cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Curved waveguide combiner for HUD/AR

Most of waveguide implementation for HUD or augmented reality combiner are flat pieces of glass because the image propagation does not suffer from any aberration when traveling along their length. However, this type of combiner does integrate seamlessly in front of the viewer eyes and a curved optics would be much more appealing. Using holographic optical elements, we demonstrated that it is possible to correct the aberrations induced by the curved surfaces of the waveguide, and display a aberration-free image to the viewer. This correction applies for different waveguide geometries (1D or 2D curvature) as well as different pupil expansions (1D or 2D expansion). A Zemax model is presented along a curved waveguide demonstrator.
A Perturbation Approach to Nonlinear Filtering: The Case of Stochastic Volatility

Nonlinear filtering - that is the computation of the conditional distribution of a latent state vector given the available information - is generally an infinite dimensional problem for which no closed form solution exists. This paper uses the perturbation method to derive an approximate filter for models in which the hidden state follows a linear Gaussian transition equation, but the observation equation is nonlinear and non-Gaussian. Key features of the proposed approximate filter are: (1) it is finite dimensional which reduces the dimension of the problem; (2) it is characterized by a finite number of sufficient statistics that are Markovian; (3) the number of sufficient statistics increases linearly with the order of the approximation; (4) as in the case of Kalman filter, the equations governing the dynamics of the sufficient statistics are available in closed form, which makes the computation fast and straightforward. Explicit formulas are derived for stochastic volatility models. The intended use of the perturbation filter is in applications in which the state reduction is essential, such as the dynamic stochastic choice problems in which decision-maker does not observe all the relevant states.
Impaired Lymphocyte Responses in Pediatric Sepsis Vary by Pathogen Type

ABSTRACT Background Sepsis is the leading cause of death in hospitalized children worldwide. Despite its hypothesized immune-mediated mechanism, targeted immunotherapy for sepsis is not available for clinical use. Objective To determine the association between cytometric, proteomic, bioenergetic, and metabolomic abnormalities and pathogen type in pediatric sepsis. Methods Serial PBMC samples were obtained from 14 sepsis patients (34 samples) and 7 control patients for this pilot study. Flow cytometry was used to define immunophenotype, including T cell subset frequency and activation state, and assess intracellular cytokine production. Global immune dysfunction was assessed by TNF-α production capacity and monocyte HLA-DR expression. Mitochondrial function was assessed by bulk respirometry. Metabolites were measured by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results were compared by timepoint and pathogen type. For detailed Methods, please see the Methods section in this article’s Online Supplement. Results Sepsis patients were older and had higher illness severity compared to controls; demographics were otherwise similar. Compared to controls, sepsis patients demonstrated global immune dysfunction, loss of peripheral of non-naive CD4+ T cells, and reduced PBMC mitochondrial function. Metabolomic findings in sepsis patients were most pronounced at sepsis onset and included elevated uridine and 2-dehydrogluconate and depleted citrulline. Loss of peripheral non-naive CD4+ T cells was associated with immune dysfunction and reduced cytokine production despite increased T cell activation. CD4+ T cell differentiation and corresponding pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines varied by pathogen. Conclusion Pediatric sepsis patients exhibit a complex, dynamic physiologic state characterized by immunometabolic dysregulation which varies by pathogen type. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS Comprehensive immune monitoring in critically-ill patients using small-volume samples yields novel insights into diverse T cell responses to pediatric sepsis, which may improve future personalized therapies for these high-risk patients.
“How am I going to make it through pregnancy?” A qualitative examination of prenatal maternal stress

BACKGROUND Prenatal maternal stress (PNMS) is common among childbearing women, and there is substantial evidence that persistent high levels of stress during pregnancy are associated with adverse birth outcomes and poorer postpartum mental health. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the idiographic experiences of women who experienced elevated PNMS during their current or most recent pregnancy. METHODS Six focus groups were conducted, and data were collected from 26 women (n = 16 pregnant and n = 10 postpartum) at a large medical center in the United States (US). Data from the semi-structured focus group prompts were analyzed by two independent raters using conventional content analysis21 . RESULTS Three key themes emerged from the data: (1) Navigating Changing Circumstances, (2) Being a "Good" Mother, and (3) Loss of Control and Autonomy. DISCUSSION The current study offers one of the first in-depth examinations of the experiences of highly stressed pregnant women using a qualitative approach and identifies stressors rarely described in quantitative research. These findings suggest that women's ability to prioritize their self-care, and receive structural/institutional supports in the workplace and instrumental support at home, and overall health literacy promote successful coping with stress and highlight important future directions for intervention.
The Small, Expansive Self and the Self Obsessed

