cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Determination of optimal air pollution control strategies

Abstract A general theoretical framework for the determination of long-term air pollution control strategies for an airshed is presented. The problem is stated as determining the set of control measures to be exercised on airshed source emissions such that the total cost of control is minimized subject to the constraint of maintaining a certain level of air quality. It is assumed that a dynamic airshed simulation, model exists that is capable of describing atmospheric diffusion and chemical reaction, thus relating total mass emissions to atmospheric concentrations. The problem is based on the typical daily air pollution syndrome with air quality being defined as some function of the daily pollutant concentrations. It is shown that the overall optimization problem can be decomposed into two problems, the first, one of linear programming, the second, one of a dynamic optimization. The theory is illustrated by means of detailed hypothetical example of selecting air pollution controls for 1 yr.
Traffic measurement and analysis in an organic enterprise data center

Enterprise data centers (EDCs) are critical infrastructure to large enterprises, government agencies, research institutions, etc. They are used to support a variety of off-the-shelf and customized services. EDCs are different from cloud data centers (CDCs) in two major aspects. Firstly, an EDC is usually built over time and consists of old and new equipment. Secondly, the type of services and applications in EDCs are quite different from those in CDCs. Therefore, we expect that the traffic characteristics in EDCs would also be different from those in CDCs. While most existing data center measurements were from CDCs, we performed extensive traffic measurement and analysis in an EDC that provided multiple services to over a million users. We present the data center architecture, measurement methodology, measurement results, and analysis. The results include traffic matrix, traffic distribution, flow characteristics, and TCP characteristics. Our research reveals that the traffic characteristics in the EDC are indeed quite different from the reported results in CDCs. For example, the traffic matrix tends to be sparse rather than all-to-all. Based on the analysis we provide a few guidelines for EDC design, optimization, and anomaly detection. As the first most extensive study on EDC traffic, our work provides valuable information to future EDC design and implementation, and also helps researchers develop insights into the differences and similarities between EDCs and CDCs.
Detection and prevention of stack buffer overflow attacks

How to mitigate remote attacks that exploit buffer overflow vulnerabilities on the stack and enable attackers to take control of the program.
Systemic nonarticular manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis: focus on inflammatory mechanisms.

Objective Extra-articular (“nonarticular”) manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are common and greatly affect physical and emotional health, as well as prognosis, including survival. Several plausible mechanisms have been advanced for many nonarticular manifestations but there is increasing evidence that pro-inflammatory cytokines (eg, tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-α], interleukin [IL]-1, and IL-6) are also involved. The purpose of this review is to provide a concise appraisal of recent studies investigating the involvement of inflammatory cytokines in the pathogenesis of nonarticular RA manifestations. Methods A Medline search for articles published between January 1995 and October 2007 was conducted using the following keywords: rheumatoid arthritis, anemia, cardiovascular, atherosclerosis, bone loss, osteopenia, osteoporosis, pulmonary, thrombocytopenia, lymphadenopathy, keratoconjunctivitis sicca, uveitis, scleritis, keratitis. The review focused on articles describing a potential role of inflammatory mediators in these conditions. Results Studies of many nonarticular manifestations strongly implicate pro-inflammatory cytokines and specific mechanisms by which these mediators are likely to act have even been elucidated. The inflammatory cytokines implicated are numerous but particularly include members of the TNF family and the interleukins, particularly IL-1 and IL-6. In bone loss, activated T-cells have been shown to express pro-inflammatory cytokines (eg, TNF, IL-1, IL-7, and IL-17) that differentially upregulate and downregulate mechanisms that mediate the balance between bone resorption and formation. Cytokine-mediated inflammation has also been implicated, for example, in the early stages of atherogenesis and this may explain the observed increase in cardiovascular disease among patients with RA. However, for some nonarticular manifestations, the association with pro-inflammatory cytokines has been less firmly established and potential mechanisms are more speculative. Conclusions Overall, further research in this area will add to our understanding of the mechanisms of extra-articular manifestations in RA patients. These insights should allow clinicians to select therapies to better match the spectrum of joint disease and nonarticular manifestations in individual patients. This may be particularly relevant for newer biologic agents with specific inhibitory effects on cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-6.
Phosphatidylserine and caffeine attenuate postexercise mood disturbance and perception of fatigue in humans

Phosphatidylserine (PS) may attenuate the adverse effects of physical fatigue. Therefore, we investigated the effects of a multi-ingredient supplement containing 400 mg/d PS and 100 mg/d caffeine (supplement [SUP]) for 2 weeks on measures of cognitive function (CF), reaction time (RT), and mood (MD) following an acute exercise stress. It is hypothesized that PS will maintain preexercise CF and RT scores, while attenuating postexercise fatigue. Participants completed 2 acute bouts of resistance exercise (T1 and T2) separated by 2-week ingestion of SUP or control (CON). Outcome measures were assessed pre- and postexercise. When collapsed across groups, a significant decrease in RT performance was seen in the 60-second reaction drill from pre- to postexercise at T1. All other RT tests were similar from pre- to postexercise at T1. Reaction time was not significantly changed by PS. When collapsed across groups, a significant increase in performance of the serial subtraction test was seen. A significant increase (8.9% and 7.1%) in the number of correct answers and a significant decrease (8.0% and 7.5%) in time to answer were seen from pre- to postworkout at T1 and T2, respectively. A significant increase in total MD score from pre- to postworkout was observed for CON but not for PS at T2. Phosphatidylserine significantly attenuated pre- to postexercise perception of fatigue compared to CON. Ingestion of SUP for 14 days appears to attenuate postexercise MD scores and perception of fatigue, but does not affect CF or RT, in recreationally trained individuals.
Spectral analysis of sEMG signals to investigate skeletal muscle fatigue

