cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Model Discrimination at the LHC: a Case Study

We investigate the potential of the compact muon solenoid detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) to discriminate between two theoretical models predicting anomalous events with jets and large missing transverse energy, minimal supersymmetry, and little Higgs with T parity. We focus on a simple test-case scenario, in which the only exotic particles produced at the LHC are heavy color-triplet states (squarks or T quarks), and the only open decay channel for these particles is into the stable missing-energy particle (neutralino or heavy photon) plus a quark. We find that in this scenario, the angular and momentum distributions of the observed jets are sufficient to discriminate between the two models with a few inverse femtobarns of the LHC data, provided that these distributions for both models and the dominant standard model backgrounds can be reliably predicted by Monte Carlo simulations.
An embarrassment of riches.

I applaud the efforts of Holmes et al ( Pediatrics 2014;133:766–768) to provide guidance to clinicians asked to write narrative evaluations of medical students. As the authors correctly point out, thoughtful comments “provide meaningful feedback to the student about performance, and formulate strong statements for the Medical Student Performance Evaluation,” or MSPE. I have 1 concern related to the second function that remains to be addressed: how best to convey those comments to …
Cinchona alkaloid induced chiral discrimination for the determination of the enantiomeric composition of α-trifluoromethylated-hydroxyl compounds by 19F NMR spectroscopy

Abstract The determination of the enantiomeric composition of α-trifluoromethylated-hydroxyl compounds using cinchona alkaloids as chiral selectors is described. The interaction between the alkaloid and trifluoromethylated-hydroxyl compounds converted the enantiotopic nuclei to diastereotopic nuclei observed by 19 F NMR spectroscopy. A wide variety of target molecules have been studied to highlight the broad applicability of the method.
Comparison of Dolichos biflorus lectin and other lectin‐horseradish peroxidase conjugates in staining of cutaneous blood vessels in the hairless mini‐pig

Angiogenesis is necessary for normal growth, wound healing, and plays a key role in many pathologic processes. A variety of endothelial markers have been used to investigate angiogenesis. Unfortunately, excellent markers for vascular endothelium in human tissues exhibit little or no staining of endothelia in tissues of other animal species, including the pig. We are interested in the hairless Yucatan strain of mini-pig as an animal model for studying cutaneous wound healing because its skin is histologically and functionally very similar to that of man. Hoping to find a specific marker to identify vascular endothelium in the mini-pig, we therefore screened a battery of 11 different lectin-horseradish peroxidase conjugates. Based on specificity and staining intensity, Dolichos biflorus agglutinin (DBA) was chosen from this battery to investigate vascular changes in the healing of cutaneous wounds in the mini-pig. When compared with routine histologic sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin, blood vessels were much easier to identify in sections stained histochemically with DBA. Lectin histochemistry was particularly useful in investigations of early events in angiogenesis during wound healing when newly derived capillary buds and minute blood vessels were obscured in normal histologic sections by an inflammatory cell infiltrate associated with the healing wound. Ultrastructural lectin cytochemistry revealed staining along the luminal surface and the basolateral plasmalemma of endothelial cells. Histochemical staining with DBA promises to provide a useful method for further investigation of angiogenesis and other vascular phenomena in a variety of normal and pathologic processes using the hairless Yucatan strain of mini-pig as the animal model.
Techniques for determining propulsion system forces for accurate high speed vehicle drag measurements in flight

As part of a NASA program to evaluate current methods of predicting the performance of large, supersonic airplanes, the drag of the XB-70 airplane was measured accurately in flight at Mach numbers from 0.75 to 2.5. This paper describes the techniques used to determine engine net thrust and the drag forces charged to the propulsion system that were required for the in-flight drag measurements. The accuracy of the measurements and the application of the measurement techniques to aircraft with different propulsion systems are discussed. Examples of results obtained for the XB-70 airplane are presented.
Three-dimensional polarization imaging of (Ba,Sr)TiO3:MgO composites

The dielectric tuning and loss of (Ba,Sr)TiO3:MgO bulk composites depend strongly on the connectivity and interaction among the two phases. To investigate this relationship, the polar structure and dynamics of these composites are mapped as a function of space and time using a pair of three-dimensional probes: second-harmonic confocal scanning optical microscopy (SH-CSOM), which maps ferroelectric polarization in three dimensions, and time-resolved scanning optical microscopy (TR-CSOM), which maps polarization dynamics along two spatial dimensions and one time dimension. SH-CSOM measurements reveal a high degree of homogeneity within the (Ba,Sr)TiO3 regions, while TR-CSOM measurements indicate that topologically connected regions respond with a spatially uniform phase.
Investigation on High Energy Density Materials Utilizing Biological Transport Mechanisms

