cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High Performance Parallel Local Memory Computing at Fermilab

Both experimental and theoretical approaches to high energy physics (HEP) at Fermilab are computer technology limited: no one can identify a requirement on computing or data capacity that is independent of cost or other realities. Fermilab has been forced, therefore, to turn significant attention and resources to finding extremely cost effective solutions to its computing using whatever technology is available, and in the process has become a pioneer in goal-driven computer science, integrating commercial solution at the chip, board, and system level. In recent years, most obviously first in the hypercube movement, and now in the surge of interest in networked parallel workstation clusters,'' explicit parallelism has become a recognized force in the computer science attack on the problem of parallel computing. The report discusses the implementation of these computer systems.
Regimens for the Hepatitis C Treatment-Naive Patient

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a leading cause of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, globally. Most individuals infected with HCV are asymptomatic. The introduction of the newer direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapies has led to achievement of treatment success rates of more than 90%. Sustained virologic response is the end point of therapy, and is considered a virologic cure. It is defined as undetectable HCV RNA 12 weeks after end of therapy. This article reviews current approved non-interferon-based therapy and data from clinical trials in treatment-naive patients with chronic HCV infection.
Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic model for prednisolone inhibition of whole blood lymphocyte proliferation

Aims Mitogen-induced ex vivo whole blood lymphocyte proliferation (WBLP) is a widely used method to assess lymphocyte responsiveness to immunosuppressive therapy. A three-component complex model was developed to characterize effects of prednisolone on cell trafficking, transduction, and lymphocyte suppression. Methods An oral dose (0.27 mg kg−1) of prednisone was given to 32 subjects. The study consisted of baseline and prednisone phases each with 32 h of sampling. Measurements included plasma prednisolone concentrations, in vitro and ex vivo WBLP, and lymphocyte cell counts during baseline and prednisone phases. Results The final model consists of a precursor-dependent indirect response model with a first-order periodic influx rate for lymphocyte trafficking. This accounts for the rebound phenomenon and the circadian rhythm seen in all individual ex vivo WBLP effect-time profiles. Prednisolone was modelled as inhibiting lymphocyte influx from the precursor to the blood pools. The direct suppressive effect of prednisolone on WBLP was modelled with the simple Imax model. A transduction step with rate constant kt was introduced to the simple Imax model to account for the delay (∼4 h) in reaching the maximum inhibition. The IC50 values obtained ex vivo were circa 10 times lower than in vitro values (3.76 vs 38.8 ng ml−1), suggesting additional in vivo factors may have enhanced lymphocyte response to the inhibitory effect of prednisolone. Conclusions This integrated PK/PD model enables evaluation of multicomponent direct and indirect inhibition of ex vivo WBLP by steroids and other immunosuppressants in relation to sex and race.
Malnutrition is a determining factor in diarrheal duration, but not incidence, among young children in a longitudinal study in rural Bangladesh.

Diarrhea and malnutrition are common in young children in developing countries and a reciprocal relationship has been postulated with diarrhea leading to malnutrition and malnutrition predisposing to diarrhea. To investigate the importance of malnutrition as a determining factor in diarrheal illnesses data were analyzed from a longitudinal community-based study done in rural Bangladesh. Children classified by nutrition status according to a variety of anthropometric indicators were prospectively evaluated for incidence duration and etiology of diarrhea. Children with low weight for length had longer durations of diarrhea than better nourished children; however children of differing nutritional status had similar diarrheal incidences. The duration of diarrhea including that associated with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli and Shigella increased progressively as nutritional status indicators worsened. These results suggest that nutritional interventions alone are unlikely to reduce the high incidence of diarrhea but that efforts to improve nutritional status may have a beneficial effect on the duration of diarrhea and its unfavorable nutritional consequences. (authors)
Phorbol ester stimulates the phosphorylation of rabbit erythrocyte band 4.1.

Abstract The effect of phorbol esters on membrane phosphorylation was examined in intact rabbit erythrocytes prelabeled with [ 32 P ]orthophosphate. Tumor-promoting phorbol ester, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, but not the inactive 4α-phorbol 12,13-didecanoate, specifically stimulated the phosphorylation of two proteins in the erythrocyte membrane. They have apparent molecular weight of 100,000 dalton and 85,000 dalton. When intracellular calcium concentrations were raised by ionomycin, A23187, both the 85,000 dalton polypeptide and the 85K phosphoprotein were degraded. The 85,000 dalton phosphoprotein showed cross-reactivity with antiserum to human erythrocyte band 4.1. Based on its susceptibility to calcium-activated protease and its immunological property, the 85,000 dalton phosphoprotein was identified to be the band 4.1 of the erythrocyte membrane skeletal network.
Low-frequency sodar device that counts flying insects attracted to sex pheromone dispensers.

