cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Direct numerical simulation of a three-dimensional temporal mixing layer with particle dispersion

The three-dimensional mixing layer is characterized by both two-dimensional and streamwise large-scale structures. Understanding the effects of those large-scale structures on the dispersion of particles is very important. Using a pseudospectral method, the large-scale structures of a three-dimensional temporally developing mixing layer and the associated dispersion patterns of particles were simulated. The Fourier expansion was used for spatial derivatives due to the periodic boundary conditions in the streamwise and the spanwise directions and the free-slip boundary condition in the transverse direction. A second-order Adam–Bashforth scheme was used in the time integration. Both a two-dimensional perturbation, which was based on the unstable wavenumbers of the streamwise direction, and a three-dimensional perturbation, derived from an isotropic energy spectrum, were imposed initially. Particles with different Stokes numbers were traced by the Lagrangian approach based on one-way coupling between the continuous and the dispersed phases.The time scale and length scale for the pairing were found to be twice those for the rollup. The streamwise large-scale structures develop from the initial perturbation and the most unstable wavelength in the spanwise direction was found to be about two thirds of that in the streamwise direction. The pairing of the spanwise vortices was also found to have a suppressing effect on the development of the three-dimensionality. Particles with Stokes number of the order of unity were found to have the largest concentration on the circumference of the two-dimensional large-scale structures. The presence of the streamwise large-scale structures causes the variation of the particle concentrations along the spanwise and the transverse directions. The extent of variation also increases with the development of the three-dimensionality, which results in the ‘mushroom’ shape of the particle distribution.
PARASITISM-INDUCED ACCUMULATION OF FMRFAMIDE-LIKE PEPTIDES IN THE GUT INNERVATION AND ENDOCRINE CELLS OF MANDUCA SEXTA

Manduca sexta larvae that are parasitized by the braconid wasp Cotesia congregata enter a state of developmental arrest following emergence of the wasp larvae from the host. These fifth instar hosts linger for 2 to 3 weeks without resuming feeding, molting, or metamorphosis once the wasps emerge. Immunohistochemical staining with antiserum against FMRFamide revealed dramatic accumulation of FMRFamide-like peptide(s) in the gut nervous and endocrine systems of the developmentally arrested larvae when compared to that observed in unparasitized feeding or starved larvae. Specifically, the number of immunopositive cells and the intensity of staining was enhanced in the neurons of the frontal ganglion, the axons and axon terminals on the midgut surface, and in the gastric endocrine cells. These results were confirmed using ELISA to show that the relative amounts of FMRFamide-like peptides in midgut extracts were highly elevated in the parasitized larvae relative to the fed or starved unparasitized larvae. These data suggest that FMRFamide-like peptides in developmentally arrested larvae are produced in a significantly larger number of gastric endocrine cells, and that the rate of release of the peptides may be suppressed, or the rate of their synthesis may be elevated. Localization of FMRFamide-like peptides in the gastric endocrine cells of C. congregata is also described.
μ opioid receptor knockout in mice: Effects on ligand-induced analgesia and morphine lethality

The μ opioid receptor gene (MOR) was mutated in mice by a gene targeting procedure. In these MOR-knockout mice, the analgesic effects of morphine, its major metabolites, morphine-6-glucuronide (M-6-G) and morphine-6-ethereal sulfate (M-6-S), and endomorphin-2, as well as morphine-induced lethality, were drastically reduced, whereas the effects of DPDPE and U50488 remained unchanged. It is concluded that analgesic effects of μ-specific opioid ligands and acute morphine lethality are mediated by the μ receptor.
Vanadium Uptake by Plants: Absorption Kinetics and the Effects of pH, Metabolic Inhibitors, and Other Anions and Cations.

The kinetics of vanadium absorption by excised barley (Hordeum vulgare L., cv. Eire) roots were investigated with respect to ionic species of V in solution, time and concentration dependence, Ca sensitivity, and interaction with various anions, cations, and pH levels. The role of metabolism in V absorption was also studied using anaerobic treatment (N(2) gas) and chemical inhibitors (NaN(3), KCN, or 2,4-dinitrophenol). Approximately one-third of the labeled V initially taken up by excised roots was desorbed to a constant level after 45 min in unlabeled V solutions. The rate of absorption of labeled V from 5 mum NH(4)VO(3) solutions containing 0.5 mm CaSO(4) was constant for at least 3 hours. Omission of Ca resulted in a 72% reduction in V uptake when compared to controls with 0.5 mm CaSO(4). The rate of uptake of V was highest at pH 4 but dropped to a very low level at pH 10. It was relatively constant between the pH levels of 5 and 8 at which the VO(3) (-) ion is the predominant ionic species in solution. The rate of absorption of V was followed as a function of concentrations from 0.5 to 100 mum NH(4)VO(3). It was found to be a linear function of concentration and did not follow saturation kinetics. Absorption experiments carried out with labeled V from either N(a)VO(3) or NH(4)VO(3) sources gave similar results. No anion studied (i.e. HPO(4) (2-), HAsO(4) (2-), MoO(4) (2-), SeO(4) (2-), SeO(3) (2-), CrO(4) (2-), BO(3) (3-), No(3) (-), and Cl(-)) interfered appreciably (i.e. less than 30% inhibition) with the absorption of labeled V. Anaerobic treatment of absorption solution with N(2) gas did not inhibit V absorption by excised roots. The results obtained using chemical inhibitors were not consistent. It was concluded that V is not actively absorbed by excised barley roots.
Angiocentric T-cell lymphoma of the temporal bone.

