomatis antibody titers suggest that chlamydial MIF may be less specific than is generally appreciated. Moreover, the observed 13 percent seroprevalence of recent C pneumoniae infection in a healthy working population challenges the serologically based belief that this agent accounts for 6 to 10 percent of community-acquired pneumonia. A more objective, more specific test is needed in the serodiagnosis of C pneumoniae infection.
Stability and bistability of seagrass ecosystems in shallow coastal lagoons: Role of feedbacks with sediment resuspension and light attenuation

[1] Shallow coastal lagoons are environments where a dynamic equilibrium exists between water quality and seagrass cover. Dense seagrass canopies limit the resuspension of bed sediments thereby creating a clearer water column and a positive feedback for seagrass growth. Positive feedbacks are often associated with the existence of bistable dynamics in ecosystems. For example, a bare and a seagrass covered sediment bed could both be stable states of the system. This study describes a one-dimensional hydrodynamic model of vegetation-sediment-water flow interactions and uses it to investigate the strengths of positive feedbacks between seagrass cover, stabilization of bed sediments, turbidity of the water column, and the existence of a favorable light environment for seagrasses. The model is applied to Hog Island Bay, a shallow coastal lagoon on the eastern shore of Virginia. The effects of temperature, eutrophication, and bed grain size on bistability of seagrass ecosystems in the lagoon are explored. The results indicate that under typical conditions, seagrass is stable in water depths < 2.2 m (51% of the bay bottom deep enough for seagrass growth) and bistable conditions exist for depths of 2.2–3.6 m (23% of bay) where the preferred state depends on initial seagrass cover. The remaining 26% of the bay is too deep to sustain seagrass. Decreases in sediment size and increases in water temperature and degree of eutrophication shift the bistable range to shallower depths, with more of the bay bottom unable to sustain seagrass.
Adenosine triphosphate utilization by "young" and "old" red cells.

Abstract “Young” red cells lose adenosine triphosphate more rapidly than “old” cells during incubation in the absence of glucose. Comparable findings with 2,3-diphosphoglycerate suggest that this precursor cannot account for the differential loss of adenosine triphosphate in cells of different ages. Studies with a cardiac glycoside indicate that the difference in adenosine triphosphate loss between young and old cells is ouabain resistant.
Leaf sequencing with secondary beam blocking under leaf positioning constraints for continuously modulated radiotherapy beams

The creation of arbitrary photon fluence patterns for intensity modulated radiotherapy is addressed. The proposed method is intended for a class of multileaf collimators with a requirement for minimum leaf separation. Unlike the solution of Convery and Webb in which discrete beam intensity modulation was assumed, the present method deals with continuous modulation or that consisting of infinitely small bixels. The method begins with the time-optimal solution of Spirou–Stein–Svensson disregarding the minimum gap requirement. Subsequently, the gaps are restored by mobilizing the secondary beam blocking devices to prevent overexposure resulting from the leaf separation process. The secondary beam blocking is provided by means of two orthogonal backup diaphragms that are computer controlled. The results indicate that the method can be used to accurately deliver the desired modulation while satisfying the leaf positioning constraints. Furthermore, an example is presented which illustrates the efficacy of using the horizontal backup diaphragms (moving in perpendicular direction of the leaves) in addition to the vertical backup diaphragms (moving in the parallel direction of the leaves) to generate zero fluence regions.
Primary transitional cell carcinoma of prostate

Primary transitional cell carcinoma of the prostate (TCC-P) is a rare tumor for which definitive therapy remains undefined. To establish a basis for therapy, we analyzed 3 new cases and reviewed the literature. The following points were observed: (1) the true diagnosis is often missed at initial pathologic examination; (2) the tumor has a propensity for extensive local invasion; and (3) it commonly presents with obstructive symptoms in relatively young patients. Treatment recommendations based on our review include: maintenance of a high index of suspicion, especially for fifty to sixty-year-old men with prostate tumors or for suspected prostatic adenocarcinoma that is rapidly progressive and/or unresponsive to hormonal therapy; preoperative pelvic irradiation followed by radical cystoprostatourethrectomy is the treatment of choice in low-stage disease, and combined radiation therapy and chemotherapy should be used for disease beyond the prostate.
Longitudinal study of cerebral spinal fluid drainage in polyethylene glycol—conjugated superoxide dismutase in paraplegia associated with thoracic aortic cross-clamping☆

