cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification and characterization of RASSF1C piRNA target genes in lung cancer cells.

// Mark E Reeves 1, 2 , Mathew Firek 1 , Abdullaati Jliedi 1 , Yousef G Amaar 1 1 Surgical Oncology Laboratory, Loma Linda VA Medical Center, Loma Linda, California, USA 2 Loma Linda University Cancer Center, Loma Linda, California, USA Correspondence to: Yousef G Amaar, email: yousef.amaar@va.gov Keywords: lung cancer, RASSF1C, PIWIL1, piRNAs, cell proliferation Received: November 25, 2015 Accepted: February 20, 2017 Published: March 07, 2017 ABSTRACT RASSF1C up-regulates important genes involved in lung cancer cell growth, including a stem cell self-renewal gene, piwil1 . In this article, we report the identification of small noncoding PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) in lung cancer cells over-expressing RASSF1C. A piRNA microarray screen was performed using RNA isolated from the lung cancer cell line H1299 stably over-expressing RASSF1C and corresponding control. The piRNA microarray screen identified several piRNAs that are regulated by RASSF1C and we have validated the expression of two up-regulated piRNAs (piR-34871 and piR-52200) and two down-regulated piRNAs (piR-35127 and piR-46545) in lung cancer cells with silenced and over-expressed RASSF1C using RT-PCR. We also assessed the expression of these four piRNAs in lung tumor and matched normal tissues ( n = 12). We found that piR-34871 and piR-52200 were up-regulated in 58% and 50%, respectively; while piR-35127 and piR-46545 were down-regulated in 50% in lung tumor tissues tested. The expression of piR-35127 was inversely correlated with RASSF1C expression in 10/12 tumor tissues. Over-expression of piR-35127 and piR-46545 and knock-down of piR-34871 and piR-52200 significantly reduced normal lung and breast epithelial cell proliferation and cell colony formation as well as proliferation of lung cancer cell lines (A549 and H1299) and breast cancer cell lines (Hs578T and MDA-MB-231). This suggests that these novel piRNAs may potentially be involved in regulating lung cell transformation and tumorigenesis. RASSF1C may potentially modulate the expression of its piRNA target genes through attenuation of the AMPK pathway, as over-expression of RASSF1C resulted in reduction of p-AMPK, p21, and p27 protein levels.
Nanostructured Oxides: Cross-Sectional Scanning Probe Microscopy for Complex Oxide Interfaces

The electronic properties of the interfaces between two dissimilar materials have shown emerging phenomena that are not seen in the composed bulk counterparts. For example, the phenomena at semiconductor interfaces provided the foundation of modern electronic devices for decades. Recently, complex oxide materials exhibit a variety of functionalities owing to its strong coupling nature, in which the electron entity coupled strongly to lattice, orbital, and spin degrees of freedom. The interfaces of dissimilar complex oxides have even shown intriguing properties not seen in the composite bulk complex oxide materials. These interfacial phenomena carry the promises for the next-generation electronic devices and many other applications. With the development of the synthesis techniques, controllable high-quality complex oxide heterojunctions can now be routinely fabricated. On the other hand, the characterization tools that aim to probe the interfacial properties are still needed. Among the developing tools, the cross-sectional scanning probe microscopy (XSPM) provides the valuable information on resolving the local physical properties at interfaces in atomic-scale. Here, we briefly reviewed the recent developed XSPM and focused on distinct phenomena that were studied by it.
Jon Mee, Print, Publicity, and Popular Radicalism in the 1790s: The Laurel of Liberty

Review by John Bugg (Fordham University) of Jon Mee, Print, Publicity, and Popular Radicalism in the 1790s: The Laurel of Liberty. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2016. Pp. xiii + 272. £64.99. ISBN 9781107133617.
Performance Characterization of Microwave-Multiplexed Transition Edge Sensors for X-Ray Synchrotron Applications

State of the art energy-resolving detectors for synchrotrons are required to take full advantage of the capabilities of these facilities. Most spectroscopic applications at x-ray beam-lines require energy resolutions of the order of E/E>1000 and high detection efficiencies, which is beyond the capabilities of both semiconducting detectors and wavelength-dispersive spectrometers. Transition Edge Sensors represent the best candidates for this role by providing high-energy resolution with non-dispersive operation, and with much higher photon-collection efficiency. Recently a novel readout scheme for TESs based on microwave resonators has been introduced by NIST that allows array scalability to high pixel counts. In this work, we describe its application to TESs for x-ray, with particular attention to the optimization of the readout settings. Parameters such noise, linearity and sampling rate represent the benchmarks of this characterization.
Diabetes Preventive Care Practices in North Carolina, 2000–2015

