cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Saliency of the Grandmother-Granddaughter Relationship: Predictors of Association

SUMMARY This study examined the solidarity of the grandmother-granddaughter tie when older women migrate. The sample, taken from a larger study (N = 308), included 69 relocated women with one or more grandchildren who reported a granddaughter to be the grandchild of most contact. The revised theory of intergenerational solidarity served as the conceptual framework. The results showed the saliency of the grandmother-granddaughter relationship depended upon the dimension examined. Tests of the hypotheses showed associational solidarity was primarily a function of the opportunity structure proximity and, to a smaller extent, age of the grandchild. No significant relationship existed between norms of grand filial expectations and affect for granddaughters and association. Neither did the results support the impact of norms on affect and their subsequent influence on association.
Sensory control of target acquisition

Recent research has expanded our understanding of how the nervous system uses visual and kinesthetic input to move the arm to a target. In this review, we present data to show how the nervous system can rapidly use sensory input to control impending or ongoing motor activity. We contrast visual control with kinesthetic control to show how these two sources of sensory input are used to control parameters of motor command such as amplitude and direction, to trigger the motor commands, and then to correct errors in trajectory. Despite many differences in the organization of the visual and the kinesthetic sensory systems, the nervous system appears to process these two types of sensory input similarly.
Development of selective dopamine receptor agonists as novel cardiovascular drugs

Benzazepine and ergoline derivatives represent two chemical classes from which orally effective dopamine receptor agonists have been developed. The benzazepines SK&F 38393 and SK&F 82526 increase renal and mesenteric blood flow as a consequence of regional vasodilation mediated by vascular (DA1) dopamine receptor stimulation. Renal vasodilation produced by acute administration of SK&F 38393 and SK&F 82526 is associated with variable diuresis and natriuresis, and minimal change in arterial blood pressure and cardiac rate. Pergolide and LY141865 are chemically related to ergoline and inhibit neurogenic release of norepinephrine by stimulating neuronal (DA2) dopamine receptors. As a result of this action, pergolide and LY141865 produce generalized cardiovascular alterations that are characterized by reduced systemic vascular resistance, arterial blood pressure, and cardic rate. SK&F 38393 and pergolide lack beta receptor agonist activity, although each produces alpha receptor mediated vasoconstriction at or slightly above doses activating dopamine receptors. SK&F 82526, LY141865, and LY171555 (the levo enantiomer of LY141865) are more selective DA1 and DA2 dopamine receptor agonists, respectively, since each is devoid of adrenergic effects over an extended dose range. Potential clinical utilities of DA1 dopamine receptor agonists include the treatment of renal insufficiency and arterial hypertension. DA2 dopamine receptor agonists may also be useful in treating arterial hypertension, as well as cardiac conditions where facilitation of stroke volume and reduction of myocardial work would be desirable.
Categorical and dimensional approaches to the measurement of disruptive behavior in the preschool years: a meta-analysis.

Preschool disruptive behavior problems were investigated in a meta-analysis of 26 studies using categorical and/or dimensional approaches to assessment. The review sought to distinguish early disruptiveness from normative preschool conduct by showing that, irrespective of assessment methodology: (a) disruptiveness can be adequately measured in the preschool years; (b) early disruptiveness is stable over time; and (c) disruptive children referred for clinical services in the preschool years can be distinguished from non-referred peers. Results indicated that: categorical and dimensional approaches to measurement of early disruptiveness provide comparable data (effect size d = 2.29); both approaches yield comparable estimates of the stability of preschool disruptive behavior over time (categorical approach: d = 1.15; dimensional approach: d = 0.84); and both approaches discriminate between referred and non-referred preschoolers (d = 1.05 and d = .95). Limitations of the existing literature and of this analysis are discussed, as are suggestions for future research.
Coccidioidomycosis Meningitis and Syndrome of Inappropriate Antidiuretic Hormone

The syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone (SIADH) secretion has been well described in patients with meningeal spread from metastatic carcinomatosis and bacterial or mycobacterial infections. We describe a 39-year-old white man who was diagnosed with coccidioidomycosis pneumonia 7 years before presentation. He displayed evidence for meningitis with the onset of SIADH. We reviewed the diagnosis of coccidioidomycosis and radiological findings in the central nervous system. Last, we discussed the findings that led to the diagnosis of SIADH.
Primary structure homology within the 23S ribosomal RNA.

