cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stimulated Emission Depletion Microscopy and Related Techniques

Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) microscopy is a far-field, scanning fluorescence microscope technique that yields superresolution images of the specimen (Hell and Wichmann in Opt Lett 19:780–782, 1994). The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2014 was awarded jointly to Eric Betzig, Stefan W. Hell, and William E. Moerner “for the development of super-resolved fluorescence microscopy.” Hell is recognized for his seminal contribution to STED microscopy.
Artificial intelligence for emergency management

The Protection Systems Branch of Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center develops and sustains Emergency Management systems focusing on Homeland Defense technologies and interoperability. Artificial Intelligence computing algorithms and methods and the intelligent fusion of multiple Emergency Management correlated data sources including social media and extremist forums, as well as criminal, government, and medical databases can be used as a decision aid in the identification, prevention, response, and recovery of subversive incidents. This research and application can ultimately provide law enforcement and Emergency Management personnel with predictive trends, which would feed decision-making during all phases of an emergency.
Simulation Study on On-Line MTPA/MTPV Trajectory Tracking in PMSMs with Power Management

This paper proposes an on-line maximum torque per ampere (MTPA)/maximum torque per voltage (MTPV) trajectory tracking method in permanent magnet synchronous machines (PMSMs) with power management. ...
The Second Founding and the First Amendment

Constitutional doctrine generally proceeds from the premise that the original intent and public understanding of pre-Civil War constitutional provisions carries forward unchanged from the colonial Founding era. This premise is flawed because it ignores the Nation’s Second Founding: i.e., the constitutional moment culminating in the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments and the civil rights statutes enacted pursuant thereto. The Second Founding, in addition to providing specific new individual rights and federal powers, also represented a fundamental shift in our constitutional order. The Second Founding’s constitutional regime provided that the underlying systemic rules and norms of the First Founding’s Constitution of Enslavement would be modified as necessary in order to give rise to a “new birth of freedom.” Contemporary constitutional doctrine, however, has rarely grappled with the question of whether and to what extent the Second Founding’s Framers and general public might have had a different or more nuanced understanding from their First Founding counterparts of prior constitutional provisions. The Supreme Court’s approach to First Amendment interpretation largely ignores the Second Founding. The Court’s cases generally view the colonial Founding era as the sole source of evidence for ascertaining the original intent and public understanding of the Constitution’s guarantee of freedom of speech. This Article, by contrast, contends that the intent and understandings of the Second Founding provide an additional and under-explored source of constitutional meaning and therefore examines freedom of speech through the lens of slavery, abolition, and Reconstruction. This Article breaks new ground in legal scholarship by extensively reviewing slave narratives that illuminate the experiences and perspectives of enslaved persons regarding freedom of speech. This Article contends that by virtue of the Second Founding, enslaved persons’ views and experiences regarding freedom of speech should directly inform the meaning of the First Amendment. Accordingly, this Article makes a novel contribution to the literature regarding the Second Founding by centering enslaved persons’ voices as constitutional actors whose views on freedom of speech matter.
Moderately Intensive Grandparenting

Historically, parental and grandparental roles were quite different. Parents were responsible for daily care, schoolwork, doctor visits, and discipline while grandparents were responsible for trips to the park, ice cream counter, or matinee. Over time these once divergent roles have converged for many, but certainly not all, families. Studies have noted that as parenting has intensified, so has grandparenting. But the intensification of grandparenting may be for very different reasons. While parenting intensifies primarily as parents try to assure their own children competitive advantages, grandparenting appears to be intensifying primarily due to unmet need. Many families in the US have only one parent, or no paid vacation, paid sick leave, parental leave, or affordable, flexible childcare. Desperate to balance work and family obligations, families often turn to grandparents for assistance. When children have disabilities, these trends are magnified because families have fewer childcare options, more health care expenses, and more care work demands. The dearth of supports for families of children who have disabilities often means that grandparents do even more. As cumulative inequality theory points out, the costs of providing more intensive care may be more readily absorbed by families with higher incomes and educations, but may be more difficult to absorb for families who are already struggling to make ends meet.
Liturgical Renewal and Ecumenical Progress

The ecumenical movement has reached a turning point. In part, success slowed the pace of ecumenical progress as certain communities entered agreements of full communion and as sponsored dialogues absorb quantitative success, for example, for Lutherans and Catholics resolving the fundamental break on justification by faith by reaching a differentiating consensus. Once Christians cannot define themselves separately, they still require creative ways for their communities to live together and to review what continues to prevent the gospel message. In part, European and North American Christians constructed the dominant ecumenical narrative, seeking remedies for historic disputes. Christian communities, once freely outside ecumenical association, and Christian communities in Asia, Africa and the global south, influenced but not satisfied by the dominant narrative, today seek greater Christian unity in inspired and authentic ways for their conditions. Pope Francis’ pastoral emphasis on ecumenical accompaniment challenges Christians to be genuinely creative in exploring ways to live in greater unity.
The Energy Dependence of the Aperiodic Variability for Cygnus X-1, GX 339–4, GRS 1758–258, and 1E 1740.7–2942

