cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Toward Scalable Performance Visualization with Jumpshot

Jumpshot is a graphical tool for understanding the performance of parallel programs. It is in the tradition of the upshot tool but contains a number of extensions and enhancements that make it suitable for large-scale parallel computations. Jumpshot takes as input a new, more flexible logfile format and comes with a library for generating such logfiles. An MPI profiling library is also included, enabling the automatic generation of such logfiles from MPI programs. Jumpshot is written in Java and can easily be integrated as an applet into browser-based computing environments. The most novel feature of Jumpshot is its automatic detection of anomalous durations, drawing the user's attention to problem areas in a parallel execution. This capability is particularly useful in large-scale parallel computations containing many events.
The role of transferrin and other receptors in the mechanism of 67Ga localization

Gallium-67 is a useful adjunct in the diagnosis of a variety of diseases. At present 67Ga is the radiopharmaceutical of choice for radionuclide imaging of tumors and can be used to monitor the efficacy of a particular therapeutic regimen (Bekerman et al., 1985). Clinical studies have shown the utility of 67Ga in a number of neoplastic diseases; Hodgkin’s disease, histiocytic lymphoma, lung cancer, hepatoma and melanoma. It is also used for infections of lung, e.g. P. carinii pneumonia, abdomen, bone, joints and kidneys and for the detection of occult inflammation. Whereas the sensitivity of this technique is always very high, 90-95%, the specificity is generally low because 67Ga can concentrate in both tumors and inflammatory processes. With additional clinical information the specificity can usually be improved to 80-90% range. Other drawbacks include nonspecific, high liver and bowel uptake (obscuring liver and bowel lesions) and long time intervals before imaging (2448 h). In particular, because bowel activity may present as a problem, the “‘In labeled white blood cells technique (“‘In-WBC) will likely replace 67Ga imaging for abdominal lesions (Goodwin et al., 1981). In the detection of chronic inflammations, however, data from human (Sfakianakis et al., 1982) and animal (Bitar et al., 1986) studies suggest that 67Ga may be superior to “‘In-WBC. Also a recent clinical study using both a “‘In-antimelanoma monoclonal antibody and 67Ga showed that the agents were complementary combining to increase sensitivity (Cornelius et al., 1986). This suggests that 67Ga will remain a viable technique, at least in the near future. To attempt to improve the 67Ga imaging technique there have been numerous investigations into the localization mechanism. Although in nuclear medicine the latest buzzword is receptors, many fail to think of “‘Ga localization as a receptor-mediated process, probably because of the conflicting data. Previous reviews have discussed the factors involved in 67Ga localization (Hoffer, 1980; Tsan, 1985; Tsan and Scheffel, 1986). In this review I wish to specifically examine the conflicting evidence concerning the role of transferrin and other receptors in 67Ga uptake. In addition, this will be placed in a historical perspective summarizing earlier work and examining in detail the most recent data.
Alignment, Electronic Properties, Doping, and On-Chip Growth of Colloidal PbSe Nanowires

Single-crystalline straight, zigzag, helical, and branched nanowires can be synthesized by oriented attachment of PbSe nanocrystals followed by their fusion in the presence of different surfactants. These colloidal nanowires can be aligned in external electrical fields, facilitating their integration into electronic circuits. We show how the nanowire morphology affects the interaction of nanowires with the electric field. Conducting PbSe nanowires can be assembled from nanocrystal building blocks directly on a chip, growing along the electric field. As-formed PbSe nanowires show a p-type conduction that can be switched to an n-type by charge-transfer doping of the nanowires with hydrazine. In this work, we demonstrate strategies for device integration of solution-phase synthesized semiconductor nanowires and explore their electronic properties.
Investigation of the effectiveness of using an experiment to validate experimental substructure models

Abstract Experimental-to-analytical substructuring has been investigated as a way to avoid costly tests and analyses on large systems by experimentally characterizing certain subcomponents and then coupling them to an analytical model for the rest of the structure. Unfortunately, substructuring has sometimes proven difficult to implement because the substructuring calculations can be sensitive to modal truncation and experimental noise and often require the measurement of rotational motions at the interface. These issues have led to decreased confidence in substructuring calculations, causing it to remain underutilized in industry. This work proposes performing a small, inexpensive validation test to give confidence or reveal flaws in an experimentally derived model. This is only meaningful if the error in the validation test is characteristic of the error in an application of interest; this work explores this assumption. The validation test is evaluated in two scenarios which represent substructuring realities. The first scenario investigates measurement errors by applying normally distributed noise to a simple beam structure and evaluating how well the validation test compares to the application of interest. The second scenario simulates substructuring of a complicated engine–generator system with a statically indeterminate connection, where the effect of modal truncation is not easy to anticipate.
We Know it, We Just Have to Do it: Perceptions of Ethical Work in Prisons and Jails