It has been hoped that pharmacologic prophylaxis in thoracic aortic cross-clamping may avert the unpredictable complication of spinal cord paraplegia, may avoid the mechanical difficulties associated with shunts, partial bypass, or monitoring devices, and may serve as a substitute for or as an adjunct to cerebral spinal fluid drainage. Toward this end 21 mongrel dogs were studied in four groups and underwent 60 minutes of thoracic aortic cross-clamping: group I, five with thoracic aortic cross-clamping; group II, five with thoracic aortic cross-clamping and cerebral spinal fluid drainage; group III, five with thoracic aortic cross-clamping, cerebrospinal fluid drainage and intravenous administration of a single dose (5000 units/kg) of polyethylene glycol-conjugated superoxide dismutase (PEG-SOD) given 15 to 20 minutes before thoracic aortic cross-clamping; and group IV, six with thoracic aortic cross-clamping and PEG-SOD. Paraplegia was graded by the Tarlov method at 24 hours and up to 5 days after thoracic aortic cross-clamping. The carotid and femoral artery pressures, the central venous pressure, and core temperature, taken during the experiment and at the time the dogs were killed, were found to be similar between groups. At 24 hours all dogs in group I were paraplegic; groups II and III had no paraplegic dogs (p less than 0.01), and group IV had fewer paraplegic dogs (two of six) than group I (p less than 0.05). Paraplegia was averted in all dogs treated with cerebral spinal fluid drainage, even 5 days after thoracic aortic cross-clamping.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Relation of sudden death in pure mitral regurgitation, with and without mitral valve prolapse, to repetitive ventricular arrhythmias and right and left ventricular ejection fractions.

Abstract Complex ventricular arrhythmias are common in patients with mitral regurgitation (MR), with and without mitral valve prolapse (MVP], and short-term mortality is high in unoperated patients with MR who have depressed right ventricular (RV) or left ventricular (LV) ejection fractions (EF) at rest. 1,2 Death in these patients may result either from severe hemodynamic failure or from a sudden arrhythmic event, 3 as occurs in other forms of heart disease. 4–6 The hypothesis that arrhythmic death occurs in MR is supported by few previous observations beyond observed mortality in medically treated patients 2,7 and arrhythmia-related postoperative mortality in patients undergoing mitral valve replacement. 8 However, recognition of primary valvular disease among a small subset of survivors of cardiac arrest 9,10 suggests that arrhythmias in MR are not necessarily benign. In addition, sudden death has been associated with MVP 11 and occurs more often in MVP patients with hemodynamically important MR. 12,13 Because MVP is emerging as the most common cause of severe MR, 14 and because arrhythmia complexity in MR appears to be independent of etiology, 1 the present study was undertaken to examine the relation of repetitive ventricular arrhythmias to the likelihood of death and to the mode of death in unoperated patients with MR with or without MVP.
REPLY TO "NOTE"

The criticisms that my experiment did not measure arousal failed to point out that: behavioral operational definitions of arousal were clearly stated, arousal is a concept and not an entity, psycho...
Personal and Institutional Sources of Manuscripts and Book Reviews in the Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 1979-1983

Both personal and institutional sources of authorship of manuscripts and book reviews published in Vols. 1-5 of the Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences (1979-1983) are traced in this article. T...
Lung volume changes, occlusion pressure and chest wall configuration in human infants.

UNLABELLED Measurements of respiration were compared in normal, full term and premature infants before and after application of 5 cm H2O continuous negative pressure (CNEG) around the body below the neck. Mean minute ventilation in the full term infants decreased when CNEG was applied, secondary to a decrease in respiratory rate, with tidal volume relatively unchanged. The premature infants showed no consistent ventilatory response to CNEG. There were variable changes in occlusion pressure at increased lung volume. Observation with rib cage and abdomen anterior-posterior (A-P) magnetometers showed that the increase in end-expiratory lung volume was accounted for largely by expansion of the rib cage so that the configuration of the diaphragm and its mechanical advantage were maintained. These results suggest that the diaphragm is the major determinant of mask occlusion pressure in infants. SPECULATION The effects of increased lung volume on the configuration of the chest wall may relate to the success of continuous distending pressure in the treatment of respiratory disorders in infants, including apnea of prematurity.
Exercise induced augmentation of cellular and humoral autoimmunity associated with increased cardiac dilatation in experimental autoimmune myocarditis

To determine the effects of exercise in experimental autoimmune myocarditis, guinea pigs immunised with heterologous heart protein (rat heart), Freund's complete adjuvant, and pertussis vaccine (treated group) were exercised on a treadmill for a total of 11 weeks and compared with non-exercise treated animals. In vivo heart rates and pressures, in vitro left ventricular pressure-volume relations, myocardial histology, circulating antiheart antibody, and in vitro lymphocyte stimulation were determined. Exercise resulted in increased cardiac dilatation in treated animals as assessed by in vitro left ventricular pressure-volume relations compared with non-exercise treated animals (at 8 mmHg 1.41(0.17) ml.kg-1 vs 1.20(0.17) ml.kg-1 respectively, p less than 0.005). Exercise also resulted in increased concentrations of circulating antiheart antibody as assessed by radioimmunoassay (0.14(0.04) microgram vs 0.10(0.03) microgram respectively, p = 0.01), and increased lymphocyte activation to specific antigen (stimulation index 3.7(0.07) vs 2.4(1.0) respectively, p less than 0.001). Despite the associated augmentation of autoimmunity with cardiac dilatation, there were no differences in the histopathological findings between the exercised treated and the non-exercised treated animals either qualitatively or quantitatively (number of inflammatory cell microaggregates). This finding suggests that, although the immune system is important in experimental autoimmune myocarditis, the amount of inflammation and necrosis does not appear to correlate with the degree of left ventricular dilatation and presumed dysfunction.
A Simple Microassay for Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase by Ion Exchange Thin-Layer Chromatography

