cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of Non-Constant Enthalpy Addition on Fan-Nozzle Combinations,

Abstract : It has long been recognized that a compressor or a turbine stage loading may be increased, or the efficiency improved for a given loading, by utilizing a non-constant enthalpy addition to the flow along the length of the blade. The resultant non-uniform flow at exit from the stage will itself have losses identified with it if the flow is passed through a nozzle for propulsive purposes. In order to estimate the expected effect on the thrust of the flow non-uniformities, two limiting cases are herein considered. Thus, an engine with non-constant enthalpy addition across the fan stage, but with otherwise perfect components is considered. The flow is then taken to be (a) completely unmixed (isentropic), and (b) fully mixed in an ideal (no sidewall friction) constant area mixer prior to expansion through the nozzle. In each case the resulting net thrust is compared to that which would exist if the same total enthalpy addition to the fluid stream was supplied uniformly. (Author)
Huntington's disease: flipping a switch on huntingtin.

Phosphomimetic mutations at huntingtin (Htt) Ser13 and Ser16 within the conserved N-terminal 17-amino-acid domain profoundly suppresses its toxicity in cell and mouse models of Huntington's disease. New research reveals that cell stress acts as a stimulus for double phosphorylation of endogenous Htt, causing its nuclear translocation, and shows that certain chemicals can target such molecular processes in Huntington's disease cell models.
VOCABULARY GLOSSES IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE READING MATERIALS

Although the glossing of word meanings is a traditional practice in the preparation of foreign language reading materials, research establishing its value has apparently not been undertaken. Drawing its rationale from verbal learning research, this study was designed to investigate two forms of glossing and an attached word list in reading selections having low and high new-word densities for their effects upon vocabulary learning and reading comprehension. The results support neither the view that glosses facilitate vocabulary learning nor that they hamper it. The form of meaning presentation also does not appear to affect reading comprehension for the materials involved.
Hepcidin and iron regulation, 10 years later

Under evolutionary pressure to counter the toxicity of iron and to maintain adequate iron supply for hemoglobin synthesis and essential metabolic functions, humans and other vertebrates have effective mechanisms to conserve iron and to regulate its concentration, storage, and distribution in tissues. The iron-regulatory hormone hepcidin, first described 10 years ago, and its receptor and iron channel ferroportin control the dietary absorption, storage, and tissue distribution of iron. Hepcidin causes ferroportin internalization and degradation, thereby decreasing iron transfer into blood plasma from the duodenum, from macrophages involved in recycling senescent erythrocytes, and from iron-storing hepatocytes. Hepcidin is feedback regulated by iron concentrations in plasma and the liver and by erythropoietic demand for iron. Genetic malfunctions affecting the hepcidin-ferroportin axis are a main cause of iron overload disorders but can also cause iron-restricted anemias. Modulation of hepcidin and ferroportin expression during infection and inflammation couples iron metabolism to host defense and decreases iron availability to invading pathogens. This response also restricts the iron supply to erythropoietic precursors and may cause or contribute to the anemia associated with infections and inflammatory disorders.
Hemodynamic Simulation of an Arterial Bypass Graft: A Longitudinal Study of Remodeling

Arterial bypass grafting is the most common surgical procedure to alleviate critical ischemia and intermittent claudication in patients with peripheral arterial disease. However, the failure rate of bypass grafting remains high; up to 20% within the first year of implantation and up to 50% within five years [1, 2]. The failure of the graft is usually due to occlusion by intimal hyperplasia (IH) followed by thrombosis. Although the exact mechanisms of IH remain unclear, the focal distribution of stenotic lessions suggest that the hemodynamic conditions within the graft are intimately related to the remodelling process [3].Copyright © 2010 by ASME
The toxicity of peach tree roots

The HCN content of peach plants and the effect of this and other substances formed from peach root residues on growth of peach trees and on soil microorganisms were investigated. Peach root bark contained appreciable amounts of HCN. HCN was released from live roots after mechanical injury. Benzaldehyde and KCN were toxic to rooted peach trees in the greenhouse and they inhibited respiration of peach root tips. A similar suppression of respiration was caused by benzoic acid, mandelonitrile, and water extracts of peach root bark incubated in peach and non-peach soils. Extracts from peach soil caused greater inhibition to respiration of peach root tips than extracts from non-peach soil.
Gonadotropin-sensitive progesterone production by rhesus monkey luteal cells in vitro: a function of age of the corpus luteum during the menstrual cycle.

