cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Independence Thresholds: Balancing Tractability and Practicality in Soft Real-Time Stochastic Analysis

The issue of stochastic response-time analysis is considered in the context of soft real-time multiprocessor schedulers. For such analysis to yield tractable, closed-form results, it is inevitably necessary to assume that execution times are probabilistically independent. However, stochastic dependencies among tasks are often common in actual systems. To enable closed-form analysis results to be applied to such systems, the concept of an independence threshold is introduced. Such a threshold is a "tunable" per-task parameter that can be adjusted to control the extent of dependency in task execution times as assumed in analysis, such thresholds can even be applied in settings where explicit dependencies exist among tasks through resource sharing. A method is presented for setting independence thresholds in which measured task execution times are subjected to known statistical independence tests. This method is applied in a case study involving MPEG decoding. In this case study, the usage of independence thresholds enabled up to a 3.5-fold reduction in provisioned task execution times compared to a worst-case provisioning without compromising analysis assumptions.
Intracellular Behavior of Brucella, Variants in Chick Embryo Cells in Tissue Culture.

Summary1) Smooth brucellae were ingested by, and multiplied within, fibroblasts in tissue culture. Non-smooth variants and strain 19 neither multiplied nor survived long intracellularly unless the cells were massively infected. Brucellae remained viable intracellularly for over 30 days despite the presence of a bactericidal concentration of streptomycin in the tissue culture medium. Extensive cytopathogenicity was not evident except with Brucella suis which caused slow destruction of the fibroblasts. Under the same conditions of culture Salmonella typhosa multiplied rapidly intracellularly and caused complete cell destruction within several days. 2) Mixed infections of fibroblasts with smooth and non-smooth brucellae showed the intracellular environment to be highly selective for the smooth type. Mutation from I to S and M to S, followed by selection of the S type, occurred in several heavily inoculated tissue cultures. The addition of anti-S antiserum or DL-$aL alanine to the tissue culture medium did no...
Cosmopolitan empire Central and Eastern Europeans at the Eurovision Song Contest

The annual Eurovision Song Contest has provided a venue where participating nations from the former Soviet bloc, whose relation to Europeanness may be tenuous, strive to perform claims to belonging...
A Molecular Genetic Approach for the Identification of Essential Residues in Human Glutathione S-Transferase Function in Escherichia coli

The common substrate for glutathione S-transferases (GSTs), 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB), is an inhibitor of Escherichia coli growth. This growth inhibition by CDNB is enhanced when E. coli expresses a functional GST. Cells under growth inhibition have reduced intracellular GSH levels and form filaments when they resume growth. Based on this differential growth inhibition by CDNB we have developed a simple procedure to select for null-mutants of a human GST in E. coli. Null mutations in the human GST gene from hydroxylamine mutagenesis or oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis can be selected for on agar plates containing CDNB after transformation. The molecular nature of each mutation can be identified by DNA sequence analysis of the mutant GST gene. We have identified three essential amino acid residues in an alpha class human GST at Glu31, Glu96, and Gly97. Single substitution at each of these residues, E31K, E96K, G97D, resulted in mutant GST proteins with loss of CDNB conjugation activity and failure in binding to the S-hexyl GSH affinity matrix. In contrast, a mutant GST (Y8F) resulting from substitution of the conserved tyrosine near the N terminus has much reduced CDNB conjugation activity but was still capable of binding to the S-hexyl GSH-agarose. Additional mutant GSTs with substitutions at position 96 (E96F, E96Y) and 97 (G97P, G97T, G97S) resulted in changes in both Km and kcat to different extents. The in vitro CDNB conjugation activity of the purified mutant enzymes correlate negatively with the plating efficiencies of strains encoding them in the presence of CDNB. Based on the x-ray structure model of human GST 1-1, two of these residues are involved in salt bridges (Arg19-Glu31, Arg68-Glu96) and the third Gly97 is in the middle of the helix alpha 4. Our results provide evidence in vivo that Tyr8, Gly97, and the two salt bridges are important for GST structure-function. This molecular genetic approach for the identification of essential amino acids in GSTs should be applicable to any GSTs with CDNB conjugation activity. It should also complement the x-ray crystallographic approach in understanding the structure and function of GSTs.
Mathematical modelling of morphological analysis

Abstract A mathematical model of morphological analysis is given. A search of a morphological table is simulated by a nonhomogeneous Markov chain. This model was used in the developed computer program, which has been successfully applied in structural engineering for the generation of a number of innovative, patentable solutions.
Superficial scald development and related metabolism is modified by postharvest light irradiation

