cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dissection of the Adult Zebrafish Kidney

Researchers working in the burgeoning field of adult stem cell biology seek to understand the signals that regulate the behavior and function of stem cells during normal homeostasis and disease states. The understanding of adult stem cells has broad reaching implications for the future of regenerative medicine1. For example, better knowledge about adult stem cell biology can facilitate the design of therapeutic strategies in which organs are triggered to heal themselves or even the creation of methods for growing organs in vitro that can be transplanted into humans1. The zebrafish has become a powerful animal model for the study of vertebrate cell biology2. There has been extensive documentation and analysis of embryonic development in the zebrafish3. Only recently have scientists sought to document adult anatomy and surgical dissection techniques4, as there has been a progressive movement within the zebrafish community to broaden the applications of this research organism to adult studies. For example, there are expanding interests in using zebrafish to investigate the biology of adult stem cell populations and make sophisticated adult models of diseases such as cancer5. Historically, isolation of the zebrafish adult kidney has been instrumental for studying hematopoiesis, as the kidney is the anatomical location of blood cell production in fish6,7. The kidney is composed of nephron functional units found in arborized arrangements, surrounded by hematopoietic tissue that is dispersed throughout the intervening spaces. The hematopoietic component consists of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and their progeny that inhabit the kidney until they terminally differentiate8. In addition, it is now appreciated that a group of renal stem/progenitor cells (RPCs) also inhabit the zebrafish kidney organ and enable both kidney regeneration and growth, as observed in other fish species9-11. In light of this new discovery, the zebrafish kidney is one organ that houses the location of two exciting opportunities for adult stem cell biology studies. It is clear that many outstanding questions could be well served with this experimental system. To encourage expansion of this field, it is beneficial to document detailed methods of visualizing and then isolating the adult zebrafish kidney organ. This protocol details our procedure for dissection of the adult kidney from both unfixed and fixed animals. Dissection of the kidney organ can be used to isolate and characterize hematopoietic and renal stem cells and their offspring using established techniques such as histology, fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS)11,12, expression profiling13,14, and transplantation11,15. We hope that dissemination of this protocol will provide researchers with the knowledge to implement broader use of zebrafish studies that ultimately can be translated for human application.
Neutron reflection as a probe of surface magnetism

Polarized neutrons reflected from the surface of a ferromagnet are sensitive to the magnetization close to the surface as well as to the bulk magnetization. In a calculation using parameters appropriate to nickel it is shown how the two contributions can be separated. Neutron measurements can determine the first moment of the magnetic disturbances at the surface, with a sensitivity corresponding to one magnetic dead layer.
The Evolution of Nanothermoelectricity

A personal review is presented. We review the renaissance in thermoelectric materials research that started in 1993 with the introduction of the nanostructure concept as a potential method to both increase the power factor and decrease the thermal conductivity and to even do both at the same time. The earliest work was limited to model systems for the demonstration of proof of principle. More recently the focus has evolved into demonstration of embedding the phenomena into bulk samples based on composites and superlattices. We here review this evolution of the nanothermoelectricity field. The resulting current activity is attracting many new researchers, industrial interest and the emergence of new ideas. We now look to the further development of these new ideas, and to the introduction of more new ideas and new approaches, as the field is now approaching the stage of commercial relevance.
Bone marrow-derived fibroblast precursors mediate ischemic cardiomyopathy in mice.

We previously described a mouse model of fibrotic ischemia/reperfusion cardiomyopathy (I/RC) arising from daily, brief coronary occlusion. One characteristic of I/RC was the prolonged elevation of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), which was obligate to its phenotype and may contribute to the uptake of bloodborne cells. Here we describe in I/RC hearts a population of small spindle-shaped fibroblasts that were highly proliferative and expressed collagen I and α-smooth muscle actin (myofibroblast markers), CD34 (a precursor marker), and CD45 (a hematopoietic marker). These cells represented 3% of all nonmyocyte live cells. To confirm the cells' bone marrow origin, chimeric mice were created by the rescue of irradiated C57BL/6 mice with marrow from ROSA26, a congenic line expressing lacZ. I/RC resulted in a large population of spindle-shaped fibroblasts containing lacZ. We postulated that the fibroblast precursors represented a developmental path for a subset of monocytes, whose phenotype we have shown to be influenced by serum amyloid P (SAP). Thus, we administered SAP in vivo, which markedly reduced the number of proliferative spindle-shaped fibroblasts and completely prevented I/RC-induced fibrosis and global ventricular dysfunction. By contrast, SAP did not suppress the inflammation or chemokine expression seen in I/RC. SAP, a member of the pentraxin family, binds to Fcγ receptors and modifies the pathophysiological function of monocytes. Our data suggest that SAP interferes with assumption of a fibroblast phenotype in a subset of monocytes and that SAP may be an important regulator in the linkage between inflammation and nonadaptive fibrosis in the heart.
Creating the ultimate nuclear reactor

