cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Disasters Resulting from Radiologic and Nuclear Events

Radiation accidents are rare, but can produce large numbers of casualties with predictable patterns of injury. Casualties may suffer from a wide range of radiation exposures. Triage based on presence or absence of conventional injuries and an accurate assessment of radiation dose based on event history, symptoms, and laboratory testing, is critical. Treatment of acute radiation syndrome is supportive: including fluids, antibiotics, blood products, colony-stimulating factors, and stem cell or bone marrow transplantation. Care of radiation-injured patients with conventional trauma or burns needs to be modified to account for adverse effects of radiation on wound healing and susceptibility to infections.
Immune-mediated Colitis from Dual Checkpoint Inhibitors.

Melanoma is a deadly disease with immunotherapy treatment options that emerged in the last few years and have changed the disease outcome. However, it is associated with immune-related toxic effects despite improving survival. We present the case of a 53-year-old woman who had two weeks of diarrhea after she was treated with dual immunotherapy agents for her advanced melanoma. The final workup revealed pancolitis, possibly due to immunotherapy adverse effects. Initial conservative treatment, unfortunately, did not lead to a clinical improvement until a steroid was introduced. We are reporting this case to alert our fellow physicians about the immune-mediated toxicities of the relatively new checkpoint inhibitors.
Intracranial pressure estimated non-invasively in non-human primates and pediatric critical care (Conference Presentation)

Intracranial pressure (ICP) is an important metric in the management of severe head injury. We show alternatives to today’s standard of highly invasive measurement devices using near-infrared spectroscopy and diffuse correlation spectroscopy to create a real-time ICP monitor. The algorithms were developed and tested in an animal model. First results of a clinical validation will be presented.
Clean the Sprayer to Avoid Crop Injury

The objective of this 5-page document is to present the correct clean-out procedure for spray equipment following pesticide use. Written by Frederick M. Fishel and published by the UF/IFAS Agronomy Department, August 2018. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pi277
Exploring the Association of Community Integration in Mental Health among Formerly Homeless Individuals Living in Permanent Supportive Housing.

Supportive housing has been widely used among persons experiencing chronic homelessness and/or mental health conditions. While it has been demonstrated to be effective in addressing homelessness among populations with complex needs, community integration remains a challenge. Community integration is the extent to which individuals live, participate, and socialize in their community and consists of three aspects: physical, social, and psychological. The study utilized data from the Transitions to Housing project that followed formerly homeless individuals (N = 383) throughout their first year of residence in permanent supportive housing (PSH). The study set out to examine which aspects of community integration are associated with mental health symptoms in this population. Five nested multivariate linear regression models were conducted and then compared. The model that accounted for demographics, substance use, neighborhood quality, and all three aspects of community integration simultaneously was the best fit and explained the most variance in mental health symptoms (24%). The complete model suggested higher levels of psychological integration were significantly associated with decreased mental health symptoms in this sample. This finding suggests fostering a sense of belonging among PSH residents could improve mental health outcomes. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
Effect of Dose Level on Radiologists' Detection of Microcalcifications in Digital Breast Tomosynthesis: An Observer Study with Breast Phantoms.

Objectives To compare radiologists’ sensitivity, confidence level, and reading efficiency of detecting microcalcifications in digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) at two clinically relevant dose levels. Materials and Methods Six 5-cm-thick heterogeneous breast phantoms embedded with a total of 144 simulated microcalcification clusters of four speck sizes were imaged at two dose modes by a clinical DBT system. The DBT volumes at the two dose levels were read independently by six MQSA radiologists and one fellow with 1–33 years (median 12 years) of experience in a fully-crossed counter-balanced manner. The radiologist located each potential cluster and rated its conspicuity and his/her confidence that the marked location contained a cluster. The differences in the results between the two dose modes were analyzed by two-tailed paired t-test. Results Compared to the lower-dose mode, the average glandular dose in the higher-dose mode for the 5-cm phantoms increased from 1.34 to 2.07 mGy. The detection sensitivity increased for all speck sizes and significantly for the two smaller sizes (p Conclusion For a 5-cm-thick breast, an increase in average glandular dose from 1.34 to 2.07 mGy for DBT imaging increased the conspicuity of microcalcifications, improved the detection sensitivity by radiologists, increased their confidence levels, reduced false positive detections, and increased the reading efficiency.
Zinn's zonule.

