cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Representational difference analysis of cDNA of genes expressed in embryonic kidney

Representational difference analysis of cDNA of genes expressed in embryonic kidney. Representational difference analysis of cDNA (cDNA-RDA) is a PCR-based differential cloning method. It involves hybridization of two populations of cDNA with selective amplification of differentially expressed genes. To isolate the differentially expressed genes during renal development, mRNAs from embryonic kidneys at day 13 (E13) and postnatal kidneys from three-week-old (P3) mice were extracted, and double stranded cDNAs prepared. Double stranded cDNAs were digested with DpnII , adaptor-ligated, and amplified by PCR, using adaptor primer to generate "representative amplicons." These reflect the "representation" of most of the cDNA population. The term "amplicons" denotes amplified PCR product. Among the two populations of cDNA, E13 kidney cDNA was used as a "tester," containing target genes, and P3 kidney cDNA as a "driver," driving the process of subtraction, following which, they were subjected to cDNA-RDA under low stringency conditions. During the first round of cDNA-RDA, embryonic globin genes were isolated. To competitively eliminate these genes, plasmid DNAs of globin genes were supplemented into driver, and subjected to the second round of cDNA-RDA. This resulted in the isolation of four cDNA clones: H19 gene, mesoderm-specific cDNA, COL2A1 gene, and a novel cDNA. By Northern blot analyses, the H19 gene and mesoderm-specific cDNA exhibited a high degree of developmental regulation, that is, they were abundantly expressed in E13 kidney, and their expression was barely detectable in P3 kidney. The differential developmental regulation of mesoderm-specific cDNA was confirmed by tissue in situ hybridization experiments. The COL2A1 and novel cDNA were rare transcripts in the embryonic kidney. However, Southern blot analyses of representations indicated their up-regulated expressions in E13 kidneys. The novel gene was differentially expressed in 13-day embryonic lung, and Northern blot analysis revealed an ∼10Kb transcript. These results indicate that cDNA-RDA is a sensitive technique to identify rare transcripts with differential expression, and since there is a minimal chance to isolate false positive clones, cDNA-RDA may serve as a powerful tool for delineating up- or down-regulation of the genes involved in various pathological or physiological states of the kidney.
Small-diameter portacaval H-graft shunt: a paradigm shift back to surgical shunting in the management of variceal bleeding in patients with preserved liver function.

Abstract Small-diameter portacaval H-graft (SDPHG) shunts are partial portosystemic shunts that control variceal bleeding while preserving nutrient blood flow to the liver, minimizing postoperative encephalopathy and liver failure. Since July 1, 1997, we placed SDPHG shunts in 18 patients (age, 52.1 ± 2.6 years; range, 35 to 72 years) with cirrhosis (Child's class A, B, and C in 6, 10, and 2 patients, respectively) and refractory variceal bleeding who were not candidates for transplantation. Ten procedures (55.6%) were urgent or emergent. SDPHG shunts effectively reduced the portacaval pressure gradient (18 ± 3 v 5 ± 2 mm Hg; P v 9.5 ± 1.0; P
Isotonic and hypertonic saline act as stressful stimuli for oxytocinergic system of the pituitary, hypothalamus and spinal cord☆

We have recently demonstrated that immobilization stress leads to an increase in the spinal cord oxytocin content in the rat. The current experiments were undertaken to determine if other stressors have similar effect on the spinal cord oxytocin levels. Male Long Evans rats were injected either with isotonic or hypertonic saline and sacrificed either 15 minutes or 3 hours after saline injection. Oxytocin content of the neurohypophysis, hypothalamus and spinal cord were determined by specific radioimmunoassay in Sep-pak extracted samples. The results demonstrate that both isotonic and hypertonic saline act as stressful stimuli and reduce oxytocin content of the pituitary and hypothalamus when the rats were sacrificed within 15 minute following the injection. Spinal cord oxytocin content was also affected by isotonic and hypertonic saline administration; oxytocin content decreased if rats were sacrificed after a short period (15 min) and increased if rats were sacrificed after a long period (3 hours). These results, together with those reported earlier, support the hypothesis that stressors, in general, affect the spinal cord oxytocin content.
Contemporary Social Policy Analysis Methods: An Incorporation of Ethical Principals and Implementation Processes

This article focuses on how policy analysts address complex social issues and problems by organizing them into ethic-based analytic components and utilizing an array of quantitative and qualitative methods, including program outcome and impact evaluation, cost-benefit analysis, and assessments of local political influence on implementation process. Four articles generated by doctoral students under the guidance of their faculty instructor demonstrate how the strategies of connecting social ethical values in policy analysis enlighten the valuation of the policy process, its history, and outcomes.
Organically modified silicate coatings for optical fibers

Three kinds of UV-curable organically modified silicates have been prepared to be used as protective coatings for optical fibers. The synthesis involves the reaction of the thiol group of 3-mercaptopropyl-trimethoxysilane with a C equals C bond in one of the acrylic groups of three commercially available aliphatic triacrylates. The methoxysilyl groups of the synthesized diacrylate methoxysilanes were subjected to hydrolysis and condensation to form Si-O-Si units. Transparent, viscous, solvent-free resins were obtained that hardened in seconds when exposed to UV radiation. The coating derived from the reaction with glycerol propoxy triacrylate (GPTA) proved to adhere the best of the three to both plastic and glass substrates. It was then tested as a protective coating for silica fibers. Reliability tests were carried out including bending strength and fatigue tests at pH 7 and 10. The results show improved water resistance of the coated fiber in neutral conditions.
Age-dependent molecular alterations in the autophagy pathway in HIVE patients and in a gp120 tg mouse model: reversal with beclin-1 gene transfer.

