cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Treatment of Non-Union of Fractures of the Long Bones by the Two-Plate Method

Results of the treatment of non-union of fractures of long bones by internal fixation are reported. Two standard stainless-steel bone plates, applied at an angle of 90 degrees to each other, were utilized in the treatment of fifty-nine fractures with non-union in fifty patients. Fifty-one fractures were followed long enough to permit analysis of the results. Successful union occurred in forty-eight, an incidence of 94.1 per cent. Of the fractures in which this treatment resulted in failure, one united after plate removal, control of infection, and immobilization in a plaster cast; another was replated with resultant union; and the third remained a failure because of infection. The two-plate rigid fixation makes unnecessary, in most cases, the use of external immobilization and affords immediate rehabilitation of adjacent joints. A bone graft, other than that obtained locally, is usually unnecessary and was utilized in only one case in this series. The two-plate method has proved to be clinically successful and mechanically sound. Although it requires considerable mechanical skill and attention to detail, it has become the authors' preferential technique in the treatment of non-union of fractures of long bones.
Response of soils, foundations, and earth structures to the Chilean earthquakes of 1960

Observations and interpretations of damage associated with soil failure in the Chilean earthquakes are presented. Effects of the earthquake are discussed relative to foundations, earth fills, harbor works, and landslides. Damage was extreme in several areas. Of particular interest were the frequent instances of apparent soil liquefaction and the many correlations between foundation conditions and degree of damage to structures.
Two Photon Processes in Free Radical Chemistry

Two-laser, two-color techniques have been used to study reactions involving sequential absorption of two photons (1,2). These processes can be divided in two groups: (A) Two-photon processes leading to ground state free radicals, and (B) Generation of free radicals in monophotonic processes, followed by laser excitation of the radical into an electronic excited state. The developments in these areas are summarized below.
cAMP signaling in brain is decreased in unmedicated depressed patients and increased by treatment with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor

Basic studies exploring the importance of the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) cascade in major depressive disorder (MDD) have noted that the cAMP cascade is downregulated in MDD and upregulated by antidepressant treatment. We investigated cAMP cascade activity by using 11C-(R)-rolipram to image phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4) in unmedicated MDD patients and after ~8 weeks of treatment with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). 11C-(R)-rolipram positron emission tomographic (PET) scans were performed in 44 unmedicated patients during a major depressive episode and 35 healthy controls. Twenty-three of the 44 patients had a follow-up 11C-(R)-rolipram PET scan ~8 weeks after treatment with an SSRI. Patients were moderately depressed (Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale=30±6) and about half were treatment naive. 11C-(R)-rolipram binding was measured using arterial sampling to correct for individual differences in radioligand metabolism. We found in unmedicated MDD patients widespread, ~20% reductions in 11C-(R)-rolipram binding compared with controls (P=0.001). SSRI treatment significantly increased rolipram binding (12%, P<0.001), with significantly greater increases observed in older patients (P<0.001). Rolipram binding did not correlate with severity of baseline symptoms, and increased rolipram binding during treatment did not correlate with symptom improvement. In brief, consistent with the results of basic studies, PDE4 was decreased in unmedicated MDD patients and increased after SSRI treatment. The lack of correlation between PDE4 binding and depressive symptoms could reflect the heterogeneity of the disease and/or the heterogeneity of the target, given that PDE4 has four subtypes. These results suggest that PDE4 inhibitors, which increase cAMP cascade activity, may have antidepressant effects.
A simple test for determining the relative resistance of insulating polymers to the formation and growth of water trees

The purpose of this work was to develop an accelerated test by which insulating polymers could be screened for their relative resistance to the formation and growth of water, or more generally, electrochemical trees. The requirements placed upon the test were that it be simple and inexpensive, reliable and reproducible, and yield results in a reasonably short length of time. The development of the test necessarily centered around the development of a superior method of growing electrochemical trees.
Generation of targeted mutant rice using a CRISPR-Cpf1 system

CRISPR-Cpf1 is a newly identified CRISPR-Cas system, and Cpf1 was recently engineered as a molecular tool for targeted genome editing in mammalian cells. To test whether the engineered CRISPR-Cpf1 system could induce the production of rice mutants, we selected two genome targets in the OsPDS and OsBEL genes. Our results show that both targets could be efficiently mutated in transgenic rice plants using CRISPR-Cpf1. We found that pre-crRNAs with a full-length direct repeat sequence exhibited considerably increased efficiencies compared with mature crRNAs. In addition, the specificity and transmission of the mutation were investigated, and the behaviours of crRNA-Cpf1-induced plant targeted genome mutagenesis were assessed. Taken together, our results indicate that CRISPR-Cpf1 expression via stable transformation can efficiently generate specific and heritable targeted mutations in rice and thereby constitutes a novel and important approach to specific and precise plant genome editing.
Evaluation of omission testing as a method for identifying important odorants in a mixture