OUR understanding of the evolution of the cell will depend largely on our gaining an understanding of the evolution of the cell's translation apparatus, and in this context I wish to discuss the recent finding that the RNA sequences (seen in a Tl ribonuclease digest) surrounding the methylated bases in the Escherichia coli 23S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) are all repeated twice in the molecule1. This has been interpreted to mean either that the 23S rRNA molecule is actually a dimer of two identical halves, or that the 23S cistron has evolved through a gene duplication and joining mechanism1. The dimer interpretation seems to be ruled out by the fact that there are many more kinds of sequences in the 23S rRNA than there are in the 16S rRNA, and so, reasonably, the former should be larger than the latter, if most sequences were singly represented in each2. In. view of the evolutionary significance of the second possibility, however, I wish to point out that there is at least one other reasonable interpretation of these data (which does not invoke gene duplication) and so they cannot be taken as evidence for an origin of the 23S rRNA cistron by a duplication and joining involving a smaller cistron.
Relationship between body mass index and perceived insufficient sleep among U.S. adults: an analysis of 2008 BRFSS data.

Over the past 50 years, the average sleep duration for adults in the United States has decreased while the prevalence of obesity and associated outcomes has increased. The objective of this study was to determine whether perceived insufficient sleep was associated with body mass index (BMI) in a national sample. We analyzed data from the 2008 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey (N = 384,541) in which respondents were asked, "During the past 30 days, for about how many days have you felt you did not get enough rest or sleep?" We divided respondents into six BMI categories and used multivariable linear regression and logistic regression analyses to assess the association between BMI categories and days of insufficient sleep after adjusting for sociodemographic variables, smoking, physical activity, and frequent mental distress. Adjusted mean days of insufficient sleep ranged from 7.9 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 7.8, 8.0) days for people of normal weight to 10.5 (95% CI: 10.2, 10.9) days for those in the highest weight category (BMI ≥ 40). Days of perceived insufficient sleep followed a linear trend across BMI categories. The likelihood of reporting ≥14 days of insufficient sleep in the previous 30 days was higher for respondents in the highest weight category than for those who were normal weight (34.9% vs. 25.2%; adjusted odds ratio = 1.7 (95% CI: 1.5, 1.8]). Among U.S. adults, days of insufficient rest or sleep strongly correlated with BMI. Sleep sufficiency should be an important consideration in the assessment of the health of overweight and obese people and should be considered by developers of weight-reduction programs.
Convergent validity of the Autism Spectrum Disorders-Diagnostic Adult (ASD-DA) with the Pervasive Developmental Disorder/Autism subscale of the Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped-II (DASH-II)

Abstract The Autism Spectrum Disorders-Diagnosis for Adults ( ASD-DA ) is a standardized assessment used to measure autistic symptomatology in adults with intellectual disabilities (ID). In order to further establish the validity of this measure, convergent validity of the ASD-DA was established by comparing ASD-DA total and subscales scores with the Pervasive Developmental Disorder/Autism (PDD/Autism) subscale score on the Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped-II ( DASH-II ). Data was collected from 278 adults residing in two large supports and services centers in the southeastern region of the United States. The ASD-DA total scores and all subscale scores correlated with the PDD/Autism subscale score at the p ASD-DA as a valid measure of autistic symptoms in adults with ID. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Development of the Career Indecision Profile: Factor Structure, Reliability, and Validity

Prior research using a 167-item measure of career indecision (Career Indecision Profile-167 [CIP-167]) has suggested that career choice difficulties may be associated with four major sources of career indecision: neuroticism/negative affectivity, choice/commitment anxiety, lack of readiness, and interpersonal conflicts. The purpose of this study was to develop a shorter and more efficient measure of these four major sources of indecision for future use in research and counseling. The development of the measure (CIP-65) is described and the results of a confirmatory factor analytic study of its structure are presented along with initial reliability and validity data. We conclude by discussing implications for future research on the CIP-65 and its potential use in counseling individuals with choice-making difficulties.
A penny-shaped crack in a filament-reinforced matrix—II. The crack problem

The elastostatic interaction problem between a penny-shaped crack and a slender inclusion or filament in an elastic matrix was formulated. For a single filament as well as multiple identical filaments located symmetrically around the crack the problem is shown to reduce to a singular integral equation. The solution of the problem is obtained for various geometries and filament-to-matrix stiffness ratios, and the results relating to the angular variation of the stress intensity factor and the maximum filament stress are presented.
Ionization by Meteoric Bombardment

The meteor shower of October 9-10, 1946, produced intense ionization in the upper atmosphere. This phenomenon provides the first opportunity to calculate directly the energy required to produce an ionospheric layer. The necessary power is found to be a few watts per square kilometer, a value comfortably exceeded by the blackbody radiation of the sun in the region of 1000A.
Object-Based Verification of Precipitation Forecasts. Part I: Methodology and Application to Mesoscale Rain Areas

