cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impedance of Frog Skeletal Muscle Fibers in Various Solutions

The linear circuit parameters of 140 muscle fibers in nine solutions are determined from phase measurements fitted with three circuit models: the disk model, in which the resistance to radial current flow is in the lumen of the tubules; the lumped model, in which the resistance is at the mouth of the tubules; and the hybrid model, in which it is in both places. The lumped model fails to fit the data. The disk and hybrid model fit the data, but the optimal circuit values of the hybrid model seem more reasonable. The circuit values depend on sarcomere length. The conductivity of the lumen of the tubules is less than, and varies in a nonlinear manner with, the conductivity of the bathing solution, suggesting that the tubules are partially occluded by some material like basement membrane which restricts the mobility of ions and has fixed charge. The x2.5 hypertonic sucrose solution used in many voltage clamp experiments produces a large increase in the radial resistance, suggesting that control of the potential across the tubular membranes would be difficult to achieve. Glycerol-treated fibers have 90% of their tubular system insulated from the extracellular solution and 10% connected to the extracellular solution through a high resistance. We discuss the implications of our results for calculations of the nonlinear properties of muscle fibers, including the action potential and the radial spread of contraction.
Overyielding and the role of complementary use of nitrogen in wetland plant communities

Abstract Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning experiments have demonstrated that plant biomass of species grown in mixtures is often greater than plant biomass of monocultures (i.e., mixtures over yield). While we understand that plant species utilize resources differently, how a combination of species increases resource use and productivity is not well known, especially in wetland ecosystems. Here, we used a mesocosm experiment to explore diversity effects on plant biomass production and to examine the role of N partitioning as a mechanism for overyielding in wetland ecosystems. Plant functional groups (FGs) represented the unit of diversity, and we included five levels of diversity (0–4 FGs). To test for N partitioning, we used a stable isotope technique to determine niche breadth and proportion similarity of inorganic N use (NO 3 − and NH 4 + ) for individual FGs as well as mixtures containing 3 and 4 FGs. We found that total plant biomass increased in the first season from an average of 290 ± 60 SE g ash-free dry mass (AFDM) m −2 at the 1 FG level to 490 ± 70 g AFDM m −2 at the 4 FG level and in the second season from an average of 560 ± 80 g AFDM m −2 at the 1 FG level to 1000 ± 90 g AFDM m −2 at the 4 FG level indicating overyielding. Plant species comprising the majority of mesocosm biomass demonstrated preferential uptake of 15 NO 3 − , while species with relatively less biomass (e.g., Acorus calamus and Carex crinita ) preferred 15 NH 4 + . Concentrations of 15 N in biomass increased with FG richness, but only in the 15 NO 3 − treatment. Niche breadth did not vary among levels of FG richness. We observed a greater niche overlap with an increase of FGs, with species taking up greater proportion of 15 NO 3 − than 15 NH 4 + . Our results indicate that plant overyielding in wetland mesocosms is not the result of niche partitioning of N chemical forms, but is associated with greater uptake of NO 3 .
Nonoperative Management of Intraabdominal Hypertension and Abdominal Compartment Syndrome

Intraabdominal hypertension (IAH) and abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) have detrimental effects on all organ systems and are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. In recent years, the diagnosis and management of these syndromes has evolved tremendously, and the importance of comprehensive strategies to reduce intraabdominal pressure (IAP) has been recognized. All clinicians should be aware of the risk factors that predict the development of IAH/ACS, the appropriate measurement of IAP, and the current resuscitation options for managing these highly morbid syndromes. The nonoperative management of IAH/ACS can be summarized using five therapeutic goals: evacuate intraluminal contents, evacuate intraabdominal space-occupying lesions, improve abdominal wall compliance, optimize fluid administration, and optimize systemic and regional tissue perfusion. Surgical intervention through open abdominal decompression should immediately be pursued for patients with progressive IAH, end-organ dysfunction, and failure that is refractory to these nonoperative therapies. This comprehensive management strategy has been demonstrated to improve patient survival and long-term outcome.
Co-expression of two gene products in the CNS using double-cassette defective herpes simplex virus vectors

Abstract Defective herpes simplex virus (HSV) vectors are an efficient means to deliver genes to cells of the central nervous system (CNS). Such vectors containing two independent transcription units would be extremely valuable for many studies, including the comparative analysis of promoter function and expression of multiple gene products in the CNS. We have constructed a ‘double-cassette’ vector expressing two easily detectable marker enzymes, β-galactosidase (β-gal) and human placental alkaline phosphatase (AP). Cells infected in vitro, including neurons and glia, and in vivo expressed both gene products.
Traffic congestion and what to do about it

Traffic congestion on road networks is a fact of life in the modern world: Time is wasted daily on a colossal scale. Things will probably get worse before getting better. What can we do, what should we do about it? Individual efforts seem hopeless; collective action is called for. We approach this as an economic problem from both the supply side and the demand side.
The effect of weight loss intervention on antihypertensive medication requirements in the hypertension Optimal Treatment (HOT) study.

