cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spin Diffusion Editing for Structural Fingerprints of Therapeutic Antibodies.

The growing importance of biologics and biosimilars as therapeutic and diagnostic agents is giving rise to new demands for analytical methodology that can quickly and accurately assess the chemical and physical state of protein-based products. A particular challenge exists in physical characterization where the proper fold and extent of disorder of a protein is a major concern. The ability of NMR to reflect structural and dynamic properties of proteins is well recognized, but sensitivity limitations and high levels of interference from excipients in typical biologic formulations have prevented widespread applications to quality assessment. Here we demonstrate applicability of a simple one-dimensional proton NMR method that exploits enhanced spin diffusion among protons in well-structured areas of a protein. We show that it is possible to reduce excipient signals and allow focus on structural characteristics of the protein. Additional decomposition of the resulting spectra based on rotating frame spin rela...
Inhomogeneous Copper Diffusion in NIF Beryllium Ablator Capsules

The National Ignition Facility point design uses a five-layer capsule to modify the X-ray absorption in order to achieve optimized shock timing. A stepwise copper dopant design defines the layer st...
Issues in constant tracer infusion and mineral metabolism.

Determining metabolic kinetics may, at first, seem to require considerable work without yielding anything more than a better understanding of some fundamentals. This paper argues that such measurements are virtually the sine qua non of understanding many otherwise perplexing clinical situations. For example, if a pregnant woman is hypocalciuric, and at risk for pre-eclampsia, is the hypocalciuria a consequence of kidney failure, a failure to absorb sufficient dietary calcium or something entirely unsuspected? If an individual is hypercortisolenemic, is that a consequence of a decreased clearance rate or of an increased production of endogenous cortisol? Such questions can be answered only through studies of the dynamics of the systems and by the measurement of rate processes for absorption, production, etc.
Splicing of designer exons informs a biophysical model for exon definition.

Pre-mRNA molecules in humans contain mostly short internal exons flanked by longer introns. To explain the removal of such introns, exon recognition instead of intron recognition has been proposed. We studied this exon definition using designer exons (DEs) made up of three prototype modules of our own design: an exonic splicing enhancer (ESE), an exonic splicing silencer (ESS), and a Reference Sequence (R) predicted to be neither. Each DE was examined as the central exon in a three-exon minigene. DEs made of R modules showed a sharp size dependence, with exons shorter than 14 nt and longer than 174 nt splicing poorly. Changing the strengths of the splice sites improved longer exon splicing but worsened shorter exon splicing, effectively displacing the curve to the right. For the ESE we found, unexpectedly, that its enhancement efficiency was independent of its position within the exon. For the ESS we found a step-wise positional increase in its effects; it was most effective at the 3′ end of the exon. To apply these results quantitatively, we developed a biophysical model for exon definition of internal exons undergoing cotranscriptional splicing. This model features commitment to inclusion before the downstream exon is synthesized and competition between skipping and inclusion fates afterward. Collision of both exon ends to form an exon definition complex was incorporated to account for the effect of size; ESE/ESS effects were modeled on the basis of stabilization/destabilization. This model accurately predicted the outcome of independent experiments on more complex DEs that combined ESEs and ESSs.
Value-Based Improvement Prioritization Using Process Relative Worth Analysis

A kaizen event is used to eliminate wastes in a task, typically through the application of lean tools. However, there exist no methods to insure that the most effective process improvements are done first. Given limited resources, the improvement of which of the tasks within a process would deliver the maximum benefit (maximum value added)? The value-based improvement prioritization tool addresses this question, using value stream mapping and an adapted application relative worth analysis (process relative worth analysis) as a basis to help generate a prioritization scheme for deciding what type of improvement action is to be taken for which tasks. To adapt relative worth analysis for use in manufacturing, the parameters of cost, quality, and delivery are used as measures of customer value. The result is metrics for percent relative cost and worth for each of the three parameters as well as for a singular combination of the three parameters, process net value. It is important that all of these measures rely on information available within a value stream map. Through an example application, the well known ACME stamping example from Rother and Shook’s Learning to See, we clarify the application of the tool to a manufacturing process. The result is a description of which tasks in the process are most in need of improvement and what the focus of that improvement should be. The user of the value-based improvement tool can prioritize each process task with respect to the three parameters to see which tasks are in need of improvement. Not only does the process relative worth analysis yield task priorities, but it also indicates which parameter to improve it upon and whether the task improvement should be focused on reducing cost or increasing worth.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
STARCH BLOCK ELECTROPHORESIS OF PLASMA AND SERUM CLOTTING FACTORS. SEPARATION OF ACTIVATED PTC (PTC).

1. Plasma clotting factors separate into two groups on starch block electrophoresis. The contact activation factors—Hageman factor, PTA, and activated PTA—remain around the origin, whereas the vitamin K-dependent factors— prothrombin, proconvertin, Stuart factor, and PTC—migrate between the α-globulins and albumin. AHG, proaccelerin, and thrombin are not recovered. 2. The electrophoretic pattern of serum differs from that of plasma mainly in the absence of prothrombin and in the presence of activated PTC (PTC’). 3. The electrophoretic mobility of PTC’ is found to differ from that of native PTC. This difference may be exploited to separate PTC’ from its native form and from Stuart factor.
Continent cutaneous diversion.