Aged (>50 years old) human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients are the fastest-growing segment of the HIV-infected population in the USA and despite antiretroviral therapy, HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) prevalence has increased or remained the same among this group. Autophagy is an intracellular clearance pathway for aggregated proteins and aged organelles; dysregulation of autophagy is implicated in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and HAND. Here, we hypothesized that dysregulated autophagy may contribute to aging-related neuropathology in HIV-infected individuals. To explore this possibility, we surveyed autophagy marker levels in postmortem brain samples from a cohort of well-characterized 50 years old (aged) HIV+ and HIV encephalitis (HIVE) patients. Detailed clinical and neuropathological data showed the young and aged HIVE patients had higher viral load, increased neuroinflammation and elevated neurodegeneration; however, aged HIVE postmortem brain tissues showed the most severe neurodegenerative pathology. Interestingly, young HIVE patients displayed an increase in beclin-1, cathepsin-D and light chain (LC)3, but these autophagy markers were reduced in aged HIVE cases compared to age-matched HIV+ donors. Similar alterations in autophagy markers were observed in aged gp120 transgenic (tg) mice; beclin-1 and LC3 were decreased in aged gp120 tg mice while mTor levels were increased. Lentivirus-mediated beclin-1 gene transfer, that is known to activate autophagy pathways, increased beclin-1, LC3, and microtubule-associated protein 2 expression while reducing glial fibrillary acidic protein and Iba1 expression in aged gp120 tg mice. These data indicate differential alterations in the autophagy pathway in young versus aged HIVE patients and that autophagy reactivation may ameliorate the neurodegenerative phenotype in these patients.
Revisionism and Its Variants: Understanding State Reactions to Foreign Policy Failure

States respond to failure in different ways. In light of the phenomenon of revisionist states, it is particularly important to understand why some revisionist states revert to status quo pursuits in the face of policy failure, while others pursue revisionism even in the face of external developments that we might expect would push them toward moderation. Domestic structure, domestic politics, and elite ideology each contribute to an explanation of how revisionist states respond to policy failure, but none of these variables alone tells the full story. As is illustrated through case studies of Iranian, Israeli, and Iraqi foreign policy in the 1980s, domestic structure plays the launching role in the analysis of how a revisionist state will behave. Regime type structures the incentives facing leaders and determines whether domestic politics or elite ideology is determinative in predicting a revisionist state's reactions to failure.
Bone Morphogenetic Protein-1 Processes the NH2-terminal Propeptide, and a Furin-like Proprotein Convertase Processes the COOH-terminal Propeptide of pro-α1(V) Collagen

Bone morphogenetic protein-1 (BMP-1) plays key roles in regulating the deposition of vertebrate extracellular matrix; it is the procollagen C-proteinase that processes the major fibrillar collagen types I-III, and it may process prolysyl oxidase to the mature enzyme necessary to the formation of covalent cross-links in collagen and elastic fibers. Type V collagen is a fibrillar collagen of low abundance that is incorporated into and helps regulate the shape and diameter of type I collagen fibrils. Here we show that, in contrast to its action on procollagens I-III, BMP-1 does not cleave the C-propeptide of pro-alpha1(V) homotrimers. Instead, the single BMP-1-specific cleavage site within pro-alpha1(V) chains, lies within the large globular N-propeptide. This cleavage site is immediately upstream of a glutamine, thus redefining the specificity of cleavage for BMP-1-like enzymes. It also produces an NH2 terminus that corresponds to an equivalent NH2 terminus on the processed matrix form of the similar alpha1(XI) chain, thus suggesting physiological significance. Cleavage of the C-propeptide occurs efficiently in recombinant pro-alpha1(V) homotrimers produced in 293-EBNA human embryonic kidney cells, and this cleavage is shown to occur immediately downstream of the sequence RTRR. This is similar to sites cleaved by subtilisin-like proprotein/prohormone convertases and is shown to be specifically cleaved by the recombinant subtilisin-like proprotein/prohormone convertase furin.
Three Dimensional Geologic Modelling of a Fractured Reservoir, Saudi Arabia