A low-frequency, sodar (sound detecting and ranging) set was designed, constructed, and tested in cotton fields to detect flying tobacco budworm moths attracted at night to sex attractant dispensed from the sonic transmitter site. Counts made by the sodar set were compared with numbers of male budworms caught in traps baited with either synthetic pheromone or live female moths. Peak sonic transmission power was <25 W/2 ms at a 1.2% transmit-receive duty cycle. With sensitivity set at an effective range of 1 meter, the majority of moths counted by the battery-powered sodar set were tobacco budworms when their synthetic sex attractant was used as bait.
CO Oxidation on Rh(100): Multisite Atomistic Lattice-Gas Modeling

A detailed multisite atomistic lattice-gas model is applied for CO oxidation on single-crystal Rh(100) surfaces under low-pressure conditions. Its behavior is analyzed by kinetic Monte Carlo simulation accounting for high adspecies surface mobility. The model input includes binding energies and interactions for CO and oxygen adspecies as well as a prescription of the adsorption−desorption dynamics and of the reaction pathway and energetics. Density functional theory (DFT) provides some guidance as to these energies, but significant uncertainties remain, particularly regarding the CO binding site on Rh(100). Thus, most modeling is performed with a judiciously chosen set of energetics in light of existing experimental evidence. We examine (i) the ordering and temperature-programmed desorption kinetics of the individual reactant adspecies, CO and oxygen, on Rh(100) and (ii) ordering in the mixed reactant adlayer and CO oxidation kinetics as reflected in temperature-programmed reaction spectra.
A magnetic tether system to investigate visual and olfactory mediated flight control in Drosophila.

It has been clear for many years that insects use visual cues to stabilize their heading in a wind stream. Many animals track odors carried in the wind. As such, visual stabilization of upwind tracking directly aids in odor tracking. But do olfactory signals directly influence visual tracking behavior independently from wind cues? Also, the recent deluge of research on the neurophysiology and neurobehavioral genetics of olfaction in Drosophila has motivated ever more technically sophisticated and quantitative behavioral assays. Here, we modified a magnetic tether system originally devised for vision experiments by equipping the arena with narrow laminar flow odor plumes. A fly is glued to a small steel pin and suspended in a magnetic field that enables it to yaw freely. Small diameter food odor plumes are directed downward over the fly s head, eliciting stable tracking by a hungry fly. Here we focus on the critical mechanics of tethering, aligning the magnets, devising the odor plume, and confirming stable odor tracking.
Harnessing curiosity to increase correctness in end-user programming

Despite their ability to help with program correctness, assertions have been notoriously unpopular--even with professional programmers. End-user programmers seem even less likely to appreciate the value of assertions; yet end-user programs suffer from serious correctness problems that assertions could help detect. This leads to the following question: can end users be enticed to enter assertions? To investigate this question, we have devised a curiosity-centered approach to eliciting assertions from end users, built on a surprise-explain-reward strategy. Our follow-up work with end-user participants shows that the approach is effective in encouraging end users to enter assertions that help them find errors.
Experimental Test of Local Hidden-Variable Theories

We have measured the linear polarization correlation between the two photons from the $7^{3}S_{1}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}6^{3}P_{1}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}6^{1}S_{0}$ cascade of ${\mathrm{Hg}}^{200}$. The results were used to evaluate Freedman's version of the Bell inequality, $\ensuremath{\delta}l~0$. Our result is ${\ensuremath{\delta}}_{\mathrm{exp}}=+0.046\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.014$, in clear violation of the inequality and in excellent agreement with the quantum mechanical prediction, ${\ensuremath{\delta}}_{\mathrm{QM}}=+0.044\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.007$. An important feature of the experiment was the explicit measurement of the initial density matrix for the cascading atoms.
Propionic acid side chain hydrogen bonding in the malaria pigment β-hematin

Malaria pigment, or beta-hematin, the insoluble heme detoxification product resulting from the intraerythrocitic digestion of hemoglobin by young malaria trophozoites has been structurally characterized by X-ray powder diffraction and shown to contain chains of propionic acid linked dimers. Although there is considerable spectroscopic evidence for a monodentate propionate-iron interaction in this crystalline material, the spectroscopic characterization of the propionic acid dimer is limited. Herein we demonstrate the presence of the propionic acid dimer unit by H/D isotope substitution in carboxylic acid dimer. In the Raman spectrum of the deuterium substituted compound there is a circa 12 cm(-1) shift, H: 1629 cm(-1) vs. D: 1617 cm(-1) in the symmetric ring breathing mode for the propionic acid dimer. On the other hand, the IR active asymmetric stretch has a very small shift, <3 cm(-1), upon deuteration. These, and other vibrational data, are consistent with the presence of a planar carboxylic acid dimer in the structure of beta-hematin.
Effects of overweight and obesity on walking characteristics in adolescents.