Determining what the appropriate behavior is in any given circumstance is not always clear in corrections work, given the nature of the tasks, the composition of the clientele, and the structure of the organization. In an effort to determine what correctional staff regarded as ethical behavior, the authors developed and administered a questionnaire to correctional staff in several prisons and jails in a western state. In this article, the authors report their findings from the effort to quantify the degree to which staff agree and disagree in their perceptions of ethical choices. They found that jail and prison staffs are more likely than not to perceive their work from an ethical perspective. The findings also indicate that although both types of facilities were in the top range of possible responses on the ethics summary variable, the jail staff were more likely to score higher. Finally, age increased the likelihood that a respondent had a higher ethical rating in jails, and being female increased such ...
Heterogeneous network-based concurrent computing environments

Abstract Concurrent computing on networks of heterogeneous machines has gained tremendous attention and popularity in recent months. This computing model encompasses a wide spectrum of environments, ranging from very coherent systems to loosely coupled workstations, but usually excludes distributed operating systems. Many such systems are operational (several more are under development) and have been used for an impressive range of applications. Heterogeneous network computing environments have the potential for multi-gigaflop performance, provide excellent support for applications with multifaceted requirements, enable straightforward provisions for fault-tolerance, and are easy to install, maintain, and use. These systems enhance the power, versatility, and usefulness of existing hardware, and support well-understood, pragmatic, programming models. In this paper, we will survey the state of the art in heterogeneous network computing, beginning with a description of representative systems and applications. We will also attempt to identify the most pressing needs as well as the foreseeable obstacles, and pose a sampling of the major challenges that face researchers and developers in heterogeneous network computing.
Thermal Manufacturing Process Control by Lumped Mimo and Distributed-Parameter Methods

A variety of geometric, material structure, and stress/distortion attributes are needed to characterize the quality of thermally manufactured products. Because of in-process sensing difficulties and transportation lags, these features must be regulated in real time through appropriate thermal outputs, measured by non-contact infrared pyrometry. In thermal processes with a localized, sequentially moving heat source, the necessary heat input distribution on the part surface is supplied by an innovative timeshared or scanned torch modulation, in a raster or vector pattern. A unified lumped multivariable and a distributed-parameter quasilinear modeling formulation provide a design methodology and real-time reference for the development of finite- or infinite-state adaptive thermal control systems. These controllers modulate the power and motion of a single torch, supplying distinct concentrated heat inputs or a continuous power distribution on the part surface, so as to obtain the specified thermal characteristics or the entire temperature field. These regulation strategies are computationally tested and implemented experimentally in arc welding, but their applicability can be extended to a variety of thermal manufacturing processes.
Si-defect concentrations in heavily Si-DOPED GaAs: annealing-Induced changes-II

Isothermal annealing produces changes in the free carrier density, defect-induced localized vibrational mode (LVM) infrared absorption, microstructure as measured by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and critical resolve shear stress of heavily Si-doped GaAs. The changes have been measured and correlated for three different Si concentrations for several annealing temperatures. The measurements reveal temperature dependent annealing-induced changes in several specific defect concentrations. The observations indicate the following behavior for two ingots with [Si] ≳ 2 × 1019 cm−13: (1) when the anneal temperature, TA = 400°C, the concentration of Siga donors, as determined from LVM spectra decreases probably due to the generation of VGa defects followed by the formation of SiGa-VGa pairs. This change is responsible for observed decreases in carrier density and the large increase in yield stress. The yield stress shows a dependence of the form σ-σo ∝ [SiGa-VGa]1/4. (2) When TA = 500°C, the LVM spectra indicate that all of the observed Si defect concentrations change. The decrease in [SiGa] alone cannot explain the decrease in carrier density, and a previous suggestion that a new acceptor is required is confirmed. Both the LVM measurements and the shear stress indicate that only a small fraction of the [SiGa] reduction is by the formation of SiGa-VGa pairs. (3) When TA = 700°C, a new acceptor is still required and the other experimental observations at TA = 500°C are also still seen here. There is a large decrease in [SiGa] and [SiAs] observed for short anneal times which coincides with the formation of Si-rich extrinsic loops and the loop area/vol increases with [Si]. (4) When TA > 700°C, all of the changes become smaller as TA increases. For lower [Si] ~ 1.5 × 1018 cm−3, no significant annealing-induced changes are observed for any of the TA given above.
A tunable UWB pulse transceiver for microwave applied metrology applications

An ultra-wide band pulse transceiver has been developed using integrated circuits which demonstrates a tunable 10dB bandwidth from 1.4 GHz to 3.3 GHz. The transceiver has a synchronous receiver which demodulates and extends the pulse in time using Equivalent Time Sampling (ETS) techniques. Equivalent time sampling has been shown to accurately reconstruct the RF pulse with an ETS factor up to 1.5 million. The RF front-end mixer has a 9dB of conversion loss with a 1dB compression point at −1dBm.
CONTROLLABLE VERSUS UNCONTROLLABLE STRESSORS BI-DIRECTIONALLY MODULATE CONDITIONED BUT NOT INNATE FEAR

