cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Risk of heart failure hospitalization among users of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors compared to glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists

Incretin-based therapies including dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors and glucagon like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists are novel medications for type 2 diabetes management. Several studies have found cardioprotective effects of incretin-based therapies; however, it remains unclear whether there is any difference in heart failure (HF) risk between the two incretin-based therapies (DPP-4 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists). We aimed to assess the risk of hospitalization due to HF with the use of DPP-4 inhibitors compared to GLP-1 receptor agonists. Using Truven Health Marketscan data, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients with type 2 diabetes, who were newly initiated on DPP-4 inhibitors or GLP-1 agonists. Follow-up continued from drug initiation until the first occurrence of: HF hospitalization (primary outcome), discontinuation of therapy (i.e. no fill for 7 days), switch to the comparator, end of enrollment, or end of study (December 2013). Cox proportional hazards models with propensity-score-matching were used to compare the risk of HF hospitalization between DPP-4 inhibitors and GLP-1 agonists. A total of 321,606 propensity score-matched patients were included in the analysis (n = 160,803 for DPP-4 inhibitors; n = 160,803 for GLP-1 agonists). After adjusting for baseline characteristics and disease risk factors, the use of DPP-4 inhibitors was associated with a 14% decreased risk of HF hospitalization compared to GLP-1 agonists use [hazard ratio (HR), 0.86; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.83, 0.90]. The results were consistent in patients without baseline HF (HR, 0.85; 95% CI 0.82, 0.89), but the association was not statistically significant for patients with baseline HF (HR, 0.90; 95% CI 0.74, 1.07). In this retrospective matched cohort of patients with type 2 diabetes, the use of DPP-4 inhibitors was associated with a reduced risk of HF hospitalization compared to GLP-1 agonists. However, the association was not statistically significant in patients who had HF prior to the use of DPP-4 inhibitors.
GPU Acceleration of Advanced k-mer Counting for Computational Genomics

k-mer counting is a popular pre-processing step in many bioinformatic algorithms. KMC2 is one of the most popular tools for k-mer counting. In this work, we leverage the computational power of the GPU to accelerate KMC2. Our goal is to reduce the overall runtime of many genome analysis tasks that use k-mer counting as an essential step. Compared to KMC2 running on a single CPU thread, our implementation using the GPU achieved $\mathbf{4.03x}$ speedup when using one CPU thread, and $\mathbf{5.88x}$ speedup when using four CPU threads. This speedup is significant because accelerating k-mer counting is challenging due to reasons like serialized portions of code and overhead of disk operations.
Abstract TP210: Oxygen Extraction Fraction is Increased in the Borderzone Region of Healthy Young Adults

Background: We have previously shown that the borderzone region demonstrates ischemic physiology, with low cerebral blood flow (CBF) and increased oxygen extraction fraction (OEF), in pediatric sic...
Postgrowth Imaginaries: New Ecologies and Counterhegemonic Culture in Post-2008 Spain - Part 2, Chapter 2

This chapter argues that Spanish urban cultural studies would benefit from incorporating the ecological aspects of cities into its theoretical frameworks and thereby better attune itself to the cultural changes underway in the current context of socially and ecologically unsustainable urban growth machines. I integrate the study of a number of Iberian cultural manifestations into four distinct but non-exclusive categories, according to the way in which the socioecological metabolism of the city is conceived and depicted in relation to both the dominant imaginary of economic growth and its unsustainable energy regime. The suggested interpretative typology can be summarized as follows: (1) The Crisis of the Urban Growth Machine; (2) Urban Collapse and Post-Petroleum Futures; (3) Non-Urban Spaces and Neo-Ruralization: Escaping the Urban Growth Machine; and (4) Postgrowth Urban Imaginaries: Imagining and Performing Ecopolis.
Adhesive behavior and detachment mechanisms of bacterial amyloid nanofibers

