cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Scheduling with implicit information in distributed systems

Implicit coscheduling is a distributed algorithm for time-sharing communicating processes in a cluster of workstations. By observing and reacting to implicit information, local schedulers in the system make independent decisions that dynamically coordinate the scheduling of communicating processes. The principal mechanism involved is two-phase spin-blocking: a process waiting for a message response spins for some amount of time, and then relinquishes the processor if the response does not arrive.In this paper, we describe our experience implementing implicit coscheduling on a cluster of 16 UltraSPARC I workstations; this has led to contributions in three main areas. First, we more rigorously analyze the two-phase spin-block algorithm and show that spin time should be increased when a process is receiving messages. Second, we present performance measurements for a wide range of synthetic benchmarks and for seven Split-C parallel applications. Finally, we show how implicit coscheduling behaves under different job layouts and scaling, and discuss preliminary results for achieving fairness.
What is the impact of transnational migration on family life? Women's comparisons of internal and international migration in a small town in Ghana

Most scholarship on the effects of transnational migration on family life has argued that such migration results in profound shifts and dislocations in family practices and gender ideologies. Much of this work, however, has overlooked processes of internal migration: How different is transnational migration from internal migration in its impact on family life? By comparing families of transnational migrants with those of internal migrants in a small town in Ghana, I explore the effect of place and distance—as generated by human activity—on the maintenance of parent-child and spousal relations. I conclude that transnational migration exacerbates conflicts that exist in families unaffected by transnational migrations.
Effect of zinc salts on the spontaneous copolymerization of 4‐vinylpyridine with various electron‐rich vinyl monomers

The spontaneous copolymerization of 4-vinylpyridine (4-VP) complexed with three different zinc salts (chloride, acetate, and triflate) with various electron-rich vinyl monomers (p-methoxystyrene, MeOSt; p-methylstyrene, MeSt; a-methylstyrene, a-Mest; p-tert-butylstyrene, BuSt; styrene, St) was investigated in methanol at 75°C. Increasing the zinc salt concentration or the nucleophilicity of the electron-rich monomer increased the copolymer yields. All obtained copolymers are characterized by high molecular weight (10 5 ) and broad molecular weight distribution. Both l H-NMR and elemental analyses confirmed the almost 1: 1 copolymer structure. Changing the anion of the zinc salt does not have a considerable effect either on the copolymerization rate or on the molecular weight. The proposed mechanism exhibits the formation of a σ-bond between the β-carbons of the two donor-acceptor monomers. This creates the 1,4-tetramethylene biradical intermediate which can initiate the copolymerization reaction.
Effects of Wheat Export Policies on Market Shares

since the late 1970s. In response, the composition of export strategies has changed. All major wheat exporting countries have increased their use of export policies and strategies, many of which vary substantially across importing countries. During the mid to late 1970s, the primary export policies were PL480 for the United States and long-term agreements (LTAs) and credit guarantees for some competitor countries. In the early 1980s, the United States, Australia, and the European countries (EC) expanded their use of credit guarantees. In addition, Argentina had infrequent credit sales. In the late 1980s, use of direct price subsidies escalated while other strategies continued.' The fundamental objectives of most export policies are to increase export volume and/or to alter the distribution of market shares among exporting countries. In general, export policies affect both total imports by altering the importing country's budget constraint and the distribution of imports among exporting countries. As program administrators and policy makers review export policies, it is important to evaluate their comparative effectiveness on sales and market shares.2 Export policy instruments are intended to expand sales, but their impact depends on the composition and effectiveness of competitor countries' programs. Thus, impacts of alternative policies should be examined within a multicompetitive framework (Cooper and Nakanishi), in which concurrent impacts of other policies are included. Past studies evaluated impacts of policies on trade flows. For example, Anania, Bohman, and Carter analyzed the impact of export subsidies on international wheat exports. Fleming used pooled data to evaluate impacts of export strategies on the cross-sectional distribution of rice trade flows. Other studies have focused on the subsidy implied in provision of export credit guarantees (Skully; Baron). No known studies have analyzed multi-competitive interactions of export policies on the cross-sectional variability in international market shares.
Cellular Encapsulation in 3D Hydrogels for Tissue Engineering