Fear conditioning and fear extinction play key roles in the development and treatment of anxiety-related disorders, yet there is little information concerning experiential variables that modulate these processes. Here we examined the impact of exposure to a stressor in a different environment on subsequent fear conditioning and extinction, and whether the degree of behavioral control that the subject has over the stressor is of importance. Rats received a session of either escapable (controllable) tail shock (ES), yoked inescapable (uncontrollable) tail shock (IS), or control treatment (home cage, HC) 7 days before fear conditioning in which a tone and foot shock were paired. Conditioning was measured 24 h later. In a second experiment rats received ES, IS or HC 24 h after contextual fear conditioning. Extinction then occurred every day beginning 7 days later until a criterion was reached. Spontaneous recovery of fear was assessed 14 days after extinction. IS potentiated fear conditioning when given before fear conditioning, and potentiated fear responding during extinction when given after conditioning. Importantly, ES potently interfered with later fear conditioning, decreased fear responding during fear extinction, and prevented spontaneous recovery of fear. Additionally, we examined if the activation of the ventral medial prefrontal cortex (mPFCv) by ES is critical for the protective effects of ES on later fear conditioning. Inactivation of the mPFCv with muscimol at the time of the initial experience with control prevented ES-induced reductions in later contextual and auditory fear conditioning. Finally, we explored if the protective effects of ES extended to an unconditioned fear stimulus, ferret odor. Unlike conditioned fear, prior ES increased the fear response to ferret odor to the same degree as did IS.
The Alternating Current Electrode Processes

This paper reviews the fundamentals of the alternating current (AC) electrochemical processes. The topics include: the faradaic impedance, the faradaic rectification, AC polarography, AC corrosion and the AC electrolytic methods currently being used in the industry.
Natural forest disturbance and change in the Brazilian Amazon

Abstract Landsat Thematic Mapper images covering the entire 3.9 million km2 of forested Brazilian Amazon reveal natural change and disturbance occurring on a scale of decades to centuries. These include: 92,000 km2 of bamboo forests undergoing synchronous mortality and regrowth; 1500 km2 of recently active dune fields; 900 km2 of recent downburst blowdowns; > 500 km of recent forest fire scars; and an unknown area of forest mortality from flooding of high ground and alluvial forests. Fire subclimax fern savannas created by Yanoama Indians cover an additional 600 km2. Natural and indigenous disturbances and synchronized phenologies are therefore responsible for a dynamic spectral bahavior in large portions of the Amazon Basin. Disturbances and disturbance indicators not easily detected include blowdown sites > 30 yrs old, blowdowns < 30 hectares in size, liana forests and babassu palm forests.
Transfer of conditional reasoning: Effects explanations and initial problem types

Transfer of reasoning on Wason’s (1966) selection task was explored in three experiments. Experiment 1 tested the effects of problem explanations and verbalization instructions on transfer from abstract or thematic problems to abstract problems. Explanations facilitated transfer only when the initial problems were abstract; verbalization did not produce transfer between problems. Experiment 2 explored the effects of problem similarity and explanations on transfer between problems. Although transfer occurred following explanations, no effect of similarity was found for thematic problems. In both of these experiments, the thematic effect (Wason & Shapiro, 1971) was observed. Experiment 3 examined the effects of explanations to abstract or thematic problems on transfer to subsequent abstract or thematic problems. Transfer of reasoning occurred from both initial problem types, particularly to problems of the same type; however, transfer occurred to a greater extent from abstract problems than from thematic problems. The results are discussed in terms of problem similarity and Cheng and Holyoak’s (1985) pragmatic reasoning schema hypothesis.
Is chromosome in situ suppression (CISS) hybridization suited as a predictive test for intrinsic radiosensitivity in cancer patients

Chromosome painting (chromosome in situ suppression hybridization, CISS) analyses were used to control in vitro radiosensitivity of peripheral blood lymphocytes of 70 cancer patients who were assigned to or had just undergone radiation therapy. This technique using three-colour detection of genomic DNA libraries of chromosomes 1, 2, and 4 was shown to uncover reliably radiation-induced chromosome damage in human peripheral blood lymphocytes. The lymphocytes of five out of the 70 cancer patients could be defined as to react hypersensitively to in vitro irradiation. This was particularly underlined not only by the mere increase of aberration rate but also by the quality of the induced abnormalities (e.g. incidence of complex chromosome rearrangements). The same patients were also characterized by extreme radiation reaction in clinical terms. In spite of some confounding factors, based on the presented observations, the CISS-technique can be proposed as a predictive technique for selecting radiosensitive patients and protecting them from undesired side effects of radiotherapy. A simplification of the screening procedure is proposed on the basis of the presented data.
Seatbelt and seatback control for occupant protection in frontal automotive collisions