Abstract A simple radioisotopic method is described for the determination of glutamic acid decarboxylase in biological materials. It is based on the direct determination of γ-amino-butyric acid produced by the incubation of glutamic acid decarboxylase with the radiolabelled substrate. Separation is achieved by thin-layer chromatography on Dowex 1-acetate coated plastic strips. The assay is linear for GABA production with both time and enzyme concentration. The method was also used to determine the presence of glutamic acid decarboxylase in bovine subretinal intercellular fluid and retina.
Diffractive Elements for 3D Wavefields and the Fractional Talbot Effect

The fractional Talbot effect is investigated as the basis for designing diffractive optics for controlling the structure of 3D wavefields. We discuss the potential use of these components for fabrication of 3D diffractive elements.
( n , p ) Reaction for Gold

The paper reports an experimental study of the process ${\mathrm{Au}}^{197}(n, p){\mathrm{Pt}}^{197}$ induced by 14-Mev neutrons, detecting protons in the angular range 10\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} to 45\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} with emulsions. Resolution is not adequate for the identification of single excited states, but the energy spectrum does display definite structure and five groups are distinguished, chiefly on the basis of gross differences in their angular distributions. The energy widths of these groups are smaller than expected in view of the target thickness. Positions of angular distribution peaks are utilized for the assignment of angular momentum changes. The corresponding excitations in ${\mathrm{Pt}}^{197}$, with "final angular momentum" parameters and total cross sections, are: 0.2 Mev, 2, 8.6 mb; 1.6 Mev, 0 (or 4), 2.2 mb; 2.9 Mev, 5, 2.0 mb; 4.4 Mev, 6, 5.2 mb; 6.0 Mev, 4 (or 0), 2.5 mb. The sum of these cross sections (20.5 mb) is the experimental value for the reaction cross section, since the ground state transition was probably not observed (cross section estimated not over 0.6 mb) and no significant yield of protons was observed corresponding to Pt excitation between the highest listed and the maximum (13 Mev) represented in the spectrum. All cross sections are subject to about 40% uncertainty in neutron flux, but statistical uncertainties are of order 20% or less. Maximum differential cross sections for the groups, and their locations in the angular distributions, are tabulated.
Geotaxis in 2-week-old Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus): A reevaluation.

In 1926, Crozier and Pincus first reported that 2-week-old rats placed head-down on an inclined plane orient in a head-up direction; this response is called negative geotaxis. In Experiment 1, we replicated this finding by testing 12- to 14-day-old rats on an inclined plane covered with wire mesh. Pups oriented in a head-up direction and avoided the head-down direction at inclines of 45 degrees but not 30 degrees. Because pups in Experiment 1 appeared to grasp the wire mesh with their claws, pups in Experiment 2 were now tested on a smooth but high-friction substrate. At inclines of 30 degrees, 35 degrees, and 40 degrees, pups did not exhibit significant tendencies to orient in a head-up direction or avoid a head-down direction. Finally, in Experiment 3, the effect of substrate on geotaxis was tested further by comparing pups' behaviors at 40 degrees with the inclined plane covered with either wire mesh or the high-friction substrate. Pups' orientation behaviors differed on the two substrates. Taken together, these data suggest that testing substrate affects the orientation behaviors of young rats and raise questions about the plausibility of applying the concept of geotaxis to young mammals, at least when tested on an inclined plane.
Enzymes of the Tryptophan Synthetic Pathway in Pseudomonas putida

The first four enzymatic activities of the tryptophan synthetic pathway in Pseudomonas putida were found on separate molecules. Gel filtration and density gradient centrifugation experiments did not disclose any associations or aggregations among them. These findings contrast with the situation found in the enteric bacteria, where the first two activities are found in an aggregate and the third and fourth are catalyzed by a single enzyme. Tryptophan synthetase, the last enzyme of the pathway, consists of two dissociable components. The affinity of these components is less in P. putida than is the case in Escherichia coli.
STAT5 Activation by BCR-Abl Contributes to Transformation of K562 Leukemia Cells

Signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs) belong to a family of transcription factors that were originally identified as mediators of cytokine-induced gene expression. Recent evidence, however, has shown that certain members of the STAT family, including STAT3, are also involved in cellular transformation. Here we show that STAT5 also plays a role in cellular transformation by the BCR-Abl oncogene. In BCR-Abl transformed K562 cells, STAT5A and 5B are constitutively phosphorylated on tyrosine and are transcriptionally active. Moreover, expression of a dominant negative form of STAT5 shows that active STAT5 is necessary for the growth in soft agar of these cells. These results show that besides STAT3, STAT5 can also be involved in cellular transformation.
Quantification of endogenous retinoic acid in limited biological samples by LC/MS/MS