This analysis assessed trends in measures of diabetes preventive care overall and by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status in the North Carolina Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (2000-2015). We found increasing trends in 5 measures: diabetes self-management education (DSME), daily blood glucose self-monitoring, hemoglobin A1c tests, foot examinations, and flu shots. Non-Hispanic black and non-Hispanic white respondents showed increases in blood glucose self-monitoring, and a significant time-by-race interaction was observed for annual flu shots. Predisposing, enabling, and need factors were significantly associated with most measures. DSME was positively associated with 7 measures. Expanding access to health insurance and health care providers is key to improving diabetes management, with DSME being the gateway to optimal care.
Sleepless from the Get Go: Sleep Problems Prior to Initiating Cancer Treatment

Cancer patients are likely to experience sleep problems. Understanding their perception of sleep problems is important as subjective symptom experience is associated with treatment-seeking behavior. We explored the prevalence of sleep problems and its correlates in a large sample of cancer patients at an important but understudied stage of their cancer journey: prior to initiating treatment. Cancer patients (5702) (67.5% female; 76.9% White; 23.0% Hispanic), following diagnosis and prior to initiating cancer treatment, completed an electronic screening instrument. Patients across eight different cancer diagnoses (breast, gastrointestinal, gynecological, head and neck, hematological, lung, prostate, urinary) rated their sleep problems on a five-point scale, with those reporting “severe” or “very severe” sleep problems classified as having high sleep problems. Overall, 12.5% of patients reported high sleep problems. Across diagnoses, the proportion of patients reporting high sleep problems ranged from 4.3 to 13.8%, with prostate cancer patients least likely and gastrointestinal cancer patients most likely to report high sleep problems. Older age, having a partner, higher education, and higher household income were associated with a lower likelihood of experiencing sleep problems. Being female, Black, Hispanic, and reporting anxiety or depression was associated with an increased likelihood of sleep problems. A sizeable proportion of cancer patients experience significant problems with their sleep before any treatment has occurred. This clinical issue cannot be ignored as treatment is likely to worsen existing sleep problems. Oncology providers should routinely screen for sleep-related problems. Identifying and treating patients for sleep problems during a vulnerable period early in their cancer trajectory should be an essential component of clinical care.
Detecting isotropic density and nematic fluctuations using ultrafast coherent phonon spectroscopy

We propose a theoretical framework for the detection of order-parameter fluctuations in three dimensions using ultrafast coherent phonon spectroscopy with long-range interactions. We focus our attention on long-wavelength charge density fluctuations (plasmons), and charged nematic fluctuations where the direction of the propagation vector is fixed perpendicular to the plane of anisotropy. By treating phonons and light classically and decoupling interactions to integrate out the fermionic degrees of freedom, we arrive at an effective theory of order-parameter fluctuations about the spatially uniform saddle-point solution. We find that, due to the $({k}_{x}^{2}\ensuremath{-}{k}_{y}^{2})({B}_{1g})$ symmetry of the form factor appearing in the vertex, nematic fluctuations couple to light only at fourth order, unlike isotropic density fluctuations which couple at second order. Hence, to lowest order, the interaction between electrons and the electromagnetic field contributes a driving force for plasmon oscillations while it provides a frequency shift for nematic fluctuations. From the resulting coupled harmonic oscillator equations of motion, we argue that ultrafast coherent phonon spectroscopy could be a useful tool to extract and analyze various electronic properties of interest such as the frequency of the collective mode and the coupling between electrons and phonons. Specific experiments are proposed on the normal state of high-${T}_{c}$ systems to observe the frequency shift predicted here resulting directly from orbital ordering (nematic) fluctuations. Our paper presents a new mechanism for generating coherent phonons from long-range interactions (coherent long-range interaction induced phonons) that does not require the existence of multiple bands to act as intermediary states for quasiparticles.
Computational Molecular Biology: A Promising Application Using LP and its Extensions

The paper presents an introduction to some of the problems in computational molecular biology (CMB) viewed from a logic programming (LP) perspective. Non-deterministic formal grammars are presented to define biologically interesting subsequences of DNA. Also presented are compact representations of ambiguities by directed acyclic graphs. Various problems in CMB are discussed; their solutions using dynamic programming, hidden Markov models, and inductive logic programming are briefly described. It is believed that a study of these and related problems can contribute to provide a new impetus to LP research and its extensions.
Short-Term Memory: Psychological and Neural Aspects

Short-term memory involves the maintenance of a limited amount of currently relevant information through sustained patterns of neural activity. This article describes the potential and limitations of this ability and how this concept relates to other psychological constructs, such as working memory and attention. This article also describes our current understanding of how short-term memory is enabled and constrained by the function and structure of neural circuits and systems, including the functional organization of prefrontal cortex and the role that its interactions with other brain areas play in short-term memory.
Two Models for Estimating Climate‒Glacier Relationships in the North Cascades, Washington, U.S.A.

