cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Low Power Greenhouse Gas Sensors for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Abstract: We demonstrate compact, low power, lightweight laser-based sensors for measuring trace gas species in the atmosphere designed specifically for electronic unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platforms. The sensors utilize non-intrusive optical sensing techniques to measure atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations with unprecedented vertical and horizontal resolution (~1 m) within the planetary boundary layer. The sensors are developed to measure greenhouse gas species including carbon dioxide, water vapor and methane in the atmosphere. Key innovations are the coupling of very low power vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) to low power drive electronics and sensitive multi-harmonic wavelength modulation spectroscopic techniques. The overall mass of each sensor is between 1–2 kg including batteries and each one consumes less than 2 W of electrical power. In the initial field testing, the sensors flew successfully onboard a T-Rex Align 700E robotic helicopter and showed a precision of 1% or less for all three trace gas species. The sensors are battery operated and capable of fully automated operation for long periods of time in diverse sensing environments. Laser-based trace gas sensors for UAVs allow for high spatial mapping of local greenhouse gas
Caffeine inhibits forskolin-stimulated cyclic AMP accumulation in rat brain

Caffeine potently inhibited forskolin-stimulated cyclic AMP accumulation in slices of rat cerebral cortex. The IC50 for this inhibition was 21 +/- 2.9 microM, and 200 microM caffeine almost completely blocked the forskolin response. Theophylline which is a behavioural stimulant mimicked the effect of caffeine. However, there was only a slight inhibition of the forskolin response by theobromine and IBMX (3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine), both of which lack behavioral stimulant effects.
Vertical displacement events: A serious concern in future ITER operation

Abstract Material damage to plasma-facing components due to the frequent loss of plasma confinement remains a serious problem for tokamak reactors and in particular for ITER-like design. The deposited plasma energy during major disruptions, edge-localized modes (ELM), and vertical displacement events (VDE) causes significant surface erosion, possible structural failure, and frequent plasma contamination. Surface erosion damage consists of vaporization, spallation, and liquid splatter of metallic materials. Structural damage includes large temperature increases and high thermal stresses in structural materials and at the interfaces between surface coatings and structural components. A comprehensive fully 3D model (contained in the HEIGHTS computer simulation package) is developed to specifically study the longer plasma instabilities that cause VDE. The model includes detail deposition processes, surface vaporization, phase change and melting, heat conduction to coolant channels, and critical heat flux criteria at the coolant channels. The design requirements and implications of plasma-facing components are discussed along with recommendations to mitigate and reduce the effects of plasma instabilities on reactor components.
Ethanol-Induced Reorganization of the Liquid-Ordered Phase: Enhancement of Cholesterol−Phospholipid Association

This paper records what is believed to be the first evidence for the reorganization of the liquid-ordered phase by ethanol. Specifically, ethanol has been found to significantly enhance sterol−phospholipid association in liquid-ordered bilayers derived from 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) plus cholesterol and also 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DSPC) plus cholesterol. The evidence for such reorganization comes from a series of nearest-neighbor recognition (NNR) experiments that have been carried out, where low concentrations of equilibrating lipid dimers (i.e., “reporter molecules”) have been used to detect changes in the phase composition of host membranes made from varying mixtures of DPPC/cholesterol, and also DSPC/cholesterol, in the presence and in the absence of ethanol. These findings have important biological implications, which are briefly discussed.
Localized Epicarditis Mimicking Cardiac Tumor

A rare case of localized epicarditis mimicked a cardiac tumor. The diagnosis was confirmed at surgery. Epicardial peel with resection of the aneurysmal right atrial appendage resulted in complete recovery.
Performance Analysis Framework for High-Level Language Applications in Reconfigurable Computing

High-Level Languages (HLLs) for Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) facilitate the use of reconfigurable computing resources for application developers by using familiar, higher-level syntax, semantics, and abstractions, typically enabling faster development times than with traditional Hardware Description Languages (HDLs). However, programming at a higher level of abstraction is typically accompanied by some loss of performance as well as reduced transparency of application behavior, making it difficult to understand and improve application performance. While runtime tools for performance analysis are often featured in development with traditional HLLs for sequential and parallel programming, HLL-based development for FPGAs has an equal or greater need yet lacks these tools. This article presents a novel and portable framework for runtime performance analysis of HLL applications for FPGAs, including an automated tool for performance analysis of designs created with Impulse C, a commercial HLL for FPGAs. As a case study, this tool is used to successfully locate performance bottlenecks in a molecular dynamics kernel in order to gain speedup.
NIST/TRC SOURCE Data Archival System: The Next-Generation Data Model for Storage of Thermophysical Properties

A new data model for storage of experimental thermophysical and thermochemical property data was developed and implemented for the NIST/TRC SOURCE data archival system. Substantial improvements in data quality, as well as system usability and extendability, are achieved. Substance identification based on chemical structures was implemented. Availability of stored chemical structures will facilitate the use of property estimation methods to supplement the experimental information.
Hydrogels with Time-Dependent Material Properties Enhance Cardiomyocyte Differentiation In Vitro

