cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regression of copper-deficient heart hypertrophy: reduction in the size of hypertrophic cardiomyocytes.

Dietary copper (Cu) deficiency causes cardiac hypertrophy and its transition to heart failure in a mouse model. Cu repletion results in rapid regression of cardiac hypertrophy and prevention of heart failure. The present study was undertaken to understand dynamic changes of cardiomyocytes in the hypertrophic heart during the regression. Dams of FVB mice were fed a Cu-deficient (CuD) diet (0.3 mg Cu/kg) starting on Day 3 post-delivery, and weanling pups were fed the same diet until Cu repletion (6.0 mg Cu/kg) in the diet at 31 days of age. Heart samples were obtained at the end of CuD feeding or at 3, 7, 14 or 28 days after Cu repletion. Cu deficiency resulted in increases in the size and reduction in the number of cardiomyocytes in the heart. Cu repletion led to regression in the size of hypertrophic cardiomyocytes and normalization of the total number of cardiomyocytes. Although a direct reduction in the cell size would be significantly responsible for the regression of heart hypertrophy, some hypertrophic cardiomyocytes upon Cu repletion reentered the cell cycle as determined by Ki-67 staining in the cardiomyocyte-specific α-sarcomeric actin-stained cells and underwent division as determined by a mitosis-specific marker, phospho-histone 3. Quantitative analysis indicated that the replication of hypertrophic cardiomyocytes made a contribution of about one-third to the total mitosis of the regenerated myocardium. This study suggests that a direct reduction in the size of some hypertrophic cardiomyocytes and a replication of other hypertrophic cardiomyocytes with reduced size make a significant contribution to the regression of CuD heart hypertrophy, leading to normalization of the size and the number of cardiomyocytes in the heart.
Identification of YY1 sequences necessary for association with the nuclear matrix and for transcriptional repression functions

YY1 is a zinc finger-containing transcription factor that can both repress and activate transcription. YY1 appears to use multiple mechanisms to carry out its diverse functions. Recently, it was observed that YY1 can exist in multiple nuclear compartments. In addition to being present in the nuclear extract fraction, YY1 is also a component of the nuclear matrix. We show that YY1 can be sequestered in vivo into a high-molecular-weight complex and can be dislodged from this complex either by treatment with formamide or by incubation with an oligonucleotide containing the YY1 DNA binding site sequence. By transfecting plasmids expressing various YY1 deletion constructs and subsequent nuclear fractionation, we have identified sequences necessary for association with the nuclear matrix. These sequences (residues 256–340) co-localized with those necessary for in vivo sequestration of YY1 into the high-molecular-weight complex. We have also characterized YY1 sequences necessary for repression of activated transcription (residues 333–371) and those necessary for masking of the YY1 transactivation domain (residues 371–397). Sequences that repress activated transcription partially overlap YY1 sequences necessary for association with the nuclear matrix. However, these sequences are distinct from those that appear to mask the YY1 transactivation domain. The potential role of nuclear matrix association in controlling YY1 function is discussed. J. Cell. Biochem. 68:484–499, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Modeling of wave configuration during electrically ignited combustion synthesis

A model was developed to study the process of current-ignited combustion synthesis. In this process, Joule heating raises the temperature to the ignition point, at which the sample reacts to form a product. Two material systems were modeled: the synthesis of SiC and MoSi2. It was found that the mode of combustion is a function of the size (radius) of the sample. The anticipated volume combustion mode was only evident in small samples. At higher values of the radius, the mode becomes wavelike (selfpropagating high-temperature synthesis) in nature. The transition from volume to wave combustion mode also depended on the properties of the material. The results are interpreted in terms of thermal conductivity and heat-transfer conditions.
Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings in 49,XXXXY Syndrome

Klinefelter syndrome is a chromosomal disorder characterized by one or more supernumerary X chromosomes, in addition to the normal 46,XY male karyotype. Whereas classic Klinefelter syndrome (47,XXY) occurs in 1:400 births, the most severe Klinefelter variant (49,XXXXY) occurs in only 1:85,000 births. The degree of cognitive impairment, specific skeletal changes, and genital abnormalities in Klinefelter syndrome variants is thought to correlate with the number of additional X-chromosomes present. Magnetic resonance imaging studies in individuals with classic Klinefelter syndrome show smaller brain volumes, but magnetic resonance imaging data are lacking for individuals with rarer and more severe Klinefelter variants. We present case reports and magnetic resonance imaging studies on 3 individuals with 49,XXXXY. All 3 patients exhibited varying degrees of volume loss and abnormalities in white matter. Changes in white matter may represent a specific finding in patients with severe Klinefelter variants such as 49,XXXXY, and karyotype analysis should be considered in patients with unexplained white-matter disease, especially when developmental delay or genital abnormalities are present.
Cleaning up systematic error in eye-tracking data by using required fixation locations.

