cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Isotropization and thermalization in heavy-ion collisions

We argue that isotropization and, consequently, thermalization of the system of gluons and quarks produced in an ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collision does not follow from Feynman diagram analysis to any order in the coupling constant. We conclude that the apparent thermalization of quarks and gluons, leading to success of perfect fluid hydrodynamics in describing heavy-ion collisions at RHIC, can only be attributed to the non-perturbative QCD effects not captured by Feynman diagrams. We proceed by modeling these non-pertrubative thermalization effects using viscous hydrodynamics. We point out that matching Color Glass Condensate inital conditions with viscous hydrodynamics leads to a continuous evolution of all the components of the energy-momentum tensor and, unlike the case of ideal hydrodynamics, does not give rise to a discontinuity in the longitudinal pressure. An important consequence of such a matching is a relationship between the thermalization time and shear viscosity: we observe that small viscosity leads to short thermalization time.
Probabilistic inference using linear Gaussian importance sampling for hybrid Bayesian networks

Probabilistic inference for Bayesian networks is in general NP-hard using either exact algorithms or approximate methods. However, for very complex networks, only the approximate methods such as stochastic sampling could be used to provide a solution given any time constraint. There are several simulation methods currently available. They include logic sampling (the first proposed stochastic method for Bayesian networks, the likelihood weighting algorithm) the most commonly used simulation method because of its simplicity and efficiency, the Markov blanket scoring method, and the importance sampling algorithm. In this paper, we first briefly review and compare these available simulation methods, then we propose an improved importance sampling algorithm called linear Gaussian importance sampling algorithm for general hybrid model (LGIS). LGIS is aimed for hybrid Bayesian networks consisting of both discrete and continuous random variables with arbitrary distributions. It uses linear function and Gaussian additive noise to approximate the true conditional probability distribution for continuous variable given both its parents and evidence in a Bayesian network. One of the most important features of the newly developed method is that it can adaptively learn the optimal important function from the previous samples. We test the inference performance of LGIS using a 16-node linear Gaussian model and a 6-node general hybrid model. The performance comparison with other well-known methods such as Junction tree (JT) and likelihood weighting (LW) shows that LGIS-GHM is very promising.
Melilotus: Contribution to wound healing in the diabetic foot

Abstract Melilotus is a genus of plants including 20–25 species that are widely distributed throughout the world. Melilotus officinalis , also known as Yellow Melilot, is one of the main species used for clinical purposes. Its characteristic sweet odor, intensified by drying is derived from its coumarin content. It has been indicated in several studies that Melilotus extract application on the skin and administration orally or intravascularly has beneficial effects in ameliorating skin aging and treatment of pimples. In addition, it improves microcirculation and exerts anti-inflammatory effects. M. officinalis is the major ingredient of Semelil (Angipars™) which is a new herbal extract that has been produced in oral, topical, and intravenous forms. Early studies suggest that Semelil may have a role in the healing of diabetic foot ulcers. Among persons diagnosed as having diabetes mellitus, the prevalence of foot ulcers is 4–10%, the annual population-based incidence is 1.0–4.1%, and the lifetime incidence may be as high as 25%. Despite all efforts in treatment of diabetic foot ulcers, the incidence of amputation of lower extremities is still high and there is need for effective and safe treatments for this condition. The value of the new treatments is primarily to prevent amputations, but also to improve quality of life, to control infection and to reduce the costs of treating difficult to heal wounds. This paper presents a brief review of the properties of M. officinalis and its extract Semelil with its role in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers.
Simulation of planar entrance flow using strain-rate-dependent shear and elongational viscosities

A finite element simulation of the flow in a planar channel with an abrupt contraction is presented. The effect of the elongational viscosity of a polymer on the entrance flow is analyzed employing...
Interaction of a GATA factor with cis-acting elements involved in light regulation of nuclear genes encoding chloroplast glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase in Arabidopsis

We have previously identified a cis-acting element, named the XXIII box, that is essential for light-regulated expression of the nuclear gene GAPB, which encodes the B subunit of chloroplast glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from Arabidopsis thaliana. Examination of the sequences indicated that there are two GATA motifs within the XXIII box. Based on the degree of the amino-acid sequence identity in the DNA binding domains, we divided the 25 GATA factors encoded in the Arabidopsis genome into three classes. We chose GATA-1 and GATA-20 from Class I and Class II, which include the majority of GATA factors, for overexpression in an Escherichia coli expression system. Gel mobility shift assays showed that GATA-1, but not GATA-20, binds specifically to the two GATA motifs within the XXIII fragment. In addition, we showed that GATA-1 could also bind specifically to a cis-acting element in the promoter of the GAPA gene, which is coordinately regulated by light with the GAPB gene. Based on these results, we propose that light controls the expression of GAPA and GAPB genes in part by regulating the binding of the same transcription factor at their GATA motifs.
Overinsurance and Public Provision of Insurance: Comment