Obesity is a significant risk factor for hypertension and the cardiovascular sequelae of hypertension. Weight loss has been shown to be effective in lowering blood pressure in overweight individuals. The purpose of this study was to show the impact of a weight loss intervention on overall medication requirements for obese, hypertensive patients. This was a substudy of the Hypertension Optimal Treatment (HOT) study. HOT study patients who had a body mass index > or =27 kg/m2 were randomized to receive either the weight loss intervention, which included dietary counseling and group support, or to serve as the control group. Patients' weights and number of medication steps (per HOT protocol) required to achieve target diastolic blood pressure were measured at 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, and 30 months. Patients in the weight loss group lost significantly more weight than the control group only at 6 months (-3.2+/-4.3 v. -1.8+/-2.7 kg [mean +/- SD] for weight loss group versus control, respectively, P = .05). The weight loss group tended to regain weight after the first 6 months of the study. However, patients in the weight loss group used a significantly fewer number of medication steps than the control group at all time intervals except 3 months. Weight loss appears to be a useful tool in blood pressure management in patients who require medication to control their blood pressure.
A Critical Review of Elaboration Theory

In this article the authors examine elaboration theory (ET), a model for sequencing and organizing courses which was developed by Charles Reigeluth and associates in the late 1970s. The purpose of the article is to offer a critique of ET based on recent cognitive research and to offer suggestions for updating the model to reflect new knowledge.
Selective effects of somatostatin-14, -25 and -28 on in vitro insulin and glucagon secretion

The widely occurring1–3 tetradecapeptide somatostatin (SRIF-14) has been variously implicated4–8 as a neurotransmitter, a neurohormone, a cybernin (local regulatory factor) and a hormone. In the first isolation of SRIF-14 from hypothalamic extracts9,10 and subsequent extracts of other tissues11–15, peptides of higher molecular weight but with similar activity have been noted. Recently two such peptides have been characterized as the 28-amino acid SRIF-28 (from porcine gastro-intestinal tract16 and porcine and ovine hypothalamus17,18) and the 25-amino acid SRIF-25 (from ovine hypothalamus17), each of which consists of an N–terminal extension of SRIF-14. We now report that SRIF-28 and SRIF-25 are more potent than SRIF-14 in the inhibition of insulin release, but that SRIF-14 preferentially inhibits glucagon release. This suggests that SRIF-28 and SRIF-25 are not mere biosynthetic precursors of SRIF-14 and that their differential release may be physiologically important.
STUDIES IN BLOOD COAGULATION : V. THE COAGULATION OF BLOOD BY PROTEOLYTIC ENZYMES (TRYPSIN, PAPAIN).

Crude or crystalline trypsin in proper concentration causes the blood or plasma of human beings, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, and horses to coagulate. It does not clot the fibrinogen directly, but reacts with prothrombin to form thrombin. Since trypsin thus has the same effect as the physiological system Ca plus platelets (or Ca plus tissue extracts), it is suggested as a tentative working hypothesis that the latter system contains a proteolytic enzyme with a specific affinity for prothrombin. Other implications of this trypsin effect with respect to the mechanism of physiological coagulation are discussed in the text (pages 557-558). The proteolytic enzyme papain also coagulates blood. In this case the enzyme does not activate prothrombin, but acts directly on fibrinogen to form a fibrillar gel resembling fibrin. If one admits this clot to be fibrin, this constitutes strong evidence that thrombin, the physiological coagulant, is also a proteolytic enzyme with a specific action on fibrinogen.
Mammary Paget's disease and extra-mammary Paget's disease: two morphologically similar but biologically different diseases.

Background: The cells of origin of mammary Paget's disease (MPD) and extra-mammary Paget's disease (EMPD) have been a controversial subject. The purpose of this study is to examine the expression of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) pathway members in these two diseases. Design: HER2, AKT, pAKT, PTEN, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and pEGFR were examined in 16 MPD and 14 EMPD cases. HER2 was graded on a scale from 0 to 3. A score of 3 was considered positive. For AKT, pAKT, PTEN, EGFR and pEGFR, a semi-quantitative scoring system was used. A score >100 was considered positive. Fisher's exact test was used to analyze the data. Results: HER2 was overexpressed in 87.5% MPD and 35.7% EMPD. While AKT was expressed in all cases, pAKT was expressed in 87.5% MPD and 92.9% EMPD. Both EGFR and pEGFR were negative in all cases. PTEN was positive in 62.5% MPD and 71.4% EMPD. For pAKT+ group, HER2–/PTEN+ was recorded in 0% MPD and 38.5% EMPD (P = .01). Conclusions: In a subset of EMPD, AKT is not activated by HER2 overexpression or by loss of PTEN, which is not the case in MPD. These data suggest that these two diseases are biologically different. Liu W, Iqbal J, Khoury T. Mammary Paget's disease and extramammary Paget's disease: two morphologically similar but biologically different diseases.
Electronic structure of the rotation twin stacking fault in β-ZnS