Tissue-specific elastic modulus (E), or ‘stiffness,’ arises from developmental changes in the extracellular matrix (ECM) and suggests that progenitor cell differentiation may be optimal when physical conditions mimic tissue progression. For cardiomyocytes, maturing from mesoderm to adult myocardium results in a 9-fold stiffening originating in part from a change in collagen expression and localization. To mimic this temporal stiffness change in vitro, thiolated-hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogels were crosslinked with poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate, and their dynamics were modulated by changing crosslinker molecular weight. With the hydrogel appropriately tuned to stiffen as heart muscle does during development, pre-cardiac cells grown on collagen-coated HA hydrogels exhibit a 3-fold increase in mature cardiac specific markers and form up to 60% more maturing muscle fibers than they do when grown on compliant but static polyacrylamide hydrogels over 2 weeks. Though ester hydrolysis does not substantially alter hydrogel stiffening over 2 weeks in vitro, model predictions indicate that ester hydrolysis will eventually degrade the material with additional time, implying that this hydrogel may be appropriate for in vivo applications where temporally changing material properties enhance cell maturation prior to its replacement with host tissue.
The nature and quality of engineering research

Engineering is the application oi science to design and development of products intended for useful social purposes. Engineering research consists of a wide variety of activities ranging from study of material properties for possible future application to the testing necessary to establish design parameters or to verify the adequacy of new design concepts. Professors of engineering are generally expected to conduct research, preferably in the “engineering sciences”; (e.g. thermodynamics, metallurgy), to publish their results, and find their own sources of funding. Many private corporations maintain departments of research and development, the findings of which are often proprietary and not subject to peer review. Managers of engineering research projects attempt to assure the quality of their results by “instrumental”; or “organizational”; methods. Instrumental methods assure accuracy in data collection and processing, while organization methods maintain a work environment conducive to creativity and inte...
Nephrolithotony: percutaneous removal of renal calculi.

The development of percutaneous nephrostomy has laid the foundation for a major advance in the treatment of urolithiasis: the percutaneous removal of renal and ureteral calculi (i.e., nephrolithotony). With the use of a variety of instruments, calculi can be either removed intact or, if too large, fragmentedin situ and then extracted. The method has wide applicability; more than 90% of all upper urinary tract calculi can be successfully treated. Length of hospitalization and costs are comparable to or less than those for open surgery; however, the period of convalescence is only 2–7 days. Continued advances in fluoroscopic technology and endoscopic instrumentation will enable the urologic surgeon to treat the majority of urinary tract conditions using endourologic techniques.
Radiation nephropathy is treatable with an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor or an angiotensin II type-1 (AT1) receptor antagonist

Abstract Background and purpose : Previous studies showed that progression of established radiation nephropathy could be delayed by continuous treatment with high doses of captopril, an angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitor. The current studies were designed to determine whether a lower dose or a shorter treatment with captopril would be effective and whether an angiotensin II type-1 (AT 1 ) receptor antagonist (AII blocker) would be effective. Materials and methods : In the captopril studies, rats were given renal irradiation at doses sufficient to produce radiation nephropathy. Six months after irradiation, animals were stratified by azotemia and assigned to no treatment, continuous high- or low-dose captopril, or 6 weeks of high-dose captopril. Captopril was given in drinking water at 62.5 mg/l (low dose) or 500 mg/l (high dose). The AII blocker study had a similar design, except that the nephropathy was the result of total body irradiation and bone marrow transplantation and the treatments were no treatment or continuous treatment with an AII blocker, L-158,809 (20 mg/l in drinking water). Animals were followed for 1 year with periodic studies of renal function. Results : Survival and renal function were significantly enhanced by all treatments. Continuous captopril treatment was more effective than the 6-week course of treatment, but there was no difference in effectiveness between the high and low doses of captopril. In continuous therapy, captopril and the AII blocker had roughly equivalent efficacy. Conclusions : Both the ACE inhibitor and the AII blocker were effective treatments for established radiation nephropathy. The best results with the ACE inhibitor required continuous therapy, but could be achieved with a low dose of the drug.
Prothrombotic effects of endothelin-2 (ET-2)

In this report we demonstrate that ET-2, in addition to its powerful vasoconstrictor properties and its role in hypertension, is capable of creating a hypercoagulable (prothrombotic) state. This study was facilitated by the utilization of a sensitive modified recalcification time (MRT) test that can measure coagulation at all points in the coagulation spectrum. The MRT was determined on aliquots (1 ml) of citrated blood which were added to saline (MRTS), to 10 μg of endotoxin (MRTE), and to 10 pg of ET-2 (MRT ET-2). The mean values of MRTS, MRTE, and MRT ET-2 were 4.3 ±0.8, 3.7 ± 1.0, and 3.9 ± 0.8 min, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between MRTE vs. MRTS and MRT ET-2 vs. MRTS using the twotailedt-test (p<0.02 andp<0.005, respectively).
Dilute magnetic semiconductors: Hidden order revealed

Dilute magnetic semiconductors such as gallium manganese arsenide could be key to the development of spintronics. But the relationship between electronic transport and magnetic properties has been hotly debated. Data indicating the preservation of the non-magnetic character of the host material provide startling new insight.
Facial and oral form in sibs of children with cleft lip with or without cleft palate.