Several next-generation nuclear reactor designs hold the promise of almost completely solving the worst concerns about nuclear energy. There is still a long way to go, however, before we see the “u...
Depression of superconductivity, heavy fermion behavior and valence fluctuations in Y1−xPrxBa2Cu3O7

Abstract The specific heat, magnetization, susceptibility and electrical resistivity of Y1-xPrxBa2Cu3O7 are presented, Pr, unlike other rare earths. depresses Tc and iinduces a transition from metallic to semiconducting behavior at x ∼ 0.6. Tc versus x follows an Abrikosov-Gor'kov curve. The specific heat coefficient γ, at low temperatures, increases markedly with x, reaching values normally associated with heavy fermion behavior. Indirect evidence suggests that Pr is in an intermediate valence state close to 4+.
Forms and Functions of Emotions: Matters of Emotion-Cognition Interactions

This article clarifies my current and seemingly ever-changing position on issues relating to emotions. The position derives from my differential emotions theory and it changes with new empirical fi...
HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY AND RIGHT-TO-LEFT INTRACARDIAC SHUNTS ARE MORE PREVALENT IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN WITH CRYPTOGENIC STROKE

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) increases the risk of ischemic stroke in postmenopausal women. The mechanism for this remains unclear. It is also known that HRT increases the risk of venous thrombosis. The presence of right-to-left intracardiac shunt (RLS) through a patent foramen ovale (PFO) may
Efficient Home Energy Management System

Consumer domain energy management systems or home energy management system (HEMS) is largely neglected in existing practical smart grid EMS studies. This paper presents a practical HEMS that supports various existing and emerging actors. Some of the proposed features include the support of automatic and manual scheduling and control of the devices, continuous monitoring and efficient notification. The goal of the design is to achieve optimized performance under dynamic situations. For better understanding and implementation of the concepts behind our proposed design, detailed Use Case diagrams of the various actors and their functionalities are presented. A substantial amount of peak shaving/shifting is observed using the proposed application.
Evaluation of Cultivars, Germplasm Lines, and Species of Gossypium for Resistance to Biotype “B” of Sweetpotato Whitefly (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae)

We evaluated 19 cultivars, germplasm lines, and species accessions of cotton and wild relatives, Gossypium spp., in a field, plot experiment for resistance to biotype “B” of the sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius). We collected leaf samples on eight dates from 9 June to 14 September and counted eggs and nymphs. Egg and nymph numbers were <1 per g of leaf weight through June, then began to increase rapidly, reaching 5,100 eggs by mid-August and 2,000 nymphs by mid-September. The rate of increase in Arizona wild cotton, G. thurberi Todaro, was significantly slower and numbers of eggs and nymphs were significantly lower than in the two upland, G. hirsutum L., control cultivars ‘Deltapine 50’ and ‘Stoneville 506’. The 19 cotton entries were divided into four leaf pubescence classes: glabrous, moderately pubescent, pubescent, and highly pubescent. Although no differences in numbers of eggs were obselved among the pubescence classes, the glabrous entries averaged fewer nymphs than the moderately pubescent or pubescent entries, but not fewer than the single highly pubescent entry, G. raimondii Ulbrich. The control upland cultivars, three upland germplasm lines, and the single G. barbadense L. cultivar ‘Pima S-6’ wilted, defoliated, and opened bolls prematurely because of extreme sweetpotato whitefly pressure. In spite of very high numbers of insects, none of the other entries except G. raimondii showed visible wilting and defoliation.
Techniques in a pseudocorporate environment [engineering education]

This paper describes a strategy which was developed to effect desired behavioral change in a junior year electronics design laboratory course, corequisite to a second electronics course. Since any such strategy requires a schedule of reinforcement, the setting of the course was changed to that of a new employee orientation and probationary program with the instructor serving as Manager of Engineering and the Teaching Assistants serving as staff engineer-mentors. A pseudocorporate philosophy was adopted and rigorously implemented, including standards for written and oral communications, corporate e-mail and performance evaluations. Open-ended design projects were assigned by memos giving customer needs including electrical power and cost constraints. Initial student feedback indicates that, despite time constraints, this approach not only forces students to face open-ended design problems and professional communications in a new may, but also confronts them with the need to achieve a certain of intuitive understanding of the subject as opposed to the memorization of equations and problem unique solution patterns.
Metalinguistic contributions to reading and spelling in second and third grade students

Minimal research has been conducted on the simultaneous influence of multiple metalinguistic, linguistic, and processing skills that may impact literacy development in children who are in the process of learning to read and write. In this study, we assessed the phonemic awareness, morphological awareness, orthographic awareness, receptive vocabulary, and rapid naming abilities of second and third grade students (N = 56) and determined how these abilities predicted the children’s reading and spelling skills. Regression analyses revealed that morphological awareness was the sole unique contributor to spelling and, together with orthographic awareness, uniquely contributed to word recognition. Morphological awareness also was significantly related to reading comprehension. The results add to a growing literature base providing evidence that early literacy development is influenced by morphological awareness, an ability that has received considerably less educational attention. Additionally, the findings point to the importance of tapping into multiple sources of metalinguistic knowledge when providing instruction in reading and spelling.
Degradation kinetics of grape skin and seed proanthocyanidins in a model wine system

