cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Physical Studies of Dilute Bile Salt-Lecithin Mixtures

A series of dilute bile salt-lecithin mixtures has been characterized using the techniques of quasielastic light scattering, lH nuclear magnetic resonance, and enzyme kinetics. Taken together, these studies confirm the formation of unilamellar vesicles from dilution of micellar mixtures, and they provide a dynamic structural picture of key molecular aggregates involved in fat digestion and transport.
CONTROL OF GROWTH OF MAMMALIAN CELLS

Abstract: Factors that control the initiation of DNA synthesis in mouse embryo 3T3 cells and in small lymphocytes are reviewed. It is concluded that a wide variety of different substances can be active. Many of these substances presumably act on the cell membrane. The possible roles of cyclic nucleotides and membrane properties are discussed.
Rapid lysis of deep vein thrombosis by low molecular weight heparin.

A 76-year-old man was evaluated for discomfort and swelling of the right lower leg 4 days after incision and drainage of an abscess on the plantar surface of the left foot due to osteomyelitis. The patient experienced discomfort on dorsiflexion of the right foot (Homans' sign) and on direct posterior-to-anterior compression of the right calf. Composite imaging of the right lower extremity by venous Doppler ultrasonography (Fig. 1A) revealed intraluminal echoes (small arrows) that indicated thrombus in the popliteal vein (left); this vessel could not be compressed because its lumen was occupied by thrombus (right). Figure. A = artery; V = vein The patient was treated with low molecular weight (LMW) heparin (60 mg administered subcutaneously every 12 hours) and warfarin (5 mg administered orally each day). Four days later, the discomfort and swelling of his right leg resolved rapidly. Follow-up venous ultrasonographic composite imaging of the right lower extremity (Fig. 1B) revealed a completely patent popliteal vein (left) that was now fully compressible (right). There was no evidence of proximal embolization because the patient's presenting symptoms improved. No new signs developed, nor were there any symptoms suggestive of acute pulmonary embolism. When the international normalized ratio (INR) reached 2.0, the LMW heparin was discontinued. The patient was discharged and instructed to continue wearing compression stockings and to keep taking oral warfarin for at least 3 months. He has experienced no recurrence in the 15 months since treatment. Figure. A = artery; V = vein
Pneumocystis Jiroveci (Pneumocystis Carinii) Infections

Pneumocystis jiroveci (previously, carinii) was identified in 1909. It was implicated as the cause of interstitial plasma cell …
An end-to-end deep learning architecture for extracting protein–protein interactions affected by genetic mutations

The BioCreative VI Track IV (mining protein interactions and mutations for precision medicine) challenge was organized in 2017 with the goal of applying biomedical text mining methods to support advancements in precision medicine approaches. As part of the challenge, a new dataset was introduced for the purpose of building a supervised relation extraction model capable of taking a test article and returning a list of interacting protein pairs identified by their Entrez Gene IDs. Specifically, such pairs represent proteins participating in a binary protein-protein interaction relation where the interaction is additionally affected by a genetic mutation-referred to as a PPIm relation. In this study, we explore an end-to-end approach for PPIm relation extraction by deploying a three-component pipeline involving deep learning-based named-entity recognition and relation classification models along with a knowledge-based approach for gene normalization. We propose several recall-focused improvements to our original challenge entry that placed second when matching on Entrez Gene ID (exact matching) and on HomoloGene ID. On exact matching, the improved system achieved new competitive test results of 37.78% micro-F1 with a precision of 38.22% and recall of 37.34% that corresponds to an improvement from the prior best system by approximately three micro-F1 points. When matching on HomoloGene IDs, we report similarly competitive test results at 46.17% micro-F1 with a precision and recall of 46.67 and 45.59%, respectively, corresponding to an improvement of more than eight micro-F1 points over the prior best result. The code for our deep learning system is made publicly available at https://github.com/bionlproc/biocppi_extraction.
Formulation of a minimum variance deconvolution technique for compensation of pneumatic distortion in pressure sensing devices

Increasingly, aircraft system designs require that aerodynamic parameters derived from pneumatic measurements be employed as control-system feedbacks. Such high frequency pressure measurements' accuracy is compromised by pressure distortion due to frictional attenuation and pneumatic resonance within the sensing system. A pneumatic distortion model is here formulated and reduced to a low-order state-variable model which retains most of the full model's dynamic characteristics. This reduced-order model is coupled with standard results from minimum variance estimation theory to develop an algorithm to compensate for pneumatic-distortion effects.
Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase Inhibition for Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy: A Meta-Analysis of Placebo-Controlled Trials

Abstract Background: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy is characterized by pain, numbness, and tingling in the hands and feet and by diminished quality of life. Multiple previous studies, ...
Valorization of aqueous waste streams from thermochemical biorefineries