SUMMARY There are measurable differences in the average between the form of the palate in sibs of cleft lip cases (with or without cleft palate) and in the general population. Plausibly there are also differences in the shape of the dental arch and the profile of the face. All these differences are in a biologically reasonable direction. But they are not large enough on their own to allow definite identification of families at risk.
Impaired diurnal blood pressure variation and all-cause mortality.

BACKGROUND Most healthy people exhibit a decrease in systolic blood pressure (SBP) at night. A drop of <10% from mean daytime values, "non-dipping," is associated with kidney disease and cardiovascular events. We hypothesized that non-dipping would predict all-cause mortality. METHODS Consecutive patients referred for ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring at the Cleveland Clinic between 1994 and 2004 were included. Mean daytime (6 AM-11 PM) and nighttime (11 PM-6 AM) SBP values were calculated. We examined diurnal BP variation as a continuous variable, ((Mean daytime SBP - Mean nighttime SBP)/(Mean daytime SBP)) x 100%, and also as a categorical variable, defining "non-dipping" as a nocturnal SBP drop of <10%; subjects who exhibited non-dipping were defined as "non-dippers" and the others as "dippers." All-cause mortality was ascertained from the Social Security Death Index. RESULTS Of the 621 patients included in the study, 261 were dippers and 360 were non-dippers. Non-dippers were older (P < 0.0001), more likely to be non-white (P < 0.05), and had higher rates of smoking, diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, and renal insufficiency (P < 0.01 for all). Over a mean follow-up of 6.3 years, 61 patients died, including 10 dippers (3.8%) and 51 non-dippers (14.2%). The unadjusted hazard ratio for death based upon a decrement in the dipping percentage from the 75th to 25th percentile was 2.22 (95% confidence interval 1.64-2.95; P < 0.0001). This was attenuated after adjustment for comorbid conditions, including mean 24-h SBP and renal function: adjusted hazard ratio 1.62 (1.14-2.24; P < 0.005). CONCLUSIONS Blunted diurnal BP variation is a strong predictor of death, but this may be accounted for, in large part, by its association with other cardiovascular risk factors.
CO2/N2 Reverse Selective Gas Separation Membranes : Technological Opportunities and Scientific Challenges

A reverse selective CO2/N2 membrane material has been recently reported by Kumar et al. in this journal. We would like to follow up on this publication with additional information that is related to this unusual experimental observation. To our knowledge, a CO2/N2 reverse selective membrane material has not been reported previously and would be a breakthrough both from the scientific and technological point of view.
Valuating brand equity and product-related attributes in the context of the German automobile market

The concept of consumer-based brand equity has been discussed extensively in the literature and there are a wide variety of both quantitative and qualitative measures used to assess it. For the most part, previous research has studied the way brand and product attributes are perceived in a consumer's mind and the empirical data used in most studies is based on self-reported survey data. In this research, objective data from the largest German Automobile Association, including actual prices, objective quality ratings of product attributes and market share of brands, are used to estimate their effect on the actual price set by the manufacturer and paid by consumers for those automobiles in Germany. By conducting multiple hedonic regressions, we are able to explain the actual price of a car on the basis of its product attributes, brand and the market share of that brand. Our results show that five out of the eight product attribute categories used in this research (chassis, interior, comfort, engine and safety) influence the price paid by consumers. In addition, when brand dummy variables are added to the model, the explanatory power of the proposed model increases. The paper also shows that product variety is positively related and market share negatively related to the price. Therefore, this paper provides an important contribution to existing literature on modelling and measuring the effect of product-related attributes, market share and especially brand equity on price. Further, it provides important managerial insight, as it shows how different product attributes are valued by consumers. In addition, the proposed model can be used by automotive manufacturers to approximate the price of existing and new automobiles.
NO adsorption on Cu-ZSM-5 : assignment of IR band at 2133 cm-1

The adsorption of nitrogen oxides on Cu-ZSM-5 was studied by infrared spectroscopy to elucidate the species associated with the band at 2133 cm−1. The band was found for both NO and NO2 adsorption. Labeling experiments with15NO revealed that the associated surface species contained nitrogen and, most likely, an N-O bond. Co-adsorption experiments of NO and oxygen produced adsorbed nitronium, NO 2 + , as the principal, associated species. Adsorption of nitrogen oxides on dispersed CuO and the HZSM-5 support demonstrated that the 2133 cm−1 band was not necessarily associated with copper ions. A relatively strong correlation between the bands at 2133 and 3615 cm−1 indicates that the primary adsorption sites of NO 2 + are the strongly protic, bridging Si(OH)Al framework hydroxyls. Once these were filled, other, weaker acid sites began to adsorb NO 2 O .
Maternally Rated Childhood Gender Nonconformity in Homosexuals and Heterosexuals