Abstract Child and adolescent obesity is growing at a staggering rate. Associated potential health risks have been acknowledged in the adult population, and similar concerns have been raised for children and adolescents. However, distinguishing locomotor characteristics related to obesity have yet to be clearly identified for adolescents. The aims of the study were to examine the effects of walking velocity and gender on spatio-temporal characteristics of gait between normal weight (NW) and overweight and obese (OWO) adolescents. In addition, we sought to identify characteristics of gait that are related to body mass index percentile (BMI%). Adolescent students in grades 7–10 (N = 111) from a charter school participated in the study. All participants walked at two speeds (preferred, fast) over an instrumented walkway (120 Hz). Spatio-temporal characteristics of gait were extracted from four walkway passes and evaluated. Results identified significant (p
Basal ganglia intrinsic circuits and their role in behavior

There have been significant recent advances in the understanding of basal ganglia circuitry and its role in behavior. Important areas of work in the past year include, firstly, the role of striatal neurons in early phases of movement and, secondly, further characterization of the intrinsic circuitry with emphasis on the importance of the subthalamic nucleus and its connections. A conceptual model of basal ganglia inhibition of competing motor programs is discussed.
Flow Resistance and Suspended Load in Sand-Bed Rivers: Simplified Stratification Model

New methods are presented for the prediction of the flow depth, grain-size specific near-bed concentration, and bed-material suspended sediment transport rate in sand-bed rivers. The salient improvements delineated here all relate to the need to modify existing formulations in order to encompass the full range of sand-bed rivers, and in particular large, low-slope sand-bed rivers. They can be summarized as follows: (1) the inclusion of density stratification effects in a simplified manner, which have been shown in the companion paper to be particularly relevant for large, low-slope, sand-bed rivers; (2) a new predictor for near-bed entrainment rate into suspension which extends a previous relation to the range of large, low-slope sand-bed rivers; and (3) a new predictor for form drag which again extends a previous relation to include large, low-slope sand-bed rivers. Finally, every attempt has been made to cast the relations in the simplest form possible, including the development of software, so that practicing engineers may easily use the methods.
Equivalence analysis and its application in improving the efficiency of program slicing

Existing methods for handling pointer variables during dataflow analyses can make such analyses inefficient in both time and space because the data-flow analyses must store and propagate large sets of data facts that are introduced by dereferences of pointer variables. This article presents equivalence analysis, a general technique to improve the efficiency of data-flow analyses in the presence of pointer variables. The technique identifies equivalence relations among the memory locations accessed by a procedure, and ensures that two equivalent memory locations share the same set of data facts in a procedure and in the procedures that are called by that procedure. Thus, a data-flow analysis needs to compute the data-flow information for only a representative memory location in an equivalence class. The data-flow information for other memory locations in the equivalence class can be derived from that of the representative memory location. The article also shows the extension to an interprocedural slicing algorithm that uses equivalence analysis to improve the efficiency of the algorithm. Our empirical studies suggest that equivalence analysis may effectively improve the efficiency of many data-flow analyses.
Cylindrical vector beam-splitters

We show that radial and azimuthal polarizations can be separated with a circular sub-wavelength grating. The proposed grating-based beam-splitter can be used to generate cylindrical vector beams from circularly polarized light.
Human Cytosolic Extracts Stabilize the HIV-1 Core

The stability of the HIV-1 core in the cytoplasm is crucial for productive HIV-1 infection. Mutations that stabilize or destabilize the core showed defects on HIV-1 reverse transcription and infection. We developed a novel and simple assay to measure the stability of in vitro-assembled HIV-1 CA-NC complexes. The assay allowed us to demonstrate that cytosolic extracts strongly stabilize the HIV-1 core. Interestingly, stabilization of in vitro-assembled HIV-1 CA-NC complexes is not due solely to macromolecular crowding, suggesting the presence of specific cellular factors that stabilize the HIV-1 core. By using our novel assay, we measured the abilities of different drugs, such as PF74, CAP-1, IXN-053, cyclosporine, Bi2 (also known as BI-2), and the peptide CAI, to modulate the stability of in vitro-assembled HIV-1 CA-NC complexes. Interestingly, we found that PF74 and Bi2 strongly stabilized HIV-1 CA-NC complexes. On the other hand, the peptide CAI destabilized HIV-1 CA-NC complexes. We also found that purified cyclophilin A destabilizes in vitro-assembled HIV-1 CA-NC complexes in the presence of cellular extracts in a cyclosporine-sensitive manner. In agreement with previous observations using the fate-of-the-capsid assay, we also demonstrated the ability of recombinant CPSF6 to stabilize HIV-1 CA-NC complexes. Overall, our findings suggested that cellular extracts specifically stabilize the HIV-1 core. We believe that our assay can be a powerful tool to assess HIV-1 core stability in vitro.
Chemical contaminant reactions and assessment of soil cleanup levels for protection of groundwater

