cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rapid Qualitative Identification of Barbiturates by Mass Spectrometry

A rapid method of qualitative identification of barbituric acids, which does not require prior isolation of the barbiturate from the pharmaceutical dosage form, was developed utilizing mass spectrometry. This is achieved by the introduction of a portion of the powdered preparation directly into the mass spectrometer via the direct inlet system for solid samples and the fractional sublimation of the barbiturate by slowly increasing the solid inlet system temperature. The method is equally applicable to preparations of the sodium salts of the barbiturates as to the free acids.
Lentiviral Vpx accessory factor targets VprBP/DCAF1 substrate adaptor for cullin 4 E3 ubiquitin ligase to enable macrophage infection

Vpx is a small virion-associated adaptor protein encoded by viruses of the HIV-2/SIVsm lineage of primate lentiviruses that enables these viruses to transduce monocyte-derived cells. This probably reflects the ability of Vpx to overcome an as yet uncharacterized block to an early event in the virus life cycle in these cells, but the underlying mechanism has remained elusive. Using biochemical and proteomic approaches, we have found that Vpx protein of the pathogenic SIVmac 239 strain associates with a ternary protein complex comprising DDB1 and VprBP subunits of Cullin 4-based E3 ubiquitin ligase, and DDA1, which has been implicated in the regulation of E3 catalytic activity, and that Vpx participates in the Cullin 4 E3 complex comprising VprBP. We further demonstrate that the ability of SIVmac as well as HIV-2 Vpx to interact with VprBP and its associated Cullin 4 complex is required for efficient reverse transcription of SIVmac RNA genome in primary macrophages. Strikingly, macrophages in which VprBP levels are depleted by RNA interference resist SIVmac infection. Thus, our observations reveal that Vpx interacts with both catalytic and regulatory components of the ubiquitin proteasome system and demonstrate that these interactions are critical for Vpx ability to enable efficient SIVmac replication in primary macrophages. Furthermore, they identify VprBP/DCAF1 substrate receptor for Cullin 4 E3 ubiquitin ligase and its associated protein complex as immediate downstream effector of Vpx for this function. Together, our findings suggest a model in which Vpx usurps VprBP-associated Cullin 4 ubiquitin ligase to enable efficient reverse transcription and thereby overcome a block to lentivirus replication in monocyte-derived cells, and thus provide novel insights into the underlying molecular mechanism.
Analysis of mutations occurring at the human hprt locus.

Abstract We have recently established a computerized database containing information on mutants at the human hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl transferase ( hprt ) locus. The database contains sequence information on over 1000 mutants. We now present an analysis of the information in the database. 542 single base substitution mutants in the hprt coding region exist, and we have examined (1) the number of mutations and the number of mutable sites in each exon, (2) transcribed versus non-transcribed strand bias for mutations, (3) the frequency of the 5′ and 3′ nearest neighbors to a mutated base, and (4) the distribution of amino acid substitutions. The distribution of both DNA mutations and amino acid mutations was not uniform, several clusterings of mutations were observed and we propose several possible mechanisms to account for the hotspots. We also examined mRNA splicing mutants, mutants with small deletions, and frameshift mutants.
Why do male crab spiders drink nectar

Abstract Misumenoides formosipes is a protandrous, semelparous crab spider common on flowers in North America. Females are 20–50 times heavier than males, which seldom feed on prey as adults, but search for and guard potential mates. Nectivory, previously unproven for spiders, was observed in male M. formosipes. Males were studied on Queen Anne's lace, Daucus carota, to determine the importance of nectar as an energy and water source and its effect on male longevity. Because of their low mass and large surface-to-volume ratio males were more prone to dehydration than females. Drinking nectar replaced fluid that males lost through evaporation, although dew and rainwater were more efficient sources of fluid because the volume per nectary was very small. Males preferred drinking a simulated nectar source (30% sucrose solution) to water, and even when satiated with water would still drink the sucrose solution, suggesting nectar was used as an energy source. Males offered nectar for an hour a day lived longer than males given only water. Nectar feeding may have evolved because of the selective advantage of increased longevity for male reproductive success.
CEO age, education, and introduction of hedging in the oil and gas industry

This study examines if a CEO’s age and education explain introduction of hedging in the oil and gas industry. We compare CEO age, college degree, and educational institutions between the hedgers that initiated use of derivatives and the nonhedgers that never used hedging. Our findings show that a hedge CEO is younger than a nonhedge CEO in the year hedging is initiated. We also find evidence that a higher percentage of the hedge CEOs have petroleum-related degrees and a smaller percentage have business degrees when compared to the nonhedge CEOs. The results of our logistic regressions indicate that CEO age explains the use of financial derivatives in the oil and gas industry.
The Doctor of Nursing Practice for Entry Into Advanced Practice: The Controversy Continues as 2015 Looms