University of Minnesota M.S. thesis. September 2016. Major: Food Science. Advisor: Zata Vickers. 1 computer file (PDF); vii, 105 pages.
Reduced electroencephalogram responses to standard and target auditory stimuli in bipolar disorder and the impact of psychotic features: Analysis of event-related potentials, spectral power, and inter-trial coherence

Background Bipolar disorder (BD) is associated with reductions in the P3b event-related potential (ERP) response to target auditory stimuli, which suggests deficits in context updating. Previous studies have typically examined these responses in the temporal domain, which may not capture alterations in specific frequencies of phase-locked or induced electrophysiological activity. Therefore, the present study examined early and late ERPs in temporal and frequency domains in a bipolar sample with and without current psychotic features. Methods The electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded during an auditory oddball task. Seventy-five BD patients and 98 healthy controls (HCs) discriminated between standard and target tones. N1 ERPs to standards and P3b ERPs to targets were analyzed in the temporal domain. Event-related spectral perturbation (ERSP) and inter-trial coherence (ITC) were analyzed in the frequency domain. Results The early N1 response to standard tones was not significantly different between the total HC and BD samples irrespective of psychotic features. However, N1 amplitude was reduced in BD patients with psychotic features (BDP) compared to HCs and BD patients without psychotic features. P3b was reduced in BD patients versus HCs, with the BDP sample having the most reduced amplitude. In the time-frequency analysis, delta and theta ERSP and ITC were reduced across the time window for both standard and target stimuli in BD patients compared to HCs, but did not differ in the psychotic features analysis. Conclusions The results provide neural evidence that BD is associated with disrupted sensory, attentional, and cognitive processing of auditory stimuli, which may be worsened with the presence of psychotic features.
On the metrization of PIGO spaces

Abstract Properties weaker than monotone countable metacompactness are studied in PIGO and compact spaces. GO-spaces with a σ -closed-discrete dense subset and the N Z ( ω ) -property are metrizable generalizing results of Bennett, Hart and Lutzer and Peng and Li on monotonically countably metacompact spaces. NSR pair-families are introduced, and pair-bases that are NSR pair-families or countable unions of such pair-families are studied. By modifying results of Chase and Gruenhage, we show if a space X with a σ -NSR pair-base is compact, then X is metrizable, generalizing recent results by Chase and Gruenhage and some older results of Gruenhage and Nyikos. We show PIGO spaces with a σ -closed-discrete dense subset and a σ -NSR pair-base are metrizable. Relationships between these properties and others in the literature are also established.
Manusmriti, Macaulay's 1860 Penal Code, Neoliberal India, and Queer Cinematic Subjectivities

It is perhaps now, more than ever, in the context of the controversy around section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, inherited from Macaulay's 1860 British Sodomy Law, that it becomes crucial to recog...
Bridging the Last Mile for Optical Switching in Data Centers

Optical switches promise to revolutionize data centers by providing high bandwidth and low latency at low cost. This paper discusses some of the remaining challenges that need to be solved to make this technology successfully deployed in production.
Functional Genome-wide Screen Identifies Pathways Restricting Central Nervous System Axonal Regeneration

Summary Axonal regrowth is crucial for recovery from CNS injury but is severely restricted in adult mammals. We used a genome-wide loss-of-function screen for factors limiting axonal regeneration from cerebral cortical neurons in vitro . Knockdown of 16,007 individual genes identified 580 significant phenotypes. These molecules share no significant overlap with those suggested by previous expression profiles. There is enrichment for genes in pathways related to transport, receptor binding, and cytokine signaling, including Socs4 and Ship2. Among transport-regulating proteins, Rab GTPases are prominent. In vivo assessment with C. elegans validates a cell-autonomous restriction of regeneration by Rab27. Mice lacking Rab27b show enhanced retinal ganglion cell axon regeneration after optic nerve crush and greater motor function and raphespinal sprouting after spinal cord trauma. Thus, a comprehensive functional screen reveals multiple pathways restricting axonal regeneration and neurological recovery after injury.
My Infectious Encounters as an Autistic Epidemic

In contrast to understanding of Autism as an ugly1 disease requiring a cure, I position myself as autistic epidemic - a repulsively yet beautifully contagious activism and blend my story through a crip’d, queer’d temporality2. Intentionally opaque, I resist a naive economism that disabled bodies must perform normatively, legible labor to be valued. In this age of austerity, autistic peer supports can only partially compensate for the lack of available, affordable services.
Design issues of reserved delivery subnetworks