The 3D encapsulation of cells within hydrogels represents an increasingly important and popular technique for culturing cells and towards the development of constructs for tissue engineering. This environment better mimics what cells observe in vivo, compared to standard tissue culture, due to the tissue-like properties and 3D environment. Synthetic polymeric hydrogels are water-swollen networks that can be designed to be stable or to degrade through hydrolysis or proteolysis as new tissue is deposited by encapsulated cells. A wide variety of polymers have been explored for these applications, such as poly(ethylene glycol) and hyaluronic acid. Most commonly, the polymer is functionalized with reactive groups such as methacrylates or acrylates capable of undergoing crosslinking through various mechanisms. In the past decade, much progress has been made in engineering these microenvironments - e.g., via the physical or pendant covalent incorporation of biochemical cues - to improve viability and direct cellular phenotype, including the differentiation of encapsulated stem cells (Burdick et al.). The following methods for the 3D encapsulation of cells have been optimized in our and other laboratories to maximize cytocompatibility and minimize the number of hydrogel processing steps. In the following protocols (see Figure 1 for an illustration of the procedure), it is assumed that functionalized polymers capable of undergoing crosslinking are already in hand; excellent reviews of polymer chemistry as applied to the field of tissue engineering may be found elsewhere (Burdick et al.) and these methods are compatible with a range of polymer types. Further, the Michael-type addition (see Lutolf et al.) and light-initiated free radical (see Elisseeff et al.) mechanisms focused on here constitute only a small portion of the reported crosslinking techniques. Mixed mode crosslinking, in which a portion of reactive groups is first consumed by addition crosslinking and followed by a radical mechanism, is another commonly used and powerful paradigm for directing the phenotype of encapsulated cells (Khetan et al., Salinas et al.).
Addressing Secrets in Couples Counseling: An Alternative Approach to Informed Consent:

This article presents an alternative approach to informed consent that addresses unique concerns regarding confidentiality in marital and relationship counseling. Professional ethics codes rarely provide therapists with specific guidance on how to respond to clients who wish to keep secrets from their spouse or partner. Moreover, scholars writing about confidentiality frequently offer contradictory advice on how to ethically treat those couples presenting with secrets. This article suggests that regardless of one’s viewpoint on the issue of secret keeping in counseling, therapists best serve couples by advising them at the onset of treatment of the counselor’s policies regarding confidential communication. In addition to discussing issues regarding privacy and confidentiality in couples counseling, this article presents one example of an informed consent document designed to address this important concern.
Contraindications and safety of transbronchial lung biopsy via flexible bronchoscopy. A survey of pulmonologists and review of the literature.

Background: Transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) via flexible bronchoscopy is a common procedure performed by pulmonologists. Limited scientific data exist concerning the risk of this
The geometry of markoff numbers

It turns out that v(0) ~ 1/V~ with equality only if 0 is a "noble number ' ' t whose continued fraction expansion ends in a string of ones. In 1879 Markoff improved this result by showing that there is a discrete set of values v i decreasing to 1/3 so that if v(0) > 1/3 then v(0) = v i for some i [8]. The numbers v i are called the M a r k o f f s p e c t r u m and the corresponding O's, M a r k o f f i rra t ional i t ies . Markoff irrationalities have cont inued fraction expansions whose tails satisfy a very special set of rules, often called the Dickson rules [4]. The tail 1,1,1 . . . . is the simplest example. What these rules are will become clear as we proceed. Markoff gave a prescription for determining all of these irrationalities starting from the solutions of a certain diophantine equation and linked his results to the minima of associated binary quadratic forms. Recently there has been a revival of interest in this topic, starting from the realisation that each v i together with its corresponding class of Markoff irrationalities is associated to a simple (non-self-intersecting) loop on the punctured torus, as shown in Figure 1. The details have been worked out most fully by A. Haas [6], based on earlier work of Cohn [2, 3], and Schmidt [10]. Lehner, Scheingorn and Beardon [7] tackle the same problem but base their analysis on a sphere with four punctures. It turns out that almost all the results follow from some rather simple observations about the way in which straight lines cut certain tessellations of the Euclidean and hyperbolic planes and it is these ideas which we want to explain here. Before understanding approximations we shall need to make a fairly lengthy digression to investigate such cutting patterns, for which I offer no apology, for the approach via the patterns is quite as fascinating as Markoff's theory itself.
Binding of Rad51p to DNA INTERACTION OF Rad51p WITH SINGLE- AND DOUBLE-STRANDED DNA

Like RecA, Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rad51p promotes strand exchange between circular single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and linear double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). We have investigated several parameters characteristic of the interaction of Rad51p with ssDNA and dsDNA, particularly the effects of the nucleotide cofactors ATP and ADP and the analogs adenosine 5'-O-(thiotriphosphate) (ATPgammaS) and adenylyl-imidodiphosphate (AMP-PNP). Rad51p binding to both 1-N6-ethenoadenosine and 3-N4-ethenocytidine ssDNA (epsilonDNA) and dsDNA requires the presence of Mg2+ and ATP; no binding occurs in the presence of ADP, AMP-PNP, or ATPgammaS. Binding of Rad51p to dsDNA also requires ATP; ADP is ineffective, whereas ATPgammaS and AMP-PNP are considerably less able to promote binding and only at elevated concentrations of Rad51p. ATP binding, not ATP hydrolysis, is required for Rad51p binding to DNA. The Kd values for ATP for promoting binding of Rad51p to ssDNA and dsDNA are 1 and 3 microM, respectively. Rad51p binding occurs with a stoichiometry of one monomer of Rad51p per approximately 6.3 nucleotides of epsilonDNA and approximately 3.3 base pairs of dsDNA. Once formed, Rad51p. ssDNA complexes are stable so long as sufficient ATP levels are maintained. ATP hydrolysis causes dissociation of Rad51p from DNA. Moreover, the preformed complex is stable in the presence of a 10-fold excess of ADP or AMP-PNP over ATP. ATPgammaS, however, in the same -fold excess over ATP causes dissociation of the Rad51p. ssDNA complex.
α‐Glycerolphosphate dehydrogenase activity and levels of glyceride‐glycerol precursors in mouse mammary tissues