We report a sensitive LC (liquid chromatography)/MS/MS assay using selected reaction monitoring to quantify RA (retinoic acid), which is applicable to biological samples of limited size (10-20 mg of tissue wet weight), requires no sample derivatization, provides mass identification and resolves atRA (all-trans-RA) from its geometric isomers. The assay quantifies over a linear range of 20 fmol to 10 pmol, and has a 10 fmol limit of detection at a signal/noise ratio of 3. Coefficients of variation are: instrumental, 0.5-2.9%; intra-assay, 5.4+/-0.4%; inter-assay 8.9+/-1.0%. An internal standard (all-trans-4,4-dimethyl-RA) improves accuracy by confirming extraction efficiency and revealing handling-induced isomerization. Tissues of 2-4-month-old C57BL/6 male mice had atRA concentrations of 7-9.6 pmol/g and serum atRA of 1.9+/-0.6 pmol/ml (+/-S.E.M.). Tissue 13-cis-RA ranged from 2.9 to 4.2 pmol/g, and serum 13-cis-RA was 1.2+/-0.3 pmol/ml. CRBP (cellular retinol-binding protein)-null mouse liver had atRA approximately 30% lower than wild-type (P<0.05), but kidney, testis, brain and serum atRA were similar to wild-type. atRA in brain areas of 12-month-old female C57BL/6 mice were (+/-S.E.M.): whole brain, 5.4+/-0.4 pmol/g; cerebellum, 10.7+/-0.3 pmol/g; cortex, 2.6+/-0.4 pmol/g; hippocampus, 8.4+/-1.2 pmol/g; striatum, 15.3+/-4.7 pmol/g. These data provide the first analytically robust quantification of atRA in animal brain and in CRBP-null mice. Direct measurements of endogenous RA should have a substantial impact on investigating target tissues of RA, mechanisms of RA action, and the relationship between RA and chronic disease.
Naturally occurring secondary nutritional hyperparathyroidism in cattle egrets (Bubulcus ibis) from central Texas.

Naturally occurring secondary nutritional hyperparathyroidism is described in the nestlings of two colonies of cattle egrets (Bubulcus ibis) from Central Texas (Bryan and San Antonio, Texas, USA). Nestlings from a third colony (Waco, Texas, USA) were collected in a subsequent year for comparison. Birds from the first two colonies consistently had severe osteo- penia and associated curving deformities and folding fractures of their long bones. These birds also had reduced bone ash, increased osteoclasia, a marked decrease in osteoblast activity, variable lengthening and shortening of the hypertrophic zone of the epiphyseal cartilage, decreased and disorganized formation of new bone, and a marked hypertrophy and hyperplasia of the parathy- roid glands as compared to birds collected from the third colony. Fibrous osteodystrophy was found in all of the birds from San Antonio and Bryan. Evidence of moderate to severe calcium deficiency was also identified in 33% of the cattle egrets collected from Waco. Gut contents of affected chicks contained predominately grasshoppers and crickets; vertebrate prey items were absent from the Bryan birds. Grasshoppers and crickets collected from fields frequented by the adult egrets in 1994 had 0.12-0.28% calcium and 0.76-0.81% phosphorus. Pooled grasshoppers and crickets collected during a subsequent wet early spring averaged 0.24% calcium and 0.65% phosphorus. Although the phosphorus content of the insect prey was adequate for growth, cal- cium was approximately one-third the minimum calcium requirement needed for growth for other species of birds. It was postulated that cattle egrets breeding in Central Texas have expanded their range into habitat that contains less vertebrate prey, and as a result, many nestling egrets are being fed diets that contain suboptimal calcium. Therefore, in years where vertebrate prey is scarce and forage for insect prey is reduced in calcium, nestling egrets are at risk for developing secondary nutritional hyperparathyroidism.
Trial Registration for Public Trust: Making the Case for Medical Devices

Recently, several pharmaceutical companies have been shown to have withheld negative clinical trial results from the public. These incidents have resulted in a concerted global effort to register all trials at inception, so that all subsequent results can be tracked regardless of whether they are positive or negative. These trial registration policies have been driven in large part by concern about the pharmaceutical sector. The medical device industry is much smaller, and different from the pharmaceutical industry in some fundamental ways. This paper examines the issues surrounding registration of device trials and argues that these differences with pharmaceutical should not exempt device trials from registration.
MODELING REGIONAL MOBILE SOURCE EMISSIONS IN A GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM FRAMEWORK

Suburban sprawl, population growth, and automobile dependency contribute directly to air pollution problems in US metropolitan areas. As metropolitan regions attempt to mitigate these problems, they are faced with the difficult task of balancing the mobility needs of a growing population and economy, while simultaneously lowering or maintaining levels of ambient pollutants. Although ambient air quality can be directly monitored, predicting the amount and fraction of the mobile source components presents special challenges. A modeling framework that can correlate spatial and temporal emission-specific vehicle activities is required for the complex photochemical models used to predict pollutant concentrations. This paper discusses the GIS-based modeling approach called the Mobile Emission Assessment System for Urban and Regional Evaluation (MEASURE). MEASURE provides researchers and planners with a means of assessing motor vehicle emission reduction strategies. Estimates of spatially resolved fleet composition and activity are combined with activity-specific emission rates to predict engine start and running exhaust emissions. Engine start emissions are estimated using aggregate zonal information. Running exhaust emissions are predicted using road segment specific information and aggregate zonal information. The paper discusses the benefits and challenges related to mobile source emissions modeling in a GIS framework and identifies future GIS mobile emissions modeling research needs.
Selection and Breeding for Extreme Genotypes

