cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
LNK (SH2B3) Inhibition Expands Healthy and Fanconi Anemia Human Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) remains the only curative treatment for a variety of hematological diseases. Allogenic HSCT requires hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) from matched donors and comes with cytotoxicity and mortality. Recent advances in genome modification of HSCs have demonstrated the possibility of using autologous HSCT-based gene therapy to cure monogenic diseases, such as the inherited bone marrow failure (BMF) syndrome Fanconi Anemia (FA). However, for FA and other BMF syndromes insufficient HSC numbers with functional defects results in delayed hematopoietic recovery and increased risk of graft failure. We and others previously identified the adaptor protein Lnk (Sh2b3) as a critical negative regulator of murine HSC homeostasis. However, whether LNK (SH2B3) controls human HSCs has not been studied. Here, we demonstrate that depletion of LNK via lentiviral expression of miR30-based short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) resulted in robust expansion of transplantable human HSCs that provided balanced multilineage reconstitution in primary and secondary mouse recipients. Importantly, LNK depletion enhanced cytokine mediated JAK/STAT activation in CD34+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). Moreover, we demonstrate that LNK depletion expands primary HSPCs associated with FA. In xenotransplant, engraftment defects of FANCD2-depleted FA-like HSCs were markedly improved by LNK inhibition. Finally, targeting LNK in primary bone marrow HSPCs from FA patients enhanced their colony forming potential in vitro. Together, these results demonstrate the potential of targeting LNK to expand HSCs to improve HSCT and HSCT-based gene therapy.
Semiconducting transition metal oxides

Open shell transition metal oxides are usually described as Mott or charge transfer insulators, which are often viewed as being disparate from semiconductors. Based on the premise that the presence of a correlated gap and semiconductivity are not mutually exclusive, this work reviews electronic structure calculations on the binary 3d oxides, so to distill trends and design principles for semiconducting transition metal oxides. This class of materials possesses the potential for discovery, design, and development of novel functional semiconducting compounds, e.g. for energy applications. In order to place the 3d orbitals and the sp bands into an integrated picture, band structure calculations should treat both contributions on the same footing and, at the same time, account fully for electron correlation in the 3d shell. Fundamentally, this is a rather daunting task for electronic structure calculations, but quasi-particle energy calculations in GW approximation offer a viable approach for band structure predictions in these materials. Compared to conventional semiconductors, the inherent multivalent nature of transition metal cations is more likely to cause undesirable localization of electron or hole carriers. Therefore, a quantitative prediction of the carrier self-trapping energy is essential for the assessing the semiconducting properties and to determine whether the transport mechanism is a band-like large-polaron conduction or a small-polaron hopping conduction. An overview is given for the binary 3d oxides on how the hybridization between the 3d crystal field symmetries with the O-p orbitals of the ligands affects the effective masses and the likelihood of electron and hole self-trapping, identifying those situations where small masses and band-like conduction are more likely to be expected. The review concludes with an illustration of the implications of the increased electronic complexity of transition metal cations on the defect physics and doping, using as an example the diversity of possible atomic and magnetic configurations of the O vacancy in TiO(2), and the high levels of hole doping in Co(2)ZnO(4) due to a self-doping mechanism that originates from the multivalence of Co.
What have we learned about GPER function in physiology and disease from knockout mice

Estrogens, predominantly 17β-estradiol, exert diverse effects throughout the body in both normal and pathophysiology, during development and in reproductive, metabolic, endocrine, cardiovascular, nervous, musculoskeletal and immune systems. Estrogen and its receptors also play important roles in carcinogenesis and therapy, particularly for breast cancer. In addition to the classical nuclear estrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ) that traditionally mediate predominantly genomic signaling, the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor GPER has become recognized as a critical mediator of rapid signaling in response to estrogen. Mouse models, and in particular knockout (KO) mice, represent an important approach to understand the functions of receptors in normal physiology and disease. Whereas ERα KO mice display multiple significant defects in reproduction and mammary gland development, ERβ KO phenotypes are more limited, and GPER KO exhibit no reproductive deficits. However, the study of GPER KO mice over the last six years has revealed that GPER deficiency results in multiple physiological alterations including obesity, cardiovascular dysfunction, insulin resistance and glucose intolerance. In addition, the lack of estrogen-mediated effects in numerous tissues of GPER KO mice, studied in vivo or ex vivo, including those of the cardiovascular, endocrine, nervous and immune systems, reveals GPER as a genuine mediator of estrogen action. Importantly, GPER KO mice have also demonstrated roles for GPER in breast carcinogenesis and metastasis. In combination with the supporting effects of GPER-selective ligands and GPER knockdown approaches, GPER KO mice demonstrate the therapeutic potential of targeting GPER activity in diseases as diverse as obesity, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, hypertension, atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, stroke and cancer.
Association constant of β-cyclodextrin with carboranes, adamantane, and their derivatives using displacement binding technique

