cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The FREP gene family in the snail Biomphalaria glabrata: additional members, and evidence consistent with alternative splicing and FREP retrosequences

Fibrinogen-related proteins (FREPs) found in hemolymph of the snail Biomphalara glabrata are hypothesized to be involved in non-self recognition. Among 150 cloned FREP cDNAs examined, we have identified three additional FREP members, FREPs 3.3, 12.1 and 13.1, bringing the total of FREP subfamilies to 13. The new FREPs each encode two immunoglobulin superfamily domains and a fibrinogen domain. Additionally, five truncated cDNAs with >99% nucleotide identity in coding regions to FREPs 3.2, 12.1 or 13.1 were identified. The truncated forms, the first reported for FREPs, lack a partial exon, one complete exon, or two complete exons plus the 3'UTR. Our preferred hypothesis is that all five truncated cDNAs observed arise from alternative splicing of full-length FREP genes. Genomic sequences lacking at least two introns and corresponding to the 3' ends of the cDNAs of FREP12.1 and its two truncated forms were also recovered. Although these could be the source of the truncated cDNAs, they are believed to be retrosequences.
On bad groups, bad fields, and pseudoplanes

Cherlin introduced the concept of bad groups (of finite Morley rank) in [Ch1]. The existence of such groups is an open question. If they exist, they will contradict the Cherlin-Zil'ber conjecture that states that an infinite simple group of finite Morley rank is a Chevalley group over an algebraically closed field. In this paper, we prove that bad groups of finite Morley rank 3 act on a natural geometry Γ (namely on a special pseudoplane; see Corollary 20) sharply flag-transitively.We show that Γ is not very far from being a projective plane and when it is so rk(Γ) = 2 and Γ is not Desarguesian (Theorem 2). Baldwin [Ba] recently discovered non-Desarguesian projective planes of Morley rank 2. This discovery, together with this paper, makes the existence of bad groups (also of bad fields) more plausible. A bad field is a pair ( K, A ) of finite Morley rank, where K is an algebraically closed field, A ≠ K * and A is infinite. There existence is also unknown. In this paper, we define the concept of a sharp-field as a pair ( K, A ), where K is a field, A K *and 1. K = A − A , 2. If a + b − 1 ∈ A , a ∈ A , b ∈ A , then either a = 1 or b = 1. If K is finite this is equivalent to 1 and 2.′ ∣ K ∣ = ∣ A ∣ 2 ∣ A ∣ + 1. Finite sharp-fields are special cases of difference sets [De]
Magnetic properties of actinide elements having the 5 f 6 and 5 f 7 electronic configurations

Magnetic susceptibility measurements have been made on multimicrogram quantities of $^{243}\mathrm{Am}$${\mathrm{F}}_{3}$, $^{248}\mathrm{Cm}$${\mathrm{F}}_{4}$, $^{248}\mathrm{Cm}$${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$, and $^{248}\mathrm{Cm}$Ba${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ samples (nominally the $5{f}^{6}$ electronic configuration) and on $^{248}\mathrm{Cm}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$, $^{248}\mathrm{Cm}$${\mathrm{F}}_{3}$, $^{249}\mathrm{Bk}$${\mathrm{F}}_{4}$, and $^{249}\mathrm{Bk}$${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ (nominally the $5{f}^{7}$ electronic configuration) in the temperature range 4.2-300 K and in magnetic fields up to 1650 G. The experimentally determined effective magnetic moments and the Curie-Weiss constants for these compounds are presented. The deviation of the moments for the $5{f}^{6}$ compounds from those expected from classic theory is discussed in terms of low-lying excited states, chemical composition, crystal-field perturbations, and realistic electronic structure.
Chemisorption of oxygen on cellulose char

Investigation of a series of chars prepared by rapid pyrolysis of cellulose in the temperature range of 400–800°C has shown that they have a high chemisorptive affinity for oxygen. Maximum chemisorption occured on chars prepared at a HTT of 550°C. The Elovich equation was used to describe the kinetics of the process. The extent of chemisorption decreased with increasing HTT of the chars, although the surface area of the chars stayed approximately constant; indicating the presence of less reactive areas on the surface of chars formed at higher temperatures. As chemisorption progressed there was a corresponding increase in the intensity of several IR absorption bands, which were attributed to the formation of stable oxygen-containing functional groups. The chemisorption process, preceded by physical adsorption, does not influence the gasification reaction. The presence of impurities from pre-pyrolysis doping of cellulose could promote or inhibit the rate of gasification but had negligible effect on the initial rate of chemisorption. The role of these two processes in char combustion was discussed in the light of known concepts for the carbon-oxygen reaction.
Combining percutaneous bypass with coronary retroperfusion limits myocardial necrosis.