Biological systems such as plants produce large deformations due to the conversion of chemical energy to mechanical energy. These chemomechanical energy conversions are controlled by the transport of charge and fluid across permeable membranes within the cellular structure of the biological system. In this paper we analyze the potential for using biological transport mechanisms to produce materials with controllable actuation properties. An energetics analysis is performed to quantify the relationship between the introduction of chemical energy in the form of ATP to the resulting osmotic pressure variation within an enclosed membrane. Our analysis demonstrates that pressure variations of between 5 and 15 MPa are achievable. The pressure variations are then coupled to a finite element analysis to determine the ability of organized arrays to produce extensional and bending actuation in thin membranes. Our analysis demonstrates that internal pressure variations on the order of 10 MPa can produce actuation materials with extensional energy density on the order of 100 kJ/m3 and bending energy density on the order of 10 kJ/m3 .Copyright © 2004 by ASME
A Test for Perceptual Independence With Dissimilarity Data

The dominance axiom states that the dissimilar ity of a pair of stimuli differing on two dimen sions must exceed the dissimilarities of the corresponding pairs of stimuli that differ on only one of the dimensions. This axiom is presented as a test of dissimilarity data to determine if the dimensions of the perceptual space are perceived independently, and as a diagnostic tool in assessing the INDSCAL model's assumption of independent dimensions. The general recognition theory of similarity, which contains both the three-mode and INDSCAL multidimensional scaling models as spe cial cases, is used to motivate the test. It is shown that general recognition theory predicts consistent violations of the dominance axiom with dependent dimensions, but not independent dimensions. A consistent pattern of violations of dominance sug gests that the three-mode model is most appropri ate. When the test of dominance is satisfied, the INDSCAL model is appropriate for the data. A simulation study was conducted to examine t...
Swelling behavior of protein-based superabsorbent hydrogels treated with ethanol

A fish protein-based superabsorbent hydrogel has been synthesized by modifying 80% of the ϵ-amino groups of the protein with ethylenediaminetetraacetic dianhydride followed by crosslinking the remaining ϵ-amino groups with glutaraldehyde. The hydrogel thus prepared was capable of absorbing about 200 g water per g dry gel after centrifuging at 214g. Denaturation of the gel by treatment with absolute ethanol increased the equilibrium water uptake of the gel from 200 to 425 g water per g of dry gel. The saline uptake of the gel also increased from 24 g saline (0.1M NaCl) for the control gel to 35 g saline per g dry gel for the ethanol-treated gel. Analysis of the structural state of protein chains in the crosslinked swollen gel network using circular dichroism spectroscopy showed that, whereas the protein chains in the control gel were predominantly in β-turn form, those in the ethanol-treated sample were mainly in the α-helical form. In addition to improving the swelling properties, the ethanol treatment offered the following advantages: 1. It dehydrated the gel and thereby eliminated the need for drying the gel. 2. It extracted low molecular weight off-odor compounds from the protein gel. 3. It could also extract any residual unreacted glutaraldehyde (believed to be carcinogenic) that might be present in the gel. The ethanol used in the process can be easily recovered and recycled in the process. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 81: 2190–2196, 2001
The logic of inference

This column continues a series on topics in research methodology, statistics and data analysis techniques for the library and information sciences. It discusses the logic implicit in statistical inference, which underlies many tests and procedures used in quantitative scientific inquiry.
1,3,4-Tri-O-acetyl-2-N-(tri­fluoro­acetyl)-β-l-fucose

The title compound, C14H18F3NO8, was produced through conjugation of 1,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-2-azidode­oxy-α,β-l-fucose with tri­fluoro­acetyl chloride in the presence of bis­(di­phenyl­phosphino)ethane in tetra­hydro­furan at room temperature. The X-ray crystal structure reveals that the β-anomer of the product mixture crystallizes from ethyl acetate/hexa­nes. The compound exists in a typical chair conformation with the maximum possible number of substituents, four out of five, located in the sterically preferred equatorial positions. The major directional force facilitating packing of the mol­ecules are N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds involving the amide moieties of neighboring mol­ecules, which connect mol­ecules stacked along the a-axis direction into infinite strands with a C11(4) graph-set motif. Formation of the strands is assisted by a number of weaker C—H⋯O inter­actions involving the methine and methyl H atoms. These strands are connected through further C—H⋯O and C—H⋯F inter­actions into a three dimensional network
Validation Of The Physically Reasonable Infrared Signature Model (PRISM)

The utility of a thermal model can only be realized after careful validation. At KRC a series of tests have been conducted to validate The Physically Reasonable Infrared Signature Model (PRISM). PRISM is a first principles semi empirical model developed for but not limited to thermally modeling vehicles. There are many factors which go into accurately modeling a vehicle's thermal characteristics, error can have many sources. The ultimate goal of validation should be to isolate the sources of error as much as possible to gain a better insight into model behavior. Tests were conducted at KRC using a simple facet structure consisting of four one foot square aluminum plates. This structure was used to minimize the errors that result from facet geometry. The tests were run in both mid summer and winter to observe any change in model accuracy that is seasonally related. Tests were then conducted using a M2 Bradley to validate the model for vehicles.
A true chemical clock: Serially coupled chlorite iodide oscillators