Abstract The Zonule of Zinn, or ciliary zonule, is the elaborate system of extracellular fibers that centers the lens in the eye. In humans, the fibers transmit forces that flatten the lens during the process of disaccommodation, thereby bringing distant objects into focus. Zonular fibers are composed almost entirely of 10–12 nm-wide microfibrils, of which polymerized fibrillin is the most abundant component. The thickest fibers have a fascicular organization, where hundreds or thousands of microfibrils are gathered into micrometer-wide bundles. Many such bundles are aggregated to form a fiber. Dozens of proteins comprise the zonule. Most are derived from cells of the non-pigmented ciliary epithelium in the pars plana region, although some are probably contributed by the lens and perhaps other tissues of the anterior segment. Zonular fibers are viscoelastic cables but their component microfibrils are rather stiff structures. Thus, the elastic properties of the fibers likely stem from lateral interactions between microfibrils. Rupture of zonular fibers and subsequent lens dislocation (ectopia lentis) can result from blunt force trauma or be a sequela of other eye diseases, notably exfoliation syndrome. Ectopia lentis is also a feature of syndromic conditions caused typically by mutations in microfibril-associated genes. The resulting ocular phenotypes raise the possibility that the zonule regulates lens size and shape, globe size, and even corneal topology, in addition to its well-recognized role in accommodation.
Lifted: A thematic analysis of homeless adolescents’ reflections on their lives since beginning a multifaceted, community-based intervention

Abstract The purpose of this study was to gather in-depth information from unaccompanied homeless youth (UHY) regarding how they perceived that a wraparound intervention in which they had been involved for at least one year had impacted their lives. Towards this end, we conducted individual face-to-face interviews with nine unaccompanied homeless youth (UHY) who were receiving services from Starting Right, Now (SRN), a unique, multifaceted, grassroots initiative located in the southeastern U.S. that provides multiple services to UHY who have remained in high school. These services include housing, one-to-one mentoring, tutoring, assistance with applying to college, and specialized trainings to support academic and personal development. In each interview, participants described how their lives had changed since they entered SRN and what they had learned from the program. Using thematic analysis across participants, we identified eight themes that we saw as fitting within three broad categories: (1) constructing new models of relationships, (2) learning adaptive strategies for living, and (3) increasing hope, direction, and purpose. These three themes coalesced into an overall essence that we termed “lifted.” We chose this term because the totality of participants’ experiences suggested that SRN had lifted participants out of the poverty and trauma of their childhoods and, through a comprehensive approach with personalized supports, helped them get to a place where they could focus on higher-level needs like individual growth and educational attainment. Implications for providing services to UHY are described, and avenues for continuing research to support this population are highlighted.
Behavior of water confined between hydrophobic surfaces with grafted segments

Abstract Many naturally occurring as well as functionalized interfaces are covered with protruding segments or side-chain moieties. These protruding segments influence interfacial properties, and play an important role in diverse physical processes that are understood to be driven by water-mediated interactions, ranging from protein folding, protein dimerization to nanoparticle self-assembly in aqueous media. We have studied the behavior of water confined between two planar hydrophobic surfaces with grafted segments using molecular simulations. We show the presence of these segments makes the confined region significantly more hydrophobic. By systematically varying the flexibility of these segments over a range spanning two orders of magnitude for two different grafting densities, we report that the flexibility of the segments itself has no effect on the free energy profile of confined water. We also find that the evaporation free energy barrier increases and the condensation free energy barrier decreases as the density of the grafted segment is increased.
Many ways to repress! JAZ's agony of choices.

The major plant hormone jasmonic acid (JA) controls a wide range of important biological processes; in particular stress responses and male reproductive development (Wasternack and Song, 2017). Local de novo biosynthesis as well long-distance transport of JA and subsequent perception of its conjugate jasmonoyl-isoleucine (JA-Ile) leads to the activation of a large transcriptional regulatory network with thousands of genes transcriptionally reprogrammed (Aerts et al., 2021; Wasternack and Song, 2017). Key regulators of this JA-initiated transcriptional network are the JAZ (JASMONATE-ZIM DOMAIN) proteins that directly repress the master transcription factors (TFs) MYC2 to MYC5 and other TFs (Wasternack and Song, 2017).
The effects of China’s split-share reform on firms’ capital structure choice

ABSTRACTChina’s split-share structure reform in 2005–2006 mitigates agency conflicts between controlling shareholders and minority shareholders and thus may bring substantial changes to corporate financing behaviour. This article examines the impact of that reform on the capital structure decisions of firms by applying a variety of trade-off and pecking-order models. Using data from 1176 non-financial Chinese listed firms during the period 2000–2012, we present empirical evidence indicating that equity tracks the financing deficit better than debt in Chinese firms, a finding which is not consistent with pecking-order theory. This phenomenon is more prominent after 2006 as share reform increases trading activity in the secondary stock market and improves the transparency of financial markets. In addition, Chinese firms have an optimal leverage ratio and they adjust below-target leverage ratios faster than above-target leverage ratios after the implementation of share structure reform, although they make sy...
Measurement of Leading Edge Vortices from a Delta Wing Using a Three Component Laser Velocimeter