Abstract Global metabolic profiling was used to evaluate compositional changes in diverse pools of peel metabolites extracted from ‘Granny Smith’ apples bagged on the tree then exposed to artificial UV-white light after harvest. Fruit were air-stored at 1 °C for 6 months and then held for 4 d at 20 °C. Scald was eliminated on the side of the fruit directly exposed to artificial light and reduced with increasing treatment time on the opposite side, where light was limited. Principal component analysis (PCA) of the peel metabolome revealed associations among scald status, light treatment duration, and individual metabolites from multiple pathways, including isoprenoids and phenylpropanoids. Regression analysis of metabolites selected using the PCA model was used to verify these associations. Hyperin, reynoutrin, avicularin, catechin, and (−) epicatechin levels increased in unexposed peel and decreased with increased scald severity. α-Farnesene and 2,6,10-trimethyldodeca-2,7( E ),9( E ),11-tetraen-6-ol (TMDtol) content diminished with light treatment duration on the exposed side while squalene levels increased. α-Tocopherol levels increased with light treatment duration on the unexposed side but decreased as scald severity increased. Given the antioxidant nature of these metabolites, associations indicate a number of light-enhanced metabolites that may impact scald incidence and severity.
Case analysis of expert systems projects: strategies and examples

Abstract This article investigates the use of case studies as a method of understanding the development and adoption of expert systems applications. Though the information systems and computing sciences literature have historically shown a bias toward quantitative methods of inquiry, there is a growing interest in the use of qualitative methods, such as case studies, that may help to ground empirical laboratory-setting examinations. We argue that care must be practiced in the reporting and accepting of case study results, particularly in relatively new areas of investigation (i.e., expert systems). This article includes the results of case studies reported by this and other authors in the artificial intelligence and expert systems literature. Practitioners will find insights into expert systems management issues and the means to interpret reported results, while researchers should gain a renewed focus on the strengths and weaknesses associated with case study methods for exploring expert systems projects.
Vaccine-induced intestinal immunity to ricin toxin in the absence of secretory IgA

The RNA N-glycosidase ribosome inactivating proteins (RIPs) constitute a ubiquitous family of plant- and bacterium-derived toxins that includes the category B select agents ricin, abrin and shiga toxin. While these toxins are potent inducers of intestinal epithelial cell death and inflammation, very little is known about the mechanisms underlying mucosal immunity to these toxins. In the present study, we report that secretory IgA (SIgA) antibodies are not required for intestinal immunity to ricin, as evidenced by the fact that mice devoid of SIgA, due to a mutation in the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor, were impervious to the effects of intragastric toxin challenge following ricin toxoid immunization. Furthermore, parenteral administration of ricin-specific monoclonal IgGs, directed against either ricin's enzymatic subunit (RTA) or ricin's binding subunit (RTB), to wild type mice was as effective as monoclonal IgAs with comparable specificities in imparting intestinal immunity to ricin. These data are consistent with reports from others demonstrating that immunization of mice by routes known not to induce mucosal antibody responses (e.g., intramuscular and intradermal) is sufficient to elicit protection against both systemic and mucosal ricin challenges.
Employment Outcomes of Ex-Offender Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) Trainees:

The influence of demographic variables, barriers to employment, and type of training on employment outcomes of ex-offender (n = 521) and nonoffender (n = 734) trainees who terminated from Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) programs between July 1989 and June 1990 in Georgia is examined. Results from regression analyses indicate that ex-offender status had no influence on employment at termination or duringfollow-up. However, participants who were unemployed for 15 or more weeks prior to entry were less likely to have a job at termination and during follow-up. Participants who received employer-based training were more likely to have a job at termination and during follow-up.
Doppler Processor Rejection of Range Ambiguous Clutter

Doppler processors are used in radar to separate target returns from clutter. When the clutter is at a range farther than the unambiguous range of the radar, the ability to reject the clutter is degraded. In this article the degradation is analyzed for an N-pulse batch processor with Dolph weighting, and the results show how degradation varies with design sidelobe level.
Strong Expression and Conserved Regulation of ACT2 in Arabidopsis thaliana and Physcomitrella patens

Arabidopsis ACT2 represents an ancient class of vegetative plant actins and is strongly and constitutively expressed in almost all Arabidopsis sporophyte vegetative tissues. Using the beta glucuronidase report system, the studies showed that ACT2 5′ regulatory region was significantly more active than CaMV 35S promoter in Arabidopsis seedlings and gametophyte vegetative tissues of Physcomitrella patens. Its activity was also observed in rice and maize seedlings. Thus, the ACT2 5′ regulatory region could potentially serve as a strong regulator to express a transgene in divergent plant species. ACT2 5′ regulatory region contained 15 conserved sequence elements, an ancient intron in its 5′ un-translated region (5′ UTR), and a purine-rich stretch followed by a pyrimidine-rich stretch (PuPy). Mutagenesis and deletion analysis illustrated that some of the conserved sequence elements and the region containing PuPy sequences played regulatory roles in Arabidopsis. Interestingly, mutation of the conserved elements did not lead a dramatic change in the activity of ACT2 5′ regulatory region. The ancient intron in ACT2 5′ UTR was required for its strong expression in both Arabidopsis and P. patens, but did not fully function as a canonical intron. Thus, it was likely that some of the conserved sequence elements and gene structures had been preserved in ACT2 5′ regulatory region over the course of land plant evolution partly due to their functional importance. The studies provided additional evidences that identification of evolutionarily conserved features in non-coding region might be used as an efficient strategy to predict gene regulatory elements.
Experimental errors and their effect on analyzing circular dichroism spectra of proteins.

