cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phosphorus soil testing: Environmental uses and implications

Abstract Phosphorus (P) soil testing has traditionally and successfully focused on rapidly measuring the level of plant‐available P in a soil and on interpreting the result in terms of the likelihood of crop response to applied P. Concern about the relationship between soil P and degradation of surface water quality has created a demand for soil testing laboratories to expand beyond their traditional scope and begin offering “Environmental P Tests”; ‐ soil tests that measure other pools of P or that offer an environmental interpretation of the analytical results. However, with new tests often come new challenges, such as the need for changes in sampling protocols, assimilation of the new test into the laboratory setting, and the development of interpretative guidelines without adequate data from long‐term field studies. In this paper we first present a summary of soil tests for P that could be used for environmental purposes, along with current interpretations and applications of these tests in the US. We...
Collaborative Learning in an Undergraduate Theory Course: An Assessment of Goals and Outcomes

This project was designed to assess whether a collaborative learning approach to teaching sociological theory would be a successful means of improving student engagement in learning theory and of i...
Model reduction and control of multi-scale reaction-convection processes

This paper focuses on non-isothermal plug flow reactors with fast and slow reactions. These processes are modeled by first order hyperbolic partial differential equations with large and small parameters, which results in stiffness and multi-scale behavior. Through a combination of the method of characteristics and singular perturbation techniques, a model reduction method is developed for obtaining a non-stiff representation of the dominant dynamics of these systems. The application of the method and the advantages of using the reduced models for model-based control are illustrated through a case study.
On dynamic polymorphing of a superscalar core for improving energy efficiency

The computational needs of a program change over time. Sometimes a program exhibits low instruction level parallelism (ILP), while at other times the inherent ILP may be higher; sometimes a program stalls due to a large number of cache misses, while at other times it may exhibit high cache throughput. Asymmetric Multicore Processors (AMP) have been proposed to allow matching the computing needs of a thread to a core where it executes most efficiently. Some of the recent works focus on AMPs consisting of a monolithic large out-of-order (OOO) core and a small in-order (InO) core. Dynamic swapping of threads between these cores is then facilitated to improve energy efficiency of the threads without impacting performance too negatively. Swapping decisions are made at coarse grain instruction granularities to mitigate the impact of migration overhead. This excludes many opportunities for swap at a fine granular level. In this paper we consider a single superscalar OOO core that can morph itself dynamically into an InO core at runtime. In order to determine when to morph from OOO to InO and vice-versa, we rely on certain hardware performance monitors. Using these performance monitors we estimate the energy-delay-squared product (ED2P) for both modes of operation, which is then used to make morphing decisions. The morphing hardware support is simple and is already available in certain Intel processors to facilitate debug. The proposed scheme has low migration overhead, that enables fine-grain morphing to achieve more energy efficient computing by trading a small loss of performance for much greater energy reduction.
Elementos do esperpento na crônica policial espanhola

The present work studies, using the journalistic-literary comparative methodology, the relationships between the journalistic production -on penal subjects- and the narrative’ studies, scanning the presence of elements characteristic of the Sight in the criminal chronicle. For such, we select four criminal events, committed for juvenile offenders that, between 2000 and 2003, had great impact in the Spanish public opinion, hauling even the production of reforms in the penal legislation. In such a way, the division between reality and fiction, information and entertainment in the Spanish press is revised.
The Internet and global cultural transformation

In this article, we discuss the role of the internet in cultural changes and transformation. The traditional view is that inherent cultures affect business operations so corporations must be cognizant of the prevalent cultures in their operating environments. Frequently, failures of multinational corporations in new environments are often blamed on corporate lack of knowledge and understanding of these prevalent cultures. While this may still be true in today’s environment, the influence of technology, particularly the internet in the 21st century, has been so significant that the world may be approaching a “unification of cultures”. Thus, this paper argues that the internet will lead to a global cultural transformation that will enhance global business operations by removing cultural barriers that lead to sub‐optimal business operations.
The physical parameters and molecular events associated with radiation-induced lung toxicity.

Radiation therapy (RT) is frequently used to treat patients with tumors in and around the thorax. Clinical radiation pneumonitis is a common side effect, occurring in 5% to 20% of patients. Efforts to identify patients at risk for pneumonitis have focused on physical factors, such as dose and volume. Recently, the underlying molecular biological mechanisms behind RT-induced lung injury have come under study. Improved knowledge of the molecular events associated with RT-induced lung injury may translated into a better ability to individualized therapy. This review discusses our current understanding of the physical and molecular factors contributing to RT-induced pulmonary injury
Nitro groups as proton acceptors in hydrogen bonding

Abstract Nitro compounds can participate in both intermolecular and intramolecular hydrogen bonding, as revealed by IR spectroscopic evidence. This conclusion contradicts recent literature reports, which are shown to be in error. Spectral shifts of OH proton donors bonding to nitro compounds are small, indicating the weakly basic character of the NO 2 function. The magnitude of intermolecular spectral shifts to nitro compounds depend markedly on proton acceptor concentration; the desirability of making such measurements by extrapolation to infinite dilution is emphasized. The data reveal appreciable ground state resonance interaction between NO 2 groups and aromatic rings in nitrobenzene and its derivatives.
Why the American Journal of Criminal Justice is a Great Place to Publish: A Research Note Examining Frequent Authors' Experiences

