cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multicolor megapixel QWIP focal plane arrays for remote sensing instruments

Mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) and long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) 1024x1024 pixel quantum well infrared photodetector (QWIP) focal planes have been demonstrated with excellent imaging performance. The MWIR QWIP detector array has demonstrated a noise equivalent differential temperature (NEΔT) of 17 mK at a 95K operating temperature with f/2.5 optics at 300K background and the LWIR detector array has demonstrated a NEΔT of 13 mK at a 70K operating temperature with the same optical and background conditions as the MWIR detector array after the subtraction of system noise. Both MWIR and LWIR focal planes have shown background limited performance (BLIP) at 90K and 70K operating temperatures respectively, with similar optical and background conditions. In addition, we have demonstrated MWIR and LWIR pixel co-registered simultaneously readable dualband QWIP focal plane arrays. In this paper, we will discuss the performance in terms of quantum efficiency, NEΔT, uniformity, operability, and modulation transfer functions of the 1024x1024 pixel arrays and the progress of dualband QWIP focal plane array development work.
986-76 β·Blockade Alters the Biphasic Response of Hibernating Myocardium to Incremental Doses of Dobutamine: Implications for Dobutamine Stress Echocardiography

We have previously shown that an incremental dobutamine infusion induces a biphasic pattern of regional LV wall thickening in hibernating myocardium, with initial improvement and subsequent deterioration. This study was designed to evaluate whether and how a, β -blocker alters this pattern. A model of myocardial hibernation was created in 6 pigs (35–45 kg). A LAD stenosis was produced to decrease LAD flow to 40–70% of baseline. This decreased regional LV wall thickening by 45 to 100% and caused transient regional lactate production. This condition was maintained for 6–8 days, at which time dobutamine echocardiography with incremental doses from 2.5–30 μ g/kg/min was performed, both with and without an esmolol infusion of 50 μ g/kg/min. The stenosis was released after dobutamine echocardiography and the animals recovered for 7 days to evaluate the reversibility of the regional wall motion abnormalities. Results In all 6 pigs regional wall thickening initially improved but subsequently deteriorated during the dobutamine infusion. The maximal improvement was 10 ± 5% at a dose of 4.2 ± 3.5 μ g/kg/min. Esmolol infusion during dobutamine echocardiography did not alter the magnitude of the initial improvement, 12 ± 4% (p = NS); however, the time to peak improvement was delayed, so that it occurred at a higher dose of dobutamine, 17 ± 5 μ g/kg/min (p l 0.01). Esmolol prevented the late deterioration of wall thickening to below baseline in 3 of the 6 animals. By 1 week after restoration of LAD flow, one pig had died from a non-cardiac cause and regional wall motion recovered in the 5 others. Conclusion The response pattern of chronic hibernating myocardium to dobutamine stress echocardiography is modified by a β -blocker: the initial improvement, though of similar magnitude, is delayed and late deterioration of regional wall thickening is attenuated. However, if initial improvement in regional wall motion is the criterion for viability, premedication with a β -blocker will not affect sensitivity.
Electromagnetic Scattering from an Infinite Circular Cylinder at Oblique Incidence. I. Radiance Functions for m=1.46*

Angular scattering functions over the range of angle of observation θ=0°(2.5°)180°, and α=0.1, ϕ=0°(15°)75°; α=5.0 and 10.0, ϕ=0°(5°)85° have been calculated for infinitely long circular cylinders at oblique incidence with m=1.46, where α is the size parameter and ϕ is the tilt angle. The equivalence of the cross components i12=i21 is noted. As the cylinder is tilted, the structure of the angular patterns becomes smoother and resembles the dielectric-needle approximation.
Ionospheric Effects associated with the Solar Flare of September 28, 1961

THE purpose of this communication is to direct attention to some ionospheric phenomena observed during the period of the above flare and during the early part of the associated geomagnetic storm that ensued on September 30, 1961. The flare, which was of importance 3+, was first detected around 2200 U.T., and the intensity of the Hα radiation reached a peak near 2224 U.T. all on September 28. The magnetic sudden commencement over North America occurred between 2108 and 2109 U.T. on September 30.
The effect of 137Cs radiation on growth, development, and mortality of the larvae of the tussock moth, Hemerocampa leucostigma.

Abstract Larvae and pupae of Hemerocampa leucostigma were irradiated in a 137 Cs Radcell and observed for effects on growth, development, and mortality. Irradiated larvae were half of control weight 10 days postradiation. Although pupae were extremely resistant, relatively low doses to larvae prevented emergence. LD 100 of first instars was 30 kr, while that of third instars was 85 kr. No delay in median time to pupation was noted.
Effects of soil moisture stress on monoterpenes in loblolly pine

Monoterpene composition of xylem oleoresin in pole-size loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) was different between moisture-stressed and -unstressed trees during two test years. α-Pinene concentration increased in stressed trees whereas β-pinene, myrcene, and limonene decreased. Variations in camphene concentration with soil moisture stress were inconclusive. It increased with moisture stress in one test year and decreased in stressed trees during the other test year.
Pharmacology of a New 1-Oxa-β-lactam (LY127935) in Normal Volunteers