Abstract A recently developed method of defining rain areas for the purpose of verifying precipitation produced by numerical weather prediction models is described. Precipitation objects are defined in both forecasts and observations based on a convolution (smoothing) and thresholding procedure. In an application of the new verification approach, the forecasts produced by the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model are evaluated on a 22-km grid covering the continental United States during July–August 2001. Observed rainfall is derived from the stage-IV product from NCEP on a 4-km grid (averaged to a 22-km grid). It is found that the WRF produces too many large rain areas, and the spatial and temporal distribution of the rain areas reveals regional underestimates of the diurnal cycle in rain-area occurrence frequency. Objects in the two datasets are then matched according to the separation distance of their centroids. Overall, WRF rain errors exhibit no large biases in location, but do suffer from a ...
Tunnel Conductance of Watson-Crick Nucleoside-Base Pairs from Telegraph Noise

The use of tunneling signals to sequence DNA is presently hampered by the small tunnel conductance of a junction spanning an entire DNA molecule. The design of a readout system that uses a shorter tunneling path requires knowledge of the absolute conductance across base pairs. We have exploited the stochastic switching of hydrogen-bonded DNA base-nucleoside pairs trapped in a tunnel junction to determine the conductance of individual molecular pairs. This conductance is found to be sensitive to the geometry of the junction, but a subset of the data appears to come from unstrained molecular pairs. The conductances determined from these pairs are within a factor of two of the predictions of density functional calculations. The experimental data reproduces the counterintuitive theoretical prediction that guanine-deoxycytidine pairs (3 H-bonds) have a smaller conductance than adenine-thymine pairs (2 H-bonds). A bimodal distribution of switching lifetimes shows that both H-bonds and molecule-metal contacts break.
Deep Beauty: Rajasthani Goddess Shrines Above and Below the Surface

Rajasthani folk culture was legendary and unsurpassed, described the pervasive presence and potency of Rajasthan' s shrines and their deities in everyday lives. Notwithstanding massive inroads by global modernity's multifarious manifestations (from television to transportation; from mobile phones to intercaste elopements), Kothari' s observations on the integral importance of shrines remain valid. These places and their deities continue to be meshed in multiple ways with human lives and livelihoods, especially with aspirations for health and wellbeing, both physical and psychological. In the Banas Basin region of Rajasthan where I have intermittently conducted research since 1979, shrine improvements and reconstruction are much in evidence in the first decade of the twenty-first century. This article's substantive focus is the origin tales of three Rajasthani shrine goddesses set within the devotional ambiance of their specific sites as well as in broader contexts of religion, gender, and society. Such sites lodge, please, contain, and channel divine female power, as associated narratives and images reveal. I observe at these sites three broad and intersecting dimensions of meaning: environmental, sociological, and cosmological, conveniently coded as landscape, gender, and beauty. Employing these three interpretive angles, I consider interrelated expressions of rural religiosity emergent in practices of regional pilgrimage to goddess shrines, and especially in those shrine's founding or chartering vernacular mythologies. South Asian shrines have been studied as sites of vows or transactions, of psychological healing, of regional or community identity, of folk aesthetics on display.2 Moreover, Hindu goddesses as theological and iconographic phenomena have long attracted scholars of gender and power as well as of classical and folk arts.3 My
Vascular Complications of Fungal Meningitis Attributed to Injections of Contaminated Methylprednisolone Acetate

IMPORTANCE Fungal meningitis due to injections of contaminated methylprednisolone acetate can present with vascular sequelae in immunocompetent individuals. This is particularly germane to neurologists because better recognition of the clinical characteristics of patients with fungal meningitis and ischemic stroke will provide more timely and efficient care. OBSERVATIONS In a case series, 3 patients presented to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, with acute ischemic stroke and later received a diagnosis of fungal meningitis attributed to epidural injections of contaminated methylprednisolone. Of these 3 patients, 2 were women, and the mean age for all 3 was 75.3 years. Their medical records and imaging scans were reviewed. All 3 patients presented with acute ischemic strokes and had a history of epidural spinal injections of methylprednisolone for low back pain. All 3 patients had 1 or more traditional risk factors for stroke. There were differing vascular patterns of presentation: 2 patients presented with small-vessel (lacunar) infarctions, whereas 1 patient presented with a large-vessel infarct. Of these 3 patients, 2 died and underwent an autopsy, which revealed Exserohilum rostratum as the presumed cause of death. For 2 cases, fever and meningeal signs were absent at presentation.
Quantum trajectory analysis of a thresholdlike transition in the microlaser

In a recent microlaser experiment [K. An et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 73, 3375 (1994)], a thresholdlike transition of intracavity mean photon number as a function of intracavity mean atom number has been observed. In this paper the behavior is explored with quantum trajectory simulations. It is shown that the transition is caused by enhanced atom-cavity Rabi interaction due to the increase of the intracavity photon number as the intracavity atom number is increased. The transition is further accentuated by the position-dependent variation of the coupling constant in the Fabry-Perot cavity. In addition, it is demonstrated that multiatom collective effects are negligible in the microlaser under consideration, in which atoms are injected into the cavity at random times and the product of the coupling constant and atom-cavity interaction time is much less than π. In this case the analytic theory of the one-atom micromaser [P. Filipowicz et al., Phys. Rev. A 34, 3077 (1986)] can be extrapolated into the multiatom region, assuming uniform atom-cavity coupling throughout the cavity and monovelocity atomic injection. Finally, simulations are performed which account for spatial variation of coupling constant, velocity distribution of injected atoms, and spontaneous atomic decay in the actual experiment. The results are in good agreement with experiment.
Deoxygenation of Pyridones Via Their Tetrazolyl Ethers

Abstract A mild process for the conversion of pyridones to the corresponding pyridines by palladium catalyzed ammonium formate hydrogenolysis of their (1-phenyltetrazol-2-yl) ethers is described.
Effects of catecholamines on electrolyte transport in cortical collecting tubule.