The lack of per-flow bandwidth reservation in today's Internet limits the quality of service that an information service provider can provide. This dissertation introduces the reserved delivery subnetwork (RDS), a mechanism that provides consistent quality of service by implementing aggregate bandwidth reservation. A number of design and deployment issues of RDSs are studied. First, the configuration problem of a single-server RDS is formulated as a minimum concave cost network flow problem, which properly reflects the economy of bandwidth aggregation, but is also an NP-hard problem. To make the RDS configuration problem tractable, an efficient approximation heuristic, largest demands first (LDF), is presented and studied. In addition, performance improvements with local search heuristic is investigated. A traditional negative cycle reduction and a new negative bicycle reduction algorithms are applied and evaluated. The study of RDS configuration problems is then extended to multi-server RDSs. The configuration problem can be similarly formulated as the single-server RDS configuration problem; however, the major challenge of multi-server RDS configuration is the optimal server locations. A number of server placement algorithms are evaluated using simulations. The simulation results show that a class of greedy algorithms provide the best solutions. In addition to configuration problem, the dynamic load redistribution mechanism is studied to improve the tolerance to server failures. A configuration algorithm to build redistribution subnetworks is proposed and evaluated to deal with single server failures in a group of servers. Besides the exclusive bandwidth access, there are potentials to further improve end-to-end performance in an RDS because end hosts can utilize the knowledge about the underlying networks to achieve better performance than in the ordinary Internet. These improvements are illustrated with a source traffic regulation technique to resolve the unbalanced bandwidth utilization problem in an RDS. A per-connection and an aggregated regulation algorithm for single-server and multi-server RDSs are presented and studied.
International Trade Patterns and Policy for Ethanol in the United States

The US trade policy for ethanol affects imports and all aspects of ethanol production and use. The paper reviews U.S. trade policy for ethanol and then examines the pattern of imports of ethanol. Despite high tariff barriers the U.S. is a major ethanol importer and we document the pattern of ethanol imports over the past decades. We then show how ethanol imports have responded to market conditions. We find that the demand for imports is likely to have been very elastic in recent years. Our econometric estimates show how ethanol imports have responded to market conditions. We find a significant supply elasticity for imports into the U.S. of about 3.0. Finally we use the forgoing analysis to discuss potential impacts of trade policy changes under alternative market conditions that depend crucially on domestic biofuel policies.
Bilingual and Monolingual Parents’ Counterstories of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) Meeting:

The Individual With Disabilities Education Act mandates that parents should be active participants in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting. This qualitative study looked at the IEP pr...
Law Enforcement and the Depiction of Minorities and Women on Social Media: A Review of Municipal Police Department Facebook Pictures:

There is a growing area of research today focusing on how the demographics of law enforcement officers and criminals are depicted. This research has concentrated on portrayals by the media, popular...
Slug and Snail have differential effects in directing colonic epithelial wound healing and partially mediate the restitutive effects of butyrate

Although butyrate can promote colonic mucosal healing, not all of its downstream pathways are understood. We show that the Snail genes Snail and Slug are mediators of butyrate responses. Furthermor...
Intravenous Infusion of Liposomal Clodronate Blocks Clearance of Opsonized Erythrocytes in Dogs.

Abstract Immune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia (IMHA) is a spontaneously occurring disease of man and dogs in which immunoglobulin-coated erythrocytes are destroyed in the spleen. Immunosuppressive therapies and splenectomy have been previously used to combat premature destruction of erythrocytes. Liposomal clodronate has been previously shown to be a potent anti-macrophage agent when administered intravenously in a murine model. Splenic macrophages were selectively depleted through the induction of apoptosis following phagocytosis of liposomes containing clodronate. We hypothesized that such an approach might be useful in blocking clearance of erythrocytes in dogs with spontaneous IMHA. Clodronate (dichloromethyl bisphosphonate) was formulated in liposomes (phosphatidyl choline, cholesterol and mannose), according to a previously published technique. The liposomal clodronate was evaluated in vitro for activity using canine and murine histiocytic cell lines, as assessed by cell killing and blocking of erythrophagia. Cell killing was monitored using microscopic evaluation of cell change, MTT and by propidium iodide staining. Blocking of erythophagia was monitored using flow cytometry. In vivo in normal dogs, increasing doses of liposomal clodronate were administered intravenously and evaluated to determine efficacy in blocking erythrocyte clearance and toxicity. Twenty-four hours post infusion, dye-labeled erythrocytes were opsonized using rabbit anti-canine erythrocyte antibody. Erythrocytes clearance was monitored using flow cytometry. The safe and effective dose of liposomal clodronate was determined to be 0.5 ml/kg administered IV via CRI over a 90 minute time period. After administration of intravenous liposomal clodronate in normal dogs, clearance of opsonized erythrocytes was nearly completely blocked at the 0.5 ml/kg dose. In vitro assays indicated that liposomal clodronate induced death of canine macrophage and dendritic cell lines. Five dogs with spontaneous IMHA were treated once with liposomal clodronate at the 0.5 ml/kg dose. Though erythrocyte clearance was not completely blocked, the drug was well-tolerated and all 5 dogs survived to leave the hospital. These studies suggest that liposomal clodronate may be an effective agent for temporary suppression of erythrocyte destruction in IMHA. Additional studies, including evaluation of higher doses of liposomal clodronate, are warranted in dogs with spontaneous IMHA.
Evidence mapping: interventions for American Indian and Alaska Native youth mental health