The pharmacokinetics of 1-oxa-β-lactam (LY127935), a new semisynthetic β-lactam antibiotic, was studied in four healthy adult volunteers (mean age of 27 years, mean body surface area ± standard error [SE] of 1.87 ± 0.08 m2, and mean creatinine clearance ± SE of 116 ± 12 ml/min per 1.73 m2). Immediately after completion of a 1-g, 20-min intravenous (i.v.) infusion, the mean serum level ± SE was 70.7 ± 8.5 μg/ml. After a 1-g intramuscular (i.m.) injection, peak serum levels occurred from 30 min to 1 h, and the mean peak serum level ± SE was 52.3 ± 1.6 μg/ml. Beginning at 1 h, the serum concentrations after i.m. administration were higher than those after i.v. administration. At 8 h, the mean serum level ± SE was 3.8 ± 0.6 μg/ml after completion of the i.v. infusion and 4.8 ± 0.7 μg/ml after the i.m. injection. The mean serum half-lives for the β phase i.v. and i.m. administration were similar (2.3 ± 0.7 h and 2.4 ± 0.2 h, respectively). The mean apparent volume of distribution ± SE was 16.6 ± 1.9 liters per 1.73 m2. The mean serum clearance ± SE of LY127935 was 85.4 ± 12.7 ml/min per 1.73 m2, and the mean renal clearance ± SE was 54.5 ± 4.4 ml/min per 1.73 m.2 Urine concentrations of LY127935 were at least 140 μg/ml in each volunteer during the first 12 h after i.m. or i.v. administration. The mean percentages of the dose recovered in the urine ± SE within 2 h after i.v. or i.m. administration were similar (30 ± 4 and 34 ± 11, respectively). Only 67 ± 3% and 75 ± 13% were recovered in the urine within 24 h after i.v. and i.m. administration, respectively.
Lithium induces c-Ret expression in mouse inner medullary collecting duct cells.

We found in our present study that lithium (Li+) induced the expression of endogenous c-Ret, a tyrosine kinase receptor, in murine inner medullary collecting duct (mIMCD-3) cells. Delineation of the promoter region required for the effect of Li+ identified a positive regulatory element within 180 bp upstream of the transcription initiation site. This region contained three putative GC-rich Sp1 binding sites found to be essential for c-Ret induction by Li+. The effect of Li+ was mediated through glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β) inhibition, although there was no biding site for T cell factor/lymphoid enhancer factor (TCF/LEF) in the 180 bp. We found that Li+ activated the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway via GSK-3β in these cells, and the effect of Li+ to induce c-Ret was amenable to the inhibitory effect of the mTOR inhibitor, rapamycin. We also found that alterations in both cellular β-catenin levels and mTOR activities affected the effect of Li+ on c-Ret transcription in a cooperative manner. In summary, our results show that Li+ can induce c-Ret expression in mIMCD-3 cells through both β-catenin- and mTOR-dependent pathways downstream of GSK-3β inhibition, which act synergistically on the GC-rich Sp1 binding elements in the promoter region.
Disorders of attention: a frontier in neuropsychology

There is an extensive behavioural neurological literature on so-called unilateral attentional disorders, but a striking paucity of papers on global disorders of attention, i.e. confusional states. However, confusional states are distinctive because: (1) they are the most common disturbance of the higher functions in clinical practice, by orders of magnitude; (2)they are the only disturbance of the higher functions from which all normal subjects have suffered; (3) they have characteristic clinical manifestations; (4) they are frequently misdiagnosed as progressive dementias, aphasia, memory disorders, and psychoses; (5) they are the only disturbance of the higher functions that commonly cause patients to produce statement that appear to be extremely witty; (6) they can be readily studied experimentally; (7) they are the most common cause of unconcern with or denial of illness. There are almost certainly several different forms of confusional state depending on the aetiology, the rate of development, the age, and the anatomical systems involved, but little classification has yet been carried on. Confusional states are most simply defined as disorders in which there is a loss of the normal coherence of thought or action. Among the striking clinical features are: (1) failure to pay attention, excessive distractibility, or failure to shift attention; (2) paramnesias, i.e. distortions of memory; (3) reduplicative phenomena, 'wild' paraphasias with 'propagation' of error, alterations of mood in many different directions; (4) isolated or predominant disturbance of writing (the most common cause of pur agraphia); (5) unconcern with or denial of illness; (6) apparently playful behaviour. While confusional states are usually attributed to 'global involvement of the brain' as a result of metabolic or toxic disorder, there are in fact many cases produced by focal infarctions inthe right hemisphere, which, in the experience of my department, is one of the commonest effects of cerebrovascular disease. Brief reference is made to the prognosis, and to the theoretical significance for cerebral dominance and the evolutionary development of cerebral dominance in non-human species.
The nucleotide sequence and transcription of miniclrcular mitochondrial DNA's associated with male-fertile and cytoplasmic male-sterile lines of sugarbeet

