cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
κ-Opioid receptors are differentially labeled by arylacetamides and benzomorphans

Abstract Using Chinese Hamster Ovary cell membranes that stably expressed the human κ-opioid receptor, we investigated the hypothesis that κ1- and κ2-opioid receptors, historically defined by their phrmacological selectivity for either arylacetamides or benzomorphans are, in fact, different affinity states or binding sites on the same κ-opioid receptors. Receptor binding studies showed that GTPγS potently inhibited [3H](5α,7α,8β)-(+)-N-methyl-N-(7-[1-pyrrolidinyl]-1-oxaspiro [4.5]dec-8-yl)-benzeneacetamide (U69,593) binding, compared to virtually no inhibition of [3H]bremazocine binding. Saturation binding experiments showed a three-fold decrease in [3H]U69,593 affinity in the presence of GTPγS, but GTPγS had no effect on [3H]bremazocine affinity. The κ-opioid receptor antagonist nor-binaltorphimine had a four-fold higher affinity for [3H]U69,593-labeled receptors than for [3H]bremazocine-labeled receptors. Functional selectivity studies, measuring the stimulation of [35S]GTPγS agonist-induced binding, showed a significantly higher U69,593-induced G protein-receptor activation in comparison to the stimulation observed with bremazocine. These results suggest that pharmacologically defined 1κ-opioid receptor subtypes may be different affinity states of the same receptor.
Steric and electronic properties of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHC) : A detailed study on their interaction with Ni(CO)4

N-heterocyclic carbene ligands IMes (1), SIMes (2), IPr (3), SIPr (4), and ICy (5) react with Ni(CO)4 to give the saturated tricarbonyl complexes Ni(CO)3(IMes) (8), Ni(CO)3(SIMes) (9), Ni(CO)3(IPr) (10), Ni(CO)3(SIPr) (11), and Ni(CO)3(ICy) (12), respectively. The electronic properties of these complexes have been compared to their phosphine analogues of general formula Ni(CO)3(PR3) by recording their νCO stretching frequencies. While all of these NHCs are better donors than tertiary phosphines, the differences in donor properties between ligands 1−5 are surprisingly small. Novel, unsaturated Ni(CO)2(IAd) (13) and Ni(CO)2(ItBu) (14) compounds are obtained from the reaction of Ni(CO)4 with IAd (6) and ItBu (7). Complexes 13 and 14 are highly active toward substitution of the NHC as well as the carbonyl ligands. This has allowed the determination of Ni−C(NHC) bond dissociation energies and the synthesis of various unsaturated Ni(0) and Ni(II) complexes. Computational studies on compounds 8−14 are in line wi...
U.S. Child Health: What’s Amiss, And What Should Be Done About It?

This paper addresses the state of health of U.S. children and finds it to be poorer in virtually every way than that of children in other countries. It explores several possible explanations, including population heterogeneity, social (including income) inequality, and inadequacy of the health services system. The latter explanation is found to relate to the underdevelopment of U.S. primary care. In light of the position taken by the World Health Organization regarding the importance of primary care, adopting the recommendations of a new National Research Council/Institute of Medicine report and some changes in health policy could help improve the health of American children.
Enhancement of NOx adsorption capacity and rate of char by microwaves

Abstract The NOx were adsorbed into a char bed and then reduced by the microwaves to nitrogen and carbon oxides. High removal rates of NOX-near 98% were observed in laboratory tests. A series of experiments were conducted to find the effect that microwave-induced regeneration of NOX saturated char had on the NOX adsorption capacity of char and the resulting adsorption rate. During the 9-cycle adsorption and reduction experiments, the adsorption capacity of char increased from 10 to 30 g NOX per 100 g char. The microwave-induced regeneration also significantly increased the rate of NOX adsorption on char. As a result, the initial breakthrough time of NOX increased from 0.01 hour for the fresh char bed to 14 hours for the char bed from the fourth microwave-induced regeneration cycle when the average residence time of gas was 2.2 seconds. The surface area of the char was increased from 82 m2/g to 800 m2 g after 9 cycles of adsorption and regeneration.
Detect and classify faults using neural nets

The analysis of transmission line faults is essential to the proper performance of a power system. It is required if protective relays are to take appropriate action and in monitoring the performance of relays, circuit breakers and other protective and control elements. The detection and classification of transmission line faults is a fundamental component of such fault analysis. Here, the authors describe how a neural network, trained to recognize patterns of transmission line faults, has been incorporated in a PC-based system that analyzes data files from substation digital fault recorders.
Fast evaluation of Helmholtz potential on graphics processing units (GPUs)

