cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chapter 8 Molecular tools in microbial corrosion

Publisher Summary This chapter summarizes the status of genetic tests to monitor MIC and discusses possible applications of genetic monitoring techniques for the future. Quantifying various types of bacteria that may be present in gas and oil production operation samples is a difficult challenge. Traditional tests employ microbial growth media of various types that are intended to foster the growth of particular types of microorganisms. Traditional microbial growth tests require weeks of incubation, are not accurate, and do not provide information about what microbial species were actually present in the environment. An improved means of quantifying various types of bacteria present in gas pipeline samples is using genetic techniques, such as reverse sample genome probing (RSGP) and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR). Other industries, such as medicine, food, and cosmetics, share with gas and oil industry the need to detect, identify, and quantify microorganisms. These other industries have largely abandoned microbial growth tests in favor of genetic methods. Hybridization test methods, such as RSGP, are not typically used in characterizing environmental samples, but future improvements in microarray technology may change this situation.
Once More into the Bramble Bush: Duty, Causal Contribution, and the Extent of Legal Responsibility

Courts, lawyers, law students, and academics continue to confuse the empirical issue of causal contribution with the distinct normative issues of tortious conduct and legal injury, which precede and frame the causal-contribution inquiry, and the normative issue of the extent of legal responsibility for tortiously caused consequences, which follows the causal-contribution inquiry. In a number of prior articles, I have tried to distinguish and clarify these various issues, which arise not only in tort law, but also in much the same form in criminal law and many other areas of the law. I have focused primarily on distinguishing and clarifying the empirical issue of causal contribution and elaborating a comprehensive test, the "NESS" test, for resolving this issue. In this paper, which was prepared for the recent Wade Conference on the Third Restatement of Torts: General Principles, I revisit these issues. I focus more than I previously have on the Restatement's unhelpful, opaque, confused, and contradictory treatments of these issues, while also commenting on recent scholarship which fails to properly distinguish these issues. I defend the NESS test of causal contribution against some recent criticisms, propose a practical way of properly presenting the causal-contribution issue to students and jurors, criticize alternative proposed tests (including Jane Stapleton's "targeted but-for" test), further elaborate the notion of causal sufficiency (rather than mere analytical or empirical sufficiency) that underlies the NESS test, and provide a more detailed explanation of the NESS test's application to the conceptually most difficult types of causation cases, the overdetermined multiple-omission cases.
Interior models for Procyon A: Evolutionary status and oscillation properties

Evolutionary sequences have been constructed to determine the evolutionary status of Procyon A. We find that Procyon could be in any of the following three evolutionary phases: (a) core hydrogen burning; (b) core exhaustion; (c) hydrogen burning shell narrowing. However, both timescale and luminosity arguments strongly favor possibility (a).
Paramedicals' clinical accuracy in 102 cases referred to a provincial hospital.

Papua New Guinea has excellent manuals of standard therapies for common clincial diagnoses supported by a well-designed health department pharmaceutical list. However standard treatments are only as effective as competent diagnosis. Therefore a new emphasis on problem-based diagnosis and competency-based curricula both for paramedicals and for physicians may be in order. A random sample of 102 cases referred in 1983 by paramedicals to the Southern Highlands Provincial Hospital Papua New Guinea was analyzed for agreement with the final hospital diagnosis and with standardized primary care therapies. Health center diagnosis was judged accurate in 45% of the cases; inaccuracies in a further 17% had no projected health consequences. However resulting serious sequelae could be projected in 1/2 of the incorrect diagnoses. There were serious diagnostic inaccuracies in 38% of all referral cases; this study suggests a need for problem-based paramedical education in diagnosis especially in non-surgical problems. Doctors should become partners with paramedics in the defining and refining of diagnostic skills. When doctors visit health centers they should reinforce problem based diagnostic learning on their rounds and begin such prospective studies. Clinical teaching of paramedicals in a key role for all tropical doctors. On going local evaluation of that teaching through the clinical outcome of patients managed by paramedicals should be part of the process.
Mass Media and the Contagion of Fear: The Case of Ebola in America.

Background In the weeks following the first imported case of Ebola in the U. S. on September 29, 2014, coverage of the very limited outbreak dominated the news media, in a manner quite disproportionate to the actual threat to national public health; by the end of October, 2014, there were only four laboratory confirmed cases of Ebola in the entire nation. Public interest in these events was high, as reflected in the millions of Ebola-related Internet searches and tweets performed in the month following the first confirmed case. Use of trending Internet searches and tweets has been proposed in the past for real-time prediction of outbreaks (a field referred to as “digital epidemiology”), but accounting for the biases of public panic has been problematic. In the case of the limited U. S. Ebola outbreak, we know that the Ebola-related searches and tweets originating the U. S. during the outbreak were due only to public interest or panic, providing an unprecedented means to determine how these dynamics affect such data, and how news media may be driving these trends.
Changes in the Supply of US Rural Health Centers, 2000‐2011: Implications for Rural Minority Communities

