cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chance-constrained economic dispatch with renewable energy and storage

Increasing penetration levels of renewables have transformed how power systems are operated. High levels of uncertainty in production make it increasingly difficulty to guarantee operational feasibility; instead, constraints may only be satisfied with high probability. We present a chance-constrained economic dispatch model that efficiently integrates energy storage and high renewable penetration to satisfy renewable portfolio requirements. Specifically, we require that wind energy contribute at least a prespecified proportion of the total demand and that the scheduled wind energy is deliverable with high probability. We develop an approximate partial sample average approximation (PSAA) framework to enable efficient solution of large-scale chance-constrained economic dispatch problems. Computational experiments on the IEEE-24 bus system show that the proposed PSAA approach is more accurate, closer to the prescribed satisfaction tolerance, and approximately 100 times faster than standard sample average approximation. Finally, the improved efficiency of our PSAA approach enables solution of a larger WECC-240 test system in minutes.
MAPS: Understanding Metadata Access Patterns in Secure Memory

Secure memory increases both the latency and energy required for memory accesses. To reduce these overheads, computer architects have sought to cache metadata on the processor chip, but placing metadata in a simple cache has not been as effective as expected. With a detailed analysis of metadata access patterns, we clarify myths in metadata caching and provide insight into more efficient caching strategies. We provide three observations that can help architects design future metadata caches. First, caching all metadata types improves efficiency. Second, the size of the metadata cache should match the reuse distance of the metadata. Third, when designing a better eviction policy, the traditional Belady's MIN algorithm cannot be used as the optimal replacement policy.
Plenary lecture 3: forest fire detection and prevention with unmanned systems

This presentation addresses a significant problem facing many countries in Europe, the U.S. and elsewhere: fires during the summer months are ravaging forests, resulting in loss of life and endangering the balance of sensitive ecosystems. It is essential that forest fires be detected as early as possible and their spread ascertained in order to minimize their catastrophic impact. Civil authorities are attempting to prevent the extent of forest fires via observation ports, satellite data, citizen input and other available means. Recent advances in unmanned system technologies, communications and computing are promising to bring to the front such emerging technologies in order to assist in the forest fire prevention challenge. We introduce towards this goal an integrated architecture consisting of a swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with infrared and optical sensing devices, communications and computing to detect forest fire pressure (smoke plumes, small fires), communicate the information to a control command and control port, and even provide information about possible human intruders initiating forest fires. The command and control station employs all available information from multiple sources to access the accuracy of the data and transmit pertinent information to appropriate fire fighting personnel. We will discuss current prototype programs in several countries that are exploring UAVs and related technologies for forest fire prevention.
Normalization via Rewrite Closures

We present an abstract completion-based method for finding normal forms of terms with respect to given rewrite systems. The method uses the concept of a rewrite closure, which is a generalization of the idea of a congruence closure. Our results generalize previous results on congruence closure-based normalization methods. The description of known methods within our formalism also allows a better understanding of these procedures.
Childhood Anxiety in a Diverse Primary Care Population : Parent-Child Reports, Ethnicity and SCARED Factor Structure

ABSTRACT Objective To explore in a multiethnic primary care population the impact of child gender and of race/ethnicity on parent and child reports of school-age anxiety and on the factor structure of the Screen for Childhood Anxiety and Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED). Method A consecutive sample of 515 children (8 to Results Neither SCARED scores nor parent-child difference varied significantly with race/ethnicity. Predictors of higher SCARED scores were less parental education, younger child age and female gender. Exploratory factor analysis conducted separately for SCARED-C and SCARED-P yielded four factors. There was large variation in factor structure between SCARED-C and SCARED-P and across ethnic and gender subgroups, greatest for somatic/panic/generalized anxiety and Hispanic children. Conclusions Primary care triage of anxious children requires data from both the parent and child and must go beyond cross-sectional symptom inventories. Clinicians must elicit from each family their perhaps culturally bound interpretation of the child's somatic and psychological symptoms.
Taxon sampling revisited.

Phylogenies that include long, unbranched lineages can be difficult to reconstruct. This is because long-branch taxa (such as rapidly evolving species) may share character states by chance more often than more closely related taxa share derived character states through common ancestry1. Despite Kim's warning that added taxa can decrease accuracy2, some authors have argued that the negative impact of this error, called ‘long-branch attraction’, is minimized when slowly evolving lineages are included to subdivide long branches3,4,5. From this they have concluded that increasing the number of species sampled per lineage results in better accuracy than increasing the number of characters per species6. We find, using computer simulations, that adding characters can be the more favourable strategy, even for long-branched trees, and that adding slowly evolving taxa to subdivide long branches can reduce accuracy.
Medial Longitudinal Arch: Accuracy, Reliability, and Correlation Between Navicular Drop Test and Footprint Parameters.