After an acute coronary occlusion that results in hemodynamic instability, the institution of percutaneous bypass (PB) can effectively support the failing myocardium. However, PB cannot augment coronary blood flow, and substantial regional myocardial necrosis can still occur. This experimental study was undertaken to determine whether combining PB with coronary venous retroperfusion using pressure-controlled intermittent coronary sinus occlusion (PICSO) would limit myocardial necrosis after an acute coronary occlusion. In 30 pigs, the second and third diagonal vessels were occluded with snares for 90 minutes followed by 30 minutes of cardioplegic arrest and 180 minutes of reperfusion with the snares released. During the period of coronary occlusion, 10 pigs were placed on PB, 10 pigs received PB + PICSO, and 10 pigs received no support (unmodified). Hearts treated with the combination of PB + PICSO had the highest wall motion scores (unmodified, 1.4 ± 0.3; PB, 1.4 ± 0.3; PB + PICSO, 2.8 ± 0.3 [ p p p
Mechanism of the antagonism by 5-hydroxytryptamine of the toxicity due to certain cholinergic blocking agents.

Abstract Hydroxytryptamine has been reported as an antagonist of in vivo neuromuscular paralysis in mice. Experiments to elucidate the mechanism of interaction between 5-hydroxytryptamine and cholinergic blocking agents were conducted. Cholinergic blocking agents tested were botulinum toxin, d -tubocurarine, nereistoxin and hemicholinium. 5-hydroxytryptamine was most effective in antagonizing in vivo cholinergic blockade about 1 hr after its injection. It was also found that 5-hydroxytryptamine lowered body temperature most effectively 1 hr after its injection. Agents other than 5-hydroxytryptamine, namely sodium pentabarbitone and formaldehyde, also lowered body temperature and antagonized in vivo neuromuscular paralysis. It is proposed that the prolonged survival of mice treated with 5-hydroxytryptamine and then challenged was a result of depressed body temperature with a concomitant slowing in the binding and/or activity of cholinergic blocking agents. In addition to hypothermia, edema was detected in rats and mice treated with 5-hydroxytryptamine. Further experiments are suggested to determine whether edema facilitates or antagonizes the hypothermic effect.
The group II metabotropic glutamate receptor agonist, LY379268, inhibits both cocaine- and food-seeking behavior in rats.

Group II metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR2/3) agonists are proposed to serve as potential treatment for addiction. The present study examined the hypothesis that mGluR2/3 agonists exert inhibitory effects on cocaine-induced reinstatement of cocaine-seeking. Rats were trained to self-administer either cocaine or control reinforcer (food), then responding on the reinforcer-paired lever was extinguished. Reinstatement of responding was induced by a noncontingent presentation of the self-administered reinforcer (10 mg/kg cocaine, i.p. or 765 mg of food). In one experiment, rats were systemically pretreated with vehicle (Veh) or the mGluR2/3 agonist LY379268 (0.3, 1, or 3 mg/kg, i.p.) 30 min before the reinstatement test session. In a second experiment, Veh or LY379268 (0.05, 0.5, or 5 nmol/side) was microinjected into the nucleus accumbens core (NAc core) 5 min before the reinstatement test session. The effects of LY379268 on cocaine- and food-induced reinstatement on reward seeking were assessed. Both systemic and intra-NAc core pretreatment with LY379268 inhibited both cocaine- and food-seeking behavior. However, the effect of LY379268 appeared somewhat more effective for cocaine-seeking than food-seeking. These results support a potential therapeutic role for mGluR2/3 agonists on relapse of cocaine-seeking. However, doses that inhibited cocaine-seeking were only threefold lower than those inhibiting food-seeking, indicating possible unacceptable nonspecific effects. In addition, the NAc core is one site of action where the mGluR2/3 agonists elicit effects on reward-seeking behavior.
Symmetric test spaces

These notes begin a study of test-spaces equipped with a group action. Several notions of irreducibility and decomposability for such G-test spaces are discussed and compared. We introduce classes of test-spaces having strong symmetry properties and investigate their properties. We also discuss induced and co-induced test-spaces in this context, and prove an imprimitivity theorem characterizing the latter.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Competing effects of point versus columnar defects on the roughening of directed polymers in random media.

Inspired by recent experiments on cuprate superconductors investigating the enhanced pinning of vortex lines, we have performed transfer matrix studies of directed polymers in random media subject to both point and columnar defects, focusing our attention on the competition between these two different types of disorder. We find that the positional fluctuations in a mixed random medium are larger than in the case of purely columnar or point defects, and show via Flory arguments that the asymptotic behavior is sub-ballistic, x\ensuremath{\sim}t/(lnt${)}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\psi}}}$, with \ensuremath{\psi}=2 (\ensuremath{\psi}\ensuremath{\approxeq}1.60) in 1+1 (2+1) dimensions.
Decreased amygdala activation during risk taking in non-dependent habitual alcohol users: A preliminary fMRI study of the stop signal task.

