cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Planform and Facies Variability in Asymmetric Deltas: Facies Analysis and Depositional Architecture of the Turonian Ferron Sandstone in the Western Henry Mountains, South-Central Utah, U.S.A.

Abstract Facies analysis of the Upper Cretaceous (Turonian) Ferron Sandstone in the western Henry Mountains of south-central Utah, U.S.A., indicates sediment accumulation in a series of flood-dominated, marine current- and wave-influenced, deltas. Twelve lithofacies are recognized: 1. erosionally based, thick cross-bedded sandstone bodies (Distributary Channels), 2. similar though thinner bodies containing common bioturbation (Marine-Influenced Distributary Channels), 3. root-penetrated, plant fossil bearing siltstone with minor sandstone (Coastal Floodplain and Floodbasin), 4. coal and carbonaceous shale (Coastal Mire), 5. thin-bedded, carbonaceous and bioturbated sandstone–siltstone (Coastal Lagoon), 6. erosionally based sandstone with large- and small-scale cross-bedding and bioturbation (Mouth-Bar Complex), 7. sharply based sandstone bodies internally dominated by hummocky cross-stratification, soft-sediment deformation, or lacking structure (Proximal Delta Front), 8. sharply bounded, calcareous, fossiliferous and bioturbated sandstone sheets (Abandoned Delta Lobe), 9. thickly interbedded sandstone, coarse- and fine-grained siltstone (Medial Delta Front), 10. thinly interbedded sandstone, coarse- and fine-grained siltstone (Distal Delta Front), 11. mainly siltstone with minor thin-bedded sandstone (Prodelta) and 12. fine-grained siltstone with bentonite beds (Offshore). Deltas prograded into shallow water, forming sharp-based mouth-bar sand bodies. The upper delta front was evidently fluidal and prone to failure, leading to the development of rotational slope failures, debris–flow filled gullies, and, in places, growth faults. Paleocurrent data indicate that the regional sediment dispersal direction was eastward. Data from delta-front facies, however, suggest that outflow plumes and associated bottom currents were deflected towards the southeast, giving rise to an asymmetric delta planform. The Holocene and modern Burdekin River Delta of NE Australia is considered a close planform, process, and facies analog for the Ferron Notom deltas. The Burdekin Delta facies assemblage is vertically and laterally heterogeneous, despite being the product of a consistent array of environmental controls. Adopting a model that incorporates such a degree of heterogeneity negates the need for multiple depositional models for complex stratigraphic intervals such as the Ferron Sandstone. The facies model also suggests that asymmetric deltas may be produced by directional growth of delta lobes, rather than by deflection of beach ridges. Stratigraphic stacking patterns strongly suggest that sediment accumulation in the Ferron Sandstone of the western Henry Mountains was forced by a regime of progressively more limited accommodation through time.
Methamphetamine discrimination and in vivo microdialysis in squirrel monkeys

Characterization of changes in dopamine activity associated with the discriminative-stimulus effects of methamphetamine (MA) and related stimulants will aid our understanding of the role of dopamine in mediating the subjective effects of this drug class. Squirrel monkeys were studied to explore the relationship between discriminative-stimulus effects of psychomotor stimulant drugs and their ability to increase extracellular dopamine levels in the caudate nucleus. The ability of MA, cocaine and methylphenidate (0.01–0.32 mg/kg) to produce MA-like discriminative-stimulus effects was assessed in monkeys trained to discriminate IM injections of 0.32 mg/kg MA from saline. In addition, the effects of a range of MA doses (0.01–0.32 mg/kg) and selected doses of cocaine, methylphenidate and the GBR 12909 analog AM2517 on extracellular dopamine in the caudate nucleus were determined by microdialysis. MA, cocaine and methylphenidate produced dose-related increases in responding on the MA-associated lever and fully substituted at higher doses. In microdialysis studies, doses of MA, cocaine, methylphenidate, and AM2517 that produced 100% MA-lever responding produced comparable increases in caudate dopamine (to approximately 250% of control values). However, comparable increases in extracellular dopamine also were observed following a lower dose of MA (0.1 mg/kg) that produced, on average, 42% MA-lever responding. Moreover, increases in dopamine levels following administration of 0.03 and 0.1 mg/kg MA persisted after responding on the MA-associated lever had subsided. Taken together, these results support a prominent role for dopamine in MA-like discriminative-stimulus effects, but are consistent with the additional involvement of other neurochemical actions.
Retrograde embolism from the descending thoracic aorta causing stroke: An underappreciated clinical condition

The mechanism of retrograde aortic blood flow is a complex and underreported clinical phenomenon. Complex plaques of the aortic arch are considered high-risk sources of cerebral emboli.1 Aortic plaques situated in the descending thoracic aorta are however often overlooked and in fact can be more frequent potential sources of cerebral embolism through the mechanism of retrograde aortic blood flow. We present the case of an elderly Caucasian female who experienced recurrent posterior circulation embolic strokes where the only possible underlying etiology was found to be an atheroma in the descending thoracic aorta, possibly showering retrograde emboli.
Evaluating the junction temperature of AC LEDs by DC and AC methods