Purpose of reviewThis article updates the recently reported intermediate to long-term results with the most commonly used forms of continent cutaneous urinary diversion, and to discuss approaches to early and late complications.Recent findingsMany variations on construction of a continent cutaneous
Active Sites and their Chemical Properties

This chapter reviews the basic features of enzymes and their active sites, including the forces governing protein structure and substrate, cofactor, and inhibitor binding. An account of the functional groups supplied by enzymes, those provided by coenzymes and those generated through posttranslational rearrangement of active-site residues, are also included. The reaction mechanisms of organic chemistry as well as phosphate ester and anhydride chemistry, in addition to the roles of metal ions therein, are then considered in the context of enzyme catalysis. Metal ions and oxidation–reduction reactions are also discussed, as so many enzymes employ these. An enzyme active site may be operationally defined as the region that binds the substrate(s), mediates catalysis, and releases the product(s). Active sites need not be limited to a single polypeptide chain and are frequently found at subunit–subunit interfaces. Enzyme catalysis obeys the same chemical principles that govern solution-phase organic and inorganic reactions, except that enzymes are generally far more efficient. Enzyme mechanisms involve displacement or substitution reactions, addition/elimination reactions, radical reactions, and/or redox reactions, the latter requiring redox coenzymes or redox-active metals. Enzyme catalysis also obeys the very same chemical principles that govern solution-phase organic and inorganic reactions, except that enzymes are generally far more efficient. Therefore, to comprehend enzyme catalysis, one must understand the principles of organic and inorganic chemistry as well as the approaches used to discriminate among rival reaction mechanisms.
Type directed compilation of row-typed algebraic effects

Algebraic effect handlers, introduced by Plotkin and Power in 2002, are recently gaining in popularity as a purely functional approach to modeling effects. In this article, we give a full overview of practical algebraic effects in the context of a compiled implementation in the Koka language. In particular, we show how algebraic effects generalize over common constructs like exception handling, state, iterators and async-await. We give an effective type inference algorithm based on extensible effect rows using scoped labels, and a direct operational semantics. Finally, we show an efficient compilation scheme to common runtime platforms (like JavaScript) using a type directed selective CPS translation.
Schemas, Frames, and Scripts in Cognitive Psychology

From the time of Kant's writings in the eighteenth century, the term ‘schema’ has been used to refer to the background knowledge that we employ to make sense of our experiences. In the 1970s, cognitive psychologists and researchers in artificial intelligence gave the notion of schema empirical content by providing testable theories of how world knowledge is used to make our comprehension of texts and events coherent. These research efforts yielded two influential constructs related to the general notion of a schema: scripts, which are generic schemata of social events, and frames, schemata that contain default values representing the assumptions used to process a stimulus. Research on the use of elaborative inferences based on scripts and frames has suggested that people are often more cautious in their elaborations than traditional schema-theoretic views would predict. However, more recent conceptions of schemata take a schema-assembly view. From this view, a schema is a set of concepts that are coactivated flexibly, depending on the context. The schema assembly view is thus better able to account for the balance of data-driven processing (based purely on stimulus content) and conceptually driven processing (guided by expectations from background knowledge).
Paroxysmal dysphasia in a 68 year-old man: Enhancing the MRI spectrum!

Abstract Brain tumor-related epilepsy is a common complication of primary and metastatic brain tumors with seizures often representing the first manifestation of the tumor. The size and location of the tumor can make detection of epileptiform discharges on scalp electroencephalogram and safe surgical resection challenging. We describe a case of a patient with glioblastoma multiforme presenting as dominant temporal lobe epilepsy. Seizures were manifest as episodes of speech arrest on a background of long-standing history of episodic speech difficulty and headache. In this case, recognizing a change in semiology allowed diagnosis of a high-grade glioma. Use of electrocorticography during surgical excision of the tumor guided safe maximal excision without damage to eloquent cortex and helped confirm the diagnosis of brain tumor-related epilepsy.
2015 Pandemic Influenza Readiness Assessment Among US Public Health Emergency Preparedness Awardees.

Objectives. To assess how US Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) awardees plan to respond to an influenza pandemic with vaccination.Methods. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention developed the Pandemic Influenza Readiness Assessment, an online survey sent to PHEP directors, to analyze, in part, the readiness of PHEP awardees to vaccinate 80% of the populations of their jurisdictions with 2 doses of pandemic influenza vaccine, separated by 21 days, within 16 weeks of vaccine availability.Results. Thirty-eight of 60 (63.3%) awardees reported being able to vaccinate their populations within 16 weeks; 38 (63.3%) planned to allocate more than 20% of their pandemic vaccine supply to points of dispensing (PODs). Thirty-four of 58 (58.6%) reported staffing as a challenge to vaccinating 80% of their populations; 28 of 60 (46.7%) reported preparedness workforce decreases, and 22 (36.7%) reported immunization workforce decreases between January 2012 and July 2015.Conclusions. Awardees relied on PODs...
Results from Operational Hydrologic Forecasts Using the NOAA/NWS OHRFC Ohio River Community HEC-RAS Model