Amyloid nanofibers, such as curli nanofibers, have proven capable of adhering strongly to abiotic surfaces. However, the adhesive performance of individual nanofibers and the dependence of this performance on physical properties remain to be characterized. We carried out coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations to determine the detachment mechanisms of single amyloid fibers from surfaces. Taking a generic model inspired from the curli nanofiber subunit CsgA, we discover that the amyloid nanofibers can undergo three different peeling processes when pulled at a constant rate normal to the surface. Computational phase diagrams built from parametric studies indicate that strong nanofibers with high cohesive energy detach by peeling smoothly away from the substrate while weak fibers break prematurely. At intermediate ratios, hinge formation occurs and the work of peeling the nanofiber is twice the adhesive energy due to the additional energy required to bend the nanofiber during desorption. Varying the geometry of amyloid subunits revealed that the work of peeling decreases for thicker nanofibers, suggesting that the tape-like monomeric structure of amyloids may facilitate better adhesive performance. Our results demonstrate how the dimensions and adhesive and cohesive properties of the amyloid nanofibers can be optimized to resist mechanical peeling.
Disparities in Electronic Patient Portal Use in Prenatal Care: Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Electronic patient portals are websites that provide individuals access to their personal health records and allow them to engage through a secure Web-based platform. These portals are becoming increasingly popular in contemporary health care systems. Patient portal use has been found to be beneficial in multiple specialties, especially in the management of chronic disease. However, disparities have been identified in portal use in which racial and ethnic minorities and individuals with lower socioeconomic status have been shown to be less likely to enroll and use patient portals than non-Hispanic white persons and individuals with higher socioeconomic status. Electronic patient portal use by childbearing women has not been well studied, and data on portal use during pregnancy are limited. Objective: This study aimed to quantify the use of an electronic patient portal during pregnancy and examine whether disparities related to patients’ demographics or clinical characteristics exist. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of women who received prenatal care at an academic medical center from 2014 to 2016. Clinical records were reviewed for portal use and patient data. Patients were considered enrolled in the portal if they had an account at the time of delivery, and enrollees were compared with nonenrollees. Enrollees were further categorized based on the number of secure messages sent during pregnancy as active (≥1) or inactive (0) users. Bivariable chi-square and multivariable Poisson regression models were used to calculate the incidence rate ratio of portal enrollment and, if enrolled, of active use based on patients’ characteristics. Results: Of the 3450 women eligible for inclusion, 2530 (73.33%) enrolled in the portal. Of these enrollees, 72.09% (1824/2530) were active users. There was no difference in portal enrollment by maternal race and ethnicity on multivariable models. Women with public insurance (adjusted incidence rate ratio; aIRR 0.60, 95% CI 0.49-0.84), late enrollment in prenatal care (aIRR 0.78, 95% CI 0.69-0.89 for second trimester and aIRR 0.50, 95% CI 0.39-0.64 for third trimester), and high-risk pregnancies (aIRR 0.82, 95% CI 0.75-0.89) were significantly less likely to enroll. Conversely, nulliparity (aIRR 1.10, 95% CI 1.02-1.20) and having more than 8 prescription medications at prenatal care initiation (aIRR 1.19, 95% CI 1.06-1.32) were associated with greater likelihood of enrollment. Among portal enrollees, the only factor significantly associated with active portal use (ie, secure messaging) was nulliparity (aIRR 1.11, 95% CI 1.01-1.23). Conclusions: Among an obstetric population, multiple clinical and socioeconomic factors were associated with electronic portal enrollment, but not subsequent active use. As portals become more integrated as tools to promote health, efforts should be made to ensure that already vulnerable populations are not further disadvantaged with regard to electronic-based care.
Assessing the Additional Carbon Savings with Biofuel

A recent study by DeCicco et al. (Climatic Change 138:667–680, 2016) claims that corn used for ethanol should not be considered to be inherently biogenically carbon-neutral because not all that corn was grown additional to the level otherwise. By assessing the extent of carbon neutrality of corn for ethanol using the reference point baseline approach and historical data that study concluded that the carbon intensity of US corn ethanol is 27% higher than that of gasoline. We develop a framework to determine the carbon neutrality of corn for ethanol by assessing the additional carbon uptake by crops using an anticipated baseline approach. We also apply this framework to determine the additional corn produced for ethanol and include the direct life cycle carbon emissions of only that portion of corn in the direct life cycle carbon intensity of corn ethanol. We implement this framework by integrating an economic model of the agricultural sector in the USA with a biogenic carbon model and life cycle analysis to quantify biogenic carbon uptake and direct life cycle emissions with and without corn ethanol expansion over the 2007–2027 period. We find that the combined biogenic carbon emissions and direct life cycle carbon emission intensity of corn ethanol (not including indirect land use related emissions) is 21% lower than gasoline. The lower value of this carbon intensity of corn ethanol compared with gasoline is robust to a wide range of parametric assumptions.
[Surveillance of immunization effectiveness and titer of type I and type III polio vaccine in Beijing before and after the adjustment of immunization strategy in 2012-2018].

Objective: To analyze the changing trend of polio vaccine immunization effectiveness and vaccine titer in Beijing in 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018 before and after the adjustment of polio vaccine immunization program strategy. Methods: According to the convenient sampling method,the vaccination clinics of Chaoyang and Yanqing Districts in 2012, Fengtai and Daxing Districts in 2014, Tongzhou and Pinggu Districts in 2016, Dongcheng and Shunyi Districts in 2018 were selected as monitoring points. A total of 292 children were selected 4-8 weeks after the completion of 3 doses polio vaccine basic immunization which were 3 doses of trivalent oral poliovirus vaccine（tOPV）schedule before the strategy adjustment in 2012-2014 and 1 dose of inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) following 2 doses of bivalent oral poliovirus vaccine (bOPV) sequential schedule after the adjustment in 2016-2018. About 1.0 ml blood samples were collected to detect type Ⅰ and Ⅲ neutralizing poliovirus antibody. A total of 9 oral poliovirus vaccines (8 vaccines in 2012) were selected from different sources of vaccine storage every year to test the vaccine titer using random number method.Results: The [M（P25，P75）] age of 292 children was 5 (5, 6) months, and the ratio of male to female was 1.04 (149/143). In 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018, 66,72,68 and 86 children were investigated respectively. After basic immunization, antibody positive rates for type Ⅰ and Ⅲ poliovirus were 100%, except 98.61% (71) for type Ⅰ poliovirus in 2014. The neutralizing antibody titer of type Ⅰ and Ⅲ poliovirus was higher in 2016 and 2018 than that in 2012 and 2014 (P<0.001). The average titer of tOPV were (6.05±0.15) and (6.16±0.12) lgCCID50 per dose in 2012 and 2014. The average titer of bOPV were (6.88±0.21) and (6.26±0.14) lgCCID50 per 100 μl in 2016 and 2018 (P<0.001). Conclusion: Before and after the adjustment of polio vaccine immunization strategy in Beijing, the basic immunization success rate of the IPV-bOPV sequential immunization schedule was good as well as full tOPV schedule. The level of polio antibody produced by the IPV-bOPV sequential immunization schedule was higher. After adjustment, bOPV titer in 2016 was significantly higher than those before adjustment, while bOPV titer decreased significantly in 2018.
Semantic Property Graph for Scalable Knowledge Graph Analytics.