Thermochemical conversion of lignocellulosic biomass is a promising route to produce fuels and oxygenated chemicals and could enable circular carbon utilization. In most thermochemical conversion processes, however, some chemical co-products are lost in aqueous waste streams that are both dilute and heterogeneous. Cost-competitive isolation of these chemical co-products is challenging due to the high-purity requirements typically necessary for bulk chemical production. Here, we demonstrate the production and isolation of two biomass-derived monomers, phenol and catechol, from a comprehensively characterized aqueous waste stream generated via catalytic fast pyrolysis. Specifically, we separate phenol and catechol to 97 wt% purity using the industrially relevant processes of liquid–liquid extraction, distillation, and recrystallization. Techno-economic analysis predicts that a mixed phenolics stream can be produced from the waste stream at a minimum selling price of $1.06 kg−1. Overall, this work demonstrates an approach to high-purity oxygenated aromatic compounds that is potentially economically feasible and technically achievable which increases the atom efficiency of thermochemical conversion through waste stream valorization.
(Extra)Ordinary People and French National Identity in Xabi Molia’s Les Premiers: Une histoire des super-héros français

Xabi Molia’s novel Les Premiers: Une histoire des super-heros francais (2017) imagines a spectacular eruption of the fantastic in contemporary French society. After Hollande’s “president normal” an...
The Production and Potential Detection of Hexamethylenetetramine-Methanol in Space.

Numerous laboratory studies of astrophysical ice analogues have shown that their exposure to ionizing radiation leads to the production of large numbers of new, more complex compounds, many of which are of astrobiological interest. We show here that the irradiation of astrophysical ice analogues containing H2O, CH3OH, CO, and NH3 yields quantities of hexamethylenetetramine-methanol (hereafter HMT-methanol; C7N4H14O) that are easily detectible in the resulting organic residues. This molecule differs from simple HMT, which is known to be abundant in similar ice photolysis residues, by the replacement of a peripheral H atom with a CH2OH group. As with HMT, HMT-methanol is likely to be an amino acid precursor. HMT has tetrahedral (Td) symmetry, whereas HMT-methanol has C1 symmetry. We report the computed expected infrared spectra for HMT and HMT-methanol obtained using ab initio quantum chemistry methods and show that there is a good match between the observed and computed spectra for regular HMT. Since HMT-methanol lacks the high symmetry of HMT, it produces rotational transitions that could be observed at longer wavelengths, although establishing the exact positions of these transitions may be challenging. It is likely that HMT-methanol represents an abundant member of a larger family of functionalized HMT molecules that may be present in cold astrophysical environments.
Negligible Effect of Vibrational Polaritons on Chemical Reaction Rates via the Density of States Pathway.

We show that the polariton density of states in planar optical cavities strongly coupled to vibrational excitations remains much lower than the density of vibrational states even at the frequency o...
Workability Testing and Analysis for Bulk Forming Processes

A workability test procedure has been developed using cylindrical upset tests and bend tests. Variation of the upset specimen aspect ratio (height-to-diameter ratio) and of lubrication of the compression dies produces a variety of stress and strain combinations at the free surface of the cylinders. Bend tests extend the range of available stress and strain states, and are also useful in cases where cylindrical upset test specimens are impractical. In either test, measurements of grid deformations at the surface permit calculation of the surface strains and, with the aid of plasticity equations, surface stresses. Results show that the surface tensile and compressive strains at fracture fit a straight line relationship having a slope of - ½ and an intercept along the tensile strain axis. The intercept depends on material, composition, structure, and surface condition. Such results have been found for a variety of ferrous and nonferrous alloys, as well as sintered powder metals at cold and hot working temperatures. The fracture-strain relationship determined by workability tests can be used for workability analysis of bulk-forming processes. Progressive strain relationships in critical regions of the workpiece of interest are determined through plasticity analysis or through measurements on model materials. These relationships are compared with the fracture strain relationship to determine the likelihood of defect formation and to suggest alterations of the process for improved workability. This approach has been used for analysis of cracking in various modes of flow generic to forging, such as formation of hubs, flanges, rims, and gear teeth; it has been also applied to specific forged parts.
Successful Cessation Programs that Reduce Comorbidity May Explain Surprisingly Low Smoking Rates Among Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients

Recent, non-peer-reviewed reports and meta-analyses suggest that smoking may reduce the risk of hospitalization with COVID-19, because the prevalence of smoking among hospitalized COVID-19 is less than that of the general population. However, there are two alternative classes of explanations for this phenomenon. Class (1) is the failure to report, or to accurately record, smoking history during emergency hospital admissions and other interviews. Face-to-face interviews can introduce bias into the responses to attitudinal and behavioral questions not present in the self-completion interviews typically used to measure smoking prevalence in the general population. Subjects in face-to-face interviews may be unwilling to admit socially undesirable behavior and attitudes under direct questioning. For example, urine testing of hospitalized patients for cotinine showed that smokers were under-counted by 37% because incoming patients failed to inform staff about their smoking behavior. Class (2), various types of “reverse” causation, including a pre-disposition to avoid smoking among COVID-19 patients with tobacco-related comorbidities, may also contribute to the difference between smoking prevalence in the COVID-19 and general population. Patient cohorts hospitalized with COVID-19 may be less prone to use tobacco than the general population. A potentially robust “reverse causation” hypothesis for reduced prevalence of smokers in the COVID-19 population is enrichment of patients in the population with serious comorbidities that have previously motivated them to quit smoking. We ask whether this “smoking cessation” mechanism accounts for a detectable fraction of the reduced prevalence of smokers in the COVID-19 population. Testing this hypothesis will require a focused research program.
Risk stratification and clinical outcome in the atypia of undetermined significance category in the Milan System for Reporting Salivary Gland Cytopathology.

Background Atypia of undetermined significance (AUS) is a category of the Milan System for Reporting Salivary Gland Cytopathology that refers to salivary gland fine-needle aspiration (FNA) specimens that cannot be definitively diagnosed as neoplastic or nonneoplastic. Methods The AUS FNA samples were selected from a large academic institution from 2008 through 2018. The AUS cases were divided into 6 subgroups. The risk of malignancy (ROM), risk of neoplasm (RON), and clinical outcomes for each subgroup were evaluated. Results A total of 123 cases were found (76 males and 47 females with a mean age of 62 years [range, 6-94 years]). The parotid gland was the most common FNA site (103 cases), followed by the submandibular gland (9 cases). The overall RON and ROM were 63% and 47%, respectively. Among the subgroups, salivary gland lymph nodes or lymphoid lesions was the most common diagnosis (42%), whereas mucinous cystic lesions with no or a scant epithelial component was the least common (2%). The specimens with preparation artifacts category had the highest RON and ROM (100% for both), whereas the reactive and reparative atypia indefinite for a neoplasm category had the lowest RON and ROM (7% for both). The salivary gland lymph nodes or lymphoid lesions indefinite for a lymphoproliferative disorder category had the second highest RON and ROM at 77% and 74%, respectively. Conclusions The overall RON and ROM for the AUS category were 63% and 47%, respectively. The RON and ROM varied among the different AUS subgroups, being highest in the specimens with preparation artifacts category and lowest in the reactive and reparative atypia category, thereby demonstrating the importance of subgrouping in the AUS specimens.
Variable-Frequency Controlled Interleaved Boost Converter

Efficiency over the entire power range is an important performance metric for traction applications since electric vehicles (EVs) operate at very different power levels, in particular, lower power levels are more common for city driving. DC-DC converters operated under conventional pulse-width modulation (PWM) techniques at constant switching frequency experience significantly lower efficiencies at low power levels. To cope with this issue, this work addresses a bidirectional discontinuous-conduction mode (DCM) and variable-frequency control strategy for a three-phase interleaved boost converter to provide an improvement of the system efficiency at low power levels. The validity and effectiveness of the proposed approach are demonstrated by both simulation and experimental results on a 10-kW prototype.
The Winding Path to Degree: Obstacles to Higher Education for Low-Income Single Mothers

Single mothers have the lowest rates of degree completion of any demographic group when they pursue higher education as a path out of poverty. This article explores the obstacles student mothers fa...
“I was just going over there as a nurse”: Introduction

This chapter serves as an introduction to Army Nurse Corps Voices from the Vietnam War: Eight Women, One War. Thousands of women joined the Army Nurse Corps in the 1960s and served their country during the Vietnam War. This is the story of eight women, nurses who went to Vietnam to care for the wounded. Their memories, reflections, and perspectives reveal their lived experience while serving in the Army Nurse Corps in Vietnam and document the effect of the war on their personal and professional lives post-war. This chapter identifies the main themes and arguments of this work and includes a discussion of oral history methodology and memory theory. Chapter summaries are also included in this chapter.
Optimal production planning and machinery scheduling for semi-arid farms

Abstract Scarce water resources have made production planning a key management decision in the agriculture sector, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. To address this issue, farmers can gradually adopt low-water-use crops, such as guar and guayule, which have great potential for the agricultural economy of the Southwestern U.S. The farmers’ profits can be further increased by reducing machinery transportation costs through optimized scheduling. For such purpose, this paper introduces a farm production planning and machinery scheduling optimization model for perennial and non-perennial crops that maximizes the farmers’ net present value. The optimization model allows for multi-crop production planning, multi-machinery scheduling, and crop rotation. To address the water scarcity problem in arid and semi-arid regions, perennial and non-perennial low-water-use crops can be considered in the crop rotation. Based on the Geographic Information System, the optimal scheduling routes are determined and the irrigation water requirements are analyzed. The resulting model yields a complex large-scale integer linear optimization problem. The model is assessed on two case studies, one for the guar crop (non-perennial) considering parcels located at the Cochran and Hockley counties in Texas and another case study for the guayule crop (perennial) considering parcels located in Pinal County in Arizona.
Atypical presentation of anti-HMGCR myopathy