In general, tree breeders have not aggressively utilized all of the genetic variation available to them in forest tree populations. This reluctance has been due, in part, to technical limitations such as long generation intervals, strong inbreeding depression, lack of precise estimates of nonadditive variance, and difficulty in vegetative propagation. Research results over the last few decades present tree breeders with knowledge and techniques which together enable them to use more complex improvement plans to exploit the total genetic variation which is available.
Embedded Digital Signal Processing for Radar Applications

In the last ten years, there has been significant emphasis on advancing sensor systems with active electronically scanned antennas (AESAs). The recent advances in computing technologies make it affordable to exploit the flexibility of AESAs using very high performance embedded computers for signal and image processing. This tutorial presents an overview of applications demanding real-time embedded computing, an introduction to hardware and software implementation techniques, recent advances in hardware and software standards to achieve rapid technology insertion, and a look into observed embedded computing trends.
The Spectrum and Spatial Distribution of Cyanogen in Comet Hale-Bopp (C/1995 O1) at Large Heliocentric Distance

Optical spectra of comet Hale-Bopp (C/1995 O1) at a heliocentric distance of 6.45 astronomical units showed emission from cyanogen gas. The spatial distribution of cyanogen was considerably more diffuse and extended compared to the spatial profile of the dust or grains which were sharply peaked near the center. This behavior is consistent with comets at smaller heliocentric distances suggesting the same or a similar formation mechanism. A cyanogen gas production rate of (1.2 ± 0.3) ×1026 molecules per second was derived. A model band profile derived from fluorescence equilibrium calculations for the comet9s heliocentric velocity and distance agrees with the observed band profile.
SUPPORT INTERFERENCE EFFECTS ON THE SUPERSONIC WAKE

Support-wire wake interference studies show that side mounts or wires to support models lead to incorrect base flow conditions
The Isuzu Piazza

The Isuzu Piazza is a passenger car which has been built based on the final production specifications evolved from a prototype vehicle exhibited at the International Geneva Motor Show held in the spring of 1979. Development aims are as follows: (1) High quality and performance, (2) Long life car with new future oriented styling and engineering, (3) Speciality car with spacious interior, and (4) The shortest possible development time.
Respiratory Tract Burdens of Cobalt from Inhalation of Soluble Aerosols: Simulation by a Two-Compartment Model

AbstractCobalt (Co) is a toxic and carcinogenic metal emitted into the atmosphere by the combustion of fossil fuels and by industrial processes. To estimate the human lung and body burdens resulting from inhalation of cobalt aerosols, Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to CoCI2, aerosol concentrations for 2 h in a head only apparatus either as a single exposure or daily as a repeated exposure for 7 d. Co aerosols (0.80–0.93 MMAD, Δg 1.32–1.41) were deposited in the nasopharyngeal region (NP) and lung with measured efficiencies of 2.3% and 5.4%. Kinetics of NP Co removal were first-order, with estimated clearance rate of 0.4 h−1 or a t1/2 of 1.8 h. Lung deposition efficiencies were greater by about 20% when corrected for removal occurring during deposition. Lung Co removal decreased over time, consistent with a two-compartment model. A new method of computer modeling is presented solving for the parameters of the model that can be used with organs aside from the lung. A single set of parameters could be used...
Bonneville's least cost planning

The Bonneville Power Administration has been following least cost utility planning principles since the passage of the 1980 Pacific Northwest Electric Power and Conservation Planning Act (Regional Power Act). The author describes the background and current resource planning environment for the Pacific Northwest, the analytical tools used to pursue the power planning objectives, and the direction which current policy decisions are headed, using Bonneville's 1987 resource strategy process as the example. >
Social Trauma and Distortions of Phantasy Formations

This article proposes a model for analyzing transformations of phantasy formations triggered by radical social change. Phantasy has been rarely addressed by scholars studying radical social change, yet it is a key social element that functions as the “glue” that keeps a community together. Trauma associated with radical social change, such as revolution, market collapse, radical economic reform, genocide, or acts of terrorism, has the potential to radically transform phantasy formations. This is the case because trauma is a sudden opening between registers that were once discrete, the opening of which facilitates unforeseen connections. After discussing radical social change as a traumatic event, and three key elements of phantasy, that is, discourse, topography of commonplaces, and structure of phantasy, this article proposes four ways in which trauma can be dealt with in phantasy formations. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Superconductors for Pulsed RF Accelerators