". . .1 seem to Uve/ a smaller person that I was ..." Hilda Raz writes in her third collection of poetry. This constellation, composed around the reverber ating experience of breast cancer, constitutes a set of emotional documents on human feeling in one individual, female self. At times this self seems small indeed, shrunk by fear, as in the chilling "Mu," where Raz images a children's slide in the park at midnight as "the mouth of the metal tunnel" into the darkness she must traverse when she goes under the knife. But to be prey to fear is human. Smallness in these poems is actually a metaphor for a self transformed.
An Object Model Based Repository for Biological Pathways Using XML Database Technology

With the availability of a growing collection of biological pathway datasets, there is an increasing need for an efficient repository with the powerful search capability to facility large scaled analyses of biological pathway. A novel data store was designed based upon the BioPAX object models, and implemented with the emerging XML database technology. Our approach significantly reduces the system complexity while maintaining powerful search functionalities.
State Courts, Federal Courts and International Cases

This article critiques a number of aspects of the jurisdictional analysis by federal courts of cases either raising issues of customary international law or involving what the court considers important foreign policy implications. In particular it asserts that the arguments supporting the practice are weakly supported, that the practice would have unintended negative consequences and that the practice is in fact is not employed by courts in a number of circumstances. It also suggests a different way of dealing with cases not involving treaties but presenting international elements.
MODELING AND IDENTIFICATION OF A LIGHT TRUCK ENGINE MOUNTING SYSTEM FOR RIDE QUALITY OPTIMIZATION

The need for a method to design optimal engine mounting systems is the motivation for the work described in this paper. The paper discusses several vehicle ride quality criteria and the advantages and disadvantages of different performance measures. The problem of vehicle modeling and ride quality optimization through engine mount design is formulated within the framework of linear Quadratic Gaussian (LQG) control theory using an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) to identify vehicle parameters and to estimate the states. This estimation identification technique is demonstrated using a simple model. A 16 Degree-of-Freedom (DOF) lumped mass vehicle model is described, characterizing the natural frequencies of the engine, cab, and the frame, to be used as a baseline model in describing the vehicle motion.
Recent developments in indium phosphide space solar cell research

Recent developments and progress in indium phosphide solar cell research for space application are reviewed. Indium phosphide homojunction cells were fabricated in both the n+p and p+n configurations with total area efficiencies of 17.9 and 15.9% (air mass 0 and 25 C) respectively. Organometallic chemical vapor deposition, liquid phase epitaxy, ion implantation and diffusion techniques were employed in InP cell fabrication. A theoretical model of a radiation tolerant, high efficiency homojunction cell was developed. A realistically attainable AMO efficiency of 20.5% was calculated using this model with emitter and base doping of 6 x 10 to the 17th power and 5 x 10 the the 16th power/cu cm respectively. Cells of both configurations were irradiated with 1 MeV electrons and 37 MeV protons. For both proton and electron irradiation, the n+p cells are more radiation resistant at higher fluences than the p+n cells. The first flight module of four InP cells was assembled for the Living Plume Shield III satellite.
Computational Thermodynamic and Kinetic Modeling of High-Entropy Alloys and Amorphous Alloys

The first subset topic of this issue concerns computational modeling of high-entropy alloys (HEAs). In contrast to conventional alloys that are based on one principal element such as steels and aluminum alloys, HEAs contain multiple principal elements, often five or more in equimolar or near-equimolar ratios. According to the Gibbs phase rule, the number of phases (P) in a given alloy at constant pressure in equilibrium condition is:
Winning the Lottery: Learning Perfect Coordination With Minimal Feedback

Coordination is a central problem whenever stations (or nodes or users) share resources across a network. In the absence of coordination, there will be collision, congestion or interference, with concomitant loss of performance. This paper proposes new protocols, which we call perfect coordination (PC) protocols, that solve the coordination problem. PC protocols are completely distributed (requiring neither central control nor the exchange of any control messages), fast (with speeds comparable to those of any existing protocols), fully efficient (achieving perfect coordination, with no collisions and no gaps) and require minimal feedback. PC protocols rely heavily on learning, exploiting the possibility to use both actions and silence as messages and the ability of stations to learn from their own histories while simultaneously enabling the learning of other stations. PC protocols can be formulated as finite automata and implemented using currently existing technology (e.g., wireless cards). Simulations show that, in a variety of deployment scenarios, PC protocols outperform existing state-of-the-art protocols-despite requiring much less feedback.
Treatment of Underlying Forms in a discourse context

Background: Previous research indicates that Thompson and colleagues' (Thompson, 2001; Thompson & Shapiro, 2005) Treatment of Underlying Forms (TUF) can efficiently remediate agrammatic sentence‐processing deficits. The theoretical basis of TUF is that training production of complex, noncanonical sentence structures can concomitantly improve production of untrained, syntactically related but simpler sentence structures. Whereas this generalisation to untrained syntactic forms has been well established within constrained, sentence‐level tasks, which exploit the same response modality used during training, TUF's generalisation potential in terms of cross‐modal effects and discourse‐level improvements requires further exploration. Aims: DM, a 52‐year‐old male with an agrammatic Broca's aphasia profile, was provided with a modified version of TUF, which targeted his writing skills and included a Discourse Training Module that allowed direct rehearsal of targeted syntactic frames within a discourse context. Th...
The sequential expression profiles of growth factors from osteoprogenitors [correction of osteroprogenitors] to osteoblasts in vitro.