Although α-glycerolphosphate dehydrogenase activity in slow growing mouse mammary tumors is only 5% of that in normal mammary glands of lactating mice, the cellular concentration of α-glycerolphosphate in both tissues is similar and is ca. 12 times that of dihydroxyacetone phosphate. Thus a positive correlation between the activity of glycerolphosphate dehydrogenase and the intracellular concentration of glyceride-glycerol precursors could not be demonstrated.
Plasmonic Antireflection Surfaces for the Mid-Infrared

In a similar manner to the frequency selective surfaces commonly used in the microwave regime, we have designed antireflective surfaces in the mid-infrared (2-5 μm). Translation of microwave designs to the infrared is not trivial for several reasons. Properties of applicable IR materials are significantly different than their microwave counterparts. Additionally, the required feature sizes need a completely different fabrication methodology. Our surfaces are metallic, yet have a high-transmission angular and frequency passband. We take advantage of photon-plasmon interaction to maximize transmission through holes in the metal surface. Simulations have been completed using both rigorous coupled wave analysis and method of moments codes. The design process has followed a path that insures that we are able to fabricate the designed structures considering cases of normal and off-angle incidence. We designed our surfaces to be compatible with shapes that we will etch in silicon and then coat in gold: this process allows the greatest flexibility in etching shapes for vias while maintaining a metallic layer for plasmon propagation on the surface. We anticipate over 90% transmission in the infrared passband. Our design methodology would also be applicable to the 8-12 μm band.
Role of Oxidative Stress in the Induction of Metallothionein-2A and Heme Oxygenase-1 Gene Expression by the Antineoplastic Agent Gallium Nitrate in Human Lymphoma Cells

The mechanisms of action of gallium nitrate, an antineoplastic drug, are only partly understood. Using a DNA microarray to examine genes induced by gallium nitrate in CCRF-CEM cells, we found that gallium increased metallothionein-2A (MT2A) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) gene expression and altered the levels of other stress-related genes. MT2A and HO-1 were increased after 6 and 16 h of incubation with gallium nitrate. An increase in oxidative stress, evidenced by a decrease in cellular GSH and GSH/GSSG ratio, and an increase in dichlorodihydrofluorescein (DCF) fluorescence, was seen after 1-4 h of incubation of cells with gallium nitrate. DCF fluorescence was blocked by the mitochondria-targeted antioxidant mitoquinone. N-Acetyl-L-cysteine blocked gallium-induced MT2A and HO-1 expression and increased gallium's cytotoxicity. Studies with a zinc-specific fluoroprobe suggested that gallium produced an expansion of an intracellular labile zinc pool, suggesting an action of gallium on zinc homeostasis. Gallium nitrate increased the phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and activated Nrf-2, a regulator of HO-1 gene transcription. Gallium-induced Nrf-2 activation and HO-1 expression were diminished by a p38 MAP kinase inhibitor. We conclude that gallium nitrate induces cellular oxidative stress as an early event which then triggers the expression of HO-1 and MT2A through different pathways.
Regulation of proteins in the VLA cell substrate adhesion family: influence of cell growth conditions on VLA-1, VLA-2, and VLA-3 expression.

Abstract Cell quiescence resulting from culture of normal human fibroblasts in low serum (0.5%) was associated with a subsequent gradual increase in the expression of the cell-surface glycoprotein VLA-1, and a corresponding decrease in the expression of extracellular matrix adhesion receptors VLA-2 and VLA-3. Quantitation using either flow cytometry or immunoprecipitation showed that both the VLA -1 VLA -2 and VLA -1 VLA -3 ratios increased 10- to 28-fold and were still rising when cells remained quiescent for 20–30 days. Although induced by cell quiescence, changes in the levels of VLA-1, VLA-2, and VLA-3 continued to occur well after cell proliferation had stopped and thus do not directly correlate with cell cycle transition events. Despite prolonged serum deprivation resulting in elevated VLA -1 VLA -2 and VLA -1 VLA -3 ratios, growth-arrested cells remained viable and were fully capable of proliferating when restimulated. The increases in VLA -1 VLA -2 and VLA -1 VLA -3 ratios observed on quiescent cells were readily reversible, since after restimulation with 10% serum, these ratios quickly returned within 1–2 days to a level near that found on normal exponentially grown cells. Elevation of VLA -1 VLA -2 and VLA -1 VLA -3 ratios is generally associated with quiescence and is not due just to serum deprivation since density arrest of cells at confluence had similar effects on these ratios.
Analog VLSI neural networks: implementation issues and examples in optimization and supervised learning

Time-critical neural network applications that require fully parallel hardware implementations for maximal throughput are considered. The rich array of technologies that are being pursued is surveyed, and the analog CMOS VLSI medium approach is focused on. This medium is messy in that limited dynamic range, offset voltages, and noise sources all reduce precision. The authors examine how neural networks can be directly implemented in analog VLSI, giving examples of approaches that have been pursued to date. Two important application areas are highlighted: optimization, because neural hardware may offer a speed advantage of orders of magnitude over other methods; and supervised learning, because of the widespread use and generality of gradient-descent learning algorithms as applied to feedforward networks. >
No need to specialize: reproductive health is for all adolescents.