Immune-mediated necrotising myopathy is a subtype of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy characterised by muscle fibre necrosis without significant inflammatory infiltrate. Anti-3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR) myopathy is seen in 6%-10% of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy and is diagnosed in the context of elevated serum creatine kinase levels, proximal muscle weakness and anti-HMGCR autoantibodies. We recently encountered a 61-year-old man with anti-HMGCR myopathy with an atypical skin manifestation, partially responsive to triple therapy with steroids, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and rituximab. To our knowledge, there have been only four reported cases of skin rash associated with anti-HMGCR myopathy. Our case demonstrates the importance of recognising atypical manifestations of anti-HMGCR myopathy. Early addition of IVIG and rituximab is also critical in patients not responding to steroid monotherapy. Delay in achieving remission leads to prolonged steroid use, lower likelihood of beginning physical therapy and overall worse clinical outcomes.
Fuels from Oil Shale, Tar Sands, Biomass, Waste

Oil shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock. It consists mostly of inorganic material (rock), with smaller amounts of organic material that is generally hydrocarbon in nature, but with various other atoms in many of the molecules. In the field of chemistry organic chemistry is basically the chemistry of compounds containing carbon. For purposes of this discussion, and as the term is used in relation to fuels, organic material may be considered to be carbon-based material that can be burned. The inorganic material is a shale and may be considered to be rock, which cannot be burned.
Topical and parenteral penicillin therapy in Ritter's disease

Summary 1. Four patients with Ritter's disease have been treated with topical andparenteral penicillin with 100 per cent recovery. 2. It is believed that the results obtained were due to the prevention ofcomplications. 3. The etiology, diagnosis, complications, and treatment of Ritter's disease are briefly discussed.
Interfacing with the numerical homotopy algorithms in PHCpack

PHCpack implements numerical algorithms for solving polynomial systems using homotopy continuation methods. In this paper we describe two types of interfaces to PHCpack. The first interface PHCmaple originally follows OpenXM, in the sense that the program (in our case Maple) that uses PHCpack needs only the executable version phc built by the package PHCpack. Following the recent development of PHCpack, PHCmaple has been extended with functions that deal with singular polynomial systems, in particular, the deflation procedures that guarantee the ability to refine approximations to an isolated solution even if it is multiple. The second interface to PHCpack was developed in conjunction with MPI (Message Passing Interface), needed to run the path trackers on parallel machines. This interface gives access to the functionality of PHCpack as a conventional software library.
Insights into Innovation

What can engineers learn from evolutionary biologists? Plenty, according to Erwin and Krakauer in their Perspective, which discusses a recent workshop devoted to biological and technological invention and innovation.
Scattering from corner reflectors; a hybrid approach

The scattered fields from dihedral and trihedral corner reflectors are computed using a hybrid method. This hybrid method employs the UTD (universal geometrical theory of diffraction) to compute the scattered fields from the corner reflector, on a surface (S) enclosing it. Then, these fields are used to find the equivalent electric and magnetic currents on S. These currents are then used in radiation integrals to find the scattered fields from the corner reflector. Good agreement is shown with moment-method results. >
Languages and Machines: An Introduction to the Theory of Computer Science

A presentation of the theory of computing, including coverage of the theory of formal languages and automata, compatability, computational complexity, and deterministic parsing of context-free languages.
Characteristics and controlling factors of dispersion in bounded heterogeneous porous media

[1] In this study, we present first-order (in terms of the log conductivity variance) analytical solutions to displacement covariances Xij and macrodispersion coefficients Dij for transport of conservative solutes in two-dimensional, bounded heterogeneous porous media. These solutions are presented as infinity series and are explicit functions of the statistics of the log hydraulic conductivity. Using numerical examples, the convergence of these solutions in terms of the number of terms in truncated finite summations is first investigated, and the accuracy of these solutions is examined by comparing them with results from Monte Carlo simulations and the semianalytical solutions of Osnes (1998). Through several examples, the general features of time-dependent Xij and Dij are discussed. Unlike in unbounded domains, the longitudinal macrodispersivity D11 for bounded domains does not approach an asymptotic value at large dimensionless time but instead increases quickly near the downstream constant head boundary. In addition, D11 for bounded domains is always larger than that in unbounded domains, and accordingly, the transverse macrodispersivity D22 in bounded domains is smaller than that in unbounded domains. These differences stem from the lateral no-flow boundaries in our bounded domain models. We also investigated the effect of domain sizes on Xij and Dij. Our study shows that both Xij and Dij depend not only on the dimensionless size of the domain but also on its aspect ratio. The dependence of Xij and Dij on the particles' initial location has also been investigated at detail. Our results indicate that while this dependence is very small for X11 and D11, the release location has a significant impact on both X22 and D22. Our solutions to both displacement covariances and macrodispersivity are compared against those derived from tracer test data at the Borden site. The comparison shows that our solutions are quite close to observed data, indicating that they may be applicable to predict solute transport at the field scale.
Secret agent radio: covert communication through dirty constellations