Alternating-current (AC) driven light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have become the trend of solid-state lighting (SSL) products. The junction temperature is an important index of LEDs reliability and efficiency. In other words, with proper thermal management of AC LEDs lighting products, the high performance of SSL products will be achieved. In order to obtain the junction temperature, we study and compare two published evaluating methods differentiating between the measurements of DC and AC in this paper. The first method is in which a low reference current having a pulse width was applied and the corresponding voltage across the device was measured and correlated to the junction temperature (Tj). The second method is using an active heat sink for recovering the root mean square (RMS) current of the first half cycle to estimate the junction temperature. The experimental evidence showed different aspects and variations of evaluating the AC LEDs junction temperature. The variations of evaluating junction temperature were caused by the switch time and phase of different source measurements in the first method and the capture time of the first half cycle in the second method. With proper capture time, the rising junction temperature in the second method might be negligible.
Blockade of long-term potentiation by phencyclidine and σ opiates in the hippocampus in vivo and in vitro

Long-term potentiation (LTP) of synaptic transmission in the rat hippocampus in vivo and in vitro, was studied using field potentials. Pretreatment with phencyclidine (PCP) or 'sigma' opiates blocked LTP in vivo while mu and kappa opiates and the antagonist naloxone were ineffective. Scopolamine (20 mg/kg i.p.) neither prevented LTP nor antagonized the LTP-blocking effect of PCP. In vitro, PCP up to 100 microM did not alter synaptic activation of CA1 pyramidal cells by stratum radiatum stimulation but blocked LTP in a dose-dependent manner (ED50: 3 microM). The sigma opiate, cyclazocine, also prevented the induction of LTP in vitro while morphine and procaine were ineffective.
Adsorption of local anesthetics on activated carbon: Freundlich adsorption isotherms.

We have shown that adsorbability of local anesthetics onto activated carbon, expressed by the partition coefficients at infinite dilution, correlated well with the pharmacological activity. However, there is no parameter that can singly express the tendency to be adsorbed. Adsorbability is a loosely defined term and its meaning varies with the adsorption model. This study showed that the logarithm of the adsorbed amount of drugs was linearly related to the logarithm of the free drug concentration, in conformity to the Freundlich adsorption isotherms. The slope of the double logarithmic plot is expressed by 1/N in the Freundlich equation and is considered to be inversely related to the drug affinity to the adsorbent. The slope was used to evaluate the tendency to be adsorbed, or “adsorbability” of seven aromatic amine local anesthetics. Phenobarbital was included to compare anionic drugs in contrast to the cationic local anesthetics. The slopes were nearly equal between the cationic and neutral local anesthetics. Apparently, the lower hydrophobicity of the cationic forms is compensated by the electrostatic attraction from the negative charges present on the activated carbon surface. With phenobarbital, the slope value of the anionic form was larger than the neutral form. The lower affinity of the anionic form may be caused by the electrostatic repulsion. The molecular size parameters (i.e., molecular weight, molar refraction, and parachor) showed a linear relationship to the slope values. It may be possible to estimate the affinity-related slope values from these parameters.
Eliminating out-of-pocket drug costs may improve outcomes after myocardial infarction—but at what cost to Medicare?

Eliminating out-of-pocket drug costs may improve outcomes after myocardial infarction—but at what cost to Medicare?
Magnetic field dependence of half-integer giant Shapiro steps in SNS arrays

Abstract We have measured the magnetic field dependence of half-integer giant Shapiro step-heights for narrow (1x600 and 9x1000) and square (1000x1000) SNS proximity-coupled arrays. A strong half-integer step, occurring at voltages ( n 2 )( Nhv 2 e ) , was found in all three arrays over a wide range of frustrations fp (where f P = Φ Φ 0 ) . The normalized half-integer step-heights (Δ I 1 2 ( f P )/ I c ) peaked at and were symmetric about f P = 1 2 . Both the amplitude and the width of the peaks increase as the arrays become narrower. These findings suggest that an intrinsic single plaquette effect is responsible for the emergence of the half-integer steps rather than the vortex superlattice ground state. Numerical RSJ studies of a single plaquitte and a ladder array showed good agreement with our data.
RNA interference and heterochromatin in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe

Fission yeast is a useful model for RNA interference because it has single-copy genes for components of the RNAi pathway such as argonaute, dicer and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP). Functions for RNAi revealed in S. pombe, such as heterochromatic silencing and chromosome segregation, are likely to be ancient because they are shared with some other eukaryotes. The underlying mechanisms are being rapidly unraveled.
Ion trap studies of H+(H2SO4)m(H2O)n reactions with water, ammonia, and a variety of organic compounds

Abstract Rate coefficients and products are reported for the reactions of protonated sulfuric acid and water clusters H + (H 2 SO 4 ) m (H 2 O) n with water, ammonia, and a variety of organic compounds. The cluster ions were generated in an external ion source and the reactions were studied in a quadrupole ion trap. These data yield the stabilities of H + H 2 SO 4 (H 2 O) n =1–3 . The implications of these results to the understanding of the role of H 2 SO 4 in atmospheric ion chemistry are discussed. Effective internal temperatures of trapped H + (H 2 O) n =3,4 and H + (NH 3 ) 3 are also derived from kinetics of the unimolecular decomposition in the ion trap.
Quantitative Evaluation of Global and Regional Left Ventricular Diastolic Function With Color Kinesis