This research note explores the rationale for consistently submitting scholarly manuscripts to and publishing in American Journal of Criminal Justice. By means of structured interviews with nine of the most frequently published authors throughout the history of the journal, this research identifies that AJCJ’s manuscript review process and its readership are the most common themes regarding motivations for consistently selecting the journal. Specifically, data reveals that these authors believe that timely responses to submissions, high-quality feedback, helpful editors, increased audience exposure, and received feedback from readers make AJCJ an attractive and viable outlet for their research articles.
Thermoelastic evolution of contact area and mound temperatures in carbon graphite electrical brushes

Abstract Using the finite element method to estimate coupled electrical, thermal and thermoelastic fields, and an exact solution to analyze elastic contact stresses, electrical and frictional heating of a thermal mound present in the interface between a carbon graphite block sliding against a fast moving conductor is simulated. Heating due to frictional power dissipation is modeled by internal heat sources uniformly distributed within a very thin layer beneath the sliding contact interface. Internal Joule heat sources are estimated from the electric field and resistivity. The thermal mound possesses the highly temperature-dependent electrical resistivity, thermal conductivity and specific heat common to carbon graphite materials. Evolution of the mound temperatures from cold to hot and the contact radii from large to small is studied. Results show that the type of thermal boundary condition prescribed on the contact surface has a marked effect on the entire evolution. To simulate the extreme reduction of contact area observed in the evolution to thermal mounding from normal contact, an insulated thermal boundary condition was needed.
Genomics for weed science.

Numerous genomic-based studies have provided insight to the physiological and evolutionary processes involved in develop- mental and environmental processes of model plants such as arabidopsis and rice. However, far fewer efforts have been attempted to use genomic resources to study physiological and evolutionary processes of weedy plants. Genomics-based tools such as extensive EST data- bases and microarrays have been developed for a limited number of weedy species, although application of information and resources developed for model plants and crops are possible and have been exploited. These tools have just begun to provide insights into the re- sponse of these weeds to herbivore and pathogen attack, survival of extreme environmental conditions, and interaction with crops. The potential of these tools to illuminate mechanisms controlling the traits that allow weeds to invade novel habitats, survive extreme envi- ronments, and that make weeds difficult to eradicate have potential for both improving crops and developing novel methods to control weeds.
An analytical particle mover for the charge- and energy-conserving, nonlinearly implicit, electrostatic particle-in-cell algorithm

Abstract We propose a 1D analytical particle mover for the recent charge- and energy-conserving electrostatic particle-in-cell (PIC) algorithm in Ref. [G. Chen, L. Chacon, D.C. Barnes, An energy- and charge-conserving, implicit, electrostatic particle-in-cell algorithm, Journal of Computational Physics 230 (2011) 7018–7036]. The approach computes particle orbits exactly for a given piece-wise linear electric field. The resulting PIC algorithm maintains the exact charge and energy conservation properties of the original algorithm, but with improved performance (both in efficiency and robustness against the number of particles and timestep). We demonstrate the advantageous properties of the scheme with a challenging multiscale numerical test case, the ion acoustic wave. Using the analytical mover as a reference, we demonstrate that the choice of error estimator in the Crank–Nicolson mover has significant impact on the overall performance of the implicit PIC algorithm. The generalization of the approach to the multi-dimensional case is outlined, based on a novel and simple charge conserving interpolation scheme.
Modification of K+ transport in yeast by the polyene antifungal antibiotic N-acetylcandidin

Abstract The action of the polyene antifungal, N-acetylcandidin (NAC), on K+ retention and transport by Saccharomyces cerevisiae was examined, since K+ loss is an early result of polyene binding by sensitive cells. Log-phase yeast in a K+-free medium at 30° retained its K+ relatively effectively in the presence of glucose, but slow losses occurred in the absence of an energy source. This loss was sharply increased by 20 μg NAC/mg cells; the effect was temporarily prevented by glucose. NAC-treated yeast could still accumulate added K+ (30°; 0.1 M glucose) but to a lesser extent than did the untreated cells. This accumulation is energy dependent, since at 0° or when glucose was omitted, both cell types took up K+ only with the concentration gradient. Adding 100 μg NAC/mg cells further increased the rate of K+ loss and prevented the accumulation of K+. The antibiotic does not appear to produce true holes in the cell membrane, since K+ was retained at 0°, even by NAC-treated cells which had already lost a part of their K+ at 30°. Sodium enhanced both K+ retention and accumulation in normal yeast cells. With NAC-treated cells, Na+ increased K+ loss and reduced K+ accumulation when added with the K+. NAC did not seem to increase the permeability of the yeast cell membrane, nor did it completely prevent the active uptake of K+ except at high antibiotic levels which eliminated energy-yielding reactions. The binding of NAC apparently alters the membrane, thus reducing indirectly the efficiency of ion transport, probably both into and out of the cell, and changing the usual Na+-K+ transport balance. This reduces the ratio of intracellular to extracellular K+ which the treated cell can maintain. It is proposed that this alteration of the transport system is an early, general effect of polyenes and that polyenes other than NAC produce additional changes which are important to, but not essential for, antifungal action.
Effect of homologous RNA polymerase on the increase in chromatin template activity of stimulated fibroblasts.

