cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thrombolytic therapy for patients with pulmonary embolism who are hemodynamically stable but have right ventricular dysfunction: pro.

HERE IS NO CLINICAL controversy about patients with massive pulmonary embolism (PE) and hemodynamiccollapse.Thesepatients warrant thrombolytic therapy unless contraindications preclude this managementstrategy.Itisalsoclear that patients with PE who present with normal blood pressure and heart rate as well as normal right ventricular (RV) function will have excellentoutcomeswithanticoagulationtherapyalone.ThedebatecentersonpatientswithsubmassivePE who have RV dilatation and hypokinesis despite normal blood pressure.Iwillmakethecaseforthrombolysis based on the available evidence to support this position. However, I advocate and am helpingtoorganizeaninternationaltrial of these patients, who fall between the 2 extremes, to provide a definitive answer to this ongoing issue. Patients with PE who have moderate or severe RV dysfunction are not really hemodynamically stable. Their clinical course may lead to either recovery or crisis. Right ventricular dilatation and hypokinesis will either resolve with supportive care or will evolve to hemodynamic collapse requiring high-dose pressors,mechanicalventilation,or cardiopulmonary resuscitation and possibly death. The overall prognosis of patients with normal systemic arterial pressure plus moderateorsevereRVhypokinesisisgrave compared with patients who have normal systemic arterial pressure plus normal RV size and function. The presence of RV dysfunction is a warning sign that escalation of therapymightberequiredduringthe hospitalizationorthatdeathmayensue with a conservative “hands off” approach. When we evaluate such patients, we must remind ourselvesthateveniftheyappearstable, they may develop cardiopulmonary instability over the ensuing 48 hours. The fundamental triad that I use
A Meta-Analysis of Prophylactic Antibiotics in Head and Neck Surgery

Although it is generally agreed that prophylactic antibiotics are necessary for the prevention of postoperative wound infection, the choice of antibiotic regimen is controversial. In an attempt to determine the most effective antibiotic regimen, a meta-analysis of published clinical trials of prophylactic antibiotics for head and neck surgery was undertaken. The meta-analysis revealed a relative difference in infection rates of 43.7 percent in favor of the use of antibiotics versus placebo, of 8.3 percent in favor of multiple antibiotics versus a single antibiotic, of 13.7 percent in favor of multiple antibiotics versus cefazolin, and of 4.1 percent in favor of multiple-day prophylaxis versus single-day prophylaxis. This meta-analysis suggests that a 1-day course of clindamycin may be the most effective prophylactic antibiotic regimen for head and neck surgery.
Prenatal influence of mild decompressions on hooded rats.

Frequent, brief, and mild prenatal decompressions caused decreases in newborn rats' viability and in survivors' “emotional” development. Both hypoxia and otic barotrauma contributed to these effects, but hypoxia, alone, did not affect offspring behavior in the open field or in a shock avoidance task.
Gratitude and longing: Meanings of health in aging for Puerto Rican adults in the mainland:

Puerto Rican adults in the United States mainland live with socioeconomic and health disparities. To understand their contextual experience of aging, we interviewed participants in the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study. Through a Thematic Analysis we identify themes and tensions: normalization and acceptance of aging; gratitude; the importance of aging within social networks; longing to return to Puerto Rico at older age. We address the tensions between 'acceptance' and fatalismo as a cultural belief, and a function of structural barriers. The experience of aging is discussed in the context of Puerto Rico's history and continued dependence on the United States.
Heat Transfer in the Fully Developed Region of Elliptical Ducts With Uniform Wall Heat Flux

Calcul par la methode integrale simple du champ de temperatures et du nombre de Nusselt dans la zone completement developpee d'ecoulement d'un fluide dans des conduites elliptiques a flux thermique parietal constant
Soybean-Oil-Based Polyisocyanurate Rigid Foams

Polyisocyanurate foams were prepared from polymeric 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI), soy polyol and polypropylene oxide polyol by varying isocyanate index from 110 to 350. The higher isocyanate index produced polyisocyanurate foams with higher thermal stability, improved flame resistance, tensile strength, higher modulus, and higher glass transition. Soy-based foams displayed better thermal stability, lower flammability, higher rigidity (modulus) and higher compression strength than those based on the propylene oxide polyols of the same molecular weight and functionality.
830 MOLECULAR STUDY OF MUTANT MEDIUM CHAIN ACYL-CoA DEHYDROGENASE IN CULTURED FIBROBLASTS FROM PATIENTS WITH MEDIUM CHAIN ACYL-CoA DEHYDROGENASE DEFICIENCY