Background—Diastolic wall motion asynchrony is a major determinant of impaired left ventricular (LV) filling in patients with concentric hypertrophy and coronary artery disease. We evaluated the ability of Color Kinesis, a new echocardiographic technique that color-encodes endocardial motion, to quantitatively assess global and regional LV filling properties. Methods and Results—Color Kinesis images and mitral and pulmonary vein flow Doppler data were acquired in 29 patients with LV hypertrophy and 29 age-matched control subjects. In addition, Color Kinesis data were correlated to coronary angiographic findings in 15 patients with suspected coronary artery disease. Segmental analysis of Color Kinesis images was used to obtain time histograms of regional diastolic fractional area change, wherein early and late peaks (peaks 1 and 2) reflected rapid LV filling and atrial contraction, respectively. Regional mean LV filling time and filling curves were used to objectively identify diastolic endocardial motion ...
Why do women stop breastfeeding? Findings from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment and Monitoring System.

Objective. We examined breastfeeding behaviors, periods of vulnerability for breastfeeding cessation, reasons for breastfeeding cessation, and the association between predelivery intentions and breastfeeding behaviors. Study Design. Using 2 years (2000 and 2001) of data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment and Monitoring System we assessed the percentage of women who began breastfeeding, continued for 4 weeks and their reasons for not initiating or stopping. Predelivery breastfeeding intentions of women and their relationship with subsequent breastfeeding behaviors were examined also. Results. We found that 32% of women did not initiate breastfeeding, 4% started but stopped within the first week, 13% stopped within the first month, and 51% continued for >4 weeks. Younger women and those with limited socioeconomic resources were more likely to stop breastfeeding within the first month. Reasons for cessation included sore nipples, inadequate milk supply, infant having difficulties, and the perception that the infant was not satiated. Women who intended to breastfeed, thought they might breastfeed, or had ambivalent feelings about breastfeeding were more likely to initiate breastfeeding and to continue through the vulnerable periods of early infancy than were those who did not plan to breastfeed. Conclusions. Our findings indicate a need to provide extensive breastfeeding support after delivery, particularly to women who may experience difficulties in breastfeeding.
The retention of knowledge workers with the unfolding model of voluntary turnover

Abstract In the next century, the American and world economies will be firmly grounded in the information age. As such, retention of its key participant, namely, the knowledge worker, becomes critical to organizational well being. In this article, initial steps are taken toward understanding how to retain knowledge workers, with a particular focus on engineers. First, we apply a new and promising theory from the academic HRM literature (Hom & Griffeth 1995, pp. 85–86), the unfolding model of voluntary turnover (Lee & Mitchell 1994), in order to understand the four prototypical ways that knowledge workers might leave their organizations. Second, three widely accepted taxonomic types of engineers and five standard HRM practices are identified. As a conceptual tool, we created four matrices, with each corresponding to one of the four paths depicted by the unfolding model. Within each matrix, the five standard HRM functions were crossed with the three prototypical engineering types. We then ask, given the characteristics of each decision path, how might each HRM function facilitate the retention of each type of engineer? Finally, research implications are discussed.
Restoration of flexor pollicis longus function by flexor digitorum superficialis transfer

Fourteen patients were treated by flexor digitorum superficialis transfer for irreparable flexor pollicis longus lesions. Results measured by return of interphalangeal joint motion were good in 12 patients, with one patient achieving a fair result and one failure. This is a reliable procedure in thumbs with a grade I or II (Boyes) tendon bed and should be considered as an alternative to free tendon grafting for reconstruction in patients in whom return of interphalangeal motion is desirable.
RAPID TREATMENT OF GROSS OBESITY BY OPERANT TECHNIQUES

This paper reports the application of operant techniques in the treatment of a case of gross obesity. The patient weighed 407 lbs. at the initiation of the program, was schizophrenic, and probably had metabolic and/or endocrine dysfunction as contributing factors. Over a period of 6 mo., of which the last 6 wk. were an extinction period, she lost 102 lbs. at a relatively stable rate. At the end of the extinction period, the loss rate had slowed somewhat but showed no indications of reversal. The rapid weight loss, compared to that in earlier studies, is attributed to positive reinforcement for weight lost, in addition to control of caloric intake.
Analytical melting model for extrusion: Stress of fully compacted solid polymers

Our laboratory recently published several analytical equations that can be used to predict the melting rate of fully compacted solid polymers sliding on a heated metal surface, modeling the melting mechanism inside an extruder. These equations were obtained by seeking asymptotic solutions to the differential equations describing the melting mechanism, temperature, and shear-dependent viscosity of polymer melts. Following the same asymptotic approach, we successfully developed accompanying analytical equations for predicting the stress required to slide fully compacted solid polymers on a heated metal surface. The accuracy of these analytical stress equations was found to be reasonable, although not fully satisfactory, by comparing their predictions to the experimentally measured values. The accuracy of the stress calculation is directly related to the accuracy of the viscosity values at high shear rates. The consideration of the temperature and shear dependencies of melt viscosity is most important for accurate prediction of the stress, just as it is for the melting rate. The stress not only depends on the melt rheological properties of the polymer but also on the thermodynamic properties.
Lobster righting responses and their neural control.