Using the data from the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer (RXTE), we report the different energy dependence of the variability of the four hard X-ray sources in the hard/low state: Cygnus X-1, GX 339-4, GRS 1758-258, and 1E 1740.7-2942. Cygnus X-1 is found to have a flatter power density spectrum (PDS) shape at higher energies. The other three sources have energy-independent PDS shapes. The energy dependence of the overall variability (the integrated rms amplitude) varies from source to source and from observation to observation. 1E 1740.7-2942, for example, has a variability generally increasing with energy while GX 339-4 has a decreasing variability. A general trend is found in the four sources that the integrated rms amplitude anticorrelates with the X-ray flux. We compare these distinct energy-dependent behaviors with several emission models. None of the models can fully explain all the features that we have found.
A $\dbar$-steepest descent method for oscillatory Riemann-Hilbert problems

We study the asymptotic behavior of Riemann-Hilbert problems (RHP) arising in the AKNS hierarchy of integrable equations. Our analysis is based on the $\dbar$-steepest descent method. We consider RHPs arising from the inverse scattering transform of the AKNS hierarchy with $H^{1,1}(\R)$ initial data. The analysis will be divided into three regions: fast decay region, oscillating region and self-similarity region (the Painleve region). The resulting formulas can be directly applied to study the long-time asymptotic of the solutions of integrable equations such as NLS, mKdV and their higher-order generalizations.
Absence of retbindin blocks glycolytic flux, disrupts metabolic homeostasis, and leads to photoreceptor degeneration.

We previously reported a model of progressive retinal degeneration resulting from the knockout of the retina-specific riboflavin binding protein, retbindin (Rtbdn−/−). We also demonstrated a reduction in neural retinal flavins as a result of the elimination of RTBDN. Given the role of flavins in metabolism, herein we investigated the underlying mechanism of this retinal degeneration by performing metabolomic analyses on predegeneration at postnatal day (P) 45 and at the onset of functional degeneration in the P120 retinas. Metabolomics of hydrophilic metabolites revealed that individual glycolytic products accumulated in the P45 Rtbdn−/− neural retinas along with the elevation of pentose phosphate pathway, while TCA cycle intermediates remained unchanged. This was confirmed by using 13C-labeled flux measurements and immunoblotting, revealing that the key regulatory step of phosphoenolpyruvate to pyruvate was inhibited via down-regulation of the tetrameric pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2). Separate metabolite assessments revealed that almost all intermediates of acylcarnitine fatty acid oxidation, ceramides, sphingomyelins, and multiple toxic metabolites were significantly elevated in the predegeneration Rtbdn−/− neural retina. Our data show that lack of RTBDN, and hence reduction in flavins, forced the neural retina into repurposing glucose for free-radical mitigation over ATP production. However, such sustained metabolic reprogramming resulted in an eventual metabolic collapse leading to neurodegeneration.
Safety and efficacy of Angio-Seal device for transfemoral neuroendovascular procedures: A systematic review and meta-analysis

IntroductionAngio-Seal is a commonly used device for femoral hemostasis in neuroendovascular procedures. This meta-analysis investigates of the safety and efficacy of Angio-Seal in patients undergo...
Parallelization Overhead and HPC-Efficient Programming

Easier access to high-performance computing (HPC) systems has enabled parallel computing to become more ubiquitous in numerically solving dynamic economic models. Nevertheless, with little understanding of computer architectures and parallel computing algorithms, executing a program with a large number of cores could result in a significant slowdown rather than a speedup. This study exploits new measure—parallelization overhead—to explicitly quantify the size of the inefficiency that predominantly arises from communication overhead and load imbalances in parallel computing. Further, we demonstrate three programming techniques for an HPC-efficient parallel program that effectively reduces the parallelization overhead.
COVID-19 cumulative incidence, asymptomatic infections, and fatality in Long Island, NY, January-August 2020: A cohort of World Trade Center responders.