Graphs are a natural and fundamental representation of describing the activities, relationships, and evolution of various complex systems. Many domains such as communication, citation, procurement, biology, social media, and transportation can be modeled as a set of entities and their relationships. Resource Description Framework (RDF) and Labeled Property Graph (LPG) are two of the most used data models to encode information in a graph. Both models are similar in terms of using basic graph elements such as nodes and edges but differ in terms of modeling approach, expressibility, serialization, and target applications. RDF is a flexible data exchange model for expressing information about entities but it tends to a have high memory footprint and inefficient storage, which does not make it a natural choice to perform scalable graph analytics. In contrast, LPG has gained traction as a reliable model in performing scalable graph analytic tasks such as sub-graph matching, network alignment, and real-time knowledge graph query. It provides efficient storage, fast traversal, and flexibility to model various real-world domains. At the same time, the LPGs lack the support of a formal knowledge representation such as an ontology to provide automated knowledge inference. We propose Semantic Property Graph (SPG) as a logical projection of reified RDF into LPG model. SPG continues to use RDF ontology to define type hierarchy of the projected graph and validate it against a given ontology. We present a framework to convert reified RDF graphs into SPG using two different computing environments. We also present cloud-based graph migration capabilities using Amazon Web Services.
The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Thyroid Axis in Cushing Syndrome Before and After Curative Surgery

BACKGROUND We do not fully understand how hypercortisolism causes central hypothyroidism or what factors influence recovery of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis. We evaluated thyroid function during and after cure of Cushing syndrome (CS). METHODS We performed a retrospective cohort study of adult patients with CS seen from 2005 to 2018 (cohort 1, c1, n = 68) or 1985 to 1994 (cohort 2, c2, n = 55) at a clinical research center. Urine (UFC) and diurnal serum cortisol (F: ~8 am and ~midnight [pm]), morning 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3), free thyroxine (FT4), and thyrotropin (TSH) (c1) or hourly TSH from 1500 to 1900 h (day) and 2400 to 04000 h (night) (c2), were measured before and after curative surgery. RESULTS While hypercortisolemic, 53% of c1 had central hypothyroidism (low/low normal FT4 + unelevated TSH). Of those followed long term, 31% and 44% had initially subnormal FT4 and T3, respectively, which normalized 6 to 12 months after cure. Hypogonadism was more frequent in hypothyroid (69%) compared to euthyroid (13%) patients. Duration of symptoms, morning and midnight F, adrenocorticotropin, and UFC were inversely related to TSH, FT4, and/or T3 levels (r = -0.24 to -0.52, P < .001 to 0.02). In c2, the nocturnal surge of TSH (mIU/L) was subnormal before (day 1.00 ± 0.04 vs night 1.08 ± 0.05, P = .3) and normal at a mean of 8 months after cure (day 1.30 ± 0.14 vs night 2.17 ± 0.27, P = .01). UFC greater than or equal to 1000 μg/day was an independent adverse prognostic marker of time to thyroid hormone recovery. CONCLUSIONS Abnormal thyroid function, likely mediated by subnormal nocturnal TSH, is prevalent in Cushing syndrome and is reversible after cure.
Fatigue As A Performance Shaping Factor In Human Reliability Analysis For Long-Duration Spaceflight

This paper provides background on the process to enhance human reliability analysis (HRA) for long-duration space applications. While short-duration missions largely mirror ground activities and fi...
The History of Blood Transfusion and Blood Management

Blood was mystery rather than science for thousands of years. Blood, and its function, was surrounded by religious beliefs, rituals, social customs, and human experiences. That blood was a “life force” was obvious. One had only to observe that when blood was drained from humans and animals, weakness and death followed as a result. In every language blood is used as a symbol for family relationships; being “related by blood” refers to the concept of family ancestry or descent, as opposed to related by marriage. We emphasize bloodlines when we speak of “royal blood”, or assert that “blood is thicker than water”.
Anaerobic Simulated Mixed Culture System