This paper presents a parallel algorithm implemented on graphics processing units (GPUs) for rapidly evaluating spatial convolutions between the Helmholtz potential and a large-scale source distribution. The algorithm implements a non-uniform grid interpolation method (NGIM), which uses amplitude and phase compensation and spatial interpolation from a sparse grid to compute the field outside a source domain. NGIM reduces the computational time cost of the direct field evaluation at N observers due to N co-located sources from O(N^2) to O(N) in the static and low-frequency regimes, to O(NlogN) in the high-frequency regime, and between these costs in the mixed-frequency regime. Memory requirements scale as O(N) in all frequency regimes. Several important differences between CPU and GPU implementations of the NGIM are required to result in optimal performance on respective platforms. In particular, in the CPU implementations all operations, where possible, are pre-computed and stored in memory in a preprocessing stage. This reduces the computational time but significantly increases the memory consumption. In the GPU implementations, where handling memory often is a critical bottle neck, several special memory handling techniques are used to accelerate the computations. A significant latency of the GPU global memory access is hidden by implementing coalesced reading, which requires arranging many array elements in contiguous parts of memory. Contrary to the CPU version, most of the steps in the GPU implementations are executed on-fly and only necessary arrays are kept in memory. This results in significantly reduced memory consumption, increased problem size N that can be handled, and reduced computational time on GPUs. The obtained GPU-CPU speed-up ratios are from 150 to 400 depending on the required accuracy and problem size. The presented method and its CPU and GPU implementations can find important applications in various fields of physics and engineering.
Differential cold sensitivity of pollen grain germination in two Prunus species

Pollen grains from selected cutivars of almond [Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D. A. Webb] and peach (Prunus persica Batsch L.) were exposed to a range of temperatures between 1°C and 34°C on a thermogradient plate. Pollen germination at temperatures below 9°C was conspicuously greater in almond than peach. Miximal germination percentages were attained at about 16°C (almond) and 23°C (peach). The two species did not differ in their capacity for pollen tube elongation over a broad range of temperatures. Maximal pollen tube elongation occurred at temperatures 5°C to 8°C higher than maximal pollen germination. Species affiliation appeared to be of much greater consequence than chilling requirement or bloom date of the sporophyte in predicting gametophytic response to temperature.
OAM: an office analysis methodology

Abstract OAM is a functionally oriented office analysis methodology which provides guidance in preparing an office study, collecting information from office staff, and organizing and presenting the results. It is well suited to semi-structured offices and provides the appropriate level of detail for making decisions regarding the design and justification of a computerized office information system. An evaluation of OAM by several using organizations shows it to be an efficient, effective, teachable methodology. OAM was perceived by users to improve significantly the functionality of office information systems implemented after an OAM study by comparison with task oriented study methodologies.
Wormholes, sensory nets and hypertrophied tactile setae: the extraordinary defence strategies of Brenthia caterpillars

Metalmark moth larvae in the genus Brenthia (Lepidoptera: Choreutidae) live beneath gauzy web shelters spun over a leaf surface and chew an escape hole into the floor of their nests through which they dart when alarmed. We provide a video and data showing that these larvae, when their webs are disturbed, shoot through their wormhole to the opposite side of the leaf at extremely high speeds: the fastest caterpillar passed through to the opposite leaf surface in only 100 ms. Experimental data show that Brenthia larvae use their silken web shelters as an extension of their sensory system. Although such usage of webbing is not surprising given what is known about spider webs, this is the first time such a behaviour has been shown to occur in Lepidoptera. Two grossly hypertrophied abdominal setae, directed behind the body, are not pulled through the wormhole, but instead remain intercalated into the silken lattice of the web shelter. By leaving the two setae engaged, the caterpillar is able to monitor both sides of its host leaf simultaneously. We report analogous escape hole behaviours in four other microlepidopteran families: Elachistidae, Gelechiidae, Oecophoridae and Pyralidae. In at least one genus of the latter family (Monoloxis), two caudally directed abdominal setae are hypertrophied in the same fashion as in Brenthia. We suspect that both escape holes and hypertrophied abdominal setae are more common and taxonomically widespread than presently recognized and that both 'strategies' will be shown to occur among other microlepidopterans. © 2008 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. (Less)
An editor's perspective of the future for peer-reviewed traditional surgical journals

In the opinion of the Journal's Editor, the future of peer-reviewed surgical journals is promising. Although problems remain to be solved, including the loss of advertising revenues, the reduction of available research funds, and the potential for duplication of information, the energy and commitment of editorial board members, reviewers, surgical practitioners, and readers will continue to have a positive impact and will ensure the survival of the traditional surgical journal into the next century.
Racial Differences in the Pathogenesis of Hypertension

Hypertension occurs at an earlier age, is more prevalent, and is more often complicated by target organ damage in African-Americans than whites. Reasons for this increased severity of hypertension in African-Americans remain obscure. Based on studies recently completed in their laboratory, the authors propose that greater sympathetic reactivity to stress and a greater prevalence of NaCl sensitivity contribute to the earlier development of hypertension in African-Americans. Using microneurography to record muscle sympathetic nervous system activity, it was found that normotensive blacks manifest greater increases in sympathetic activity to cold stress than normotensive whites. If true of other types of stressors, greater sympathetic reactivity would predispose blacks to the development of hypertension. Using a telemetry-based monitoring system, the authors recently reported that both spontaneously hypertensive rats and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats manifest acute sensitivity to high dietary NaCl ingestion, but that the Wistar-Kyoto rats are able to compensate, thereby avoiding sustained increases in blood pressure. Based on these animal studies, it is proposed that elevated nocturnal pressures observed in blacks by other investigators may reflect the greater prevalence of NaCl sensitivity in the black population. As in animal models of NaCl-sensitive hypertension, blacks may retain ingested NaCl, resulting in sustained increases in blood pressure.
Value analysis of disposal strategies for automobiles