We examined the direct effects of isoproterenol (ISO) andl-norepinephrine (NE) on electrolyte transport in isolated rabbit cortical collecting tubules (CCT) perfusedin vitro. The addition of either ISO (10−6m) or NE (10−6m) to the bath decreased transepithelial potential difference (PD), on average by 51 and 25%, respectively. These effects of ISO and NE were abolished by prior addition of the β-adrenergic blocker,l-propranolol. ISO (10−5m) had no effect from lumen. Also, osmotic water permeability was not influenced by ISO. Ouabain and ISO had additive effects on PD. Elimination of chloride from both perfusate and bath, or addition of acetazolamide, abolished the effect of ISO on PD. Although isotopic sodium flux from lumen to bath was not influenced by ISO, chemical net chloride absorption increased from 1.1±0.4 to 2.7±0.6 peq·cm−1·sec−1 (n=8,p<0.005). In conclusion, both ISO and NE are capable of decreasing PD in rabbit CCT perfusedin vitro. This effect is mediated by β-adrenergic receptors and is accompanied by the increase in net chloride absorption. Although the mechanism responsible for this decrease in PD with ISO is unclear, active chloride absorption, active hydrogen secretion, or membrane chloride permeability changes may account for the effects of ISO.
An inequality governing nonlinear H ∞ control

Abstract This note gives necessary and sufficient conditions for solving a reasonable version of the nonlinear H ∞ control problem. The most objectionable hypothesis is elegant and holds in the linear case, but every possibly may not be forced for nonlinear systems. What we discover in distinction to Isidori and Astolfi (1992) and Ball et al. (1993) is that the key formula is not a (nonlinear) Riccati partial differential inequality, but a much more complicated inequality mixing partial derivatives and an approximation theoretic construction called the best approximation operator. This Chebeshev-Riccati inequality when specialized to the linear case gives the famous solution to the H ∞ control problem found in Doyle et al. (1989). While complicated the Chebeshev-Riccati inequality is (modulo a considerable number of hypotheses behind it) a solution to the nonlinear H ∞ control problem. It should serve as a rational basis for discovering new formulas and compromises. We follow the conventions of Ball et al. (1993) and this note adds directly to that paper.
Correlation of echocardiographic and clinical findings in patients with pericardial effusion.

Abstract Clinical data and echocardiographic findings were correlated in 20 patients with pericardial effusion. Moderate to large effusions were associated with increased motion of the entire heart within the pericardial sac. A correlation was found between the estimated volume of fluid and the diastolic excursion and velocity of the right ventricular and left ventricular walls ( P P
Policy And Finance For Preconception Care: Opportunities for Today and the Future

This special supplement of Women's Health Issues offers 2 types of articles related to the policy and finance context for improving preconception health and health care. These articles discuss the impact of finance and policy on preconception health and health care, as well as the strategies that are being used to overcome the challenge of implementing preconception care with limited resources and inadequate health coverage for women. Invited papers from authors with expertise in health policy and finance issues describe how women's health and preconception care fit into the larger debates on health reform and how the paradigm for women's health must change. Other invited papers discuss opportunities and challenges for using programs such as Medicaid, Title X Family Planning, Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant, Healthy Start, and Community Health Centers in improving preconception health and health care. Contributed articles on health services research in this supplement characterize the types of change occurring across the country. This paper also presents a framework for understanding the role of policy and finance in the larger Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Preconception Health and Health Care Initiative.
Retargetable pipeline hazard detection for partially bypassed processors

Register bypassing is a widely used feature in modern processors to eliminate certain data hazards. Although complete bypassing is ideal for performance, it has significant impact on the cycle time, area, and power consumption of the processor. Owing to the strict design constraints on the performance, cost, and the power consumption of embedded processor systems, architects seek a compromise between the design parameters by implementing partial bypassing in processors. However, partial bypassing in processors presents challenges for compilation. Traditional data hazard detection and/or avoidance techniques used in retargetable compilers that assume a constant value of operation latency, break down in the presence of partial bypassing. In this article, we present the concept of operation tables (OTs) that can be used to accurately detect data hazards, even in the presence of incomplete bypassing. OTs integrate the detection of all kinds of pipeline hazards in a unified framework, and can, therefore, be easily deployed in a compiler to generate better schedules. Our experimental results on the popular Intel XScale embedded processor running embedded applications from the MiBench suite, demonstrate that accurate pipeline hazard detection by OTs can result in up to 20% performance improvement over the best performing GCC generated code. Finally, we demonstrate the usefulness of OTs over various bypass configurations of the Intel XScale
Occipital Reduction – Biparietal Widening Technique for Correction of Sagittal Synostosis