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the correlation among the navicular drop test, the arch angle, the Staheli index and the Chippaux-Smirak index. The reliability and the correlation among the footprint parameters were also estimated. Methods A cross-sectional study (n = 86; 59.3% women; 27.8 years, standard deviation: 4.8 years) was carried out. The navicular drop test was evaluated and footprint parameters using a plantar pressure platform were recorded in the dominant foot. Pearson correlation coefficients, intraclass correlation coefficient, standard error of measurement, and minimum detectable change were calculated. Results Both intrarater and interrater reliability were excellent for all the parameters evaluated (intraclass correlation coefficients > 0.880). Statistically significant correlations existed between the navicular drop test and footprints parameters (arch angle = 0,643; Staheli index = 0.633; Chippaux-Smirak index = 0.614). The footprint parameters had excellent correlation with each other (0.838-0.881). The navicular drop test and the footprint parameters studied were reproducible and thus had excellent reliability. Conclusion The correlations obtained between the navicular drop test and the footprint parameters evaluated were good. The navicular drop test appears to be a reproducible, valid, and simple test for evaluating medial longitudinal arch height, having fewer disadvantages than using footprint parameters.
The power of hyphenated chromatography—Time of flight mass spectrometry for unequivocal identification of spirostanes in bodybuilding dietary supplements

A previously unidentified purported botanical ingredient was found in dietary supplements marketed for anabolic benefits. In an attempt to assess the 'naturalness' of a group of steroid-like compounds called laxogenins, a UHPLC-QToF method was developed. Several dietary supplements claim to contain 5α-hydroxy laxogenin, which is a derivative of a naturally occurring spirostane-type steroid, laxogenin. Although laxogenin has been isolated from the rhizomes of Smilax sieboldii, 5α-hydroxy laxogenin has not been isolated or reported from any natural source. These derivatives of laxogenins have untested anabolic properties. Due to the low UV absorbance of the spirostanes, a mass spectrometric method in positive ion mode was developed for unambiguous identification of laxogenin and closely related compounds. To show the utility of the developed method, twelve dietary supplements labeled to contain 5α-hydroxy laxogenin or laxogenin as 5α-hydroxy laxogenin were analyzed as a proof-of-concept. Five supplements did not contain any 5α-hydroxy laxogenin, whereas in the remaining seven samples, spirostane-type contaminants were identified along with the labeled 5α-hydroxy laxogenin. The identity of some of these contaminants was established based on reference standards along with mass fragmentation patterns. One of the unlabeled contaminants was identified as the phytosteroid saponin, diosgenin, a common starting precursor of several steroidal drugs. Several synthetic derivatives of diosgenin were identified in the eight products. These findings indicate that the labeled 5α-hydroxy laxogenin along with other spirostanes found in supplements are synthetic and signify a lack of quality controls. Additionally, an unlabeled, anabolic androgenic steroid, arimistane, an aromatase inhibitor, was also identified in one product. Laxogenin, was not detected in any of the samples analyzed during this investigation.
Rapidly receding Arctic Canada glaciers revealing landscapes continuously ice-covered for more than 40,000 years.

Arctic temperatures are increasing faster than the Northern Hemisphere average due to strong positive feedbacks unique to polar regions. However, the degree to which recent Arctic warming is unprecedented remains debated. Ages of entombed plants in growth position preserved by now receding ice caps in Arctic Canada help to address this issue by placing recent conditions in a multi-millennial context. Here we show that pre-Holocene radiocarbon dates on plants collected at the margins of 30 ice caps in Arctic Canada suggest those locations were continuously ice covered for > 40 kyr, but are now ice-free. We use in situ 14C inventories in rocks from nine locations to explore the possibility of brief exposure during the warm early Holocene. Modeling the evolution of in situ 14C confirms that Holocene exposure is unlikely at all but one of the sites. Viewed in the context of temperature records from Greenland ice cores, our results suggest that summer warmth of the past century exceeds now any century in ~115,000 years.
Early Blood Profile of C57BL/6 Mice Exposed to Chronic Unpredictable Stress