This paper investigates the potential benefits of an imminent collision prediction system for improving occupant protection in a frontal automotive crash. Knowledge of an impending unavoidable crash is assumed to be known 100 ms before the crash occurs. A three dof human occupant model is developed using a Lagrangian approach to represent occupant translation with respect to seat, torso rotation and neck rotation. The performance of traditional elastic seat belts is compared with that of an analytically calculated seat belt law in which the force values are calculated in real-time so as to just prevent collision with car interior. Simulations verify that the analytical seat belt force calculation results in less force on occupant for the same level of safety. Furthermore, results show that knowledge of a future collision can be used to pre-tension seat belts but can provide no additional benefits, if seat belts are the only means for active occupant protection. However, if seat tilt-back can be deployed u...
A deterministic parallel algorithm for the homing sequence problem

Homing sequences play an important role in the testing of finite state systems and have been used in a number of applications such as hardware fault detection, protocol verification, and learning algorithms etc. Recent applications of homing sequences involve large DFAs with thousands of states. Such applications motivate the design of a parallel algorithm for this problem. The author present a deterministic parallel algorithm of time complexity O(/spl radic/nlog/sup 2/n) using a polynomial number of processors on the CREW PRAM model. No faster deterministic parallel algorithm is known for this problem. The author also discusses the parallel complexity of some related problems.
The Basis of Shooter Biases: Beyond Cultural Stereotypes

White police officers and undergraduate students mistakenly shoot unarmed Black suspects more than White suspects on computerized shoot/don't shoot tasks. This bias is typically attributed to cultural stereotypes of Black men. Yet, previous research has not examined whether such biases emerge even in the absence of cultural stereotypes. The current research investigates whether individual differences in chronic beliefs about interpersonal threat interact with target group membership to elicit shooter biases, even when group membership is unrelated to race or cultural stereotypes about danger. Across two studies, participants with strong beliefs about interpersonal threats were more likely to mistakenly shoot outgroup members than ingroup members; this was observed for unfamiliar, arbitrarily formed groups using a minimal group paradigm (Study 1) and racial groups not culturally stereotyped as dangerous (Asians; Study 2). Implications for the roles of both group membership and cultural stereotypes in shaping decisions to shoot are discussed.
A preliminary poetics for interactive drama and games

Interactive drama has been discussed for a number of years as a new AI-based interactive experience. While there has been substantial technical progress in building believable agents and some technical progress in interactive plot, no work has yet been completed that combines plot and character into a full-fledged dramatic experience. Part of the difficulty in achieving interactive drama is due to the lack of a theoretical framework guiding the exploration of the technological and design issues surrounding it. This paper proposes a theory of interactive drama integrating Laurel's Aristotelian structural model with Murray's concept of agency. The resulting theory illuminates the general conditions under which a user will experience agency in any interactive experience and provides design and technology guidance for the particular case of building interactive dramatic worlds.
Effect of zinc ions on the actions of prolactin on RNA and casein syntheses in mouse mammary gland explants.

SummaryZinc ions, at concentrations which were shown to inhibit guanylate cyclase activity, abolished the actions of prolactin on RNA and casein synthesis in cultured mouse mammary gland explants. These observations are compatible with the hypothesis that certain of the actions of prolactin in the mammary gland may be mediated by cyclic GMP.
Inferring Scheduling Behavior with Hourglass

Although computer programs explicitly represent data values, time values are usually implicit. This makes it difficult to analyze and debug real-time programs whose correctness depends partially on the time at which results are computed. This paper shows how to use Hourglass, an instrumented, synthetic real-time application, to make inferences about what is happening on a computer at millisecond and microsecond granularities. These inferences are possible because Hourglass records a very fine-grained map of when each of its threads runs, and because Hourglass supports a variety of thread execution models that model the properties and requirements of non-synthetic real-time applications. We conclude that between measurements and inferences, surprisingly detailed knowledge about scheduling behavior can be obtained without modifying, or even explicitly interacting with, the operating system kernel.
Global Mantle Tomography: Progress Status in the Past 10 Years

▪ Abstract We review the present status of global mantle tomography and discuss two main classes of models that have been developed in the past 10 years: P velocity models based on large datasets of travel times from the International Seismological Centre bulletins, often referred to as “high resolution” models, and S velocity models based on a combination of surface wave and hand picked body wave travel times, or waveforms, referred to as “long wavelength” models. We discuss their respective strengths and weaknesses, as well as progress in the resolution of other physical parameters, such as anisotropy, anelasticity, density, and bulk sound velocity using tomographic approaches. We present the view that future improvements in global seismic tomography require the utilization of the rich information contained in complete broadband seismic waveforms. This is presently within our reach owing to theoretical progress as well as the increase in computational power in recent years.
Theory and simulations of broadband electrostatic noise in the geomagnetic tail