Male-fertile (MF) and cytoplasmic male-sterile (CMS) lines of sugarbeet possess characteristic low molecular weight minicircular mitochondrial DNA's, and Southern hybridizations revealed sequence homologies between them. The complete nucleotide sequences of minicircle a present in MF and CMS lines, and minicircle d present in some MF lines have been determined and compared to minicircle c present in all MF lines. Computer analysis revealed sequences common to all three DNA's: these may be essential to their maintenance in sugarbeet mitochondria. Analysis of the extent and arrangement of homologous sequences in minicircle a and minicircle d suggests the latter may have arisen from an intramolecular recombination event in minicircle a. The G+C contents of the minicircles differ and their possible origins are discussed. All three DNA's are transcribed. Minicircle c and minicircle d transcripts are exclusive to MF mitochondria, but are unlikely to encode protein products. Two transcripts of sufficient size and the predicted polarity to encompass a short open reading frame on minicircle a are common to both MF and CMS mitochondria.
Video techniques in thoracic anesthesia

Summary We welcome anesthesiologists to the realm of video. They can take advantage of the benefits afforded by being able to see an enlarged image with both eyes at an optimal distance, whether using the Video Macintosh System for laryngoscopy and intubation or using a video camera incorporated into or attached to the flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope for intubation, or to position a double lumen tube or other device to achieve lung isolation, or when dealing with a difficult airway. We believe the benefits are many and the disadvantages few and are confident that these systems will see more widespread use, especially as miniaturization of light sources and power supplies occurs and as progress is made with processing systems
Public Awareness Is Key to Successful Waste Management

A critical component in any waste management program is public awareness and participation, in addition to appropriate legislation, strong technical support, and adequate funding. Waste is the result of human activities and everyone needs to have a proper understanding of waste management issues, without which the success of even the best conceived waste management plan becomes questionable. The paper presents an overview of the fundamentals of waste management and, using examples from the United States, illustrates how public awareness and participation results in succcssful waste management. Examples of the methods and techniques that have been very effective in creating and enhancing public awareness of waste management problems, including the author's proven method of public education, are presented in the paper. The details of a course aimed at educating school teachers on waste management issues and a specialized curriculum on waste and litter control, designed for kindergarten through 8th grade students and developed by the author, are discussed in the paper. A case study dealing with remediation of one of the worst contaminated hazardous waste sites in the United States, that included substantial public participation, is reviewed. The paper concludes by emphasizing that the public must be made aware of waste management issues to understand the consequences of improper management of waste and how it may ultimately pose a serious threat to their lives and well-being.
Integrating particle tracking models into a GIS for analysis and display of environmental phenomena

Particle tracking models can simulate the path of volcanic ash particles that might affect airplane flights, the path of contaminants from a pollution source in the atmosphere or in a water body, and the path of organisms through the either a water or air environment. These models can be used in hazard assessments, environmental planning and biological research. Model outputs include locations of particles in space and time and associated environmental measures such as temperature, wind or current speed and direction, water turbidity, and water salinity. The outputs may include both a fully populated four-dimensional grid of environmental attributes and the x, y, z, t location of the particle(s).A geographic information system (GIS) can provide tools to display and analyze the results of tracking models. In this paper we report on the development of a tool to display particle tracks in 3-D, to display and analyze the environmental variables along the track of one or more particles and to integrate particle tracks with a variety of spatially-explicit datasets. The tool uses functions native to ESRI's ArcGIS, Java-based statistical and analysis tools, functions from VTK, and display tools from Unidata's Integrated Data Viewer (IDV).
Enzymatic determination of the concentration of intact soman and sarin in aqueous solutions

Abstract Intact S-soman at 0.5–13 μM and S- and R-sarin at 50–100 μM in aqueous solutions were determined by a spectrofluorometric method, which detects chymotrypsin before and after its reaction with either inhibitor and the difference in active-site concentration measures concentration of the inhibitor. The chymotryptic method of analysis of organophosphates is sensitive, inexpensive, and specific for intact inhibitors. It is free of interference from organophosphorus decomposition products.
Prolongation of Cardiac Allograft Survival by Systemic Administration of Immature Recipient Dendritic Cells Deficient in NF-κB Activity