A demonstration of the capabilities of a three component laser velocimeter to provide a detailed experimental database of a complex flow field i s presented. The orthogonal three component laser velocimeter was used to measure the leading edge vortex flow field above a 75 degrees delta wing at angles-of-attack of 20.5 degrees and 40.0 degrees. The resulting mean velocity and turbulence intensity measurements are presented. The laser velocimeter is described in detail including a description of the data processing algorithm. A full error analysis was conducted and the results presented.
Theory of Dynamic Strength

A whole series of problems related to stress wave-material interaction can be solved by using Fourier methods in connection with the recently discovered least action law for brittle fracture. A quantitative physical meaning will be given to the concepts of rest pulse, fracture potential, and penetration depth. A long and a short pulse of equal energy will be compared to show that the above quantities depend on the pulse length and the flaw distribution of the material. The concepts have a broad range of applicability and can be applied to problems in the areas of seismology, rock shattering, and impulsive processes of a military nature which up to now were impervious to quantitative analysis.
Interdiffusion phenomena at partially miscible polymer interfaces

This research is focused on understanding the effect of miscibility on interdiffusion phenomena in bilayers of polystyrene (PS) and the statistically random copolymer, poly (styrene-r-4-bromostyrene) (PBS). Miscibility in such systems can be quantified by N*%, where N* is an effective degree of polymerization and % the Flory-Huggins interaction parameter. In the PS/PBS system, miscibility decreases as N % increases; specifically, systems having N*% > 2 (but less than some limiting value) are considered partially miscible, while those with N*% < 2 are miscible. The extent of interdiffusion of the two components at a bilayer interface is ultimately determined by the miscibility of the system, which controls interfacial width and fracture strength. A description of the effect of miscibility on interdiffusion phenomena, interfacial width, phase behavior, and fracture energy and a relationship between these properties has not been elucidated, thus limiting optimal design of polymer interfaces for technologically relevant applications. This work highlights the effect of miscibility on interdiffusion dynamics and interfacial behavior, employing both experimental and modeling tools. Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS) was used to quantify interdiffusion in the PS/PBS bilayers. PBS volume fraction versus depth profiles were obtained from the evolution of the bromine peak in the BIBS spectra of these bilayers as a function of annealing time. From these profiles, mutual diffusion coefficients were calculated. The results indicate that the extent of interdiffusion increases with temperature (T) and decreases with increasing volume fraction of brominated units in the PBS copolymer (f) and increasing N*. In miscible PS/PBS systems, interdiffusion of the bilayers results in a single layer of constant composition. In bilayers with PS and PBS having a disparity in N, the interface is observed
Role of the DNA repair and redox enzyme Ape1/Ref-1 in neurotoxicity of cisplatin on dorsal root ganglion neurons: Implications for peripheral neuropathy

1973 Cisplatin or platin analogues are some of the most commonly used cytotoxic agents in the treatment of a variety of solid malignant tumors. Although treatment with this drug can be effective, about 20% of patients are unable to complete a full course of cisplatin therapy due to sensory neuropathy. Current understanding of cisplatin toxicity demonstrates the formation of intrastrand and interstrand cross-links in DNA. However, there is growing evidence suggesting that cisplatin cytotoxicity is also closely associated with the increased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Thus, it is possible that cisplatin causes damage to sensory neurons through oxidative DNA damage such that this toxicity contributes to peripheral neuropathy. Apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease/redox factor (Ape1) is a ubiquitous multifunctional portion involved in the DNA base excision repair (BER) pathway of oxidative DNA damage. In addition, Ape1 is a major redox factor which augments the binding activity of a number of transcription factors to DNA, such as NF-kB, p53, HIF-1a, AP-1 and others. In neurons these transcription factors play important roles in neuronal survival and function. Therefore, the question we chose to address concerns whether altering Ape1 functions would influence cisplatin induced neurotoxicity. When sensory neuronal cultures were exposed to increasing concentrations of cisplatin there was a concentration dependent increase in cell death and in ROS production measured using carboxy-H2DCFDA and FACS analysis. Reducing Ape1 content in the cells using Ape1siRNA increased cell loss at all concentrations of cisplatin tested, whereas treament with scrambled Ape1siRNA (SCsiRNA) did not augment cell death. Overexpressing wild-type Ape1 (wtApe1) led to protection against cisplatin-induced cell death in cultures with either normal levels of Ape1 (SCsiRNA treated) or in those with decreased Ape1 levels (Ape1siRNA treated). A redox-deficient/repair-competent Ape1 only partially corrected against the cisplatin killing of the neuronal cells. We also examined the effects of cisplatin in the absence or presence of Ape1 manipulations on the release of CGRP from DRG cells as a major integrated output of neurons. Cisplatin treatment of the cells caused a significant decrease in capsaicin-evoked release of iCGRP which was greater in cells with a reduction in Ape1 expression. When the wtApe1 was added back to the cells using viral vectors, the effect of cisplatin on release was completely blocked, whereas, adding back the redox mutant Ape1 only partially protected the cells. These results strongly support the notion that manipulations of Ape1 function in neurons influences toxicity by cisplatin. We conclude that Ape1 is a potential translational target such that protecting Ape1 levels could reduce peripheral neuropathy in patients undergoing treatments.
Calling the Scholars Home: Google Scholar as a Tool for Rediscovering the Academic Library

