cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improved surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma with a primary care-oriented clinical reminder

Background & Aims Surveillance of patients with cirrhosis for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with liver ultrasound every 6 months has been linked to longer survival and greater use of definitive treatment. However, less than 20% of patients typically undergo routine surveillance. Methods We conducted a quasi-experimental study to assess whether a primary care–oriented, point-of-care clinical reminder improves HCC surveillance. Our study included patients with cirrhosis who made 1 or more primary care visits to 8 Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities over 18 months. Clinicians at 1 facility were sent a reminder to perform liver ultrasound assessments for patients with cirrhosis who had not received surveillance in the preceding 6 months. Outcomes included the proportion of patients receiving adequate HCC surveillance (defined as >2 instances of liver imaging >6 months apart) and HCC diagnosis and stage. Because it was a quality improvement project, this study did not require approval by an institutional review board under Federal law and VA policy. Results Baseline rates of adequate HCC surveillance were similar at all facilities (18.2% at the intervention site vs 16.1% elsewhere; P = .23). After the reminder was implemented, adequate surveillance at the intervention site (for 790 patients) increased by 51%, but was unchanged at the other facilities (for 2094 patients) (27.6% vs 17.5%; P P = .02). A higher crude percentage of patients was diagnosed with HCC at the intervention site than elsewhere (3.2% vs 1.9%; P = .03). We detected no difference in tumor stage at diagnosis. Conclusions In a VA population, a clinical reminder system increased HCC surveillance in patients with cirrhosis.
Thallium poisoning in cocaine abusers

The user of illicit drugs is endangered by both unpredictable concentrations of the drugs and by unexpected adulterants that may be present. Cocaine has been adulterated or admixed with numerous substances, among them local anesthetics, amphetamine, phencyclidine, and strychnine. We report three cases of thallium poisoning following nasal insufflation of a substance that was believed to have been cocaine.
Monitoring D-serine dynamics in the rat brain using online microdialysis-capillary electrophoresis.

d-Serine was detected in dialysate collected from the rat striatum using an online microdialysis-CE-LIF instrument. Dialysate can be analyzed every 12.5 s using the online instrument, giving much better temporal resolution than previously possible for d-serine. Basal concentrations of d-serine (8 ± 2 μM), glutamate (0.8 ± 0.2 μM), GABA (0.11 ± 0.04 μM), and l-serine (23 ± 4 μM) were measured. Increases in the concentrations of these neurochemicals induced by the introduction of high-K+ aCSF were quantitated. Notably, an increase in d-serine concentration in response to high-K+ aCSF was observed for the first time. The identity of the d-serine peak was confirmed unambiguously using d-amino acid oxidase to selectively remove d-serine from a dialysate sample. The microdialysis-CE-LIF instrument was able to monitor this enzymatic reaction as it proceeded over a period of 60 min, demonstrating that online microdialysis-CE-LIF is not only useful in monitoring in vivo dynamics but can also be used to monitor oth...
Integrins engage mitochondrial function for signal transduction by a mechanism dependent on Rho GTPases

We show here the transient activation of the small GTPase Rac, followed by a rise in reactive oxygen species (ROS), as necessary early steps in a signal transduction cascade that lead to NFκB activation and collagenase-1 (CL-1)/matrix metalloproteinase-1 production after integrin-mediated cell shape changes. We show evidence indicating that this constitutes a new mechanism for ROS production mediated by small GTPases. Activated RhoA also induced ROS production and up-regulated CL-1 expression. A Rac mutant (L37) that prevents reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton prevented integrin-induced CL-1 expression, whereas mutations that abrogate Rac binding to the neutrophil NADPH membrane oxidase in vitro (H26 and N130) did not. Instead, ROS were produced by integrin-induced changes in mitochondrial function, which were inhibited by Bcl-2 and involved transient membrane potential loss. The cells showing this transient decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential were already committed to CL-1 expression. These results unveil a new molecular mechanism of signal transduction triggered by integrin engagement where a global mitochondrial metabolic response leads to gene expression rather than apoptosis.
Introduction of cavities up to 4 nm into a hierarchically-assembled metal–organic framework using an angular, tetratopic ligand

Cavities up to 4 nm have been introduced into a hierarchically-assembled metal-organic framework by adopting an angular, semi-flexible tetratopic ligand. The resulting MOF possesses permanent porosity and exhibits stepwise sorption isotherms for O(2) and N(2) gases.
Effects of inhibition of protein synthesis on DNA replication in cultured mammalian cells.