We prepared monospecific antiserum in rabbits against medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD) purified from rat liver, and studied the biosynthesis of MCAD in 10 cultured skin fibroblast lines from patients with inborn MCAD deficiency. Cells were incubated with [35S]methionine. The labeled MCAD was immunoprecipitated using the anti-MCAD antiserum and Staph A cells and analyzed by SDS-PAGE. We first demonstrated that anti-rat MCAD antibody cross reacted specifically with human MCAD. MCAD is 1-6 kd larger than four other acyl-CoA dehydrogenases such as isovaleryl-CoA- short chain-, long chain-, and 2-methyl-branched chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenases, and can be readily distinguished from other enzymes by its molecular size on slab SDS-PAGE. It is interesting to note that human MCAD is 1 kd larger than rat MCAD, while there were no differences in molecular size between other human acyl-CoA dehydrogenases and the rat counterparts. In all 10 MCAD deficient lines tested, the MCAD activity ranged from 6-13% of the mean of normal control, but the mutant MCAD in all of these cells were indistinguishable from the normal human MCAD on the basis of molecular size, indicating that all the mutant MCAD's are due to point mutation. This is in contrast to the extensive heterogeneity observed in isovaleryl-CoA dehvdrogenase in isovaleric acidemia cells.
Computational analysis of ligand binding dynamics at the intermolecular hot spots with the aid of simulated tempering and binding free energy calculations

Abstract Equilibrium binding dynamics is studied for a panel of benzimidazole-containing compounds at the remodeled interface between human growth hormone (hGH) and the extracellular domain of its receptor (hGHbp), engineered by mutating to glycine hot spot residues T175 from the hormone and W104 from the receptor. Binding energetics is predicted in a good agreement with the experimental data for a panel of these small molecules that complement the engineered defect and restore the binding affinity of the wild-type hGH–hGHbp complex. The results of simulated tempering ligand dynamics at the protein–protein interface reveals a diversity of ligand binding modes that is consistent with the structural orientation of the benzimidazole ring which closely mimics the position of the mutated W104 hot spot residue in the wild-type hGH–hGHbp complex. This structural positioning of the benzimidazole core motif is shown to be a critical feature of the low-energy ligand conformations binding in the engineered cavity. The binding free energy analysis provides a plausible rationale behind the experimental dissociation constants and suggests a key role of ligand–protein van der Waals interactions in restoring binding affinity.
Improving the Learning Process for Both Instructor and Student Using Assessments

ABSTRACT The objective of this article is to describe the theory and types of commonly used assessments and how they relate to course objectives and the learning process in higher education. Using a fisheries course example, I argue that quality assessment techniques occur continuously, are aimed at both instructor and student, are not always used to assign grades, and improve the quality of instruction in the classroom. Properly used, assessments can transform institutions of higher education from a place where instruction is given to one where learning takes place.
B cells and aging: gauging the interplay of generative, selective, and homeostatic events

Lymphocyte homeostasis encompasses a continuum of processes that together determine the production, turnover, composition, and representation of lymphocyte pools. These processes include commitment to lymphoid lineages, expansion of progenitor pools, successful transit through intermediate maturation stages, negative and positive selection based on receptor specificity, steady-state maintenance of peripheral lymphocytes, and regulation of antigen-driven activation. Understanding the impact of aging on lymphocyte homeostasis thus requires appreciation of not only the mechanisms responsible for generating and sustaining antigen-reactive B and T cells but also how age-related events can subvert these. Even under the influence of normally operating homeostatic mechanisms, lesions yielding perturbations outside of evolutionarily anticipated boundaries will yield aberrant lymphoid function and representation both upstream and downstream of the primary defect. Accordingly, determining the relative contribution of lineage-intrinsic versus compensatory homoeostatic processes throughout the continuum of lymphoid system development, selection, and maintenance are critical first steps towards understanding age-associated alterations in the immune system.
Theory of electrophoresis of hybridizing enzymes with kinetic control: implications for population genetics of electrophoretic markers.

A phenomenological theory of zone electrophoresis has been formulated for reversible, kinetically controlled self-dimerization and hybridization of proteins. The computed electrophoretic patterns simulate many of the observed features of certain Drosophila enzymes. The patterns for rapid self-dimerization show a unimodal reaction zone over a wide range of rates of dissociation of the dimer, the migration velocity increasing with increasing rate of dissociation. Those for slow rates of both dimerization and dissociation are bimodal reaction zones exhibiting a peak composed largely of dimer and one largely of monomer separated by a low plateau. The nature of the pattern for hybridization of two dimerizing variants of a polymorphic protein is strikingly dependent upon the rates of reaction. For rapid association and very slow dissociation the pattern exhibits three zones corresponding to the two homodimers and the heterodimer. Very rapid rates of dissociation give two monomer zones. Intermediate rates of dissociation also give two zones, but here they are uncoupled reaction zones; each correponds to an interconverting mixture of one of the homodimers and its monomer, the heterodimer having dissociated completely during early stages of electrophoresis. The transition from a three-zone pattern to this two-zone pattern has been examined in detail, and a mechanism is given. Practical implications are considered.
Analysis and Applications of the Delay Cycle for the M/M/c Queueing System

The method of analysis employing decomposition of busy periods has, in various forms, been applied to the M/G/1 queueing system under a variety of scheduling rules This paper extends the technique of decomposition of busy periods in order to deal with the M/M/c queueing system. Particular attention is given to a special busy period referred to as a "delay cycle." The delay cycle commences with a delay period (of general distribution) in which jobs arrive but are not serviced, at the conclusion of the delay period, processing begins and continues until the system is empty. Closed form solutions are obtained for various entities such as distribution of busy period length and expected waiting time conditioned on the type of busy period in progress at the tmae of job arrival. These results are applied and extended to the analysis of six examples of multiprocessor systems.
Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist treatment of rheumatoid arthritis patients: radiologic progression and correlation of Genant/Sharp and Larsen scoring methods.