Background New York City and Long Island, NY were early foci of the COVID-19 epidemic in the US. The effects of COVID-19 on different sub-populations, and its key epidemiologic parameters remain unknown or highly uncertain. We investigated the epidemiology of COVID-19 from January to August of 2020 in an established academic monitoring cohort of N = 9,697 middle-aged World Trade Center responders residing in Long Island, NY. Methods A seroprevalence survey and a series of cross-sectional surveys were nested in a prospective cohort study. Measures included IgG antibody testing, SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, review of electronic medical records, and surveys of symptoms. Correlates of infection were analyzed with multivariable logistic regression. Results The cohort was predominantly men in their mid-fifties; 6,597 cohort members were successfully contacted (68%); 1,042 (11%) individuals participated in the seroprevalence survey; and 369 individuals (5.6% of 6,597 study participants) underwent PCR testing. The estimated standardized cumulative incidence was 21.9% (95%CI: 20.1-23.9%), the asymptomatic proportion was 16.4% (36/219; 95%CI: 11.8-22.0%), the case hospitalization ratio was 9.4% (36/385; 95%CI: 6.6-12.7%), the case fatality ratio was 1.8% (7/385; 95%CI: 0.7-3.7%), and the hospitalization fatality ratio was 8.3% (3/36; 95%CI: 1.8-22.5%). Confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with younger age, race/ethnicity, and being currently employed. Conclusions The results of the present study suggest a high cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 among WTC responders in the spring and summer of 2020 and contribute to narrowing the plausible range of the proportion of infections that exhibit no symptoms. An increased risk of infection among younger employed individuals is likely to reflect a higher probability of exposure to the virus, and the racial disparities in the infection risk warrant further investigation.
13C NMR Techniques for Structural Studies of Coals and Coal Chars

In nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy there are a number of interactions that occur between the magnetic moments of spins or between the spin and the magnetic field that must be considered, as shown in the Hamiltonian given in the following equation: Open image in new window Each of the terms of this Hamiltonian will be explained briefly below; for a more complete description the reader is directed to either a text on solid state NMR(1,2) or one dealing with the application of solid state NMR to coal.(3) In the following discussion, the explanations will be given with the application to coal and coal chars in mind.
MOTOR VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC Seat Belts: Require Use

The Act requires occupants of the front seat of a passenger vehicle to wear seat belts. Exceptions are provided for occupants of certain vehicles, such as vehicles used for delivery purposes. Failure to wear a seat belt is not permitted as evidence in civil negligence actions, nor may the failure serve as a basis for cancelling or increasing insurance rates. The Act provides for the issuance of a warning in all instances and a fine in limited circumstances.
The Rehnquist Court and Criminal Procedure

Much of recent discussions of conservative judicial activism has concerned the revival of federalism-based limits on Congress during the Rehnquist Court. The allure of federalism as a topic for discussion is understandable, yet I argue that constitutional criminal procedure provides a better context within which to test the Rehnquist Court's commitment to judicial restraint. In this Essay, I examine the topic at hand against the background of the many important developments that have taken place in criminal procedure on Rehnquist's watch. The results of this examination are surprising because they suggest that activism is not necessarily the antithesis of restraint. That is to say, although the Court has indeed been activist in criminal procedure, its activism may ultimately serve the goal of judicial restraint. If in fact it does, then believers in judicial restraint should embrace rather than condemn the Court's activism.
Enzyme Study As a Source of Strategy in Drug Design

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the enzyme study as a source of strategy in drug design. The mechanism whereby less than one bound mole of inhibitor per mole of enzyme can in time bring about complete inactivation of an active site has great importance for the study of enzymes for drug design. The process is best explained by considering that, when a ligand is adsorbed at a control site or a receptor site, it produces a small conformational change after desorption. If the relaxation time of the macromolecule is slow, it will not completely return to the original state before a second molecule is adsorbed and an added increment in conformational distortion produced. This gradual change in activity can continue until all activity is destroyed. This means that in instances where this process can occur, the Michaelis constant Km or the inhibition constant Ki are not really constant but time-dependent. If this type of time-dependent deactivation of a receptor occurs in the whole animal in a manner similar to that in vitro, then in vitro data will be applicable to in vivo work. If, on the other hand, the enzyme is more stabilized against such time-dependent deactivation by the constellations of macromolecules surrounding it in living tissue, then results obtained in vitro could be misleading.
NUCLEAR RECEPTORS — A PERSPECTIVE FROM DROSOPHILA

Nuclear receptors are ancient ligand-regulated transcription factors that control key metabolic and developmental pathways. The fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster has only 18 nuclear-receptor genes - far fewer than any other genetic model organism and representing all 6 subfamilies of vertebrate receptors. These unique attributes establish the fly as an ideal system for studying the regulation and function of nuclear receptors during development. Here, we review recent breakthroughs in our understanding of D. melanogaster nuclear receptors, and interpret these results in light of findings from their evolutionarily conserved vertebrate homologues.
Evolutionary Computational Approaches to Solving the Multiple Traveling Salesman Problem Using a Neighborhood Attractor Schema

This paper presents a variation of the Euclidean Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP), the Multiple Traveling Salesman Problem (MTSP), and compares a variety of evolutionary computation algorithms and paradigms for solving it. Techniques implemented, analyzed, and discussed herein with regard to MTSP include use of a neighborhood attractor schema (a variation on k-means clustering), the "shrink-wrap" algorithm for local neighborhood optimization, particle swarm optimization, Monte-Carlo optimization, and a range of genetic algorithms and evolutionary strategies.
Relationship of Human Sperm Acrosin and Proacrosin to Semen Parameters. I. Comparisons Between Symptomatic Men of Infertile Couples and Asymptomatic Men, and Between Different Split Ejaculate Fractions