Abstract Seven types of error that may interfere with the analysis of protein circular dichroism (CD) spectra for secondary structure are examined. Three of these errors are operational encompassing wavelength synchronization, and proper choice of spectral bandwidth and scan speed. Three are experimental involving intensity adjustments and two sources of baseline shift. The skew baseline shift is analogous to error in CD intensity at short wavelengths due to high sample absorption and low source intensity. The final source of error deals with constrained analyses. We have investigated these types of error to determine how they may be affecting our analysis of protein CD spectra and the role they may play in causing our analyses to fail for some proteins. We find that small errors in the baseline (which are independent of the protein spectrum) will rationalize our poor analyses. Spectroscopists must adopt new standards of precision if sophisticated analyses are to succeed.
Equivariant coincidence Nielsen numbers

Abstract The main thrust of this paper is to generalize certain aspects of equivariant Nielsen fixed point theory to coincidences, and to extend both equivariant fixed point, and coincidence point theory so as to include certain types of disconnected fixed point sets. These extensions allow us to exhibit certain important new examples, which enable us to utilize equivariant Nielsen theory in an essential way. In particular in these examples (unlike previous ones), the minimum number of coincidence points cannot be accurately estimated by other existing, or simpler, Nielsen theories. Also new is the inclusion of examples which illustrate the non-abelian side of the story. Finally, we fill a number of gaps and make corrections from earlier expositions in equivariant Nielsen theory.
A METHOD FOR THE QUANTITATIVE DETERMINATION OF TRYPSIN AND PEPSIN

A quantitative method is described which permits a determination of the relative amount of trypsin or pepsin present in a gelatin-enzyme digestion mixture, provided the gelatin and trypsin solutions are purified. This method is dependent upon the change in viscosity of such solutions. It is found that the time required to cause a given percentage change in the viscosity is nearly inversely proportional to the amount of enzyme present. It is pointed out that the particular value of the method lies in the fact that enzyme reactions which take place in the presence of "buffer" salts may be studied.
Researching the Study Abroad Experience

The authors propose a paradigm for rigorous scientific assessment of study abroad programs, with the focus being on how study abroad experiences affect psychological constructs as opposed to looking solely at study-abroad-related outcomes. Social learning theory is used as a possible theoretical basis for making testable hypotheses and guiding potential research projects.
A Continuum Theory That Couples Creep and Self-Diffusion

In a single-component material, a chemical potential gradient or a wind force drives self-diffusion. If the self-diffusion flux has a divergence, the material deforms. We formulate a continuum theory to be consistent with this kinematic constraint. When the diffusion flux is divergence-free, the theory decouples into Stokes's theory for creep and Herring's theory for self-diffusion. A length emerges from the coupled theory to characterize the relative rate of self-diffusion and creep. For a flow in a film driven by a stress gradient, creep dominates in thick films, and self-diffusion dominates in thin films. Depending on the film thickness, either stress-driven creep or stress-driven diffusion prevails to counterbalance electromigration. The transition occurs when the film thickness is comparable to the characteristic length of the material.
The rod pull out problem, theory and experiment

Abstract A combined theoretical and experimental study is made of a rod pull out problem. The experiment, which is believed to possess some of the characteristics of fibre pull out in composites, consists of a glass rod embedded in a transparent polyurethane matrix. A steadily increasing force is then applied to the free end of the rod in order to pull it from the polyurethane matrix. Photographic evidence of the initiation and subsequent growth of debond flaws is obtained as well as load/displacement data. A fairly complete finite element analysis is made of the test geometry under the various debond conditions and these numerical results are used to give a theoretical interpretation of the experimental results. In addition it is found that a reasonable theoretical description can be made by using the rod/matrix interface stress field in the undebonded configuration together with a variety of analytical solutions. This approach greatly reduces the need for extensive finite element work.
Selective impairment of semantics in lexical processing

Abstract We report the performance of a neurologically impaired patient, KE, whose frequent errors in reading, writing, naming, and comprehension were nearly always semantically related to the target response. To quantify this pattern, a large number of items were presented for tasks of verbal and written naming, oral reading, writing to dictation, word/picture matching, and naming from tactile exploration. Detailed analyses of his performance on these tasks show very similar rates and types of errors, regardless of the modality of stimulus or response. KE's homogeneous pattern of semantic errors across modalities is interpreted as evidence for selective damage to a semantic system common to all lexical processes. In addition, although KE demonstrated some spared knowledge of all items in response to picture stimuli, we were able to interpret all aspects of his performance without resorting to a proposal that there are modality-specific semantic systems. Finally, we show that our interpretation, which ass...
An Examination of Relational Uncertainty, Romantic Intent, and Attraction on Communicative and Relational Outcomes in Cross-Sex Friendships

This investigation explored the impact of relational uncertainty and its correlates (i.e., attraction and romantic intent) on cognitive, communicative, and behavioral outcomes in cross-sex friendships. Participants included 352 people who reported on a current cross-sex friendship. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that social attraction increased relational satisfaction while relational uncertainty decreased relational satisfaction. Further, social attraction decreased topic avoidance while romantic intent and relational uncertainty increased topic avoidance. Finally, social attraction increased the use of relationship talk, routine contact and activity, and emotional support maintenance behaviors, while relational uncertainty decreased the use of these maintenance behaviors. This study provides researchers with a starting point for understanding the consequences associated with interpersonal attraction, romantic intent, and relational uncertainty in cross-sex friendships.
The zinc-finger transcription factor Klf4 is required for terminal differentiation of goblet cells in the colon.