The electronic structure of the rotation twin stacking fault in $\ensuremath{\beta}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{Z}\mathrm{n}\mathrm{S}$ is calculated with the self-consistent pseudopotential method. The stacking fault creates a potential barrier of \ensuremath{\sim}0.07 eV and induces the localization of stacking-fault resonances near the top of the valence band. Stacking-fault states are also predicted to exist in the various gaps in the projected valence-band structure.
Open artificial intelligence - one course for all

Upper-division courses contain some of the most attractive topics in computer science, such as artificial intelligence (AI). Unfortunately, layers of prerequisites restrict AI to advanced computer science students and a separate course for non-majors is not always curricularly feasible. Instead, upper-division AI can be taught in a way that has no prerequisites while retaining the rigor of an upper-division course. This paper includes the syllabus for such an "open AI" course and discusses experiences, positive and negative, with it.
Pre-Spawning Behavior in the Gobiid Fish, Bathygobius Soporator

The gobiid fish, Bathygobius soporator (Cuvier and Valenciennes), is a shallow water, tidal zone species with shelter-seeking, territorial habits. Males are particularly pugnacious toward each other, and exhibit a combat behavior which comprises a darkening of the coloration, fin erection, gaping, quivering, butting and biting. Prespawning behavior consists of (1) nest preparation, in which the male cleans out a shelter by fanning and scooping; (2) courtship - a light coloration with a blackened chin is exhibited by the male as he approaches a female and vibrates his body and tail; (3) nest entry - the female, if gravid, responds to the courtship by following the male and entering the nest. In spawning, the female extrudes adherent eggs on the inner surface of the nest, while the male releases sperm. After spawning, the male guards and fans the eggs for the 4 to 5 day incubation period. The establishment of a shelter and a territory by a male are necessary before coordinated pre-spawning behavior can take place. Females appear to exhibit less territoriality than males, and young males possess incompletely differentiated territorial, pre-spawning and spawning behavior patterns. In testing the reactions of resident males toward introduced animals, the tests had to be spaced in time sufficiently to avoid an overlapping of responses, because the reactions of the resident persist for some time after the removal of the intruder. The speed and type of reaction by the resident male could be influenced by rapid repetition of the tests. The first r e a c t i o n - c o m p l e x of the resident male toward an introduced animal comprises an approach to the intruder and, in many cases, is followed by or preceded by a color change. Frequently, especially with large males and gravid females as intruders, this reaction-complex shows a trend toward combat or courtship, respectively, before any activity on the part of the intruder. The responses of the introduced animals are varied but tend mostly toward retreat in small males and non-gravid females, combat in large males, and following in gravid females. The subsequent behavior of the resident shows a differentiation according to the sex, size and gonadal stage of the intruder. Combat is predominant towards large males, whereas courtship occurs toward gravid females. Sex discrimination by the resident male is variable, and the sensory cues involved are primarily behavioral in nature. It is thought that the intruding animal presents several visual cues (and possible non-visual ones), and these cues form a pattern which stimulates, channels and re-enforces, in that order, the behavior of the resident male.
On the maximal ergodic theorem

Abstract In the paper we extend Hopf's maximal ergodic theorem to Banach lattices. The extension is obtained by using Garsia's approach to the topic.
Broccoli Raab as a Host of Alternaria brassicae in California

In the fall of 1996, commercial plantings of broccoli raab or rappini (Brassica rapa subsp. rapa) in the Salinas Valley, Monterey County, were damaged by a disease previously unreported in California. Symptoms consisted of small (7 to 8 mm in diameter), circular to oblong, brown to light tan leaf spots that contained characteristic concentric rings. An Alternaria sp. having conidia with prominent beaks and spores produced singly or in chains of two was consistently observed on and isolated from the host. Conidia from naturally infected broccoli raab measured 144.5 to 194.5 × 22.2 to 30.6 μm (beak length ranged from 33.3 to 75.0 μm). The isolates were identified as Alternaria brassicae (Berk.) Sacc. (2). Pathogenicity was confirmed by culturing five representative isolates on sterilized 20% V8 juice solution for 10 days under a 12-h light/12-h dark cycle, filtering the suspensions through cheesecloth, obtaining spore concentrations of 30,000 conidia per ml, and spraying suspensions onto 6-week-old seedlings of broccoli raab cv. Spring Raab. Plants were incubated in a humid chamber for 48 h and then maintained in a greenhouse. After 5 to 7 days, leaf spots similar to the original symptoms developed on all inoculated plants. The pathogen was reisolated and identified as A. brassicae. Control plants sprayed with distilled water remained symptomless. The inoculation test was repeated and results were the same. Because of the extensive plantings of cole crops in the Salinas Valley, isolates from broccoli raab were inoculated onto two sets each of broccoli (Brassica oleracea subsp. italica cv. Greenbelt), Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris subsp. pekinensis cv. Cha-Cha), and Japanese mustard (Brassica campestris subsp. nipposinica cv. Mizuna), using the method described above. After 5 to 7 days, similar leaf spots developed on all inoculated plants and A. brassicae was reisolated and identified. Control plants sprayed with distilled water remained symptomless. This fungus does not appear to be a pathogen specific to particular cole crops in this area (1). For California, this is the first report of black spot caused by A. brassicae on commercially grown broccoli raab. References: (1) S. T. Koike. Plant Dis. 80:822, 1996. (2) E. G. Simmons. Mycotaxon 55:55, 1995.
Sharing atrocity stories in hospice: A study of niceness message strategies in interdisciplinary team meetings

