cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The annual cycle of landfast ice in the eastern Bering Sea

Abstract Seasonal sea ice – ice which freezes in late fall and melts completely the following summer – is a central feature in the ecology, geomorphology, and climatology of the eastern Bering Sea. In this region's coastal zones, sea ice becomes locked in a stationary position against coastlines and influences interactions among land, ocean, and atmospheric processes. A thorough understanding of how this stationary ice, known as landfast ice, affects unique biogeophysical processes in the eastern Bering Sea region is limited by a lack of data on its areal coverage and seasonal duration. Here, we present the most comprehensive landfast ice dataset created to date for the Alaska Bering Sea region, derived using satellite imagery dated 1996–2008. This study provides a baseline set of observations regarding the landfast ice regime by identifying patterns in spatial distribution and interannual change. Our results show that spatial distribution and interannual change vary by regional geography in the eastern Bering Sea. Landfast ice widths averaged approximately 4.2 km on Northern Section, 18.8 km on the Central Section coastlines, and 8.9 km on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. Modal water depths at the landfast ice edge varied by the Northern Northern, Central, and Southern Section coastlines as well, with respective modal values of −13 m, −7 m, and − 8.5 m. We attribute these regional variations in width and water depth to differing conditions in near-shore bathymetry and coastal morphology. On an interannual basis, landfast ice formed 5 days later in the year, and broke up 4 days earlier on average in the eastern Bering Sea region from 1996 to 2008. Notably, ice-free conditions occurred 15 days later on the Central Section coastlines. The spatial distribution and interannual change of landfast ice is of importance to associated environmental changes in the eastern Bering Sea region, including accelerated coastal erosion, difficulties surrounding subsistence activities, diminishing wildlife habitat, and seasonal shifts in sediment transport into marine food webs from rivers.
Cardiovascular Care for Pregnant Women With Cardiovascular Disease

Abstract Background Cardio-obstetrics refers to a team-based approach to maternal care that includes multidisciplinary collaboration among maternal fetal medicine, cardiology, and others. Objectives This study sought to describe clinical characteristics, maternal and fetal outcomes, and cardiovascular readmissions in a cohort of pregnant women with underlying cardiovascular disease (CVD) followed by a cardio-obstetrics team. Methods We identified patients evaluated by our cardio-obstetrics team from January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2019, at a quaternary care hospital in New York City. Information was collected regarding demographics, comorbidities, underlying CVD, medications, maternal and fetal outcomes, and cardiovascular readmissions. Each patient was assigned a Cardiac Disease in Pregnancy (CARPREG) II score based on her clinical characteristics and underlying CVD. Results During the study period, 306 pregnant women (median age 29 years, 52.9% Hispanic or Latino) with CVD were seen. Most women (74.2%) were insured through Medicaid. The most common forms of CVD included arrhythmia (n = 88, 28.8%), congenital heart disease (n = 72, 23.5%), and cardiomyopathy (n = 72, 23.5%). The median CARPREG II score was 3; 130 patients (42.5%) had a CARPREG II score ≥4. Gestational diabetes occurred in 11.4%, gestational hypertension in 9.5%, and preeclampsia in 12.1% of women. Intensive care unit admission was required for 27 patients (8.8%) during delivery. Median gestational age for delivery was 38 weeks (interquartile range: 37 to 39). Live birth occurred in 98% of pregnancies. One maternal death occurred within a year of delivery in a woman with Eisenmenger syndrome. Following delivery, 30-day readmission rate was 2% and the rate of readmission from 30 to 90 days postpartum was 4.6%. Median follow-up was 2.6 years. Conclusions In a population of primarily Medicaid-insured pregnant women managed by a cardio-obstetrics team, maternal outcomes were encouraging and readmission rates following delivery were low. Prospective studies are needed to evaluate the impact of cardio-obstetric models of care on maternal outcomes.
COVID-19 prevalence and presenting symptoms in a college student population: A retrospective chart review.

PURPOSE: To describe the clinical presentation and prevalence of COVID-19 in a collegiate population at the time of initial recognition and testing. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed of all students tested for COVID-19 at the University of Florida Student Health Care Center between March 9th and April 17th, 2020, comprising the first 6 weeks after spring break. Results: Twenty-five of 296 students (8.4%) tested positive for COVID-19. No significant differences were seen between positive and negative students regarding travel history or known exposures. Students who tested positive more commonly experienced fatigue, congestion, nausea, chest pain, anosmia, ageusia, anorexia, abdominal discomfort, and new problems sleeping over the course of illness. Conclusion: Initial symptoms unreliably clinically distinguish COVID-19 from other viral illnesses amongst college students. Providers should continue to have a low threshold for testing, especially as universities have seen large surges in cases related to students returning to campus.
Numerical and sensitivity computations of three-dimensional flow and heat transfer of nanoliquid over a wedge using modified Buongiorno model