Library guides to Google Scholar reveal the concerns and fears of librarians as they watch their users slip further and further outside of their domain of influence. Comparing these fears against data from recent surveys and studies of students and faculty suggests that a profound change in the role of the library in relation to how users search for and discover information has been underway for some time, and that Google Scholar is only the most recent and visible manifestation of that revolution.
Speculations on Law and Society in China

The paper provides context and background for understanding Chinese Law in 2011. Only by exploring the history and social setting for legal institutions in China can the current debate over the meaning of Rule of Law and Civil Society. Fundamental misconceptions over the functional operation of legal categories plague the analysis. This is Part One of a two part work.
Mining Sequential Patterns: Generalizations and Performance Improvements

The problem of mining sequential patterns was recently introduced in [3]. We are given a database of sequences, where each sequence is a list of transactions ordered by transaction-time, and each transaction is a set of items. The problem is to discover all sequential patterns with a user-specified minimum support, where the support of a pattern is the number of data-sequences that contain the pattern. An example of a sequential pattern is“5% of customers bought ‘Foundation’ and ‘Ringworld’ in one transaction, followed by ‘Second Foundation’ in a later transaction”. We generalize the problem as follows. First, we add time constraints that specify a minimum and/or maximum time period between adjacent elements in a pattern. Second, we relax the restriction that the items in an element of a sequential pattern must come from the same transaction, instead allowing the items to be present in a set of transactions whose transaction-times are within a user-specified time window. Third, given a user-defined taxonomy (is-a hierarchy) on items, we allow sequential patterns to include items across all levels of the taxonomy.
The Market for Market-Making

Nasdaq market-makers can adopt new stocks or abandon old ones with almost no entry or exit costs. Under these circumstances, the theory of contestable markets predicts that market-making concentration in individual stocks should be unrelated to the profits dealers earn trading those stocks. However, I find that after adjusting for factors believed to determine spreads, market-maker concentration is a highly significant determinant of trading costs. The problem is that entry does not bring order flow. I show that dealers make markets in stocks in which they are likely to receive order flow either through purchase agreements or through internalization. A dealer's brokerage clientele, geographic location, and participation in underwriting syndicates are all determinants of his choice of stocks in which to make markets.
The Elements of Transformative Experience in Interpersonal Psychotherapy

Abstract The tenets of interpersonal psychotherapy are illustrated through a case in which hypnotherapy was used to eliminate cigarette smoking. The sixteen tenets of interpersonal psychotherapy are; (1) there is a psychological reality; (2) it is based on “psychologic” rather than logic; (3) having two modes of communication; (4) which involve emotional and cognitive processes. People are (5) more or less aware of their mental life. The (6) search for cause and effect is chimerical; (7) there is no past or future orientation, only that which is in the present moment. The (8) units of analysis range from the molecular to the molar, (9) are both subjective and wholly empirical, and (10) occur in repetitive themes or scripts, (11) that play out continually in the interpersonal context, (12) Emotions are both contagious and fundamental to the human experience, (13) with people being unable to not behave, (14) Successful psychotherapy involves being asocial, (15) using authentic communication to counter dupli...
Power performance of InGaAs/InP single HBTs

Typically, the microwave power characteristics of InP/InGaAs SHBTs have not been addressed due to their relatively inferior DC characteristics when compared to DHBTs, which implies early breakdown and thus limited power performance. On the other hand, SHBTs are very attractive for higher frequency applications due to the absence of the heterojunction spike at the base-collector (B-C) interface. Moreover, the homojunction B-C structure offers direct compatibility for HBT integration with PIN diodes, since the latter can be realized by using the B-C-subcollector region. Such integration is needed not only for OEICs but also for MMICs with switching capabilities. This paper reports for the first time a systematic investigation of InP-based SHBT characteristics and demonstrates their suitability for power applications.
Quantification of cyanuric acid residue in human urine using high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