Homosexual and heterosexual subjects provided self-ratings of childhood gender nonconformity. Additionally, their mother rated them on several adjectives describing childhood behavior, which included words related to gender nonconformity. Male homosexuals were remembered by their mothers as less masculine and more nonathletic. This finding did not appear to be due to a bias in mothers' memories. Though female homosexuals were recalled as more masculine than female heterosexuals, this appeared to reflect retrospective bias, as mothers who knew of their daughters' homosexuality were more likely to rate them as masculine. Both self-rated and maternally rated childhood gender nonconformity made independent contributions in predicting sexual orientation. Within the homosexual samples, maternal and self-ratings of subjects' childhood gender nonconformity failed to correlate significantly.
Life Cycle Pattern Study of Malicious Codes

This article investigates the patterns of malicious code attacks based on monthly data of the top 10 virus shares from 1998 to 2005. Three parameters were identified for study, overall pattern of the attack, the number reentries into the top 10 most prevalent attacks, and the maximum percentage share. The dataset was validated by comparing it to an independent dataset that measured the same parameters for a subset of the period of the primary dataset. The effects of malicious code that started before or disappeared outside the collection period were found to not have a significant effect. A multivariate regression analysis showed that the number of entries and the maximum share had a strong relationship with the visible life span. Multivariate cluster analysis was conducted on the reentry parameters and yielded six virus clusters classifications. The high impact viruses, 43 of the 230, are identified and further grouped.
A Study of Starch Granular Aggregation

The aggregation behavior of starch granules during cooking was investigated. Granular aggregation was found to depend mainly on water content and degree of conversion (cooking) of starch. There were threshold values of water content and degree of conversion for powdery starch to undergo a phase transition from a nonaggregated to an aggregated state. A method for determining such threshold values of the transition was developed. A mathematical model was also developed to describe the aggregation behavior of cooked starch. Its potential application to food systems, especially to the simulation of starch extrusion process, was discussed.
Qualitative Robustness of S*-estimators of Multivariate Location and Dispersion

S-estimators of multivariate location and dispersion are favored for their robustness against outliers. The computations of the exact S-estimators, however, are difficult, if not impossible. We consider S*-estimators, a variant of the S-estimators which is commonly computed in reality. It is shown under very general conditions that S*-estimators are qualitatively robust with respect to a wide range of metrics, including Prohorov metric and a weak affine invariant metric based on Vapnik-Cervonenkis sets. The result follows from a continuity result of the S*-functionals and almost everywhere continuity result of the corresponding estimators in finite-sample cases.
Computational tests of the factorization of cross sections in the sudden approximation

Abstract The factorization expressions for cross sections reported by Goldflam, Green and Kouri and independently by Khare are tested using accurate close coupling input for e− + H2, H + H2, He + (HF, DF, HCl, DCl) and Ar + N2. The results at the degeneracy averaged cross section level are used to illustrate accuracy criteria given for the factorization. Effects studied include variation of the projectile reduced mass, influence of initial and final rotor state, collision energy and potential anisotropy.
Signaling T-Cell Survival and Death by IL-2 and IL-15

Interleukin 2 (IL-2) and interleukin 15 (IL-15) bind tocommon T-cell surface receptors comprised of uniquealpha (IL-2Ra or IL-15Ra ) and shared b /c chain sub-units.LigationofthisreceptorbyIL-2canleadtoapop-tosis whereas IL-15 ligation favors cell survival. Ourstudy examined intra-cellular signaling events associ-ated with IL-2- and IL-15-induced apoptosis and sur-vival in human T cells. We found IL-2 and IL-15 couldboth induce apoptosis and survival; the outcome de-pended on cytokine concentration. No qualitative dif-ferences in Jak/Stat, Ras/MAPK or PI3K/AKT signalingwere seen over a wide range of IL-2 and IL-15 concen-trations. These ﬁndings suggest that, like T-cell recep-tor signaling, IL-2R b /c chain signaling is regulated, or“tuned,” by the concentration of cytokine.Key words: Cytokines, cytokine receptors, signaltransduction, T cells, transplantationReceived 06 May 2005, revised 28 June 2005 and ac-cepted for publication 18 July 2005
Genome conformation capture reveals that the Escherichia coli chromosome is organized by replication and transcription