Background: Suicide is the second leading cause of death for Native youth aged 15-24. Similarly, Native youth have a suicide rate 1.5 times higher than the general population and are at higher risk for depression and substance use. A persistent need remains for culturally specific mental health interventions for American Indian youth.Methods: In response to the push for research-supported interventions, evidence mapping has emerged as systematic, rigorous, and replicable analysis of evidence. The overall goal of this study is to utilize evidence mapping for mental health interventions for American Indian youth.Results: A total of 9 interventions were mapped as research-supported interventions for American Indian mental health. The interventions fell into one or more of four main categories: school-based services, cultural adaptations, culture as treatment, and community involvement.Discussion: Results of this study demonstrate the strength of culturally specific mental health interventions for American Indian youth. Future research should seek to evaluate promising practices for American Indian youth in order to increase available research-supported interventions. Additionally, future endeavors should seek to combine both Indigenous and Western approaches to practice with a particular focus on holistic wellness.
The Design of Clinical Studies for Neuromodulation

Creating successful new neuromodulation therapies requires innovative trial design and the balancing of a wide variety of complex factors. The ultimate goal is to advance our ability to restore appropriate brain function through the targeted manipulation of neural circuits and, to this end, clinical trials should be just as informative in failure as they are in success. Some aspects of neuromodulation trials are common to all clinical studies, while other aspects are fairly specific to invasive neurosurgical interventions for complex neurological and psychiatric disease. This chapter examines the major factors to be considered in constructing clinical studies to investigate the various forms and applications of novel neuromodulation strategies.
The relation between mindfulness and perceived partner responsiveness during couples' vulnerability discussions.

Intimacy develops when a person discloses vulnerability and perceives their partner's response as supportive. However, a published experimental study found that individuals report their partners as less supportive in response to disclosures of specific examples of vulnerability that involve the partner (i.e., partner-inclusive) compared to disclosures that do not involve the partner (i.e., partner-exclusive). This research is an extension of findings from that experimental study and examines how individual differences in mindfulness and disclosure specificity are associated with perceived partner responsiveness during disclosures of partner-inclusive and partner-exclusive vulnerabilities. Cohabiting couples (N = 82) were randomly assigned to engage in either partner-inclusive or -exclusive vulnerability discussions. Each couple engaged in 2 video-recorded discussions so that each person took a turn as discloser and responder. Trained coders rated disclosures for specificity (i.e., whether or not the discloser used specific examples). Following each discussion, couples rated perceived partner responsiveness. Hypotheses were tested with multilevel modeling. Findings suggest that individuals perceived their partners' reactions as less responsive when they disclosed specific, partner-inclusive vulnerabilities and their partners had lower mindfulness. When partners had higher mindfulness, individuals perceived their partners as similarly responsive when disclosing partner-inclusive and -exclusive vulnerabilities, regardless of specificity. Mindfulness may enable couples to remain engaged during partner-inclusive vulnerability discussions leading to higher perceived responsiveness-an integral component of intimacy development. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Finding the Missing Atheists

Anyone who has ever written and distributed a survey knows that the process can oftentimes be drawn out and incredibly tedious. It is almost inevitable that the survey author will realize that they forgot to ask about a specific topic, did not offer enough response options, or did not fully investigate a possible question ordering effect. However, oftentimes these oversights can be seen as opportunities. In the 2010 wave of the Cooperative Congressional Election Study, when individuals were asked about their present religion, the response options did not include a choice for atheists, which is present in all other waves of the CCES. If an atheist was taking the questionnaire in 2010 and did not see the optimal choice that described their religious affiliation, what was their backup option? Using both descriptive analysis and machine learning techniques, we try to determine where these misplaced atheists went in the 2010 CCES. In general, we found that the vast majority chose one of the other religiously unaffiliated options: agnostics or nothing in particular, but a significant minority chose another religious tradition. We believe that these results help illuminate how atheists think about their religious affiliation and give researchers more insight into the religious landscape of the United States.
Applications of synchrotron powder X-ray diffractometry in drug substance and drug product characterization

Abstract While X-ray powder diffractometry (XRD) is a powerful technique for characterizing crystalline phases, the sensitivity of the laboratory instruments can be a serious limitation. The use of synchrotron radiation has substantially enhanced its utility and synchrotron XRD (SXRD) has emerged as a powerful tool for analyzing pharmaceutical materials. The numerous applications of SXRD in both drug substance and drug product characterization have been comprehensively summarized. The applications are categorized into three areas: 1) Detection, characterization and quantification of multiple physical forms of the API in the DS. 2) Similar investigations in complex and multicomponent drug products. 3) Characterization and quantification of phase transformations during processing and storage. Thus, SXRD based studies have assisted pharmaceutical development by enhancing the understanding of mechanisms and kinetics of phase transformations during various pharmaceutical unit operations including crystallization and freeze drying. Subtle and nuanced information has been obtained during DP dissolution and long-term stability studies.
Li-ion battery recycling challenges

Summary Lithium-ion battery (LIB) recycling is critical given the continued electrification of vehicles and mass generation of spent LIBs. However, industrial-level recycling is hampered by a variety of factors that make large-scale recycling difficult while maintaining economic viability. Here, we address these challenges and provide guidance toward solutions and future work.
Interprofessional care of people with multiple chronic conditions: An open-access resource for nursing educators.