A geological assessment of a large carbonate reservoir in Saudi Arabia shows that it is a Type 2 fractured reservoir in which fractures provide the essential permeability. Intercrystalline microporosity, found within the basinally deposited mudstones and wackestones, is the dominant porosity type. Near-vertical, east-west-oriented extension fractures are preferentially localized in low-to-moderate porosities associated with stylolites. Porosity/fracture density relationships, combined with the results of structural curvature mapping, yielded a 3-dimensional model of fracture density. Fracture permeability and fracture porosity distributions were generated by integrating fracture density modeling results with average fracture aperture information derived from well test data. Dramatic differences exist between matrix- and fracture-related porosity, permeability models that help explain observed production behavior within the field. These models are being used by reservoir and simulation engineers for daily reservoir management, history matching, and long-term development drilling planning.
The Split-Feedback Push-Pull Magnetic Amplifier

This paper describes a high-gain phase-sensitive magnetic amplifier which simultaneously possesses the high-gain property of the self-saturating (100 percent positive feedback) amplifiers and the limited circulating current property of the low-gain zero feedback amplifiers. These features are obtained by using feedback windings to obtain the self-saturating large-gain property. However, the feedback windings are arranged so that the feedback is positive only when load current flows and is zero when circulating currents flow. The circuit is analyzed and its various modes of operation are described. The theory is verified with numerous experimental results.
Dependency, Threat, and Helping

Summary Both increased dependency and decreased threat were found to increase likelihood of American Ss' assisting an experimenter by signing their names. A threat by dependency interaction indicated that the effect of threat was operative only under low and moderate dependency levels. No comparisons involving sex of E or of S were significant, providing no support for status threat or reactance theories which would predict that men would be less likely to help under high dependency conditions, particularly for a male E or under conditions of high threat.
PM Emissions Emanating from Limited-Access Highways

ABSTRACT Motor vehicle contributions to primary particulate matter (PM) emissions include exhaust, tire wear, brake and clutch wear, and resuspended road dust. Relatively few field studies have been conducted to quantify fleetaverage exhaust emissions for actual on-road conditions. Therefore, direct measurements of motor vehicle-related PM emissions are warranted. In this study, PM10 and PM2.5 mass concentrations were measured near two major highways in the St. Louis area over the period from February–April 1997. Samplers were deployed both upwind and downwind of the roadways to capture the transport and dispersion of PM with distance from the roadway. The observed microscale concentration fields were compared to estimates using the PART5 emission factor model together with the CALINE4 highway dispersion model. Traffic- induced PM mass concentrations observed downwind of the roadway were always less than PART5/CALINE4 predictions; average percent differences for observed traffic-induced mass concentration...
Anthrax lethal toxin: a weapon of multisystem destruction.

Lethal toxin (LT) is a major virulence factor secreted by anthrax bacteria. It is composed of two proteins, PA (protective antigen) and LF (lethal factor). PA transports the LF inside the cell, where LF, a zinc-dependent metalloprotease cleaves the mitogen activated protein kinase kinase (MAPKK) enzymes of the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, thereby impairing their function. This disruption of the MAPK pathway, which serves essential functions such as proliferation, survival and inflammation in all cell types, results in multisystem dysfunction in the host. The inactivation of the MAPK pathway in both macrophages and dendritic cells leads to inhibition of proinflammatory cytokine secretion, downregulation of costimulatory molecules such as CD80 and CD86, and ineffective T cell priming. The net result is an impaired innate and adaptive immune response. Endothelial cells of the vascular system undergo apoptosis upon LT exposure, also likely due to inactivation of the MAPK pathway. The activity of various hormone receptors such as glucocorticoids, progesterone and estrogen is also blocked, due to inhibition of p38 MAPK phosphorylation, thus affecting the body’s response to stress. The present review summarizes the various disarming effects of Bacillus anthracis through the use of a single weapon, the lethal toxin.
Weed control methods in potatoes

1. Potato production in the United States in 1969 was estimated at 307,229,000 cwt from 1,403,800 acres. 2. Results of a comprehensive survey placed cost of weed control at $13.56 per acre, plus increased production and harvest costs of $14.81 per acre. In addition, there was an average loss of 8.7 cwt per acre in yield assigned to lack of weed control. Total loss to the industry was approximately $65,000,000. 3. Mechanical tillage was the primary method of weed control on 60% of the acreage. The importance of this method has been decreasing; combination tillage and herbicide treatments have been rapidly increasing. 4. Herbicides were used, in varying degrees, on approximately 600,000 acres. Five materials—EPTC, dinoseb, dalapon, linuron, and trifluralin, alone or in combination—accounted for 93% of the acreage treated. A number of other herbicides have looked promising in research trials. 5. Major weed projects underway and requiring increased attention include the following: basic life history studies on weeds, herbicide residues in the soil, control of weeds on organic soils, control of late germinating annuals—especially grasses, control of broadleaf perennials, plus control of six to eight individual problem species in the various production areas.
Incidence angle effects on convected gust airfoil noise