The association constants ( $$\text{K}_{\text{a}}^{\prime }$$ ) of unsubstituted o-, m-, and p-carborane, as well as that of adamantane, with β-Cyclodextrin are reported for the first time using displacement binding in an aqueous solution. The $$\text{K}_{\text{a}}^{\prime }$$ of several derivatives of these species are reported as well. The limitations of the displacement binding technique are also explored. Although hydrophobicity plays a major role in the association with β-CD, unsubstituted o-carborane, which is the least hydrophobic of the carborane derivatives, exhibits the highest $$\text{K}_{\text{a}}^{\prime }$$ of 2690 M−1. The $$\text{K}_{\text{a}}^{\prime }$$ values for the m- and p-carborane isomers decrease with decreasing dipole moment (1830 M−1 and 1560 M−1 respectively). Unsubstituted adamantane exhibits a $$\text{K}_{\text{a}}^{\prime }$$ value lower than each of the three carborane isomers at 1410 M−1.
Chapter 4 Marsupial Cells in Vivo and in Vitro

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the marsupial cells in vivo and in vitro. The purpose of this chapter is to review those characteristics of marsupials which are pertinent to cellular biology. The order Marsupiala consists of two major groups, one in the Western continent and the other in Australi-Asia. Marsupials are unique as subjects for experimental biology. The aspects which have received greatest attention have been the simple karyotypes and the “embryonal-fetal” nature of development. Developmentally, marsupials are best known for their unique mode of reproduction and for the embryology of their blood-forming organs. Various marsupials have been shown to have other unique features that make them invaluable as research tools. Marsupials are karyotypically simple, but they also have a wide range in chromosome number and morphology.
Single‐ and multiple‐dose study to evaluate pharmacokinetics, safety and tolerability in healthy volunteers: A comparison of extended‐release oxycodone with sequestered naltrexone 40 mg twice daily to oxycontin 40 mg twice daily and extended‐release oxycodone with sequestered naltrexone 80 mg once daily

ALO-02 capsules (ALO-02) contain pellets that consist of extended-release oxycodone that surrounds sequestered naltrexone. The primary objective was to characterize the pharmacokinetics (PK) of oxycodone following single- and multiple-dose oral administration of ALO-02 40 mg BID in healthy volunteers. Secondary objectives were to characterize (1) the PK of oxycodone following single- and multiple-dose administration of a comparator OxyContin (OXY-ER) 40 mg BID as well as an alternate regimen of ALO-02 80 mg QD, and (2) the safety and tolerability assessments. Healthy volunteers received three treatments on a background of oral naltrexone (50 mg). Noncompartmental PK parameters were calculated for oxycodone. All 12 subjects were male with a mean age (SD, range) of 44.6 years (7.6, 25–55). Single-dose PK results for ALO-02 indicate that median peak plasma oxycodone concentrations were reached by 12 hours compared to 4 hours for OXY-ER. Compared to OXY-ER, mean dose-normalized, single-dose Cmax values were approximately 27% and 23% lower for ALO-02 40 mg BID and ALO-02 80 mg QD treatments, respectively. Following multiple doses all treatments reached steady state by 3 days. At steady state, oxycodone peak-to-trough fluctuation was significantly lower for ALO-02 BID versus OXY-ER. Adverse events were consistent with opioid therapy. ALO-02 40 mg BID treatment provided a PK profile appropriate for around-the-clock treatment of chronic pain.
Lipopolysaccharide stimulates both nuclear localization of the nuclear factor kappa B 50-kDa subunit and loss of the 105-kDa precursor in RAW264 macrophage-like cells

Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappa B) is an important regulator of gene expression in cells of the immune system. One such gene, tumor necrosis factor, is induced by bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in macrophages, and this induction has been shown to be mediated in part by NF-kappa B activation in murine macrophages. In this study, immunochemical analysis was used to follow LPS activation of the NF-kappa B 50-kDa subunit in the RAW264 macrophage-like cell line. The recombinant NF-kappa B 50-kDa subunit was used as an immunogen to produce a rabbit antiserum, which was then affinity-purified using a portion of the NF-kappa B 50-kDa subunit that does not have homology to other members of the c-rel gene family. Untreated macrophages had little NF-kappa B in the nucleus as detected by Western immunoblotting. The protein was predominantly localized in the cytoplasmic fraction. Interestingly, NF-kappa B was found as the 50-kDa mature protein and 105-kDa precursor. After LPS treatment, there was a rapid nuclear translocation of NF-kappa B as detected by immunoblot analysis. There was also a rapid decrease in the amount of the cytoplasmic 105-kDa protein. This may indicate that the 105-kDa protein is a reservoir for the 50-kDa protein and that one of the actions of LPS is to increase the rate of 105-kDa precursor processing.
Remarks on the N = 1 S U ( M + p ) × S U ( p ) quiver gauge theory with flavor