Overall adolescents with disabilities seem to be participating in sexual relationships without adequate knowledge and skills to keep them healthy safe and satisfied. Although their sexual development may be hindered both by functional limitations and by intentional or unintentional societal barriers the formal and informal opportunities for teenagers with disabilities to develop into sexual beings certainly exist. This work proposes that adolescents with disabilities need the same access to reproductive health information including information about safe sex sexually transmitted diseases planning healthy pregnancies pap tests clinical breast exams and mammograms as those adolescents who are not identified as having a disability. Furthermore these services should be available to disabled adolescents in the same healthcare setting used by adolescents without disabilities. (excerpt)
Fetal Antecedents of Infant Temperament

This study established the emergence of stable individual differences in neurobehavioral functioning prior to birth and examined their relation to subsequent infant temperament. Fetal heart rate and movement were recorded longitudinally for 31 fetuses at 6 gestational ages beginning at 20 weeks' gestation. Maternally reported temperament data were collected at 3 and 6 months. Moderate stability in all measures except reactivity was apparent at some time before birth. By 36 weeks, fetal neurobehavior accounted for between 22% and 60% of the variance in prediction of temperament scores. In general, more active fetuses were more difficult, unpredictable, unadaptable, and active infants. Higher fetal heart rate was associated with lower emotional tone, activity level, and predictability. We conclude that features of fetal neurobehavior provide the basis for individual differences in reactivity and regulation in infancy.
Dielectric elastomers as next-generation polymeric actuators

Due to their versatile properties, robust behavior, facile processability and low cost, organic polymers have become the material of choice for an increasing number of mature and cutting-edge technologies. In the last decade or so, a new class of polymers capable of responding to external electrical stimulation by displaying significant size or shape change has emerged. These responsive materials, collectively referred to as electroactive polymers (EAPs), are broadly classified as electronic or ionic according to their operational mechanism. Electronic EAPs generally exhibit superior performance relative to ionic EAPs in terms of actuation strain, reliability, durability and response time. Among electronic EAPs, dielectric elastomers exhibit the most promising properties that mimic natural muscle for use in advanced robotics and smart prosthetics, as well as in haptic and microfluidic devices. Elastomers derived from homopolymers such as acrylics and silicones have received considerable attention as dielectric EAPs, whereas novel dielectric EAPs based on selectively swollen nanostructured block copolymers with composition-tailorable properties have only recently been reported. Here, we provide an overview of various EAPs in terms of their operational mechanisms, uses and shortcomings, as well as a detailed account of dielectric elastomers as next-generation actuators.
Impact factor and its role in academic promotion: a statement adopted by the International Respiratory Journal Editors Roundtable.

the impact factor is a metric developed and published by Thomson Reuters Journal Citation Reports ( JCR ) ([http://thomsonreuters.com/products\_services/science/academic/impact\_factor/][1]; July 22, 2009) that quantifies how often articles in a given journal are cited during a given time period; it
Qualidade na educação infantil: revisão de um estudo brasileiro e recomendações.

A autora comenta evidencias obtidas por pesquisa de avaliacao da educacao infantil no Brasil, relacionando-as ao debate sobre a qualidade dos servicos educacionais oferecidos as criancas pequenas em âmbito internacional. Refere-se a dados de inumeros estudos realizados no exterior, os quais indicam que a boa qualidade dos programas de educacao infantil impacta o desenvolvimento das criancas a longo prazo. Sugere que, para alcancar maiores niveis de qualidade, e necessario pensar a educacao como um sistema constituido de duas partes principais: os programas de educacao infantil e a infraestrutura para mante-los.
DIATOM ASSOCIATIONS IN YAQUINA ESTUARY, OREGON: A MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS1

SUMMARY A cluster analysis and a principal components analysis were performed to examine the degree to which the diatom flora of Yaquina estuary can be partitioned into discrete associations and to relate the composition of the flora to selected physical properties of the estuary. The species composition of the diatom flora during the winter was more closely associated with salinity and intertidal exposure them in the summer. A cluster of freshwater taxa obtained for the winter data was the most conspicuous diatom association defined by the cluster analysis. Although taxa within a cluster had more similar distributions than taxa from different clusters, there was considerable variation in the distributions of marine and brackish water taxa within a multispecies cluster.
Greater resistance to extinction of electrodermal responses conditioned to potentially phobic CSs: a noncognitive process?