A compartmented, autoclavable culture vessel has been developed for the purpose of studying interactive associations of microorganisms which are essential to the anaerobic decomposition of sewage sludge. The unit employs sterile filter membranes to subdivide the interior culture space into individual compartments. Bacteria cultured in one compartment are denied access to adjacent compartments, even though rapid interchange of nutrients and metabolic waste products occurs throughout the unit. The obligate methane-forming anaerobe, Methanobacillus omelianskii has been successfully grown and concentrated in this system by use of a synthetic medium reduced with sodium sulfide. The feasibility of using this system to study microbial interactions was, in part, demonstrated by growing M. omelianskii in a thoroughly aerated medium which had been biologically reduced by Escherichia coli prior to inoculation with the anaerobe. Under this condition of simulated mixed culture growth, the cell yield of both microorganisms, as well as specific metabolic activities ascribed to each organism, was readily monitored.
Alcohol coupling to unsymmetrical ethers over solid acid catalysts

A tungstena-zirconia (WZ) catalyst has been investigated for coupling alcohols to ethers and compared with earlier studied sulfated-zirconia (SZ) and Nafion-H catalysts. In all cases, the ether synthesis mechanism is a dual site S N 2 process involving competitive adsorption of reactants on proximal acid sites. The surface acid sites were diagnosed by high resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) on N 1s shifts after adsorption of amines. Theoretical study located the transition state and accounted well for XPS core-level shifts upon surface acid-base interactions.
Décrire les « Sauvages » : réflexion sur les manières de désigner les autochtones dans le latin des Relations

Cet article propose une etude des termes latins employes par trois jesuites — Pierre Biard, Francois Ragueneau et Isaac Jogues — pour decrire les « Sauvages ». Reprenant la reflexion proposee par Francis Jennings sur le mot anglais savage, dont le sens a evolue de la « simple sauvagerie » a la « ferocite bestiale », l’auteur montre comment l’histoire de ce mot est etroitement liee a la rencontre entre les Amerindiens et les Europeens.
Perversion for Profit: Citizens for Decent Literature and the Arousal of an Antiporn Public in the 1960s

THE F I L M B E GINS. "Outstanding news reporter" George Putnam warns viewers that a "floodtide of filth threatens to pervert an entire generation" and then presents a parade of unsubstantiated information: 75 to 90 percent of the pornography purchased by adults winds up in the hands of children; the porn industry takes in $2 billion every year; the "moral decay" wrought by obscene magazines weakens American resistance to Communism; exposure of even a "normal" adult man to male physique magazines can "pervert" him into becoming a homosexual, while young boys have even less resistance; one of every twenty births is illegitimate; and venereal disease is on the rise, even among the ten-to-eighteen age bracket.' Perversion for Profit, released in 1963, crystallized the philosophy and methods of Citizens for Decent Literature (CDL), the preeminent antiobscenity group of the 1960s. The film overwhelmed its audience with this barrage of horrors but offered a solution in the law. Because the Supreme Court has placed obscenity outside the protection of the First Amendment, the film declared, citizens possess a "constitutional guarantee of protection from obscenity" that is best realized by forming a local CDL chapter. In the event that George Putnam's threat of "your daughter, lured into lesbianism" failed to motivate viewers sufficiently, the film also displayed and explained various examples of obscene magazines, with slim red bars covering the "obscene" body parts. A rear shot of a naked woman "appeals
Regional differences in emissions reduction opportunities: Policy implications

Electric utilities around the USA have profound differences in their existing capital stock. These affect the character of regional opportunities for reducing pollutant emissions. This paper introduces a simple system level emissions model and identifies cost-effective pollution reduction strategies for each region, given choices that include life extending existing capacity, investing in new technology, and demand-side management. It shows that superior solutions differ across pollutants and regions. This implies that policy prescriptions to reduce the environmental externalities associated with power production should recognize existing capacity characteristics in order to be efficient.
Monte Carlo Simulations of Pair Distribution Functions of Dense Discrete Random Media With Multiple Sizes of Particles

In a dense discrete random medium, the propagation and scattering of waves are affected by the statistics of the particle positions. For the case of particles of finite size, the positions of the particles relative to each other in the presence of other particles are correlated and the second order statistics are described by the pair distribution functions. In this paper, we perform Monte Carlo simulations of pair distribution functions of dense discrete random media consisting of particles of multiple sizes. The Metropolis technique and the sequential random addition of particles methods are used to generate a series of configurations through random processes. The pair distribution functions are calculated by counting the average occurrence of pair separation of particles. The Monte Carlo results of the particle pair distribution functions are illustrated and are compared with the results of the Percus-Yevick approximation. The results from the two Monte Carlo methods are found to be in good agreement.
Modulation of lysosomal enzyme levels in cultured cells: effects of alterations in cell density, balanced growth, and endocytosis.

