cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of metabolic parameters between obese normotensive and obese hypertensive individuals--a study of the NHANES cross-sectional data 2011-2012.

It has been suggested that obesity-related hypertension is a separate entity that requires a new and defined approach. 1 Obesity is associated with adipocyte dysfunction, changes in cytokines, and free fatty acids that leads to oxidative stress and vascular inflammation culminating in hypertension. 1 Some studies have shown that the increase in waist circumference may increase the risk of hypertension even after cessation of smoking, making abdominal obesity a distinct and independent risk factor for the development of hypertension. 2 However, few studies have compared the different variables between obese normotensive and obese hypertensive individuals. We analyzed the cross-sectional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) survey for 2011–2012. 3 We categorized the survey population into normal body mass index (BMI 6.5% (definition of diabetes according to the American Diabetes Association) between the groups (P=.76). The baseline characteristics of the two groups are given in the Table. There were no differences in the mean serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, sodium, calcium, alkaline phosphatase, creatinine, uric acid, or lactate dehydrogenase levels between the groups; however, there were significant differences in the waist circumference and direct high-density lipoprotein levels between the groups. The mean waist circumference in cm was 105.8 (13.7) in the obese-normotensive group and 109.9 (14.1) in the obese-hypertensive group (P<.01). Direct measurement of high-density lipoprotein in mg/dL was 52.65 (14.3) in the obese-normotensive group and 50.38 (12.3) in the obese-hypertensive group (P=.01).
The effect of sensor registration error on the performance of PMHT

The probabilistic multi-hypothesis tracking (PMHT) algorithm has been successfully applied to a simulated multi-static active sonar data set that contains a single constant velocity target in varying amounts of clutter [1]. The simulated data set in that study contained negligible registration error was therefore easily registered to a common frame of reference for use in a centralized tracking architecture. Unknown sensor registration error can degrade the performance of any multi-static tracking algorithm that assumes that the measurement errors have zero mean. The registration error will appear as an unknown bias on the affected measurements and will degrade the data association stage of the tracker by increasing the probability that clutter detection will be confused for genuine target detections and vice versa. Moreover, if the registration error induced bias is large enough it may cause the tracking algorithm to misinterpret the track behavior (e.g., maneuvering instead of constant velocity). For many tracking algorithms this will cause the data association gates to be significantly expanded thereby increasing the probability that tracker will be drawn off target by clutter. The purpose of the effort reported here is to investigate the effect of unknown registration error on the tracking performance of PMHT in a centralized architecture. This study quantifies the ability of PMHT to maintain track on a maneuvering contact while it is in close proximity to a fixed persistent clutter object in the search region to using a simulated multi-static active sonar data set created by MSTWG researchers at TNO. Specifically, the probability of track hold as a function of target SNR and registration error between two receivers will be evaluated via simulation using the TNO data set. In this way estimates of the maximum amount of registration error that can be tolerated will be computed over a range of relevant target SNR values.
An approach to developing modular specifications of distributed systems in Maude

An existing proposal for the separation of concerns in distributed systems provides a formal, object-based, layered approach for the composition of independent communication services. Compatible with that approach, a notion of service is introduced, which suggests not only the composition of independent layers, but also the refinement of specifications of distributed systems through composition of layers. An abstract layer is specified by combining computational and temporal logic specifications. A description is given of how it can be specified and model checked in Maude.
Efficient simulations for capacity analysis and automated material handling system design in semiconductor wafer fabs

The Automated Material Handling System (AMHS) must be designed effectively so that it never becomes a limiting factor for the capacity of 300mm wafer fabs. Ideally, a fully integrated fab simulation model (i.e. a model containing detailed modeling constructs for the production operations, the tools, the AMHS, and tool AMHS interactions) should be used in order to design the AMHS. However, the problem is that it takes too much time to simulate and analyze these models. Experimentation has demonstrated that certain capacity models with less detailed AMHS representations can generate accurate system predictions in comparison to the values produced by fully integrated models. Because these less detailed models run faster, we can thus assess efficiently the effects of an AMHS design configuration on equipment capacity. A case study comparing the computational efficiency and the quality of the performance predictions at different levels of detail will be presented.
The effect of raw milk storage temperature on plasmin activity and plasminogen activation in pasteurized milk

Abstract The effect of refrigerated conditions and calcium on plasminogen activation was studied in pre-pasteurized milk and in buffer. Fresh milk samples were collected and stored at 2.2, 3.3, and 4.4 °C for 24 h prior to pasteurization. Higher plasmin activity was observed along with a significant decrease in plasminogen-derived activity in samples stored at 4.4 °C. Conversely, plasminogen and serum Ca concentration were higher in samples stored at 2.2 °C. In a buffered system, Ca significantly affected the kinetic parameters of plasminogen activation. Michaelis–Menten constant (Km) significantly increased (P⩽0.05) in the presence of CaCl2 (0.2%) at both 2.2 and 4.4 °C, which led to a subsequent decrease in catalytic efficiency ( k cat K m - 1 ). Thus, the higher serum Ca observed in the milk sample stored at 2.2 °C interfered with plasminogen activation. Temperature during cold storage can have a significant influence on plasmin levels and thus contribute to the subsequent proteolysis rate in milk.
Leg ulcers of vascular etiology.