Two models based on standard observations of precipitation, temperature, and run-off at low-altitude weather and gaging stations have been devised to calculate annual glacier balances in the North Cascades of Washington. The predicted glacier balances of the Thunder Creek basin glaciers, determined by a run-off–precipitation (RP) model during the 1920–74 period, are compared with balances predicted by a precipitation–temperature (PT) model for the same period. Annual balances determined by the PT model are also compared with balances measured by field techniques at South Cascade Glacier since 1958. In the PT model, winter snow accumulation (winter balance) is determined by winter (October–April) precipitation observed at the Snoqualmie Falls weather station. Summer (May–September) ablation (summer balance) on the glaciers is estimated by a technique which utilizes maximum and minimum air temperatures, also observed at Snoqualmie Falls. Ablation calculations incorporate summer cloud cover as a variable by using a relationship between cloud cover and the range in daily maximum and minimum air temperatures. Annual mass changes for the 1884–1974 period in both South Cascade Glacier and the Thunder Creek glaciers were reconstructed by utilizing the PT model. The fluctuations in glacier mass during this period generally agree with historical observations and show that a definite change in glacier activity from marked recession to stability or an advancing state occurred about 1945. During the 1900–45 period, South Cascade Glacier lost mass at a rate of 1.4 m per year and the Thunder Creek glaciers (which are at a higher altitude) at 1.1 m per year. These models suggest that the relationship of glacier mass balance to precipitation and temperature is a very sensitive one. It appears from these studies that a decrease in summer air temperature of just over 0.5 deg or an increase in winter accumulation of slightly more than 10% (350 mm) from the 1920–74 average would cause these glaciers to grow continuously.
Investigation of Glycosyl Nitrates as Building Blocks for Chemical Glycosylation

Glycosyl nitrates are important synthetic intermediates in the synthesis of 2-amino sugars, 1,2-orthoesters or, more recently, 2-OH glucose. However, glycosyl nitrates have never been glycosidated. Presented herein is our first attempt to use glycosyl nitrates as glycosyl donors for O-glycosylation. Lanthanide triflates showed good affinity to activate the nitrate leaving group.
Multiple neutrophils tracking in vitro array using high-order temporal information

It is crucial to dynamically analyze the movement of neutrophils (a type of white cell) during the process of inflammation. However, manually tracking and analyzing the cells is a time-consuming task due to the large volume of cells and similar appearance. To facilitate neutrophils analysis and address the issues mentioned above, we propose to leverage high-order temporal information as a cue to track neutrophils. A tensor-based approach is introduced to encode the high-order motion pattern and appearance variation for multi-frame multicell association. To evaluate the proposed method, we collected 354 sequences of cells from 200 frames of microscopic images. We conduct a systematic study on the collected data and show significant performance improvement over other solutions.
School Lunch Timing and Children's Physical Activity During Recess: An Exploratory Study.

Abstract Objective To examine the relationship between school lunch timing (before vs after recess) on physical activity (PA) during recess and energy balance and food intake at lunch. Methods A cross-sectional study design was used to examine lunch intake and PA during recess among fourth- and fifth-graders (n = 103) over 5 school days. Lunch and PA were measured using a weighted plate waste technique and accelerometry, respectively. Results Children who received lunch before recess accumulated lower residual energy (ie, energy intake at lunch minus energy expenditure during recess) and consumed a greater proportion of milk servings. No timing effects were observed for other lunch and PA variables. Conclusions and Implications Lunch intake and activity during recess are related to lunch timing policy. Findings warrant further examination using experimental and quasi-experimental studies to better understand the impact of timing on health behaviors.
Fuel treatments change forest structure and spatial patterns of fire severity, Arizona, U.S.A.

Fuel reduction treatments are often designed to achieve multiple resource management objectives in addition to reducing potential fire hazard. In the White Mountains of Arizona State (U.S.A.), the ...
Bimodal right ventricular dysfunction after postnatal hyperoxia exposure: implications for the preterm heart

Premature birth is associated with increased risk for cardiac dysfunction and failure throughout life. Here, we identify bimodal right ventricular dysfunction after postnatal hyperoxia exposure. Mi...
Early Childhood Preservice Teachers’ Attitude Development Toward the Inclusion of Children with Disabilities

The purpose of this study was to explore what Early Childhood Education (ECE) preservice teachers thought about inclusion and what factors influenced their attitude development toward inclusion, based on written reflections collected from 90 undergraduate ECE preservice teachers. Overall, the majority of the preservice teachers believed that inclusion was important and beneficial for both children with and without disabilities. However, some of the preservice teachers described concerns and challenges they might face when working with students with severe disabilities or challenging behaviors. Also, the majority of the preservice teachers reported that direct contacts with individuals with disabilities had a great impact on shaping their attitudes toward inclusion while several preservice teachers indicated that college courses and/or their family members influenced their attitude formation. The implications of the results and suggestions for future research and teacher education programs are discussed.
Trends in clinical diagnoses of typhus group rickettsioses among a large U.S. insurance claims database