In October 2004, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing issued a historic position statement that incited change as well as controversy. Years later, the endorsement of the move to the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree for entry into advanced practice continues to raise controversies, some real and some hypothetical. What follows in this article are a presentation and an examination of some of the most pertinent and important issues that remain unresolved today. The complex context of societal implications for health professions education, economic pressures, and professional controversies that may determine the success of this educational transformation, at home and abroad, is explored. Finally, what will it all mean to neonatal nurses? Implications for the future of neonatal advanced practice and faculty roles are examined.
Analysis of T cell subsets in different clinical subgroups of patients with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Comparison with the “classic” form of Kaposi's sarcoma

Abstract Ninety patients were grouped according to three different forms of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS): Kaposl's sarcoma "recent outbreak" type (38), reactive lymphadenopathy (27), and opportunistic infections (17), and a fourth group of patients with "classic" Kaposl's sarcoma (8). All patients with "classic" Kaposi's sarcoma were previously treated with electron-beam irradiation. These four groups were compared with 40 normal control subjects. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated by density separation were reacted with a panel of mouse monoclonal antibodies that recognizes all peripheral blood T cells (OKT3-positive), helper (OKT4-positive), and suppressor (OKT8-positive) T cell subsets. The OKT4/OKT8 ratio was used to define the balance between these two subsets. All three groups with AIDS with or without Kaposi's sarcoma showed a decrease in the OKT4/OKT8 ratio. The group with "classic" Kaposi's sarcoma showed individual T cell subset values that were also abnormal. These findings confirm the previously reported imbalance of T cell subsets in patients with AIDS and Kaposi's sarcoma, which is also evident in patients with treated "classic" Kaposl's sarcoma.
Evaluating the Relationship Between Law Enforcement and School Security Measures and Violent Crime in Schools

School crime is a vital concern, not only for students and faculty, but for administrators, policy makers, criminal justice personnel, and concerned citizens. Efforts to reduce crime and violence at schools have led many schools to adopt preventative strategies aimed at reducing actual crime and fear of crime. These measures include partnering with local police departments and implementing school resource officers, installing video cameras and closed circuit television systems, utilizing weapon-detection systems (e.g., metal detectors), and blocking/restricting access to school facilities with entry-control devices (e.g., electronic key cards). Recognizing these efforts and the limitations of prior research investigating school crime and safety measures, the current study examined the relationship between law enforcement (public or private) and school security measures on the incidence of violence and serious violence in schools using a nationally representative sample. Several key findings emerged. In pa...
RECOMBINATION COEFFICIENT OF MOLECULAR RARE-GAS IONS

The coefficients relating to the recombination of molecular rare-gas ions with electrons are determined from the slope of the straight part of the curve representing the reciprocal of the electron density as a function of time during the afterglow period of plasmas produced in helium, neon, argon, krypton, and xenon. The results are compared with the machine computation of Gray and Kerr. The influence on the measurements of the magnitude and duration of the plasma excitation pulse was studied. The values of the recombination coefficients obtained are ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{r}({{\mathrm{He}}_{2}}^{+})l~4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}9}$, ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{r}({{\mathrm{Ne}}_{2}}^{+})=(2.2\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}7}$, ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{r}({{\mathrm{Ar}}_{2}}^{+})=(6.7\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.5)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}7}$, ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{r}({{\mathrm{Kr}}_{2}}^{+})=(1.2+0.1)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}6}$, and ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{r}({{\mathrm{Xe}}_{2}}^{+})=(1.4\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}6}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$ ${\mathrm{sec}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. The values were independent of gas pressure over the pressure ranges studied. The influence on the measuring technique of the collision frequency for momentum transfer of electrons with gas atoms caused an apparent pressure dependence of the measured recombination coefficient of ${\mathrm{Xe}}_{2}^{+}$ ions.
The effect of thyroprotein, thiouracil and cortisone on the feather pigmentation of turkey poults.

ABSTRACT TURKEY poults (Fritz et al., 1946), chickens (Klain et al., 1957) and rats (Vohra and Kratzer, 1956) have been shown to exhibit achromatosis when fed a lysine deficient diet. The melanin pigments of adult Brown Leghorn feathers are very sensitive to the administration of estrogen and the thyroid hormone (Trinkaus, 1953) but the estrogen effect is not manifested in thyroidectomized adult birds (Blivaiss, 1947 a,b). Estrogen administration, thyroidectomy or the administration of thyroxine is without effect on the juvenile flight and tail feathers of chicks (Trinkaus, 1950). Feeding thiouracil has been reported to cause the same changes as thyroidectomy in chickens (Juhn, 1946). In rats which were made gray by being fed a pantothenic acid deficient diet, adrenalectomy caused a transitory improvement in coat pigmentation (Ralli and Graef, 1943) while the injections of desoxycorticosterone acetate, following adrenalectomy, inhibited pigmentation (Ralli and Graef, 1945). The administration of cortisone resulted in the . . .
The effect of inoculum size on the growth of cell and root cultures of Hyoscyamus muticus : Implications for reactor inoculation