We study supersymmetric vacua of the $\mathcal{N}=1$ cascading $SU(M+p)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}SU(p)$ gauge theory with flavor---the theory on $p$ D3-branes and $M$ wrapped D5-branes at the tip of the conifold, and ${N}_{f}$ flavor D7-branes wrapping a holomorphic four-cycle inside the conifold. The Coulomb branch of the moduli space is inherited from the pure gauge theory without flavor and was thoroughly studied in the past. Besides, there is a Higgs branch where some D3- and/or D5-branes dissolve in the D7-branes forming the worldvolume gauge instantons. We study the Higgs branch both from the field theory and the bulk point of view. On the classical level the moduli space is closely related to the one of the $\mathcal{N}=2$ ${\mathbb{C}}^{2}/{\mathbb{Z}}_{2}$ orbifold theory, in particular, certain vacua of the $\mathcal{N}=1$ theory are related to noncommutative instantons on the resolved ${\mathbb{C}}^{2}/{\mathbb{Z}}_{2}$. On the quantum level the Higgs branch acquires corrections due to renormalization of the K\"ahler potential and nonperturbative effects in field theory. In the bulk this is encoded in the classical D7-brane geometry. We compute the vacuum expectation value (VEV)s of the protected operators and the field theory RG flow and find an agreement with the parallel computations in the bulk.
Inhibition of Messenger Ribonucleic Acid Synthesis in Escherichia coli by Thiolutin

Thiolutin, at concentrations of 5 to 40 μg/ml, inhibited the induced synthesis of β-galactosidase in Escherichia coli CA8000. Thiolutin had no effect on the rate of in vitro hydrolysis of o-nitrophenyl-β-d-galactoside by purified β-galactosidase. Examination of the effects of thiolutin on the kinetics of appearance of β-galactosidase in the presence and absence of rifampin in induced E. coli cells indicated that thiolutin interferes with the transcription process at the level of elongation of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) chains. The data indicated that, in the presence of thiolutin, β-galactosidase mRNA has a half-life of 1.6 min and that the first completed β-galactosidase mRNA is produced about 1.5 min after induction. These data are consistent with estimates of transcription time and messenger half-life obtained by conventional means, and suggest that thiolutin does not affect translation of mRNA or its breakdown in vivo. After removal of thiolutin, cells fully regained the ability to be induced for synthesis of β-galactosidase within 10 min, but mRNA which was incomplete at the time of thiolutin addition did not subsequently become functional.
Learning an atlas of a cognitive process in its functional geometry

In this paper we construct an atlas that captures functional characteristics of a cognitive process from a population of individuals. The functional connectivity is encoded in a low-dimensional embedding space derived from a diffusion process on a graph that represents correlations of fMRI time courses. The atlas is represented by a common prior distribution for the embedded fMRI signals of all subjects. The atlas is not directly coupled to the anatomical space, and can represent functional networks that are variable in their spatial distribution. We derive an algorithm for fitting this generative model to the observed data in a population. Our results in a language fMRI study demonstrate that the method identifies coherent and functionally equivalent regions across subjects.
Technological Development of Congressional Candidate Web Sites 2002-2008

Campaign websites allow candidates to employ interactive and presentational technologies that have the potential to change the nature of candidate-voter interactions. We explore the conditions that lead congressional candidates to employ these technologies. We argue that technological choices reflect the same types of practical (e.g., funds) and political (e.g., incumbency status and competitiveness) considerations that determine campaign strategy more generally. We test and find support for these arguments with a unique data set from the 2008 congressional campaign. Far from being a panacea promoting voter-candidate interaction, candidate use of website technologies reflects practical and political realities.
Outcomes in pediatric patients with nonconvulsive status epilepticus

Recognition of nonconvulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) is gaining increasing attention in the assessment and evaluation of critically ill pediatric patients. The underlying cause of NCSE is often the most important factor in determining outcome. However, there is a growing body of literature suggesting that electrical seizure burden in NCSE also contributes to unfavorable outcomes. Determination of impact of NCSE on outcome based on current evidence involves consideration of heterogeneous study settings, study populations, and process of care and outcome measures. In addition, the lack of data on neurocognitive function prior to episodes of NCSE as well as limited long-term neurocognitive assessment data confines precise conclusions about neurocognitive changes. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Status Epilepticus".
Analysis Of Classroom Discourse And Instructors Awareness Of Speech In A Spanish College Course

This is an instrumental case study and consists of the description, analysis and interpretation of the teaching practices of a Spanish college instructor. The aim of this research project is to find answers to the following questions: What is the ratio of L1-L2 spoken in class? For what functions is each language used? And, are there inconsistencies between teachers beliefs and classroom practices in regards to the use of English and Spanish? Data were obtained from the tape recording of beginner level Spanish conversation classes in a private college in the Northeast. Other data sources included non-participant observations and an interview with the instructor. Results seem to indicate a prevalence in the use of English as opposed to Spanish in the classes observed. At the same time, there was an inconsistency between awareness regarding the use of English and Spanish in class and a prevalence of teacher talk compared to student speech.
Bridging the Classroom Gap between Asset Pricing and Business Cycle Theory

