cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Greenhouse gases emissions and energy payback of large photovoltaic power plants in the northeast united states

The majority of large-scale solar farms have so far been constructed in the Southwest of the United States due to the intense insolation there. However, the high cost of electricity and the desire to increase the portion of renewables in the electric supply have generated interest in developing large-area plants in other areas. The environmental impact of building such large-scale solar farms in the northern United States has not yet been evaluated; we do so in this paper. This work discusses the life-cycle environmental impact from constructing and operating a 37-MWp solar-photovoltaic power-plant on the forested campus of Brookhaven National Laboratory, New York. We use the results from our assessments of its life-cycle emissions of greenhouse gases are then compared with those generated by similar plants in other regions to assess the net impacts of photovoltaics' life cycles in areas where trees are removed to accommodate the power plant.
Determination of the depth of BODIPY probes in model membranes by parallax analysis of fluorescence quenching.

Abstract The location of a series of lipophilic and lipid-attached BODIPY (4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene) membrane probes was analyzed by the quenching of BODIPY fluorescence by a series of nitroxide-labeled lipids in which the depth of the nitroxide group is varied. When attached to the polar headgroup of PE the BODIPY remained near the polar headgroup in depth. However, when attached at the end of free or phospholipid-attached fatty acyl chains, or when attached to two hydrocarbon chains, we observed two probe populations. One, usually dominant, population of BODIPY groups ‘looped back’ towards the surface, but a second population remained deeply embedded within the bilayer. When attached to a fatty acid or fatty acyl chain, the deep population appeared to locate at a depth related to its point of attachment to the acyl chain. In BODIPY linked to free fatty acids, the location of the deep population responded to the ionization of the carboxyl group. Because, unlike NBD (7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazol-4-yl) and most dansyl groups, acyl chain linked BODIPY groups can exist in a deeply buried form we conclude that BODIPY linked acyl chains are superior to NBD or dansyl linked acyl chains as membrane probes.
A planar electric curtain used as a device for the control and removal of particulate materials

Abstract 1. (a) A 45° inclined planar electric curtain is used to act on charged (1) lycopodium (2) silica (3) feldspar and (4) flyash particles. The accumulation of sample particles near the lower end of the curtain is apparent. 2. (b) A force, produced by a horizontal planar electric curtain excited by a six-phase a.c. voltage, is a travelling wave in nature. This force is observed not only to support the particles weight against gravity but also to transport them in a preselected direction. 3. (c) A vertical planar curtain, energized by a six-phase a.c. power supply and oriented with its plane perpendicular to the direction of air flow, covers a cross-section in the wind duct. The charged test particles carried in the air flow are forced to interact with the repulsive force generated by the vertical curtain. It is observed that the motion of some of the charged particles is confined to a plane in front of, and parallel to, the surface of the vertical curtain. Of all the tested samples, the flyash was found to be the most difficult one to stop with the vertical electric curtain. The highest air flow speed against which the flyash particles could be stopped at the curtain surface was 1.08 cm/s.
The amino-terminal 1-185 domain of apoE promotes the clearance of lipoprotein remnants in vivo. The carboxy-terminal domain is required for induction of hyperlipidemia in normal and apoE-deficient mice.

Apolipoprotein E (apoE) promotes receptor-mediated catabolism of apoE-containing lipoprotein remnants. Impairments in remnant clearance are associated with type III hyperlipoproteinemia and premature atherosclerosis. In humans, apoE plasma levels correlate with plasma triglyceride levels, suggesting that excess apoE may also affect plasma triglyceride levels. We have used adenovirus-mediated gene transfer in mice to map the domains of apoE required for cholesterol and triglyceride clearance, in vivo. Adenovirus expressing apoE3 and apoE4 at doses of (1−2) × 109 pfu increased plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels in normal C57BL6 mice and failed to normalize the high cholesterol levels of apoE-deficient mice due to induction of hypertriglyceridemia. In contrast, an adenovirus expressing the truncated apoE 1−185 form normalized the cholesterol levels of E-/- mice and did not cause hypertriglyceridemia. Northern blot analysis of hepatic RNA from mice expressing the full-length and the truncated apoE for...
Carbon dioxide (CO2) digital subtraction angiography: 26-year experience at the University of Florida

Although the vascular system is presently being imaged by multiple high technology modalities, contrast angiography continues to be the gold standard; however, severe complications rarely occur. During the last 25 years (in over 1400 patients), CO2 has proven to be extremely safe (no allergy or renal failure). However, it is imperative to understand CO2's physical properties and potential dangers. Recently, CO2 is being routinely utilized not only because of safety, but for detection of minute amounts of bleeding, better collateral filling, and for most interventional procedures since unlimited volumes of CO2 can be injected between the catheter and guidewire. Presently, safe, reliable and “user-friendly” delivery systems are now commercially available. CO2 DSA images are now nearly comparable to iodinated contrast, and improvement in DSA images are evolving, including “stacking” software.
"Shifted" threshold may explain diversity of cardiovascular malformations in multiple congenital abnormalities syndromes: 3C (Ritscher-Schinzel) syndrome as an example.