The excitation mechanism for broadband electrostatic noise (BEN) and the effects of BEN particles in the geomagnetic tail are examined using the linear analysis theory and particle simulations. The linear theory for electrostatic instabilities is discussed. The plasma sheet particle population is simulated using counter-streaming cold ion beams, and warm ions and electrons. The ion-ion instability, ion-acoustic mode, and the electrostatic ion cyclotron harmonic waves are studied. The velocity distributions, electric field intensity, and electron plasma waves for the plasma sheet boundary layer are evaluated. The frequency wave spectrum and particle distributions are computed and analyzed. The conditions for the two simulations, which differ only in beam ion drift speed, are described; it is observed that in the first simulation the dominate modes propagate parallel to the magnetic field and in the second simulation the propagation modes are oblique. The simulation data reveal that when beam temperature is smaller than plasma sheet temperature ion-acoustic and ion-ion instabilities grow to large amplitudes heating both electrons and ions. The data are compared to ISEE-1 observations and good correlation is obtained.
The molecular perspective: VEGF and angiogenesis

The Oncologist 2002;7:569-570 www.TheOncologist.com Our cells need a constant supply of oxygen to power their diverse molecular processes. This oxygen is delivered by the blood, so nearly all of our cells are within a tenth of a millimeter from a blood capillary. Tumor cells are no exception. If a collection of cancerous cells grows much larger than a millimeter, it will starve itself of oxygen and energy unless new blood vessels are built to provide a supply. For this reason, many cancer cells co-opt the normal processes of angiogenesis, the development of blood vessels, in order to build their own blood supply. Vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF (shown in Fig. 1), is the key signal used by oxygen-hungry cells to promote growth of blood vessels. It binds to specialized receptors on the surfaces of endothelial cells (shown in Fig. 2) and directs them to build new vessels. After receiving this message, the cells build specialized proteases to break through the basal lamina, and migrate into the oxygen-starved region. Fundamentals of Cancer Medicine The Oncologist
Construction and applications of yellow fever virus replicons

Subgenomic replicons of yellow fever virus (YFV) were constructed to allow expression of heterologous reporter genes in a replication-dependent manner. Expression of the antibiotic resistance gene neomycin phosphotransferase II (Neo) from one of these YFV replicons allowed selection of a stable population of cells (BHK-REP cells) in which the YFV replicon persistently replicated. BHK-REP cells were successfully used to trans-complement replication-defective YFV replicons harboring large internal deletions within either the NS1 or NS3 proteins. Although replicons with large deletions in either NS1 or NS3 were trans-complemented in BHK-REP, replicons that contained deletions of NS3 were trans-complemented at lower levels. In addition, replicons that retained the N-terminal protease domain of NS3 in cis were trans-complemented with higher efficiency than replicons in which both the protease and helicase domains of NS3 were deleted. To study packaging of YFV replicons, Sindbis replicons were constructed that expressed the YFV structural proteins in trans. Using these Sindbis replicons, both replication-competent and trans-complemented, replication-defective YFV replicons could be packaged into pseudo-infectious particles (PIPs). Although these results eliminate a potential role of either NS1 or full-length NS3 in cis for packaging and assembly of the flavivirus virion, they do not preclude the possibility that these proteins may act in trans during these processes.
Understanding Person and Environment Factors that Facilitate Veteran Adaptation to Long-Term Care

ABSTRACTAims: To use a phenomenological approach to gain an improved understanding of the person and environment factors that facilitates or impedes adaptation of veterans to long-term care. Method: Ten male veterans residing in a state-funded veteran's home between the ages of 60 to 92 years participated in this study. Data were collected through up to three in depth interviews, which were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using phenomenological principles. Results: Six over-arching themes emerged. The themes identified were: the importance of family, home, spirituality, military culture, leisure time use and food and music. The over-arching themes supported by salient participant narratives, facilitated understanding of the lived experiences of these veterans as they transitioned to long-term care. Conclusions: This study established the foundation for further research related to adaptation of veterans to long-term care.
Activated Charcoal for Acute Poisoning: One Toxicologist's Journey