Although there have been several reports of lymphoma with metastasis to the temporal bone,1–3 primary lymphoma of the temporal bone is extremely rare. There are only 2 cases reported,4 both present...
Using Policy to Drive Organizational Change.

This chapter addresses recent changes in public policy and organizational practices that affect LGBTQ individuals and the role that organizational policy can play in establishing and maintaining respectful and inclusive workplaces.
Distinguishing external from internal scale effects: The case of public infrastructure

The recent applied production theory literature focusing on the economic performance of firms has increasingly recognized the importance of scale effects on costs and therefore efficiency. These scale effects may include short run returns due to fixity of privately demanded inputs (i.e., capital, long run internal returns to scale, and external factors affecting costs. Since these different types of scale effects can be thought of as shifts in and movements along cost curves, the different cost effects of such factors can be identified in a framework which explicitly takes them into account in the definition ofscale.
Temperature and scattering contrast dependencies of thickness fluctuations in surfactant membranes

Temperature and scattering contrast dependencies of thickness fluctuations have been investigated using neutron spin echo spectroscopy in a swollen lamellar phase composed of nonionic surfactant, water, and oil. In the present study, two contrast conditions are examined; one is the bulk contrast, which probes two surfactant monolayers with an oil layer as a membrane, and the other is the film contrast, which emphasizes an individual surfactant monolayer. The thickness fluctuations enhance dynamics from the bending fluctuations, and are observed in a similar manner in both contrast conditions. Thickness fluctuations can be investigated regardless of the scattering contrast, though film contrasts are better to be employed in terms of the data quality. The thickness fluctuation amplitude is constant over the measured temperature range, including in the vicinity of the phase boundary between the lamellar and micellar phases at low temperature and the boundary between the lamellar and bicontinuous phases at high temperature. The damping frequency of the thickness fluctuations is well scaled using viscosity within the membranes at low temperature, which indicates the thickness fluctuations are predominantly controlled by the viscosity within the membrane. On the other hand, in the vicinity of the phase boundary at high temperature, thickness fluctuations become faster without changing the mode amplitude.
Acute alcohol intoxication increases atrogin-1 and MuRF1 mRNA without increasing proteolysis in skeletal muscle.

Acute alcohol intoxication decreases muscle protein synthesis, but there is a paucity of data on the ability of alcohol to regulate muscle protein degradation. Furthermore, various types of atrophic stimuli appear to regulate ubiquitin-proteasome-dependent proteolysis by increasing the muscle-specific E3 ligases atrogin-1 and MuRF1 (i.e., “atrogenes”). Therefore, the present study was designed to test the hypothesis that acute alcohol intoxication increases atrogene expression leading to an elevated rate of muscle protein breakdown. In male rats, the intraperitoneal injection of alcohol dose- and time-dependently increased atrogin-1 and MuRF1 mRNA in gastrocnemius, the latter of which was most pronounced. A comparable change was absent in the soleus and heart. The ability of in vivo-administered ethanol to increase atrogene expression was independent of the route of alcohol administration (intraperitoneal vs. oral), as well as of nutritional status (fed vs. fasted) and gender (male vs. female). The increase in atrogin-1 and MuRF1 was independent of alcohol metabolism, and the overproduction of endogenous glucocorticoids and could not be prevented by maintaining the circulating concentration of insulin-like growth factor-I. Despite marked changes in atrogene expression, acute alcohol in vivo did not alter the release of either 3-methylhistidine (MH) or tyrosine from the isolated perfused hindlimb, suggesting that the rate of muscle proteolysis remains unchanged. Moreover, alcohol did not increase the directly determined rate of protein degradation in isolated epitrochlearis muscles or cultured myocytes. Finally, no increase in atrogene expression or 3-MH release was detected in muscle from rats fed an alcohol-containing diet. Our results indicate that although acute alcohol intoxication increases atrogin-1 and MuRF1 mRNA preferentially in fast-twitch skeletal muscle, this change was not associated with increased rates of muscle proteolysis. Therefore, the loss of muscle mass/protein in response to chronic alcohol abuse appears to result primarily from a decrement in muscle protein synthesis, not an increase in degradation.
The effects of a fantasy context, an obligation schema, and a rationale on children's conditional reasoning