In the course of running an eye-tracking experiment, one computer system or subsystem typically presents the stimuli to the participant and records manual responses, and another collects the eye movement data, with little interaction between the two during the course of the experiment. This article demonstrates how the two systems can interact with each other to facilitate a richer set of experimental designs and applications and to produce more accurate eye tracking data. In an eye-tracking study, a participant is periodically instructed to look at specific screen locations, orexplicit required fixation locations (RFLs), in order to calibrate the eye tracker to the participant. The design of an experimental procedure will also often produce a number ofimplicit RFLs—screen locations that the participant must look at within a certain window of time or at a certain moment in order to successfully and correctly accomplish a task, but without explicit instructions to fixate those locations. In these windows of time or at these moments, the disparity between the fixations recorded by the eye tracker and the screen locations corresponding to implicit RFLs can be examined, and the results of the comparison can be used for a variety of purposes. This article shows how the disparity can be used to monitor the deterioration in the accuracy of the eye tracker calibration and to automatically invoke a re-calibration procedure when necessary. This article also demonstrates how the disparity will vary across screen regions and participants and how each participant’s uniqueerror signature can be used to reduce the systematic error in the eye movement data collected for that participant.
Making a Positive Impression in a Negotiation: Gender Differences in Response to Impression Motivation

Prior research has demonstrated the phenomenon of stereotype reactance, whereby men and women behave in contrast to gender stereotypes, when those stereotypes are activated explicitly (Kray, Thompson, & Galinsky, 2001). The authors propose and present an experiment demonstrating a new mechanism for stereotype reactance— namely, impression motivation, or the degree to which people are motivated to control how others see them (Leary & Kowalski, 1990). Participants randomly assigned to represent either a high-status recruiter or a low-status job candidate engaged in a standard employment negotiation simulation. Half the participants were offered an additional incentive to make a positive impression on their negotiation counterparts. As hypothesized, men and women in the high-status role responded to impression motivation in a manner that contradicted gender stereotypes. Men responded to impression motivation by yielding value to their subordinates, whereas women responded by claiming value for themselves.
Integrated CMOS quantitative polymerase chain reaction lab-on-chip

An integrated lab-on-chip capable of performing quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is demonstrated in a high-voltage 0.35-μm CMOS process operating at a 3.3 V supply. PCR thermal cycling can be performed by physically moving droplets between three distinct temperature zones on the surface of chip or by thermal cycling a droplet in place. Droplet actuation is enabled by electrowetting-on-dielectric transport at 90 V. On-chip temperature regulation to 0.15°C is performed with on-chip resistive heaters and temperature sensors. PCR cycles are monitored by measuring the fluorescence signal of an intercalator dye using integrated single photon avalanche diodes (SPADs). Results are demonstrated for the recognition of DNA extracts from Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) at a detection limit of a few copies per nL target volume.
Effects of equine metabolic syndrome on inflammatory responses of horses to intravenous lipopolysaccharide infusion

Objective—To test the hypothesis that inflammatory responses to endotoxemia differ between healthy horses and horses with equine metabolic syndrome (EMS). Animals—6 healthy horses and 6 horses with EMS. Procedures—Each horse randomly received an IV infusion of lipopolysaccharide (20 ng/kg [in 60 mL of sterile saline {0.9% NaCl} solution]) or saline solution, followed by the other treatment after a 7-day washout period. Baseline data were obtained 30 minutes before each infusion. After infusion, a physical examination was performed hourly for 9 hours and at 15 and 21 hours; a whole blood sample was collected at 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, and 240 minutes for assessment of inflammatory cytokine gene expression. Liver biopsy was performed between 240 and 360 minutes after infusion. Results—Following lipopolysaccharide infusion in healthy horses and horses with EMS, mean rectal temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate increased, compared with baseline findings, as did whole blood gene expression of interleukin...
Physiologic predictors of postoperative abscess in children with perforated appendicitis: Subset analysis from a prospective randomized trial

Background Intra-abdominal abscess after appendectomy is the most common complication in patients with perforated appendicitis. There are currently little data that may forecast which patients are more likely to develop an abscess. Therefore, we performed a retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected dataset to determine whether there are predictors for developing a postoperative abscess. Methods The dataset was collected prospectively in a randomized trial comparing antibiotic regimens in 98 pediatric patients with perforated appendicitis. All patients underwent laparoscopic appendectomy and received a minimum of 5 days of intravenous antibiotics. The Pearson correlation was used to evaluate the influence of patient, intra-operative, and early postoperative variables on the development of an abscess. Two-tailed P values were determined from the correlation coefficient, and significance was defined as P ≤ .05. Results At presentation, a positive correlation for abscess formation was identified with increasing age (P = .003), weight (P = .001), body mass index (P = .008), and diarrhea (P = .005). Operative time had no influence on abscess development. After operation, there was progressively increasing positive correlation between abscess and the maximum temperature each successive postoperative day. This relationship became significant at day 3. An increased white blood cell count on day 5 was highly predictive of abscess (P Conclusion In children presenting with perforated appendicitis, increasing age, weight, and/or body mass index correlated with the development of a postoperative abscess. Diarrhea on presentation also poses an increased risk of abscess. Postoperatively, each successive day with a fever is incrementally more predictive of an abscess formation.
The Bhavāī of Gujarat: Religious Drama in Honour of the Mother Goddess of India