Alternative disposal strategies for vehicle design with varying relative proportions of materials, are explored using goal programming to analyze the tradeoffs between technological, economic, and environment factors. Two vehicle designs - one based on a steel unibody and the other more intensively designed with polymer materials - were selected for investigation. The preliminary results indicate that if properly controlled, the current automobile recycling infrastructure in the U.S. can remain economically viable while improving with respect to environmental considerations.
DISTORTIONS IN DEVELOPMENTAL REPORTING MADE BY PARENTS OF BEHAVIORALLY DISTURBED CHILDREN

In a previous report we have presented data on the accuracy with which parents can report significant aspects of their child's development after a lapse of time (Robbins, 1963). The same question has also been studied by a number of other investigators (Goddard, Broder, and Wenar, 1961; Haggard, Brekstad, and Skard, 1960; MacFarlane, 1938; Wenar and Coulter, 19(2). The consistent finding in these reports of significant degrees of distortion uf memory as characteristic of the parental recall of developmental facts in normal children led us to wonder whether equally great or greater distortions of memory exist in the parental reports of development of behaviorally disturbed children. The present paper reports our findings on the types of distortion in recall made by parents of children referred for psychiatric evaluation because of parental concern that significant degrees of behavioral abnormality existed in their children. This study takes place against a background of work in developmental psychology and child psychiatry that indicates an increasing recognition that the fuller understanding of the origins, development, and course of behavioral disturbances in children requires
MOS tunable transconductor

MOS transconductors with MOSFET source degeneration are presented. A crosscoupled transconductor implementation is discussed in which both even and odd nonlinearities are largely eliminated, while allowing large-signal operation.
A novel approach for code match in iris recognition

Although there have been significant advancements in developing iris-based identification processes during recent years, there remains significant room for improvement. This paper presents an automatic iris recognition system including a novel approach to the iris localization and k-d tree code matching. In order to compare the k-d tree code-matching method proposed in this research, we have implement some of algorithms used in Iris recognition for the purposes of experiments and comparisons and achieved satisfactory results.
India's convergence policy within its communication sector: A long road ahead

Abstract The Indian government recently reformed its communications sector through legislation that addresses converged multimedia technologies. In theory, the policy approach seems to reflect genuine interest a seamless multimedia networked sector. In practice, the legislation falls short of achieving its stated goals. The central limitation is the government's inability to reconcile the divergent policies between its broadcasting and telecommunications sectors. Thus, while the legislation is moving in the right direction, a more systematic approach is necessary.
Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle-Dependent Synthesis of Staphylococcus aureus Type 5 and 8 Capsular Polysaccharides

Staphylococcus aureus capsule synthesis requires the precursor N-acetyl-glucosamine; however, capsule is synthesized during post-exponential growth when the availability of N-acetyl-glucosamine is limited. Capsule biosynthesis also requires aerobic respiration, leading us to hypothesize that capsule synthesis requires tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates. Consistent with this hypothesis, S. aureus tricarboxylic acid cycle mutants fail to make capsule.
Stabilization of high-energy femtosecond ytterbium fiber lasers by use of a frequency filter

The performance of a femtosecond Yb fiber laser is investigated in the limit of high pulse energy (>10 nJ) and short pulse duration (<100 fs). By reducing the strength of nonlinear polarization rotation and introducing amplitude modulation through an intracavity frequency filter, pulses with unprecedented peak powers can be generated. The laser emits stable 13 nJ pulses that are dechirped to 55 fs duration and are capable of providing 130 kW peak power.
Volumetric Intravascular Ultrasound Assessment of Neointimal Hyperplasia and Nonuniform Stent Strut Distribution in Sirolimus-Eluting Stent Restenosis

The neointimal hyperplasia (IH) distribution pattern of in-stent restenotic lesions after sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) implantation has not been well described. We identified 48 in-stent restenotic lesions (41 patients) after SES implantation and performed volumetric intravascular ultrasound analyses. Lumen area, stent area, and IH area at the minimal lumen area site were 2.7 ± 1.0, 5.4 ± 1.9, and 2.7 ± 1.4 mm 2 , respectively. IH area at the minimal lumen site was larger in the group with a stent area ≥5.0 mm 2 than the group with a stent area 2 (3.7 ± 1.3 vs 1.9 ± 0.8 mm 2 , p 2 at the minimum lumen site compared with those with a stent area 2 (0.69 ± 0.25 vs 0.83 ± 0.16, p = 0.04). When we compared lesions in patients with diabetes mellitus with patients without diabetes, minimum lumen areas, percent IH at minimal lumen area, percent IH, and neointima-free stent length were identical. In conclusion, (1) lesions without SES underexpansion at the minimum lumen site had more IH and greater nonuniform stent strut distribution compared with restenotic SESs that were underexpanded, and (2) the IH response did not appear to be more aggressive in patients with diabetes mellitus than in those without diabetes mellitus.
PPT Thrust Stand