Cell suspensions inoculated at low cell concentrations displayed a typical growth reduction, whereas root cultures displayed an improvement in growth. Specific growth rate ofHyoscyamus muticus cell suspensions decreased from 0.25 to 0.12 d−1 as inoculum concentration was reduced from 4.0 to 0.02 g fresh weight per liter. In contrast, roots show an increase in growth rate from 0.24 to 0.43 d−1. These contrasting growth patterns can be explained as the result of: a) the high specific surface area of cells as compared to roots and, b) the differentiated structure of roots. The dispersed nature of cell suspensions makes them more prone to leakage of key growth factors/cellular contents to medium. The results of this work indicate that cell cultures require substantially higher inoculum concentrations. In contrast, roots can be inoculated at very low concentrations. These facts imply that whereas seed vessels must be employed by cell suspensions, their use for root cultures is a compromise between an easier handling of an entwined root mass and the reduction of the contamination risk of large medium volumes.
From sensor networks to sensor organizations

Sensor networks have uses ranging from personal use in homes to large-scale military applications. The ability of a sensor network is only as good as the intelligence used to control and integrate the sensors into a single entity. In this paper, we look at the marriage of agent organizations with sensor networks to create a sensor organization.
Routine umbilical cord blood gas determinations

Between 1986 and 1988, 1924 term nulliparous patients with spontaneous onset of labor were studied to assess the importance of obtaining umbilical cord blood gas levels on all deliveries. The umbilical cord arterial and venous pH values (expressed as mean +/- 2 SD) were 7.24 +/- 0.14 (n = 1694) and 7.32 +/- 0.12 (n = 1820), respectively. The incidence of newborn depression (1- or 5-minute Apgar score less than 7) was 14.1%; of these depressed newborns, the incidence of normal umbilical cord arterial pH values (greater than or equal to -2 SD) was 77.8%. Of the vigorous newborns, there was a 2.1% incidence of umbilical cord arterial blood acidemia. Umbilical cord arterial blood acidemia in vigorous newborns was not highly predictive of specific morbidity in the immediate newborn period. Regression analysis demonstrated the umbilical cord arterial pH to correlate best with the Apgar scores when compared with all other arterial or venous blood gas measurements. We reached the following conclusions: (1) that obtaining cord arterial pH values in vigorous newborns should be considered since the values will provide objective documentation or normal fetal acid base balance in 98% of infants. (2) Only a cord arterial pH determination is recommended since it reflects fetal or newborn status more accurately than all other measurements. Additional measurements increase the likelihood of abnormal results and do not contribute to neonatal management. (3) An umbilical cord blood pH value is extremely useful in ruling out the diagnosis of birth asphyxia in the depressed newborn.
Rotating flow of non-newtonian fluids

The problem of an elastico-viscous fluid resting on a plate which moves with a time dependent velocity in its own plane (along negative x direction) and rotating with a constant velocity Iomega; along with the fluid as a rigid body has been discussed, It is found that the elastic property of the fluid increases the drag and the lateral stress on the plate, The rotation introduces fluid motion in the y direction, For a fixed time and distance from the plate, the velocity fluctuates with decreasing magnitudes with increasing Iomega;, with the result that the boundary layer thickness reduces as Iomega; increases, The stresses increase parabolically with respect to Iomega;, The solution for an arbitrary velocity of the plate is also presented, In case of impulsive flows a secondary boundary layer whose thickness is of order √(vt) (v is the kinematic viscosity) is found to develop for very short times
Statistically calculating reject limits at parametric test

Known Good Die (KGD) methodology is a process used in the manufacture of semiconductor chips which determines reject limits for parameters measured at sample probe. The philosophy of KGD is to set reject limits on all sample probe parameters at x~/spl plusmn/4 s, where x~ is the sample average and s is the sample standard deviation, assuming a normal distribution on the parameter. When the distribution of measurements is normal, limits set at /spl plusmn/4 s correspond to a C/sub pk/ of 1.33. If the distribution of measurements is not normal, we examine using a generalized C/sub pk/ formula to find the KGD limits. KGD methods are also used to set limits at circuit probe and final test, after the chip has been packaged.
Black esophagus: Acute esophageal necrosis syndrome

Acute esophageal necrosis (AEN), commonly referred to as “black esophagus”, is a rare clinical entity arising from a combination of ischemic insult seen in hemodynamic compromise and low-flow states, corrosive injury from gastric contents in the setting of esophago-gastroparesis and gastric outlet obstruction, and decreased function of mucosal barrier systems and reparative mechanisms present in malnourished and debilitated physical states. AEN may arise in the setting of multiorgan dysfunction, hypoperfusion, vasculopathy, sepsis, diabetic ketoacidosis, alcohol intoxication, gastric volvulus, traumatic transection of the thoracic aorta, thromboembolic phenomena, and malignancy. Clinical presentation is remarkable for upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Notable symptoms may include epigastric/abdominal pain, vomiting, dysphagia, fever, nausea, and syncope. Associated laboratory findings may reflect anemia and leukocytosis. The hallmark of this syndrome is the development of diffuse circumferential black mucosal discoloration in the distal esophagus that may extend proximally to involve variable length of the organ. Classic “black esophagus” abruptly stops at the gastroesophageal junction. Biopsy is recommended but not required for the diagnosis. Histologically, necrotic debris, absence of viable squamous epithelium, and necrosis of esophageal mucosa, with possible involvement of submucosa and muscularis propria, are present. Classification of the disease spectrum is best described by a staging system. Treatment is directed at correcting coexisting clinical conditions, restoring hemodynamic stability, nil-per-os restriction, supportive red blood cell transfusion, and intravenous acid suppression with proton pump inhibitors. Complications include perforation with mediastinal infection/abscess, esophageal stricture and stenosis, superinfection, and death. A high mortality of 32% seen in the setting of AEN syndrome is usually related to the underlying medical co-morbidities and diseases.
Coding variants in TREM2 increase risk for Alzheimer's disease