Abstract We have investigated the effects of inhibiting protein synthesis on the overall rate of DNA synthesis and on the rate of replication fork movement in mammalian cells. In order to test the validity of using [ 3 H]thymidine incorporation as a measure of the overall rate of DNA synthesis during inhibition of protein synthesis, we have directly measured the size and specific radioactivity of the cells' [ 3 H]dTTP pool. In three different mammalian cell lines (mouse L, Chinese hamster ovary, and HeLa) nearly complete inhibition of protein synthesis has little effect on pool size (±26%) and even less effect on its specific radioactivity (±11%). Thus [ 3 H]thymidine incorporation can be used to measure accurately changes in rate of DNA synthesis resulting from inhibition of protein synthesis. Using the assay of [ 3 H]thymidine incorporation to measure rate of DNA synthesis, and the assay of [ 14 C]leucine or [ 14 C]valine incorporation to measure rate of protein synthesis, we have found that eight different methods of inhibiting protein synthesis (cycloheximide, puromycin, emetine, pactamycin, 2,4-dinitrophenol, the amino acid analogs canavanine and 5-methyl tryptophan, and a temperature-sensitive leucyl-transfer tRNA synthetase) all cause reduction in rate of DNA synthesis in mouse L, Chinese hamster ovary, or HeLa cells within two hours to a fairly constant plateau level which is approximately the same as the inhibited rate of protein synthesis. We have used DNA fiber autoradiography to measure accurately the rate of replication fork movement. The rate of movement is reduced at every replication fork within 15 minutes after inhibiting protein synthesis. For the first 30 to 60 minutes after inhibiting protein synthesis, the decline in rate of fork movement (measured by fiber autoradiography) satisfactorily accounts for the decline in rate of DNA synthesis (measured by [ 3 H]thymidine incorporation). At longer times after inhibiting protein synthesis, inhibition of fork movement rate does not entirely account for inhibition of overall DNA synthesis. Indirect measurements by us and direct measurements suggest that the additional inhibition is the result of decline in the frequency of initiation of new replicons.
Expanding the Conversation: Perspective Taking as a Civic Outcome of College

The conversation about essential learning outcomes of college has never been more active or important. Although much of the attention on learning outcomes is narrowly focused on cognitive outcomes, especially critical thinking, the need to educate students for personal and social responsibility has never been clearer. In this article the author draws upon data from the Association of American Colleges and Universities’ Core Commitments: Educating Students for Personal and Social Responsibility initiative to argue that one dimension of personal and social responsibility, taking seriously the perspectives of others, is essential to active citizenship in today’s diverse democracy and, therefore, an essential outcome of a college education.
Black Bean Sensitivity to Water Stress at Various Growth Stages

Producers relying on the traditional central Great Plains cropping system of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-fallow could increase crop yield and resource sustainability by changing to more diverse crop rotations. Crops suited to the variable timing and amount of precipitation characteristic of this region need to be identified so that rotations can be diversified. This study was conducted to determine the effects of water deficit at various growth stages on leaf area index, plant height, yield components, soil water extraction pattern, and seasonal water use of black bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). The study was conducted during the 1995 and 1996 growing seasons near Akron, CO, on a Rago silt loam (fine, montrnorillonitic, mesic Pachic Argiustoll). An automated rainout shelter was used to eliminate precipitation. Irrigation treatments consisted of withholding water at vegetative, reproductive, or grain-filling growth stages. All treatments received 18.3 cm of water during the growing season. Water stress during the vegetative growth stage produced the shortest plants with the least leaf area. Soil water extraction and total water use were also least when water was withheld during the vegetative stage. Seed yield was reduced because of reductions in pods per plant and/or seeds per pod when water stress occurred during the reproductive stage. Black bean appears to have potential as a dryland rotation crop in the central Great Plains when soil water profiles are near field capacity at planting and normal to above normal precipitation is expected.
Wood ash effects on soil solution and nutrient budgets in a willow bioenergy plantation.

The management of wood ash is an important factor in the environmental and economic analysis of wood burning. Wood ash can be applied to energy crops as a fertilizer, which can help replace nutrients removed during harvest. The objectives of this study were to examine the temporal and spatial dynamics of nutrient elements applied in wood ash to an intensively cultured, short-rotation willow bioenergy system. Wood ash was applied at the rates of 10 and 20 Mg ha−1 yr−1 to coppiced willow, Salix purpurea, clone SP3, from 1992 to 1994. The relative abundance of nutrients in applied wood ash was Ca > K > Mg > P > N. There was little effect of wood ash on N or P concentrations in soil solution measured at 20 and 40 cm depth. Soil solution concentrations of base cations were elevated in the last two years of the study by 30 to 90%, depending on the element and treatment, in plots receiving wood ash. Wood ash treatments had little influence on foliar leaching. Wood ash treatment also had few significant effects on willow growth or on the contents of N, P, K, Ca, and Mg in foliage and stems. The addition of P, K, Ca, and Mg in wood ash was more than enough to compensate for harvest removals and leaching losses. This study demonstrated that wood ash can supply most nutrients removed during harvest in willow plantations, with the exception of N, without adverse effects on groundwater or vegetation.
Temporal variability of forest fires in eastern Amazonia