This paper reports a behavioural analysis of the movements and righting responses of the abdominal pleopods (swimmerets) and uropods (tail fans) of the lobster Homarus americanus. The movements of individual swimmerets, studied from high-speed motion pictures, consist of a basic power stroke-return stroke cycle, upon which other cyclic power and control movements are superimposed. Tilting a lobster around the long axis of its body initiates bilaterally asymmetrical swimmeret beating. The swimmerets on the side tilted upward beat out toward the side, while those on the side tilted downward beat either straight to the rear, or not at all. These bilaterally asymmetrical swimmeret movements produce a cyclic righting torque around the long axis of the lobster's body. The peak-to-peak amplitude of this torque is directly proportional to the frequency of swimmeret beating. The characteristics of the righting torque were related to the movements of individual swimmerets. Tilting a lobster around its long axis also evokes bilaterally asymmetrical uropod movements. The uropod on the side tilted downward is spread open, while the uropod on the side tilted upward is closed. It is argued that these movements also contribute to the production of righting torque. The righting responses of both the swimmerets and the uropods are controlled exclusively by the statocyst receptors. The position and acceleration receptors of the statocysts probably both participate in the control of the responses. Destroying one statocyst shifts the position of symmetry for the swimmerets and uropods from upright to 20 degrees toward the injured side. Either the right or left statocyst can alone control the righting responses of the uropod and swimmerets of either side, however, even though the afferent responses of the two statocysts to roll in one direction are opposite. Neural models based on the bilaterally reciprocal organization of statocyst influences are proposed to explain these findings.
Targeting the schizophrenia genome: a fast track strategy from GWAS to clinic

The Psychiatric Genomics Consortium–Schizophrenia Workgroup (PGC–SCZ) has recently published a genomewide association study (GWAS) identifying >100 genetic loci, encompassing a total of 341 protein-coding genes, attaining genomewide significance for susceptibility to schizophrenia. Given the extremely long time (12–15 years) and expense (>$1 billion) associated with the development of novel drug targets, repurposing of drugs with known and validated targets may be the most expeditious path toward deriving clinical utility from these GWAS findings. In the present study, we examined all genes within loci implicated by the PGC–SCZ GWAS against databases of targets of both approved and registered pharmaceutical compounds. We identified 20 potential schizophrenia susceptibility genes that encode proteins that are the targets of approved drugs. Of these, we prioritized genes/targets that are of clear neuropsychiatric interest and that are also sole members of the linkage disequilibrium block surrounding a PGC–SCZ GWAS hit. In addition to DRD2, 5 genes meet these criteria: CACNA1C, CACNB2, CACNA1I, GRIN2A and HCN1. An additional 20 genes coding for proteins that are the targets of drugs in registered clinical trials, but without approved indications, were also identified. Although considerable work is still required to fully explicate the biological implications of the PGC–SCZ GWAS results, pathways related to these known, druggable targets may represent a promising starting point.
Arsenate uptake and reduction by Pocillopora verrucosa1

A scleractinian coral removed arsenate from solution and converted some of it to arsenite, which reappeared in the ambient seawater. This suggests that organisms other than bacteria may be responsible for maintaining some of the arsenic in seawater in a reduced form. Reduction of arsenate may be a mechanism to allow the loss from the living cell of arsenate transported in along with phosphate.
Faraday Rotation and Spin-Orbit Splitting of the F Center in Alkali Halides

The energy-level structure of the $F$ center in alkali-halide crystals was investigated by means of the Faraday effect. It was found that the Faraday angle is composed of two parts, a small high-temperature contribution and a "paramagnetic" rotation which can be quite large at low temperatures. The results for a number of alkali halides can be consistently interpreted in terms of an energy-level diagram for the $F$ center which includes unequal population of the ground state and a negative spin-orbit splitting of the unrelaxed excited state. The magnitudes of spin-orbit splitting are generally less than the F-band width but increase with atomic number of both the alkali and the halide ion. A comparison is made with theory. Certain additional observations are reported, for example, on the spin-lattice relaxation time of the ground state up to 50 kG.
From the top down: Self-esteem and self-evaluation

The affective model of self-esteem development assumes that: (a) self-esteem forms early in life in response to relational and temperamental factors; and (b) once formed, endows high self-esteem people with the ability to promote, protect, and restore feelings of self-worth. In this article, we use the model to examine the relation between self-esteem and self-evaluations, showing that one way high self-esteem people maintain feelings of self-worth is by claiming to possess socially valued qualities. We conclude by considering the implications of the affective model for understanding the nature and functions of self-esteem.
Complexes of dual-function hemoglobin/dehaloperoxidase with substrate 2,4,6-trichlorophenol are inhibitory and indicate binding of halophenol to compound I.

