cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Constraining the origin of the rising cosmic ray positron fraction with the boron-to-carbon ratio

The rapid rise in the cosmic ray positron fraction above 10 GeV, as measured by PAMELA and AMS, suggests the existence of nearby primary sources of high energy positrons, such as pulsars or annihilating/decaying dark matter. In contrast, the spectrum of secondary positrons produced through the collisions of cosmic rays in the interstellar medium is predicted to fall rapidly with energy, and thus is unable to account for the observed rise. It has been proposed, however, that secondary positrons could be produced and then accelerated in nearby supernova remnants, potentially explaining the observed rise, without the need of primary positron sources. Yet, if secondary positrons are accelerated in such shocks, other secondary cosmic ray species (such as boron nuclei and antiprotons) will also be accelerated, leading to rises in the boron-to-carbon and antiproton-to-proton ratios. The measurements of the boron-to-carbon ratio by the PAMELA and AMS collaborations, however, show no sign of such a rise. With this new data in hand, we revisit the secondary acceleration scenario for the rising positron fraction. Assuming that the same supernova remnants accelerate both light nuclei (protons, helium) and heavier cosmic ray species, we find that no more than $\ensuremath{\sim}25%$ of the observed rise in the positron fraction can result from this mechanism (at the 95% confidence level).
Two approaches to array fault tolerance in the IBM Enterprise System/9000 Type 9121 processor

The system design of the IBM Enterprise System/9000™ Type 9121 processor was intended to provide high performance and dense packaging within an air-cooled system. Packaging and technology factors had a major influence on the fault-tolerance strategies chosen. This paper describes the effect that this design point had on the fault-tolerant capabilities of two critical 9121 array applications. Although the design challenges faced by these array applications initially appeared to be very similar, the resulting solutions represent very different designs with differing fault-tolerance capabilities. The rationale for these approaches is given, and the error-correction algorithms are described.
Columnar Cell Lesions and Flat Epithelial Atypia of the Breast

Lesions of the breast characterized by enlarged terminal duct lobular units lined by columnar epithelial cells are being encountered increasingly in breast biopsies performed because of mammographic microcalcifications. Some of these lesions feature banal columnar cells in either a single layer (columnar cell change) or showing stratification and tufting but without complex architectural patterns (columnar cell hyperplasia). In other columnar cell lesions, the lining cells exhibit cytologic atypia, most commonly of the low-grade, monomorphic type. Such lesions were included among lesions originally categorized by Azzopardi as “clinging carcinoma” (monomorphic type), and were more recently included among lesions designated “flat epithelial atypia” (FEA) by the World Health Organization Working Group on Tumors of the Breast. The role of columnar cell lesions and, in particular, FEA in breast tumor progression is still emerging. FEA commonly coexists with well-developed examples of atypical ductal hyperplasia, low-grade ductal carcinoma in situ, and tubular carcinoma. These findings, in conjunction with the results of recent genetic studies, suggest that FEA is a neoplastic lesion that may represent either a precursor to or the earliest morphological manifestation of DCIS. However, the few available clinical outcome studies suggest that the risk of progression of FEA to invasive cancer is extremely low, supporting the notion that categorizing such lesions as “clinging carcinoma” and managing them as if they were fully developed DCIS will result in overtreatment of many patients. Additional studies are needed to better understand the biological nature and clinical significance of these lesions.
Revisiting the Relevance of International Trade Theory

Probably one of the most controversial contributions to the literature of international trade theory was offered by the late social economist John Culbertson. In his view, low wage competition among corporations in a world characterized by capital mobility and massive trade deficits undermines the foundation trade theory based on David Ricardo’s celebrated notion of comparative advantage. Instead, there are several good reasons to believe that international trade with China, India, Vietnam, etc. will be governed by absolute advantage. The current essay is dedicated to the virtually ignored work of Culbertson, and it is meant as an invitation for social economists to critically evaluate the argument and in the process make an attempt to point out where it goes wrong.
Inhibition of glucocorticoid receptor-mediated transcriptional activation by p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) promotes certain immune and inflammatory responses, whereas glucocorticoids exert immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory actions. We show that TNF treatment produced a modest inhibition of glucocorticoid receptor (GR)-mediated transcriptional activation of a mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) promoter-driven luciferase construct in HeLa cells. The mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases, p38 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), are important mediators of target gene activation by TNF, and JNK activation was earlier shown to inhibit GR-mediated transcriptional activation by direct phosphorylation of GR at Ser-246. Transfection of HeLa cells with MKK6b(E), a constitutively active specific upstream activator of p38, led to a potent inhibition of GR activation of the MMTV promoter-driven luciferase construct. A similar inhibition of activation of the MMTV promoter-driven luciferase construct was seen in HeLa cells transfected with MKK7(D), a constitutively functional activator of JNK. Data from "domain swap" experiments using GR chimeras indicated that the main target of the p38-mediated (but not JNK-mediated) inhibition is the ligand-binding domain of GR (spanning amino acids 525-795), whereas the constitutively active N-terminal AF-1 region (spanning amino acids 106-237) is dispensable for the inhibitory effect of p38. We also demonstrate that activated p38 targets the GR ligand-binding domain indirectly. Suppression of GR function by activated p38 and JNK MAP kinases may be physiologically important as a mechanism of resistance to glucocorticoids seen in many patients with chronic inflammatory conditions.
EFFECT OF ELEVATED COPPER ON THE ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT-ABSORBING COMPOUNDS OF CUCUMBER COTYLEDON AND LEAF TISSUES