Abstract Nurses, nurse practitioners, and other healthcare professionals must be prepared to care for the growing population of patients with multiple chronic conditions, to promote patient engagement, patient self-management, and for interprofessional collaboration. Interprofessional Care of Individuals with Multiple Chronic Conditions is an open-access eLearning course designed to prepare students with these skills. The course features multimedia presentations, interactive exercises, and an immersive “day in the life of a patient-centered medical home” in which learners make decisions, receive feedback, and experience consequences in the context of real-world video scenarios. Three hundred thirty-four nurse practitioner students participated in the educational program. To evaluate the program, we conducted a paired-samples t-test to compare scores on pre and posttest evaluation surveys. There was a significant difference in the scores for applying the Chronic Care Model t (df) = 15.99; p
Phagosomal TLR signaling upon Borrelia burgdorferi infection.

Internalization of live Borrelia burgdorferi followed by their degradation within phagosomal compartments, allows for the release not only of lipoproteins but of other microbial products, such as nucleic acids, needed to elicit a full and broad inflammatory response in monocytes/macrophages. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are key players in the recognition of ligands from whole viable organisms (i.e. vita-PAMPs). Although the immune system has evolved mechanisms to prevent stimulation by self-nucleic acids, nucleic acid-sensing TLRs can trigger innate immune activation resulting in induction of autoimmunity. Endosomal TLR variations could not only lead to an increased susceptibility to Lyme disease, but also determine the severity of its clinical symptoms. With a deeper understanding of the TLR pathways, we will be able to create better treatments and more thoroughly understand the mechanism of disease in patients.
Inhibition of NF-κB Activation and Its Target Genes by Heparin-Binding Epidermal Growth Factor-Like Growth Factor

Many cells upon injury mount extensive, compensatory responses that increase cell survival; however, the intracellular signals that regulate these responses are not completely understood. Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF) has been implicated as a cytoprotective agent. We have previously demonstrated that pretreatment of human intestinal epithelial cells with HB-EGF significantly decreased cytokine-induced activation of inducible NO synthase mRNA expression and NO production and protected the cells from apoptosis and necrosis. However, the mechanisms by which HB-EGF exerts these effects are not known. Here we show that cytokine exposure (IL-1beta and IFN-gamma) induced NF-kappaB activation and IL-8 and NO production in DLD-1 cells. Transient expression of a dominant negative form of IkappaBalpha decreased NO production, suggesting that the cytokines stimulated NO production in part through activation of NF-kappaB. HB-EGF dramatically suppressed NF-kappaB activity and IL-8 release and decreased NO production in cells pretreated with HB-EGF. HB-EGF blocked NF-kappaB activation by inhibiting IkappaB kinase activation and IkappaB phosphorylation and degradation, thus interfering with NF-kappaB nuclear translocation, DNA-binding activity, and NF-kappaB-dependent transcriptional activity. The data demonstrate that HB-EGF decreases inflammatory cytokine and NO production by interfering with the NF-kappaB signaling pathway. Inhibition of NF-kappaB may represent one of the mechanisms by which HB-EGF exerts its potent anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective effects.
Formal Definition of the Quaternary System/Period and Redefinition of the Pleistocene Series/Epoch

The base of the Quaternary System is formally defined for the first time at the base of the Gelasian Stage as defined by the Global Boundary-Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) at San Nicola, Sicily, Italy; the Pleistocene Series is extended downwards to coincide with the base the Gelasian Stage; accordingly, the Gelasian Stage is transferred from the Pliocene Series and Neogene System to the Pleistocene Series and Quaternary System. Ratification by the Executive Committee of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) of these recommendations from the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) followed established procedures of extended, open discussion and deliberation of submitted proposals, and formal voting by the relevant ICS Subcommissions, the ICS Voting Membership, and the IUGS EC. They are now established as global standards.
MicroPET, MicroSPECT, and NIR Fluorescence Imaging of Biomolecules In Vivo

Molecular imaging is a newly merged multidisciplinary subject that requires contributions from biology, medical physics, and chemistry/radiochemistry. Integrin alpha(v)beta(3), a cell adhesion molecule, plays pivotal roles in regulating tumor angiogenesis and the growth of new blood vessels. In this chapter, we use the cell adhesion molecule integrin alpha(v)beta(3) as an example to demonstrate how one can synthesize appropriate arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) peptide-containing probes for visualizing and quantifying the receptor expression in vivo by means of microPET, microSPECT, and NIR fluorescence.
A general education course - Introduction to Algorithmic Thinking - using Visual Logic ©: poster session