Abstract A set of serially coupled flow reactors are modeled which contain chlorite–iodide oscillators. By independently varying the reactor flow rates it is possible to produce oscillatory systems with differing periods where the ratio of the period of oscillation between reactors is always an integer value. This system was thoroughly examined and utilized to produce a ‘true’ chemical clock whose three reactors oscillate with a frequency of minutes, hours, and days.
Radiative Transfer Effects on Reflected Shock Waves I. Transparent Gas

Analytical and numerical calculation of the effects of radiative cooling on the flow field and heat transfer behind a reflected shock wave. The analytical solutions are developed by an expansion procedure about the Newtonian limit - i.e., the flow variables are expanded in the small parameter epsilon representing the initial density ratio across the shock front. Solutions carried out through the zeroth- and first-orders in epsilon show an accuracy to the order of epsilon squared - namely, for the specific conditions considered the analytically calculated enthalpy changes agree to within 2% with the numerically computed changes. The numerical procedure consists of a finite-difference calculation with pressure gradients neglected. The analytical calculations show that pressure-gradient effects may be neglected, except at very long times when the shocked gas has cooled by a large amount. The present calculations show much greater shock-wave attenuation than does a previous numerical computation. This difference is attributed to a better representation of the thermodynamic properties in the present calculations.
Commitment to Rules on Investment: The Developing Countries’ Stake

This study examines foreign direct investment into developing countries, and the stake those countries have in liberalizing or restricting these long-term investments. Of particular interest is the stake the developing countries might have in committing to codes or multilateral agreements on investments. Clear advantages to commitment are identified, involving attracting investments that would not occur otherwise. But disadvantages are also identified, involving the possible loss of rents to host countries that might have been captured in the absence of binding codes.
Evaluation of the API-ZYM system for identification ofListeria

Abstract The API-ZYM system (Analytab Products) was evaluated for potential use for confirming the identity of Listeria isolates. A total of 68 Listeria strains from various sources were assayed using standard procedures. All isolates were positive for esterase (C4), esterase lipase (C8), phosphohydrolase (one exception), β-glucosidase, acid phosphatase and lipase (one exception). Negative responses were observed consistently for valine aminopeptidase, trypsin, α-galactosidase, β-galactosidase, β-glucuronidase, α-fucosidase and cystine aminopeptidase (one exception). Variable responses were noted for alkaline phosphatase, leucine aminopeptidase, chymotrypsin, α-glulucosidase and N-acetyl glucosaminidase. Comparison of these results with those of other Gram positive species indicated that the API-ZYM system could be used for rapid confirmation of Listeria to the subgenus level.
DIAGNOSIS AND THERAPY OF AUTOIMMUNE LIVER DISEASE

Autoimmune liver disease is an unresolving, hepatocellular inflammation of unknown cause that is characterized by the presence of periportal hepatitis (piecemeal necrosis or interface necrosis) on histologic examination, liver-associated autoantibodies in serum, and hypergammaglobulinemia. 16,18,20 By international consensus, the designation autoimmune hepatitis has replaced alternative terms for the condition. 43,52,55,62 Primary biliary cirrhosis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, and autoimmune cholangitis are other chronic liver diseases that have immunologic bases, but their distinctive cholestatic manifestations and relative recalcitrance to corticosteroid therapy have justified their separate classification. 43,52,55,62
The role of young children in a community-wide outbreak of hepatitis A

An Hasidic Jewish community has experienced recurrent hepatitis A outbreaks since 1980. To assess risk factors for illness during a 1985-6 outbreak, the authors reviewed case records and randomly selected 93 households for an interview and serologic survey. In the outbreak, 117 cases of hepatitis A were identified, with the highest attack rate (4.2%) among 3-5 year olds. Among the survey households, the presence of 3-5 year olds was the only risk factor that increased a household's risk of hepatitis A (indeterminant relative risk, P = 0.02). Furthermore, case households from the outbreak were more likely to have 3-5 years olds than were control households from the survey (odds ratio = 16.4, P < 0.001). Children 3-5 years old were more likely to have hepatitis A and may have been the most frequent transmitters of hepatitis A in this community. Hepatitis A vaccination of 3-5 year olds can protect this age group and might prevent future outbreaks in the community.
Trends in the surgical treatment of articular cartilage defects of the knee in the United States.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate trends in surgical treatment of articular cartilage defects of the knee in the United States.
Inhibition of plant viral systemic infection by non‐toxic concentrations of cadmium