An analysis is developed which predicts the influence of airfoil mean loading on noise generation due to convected gusts. The theory is based on a linearization of the exact inviscid equations about a nonuniform compressible mean flow and the solution is developed using singular perturbation techniques. The case of a flat plate airfoil, at incidence angle alpha, interacting with three-dimensional disturbances is analyzed. It is found that in the vicinity of the airfoil leading and trailing edges, local regions are present which scale on the disturbance wavelength, with the noise generation concentrated in these regions. Away from the airfoil edges, the mean flow variation is found to be slow compared to the disturbance wavelength and no significant noise generation occurs. The mean flow variation near the leading edge generates additional noise by distorting the convected gust. The cumulative effect of the airfoil mean loading in the trailing edge region produces a 0(1) phase shift between the disturbances on the upper and lower surfaces of the airfoil. A corresponding 0(1) decrease, compared to the alpha = 0 case, is found in the noise generated at the trailing edge.
Violence on the US-Mexico border and the capital students use in response

Recent studies have identified multiple forms of capital that Latino students acquire in their homes and communities. Influenced by these studies, this article examines how transnational students of Mexican origin use various forms of their community’s cultural wealth as tools to survive situations of violence in Mexico. In this article, we present how children experience violence, particularly drug-related violence across the border. We also discuss the ways in which the students’ resiliency (resistant capital) helps them in their daily lives. We focus on how students, despite their experience with violence, draw on their border rootedness, on transnational knowledge, and on resilient resistant capital in order to meaningfully participate in an elementary school English–Spanish dual language immersion program.
Spin reversal in bilayer ultrathin magnetic films

We discuss the micromagnetics of two coupled layers of ultrathin films. The spins change from a closure domain arrangement to mostly aligned as the interlayer spacing is decreased. There are remanent domains at the edges which serve as nucleation centers and control the switching behavior in a field. The domain patterns are often changed after a hysteresis cycle, consistent with recent measurement of the giant magnetoresistance in multilayer structures. Different vorticity of the edge domains can lead to very different zero-field remanent domain structures.
Gamma-Rays from Beryllium and Nitrogen Bombarded with Deuterons

Measurements have been made on the Compton electrons ejected from a thin lamina of carbon by the gamma-rays from Be + D and N + D. Lines at 3.45 and 1.0 Mev were found in the case of Be + D and lines at 8.2, 6.6, and 5.1 Mev were found in the case of N + D, with a slight indication of two other lines at 4.1 and 2.5 Mev. Possible ways in which these lines may be correlated with the energies of the heavy particles emitted is discussed.
Catalytic steam reforming of biomass-derived oxygenates: acetic acid and hydroxyacetaldehyde

Abstract Biomass can be pyrolytically converted in high yields (∼ 70 wt.%) into vapors (or oils when condensed) composed mainly of oxygenated organic compounds. Using a fixed-bed microreactor interfaced with a molecular beam mass spectrometer (MBMS), we have been studying the catalytic steam reforming of model oxygen-containing compounds present in biomass pyrolysis vapors. This MBMS sampling system is unique in its rapid, real-time, and universal detection of gaseous and condensible products. In this paper, we present results for steam reforming of acetic acid (HAc) and hydroxyacetaldehyde (HAA), two major products derived from the pyrolysis of carbohydrates in biomass. We propose mechanisms to couple the thermal decomposition and steam reforming reactions of these compounds. Both HAc and HAA undergo rapid thermal decomposition; complete steam reforming of these two model compounds can be achieved with commercial Ni-based catalysts. HAc forms coke on the catalyst surface, which is subsequently gasified by steam. The proposed mechanism for this coke formation involves an adsorbed acetate species that decar☐ylates to form the coke precursor, (CH 1–3 ) abs , and also ketene, a dehydration product of HAc, that decomposes to form (CH 1,2 ) abs . The reforming of HAA by steam does not involve any detectable intermediate and proceeds smoothly to a complete breakdown to CO and H 2 on the catalyst surface.
The photoperoxidation of unsaturated organic molecules XXV: Modification of the cage displacement model for mixed solvent quenching of O2(1Δg)

Abstract The lifetime τΔ of O2(1Δg) has been measured directly in binary mixtures of methylene chloride with various alkanes and alcohols as cosolvents. The dependence of τΔ on solvent composition is not satisfactorily reproduced by the solvent cage displacement model but is better described by equations developed from a modification of this model in which the solvent cage of the small oxygen molecule is treated as a collection of atomic groups (e.g. CH3, CH2, OH) rather than complete molecules. This provides some kinetic insight into the group additivity parameter for O2(1Δg) quenching by pure solvents.
Chemistry of Arylalkyl Radical Cations: Deprotonation vs Nucleophilic Attack

Radical-cation-mediated oxidation of 9-methylanthracene (9MA) by pyridine/iodine in chloroform produces mainly the product of nucleophilic attack at the open C-10 position. When methyl is replaced by ethyl as in 9-ethylanthracene (9EA), the nucleophilic product is the only one observed. Alternatively, aceanthrene (AA), the 1,9-ethano-bridged equivalent of 9EA, produces mainly the product of side-chain substitution. Stereoelectronic control in the deprotonation is proposed as the rationale for this difference in reactivity, as well as for other radical-cation-mediated oxidations.
Learning: neural analysis in the isolated brain of a previously trained mollusc, Pleurobranchaea californica.