Purpose Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) provide primary care in rural areas with a shortage of providers. This paper examines whether racial and ethnic minority composition was related to changes in the supply of RHCs and FQHCs in rural counties from 2000 to 2011. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of rural counties using the Area Health Resource File 2012-2013. We examined rural counties defined as non-Core-Based Statistical Areas, with complete data on county characteristics for the study period (N = 1,349). Logistic regression analyses estimated associations between percentage of minority residents, and net gains and losses of RHCs and FQHCs, adjusting for total population, percentage of elderly residents, infant mortality rate, poverty rate, and physician, hospital, and clinic supply. Model estimates were used to calculate the predicted probability of outcomes across a range of minority percentage, from the 10th (≤1.6%) to 90th (≥46%) percentile of rural counties. Findings In high-minority counties, the predicted probability of a net gain in any type of clinic was 28.6% (95% CI: 21.3-35.8), versus 46.4% (95% CI: 40.0-52.8) for low-minority counties. High-minority counties were also more likely to experience a net decline in RHCs. Conclusions During a period of substantial growth in both programs, the percentage of minority residents was negatively associated with gaining new clinics of either type. Policy makers may need to consider targeting rural minority communities for additional primary care workforce support.
A prospective study of post-traumatic biliary and pancreatic fistuli the role of expectant management

Abstract Background : Biliary or pancreatic fistulae occur frequently after operative repair of liver or pancreatic injuries. The existing literature is based on a few retrospective series. The objective of this prospective study is to evaluate the clinical course and efficacy of non-operative treatment of biliary fistuli (BF) and pancreatic fistuli (PF) post-traumatic fistulae. Study design : Patients who following a trauma laparotomy, developed BF or PF were prospectively followed during a 38-month period (June 1999–August 2001). Demographics, injury type and severity, fistula characteristics and daily output, complications, interventions and cost were recorded. Optimal nutrition, wound management, and control of infection were priorities in fistula management. A fistula was considered completely healed if the patient was on regular diet and the output was zero for at least 48 h. Results : Of 160 patients (injury severity score: 21+10) with trauma laparotomy for a liver or pancreatic injury, nineteen patients (12%) developed a fistula (11 BF, 8 PF). No patient died. Infections occurred in 45% (5/11) of BF patients and 50% (4/8) of PF patients. Only two patients required an operation, one for bilio-pericardium and one more for a pancreatic pseudo-cyst. Fistula management was responsible for more than half of the hospital stay and cost. Patients with PF had longer hospital stays (44+28 days) and charges (US$ 345,000+218,000) than patients with BF (22+12 days and US$ 103,000+61,000, respectively). Conclusions : Most post-traumatic BF and PF can be managed non-operatively. BF resolves earlier than PF. Both entities are responsible for substantial increases in hospital length of stay and charges.
A competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect retronecine and monocrotaline in vitro.

Abstract Antibodies to the nonesterified pyrrolizidine nucleus, retronecine (155 mol.wt), were produced in rabbits and detected using an avidin-biotin antibody ELISA. A competitive ELISA for the detection of retronecine and the cyclic diester monocrotaline was also developed using the antiserum produced against the hapten conjugate, retronecine-bovine serum albumin. Retronecine was obtained by hydrolysis of monocrotaline, succinylated and directly coupled to bovine serum albumin or ovalbumin. Antibodies to the pyrrolizidine nucleus, retronecine, can be detected within 5 min after the addition of substrate using the avidin-biotin ELISA. Competitive inhibition of antibodies to retronecine is obtained by the addition of known amounts (0–11.42 μg/μl) of either the homologous antigen, retronecine, or the heterologous antigen, monocrotaline, however, retronecine acts as the better competitor.
Improved timing control for web server systems using internal state information

How to effectively allocate system resource to meet the Service Level Agreement (SLA) of Web servers is a challenging problem. In this paper, we propose an improved scheme for autonomous timing performance control in Web servers under highly dynamic traffic loads. We devise a novel delay regulation technique called Queue Length Model Based Feedback Control utilizing server internal state information to reduce response time variance in presence of bursty traffic. Both simulation and experimental studies using synthesized workloads and real-world Web traces demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Electron capture in Ar + +H 2 collisions in the keV energy regime

Electron capture in ${\mathrm{Ar}}^{+}$${(\mathrm{}}^{2}$P)${+\mathrm{H}}_{2}$(X ${\mathrm{}}^{1}$${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}}_{\mathrm{g}}$) collisions in the keV energy regime has been studied theoretically. The molecular-orbital expansion method was used within a semiclassical formalism and an electron translation factor correction was incorporated to the first order in the magnitude of the relative velocity V. The molecular wave function and eigenenergy were obtained using the diatoms-in-molecules (DIM) method. We have examined the effect of the orientation of the target ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ molecule on the electron-capture mechanism within the sudden adiabatic approximation. Since \ensuremath{\pi} symmetry arising from the p orbital of the ${\mathrm{Ar}}^{+}$ ion is involved in this system, a strong influence on the probability of the molecular orientation was found in all energies studied. As the collision energy increases, the \ensuremath{\Pi}-symmetry state in the initial channel becomes more important through the rotational coupling to the electron-capture mechanism, while at lower energies the \ensuremath{\Sigma}-symmetry state in the initial channel is the dominant source for the electron capture through strong radial coupling. Agreement of the present theory with measurements is good, but marked disagreement is seen with the atomic-orbital calculation.
Covergent effects of lordosis-relevant somatosensory and hypothalamic influences on central gray cells in the rat mesencephalon.