Summary Heavy metals, such as cadmium, have a significant impact on plant physiology. However, their potential effect on plant–pathogen interaction, an important biological process, has not been examined. This study shows that exposure of tobacco plants to non-toxic concentrations of cadmium completely blocked viral disease caused by turnip vein clearing virus. Cadmium-mediated viral protection was due to inhibition of the systemic movement of the virus, i.e. its spread from the inoculated into uninoculated leaves. Exposure of plants to cadmium had no effect on viral replication, assembly and local movement within the inoculated leaf. Analysis of the viral presence in different tissues suggested that cadmium treatment inhibited virus exit from the vascular tissue into uninoculated leaves rather than its entry into the host plant vasculature. Higher, toxic levels of cadmium did not produce this inhibitory effect on viral movement, allowing the systemic spread of the virus and development of the viral disease. These observations suggest that cadmium-induced viral protection requires a relatively healthy, unpoisoned plant in which non-toxic levels of cadmium may trigger the production of cellular factors which interfere with the viral systemic movement.
The Use of Social Networking to Improve the Quality of Interprofessional Education

Objective. To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of using an online social networking platform for interprofessional education.Design. Three groups of 6 students were formed with 1 student in each group from medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, and public health. Each group followed a different collaborative educational model with a unique pedagogical structure. Students in all groups interacted via an online social networking platform for a minimum of 15 weeks and met in person once at the end of the 15-week experience for a focus group session. The students were tasked with developing a collaborative recommendation for using social networking in interprofessional education programs.Assessment. Most of the students who reported in a post-experience survey that their expectations were not met were in the minimally structured group. Almost all students in the facilitated and highly structured groups indicated that this experience positively impacted their knowledge of other ...
Identification of quartzofeldspathic materials on Mars

[1] A unique spectral component has been identified near and on the central peaks of two 30 km diameter craters in northern Syrtis Major. These exposures are clearly visible in Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) color radiance images as well as THEMIS and Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) surface emissivity data. Both TES and THEMIS data indicate the presence of increased 1050–1250 cm−1 (∼8–9.5 μm) absorption compared to the surrounding basaltic plains, and TES data also display other absorptions at 400, 470, and 800 cm−1 (∼25, 20, and 12 μm) consistent with the presence of quartz. Ratio and isolated central peak spectral unit spectra match laboratory emissivity spectra of granitoid rocks composed primarily of quartz and plagioclase feldspar. Deconvolution results also indicate that the surface contains quartz and feldspar in addition to a high-Si glass and/or sheet silicate component. Because central peak materials are brought up from depth during the cratering event, the association of the quartzofeldspathic mineralogy with the central peaks of the craters indicates that the quartz-bearing material was excavated from depth. The occurrence in the two adjacent craters may imply a granitoid pluton of considerable extent. A plausible formation mechanism for this relatively silicic material may be similar to that of terrestrial trondhjemites, which do not require plate tectonics. The rarity of the exposures implies that the process that formed the granitoid composition was probably not widespread. The presence of quartz-bearing material on Mars indicates that mechanisms that produce highly differentiated magmas have been present and extends the diversity of surface compositions identified.
Simplified Determinations of Statistical Power, Magnitude of Effect and Research Sample Sizes

A concise table based on a general measure of magnitude of effect is presented. This table allows direct determinations of statistical power over a practical range of values and alpha levels. The table also facilitates the setting of the research sample size needed to provide a given degree of power.
Findings from a study of aspiring nursing student leaders.

Summary Background Transformational leadership skills are critical to operate effectively in today's healthcare environment. Prelicensure nurses do not often practice these skills in a meaningful way during their undergraduate educational experience. Objectives This paper describes quantitative pre–post findings from the Kouzes and Posner Student Leadership Practices Inventory to examine students' leadership attributes pre–post engagement in an 18month undergraduate leadership program. Design This is a non-experimental convenience study that used a quantitative pre–post survey design collecting data from participants and observers using the 360 Kouzes and Posner Student Leadership Practices Inventory. Settings A private university in the northeastern region of the United States. Participants Fourteen junior level nursing students who concurrently participated in a leadership program while concurrently completing their required academic courses for their bachelor's degree in nursing. Methods Paired sample t -tests were used to determine if there was statistical significance among student participants' and observers' perceptions of specific leadership behaviors and skills of students at the onset (pretest) and at the conclusion (posttest) of the leadership program. Results Participant and observer scores were positively correlated and statistical significance was identified in several practice areas. Conclusions It is important to integrate transformation leadership skills into undergraduate curriculum since it supports students' engagement in their own learning and instills foundational knowledge critical to their leadership trajectory.
Neurodevelopmental and Neurodegenerative Models of Schizophrenia: White Matter at the Center Stage