The tools presented in the standard undergraduate economics and finance curricula are insufficient for explaining the complex dynamics of the modern U.S. economy. For instance, students of macroeconomics are not provided with a satisfactory framework for assessing how a financial shock may reverberate through the real economy, as it did during the Great Recession of 2008-2009. Similarly, students of finance are left with little guidance as to the origins of two key inputs into asset pricing models, namely cash flows and discount rates. In this article we present a unified macro-financial model to bridge the gap between the typical undergraduate treatments of asset pricing and business cycle theory. The Dynamic Empirical Macroeconomic (DyEM) model we introduce here offers several innovations, the most important of which is expanding the role of the interest rate to include term and default risk premia. We combine these elements to construct a series of discount rates that are critical for a range of present discounted value calculations. Moreover, we link economic activity to earnings growth in order to facilitate macro-based equity pricing. The paper concludes with an illustration of how the DyEM model may be used in the classroom via a cooperative learning exercise centered on the Great Recession.
Immediate response of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)-mediated signalling following acute resistance exercise in rat skeletal muscle

The purpose of the present investigation was to determine whether mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)-mediated signalling and some key regulatory proteins of translation initiation are altered in skeletal muscle during the immediate phase of recovery following acute resistance exercise. Rats were operantly conditioned to reach an illuminated bar located high on a Plexiglass cage, such that the animals completed concentric and eccentric contractions involving the hindlimb musculature. Gastrocnemius muscle was extracted immediately after acute exercise and 5, 10, 15, 30 and 60 min of recovery. Phosphorylation of protein kinase B (PKB) on Ser-473 peaked at 10 min of recovery (282% of control, P < 0.05) with no significant changes noted for mTOR phosphorylation on Ser-2448. Eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF) 4E-binding protein-1 (4E-BP1) and S6 kinase-1 (S6K1), both downstream effectors of mTOR, were altered during recovery as well. 4E-BP1 phosphorylation was significantly elevated at 10 min (292%, P < 0.01) of recovery. S6K1 phosphorylation on Thr-389 demonstrated a trend for peak activation at 10 min following exercise (336%, P = 0.06) with ribosomal protein S6 phosphorylation being maximally activated at 15 min of recovery (647%, P < 0.05). Components of the eIF4F complex were enhanced during recovery as eIF4E association with eIF4G peaked at 10 min (292%, P < 0.05). Events regulating the binding of initiator methionyl-tRNA to the 40S ribosomal subunit were assessed through eIF2B activity and eIF2 alpha phosphorylation on Ser-51. No differences were noted with either eIF2B or eIF2 alpha. Collectively, these results provide strong evidence that mTOR-mediating signalling is transiently upregulated during the immediate period following resistance exercise and this response may constitute the most proximal growth response of the cell.
Automated MAD and MIR structure solution

Obtaining an electron-density map from X-ray diffraction data can be difficult and time-consuming even after the data have been collected, largely because MIR and MAD structure determinations currently require many subjective evaluations of the qualities of trial heavy-atom partial structures before a correct heavy-atom solution is obtained. A set of criteria for evaluating the quality of heavy-atom partial solutions in macromolecular crystallography have been developed. These have allowed the conversion of the crystal structure-solution process into an optimization problem and have allowed its automation. The SOLVE software has been used to solve MAD data sets with as many as 52 selenium sites in the asymmetric unit. The automated structure-solution process developed is a major step towards the fully automated structure-determination, model-building and refinement procedure which is needed for genomic scale structure determinations.
Diagnostic and treatment patterns for renal colic in US emergency departments

Purpose: To describe the epidemiology, imaging and treatment patterns of acute renal colic in US emergency departments. Materials and methods: Data on 25,622 visits representing 108 million emergency department visits were obtained from the 2000 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. Demographic and clinical information are presented descriptively. Results: There were a total of 259 records representing 1,139,257 visits with a primary ED diagnosis of renal calculus or colic. The majority of patients are young males, presenting with moderate to severe flank pain. Patients received an average of two medications from a pharmacopoeia of several dozen. The most commonly used medications were ketorolac, promthiazine and morphine. Antibiotics were prescribed in over 20% of cases. Just under half of all patients had a radiographic test, and a similar number had one or more blood tests. Fewer than 10% were admitted. Conclusions: Renal colic is a common emergency department presentation and but there is widespread variation in the type of ancillary testing obtained. Patients may not obtain those radiological tests required to ensure prompt urological follow-up. Further work should be aimed at developing protocols for the emergent management of patients with renal colic.
Effects of spatio-temporal coupling on pulse propagation in nonlinear defocusing medium

The propagation of a pulse in a bulk nonlinear Kerr defocusing medium is considered in the presence of both dispersion and diffraction. The effects of spatio-temporal coupling due to the cubic nonlinearity on the propagation dynamics are investigated. We show that, under certain conditions, the pulse may narrow, split or produce multipeaks structure in both space and time, thus leading to unconventional spatially-dependent spectral distributions. We solve the problem numerically for both cases of one transverse spatial dimension and cylindrically symmetric two transverse spatial dimensions.
Coyote Abundance, Sheep Predation, and Wild Prey Correlates Illuminate Mediterranean Trophic Dynamics