Abstract In female rats anesthetized with urethane, extracellular recordings were made from neurons in the mesencephalic central gray. Their responses to somatosensory stimuli and the hypothalamic electrical stimulation were tested with or without estrogen treatment. Effects of stimuli which potentiate or disrupt the lordosis reflex were examined. Of the 156 cells tested 32.7% were transsynaptically activated from the gigantocellular nucleus of the medulla. Pressure on the skin had excitatory effects on cutaneous-responsive cells, some of which were found to have well-defined receptive fields on the perineum. Noxious stimuli produced either excitation or inhibition. One-third of the cells changed their discharge rate after stimulation of the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus or the medial preoptic region by trains of pulses at 10 Hz. Facilitation prevailed in the responses to the ventromedial hypothalamic stimulation. Convergences of somatosensory and hypothalamic effects were commonly observed; 55.2% of the cells responded to at least two different stimuli. Directions of responses by individual cells to the various somatosensory and hypothalamic stimuli were frequently consistent with their effects on lordosis. In these cells estrogen treatment resulted only in a subtle shift toward excitatory responses. Central gray neurons recorded here, probably short-axoned, may help to integrate hypothalamic outputs with somatosensory influences on natural behavior patterns, including lordosis in the female rat.
Development and enhancement of self-esteem in children

Self esteem has been recognized as an important factor in a child's development. This literature review explores components of a child's self esteem, the development of self esteem, and roles parents can play in enhancing a child's self esteem. Pediatric nurse practitioners (PNPs) are in an excellent position to help parents understand their child's self esteem development and to assist parents in structuring an environment conducive to this development. Important areas for PNPs to explore with parents include expectations for their children, effective communication techniques, discipline strategies, child-centered guidance, and methods to promote children's autonomy.
Looking Inside Adenovirus

Adenoviruses are a large group of DNA viruses with a distinguished experimental history, including contributions to the discovery of RNA splicing and the elucidation of central pathways in cell transformation ( 1 ). Some adenoviruses are human pathogens. They are also very much in vogue as potential vaccine and gene therapy vectors. Structure-based redesign of their cell-targeting and antigenic properties is therefore a desirable goal. Although the striking icosahedral shape of an adenovirus particle has made its image an icon in virology (see the figure), the complexity of its molecular organization has required that a picture of an intact virion be assembled by fitting high-resolution structures of the “major” components (the “hexon,” “penton base,” and “penton fiber”) into lower-resolution images from cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) ( 2 ). Two papers in this issue will help to eliminate that requirement. On page 1071, Reddy et al. ( 3 ) report the crystal structure of a modified adenovirus type 5 (Ad5), in which short penton fibers from another serotype replace those of the wild-type Ad5. On page 1038, Zhou and colleagues ( 4 ) report a cryo-EM reconstruction of Ad5 with sufficient resolution to trace polypeptide chains in three of the “minor” proteins that hold hexons and pentons together, giving a more detailed view than hitherto possible of interactions that determine particle assembly.
Differences in sialyl transferase activity and in concanavalin-A agglutination between T and B lymphoblastoid cell lines.

Abstract The concanavalin A agglutination patterns, sialyl transferase activity and sialic acid content were studied for cultured lymphoblastoid cell lines possessing either T or B surface markers. Concanavalin A caused marked agglutination of the two B cell lines studied, Raji and SB, while the two T cell lines, HSB-2 and CCRF-CEM, failed to agglutinate with this lectin. The surface sialyl transferase activity of the two B lines was significantly higher than on the two T lines studied. In contrast, the total cellular sialic acid content or the surface sialic acid that was released from the T and B cell lines by neuraminidase was not significantly different. This study indicates that T and B lymphoblastoid cells possess different levels of surface located sialyl transferase activity and display different agglutination patterns with Con A. Perhaps these assays can be of value in differentiating various classes of neoplastic lymphoid cells.
Fully anisotropic split-tree adaptive refinement mesh generation using tetrahedral mesh stitching