Abstract The neural manifestations of food avoidance learning in the mollusc, Pleurobranchaea , survive the surgical reduction of the preparation to the nearly isolated brain. These manifestations include increased synaptic inhibition and reduced synaptic excitation of the phasic paracerebral feeding command interneurons (PC p s) in the brain in response to food stimulation of chemosensory structures left attached to the brain. The same changes are not evident, however, in brains removed from naive, control or satiated specimens. Therefore the nearly isolated brain preparation permits analysis of the cellular substrates of learning in relative isolation from non-associative motivational variables. The isolated brain preparation is here used to show that the increased synaptic inhibition consequent to associative training is distributed not only to the PC p s but also to their identified central presynaptic inputs, including other identified feeding command interneurons (PSEs and ET II s; ref. 21). The decrease in PC p excitation is explained in part by a training-induced inhibition of excitatory inputs to the PC p s, and in part by a training-induced reduction in the efficacy of an identified polysynaptic excitatory pathway presynaptic to the PC p s.
Menopause--challenges for future research.

Menopause is a transition in women's lives with biological, personal, social, and cultural dimensions that together influence women's health. Scientists have not yet integrated the perspectives of multiple disciplines to provide a full account of women's experiences. Studies are underway to assess the effects of hormonal therapies used to treat symptoms that may be related to menopause or to prevent future disease. These studies will provide information women need to weigh the benefits and risks associated with hormone therapy. Although the biological dimensions of menopause warrant further study, the behavioral, social, and cultural dimensions also merit further attention. Moreover, there has been limited use of integrative perspectives, and as a result, the possibilities of cultural effects on biological processes of midlife remained understudied. The concerns of women who have been invisible, e.g., women of color, need to be brought into focus. Challenges in developing or refining methods for human research lie in studies that span the traditional disciplinary boundaries to create a more complete account of menopause and health.
A4-3: Clarity Translation of Chemotherapy Infusion Data

Background/Aims The aim is to educate programmers on how to pull chemotherapy infusion data from Clarity. The data are complex, and it can be take a while to learn the Clarity Data model, which can be difficult to understand. At Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC), we developed a smaller model and an easy-to-understand workflow of the data. We would like to share our learnings, including how to link treatment plans, orders, dispensing, and administration together; and our knowledge of how to find completed treatment plans, days and cycles.
Quantitative Evaluation of Multiply Scattered and Diffusely Reflected Light in the Direction of a Stellar Source in a Rayleigh Atmosphere

The specific intensities of nonparallel light in the direction of a stellar source, such as the sun, resulting from multiple scattering and diffuse ground reflection of a unit flux of parallel radiation incident on a plane parallel, Rayleigh atmosphere, equivalent to the Earth’s atmosphere in composition and density, are evaluated following S. Chandrasekhar’s extension of the Rayleigh theory. Values are given as a function of direction of the source and normal optical thickness covering the visible and near ultra violet spectrum.It is shown that the flux resulting from such nonparallel radiation, for a sufficiently small solid angle (10−3 radian) around the source, when the latter is within 50° or less of the vertical, is of the order of 10−5 of the reduced flux of the direct solar beam, for radiation within the visible range. The relative importance of the scattered light increases with normal optical thickness and zenith distance of the source.It is pointed out that certain observations of apparent atmospheric transmissions of solar radiation in the blue end of the visible spectrum exceed in magnitude significantly the values obtained from the exact Rayleigh scattering theory, and it is suggested that this anomaly may be due to non-Rayleigh particles existing in the high atmosphere, with strong forward scattering characteristics.
Sensory deficits and olfactory system injury detected by novel application of MEMRI in newborn rabbit after antenatal hypoxia-ischemia.

Abstract Sensory deficits are frequently observed in cerebral palsy patients. The motor response to smell was found to be abnormal in an animal model of cerebral palsy following fetal hypoxia–ischemia. We hypothesized that fetal hypoxia–ischemia causes long-lasting and selective olfactory tract injury. A population of newborn rabbits with motor deficits was selected after spontaneous delivery following uterine ischemia at 22 days gestation (E22, 70% term). MnCl 2 , 20 mg/kg, was administered in both nostrils at postnatal day 1 (E32). One nostril was occluded to control for smell augmentation through the other open nostril by intermittent amyl acetate stimulation for 6 h. T1-weighted MRI images were obtained on newborn rabbits. Amyl acetate exposure increased augmentation of Mn 2+ uptake in olfactory epithelium on the open side in control group but the augmentation was decreased after hypoxia. The proportion of animals with a greater enhancement in the open side increased in controls after amyl acetate, but not in hypoxia. Mn 2+ took longer to arrive at the olfactory bulbs and the rate of subsequent increase was slower in hypoxia. Concomitantly, the thickness of olfactory epithelium and the number of mature olfactory neurons, detected on olfactory marker protein immunostaining, were significantly less in the hypoxic group. Functional MRI studies are superior to neurobehavioral smell testing in the rabbit kits as they are more sensitive and quantifiable measures and do not depend upon the motor response. Antenatal hypoxia–ischemia causes long-lasting injury to neuronal tracts of the olfactory system including olfactory epithelium.
A cross-cultural analysis of price responses to environmental changes