To fit within the confines of the cell, bacterial chromosomes are highly condensed into a structure called the nucleoid. Despite the high degree of compaction in the nucleoid, the genome remains accessible to essential biological processes, such as replication and transcription. Here, we present the first high-resolution chromosome conformation capture-based molecular analysis of the spatial organization of the Escherichia coli nucleoid during rapid growth in rich medium and following an induced amino acid starvation that promotes the stringent response. Our analyses identify the presence of origin and terminus domains in exponentially growing cells. Moreover, we observe an increased number of interactions within the origin domain and significant clustering of SeqA-binding sequences, suggesting a role for SeqA in clustering of newly replicated chromosomes. By contrast, ‘histone-like’ protein (i.e. Fis, IHF and H-NS) -binding sites did not cluster, and their role in global nucleoid organization does not manifest through the mediation of chromosomal contacts. Finally, genes that were downregulated after induction of the stringent response were spatially clustered, indicating that transcription in E. coli occurs at transcription foci.
Supervisor Mentoring: Does a Female Manager Make a Difference?

Research investigating the management styles of male and female supervisors is mixed. In an effort to clarify this research, the present study examined the interaction effect of gender of supervisor and gender of subordinate on perceived mentoring. Results revealed the least amount of mentoring occurred between female supervisors and female subordinates, but the greatest mentoring took place between female supervisors and male subordinates. Results were explained in terms of managerial experience and the double‐bind of female managers. These findings challenge the traditional advice that female subordinates should seek female supervisors.
Repair-Related Activation of Hedgehog Signaling in Stromal Cells Promotes Intrahepatic Hypothyroidism

Thyroid hormone (TH) is important for tissue repair because it regulates cellular differentiation. Intrahepatic TH activity is controlled by both serum TH levels and hepatic deiodinases. TH substrate (T4) is converted into active hormone (T3) by deiodinase 1 (D1) but into inactive hormone (rT3) by deiodinase 3 (D3). Although the relative expressions of D1 and D3 are known to change during liver injury, the cell types and signaling mechanisms involved are unclear. We evaluated the hypothesis that changes in hepatic deiodinases result from repair-related activation of the Hedgehog pathway in stromal cells. We localized deiodinase expression, assessed changes during injury, and determined how targeted manipulation of Hedgehog signaling in stromal cells impacted hepatic deiodinase expression, TH content, and TH action in rodents. Humans with chronic liver disease were also studied. In healthy liver, hepatocytes strongly expressed D1 and stromal cells weakly expressed D3. During injury, hepatocyte expression of D1 decreased, whereas stromal expression of D3 increased, particularly in myofibroblasts. Conditionally disrupting Hedgehog signaling in myofibroblasts normalized deiodinase expression. Repair-related changes in deiodinases were accompanied by reduced hepatic TH content and TH-regulated gene expression. In patients, this was reflected by increased serum rT3. Moreover, the decreases in the free T3 to rT3 and free T4 to rT3 ratios distinguished advanced from mild fibrosis, even in individuals with similar serum levels of TSH and free T4. In conclusion, the Hedgehog-dependent changes in liver stromal cells drive repair-related changes in hepatic deiodinase expression that promote intrahepatic hypothyroidism, thereby limiting exposure to T3, an important factor for cellular differentiation.
Electrochemical studies of the EU(III)/(II) reaction by conventional and kalousek polarography

Summary The Eu(III)/(II) reaction was studied by conventional and by Type I and Type II kalousek polarography in a number of media. Reduction waves appear to fall into two groups depending upon whether inner or outer sphere complexes are formed between Eu(III) and the anion of the supporting electrolyte. The reversibility as evidenced by K-I and K-II curves increases in order of supporting electrolytes as ClO4− The double anodic wave observed at low ionic strength in perchlorate is consistent with previous studies of the system and appears to have its origin in double layer effects rather than in an intermediate in the reduction. The utility of Type I and II Kalousek polarography in the study of irreversible processes is demonstrated.
Epididymis-specific promoter-driven gene targeting: a transcription factor which regulates epididymis-specific gene expression.

Mammalian spermatozoa undergo several modification and finally acquire the ability to fertilize during epididymal transit. One of the distinct features of the epididymis is that it displays a highly regionalized pattern of gene expression. This tissue-, region-, and cell-specific pattern of gene expression is critical for the maintenance of a fully functional epididymis. One would hypothesize that disrupting this process provides an ideal approach to male contraception, since it would not interfere with testicular endocrine output or sperm production. To achieve this purpose, we studied a cluster of epididymis-specific lipocalin genes for understanding the specific mechanisms involved in the control of gene expression in the epididymis. We have identified six epididymis-specific lipocalin genes that are differently regulated and regionalized in the epididymis. Lipocalin 5 [Lcn5 or epididymal retinoic acid-binding protein (E-RABP)] is a member of this epididymis-specific lipocalin gene cluster, which binds hydrophobic molecules such as retinoic acid. We have previously shown that the 5 kb promoter fragment of the Lcn5 gene confers both androgen-dependent regulation and epididymis-specific gene expression in transgenic mice whereas 0.6 kb promoter fragment does not. To further narrow down the important cis-regulatory elements that regulate gene expression in the epididymis, we studied the Lcn5 promoter in both transgenic mice and immortalized epididymal cells. We have found that 1.8 kb promoter fragment of the Lcn5 gene was sufficient for tissue- and region-specific expression in transgenic mice, and that a transcription factor Forkhead box A2 (Foxa2) interacts with the androgen receptor and binds to the 100 bp fragment of the Lcn5 promoter between 1.2 and 1.3 kb. Our finding provides a framework for further analysis of the epididymal lipocalin gene regulation and modulated control of epididymis-specific expression.
Kings, Courts, and the Manipulation of Late Medieval Culture and Literature. A Review Article

