cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Ascorbate-induced Absorbance Change in Chloroplasts from Violaxanthin De-epoxidation

A new ascorbate-induced chloroplast absorbance change which has the characteristics of a carotenoid shift is described. The absorbance change was light-dependent at pH 7 but not at pH 5. The difference spectra for the light and dark changes were similar, showing a large absorbance peak at 505 nanometers, smaller peaks near 468 and 437 nanometers, and a sharp valley around 483 nanometers. The absorbance change is assigned to violaxanthin de-epoxidation because various conditions affected the absorbance change and violaxanthin de-epoxidation similarly, and the difference spectrum resembled the spectrum of zeaxanthin minus violaxanthin in organic solvent. Nigericin with KCl inhibited the light-dependent change at 505 nanometers. This effect, as well as the dark change at pH 5, indicated that de-epoxidation requires an acidic condition in chloroplasts. The effects of 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1, 1-dimethyl urea, 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol, and phenazine methosulfate indicated that the chloroplast acidification which mediates the 505 nanometers change is derived from hydrogen-ion transport linked to photosystem 1. Thus the 505 nanometers change could serve as an endogenous probe for chloroplast acidification and an indirect indicator of hydrogenion transport. At pH 5, the role of ascorbate appears to be to provide the reducing potential necessary for reductive de-epoxidation of violaxanthin. At pH 7, ascorbate could have an additional effect of stimulating electron transport and hence the hydrogen-ion transport necessary for de-epoxidation. In contrast to leaves and algae, de-epoxidation in chloroplasts was irreversible under the conditions investigated. Under some conditions other absorbance changes which were apparently due to chlorophyll were superimposed on the de-epoxidation change. The relationship of these ascorbate-induced changes to other absorbance changes observed in chloroplasts and green algae remains to be determined.
Isolation, characterization, and development of WRKY genes as useful genetic markers in Theobroma cacao

There is currently an international effort in improving disease resistance and crop yield in Theobroma cacao L., an economically important crop of the tropics, using marker-assisted selection for breeding. We are developing molecular genetic markers focusing upon gene families involved with disease resistance. One such family is the WRKY proteins, which are plant-specific transcriptional factors associated with regulating defense responses to both abiotic and biotic stresses. Degenerate PCR primers were designed to the highly conserved DNA-binding domain and other conserved motifs of group I and group II, subgroups a–c, WRKY genes. Sixteen individual WRKY fragments were isolated from a mixture of T. cacao DNA using one pair of primers. Of the 16 WRKY loci investigated, seven contained single nucleotide polymorphisms within the intron as detected by sequence comparison of the PCR products. Four of these were successfully converted into molecular markers and mapped in an F2 population by capillary electrophoresis-single strand conformation polymorphism analysis. This is the first report of a pair of degenerate primers amplifying WRKY loci directly from genomic DNA and demonstrates a simple method for developing useful genetic markers from members of a large gene family.
National ecological observatory network (NEON) airborne remote measurements of vegetation canopy biochemistry and structure

The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) is a continental-scale research platform for discovering, understanding and forecasting the impacts of climate change, land-use change, and invasive species on ecology. Site-based flux tower and field measurements will be coordinated with high resolution, regional airborne remote sensing observations. This data combined with satellite observations, national data sets and ecosystem models will extend site-based and regional coverage to the continental scale. The NEON Airborne Observation Platform (AOP) will carry remote sensing instrumentation designed to achieve sub-meter to meter scale ground resolution to bridge scales from organism and stand scales to the scale of satellite based remote sensing. The capability of the airborne system will be well beyond existing systems in its ability to produce quantitative information about ecosystem structure and functioning covering nearly 2 million hectares each year for 30 years or more.
Flow Control Over a Circular Cylinder Using Pulsed Dielectric Barrier Discharge Actuators

Immersed bodies such as struts, vanes, and instrumentation probes in gas turbine flow systems will, except at the lowest of flow velocities, shed separated wakes. These wakes can have both upstream and downstream effects on the surrounding flow. In most applications, surrounding components are designed to be in the presence of a quasi-steady or at least nonvariant flow field. The presence of unsteady wakes has both aerodynamic and structural consequences. Active flow control of wake generation can therefore be very valuable. One means to implement active flow control is by the use of plasma actuation. Plasma actuation is the use of strong electric fields to generate ionized gas that can be actuated and controlled using the electric fields. The controlling device can be based on AC, DC, or pulsed-DC actuation. The present research was conducted using pulsed-DC from a capacitive discharge power supply. The study demonstrates the applicability of, specifically, pulsed-DC plasma flow control of the flow on a circular cylinder at high Reynolds numbers. The circular cylinder was selected because its flow characteristics are related to gas turbine flowpath phenomena, and are well characterized. Further, the associated pressure gradients are some of the most severe encountered in fluid applications. The development of effective plasma actuators at high Reynolds numbers under the influence of severe pressure gradients is a necessary step toward developing useful actuators for gas turbine applications beyond laboratory use. The reported experiments were run at Reynolds numbers varying from 50,000 to 97,000, and utilizing various pulse frequencies. Further the observed performance differences with varying electric field strengths are discussed for these Reynolds numbers. The results show that flow behaviors at high Reynolds numbers can be influenced by these types of actuators. The actuators were able to demonstrate a reduction in both wake width and momentum deficit.
Mentoring state hospital nurses to write