In planning the marketing mix for a product, managers implicitly respond to changes in both their internal and external environments. This paper studies managers' judgments of how they would respond to changes in their own product costs asnd competitor's prices. A manager could react to these by focusing on new products, new markets, or the marketing mix for the current product market. We concentrate on the third. We focus on a set of potential reactions that could include a change in price. Data from managers in both the United States and Europe are used to study pricing reactions to hypothetical scenarios of environmental changes. We estimate relationships between the managerial response and changes in the environment for different types of businesses in different countries.
Developments in navigation and measurement of gravity at sea

Abstract This paper reviews recent developments in methods of navigation and of measurement of gravity. The U.S. Navy's satellite navigation method is described and various systems for interpolating between satellite fixes are discussed. Cross-coupling and off-levelling errors for surface ship gravimeters are examined. The principles of operation of the recently developed vibrating string and force balance type gravimeters are described.
Regulation of hepatic inorganic phosphate and ATP in response to fructose loading: an in vivo 31P-NMR study

Fructose loading results in hepatic accumulation of fructose 1-phosphate (Fru1 P). The goals of the present experiments were: first, to distinguish between ATP, intracellular inorganic phosphate (Pi), and extracellular Pi as sources of phosphate for the phosphorylation of fructose, and second, to examine the influence of ATP and Fru1 P on movement of phosphate into and out of these three pools. To achieve these goals, 31P-NMR was used to monitor the response of hepatic ATP, Pi and Fru1 P to two consecutive injections of fructose. The first was administered with ATP at the control level, and the second, 1 h after the first, with ATP at 65% of the control level. Changes in intra- and extracellular Pi were distinguished by correlating measurements of total NMR-detectable phosphorus and NMR-detectable Pi with measurements of plasma Pi. The initial fructose injection resulted in rapid accumulation of Fru1 P, small decreases in plasma and NMR-detectable Pi and a dramatic decrease in ATP. Total NMR-detectable phosphorus did not change, suggesting that phosphate did not enter or leave the liver. Therefore, accumulation of Fru1 P was initially balanced by an equivalent decrease in ATP, without large changes in Pi. Following the second injection, when ATP was at 65% of control. Fru1 P accumulated at approximately the same rate and to the same level as achieved following the first injection. There was little further change in ATP and a marked decrease in NMR-detectable Pi, while plasma Pi was higher than after the first injection. Therefore the greater decrease in NMR-detectable Pi following the second injection represented a significant decrease in intracellular Pi. Return of Fru1 P to control coincided with a dramatic increase in plasma Pi, and a decrease in total NMR-detectable phosphate. This suggests that phosphate released from Fru1 P entered the extracellular space. These data suggest the mechanisms by which intracellular Pi is regulated. When sufficient ATP is available, ATP hydrolysis supplies phosphate for the synthesis of Fru1 P, and prevents a significant decrease in intracellular Pi. When ATP is reduced, accumulation of Fru1 P depletes intracellular Pi. Therefore, decreased availability of ATP correlates with increased utilization of intracellular Pi. When Fru1 P returns to control, the increase in intracellular Pi is limited by release of Pi into the plasma.
Fault location identification in smart distribution networks with Distributed Generation

In this paper, based on the measurements available from the smart grid devices such as Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), Reclosers, Distributed Generators (DG) and other IEDs, a fault location identification method is proposed that can accurately identify the fault location. The algorithm is suitable for distribution networks with DG and smart measurement infrastructure that can transmit event-driven data such as pre and post-fault voltages or currents of scarce number of meters. A MATLAB-based state estimation (SE) technique is applied to identify the fault location, and the open source tool OpenDSS is used to perform the offline validation by creating faults in simulation. The IEEE 37 node test feeder was modified to add DGs at different locations and was used for the validation of the proposed algorithm. Multiple faults (both symmetrical and unsymmetrical) were created for the exhaustive validation of the technique. In more than 90% of the cases the location was identified in the first guess and for the remaining 10% it took second guess and the faulted node was indeed near to the first guess.
Automatically generated high-performance code for discrete wavelet transforms

A growing number of performance-critical DSP applications use the discrete wavelet transform (DWT), thus prompting the need for highly efficient DWT software implementations. Unfortunately, the rapid evolution of computing platforms and compiler technology makes carefully hand-tuned code obsolete almost as fast as it is written. In this paper, we describe our work on the automatic generation of DWT implementations that are tuned to a given platform. Our approach captures the various DWT algorithms in a concise mathematical framework that enables the integration of DWTs into the SPIRAL code generation system. Experiments show the quality of our automatically generated code and provide interesting insights; for example, the fastest code differs between platforms and is usually based on a non-obvious combination of DWT algorithms.
Real time tracking of borescope tip pose