The social history or the historical sociology of culture should concern us. It quickly takes us to the roots of the contemporary world of mass literacy, of the frank reduction of ideas to commodities, and of the visible manipulation of culture for purposes of class and hierarchy. An examination of the late medieval aspects of this topic reminds us of how prevalent and pervasive are these practices, often perceived today as misuses and perversions of culture, whereas in reality they are part and parcel of its existence. Culture, as a collection of socially produced, controlled, and applied intellectual artifacts, is as free from socioeconomic and political considerations as are the men and women who produce it and the men and women who patronize, support, and consume it. But at least the search for its medieval base is now a popular and important line of historical inquiry, and the books under review here are but some of the recent scholarly studies now directing our attention in this direction.' To read a group of related books for a review article is to have an opportunity for a perspective on the topic that is difficult for even the most acute analyst of a single volume to realize. Four books on the same general realmthe dialectical relationship between royal courts and culture (mainly in its literary forms) in fourteenthand fifteenth-century England and Europeprovide the occasion for such a comprehensive survey of the terrain. The
Analysis of voltage overscaled computer arithmetics in low power signal processing systems

This work concerns the design of low power signal processing systems at overscaled supply voltage, in which the behavior of computer arithmetic units in response to overscaled voltage plays an importance role. We show that different hardware implementations of the same computer arithmetic function may respond to overscaled voltage very differently and result in different energy saving potential. Therefore, we develop an analytical approach to estimate the statistics of computer arithmetic computation errors due to supply voltages overscaling. Compared with computation intensive circuit simulations, this analytical approach can be several orders of magnitude faster and meanwhile achieve a reasonable accuracy.
Development of a tunable, narrow-linewidth, cw 2.066-μm Ho:YLF laser for remote sensing of atmospheric CO 2 and H 2 O

A smoothly tunable, narrow-linewidth, cw, 32-mW, 2.066-μm Ho:YLF laser was constructed and used for the first time in preliminary spectroscopic measurements of atmospheric CO2 and H2O. The laser was constructed with a 4.5-mm-long, TE-cooled, codoped 5% Tm and 0.5% Ho yttrium lithium fluoride crystal (cut at Brewster’s angle) pumped by an Ar+-pumped 500-mW Ti:sapphire laser operating at 792 nm. Intracavity etalons were used to reduce the laser linewidth to approximately 0.025 cm-1 (0.75 GHz), and the laser wavelength was continuously and smoothly tunable over approximately 6 cm-1 (180 GHz). The Ho:YLF laser was used to perform spectroscopic measurements on molecular CO2 in a laboratory absorption cell and to measure the concentration of CO2 and water vapor in the atmosphere with an initial accuracy of approximately 5–10%. The measurement uncertainty was found to be due to several noise sources, including the effect of asymmetric intensity of the laser modes within the laser linewidth, fluctuations caused by atmospheric turbulence and laser beam/target movement, and background spectral shifts.
Deposition of few-layered graphene in a microcombustor on copper and nickel substrates

Carbon nanomaterials, including few-layered graphene (FLG), were synthesized on high-purity copper and nickel wires in a microchannel within an alumina microcombustor with a methane/oxygen edge flame. The deposition occurred in 20 s with identifiable FLG Raman peaks. The FLG layers were characterized by Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging. The data shows 5–8 layers can be formed on the wires in a microchannel. The versatility of the microcombustor platform for rapid deposition of carbon nanomaterials is also shown through demonstrations of formation of near-perfect graphite thin films.
Evaluating the Efficacy of a Short Aging Simulation Workshop for an Interdisciplinary Group of Health-care Employees at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Several interventions aimed at increasing positive attitudes towards older adults among health-care professionals have been introduced. These interventions tend to focus on a small subset of clinical employees, ignoring other clinical and nonclinical hospital staff. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a short aging simulation workshop toward increasing positive attitudes towards older adults among a multidisciplinary group of workshop participants using a pre/post quasiexperimental design. Four hundred seventy six new employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs completed the Kogan's Attitudes Toward Old People Scale (KOP) immediately before and after participating in a short aging simulation workshop. Significant pre- to-posttest increases in KOP scores were identified for nurses, physicians, psychologists, other clinical employees, and nonclinical employees, but not among medical support assistants, nurse assistants, and social workers. There existed no significant differences...
Modeling of Isotope Distributions and Intracellular Fluxes in Metabolic Networks Using Atom Mapping Matrices