The effect of copper [Cu(II)] on the ultraviolet light-absorbing compounds of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L., cv Poinsett 76) leaf and cotyledon tissues was investigated. Tissue disks (7 mm) were exposed to CuSO4 · 5H2O concentrations from 50 μM (12.5 ppm) to 2.5 mM (625 ppm) at either pH 6.0 or 4.5 for up to 48 h in both light and dark. Acidified, aqueous methanol extracts (flavonoid-rich fraction) were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography. Copper(II) altered the levels of the UV-absorbing compounds (340 nm), increasing the levels of some compounds at low Cu(II) concentrations and decreasing the levels of the UV-absorbing compounds at higher Cu(II) levels. In most cases, the magnitude of the Cu(II)-induced changes in cucumber phenolics was dependent upon tissue type, light condition, pH, and treatment duration. Since plant leaf phenolic compounds extracted under these conditions may have antioxidative activity, the ability to chelate prooxidative minerals and protect against ultraviolet B rad...
Ground- and aircraft-based cirrus cloud measurements using lidar and high-spectral-resolution FTS during the AFWEX 2000 field campaign

The ARM-FIRE Water Vapor Experiment (AFWEX) was conducted during November-December 2000 at the Southern Great Plains (SGP) Cloud and Radiation Testbed (CART). A cirrus event which occurred on 7-8 December was analyzed using ground- and aircraft-based measurements. The ground-based Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (AERI) and NPOESS Airborne Sounder Testbed-Interferometer (NAST-I) are high spectral resolution interferometers which measure downwelling and upwelling infrared radiation, respectively. Analysis between water vapor absorption lines within the 8 to 12 μm atmospheric window allow inversion of the radiative transfer equation to derive the cirrus cloud optical depth. These data will be compared to ground-based Raman lidar (GSFC and ARM) measurements of cirrus optical depth. The NAST-I measurements were conducted from the Proteus aircraft.
Context dependent models for discovery of transcription factor binding sites

Abstract Transcription factors play a crucial role in gene regulation, and the identification of transcription factor binding sites helps gain insight into gene regulatory mechanisms. The overall goal of this work is to describe a new method of binding site detection called Motif Discovery via Context Dependent Models (MDCDM). We characterize the motif (i.e., binding sites) by a series of position-dependent first-order Markov models. This model considers both the position-specific features of the motif and the dependence between positions of the motif. In addition, a “step-up” testing procedure is used to automatically determine the best-fitting Markov model for the background (i.e., nonsite regions). We compare our approach with the existing methods using both real and simulated data sets. The results show that the detection of binding sites can be greatly improved by accounting for dependence across positions in a motif and appropriately modeling the background dependence.
Informing Patients About Risks and Benefits of Radiology Examinations: A Review Article

Communicating the risks, benefits, and alternatives to a planned medical intervention is integral to high-quality patient care. When effective, such communication promotes patient autonomy, alleviates unfounded patient apprehension, and mitigates medicolegal liability. The topic of medical radiation adds to the usual challenges of effective medical communication some special challenges of its own. Among these is a lack of understanding by the general population and health professionals of the benefits and risks of medical radiation, which is compounded by unfamiliar terminology and units of measure. This is further complicated by the fact that many patients have poor comprehension of risk data in general. In this article, the authors present a case, review the ethical basis and legal history of informed consent, and explore the current initiatives, available resources, and further opportunities related to this challenging topic.
Modulated noisy biological dynamics: three examples

Three examples of noisy biological dynamics modulated by a periodic signal are discussed. A minimal neuron model driven by stochastic noise and small periodic force show a firing statistic comparable with stochastic resonance as demonstrated in bistable systems. Similar results are obtained from responses to periodic vibrotactile stimulation on higher-order neuronal units of the somatosensory pathway. Finally, results from a bistable visual perception task exhibiting stochastic resonance are reported.
Major Histocompatibility Class II Transactivator Expression in Smooth Muscle Cells from A2b Adenosine Receptor Knock-out Mice