About 70 percent of hazardous waste sites listed in the National Priority List (NPL) have some groundwater contamination that may require remediation. Such remediation is inadequate if the unsaturated soils above will continue to act as a source of groundwater contamination. Consequently, for most of these sites, it becomes necessary to determine what the cleanup levels for contaminants in soils should be so that subsequent contribution of contaminants from these soils to groundwater would not exceed groundwater protection levels. Representation of the dynamics of interactions between contaminants and soils is very complex, requiring among others, a thorough understanding of the chemical processes that influence the behavior of the contaminant once it enters the subsurface. Because of such complexities, environmental professionals frequently utilize methods with very simple assumptions that tend to err on the conservative side. While the public may feel protected, the needless spending of dollars could be avoided if attempts are made to incorporate, where possible, such complexities in the modeling efforts so that the system is represented as accurately as possible.
Learning compact hashing codes for efficient tag completion and prediction

Tags have been popularly utilized in many applications with image and text data for better managing, organizing and searching for useful information. Tag completion provides missing tag information for a set of existing images or text documents while tag prediction recommends tag information for any new image or text document. Valuable prior research has focused on improving the accuracy of tag completion and prediction, but limited research has been conducted for the efficiency issue in tag completion and prediction, which is a critical problem in many large scale real world applications.This paper proposes a novel efficient Hashing approach for Tag Completion and Prediction (HashTCP). In particular, we construct compact hashing codes for both data examples and tags such that the observed tags are consistent with the constructed hashing codes and the similarities between data examples are also preserved. We then formulate the problem of learning binary hashing codes as a discrete optimization problem. An efficient coordinate descent method is developed as the optimization procedure for the relaxation problem. A novel binarization method based on orthogonal transformation is proposed to obtain the binary codes from the relaxed solution. Experimental results on four datasets demonstrate that the proposed approach can achieve similar or even better accuracy with state-of-the-art methods and can be much more efficient, which is important for large scale applications.
The quadriga effect revisited: Designing a “safety incision” to prevent tendon repair rupture and gap formation in a canine model in vitro

Loss of experimental animals due to tendon repair failure results in the need for additional animals to complete the study. We designed a relief proximal to the flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) tendon repair site to serve as a "safety incision" to prevent repair site ruptures and maximize safety incision-to-suture strength. The FDP tendons were dissected in 24 canine forepaws. The 2nd and 5th tendons were lacerated at the proximal interphalangeal joint level and sutured using a modified Kessler technique and peripheral running suture. Tendon width was measured where the FDP tendon separates into each individual digit and a safety incision, equal to the 2nd and 5th tendon widths, was performed 3, 4, or 5 mm (Groups 1, 2, and 3) proximal to the separation. The tendons were pulled at a rate of 1 mm/s until either the "safety incision" ruptured or the repair failed. There was no gap formation at the repair site in Groups 1 and 2. However, all Group 3 tendons failed by repair site rupture with the safety incision intact. An adequate safety incision to protect repair gap and rupture and maintain tendon tension for the FDP animal model should be about 4 mm from where the FDP tendon separates.
The Seven S Framework and its use as an assessment tool

To conclude, the reinterpreted Seven S Framework encompasses both the technical and philosophical dimensions of organizational problem solving. It is intended to be a resource for community college administrators who want to share the ownership of the superordinate goals of the institution and those who are seeking to improve their communication with faculty. The implicit prescriptions of the framework can aid them in providing better services to the community as a by-product of their mutual work and the administrator's ability to manage the college more effectively.
Involvement of transforming growth factor α (TGFα) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in sex hormone-induced prostatic dysplasia and the growth of an androgen-independent transplantable carcinoma of the prostate

We previously reported the induction of dysplasia, a putative precursor of carcinoma, in the dorsolateral prostates (DLPs) of Noble rats by the combined administration of testosterone (T) and estradiol-17beta (E2) for 16 weeks. Additionally, we demonstrated growth of the AIT, a DLP-derived, androgen-independent, transplantable solid tumor, in castrated syngeneic hosts. In this investigation, using Northern blot hybridization, radioimmunoassays and radioligand assays, we showed that transforming growth factor-alpha (TGFalpha) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) were expressed at close to non-detectable levels in the ventral prostates but at low, but measurable, levels in the DLPs of untreated rats. Enhanced expression of this ligand and its receptor was detected in the DLPs harboring dysplasia and marked overexpression of these molecules was noted in the AIT. In contrast, epidermal growth factor (EGF) expression was found to be constitutively expressed, at high levels, in both normal and dysplastic DLPs, but virtually absent in the AIT. Immunohistochemical data suggested that EGF, TGFalpha and EGFR were aprocine secretory products of the normal DLP, with TGFalpha and EGF localized to the supranuclear complexes and EGFR to the apical membranes of epithelial cells. Alterations in immunostaining patterns for TGFalpha and EGFR were exclusively detected in the dysplastic lesions in the DLPs of T + E2-treated rats. Enhanced intracytoplasmic localization for both peptides were found to accompany the loss of cell polarity in dysplastic foci. Strong intracytoplasmic immunostaining for TGFalpha was observed in some AIT cells whilst staining for EGFR was present in the membranes of tumor cells that formed psuedoacini. Taken together, our findings suggest that autocrine mechanisms may play an important role early in the carcinogenic process and that progression to an androgen-independent neoplastic growth may be modulated by this signaling pathway.
Old issues, new context: Privacy, information collection, and homeland security