Recent studies have shown that under certain circumstances, pre-formal operational children can solve conditional reasoning problems that require looking for potentially falsifying cases. The present study teased apart the influences of fantasy context, an obligation rule, and a rationale, which typically were confounded in previous research. Subjects were 165 10- and 11-year-olds, who were asked to solve a modified version of Wason's selection task. Conditions differed with respect to the context supplied in the problem. Significantly more children in the fantasy than the non-fantasy conditions gave correct anticipatory responses, gave correct global solutions, and were able to solve the problem quickly. Neither an obligation rule nor a rationale had any significant effect, unless presented in conjunction with a fantasy context. Results are discussed in terms of the important role of fantasy in discouraging reliance on empirical knowledge in reasoning about conditionals.
The very luminous supernova remnant in NGC 6946

In this paper, I discuss an extremely luminous X-ray source found on the northern arm of the nearly face-on spiral galaxy NGC 6946. The source was originally discovered in an Einstein observation, but the poor spatial resolution prevented an accurate identification. Here, Roentgen Satellite (ROSAT) data provide a position to approximately 5 sec - 10 sec. The spectrum is rather soft, and moderately absorbed. The source appears to be local to NGC 6946 and a supernova remnant, based upon the positional coincidence with an optical counterpart. The luminosity, assuming a distance to NGC 6946 of 5.1 Mpc, is 2.8 x 10(exp 39) erg/s, among the highest known X-ray luminosities of a remnant. The optical counterpart is at least 100 years old.
Variability in recruitment of coral reef fishes

Abstract Many benthic marine organisms are characterized by a long-distance dispersal phase; it has been suggested that this factor may control the population dynamics of many species as well as promote variability in assemblage composition and coexistence between competing species. Various components of variability in recruitment of tropical marine fishes to experimental reefs were examined during 1978–1981 in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. The fishes studied include the beaugregory, Stegastes leucostictus (Muller & Troschel), bridled goby, Coryphopterus glaucofraenum Gill, goldspot goby, Gnatholepis thompsoni Jordan, French grunt, Haemulon flavolineatum (Desmarest), and ocean surgeonfish, Acanthurus bahianus Castelnau. Variability in settlement on replicate reefs was a species-specific phenomenon that appeared to be correlated with social behavior. Schooling species (French grunt, ocean surgeonfish) showed clumped, highly variable recruitment that presumably resulted from aggregative settlement. Non-schooling species showed random, less variable recruitment patterns. The temporal component of recruitment variability was very large; not only were there strong seasonal fluctuations in abundances of recruits, but abundances varied from year to year by factors of 2 to 10. The spatial component of variability, measured here on the scale of 1 km, appeared to be very low and was unlikely to contribute significantly to differences in fish assemblages.
Spotlight on a consultant pharmacist practice

Describe your geriatric clinic/long-term care setting and your day-to-day activities. What is your time commitment to the practice or clinic? I am an Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at North Dakota State University College of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Allied Sciences. My practice site is based out of Fergus Falls, MN. There, I am part of a team of consultant pharmacists that provide consultant services to over 60 facilities, including Long Term Care facilities, assisted livings, Community Behavioral Health Hospitals, hospice, and community hospitals. My day-to-day activities vary greatly due to the variety of facilities we provide services for. In a given week, I may have responsibilities to any or all of these different areas. My main activity at each setting usually revolves around identifying and resolving or preventing medication related problems. I probably average 25-30 hours of direct patient care activities, with the rest of my work time being spent on administrative items, university items, travel to facilities, etc.
Quantifying 20th century deposition in complex estuarine environment: An example from the Hudson River

Sediment processes in estuaries are controlled by the interaction of factors that include tides, fresh water inputs, bed morphology, sediment supply, and hydrodynamics. The interaction of these factors strongly influences the pattern of sediment deposition. The ability to quantify sediment deposition on a regional scale will improve the understanding of the underlying processes, and provide valuable information for managing estuarine systems. This paper describes our approach for obtaining the deposition pattern and quantifying the amount of 20th century impacted sediments in the Haverstraw Bay section of the Hudson River Estuary. Through the combination of high-resolution seismic data and rapidly acquired geochemical information from numerous sediment cores, we estimate that our study site experiences an average sediment accumulation rate of ∼3 mm/y and that ∼75,000 t/y or ∼10% of the annual total sediment input measured at the Poughkeepsie, NY gauging station (USGS) is stored in this reach of the Hudson River on ∼100 y timescales. A detailed analysis of the depositional pattern indicates that the accumulation rate varies considerably throughout the study area ranging from non-depositional to >8 mm/y. Our data also clearly indicate that the dredged channel in Haverstraw Bay is currently the main focus of deposition in this area.
Lubiprostone: A Chloride Channel Activator for Treatment of Chronic Constipation

