cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Toolbox for the design of optimized microfluidic components

A computational “toolbox” for the a priori design of optimized microfluidic components is presented. These components consist of a microchannel under low-Reynolds number, pressure-driven flow, with an arrangement of grooves cut into the top and bottom to generate a tailored cross-channel flow. An advection map for each feature (i.e., groove of a particular shape and orientation) predicts the lateral transport of fluid within the channel due to that feature. We show that applying these maps in sequence generates an excellent representation of the outflow distribution for complex designs that combine these basic features. The effect of the complex three-dimensional flow field can therefore be predicted without solving the governing flow equations through the composite geometry, and the resulting distribution of fluids in the channel is used to evaluate how well a component performs a specified task. The generation and use of advection maps is described, and the toolbox is applied to determine optimal combinations of features for specified mixer sizes and mixing metrics.
RESOLUTION OF KINASE ACTIVITIES DURING THE HELA CELL CYCLE : IDENTIFICATION OF KINASES WITH CYCLIC ACTIVITIES

Abstract An in situ gel kinase assay was used to resolve kinase activities during the HeLa cell cycle. Three kinase activities changed dramatically during the cell cycle, whereas a number of others remained relatively constant. The former included histone kinases with estimated molecular masses of 46, 87, and 39 kDa. The 46-kDa kinase activity was preferentially expressed at least 10-fold greater in mitotic cells. In contrast, the 87- and 39-kDa kinases were most active early in G1 but their activity declined progressively as cells approached mitosis. The 87- but not the 46- or 39-kDa kinases had autophosphorylation activity. The identities of the kinases are unknown but they may play important roles in regulation of the cell cycle.
The interface between neighborhood density and optional infinitives: normal development and Specific Language Impairment.

The effect of neighborhood density on optional infinitives was evaluated for typically developing (TD) children and children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI). Forty children, 20 in each group, completed two production tasks that assessed third person singular production. Half of the sentences in each task presented a dense verb, and half presented a sparse verb. Children’s third person singular accuracy was compared across dense and sparse verbs. Results showed that the TD group was significantly less likely to use optional infinitives with dense, rather than sparse verbs. In contrast, the distribution of optional infinitives for the SLI group was independent of verb neighborhood density. Follow-up analyses showed that the lack of neighborhood density effect for the SLI group could not be attributed to heterogeneous neighborhood density effects or floor effects. Results were interpreted within the Optional Infinitive/Extended Optional Infinitive accounts for typical language development and SLI for English speaking children.
Extracellular HCV-core protein induces an immature regulatory phenotype in NK cells: implications for outcome of acute infection.

BACKGROUND Hepatitis C viral (HCV) proteins, including core, demonstrate immuno-modulatory properties; however, the effect of extracellular core on natural killer (NK) cells has not previously been investigated. AIMS To characterise NKs in acute HCV infection over time, and, to examine the effect of exogenous HCV-core protein on NK cell phenotype and function. METHODS Acute HCV patients (n = 22), including 10 subjects who spontaneously recovered, were prospectively studied. Flow-cytometry was used to measure natural cytotoxicity and to phenotype NKs directly ex vivo and after culture with HCV-core protein. Microarray analysis was used to identify pathways involved in the NK cell response to exogenous HCV-core. RESULTS Direct ex vivo analysis demonstrated an increased frequency of immature/regulatory CD56bright NKs early in acute HCV infection per se which normalized with viral clearance. Natural cytotoxicity was reduced and did not recover after viral clearance. There was a statistically significant correlation between the frequency of CD56bright NKs and circulating serum levels of HCV core protein. In vitro culture of purified CD56bright NK cells with HCV-core protein in the presence of IL-15 maintained a significant proportion of NKs in the CD56bright state. The in vitro effect of core closely correlates with NK characteristics measured directly ex vivo in acute HCV infection. Pathway analysis suggests that HCV-core protein attenuates NK interferon type I responses. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest that HCV-core protein alters NK cell maturation and may influence the outcome of acute infection.
"Cobrahead" graft for intercostal artery implantation during descending aortic replacement.