In this study, we delineate the sequential expression of selected growth factors associated with bone formation in vitro. Mineralization, osteocalcin, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP-2) were measured...
Corticosterone-induced gonadosuppression in photostimulated tree sparrows.

Abstract To explore the possibility that adrenal hormones play a role in the natural termination of testicular function in chronically photo-stimulated tree sparrows, corticosterone, the principal adrenal steroid of birds, was implanted intracerebrally in photoresponsive tree sparrows 3 weeks after they were transferred to a gonadostimulatory photoregime. Three weeks later, plasmas were assayed for immunoreactive luteinizing hormone (LH), testes were weighed, and implantation sites were determined. When implanted in a region of the basal hypothalamus known to be androgen sensitive, corticosterone reduced the concentration of plasma LH and blocked testicular growth. Control implants in the optic chiasma or tracts were not gonadoinhibitory. These results confirm the potential for inhibition of gonadotropin secretion by an effect of corticosterone on the hypothalamohypophyseal axis, but the physiological significance and mechanism of corticosterone's antigonadotropic effect remain to be established.
A stringy test of flux-induced isometry gauging

Supergravity analysis suggests that the effect of fluxes in string theory compactifications is to gauge isometries of the scalar manifold. However, isometries are generically broken by brane instanton effects. Here we demonstrate how fluxes protect exactly those isometries from quantum corrections which are gauged according to the classical supergravity analysis. We also argue that all other isometries are generically broken.
Soret circular dichroism of cobalt-substituted myoglobin and hemoglobin derivatives.

Abstract Circular dichroic spectra in the Soret region were obtained for the following cobalt-substituted hemoproteins: Co Mb ‡ , Co MbO 2 , Co MbNO, Co Mb + , Co Hb, Co HbO 2 , Co HbNO and Co Hb + and compared with the corresponding spectra of the native species to delineate the sensitivity of Soret circular dichroism to ligation, quaternary structures, metal ion substitution and its magnetic moment. Soret rotational strengths, R , were calculated, and dissymmetry ratios were used to reveal hidden transitions. The results indicate that Soret circular dichroism is sensitive to the metal ion, its oxidation state, ligation and local environment but neither to quaternary structural changes as proposed by Ferrone & Topp (1975), nor to the magnetic moment of the metal ion as suggested by Li & Johnson (1969).
Improvement of the purge- and -trap technique for the rapid analysis of volatile organic pollutants in water

The analytical methodology utilized in our laboratory involved the simultaneous detection of all volatile organic compounds (VOCs), listed in the Drinking Water Regulations [10], by combining the Electrolytic Conductivity Detector (ELCD), outfitted with a 1.8 mm quartz reaction tube, in series with the photo-ionization detector (PID)
Radionuclide Localization of Intraarterial Infusions in Head and Neck Cancer1

The therapeutic advantage of intraarterial infusion chemotherapy depends upon delivery of a high drug concentration to the entire tumor bulk with maximum sparing of critical normal tissues. It is c...
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation: perspectives for application in the treatment of bipolar and unipolar disorders.

Objectives Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) affects the brain by non-invasively stimulating the cerebral cortex and inducing electrical currents in neurons. The powerful magnetic field acts as a vector that passes across the scalp and the skull, and then converts into an electrical energy within the brain. Originally used in neurophysiology, TMS has since been applied in a variety of neuropsychiatric conditions, including mood disorders. Imaging studies in mood-disordered patients have pointed to dysfunctional limbic and prefrontal cortex activity. TMS researchers have thus postulated that dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) stimulation might change brain activity both locally and in paralimbic areas through transynaptic connections, and alter mood. Methods We will describe the technology of TMS, its applications to date, and explore its mechanisms of action. Results Several clinical trials have demonstrated TMS effects on mood in health and disease. There is a growing consensus that TMS has antidepressant effects, although little is known about the role played by a variety of stimulation parameters such as the intensity or frequency of stimulation. One study has found an antimanic effect of right prefrontal TMS. Conclusion TMS is relatively safe; however, much more research is needed before TMS can be integrated into routine clinical practice.
Is the SAT the Root of all Evil? Reviewing the Evidence on Admission Policies and Diversity in Higher Education