Atherosclerosis characterized by sustained inflammation and aberrant extracellular matrix alterations. Our previous investigation has defined major histocompatibility class II transactivator (CIITA) as a key factor in mediating these two processes in smooth muscle cells. Here, we demonstrate that CIITA and major histocompatibility class II expression are elevated in interferon-γ (IFN-γ)-treated smooth muscle cells from A2b adenosine receptor (A2bAR–/–) knock-out mice, as compared with wild type cells. An A2-type adenosine receptor agonist suppresses these effects of IFN-γ in wild type cells, which can be blocked by an A2bAR-specific antagonist. We further identify that increased cellular cAMP levels are responsible for the down-regulation of CIITA expression and, hence, reduced IFN-γ response as evidenced by the following data: 1) direct activation of adenylyl cyclase activity is both necessary and sufficient to suppress the IFN-γ response; 2) inhibition of phosphodiesterase activity attenuates IFN-γ induced transcription events; and 3) direct treatment with cAMP analog abrogates CIITA activation and IFN-γ response. Therefore, our data establish possible cross-talk between the adenosine signaling through cAMP and IFN-γ during regulation of CIITA expression.
TAR DNA-binding protein 43 in neurodegenerative disease

In 2006, TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43), a highly conserved nuclear protein, was identified as the major disease protein in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and in the most common variant of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), FTLD-U, which is characterized by cytoplasmic inclusions that stain positive for ubiquitin but negative for tau and α-synuclein. Since then, rapid advances have been made in our understanding of the physiological function of TDP-43 and the role of this protein in neurodegeneration. These advances link ALS and FTLD-U (now designated FTLD-TDP) to a shared mechanism of disease. In this Review, we summarize the current evidence regarding the normal function of TDP-43 and the TDP-43 pathology observed in FTLD-TDP, ALS, and other neurodegenerative diseases wherein TDP-43 pathology co-occurs with other disease-specific lesions (for example, with amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer disease). Moreover, we discuss the accumulating data that support our view that FTLD-TDP and ALS represent two ends of a spectrum of primary TDP-43 proteinopathies. Finally, we comment on the importance of recent advances in TDP-43-related research to neurological practice, including the new opportunities to develop better diagnostics and disease-modifying therapies for ALS, FTLD-TDP, and related disorders exhibiting TDP-43 pathology.
5' sequences are important positive and negative determinants of the longevity of Chlamydomonas chloroplast gene transcripts.

Abstract We have found that sequences in the 5' leader of the Chlamydomonas chloroplast rbcL gene, when fused 5' to foreign genes, destabilize transcripts of these chimeric genes in the chloroplast of transgenic Chlamydomonas but that 5' sequences of the rbcL structural gene prevent this destabilization. Transcripts of the chloroplast rbcL gene are about equally abundant at all times in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii growing on an alternating 12-h light/12-h dark cycle. However, Chlamydomonas chloroplast transformants, harboring chimeric genes containing the same rbcL promoter with 63 or 92 bp of the rbcL 5' leader sequence fused upstream of the Escherichia coli uidA (beta-glucuronidase, GUS) gene, accumulated GUS transcripts only in the dark. Transcripts disappeared rapidly upon illumination of the cells. The same phenomenon was exhibited by transcripts of chimeric genes in which the GUS gene coding sequence was replaced by other unrelated genes. The precipitous light-induced drop in GUS transcript abundance was found to be due to an approximately 16-fold increase in the rate of degradation of GUS transcripts in light rather than to a decrease in the rate of transcription of the GUS gene. Transcripts of a chimeric rbcL-GUS construct in which the leader sequence of the rbcL gene was replaced by 103 bp of the leader sequence of the atpB gene were stable in illuminated cells. The destabilizing effect of the rbcL 5' leader sequence was reversed by adding 257 bp of the 5' coding region of the rbcL gene. The results show that chloroplast transcript levels in illuminated Chlamydomonas cells--and perhaps in other cases--can be determined, at least to some extent, by sequences and interactions of sequences transcribed from the 5' ends of genes.
ISOLATION OF ALKALOIDS FROM GOLDENSEAL (HYDRASTIS CANADENSIS RHIZOMES) USING pH-ZONE REFINING COUNTERCURRENT CHROMATOGRAPHY

Goldenseal (the rhizomes of Hydrastis canadensis) has a long history of use in North American folk medicine and today is one of the top-selling herbal dietary supplements in the United States. The alkaloids present in the plant have been shown to be responsible for a broad range of biological activities, and the purpose of this work was to isolate preparative quantities of alkaloids present in Goldenseal for subsequent biological evaluation. Berberine chloride, canadaline, canadine, β-hydrastine, and isocorypalmine were separated from a methanolic extract of Goldenseal by a combination of solvent/solvent partition, pH-zone refining countercurrent chromatographic, and recrystallization techniques.
Extra-pair relations in zebra finches: differential male success results from female tactics