The ability of dendritic cells (DCs) to induce immunity or tolerance is related to their state of maturation.1,2 Mature DC express high levels of costimulatory molecules, secrete cytokines including IL-12, and stimulate vigorous T-helper (Th) 1 responses. In contrast, immature DCs (iDCs) express low levels of costimulatory molecules and induce antigen-specific hyporesponsiveness by triggering T-cell apoptosis3 or inducing T regulatory cells.4 It has been well established that intravenous injection of immature donor-derived DCs that are deficient in costimulatory molecules delays the onset of allograft rejection. A limitation to the approach of administering donor-derived iDCs to prevent allograft rejection is that DC propagation either from donor bone marrow (BM) or peripheral blood requires at least 5 to 6 days,5 while decease donor organ transplantation is usually on a semiemergency basis. Thus, an approach using recipient-derived DCs as a means to immunomodulate recipient alloimmunity would be a more feasible approach for such transplants. Maturation of DCs is associated with activation of the nuclear factor (NF)-κB transcription factor, which induces expression of a variety of genes involved in inflammatory responses and costimulatory molecules.6 NF-κB is associated with inhibitor I-κB in the cytoplasm as an inactive complex. Degradation of I-κB allows translocation of the freed NF-κB to the nucleus where it regulates target gene expression by binding to a specific DNA motif. We have constructed a decoy double-stranded oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) containing consensus NF-κB binding sites that inhibit NF-κB activity. We have also demonstrated that N-FκB ODNs are incorporated efficiently by DCs and specifically inhibit NF-κB DNA-binding capacity.7,8 The NF-κB ODNs selectively suppress costimulatory molecule expression without interfering with major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I or II expression on DC. This is important, since expression of MHCs on DCs are required in the delivery of tolerogenic signals.5 Modification with the NF-κB ODN renders DCs resistant to maturation, eg, after being stimulated by LPS7 or adenoviral vector transfection.8 In addition, administration of in vitro modified donor-derived NF-κB ODN DCs induces alloreactive T-cell hyporesponsiveness in experimental organ transplant models.7 In this study, we propagated iDCs from recipient C3H mouse BM with GM-CSF whose maturation was arrested by NF-κB ODN. Administration of these iDCs pulsed with donor spleen lysate significantly prolonged B10 allograft survival in C3H recipients in antigen-specific manner. This was associated with induction of specific T-cell hyporesponsiveness and apoptotic death.
The origin of equine endometrial cups. III. Light and electron microscopic study of fully developed equine endometrial cups

Equine endometrial cups are localized endometrial outgrowths which develop in mares during early pregnancy and secrete pregnant mares serum gonadotrophin (PMSG). The principal cell-type found in endometrial cups is large, regular and epithelioid in appearance. These cup cells have one or two large euchromatic nuclei with dense, characteristic nucleoli. Their cytoplasm is filled with irregular profiles of endoplasmic reticulum containing pale flocculent material. Lipid droplets and a few mitochondria are also present. Golgi material is not prominent and the absence of membrane-bound secretory granules suggest that the Golgi apparatus does not package a secretory product. The plasmalemma is mostly smooth in outline but is modified in some places to form short microvilli or complex intercrescent folds.
Trends in the Relationship between Urbanisation and Development in Africa

It can be suggested that the ‘economic development’ of most Third-World nations today will be reflected in two distinct but interrelated processes: (1) a rise in economic productivity and in real incomes, and (2) a reduction in fertility and a corresponding slowing down in the rate of population growth.1 Historically, an increase in both the number of cities in a country and the number and proportion of the population living there, has been closely associated with both these processes. Accordingly, as urbanisation proceeds in Africa it might logically be assumed that economic growth and demographic modernisation are also taking place. It is our purpose in this brief article to offer a partial explanation for the fact that this historical association has not characterised recent trends in the continent.
Soluble CD40 ligand induces human coronary artery smooth muscle cells proliferation and migration.

Background Clinical data have shown that an increased level of serum soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) is associated with atherosclerogenesis. We hypothesize that sCD40L induces proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) through activation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Methods Human VSMCs were treated with sCD40L (1 or 5 μg/mL). Cell proliferation and migration were studied using a nonradioactive cell proliferation assay (MTT) and a modified Boyden chamber combined with a scrape-wound assay, respectively. Messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were measured with real-time polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Neutralizing antibodies against MMP-2 or MMP-9 were used to evaluate their effects on sCD40L–induced cell proliferation and migration. Results MTT assay showed a 35% increase in cell proliferation in the high-dose (5 μg/mL) sCD40L-treated group. Cell migration was also increased by 33% (Transwell assay) to 3-fold (scrape-wound assay) after high-dose sCD40L treatment. When cells were treated with 5 μg/mL of sCD40L for 24 hours, significant decreases in MMP-2 and increases in MMP-9 mRNA and protein levels were observed. Neutralizing antibodies against MMP-9 effectively blocked sCD40L–induced cell proliferation and migration. Conclusion This study suggests that sCD40L increases VSMC proliferation and migration through the MMP-9 pathway, which may be a potential mechanism through which sCD40L induces intimal hyperplasia and atherosclerosis.
POLLEN MORPHOLOGY AND ULTRASTRUCTURE OF THE BENNETTITALES: IN SITU POLLEN OF CYCADEOIDEA'

boundary, and a thicker granular infratectum. The infratectal granules are relatively uniform in size, however, variation occurs in the arrangement of granules. In some grains, the sexine appears homogeneous because there is little lacunal space between the individual granules. The granular infratectum is in direct contact with the underlying nexine. The nexine is uniform in thickness in both apertural and nonapertural regions, and it lacks lamellae throughout. Pollen morphology and ultrastructure are compared with those of the bennettitalean genus Leguminanthus and the dispersed genus Monosulcites. In addition, the fine structure of Cycadeoidea pollen is compared to that ofthe gymnosperm groups with which the Bennettitales are regarded to be most closely related, including Gnetales, Pentoxylales, and Eucommiidites-type pollen-producing plants.
Cluster of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus associated with central line care in the intensive care unit