Background and Objectives: Habitual alcohol use is prodromal to alcohol dependence. It has been suggested that impairment in impulse control contributes to habitual drinking. Little is known whether neural processes associated with impulse control is altered in non-dependent social drinkers. The current preliminary study combined functional magnetic resonance imaging and the stop signal task (SST) to address this issue. Methods: We compared non-dependent non/light (n = 12) and moderate/heavy (n = 9) young adult alchol drinkers in a SST, in which they were required to exercise inhibitory control during the stop trials and were engaged in a speed/accuracy trade-off duing trial-to-trial go responses. Our previous studies identified neural correlates of inhibitory control and risk taking during the SST (). Furthermore, alcohol dependent patients showed altered brain activation both during inhibitory control and risk taking, compared to healhty controls (). Results: We showed that moderate/heavy alcohol drinke...
Saliva, Salivary Gland, and Hemolymph Collection from Ixodes scapularis Ticks

Ticks are found worldwide and afflict humans with many tick-borne illnesses. Ticks are vectors for pathogens that cause Lyme disease and tick-borne relapsing fever (Borrelia spp.), Rocky Mountain Spotted fever (Rickettsia rickettsii), ehrlichiosis (Ehrlichia chaffeensis and E. equi), anaplasmosis (Anaplasma phagocytophilum), encephalitis (tick-borne encephalitis virus), babesiosis (Babesia spp.), Colorado tick fever (Coltivirus), and tularemia (Francisella tularensis) 1-8. To be properly transmitted into the host these infectious agents differentially regulate gene expression, interact with tick proteins, and migrate through the tick 3,9-13. For example, the Lyme disease agent, Borrelia burgdorferi, adapts through differential gene expression to the feast and famine stages of the tick's enzootic cycle 14,15. Furthermore, as an Ixodes tick consumes a bloodmeal Borrelia replicate and migrate from the midgut into the hemocoel, where they travel to the salivary glands and are transmitted into the host with the expelled saliva 9,16-19. As a tick feeds the host typically responds with a strong hemostatic and innate immune response 11,13,20-22. Despite these host responses, I. scapularis can feed for several days because tick saliva contains proteins that are immunomodulatory, lytic agents, anticoagulants, and fibrinolysins to aid the tick feeding 3,11,20,21,23. The immunomodulatory activities possessed by tick saliva or salivary gland extract (SGE) facilitate transmission, proliferation, and dissemination of numerous tick-borne pathogens 3,20,24-27. To further understand how tick-borne infectious agents cause disease it is essential to dissect actively feeding ticks and collect tick saliva. This video protocol demonstrates dissection techniques for the collection of hemolymph and the removal of salivary glands from actively feeding I. scapularis nymphs after 48 and 72 hours post mouse placement. We also demonstrate saliva collection from an adult female I. scapularis tick.
Why is managing in the United States so difficult for European firms

Abstract As European multinational corporations (MNCs) have rapidly increased their investment in the United States, many have encountered serious problems in managing their US affiliates. Some challenges are encountered at entry, including scale requirements, inexperience, intense competitive reactions, and problems inherent in managing acquisitions. Once the affiliate has been established, other problems are encountered: hiring and developing local managers, cross-cultural problems stemming from an American tendency for independence, and organizational difficulties given the size of the US affiliate. Although there are no simple answers to these problems, Philip Rosenzweig offers a number of suggestions to help European MNCs deal with these many challenges.
Cocaine and salicylate: documentation of hydroxyl radical formation in hearts and brains of 18-day-old chick embryos and unexpected interactive toxicity.

Rationale: Multiple low doses of cocaine (COC) may cause intermittent vasoconstriction and reperfusion, leading to elevations in damaging reactive oxygen species, such as hydroxyl free radicals (•OH). Salicylate may offer protection because it reacts with •OH and/or because of its anti-inflammatory actions. Objective: To measure •OH concentrations in hearts and brains of chicken embryos exposed to multiple, small doses of COC, and to determine if otherwise non-toxic doses of sodium salicylate (NaSal) protected against the marginal but significant reduction in hatchability caused by a model of "binge" COC exposure. Methods: Three experiments were carried out. In the first, 67.5 mg COC/kg egg was administered as five doses of 13.5 mg/kg egg or 0.675 mg/egg every 1.5 h, injected just beneath the shell, on day 18 of development (E18), 1 h after NaSal (25 or 100 mg/kg egg) was injected as a bolus. Hearts and brains taken shortly afterward were analyzed for •OH. In experiment 2, the dose of COC was reduced to 56.5 mg/kg egg so as to achieve a small but significant reduction in hatchability in order to determine if NaSal protected against or enhanced COC's toxicity, manifest as an increase or decrease in hatchability. The doses of NaSal for this experiment were 50, 100 or 200 mg/kg egg, all devoid of effects upon hatchability when injected alone. Experiment 3 was done to confirm the presence of vascular disruptions/hemorrhages observed on COC-exposed embryos while harvesting hearts and brains for chemical analyses and to quantify what appeared to be enhanced COC-related vascular accidents associated with NaSal pretreatment. The dose of NaSal used in experiment 3 was 200 mg/kg egg and COC was injected again at 5×13.5 mg/kg egg. Results: COC increased •OH in hearts and brains of chicken embryos on E18, and non-toxic doses of NaSal (i.e. 100 or 200 mg/kg egg) enhanced COC's toxicity in a dose-related manner. The lowest NaSal dose (50 mg/kg egg) may have offered some protection against the effects of COC, as the reduction in hatchability caused by 56.5 mg COC/kg egg was no longer significant. Vascular disruptions/hemorrhages were associated with and most likely responsible for the interactive toxicity. Conclusions: Our unexpected findings may be of clinical relevance because of the use of aspirin for treatment of misdiagnosed "preeclamptic" COC-abusing pregnant women and its possible use for COC abusers at risk for reduced cerebral blood flow and stroke.
Nonparametric Partial Correlation and Causal Analysis