The telling of atrocity stories offers therapeutic benefits to healthcare providers. Transcripts of hospice interdisciplinary team (IDT) meetings were used to analyze strategies for telling atrocity stories in the performance of symbiotic niceness through criticism. Symbiotic niceness draws upon niceness messages to establish reciprocal niceness by others in order to facilitate emotional labor. In IDT meetings the two predominant strategy types used were indirect and direct criticism. Nurses and medical directors engaged in niceness message strategies mostly about patients and other healthcare professionals. The study concludes that hospice IDT meetings are a venue for team members to communicate symbiotic niceness through emotional labor.
Protest, Policing and the Petition Clause

This essay, a short book review of Ronald Krotoszynski Jr.'s book, Reclaiming the Petition Clause Seditious Libel, "Offensive" Protest, and the Right to Petition the Government for Redress of Grievances, examines the variety of restrictions that actually affect protestors in the modern landscape. Professor Krotoszynski effectively argues that the Supreme Court's current use of content neutral time place and manner restrictions allows government officials to engage in surreptitious content censorship and also revives the defunct crime of seditious libel. His proposal to locate protestors' rights in the petition clause of the First Amendment is both historically grounded and attempts to avoid some of the pitfalls of current Supreme Court jurisprudence. While laudable, Professor Krotoszynski's proposal, which relies on enhanced judicial review, is not adequate to solve the problems associated with restrictions on protestors in the contemporary landscape. Increasingly, police, rather than judges, are primarily responsible for decisions to quell peaceful protest and they do so with little in the way of legislative or regulatory provisions that are subject to challenge. This essay surveys some of the ways in which police have suppressed protests in the last several years without resorting to laws that are subject to First Amendment challenges and culminates with an example from the recent protests in Ferguson, Missouri, during which police were widely criticized for their tactics.
5-Azacytidine and Decitabine Monotherapies of Myelodysplastic Disorders:

OBJECTIVE:To review and differentiate the pharmacology, toxicology, pharmacokinetics, and results of major clinical trials of 5-azacytidine (5-AzaC) and 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (decitabine) therapy of myelodysplastic disorders.DATA SOURCES:A PubMed/MEDLINE search was conducted (1966–October 2004) using the following terms: DNA methylation, myelodysplastic disorders, 5-azacytidine, and 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (decitabine). Additional data sources included bibliographies from identified articles and manufacturer information.STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION:Clinical trials for the treatment of various malignancies by hypomethylating agents were selected from data sources. All published, major clinical trials evaluating 5-AzaC or decitabine in myelodysplastic disorders and transformed myeloid leukemia treatment were included.DATA SYNTHESIS:Myelodysplastic disorders are a group of bone marrow stem cell hyperplasias and dysplasias that result in ineffective hematopoiesis. Myelodysplastic disorders and transfor...
A single-appointment technique for reuse of a crown after tooth fracture

A single-appointment technique for the reuse of an existing crown, the margins of which are intact after tooth fracture, has been presented. Composite resin used in conjunction with a dentin bonding agent serves as a core and cement sealer. Para Posts or TMS pins and undercut areas in tooth structure are used for retention.
Unsupervised Activity Perception by Hierarchical Bayesian Models

We propose a novel unsupervised learning framework for activity perception. To understand activities in complicated scenes from visual data, we propose a hierarchical Bayesian model to connect three elements: low-level visual features, simple "atomic" activities, and multi-agent interactions. Atomic activities are modeled as distributions over low-level visual features, and interactions are modeled as distributions over atomic activities. Our models improve existing language models such as latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) and hierarchical Dirichlet process (HDP) by modeling interactions without supervision. Our data sets are challenging video sequences from crowded traffic scenes with many kinds of activities co-occurring. Our approach provides a summary of typical atomic activities and interactions in the scene. Unusual activities and interactions are found, with natural probabilistic explanations. Our method supports flexible high-level queries on activities and interactions using atomic activities as components.
Misdiagnosing normality: Psychiatry's failure to address the problem of false positive diagnoses of mental disorder in a changing professional environment