The hemoglobin of sea worm Amphitrite ornata, which for historical reasons is abbreviated as DHP for dehaloperoxidase, has two physiological functions: it binds dioxygen in the ferrous state and dehalogenates halophenols, such as 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP), using hydrogen peroxide as the oxidant in the ferric state. The crystal structures of three DHP variants (Y34N, Y34N/S91G, and L100F) with TCP bound show two mutually exclusive modes of substrate binding. One of them, the internal site, is deep inside the distal pocket with the phenolic OH moiety forming a hydrogen bond to the water molecule coordinated to the heme Fe. In this complex, the distal histidine is predominantly located in the closed position and also forms a hydrogen bond to the phenolic hydroxide. The second mode of TCP binding is external, at the heme edge, with the halophenol molecule forming a lid covering the entrance to the distal cavity. The distal histidine is in the open position and forms a hydrogen bond to the OH group of TCP, w...
Optimal Aircraft Performance during Microburst Encounter

The effects of microburst characteristics on the optimal penetration performance of jet transport and general aviation aircraft are presented. The purpose is to determine the best possible performance that can be achieved in a broad range of microbursts. A secondary goal is to illustrate good strategies for dealing with a range of microbursts during takeoff and landing. Over 1100 optimal trajectories were computed for two aircraft types flying through idealized microbursts using a Successive Quadratic Programs trajectory optimization algorithm. Contours of safety metrics are plotted as functions of the length scales, magnitudes, and locations of horizontal wind shears and vertical downdrafts. These performance contours show three length-scale regimes for optimal microburst penetration. At short length scales, hazards usually associated with gustiness predominate (e.g., high normal load factor, rotational upset). At intermediate length scales, a degraded ability to maintain flight path and/or vertical velocity poses the most serious threat. At very long microburst length scales, excessive touchdown velocities may result. The ability to transit a microburst successfully also varies strongly with microburst location. The results show that both aircraft types could penetrate some very severe microbursts if optimal control histories were followed. Nevertheless, these control strategies assume perfect prior knowledge of the wind, and practical limits to successful encounter with real-time control capabilities would be lower. The optimally controlled jet transport can successfully penetrate higher intensity microbursts than can the general aviation aircraft.
The clinical utility of half-field pattern reversal visual evoked potential testing.

Abstract Half-field pattern reversal VEP testing can be readily performed in the routine clinical laboratory. A 2-channel recording technique can give reliable information suggesting the presence of partial visual pathway lesions at prechiasmal, chiasmal and post-chiasmal sites. A sequential stimulus technique makes the test more readily tolerated by patients who might not otherwise be able to cooperate with half-field testing.
Influence of medium and physical disturbances during rearing on development and numbers of Sitophilus progeny

Abstract Four Sitophilus populations (Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky from Mexico, S. zeamais from Arkansas, U.S.A., Sitophilus oryzae L., and Sitophilus granarius L.) were studied. Hard red winter wheat, sorghum, and maize were used to determine effects of rearing media on progeny production of insects from the four populations. Mechanically disturbing infested samples to remove newly-emerged adult weevils every 48 hr reduced numbers of progeny surviving to the adult stage, especially for Arkansas S. zeamais and S. granarius reared in any of the three grains. With one exception, reproduction for all populations in all three grains was highest when parents were reared in wheat; other differences are discussed. Also, progeny developmental periods for all four populations were shortest when parents were reared in wheat. Progeny of all four populations had the longest developmental periods when reared in maize regardless of the medium in which their parents were reared. In 250 g samples of wheat, and 125 g samples of sorghum, 50 parent S. oryzae produced statistically as many progeny as in 500 g and 625 g samples of wheat and 250, 500, and 625 g samples of sorghum, respectively. In maize, 625 g samples produced significantly more progeny than 500 g samples. Sex ratios of progeny from each grain were 1:1, except that females of S. oryzae reared in maize outnumbered males.
Making library instructional handouts accessible through the World Wide Web

Abstract Making library instructional handouts available via the World Wide Web benefits students and researchers in many ways. Unfortunately, some librarians may feel overwhelmed by the perceived resource commitments for a project of this type. This article is based on a successful handout conversion project implemented at Evans Library, Texas A&M University and suggests ways of dealing with time, staffing limitations, HTML skills, and additional software purchases. Additionally, it offers some technical recommendations based on lessons learned throughout the conversion process.
Habitat selection in three species of darters

The distribution of three species of darters (Percidae) was studied with respect to vegetation and substrate preferences. The distribution of these darters was correlated with presence of vegetation. Quantitative field data were combined with a laboratory evaluation of preference to determine the sensory mechanisms operating in habitat selection.
Effect of conformation sampling strategies in genetic algorithm for multiple protein docking

Background Macromolecular protein complexes play important roles in a cell and their tertiary structure can help understand key biological processes of their functions. Multiple protein docking is a valuable computational tool for providing structure information of multimeric protein complexes. In a previous study we developed and implemented an algorithm for this purpose, named Multi-LZerD. This method represents a conformation of a multimeric protein complex as a graph, where nodes denote subunits and each edge connecting nodes denotes a pairwise docking conformation of the two subunits. Multi-LZerD employs a genetic algorithm to sample different topologies of the graph and pairwise transformations between subunits, seeking for the conformation of the optimal (lowest) energy. In this study we explore different configurations of the genetic algorithm, namely, the population size, whether to include a crossover operation, as well as the threshold for structural clustering, to find the optimal experimental setup.
Chronic ischemic cerebral white matter disease is a risk factor for nonfocal neurologic injury after total aortic arch replacement.