Abstract Numerical investigation of the three-dimensional flow and heat transfer of 36 nm Al2O3–H2O nanoliquid over a wedge surface is carried out by utilizing the modified Buongiorno model (MBM). The boundary layer approximation is assumed to be valid. The thermophysical properties of Al2O3–H2O nanoliquid are deliberated in the study by modeling them through the use of correlations based on experimental data. The thermal boundary layer equation comprises the Brownian motion and thermo-migration effects caused by nanoparticles. Zero mass flux boundary condition is also accounted. Optimization of the heat transfer rate of nanoliquid is made using the Response surface methodology (RSM). Two stream functions are used to derive the similarity transformations and they are employed to arrive nonlinear ordinary differential system from the governing partial differential system, and then the subsequent nonlinear problem is treated numerically using the Finite Element Method (FEM). The heat flow features are scrutinized using two-dimensional, surface, and streamline plots. The results of flow due to a moving wedge in the same direction of free stream velocity are compared with those of a moving wedge in the opposite direction of free stream velocity. The thermal layer and nanoparticles volume fraction layers are enlarged due to the chaotic movement of nanoparticles. The thermophoresis mechanism improves the thermal layer at the wedge surface. The high level of pressure gradient factor, high level of shear-to-strain rate and low level of Lewis number, were found to be the optimal operating condition that would maximize the heat transfer rate.
Adapting to Natural Disasters through Better Information: Evidence from the Home Seller Disclosure Requirement

Flood damage is determined by a combination of flood intensity and the population size exposed to the risk, but the US flood policy has primarily focused on managing the former, with little success. This paper studies whether easing information friction in the housing market regarding flood risk could reduce the population in high-risk areas and thus flood damage. By exploiting staggered adoption of the Home Seller Disclosure Requirement and spatial discontinuity in flood risk information, I first show this policy lowers the average price of properties and the population in high-risk areas. Further, using a hydrological measure of flood intensity, I find that the policy reduces expected per capita damage from small to moderate-sized floods by at least 5%. The findings suggest that a policy that facilitates information flow can be a powerful adaptation tool for natural disasters.
Ontological Commitment and Designata of Expressions

We have previously observed that an interpreted formal system cannot be regarded as a reconstruction of nominalism if it implies the existence of entities other than individuals. At least two points must be clarified if this requirement is to be clearly understood: (1) an explication must be provided of what is meant by an individual, and (2) criteria must be presented which determine whether a given interpreted formal system does or does not imply the existence of certain kinds of entities. Chapter 2 has been devoted to the first of these two points. We now turn to the second point: criteria are to be examined which allow us to assess the ontological implications of various systems; notably those which have been developed in the previous chapter, and various extensions of these calculi yet to be formulated.
Regulation of Cell Growth by Interferon and Tumor Necrosis Factor

Professor Piet De Somer was at once a romantic visionary and a down-to-earth realist. His approach to science was influenced by his early experiences in antibiotic research. He had admitted readily that his initial interest in interferon was based on the belief that interferons would mark the beginning of a new era in antiviral therapy, in the same way that penicillins marked the dawn of effective antibacterial therapies. However, Prof. De Somer must also be given credit for being among the first in the field to recognize that — at least in their natural form - interferons are only of limited value in antiviral therapy. Early clinical trials with fibroblast interferon, produced at the Rega Institute under the direction of Alfons Billiau, contributed to the recognition of many systemic effects of interferons related to the alteration of immune functions. These erstwhile “side-effects” of interferons today are the central themes of interferon research.
Transformation of Tourism in Beijing after the 2008 Summer Olympics: An Analysis of the Impacts in 2014

Many countries compete for the opportunity to host the Olympics because of the resulting positive impacts. However, there are also high costs associated with hosting this event. The participants of this study provided insight on how the 2008 Olympics influenced Beijing's tourism industry. This study explores the impacts of hosting the renowned Olympic Games on the transformation of the host city from the supplier perspective. Beijing tourism industry professionals and Beijing residents were considered suppliers and interviewed for the purpose of this study. Collected data reveal that the city of Beijing rapidly developed because of the mega event. Suppliers including Beijing's tourism department, government organizations, hotels, and restaurants have changed their marketing strategies over time because of the impacts of the Olympics. Additionally, Beijing has shifted to promoting a new destination image: fashion and vitality. The present findings will help future host destinations better understand the impacts of hosting the Olympics. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Multiphoton Redox Ratio Imaging for Metabolic Monitoring In Vivo

Metabolic monitoring at the cellular level in live tissues is important for understanding cell function, disease processes, and potential therapies. Multiphoton imaging of the relative amounts of NADH and FAD (the primary electron donor and acceptor, respectively, in the electron transport chain) provides a noninvasive method for monitoring cellular metabolic activity with high resolution in three dimensions in vivo. NADH and FAD are endogenous tissue fluorophores, and thus this method does not require exogenous stains or tissue excision. We describe the principles and protocols of multiphoton redox ratio imaging in vivo.
Brain death worldwide: accepted fact but no global consensus in diagnostic criteria.