OBJECTIVE:To review lubiprostone's pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and safety in the treatment of chronic constipation.DATA SOURCES:A literature search was conducted using PubMed/MEDLINE (1966–January 2007), IngentaConnect, and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1977–January 2007). Key words used included lubiprostone, Amitiza, and chronic constipation.STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION:All articles identified from the data sources that were published in English were evaluated.DATA SYNTHESIS:Lubiprostone is a chloride channel activator approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of chronic constipation. A randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled study evaluating the effect of lubiprostone on gastric function showed slowed gastric emptying and increased small bowel and colonic transit time. Peak plasma concentration was shown to be around 1.14 hours, with a majority of the drug excreted in the urine within 48 hours. Phase III trials have noted that mos...
Transient grating diffraction from an interface between two materials: theory and experimental application

A general theory for transient grating diffraction from both sides of a single interface is developed. The grating is assumed to have an arbitrary amplitude on both sides of a bound interface with the grating wave vector parallel to the interface. The specific spatial origin of the diffracted light is described for both the reflected and the transmitted geometries of diffraction. In the reflected geometry the signal is dominated by diffraction from a region near the interface that is a small fraction of an optical wavelength wide. The transmitted geometry signal measures primarily the mean bulk properties of the sample. An experimental example of thermal-transient grating diffraction from a YBa2Cu3O7−x/SrTiO3 interface is presented. Model calculations for the experimental data are performed to demonstrate that the approach can be used to monitor spatially nonuniform transient grating temporal relaxation.
On the concept of the polarimetric matched filter in high resolution radar imaging

Speckle reduction has long been recognized as the main problem of coherent imaging and many processing techniques have been advanced to overcome it. The vast majority of these techniques, however, are of scalar nature simply because vector/matrix imaging data are so sparse and have become available only very recently. The authors have such data, which were taken with the NASA JPL/CV-990 dual-polarization L-band (1.225 GHz) SAR (synthetic-aperture radar) system. They investigate the potential of an exclusively polarimetric image filtering approach, i.e., filtering which takes full advantage of the polarized SAR matrix data provided on a pixel-by-pixel basis and which complements the existing scalar speckle reduction techniques. >
Comparison of direct and indirect methods of carrier detection in an X-linked disease.

For a severe X-linked disease such as hemophilia B, unrelated patients generally will have different mutations. Restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) have been used to perform carrier testing in an indirect manner by following the segregation of the disease allele through the pedigree. However, this approach requires family participation and suffers from multiple levels of uncertainty. We have applied the direct sequencing technique of genomic amplification with transcript sequencing (GAWTS) to direct carrier testing. Here we compare direct and RFLP-based testing in two families with hemophilia B. A total of 22 at-risk females was diagnosed by direct testing, whereas only 11 females could be diagnosed by standard RFLP analysis. The superior accuracy and greater conceptual simplicity of direct testing is demonstrated and some commonly overlooked uncertaintics in RFLP analysis are highlighted.
Similarly strong purifying selection acts on human disease genes of all evolutionary ages

A number of studies have showed that recently created genes differ from the genes created in deep evolutionary past in many aspects. Here, we determined the age of emergence and propensity for gene loss (PGL) of all human protein-coding genes and compared disease genes with non-disease genes in terms of their evolutionary rate, strength of purifying selection, mRNA expression, and genetic redundancy. The older and the less prone to loss, non-disease genes have been evolving 1.5- to 3-fold slower between humans and chimps than young non-disease genes, whereas Mendelian disease genes have been evolving very slowly regardless of their ages and PGL. Complex disease genes showed an intermediate pattern. Disease genes also have higher mRNA expression heterogeneity across multiple tissues than non-disease genes regardless of age and PGL. Young and middle-aged disease genes have fewer similar paralogs as non-disease genes of the same age. We reasoned that genes were more likely to be involved in human disease if they were under a strong functional constraint, expressed heterogeneously across tissues, and lacked genetic redundancy. Young human genes that have been evolving under strong constraint between humans and chimps might also be enriched for genes that encode important primate or even human-specific functions.
Group Diversity on the Uplink of a Dense Coded-Cooperation Network

Multiuser diversity has been extensively studied to enhance wireless system capacity by always scheduling the strongest user for transmission. In this extended abstract, we propose an extension of this concept termed as 'group diversity', applied to a large coded cooperation network. Specifically, we examine the problem of partner selection, and which cooperative group to schedule for cooperation with a fixed common destination, when there are multiple groups competing for a cooperative time slot. A coalitional game theory approach is formulated to examine how cooperative groups can form in a distributed manner, as well as possible group scheduling methods. Simulation results are presented for the case of self-interested, rational users with an utility function based on the coded-cooperation capacity.
Spatiotemporal processing of gated cardiac SPECT images using deformable mesh modeling.