Abstract Although leg ulcers have many etiologies, vascular ulcers fall into three general categories: arterial, neuropathic, or venous ulcers. They can usually be differentiated by history and physical examination (Figure 1).
Optimal Feedback Design of Delayed Linear Systems With Experimental Validation

This paper presents an application of semi-discretization method to stability analysis of feedback controls of linear systems with time delay. The method develops a mapping of the system response in a finite dimensional state space. Minimization of the largest absolute value of the eigenvalues of the mapping leads to optimal control gains. Experimental validation is presented to demonstrate the method. We have found that the semi-discretization method provides accurate stability boundaries and performance contours in the parametric space of control gains, and offers an alternative to the classic design approaches of feedback controls.© 2003 ASME
New Cholesterol Guidelines for Children

For children and adolescents, comprehensive guidelines for the diagnosis and management of elevated cholesterol have been published once, by the National Cholesterol Education Program in 1992.1 Since then, substantial research on early atherosclerosis and in related clinical areas has been conducted; simultaneously, the obesity epidemic has added the metabolic syndrome and its related high-triglyceride/low–high-density lipoprotein (HDL) phenotype to the agenda of those interested in establishing a consensus approach to early cardiovascular disease prevention.2 Article p 1056 Before assuming that new knowledge and secular trends in risk factors demand substantial revision of cardiovascular health guidelines for children, we must first consider several valuable, often prescient aspects of the 1992 report. First is an emphasis on the importance of nutritional management over pharmacological management of elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, unless levels clearly associated with premature cardiovascular disease exist and children are sufficiently old that advanced atherosclerotic lesions may be presumed to be present. Two randomized trials of dietary intervention, the DISC (Dietary Intervention Study in Children) and STRIP (Special Turku coronary Risk factor Intervention Project for babies) studies, have shown that the diet recommended by the 1992 report is safe and mildly effective in lowering LDL cholesterol and thus can be implemented in population-based strategies of cardiovascular disease risk lowering.3,4 Furthermore, the PDAY (Pathobiological Determinants of Atherosclerosis in Youth) study has shown that advanced, irreversible atherosclerotic lesions (American Heart Association grades IV and V) are rarely present before 19 years of age and that the relationship of risk to atherosclerosis in late adolescence is with regard to reversible early lesion grades (American Heart Association grades I through III).5 A second and woefully underrecognized virtue of the 1992 report is the definition of risk strata for LDL cholesterol, with borderline values being 110 to 129 mg/dL and high …
Turbulent Mixing Correlations in Free and Confined Jets.

Abstract : The objectives of this study were to correlate jet mixing data to establish mixing model coefficients and to produce empirical correlations of jet core length and centerline decay rate. A literature review containing 312 jet mixing experiments is reported. Turbulent jet mixing coefficients for 249 experiments are correlated, resulting in predictions of core length and decay rate for all experiments with an error of about 20-25%. Empirical correlations of core length and decay rate are also presented which give direct engineering estimates of these parameters with an error about 20-25% without the use of a jet mixing model. (Author)
Crystallography of SiC/MgAl2O4/Al interfaces in a pre-oxidized SiC reinforced SiC/Al composite

Abstract A transmission electron microscopy study has been performed on the crystallography of SiC/MgAl 2 O 4 /Al interfaces in a pre-oxidized SiC particulate reinforced SiC/Al composite prepared by pressureless infiltration, with a reactant of spinel MgAl 2 O 4 phase at the SiC/Al interface. Four types of different orientation relationships (ORs) were observed between the 6 H α -SiC and the MgAl 2 O 4 spinel phase, with the SiC(0 0 0 1) parallel or { 0 1 ¯ 1 2 } near parallel to the spinel {1 1 1}. Moreover, the cubic 3 C β -SiC and the spinel phase MgAl 2 O 4 exhibited a parallel OR, while the MgAl 2 O 4 and Al matrix had a semicoherent interface without a certain OR, except of the near parallel OR for some spinel particles. The observed ORs were analyzed using a geometric method based upon the coincidence of reciprocal lattice points. Possible ORs of other SiC polytypes with the spinel MgAl 2 O 4 phase were also discussed.
The effect of class a scavenger receptor deficiency in bone.