Objective: To survey brain death criteria throughout the world. Background: The clinical diagnosis of brain death allows organ donation or withdrawal of support. Declaration of brain death follows a certain set of examinations. The code of practice throughout the world has not been systematically investigated. Methods: Brain death guidelines in adults in 80 countries were obtained through review of literature and legal standards and personal contacts with physicians. Results: Legal standards on organ transplantation were present in 55 of 80 countries (69%). Practice guidelines for brain death for adults were present in 70 of 80 countries (88%). More than one physician was required to declare brain death in half of the practice guidelines. Countries with guidelines all specifically specified exclusion of confounders, irreversible coma, absent motor response, and absent brainstem reflexes. Apnea testing, using a PCO 2 target, was recommended in 59% of the surveyed countries. Differences were also found in time of observation and required expertise of examining physicians. Additional provisions existed when brain death was due to anoxia. Confirmatory laboratory testing was mandatory in 28 of 70 practice guidelines (40%). Conclusion: There is uniform agreement on the neurologic examination with exception of the apnea test. However, this survey found other major differences in the procedures for diagnosing brain death in adults. Standardization should be considered.
Isometric exercise as a test of pain modulation: effects of experimental pain test, psychological variables, and sex.

Objective Little is known regarding whether exercise-induced hypoalgesia (EIH) produced by isometric exercise is influenced by psychological factors or systematically varies across multiple experimental psychophysical pain tests. Thus, this study sought to determine the influence of experimental pain test, psychological factors, and sex on the hypoalgesic response of submaximal isometric exercise. Methods Healthy young males (N = 12) and females (N = 15) completed one training and two testing sessions consisting of quiet rest (control condition) or a 3-minute isometric handgrip performed at 25% of maximum voluntary contraction. Pain testing was conducted on both forearms prior to and following exercise and quiet rest. The pain tests included: pressure pain thresholds (PPT), suprathreshold pressure pain test, static prolonged heat test, and temporal summation of heat pain. Participants completed the Pain Catastrophizing Scale during the training session and the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory—State version prior to each session. The data were analyzed with mixed model analyses of variance, partial Pearson correlations, and hierarchical regression analyses. Results Isometric exercise increased PPTs for men and women, reduced pain perception during static prolonged heat stimuli for women, and reduced temporal summation of pain for men and women. Greater pain catastrophizing was associated with smaller reductions in temporal summation following isometric exercise. Conclusions These findings demonstrate that the hypoalgesic response to submaximal isometric exercise is partially a function of sex and experimental pain test. Furthermore, the relationship between EIH and pain catastrophizing was psychophysical pain test specific, with greater pain catastrophizing predicting diminished EIH only during the temporal summation of pain trials.
On the interval polytope problem

The paper contains two main results. First, it is proved that every interval polytope of polynomials of dimension three or four has a stable polynomial if any only if its Kharitonov rectangle has a stable polynomial. It is also shown that the above result is false for a general interval polytope by giving a numerical counterexample.
A logic programming approach to cartographic map overlay

Cartographic map overlay is the process of superimposing two maps into one to convey information in spatial correlation. A map refers to one in vector representation: a two-dimensional spatial data structure of nodes, chains, and polygons. We present a map overlay system developed in Prolog. The system adopts a relational approach to data structuring. We represent geometric entities and their relationships as facts, and encode geometry algorithms in the rules. Set-based operations perform data processing. To speed up the search for chain intersections, a uniform rectangular grid is imposed over the object space for spatial sorting by distribution. We sort out potentially intersecting edge segments to those occupying some common grid cell. Each bucket, if non-empty, is implemented as a Prolog fact identifying the grid cell for random access. Geometric intersections are calculated using exact rational arithmetic implemented in Prolog. Numerical accuracy is preserved and we can identify all the special cases of tangent conditions. We can then guarantee topological consistency, and stability in the process of map overlay is therefore achieved. La confection de cartes geographiques necessite la superposition de deux cartes afin que Ton puisse mettre en cor-respondance des informations sur le plan spatial. La reference ?une carte a une autre se fait sous forme de representation vectorielle, c'est-a-dire une structure bidimensionnelle de donnees spatiales de noeuds, de chaines et de polygones. Cet article presente un systeme de superposition de cartes elabore dans Prolog. Le systeme favorise une approche rela-tionnelle 4aG la structuration des donnees. Des entites geometriquss sont representees ainsi que leur relation comme faits; des algorithmes de geometrie sont ensuite encodes dans les r4eGgies. Des operations basees sur des ensembles effectuent le traitement des donnees. Afin ?accelerer la recherche des intersections de chaines, une grille rectangulaire uniforme est superposee sur ľespace de ľobjet pour permettre un tri spatial par repartition. On distingue les segments de contours qui font ľobjet ?intersections de ceux qui occupent une cellule commune de la grille. Chaque cuvette qui n'est pas vide est traitee comme un fait Prolog identifiant la cellule en vue ?un acces aleatoire. Les intersections geometriques sont calculees aľaide ?une arithmetique rationnelle exacte incorporee a Prolog. La precision numerique est preservee et il est possible ?identifier tous les cas speciaux de conditions tangentes. Nous pouvons ensuite garantir la consistance topologique et assurer la stabilitye du processus de superposition de cartes.
Enlarging spectral problems to construct integrable couplings of soliton equations