The properties of Quade's "index of matched correlation"are explored in the context of causal analysis. Quade's approach is tested on data with specified characteristics generated through a computer simulation. Although nonparametric partial correlation must be used with caution, it supplies an easily interpreted and applied method for analyzing categorized data.
I don't Want to be Green: Prosocial Motivation Effects on Firm Environmental Innovation Rejection Decisions

Although the political and consumer consciousness has turned increasingly green, many firms continue to resist the adoption of environment-friendly technological innovations—even in the face of higher costs, negative health effects, and stricter government oversight. This article examines how business owners weigh the trade-offs associated with environment-friendly innovations by examining the role of prosocial motivation in their decision-making process. We use primary data to overcome a common restriction in studying environmental innovations—the scarcity of relevant data—to analyze how business owners’ expectations, perceptions, and motivations affect innovation in organizational processes and, consequently, the level of environmental friendliness of their products or services. We found that prosocial motivation had a significant negative impact on innovation adoption and that it is expressed differently under high and low levels of customer compatibility—possibly because business owners have a larger number of competing social objectives and priorities. Our results further showed that the innovation’s ability to satisfy downstream customer demands has the greatest impact on environment-friendly innovation adoption decisions by business owners. This study enhances our understanding of how business owners make innovation decisions based on competing business, environmental and social objectives and provides a foundation for future research in this area.
When love is just a four-letter word: victimization and romantic relationships in adolescence.

For many adolescents romantic life begins as a journey from the social scripts they consumed in books television and movies to fantasized and direct experiences with real partners. This journey from a peer network that eschews romantic ties of any kind to one that encourages them is fraught with uncertainties about how to feel think and act. How do I get someone to like me? Why is everyone going out but me? How can I tell if someone really cares about me? What are these butterflies doing in my stomach? What do we talk about? For most American youth confronting such uncertainties is a central yet challenging part of establishing romantic relationships. For youth who were abused as children or who are victimized in their romantic relationships the task may be particularly difficult. Although it is reasonable to expect that past victimization or victimization in romantic relationships would alter the developmental course of romantic experiences we know remarkably little about the topic. Investigators studying victimization and those studying romantic relationships have had little contact with each other. The goal of this focus section is to help foster an integration of the research on adolescent romantic life with that on victimization. The articles present theory and findings from scholars in the areas of adolescent romantic relationships and maltreatment. (excerpt)
Molecular Dynamics Simulations, Thermodynamic Analysis, and Experimental Study of Phase Stability of Zinc Sulfide Nanoparticles

A comprehensive study of the phase stability of ZnS nanoparticles was carried out using combined molecular dynamics simulations, thermodynamic analysis, and experimental investigations. Average sur...
VISION.BASED VEHICLE-TRACKING VIA A NOISE TOLERANT OPTICAL FLOW METHOD

Vehicle-tracking is defined as an autonomous vehicle following a lead vehicle based on the observed range and heading angle of the lead vehicle. This paper presents a vision-based vehicle tracking algorithm for obtaining the range and heading angle information. The developed algorithm utilizes the minimization of an energy function reflecting the optical flow of a specified shape on the lead vehicle and the gradient of its edges. The embedded optical flow method is capable of tolerating intensity variations or environmental noise generated by light and background sources. This noise tolerance is achieved by employing a response function which adapts to the distribution of a similarity measure within a moving search window. Several examples are shown to illustrate the performance of this tracking algorithm in realistic outdoor scenes.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Electronic states and total energies in hydrogenated amorphous silicon

The effects of bulklike and surfacelike surroundings on the electronic density of states of a variety of Si-H bonding conformations in hydrogenated amorphous silicon are examined using the cluster Bethe-lattice approach. Firstly, we discover that two fundamentally different bonding patterns, with different consequences for the doping mechanism, are consistent with ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy (UPS) data. These are (1) H atoms bonded in microcrystalline regions and (2) clusters of monohydrides (SiH) in a continuous random network. Our results suggest an experiment in which x-ray photoemission spectroscopy and UPS taken together should distinguish between (1) and (2) and hence contribute toward understanding doping. Secondly, by using the calculated densities of states, the energies of a number of conformations and dehydrogenation reactions are calculated with the use of an empirical bond-strength total-energy scheme. Our results agree with results from annealing experiments. We introduce an improvement in the Bethe-lattice method which permits efficient solution of a second-neighbor tight-binding Hamiltonian, and which is valid for $N\mathrm{th}$-neighbor interactions. We also estimate the Hubbard $U$, Stokes shifts, and electronic states associated with neutral and charged dangling bonds.
Chromosome length controls mitotic chromosome segregation in yeast