"Introduction to Algorithmic Thinking" is a new, General Education, Computer Science course at Rhode Island College, taught for the first time in Fall 2009. This 100-Level course [1]provides an alternative, to students interested in a CS course, beyond the usual computer literacy course - "Introduction to Computers". It introduces, algorithmic thinking, the study of step-by-step procedures for solving problems, with simple applications from various disciplines. The major topics covered are: algorithms, flowcharts, top-down design, selection, repetition, and modularization [1].
Phosphoenolpyruvate Synthetase from Escherichia coli: EFFECTS OF ADENYLATE ENERGY CHARGE AND MODIFIER CONCENTRATIONS

Phosphoenolpyruvate synthetase from Escherichia coli B cells grown with lactate as sole carbon source responds to variation in the adenylate energy charge (the mole fraction of ATP in the adenylate nucleotide pool plus one-half the mole fraction of ADP) in the manner characteristic of enzymes in biosynthetic sequences. This response is appropriate, since conversion of pyruvate to phosphoenolpyruvate is prerequisite to all biosynthetic sequences in lactate-grown cells. The response to energy charge is modulated by feedback inhibition by intermediates in various biosynthetic sequences: α-ketoglutarate, oxalacetate, phosphoenolpyruvate, 3-phosphoglyceraldehyde, and ADP-glucose. In conjunction with the previously demonstrated oppositely-directed response of pyruvate dehydrogenase to energy charge, these effects should assure the proper partitioning of pyruvate between biosynthesis (for which conversion to phosphoenolpyruvate is the first step) and oxidation with concomitant regeneration of ATP (for which conversion to acetyl coenzyme A is the first step).
The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Education: Opening New Windows

Results are summarized from current research projects that explore ways in which Artificial Intelligence models and tools can be incorporated to use the computer more effectively as a teaching aid. In particular the Information Resource Model was designed as a database especially for education. The heart of the model is a graphical query language which achieves hypertext behavior while ameliorating some of the shortcomings of hypertext.
Impact of QoS on Internet User Welfare

In this paper, we investigate the welfare effects of transition from a single-service class to two-service classes in the Internet. We consider an ISP who offers network access to a fixed user base, consisting of users who differ in their quality requirements and willingness to pay for the access. We model user-ISP interactions as a game in which the ISP makes capacity and pricing decisions to maximize his profits and the users only decide which service to buy, if any. Our model provides robust pricing for networks with single- and two-service classes. Our results indicate that transition to multiple service classes is socially desirable, but could be blocked due to the unfavorable distributional consequences that it inflicts on the existing network users. To facilitate the transition, we propose a simple regulatory tool that alleviates the political economic constraints and thus makes the transition feasible.
Integrated MOSFET interface for a synchronously-rectified SMPS

The availability of high-performance bipolar and MOSFET transistors upon the same substrate offers substantial advantages to the linear designer. NPN pulse power transistors combined with MOSFET predrive circuitry yield a high-performance gate driver that requires no DC bias current. Similarly, the availability of NPN transistors allows the use of translinear circuitry for analog computation. A SMPS control IC, incorporating gate drive and current limit circuitry that makes use of these advantages for a BiCMOS synchronously rectified buck switch-mode power supply, is described.
Sliding control of discretized continuous systems via the Euler operator

The idea of "sliding mode control" (SMC) as a robust control method is utilized to control systems whose dynamics can be described by x(t)=(A+/spl Delta/A)x(t)+(B+/spl Delta/B)u(t)+d(t) where /spl Delta/A, /spl Delta/B and d(t) characterize unknown plant parameters and unexpected disturbances respectively. The design is described in the discrete form using the Euler operator, which approaches the Laplace operator as the sampling interval approaches zero. Uncertainty transformation from continuous to discrete time domain, which has not been adequately addressed in the control literature, is included throughout the analysis. Selection of the sliding surface, s=0, is not arbitrary but is dependent on the nominal parameters of the system and on the chosen sampling time. The control is constructed based on the estimation of system perturbations using time delay control. This methodology, towards SMC design, offers a robust control action which is continuous with possibly lower gains than the conventional "bang-bang" input, thus avoiding undesired chattering. Such issues are addressed and the asymptotic stability of the controlled system is analyzed. Finally the proposed controller is studied through simulations and experiment on a direct drive NSK robot arm. The results indicate that the controller is robust to parameter variations and unexpected disturbances. >
A Comprehensive Study of the Chinese Warrants Bubble

We conduct the most comprehensive study to date of the Chinese warrants market in terms of the length of the sample period and the variety of the warrants investigated. During our sample period from August 2005 to September 2009, the underlying Chinese stock market peaked in October 2007, and then crashed dramatically. Starting by the end of October 2008, the market recovered steadily. We examine the pricing of put warrants, as well as covered call warrants and (uncovered) equity call warrants during such market swings. Our analysis indicates that Chinese warrants exhibited large pricing bubbles as their market prices significantly deviated from those implied by option pricing models. We show empirically that the bubble size is positively related to turnover, daily price change, and negatively related to the total number of warrants outstanding. These results are consistent with the prediction of the Greater Fool Theory: an investor buys securities without regard to their fundamental value, but with the hope of quickly selling them off at a higher price to another investor who might also be hoping to flip them quickly. Moreover, we find evidence that the stock price declines associated with the conversion of previously state-owned non-tradable shares into tradable ones dampened the bubble behavior for those companies’ covered call warrants, relative to warrants on companies that did not participate in share conversions.
Ankle arthrodesis with a retrograde femoral nail for Charcot ankle arthropathy.