The analysis of cardiovascular malformations (CVM) in 3C (Ritscher-Schinzel) syndrome showed at least 9 types of CVM in 24 cases, including 4 cases from the Baltimore-Washington Infant Study. The proportion of different CVM forms was similar to that of the general population. The same is also true for many other syndromes of multiple congenital abnormalities (MCA), due either to aneuploidy or to Mendelian mutation. Such a wide spectrum of very different CVM in patients with the same entity has yet to be explained. According to the hypothesis proposed, the basic mutation (or chromosome imbalance) affects cellular homeostasis and leads to the "shifting" of a threshold to the left. This allows the expression of some genes silent under normal conditions. The principle of the shifted threshold is applicable to the explanation of the origin of many other defects in MCA syndromes.
Force dependence of phagosome trafficking in retinal pigment epithelial cells

Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells play an integral role in the renewal of photoreceptor disk membranes. As rod and cone cells shed their outer segments, they are phagocytosed and degraded by the RPE, and a failure in this process can result in retinal degeneration. We have studied the role of myosin VI in nonspecific phagocytosis in a human RPE primary cell line (ARPE-19), testing the hypothesis that this motor generates the forces required to traffic phagosomes in these cells. Experiments were conducted in the presence of forces through the use of in vivo optical trapping. Our results support a role for myosin VI in phagosome trafficking and demonstrate that applied forces modulate rates of phagosome trafficking.
Concavity properties for certain linear combinations of Stirling numbers

In the notation of Riordan ([5], p. 33), the Stirling numbers, s(n, k) and S(n, k) , of the first and second kind respectively are defined by the relation where (x) n = x(x − 1) … (x − n + 1) is the factorial power function. They have been used by Jordan ([3], p. 184) to define the numbers C(m, k) and D(m, k) , as linear combinations of s(n, k) and S(n, k) respectively, given by where and and where and D ( m, O .
A molecular dynamics study of loop fluctuation in human papillomavirus type 16 virus-like particles: A possible indicator of immunogenicity

Immunogenicity varies between the human papillomavirus (HPV) L1 monomer assemblies of various sizes (e.g., monomers, pentamers or whole capsids). The hypothesis that this can be attributed to the intensity of fluctuations of important loops containing neutralizing epitopes for the various assemblies is proposed for HPV L1 assemblies. Molecular dynamics simulations were utilized to begin testing this hypothesis. Fluctuations of loops that contain critical neutralizing epitopes (especially FG loop) were quantified via root-mean-square fluctuation and features in the frequency spectrum of dynamic changes in loop conformation. If this fluctuation-immunogenicity hypothesis is a universal aspect of immunogenicity (i.e., immune system recognition of an epitope within a loop is more reliable when it is presented via a more stable delivery structure), then fluctuation measures can serve as one predictor of immunogenicity as part of a computer-aided vaccine design strategy.
EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES ON THE ETIOLOGY OF TYPHUS FEVER III. FILTRATION EXPERIMENTS.

We have presented experiments to show that the typhus virus in the tissues of the guinea pig during the height of reaction to the experimental disease does not lose its infecting power when the cells of the brain or of the spleen are disintegrated by repeated freezing and thawing, or by freezing and desiccating, or by crushing by mechanical means, or by grinding into a homogeneous pulp with sand. The virus after such treatment is as actively infective as in the same tissue not subjected to the disintegrating influences. The possibility exists, therefore, of an extracellular condition of the typhus virus. Fourteen attempts to filter through Berkefeld V and N candles the virus contained in the disintegrated tissue have all resulted in failure.
An ergonomic analysis system for laundry industries

Abstract The primary objective of this research of this research is to develop an E rgonomic A analysis SY stem for L aundry industries (EASY-L) as a tool to facilitate the implementation of an ergonomic program as proposed by OSHA. EASY-L is a decision-support system which consists of four modules: the employees information module, the job description and statement of minimum qualification module, the discomfortability analysis module, and the ergonomic consultation module. EASY-L can prepare OSHA 200 and 101 forms from the injury records database; handle job descriptions and statements of qualification; perform an analysis of employees body discomfort during working hours, and provide solutions for ergonomic problems. EASY-L has been evaluated in terms of interface design, usability, and system performance and is believed to be a useful tool for laundry companies in the implementation of an ergonomic program.
Differential Regulation of Renal Na,K-ATPase by Splice Variants of the γ Subunit *