In Pauly's two-state model an individual faces a possible loss of fixed amount L, and protects himself by buying insurance X up to the amount of the loss and by engaging in loss-prevention activities Z, which reduce the probability r of the loss. Clearly, ir is a decreasing function of Z. Pauly shows that competitive equilibrium under moral hazard, where the price p per unit of X is independent of Z, will lead individuals to overconsume insurance and underconsume loss prevention. Pauly correctly asserts that if any insurance is purchased in equilibrium when p = ir, full coverage (X = L) will be chosen and the level of preventive activity will be zero.2 However, moral hazard equilibrium could yield no insurance purchases and positive preventive expenditures. The demand for Z is a nondecreasing function of the price of insurance Z (p), while ir is assumed to be a decreasing function of Z. If Z (ir (0)) = 0, then moral hazard equilibrium entails full insurance coverage and no loss prevention. However, if Z (ir (0)) > 0, then equilibrium must imply that X = 0, Z > 0. This assertion is easily proved by contradiction. If X > 0, then X = L, and Z = 0 (as shown by Pauly). But if Z = 0, then the equilibrium price of insurance must be ir (0), implying in turn that Z > 0. In this case there will be no equilibrium price of insurance. If insurance is sold, full coverage is purchased, and loss prevention is abandoned. However, at p =r (0), no insurance will be sold if Z (ir (0)) > 0. One paradoxical consequence of the no-insurance equilibrium under moral hazard is the possibility that loss prevention is greater with moral hazard than without. The elimination of moral hazard,
Investigation of Fluid Flow and Heat Transfer in 3D Dual-Beam Laser Keyhole Welding

Dual-beam laser welding has become an emerging joining technique. Studies have demonstrated that it can provide benefits over conventional single-beam laser welding, such as increasing keyhole stability, slowing down cooling rate and delaying the humping onset to a higher welding speed. It is also reported to be able to improve weld quality significantly. However, due to its complexity the development of this promising technique has been limited to the trial-and-error procedure. In this study, mathematical models are developed to investigate the heat transfer, melt flow, and solidification process in three-dimensional dual-beam laser keyhole welding. Effects of key parameters, such as laser-beam configuration on melt flow, weld shape, and keyhole dynamics are studied. Some experimentally observed phenomena, such as the changes of the weld pool shape from oval to circle and from circle to oval during the welding process are analyzed in current study.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Movement Patterns of Walleye (Stizostedion v. vitreum)in Pool 3 of the Upper Mississippi River as Determined by Ultrasonic Telemetry

Abstract The movement of six walleyes (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum) ranging in size from 470 to 655 mm were tracked in pool 3 of the upper Mississippi River during 1973 and 1974. The study area consisted of a combination of main channel and slough-lake backwater habitats. Continuous tracking of each walleye after release revealed two major movement patterns; a variable meandering movement where the direction changed rapidly and often, and a relatively straight line cruising behavior. The variable meandering movement was most commonly observed in the vicinity of sunrise and sunset and seemed to correspond to a feeding behavior. The cruising behavior seemed to randomly occur throughout the day and night and was generally followed by a rest period ranging in length from two to six hours. Active fish tended to be active during both the diurnal and nocturnal hours. Fish which were less active remained so for the entire diel cycle. Broad use of river habitats occurred although areas with a slight flow were pre...
Mother Centrioles Do a Cartwheel to Produce Just One Daughter

In this issue of Developmental Cell, Fong et al. (2014) present evidence for a model of centriole duplication whereby the cartwheel-the starting building block in centriole biogenesis-assembles within the lumen of the mother centriole before templating the daughter centriole to ensure a single duplication event per cell cycle.
Effect of genetic knockout or pharmacologic inhibition of neuronal nitric oxide synthase on complete Freund's adjuvant-induced persistent pain.

Abstract Nitric oxide (NO) acts as a neurotransmitter or neuromodulator involving in the modulation of thermal and/or inflammatory hyperalgesia. The neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) is a key enzyme for NO production in normal neuronal tissues, but its functional role in chronic pain remains unclear. The present study combined a genetic strategy with a pharmacologic approach to address the role of nNOS in the central mechanism of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced chronic inflammatory pain. Targeted disruption of the nNOS gene significantly reduced CFA-induced mechanical pain hypersensitivity during the maintenance (but not the development) of inflammatory pain, while it failed to attenuate either development or maintenance of CFA-induced thermal pain hypersensitivity. Intraperitoneal administration of L-N G -nitro-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), a non-specific NOS inhibitor, blocked CFA-evoked thermal and mechanical pain hypersensitivity at both development (2 h) and maintenance (24 h) phase in wild type mice, but had no effect in the knockout mice. Furthermore, intrathecal injection of either L-NAME or 7-nitroindazole, a selective nNOS inhibitor, markedly attenuated mechanical pain hypersensitivity at both 2 and 24 h after CFA injection. Finally, spinal cord nNOS (but not endothelial NOS or inducible NOS) expression was up-regulated at 24 h after CFA injection, occurring mainly in the ipsilateral superficial dorsal horn. Together, these data indicate that spinal cord nNOS may be essential for the maintenance of mechanical pain hypersensitivity and that it may also be sufficient for the development of mechanical pain hypersensitivity and for the development and maintenance of thermal pain hypersensitivity after chronic inflammation. Our findings suggest that spinal cord nNOS might play a critical role in central mechanisms of the development and/or maintenance of chronic inflammatory pain.
Tissue transglutaminase interacts with protein kinase A anchor protein 13 in prostate cancer.