It is imperative to achieve diversity in Higher Education. With affirmative action policies under fire, it is becoming difficult to enroll a diverse student body. Many critics see standardized tests, and the SAT in particular, as contributing to the problem. This paper reviews research on such criticism, about suggested alternative approaches, and regarding recommendations on how to improve the current situation. In general, this review finds little evidence against a judicious use of the SAT. Also, alternative approaches such as percent plans or abolishing the SAT have had little success in increasing diversity. However, most specialists agree that a comprehensive approach to college admissions is needed. Diversity in higher education is a vital goal if higher education wants to fulfill its mission and have success in an increasingly diverse environment (Smith, 2009). However, policies currently in place (such as affirmative action) have come under fire (e.g., Proposition 209 in California, Initiative 200 in Washington, Hopwood case in Texas). Without such policies, providing equal access for higher education to all is very difficult. The former president of the University of California described the situation of diversity at the U.C. as being in great trouble after Proposition 209 was passed (Atkinson & Pelfrey, 2006). Thus, colleges and universities have had to come up with new ways to achieve a diverse student body. Since the rise of meritocracy during the 1980s and 1990s, institutions have relied more and more heavily on test scores (Alon & Tienda, 2007). However, there are prevalent differences between populations on several academic measures (Camara & Schmidt, 1999). African Americans consistently score about 1 Standard Deviation (SD) below whites on the SAT, ACT, Graduate Record Examinations (GRE), employment tests, military tests, and general ability tests (Roth, Bevier, Bobko, Switzer, & Tyler, 2001). Similarly, Hispanics score about 2/3 SD below whites on the same tests. Differences with regard to females compared to males also exist, albeit to a much smaller degree (.1-.2 SD). This achievement gap has persisted over decades and efforts to reduce this gap have not been successful (Hedges & Nowell, 1998; Krueger, Rothstein, & Turner, 2006). The increasing importance of test scores and the prevailing mean differences between racial groups make the issue of enrolling a diverse student body challenging. It is thus not surprising that criticism of high-stakes testing is common and tests are often seen as either the root of the problem or at the least contributing to the achievement gap and the limited diversity in higher education (Crouse, 1988; Gould, 1996; Phillips, 2006; Roth et al., 2001). This question of “are tests inherently evil?”(Sireci, 2007a) is hotly debated inside and outside the 1 Fagioli: Reviewing the Evidence on Admission Policies and Diversity in Higher Education
Glutamotransferase in the chick embryo during incubation.

IN recent years the role of glutamine in the metabolism of nitrogenous compounds and in peptide synthesis has attracted increasing attention1. Much may be learned about the function of a compound in fundamental biochemical processes by studying the enzymatic system concerned with its metabolism during growth and differentiation. As a first contribution to this problem, we wish to report on the distribution of glutamotransferase in the chick embryo during development. This enzyme catalyses the exchange of the amide group with hydroxylamine or other amines. For full activity, glutamotransferase from mammalian and avian tissue requires manganous salt, phosphate and traces of adenosine triphosphate.
TU‐A‐224‐01: Practical Research Advice: NIH Navigation and Grantsmanship

This 1‐hour symposium will be aimed at introducing new (or junior) AAPM members engaged in research to NIH funding. Recently there have been new changes to the grant submission process. and new initiatives to enhance research using “Multiple‐PI” models. We plan to have two segments. The first segment would be to present some of the tools available within the NIH website and how to navigate through it; present briefly the new changes to the submission process and focus on the new scoring system and the new review criteria that would be essential to submitting a successful grant. The second segment will cover aspects on how to set‐up a clinical research program. This would include practical advice for those researchers who are not at the “NIH submission” level yet as well as the many medical physicists that do not have protected research time but are still eager to do clinically relevant research that sometimes could lead to NIH funding. The symposium will be followed with a 10–15 min interactive Q&A session with the audience. Learning objectives: 1. Navigate the NIH website and learn about the new tools 2. New changes to the NIH scoring system 3. New NIH review criteria 4. Practical advice for those researchers who are not at the “NIH submission” level yet.
Evaluating occupational health and safety programs in the public sector

Background Two case studies are presented of public sector occupational health and safety (OHS) program evaluations, one of an occupational medicine and safety program (OMSP), one of an employee assistance and wellness program (EAWP). Methods Both audits involved interviews with key personnel, review of written documentation and physical resources, chart audits, and surveys of the programs' stakeholders. Results Key findings of the OMSP evaluation were that the various functions were substantially hampered by the absence of an integrated information system. Mechanisms for effective coordination, communication, and feedback were also lacking. The EAWP audit concluded that it provided a valuable and needed service. The mission, staff, facilities, and services offered were in line with the needs of the served community. Discussion Differences between private and public sector OHS program evaluation include programmatic and environmental factors such as resource availability, organizational structure, and accountability. Similarities include trends in both sectors forcing programs to justify themselves in terms of economic benefits to their respective organizations. Am. J. Ind. Med. 34:600–606,1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Materials science: Bubble wrap of cell-like aggregates.