Previous results have suggested that electrodermal responses classically conditioned to potentially phobic CSs (e.g., pictures of snakes or spiders) are highly resistant to extinction and occur largely independently of cognitive expectancies. In order to test stringently for these possibilities, 144 college student subjects were administered differential classical conditioning acquisition and extinction paradigms while expectancies of the shock UCS were closely monitored. Half the subjects had potentially phobic CSs, whereas the other half had neutral CSs. Regardless of type of CS, during acquisition no evidence of electrodermal conditioning was found among subjects unaware of the CS−UCS contingency, nor was conditioning found on the pre-aware trials of subjects who became aware. During extinction, there was significantly greater resistance to extinction of electrodermal responses conditioned to potentially phobic CSs as well as a similar trend with expectancies of the UCS. However, when expectancies were equated, there was no greater resistance to extinction of electrodermal responses conditioned to potentially phobic CSs. Thus, while electrodermal responses conditioned to potentially phobic CSs did exhibit greater resistance to extinction, this conditioning was no more independent of expectancies than is conditioning with neutral CSs.
Tree-ring based streamfiow reconstruction for Ashley Creek, northeastern Utah: implications for palaeohydrology of the southern Uinta Mountains:

Two ring-width chronologies from Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menzeisii) and one from pinyon pine (Pinus edulis) were used to reconstruct mean annual discharge of Ashley Creek in the Uinta Mountains, Utah, for the years AD 1637 � /1970. A backward-elimination multiple linear-regression model identified six statistically significant variables, including annual lags ranging from � / 1t o� /2 years. The final model explains 71% of variability (R 2 adjusted for degrees of freedom lost) when regressed against the annual discharges recorded for 1915 � /72. Statistical analysis of the model reconstruction using the reduction-of-error statistic, the Durbin � /Watson statistic and the hypergeometric distri- bution all indicate fidelity of the model for reconstructing discharge. The Lilliefors' test indicates that years of extreme discharge (greater than the 90th percentile or less than the 10th percentile) are non-randomly distributed between 1637 and 1970. Persistent years of above-median discharge as well as non-random clustering of years above the 90th percentile occurred from 1692 � /1704 and 1898 � /1945. Analysis of the modern gauge data set shows that mean annual discharge on Ashley Creek explains between 81% and 91% of the variations of mean annual discharge on the other main stream in the southern Uinta Mountains, indicating that reconstructed mean annual discharge on Ashley Creek is representative of palaeohydrologic conditions across the south flank of the range. These data suggest that the southern Uinta Mountains experienced persistent below-median discharge for 1741 � /1897, through the peak of the 'Little Ice Age' as identified in numerous surrounding mountain ranges in the Central Rockies. This interpretation agrees with lichenometric evidence for extremely limited 'Little Ice Age' glacial activity in the Uintas, indicating that the range experienced unusually warm/dry conditions at this time.
Vibration suppression of structures

Procedure pour structures et systemes elastiques, en calculant la reponse dynamique par un modele lineaire avec discretisation, en formulant le probleme en termes de minimisation, avec des forces externes de controle comme inconnues, obtenant ainsi un systeme d'equations lineaires; exemples, montrant la flexibilite par rapport aux methodes par modeles continues; realisation pratique par absorbeurs passifs ou actuateurs
Deformational Structures Near Cincinnati, Ohio

The maturely dissected area immediately west of Cincinnati, Ohio, is underlain by rhythmically interbedded Upper Ordovician mud-stones and calcarenites that dip less than one-half degree to the northwest. Structure contours drawn on the lower and upper contacts of the Fairview Formation (lower Maysville) show very low and broad, northwest-plunging ridges and troughs that roughly coincide with present topographic highs and lows; these ridges and troughs may also reflect original sea-floor irregularities. Especially interesting are deformational structures visible in outcrops, i.e., small folds, thrust faults, and joints. Typical structures are small asymmetric anticlinal folds, 1–3 feet high and 10 feet across, which are cut by one or more low-angle thrusts. The thrusts have dislocations up to 1 or 2 feet and terminate in bedding planes. These structures are observed almost exclusively in stream cuts, situated topographically below 700 feet elevation, stratigraphically in the Kope Formation and lower part of the Fairview Formation, and lithologically in thick mudstone beds separated by thin limestone layers. When the structures of the entire area are considered, a compilation of their strike directions produces a slight maximum to the north-northwest. Locally, they are generally transverse to the creek in which they occur although some types are parallel to it. In decreasing abundance, systematic vertical joints have formed along four main directions–northwest, north-northeast, east-northeast, and north-northwest. The strongest trend follows the direction of a parallel drainage, as well as the ridges and troughs shown in the structure contours of the Fairview contacts, and the northwest prong of the Cincinnati Arch. The deformational structures, which are of complex origins, have been formed by gentle postdepositional draping of the beds over the regional Arch; unloading by erosion and intrastratal down-dip flow of mudstone by gravitational squeezing; expansion; and sliding and slumping. Broad irregularities of the depositional surfaces, the contrasting physical properties of the lithologies, the arrangement of the lithologies with increasing amounts of mudstone toward the bottom, and the mature topography are responsible for locally controlling the direction and magnitude of the deformational stresses and, hence, the location, attitude, size, and shape of these folds, faults, and joints.
Cutting Edge: Impaired Toll-Like Receptor Expression and Function in Aging