A technique for a separate sidearm graft (“cobrahead”) to facilitate reattachment of intercostal arteries in descending aortic replacement is described. The technique allows for very prompt restoration of spinal cord blood flow (via a Y attachment from the arterial perfusion circuit). The technique permits a simple, quick, and fully accessible anastomosis, technically more facile than the traditional side-to-side anastomosis. None of 7 patients treated with this technique had early or late paraplegia. Preliminary computed tomographic follow-up scans confirm patency of the cobrahead graft.
The classical Ising model: A quantum renormalization group approach

Abstract Proceeding from the equivalence between the d -dimentional classical Ising model and the ( d −1)-dimentional quantum mechanical Ising model in a transverse magnetic field, we study the critical properties of the classical model via the quantum mechanical model. Quantum renormalization group transformations based on the truncation method and the ground state projection operator method are used to calculate the critical exponents. They are found to agree well with the “exact” values.
Effects on Economy and Efficiency of Milk Production when Thyroprotein Is Fed for a Short Period of Time to Milking Cows

Summary Three experiments involving 47 cows were performed, in which thyroprotein was fed for 60 days to determine its effect on milk production, body weight, butterfat test, roughage consunlption, efficiency of production, and monetary returns. Data from the experimental feeding period were combined with data from the post-experimental period in order to make a proper evaluation of theover-all effect of thyroprotein feeding on total milk produced, efficiency of production, and monetary returns. The average increase in milk production was about 20% for the period during which thyroprotein was fed. The variation in milk production response between individual cows was large. In two of the three experiments production decreased to a lower than normal level after thyroprotein was withdrawn from the ration, and production continued at this lowered level for the remainder of the observation period. When only a short post-experimental period of decreased production was considered~ there was an advantage in total FCM, efficiency, and monetary returns for the groups of cows fed thyroprotein, but longer postexperimental periods of decreased production lessened this advantage. In one experiment the cows were placed on pasture 5 days after thyroprotein feeding ceased and no decrease in production occurred. There was a net increase in milk produced and in monetary returns under these conditions as a result of feeding thyroprotein. The presence or absence of the decrease in milk production after thyroprotein was withdrawn from the ration appears to be the determining factor in the desirability of its use over a short term and its effect on milk yield, efficiency and monetary returns for the entire lactation. However, under practical conditions the increased milk produced during a particular period has other advantages, and this is especially true during the period when a fluid-milk base is. being established. In these three experiments the feeding of thyroprotein did not cause an. increase in the consumption of hay when it was fed ad libitum. The extra energy necessary for the proper maintenance of body weight and increased milk yield must be furnished in the form of extra grain. When thyroprotein was fed, there was an average increase in fat test. All cows showed a large decrease in body weight, which was alleviated but not prevented by feeding extra grain.
Harvesting and replenishment policies for renewable natural resources

Abstract The current paper links the optimal intertemporal use of renewable natural resources to the harvesting activities of various economic agents. Previous contributions cite market forces as a causative factor inducing the extirpation of renewable natural resources. The analysis given here discusses investment in the stock of renewable resources and cites important examples of this activity. By introducing joint harvesting and replenishment strategies into a model of renewable resource use, the analysis adds descriptive reality and relevance to positive and normative discussions of renewable natural resource use. A high price for the yield or a high discount rate tend to diminish the size of the optimum stationary stock of the resource with a non-replenishment harvesting strategy. Optimal non-replenishment harvesting strategies for renewable natural resources will exhaustion or extirpation of the resource if the price of the yield or the discount rate are sufficiently large. However, the availability of a replenishment technology and the use of replenishment activities tends to buffer the resource against exhaustion or extirpation.
GAS ANTISOLVENT-INDUCED REGENERATION OF LACTIC ACID-LADEN EXTRACTANTS

Extraction equilibria are presented for reversible chemical complexation of lactic acid by the liquid tertiary amine extractant, trin-octylamine, in mixed diluents composed of 1-octanol and the gas antisolvent, propane. Experimental data were collected that show that the effect of increasing propane partial pressure during extraction is to decrease the acid loading of tri-n-octylamine. This result is discussed. A simple complexation model was employed to predict and to fit the experimental results. The model uses the Law of Mass Action to describe reaction equilibria and Wohl's expansion to estimate the solubility of propane in the organic-phase mixture. Finally, estimated energy requirements are presented for a gas antisolvent-induced regeneration process for acid-laden basic extractants; results are compared with those for a conventional diluentswing regeneration process.
The design of a space efficient compiler

Writing a compiler for a small machine with minimal software support can be quite difficult because the program is long and debugging aids are usually inadequate. In addition, the usual techniques for compiler writing tend to produce programs which are quite large when compared to, for example, a BASIC interpreter. This frustrates efforts for producing compilers on small machines. We describe a method which can be used to reduce the size of a compiler and simultaneously provide good debugging tools. The resulting compiler sacrifices little in terms of execution speed (in part because compilers on minicomputers are often I/O bound). We have used this method to write an MPL [1] compiler for a Microdata 32/S minicomputer. The compiler requires approximately 12K bytes of memory as opposed to 32K bytes required by the compiler produced by the manufacturer, and compiles at essentially the same speed. Appendix II outlines the syntax of the MPL language and is included to illustrate the size of the language being compiled. MPL is based on PL/I and is quite similar to the PL/M* [2] language developed by the INTEL Corporation.The method described here uses an interpretive language for writing the compiler. Thus the interpreter is the only machine language program written. We coded the interpreter in MPL and used a cross compiler to compile it, however, the interpreter could have been easily coded in assembly language. Figure 1 illustrates the savings of the interpretive language over machine code. The procedure IF_STAT is typical of a routine which might appear in a recursive descent compiler for MPL. The gain in space occurs because machine language instructions carry too much information content when applied to a special purpose (such as compiling). Note for example that a subroutine call for the Microdata requires 6 bytes, but all that is really needed is an opcode to indicate a call and a byte to indicate which of a few subroutines is to be called.
MobiPicture: browsing pictures on mobile devices