Class A scavenger receptor (SR-A) is predominantly expressed by macrophages, and because osteoclasts are of monocyte/macrophage lineage, SR-A is of potential interest in osteoclast biology. In addition to modified low density lipoprotein uptake, SR-A is also important in cell attachment and signaling. In this study we evaluated the effect of SR-A deletion on bone. Knock-out animals have 40% greater body weight than wild type. Body composition analyses demonstrated that total lean and fat body mass were greater in knock-out animals, but there was no significant difference in percent fat and lean body mass. Bone mineral density and content were significantly greater in knock-out compared with wild type animals. Micro-computed tomography analyses confirmed that total volume, bone volume as well as trabecular number, thickness, and connectivity were significantly greater in knock-out mice. As expected, trabecular separation was greater in wild type mice. The phenotype appears to be explained by 60% fewer osteoclasts in females and 35% fewer in males compared to wild type mice with a paradoxical increase in nuclei/osteoclast in knock-out animals. Furthermore, there were no differences in adipocyte number and osteoblast number or activity. The addition of the soluble extracellular domain of SR-A to RAW264.7 cells stimulated a concentration-dependent increase in osteoclast differentiation that was receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL)-dependent. Soluble SR-A had no effect on cell proliferation in the presence of RANKL but stimulated a 40% increase in numbers in the absence of RANKL. We conclude that SR-A plays a role in normal osteoclast differentiation, suggesting a novel role for this receptor in bone biology.
Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of the phage T4 vertex protein gp24 and its mutant forms.

The study of bacteriophage T4 assembly has revealed regulatory mechanisms pertinent not only to viruses but also to macromolecular complexes. The capsid of bacteriophage T4 is composed of the major capsid protein gp23, and a minor capsid protein gp24, which is arranged as pentamers at the vertices of the capsid. In this study the T4 capsid protein gp24 and its mutant forms were overexpressed and purified to homogeneity. The overexpression from plasmid vectors of all the constructs in Escherichia coli yields biologically active protein in vivo as determined by assembly of active virus following infection with inactivated gene 24 mutant viruses. The gp24 mutant was subjected to surface entropy reduction by mutagenesis and reductive alkylation in order to improve its crystallization properties and diffraction quality. To determine if surface mutagenesis targeting would result in diffractable crystals, two glutamate to alanine mutations (E89A,E90A) were introduced. We report here the biochemical observations and consequent mutagenesis experiment that resulted in improvements in the stability, crystallizability and crystal quality of gp24 without affecting the overall folding. Rational modification of the protein surface to achieve crystallization appears promising for improving crystallization behavior and crystal diffracting qualities. The crystal of gp24(E89A,E90A) diffracted to 2.6 A resolution compared to wild-type gp24 at 3.80 A resolution under the same experimental conditions. Surface mutation proved to be a better method than reductive methylation for improving diffraction quality of the gp24 crystals.
Airway management in an infant with a giant vallecular cyst.

Abstract Review vallecular cysts and report the surgical management of a vallecular cyst of unusual size with near-complete obliteration of the airway. This case report describes an unusually large mucus retention cyst in an 8-week-old infant that was diagnosed during induction of general anesthesia and prevented visualization of airway. Intubation was performed after rapid aspiration of the cyst contents. Conclusion Vallecular cysts can present as a life-threatening obstruction in infants and complicate the establishment of an airway after induction of anesthesia. In our case, rapid thinking and aspiration of the cyst contents helped establish the airway for definitive CO2 laser excision.
Semiconductor surface passivation

A review is presented of the current status and the chronological evolution of the technology of metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structures including homomorphic surface oxides and synthetic, heteromorphic insulating layers used for the surface passivation of elemental and compound semiconductor surfaces. In particular, the nature of dielectric—semiconductor interface states and their position within the fundamental semiconductor bandgap, subject to technological modification, determine to a large extent the experimentally observed differences between the MIS properties of silicon and other semiconductors and their real and potential device applications.
Reliable and Energy Efficient Target Coverage for Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract A critical aspect of applications with Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) is network lifetime. Power-constrained WSNs are usable as long as they can communicate sense data to a processing node. Poor communication links and hazardous environments make the WSNs unreliable. Existing schemes assume that the state of a sensor covering targets is binary: success (covers the targets) or failure (cannot cover the targets). However, in real WSNs, a sensor covers targets with a certain probability. To improve WSNs' reliability, we should consider that a sensor covers targets with users' satisfied probability. To solve this problem, this paper first introduces a failure probability into the target coverage problem to improve and control the system reliability. Furthermore, we model the solution as the α-Reliable Maximum Sensor Covers (α-RMSC) problem and design a heuristic greedy algorithm that efficiently computes the maximal number of α-Reliable sensor covers. To efficiently extend the WSNs lifetime with users' pre-defined failure probability requirements, only the sensors from the current active sensor cover are responsible for monitoring all targets, while all other sensors are in a low-energy sleep mode. Simulation results validate the performance of this algorithm, in which users can precisely control the system reliability without sacrificing much energy consumption.
Implementation and management effectiveness in adoption of GIS technology in local governments

Abstract Acquisition of geographic information system (GIS) technology is only the first step toward its effective use by an organization. The research reported in this article compares the relative success of GIS implementation within four agencies of a North Carolina county government. Using innovation diffusion theory as a basis, the research study identified implementation phases, targets, paths, and outcomes in each agency. Outcomes ranged from complete adoption in a school transportation department to failure to adopt in a comprehensive planning section. Implementation effectiveness in these cases depended both on choice of proper strategy, as related to the agency's organizational environment, and on commitment of adequate management resources to overcome institutional and individual obstacles.
Obesity is an independent risk factor for death and cardiac complications after carotid endarterectomy.