Physiological responses to psychological stressors are protective in acute fight or flight situations; however, there is increasing evidence suggesting the detrimental impact of chronic psychological stress on disease. Chronic stress has been associated with inflammation, poor prognosis, increased morbidity, and poor outcome in many diseases including atherosclerosis, cancer, and pulmonary disease. Given the systemic impact of stress, and the role of the hematopoietic system as a rapid responder to homeostatic insults, we hypothesized that early blood profile changes and biochemical alterations could be detected in a model of chronic stress. To test this hypothesis, a variation of the chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) model was employed. Following 10 days of CUS, C57BL/6 mice exhibited a chronic-stress-associated corticosterone profile. Complete blood count (CBC) revealed mild normochromic, normocytic anemia, and reduced monocyte and lymphocyte count. Serum analysis demonstrated hypoferremia with unchanged total iron binding capacity and serum ferritin levels. These findings are consistent with clinical diagnostic parameters for anemia of chronic disease and indicate that CUS results in significant changes in blood and serum biochemical profile in C57BL/6 mice. These studies identify early changes in blood parameters in response to CUS and identify hematopoietic and biochemical alterations that are often associated with increased morbidity in patients experiencing chronic-stress-associated mental health disease.
Management effects on plant community and functional assemblages in Chicago's vacant lots

QUESTION: We ask whether 11‐year mowing patterns and presence of fencing influence plant community diversity and functional assemblage in urban vacant lots. LOCATION: This study took place in 34 vacant lots on the south and west sides of Chicago, IL, USA. Urban vacant lots are an excellent study system in which to investigate the effects of management in cities: they are ubiquitous in many cities and they experience a range of management, particularly mowing and fencing. METHODS: We used municipal data to classify infrequent and intensive mowing regimes and assessed presence or absence of fencing in situ. In our sites, these management strategies are independent. We used individual permutational analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) models to assess the effects of these management strategies on plant community composition. We then assessed species richness of plants with various traits using six individual two‐way ANOVA models with interaction terms. Our predictor variables included management strategies (mowing intensity and fencing) and three plant traits (growth form [graminoid, forb, or woody], life duration (annual, biennial, or perennial), and biogeographic origin [native or introduced]). RESULTS: We found 120 plant species in the vacant lots. Most of these species were perennial, introduced forbs. We found no discernable effects of mowing intensity on plant community composition or richness of plants in the three functional groups. However, when we compared the species found along fences to those in lot interiors, we found significantly different plant communities. Fence line communities had significantly more native and woody species than lot interiors. CONCLUSIONS: Plant communities differ at very fine spatial scales within an individual vacant lot, and this pattern is related to the presence of fences. Overall, vacant lots support diverse plant communities which can differentially contribute to wildlife habitat depending on management strategy.
CHAPTER 3 – COMPLEX VARIABLES

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on complex variables. A complex number z = x + iy is an ordered pair of real numbers (x, y). The real and imaginary parts, x and y, respectively, of a complex number z can be interpreted as the rectangular Cartesian coordinates of a point in a plane, called the complex plane. In the coordinate system, the x and y axes are known as the real and imaginary axes, respectively. An infinite sequence of complex numbers is a function defined on the nonnegative integers. The ratio test is frequently useful in determining whether a given series converges. A power series always converges at its point of expansion, but the first term of the series is zero.
Cancer Survivorship Care Roles for Primary Care Physicians.

PURPOSE Despite a burgeoning population of cancer survivors and pending shortages of oncology services, clear definitions and systematic approaches for engaging primary care in cancer survivorship are lacking. We sought to understand how primary care clinicians perceive their role in delivering care to cancer survivors. METHODS We conducted digitally recorded interviews with 38 clinicians in 14 primary care practices that had national reputations as workforce innovators. Interviews took place during intense case study data collection and explored clinicians’ perspectives regarding their role in cancer survivorship care. We analyzed verbatim transcripts using an inductive and iterative immersion-crystallization process. RESULTS Divergent views exist regarding primary care’s role in cancer survivor care with a lack of coherence about the concept of survivorship. A few clinicians believed any follow-up care after acute cancer treatment was oncology’s responsibility; however, most felt cancer survivor care was within their purview. Some primary care clinicians considered cancer survivors as a distinct population; others felt cancer survivors were like any other patient with a chronic disease. In further interpretative analysis, we discovered a deeply ingrained philosophy of whole-person care that creates a professional identity dilemma for primary care clinicians when faced with rapidly changing specialized knowledge. CONCLUSIONS This study exposes an emerging identity crisis for primary care that goes beyond cancer survivorship care. Facilitated national conversations might help specialists and primary care develop knowledge translation platforms to support the prioritizing, integrating, and personalizing functions of primary care for patients with highly complicated issues requiring specialized knowledge.
Gluten cross-contact from common food practices and preparations