Sodium and potassium-exchanging adenosine triphosphatase (Na,K-ATPase) in the kidney is associated with the γ subunit (γ, FXYD2), a single-span membrane protein that modulates ATPase properties. Rat and human γ occur in two splice variants, γa and γb, with different N termini. Here we investigated their structural heterogeneity and functional effects on Na,K-ATPase properties. Both forms were post-translationally modified duringin vitro translation with microsomes, indicating that there are four possible forms of γ. Site-directed mutagenesis revealed Thr2 and Ser5 as potential sites for post-translational modification. Similar modification can occur in cells, with consequences for Na,K-ATPase properties. We showed previously that stable transfection of γa into NRK-52E cells resulted in reduction of apparent affinities for Na+ and K+. Individual clones differed in γ post-translational modification, however, and the effect on Na+ affinity was absent in clones with full modification. Here, transfection of γb also resulted in clones with or without post-translational modification. Both groups showed a reduction in Na+ affinity, but modification was required for the effect on K+ affinity. There were minor increases in ATP affinity. The physiological importance of the reduction in Na+ affinity was shown by the slower growth of γa, γb, and γb′ transfectants in culture. The differential influence of the four structural variants of γ on affinities of the Na,K-ATPase for Na+ and K+, together with our previous finding of different distributions of γa and γb along the rat nephron, suggests a highly specific mode of regulation of sodium pump properties in kidney.
Death and Baxes: mechanisms of lymphotrophic cytokines.

Summary: In this review, we briefly cover the critical requirements for interleukin-7 (IL-7) in thymocyte development and peripheral T-cell homeostasis. Part of the IL-7 effect is antiapoptotic or ‘trophic’ and we have studied the intracellular pathways involved in lymphocyte survival and death regulated by this cytokine. We review the evidence for a role of the JAK signal transducers and activators of transcription protein (STAT) pathway and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)–AKT pathways in survival. The death pathway following IL-7 withdrawal is discussed in terms of the balance of BCL-2 vs. BAX and other death proteins and the role of metabolic disturbances involving glucose metabolism and intracellular pH. The IL-7 survival and death pathways in lymphocytes may be representative of many trophic factors in different cell types; yet we conclude that much of the mechanism remains to be discovered.
Thiocyanate inhibition of active chloride absortion in Aplysia intestine

This investigation was principally undertaken to examine the mechanism of active chloride absorption across the Aplysia californica intestine by using various inhibitors of ion transport. Isolated intestine, mounted between identical oxygenated sodium-free seawater solutions, maintained stable transmural potential differences (serosa negative) and short-circuit currents for several hours at 25 degrees C. The metabolic inhibitors, 2,4-dinitrophenol and fluoride, reduced both transmural potential difference and short-circuit current; however, the electrical characteristics were predominantly dependent upon glycolytic energy. The addition of thiocyanate to the mucosal solution inhibited both electrical characteristics in parallel, and this inhibition could be titrated according to the thiocyanate concentration. The short-circuit current was carried wholly by a net active chloride transfer from mucosa to serosa as determined by flux measurements. These results suggest that active chloride absorption may be mediated by a primary active transport process.
Synthetic chemistry: An upfront investment

Organic synthesis plays a leading role in the discovery of small molecules for the exploration of biological systems. Therefore, the development of efficient strategies for the preparation of these molecules is a necessary aspect of the small-molecule approach to chemical biology.
Synthesis of N-hydroxybenzylethylenediamine-N,N′,N′-triacetic acid and the stabilities of its complexes with divalent and trivalent metal ions

Abstract The synthesis, characterization and metal ion affinities of a multidentate ligand, N -hydroxybenzylethylenediamine- N , N ′, N ′-triacetic acid (HBET) are described. Protonation constants of the ligand and stability constants of its complexes with trivalent and divalent metal ions are determined by direct potentiometric measurement of p[H] and by potentiometric measurement of ligand-ligand competition. The stabilities of complexes formed by the trivalent ions, Fe 3+ , Ga 3+ and In 3+ with HBET are compared with those of structurally related ligands. While this ligand, which contains one phenolate donor group, forms stable complexes with trivalent metal ions, its stability constants are significantly lower than those of hexadentate N , N ′-bis(2-hydroxybenzyl)-ethylenediamine- N , N ′-diacetic acid (HBED) which contains two phenolate donor groups. The difference is rationalized on the basis of the strength of coordination of these metal ions by phenolate donor groups.
Hypogonadism and Erectile Dysfunction: The Role for Testosterone Therapy

The role of low testosterone levels in erectile dysfunction (ED) remains unclear. Both organic and psychogenic factors contribute to ED, with vasculogenic causes being the most common etiology. Approximately 10-20% of patients with ED are diagnosed with hormonal abnormalities. At the physiologic level, two second messenger systems are involved in mediating erections, one involving cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and the other involving cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). PDE5 inhibitors such as sildenafil promote the cGMP pathway, while alprostadil affects the cAMP pathway. Evidence is strong that, in animal systems, testosterone has direct effects on erectile tissue. However, although testosterone clearly has an impact on libido in humans, its effect on penile function is less clear. Evaluation of ED includes medical, sexual, and psychosocial history assessments, as well as laboratory tests to check for diabetes and hormonal abnormalities. Initial interventions should involve correction of potentially reversible causes of ED, such as hypogonadism. First-line therapy for other patients is typically oral PDE5 inhibitors, such as sildenafil, tadalafil, or vardenafil. For patients who fail treatment with PDE5 inhibitors, local therapies such as intracavernous alprostadil are highly successful. Recent data also support the success of combination therapy with sildenafil and testosterone. This opens the possibility of other combinations of testosterone and other treatments of ED. The ability to exploit multiple pathways in the physiologic processes leading to erection may help improve therapy for ED.
Non-homogeneous deformations in a wedge of Mooney-Rivlin material