Abstract Objective: The Genant/Sharp scoring method is a validated radiologic scoring system useful for diagnosing, classifying, and defining specific clinical problems associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The Genant/Sharp scoring method is described, and its level of correlation with the Larsen scoring method is discussed. Method: The Genant/Sharp scoring system evaluates erosion, joint space narrowing (JSN), and a combination of erosion and JSN referred to as the total score. This method was used to determine change in radiographic progression during 2 consecutive 6-month intervals within a multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of recombinant human interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) in patients with RA. These results were compared with the results obtained through the Larsen scoring method to determine their correlation. Results: The Genant/Sharp scoring method showed a moderate correlation with the Larsen scoring method, particularly at baseline, and showed similar treatment trends in a study of IL-1ra in patients with RA. Conclusion: The Genant/Sharp scoring method provides an alternative to the Sharp and Larsen approaches for radiographic assessment in RA. Semin Arthritis Rheum 30:26-32 (Suppl 2). Copyright © 2001 by W.B. Saunders Company
Equivalence checking of arithmetic expressions using fast evaluation

Arithmetic expressions are the fundamental building blocks of hardware and software systems. An important problem in computational theory is to decide if two arithmetic expressions are equivalent. However, the general problem of equivalence checking, in digital computers, belongs to the NP Hard class of problems. Moreover, existing general techniques for solving this decision problem are applicable to very simple expressions and impractical when applied to more complex expressions found in programs written in high-level languages. In this paper we propose a method for solving the arithmetic expression equivalence problem using partial evaluation. In particular, our technique is specifically designed to solve the problem of equivalence checking of arithmetic expressions obtained from high-level language descriptions of hardware/software systems, which consists of regular arithmetic operators (+, -, x) and logical operators (and, or, not). In our method, we use interval analysis to substantially prune the domain space of arithmetic expressions and limit the evaluation effort to a sufficiently limited set of subspaces. Our results show that the proposed method is fast enough to be of use in practice.
Viscoelastic measurement of polybutenes and low viscosity liquids using ultrasonic strip delay lines

A new method for measuring the shear mechanical properties of liquids in the 1–20 MHz range is used to obtain data for low-viscosity liquids at approximately 2 MHz. The results obtained agree with literature data reported for these samples at 40 MHz. The technique involves the propagation of a pulsed, shear wave in a thin strip of metal, and measurements of the phase shift and increased attenuation of the wave by a sample at the metal-liquid interface. The method is then extended to measuring the properties of polybutenes, whose average molecular weights range from 250–920. The relationship between average molecular weight and the dynamic viscosity and elasticity is studied for these polymers.
Nano-scale chemistry of self-assembled nanostructures in epitaxial SiGe growth

Epitaxial growth of SiGe alloy films under certain kinetically limiting conditions has previously been shown to lead to the self-assembly of nanostructures called Quantum Dot Molecules, QDMs. These QDMs consist of an assembly of pyramidal pits and elongated pyramidal islands, which exist at the edges of the pits. We investigate the nano-scale chemistry of QDMs in Si0.7Ge0.3/Si (100) using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). First, our AES analysis indicates that compressively strained QDM pit bases are most Ge rich regions in QDMs, consistent with previously reported observations. Second, our Auger analysis of the QDMs shows that Ge composition continuously increases from outside edges of the islands to the pit cusps. This results in asymmetric distribution of Ge about the apex of the islands. The segregation of Ge to the pit cusps is unexpected on the basis of strain energy minimization, and we propose that it is due to attachment of Ge to steps on the interiors of the QDMs. The continually varying Ge composition towards the pit cusps is also inconsistent with previous observations of islands in GeSi growth, where the composition is reported to be symmetric about the apex of islands.
Binaural Interaction in the Auditory Brainstem Response: Multichannel Recordings

Binaural interaction (Bl) waveforms were derived from multichannel recordings of auditory-evoked brainstem responses obtained at moderate and high intensity levels. The component latencies of all the Bl responses derived from the contralateral channel were significantly prolonged compared with those derived from ipsilateral and non-cephalic channels. These channel differences were identified only at the moderate intensity level, indicating that Bl cannot be isolated from the effects of stimulus interaction at higher intensities. The amplitudes were not significantly different across channels or intensities, indicating that ipsilateral, contralateral or non-cephalic recordings can be used to study Bl. However, identification of channel differences on simultaneous multichannel recordings may provide an index of true neural interaction.
“Better living through chemistry”: the chemical industry in the world economy