Abstract Abstract. Extra-pair courtship and copulatory patterns were examined in a freely breeding laboratory population of wild-type, domesticated zebra finches, Taeniopygia guttata. Prior to release into the experimental aviary, each male received either two red bands (shown previously to be attractive in heterosexual tests) or two green bands (unattractive to females) as part of a unique combination of four leg bands; the remaining two bands were of neutral colours. Females received neutral combinations. Bill colour, which also affects heterosexual attractiveness, was also scored. Bill colour had only minor effects here, but band colour effects were substantial. Red-banded males participated in unforced extra-pair copulations more commonly than did green-banded males. Band colour did not influence male participation in forced extra-pair copulations. Mates of red-banded males (red-mated females) deterred extra-pair courtship more than green-mated females; green-mated females participated in extra-pair courtship and extra-pair copulation more frequently. Results indicate that females displayed active choice of extra-pair copulatory partners and employed conditional tactics for obtaining these partners. Males showed little differentiation in extra-pair tactics based on attractiveness or mating status. However, assuming that rates of extra-pair fertilization are proportional to rates of extra-pair copulation, red-banded males would appear to have both higher paternity confidence and greater success in obtaining extra-pair fertilizations.
Supporting the social processes of software development

One key to improving team‐based software development is to support the developers’ ability to work together. Sets out one site’s response to this challenge. Developers at this site have a facility, which we will call the “team room”, allowing team members to work together. This is a computer‐supported meeting room that arose from the voluntary, and reflective, efforts of software developers to make it easier for them to work together. The team room’s popularity shows up in its extensive use for meetings and its acceptance as an integral part of software development at this site. When people use the team room, they work on a shared screen, making it easier to work together. Because they can work together, meetings become a time of work, not a pause between work sessions. Explains how these positive work outcomes have had some unexpected effects. For example, developers at this site now rely on room use to help deal with intra‐group conflict, so that the team room has become a buffer to social interaction, serving as a conduit for action.
Submerged Jet Impingement Boiling on a Polished Silicon Surface

Submerged jet impingement boiling has the potential to enhance pool boiling heat transfer rates. In most practical situations, the surface could consist of multiple heat sources that dissipate heat at different rates resulting in a surface heat flux that is non-uniform. This paper discusses the effect of submerged jet impingement on the wall temperature characteristics and heat transfer for a non-uniform heat flux. A mini-jet is caused to impinge on a polished silicon surface from a nozzle having an inner diameter of 1.16 mm. A 25.4 mm diameter thin-film circular serpentine heater, deposited on the bottom of the silicon wafer, is used to heat the surface. Deionized degassed water is used as the working fluid and the jet and pool are subcooled by 20°C. Voltage drop between sensors leads drawn from the serpentine heater are used to identify boiling events. Heater surface temperatures are determined using infrared thermography. High-speed movies of the boiling front are recorded and used to interpret the surface temperature contours. Local heat transfer coefficients indicate significant enhancement upto radial locations of 2.6 jet diameters for a Reynolds number of 2580 and upto 6 jet diameters for a Reynolds number of 5161.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Escape and avoidance responses to a fear eliciting situation

Seven days after receiving unavoidable shock, rats were placed in the shock chamber, or in an adjacent chamber. Free access between the chambers was permitted, and latency to cross was measured. Latency to cross into the shocked chamber was an increasing function of shock intensity, while latency to escape the shock chamber was not related to the intensity of prior shock. The results were interpreted as supporting the hypothesis that situations associated with shock produce competing tendencies in the rat to escape and to remain immobile.
Fin gaps and body slots - Effects and modeling for projectiles and missiles

All known prior work concerned with the effect of streamwise fin-body gaps (importing effect) and body slots on the fin loads of missiles and projectiles in the transonic speed regime of 0.8 < M < 1.2 has been surveyed and analyzed. All known experimental data for the gap effects have been analyzed. A correlation relation was established to predict fin normal force losses due to gaps for any fin shape, size, aspect ratio, gap/body-diameter ratio, body diameter, and flow Reynolds number. The results match well with the data, which span a large variation in Reynolds numbers, body diameter, and boundary-layer thickness. Although the Mach range for the present model was intended to be 0.8 < M < 1.2, available data indicated its validity in the wider range of 0.7 < M < 1.8. Fifteen cases were utilized to validate the present gap model. The slot effect model used is that of Washington et al. Application of these two corrections to the Copperhead guided projectile was made, and a reduction as large as 38% was predicted for the normal force, which was then validated by the experimental data. The present results can be used for estimating fin-load losses for the fin design of guided projectiles and missiles, with an accuracy of ±5% over the intended Mach number range 0.8 < M < 1.2 and for a gap/diameter ratio < 0.08.
Notch signaling in acute promyelocytic leukemia

Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is initiated by the PML-RARA (PR) fusion oncogene and has a characteristic expression profile that includes high levels of the Notch ligand Jagged-1 (JAG1). In this study, we used a series of bioinformatic, in vitro, and in vivo assays to assess the role of Notch signaling in human APL samples, and in a PML-RARA knock-in mouse model of APL (Ctsg-PML-RARA). We identified a Notch expression signature in both human primary APL cells and in Kit+Lin-Sca1+ cells from pre-leukemic Ctsg-PML-RARA mice. Both genetic and pharmacologic inhibition of Notch signaling abrogated the enhanced self-renewal seen in hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells from pre-leukemic Ctsg-PML-RARA mice, but had no influence on cells from age-matched wild-type mice. In addition, six of nine murine APL tumors tested displayed diminished growth in vitro when Notch signaling was inhibited pharmacologically. Finally, we found that genetic inhibition of Notch signaling with a dominant-negative Mastermind-like protein reduced APL growth in vivo in a subset of tumors. These findings expand the role of Notch signaling in hematopoietic diseases, and further define the mechanistic events important for PML-RARA-mediated leukemogenesis.
Consolidation of Syncrude Oil Sands Fine Tailings1

A novel process has been developed whereby oily sludges produced as an undesirable by-product of bitumen extraction from oil sands can be treated to recover residual organics, heavy metal minerals, and amorphous solids for potential commercial exploitation followed by consolidation of the coarser solids to form wet aggregates. These aggregates may be suitable as fertilizer for fertilizing farmland, making a fertile base for landscaping, or as a natural fertilizer.
The suppression-recovery effect and visual adaptation in the cat

Abstract A suppression-recovery (S-R) effect to repetitive light flashes has been studied in terms of evoked potentials in the optic tract in the cat under conditions of progressive light adaptation dark adaptation following bleaching, and with scotopically equated red and blue adapting fields. The S-R effect is maximal in the dark adapted eye, it parallels rod sensitivity, decreasing in duration with progressive light adaptation and increasing with rod sensitivity during recovery from bleaching. These results are discussed with respect to lateral inhibition and rod-cone interaction hypotheses.
The metastatic potential of metastases: A case report

Confirmation of the potential for metastases to metastasize in humans, especially those patients with a well controlled primary, should alter present approaches to patients with malignant disease and isolated recurrences. Reported herein is a case clearly demonstrating the metastatic potential of metastases.
Amyloid deposition in immunoblastic lymphadenopathy

Abstract Two cases of immunoblastic lymphadenopathy are reported that in addition to having the usual histologic and electron microscopic appearance previously described exhibit perivascular and interstitial green polarization when stained with Congo red, indicating amyloid deposition. Electron microscopic examination confirmed the light microscopic findings. This finding may have significance in regard to etiology, progression, and treatment of this disease entity.
Aligned carbon nanotubes as polarization-sensitive, molecular near-field detectors

Near-field scanning optical microscopes are widely used in imaging of subwavelength features in various material systems and nanostructures. For a variety of applications, polarization-sensitive near-field probes can provide valuable information on the nature and symmetry of the imaged nanoparticles and emitters. Conventional near-field optical microscopy lacks in-plane polarization sensitivity. Here, we use aligned single-wall carbon nanotubes as polarization-sensitive molecular scale probes to image the transverse near-field components of an optical Hertzian dipole antenna. Because of the Raman “antenna effect” in carbon nanotubes, only the near-field components along the nanotube axis are detected. These findings demonstrate that aligned carbon nanotubes can be used as polarization-sensitive near-field detectors.
Stepwise unfolding of titin under force-clamp atomic force microscopy

Here we demonstrate the implementation of a single-molecule force clamp adapted for use with an atomic force microscope. We show that under force-clamp conditions, an engineered titin protein elongates in steps because of the unfolding of its modules and that the waiting times to unfold are exponentially distributed. Force-clamp measurements directly measure the force dependence of the unfolding probability and readily captures the different mechanical stability of the I27 and I28 modules of human cardiac titin. Force-clamp spectroscopy promises to be a direct way to probe the mechanical stability of elastic proteins such as those found in muscle, the extracellular matrix, and cell adhesion.
High-Resolution Spectroscopy of Quasars and Quasar Absorption-Line Systems

Topic cover in this paper included new observations of QSO absorption lines by the Keck Telescope HIRES spectrometer and the Hubble Space Telescope. An overview of the major scientific issues in this field is followed by a brief summary of a panel discussion that addressed future instrumental possibilities that could answer some of these questions.
Mathematical model for routability analysis of FPGAs

We have developed a mathematical model for estimating the probability of routing on an electrically programmable logic cell array (LGA). Using the model the variation of the routability or the probability of routing with the average span of the nets, and flexibility of programming resources is determined. The results obtained from the model have been verified experimentally. As expected, the routability also increases when the number of programming elements is increased. We also show a three dimensional relationship between routability, placement, and programming flexibility. Our results show a strong relationship between module placement and the routability for an LCA. >
Reynolds Number and Pressure Gradient Effects on Compressible Turbulent Boundary Layers