Abstract We study a finite non-homogeneous deformation of a wedge of Mooney-Rivlin material. We find that for certain wedge angles, the deformation is neither purely inward nor purely outward, but a combination of the two. When the pressure field is required to be a constant, the solution is homogeneous. However, non-homogeneous solutions are possible when the pressure field is not a constant.
Multicriteria analysis of aeromedical fleet expansion

Abstract We present an Expected Multiattribute Utility analysis of an aeromedical program's decision to add helicopters to its existing fleet. We approach the problem as one of helping the program's executive director to synthesize the relative value of the alternatives along technical dimensions so that he can present the alternatives to a decision making board that will weigh the technical merits against nontechnical dimensions, such as public perception, in deciding whether to expand the fleet. We develop criteria and simulation models to predict the joint probability distributions over these criteria for the different alternatives and use a combination of strength of preference and lottery-based questions in carefully planned utility assessments. To acknowledge difficulties in utility assessments, we perform a comprehensive sensitivity analysis of the utility information and note that our “best guess” results are fairly insensitive to the modeled variations. We propose the use of a “ratio of utility differences” to give a feel for the relative difference in the technical value between a given alternative and the status quo alternative, where the scale is the difference in value between another pair of alternatives easily perceived by the decision makers. This easy-to-use ratio implies that, although adding a helicopter to the program's fleet is optimal according to the technical dimensions, the additional “technical value” is small enough that the important nontechnical considerations could be expected to dominate the ultimate decision.
Reciprocal mentoring in technology use: reflecting with a literacy educator

Abstract As the 21st century approaches, emphasis on technology has increased. Recent trends show “a new insistence that teachers must become technologically literate” (Ely et al, 1996, p. 33), but unfortunately, colleges of education are not adequately preparing teachers to use technology in the classroom (Office of Technology Assessment, 1995). This is due in part to the fact that faculty are often unable to model its use (Wetzel, 1993; Staman, 1990). New Mexico State University has implemented a pilot program using graduate students in technology to mentor faculty on how to integrate technology into their courses. Whereas mentoring usually features a more experienced person guiding a less experienced one, this program sought a more reciprocal process in which there were dynamic exchanges between team members. Most faculty successfully completed the program. This article highlights one faculty member and how, through the reciprocal process, she has implemented desired changes in her teaching.
Transient photoinduced conductivity in semiconducting single crystals of YBa2Cu3O6.3: Search for photoinduced metallic state and for photoinduced superconductivity

Abstract We present the results of time resolved experiments on single crystals of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6.3 mounted in the Auston switch configuration. At 300K, the peak photocurrent is linear in the pump light intensity at low light levels and saturates at the highest light levels available. Below 200K, the peak photocurrent increases approximately linearly with the pump light intensity at low light levels, but shows an increase to superlinear behavior above ∼5x10 15 photons/cm 2 , indicative of the onset of an additional transport mechanism. At 50K, the transient decrease in the resistance indicates a photoinduced change in resistivity within the absorption depth of the light by more than 14 orders of magnitude. The photoinduced conductivity is time delayed with respect to the absorption; approximately 0.5 ns is required for the photoexcited system to evolve to a highly conducting state. The results are discussed in terms of the possibility of a photoinduced transition to the metallic state and of photoinduced superconductivity.
Random visual noise impairs object-based attention

Object-based visual attention is observed when the benefit of attending to one element in a display extends to other elements that are part of the same perceptual object. Apperceptive agnosia is an object identification deficit in which spatial attention is preserved but object-based attention is impaired. Some debate exists regarding the extent to which the object-based impairment can be attributed to perceptual mechanisms that are specifically involved in grouping and segmentation of a scene, as opposed to early sensory processes. In the present paper we show that random visual noise is sufficient to eliminate the object benefit, a result inconsistent with the view that grouping mechanisms are responsible for the effect. The results have implications for an understanding of apperceptive agnosia, and for an understanding of object-based attention more generally.
The changing interstitial dialectic

Interstitial cystitis (IC) does indeed appear linked to neurogenic inflammation. A direct link to substance P/neurokinin 1 receptor is unproven but highly suggested by the literature. Patients with IC may have a propensity to develop chronic inflammatory bladder disease from usually benign events. The inability of the urothelium to repair itself leaves it open to neurogenic inflammation. Neurogenic inflammation may also have its origin in the brain and not only in the dorsal root ganglion or spinal cord. IC may be promulgated by neurogenic inflammation. If this is the case, then early detection is crucial to prevent central pain.
Compadrazgo on a Henequen Hacienda in Yucatan: A Structural Re-evaluation