I wrapped myself in a woollen cloak against the chill of an October Indian night in 1980. Camera in hand and squatting in the dirt, I was surrounded by villagers and their laughing children. We all were waiting for a performance to begin. The occasion was a Bhavāī Mela at the village of Sola near Gujarat's largest city, Ahmedabad. The Mela was sponsored by the National School of Drama (New Delhi) and the Gujarat State Sangeet Nritya Natya Akademi. The privileged, urban students of the NSD were conspicuous in their reserved seating area, disdainfully rejecting the attempts of the villagers to join them. Far in the back of the crowd I glimpsed the still-beautiful Mrinalini Sarabhai, one of India's most famous dancers, swathed in silk and carrying a large palm-frond fan. Next to her was the white-haired Kailish Pandya, director of Drama at Miss Sarabhai's Darpana Academy of performing arts at Ahmedabad. With the first eerie, insistent blast of the Bhavāī trumpets ( bhūṇgaḷs ), an excitement swept the crowd extinguishing physical discomforts and personal slights. The fact that I would spend the next seven days sleeping on bare, stone floors to see this Mela, became unimportant as the actors began their intricate dances and spirited singing. From my first exposure to the Bhavāī in 1976, I had awaited this moment, a performance not in a university playhouse, but in a village.
Sputtered Ta-Si-N diffusion barriers in Cu metallizations for Si

Electrical measurements on shallow Si n/sup +/-p junction diodes with a 30-nm TiSi/sub 2/ contacting layer demonstrate that an 80-nm-thick amorphous Ta/sub 36/Si/sub 14/N/sub 50/ film prepared by reactive RF sputtering of a Ta/sub 5/Si/sub 3/ target in an Ar N/sub 2/ plasma very effectively prevents the interaction between the Si substrate with the TiSi/sub 2/ contacting layer and a 500-nm Cu overlayer. The Ta/sub 36/Si/sub 14/N/sub 50/ diffusion barrier maintains the integrity of the I-V characteristics up to 900 C for 30-min annealing in vacuum. It is concluded that the amorphous Ta/sub 36/Si/sub 14/N/sub 50/ alloy is not only a material with a very low reactivity for copper, titanium, and silicon, but must have a small diffusivity for copper as well. >
Modeling and Visualization of Cardiovascular Systems

Modeling complex organs, such as the human heart, requires a detailed understanding of the geometric and mechanical properties of that organ. Similarly, the model is only as accurate as the precision of the underlying properties allow. Hence, it is of great importance that accurate measurements of the geometric configuration are available. This paper describes the different steps that are necessary for creating and visualizing such a vascular model, ranging from determining a basic geometric model, gathering statistical data necessary to extend an existing model up to the visualization of the resulting large-scale vascular models.
Low-energy x-ray response of photographic films. I: Mathematical models

Relatively simple mathematical models are developed to determine the optical density as a function of the x-ray intensity, its angle of incidence, and its photon energy in the 100–10,000-eV region for monolayer and emulsion types of photographic films. Semiempirical relations are applied to characterize a monolayer film (Kodak 101-07) and an emulsion-type film (Kodak RAR 2497); these relations fit calibration data at nine photon energies well within typical experimental error.
Optimal hybrid control of structures under earthquake excitation

Optimal control of base-isolated and non-base-isolated buildings subjected to earthquake excitation is considered. The control force at any instant is determined on-line through minimizing a quadratic time-dependent performance index based on the total energy imparted to the structure and the control effect. This control algorithm is based upon the use of discrete actuators and sensors that exert the control force and monitor the response of the building. Having constant gain matrices makes this algorithm efficient and easy to implement. The effect of time delay on the efficiency of the algorithm is investigated. Comparisons have been made to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Conditional and unconditional hardware sharing in pipeline synthesis

This paper addresses the following problem: given a set of functional units and a data introduction interval, find a pipelined schedule for the given behavioral description (which may contain conditionals) that minimizes the number of pipeline stages. The approach taken to solve this problem is to do conditional and unconditional hardware sharing simultaneously while scheduling. A two-phase algorithm is used. The first phase tries to find a feasible solution (if it exists), while the second phase improves the initial solution by reducing the number of pipeline stages and the number of pipeline registers. The fast heuristics used to do this have been found to give excellent results. >
Design of a relativistic klystron two-beam accelerator prototype

We are designing an experiment to study physics, engineering, and costing issues of an extended Relativistic Klystron Two-Beam Accelerator (RK-TBA). The experiment is a prototype for an RK-TBA based microwave power source suitable for driving a 1 TeV linear collider. Major components of the experiment include a 2.5-MV, 1.5-kA electron source, a 11.4-GHz modulator, a bunch compressor, and a 8-m extraction section. The extraction section will be comprised of 4 traveling-wave output structures, each generating about 360 MW of RF power. Induction cells will be used in the extraction section to maintain the average beam energy at 5 MeV. Status of the design is presented.
To manage complex innovation, ask the right questions