BACKGROUND: The hospital, a 451-bed acute care facility in Portland, Oregon, was alerted to a significant increase in hospital-associated coagulase-negative Staphylococcus isolates from blood sources during August-September 2003. OBJECTIVES: Identify processes putting patients at risk, correct process breakdowns, and share information for future prevention with other clinical staff. METHODS: Data-mining services are provided to the hospital. Monthly reports are generated to detect unsuspected patterns of infection within the hospital and community. In September 2003, infection control (IC) received an alert describing a 170% increase (p = 0.041) in patients with non-duplicate hospital-associated coagulase-negative Staphylococcus isolates from the blood of patients with central lines in the intensive care unit (ICU). When IC sent the pattern to the manager of critical care, the issue was presented at a staff meeting. It was discovered that a new product had been introduced (CLC2000™ from ICU Medical, Inc., San Clemente, California), and the staff was not familiar with some aspects of utilization. Addition of the CLC2000 was done to decrease heparin flushes as this product requires only saline. Equipment replacement frequency was not established, and the valve on the needleless connection did not retract when positive pressure was created. Reviewing the issues with the vendor found the instruction care card provided had missed a key step when creating the positive pressure in the access device. Interventions included updating the printed instruction cards for all nursing, re-education of the full ICU staff in the use of the CL2000, use of alcohol when swabbing all ports prior to entry, and use of ChloraPrep™ for insertion and maintenance of all central lines. RESULTS: Continuing electronic surveillance for hospital-associated coagulase-negative Staphylococcus blood isolates revealed an 80% decrease by the end of January 2004. CONCLUSION: Investigation of a cluster of coagulase-negative blood isolates reduced the contaminated blood cultures and potentially the decrease of antibiotics started in response to a positive blood culture.
Chromatin Compaction at Hox Loci: A Polycomb Tale beyond Histone Tails

A new study in this issue of Molecular Cell (Eskeland et al., 2010) implicates Polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1) in compacting Hox gene chromatin in mouse embryonic stem cells and suggests that compaction, rather than histone tail ubiquitylation, confers Hox gene silencing.
Comparison of American Joint Committee on Cancer pathologic stage T3a versus T3b urothelial carcinoma: analysis of patient outcomes.

BACKGROUND: The radical cystectomy experience at Vanderbilt University Medical Center was scrutinized to determine whether there was a difference in survival between patients with lymph node-negative pathologic T3a versus pathologic T3b urothelial carcinoma of the bladder. METHODS: Pathologic and clinical data were reviewed on patients who underwent radical cystectomy for urothelial carcinoma between 1995 and 2005. We excluded patients with nontransitional cell cancer, lymph node disease, or with unknown lymph node status. Of the 790 reviewed patients, 75 patients (9.4%) were diagnosed with pathologic T3 urothelial cancer of the bladder. The impact of pathologic substaging (pT3a vs pT3b) was examined to determine the effect on overall, disease-specific, and recurrence-free survival. RESULTS: The mean age was 68.6 years (36 years to 83 years). Median overall follow-up was 25.3 months (1.13 months to 130.17 months). Median follow-up for patients alive at last follow-up was 55.9 months (25.3 months to 130.2 months). Actuarial overall survival at 5 years was 29.5% for pT3a and 29.3% for pT3b (P = .79). Actuarial disease-specific survival at 5 years was 54.1% for pT3a and 42.4% for pT3b (P = .21). Actuarial recurrence-free survival at 5 years was 68.1% for pT3a and 71.9% for pT3b (P = .53). CONCLUSIONS: There were no significant differences in overall, disease-specific, or recurrence-free survival when comparing lymph node-negative pT3a versus pT3b urothelial cancer of the bladder following radical cystectomy. Simplification of pathologic staging for urothelial carcinoma of the bladder should be considered at future revisions of the American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system. Cancer 2009. © 2009 American Cancer Society.
Influence of the Hip on Patients With Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome: A Systematic Review

Context: Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is one of the most common conditions limiting athletes. There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that dysfunction at the hip may be a contributing...
Effects of ATP and Actin-Filament Binding on the Dynamics of the Myosin II S1 Domain

Actin and myosin interact with one another to perform a variety of cellular functions. Central to understanding the processive motion of myosin on actin is the characterization of the individual states along the mechanochemical cycle. We present an all-atom molecular dynamics simulation of the myosin II S1 domain in the rigor state interacting with an actin filament. We also study actin-free myosin in both rigor and post-rigor conformations. Using all-atom level and coarse-grained analysis methods, we investigate the effects of myosin binding on actin, and of actin binding on myosin. In particular, we determine the domains of actin and myosin that interact strongly with one another at the actomyosin interface using a highly coarse-grained level of resolution, and we identify a number of salt bridges and hydrogen bonds at the interface of myosin and actin. Applying coarse-grained analysis, we identify differences in myosin states dependent on actin-binding, or ATP binding. Our simulations also indicate that the actin propeller twist-angle and nucleotide cleft-angles are influenced by myosin at the actomyosin interface. The torsional rigidity of the myosin-bound filament is also calculated, and is found to be increased compared to previous simulations of the free filament.
Experiments and multiscale simulations of|[nbsp]|laser propagation through ignition-scale|[nbsp]|plasmas