In this paper we present a spatiotemporal processing approach, based on deformable mesh modeling, for noise reduction in gated cardiac single-photon emission computed tomography images. Because of the partial volume effect (PVE), clinical cardiac-gated perfusion images exhibit a phenomenon known as brightening--the myocardium appears to become brighter as the heart wall thickens. Although brightening is an artifact, it serves as an important diagnostic feature for assessment of wall thickening in clinical practice. Our proposed processing algorithm aims to preserve this important diagnostic feature while reducing the noise level in the images. The proposed algorithm is based on the use of a deformable mesh for modeling the cardiac motion in a gated cardiac sequence, based on which the images are processed by smoothing along space-time trajectories of object points while taking into account the PVE. Our experiments demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can yield significantly more-accurate results than several existing methods.
Mitochondria in Control of Cell Fate

### The Permeability Transition Pore Controls Cardiac Mitochondrial Maturation and Myocyte Differentiation Hom et al Dev Cell. 2011;21:469–478. The behavior of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore has been linked to mitochondrial maturation underlying cardiomyocyte differentiation in the embryo. Mitochondrial signaling in heart development has direct implications for cardiogenesis and stem cell lineage specification. Heart formation requires maturation and integration of multiple systems to support development of the contractile apparatus in the nascent cardiomyocyte. Although a number of transcriptional networks that facilitate cardiogenesis have been mapped, master regulators of heart development remain elusive. A recent report highlights mitochondria, and more specifically the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP), as a gating mechanism underlying differentiation in the developing heart,1 implicating cross-talk between genetic and metabolic signaling. Immature mitochondria of early embryonic hearts must transition into more complex structures to ensure proficient and energetically competent cardiac development.2–4 Developmental restructuring is recapitulated during spontaneous differentiation of stem cells, where pluripotent gene downregulation accelerates mitochondria DNA replication to promote mitochondrial biogenesis associated with lineage specification.2–6 Cardiomyocytes isolated from day 9.5 embryos (e9.5) harbor few fragmented mitochondria, with poorly defined and unorganized cristae, which undergo elaborate maturation and by day e13.5 evolve into filamentous networks of elongated and branched mitochondria with abundant and organized cristae.1 Moreover, mitochondria expansion from a predominately perinuclear localization to an extensive configuration across the cell facilitates energy supply and transfer between cellular compartments.1,2,4,7–9 Mitochondrial structure and function are markers of differentiation capacity. Cells with less perinuclear mitochondria have greater spontaneous differentiation,10 and those with low mitochondrial membrane potential show greater propensity for mesodermal differentiation.11 Remodeling of the mitochondrial infrastructure matches the evolving bioenergetic demands, with contractile function driving the requirement for efficient oxidative ATP generation in the developing heart.2,7,12 Hom et al now demonstrate that modulators …
The Effect of Argon Laser Trabeculoplasty on the Medical Control of Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma

Abstract Argon laser trabeculoplasty was performed in 33 eyes with primary open-angle glaucoma whose intraocular pressures were poorly controlled on medical therapy. Five eyes (three patients) were failures and underwent trabeculectomy within three months. The remaining 28 eyes were followed up for 18 months and received a complete examination at periodic intervals. Beginning three months after trabeculoplasty, an attempt was made to decrease medications in a prospective manner in order to determine the least treatment required to maintain a pressure of less than 22 mmHg. No medication could be discontinued in 39% of eyes, whereas 18% were "cured" by trabeculoplasty and required no further medical therapy for control. Nine of 14 eyes that had been treated with carbonic anhydrase inhibitors were controlled without these drugs after trabeculoplasty. In 57% of eyes, the miotic could be discontinued. A total of 82% of cases still required some medication for pressure control after laser trabeculoplasty.
The Wind Driven Optimization Technique and its Application in Electromagnetics

A new type of nature-inspired global optimization methodology based on atmospheric motion is introduced. The proposed Wind Driven Optimization (WDO) technique is a population based iterative heuristic global optimization algorithm for multi-dimensional and multi-modal problems with the potential to implement constraints on the search domain. At its core, a population of infinitesimally small air parcels navigates over an $N$ -dimensional search space following Newton's second law of motion, which is also used to describe the motion of air parcels within the earth's atmosphere. Compared to similar particle based algorithms, WDO employs additional terms in the velocity update equation (e.g., gravitation and Coriolis forces), providing robustness and extra degrees of freedom to fine tune. Along with the theory and terminology of WDO, a numerical study for tuning the WDO parameters is presented. WDO is further applied to three electromagnetics optimization problems, including the synthesis of a linear antenna array, a double-sided artificial magnetic conductor for WiFi applications, and an E-shaped microstrip patch antenna. These examples suggest that WDO can, in some cases, out-perform other well-known techniques such as Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Genetic Algorithm (GA) or Differential Evolution (DE) and that WDO is well-suited for problems with both discrete and continuous-valued parameters.
Rhodotorula, Saccharomyces, Malassezia, Trichosporon, Blastoschizomyces, and Sporobolomyces

Yeasts are found ubiquitously in nature in association with plants, mammals, and insects. Humans are continually exposed to multiple genera of yeasts via various routes. Depending on the interaction between host mucosal defense mechanisms and fungal virulence factors, yeast colonization may be transient or persistent and either systemic or local disease can ensue.
Attenuation of blast waves when detonating explosives inside barriers

Abstract Noise produced by blast waves can be a problem, especially when an explosion occurs near populated areas. As one means of reducing the blast noise, the explosive is detonated in a pit, a space closed at the bottom and sides, open at the top. A two-dimentional finite difference model was used to simulate such an explosion in a pit and to determine to what extent the blast wave was attenuated. The code used, CSQ, developed by scientists at Sandia National Laboratories, was tailored for our studies. The key results were: (a) the presence of a pit in all cases caused the blast wave to be attenuated; (b) for a cylindrical pit, a pit of a radius which effected maximum blast wave attenuation was found; (c) a useful parameter, dEout/dt, the energy loss rate from the pit, was shown to be a good indicator of relative pit effectiveness.
An effective coarse-grained model for biological simulations: recent refinements and validations.