Using a microfluidic device, tiny polymeric capsules have been made in which different compounds can be isolated in separate, membrane-bound compartments — a prerequisite for the development of artificial cell aggregates.
The treatment of tardive dyskinesia with baclofen

Thirty-one psychiatric outpatients with tardive dyskinesia (TD) on neuroleptic medication were followed in a double-blind, randomized trial comparing baclofen (30–90 mg per day) to placebo. A repeated measures analysis of variance revealed no statistical difference between the baclofen-treated group and the placebo group for the group and the placebo group for the total Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) scores. There was a trend (P=0.09) for an initial improvement, then a worsening of frequency counts across four visits. The authors attempt to explain this finding on the basis of information obtained from animal research.
Characterization of Organomagnesium Modified Kel-F Polymers as Column Packings

Abstract The reactivity of Kel-F (polychlorotrifluoroethylene) with a variety of Grignard reagents and the HPLC separation capability of these modified packings have been compared. Columns packed with long alkyl (C-8 or C-18) modified Kel-F 6061 supports had poor lifetimes while short alkyl (CH3) modified fluoropolymers did not produce effective separations. Aromatic modified Kel-F 6300 polymers, particularily phenyl supports, were both pressure stable and useful for the retention of various functionalized aromatics as well as the separation of simple drug mixtures.
The Politics of Bilingual Education in the People's Republic of China Since 1949

Abstract The constant struggle between accommodationism and integrationism within the Chinese Communist Party divides its minorities policy and the Chinese government's language policy into three stages since 1949. The first pluralistic stage (1949–1957) recognized minorities' language rights, established infrastructures for minority education, and developed prototypes of bilingual education. The Chinese-monopolistic stage (1958–1977) unified language policies for Chinese and minority languages, promoted Chinese over minority languages in education, and reduced bilingual education to the minimal. The second pluralistic stage (1978 present) has legislated for bilingual education, revived it, and significantly developed it, but also faced its dilemmas. The Chinese experience represents, only from one perspective, the limitation of minorities' rights to and choices of education in their native languages worldwide.
Plant functional types and climate at the global scale

Abstract. Globally applicable sets of terrestrial plant functional types (PFTs) have been identified as a major need in the development of dynamic global vegetation models for use with global atmospheric models. Global sets of PFTs should represent the world's most important plant types; characterize them through their functional behavior; and provide complete, geographically representative coverage of the world's land areas. Three main schools of thought on PFTs have emerged: (1) a physiological focus on internal function, especially at the level of basic metabolism; (2) an ecological focus on function in relation to plant form and environmental conditions; and (3) a geophysical focus on how plant functions affect the adjacent atmosphere. A structural approach based on pheno-physiognomy permits ready identification of relatively familiar, recognizable plant types. Many of the criteria cited by other approaches also are intimately related to structure and its seasonal changes. An earlier global system of structural-functional PFTs and their climatic relations has been improved, including addition of less well-known plant types, and is briefly described. A more strictly ‘functional’ approach is proposed, in which major aspects of plant function, initially metabolism and water balance, are used to classify functional types and suggest how these are constrained by climate. Such functional considerations, however, are closely linked to structural manifestations - but also require other functional criteria for more completely functional classifications. A recent global model of potential natural vegetation types suggested ca. 15 major plant types as necessary to cover the world's main terrestrial vegetation patterns. These essential types correspond well with a first-cut set of structural types implied by metabolic considerations.
Retailers' offerings and elderly consumers' needs: Do retailers understand the elderly?

Abstract Elderly consumers are becoming an important segment for retailers to consider, due to growth in numbers and purchasing power. Research has found the elderly to have special needs in the marketplace. However, no research has established whether retailers understand those needs and whether they are providing them. This study uses nationally distributed samples of elderly consumers (1,482) and retail store managers (161) for such a comparison. Retailers were found to place a greater emphasis on profit-related factors, while convenience and product-related aspects were desired by the elderly consumer. The findings suggest a number of steps that retailers can take to more effectively meet the needs of the elderly.
Treatment and outcomes in diabetic breast cancer patients

Effective breast cancer management is more complex with diabetes present and may contribute to poor outcomes. Therefore, we conducted two simultaneous systematic reviews to address the association of diabetes with (1) treatment patterns in breast cancer patients and (2) breast cancer recurrence rates or breast cancer-specific and all-cause mortality. We searched major databases for English language peer-reviewed studies through November 2013, which addressed either of the above research questions, following the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) method. Analyses compared treatment patterns or health outcomes for breast cancer subjects with and without diabetes. We used STROBE quality criteria and conducted a random-effects meta-analysis of all-cause mortality. The review yielded 11 publications for question 1 and 26 for question 2, with nine overlapping. Treatment studies showed chemotherapy was less likely in patients with diabetes. Of 22 studies, 21 assessing all-cause mortality indicated a statistically significant increased overall mortality for patients with diabetes (hazard ratios: 0.33–5.40), with meta-analysis of eligible studies indicating a 52 % increased risk. Nine studies assessing breast cancer-specific mortality had inconsistent results, with five showing significantly increased risk for diabetes patients. Results were inconsistent for recurrence and metastases. The majority of studies reported detrimental associations between diabetes and optimal treatment or all-cause mortality among women with breast cancer. Divergence in variable and outcomes inclusion and definitions, potential participation bias in individual studies, and differing analytic methods make inferences difficult. This review illuminates the importance of the impact of diabetes on breast cancer patients and explicitly recognizes that co-management of conditions is necessary to prevent excess morbidity and mortality.
The DDN Catalytic Motif Is Required for Metnase Functions in Non-homologous End Joining (NHEJ) Repair and Replication Restart