Abstract Factors which influence lysosomal enzyme accumulation in cultured cells have been studied. In cell types of both fibroblast (3T6) and epithelial (HeLa) origin, acid phosphatase and β- N -acetylglucosaminidase activities increase with increasing cell density. However, in other cell lines such as BHK or chick embryo fibroblasts, little or no accumulation of lysosomal enzymes occurred with increased cell density. Increased lysosomal enzyme activity need not necessarily be accompanied by alterations in rate of cell growth, rate of pinocytosis, or amount of internalized degradable macromolecules. The stimulus for lysosomal enzyme accumulation appears to require cell contact, since sparsely plated cells do not exhibit lysosomal enzyme accumulation. In 3T6 cells, lysosomal enzymes also accumulate during “step-down” conditions, such as amino acid or serum depletion, or during unbalanced growth resulting from inhibition of cytokinesis or DNA synthesis. Increases in the specific activity of lysosomal enzymes which occur during step-down conditions or unbalanced growth require cell contact, since they are not seen in sparse cells, but are observed in medium- and high-density cells incubated in serum-free medium. Studies employing actinomycin D suggest that lysosomal enzyme levels are regulated primarily via control of enzyme synthesis, rather than enzyme degradation.
Conics in the Lofting of Streamlines

THE increase in aircraft sizes which is envisaged in the next few years, raises the question of adequate lofting space where the traditional method by fairing by eye is still used. This problem can be met by the adoption of a mathematical technique which not only eliminates the need for considerable space but also provides close and accurate control of the body form. Whilst the size factor may make the lofting problem more acute and so lead to a better appreciation of a mathematical method, the use of such a method is equally valuable in the case of smaller aircraft in that it enables the loftsman to blend all parts of the body form together and to provide the layout draughtsman with accurate shapes for all parts which contain part of the body contour.
Discharging the jaundiced infant from the hospital: risky for the infant or physician?

To the Editor.— This correspondence is in regard to the recent article by Woods and Tuchman about neuroblastoma screening and the commentary by McWilliams.1,2 Woods and Tuchman make a strong case for the institution of mass screening for neuroblastoma in infants to diagnose the tumors at an earlier and more treatable stage of their disease. The feasibility of this type of screening has been successfully demonstrated for other diseases (eg, galactosemia, hypothyroidism, and phenylketonuria) with resultant decreased morbidity and mortality.
Near-field amplitude-only measurement system to validate performance of mm-wave antennas

This paper presents design and experimental validation of the radiation performance of a mm wave antenna comprising of a torroidal shaped reflector with multiple sub reflectors to be used in NASA's SIRICE mission. Design aspects of the SIRICE antenna system are discussed and a near-field amplitude-only measurement setup is described for experimental validation of the radiation performance of the SIRICE antenna. A global optimization procedure, Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), was used to estimate the phase front of the measured near-field. The radiation performance of a standard X-band antenna obtained from near-field amplitude-only measurements is compared with its documented performance.
Online Algorithm for Optimal Real-Time Energy Distribution in the Smart Grid

The two-way energy and information flows in a smart grid, together with the smart devices, bring new perspectives to energy management and demand response. This paper investigates an online algorithm for electricity energy distribution in a smart grid environment. We first present a formulation that captures the key design factors such as user's utility and cost, grid load smoothing, dynamic pricing, and energy provisioning cost. The problem is shown to be convex and can be solved with an offline algorithm if future user and grid related information are known a priori. We then develop an online algorithm that only requires past and present information about users and the grid, and prove that the online solution is asymptotically optimal. The proposed energy distribution framework and the online algorithm are quite general, suitable for a wide range of utility, cost, and pricing functions. It is evaluated with trace-driven simulations and shown to outperform a benchmark scheme.
Acetylcholine receptor inactivation in Torpedo californica electroplax membrane vesicles. Detection of two processes in the millisecond and second time regions.

Summary The rates of inactivations of the acetylcholine receptor-controlled ion flux were measured with membrane vesicles prepared from the electric organ of Torpedo californica . A flow quench technique with a time resolution of 2 msec was used. The vesicles were preincubated with carbamylcholine for various periods of time and then the rate of 86 Rb + influx was measured. The influx rate decreased progressively with the length of preincubation time. This decrease (inactivation) in influx rate occurred in two different time zones. A fast inactivation process with a half-time of ∼300 msec resulted in at least a 60-fold decrease of ion flux rate. The remaining ion flux activity decreased to an undetectable level in a slow inactivation process with a half-time of 6–7 seconds. Previously, only one inactivation process has been observed by ion flux measurements with receptor-rich vesicles from Electrophorus electricus or Torpedo species.
Longitudinal Response of an Aircraft due to a Trailing Vortex Pair

ofoils and Wings," Transonic Aerodynamics, AGARD Conference Proceedings 35, 1968, pp. 11-1 to 11-23. Mager, A., "On the Model of the Free, Shock-Separated, Turbulent Boundary Layer," Journal of the Aeronautical Sciences, Vol. 23, Feb. 1956, pp. 181-184. Smith, D. K., "Wind Tunnel Investigation of the Pressure Distribution on a Two-Dimensional Airfoil with Pylon Mounted Stores at Mach Numbers from 0.70 to 0.90," AEDC-TR-73-71, March 1973, Arnold Engineering Development Center, Arnold Air Force Station, Tenn. Krupp, J. A., "The Numerical Calculation of Plane Steady Transonic Flows Past Thin Lifting Airfoils," PhD. thesis, June 1971, University of Washington, Seattle, Wash. Studwell, V. E., "Investigation of Transonic Aerodynamic Phenomena for Wing Mounted External Stores," PhD. thesis, June 1973, University of Tennessee Space Institute, Tullahoma, Tenn. Fig. 2 Variation of incremental lift coefficient per unit vortex strength with position of left vortex.
Characterization of the LCROSS impact plume from a ground-based imaging detection

The 2009 LCROSS mission detected water in a debris plume ejected from the Moon’s southern pole, but poor viewing angles limited essential data regarding plume dynamics. Strycker et al. provide independent observations of the debris plume from Earth and ascertain much needed morphological information.
Medications for the treatment of narcolepsy.