Exploring the free energy landscape of proteins and modeling the corresponding functional aspects presents a major challenge for computer simulation approaches. This challenge is due to the complexity of the landscape and the enormous computer time needed for converging simulations. The use of various simplified coarse grained (CG) models offers an effective way of sampling the landscape, but most current models are not expected to give a reliable description of protein stability and functional aspects. The main problem is associated with insufficient focus on the electrostatic features of the model. In this respect, our recent CG model offers significant advantage as it has been refined while focusing on its electrostatic free energy. Here we review the current state of our model, describing recent refinements, extensions, and validation studies while focusing on demonstrating key applications. These include studies of protein stability, extending the model to include membranes, electrolytes and electrodes, as well as studies of voltage-activated proteins, protein insertion through the translocon, the action of molecular motors, and even the coupling of the stalled ribosome and the translocon. The examples discussed here illustrate the general potential of our approach in overcoming major challenges in studies of structure function correlation in proteins and large macromolecular complexes. Proteins 2014; 82:1168–1185. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A patent analysis of cluster analysis

The application of cluster analysis (CA) to analyze scientific research data has been growing rapidly, especially in the life sciences. Its use for commercial purposes is much more difficult to characterize. A detailed analysis of recent patents provides some revealing insights, however. It points to several areas of patent activity for which CA is widely used. These are discussed in the paper and a number of patents are highlighted to illustrate the diversity of applications. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Image speckle patterns of weak diffusers

The use of weak phase-retarding diffusers in coherent imaging systems is analyzed. It is shown that ringing caused by diffraction from dust or blemishes can be significantly reduced by a diffuser that scatters light slightly beyond the first interference minimum of the diffraction pattern, provided that the specular transmission of the diffuser is small. Weak phase diffusers, whose phase standard deviations are a small part of a wavelength, accomplish this is an optimal manner. The characteristics of the speckle patterns that consititute their spatially filtered images are found to depend not only on the size of the aperture of the imaging system, but on the Wiener spectrum of the phase and the statistical law that the phase obeys. It is shown that random diffusers with normally distributed phase can easily be constructed that produce image speckle patterns whose Wiener spectra consist primarily of high spatial frequencies, if the size of the aperture of the imaging system is greater than a specified minimum. Speckle patterns are also found to exist near the image of a phase diffuser even when the aperture of the imaging system is large, and their Wiener spectra are functions of their distances from the image of the diffuser.
Design and Optimization of a Low-Impedance Pulsed-Power Marx Generator to Drive High-Power Relativistic X-Band Magnetron

One class of high-current relativistic HPM devices, the relativistic magnetron [1], provides a low-impedance (10-50 Omega) load that inherently needs matching to a low-impedance pulsed-power (Gigawatt or greater) supply to operate with maximum efficiency. One of the most common and reliable pulsed-power drivers used to accomplish this is a Marx generator. The University of New Mexico previously used a modified Pulseradreg 110A electron beam accelerator [2] to produce high-power microwaves [3] from a backward wave oscillator (BWO), which was a high-impedance load (130 Omega). This driver will be used for planned experiments with an X-band relativistic magnetron. The main part of the Pulserad's assembly is a Marx generator composed of capacitors, spark gaps and resistors electrically arranged in an 11-stage Marx circuit. The output impedance of the Marx generator is about ~35 Omega (which is why a shunt resistor was required to facilitate operation with the BWO), maximum charging voltage of each single stage is <100 kV, and total stored energy is about 600 Joules. In the present paper some results of the design and optimization efforts aimed at reducing the intrinsic impedance of the Marx generator are discussed. It turns out, for example, that by re-arranging the Marx's electrical circuit from the presently configured 11-stage Marx into a series-parallel connection of 12 capacitors, it is possible to decrease the impedance of the Marx generator down to ~15 Omega (implementing series-parallel connection of 2 parallel lines with 6 series capacitors in each line - 2times6 circuit), or even down to ~10 Omega (implementing series-parallel connection of 3 parallel lines of 4 series capacitors -3times4 circuit). Another feature that will be integrated in the redesign of the Pulseradreg 110 A electron beam accelerator is the use of a brazed ceramic insulator stack to facilitate high-vacuum operation. Successful completion of this upgrade will allow for experimental studies of a low-impedance relativistic X-band magnetron to begin to operate au naturel.
Linear codes for masking memory defects (Corresp.)