Pictures have become increasingly common and popular in mobile communication. However, due to the limitation of mobile devices, there is a need to develop new technologies to facilitate the browsing of pictures on the small screen. MobiPicture is a prototype system which includes a set of novel features to aid or automate a set of common image browsing tasks such as the thumbnail view, set-as-background, zooming and scrolling.
Oxygen permeation through thin mixed-conducting solid oxide membranes

A new approach for developing fundamental equations of oxygen permeation through thin mixed-conducting oxide ceramic is presented considering both surface reactions on membrane-gas interfaces and the diffusion of charged species in the bulk oxide. The essence of this work is the coupling of surface reactions with the bulk diffusion using a novel approach which differs from the conventional Wagner. Theory applicable only to limited cases. With this approach, fundamental equations based on various permeation mechanisms can be derived for oxygen permeation through thin mixed-conducting oxide membranes, which is impossible using conventional approach. In general, the final results are a complex implicit equation correlating the oxygen permeation flux to the driving force, membrane thickness, and rate constants with physical significance in each step. Somewhat simpler theoretical oxygen permeation equations are obtained for some special cases (mixed-conducting membranes with a rate-limiting step, ionic-conducting membranes, ionic-conducting membranes with a reducing agent in permeate side). Theoretical results derived using this new approach agree excellently with the experimental oxygen permeation data. It is theoretically and experimentally shown that for ionic conductors, the surface permeation parameter measured by the dynamic permeation method is directly related to the oxygen isotope exchange rate constant measured under equilibrium conditions.
Breath-to-breath variability in hypoglossal motor unit firing.

Abstract Instability in the magnitude and timing of motor output to pharyngeal dilator muscles occurs during breathing. This contributes to alterations in upper airway resistance, and is one of several factors that play a role in the pathophysiology of obstructive apneas. To define the motor unit mechanisms accounting for such variability, geniohyoid motor unit activity was recorded simultaneously with diaphragm EMG in anesthetized cats spontaneously breathing 7% CO2 in O2. Variability was quantified with the coefficient of variation [ CV = ( SD/mean ) × 100% ]. In this preparation, we confirmed greater breath-to-breath variability of geniohyoid compared to diaphragm peak moving average EMGs. During recordings of geniohyoid motor unit activity, average CV of other respiratory parameters were as follows: peak diaphragm EMG 5.8%, inspiratory time 3.5%, expiratory time 3.8%. The average CV for geniohyoid motor unit activity patterns were substantially higher: spikes per breath 15.6%, mean firing frequency 13.3%, peak firing frequency 19.0%, minimal firing frequency 26.3%, onset time 40.9%, offset time 10.0% and duration of firing 12.8%. Values differed considerably among motor units, even when activity was recorded simultaneously. These findings suggest that variability is present in both intensity and timing of geniohyoid motor unit firing during breathing, and that different geniohyoid motor units appear to have varying degrees of stability during breathing.
Nanopore sequencing technology: nanopore preparations

For the past decade, nanometer-scale pores have been developed as a powerful technique for sensing biological macromolecules. Various potential applications using these nanopores have been reported at the proof-of-principle stage, with the eventual aim of using them as an alternative to de novo DNA sequencing. Currently, there have been two general approaches to prepare nanopores for nucleic acid analysis: organic nanopores, such as α-hemolysin pores, are commonly used for DNA analysis, whereas synthetic solid-state nanopores have also been developed using various conventional and non-conventional fabrication techniques. In particular, synthetic nanopores with pore sizes smaller than the α-hemolysin pores have been prepared, primarily by electron-beam-assisted techniques: these are more robust and have better dimensional adjustability. This review will examine current methods of nanopore preparation, ranging from organic pore preparations to recent developments in synthetic nanopore fabrications.
Heat transfer enhancement in a transitional channel flow