A detailed investigation of attached supersonic turbulent boundary layers over an extensive range of Reynolds numbers (12 x 10 to the 6th to 314 x 10 to the 6th) is presented. Experimental measurements were obtained for adverse pressure gradients ranging in magnitude from those of previous investigations to those approaching separation. The measurements include mean values of surface pressure and skin-friction, mean-flow profiles, and profiles of the three turbulent velocity fluctuation components and turbulent shear stress. Numerical solutions, employing three turbulence models of various degrees of complexity have been compared with the details of the measured flow fields. Generally, it was found that the more sophisticated turbulence models are superior to a mixing length model for predicting the Reynolds number and pressure gradient effects. However, some details of the turbulent fluctuations as well as the exact Reynolds number trends indicated by the data were not accurately predicted with any of the turbulence models considered.
Regulation of Interleukin-12 by Interleukin-10, Transforming Growth Factor-β, Tumor Necrosis Factor-α, and Interferon-γ in Human Monocytes Infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra

Regulation of interleukin (IL)-12 production by coexpression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, IL-10, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta in human monocytes infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra was analyzed. Also, since IL-12 induces interferon (IFN)-gamma, the effect of IFN-gamma on IL-12 expression was examined. IL-12 mRNA was measured by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and IL-12 protein by ELISA. IL-12 p35 mRNA was constitutive and inducible. IL-12 p70 protein paralleled IL-12 p40 protein expression. TNF-alpha protein expression occurred earlier than IL-12 p40 protein but was not required for IL-12 induction. Addition or neutralization of TGF-beta did not significantly alter IL-12 induction. In contrast, recombinant IL-10 reduced IL-12 and neutralization of IL-10 minimally enhanced IL-12. A pronounced increase in IL-12 followed IFN-gamma pretreatment, which selectively up-regulated IL-12 p35 mRNA. Further understanding of operative cytokine networks during M. tuberculosis infection may improve strategies for vaccine development and immunotherapy.
Improved Metallography for Tic and Tic–C Alloys

Abstract : A new metallographic method for improved microscopy of TiC and alloys of TiC-C is described. The complete processing recommendations for sectioning, grinding, intermediate and final polishing, as well as anodization to produce definitive microstructures in color are included along with some photographic suggestions. (Author)
Successful aging: Is there hope?

See related research article by Sabia and colleagues on page [1985][1] and at [www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.121080][2] The world’s population is aging rapidly, the consequences of which will be substantial. By 2031, more than 20% of Canadians will be senior citizens.[1][3],[2][4] This
Muscle pump and central command during recovery from exercise in humans.

We sought to determine the relative contributions of cessation of skeletal muscle pumping and withdrawal of central command to the rapid decrease in arterial pressure during recovery from exercise....
The Ability of Aggregate Data to Predict Self‐Sufficiency Levels in Subsidized Rural Primary Care Practices

American rural health policy has as its long-term goal the reallocation of health facilities and manpower to permit equitable access to primary care for all citizens. Rural health centers subsidized by governmental and philanthropic programs frequently have been placed in places of high need for their services. Yet both government and philanthropic policymakers expect these primary care practices to become economically self-sufficient within a few years of practice. The problem is how to assign rural practices to communities with a planning process that will enhance the likelihood that these conflicting goals of serving need and financial self-sufficiency will be achieved. This study uses actual 1980 self-sufficiency data from 167 randomly selected rural primary care clinics as the dependent variable. Independent variables for the corresponding communities five or more years earlier were taken from a database often used by policymakers to make site evaluations. These data tend to be selected from aggregate county level measures. Regression analysis were used to determine how well these data could predict actual self-sufficiency in later years. The result of the analysis is that these aggregate level data have little capacity to predict the ability of rural primary care practices to achieve self-sufficiency. Much better predictions can be made on the basis of local, practice-specific variables. Therefore, planning for economically viable rural practices calls for a much different forecasting approach.
Sexual Modification Therapies: Ethical Controversies, Philosophical Disputes, and Theological Reflections

Knowing, either by the light of natural reason or by the light of Christian revelation, that homosexuality is a disordered condition is not sufficient for its being ethically permissible to direct self-identified homosexual persons toward just any treatment that aims to modify sexual orientation. For example, such an undertaking would be morally impermissible in cases where the available “treatments” are known to be both futile and potentially damaging to persons undertaking them. I, therefore, introduce this edition of Christian Bioethics by reflecting on (a) the position of homosexuality in our current psychiatric nosology, (b) problems with drawing causal inferences from the outcomes of psychotherapy studies, and (c) the advantages and disadvantages of appealing to traditional categories of sexual orientation in this discussion, all with an eye toward more deeply elucidating core ethical concerns involving the intentional psychotherapeutic modification of sexual orientation.
Reconfigurable Reflectarray Using Addressable Metamaterials

We develop a reconfigurable reflectarray using digitally addressable complementary electric LC (CELC) metamaterials. The surface is composed of addressable CELC resonators, which are tuned to achieve a spatial gradient in the reflection coefficient phase angle. This gradient is used to deflect normally incident plane waves in a controlled nonspecular direction.
Pedestrian recognition with a learned metric