Due to the myriad of geometric topologies that modern computational fluid dynamicists desire to mesh and run solutions on, the need for a robust Cartesian Mesh Generation algorithm is paramount. Not only do Cartesian meshes require less elements and often help resolve flow features but they also allow the grid generator to have a great deal of control in so far as element aspect ratio, size, and gradation. Fully Anisotropic Split-Tree Adaptive Refinement (FASTAR) is a code that allows the user to exert a great deal of control and ultimately generate a valid, geometry conforming mesh. Due to the split-tree nature and the use of volumetric pixels (voxels), non-unit aspect ratio meshing is easily achieved. Nodes are not generated until the end which mitigates tolerance issues. The tree is retained coherently, and viscous layers may be inserted in the space between the geometry and the Cartesian mesh before it is tetrahedralized. FASTAR uses tree traversal to determine neighbors robustly, and with the tetrahedralization of only a small amount of space around the geometry, sliver cells and inverted elements are avoided. The code uses Riemannian Metric Tensors to generate geometry-appropriate spacing and is capable of adaptive meshing from a spacing field generated either by the user or from solution data. FASTAR is a robust, general mesh generator that allows maximum flexibility with minimal post-processing.
Diel depth distributions of microbenthos in tidal creek sediments: high resolution mapping in fluorescently labeled embedded cores

Intertidal sediments experience substantial changes in temperature, salinity, and solar irradiation over short time periods. We applied the Fluorescently Labeled Embedded Core (FLEC) technique to map distribution patterns of microbenthos in tidal creek sediments. Our aims were to determine if micro-scale distributions varied over the course of a day and to test the null hypothesis that microbenthos are randomly distributed. Eight samples were collected at 3 h intervals from an intertidal sandflat on Sapelo Island, Georgia, USA. Cores were incubated with CellTracker Green (CMFDA, hereafter, CTG), a fluorogenic compounds that accumulates in metabolically active cells. Cores were embedded with epoxy and examined with laser scanning confocal microscopy. Image analysis was used to map the vertical locations of active microbenthos, which in these sediments consisted of benthic microalgae (BMA), ciliates, and flagellates. Microbenthos were abundant over the entire depth profiled (2 cm), although O2 microelectrode profiles indicate that only the top 3 mm of sediment was oxygenated during high light (1,000 μE m−2 s−1). More than 91% of organisms mapped were <22 μm in diameter and, based upon size and cell appearance, were BMA. Microbenthos accumulated in the top 1 mm at 0800 and 1100 h, corresponding to both low tide and high solar irradiation. This pattern conforms to BMA migratory rhythms determined by other methods. The standardized Morisita’s Index of dispersion determined that CTG-positive objects were significantly clumped at all time points and at each of the three spatial scales examined. This clumping pattern likely results from the heterogeneous distribution of resources, such as prey items for phagotrophs and dissolved nutrients or growth substrates for autotrophs or heterotrophs.
Alternative splicing of the mRNA encoding baboon glycoprotein receptor GPIIb

Abstract The cloning and characterization of cDNAs encoding the cell-surface-specific integrin receptors of baboon platelets has been undertaken to provide species-specific probes. These will be used to investigate the expression and distribution of these receptors among primate species. Clones GPIIb-16 and GPIIb-3 , encoding portions of the baboon glycoprotein GPIIb, were isolated from a cDNA library derived from baboon platelet mRNA. GPHb-3 includes an insert of 43 bp, when compared to GPIIb-16 or human GPIIb . This insert is the result of alternative processing of mRNA. The probable origin of the inserted bases is the 3' end of the intron preceeding exon 28 of the gene. A different product of alternative splicing has been reported in this same region of the human GPIIb sequence, suggesting that this location is susceptible to wobble in the intron-exon junctions. The projected shift in the reading frame of the baboon GPIIb-3 cDNA would give a radically altered C terminus of the deduced amino-acid sequence, and the possibility of a novel functional peptide on the platelet surface.
Rapid diagnosis of orbital mantle cell lymphoma utilizing fluorescent in situ hybridization technology.

Purpose We describe a patient with an orbital lymphoma in which genetic analysis utilizing fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) on a touch preparation of the tumor identified the classic 11:14 translocation associated with a mantle cell lymphoma. Design Clinicopathologic case report. Methods A 76-year-old woman presented complaining of ptosis and was found to have an orbital lesion suspected of being a lymphoproliferative malignancy. A biopsy of the lesion was performed in the office, and the sample was processed using a touch preparation technique. Results Genetic analysis utilizing FISH on a touch preparation of the tumor identified the classic 11:14 translocation associated with a mantle cell lymphoma. Conclusions FISH has become useful in the differential diagnosis of lymphoproliferative lesions. The touch preparation method requires smaller amounts of tissue than standard methods, and samples may be obtained in an office setting.
CYLD: A DUB with Many Talents

The deubiquitinating enzyme CYLD is a tumor suppressor protein known for its role in repression of generally pro-oncogenic NF-κB activation pathways. Two new studies published in this and the September issue of Developmental Cell show that CYLD dismantles distinct types of polyubiquitin chains formed on select signaling proteins and is thereby required for normal vertebrate and invertebrate development.
The Jihad Paradox: Pakistan and Islamist Militancy in South Asia