Acrosin is a sperm serine proteinase whose activity appears to be essential for fertilization in mammals, although this has not been shown in man due to experimental limitations. The present study shows that the concentrations of acrosin and its precursor, proacrosin, are significantly higher (P <0.001) in the spermatozoa of asymptomatic men (those having no seminal abnormalities or known fertility impairments) than of symptomatic men (those from infertile couples showing at least one abnormal seminal parameter). It is demonstrated additionally that the spermatozoa of the first fraction of split ejaculates contain significantly greater quantities of acrosin and proacrosin when compared to the spermatozoa from the second fraction of the same split ejaculates (P <0.001). The fertility potential of the first fraction is generally accepted to be greater than that of the second fraction. These data, together with our earlier findings on the acrosin and proacrosin content of fresh and cryopreserved human spermatozoa (Goodpasture et al, 1981), suggest that subfertility or infertility in man may be related to a low acrosini proacrosin content of spermatozoa.
Specialized beam diagnostic measurements for an ADTT accelerator funnel

Los Alamos National Laboratory has proposed several CW‐proton‐beam facilities for accelerator‐driven transmutation technologies (ADTT) with beam‐current densities greater than 5 mA/mm2. The primary beam‐diagnostics‐instrumentation requirement for these facilities is to provide sufficient beam information to understand and minimize beam‐loss. To accomplish this task, the beam diagnostics instrumentation must measure beam parameters such as the projected centroids and profiles, total integrated current, and particle loss. Because of the high specific energy loss in materials at beam energies less than 20 MeV, interceptive measurements such as wire scanners or fluors cannot be used to determine beam profiles or centroids. Therefore, noninterceptive techniques must be used for on‐line diagnosis of high‐intensity CW beam at low energies. The beam funnel area of these proposed accelerator facilities provide a particular interesting beam measurement challenge. In this area of the accelerator, beam measurements must also sense how well the two funnel input‐beams are matched to each other in phase space. This paper will discuss some of the measurement requirements for these proposed accelerator facilities and the various noninterceptive techniques to measure dual‐beam funnel operation.
Mild Pantothenate Deficiency in Rats Elevates Serum Triglyceride and Free Fatty Acid Levels

Pantothenate-derived coenzymes are extensively involved in intermediary metabolism, particularly in the metabolism of lipids. Using a rat model of diet-induced pantothenate deficiency, we hoped in this study to relate pantothenate status, as indicated by serum pantothenate and hepatic coenzyme A, to levels of circulating triglycerides and free fatty acids. Although commercial "vitamin-free" casein contained approximately 3 mg total pantothenate per kilogram, marked changes in serum pantothenate and hepatic CoA still occurred during weeks when rats were fed purified diets supplemented with 0 to 1600 mg pantothenate per kilogram of diet. Conditions in different experiments included ad libitum or pair-feeding of 3- or 6-wk-old rats and blood sampling from 3 to 24 h after feeding. Under most conditions of mild pantothenate deficiency in which weight differences between groups were not statistically significant, serum triglyceride and free fatty acid levels were significantly elevated in pantothenate-deficient groups. Mild pantothenate deficiency appears to have observable in vivo effects on triglyceride metabolism before severe deficiency causes significant weight loss.
SV40 promoters and their regulation.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the complex regulatory region of SV40. It may serve as a model of the regulatory mechanisms that operate in many other eukaryotic systems. The regulatory region of SV40 is 420 bp long and is contained in the HindIII–HpaII fragment located between nucleotide positions 5171 and 346 (25) .This DNA is positioned between the coding sequences of the two sets of genes that are transcribed divergently at early and late times in infection. Most of this region inside the infected cells is generally devoid of nucleosomes. This region contains sequentially a perfect 27-bp palindrome, a 17-bp (A + T)-rich sequence, three copies of a (G + C)-rich 21-bp repeat, and two copies of a 72-bp repeat at the extreme upstream segment. The segment containing the core origin of replication (ori) is characterized by the 27-bp palindromic structure flanked on either side by short segments. The SV40 early promoter contains at least three spatially distinct elements: (1) two 72-bp repeats comprising the enhancer sequence; (2) three 21-bp repeats, each containing two (G + C)-rich motifs; and (3) the TATA box or Goldberg–Hogness box. The functional significance of each element is also discussed in the chapter.
A RHESUS MACAQUE MODEL OF STREPTOCOCCUS PNEUMONIAE CARRIAGE

Background Nasopharyngeal colonization by Streptococcus pneumoniae precedes pneumococcal disease. Elucidation of procedures to prevent or eradicate nasopharyngeal carriage in a model akin to the human would help to diminish the incidence of both pneumonia and invasive pneumococcal disease.
Fibroblast growth factor receptors as therapeutic targets in clear-cell renal cell carcinoma