Widespread occurrence of fires in Amazonian forests is known to be associated with extreme droughts, but historical data on the location and extent of forest fires are fundamental to determining the degree to which climate conditions and droughts have affected fire occurrence in the region. We used remote sensing to derive a 23-year time series of annual landscape-level burn scars in a fragmented forest of the eastern Amazon. Our burn scar data set is based on a new routine developed for the Carnegie Landsat Analysis System (CLAS), called CLAS-BURN, to calculate a physically based burn scar index (BSI) with an overall accuracy of 93% (Kappa coefficient 0.84). This index uses sub-pixel cover fractions of photosynthetic vegetation, non-photosynthetic vegetation, and shade/burn scar spectral end members. From 23 consecutive Landsat images processed with the CLAS-BURN algorithm, we quantified fire frequencies, the variation in fire return intervals, and rates of conversion of burned forest to other land uses in a 32 400 km2 area. From 1983 to 2007, 15% of the forest burned; 38% of these burned forests were subsequently deforested, representing 19% of the area cleared during the period of observation. While 72% of the fire-affected forest burned only once during the 23-year study period, 20% burned twice, 6% burned three times, and 2% burned four or more times, with the maximum of seven times. These frequencies suggest that the current fire return interval is 5-11 times more frequent than the estimated natural fire regime. Our results also quantify the substantial influence of climate and extreme droughts caused by a strong El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on the extent and likelihood of returning forest fires mainly in fragmented landscapes. These results are an important indication of the role of future warmer climate and deforestation in enhancing emissions from more frequently burned forests in the Amazon.
Influence of Internal Reservoir Structure On Composite Reflection Coefficients

The composite reflection coefficient is a measure of the total upgoing P-wave energy reflected by a stack of planar layers. A comparatively simple and efficient means of obtaining the composite coefficient is to use propagator matrix methods, which provide an exact solution for a plane wave propagating in the layer stack. Our previous applications to stochastic models showed that significant variability can be introduced into AVO parameters by velocity variation in a layer. However, these previous calculations were somewhat unrealistic from a geological perspective, as the velocity fluctuations had no spatial correlation. This motivates this new study of more realistic stochastic models having spatial correlations that produce vertical structure typical of that seen in deep-water turbidite reservoirs. The resulting composite reflection coefficients show that this vertical velocity structure creates larger variations in AVO parameters than is found for the uncorrelated, purely random velocity fluctuations. This is because internal reservoir structure can lead to either constructive or destructive interference, which in turn changes the reflected P-wave amplitude. Both exponential and Gaussian spatial correlation functions have this same behavior, but the Gaussian models show more scatter in reflection amplitudes because the smoother structure leads to the generation of only a comparatively small number of scattered waves that back-scatter and interfere. Replacing the variable velocity values with Backus average values shows that the averaging, or upscaling, is most accurate for the spatially uncorrelated models, since these are defined as random fluctuations about a mean. When there is spatial structure, the total P-wave response is more sensitive to the geometry of velocity variations, which has a significant effect on “tuning”, or interference, of scattered waves.
Non-genetic factors in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis

Abstract Incomplete and insufficient data fail to distinguish between genetic and environmental hypotheses of Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis. Theories, such as Roberts' [28], that emphasize non-genetic mechanisms offer greater opportunity for prevention and cure than do those that assume Alzheimer's disease to be genetically determined.
Light-induced atomic desorption for loading a sodium magneto-optical trap

We report studies of photon-stimulated desorption, also known as light-induced atomic desorption, of sodium atoms from a vacuum-cell glass surface used for loading a magneto-optical trap (MOT). Fluorescence detection was used to record the trapped atom number and the desorption rate. We observed a steep wavelength dependence of the desorption process above $2.6 \mathrm{eV}$ photon energy, a result significant for estimations of sodium vapor density in the lunar atmosphere. Our data fit well to a simple model for the loading of the MOT dependent only on the sodium desorption rate and residual gas density. Up to $3.7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{7}$ Na atoms were confined under ultrahigh-vacuum conditions, creating promising loading conditions for a vapor-cell-based atomic Bose-Einstein condensate of sodium.
X-Ray Variability of an Illuminated Irregular Accretion Disk around a Black Hole

Models for active galactic nuclei and X-ray binaries where "cold" rotating matter is illuminated by a nonthermal source above it have been widely studied, and they successfully explain the main spectral features of black hole candidates, including reflection humps above 10 keV and the iron line at 6.4 keV. Making the reasonable assumptions that the innermost part of an accretion disk around a black hole is unstable and clumpy and that it is illuminated by X-ray sources originating above it, we compute the X-ray variability induced by both a clump of matter moving relativistically around the black hole and the nonthermal source moving above the disk. One interesting new result we find is that even for a face-on geometry, rotation-induced variability can still be observed as long as the nonthermal source is not exactly at the symmetry axis; this is true even if the accretion disk is smooth. We also show that the reflected X-ray component, peaked around 10 or several tens of keV, can vary more than other spectral components, such as the thermal emission from the disk and the external power-law flux, and that it carries richer information on the nonthermal sources. This is because the reflected component experiences a double path through the gravitational field of the central mass, i.e., from the source to the disk and then from the disk to the observer. Thus our study is most relevant to X-ray variability of black hole candidates where relativistic effects are strong. These results may provide a partial explanation of why some Seyfert 1 galaxies exhibit rapid X-ray variability with timescales comparable to the fastest orbital periods, and why soft X-rays and UV emission generally show slower variability than do the hard X-rays.
Psychoproteomic Analysis of Rat Cortex Following Acute Methamphetamine Exposure