AbstractAnalyses of hydrologic forecasts from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Weather Service (NWS) (NOAA/NWS) Ohio River Community Hydrologic Engineering Ce...
Sequential Pyridine Dearomatization–Mizoroki–Heck Cyclization for the Construction of Fused (Dihydropyrido)isoindolinone Ring Systems

Acylation of 4-alkylpyridines with 2-iodobenzoyl chlorides under basic conditions results in pyridine dearomatization via formation of 4-alkylidene dihydropyridines. These reasonably stable intermediates are further transformed through Pd-catalyzed Mizoroki–Heck cyclization to afford dihydropyrido-fused isoindolinone products in good yield. This study demonstrates successful harnessing of reactive dearomatized pyridine anhydrobases in metal-catalyzed C–C bond-forming reactions, and provides an efficient entry to isoindolinone ring systems structurally related to several indolizidine alkaloid frameworks.
Moisture and Heating Rate Effects on Volatile Matter Yields for Coals

Currently there are two ASTM standard test methods used around the world for the determination of volatile matter in coal. ASTM D3175, , Standard Test Method for Volatile Matter in the Analysis Sample of Coal and Coke, was first published as ASTM D22, -16, Laboratory Sampling and Analysis of Coal, in 1916 and uses a minimum volume vertical furnace. ASTM D7582, , Standard Test Methods for Proximate Analysis of Coal and Coke by Macro Thermogravimetric Analysis, uses a macro thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) system. Macro TGA systems use samples that are one gram or larger, whereas micro TGA systems use only milligram-size samples. In both test methods, the furnaces are heated to a final temperature of 950°C and include a seven-minute hold time before final mass measurements. For nearly four decades, fuel scientists have tried to reconcile the differences between the coal volatile matter yields obtained using either a preheated (950°C) minimum volume vertical furnace (ASTM D3175, ) or a TGA system. This article describes experiments designed to help explain the differences in volatile matter yields from coals with the major focus being the moisture content in the samples analyzed. Parameters studied include predrying coal samples, using different heating rates, and using different intermediate temperatures in two-step procedures for the measurements. Factors including the moisture content and plastic behavior of coals, both of which contribute to the differences between the volatile matter values determined by different methods, will be discussed.
Microbiological assay of vitamin B12 with a mutant strain of Escherichia coli.

Two strains of Lactobacillus leichmanii, ATCC 7830 and ATCC 4797, are generally used for vitamin B12 assay. However, the complex growth requirements and the lack of specificity to vitamin B12 of these lactic acid bacteria make the determination of vitamin B12 difficult (Hoffmann et al., 1948; Skeggs et al., 1948; Snell et al., 1948; Capps et al., 1949; Kitay et al., 1949; Peeler et al., 1949; Winsten and Eigen, 1949; Thompson et al., 1950; Emery et al., 1951). Euglena responds to the vitamin more specifically and to a much lower concentration, but the prolonged time of incubation (4 to 7 days) is a handicap in routine assay (Hutner et al., 1949). Davis and Mingioli (1950) reported the isolation of a number of mutants of Escherichia coli which require either vitamin B12 or methionine for growth in mineral medium. In contrast to the lactic acid bacteria, the B12requiring mutants did not respond to thymidine. Because of the simple medium required, ease of growing the organism, and the specificity of its B12 requirement, a study was made to ascertain the suitability of such a mutant as assay organism for vitamin B12. Bessell et al. (1950) used mutant E. coli 113-3 and Harrison, Lees, and Wood (1951) used a mutant of E. coli for a plate assay of B12. Johansson (1951) reported briefly a turbidimetric procedure. At the time of completion of this work, Burkholder (1951) reported the study of the same mutant for B12 assay in a modified medium.
A Kinematic Rejoin Method for Active Defense of Non-Maneuverable Aircraft

An engagement scenario involving the defense of a valuable and non-maneuverable aircraft is investigated in this paper. An Attacker missile pursuing a Target aircraft and a Defender missile which aims at intercepting the Attacker in order to protect the Target aircraft are considered. A zero-sum differential game is formulated where the objective of the Attacker is to minimize the terminal distance with respect to the Target aircraft and the objective of the Defender is to maximize the terminal Attacker-Target separation at the time of intercepting the Attacker. The saddle point state-feedback strategies for the Attacker and the Defender are obtained; these strategies are compared to other heuristic approaches. It is shown that better performance is obtained by implementation of the saddle point strategies derived in this paper.
Applied economics and understanding trends in air transportation policy

Abstract This paper examines some of the important trends in economics that influenced the liberalization of aviation markets from the late 1970s, the role that economics has played in the subsequent assessment of the implications of these reforms and more recent policy “tweaking”, and at the possible importance of more recent trends in economic thinking in influencing future policy developments. It primarily highlights the roles played by economic analysis in understanding how markets for airline, airport, and air traffic control work, how many of these features have been quantified, and situations where serious market failures can occur.
Using dynamic foot morphology data to design spacesuit footwear

Human spaceflight missions to the Moon and Mars require pressurized, multi-layered spacesuits for life-support and protection. Therefore, many spacesuit components are semi-rigid and resist body mo...
Intramuscular antagonism of the G-protein coupled estrogen receptor 1 partially affects dimorphic characteristics of the syrinx, but is ineffective within the neural song circuit of zebra finches.