T HE variations and New World elaborations of the institution of compadrazgo have received a number of descriptions and interpretations.1 Mintz and Wolf have predicted that on plantations (haciendas) where direct owner-worker contacts prevail, compadrazgo ties between the owner and his workers will be encouraged (Mintz and Wolf 1950:363). However, rural Mayaspeaking communities in the Yucatan Peninsula provide a contrasting pattern of close kin, baptismal sponsorship, preferably the selection of grandparents. This selection reinforces and intensifies pre-existing relationships in both kinship and compadrazgo systems (Redfield 1941:123-124; Redfield and Villa Rojas 1934:98, Villa Rojas 1945:89-91). A third pattern proposed by Mintz and Wolf concerns multiple and extending relationships under conditions of increased culture change. Our evidence, taken from a henequen hacienda in Yucatan in 1957, does not conform with the first and last of these expected patterns. This paper is intended to account for the discrepancies between expectations and findings. Compadrazgo is differentiated from other institutionalized forms of ritual kinship essentially because of the pre-eminence that Catholic baptismal sponsorship retains as its core component. The relationships created among the participants in the rite of baptism are generally of greatest social and cultural importance compared with those arising out of other ritual acts in the same society. Compadrazgo is or has been confined to less industrialized parts of southern Europe and to those regions of the world to which the southern European version of Catholicism was introduced (Mintz and Wolf 1950:352). The salient characteristic of New World compadrazgo is the prominence of the relationships established between sponsors and parents (compadres), to which the term compadrazgo is applied in its narrower sense. Compadre relationships hold this strategic position by their long-enduring, mutual, socioeconomic commitments which are accompanied by special terminology, imbued with respect and trust, and sustained by compelling sacred sanctions (Paul 1942:58-60 et passim; Rojas Gonzalez 1943:202ff; Foster 1953:7-9). Such ties are not unknown in rural Southern Europe, but they either share their importance with sponsor-godchild relationships or assume a subsidiary position (Anderson 1956:18; Foster 1953:5; Pitt-Rivers 1958:428). Conversely, the latter relationships are not everywhere overshadowed by compadre ties in the New World, and often show some of the socioeconomic characteristics of these ties (Beals 1946:102-104; de la Fuente 1949:170; Lewis 1951:350-351; Gillin 1951:60-61; Guiteras Holmes 1952:145; Spicer 1940:91, 93, 102-103; Wisdom 1940: 292).
Effects of methyl n-butyl ketone on behavior and the nervous system

The effects of methyl n-butyl ketone (MBK) on nervous system function and operant behavior were investigated in monkeys and rats. Mean MBK exposure levels approximated 100 and 1000 ppm and lasted up to 10 months. Both exposures were 6 hours/day, 5 days/week. Results showed that the 1000 ppm exposure effected 1) reduced motor conduction velocities in ulnar and sciatic-tibial nerves, 2) decreased the amplitude of evoked muscle action potentials, 3) lengthened implicit time of visual evoked potentials, 4) impaired operant behavioral performance, and 5) reduced body weight. Reductions in nerve conduction velocities and evoked muscle action potentials were found at 100 ppm. Recovery, as measured by sciatic-tibial nerve conduction velocity, was found to occur 6 months and 2 months after termination of the 1000 ppm and 100 ppm MBK exposures, respectively.
Standard horseshoe cross section geometry

The standard horseshoe cross section is found in many tunnels for open-channel and pressurized conduit water conveyance. The exact geometric relationships for this cross section are needed for hydraulic analysis and mathematical modeling purposes because look-up tables of numerically approximated values are typically as slow, or slower, when implemented in computer programs. Implicit solutions of the unsteady hydraulic equations require exact, analytical partial derivatives of some of the relationships, both for accuracy and numerical stability. The equations for cross-sectional area, wetted perimeter, top width, and depth to area centroid are presented as functions of the depth of water in standard horseshoe sections, in addition to the partial derivatives of wetted perimeter with respect to water depth, and depth to area centroid with respect to water depth. Sample unsteady-flow simulation results for a horseshoe cross section are compared to those of a comparably sized circular cross section.
Extracellular Allosteric Regulatory Subdomain within the γ Subunit of the Epithelial Na+ Channel

The activity of the epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC) is modulated by Na+ self-inhibition, a down-regulation of the open probability of ENaC by extracellular Na+. A His residue within the extracellular domain of γENaC (γHis239) was found to have a critical role in Na+ self-inhibition. We investigated the functional roles of residues in the vicinity of this His by mutagenesis and analyses of Na+ self-inhibition responses in Xenopus oocytes. Significant changes in the speed and magnitude of Na+ self-inhibition were observed in 16 of the 47 mutants analyzed. These 16 mutants were distributed within a 22-residue tract. We further characterized this scanned region by examining the accessibility of introduced Cys residues to the sulfhydryl reagent MTSET. External MTSET irreversibly increased or decreased currents in 13 of 47 mutants. The distribution patterns of the residues where substitutions significantly altered Na+ self-inhibition or/and conferred sensitivity to MTSET were consistent with the existence of two helices within this region. In addition, single channel recordings of the γH239F mutant showed that, in the absence of Na+ self-inhibition and with an increased open probability, ENaCs still undergo transitions between open and closed states. We conclude that γHis239 functions within an extracellular allosteric regulatory subdomain of the γ subunit that has an important role in conferring the response of the channel to external Na+.
Reasons Underlying Racial Differences in Stroke Incidence and Mortality