Background The role of obesity as a risk factor after carotid endarterectomy is not well-described. We undertook a study of the association of obesity with 30-day outcomes after carotid endarterectomy. Study Design After obtaining Institutional Review Board approval, we retrospectively analyzed prospectively collected data from carotid endarterectomies in the 2005−2006 Veterans Affairs Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. The association of body mass index (BMI; calculated as kg/m 2 ) on 30-day outcomes was assessed using multivariable logistic regression. Results From 3,706 carotid endarterectomies, we excluded 22 for missing BMI and 39 for emergency status; 3,645 carotid endarterectomies were analyzed. BMI was underweight ( Conclusions Obesity is an independent risk factor for death and cardiac complications after carotid endarterectomy. Surgeons should consider this when evaluating the risks and benefits of carotid endarterectomy in obese patients. Carotid artery stenting was not assessed, and future studies are needed to examine its role in management of obese patients.
Suppression of Ocean Waves by Uniform Forced Currents

Ocean current might be a useful tool to suppress ocean waves that approach a particular region of interest. A reliable short term sheltering approach might be enough in some areas where a heavy and/or permanent protection system is impractical, considering its usage, duration of deployment and money involved. This study is carried out using a 3D finite difference numerical model. The model is presently developed for long crested waves and uniform current by the vertical integration of the continuity equation and the equations of motion. A semi-implicit finite difference technique is employed for the discretization of the governing equations in time and space. Results are shown in terms of wave height distributions, reflection and transmission coefficients for varying currents, incident wave and current angles.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Carbamazepine overdose--the effects of multiple dose activated charcoal.

AbstractWe studied five children with carbamazepine overdose. Two patients had acute overdose without previous exposure to carbamazepine while three presented with acute-on-chronic overdose. Multiple doses of activated charcoal were administered to four patients. One acute-on-chronic patient did not receive any activated charcoal.The mean half-life of carbamazepine was as follows: Acute vs. Acute-On-Chronic overdose: 8.63 h vs. 12.01 h (p<0.05);No Activated Charcoal vs. 30–50 g Activated Charcoal vs. 60–90 g Activated Charcoal: 23.3 h vs. 10.17 h vs. 7.21 h (p<0.05);No Activated Charcoal vs. 2–3 doses vs. 7–12 doses: 23.3 h vs. 8.96 h vs 7.55 h (ns).Although the half-life of carbamazepine decreased in a linear relationship with the total amount of activated charcoal administered (r= -0.86), there was no relationship between the time to complete recovery and administration of multiple doses of activated charcoal.Although multiple doses of activated charcoal increased the clearance of carbamazepine in our p...
Plutonium and intrinsic predominance-region diagrams

Four intrinsic predominance-region diagrams for aqueous plutonium are described. They are easily prepared from an existing diagram by changing the oxidation-state fractions on the axes of the diagram and renaming the predominance regions. Not all combinations of oxidation-state fractions can be used to prepare the diagrams.
Electron-transfer photooxygenation. 8. dicyanoanthracene-sensitized photooxidation of ortho-dimethoxybenzene

Abstract Two cleavage products, cis,cis -dimethylmuconate ( 1 ) and trans,trans -dimethyl-muconate ( 2 ), are inefficiently produced in the 9,10-dicyanoanthracene (DCA) sensitized photooxidation of ortho -dimethoxybenzene ( o -DMB) in polar solvents. An electron transfer mechanism is proposed in which superoxide ion (O − 2 0 combines with ortho-dimethoxybenzene to form a dioxetane (3), which cleaves to form ( 1 ). The initial products is 1 , which is rapidly converted to 2 and other products under the conditions; no cis-trans isomer is formed.
Methanol as an agent for CO2 mitigation

Abstract The Carnol System consists of methanol production by CO2 recovered from coal fired power plants and natural gas and the use of the methanol as an alternative automotive fuel. The Carnol Process produces hydrogen by the thermal decomposition of natural gas and reacting the hydrogen with CO2 recovered from the power plant. The carbon produced can be stored or used as a materials commodity. A design and economic evaluation of the process is presented and compared to gasoline as an automotive fuel. An evaluation of the CO2 emission reduction of the process and system is made and compared to other conventional methanol production processes including the use of biomass feedstock and methanol fuel cell vehicles. The CO2 emission for the entire Carnol System using methanol in automotive IC engines can be reduced by 56% compared to the conventional system of coal fuel power plants and gasoline driven engines and by as much as 77% CO2 emission reduction when methanol is used in fuel cells for automotive purposes. The Carnol System is shown to be an environmentally attractive and economically viable system connecting the power generation sector with the transportation sector which should warrant further development.
Pregnancies, abortions, and births among women with and without borderline personality disorder.

Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to examine history of pregnancies among women with and without borderline personality disorder (BPD), to determine whether BPD symptoms are associated with teenage pregnancies, unplanned pregnancies, elective and spontaneous abortions, and live births. Methods Three hundred seventy-nine women completed the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I diagnoses, Structured Interview for DSM-IV Personality for Axis II diagnoses, and a reproductive health interview. African-American (AA) women were oversampled, because little is known about BPD in AA women and they are at greater risk of teenage pregnancy, unplanned pregnancies, and spontaneous abortions. Results BPD symptom severity was associated with a teenage pregnancy, even after controlling for race and socioeconomic status. Symptom severity was also associated with unplanned pregnancies and live births, but only for women without a history of a substance use disorder. BPD symptom severity was not associated with abortion. Conclusion Women with BPD become pregnant and have children, often during the period when BPD symptoms emerge and intensify. They are at increased risk of teenage pregnancies and unintended pregnancies compared with women with Axis I disorders. Treatment planning for this population should include attention to their reproductive health and better integration of physical and mental health services.
Spin Dependence of the U-235 Low-Energy Neutron Cross Section

The interaction of polarized monochromatic neutrons with polarized ${\mathrm{U}}^{235}$ nuclei has been used to study the spin dependence of the total cross section of ${\mathrm{U}}^{235}$ at a number of neutron energies between 0.075 and 2.04 eV. Measurements were made primarily with a $^{235}\mathrm{U}_{0.2}$ ${\mathrm{La}}_{0.8}$ ${\mathrm{Cl}}_{3}$ target in which appreciable nuclear polarization was produced. The results show that the 0.275-eV resonance is in the opposite spin state to the 1.14-eV resonance and to the major part of the thermal cross section. The 2.08-eV resonance is probably in the same spin state as the 0.275-eV resonance. If we assume that ${\mathrm{U}}^{235}$ has a negative magnetic moment, then $J=I\ensuremath{-}\frac{1}{2}=3$ at 0.275 eV. None of the existing cross-section analyses are completely consistent with the observations for $E\ensuremath{\le}1.14$ eV. In ${\mathrm{U}}^{235}$ metal a small "brute-force" nuclear polarization was detected, but there was no evidence of any hyperfine interaction. A somewhat larger nuclear polarization was observed in $^{235}\mathrm{U}$${\mathrm{Fe}}_{2}$, due to a negative hyperfine field of undetermined magnetude.
A two-man experience with the copper “T” intrauterine device

Abstract The contraceptive effectiveness and the incidence of side effects of the Copper T Model T Cu200 in 396 women was studied by a two-man team in a private clinic. There were six pregnancies, a rate of 2.7 per 100 woman years of use, which were associated with either expulsion or displacement of the IUCD. The expulsion-displacement was higher in the immediate postpartum insertions, and in the nulligravid group. The implications of these findings are discussed, and visible and invisible displacement of the IUCD are illustrated. Twenty IUCDs were removed for medical reasons primarily menorrhagia and/or metrorrhagia. There were 9 removals for non-medical reasons, mainly because of desired pregnancy. Menorrhagia and intermenstrual spotting were the most frequently reported side effects of the copper T. There was a drop in the incidence of reported side effects as the months of use increased with the exception of metrorrhagia in the gravid group. The significant advantages of the Cu T are its high acceptability in the nulligravid, the reduced bleeding, and the ease of insertion.
Characterization of high-temperature thermographic phosphors: spectral properties of LuPO(4):Dy(1%),Eu(2%).

The fluorescence properties of a thermographic phosphor in the form of single crystals of LuPO4: Dy(1%),Eu(2%) have been studied as a function of temperature by the use of a high-temperature oven integrated into a spectrophotometer. The results reveal differing rates of decrease in the fluorescence intensity with increasing temperature for various emission lines of dysprosium and europium, thus suggesting a new differential method of remote thermometry for high-temperature applications and for temperature measurements on moving components.
Developing a Global Turbulence and Convection Nowcast and Forecast System

Turbulence is widely recognized as the leading cause of injuries to flight attendants and passengers on commercial air carriers. Turbulence encounters frequently occur in oceanic and remote regions where ground-based observations are sparse, making hazard characterization more difficult, and where current World Area Forecast System products provide only low temporal and spatial resolution depictions of potential hazards. This paper describes a new effort to develop a global diagnosis and forecast system that will augment and enhance international turbulence and convective SIGMETs and provide authoritative global turbulence data for the NextGen 4-D database. This fully automated system, modeled on the FAA’s Graphical Turbulence Guidance (GTG) and GTG Nowcast systems, will provide 3-D probabilistic turbulence nowcasts and forecasts globally above 10,000 feet MSL for 0-36 hour lead times, comprehensively addressing clear-air turbulence (CAT), mountain wave turbulence (MWT), and convectively-induced turbulence (CIT). The system will employ NCEP Global Forecast System model output and data from NASA and other national and international satellite assets to produce the CAT and MWT diagnoses based on both model-based turbulence diagnostics and satellite-based turbulence detection algorithms. The convective nowcast methodology makes use of GFS data and operational satellite data from GOES, Meteosat and MTSAT, and will be tuned and verified using data from NASA’s TRMM, Cloudsat and MODIS instruments. The convective nowcasts will be coupled with the GFS environmental information to assess the near-term likelihood of CIT. This paper presents an overview of the system elements and initial algorithm development results. Future work will perform additional development and verification using comparisons with automated quantitative in situ turbulence reports, AIREPs and AMDAR data. A real-time demonstration including a webbased display and cockpit uplinks is also planned.
Cryptosporidium Propidium Monoazide-PCR, a Molecular Biology-Based Technique for Genotyping of Viable Cryptosporidium Oocysts