Abstract In this paper we present a technique for tracking borescope tip pose in real-time. While borescopes are used regularly to inspect machinery for wear or damage, knowing the exact location of a borescope is difficult due to its flexibility. We present a technique for incremental borescope pose determination consisting of off-line feature extraction and on-line pose determination. The off-line feature extraction precomputes from a CAD model of the object the features visible in a selected set of views. These cover the region over which the borescope should travel. The on-line pose determination starts from a current pose estimate, determines the visible model features, and projects them into a two-dimensional image coordinate system. It then matches each to the current borescope video image (without explicitly extracting features from this image), and uses the differences between the predicted and matched feature positions in a least squares technique to iteratively refine the pose estimate. Our approach supports the mixed use of both matched feature positions and errors along the gradient within the pose determination. It handles radial lens distortions inherent in borescopes and executes at video frame rates regardless of CAD model size. The complete algorithm provides a continual indication of borescope tip pose.
Electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry of Sodiated Adducts of Cholesteryl Esters

Cholesteryl esters (CE) are important lipid storage molecules. The present study demonstrates that sodiated adducts of CE molecular species form positive ions that can be detected in both survey scan mode as well as by exploiting class-specific fragmentation in MS/MS scan modes. A common neutral loss for CE is the loss of cholestane (NL 368.5), which can be used to specifically quantify tissue CE molecular species. Using this MS/MS technique, CE molecular species were quantified in mouse monocyte-derived macrophages (J774 cells) incubated with either linoleic (18:2) or arachidonic acid (20:4). These studies revealed that arachidonic acid was not only incorporated into the CE pool, but also was elongated resulting in the accumulation of 22:4 and 24:4 CE molecular species in macrophages. Additionally, this technique was used to quantify CE molecular species present in crude lipid extracts from plasma of female mice fed a Western diet, which led to an enrichment in CE molecular species containing monounsaturated fatty acids compared to female mice fed a normal chow diet. Last, NL 368.5 spectra revealed the oxidation of the aliphatic fatty acid residues of CE molecular species containing polyunsaturated fatty acids. Taken together, these studies demonstrate the utility of using sodiated adducts of CE in conjunction with direct infusion electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry to rapidly quantify CE molecular species in biological samples.
Optimal power and workload management for green data centers with thermal storage

Reducing the carbon footprint of data centers is becoming a primary goal of large IT companies. Due to the intermittency and unpredictability of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, it is quite challenging to utilize them in data centers. In this paper, we explore the opportunities offered by delay-tolerant workloads and thermal storage to facilitate the renewable energy integration in data centers and meanwhile, reduce the cost of using brown energy (i.e., energy from the utility grid). A stochastic optimization problem is formulated to tackle the stochastic renewable generation and workload arrival processes. Then, an online control algorithm based on the Lyapunov optimization approach is proposed to solve it. Simulation results based on the real-world traces show the effectiveness of the algorithm in practice.
Gamma-linolenic acid treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. A randomized, placebo-controlled trial

Objective. To assess the clinical efficacy and adverse effects of γ-linolenic acid (GLA), a plant seed oil-derived unsaturated fatty acid that suppresses inflammation and joint tissue injury in animal models, in the treatment of active rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods. Fifty-six patients with active RA were randomized to treatment groups in a 6-month, double-blind trial of GLA versus placebo. This was followed by a 6-month, single-blind trial during which all patients received GLA. Patients were treated with 2.8 gm/day of GLA as the free fatty acid or with sunflower seed oil (placebo) administered in identical capsules. Results. Treatment with GLA for 6 months resulted in statistically significant and clinically relevant reductions in the signs and symptoms of disease activity in patients with RA. Overall meaningful responses (at least 25% improvement in 4 measures) were also better in the GLA treatment group (14 of 22 patients versus 4 of 19 in the placebo group; P = 0.015). During the second 6 months, both groups exhibited improvement in disease activity. Thus, patients taking GLA during the entire study showed progressive improvement during the second 6 months. In this group, 16 of 21 patients showed meaningful improvement at 12 months compared with study entry. Conclusion. GLA at doses used in this study is a well-tolerated and effective treatment for active RA. GLA is available as a component of several plant seed oils and is usually taken in far lower doses than were used in this trial. It is not approved in the United States for the treatment of any condition, and should not be viewed as therapy for any disease. Further controlled studies of its use in RA are warranted.
Current use of transgenic herbicide-resistant soybean and corn in the USA

Abstract The objective of this paper is to outline the current use of herbicide-resistant soybean and corn in the United States and describe the ramifications of utilizing these crops derived from biotechnology. The popular press and news articles detail the positions of consumers, environmental advocates, and the agriculture industry. Recent concerns expressed by consumers throughout the world have affected how herbicide-resistant crops are viewed and thus potentially the adoption of the technology. The paper will focus on the benefits and risks of using herbicide-resistant soybean and corn, specifically constructs that confer resistance to glyphosate. Glufosinate-resistant crops will also be discussed.
The Social, Economic, Business, and Policy Dimensions of Bioremediation Techniques

Because bioremediation techniques are still emerging technologies, the social, economic, policy, and business implications are not well known. It is clear that these technologies have significant effects on societies, and that the social, economic, policy, and business dimensions of society affect the development and use of bioremediation techniques. This chapter discusses these factors and their interactions.
Bayesian Analysis of Hazard Rate, Change Point, and Cost-Optimal Burn-In Time for Electronic Devices

This study develops a full Bayesian approach to analysing hazard rate, change point, and cost-optimal burn-in time for electronic devices. The Weibull-exponential distribution is used to model the L-shaped hazard rate function that is commonly observed for electronic devices. The optimal burn-in time is selected to minimize the prior or posterior total expected costs, which explicitly consider the uncertainties on all the model parameters. The proposed approach is illustrated using an experimental data set consisting of failure times of a nano-scale high-k gate dielectric film.
Aortic injury from posterior rib fracture.