Summary Patients with celiac disease continue to be exposed to gluten despite efforts to maintain a gluten-free diet (GFD). Gluten exposure in those with celiac disease leads to pathological changes in the small intestine that may or may not be associated with gastrointestinal distress. While several studies have investigated a GFD, little is known about sources of gluten contamination that prevent proper maintenance of such a diet by celiac patients. In this study, we investigate common food practices that could lead to gluten cross-contact. Three different practices were examined for gluten cross-contact: gluten-free foods fried in a fryer also used for gluten containing foods, gluten-free bread toasted in a toaster also used for gluten-containing bread, and popular sandwich spreads applied with a knife used on gluten-containing bread (mayonnaise, jam, and peanut butter). We used the ALLER-TEK™ Gluten ELISA test kit and the sandwich ELISA RIDASCREEN Gliadin test kit, which is endorsed for determination of gluten content and used for the evaluation of food cross-contact. Using both kits gave the advantage of using the 401.2 antibody as well as the better established R5 antibody, providing increased confidence in our results. We found these practices resulted in small amounts of gluten cross-contact, although the majority of the results (93.6%) showed no significant cross-contact. Mayonnaise and peanut butter samples were contaminated with gluten above the limit designated by the FDA as gluten-free
The low-frequency pressure fluctuations of near-equilibrium turbulent boundary layers

The low-frequency pressure fluctuations generated by a range of roughness configurations are explored for flows of roughness Reynolds numbers over 200 and blockage ratios above 73. Two-point analysis of the pressure fluctuations reveals that surfaces with high frontal solidity, $$\lambda$$ , and/or complex shear layer interactions near the elements, have structures which persist longer than structures on the smooth wall. A low-frequency pressure spectrum scaling based on the broadband convection velocity defect, $$U_{\text{e}}-{\overline{U}}_{\text{c}_{\text{b}}}$$ , is proven effective for all rough surfaces and the smooth wall. Here $$U_{\text{e}}$$ is the boundary layer edge velocity, and $${\overline{U}}_{\text{c}_{\text{b}}}$$ is the mean broadband convection velocity. A second scaling, which is more appropriate for a priori predictions, is also proposed. It uses the mean velocity defect, $$U_{\text{e}}-{\overline{U}}$$ (where $${\overline{U}}$$ is the mean boundary layer velocity), first proposed for velocity profiles by Zagarola and Smits (J Fluid Mech 373:33–79, 1998). Both scalings are effective because they are based on velocity defects proportional to the outer-layer shear stress which generates the pressure fluctuations. A re-examination of the outer-layer wall-similarity in the context of these new findings suggests that this concept is limited to a narrow range of turbulent boundary layer flows.
A Pilot Study on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Physical Activity and Well-Being of United States Military Veterans in Alaska

The COVID-19 pandemic and measures taken in response to the pandemic, including compulsory stay-at-home orders, have negatively impacted people’s physical and mental well-being in the United States (US). These issues may be exacerbated in US military veterans; however, little to no research has examined the impact of compulsory stay-at-home orders on veterans. The goal of this pilot study was thus to examine the impact of the COVID-19 compulsory stay-at-home order in Alaska on physical activity and overall well-being of veterans living in Alaska. A total of 16 veterans living in Alaska completed an online survey that assessed their physical activity and overall well-being in the month prior to the compulsory stay-at-home order and in a month during the compulsory stay-at-home order. Results indicated a statistically significant decrease in the participants’ physical activity and overall satisfaction with their health, as well as a borderline significant decrease in environmental well-being. These results, while limited in generalizability due to the small sample size, provide initial insight into the impacts of the compulsory stay-at-home order in Alaska on veterans and call for additional research and the creation of interventions to provide veterans with alternate methods to engage in physical activity and promote their overall well-being.
Systems modeling predicts that mitochondria ER contact sites regulate the postsynaptic energy landscape.

Spatiotemporal compartmentation of calcium dynamics is critical for neuronal function, particularly in postsynaptic spines. This exquisite level of Ca2+ compartmentalization is achieved through the storage and release of Ca2+ from various intracellular organelles particularly the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the mitochondria. Mitochondria and ER are established storage organelles controlling Ca2+ dynamics in neurons. Mitochondria also generate a majority of energy used within postsynaptic spines to support the downstream events associated with neuronal stimulus. Recently, high resolution microscopy has unveiled direct contact sites between the ER and the mitochondria (MERCs), which directly channel Ca2+ release from the ER into the mitochondrial membrane. In this study, we develop a computational 3D reaction-diffusion model to investigate the role of MERCs in regulating Ca2+ and ATP dynamics. This spatiotemporal model accounts for Ca2+ oscillations initiated by glutamate stimulus of metabotropic and ionotropic glutamate receptors and Ca2+ changes in four different compartments: cytosol, ER, mitochondria, and the MERC microdomain. Our simulations predict that the organization of these organelles and inter-organellar contact sites play a key role in modulating Ca2+ and ATP dynamics. We further show that the crosstalk between geometry (mitochondria and MERC) and metabolic parameters (cytosolic ATP hydrolysis, ATP generation) influences the neuronal energy state. Our findings shed light on the importance of organelle interactions in predicting Ca2+ dynamics in synaptic signaling. Overall, our model predicts that a combination of MERC linkage and mitochondria size is necessary for optimal ATP production in the cytosol.
Sex-specific Disruption of the Prairie Vole Hypothalamus by Developmental Exposure to a Flame Retardant Mixture.