In the older infant with a marked skull deformation from sagittal synostosis a midline craniectomy will not produce an optimal cosmetic result as the brain grows at a much reduced rate and cannot provide the impetus for passive correction of the deformity. An operative technique is described whereby the occipital prominence is reduced, the biparietal diameter widened, and the height of the calvarium lowered at the vertex. Although the frontal bossing is not directly addressed the changes in the remainder of the calvarium render the bossing of little cosmetic relevance and has not been a long-term problem in the group of patients treated with this technique. The amount of manipulation, operative time, and blood loss with the procedure is comparable to others reported. This technique does not have the potential to raise intracranial pressure if one takes care to avoid undue compression on the major dural venous sinuses. There have been no significant bony defects and no patient has required reoperation. The cosmetic results have been excellent.
A thermal‐flywheel approach to distributed temperature control in microchannel reactors

Microchannel reactors are a promising route for monetizing distributed natural gas resources. However, intensification and miniaturization represent a significant challenge for reactor control. Focusing on autothermal methane-steam reforming reactors, a novel microchannel reactor temperature control strategy based on confining a layer of phase-change material (PCM) between the reactor plates is introduced. Melting-solidification cycles, which occur with latent heat exchange at constant temperature, allow the PCM layer to act as an energy storage buffer—a “thermal flywheel”—constituting a distributed controller that mitigates temperature excursions caused by fluctuations in feedstock quality. A novel stochastic optimization algorithm for selecting the PCM layer thickness (i.e., distributed controller “tuning”) is introduced. Furthermore, a hierarchical control structure, whereby the PCM layer is complemented by a supervisory controller that addresses persistent disturbances, is proposed. The proposed concepts are illustrated in a comprehensive case study using a detailed two-dimensional reactor model. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 2051–2061, 2013
Pleistocene glaciation in the southern part of the North Cascade Range, Washington

Three major Pleistocene drift sheets preserved along a transect across the southern North Cascade Range are distinguished on the basis of stratigraphic relationships and differences in morphology, weathering characteristics, and soil-profile development. The two youngest drifts have been further subdivided into members representing second-order fluctuations of glacier termini. Deposits of former southeast-flowing valley glaciers in the upper Yakima River drainage basin can be traced across a low divide at Snoqualmie Pass to the west-draining valley of the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River where alpine drift is interstratified with deposits of the Puget Lobe of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet. Preliminary paleomagnetic measurements indicate that the deeply weathered and extensively eroded oldest drift (Thorp) antedates the Brunhes-Matuyama reversal (700,000 yr). Relative-age criteria suggest that the time elapsed between deposition of Thorp drift and the intermediate drift (Kittitas) was substantially longer than that between the intermediate drift and the youngest drift (Lakedale). Soil developed on Kittitas Drift shows pronounced clay enrichment in the B horizon, in marked contrast to the weakly developed post-Lakedale soil, suggesting that the Kittitas ice advances antedate the last interglaciation of the global marine record and therefore are more than 120,000 yr old. On the basis of reconstructed ice gradients, the next-to-youngest member (Domerie) of the Lakedale Drift is believed to correlate broadly with Vashon Drift that was deposited during the last major expansion of the Puget Lobe between 15,000 and 13,500 yr ago. Two more-extensive, pre-Domerie advances of Lakedale glaciers (Bullfrog and Ronald) preceded the maximum stand of the Puget Lobe, as indicated by stratigraphic relationships and reconstructed glacier profiles. A late Lakedale readvance led to deposition of the Hyak Member prior to 11,050 yr ago in valley heads draining high-altitude source areas.
Guidelines and standards for performance of a pediatric echocardiogram: a report from the Task Force of the Pediatric Council of the American Society of Echocardiography.

Echocardiography has become the primary imaging tool in the diagnosis and assessment of congenital and acquired heart disease in infants, children, and adolescents. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is an ideal tool for cardiac assessment, as it is noninvasive, portable, and efficacious in providing detailed anatomic, hemodynamic, and physiologic information about the pediatric heart. Recommendations for standards in the performance of a routine 2-dimensional (2D) echocardiogram, 1 fetal echocardiogram, pediatric transesophageal echocardiogram, intraoperative transesophageal echocardiogram, and stress echocardiogram exist, as do guidelines for appropriate training in various echocardiographic disciplines. As part of the accreditation process for echocardiography laboratories, the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories has established basic performance standards for pediatric TTE, 13 but no other standards document exists for the performance of a pediatric TTE. The pediatric echocardiogram is a unique examination with features that distinguish it from other echocardiograms. There is a wide spectrum of anomalies encountered in patients with congenital heart disease. Certain views are of added importance
The origin of a "zebra" chromosome in wheat suggests nonhomologous recombination as a novel mechanism for new chromosome evolution and step changes in chromosome number.