Abstract Flow modification by an array of spanwise eddy-promoters oriented normal to the flow direction is sometimes used to enhance the convective heat transfer rate from a heated wall. Here, we study the effect of such eddy-promoters on the heat transfer and dissipation in a fully-developed channel flow with one heated wall, in the laminar and transitional flow regimes. The experiment shows that flows with eddy-promoters result in a significant decrease in dissipation for a given heat transfer rate at all supercritical Reynolds numbers investigated. When the results are compared to other eddy-promoter geometries, they support a scale-matched destabilization method. The primary enhancement mechanism in the subcritical flows is travelling waves, but for supercritical flows vortex shedding is an equally important mechanism.
Energetic particles over Io's polar caps

[1] We present results obtained from the Galileo satellite's Energetic Particles Detector during its final two encounters in 2001 with Jupiter's moon Io. These encounters returned the first data from just above Io's polar caps. They complement previous low-latitude data and provide a new perspective of Io's interaction with Jupiter's magnetosphere and ionosphere. The evolution of electron and ion distributions was measured from the upstream region throughout the polar cap traversals. From the time of initial field contact with Io and continuing throughout the encounter these distributions evolve in a manner consistent with adiabatic motion along the Io-Jupiter field line. At encounter all particles develop narrow trapped-like distributions indicative of the creation of a near-Io magnetic bottle caused by an enhancement of field at Io's upstream surface. The measured pitch angle distributions indicate a field enhancement of up to 10%–15% higher than the field observed at Galileo's position. Distribution evolution times agree roughly with particle bounce times on the Io-Jupiter field line. The ion distribution evolution times provide an estimate of ∼3–7 km/s for the field line convection speed across Io's polar caps, a value small (∼10%) compared with the upstream convection speed. Along with these trapped distributions, beams of ions and electrons are observed streaming into Io's polar caps throughout the encounters. The continued observation of ion beams across the polar cap is consistent with their half-bounce times. The data further indicate that the convection speed may vary as the polar cap is traversed. The one exception to the adiabatic particle behavior discussed above is the observation of intense electron beams streaming into Io's polar caps. The polar cap electron beams are similar to those previously measured in Io's wake [Williams et al., 1996] and apparently originate from the same source. The source has been located at low (∼0.5 RJ) altitudes on the Io-Jupiter field line [Williams et al., 1999]. The intensities of the electron beams indicate strong acceleration in the source region. Following the suggestion of Mauk et al. [2001], we conclude that the electron beams most likely form the downward (toward Jupiter) current portion of the overall current system established by Io's interaction with Jupiter's magnetosphere and ionosphere. A map of the observed beam locations for all Io encounters provides a rough measure of the spatial extent of this downward current.
Improved Truck Model for Roadside Safety Simulations: Part II—Suspension Modeling

The 2000-kg pickup truck is a very important vehicle in roadside safety research because it is specified in many of the tests in NCHRP Report 350. The characteristics of the pickup truck make it a very demanding crash test vehicle. Because the 2000-kg pickup truck is an important crash test vehicle, it was the very first vehicle chosen for development of a finite element model. The nonlinear finite element program LS-DYNA has become an important feature of roadside hardware design and analysis in recent years, and much of the success of these modeling efforts is partly caused by the availability of a good 2000-kg pickup truck model. Like all models, the model has evolved over the past decade. New features and improvements have been added continuously to the model by many different teams to solve specific analysis problems. One particular area where there has been a great deal of activity is in the area of modeling the suspension properties of the vehicle. Suspension response is particularly important for 2000-kg pickup truck impacts because the vehicle often experiences stability problems in impacts with roadside hardware. A number of improvements and modifications to Version 9 of the NCAC 2000-kg pickup truck model are summarized. These improvements involved changing the finite element model, changing element properties, and obtaining suspension response properties from physical tests. The 2000-kg truck model was then validated against a series of low-speed, live-drive tests with an instrumented pickup truck. The improved model provides more realistic vehicle suspension response than earlier models and should prove to be a valuable addition to future finite element modeling activities.
The utilization of child care by households engaged in home-based employment

A logit procedure is used to examine the factors associated with the likelihood of using child care services among a sample of households with both a home-based worker and a child designated as needing care. Being a single-parent, having high family income, and the presence of a two-year old child are positively associated with the likelihood of using child care. Being an older worker, having a child who is one year or less or children who are 11 to 12 years, and having a less professional occupation decreases the likelihood of using child care. Self-employment decreases the likelihood of usage; owning a business that hires employees or services increases the likelihood of usage. The major conclusion is that home-based work may be a coping strategy for some child care needs, but home-based working households often need and use child care.
DETECTION OF THE HETEROZYGOTE IN MAPLE SYRUP URINE DISEASE.