The modeling of isotope distributions can be used to evaluate intracellular fluxes and to investigate cellular metabolism. A method of modeling isotope distributions in biochemical networks that addresses some of the shortcomings of conventional methods is presented. Matrix equations representing steady state isotope balances are formulated for each metabolite and solved iteratively via computer. The key feature of this method is the use of atom mapping matrices, which decouple the generation of the steady state equations from the details of the transfer of carbon atoms from reactants to products. The use of atom mapping matrices results in a clear, intuitive description of metabolic networks that is easy to develop, check, and modify. A network representing energy metabolism in a hybridoma cell line was developed and presented as an example of the method. A program that uses the atom mapping matrix method to calculate the isotope distribution in the network as a function of the intracellular fluxes was written. Calculations showed that a single nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiment with 13C-labeled glucose should be able to uniquely determine two important TCA cycle flux ratios. These results demonstrate how in vitro NMR can be used to study cellular metabolism or to validate the flux estimates obtained from other methods.
An application of the diffusion approximation to an ATM network

The authors introduce a diffusion model to characterize approximately a statistical multiplexer for a heterogeneous set of traffic sources, which is a basis for ATM (asynchronous transfer mode) fast packet switching in the future B-ISDN (Broadband Integrated Services Digital Networks). Under a reasonable set of assumptions, this diffusion process can then be approximated by a multi-dimensional Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process, which is a Gaussian Markov process. The packet arrival process is shown to be a Gaussian (but not Markov) process, which adequately captures the correlated nature of packet arrivals and determines the statistical behavior of the buffer content. Analytical results are applied to evaluate the multiplexer's dynamic behavior, i.e., the transient packet loss probabilities at the cell and burst levels.
Network formation in addition-cured acetylene-terminated resins

Methode pour tremper chimiquement les sites reactifs dans des reseaux partiellement durcis. Ce procede donne une mesure claire de l'avancement de la reaction et permet de caracteriser la structure reticulee par des mesures rheologiques a et au-dessus de la temperature de transition vitreuse
ACT-R/E: an embodied cognitive architecture for human-robot interaction

We present ACT-R/E (Adaptive Character of Thought-Rational / Embodied), a cognitive architecture for human-robot interaction. Our reason for using ACT-R/E is two-fold. First, ACT-R/E enables researchers to build good embodied models of people to understand how and why people think the way they do. Then, we leverage that knowledge of people by using it to predict what a person will do in different situations; e.g., that a person may forget something and may need to be reminded or that a person cannot see everything the robot sees. We also discuss methods of how to evaluate a cognitive architecture and show numerous empirically validated examples of ACT-R/E models.
Meeting Report: Targeting Protein Phosphatases-Medicines for the New Millenium

Shenolikar and Brautigan summarize the key issues discussed at the conference on protein phosphatases of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB). A theme of the meeting was how basic research in the field of protein phosphatases has led to better understanding and treatments for human disease, including type 2 diabetes and obesity. A second important issue presented related to identification and characterization of various phosphatase-binding proteins that regulate phosphatase action.
First Streptococcus pyogenes signature-tagged mutagenesis screen identifies novel virulence determinants

The virulence of bacterial pathogens is a complex process that requires the dynamic expression of many genes for the pathogens to invade and circumvent host defenses, as well as to proliferate in vivo. In this study, we employed a large-scale screen, signature-tagged mutagenesis (STM), to identify Streptococcus pyogenes virulence genes important for pathogenesis within the host. Approximately 1,200 STM mutants were created and screened using the zebrafish infectious disease model. The transposon insertion site was identified for 29 of the 150 mutants that were considered attenuated for virulence. Previously reported streptococcal virulence genes, such as mga, hasA, amrA, smeZ, and two genes in the sil locus, were identified, confirming the utility of the model for revealing genes important for virulence. Multiple genes not previously implicated in virulence were also identified, including genes encoding putative transporters, hypothetical cytosolic proteins, and macrolide efflux pumps. The STM mutant strains display various levels of attenuation, and multiple separate insertions were identified in either the same gene or the same locus, suggesting that these factors are important for this type of acute, invasive infection. We further examined two such genes, silB and silC of a putative quorum-sensing regulon, and determined that they are significant virulence factors in our model of necrotizing fasciitis. sil locus promoter expression was examined under various in vitro conditions, as well as in zebrafish tissues, and was found to be differentially induced. This study was a unique investigation of S. pyogenes factors required for successful invasive infection.
Health Utilization and Cost Impact of Childhood Constipation in the United States