Abstract In response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, there have been several statutory and regulatory changes that enhance the collection and use of personal information for intelligence and law enforcement purposes. This article first examines how particular sectors, including financial, educational, libraries, and transportation, have been affected by these changes, with particular attention to the requirements of the USA PATRIOT Act. Next, five common themes and trends, including the lowering of standards for individualized suspicion and the weakening of judicial safeguards, are identified and their effects on privacy and due process are explored. Finally, the article analyzes several political and social implications of the omnibus reduction in privacy protections in the face of terrorism, including the proposal for a national identification system.
miR-155 activates cytokine gene expression in Th17 cells by regulating the DNA-binding protein Jarid2 to relieve Polycomb-mediated repression

Specification of the T helper 17 (Th17) cell lineage requires a well-defined set of transcription factors, but how these integrate with posttranscriptional and epigenetic programs to regulate gene expression is poorly understood. Here we found defective Th17 cell cytokine expression in miR-155-deficient CD4+ T cells in vitro and in vivo. Mir155 was bound by Th17 cell transcription factors and was highly expressed during Th17 cell differentiation. miR-155-deficient Th17 and T regulatory (Treg) cells expressed increased amounts of Jarid2, a DNA-binding protein that recruits the Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) to chromatin. PRC2 binding to chromatin and H3K27 histone methylation was increased in miR-155-deficient cells, coinciding with failure to express Il22, Il10, Il9, and Atf3. Defects in Th17 cell cytokine expression and Treg cell homeostasis in the absence of Mir155 could be partially suppressed by Jarid2 deletion. Thus, miR-155 contributes to Th17 cell function by suppressing the inhibitory effects of Jarid2.
Heavy-ion stopping powers and the low-velocity-projectile z 3 effect

Recent heavy-ion stopping-power measurements with elemental solid targets have been analyzed in order to ascertain the influence on effective ion charge of incorporating the low-velocity-projectile ${z}^{3}$ effect in Bethe-Bloch calculations. Shell corrections and the mean excitation energy of a given target were held fixed while searching for the best-fit value of a single charge-state parameter. In general, excellent fits to the stopping powers at projectile energies above 0.3 MeV/amu were achieved. Results of the present study compare very favorably with those from other extant methods of analysis.
Essential role for B cells in transplantation tolerance

T lymphocytes are the primary targets of immunotherapy in clinical transplantation. However, B lymphocytes are detrimental to graft survival by virtue of their capacity to present antigen to T cells via the indirect pathway of allorecognition and the generation of donor specific alloantibody. Furthermore, the long-term survival of organ allografts remains challenged by chronic rejection, a process in which activated B cells have been found to play a significant role. Therefore, the achievement of transplantation tolerance will likely require induction of both T and B cell tolerance to alloantigens. Moreover, human and animal investigations have shown that subsets of B cells, Transitional and Regulatory, are inherently tolerogenic. Developing therapeutic strategies that exploit these populations may be key to achieving transplantation tolerance. In this review we describe the current evidence for the essential role of B cells in transplant tolerance and discuss emerging B cell directed strategies to achieve allograft tolerance.
The Salient Management Skills: A Conceptual Framework for a Curriculum for Managers in Nonprofit Organizations

As the definition of public affairs and administration expands to encompass nonprofit organizations and as more university programs in public administration begin to develop curricula in nonprofit ...
Influence of vision on vibration-induced illusions of limb movement

Illusory motion of the unseen stationary forearm can be elicited by vibration of the biceps brachii or triceps brachii muscle. We have studied in 12 individuals how sight of part of the arm alone or in relation to other objects affects such vibration-induced, illusory motion of the forearm. Our findings indicate a complex but systematic influence of vision in attenuating apparent motion of the forearm. They show, too, that the seen and felt positions of the forearm can be dissociated and that physically impossible spatial configurations of the arm can be experienced. These findings have implications for physiological theories of position sense.
Black Bart Simpson: appropriation and revitalization in commodity culture

Pendant l'ete 1990, il s'est produit un phenomene surprenant dans la culture populaire des Etats-Unis : l'appropriation et la reinterpretation d'un personnage culte de la culture de masse par des membres de groupes minoritaires. Bart Simpson, heros du dessin anime « Les Simpsons », a ete adopte par la communaute noire, dans une version coloree, principalement sous la forme de Tee-Shirts, et au-dela des violations des droits d'auteur se pose la question d'identification et d'appropriation culturelle d'elements de la culture dominante
Adenosine Receptors and Signaling in the Kidney