Progesterone production in vitro, in the presence and absence of exogenous gonadotropin, was examined in suspensions of luteal cells isolated by collagenase digestion of rhesus monkey corpus luteum at various stages of the menstrual cycle. Cells isolated during mid-luteal phase (days 15-19) of the cycle secreted progesterone for up to 6 h in vitro. Mid-luteal phase cells were responsive to physiologic concentrations of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), with progesterone production significantly (P<0.05) enhanced by as little as 0.1 ng hCG/ml. Maximal stimulation was obtained with 100 ng hCG/ml. Both macaque chorionic gonado-tropin (mCG) and human luteinizing hormone (hLH) significantly (P0<.01) increased progesterone production, while human follicle stimulating hormone (hFSH) did not. Under control conditions, in the presence of nutrient medium alone (no exogenous gonadotropin), the progesterone synthetic activity of mid-luteal phase cells was significantly (P<0.01)greater than that of cells from late l...
On the electronic structure of iron at core pressures

Abstract The effect of compression on the electronic structure of fee Fe is investigated via a quantum-mechanical calculation. The electronic structure is very stable to at least two-fold compression. The expected collapse to a “3d8 state” occurs at approximately four-fold compression. Thus, the only known alternative to melting as the cause of the inner core-outer core discontinuity seems to be eliminated.
Fast simulation of skeleton-driven deformable body characters

We propose a fast physically-based simulation system for skeleton-driven deformable body characters. Our system can generate realistic motions of self-propelled deformable body characters by considering the two-way interactions among the skeleton, the deformable body, and the environment in the dynamic simulation. It can also compute the passive jiggling behavior of a deformable body driven by a kinematic skeletal motion. We show that a well-coordinated combination of: (1) a reduced deformable body model with nonlinear finite elements, (2) a linear-time algorithm for skeleton dynamics, and (3) explicit integration can boost simulation speed to orders of magnitude faster than existing methods, while preserving modeling accuracy as much as possible. Parallel computation on the GPU has also been implemented to obtain an additional speedup for complicated characters. Detailed discussions of our engineering decisions for speed and accuracy of the simulation system are presented in the article. We tested our approach with a variety of skeleton-driven deformable body characters, and the tested characters were simulated in real time or near real time.
A Bacterial Respiratory Burst: Stimulation of the Metabolism of Neisseria gonorrhoeae by Human Serum

Exposure of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to human serum causes an immediate increase in metabolism, including a fourfold increase in O2 consumption and [14C]adenine uptake and a threefold increase in glucose consumption. These effects were detected at a serum concentration of 1.0% and were maximal at 20%. Serum-stimulated gonococcal metabolism was inhibited by KCN but was not affected by heating or boiling of serum. Dialysis of serum with membrane tubing having a molecular weight exclusion of 3,500 eliminated stimulation of O2 consumption and reduced incorporation of [14C]adenine. Addition of lactate, pyruvate, or cysteine to dialyzed serum had no effect on bacterial metabolism. One in vitro ramification of this observation was demonstrated when gonococci, serum, and polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) were incubated in an O2 monitor. Under these conditions O2 consumption by bacteria stimulated by serum confounded interpretation of results and would be expected to reduce the O2 concentration in the suspension available for microbicidal metabolism by PMNs.
Relative postmortem stability of spinal motoneuronal proteins detectable by two-dimensional electrophoresis

The suitability of using spinal tissue several hours after death for analysis by high resolution two-dimensional electrophoresis has been examined. It was found that many of the proteins of bovine spinal motoneurons detectable on two-dimensional polyacrylamide gels appear to be relatively stablein situ at room temperature during the first postmortem day. When extracts of total proteins from ventral roots and motoneuronal cell bodies isolated from 1-d-old tissue were examined, all spots could be matched to control gels. Upon visual inspection of the gels, postmortem changes in the amount of stain associated with a spot were obvious in three of 364 proteins from isolated motoneuronal cell bodies and none of 237 proteins from ventral roots. Other proteins underwent quantitative changes that were detected only after computer-assisted densitometry on the gels, whereas some did not appear to change at all. In the neuropil surrounding the motoneuron cell bodies, more pronounced changes in protein patterns occurred during the postmortem period. We conclude that properly controlled two-dimensional electrophoretic analyses of postmortem spinal tissue can provide reliable qualitative and quantitative information about the antemortem protein composition of spinal motoneurons.
The CMS electromagnetic calorimeter

The CMS electromagnetic calorimeter, containing 80,000 scintillating lead tungstate crystals is designed to give excellent energy resolution in the LHC environment. An overview of the design is given and the current status of the project presented.
Preparation and characterization of MgO surfaces by reflection electron microscopy

We have employed several different methods to prepare (100) and (111) surfaces of MgO crystals. (100) surfaces prepared by simple cleaving give good reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) patterns and surfaces with a high density of coarse steps. Chemical polishing of this surface results in a roughening of the topography whilst annealing in oxygen considerably smoothens the surfaces although they appear to be contaminated. Under certain conditions we find that the MgO crystals will cleave along the (111) plane. Both cleaved and mechanically polished (111) surfaces are atomically flat and reconstructed after oxygen annealing.
Treatment preferences in recurrent ovarian cancer.