Methamphetamine (METH) is recognized as one of the most abused psychostimulants in the United States. METH is an illicit drug that is known to exert neurotoxic effects on both dopaminergic and serotonergic neural systems both in vivo and in vitro. Our laboratory and others have been studying the biochemical mechanisms underlying METH-induced neurotoxicity. Here, we applied a novel psychoproteomic approach to evaluate METH-induced neurotoxicity following acute METH administration (4x10 mg/kg, ip injections every 1 h). Samples of cortical tissue collected 24 h post METH treatment were pooled, processed and analyzed via a selective psychoproteomic platform. Protein separation was performed using our previously established offline tandem cation-anion exchange chromatography-SDS-1D-PAGE platform (CAX-PAGE). Gel bands exhibiting 2 or more fold changes were extracted, trypsinized and subjected to reversed-phase liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (RPLC-MS/MS) analyses for protein identification. Differential changes of the selected proteins were further confirmed by quantitative immunoblotting. We identified 82 differentially expressed proteins, 40 of which were downregulated and 42 of which were upregulated following acute METH treatment. Proteins that decreased in abundance included collapsin response mediator protein-2 (CRMP-2), superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD 1), phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein-1 (PEBP-1) and mitogen activated kinase kinase-1 (MKK-1). Proteins that increased in abundance included authophagy-linked microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3), synapsin-1, and Parkinsonism linked ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydroxylase-L1 (UCH-L1). Lastly, we used these differentially expressed protein subsets to construct a "psychoproteomic" spectrum map in an effort to uncover potential protein interactions relevant to acute METH neurotoxicity.
Growth of dendritic needles from a supercooled melt

Abstract Exact solution to the heat flow equation is obtained for the growth of dendritic needles from a supercooled melt. The solution rigorously takes into account the interface curvature and the interface kinetics effects under the assumption that the shape of the advancing interface corresponds to a paraboloid of revolution. The treatment is applied to the experimental work on pure phosphorus. It is found that the radius of curvature at the tip of the dendrite which corresponds to the maximum growth rate goes through a minimum as the supercooling of the bath increases. Applicability of the present treatment to the growth of needlelike precipitates from supersaturated solid solutions is outlined.
Learning the Write Way

Elementary teachers can use writing to learn effectively and regularly in their classrooms, not only to strengthen students' writing skills but also to deepen reading comprehension and encourage active learning. Students who use writing-to-learn strategies are more involved in their learning and perform better on assessments—but, more important, they develop critical thinking skills. Writing to learn provides students with safe writing opportunities, and it allows teachers to assess informally students' growth as writers and thinkers. Students who use writing-to-learn in elementary school have more opportunities to become comfortable with writing and to practice their skills before they reach secondary school, where these skills become increasingly important. This article addresses specifically use of K-W-L charts and reading journals as writing-to-learn strategies, and it provides a bibliography of trade books for science, math, social studies, and language arts that can be introduced as prompts for writing-to-learn activities.
Electrolyte and steroid metabolism in a pregnant Addisonian.

Pregnancy in a patient with Addison's disease affords a unique opportunity to study the steroid metabolism of the adrenal gland and placenta. Interest in this problem was initiated in 1943 by the publication of observations on the first Addisonian to complete a pregnancy at the University of Minnesota Hospitals (1). A more extensive study of the first such patient to complete pregnancy during therapy with cortisone alone is presented below. These observations raise questions concerning the source of the increased urinary pregnanediol in normal pregnancy, and the validity of the concept of adrenocortical activity of the placenta.
Conditioned taste aversion induced by organophosphate compounds in rats.

Abstract Three organophosphate compounds, dichlorvos, parathion and diisopropylfluorophosphate were tested as an unconditioned stimulus in the conditioned taste aversion (CTA) test. All organophosphates caused a dose-dependent CTA in rats at doses which did not induce any other signs of toxicity. Experiments with dichlorvos showed that the minimum dose which caused CTA did not alter the rats' sensitivity to pain or their behavior in either an open field or on an inclined plane. Cholinesterase activity was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner in brain and plasma after administration of the organophosphates and CTA was correlated with the degree of plasma cholinesterase inhibition. CTA appears to be a sensitive indicator of neurobehavioral effects of mild exposure to organophosphates which causes only 30–40% inhibition of plasma cholinesterase.
A novel technique for correction of intestinal atresia at the ligament of Treitz.