Schizophrenia is a disorder of cerebral disconnectivity whose lifetime course is modeled as both neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative. The neurodevelopmental models attribute schizophrenia to alterations in the prenatal-to-early adolescent development. The neurodegenerative models identify progressive neurodegeneration as its core attribute. Historically, the physiology, pharmacology, and treatment targets in schizophrenia were conceptualized in terms of neurons, neurotransmitter levels, and synaptic receptors. Much of the evidence for both models was derived from studies of cortical and subcortical gray matter. We argue that the dynamics of the lifetime trajectory of white matter, and the consistency of connectivity deficits in schizophrenia, support white matter integrity as a promising phenotype to evaluate the competing evidence for and against neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative heuristics. We develop this perspective by reviewing normal lifetime trajectories of white and gray matter changes. We highlighted the overlap between the age of peak of white matter development and the age of onset of schizophrenia and reviewed findings of white matter abnormalities prior to, at the onset, and at chronic stages of schizophrenia. We emphasized the findings of reduced white matter integrity at the onset and findings of accelerated decline in chronic stages, but the developmental trajectory that precedes the onset is largely unknown. We propose 4 probable lifetime white matter trajectory models that can be used as the basis for separation between the neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative etiologies. We argue that a combination of the cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of white matter integrity in patients may be used to bridge the neurodevelopment and degeneration heuristics to advance schizophrenia research.
Distinguishing Between Extinction And Punishment Effects Of Response Blocking: A Replication.

Lerman and Iwata (1996) described a method for distinguishing between sensory extinction and punishment effects of response blocking on self-injurious behavior maintained independent of social contingencies. Results of their study suggested that blocking decreased the self-injurious hand mouthing of their participant via punishment. The current replication of these procedures with the self-injurious eye poking of a woman with developmental disabilities produced patterns of responding indicating that, for this participant, blocking functioned as an extinction procedure. DESCRIPTORS: response blocking, sensory extinction, punishment
Processing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Antigen 85B Involves Intraphagosomal Formation of Peptide–Major Histocompatibility Complex II Complexes and Is Inhibited by Live Bacilli that Decrease Phagosome Maturation

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) inhibits phagosomal maturation to promote its survival inside macrophages. Control of MTB infection requires CD4 T cell responses and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II (MHC-II) processing of MTB antigens (Ags). To investigate phagosomal processing of MTB Ags, phagosomes containing heat-killed (HK) or live MTB were purified from interferon-γ (IFN-γ)–activated macrophages by differential centrifugation and Percoll density gradient subcellular fractionation. Flow organellometry and Western blot analysis showed that MTB phagosomes acquired lysosome-associated membrane protein-1 (LAMP-1), MHC-II, and H2-DM. T hybridoma cells were used to detect MTB Ag 85B(241–256)–I-Ab complexes in isolated phagosomes and other subcellular fractions. These complexes appeared initially (within 20 min) in phagosomes and subsequently (>20 min) on the plasma membrane, but never within late endocytic compartments. Macrophages processed HK MTB more rapidly and efficiently than live MTB; phagosomes containing live MTB expressed fewer Ag 85B(241–256)–I-Ab complexes than phagosomes containing HK MTB. This is the first study of bacterial Ag processing to directly show that peptide–MHC-II complexes are formed within phagosomes and not after export of bacterial Ags from phagosomes to endocytic Ag processing compartments. Live MTB can alter phagosome maturation and decrease MHC-II Ag processing, providing a mechanism for MTB to evade immune surveillance and enhance its survival within the host.
Hyperoxia-induced cell death in the lung--the correlation of apoptosis, necrosis, and inflammation.

: Prolonged exposure to hyperoxia causes tissue damage in many organs and tissues. Since the entire surface area of lung epithelium is directly exposed to O2 and other inhaled agents, hyperoxia leads to the development of both acute and chronic lung injuries.These pathologic changes in the lung can also be seen in acute lung injury (ALI) in response to other agents. Simple strategies to mitigate hyperoxia-induced ALI might not be effective by virtue of merely reducing or augmenting the extent of apoptosis of pulmonary cells. Identification of the specific cell types undergoing apoptosis and further understanding of the precise timing of the onset of apoptosis may be necessary in order to gain a greater understanding of the connection between apoptosis and tolerance to hyperoxia and ALI. Attention should also be focused on other forms of non-apoptotic programmed cell death.
Two-parameter heavy-traffic limits for infinite-server queues with dependent service times

This paper is a sequel to our 2010 paper in this journal in which we established heavy-traffic limits for two-parameter processes in infinite-server queues with an arrival process that satisfies an FCLT and i.i.d. service times with a general distribution. The arrival process can have a time-varying arrival rate. In particular, an FWLLN and an FCLT were established for the two-parameter process describing the number of customers in the system at time t that have been so for a duration y. The present paper extends the previous results to cover the case in which the successive service times are weakly dependent. The deterministic fluid limit obtained from the new FWLLN is unaffected by the dependence, whereas the Gaussian process limit (random field) obtained from the FCLT has a term resulting from the dependence. Explicit expressions are derived for the time-dependent means, variances, and covariances for the common case in which the limit process for the arrival process is a (possibly time scaled) Brownian motion.
On decoding binary Bose-Chadhuri- Hocquenghem codes