Background: Tibiocalcaneal arthrodesis with retrograde intramedullary nailing has gained acceptance as a salvage procedure for a multitude of ankle and hindfoot disorders and is frequently used in ...
Bacterial Cytokinesis: FzlA Frizzes FtsZ Filaments for Fission Force

Most bacteria divide by assembling filaments of the tubulin-like protein FtsZ into a cytokinetic ring, which then constricts. A recent study suggests that Caulobacter crescentus uses a novel regulator, FzlA, to activate ring constriction by inducing helical bundles of FtsZ filaments.
Evidence for possible electronic contributions to the W(001) surface phase transition

The calculated surface generalized susceptibility, determined from ab initio self-consistent thin-film energy bands for the unreconstructed phase of W(001), displays a prominent peak at $\overline{M}$ when matrix elements and local-field corrections are included and supports proposed charge-density-wave interpretations of the observed reconstruction to the $c(2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}2)$ phase. These results are consistent with the Debe and King parallel-shift model and the suggestion that $\mathrm{W}(001)c(2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}2)$-H at room temperature represents an impurity-stabilized substrate reconstruction.
Elliptic boundary value problems in unbounded domains with noncompact and nonsmooth boundaries

We study the solvability and the uniqueness inL p (1<p<+∞) of solutions to elliptic boundary value problems related to unbounded domains whose boundaries contain a finite number of corners.
BRST symmetry from a change of variables and the gauged WZNW model

Abstract A lagrangian BRST formalism for treating the change of variables in the path integral is derived and applied to the case of the gauged WZNW model. The proposed method provides a derivation of the BRST charge for such a model.
Ultrastructural localization of glycerolipid synthesis in rod cells of the isolated frog retina.

The incorporation of two glycerolipid precursors,3H-glycerol and3H-choline, into rod cells of the isolated frog retina has been studied using quantitative electron microscope autoradiography. The results indicate that the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is the major site of early incorporation of these precursors suggesting that the ER is the primary site of lipid synthesis. Of the different types of ER present in rod cells, the rough ER (RER) and nuclear envelope predominate in this activity. The organized region of smooth ER (SER) in the subellipsoid region does not appear to be of major quantitative importance, although SER closely intermingled with RER in the myoid region may be involved to some extent. We also compared the pattern of labelling observed at various incubation times in3H-glycerol and3H-choline with that observed with3H-leucine. Differences were observed between the pattern of lipid and protein labelling, particularly in the labelling of the Golgi apparatus, mitochondria, plasma membrane, presynaptic terminals and outer segments. This suggests that lipids and proteins may differ in some aspects of the routes and mechanisms by which they are transported from their sites of synthesis to the membrane delimited compartments for which they are destined.
An Approach to Crop-Hail Insurance Rate Revision

Abstract Hailstorms are meteorological events that have a considerably adverse impact on crop production. Variation of these events in time and space, in turn, influence crop-hail insurance rate structure. Crop-hail insurance companies normally review their rate schedules every 3–5 years. The Illinois State Water Survey, in cooperation with the Crop-Hail Insurance Actuarial Association, has done research applicable to providing guidelines for adjusting state insurance rates up or down, or for keeping them the same for the next few years. The research was designed to develop and test methods of predicting trends in future hail loss cost for various crops grown in the principal hail loss districts across the United States. Time series analysis procedures were performed on the hail loss variable. Results indicated an accuracy of 80% and were sufficiently encouraging to recommend incorporation in the rate-making process.
Mechanical distortion of protein receptor decreases the lifetime of a receptor-ligand bond.

Substantial experimental evidence indicates that the mechanical force applied to pull apart non-covalent molecular bonds (such as receptor−ligand pairs) can significantly decrease the bond lifetime. This evidence is often generated in single-molecule experiments that are designed to specifically test effects of pulling forces. However, the effect of compressive forces on the lifetime of receptor−ligand bonds remains largely unexplored. Here we extend the common usage of the atomic force microscopy technique to study whether compressive forces applied to bound streptavidin−biotin species can significantly accelerate the rate of dissociation. Presented experimental data indicate that compressive forces can substantially decrease the lifetime of the molecular bond. Surprisingly, the efficiency of accelerating dissociation by compressive forces sometimes exceeds the enhancement of the dissociation rate measured in pulling experiments, indicating that compressive forces applied to the bound species might be ef...
Influence of red blood cells, serum albumin, and serum lipoproteins on the clearance of benzo[a]pyrene by isolated livers of 3-methylcholanthrene-treated rats