Abstract Purpose: After reconstruction of jejunal atresias at the ligament of Treitz, many patients do not respond to simple tapering and anastomosis requiring repetitive operations because of dysfunction of dilated proximal bowel. A new operative approach using lateral duodenectomy and duodenojejunostomy (LDAD) is reported. Methods: Three infants with atresias within 10 cm of the ligament of Treitz were treated with LDAD, and their records are reviewed retrospectively. The entire duodenum is visualized after creating a malrotation; this is followed by opening the dilated duodenum and resecting dilated proximal jejunum. The resection is extended proximally, incorporating the lateral duodenal incision, excising the lateral duodenal wall, and preserving the ampulla. The residual duodenum is fashioned into a tube and anastomosed to the spatulated distal jejunum. Results: Three infants underwent this procedure over a 4-year period. Two had undergone tapering enteroplasties previously but were unable to tolerate oral feedings; 1 infant had LDAD primarily. All were ultimately successfully managed by LDAD and were feeding within 14 days. Follow-up is from 14 to 49 months. Conclusion: Although experience is limited to 3 patients, the prompt return of intestinal function with LDAD may justify primary use of this more radical procedure in difficult-to-treat proximal atresias. J Pediatr Surg 35:353-356. Copyright © 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company.
Diagnosis and management of hereditary colorectal cancer syndromes: Lynch syndrome as a model.

This article deals exclusively with the hereditary forms of colorectal cancer. Clinical examples of hereditary colorectal cancer syndromes abound; of these, familial adenomatous polyposis and Lynch syndrome are the most common and well known ([Figure 1][1]). [1][2] In this review, we use Lynch
A Model for Supervising School Counseling Students Without Teaching Experience

Changed demographics of those now entering the field of school counseling argue for changes in preparatory curriculum, including the curriculum for supervision. The authors present a 5-component model for supervising graduate students without previous school experience that is based on 2 pertinent studies. This model focuses on information for administrators and site supervisors about research related to nonteachers; immersion in the school context and in other youth-oriented venues; observation of school culture; structure for site supervision; and awareness regarding development, classroom skills, and lesson planning. Included are sample strategies for addressing the needs of nonteachers through program structure, curriculum, and site supervision. Much has changed in school counselor preparation in the last decade. Programs continue to be restructured according to new state and national standards, with emphasis on knowledge, performance, and dispositions (e.g., Indiana Standards for School Counseling Professionals; Division of Professional Standards, 2001). New conceptualizations of school counseling embrace leadership roles, advocacy for systemic change, and decisions based on school data (American School Counselor Association [ASCA], 2003; House & Hayes, 2002; House & Martin, 1998) in addition to comprehensive, developmental programming (Gysbers & Henderson, 2001). School counselors in entire states now function according to state standards, with periodic program evaluation expected and accepted (Gysbers, Lapan, Blair, Starr, & Wilmes, 1999). National directives (C. A. Campbell & Dahir, 1997) discourage the inappropriate roles that continue to be assigned to many school counselors in the field. The demographics of individuals who enter the school counseling field have also changed. Reflecting the reality that the majority of states no longer require teaching experience for school counselor licensure (American School Counselor Association, n.d.), many individuals now enter preparatory programs without professional school experience and knowledge of the professional school culture. Having been a student in K-12 schools is not much help to school-counseling graduate students who have no teaching experience; it is the professional school culture that is unfamiliar. Similarly, having experience with youth in
Light microscopic observations on the release of vesicles by isolated chromaffin cells

Cultured bovine adrenal medullary chromaffin cells were stimulated with the secretogogues Ba2+ or carbamyl choline plus Ca2+. With video-enhanced contrast, differential interference contrast microscopy, small vesicles were found to appear on the cell surface during stimulation. The structures were of lower refractive index than the cytoplasm, and their appearance required several tenths of a second. The vesicles are thought to correspond to omega figures seen with electron microscopy due to exocytosis. Many of the structures disappeared within a few seconds, but some appeared to coalesce into larger structures. The large structures may lead to the vacuoles that have been demonstrated to be present following stimulation. The nature of the cellular elements responsible for the vesicle which appeared on the surface was not found with either differential interference or interference reflection microscopy. The simplest explanation is that the refractive index of the elements is similar to that of the cell, and therefore the elements cannot be seen.
Precedent and Progress of an Idea: Quadruple Building Block and the Schindler Shelter