Our recent investigations are focused to develop dynamic models for skeletal muscle force and finger angles for prosthetic hand control using surface electromyographic sEMG as input. Since sEMG is temporal and spatially distributed and is influenced by various factors, muscle fatigue and its related sEMG becomes of importance. This study is an effort to spectrally analyze the sEMG signal during progression of muscle fatigue. The sEMG is captured from the arms of healthy subjects during muscle fatiguing experiments for dynamic and static force levels. Filtered sEMG signal is segmented in five parts with 75% overlap between adjacent segments. The analysis is done using different classical (fast Fourier transform, Welch's averaged modified periodogram), model-based (Yule-Walker, Burg, Covariance and Modified Covariance autoregressive (AR) method), and eigenvector methods (Multiple Signal Classification (MUSIC) and eigenvector spectral estimation method) in frequency domain. Results show that the classical and eigenvector based methods are more sensitive than the model-based methods to fatigue related changes in sEMG signals.
Two Pennsylvania Librarians Selected for American Library Association Leadership Institute

Two Pennsylvania librarians, Allison Mackley, Teacher-Librarian at Hershey High School, and Aaron Dobbs, Systems & Electronic Resources Librarian at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, were two of only forty librarians selected nationwide to participate in “Leading to the Future” ( http://www.ala.org/transforminglibraries/ala-leadership-institute ), a new four-day immersive leadership development program for future library leaders offered from August 12 to 15, 2013 in Itasca, IL, by the American Library Association (ALA).
Maternal-fetal disparity at multiple minor histocompatibility loci affects the weight of the feto-placental unit in mice.

Abstract Inbred mice from selected unrelated and congenic strains were mated to determine the relative effects of maternal-fetal disparity at major histocompatibility complex (H-2) and non-H-2 minor histocompatibility antigens on the feto-placental unit at 14 days of gestation. A significant increase in weight of the feto-placental unit was observed only when mother and fetus differed at multiple minor histocompatibility loci. No increase in the weight of the feto-placental unit was observed when mother and fetus differed only at H-2. These results suggest that immunostimulation of the fetus results from a maternal response to minor histocompatibility antigens and not to H-2 antigens.
Recharge, movement, and discharge in the Edwards Limestone Reservoir, Texas

The Edwards limestone of Lower Cretaceous age is the principal water-bearing formation in a belt 5 to 25 miles wide that extends from Austin southwest to San Antonio and thence west through Uvalde and Del Rio to Comstock, a distance of about 250 miles (see Fig. 1). Throughout this belt it supplies water to wells for stock, industrial, irrigation, and municipal use and to a series of fault-springs, some of which are among the largest in the United States. These springs have played an important part in the economic and cultural development of Texas. In 1718 the Spaniards stationed a department of light infantry near the springs at San Antonio and soon after established missions and constructed elaborate systems of canals for irrigating considerable areas. After the winning of Texas' independence large numbers of settlers moved into the area. This influx was greatly accelerated following the admission of Texas to the Federal Union and towns were soon established near all of the major springs. However, it was not until about 1880 that the rapid development of the Edwards limestone aquifer by wells was begun.
Enhanced adaptive antenna algorithms for asynchronous TDMA systems

Adaptive beamforming algorithms are presented for time-division multiple-access (TDMA) systems that use Gaussian minimum-shift keying (GMSK) for the transmitted signals. A semi-blind beamforming algorithm based on a least-squares (LS) approximation for constant modulus signals leads to a relatively simple and practical receiver that suppresses cochannel interference (CCI). In order to further improve the receiver performance, filtered training sequences are used to compensate for the phase offsets of the cochannel GMSK signals. Computer simulations demonstrate that this hybrid algorithm improves the receiver performance, whereby the beampattern nulls suppress the CCI affecting the coded data of the TDMA bursts.
The binding of (125I)-concanavalin-A to normal and endotoxin stimulated peritoneal macrophages.