There is a shortage of clinical nurses, particularly in the area of psychiatric nursing, who feel competent and comfortable writing for publication. This is unfortunate since clinical nurses have valuable experiences to share, to promote and advance the nursing profession. This manuscript describes the work of one Director of Nursing at a state hospital who mentored the nursing staff to write for publication. Over a period of five years some 28 articles have been published by nurses at this hospital. This success in publication has led to an increase in self-esteem among nurses, an increased willingness to share their writing experiences with others, and increased numbers of workshop presentations on clinical subjects. This article describes how the mentoring process can be used to promote authorship, and specifically, how it was used at this one hospital.
Fossil mimosoid legumes from the Eocene and Oligocene of southeastern North America

Abstract Fossil Leguminosae are among the most abundant and diverse elements in the flora of the Eocene Claiborne Formation of southeastern North America. The three legume subfamilies, Caesalpinioideae, Mimosoideae, Papilionoideae, are represented by numerous leaflet and fruit species as well as by several species of flowers. A particular type of leaf, fruit and/or inflorescence co-occur at four of the twelve localities that have been examined and have been shown to have affinities with the tribe Mimoseae of the Mimosoideae. The fossil leaves ( Duckeophyllum eocenicum gen. et sp. nov.) are bipinnate with prominent pulvinae on the petiole and rachises. The leaves supported at least four pairs of pinnae, each bearing five or more pairs of opposite to alternate inequilateral coriaceous leaflets. These fossils are similar to the extent monotypic genus Dinizia from Amazonian Brazil. The co-occurring fossil inflorescence, Eomimosoidea plumosa Crepet and Dilcher, has also been compared with Dinizia . Specimens of fossil pods ( Eliasofructus catahoulensis and E. claibornensis gen. et spp. nov.) are comparable to the fruits of Dinizia in some respects and differ from them in others. Dinizia is one of the most generalized and isolated genera of the Mimoseae and is thought to have diverged very early in the evolution of the Mimosoideae. These fossils provide evidence for the occurrence of the Mimosoideae in southeastern North America during the Eocene and are of evolutionary significance because of the hypothesized basal position of Dinizia in the Mimoseae. Leaflets similar in general form to the leaflets examined in this study have often been assigned to Mimosites Bowerbank, a genus established for legume fruits referable to the Mimosoideae at large with unknown modern relationships. After reviewing the history of the use of the name Mimosites , we establish the new generic name Parvileguminophyllum for small inequilateral legume leaflets and make new combinations for the Mimosites species described by Berry (1914, 1916, 1924, 1930) for small legume leaflets.
Inhibition of HeLa Growth by Intranuclear Tritium

The inclusion of tritium-labeled thymidine of various concentrations in the tissue culture medium in which HeLa cells were grown resulted in inhibition of growth, except where carrier thymidine was added. The fact that added thymidine reversed the action of the tritiumlabeled material was interpreted as demonstrating that the inhibition was the result of intracellular incorporation of tritium and not some toxic contaminant. Implications of the findings in studies using tritium-labeled compounds are discussed. (C.H.)
Passive constriction of the upper airway during central apneas: Fiberoptic and EMG investigations

Abstract We studied five adult male patients with central sleep apnea syndrome (>75% of the monitored events being central) during sleep using a fiberoptic scope and EMG monitoring of the superior and middle constrictors of the pharynx and the genioglossus and geniohyoid muscles. The fiberoptic investigation revealed a spontaneous decrease in the size of the airway during central apneas, without negative intrathoracic pressure or activation of the superior and middle pharyngeal constrictor muscles. We found a mean maximum decrease of 71±7% in the cross-sectional area of the airway and an absence of superior-middle pharyngeal constrictor EMG discharge. We did not observe any complete collapses of the airway.
CheapStat: An Open-Source, “Do-It-Yourself” Potentiostat for Analytical and Educational Applications