We have examined the effect of physical length on the mitotic segregation of artificial chromosomes and fragments of natural yeast chromosomes. Increasing the length of artificial chromosomes decreases the rate at which they are lost during mitosis. We have made fragments of chromosome III by integrating new telomeres at different positions along the length of the chromosome. Chromosome fragments of 42 and 72 kb behave like artificial chromosomes: they are lost in mitosis much more frequently than natural chromosomes. In contrast, a chromosome fragment of 150 kb is as mitotically stable as the full-length chromosome from which it is derived. The structural instability of a short dicentric artificial chromosome demonstrates that, although short artificial chromosomes segregate poorly in mitosis, they do attach to the mitotic spindle. We discuss these results in the context of a model in which chromosome segregation is directed by the intercatenation of the segregating DNA molecules.
Twenty Years of Delila and Molecular Information Theory: The Altenberg-Austin Workshop in Theoretical Biology Biological Information, Beyond Metaphor: Causality, Explanation, and Unification Altenberg, Austria, 11-14 July 2002.

A brief personal history is given about how information theory can be applied to binding sites of genetic control molecules on nucleic acids. The primary example used is ribosome binding sites in Escherichia coli. Once the sites are aligned, the information needed to describe the sites can be computed using Claude Shannon’s method. This is displayed by a computer graphic called a sequence logo. The logo represents an average binding site, and the mathematics easily allows one to determine the components of this average. That is, given a set of binding sites, the information for individual binding sites can also be computed. One can go further and predict the information of sites that are not in the original data set. Information theory also allows one to model the flexibility of ribosome binding sites, and this led us to a simple model for ribosome translational initiation in which the molecular components fit together only when the ribosome is at a good ribosome binding site. Since information theory is general, the same mathematics applies to human splice junctions, where we can predict the effect of sequence changes that cause human genetic diseases and cancer. The second example given is the Pribnow “box,” which, when viewed by the information theory method, reveals a mechanism for initiation of both transcription and DNA replication. Replication, transcription, splicing, and translation into protein represent the central dogma, so these examples show how molecular information theory is contributing to our knowledge of basic biology.
Fibrinogen petoskey: Identification of a new dysfibrinogenemia characterized by altered release of fibrinopeptide A

Abstract A new congenital dysfibrinogenemia, designated fibrinogen Petoskey, which was traced through four generations of a Michigan family, was found to exhibit an abnormally slow rate of release of fibrino-peptide A upon treatment with thrombin and batroxobin. Batroxobin only partially hydrolyzed and polymerized the fibrinogen from affected individuals, suggesting that these patients had both normal and abnormal fibrinogen in their circulation and that batroxobin was not capable of releasing fibrinopeptide A from the abnormal fibrinogen. Polymerization of fibrin monomers from fibrinogen Petoskey and plasmin mediated digestion of fibrinogen Petoskey were normal. The Factor XIIIa-catalyzed cross-linking of fibrinogen Petoskey was slightly delayed at low (but not at high) concentrations of thrombin. This delayed cross-linking appeared to be a secondary effect of the lower rate of release of fibrinopeptide A.
Novel mirror mount design: TRACE primary mirror

Orbiting x-ray and XUV observatories are pushing the achievable image resolution and with it, the requirements on mounted mirror performance. The transitional region and coronal explorer (TRACE) observatory uses a center mounted primary mirror that must maintain its orientation in roll as well as pitch and way. A conformable bedding was used to support the mirror against the expected launch loads in a re-assembled mount, without inducing unacceptable mirror distortion. The novel mirror mount design is discussed, and its resulting performance described. This paper outlines the TRACE primary mirror assembly design. The evolution of the design from the Space Weather and Terrestrial Hazards assembly to the TRACE baseline design is presented.
Iteratively generated pseudopotentials in electronic structure calculations

We present an iterative procedure to generate first-principles, norm-conserving pseudopotentials which are of an analytic form and separable by construction with fewer nonlocal projectors than conventional ones. The procedure consists of two steps: First, reference pseudowavefunctions and eigenvalues for an atom are determined by a conventional method. Second, trial pseudowavefunctions and eigenvalues are calculated for the pseudopotentials with adjustable parameters repeatedly until they match the reference ones within some tolerance. The pseudopotentials allow us to evaluate Hamiltonian matrix elements efficiently and less likely to yield spurious solution. Examples for copper and zinc are shown.
Efficient Dynamic Derived Field Generation on Many-Core Architectures Using Python

Derived field generation is a critical aspect of many visualization and analysis systems. This capability is frequently implemented by providing users with a language to create new fields and then translating their “programs” into a pipeline of filters that are combined in sequential fashion. Although this design is highly extensible and practical for development, the runtime characteristics of the typical implementation are poor, since it iterates over large arrays many times. As we reconsider visualization and analysis systems for many-core architectures, we must re-think the best way to implement derived fields while being cognizant of data movement. In this paper, we describe a flexible Python-based framework that realizes efficient derived field generation on many-core architectures using OpenCL. Our framework supports the development of different execution strategies for composing operations using a common library of building blocks. We present an evaluation of our framework by testing three execution strategies to explore tradeoffs between runtime performance and memory constraints. We successfully demonstrate our framework in an HPC environment using the vortex detection application on a large-scale simulation.
Void nucleation in irradiated metals: numerical evaluation of parameters