A torsional-type thrust stand has been designed and built to test Pulsed Plasma Thrusters (PPT's) in both single shot and repetitive operating modes. Using this stand, momentum per pulse was determined strictly as a function of thrust stand deflection, spring constant, and natural frequency. No empirical corrections were required. The accuracy of the method was verified using a swinging impact pendulum. Momentum transfer data between the thrust stand and the pendulum were consistent to within 1%. Following initial calibrations, the stand was used to test a Lincoln Experimental Satellite (LES-8/9) thruster. The LES-8/9 system had a mass of approximately 7.5 kg, with a nominal thrust to weight ratio of 1.3 x 10(exp -5). A total of 34 single shot thruster pulses were individually measured. The average impulse bit per pulse was 266 microN-s, which was slightly less than the value of 300 microN-s published in previous reports on this device. Repetitive pulse measurements were performed similar to ordinary steady-state thrust measurements. The thruster was operated for 30 minutes at a repetition rate of 132 pulses per minute and yielded an average thrust of 573 microN. Using average thrust, the average impulse bit per pulse was estimated to be 260 microN-s, which was in agreement with the single shot data. Zero drift during the repetitive pulse test was found to be approximately 1% of the measured thrust.
Determination of post-culture processing with carbohydrates by MALDI-MS and TMS derivatization GC-MS.

Biological materials generally require stabilization to retain activity or viability in a dry form. A number of industrial products, such as vaccines, probiotics and biopesticides have been produced as dry preparations. The same methods and materials used for stabilizing commercial microbial products may be applicable to preserving biothreat pathogens in a dry form. This is a likely step that may be encountered when looking at samples from terrorism attempts since only spores, such as those from Bacillus anthracis, are inherently stable when dried. The stabilizers for microbial preparations generally include one or more small carbohydrates. Different formulations have been reported for different industrial products and are often determined empirically. However sugar alcohols (mannitol and sorbitol) and disaccharides (lactose, sucrose and trehalose) are the common constituents of these formulations. We have developed an analytical method for sample preparation and detection of these simple carbohydrates using two complementary analytical tools, MALDI-MS and GC–MS. The native carbohydrates and other constituents of the formulation are detected by MALDI-MS as a screening tool. A longer and more detailed analysis is then used to specifically identify the carbohydrates by derivatization and GC–MS detection. Both techniques were tested against ten different types of stabilization recipes with Yersinia pestis cell mass cultured on different media types used as the biological component. A number of additional components were included in these formulations including proteins and peptides from serum or milk, polymers (e.g. poly vinyl pyrrolidone – PVP) and detergents (e.g. Tween). The combined method was characterized to determine several figures of merit. The accuracy of the method was 98% for MALDI-MS and 100% for GC–MS. The repeatability for detection of carbohydrates by MALDI-MS was determined to be 96%. The repeatability of compound identification by GC–MS was determined by monitoring variation in retention time, which is vital for identification of isomeric carbohydrates. The figures of merit illustrate an effective and accurate method for mono and disaccharide detection independent of formulation. This meets our primary goal for method development as small carbohydrates are among the most common stabilizers employed.
Kronig-Penney-type calculations for electron tunneling through thin disordered dielectric films

Abstract Kronig-Penney-type calculations were used to evaluate the tunneling probability through a thin disordered dielectric film between two metallic electrodes. Our calculations indicate that the tunneling probability increases with increasing disorder.
Interferometric validation of image based wavefront sensing for NGST

In this paper, we present the experimental validation of a focus-diverse wavefront sensing algorithm with comparative interferometric measurments of a perturbed test mirror.
JAUNT: a constraint solver for disjunctive feature structures

To represent a combinatorial number of ambiguous interpretations of a natural language sentence efficiently, a "packed" or "factorized" representation is necessary. We propose a representation that comprises a set of explicit value disjunctions and constraints imposed on them. New constraints are successively added for disambiguation, during which local consistencies are maintained by an underlying mechanism. We have developed a constraint solver called JAUNT that embodies this idea. The latest technques, including constraint propagation and forward checking, are employed as constraint satisfaction mechanisms. JAUNT also allows an external meta-inference program to intervene in the constraint satisfaction process in order to control the application of the constraints.
Splashing of a Water Drop

Measurements have been made of the number of spray droplets produced by the impact of a water drop on water, and of the charge to mass ratio for these droplets. For a drop 3 millimeters in diameter, the number of spray droplets increases linearly with the fall-distance of the drop over the range 10 to 200 centimeters. When the drop falls 100 centimeters, about 25 spray droplets are produced. The majority of the droplets carry a negative charge, and the ratio of the charge to the mass varies from 4 to 28 electrostatic units per gram.
Frequency stability of a 10 GHz optical frequency comb from a semiconductor-based mode-locked laser with an intracavity 10,000 finesse etalon