Although potentiostats are the foundation of modern electrochemical research, they have seen relatively little application in resource poor settings, such as undergraduate laboratory courses and the developing world. One reason for the low penetration of potentiostats is their cost, as even the least expensive commercially available laboratory potentiostats sell for more than one thousand dollars. An inexpensive electrochemical workstation could thus prove useful in educational labs, and increase access to electrochemistry-based analytical techniques for food, drug and environmental monitoring. With these motivations in mind, we describe here the CheapStat, an inexpensive (<$80), open-source (software and hardware), hand-held potentiostat that can be constructed by anyone who is proficient at assembling circuits. This device supports a number of potential waveforms necessary to perform cyclic, square wave, linear sweep and anodic stripping voltammetry. As we demonstrate, it is suitable for a wide range of applications ranging from food- and drug-quality testing to environmental monitoring, rapid DNA detection, and educational exercises. The device's schematics, parts lists, circuit board layout files, sample experiments, and detailed assembly instructions are available in the supporting information and are released under an open hardware license.
Evolutionary approaches for real world applications in 21st century

Evolutionary computation is notably one of the fast growing fields of research and application and is becoming pervasive in several streams of science and engineering. This paper reviews its origin, investigates the reason for its growth and widespread applicability. The reasons for existence and advantages of other paradigms are also discussed. The goal of this paper is to underline root-causes necessary for successful deployment of evolutionary methods in diverse applications and challenges that need to be addressed in any such endeavour.
Environmental social governance management: a theoretical perspective for the role of disclosure in the supply chain

This study proposes to examine the empirical association and relationship between voluntary disclosure of environmental, social, and governance management activity/practices and business performance, by investigating their causal effects. More specifically, employing data for the largest and most valued US stock-listed corporations, this study proposes to examine both the impact of voluntary disclosure of environmental, social, and governance management activity/practices on business performance, and the impact of business performance on voluntary disclosure of environmental, social, and governance management activity/practices, using a lag of E, S, G, ESG and BP variables. Stakeholder theory, institutional theory, and resource-based view RBV theory of the firm suggest that differentiation in capabilities and in resources, developed through inter-organisational workings among supply chain members, is a primary source of improved performance and sustained competitive advantage. This working together, or collaboration among supply chain members, can equally benefit other domains, including environmental, social, and governance areas, and their voluntary disclosures.
Poster: The relentless computing paradigm: a data-oriented programming model for distributed-memory computation

The possibility of hardware failures occurring during the execution of application software continues to increase along with the scale of modern systems. Existing parallel development approaches cannot effectively recover from these errors except by means of expensive checkpoint/restart files. As a result, many CPU hours of scientific simulation are lost due to hardware failures.Relentless Computing is a data-oriented approach to software development that allows for many classes of distributed and parallel algorithms, from no data-sharing to intense data-sharing, to be solved in both loosely- and tightly- coupled environments. Each process requires no knowledge of the current runtime status of the others to begin contributing, meaning that the execution pool can shrink and grow, as well as recover from hardware failure, automatically.We present motivations for the development of Relentless Computing, how it works, examples of using Relentless Computing to solve several types of problems, and initial scaling results.
Defining Interior Design Programming

The objectives of this research were to define programming as it relates to the design of interior envi-ronments and identify the phases and components of interior design programming. The ultimate goal was to integrate existing design research and programming concepts to produce a definition and procedure that could be easily used by interior design educators and practitioners. An extensive review was conducted of literature that defined programming and identified phases or components of programming. Data from each source were entered on a coding sheet listing definitions of programming and its different phases and components. Following analysis of the data, a definition of programming was devised, three phases of programming were identified, and fourteen major components of programming were identified and described. The results of this study have implications for both interior design educators and practitioners as a method of documenting the attention given in the design process to issues of public health, safety, and welfare.
Experiments that address phenomenological issues of fast fluidization

In seeking understanding of fast fluidization, researchers have encountered a number of important and intriguing phenomenological issues. The answers to these issues influence the nature of our predictive models and strongly effect our ability to engineer fast fluidized beds. The research community has responded with a number of inventive experimental techniques, which are tailored to address specific phenomena. four of these issues, and the corresponding experimental investigations, are reviewed and summarized in this paper.
Hemorrhage Activates Myocardial NFκB and Increases TNF-α in the Heart

The heart is a tumor necrosis factor (TNFalpha) producing organ. Locally (v systemically)-produced TNFalpha likely contributes to myocardial dysfunction via direct suppression of myocardial contractile function, the induction of myocardial apoptosis, and the genesis of cardiac hypertrophy. Although recent studies have demonstrated increased myocardial TNFalpha following endotoxemia, it remains unknown whether shock, in the absence of sepsis, activates myocardial nuclear factor kappa B (NFkappaB, a TNFalpha transcription factor) and/or increases TNFalpha in the heart. To study this, rats were hemorrhaged and resuscitated, after which hearts were harvested and analysed for evidence of NFkappaB activation (electrophoretic mobility shift assay) and assayed for TNFalpha levels. Hemorrhage and resuscitation activated NFkappaB and resulted in a dramatic increase in myocardial TNFalpha. This study constitutes the initial demonstration that hemorrhagic shock activates the signaling mechanisms which culminate in increased myocardial TNFalpha. Indeed, this may have important clinical implications, since hemorrhage is a frequent complication of both iatrogenic and accidental trauma, as well as a potent instigator of multiple organ failure.
Effective Lethal Mutagenesis of Influenza Virus by Three Nucleoside Analogs