Abstract Concern has increased about the resulting health effects of exposure to melamine and its metabolic contaminant, cyanuric acid, after infants in China were fed baby formula milk products contaminated with these compounds. We have developed a selective and sensitive analytical method to quantify the amount of cyanuric acid in human urine. The sample preparation involved extracting free-form cyanuric acid in human urine using anion exchange solid phase extraction. Cyanuric acid was separated from its urinary matrix components on the polymeric strong anion exchange analytical column; the analysis was performed by high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry using negative mode electrospray ionization interface. Quantification was performed using isotope dilution calibration covering the concentration range of 1.00–200 ng/mL. The limit of detection was 0.60 ng/mL and the relative standard deviations were 2.8–10.5% across the calibration range. The relative recovery of cyanuric acid was 100–104%. Our method is suitable to detect urinary concentrations of cyanuric acid caused by either environmental exposures or emerging poisoning events.
Control of dynamic CFTR selectivity by glutamate and ATP in epithelial cells

Cystic fibrosis is caused by mutations in cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), an anion channel1. Phosphorylation and ATP hydrolysis are generally believed to be indispensable for activating CFTR2. Here we report phosphorylation- and ATP-independent activation of CFTR by cytoplasmic glutamate that exclusively elicits Cl-, but not HCO3-, conductance in the human sweat duct. We also report that the anion selectivity of glutamate-activated CFTR is not intrinsically fixed, but can undergo a dynamic shift to conduct HCO3- by a process involving ATP hydrolysis. Duct cells from patients with ΔF508 mutant CFTR showed no glutamate/ATP activated Cl- or HCO3- conductance. In contrast, duct cells from heterozygous patients with R117H/ΔF508 mutant CFTR also lost most of the Cl- conductance, yet retained significant HCO3- conductance. Hence, not only does glutamate control neuronal ion channels, as is well known, but it can also regulate anion conductance and selectivity of CFTR in native epithelial cells. The loss of this uniquely regulated HCO3- conductance is most probably responsible for the more severe forms of cystic fibrosis pathology.
Examining the developmental interface of cortisol and depression symptoms in young adolescent girls

Summary Despite the substantial amount of data supporting a link between HPA-axis functioning and depression, the ontogeny of this association is not known. The aim of the present study was to contribute data on the developmental interface of HPA-axis functioning and depression in girls by testing associations between repeated measures of depression symptoms and cortisol levels in childhood and early adolescence. Girls ( N = 232) and their mothers, who were participating in a longitudinal study, were interviewed about depression symptoms annually from ages 9 to 12 years. Cortisol was assayed from saliva at ages 10 and 12 years upon arrival to the lab and following administration of the cold pressor task (CPT). Time of day of collection of saliva and level of pubertal development were included as covariates in model testing. Although most girls did not show an increase in cortisol in response to the CPT, lower levels of output during the CPT were associated with higher levels of depression symptoms. These findings were observed only for cortisol levels assessed at age 12 years. Girls with low levels of cortisol output at age 12, and decreases in output from ages 10 to 12, had stable or slightly increasing depression symptoms from ages 9 to 12 years. We conclude that associations between HPA-axis functioning and depression emerge as early as age 12. However, individual differences in cortisol levels at age 12 also were associated with depression symptoms at earlier ages. The data suggest two possibilities: (1) that childhood depression is associated with HPA-axis dysregulation, but that age related changes in the sensitivity or plasticity of the HPA-axis may result in a delay in the emergence of such an association, or (2) that dysregulation of the functioning of the HPA-axis develops following repeated experience of depression symptoms.
Le dosage de l’hémoglobine A1c en 2013

Resume L’hemoglobine glyquee (HbA 1c ) represente le parametre cle de la surveillance de l’equilibre glycemique des patients diabetiques. Son dosage est assure par des techniques bien controlees, dont il importe de connaitre les avantages et les limites lors de l’interpretation des resultats en pratique clinique. L’HbA 1c peut etre prise en defaut en cas d’anomalie du metabolisme de l’hemoglobine ou du globule rouge, ou en presence de certains variants d’hemoglobine, et peut etre remplacee par le dosage des fructosamines. Les dosages de l’HbA 1c sont standardises par rapport a une methode de reference internationale, permettant l’obtention de resultats comparables d’une methode et d’un laboratoire a un autre. Cette standardisation, basee sur une methodologie plus specifique, est de nature a modifier l’expression des resultats d’HbA 1c (mmol/mol, au lieu de pourcentages), selon un calendrier et un programme a determiner dans chaque pays. Le dosage de l’HbA 1c peut etre appele a s’etendre au depistage et au diagnostic du diabete sucre, comme cela a ete recommande dans differents pays. L’HbA 1c reste donc un outil d’avenir dans la prise en charge des patients diabetiques.
Monte Carlo simulations of protein folding using inexact potentials: how accurate must parameters be in order to preserve the essential features of the energy landscape?