Islamist militants based in Pakistan pose a major threat to regional and international security. Although this problem has only recently received widespread attention, Pakistan has long used militants as strategic tools to compensate for its severe political and material weakness. This use of Islamist militancy has constituted nothing less than a central component of Pakistani grand strategy; supporting jihad has been one of the principal means by which the Pakistani state has sought to produce security for itself. Contrary to the conventional wisdom, the strategy has not been wholly disastrous. Rather, it has achieved important domestic and international successes. Recently, however, Pakistan has begun to suffer from a “jihad paradox”: the very conditions that previously made Pakistan's militant policy useful now make it extremely dangerous. Thus, despite its past benefits, the strategy has outlived its utility, and Pakistan will have to abandon it to avoid catastrophe. Other weak states, which may also ...
A quasi-1D model for fast contraction flows of polymer melts

This paper develops an isothermal quasi-1D model for fast (high Deborah number) contraction flows of polymers from a reservoir to a die of circular or rectangular cross-sections. Two components of composite flow models, inhomogeneous elongation and a modified unsteady shearing, employed in different regions of the full flow domain are connected in succession with the use of asymptotic matching boundary conditions. The model, based on a stable and descriptive set of viscoelastic constitutive equations, demonstrates a reasonable good agreement with experimental and direct numerical data with no adjustable parameters. It employs easy PC numerical calculations. The predictions of the model are improved for contraction flows with higher values of Deborah/Weissenberg number and contraction ratio.
Relationships among measurements of fitness and disease severity in Phytophthora infestans

Several methods of estimating pathogen fitness and disease severity in the Phytophthora infestans Solanum tuberosum pathosystem were investigated. Components of fitness measured in a growth chamber were compared with area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) measured in small field plots. The closest relationship with AUDPC was for sporulation capacity (coefficient of determination, r2= 0.86)and the least close relationship was with infection frequency (r2= 001). Two different methods were compared for calculating the relative fitnesses of two isolates: (i) apparent infection rates and (ii) changes in frequency in mixed epidemics. The values obtained by the two methods were not contradictory (0.98 and 0.93 units per day for the less fit isolate, against 1 for the more fit isolate), but had wide and overlapping confidence intervals.
Autoxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids: II. A suggested mechanism for the formation of TBA-reactive materials from prostaglandin-like endoperoxides.

The nature and mechanism of formation of the thiobarbituric acid (TBA)-reactive material produced in the autoxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) or their esters has been studied. On the basis of chemical studies and
Incidence of conversion to active waitlist status among temporarily inactive obese renal transplant candidates.

Author(s): Huang, Edmund | Advisor(s): Elashoff, Robert M; Elashoff, David | Abstract: Background: Candidates may be active or temporarily inactive (status 7) on the kidney transplant waiting list. One reason candidates may be inactive is for a “weight currently inappropriate for transplantation”. We hypothesized that many of these candidates would not achieve active status. Methods: Using OPTN/UNOS data from 2006-2012, we used competing risks methods to determine the cumulative incidence of conversion to active status (activation), death, and delisting before conversion among 1679 obese adult kidney candidates designated as status 7 due to a weight inappropriate for transplantation. Fine and Gray competing risks regression was performed to characterize factors associated with conversion to active status in the overall study population and of eventual transplantation among a subgroup of activated candidates. Results: At six years, the cumulative incidence of activation was 49%, of death before conversion was 15%, and of delisting was 21%. Higher body mass index (BMI) was strongly associated with a decreased subhazard of activation (BMI ≥45 vs. 30-34.9, sHR: 0.22; 95% CI: 0.16-0.33). Female gender, diabetic end-stage renal disease, history of a previous transplant, panel reactive antibodies l80%, dialysis-dependence at listing, and UNOS region 5 were negatively associated with activation. Among activated candidates, the cumulative incidence of transplantation at six years after initial waitlisting was 61%. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that half of obese status 7 candidates with a weight inappropriate for transplantation will not achieve active waitlist status. BMI at listing had a strong association with conversion to active status; however, co-morbid factors and regional variation also impact activation.
Experimental influence lines for bridge evaluation

Evaluating bridges using field tests is a useful method for determining a structures in-situ performance. Actual bridge performance determined in this manner has typically been found to be better than that predicted based on analytical models. In this paper, a method of obtaining influence lines for short-to-medium span bridges directly from truck load tests is presented. These “experimental influence lines” are compared to influence lines developed based on analytical methods, or simplified load distribution assumptions in order to quantify differences between the actual and assumed bridge performance. The proposed methodology is demonstrated using results of a recent load test conducted on the South Market Street Bridge in Wilmington, Delaware.
Clarifying the Contours of Emotion Regulation: Insights From Parent–Child Stress Research

The way people respond to and recover from stress is a core aspect of emotion regulation, making it important to understand when and how stress response systems become dysregulated. In this article, I discuss a program of research designed to clarify the origins of stress regulation or dysregulation within families. My study highlights how parents with mood dysregulation shape their children's developing stress sensitivity via both inherited and social-environmental paths, and how such sensitivity aids or impairs regulation depending on the environmental context. The work also points to ways in which the family environment continues to modulate stress sensitivity over time, framing regulation as a dynamic interplay among early and later parental influences, and current conditions, rather than a static outcome. I also discuss implications for conceptualizing stress regulation and points of intervention.
Regulation of Protein Phosphatase 2A Activity by Heat Shock Transcription Factor 2