Typhus group rickettsioses (TGRs) are vector-borne diseases that include murine typhus (Rickettsia typhi) and epidemic typhus (R. prowazekii). Twentieth-century public health interventions led to dramatic decreases in incidence; little is known about the contemporary TGR prevalence because neither disease is nationally notifiable. We summarized administrative claims data in a commercially insured population to examine trends in TGR medical encounters. We analysed data from 2003 to 2016 IBM® MarketScan® Commercial Databases to identify persons with inpatient or outpatient visits with an International Classification of Diseases, Ninth or Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification TGR-specific code. We summarized epidemiologic characteristics associated with incident diagnosis. We identified 1,799 patients diagnosed with a TGR. Patients resided in 46 states, and most were female (n = 1,019/1,799; 56.6%); the median age was 42 years (range: 0-64 years). Epidemic typhus (n = 931/1,799; 51.8%) was the most common TGRs, followed by murine typhus (n = 722/1,799; 40.1%). The majority of TGR patients were diagnosed in an outpatient setting (n = 1,725/1,799; 95.9%); among hospitalized patients, the majority received a murine typhus diagnosis (n = 67/74; 90.5%). TGRs are rarely diagnosed diseases. More patients were diagnosed with epidemic than murine typhus, even though R. prowazekii transmission requires body louse or flying squirrel exposure. Patients from all geographic regions were diagnosed with murine and epidemic typhus, despite historically recognized ranges for these diseases. The epidemiologic misalignment of insurance claims data versus historic TGRs data highlights the challenges of finding appropriate alternative data sources to serve as a proxy when national surveillance data do not exist.
Dynamics of Continuous Icebreaking by an Icebreaker Hull

An overview is presented of the results from an ice towing tank study conducted in order to document the relationships between icebreaking pattern, resistance, and hull motions for a Polar-Class icebreaker model hull moving continuously through sheets of level ice. Two sets of experiments were conducted: for one, the hull was free to pitch, heave, and undergo limited roll (free hull); for the other, the hull was restrained from motions (fixed hull). For each condition, the hull was towed at the same range of speeds through urea-ice sheets of similar properties. Measurements were made of resistance as well as motions and restraining forces and moments for the free- and fixed-hull conditions, respectively. The temporal records were analyzed to yield values of their mean and standard deviation and spectral densities. A series of experiments was conducted to determine values of zero-speed natural frequencies and added-mass and damping coefficients for ice-covered conditions. The presence of an ice sheet significantly reduces the natural frequencies and increases the added-mass and damping coefficients. It was found that hull motions and icebreaking pattern determined the dominant cycles of resistance for the free hull. The fixed hull responded at higher frequencies than the free hull. The mean resistance was larger for the free hull than the fixed hull. The relationship between mean resistance and hull speed was linear for the fixed hull, but not for the free hull, which was characterized by a larger and similar slope at low and high speeds, respectively, than for the fixed hull. The speed range at which the slope changes coincides with that at which the motions are maximum. This correlation indicates that the ice-induced hull motions of the free hull are responsible for its increased resistance over that of the fixed hull.
Chapter 16 – Radar Basics

Publisher Summary This chapter has tried to show the basics of the Radar which helps to detect target range, direction, and motion. It is a Radio detection Ranging. It has been used since the second world war. The frequency of the radio waves depends on the radar application. Radar systems are often designated by the wavelength or frequency band in which they operate. Higher frequency systems usually are lower power due to electronic circuit limitations, and they experience greater atmospheric attenuation. Most airborne radars operate between the L and Ka bands, also known as the microwave region. Many short-range targeting radars, such as on a tank or helicopter, operate in the millimeter band. The shape and contours of the aircraft also greatly influence the radar cross-section. In radar systems, sequences known as Barker sequences are sometimes used. Most radars have thousands of range bins. They may scan wide sweeps of azimuth and elevation. Filtering or convolving the receive signals by using matched filters is a computationally intense process. This could be done using FIR filters. However, in order to reduce the amount of computations, another method is often used.
Reliability Characterization for 12 V Application Using the 22FFL FinFET Technology

The 22FFL technology developed for operation to 3.3V is used to investigate process and design considerations required to extend technology capability to 12 V applications. A prototype chip was carefully designed in close consideration with the technology reliability requirements of the lower voltage components to demonstrate product-level reliability capabilities. The reliability of components such as transistors, well junctions, back-end dielectrics and MIMCAPs is thoroughly characterized and proven robust throughout a 10-year lifetime. The results demonstrate a reliable technology capability that is compliant with industrial standards to enable high-voltage design requirements.
Assessment of volatile metabolites for in situ detection of fungal decay in wooden structures