Backgound: Monte Carlo simulations of the cubic lattice protein model with engineered sequences were performed in order to address the issue of potential accuracy required for folding. The potential used for sequence selection played the role of the ‘real' potential and different levels of inaccuracy were introduced by addition of noise. Results The dependence of successful folding probability on potential noise was found to be sigmoidal and sequence-specific and can be described by an expression analytically derived from a simple theoretical model in which the density of states of the system contains a continuous region approximated by a Gaussian distribution separated from the unique native conformation by a large energy gap. Conclusion The decrease in folding probability with potential inaccuracy results from an average decrease in the energy gap. Sequences with large energy gaps support larger inaccuracies while retaining the ability to fold properly. As the energy gap is known to correlate with thermal stability, we suggest a simple criterion for specific real sequence selection in order to maximize success probability in realistic folding simulations.
Class and channel condition-based scheduler for EDGE/GPRS

The efficient management of the radio resource of a 3-G system is important from an operator's perspective. This, however, cannot be the only concern when quality of service (QoS) negotiations have been made for various users and the operator has to uphold these. This leads to a fairness objective that the operator has to keep in mind. In this paper we outline a scheme to perform packet-level scheduling and resource allocation at the wireless node that takes into account the notions of both efficiency and fairness and presents a means to explore the trade-off between these two notions. As a part of this scheme we see the scheduling problem as deciding not just the packet transmission schedule but also the power allocation, the modulation and coding scheme allocation and the spreading code determination since the latter three directly influence the radio resources consumed. Using a utility maximization formulation based on the data-rates that the mobiles can transmit at, we decide on the weights for a weighted proportionally fair allocation based scheduling algorithm. We also show how one can adapt the weights and the algorithm for a time-varying channel. We conclude with a simulation based performance analysis for infinitely-backlogged sources and TCP sources on an EDGE system.
Future approaches to genetic toxicology risk assessment

Short-term genetic toxicology tests were developed for the purpose of identifying chemical carcinogens in the environment. After two decades of development and validation, the tests are well-established in routine testing schemes, but our views of their utility for safety evaluation have undergone re-assessment. The correlation between identified mutagens and identified carcinogens has turned out to be significantly less than one. Processes or mechanisms that are not directly genotoxic appear to play a role in carcinogenesis. While short term test data are still components of the assessment of carcinogenic risk, genetic damage also has been recognized as important in its own right, in relation to heritable genetic risk and other health-related effects, such as aging, reproductive failure and developmental toxicity. The revolution in molecular biology and genetic analysis occurring over the past 20 years has contributed to the wealth of new information on the complexities of cell regulation, differentiation, and the carcinogenic process. These technologies have provided new experimental approaches to genetic toxicology assessments, including transgenic cell and animal models, human monitoring, and analysis of macromolecular interactions at environmentally relevant exposures. The potential exists for the development of more efficient and more relevant genetic toxicology testing schemes for use assessing human safety. A delineation of contemporary needs, a modern view of the elements of cancer induction, and an examination of new assays and technologies may provide a framework for integrating new approaches into current schemes for evaluating the potential genetic and carcinogenic risk of environmental chemicals.
Altered basaltic glass: A terrestrial analog to the soil of Mars

In order to understand the nature of weathering processes and the formation of clay-like substances on Mars, analogous terrestrial processes and materials have been examined including sideromelane and palagonite. It is shown that palagonite is a good analog to the soil of Mars to the level of precision available from Viking and ground-based telescopic spectral measurements. Points of resemblance between the two materials include bulk chemical composition, particle size, reflectance spectra, and magnetic properties. A mechanism for the formation of Martian soil, based on a palagonite model, is proposed.
The effect of intercritical annealing temperature on the structure of niobium microalloyed dualphase steel

The structures produced in a Nb-microalloyed steel by oil quenching after intercritical anneals at 760 and 810 °C have been examined by light and transmission electron microscopy. After both anneals, the periphery of the austenite pool transforms on cooling to ferrite in the same orientation as the ferrite retained during intercritical annealing. Thus the ferrite forms by an epitaxial growth mechanism without the formation of a new interface or grain boundary. The new ferrite is precipitate-free in contrast to the retained ferrite which develops a very dense precipitate dispersion during intercritical annealing. In the carbonenriched interior of the austenite pool beyond the epitaxial ferrite only martensite forms in specimens annealed at 760 °C but various mixtures of ferrite and cementite form in specimens annealed at 810 °C. The latter structures include lamellar pearlite, a degenerate pearlite, and cementite interphase precipitation. All Nb is in solution in the austenite formed at 810 °C, and therefore the low hardenability of the specimens annealed at that temperature is best explained by the effect of low austenite carbon content.
Immunohistochemical localization of the kappa1 opioid receptors

Abstract Using antibodies generated to the C-terminal 63 amino acids of the cloned rat mu receptor, the present study examines the distribution of the mu receptor-like immunoreactivity (li) in perfused rat brain sections. Generally, the localization of the mu receptor-li compares well with previous receptor binding studies, with staining observed in such regions as the caudateputamen, nucleus accumbens, hippocampus, amygdala, thalamus, superior and inferior colliculi, interpeduncular nucleus, parabrachial nucleus, locus coeruleus, raphe nuclei, nucleus tractus solitarius, and the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. This distribution is consistent with the broad number of functions associated with mu receptors, including inhibition of sensory transmission and the regulation of neuroendocrine and neurotransmitter release.
Genes in asthma: new genes and new ways.