The triggering receptor expressed on myeloid 2 (TREM2) is an immune phagocytic receptor expressed on brain microglia known to trigger phagocytosis and regulate the inflammatory response. Homozygous mutations in TREM2 cause Nasu-Hakola disease, a rare recessive form of dementia. A heterozygous TREM2 variant, p.R47H, was recently shown to increase Alzheimer''s disease (AD) risk. We hypothesized that if TREM2 is truly an AD risk gene, there would be additional rare variants in TREM2 that substantially affect AD risk. To test this hypothesis, we performed pooled sequencing of TREM2 coding regions in 2082 AD cases and 1648 cognitively normal elderly controls of European American descent. We identified 16 non-synonymous variants, six of which were not identified in previous AD studies. Two variants, p.R47H [P = 9.17 × 10(-4), odds ratio (OR) = 2.63 (1.44-4.81)] and p.R62H [P = 2.36 × 10(-4), OR = 2.36 (1.47-3.80)] were significantly associated with disease risk in single-variant analyses. Gene-based tests demonstrate variants in TREM2 are genome-wide significantly associated with AD [PSKAT-O = 5.37 × 10(-7); OR = 2.55 (1.80-3.67)]. The association of TREM2 variants with AD is still highly significant after excluding p.R47H [PSKAT-O = 7.72 × 10(-5); OR = 2.47 (1.62-3.87)], indicating that additional TREM2 variants affect AD risk. Genotyping in available family members of probands suggested that p.R47H (P = 4.65 × 10(-2)) and p.R62H (P = 6.87 × 10(-3)) were more frequently seen in AD cases versus controls within these families. Gel electrophoresis analysis confirms that at least three TREM2 transcripts are expressed in human brains, including one encoding a soluble form of TREM2.
Using Social Marketing to Promote a Healthy Diet and Physical Activity: The Need for Training Public Health Professionals:

The current public health workforce may not be prepared for the challenge of implementing social marketing programs, as there is only limited training on social marketing offered by schools of public health. Therefore, training programs for working public health professionals may be warranted. An inventory of current social marketing resources revealed a variety of conferences, journals, and World Wide Web sites that either include or are devoted to social marketing. However, a survey of public health professionals who have direct responsibility for social marketing programs indicates that they use these resources in only a limited fashion. Recommendations include marketing current training resources to increase their use by working professionals, expanding the number and location of training conferences, and exploring opportunities for distance education.
Insulin Resistance in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats: Difference in Interpretation Based on Insulin Infusion Rate or on Plasma Insulin in Glucose Clamp Studies

Isotopic glucose turnover was measured during euglycemic glucose clamp studies in spontaneously hypertensive rats and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto control rats, under pentobarbital sodium anesthesia. At an insulin infusion rate of 4 mU · kg −1 · min −1 , glucose disposal rate and hepatic glucose output were not significantly different in either group, at a plasma glucose of 6 mM. However, steady-state plasma insulin levels in spontaneously hypertensive rats were more than double those in Wistar-Kyoto rats (2.34 ± 0.16 [mean ± SE] vs. 6.78 ± 0.58 nM, P n = 7 in each group). Additional studies ( n = 30 in spontaneously hypertensive rats and n = 32 in Wistar-Kyoto control rats) were conducted to match insulin levels in the two groups over a wide range, using infusion rates of 0.5–10 mU · kg −1 · min −1 . When the responses of glucose disposal rate and hepatic glucose output to insulin were analyzed from the standpoint of plasma insulin levels, a highly significant difference was seen in the response to insulin between spontaneously hypertensive rats and Wistar-Kyoto rats, for both glucose disposal rate ( P P = 0.00007). The slope of the regression line for glucose disposal rate versus plasma insulin was lower in spontaneously hypertensive rats compared with Wistar-Kyoto rats (2.652 vs. 4.864, P −1 · min −1 , P
Toll-like receptor expression and signaling in human diabetic wounds.