Background: In psychiatry's transformation from primarily an asylum-based profession to a community-oriented profession, false positive diagnoses that mistakenly classify normal intense reactions to stress as mental disorders became a major challenge to the validity of psychiatric diagnosis. The shift to symptom-based operationalized diagnostic criteria in DSM-III further exacerbated this difficulty because of the contextually based nature of the distinction between normal distress and mental disorder, which often display similar symptoms. The problem has particular urgency because the DSM's symptom-based criteria are often applied in studies and screening instruments outside of the clinical context and by non-mental-health professionals.Aims: To consider, through selected examples, the degree of concern, systematicity and thoroughness – and the degree of success – with which recent revisions of the DSM have attended to the challenge of avoiding false positive diagnoses.Method: Conceptual analysis of sele...
The Obama Administration’s First Year and IHL: A Pragmatist Reclaims the High Ground

President Obama’s first year in office can be defined by two words: pragmatism and commitment. His pragmatism is reflected in the decision to continue to pursue the armed conflicts against transnational terrorism, and his refusal to abandon the legal and policy positions of his predecessor that lodge that struggle squarely within an armed conflict paradigm. His commitment is reflected both in his decision to continue the armed struggle against transnational terrorism, and in the actions he has taken to demonstrate US commitment to fundamental humanitarian principles of the law, and to abandon the policy of legal exceptionalism that defined his predecessor’s ‘authority without obligation’ interpretation of the law as it applied to this armed conflict. Any doubt about these dual pillars of his approach to transnational terrorism was eliminated when he delivered his Nobel acceptance speech. In that speech, he challenged the international community to accept the continuing need to meet the threat of transnational terrorism with military force. However, he also emphasized that maintaining the moral high ground in the conduct of hostilities – even when confronting an immoral opponent – is at the very core of the American military tradition.This essay will review what the authors consider the President’s most significant humanitarian law related decisions during his first year in office. It will focus on six major aspects of international humanitarian law: 1) the definition of enemy combatant; 2) detainee judicial review; 3) military commissions; 4) self help measures in self-defense; 5) fundamental guarantees under customary international law; and 6) the US position vis a vis the International Criminal Court.
Mutant Caldesmon Lacking cdc2 Phosphorylation Sites Delays M-Phase Entry and Inhibits Cytokinesis

Caldesmon is phosphorylated by cdc2 kinase during mitosis, resulting in the dissociation of caldesmon from microfilaments. To understand the physiological significance of phosphorylation, we generated a caldesmon mutant replacing all seven cdc2 phosphorylation sites with Ala, and examined effects of expression of the caldesmon mutant on M-phase progression. We found that microinjection of mutant caldesmon effectively blocked early cell division of Xenopus embryos. Similar, though less effective, inhibition of cytokinesis was observed with Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells microinjected with 7th mutant. When mutant caldesmon was introduced into CHO cells either by protein microinjection or by inducible expression, delay of M-phase entry was observed. Finally, we found that 7th mutant inhibited the disassembly of microfilaments during mitosis. Wild-type caldesmon, on the other hand, was much less potent in producing these three effects. Because mutant caldesmon did not inhibit cyclin B/cdc2 kinase activity, our results suggest that alterations in microfilament assembly caused by caldesmon phosphorylation are important for M-phase progression.
Noise considerations in circuit optimization

Noise can cause digital circuits to switch incorrectly and thus produce spurious results. Noise can also have adverse power, timing and reliability effects. Dynamic logic is particularly susceptible to charge-sharing and coupling noise. Thus, the design and optimization of a circuit should take noise considerations into account. Such considerations are typically stated as semi-infinite constraints. In addition, the number of signals to be checked and the number of sub-intervals of time during which the checking must be performed can potentially be very large. Thus, the practical incorporation of noise constraints during circuit optimization is a hitherto unsolved problem. This paper describes a novel method for incorporating noise considerations during automatic circuit optimization. Semi-infinite constraints representing noise considerations are first converted to ordinary equality constraints involving time integrals, which are readily computed in the context of circuit optimization based on time-domain simulation. Next, the gradients of these integrals are computed by the adjoint method. By using an augmented Lagrangian optimization merit function, the adjoint method is applied to compute all the necessary gradients required for optimization in a single adjoint analysis, no matter how many noise measurements are considered, and irrespective of the dimensionality of the problem. Numerical results are presented.
DOES THE ESTABLISHMENT OF MOMENTUM LEAD TO ATHLETIC IMPROVEMENT

Objective momentum scoring systems for basketball, football, and wrestling were designed and applied to data from these sports to assess whether establishing momentum was followed by consistent improvement in performance either immediately after momentum was established or throughout the remainder of the contest. In a relatively consistent way across all three sports little evidence was found that establishing momentum according to the present scoring systems is followed by better performance, especially when teams were equated for ability. Momentum as defined here does not appear to be a very useful explanatory concept.
A novel aortic arch reconstruction method for double-inlet left ventricle with interrupted aortic arch and restrictive bulboventricular foramen

Patients with a functional single ventricle, unrestricted pulmonary blood flow, and aortic arch obstruction require staged palliation aimed at the Fontan circulation. Obstruction of the bulboventricular foramen (BVF), the communication between the left ventricle and the rudimentary right ventricle, may complicate the clinical course of patients with double-inlet left ventricle (DILV). In this report we present a new reconstructive approach for such morphology, applying a modifi-
Protein Kinase PKR-Dependent Activation of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases Occurs through Mitochondrial Adapter IPS-1 and Is Antagonized by Vaccinia Virus E3L