Abstract Objectives. In the case of recurrent ovarian cancer, salvage therapy represents the potential to trade off between quality and quantity of life. Patient and physician face a choice between chemotherapy directed at slowing disease progression and supportive or palliative care that focuses on symptom management. To date, no studies have investigated the effects of best supportive care on ovarian cancer patients' quality of life and length of life as compared to salvage therapy. In other cancers, both quantity and quality of life considerations have been shown to affect treatment preferences. Methods. Using a decision board, we assessed preferences for salvage therapy or palliative care in the case of recurrent ovarian cancer among 81 ovarian cancer patients receiving first-line chemotherapy and 75 Noncancer Controls. Results. Compared to Noncancer Controls, ovarian cancer patients overwhelmingly preferred salvage therapy; quantity of life was of primary importance. In both groups, preference was not related to age, marital status, number of children, or employment status. On average, patients indicated they would switch from salvage therapy to palliative care when the median survival associated with salvage therapy was reduced to 5 months. Noncancer Controls would switch significantly sooner, when the median increment in survival period was reduced to 8 months. Switchpoint was not associated with life satisfaction, quality of life, or psychological or spiritual well-being in either group. Conclusions. The majority of women, independent of a cancer diagnosis, indicated a desire for continuing aggressive treatment, despite poor outcomes. Quality of life was of secondary importance, especially among ovarian cancer patients.
Antibiotics present and future

Here we make a brief survey of the present state of antibiotic research and use. We also describe a novel antibiotic that contains a basic peptide covalently bound to a morpholino oligonucleotide.
A note on interval estimation of the standard deviation of a gamma population with applications to statistical quality control

Abstract Traditional process control charts for a measurement standard deviation are based on the assumption of normality, which may not always be valid. Assuming that measurements follow a gamma distribution, we have obtained an approximate distribution of the sample variance, scaled appropriately. This approximate distribution, which happens to be another gamma model, is used to derive an interval estimate of the population standard deviation. Further, the above approximate gamma model for the sample variance can be used to develop a process control chart as demonstrated by a simulated data set.
An Australian Empire Patriot and the Great War: Professor Sir Archibald T. Strong (1876-1930)

Archibald T. Strong, born in Melbourne, was the son of an Australian scholar who went to an academic post at Liverpool. The younger Strong received his secondary and tertiary education in England. There, he became proficient in modern European languages and literature. He initially planned a career in the law, but for health reasons returned to Australia to the Department of English at the University of Melbourne. Prior to the First World War, Strong became prominent in Melbourne literary circles and also a prolific commentator on world affairs. As an early member of the Round Table group in Australia, Strong assessed Imperial Germany as posing an existential threat to the British Empire and hence to Australia's security. The nation's future, he believed, lay in unwavering defence of the Empire. Strong evinced a distinct impatience with fellow citizens, especially on the socialist left, who failed, in his view, to understand the realities of Australia's position in the world and what was at stake in the Great War.
Total synthesis of bryostatin 16 using atom-economical and chemoselective approaches

The ideal in organic synthesis is to prepare complex molecules in the smallest possible number of steps. Also important is atom economy — limiting waste by ensuring that most of atoms present in the reactants end up in the product. Barry Trost and Guangbin Dong demonstrate these principles to good effect in a synthesis of the naturally occurring compound bryostatin 16 that takes about half as many steps as previous methods. A key reaction is the formation of a large ring, in a palladium-catalysed reaction between two alkynes (hydrocarbons containing carbon-carbon triple bonds). The bryostatins, a group of macrolide lactones originally isolated from coral-like marine organisms, display a range of biological activities including cytotoxicity, and have potential in anticancer and memory enhancement therapies. The ideal in organic synthesis is to prepare complex molecules using the smallest possible number of steps. Also important is atom economy, limiting waste by ensuring that most of atoms present in the reactants end up in the product. This paper demonstrates both of these principles to great effect in the synthesis of bryostatin 16, a biologically active, naturally occurring compound. The synthesis uses nearly half the number of steps of previously reported routes to bryostatins. Of the concepts used to improve the efficiency of organic syntheses, two have been especially effective: atom economy1 (the use of routes in which most of the atoms present in the reactants also end up in the product) and chemoselectivity2 (the use of reactions that take place only at desired positions in a molecule). Synthesis of complex natural products is the most demanding arena in which to explore such principles. The bryostatin family of compounds are especially interesting targets, because they combine structural complexity with promising biological activity3,4,5,6,7. Furthermore, synthetic routes to some bryostatins have already been reported9,10,11,12, providing a benchmark against which new syntheses can be measured. Here we report a concise total synthesis of bryostatin 16 (1), a parent structure from which almost all other bryostatins could in principle be accessed. Application of atom-economical and chemoselective reactions currently under development provides ready access to polyhydropyran motifs in the molecule, which are common structural features of many other natural products. The most notable transformations are two transition-metal-catalysed reactions. The first is a palladium-catalysed reaction of two different alkynes to form a large ring. The product of this step is then converted into a dihydropyran (the ‘C ring’ of bryostatins) in the second key reaction, which is catalysed by a gold compound. Analogues of bryostatin that do not exist in nature could be readily made by following this route, which might allow the biological activity of bryostatins to be fine-tuned.
The effects of substantive and affective conflict in problem‐solving groups