Managers of the innovation of complex technologies have to develop strategies that produce adaptive organizational networks. Studies of 13 technologies carried out in six countries suggest that man...
Photoelectron Spectroscopy of Solvated Anion Clusters

The photoelectron spectra of O−(Ar)n=1–26have been recorded, and total as well as sequential solvation energies have been extracted from the spectra. Plotting these values as a function of cluster size demonstrates that the first solvation shell for this system closes at n=12. Also, both the energetic data and the mass spectral data suggest structural information about the O−(Ar)n clusters. Specifically, these species appear to follow a pentagonal packing sequence, implying an icosahedral structure for n=12 and a capped icosahedral structure for n=18.
Noninvasive assessment of mitral inertness: clinical results with numerical model validation

Inertial forces (Mdv/dt) are a significant component of transmitral flow, but cannot be measured with Doppler echo. We validated a method of estimating Mdv/dt. Ten patients had a dual-sensor transmitral (TM) catheter placed during cardiac surgery. Doppler and 2D echo measurements were performed while acquiring left-atrial (LA) and left-ventricular (LV) pressures. Mdv/dt was determined from the Bernoulli equation using Doppler velocities and TM gradients. The results were compared with numerical modeling. The TM gradients (range: 1.04-14.24 mmHg) consisted of 74.0/spl plusmn/11.0% inertial forcers (range: 0.6-12.9 mmHg). Multivariate analysis predicted Mdv/dt = -4.171(S/D) + 0.063(LA/sub VOLUME-MAX/) + 5, where S/D is the systolic/diastolic ratio. Using this equation, a strong relationship was obtained between the clinical data set (y = 0.98x - 0.045, r=0.90) and the results of the numerical modeling (y = 0.96x - 0.16, r=0.84). TM gradients are mainly inertial and, as validated by modeling, can be estimated with echocardiography.
Relationship between stimulus intensity and the P300.

The effect of stimulus intensity on the P300 component of the averaged auditory evoked potential was examined in healthy young adults. Although no effect on P300 amplitude was present, increasing loudness was inversely related to P300 latency. These data demonstrate a partial dependence of P300 on stimulus parameters, and underscore the importance of determining the hearing ability of subjects and patients in studies employing P300 as an index of information processing speed.
Integration of Environmental Signals Controls Expression of Bordetella Heme Utilization Genes

The Bordetella pertussis heme utilization gene cluster hurIR bhuRSTUV encodes regulatory and transport functions required for assimilation of iron from heme and hemoproteins. Expression of the bhu genes is iron regulated and heme inducible. The putative extracytoplasmic function (ECF) σ factor, HurI, is required for heme-responsive bhu gene expression. In this study, transcriptional activation of B. pertussis bhu genes in response to heme compounds was shown to be dose dependent and specific for heme; protoporphyrin IX and other heme structural analogs did not activate bhu gene expression. Two promoters controlling expression of the heme utilization genes were mapped by primer extension analysis. The hurI promoter showed similarity to σ 70 -like promoters, and its transcriptional activity was iron regulated and heme independent. A second promoter identified upstream of bhuR exhibited little similarity to previously characterized ECF σ factor-dependent promoters. Expression of bhuR was iron regulated, heme responsive, and hurI dependent in B. pertussis , as shown in a previous study with Bordetella bronchiseptica . Further analyses showed that transcription originating at a distal upstream site and reading through the hurR-bhuR intergenic region contributes to bhuR expression under iron starvation conditions in the absence of heme inducer. The pattern of regulation of the readthrough transcript was consistent with transcription from the hurI promoter. The positions and regulation of the two promoters within the hur-bhu gene cluster influence the production of heme transport machinery so that maximal expression of the bhu genes occurs under iron starvation conditions only in the presence of heme iron sources.
The United States Supreme Court and Implied Causes of Action Under SEC Rule 10b-5: The Politics of Class Actions

The chapter discusses how changing attitudes toward class actions have influenced the Supreme Court in cases involving implied private causes of action under SEC Rule 10b-5. As the makeup of the Court changed and issues concerning litigation and class actions became part of the political landscape, the Court’s view of these actions changed. Initially its view was a broad one based upon the need for flexibility and to promote the remedial purposes of the law in order to protect investors and the markets. But societal concerns about litigation abuses and judicial activism and a more pro business attitude moved the Court to narrow the reach of the law and these class actions. Over time new concerns about economic competiveness and global issues involving U.S. stock markets reflected in politics at the time also were important to the Court and reflected in its decisions. This history of the development of these private causes of action and the Court’s interpretation of SEC Rule 10b-5 illustrate how the politics of class actions and shifting attitudes and concerns reflected in society influenced its decisions and development of the law.
Use of atomic-beam laser radio-frequency double resonance for interpretation of complex spectra: Tb i as a test case