Abstract We have previously described that tissue transglutaminase (tTG) is a high level phenotypic biomarker in prostate cancer, which is down regulated in prostate cancer and surrounding premalignant field compared to benign prostate glands. To understand the function of tTG in prostate cancer, we sought to identify proteins that interact with the transglutaminase moiety of tTG using a human prostate cancer complementary deoxyribonucleic acid library in a Yeast 2-Hybrid system. The Yeast 2-Hybrid experiments identified a strong and novel interaction between the transglutaminase moiety and protein kinase A anchor protein 13 (AKAP13), which was quantified by β-galactosidase assay, confirmed in vitro by immunoprecipitation experiments using PC3 prostate cancer cell lysates, and in vivo colocalization was confirmed by immunofluorescence studies in PC3 cells. Because AKAP plays a major role in protein kinase A and Rho protein mediated signaling, functional studies are underway to elucidate the significance of tTG-AKAP13 interaction in prostate cancer.
Extended-geostrophic Hamiltonian models for rotating shallow water motion

Abstract By using a small Rossby number expansion in Hamilton's principle for shallow water dynamics in a rapidly rotating reference frame, we derive new approximate extended-geostrophic equations with pressure, or surface height, as the dynamical variable. By introducing modeling parameters into the relation between the ageostrophic velocity and surface height, we obtain a family of models for which the functional form of the potential vorticity, conserved on fluid particles, and of the kinetic energy contribution to the globally conserved energy can be prescribed. The particular approximate equations which result when the ageostrophic velocity is chosen to be in full agreement with an asymptotic small Rossby number expansion of the rotating shallow water equations give a new model with apparently higher-order dynamical consistency than either quasigeostrophy or geostrophic momentum. The geostrophic momentum model is recovered as a special case among these new models.
A different form of agraphia: Syntactic writing errors in patients with motor speech and movement disorders

Abstract Three patients are described who displayed syntactic writing errors in combination with a motor speech disturbance and impaired motor limb function. Two of the patients had bulbar amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Agraphia appeared when verbal communication was no longer possible. Autopsy in one patient disclosed only lesions consistent with ALS. The third patient had palilalia and chorea and, although not aphasic, his written language showed persistent syntactic errors. We hypothesize that the agraphia in these patients occurred because of the combination of disordered feedback from the motor speech apparatus and limbs.
River continuum relationships in an 8th-order river reach: Analyses of polar ordination, functional groups, and organic matter parameters

Data on macroinvertebrate functional groups and benthic and suspended organic matter were examined using polar ordination techniques to test for distribution patterns in relation to stream size along an extended section of the Salmon River, Idaho (U.S.A.). Responses over a 200-km 8th-order section were studied in autumn 1978 and the succeeding summer. Overall trends and those of individual parameters comprising the three categories studied were used to examine aspects of the River Continuum Concept of Vannoteet al. (1980). Community composition of functional groups changed in an orderly fashion as a function of stream size (measured as link magnitude) along the 8th-order section in autumn but not in summer. Likewise, the composition of transported and combined (benthic plus transported) organic matter was a statistically significant function of stream size in autumn but not in summer. Only selected, individual functional groups and organic matter parameters demonstrated significant river continuum patterns; again, these were more prevalent in autumn than in summer. We conclude that continuum relationships within a segment of a given order are discerned better through analysis of compositional trends based on polar ordination than a focus on individual parameters.
Chloroplatinic acid catalyzed additions of silanes to isoprene

Abstract The chloroplatinic acid catalyzed hydrosilylation of isoprene with trichlorodichloromethyl-, and trimethylsilane has been reinvestigated with the purpose of establishing the mode of addition to the substrate. This was accomplished by identifying the structures of the 1 1 adducts, their methylated derivatives and the saturated analogs of the latter. Trichlorosilane added 1,4 to the less hindered side of isoprene; dichloromethylsilane added both 1,2 and 1,4 to the less hindered side and trimethylsilane added 1,2 and 1,4 to both sides of isoprene. These results are contrary to those previously reported in the literature.
Tuberculous anal ulcer.

Two patients with anorectal tuberculosis, without prior or concurrent knowledge of active pulmonary infection with mycobacteria, are described. Anal fissure in an unusual location which is slow to heal should have a biopsy performed, with appropriate stains and cultures carried out, to rule out tuberculous disease. Chemotherapy is then highly effective for ulcerative perianal tuberculosis
Factors Impacting Perceived Quality in School Organizations

This paper presents the findings of studies conducted at Iowa State University of public schools in Iowa in the area of perceived quality assessment. Demographic characteristics of the respondents on the Perceived Quality Assessment Instrument from forty-four school districts were described by position, home annual income, gender, age, level of education, and years experience in current or a similar job. The research project undertaken incorporated several studies of quality improvement characteristics of public schools. The project resulted in a compendium of coordinated research aimed at learning more about the relationships and effects of quality improvement efforts with other factors of school district operations.
Commentary on: Anatomic and anthropometric analysis of 72 lower lateral nasal cartilages from fresh Persian (Iranian) cadavers.