The chemical industry has produced a pattern of economic development and political change differing from that identified by research on the textile, steel, and automobile sectors. Its capacity for innovation and self-renewal renders inappropriate much of the logic of sectoral decline derived from theories of the product cycle. The postwar record of state-industry relations in France, Britain, West Germany, and the United States suggests that "strong" states can be helpful in bolstering the performance of the chemical industry in an expanding global economy but such states often frustrate the process of adaptation and adjustment during periods of recession. "Weak" states are particularly well suited to strong performance by the industry in both the good times and the bad.
Kinetics of protein subunit interactions: Simulation of a polymerization overshoot

Theoretical calculations of the kinetics of a polymerization reaction have been carried out for a scheme in which there is a nucleation step that is slow relative to subsequent propagation steps. A transient maximum (overshoot) in molecular weight can be expected in such reversibly self-associating systems when polymerization is initiated suddenly. The extent of overshoot decreases with increasing initial concentration of true equilibrium is strongly dependent on the rate of nucleus formation and the rate of depolymerization when the absolute values of both are small relative to the rate of propagation.
Drosophila as a genetic model for studying pathogenic human viruses

Viruses are infectious particles whose viability is dependent on the cells of living organisms, such as bacteria, plants, and animals. It is of great interest to discover how viruses function inside host cells in order to develop therapies to treat virally infected organisms. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is an excellent model system for studying the molecular mechanisms of replication, amplification, and cellular consequences of human viruses. In this review, we describe the advantages of using Drosophila as a model system to study human viruses, and highlight how Drosophila has been used to provide unique insight into the gene function of several pathogenic viruses. We also propose possible directions for future research in this area.
A 32-Bit FASTBUS Computer

Los Alamos National Laboratory is building a 32-bit FASTBUS computer using the NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR 32032 central processing unit (CPU) and containing 16 million bytes of memory. The board can act both as a FASTBUS master and as a FASTBUS slave. It contains a custom direct memory access (DMA) channel which can perform 80 million bytes per second block transfers across the FASTBUS.
Estimation of Porosity In Thin-layered Reservoirs By Seismic Inversion

Summary An effective method is presented to determine porosity distributions from seismic data for cases where the reservoir layers are thin. Porosity is determined by solving the inverse problem using a constrained generalized linear inversion (GLI) procedure. The inversion procedure estimates porosities directly rather than inverting for acoustic impedance or velocities and then estimating porosities. It is shown that sensitivity coefficients for porosity, i.e., the derivative of amplitudes with respect to porosity, can be computed analytically. Artificial interfaces are used to reduce non-uniquiness caused by lack of knowledge of thin bed reflection times. The artificial interfaces are generated by integration of seismic with log data. By using the artificial interfaces, the number of parameters to be estimated can be reduced and known formation information can be added as constraints. Inversion is done on only the seismic record associated with the reservoir instead of the whole seismic record.
Femtosecond studies of protein-DNA binding and dynamics: histone I.

In this contribution, we report studies of the nature of binding interactions and dynamics of protein histone I (H1) with ligands in solution and as a complex with DNA, an important biological process for the higher-order structure in chromatin. With femtosecond time resolution, we examined the role of solvation by water, the micropolarity at the interface of the binding site(s) of H1, and the rigidity of the complex structure. We used two biologically common fluorescent probes: 2-(p-toluidino)naphthalene-6-sulfonate (TNS) and 5-(dimethylamino)naphthalene-1-sulfonyl chloride (DC). By noncovalently attaching TNS and covalently adducting DC to the binding sites we found that the solvation dynamics, which occur within 1 ps, for the probe at the protein surface and in bulk solution are comparable, indicating the significant contribution of bulk water shells. However, the local polarity changes significantly, reflecting the change in dielectric properties at the protein/water interface. The binding structure of the protein–DNA complex was examined by the local orientational motion of the probe. The covalently bound DC molecule, sandwiched between the protein and DNA, was found to be frozen, revealing the very rigid structure at the recognition site, while, for noncovalently bound TNS, the complexes displace the probe. The dynamical rigidity of the complex, and the role of solvation and interface polarity, elucidate the strong recognition mechanism between DNA and the protein by electrostatic interactions, which are important to the compactness and to chromatin condensation in the biological function.
A framework for reducing manufacturing throughput time

Manufacturing throughput time reduction can be a daunting task due to the many factors that influence it and their complex interactions. However, there are basic principles that, if applied correctly, can be used to reduce manufacturing throughput time. This paper presents a conceptual framework that illustrates these principles. The framework illustrates the factors that influence manufacturing throughput time, the actions that can be taken to alter each factor, and their interactions. The framework is detailed enough to provide guidance to the industry practitioner on how to reduce manufacturing throughput time, while being general enough to apply to most manufacturing situations.
The Prospect for Economic Democracy in South Korea