In this paper we propose a novel approach to implement high capacity, covert channel by encoding covert information in the physical layer of common wireless communication protocols. We call our technique Dirty Constellation because we hide the covert messages within a "dirty" constellation that mimics noise commonly imposed by hardware imperfections and channel conditions. The cover traffic in this method is the baseband modulation constellation. We leverage the variability in the wireless channel and hardware conditions to encode the covert channel. Packet sharing techniques and pre-distortion of the modulated symbols of a decoy packet allows the transmission of a secondary covert message while making it statistically undetectable to an adversary. We demonstrate the technique by implementing it in hardware, on top of an 802.11a/g PHY layer, using a software defined radio and analyze the undetectability of the scheme through a variety of common radio measurements and statistical tests.
Homologous plasmid recombination is elevated in immortally transformed cells

Abstract The levels of intramolecular plasmid recombination, following transfection of a plasmid substrate for homologous recombination into normal and immortally transformed cells, have been examined by two independent assays. In the first assay, recovered plasmid was tested for DNA rearrangements which regenerate a functional neomycin resistance gene from two overlapping fragments. Following transformation of bacteria, frequencies of recombinationlike events were determined from the ratio of neomycin-resistant (recombinant) colonies to ampicillin-resistant colonies (indicating total plasmid recovery). Such events, yielding predominantly deletions between the directly repeated sequences, were substantially more frequent in five immortal cell lines than in any of three normal diploid cell strains tested. Effects of plasmid replication or interaction with T antigen and of bacterially mediated rejoining of linear molecules generated in mammalian cells were excluded by appropriate controls. The second assay used limited coamplification of a control segment of plasmid DNA, and of the predicted recombinant DNA region, primed by two sets of flanking oligonucleotides. Each amplified band was quantitated by reference to a near-linear standard curve generated concurrently, and recombination frequencies were determined from the ratio of recombinant/control DNA regions. The results confirmed that recombinant DNA structures were generated within human cells at direct repeats in the transfected plasmid and were markedly more abundant in an immortal cell line than in the diploid normal cells from which that line was derived.
The collective excitation of g-modes in the sun

Oscillations of the solar interior (linear g-modes) may be strongly driven by the collective influence of all the modes upon the nuclear reactions in the core. This heretofore neglected effect could couple the modes, reduce the effective amplitudes near the center, and spatially concentrate most of the oscillation energy into just a portion of the radiative interior. If operating at sufficient strength, this can reverse the conventional conclusion, drawn from single mode calculations, that almost all solar g-modes are damped. Furthermore, it would put the theory into rough harmony with three otherwise troubling observations: (1) the “low” neutrino flux measured by Davis (1978), (2) the high correspondence found by Wolff (1976) between recurrence periods in solar activity and the rotational beat periods of g modes, and (3) the fluctuations in the sun's diameter which imply g-mode activity at high angular harmonics (Hill and Caudell 1979). A nonlinear expression is derived for the local rate of work done on an array of oscillation modes by the nuclear reactions. Three additional tests of the model are suggested.
Physiological properties of rod photoreceptor electrical coupling in the tiger salamander retina

Using dual whole-cell voltage and current clamp recording techniques, we investigated the gap junctional conductance and the coupling coefficient between neighbouring rods in live salamander retinal slices. The application of sinusoidal stimuli over a wide range of temporal frequencies allowed us to characterize the band-pass filtering properties of the rod network. We found that the electrical coupling of all neighbouring rods exhibited reciprocal and symmetrical conductivities. On average, the junctional conductance between paired rods was 500 pS and the coupling coefficient (the ratio of voltage responses of the follower cell to those of the driver cell), or K-value, was 0.07. Our experimental results also demonstrated that the rod network behaved like a band-pass filter with a peak frequency of about 2-5 Hz. However, the gap junctions between adjacent rods exhibited linearity and voltage independency within the physiological range of rods. These gap junctions did not contribute to the filtering mechanisms of the rod network. Combined with the computational modelling, our data suggest that the filtering of higher frequency rod signals by the network is largely mediated by the passive resistive and capacitive (RC) properties of rod plasma membranes. Furthermore, we found several attributes of rod electrical coupling resembling the physiological properties of gene-encoded Cx35/36 gap junctions examined in other in vitro studies. This indicates that the previously found Cx35/36 expression in the salamander rod network may be functionally involved in rod-rod electrical coupling.
Structure of the Multidrug Transporter EmrD from Escherichia coli