Objective To estimate the total health care utilization and costs for children with constipation in the United States. Study design We analyzed data from 2 consecutive years (2003 and 2004) of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), a nationally representative household survey. We identified children who either had been reported as constipated by their parents or had received a prescription for laxatives in a given year. Outcome measures were service utilization and expenditures. Results The MEPS database included a total of 21 778 children age 0 to 18 years, representing 158 million children nationally. An estimated 1.7 million US children (1.1%) reported constipation in the 2-year period. No differences with respect to age, sex, race, and socioeconomic status were found between the children with constipation and those without constipation. The children with constipation used more health services than children without constipation, resulting in significantly higher costs: $3430/year vs $1099/year. This amounts to an additional cost for children with constipation of $3.9 billion/year. Conclusions This study demonstrates that childhood constipation has a significant impact on the use and cost of medical care services. The estimated cost per year is 3 times than that in children without constipation, which likely is an underestimate of the actual burden of childhood constipation.
Seeing What We Build--The Need for New Imaging Techniques in Myocardial Regeneration.

The largest experience with stem cell therapy in the heart has been with bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMCs). Several single‐center studies have shown modest, and in some cases transient, increases in ejection fraction (EF) following BMMC injection in patients with reperfused myocardial
The central importance of the cytoskeleton for increased cell stiffness in cardiovascular disease. Focus on "Diabetes increases stiffness of live cardiomyocytes measured by atomic force microscopy nanoindentation".

ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY (AFM) is proving to be a very useful tool for probing nanoscale and microscale mechanical properties and behavior of cells. A cursory search of the literature reveals that the use of the technique to study various characteristics of myocardial cells dates back to the mid-1990s (2, 7). Perhaps more revealing is its ever-more-frequent application to the study of myocardial contractile function and dysfunction (5, 9, 10). In this issue of American Journal of Physiology-Cell Physiology, Benech et al. (1) are, to my knowledge, the first to use AFM to study left ventricular myocardial cells in diabetes mellitus to gain a deeper understanding of the mechanical and functional events that may underlie heart failure in that disease. Importantly, heart failure is a complication that is frequently associated with the diabetic state and is likely to be of increasing importance with the increased prevalence of type 2 diabetes and insulin-resistant states. Several striking observations were made in the elegant study of Benech et al. (1). First, they observe that, in their streptozotocin model of diabetes, myocytes from the diabetic animals are stiffer than those from control mice. In addition, the increase in stiffness appears associated with decreased expression of the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca 2 -ATPase 2 (SERCA2) and a disordered cytoskeletal organization within the myocytes. The latter changes appeared to strongly influence the actin cytoskeleton. Although the reduced SERCA2 expression would make one suspect that a component of the increased stiffness in the diabetic animals was related to intracellular Ca 2 , the increase in stiffness was apparent even when intracellular Ca 2 was reduced to low levels in a near-Ca 2 -free buffer. Again, this appears to strongly indicate that
High-Pressure/High-Temperature Microreactors for Nanostructure Synthesis

Chemically synthesized nanomaterials, such as nanocrystalline quantum dots, are being considered as the active element in many applications, including photovoltaics, displays, and biochem sensing. To realize the promise of these devices, it will be critical to have an efficient, reproducible synthesis technique of the nanostructures. Currently, nanoparticles are synthesized in a batch mode in small volumes, which is appropriate for studying the fundamental properties of nanosized structures and for developing proof of principle device structures. However, batch synthesis suffers from control of size, size distribution, and quality of the nanomaterial from batch to batch. Moreover, there is an inherent difficulty in scaling up to quantities more reasonable for device development and optimization. Continuous-flow reactors based on microfluidics (microreactors) integrated with heaters and fluid control elements offer a solution to these problems and additional advantages. We describe continuous synthesis of ...
The influence of seed quality on response of cotton seedlings to the preplant herbicide trifluralin.

Abstract Effects of the preplant herbicide trifluralin ( a , a , a -trifluoro-2,6-dinitro- N , N -dipropyl- p -toluidine) were studied on cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.) seedlings derived from seeds of four cultivars subjected to accelerated aging. Trifluralin effects were determined by measuring stand, lateral root production, damage to taproot, and seedling height. These parameters were measured under laboratory and field conditions. The tests were designed to evaluate the combined effects of trifluralin and seed quality on seedling emergence and development. The detrimental effects of seed aging and trifluralin were similar in the four tests. The adverse effects of seed aging were reduced stand, increased numbers of damaged taproots and decreased seedling height. Significant cultivar by aging interactions for stand were detected. Trifluralin reduced seedling height in the laboratory tests but to a lesser extent than the adverse effect of aging. Trifluralin had minor effects on stand and taproots but caused a drastic reduction in number of lateral roots. The trifluralin by aging interaction was significant for lateral roots in three of the four tests. Therefore, seed quality must be carefully considered when evaluating responses of seedlings to trifluralin. The absence of a consistent cultivar by trifluralin interaction for lateral roots indicated minor difference in tolerance to trifluralin among these cultivars.