Although there has been a significant decline in overall stroke mortality rates since the 1950s, age-adjusted stroke death rates have remained higher in blacks than in whites through 2008.1 The Table shows the 2009 stroke death rates per 100000 according to age and sex for blacks and whites. The relative excess in deaths from stroke among blacks compared with whites is most marked in the population aged <65 years, in which, for example, there is a black/white mortality ratio of 3.7 among men aged 45 to 54 years. The black/white mortality ratio decreases with age in both sexes until ages ≥85 years, when death rates in blacks are lower than in whites. Differences between whites and other racial and ethnic groups in the United States are important but less marked. In 2008, stroke death rates were lowest in American Indians/Alaska natives (24.0 in women and 24.5 in men per 100 000.)1 Stroke death rates were similar in Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islanders, both with rates lower than those in whites.1 Complicating the discussion of racial and ethnic differences in stroke mortality is that the race groups of whites, blacks, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native include persons of Hispanic and non-Hispanic origin, and the Hispanic category includes persons across all race groups. Also, death rates are known to be underestimated for Hispanics, Asian/Pacific Islanders, and American Indians/Alaska Natives for whom data are likely less reliable.2 The initial concerns about black–white disparities in stroke were recognized in the 1970s based on mortality statistics.3,4 These concerns were reinforced by 3 population-based cohort studies of stroke incidence reporting rates observed during the 1960s that also showed similar black–white disparities in incident stroke risk.5–7 There are several more current epidemiological studies that provide insights to …
Cranial remains of Middle Pleistocene European hominids

Abstract Cranial remains of the Middle Pleistocene European hominids are reviewed in a historical context. Swanscombe and Steinheim, the earliest specimens to be discovered, are compared with each other. Following this, the more recently discovered specimens from Vertesszollos, Petralona and Bilzingsleben are compared. Finally, Riss remains from La Chaise, Biache and Arago are discussed in the context provided by the above specimens. It is suggested that while phyletic evolution may play a role in the observed differences, a marked degree of sexual dimorphism contributes to the variation expressed by these specimens.
Does Activity Affect Residual Limb Skin Temperatures

Background Many lower limb amputees experience thermal discomfort as a result of wearing a prosthesis. The development of new prosthetic technology to address thermal discomfort requires an understanding of how activity (or inactivity) affects residual limb skin temperatures and how skin temperatures are mapped across the skin-prosthesis interface.
Interdisciplinary design optimization: A search method

The design of architectural structures frequently involves interdisciplinary aspects and aesthetic considerations which, being of subjective nature, are difficult to quantify. The computer-aided design optimization model presented here, therefore, is an attempt to optimize, in an interdisciplinary context, quantifiable parameters only. The objective function is graphically illustrated to give the designer a means to evaluate the impact of esoteric design decisions on performance variables, such as costs. A search method is used, i.e., evaluation of a discrete number of designs and nonlinear interpolation. The model's system of computer programs is demonstrated on the sample of an anticlastic cable roof structure.
GCAT-SEEKquence: Genome Consortium for Active Teaching of Undergraduates through Increased Faculty Access to Next-Generation Sequencing Data

To transform undergraduate biology education, faculty need to provide opportunities for students to engage in the process of science. The rise of research approaches using next-generation (NextGen) sequencing has been impressive, but incorporation of such approaches into the undergraduate curriculum remains a major challenge. In this paper, we report proceedings of a National Science Foundation–funded workshop held July 11–14, 2011, at Juniata College. The purpose of the workshop was to develop a regional research coordination network for undergraduate biology education (RCN/UBE). The network is collaborating with a genome-sequencing core facility located at Pennsylvania State University (University Park) to enable undergraduate students and faculty at small colleges to access state-of-the-art sequencing technology. We aim to create a database of references, protocols, and raw data related to NextGen sequencing, and to find innovative ways to reduce costs related to sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. It was agreed that our regional network for NextGen sequencing could operate more effectively if it were partnered with the Genome Consortium for Active Teaching (GCAT) as a new arm of that consortium, entitled GCAT-SEEK(quence). This step would also permit the approach to be replicated elsewhere.
Millimeter-wave coplanar strip (CPS) line flip chip packaging on PCBs