Abstract Confluent, non-dividing monolayers of WI-38 human diploid fibroblasts can be stimulated to synthesize DNA and divide by a change of medium and serum. Within one hour of stimulation there is an increase in the template activity for RNA synthesis of chromatin. This change in chromatin template activity is seen using either a heterologous E. coli or a homologous HeLa cell RNA polymerase. This strengthens the conclusion that genome activation is one of the earliest changes in the stimulated cells.
SU‐E‐T‐854: Key Anatomical Factors Influencing OAR Dose‐Volume Distribution in Prostate IMRT Plans

Purpose: To identify the key factors of patient anatomy that influence the optimal dose volume histograms (DVHs) for the organs‐at‐risk (OARs) and to explore the tradeoffs between different OAR sparing goals. Methods: 88 prostate IMRT plans were studied retrospectively. The PTV‐OAR (bladder and rectum) geometry was described by the distance‐to‐target histogram (DTH) with a variable distance model to reflect the co‐planar beam configuration. Principal Component (PC) analysis was applied to DVH and DTH distributions in the patient pool to extract their salient features. The PCs were interpreted in terms of the patient anatomy and dose‐volume distribution metrics. The correlation coefficients between the PCs and these metrics were calculated. Finally, a stepwise multiple regression method was used to quantify the influence of these key anatomy parameters on the quality of corresponding DVHs. Results: The first PCs of DTH and DVH characterize the means of the histograms; the second PCs characterize the gradients of the histograms within a range. The most significant factor contributing to the first PC score (PC1) of DVH is the PC1 of DTH. It represents the correlation between the mean distance and the mean dose. The DVH PC2 is correlated with the DTH PC2, indicating the influence of DTH gradient on the gradient of DVH. Another significant factor affecting DVH PC2 is the fraction of OAR volume outside treatment fields with co‐planar beam setting. These factors combined account for significant majority of the cross patient DVH variation in the OARs: with the determination coefficients R, 2 =0.88 and R, 2 =0.85 for PC1 and PC2 of bladder, respectively, and R, 2 =0.68 and R, 2 =0.69 for PC1 and PC2 of rectum, respectively. Conclusions: Key factors representing the influence of patient's anatomy on the corresponding DVHs are extracted and quantified. This knowledge can be used to predict patient specific DVHs in IMRT planning. Duke Univesity has a master research agreement with VARIAN Systems, Inc..
The Incidence Of Bariatric Surgery Has Plateaued In the U.S

Background Estimates of the procedure incidence for bariatric surgery have been derived primarily from surveys of bariatric surgeons or from inpatient data sources. New population-representative databases of outpatient surgery are available that enable accurate estimations of bariatric surgery case volumes. Methods The 2006 National Hospital Discharge Survey, National Inpatient Sample, and National Survey of Ambulatory Surgery were assessed for bariatric surgery procedures. Data were compared with inpatient data from 1993 to 2007. Procedure costs were estimated. Results The incidence of bariatric surgery has plateaued at approximately 113,000 cases per year. Open gastric bypass now constitutes only 3% of all cases but costs $4,800 less than laparoscopic procedures. Laparoscopic gastric banding is performed in 37% of all bariatric surgery cases and costs the same as laparoscopic gastric bypass to perform. Complication rates have fallen from 10.5% in 1993 to 7.6% of all cases in 2006. Bariatric surgery costs the health economy at least $1.5 billion annually. Conclusions Despite predictions of continued growth of bariatric surgery, it appears that the annual incidence for these operations has remained stable since 2003. Most operations are performed laparoscopically, but open gastric bypass is substantially less costly than laparoscopic operations. Despite its simplicity, laparoscopic gastric banding costs the same as gastric bypass. There is no cost savings associated with ambulatory bariatric surgery.
Quantifying and Modeling Birth Order Effects in Autism

Autism is a complex genetic disorder with multiple etiologies whose molecular genetic basis is not fully understood. Although a number of rare mutations and dosage abnormalities are specific to autism, these explain no more than 10% of all cases. The high heritability of autism and low recurrence risk suggests multifactorial inheritance from numerous loci but other factors also intervene to modulate risk. In this study, we examine the effect of birth rank on disease risk which is not expected for purely hereditary genetic models. We analyzed the data from three publicly available autism family collections in the USA for potential birth order effects and studied the statistical properties of three tests to show that adequate power to detect these effects exist. We detect statistically significant, yet varying, patterns of birth order effects across these collections. In multiplex families, we identify V-shaped effects where middle births are at high risk; in simplex families, we demonstrate linear effects where risk increases with each additional birth. Moreover, the birth order effect is gender-dependent in the simplex collection. It is currently unknown whether these patterns arise from ascertainment biases or biological factors. Nevertheless, further investigation of parental age-dependent risks yields patterns similar to those observed and could potentially explain part of the increased risk. A search for genes considering these patterns is likely to increase statistical power and uncover novel molecular etiologies.
Human genome search in celiac disease: mutated gliadin T-cell-like epitope in two human proteins promotes T-cell activation.