It is now generally accepted that adenosine is capable of regulating a wide range of physiological functions. Nowhere is the diversity of this action better illustrated than in the kidney. When adenosine binds to plasma membrane receptors on a variety of cell types in the kidney, it stimulates functional responses that span the entire spectrum of renal physiology, including alterations in hemodynamics, hormone and neurotransmitter release, and tubular reabsorption. These responses to adenosine appear to represent a means by which the organ and its constituent cell types can regulate their metabolic demand such that it is maintained at an appropriate level for the prevailing metabolic supply. Extracellular adenosine, produced from the hydrolysis of adenosine 5'-monophosphate and stimulated by increased substrate availability and enzyme induction, acts on at least two types of cell surface receptors to stimulate or inhibit the production of cyclic adenosine-3',5'-monophosphate and also acts in some renal cells to stimulate the production of inositol phosphates and elevation of cytosolic calcium concentration. To understand when and why this complicated system becomes activated, how it interacts with other known extracellular effector systems, and ultimately how to manipulate the system to therapeutic advantage by selective agonists or antagonists, requires a detailed knowledge of renal adenosine receptors and their signaling mechanisms. The following discussion attempts to highlight our knowledge in this area, to present a modified hypothesis for adenosine as a feedback regulator of renal function, and to identify some important questions regarding the specific cellular mechanisms of adenosine in renal cell types.
Distributed scaling approach of MESFETs and its comparison with the lumped-element approach

An appropriate scaling procedure is described for large four-finger MESFET cells with experimental verification. A comparison is presented between lumped and distributed modeling approaches. The scalability of elements in the equivalent circuit model of a MESFET is discussed. >
Estimation of Predation Rates of Gypsy Moth Larvae by Exposure of Tethered Caterpillars

Data were gathered during two years on the death and removal of gypsy moth. Lymantria dispar L.. larvae tethered by threads in various forest microhabitats where gypsy moth densities were low. These data were used to estimate larval mortality rates due to predation, after first correcting for several sources of bias. Values were similar for young and old larvae. but were higher and more variable in the second year. The estimates were used to run Monte Carlo simulations to determine variations in daily predation rates. The average daily predation rate for one of the years, 0.121, was very close to the daily mortality rate found from declines in population estimates between early and late-larval instars obtained from mark-recapture studies. In this low-density gypsy moth population, predation was by far the most important mortality factor.
An eigenvalue problem for elastic cracks in free space

We study in this paper an eigenvalue problem for the linear elasticity equations in three-dimensional space. The problem is defined in the whole space cut by a planar crack. The eigenvalue appears in a linear condition relating the traction to the jump in displacements across the crack. We prove for such problems that an eigenspace containing eigenfunctions, which do not average to zero over the crack is in general not simple. Then we prove for a more constrained eigenvalue problem, where the direction of slip over the crack is imposed, that the first eigenspace is in that case simple. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Biofouling affinity of membrane surfaces under quiescent conditions

Biofouling affinity of four thin film membranes was evaluated under quiescent conditions by exposing the membrane to the effluent from a membrane bioreactor. Coupons of the thin film membranes were left for 5 days in the bioreactor effluent which was filtered through a 0.2 micron filter. The surface morphologies of the membranes before and after the exposure were evaluated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). All membranes showed significant amounts of deposits after the exposure. The easily disturbed nature of the deposits on the polyamide membrane indicated that these deposits were either entrapped within the surface crevices or loosely attached on the membrane. The extent of surface coverage and uniform appearance of the deposits on the polysulfone membrane were indicative of molecular adhesion by functional groups on the membrane surface. Based on the wetting angle measurements, all clean membranes exhibited hydrophilic characteristics. After exposure to the bioreactor effluent, the membranes exhibited complete wetting characteristics. The use of AFM image analysis technique provided insight for the morphological changes and substrate accumulation patterns on membrane surfaces.
Conductivity with distributed transition temperature in a dirty superconductor

Abstract The Gaussian distribution of transition temperatures used in resistivity theories is related to a Gaussian distribution of the impurity density in a dirty superconductor.
Typicality effects in logically defined categories.

Subjects learned to categorize geometric designs by some rule combining two features, x and y. When xy stimuli (stimuli with both features) are always positive, the rule (concept) is inclusive disjunctive; when xy stimuli are always negative, the rule is exclusive disjunctive. In three other experimental conditions, the probability of xy stimuli being positive during acquisition was .25, .50, and .75. In a variety of postacquisition tests, xy stimuli were chosen as prototypical despite their less than consistent occurrence in the positive category. Stimuli with one relevant feature (x or y), although consistently assigned to the positive category, were often evaluated as poorer examples of the concept. These results are interpreted in terms of a schema model in which information acquired during learning is organized according to probability density functions over feature dimensions. This theory appears to be general enough to accommodate the evidence from laboratory studies of both logical and natural concepts.
Differences emerge in visceral adipose tissue accumulation after selection for innate cardiovascular fitness

Differences emerge in visceral adipose tissue accumulation after selection for innate cardiovascular fitness
Female Founders: Exercising authority in Thirteenth-century Flanders and Hainaut