Klf4 (formerly GKLF) is a zinc-finger transcription factor expressed in the epithelia of the skin, lungs, gastrointestinal tract and several other organs. In vitro studies have suggested that Klf4 plays an important role in cell proliferation and/or differentiation. Mice homozygous for a null mutation in Klf4 die within 15 hours of birth and show selective perturbation of late-stage differentiation structures in the epidermis, but the function of Klf4 in the gastrointestinal tract has not been investigated. To address this issue, we have generated Klf4 –/– mice by homologous recombination in embryonic stem cells. In this study, we provide the first in vivo evidence that Klf4 is a goblet cell-specific differentiation factor in the colon. Klf4 –/– mice exhibit normal cell proliferation and cell death rates in the colon on postnatal day 1. However, Klf4 –/– mice demonstrate a 90% decrease in the number of goblet cells in the colon, show abnormal expression of the goblet cell-specific marker Muc2 by in situ hybridization, have abnormal staining of the colonic epithelium with Alcian Blue for acidic mucins, and lack normal goblet cell morphology by ultrastructural analysis. All other epithelial cell types are present in the colon of Klf4 –/– mice. In summary, Klf4 plays a crucial role in colonic epithelial cell differentiation in vivo.
Functional Genomics of the Endocrine Pancreas: The Pancreas Clone Set and PancChip, New Resources for Diabetes Research

Over the past 5 years, microarrays have greatly facilitated large-scale analysis of gene expression levels. Although these arrays were not specifically geared to represent tissues and pathways known to be affected by diabetes, they have been used in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes research. To prepare a tool that is particularly useful in the study of type 1 diabetes, we have assembled a nonredundant set of 3,400 clones representing genes expressed in the mouse pancreas or pathways known to be affected by diabetes. We have demonstrated the usefulness of this clone set by preparing a cDNA glass microarray, the PancChip, and using it to analyze pancreatic gene expression from embryonic day 14.5 through adulthood in mice. The clone set and corresponding array are useful resources for diabetes research.
Information Asymmetry, Diversification, and Cost of Capital

Recently, there has been considerable interest among accounting researchers in the relation between asymmetric information and cost of capital. A number of empirical studies document associations between risk premiums and proxies for asymmetric information such as earnings quality. However, the theoretical foundation for these studies has yet to be fully established. In this study, we consider the effects of private signals that are informative of both systematic factors and idiosyncratic shocks affecting asset payoffs in a competitive, noisy, rational expectations setting. Taking a large economy limit, we show that (1) risk premiums equal products of betas and factor risk premiums, irrespective of information asymmetries; (2) holding total information constant, greater information asymmetry leads to higher factor risk premiums and, thus, higher costs of capital; and (3) controlling for betas, there is no cross‐sectional effect of information asymmetries on cost of capital. These results provide guidance ...
Translation Tools for High Performance Computing

Massively parallel processors (MPPs) hold the promise of extremely high performance that, if realized, could be used to study problems of unprecedented size and complexity. One of the primary stumbling blocks to this promise has been the lack of tools to automatically translate application codes to MPP form. In this paper we show how applications codes written in a subset of Fortran 77 called Fortran-P can be translated to achieve good performance on several massively parallel machines. This subset can express codes that are self-similar, where the algorithm applied to the global data domain is also applied to each subdomain. We have found many codes that match the Fortran-P programming style and have converted them using our tools. We believe a self-similar coding style will accomplish what a vectorizable style has accomplished for vector machines by allowing the construction of robust, user-friendly translation systems that increase programmer productivity and generate fast, efficient code for MPPs.1
Shock and thermal history of Northwest Africa 4859, an annealed impact‐melt breccia of LL chondrite parentage containing unusual igneous features and pentlandite

Abstract– Northwest Africa 4859 (NWA 4859) is a meteorite of LL chondrite parentage that shows unusual igneous features and contains widely distributed pentlandite. The most obvious unusual feature is a high proportion of large (≤3 cm diameter) igneous-textured enclaves (LITEs), interpreted as shock melts that were intruded into an LL chondrite host. One such LITE appears to have been produced by whole rock melting of LL chondrite, initial rapid partial crystallization, and subsequent slow cooling of the residual melt in the host to produce a differentiated object. Other unusual features include mm-sized “overgrowth objects,” fine-grained plagioclase-rich bands, and coarse troilite (≤7 mm across) grains. All these features are interpreted as having crystallized from melts produced by a single transient shock event, followed by slow cooling. A subsequent shock event of moderate (S3) intensity produced veining and transformed some of the pyroxene into the clinoenstatite polytype. Pentlandite (together with associated troilite) in NWA 4859 probably formed by the breakdown of a monosulfide precursor phase at low temperature (≤230 °C) following the second shock event. NWA 4859 is interpreted to be an unusual impact-melt breccia that contains shock melt which crystallized in different forms at depth within the parent body.
Recognizing Majority-Rule Equilibrium In Spatial Voting Games