When I began studying clinical toxicology in 1981, the issue of gastrointestinal decontamination after acute ingestion seemed pretty well settled: “universal antidote,” apomorphine and salt–water emesis were no longer used [1, 2]; and I was taught that barring a specific contraindication, the awake patient was given syrup of ipecac to induce emesis, and the drowsy or uncooperative patient was lavaged [3]. After gastric emptying, everyone received activated charcoal (AC). The only controversy seemed to be over whether one should add a cathartic to speed gastrointestinal transit [4]. Within a few years, my comfortable assumptions were upset by several prospective randomized trials that cast doubt on the value of gastric emptying prior to AC [5–8]. Merigian even challenged the ritual of routine oral AC when he assigned a subgroup of asymptomatic overdose patients to observation without charcoal and found no difference in outcome [8]. At about the same time, case reports of adverse outcomes in patients given AC began to appear [9–12]. (Ironically, when reviewing the literature in preparation for the present article, I found skepticism about gastrointestinal decontamination dating back to the 1940s. As summarized by Matthew [13], Harstad and Danish colleagues reported in 1942 that relatively little phenobarbital was recovered by lavage even shortly after overdose [14] and this, along with their finding of particles of charcoal in the lungs of patients who died, led them to call for the abandonment of gastric lavage for poisoning.) In recent years, my colleagues and I have continued to debate the value of various methods of gastric decontamination and the role and risks of activated charcoal, and it is clear to me that the issue remains muddy. Some have taken a firm stand that no treatment should be recommended that is not supported by evidence from a randomized controlled trial (RCT). Position statements published jointly by the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology and the European Association of Poison Centres and Clinical Toxicologists have adopted a generally conservative view (i.e., lacking evidence, these procedures should not be used routinely) [15–18]. Others have argued that quality RCTs are few and flawed and that we may never have all the evidence we need to guide management of every case. A number of thorough and thoughtful reviews and editorials have summarized the literature and have attempted to provide guidance for the selected use of gastric emptying or activated charcoal [19–23]. In this brief review, I will attempt to answer the following questions about activated charcoal: what is it and what does it bind to? What do animal studies and human volunteer studies reveal about its efficacy in simulated overdose? What evidence is there from case reports and controlled trials for its benefit in humans? What are the potential risks of administering activated charcoal? And finally, how can we put our knowledge about charcoal to use in managing specific patients? Project not funded by any external sources
A dream deferred: the rise and fall of recombinant activated protein C

Ranieri VM, Thompson BT, Barie PS, Dhainaut JF, Douglas IS, Finfer S, Gardlund B, Marshall JC, Rhodes A, Artigas A, Payen D, Tenhunen J, Al-Khalidi HR, Thompson V, Janes J, Macias WL, Vangerow B, Williams MD: Drotrecogin alfa (activated) in adult patients with septic shock. N Engl J Med 2012, 366: 2055-2064. There have been conflicting reports on the efficacy of recombinant human activated protein C, or drotrecogin alfa (activated) (DrotAA), for the treatment of patients with septic shock. Objective: To test the hypothesis that DrotAA, as compared with placebo, would reduce mortality in patients with septic shock. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial, conducted from March 2008 through August 2011. Patients were followed until either 90 days or death. Patients were enrolled from 208 sights in Europe, North and South America, Australia, New Zealand, and India. Subjects included 1,697 patients with infection, systemic inflammation, and shock who were receiving fluids and vasopressors above a threshold dose for 4 hours. DrotAA (at a dose of 24 μg per kilogram of body weight per hour) or placebo for 96 hours. Death from any cause 28 days after randomization. At 28 days, 223 of 846 patients (26.4%) in the DrotAA group and 202 of 834 (24.2%) in the placebo group had died (relative risk in the DrotAA group, 1.09; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.92 to 1.28; P = 0.31). At 90 days, 287 of 842 patients (34.1%) in the DrotAA group and 269 of 822 (32.7%) in the placebo group had died (relative risk, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.90 to 1.19; P = 0.56). Among patients with severe protein C deficiency at baseline, 98 of 342 (28.7%) in the DrotAA group had died at 28 days, as compared with 102 of 331 (30.8%) in the placebo group (risk ratio, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.74 to 1.17; P = 0.54). Similarly, rates of death at 28 and 90 days were not significantly different in other predefined subgroups, including patients at increased risk for death. Serious bleeding during the treatment period occurred in 10 patients in the DrotAA group and 8 in the placebo group (P = 0.81). DrotAA did not significantly reduce mortality at 28 or 90 days, as compared with placebo, in patients with septic shock.
Mechanisms of Thermoregulation in Flying Bees

SYNOPSIS. Thermoregulation of elevated thorax temperatures is necessary for bees to achieve the high rates of power production required for flight, and is a key factor allowing them to occupy widely varying thermal environments. However, the mechanisms by which bees thermoregulate during flight are poorly understood. Thermoregulation is accomplished by balancing heat gain and heat loss via the following routes: convection, evaporation, and metabolic heat production. There appears to be a diversity of thermoregulatory mechanisms employed during flight among bee species. Some species, particularly Bombus spp. , actively increase the distribution of thoracic heat to the abdomen during flight as air temperature (Ta) rises, and apparently thermoregulate by varying convective heat loss. However, thermal variation in convection has not been directly measured for any free-flying bee. Above 33°C, flying Apis mellifera greatly increase evaporative heat loss with Ta, and many other species “tongue-lash” during flight at high Tas or when artificially heated. Thus, evaporation seems to be important for preventing overheating during flight at very high Tas. Flying A . mellifera and Centris pallida strongly decrease metabolic rate as Ta increases, suggesting that they are varying metabolic heat production for thermoregulation and not aerodynamic requirements. Variation in metabolic heat production appears to be mediated by changes in wingbeat kinematics, since wingbeat frequency decreases with Ta for A. mellifera and Centris spp. It is unknown if the decrease in flight metabolic rate at higher Tas occurs secondarily as a consequence of greater efficiency or if it is truly an active response.
Revocations - A classification