This study tests the consequences of verbally‐expressed affective and substantive conflict in eliciting three characteristics of statements—affective, substantive, and metadiscussional, content. It also tests trends across discussion segments as they affect those three characteristics of statements.
GPR55 is a cannabinoid receptor that increases intracellular calcium and inhibits M current

The CB1 cannabinoid receptor mediates many of the psychoactive effects of Δ9THC, the principal active component of cannabis. However, ample evidence suggests that additional non-CB1/CB2 receptors may contribute to the behavioral, vascular, and immunological actions of Δ9THC and endogenous cannabinoids. Here, we provide further evidence that GPR55, a G protein-coupled receptor, is a cannabinoid receptor. GPR55 is highly expressed in large dorsal root ganglion neurons and, upon activation by various cannabinoids (Δ9THC, the anandamide analog methanandamide, and JWH015) increases intracellular calcium in these neurons. Examination of its signaling pathway in HEK293 cells transiently expressing GPR55 found the calcium increase to involve Gq, G12, RhoA, actin, phospholipase C, and calcium release from IP3R-gated stores. GPR55 activation also inhibits M current. These results establish GPR55 as a cannabinoid receptor with signaling distinct from CB1 and CB2.
Edge-based subband image coding technique for encoding the upper-frequency bands

A subband coding (SBC) scheme, exploiting the dependencies that exist across the bands, is developed which can effectively compress the upper frequency bands of the decomposed image. An edge-detecting filter is incorporated into the SBC model that extracts the edge- pixels in the base-band, and identifies the locations of their counterparts in the upper-bands accordingly without transmission of any overhead information. A memoryless vector quantizing (VQ) scheme was used to encode the base-band. Once the edge-detected reconstructed base-band become available, another VQ coding scheme was employed to encode the upper frequency components across the bands in conjunction with the error derived due to the decoded base-band, only at edge locations. High quality 512 X 512 images were reconstructed at approximately equals 0.7 bits/pixel.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Computational Theory and Cognition in Representational Momentum and Related Types of Displacement: A reply to Kerzel

Kerzel’s (2006) commentary on Hubbard’s (2005) re-view of the literature on representational momentum and related types of displacement highlights differences of interpretation between Hubbard and Kerzel, but also contains mischaracterizations of Hubbard’s position. In this reply to Kerzel, these differences and mischaracterizations are addressed. Issues are briefly considered that involve the following: whether displacement involves multiple processes; the Marr (1982) framework; the relationship of displacement to internalized physics, goodness of perceived motion, apparent motion, and oculomotor overshoot; generalization from flashed objects to moving objects; necessary and sufficient criteria for displacement; and whether the existence of auditory representational momentum provides evidence for a supramodal account of displacement.
Speciation of Soluble Selenium in Agricultural Drainage Waters and Aqueous Soil-Sediment Extracts Using Hydride Generation Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

There are few methods to effectively measure organic selenium [Se(−II)] in natural water and soil-sediment extracts. A method has been developed to determine organic Se(−II) in soil-sediment extracts and agricultural drainage water by using persulfate to oxidize organic Se(−II) and using manganese oxide as an indicator for oxidation completion. This method was used to determine Se speciation in eleven soil-sediments and four agricultural drainage water samples collected from the western United States. Results showed that organic Se(−II) can be quantitatively oxidized to selenite without changing the selenate concentration in the soil-sediment extract and agricultural drainage water and then quantified by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry. Recoveries of spiked organic Se(−II) and selenite were 96−105% in the soil-sediment extracts and 96−103% in the agricultural drainage water. Concentrations of soluble Se in the soil-sediment extracts were 0.0534−2.45 μg/g, of which organic Se(−II) account...
A vision revisited: two years later on health reform in the USA.