Purpose of review Asthma is a disease of unknown aetiology characterized by intermittent inflammation of the small airways of the lung. Asthma is familial due to an interaction between strong genetic and environmental factors. This article aims to review the current understanding of the genetic factors underlying asthma, looking historically as well as highlighting the latest developments in the field. Recent findings Findings from recent candidate gene studies and microsatellite genome screens have continued to highlight the importance of the epithelial barrier and its defence mechanisms in asthma. Completion of the human genome sequence and the advent of genome-wide association studies have resulted in the identification of two novel asthma susceptibility genes, ORMDL3 and CHI3L1, in the past year. Summary With the advances in genetics and genomics substantial steps have been taken in the last decade in understanding the genetic factors underlying asthma. Studies have highlighted the importance of the role of the epithelium with many of the genes so far identified being expressed in this key barrier. With the application of genome-wide expression, microRNA studies, metagenomics, proteomics and metabolomics the next decade will undoubtedly result in a further substantial increment in our understanding of the mechanisms underlying asthma.
Fossil vertebrate footprints in the Coconino Sandstone (Permian) of northern Arizona: Evidence for underwater origin

Numerous fossil vertebrate trackways in the Coconino Sandstone of northern Arizona exhibit several features that imply that these trackways were not made in subaerial conditions. Some trackways begin or end abruptly on undisturbed bedding planes, and in other trackways the individual prints are oriented in a different direction from that of the trackway. These features indicate buoyancy of the animals in water. The animals were swimming in the water part of the time and at other times walking on the substrate, and they were sometimes orienting upslope on the surface of the underwater dunes, while being drifted sideways by lateral currents. Observations on salamander locomotion in a sedimentation tank with flowing water support this model.
Transforming Nursing Care Through Health Literacy ACTS

Limited patient literacy contributes to poorer health status, increased emergency room and hospital use, higher morbidity and mortality rates, and less use of preventive health services. All patients, however, need health information that is accurate, accessible, and actionable to make informed decisions about their health. A universal health literacy precautions approach is recommended to empower patients through shared decision-making interactions. Consistent use of evidence-based health literacy practices by front-line nurses offers the potential for transformations in nursing care through stronger patient-nurse interactions and health system partnerships.
Comparison of independently-moving transponder configurations for AUV fleet navigation with one-way acoustic ranging

This paper presents two alternatives for improving moving short-baseline (MSBL) navigation for a fleet of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). The alternatives include the addition of one or two moving surface vessels with transponder(s) to either augment or replace short-baseline transponders on an objective ship. In the proposed configurations, the additional moving transponders act as surface communication and navigation aids (CNAs). Broadcasts of CNA states also provide one-way-travel-time (OWTT) from which ranges are calculated. These broadcast states, OWTT ranges, and onboard sensors are fused in an extended Kalman filter to estimate the state of both the AUV and CNAs. Monte Carlo simulation and cost-function minimization methods are used to find the most advantageous transponder geometries. Based on the results, the use of the CNAs may resolve navigation problems experienced in previous work. To improve confidence in our evaluation of the alternatives, the simulations used physical parameters, control characteristics, and noise levels based on knowledge gleaned from previous experimental work.
Vortex dynamics of turbulence–coherent structure interaction

We study the interaction between a coherent structure (CS) and imposed external turbulence by employing direct numerical simulations (DNS) designed for unbounded flows with compact vorticity distribution. Flow evolution comprises (i) the reorganization of turbulence into finer-scale spiral filaments, (ii) the growth of wave-like perturbations within the vortex core, and (iii) the eventual arrest of production, leading to the decay of ambient turbulence. The filaments, preferentially aligned in the azimuthal direction, undergo two types of interactions: parallel filaments pair to form higher-circulation “threads”, and anti-parallel threads form dipoles that self-advect radially outwards. The consequent radial transport of angular momentum manifests as an overshoot of the mean circulation profile—a theoretically known consequence of faster-than-viscous vortex decay. It is found that while the resulting centrifugal instability can enhance turbulence production, vortex decay is arrested by the dampening of the instability due to the “turbulent mixing” caused by instability-generated threads. Ensemble-averaged turbulence statistics show strong fluctuations within the core; these are triggered by the external turbulence, and grow even as the turbulence decays. This surprising growth on a normal-mode-stable vortex results from algebraic amplification through “linear transient growth”. Transient growth is examined by initializing DNS with the “optimal” modes obtained from linear analysis. The simulations show that the growth of transient modes reproduces the prominent dynamics of CS-turbulence interaction: formation of thread-dipoles, growth of core fluctuations, and appearance of bending waves on the column’s core. At the larger Reynolds numbers prevailing in practical flows, transient growth may enable accelerated vortex decay through vortex column breakdown.
Warmer oceans, stronger hurricanes.