CONCLUSION: Collectively, our novel findings show that increased TLR expression, signaling, and activation may contribute to the hyper inflammation in the human diabetic wounds.
Hypothalamic Hypocretin (Orexin): Robust Innervation of the Spinal Cord

Hypocretin (orexin) is synthesized by neurons in the lateral hypothalamus and has been reported to increase food intake and regulate the neuroendocrine system. In the present paper, long descending axonal projections that contain hypocretin were found that innervate all levels of the spinal cord from cervical to sacral segments, as studied in mouse, rat, and human spinal cord and not previously described. High densities of axonal innervation are found in regions of the spinal cord related to modulation of sensation and pain, notably in the marginal zone (lamina 1). Innervation of the intermediolateral column and lamina 10 as well as strong innervation of the caudal region of the sacral cord suggest that hypocretin may participate in the regulation of both the sympathetic and parasympathetic parts of the autonomic nervous system. Double-labeling experiments in mice combining retrograde transport of diamidino yellow after spinal cord injections and immunocytochemistry support the concept that hypocretin-immunoreactive fibers in the cord originate from the neurons in the lateral hypothalamus. Digital-imaging physiological studies with fura-2 detected a rise in intracellular calcium in response to hypocretin in cultured rat spinal cord neurons, indicating that spinal cord neurons express hypocretin-responsive receptors. A greater number of cervical cord neurons responded to hypocretin than another hypothalamo-spinal neuropeptide, oxytocin. These data suggest that in addition to possible roles in feeding and endocrine regulation, the descending hypocretin fiber system may play a role in modulation of sensory input, particularly in regions of the cord related to pain perception and autonomic tone.
Possible Nonconductive Role of Geobacter sulfurreducens Pilus Nanowires in Biofilm Formation

Geobacter sulfurreducens required expression of electrically conductive pili to form biofilms on Fe(III) oxide surfaces, but pili were also essential for biofilm development on plain glass when fumarate was the sole electron acceptor. Furthermore, pili were needed for cell aggregation in agglutination studies. These results suggest that the pili of G. sulfurreducens also have a structural role in biofilm formation.
Erodibility and infiltration characteristics of five major soils of southwest Spain

Equations used to calculate erodibility in the Water Erosion Prediction Project soil erosion Ž. model WEPP are based on erodibility studies in the USA and may not function well in another Ž. region. This study was conducted to: i analyze erodibility and infiltration characteristics of some Ž. predominant soils of southern Spain, and ii test equations used to calculate interrill erodibility in the WEPP model on these soils. The five soils chosen for this study in Andalusia, southwest Ž. Spain, were: two terrace soils referred to as ‘Red and Yellow Alfisols’ , an alluvial soil
Optimal two level partitioning and loop scheduling for hiding memory latency for DSP applications

The large latency of memory accesses in modern computers is a key obstacle in achieving high processor utilization. To hide this latency, this paper proposes a new memory management technique that can be applied to computer architectures with three levels of memory. The technique takes advantage of access pattern information that is available at compile time by prefetching certain data elements from the higher level memory. It as well maintains certain data for a period of time to prevent unnecessary data swapping. Data locality is much improved compared with the usual pattern by partitioning the iteration space and reducing execution in each partition. These combined approaches lead to improvements in average execution times of approximately 35% over the one-level partition algorithm and more than 80% over list scheduling and hardware prefetching.
Amigos y amantes: los valores relativos de trueque de diferentes tipos de compañeros en el intercambio social

The Mate Value Inventory (MVI) was used in parallel workshops entitled “The Rationality of Romance” with independent samples collected in four different sites: (1) Tucson, Arizona, USA (n = 71), (2) Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico (n = 56), (3) Mexico City, Federal District, Mexico (n = 39), and (4) San Jose, Costa Rica (n = 77). Each participant answered an anonymous and confidential questionnaire that included questions about their perception of their own “Mate Value” (MV), the MV of their past or present romantic partners, and the MV of their male and female best friends. Each participant provided information on relations with past or present partners, including degree of fidelity to that partner, commitment to that relationship, and satisfaction with that relationship. Various relations were specified and explored between the data obtained by means of an economic model of social exchange.
The concentration of Nuf, a Rab11 effector, at the microtubule-organizing center is cell cycle-regulated, dynein-dependent, and coincides with furrow formation

Animal cytokinesis relies on membrane addition as well as acto-myosin-based constriction. Recycling endosome (RE)-derived vesicles are a key source of this membrane. Rab11, a small GTPase associated with the RE and involved in vesicle targeting, is required for elongation of the cytokinetic furrow. In the early Drosophila embryo, Nuclear-fallout (Nuf), a Rab11 effector, promotes vesicle-mediated membrane delivery and actin organization at the invaginating furrow. Although Rab11 maintains a relatively constant localization at the microtubule-organizing center (MTOC), Nuf is present at the MTOC only during the phases of the cell cycle in which furrow invagination occurs. We demonstrate that Nuf protein levels remain relatively constant throughout the cell cycle, suggesting that Nuf is undergoing cycles of concentration and dispersion from the MTOC. Microtubules, but not microfilaments, are required for proper MTOC localization of Nuf and Rab11. The MTOC localization of Nuf also relies on Dynein. Immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrate that Nuf and Dynein physically interact. In accord with these findings, and in contrast to previous reports, we demonstrate that microtubules are required for proper metaphase furrow formation. We propose that the cell cycle-regulated, Dynein-dependent recruitment of Nuf to the MTOC influences the timing of RE-based vesicle delivery to the invaginating furrows.
The Perceived Caregiver Burden Scale for Caregivers of Elderly People in India