An alloplasmic wheat line, TA5536, with the “zebra” chromosome z5A was isolated from an Elymus trachycaulus/Triticum aestivum backcross derivative. This chromosome was named “zebra” because of its striped genomic in situ hybridization pattern. Its origin was traced to nonhomologous chromosome 5A of wheat and 1Ht of Elymus; four chromatin segments were derived from chromosome 1Ht and five chromatin segments including the centromere from 5A. In this study, our objective was to determine the mechanism of origin of chromosome z5A, whether by nonhomologous recombination or by multiple translocation events. Different crossing schemes were used to recover recombinants containing various Elymus chromatin segments of the z5A chromosome. In addition, one z5AL telocentric chromosome and three z5AL isochromosomes were recovered. The dissection of the Elymus segments into different stocks allowed us to determine the chromosomal origin of the different chromosome fragments on the basis of the order of the RFLP markers employed and suggested that the zebra chromosome originated from nonhomologous recombination. We present a model of possible mechanism(s) of chromosome evolution and step changes in chromosome number applicable to a wide range of organisms.
Effect of sensory substitution on suture-manipulation forces for robotic surgical systems.

Objectives Direct haptic (force or tactile) feedback is not yet available in commercial robotic surgical systems. Previous work by our group and others suggests that haptic feedback might significantly enhance the execution of surgical tasks requiring fine suture manipulation, specifically those encountered in cardiothoracic surgery. We studied the effects of substituting direct haptic feedback with visual and auditory cues to provide the operating surgeon with a representation of the forces he or she is applying with robotic telemanipulators. Methods Using the robotic da Vinci surgical system (Intuitive Surgical, Inc, Sunnyvale, Calif), we compared applied forces during a standardized surgical knot-tying task under 4 different sensory-substitution scenarios: no feedback, auditory feedback, visual feedback, and combined auditory-visual feedback. Results The forces applied with these sensory-substitution modes more closely approximate suture tensions achieved under ideal haptic conditions (ie, hand ties) than forces applied without such sensory feedback. The consistency of applied forces during robot-assisted suture tying aided by visual feedback or combined auditory-visual feedback sensory substitution is superior to that achieved with hand ties. Robot-assisted ties aided with auditory feedback revealed levels of consistency that were generally equivalent or superior to those attained with hand ties. Visual feedback and auditory feedback improve the consistency of robotically applied forces. Conclusions Sensory substitution, in the form of visual feedback, auditory feedback, or both, confers quantifiable advantages in applied force accuracy and consistency during the performance of a simple surgical task.
Proton transfer mass spectrometry at 11 hPa with a circular glow discharge: Sensitivities and applications

The design and testing of a circular glow discharge ion source on a custom built proton transfer mass spectrometer are described. Also, issues important for quantitative measurements of volatile organic compounds using this instrument were investigated. Detailed calibration procedures based on gravimetry are presented, and representative outdoor air data are shown. Calibrations yield a good sensitivity, up to a few Hz/pptv for some compounds, and the detection limit (S/N = 3) is ∼100 pptv or better for methanol, acetaldehyde and acetone (5 s sampling time with a 5 s zero). Detection limits are much lower for most other compounds due to high sensitivity and low background. For ions with m/z > ∼90 the background signals are very low and species that appear efficiently at these m/z can be detected at the 10 pptv level in a few seconds. Ion breakup processes for alcohols show that a major product ion of mono-functional alcohols is at 57 u, presumably C4H9 + . Oxalic acid is an interesting case in that a major product ion appears
Configuration Interaction and Correlation Effects in Donor-Acceptor Pair Spectra

We report the effects of overlap, configuration interaction and correlation on the electronic: states of DA pairs and on their luminescent spectra. The effect of overlap was calculated from the formulation of Williams (2) and was found to improve somewhat the Ri dependence of the spectra. The effect of configuration interaction was determined by the variation method, allowing hoth the radii and the angular dependences of the electron and positive hole effective mass functions to vary to minimize the total energy. Markedly better agreement between theory and experiment is found. The remaining discrepancy is explained by correlation of the electon and positive hole. The correlation energy is estimated using the free exciton energy. We also compute the effect of configuration interaction on radiative lifetime.
Exploring Phylogenetic Relationships within a Broadly Distributed Northern Hemisphere Group of Semi-Aquatic Iris Species (Iridaceae)