For the first time in history, we will have a major reform enacted without a bipartisan support for doing so. We’ll challenge it every place we can … we’ll fight everywhere. John McCain, Republican Senator from Arizona, 22 March 2010 Today we are affirming that essential truth, a truth every generation is called to discover for itself, that we are not a nation that scales back its aspirations. Barack Obama, President of the USA, 23 March 2010 In this Journal in 2009, we described the scenarios that might be expected as President Barack Obama occupied the White House and advanced his commitment to health care reform and global health in the USA.1 This article provides a brief commentary on where this ambitious agenda now stands. Before Mr Obama’s election, he described five priorities for his administration: economic stimulation, energy, health care, restructuring taxes and education. Since taking charge of the office on 20 January 2009, the President has seen these priorities shift in the face of a still-flagging economy, scaling down of the Iraq war …
Revisit Carbon/Sulfur Composite for Li-S Batteries

To correlate the carbon properties e.g. surface area and porous structure, with the electrochemical behaviors of carbon/sulfur (C/S) composite cathodes for lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries, four different carbon frameworks including Ketjen Black (KB, high surface area and porous), Graphene (high surface area and nonporous), Acetylene Black (AB, low surface area and nonporous) and Hollow Carbon Nano Sphere (HCNS, low surface area and porous) are employed to immobilize sulfur (80 wt.%). It has been revealed that high surface area of carbon improves the utilization rate of active sulfur and decreases the real current density during the electrochemical reactions. Accordingly, increased reversible capacities and reduced polarization are observed for high surface area carbon hosts such as KB/S and graphene/S composites. The porous structure of KB or HCNS matrix promotes the long-term cycling stability of C/S composites but only at relatively low rate (0.2 C). Once the current density increases, the pore effect completely disappears and all Li-S batteries show similar trend of capacity degradation regardless of the different carbon hosts used in the cathodes. The reason has been assigned to the formation of reduced amount of irreversible Li2S on the cathode as well as shortened time for polysulfides to transport towards lithium anodemore » at elevated current densities. This work provides valuable information for predictive selection on carbon materials to construct C/S composite for practical applications from the electrochemical point of view.« less
The Tulasnelloid Fungi and their bearing on basidial terminology

Recent proposals concerning the reclassification of the Tulasnellaaceae and the Ceratobasidiaceae are examined and criticized. Considerations of basidial morphology and terminology relevant to the problem are discussed and definitions of basidial terms based on the discussion are suggested.
Charge Burial Energetics and Protein pKa Shifts Modeled with Nonlocal Electrostatics

Continuum electrostatic theory based on the Poisson equation has proven to be a surprisingly effective simple model for understanding protein function, but it has not enjoyed equal success in every application. In particular, calculations of protein pKa shifts have seemed to require substantially different treatment than other calculations. Many groups have found, independently, that pKa calculations match experimental data much better if one adjusts the protein dielectric constant from experimental estimates (which suggest 2 to 5) up to 10 or even higher; this empirically determined parameter has been justified by various physical arguments including implicit protein flexibility. Here we study protein pKa shifts, and charge burial more generally, using numerical simulation and analytical methods to solve Hildebrandt's “structured continuum” formulation of nonlocal electrostatics. Nonlocal solvent response accounts in a simple way for the reduction in dielectric screening that arises at short length scales due to water molecules' finite size and their tendency to form semi-structured networks. We find that the resulting reduction in charge-burial penalties allows the nonlocal model to predict pKa shifts that are comparable in magnitude to shifts computed using the local model with empirically large dielectric constants.
Thermo-expandable intraprostatic stents in bladder outlet obstruction: an 8-year study

Objective To assess the use of a thermo-expandable intraprostatic stent (Memokath®, Engineers and Doctors A/S, Copenhagen, Denmark) for bladder outlet obstruction in men unable to undergo transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), assessing symptoms, complications and duration of stent life. Patients and methods The Memokath stent is a coil of a nickel-titanium alloy which has ‘shape memory’, the lower end expanding when heated to 55 °C. Risks associated with inserting the stent with a flexible cystoscope under local anaesthesia are minimal. Men were selected who were either permanently or temporarily unfit for TURP. Indications included severe respiratory and cardiovascular disease. Exclusion criteria included bladder carcinoma, calculi or detrusor failure; in all, 211 men were fitted with 217 intraprostatic stents over 8 years. Results There were 1511 TURPs during the study period; the mean age of men receiving a stent was 80.2 years, compared with 70.2 years for those undergoing TURP. The International Prostate Symptom Score decreased from a mean of 20.3 to 8.2 (P < 0.001) in the first 3 months after stent placement; there was virtually no change over 7 years. During the follow-up, 38% of men died with their stents in situ, 34% remain alive, 23% have had their stents removed for failure and 4% were removed as they were no longer required. There was a 13% migration rate and 16% repositioning rate. There were few side-effects (pain 3%, haematuria 3%, incontinence 6% and infection 6%). These frail men were more likely to die than have their stent fail. Conclusion The Memokath intraprostatic stent is a valuable addition to the armamentarium of the urologist treating elderly or frail men with advanced bladder outlet obstruction and complements existing technologies.
Improving the strength and service life of jute/epoxy laminar composites for structural applications