An optical frequency comb is constructed using a semiconductor gain medium with a fiber-coupled external cavity and stabilized to an intracavity 10,000 finesse etalon, which is temperature stabilized and held in a vacuum chamber at 10−6 Torr. Optical frequency stability measurements show that the comb has a reduced sensitivity to environmental fluctuations. An upper limit on the optical frequency variation of 100 kHz over >12 min of continuous operation is measured using a real-time spectrum analyzer. This measurement is limited by the linewidth of the reference source, and further measurements with a frequency counter show a fractional deviation of 2×10−11 at 50 ms. Furthermore, out-of-band ASE rejection is shown to be >36 dB, a tenfold improvement over that of a laser with a 1000 finesse FPE.
Bootstrap percolation on the random regular graph

The k-parameter bootstrap percolation on a graph is a model of an interacting particle system, which can also be viewed as a variant of a cellular automaton growth process with threshold k ≥ 2. At the start, each of the graph vertices is active with probability p and inactive with probability 1 − p, independently of other vertices. Presence of active vertices triggers a bootstrap percolation process controlled by a recursive rule: an active vertex remains active forever, and a currently inactive vertex becomes active when at least k of its neighbors are active. The basic problem is to identify, for a given graph, p− and p+ such that for p p+ resp.) the probability that all vertices are eventually active is very close to 0 (1 resp.). The bootstrap percolation process is a deterministic process on the space of subsets of the vertex set, which is easy to describe but hard to analyze rigorously in general. We study the percolation on the random d-regular graph, d ≥ 3, via analysis of the process on the multigraph counterpart of the graph. Here, thanks to a “principle of deferred decisions,” the percolation dynamics is described by a surprisingly simple Markov chain. Its generic state is formed by the counts of currently active and nonactive vertices having various degrees of activation capabilities. We replace the chain by a deterministic dynamical system, and use its integrals to show—via exponential supermartingales—that the percolation process undergoes relatively small fluctuations around the deterministic trajectory. This allows us to show existence of the phase transition within an interval [p−(n),p+(n)], such that (1) p±(n) p* = 1 − miny∈(0,1)y/ℙ(Bin(d − 1,1 − y) < k); (2) p+(n) − p−(n) is of order n−1/2 for k < d − 1, and n, (en 0,en log n ∞), for k = d − 1. Note that p* is the same as the critical probability of the process on the corresponding infinite regular tree. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 30, 257–286, 2007
The future of marriage and hispanics

At least two important demographic changes will occur in the United States in the future: the growth of the Hispanic population and the growth of the second and third generations among Hispanics. We argue that the expansion of the Hispanic population is unlikely to slow the retreat from marriage, despite the pronuptial cultural orientations of some groups of immigrants and their native-born coethnics. On the contrary, the second- and third-generation descendents of immigrants will join in the retreat from marriage as a result of their exposure to the cultural and economic environment of the United States, as well as changes in the countries from which their immigrant parents originate. Sources of uncertainty about this scenario are noted.
Samarium(III) Chloride

[10361-82-7] Cl3Sm (MW 256.71) InChI = 1S/3ClH.Sm/h3*1H;/q;;;+3/p-3 InChIKey = BHXBZLPMVFUQBQ-UHFFFAOYSA-K (promotes electrochemical coupling reactions of aromatic diketones and aromatic esters to yield the 1,2-diol or 1,2-diketone, respectively;1, 2 catalyzes aldol condensations and facilitates cyanohydrin formation;3 forms an organosamarium species with stannanes that adds 1,2 to conjugated ketones;5 catalyzes the ring opening of epoxides and chemoselective removal of acetal protecting groups;6, 7 promotes acetylation of aldehydes8) Physical Data: mp 678 °C; d 4.46 g cm−3. Solubility: sol 6.4 g/100mL pyridine; 99.9 g/100 mL hot water; 92.4 g/100 mL cold water. Form Supplied in: white-yellowish powder, ampouled under argon. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: somewhat air and water sensitive. Reactions are typically performed under an inert atmosphere of argon or nitrogen.
A demonstration of sub meter GPS orbit determination and high precision user positioning

High-accuracy orbits have been determined for satellites of the Global Positioning System (GPS), with submeter orbit accuracy demonstrated for two well-tracked satellites. Baselines of up to 2000 km in North America determined with the GPS orbits shows daily repeatability of 0.3-2 parts in 10/sup 8/ and agree with very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) solutions at the level of 1.5 parts in 10/sup 8/. Tests used to assess orbit accuracy include orbit repeatability from independent data sets, orbit prediction, ground baseline determination, and formal errors. One satellite tracked for eight hours each day shows RMS errors below 1 m even when predicted more than three days outside of a 1-week data arc. These results demonstrate the powerful relative positioning capability available from differential GPS tracking. Baselines have also been estimated between Florida and sites in the Caribbean region over 1000 km away, with daily repeatability of 1-4 parts in 10/sup 8/. The best orbit estimation strategies included data arcs of 1-2 weeks, process noise models for tropospheric fluctuations, combined processing of GPS carrier phase and pseudorange data, and estimation of GPS solar pressure coefficients. >
The Cochliobolus carbonum SNF1 gene is required for cell wall-degrading enzyme expression and virulence on maize.