Parents of children with maple syrup urine disease were studied for the presence of apartial enzymatic defect. Load tests with α-ketoisocaproic acid failed to reveal any difference from normal subjects. However, there was a statistically significant reduction in decarboxylase activity in the peripheral leukocyte in the fathers as measured with radioactively labeled leucine.
Dilepton as a probe of pion dynamics in heavy-ion collisions

Abstract Modeling heavy-ion collisions by an expanding fireball, we calculate the dilepton production cross section including contributions from both the nucleon-nucleon interactions and the pion-pion annihilations. For the pion, we take into account the medium polarization effect on its dispersion relation. We find that dilepton production at large invariant masses is dominated by the latter process and thus is a viable probe to the pion dynamics in heavy-ion collisions.
Determinants of World Wheat Trade Flows and Policy Analysis

The conventional gravity model is revised for a single commodity and applied to wheat markets to determine factors affecting trade flows of wheat. This study demonstrates the gravity model can be parameterized more effectively by using time series and cross-section data rather than cross-section data alone. The study reveals that all independent variables, including production capacities, income, import and export unit value indexes, and trade policies used in wheat trade play an important role in determining trade flows of wheat. Long-term agreements achieve highest performance toward enhancing international wheat trade. Credit sales also contribute to increased wheat movements. The U.S. Export Enhancement Program and the EC Export Refund program are less effective in stimulating the world wheat trade. On the import side, protectionist policies of supporting domestic prices greatly impair wheat trade. Le modele gravitationnel classique, adapte ici a un produit particulier, est utilise pour cerner les facteurs influant sur les courants d'echanges internationaux du ble. L'etude demontre que le modele de gravite peut etre parametrise plus efficacement si on utilise a la fois les series chronologiques et les donnees transversales, plutot que ces dernieres seulement. L'etude revele que toutes les variables independantes, y compris les moyens de production, le revenu, les indices de valeur unitaire des importations et des exportations et les politiques d'echanges exterieurs ont une action determinante sur les courants d'echanges internationaux du ble. Les accords a long terme sont les facteurs qui contribuent le plus a stimuler les echanges internationaux. Les ventes a credit ont egalement un effet stimulant. Le programme americain de subvention aux exportations et le programme de restitution a l'exportation de la CE sont moins efficaces a cet egard. Cote importation, les politiques protectionnistes de soutien des prix interieurs sont une grave entrave au commerce du ble.
Une Propriété Maximale de Matrices Binaires et Inversibles dont toutes les Lignes Contiennent le Même Nombre de Répétitions du Chiffre Un

A maximal property is obtained for binary nonsingular matrices in which each row has the same number of ones.
Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist as therapy for inflammatory disorders

IL-1 is a pivotal mediator of the immune response and has been implicated in inflammatory and infectious diseases. As a consequence, the administration of IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), a recombinantly synthesised endogenous inhibitor of IL-1, has appeal as a therapeutic strategy in these conditions. To date, the largest clinical experiences with IL-1ra have been in the setting of sepsis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Like other anti-inflammatory agents that target a specific mediator, IL-1ra was found to lack efficacy when given in conjunction with standard therapy in patients with sepsis and septic shock. In contrast, recent studies enrolling patients with RA suggest that IL-1ra significantly ameliorates disease activity and retards joint destruction. Whether the respective lack of efficacy and success of IL-1ra in these two diseases is a result of differences in the pathologic processes involved, or reflects the nature in which the clinical studies were conducted, is unclear. Further, the effectiveness of IL-1ra compared to other anticytokine and conventional treatments in RA remains to be clarified. Nonetheless, the recent finding that IL-1ra has the ability to favourably influence a chronic inflammatory disease supports the hypothesis that inhibition of a single mediator of the immune response may have clinical impact.
Unintentional Injuries in Developing Countries: The Epidemiology of a Neglected Problem

The WHO has a special office to coordinate global injury epidemiology and prevention; 2 world Bank policy and planning projects identified injuries as a priority area. The epidemiology of unintentional injuries based on the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, external causes codes: E800-E949, in developing countries is reviewed. Developing countries are those with an annual gross national product/capita of US$2500, based on 1986 figures form the World Bank. It includes countries generally with a population greater than 1 million. Only Sri Lanka, Thailand, Egypt, and Mauritius reported injury data to the WHO between 1977-87. There were no data available from the Caribbean and Central and South America. Information included here was obtained from a review of world literature on injuries indexed in 3 computer databases: Medlars, Biosis, and Excerpta Medica for the period 1966-90. 2500 reference titles and abstracts were reviewed. Those focusing on risk factors for and causes of injuries were selected for inclusion. Injury mortality is discussed in terms of its health impact and local population based studies. Injury morbidity discussion refers to the Gordon study on the rural Indian population and rates of injuries, urban studies in Brazil, Chile, Cuba, and Venezuela on causes of injury, and longterm disability from a Nepal study, and a Brazilian study on costs of injuries. The discussion of risk factors common to many injuries identifies age and sex particularly for the elderly, and alcohol or kola nuts as leading to higher accidents rates. Poverty, urban residence, and race are also suggested, but there is little evidence to support this. Specific attention is given to the following injuries: drowning, burns and fires, falls, poisoning, animal bites and wounds, machinery or tool or sharp objects, bicycles, eye, and disasters. Emergency medical services have been found to decrease trauma; it is suggested, that for those unable to afford mobile medical units, households and primary health care units need to be able to use simple treatments to control hemorrhage and prevent infection. Treatment and rehabilitation are also considered as well as future needs for research to identify the most significant injuries and risk factors from good quality data. Language: en
Retrospective Testing of an Automated Building Commissioning Analysis Tool (ABCAT)