Heat shock transcription factor (HSF) mediates the stress-induced expression of heat shock protein genes (hsp). However, HSF is required for normal cell function even in the absence of stress and is important for cell cycle progression, but the mechanism that mediates these effects of HSF is unknown. Here, it is shown that a member of the HSF family, HSF2, interacts with the PR65 (A) subunit of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). HSF2 binding to PR65 blocks its interaction with the catalytic subunit, due to competition between HSF2 and catalytic subunit for the same binding site in PR65. In addition, overexpression of HSF2 stimulates PP2A activity in cells, indicating the relevance of HSF2 as a regulator of PP2A in vivo. These results identify HSF2 as a dual function protein, capable of regulating both hsp expression and PP2A activity. This could function as a mechanism by whichhsp expression is integrated with the control of cell division or other PP2A-regulated pathways.
Effect of Exposure Duration on Visual Contrast Sensitivity with Square-Wave Gratings*†

Contrast sensitivity for square-wave gratings of spatial frequencies between 0.44 and 33.2 cycles/deg was determined for exposure durations between 11 and 500 msec. The space-average luminance of the targets was kept constant at 10 mL, regardless of contrast, and equal to that of the pre- and post-exposure fields, which contained a cross-hair reticle to help maintain accommodation and fixation. At the longest exposure duration (500 msec) the contrast sensitivity function exhibited both the high- and the low-frequency declines described by previous investigators. At the briefest exposure duration tested (11 msec), the low-frequency decline of contrast sensitivity was virtually absent. Log contrast sensitivity improves with increasing exposure duration, but more for high-frequency than for low-frequency gratings. These results are compatible with the assumption that there is a time delay in the occurrence of inhibitory interactions in the retina.
Atomic force microscopy study of FG-annealed and PECVD silicon nitride AR-coated silicon solar cells

Atomic force microscopy has been used to study the surface structure and roughness of PECVD silicon nitride coated silicon solar cells. The surface roughness increases in some areas of the solar cells after forming gas annealing. It may be one of the reasons for better light absorption on the surface of the solar cells resulting in better solar cell performance.
Verticillium Wilt of Spineless Safflower Caused by Verticillium dahliae in California

Spineless selections of Carthamus tinctorius (safflower) are grown as commercial field grown cutflower crops in coastal California. In 2010, field plantings of spineless safflower in Santa Clara County developed symptoms of a wilt disease. Affected plants were stunted and slow to develop. As plants developed flower buds, lower leaves turned yellow and wilted. As disease developed, lower leaves turned tan and desiccated; in extreme cases, the entire plant wilted and died. Examination of the taproot and stem vascular tissue revealed a tan to light brown, longitudinal, vascular discoloration. Disease distribution was patchy but in some plantings up to 50% of the plants were unharvestable due to loss of quality or plant death. Isolation from symptomatic vascular tissue consistently resulted in the recovery of a fungus with white aerial mycelium, verticillate conidiophores, single-celled, ovoid to ellipsoid, hyaline conidia, and solitary black microsclerotia that were rounded to elongated or irregular in shape. Three single conidial isolates were chosen for species and race identification after DNA extraction using the FastDNASPIN Kit (MP Biomedicals, Solon, OH). Verticillium species-specific PCR amplified a 500-bp amplicon that is specific to Verticillium dahliae from all three isolates. All three isolates also amplified the race 2-specific 270-bp band in PCR. No amplification was observed in race 1-specific PCR. Based on morphological and molecular data, the fungus was identified as V. dahliae (1,3). Pathogenicity of two isolates was tested individually by soil drench inoculations using 10 ml of conidial suspensions (7 × 106 conidia/ml) for each of 10 containerized plants grown in a peat moss mix in 7.6 cm diameter pots. Five safflower selections were inoculated and maintained in a greenhouse. After 6 weeks, as plants began to form flowers, inoculated plants showed lower leaf dieback and plant wilting. Vascular discoloration was observed when plants were dissected. V. dahliae was consistently recovered from symptomatic tissue. Control plants that only received water did not develop symptoms. The experiment was repeated and the results were consistent. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Verticillium wilt of ornamental, spineless safflower. This disease has been reported previously on agronomic safflower grown as an oilseed crop (2). This finding has significance for coastal crop rotation decisions as ornamental safflower is yet another host that could augment V. dahliae soil inoculum levels for crops such as strawberry and vegetables. References: (1) P. Inderbitzin et al. PLoS One 6: e28341, 2011. (2) J. M. Klisiewicz. Plant Dis. 65:237, 1981. (3) Maruthachalam et al. Phytopathology 100:1222, 2010.
Starting transients of induction motors connected to unbalanced networks

Abstract The effects of an unbalanced supply on induction motor overheating has been known for some time. However, little or no attention has been paid to the dynamic response of such a system. This paper evaluates the effects of an unbalanced distribution system and unbalanced single-phase loads on the dynamic behavior of a three-phase induction motor. Results are presented to illustrate that a significant error can be made under certain conditions by ignoring the imbalance or even by simulating such a system by an equivalent balanced one.
Alcohol Stimulates Activation of Snail, Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Signaling, and Biomarkers of Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition in Colon and Breast Cancer Cells