Toll-like receptors (TLR) are pattern recognition receptors that recognize conserved molecular patterns on microbes and link innate and adaptive immune systems. We investigated whether the enhanced susceptibility to bacterial, yeast, and viral infections and poor adaptive immune responses in aging are a result of diminished expression and function of TLRs. We examined the expression and function of all murine TLRs on macrophages from young and aged mice. Both splenic and activated peritoneal macrophages from aged mice expressed significantly lower levels of all TLRs. Furthermore, macrophages from aged mice secreted significantly lower levels of IL-6 and TNF-α when stimulated with known ligands for TLR1 and 2, 2 and 6,TLR3, TLR4, TLR5, and TLR9 when compared with those from young mice. These results support the concept that increased susceptibility to infections and poor adaptive immune responses in aging may be due to the decline in TLR expression and function.
Strong band gap narrowing in quasi-binary (GaSb)1−x(InAs)x crystals grown from melt

Large crystals of a quasi-binary semiconductor alloy (GaSb) 1~x (InAs) x with x "0.02—0.05 have been grown from melt for the first time. The family of quasi-binary crystals (GaSb) 1~x (InAs) x grown and reported here are di⁄erent from the conventional Ga 1~x In x As y Sb 1~y quaternaries due to growth behavior and physical properties. Significant narrowing of the band gap was observed in these crystals compared to the conventional quaternary Ga 1~x In x As y Sb 1~y (with x"y). With an InAs content of about 2—5 at%, band gaps in the range of 0.6—0.65 eV have been demonstrated. The possible origins of the band gap narrowing (i.e., high bowing parameter) include chemical and structural alterations in the grown crystals, resulting from the association of Ga—Sb and In—As in the melt. ( 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Impact of antipsychotic medication on family burden in schizophrenia: Longitudinal results of CATIE trial

Abstract Background This study evaluated the effectiveness of first- and second-generation antipsychotics in reducing family burden associated with schizophrenia. Methods The family caregivers of 623 SCID-diagnosed patients enrolled in the Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE) randomly assigned to a first-generation antipsychotic (perphenazine) or one of four second-generation drugs (olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone or ziprasidone) were interviewed about resources provided and stresses experienced at baseline and followed for 18 months. Patient symptoms, side effects and service use were assessed as well. Hierarchical regression analyses evaluated the effect of treatment assignment on four burden factors: problem behavior, resource demands and disruption, impairment in activities of daily living and patient helpfulness. Intention-to-treat analyses with all available observations classified based on initial treatment assignment, including observations after medications changed were followed by secondary analyses excluding observations after the first medication change, i.e. only considering initial medication. Results Despite significant reductions on the problem behavior and resource demands/disruption factors, there were no significant differences between perphenazine and any of the second-generation medications. When only initial treatment period observations were included, patients were perceived as more helpful when medicated with perphenazine as compared to risperidone. In comparisons between second-generation drugs, patients on quetiapine were perceived as more helpful than those on risperidone (p = 0.004). Conclusion In this 18-month randomized trial, there was no evidence of superiority of second-generation antipsychotics in relieving family burden.
Developing synthetic conical nanopores for biosensing applications

In this review we bring together recent results from our group focused towards the development of biosensors from single conically-shaped artificial nanopores. The nanopores, used in the work presented here, were prepared using the track-etch process. The fabrication of track-etched conical nanopores has been optimized to allow for single nanopores with reproducible dimensions to be prepared. We have also demonstrated techniques that allow for easy and controllable manipulation of nanopore geometry (e.g., cone angle). We will consider the ion transport properties of the conical nanopores and factors that affect these properties. Methods for introducing functions that mimic biological ion channels, such as voltage-gating, into these nanopores will also be addressed. Three prototype sensors developed from single conical nanopores will be presented. In the first two sensors, the single conical nanopores function as resistive-pulse sensors and detect the presence of analytes as current-blockade events in the ion current. The third sensor functions in an on/off mode, much like a ligand-gated ion channel. In the presence of a target analyte, the ion current permanently shuts off.
Physiology of Proglucagon Peptides: Role of Glucagon and GLP-1 in Health and Disease