Abstract Within the zebra finch song system, robust sex differences exist that enable singing behavior in males, but not females. Estradiol is a potent contributor to this process, but how and through which receptor(s) it acts is not clear. Historically, pharmacological manipulations of nuclear estrogen receptors have yielded conflicting results possibly due to method of drug delivery. More recently, the membrane bound G-protein coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER1) has also been identified as a potential candidate, but its function has not been fully described. To further investigate the role of GPER1, and the importance of the route of drug administration, a specific antagonist (G-15) was intramuscularly administered to zebra finches for 25 days, starting on the day of hatching. G-15 significantly decreased muscle fiber sizes of ventralis and dorsalis in the syrinx of males only. Dimorphic characteristics of the neural song system were unaffected by this manipulation in either sex. These results contrast with a study in which G-15 was intracranially delivered. In males, select song nuclei were decreased in volume, and in females, syrinx muscle fiber size was increased. Together, these results support the hypothesis that estrogens acting through GPER1 influence dimorphic development of the song system, and that method of drug administration is important in this species.
Electro-Thermal Therapy Algorithms and Active Internal Electrode Cooling Reduce Thermal Injury in High Frequency Pulsed Electric Field Cancer Therapies

Thermal tissue injury is an unintended consequence in current irreversible electroporation treatments due to the induction of Joule heating during the delivery of high voltage pulsed electric fields. In this study active temperature control measures including internal electrode cooling and dynamic energy delivery were investigated as a process for mitigating thermal injury during treatment. Ex vivo liver was used to examine the extent of thermal injury induced by 5000 V treatments with delivery rates up to five times faster than current clinical practice. Active internal cooling of the electrode resulted in a 36% decrease in peak temperature vs. non-cooled control treatments. A temperature based feedback algorithm (electro-thermal therapy) was demonstrated as capable of maintaining steady state tissue temperatures between 30 and 80 °C with and without internal electrode cooling. Thermal injury volumes of 2.6 cm3 were observed for protocols with 60 °C temperature set points and electrode cooling. This volume reduced to 1.5 and 0.1 cm3 for equivalent treatments with 50 °C and 40 °C set points. Finally, it was demonstrated that the addition of internal electrode cooling and active temperature control algorithms reduced ETT treatment times by 84% (from 343 to 54 s) vs. non-cooled temperature control strategies with equivalent thermal injury volumes.
Sampled-data based Failure Rate Identification for a Multi-state Reparable System

This paper focuses on failure rate identification of a multi-state reparable system. The mathematical model is governed by coupled transport and integro-differential equations, which describe the probabilities of the system in good and failure modes. The objective of this work is to identify the failure rates based on the sampled-data of the probability of the system in good mode. Rigorous analysis is presented and numerical tests are conducted to demonstrate the design.
DC-PoET: Proof-of-Elapsed-Time Consensus with Distributed Coordination for Blockchain Networks

Blockchain technology has gained a significant amount of interest in recent years due to its decentralized control, immutability, transparency and robustness. In this paper we propose an enhancement to BlockChain built using proof-of-elapsed-time (PoET) consensus protocol to further increase its efficiency and transaction throughput. The proposed scheme, called DC-PoET, exploits distributed coordination (DC) among the nodes to avoid unnecessary transmission of conflicting blocks inspired by a similar mechanism in WiFi networks. We show that DC-PoET can support around 465 transactions per seconds with 30 MB block size, and even higher for larger blocks. We have also developed detailed analytical modeling for the performance of DC-PoET scheme using a two-dimensional Markov Chain, along with the validation of such modeling using Matlab simulations. The security analysis of our proposed scheme is also discussed.
In Vitro Electrochemical Detection of Hydrogen Peroxide in Activated Macrophages via a Platinum Microelectrode Array

Oxidative stress, an excess of endogenous or exogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the human body, is closely aligned with inflammatory responses. ROS such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), superoxide, and radical hydroxyl ions serve essential functions in fighting infection; however, chronic elevation of these species irreversibly damages cellular components. Given the central role of inflammation in a variety of diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis, a low-cost, extracellular, non-invasive assay of H2O2 measurement is needed. This work reports the use of a platinum microelectrode array (Pt MEA)-based ceramic probe to detect time- and concentration-dependent variations in H2O2 production by activated RAW 264.7 macrophages. First, these cells were activated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce oxidative stress. Chronoamperometry was then employed to detect the quantity of H2O2 released by cells at various time intervals up to 48 h. The most stimulatory concentration of LPS was identified. Further experiments assessed the anti-inflammatory effect of dexamethasone (Dex), a commonly prescribed steroid medication. As expected, the probe detected significantly increased H2O2 production by LPS-doped macrophages, subsequently diminishing the pro-inflammatory effect in LPS-doped cells treated with Dex. These results strongly support the use of this probe as a non-invasive, robust, point-of-care test of inflammation, with a high potential for multiplexing in further studies.
Coevolution of Bruchidae and Their Hosts: Evidence, Conjecture, and Conclusions