Nachweis, dass normale und mit Endotoxin stimulierte Makrophagen des Mausebauchfells in ihrer Bindungskapazitat von Concanavalin-A nicht signifikant divergieren, was darauf hinweist, dass durch ihre Aktivierung die Anzahl von Glykoprotein-Rezeptoren fur Con-A nicht andert.
The Law, Adolescents, and the APOE ε4 Genotype: A View from Canada

The presence of an apolipoprotein E (APOE) e4 allele may be a risk factor for the severity of the consequences of head trauma, both short-term and long-term. If this proves to be true, genetic testing for APOE status might be encouraged, or required, to minimize the costs of participation in high-contact sports, such as ice hockey, soccer, rugby, and boxing, where head injury is likely to occur. Under some circumstances, testing minors for this purpose might be justifiable. This would raise complex ethical and legal questions about respective powers and rights of adolescents and parents. The wishes of the "nearly competent" adolescent not to be tested should override parental desires for testing, although such a conclusion has only limited warrant in Canadian law. If a mature adolescent wishes testing, but the parents do not, testing may be permissible— although Canadian law is again unclear. The physician should not be able to inform the parents of the test results without the adolescent's consent, nor s...
Plasmonic Enhancement of Raman Optical Activity in Molecules near Metal Nanoshells: Theoretical Comparison of Circular Polarization Methods†

Surface-enhanced Raman optical activity (SEROA) in molecules near a spherical metal nanoshell is examined for different experimental polarization schemes. This is accomplished within extended Mie theory, including both the nanoparticle surface plasmon modes and the radiating molecular multipole fields. Analytical simplification of the scattering expansion is accomplished through judicious use of the spherical harmonic addition theorem. Special attention is paid to the dependence of backscatter circular polarization difference signals on molecular direction from the spherical nanoparticle and to the conditions that ensure the differences occur only for molecules of chiral character. Dual circular polarization strategies are determined to have special advantages in these circumstances, and the corresponding excitation profiles for a simple chiroptical model are analyzed in detail to suggest preferred excitation wavelengths.
Maize Developmental Stage Affects Indirect and Direct Defense Expression

Herbivores elicit a complex indirect and direct defense response in plants, but little is known about how defenses are expressed throughout a plant's life cycle. Here we report the characterization of direct and indirect defense profiles for two vegetative stages of maize, v1 and v3. Indirect defense expression was evaluated by measuring plant headspace volatiles in response to artificial herbivory and caterpillar feeding. To assess direct defense expression, transcripts of four proteinase inhibitors (PI) and larval performance were measured. Artificial herbivory significantly elevated total induced volatiles in v1 and v3 compared with controls, but this induction was marginal in v1 when compared with v3. Both maize stages produced similar total amounts of volatiles, accounting for fresh weight, of different compositions during caterpillar feeding. However, on a per-plant basis, v1 produced less volatiles compared with v3. In contrast, jasmonic acid levels, an indicator of an antiherbivore defense response, increased similarly in both stages. During caterpillar feeding, both developmental stages contained higher levels of PI transcripts compared with controls. However, v1 plants contained more cystatin-like PI transcripts and total larval mass was reduced compared with v3 plants. These results suggest that in maize, direct and indirect defenses against insect herbivory differ between seedling and juvenile plants.
Business Ethics Index: USA 2006.

This study continues the systematic measurement of consumers’ sentiments toward business ethical practices first measured in 2004. The Business Ethics Index (BEI) comprises the four measurements representing the dimensions of “personal–vicarious” and “past–future”. A professional telephone interviewing company was hired to collect five consecutive waves of 1045 telephone interviews in an omnibus procedure. The collection of the five waves represented a sampling process which enables the creation of confidence intervals for this, and subsequent, measurements of the BEI. The overall BEI fell to 102.6 (from a revized 108.7 in 2004). The drop was attributed to a fall in consumer expectations of the future ethical behavior of business.
Floor design in underground coal mines

Floor failure and excessive heave in underground coal mines can jeopardize the stability of the whole structure, including the roof and pillars, due to differential settlements and redistribution of stress concentrations. Besides, floor failure is detrimental to haulageway operation and can lead to unacceptable conditions of high deformation. Thus, the design of any underground opening must consider roof/pillar and floor as one structural system.
Repair analysis of promutagenic (+)-anti-BPDE DNA adduct in transcriptionally active sequences of plasmid DNA in Escherichia coli