Introduction: Metastatic clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a highly vascularized tumor type that is often associated with inactivating mutations in the von Hippel-Lindau gene that ultimately drives pro-angiogenic signaling pathways, including the VEGF pathway. As such, new therapies indicated for RCC have largely focused on blocking angiogenesis by inhibiting this pathway. Despite the contribution of these agents to clinical outcomes in RCC, acquired resistance that stimulates tumor regrowth and revascularization quickly emerges. Resistance to VEGF inhibition appears to largely result from activation of compensatory angiogenesis pathways (including the fibroblast growth factor [FGF] pathway), providing a rationale to investigate their inhibition. Areas covered: This review explores the role of the FGF pathway in resistance to VEGF-targeted therapy and rationale for targeting in RCC. PubMed, as well as ASCO and ESMO congress abstracts, were searched for preclinical and clinical data for FGF inhibito...
Program and Teacher Characteristics Predicting the Implementation of Banking Time with Preschoolers Who Display Disruptive Behaviors.

This study examined the relationship among base- line program and teacher characteristics and subsequent im- plementation of Banking Time .B anking Time is ad yadic in- tervention intended to improve a teacher's interaction quality with a specific child. Banking Time implementation was ex- amined in the current study using a sample of 59 teachers and preschool children displaying disruptive behaviors in the classroom (~three children per classroom). Predictors includ- ed preschool program type, teacher demographic characteris- tics (personal and professional), and teacher beliefs (self-effi- cacy, authoritarian beliefs, and negative attributions about child disruptive behavior). Multiple measures and methods (i.e., teacher report, consultant report, independent observa- tions) were used to assess implementation. We created three implementation composite measures (dosage, quality, and generalized practice) thathad highinternalconsistencies with- ineachcomposite but were only modestly associatedwithone another, suggesting unique constructs of implementation. We found that type of preschool program was associated with dosage and quality. Aspects of teacher demographics related to all three implementation composites. Teacher beliefs pre- dicted dosage and generalized practice. Results suggest that the factors that predict the implementation of Banking Time vary as a function of the type of implementation being assessed.
Dynamic imaging of seizure activity in pediatric epilepsy patients.

Objective To investigate the feasibility of using noninvasive EEG source imaging approach to image continuous seizure activity in pediatric epilepsy patients.
Whole-Body Positron Emission Tomography with (Fluorine-18)-2-Deoxyglucose Can Detect Metastatic Carcinoma of the Fallopian Tube

Distant sites of metastatic fallopian tube carcinoma, including humerus, umbilicus, and groin, were clearly imaged with FDG-PET; the surgical-pathologic correlations are presented. In disorders such as ovarian or fallopian tube cancer, where a reliable means of diagnosing persistent or recurrent disease remains elusive, PET scanning offers another approach to this problem. Based on the increased rate of glucose metabolism in tumors, this modality focuses on the biochemical differences between malignant tissues and their normal counterparts in order to demonstrate positive findings on imaging. Potential uses of PET scanning in gynecologic oncology are presented.
Cost effective methods for teaching introductory programming courses

A number of experiments in teaching introductory programming courses in a cost effective manner have been conducted by the author using a personalized system of instruction. Languages experimented with included FORTRAN, COBOL AND PL/I. The problems of procrastination and non-completion of course work were partly overcome by the author's unique solutions to these problems.
Computerization of the medical record: use in care of patients with endstage renal disease.

The medical record that is in widespread use today evolved to meet the need for recording events in acute and self-limited diseases. It is unsuitable for treating patients with long-term problems in clinical management. In pioneering work that led to the development of a time-oriented record for rheumatic diseases, Fries [1] pointed out that "a major failure of the traditional chart is its inability to indicate adequately complex temporal relationships between clinical, laboratory, and therapeutic events". The medical record is strikingly deficient when applied to the problems presented by patients with renal disease and particularly those with endstage renal disease (ESRD). Treatment of such a patient is never ending. It is in fact continuous without interruption for the lifetime of the patient and involves the tracking of large amounts of clinical, laboratory, and therapeutic data over periods of months and years. The patient is also subject to many and a wide variety of acute events, some related to their status with chronic renal failure, others unrelated. Many surgical procedures and other interventions also take place. Physicians who care for ESRD patients have tried to solve the problems of record keeping in various ways. It is common practice to use one or more duplicate medical records. It is usual and necessary that various forms of digital or graphic display are created by hand or machine to help in management and in an approach to the problems presented by these patients. Most physicians find it difiicult to handle the vast amount and complicated nature of the data; our observations indicate that as many as 8,000 individual data items may accrue in a single year in a patient treated by chronic maintenance hemodialysis [2]. In 1977 we described the development and initial stages of implementation of an on-line computerized data handling system to address this problem in the practice of nephrology [2]. The objectives of a successful computerized record system should, in our opinion, include: (1) a demonstrated superiority to the current record systems in ease of clinical use while providing pertinent and complete information, and while recording important and unexpected complications or physiologic processes; (2) the capability of improving the decision making processes in clinical medicine by simplifying analysis of relevant clinical data; (3) the provision of a model for monitoring the quality of medical care; and (4) on-line availability of the data at any time for clinical use and interpretation. The system described herein has been in use on-line in our hemodialysis facilities for the past 6.5 years. We have found it to be a valuable tool for patient management, not "an add on for research". This paper is wholly descriptive and portrays the clinical benefits of a computerized medical record. Examples of the use of the system in research are deliberately avoided to stress the system's importance as a major tool in clinical medicine.
Core Cultivation of a Putting Green with Hollow and Solid Tines