Abstract Discovery of a number of novel and known human genes whose protein products bear striking similarity to two or more wheat gliadin domains raised the possibility that human intestinal non-HLA peptides homologous to celiac T-cell epitopes could play a role in non-HLA gene specification in celiac disease. Database searching of the entire human genome identified only 11 gut-expressed proteins with high T-cell epitope homology, particularly to the DQ2-γ-I-gliadin epitope (i.e. TFIIA, FOXJ2 and IgD; mean BestFit quality score=40 versus random value of 24). Others were similar to DQ2-α-I-gliadin (i.e. PAX9; BestFit quality 46 versus 20 for random), or DQ2-α-II-gliadin (PHLDA1, known in mice as the T-cell death-associated gene; BestFit quality 43 versus 30 for random) epitopes. Among proteins previously screened for gliadin homology, noteworthy was achaete scute homologous protein (DQ2-α-I-gliadin; BestFit quality 41 versus 22 for random). With the exception of IgD, all are nuclear factors. Paying particular attention to the position of potential major histocompatibility complex (MHC) anchor residues, several were selected for testing in a DQ2-γ-I-gliadin-restricted T-cell system. All native 10-mer peptides were inactive, even when deamidated, but V96F substitution of deamidated TFIIA amino acid residues 91–100 stimulated IL-2 release at levels exceeding the wheat gliadin positive control. Also active, but only slightly, was L1009F substitution of AIB3 amino acid residues 1004–1013. PlotSimilarity alignment of TFIIAs from eight species revealed subthreshold similarity score in the peptide region, in contrast to the highly conserved amino and carboxy termini. Molecular modeling of TFIIA[V96F] peptide points to an important juxtaposition of an upwardly projecting phenylalanine residue at peptide position 6 that likely contacts a receptor complementarity-determining region, and a downwardly projecting glutamic acid residue that fits into the shallow MHC P7 pocket. These observations tentatively point to a new multi-gene hypothesis for the initiation of celiac disease in which deamidated free human peptides with T-cell epitope homology (particularly those made more homologous by mutation) escape negative selection, as per deamidation of the HEL48–62 peptide in the hen egg lysozyme model of autoimmunity. Deamidation following peptide release due to injury triggers inflammation, thereafter repeatedly provoked by dietary gliadin immunodominant peptides concentrated in the proximal small intestine.
Periodic limb movements in sleep exhibit a circadian rhythm that is maximal in the late evening/early night

Objective Periodic limb movements in sleep (PLMS) show a time-of-night pattern, with most movements at the beginning of the night. Our study aimed to determine whether this pattern is due to an endogenous circadian rhythm, like that in the related movement disorder Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS).
Assignment of the genes for mouse type I procollagen to chromosome 16 using mouse fibroblast-Chinese hamster somatic cell hybrids.

Somatic cell hybrids between mouse and Chinese hamster fibroblasts have been used to identify the chromosome responsible for the synthesis of both mouse type I procollagen subunit chains (MCOLA1 and MCOLA2). Thirty-one separate hybrid clones and subclones from ten separate hybridization events were isolated in hypoxanthine-aminopterinthymidine (HA T) selection medium and were used for detailed gene-mapping studies. ELISA and “Western blotting” immunochemical analysis were used to detect the production of mouse type I procollagen in each hybrid clone. Mouse and Chinese hamster chromosomes were identified in each hybrid clone by trypsin-Giemsa banding of metaphase chromosome spreads and by isozyme analysis. We have found that mouse type I procollagen production segregates concordantly with mouse superoxide dismutase-1, previously mapped to mouse chromosome 16, and with the presence of mouse chromosome 16 karyotypically. Western blotting immunochemical analysis of the separated mouse procollagen chains produced by each hybrid line demonstrated that apparently the genes for both subunit chains are located on the same chromosome. These studies, therefore, assign the structural genes for mouse type I procollagen pro α1 (MCOLA1) and pro α2 (MCOLA2) chains to mouse chromosome 16.
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Generation Using a Single Lentiviral Stem Cell Cassette

Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells can be generated using retroviral vectors expressing Oct4, Klf4, Sox2, and cMyc. Most prior studies have required multiple retroviral vectors for reprogramming, resulting in high numbers of genomic integrations in iPS cells and limiting their use for therapeutic applications. Here we describe the use of a single lentiviral vector expressing a "stem cell cassette" composed of the four transcription factors and a combination of 2A peptide and internal ribosome entry site technology, generating iPS cells from postnatal fibroblasts. iPS cells generated in this manner display embryonic stem cell-like morphology, express stem cell markers, and exhibit in vivo pluripotency, as evidenced by their ability to differentiate in teratoma assays and their robust contribution to mouse chimeras. Combining all factors into a single transcript achieves the most efficient reprogramming system to date and allows derivation of iPS cells with a single viral integration. The use of a single lentiviral vector for reprogramming represents a powerful laboratory tool and a significant step toward the application of iPS technology for clinical purposes.
Computerized Insulin Infusion Programs Are Safe and Effective in the Burn Intensive Care Unit