Dr. Farahvash and his coauthors1 have provided us with a study of Persian nasal anatomy, particularly the lower lateral cartilages (LLC). The authors understandably wish that a distinction be made between Persian and Middle Eastern ethnicity; the umbrella term Middle Eastern commonly refers to people of Arabic, Turkish, North African, and Persian descent. Common anatomical characteristics of patients in the larger Middle Eastern group have been published by Daniel2-4 and also by Rohrich and Ghavami.5 These features often include a high dorsum, occasionally a thick skin envelope, an ill-defined or small tip (weak or small middle/medial cartilages), and wide nasal bones. It should not be surprising that Persian noses might be slightly different from those of patients in other Middle Eastern groups. The authors want their readers to appreciate the unique Persian anatomy in preparation for surgical maneuvers that provide better results. This is the goal of all anatomical and clinical studies of ethnic groups,6-8 with the understanding that some patients may wish to retain some or all of their ethnic characteristics.9 The study is a highly-detailed analysis of the LLC, including their relationship to certain external skin markings (eg, the rim). The authors are then able to compare Persian (Iranian) nasal features with the parameters of other ethnic groups and …
Conformation and Hydrolytic Stability of Polysaccharide from Xanthomonas campestris

Abstract Xanthomonas campestris polysaccharide in the solid state is stable to 225°C in air and 250°C in inert atmosphere. In solution, even at moderate temperatures, the polymer undergoes hydrolytic degradation via the glycosidic linkages, and occurrence of main-chain scission results in lower solution viscosity. In solution, the polymer can exist in ordered and disordered conformations. In distilled water at temperatures ≤ 50°C, the polymer exists in the disordered conformation. In the presence of salt, acid, or base the polymer exists in the ordered conformation. In the ordered conformation the polymer exhibits a far greater hydrolytic stability. The higher stability of the ordered conformation is especially demonstrated when the polymer is aged in acid or base solutions. Contrary to the expected lower stability of the glycosidic linkages in acid or base than in water, Xanthomonas campestris polysaccharide shows higher stability in these media.
Two steady-state methods for localizing a fluorescent inhomogeneity in a turbid medium

We present two cw methods for localizing a source of fluorescence buried in a medium with optical properties similar to those of tissue in the near infrared region. The first approach is based on the fact that, for small excitation beam diameters, the absolute intensity at a given depth in the medium depends on the diameter of the incident beam. For a well-chosen pair of beam diameters, the ratio of these intensities in a scattering medium depends uniquely on the depth from the surface of incidence. Thus, the ratio of the fluorescence resulting from sequential excitation using two beam diameters can be used to determine the depth at which the fluorescence originated. The second method is based on spatially resolved surface measurements of the diffuse fluorescence from the buried source. Using a form of the diffusion theory analysis of Farrell et al. (Med. Phys., 1992) for the spatially resolved diffuse reflectance from a pencil beam incident on a scattering medium, it is possible to reconstruct the depth of the source from the shape of the surface fluorescence profile. Preliminary experimental results obtained using a 1.0 cm diameter sphere containing the tumor localizing fluorophore Nile Blue A show that the spatially resolved measurement reports the location of fluorescent sources as deep as 4.0 cm with an accuracy of 0.4 cm or better.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Irreducible representations of semisimple algebraic groups and supersolvable lattices

Abstract Let Λ be the cross section lattice of an irreducible representation of a semisimple algebraic group. Certain combinatorial properties of Λ are studied. Supersolvable Λ ʼs are determined in terms of Dynkin diagrams. The characteristic polynomial of a supersolvable Λ is computed.
Alkali gabbronorite, ultra‐KREEPy melt rock and the diverse suite of clasts in North Ray Crater feldspathic fragmental breccia 67975

Lunar breccia 67975 is a feldspathic fragmental breccia from North Ray crater, Apollo 16. It contains clasts of alkali gabbronorite and ultra-KREEPy mafic fragment-laden melt breccias, which are unique among Apollo 16 samples. Both are alkali- and iron-rich rocks with moderate to high REE concentrations. They more strongly resemble Apollo 14 gabbronorites and alkali anorthosites and KREEP-rich rocks than they do other Apollo 16 samples. The other clasts in 67975 are the ferroan anorthosites, feldspathic melt rocks, and magnesian granulites, which are typical of other feldspathic fragmental breccias. Examination of bulk and mineral compositions of other breccias and melt rocks suggests that alkali gabbronorite may be a minor component in other North Ray crater breccias and feldspathic melt rocks. This implies that alkali gabbronorite was a fairly early (4.0 b.y.) crustal component in the North Ray crater region.
Chemisorption of aluminum atoms on a graphite surface: cluster convergence and effects of surface reconstruction