Most turfgrass soil cultivation research has emphasized water infiltration and thatch responses, but has provided limited information regarding detailed soil and rooting responses to different cultivation methods. This study evaluated cultivation effects on soil physical properties and turf growth of a Penneagle' creeping bentgrass (Agrostis palustris Huds.) putting green. Cultivation, utilizing vertically operating hollow (HTC) or solid (STC) tines, was applied over a 3-yr period on a loamy sand soil (modified fine-loamy, mixed, mesic, Typic Hapludalfs). Cultivation treatments were applied on noncompacted and compacted plots, and at soil moisture potential ranges of −40 to −60 kPa (moist) or −2 to −4 kPa (wet) []
Performance loss of Terfenol-D particle epoxy composites under cyclic magneto-mechanical loading at the matrix glass transition start and finish temperatures

The present paper presents cyclic strain amplitude and longitudinal strain measurements of longitudinally compressed Terfenol-D particle samples subjected to strain cycling. A four way comparison is made of the responses of material processed under high longitudinal magnetic field, material processed under no magnetic field, material strain cycle tested at temperatures near the matrix glass transition finish temperature, and material strain cycle tested at a temperature near the matrix glass transition start temperature. The cyclic strain amplitude of magnetically-aligned material during processing was clearly larger than that of non-magnetically-aligned material. The cyclic strain amplitude of the material was significantly larger when tested at a temperature near the matrix glass transition finish temperature. A useful range of longitudinal applied stress exists where the composite suffers little apparent degradation. Beyond this range the composite exhibits steadily decreasing cyclic strain amplitude with increases in longitudinal compressive stress magnitude. Scanning electron microscopy indicated that the primary mode of initial failure of the material was near-surface circumferential cracking in the Terfenol-D particles.
RNA Recognition by HIV-1 Tat and Rev

Abstract HIV-1 Tat and Rev, two essential regulatory proteins, contain arginine-rich domains that are largely responsible for specific binding to their respective RNA sites, TAR and RRE. Structural studies demonstrate how these RNAs provide precise three-dimensional frameworks for protein binding. In vivo, Tat and Rev interact with additional cellular proteins to carry out their important roles in viral transcription and mRNA processing and transport.
Effects of acute and chronic ethanol administration on ribosomal protein synthesis in mouse brain and liver

Abstract The effect of ethanol on protein synthesis was studied in mouse brain and liver ribosomal preparations after acute and chronic administration of ethanol in vivo as well as after addition of ethanol in vitro . Incorporation of amino acid into protein was reduced in both brain and liver ribosomes 1.5–3 hours after a single administration of ethanol. The reduction was not temporally correlated with the elevation of blood level of ethanol and the degree of central depression. The ribosomal protein synthesis is rather insensitive to the in vitro addition of ethanol, as compared with the in vivo administration. The inhibition of protein synthesis in ribosomal preparations from acutely intoxicated animals may be due to transient alteration of either the ribosomal structure or the content of the associated messenger RNA. Chronic and continuous ingestion of ethanol (7–14 days) induces a stimulation of protein synthesis in brain and liver ribosomal systems, as well as an elevation of plasma corticosterone level.
The impact of gravity waves on nitric oxide in the lower thermosphere

Abstract Observations of nitric oxide (NO) by the Solar Mesosphere Explorer (SME) during equinox indicate a lower-thermosphere equatorial minimum which is at variance with theoretical predictions. To address this discrepancy a zonally averaged model of the thermosphere and upper mesosphere is used to evaluate the influence of a latitude variation in turbulence. Five numerical simulations were performed with different latitude structures of eddy diffusion ( K T ), ranging from uniform in latitude, peaks at low, mid-, or high-latitude, to a hemispherically asymmetric distribution. A local increase in eddy diffusion causes the lower thermosphere to cool and induces a latitude pressure gradient that drives horizontal and vertical winds. The circulation, turbulent transport and temperature dependent chemistry act to change the distribution of species. Comparison of the model predictions of NO with SME data, and simulated wind and temperature structure with empirical climatology, indicates a preference for a midlatitude peak in K T .
Student Perceptions on the Utilization of Formative Feedback in the Online Environment

This article addresses instructors' formative feedback to graduate student writing. The authors investigated the utilization of a formative feedback option in online master and doctoral degree programs in health education and administration. Two hundred and five graduate students at a small private university in the Midwest in various health programs completed an online questionnaire focusing on student perceptions of the use of formative feedback including preferences, utilization, usefulness, and barriers. The first part of the survey was completed by all respondents; the second part of the questionnaire was directed at formative feedback users only. Over seventy three percent of respondents utilized the feedback option and most individuals valued the feedback. Results highlighted differences of learner perceptions and preferences. Participants offered a number of barriers and reasons for non-use; however, students who did not utilize the option were either satisfied with their performance or were unable to meet deadlines set by instructors.
INTERFEROMETRIC OBSERVATIONS OF PULSARS AT 2.7 AND 8.1 GHz.