Narcolepsy is a syndrome of unknown aetiology characterised by excessive daytime sleepiness (often severe) usually in association with cataplexy (brief episodes of partial or complete muscle paralysis) and often with other uncommon symptoms. Due to limited disease-specific knowledge, medication treatment for this condition has focussed on specific symptom amelioration rather than improving or eliminating underlying disease mechanisms. Such treatment generally consists of stimulants for daytime sleepiness and anticataplectic medication for cataplexy; hence, both types of agents are reviewed in this article. Recent discoveries, including the finding that canine familial narcolepsy is caused by a single gene defect in the hypocretin receptor, coupled with the findings in human narcoleptics of undetectable hypocretin levels in the CSF and of severe hypocretin-containing neuronal atrophy in brains of deceased narcoleptics, have shifted the focus of narcolepsy treatment research to the hypocretin system. The ho...
Idiographic and nomothetic child assessment : convergence between the California Child Q-Sort and the personality inventory for children

Abstract Tested the convergence between the California Child Q-Sort and Personality Inventory for Children which are, respectively, idiographic and nomothetic parent-report instruments for describing a child's personality. Thirty-two children referred for psychological evaluations and their mothers, were S s. The 100-item Q-Sorts were reduced to two primary measures of ego control and ego resilience, using the template-matching method. A third variable represented the child's similarity with the “typical” clinic child in the sample. Correlational analyses showed the predicted convergence between the construct of ego undercontrol in the Q-Sort and those scales tapping the acting-out factor of the PIC (Delinquency and Family Relations) but no significant relation between ego resilience and the cognitive development factor of the PIC. Also noteworthy was the substantial (-0.73) correlation between the PIC Infrequency (F) Scale and the typical child template generated with the Q-Sort. Results are suggestive of the clinical utility of the CCQ.
Hydroponic Screening of Willows (Salix L.) for Lead Tolerance and Accumulation

Lead tolerance and accumulation in five willow clones were investigated using a nutrient film technique. Plants were exposed to 0, 48, 121, 169, or 241 μM Pb for 14 days. Tolerance indices (TI) and critical toxicity thresholds (EC50) were determined for five willow clones. SX61 had the highest TI values (92%) in the 48 and 121 μM Pb treatments, as well as the highest EC50 threshold values (70.5μM for roots, 155.9μM for aboveground tissue), indications of a high degree of tolerance to Pb. This clone also developed the highest biomass of all the clones tested. We found significant variation in willows' lead accumulation. The highest Pb content in roots (24 mg plant−1) and aboveground tissue (7.6 mg plant−1) was recorded in the 48 μM Pb treatment in SX61. Based on high biomass, TI, EC50, and Pb content in plant tissues, SX61 holds promise for phytoextraction of lead.
Hospital-Acquired Infections Due to Gram-Negative Bacteria

Hospital-acquired infections are most commonly associated with mechanical ventilation, invasive medical devices, or surgical procedures. Gram-negative bacteria are responsible for more than 30% of hospital-acquired infections and predominate in hospital-acquired pneumonia. They are highly efficient at up-regulating or acquiring mechanisms of antibiotic drug resistance, especially in the presence of antibiotic selection pressure. This review updates what clinicians should know about these often life-threatening infections.
Integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect: Large scale structure correlation

I discuss the correlation between the late-time integrated Sachs-Wolfe (ISW) effect in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature anisotropies and the large scale structure of the local universe. This correlation has been proposed and studied in the literature as a probe of the dark energy and its physical properties. I consider a variety of large scale structure tracers suitable for a detection of the ISW effect via a cross correlation. In addition to luminous sources, I suggest the use of tracers such as dark matter halos or galaxy clusters. A suitable catalogue of mass selected halos for this purpose can be constructed with upcoming wide-field lensing and Sunyaev-Zel’dovich (SZ) effect surveys. With multifrequency data, the presence of the ISW-large scale structure correlation can also be investigated through a cross-correlation of the frequency cleaned SZ and CMB maps. While convergence maps constructed from lensing surveys of the large scale structure via galaxy ellipticities are less correlated with the ISW effect, lensing potentials that deflect CMB photons are strongly correlated and allow, probably, the best mechanism to study the ISW-large scale structure correlation with CMB data alone.
Synthesis and evaluation of alternative substrates for arginase.