Catechin (monomer), purified grape skin proanthocyanidin (polymer), and purified grape seed proanthocyanidin underwent monitored accelerated oxidation under continuous oxygenation and UV light, at a constant 20 °C. Compounds were dissolved in model wine solutions with (and without) catechol. Solutions were examined and then contrasted by absorbance measurements, phloroglucinolysis, and subsequent HPLC analysis. Oxidation of these monomers and polymers revealed significant colour changes (measurable increase in colour density). The presence of catechol increased the half-life of catechin, but the opposite was observed for total skin and seed proanthocyanidins. Skin and seed proanthocyanidin degradation half-life decreased with the addition of catechol. In general, based on second order rate reactions, total subunits of seed proanthocyanidin solutions degraded faster than that of skin proanthocyanidin solutions. As expected, there were decreases of measurable phenolics in both monomer and polymer solutions. Under the study conditions, flavanol monomer and polymer oxidation was chiefly dependant upon initial solution concentration.
Plain film evaluation of bone grafting for nonunited scaphoid fractures

Objective To determine how the appearance of fracture line bridging and graft incorporation changed on sequential plain films obtained during the healing of successful grafts for scaphoid nonunion.
Uncertainty in health risk analysis

Abstract This paper discuss several quantitative issues that arise in the analysis of health risks, beginning with principles such as de minimis and zero-risk. The paper also provides a probabilistic definition of risk in terms of hazard, context, consequence, magnitude, and uncertainty. The example relies on this definition to investigate, through sensitivity analysis, the effect that uncertainty has on the results obtained. The results, from a case study based on waterborne total arsenic, show that the choice of dose—response functions causes more uncertainty than any other component of risk analysis. Chemical carcinogenesis provides the basis for discussing inability to know as well as uncertainty. The conclusion is that risk analysis keeps uncertainty and inability to know separate; through this function, it provides a much needed method to present information to decision makers and the public.
A review of research on AGVS vehicle management

There are various interacting elements that affect the performance of an AGVS. Because the effectiveness of an AGVS is very sensitive to operational design parameters, several researchers have addressed issues related to network layout [Gaskins and Tanchoco 1987, Gaskins et al. 1989, Kaspi and Tanchoco 1989, Bozer and Srinivasan 1989], location of pick-up/delivery stations [Usher et al. 1988, Rabeneck et al. 1989], fleet sizing [Egbelu 1987, Leung et al. 1987, Tanchoco et al. 1987], unit load sizing [Egbelu 1987, Steudel and Moon 1987], and vehicle management. This paper outlines the vehicle management control strategies discussed in previous studies on AGVS.
Urban Evolution: Studies in the Mathematical Ecology of Cities. Dimitrios S. Dendrinos with Henry Mullally, and Migration, Urbanization, and Spatial Population Dynamics. Andrei Rogers; Urbanization in China: Town and Country in a Developing Economy 1949-2000 AD. R. J. R. Kirkby; The Emergence of Los Angeles: Population and Housing in the City of Dreams, 1940-1970. Bernard Marchand

(1988). Urban Evolution: Studies in the Mathematical Ecology of Cities. Dimitrios S. Dendrinos with Henry Mullally, and Migration, Urbanization, and Spatial Population Dynamics. Andrei Rogers; Urbanization in China: Town and Country in a Developing Economy 1949-2000 AD. R. J. R. Kirkby; The Emergence of Los Angeles: Population and Housing in the City of Dreams, 1940-1970. Bernard Marchand. Urban Geography: Vol. 9, Women and Employment, pp. 217-222.
FAMILIES AND DELINQUENCY: THE INTERACTION BETWEEN COHESION AND ADAPTABILITY

ABSTRACT Borrowing from the family studies literature, two major elements of family relationships, cohesion - a measure of attachment - and adaptability - a measure of how well families respond to daily living - are examined for their relationship to delinquency. The results indicate that while cohesion is the primary variable for delinquency, interactions between cohesion and three components of adaptability; discipline, rules and task, and leadership indicate that at high levels of cohesion, family leadership is also related to delinquency.
Surface expression of secretory component and HLA class II DR antigen on glandular epithelial cells from human endometrium and two endometrial adenocarcinoma cell lines.

The expression of secretory component (SC) by human glandular endometrial cells cultured invitro was significantly increased by estradiol in the medium. Interferon-gamma and interleukin-4 stimulated the expression of SC only in the presence of estrogen. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha plus estrogen also caused a significant increase in the number of cells expressing SC. HLA class II antigen DR was detected on few glandular epithelial cells of human endometrium cultured in control medium, whereas interferon-gamma and interleukin-4, but not tumor necrosis factor-alpha, caused significant increases in the expression of DR. Estrogen in the culture medium did not significantly affect DR expression. The human endometrial adenocarcinoma cell lines, HEC and RL-95, expressed SC in approximately 50 and 20% of the cells. Also, approximately 20% of the RL-95 cells stained for DR antigen. Interferon-gamma did not influence the degree of expression of either surface marker of the two cell lines. Cells of both lines bound polymeric IgA and IgM but showed little to no binding of monomeric IgA, IgG, or an IgM previously shown not to bind SC.
Reticuloendothelial function in the isolated perfused liver. IV. Phagocytosis of aggregated-BSA and colloidal gold. Evidence for nonspecific opsonins.