TWENTY pulsars were observed during the period May 20 to 25, 1971, using the NRAO 3-element interferometer. The principal aims of the observations were (1) to obtain accurate position measurements independent of pulse timing considerations; (2) to determine the flux densities of pulsars at 2.7 GHz and also, for the strongest ones, at 8.1 GHz; and (3) to detect (or place upper limits on) any continuous, non-pulsed radio emission from regions of small angular size near the pulsars.
Laser Studies Of Electron-Phonon Interactions In Amorphous Solids: Homogeneous Fluorescence Line-Broadening And Spectral Diffusion

We briefly review the areas of luminescence line-broadening and energy transfer in amorphous solids, with particular emphasis on non-resonant phonon-assisted energy transfer between like ions. The laser-induced fluorescence line-narrowing technique is discussed, and the importance of resonant excitation-detection is emphasized. We illustrate the discussion with several examples from our recent work. A two-phonon Raman scattering propess is shown to be the dominant source of homogeneous thermal line-broadening of the 5D0→ 7F0 fluorescence line of Eu 3+ in a silicate glass, over the temperature range 200-350 K. We have further shown that the scattering efficiency is site-dependent, correlating with the static crystal field strength. Our results on spectral diffusion (energy transfer between like ions having different transition energies) indicate an electric dipole-dipole coupling mechanism between Eu3+ ions in a phosphate glass. The phonon involvement was determined to be an intersite two-phonon Raman process, with one-phonon action at each of the two coupled ion sites.© (1977) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Mechanisms for the generation of src-deletion mutants and recovered sarcoma viruses: identification of viral sequences involved in src deletions and in recombination with c-src sequences.

Abstract The precise src deletions in six transformation-defective (td) deletion mutants derived from the Schmidt-Ruppin strain of Rous sarcoma virus were determined by sequence analysis. Examination of the parental viral sequences neighboring the junctions of deletions in these td mutants revealed that these regions contained either directly repeated or inverted complementary sequences ranging from 9 to 28 nucleotides. Five td mutants were found to contain deletions flanked by directly repeated sequences, of which the 3′ direct repeat was retained whereas the 5′ direct repeat was deleted in the resulting td viral RNA. In the deletions of two td mutants where inverted complementary sequences were present at junctions of the deletions, both copies of the inverted complementary sequence were deleted in the td viral RNA. It is proposed from these observations that deletions of these mutants have been generated during the synthesis of minus-strand viral DNA by reverse transcriptase by jumping over a sequence flanked by direct repeats or by skipping a stem-and-loop structure formed via inverted complementary sequences on the viral RNA template. Data provide further information on the sequences in the td viral genome that are required for the generation of recovered sarcoma viruses (rASVs) by recombination with c- src . Sequence data of td viruses revealed that retaining as few as 82 nucleotides of the 3′ src coding sequence is sufficient, whereas retaining as much as one-third of the 5′ src but none of the 3′ src coding sequences is not sufficient, for the generation of rASVs. Those that generate replication-competent rASVs retain, in addition to the 3′ src region, a portion of the 5′ src and/or its immediate upstream sequence that is homologous to exon 1 of the c-src DNA. These two sequence domains apparently provided 5′ and 3′ homologous regions for recombination between td viral genome and c-src DNA resulting in nondefective rASVs. Td109, which was shown previously to generate only replication-defective rASVs, retains 296 nucleotides of the 3′ src sequence but lacks all the 5′ src and 316 nucleotides of its immediate upstream region. It is concluded that the 5′ src coding sequence and its immediate upstream region are not essential for the generation of rASVs. However, retaining a portion of those sequences is required for the generation of replication-competent rASVs.
Early uterine neutrophilic response to silk and polyethylene IUDS in the rat

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine the number of luminal neutrophils at the time of implantation when an IUD was inserted following mating. Mature Holtzman rats were mated and on days 1, 2, 3 or 4 of pregnancy, a silk thread or polyethylene IUD, 17–22 mm long, was inserted into the cervical half of a uterine horn. The other uterine horn was sham-treated. The rats were autopsied on day 5 of pregnancy and the treated portions of the uterine horns were each flushed with 0.2 ml Hank's solution. The numbers of uterine luminal neutrophils were counted on a hemocytometer chamber. The neutrophilic response occurred in all horns as early as 24 hr after treatment. More neutrophils were observed in rats with a silk IUD than in those with a polyethylene IUD and there were more neutrophils in the IUD horns than in the sham-treated ones. These data are compatible with the possibility that neutrophils have a role in preventing implantation in the rat.
TU‐A‐BRB‐01: Physics and Dosimetry of SBRT