ABSTRACT Lethal mutagenesis is a broad-spectrum antiviral strategy that exploits the high mutation rate and low mutational tolerance of many RNA viruses. This approach uses mutagenic drugs to increase viral mutation rates and burden viral populations with mutations that reduce the number of infectious progeny. We investigated the effectiveness of lethal mutagenesis as a strategy against influenza virus using three nucleoside analogs, ribavirin, 5-azacytidine, and 5-fluorouracil. All three drugs were active against a panel of seasonal H3N2 and laboratory-adapted H1N1 strains. We found that each drug increased the frequency of mutations in influenza virus populations and decreased the virus9 specific infectivity, indicating a mutagenic mode of action. We were able to drive viral populations to extinction by passaging influenza virus in the presence of each drug, indicating that complete lethal mutagenesis of influenza virus populations can be achieved when a sufficient mutational burden is applied. Population-wide resistance to these mutagenic agents did not arise after serial passage of influenza virus populations in sublethal concentrations of drug. Sequencing of these drug-passaged viral populations revealed genome-wide accumulation of mutations at low frequency. The replicative capacity of drug-passaged populations was reduced at higher multiplicities of infection, suggesting the presence of defective interfering particles and a possible barrier to the evolution of resistance. Together, our data suggest that lethal mutagenesis may be a particularly effective therapeutic approach with a high genetic barrier to resistance for influenza virus. IMPORTANCE Influenza virus is an RNA virus that causes significant morbidity and mortality during annual epidemics. Novel therapies for RNA viruses are needed due to the ease with which these viruses evolve resistance to existing therapeutics. Lethal mutagenesis is a broad-spectrum strategy that exploits the high mutation rate and the low mutational tolerance of most RNA viruses. It is thought to possess a higher barrier to resistance than conventional antiviral strategies. We investigated the effectiveness of lethal mutagenesis against influenza virus using three different drugs. We showed that influenza virus was sensitive to lethal mutagenesis by demonstrating that all three drugs induced mutations and led to an increase in the generation of defective viral particles. We also found that it may be difficult for resistance to these drugs to arise at a population-wide level. Our data suggest that lethal mutagenesis may be an attractive anti-influenza strategy that warrants further investigation.
Measurement of free estradiol-17β in blood plasma by gas-liquid chromatography using an electron capture detector

Abstract A method is described for the estimation of free estradiol-17β in plasma using gas-phase chromatography with an electron capture detector. Estradiol-17β is enzymatically oxidized to estrone and then converted to estrone-3-methyl ether-17-pentafluorophenylhydrazone. At total estradiol-17β concentrations from 0.001 to 0.020 μg, the precision of assay ranged from 11 to 1%. As little as 0.05 μg estradiol-17β/liter of plasma may be measured with considerable precision. Plasma values varied from 1.1 to 30.7 μg/liter in pregnant women and in plasma obtained from normal women during the menstrual cycle from 0.05 to 1.0 μg estradiol-17β/liter was present.
Considering Policies to Protect Children from TV Violence

For decades, lawmakers have been debating what they can do to protect children from the harmful effects of violence on television. The debate has intensified recently with three major proposals: (a) to require manufacturers to install a V-chip into all new televisions so parents can program their sets, thus preventing their children from being exposed to violence; (b) to require television programmers to display a violence rating for each program; and (c) to limit the showing of violent programs to "safe harbors" when children are not viewing. In the winter of 1996 Congress passed the Telecommunication Competition and Deregulation Act, which, among other things, adopted the first two proposals. We argue that the thinking behind each of these proposals is fundamentally flawed.
Adaptive memory power management techniques for HPC workloads

The memory subsystem is responsible for a large fraction of the energy consumed by compute nodes in High Performance Computing (HPC) systems. The rapid increase in the number of cores has been accompanied by a corresponding increase in the DRAM capacity and bandwidth, and as a result, the memory system consumes a significant amount of the power budget available to a compute node. Consequently, there is a broad research effort focused on power management techniques using DRAM low-power modes. However, memory power management continues to present many challenges. In this paper, we study the potential of Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling (DVFS) of the memory subsystems, and consider the ability to select different frequencies for different memory channels. Our approach is based on tuning voltage and frequency dynamically to maximize the energy savings while maintaining performance degradation within tolerable limits. We assume that HPC applications do not demand maximum bandwidth throughout the entire period of execution. We can use these low memory demand intervals to tune down the frequency and, as a result, applications can tolerate a reduction in bandwidth to save energy. In this paper, we study application channel access patterns, and use these patterns to determine potential additional energy savings that can be achieved by accordingly controlling the channels independently. We then evaluate the proposed DVFS algorithm using a novel hybrid evaluation methodology that includes simulation as well as executions on real hardware. Our results demonstrate the large potential of adaptive memory power management techniques based on DVFS for HPC workloads.
Differential protein partitioning within the herpesvirus tegument and envelope underlies a complex and variable virion architecture