This article reports on evidence showing that global warming may be to blame for the rising number of deadly storms worldwide. Models created by the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research have been able to replicated the physical, chemical and biological processes that affect climate. Using the models, isolation of changes made by humans can be estimated. Evidence using this model suggests that the warming of the Atlantic Ocean is related to atmospheric heating caused by human actions. INSETS: KEY CONCEPTS;THE 2006 LULL EXPLAINED;HOT WATER FIRES UP STORMS.
Tax reform in tennessee

The new tax system proposed by Tennessee TGX Committee includes personal and corporation income taxes and abolition of vexatious license taxes. Chanyes in county government are recommended.
Importance Sampling Spherical Harmonics

In this paper we present the first practical method for importance sampling functions represented as spherical harmonics (SH). Given a spherical probability density function (PDF) represented as a vector of SH coefficients, our method warps an input point set to match the target PDF using hierarchical sample warping. Our approach is efficient and produces high quality sample distributions. As a by-product of the sampling procedure we produce a multi-resolution representation of the density function as either a spherical mip-map or Haar wavelet. By exploiting this implicit conversion we can extend the method to distribute samples according to the product of an SH function with a spherical mip-map or Haar wavelet. This generalization has immediate applicability in rendering, e.g., importance sampling the product of a BRDF and an environment map where the lighting is stored as a single high-resolution wavelet and the BRDF is represented in spherical harmonics. Since spherical harmonics can be efficiently rotated, this product can be computed on-the-fly even if the BRDF is stored in local-space. Our sampling approach generates over 6 million samples per second while significantly reducing precomputation time and storage requirements compared to previous techniques.
Sense of the Helix in Poly-L-tyrosine

THE anomalous rotatory dispersion curves for many synthetic poly-α-amino-acids in the helical conformation have been adequately interpreted by the equation proposed by Moffitt1. The constant, b0, in this equation has been used as a measure of helix content in polypeptides and proteins2. The sign of b0 has been taken to signify the sense of the helix1,3–6. A value of approximately − 630 has been found for the helical conformation of poly-L-glutamic acid1a, poly-γ-benzyl-L-glutamate1,4 and for poly-L-alanine7; the latter has been shown to exist as a right-handed helix8. The first reported positive b0 value was that found for poly-L-tyrosine7, and it was suggested that the unusual sign of b0 is a consequence of a strong chromophoric group near the β-carbon. Other positive b0 values have since been reported for poly-β-benzyl-L-aspartate3, poly-1-benzyl-L-histidine9 and poly-L-tryptophan10. It was suggested that the positive b0 value of poly-β-benzyl-L-aspartate was due to a different sense of twist3 than that found for poly-γ-benzyl-L-glutamate. Proof of this hypothesis followed shortly4,11.
Pesticides--the NAS report: how can the recommendations be implemented?

completed, underway, and proposed that will lead to improvements in the risk assessment process. The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report Pesticides in the Diets of Infants and Children was released in June, 1993 (1). The report focused primarily upon exposure to pesticides in the diets of infants and children. The federal govern? ment views the report as an opportunity to improve all aspects of human health risk assessment. The scientific effort that con?
ASSESSING THE SAMPLES OF PRIOR ORGANIZATIONAL RESEARCH

The sampling designs used in organizational research have been less than consistent across different reported studies. In this analysis we examine the reported relationships among several key organizational variables in ten separate previously published studies to determine the degree to which major differences in sample designs have influenced findings. We isolate that portion of reported associations due to unique characteristics of the samples and report the association these ‘sample design effects’ have with particular sample designs. Results indicate homogeneous samples of organizations inflate reported relationships yet leave significant sources of variation uncontrolled in sample selection. an alternative to sampling of homogeneous organizations is suggested by the fact that larger and probabilitistically selected samples are also associated with larger reported relationships among organizational variables.
A blackjack simulation for teaching the use of scientific method

A blackjack simulation was created in GPSS/H to provide both an introduction to the language and a simple domain in which to investigate and use the scientific method. Students were provided a basic play strategy and required to formulate an alternative, create a hypothesis, and implement the changes in the code necessary to test it. The results from the two strategies were used to provide data for statistical analyses and the generation of conclusions. This paper describes the presentation of this project and some of the results generated over the last few semesters.