SummaryPlasma opsonins facilitating RES phagocytosis of aggregated-BSA and colloidal gold were studied in a double isolated perfused rat liver system. Activity of the nonspecific plasma opsonin for both colloidal gold and BSA was demonstrated. The relationship of this factor to other plasma opsonins is considered.
A High Accuracy Method for Semi-Supervised Information Extraction

Customization to specific domains of discourse and/or user requirements is one of the greatest challenges for today's Information Extraction (IE) systems. While demonstrably effective, both rule-based and supervised machine learning approaches to IE customization pose too high a burden on the user. Semi-supervised learning approaches may in principle offer a more resource effective solution but are still insufficiently accurate to grant realistic application. We demonstrate that this limitation can be overcome by integrating fully-supervised learning techniques within a semi-supervised IE approach, without increasing resource requirements.
A high-resolution study of the 40Ca(16O, 12C)44Ti reaction☆

Abstract High-resolution measurements of the α-particle transfer reaction 40 Ca( 16 O, 12 C) 44 Ti have been performed utilizing a split-pole magnetic spectrograph. Comparison with 40 Ca( 6 Li,d) 44 Ti data reveals close agreement for the relative selectivity of final states in the two transfer reactions. No evidence is found for α-particle breakup of 16 O or population of the 4.43 MeV first excited state of 12 C.
Elevating Adult Civic Science Literacy through a Renewed Citizen Science Paradigm.

America’s adult populace has failed to keep pace with the rapid inundation of science-centric knowledge affecting nearly every facet of personal, familial, and communal life. With three out of every four American adults considered scientifically illiterate, adult civic science literacy (CSL) has reached alarmingly low levels. The purpose of this research is to determine if the CSL of adults can be elevated through a renewed citizen science paradigm (RCSP)—incorporating nonformal outdoor adult education and structured experiential learning—in which volunteers conduct scientific research in an unfamiliar domain while maintaining the basic tenet of data collection in citizen science programming. From 67 program volunteers, 23 adults were purposively selected on the basis of their complete participation throughout the program. Data were collected through a repeated measures design, self-report surveys (n = 23) and quantitatively analyzed. The results revealed the RCSP statistically significantly elevated the ...
Susceptibility of Prototheca Species to Antifungal Agents

Twenty isolates of Prototheca filamenta, Prototheca moriformis, Prototheca stagnora, Prototheca wickerhamii , and Prototheca zopfii were tested for in vitro susceptibility to five commonly used antifungal agents: amphotericin B, 5-fluorocytosine, griseofulvin, miconazole, and nystatin. The results revealed resistance to griseofulvin of all the Prototheca isolates tested and an inhibitory effect on P. filamenta by high 5-fluorocytosine concentrations (minimal inhibitory concentration [MIC] = 12.5 to 100 μg/ml; minimal fungicidal or algacidal concentration [MFC/MAC] = 50 to 100 μg/ml). P. filamenta isolates were also susceptible to miconazole (MIC = 0.1 to 0.5 μg/ml, MFC/MAC = 0.5 to 1 μg/ml); isolates of the other Prototheca species varied in regard to miconazole activity from susceptible to resistant (MIC = 1 − >100 μg/ml, MFC/MAC = 5 − >100 μg/ml). The Prototheca isolates revealed an in vitro susceptibility to the polyene antifungal agents, amphotericin B, and nystatin (MIC = 0.09 to 3.12 μg/ml and 0.19 to 12.5 μg/ml, respectively; MFC/MAC = 0.19 to 25 μg/ml and 0.75 to 25 μg/ml, respectively).
Neural factors in experimental degenerative arteriopathy.

Intermittent electrical stimulation of the lateral hypothalamus of rats performed for 30 min to 6 hr, results in hyperlipidemia and endothelial cell damage of the aorta and coronary arteries. Hyperlipidemia is related to transient biliary obstruction elicited by hypothalamic stimulation and is characterized by elevation of the cholesterol, phospholipid, and triglyceride fractions. Endothelial cell damage is observed ultrastructurally as plasma membrane degeneration with detachment and the formation of large spaces (“vacuoles”). Thus, neural factors may be implicated in inducing conditions associated with early atherogenesis. Stimulation carried out for longer time intervals would be expected to produce more advanced lesions. However, the role of neural transmission per se (i.e., without hyperlipidemia) in producing arteriopathy is not clearly defined from these experiments. In rats, the lesser splanchnic nerve forms the major innervation of the abdominal aorta. In animals fed normal diets, chronic intermittent stimulation of this nerve (up to 3 weeks) resulted in advanced arteriosclerotic changes with intimal fibrosis and calcification. On histologic examination, lipid deposits appeared to be absent from these lesions. Animals stimulated for shorter periods of time exhibited earlier changes associated with atherogenesis, such as endothelial damage, elastic reduplication, and adherent microthrombi. Thus, direct neural transmission, especially if excessive, plays a role in producing arteriopathy. Hyperlipidemia, if persistent, could modify these lesions so that they would accumulate plasma lipids. Experiments to test this hypothesis are currently in progress.
Limits of residual stress in Cr films sputter deposited on biased substrates