Abstract Large-scale ab initio SCF and MP2 methods have been used to study the chemisorption of aluminum atoms on a graphite surface, using different cluster models for the graphite. The models are all of “single-sheet” type, having their peripheral bonds saturated with hydrogen, and can be formally viewed as condensed, poly-aromatic hydrocarbon radicals. Non-planar models have been considered, reflecting the corrugation of a clean graphite surface evidenced by recent STM experiments. The tendency for these clusters to form bonds with an aluminum atom depends strongly on the non-planarity of the cluster.
Arterialization of deep dorsal vein of penis for penile ischemia

Penile ischemia, a rare complication of diabetic end-stage renal disease, is usually treated by penectomy once conservative measures fail. We present a patient with diabetes mellitus and end-stage renal disease with penile ischemia that was successfully treated with an arteriovenous interposition bypass graft between the common femoral artery and the deep dorsal vein of the penis. Retrograde flow into the corpus spongiosum resulted in immediate pain relief and healing of the ischemic lesions.
Olfactory adaptation and recovery in old age.

Four experiments are reported in which it is shown that elderly adults are more prone than young adults to olfactory adaptation and are slower to recover threshold sensitivity. The first three experiments differed in detail, but had in common an initial threshold determination for 1-butanol, a 30 s exposure to a concentration twenty-seven times threshold, followed by repeated presentation of the initial threshold level at various intervals after adaptation. In three experiments accuracy of forced-choice discrimination was poor immediately after adaptation but tended to improve with time, and considerably faster in the young than in the elderly. In the fourth experiment, groups of twenty-three elderly and twenty-five young subjects threshold-matched for pyridine were compared. The subjects participated in three sessions in which pyridine was infused into a test chamber at either 2.5, 1.25, or 0 L min−1 (sham session). At 2.5 L min−1 both groups were able to track the buildup of odor intensity during infusi...
Measuring Subgroup Variation in Social Judgment Research: A Factorial Survey Approach

Abstract Factorial survey research has become increasingly popular in recent years as an efficient and effective methodology for the measurement of social judgments. In addition to the effects of dimensions and levels varied in factorial survey design, researchers often examine the impact of subgroup, or respondent, characteristics. However, the literature on subgroup variations does not reveal systematic differences among subgroups. Not previously examined in factorial survey research, and the focus of the present study, is whether or not subgroup attributes contribute to the variance in social judgments. The results suggest that subgroups, consistent with previous literature, often do not differ in social judgments. Interpretations are offered to account for the findings.
Innovation in innovation?: the technology enactment framework

The concept of "technology enactment" provides the guiding framework for Jane Fountain's Building the Virtual State. The framework is used to analyze the implementation and impacts of information technology (IT) in public organizations. The framework highlights the importance of specifying the ways in which IT software and hardware are perceived by actors, who then attempt to shape the use of those ITs. Each instance of technology enactment is also contingent on the organizational and institutional contexts within which the process occurs. This article details how the framework's dynamic interplay between the technology and those who adopt and adapt it seems consistent with earlier innovation theories developed by both historians of science and social scientists. It also explains why empirical analyses of IT as an innovation in organizations are particularly challenging, because IT is extremely malleable and constantly evolves in conjunction with changing organizational structures and practices.
Unprecedented self‐assembled cyclic hexamer of ferrocenyldimethylsilanol, [FcSiMe2OH]6 (Fc = (η5‐C5H5)Fe(η5‐C5H4))

Ferrocenyldimethylsilanol, FcSiMe2OH, Fc = (η5-C5H5)Fe(η5-C5H4), features a self-assembled (through intermolecular hydrogen bonding) cyclohexameric supermolecule with a chair conformation. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
DEPTH DEPENDENCE OF ION IMPLANTATION DAMAGE IN ALXGA1-XAS/GAAS HETEROSTRUCTURES

To determine the influence of interface type on the accumulation of damage and ion mixing in GaAs/AlxGa1−xAs heterostructures, the damage produced by ion implantation at 77 K in single‐layer (GaAs/AlxGa1−xAs/GaAs) and double‐layer (GaAs/AlxGa1−xAs/GaAs/ AlxGa1−xAs/GaAs) heterostructures has been investigated by using a combination of Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and transmission electron microscopy. In the single‐layer geometry, the degree of disorder increases with depth and the mixing is greater at the AlxGa1−xAs on GaAs interface than at the GaAs on AlxGa1−xAs one. The damage distribution in the sample with the double‐layer geometry was different in the two layers, but overall it was similar to that in the single‐layer geometry. These trends were observed in samples with x=0.6 and 0.2. These results indicate that migration of charged defects due to the presence of an implantation‐induced electric field is not responsible for the asymmetry in the damage accumulation across the layer, the inter...
Ribosome and polyribosome disappearance during in vivo erythroid maturation.