Sheep predation by coyotes (Canis latrans) is a major problem for sheep producers in North America. Solutions are facilitated by a basic understanding of the trophic dynamic context of this problem, one that likely varies geographically in important qualitative ways. Little is known about vertebrate trophic dynamics in Mediterranean ecosystems, where prey are diverse and their biomass is strongly influenced multi-annually by variable rainfall. We used long-term data sets from north-coastal California, USA, to investigate whether wild prey fluctuations caused immediate negative effects on sheep predation via a reduction in the coyote functional response or delayed positive effects on sheep predation via a numerical response by coyote predators. Because we could not measure prey biomass directly, we used variables associated with lower trophic levels (e.g., annual plant productivity, vole abundance, rainfall) as proxies for wild prey biomass. Coyote population growth rate was positively correlated with lower-trophic-level variables of the previous year, suggesting a numerical response, and sheep (ad F + lambs) predation was positively correlated with coyote abundance in the current year. Sheep predation also was negatively correlated with lower-trophic-level variables of the current year, suggesting an immediate buffering effect of wild prey on sheep predation. Together, coyote abundance and lower-trophic-level variables explained 47% of the multi-annual variation in sheep kills. The negative pathway between lower-trophic-level variables and sheep predation was stronger than the positive pathway, possibly due to the erratic nature of multi-annual fluctuations in lower-trophic-level variables, which could prevent the numerical response from reaching its full potential. Monthly analyses revealed a type III functional response of coyotes to lambs, which is expected to enhance buffering effects of wild prey on sheep predation. Our findings suggest the dominant effect of wild prey biomass on sheep predation by coyotes in this Mediterranean-type community is as a buffer.
Aqueous Photochemistry of Mercury with Organic Acids

ABSTRACT To understand the dynamic chemical changes of mercury taking place in atmospheric water, a more detailed knowledge of the reactions of mercury with organic acids must be obtained. The rate of the above chemical reactions with different Hg(II) species is especially essential for understanding the dominant pathway of mercury transformation in the atmosphere. The objective of this research is to study the rate of photochemical reactions of dissolved divalent mercury with organic acids such as oxalate, acetate, and formate, which are abundant in atmospheric water. Laboratory photochemical experiments with simulated sunlight were conducted to assess the role of homogeneous photochemistry in changing the redox states of mercury in atmospheric water. It is observed that Hg(II) is readily reduced by hydroperoxyl radicals produced by the photolysis of oxalate. The second-order rate constant for the Hg(II)-hydroperoxyl radical reaction was found to be 1.7 x 104 M-1 s-1 when no chloride is present and 1.1 x...
Poster: Compressed Sensing Inspired Approaches for Path Reconstruction in Wireless Sensor Networks

In this work, we investigate routing dynamics in mobile ad hoc wireless sensor networks (WSNs), which is of great importance for network performance analysis, operation optimization, system maintenance, and network diagnosis. We study packet path recovery for data collection in multi-hop dynamic WSNs at the sink based on compressed sensing approach. We extend our previous outing topology recovery (RTR) approach and evaluate its performance in comparison with the recent CSPR. Our work provides insights into the understanding of the profound impacts of different compressed sensing inspired approaches on their respective path reconstruction performance, and the resource requirement on sensor nodes. The evaluation results show that RTR can significantly outperform CSPR in various WSN setups.
NifS-mediated assembly of [4Fe-4S] clusters in the N- and C-terminal domains of the NifU scaffold protein.

NifU is a homodimeric modular protein comprising N- and C-terminal domains and a central domain with a redox-active [2Fe−2S]2+,+ cluster. It plays a crucial role as a scaffold protein for the assembly of the Fe−S clusters required for the maturation of nif-specific Fe−S proteins. In this work, the time course and products of in vitro NifS-mediated iron−sulfur cluster assembly on full-length NifU and truncated forms involving only the N-terminal domain or the central and C-terminal domains have been investigated using UV−vis absorption and Mossbauer spectroscopies, coupled with analytical studies. The results demonstrate sequential assembly of labile [2Fe−2S]2+ and [4Fe−4S]2+ clusters in the U-type N-terminal scaffolding domain and the assembly of [4Fe−4S]2+ clusters in the Nfu-type C-terminal scaffolding domain. Both scaffolding domains of NifU are shown to be competent for in vitro maturation of nitrogenase component proteins, as evidenced by rapid transfer of [4Fe−4S]2+ clusters preassembled on either t...
Digital Anaesthesia: Comparison of the Efficacy and Pain Associated with Three Digital Nerve Block Techniques

There are three commonly used methods of digital block anaesthesia: viz. subcutaneous, metacarpal and transthecal. A randomized, single-blinded study on 50 healthy volunteers was performed to determine time to onset, pain level and preference. Volunteers each received all three blocks, serving as their own controls. Time to onset was significantly longer (P<0.001) for the metacarpal block than for the subcutaneous or transthecal blocks. There was no significant difference in average pain level between the methods, as measured on a scale from 1 to 10. Volunteers chose the subcutaneous block (43%) as their first choice over the metacarpal block (33%) or the transthecal block (25%). The transthecal block had prolonged discomfort lasting 24 to 72 hours after injection in 20 subjects (40%). These findings suggest that subcutaneous block is effective and preferred by healthy volunteers for digital anaesthesia.
Stellar Bow Shocks in the Northern Arm of the Galactic Center: More Members and Kinematics of the Massive Star Population