With the next generation of high-power laser facilities for inertial fusion coming online1,2, ensuring laser beam propagation through centimetre-scale plasmas is a key physics issue for reaching ignition. Existing experimental results3,4,5 including the most recent one6 are limited to small laser spots, low-interaction laser beam energies and small plasma volumes of 1–2 mm. Here, we demonstrate the propagation of an intense, high-energy, ignition-size laser beam through fusion-size plasmas on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) and find the experimental measurements to agree with full-scale modelling. Previous attempts to apply computer modelling as a predictive capability have been limited by the inherently multiscale description of the full laser–plasma interaction processes7,8,9,10,11. The findings of this study validate supercomputer modelling as an essential tool for the design of future ignition experiments.
Subharmonic and asymmetric convection rolls

A new class of steady solutions is derived describing convection rolls which do not reflect the symmetry of the physical conditions of the convection layer. As does the class of mixed solutions considered by Segel (1962) and by Knobloch and Guckenheimer (1983) the new class arises from a wavelength doubling bifurcation. The new class is distinguished by a tilt of the convection rolls which gives rise to a finite mean horizontal component of vorticity. An analytic theory is derived for small amplitudes of motion in the case of stress-free boundaries. The theory is extended to higher amplitudes by numerical computations. The new solution shares with the solution of Segel, Knobloch and Guckenheimer the property that it is unstable for large Prandtl numbersP with respect to disturbances which tend to establish the wellknown symmetric solutions, but becomes stable with respect to these disturbances for Prandtl numbers\(P \lessapprox 0.296\).
Noninvasive measurement of charging in plasmas using microelectromechanical charge sensing devices

The plasma induced charging of surfaces in a plasma during semiconductor processing has been measured noninvasively using microelectromechanical devices. We have designed, modeled, and fabricated microcantilevers to act as charge sensing probes. The devices exhibit a mechanical deformation when charged, which is probed in situ by optical techniques, or measured by optical inspection after removal from plasma. Charging voltage measurements in a parallel‐plate reactive‐ion‐etching reactor show that more charging is evident at the electrode edge, and that the charging is a strong function of input rf power, chamber pressure, and flow rate of gases.
E-SAVE: Saving energy by smart serves

The Smart Grid holds promise for transforming the behavior of individuals and communities towards a more efficient and greener use of electric power. There is a growing demand for non-intrusive monitoring of energy consumption behavior at multiple scales and also for autonomous energy saving opportunities for both individuals and communities. In this demo, we present a sentient service framework for a smart application, named E-SAVE that aims to monitor activities by a user or community and configure the environment of devices for a smarter energy usage. The key building block to the smart application capability is context aware activity monitoring and energy usage optimization by recognizing appropriate energy-usage patterns pertaining to various activities, areas, and devices. We have developed the E-SAVE prototype system to monitor the usage of energy by a user or community and configure the environment of devices for smart usage of energy.
Using Numerical Modeling to understand the Lipid Biosynthetic Pathway in Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii

A worldwide effort to find renewable alternatives to fossil fuels is underway. Under certain conditions, algae produce large amounts of lipids that can be converted to biodiesel. However, the lipid biosynthetic pathway of algae is not fully understood. Consequently, we use numerical modeling to explore optimization of lipid biosynthesis in the well-studied microalgae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. This goal will be accomplished using deterministic kinetic modeling and flux balance analysis of the lipid biosynthetic pathway. Key parameters of the models will be manipulated in order to predict optimal mechanisms by which higher levels of lipid production can be induced in vivo. As an initial step in pursuing these goals, we employ recently developed flux balance analysis models describing the full complement of metabolic processes in C. reinhardtii to identify metabolic pathways most relevant to lipid production.
CarbonCarbon bond formation by coordination of carbocations with carbanions.

Abstract Direct attack of resonance-stabilized carbenium ions and carbanions can be regulated to provide a wide range of rates and equilibria for the study of carboncarbon bond formation
Stereochemistry of Metabolism of Amphetamines: Use of (–)-α-Methoxy-α-(trifluoromethyl)phenylacetyl Chloride for GLC Resolution of Chiral Amines

Amphetamine and eight related compounds were reacted with the chiral acylating reagent (–)-α-methoxy-α-(trifluoro- methyOphenylacetyl chloride to obtain, in each case, two diastereomeric amide derivatives. GLC conditions were found for the separation of the diastereomers in seven of the nine cases studied. This procedure may be suitable for the resolution of amino acid enantiomers via the amide derivatives of the methyl esters. Secondary amines were not derivatized under the reaction conditions used. A correlation between absolute configuration and elution order of the diastereomeric amides was observed for five compounds. The chiral acylating reagent was used in the determination of the enantiomeric composition of 2,5-dimethoxy-4- methylamphetamine excreted in rat urine after intraperitoneal drug administration. The chiral acylating reagent is suitable for the determination of the optical composition of compounds extracted from biological fluids.
THE STABILITY OF BACTERIAL SUSPENSIONS : V. THE REMOVAL OF ANTIBODY FROM SENSITIZED ORGANISMS.