The extent of formation and repair of promutagenic (+)-anti-BPDE-N2-dG in transcriptionally active thymidine kinase (tk) gene insert and vector DNA fragments was assessed in the (+)-anti-BPDE treated plasmid p220-tk within the Escherichia coli hosts of varying repair potential. Polyclonal antibody (BP1), specific for (+)-anti-BPDE DNA adduct, was utilized for quantitative estimation of this bulky lesion in nanograms amounts of membrane transblotted DNA fragments. A carcinogen dose-dependent quantitative antibody binding response, due to selective recognition of the major (+)-anti-BPDE adduct, was seen with various DNA fragments separated by gel electrophoresis. The sensitivity of the immunodetection at 0.2 fmol (+)-anti-BPDE DNA adduct, allowed a linear detection in the range of modification level of 0.64 x 10(-7) to 86 x 10(-7) adducts per nucleotide in plasmid DNA. Based on this sensitivity, detection of 0.07 and 0.46 (+)-anti-BPDE DNA adducts in respective tk and vector DNA fragments was achieved upon immunoanalysis of the in vitro modified DNA. Adduct concentration dependent antibody binding was independent of size of the vector or insert fragments. Antibody binding response, to DNA modified in vivo, was dependent upon the dose of (+/-)-anti-BPDE to plasmid DNA replicating within bacterial hosts. The repair of (+)-anti-BPDE DNA adducts was determined as the loss of antibody binding sites in the specific fragments of plasmid DNA within host E. coli. About 50% of the initial DNA damage was repaired from the individual fragments during 15 min post-incubation in the repair-proficient (wild-type) E. coli cells. Complete adduct removal occurred in approx. 60 min of post-incubation period. A significant (91%) decrease in the survival of mutant (uvrA- recA-) cells was observed at 4 microM (+/-)-anti-BPDE treatment without any reduction in the colony forming units in the wild-type cells. On the contrary, no repair was seen in the excision repair-deficient (uvrA-) E. coli cells. The results indicate (1) the selectivity of the immunological method and the unique ability of the (+)-anti-BPDE specific antibodies to monitor the direct loss of this promutagenic base lesion from the in vivo modified DNA (2) the role of host excision repair pathway in efficient removal of adducts from bacterial genome determines the survival of the bacterial cells and (3) the repair of (+)-anti-BPDE DNA adducts in episomally replicating, transcriptionally active sequences occur at a rapid rate presumably due to the ease of accessibility of repair enzymes to lesions within DNA.
A basin hopping algorithm for protein-protein docking

We present a novel probabilistic search algorithm to efficiently search the structure space of protein dimers. The algorithm is based on the basin hopping framework that repeatedly follows up structural perturbation with energy minimization to obtain a coarse-grained view of the dimeric energy surface in terms of its local minima. A Metropolis criterion biases the search towards lower-energy minima over time. Extensive analysis highlights efficient and effective implementations for the perturbation and minimization components. Testing on a broad list of dimers shows the algorithm recovers the native dimeric configuration with great accuracy and produces many minima near the native configuration. The algorithm can be employed to efficiently produce relevant decoys that can be further refined at greater detail to predict the native configuration.
Lymphovascular invasion is an independent prognostic factor in prostatic adenocarcinoma.

ABSTRACTPurpose: Gleason grade and tumor stage are well established prognostic factors in prostate cancer. Histological demonstration of tumor in lymphovascular spaces has been associated with poor prognosis in many tumor types but it is not included in current prostate cancer grading and staging schemes. Whether lymphovascular invasion is an independent prognostic factor for disease progression in prostate cancer is uncertain. We retrospectively investigated lymphovascular invasion as a predictive factor for biochemical failure and cancer specific survival following radical prostatectomy.Materials and Methods: The records of 504 patients with prostatic adenocarcinoma undergoing radical prostatectomy were reviewed for lymphovascular invasion. Clinical followup data were available on 459 cases. Mean followup was 44 months (range 1.5 to 144). Multivariate analysis was performed using the Cox model.Results: Lymphovascular invasion was identified in 106 cases (21%). Univariate analysis showed a significant as...
The Evolution of Avunculocal Chiefdoms: A Reconstruction of Taino Kinship and Politics

Studies of prehistoric settlement patterns emphasize resource distributions, production, exchange, and political relations as the determining factors of settlement locations. Settlement patterns are also influenced by social organization. The present study examines the interrelationship of social organization, specifically matrilocal/avunculocal residence and matrilineal descent, and the Lucayan Taino settlement of the Bahama archipelago (ca. A.D. 800–1500). The study involves an archeo-ethnological collaboration in which archeological questions of Taino kinship and politics and ethnological questions concerning the evolution of avunculocal chiefdoms are addressed. The results include a remarkably complete reconstruction of Taino social organization and a diachronic test of the evolutionary sequence proposed for the development of avunculocal institutions.
Management of Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a complex disease process that requires constant attention as one manages the associated body systems. Even though an “isolated” brain injury may be the cause for admission to the hospital, the injured brain cannot be thought of in isolation from the remainder of the body. All body systems, from cardiac to pulmonary, need to be addressed as one moves from the initial to the long-term management of the TBI. The multiple issues are best addressed with a dedicated neurocritical care team that is in continuous communication with the neurosurgical team throughout the course of treatment. To date, no pharmacologic treatment has led to improved outcomes after TBI, but it is becoming increasingly clear that advances in the critical care of TBI patients are contributing to better results.
Three‐Dimensional Experimental Testing of a Two‐Phase Flow‐Modeling Approach for Air Sparging

Air sparging has been used for several years as an in situ technique for removing volatile compounds from contaminated ground water, but few studies have been completed to quantify the extent of remediation. To gain knowledge of the air flow and water behavior around air injection wells, laboratory tests and model simulations were completed at three injection flow rates (62, 187, and 283 lpm) in a cylindrical reactor (diameter - 1.2 m, depth = 0.65 m). Measurements of the air flux distribution were made across the surface of the reactor at 24 monitoring locations, six radial positions equally spaced along two orthogonal transects. Simulations using a multiphase flow model called T2VOC were completed for a homogeneous, axisymmetric configuration. Input parameters were independently measured soil properties. In all the experiments, about 75 percent of the flow injected exited the water table within 30 cm of the sparge well. Predictions with T2VOC showed the same. The averages of four flux measurements at a particular distance from the sparge well compare satisfactorily with T2VOC predictions. Measured flux values at a given radius varied by more than a factor of two, but the averages were consistent between experiments and agreed well with T2VOC simulations. The T2VOC prediction of the radial extent of sparging coincided with the distance out to which air flow from the sparge well could not be detected in the reactor. The sparging pattern was relatively unaffected by the air injection rate over the range of conditions studied. Changes in the injection rate resulted in nearly proportional changes in flux rates.
Advanced learning algorithms