THE maturation of the mammalian erythroid cell is marked by loss of the ability to synthesize protein1. The predominant site of protein synthesis within the cell is the polyribosome, an aggregate of two or more single ribosomes2. Although the decline in protein synthesis which accompanies erythroid maturation is apparently related both to a reduction in the cell content of polyribosomes and to a decrease in their functional capacity3–6, there has been disagreement over the rates of polyribosome and single ribosome disappearance. It has been claimed, on the basis of in vitro3 and in vivo5,6 investigations, that erythroid maturation is accompanied by a selective loss of heavier polyribosomes, which results in an increasing proportion of smaller aggregates and single ribosomes as the reticulocyte ages. Other investigations have shown that there is a relatively constant proportion of polyribosomes in reticulocytes of different ages4,7. We have developed a system which allows longitudinal investigation of a population of reticulocytes as they mature in vivo, unaffected by continued production of new erythroid cells. Investigations of ribosome behaviour in this system indicate that with maturation all classes of ribosomes disappear at proportional rates, and that in particular-there is no orderly shift of polyribosomes from larger to smaller aggregates.
Empty space skipping and occlusion clipping for texture-based volume rendering

We propose methods to accelerate texture-based volume rendering by skipping invisible voxels. We partition the volume into sub-volumes, each containing voxels with similar properties. Sub-volumes composed of only voxels mapped to empty by the transfer function are skipped. To render the adaptively partitioned sub-volumes in visibility order, we reorganize them into an orthogonal BSP tree. We also present an algorithm that computes incrementally the intersection of the volume with the slicing planes, which avoids the overhead of the intersection and texture coordinates computation introduced by the partitioning. Rendering with empty space skipping is 2 to 5 times faster than without it. To skip occluded voxels, we introduce the concept of orthogonal opacity map, that simplifies the transformation between the volume coordinates and the opacity map coordinates, which is intensively used for occlusion detection. The map is updated efficiently by the GPU. The sub-volumes are then culled and clipped against the opacity map. We also present a method that adaptively adjusts the optimal number of the opacity map updates. With occlusion clipping, about 60% of non-empty voxels can be skipped and an additional 80% speedup on average is gained for iso-surface-like rendering.
Molecular characterization of A1 and A2a adenosine receptors

Detailed amino acid sequence analyses of A(1) and A(2a) adenosine receptors were assembled by analogy to other G-protein-coupled receptors and correlated with pharmacological observations. Sites for phosphorylation, palmitoylation, and sodium binding have been proposed. Striatal A(2a) receptors from human and other species were photoaffinity-labeled using the selective, radioiodinated agonist PAPA-APEC. Selective chemical affinity labels for A(1) and A(2a) receptors have been introduced. For example, an isothiocyanate, p-DITC-APEC (100 nM), irreversibly diminished the B(max) for [(3)H]CGS 21680 (2-[4-[(2-carboxyethyl) phenyl] ethylamino]-5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine) binding in rabbit striatal membranes by 71% (K(d) unaffected), suggesting a direct modification of the ligand binding site. Novel trifunctional affinity labels have been designed. Rabbit and human A(2a) receptors were characterized using [(3)H]XAC binding in the presence of 50 or 25 nM CPX (8-cyclopentyl-l,3-dipropylxanthine), respectively. The inhibition of A(2) radioligand binding by the histidyl-modifying reagent diethylpyrocarbonate suggested the involvement of His residues in interactions with adenosine agonists and antagonists. Properties of transiently expressed mutants of bovine A(1) receptors in which either His(251) or His(278) residues have been substituted with Leu suggest that both histidines are important in binding.
Noninvasive localized ultrasonic measurement of tissue properties

We present in vitro and in vivo results validating a new localized noninvasive ultrasonic measurement of both tissue absorption and perfusion. The method employs sub-second low-intensity focused ultrasonic beams to generate a brief temperature rise on the order of 1/spl deg/C. The RF data from an imaging transducer is processed to produce a noninvasive temperature estimate in the localized heated volume using published speckle tracking or frequency-domain algorithms (Seip, R., 1996; Simon, C. et al., 1998). Absorption can be obtained from the initial heating rate, while perfusion can be estimated from the initial decay. Due to the small size of the heated spot, the noninvasive temperature estimation can produce results that are virtually free of thermal lensing effects. Furthermore, since the measurements are based on heating and decay rates, only the parameters of the transient bioheat equation (density and heat capacity) are needed for the estimate. Both ex vivo and in vivo results show two-fold to three-fold increases in tissue absorption. For the ex vivo results, the change in absorption was estimated using direct fine wire thermocouple measurements at the treatment site in addition to the noninvasive temperature estimation. The decay rate of the in vivo estimated temperature increased by two-fold, indicating increased perfusion in the tumor surrounding the small lesion. This is very likely in the single-shot lesion formation experiment, while the opposite effect can be expected in volumetric lesion formation. The in vivo results show very clearly the feasibility of perfusion estimation based on decay rate.
A Selective Effect of Methylglyoxal-bis(guanylhydrazone) on the Synthesis of Mitochondrial DNA of Cultured L1210 Leukemia Cells