Objective Leukoaraiosis (chronic ischemic white matter changes) on preoperative brain magnetic resonance imaging is common in patients having aortic arch surgery. This study sought to determine whether it is associated with adverse neurologic outcome in the postoperative period. Methods Data were collected from a retrospective chart review of 142 patients in whom total aortic arch replacement was planned at the Cleveland Clinic between April 2000 and December 2004. All patients had preoperative brain magnetic resonance imaging evaluation. Leukoaraiosis severity was rated semiquantitatively using the Schelten's scale. Postoperative neurologic injuries were investigated by clinical examination and appropriate neuroimaging. They were stratified as type 1 (focal ischemic stroke) and type 2 (nonfocal neurocognitive changes, generalized seizures) injuries. Results The following were independent predictors of type 1 neurologic injury: age (odds ratio 1.06 [1.01-1.13], P = .02) and moderate to severe aortic atheroma (odds ratio 4.4 [1.4-9.7], P = .012). Total white matter scores (odds ratio 1.16 [1.06-1.27], P = .002) and higher preoperative hemoglobin A1c levels (odds ratio 1.8 [1.00-3.50], P = .05) were significantly associated with type 2 neurologic injuries. Survival was 96%, and 4.2% had persistent focal neurologic deficits at the time of hospital discharge. Conclusions Leukoaraiosis is a significant independent predictor of nonfocal postoperative neurologic morbidity following aortic arch replacement surgery. Preoperative evaluation with magnetic resonance imaging allows identification of a patient subgroup at risk and implementation of strategies aimed at improving neurologic outcome.
SU‐E‐T‐613: A Method to Improve Cone Beam CT Image Quality and Hounsfield Units Accuracy for Prostate Proton Treatment Planning

Purpose: Cone‐beam CT provides 3D anatomical images which could be utilized for adaptive proton therapy. However, CBCTimaging artifacts produces inaccurate Hounsfield Units (HU) that might severely impair its application in proton planning. Specially, the uncertainty of the beam range might increase do to this HU inaccuracies. The goal of this study is to develop a methodology to improve CBCT HU accuracy as it relates to proton planning for prostate cancer patients. Methods: In‐house MATLAB routines were created to correct for HU in CBCT.CT and CBCTimages were acquired at different lateral, longitudinal, and vertical positions for both, a water phantom and Catphan 504 heterogeneous phantom to evaluate uniformity and HU non‐uniformity, respectively. Then, CT and CBCTimages were acquired for a pelvis phantom and for prostate cancer patients. The Matlab routines were used to correct for CBCT global shifts in HU and contrast in these images. Finally, the results were compared and the HU corrections were evaluated Results: Uniformity and contrast in CBCTimages were corrected. For example, the HU values decreased at a rate of 30HU/cm in the raw CBCT vs. 16HU/cm along the lateral direction for the processed CBCTimage for high density objects. The contrast increased around 25% and 30% between fat/soft tissue and soft tissue/bone, respectively, at the periphery of prostate patients. For example, the femoral heads bone goes from 729 in CBCT to 813 in processed CBCT while in the CTimage it is 916HU. This is a 9% increase in accuracy( from 80% to 89%). Conclusions: The potential of CBCT to be used for adaptive protontreatment planning for prostate patient has been investigated. Because inaccuracies of HU are predictable, Cone Beam CTimages can be processed to yield accurate enough dose distribution for proton planning.
Fassaite composition trends during crystallization of Allende Type B refractory inclusion melts

Major-, minor-, and trace-element zoning trends in fassaite from Type B1 and B2 inclusions from the Allende meteorite are defined by using electron and ion microprobe data. Fassaite/liquid distribution coefficients are calculated for many of the lithophile elements, and evidence for and against the presence of relict fassaite in these inclusions is discussed. Major-element zoning in fassaite in Type B CAIs is found from Ti-, V-, Sc-rich cores to relatively Mg-, Si-rich rims. Trace elements that are incompatible in this fassaite are Nb (effective fassaite/liquid distribution = 0.29), Y(0.52), Ta(0.34), Th(0.053), U(0.4), and rare earth elements (0.31-0.48), while compatible trace elements are Zr(1.1) and Hf(1.5). Rare-earth-elements (RRE) abundances in fassaite are found to be controlled by crystal/liquid fractionation. Candidates for relict fassaite grains are discovered: Ti-, Sc-rich, REE-poor crystals enclosed in melilite in the mantle of TS34.
Evolving point-of-care diagnostics using up-converting phosphor bioanalytical systems.