It is provably dicult (NP-complete) to determine whether a given point can be defeated in a majority-rule spatial voting game. Nevertheless, one can easily generate a point with the property that if any point cannot be defeated, then this point cannot be defeated. Our results suggest that majority-rule equilibrium can exist as a purely practical matter: when the number of voters and the dimension of the policy space are both large, it can be too dicult to find an alternative to defeat the status quo. It is also computationally dicult to determine the radius of the yolk or the Nakamura number of a weighted voting game.
18. Ronald Inglehart. 1971. “The Silent Revolution in Europe: Intergenerational Change in Post-industrial Societies.” American Political Science Review 65 (December): 991–1017. Cited 282 times

”The Silent Revolution in Europe” was the first presentation of the intergenerational value change hypothesis. It argued that the publics of postindustrial societies are shifting from giving top priority to “Materialist” goals such as economic and physical security to placing increasingly strong emphasis on self-expression and the quality of life. Throughout history, survival has been insecure for most people, forcing them to give top priority to survival needs. But in advanced industrial societies, the economic miracles of the postwar era and the emergence of the welfare state gave rise to conditions under which much of the postwar generation grew up taking survival for granted; they give increasingly high priority to “Postmaterialist” values such as belonging, self-expression, and free choice. Because people's basic values do not change overnight, those who experienced the insecurity of World War I, the Great Depression, and World War II would continue to emphasize Materialist values, but we would expect to find an intergenerational shift toward Postmaterialist values.
Trends in U.S. Adoptions: 2000 to 2009

There are no official statistics for the total number of adoptions within the United States. In response, this study collected and analyzed data from a variety of sources to develop national and state adoption estimates for the years 2000 to 2009. Sources include state courts, state child welfare agencies, state bureaus of vital records, and the U.S. Department of State. Subtotals for public, intercountry, and other adoptions also are provided. Results indicate that the number of adoptions decreased from 2000 to 2009. The trends discussed in this article may have implications for future adoption policy and practice.
Modulation decompositions for the interpolation of long gaps in acoustic signals

This paper presents a modulation-based reconstruction method for audio signals across long gaps of missing samples. We use LTI filterbanks followed by a multiplicative model that decomposes subbands into constituent modulators and carriers. This processing separates slowly-varying envelopes, or modulators, from the high-frequency fine structure of the carriers. Since modulators can be downsampled, this decomposition allows faster gap reconstruction when applying standard interpolation algorithms on the downsampled modulators, particularly when interpolation requires matrix inversion.
Phylogeography and reproductive variation of the poecilogonous polychaete Boccardia proboscidea (Annelida: Spionidae) along the West Coast of North America.

SUMMARY The ability to produce more than one kind of offspring, or poecilogony, is a striking example of reproductive variability. Traditionally, larval nutrition has been classified as a dichotomy: if offspring obtain nutrition from their mothers (lecithotrophy), there is lower fecundity and greater chance of offspring survival than when they get their nutrition from plankton (planktotrophy). The polychaete Boccardia proboscidea (Spionidae) produces both types of embryos using three different reproductive strategies. In this study, we examined the roles of genetic history and phenotypic plasticity on explaining natural variation in B. proboscidea along the Pacific coast of the United States using two genetic mitochondrial markers, 16S rDNA and Cyt b, and common garden experiments. These data show a single North American West Coast network that is structured, geographically, by the well-documented biogeographic break near Point Conception, California. The southern group within this network covers a smaller range, but has larger haplotype diversity, than the northern group. Some individuals differing in reproductive type had the same haplotype, indicating independence of these features; however, differences between laboratory and field data suggest additional geographic variation within one of the reproductive types. Females from higher latitudes provide offspring with larger supplies of extra embryonic nutrition than females from southern latitudes. Results herein suggest that both genetic history and developmental plasticity are playing a role in the maintenance of this reproductive polymorphism.
Cloning and characterization of a microsomal epoxide hydrolase from Heliothis virescens.