Abstract Two novel carboxyl-containing arginase substrates, 4-guanidino-3-nitrobenzoic acid and 4-guanidino-2-nitrophenylacetic acid, have been synthesized and found to give enhanced catalysis and dramatically lower K m values relative to 1-nitro-3-guanidinobenzene, a substrate designed for use in a chromophoric arginase assay. To more efficiently mimic the natural substrate, a series of sulfur analogs of l -arginine were synthesized and kinetically characterized. The parent compound, l -thioarginine, with the bridging guanidinium nitrogen of l -arginine replaced with sulfur, functions as efficiently as the natural substrate. The desamino analog shows extremely low turnover, while the k cat of the descarboxy analog is only 75-fold lower than that of arginine. These results suggest that the bridging nitrogen of l -arginine is not important for either substrate binding or catalysis, while the α-carboxyl group facilitates substrate binding, and the α-amino group is necessary for efficient catalysis. Isothiourea homologs previously reported to be nitric oxide synthase inhibitors have been found to undergo a rapid non-enzymatic rearrangement to a species that is probably the true inhibitor.
Saquinavir enhances the mucosal toxicity of infusional cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and etoposide in patients with HIV-associated non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Protease inhibitors are an important new class of agents for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The purpose of our trial was to determine the feasibility of combining the protease inhibitor saquinavir with a 96-hour continuous intravenous infusion of cyclophosphamide (800 mg/M2), doxorubicin (50mg/M2, and etoposide (240 mg/M2) (CDE) plus filgrastim in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma associated with HIV infection. The effect of saquinavir on CDE-induced myelosuppression, CD4 lymphopenia, and non-hematologic toxicity was also sought. Twelve patients with HIV-related lymphoma received CDE every 28 or more days. All patients received saquinavir (600 mg PO TID), filgrastim andPneumocystis carinii and fungal prophylaxis. Patients also received either stavudine (n=2) or boths stavudine and didanosine (n=10). Toxicity was analyzed using the NCI Common Toxicity Criteria for each cycle and the data were compared with the data from our prior study of CDE plus didanosine. An interim analysis was performed after accrual of the first 12 patients in order to assess toxicity. Severe (grade 3 or 4) mucositis occurred in eight of 12 patients (67%) treated with CDE plus saquinavir compared with three of 25 patients (12%) in our prior study treated with CDE without saquinavir (P<0.001). In logistic regression analysis, saquinavir use was the only factor associated with a significantly greater risk of severe mucositis (relative risk 7.9;P=0.03). Saquinavir use was not associated with a significant difference in the incidence of febrile neutropenia, prolonged neutropenia, chemotherapy dose reduction, or in the degree of myelosuppression. The decrease in CD4 lymphocytes for patients treated with saquinavir (absolute decrease of 23/μL, or a 26% decrease from baseline) was significantly less than for patients treated without saquinavir in the prior study (absolute decrease of 91/μL, or 42% decrease from baseline;P=0.05). Four of 10 patients (40%) treated with saquinavir had an increase in CD4 lymphocytes of ≥10/μL compared with none of 25 patients (0%) treated without saquinavir (P<0.001). Combination of the protease inhibitor saquinavir with infusional CDE in patients with HIV-associated lymphoma was associated with a significant increase in the incidence of severe mucositis. This finding suggests that saquinavir may alter the metabolism of one of more of the cytotoxic agents in the CDE regimen, and underscores the need for careful investigation regarding the use of the protease inhibitors in patients receiving chemotherapy.
Preparing for explosion: Pollen tubes are capacitated by the pistil.

Pollen tubes transport two immotile sperm cells in their cytoplasm during growth through the pistil, delivering one to the egg cell to form the zygote and one to the central cell to create the endosperm. Pollen tubes grow through the pistil’s complex extracellular environment and target ovules by following a gradient of small protein attractants, which are secreted by two specialized synergid cells within the ovule. This image shows Arabidopsis thaliana pollen tubes growing in vitro, and illustrates how pollen tubes gain the capacity to locate and enter ovules only after interaction with the pistil tissue. When pollen grains expressing red fluorescent protein (bottom) are placed directly on media in vitro, they exhibit random growth and are unable to target ovules (shown in white; middle). In contrast, when pollen expressing green fluorescent protein (top) is grown through an explant of stigma and style, pollen tubes grow more rapidly and efficiently target and enter ovules. Pollen transcriptional programs are rapidly induced during growth through the pistil, which prepares the pollen tube for interaction with the synergid cells. The molecular components that allow perception of the chemoattractants, which are similarly transcriptionally regulated, are beginning to be identified. Pollen growth in the pistil initiates pollen tube differentiation, maximizing the capacity of pollen to deliver sperm.
An automated neutron reflectometer (POSY II) at the intense pulsed neutron source

Abstract A brief description is given of the time-of-flight neutron reflectometer POSY II at the Intense Pulsed Neutron Source (IPNS) at Argonne National Laboratory. Both data collection and refinement of the experimental data are nearly automatic. The neutron reflectivity is measured as a function of the neutron momentum perpendicular to the surface over a range from 0 to 0.1 A -1 . The instrument is capable of measuring reflectivities as low as 10 -6 . The neutron reflectivity is used to determine the composition profile of the layers close to the surface of the sample, with a depth resolution of ∽10 A.
Seeding cool‐season grasses into unimproved warm‐season pasture in the southern Great Plains of the United States