EmrD is a multidrug transporter from the Major Facilitator Superfamily that expels amphipathic compounds across the inner membrane of Escherichia coli. Here, we report the x-ray structure of EmrD determined to a resolution of 3.5 angstroms. The structure reveals an interior that is composed mostly of hydrophobic residues, which is consistent with its role transporting amphipathic molecules. Two long loops extend into the inner leaflet side of the cell membrane. This region can serve to recognize and bind substrate directly from the lipid bilayer. We propose that multisubstrate specificity, binding, and transport are facilitated by these loop regions and the internal cavity.
Effects of water deficit on gas-exchange parameters and ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase activation in wheat

Abstract Two spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes, Anza, drought resistant, and Chenab 70, drought susceptible, were used to study the effects of a slowly developing water stress on gas-exchange parameters and ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBPCase; EC 4.1.1.39) activities. By day 7 of the experiment, the two genotypes exhibited similar declines in stomatal conductance (g) (by 77%) and photosynthetic CO2 assimilation rate (A) (by 33%). However, their leaf relative water content (RWC) was still 90% and total (CO2/Mg2+ activated) RuBPCase activities had declined only by 12%. By day 12, RWC decreased to 67% for Chenab 70 and 58% for Anza plants, while g was reduced by more than 95%, and A was reduced by 71% for both genotypes. Thus, Anza plants maintained the same A as Chenab 70 plants even though their RWC was less. Total soluble protein decreased by 30% for Chenab 70 and 43% for Anza plants, while a 12% average reduction in chlorophyll occurred. Over the 12-day experiment, an average 31% reduction in RuBPCase activity occurred for both genotypes. However, the proportion of RuBPCase in the activated state did not change (for Anza) or declined by only 9% (for Chenab 70) over the course of the experiment. These data suggest that changes in in vivo RuBPCase activities are not a major consequence of moderate to severe water deficits in spring wheat.
Monotonicity of the reflected Bessel transition density on the diagonal

Abstract For α ∈ R , let p R ( t , x , x ) denote the diagonal of the transition density of the α -Bessel process in ( 0 , 1 ] , killed at 0 and reflected at 1. As a function of x , if either α ≥ 3 or α = 1 , then for t > 0 , the diagonal is nondecreasing. This monotonicity property fails if 1 ≠ α 3 .
Cranked HFB calculations for 32S and 36Ar

Abstract Cranked Hartree-Fock-Bogolyubov calculations are made for 32 S and 36 Ar. Solutions with isospin = 0 p, n pairing are found for all angular momentum values using the Yale T -matrix and Brueckner G -matrix two-body potentials. The 36 Ar solution has the unusual feature that the pairing correlations are a maximum at J = 4ℏ rather than J = 0.
The many faces of pay variation

Abstract Research on pay variation and organizational outcomes has yielded inconsistent results. We argue that this is due to a lack of construct clarity regarding pay variation, and we attempt to provide clarification by distinguishing among the sources and types of pay variation. Using these distinctions, we integrate different theoretical perspectives on pay variation, and we propose avenues through which different kinds of pay variations affect outcomes. This clarification also elucidates some measurement concerns affecting pay variation studies.
Evolution of the electronic Raman scattering of high-Tc superconductors with doping

Abstract For Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8±δ superconductors electronic Raman scattering from high- and low-energy excitations has been studied in relation to the hole doping level, temperature and energy of the incident photons. For underdoped superconductors we conclude that: short range antiferromagnetic correlations persist with hole doping; the holes bind in local preformed pairs of B 1g symmetry and 600 cm −1 binding energy; the pair concentration increases with temperature reduction until they gain partial coherence and condense into a collective superconducting state.
Physical conditions in the cool parts of prominences and spicules - The effects of model atom level truncation on the derived plasma parameters

The effects on calculated lower-level population densities of the truncation of Na and Sr(+) model atoms are determined in the context of the present spectral diagnostic scheme for solar prominences and spicules. It is shown that neglect of the upper atomic levels in Na, in particular, leads to overestimates in electron density and gas pressure by factors of about 2 and about 4, respectively, and to underestimates in the degree of hydrogen ionization and in the line-of-sight thickness of emitting material again by factors of about 2 and about 4, respectively. The implications of the revised emitting region extents, in particular, on the validity of the diagnostic method for these features are discussed.
Internal Evaluation: A Synthesis of Traditional Methods and Industrial Engineering