Prevalence of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) with social deficits is conspicuously rising, particularly in boys. Flame retardants (FRs) have long been associated with increased risk, and prior work by us and others in multiple species has shown that developmental exposure to the common FR mixture Firemaster 550 (FM 550) sex-specifically alters socioemotional behaviors including anxiety and pair bond formation. In rats, FRs have also been shown to impair aspects of osmoregulation. Because vasopressin (AVP) plays a role in both socioemotional behavior and osmotic balance we hypothesized that AVP and its related nonapeptide oxytocin (OT) would be vulnerable to developmental FM 550 exposure. We used the prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaste) to test this because it is spontaneously prosocial. Using siblings of prairie voles used in a prior study that assessed behavioral deficits resulting from developmental FM 550 exposure across three doses, here we tested the hypothesis that FM 550 sex-specifically alters AVP and OT neuronal populations in critical nuclei, such as the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) that coordinate those behaviors, as well as related dopaminergic (determined by tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunolabeling) populations. Exposed females had fewer AVP neurons in the anterior PVN and more A13 TH neurons in the zona incerta compared to controls. By contrast, in FM 550 males, A13 TH neuron numbers in the zona incerta were decreased but only in one dose group. These results expand on previous work showing evidence of endocrine disruption of OT/AVP pathways, including to subpopulations of PVN AVP neurons that coordinate osmoregulatory functions in the periphery.
RNase-based self-incompatibility in cacti

Approximately one-half of all flowering plants express genetically based physiological mechanisms that prevent self-fertilisation. One such mechanism, termed RNase-based self-incompatibility, employs ribonucleases as the pistil component. Although it is widespread, it has only been characterised in a handful of distantly related families, partly due to the difficulties presented by life history traits of many plants, which complicate genetic research. Many species in the cactus family are known to express self-incompatibility but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. We demonstrate the utility of a candidate-based RNA-seq approach, combined with some unusual features of self-incompatibility-causing genes, which we use to uncover the genetic basis of the underlying mechanisms. Specifically, we assembled transcriptomes from Schlumbergera truncata (crab cactus or false Christmas cactus), and interrogated them for tissue-specific expression of candidate genes, structural characteristics, correlation with expressed phenotype(s), and phylogenetic placement. The results were consistent with operation of the RNase-based self-incompatibility mechanism in Cactaceae. The finding yields additional evidence that the ancestor of nearly all eudicots possessed RNase-based self-incompatibility, as well as a clear path to better conservation practices for one of the most charismatic plant families.
Enzymatic Beacons for Specific Sensing of Dilute Nucleic Acid and Potential Utility for SARS-CoV-2 Detection

Enzymatic beacons, or E-beacons, are 1:1 bioconjugates of the nanoluciferase enzyme linked covalently at its C-terminus to hairpin forming DNA oligonucleotides equipped with a dark quencher. We prepared E-beacons biocatalytically using the promiscuous "hedgehog" protein-cholesterol ligase, HhC. Instead of cholesterol, HhC attached nanoluciferase site-specifically to mono-sterylated hairpin DNA, prepared in high yield by solid phase synthesis. We tested three potential E-beacon dark quenchers: Iowa Black, Onyx-A, and dabcyl. Prototype E-beacon carrying each of those quenchers provided sequence-specific nucleic acid sensing through turn-on bioluminescence. For practical application, we prepared dabcyl-quenched E-beacons for potential use in detecting the COVID-19 virus, SARS-CoV-2. Targeting the E484 codon of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein, E-beacons (80 x 10-12 M) reported wild-type SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid at [≥]1 x 10-9 M with increased bioluminescence of 8-fold. E-beacon prepared for the E484K variant of SARS-CoV-2 functioned with similar sensitivity. These E-beacons could discriminate their complementary target from nucleic acid encoding the E484Q mutation of the SARS-CoV-2 Kappa variant. Along with specificity, detection sensitivity with E-beacons is two to three orders of magnitude better than synthetic molecular beacons, rivaling the most sensitive nucleic acid detection agents reported to date.
Recent strategies and tactics for the enantioselective total syntheses of cyclolignan natural products.