This paper presents a new method for viewpoint invariant pedestrian recognition problem. We use a metric learning framework to obtain a robust metric for large margin nearest neighbor classification with rejection (i.e., classifier will return no matches if all neighbors are beyond a certain distance). The rejection condition necessitates the use of a uniform threshold for a maximum allowed distance for deeming a pair of images a match. In order to handle the rejection case, we propose a novel cost similar to the Large Margin Nearest Neighbor (LMNN) method and call our approach Large Margin Nearest Neighbor with Rejection (LMNN-R). Our method is able to achieve significant improvement over previously reported results on the standard Viewpoint Invariant Pedestrian Recognition (VIPeR [1]) dataset.
Seronegative rheumatoid arthritis. A distinct immunogenetic disease

Measurement of serum rheumatoid factor (RF) by conventional methods in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has repeatedly identified a subpopulation of patients without detectable RF. Previous investigators have consistently confirmed the association of HLA–DR4 with seropositive RA, but studies of seronegative RA have been limited and contradictory. We studied 140 randomly selected patients from Alabama, all of whom had either classic or definite RA, and we were able to obtain complete HLA typing for 110 of these individuals. Eighty were consistently seropositive (on at least 2 separate occasions) and 30 were consistently seronegative (on at least 3 separate determinations). There was no statistically significant difference between the seronegative RA patients and 123 control subjects in the distribution of DR antigens. In seropositive RA, there was a significant increase in DR4 (P P>0.001; relative risk = 0.33). The clinical data also distinguished between seropositive RA and seronegative RA; subcutaneous nodules (37.5%) and vasculitis (6.3%) were present only in seropositive RA. DR4 positivity did not correlate with any of the clinical variables measured in the seropositive RA group. In contrast, DR4 in the seronegative RA group was associated with more destructive disease. The data suggest that seronegative RA represents a disease entity clinically and immunogenetically distinct from seropositive RA. Moreover, our results indicate that DR4 may be a previously undisclosed marker for disease severity in seronegative RA.
Relative Mass Defect Filtering of Mass Spectra: A Path to Discovery of Plant Specialized Metabolites

The rapid identification of novel plant metabolites and assignments of newly discovered substances to natural product classes present the main bottlenecks to defining plant specialized phenotypes. Although mass spectrometry provides powerful support for metabolite discovery by measuring molecular masses, ambiguities in elemental formulas often fail to reveal the biosynthetic origins of specialized metabolites detected using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. A promising approach for mining liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry metabolite profiling data for specific metabolite classes is achieved by calculating relative mass defects (RMDs) from molecular and fragment ions. This strategy enabled the rapid recognition of an extensive range of terpenoid metabolites in complex plant tissue extracts and is independent of retention time, abundance, and elemental formula. Using RMD filtering and tandem mass spectrometry data analysis, 24 novel elemental formulas corresponding to glycosylated sesquiterpenoid metabolites were identified in extracts of the wild tomato Solanum habrochaites LA1777 trichomes. Extensive isomerism was revealed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography, leading to evidence of more than 200 distinct sesquiterpenoid metabolites. RMD filtering led to the recognition of the presence of glycosides of two unusual sesquiterpenoid cores that bear limited similarity to known sesquiterpenes in the genus Solanum. In addition, RMD filtering is readily applied to existing metabolomics databases and correctly classified the annotated terpenoid metabolites in the public metabolome database for Catharanthus roseus.
Job Satisfaction, Job Performance, and Effort: A Reexamination Using Agency Theory

Abstract The objective of this article is to clarify ambiguities in the literature regarding the relationships among three key constructs of work relationships: effort, job performance, and job satisfaction. The relationship between job performance and job satisfaction is of central interest to research in organizational psychology. However, empirical research in that area finds that the link between these constructs is weak at best. A negative effect of effort on job satisfaction is consistent with agency theory, but there is limited empirical evidence to support this assumption. Moreover, some studies have found a positive effect of effort on job satisfaction. Using a model that incorporates the main constructs from agency theory and organizational psychology, the current study finds a negative, direct effect of effort and a positive, direct effect of job performance on job satisfaction. The authors show that conflicting findings in the literature are the result of inconsistency in both the measurement ...
Perceived social support of mothers of children with clefts.