1. The removal of antibody from Bacillus typhosus is no more complete at pH 3 than at pH 7. 2. Approximately twelve agglutinating doses are firmly combined with the organisms. Immune body in excess of this amount is easily removable by distilled water. 3. A method of testing for the presence of immune body on the organism is described which depends on the difference in the acid agglutination of sensitized and unsensitized organisms. 4. Repeated washing in distilled water will serve to remove all the immune body from sensitized bacteria.
Model for Education, Professional Preparation, and Licensure of Civil Engineers

In October 1998, ASCE’s Board of Direction adopted Policy Statement 465: First Professional Degree, which supports the concept that the master’s degree or an equivalent would be required for a graduate engineer to practice civil engineering at the professional level. In the writer’s opinion, this requirement alone may not be enough to narrow the gap between the education, professional preparation, licensure, and continuing education requirements of engineering and those of other traditional professions such as medicine, law, architecture, and accounting. Data from the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, indicate that engineering does not compare well with those four professions in those areas. Other data suggest that undergraduate civil engineering education has not changed significantly over the past 40 years to keep pace with major advances in civil engineering practice, even though the bachelor’s degree has been the entry-level degree for engineering practice during that period of tim...
Clarifying the positive association between education and prostate cancer: a Monte Carlo simulation approach.

Using the 1993-2011 data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (N = 5,218), we examine prostate cancer screening, mortality after the diagnosis, and health behaviors as potential mechanisms explaining the paradoxical association between men’s higher education and higher prostate cancer risk. Our study combines within-cohort longitudinal hazard models predicting a prostate cancer diagnosis with Monte Carlo simulations estimating the joint effects of socioeconomic differences in prostate cancer screening and mortality after the diagnosis. Our findings strongly suggest that higher utilization of prostate cancer screening and lower mortality after the diagnosis are important explanations for higher prostate rates among more educated men. In addition to applying an innovative method to the issues of prostate cancer incidence and survival, our results have potentially important implications for the current debate about the utility of prostate cancer screening as well as for accurate predictions of future mortal...
A NEW AMERICAN APARTHEID Racialized, religious minorities in the post-9/11 era

In recent years, portions of an irrationally unsettled Christian supermajority have utilized unsavory public displays to reassert dominance, and demand the restoration of previously normalized exceptional privileges. This threatens the religious freedom of non-Christian communities of color, most obvious during sacred site construction. Unprincipled white Christian religious leaders, media figures, and politicians have deployed xenophobic rhetoric and fictitious issues to mobilize anxious white Christians for their own political and financial gain, while dangerously fanning the flames of societal bigotry. The deep, often open racism against those perceived as Muslim, and various other non-Christian non-whites, has deeply scarred the lives of numerous communities of color, leading to ongoing, innumerable hate crimes against their bodies, property, and sacred sites. The xenophobic cores of the nation's white and Christian supremacist streams of thought have melded, resulting in a condition in which minority...
Swelling of Mitochondria from Rabbit Liver Induced by Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B

Investigations of subcellular effects of staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) were conducted to elucidate the mechanism of action of this cationic protein exotoxin. The toxin was shown to induce in-vitro swelling of mitochondria from the rabbit's liver. The effects of SEB on hepatic mitochondria, monitored by changes in optical density, were characterized by a substrate-independent induction of contraction by adenosine triphosphate and Mg++. It is postulated that the clinical signs and symptoms of SEB intoxication may result from the interaction of the toxin with mitochondria of selected tissues. A mode of action for SEB is thus proposed which suggests that the induction of mitochondria) swelling by the toxin in vivo results in the loss of ions, substrates, and cofactors from within mitochondria) compartments and contributes to a degeneration of mitochondria) functions.
Correlated Evolution of Androgen Receptor and Aromatase Revisited

Conserved interactions among proteins or other molecules can provide strong evidence for coevolution across their evolutionary history. Diverse phylogenetic methods have been applied to identify potential coevolutionary relationships. In most cases, these methods minimally require comparisons of orthologous sequences and appropriate controls to separate effects of selection from the overall evolutionary relationships. In vertebrates, androgen receptor (AR) and cytochrome p450 aromatase (CYP19) share an affinity for androgenic steroids, which serve as receptor ligands and enzyme substrates. In a recent study, Tiwary and Li (Tiwary BK, Li W-H. 2009. Parallel evolution between aromatase and androgen receptor in the animal kingdom. Mol Biol Evol. 26:123-129) reported that AR and CYP19 displayed a signature of ancient and conserved interactions throughout all the Eumetazoa (i.e., cnidarians, protostomes, and deuterostomes). Because these findings conflicted with a number of previous studies, we reanalyzed the data set used by Tiwary and Li. First, our analyses demonstrate that the invertebrate genes used in the previous analysis are not orthologous sequences but instead represent a diverse set of nuclear receptors and CYP enzymes with no confirmed or hypothesized relationships with androgens. Second, we show that 1) their analytical approach, which measures correlations in evolutionary distances between proteins, potentially led to spurious significant relationships due simply to conserved domains and 2) control comparisons provide positive evidence for a strong influence of evolutionary history. We discuss how corrections to this method and analysis of key taxa (e.g., duplications in the teleost fish and suiform lineages) can inform investigations of the coevolutionary relationships between AR and aromatase.
Neighborhoods in Maximum Packings of 2Kn and Quadratic Leaves of Triple Systems