The usefulness of the atomic-beam laser-rf double-resonance technique as an aid in the interpretation of complex optical spectra is investigated. A 2-A-wide region (centered on 5441 A) in the spectrum of Tb i is selected for the test. Some 25 atomic lines, many with severely overlapping hyperfine structure (hfs) patterns, had been observed in the region, and only a few of these had been successfully classified. The procedure followed for each line was to measure the hfs intervals of the lower level precisely and then to compare them with the known intervals of previously designated low levels. The procedure leads to a successful identification for only about half of the levels studied, owing principally to the small size of the ensemble of levels with known splittings. The method does have advantages, however, and is shown to be a useful supplement to conventional spectroscopic techniques. A number of new line classifications, level designations, and hfs intervals are reported.
Hellenistic παιδɛία and Luke's Education: A Critique of Recent Approaches*

This essay offers a critique of recent works that claim for the author of Acts a high level of rhetorical sophistication. The paper attempts to begin to fill a gap in Acts studies by exploring two skills of the curriculum of tertiary rhetorical education and asking how these are exemplified in the curriculum itself. In this way an attempt is made to provide a more sophisticated parallel reading, one that avoids shell comparisons that can often lead to distortion. The two skills explored are intertextuality from the Greek classics and speech construction. It is suggested that—from the perspective of the rhetorical curriculum—the author of Acts probably lacked a rhetorical education.
Propoxyphene Fatalities: Blood and Tissue Concentrations of Propoxyphene and Norpropoxyphene and a Study of 115 Medical Examiner Cases

Propoxyphene (P) and its major metabolite, norpropoxyphene (N), have been determined in an increasing number of acute and drug abuse related medical examiner cases in Maryland during 1974-1976. Acute fatalities were typified by a female in her 30's with a P/N ratio in blood of 4.1, while drug abuse related fatalities were exemplified by a male in his 20's with a P/N ratio in blood of 1.9. Propoxyphene related fatalities were generally accompanied by the simultaneous detection of ethanol or other drugs. Blood propoxyphene concentrations exceeding 0.1 mg/dl appear significant in elucidating the cause of death in the absence of other evidence, while concentrations exceeding 0.2 mg/dl may reasonably be considered an independent causative factor in a fatality. The P/N ratio in brain was consistently the highest value when compared to blood, liver and kidney. Propoxyphene and norpropoxyphene blood and tissue concentrations and P/N ratios are useful in the diagnosis of propoxyphene related deaths.
Self-consciousness in schizophrenics.

This study assessed the efficacy of the Self-consciousness Scale in differentiating short- and long-term schizophrenics from sociopaths and psychiatric aides. Three groups of 10 state hospital residents were selected on the basis of evidence of schizophrenia or antisocial personality using both interview and psychometric measures. A comparison group of 10 randomly chosen psychiatric aides were also included. Although no significant differential group effects were noted, all groups scored in the upper half of the scale's range. Discussed are the potential lack of sensitivity of this scale at its upper limits, the relationship of self-consciousness to disordered behavior, and the comparison of obtained scores with college norms.
A Piezoelectrically-Actuated Valve for Modulation of Liquid at High Flow Rate Under High Pressure

A MEMS valve implementation is presented as part of a comprehensive liquid fuel modulation system that targets improved NOx emissions in gas turbines. The target metrics require fuel delivery at high flow rates (>10 ml/s) and bandwidths (>100 Hz) against high pressures (>75 psi). A prototype microvalve has been designed and fabricated with conventional micromachining techniques coupled with an off-the-shelf piezoelectric actuator. The device has dimensions of 40 mmtimes11 mmtimes2.5 mm. Test results demonstrate flow modulation of 15 ml/min at 20 psid and 50 Hz, when the applied sinusoidal voltage to the piezo actuator and therefore the orifice area modulated by the lever arm, was varied between 84 V to 120 V.
Construction of point vortex equilibria via Brownian ratchets

A theory capable of producing equilibrium configurations of point vortices in the plane, along with a numerical scheme to compute them, is described. The theory is formulated as a problem in linear algebra where one must find solutions to the matrix equation AGZ 0, where A is the (1/2)N(NK1)!N non-normal configuration matrix obtained by requiring that all intervortical distances remain fixed, and G2R N are the N-vortex strengths. For existence of an equilibrium, A must have a non-trivial nullspace. We consider the singular values of A; when this has one or more zero singular values, the nullspace of A is non-empty and an equilibrium exists for some choice of G. New equilibrium configurations are found numerically by randomly depositing N points in the plane, which generically gives rise to a configuration matrix A with empty nullspace. Using the sum of squares of the k smallest singular values of A as a ‘ratchet’, we ‘thermally fluctuate’ the configuration, allowing each point to execute a random walk in the plane, retaining only those configurations which reduce this quantity at the next step. The configuration is thus driven to one with nullspace (A)ZkO0. These converged states are not necessarily nearby their initial configurations, typically they are asymmetric, and often we can drive the same initial state to several different equilibria. A reverse-ratchet method is also described, which can produce initial conditions that would evolve to a specified equilibrium state. Once a converged final state is achieved, the full singular value decomposition of A is used to calculate an optimal basis set for the nullspace of A and thus all allowable G. The distribution of the singular values gives important information on the size of each equilibrium state (as measured by Frobenius norm), their distance from each other (spacing and density) and how far a randomly chosen system of N points in the plane is from the nearest equilibrium configuration with a specified rank, as well as its Shannon entropy.
A Simple Technique for Increasing the Temperature Range of a Cryogenic Frozen-Gas Pellet Injector for Operation with Various Gases