Up-converting phosphors promise simpler readout systems with less background at a given signal level than many other popular approaches. (To listen to a podcast about this feature, please go to the Analytical Chemistry website at pubs.acs.org/journal/ancham.)
Public Policy and Extended Families : Evidence from Pensions in South Africa

How are resources allocated within extended families in developing economies? This question is investigated using a unique social experiment: the South African pension program. Under that program the elderly receive a cash transfer equal to roughly twice the per capita income of Africans in South Africa. The study examines how this transfer affects the labor supply of prime-age individuals living with these elderly in extended families. It finds a sharp drop in the working hours of prime-age individuals in these households when women turn 60 years old or men turn 65, the ages at which they become eligible for pensions. It also finds that the drop in labor supply is much larger when the pensioner is a woman, suggesting an imperfect pooling of resources. The allocation of resources among prime-age individuals depends strongly on their absolute age and gender as well as on their relative age. The oldest son in the household reduces his working hours more than any other prime-age household member.
A LOCAL FLORA AND THE BIOLOGICAL SPECIES CONCEPT

Up to the end of the 19th century the typological species concept was universally accepted, in which degree of morphological difference was the species criterion. This concept was increasingly replaced (particularly in zoology) beginning around 1900 by the biological species concept because the criterion of morphological distinctness broke down in the case of sibling species and of highly distinct intrapopulational variants. The yardstick for the recognition of biological species is the noninterbreeding of coexisting species in a local situation. This yardstick can be applied to isolated populations only by inference. It is discussed whether the making of such inferences is too arbitrary to be acceptable. A local flora is analyzed to determine whether polyploidy, apomixis, hybridization, and other deviations from regular sexual reproduction are sufficiently frequent in plants to make the biological species concept illusory. It is found that the number of difficulties is small, validating use of the sympatric situation as yardstick for the ranking of allopatric populations.
La Cubanidad Poética Contemporánea

(1956). La Cubanidad Poetica Contemporanea. Symposium: A Quarterly Journal in Modern Literatures: Vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 289-296.
Shifted convolution of cusp-forms with θ -series

We generalize the classical Voronoi formula for $$r_{l}(n) = \#\{ (n_{1}, \ldots , n_{l}) \in \mathbf{Z}^{l}, n_{1}^{2} + \cdots + n_{l}^{2} = n \},$$ and as an application, we derive a sharp bound for the shifted convolution sum convolving the Fourier coefficients of holomorphic cusp forms with those of theta series.
Time-dependent changes in the chronotropic response to vagal stimulation in the newborn canine

ABSTRACT: We characterized changes in the vagal chronotropic response during 3-min trains of vagal stimulation at 3, 5, and 8 Hz in anesthetized, chemically sympathectomized (6-hydroxydopamine) newborn canines (<15 d of age). In response to vagal stimulation, the sinus cycle length gradually increased (within 30 s) to a maximum value that was dependent upon the stimulation frequency (p < 0.001). The chronotropic response then attenuated over the remainder of the vagal train. However, unlike in adult dogs, the degree of attenuation of the vagal chronotropic response (fade) was also highly dependent upon the frequency of vagal stimulation in the range 3–8 Hz (p < 0.002). We then compared the maximum change in sinus cycle length and fade in a group of neonates while stimulating the vagus at 3 Hz before and after the administration of physostigmine (0.2 mg/kg i.v.). Physostigmine resulted in a significant increase not only in the maximum percent change in sinus cycle length but in the magnitude of attenuation of the vagal response as well. Therefore, unlike the adult, in the newborn the magnitude of both the vagal response and fade are dependent upon concentrations of acetylcholine released in response to modest levels of vagal stimulation (≤8 Hz). This may be the result of differences between the newborn and the adult in the prestreceptor mechanisms of fade or in the susceptibility of the muscarinic receptor to desensitization by the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.
Case Report: Mesangial Proliferative Glomerulonephritis Associated with Multiple Myeloma

ABSTRACT IgA lambda multiple myeloma was diagnosed In a 58-year-old white woman after the onset of nephrotic syndrome. Serial renal histology demonstrated progressive mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis. Electron microscopy revealed subepithelial electron dense deposits. Immunofluorescence microscopy demonstrated granular staining of peripheral capillary loops with IgG and C3. No IgA was present, No evidence of deposition of the myeloma protein in the glomeruli was found. The temporal relationship of occurrence of the two diseases and the progression of glomerular disease suggest that multiple myeloma be added to the list of malignancies causing Immune complex glomerulonephritis.
Identification and characterization of AlgZ, an AlgT‐dependent DNA‐binding protein required for Pseudomonas aeruginosa algD transcription