The choice of superconducting materials for accelerator RF cavities has been determined in the past only in part by basic properties of the superconductors, such as the critical field, and to a larger extent by criteria which include fabrication processes, surface conditions, heat transfer capabilities and so on. For CW operated cavities the trend has been toward choosing materials with higher critical temperatures and lower surface resistance, from Lead to Niobium, from Niobium to Nb/sub 3/Sn. This trend has been dictated by the specific needs of storage ring CW system and by the relatively low fields which could be reached without breakdown. The work performed at SLAC on superconducting cavities using microsecond long high power RF pulses has shown that in Pb, Nb, and Nb/sub 3/Sn fields close to the critical magnetic fields can be reached without magnetic breakdown. The major results of the tests on the three technical superconductors are illustrated. From these measurements comes the demonstration that for sufficiently short pulses there is no specifically predetermined critical field, and it is possible to exceed, depending on the material, even the superheated critical field.
Regulation of insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1 signaling by proteasome-mediated degradation of insulin receptor substrate-2.

Insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) regulate metabolism and body growth through homologous receptor tyrosine kinases that phosphorylate the insulin receptor substrate (IRS) proteins. IRS-2 is an important IRS protein, as it mediates peripheral insulin action and β-cell survival. In this study, we show that insulin, IGF-1, or osmotic stress promoted ubiquitin/proteasome-mediated degradation of IRS-2 in 3T3-L1 cells, Fao hepatoma, cells and mouse embryo fibroblasts; however, insulin/IGF-1 did not promote degradation of IRS-1 in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes or mouse embryo fibroblasts. MG132 or lactacystin, specific inhibitors of 26S proteasome, blocked insulin/IGF-1-induced degradation of IRS-2 and enhanced the detection of ubiquitinated IRS-2. Insulin/IGF1-induced ubiquitination and degradation of IRS-2 was blocked by inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (wortmannin or LY294002) or mTOR (rapamycin). Chronic insulin or IGF-1 treatment of IRS-1-deficient mouse embryo fibroblasts inhibited IRS-2-mediated activation of Akt and ERK1/2, which was reversed by lactacystin pretreatment. By contrast, IRS-1 activation of Akt and ERK1/2 was not inhibited by chronic insulin/IGF-1 stimulation in IRS-2-deficient mouse embryo fibroblasts. Thus, we identified a novel negative feedback mechanism by which the ubiquitin/proteasome-mediated degradation of IRS-2 limits the magnitude and duration of the response to insulin or IGF-1.
Trail: a track-based logging disk architecture for zero-overhead writes

A novel disk architecture called Trail is proposed to optimize the disk write latency without sacrificing the disk read performance. This architecture features a track-based logging technique, which essentially reduces a disk write latency to the transfer delay. In addition, this disk architecture allows concurrent read/write, and implicit write scheduling without compromising data integrity. Through a synthetic-trace simulation study, we have shown that for transaction processing workloads, the write latency improvement of Trail over conventional disk devices is at least an order of magnitude. Trail's read latency performance is also better in all cases, sometimes the improvement is also over an order of magnitude. In terms of disk bandwidth utilization, the Trail architecture has a close to 100% write bandwidth efficiency and a read bandwidth efficiency at least as good as a conventional disk. >
Comparing the influence of native and invasive intraguild predators on a rare native oyster

Abstract Invasive species can cause complex, unpredictable changes in community dynamics because they do not share an evolutionary history with native species, meaning interactions could be much stronger or weaker than expected. A field experiment tested hypotheses generated from previous laboratory experiments about interactions in an invaded tri-trophic intertidal food chain that is also characterized by asymmetric intra-guild predation. Cages controlled access of a top predator (native cancrid crabs) and an intermediate (or intraguild) prey (invasive oyster drills, Ocenebra inornata) to a resource (native oysters, Ostrea lurida) in order to explore the separate and combined effects of these predators on a native ecosystem engineer of conservation concern. Though crabs were predicted to have a strong negative effect on oysters via direct predation, the presence of oyster drills had the strongest impact on oyster survival. Drills consumed up to 80% of oysters in experimental cages per month and accounted for an average of 70% of total mortality when they were present. Contrary to the hypothesis, crabs almost never attacked oysters directly, and consumed drills primarily during only one out of four months. Crabs also did not appear to reduce individual drill feeding rates (i.e. an intimidation effect) or initiate a strong indirect positive effect on oyster survival. This experiment demonstrates that the role of the invasive predator in IGP as well as the strength of the interaction between the native and invasive species combine to influence the dynamics of the system. In addition, these observations underscore the importance of considering non-native predators as obstacles to the recovery of threatened species, as well the value of experimentally identifying, in situ, which of the possible interactions in an invaded food web are ecologically important.
Perceptual and Acoustical Analysis of Alaryngeal Speech: Determinants of Intelligibility

The speech productions of 8 male alaryngeal speakers were used to identify four perceptual measures and five durational measures which were significant for identifying intelligibility of alaryngeal speech. The acoustic variable of duration was a key factor in relating perceptual and acoustic measures.
Fibrinolysis. II. Absence of antibodies to streptokinase following injection of purified human plasmin in rabbits.