A way to construct integrable couplings of soliton equations is presented through enlarging spectral problems associated with soliton equations, and it is used to construct a class of integrable couplings of the AKNS soliton equations.
Localization of small ovarian Sertoli–Leydig cell tumors by transvaginal sonography with color Doppler

Color Doppler ultrasound is a non-invasive diagnostic modality that has been gaining popularity in the evaluation of gynecological tumors. It demonstrates blood flow in a visually familiar way, and facilitates detection of neovascularity in pelvic tumors. In this article we describe, for the first time, a case in which a small androgen-producing ovarian tumor was localized by color Doppler ultrasound after other non-invasive imaging techniques failed.
An Alternative Approach to Early Literacy: The Effects of ASL in Educational Media on Literacy Skills Acquisition for Hearing Children

Early childhood educators need access to research-based practices and materials to help all children learn to read. Some theorists have suggested that individuals learn to read through “dual coding” (i.e., a verbal code and a nonverbal code) and may benefit from more than one route to literacy (e.g., dual coding theory). Although deaf children can successfully learn to read through American Sign Language (ASL) without sound, few have examined the contributions of sign language as a potential mode, within the verbal code, for hearing children. The purpose of the current investigation was to examine the effects of an educational video that utilizes ASL, in addition to other verbal and nonverbal content, on hearing preschoolers’ early ASL and literacy skills. Participants (N = 77) were randomly assigned to one of three groups: some viewed the video in ASL with sound; some viewed in ASL and without sound; and others did not view the video. Targeted ASL and early literacy skills were assessed before and after viewing. Statistical analyses determined whether scores changed from pretest to posttest, and results showed significant gains for children who viewed a combination of sound and ASL. Although gains were not found on the standardized measure of print and word awareness skills, the results suggest that young hearing children learned the content and skills that were explicitly taught in a video that utilized ASL, fingerspelling and print along with sound. Such results suggest that a visual language, ASL, may serve as an alternative route to literacy development.
Study of geometric stability and structural integrity of self-healing glass seal system used in solid oxide fuel cells

Abstract A self-healing glass seal has the potential to restore its mechanical properties upon being reheated to the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack operating temperature. Such a self-healing feature is desirable for achieving high seal reliability during thermal cycling. Self-healing glass is also characterized by its low mechanical stiffness and high creep rate at SOFC operating temperatures. Therefore, the geometric stability and structural integrity of the glass seal system are critical to its successful application in SOFCs. This paper describes studies of the geometric stability and structural integrity of the self-healing glass seal system and the influence of various interfacial conditions during the operating and cooling-down processes using finite element analyses. For this purpose, the test cell used in the leakage tests for compliant glass seals, conducted at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), was taken as the initial modeling geometry. The effect of the ceramic stopper on the geometric stability of the self-healing glass sealants was studied first. Two interfacial conditions of the ceramic stopper and glass seals, i.e., bonded (strong) or unbonded (weak), were considered. Then the influences of interfacial strengths at various interfaces, i.e., stopper/glass, stopper/PEN, as well as stopper/IC plate, on the geometric stability and reliability of glass during the operating and cooling processes were examined.
Fine particulate matter and mortality: a comparison of the six cities and American Cancer Society cohorts with a medicare cohort.

Background:The American Cancer Society study and the Harvard Six Cities study are 2 landmark cohort studies for estimating the chronic effects of fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) on mortality. Using Medicare data, we assessed the association of PM2.5 with mortality for the same locations inclu
Mykil: a secure and highly available key management system for large group multicast

This paper describes the design, implementation and evaluation of Mykil, a new key management system for supporting secure group multicast. Mykil was developed on a combination of group-based hierarchy and key-based hierarchy systems for secure group key management. The advantages of Mykil include a fast and efficient rekeying operation for large group sizes, continuous availability of the key management service in a disconnected network environment, an ability to map group structure to the underlying network infrastructure, and support for user mobility and smaller, handheld devices. A prototype of Mykil has been implemented. The paper describes this implementation and reports on the performance measured.
Research education in obstetrics and gynecology: how are we doing?