On the Madison Symmetric Torus magnetic fusion plasma experiment, frozen pellet injection is an established method of depositing deuterium fuel into the core of the plasma. To freeze deuterium gas ...
A polymorphism in a region with enhancer activity in the second intron of the human apolipoprotein B gene.

A 443-base pair fragment ( + 622 to + 1064) from the second intron of the human apolipoprotein B gene was shown to contain a tissue-specific enhancer when placed in front of an apolipoprotein B promoter-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase construct in transfection experiments. To identify potential regulatory mutations in this region of the gene, DNA from various subjects was examined for the presence of point muta- tions by means of chemical cleavage of mismatched hetero- duplexes. An A+G substitution within the second intron of the gene at position + 722 was identified in three unrelated subjects and confirmed by DNA sequencing. Although the base substitu- tion was contained within a nuclear protein-binding site, as de- termined by DNase I footprinting, it did not appear to affect the protein/DNA interaction in its vicinity, as shown by gel retarda- tion experiments. The single base substitution at position + 722 abolishes a StyI restriction site, thus creating a StyI polymor- phism. Using allele-specific oligonucleotides, we screened the DNA of 172 subjects for the presence of this polymorphism: two other subjects carrying the polymorphism were found. In each of the five unrelated subjects, the polymorphism was associated with the same haplotype. -Levy-Wilson, B., L. Soria, E. H. Ludwig, M. Argyres, A. R. Brooks, B. D. Blackhart, W. Friedl, and B. J. McCarthy. A polymorphism in a region with enhancer activity in the second intron of the human apolipopro- tein B gene. J. Lipid Res. 1991. 32: 137-145.
Inactivation of parietal and prefrontal cortex reveals interdependence of neural activity during memory-guided saccades

Dorsolateral prefrontal and posterior parietal cortex share reciprocal projections. They also share nearly identical patterns of neuronal activation during performance of memory-guided saccades. To test the hypothesis that the reciprocal projections between parietal and prefrontal neurons may entrain their parallel activation, the present experiments have combined cortical cooling in one cortical area with single-unit recording in the other to more precisely determine the physiological interactions between the two during working memory performance. The activity of 105 cortical neurons during the performance of an oculomotor delayed response (ODR) task (43 parietal neurons during prefrontal cooling, 62 prefrontal neurons during parietal cooling) was compared across two blocks of trials collected while the distant cortical area either was maintained at normal body temperature or cooled. The mean firing rates of 71% of the prefrontal neurons during ODR performance changed significantly when parietal cortex was cooled. Prefrontal neurons the activity of which was modulated during the cue, delay, or saccade periods of the task were equally vulnerable to parietal inactivation. Further, both lower and higher firing rates relative to the precool period were seen with comparable frequency. Similar results were obtained from the converse experiment, in which the mean firing rates of 76% of the parietal neurons were significantly different while prefrontal cortex was cooled, specifically in those task epochs when the activity of each neuron was modulated during ODR performance. These effects again were seen equally in all epochs of the ODR task in the form of augmented or suppressed activity. Significant effects on the latency of neuronal activation during cue and saccade periods of the task were absent irrespective of the area cooled. Cooling was associated in some cases with a shift in the best direction of Gaussian tuning functions fit to neuronal activity, and these shifts were on average larger during parietal than prefrontal cooling. In view of the parallel between the similarity in activity patterns previously reported and the largely symmetrical cooling effects presently obtained, the data suggest that prefrontal and parietal neurons achieve matched activation during ODR performance through a symmetrical exchange of neuronal signals between them; in both cortical areas, neurons activated during the cue, delay, and also saccade epochs of the ODR task participate in reciprocal neurotransmission; and the output of each cortical area produces a mixture of excitatory and inhibitory drives within its target.
Implementing organizational work–life interventions: toward a triple bottom line

This paper provides examples and considerations in implementing work–life interventions. I first define work–life interventions and draw on concepts from the work I co-authored Suzan Lewis and Leslie Hammer: ‘Moving Work-life Initiatives from the Margins to the Mainstream'. I elaborate on this essay to discuss how work–life interventions impact on organizational change which can be understood from five design and evaluation characteristics that can vary on a continuum: (1) cultural and structural systems integration; (2) prevention and inclusion; (3) organizational social support versus individual control focus; (4) multi-level comprehensiveness; and (5) unintended consequences. To illustrate some of these issues, I describe issues in developing and implementing two work–life interventions. The first intervention examined is a work–life assessment (flexstyles) which is designed to help individuals assess their boundary management styles. The second intervention is the Family Supportive Supervisory Behavio...
A comparison C1-C2 transarticular screw placement after self-education and mentored education of orthopaedic residents.