Commissioning services have proven successful in reducing building energy consumption, but the optimal energy performance obtained by commissioning may subsequently degrade. Automated Building Commissioning Analysis Tool (ABCAT), which combines a calibrated simulation with diagnostic techniques, is a simple and cost efficient tool that can help maintain the optimal building energy performance after building commissioning. It can continuously monitor whole building energy consumption, warn operation personnel when an HVAC system problem has increased energy consumption, and assist them in identifying the possible cause(s) of the problem. This paper presents the results of a retrospective implementation of ABCAT on five buildings, each of which has at least three years of post-commissioning daily energy consumption data, on the Texas A&M University campus. The methodology of ABCAT is reviewed and the implementation process of ABCAT on one building is specifically illustrated. Eighteen faults were detected in 15 building-years of consumption data with a defined fault detection standard. The causes of some of the detected faults are verified with historical documentation. The remaining fault diagnoses remain unconfirmed due to data quality issues and incomplete information on maintenance performed in the buildings.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Liz1p, a novel fission yeast membrane protein, is required for normal cell division when ribonucleotide reductase is inhibited.

Ribonucleotide reductase activity is required for generating deoxyribonucleotides for DNA replication. Schizosaccharomyces pombe cells lacking ribonucleotide reductase activity arrest during S phas...
Automated consistency checking of requirements specifications

This article describes a formal analysis technique, called consistency checking, for automatic detection of errors, such as type errors, nondeterminism, missing cases, and circular definitions, in requirements specifications. The technique is designed to analyze requirements specifications expressed in the SCR (Software Cost Reduction) tabular notation. As background, the SCR approach to specifying requirements is reviewed. To provide a formal semantics for the SCR notation and a foundation for consistency checking, a formal requirements model is introduced; the model represents a software system as a finite-state automation which produces externally visible outputs in response to changes in monitored environmental quantities. Results of two experiments are presented which evaluated the utility and scalability of our technique for consistency checking in real-world avionics application. The role of consistency checking during the requirements phase of software development is discussed.
Integrated analysis of germline and somatic variants in ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer is one of the most common cancers in women and has an average 5-year survival of only 43%. Here, Kanchi et al. describe the germline and somatic mutation spectrum in ovarian cancer patients and identify potential risk variants associated with the disease.
Applications of nanotechnology in water and wastewater treatment

Providing clean and affordable water to meet human needs is a grand challenge of the 21st century. Worldwide, water supply struggles to keep up with the fast growing demand, which is exacerbated by population growth, global climate change, and water quality deterioration. The need for technological innovation to enable integrated water management cannot be overstated. Nanotechnology holds great potential in advancing water and wastewater treatment to improve treatment efficiency as well as to augment water supply through safe use of unconventional water sources. Here we review recent development in nanotechnology for water and wastewater treatment. The discussion covers candidate nanomaterials, properties and mechanisms that enable the applications, advantages and limitations as compared to existing processes, and barriers and research needs for commercialization. By tracing these technological advances to the physicochemical properties of nanomaterials, the present review outlines the opportunities and limitations to further capitalize on these unique properties for sustainable water management.
Mapping Urban Change and Changing GIS: Other views of economic restructuring

(2002). Mapping Urban Change and Changing GIS: Other views of economic restructuring. Gender, Place & Culture: Vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 281-289.
Does the invisible hand hold or lead? Market adjustment in an entrepreneurial economy

Adam Smith's "invisible hand" is one of the best-known phrases in economics, but its meaning is somewhat ambiguous. The invisible hand might be viewed as holding the economy close to equilibrium, yet Smith actually says that individuals are led by an invisible hand. Entrepreneurial forces lead an economy along a path that generates economic progress, and that path is determined by the disruptive forces of entrepreneurship. Rather than viewing an economy as tending toward an equilibrium, it is more accurate to view an economy as characterized by continuing progress, led by the invisible hand of entrepreneurial activity.
Optical Photoluminescence due to the Recombination of Donor-Acceptor Pairs in Porous Silicon