Abstract Red blood cells, serum albumin, and serum lipoproteins transport benzo[a]pyrene and other xenobiotic compounds in the circulation. The distribution of benzo[a]pyrene and its metabolites among these blood components was examined, and the effect of their presence in the perfusion medium on the ability of isolated livers from 3-methylcholanthrene-pretreated rats to clear circulating benzo[a]pyrene was determined. A large fraction (45%) of the benzo[a]pyrene in rat blood was associated with the serum lipoproteins. However, only 8% of the benzo[a]pyrene metabolites was associated with this component. Forty to forty-five percent of each was associated with red blood cells. Benzo[a]pyrene clearance by isolated rat livers was 1.8 ± 0.2 ml/min when the medium contained only red blood cells and buffer. Addition of serum lipoproteins or serum albumin increased benzo[a]pyrene clearance to 5.1 ± 0.5 or 8.5 ± 0.9 ml/min respectively. Appearance of benzo[a]pyrene metabolites in perfusion medium and bile was similarly altered by the changes in medium composition. These results indicate that the clearance of benzo[a]pyrene by rat liver depends on the composition of the medium perfusing the organ and suggest that alterations in blood components in vivo may influence the metabolic disposition of this carcinogen.
Influence of bacterial pyrogen on transplantable tumors.

SummaryOf the 3 tumor sites tested. only the subcutaneous transplants of the S-37 tumors responded to treatment with the 2 pyrogenic fractions PC-3 and PC-6. Regardless of the treatment regimen, the intracerebral S-37 transplants failed to respond to treatment with pyrogen. Animals bearing either the intraocular transplants of adenoma EO771 or the subcutaneous transplants of leukemia 1498 exhibited no increase in survival time as a result of pyrogen therapy.
Sustained perchlorate degradation in an autotrophic, gas-phase, packed-bed bioreactor

An autotrophic packed-bed biofilm reactor was operated in unsaturated-flow mode and continuously fed water containing perchlorate (ClO4-) (as an electron acceptor) and a gas mixture of hydrogen (5%) and carbon dioxide. The reactor was inoculated with a perchlorate-reducing, hydrogen-oxidizing autotrophic bacterial consortium and run for 10 days at a perchlorate feed concentration of 50 mg/L to build up biofilm on the reactor packing. The reactor feed was then switched to a lower influent perchlorate concentration of 740 μg/L. Over a 140-day period at a constant hydraulic loading rate of 0.45 cm/min, 38 ± 9% of the perchlorate was removed in the reactor at detention times of 1.1−1.3 min producing an average removal rate of perchlorate of 230 μg L-1 min-1. To study in more detail perchlorate degradation kinetics, a hydrogen-oxidizing microorganism (Dechlorimonas sp. JM) was isolated from the bacterial consortium. Batch kinetic tests indicated hydrogen and perchlorate half-saturation constants of KH = 0.036 ...
A unified treatment of magnetospheric dynamics with applications to magnetic storms

Abstract The Chapman-Ferraro boundary current, the tail current, and the ring current are considered with regard to the role they play in transferring the force of the solar wind to the Earth through their interaction with the geomagnetic field. The results obtained in the case of Chapman-Ferraro current and ring current agree with previous calculations. The force acting between the tail and the Earth during non-storm conditions is shown to be between 1 5 and 1 10 the force balanced by the Chapman-Ferraro current. Such a force is shown to result from a tangential Maxwell stress if the normal component of the field to the boundary is of the order of 0.01 γ. The results of this approach are applied to magnetic storm observations. A relation between the magnitude of a sudden commencement or sudden impulse and the associated change in the solar wind pressure is obtained, and is shown to agree with observations made by Mariner 2. The observed local time asymmetry of the main phase magnetic storm field of certain large magnetic storms is interpreted as a field gradient produced by a much intensified solar wind pressure, the largest observed asymmetry requiring a 150-fold increase in pressure over the pre-storm value.
Determination of the Peltier coefficient from current induced growth layers: InSb/melt

A theoretical framework is developed which permits the determination of the Peltier coefficient at crystal/melt interfaces from the dimensions of current induced contiguous growth layers. This approach, applied to Czochralski pulling of InSb, yielded for π a value of -0.098 V (±3%). It is shown that the effect of energy exchange at the crystal/melt interface (Peltier effect) on growth can be separated from transient bulk heat flow effects due to deficiencies in hot zone design and temperature control.
Development of a fast-response/high-sensitivity double wall carbon nanotube nanostructured hydrogen sensor

Abstract A double wall carbon nanotube (DWNT)-based sensing device was fabricated and tested for hydrogen gas sensing. The DWNT devices have potential improvement in mechanical and thermal resistance due to their double layer structure. DWNTs were used to build a percolation pathway for charge transport and were decorated with a layer of palladium (Pd) nanoparticles of 1, 3, and 6 nm. The effect of nanotube content and Pd nanoparticle layer size on hydrogen sensing performance at room temperature was evaluated. The DWNTs and the nanostructured sensing element were characterized using high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and Raman spectroscopy. DWNT-based nanostructures behave similar to SWNT-based hydrogen sensors despite the known ambipolar behavior that is absent in SWNT devices.