Stress evolution in thin Cr films on Si substrates is studied as a function of substrate bias. With increasing bias voltage, the tensile stress is observed to increase to a maximum, transition to compressive stress that also reaches a maximum. We relate the tensile stress maximum to the maximum in attractive interatomic forces between the coalescing islands, and the compressive stress maximum to the saturation in Frenkel defect concentration, with smaller contribution from entrapped Ar. We show that the maxima in both tensile and compressive residual stress correspond to the film yield strength. Compressive yield strength is higher as compared to tensile due to hardening from point defects.
Biological data cleaning: a case study

As databases become more pervasive through the biological sciences, various data quality concerns are emerging. Biological databases tend to develop data quality issues regarding data legacy, data uniformity and data duplication. Due to the nature of this data, each of these problems is non-trivial and can cause many problems for the database. For biological data to be corrected and standardised, methods and frameworks must be developed to handle both structural and traditional data. This paper discusses issues concerning biological data quality with respect to data cleaning. It presents BIO-AJAX, a framework developed to address these issues. It finally describes BIO-JAX for TreeBASE and BIO-AJAX for Lineage Path, two implementations of BIO-AJAX on phylogenetic data sets.
Enhanced anaerobic transformations of carbon tetrachloride by soil organic matter

Anaerobic, reductive dehalogenation of carbon tetrachloride (CT) by Shewanella putrefaciens 200 is enhanced by the presence of a high-organic-carbon soil. In microbial incubations without soil, 29% of the initial 3 ppm (19.5 μM) CT was transformed after 33 h, whereas 64% was transformed after only 18 h when soil was present. In sterile, biomimetic systems using a chemical reductant, 20 mM dithiothreitol, similar results were observed, suggesting that abiotic electron-transfer mediators in the soil were catalyzing the reaction. Destruction of 62% of the soil organic carbon by H 2 O 2 resulted in a soil that was less effective in enhancing CT dechlorination. Following separation of the soil organic matter into three humic fractions, the humic acid (HA) fraction catalyzed the dechlorination reaction to a greater extent (270-442 μg of CT per gram of HA) than did the fulvic acid (FA) fraction (149-234 μg of CT per gram of FA), and both were more effective than the fraction containing humin and inorganic minerals (19-26 μg of CT per gram). The results are consistent with a mechanism involving humic functional groups that serve as electron-transfer mediators able to enhance the reductive transformation of CT in the presence of a microbial or chemical reductant. Humic functional group analyses showed that the FA contained more total acidity and carboxylic acidity than did the HA; however, both fractions contained similar amounts of total carbonyl groups and quinone carbonyls. Abiotic, HA-mediated CT transformation in the presence or absence of 20 mM dithiothreitol was found to be pH dependent. At pH 3.6, little CT transformation was observed regardless of whether dithiothreitol was present or not. At circumneutral pH, HA-mediated CT transformation required the presence of dithiothreitol. At pH 8.7, HA-mediated reductive CT transformation occurred both in the absence or presence of dithiothreitol although the transformation was greater in the presence of a reductant. Trichloromethane (chloroform [CF]) production at pH 8.7 was much lower than at circumneutral pH, and volatile organic compounds other than CF were not detected as products in any case.
Bioresorbable skeletal fixation systems in craniofacial surgery

Abstract Today the use and advances of bioresorbable biomaterials in skeletal fixation is in a process of major evolution in the applications and understanding of all fixation devices. Craniofacial skeletal fixation is an essential element in the stabilization of the different components of any bony components in the biological system. The rigid fixations of the craniofacial skeletal represent a major biological region in the human skeleton where such applications produce the desired stability with maximal advantages and minimal disadvantages to any existing systems in present use. This shift in the evolutionary status, from overusing metallic components to a move of avoiding the use of metallic implants, particularly in infants and in children, to the total applications of resorbable material in all applications in the craniofacial skeleton and in all age groups, is because of the complications and safety to the patients. The metallic implants, once popular and in wide variety of uses in the 1980s, are falling by the wayside as the application and sophistication in the resorbable components become more accepted by the practicing surgeons working, in particularly, on all components of the craniofacial skeleton. The craniofacial skeleton is a unique component of the skeletal system for its proximity to the central nervous system on one hand and to the contaminates oropharyngeal airway on the other hand.
Control engineering and related systems approaches for improving behavioral health