Abstract Although incipient fungal decay of wood may be difficult to detect in early stages, it causes a significant decrease in wood strength. Developing a reliable non-destructive identification method of decay to overcome wood replacement costs is necessary. This study examined mass losses and compression strength decrease of a softwood, spruce pine (Pinus glabra), and a hardwood, quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides), exposed to two brown rot (Gloeophyllum trabeum and Postia placenta) and two white rot (Trametes versicolor and Irpex lacteus) fungi, and identified fungal volatile organic compounds (VOCs) collected over 12 weeks of decay. Principal component analysis (PCA) of VOCs spectra differentiated volatiles emitted from sound wood and wood exposed to fungi. Volatile compounds from two fungal species revealed distinctive patterns of early and late decay stages in each wood species. The overall distinct volatile patterns of fungal decay showed promising results for development of non-destructive identification of incipient decay in wooden building structures.
Demographically adjusted norms for the Trail Making Test in native Spanish speakers: Results from the neuropsychological norms for the US-Mexico border region in Spanish (NP-NUMBRS) project

Despite the wide use of the Trail Making Test (TMT), there is a lack of normative data for Spanish speakers living in the USA. Here we describe the development of regional norms for the TMT for nat...
Delay & Irreparable Harm: A Study of Exhaustion Through the Lens of the IDEA

With the growth of the administrative state, the procedural aspects of administrative law litigation have become critical in the adjudication of these disputes. In certain cases, one procedural aspect of such litigation that has taken on greater importance is the exhaustion doctrine, which requires litigants to proceed through the often lengthy administrative process prior to seeking judicial relief. Acknowledging that the exhaustion doctrine plays an important part in preserving the appropriate role for courts in the adjudication of these disputes, courts have long grappled with requests to bypass the exhaustion requirement in various legal contexts, often navigating the tension between the benefits of exhaustion and the harm caused by the procedural delay. While courts have made exceptions to the requirement in certain cases, the law on exhaustion remains unclear. One issue related to the exhaustion doctrine that has proven particularly vexing is when adherence to the doctrine threatens irreparable harm should courts insist that litigants exhaust any administrative remedies prior to seeking judicial relief. This Article examines the lack of clarity in the courts on the law of exhaustion and proposes a legal framework for interpreting the exhaustion requirement in cases where the procedural delay required by strict adherence to it causes irreparable harm. As a way to highlight the ways in which compliance with the doctrine can lead to irreparable harm, and explore a potential framework for addressing those cases, this Article focuses on the exhaustion requirement under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a federal statute that provides children with disabilities the right to a free and appropriate education, because it has the potential to impact millions of children enrolled in public schools who have a disability recognized under the IDEA. It also illustrates the need for a path to immediate judicial relief to prevent the threat of irreparable educational harm. While the framework proposed in this Article addresses the exhaustion requirement under the IDEA, it can also serve as a model for courts in interpreting exhaustion requirements in other legal contexts where immediate or emergency relief is warranted based on irreparable harm caused by the administrative delay.
Sequences of Porous Sets and an Application to Kleinian Groups

In this paper we show that the limit of a sequence of porous sets under Hausdorﬀ convergence is also porous. This purely topological result is then applied to Kleinian group theory in order to cons...
LED Paper: Physical Computing with Handmade Paper

Physical computing involves using embedded computing to interact with the physical world. It’s a core technology for interactive computing. This assignment introduces physical computing through the incorporation of LEDs into handmade paper to make an interactive, visual, and physical artifact.
Principal Foliations of Surfaces near Ellipsoids

The lines of curvature of a surface embedded in $\R^3$ comprise its principal foliations. Principal foliations of surfaces embedded in $\R^3$ resemble phase portraits of two dimensional vector fields, but there are significant differences in their geometry because principal foliations are not orientable. The Poincar\'e-Bendixson Theorem precludes flows on the two sphere $S^2$ with recurrent trajectories larger than a periodic orbit, but there are convex surfaces whose principal foliations are closely related to non-vanishing vector fields on the torus $T^2$. This paper investigates families of such surfaces that have dense lines of curvature at a Cantor set $C$ of parameters. It introduces discrete one dimensional return maps of a cross-section whose trajectories are the intersections of a line of curvature with the cross-section. The main result proved here is that the return map of a generic surface has \emph{breaks}; i.e., jump discontinuities of its derivative. Khanin and Vul discovered a qualitative difference between one parameter families of smooth diffeomorphisms of the circle and those with breaks: smooth families have positive Lebesgue measure sets of parameters with irrational rotation number and dense trajectories while families of diffeomorphisms with a single break do not. This paper discusses whether Lebesgue almost all parameters yield closed lines of curvature in families of embedded surfaces.
Near field wireless power transfer and quadrature amplitude modulated (QAM) communication link

We present a near field wireless power transfer (NF-WPT) link which is also capable of data communication through complex, quadrature amplitude (QAM) load modulation. We present a method for designing a 4QAM constellation that allows for minimal degradation of the NF-WPT link efficiency by minimizing the complex reflection coefficient. Using a modulation board and a resonant 4-coil NF-WPT system we demonstrate 307.2kbps data transmission, representing a 12.7% fractional bandwidth, over a distance of 1-coil diameter (29cm) at a carrier frequency of 2.428MHz. Efficiency of the NF-WPT is only reduced from 68% to approximately 63.1% when used for data communication as well as power transfer.
Dyes As Hydrological Tracers