The objective of this study is to analyze the 31-item Perceived Caregiver Burden scale (PCB-31) formulated by Stommel, Given, and Given (1990). A multistage probability sample was used to derive a ...
Better than a petaflop: the power of efficient experimental design

Recent advances in high-performance computing have pushed computational capabilities to a petaflop (a thousand trillion operations per second) in a single computing cluster. This breakthrough has been hailed as a way to fundamentally change science and engineering by letting people perform experiments that were previously beyond reach. But for those interested in exploring the I/O behavior of their simulation model, efficient experimental design has a much higher payoff at a much lower cost. A well-designed experiment allows the analyst to examine many more factors than would otherwise be possible, while providing insights that cannot be gleaned from trial-and-error approaches or by sampling factors one at a time. We present the basic concepts of experimental design, the types of goals it can address, and why it is such an important and useful tool for simulation. Ideally, this tutorial will entice you to use experimental designs in your upcoming simulation studies.
Sensing lena-massively distributed compression of sensor images

The sensor broadcast problem: in our setup, sensors measure each one pixel of an image that unfolds over a field, and broadcast a rate constrained encoding of their measurements to every other sensor-the goal is for all sensors to form an estimate of the entire image is considered. In recent work, we proposed a protocol that uses wavelets to decorrelate sensor data, taking advantage of the compact support of the basis functions to keep costly inter-sensor communication at a minimum. In this paper, we prove an asymptotic optimally result for these protocols: the rate of growth for the traffic they generate is /spl Theta/(log(n/D)) (n nodes, total distortion D), matching exactly the rate of growth of the rate/distortion function. We thus close the gap between theory and practice for this new form of massively distributed (one pixel/sensor) image compression, by providing the first efficient and provably optimal algorithms to solve the sensor broadcast problem.
LOCALIZATION OF SECRETORY IgA, SECRETORY COMPONENT, AND α CHAIN IN THE MAMMARY GLAND OF LACTATING RABBITS BY IMMUNOELECTRON MICROSCOPY*

The different steps in the processing of secretory IgA (sIgA) of the mammary gland of lactating rabbits have been investigated with immunoelectron microscopy. The method employed consists of an indirect localization sequence, in which the immunologic reagents are allowed to diffuse into the fixed tissue prior to embedding and thin sectioning. In the first step, goat F(ab')2 fragments directed against sIgA, secretory component (SC), or alpha chain were used. To visualize the location of these first-step antibody fragments, a second Fab fragment directed against goat F(ab')2 antibody was prepared and coupled to a small heme octapeptide that possessed peroxidatic activity, the reaction product of which is visible by electron microscopy. Both the epithelial cell and the local plasmacytes of the mammary gland contain alpha chain, whereas SC is exclusively located in the epithelial cells. In the plasmacytes, both the cisternae of the rough endoplasmic reticulum and the saccules and vesicles of the Golgi complex contain alpha chain. In the epithelial cells, the elements of the Golgi complex and large apical vacuoles situated in the apical region of the cell. Based on these results, a model for processing of sIgA is proposed and discussed.
Investigating TPACK: Knowledge Growth in Teaching with Technology

Technological pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) presents a dynamic framework for describing teachers’ knowledge required for designing, implementing, and evaluating curriculum and instruction with technology. TPACK strategic thinking includes knowing when, where, and how to use domain-specific knowledge and strategies for guiding students’ learning with appropriate information and communication technologies. Multiple visual and verbal descriptions reflect evolving recognitions of teacher educators and educational researchers as they have struggled to respond to the challenges in describing and developing teachers’ TPACK. This extensive reflection maps the historical acceptance of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) with the emerging views of and challenges with TPACK. A review of empirical progress in the investigation of TPACK serves to illuminate potential insights, values, and challenges for directing future educational implementations designed to identify a teacher’s learning trajectory in the development of a more robust and mature TPACK for supporting them in teaching with current and emerging technologies.
RADARSAT-2 antenna calibration using Ground Receivers/Transmitters

The RADARSAT-2 antenna is an active phased array of 512 T/R modules. In order to characterize the physical distortions and the amplitude and phase errors across the antenna array, it is planned to perform measurements using the radar in conjunction with a unit on the ground for receiving and recording signals from the satellite, and for generating signals and transmitting them towards the satellite. This unit is referred to as a Ground Receiver/Transmitter. This paper will describe the method of operation of the satellite with the Ground Receiver/Transmitter, the design of the Ground Receiver/Transmitter, and the algorithms to be used to analyze the Ground Receiver/Transmitter data.
Passband modes beyond waveguide cutoff in metallic tilted-woodpile photonic crystals.