The solution of Newton's identities over a field of characteristic two is the key step in decoding Bose-Chaudhuri-Hocquenghem codes. This paper introduces a simple transformation of variables which halves the size of the resulting matrix. This transformation can increase the decoder's speed by almost a factor of eight and decrease the decoder's storage requirements by almost a factor of four.
Protein complexes that control renal epithelial polarity

Establishment of epithelial apicobasal polarity is crucial for proper kidney development and function. In recent years, there have been important advances in our understanding of the factors that mediate the initiation of apicobasal polarization. Key among these are the polarity complexes that are evolutionarily conserved from simple organisms to humans. Three of these complexes are discussed in this review: the Crumbs complex, the Par complex, and the Scribble complex. The apical Crumbs complex consists of three proteins, Crumbs, PALS1, and PATJ, whereas the apical Par complex consists of Par-3, Par-6, and atypical protein kinase C. The lateral Scribble complex consists of Scribble, discs large, and lethal giant larvae. These complexes modulate kinase and small G protein activity such that the apical and basolateral complexes signal antagonistically, leading to the segregation of the apical and basolateral membranes. The polarity complexes also serve as scaffolds to direct and retain proteins at the apical membrane, the basolateral membrane, or the intervening tight junction. There is plasticity in apicobasal polarity, and this is best seen in the processes of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and the converse mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition. These transitions are important in kidney disease as well as kidney development, and modulation of the polarity complexes are critical for these transitions.
Application of support vector regression to genome-assisted prediction of quantitative traits

A byproduct of genome-wide association studies is the possibility of carrying out genome-enabled prediction of disease risk or of quantitative traits. This study is concerned with predicting two quantitative traits, milk yield in dairy cattle and grain yield in wheat, using dense molecular markers as predictors. Two support vector regression (SVR) models, e-SVR and least-squares SVR, were explored and compared to a widely applied linear regression model, the Bayesian Lasso, the latter assuming additive marker effects. Predictive performance was measured using predictive correlation and mean squared error of prediction. Depending on the kernel function chosen, SVR can model either linear or nonlinear relationships between phenotypes and marker genotypes. For milk yield, where phenotypes were estimated breeding values of bulls (a linear combination of the data), SVR with a Gaussian radial basis function (RBF) kernel had a slightly better performance than with a linear kernel, and was similar to the Bayesian Lasso. For the wheat data, where phenotype was raw grain yield, the RBF kernel provided clear advantages over the linear kernel, e.g., a 17.5% increase in correlation when using the e-SVR. SVR with a RBF kernel also compared favorably to the Bayesian Lasso in this case. It is concluded that a nonlinear RBF kernel may be an optimal choice for SVR, especially when phenotypes to be predicted have a nonlinear dependency on genotypes, as it might have been the case in the wheat data.
Curriculum in high-performance scientific computing

The purpose of this paper is to report on an undergraduate course in the use of high-performance computing systems in scientific and engineering applications. The course and the instructional materials on which it is based were developed at the University of Colorado at Boulder (UCB). Its development was supported by the National Science Foundation under a CISE Educational Infrastructure grant, and it has been taught at UCB since 1991.
A Methanol Impermeable Proton Conducting Composite Electrolyte System

The concept of a proton conducting, methanol impermeable composite electrolyte system is demonstrated. A three‐layered laminar electrolyte consisting of a dense, methanol impermeable protonic conductor sandwiched between proton permeable electronically insulating layers permits the selective transport of protons while eliminating methanol crossover to the cathode. We demonstrate the selectivity of the composite electrolyte using palladium foil sandwiched between two Nafion™ polymer membranes. The open‐circuit voltage for an fuel cell utilizing this composite electrolyte is unaffected by introduction of methanol to the fuel stream, whereas conventional polymer electrolyte cells suffer severe degradation of performance due to methanol crossover.
Inflammation and Joint Tissue Interactions in OA: Implications for Potential Therapeutic Approaches

It is increasingly recognized that the pathogenesis of cartilage degradation in osteoarthritis (OA) is multifactorial and involves the interactions between cartilage and its surrounding tissues. These interactions regulate proinflammatory cytokine-mediated cartilage destruction, contributing to OA progression as well as cartilage repair. This review explores the pathogenesis of OA in the context of the multiple tissue types in the joint and discusses the implications of such complex tissue interaction in the development of anti-inflammatory therapeutics for the treatment of OA.
Study of soft-finger contact mechanics using finite elements analysis and experiments

Nonlinear finite element analysis is employed to study the soft-finger contact mechanics. Two fingertips of the same material but with different sizes are analyzed. The results are compared with experiments to support the power-law theory proposed by Xydas and Kao (1999). The material properties used in the FEM analysis are based upon uniaxial compression experiments conducted using the actual fingertip material. The coefficient of friction is also experimentally determined and applied in the simulation. Comparisons of numerical as well as experimental radii of contact are offered in conjunction with the power-law theory for soft fingers. The pressure distribution profile at the contact zone, obtained from the finite elements analysis, is plotted and the order of the generalized pressure distribution profile is calculated. Finally, the influence of friction over the contact area is investigated using FEM analysis.
Introspective reasoning for index refinement in case-based reasoning