The p38 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) play important roles in the host innate immune response. The protein kinase regulated by RNA (PKR) is implicated in p38 MAPK activation in response to proinflammatory signals in mouse embryonic fibroblasts. To test the role of PKR in the activation of p38 and JNK MAPKs in human cells following viral infection, HeLa cells made stably deficient in PKR by using an RNA interference strategy were compared to cells with sufficient PKR. The phosphorylation of both p38 and JNK in cells with sufficient PKR was activated following either infection with an E3L deletion (DeltaE3L) mutant of vaccinia virus or transfection with double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) in the absence of infection with wild-type vaccinia virus. The depletion of PKR by stable knockdown impaired the phosphorylation of both p38 and JNK induced by either the DeltaE3L mutant virus or dsRNA but not that induced by tumor necrosis factor alpha. The PKR-dependent activation of MAPKs in DeltaE3L mutant-infected cells was abolished by treatment with cytosine beta-d-arabinoside. The complementation of PKR-deficient cells with the human PKR wild-type protein, but not with the PKR catalytic mutant (K296R) protein, restored p38 and JNK phosphorylation following DeltaE3L mutant virus infection. Transient small interfering RNA knockdown established that the p38 and JNK kinase activation following DeltaE3L infection was dependent upon RIG-I-like receptor signal transduction pathway components, including the mitochondrial adapter IPS-1 protein.
Zooming into π-Stacked Manifolds of Nucleobases: Ionized States of Dimethylated Uracil Dimers

The electronic structure of 1,3-dimethyluracil and its dimer is characterized by ab initio calculations. The methylation eliminates the H-bonded isomers and allows one to focus on the pi-stacked manifold. In the neutral species, methylation increases the binding energy by 3-4 kcal/mol and reduces the lowest ionization energy (IE) by 0.6 eV. Other valence IEs are also red-shifted and the relative state ordering is the same as in uracil; however, the magnitude of the effect varies from 0.37 to 0.86 eV. The largest shifts are observed for the states with large contributions from lone pairs of nitrogens, which are primary substitution sites. The effect of stacking interactions on IEs is similar in methylated and non-methylated dimers: the lowest IE is red-shifted by 0.37 and 0.35 eV relative to the respective monomers. The splittings between other pairs of dimer states derived from the in-phase and out-of-phase combinations of the monomers' states are also similar to non-methylated uracil dimers, except for the states that include a large weight of nitrogen lone pairs. Because of the nonuniform effect on both monomers' levels and the shifts, the relative order of the ionized states in the dimer changes, relative to that of the non-methylated uracil dimer. The ionized stacked isomers show two different relaxation patterns--several isomers form structures with the delocalized hole stabilized by the orbital overlap, whereas others relax to the structures with the localized hole stabilized by electrostatic interactions. Electronic spectra of the ionized species at the neutral and cation geometries are presented and discussed.
Role of spinal cord glia in the central processing of peripheral pain perception

Background The discovery that glial activation plays a critical role in the modulation of neuronal functions and affects the spinal processing of nociceptive signalling has brought new understanding on the mechanisms underlying central sensitization involved in chronic pain facilitation. Spinal glial activation is now considered an important component in the development and maintenance of allodynia and hyperalgesia in various models of chronic pain, including neuropathic pain and pain associated with peripheral inflammation. In addition, spinal glial activation is also involved in some forms of visceral hyperalgesia. Purpose We discuss the signalling pathways engaged in central glial activation, including stress pathways, and the neuron–glia bidirectional relationships involved in the modulation of synaptic activity and pain facilitation. In this expanding field of research, the characterization of the mechanisms by which glia affect spinal neuro-transmission will increase our understanding of central pain facilitation, and has the potential for the development of new therapeutic agents for common chronic pain conditions.
A Neural-Network Based DDoS Detection System Using Hadoop and HBase

This paper presents a detection system for theDistributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack based on neuralnetwork, which is implemented in the Apache Hadoop clusterand the HBase system. While there are already manyapproaches for the DDoS detection, there are two mainchallenges: the learning capability of a DDoS detection systemand the ability to process a huge unstructured dataset. Themain contribution of this paper is to develop a DDoS detectionsystem with learning capability to adapt to new types of DDoSattacks and ability to store and analyze a huge unstructureddataset collected from network logs. Particularly, a neuralnetwork architecture is designed for the DDoS detectionsystem, and a list of training samples is developed to train theneural network. This approach is validated with a series ofgenerated datasets of different scenarios. It was shown that thesystem with the well-trained neural network is able to detectDDoS attacks efficiently and successfully.
On the Role of the African Topography in the South Asian Monsoon