Objective This study was undertaken to determine how obstetrics and gynecology residency programs are teaching residents about research. Study Design Obstetrics and gynecology program directors in the United States and Canada completed a 15-question survey about their current research education programs, their perception of the most important components of resident research education, and how well prepared graduating residents were for a variety of research-related activities. Results One hundred thirty-two of 213 (62%) program directors completed the survey. Ninety-five percent required residents complete a research project to graduate. Research topics were more commonly taught via journal clubs (84%) and informal apprenticeships (78%). Less than half of the programs provided didactic presentations on clinical trial design and biostatistics (47%) or statistical software (38%). Conclusion Although nearly all of the sampled obstetrics and gynecology residency programs require resident research projects, most provide limited resources or formal education on clinical research design and biostatistics.
Defining Defamation: Community in the Age of the Internet

The ability to instantly communicate with a global audience has created numerous legal uncertainties as jurists struggle to adapt age-old jurisprudence to modern-day technologies —and defamation jurisprudence is no exception. The definition of a plaintiff's community is critical to his or her ability to succeed in a defamation lawsuit, often determining whether the plaintiff is a public figure or whether the plaintiff's reputation has been injured in his or her community. This article examines federal and state defamation jurisprudence to compare the factors courts have used to define community in both traditional print and broadcast cases with the factors used in more recent Internet defamation cases. It then suggests three possible rubrics courts could employ to more uniformly define community in Internet defamation cases.
Catalytic properties of cytochrome P-450 in hepatopancreas of the spiny lobster, Panulirus argus

Abstract These studies were designed to determine the metabolic capability of the microsomal cytochrome(s) P-450 in spiny lobster hepatopancreas, and to determine how chemicals which selectively modify mammalian monooxygenase activity catalyzed by different cytochrome P-450 isozymes affect the spiny lobster cytochrome P-450. We used a washing procedure to concentrate the hepatopancreas microsomal cytochrome P-450 and remove the inhibitors of monooxygenase activity which are normally present in microsomes. The resulting reparation (MI fraction) was used to determine monooxygenase activity towards benzo[a]pyrene, benz-phetamine, 7-ethoxyresorufin in the presence of either cumene hydroperoxide or NADPH and vertebrate liver cytochrome P-450 reductase. Benzphetamine was the best substrate for the lobster cytochrome P-450, whereas 7-ethoxyresorufin was metabolized very slowly. Studies with chemical modifiers showed that the responses of the lobster cytochrome(s) P-450 were not similar to those of any of the well-characterized cytochrome P-450 isozymes purified from mammalian liver.
An efficient, steady, subsonic collocation method for solving lifting-surface problems

In the collocation approach for solving the integral equation of steady subsonic liftingsurface theory, accurate integration of the product of the kernel and pressure functions over the wing surface is required before a stable solution can be achieved. A Gaussian quadrature integration technique is developed which includes correction terms that account for the error incurred while integrating through the singularity and discontinuity of the kernel function. It is shown how inconsistent treatment of the chordwise discontinuity will cause the spanwise integration to diverge with an increasing number of integration chords. An optimum relationship is given between the number of chordwise downwash points and a larger number of chordwise integration points. Also given is an empirically determined optimum ratio of spanwise to chordwise control points based on planform geometry. By comparison with experiment and other theories, the method is shown to be both stable and accurate as well as more efficient than methods based on finite aerodynamic element representations of lifting surfaces.
Humanin prevents intra-renal microvascular remodeling and inflammation in hypercholesterolemic ApoE deficient mice

Abstract Aims Humanin (HN) is an endogenous mitochondrial-derived cytoprotective peptide that has shown protective effects against atherosclerosis and is expressed in human vessels. However, its effects on the progression of kidney disease are unknown. We hypothesized that HN would protect the kidney in the early phase of atherogenesis. Main methods Forty-eight mice were studied in four groups (n = 12 each). Twenty-four ApoE deficient mice were fed a 16-week high-cholesterol diet supplemented with saline or HN (4 mg/kg/day, intraperitoneal). C57BL/6 mice were fed a normal diet supplemented with saline or HN. Microvascular architecture was assessed with micro-CT and vascular wall remodeling by alpha-SMA staining. The effects of HN on angiogenesis, inflammation, apoptosis and fibrosis were evaluated in the kidney tissue by Western blotting and histology. Key findings Cortical microvascular spatial density and media/lumen area ratio were significantly increased in high-cholesterol diet fed ApoE deficient mice, but restored by HN. HN up-regulated the renal expressions of anti-angiogenic proteins angiostatin and TSP-1, and inhibited angiopoietin-1. HN attenuated inflammation by down-regulating MCP-1, TNF-alpha and osteopontin. HN also tended to restore pSTAT3 and attenuated Bax expression, suggesting blunted apoptosis. Kidney collagen IV expression was alleviated by HN treatment. Significance HN attenuates renal microvascular remodeling, inflammation and apoptosis in the early stage of kidney disease in hypercholesterolemic ApoE−/− mice. HN may serve as a novel therapeutic target to mitigate kidney damage in early atherosclerosis.
Bi-site catalysis in F1-ATPase: does it exist?