Cryptosporidium is an important waterborne protozoan parasite that can cause severe diarrhea and death in the immunocompromised. The current methods used to monitor for Cryptosporidium oocysts in water are the microscopy-based USEPA methods 1622 and 1623. These methods assess total levels of oocysts in source waters, but do not determine oocyst viability or genotype. Recently, propidium monoazide (PMA) has been used in conjunction with molecular diagnostic tools to identify species and assess the viability of bacteria. The goal of this study was the development of a Cryptosporidium PMA-PCR (CryptoPMA-PCR) assay that includes PMA treatment prior to PCR analysis in order to prevent the amplification of DNA from dead oocysts. The results demonstrated that PMA penetrates only dead oocysts and blocks amplification of their DNA. The CryptoPMA-PCR assay can also specifically detect live oocysts within a mixed population of live and dead oocysts. More importantly, live oocysts, not dead oocysts, were detected in raw waste or surface water samples spiked with Cryptosporidium oocysts. This proof-of-concept study is the first to demonstrate the use of PMA for pre-PCR treatment of Cryptosporidium oocysts. The CryptoPMA-PCR assay is an attractive approach to specifically detect and genotype viable Cryptosporidium oocysts in the water, which is critical for human health risk assessment.
Improving the Quality Of Infant—Toddler Care Through Professional Development

The effect of a professional development program on the quality of care provided for infants and toddlers was assessed with a sample of 160 caregivers in 96 infant—toddler rooms in 48 childcare pro...
Perceived importance of cross-race targets facilitates recall: Support for a motivated account of face memory

The cross-race effect (CRE) is the tendency to remember same-race (SR) faces better than cross-race (CR) faces. While there has been debate about the causes of the CRE, recent perspectives suggest ...
Dataflow Architectures for GALS

In Kahn process network (KPN), the processes (nodes) communicate by unbounded unidirectional FIFO channels (arcs), with the property of non-blocking writes and blocking reads on the channels. KPN provides a semantic model of computation, where a computation can be expressed as a set of asynchronously communicating processes. However, the unbounded FIFO based asynchrony is not realizable in practice and hence requires refinement in real hardware. In this work, we start with KPN as the model of computation for GALS, and discuss how different GALS architectures can be realized. We borrow some ideas from existing dataflow architectures for our GALS designs.
Ku70 regulates Bax-mediated pathogenesis in laminin-α2-deficient human muscle cells and mouse models of congenital muscular dystrophy

The severely debilitating disease Congenital Muscular Dystrophy Type 1A (MDC1A) is caused by mutations in the gene encoding laminin-α2. Bax-mediated muscle cell death is a significant contributor to the severe neuromuscular pathology seen in the Lama2-null mouse model of MDC1A. To extend our understanding of pathogenesis due to laminin-α2-deficiency, we have now analyzed molecular mechanisms of Bax regulation in normal and laminin-α2-deficient muscles and cells, including myogenic cells obtained from patients with a clinical diagnosis of MDC1A. In mouse myogenic cells, we found that, as in non-muscle cells, Bax co-immunoprecipitated with the multifunctional protein Ku70. In addition, cell permeable pentapeptides designed from Ku70, termed Bax-inhibiting peptides (BIPs), inhibited staurosporine-induced Bax translocation and cell death in mouse myogenic cells. We also found that acetylation of Ku70, which can inhibit binding to Bax and can be an indicator of increased susceptibility to cell death, was more abundant in Lama2-null than in normal mouse muscles. Furthermore, myotubes formed in culture from human laminin-α2-deficient patient myoblasts produced high levels of activated caspase-3 when grown on poly-l-lysine, but not when grown on a laminin-α2-containing substrate or when treated with BIPs. Finally, cytoplasmic Ku70 in human laminin-α2-deficient myotubes was both reduced in amount and more highly acetylated than in normal myotubes. Increased susceptibility to cell death thus appears to be an intrinsic property of human laminin-α2-deficient myotubes. These results identify Ku70 as a regulator of Bax-mediated pathogenesis and a therapeutic target in laminin-α2-deficiency.
Neurocognitive therapeutics: from concept to application in the treatment of negative attention bias

There is growing interest in the use of neuroimaging for the direct treatment of mental illness. Here, we present a new framework for such treatment, neurocognitive therapeutics. What distinguishes neurocognitive therapeutics from prior approaches is the use of precise brain-decoding techniques within a real-time feedback system, in order to adapt treatment online and tailor feedback to individuals’ needs. We report an initial feasibility study that uses this framework to alter negative attention bias in a small number of patients experiencing significant mood symptoms. The results are consistent with the promise of neurocognitive therapeutics to improve mood symptoms and alter brain networks mediating attentional control. Future work should focus on optimizing the approach, validating its effectiveness, and expanding the scope of targeted disorders.
Individual macromolecules: preparation and recent results with DNA.