Natural fibers are lighter, less expensive, and less abrasive than synthetic fibers such as glass or carbon, and provide a resource that is both renewable and biodegradable. This study uses surface treatments and flock fiber based Z-axis reinforcement technology to improve the strength and fracture toughness properties of natural fiber composites (NFCs), thus increasing their ability to bear loads. The enhancement of performance properties will expand applications of NFCs in industries such as automotive and housing/construction industries. NFCs will also provide a more sustainable, environmentally friendly, and inexpensive structural material alternative over traditional resin reinforced glass or carbon fiber composite materials.
Algorithms for Computing Groebner Bases of Polynomial Ideals over Various Euclidean Rings

Algorithms for computing Grobner bases of polynomial ideals over integers, Gaussian integers and univariate polynomials over a field are discussed. Each of these algorithms takes an ideal specified by a finite set of polynomials as its input; the result is another finite basis of the ideal which can be used to simplify polynomials such that every polynomial in the ideal simplifies to 0 and every polynomial in the polynomial ring simplifies to a unique normal form. These algorithms are closely related to each other and they are extensions of Buchberger's algorithm for computing a Grobner basis of polynomial ideals over a field. A general theorem exhibiting the uniqueness of a reduced Grobner basis of an ideal, determined by the ordering used on indeterminates and other conditions, is given.
Bringing simulation to life: A mixed reality autonomous intersection

Fully autonomous vehicles are technologically feasible with the current generation of hardware, as demonstrated by recent robot car competitions. Dresner and Stone proposed a new intersection control protocol called Autonomous Intersection Management (AIM) and showed that with autonomous vehicles it is possible to make intersection control much more efficient than the traditional control mechanisms such as traffic signals and stop signs. The protocol, however, has only been tested in simulation and has not been evaluated with real autonomous vehicles. To realistically test the protocol, we implemented a mixed reality platform on which an autonomous vehicle can interact with multiple virtual vehicles in a simulation at a real intersection in real time. From this platform we validated realistic parameters for our autonomous vehicle to safely traverse an intersection in AIM. We present several techniques to improve efficiency and show that the AIM protocol can still outperform traffic signals and stop signs even if the cars are not as precisely controllable as has been assumed in previous studies.
Early events in spontaneous bacterial peritonitis

Insight into the very early events in the pathogenesis of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis.
Determinants of mRNA stability in Dictyostelium discoideum amoebae: differences in poly(A) tail length, ribosome loading, and mRNA size cannot account for the heterogeneity of mRNA decay rates.

As an approach to understanding the structures and mechanisms which determine mRNA decay rates, we have cloned and begun to characterize cDNAs which encode mRNAs representative of the stability extremes in the poly(A)+ RNA population of Dictyostelium discoideum amoebae. The cDNA clones were identified in a screening procedure which was based on the occurrence of poly(A) shortening during mRNA aging. mRNA half-lives were determined by hybridization of poly(A)+ RNA, isolated from cells labeled in a 32PO4 pulse-chase, to dots of excess cloned DNA. Individual mRNAs decayed with unique first-order decay rates ranging from 0.9 to 9.6 h, indicating that the complex decay kinetics of total poly(A)+ RNA in D. discoideum amoebae reflect the sum of the decay rates of individual mRNAs. Using specific probes derived from these cDNA clones, we have compared the sizes, extents of ribosome loading, and poly(A) tail lengths of stable, moderately stable, and unstable mRNAs. We found (i) no correlation between mRNA size and decay rate; (ii) no significant difference in the number of ribosomes per unit length of stable versus unstable mRNAs, and (iii) a general inverse relationship between mRNA decay rates and poly(A) tail lengths. Collectively, these observations indicate that mRNA decay in D. discoideum amoebae cannot be explained in terms of random nucleolytic events. The possibility that specific 3'-structural determinants can confer mRNA instability is suggested by a comparison of the labeling and turnover kinetics of different actin mRNAs. A correlation was observed between the steady-state percentage of a given mRNA found in polysomes and its degree of instability; i.e., unstable mRNAs were more efficiently recruited into polysomes than stable mRNAs. Since stable mRNAs are, on average, "older" than unstable mRNAs, this correlation may reflect a translational role for mRNA modifications that change in a time-dependent manner. Our previous studies have demonstrated both a time-dependent shortening and a possible translational role for the 3' poly(A) tracts of mRNA. We suggest, therefore, that the observed differences in the translational efficiency of stable and unstable mRNAs may, in part, be attributable to differences in steady-state poly(A) tail lengths.
Implicit hitting set problems and multi-genome alignment