The mechanism of action of F1F0-ATP synthase is controversial. Some favor a tri-site mechanism, where substrate must fill all three catalytic sites for activity, others a bi-site mechanism, where one of the three sites is always unoccupied. New approaches were applied to examine this question. First, ITP was used as hydrolysis substrate; lower binding affinities of ITP versus ATP enable more accurate assessment of sites occupancy. Second, distributions of all eight possible enzyme species (with zero, one, two or three sites filled) as fraction of total enzyme population at each ITP concentration were calculated, and compared with measured ITPase activity. Confirming data were obtained with ATP as substrate. Third, we performed a theoretical analysis of possible bi-site mechanisms. The results argue convincingly that bi-site hydrolysis activity is negligible, and may not even exist. Effectively, tri-site hydrolysis is the only mechanism. We argue that only tri-site hydrolysis drives subunit rotation. Theoretical analyses of possible bi-site mechanisms reveal serious flaws, not previously recognized. One is that, in bi-site catalysis, the predicted direction of subunit rotation is the same for both ATP synthesis and hydrolysis; a second is that infrequently occurring enzyme species are required.
An interface design for microcomputer control of a potato storage

Abstract The design of an interface circuit to connect a microcomputer with a potato storage is described. The interface provides for the measurement of 21 temperatures, input of 8 digital signals and output of 16 digital signals under computer control. Computer I/O is handled through one input and one output port. Interface design, programing and preliminary test are described.
An Adaptive Algorithm for Fault Tolerant Re-Routing in Wireless Sensor Networks

A substantial amount of research on routing in sensor networks has focused upon methods for constructing the best route, or routes, from data source to sink before sending the data. We propose an algorithm that works with this chosen route to increase the probability of data reaching the sink node in the presence of communication failures. This is done using an algorithm that watches radio activity to detect when faults occur and then takes actions at the point of failure to re-route the data through a different node without starting over on an alternative path from the source. We show that we are able to increase the percentage of data received at the source node without increasing the energy consumption of the network beyond a reasonable level
Demographic and clinical characteristics as predictors of length of hospitalization and readmission

The present study investigated demographic and clinical characteristics of psychiatric patients in relation to the two criterion variables of length of hospitalization and readmission within 3 months of discharge. Stepwise multiple regression analysis identified five variables as the optimal set of predictors for length of hospitalization: age, history of commitment, number of prior psychiatric hospitalizations, recent employment history, and past history of suicidal behavior (R = .451). Regression analysis also identified six variables as the optimal set of predictors for readmission within 3 months of discharge: type of discharge, number of prior psychiatric hospitalizations, race, suicide attempt within 1 month prior to admission, subjective report of depression upon admission, and occupational level (R = .452). Implications of the findings for identifying short-term treatment candidates and factors related to readmission are discussed.
Contributions of diesel truck emissions to indoor elemental carbon concentrations in homes in proximity to Ambassador Bridge

Abstract Ambassador Bridge, connecting Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario, is the busiest international commercial vehicle crossing in North America, with a large percentage of heavy duty diesel trucks. This study seeks to examine the contribution of diesel truck traffic across Ambassador Bridge to indoor exposure patterns of elemental carbon (EC), a common surrogate for diesel exhaust particles, in homes in close proximity to the bridge. We also aim to understand the relative importance of home ventilation characteristics and wind speed. Measurements were collected as part of the Detroit Exposure and Aerosol Research Study (DEARS). Residential indoor and outdoor EC measurements were collected over five consecutive 24 h periods in both the summer and winter at 16 homes in close proximity to Ambassador Bridge. Ambient concentrations and meteorological data were collected at a central-site monitor, and home air exchange rates were estimated using a perfluorocarbon tracer. The contributions of ambient concentrations and Ambassador Bridge, and potential effect modification by wind speed and home ventilation status were quantified with regression analyses. Both ambient concentrations and the percentage of time a home was downwind from the bridge were associated with an increase in indoor concentrations. Ambient concentrations significantly contributed to indoor concentrations regardless of wind speed category but were a greater influence in home experiencing calm winds. The effect of the percent of time downwind variable on indoor levels was only significant in homes where the ventilation status was high. The distance a home was from the bridge tollbooth complex was not significantly associated with indoor concentrations. We conclude that diesel traffic emissions related to Ambassador Bridge may have an impact on indoor EC exposures. Given that people spend the majority of their time indoors, it is important to evaluate the impact of traffic-related pollution in the home environment.
Covariance, coexistence and the population dynamics of two competitors using a patchy resource