This paper assesses South Korean development from the vantage point of economic democracy. By embarking on export-oriented industrialization policy in the 1960s, the Korean state fostered capital concentration and repressed labor demands. After two decades of economic authoritarianism, political democratization in the late 1980s offers a brighter prospect for the democratization of the economy. Nonetheless, the prospect remains imperiled by the consequences of past policy.
The relationships of personal and ethnic identity exploration to indices of adaptive and maladaptive psychosocial functioning

Identity exploration has often been associated with maladaptive aspects of psychosocial functioning such as anxiety and depression. It is not known, however, whether maladaptive psychosocial functioning is related to both personal and ethnic identity exploration. In the present study, we examined the relationships of personal and ethnic identity exploration to adaptive (self-esteem, purpose in life, internal locus of control, and ego strength) and maladaptive (depression, anxiety, impulsivity, and tolerance for deviance) psychosocial functioning, as well the extent to which these relationships were mediated by identity confusion. A multi-ethnic sample of 905 White, Black, and Hispanic university students completed measures of personal and ethnic identity exploration, as well as of adaptive and maladaptive psychosocial functioning. Current personal identity exploration was negatively associated with adaptive psychosocial functioning and was positively associated with anxiety, depression, and impulsivity. An opposite pattern of relationships emerged for past personal identity exploration. All these relationships were mediated by identity confusion – positively for current exploration and negatively for past exploration. Ethnic identity exploration was not directly associated with psycho social functioning and evidenced only a weak association through identity confusion. These findings were consistent across gender and across the three ethnic groups studied. Implications for identity theory, research, and intervention are discussed.
Increasing the Interaction of Borrelia burgdorferi with Decorin Significantly Reduces the 50 Percent Infectious Dose and Severely Impairs Dissemination

Tight regulation of surface antigenic expression is crucial for the pathogenic strategy of the Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi. Here, we report the influence of increasing expression of decorin-binding protein A (DbpA), one of the most investigated spirochetal surface adhesins, on the 50% infectious dose (ID50), dissemination, tissue colonization, pathogenicity, and persistence of B. burgdorferi in the murine host. Our in vitro assays showed that increasing DbpA expression dramatically increased the interaction of B. burgdorferi with decorin and sensitivity to growth inhibition/killing by anti-DbpA antibodies; however, this increased interaction did not affect spirochetal growth and replication in the presence of decorin. Increasing DbpA expression significantly reduced ID50 values and severely impaired dissemination in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) and immunocompetent mice. During infection of SCID mice, B. burgdorferi with increased DbpA expression was able to effectively colonize heart and skin tissues, but not joint tissues, completely abrogating arthritis virulence. Although increasing DbpA expression did not affect spirochetal persistence in the skin, it diminished the ability of B. burgdorferi to persist in the heart and joint tissues during chronic infection of immunocompetent mice. Taken together, the study highlights the importance of controlling surface antigen expression in the infectivity, dissemination, tissue colonization, pathogenicity, and persistence of B. burgdorferi during mammalian infection.
Analysis of Phase Error Effects on Stripmap SAS

It is often of interest to consider how uncompensated platform motion can degrade the ideal point scatterer response (PSR) of a synthetic aperture sonar (SAS). This information can be used to shape the design of the sonar itself as well as that of the platform carrying it. Also, knowledge of how certain types of motion affect a SAS image can reduce the time spent in troubleshooting motion estimation and compensation schemes. In the field of spotlight-mode synthetic aperture radar (SAR), the effects of phase errors across the synthetic aperture are well documented (for example, Chapter 5 of Carrara , 1995). The counterpart problem for the stripmap mode is less well developed in the literature. This paper explores the effects of uncompensated phase errors on stripmap imagery and shows that, under certain conditions, they are similar to those for spotlight mode processing.
Robust estimation in the presence of integrity attacks

We consider the estimation of a scalar state based on $m$ measurements that can be potentially manipulated by an adversary. The attacker is assumed to have full knowledge about the true value of the state to be estimated and about the value of all the measurements. However, the attacker has limited resources and can only manipulate up to $l$ of the $m$ measurements. The problem is formulated as a minimax optimization, where one seeks to construct an optimal estimator that minimizes the “worst-case” expected cost against all possible manipulations by the attacker. We show that if the attacker can manipulate at least half the measurements ( $l\geq m/2$ ) , then the optimal worst-case estimator should ignore all measurements and be based solely on the a-priori information. We provide the explicit form of the optimal estimator when the attacker can manipulate less than half the measurements ( $l ), which is based on $m\choose 2l$ local estimators. We further prove that such an estimator can be reduced into simpler forms for two special cases, i.e., either the estimator is symmetric and monotone or $m=2l+1$ . Finally we apply the proposed methodology in the case of Gaussian measurements.
Morphology and development of the Drosophila eye. II. In vitro development of ommatidial bristles.