Dyes have been used in hydrological investigations for more than a century. Dye tracers are versatile tools to study flow connections, residence times, hydrodynamic dispersion, flow patterns, and chemical leaching. The major advantage of dyes compared with other tracers is that dyes are readily detected at low concentrations, simple to quantify, and inexpensive. The visualization of dyes is often a powerful tool to demonstrate flow pathways. As most dyes are organic molecules, they tend to sorb to solid surfaces and can be photo- and biochemically degraded. For water tracing, dyes should therefore be tested under the specific conditions under which dye tracing is to be conducted. We present a brief overview on the use of dyes as hydrological tracers, and we propose a cost-effective screening technique for selection of optimal dye tracers. This technique is based on quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs). We conducted a case study on the application of QSAR for screening and selection of dye tracers. The QSAR modeling revealed many hypothetical dyes that show potential to be good tracers. Keywords: dyes; tracers; hydrology; quantitative structure activity; relationships (QSAR); groundwater; surface water; vadose zone; visualization; sorption; fluorescence
Safety of tomatillos and products containing tomatillos canned by the water-bath canning method

Three studies were conducted to evaluate the safety of tomatillos and products containing tomatillos canned by the water-bath processing method. In the first study, plain tomatillos were processed for 25, 37.5, 50 and 62.5 min. In the second study, five tomatillo/onion combinations were prepared while five tomatillo/green chile combinations were prepared in the third study. pH evaluations were conducted to determine safety in all studies using pH 4.2 as the cut-off value. No differences in the pH of plain tomatillos were detected due to processing time. All jars of plain tomatillos had pH values below 4.1. All combinations of tomatillos/onions and tomatillos/green chile containing more than 50% tomatillo had pH values below the 4.2 cut-off value. Results of the three studies indicate (1) acidification of plain tomatillos is probably unnecessary for canning by the water-bath processing method and (2) combinations of acidic tomatillos and low-acid onions or green chile must contain more than 50% tomatillos to have a pH low enough for safe water-bath processing.
pH dependence of the multiline, manganese EPR signal for the ‘S2’ state in PS II particles: Absence of proton release during the S1 → S2 electron transfer step of the oxygen evolving system

The pH dependence of oxygen evolution rates, 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol (DCIP) reduction rates and the intensity of the multiline manganese EPR signal associated with the S2 Kok state has been studied using oxygen-evolving spinach (PS) II particles. The oxygen evolution and DCIP reduction rates are found to be very sensitive to pH, with the maximal rates occuring at pH 6.5–7.0. Both the rate and yield of the S1 multiline manganese EPR signal intensity, produced by single flash excitation at room temperature or by continuous illumination at 200 K, are found to be independent of pH, indicating that no proton is released from this manganese site during the S1 → S1 electron transfer. These results agree with those from other laboratories showing no proton release on this transition, but using techniques monitoring other species.
The Thirteenth Amendment, the Power of Congress, and the Politics of Civil Rights

This article charts a middle way in recent scholarship on the Thirteenth Amendment, which tends toward extremes. One view is that the amendment might mean anything - as a source of a wide range of new constitutional rights. Another is that it might mean nothing - that it has lost whatever significance it had as a provision narrowly focused on slavery, which has now been abolished. Most of the current controversy concerns the possibility of using the amendment to create rights like those under the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses, but without the restrictions of the state action doctrine. I argue for a shift in the focus of debate over the amendment: From judicial review under section 1 to congressional enforcement under section 2; from the isolated interpretation of the amendment itself to its place in the Constitution as a whole; and from the constitutional law of slavery and race to statutory prohibitions against discrimination generally. Taking a broader perspective on the amendment allows a reassessment of its significance and why it has remained at the margins of formal constitutional doctrine.
A bit-parallel, word-parallel, massively parallel associative processor for scientific computing

A simple but powerful parallel architecture based on the classical associative processor model, which allows bit-parallel computation and communication, is proposed. Complex operations such as multiplication execute in O(m) cycles, as opposed to O(m/sup 2/) for bit-serial machines. This permits very fast processing of floating-point data. A bit-parallel communication network that exploits associative data location independence is presented. It provides the system with a reconfiguration capability, which improves chip yield, as well as fault tolerance. The simplicity of the architecture lends itself to VLSI implementation and hence allows the construction of a bit-parallel, word-parallel, and massively parallel (P/sup 3/) computing system. >
Hierarchical MapReduce: towards simplified cross-domain dataprocessing