Study design Prospective randomized trial. Objective This study will provide preliminary data on whether residents can be "self-taught" and to what extent a lecture, demonstration, and coaching can improve skills and knowledge. Background data Practice-based learning is an essential competency in Accreditation Council for graduate Medical Education-accredited residencies. Little has been done to demonstrate whether residents can be self-taught or benefit from mentoring in understanding and performing difficult surgical tasks. Methods A written test was given to orthopedic residents on C1-C2 transarticular screw placement. They were then provided reading on C1-C2 transarticular screw placement. Residents were then divided into a "self-directed learning" group and a "mentored learning" group. All residents then performed the technique on models, with the "mentored" group receiving a lecture and coaching from the mentor. The models were analyzed for technique errors and the previous test was administered again as a posttest. The test and screw placement were repeated 4 months later. Results Residents without mentoring had an average improvement of 4.5 points, those with mentoring had average improvement of 8.6 points (P=0.0068). The screw placement technique error rate for the nonmentored group (n=8) was 2.55, and for the mentored group (n=9) was 1.47 (P=0.004). Sixteen residents completed the delayed test, 7 from the nonmentored groups and 8 from the mentored group. Nine residents were able to repeat the screw placement technique 4 months after the initial test and screw placement, 3 nonentored, and 6 mentored. Although there were some trends toward the mentored group having better retention, neither knowledge nor skill was statistically different. Conclusions This preliminary trial seems to indicate that residents provided a lecture and guided technical instruction will obtain knowledge and perform procedures better than those that do not. Conclusions based upon Post Graduate year, motivation, and interest in spine surgery could not be made.
"Round-the-Clock" Surgical Access to the Orbit.

Objective To describe an algorithm to guide surgeons in choosing the most appropriate approach to orbital pathology. Methods A review of 12 selected illustrative cases operated on at the neurosurgical department of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center over 3 years from 2009 to 2011 was performed. Preoperative coronal magnetic resonance imaging and/or computed tomography views were compared using a “clock model” of the orbit with its center at the optic nerve. The rationale for choosing an external, endoscopic, or combined approach is discussed for each case. Results Using the right orbit for demonstration of the clock model, the medial transconjunctival approach provides access to the anterior orbit from 1 to 6 o'clock; endoscopic endonasal approaches provide access to the mid and posterior orbit and orbital apex from 1 to 7 o'clock. The lateral micro-orbitotomy gives access to the orbit from 8 to 10 o'clock. The frontotemporal craniotomy with orbital osteotomy accesses the orbit from 9 to 1 o'clock; addition of a zygomatic osteotomy to this extends access from 6 to 8 o'clock. Conclusions Combined, the approaches described provide 360 degrees of access to the entire orbit with the choice of the optimal approach guided primarily by the avoidance of crossing the plane of the optic nerve.
Detection and correction of matrix interference in inductively coupled plasma – time of flight mass spectrometry by means of aerosol dispersion

The time-dependent ratio of two ion signals is used to indicate and correct for mass-dependent matrix interference in inductively coupled plasma-time of flight mass spectrometry. A plug of sample solution is injected into the nebulizer in an air carrier by means of a two-position flow-injection valve. Because of dispersion in the spray chamber, all species in the sample then yield the same time-dependent concentration profiles. In the absence of a matrix interference, the signal profiles also match, and produce a constant ratio. In contrast, the presence of a mass-dependent matrix interference causes the ratio of two ion signals to deviate from a constant value. The inconsistent ratio then serves as an indicator of the presence of a matrix interference. Four ion pairs (51V+/55Mn+, 59Co+/107Ag+, 55Mn+/208Pb+, and 52Cr+/208Pb+) are examined in the present study and reveal that ion pairs having a large mass difference serve best for the detection of heavy matrices (Ba and U here), which cause the greatest error. The optimal dilution factor to minimize the matrix interference can be identified as the time in the dispersion pattern when the matrix concentration in the aerosol drops to the point where the ratio becomes constant. In the current study, dilution factors of eight and ten are found to minimize matrix effects from Ba and U, respectively. The correct determined concentrations for all analytes are found at this optimal time when the matrix interference is minimized; discrepancies from the theoretical values are found to be from 5% to 8%. Without this correction method, 40% to 60% error in the measured analyte concentration arises under the influence of the same concentration of Ba or U matrices.
An algorithm for estimation and correction of anisotropic magnification distortion of cryo-EM images without need of pre-calibration