The preproglucagon gene (Gcg) is expressed by specific enteroendocrine cells (L-cells) of the intestinal mucosa, pancreatic islet α-cells, and a discrete set of neurons within the nucleus of the solitary tract. Gcg encodes multiple peptides including glucagon, glucagon-like peptide-1, glucagon-like peptide-2, oxyntomodulin, and glicentin. Of these, glucagon and GLP-1 have received the most attention because of important roles in glucose metabolism, involvement in diabetes and other disorders, and application to therapeutics. The generally accepted model is that GLP-1 improves glucose homeostasis indirectly via stimulation of nutrient-induced insulin release and by reducing glucagon secretion. Yet the body of literature surrounding GLP-1 physiology reveals an incompletely understood and complex system that includes peripheral and central GLP-1 actions to regulate energy and glucose homeostasis. On the other hand, glucagon is established principally as a counterregulatory hormone, increasing in response to physiological challenges that threaten adequate blood glucose levels and driving glucose production to restore euglycemia. However, there also exists a potential role for glucagon in regulating energy expenditure that has recently been suggested in pharmacological studies. It is also becoming apparent that there is cross-talk between the proglucagon derived-peptides, e.g., GLP-1 inhibits glucagon secretion, and some additive or synergistic pharmacological interaction between GLP-1 and glucagon, e.g., dual glucagon/GLP-1 agonists cause more weight loss than single agonists. In this review, we discuss the physiological functions of both glucagon and GLP-1 by comparing and contrasting how these peptides function, variably in concert and opposition, to regulate glucose and energy homeostasis.
Diffusion of acetone into cellulose nitrate films and study of the accompanying orientation

Studies have been made of sorption and desorption of acetone by films of cellulose nitrate (11 and 12% N) at 30°C. by following the weight of vapor takeup or loss as a function of time. The takeup-time curves show marked inflections and plots of takeup versus are initially nonlinear for both sorption and desorption, indicating that Fick's law with the usual boundary conditions is not obeyed. The rate of vapor takeup is also considerably more rapid and different in character for films cast on glass than for films cast on mercury. A striking result is that for successive sorption-desorption cycles the rate of sorption decreases markedly, e.g., by a factor of 16 for five cycles. Studies of the optical anisotropy of the films show that the orientation of the polymer molecules normal to the plane of the film is increased by the diffusion process and it is concluded that this accounts for the decreased rate for successive sorption-desorption cycles and provides an explanation for the diffusion anomalies. A possible cause of this orientation is the observed anisotropic swelling combined with slow movement of the polymer segments.
Estrogen and progesterone receptor isoforms: clinical significance in breast cancer.

The identification and exploitation of biomarkers that may predict response to anti-cancer treatments has the capacity to revolutionize the way that patients with cancer are treated. In breast cancer, the estrogen receptor (ER) and the progesterone receptor (PgR) are known to have a significant predictive value in determining sensitivity to endocrine therapies. Tumor expression of ER or PgR is known to affect clinical outcome and this information is often used to determine a patient's optimal treatment regimen. However, the measurement of ER and PgR alone is more complex than originally thought and the impact of the recently identified isoforms of ER (ERα and ERβ) and PgR (PgRA and PgRB), as well as several variant and mutant forms, upon the choice of treatment remains unclear. Therefore, ER and PgR expression alone are unlikely to determine a patient's optimal treatment regimen, particularly when the amount of ‘cross-talk’ between different pathways, such as the epidermal growth factor receptor pathway, is considered. In order to account for the complex cell-signaling environment that occurs in breast cancer, multifactorial techniques are needed to analyze tumor biomarker expression. The recent advances in genomic- or proteomic-based approaches has enabled molecular portraits of breast cancers to be painted, allowing biomarkers of response and prognosis to be identified and characterized more accurately than before. In the future, patients could be treated according to the molecular portrait of their tumor biomarker expression, maximizing the therapeutic benefit that each patient receives.
A Materials Investigation of Nickel Based Contacts to n-SiC Subjected to Operational Thermal Stresses Characteristic of High Power Switching

This study developed and performed Laboratory experiments which mimic the acute cyclic thermal loading characteristic of pulsed power device switching operation. Ni contacts to n-SiC were the device components selected for cyclic thermal testing. Modifications of the contact- SIC materials properties in response to cyclic thermal fatigue were quantitatively assessed via Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), surface profilometry, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nanoindentation testing and current-voltage measurements. Decreases in nanohardness and elastic modulus were observed in response to thermal fatigue. No compositional modifications were observed at the metal-semiconductor interface. Our results demonstrated that the majority of the material changes were initiated after the first thermal pulse and that the effects of subsequent thermal cycling (up to 10 pulses) were negligible. The stability of the metalsemiconductor interface after exposure to repeated pulsed thermal cycling lends support for the utilization of Ni as a contact metallization for pulsed power switching applications.
Factors controlling generation and propagation of pacemaker potentials in network models of mammalian SA node

Large-scale, biophysically detailed network models of the SA node and atrium are developed on the CM-5 parallel supercomputer. The models are used to investigate three factors controlling the site of generation and propagation of the cardiac pacemaker potential: a) magnitude of cell-to-cell gap junction coupling in the SA node; b) spatial variation of membrane current density in SA node; and c) interdigitation of SA node and atrial tissue.
Reversal of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Protein-Induced Inhibition of Natural Killer Cell Activity by Alpha Interferon and Interleukin-2