The infrared propagation character of metallic woodpile photonic crystals made of gold in the direction was studied. The bandgap in metallic woodpile was found to be interrupted by a new propagating mode far beyond the waveguide cutoff. This new passband cannot be explained by the defect mode of the photonic crystal or the waveguide theorem. However, studies of surface plasmons within the structure showed that 3-D metallic photonic crystals can expand the propagating mode far beyond waveguide cutoff. This passband mode can be adjusted by design allowing for new optical filtering devices using 3-D photonic crystals. Finite-difference-time-domain (FDTD) simulations were applied to explain this phenomenon and matched well with experimental results.
Recording shared memory dependencies using strata

Significant time is spent by companies trying to reproduce and fix bugs. BugNet and FDR are recent architecture proposals that provide architecture support for deterministic replay debugging. They focus on continuously recording information about the program's execution, which can be communicated back to the developer. Using that information, the developer can deterministically replay the program's execution to reproduce and fix the bugs.In this paper, we propose using Strata to efficiently capture the shared memory dependencies. A stratum creates a time layer across all the logs for the running threads, which separates all the memory operations executed before and after the stratum. A strata log allows us to determine all the shared memory dependencies during replay and thereby supports deterministic replay debugging for multi-threaded programs.
Billie Ann Pivnick on Allamani Allamani's "Failure and transformation in the relationship between patient and therapist".

Healing from addiction through failure and transformation can be likened to a pilgrimage, an ancient practice of transformational travel in which the itinerant hopes to be changed by encounters with the unknown (Cousineau, 1998)—but in therapeutic settings, this is an inner journey. The ancient Greeks practiced theorein—a form of transit that involved leaving the polis to observe religious ceremony. As the root of our word “theory,” this custom reminds us that leaving home in some way is essential to finding the emotional and mental detachment necessary to the creation of new perspectives (Clifford, 1989, 1997). Before such an arduous journey can be undertaken, however, one must have reached one’s limit with the redundancy of the familiar. Dr. Allamani brings to our attention a related phenomenon in addiction treatment. Not only must the patient “hit bottom,” but so must his or her doctor/therapist/counselor. As he correctly notes, this is a paradoxical phenomenon. How do we understand that the expert must be rendered unfamiliar enough with how to help a person engulfed by drink or drugs that he is inexpert? Allamani, as did Jung before him, invokes the idea that mutual ego deflation must precede giving over one’s being to a spiritual rebirth—to being held by and beholding God, or in more secularized AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) terms, to a higher power so that an intersubjectively derived self can develop. As Allamani alludes at the end of his well-researched and poignantly written article, this sort of experience of self-surrender is common in Eastern religions and spiritual traditions that place less value on the autonomy of the individual. For them, bonding and dependence are esteemed. In western culture, though, often the only way to create dissolution of the rational, autonomous ego is through drinking, drug use, or religious experience. But all too often, the substance misuse becomes problematic in and of itself, setting up an experience in which the patient experiences it as intrusive and uncontrollable. The only sensible solution seems to be to “withdraw.” But then the yearning for being part of something larger than the self is
Sorption and diffusion of alcohols in amorphous polymers

The effects of polymer composition and penetrant molecular size on the solubility and diffusivity of alcohol vapors in a series of well characterized isoprene-methyl methacrylate copolymers and their corresponding homopolymers has been investigated at room temperature. The rate of sorption behavior changes progressively from Fickian to non-Fickian, to Case II to “Super Case II” transport with increasing methyl methacrylate (MMA) content in the polymers. The equilibrium solubility of the alcohols increases linearly with increasing penetrant molecular size for polymers which are above their glass transition temperature and decreases for polymers which are below their Tg. The solubility also initially increases as an approximately linear function of MMA content in the copolymers. At about 55 mole percent MMA, the sorbed concentration either levels off or passes through a maximum depending on the size of the penetrant. The apparent “diffusion coefficients” (D) decrease with increasing molecular volume of the penetrants. An exponential dependence was found between these two variables for PMMA. These “diffusion coefficients” also decrease exponentially with increasing MMA content in these polymers. However, at 55 mole percent MMA the copolymer undergoes a rubber to glass transition at the temperature of the experiments. On this basis, it is suggested that the hindered chain segmental motion contributes to the sorption process in addition to strictly thermodynamic considerations. Free volume theory can be used to explain the mechanism of diffusion through the rubbery polymers while the “hole” theory can be applied to explain the transport of the penetrants through the glassy polymers.
The Limitations of Evidenced-Based Practice:

Evidence based practice seeks to replace practice as usual, with practice guided by rigorous outcome-oriented research, ideally randomized controlled trials. It also seeks to make practice a less subjective enterprise, and to raise it to a higher level of accountability. It is associated with efforts to identify best practices in nursing and other disciplines. The limitations of evidence-based practice for nursing are not routinely discussed or considered by many clinicians. In this article the author raises several critical questions about the use of evidence-based practice in nursing. The author also suggests that nurses need to develop and use their own nursing perspective to help guide their synthesis of knowledge from diverse sources, which needs to be creatively and respectfully applied in each patient encounter.
The topology of program termination