The construction of a class of binary linear codes for masking computer memory defects is presented. These codes are capable of masking three or fewer defects and correcting multiple random errors.
Differentiation of Salmonella enteritidis phage type 8 strains: Evaluation of three additional phage typing systems, plasmid profiles, antibiotic susceptibility patterns, and biotyping

Three additional phage typing systems for Salmonella enteritidis, plasmid analysis, biochemical tests, and antimicrobial susceptibility tests, were used in an attempt to subdivide 30 phage type 8 (phage typing system used by the WHO International Center for Enteric Phage Typing, London, England) isolates. These isolates represented 18 different egg-related outbreaks (21 strains) and 9 reference strains or strains that were not egg-associated. Only 7 of the 30 strains (28%) were subdivided by one or more of the methods used; this included 3 of the 21 strains from egg-related outbreaks. Twenty-seven strains contained a 55-kb plasmid that is associated with S. enteritidis. Of 65 additional phages tested, 2 from the phage typing system obtained from the Pasteur Institute, Paris, France, were useful in differentiating the three strains that lacked the 55-kb plasmid. Although the results obtained for the 21 strains from egg-related outbreaks showed that the strains had minor phenotypic differences, the overall results suggested that the strains may represent a single clone. Studies are planned to test additional phages and other typing methods to see whether strains of phage type 8 can be further differentiated.
Prevalence of overweight and weight gain in the United States

Data from the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES II) indicated that in the period 1976-1980 approximately 34 million US adults (25.7%) were overweight, with more women (19 million) than men (15 million) affected. Selected demographic factors, eg, low educational attainment and low family income were associated with the prevalence of overweight and with the incidence of weight gain. Analyses of the NHANES I Epidemiologic Follow-up Survey indicated that in a 10-y period, women had a greater mean weight gain. The overall incidence of a major weight gain (ie, an increase of five or more body mass index units) was twice as great among females (5.3%) than males (2.3%). Data on overweight and weight gain in the United States by selected demographic characteristics are summarized.
Cultural Intelligence in Organizations

Successful interaction across cultures requires cultural intelligence. Several aspects of cultural intelligence in organizations are described: suspending judgment until enough information about the other person becomes available; paying attention to the situation; cross-cultural training that increases isomorphic attributions, appropriate affect, and appropriate behaviors; matching personal and organizationally attributes; increasing the probability of appropriate organizational practices.
NashWifi: Coordinated management of heterogenous home 802.11 networks using bargaining

In this paper, we present an economically principled framework for coordinated configurations of heterogeneous wireless networks. Our approach, called NashWiFi, is based on the concept of Nash bargaining. We argue that NashWiFi can improve both the global performance of a large diverse 802.11 deployment, while also improving the local performance of individual applications in an equitable fashion. NashWiFi can accommodate applications with diverse needs ranging from file transfer to HD streaming. Extensive experiments using an implementation of NashWiFi support in the MadWifi driver and large scale simulations using Qualnet establish the salient features of our approach.
SPECT/CT Characterization of Oral Activity on Radioiodine Scintigraphy

Context: Oral activity on radioiodine scintigraphy is commonly seen and may cause diagnostic dilemma. Determining the precise mechanism of oral uptake on radioiodine scintigraphy will increase the accuracy and confidence of interpretation and avoid possible misinterpretation. Objective: To determine the etiology of focal persistent radioiodine oral uptake seen on radioiodine scans. Design: Retrospective sequential series at a university clinic and a phantom study experiment. Methods: Preablation iodine-131 planar and single photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) scans of 216 patients after total thyroidectomy were reviewed. Planar images were inspected for the presence of oral activity above the salivary gland background and SPECT/CT was reviewed to determine the location and nature of oral activity. A post-hoc phantom study was designed using typodont stone models fitted with various dental materials, immersed in a diluted iodine-131 solution, and imaged with SPECT/CT to chara...
A Comparison of Satellite and In Situ–Based Sea Surface Temperature Climatologies