This paper is developed based on a document presented at the 5 Th Congress and Exhibition of the ISISSymmetry, held at the University of New South Wales, Sydney in July 2001. It takes as its point of departure of searching for formal methodologies for the description and construction of architectural designs. Its applications in the analysis and synthesis of housing designs are discussed and new possible housing assemblies in an urban scale are suggested with the same principles. The valuable insight of this study is to suggest symmetry principles as design strategies and compositional methodologies in order to develop new design alternatives for topological diversity in housing designs. This paper outlines mathematical concepts of transformations in design and comparatively analyzes F. L. Wright’s Quadruple Building Block and R. M. Schindler’s Schindler Shelters to show how these concepts are strategically employed as thematic elements in the unit design as well as the variations in housing. Skylight designs of both architects are also analyzed to summarize their conscious interests of the concepts. This paper concludes that both architects consciously exploit the principle of symmetry to generate both interior room variations and multiple housing units. The two housing designs represent good examples of our complementary reasoning between precedent and progress: Wright’s design as a precedent, and that of Schindler, a notable progression.
Topological Decoupling Near Planar Parabolic Orbits

In two different three body problems, oscillatory orbits have been shown to exist for the three-body problem in Celestial Mechanics: Sitnikov, Alekseev, Moser, and McGehee considered a spatial problem which had one degree of freedom; Easton, McGehee, and Xia considered a planar problem which had at least three degrees of freedom. Both situations involve analyzing the motion as one particle with mass \(m_3\) goes to infinity while the other two masses stay bounded in elliptic motion. Motion with \(m_3\) at infinity corresponds to a periodic orbit in the first problem and the Hopf flow on \(S^3\) in the second problem, both of which are normally degenerately hyperbolic. The proof of the existence of oscillatory orbits uses stable and unstable manifolds for these degenerate cases. In order to get the symbolic dynamics which shows the existence of oscillation, the orbits which go near infinity need to be controlled for an unbounded length of time. In this paper, we prove that the flow near infinity for the Easton–McGehee example with three degrees of freedom is topologically equivalent to a product flow, i.e., a Grobman–Hartman type theorem in the degenerate situation.
α1-adrenergic receptors positively regulate Toll-like receptor cytokine production from human monocytes and macrophages

Catecholamines released from the sympathetic nervous system in response to stress or injury affect expression of inflammatory cytokines generated by immune cells. α1-Adrenergic receptors (ARs) are expressed on innate immune cell populations, but their subtype expression patterns and signaling characteristics are not well characterized. Primary human monocytes, a human monocytic cell line, and monocyte-derived macrophage cells were used to measure expression of the proinflammatory mediator interleukin (IL)-1β responding to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the presence or absence of α1-AR activation. Based on our previous findings, we hypothesized that α1-AR stimulation on innate immune cells positively regulates LPS-initiated IL-1β production. IL-1β production in response to LPS was synergistically higher for both monocytes and macrophages in the presence of the selective α1-AR agonist (R)-(−)-phenylephrine hydrochloride (PE). This synergistic IL-1β response could be blocked with a selective α1-AR antagonist as well as inhibitors of protein kinase C (PKC). Radioligand binding studies characterized a homogenous α1B-AR subtype population on monocytes, which changed to a heterogeneous receptor subtype expression pattern when differentiated to macrophages. Furthermore, increased p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation was observed only with concurrent PE and LPS stimulation, peaking after 120 and 30 min in monocytes and macrophages, respectively. Blocking the PKC/p38 MAPK signaling pathway in both innate immune cell types inhibited the synergistic IL-1β increase observed with concurrent PE and LPS treatments. This study characterizes α1-AR subtype expression on both human monocyte and macrophage cells and illustrates a mechanism by which increased IL-1β production can be modulated by α1-AR input.
Next generation micro-power systems

Emerging microsystems such as portable and implantable medical electronics, wireless microsensors and next-generation portable multimedia devices demand a dramatic reduction in energy consumption. The ultimate goal is to power these devices using energy harvesting techniques such as vibration-to-electric conversion or through wireless power transmission. A major opportunity to reduce the energy consumption of digital circuits is to scale supply voltages to 0.5V and below. The challenges associated with ultra-low-voltage design will be presented. These include variation-aware design for logic and SRAM circuits, efficient DC-DC converters for ultra-low-voltage delivery, and algorithm structuring to support extreme parallelism. This paper also addresses micro-power analog and RF circuits, which require the use of application-specific structures and highly digital variation-aware architectures.
Central East Pacific Flight Routing

In this article the authors discuss possible advantages over user-preferred routing experienced by fixed Central East Pacific (CEP) routes for air traffic control (ATC) applications. Specifically, the authors assessed the time savings, fuel savings, and airspace complexity implications that might result in transitioning from structured CEP routes to user-preferred routes. A dynamic programming algorithm using wind-optimization and minimum travel-time was developed and tested using wind-optimal and nominal simulation routing for a period of five days. The complexity measures employed include two measures of time-varying airspace complexity, fuel savings, and time savings. Through the simulation testing, researchers found a high level of density variation. Correlations between wind-optimal routing and nominal routing were found with variations in flight density in time-varying complexity measures. Benefits from the proposed algorithm for this route include time savings of 4.8-9.9 minutes per flight and 192-347 kg fuel per flight.
Prospective evaluation of the four DSM-IV criteria for alcohol abuse in a large population.