Protein-monolayer techniques are described which permit visualization of individual nucleic acid molecules by electron microscopy. The range of application is demonstrated by examples of quantitative observations concerning intrinsic and artificially introduced properties of DNA molecules, namely size and shape; binding of the drug ethidium bromide; diffusion coefficient; physical mapping of genetic deletions, adenine-thymine rich regions, single-strand breaks, and sites of messenger RNA synthesis.
Retrovirus-mediated insertion of expressed and non-expressed genes at identical chromosomal locations

During retrovirus replication, a cellularly derived tRNA is annealed to the viral RNA at the primer binding site (PBS) to prime reverse transcription, and both the tRNA and the PBS become copied and matched together on complementary proviral DNA strands prior to integration. Using a viral PBS single base pair mutant which affects provirus expression in undifferentiated cells, we show that reversion to wild type (wt) occurs at a frequency of approximately 50%. Daughter cell lines containing wt or mutant proviruses at identical chromosomal sites have been isolated, supporting a model where an integrated PBS-mismatched provirus was copied before mismatch correction could occur. Virus expression in daughter cells containing the mutant provirus was 100-fold higher than in cells bearing the wt counterpart. Additionally, proviral 5' DNA and cellular 5' flanking DNA became methylated in daughter cells containing wt but not mutant integrants. These results strongly support the current model of retrovirus reverse transcription, and indicate that the wt PBS region contains an element which suppresses virus expression and directs the methylation of viral and neighboring cellular DNA.
Designing passive synchronization for MPI-2 one-sided communication to maximize overlap

Scientific computing has seen an immense growth in recent years. MPI has become the de facto standard for parallel programming model for distributed memory systems. MPI-2 standard expanded MPI to include onesided communications. Computation and communication overlap is an important goal for one-sided applications. While the passive synchronization mechanism for MPI-2 one-sided communication allows for good overlap, the actual overlap achieved is often limited by the design of both the MPI library and the application. In this paper we aim to improve the performance of MPI-2 one-sided communication. In particular, we focus on the following important aspects: (i) designing one-sided passive synchronization (direct passive) support using InfiniBand atomic operations to handle both exclusive as well as shared locks (ii) enhancing one-sided communication progress to provide scope for better overlap that one-sided applications can leverage. (iii) study the overlap potential of passive synchronization and its impact on applications. We demonstrate the possible benefits of our approaches for the MPI-2 SPLASH LU application benchmark. Our results show an improvement of up to 87% for a 64 process run over the existing design.
Continuous characterization of the planform geometry and curvature of meandering rivers

The complex feedback between process and form that governs planform migration of meandering rivers is still incompletely understood. Current theoretical models aimed at predicting planform migration relate the rate of meander migration at a particular location to the channel curvature at and upstream of that location. However, these models are still incapable of reproducing complex forms of bend development, such as compound loops. Evaluation of such models requires a representation of planform curvature better than that provided by traditional methods where the curvature is calculated from directional change between the successive digitized points—an approach that provides a discrete representation of curvature dependent on the density of the digitized points used to characterize the channel planform. This article presents and evaluates a methodology that provides a continuous functional representation of the planform geometry and curvature of meandering rivers. The method involves the fitting of splines, specifically parametric cubic splines (PCSs), to discrete digitization data of the channel centerline (CL) and the arc-length parameterization of the resulting composite curve. The arc-length parameterized PCS-interpolated curve is then used to compute analytically the channel CL location and curvature for any value of the streamwise axis. Evaluation of the method involves examination of the effects of digitization interval size and digitization error on the characterization of the planform geometry and curvature using PCS fitting. The derivation of curvature values from continuous planform function for any location and any spatial interval overcomes the reliance either on average bend curvature values or on discrete curvature values based on digitized points.
Relocalized p27Kip1 Tumor Suppressor Functions as a Cytoplasmic Metastatic Oncogene in Melanoma