ConclusionsThe results with the agar precipitation technic indicated the existence of multiple antigenic constituents of human plasmin, possibly due to contamination by other components of plasma. Our preparations of human plasmin. however, either contained no streptokinase or amounts of this agent insufficient to induce an antigenic response. Streptokinase represents a possible contaminant or constituent of plasmin. Thus, at least in our experimental condition, negative results are important as they eliminate one possible source of iso-antigenicity of human plasmin.Summary. Agar precipitation technic detected no antibodies against purified streptokinase in rabbits immunized with streptokinase-activated, purified human plasmin.
What’s Wrong with Militant Democracy?

This article proposes a critique of “militant democracy,” defined as the legal restriction of democratic freedoms for the purpose of insulating democratic regimes from the threat of being overthrow...
That Sums It Up

This case discusses the additive nature of the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) for volatile anesthetics.
Myoepithelial cells in lobular carcinoma in situ: distribution and immunophenotype

Myoepithelial cells have important physical and paracrine roles in breast tissue development, maintenance, and tumor suppression. Recent molecular and immunohistochemical studies have demonstrated phenotypic alterations in ductal carcinoma in situ-associated myoepithelial cells. Although the relationship of lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) and myoepithelial cells was described in 1980, further characterization of LCIS-associated myoepithelial cells is lacking. We stained 27 breast specimens harboring abundant LCIS with antibodies to smooth muscle myosin heavy chain, smooth muscle actin, and calponin. Dual stains for E-cadherin/smooth muscle myosin heavy chain and CK7/p63 were also performed. In each case, the intensity and distribution of staining in LCIS-associated myoepithelial cells were compared with normal breast tissue on the same slide. In 78% of the cases, LCIS-associated myoepithelial cells demonstrated decreased staining intensity for one or more myoepithelial markers. The normal localization of myoepithelial cells (flat against the basement membrane, pattern N) was seen in 96% of LCIS, yet 85% of cases had areas with myoepithelial cell cytoplasm oriented perpendicular to the basement membrane (pattern P), and in 30% of cases, myoepithelial cells appeared focally admixed with LCIS cells (pattern C). This study characterizes detailed architectural and immunophenotypic alterations of LCIS-associated myoepithelial cells. The finding of variably diminished staining favors application of several myoepithelial immunostains in clinical practice. The interaction of LCIS with myoepithelial cells, especially in light of the perpendicular and central architectural arrangements, deserves further mechanistic investigation.
Towards Cloud-Based Crowd-Augmented Spectrum Mapping for Dynamic Spectrum Access

Recently, large-scale spectrum measurements show that geo-location spectrum databases, as recommended by regulators (e.g., FCC, Ofcom, ECC) for TV white space (TVWS) discovery are notoriously inaccurate in Metropolitan areas because of inaccurate TV channel propagation models they adopted. To counter this challenge, we propose a cloud-based crowd-augmented spectrum mapping scheme. Our scheme aims to build accurate geo-location database in Metropolitan areas with high spatial resolution under minimum cost by jointly utilizing superior computing capacity of cloud servers, abundant spectrum sensing data from crowd of mobile white-spaces device (WSD) users and the well-established geo-statistical techniques. More specifically, our spectrum mapping scheme consists of three interdependent components (1) opportunistic mobile spectrum sensing, which exploits the high spatial diversity of mobile users along with low-cost embedded spectrum measuring solution to retrieve power spectrum density (PSD) information of the TV channels in a large Metropolitan region; (2) cloud-based geo-statistical spectrum mapping, which estimates PSD at unknown geographic locations by utilizing the abundant PSD data aggregated at the cloud server consisting of geo-statistical analysis and interpolation tools; (3) optimal spatial sampling, which further augments the accuracy of the spectrum map by selecting the optimal locations, at which additional spectrum sensing measurements are obtained to minimize the spectrum mapping error. To verify the performance of the proposed scheme, an experiment is conducted in our university campus. The experiment result shows that our proposed scheme can discover more spectrum opportunities than the information reported by commercially available geo-location spectrum databases.
Oxidation of hydrogen on oxidized platinum: Part I: The tunneling current

Abstract The hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) on bare and oxidized platinum in alkaline solution was studied at temperatures from 22 °C to 220 °C. It is found that the oxide film formed on platinum has a profound impact on the HOR rate, with the oxidation current decreasing exponentially with increasing overpotential. This inverse Tafel relationship can be explained by combining quantum mechanical tunneling theory with the point defect model (PDM) for film growth and dissolution. The tunneling constant, which is determined by the potential barrier height across the film/solution interface, is found to be temperature independent, if the anodizing constant is assumed to be invariant with temperature, and to be independent of pH and H 2 concentration within the ranges of these independent variables studied. A barrier height of 0.31 eV is obtained from the derived tunneling constant. Based on the combined film growth-quantum mechanical tunneling theory, the HOR is employed as an in situ probe for characterizing the thin oxide film that forms on platinum in alkaline solution as a function of temperature. The calculated film thickness increases linearly with overpotential until the hydrogen oxidation current is too small to be differentiated from the total measured current, which comprises the passive current and the capacitive charging current when measured under potentiodynamic conditions. Compared with conventional techniques, this method has the advantage of being sensitive, convenient, and of an in situ character, although, at the current stage of development, it is limited to a maximum film thickness of 1–2 nm.
Temperature-dependent dielectric function of nickel