OBJECTIVE: In 1994 DSM-IV presented new criteria for substance abuse as repetitive problems in any one of four areas reflecting social, interpersonal, and legal difficulties. The authors systematically evaluate the performance of each of the four diagnostic criteria for alcohol abuse (problems in role functioning, alcohol use in hazardous situations, alcohol-related legal problems, and social or interpersonal problems) and determine the prognosis associated with a threshold of one versus two or more criterion endorsements. METHOD: Baseline and 5-year follow-up data were analyzed for 2,596 men and women from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism, including 1,881 individuals with no alcohol-related diagnosis, and 715 with alcohol abuse, after excluding subjects with alcohol dependence. Performance of each criterion was analyzed for the entire group and for the 565 individuals who endorsed only one criterion at baseline. RESULTS: One alcohol abuse criterion was endorsed by 79% of subjects wit...
Current Issues in Human Milk Banking

The demand for banked human milk has been increasing, in large part due to the benefits associated with its use. Multiple levels of safeguarding built into the current milk banking process have resulted in an unblemished safety record for banked milk in North America. Holder pasteurization destroys many pathogens in human milk while preserving much of the biologically active content. Among the potential benefits of using banked human milk in the neonatal intensive care unit are promotion of breastfeeding, reduced incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis and sepsis, and possible support of long-term positive neurodevelopmental outcomes in very low- and extremely-low birthweight infants.
Verification of C++ Flight Software with the MCP Model Checker

The Constellation project at NASA calls for designing a crew exploration vehicle (Orion, also called CEV) and cargo launch vehicle (Ares, also called CLV). Both projects will rely on newly designed flight control software. The verification of these C++ flight codes is critical, especially for Orion, since human life will be at stake. There exist some commercial tools for the verification of C++ code. However, none of the commercially available tools does a good job at finding bugs dealing with concurrency. Yet both software for Orion and Ares are expected to be multi-threaded. With this work we are proposing to address the issue by developing a suite of tools that can be used to verify C++ code. Our tools will range from a static analyzer (based on abstract interpretation like C Global Surveyor) to a model checker (MCP, which we present in this paper) including a symbolic execution engine for test case generation (TPGEN). This paper focuses on MCP and its application to aerospace software.
INGRES: a relational data base system

INGRES (Interactive Graphics and Retrieval System) is a relational data base and graphics system which is being implemented on a PDP-11/40 based hardware configuration at Berkeley. INGRES runs as a normal user job on top of the UNIX operating system developed at the Bell Telephone Laboratories. The only significant modification to UNIX that INGRES requires is a substantial increase in the maximum file size allowed. This change was implemented by the UNIX designers. The implementation of INGRES is primarily programmed in "C", a high level language in which UNIX itself is written. Parsing is done with the assistance of YACC, a compiler-compiler available on UNIX.
Carotenoid coloration predicts escape performance in the House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus)

Carotenoid coloration has been repeatedly shown to serve as a sexually selected signal of individual quality. Across different species, individuals showing brighter carotenoid-based signals have been found to have superior foraging abilities, to recover faster from diseases and, in general, to enjoy a better body condition. Experiments with birds have also shown that carotenoid supplementation can enhance flight performance, allowing birds to take off faster from the ground. Healthy, agile individuals should be better prepared to avoid predators, so it could be expected that individuals displaying brighter carotenoid-based coloration would show a higher escape ability from predator attacks. To test this prediction, we measured the escape ability of male House Finches (Haemorhous mexicanus) from a human with a net in a large aviary and related the escape ability of each individual to its breast coloration. Males with redder feathers showed a higher individual ability to escape than duller individuals. The superior flight performance of redder birds would be an important asset in escape from predators, as well as when foraging or maintaining a territory. In the specific case of the House Finch, the higher escape ability of redder individuals could be the reason for their higher overwinter survival rate.
Ultrasound-mediated endothelial cell permeability changes with targeted contrast agents

The development of site-targeted ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs), gas-filled microbubbles conjugated with targeting ligands on their surface, has provided a novel means for the detection and evaluation of intravascular pathology, cellular imaging and for ultrasound-assisted drug and gene delivery. Endothelial monolayers form the main barrier for the passage of macromolecules and circulating cells from blood to the tissues and are immediately affected by any changes in inter-endothelial gaps. Targeted microbubbles in combination with low-frequency ultrasound may directly affect the endothelial cell membranes as to increase the permeability and thus aid in the absorption of drugs into tissues. In an effort to more rigorously quantify alterations in the endothelial barrier function ultrasound-mediated changes in endothelial cell permeability are examined in real-time using an Electric Cell Substrate Impedance Sensing (ECIS) device in conjunction with ultrasound and targeted contrast agents.
The Treatment of Sociobiology in Introductory Psychology Textbooks