Abstract Iterative techniques have been applied to the theory of homogeneous void nucleation under irradiation to calculate various quantities of interest for type 316 stainless steel and PE-16. Calculated activation plots for terminal void number densities are generally consistent with experimental measurement. Substantial incubation times are predicted at all temperatures; these reach 10 4 −10 6 at T m /3 and could seriously hinder if not preclude void nucleation at low temperatures.
Selective observation and quantification of amorphous trans conformers in doubly 13C-labeled poly(ethylene terephthalate), PET, by zero-quantum magic-angle-spinning solid-state NMR

A new method for identifying and quantifying conformations of 13 C-labeled polymer segments in magic-angle spinning (MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra is introduced. The observed magnetization is dephased by the difference of the recoupled anisotropic chemical shifts, reflecting relative orientation, of two sites with a significant 13 C- 13 C dipolar interaction. Signals of trans conformations decay more slowly than those near gauche or cis if the chemical-shift tensors in the trans conformation are related by inversion symmetry. This permits an estimate of the trans:gauche ratio. The experiments, which are based on zero-quantum (ZQ) or double-quantum/single-quantum (DQ-2SQ) dephasing under the recoupled chemical-shift anisotropy (CSA), yield selective MAS spectra of methylene groups in trans or gauche conformations. For the O-CH 2 -CH 2 -O moieties in amorphous and semicrystalline poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), the ZQ-CSA-dephasing and (DQ-2SQ)-CSA-dephasing methods enable selective observation of the amorphous trans components, which cannot be detected by traditional CP/ MAS experiments due to complete overlap with dominant gauche and crystalline trans signals. The observed amorphous trans chemical shift is close to that in PET crystallites; it cannot be rationalized based on the empirical γ-gauche effect. These experiments also provide signal decay curves from which torsion angles can be determined, with high angular resolution around the trans state. The data yield 12 ± 3% trans in amorphous PET, with a approximate 16° standard deviation of the torsion angles from the ideal trans state. In semicrystalline PET, the total trans fraction is 43 ± 3% and the best estimate of the crystalline-trans fraction, which corresponds to the degree of crystallinity, is 23 ± 5%; the amorphous trans fraction is 20 ± 5%. The trans fraction in the amorphous regions of semicrystalline PET, 26 ± 5%, is significantly higher than the 12 ± 3% in amorphous PET. The experiment is easily combined with double-quantum spectroscopy of isotropic chemical shifts, which provides further information on the isotropic chemical shifts of specific conformers. In amorphous PET, the two CH 2 groups in trans conformers are found to experience similar local fields.
MEASUREMENT OF THE ADHESIVE STRENGTH OF A GINGIVAL CELL LINE TO AGAR

A new technique is described for measuring the adhesive strength of a gingival cell line to an agar substratum by the modification of the original “blister” test for adhesives. A cell monolayer was developed on a Petri dish with a hole in the center of the growing surface, overlayed with agar, and the system pressurized to debond the cells from the agar surface. Pressure changes were measured by a capacitance pressure transducer the output of which was measured by a strip-chart recorder. The modulus (E) of the agar overlay was determined and used in the calculation of the adhesive-bond strength (γa). The (γa) yield for the gingival cell line (cell-agar debond) was 48.8 ergs per cm2, and for the control (no cells) (agar-polystyrene debond) was 30.0 ergs per cm2.
Determination of traces of ruthenium by neutron activation analysis using a polyethylene film

A neutron activation analytical method is described for the determination of traces of ruthenium. Acid solution of an inorganic chemical or seaweed ash is heated in a conical flask with oxidants, ruthenium ingredient is distilled and fixed on a polyethylene film, which is placed on the top of the flask. Many films were irradiated together in a thermal neutron flux, and after about a month γ-ray peak counts under the 497 keV peak of103Ru were measured with a well-type NaI(Tl) or a Ge(Li) detector. In the chemicals of fifty one elements, compounds of four platinum metals were contaminated with 2100-150 ppb Ru, and Ga, In, Tm, Tb, Yb: all trivalent elements contained 510-16 ppb Ru. The ruthenium content of all other chemicals were of ppb order or less. In these, Ga, In, Tm and Yb were known as scintigram elements of cancer. In the ash of Porphyra tenera 2 ppb Ru was detected.
A Genetic Algorithm Hybrid for Constructing Optimal Response Surface Designs

Hybrid heuristic optimization methods can discover efficient experiment designs in situations where traditional designs cannot be applied, exchange methods are ineffective, and simple heuristics like simulated annealing fail to find good solutions. One such heuristic hybrid is GASA (genetic algorithm–simulated annealing), developed to take advantage of the exploratory power of the genetic algorithm, while utilizing the local optimum exploitive properties of simulated annealing. The successful application of this method is demonstrated in a difficult design problem with multiple optimization criteria in an irregularly shaped design region. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Study of structures, energetics, IR spectra and 13C and 1H NMR chemical shifts of the conformations of isopropyl cation by ab initio calculations