Abstract Methylglyoxal-bis(guanylhydrazone) (MGBG) is a polycationic drug which is useful in the chemotherapy of lymphoid and myeloid proliferative disorders. The drug has recently been shown to produce selective ultrastructural damage to the mitochondria of proliferating cell populations. It is important to understand the molecular basis for this action, since it may be related to the known ability of MGBG to block polyamine biosynthesis. Accordingly, the effect of MGBG treatment on the incorporation of [ 3 H]thymidine into both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA has been examined. Exponentially growing L1210 leukemia cells were prelabeled with [ 14 C]thymidine, treated with MGBG for 1.5 to 16 hr, and then pulse labeled with [ 3 H]thymidine. Incorporation of [ 3 H]thymidine into mitochondrial DNA was selectively inhibited at 5 hr with concentrations of 1 to 10 µm MGBG. Nuclear DNA, however, was not similarly affected until 8 to 11 hr of drug treatment. Dye-CsCl gradients of mitochondrial DNA indicated that the inhibition of synthesis occurred in replicative forms of circular DNA. Uptake studies excluded the possibility of drug interference with cellular uptake of thymidine. Ultrastructural studies revealed a very close correlation between the dose-response curve for mitochondrial damage and that for MGBG inhibition of mitochondrial DNA synthesis. This correlation suggests a direct cause-and-effect relationship between inhibition of mitochondrial DNA synthesis and ultrastructural damage, but the possibility of both phenomena being related to another action by the drug, such as inhibition of polyamine biosynthesis, or a drug effect on mitochondrial function, must also be considered.
Ways of Inhabiting the World: Landscape Archaeology

Landscape Transformation and the Archaeology of Impact: Social Disruption and State Formation in Southern Africa. Warren R. Perry. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, 1999. 182 pp. Archaeologies of Landscape: Contemporary Perspectives. Wendy Ashmore and A. Bernard Knapp, eds. Oxford: Blackwell, 1999, 303 pp. The Archaeology and Anthropology of Landscape: Shaping Your Landscape. Peter J. Ucko and Robert Layton. eds. London: Routledge, 1999. 525 pp.
Experiences with Open Source Software Engineering Tools

For software engineering (SE) and computer science (CS) programs to deliver on their promises, they must go beyond teaching students about principles, processes, models, and strategies and offer them realistic, practical experience as well. Although industry has been pressing to increase the emphasis on practical aspects, many CS programs continue to give students relatively simple problems focused on selected computing and software concepts and theories. Open source software offers CS and SE educators an opportunity to give their students practical, hands-on software engineering experience
Improving In-Building Asset Localization by Offset Vector and Convergence Calibration Methods

AbstractAccessibility of assets impacts the efficiency of various work processes during building operations. An effective in-building asset localization solution that can locate assets accurately is needed to improve the efficiency of building asset management. Multipath and fading effects caused by the complexity of buildings make it challenging to locate building assets (e.g., equipment, components, tools) by radio frequency identification (RFID)-based indoor location solutions. This study tests two calibration methods, namely, the offset vector method (OVM) and convergence method (CM), to mitigate multipath and fading effects in indoor environments to support in-building asset management. A RFID-based indoor asset localization solution is tested in two building-scale test beds with different complexities and functions. The proposed solution locates assets by utilizing a virtual-tag-enabled (VTE) algorithm, and two calibration methods are integrated into the VTE algorithm to improve the location accurac...
Superconducting state parameters in dilute alloys

Abstract A semi-empirical formalism is presented for the calculation of transition temperature, thermodynamic critical field, and specific heat in dilute alloys of type 1 superconductors. The calculation is based on an extension of a ‘local strain field’ model previously introduced for the concentration dependence of the transition temperature. The size effect in transition metals is compared with the model for dilute alloys.
Absence of age-related changes in venous responsiveness to nitroglycerin in vivo in humans

We have previously demonstrated a progressive loss in the ability of the beta-receptor agonist isoproterenol to relax veins with increasing age. In this study the influence of age on the responsiveness of medium-sized veins to local infusions of nitroglycerin was studied in two groups of 15 healthy male volunteers using the dorsal hand vein compliance technique. A dorsal hand vein was preconstricted with submaximally effective doses of phenylephrine and a dose-response curve with nitroglycerin was established. The nitroglycerin dose that caused a 50% venodilation ranged from 0.7 to 22.4 ng/min (geometric mean 3.6 ng/min) in the younger group (aged 19 to 29 years; mean +/- SD 23 +/- 3 years) and from 0.2 to 17.9 ng/min (geometric mean 3.6 ng/min) in the older subjects (aged 50 to 74 years; mean +/- SD 63 +/- 7 years) (P = 0.49 between geometric means). The mean (+/- SD) maximal venodilation, based on the pretreatment baseline, was 103% +/- 65% in the younger and 125% +/- 64% in the older subjects (P = 0.18). These results indicate that there is no age-related change in venous responsiveness to nitroglycerin.
New Agents in the Treatment of CLL