The MapReduce programming model has proven useful for data-driven high throughput applications. However, the conventional MapReduce model limits itself to scheduling jobs within a single cluster. As job sizes become larger, single-cluster solutions grow increasingly inadequate. We present a hierarchical MapReduce framework that utilizes computation resources from multiple clusters simultaneously to run MapReduce job across them. The applications implemented in this framework adopt the Map-Reduce-GlobalReduce model where computations are expressed as three functions: Map, Reduce, and GlobalReduce. Two scheduling algorithms are proposed, one that targets compute-intensive jobs and another data-intensive jobs, evaluated using a life science application, AutoDock, and a simple Grep. Data management is explored through analysis of the Gfarm file system.Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
β -diopside, a new ultrahigh-pressure polymorph of CaMgSi 2 O 6 with six-coordinated silicon

Minerals containing silicon in four-fold coordination (IVSi4+) are common in crustal rocks, while those involving six-coordinated silicon (VISi4+) dominate the Earth's lower mantle and determine its properties. Here we show a new type of phase transition determined by single-crystal high pressure X-ray diffraction experiments in a diamond anvil cell (DAC) using natural diopside (CaMgSi2O6), the archetypic member of clinopyroxene family, and one of the most abundant minerals of the Earth's upper mantle. Above 50 GPa at ambient temperature diopside transforms to a previously unknown post-clinopyroxene phase,β-diopside, with half of the tetrahedralIVSi4+ layers converted to octahedral VISi4+coordination. This phase is most probably a metastable state that is kinetically accessible at room temperature and the transformation is fully reversible on decompression. This new type of phase transition provides important clues to the exact mechanisms of breakdown of clinopyroxene in the Earth's mantle and may be expected to take place in other pyroxenes at pressures higher than previously explored.
LAW AND DISORDER: MORTON GROVE AND THE COMMUNITY CONTROL OF HANDGUNS

The paper operates on two different but related levels. As its empirical focus it takes the recent shift in the terrain of conflict over handgun control. Following the lead of Morton Grove, Illinois, a number of communities have taken the initiative in banning handguns within their jurisdiction. This has prompted a response at the State level to standardize controls and limit local communities' abilities to regulate the quality of life. The role of the National Rifle Association, which has funded various legislative efforts, is explored. At a more general level, these contests are interpreted via state theory; local ordinances may constitute a tension within the state apparatus, and they make the locality consequently vulnerable to attempts by the state to impose uniformity upon the juridical system. The paper concludes by uniting the empirical and discursive themes, and provides an assessment of the implications of these cases.
Use of thin films of sublimate for absorption spectroscopy.

We have previously described a method for the preparation by sublimation of thin films of polar materials for use in low-temperature spectroscopy. Similar films have been used by Brown and Randall for the same purpose, and by Blout and Fields for infra-red absorption spectra. Our continued study of the spectra of such films has revealed certain anomalies which should be given proper consideration in their analysis.
A learning set procedure involving circular triad problems

The idea of circular triads was extracted from its more usual psychometric context and employed as a basis for generating a new learning set task. The task proved difficult for a group of 28 humans.
Extension of bond graphs to probability distribution functions

Abstract The modeling of a broad class of probability density functions using bond graphs is discussed. The specific class of density functions considered is referred to as phase distribution. Extensive use of these distributions has been made in the area of queuing theory and the modeling of communication systems. Recently, these distributions have been finding wider use in the modeling of reliability, maintainability and availability characteristics of many complex systems. On the other hand, bond graphs have been extremely useful as a deterministic modeling tool for the concurrent, multidisciplinary conceptual design of complex systems. By introducing this extension of bond graph theory it is hoped that a more concerted effort will begin to consider the stochastic nature of system performance during conceptual design.
Hiatal hernia and “rumination” in infantsand children

Three children seen over a one-year period with the rumination syndrome were found to have hiatal herniae. Medical treatment with positional therapy in one child and surgical repair of the herniae in the other 2 was curative. Hiatal herniae may regularly be demonstrated in ruminators. The sequence of events during a typical episode of rumination in a child observed roentgenographically is described.
Time-resolved fluorescence studies of surface recombination in CdSe electrodes