Epoxide hydrolases (EHs) are a/b-hydrolase fold superfamily enzymes that convert epoxides to 1,2-trans diols. In insects EHs play critical roles in the metabolism of toxic compounds and allelochemicals found in the diet and for the regulation of endogenous juvenile hormones (JHs). In this study we obtained a full-length cDNA, hvmeh1, from the generalist feeder Heliothis virescens that encoded a highly active EH, Hv-mEH1. Of the 10 different EH substrates that were tested, Hv-mEH1 showed the highest specific activity (1180 nmol min � 1 mg � 1 ) for a 1,2-disubstituted epoxide-containing fluorescent substrate. This specific activity was more than 25- and 3900-fold higher than that for the general EH substrates cis- stilbene oxide and trans-stilbene oxide, respectively. Although phylogenetic analysis placed Hv-mEH1 in a clade with some lepidopteran JH metabolizing EHs (JHEHs), JH III was a relatively poor substrate for Hv- mEH1. Hv-mEH1 showed a unique substrate selectivity profile for the substrates tested in comparison to those of MsJHEH, a well-characterized JHEH from Manduca sexta, and hmEH, a human microsomal EH. Hv-mEH1 also showed unique enzyme inhibition profiles to JH-like urea, JH-like secondary amide, JH- like primary amide, and non-JH-like primary amide compounds in comparison to MsJHEH and hmEH. Although Hv-mEH1 is capable of metabolizing JH III, our findings suggest that this enzymatic activity does not play a significant role in the metabolism of JH in the caterpillar. The ability of Hv-mEH1 to rapidly hydrolyze 1,2-disubstituted epoxides suggests that it may play roles in the metabolism of fatty acid epoxides such as those that are commonly found in the diet of Heliothis. 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. from Tribolium castaneum; MNHE, cyano(2-methoxynaphthalen-6-yl)methyl trans- 2-(3-propyloxiran-2-yl)acetate; MNPE, cyano(2-methoxynaphthalen-6-yl)methyl trans-(2-(3-phenyloxiran-2-yl))acetate; MNPEC, cyano-(6-methoxy-naphthalen-2- yl)-methyl trans-((3-ethyl-oxiran-2-yl)methyl) carbonate; MNiPC, cyano-(6- methoxy-naphthalen-2-yl)-methyl 3,3-dimethyl-oxiranylmethyl carbonate; MNPC, cyano(6-methoxy-naphthalen-2-yl)methyl trans-((3-phenyloxiran-2-yl)methyl) carbonate; CMNGC, cyano(6-methoxy-naphthalen-2-yl)methyl oxiran-2-ylmethyl
UAV flocking with wind gusts: Adaptive topology and model reduction

In this paper, we examine the problem of UAV flocking in the presence of wind gusts. Firstly, we model a velocity consensus-based leader-follower system exposed to gust disturbances and design an optimal controller, in the linear quadratic sense, to improve velocity tracking. We then proceed to examine topological features that promote the performance of such optimal controllers to design a network rewiring protocol for improved system performance. Finally we present a novel partitioning schemed, dubbed leader partition, in order to fuse “similar” states in the network, forming a graph theoretic method for model reduction.
Simple Model of Sensory Interaction in Human Postural Control

Upright body stance is inherently unstable. Active feedback control utilizing motion cues from various sensory systems is necessary in order to maintain this upright position. Visual, somatosensory, and vestibular sensory systems are the main contributors to this feedback control. In many environments, accurate information is available from all three of these sensory systems. In other environments, motion information from one or more sensory systems may be absent or inaccurate leading to poor performance (increased body sway) or falls in extreme cases. However simple observations indicate that the motion information from the three sensory systems is highly redundant in that upright stance can be maintained when orientation cues are absent or inaccurate in two of the three sensory systems. For example, a normal subject can stand with eyes closed on a foam pad suggesting that vestibular cues alone are sufficient to maintain upright stance. Also, a subject with a bilateral vestibular loss can stand on a flat surface with eyes closed indicating that somatosensory cues alone provide sufficient feedback information for postural control.
Abstract 202: The NIH Stroke Scale Can Miss Improvement After IV tPA For Acute Ischemic Stroke

Background and Objective: The National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) is the most commonly used metric to evaluate stroke severity and improvement following intervention. Despite its advantages as a rapid, reproducible screening tool, it may be too insensitive to adequately capture functional improvement following treatment. We evaluated the difference in rate of improvement by previously accepted criteria (change of ≥4 NIHSS points) versus physician documentation in patients receiving IV tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) for acute ischemic stroke. Methods: Prospectively collected data on all patients receiving IV tPA over a 15 month period were retrospectively reviewed. NIHSS 24 hours post-treatment and on discharge were extrapolated based on examination and compared to NIHSS on presentation. NIHSS scores at post-discharge follow-up were also recorded. Two reviewers evaluated the medical record and determined improvement based on physician documentation. Using tests of proportion, ‘significant...
A foundational document: the ASHP minimum standard for pharmacies in hospitals.

Elsewhere in this issue, you’ll find a revised version of the document ASHP Guidelines: Minimum Standard for Pharmacies in Hospitals. This cornerstone document has a long history, predating even the founding of ASHP. Don E. Francke[1][1] and Paul F. Parker[2][2] informed us that the first Minimum
TNF/Ang-II synergy is obligate for fibroinflammatory pathology, but not for changes in cardiorenal function.