The comparisons of various learning algorithms were presented and it was shown that most popular neural network topologies (MLP) and most popular training algorithm (EBP) are not giving optimal solution. Instead MLP networks much simpler neural network topologies can be used to produce similar or better results. Instead of popular EBP more advance algorithms such as LM or NBN should be used. They not only produce results in couple order of magnitude shorter time, but also good solutions can be found for networks where EBP algorithm fails. Eventually EBP can find solution if number of neurons in the network increase, but this solution in most cases will be far from the optimum one.
Superconductivity in plutonium compounds

Abstract Although the family of plutonium-based superconductors is relatively small, consisting of four compounds all of which crystallize in the tetragonal HoCoGa5 structure, these materials serve as an important bridge between the known Ce- and U-based heavy fermion superconductors and the high-temperature cuprate superconductors. Further, the partial localization of 5f electrons that characterizes the novel electronic properties of elemental plutonium appears to be central to the relatively high superconducting transition temperatures that are observed in PuCoGa5, PuRhGa5, PuCoIn5, and PuRhIn5.
The hallucinogen 1-[2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl]-2-aminopropane (DOI) increases cortical extracellular glutamate levels in rats

Abstract Activation of the cerebral cortex is seen during hallucinations. The 5-HT 2A/C agonist 1-[2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl]-2-aminopropane (DOI) is a potent hallucinogen that has been proposed to act by targeting 5-HT 2A heteroceptors on thalamocortical neurons and eliciting release of glutamate from these cells, which in turn drives cortical neurons. We used in vivo microdialysis to determine if DOI increases extracellular glutamate levels. Systemic administration of DOI significantly increased extracellular glutamate levels in the somatosensory cortex of the freely-moving rat. Similarly, intracortical administration of DOI by reverse dialysis increased cortical extracellular glutamate levels. No consistent changes in either extracellular GABA or glycine levels were observed in response to DOI. The increase in glutamate levels elicited by intracortical DOI was blocked by treatment with the selective 5-HT 2A antagonist MDL 100,907. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that 5-HT 2A receptor-mediated regulation of glutamate release is the mechanism through which hallucinogens activate the cerebral cortex.
Prolyl isomerase Pin1 as a molecular target for cancer diagnostics and therapeutics.

I am grateful to D.G. Wang, L. Bao, A. Kimzey, J.M. Sowadski at Pintex Pharmaceuticals, and G. Sauter at University of Basel for sharing results prior to publication, and to B. Neel and T. Hunter for critically reading this manuscript. K.P.L. is a Pew Scholar and a Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Scholar. Our research cited in this review was supported by NIH grants GM56230, GM58556, and AG17870 to K.P.L.
Absence of autoregulation in peripheral nerve blood flow

Blood flow was measured in the sciatic nerve of cats utilizing the method of hydrogen polarography. The mean baseline blood flow for all animals was found to be 47.1 ml/100 g/min +/- 14.9 SD. The flow changes produced by lowering the blood pressure by exsanguination and elevation by the use of angiotensin were then evaluated. The highest (normal) levels of blood flow were observed between the mean blood pressures of 80-110 mm Hg. At mean systemic arterial pressures of less than 85, there was a marked decrease in peripheral nerve blood flow with no detectable flow being measured below mean systemic pressures of 50 mm Hg. Above 105 mm Hg mean arterial pressure, there was a very gradual and progressive decline in blood flow to the levels measured at 200 mm Hg. These findings indicate a complete absence of vascular autoregulation in the peripheral nerve trunks.
Assessment of inhomogeneities in an E. coli physical map

A statistical method based on r-fragments, sums of distances between (r + 1) consecutive restriction enzyme sites, is introduced for detecting nonrandomness in the distribution or too markers in sequence data. The technique is applicable whenever large numbers of markers are available and will detect clumping, excessive dispersion or too much evenness of spacing of the markers. It is particularly adapted to varying the scale on which inhomogeneities can be detected, from nearest neighbor interactions to more distant interactions. The r-fragment procedure is applied primarily to the Kohara et al. (1) physical map of E. coli. Other applications to DAM methylation sites in E. coli and NotI sites in human chromosome 21 are presented. Restriction sites for the eight enzymes used in (1) appear to be randomly distributed, although at widely differing densities. These conclusions are substantially in agreement with the analysis of Churchill et al. (3). Extreme variability in the density of the eight restriction enzyme sites cannot be explained by variability in mono-, di- or trinucleotide frequencies.
Chemical and Microbial Activity Rates Under Square‐Wave and Sinusoidal Temperature Fluctuations