In this paper, we studied coplanar strip (CPS) transmission lines on PCBs in millimeter-wave in terms of attenuation constant with different configurations. The purpose for CPS lines is to facilitate flip-chip packaging of future MMIC chips on the PCBs. Attenuation constant is 0.8dB/cm at 30GHz on RT/Duroid 6010. We analyzed the attenuation coefficient of CPS lines based on geometrical configuration to achieve an optimum design on PCBs. An application of coplanar strip transmission lines in microwave flip-chip configurations implemented with solder bumps is presented. We have shown that return loss, S/sub 11/ (dB) is higher than 20 dB up to 50 GHz for the flip-chip configuration using coplanar strip lines. To improve performance further, the solder bumps have to be designed as an integral part of the transmission line. The attenuation coefficient of different types of transmission lines with 50 Ohm characteristic impedance, such as microstrip lines, and coplanar strip lines on the PCBs, were calculated up to 50 GHz and compared. In order to have low attenuation constant using CPS lines, not only are design parameters such as dielectric constant, electrodes' widths for signal and ground lines important, effect of backside metallization also has to be understood. Also we present a new method to reach optimum design through the analysis of flip chip interconnection.
Authority and ranking effects in data fusion

This paper provides empirical support for some of the key assumptions guiding the design of data fusion methods. It computes and analyzes the overlap structures between the search results of retrieval systems that participated in the short, long, and manual tracks in TREC 3, 6, 7, and 8 to examine what can be learned to infer a document's probability of being relevant. This paper shows that the potential relevance of a document increases exponentially as the number of systems retrieving it increases—called the Authority Effect. It also shows that documents higher up in ranked lists and found by more systems are more likely to be relevant—called the Ranking Effect. A contribution of this paper is that it shows that the Authority and Ranking Effects can be observed regardless of whether a query is generated manually or automatically and short or long queries are used. Further, it is illustrated that the Authority and Ranking Effects can be observed if the result sets of random groupings of five retrieval systems are compared and only the top 50 results are used in the overlap computation. Also discussed is how the Authority and Ranking Effects can help explain why major data fusion methods perform well. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
3GPP W-CDMA systems: design and testing

Newly emerging wireless signal formats can present significant design challenges to the system design engineer. Wideband code division multiple access (W-CDMA) can present many engineering design and verification challenges, due to its physical layer complexity as well as complexities that can arise when integrating RF and baseband designs to achieve a working system. System design engineers typically have the task of interpreting standards specifications, first for partitioning subsystem requirements, then verifying that the end-to-end system design (typically including both baseband and RF designs) will meet specifications when they are finally integrated. This article considers a case study that illustrates the importance of simulating baseband and RF designs together to accomplish this task. Specifically, a conceptual system design that includes system models, a fixed-point finite impulse response filter, and transistor-level circuit design is simulated and verified together against measurements defined in the third-generation partnership project (3GPP) W-CDMA standards specifications. Tradeoffs between improving either the RF or baseband design to meet overall system specifications will be discussed. Finally, design verification using "connected solutions," or connectivity between, electronic design automation software and test equipment will be described, illustrating how verification testing can be started earlier to help reduce risk by identifying performance issues early in the design cycle, when they are potentially easier and costly to implement.
Quality Improvement in Health Care Opportunities and Responsibilities for Pharmacists

Quality in health care has never been more important than today. As health care providers, pharmacists have an obligation to serve as leaders and visionaries and actively demonstrate and document the advances that patient-centered pharmacy services can provide. Many agencies and organizations have developed initiatives to advance patient care through quality improvement measures and patient safety programs. Pharmacists, both individually and collectively, must actively engage in quality improvement and patient safety programs that elevate care and support the evidence base for clinical pharmacy services.
p53-Mediated repression of alpha-fetoprotein gene expression by specific DNA binding

Aberrant expression of the alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) gene is characteristic of a majority of hepatocellular carcinoma cases and serves as a diagnostic tumor-specific marker. By dissecting regulatory mechanisms through electromobility gel shift, transient-transfection, Western blot, and in vitro transcription analyses, we find that AFP gene expression is controlled in part by mutually exclusive binding of two trans-acting factors, p53 and hepatic nuclear factor 3 (HNF-3). HNF-3 protein activates while p53 represses AFP transcription through sequence-specific binding within the previously identified AFP developmental repressor domain. A single mutation within the DNA binding domain of p53 protein or a mutation of the p53 DNA binding element within the AFP developmental repressor eliminates p53-repressive effects in both transient-transfection and cell-free expression systems. Coexpression of p300 histone acetyltransferase, which has been shown to acetylate p53 and increase specific DNA binding, amplifies the p53-mediated repression. Western blot analysis of proteins present in developmentally staged, liver nuclear extracts reveal a one-to-one correlation between activation of p53 protein and repression of AFP during hepatic development. Induction of p53 in response to actinomycin D or hypoxic stress decreases AFP expression. Studies in fibroblast cells lacking HNF-3 further support a model for p53-mediated repression that is both passive through displacement of a tissue-specific activating factor and active in the presence of tissue-specific corepressors. This mechanism for p53-mediated repression of AFP gene expression may be active during hepatic differentiation and lost in the process of tumorigenesis.
A Profile of Financially At-Risk College Students