Abstract The C 2 conformation 3 was established to be the preferred conformation of the isopropyl cation. The calculated 13 C NMR chemical shifts of C 2 conformation 3 also agree very well with the experimental data. However, this is, in contrast with the recent claims by Farcasiu and coworkers, who found that the preferred conformation of the isopropyl cation in ion pair with trihydrofluoroborate is C s . Computed IR spectra indicates that hyperconjugative stabilization is clearly evident due to the shorter C + –C bond lengths and larger C–C + –C bond angles in the isopropyl cation structure 3 . The computed IR absorptions of 3 also indicate that the greatest degree of electron donation takes place from C–H bonds into the formally empty p-orbital of the central carbon.
Rheological properties of the liquid crystalline poly(γ‐benzyl α, L‐glutamate) gels in benzyl alcohol

We have determined the degree of stiffness of a poly(γ-benzyl α, L-glutamate) (PBLG) chain in benzyl alcohol by measuring the intrinsic viscosities of dilute Solutions with differing molecular weights. Viscoelastic properties in oscillatory shear flow have been studied and the dependence of the loss and storage moduli on temperature, composition, and frequency are reported. We have also studied the transient shear stress relaxation behavior of the PBLG gel at different temperatures and concentrations. A comparison has been made between these gels and a classical poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) network, as well as, typical glassy polymers. Shear creep and recovery measurements have been made for this system. Some extensional step strain experiments using lubricated squeezing have been investigated. Tensile experiments have been made to determine stress-strain relationship during elongation. Preliminary experiments using the impulse approach to viscoelasticity further indicate the high elastic contribution in the gel.
Scales of impact: Settlement history and landscape change in the Gordion Region, central Anatolia

The expansion of agriculture in the Near East during the middle Holocene significantly altered the physical landscape. However, the relationship between the scale of agriculture and the magnitude and timing of the environmental impacts is not well known. The Gordion Regional Survey provides a novel dataset to compare settlement density during archaeological periods to rates of environmental disruption. Sediment samples from alluvial cores directly date the environmental disruption, which can be matched to period-specific settlement intensities in the watershed as constructed from archaeological survey ceramics. Degradation rates rose sharply within a millennium of the earliest Chalcolithic occupation. Early Bronze Age (EBA) land use induced the greatest rates of environmental degradation, although settlement density was relatively low on the landscape. The degradation rate subsequently decreased to one-third its early peak by the Iron Age, even as settlement intensity climbed. This trajectory reveals how ...
Activity-centric scene synthesis for functional 3D scene modeling

We present a novel method to generate 3D scenes that allow the same activities as real environments captured through noisy and incomplete 3D scans. As robust object detection and instance retrieval from low-quality depth data is challenging, our algorithm aims to model semantically-correct rather than geometrically-accurate object arrangements. Our core contribution is a new scene synthesis technique which, conditioned on a coarse geometric scene representation, models functionally similar scenes using prior knowledge learned from a scene database. The key insight underlying our scene synthesis approach is that many real-world environments are structured to facilitate specific human activities, such as sleeping or eating. We represent scene functionalities through virtual agents that associate object arrangements with the activities for which they are typically used. When modeling a scene, we first identify the activities supported by a scanned environment. We then determine semantically-plausible arrangements of virtual objects -- retrieved from a shape database -- constrained by the observed scene geometry. For a given 3D scan, our algorithm produces a variety of synthesized scenes which support the activities of the captured real environments. In a perceptual evaluation study, we demonstrate that our results are judged to be visually appealing and functionally comparable to manually designed scenes.
Controlled drug release in a microfluidic device with droplet merging and storage functions

This paper reports a new microfluidic device with droplet merging and storage functions for the controlled release of drugs with nanostructured capsules. The drug model is MnCO3 microparticle coated with a nanostructured capsule using a simple layer-by-layer nanoassembly process. The merging function is used for dynamically adding the control solution into the droplets containing drugs. The storage chambers are used for collecting droplets so that the controlled drug release in specific droplets can be monitored for an extended period of time. This technical platform will facilitate the long-term observation of drug effects on specific cells, thereby greatly benefiting the drug screen and discovery.
Ethical Norms in American Society: A Critique

History in the Western world is replete with uproars over the intervention of ministers of religion in the affairs of the state. It is said by many that the Church should concern itself with the souls of men. Political matters are beyond its purview and outside its competence. For its part, the Church claims the right for the sake of its flock to intervene in political matters involving ethical principles. It is this sort of spiritual development which the Church is here trying both to preserve and advance that Solzhenitsyn had in mind when he spoke of man's task here on earth.
Increasing the adherence of diabetic adolescents