1010-7940/$ — see front matter # 2010 European Association for Cardio-Thoracic S doi:10.1016/j.ejcts.2010.04.016 A 43-year-old female sustained blunt trauma after amotor vehicle collision. Computed tomography (CT) angiogram revealed a displaced left fifth rib fragment impinging on the descending thoracic aorta (Figs. 1 and 2). On hospital day 3, she underwent surgery with excision of the rib fragment and direct aortic repair. She recovered well and was discharged on postoperative day 11.
Corrective osteotomies of the radius and ulna for supination contracture of the pediatric and adolescent forearm secondary to neurologic injury.

Purpose To present the authors' experience with internal fixation of the radius and ulna as a surgical option for correction of supination contracture of the forearm. Methods Twelve patients (13 limbs) had an osteotomy of the radius and ulna for a supination deformity secondary to a residual brachial plexus or spinal cord injury. Surgery consisted of proximal ulna and distal radius osteotomies combined with plate fixation. Results The average age of the patients at the time of surgery was 11 years. Five limbs had fixed supination deformities and 8 limbs lacked pronation beyond neutral. The average preoperative supination deformity (either fixed or measured at midarc) was 76°. The average intraoperative correction was 86°. The average follow-up period was 16 months. The average midrange resting position maintained at final follow-up evaluation was 2° of pronation. All limbs ultimately obtained radiographic and clinical union of the osteotomy sites. Complications included 6 plate fractures; however, only 1 patient required revision internal fixation. Conclusions The combination of a proximal ulna and distal radius osteotomy with internal fixation can provide excellent correction, but the implant must be strong enough to hold the osteotomies rigidly in the corrected position during the time needed for union. Type of study/level of evidence Therapeutic, Level IV.
Utilizing magnetization transfer imaging to investigate tissue remodeling in a murine model of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease

Purpose Noninvasive imaging techniques that quantify renal tissue composition are needed to more accurately ascertain prognosis and monitor disease progression in polycystic kidney disease (PKD). Given the success of magnetization transfer (MT) imaging to characterize various tissue remodeling pathologies, it was tested on a murine model of autosomal dominant PKD. Methods C57Bl/6 Pkd1 R3277C mice at 9, 12, and 15 months were imaged with a 16.4T MR imaging system. Images were acquired without and with RF saturation in order to calculate MT ratio (MTR) maps. Following imaging, the mice were euthanized and kidney sections were analyzed for cystic and fibrotic indices, which were compared with statistical parameters of the MTR maps. Results The MTR-derived mean, median, 25th percentile, skewness, and kurtosis were all closely related to indices of renal pathology, including kidney weight/body weight, cystic index, and percent of remaining parenchyma. The correlation between MTR and histology-derived cystic and fibrotic changes was R2 = 0.84 and R2 = 0.70, respectively. Conclusion MT imaging provides a new, noninvasive means of measuring tissue remodeling PKD changes and may be better suited for characterizing renal impairment compared with conventional MR techniques. Magn Reson Med, 2015.
The classical and quantum theory of thermal magnetic noise, with applications in spintronics and quantum microscopy

Thermal fluctuations generate magnetic noise in the vicinity of any conductive and/or magnetically permeable solid. This magnetic noise plays a fundamental role in the design of spintronic devices: namely, it sets the time scale during which electron spins retain their coherence. This paper presents a rigorous classical and quantum analysis of thermal magnetic noise, together with practical engineering examples. Starting with the fluctuation-dissipation theorem and Maxwell's equations, a closed-form expression for the spectral density of thermal magnetic noise is derived. Quantum decoherence, as induced by thermal magnetic noise, is analyzed via the independent oscillator heat bath model of Ford et al. The resulting quantum Langevin equations yield closed-form expressions for the spin relaxation times. For realistic experiments in spintronics, magnetic resonance force microscopy, Bose-Einstein condensates, atomic physics, and solid-state quantum computing, the predicted relaxation rates are rapid enough that substantial experimental care must be taken to minimize them. At zero temperature, the quantum entanglement between a spin state and a thermal reservoir is computed. The same Hamiltonian matrix elements that govern fluctuation and dissipation are shown to also govern entanglement and renormalization, and a specific example of a fluctuation-dissipation-entanglement theorem is constructed. We postulate that this theorem is independent of the detailed structure of thermal reservoirs, and therefore expresses a general thermodynamic principle.