In evaluation as it has been practiced, requirements for specialized training have caused a trade-off between rigor of method and the extent of program staff’s involvement in the evaluation process. There is a way to remove the trade-off between “rigor” and “use,” by applying industrial engineering (IE) tools that, though sophisticated and powerful, are packaged to facilitate use by people with relatively little specialized training. One level of IE use in evaluation simply adds tools to the evaluators’ toolbox. The second level employs the methodological abilities of evaluators to adapt and improve IE tools. Several problems must be solved in order to achieve the necessary integration. These include inserting the new evaluation technology into program settings, training and education, and developing a different kind of relationship between professional evaluators and those who work in settings where evaluation takes place.
Do You Know Who's at Risk? Screening for Critical Congenital Heart Disease Using Pulse Oximetry

Newborn Care Poster Presentation Purpose for the Program Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a common birth defect that affects approximately 8 of every 1,000 infants. Infants with critical CHD may appear asymptomatic during the first few days of life. Timely diagnosis of this disease is critical to the well‐being of these infants. Early detection of critical CHD can help improve the prognosis and decrease both the morbidity and mortality rates of affected infants. What is the best approach to implementing a practice change in a large community academic teaching center? Proposed Change To implement bedside screening for infants with critical CHD using pulse oximetry. Following the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Heart Association, a multidisciplinary team at a level III hospital convened to determine the best way to implement a critical CHD screening program. A review of the literature identified pulse oximetry as a useful screening tool for critical CHD. Pulse oximetry is noninvasive, readily available, cost‐effective, and can be performed by the bedside nurse. Used in conjunction with the physical examination, pulse oximetry can help identify infants who may require further evaluation. Implementation, Outcomes, and Evaluation The implementation process and education process for our practice change began in January 2012. A timeline was presented to outline our implementation process that included policy development, staff education, a time management pilot, and documentation changes. In February, we began the pilot to screen infants between 24 hours of age and 28 hours of age. At the conclusion of the 3‐month pilot, over 1,200 infants were screened for critical CHD. Three infants were identified as "at risk" and required additional evaluation and follow‐up. Challenges and barriers often present themselves when implementing a practice change. Sharing those opportunities can be an educational process for others. For example, our pulse oximetry equipment led to the decision to perform oxygen saturation readings in direct sequence as opposed to parallel readings. Improved communication between nurses and physicians led to the development of a follow‐up evaluation process and improved electronic documentation. Implications for Nursing Practice Our program was strengthened by the use of an algorithm that guided the clinical decision‐making process when screening results were analyzed. Education and practice sessions reinforced staff awareness and skills required to perform critical CHD screening. Ongoing evaluation allows us to assess the value of our process and implement change when necessary to improve our program.
GPU-accelerated 3D large-signal device simulation using the particle-in-cell code ‘Neptune’

We present large-signal, 3D simulations of vacuum electronic slow-wave amplifier operation using the GPU-accelerated FDTD-PIC simulation code, ‘Neptune’. Neptune implements a self-consistent, charge-conserving, electromagnetic, particle-in-cell algorithm optimized for parallel execution in both multi-core CPU and GPU processors. Significant performance gains achieved using a 512-core Nvidia GTX-580 graphics card are demonstrated.
Polymorphonuclear leucocyte (PMN)‐derived inflammatory cytokines—regulation by oxygen tension and extracellular matrix

The kinetics of IL-8, tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and IL-1β release by PMN adhered to fibronectin, laminin or plastic for 24h in response to continuousstimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 50ng/ml), n-formyl-Met-Leu-Phe (fMLP; 100mm), or phorbol myristate acetate (PMA; 10ng/ml), was investigated under altered oxygen tension conditions. Cell supernatants were sampled for cytokine content every 6h and measured by ELISA. IL-8 was the most abundant cytokine, produced in a range of up to 5.4ng/ml; TNF-α and IL-1β were produced in a range of up to 1ng/ml. During normoxia, LPS was the most potent stimulus, inducing the release of each cytokine, while fMLP showed a less pronounced effect on IL-8 and IL-1β production and markedly inhibited TNF-α production. PMA markedly suppressed IL-8 and IL-1β release and failed to induce any release of TNF-α. Hypoxia had an overall inhibitory effect on cytokine release except for PMA-induced IL-1β release, and hypoxia/reoxygenation had a significant up-regulating effect except for a further inhibition of fMLP-induced release of TNF-α. Integrin–matrix protein ligation differentiated both spontaneous and externally induced cytokine release and its sensitivity to alteration in oxygen tension. Thus the process of PMN elaboration of inflammatory cytokines is controlled on multiple levels of signal transduction, differentiated by integrin–extracellular matrix interactions, and is sensitive to alterations in microenvironmental oxygen tension.
Nonequilibrium behavior and defect diffusion in laser heating of semiconductors

A new theoretical framework for modeling the nonlinear laser heating of semiconductors is presented by incorporating the dynamical behavior of semiconductors; the temperature-carrier coupling, the generation and recombination of defects, the diffusion of defects, the diffusion of impurities by defect-dopant pair mechanism, and chemical reaction between species. In this study, we apply our model to n-type silicon irradiated by a nanosecond pulsed Nd:YAG laser. The dynamical evolution of laser-semiconductor interaction process is examined by calculation of carrier, defect, and impurity concentration profiles.
Energy-dependent contraction of swollen heart mitochondria--activation by butacaine.