Limited availability of herbage during the cool season creates a problem of a supply of nutrients for livestock producers throughout the southern Great Plains of the USA and, particularly, on small farms where resource constraints limit possible mitigating strategies. Six cool-season grasses were individually sown into clean-tilled ground, no-till drilled into stubble of Korean lespedeza [Kummerowia stipulacea (Maxim) Makino] or no-till over-sown into dormant unimproved warm-season pastures. The dry matter (DM) yields of mixtures of cool and warm-season herbage species were measured to test their potential for increasing cool-season herbage production in a low-input pasture environment. Only mixtures containing Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam) produced greater year-round DM yields than undisturbed warm-season pasture with all establishment methods. When cool-season grass was no-till seeded into existing warm-season pasture, there was on average a 0·61 kg DM increase in year-round herbage production for each 1·0 kg DM of cool-season grass herbage produced. Sowing into stubble of Korean lespedeza, or into clean-tilled ground, required 700 or 1400 kg DM ha−1, respectively, of cool-season production before the year-round DM yield of each species equalled that of undisturbed warm-season pasture. Productive pastures of perennial cool-season grasses were not sustained beyond two growing seasons with tall wheatgrass [Elytrigia elongata (Host) Nevski], intermediate wheatgrass [Elytrigia intermedia (Host) Nevski] and a creeping wheatgrass (Elytrigia repens L.) × bluebunch wheatgrass [Pseudoroegneria spicata (Pursh)] hybrid. Lack of persistence and low productivity limit the usefulness of cool-season perennial grasses for over-seeding unimproved warm-season pasture in the southern Great Plains.
Spectrophotometric measurement of total inorganic carbon in aqueous solutions using a liquid core waveguide

Abstract This work describes spectrophotometric procedures for direct measurements of total inorganic carbon in aqueous solutions. The procedures used for these measurements involve CO2 equilibration across the permeable wall of a Teflon AF-2400 liquid core waveguide. The waveguide acts as both an equilibration membrane and an optical cell in which spectrophotometric pH measurements, obtained via measurements of absorbance ratios, are used to determine the CO2 fugacity and total carbon in acidified solutions surrounding the waveguide. Total carbon concentrations (CT)a in the acidified external medium are calculated using the equation: log (C T ) a = log (K 0 ) a (K 0 ) i +B(t)− log R−e 1 1−Re 3 /e 2 where B(t) is an empirically derived constant, (K0)a and (K0)i are Henry’s law constants appropriate to the acidified external solution (a) and a solution inside the waveguide (i) whose total alkalinity is known, R is an absorbance ratio of bromocresol purple (BCP) at 589 and 432 nm, and both e1 and e3/e2 are molar absorptivity ratios appropriate to bromocresol purple. Spectrophotometric (CT)a measurements of natural riverine samples obtained using the procedures described in this work are in good agreement with CT measurements obtained via coulometry.
Electronic Properties and Stability of Artificial In-N Molecules

In the work reported here the Hartree-Fock (HF), restricted open shell HF (ROHF), and multiconfiguration self-consistent field (CI/CASSCF/MCSCF) methods are used to predict electronic properties of several artificial molecules of InAsN and indium nitride whose structure and composition have been derived from those of the corresponding symmetry elements of the zincblende and wurtzite bulk lattices. Both quantum-confined and “vacuum” clusters (whose geometry has been optimized without any spatial constraints applied to the atomic positions) were studied focusing on the electronic energy level structure, direct optical transition energy (OTE), and charge and spin distributions. The obtained results indicate that inclusion of “impurity” atoms (such as As atoms) may enhance stability of both vacuum and confined pyramidal In-N molecules and provide for manipulations of the OTE in a wide range of its values. The CI/CASSCF/MCSCF OTEs of the studied wurtzite-based clusters may also vary in a wide range, from 1.7440 eV for the smallest pre-designed prismatic molecule In 6 N 6 to 6.9780 eV for its almost perfect prismatic “vacuum” counterpart. These evaluations closely correlate with experimental data available in literature.
Dual regulation of the lin-14 target mRNA by the lin-4 miRNA.

microRNAs (miRNAs) are ~22 nt regulatory RNAs that in animals typically bind with partial complementarity to sequences in the 3′ untranslated (UTR) regions of target mRNAs, to induce a decrease in the production of the encoded protein. The relative contributions of translational inhibition of intact mRNAs and degradation of mRNAs caused by binding of the miRNA vary; for many genetically validated miRNA targets, translational repression has been implicated, whereas some analyses of other miRNA targets have revealed only modest translational repression and more significant mRNA destabilization. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the lin-4 miRNA accumulates during early larval development, binds to target elements in the lin-14 mRNA, and causes a sharp decrease in the abundance of LIN-14 protein. Here, we monitor the dynamics of lin-14 mRNA and protein as well as lin-4 miRNA levels in finely staged animals during early larval development. We find complex regulation of lin-14, with the abundance of lin-14 mRNA initially modestly declining followed by fluctuation but little further decline of lin-14 mRNA levels accompanied by continuing and more dramatic decline in LIN-14 protein abundance. We show that the translational inhibition of lin-14 is dependent on binding of the lin-4 miRNA to multiple lin-4 complementary sites in the lin-14 3′UTR. Our results point to the importance of translational inhibition in silencing of lin-14 by the lin-4 miRNA.