The morphological changes which take place in the differentiation of the adult Drosophila eye from the larval imaginal disc have been described from a histological and cytological standpoint by Shatoury (1956, 1963) and Shatoury & Waddington (1957). In addition, Gottschewski (1960), Gottschewski & Querner (1961), and Schneider (1964) have studied these processes in eyes and brains in vitro . These latter workers removed eye-antennal anlage with associated structures, and placed them in culture media. Under these conditions, the imaginal discs can apparently undergo most of the normal differentiation processes, finally attaining nearly all of the adult morphology. The imaginal eye disc can be found in the Drosophila larva as early as the larva's emergence from the egg (Kaliss, 1939), and its size is known to increase during the larval instars primarily through cellular division which, in turn, ceases almost entirely shortly after metamorphosis begins (Hadorn, 1965).
Impacts of VIIRS SDR performance on ocean color products

[1] One of the primary goals for the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on board the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership is to provide the science and user communities with the data continuity of the Environmental Data Records (EDR) (or Level-2 products) over global oceanic waters for various research and applications, including assessment of climatic and environmental variations. The ocean color EDR is one of the most important products derived from VIIRS. Since ocean color EDR is processed from the upstream Sensor Data Records (SDR) (or Level-1B data), the objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of the SDR on the VIIRS ocean color EDR. The quality of the SDR relies on prelaunch sensor characterizations as well as on-orbit radiometric calibrations, which are used to develop the sensor F-factor lookup tables (F-LUTs). VIIRS F-LUTs derived from solar and lunar calibrations have been used in processing data from the VIIRS Raw Data Records (or Level-0 data) to SDR. In this study, three sets of F-LUTs with different generation schemes have been used to reprocess the SDR and then the ocean color EDR for product evaluations. VIIRS ocean color products are compared with in situ data from the Marine Optical Buoy and products from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the satellite Aqua. It is found that the data quality of VIIRS operational ocean color products before 6 February 2012 is poor due to the inappropriate use of the at-launch F-LUTs for the SDR calibration, and that the recently updated VIIRS F-LUTs have significantly improved the SDR and ocean color EDR. Using reprocessed SDR with updated F-LUTs and including vicarious calibration, VIIRS ocean color EDR products are consistent with those from MODIS-Aqua in global deep waters. Although there are still some significant issues with VIIRS ocean color EDR, e.g., poor data quality over coastal regions, our results demonstrate that VIIRS has great potential to provide the science and user communities with consistently high-quality global ocean color data records that are established from heritage ocean color sensors such as MODIS-Aqua.
Formation of polar stratospheric clouds on preactivated background aerosols

Results of laboratory simulations of the growth of nitric acid trihydrate, HNO3;•3H2O, on sulfuric acid tetrahydrate, H2SO4•4H2O, are presented. The observations reveal that under typical stratospheric conditions uptake of HNO3 on a H2SO4•4H2O substrate results in a surface coverage of approximately one monolayer or less, and that initial HNO3•3H2O nucleation requires a large supersaturation. We also observe that a H2SO4•4H2O substrate, onto which a HNO3•3H2O film has been deposited and subsequently evaporated, exhibits a remarkable enhancement in its nucleation ability for this nitric acid hydrate. In the stratosphere, PSC particles may experience repeated cycles of evaporation and condensation of HNO3 on preexisting background frozen sulfate aerosols. Hence, growth of HNO3•3H2O on preactivated aerosols provides one important mechanism for polar stratospheric cloud formation and denitrification.
Ordinary Heroes vs. Failed Lawyers—Public Interest Litigation in Erin Brockovich and Other Contemporary Films

Although feature films may overpraise lawyers and civil courts as means of securing justice, they caricature lawyers and litigation. Analysis of Erin Brockovich (directed by Steven Soderbergh and produced by Danny DeVito, et al., 2000) reveals four motifs—two favorable and two unfavorable to public-interest litigants and litigation—that characterize similar films in the last decades: Class Action (1991), The Rainmaker (1997), The Sweet Hereafter (1997), A Civil Action (1998), The Insider (1999), Runaway Jury (2003), and North Country (2005). These filmic populist romances promote ordinary heroines (mostly) who redeem a problematic system through common sense and everyday virtue rather than through laws, lawyers, and litigation.
Effect of the potential melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet on the Meridional Overturning Circulation and global climate in the future

Multiple recent observations indicate an accelerated mass loss of the Greenland Ice Sheet since the mid-1990s. This increased ice sheet mass loss might be an evidence of global warming and could be related to elevated atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. Here, we use the National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Climate System Model version 3 to assess the potential influence of a shrinking Greenland Ice Sheet on the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (MOC), the surface climate, and sea level in the next two centuries under the IPCC A1B scenario with prescribed rates of Greenland Ice Sheet melting. Results show that a low rate of Greenland melting will not significantly alter the MOC. However a moderate or high rate of Greenland melting does make the MOC weaken further. This further weakened MOC will not make the global climate in the next two centuries cooler than in the late 20th century, but will lessen the warming, especially in the northern high latitudes. Moreover, the sea level changes due to steric effect and ocean dynamics could potentially aggravate the sea level problem near the northeast North America coast and the islands in the western Pacific region.
rrnDB: improved tools for interpreting rRNA gene abundance in bacteria and archaea and a new foundation for future development