Covering: 2000 to 2021Lignan natural products are found in many different plant species and possess numerous useful biological properties, such as anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antioxidant, antibacterial, and antitumor activities. Their utility in both traditional and conventional medicine, coupled with their structural diversity has made them popular synthetic targets over many decades. This review specifically addresses the cyclolignan subclass of the family, which possess both a C8–C8′ and a C2–C7′ linkage between two different phenylpropene units. We present a comprehensive overview of the diverse strategies employed by chemists to achieve enantioselective total syntheses of cyclolignans covering: 2000 to 2021.
Intrusion Prediction using Long Short-Term Memory Deep Learning with UNSW-NB15

This study shows the effectiveness of anomaly-based IDS using long short-term memory(LSTM) based on the newly developed dataset called UNSW-NB15 while considering root mean square error and mean absolute error as evaluation metrics for accuracy. For each attack, 80% and 90% of samples were used as LSTM inputs and trained this model while increasing epoch values. Furthermore, this model has predicted attack points by applying test data and produced possible attack points for each attack at the 3rd time frame against the actual attack point. However, in the case of an Exploit attack, the consecutive overlapping attacks happen, there was ambiguity in the interpretation of the numerical values calculated by the LSTM. We presented a methodology for training data with binary values using LSTM and evaluation with RMSE metrics throughout this study.
Expression of Na+/K+-ATPase and H+/K+-ATPase fusion proteins in Sf-9 insect cells

The baculovirus-directed expression system has been utilized extensively to express a variety of soluble and transmembrane polypeptides in infected Sf-9 insect cells. In most instances the expressed polypeptides receive the proper post-translational modifications and assume a functionally active conformation even when multimerization is required. Recently, reconstitution of ouabain-inhibitable Na+/K+-ATPase activity has been demonstrated in Sf-9 insect cells coexpressing baculovirus induced otl and β1-subunit isoforms (1). Infections with recombinant baculovirus expressing the a or β-subunit alone showed no appreciable level of ouabain-sensitive Na+/K+-ATPase activity although both subunits were delivered to the plasma membrane independent of one another. Additional kinetic studies of uninfected insect cells demonstrated negligible levels of endogenous Na+/K+-ATPase activity and an absence of SCH 28080-inhibitable H+/K+-ATPase activity (data not shown). Thus, cultured Sf-9 insect cells represent an attractive model system for functional studies in which recombinant α-subunits can be expressed in combination with specific β-subunit isoforms and assayed for altered enzymatic activity under controlled reaction conditions. At present, the exact polypeptide regions and residues that comprise the ligand binding domains of the countertransporting P-type ATPases are unresolved. Through this current study a greater understanding of the regions of the α-subunit involved in cation sensitivity (Na+ vs. H+), inhibitor binding (ouabain vs. SCH 28080), and β-subunit interaction can be ascertained.
Understanding Our Changing Planet: NASA's Earth Science Enterprise

NASA has been studying the Earth and its changing environment by observing the atmosphere, oceans, land, ice, and snow and their influence on climate and weather since the agency's creation. This study has lead to a new approach to understanding the interaction of the Earth's systems, Earth System Science. The Earth Science Enterprise, NASA's comprehensive program for Earth System Science, uses satellites and other tools to intensively study the Earth. The Earth Science Enterprise has three main components: (1) a series of Earth-observing satellites, (2) an advanced data system and (3) teams of scientist who study the data. Key areas of study include: (1) clouds, (2) water and energy cycles, (3) oceans, (4) chemistry of the atmosphere, (5) land surface, water and ecosystems processes; (6) glaciers and polar ice sheets, and (7) the solid earth.
In situ X-ray scattering of epitaxial oxide thin films

Abstract In this chapter we review recent work using hard X-ray scattering for the in situ study of oxide heterostructures. The first section provides a survey of different techniques and ongoing developments exploiting the manifold capabilities of third-generation light sources. In later sections we describe studies focused on complex oxide thin-film synthesis, the atomic and electronic structural properties of buried interfaces, and the behavior of catalytically active oxide surfaces in their native environment. We conclude with a brief outlook into the future opportunities made possible by impending synchrotron technologies.
Classification of T-cell and NK-cell Malignancies