Let U be a finite set and S a family of subsets of U. Define a hitting set as a subset of U that intersects every element of S. The optimal hitting set problem is: given a positive weight for each element of U, find a hitting set of minimum total weight. This problem is equivalent to the classic weighted set cover problem.We consider the optimal hitting set problem in the case where the set system S is not explicitly given, but there is an oracle that will supply members of S satisfying certain conditions; for example, we might ask the oracle for a minimum-cardinality set in S that is disjoint from a given set Q. The problems of finding a minimum feedback arc set or minimum feedback vertex set in a digraph are examples of implicit hitting set problems. Our interest is in the number of oracle queries required to find an optimal hitting set. After presenting some generic algorithms for this problem we focus on our computational experience with an implicit hitting set problem related to multi-genome alignment in genomics. This is joint work with Erick Moreno Centeno.
Effects of Aging and TGF-Beta 3 on Chondrocyte and Mesenchymal Stem Cell Matrix Formation

Articular cartilage pathology is common in the aged population. Numerous studies have shown that aged chondrocytes (CHs) are inferior to juvenile CHs in their ability to proliferate and produce cartilage-specific extracellular matrix proteins, potentially limiting their use in tissue engineering applications for cartilage restoration [1,2]. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are an alternative cell type that can be expanded in vitro while maintaining their ability to differentiate into cell types comparable to articular chondrocytes. However, organismal aging also influences human MSC proliferation [3,4] and multi-potential differentiation [5], though for chondrogenesis these findings are mixed, with some suggesting that aged progenitor cells retain their chondrogenic capacity [6]. The objective of this study was to assess age related differences in donor-matched CH and MSC potential for chondrogenic repair. In addition, the effects of the chondrogenic growth factor TGF-β3 on CHs and MSCs were evaluated.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Generation and Activation of Multiple Dimeric Transcription Factors within the NF-κB Signaling System

The NF-κB signaling pathway regulates the activity of multiple dimeric transcription factors that are generated from five distinct monomers. The availabilities of specific dimers are regulated during cell differentiation and organ development and determine the cell's responsiveness to inflammatory or developmental signals. An altered dimer distribution is a hallmark of many chronic diseases. Here, we reveal that the cellular processes that generate different NF-κB dimers are highly connected through multiple cross-regulatory mechanisms. First, we find that steady-state expression of RelB is regulated by the canonical pathway and constitutive RelA activity. Indeed, synthesis control of RelB is the major determinant of noncanonical NF-κB dimer activation. Second, processing, not synthesis, of p100 and p105 is mechanistically linked via competitive dimerization with a limited pool of RelA and RelB. This homeostatic cross-regulatory mechanism determines the availability of the p50- and p52-containing dimers and also of the noncanonical IκB p100. Our results inform a wiring diagram to delineate NF-κB dimer formation that emphasizes that inflammatory and developmental signaling cannot be considered separately but are highly interconnected.
Untangling Diffusion from Advection in Unsaturated Porous Media: Experimental Data, Modeling, and Parameter Uncertainty

We conducted a series of experimental and modeling tests using data from the Busted BuƩ e Unsaturated Zone Transport Test. First, we conducted a suite of reacƟ ve (e.g., Li), nonreacƟ ve (Br), and colloidal tracer experiments. These tracers were injected for 190 d from two point sources at rates of 1 and 8 mL/h, respecƟ vely. We then used a numerical simulator (FEHM), populated with laboratory-measured hydrologic properƟ es, to verify that our conceptual model of the tracer test yielded a good fi t to the tracer breakthrough data. AddiƟ onally, we used the AMALGAM-SO and SCEM-UA search algorithms to fi nd opƟ mal parameter esƟ mates in our conceptual model and esƟ mate their (nonlinear) uncertainty. To this end, the FEHM model was executed more than 50,000 Ɵ mes using parallel compuƟ ng on a distributed computer cluster. The experimental and modeling results show that (i) no breakthrough of colloids was observed, low breakthroughs of Li were found, and signifi cant and rapid breakthrough of Br was measured, (ii) measured hydraulic parameters from rock core samples provide a relaƟ vely accurate descripƟ on of fl ow and transport at the scale and fl ow rates of the Busted BuƩ e test, and (iii) the Millington–Quirk model of diff usion as a funcƟ on of volumetric water content can fi t the experimental breakthrough data well; however, (iv) a constant diff usion model with a much lower eff ecƟ ve diff usion coeffi cient also fi ts the data well, and (v) numerous diff erent opƟ mized parameter combinaƟ ons exist that fi t the observed Br data acceptably well. This implies that one should be parƟ cularly careful in assigning values of the unsaturated subsurface fl ow and transport parameters without recourse to examining both parameter and model formulaƟ on uncertainty.
Strain-engineered magnetic phenomena in MnSe/ZnSe, MnTe/ZnTe, and MnSe/ZnTe superlattices

The authors point out that new zinc-blende structural modifications of MnSe and MnTe grown by molecular beam epitaxy offer unique examples of strongly frustrated FCC Heisenberg antiferromagnets. These systems can be obtained either in the form of strained superlattices with significant strain-induced anisotropy in the Mn-Mn exchange, or of nearly isotropic semi-bulk MnTe single films. Neutron diffraction studies show that the strain changes the phase transition order and the domain structure normally seen in unstrained lattices, and in some cases (MnSe/ZnTe superlattices) even produces a transition to an entirely new incommensurate helical spin structure. >
Aging and cancer mortality: dynamics of change and sex differences.