Glucose control has repeatedly been shown to influence favorable outcomes in the surgical intensive care unit (ICU). Intensive insulin therapy has recently been associated with reduced infections complications in burn patients. However, traditional protocols are associated with rates of severe hypoglycemia as high as 19%. Two commercial computer glucose control programs have reported rates of severe hypoglycemia (glucose 200 mg/dl, patients are placed on a computer-based protocol intravenous insulin drip. Once initiated, BGs are tested hourly with adjustments made according to the computer protocol. Values recorded from January to December 2008 were abstracted from the database and analyzed. Thirty-one patients were treated using the computer glucose control protocol and 12,699 measurements were performed. There were eight measurements 300 mg/dl (0.2%). There were no adverse events associated with the hypoglycemic episode. The computer-based protocol is more effective than those previously used at the institution and provides safe, reliable results in the burn patients.
Four Methods of Power System Damping

Techniques for damping power system swings have been studied by analog and digital simulation.
Combination Chemotherapeutic Dry Powder Aerosols via Controlled Nanoparticle Agglomeration

Purpose To develop an aerosol system for efficient local lung delivery of chemotherapeutics where nanotechnology holds tremendous potential for developing more valuable cancer therapies. Concurrently, aerosolized chemotherapy is generating interest as a means to treat certain types of lung cancer more effectively with less systemic exposure to the compound.
Role of adenosine 5'-triphosphate in vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage: human investigations.

Objective Adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) is a vasoactive compound found in high concentrations inside erythrocytes. This compound may contribute to vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). We assessed the hypothesis that ATP contributes to vasospasm in humans. Methods ATP and hemoglobin concentrations were measured in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from humans with SAH and in blood incubated in vitro. The vasoactivity of the human CSF samples and of fractionated (fractions with molecular weight greater than or less than 10 kDa) and unfractionated blood incubated in vitro was assessed by application of samples to canine basilar artery segments under isometric tension. Results ATP in human CSF declined within 72 hours of SAH to concentrations too low to contract cerebral arteries. Vasoactivity of human CSF correlated with the concentration of hemoglobin. The vasoactivity of incubated erythrocyte hemolysates remained high despite a decline in ATP concentrations. Fractionation of incubated erythrocyte hemolysates showed that for incubation periods up to 7 days, all vasoactivity was in a fraction of molecular weight greater than 10 kDa. Conclusion ATP is unlikely to contribute to vasospasm because the concentrations in CSF after SAH in humans are not high enough to cause vasospasm after 72 hours. The vasoactivity of erythrocyte hemolysate is not related to the ATP or ferrous hemoglobin content but may be related to the total hemoglobin content. Therefore, ATP is unlikely to be a major cause of clinically significant delayed vasospasm.
Fine-scale spatial variation of persistent organic pollutants in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Biscayne Bay, Florida.

Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are long-term residents and apex predators in southeast U.S. estuaries and are vulnerable to bioaccumulation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Dart biopsy samples were collected from 45 dolphins in Biscayne Bay (Miami, FL), 34 of which were matched using fin markings to a photo identification catalogue. Blubber samples were analyzed for 73 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners, six polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners, and organochlorine pesticides including dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) and metabolites, chlordanes, and dieldrin. Total PCBs (Σ73PCBs) were present in the highest concentrations and were 5 times higher in males with sighting histories in the northern, metropolitan area of Biscayne Bay than males with sighting histories in the southern, more rural area [geometric mean: 43.3 (95% confidence interval: 28.0−66.9) vs 8.6 (6.3−11.9) μg/g wet mass, respectively]. All compound classes had higher concentrations in northern anima...
Estradiol Regulates Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone Gene (crh) Expression in a Rapid and Phasic Manner that Parallels Estrogen Receptor-α and -β Recruitment to a 3′,5′-Cyclic Adenosine 5′-Monophosphate Regulatory Region of the Proximal crh Promoter