We present new 2.2 μm diffraction-limited images from the W. M. Keck 10 m and Gemini 8 m telescopes of the cool Galactic center sources, IRS 1W, 5, 8, 10W, and 21, along with new proper motions for IRS 1W, 10W, and 21. These observations were carried out to test the bow shock hypothesis presented by Tanner et al. as an alternative to a very recent (104 yr) epoch of star formation within the tidal stream of gas and dust known as the northern arm. Resolved asymmetric structure is detected in all the sources, with bow shock morphologies associated with IRS 1W, 5, 8, and 10W. For IRS 1W and 10W, there is an agreement between the position angle of the asymmetry and that of the inferred relative velocity vector of the near-infrared source with respect to the northern arm gas, strengthening the bow shock hypothesis. We therefore conclude that the observed morphology is indeed a bow shock generated by sources plowing through the northern arm. Furthermore, the large extent of the resolved structures (310-1340 AU), along with their luminosities (~104-105 L☉), suggests that their central sources are Wolf-Rayet stars, comparable to the broad He emission-line stars, which have strong winds on the order of 1000 km s-1. The bow shock geometry, along with the proper motion measurements, provide three-dimensional orbital solutions for this enigmatic class of objects. The orientations of the orbital planes of IRS 1W and 10W are consistent with that of the putative clockwise plane which has been proposed as a solution for the He I emission-line stars. While these observations eliminate the need to invoke star formation within the northern arm, they increase by 10% the total known population of massive, young stars with strong winds, whose origin remains unexplained in the context of the nearby supermassive black hole.
Leveraging Smart-Meters for Initiating Application Migration across Clouds for Performance and Power-Expenditure Trade-Offs

Smart meters, introduced by smart grid technologies, enable power distribution companies to price electricity differently for different times of the day. Such dynamic pricing schemes help the power companies to modulate the aggregate demand of electricity based on the supply. Accordingly, cloud providers, which are often the largest consumers of electricity, should be able to respond to various dynamic pricing signals called demand response (DR) signals by autonomously moving identified applications to other cloud sites. This paper leverages the recent advancements in cloud migration technologies to 'intelligently' move applications across geographically distributed cloud sites at runtime after a DR signal is received by the cloud provider. This helps minimize the cost incurred by a cloud provider and yet provide adequate service level guarantees as stated in the service level agreements (SLA). The current work develops models and solution schemes for identifying suitable applications for migration and placing such applications on remote cloud sites to take advantages of pricing schemes such as the time-of-use pricing and real time pricing.
Characterization of the swelling of a size-exclusion gel

The swelling of a dextran gel, Sephadex G-75, was observed in an aqueous environment at room temperature by a noninvasive technique that uses light microscopy coupled to an image analysis system via a video camera. The rate of swelling was found to follow the Tanaka and Fillmore theory, from which the overall gel diffusion coefficient was estimated as 6.3 x 10(-7) cm2/s. In addition to giving a quantitative measure of gel swelling that could be useful in the mechanical design of liquid chromatography columns, this approach provides data on wet particle size and particle size range, which is needed for the modeling of diffusional and mass transfer effects in size-exclusion chromatography. In this context, key observations are that the gel particles are nearly spherical with an elliptical shape factor of 0.98 (perfect sphere = 1) and that there is little difference between sizes of particles obtained in water, 50 mM Tris-glycine buffer (pH 10.2), and buffer containing 1 mg/mL protein. The diameter of the dry material ranged from 20 to 100 microns, while the hydrated particles had diameters of 40-350 microns. The rate of swelling is rapid, with 50% swelling occurring in about 10 s and swelling to 99% of the final wet particle size being obtained in less than 90 s.
Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy - Vibrational Spectroscopy of Adsorbates at the Metal-Electrolyte Interface

Abstract Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy has been used to study the adsorption of pyridine and cyanide on Cu, Ag, and Au electrodes. The Raman spectra for pyridine on these three substrates closely resembled each other, and the Raman peaks exhibited small shifts from the corresponding peaks in an aqueous pyridine solution. The low frequency vibrational modes in the region 200–250 cm−1 are attributed to the metal-pyridine stretches, namely, v[Cu-N(pyridine)] = 241 cm−1, v[Ag-N(pyridine)] = 237 cm−1, and v[Au-N(pyridine)] = 232 cm−1. The energies of the metal-pyridine stretches were quite insensitive to the kind of substrate the molecule was on. We report also the surface enhanced Raman scattering from cyanide adsorbed on Au. The CN stretching frequency was at 2109 cm−1, which was attributed to that of the adsorbed Au(CN)− 2 complex. In addition, three low frequency modes were observed at 88, 228, and 325 cm−1. Cyanide adsorption on Cu and Ag electrodes was also investigated. For the Cu/cyanide system, ...
Absolute atomic-scale measurements of the Gibbsian interfacial excess of solute at internal interfaces.