Microbiologists utilize ribosomal RNA genes as molecular markers of taxonomy in surveys of microbial communities. rRNA genes are often co-located as part of an rrn operon, and multiple copies of this operon are present in genomes across the microbial tree of life. rrn copy number variability provides valuable insight into microbial life history, but introduces systematic bias when measuring community composition in molecular surveys. Here we present an update to the ribosomal RNA operon copy number database (rrnDB), a publicly available, curated resource for copy number information for bacteria and archaea. The redesigned rrnDB (http: //rrndb.umms.med.umich.edu/) brings a substantial increase in the number of genomes described, improved curation, mapping of genomes to both NCBI and RDP taxonomies, and refined tools for querying and analyzing these data. With these changes, the rrnDB is better positioned to remain a comprehensive resource under the torrent of microbial genome sequencing. The enhanced rrnDB will contribute to the analysis of molecular surveys and to research linking genomic characteristics to life history.
“We Walk Through It Together”: The Importance of Peer Support for Formerly Incarcerated Women's Success

This study explored the sources of support available to formerly-incarcerated women (FIW) and the influence of that support on life satisfaction. One hundred and four FIW were surveyed and 30 interviewed. Regression analyses determined how well overall support and support from friends, family, and “Others” predicted life satisfaction. Findings revealed that only support from “Others,” but not friends or family positively predicted life satisfaction. Thematic analysis of qualitative data revealed the “Others” who provide support to FIW include peers, agency staff and other professionals. Romantic partners were described as both a source of risk and support. Implications for practice and policy are offered.
Compensation for mutual coupling effects in direction finding

Mutual coupling between array sensors is studied, and schemes for compensating for these effects are proposed. Particular attention is given to nonsearch algorithms such as ESPRIT and the moving window. Computer simulations are included to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed compensation schemes. >
Imaging living cells and tissues by two-photon excitation microscopy

Two-photon excitation microscopy provides attractive advantages over confocal microscopy for three-dimensionally resolved fluorescence imaging. Since two-photon excitation occurs only at the focal point of the microscope, it inherently provides three-dimensional resolution. This localization of excitation also minimizes photobleaching and photodamage, which are the ultimate limiting factors in imaging living cells. Furthermore, no pinhole is required to attain three-dimensional discrimination, so the efficiency of fluorescence collection is increased. These advantages allow experiments on thick living samples that would not be possible with other imaging techniques. The cost and complexity of the lasers required for two-photon excitation microscopy have limited its use, but appropriate turn-key lasers have now been introduced, and their cost should decrease. Finally, the recent introduction of commercial two-photon excitation laser-scanning microscope systems allows a much larger group of researchers access to this state-of-the-art methodology.
Dynamic absorption in a vibrating beam

AbstractThe paper deals with dynamic absorption in a harmonically excited beam. It is shown that the harmonic response of vibration at a desired position can be made to vanish by applying a feedback control at a single point. Two expressions for the control gain are given. One is based on deformation and the other is based on spectral data. The stability of the controlled system is analysed. Numerical examples demonstrate the various results.
IMPACT ON RODENTS OF MOWING STRIPS IN OLD FIELDS OF EASTERN KANSAS

To minimize impact on small mammals while preventing invasion of woody vegetation, we mowed alternating 15-m strips on our area. We then compared numbers and movements of 5 species of rodents on mowed and unmowed strips. Numbers of hispid cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) and prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) were reduced temporarily in the mowed strips, whereas numbers of white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus), deer mice (P. maniculatus), and western harvest mice (Reithrodontomys megalotis) did not change significantly. Movements of cotton rats, prairie voles, and harvest mice across mowed strips were reduced, whereas movements within unmowed strips were relatively unaffected, decreasing only for white-footed and harvest mice in 1 of 2 temporal replicates. Changes in numbers and movements were of short duration, and hence mowing narrow strips when vegetation could recover rapidly had little sustained impact on this rodent community.
Estimating annual rate of decline: prospective, longitudinal data on arm tremor severity in two groups of essential tremor cases