Angiotensin‐II (Ang‐II) infusion is associated with the development of interstitial fibrosis in both heart and kidney as a result of chemokine‐dependent uptake of monocytes and subsequent development of myeloid fibroblasts. This study emphasizes on the synergistic role of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) on the time course of Ang‐II‐induced fibrosis and inflammation in heart and kidney. In wild‐type (WT) hearts, Ang‐II‐induced fibrosis peaked within 1 week of infusion and remained stable over a 6‐week period, while the myeloid fibroblasts disappeared; TNF receptor‐1‐knockout (TNFR1‐KO) hearts did not develop a myeloid response or cardiac fibrosis during this time. WT hearts developed more accelerated cardiac hypertrophy and remodeling than TNFR1‐KO. In the kidney, 1‐week Ang‐II infusion did not evoke a fibrotic response; however, after 6 weeks, WT kidneys displayed modest but significant tubulointerstitial collagen deposition associated with the appearance of myeloid cells and profibrotic gene activation. Renal fibrosis was not seen in Ang‐II‐infused TNFR1‐KO. By contrast, while hypertension increased and cardiac function decreased more slowly in TNFR1‐KO than WT, they were equivalently abnormal at 6 weeks. Similarly, serum markers for renal dysfunction were not different after 6 weeks. In conclusion, Ang‐II infusion initiated fibroinflammatory responses with different time courses in heart and kidney, both requiring TNFR1 signaling, and both associated with monocyte‐derived myeloid fibroblasts. TNFR1 deletion obviated the fibroinflammatory effects of Ang‐II, but did not alter changes in blood pressure and cardiorenal function after 6 weeks. Thus, the synergy of TNF with Ang‐II targets the fibroinflammatory component of Ang‐II signaling.
Detection significance of TORCH specificity antibodies in hyperbilirubinemia of the newborn

Objective To explore the significance of TORCH specificity antibodies in hyperbilirubinemia of the newborn,and to guide clinical diagnosis and treatment. Methods 354 cases of hyperbilirubinemia of the newborn in our hospital from June to December in 2013 were chosen as observation group,289 cases of the newborn without hyperbilirubinemia in the same period were selected as control group. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay( ELISA) was used to detect the TORCH-Ig M antibody,and then the results in the two groups were compared and analyzed. Results 14 cases of positive TORCH-Ig M antibody were found in observation group,the positive rate was 3. 95%; 3 cases of positive TORCH-Ig M antibody were found in control group,the positive rate was 1. 04%,the difference of rates of positive TORCH-Ig M antibody were statistically significant between the two groups( P 0. 05). The CMV infection was found to take the majority percentage. Conclusion TORCH virus infection is one of the causes of hyperbilirubinemia. To detect the TORCH-Ig M antibody early has important clinical significance to the identification and treatment in hyperbilirubinemia of the newborn.
Is It Time for Radial Access to Become a Quality Metric for Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

The preferred arterial access site for cardiac catheterization has evolved over time as improved catheter and device design has allowed for smaller and easier-to-use equipment. Selective coronary angiography was first performed via the brachial artery and the Sones technique. It then evolved to transfemoral access (TFA) with the Judkins technique and now transradial access (TRA) is frequently utilized for cardiac catheterization and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).1 When each of these techniques were first introduced, it took time before they were adopted into standard clinical practice. Just as TFA gradually replaced the brachial artery cutdown, TRA is becoming the standard of practice worldwide. See Article by Hulme et al These advancements have reduced vascular complications while increasing patient satisfaction. TRA has a clear qualitative benefit to patients and a higher proportion of patients prefer TRA to TFA.2,3 Well-designed clinical studies and randomized clinical trials soon followed, which began to quantify the clinical benefits of radial access.4 A Trial of Trans-Radial Versus Trans-Femoral PCI Access Site Approach in Patients With Unstable Angina or Myocardial Infarction Managed With an Invasive Strategy (RIVAL) was one of the first large, adequately powered clinical trials to examine the effects of TRA on cardiovascular events in patients undergoing PCI for acute coronary syndrome.5 In this trial, the primary end point of death, myocardial infarction, stroke, or non–coronary artery bypass graft major bleeding at 30 days was not reduced with TRA; however, there were considerably fewer vascular complications in the patients treated with TRA. In the subgroup of patients treated at high volume radial centers (>146 radial PCI per year per operator), there was a reduction in the composite end point of death, myocardial infarction, stroke or non–coronary artery bypass graft major bleeding. The Minimizing Adverse Haemorrhagic Events by Transradial Access Site …
SU-F-T-458: Tracking Trends of TG-142 Parameters Via Analysis of Data Recorded by 2D Chamber Array.