A review of the literature revealed that coevolution in the Bruchidae is very correlative and thus only presumed to exist. When the contemporary precepts of coevolution were scrutinized and compared with the coevolutionary research on the Bruchidae, it was found that only components of each study of all of the coevolutionary research conducted to date on the Bruchidae was experimental, the balance of each study was correlative. It is suggested that future research on bruchid-plant coevolution use cladistics and morphometries in studies of systematics, these can then be used in conjunction with rigorous experimental and manipulative studies of chemistry, biochemistry, and detoxification in both plants and herbivores, edaphic factors, primary metabolic requirements, genetics, ecological factors, and variation of these over space and time to conclusively define the process of coevolution.
Blood loss during cesarean section

Abstract 1. 1. A method for accurately determining the blood loss during delivery or operation is described. 2. 2. The average blood loss in a spontaneous delivery was 107 c.c, in the delivery by forceps and episiotomy 342 c.c., and in the cesarean section it was 539 c.c. 3. 3. Certain factors and conditions governing the blood loss are discussed. 4. 4. Methods are described for the management of the third stage of labor, for delivery through the natural passage, and also by cesarean section.
Fostering Inclusive Education: Intentionally vs. Spontaneously

Inclusion has become a mainstream value promoted by educators, curriculum designers, and educational policy makers. To achieve an inclusive classroom environment, a variety of learner-centered curr...
Hulk: eliciting malicious behavior in browser extensions

We present Hulk, a dynamic analysis system that detects malicious behavior in browser extensions by monitoring their execution and corresponding network activity. Hulk elicits malicious behavior in extensions in two ways. First, Hulk leverages HoneyPages, which are dynamic pages that adapt to an extension's expectations in web page structure and content. Second, Hulk employs a fuzzer to drive the numerous event handlers that modern extensions heavily rely upon. We analyzed 48K extensions from the Chrome Web store, driving each with over 1M URLs. We identify a number of malicious extensions, including one with 5.5 million affected users, stressing the risks that extensions pose for today's web security ecosystem, and the need to further strengthen browser security to protect user data and privacy.
Retrospective Evaluation of Postoperative Bleeding Events in Patients Receiving Rivaroxaban After Undergoing Total Hip and Total Knee Arthroplasty: Comparison with Clinical Trial Data.

Study Objective Although data from the Regulation of Coagulation in Orthopedic Surgery to Prevent Deep Venous Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism (RECORD) 1–4 trials have shown a similar postoperative bleeding risk between rivaroxban and enoxaparin in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA), anecdotal observations from local institutions have suggested that postoperative bleeding rates seemed higher in patients who received rivaroxaban than those reported in the RECORD trials. Thus, the objective of this pilot study was to assess postoperative bleeding events observed in clinical practice in patients receiving rivaroxaban after undergoing THA and TKA and to compare their results with those published in the RECORD trials. Design Retrospective cohort study with a comparator group of patients from the RECORD 1–4 trials. Setting Two institutions within a regional health care system. Patients Four hundred forty adults who received at least one dose of rivaroxaban 10 mg daily after undergoing THA or TKA in the two institutions between August 2011 and October 2013 (cohort group), and 6183 patients who received rivaroxaban in the RECORD 1–4 trials (comparator group). Measurements and Main Results Postoperative bleeding was assessed in the cohort patients versus the patients in the RECORD trials. The primary outcome, occurrence of any postoperative bleeding, was a composite of major and clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding as defined in the RECORD trials. Any postoperative bleeding occurred in 6.8% of the cohort patients versus 3.2% of the RECORD trial patients (p<0.0001); 1.4% of the cohort patients versus 0.38% of the RECORD trial patients suffered a major bleed (p=0.013). Within defined major bleeding, bleeding leading to reoperation and clinically overt extrasurgical site bleeding resulting in either a hemoglobin level decrease of at least 2 g/dl or transfusion of 2 units or greater of packed red blood cells were reported in 0.68% versus 0.19% (p=0.073) and 0.68% versus 0.13% (p=0.032), respectively, of the cohort patients versus the RECORD trial patients. Conclusion Overall, any postoperative bleeding in the cohort patients occurred significantly more frequently than that observed in the RECORD trial patients. The major bleeding rate was also significantly higher in the cohort patients, influenced by higher rates of bleeding leading to reoperation and clinically overt extrasurgical site bleeding resulting in either a hemoglobin decrease of at least 2 g/dl or transfusion of two units or greater of packed red blood cells. These findings from our pilot study are thought provoking and, thus, invite further investigation.
Reliability for NSWAP