The purpose of this study is to present a satellite-derived sea surface temperature (SST) climatology based on Pathfinder Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) data and to evaluate it and several other climatologies for their usefulness in the determination of SST trends. The method of evaluation uses two longterm observational collections of in situ SST measurements: the 1994 World Ocean Atlas (WOA94) and the Comprehensive Ocean‐Atmosphere Data Set (COADS). Each of the SST climatologies being evaluated is subtracted from each raw SST observation in WOA94and COADS to produce several separate long-term anomaly datasets. The anomaly dataset with the smallest standard deviation is assumed to identify the climatology best able to represent the spatial and seasonal SST variability and therefore be most capable of reducing the uncertainty in SST trend determinations. The satellite SST climatology was created at a resolution of 9.28 km using both day and night satellite fields generated with the version 4 AVHRR Pathfinder algorithm and cloud-masking procedures, plus an erosion filter that provides additional cloud masking in the vicinity of cloud edges. Using the statistical comparison method, the performance of this ‘‘Pathfinder 1 erosion’’ climatology is compared with the performances of the WOA94 18 in situ climatology, the Reynolds satellite and in situ blended 1 8 analysis, version 2.2 of the blended 18 Global Sea-Ice and Sea Surface Temperature (GISST) climatology, and the in situ 58 Global Ocean Surface Temperature Atlas (GOSTA). The standard deviation of the anomalies produced using the raw WOA94 in situ observations and the reference SST climatologies indicate that the 9.28-km Pathfinder 1 erosion climatology is more representative of spatial and seasonal SST variability than the traditional in situ and blended SST climatologies. For the anomalies created from the raw COADS observations, the Pathfinder1 erosion climatology is also found to minimize variance more than the other climatologies. In both cases, the 58 GOSTAclimatology exhibits the largest anomaly standard deviations. Regional characteristics of the climatologies are also examined by binning the anomalies by climatological temperature classes and latitudinal bands. Generally, the Pathfinder 1 erosion climatology yields lower anomaly variances in the mid- and high latitudes and the Southern Hemisphere, but larger variances than the 18 climatologies in the warm, Northern Hemisphere low-latitude regions.
The effect of genetic variation in PCSK9 on the LDL-cholesterol response to statin therapy

Statins (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors) lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and prevent cardiovascular disease. However, there is wide individual variation in LDL-C response. Drugs targeting proprotein convertase subtilin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) lower LDL-C and will be used with statins. PCSK9 mediates the degradation of LDL receptors (LDLRs). Therefore, a greater LDL-C response to statins would be expected in individuals with PCSK9 loss-of-function (LOF) variants because LDLR degradation is reduced. To examine this hypothesis, the effect of 11 PCSK9 functional variants on statin response was determined in 669 African Americans. One LOF variant, rs11591147 (p.R46L) was significantly associated with LDL-C response to statin (P=0.002). In the three carriers, there was a 55.6% greater LDL-C reduction compared with non-carriers. Another functional variant, rs28362261 (p.N425S), was marginally associated with statin response (P=0.0064).The effect of rs11591147 was present in individuals of European ancestry (N=2388, P=0.054). The therapeutic effect of statins may be modified by genetic variation in PCSK9.
A model of the action potential and underlying membrane currents in a rabbit atrial cell.

We have developed a mathematical model of the rabbit atrial myocyte and have used it in an examination of the ionic basis of the atrial action potential. Available biophysical data have been incorp...
Cholinergic Neurons in the Basal Forebrain Promote Wakefulness by Actions on Neighboring Non-Cholinergic Neurons: An Opto-Dialysis Study.

Understanding the control of sleep–wake states by the basal forebrain (BF) poses a challenge due to the intermingled presence of cholinergic, GABAergic, and glutamatergic neurons. All three BF neuronal subtypes project to the cortex and are implicated in cortical arousal and sleep–wake control. Thus, nonspecific stimulation or inhibition studies do not reveal the roles of these different neuronal types. Recent studies using optogenetics have shown that “selective” stimulation of BF cholinergic neurons increases transitions between NREM sleep and wakefulness, implicating cholinergic projections to cortex in wake promotion. However, the interpretation of these optogenetic experiments is complicated by interactions that may occur within the BF. For instance, a recent in vitro study from our group found that cholinergic neurons strongly excite neighboring GABAergic neurons, including the subset of cortically projecting neurons, which contain the calcium-binding protein, parvalbumin (PV) ([Yang et al., 2014][1]). Thus, the wake-promoting effect of “selective” optogenetic stimulation of BF cholinergic neurons could be mediated by local excitation of GABA/PV or other non-cholinergic BF neurons. In this study, using a newly designed opto-dialysis probe to couple selective optical stimulation with simultaneous in vivo microdialysis, we demonstrated that optical stimulation of cholinergic neurons locally increased acetylcholine levels and increased wakefulness in mice. Surprisingly, the enhanced wakefulness caused by cholinergic stimulation was abolished by simultaneous reverse microdialysis of cholinergic receptor antagonists into BF. Thus, our data suggest that the wake-promoting effect of cholinergic stimulation requires local release of acetylcholine in the basal forebrain and activation of cortically projecting, non-cholinergic neurons, including the GABAergic/PV neurons. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Optogenetics is a revolutionary tool to assess the roles of particular groups of neurons in behavioral functions, such as control of sleep and wakefulness. However, the interpretation of optogenetic experiments requires knowledge of the effects of stimulation on local neurotransmitter levels and effects on neighboring neurons. Here, using a novel “opto-dialysis” probe to couple optogenetics and in vivo microdialysis, we report that optical stimulation of basal forebrain (BF) cholinergic neurons in mice increases local acetylcholine levels and wakefulness. Reverse microdialysis of cholinergic antagonists within BF prevents the wake-promoting effect. This important result challenges the prevailing dictum that BF cholinergic projections to cortex directly control wakefulness and illustrates the utility of “opto-dialysis” for dissecting the complex brain circuitry underlying behavior. [1]: #ref-39