SUMMARY Temperature amplitudes to 160° and Q10 values from 1 to 30 were integrated to derive coefficients of fluctuation. Multiplication of the coefficient by the reaction rate at the mean temperature permits ready calculation of the average reaction rate when temperature fluctuations assume either a square-wave or sinusoidal form of cycling. The method is applicable to any temperature scale. Ascorbic acid solutions were less stable when the temperature was cycled from −6 to 30°F than when held steady at 12°F. Aerobacter aerogenes and Staphylococcus aureus cultures incubated under cyclic conditions from 40 to 80°F usually grew quicker than cultures incubated at a constant temperature of 60°F.
Microwave-Assisted Surface Synthesis of a Boron–Carbon–Nitrogen Foam and its Desorption Enthalpy

A microwave-assisted thermo-chemical surface treatment of highly porous carbon foam has been developed to synthesize boron-carbon-nitrogen (B-C-N) foam for thermal energy storage and release by adsorption/desorption with lightweight hydrocarbons. Carbon foams provide the combined advantage of large surface area and high thermal conductivity critical for thermal energy storage, but they are prone to oxidation and have low adsorption enthalpy for lightweight hydrocarbons. The non-plasma microwave heating of the carbon foams exposed to boric acid and urea solutions described herein converts carbon foam to B-C-N foam. Microwave treatment helps to activate surface chemical reactions, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals the formation of boron nitride and carbon nitride interatomic bonds with evidence of boron carbide bonds. This complex surface chemical structure is proposed to increase methanol desorption enthalpy, which in turn is expected to offer improved performance in adsorptive thermal applications. B-C-N is a hexagonal solid material that can provide the benefi ts of intrinsically layered solids such as graphite and graphene, [ 1‐3 ] with an additional advantage of higher thermal stability and wider band gap typical for hexagonal BN and BN nanosheets. [ 4 ] Many prior studies have considered the hybrid phases of B-C-N. [ 5‐12 ] The synthesis procedures to produce B-C-N materials include r.f. plasma-enhanced pulsed laser
T2 texture index of cartilage can predict early symptomatic OA progression: data from the osteoarthritis initiative

Summary Objective There is an interest in using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to identify pre-radiographic changes in osteoarthritis (OA) and features that indicate risk for disease progression. The purpose of this study is to identify image features derived from MRI T2 maps that can accurately predict onset of OA symptoms in subjects at risk for incident knee OA. Methods Patients were selected from the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) control cohort and incidence cohort and stratified based on the change in total Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis (WOMAC) score from baseline to 3-year follow-up (80 non-OA progression and 88 symptomatic OA progression patients). For each patient, a series of image texture features were measured from the baseline cartilage T2 map. A linear discriminant function and feature reduction method was then trained to quantify a texture metric, the T2 texture index of cartilage (TIC), based on 22 image features, to identify a composite marker of T2 heterogeneity. Results Statistically significant differences were seen in the baseline T2 TIC between the non-progression and symptomatic OA progression populations. The baseline T2 TIC differentiates subjects that develop worsening of their WOMAC score OA with an accuracy between 71% and 76%. The T2 TIC differences were predominantly localized to a dominant knee compartment that correlated with the mechanical axis of the knee. Conclusion Baseline heterogeneity in cartilage T2 as measured with the T2 TIC index is able to differentiate and predict individuals that will develop worsening of their WOMAC score at 3-year follow-up.
Predicting Aggression, Conciliation, and Concurrent Rumination in Escalating Conflict

Interactions are characterized by opposite motives according to game theory. The purpose of this study was to explore how people judge the probability and advisability of conflict reactions in an unfolding dispute within a married couple using latent growth curve modeling (LGCM). Individuals participated in a study using two videotaped scenarios depicting marital conflict in which a spouse comes home after a long day at work only to criticize his or her partner for violating expectations of a good meal. One situation involved male-initiated conflict and female reactance, whereas another illustrated female-initiated conflict and male reactance. Participants were asked to predict the future reactions based on aggressive tactics (e.g., slapping the partner, insulting the partner) or prosocial and forgiving communication (e.g., apologizing, discussing the issue calmly) as well as the use of online, imagined interaction (II) rumination in which individuals replay arguments in their mind as well as thinking abo...
Transurethral Biopsy of the Prostate for Persistently Elevated or Increasing Prostate Specific Antigen Following Multiple Negative Transrectal Biopsies

AbstractPurpose: Treatment of the patient with persistently elevated prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels after pathologically negative transrectal or manually directed prostate needle biopsy is unclear. We retrospectively evaluated the use of transurethral biopsy of the prostate as an adjunctive study for the diagnosis of prostate cancer in these patients.Materials and Methods: From January 1993 through February 1996, 71 patients underwent transurethral biopsy in conjunction with repeat prostatic needle biopsy for a persistently elevated PSA (greater than 4 ng./ml.) after previously negative needle biopsy. All patients had at least 1 previous ultrasound guided sextant prostatic needle biopsy (mean 1.85, range 1 to 7) with or without manually directed biopsies. Following negative prostatic needle biopsy these patients subsequently underwent a minimum of a 4-quadrant transurethral sampling of the prostatic fossa followed by repeat sextant prostatic needle biopsy. A subset of patients underwent sampling o...
Observational evidence of temperature trends at two levels in the surface layer