The goal of this special session is to describe emerging approaches and research opportunities for control engineering in a developing research topic of important societal significance. Specifically, we explore how control systems and related approaches from systems science can be applied to the prevention and treatment of chronic behavioral disorders; these include drug and alcohol abuse, depression, HIV/AIDS, cancer, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular health, and aging. Effective management of chronic behavioral disorders has major impact on public health, requiring hierarchical, multi-stage decision-making of prevention and treatment components over time. Conceptually, such time-varying interventions represent forms of closed-loop control systems where intervention dosages (i.e., manipulated variables) are determined by decision rules (i.e., controllers) based on the values of a participant's key characteristics (i.e., tailoring variables or controlled variables). Consequently, drawing from control engineering has the potential to significantly inform the analysis, design, and implementation of novel behavioral interventions, leading to improved adherence, better management of limited resources, a reduction of negative effects, and overall more effective interventions. Advances in this field involve significant modeling and computational challenges that need to be addressed. Novel decision rules will draw not only from control engineering, but also from the fields of artificial intelligence, statistics, and computer science. Practical solutions will involve individuals from diverse disciplines (e.g., psychologists, physicians, statisticians, computer scientists, applied mathematicians, and engineers). The session brings together a control engineer (Rivera), a quantitative psychologist (Collins), a statistician (Murphy) and a computer scientist (Pineau) with relevant program officers from NSF (Chowdhury) and NIH (Mabry) to address challenges and opportunities in this field.
Interaction of certain metal ions with aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase of rat lung microsomes.

: The effect of varying concentrations of cadmium, copper, zinc, and selenite on the ativity of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) of rat lungs was studied in vitro. All the metals resulted in a strong inhibition of enzyme activity. Copper and zinc were more inhibitory to rat lung AHH than cadmium and selenite. There was an additive inhibition of AHH activity when copper or zinc was added in the presence of cadmium. EDTA or glutathione exerted a protective effect on cadmium–induced inhibition of AHH activity. Prior incubation of the microsomes with N–ethylmaleimide, a thiol–blocking agent, had no effect on the inhibition of AHH activity caused by cadmium. Addition of cadmium along with zinc–thionein resulted in increased inhibition of rat lung AHH
Force Tolerances of Hybrid Nanodevices

We have created hybrid devices consisting of nanoscale fabricated inorganic components integrated with and powered by a genetically engineered motor protein.1 We wish to increase the assembly yield and lifetime of these devices through identification, measurement, and improvement of weak internal bonds. Using dynamic force spectroscopy, we have measured the bond rupture force of (histidine)6 on a number of different surfaces as a function of loading rate. The bond sizes, lifetimes, and energy barrier heights were derived from these measurements. We compare the (His)6−nickel bonds to other bonds composing the hybrid device and describe preliminary measurements of the force tolerances of the protein itself. Pathways for improvement of device longevity and robustness are discussed.
HPC virtual machine resource management

Virtual machine (VM) technology applied to HPC has been shown to improve system throughput and turnaround time [2, 3]. VMs provide additional compute power to backlogged clusters by abstracting the software environment of compute resources that are available on other clusters. Borrowing and provisioning resources from other clusters requires some way to efficiently manage VMs across multiple independent hosts [4].
Density of basalt core from Hilo drill hole, Hawaii

Abstract Density measurements of 1600 samples of core from 889 to 3097 m depth below sea level in the Hawaii Scientific Drilling Program hole near Hilo, Hawaii show marked differences between the basaltic rock types and help define stratigraphy in the hole. Water-saturated densities of subaerial lava flows (occurring above 1079 m depth) have the broadest range because of the large density variation within a single lava flow. Water-saturated densities commonly range from 2.0 to 3.0 with an average of 2.55±0.24 g/cc. Dikes and sills range from 2.8 to 3.1 g/cc). Densities of hyaloclastite commonly range from 2.3 to 2.7, with an overall average of about 2.5 g/cc. The low-density of most hyaloclastite is due primarily to palagonitization of abundant glass and presence of secondary minerals in the interstices between fragments. Four principal zones of pillow lava, separated by hyaloclastite, occur in the drill core. The shallowest (1983–2136 m) is paradoxically the densest, averaging 3.01±0.10 g/cc. The second (2234–2470 m) is decidedly the lightest, averaging 2.67±0.13 g/cc. The third (2640–2790 m) and fourth (2918-bottom at 3097 m) are high, averaging 2.89±0.17 and 2.97±0.08 g/cc, respectively. The first pillow zone includes degassed pillows i.e. lava erupted on land that flowed into the sea. These pillows are poor in vesicles, because the subaerial, one-atmosphere vesicles were compressed when the flow descended to deeper water and higher pressure. The second (low-density, non-degassed) pillow zone is the most vesicle-rich, apparently because it was erupted subaqueously at a shallow depth. The higher densities of the third and fourth zones result from a low vesicularity of only a few percent and an olivine content averaging more than 5% for the third zone and about 10% for the fourth zone. The uppermost hyaloclastite extending about 400 m below the bottom of the subaerial basalt is poorly cemented and absorbs up to 6 wt% of water when immersed. Progressing downward the hyaloclastite absorbs less water and becomes better cemented. This change is apparently due to palagonitization of glass and addition of secondary minerals in the deeper older hyaloclastite, a process favored by the increase of temperature with depth. The cementation is largely complete at 1800 m depth where the temperature attains about 20°C. The zone of freshest, uncemented hyaloclastite represents the weakest rock in the drill hole and is a likely level for tectonic or landslide disruption.
Specific Features of Contact of the Faces of an Edge Crack Under Moving Hertzian Loads