The Somali jet, a strong low-level cross-equatorial flow concentrated in a narrow longitudinal band near the coast of Somalia, is a key feature of the South Asian monsoon (SAM) circulation. Previous work has emphasized the role of the East African highlands in strengthening and concentrating the jet. However, the fundamental dynamics of the jet remains debated, as does its relation to the SAM precipitation. In this study, numerical experiments with modified topography over Africa are conducted with the GFDL atmospheric model, version 2.1 (AM2.1), general circulation model (GCM) to examine the influence of topography on the Somali jet and the SAM precipitation. It is found that when the African topography is removed, the SAM precipitation moderately increases in spite of a weakening of the cross-equatorial Somali jet. The counterintuitive precipitation increase is related to lower-level cyclonic wind anomalies, and associated meridional moisture convergence, which develop over the Arabian Sea in the absence of the African topography. Potential vorticity (PV) budget analyses along particle trajectories show that this cyclonic anomaly primarily arises because, in the absence of the blocking effect by the African topography and with weaker cross-equatorial flow, air particles originate from higher latitudes with larger background planetary vorticity and thus larger PV.
Assessing the Political Science Undergraduate Degree: A Review of International Course and Non-Course Content

Reports from the political science discipline, as well as from higher education more generally, stress the need for expansion of the international content of the undergraduate curriculum. Many of these studies draw attention to the practical challenges associated with curriculum internationalization efforts: funding constraints, geographic insulation, and institutional resistance. In this paper, I explore the extent to which these challenges influence various types of undergraduate political science programs. I present statistical information on the international content of political science undergraduate degrees from more than five hundred U.S. colleges and universities. I address the number of international courses required and offered by program, the percent of international courses required and offered by program, and the presence of internationally themed non-course opportunities by program (study abroad programs, or sponsored student clubs). Finally, I assess degree to which the findings support the above-mentioned claims on barriers to curriculum internationalization.
A fault tolerant threshold logic gate design

Threshold Logic gate is used as design abstraction for most nano devices and perceived as an alternate emerging technology to CMOS implementation. It is vulnerable to manufacturing inaccuracies that alter weight values which inadvertently affect the functionality of the gate. Hence fault tolerance should be taken in to consideration during the design of threshold logic gates to tolerate manufacturing defects to the maximum possible extent. In this work, a fault tolerant design methodology for threshold logic gate is presented.
Promoting Equity in the Distribution of Supreme Court Appointments

This essay addresses a serious problem in American politics: ineffective democratic control over the Supreme Court's membership and policy direction. Its causes are two-fold. First, presidential elections too often fail as opportunities for a national dialogue over the Court's future. Limiting the fruits of such a dialogue, in any case, is the second and more potent and proximate cause---the uneven distribution of Supreme Court appointment opportunities. Several reforms will be considered, including staggered, nonrenewable judicial terms of eighteen years and a guaranteed Supreme Court appointment in the president's first year in office.
Irradiation effects and hydrogen behavior in H2+ and He+ implanted γ-LiAlO2 single crystals

Abstract Gamma-phase lithium aluminate (γ-LiAlO2) is a breeder material for tritium, a necessary substance for strategic stockpile and fusion power systems. A fundamental study of structural evolution and tritium diffusion in γ-LiAlO2 under displacive irradiation is needed to fully assess the material performance. This study utilizes ion implantation of protium (surrogate for tritium) and helium in γ-LiAlO2 single crystals at elevated temperatures to emulate the irradiation effects. The results show that at 573 K there are two distinct disorder saturation stages to 1 dpa without full amorphization; overlapping implantation of H2+ and He+ ions suggests possible formation of gas bubbles. For irradiation to 1021 H+/m2 (0.36 dpa at peak) at 773 K, amorphization occurs at surface with H diffusion and dramatic Li loss; the microstructure contains bubbles and cubic LiAl5O8 precipitates with sizes up to 200 nm or larger. In addition, significant H diffusion and release are observed during thermal annealing.
Electronic and Spectroscopic Properties of Avobenzone Derivatives Attached to Mo2 Quadruple Bonds: Suppression of the Photochemical Enol-to-Keto Transformation

From the reactions between Mo2(TiPB)4, where TiPB is 2,4,6-triisopropylbenzoate, and 2 equiv of the acids 4-formylbenzoic acid, HBzald; 4-(3-oxo-3-phenylpropanoyl)benzoic acid, HAvo; and 4-(2,2-difluoro-6-phenyl-2H-1λ3,3,2λ4-dioxaborinin-4-yl)benzoic acid, HAvoBF2, the compounds Mo2(TiPB)2(Bzald)2, I; Mo2(TiPB)2(Avo)2, II; and Mo2(TiPB)2(AvoBF2)2, III, have been isolated. Compounds I and II are red, and compound III is blue. The new compounds have been characterized by 1H NMR, MALDI-TOF MS, steady-state absorption and emission spectroscopies, and femtosecond and nanosecond time-resolved transient absorption and infrared spectroscopies. Electronic structure calculations employing density functional theory and time-dependent density functional theory have been carried out to aid in the interpretation of these data. These compounds have strong metal-to-ligand charge transfer, MLCT, and transitions in the visible region of their spectra, and these comprise the S1 states having lifetimes ∼5–15 ps. The triplet ...
Single Particle Detection by Area Amplification: Single Wall Carbon Nanotube Attachment to a Nanoelectrode