Introspective reasoning can enable a reasoner to learn by refining its own reasoning processes. In order to perform this learning, the system must monitor the course of its reasoning to detect learning opportunities and then apply appropriate learning strategies. This article describes lessons learned from research on a computer model of how introspective reasoning can guide failure-driven learning. The computer model monitors its own reasoning by comparing it to a model of the desired behaviour of its reasoning, and learns in response to deviations from the ideal defined by the model. The approach is applied to the problem of determining indices for selecting cases from a case-based planner's memory. Experiments show that learning driven by this introspective reasoning both decreases retrieval effort and improves the quality of plans retrieved, increasing the overall performance of the planning system compared to case learning alone.
Initial psychometric properties of the Inventory of Functional Status after Childbirth – Revised for Adolescents

The purpose of the study was to establish the initial psychometric properties of the Inventory of Functional Status After Childbirth, Revised for Adolescents (IFSAC‐RA). Design: Descriptive, psychometric study. Methods: Initially, data were collected from adolescent mothers about their roles and activities (domains of functioning), and a 44‐item IFSAC‐RA was created. Ten national experts provided a content validity index (CVI) of each item and the total instrument. The instrument was further revised by the author, and a 29‐item IFSAC‐RA was sent back to the 10 experts. Once again, the experts provided a CVI for each item and for the total instrument. Results: CVI for the 44‐item instrument ranged from .3 to 1.0. Fifteen items with CVIs lower than .78 were eliminated. CVIs for the 29‐item instrument ranged from .6 to 1.0. Six items were eliminated. The 23‐item IFSAC‐RA is now ready for further psychometric testing with adolescent mothers. Conclusion: The study provides a model for instrument development an...
Parenteral and Inhaled Colistin for Treatment of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia

The spectrum of available therapeutic options has become drastically narrowed in recent years, particularly for nosocomial multidrug-resistant gram-negative pathogens. This therapeutic void has created a resurgence of interest in colistin. In 5 published series since 1999, clinical response rates for pneumonia due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Acinetobacter baumannii treated with intravenous colistin have ranged from 25% to 62%, despite high severity of illness at baseline. De novo nephrotoxicity was observed in 8%-36% of patients, despite close attention to both appropriate dosing and duration of treatment. Neurotoxicity, which was commonly described in the old colistin era, has been exceedingly rare in recent experience. Aerosolized therapy as an adjunct to systemic treatment appears promising, but the current published data are much too limited to allow determination of the incremental benefit of the addition of aerosolized treatment to systemic treatment. Colistin is a reasonably safe last-line therapeutic alternative for pneumonia due to multi- or panresistant P. aeruginosa or A. baumannii.
The Norwich Heat Pump

The paper provides the history and constructional details and working results of what is believed to be the first large heat pump used for building heating in Great Britain. This machine was constructed and installed as an experimental machine for heating a large block of municipal buildings in Norwich.A brief explanation indicating the principle upon which the heat pump works is given. Reference is also made to the differences between the reversed heat engine when working as a refrigerator and when working as a heat pump. In the latter case there is a deliberate increase in the final temperature T1, from approximately 85 deg. F. to temperatures which may be of the order of 150–200 deg. F. The unsuitability of the term “coefficient of performance”—normally used as a criterion of refrigerator performance—when used as a coefficient relating to the heat pump is pointed out; and the use of a new, alternative term is suggested.The results are shown of operating the Norwich Heat Pump for two winter heating seas...
A revision of the freshwater crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Potamonautidae) of the Lake Kivu drainage basin in Central and East Africa

The taxonomy of the freshwater crabs living in the rivers draining from the mountains in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda into Lake Kivu is revised. Four species are recognized: Potamonautes perparvus (Rathbun, 1921), P. minor Bott, 1955, P. gonocristatus Bott, 1955, and P. semilunaris Bott, 1955. Updated diagnoses, illustrations, and distribution maps are provided for the species. The four species are compared to each other, and an identification key to all eight species found in Lake Kivu and its drainage basin is included.
Role of endothelium-derived nitric oxide in control of renal microvasculature in aging male rats