We consider the contact problem of the theory of elasticity for a half plane containing an edge oblique crack whose faces are in contact (with friction) under the action of a Hertzian contact load unidirectionally moving along the edge of the half plane. We present the maps of contact of the crack faces and compute stress intensity factors for the combinations of parameters typical of rolling contact interaction (the coefficients of friction between the crack faces and rolling bodies, crack orientation, and crack length).
Predictors of nonsentinel lymph node metastasis in breast cancer patients.

Abstract Background: In order to define a future subset of breast cancer patients in whom the axilla may be staged by sentinel lymph node biopsy alone, the conditions under which nonsentinel axillary lymph node metastases occur must be delineated. Methods: A prospective database including 212 breast cancer patients who underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy followed by completion axillary dissection at our institution was reviewed. A multivariate, logistic, stepwise regression was performed to evaluate the relationship between nonsentinel lymph node metastasis and patient age, primary tumor size, presence of lymphatic invasion, use of radioisotope to identify the sentinel node and degree of metastasis in the sentinel node. Results: Tumor size greater than 2 cm, lymphatic invasion of the primary tumor, macrometastasis in the sentinel node, and use of radioisotope all positively correlated independently with metastasis in the nonsentinel lymph node ( P = 0.0001, P = 0.0483, P = 0.0008, P = 0.0271, respectively). Conclusions: Predictors of nonsentinel axillary node metastasis exist and are important in defining those patients in whom a sentinel lymph node biopsy alone may not be adequate.
A fourth order nonlinear two point boundary value problem arising in linear elasticity

The shape of a length of wire confined to the surface of a sphere with its ends tangent to two given circles of lattitude and otherwise free, in its most relaxed state, is found by solving a variational problem to be the solution of a fourth order nonlinear two point boundary value problem. A scheme of numerical computation is outlined which avoids a nearby singularity.
Kang Ho-je, Pukhan kwahak kisul hyŏngsŏngsa I [History of Science and Technology in North Korea I]

Despite Kim Jong Il's call for an “IT revolution” in North Korea some 10 years ago, North Korea is not exactly world-renown for its scientific and technological expertise. To the extent that North ...
Rapid detection of columnaris disease in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) with a new species-specific 16-S rRNA gene-based PCR primer for Flavobacterium columnare

A 16-S rRNA gene from the chromosomal DNA of the fish-pathogenic bacterium Flavobacterium columnare (formerly Flexibacter columnaris), strain ARS-I, was cloned, sequenced and used to design a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primer set. The primer set amplified a specific 1193-bp DNA fragment from F. columnare strains but not from related bacteria, F. psychrophilum, F. aquatile, F. branchiophilum, or other bacterial pathogens of fish, Flexibacter maritimus, Cytophaga johnsonae, Edwardsiella ictaluri, E. tarda, Aeromonas hydrophila, and Streptococcus iniae or from the non-fish pathogen Escherichia coli. The PCR reaction conditions were optimized to permit detection of the organism from agar plates, broth culture, frozen samples, dead fish tissue, and live fish in less than 5 h (8 h, if the more sensitive nested PCR is used). DNA was extracted by a boiled-extraction method or by commercial column purification. The PCR product was detected at DNA concentrations below 0.1 ng and from as few as 100 bacterial cells. Nested PCR using universal eubacterial primers increased the sensitivity five-fold, allowing detection of F. columnare strains at DNA concentrations below 0.05 ng and from as few as 10 bacterial cells in apparently healthy, asymptomatic fish. The efficiency of this primer set was compared to the 16-S rRNA gene primer sets of Toyama et al. [Fish Pathol. 29 (1994) 271.] and that of Bader and Shotts [J. Aquat. Anim. Health 10 (1998) 311.]. The new primer set is as good or better than the previously published primer sets for detecting F. columnare in all samples and under all conditions tested.
Abundance, production and mortality of fine roots under elevated atmospheric CO2 in an oak-scrub ecosystem

Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are increasing and are predicted to double this century. The implications of this rise on vegetation structure and function are not well understood. Measurement of root growth response to elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide is critical to understanding plant responses and soil carbon input. We investigated the effects of elevated carbon dioxide on fine root growth using open top chambers with both ambient and elevated (700 ppm) CO2 treatments in an oak-palmetto scrub ecosystem at Kennedy Space Center, FL. Minirhizotron tubes installed in each elevated and control chamber were sampled for root length density (mm cm−2) every 3 months. Carbon dioxide enrichment of the chambers began May 15, 1996. By December 1997, root length density (RLD) increased to 7.53 mm cm−2 for the control chambers and 21.36 mm cm−2 for the enriched chambers in the top 101-cm of soil. Vertical distribution of fine roots was unchanged under elevated carbon dioxide. Fine root production increased with elevated carbon dioxide, and mortality and turnover were higher in the elevated chambers by the last sample date in 1997. The increased rates of fine root growth coupled with no change in decomposition rate suggest a potential increased rate of carbon input into the soil. However, these results only represent the first 21 months post-fire and recovery to root closure could just be faster in the elevated CO2 atmosphere.
Sanding and Pruning Differentially Impact Canopy Characteristics, Yield, and Economic Returns in Cranberry

ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS. Vaccinium macrocarpon, anthocyanin, light penetration, leaf wetness SUMMARY. Sanding and pruning are two practices used in the cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) industry for vine management and yield stimulation. This study compared varying levels of sanding and pruning on vine canopy characteristics, yield, and economic returns for two consecutive growing seasons. Each practice was applied in Apr. 2006 at four levels. Sand was applied directly onto the vines at four depths: control (0 cm), light (1.5 cm), moderate (3.0 cm), or heavy (4.5 cm); pruning was conducted at four severities with a commercial pruner: control (not pruned), light (one pass with the pruner), moderate (two passes), and heavy (three passes). Pruning levels had no effect on upright density over the two seasons, but the heavy sanding treatment decreased the number of uprights per unit area. For the first season only, light penetration to soil level increased linearly as severity increased for pruning and sanding. The number of reproductive uprights relative to total uprights decreased in the first year as severity increased for both practices. This effect continued in the second year for sanding treatments. Cumulative yield and net returns were higher in light severity treatments compared to those in the moderate and heavy treatments. Moderate and heavy sanding treatments were associated with lower yields and net returns than those for the untreated controls.
Solution, surface, and single molecule platforms for the study of DNA-mediated charge transport

The structural core of DNA, a continuous stack of aromatic heterocycles, the base pairs, which extends down the helical axis, gives rise to the fascinating electronic properties of this molecule that is so critical for life. Our laboratory and others have developed diverse experimental platforms to investigate the capacity of DNA to conduct charge, termed DNA-mediated charge transport (DNA CT). Here, we present an overview of DNA CT experiments in solution, on surfaces, and with single molecules that collectively provide a broad and consistent perspective on the essential characteristics of this chemistry. DNA CT can proceed over long molecular distances but is remarkably sensitive to perturbations in base pair stacking. We discuss how this foundation, built with data from diverse platforms, can be used both to inform a mechanistic description of DNA CT and to inspire the next platforms for its study: living organisms and molecular electronics.
The philosophies of dowel diameter preparation: A literature review

This article reviewed the literature regarding the diameter of dowels and identified three distinct philosophies of dowel space preparation. One group advocated the narrowest diameter for fabrication of a dowel to a desired length. Another recommended a dowel space with an apical diameter equal to one third of the narrowest dimension of the root at the terminus of the dowel. A third group advised that at least 1 mm of sound dentin should surround the entire surface of the dowel. A combination of the one third and 1 mm minimal philosophies yielded a practical guideline for dowel space preparation, particularly in aged teeth. Requiring a definite amount of tooth structure surrounding the dowel, while adhering to the one third proportion, indicated upper limits on both the diameter and length of the dowel. These calculated limits served as convenient starting points in selecting a specific style of dowel and assisted in determining whether additional measures are warranted to enhance dowel retention.
An Airbag Landing Dynamics Experiment Using the Modern Design of Experiments

This report documents the analysis of an experiment to quantify the effects of various factors on the landing dynamics of a candidate Orion crew exploration vehicle airbag. The Modern Design of Experiments (MDOE) was applied to generate a test matrix, execution strategy, and analysis plan that required half the runs of an equivalent One Factor At a Time (OFAT) design. It also provided insights into factor interactions, detection of response curvature, uncertainty estimates, and estimates of system responses at off-point factor combinations not typically available in an OFAT design, as well as a graphical and numeric optimization analysis capable for identifying factor combinations that satisfy multiple simultaneous performance criteria. The paper is written as a tutorial explanation of the MDOE process, for the benefit of readers who may wish to apply similar methods in other experiments. The Orion airbag evaluation experiment serves as an illustration of the test method, for which numerous results are reported.
Temporal sequence of incident cigarette, coffee, and alcohol use among AA participants.

Background: Cigarettes and coffee are widely used psychoactive substances among alcoholics. Due to the devastating public health impact of alcohol use disorders, it is important to determine if using cigarettes or coffee may influence alcoholism. Previous studies indicate that cigarette smoking is associated with progression of alcohol dependence, but the effects of coffee drinking have yet to be investigated. Objectives: To retrospectively determine the temporal sequence of incident cigarette, coffee, and alcohol use and attributed subjective effects in AA participants. Methods: Volunteers at all Nashville open-AA meetings (n = 289 [126 women], completion rate = 94.1%) were administered a Lifetime Drinking History modified to also include lifetime cigarette and coffee consumption, as well as coffee consumption and effects questions, the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence, and the Smoking Effects Questionnaire. Results: Average ages (years) at first regular use of alcohol, cigarettes, and coffee were...