Metnase (or SETMAR) arose from a chimeric fusion of the Hsmar1 transposase downstream of a protein methylase in anthropoid primates. Although the Metnase transposase domain has been largely conserved, its catalytic motif (DDN) differs from the DDD motif of related transposases, which may be important for its role as a DNA repair factor and its enzymatic activities. Here, we show that substitution of DDN610 with either DDD610 or DDE610 significantly reduced in vivo functions of Metnase in NHEJ repair and accelerated restart of replication forks. We next tested whether the DDD or DDE mutants cleave single-strand extensions and flaps in partial duplex DNA and pseudo-Tyr structures that mimic stalled replication forks. Neither substrate is cleaved by the DDD or DDE mutant, under the conditions where wild-type Metnase effectively cleaves ssDNA overhangs. We then characterized the ssDNA-binding activity of the Metnase transposase domain and found that the catalytic domain binds ssDNA but not dsDNA, whereas dsDNA binding activity resides in the helix-turn-helix DNA binding domain. Substitution of Asn-610 with either Asp or Glu within the transposase domain significantly reduces ssDNA binding activity. Collectively, our results suggest that a single mutation DDN610 → DDD610, which restores the ancestral catalytic site, results in loss of function in Metnase.
AN EXAMPLE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF NATURAL REMANENT MAGNETIZATION IN THE INTERPRETATION OF MAGNETIC ANOMALIES

An example is given from the Gulf of Aden of a total intensity magnetic anomaly which cannot be explained by a body assumed to be magnetized in the direction of the Earth's present magnetic field. It is enferred that the natural remanent magnetization is much greater than the induced magnetization and computations have been made which suggest the presence of igneous rocks with a reverse magnetization. The example illustrates that it is important to know the ratio of remanent to induced magnetization and the direction of remanent magnetization for the correct interpretation of magnetic anomalies.
On Vertically Propagating Coastal Kelvin Waves at Low Latitudes

Abstract Vertically propagating coastal internal Kelvin waves (IKWs) forward by the alongshore component of the wind at the coast are studied, utilizing an f-plane model of a continuously stratified ocean with a vertical eastern boundary. With an infinitely deep ocean, several initial value problems that illustrate the basic properties of the forced flow are presented. For a wind stress at the surface that is localized in time and space, changes in amplitude and frequency with depth are predicted. Far from the forcing region, the response represents a non-uniform wavetrain of free IKWs characterized by local frequencies and wavenumbers. The group velocity vector is directed downward and poleward while the phase propagation is upward and pole-ward. For forcing by a traveling wind with fixed frequency σ and horizontal wavenumber l and with step functions at an alongshore location y = 0 and at t = 0, the response near and far from y = 0 has a different qualitative behavior. Near y = 0 a maximum in alongshore...
Seasonality and Increasing Frequency of Greenland Glacial Earthquakes

Some glaciers and ice streams periodically lurch forward with sufficient force to generate emissions of elastic waves that are recorded on seismometers worldwide. Such glacial earthquakes on Greenland show a strong seasonality as well as a doubling of their rate of occurrence over the past 5 years. These temporal patterns suggest a link to the hydrological cycle and are indicative of a dynamic glacial response to changing climate conditions.
Expanding clinical role of unique class III antiarrhythmic effects of sotalol.

Abstract The concept of controlling cardiac arrhythmias by prolonging repolarization was first exemplified in the electrophysiologic properties of sotalol. It has since been shown to be a property shared by an increasing number of compounds. Sotalol has an additional propensity for blocking β receptors; therefore, its net effects in controlling arrhythmias result from its β-blocking actions as well as lengthening the refractory period of cardiac muscle. The properties of amiodarone, another class III agent, are even more complex. The potency of these 2 agents must therefore be distinguished from the so-called “pure” class III agents, which may exhibit a more restricted spectrum of action. Available data indicate that prolonged QT interval (the correlate of prolonged cardiac repolarization) merely provides the substrate for antifibrillatory and proarrhythmic actions relative to the absence or presence of associated pharmacologic properties of the compounds or to the clinical setting in which these compounds are used. Thus, class III agents might be expected to exhibit a variable spectrum of efficacy as antifibrilatory drugs with an equally variable incidence of torsades de pointes and so induce a proarrhythmic effect. An understanding of the mechanisms underlying these differences, especially at a cellular level, may provide the basis for the development of newer, cinically relevant antiarrhythmic and antifibrillatory compounds.
Thalidomide as initial therapy for early-stage myeloma