SBRT is a novel cancertreatment strategy where ultra‐high doses per fraction are used, generally in the range of 10 to 20 Gy per fraction, in a hypofractionated regimen of 5 or fewer fractions. Such high doses per treatment were inconceivable in the past because of concerns about radiation‐induced injury to normal tissue if large volumes of OARs were irradiated to high doses. However, with recent technical advancements in highly‐conformal treatment planning,image‐guidedradiotherapy, and delivery technologies, it has become possible to deliver safely very large fractional doses of radiation to lesions in the lung, liver, spine, and prostate. Since SBRT involves technically sophisticated patient repositioning and treatment delivery procedure, it is not uncommon for a treatment to last up to 40–50 minutes. Clinicians are usually concerned of a possible compromise in treatment efficacy for individual fractions that require long treatment time because of tumor intra‐fraction motion and patient involuntary movement during radiation delivery, as well as a theoretical risk of intra‐fractional radiation damage repair within tumor cells in the context of prolonged fractional delivery time. In this session, methods for effective, optimal and accurate planning, and efficiency and robustness in the delivery of SBRT, including QA, will be presented so that these concerns are minimized. Furthermore, the technical challenges associated with the clinical implementation of SBRT will be discussed, thereby allowing the wide application of SBRT using current treatment planning and delivery technologies (fixed‐field 3DCRT/IMRT, dynamic arcs, rotational IMRT). The specific objectives of the session are to: 1. Describe secure and comfortable immobilization techniques to minimize patient movement, techniques accounting for internal organ motion, and accurate patient repositioning methods using online planning 2. Discuss treatment planning methods to ensure coverage of tumor volume within high dose regions with very rapid fall‐off to surrounding OARs, including the use of Monte Carlo algorithms 3. Describe quality assurance and verification techniques for fixed‐field (3DCRT, IMRT) and rotational (static/dynamic arcs, VMAT/Rapid Arc/Tomo) delivery, usually characterized by many small beam segments, and the assessment of target conformity coverage, and high dose “spillage” region
AZT Availability in Illinois Birthing Hospitals: Is the Perinatal HIV Prevention Safety Net in Place?

Objectives: To prevent perinatal HIV transmission, providers must identify HIV status for all women in labor and newborns, and provide timely antiretroviral therapy if necessary. The objective of this study is to evaluate the availability and accessibility of zidovudine (AZT) in Illinois birthing hospitals. Methods: We surveyed all Illinois birthing hospital pharmacies by telephone in February 2005 regarding availability, accessibility, and protocols surrounding AZT use in the perinatal period. Results: All 137 pharmacies participated. Only 43.1% reported having syrup and IV AZT available and only 37.2% indicated the ability to have AZT available on labor and delivery within 30 min during off hours. Protocols for treating HIV positive women in labor and exposed newborns were available in only 37.2% of pharmacies while 72.4% had protocols for antiretroviral therapy for occupational post-exposure prophylaxis. Variables associated with pharmacies having AZT available included being a major academic hospital and serving a predominately (greater than 96%) white patient population. Timely provision of AZT was more likely to occur in urban, major academic hospitals serving a predominately white population. Conclusions: In order to further reduce perinatal HIV transmission, availability and timely access to both syrup and IV AZT must be improved in Illinois birthing hospitals.
Parts of the Whole: Approaching Education as a System

An educational system is a highly coupled complex system of inputs, outputs, sensors and actuators. Using an engineering perspective, this column begins the process of naming and categorizing parts of the system. It then focuses on teachers as one part of a large system, and analyzes the forces that influence how teachers work, and that draw or repel individuals to a teaching career. The growing shortage of qualified teachers can be explained by properties of the system as a whole that determine the context in which teachers do their job.
Compliant Floating-Opposing-Arm (FOA) Centrifugal Clutch

This paper introduces the floating-opposing-arm (FOA) centrifugal clutch, presents a mathematical model for its analysis, and demonstrates the validity of a model to predict clutch performance with experimental data. The novelty of the clutch includes an arrangement of aggressive and non-aggressive contact surfaces in connected pairs to achieve a high torque carrying capability while maintaining starting smoothness and stability. As a compliant mechanism, it has fewer parts than traditional centrifugal clutches, and has the potential for significant cost reductions in manufacturing and assembly. Analysis of the FOA clutch is made difficult by the combination of dynamics and elastic deformation required for its operation. A model, based on the pseudo-rigid-body model, simplifies the engagement speed and torque capacity analyses. The model is validated by testing individual clutches and by demonstrating clutch designs in typical applications.