Using a random sample of college students, this study identifies the factors that significantly affect the probability a college student is financially at risk for mismanaging/misusing credit. Financially at-risk students are more likely to be financially independent, to receive need-based financial aid, to hold $1000 or more in other debt, and to have acquired their credit card(s) by mail, at a retail store, and/or at a campus table. Students having difficulty making credit card payments are also more likely to be female, black, and/or Hispanic. Campus administrators and financial professionals can use this information to better allocate their resources and develop materials that specifically target those students who need them most.
Detection of chromosomal instability in α-irradiated and bystander human fibroblasts

There is increasing evidence biological responses to ionizing radiation are not confined to those cells that are directly hit, but may be seen in the progeny at subsequent generations (genomic instability) and in non-irradiated neighbors of irradiated cells (bystander effects). These so called non-targeted phenomena would have significant contributions to radiation-induced carcinogenesis, especially at low doses where only a limited number of cells in a population are directed hit. Here we present data using a co-culturing protocol examining chromosomal instability in -irradiated and bystander human fibroblasts BJ1-htert. At the first cell division following exposure to 0.1 and 1 Gy -particles, irradiated populations demonstrated a dose dependent increase in chromosome-type aberrations. At this time bystander BJ1-htert populations demonstrated elevated chromatid-type aberrations when compared to controls. Irradiated and bystander populations were also analyzed for chromosomal aberrations as a function of time post-irradiation. When considered over 25 doublings, all irradiated and bystander populations had significantly higher frequencies of chromatid aberrations when compared to controls (2–3-fold over controls) and were not dependent on dose. The results presented here support the link between the radiation-induced phenomena of genomic instability and the bystander effect.
BAF60a Mediates Critical Interactions between Nuclear Receptors and the BRG1 Chromatin-Remodeling Complex for Transactivation

Nuclear hormone receptors are ligand-dependent transcriptional regulators that modulate chromatin structure. However, the precise molecular mechanisms by which receptors recruit chromatin-remodeling activity are not fully elucidated. We show that in the absence of its ligand-binding domain, the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is able to interact with both nuclear receptor coactivators and the BRG1 chromatin-remodeling complex in vivo. Individually, the GR makes direct interactions with BRG1-associated factor 60a (BAF60a) and BAF57, but not with BRG1, BAF155, or BAF170. Further, BAF60a possesses at least two interaction surfaces, one for GR and BRG1 and a second for BAF155 and BAF170. A GR mutant, GR(R488Q), that fails to interact with BAF60a in vitro has reduced chromatin-remodeling activity and reduced transcriptional activity from the promoter assembled as chromatin in vivo. Stable expression of a BAF60a truncation mutant, BAF60a4-140, caused chromatin-specific loss of GR functions in vivo. In the presence of the BAF60a mutant, the GR fails to interact with the BRG1 complex and consequently is also deficient in its ability to activate transcription from chromatin. Thus, in addition to previously identified BAF250, BAF60a may provide another critical and direct link between nuclear receptors and the BRG1 complex that is required for promoter recruitment and subsequent chromatin remodeling.
Accessing bioscience images from abstract sentences

Images (e.g., figures) are important experimental results that are typically reported in bioscience full-text articles. Biologists need to access images to validate research facts and to formulate or to test novel research hypotheses. On the other hand, biologists live in an age of information explosion. As thousands of biomedical articles are published every day, systems that help biologists efficiently access images in literature would greatly facilitate biomedical research. We hypothesize that much of image content reported in a full-text article can be summarized by the sentences in the abstract of the article. In our study, more than one hundred biologists had tested this hypothesis and more than 40 biologists had evaluated a novel user-interface BioEx that allows biologists to access images directly from abstract sentences. Our results show that 87.8% biologists were in favor of BioEx over two other baseline user-interfaces. We further developed systems that explored hierarchical clustering algorithms to automatically identify abstract sentences that summarize the images. One of the systems achieves a precision of 100% that corresponds to a recall of 4.6%. Contact:hongyu@uwm.edu or hy52@columbia.edu
A study of concurrent real-time garbage collectors

Concurrent garbage collection is highly attractive for real-time systems, because offloading the collection effort from the executing threads allows faster response, allowing for extremely short deadlines at the microseconds level. Concurrent collectors also offer much better scalability over incremental collectors. The main problem with concurrent real-time collectors is their complexity. The first concurrent real-time garbage collector that can support fine synchronization, STOPLESS, has recently been presented by Pizlo et al. In this paper, we propose two additional (and different) algorithms for concurrent real-time garbage collection: CLOVER and CHICKEN. Both collectors obtain reduced complexity over the first collector STOPLESS, but need to trade a benefit for it. We study the algorithmic strengths and weaknesses of CLOVER and CHICKEN and compare them to STOPLESS. Finally, we have implemented all three collectors on the Bartok compiler and runtime for C# and we present measurements to compare their efficiency and responsiveness.