Abstract Butacaine and certain other local anesthetics markedly stimulate the rate, extent, and efficiency of respiration-dependent contraction of heart mitochondria in nitrate salts at alkaline pH. The local anesthetics also induce respiratory control associated with contraction (i.e., the elevated rate of respiration during contraction declines to a State 4-like controlled rate when contraction is complete) so that the reaction at alkaline pH closely resembles the rapid and highly efficient process seen at neutral pH. Respiration-dependent contraction appears to be an osmotic response to cation extrusion on an endogenous cation/H + exchanger ( G. P. Brierley, M. Jurkowitz, E. Chavez, and D. W. Jung, 1977 , J. Biol. Chem. 252 , 7932–7939). At alkaline pH, net ion extrusion is slow and inefficient due to the elevated permeability of the membrane to monovalent cations through a putative uniport pathway. Butacaine and other local anesthetics seem to decrease influx-efflux cycling of cations at alkaline pH by restricting cation influx through this uniport. Passive swelling at pH 8.3 in nitrate salts indicates that the uniport reaction is sensitive to Ca 2+ and has a cation-selectivity of Na + > K + > Li + . Butacaine does not inhibit passive swelling under these conditions but produces effects identical to those of classical uncouplers and consistent with increased H + conductance and accelerated influx of cations by cation/H + exchange in nonrespiring mitochondria. However, since contraction in respiring mitochondria is inhibited by uncouplers but stimulated by butacaine, it is apparent that butacaine is not an effective proton conductor in energized mitochondria.
Combining optimizer and metamodelling for railcar structural optimization

AbstractStress constraint is a hard issue for structural topology optimization, especially for large-scale structures, e.g. railcars. Another technique is proposed to combine a sizing optimizer with metamodelling for topology optimization. At the lower level, for each topology design sampled within the topology design space, a sizing optimizer finds feasible and optimal solutions in terms of sizing variables (plate thickness in continuum structures). All performance constraints such as stress, displacement, and stability, are handled only at this level. At the upper level, a metamodel is built to fit all the optimal solutions found at the lower level and is optimized for topology design. The only constraints left at the upper level are topological constraints and topological variable bounds. Only the objective function (e.g. weight) versus topological variables, and not the constraints, is approximated. The number of topology design variables is much smaller than those used in many other topology optimiza...
A guideline for incorporating holistic nursing interventions into perianesthesia practice

As alternative or holistic interventions become more popular, perianesthesia nurses will be exposed to more opportunities for providing some of these interventions in their daily practice. This article shares the experience of 1 perianesthesia nurse in developing a holistic interventions program and changing practice to meet patient needs.
Strategic R&D alliance factors that impact innovation success in the biotechnology industry

This paper examined the impact of strategic R&D alliances on biomedical product innovation by small biotechnology firms in the USA. Inferential statistics involving logistic regression modelling was applied to analyse the influence of different types of collaborators on innovation success. The results showed that for start-up companies, an increase in the number of corporate partners was both positively and significantly associated with the firms’ innovation success, as measured by successful product development to the commercialisation stage, but such relationship did not hold for older firms. Moreover, an increase in the number of alliances with universities had no statistically significant association with an improvement in the innovation performance of start-ups nor of older firms. These findings may help inform alliance management by technology managers as they assess and balance the composition of their network of R&D partners to optimise their strategic benefit.
Ocean Color Measurements with the Operational Land Imager on Landsat-8: Implementation and Evaluation in SeaDAS

The Operational Land Imager (OLI) is a multispectral radiometer hosted on the recently launched Landsat­8 satellite. OLI includes a suite of relatively narrow spectral bands at 30 m spatial resolution in the visible to shortwave infrared, which makes it a potential tool for ocean color radiometry: measurement of the reflected spectral radiance upwelling from beneath the ocean surface that carries information on the biogeochemical constituents of the upper ocean euphotic zone. To evaluate the potential of OLI to measure ocean color, processing support was implemented in Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor (SeaWiFS) Data Analysis System (SeaDAS), which is an open-source software package distributed by NASA for processing, analysis, and display of ocean remote sensing measurements from a variety of spaceborne multispectral radiometers. Here we describe the implementation of OLI processing capabilities within SeaDAS, including support for various methods of atmospheric correction to remove the effects of atmospheric scattering and absorption and retrieve the spectral remote sensing reflectance (Rrs; sr−1). The quality of the retrieved Rrs imagery will be assessed, as will the derived water column constituents, such as the concentration of the phytoplankton pigment chlorophyll a.