The p27 tumor suppressor negatively regulates G1 cell cycle progression. However, human malignancies rarely select for deletion/inactivation of p27, a hallmark of tumor suppressor genes. Instead, p27 is degraded or relocalized to the cytoplasm in aggressive malignancies, supporting the notion that p27 sequestration from its nuclear cyclin:cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk) targets is critical. However, emerging cell biology data suggest a novel cdk-independent cytoplasmic function of p27 in cell migration. Here, we find cytoplasmic p27 in 70% of invasive and metastatic melanomas. In contrast, no cytoplasmic p27 was detected in noninvasive, basement membrane–confined melanoma in situ, suggesting a late oncogenic role for cytoplasmic p27 in metastasis. Targeted cytoplasmic expression of wild-type or non–cdk-binding p27 at subphysiologic levels induced melanoma motility and resulted in numerous metastases to lymph node, lung, and peritoneum. These observations point to a prominent role of cytoplasmic p27 in metastatic disease that is independent of cyclin:cdk regulation or mere nuclear loss. [Cancer Res 2007;67(19):9238–43]
Increased decorin mRNA in diabetic mouse kidney and in mesangial and tubular cells cultured in high glucose

The core protein of the proteoglycan decorin binds and neutralizes transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta). Activation of TGF-beta is crucial to tissue injury in diabetic nephropathy, but it is not currently known whether decorin plays a role in this disease. Mouse kidney cortex demonstrates more than a twofold increase in decorin mRNA after 1, 2, 3, and 6 wk of streptozotocin diabetes. Various mouse and rat renal cell types are studied in culture under normal or high-glucose conditions. Mouse glomerular mesangial and proximal tubular epithelial cells constitutively express decorin, and high glucose (450 mg/dl) increases decorin mRNA fourfold compared with 100 mg/dl glucose. Unlike rat mesangial cells, rat glomerular epithelial and endothelial cells do not constitutively express decorin, and no induction is observed in high glucose. When mouse mesangial and proximal tubular cells are exposed to TGF-beta1 (1 ng/ml), decorin mRNA is significantly decreased. Our findings suggest that the increased decorin expression in the diabetic kidney may counteract the hypertrophic and prosclerotic effects of increased TGF-beta levels and that a negative feedback loop may exist between decorin and TGF-beta.
Building Capacity to Deliver Sex Education to Individuals with Autism

Professionals from a variety of fields are called upon to understand the needs of individuals with autism, advocate for services, and provide sexuality education, however few have formal training. This study examined a process to build capacity for individuals with autism to receive human sexuality education through training professionals via a 1 day workshop and providing ongoing education online. To better understand both the context for professionals and the outcomes of the training we examined the reasons participants attended, their work climate surrounding issues of human sexuality education for individuals with autism, the extent to which the training changed instructional behavior and perceptions of readiness, and the differential effectiveness of follow-up education based on online delivery modality (Facebook update or email message). Participants were interested in attending a training on human sexuality education even if they had no intention to teach this topic. In general, the climate among attendees was positive for teaching human sexuality education both in terms of their own values and their perceptions of support by others. The workshop and follow-up online education were effective for increasing instructional behavior and feelings of readiness.
Fractality of The Geysers

Heat convection at pore-scale, which is strongly dependent on the topology of pore space, remains poorly understood for geothermal reservoirs. This is despite fundamental advances made in modeling heat transfer in nano- and micro-scale conduits. With this in mind, we analyze the fractality of the pore space of The Geysers to fully characterize its topology. We consider circular and slit-like throat geometries to represent aspect ratios close to unity and infinity, respectively. Our study shows that the effective length of pore space follows the general fractal rule. This study can have major implications for understanding heat convection at pore-scale by presenting a representative fractal model for The Geysers.
The linear everting catheter: a nonhysteroscopic, transvaginal technique for access and microendoscopy of the fallopian tube

The linear everting catheter is a new technology that allows for nonhysteroscopic, transvaginal access, and microendoscopy of the fallopian tube. Initial results indicate that this approach is safe, successful, and offers a number of unique advantages relative to the available alternatives. Studies are in progress to explore several of the many possible applications of this system in the diagnosis and treatment of infertile patients.
Responses of caribou and reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) to acute food shortages in spring

Migratory caribou and sedentary reindeer (Rangifer tarandus (L., 1758)) can encounter acute food shortages during spring. We examined the response to short-term food restrictions by measuring individual food intake, body mass, and activity of 2-year-old unbred female caribou and reindeer from 25 April to 29 May 2011. Caribou lost 2%–3% of body mass on days when mean dry matter (DM) intakes (60 ± 6 g DM·kg⁻⁰.⁷⁵·d⁻¹) were restricted up to 75%. Caribou regained body mass as intake increased to 98 ± 8 g DM·kg⁻⁰.⁷⁵·d⁻¹ following restriction without a change in digestibility (82%–83%). In reindeer, digestibility increased (78%–83%) as intakes decreased (67–45 g DM·kg⁻⁰.⁷⁵·d⁻¹). Food restriction did not affect activity for either subspecies. We suggest that, at high digestive efficiency, Rangifer have “spare capacity”, to increase DM intake to compensate for lost foraging opportunity or to use patches of emerging high-quality forage. Furthermore, caribou with large fat reserves lost proportionally more body mass, consumed less food, and were less active than leaner caribou. Our data indicate that Rangifer use flexible responses of food intake, digestion, and body condition to maximize survival and reproduction in both migratory and sedentary ecotypes at the end of winter.