In order to assess the degree to which concepts taken from sociobiology have been incorporated into the discipline of psychology, the coverage given to this topic in 37 introductory psychology textbooks was examined. The results indicated that most of the books provided some discussion of sociobiology, but it was typically superficial and there were often significant errors of interpretation of the theory. If coverage of sociobiology in introductory textbooks is an indicator of how the concept is viewed within psychology, it appears that most psychologists regard the theory rather lightly.
On Lossless Coding With Coded Side Information

This paper considers the problem, first introduced by Ahlswede and Korner in 1975, of lossless source coding with coded side information. Specifically, let X and Y be two random variables such that X is desired losslessly at the decoder while Y serves as side information. The random variables are encoded independently, and both descriptions are used by the decoder to reconstruct X. Ahlswede and Korner describe the achievable rate region in terms of an auxiliary random variable. This paper gives a partial solution for an optimal auxiliary random variable, thereby describing part of the rate region explicitly in terms of the distribution of X and Y.
VOISERV: Creation and Delivery of Converged Services through Voice for Emerging Economies

WWW has made information accessible to computer users in various ways not imagined before. However; there is a huge pool ofpeople, especially in emerging economies, still untouched by this revolution and are either unaware of, or are unable or to join this bandwagon. Mobile phones are increasingly empowering the under-privileged to utilize data and services beyond the basic voice communication. However; factors such as high illiteracy rate, cost sensitivity, and user interface issues prevent these users from deriving benefits of available infrastructure and services. We have developed a novel system ? VOISERV that enables ordinary telephone subscribers to create, deploy and offer their own customized voice-driven applications called Voic-eSites. The generated VoiceSites get hosted in the network for low cost of ownership and maintenance, and are integrated with advanced services available in the converged networks of today.
The behaviour of productivity growth rates and composition bias in the labour input

The conventionally calculated Solow residual has been used as a measure of exogenous productivity shocks that contribute to the business cycle. However, recently this residual has been shown to be endogenous and has led to the conclusion that the aggregate economy is characterized by increasing returns to scale and imperfect competition. Another hypothesis is that the Solow residual may fail to be exogenous due to measurement errors in labour and capital. Using an efficiency hours series corrected for the composition bias in the labour force and a capital series adjusted for capacity utilization for Canada, it was found that adjusting the Solow residual for cyclical variations in labour and capital inputs over the business cycle re-establishes exogeneity of productivity shocks.
CAM conscious integrated answering of frequent elements and top-k queries over data streams

Frequent elements and top-k queries constitute an important class of queries for data stream analysis applications. Certain applications require answers for both frequent elements and top-k queries on the same stream. In addition, the ever increasing data rates call for providing fast answers to the queries, and researchers have been looking towards exploiting specialized hardware for this purpose. Content Addressable Memory(CAM) provides an efficient way of looking up elements and hence are well suited for the class of algorithms that involve lookups. In this paper, we present a fast and efficient CAM conscious integrated solution for answering both frequent elements and top-k queries on the same stream. We call our scheme CAM conscious Space Saving with Stream Summary (CSSwSS), and it can efficiently answer continuous queries. We provide an implementation of the proposed scheme using commodity CAM chips, and the experimental evaluation demonstrates that not only does the proposed scheme outperforms existing CAM conscious techniques by an order of magnitude at query loads of about 10%, but the proposed scheme can also efficiently answer continuous queries.
Multipole electrostatics in hydration free energy calculations

Hydration free energy (HFE) is generally used for evaluating molecular solubility, which is an important property for pharmaceutical and chemical engineering processes. Accurately predicting HFE is also recognized as one fundamental capability of molecular mechanics force field. Here, we present a systematic investigation on HFE calculations with AMOEBA polarizable force field at various parameterization and simulation conditions. The HFEs of seven small organic molecules have been obtained alchemically using the Bennett Acceptance Ratio method. We have compared two approaches to derive the atomic multipoles from quantum mechanical calculations: one directly from the new distributed multipole analysis and the other involving fitting to the electrostatic potential around the molecules. Wave functions solved at the MP2 level with four basis sets (6-311G*, 6-311++G(2d,2p), cc-pVTZ, and aug-cc-pVTZ) are used to derive the atomic multipoles. HFEs from all four basis sets show a reasonable agreement with experimental data (root mean square error 0.63 kcal/mol for aug-cc-pVTZ). We conclude that aug-cc-pVTZ gives the best performance when used with AMOEBA, and 6-311++G(2d,2p) is comparable but more efficient for larger systems. The results suggest that the inclusion of diffuse basis functions is important for capturing intermolecular interactions. The effect of long-range correction to van der Waals interaction on the hydration free energies is about 0.1 kcal/mol when the cutoff is 12A, and increases linearly with the number of atoms in the solute/ligand. In addition, we also discussed the results from a hybrid approach that combines polarizable solute with fixed-charge water in the HFE calculation. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2011