The many houses of Cistercian nuns founded in Flanders and Hainaut by the mid thirteenth century produced large numbers of documents about their female founders and patrons. Although some of these abbeys owed their foundation to the countesses Jeanne and Marguerite of Flanders, analysis here concentrates on the lives and foundations of other noblewomen who continued to have power over property in the thirteenth century. Their religious patronage was often an aspect of their public (rather than private) authority.
Responding to the Comment on “Retrofitting Suburbia”

Richard Dagenhart's (2008), “Retrofitting Suburbia: Is It About Image or Form?” was written as a comment on my own article, “City Sense and Suburban Design: Planners' Perceptions of the Emerging Su...
Self-rated performance and pay satisfaction, merit increase satisfaction, and instrumentality beliefs in a merit pay environment

The relationship of self-rated performance to pay level satisfaction, merit increase satisfaction, and instrumentality beliefs in a merit pay environment is investigated. Self-rated performance exhibited a significant negative relationship with all three variables beyond that accounted for by control variables. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Failure of crossply ceramic-matrix composites

The fast-fracture and stress-rupture of a crossply ceramic-matrix composite with a matrix through-crack are examined numerically to assess the importance of fiber architecture and the associated stress concentrations at the 0/90 ply interface on failure. Fiber bridging in the cracked 0 ply is modeled using a line-spring bridging model that incorporates stochastic and time-dependent fiber fracture. A finite-element model is used to determine the stresses throughout the crossply in the presence of the bridged crack. For both SiC/SiC and a typical oxide/oxide, the fast-fracture simulations show that as global failure is approached, a significant fraction of fibers near the 0/90 interface are broken, greatly reducing the stress concentration. For fibers with low Weibull moduli (m textless 10), the tensile strength is thus nearly identical to that of a unidirectional composite scaled by the appropriate fiber volume fraction, while for fibers with larger Weibull moduli (m greater than or equal to 10), there are modest (10-17%) reductions in tensile strength. Stress-rupture simulations show that initially high stress concentrations are relieved as fibers fail with evolving time near the 0/90 interface and shed load away from the interface. For a wide range of fiber properties, efficient load redistribution occurs such that the crossply rupture lifetime is generally within an order of magnitude of the unidirectional lifetime, when the applied stress is normalized by the relevant fast-fracture strength. Overall, stress concentrations at the 0/90 inter-face are largely relieved with increasing load or time due to the nonlinear bridging response and preferential fiber failure near the interface, resulting in crossplies that respond very similarly to unidirectional composites.
Design, fabrication, and testing of a fiduciary tray to be used with the multileaf intensity-modulating collimator for portal film localization

The purpose of this study was to design, fabricate, and test a fiduciary tray to be used for portal film localization using the multileaf intensity-modulating collimator (MIMiC) developed by NOMOS Corporation of Sewickley, PA. The MIMiC is a tertiary collimator that is utilized in intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) treatments. At this time, no MIMiC fiduciary tray exists for commercial use. Due to the escalation of dose in IMRT treatments, the need for accurate localization is of utmost importance. A slight error in interpretation could lead to significant errors in dosimetric coverage of the target volume and possible overdosing of normal tissues. A fiduciary tray that fits onto the MIMiC was designed. Special attention was given to ensure that treatment could not be accidentally given with the tray in place. Various localization tests were administered to ensure accuracy for brain and pelvic treatments. The fiduciary tray should directly impact the daily operations for not only the radiation therapists but also the radiation oncologists by aiding in the direct comparison of setup films to weekly port films.
Performance of stand-alone photovoltaic systems using measured meteorological data for Algiers

In order to estimate the performance of photovoltaic (PV) systems, we develop a real time expert system based on central microcomputer used as microserver and easily consultable with different automatic stations. We present in this paper, the principles and specificities of the measurement system and of the automatic data measuring device and its sensors, and also some aspects of the database and expert system developed for this application. We propose a method based on the determination of the loss-of-load probability (LLP), which allows the estimation of the optimum combination of battery capacity (Cs) and photovoltaic array peak power (Pc). The problem consists of determining the combination which corresponds to a minimum total system cost.
Bradycardia during cold ocular irrigation under general anaesthesia: an example of the diving reflex

A case of bradycardia is reported which was precipitated by cold normal saline applied to the eye during general anaesthesia. The history and physiology of the diving reflex is discussed and we believe that these data suggest that this patients brady-cardia was induced by the diving reflex, and not by the oculocardiac reflex.
Crew-survivability at the space station “Freedom” in emergency

The phenomenal growth of orbital debris, in recent years, presents an increased likelihood of collision and penetration of the Space Station hull. This study was conducted to evaluate the survivability of the Station in case of such a penetration. The relevant factors evaluated consisted of: (a) critical emergency scenarios, (b) accessibility of the egress paths for the current structural design, (c) egress time available for the critical scenarios and possible hole sizes, and (d) need of translation aid to support survival. It was found that emergency egress from the damaged module to a contiguous safe module will be possible in most circumstances short of total destruction of the Station. The current structural design in adequate for emergency egress and translation aids are essential to support survival in emergency.
Diet influences attractiveness of urine in guinea pigs

INTRASPECIES chemical communication with urine-borne substances is widespread in mammals. Numerous reports have indicated that the nature of the messages transmitted in urine depends on such factors as the hormonal state, the age, the individual identity and the level of stress of the sender1,2.I report here that information transmitted in urinary signals also depends on the diet of the sender. These findings have important implications for the study of animal chemical communication systems3.
Prospective Teachers' Beliefs about Imaginative Thinking in K-12 Schooling.