The production of cell wall–degrading enzymes (wall depolymerases) by plant pathogenic fungi is under catabolite (glucose) repression. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae , the SNF1 gene is required for expression of catabolite-repressed genes when glucose is limiting. An ortholog of SNF1 , ccSNF1 , was isolated from the maize pathogen Cochliobolus carbonum , and ccsnf1 mutants of HC toxin–producing (Tox2 + ) and HC toxin–nonproducing (Tox2 – ) strains were created by targeted gene replacement. Growth in vitro of the ccsnf1 mutants was reduced by 50 to 95% on complex carbon sources such as xylan, pectin, or purified maize cell walls. Growth on simple sugars was affected, depending on the sugar. Whereas growth on glucose, fructose, or sucrose was normal, growth on galactose, galacturonic acid, maltose, or xylose was somewhat reduced, and growth on arabinose was strongly reduced. Production of HC toxin was normal in the Tox2 + ccsnf1 mutant, as were conidiation, conidial morphology, conidial germination, and in vitro appressorium formation. Activities of secreted β-1,3-glucanase, pectinase, and xylanase in culture filtrates of the Tox2 + ccsnf1 mutant were reduced by 53, 24, and 65%, respectively. mRNA expression was downregulated under conditions that induced the following genes encoding secreted wall-degrading enzymes: XYL1 , XYL2 , XYL3 , XYL4 , XYP1 , ARF1 , MLG1 , EXG1 , PGN1 , and PGX1 . The Tox2 + ccsnf1 mutant was much less virulent on susceptible maize, forming fewer spreading lesions; however, the morphology of the lesions was unchanged. The Tox2 – ccsnf1 mutant also formed fewer non-spreading lesions, which also retained their normal morphology. The results indicate that ccSNF1 is required for biochemical processes important in pathogenesis by C. carbonum and suggest that penetration is the single most important step at which ccSNF1 is required. The specific biochemical processes controlled by ccSNF1 probably include, but are not necessarily restricted to, the ability to degrade polymers of the plant cell wall and to take up and metabolize the sugars produced.
The tsunami mode of a flat earth and its excitation by earthquake sources

Summary. Tsunami generation by earthquakes in a flat, isotropic, elastic, vertically stratified earth underlying a uniform-depth, incompressible ocean can be studied in terms of the tsunami normal mode of the combined ocean- solid earth system. We derive, in a way that demonstrates their natural extension from traditional approaches to tsunami theory, the equations and boundary conditions governing the tsunami mode displacement and stress eigenfunctions, then solve the excitation problem by a variational method. This leads to a straightforward expression for the far-field tsunami displace- ments due to a point moment tensor source in the solid earth. Numerically computed spectra and waveforms reveal clearly the dependence of the far- field tsunami on the source depth, duration, moment and mechanism.
Echinococcus granulosus hydatid cysts in the livers of two horses.

Two horses from local horse farms were presented for necropsy to the Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington. Both horses had hydatid cysts of Echinococcus granulosus within the liver, which were considered incidental findings. Historical background revealed both animals had been imported from Europe. The first horse was a 21-year-old Thoroughbred stallion presented for examination on December 7, 1988. It had been imported into the USA from Ireland 8 years previously but was born in France. The horse was suspected of having a pituitary tumor. Five years earlier, a tumor had been removed from the duodenum. Gross examination at necropsy revealed shaggy hair, crusty
Levels of Evidence: A Reply to Berger and Knoll:

Although a randomized controlled trial (RCT) provides the strongest level of evidence when properly conducted, it is by no means the only research design capable of supporting causal claims. As discussed in Gugiu and Gugiu, numerous non-RCTs are able to produce valid and reliable results, providing they can establish approximately equivalent treatment groups at baseline. The purpose of this article is to respond to the issues raised by Berger and Knoll.
Massive Hemoptysis in Cystic Fibrosis

Background Massive hemoptysis is a complication commonly reported in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). An understanding of the pathophysiology of this complication and its consequences is important for the management of patients with CF Objectives To identify risk factors associated with massive hemoptysis, and to determine the prognosis of patients following an episode of massive hemoptysis Design A retrospective, observational cohort study of the National CF Patient Registry between the years 1990 to 1999 Patients The Registry contained data on 28,858 patients with CF observed over 10 years at CF centers across the United States Results Massive hemoptysis occurred with an average annual incidence of 0.87% and in 4.1% of patients overall. There was no increased occurrence by sex, but it was more prevalent in older patients (mean age, 24.2 ± 8.7 years [± SD]) with more severe pulmonary impairment (nearly 60% of patients who had an episode of massive hemoptysis had FEV1 Conclusion Massive hemoptysis is a serious complication in CF patients, occurring more commonly in older patients with more advanced lung disease. Nearly 1 in 100 patients will have this complication each year. There is an attributable mortality to the complication and considerable morbidity, resulting in increased health-care utilization and a measurable decline in lung function
Immunological studies in recurrent spontaneous abortion: effects of immunization of women with paternal mononuclear cells on lymphocytotoxic and mixed lymphocyte reaction blocking antibodies and correlation with sharing of HLA and pregnancy outcome