In the central nervous system, CRH regulates several affective states. Dysregulation of neuronal crh expression in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus correlates with some forms of depression, and amygdalar crh expression may modulate levels of anxiety. Because estrogens modulate these states, we sought to determine 17beta-estradiol (E2) effects on crh expression. CRH mRNA levels were measured in the AR-5 amygdaloid cell line by RT-PCR analysis. They increased by 1 min of E2 treatment, suggesting that crh behaves as an immediate-early gene. After peaking at 3 min, CRH mRNA returned to basal levels and then increased by 60 min. To dissect some of the molecular mechanisms underlying these events, we measured occupancy of the crh promoter by estrogen receptors (ERs) and coactivators, using chromatin immunoprecipitation. Because this promoter does not contain palindromic estrogen response elements, we targeted the region of a cAMP regulatory element (CRE), implicated in crh regulation. The temporal pattern of the mRNA response was mimicked by recruitment of ERalpha and -beta, phospho-CRE-binding protein, coactivators steroid receptor coactivator-1 and CRE-binding protein-binding protein (CBP), and an increase in histone 3 and 4 acetylation. Lastly, ERalpha and -beta loading were temporally dissociated, peaking at 1 and 3 min, respectively. The ER peaks were associated with coactivators and acetylation patterns. ERalpha associated with phospho-CRE-binding protein, CBP, steroid receptor coactivator-1, and increased acetylated histone 3. ERbeta associated with CBP and increased acetylated histone 4. The tight temporal correlation between E2-induced CRH mRNA levels and promoter occupancy by ERs strongly suggest that E2 regulates crh expression through an ERalpha- and/or ERbeta-CRE alternate pathway.
Papillary muscle contribution to ventricular ejection in normal and hypertrophic ventricles: a transesophageal echocardiographic study.

BACKGROUND The interrelationship between left ventricular (LV) volume, stroke volume, and papillary muscle (PM) volume have not been studied. These volumes are relevant in understanding LV ejection mechanics in normal chambers and ascertaining whether differences exist between normal and hypertrophied LV chambers. METHODS AND RESULTS PM basal areas were measured in short-axis transesophageal echocardiographic views and lengths were measured in long-axis views. PM volume was estimated by the formula for volume of a cone: 1/3 x PM base area x PM length. The formula for LV volume was as follows: LV volume = 2/3 x LV area x LV length. Of the initial 82 subjects with normal LV function studied by TEE, data on 71 are presented in this report. Thirty-two patients had normal LV size and wall thickness, and 39 had LV hypertrophy (LVH). PM volume/LV volume % in end-diastole (ED) and end-systole (ES) in normal muscles was 3.1 +/- 1.0 and 9.6 +/- 4.9, respectively. In LVH, the respective values were 5.1 +/- 2.0 (P < 0.05) and 13.5 +/- 4.9 (P < 0.05). For those with severe LVH, the values were 7.1 +/- 2.5 (P < 0.001) and 15.9 +/- 4.1 (P < 0.001), respectively, for ED and ES. Similar trends were seen in the PM volume/stroke volume relationships in normal and hypertrophic ventricles. CONCLUSIONS PMs are larger and form a larger fraction of LV volume in LVH than in normal muscles. In patients with severe LVH, the contribution of PMs to ventricular ejection is more pronounced. PMs may, therefore, play a larger role in LV ejection in LVH than in normal ventricles (i.e., hypertrophied PM enhance the pump efficiency of LV ejection).
Dimensional Synthesis of Closed-Loop Linkages to Match Force and Position Specifications

By combining classical kinematic synthesis and static synthesis, we consider force conditions as well as motions in the dimensional synthesis of linkages. We are concerned with determining the dimensions of linkages that guide a rigid body through several positions and support a specified external load at each position. Three types of planar linkages are studied in detail: four-bar, slider-crank, and double-slider linkages. Incompletely specified problems and spring element synthesis are also discussed.
Fourier spectral method on ensemble architectures

The direct simulation of three-dimensional, unsteady fluid flows, is performed on some of the most powerful parallel computers presently available: Connection Machine-2, Intel i860 and the NCUBE/2. A Fourier pseudospectral method and second-order timestepping scheme is used. Implementation, performance analysis and experimental timings are given. Results of fluid flow simulations on meshes up to 2563 show sustained rates of 520 MFLOPS on the 64 K-node CM-2, 484 MFLOPS on the 1 K-node NCUBE/2 and 103 MFLOPS on the 32-node Intel i860.
Waveguide modes of a warm drifting uniaxial electron plasma

The dispersion relation for guided waves in warm drifting uniaxial electron plasma is derived. The phase characteristics of the "fast," "slow," and "waveguide" waves are discussed and presented as graphs with the normalized empty guide cutoff frequency as the parameter.
The effect of quinidine upon sinus tachycardia, including the production of transient bundle branch block☆

Abstract A single dose of 0.6 Gm. of quinidine sulfate was given by mouth to each of five patients with sinus tachycardia. The cardiac rate was either not affected or was slightly increased. In one patient, transient right bundle branch block occurred two hours after the administration of quinidine, upon two separate occasions. When quinidine causes abnormal QRS deflections, it does so by depressing conduction within the ventricles.
Isotopes of Uranium

WE have succeeded in finding evidence of several isotopes of uranium which emit alpha-rays. In the expectation that the proportion of actino-uranium would be larger the younger the mineral, uranium from Colorado carnotite was used, the age of which has been variously estimated at from 170,000 to 7,000,000 years. The half-periods estimated by Wilkins1 and by Rutherford2 for actino-uranium, from quite different methods of reasoning, were 2.5 and 4.2 × 108 years respectively. The corresponding alpha-ray range would be about 3.2 cm.
Using an Ontology for Entity Situational Awareness in a Simple Scenario