Summary Transcriptional activation of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa algD gene results in high-level synthesis of the capsular polysaccharide alginate, an important P. aeruginosa virulence factor expressed in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients with chronic pulmonary disease. In this study, electrophoretic mobility-shift assays were used to identify a novel protein (AlgZ), which binds specifically to a sequence located 280 bp upstream of the algD promoter. While AlgZ-binding activity did not require the response regulators AlgB or AlgR, expression of AlgZ was found to be absolutely dependent on the alternative sigma factor AlgT. Electrophoretic mobility-shift assays and copper-phenanthroline foot-printing localized AlgZ binding to a 36 bp algD region, which includes several helical repeats. A collection of alginate-producing (mucoid) and non-mucoid P. aeruginosa strains, derived from CF patients, was characterized for AlgZ-binding activity. In all cases, AlgZ binding to algD sequences was observed when extracts derived from mucoid P. aeruginosa CF isolates were examined. However, this binding activity was not present when extracts from non-mucoid P. aeruginosa CF isolates were tested. Oligonucleotide mutagenesis was employed to create an algD allele with a 4 bp mutation in the predicted AlgZ-binding site (algD38) and a heterologous substitution allele (algD40), in which the entire AlgZ-binding site was replaced with a nonspecific DNA sequence of identical size. When the algD38 mutation was cloned into an algD-cat transcriptional fusion, this resulted in a 28-fold reduction in algD expression, whereas the algD40 mutation abolished algD transcription, indicating that AlgZ acts as an activator of algD transcription. These results support the hypothesis that activation of algD involves the formation of a high-order looped structure allowing for multivalent contacts between AlgZ, AlgR and RNA polymerase containing the alternative sigma factor AlgT. Characterization of the molecular details of algD activation will provide insights into the control of other prokaryotic and eukaryotic promoters that utilize multiple activators.
Matching Client and Therapist Ethnicity, Language, and Gender: A Review of Research

The purpose of this article is to examine whether therapy process and outcome are influenced by a client-therapist ethnicity, language, or gender match. A review of research in this area does not d...
Parametric Study of the Coupling Power Factor for the Statistical Energy Analysis of Piping Acoustic Vibration

Energy-based finite element model is utilized for the evaluation of the Statistical Energy Analysis (SEA) coupling factor and the dependence of the coupling factor on the different system parameters is studied.Previous research has shown that the coupling factor is largely dependent on the modal densities of the fluid and pipe subsystems, which depend on the pipe dimensional parameters. The coupling factor depends also on the spectrum of the acoustic power generated, which in turn depends on the mass flow rate, the pressure reduction ratio and the characteristics of the pressure-reducing device.This study is concerned with the piping system parameters, downstream of the pressure-reducing valve. The system parameters selected for consideration are the pipe diameter to thickness ratio D/T and the pipe length to diameter ratio L/D. The study presents the effect of the variation in these two dimensionless parameters on the coupling factor.The results of the analysis can be used directly in the formulation of SEA power flow equations for large piping systems with multiple sources of acoustic energy as part of the fatigue life evaluation in critical services.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Brain Response to Primary Blast Wave Using Validated Finite Element Models of Human Head and Advanced Combat Helmet

Blast-induced traumatic brain injury has emerged as a “signature injury” in combat casualty care. Present combat helmets are designed primarily to protect against ballistic and blunt impacts, but the current issue with helmets is protection concerning blasts. In order to delineate the blast wave attenuating capability of the Advanced Combat Helmet (ACH), a finite element (FE) study was undertaken to evaluate the head response against blast loadings with and without helmet using a partially validated FE model of the human head and ACH. Four levels of overpressures (0.27-0.66 MPa) from the Bowen’s lung iso-damage threshold curves were used to simulate blast insults. Effectiveness of the helmet with respect to head orientation was also investigated. The resulting biomechanical responses of the brain to blast threats were compared for human head with and without the helmet. For all Bowen’s cases, the peak intracranial pressures (ICP) in the head ranged from 0.68-1.8 MPa in the coup cortical region. ACH was found to mitigate ICP in the head by 10-35%. Helmeted head resulted in 30% lower average peak brain strains and product of strain and strain rate. Among three blast loading directions with ACH, highest reduction in peak ICP (44%) was due to backward blasts whereas the lowest reduction in peak ICP and brain strains was due to forward blast (27%). The biomechanical responses of a human head to primary blast insult exhibited directional sensitivity owing to the different geometry contours and coverage of the helmet construction and asymmetric anatomy of the head. Thus, direction-specific tolerances are needed in helmet design in order to offer omni-directional protection for the human head. The blasts of varying peak overpressures and durations that are believed to produce the same level of lung injury produce different levels of mechanical responses in the brain, and hence "iso-damage" curves for brain injury are likely different than the Bowen curves for lung injury.
Biogeography and Evolutionary Emotivism

Emotivism has enjoined a revival of sorts over the past few decades, primarily driven by a Darwinian interpretation of the Humean metaethic. Evolutionary ethics, the metaethical view that at the heart of our moral sense lies a set of moral sentiments whose existence ‘pre-dates’ in evolutionary terms our species’ ability to engage in more explicit, cognitive moral deliberations and discourse, whether in the discovery of deontological rules or in the crafting of social contracts, figures prominently in Robert Solomon's work in justice theory and J. Baird Callicott's work in environmental ethics, to name just two efforts to revive emotivism. Though the idea that our moral sense is grounded in our evolved biology lies at the heart of the new ethical emotivism, there has been a curious lack of a truly evolutionary account of the origin of that biological predisposition in the work of Solomon, Callicott, and others involved in the revival. In particular, what is missing is an account of how we evolved our moral...