We present reliability schemes for network swapping enabled Linux clusters. As processor speeds have continued to increase, disk speeds have failed to keep pace, resulting in application performance being restricted by slow disk access. This problem can be alleviated in cluster systems by using idle RAM of other nodes as swap space, a strategy known as network swapping. Nswap, a network swapping system, allows each node in the cluster to either swap-out pages or swap-in pages, according to its current workload. However, the failure of one node in the cluster can harm processes running on other nodes whose pages were stored on the failed node. Furthermore, as the size of the cluster grows, the mean time to failure decreases. Thus, reliability is essential. Our reliability scheme uses a RAID-like approach with parity logging and dynamic parity groups to implement reliability for network swapping systems that support migration of swapped pages. Furthermore, our reliability scheme adds little overhead to the swap-out and swap-in protocols, and minimizes the amount of network traffic.
Biallelic Inactivation of the Thyroid Hormone Receptor β1 Gene in Early Stage Breast Cancer

Loss of heterozygosity within the short arm of chromosome 3 is a common molecular event in several types of solid tumors. In breast cancer, 3p loss of heterozygosity occurs in invasive tumor cells as well as in morphologically normal terminal ductal lobular units adjacent to carcinoma in some cases [G. Deng et al., Science (Wash. DC), 274: 2057–2059, 1996.]. The most frequent region of allelic loss at 3p24.3 in morphologically normal terminal ductal lobular units encompasses the thyroid hormone receptor β1 (TRβ1) gene. Here we have observed a variable degree of TRβ1 promoter hypermethylation in all 11 cases of primary breast cancer examined. Moreover, hypermethylation occurred at the same CpG sites in nonmalignant tissue peripheral to carcinoma in 4 of 11 cases. The lack of TRβ1 nuclear staining, a likely result of biallelic gene inactivation, was observed in 25% (22 of 85) of primary tumors. This is a first demonstration of promoter hypermethylation and a concurrent reduction of TRβ1 transcripts in breast cancer cell lines, although specific CpG sites targeted for gene silencing remain to be determined. Gene expression was restored by treatment with 5-aza-deoxycytidine in such cases. The observation of early, frequent, and multiple mechanisms of TRβ1 inactivation suggests a potential role for this gene in the suppression of breast tumorigenesis.
Normal incorporation rates for precursors of collagen and mucopolysaccharide during expression of micromelia induced by 6-aminonicotinamide.

Further delineation of mechanisms by which 6-aminonicotinamide (6-AN) induces micromelia in the chick embryo was investigated by studies on rates of incorporation of thymidine, proline, glucosamine and sulfate as precursors to DNA, collagen and mucopolysaccharide, respectively. Twenty-four hours after in ovo administration of the vitamin antagonist, 6-AN, to day-4 chick embryos, hind limbs from experimental and control groups were excised and incubated for 1 h in medium containing 3 × 10 −6 m radioactive precursor. Molar incorporation of precursors into the TCA-precipitable fraction showed, in isolated limb buds, ( a ) that 6-AN enhanced incorporation of thymidine, ( b ) that 6-AN inhibited utilization of sulfate, and ( c ) that 6-AN did not significantly alter utilization of glucosamine and proline. Rates of incorporation of thymidine, glucosamine and proline indicate that 6-AN is not cytotoxic to the isolated limb bud. Enhanced incorporation of thymidine suggests expression of compensatory change 24 h after initial effects of 6-AN on DNA synthesis. Rate of incorporation of proline suggests that, under the influence of 6-AN, tropocollagen was synthesized in normal quantities by limb cells. Similarly, rate of incorporation of glucosamine suggests that under the influence of 6-AN normal amounts of hexosamine sugars were being attached to the nascent core-protein of chondroitin. Inhibition of sulfation and failure to complete the chondroitin sulfate molecule seem to account for 6-AN-induced micromelia. This suggests that sulfation depends upon specific NAD-dependent dehydrogenase reactions. As far as can be established by rates of incorporation of labeled precursors, 5-day limb buds, at 24 h after exposure to teratogenic levels of 6-AN, synthesize matrix proteins and hexosamine polysaccharides at normal rates.
Shape-based 3D vascular tree extraction for perforator flaps

Perforator flaps have been increasingly used in the past few years for trauma and reconstructive surgical cases. With the thinned perforated flaps, greater survivability and decrease in donor site morbidity have been reported. Knowledge of the 3D vascular tree will provide insight information about the dissection region, vascular territory, and fascia levels. This paper presents a scheme of shape-based 3D vascular tree reconstruction of perforator flaps for plastic surgery planning, which overcomes the deficiencies of current existing shape-based interpolation methods by applying rotation and 3D repairing. The scheme has the ability to restore the broken parts of the perforator vascular tree by using a probability-based adaptive connection point search (PACPS) algorithm with minimum human intervention. The experimental results evaluated by both synthetic and 39 harvested cadaver perforator flaps show the promise and potential of proposed scheme for plastic surgery planning.
Observations and modeling of the electron cyclotron emission background in the Levitated Dipole Experiment