The use of ontologies to represent data and knowledge combined with service-based software provides new opportunities for the integration of command and control systems, simulations, and dynamic data. The U.S. Department of Defense's Global Information Grid (GIG) is envisioned to integrate complex communications networks, data from disparate sources, and services-oriented applications. The GIG will provide analysis, decision support, and information visualization to both human and automated users. This paper describes concepts and architecture for an experiment which demonstrates the use of knowledge-based technologies to support tactical maneuver. Open source and in-house software were linked together to conduct a simple simulation of a realistic mission (move from A to B along a “safe” route). Events which may affect the route are injected, reported, and stored in the knowledge base to simulate battlespace dynamics. Through the use of an automated reasoner, events which affect the route are identified a...
Compiler-Supported Thread Management for Multithreaded Network Processors

Traditionally, runtime management involving CPU sharing, real-time scheduling, etc., is provided by the runtime environment (typically an operating system) using hardware support such as timers and interrupts. However, due to stringent performance requirements on network processors, neither OS nor hardware mechanisms are typically feasible/available. Mapping packet processing tasks on network processors involves complex trade-offs to maximize parallelism and pipelining. Due to an increase in the size of the code store and complexity of application requirements, network processors are being programmed with heterogeneous threads that may execute code belonging to different tasks on a given micro-engine. Also, most network applications are streaming applications that are typically processed in a pipelined fashion. Thus, the tasks on different micro-engines are pipelined in such a way as to maximize the throughput. Tasks themselves could have different runtime performance demands.In this article, we focus on network processors on which hardware can only schedule threads in a round-robin fashion and no OS assistance is provided. We show that it is very difficult and inefficient for the programmer to meet the constraints of runtime management by coding them statically. Due to the infeasibility of hardware or OS solution (even in the near future), we undertake a compiler approach.We propose a complete compiler solution to automatically insert explicit context switch (ctx) instructions provided on the network processor such that the execution of threads is better manipulated at runtime to meet their constraints. Two approaches are presented that can control programs’ runtime behavior with different applicability and overheads. We show that it is feasible and also opens new application domains that would need heterogeneous thread programming. Such approaches would in general become important for multicore processors.Finally, our experiments show that the runtime constraints are enforced nearly ideally with minimal runtime degradation and small code growth.
Virtual hydrate screening and coformer selection for improved relative humidity stability

Drug formulations of anhydrous solid forms are generally preferred over hydrated forms. This is due to the risks of low exposure and unacceptable physical and chemical stability in comparison with anhydrous formulations. The purpose of the current study was to determine which descriptors can be most efficiently applied to virtual screening in order to provide answers to the following questions: 1) what is the propensity to form a solid state hydrate of a pharmaceutical compound, and 2) in regards to cocrystalline formulation, which coformer would provide for the highest stability with respect to relative humidity (RH) conditions? A number of properties of different complexity were tested to provide answers to these questions, including COSMO-RS excess free energy Gex and enthalpy Hex of hydration of the compound in amorphous state; octanol–water partition coefficient clogP; polar surface area TPSA; different combinations of molecular H-bond donor and acceptor counts; an excess enthalpy of API (active pharmaceutical ingredient)-coformer mixing; and coformer solubilities. It was demonstrated that the Gex property provides the most efficient way of virtual screening of hydration propensity of solid pharmaceutical compounds. It was also demonstrated that a virtual coformer screening based on the API coformer miscibility, as measured by the COSMO-RS Hex property, may be efficiently used to guide the experimental selection of coformers which have an increased probability of cocrystallization and provide the highest RH stability.
Joint management of data centers and electric vehicles for maximized regulation profits

Frequency regulation is a major market service to reduce the undesired imbalance between power supply and demand in the power market. In order to participate in the regulation market, both the supply and demand sides need to be capable of flexibly adjusting their power generation and consumption, respectively. As the scale of Internet data centers is increasing rapidly, their significant power consumption has enabled them to become an important player in the regulation market for maximized profits and thus minimized operating expenses. On the other side, Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) have also recently been identified as a major participant in the regulation market, due to their large power demand for battery charging. In this paper, we propose a novel power management scheme that jointly leverages a data center and its employees' PHEVs to 1) maximize the revenues that the data center receives from the regulation market, and 2) get the PHEVs charged at no expense to their owners. Our scheme features a two-level hierarchical power control design. At the first level, our scheme interacts with the regulation market to provide information about the data center power consumption on an hourly basis. At the second level, the scheme decides the power budgets for the servers and UPS in the data center, as well as PHEVs, in real time, to follow the given regulation signal. We evaluate the proposed scheme with real-world workload and regulation traces. The results show that our scheme performs a high-quality regulation service. As a result, the proposed scheme outperforms several commonly used baselines by having higher regulation revenues, and so lower operating expenses, for the data center. Finally, we analyze the cost savings of the PHEV owners, throughout the lifetime of the PHEVs, by getting their batteries charged at no expense.
Thallium-205 NMR spectroscopy. Solvation of the Tl(l) ion in the binary solvent systems water/pyridine, water/dimethyl sulfoxide, and pyridine/dimethyl sulfoxide