The temperature dependence of the intensity, peak-wavelength, and bandwidth of photoluminescence (PL) spectra was studied in the porous silicon (PS) sample. To explain the observed temperature dependence, we proposed a model for the origin of the PL in PS. At low temperatures, the photon emission was dominated by the recombination of donor-acceptor pairs with ionization energies of about 4 meV. The donor and the acceptor were spatially separated with a distance of about 3.8 nm, which was about the crystalline size of the PS. Whereas at high temperatures where thermal energy exceeded the ionization energy, the photon emission was mainly from the exciton recombination.
Reporting errors in infectious disease outbreaks, with an application to Pandemic Influenza A/H1N1

Effectively responding to infectious disease outbreaks requires a well-informed response. Quantitative methods for analyzing outbreak data and estimating key parameters to characterize the spread of the outbreak, including the reproductive number and the serial interval, often assume that the data collected is complete. In reality reporting delays, undetected cases or lack of sensitive and specific tests to diagnose disease lead to reporting errors in the case counts. Here we provide insight on the impact that such reporting errors might have on the estimation of these key parameters.
The Personal Software Process (PSP) Body of Knowledge, Version 2.0

Abstract : As the profession of software engineering evolves and matures, it must achieve some of the critical elements needed for recognition as a bona fide discipline. Among these elements are the establishment of a recognized body of knowledge (BOK) and certification of professional practitioners. The body of knowledge contained in this report is designed to complement the IEEE Computer Society's Software Engineering Body of Knowledge (SWEBOK) by delineating the skills and concepts that compose the knowledge areas and competencies of a proven-effective process improvement method, the Personal Software Process (PSP). As adoption of the PSP methodology continues to grow, it becomes crucial to document the fundamental knowledge and skills that set PSP practitioners apart from other software professionals. The PSP BOK serves this purpose and more. It helps individual practitioners to assess and improve their own skills; provides employers with an objective baseline for assessing the personal process skills and capabilities of their product development team members; and guides academic institutions that want to incorporate PSP into their software and other engineering courses or curricula. The PSP BOK also facilitates the development of PSP certification programs that are based on a well-established, standard set of knowledge and skills.
The Prosodic Structure of Amos 1–2

In his suggestion of a “concatenous literary pattern” in Amos 1–2, S. Paul has drawn attention once again to the prosodic structure of the oracles against foreign nations preserved in Amos. His argument is most provocative but is seriously weakened by that troublesome verse, Amos I:II. As Paul has implicitly noted, the key to a proper reconstruction and interpretation of Amos 1–2 lies in a more accurate understanding of its prosodic structure.
Potential Vorticity Diagnosis of the Severe Convective Regime. Part I: Methodology

Observational and modeling studies have shown that shear and instability are powerful predictors of the likelihood of severe weather and tornadoes. To the extent that upper-tropospheric forecast errors can be described as potential vorticity (PV) anomalies on the forecasted PV field, knowing (and being able to quantify) the effects of such errors on shear and instability would allow forecasters to anticipate the effects of those errors on the likely mode of severe weather. To test the sensitivity of the severe convective environment to PV fluctuations, a PV inversion framework is adopted that utilizes nonlinear balance. The observed PV field is modified in a way that mimics realistic perturbations of trough intensity, location, or shape. Soundings, including moisture profiles, are reconstructed from the balanced geopotential height field assuming that air parcels conserve mixing ratio while their isentropic surfaces are displaced upward or downward by the addition of anomalous PV. Unperturbed balanced soundings agree reasonably well with full, unbalanced soundings, and differences are attributable to departures from nonlinear balance in areas of strong vorticity or acceleration. Balanced vertical wind profiles do not include the effects of friction, so the vertical shear of the balanced wind departs unacceptably from total shear within the lowest 1 km of the troposphere. The balanced wind perturbations are added to the total analyzed shear profile to estimate the effect of PV perturbations on shear and storm-relative helicity. By this process, the importance of typical or hypothesized upper-tropospheric forecast errors may be addressed in an idealized, case-study, or operational context.
Mass Spectrometric Identification and Confirmation of 16-Methylprednisone Acetate in Mexican Pills

The identification and confirmation of an unusual corticosteroid, 16-methylprednisone acetate, in Mexican pills is described. Identification is based on molecular structure illucidation from the electron impact fragmentation pattern. Characteristic m/e peaks at 121 (base peak), 241, 256 and 414 (molecular ion) are observed. Fragmentation pathways leading to these ions are presented. Confirmatory studies, employing NMR are also presented.
Comparison of Long-Term Postoperative Sequelae in Patients With Tetralogy of Fallot Versus Isolated Pulmonic Stenosis