Background Despite its high prevalence, there are surprisingly few prospective, longitudinal data on the clinical course of essential tremor (ET). Patients themselves often want to know from their treating physician whether and by how much their tremor is expected to worsen over time. Methods As part of two research protocols, prospective, longitudinal data were collected on tremor severity in two samples of ET cases (44+39 cases, combined n=83). At a baseline and one follow-up evaluation, a detailed clinical assessment was performed and action tremor in the arms was rated by a senior movement disorders neurologist using a standardised clinical rating scale (Total Tremor Score (TTS), range 0–36). Results In the first case sample, TTS increased annually by 0.32±0.89 points (ie, an annual increase of 5.3±17.1% (median 1.8%) from the mean baseline score). TTS increased by ≥0.5 points in 23/24 (95.8%) cases followed for ≥5 years. In the second sample, TTS score increased annually by 0.64±1.49 points (annual increase of 3.1±8.1% (median 2.0%) from the mean baseline score). TTS increased by ≥0.5 points in 11/15 (73.3%) cases followed for ≥5 years. No baseline factors were identified that predicted annual change in TTS. Conclusions Most ET cases exhibited a progressive worsening in tremor scores with time such that the average annual increase in tremor severity from baseline was estimated to be between 3.1% and 5.3% and the median annual increase from baseline was between 1.8% and 2.0%. These published estimates will hopefully be a useful prognostic guide for clinicians and their patients.
The Rho Kinases: Critical Mediators of Multiple Profibrotic Processes and Rational Targets for New Therapies for Pulmonary Fibrosis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is characterized by progressive lung scarring, short median survival, and limited therapeutic options, creating great need for new pharmacologic therapies. IPF is thought to result from repetitive environmental injury to the lung epithelium, in the context of aberrant host wound healing responses. Tissue responses to injury fundamentally involve reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton of participating cells, including epithelial cells, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and macrophages. Actin filament assembly and actomyosin contraction are directed by the Rho-associated coiled-coil forming protein kinase (ROCK) family of serine/threonine kinases (ROCK1 and ROCK2). As would therefore be expected, lung ROCK activation has been demonstrated in humans with IPF and in animal models of this disease. ROCK inhibitors can prevent fibrosis in these models, and more importantly, induce the regression of already established fibrosis. Here we review ROCK structure and function, upstream activators and downstream targets of ROCKs in pulmonary fibrosis, contributions of ROCKs to profibrotic cellular responses to lung injury, ROCK inhibitors and their efficacy in animal models of pulmonary fibrosis, and potential toxicities of ROCK inhibitors in humans, as well as involvement of ROCKs in fibrosis in other organs. As we discuss, ROCK activation is required for multiple profibrotic responses, in the lung and multiple other organs, suggesting ROCK participation in fundamental pathways that contribute to the pathogenesis of a broad array of fibrotic diseases. Multiple lines of evidence therefore indicate that ROCK inhibition has great potential to be a powerful therapeutic tool in the treatment of fibrosis, both in the lung and beyond.
Effect of Fly Ash Incorporation on Rheology of Cement Pastes

The predominant spherical shape of fly ash particles combined with mainly glassy composition and texture of its surfaces have a special effect on rheology of cement pastes containing fly ash. The early ages rheological behavior of cement pastes (ASTM Type I) incorporating 30% low-calcium fly ash was monitored by measuring viscosity of the fresh pastes prior to initial hardening and stiffening (up to −2 hours) as a function of time. The viscosities were determined using a co-axial rotoviscometer (HAAKE). The effects of fly ash content, water to cement ratio, and presence and concentration of superplasticizer, were evaluated. In addition, the dispersivity of fly ash spheres was evaluated by determining the zeta-potential of fly ash suspensions in water using a microelectrophoresis technique and the results were correlated to the chemical composition of fly ash as well as the viscosities of fresh pastes.
Dengue Virus Type 2 Modulates Endothelial Barrier Function through CD73

Dengue hemorrhagic fever is characterized by a unique vascular leakage syndrome. The mechanisms of endothelial barrier dysfunction in dengue hemorrhagic fever are not well understood. We examined the modulation of endothelial barrier function in dengue virus type 2 (DENV2) infections using primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells. We demonstrated that the increase in endothelial barrier function within 72 hours after DENV2 infection is mediated by type I interferon-dependent CD73 up-regulation. After 72 hours, DENV2 slowed the recovery of endothelial barrier function in response to tumor necrosis factor-a or vascular endothelial growth factor. This phenomenon was likely caused by type I interferon receptor signaling inhibition and lower CD73 levels in DENV2-infected endothelial cells. Our findings suggest that during DENV2 infection, endothelial barrier homeostasis is maintained by a balance between pro-inflammatory and pro-angiogenic cytokines, and type I interferon-dependent CD73 expression and activity.
Domestic Violence and Police Response in a Pro-Arrest Jurisdiction

ABSTRACT The Minneapolis Experiment indicated that police could have a positive impact on domestic violence. Though these results are presently being challenged, the time seems ripe to look at factors affecting the likelihood of police to arrest in a jurisdiction with pro-arrest legislation supported fully by departmental policy. The following factors were studied in terms of their impact on self-reported likelihood to arrest when responding to a domestic violence call: officers' demographics and attitudes towards women; the amount of domestic assault training received; their understanding of the departmental domestic assault policy; the degree to which they view police involvement as beneficial in responding to these calls; and their use of violence in their own homes. Results indicate that belief in the utility of police involvement, knowledge of the department's policy, and attitudes towards women are all significant in accounting for the variation in the likelihood of police to arrest.