This study examined the effects of sequentially introducing self-monitoring, goal setting, and behavioral contracting procedures on increasing the regimen compliance of nonadherent adolescent diabetics. For each of three insulin-dependent subjects, a multiple-baseline across-behaviors design was used to study three of the following target behaviors: urine testing, insulin injections, exercise, wearing diabetic identification, and home blood glucose testing. In addition to self-monitoring of adherence, measures of metabolic control of diabetes were collected before and after an 8-week treatment and at a 2-month follow-up. Adherence increased and was maintained at desired levels for two of the subjects following introduction of goal setting procedures. Metabolic control measures also showed substantial improvement for these subjects. The third subject, whose family was experiencing a variety of severe problems, did not show reliable improvement. The data suggest that graduated goal setting is a promising approach for improving adherence to diabetic regimens.
Hyperspectral image analysis using noise-adjusted principal component transform

The Noise-Adjusted Principal Components (NAPC) transform, or Maximum Noise Fraction (MNF) transform, has received considerable interest in the remote sensing community. Its basic idea is to reorganize the data such that the principal components are ordered in terms of signal to noise ratio (SNR), instead of variance as used in the ordinary principal components analysis (PCA). The NAPC transform is very useful in multi-dimensional image analysis, because SNR is directly related to image quality. As a result, object information can be better compacted into the first several principal components. This paper reviews the fundamental concept of the NAPC transform and its practical implementation issue, i.e., how to get accurate noise estimation, the key to the success of its implementation. Three applications of the NAPC transform in hyperspectral image analysis are presented, which are image classification, image compression, and image visualization. The AVIRIS data is used for demonstration, which shows that using the NAPC transform the performance of the following data analysis can be significantly improved because of more informative major principal components.
Cas9 effector-mediated regulation of transcription and differentiation in human pluripotent stem cells

The identification of the trans-acting factors and cis-regulatory modules that are involved in human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) maintenance and differentiation is necessary to dissect the operating regulatory networks in these processes and thereby identify nodes where signal input will direct desired cell fate decisions in vitro or in vivo. To deconvolute these networks, we established a method to influence the differentiation state of hPSCs with a CRISPR-associated catalytically inactive dCas9 fused to an effector domain. In human embryonic stem cells, we find that the dCas9 effectors can exert positive or negative regulation on the expression of developmentally relevant genes, which can influence cell differentiation status when impinging on a key node in the regulatory network that governs the cell state. This system provides a platform for the interrogation of the underlying regulators governing specific differentiation decisions, which can then be employed to direct cellular differentiation down desired pathways.
Charney's problem for baroclinic instability applied to barotropic instability

If barotropically unstable easterly jets may be approximated by broken line profiles, it becomes possible to use the solutions of the Charney (1947) problem for baroclinic instabilithy in order to solve the barotropic problem. Results are presented for easterly jets having an arbitrary degree of symmetry, and it is noted that the convenient calculation obtained for the growth of both localized and normal mode perturbations is important in the study of monsoon depressions over India.
Microscopic Epidermal Identification of Some Common Desertic Plants

Wildlife ecologists have extensively used the identification of epidermal fragments recovered from digestive tracts and feces to determine the diet of various animals. Archaeologists, however, generally have not used this technique to identify botanical remains recovered from archaeological contexts. This article points out the accessibility of literature needed to conduct microscopic epidermal identification, reviews the methods and techniques, provides distinctions of such identifications on reference samples of some common desertic plants (yucca, agave, prickly pear, sotol, onion, and grass), and compares these reference samples to epidermal fragments from archaeological paleofeces.
Colon polyps and cancer

A number of recent publications dealing with colon polyps and cancer emphasize cost-effectiveness and the outcomes of screening and follow-up surveillance of high-risk groups. These groups include patients with either a past personal history or a family history of colorectal adenomas or cancer. Several papers address the effectiveness and compliance with different methods of screening of the asymptomatic, average-risk population for colorectal neoplasia. Other important publications deal with colorectal cancer prevention, the natural history of the adenoma-carcinoma sequence, diagnosis of polyps and cancer, colonoscopic polypectomy, management of the patient with a malignant polyp, and endoscopic treatment of obstructing cancer.
EFFECTS OF TRIPARANOL ON THE HYPERLIPEMIA OF EXPERIMENTAL NEPHROSIS.

SummarySince triparanol (MER-29) has been shown to arrest synthesis of cholesterol at the desmosterol stage and prevent an increase of serum cholesterol, we investigated whether this drug would decrease hypercholesteremia and hyperlipemia and reveal a relationship between increase of serum cholesterol and decrease of serum proteins in nephrosis. Experimental nephrosis was produced in dogs by intravenous administration of serum from rabbits sensitized to dog kidney (NTS). Triparanol was given orally in doses of 25 mg/kg of body weight per day before, during, and for 2 weeks after administration of NTS. Total serum lipids, serum cholesterol, and serum and urinary proteins were determined before, during, and for several weeks after injection of NTS. Triparanol decreased serum cholesterol markedly and serum lipids slightly, but it had no influence on hypoproteinemia and proteinuria. The histologic changes in the kidneys were the same in the dogs receiving NTS plus triparanol as in the dogs receiving NTS alone...