Solvation of the Tl+ ion in 0.005M solutions of water/pyridine, water/dimethyl sulfoxide, and pyridine/dimethyl sulfoxide was studied with205Tl NMR spectroscopy as a function of solvent composition and anion (NO3− and ClO4t-). Dimethyl sulfoxide solvated the Tl+ ion more strongly than did pyridine, despite the latter's greater electron-donating ability. This was explained in terms of structural effects, which were found to be large for all three binary solvent systems. Ion pairing was evident in the DMSO/pyridine and water/pyridine solvent systems in which the pyridine mole fraction was greater than 0.8.
Simulation of localized compaction in high-porosity calcarenite subjected to boundary constraints

Abstract This paper studies the mechanics of localized compaction in porous rocks subjected to axisymmetric deformation. The material selected for the study is Gravina calcarenite, a soft rock prone to pore collapse and compaction banding. The stress–strain response has been simulated through a plasticity model capturing inelastic processes in the brittle–ductile transition, while the bifurcation theory has been used to calibrate the model constants and identify stress paths able to generate heterogeneous compaction. The onset of strain localization upon application of the selected paths has been assessed numerically, simulating the global response of calcarenite specimens via the Finite Element Method. Simulated triaxial compression tests have been compared with published experiments, showing good agreement in terms of both macroscopic response and localization patterns. In addition, oedometric compression has been simulated to inspect the role of material heterogeneity, kinematic constraints and boundary effects. The results show that the interplay between these factors has important implications for the resulting localization process. In particular, heterogeneity and boundary conditions have been found to control the formation of unexpected strain patterns, such as compactive shear zones that do not reflect the symmetry of the imposed constraints. Moreover, the simulations have suggested that such forms of heterogeneous compaction may not be easily identifiable from global measurements, as they tend to disappear with further strains and the averaging of the quantities measured at the boundary tends to generate global signatures not easily distinguishable from those associated with pure (horizontal) compaction banding.
Hacia niveles avanzados. Composición por proceso y en contexto by STIEGLER, BRIAN N., & CARMEN JULIA JIMÉNEZ

The article reviews the book "Hacia niveles avanzados: Composicion por proceso y en contexto," by Brian N. Stiegler and Carmen Julia Jimenez.
Comparison of raised-microdisk whispering-gallery-mode characterization techniques

We compare the two prevailing raised-microdisk whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) characterization techniques, one based on coupling emission to a tapered fiber and the other based on collecting emission in the far field. We applied both techniques to study WGMs in Si nanocrystal raised microdisks and observed dramatically different behavior. We explain this difference in terms of the radiative bending loss on which the far-field collection technique relies and discuss the regimes of operation in which each technique is appropriate.
The optimization of laser prostatectomypart II: Other lasing techniques

Abstract Objectives. To evaluate the laser-tissue interaction during neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet(Nd:YAG) irradiation using right angle firing fibers in motion, contact vaporization applicators, and interstitial lightguides. Methods. The heating patterns and coagulation volumes created during right angle firingfiber pulling and painting, contact tip vaporization, and interstitial thermotherapy were studied in potato and canine models. Results. High power density right angle firing fibers can be used in motion to create coagulationlesions at 40 and 60 watts (W) The depth of such lesions was less than that obtained during fixed free beam side fire coagulation. Contact vaporization applicators caused tissue vaporization without creating concurrent coagulation lesions. Interstitial lightguide thermotherapy created coagulation lesions without carbonization using A step power reduction approach during irradiation. Conclusions. Each of the investigated methods had the ability to destroy prostate tissue,and therefore may have a role in the evolution of laser prostatectomy.
Goniotriocin and (2,4-cis- and -trans)-Xylomaticinones, Bioactive Annonaceous Acetogenins from Goniothalamus giganteus

Goniotricin (1) and a mixture of (2,4-cis and -trans)-xylomaticinones (2), new bioactive annonaceous acetogenins, were isolated from the bark of Goniothalamus giganteus (Annonaceae) by activity-directed fractionation using the brine shrimp lethality test. Compound 1 is the first nonadjacent ring-hydroxylated bis-tetrahydrofuran (THF) acetogenin to be reported. Compound 2 is the cis- and trans-ketolactone mixture of xylomaticin, a known compound whose absolute stereochemistry has not been previously determined. The absolute stereochemistry of 2 was determined by the advanced Mosher's ester method. Both 1 and 2 showed significant and selective cytotoxicities among the six tumor cell lines in our seven-day MTT human solid tumor panel. In the yellow fever mosquito larvae microtiter assay, 1 was quite active, with an ED50 value of 3.5 μg/mL.
Three species of Tibouchina (Melastomataceae) from Bahia, Brazil

Three new species ofTibouchina,T. barnebyana, T. lithuphila. andT. oreophila, all from Bahia, Brazil, are described and discussed.Tibouchina barnebyana and trichomes ofT. oreophila are illustrated.