Denotational semantics is founded on a theory of higher order computation called domain theory, which formalizes a computation as a potentially infinite enumeration of finite elements that approximate the answer with progressively higher accuracy. Although existing formulations of domain theory provide an elegant framework for defining the abstract meaning of programs, these definitions are not effective because they fail to specify when computations terminate. A formulation of domain theory is presented that gives a natural topological characterization of termination: the evaluation of a program expression should terminate if and only if the expression denotes an element that is finite and maximal. >
Variations in Performance and Scalability: An Experimental Study in IaaS Clouds Using Multi-Tier Workloads

The increasing popularity of clouds drives researchers to find answers to a large variety of new and challenging questions. Through extensive experimental measurements, we show variance in performance and scalability of clouds for two non-trivial scenarios. In the first scenario, we target the public Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) clouds, and study the case when a multi-tier application is migrated from a traditional datacenter to one of the three IaaS clouds. To validate our findings in the first scenario, we conduct similar study with three private clouds built using three mainstream hypervisors. We used the RUBBoS benchmark application and compared its performance and scalability when hosted in Amazon EC2, Open Cirrus, and Emulab. Our results show that a best-performing configuration in one cloud can become the worst-performing configuration in another cloud. Subsequently, we identified several system level bottlenecks such as high context switching and network driver processing overheads that degraded the performance. We experimentally evaluate concrete alternative approaches as practical solutions to address these problems. We then built the three private clouds using a commercial hypervisor (CVM), Xen, and KVM respectively and evaluated performance characteristics using both RUBBoS and Cloudstone benchmark applications. The three clouds show significant performance variations; for instance, Xen outperforms CVM by 75 percent on the read-write RUBBoS workload and CVM outperforms Xen by over 10 percent on the Cloudstone workload. These observed problems were confirmed at a finer granularity through micro-benchmark experiments that measure component performance directly.
The Use of Interval Methods in Signal Processing and Control for Systems Biology

The development of approaches for understanding the complex dynamics of biological systems is a growing research area in electrical engineering, particularly in the fields of signal processing and controls. The focus of our research is the exploitation of the parallels between engineering and biology through the development of optimization and identification methods. Specifically, this research consists of developing methods for the estimation of unmeasured states, the identification of parameters of kinetic models and the validation of biochemical models. This work falls under the general research topic of systems biology. We explore the use of interval analysis in developing numerical algorithms for optimization and validation of systems biology problems. A major attribute of this method is that convergence to global minima is guaranteed. This paper includes a development of an adaptive interval optimization method based on the branch-and-bound method known as smooth interval branch-and-bound. One potential impact of this research is the development of more accurate models of biological systems. This will aid in the design of drugs for cancer and disease treatment and aid in the study of how they propagate
A Study of Persistence in the Land-Atmosphere System with a Fourth-Order Analytical Model

Abstract In a companion paper, Y. Liu and R. Avissar analyzed the features of persistence in the land–atmosphere system simulated with the National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Climate Model Version 2 coupled with the Biosphere–Atmosphere Transfer Scheme (CCM2–BATS). To interpret the results obtained in that study, a fourth-order land–atmosphere analytical model is developed and used to investigate the timescales of disturbances in the land–atmosphere system, and the major parameters and processes affecting them. This analytical model has four damping timescales, namely seasonal, monthly, weekly, and daily. It is found that the seasonal scale is caused by self-feedback of soil moisture, and its length increases significantly due to the interactions between soil moisture and the other system variables. A sensitivity analysis performed with the Fourier amplitude sensitivity test indicates that the seasonal timescale is mostly affected by the physical parameters related to hydrological processes...
Valproic Acid for Treatment of Hyperactive or Mixed Delirium: Rationale and Literature Review

Background Delirium is the most often encountered psychiatric diagnosis in the general hospital, with an incidence of up to 82% in the intensive care unit setting and with significant detrimental effects on patients’ morbidity and mortality. Antipsychotics are often considered the first-line pharmacological treatment of delirium, but their use may be limited by lack of efficacy, existing contraindications (e.g., prolonged QTc intervals), or resulting side effects (e.g., akathisia). Valproic acid (VPA) is a potential alternative or adjunct treatment. It has multiple mechanisms of action, including effects on neurotransmitter modulation, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and transcription, all of which are implicated in the pathophysiology of delirium. Yet, data on the use of this agent in delirium are limited. Objective/Methods In this article, we discuss postulated mechanisms of VPA action that provide a theoretical basis for its use in the treatment of hyperactive and mixed type delirium, based on the known and theorized pathophysiology of delirium. We also discuss potential side effects and considerations with use of VPA. Conclusions VPA has multiple modulatory effects on neurotransmitter systems, inflammation, oxidative stress, and transcriptional changes implicated in pathophysiology of delirium. When carefully chosen, VPA can be an effective and well-tolerated treatment option for the management of hyperactive and mixed type delirium. Randomized controlled trials are needed to establish tolerability and efficacy of VPA for treatment of delirium.