Abstract. Long-term surface air temperatures at 1.5 m screen level over land are used in calculating a global average surface temperature trend. This global trend is used by the IPCC and others to monitor, assess, and describe global warming or warming hiatus. Current knowledge of near-surface temperature trends with respect to height, however, is limited and inadequately understood because surface temperature observations at different heights in the surface layer of the world are rare especially from a high-quality and long-term climate monitoring network. Here we use high-quality two-height Oklahoma Mesonet observations, synchronized in time, fixed in height, and situated in relatively flat terrain, to assess temperature trends and differentiating temperature trends with respect to heights (i.e., near-surface lapse rate trend) over the period 1997 to 2013. We show that the near-surface lapse rate has significantly decreased with a trend of −0.18 ± 0.03 °C (10 m)−1 per decade indicating that the 9 m height temperatures increased faster than temperatures at the 1.5 m screen level and/or conditions at the 1.5 m height cooled faster than at the 9 m height. However, neither of the two individual height temperature trends by themselves were statistically significant. The magnitude of lapse rate trend is greatest under lighter winds at night. Nighttime lapse rate trends were significantly more negative than daytime lapse rate trends and the average lapse rate trend was three times more negative under calm conditions than under windy conditions. Our results provide the first observational evidence of near-surface temperature changes with respect to height that could enhance the assessment of climate model predictions.
High net calcium uptake explains the hypersensitivity of the freshwater pulmonate snail, Lymnaea stagnalis, to chronic lead exposure

Previous studies have shown that freshwater pulmonate snails of the genus Lymnaea are exceedingly sensitive to chronic Pb exposure. An EC20 of <4microgl(-1)Pb for juvenile snail growth has recently been determined for Lymnaea stagnalis, which is at or below the current USEPA water quality criterion for Pb. We characterized ionoregulation and acid-base balance in Pb-exposed L. stagnalis (young adults approximately 1g) to investigate the mechanisms underlying this hypersensitivity. After 21-day exposure to 18.9microgl(-1)Pb, Ca(2+) influx was significantly inhibited (39%) and corresponding net Ca(2+) flux was significantly reduced from 224 to -23nmolg(-1)h(-1). An 85% increase in Cl(-) influx was also observed, while Na(+) ion transport appeared unaffected. Finally, a marked alkalosis of extracellular fluid was observed with pH increasing from 8.35 in the control to 8.65 in the 18.9microgl(-1) Pb-exposed group. Results based on direct measurement of Ca(2+) influx in 1g snails gave an influx nearly an order of magnitude higher (750nmolg(-1)h(-1)) than in comparably sized fish in similar water chemistry. Under control conditions, specific growth rate in newly hatched snails was estimated at 16.7% per day over the first 38-day post-hatch and whole body Ca(2+) concentrations were relatively constant at approximately 1100nmolg(-1) over this period. Based on these data, it is estimated that newly hatched snails have net Ca(2+) uptake rates on the order of 7600nmolg(-1)h(-1). A model was developed integrating these data and measured inhibition of Ca(2+) influx rates of 13.4% and 38.7% in snails exposed to 2.7 and 18.9microgl(-1)Pb, respectively. The model estimates 45% and 83% reductions in newly hatched snail growth after 30-day exposure in these two Pb-exposed groups. These results compare well with previous direct measurements of 47% and 90% reductions in growth at similar Pb concentrations, indicating the high net Ca(2+) uptake is the controlling factor in observed Pb hypersensitivity.
Studies of Intestinal Microflora VII. Effect of Diet and Fecal Microbial Flora on Survival of Animals Exposed to X Irradiation

Changes in the numbers and ratios of bacteria in the feces of rats were produced by administration of three different diets—grain, meat alone, and meat plus lactose. After significant alterations in the intestinal flora had developed, the animals were exposed to a midlethal dose of X irradiation (1,550 R). This treatment led to 100% deaths in rats in which the numbers of coliforms were increased by diet prior to irradiation. Changes in the numbers of lactobacilli appeared to play no role in determining the responses to X-ray exposure. When little or no change was produced by diet and when “normal” microflora was present, the fatality rate was reduced to 60%, and the rate of deaths was retarded when compared with that of the animals in which coliforms were increased.
Decreased Antimicrobial Resistance after Changes in Antibiotic Use

Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and methicillin-oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) originally predominated in large medical centers; however, these isolates are now common in community hospitals and community clinics. No simple answer is available regarding control of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, especially VRE and MRSA, as their numbers increase and pose a more serious threat to patient care. The source of colonization is often difficult to identify because of transport of patients among different locations on the continuum of care (e.g., hospital to extended care facility to home and back). At one hospital, control strategies greatly reduced the occurrence of gram-negative bacteria such as VRE. Since 1994, VRE declined from 16% to 5%. Similarly, the number of MRSA isolates declined from 35% to 23%. These declines are attributed to a cohesive working relationship among pharmacists, microbiologists, and infectious disease physicians and personnel, and to a decision to decrease administration of cephalosporins in favor of piperacillin-tazobactam.
Smoothing haptic interaction using molecular force calculations