In this paper, two related problems are completely solved, extending two classic results by Colbourn and Rosa. In any partial triple system (V,B) of 2Kn, the neighborhood of a vertex v is the subgraph induced by {{x,y}∣{v,x,y}∈B}. For n≡2 (mod 3) with n≠2, it is shown that for any 2-factor F on n−1 or n−2 vertices, there exists a maximum packing of 2Kn with triples such that F is the neighborhood of some vertex if and only if (n,F)≠(5,C2∪C2), thus extending the corresponding result for the case where n≡0 or 1 (mod 3) by Colbourn and Rosa. This result, along with the companion result of Colbourn and Rosa, leads to a complete characterization of quadratic leaves of λ-fold partial triple systems for all λ≥2, thereby extending the solution where λ=1 by Colbourn and Rosa.
Optimizing real-time fault tolerance design in WSI

An overview of real-time fault tolerance performance issues is provided, and a systematic approach to the optimization of real-time fault tolerance design in VLSI and wafer scale architectures is described and illustrated. The approach is based on the identification of fundamental optimization metrics, represented by simple product and quotient (reciprocal product) relationships, which extend traditional cost/benefit analysis to real-time fault tolerance in VLSI and wafer scale architectures and systems. >
Structural-Acoustic Finite Element Analysis of the Automobile Passenger Compartment

The objective of this paper is to give illustrative solutions for the types of combined structural and acoustic problems which arise in the finite element analysis of the automobile passenger compartment and to review related methodology. Analysis implementation using the NASTRAN (NASA STRuctural ANalysis) computer program is discussed briefly, including the use of modal compartment wall models and forced boundary conditions. The model is a two dimensional one, assuming a uniform pressue field in the cross-body direction. This simplification appears to be adequate for the frequency range of interest (20 to 80 Hz).
Cavity ringdown laser absorption spectroscopy detection of formyl (HCO) radical in a low pressure flame

Abstract The formyl radical has been detected via the A-X system in a low pressure CH4/N2/O2 flame using cavity ringdown laser absorption spectroscopy. The direct absorption data obtained in these initial studies allows determination of the absolute HCO concentration in the flame of ca. 2.1(±0.9) × 1013 mol cm−3, which is in excellent agreement with flame chemistry simulations. The extrapolated detection limit at 300 K of ≈ 1.4(±0.6) × 1011 mol cm−3 is comparable to that of other methods, including intracavity laser absorption spectroscopy.
Deficiency in the Nuclease Activity of Xeroderma Pigmentosum G in Mice Leads to Hypersensitivity to UV Irradiation

Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) is a human disorder which is characterized by hypersensitivity to sunlight and elevated incidence of skin cancer. The disease is caused by mutations in genes that encode components of the nucleotide excision repair pathway. The gene product of XP complementation group G (XPG) is a structure-specific endonuclease which makes an incision 3' to DNA photoproducts and other helix-distorting DNA adducts. In addition, the XPG protein has been implicated in transcription and repair of oxidative DNA damage. Moreover, XPG is capable of cleaving R loops in vitro, a potential intermediate during immunoglobulin heavy-chain class switch recombination. Due to its multiple functions, complete elimination of XPG in mice results in severe postnatal growth defects and premature death. To understand the contribution of the XPG nuclease activity to its function in vivo, we introduced a point mutation into the mouse XPG gene which inactivates the nuclease catalytic site but leaves the remainder of the protein intact. The XPG nuclease-deficient animals develop normally and exhibit no obvious defect in class switch recombination. However, the mutant mice are hypersensitive to UV irradiation. This phenotype suggests that the nuclease activity of XPG is required only for nucleotide excision repair and that other regions of the protein perform independent functions.
Molecular Responses to Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1α and Beyond

Cellular response to changes in oxygen tension during normal development or pathologic processes is, in part, regulated by hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), an oxygen-sensitive transcription factor. HIF activity is primarily controlled through post-translational modifications and stabilization of HIF-1α and HIF-2α proteins and is regulated by a number of cellular pathways involving both oxygen-dependent and -independent mechanisms. Stabilization of HIF-1α activates transcription of genes that participate in key pathways in carcinogenesis, such as angiogenesis, dedifferentiation, and invasion. Since its discovery more than two decades ago, HIF-1α has become a hot topic in molecular research and has been implicated not only in disease pathology but also in prognosis. In this review, we will focus on recent insights into HIF-1α regulation, function, and gene expression. We will also discuss emerging data on the involvement of HIF in cancer prognosis and therapeutic interventions.