This chapter provides an overview of mature T-cell malignancies, including those presenting in lymph nodes (e.g., angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma), extranodal sites (e.g., hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma), and leukemias (e.g., Sezary syndrome). The role of the two prototypic mature T-cell oncogenes, ALK kinase in anaplastic large cell lymphoma and TCL1 in T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia, is discussed. A general model for T-cell tumor initiation involving canonical and aberrant signaling through the T-cell receptor is presented. The clinical presentation and morphologic range of NK-cell malignancies are also discussed.
Cognitive Function and Control of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Young Adults.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been associated with impairment of cognitive function. Studies show a strong negative correlation between the levels of glycosylated hemoglobin and cognitive function in adult patients above the mean age of 60 years. In healthy adults, age-related cognitive impairment is mostly reported after the age of 60 years, hence the decline in cognitive function can be a part of normal aging without diabetes. Since the majority of patients with diabetes are between the ages of 40 and 59 years, it is crucial to ascertain whether the levels of glycosylated hemoglobin negatively correlate with the levels of cognitive function scores in adult patients of age 60 years or younger, similar to the way it correlates in patients older than 60 years of age, or not. Aims: We observed the relationship between the levels of glycosylated hemoglobin and the levels of cognitive function in patients of age 60 years or younger with T2DM. Materials and Methods: Eighty-two patients with T2DM underwent cognitive assessment testing by using a Modified Mini-Mental State Examination (3MS), and their cognitive function scores were correlated with their glycosylated hemoglobin levels, durations of diabetes, and levels of education. Results: Cognitive impairment was observed in 19.5% of the studied patients. We found a weakly negative relationship between the glycosylated hemoglobin level and cognitive function score (r = -0.292), a moderately negative relationship between the duration of diabetes and cognitive function score (r = -0.303), and a weakly positive relationship between the level of education and cognitive function score (r = 0.277). Conclusion: Cognitive impairment affects one-fifth of the patients of age 60 years or younger with T2DM. It is weakly negatively related to the glycosylated hemoglobin level, moderately negatively related to the duration of diabetes, and weakly positively related to the level of education.
The Rat Race as an Information Forcing Device

In many job settings, there will be some promotion criteria that are less amenable to measurement than others. Often, what is difficult to measure is more important. For example, possessing "good judgment" under pressure may be a better predictor of success as a law firm partner than the ability to bill a vast amount of hours. The first puzzle that this essay explores is why, in some promotion settings, organizations appear to focus on less important, but measurable, criteria such as hours billed. The answer lies in the relationship between the objectively measurable criteria, on the one hand, and the subjective and less visible (but more important) attributes on the other hand. Under certain circumstances, a competition over the measurable criteria, such as hours billed or number of deals accomplished, can force the revelation of information on hard-to-measure subjective attributes of the candidate such as judgment or collegiality. For example, it is easier to evaluate the judgment of an associate who has amassed a number of deals than one who has not. Some information about the associate's good and bad judgment is likely to be generated from the deals. So, while it makes little sense to promote associates based solely on billable hours, making billable hours the goal of the first round of a tournament, where the winners are awarded eligibility for consideration for partnership, can generate information more relevant to the second round partner selection decision. Explaining the first puzzle leads to a second puzzle. If promotion tournaments over measurable criteria can be effectively utilized in the private sector to force information about candidate traits, why do we not see revelation tournaments elsewhere, where competition may generate information useful in evaluating candidates for promotion? The answer, we suggest, has to do at least in part with agency problems. Promotion tournaments based on measurable criteria limit the discretion of agents making the promotion decisions. When decision-makers have less discretion, the return to currying favor with those decision-makers falls. As a result, decision-makers with less discretion earn less "rent." Decision-makers acting as agents also enjoy a reduced ability to make promotion decisions according to their own preferences separate from the goals of their principals.
Perfect 3-Limited-Weight Code for Low Power I/O

Codes for low power I/O reduce the number of 1′s transmitted over the bus at the expense of overhead (encoding and decoding) and an increase in the number of bus lines and/or bus cycles. We propose treating special cases of Limited-Weight Codes (LWC) as duals of block Error Corecting Codes (ECC). This enables the algorithmic generation of a LWC based on its dual ECC and is a fundamentally novel way of encoding for low power I/O. We also propose a perfect 3-LWC as dual to the Golay binary ECC which shows good power savings for heavily loaded buses.
How can subsurface modifications to hydraulic conductivity be designed as stream restoration structures? Analysis of Vaux's conceptual models to enhance hyporheic exchange

[1] Despite the growing interest in hyporheic exchange and the associated stream ecosystem processes, few studies consider restoration of hyporheic exchange as a design goal. Here we study the design of three types of subsurface structures for hyporheic restoration after conceptual designs published over 40 years ago. Vaux's designs involve modifying the subsurface with low or high hydraulic conductivity material placed at the streambed or adjacent to a confining layer below the stream. In this preliminary analysis of subsurface structure design we use two-dimensional groundwater flow modeling of structures to simulate structure performance in plane bed streams for ranges of structure geometric design and hydraulic conductivities. Structure performance is evaluated on the basis of total streambed flux, physical extent of hyporheic flow paths created, and residence time distributions along flow paths modified by the structures. High hydraulic conductivity structures bend flow paths toward and through the structures themselves; performance is controlled by the structure hydraulic conductivity. Results show low hydraulic conductivity structure performance is insensitive to the structure material; hyporheic exchange is created by deflecting flow paths away from the structure itself. Time scales of simulated exchange are great enough to promote nitrification, denitrification, respiration, and thermal buffering in the subsurface, though these processes will also be controlled by site-specific chemical and biological factors. General design recommendations for specific restoration objectives are presented. Results of this study can be extrapolated to further understand the interaction of natural subsurface heterogeneities (e.g., clay and gravel deposits and bedrock knickpoints) and flow fields in creating hyporheic flow paths.
The Influence of Dietary Fiber Source on Human Intestinal Transit and Stool Output