We describe the electrochemical detection of single nanoparticle (NP) attachment on a nanoelectrode by the increase in the active electrode area. The attachment of gold NP-decorated single wall carbon nanotubes (Au-SWCNTs) was observed by their current–time transients for ferrocenemethanol (FcMeOH) oxidation. Since the attached Au-SWCNT increases the electroactive area available for FcMeOH oxidation, the current increases after attachment of the particle. The “staircase” shape of the current response establishes that the particles do not become deactivated for the outer-sphere electron transfer reaction after attachment. Au-SWCNTs migrate to and are held at the nanoelectrode by an electric field. However, SWCNTs that are not decorated with a gold NP produce only a sharp transient (“blip”) response.
Database System of Journal Papers Based on ASP.NET

The paper has described the structure of the database system for Rice Science,and the function model,and the program designing is also presented.As a result,the system proves to be more secure and much quicker and easier to maintain.
Femoral venous catheterization was associated with increased risk for infection and thrombosis in critically ill patients.

Source Citation Merrer J, De Jonghe B, Golliot F, et al., for the French Catheter Study Group in Intensive Care. Complications of femoral and subclavian venous catheterization in critically ill pat...
Treating Generalized Anxiety in a Community Setting

Despite the fact that older adults are more prevalent than ever before in history, our knowledge about mental health disorders in this segment of the population is surprisingly thin. Anxiety disorders are a case in point. Although our knowledge about anxiety in the elderly is growing steadily, progress has been slow which has impacted knowledge about how to best treat these problems among older adults. Additionally, steadily accumulating evidence suggests that traditional definitions of anxiety disorders, as exemplified by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM; American Psychiatric Association, 2000), may not best capture the symptom profiles reported by seniors, which could potentially result in inappropriate treatment (e.g., Jeste, Blazer, & First, 2005). This chapter begins by reviewing what current research indicates with respect to the symptom profile of generalized anxiety among community elders, with particular reference to the interrelationship between anxiety and depression. An overview of available assessment strategies will be included, with emphasis on the importance of conceptualizing the patient’s problem using a functional analysis, in order to understand the interplay between specific symptoms in the context of the older adult’s life circumstances. Current information about treating generalized anxiety in community-dwelling elders will be reviewed, to pinpoint potentially useful treatment avenues. Although we have made some significant strides towards understanding how to treat generalized anxiety in older adults, the empirical literature does not yet point to specific treatments that have established support for obtaining good outcomes. As such, the practitioner needs to be mindful in constructing treatment so as to maximize potential benefits, which may result in treatment models that involve considerable individualization. In many respects, it is an exciting era to work clinically with older adults, as the potential for discovery and innovation is high.
Loss and Dispersion Limitations in mm-Wave Dielectric Waveguides for High-Speed Links

We investigate the fundamental physical constraints and tradeoffs in common millimeter-wave dielectric waveguides proposed for high speed links. We consider waveguides with different geometries, dimensions and operating frequencies, and show that the capacity of optimized longer links is limited by the dispersion and not necessarily the loss. In our analysis, the required capacity and distance determine the choice of waveguide and the operating frequency, which would then determine the energy efficiency of the link. Our generic theoretical analyses are in agreement with the measurements presented in the recent literature.
The 28 bitangents

In Chapters 9 and 10, we will study the rich combinatorics associated with the two 27-dimensional minuscule representations in type E 6 , and the 56-dimensional minuscule representation in type E 7 . The numbers 12, 27, 28 and 56 figure prominently in many of these combinatorial structures, for reasons that we now outline. The 56 weights of L ( E 7 , ω 7 ) fall into 28 positive–negative pairs; these pairs correspond in algebraic geometry to the 28 bitangents to a plane quartic curve. It is not necessary for our purposes to understand the underlying geometric terminology, but for completeness, we remark that a nonsingular plane quartic C is a nonhyperelliptic genus 3 curve embedded by its canonical linear system. Each of the 28 bitangents is tangent to C at two points, which may coincide. If any one of the 28 bitangents is removed, the remaining bitangents are in natural correspondence with the 27 lines on a cubic surface, and also with the weights of either of the minuscule representations L ( E 6 , ω 1 ) or L ( E 6 , ω 5 ). Each reflection in W ( E 7 ) moves 24 of the 56 opposite weights in 12 opposite pairs. These pairs correspond to distinguished subsets of 12 bitangents among the 28. These subsets are the Steiner complexes, which are the main object of study in Chapter 9. We start by studying the Gosset graph G 1 ( E 7 , ω 6 ) in Section 9.1. The vertices of the graph may be identified with the 56 lines on the del Pezzo surface of degree 2, which is discussed in Section 9.2.