A recombinant fusion peptide, Env-Gag, derived from the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) genome corresponding to a defined portion of the envelope (Env) and internal core (Gag) proteins was examined for immunoregulatory effects on the cytotoxic activity of natural killer (NK) cell-enriched, large granular lymphocytes (LGL) from healthy donors. Percoll-separated, NK cell-enriched LGL precultured for 24 h with Env-Gag at 10- and 50-ng/ml concentrations, which significantly stimulated lymphocyte proliferation, caused significant suppression of NK cell activity. Denatured Env-Gag did not cause any effect on the NK cell activity of LGL. Two other control peptides, one derived from the Escherichia coli vector used to clone the HIV Env-Gag fusion peptide and the other derived from a non-HIV-1 viral antigen (rubeola virus), did not produce any observable effect on the NK cell activity of LGL, demonstrating the specificity of the effect produced by Env-Gag. Subsequent treatment of LGL with alpha interferon (IFN-α) or interleukin 2 (IL-2) alone partially reversed the Env-Gag-induced suppression of NK cell activity. However, LGL treated with both IFN-α and IL-2 completely reversed the suppression of NK cell cytotoxicity by Env-Gag. The combined effect of IFN-α and IL-2 in enhancing NK cell activity may provide a novel therapeutic approach to the restoration of depressed NK cell activity observed in HIV-infected patients.
ASSESSMENT OF GENETIC VARIANCE AMONG SOURCE AND REINTRODUCED FISHER POPULATIONS

Abstract A series of reintroduction programs have reestablished fisher (Martes pennanti) populations to a large part of their former range. Horizontal starch-gel electrophoresis of 20 presumptive gene loci was used from 1996 to 1998 to investigate gene dynamics in 4 remnant fisher populations (sources) and 4 reintroduced fisher populations from the northeastern and Great Lakes regions of the United States. Mean multilocus heterozygosities, mean number of alleles per locus, and percentage polymorphic loci were 0.027–0.090, 1.2–1.6, and 10.0–30.0, respectively, in the 8 populations surveyed. Significant allelic frequency differentiation was detected among the 4 source populations and among the 4 reintroduced populations, but a significant proportion of the genetic variance was partitioned only among the 4 reintroduced populations. Pairwise comparisons between each source and its associated reintroduced population indicated that only older reintroductions have attained significant differentiation of allelic ...
Indications for Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators

Sudden death caused by cardiac arrest due to ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation remains a serious health problem worldwide. In the United States alone, cardiovascular disease accounts for over 900,000 deaths annually (1). Of these deaths, 350,000 are due to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (2), two-thirds of which occur without prior recognition of cardiac disease (1). In the United States, 15–20% of all fatalities and 50% of all cardiac fatalities are sudden. Although sudden death caused by asystole or pulseless electrical activity is not preventable, sudden death caused by a ventricular arrhythmia can be. Prompt treatment to stop the ventricular arrhythmia before it causes death is possible. Most individuals who die suddenly from a cardiac cause have no warning and are not even diagnosed with a cardiac condition (1). The challenge is to identify the high-risk individuals for whom sudden death due to ventricular fibrillation is likely and for whom a defibrillation shock could be life saving. Although ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation can also simply represent the last cardiac rhythm in a cascade of comorbid events, a large body of data now suggests that life can be restored, meaningful life can be extended, and the risk for sudden death can be reduced by use of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) to correct ventricular tachyarrhythmias. This chapter addresses the role of and indications for ICD therapy to treat patients with cardiovascular disease at risk for sudden cardiac death (SCD) caused by ventricular arrhythmias. Important clinical trials are reviewed that contrast medical therapies with the ICD in specific high-risk patient populations. The benefits, technological advances, and emerging areas in ICD therapy are considered in light of practical patient applications and recent clinical guidelines.
Experimental and Computational Observation of Radiometric Forces on a Plate

.Reynolds also took part in the experiments conducted by Schuster 7 that turned up the first experimental evidence of gas forces being the dominant cause of the radiometric effect. In this experiment, the radiometer case was suspended by parallel fibers and light was dir ected onto the vanes. The radiometer case was pushed in the direction opposite the vanes, proving that the radiometric phenomenon is caused by the interaction between the heated side of the vane and the gas. The kinetic theory explanation given by Reynolds is in fact a free molecule approximation of the radiometric effect: the molecules leaving the hot side leave with an increased velocity relative to those leaving the cold side. This leads to a larger momentum change on the hot side, and results in the mot ion of the vanes with the hot side trailing. The situation is, however, different in transitional or near -continuum flow. The molecules with higher velocities leave the hot side of the vane and collide with incoming molecules. These collisions cut the sur face flux more efficiently than those reflected on the cold surface. Essentially, this means that these effects compensate each other, and pressures in the center of the vane are equal. This theory was first proposed by Reynolds 8