The herpesvirus virion is a multilayered structure consisting of a DNA-filled capsid, tegument, and envelope. Detailed reconstructions of the capsid are possible based on its icosahedral symmetry, but the surrounding tegument and envelope layers lack regular architecture. To circumvent limitations of symmetry-based ultrastructural reconstruction methods, a fluorescence approach was developed using single-particle imaging combined with displacement measurements at nanoscale resolution. An analysis of 11 tegument and envelope proteins defined the composition and plasticity of symmetric and asymmetric elements of the virion architecture. The resulting virion protein map ascribes molecular composition to density profiles previously acquired by traditional ultrastructural methods, and provides a way forward to examine the dynamics of the virion architecture during infection.
WITHIN-SESSION RESPONSE PATTERNS ON CONJOINT VARIABLE-INTERVAL VARIABLE-TIME SCHEDULES

Operant responding often changes within sessions, even when factors such as rate of reinforcement remain constant. The present study was designed to determine whether within-session response patterns are determined by the total number of reinforcers delivered during the session or only by the reinforcers earned by the operant response. Four rats pressed a lever and 3 pigeons pecked a key for food reinforcers delivered by a conjoint variable-interval variable-time schedule. The overall rate of reinforcement of the conjoint schedule varied across conditions from 15 to 480 reinforcers per hour. When fewer than 120 reinforcers were delivered per hour, the within-session patterns of responding on conjoint schedules were similar to those previously observed when subjects received the same total number of reinforcers by responding on simple variable-interval schedules. Response patterns were less similar to those observed on simple variable-interval schedules when the overall rate of reinforcement exceeded 120 reinforcers per hour. These results suggest that response-independent reinforcers can affect the within-session pattern of responding on a response-dependent schedule. The results are incompatible with a response-based explanation of within-session changes in responding (e.g., fatigue), but are consistent with both reinforcer-based (e.g., satiation) and stimulus-based (e.g., habituation) explanations.
Temperature derivatives of the dynamic permittivity and permeability of the simple thickness modes of quartz plates

The quartz material properties are obtained from measurements of the mass-loaded resonance frequencies of various harmonics of a set of carefully fabricated thickness-mode resonators. The measurement system is based on IEC-444 and its performance has been extensively verified. To date, one set of resonators using thickness excitation of the thickness modes has been measured using this system. The data thus obtained have been reduced using a one-dimensional analysis incorporating the effects of mass loading and the full effects of piezoelectricity, yielding preliminary information on the temperature coefficients of certain elastic constants and on the temperature coefficients of piezoelectric coupling for the rotated Y-cuts. The temperature coefficients of the dynamic permittivity and dynamic permeability of the simple thickness modes of quartz plates are developed from the data as a sample application of the measurements. >
Does famine influence sex ratio at birth? Evidence from the 1959–1961 Great Leap Forward Famine in China

The current study examined the long-term trend in sex ratio at birth between 1929 and 1982 using retrospective birth histories of 310 101 Chinese women collected in a large, nationally representative sample survey in 1982. The study identified an abrupt decline in sex ratio at birth between April 1960, over a year after the Great Leap Forward Famine began, and October 1963, approximately 2 years after the famine ended, followed by a compensatory rise between October 1963 and July 1965. These findings support the adaptive sex ratio adjustment hypothesis that mothers in good condition are more likely to give birth to sons, whereas mothers in poor condition are more likely to give birth to daughters. In addition, these findings help explain the lack of consistent evidence reported by earlier studies based on the 1944–1945 Dutch Hunger Winter or the 1942 Leningrad Siege.
A Jacobian future: can everyone have a medical home?