Abstract This study examined prospective teachers’ (N = 176) beliefs about the role that memorization and imaginative thinking play in K-12 schooling. Results indicate that the majority of prospective teachers (68.5%) believed there was a specific grade that teachers should place more emphasis on the memorization of correct answers rather than encourage students’ imaginative thinking. Moreover, a significantly disproportionate number of prospective teachers selected the elementary grades (and 1st grade in particular) as the time when students should be encouraged to focus more on memorization. Finally, results of logistic regression analysis indicate that prospective teachers who viewed unexpected student responses as ideal were significantly more likely to believe that it was never appropriate to place more emphasis on memorization. Implications of these results, along with prospective teachers’ justifications for their selections, are also discussed.
Deuterium-labeled phylloquinone fed to α-tocopherol-injected rats demonstrates sensitivity of low phylloquinone-containing tissues to menaquinone-4 depletion.

Scope The influence of excess α-tocopherol (α-T) on tissue depletion of phylloquinone (PK) and menaquinone-4 (MK-4) was evaluated. Methods and results Rats (n = 5 per group) were fed deuterium-labeled PK (2 μmol/kg diet) for 17 days, thereby labeling the conversion from deuterium-labeled PK to d4-MK-4. Then they were injected subcutaneously daily for the last 7 days with saline, vehicle, or α-T (100 mg/kg body weight). α-T injections (i) increased α-T concentrations by tenfold in liver, doubled them in plasma and most tissues, but they were unchanged in brain; (ii) increased the α-T metabolite, carboxyethyl hydroxychromanol (α-CEHC) concentrations: >25-fold in liver and kidney, tenfold in plasma and lung, and 50-fold in heart; brain contained detectable α-CEHC (0.26 ± 0.03 nmol/g) only in α-T-injected animals; and (iii) depleted most tissues’ vitamin K. Compared with vehicle-injected rats, brains from α-T rats contained half the total vitamin K (10.3 ± 0.5 versus 21 ± 2 pmol/g, p = 0.0002) and one-third the d4-MK-4 (5.8 ± 0.5 versus 14.6 ± 1.7 pmol/g, p = 0.0002). Tissues with high PK concentrations (liver, 21–30 pmol/g and heart, 28–50 pmol/g) were resistant to K depletion. Conclusion We propose that α-T-dependent vitamin K depletion is likely mediated at an intermediate step in MK-4 production; thus, tissues with high PK are unaffected.
Three-person non-zero-sum nonnegotiable games.

Four experiments are reported in each of which three persons partici-1 pated. Communication among the parties was in general impossible. The J findings are analyzed, and a mathematical model is proposed which is I relatively effective in predicting the gross percentage of co-operative 5 behavior in each game. The differing personalities of the players significantly affected their selections of strategies.
Response of fetal tachycardia to transplacental procainamide therapy

We describe two fetuses presenting with hydrops and tachycardia who were treated by prolonged dosage with procainamide. Initial therapy with digoxin in both had been unsuccessful in controlling the rapid heart rate. The first child was delivered after five weeks of transplacental therapy, and demonstrated Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome on the second day which was controlled with flecainide. The second fetus required three and a half weeks of intrauterine treatment. Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome became manifest four days after premature labor at 33 weeks gestation. No tachycardia occurred postnatally and the infant has been well during follow-up. The implications of treatment are discussed.
Conditionally fluorescent molecular probes for detecting single base changes in double-stranded DNA

Small variations in nucleic acid sequences can have far-reaching phenotypic consequences. Reliably distinguishing closely related sequences is therefore important for research and clinical applications. Here, we demonstrate that conditionally fluorescent DNA probes are capable of distinguishing variations of a single base in a stretch of target DNA. These probes use a novel programmable mechanism in which each single nucleotide polymorphism generates two thermodynamically destabilizing mismatch bubbles rather than the single mismatch formed during typical hybridization-based assays. Up to a 12,000-fold excess of a target that contains a single nucleotide polymorphism is required to generate the same fluorescence as one equivalent of the intended target, and detection works reliably over a wide range of conditions. Using these probes we detected point mutations in a 198 base-pair subsequence of the Escherichia coli rpoB gene. That our probes are constructed from multiple oligonucleotides circumvents synthesis limitations and enables long continuous DNA sequences to be probed.