Hot electron cyclotron emission (ECE) measurements and modeling calculations have been carried out for the Levitated Dipole Experiment (LDX)5. Heterodyne radiometers at 110, 137 and 165 GHz have been used to view the plasma from bottom and midplane locations. An intense environment of harmonic ECE of up to 1 keV at 110 GHz and afterglow decay times of up to 6.9 seconds were observed at lower pressures. Interpretation of the emission levels in terms of hot electron parameters requires integrating modeled emission over a large magnetic field range of 0.09 to 3.2 Tesla and a k to B angular view range of 0 to 90° within the field of view of each receiver as the hot electron density peak is followed around a given flux contour. Hot electron temperatures of the order of 100 keV, depending on knowledge of the electron density peak location, were determined by taking the ratio of radiometer signals at different frequencies. Abrupt radial movements of the highly peaked hot electron density where evident, particularly with ECRH turn on and turn off.
Iconic memory is not a case of attention-free awareness

Whether or not awareness entails attention is a much debated question. Since iconic memory has been generally assumed to be attention-free, it has been considered an important piece of evidence that it does not (Koch & Tsuchiya, 2007). Therefore the question of the role of attention in iconic memory matters. Recent evidence (Persuh, Genzer, & Melara, 2012), suggests that iconic memory does depend on attention. Because of the centrality of iconic memory to this debate, we looked again at the role of attention in iconic memory using a standard whole versus partial report task of letters in a 3×2 matrix. We manipulated attention to the array by coupling it with a second task that was either easy or hard and by manipulating the probability of which task was to be performed on any given trial. When attention was maximally diverted from the matrix, participants were able to report less than a single item, confirming the prior results and supporting the conclusion that iconic memory entails attention. It is not an instance of attention-free awareness.
Conditions for laminated plates to remain flat under inplane loading

Abstract There is considerable confusion in the existing literature as to whether an unsymmetrically laminated, composite plate will remain flat due to the application of inplane compressive or shear loads. If it does not remain flat, then bifurcation buckling would not normally take place, and transverse displacements would occur no matter how small the inplane loads. This paper investigates the conditions under which arbitrarily laminated and arbitrarily loaded plates remain flat, and therefore when buckling can occur. It is demonstrated that for uniform or linearly varying inplane loads no transverse pressure is necessary to keep a plate flat, although edge moments or transverse forces may be required at the boundaries.
Archival Optical Disc Data Storage

The optical disc has become a viable candidate for mass digital data storage. Its unique characteristics make it suitable for archival, wideband, high density record and playback applications, as well as those requiring fast access to a large data base. RCA has been pursuing the development of such systems for government mass data storage and retrieval requirements. This work is centered around a unique "tri-layer" optical disc structure, which offers high sensitivity and signal-to-noise (SNR) at very high packing densities. The two major areas of pursuit are record and playback at data rates of 200 Mb/s or more and multiple-disc record and playback units for very large on-line capacities. Record and playback at high data rates are achieved through simultaneous multiple, parallel-channel operation. Single-channel rates of 50 Mb/s and multiple-channel rates of 150 Mb/s have been demonstrated on laboratory breadboard equipment. Concept designs for multiple disc record and playback systems are centered around two "jukebox" configurations, which can provide fast automatic access to large on-line data stores. A feasibility design for a reader unit with an access time of three seconds to 1013 bits (100 discs) has been performed. A second concept provides a capability of both record and playback of 50 Mb/s with an access time of seven seconds to 1013 bits.
Status, Sentimentality and Structuration: An Examination of ‘Intellectual Spaces’ for Children in the Study of America’s Historic Cemeteries

AbstractThis paper presents a case study of the contemporary intellectual and scholarly spaces that children occupy in the study of America’s historic cemeteries. Published works on nineteenth-century cemeteries were evaluated, analytical frameworks were traced, and common themes were identified. The purpose of this exercise was not to evaluate the results of these studies, but rather to examine the ideas that informed them. This particular study identified two main themes in research on children’s headstones, funerary hardware, and epitaphs: children as indicators of a family’s wealth and status and children as subjects of grief, mourning, and sentimentality. Studies of wealth and status tended to focus on entire populations, and those primarily addressing grief and commemoration focused on individual monuments. Several underlying commonalities in these studies are presented and Giddens’ (1984) concept of structuration is introduced as a way to potentially reconcile analyses that focus on cemetery popula...
Dual viral transneuronal tracing of central autonomic circuits involved in the innervation of the two kidneys in rat