Abstract The occurrence of maternal antipaternal lymphocytotoxic antibody (LCTA), mixed lymphocyte reaction blocking factors (MLRBF) and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) antigen sharing was studied in 115 couples with unexplained repeated spontaneous abortions (RSA). Comparisons were made to the same studies done on 41 couples with explained repeated miscarriages. We found no significant difference between the patient and control group with respect to the percent of couples sharing none, one, or two or more HLA-A,-B, or -DR antigens. Examination of the occurrence of LCTA and MLRBF likewise did not reveal differences between the groups, nor did the occurrence of these antibodies on initial testing correlate with HLA disparity between couples. Women with three or more spontaneous abortions were immunized with paternal mononuclear cells (MNC) if they met at least two of the following three criteria: they shared two or more HLA antigens; their serum was negative for paternal MNC-directed LCTA; their serum did not contain maternal versus paternal MLR blocking factors. Complete HLA, LCTA and MLRBF data pre- and post-treatment are available on 60 women. Sixty-three percent of women
Is the Human Amygdala Critical for the Subjective Experience of Emotion? Evidence of Intact Dispositional Affect in Patients with Amygdala Lesions

It is thought that the human amygdala is a critical component of the neural substrates of emotional experience, involved particularly in the generation of fear, anxiety, and general negative affectivity. Although many neuroimaging studies demonstrate findings consistent this notion, little evidence of altered emotional experience following amygdala damage has been gathered in humans. In a preliminary test of the amygdala's role in phenomenal affective states, we assessed the extent of experienced positive and negative affective states in patients with amygdala damage and age-, sex-, and education-matched controls. To assess chronic changes in experienced affect, all groups were administered the Positive and Negative Affect Schedules (PANAS, Watson, Clark, & Tellegen, 1988). In the first study, we examined the effects of amygdala lesions on affective traits in 10 left and 10 right amygdala-damaged patients, 1 patient with bilateral amygdala damage (SP), and 20 control subjects. Subjects were asked to indicate the typicality of different experiential states of positive (e.g., inspired, excited) and negative (e.g., afraid, nervous) valence. In a second study, we examined more closely the effects of bilateral amygdala damage on the day-to-day generation of affective states by administering the PANAS daily for a 30-day period to patient SP and age-, sex-, and education-matched controls. In both experiments, no differences in the magnitude and frequency of self-reported positive or negative affect were found between control subjects and patients with amygdala damage. Moreover, principal components analyses of the covariation among different affects (across individuals in Study 1 and within individuals across days in Study 2) confirmed a two-factor (positive vs. negative) description of experienced affect in controls. A highly similar two-factor description of experienced affect was found in patients with amygdala lesions. This suggests that the underlying structure of affective states was intact following amygdala damage. It is concluded that the human amygdala may be recruited during phenomenal affective states in the intact brain, but is not necessary for the production of these states.
Audiological Monitoring of Patients Receiving Ototoxic Drugs

Over 200 medications commonly prescribed for the treatment of cancers and some infections can cause inner ear damage, or ototoxicity (ASHA, 2004). Ototoxicity can result in auditory and/or vestibular dysfunction, and the effects can be temporary, but are often permanent. Symptoms of ototoxicity include tinnitus, dizziness, and difficulty understanding speech in noise. Approximately 4 million patients annually in the United States are at risk for hearing loss from aminoglycoside antibiotics (e.g. gentamicin) and platinum-based chemotherapy agents (e.g., cisplatin). Loop diuretics (e.g., furosemside) can also cause ototoxicity, particularly when administered concurrently with other ototoxic drugs (Brummett, 1980). Furthermore, noise exposure has a synergistic effect, increasing the risk of hearing loss during therapeutic treatment with ototoxic drugs (Brown, Brummett, Fox, & Bendrick, 1980).
Tomographic spectral imaging: analysis of localized corrosion.