Three series, Prismaticae, Tripetalae, and Laevigatae, in Iris subgenus Limniris comprise a clade of nine species with an affinity for wetland environments. Prior work has failed to resolve phylogenetic relationships among these taxa. We used maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods to analyze plastid and nuclear ribosomal ITS sequence data to infer a robust phylogeny for this circumboreal group. Our analyses recovered clades that do not reflect current series circumscriptions and show that species from Tripetalae and Laevigatae comprise one clade. Species relationships also do not reflect geographic proximity, as Asian and North American species do not assort into regional clades. This finding suggests that multiple exchanges between Asia and North America are required to explain current distributions and refutes the hypothesis that Asian taxa are the earliest diverging lineage within the clade.
Development of quantitative structure‐activity relationships for predicting biodegradation kinetics

Results have been presented on the development of a structure-activity relationship for biodegradation using a group contribution approach. Using this approach, reported results of the kinetic rate constant agree within 20% with the predicted values. Additional compound studies are essential to further extend the methodology.
Gain saturation properties of a semiconductor gain medium with tensile and compressive strain quantum wells

Gain saturation properties of a multiple-quantum-well structure with both tensile and compressively strained quantum wells are investigated analytically. This type of structure has recently been experimentally demonstrated to serve as a basis for the implementation of a two-polarization/two-frequency laser and polarization insensitive travelling wave(TW) amplifier. The performance of these devices strongly depends on the interaction between the TE and TM gains of the structure. The gain medium model appropriate for this type of structure is developed and the rate equation approach is used to describe the saturation properties of TE/TM gains and the coupling between the TE and TM gains due to gain saturation. The minimum amount of coupling between the two is governed by the basic symmetry of the light-hole wavefunction which interacts with photons of both polarization: photon cross-coupling. The finite rate of carrier escape from the quantum wells provides for carrier induced coupling between the populations of the two well types and therefore also couples TE and TM gains: carrier cross-coupling. The performance of a polarization insensitive amplifier, laser, and polarization control element is evaluated as a function of the amount of carrier cross-coupling, which is a structure dependent parameter. A structure with high degree of cross-coupling is desirable for polarization insensitive TW amplifier, while two-polarization lasers and polarization control elements require minimum cross-coupling. >
Agile Store: experience with quorum-based data replication techniques for adaptive Byzantine fault tolerance

Quorum protocols offer several benefits when used to maintain replicated data but techniques for reducing overheads associated with them have not been explored in detail. It is desirable that a system be able to adapt its operation so that fault tolerance related overheads are only incurred when the protocol execution actually encounters faults. There are a number of issues that need to be carefully examined to achieve such agility of quorum based systems. We make use of a file system prototype, developed in our Agile Store project, to experimentally evaluate several techniques that are important for efficient implementation of Byzantine fault-tolerant quorum protocols. We present an optimistic quorum collection scheme and a probabilistic hashing scheme for determining the response to a quorum request, and show that they lead to significant performance improvements. The Agile Store also makes use of reconfigurable quorum techniques to allow system size and fault threshold to be dynamically varied when, for example, faulty servers are removed, new servers are added, or the threat level is changed. We quantify the performance gains made possible by such reconfiguration of quorum parameters. We also show how performance scales with different system parameters and how it is affected by design choices such as whether to use proxies. We believe that the results in the paper provide important insights into how to implement quorum protocols to provide good performance while achieving Byzantine fault tolerance.
fMRI hypoactivation during verbal learning and memory in former high school football players with multiple concussions

Multiple concussions before the age of 18 may be associated with late-life memory deficits. This study examined neural activation associated with verbal encoding and memory retrieval in former athletes ages 40-65 who received at least two concussions (median = 3; range = 2-15) playing high school football and a group of former high school football players with no reported history of concussions matched on age, education, and pre-morbid IQ. Functional magnetic resonance imaging data collected during a modified verbal paired associates paradigm indicated that those with concussive histories had hypoactivation in left hemispheric language regions, including the inferior/middle frontal gyri and angular gyrus compared with controls. However, concussive history was not associated with worse memory functioning on neuropsychological tests or worse behavioral performance during the paradigm, suggesting that multiple early-life concussions may be associated with subtle changes in the verbal encoding system that limits one from accessing higher-order semantic networks, but this difference does not translate into measurable cognitive performance deficits.
Working within the Zone of Proximal Development: Formative Assessment as Professional Development

(2003). Working within the Zone of Proximal Development: Formative Assessment as Professional Development. Journal of Science Teacher Education: Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 23-48.
The Saturnian 'gas-doughnut' hypothesis