Abstract Objective: To identify factors that may predict perceived social support in mothers of children with clefts. Design: A comparison was conducted from a sample of mothers of children with oral clefts identified from a single institution (multidisciplinary craniofacial clinic). The Interpersonal Support Evaluation List and Beck Depression Inventory were completed by all participants. Results: Mothers of children with visible clefts were more likely to report higher perceived social support than mothers of children with clefts that were not visible (p = .005). Mothers of female children reported higher levels of perceived social support than mothers of male children (p = .02). Mothers who had completed more years of education reported significantly higher levels of perceived social support than mothers who had completed fewer years of school (p = .03). Mothers with more children were more likely to report lower levels of perceived social support (p = .009). Maternal depression was highly correlated w...
Untangling Plyler's Legacy: Undocumented Students, Schools, and Citizenship

In this article, Roberto G. Gonzales, Luisa L. Heredia, and Genevieve Negron-Gonzales present a nuanced assessment of how undocumented immigrant students in the United States experience the public educational system. Though the landmark 1982 Supreme Court ruling Plyler v. Doe has resulted in hundreds of thousands of undocumented children being educated in US K–12 schools, much of Plyler's promise still eludes them. Drawing data from multiple studies conducted with undocumented youth in California, the authors argue that schools perform three critical social functions—as integrators, as constructors of citizenship, and as facilitators of public and community engagement—that shape the educational experiences and political and civic participation of undocumented immigrant youth. They suggest that while schools hold the potential to engender a sense of belonging and membership for undocumented immigrant students, they often fall short of this promise. The authors argue that constrained resources in school dis...
A convex optimization method for improved coverage in Mobile Ad hoc Networks

Agents in Mobile Ad hoc Networks (MANET) typically have no knowledge of the environment that they are to be deployed in nor where they will be located. All information a mobile agent has access to is provided locally by other mobile agents within its communication range. Due to the nature of random deployment, agents may be clustered together which creates coverage holes in the network. Most of the existing work that focuses on improving area coverage deals with Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) where wireless connections between individual agents are not a concern when moving the agents. This work proposes a method to improve area coverage while preserving communication links between the mobile agents. A distributed consensus protocol based on Voronoi tessellation is introduced. A constrained convex optimization is then used to solve the distributed consensus protocol to determine an optimal position for a node inside of its Voronoi cell without losing communication with neighbors. This work is based on the belief that a node covers the most area when it covers most or all of its Voronoi cell. The convex optimization is then tested on a small network of agents and it is shown that area coverage is improved.
Near wake flow field measurements of a marine current turbine: Preliminary results

More advanced simulation tools are required to predict the loads experienced by a turbine in situ due to the surrounding environment including the effects of inflow turbulence, the impact of turbines operating upstream, the effect of the free surface, and the impact of surface waves, to name a few. These advanced models require detailed data sets for validation. At this time, few studies have focused on the near wake in an effort to provide such detailed data. It is critical to understand this region because it is where much of the high-energy phenomena occur that is most likely to impact turbine performance and reliability. To this end, a towing-tank particle image velocimetry (PIV) system was designed, built, and used to provide measurements of the flow in the near wake of a scale-independent marine current turbine. Included are preliminary results including a representative case and turbulent statistics for an ensemble of realizations.
A rational inference approach to aphasic language comprehension

ABSTRACTBackground: It has long been observed that, when confronted with an implausible sentence like The ball kicked the girl, individuals with aphasia rely more on plausibility information from world knowledge (such that a girl is likely to kick a ball, but not vice versa) than control non-impaired populations do. We here offer a novel hypothesis to explain this greater reliance on plausibility information for individuals with aphasia. The hypothesis is couched with the rational inference approach to language processing. A key idea in this approach is that to derive an interpretation for an input string, individuals combine their priors (about messages that are likely to be communicated) with their knowledge about how messages can get corrupted by noise (due to production or perception errors).Aims: We hypothesise that language comprehension in aphasia works in the same way, except with a greater amount of noise, which leads to stronger reliance on syntactic and semantic priors.Methods & Procedures: We ...
Imaging speech comprehension in quiet with high density diffuse optical tomography

High density-diffuse optical tomography (HD-DOT) has the potential of imaging speech in a setting much quieter than fMRI. We show that HD-DOT is capable of detecting subtle changes in language network when speech becomes more linguistically challenging.
Heterogeneous Energy Storage Optimization for Microgrids

As microgrids evolve, it is reasonable to expect that a variety of energy storage systems (ESSs) with different operational characteristics will be used simultaneously. Because each storage system has different capabilities and capacities, they will complement each other, and be able to achieve more efficient and reliable results than if only a single type of system were used. However, integrating multiple types of storage comes with several implementation challenges. Existing control techniques used to charge and discharge different technologies are not sufficient to accommodate the electrochemical (or mechanical) differences. In this paper, we propose an interconnection topology and a reinforcement learning-based algorithm to optimize the coordination of different ESSs in a microgrid.
The World Population Still Increasing Quickly

We still face the pressure of population growth though the birth rate of world population was 30‰ in 1970～1975,and is expected to decrease to 21‰ in 2000～2005.Annual population growth rate in more developed regions has been very low,or even negative,compared with the highest in the less developed countries whose population size expands rapidly.The less developed the regions are,the more rapidly population grow.Countries with more than 100 million population have expanded to 11 at present,while there were only 4 in 1950.The total population of these countries makes up over half of the world population.The number of such countries is expected to be 18 in 2050.The fertility level of different regions and countries will determine the speed of population growth in the world.