Abraham Jacobi and the other founders of pediatrics in the United States established pediatrics as a primary care specialty by providing well-child visits with health screenings and immunizations. This course differed from that taken in Europe where children received their primary care from general practitioners, and pediatricians were consultants. Thus, there has been an uneasy relationship between pediatrics and family medicine in which both are competitors and partners in the care of children and adolescents. Phillips et al1 now bring a challenge to the pediatric community regarding the future of health care for children and adolescents. The growth in the number of general pediatricians will greatly exceed the growth of the pediatric population by 2020.2 This growth is likely to exceed published measures of sufficiency,3 and there are signs of decreasing demand for general pediatricians.4 In addition, pediatrics has recognized the importance of caring for families to improve child health,5 potentially leading to a collision course with family medicine. The increasing number of general pediatricians has led to a decrease in the percentage of pediatric visits performed by family physicians since 1980.6 Family physicians, however, still provide approximately one fifth of pediatric-age office visits, with one third of rural visits and one quarter of adolescent visits. More than 5 million children and adolescents currently live in a county without a pediatrician, and many rural areas cannot support a pediatric practice. In addition, family physicians provide care for many uninsured or publicly insured children and disproportionately staff safety-net facilities such as community health centers. Thus, family physicians play a critical role in the care of children and adolescents in the United States. From the perspective of family medicine, Phillips et al present 4 responses to the growing number of general pediatricians and family physicians relative … Address correspondence to Richard J. Pan, MD, MPH, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Davis, 2516 Stockton Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95817. E-mail: richard.pan{at}ucdmc.ucdavis.edu
Auditory Priming within and across Modalities: Evidence from Positron Emission Tomography

Previous neuroimaging studies of perceptual priming have reported priming-related decreases in the extrastriate cortex. However, because these experiments have used visual stimuli, it is unclear whether the observed decreases are associated specifically with some aspect of visual perceptual processing or with more general aspects of priming. We studied within-and cross-modality priming using an auditory word stem completion paradigm. Positron emission tomography (PET) images were obtained during stem completion and a fixation task. Within-modality auditory priming was associated with blood flow decreases in the extrastriate cortex (bilateral), medial/right anterior prefrontal cortex, right angular gyrus, and precuneus. In cross-modality priming, the study list was presented visually, and subjects completed auditory word stems. Cross-modality priming was associated with trends for blood flow decreases in the left angular gyrus and increases in the medial/right anterior prefrontal cortex. Results thus indicate that reduced activity in the extrastriate cortex accompanies within-modality priming in both visual and auditory modalities.
First InP/InGaAs PNP HBT grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition

The MOCVD growth of InP/InGaAs PNP HBT layers and the successful fabrication and operation at high frequency of devices made on such layers are reported for the first time. The PNP HBTs employed a zinc-doped InP layer as emitter while the base was made with a 500 /spl Aring/ thick n-type InGaAs layer doped at 5/spl times/10/sup 18/ cm/sup -3/. Microwave measurements indicated f/sub T/ of more than 11 GHz at J/sub C/=8.25/spl times/10/sup 4/ A/cm/sup 2/ for these MOCVD-grown InP/InGaAs PNP HBTs.
Saturation Density of Skin Fibroblasts as a Quantitative Screen for Human Cancer Susceptibility

Genomic analysis of human cancers reveals a large number of genetic changes per cell that presumably underlie development of the disease. The complexity of these changes that differ from one type of cancer to the other and from patient to patient with the same type of cancer raises questions about the feasibility of genomic analysis as an indicator of susceptibility to cancer. However, skin fibroblasts (SF) from individuals in families with heritable forms of cancer, and from cancer-bearing individuals, show correlation with a significant increase in saturation density (SD), as well as other neoplasia-related properties. Procedures are described for amplifying and quantifying differences in SD on the basis of studies of spontaneous transformation in the NIH 3T3 line of mouse fibroblasts. It is proposed that such procedures be evaluated as quantitative screens for susceptibility to cancer in the general population.
Academic achievement among formerly homeless adolescents and their continuously housed peers

This study examined the school experiences and academic achievement of 46 adolescents in families who experienced homelessness and 87 permanently housed adolescents whose families received public assistance. Measures taken after the homeless students were rehoused showed that both groups valued school highly and were similar in cognitive abilities assessed with the similarities subtest of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—Revised (WISC-R). Formerly homeless students had more school mobility, more grade retention, and worse school experiences by mother report and lower plans for post-secondary education by self-report. Both groups scored poorly on standardized tests of academic achievement. Homelessness was associated with further declines in achievement during the period of maximal residential disruption, but did not have effects 5 years later.
Optimization of throughput and autonomous sensing in random access cognitive radio networks

The main advantages of random access networks are the ability to work with little or no infrastructure and independent transmission of users. Thus, users themselves in a random access network decide when to access the channel. Design of cognitive radio (CR) users in random access networks necessitates integrating unique functions such as spectrum sensing, policy and configuration databases, and self-configuration, etc. Spectrum sensing is especially crucial in terms of determining the channel availability and characterization. The traditional approach to cognitive radio network assumes a centralized spectrum sensing through cooperation of the CR users. However, such centralized approach adds additional level complexity which may not be desired in random access networks. In this paper, we investigate autonomous sensing and random access protocols for cognitive radios such that independent transmission of CR users is still allowed. The proposed methodology eliminates the control channel required in traditional collaborative sensing while preserving gains from cooperation and maintaining tolerable interference levels to the primary users of the spectrum. Our proposed design methodology is demonstrated using the slotted ALOHA protocol as the MAC layer due to its simplicity.
Survival of Day-Old Chicks under Conditions of Simulated High-Altitude Transport