Abstract Age-related changes in cancer mortality risk are important for understanding the processes of disease and aging interaction. The extent to which these age changes differ by sex further contributes to this understanding but has not been well studied to date. We conducted a systematic examination of dynamics and heterogeneity of age changes in cancer mortality rates for the top 14 cancer sites using vital statistics from the NCHS and SEER between 1969 and 2007. We assessed patterns of age changes in site-specific mortality rates in terms of both increase (age slope) and acceleration (change in age slope) as measured by the log–log acceleration rate (LLA). We assessed sex differences in mortality rates through sex mortality rate ratios and sex differences in age changes through comparisons of the LLA by sex. The logged male-to-female mortality ratios are positive but vary substantially with age in magnitude. And the age patterns of sex ratios also vary across sites. The LLA values show similar declines and hence slowdowns of mortality increment into or during old age for both sexes for most sites and periods. Post-reproductive changes in sex differences in cancer mortality are not entirely consistent with the estrogenic hypothesis about the anticarcinogenic effects of sex hormones and suggest the utility of the multistage model of disease progression for some tumor sites. Analysis of age dynamics and sex differences in cancer mortality may modify extant aging-related theories of carcinogenesis and frame future searches for specific explanatory factors.
Independent on-line monitoring of evolving systems

We argue that the trustworthiness of evolving software systems can be significantly enhanced by a rigorous process of independent on-line monitoring. Such monitoring can prevent fraud, encourage careful maintenance, and serve as an early detector of irregularities in the state and behavior of a system. Unfortunately, there is a conflict between the concepts of on-line and independent monitoring. This conflict is due to the fact that on-line monitoring requires the embedding of some kinds of sensors in the base-system. But the introduction of such sensors requires a degree of cooperation with the developers of the base system, and may interfere with the operations of that system, contrary to the requirements of independent monitoring. We describe a way to resolve this conflict by applying the concept of law-governed architecture.
Understanding Visualization by Understanding Individual Users

Visualization is often seen as a tool to support complex thinking. Although different people can have very different ways of approaching the kind of complex task that visualizations support, as researchers and designers we still rarely consider individual differences in creating and evaluating visualizations. This article reviews recent research on individual differences in visualization and human-computer interaction, showing that both cognitive abilities and personality profiles might significantly affect performance with these tools. The study of individual differences has led to the conclusion that advances in this important area in visualization will require more focused research. Specifically, we must isolate the cognitive factors that are relevant to visualization and the design factors that make one visualization more suited to a user than another. In doing so, we could increase our understanding of the visualization user and reshape how we approach design and evaluation.
Integrating multiple representations for incremental, causal simulation

Many engineering problems require the ability to answer 'what if' questions about the effects of complex physical events. To address such problems, the author has implemented MIDAS, a system that can incrementally simulate events and produce causal explanations describing their effects. MIDAS incorporates an explicit causal model of time, change, and persistence. It integrates multiple specialized representations using a truth maintenance system that records belief justifications and enables incremental assertion and retraction of beliefs. MIDAS has been tested in several complex domains, including geology and semiconductor fabrication. >
A generalized model for the yield behavior of epoxy networks in multiaxial stress states

Several yield criteria for glassy polymers are reviewed, and their limitations in predicting the effects of stress state, strain rate, test temperature, and molecular architecture are noted. These criteria are then generalized, so that a working model can be developed for predicting the yield response of glassy networks subjected to a multiaxial state of stress. To form the model, we summarize the phenomenological yield and fracture response of amine cured epoxies. In stress states ranging from uniaxial compression to biaxial tension, the yield response of these glassy networks follows a modified von Mises criterion (T y oct = T yo oct ), when tested at a constant temperature and octahedral shear strain rate, y oct . Furthermore, changes in y oct and molecular weight between crosslinks, M C , affect T yo oct only, and μ remains unchanged. This was shown to be true for a broad range ofM C (380 to 1790 g/mol). Additional results are included to illustrate the effects of temperature and strain rate on yield response. These results show that the yield behavior of epoxy resins is best described by a thermally activated process, similar to an Eyring type process. Finally, we extend the model to include intrinsic properties of the resin (e.g., M C , O, and T g ) and compare the model's predictions with experimental results.
Athletic trainers' skills in identifying and managing athletes experiencing psychological distress

Context: Athletic trainers (ATs) commonly use psychological skills during sport rehabilitation. However, little is known about their ability to accurately implement these skills. Objective: To as...