Patients with early-stage myeloma are typically observed without therapy until symptomatic disease occurs. However, they are at high risk of progression to symptomatic myeloma, with a median time to progression of approximately 1-2 years. We report the final results of a phase II trial of thalidomide as initial therapy for early-stage multiple myeloma in an attempt to delay progression to symptomatic disease. In total, 31 patients with smoldering or indolent multiple myeloma were studied at the Mayo Clinic. Two patients were deemed ineligible because they were found to have received prior therapy for myeloma, and were excluded from analyses except for toxicity. Thalidomide was initiated at a starting dose of 200 mg/day. Patients were followed-up monthly for the first 6 months and every 3 months thereafter. Of the 29 eligible patients, 10 (34%) had a partial response to therapy with at least 50% or greater reduction in serum and urine monoclonal (M) protein. When minor responses (25-49% decrease in M protein) were included, the response rate was 66%. Three patients had progressive disease while on therapy. Kaplan-Meier estimates of progression-free survival are 80% at 1 year and 63% at 2 years. Major grade 3-4 toxicities included two patients with somnolence and one patient each with neuropathy, deep-vein thrombosis, hearing loss, weakness, sinus bradycardia, and edema. Thalidomide has significant activity in early-stage myeloma and has the potential to delay progression to symptomatic disease. This approach must be further tested in randomized trials.
Impaired performance from brief social isolation of rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta): a multiple video-task assessment.

Social isolation has been demonstrated to produce profound and lasting psychological effects in young primates. In the present investigation, two adult rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) were isolated from one another for up to 6 days and tested on 7 video tasks designed to assess psychomotor and cognitive functioning. Both the number and the quality (i.e., speed and accuracy) of responses were significantly compromised in the social isolation condition relative to levels in which the animals were tested together. It is argued that adult rhesus are susceptible to performance disruption by even relatively brief social isolation, and that these effects can best be assessed by a battery of complex and sensitive measures.
The measurement of infrared dispersion in solids by a method based on small particle scattering.

A method of measuring the components of the complex index of refraction of solids near the reststrahlen region is described. The method is based on the scattering of electromagnetic radiation by small particles, and it is applied here to the cases MgO, LiNbO3, CdF2, and PbF2.
Boundary-Layer Separation From Downstream Moving Boundaries

The laminar boundary-layer equations for incompressible flow with a mild adverse pressure gradient were numerically solved for flows over downstream moving boundaries. It was demonstrated that the vanishing of skin friction in this case is not related to separation.2 Indeed the integration proceeds smoothly through a point of vanishing skin friction and further downstream a Goldstein-type singularity appears at a station where all the properties of separation according to the model of Moore, Rott, and Sears are present. It is also numerically demonstrated that the singular behavior is not uniform with n, the distance perpendicular to the wall, but it is initiated at a point away from the wall leaving below a region of nonsingular flow. The foregoing points provide numerical justification of the general theoretical models of unsteady boundary-layer separation suggested by Sears and Telionis.
Outcome of heart transplantation in patients with amyloid cardiomyopathy.

Background We retrospectively reviewed the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) database to assess the survival of patients with amyloidosis who were treated by heart transplantation. Methods Over a 15-year period, 69 patients had received orthotopic heart transplants and were entered into the database with the diagnosis of amyloidosis. The cohort consisted of 38 men and 31 women. Mean age was 51 years. Results There were 5 operative deaths and 29 late deaths at a mean follow-up of 40 months. Nine patients died of amyloid-related complications, and one developed graft vasculopathy and was retransplanted. Conclusions Survival was influenced by recipient's sex (1-year survival 84% for men vs 64% for women, p = 0.003) but not by transplant era, ischemia time, or UNOS status.
Perennial grass management impacts on runoff and sediment export from vegetated channels in pulse flow runoff events.

Abstract The goal of the United States Congress is to replace 30% of United States petroleum with biofuels by 2030. If this goal will be accomplished, it is estimated that 25–50% of the land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) have its biomass removed. However, the purpose of many conservation practices enrolled in CRP is to improve or maintain water quality and not to serve as a source of biomass. This study was conducted to determine if biomass removal has an effect on runoff and sediment export from vegetated channels during low intensity storms that occur frequently. In June 2006, 24 channels were created that measured 2 m × 10 m. The treatments of grass species (big bluestem, corn, smooth bromegrass, and switchgrass) and biomass removal (removed, not removed) were applied to the channels in a split-plot arrangement. Three times in 2007 and 3 more times in 2008, a 787 L load of water with suspended sediment was drained on the head and sides of each experimental unit and the entire load of water that ran off was collected, weighed, and sampled for sediment concentration. Biomass removal increased runoff and sediment by an average of 15% over the two years of the study. The channels planted to perennial C4 grasses were most effective at reducing runoff and sediment export, while the corn was consistently the least effective at reducing runoff and sediment export.
Regional differences in the kinematic and thermodynamic structure of African easterly waves