Wheat bran ground to a coarse and fine particle size, purified cellulose and ethanol-extracted cabbage fiber, fed to 24 adult males during an 80-day metabolic trial, were examined for effects on intestinal transit time, laxation and stool composition. Brilliant blue, plastic pellets, polyethylene glycol (PEG)-4000 and Cr(III) mordanted onto isolated bran fiber were simultaneously administered for transit measurements. Intersubject variability in response to fiber source was highly significant for all transit and stool measurements. Only coarse bran or cellulose addition increased transit speed (decreased transit time) over basal rates. Grinding of bran significantly reduced fecal output because of reduced fecal water. Only subjects consuming cellulose or fine bran reported difficult or uncomfortable defecations. Though cabbage produced the smallest fecal output, stools had a high moisture content comparable to those obtained from coarse bran, which suggests a large microbial output in response to a fermentable substrate. Significant negative correlations were produced when changes in dry matter or cell wall intakes were regressed with Cr (III) transit. These findings suggest that the level of either food or fiber in the diet are variables that influence intestinal transit time and should be controlled in studies measuring it. Increases in fiber intake linearly increased fecal output of water and dry matter. Regression slopes were characteristic of each fiber source.
PERSPECTIVES ON TORTURE: Reports from a Dialogue Including Christian, Judaic, Islamic, and Feminist Viewpoints

Torture continues to be a pressing political issue in North America, yet religious scholarly reflection on the ethics of torture remains all but sidelined in public discourse for a variety of complex reasons. These reasons are explored—and critiqued—in this collection of reflections by Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and feminist religious ethicists. These scholars find that historical amnesia, forced if not twisted readings of classical texts and contemporary human rights instruments, and sociological factors are but a few of the factors challenging contemporary religious ethical discourse on torture.
Formation of filaments by Pseudomonas putida

Abstract When Pseudomonas putida 40 was grown on a variety of liquid media in which oxygen became a limiting factor during growth, the latter stages of growth involved the elongation of cells without septation, which can result in the complete filamentation of the culture (up to several hundred micrometers long). The filaments appeared to consist of a chain of protoplasts within a common sacculus. Later these filaments were capable of a rapid fragmentation by septation to give a population of ordinary rods with a corresponding increase in the number of viable particles but no appreciable change in total bacterial mass. Filamentation did not occur if slow growth rates were maintained by restriction of oxygen availability from the beginning of growth. In complex media filaments were not formed during growth on 1% peptone alone, but the addition of 0.1 M phosphate or 6.6 × 10−4 M EDTA induced extensive filamentation that was reversed by the addition of 6.6 × 10−4 M Mg2+. In minimal media a much higher Mg2+ concentration than that required for active growth or present in the complex media was usually required for filamentation. A very narrow range of Mg2+ concentration promoted filamentation, and this optimum differed markedly depending on the carbon source used. Other medium variations which influenced the level of filamentation are reported. We found that most strains of P. putida (including the neotype strain) and P. fluorescens gave filaments under the conditions developed with strain 40, whereas several strains of P. aeruginosa failed to give filaments on the same media.
Retinofugal Projections in the Mouse

The laboratory mouse is increasingly a subject for visual system investigation, but there has been no comprehensive evaluation of this species' visual projections. Here, projections were visualized and mapped following intraocular injection of cholera toxin B subunit. Tissue was processed using standard procedures applied to 30 μm free-floating sections with diaminobenzidine as the chromogen. The mouse retina projects to ~46 brain regions, including 14 not previously described in this species. These include two amygdaloid nuclei, the horizontal limb of the diagonal band, the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus, several visual thalamic nuclei, the paranigral nucleus, several pretectal nuclei, and the dorsal cortex of the inferior colliculus. Dense retinal patches were also observed in a narrow portion of the ipsilateral intermediate layer of the superior colliculus. The superior fasciculus of the accessory optic tract, which innervates the medial terminal nucleus, was also determined to be a terminal zone throughout its length. The results are compared with previous descriptions of projections from mouse intrinsically photoreceptive retinal ganglion cells, and with data from the hamster, Nile grass rat, and laboratory rat. The retinal projection patterns are similar in all four species, although there are many differences with respect to the details. The specific visual functions of most retinorecipient areas are unknown, but there is substantial convergence of retinal projections onto regions concerned with olfaction and audition.