In an ownership-based framework for access control, with the possibility of granting access and administrative rights, chains of granted accesses will form. This is a comprehensive study of the problem of revoking such rights, and on the impact different revocation schemes may have on the chains. Three main revocation characteristics are identified: the extent of the revocation to other grantees (propagation), the effect on other grants to the same grantee (dominance), and the permanence of the negation of rights (resilience). A classification is devised using these three dimensions. The different schemes thus obtained are described, and compared to other models from the literature.
Introduction to the "GRG Scholars Invited Reviews".

The editors of Digestive Diseases and Sciences (DDS) and the leadership of the Gastroenterology Research Group (GRG) wish to welcome the readership of our journal to a new section entitled “GRG Scholars Invited Reviews.” In 1955, the GRG was founded by Drs. Joseph B. Kirsner, Basil I. Hirschowitz, and E. Clinton Texter in order to provide a forum for young investigators to discuss basic research problems in gastroenterology, and to focus on exchanging information and generating new ideas. In the 58 years since its inception, the GRG has maintained these goals as its primary mission. Today’s GRG promotes GI research through its support of the annual GRG Spring Symposium held during Digestive Disease Week, which features forward-looking basic research on gastrointestinal (GI) diseases. Through the sponsorship of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), the GRG Young Investigator awards are presented to outstanding young investigators involved in clinical and basic science GI research. The goal for the new section of DDS is to provide our readership with up-to-date reviews on research topics of special interest to all GI investigators, but in particular to young investigators engaged in basic science investigation. The invited reviews will be authored by the GRG Spring Symposium invited speakers and by our AGA/GRG young investigator awardees, who will provide scholarly and current summaries of their fields of research. To kick off this new section, we have invited Jason R. Spence, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Michigan, who will deliver one of our 2013 GRG Spring Symposium lectures entitled “Directed Differentiation of Human iPS Cells into Intestine.” This excellent review addresses the latest science in the field of stem cell engineering. To promote the GRG’s mission of fostering productive interactions between senior and young investigators, we are encouraging joint submission of up–to-date and learned research reviews. We are delighted that Dr. Spence has taken us up on that offer by co-authoring his review with his research fellow, Stacey R. Finkbeiner, PhD. We look forward to publishing more learned reviews authored by the GRG symposium speakers and young investigators, and hope that you, the reader, will benefit from their outstanding content.
Vibrational and Electrical Properties of n and p Doped a-SiC:H Films

Substitutional doping of rf-sputtered amorphous hydrogenated silicon carbide (a-SiC:H) films is achieved by adding controlled amounts of metalorganic substance i. e trimethylaluminum (CH3)3Al and ammonia (NH3) to the mixture of argon atmosphere. The samples were deposited at a constant substrate temperature of 250°C.
Hand flexor tenosynovitis in rheumatoid arthritis

Tenosynovitis of one or more flexor tendons of the hand (mean 3.1 tendons per patient) was noted in 55% of 100 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) examined periodically during a mean period of 5 years. The third flexor tendon was involved most frequently (71% of patients), followed by the second (62%), fourth (53%), fifth (27%), and first (13%). Patients with flexor tendonitis (FT) had a significantly higher prevalence of rheumatoid nodules (56% vs 33%), carpal tunnel syndrome (47% vs 13%), wrist extensor tenosynovitis (47% vs 9%), and elbow epicondylitis (22% vs 7%) than patients without FT. Dupuytren's contracture, DeQuervain's tenovaginitis, flexor carpi radialis and ulnaris tendonitis, and Achilles tendonitis were found exclusively in patients with FT. A control group of 50 non-RA patients with FT had statistically fewer diseased tendons per patient (mean 1.5) and a different digital distribution, the thumb being affected more frequently (P less than 0.05) than in RA patients.
First Report of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides on Cyclamen persicum in Florida