Background: Alcohol consumption is associated with the risk of progressive cancers including colon and breast cancer. The mechanisms for the alcohol-induced aggressive behavior of these epithelial cancer cells have not been fully identified. Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a developmental program recently shown to play a role in cancer progression and metastases. We hypothesized that alcohol might promote cancer progression by inducing EMT in cancer cells and tested this hypothesis by assessing alcohol-stimulated changes in phenotypic markers of EMT as well as the EMT transcription factor Snail and its related cell signaling. Methods: Colon and breast cancer cell lines and a normal intestinal epithelial cell line were tested as well as colonic mucosal biopsy samples from alcoholic subjects. Cells were treated with alcohol and assessed for EMT-related changes using immunofluorescent microscopy, western blotting, reporter assays, RT-PCR, and knockdown of Snail with siRNA. Results: We show alcohol upregulated the signature EMT phenotypic marker vimentin as well as matrix metalloprotease (MMP)-2, MMP-7, and MMP-9 and cell migration in colon and breast cancer cells—all characteristics of EMT. Alcohol also stimulated nuclear localization of Snail phosphorylated at Ser246, transcription from a Snail reporter plasmid, and Snail mRNA expression by RT-PCR. Snail siRNA knockdown prevented alcohol-stimulated vimentin expression. In vivo, Snail expression was significantly elevated in colonic mucosal biopsies from alcoholics. Also, we found alcohol stimulated activation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling and an EGFR inhibitor blocked alcohol-induced cell migration and Snail mRNA expression. Conclusions: Collectively, our data support a novel mechanism for alcohol promoting cancer progression through stimulating the EMT program in cancer cells via an EGFR-Snail mediated pathway. This study reveals new pathways for alcohol-mediated promotion of cancer that could
Haptoglobin phenotypes in epilepsy.

Seizures occur in ∼5% of people, and recur in >20% of that 5% (1)(2). The etiologies of most seizures are unknown, and head trauma is implicated in only 5–10% of cases (3). Blood or blood components, specifically iron, may be etiologically important; intracranial injection of hemoglobin (4), lysed erythrocytes (5), iron-containing proteins (5), or iron salts (6) produced chronic focal spike activity in rodents and cats. Because microhemorrhagic events occur in the central nervous system of all people, inadequate clearance of iron-rich (7) hemoglobin might underlie development of some seizure disorders. Haptoglobin binds free hemoglobin and removes it from the circulation (8), thus preventing iron loss and kidney damage during hemolysis (9). Haptoglobin contains β- (heavy; 40 kDa) and α- (light; α1 = 8.9 kDa and α2 = 16 kDa) chains. Humans are polymorphic for haptoglobin, with three major phenotypes: Hp 1-1, Hp 2-2, and the heterozygous Hp 2-1 (10). The β-chains are identical in all, with variations dependent on different α-chains. Hp 1-1 expresses only the α1-chain and is the smallest form (86 kDa). Hp 2-1 and Hp 2-2 express α2-chains, which can form polymers of 86–300 kDa (Hp 2-1) and up to 900 kDa (Hp 2-2) (10). Hp 1-1 is biologically the most effective in binding free hemoglobin and suppressing inflammatory responses associated with extracellular (free) hemoglobin (9). In contrast, Hp 2-2 is the least effective (11). The plasma concentrations of haptoglobin are highest in individuals with Hp 1-1 and lowest in those with Hp 2-2, with intermediate concentrations in Hp 2-1 individuals (9). Haptoglobin also has antioxidant (12 …
Image quality criteria for wide-field x-ray imaging applications

For staring, wide-field applications, such as a solar x-ray imager, the severe off-axis aberrations of the classical Wolter Type-I grazing incidence x-ray telescope design drastically limits the 'resolution' near the solar limb. A specification upon on-axis fractional encircled energy is thus not an appropriate image quality criterion for such wide-angle applications. A more meaningful image quality criterion would be a field-weighted-average measure of 'resolution.' Since surface scattering effects from residual optical fabrication errors are always substantial at these very short wavelengths, the field-weighted-average half- power radius is a far more appropriate measure of aerial resolution. If an ideal mosaic detector array is being used in the focal plane, the finite pixel size provides a practical limit to this system performance. Thus, the total number of aerial resolution elements enclosed by the operational field-of-view, expressed as a percentage of the n umber of ideal detector pixels, is a further improved image quality criterion. In this paper we describe the development of an image quality criterion for wide-field applications of grazing incidence x-ray telescopes which leads to a new class of grazing incidence designs described in a following companion paper.
Comparison of Yellow Poplar Pretreatment Between NREL Digester and Sunds Hydrolyzer