The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of nitric oxide (NO) in the regulation of whole kidney and glomerular hemodynamics during aging. After 2 wk of oral treatment with N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; 4.5 mg.kg body wt-1.day-1) to inhibit NO synthesis, male rats, aged 3-5, 13-15, and 21-24 mo, were studied by micropuncture. Blood pressure increased by 50% in old (21-24 mo) rats with L-NAME but only 20-30% in the two younger groups. With L-NAME, renal vascular resistance increased fivefold in old rats but only twofold in younger groups. Glomerular capillary pressure increased 20-30% in younger L-NAME rats and 60% in older rats. Afferent and efferent resistances increased dramatically, and the glomerular capillary ultrafiltration coefficient decreased in all L-NAME-treated rats but most strikingly in the 21- to 24-mo-old group. Acute infusion of L-arginine significantly attenuated the effects of NO synthase inhibition on arterial pressure and renal hemodynamics in both young and old rats. This study confirms that NO synthesis blockade has a greater effect on renal hemodynamics in aging rats and implies that NO may play a progressively more important role in controlling renal function with advancing age.
Improving Empirical Estimation of Demographic Drivers: Fertility, Child Mortality & Malaria Ecology

Much of Africa has yet to go through a demographic transition; this Malthusian crisis of high mortality, high fertility, rapid population growth and chronic extreme poverty has been attributed to factors including the status of women, pro-natalist policies, and poverty itself. Large uncertainty exists among demographers as to the relative importance of these factors, mostly since econometric estimation is complicated by the endogeneity of fertility to other variables of interest. We attempt to improve estimation of the effect of the child mortality variable on fertility by deploying exogenous variation in the ecology of malaria transmission. Results show that child mortality is a powerfully robust driver of fertility behavior. Meeting the Millennium Development Goal of reducing 1990 child mortality rates by 66% in sub-Saharan Africa would translate into a reduction of total fertility rates from around 6.3 in 1990 to 3.3, more than halfway towards achieving replacement fertility levels of 2.1.
2. Warlords and Universal Sovereignty

Throughout history and across the globe, state leaders have attempted to deal with warlords: actors who control small slices of territory through a combination of force and patronage. Often warlords are middlemen, dealing on the one hand with corrupt state officials, while supported on the other by foreign states and other foreign actors who use them to gain hidden leverage inside weak states. What do the choices of state leaders in these situations tell us about the nuances of the concept of “sovereignty” at a domestic political level? While international relations scholars have challenged common prior understandings of sovereignty, their theories assume that limits on sovereignty are the result of conscious choices made by and between state leaders, rather than of state weakness and hidden foreign penetration. Comparative politics scholars of strongmen and state weakness have usually not recognized the hidden hand and intentions of foreign actors affecting how warlords deal with state leaders. This paper will explore how middlemen warlords define the limits of sovereignty in weak states, using examples from medieval Europe, the 20th-century Pakistani tribal areas, post-Soviet Georgia, and modern Iraq.
Overview of U.S. Department of Energy Superconductivity Program for Electric Power

A top priority of the U.S. government is to improve the energy delivery infrastructure. According to the report issued May 2001 by the National Energy Policy Development (NEPD) Group, “For the electricity we need, we must be ambitious. Transmission grids stand in need of repair, upgrading, and expansion…if we put these connections in place, we’ll go a long way to avoiding future blackouts.” Superconductivity is such an important aspect of our nation’s energy future that we should “…expand the Department’s research and development on transmission reliability and superconductivity.” Prototype superconducting power cables that will help upgrade our power grid when commercialized later this decade are being demonstrated today in Carrollton, Georgia and Detroit, Michigan. Much research remains, however, if the superconducting wires are to have the electrical performance and low-cost features necessary for U.S. companies to fully commercialize new transmission cables that will help eliminate the bottlenecks in urban areas. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) leads the U.S. national effort to develop high-temperature superconducting (HTS) wires and to demonstrate prototype electric power applications using the best wires available today. The industry-led Second Generation Wire Initiative is exploiting breakthroughs at the national laboratories that promise unprecedented current carrying capacity in HTS wires at lower cost than first-generation “BSCCO” wires. Some of the recent progress in the U.S. development of HTS “coated conductors” and in fielding prototype applications is presented
Effect of environmental conditions on performance of elastomeric pumps

We agree that multiple factors affect the flow from an elastomeric pump. These include head height, ambient temperature, and solution viscosity, and these factors are additive. The guide for the device used in our study (the Baxter Infusor) states that the flow rate increases by about 0.5% for every
From pollen actin to crop male sterility

Actin plays an important role in the life activity of animal and plant cells. Pollen cells have plenty of actin whose structure and characteristics are very similar to the animal actin. The nucleotide sequence and amino acid sequence of plant actin gene are very similar to those of the animal gene. The content of pollen actin from male sterile plants is much more lower than that from its maintainer plants. The expression of actin gene is organ-specific during the plant development. The expression quantity of actin gene in pollen is much more higher than those from root, stem and leaf. The expression plasmid of the anti-sense actin gene was constructed, transferred to the protoplasts of wheat and tomato to inhibit the expression of actin gene in pollen and thus the male sterile plants of wheat and tomato were obtained. The actin in pollens from the transgenic plants was reduced significantly, whereas the pistil was not affected. This study might pave a new way to breeding male sterile lines for the application of hybrid vigor of wheat and tomato.