A method consistent with the Gibbs' formalism is presented for measuring the Gibbsian interfacial excess of solute (\ensuremath{\Gamma}) at an internal interface using atom-probe field-ion microscopy (APFIM). The values of \ensuremath{\Gamma} are measured directly, that is, without deconvolution procedures. The relationships between \ensuremath{\Gamma} and the thermodynamic-state variables of an internal interface are studied using the techniques of APFIM and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Examples are given of the application of APFIM-TEM to the measurement of \ensuremath{\Gamma} at grain boundaries in an Fe(Si) alloy.
Decentralized cooperative control of heterogeneous vehicle groups

We coordinate in discrete time the interaction of two heterogeneous groups of mobile agents: a group of ground vehicles (ugvs) and a group of aerial vehicles (uavs). The ground agents interact with each other through time-invariant, nearest-neighbour rules. They synchronize their velocities through a specific communication protocol, and maintain cohesion and separation behaviour by means of interagent potential forces. Ground vehicles estimate their formation's centroid using only locally available delayed information. That same information is transmitted to the aerial group, which orbits above the ground formation's centroid, while avoiding midair collisions. Stability of the ground group motion is established in a Lyapunov framework. A Lyapunov analysis is also used to ensure that uavs track the ground group's centroid.
Darwinian evolution of an alternative genetic system provides support for TNA as an RNA progenitor

The pre-RNA world hypothesis postulates that RNA was preceded in the evolution of life by a simpler genetic material, but it is not known if such systems can fold into structures capable of eliciting a desired function. Presumably, whatever chemistry gave rise to RNA would have produced other RNA analogues, some of which may have preceded or competed directly with RNA. Threose nucleic acid (TNA), a potentially natural derivative of RNA, has received considerable interest as a possible RNA progenitor due to its chemical simplicity and ability to exchange genetic information with itself and RNA. Here, we have applied Darwinian evolution methods to evolve, in vitro, a TNA receptor that binds to an arbitrary target with high affinity and specificity. This demonstration shows that TNA has the ability to fold into tertiary structures with sophisticated chemical functions, which provides evidence that TNA could have served as an ancestral genetic system during an early stage of life.
The use of laboratory experiments for the study of conservative solute transport in heterogeneous porous media

Laboratory experiments on heterogeneous porous media (otherwise known as intermediate scale experiments, or ISEs) have been increasingly relied upon by hydrogeologists for the study of saturated and unsaturated groundwater systems. Among the many ongoing applications of ISEs is the study of fluid flow and the transport of conservative solutes in correlated permeability fields. Recent advances in ISE design have provided the capability of creating correlated permeability fields in the laboratory. This capability is important in the application of ISEs for the assessment of recent stochastic theories. In addition, pressure-transducer technology and visualization methods have provided the potential for ISEs to be used in characterizing the spatial distributions of both hydraulic head and local water velocity within correlated permeability fields. Finally, various methods are available for characterizing temporal variations in the spatial distribution (and, thereby, the spatial moments) of solute concentrations within ISEs. It is concluded, therefore, that recent developments in experimental techniques have provided an opportunity to use ISEs as important tools in the continuing study of fluid flow and the transport of conservative solutes in heterogeneous, saturated porous media.
Developing rapid, point-of-care, multiplex detection for use in lateral flow devices

Immunoassays have been widely used in commercial, scientific and medical research for detection and quantification of analytes in complex mixtures. There is however a need for a point-of-care, multiplex diagnostic assays capable of providing rapid and quantitative measurements of analytes present in samples that are sufficiently simple to carry out without use of a laboratory or individuals trained in chemical analysis. We are developing a fluorescent lateral flow immunoassay platform to perform simultaneous, multiplexed detection of analytes in a complex fluid mixture along with instrumentation to optically quantitate the analytes in the sample. Our prototype imaging system is based on conventional 16-bit CCD optics, which enables the development of a rugged diagnostic instrument that can be further scaled down for point-of-care applications. We have compared protein microarrays with lateral flow assays (LFAs) to determine the sensitivity of each system for the measurement of distinct proteins in complex samples. We are pursuing the LFA platform such that it can easily be scaled to meet the requirements of any given screening application, and be implemented for use in a medical or surgical setting.
Effect of galanin and enterostatin on sympathetic nerve activity to interscapular brown adipose tissue.

Abstract The effects of galanin and enterostatin on sympathetic activity have been examined in rats using electrophysiological techniques. Galanin, in doses of 25–300 pmol, and enterostatin, in doses of 0.5–10 nmol, were injected into the third ventricle of anesthetized male Sprague-Dawley rats in 1-μl volumes. Galanin produced a dose-dependent suppression (ranging between 20 and 80%) of sympathetic firing rate of nerves innervating interscapular brown adipose tissue. In rats fed a chow diet, injection of enterostatin produced only a transient 10% rise in firing rate which returned to baseline within 10–15 min. In contrast, animals fed a high-fat diet showed a dose-dependent increase in firing rate lasting for 60 min. The results of this experiment are consistent with the hypothesis that food intake and sympathetic nervous system activity have a reciprocal relationship. The implications of this relationship are discussed.
Effects of supplemental ruminally degradable protein versus increasing amounts of supplemental ruminally undegradable protein on site and extent of digestion and ruminal characteristics in lambs fed low-quality forage.