Single-stage cocurrent dilute acid pretreatments were carried out on yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) sawdust using an as-installed and short residence time modified pilot-scale Sunds hydrolyzer and a 4-L bench-scale NREL digester (steam explosion reactor). Pretreatment conditions for the Sunds hydrolyzer, installed in the NREL process development unit (PDU), which operates at 1 t/d (bone-dry t) feed rate, spanned the temperature range of 160-210°C, 0.1-1.0% (w/w) sulfuric acid, and 4-10-min residence times. The batch pretreatments of yellow poplar sawdust in the bench-scale digester were carried out at 210 and 230°C, 0.26% (w/w) sulfuric acid, and 1-, 3-, and 4-min residence times. The dilute acid prehydrolysis solubilized more than 90% of the hemicellulose, and increased the enzymatic digestibility of the cellulose that remained in the solids. Compositional analysis of the pretreated solids and liquors and mass balance data show that the two pretreatment devices had similar pretreatment performance.
Making concepts and phenomena visual in machine and assembly language programming

Some courses in computer organization and assembly language programming have evolved away from ones emphasizing proficiency with a particular machine. Instead, these courses attempt to build understanding for the way in which abstract concepts are ultimately realized through machine level programming. The advent of small computers offers an opportunity to further personalize this form of instruction and to improve its delivery and availability. This paper discusses a package of software for use on personal computers which supports the teaching of courses in computer organization and assembly language programming. The software permits visualization of various abstractions, concepts, and phenomena. Examples of its use in teaching are examined, and related directions in teaching courses of this type are examined.
Techniques for embedding postfix languages in Haskell

One popular use for Haskell in recent years has been as a host language for domain-specific embedded languages. But how can one embed a postfix language in Haskell, given that Haskell only supports prefix and infix syntax? This paper describes several such embeddings for increasingly complex postfix languages.
Faculty Gender in the College Classroom: Does It Matter for Achievement and Major Choice?

Many feel that faculty members of the same gender may serve as role models, helping students to perform better in classes and encouraging them to continue in a subject. However, while higher education research has found evidence of positive effects of matching on gender, there are also many findings of zero impact. The main hurdle in this literature is identifying the exogenous impact in the absence of student sorting by gender. This article addresses this difficulty by using institutional data from a private liberal arts institution to examine outcomes for students in courses taught by new faculty members for which the students would not know the gender before registering. Results provide evidence of a role model effect for both genders; students earn higher grades in courses taught by same-gender instructors in fields traditionally dominated by the opposite gender. Major choice and course-taking behavior are mostly unaffected by faculty gender.
Effect of cardiac rehabilitation on postprandial response to a high fat meal in patients with coronary artery disease.

Abstract Past studies have shown decreased lipemic responses to a high fat meal in healthy trained vs. untrained subjects. The purpose of this study was to characterize fasting lipid profiles and lipemic responses in 13 male cardiac patients (6 in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) and 7 controls (NONCR)). Body composition and dietary composition were assessed. Plasma total cholesterol (TC), HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) and triglyceride (TG) were determined after a 12-h fast. Subjects consumed a high fat meal (60% of calories) and the lipemic response to the meal was assessed by determining plasma TG hourly for 8 h following the meal. CR had a lower percent body fat than NONCR (26% vs. 34%, P P P P
Maximum effective vessel diameters of hardwoods

Measurements of the gas pressure required to displace water and allow gas bubbles to start continuously passing through the void structure of hardwood cross sections varying in thickness from 0.1 ... 10.0 cm have been used to calculate the maximum effective opening diameters. These diameters decrease with an increase in the thickness of the cross sections, as is the case for softwoods. Extrapolation of diameter—thickness plots to zero thickness gives the maximum vessel diameters, which agree well with microscopically determined values. The relatively small decrease in the maximum effective opening diameters with increasing thickness of the cross sections for most of the sapwood samples tested is due to irregularities in the vessel diameters and presence of perforation plates at the ends of the vessel segments. The decrease in the maximum effective opening diameter with an increase in the thickness of the cross sections is greater for the heartwood than for the sapwood. The ratio of the sapwood to the heartwood values tends to become constant between cross section thicknesses of 2.5 and 5.0 cm. This ratio was small for tyloses free northern red oak but appreciable for the hardwoods containing tyloses in the heartwood. Air drying followed by oven drying and resaturating of the specimens with water caused only small variable changes in the maximum effective opening diameters that were within the range of experimental accuracy of the measurements (approximately 5%).
Modeling and algorithmic development of a staff scheduling problem

Abstract The problem of scheduling workers at a hub of a trucking system for the stripping and loading of the trucks and the determination of the optimal number of workers is a difficult problem. The trucks arrive at the facility at different (but known) times and may have their own scheduled departure times. This problem is like a set partitioning problem but with a side constraint pertaining to the dynamic arrival of the trucks. We develop a procedure to solve this problem that is based on the column generation technique, and the solution of a set covering problem to obtain the integer solution. The performance of the procedure is demonstrated by applying it to the real-life data obtained from a trucking company. Its effectiveness is illustrated by comparing it with a lower bound and a well-known heuristic procedure.