Abstract THE immediate objective of the exploratory tests described here was to determine the effects of sustained low barometric pressures and of rapid changes in barometric pressures on the survival of day-old chicks. Some tests were also made at different temperature ranges, but due to time and other limitations under which the work was carried out, no proper analysis of the role of this factor could be attempted. There is little in the literature on the type of test described here. The papers by Rostorfer and Rigdon (1947), Britton and Kline (1945), and Stullken and Hiestand (1943) should, however, be mentioned as well as unpublished observations on birds made available to us by Dr. Paul D. Altland. SOURCE OF CHICKS Day-old, non-sexed Rhode Island Red chicks hatched at Beltsville were used in all runs except test 9 (Table 1); the exceptional chicks were 2 days of age at the beginning of . . .
Recent advances in defining the hematopoietic stem cell niche.

Purpose of review Hematopoietic stem cells are thought to reside in discrete cellular spaces termed "niches." The cellular elements and matrix surrounding the stem cell within the niche constitute the microenvironment. The purpose of this review is to discuss recent reports that have begun to elucidate the geographic location, key cellular type, and molecular mechanisms operating in stem cell niches. Recent findings Studies that have revealed the osteoblast as the key in vivo cellular element of the adult stem cell niche are the most significant recent findings. Additional studies have highlighted the importance of the Notch and Wingless (Wnt) signaling pathways in the hematopoietic microenvironment. Genomewide expression screens have been used to perform molecular profiling of stromal cell lines that serve as surrogate stem cell niches. These profiles have revealed novel regulatory molecules and have reinforced the roles of classic developmental morphogens in the niche space. The transcriptional profiling from these screens suggests that it is highly unlikely that a single factor or signal transduction pathway will control stem cell properties. Summary This review highlights the recent advances made toward elucidating the cellular and molecular attributes of the hematopoietic stem cell niche. Complete knowledge of the cellular architecture and molecular mechanisms in stem cell niches is essential to understanding the basic stem cell behaviors of self-renewal and differentiation.
Heterogeneous distribution of myocardial steatosis--an ex vivo evaluation.

Myocardial fat accumulation could occur in diseased hearts. The degree of heterogeneity is unknown because accurate assessment is difficult using conventional proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy techniques in a beating heart. The purpose of this study was to characterize the distribution of intramyocellular lipid content and to determine its association with disease characteristics. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy was performed on formalin-fixed slices of human hearts at various circumferential locations (N = 55). Twenty-nine percent of the hearts had the highest fat content measured in the septum, followed by posterior (27%), lateral (26%), and anterior (18%) wall. Age was significantly correlated with the mean fat percentages (r2 = 0.12, P = 0.007). Those who died from cardiovascular disease demonstrated significantly higher and more heterogeneous fat distribution than those who did not (1.62% ± 1.1% vs. 0.59% ± 0.4%, P = 0.002). In summary, septal fat content is representative of mean fat percentage. Fat content increases with age; fat distribution may be heterogeneous when associated with cardiovascular disease. Magn Reson Med, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis and Crohn's disease

345 Because of the occurrence of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculois (MAP) in the food supply, the question of whether or not MAP is a causal agent of Crohn’s disease is of paramount interest. Seemingly well-designed research studies have often produced contradictory results; therefore, the association of MAP with Crohn’s disease remains quite contentious. Although the conclusions of the meta-analysis by Martin Feller and colleagues 1 seem to indicate an association between MAP and Crohn’s disease, I have reservations concerning the decision to exclude 13 studies in which MAP was not detected in any patients with Crohn’s disease or in controls. Because MAP occurrence was the primary outcome under analysis, this decision undoubtedly skewed the conclusions of the meta-analysis. The authors’ post-hoc rationale for exclusion was that the DNA extraction protocols used in these studies might not have been suffi ciently robust to release MAP DNA. Was a similar exclusion criterion applied to the studies in which MAP DNA was detected? Failure to detect MAP in any sample in a study could indicate either poor assay sensitivity or a true fi nding that MAP is not associated with Crohn’s disease. Because no standards exist for PCR assays of MAP in human specimens, it is not possible to assess which possibility holds for any given study. Thus, the exclusion of studies based solely on failure to detect MAP is capricious and inappropriate. If assay sensitivity were a valid criterion for study inclusion/exclusion, then I would argue that overly sensitive PCR assays (ie, nested PCR followed by hybridisation with labelled probes), which likely result in overestimates of the prevalence of MAP in samples, must also be treated as suspect. That many of the studies included in this meta-analysis were not blinded also suggests a substantial possibility of systematic error in interpreting borderline results; unblinded control samples are likely to be judged negative and unblinded Crohn’s disease samples judged positive. Finally, an additional source of bias that was not addressed by the authors is the fact that negative results generally are not published, and so would not enter into this meta-analysis. Indeed, in parallel with a recently published culture-independent study of microbial communities associated with infl ammatory bowel
Fatal Fetal Outcome with the Combined Use of Valsartan and Atenolol