Chemoimmunotherapy has resulted in high complete remission rates and long remission duration in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) but relapses occur and curative strategies still need to be developed. A wealth of new agents with a wide variety of mechanisms of action against CLL are currently in clinical trials. Twelve of these agents, which are in various stages of development varying from Phase I to Phase III trials, will be discussed. These include alkylating agents, monoclonal antibodies, immune modulators, cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors, BCL-2 family member inhibitors, protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors, SRC inhibitors, HSP-90 inhibitors and small modular immune pharmaceutics (SMIP).
Improved Analyses and Forecasts of Hurricane Ernesto's Genesis Using Radio Occultation Data in an Ensemble Filter Assimilation System

Radio occultation (RO) refractivity observations provide information about tropospheric water vapor and temperature in all weather conditions. The impact of using RO refractivity observations on analyses and forecasts of Hurricane Ernesto’s genesis (2006) using an ensemble Kaman filter data assimilation system is investigated. Assimilating RO refractivity profiles in the vicinity of the storm locally moistens the analysis of the lower troposphere and also adjusts the wind analysis in both the lower and upper troposphere through forecast multivariate correlations of RO refractivity and wind. The model forecasts propagate and enhance the added water vapor and the wind adjustments leading to more accurate analyses of the later stages of the genesis of the storm. The root-mean-square errors of water vapor and wind forecasts compared to dropsonde and radiosonde observations are reduced consistently. As a result, assimilating RO refractivity data in addition to traditional observations leads to a stronger initial vortex of the storm and improved forecasts of the storm’s intensification. The benefits of the RO data are much reduced when the RO data in the lower troposphere (below 6 km) are ignored.
Season of Birth Is Related to Child Retention Rates, Achievement, and Rate of Diagnosis of Specific LD

A sizable literature has demonstrated that the achievement of children in early elementary school is related to their season of birth: Those born in summer typically perform less well than those born in the fall. A small literature indicates that more children diagnosed with specific learning disabilities (SLD) are born in the summer. We have begun to explore the possibility that the same processes may account for both outcomes. In order to better understand these processes, the standardized achievement levels and rates of diagnosis of SLD for children born during each season were studied in one geographical area of the State of Georgia served by 28 school districts. Standardized achievement scores in reading, mathematics, and science were reliably lower for those born in the summer. Furthermore, there was a strong relationship between season of birth and the rate at which children received a diagnosis of SLD. Summer-born children were diagnosed with SLD at a higher rate than their peers. Four hypotheses for both the lower performance in the general school population and the greater rate of SLD diagnosis among these children are discussed.
Circuit quantum electrodynamics with a spin qubit

Coupling a superconducting cavity to an indium arsenide double quantum dot with a charge–cavity coupling rate of 30 megahertz shows that long-range spin qubit interactions may be feasible. Qubits based on electron spins are particularly promising for quantum-information applications, but if practical quantum architectures are to be realized it will be necessary to develop a way of transferring quantum-spin information between qubits over large distances. It has already been shown that superconducting microwave circuits can be used to construct such a 'quantum bus', enabling entanglement between two spatially separated qubits. Jason Petta and colleagues now show that it is possible to couple single-spin qubits provided by semiconductor nanowires to such circuits, paving the way for long-range entanglement of spin qubits. Electron spins trapped in quantum dots have been proposed as basic building blocks of a future quantum processor1,2,3. Although fast, 180-picosecond, two-quantum-bit (two-qubit) operations can be realized using nearest-neighbour exchange coupling4, a scalable, spin-based quantum computing architecture will almost certainly require long-range qubit interactions. Circuit quantum electrodynamics (cQED) allows spatially separated superconducting qubits to interact via a superconducting microwave cavity that acts as a ‘quantum bus’, making possible two-qubit entanglement and the implementation of simple quantum algorithms5,6,7. Here we combine the cQED architecture with spin qubits by coupling an indium arsenide nanowire double quantum dot to a superconducting cavity8,9. The architecture allows us to achieve a charge–cavity coupling rate of about 30 megahertz, consistent with coupling rates obtained in gallium arsenide quantum dots10. Furthermore, the strong spin–orbit interaction of indium arsenide allows us to drive spin rotations electrically with a local gate electrode, and the charge–cavity interaction provides a measurement of the resulting spin dynamics. Our results demonstrate how the cQED architecture can be used as a sensitive probe of single-spin physics and that a spin–cavity coupling rate of about one megahertz is feasible, presenting the possibility of long-range spin coupling via superconducting microwave cavities.
Delay modulates spectral correlates in the human EEG of non-verbal auditory working memory

Studies using neuroimaging and electro- and magnetoencephalographic techniques have begun to identify the brain structures and dynamics that underlie auditory working memory. However, past research has not clearly characterized how the neural dynamics varies with the delay over which auditory information must be maintained. We used electroencephalogram band power as a measure of relative neuronal synchrony during a non-verbal auditory working memory task. Comparing the working memory task with a control recognition task, the relative synchrony in bilateral theta and alpha bands was unchanged using a two second delay. However, five and ten second delays produced increases and decreases in relative synchrony, respectively. The memory task also induced greater synchronization in beta and gamma bands over the right temporal cortex during the two and five second delays. The results suggest that the cortical dynamics that underlie auditory working memory are highly dependent upon a duration-dependent encoding strategy.