Microanalysis is typically performed to analyze the near surface of materials. There are many instances where chemical information about the third spatial dimension is essential to the solution of materials analyses. The majority of 3D analyses however focus on limited spectral acquisition and/or analysis. For truly comprehensive 3D chemical characterization, 4D spectral images (a complete spectrum from each volume element of a region of a specimen) are needed. Furthermore, a robust statistical method is needed to extract the maximum amount of chemical information from that extremely large amount of data. In this paper, an example of the acquisition and multivariate statistical analysis of 4D (3-spatial and 1-spectral dimension) x-ray spectral images is described. The method of utilizing a single- or dual-beam FIB (w/o or w/SEM) to get at 3D chemistry has been described by others with respect to secondary-ion mass spectrometry. The basic methodology described in those works has been modified for comprehensive x-ray microanalysis in a dual-beam FIB/SEM (FEI Co. DB-235). In brief, the FIB is used to serially section a site-specific region of a sample and then the electron beam is rastered over the exposed surfaces with x-ray spectral images being acquired at each section. All this ismore » performed without rotating or tilting the specimen between FIB cutting and SEM imaging/x-ray spectral image acquisition. The resultant 4D spectral image is then unfolded (number of volume elements by number of channels) and subjected to the same multivariate curve resolution (MCR) approach that has proven successful for the analysis of lower-dimension x-ray spectral images. The TSI data sets can be in excess of 4Gbytes. This problem has been overcome (for now) and images up to 6Gbytes have been analyzed in this work. The method for analyzing such large spectral images will be described in this presentation. A comprehensive 3D chemical analysis was performed on several corrosion specimens of Cu electroplated with various metals. Figure 1A shows the top view of the localized corrosion region prepared for FIB sectioning. The TSI region has been coated with Pt and a trench has been milled along the bottom edge of the region, exposing it to the electron beam as seen in Figure 1B. The TSI consisted of 25 sections and was approximately 6Gbytes. Figure 1C shows several of the components rendered in 3D: Green is Cu; blue is Pb; cyan represents one of the corrosion products that contains Cu, Zn, O, S, and C; and orange represents the other corrosion product with Zn, O, S and C. Figure 1 D shows all of the component spectral shapes from the analysis. There is severe pathological overlap of the spectra from Ni, Cu and Zn as well as Pb and S. in spite of this clean spectral shapes have been extracted from the TSI. This powerful TSI technique could be applied to other sectioning methods well.« less
Adaptive virtual autobalancing for a magnetic rotor with unknown mass imbalance

An adaptive control scheme is proposed for stabilizing a planar statically unbalanced rotor mounted on a magnetic bearing. The control strategy involves the concept of virtual autobalancing, where the control algorithm emulates the dynamics of a mechanical autobalancer by applying forces that are equivalent to the action of the autobalancer on the rotor. Equations of motion for a planar, torque-free, elastically suspended rotor equipped with an autobalancer are derived. Based on these equations, an adaptive controller for the magnetic rotor is formulated. The results are demonstrated in simulation.
Prediction of the bubble point pressure for the binary mixture of ethanol and 1,1,1,2,3,3,3-heptafluoropropane from Gibbs ensemble Monte Carlo simulations using the TraPPE force field

Abstract Configurational-bias Monte Carlo simulations in the Gibbs ensemble using the TraPPE force field were carried out to predict the pressure–composition diagrams for the binary mixture of ethanol and 1,1,1,2,3,3,3-heptafluoropropane at 283.17 and 343.13 K. A new approach is introduced that allows one to scale predictions at one temperature based on the differences in Gibbs free energies of transfer between experiment and simulation obtained at another temperature. A detailed analysis of the molecular structure and hydrogen bonding for this fluid mixture is provided.
Trace-based Performance Analysis on Cell BE

The transition to multicore architectures creates significant challenges for programming systems. Taking advantage of specialized processing cores such as those in the Cell BE processor and managing all the required data movement inside the processor cannot be done efficiently without help from the software infrastructure. Alongside new programming models and compiler support for multicores, programmers need performance evaluation and analysis tools. In this paper, we present tools that help analyze the performance of applications executing on the Cell platform. The performance debugging tool (PDT) provides a means for recording significant events during program execution, maintaining the sequential order of events, and preserving important runtime information such as core assignment and relative timing of events. The trace analyzer (TA) reads and visualizes the PDT traces. We describe the architecture of the PDT and present several important use cases demonstrating the usage of PDT and TA to understand the performance of several workloads. We also discuss the overhead of tracing and its impact on the benchmark execution and performance analysis.
Middle Eocene Carnivoramorpha of the Uinta Basin, Utah

ABSTRACT The middle Eocene of North American was an important time in carnivoramorphan evolution, because it is when the order showed increases in diversity taxonomically and ecomorphologically. We describe new fossils of “miacoids” from the Uinta Formation of northeastern Utah, and assess their phylogenetic and paleobiological significance. A new species of Miocyon (Matthew, 1909), is described, Miocyon vallisrubrae , which, in several aspects of lower molar morphology, is intermediate between the smaller Miocyon major (Matthew, 1909) and the larger Miocyon scotti (Wortman and Matthew, 1899). In addition, new well-preserved dental and gnathic specimens of M. scotti are described, along with fragmentary cranial and postcranial remains. The taxonomy of Miocyon is reviewed in light of the new material, which highlights the divergent specializations of the genus. These include an m1 with a relatively broad talonid and an m2 that is large, broad and relatively flat with little difference in height between the...
Effects of rotation rate, mixing angle, and cohesion in two continuous powder mixers—A statistical approach

In this paper we examine the effect of rotation rate, mixing angle, and cohesion on the powder residence time and the content uniformity of the blend exiting from two continuous powder mixers. In addition, differences in mixing performance between the two blenders are examined. Analysis of variance is used to determine significance of main effects and their interactions. The results show that the effect of powder cohesion is scale-dependent, having a significant effect in the larger mixer. The overall rotation rate was the least influential parameter in terms of content uniformity. The residence time is significantly affected by both rotation rate and mixing angle.