Abstract This paper presents a new method for smoothing haptic interaction with molecular force calculations that uses Lennard-Jones forcefield. The gradient of the forcefield is used unaltered when the distance between two atoms is greater than the sum of their van der Waals radii. However, when they are smaller, a hard-surface wall implemented using a spring model is used to repel two atoms. This eliminates the instability when two atoms are in contact in the presence of forcefields that have strong gradients. This method is tested on rigid hydrocarbon molecules with no bond creation or breaking.
Setting up an imaging center, adding computed tomographic, magnetic resonance, and an angiography suite to vascular labs

Computed tomographic angiography (CTA), magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), and diagnostic arteriography are all vascular diagnostic tools that may be included in modern vascular diagnostic laboratories. Before undertaking the establishment of such an all-purpose diagnostic, and possibly interventional, facility the vascular specialist or group needs to ensure safe patient care and the ability to provide these diagnostic tests and procedures without incurring a financial loss. This article will detail one method of setting up such a facility and suggest some other approaches. It will also introduce some of the issues that may change the legislative landscape in the Unites States of America (USA) and may make these arrangements more complex in that country.
Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS)

Abstract The NASA Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) provides high risk technologies having the potential to dramatically enhance the capabilities of the satellite communications industry. This experimental satellite, which will be launched by NASA in 1992, will furnish the technology necessary for providing a range of services. Utilizing the ACTS very high gain hopping spot beam antennas with on-board routing and processing, Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) digital networks which provide on-demand, full mesh connectivity, 1.544 Mbps services with only a single hop can be established. Each individual 64 kbps voice or data circuit from a VSAT is routed by the satellite to any location on the network. Secondly, the high gain spot beams make possible voice and data aeronautical communication in the large frequency bandwidth which exists at 30 20 GHz. The high gain spot beams also make feasible personal communications for low data rate services utilizing Ultra Small Aperture Terminals (USAT). Finally, the high gain spot beam antenna at Ka-band permits wide area, flexible networks providing 1 Gbps services between modest-size Earth terminals. This service is being considered in the U.S. for such applications as interconnecting supercomputers. This paper provides an overview of the ACTS and discusses the value of its technology for these communication applications including the spacecraft ( S C ) weight per unit circuit for providing these services by ACTS technologies as compared to present-day satellites. For some of these services, the ACTS technologies may have more immediate application internationally rather than within the U.S.
Knowledge of Vaccination Needs of HIV-Infected Men Who Have Sex with Men in a National Sample of "Gay Friendly" Health care Providers.

Objectives The purpose of this study was to assess knowledge levels regarding vaccination needs of healthy, HIV-infected (with CD4 counts >200 cells/mm3) men who have sex with men (MSM) in a national sample of “gay friendly” health providers. Design and Sample Participants (n = 92) were sent a demographic questionnaire and case vignette asking for correct identification of vaccine needs of an HIV-infected MSM with a CD4 count >200 cells/mm3. Participants were recruited from the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association's Health Provider Index. Measures Descriptive statistics and Fisher's exact test were used to answer the research questions and define the sample. Results The vast majority of the sample (n = 83; 90%) misidentified correct vaccine needs of and/or selected inappropriate vaccines for the HIV-infected MSM. Greater familiarity with the CDC Adult Vaccination Schedule (p = .027), practice specialization (p = .004), and administration of vaccinations within location of practice (p = .009) were associated with greater knowledge of the patient's vaccine needs. Conclusions Health care providers who prescribe vaccines to HIV-infected MSM need more education regarding their vaccine needs. Nurses can reduce disparities in HIV-infected MSM by advocating for vaccination and augmenting providers' comprehension of vaccine needs of this population.
Computational replication of the abnormal secondary kinetic isotope effects in a hydride transfer reaction in solution with a motion assisted H-tunneling model.

We recently reported abnormal secondary deuterium kinetic isotope effects (2° KIEs) for hydride transfer reactions from alcohols to carbocations in acetonitrile (Chem. Comm. 2012, 48, 11337). Experimental 2° KIE values were found to be inflated on the 9-C position in the xanthylium cation but deflated on the β-C position in 2-propanol with respect to the values predicted by the semi-classical transition-state theory. No primary (1°) isotope effect on 2° KIEs was observed. Herein, the KIEs were replicated by the Marcus-like H-tunneling model that requires a longer donor–acceptor distance (DAD) in a lighter isotope transfer process. The 2° KIEs for a range of potential tunneling-ready-states (TRSs) of different DADs were calculated and fitted to the experiments to find the TRS structure. The observed no effect of 1° isotope on 2° KIEs is explained in terms of the less sterically hindered TRS structure so that the change in DAD due to the change in 1° isotope does not significantly affect the reorganization ...