Fluorescence Studies of Surface Recombinationin CdSe ElectrodesM.L. Shumaker, D. Burdeiski and D.H. WaldeckDepartment of Chemistry,University of Pittsburgh,Pittsburgh, PA 15260ABSTRACTFluorescence decay profiles are used to monitor carrier dynamics at theinterface between single crystalline CdSe electrodes and 0.5M KOH solution. Thefluorescence decay profiles are found to be independent of temperature over therange from 277K to 337K. It is also shown that a diffusion model of the carrierdynamics with a single rate constant for surface recombination does notadequately describe the observed dynamics.1. INTRODUCTIONWith extrinsic material under low level injection conditions and when selfabsorption is small the fluorescence decay provides a temporal profile of theminority carrier concentration. The fluorescence decay can be exploited tomonitor the dynamics of charge carrier relaxation and charge transfer at thesemiconductor/electrolyte interface. Time-resolved bandgap fluorescence hasbeen used to determine the surface recombination velocity of photogeneratedcarriers in semiconductor electrodes. Fluorescence studies of Il—VI compounds,in particular CdSe and CdS, in contact with electrolyte solutions is available[1,2]. The earlier work concentrates on the influence of surface preparationand electrolyte composition on the surface recombination velocity. In general,agreement with simple diffusion models of carrier motion has been observed, orassumed. The electrolyte composition, as well as surface preparation, is foundto strongly affect the recombination velocity. An asset of time-resolvedstudies is the ability to directly test the validity of diffusion models for thecarrier motion and recombination.The work reported here on the fluoresence decay of CdSe electrodes istwofold. First decay profiles are shown which are not adequately described by asimple diffusion model for the carrier dynamics. Second a temperature study ofthe carrier recombination reveals that the surface recombination velocity doesnot have a strong temperature dependence.2. MODEL OF CARRIER DYNAMICSAn appropriate model for the carrier motion probed by thesestudies is diffusion of minority carriers,6p(r,t) =
Perspectives on spiritual care at Hospice Africa Uganda

Objective: To examine how spiritual care is perceived in an African context by recording the lived experiences of palliative care workers at Hospice Africa Uganda (HAU). Methods: Fifteen palliative care workers with experience in providing spiritual care were interviewed and their responses were thematically analyzed. Results: The participants rarely saw a distinction between religion and spirituality. Although many were comfortable dealing with religious issues emanating from the major religious traditions, including those different from their own, they were less comfortable in handling issues arising from native Ugandan traditions and culture. Beliefs such as witchcraft and cursing in particular were considered harmful and not spiritual, and several participants reported feeling uncomfortable when providing spiritual care to patients with these beliefs. The interviewees also cited difficulties such as the lack of time, resources, and available religious leaders in the community, as well as language barr...
A lipid-mobilizing substance in the serum of pregnant women, of probable placental origin

Abstract A substance capable of inducing free fatty acid release was sought in the blood of pregnant women. The rat epididymal fat pad was used for bioassay. Sera from 12 of 13 pregnant patients studied revealed such activity when compared to sera obtained 3 to 5 days postpartum. Serum from one patient with metastatic choriocarcinoma was studied, and also caused free fatty acid mobilization in vitro. Crude placental extracts were active in the assay system; protein fractions obtained from placentae were studied, and certain fractions found active. The properties of this substance are: (1) it is nondialyzable; (2) it circulates in late pregnancy and disappears within 5 days postpartum; (3) it was found in a patient with choriocarcinoma; (4) it is present in crude placental extracts; (5) it is removed by deproteination of placental extracts; (6) application of a pituitary extraction procedure to placentae yielded active fractions where pituitary growth hormone is usually found.
Vectorcardiographic predictors of ventricular arrhythmia inducibility in patients with tetralogy of Fallot

Abstract Introduction Vectorcardiography (VCG) may have predictive value in Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) patients undergoing ventricular arrhythmia inducibility (VAI) electrophysiology studies (EPs). Materials and methods Blinded, retrospective analyses of 37 adult TOF patients undergoing EPs prior to pulmonary valve replacements were performed (21 female, median age 37 years). VAI was evaluated from EPs and resting 12-lead electrocardiograms, respectively using QRS and heart rate adjusted Q-T intervals, spatial QRS-T angles (peaks), T-wave and QRS-wave (QRSwave vc) component vector root mean squares. Differences were assessed (Student t-tests, Mann Whitney U-tests, Analysis of Variance). Relative risks were calculated. Results 16 patients had VAI (6 monomorphic, 10 polymorphic). Only the QRSwave vc showed significant differences between those with and without VAI, 10.5 ± 2.4 dmV vs. 13.9 ± 4.5 dmV, respectively (p = 0.002), area under the ROC curve of 0.78 and relative risk of 2.52. Conclusion VCG evidence of depolarization differences was significant between TOF patients with and without inducible VA.
Flexible poly(amic acid) conducting polymers: effect of chemical composition on structural, electrochemical, and mechanical properties.

A new approach for creating flexible, mechanically strong poly(amic acid) (PAA) hybrid copolymers is described. The reduction of gold salts to gold nanoparticles by PAA coupled with its copolymerization in the presence of various silanes (e.g., N-[3-(trimethoxysilyl)-propyl] aniline (TMOSPA), 3-aminopropyl-trimethoxysilane (APTMOS), dichlorodimethylsilane (DCMS), and tetramethoxysilane (TMOS)) has enabled the design of a series of polymeric films. The resulting poly(amic acid), silane, and gold (PSG) solutions were employed for the fabrication of flexible, ternary polymers with a minimum bend ratio of 3 mm using thermal desolvation and/or wet-phase inversion techniques. By controlling the composition and synthesis conditions, porous PSG films were produced that are flexible or rigid, transparent or opaque, and/or mechanically strong. 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) characterization results showed that the carboxylic acid moieties were retained in the PSG copolymer. Ther...