Patients with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) after complete repair and pulmonic stenosis (PS) after surgical valvotomy often develop significant pulmonic regurgitation (PR) that eventually requires valve replacement. Although criteria exist for the timing of pulmonary valve replacement in TOF, it remains less clear when to intervene in valvotomy patients and whether TOF recommendations can be applied. Our aim was to compare the structural and functional sequelae of valvotomy for PS with complete repair for TOF. We compared the clinical characteristics, electrocardiograms, echocardiograms, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and invasive hemodynamics of 109 adults (34 PS and 75 TOF) newly referred to a congenital heart disease center for evaluation of PR between 2005 and 2012. Both cohorts were similar in terms of baseline demographics and presenting New York Heart Association function class. Valvotomy patients had a slightly greater degree of PR by echocardiogram, although it was similar by cardiac MRI. Electrocardiography QRS width was greater in patients with TOF (114 ± 27 vs 150 ± 28 ms, p
Soil Factors Affecting Nutrient Bioavailability

The soil supports plants, is the physical determinant of root growth and extent, and is the main reservoir for plant-available water and nutrients. Therefore, the soil controls the availability of most essential plant nutrients. It regulates availability by means of biophysiochemical processes, which are functions of soil and plant properties. This chapter introduces the concept of soil nutrient bioavailability, and the soil factors that regulate it. It summarizes the processes that control nutrient release and movement in the soil, and points out the importance of selected plant root characteristics in nutrient acquisition. The soil–plant system’s capacity to supply/absorb nutrients is termed soil nutrient bioavailability, and is the ability of the soil–plant system to supply essential plant nutrients to a target plant, or plant association, during a specific period of time as a result of the processes controlling (1) the release of nutrients from their solid phase in the soil to their solution phase; (2) the movement of nutrients through the soil solution to the plant root–mycorrhizae; and (3) the absorption of nutrients by the plant root–mycorrhizal system (Comerford 1998). Release of nutrients from the solid phase to the soil solution is controlled by the physiochemical processes of desorption and dissolution. It is also a biochemical process by way of mineralization. In both cases, soil and plant root–mycorrhizal characteristics help regulate the expression and dominance of these processes (Table 1.1). The movement of nutrients through the soil solution to the root–mycorrhizal surface is determined by mass flow and diffusion, which in turn are controlled by the interaction of soil and plant characteristics (Table 1.1). Finally, nutrient uptake at the root surface is dependent on the amount of root–mycorrhizal surface and its uptake characteristics. The following discussion presents the three groups of processes outlined above. It concentrates on delimiting those soil characteristics important to defining nutrient bioavailability. Plant root growth, root function and nutri-
Exploring the Design Tradeoffs for Extreme-Scale High-Performance Computing System Software

Owing to the extreme parallelism and the high component failure rates of tomorrow's exascale, high-performance computing (HPC) system software will need to be scalable, failure-resistant, and adaptive for sustained system operation and full system utilizations. Many of the existing HPC system software are still designed around a centralized server paradigm and hence are susceptible to scaling issues and single points of failure. In this article, we explore the design tradeoffs for scalable system software at extreme scales. We propose a general system software taxonomy by deconstructing common HPC system software into their basic components. The taxonomy helps us reason about system software as follows: (1) it gives us a systematic way to architect scalable system software by decomposing them into their basic components; (2) it allows us to categorize system software based on the features of these components, and finally (3) it suggests the configuration space to consider for design evaluation via simulations or real implementations. Further, we evaluate different design choices of a representative system software, i.e. key-value store, through simulations up to millions of nodes. Finally, we show evaluation results of two distributed system software, Slurm++ (a distributed HPC resource manager) and MATRIX (a distributed task execution framework), both developed based on insights from this work. We envision that the results in this article help to lay the foundations of developing next-generation HPC system software for extreme scales.
Effects of injury and Reconstruction of the Posterior Cruciate Ligament on Proprioception and Neuromuscular Control

Proprioceptive deficits have been demonstrated following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) disruption, but little research exists evaluating proprioception in the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL)-deficient and/or -reconstructed knee. We have studied proprioception in PCL-deficient and PCL-reconstructed knees. The following summarizes our protocol and results of proprioceptive testing of kinesthesia and joint position sense in participants with isolated PCL injuries and those who underwent PCL reconstruction. We studied 18 participants with isolated raptures of the PCL and 10 participants who underwent PCL reconstruction. Proprioception was evaluated by two tests: the threshold to detect passive motion (TTDPM) and the ability to passively reproduce passive positioning (RPP). These assess kinesthesia and joint position sense, respectively. We have shown that isolated PCL deficiency in the human knee does result in reduced kinesthesia and enhanced joint position sense. Thus, the proprioceptive mechanorecepto...