The neural control of renal function is exerted by the central nervous system via sympathetic innervation of the kidneys. To determine the extent to which the control of the two kidneys is provided by the same brain neurons, the central circuitry involved in the innervation of both kidneys was characterized in individual rats by dual viral transneuronal tracing using isogenic recombinant strains (PRV-152 and BaBlu) of pseudorabies virus. Prior to dual tracing, the neuroinvasive properties of PRV-152 and BaBlu were characterized by conducting parametric studies, using the two kidneys as an anatomical model, and comparing the pattern of infection with that obtained following injection of the parental strain, PRV-Bartha, into the left kidney. Once the optimal concentrations of virus required to obtain equivalent infection were established, PRV-152 and BaBlu were injected into the left and right kidney, respectively, in the same rats. Immunocytochemical localization of viral reporter proteins at different postinoculation times allowed us to determine the sequence of infection in the brain, as well as to quantify dual- and single-labeled neurons in each infected area. Neurons that influence autonomic outflow to one or both kidneys coexist in all brain areas involved in the control of the sympathetic outflow to the kidneys at every hierarchical level of the circuit. The proportions of dual-infected neurons with respect to the number of total infected neurons varied across regions, but they were maintained at different survival times. The pattern of infection suggests that the activity of each kidney is controlled independently by organ-specific neurons, whereas the functional coordination of the two kidneys results from neurons that collaterize to modulate the sympathetic outflow to both organs. The advantages of using an anatomical symmetrical system, such as the two kidneys, as an experimental approach to characterize PRV recombinants in general are also discussed.
An Improved Red Spectrum of the Methane or T Dwarf SDSS 1624+0029: The Role of the Alkali Metals.

A Keck II low-resolution spectrum shortward of 1 μm is presented for SDSS 1624+0029, the first field methane or T dwarf discovered in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Significant flux is detected down to the spectrum's short-wavelength limit of 6200 A. The spectrum exhibits a broad absorption feature centered at 7700 A, which we interpret as the K I λλ7665, 7699 resonance doublet. The observed flux declines shortward of 7000 A, most likely owing to the red wing of the Na I doublet. Both Cs I doublet lines are detected more strongly than in an earlier red spectrum. Neither Li I absorption nor Hα emission are detected. An exploratory model fit to the spectrum suggests that the shape of the red spectrum can be primarily accounted for by the broad wings of the K I and Na I doublets. This behavior is consistent with the argument proffered by Burrows, Marley, & Sharp that strong alkali absorption is principally responsible for depressing T dwarf spectra shortward of 1 μm. In particular, there seems no compelling reason at this time to introduce dust or an additional opacity source in the atmosphere of the Sloan object. The width of the K I and strengths of the Cs I lines also indicate that the Sloan object is warmer than Gl 229B.
Accounting for Cosmetic Surgery: The Accomplishment of Gender

In this paper, we examine how surgeons who do cosmetic operations account for their activities and how people who elect such operations make sense of their decisions to do so. Our interviews with surgeons and former patients show that accounts of cosmetic surgery extend the definition of reconstructive procedures to include cosmetic ones. This definition is achieved simultaneously with the “accomplishment of gender,” allowing surgeons and patients to see cosmetic surgery as “normal” and “natural” for a woman, but not for a man. Discussion of our findings leads us to consider how the creation of “good candidates” for surgery is related to gender's accomplishment
Lipoxin A4 Attenuates Microvascular Fluid Leak During Inflammation

Background The release of proinflammatory cytokines during inflammation disturbs the endothelial barrier and can initiate significant intravascular volume loss. Proinflammatory cytokines also induce the expression of anti-inflammatory mediators, such as lipoxin, which promote the resolution of inflammation. Our hypothesis is that lipoxin A4 (LXA4) reverses the increased microvascular fluid leak observed during inflammatory conditions. Materials and Methods Microvascular fluid leak (Lp) was measured in rat mesenteric venules using a micro-cannulation technique. Lp was measured under the following conditions: (1) LXA4 (100 nM) alone (n = 5), (2) LXA4 (100 nM) administered after endothelial hyperpermeability induced by a continuous perfusion of 10 nM platelet activating factor (PAF) (n = 5), (3) LXA4 (100 nM) perfused after inflammation induced by a systemic bolus of 10 mg/kg lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (n = 5), and (4) LXA4 (100 nM) perfused after LPS-induced inflammation during inhibition of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (n = 4). Results LXA4 alone slightly increased Lp from baseline (Lp-baseline = 1.05 ± 0.03, Lp-LXA4 = 1.55 ± 0.04; P < 0.0001). PAF increased Lp 4-fold (Lp-baseline = 1.20 ± 0.10, Lp-PAF = 4.49 ± 0.95; P < 0.0001). LXA4 administration after PAF decreased Lp 66% versus PAF alone (from 4.49 ± 0.95 to 1.54 ± 0.13; P = 0.0004). LPS-induced inflammation increased Lp over 2-fold (Lp-baseline = 1.05 ± 0.03, Lp-LPS = 2.27 ± 0.13; P < 0.0001). LXA4 administration after LPS decreased Lp 42% versus LPS alone (from 2.27 ± 0.13 to 1.31 ± 0.05; P < 0.0001). The effect of c-Jun N-terminal kinase inhibition during LPS-induced inflammation attenuated the decrease in leak cause by LXA4 by 51% (P = 0.0002). Conclusion After either LPS or PAF, LXA4 attenuated the intravascular volume loss caused by these inflammatory mediators. The activity of LXA4 may be partly mediated by the c-Jun N-terminal kinase signaling pathway. These data support an anti-inflammatory role for LXA4 and suggests a potential pharmacologic role for LXA4 during inflammation.