Between March and April of 1996, an estimated 20% of the Cyclamen persicum Mill. grown in Florida were infected with Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Penz.) Penz. & Sacc. in Penz. Symptoms included extensive lesions on flowers, stems, and leaves. Acervuli containing masses of spores and dark setae were observed within lesions. The most severe damage was observed on the cultivar Red Delight. Infected tissues were dipped into 0.26% sodium hypochlorite for 5 s, blotted dry, embedded in water agar, and incubated at 27 ± 1°C. Hyphal tips that grew from lesions were transferred to potato dextrose agar (PDA) and incubated under cool-white fluorescent lights. Developing colonies were gray and contained masses of orange conidia. Conidia were straight with rounded or bulbous ends and averaged 16.8 (SD 5.2) × 2.25 (SD 0.54) μm. Three isolates were selected to complete Koch's postulates. Conidia of each isolate were obtained from 3-day-old PDA cultures, and suspended in sterile, distilled water (SDW) to 104 conidia/ml...
The Complex Regulation of Senescence

Everybody is familiar with the visual aspects of plant senescence. Color changes occurring in senescing leaves are, however, only one (albeit striking) symptom of the senescence process. As this process usually leads to cell, tissue, organ or even organism death, its timing is critical for plant fitness and, in an agricultural setting, for crop performance. It is therefore necessary to understand the mechanisms regulating senescence onset and rate, especially at the organ and (for annual species) organism level. Considering the importance of senescence for plant fitness, it is unsurprising that it is influenced by many environmental and genetic factors, rendering its detailed analysis challenging. Numerous molecular and transcriptomic studies have provided us with extensive lists of “senescence-associated genes” or “SAGs,” many of which may have functions in either the regulation or execution of senescence. Functional characterization has been initiated for a subset of SAGs, especially for transcription f...
Characterization of Wind Power Forecast Error Using the WRF Model: Inner Mongolia Case Study

In China, the wind power is expanding very quickly. We examine a specific real wind farm in China and analyze the WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting) model forecasts with different physical configurations and spatial resolutions. The model short-term wind speed predictions for February 2008 are compared with a real data collected in a met tower in the wind farm at 10-min sampling rate. In our case study, the WRF model run with the MYJ scheme outperforms the YSU scheme, on average. We focus on the model skill improvement for winds above 3m/sec that essential for wind farm companies. Our study indicates that wind speed forecast error at met tower location does not exceed 2 m/sec for 6 km resolution grid.
Semi-supervised learning in nonstationary environments

Learning in nonstationary environments, also called learning concept drift, has been receiving increasing attention due to increasingly large number of applications that generate data with drifting distributions. These applications are usually associated with streaming data, either online or in batches, and concept drift algorithms are trained to detect and track the drifting concepts. While concept drift itself is a significantly more complex problem than the traditional machine learning paradigm of data coming from a fixed distribution, the problem is further complicated when obtaining labeled data is expensive, and training must rely, in part, on unlabelled data. Independently from concept drift research, semi-supervised approaches have been developed for learning from (limited) labeled and (abundant) unlabeled data; however, such approaches have been largely absent in concept drift literature. In this contribution, we describe an ensemble of classifiers based approach that takes advantage of both labeled and unlabeled data in addressing concept drift: available labeled data are used to generate classifiers, whose voting weights are determined based on the distances between Gaussian mixture model components trained on both labeled and unlabeled data in a drifting environment.
Personality, Mood, and Psychiatric Symptoms Among Anabolic Steroid Users

The relationship between use of anabolic stemids (ASS) and specific personality dimensions was assessed in 50 male bodybuilders who were current or past users compared with a sample of 25 age-matched, “natural” male My builders who never used ASS. No personality differences were found. me relationship between current AS use and the presence of variations in mood state, hostility, and psychiatric symptomatology was then evaluated. Current AS users scored higher than non-users only on psychometric scales measuring hostility, aggression, and somatization. mus, reports that AS use was associated with significant psychopathology, other than aggression and somatization, could not be confirmed.
Biomethane and biocrude oil production from protein extracted residual Spirulina platensis

Abstract The performance of the residual biomass obtained after protein extraction from the cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis as a feedstock for biomethane production via AD (anaerobic digestion), and biocrude oil production via HTL (hydrothermal liquefaction) pathways was investigated. The experimental methane yield and kinetic rate of methane production from PERB (protein extracted residual biomass) were higher by 30.4% and 161% respectively, compared to ORIB (original S. platensis biomass). The rate of methane production for PERB was also higher (by 38.9%) than high pressure homogenizer DISB (disrupted biomass), although the yield was slightly lower (by 7.8%). The lag phase time for methane production was the least for PERB among all the three substrates. On the other hand, HTL of PERB resulted in biocrude oil with slightly lower nitrogen content than ORIB (6.2% and 7% respectively), although at a reduced yield. A composition analysis using GC–MS revealed that the biocrude from PERB had a higher number of hydrocarbons and fatty acids and lower number of nitrogenous compounds compared to that from ORIB. A comparison of energy output and energy recovery in the AD and HTL processes suggested a better performance of PERB in the former process.