Abstract Confirming historical results by Ornstein and Koefoed (1938), the authors found an anomaly in the optical constants at 1.96 eV for bulk nickel near the Curie temperature through careful high-precision spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements from 80 to 800 K. The anomaly is only seen in sweeps with increasing temperature if the sample carries a net magnetization. In decreasing temperature sweeps or for unmagnetized samples, the anomaly is absent. The sign of the anomaly in the optical conductivity at 1.96 eV is in contrast to the sign of the anomaly in the electrical DC conductivity. The anomaly is rather large and therefore explained with changes in the on-diagonal Drude–Lorentz portion of the dielectric tensor. No sign of anisotropy (polar magneto-optical Kerr effect) is found in the data.
Investigation of population structure in Gulf of Mexico Seepiophila jonesi (Polychaeta, Siboglinidae) using cross-amplified microsatellite loci.

BACKGROUND Vestimentiferan tubeworms are some of the most recognizable fauna found at deep-sea cold seeps, isolated environments where hydrocarbon rich fluids fuel biological communities. Several studies have investigated tubeworm population structure; however, much is still unknown about larval dispersal patterns at Gulf of Mexico (GoM) seeps. As such, researchers have applied microsatellite markers as a measure for documenting the transport of vestimentiferan individuals. In the present study, we investigate the utility of microsatellites to be cross-amplified within the escarpiid clade of seep vestimentiferans, by determining if loci originally developed for Escarpia spp. could be amplified in the GoM seep tubeworm, Seepiophila jonesi. Additionally, we determine if cross-amplified loci can reliably uncover the same signatures of high gene flow seen in a previous investigation of S. jonesi. METHODS Seventy-seven S. jonesi individuals were collected from eight seep sites across the upper Louisiana slope (<1,000 m) in the GoM. Forty-eight microsatellite loci that were originally developed for Escarpia laminata (18 loci) and Escarpia southwardae (30 loci) were tested to determine if they were homologous and polymorphic in S. jonesi. Loci found to be both polymorphic and of high quality were used to test for significant population structuring in S. jonesi. RESULTS Microsatellite pre-screening identified 13 (27%) of the Escarpia loci were homologous and polymorphic in S. jonesi, revealing that microsatellites can be amplified within the escarpiid clade of vestimentiferans. Our findings uncovered low levels of heterozygosity and a lack of genetic differentiation amongst S. jonesi from various sites and regions, in line with previous investigations that employed species-specific polymorphic loci on S. jonesi individuals retrieved from both the same and different seep sites. The lack of genetic structure identified from these populations supports the presence of significant gene flow via larval dispersal in mixed oceanic currents. DISCUSSION The ability to develop "universal" microsatellites reduces the costs associated with these analyses and allows researchers to track and investigate a wider array of taxa, which is particularly useful for organisms living at inaccessible locations such as the deep sea. Our study highlights that non-species specific microsatellites can be amplified across large evolutionary distances and still yield similar findings as species-specific loci. Further, these results show that S. jonesi collected from various localities in the GoM represents a single panmictic population, suggesting that dispersal of lecithotrophic larvae by deep sea currents is sufficient to homogenize populations. These data are consistent with the high levels of gene flow seen in Escarpia spp., which advocates that differences in microhabitats of seep localities lead to variation in biogeography of separate species.
The importance of climate change and nitrogen use efficiency for future nitrous oxide emissions from agriculture

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is an important greenhouse gas and ozone depleting substance. Previous projections of agricultural N2O(the dominant anthropogenic source) show emissions changing in tandem, or at a faster rate than changes in nitrogen (N) consumption. However, recent studies suggest that the carbon dioxide (CO2) fertilization effect may increase plant N uptake, which could decrease soil N losses and dampen increases in N2O. To evaluate this hypothesis at a global scale, we use a process-based land model with a coupled carbon-nitrogen cycle to examine how changes in climatic factors, land-use, and N application rates could affect agricultural N2O emissions by 2050. Assuming little improvement in N use efficiency (NUE), the model projects a 24%–31% increase in global agricultural N2O emissions by 2040–2050 depending on the climate scenario—a relatively moderate increase compared to the projected increases in N inputs (42%–44%) and previously published emissions projections (38%–75%). This occurs largely because the CO2 fertilization effect enhances plant N uptake in several regions, which subsequently dampens N2O emissions. And yet, improvements in NUE could still deliver important environmental benefits by 2050: equivalent to 10 Pg CO2 equivalent and 0.6 Tg ozone depletion potential.