OBJECTIVE:To report a case of anhydramnios, pulmonary hypoplasia, very small placenta, and fetal death in a pregnancy complicated by chronic hypertension and diabetes mellitus that had been treated through the first 24 weeks of gestation with valsartan and atenolol.CASE SUMMARY:A 40-year-old Hispanic woman with well-controlled chronic hypertension and diet-controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus was treated with valsartan and atenolol until pregnancy was diagnosed at 24 weeks' gestation. An ultrasound examination revealed normal fetal growth and anatomy but anhydramnios (amniotic fluid index 0). Valsartan was discontinued, and amniotic fluid volume normalized within two weeks. Intrauterine fetal death was documented at 33 weeks' gestation. Labor was induced, with the delivery of a stillborn female fetus with small, hypoplastic lungs (weight 41% of expected) and an extremely small, 148-g placenta (weight 48% of the 10th percentile for gestational age).DISCUSSION:The use of valsartan, a selective angiotensin II...
Advancements in Exhaust Flow Measurement Technology

With the recent acceptance of the Bag Mini-Diluter (BMD) for low-level exhaust emissions measurement, there is an increased interest in exhaust flow measurement technology throughout the industry. Accurate tailpipe exhaust flow measurements can be considered the most "difficult" aspect of Bag Mini-Diluter systems due to the heat, water content, and transient behavior of the samples. Acceptance by the EPA and ARB of the Bag Mini-Diluter sampling system was based on the design and performance of the Flow Technologies E-Flow system with UGF-5 ultrasonic electronics. A number of noteworthy advancements have been made to this exhaust meter since the Agency's acceptance, and there appears to be a number of new technologies entering the market. At this time, ultrasonic flow measurement is the most prevalent and robust technology, however, other alternatives are worthy of consideration. The primary focus of this paper is to update the industry as to performance capabilities of current certification systems and to describe the requirements and desired features for future products. We will outline the general guidelines for exhaust flow meter performance in terms of accuracy, repeatability, and response characteristics. The tools needed to verify meter performance are described and data are presented for various exhaust flow meter designs. We will address the impact of the performance criteria on FTP and HwFET test results, and finally, we will recommend the performance improvements needed by industry to enhance the value of today's products.
Energy Harvesting From Droplet Interface Bilayers

Biologically inspired droplet interface bilayers have found applications in the development of hair cell sensors and other mechanotransduction applications. In this research, the flexoelectric capability of the droplet bilayers under external excitation is explored for energy harvesting. Traditionally, membrane capacitance models are being used for inferring the magnitude of the membrane deflection which do not account for the relation between the applied force or deflection and the deflection of the interfacial membrane and time dependent variations. In this work, the dynamic behavior of the droplets under external excitation has been modeled using nonlinear finite element analysis. A flexoelectric model including mechanical, electrical, and chemical sensitivities has been developed and coupled with the calculated bilayer deformations to predict the mechanotransductive response of the droplets under excitation. Using the developed framework, the possibilities of energy harvesting for different droplet configurations have been investigated and reported.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Enhanced Electro-Osmotic Flow Pump for Micro-Scale Heat Exchangers

Non-uniform heat flux generated by microchips can create “hot spots” in localized areas on the microchip surface. This research presents an improved design of an active cooling electro-osmotic flow (EOF) based micro-pump for hot spots thermal management. The design of the micro-pump was simpler and more practical for the application compared to designs presented in literature.Most micro-channel heat sink devices presented in literature were silicon based. Though silicon has better thermal conductivity when compared to polymers used in micro-devices fabrication, processes of silicon fabrication are complicated and time consuming. Also, most micro-channel fabrication processes use silicon etching which leads to rough walls within the micro-channel. An improved design, which uses a combination of silicon and Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), is being developed and tested. The main idea of this design is to utilize the favorable thermal properties of silicon while achieving both smoother charged surfaces and ease of fabrication of PDMS material.The EOF micro-pump was tested for four cooling fluid namely, DI water, distilled water, borax buffer, and Al2O3 nano-particles suspended in water solution. A maximum flow rate of 31.2 μL/min was achieved using distilled water at 500 V of EOF voltage. Such micro-pump with this flow rate range can be implemented in a closed loop heat rejection system for hot spot thermal management. Moreover, it can be used in Lap-on-chip and uTAS application for sample transport.© 2012 ASME
Cat Scratch Disease and Epilepsia Partialis Continua

An 18-year-old female young adult with seizures associated with cat scratch disease is reported from Norwalk Hospital, Yale University School of Medicine, CT.