A model is presented for two insect species whose larvae compete on discrete and ephemeral patches of food resource. At the beginning of every generation, eggs from both species are distributed among the patches according to a bivariate negative binomial distribution. This allows one to study the effects of covariance between the distributions of the two species. Results include: (1) Coexistence of competitors is facilitated whenever aggregation within species is greater than aggregation between species. This extends the results obtained by Atkinson & Shorrocks (1981) ; J. Anim. Ecol. 50 , 461) and Ives & May (1985) ; J. theor. Biol. 115 , 65), who considered only the special case when species are distributed independently of each other. (2) Increasing covariance between two species makes coexistence more difficult. However, increased covariance can never make coexistence more difficult than when the individuals from both species are homogeneously distributed among patches. Most models in the literature assume a homogeneous distribution, and therefore they represent the worst case for coexistence. (3) When two species coexist, covariance will affect both equilibrium population densities and population dynamics. With greater positive covariance, the reduction in the population growth rate of a species when perturbed to low densities is greater than the reduction in equilibrium population densities. Therefore, covariance may cause a dynamical fragility, as species are less able to rebound if they approach extinction. However, this fragility is not necessarily reflected by long-term population densities, which may remain little changed by covariance. These three results emphasize that in order to understand population-level interactions, the behavior of female insects searching for oviposition sites must be examined.
The effects of a restricted feeding regimen on cigarette smoking in humans.

Abstract The effects of 3 days of restricted feeding (800 kcal/day) on cigarette consumption, smoke exposure, and mood were studied in five male research volunteers. A within-subjects design was used in which subjects were exposed in an inpatient research unit to either a nutritionally-balanced diet containing 800 kcal (RESTRICTED DIET) or 3,000 kcal (NORMAL DIET) per day for 3 consecutive days. At least 2 weeks separated diet conditions. Dependent measures included number of cigarettes smoked per day in each diet condition, biological exposure levels (carbon monoxide and plasma continine levels), and mood. Number of cigarettes smoked per day did not differ significantly across diet conditions. Biological exposure to carbon monoxide and to cotinine, a metabolite of nicotine indicative of chronic nicotine exposure, also did not differ significantly between conditions. Fatigue scores from the Profile of Mood States were significantly elevated in the RESTRICTED DIET condition. Not surprisingly, subjects in this condition also reported feeling more hungry throughout the day than in the NORMAL DIET condition. From our study results, we conclude that a short period of “dieting,” and the resulting hunger elicited from such a diet, do not increase cigarette consumption or smoke exposure in humans.
Absolute phase technique for the Fourier transform method

The phase-to-coordinate conversion is an important step for accurate 3-D shape measurement by use of structured light methods. We propose to use an absolute phase map in the Fourier transform method to achieve better accuracy in the phase-to-coordinate conversion. A cross-shaped marker is embedded in the fringe pattern that is projected onto the object. The position of the marker in the captured fringe image is detected and utilized to calculate the absolute phase map. For phase analysis of the fringe image, the marker is removed and the sinusoidal intensity distribution of the fringe pattern is restored before the forward and inverse Fourier transforms are applied. Experimental results of absolute phase retrieval and 3-D reconstruction are presented to show the feasibility of the proposed method.
The role of magnetic fields on the membrane-based separation of aqueous electrolyte solutions

Molecular simulations using the method of molecular dynamics have been carried out to examine the role that external magnetic fields can play in the transport of water via reverse osmosis (RO) across membranes. Our results show that magnetic fields can increase the transport rate of water across such membranes significantly. These observations can have an important impact on making RO separation processes that involve the removal of water from solutions more efficient, since low flux rates across membranes is an important problem encountered in most current RO processes. We are aware of no experimental studies of such effects.
Interpretation of the Raman spectra of ultrananocrystalline diamond

Abstract It has long been known that by slightly altering the deposition conditions for diamond in plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), a transition from a microcrystalline to a nanocrystalline diamond morphology can be affected. The method of this transition, however, is not clear. This work investigates that transition by using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Raman spectroscopy. These experiments show that far from being a continuous transition, there is competitive growth between microcrystalline and nanocrystalline diamonds. Additionally, this work confirms the interpretation that certain peaks in the Raman spectrum previously attributed to “nanocrystalline diamond” are indeed due to the presence of hydrogen at the grain boundaries. For ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) films, we verify that none of the spectral features observed using visible Raman spectroscopy can be attributed to sp3-bonded carbon, although the sample is composed of ∼95% sp3-bonded carbon. Thus, the Raman signal in UNCD can be considered to be solely due to the disordered sp2-bonded carbon at the grain boundaries.
Pinacol-Type Rearrangements of 1, 2-Epoxy-9-Decalols

Abstract One of the more attractive synthetic approaches to hydroazulenes involves pinacol-type rearrangement of a hydronaphthalene ring system with migration of the central (common) ring fusion bond (equation 1).
Functional module detection by functional flow pattern mining in protein interaction networks

s - A single P DF containing all abstracts in this Supplement is available her e . http://www. biomedcentral.co m/content/pdf/14 71-2105-9-S10-in fo.pdf
Design and analysis of 3D-MAPS: A many-core 3D processor with stacked memory

We describe the design and analysis of 3D-MAPS, a 64-core 3D-stacked memory-on-processor running at 277 MHz with 63 GB/s memory bandwidth, sent for fabrication using Tezzaron's 3D stacking technology. We also describe the design flow used to implement it using industrial 2D tools and custom add-ons to handle 3D specifics.
Hydroxyapatite-based frontal sinus obliteration

Despite advances in endoscopic sinus surgery, indications for frontal sinus obliteration continue to exist. Hydroxyapatite cement obliteration offers the benefit of cosmetic restoration of the forehead in addition to obliteration of the sinus. Our technique for hydroxyapatite frontal sinus obliteration is detailed here.
Inhibition of ligand induced promoter occupancy in vivo by a dominant negative RXR.