This study examines regional differences in the structure of African easterly waves (AEWs) at four locations between East Africa and the East Atlantic in a 12 yr (1998–2009) climatology. We focus on the cold-core convectively active portions of the AEWs, which are typically found between 5 and 15°N. African easterly wave composites are produced from three reanalyses using the tracks of synoptic-scale middle tropospheric vorticity maxima. The vertical structure of temperature and vorticity in the composite AEWs are related to regional differences in the climatological and vortex-centred diabatic heating and diabatic potential vorticity (PV) generation profiles from the reanalyses. In addition, differences in AEW structure and activity between the three reanalyses are related to differences in rainfall and diabatic heating between the reanalyses. The climatological diabatic heating over East Africa, which is associated mostly with latent heating, peaks at 450 hPa with diabatic cooling below 750 hPa. In contrast, the convectively active West African coast and the East Atlantic have increased diabatic heating in the lower troposphere. Due to these regional differences in diabatic heating, diabatic PV generation peaks near 700 hPa over the continent and below 800 hPa over the East Atlantic. Moving westwards from East Africa to the East Atlantic, AEW composites have weaker lower tropospheric cold cores and significantly increased lower tropospheric vorticity within the convectively active troughs. The shape of the diabatic heating and PV generation profiles within the trough of the regional AEW composites are similar to the climatological profiles in each respective region. This suggests that regional differences in moist convection, particularly the land-ocean contrast, provide a strong constraint on the diabatic process within the AEW trough and therefore the vertical structure of the AEWs.
Association between household income and the outcome of arthroplasty: a register-based study of total hip and knee replacements

Introduction Previous research findings regarding the association between the outcomes of total hip and knee arthroplasty and patients’ socioeconomic status have been contradictory. Consequently, we wanted to analyse whether individual-level household income was associated with the risk of revision arthroplasty and whether the time span in days from the primary arthroplasty to the revision operation varied according to income quintile.
Practice guidelines for the management of electrical injuries.

There has been increasing emphasis on the development of practice guidelines and validated measurements to evaluate surgical practice. Initiatives such as the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) have demonstrated the importance of an outcome-based approach to improving surgical care. The development of guidelines and outcome-based benchmarks requires established standards of practice that should be based on level I data from welldesigned prospective randomized trials. Electrical burns are potentially devastating injuries with both shortand long-term sequelae. In 2001, the American Burn Association published a set of practice guidelines for various aspects of burn care in the Journal of Burn Care and Rehabilitation. However, guidelines for the management of electrical burns were not included. Two fundamental—and controversial—issues in the management of electrical burns are cardiac monitoring and evaluation and treatment of the injured upper extremity. We have reviewed and analyzed the available literature in an effort to develop practice guidelines for these two important issues.
C. elegans BLOC-1 functions in trafficking to lysosome-related gut granules.

The human disease Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome results from defective biogenesis of lysosome-related organelles (LROs) and can be caused by mutations in subunits of the BLOC-1 complex. Here we show that C. elegans glo-2 and snpn-1, despite relatively low levels of amino acid identity, encode Pallidin and Snapin BLOC-1 subunit homologues, respectively. BLOC-1 subunit interactions involving Pallidin and Snapin were conserved for GLO-2 and SNPN-1. Mutations in glo-2 and snpn-1,or RNAi targeting 5 other BLOC-1 subunit homologues in a genetic background sensitized for glo-2 function, led to defects in the biogenesis of lysosome-related gut granules. These results indicate that the BLOC-1 complex is conserved in C. elegans. To address the function of C. elegans BLOC-1, we assessed the intracellular sorting of CDF-2::GFP, LMP-1, and PGP-2 to gut granules. We validated their utility by analyzing their mislocalization in intestinal cells lacking the function of AP-3, which participates in an evolutionarily conserved sorting pathway to LROs. BLOC-1(−) intestinal cells missorted gut granule cargo to the plasma membrane and conventional lysosomes and did not have obviously altered function or morphology of organelles composing the conventional lysosome protein sorting pathway. Double mutant analysis and comparison of AP-3(−) and BLOC-1(−) phenotypes revealed that BLOC-1 has some functions independent of the AP-3 adaptor complex in trafficking to gut granules. We discuss similarities and differences of BLOC-1 activity in the biogenesis of gut granules as compared to mammalian melanosomes, where BLOC-1 has been most extensively studied for its role in sorting to LROs. Our work opens up the opportunity to address the function of this poorly understood complex in cell and organismal physiology using the genetic approaches available in C. elegans.