Purpose: With increasing QA demands of medical physicists in clinical radiation oncology, the need for an effective method of tracking clinical data has become paramount. A tool was produced which scans through data automatically recorded by a 2D chamber array and extracts relevant information recommended by TG-142. Using this extracted information a timely and comprehensive analysis of QA parameters can be easily performed enabling efficient monthly checks on multiple linear accelerators simultaneously. Methods: A PTW STARCHECK chamber array was used to record several months of beam outputs from two Varian 2100 series linear accelerators and a Varian NovalisTx−. In conjunction with the chamber array, a beam quality phantom was used to simultaneously to determine beam quality. A minimalist GUI was created in MatLab that allows a user to set the file path of the data for each modality to be analyzed. These file paths are recorded to a MatLab structure and then subsequently accessed by a script written in Python (version 3.5.1) which then extracts values required to perform monthly checks as outlined by recommendations from TG-142. The script incorporates calculations to determine if the values recorded by the chamber array fall within an acceptable threshold. Results: Values obtained by the script are written to a spreadsheet where results can be easily viewed and annotated with a “pass” or “fail” and saved for further analysis. In addition to creating a new scheme for reviewing monthly checks, this application allows for able to succinctly store data for follow up analysis. Conclusion: By utilizing this tool, parameters recommended by TG-142 for multiple linear accelerators can be rapidly obtained and analyzed which can be used for evaluation of monthly checks.
Unidirectional Quorum-Based Cycle Planning for Efficient Resource Utilization and Fault-Tolerance

In this paper, we propose a greedy cycle direction heuristic to improve the generalized R redundancy quorum cycle technique. When applied using only single cycles rather than the standard paired cycles, the generalized R redundancy technique has been shown to almost halve the necessary light-trail resources in the network. Our greedy heuristic improves this cycle-based routing technique's fault-tolerance and dependability. For efficiency and distributed control, it is common in distributed systems and algorithms to group nodes into intersecting sets referred to as quorum sets. Optimal communication quorum sets forming optical cycles based on light-trails have been shown to flexibly and efficiently route both point-to-point and multipoint-to-multipoint traffic requests. Commonly cycle routing techniques will use pairs of cycles to achieve both routing and fault-tolerance, which uses substantial resources and creates the potential for underutilization. Instead, we use a single cycle and intentionally utilize R redundancy within the quorum cycles such that every point-to-point communication pairs occur in at least R cycles. Without the paired cycles the direction of the quorum cycles becomes critical to the fault tolerance performance. For this we developed a greedy cycle direction heuristic and our single fault network simulations show a reduction of missing pairs by greater than 30%, which translates to significant improvements in fault coverage.
RNA Binding to CBP Stimulates Histone Acetylation and Transcription.

CBP/p300 are transcription co-activators whose binding is a signature of enhancers, cis-regulatory elements that control patterns of gene expression in multicellular organisms. Active enhancers produce bi-directional enhancer RNAs (eRNAs) and display CBP/p300-dependent histone acetylation. Here, we demonstrate that CBP binds directly to RNAs in vivo and in vitro. RNAs bound to CBP in vivo include a large number of eRNAs. Using steady-state histone acetyltransferase (HAT) assays, we show that an RNA binding region in the HAT domain of CBP—a regulatory motif unique to CBP/p300—allows RNA to stimulate CBP’s HAT activity. At enhancers where CBP interacts with eRNAs, stimulation manifests in RNA-dependent changes in the histone acetylation mediated by CBP, such as H3K27ac, and by corresponding changes in gene expression. By interacting directly with CBP, eRNAs contribute to the unique chromatin structure at active enhancers, which, in turn, is required for regulation of target genes.
Lessons Learned from Comprehensive Energy and Water Evaluations at U.S. Army Campus Installations

ABSTRACTThe U.S. Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has engaged in a multi-year collaboration with the U.S. Army to support comprehensive energy and water evaluations at large Army campus installations. Initiated to help the Army achieve compliance with facility evaluation requirements dictated by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, this effort has resulted in the evaluation of 530 buildings at 14 installations across the U.S., and the identification of annual savings potential of over 212 billion Btu of energy and 29 million gallons of water. This article highlights the nature of the evaluation process applied at these Army installations and discusses a number of key findings that can be considered for ongoing and future evaluations at Army and other federal agency facilities, particularly those buildings within campus settings.
Towards a taxonomy of topology for polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons: linking electronic and molecular structure

Trends linking the topological characteristics of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) to their electronic properties are reported. TD-DFT electronic spectra computations, using the 6-31G* basis set and B3LYP exchange correlation functional, were calculated for a series of PAH, allowing for the HOMO–LUMO gaps to be reported. Clar structures provide an avenue to link the physical structure and the aromaticity of the molecule; which, when extended by bond length and harmonic oscillator model of aromaticity analysis, provide powerful tools to understand the link between electronic and physical structure. These results lead to the conclusion that all PAH structures show a decrease in HOMO–LUMO gap as a function of size, but the rate of that decrease is directly related to the topology of the molecules. A PAH taxonomy was developed that categorizes PAH into categories with similar topological properties, which allows for modelling of changes in the HOMO–LUMO gap with PAH size. An atom-pair minimization algorithm was used to calculate the binding energy (BE) of homogeneous dimers of the studied PAH. The BE per carbon atom increases with the overall size of the structure to an asymptotic limit, but as with the HOMO–LUMO gap, topology plays a critical secondary factor. Previously published, experimentally determined optical band gaps (OBG) from Tauc/Davis–Mott analysis of extinction spectra in various laminar, non-premixed flames produced a correlation between the HOMO–LUMO gaps of high-symmetry, nearly circular D2h symmetry molecules to molecular size. The work presented here provides a much more nuanced and predictive evaluation of how OBG depends on structure and size.