Background: Retinoid X receptors (RXRs) heterodimerize with other nuclear hormone receptors and control ligand mediated transcription. To address how RXRs function as heterodimers, we investigated activities of truncated RXRα and RXRβ that lack ≈ 20 conserved C-terminal amino acids. Results: The truncated RXRs formed heterodimers and bound to respective DNA elements in vitro. By transient reporter assays we found that these RXRs act as dominant negative receptors and inhibit ligand dependent transcription by the retinoic acid receptor (RAR) and vitamin D receptor. P19 embryonal carcinoma cells stably expressing the truncated RXRβ (termed ΔC2) were deficient in activating the endogenous RARβ gene and an RA responsive reporter. To study the dominant negative activity of ΔC2 further, genomic footprinting analysis was performed for the RARβ2 promoter. In control P19 clones, the RA responsive element (RARE) and other elements in the promoter were protected after RA treatment. However, in ΔC2 clones RA-induced protection was markedly inhibited at all elements. Conclusions: These results indicate that the C-terminal region of RXR is required for full RARE occupancy in vivo, a RA dependent process that leads to the recruitment of other factors to the promoter and the subsequent transcriptional activation. Thus, RXRs play an integral role in ligand dependent transcription.
Uniform encapsulation of stable protein nanoparticles produced by spray freezing for the reduction of burst release

Abstract Stable protein nanostructured particles, produced by spray freezing into liquid (SFL) nitrogen, were encapsulated uniformly into microspheres to reduce the burst release over the first 24 h. The denaturation and aggregation of these bovine serum albumin (BSA) high‐surface area particles were minimal due to ultra‐rapid freezing and the absence of a liquid–air interface. Upon sonication, these friable highly porous, solid protein particle aggregates broke up into submicron particles. These particles were encapsulated into DL ‐lactide/glycolide copolymer (PLGA) and poly(lactic acid) (PLA) microspheres by anhydrous solid‐in‐oil‐in‐oil (s/o/o) techniques. For 5% loading of protein, the burst release after 24 h was only 2.5–4.1%, that is, values fivefold to tenfold lower than those observed for larger more conventional BSA particles. At a loading of 10%, the burst was only 6 and 13% for PLGA and PLA, respectively, and at 15% loading it was only 12% for PLGA. As shown with confocal and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the low burst is consistent with a uniform distribution of protein nanoparticles, which were about 100 times smaller than the microspheres. Changes in aggregation and secondary structure, which were monitored by size exclusion chromatography and FTIR, respectively, indicated only slight monomer loss (3.9%) and high structural integrity (38% α‐helix) in the encapsulated protein. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 94:56–69, 2005
Characterization of two polyclonal peptide antibodies that recognize the carboxy terminus of angiotensin II AT1A and AT1B receptors.

1. The differential identification of the angiotensin AT 1 A and AT 1 B receptor subtypes is impaired by the existing > 96% homology of both receptors. In the present study, we characterized two polyclonal rabbit peptide antibodies, namely α-AT 1 A and α-AT 1 B , that recognize the C-terminal region of mouse AT 1 A and AT 1 B receptors, respectively. 2. In immunoblotting, both antibodies detected two major AT 1 receptor-specific bands at sizes of 72.5 and 87.6 kDa in mouse tissues and in Neuro-2a cell lysates. In immunohistochemistry, antibodies demonstrated AT 1 receptor-specific staining in renal proximal and distal tubules, as well as in kidney glomeruli. In addition, both antibodies stained AT 1 receptors in Neuro-2a cells with G-protein receptor typical distribution. Dot-blot and ELISA analysis of the α-AT 1 A antibody showed 2.5- to fourfold higher selectivity for its AT 1 A receptor target peptide (1A-PEP) compared with the non-specific AT 1 B receptor peptide (1B-PEP). In contrast, the α-AT 1 B antibody showed high binding affinity towards its target peptide 1B-PEP, but also demonstrated high cross-reactivity for the non-specific peptide 1A-PEP (1.4- to twofold in ELISA and dot-blot analysis). In contrast with the lack of recognition by the α-AT 1 B antibody, the α-AT 1 A antibody selectively recognized the AT 1 A receptor fused to red fluorescence protein in transiently transfected Chinese hamster ovary cells. 3. In summary, we have generated two new peptide antibodies to the mouse AT 1 A and AT 1 B receptors (α-AT 1 A and α-AT 1 B ), of which the α-AT 1 A antibody has the capability to distinguish AT 1 A receptor types in immunological approaches.