Four ruminally and duodenally cannulated Suffolk wether lambs (34.5 ± 2 kg initial BW) were used in a 4 x 4 Latin square designed experiment to compare effects of supplemental ruminally degradable protein (RDP) vs. increasing amounts of supplemental ruminally undegradable protein (RUP) on ruminal characteristics and site and extent of digestion in lambs. Lambs were fed a basal diet of crested wheatgrass hay (4.2% CP) for ad libitum consumption, plus 1 of 4 protein supplements: isolated soy protein (RDP source) fed to meet estimated RDP requirements assuming a microbial efficiency of 11% of TDN (CON) or corn gluten meal (RUP source) fed at 50, 100, or 150% of the supplemental N provided by CON (C50, C100, and C150, respectively). Neither NDF nor ADF intake was affected (P > 0.18) by protein degradability, but they increased or tended to increase (P ≤ 0.07) with increasing level of RUP. Total OM and N intakes were similar (P ≥ 0.26) for CON and C100, but increased (P ≤ 0.01) as level of RUP increased. True ruminal OM and ruminal digestibilities of NDF and ADF were not affected (P ≥ 0.33) by protein degradability. However, true ruminal N digestibility was greater (P = 0.03) for CON compared with C100. Ruminal ammonia concentrations were greater (P = 0.002) for CON compared with C100 lambs, and increased (P = 0.001) with increasing RUP. Microbial N flows were not affected (P ≥ 0.12) by protein degradability or increasing RUP. Likewise, neither ruminal urease activity (P ≥ 0.11) nor microbial efficiency (P ≥ 0.50) were affected by protein degradability or level of RUP. Total tract OM, NDF, and ADF digestibility was greater (P ≤ 0.05) for C100 compared with CON. Likewise, total tract N digestibility was greater (P = 0.03) for C100 than for CON, and increased linearly (P = 0.001) with increasing RUP. Lambs fed C100 consumed approximately 69% less supplemental RDP (31% less total RDP) than CON, but were able to maintain forage intake and digestion. This lack of response in forage intake would suggest that lambs supplemented with RUP were recycling sufficient N to compensate for an apparent RDP deficiency. Although ruminal degradability of protein has little effect on forage intake or ruminal digestion of nutrients, there is potential to enhance total tract digestion of nutrients by decreasing the ruminal degradability of supplemental protein.
A time-variant load model based on smart meter data mining

This paper proposes a novel time-variant load model based on data-mining of a historical smart meter database. As part of the ongoing smart grid transformation, smart meters have been widely installed producing massive amount of data and information yet unexplored. One of the critical needs for distribution system operations and planning applications is enhanced modeling of the load, in particular, its dependence on the voltage. Under the typical smart meter recording resolution (15-minutes), the load's P-V and Q-V properties are buried in the spontaneous load changes caused by random customer behaviors. To overcome this, the concept of load condition is introduced and data mining techniques such as Kullback-Leibler divergence and K-subspace are implemented. The proposed model is tested on a large database for the Georgia Tech campus, and the results demonstrate that the new model captures the time-variant property of the load on the building level without additional investment.
Use of reasoning to a contradiction in grades three to college

The primary purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that an important intellectual acquisition during adolescence is the ability to generate arguments that involve reasoning to contradiction. Students in grades 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, and college were individually administered a four-card selection task that required them to, among other things, reason to a contradiction to falsify a hypothesis. Virtually none of the students spontaneously utilized this reasoning pattern on the initial task. Minimal verbal instruction in use of the reasoning pattern was then given followed by a logically analogous selection task. Performance on this task improved significantly with age from 12% success among third graders to 52% success among college students, providing some support for the hypothesis. Performance on an evaluation task showed similar rates of success; however, most students were able to correctly evaluate falsifying evidence when presented. This result suggested that, contrary to Piagetian theory, students from grade 3 upward comprehend the logic of falsification. It is argued that reasoning to a contradiction is a reasoning pattern of central importance in testing alternative scientific hypotheses and its use in students grades 3 through college could be enhanced through proper instruction and, if done, should increase students' ability to generate and evaluate competing hypotheses.
Successive overrelaxation methods for solving the rank deficient linear squares problem

Abstract We develop successive overrelaxation (SOR) methods for finding the least squares solution of minimal norm to the system Ax = b , (∗) where A is an m × n matrix of rank r . The methods are obtained by first augmenting the system (∗) to a block 4 × 4 consistent system of linear equations. The augmented coefficient matrix is then split by a subproper SOR splitting. An interval for the relaxation parameter in which the subproper SOR iteration matrix is semiconvergent is determined along with the optimal relaxation parameter which minimizes the modulus of the controlling eigenvalue of the SOR matrix. Since the scheme computes at first only a solution to the augmented system, it is subsequently shown how to transform such a solution to the unique solution of minimal 2-norm. Analysis of the practical implementation of the algorithms developed here will be given elsewhere.