Anisotropic magnification distortion of TEM images (mainly the elliptic distortion) has been recently found as a potential resolution-limiting factor in single particle 3-D reconstruction. Elliptic distortions of ∼1-3% have been reported for multiple microscopes under low magnification settings (e.g., 18,000×), which significantly limited the achievable resolution of single particle 3-D reconstruction, especially for large particles. Here we report a generic algorithm that formulates the distortion correction problem as a generalized 2-D alignment task and estimates the distortion parameters directly from the particle images. Unlike the present pre-calibration methods, our computational method is applicable to all datasets collected at a broad range of magnifications using any microscope without need of additional experimental measurements. Moreover, the per-micrograph and/or per-particle level elliptic distortion estimation in our method could resolve potential distortion variations within a cryo-EM dataset, and further improve the 3-D reconstructions relative to constant-value correction by the pre-calibration methods. With successful applications to multiple datasets and cross-validation with the pre-calibration method, we have demonstrated the validity and robustness of our algorithm in estimating the distortion; correction of the elliptic distortion significantly improved the achievable resolutions by ∼1-3 folds and enabled 3-D reconstructions of multiple viral structures at 2.4-2.6A resolutions. The resolution limits with elliptic distortion and the amounts of resolution improvements with distortion correction were found to strongly correlate with the product of the particle size and the amount of distortion, which can help assess if elliptic distortion is a major resolution limiting factor for single particle cryo-EM projects.
Protective Insulated Coating for IGSCC Mitigation in BWRs

NobleChem™ has been successfully applied to commercial BWRs worldwide just before end-of-cycle shutdown, during a mid-cycle shutdown, or normal plant operation. This process is a proven technology for mitigating the intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) of structural materials by catalyzing the oxygen and hydrogen recombination and eventually lowering the electrochemical corrosion potential (ECP) below the IGSCC protection potential (-230mVSHE). In order to achieve the catalytic benefit of noble metal at metal surfaces, excess hydrogen is essential. However, there may be certain locations where neither noble metal nor hydrogen is present.
Magmamax Binary Power Plant, East Mesa, Imperial Valley, California, USA

East Mesa is a ‘hidden’ geothermal resource, lacking any surface thermal manifestations. Interest in this area began in 1968 with the passage by the U.S. Congress of the Colorado River Basin Project Act. The idea was to desalinate the geothermal brines that were known to exist in aquifers beneath sections of the Imperial Valley. The energy contained in the hot brines could be used to generate electricity that in turn could be used to pump water from the Salton Sea for reinjection into the geothermal reservoir and thereby provide replenishment of the extracted fluids and lower the level of the Salton Sea. Concurrent with the desalination research, other tests were conducted on corrosion of materials exposed to the brines, on heat exchangers, and on a tiny mobile power plant—a helical rotor expander built by the Hydrothermal Power Company. Eventually the plant was taken over by Ormat as part of their other holdings in the East Mesa area and decommissioned and dismantled. The technology that was brought to life by Magma in 1979 is now flourishing in the desert of East Mesa, generating about 90 MW in a reliable and environmentally friendly fashion.
Multiple approaches to understanding and preventing elder abuse: Introduction to the cross-disciplinary National Institutes of Health workshop

On October 30, 2015, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) convened a workshop, "Multiple Approaches to Understanding and Preventing Elder Abuse," in Bethesda, Maryland. The workshop brought together experts from across disciplines to discuss research challenges, opportunities, and lessons learned from other fields. Participants included experts in elder abuse, child abuse, intimate partner violence (IPV), emergency medicine, and neuroscience. In this special issue of the Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, participants address topics explored before, during, and after the day-long workshop.
Platform placement for sidelobe mitigation in mobile sparse arrays

The preferential placement of the platforms in a coherent RF network to suppress sidelobe energy close to the array mainbeam is analyzed in this work. A linear array consisting of nine platforms within a 9000λ array size is optimized with a genetic algorithm. A large set of platform layouts that achieve sidelobe suppression of nearly 3 dB exists. The layouts are tolerant to position error on the order of 10λ and suppression improves with increased waveform bandwidth.
POSTER: ConcurORAM: High-Throughput Parallel Multi-Client ORAM

Oblivious RAM (ORAM) mechanisms have improved rapidly in recent years as increasing amounts of data are outsourced. Although several tree-based ORAMs such as PathORAM [8] and RingORAM [6] have achieved near-optimal bandwidth for single client scenarios, their low overall throughput due to high latency of access -- as clients need to wait for or know about and coordinate with each other, lest privacy is lost -- reduces their applicability for multi-client scenarios. In this paper, we propose ConcurORAM, a multi-client concurrent ORAM that eliminates waiting for concurrent clients and significantly increases overall throughput. ConcurORAM works by securely allowing multiple clients to asynchronously access the data set in between eviction rounds by judiciously storing ORAM position map data in a smaller parallel de-amortized pyramid ORAM [10] of higher complexity. In effect ConcurORAM reaps the benefits of parallelism at a lower O(log(N)) overall complexity by identifying and securely accessing the absolute critical data structures that require parallel access with privacy (position map) and designing everything else using append-only data structures that can be then merged securely in a separate eviction step.