It is hypothesized that constituents escaping the atmosphere of Titan are unlikely to have sufficient velocity to escape from Saturn. Thus most of the material will enter into elliptical orbits which, at some point, cross Titan’s orbit at a small angle. In total, this matter will form a ‘doughnut’ shaped feature, roughly centered on Titan’s orbit and having dimensions of about 20 Rs (Saturn radii) in the Saturnian-equatorial plane and 10 Rs normal to this plane. It is assumed that the material is lost from the doughnut when it is ionized or is recaptured by Titan’s atmosphere. The upper limit on the density of hydrogen in the ring is estimated to be about 103 cm−3, with up to 99% of the particles in the doughnut being recaptured by Titan.
Enabling portable energy efficiency with memory accelerated library

Over the last decade, the looming power wall has spurred a flurry of interest in developing heterogeneous systems with hardware accelerators. The questions, then, are what and how accelerators should be designed, and what software support is required. Our accelerator design approach stems from the observation that many efficient and portable software implementations rely on high performance software libraries with well-established application programming interfaces (APIs). We propose the integration of hardware accelerators on 3D-stacked memory that explicitly targets the memory-bounded operations within high performance libraries. The fixed APIs with limited configurability simplify the design of the accelerators, while ensuring that the accelerators have wide applicability. With our software support that automatically converts library APIs to accelerator invocations, an additional advantage of our approach is that library-based legacy code automatically gains the benefit of memory-side accelerators without requiring a reimplementation. On average, the legacy code using our proposed MEmory Accelerated Library (MEALib) improves performance and energy efficiency for individual operations in Intel's Math Kernel Library (MKL) by 38× and 75×, respectively. For a real-world signal processing application that employs Intel MKL, MEALib attains more than 10× better energy efficiency.
Constructing Multifunctional Virus-Templated Nanoporous Composites for Thin Film Solar Cells: Contributions of Morphology and Optics to Photocurrent Generation

Biotemplates, such as the high aspect ratio M13 bacteriophage, can be used to nucleate noble metal nanoparticles and photoactive materials such as metal oxides, as well as organize them into continuous structures. Such attributes make them attractive scaffolds for solar applications requiring precise organization at the nanoscale. For instance, thin film solar cells benefit from nanostructured morphologies that aid light absorption and carrier transport. Here, we present a biotemplating strategy for assembling nanostructured thin film solar cells that enhance the generated photocurrent through two features: (1) a nanoporous and continuous M13 bacteriophage-templated titania network that improves charge collection and (2) the incorporation of metal nanoparticles within the active layer of the device to improve light harvesting. We demonstrate our ability to construct virus-templated solar cells by applying this strategy to depleted titania–lead sulfide quantum dot (PbS QD) bulk heterojunctions. The titania...
MLN-8237: A dual inhibitor of aurora A and B in soft tissue sarcomas

Aurora kinases have become an attractive target in cancer therapy due to their deregulated expression in human tumors. Liposarcoma, a type of soft tissue sarcoma in adults, account for approximately 20% of all adult soft tissue sarcomas. There are no effective chemotherapies for majority of these tumors. Efforts made to define the molecular basis of liposarcomas lead to the finding that besides the amplifications of CDK4 and MDM2, Aurora Kinase A, also was shown to be overexpressed. Based on these as well as mathematic modeling, we have carried out a successful preclinical study using CDK4 and IGF1R inhibitors in liposarcoma. MLN8237 has been shown to be a potent and selective inhibitor of Aurora A. MLN-8237, as per our results, induces a differential inhibition of Aurora A and B in a dose dependent manner. At a low nanomolar dose, cellular effects such as induction of phospho-Histone H3 (Ser10) mimicked as that of the inhibition of Aurora kinase A followed by apoptosis. However, micromolar dose of MLN-8237 induced polyploidy, a hallmark effect of Aurora B inhibition. The dose dependent selectivity of inhibition was further confirmed by using siRNA specific inhibition of Aurora A and B. This was further tested by time lapse microscopy of GFP-H2B labelled cells treated with MLN-8237. LS141 xenograft model at a dose of 30 mg/kg also showed efficient growth suppression by selective inhibition of Aurora Kinase A. Based on our data, a dose that can target only Aurora A will be more beneficial in tumor suppression.
Effects of Adding Acid or Base to the Diet on Semen of Heat-Stressed, Aging Broiler Breeder Males

Abstract Males were fed breeder basal diet, basal diet + .67 g NaHCO3, + .43 g NH4 Cl, or + .86 g NH4 Cl/100 g basal and exposed to diurnal cyclic temperatures of 23.9 to 35 C in chambers from 24 to 54 weeks of age. Males fed basal diet + NaHCO3 or .43 g NH4 Cl were significantly heavier in body weight by 32 to 39 weeks of age than males on basal diet. Males fed the NaHCO3 diet produced significantly more semen in the first 16 weeks than males on basal diet. No differences were found in percent packed sperm value (PSV), percent dead sperm, or percent abnormal sperm between semen of males fed NaHCO3 diet and basal diet. Spermatozoal motility was significantly higher for semen of males fed NaHCO3 or NH4 Cl diets during the 32- to 39-week age period.