cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Framing Doctoral Education for a Science of Social Work: Positioning Students for the Scientific Career, Promoting Scholars for the Academy, Propagating Scientists of the Profession, and Preparing Stewards of the Discipline.

Social work education grounded in social work practice has been recently challenged to examine the role of science in its history, core constructs and domains, philosophical underpinnings, and grad...
Second-trimester fetal monitoring and preterm delivery in pregnancies with systemic lupus erythematosus and/or circulating anticoagulant.

Anteparturn fetal monitoring was initiated at 19 to 26 weeks' gestation in 15 pregnancies: six (five with systemic lupus erythematosus; one with circulating anticoagulant) with a complicated antepartum course (group 1); three, all systemic lupus erythematosus, with a normal anteparturn course (group 2); and six normal control pregnancies (group 3). Group 1 all exhibited nonperiodic fetal heart rate decelerations, without the classical appearance of early; late, or variable decelerations, and four of the six had fetal bradycardia. In three group 1 cases, there was no active intervention because of early gestational age, and fetal death occurred at 23, 27, and 27 weeks, respectively. The other three patients in group 1 received betamethasone and were delivered by cesarean section at 28, to 30 weeks. There'were no cases of-respiratory distress syndrome or neonatal death. Five of the six infants. in group 1 were small for gestational age. The nonperiodic fetal heart rate decelerations were absent in both groups 2 and 3 who all had normal fetal outcomes at term. The abnormal finding of women with nonperiodic fetal heart rate decelerations at 20 to 28 weeks may detect the fetus at risk for intrauterine death in pregnancies complicated by systemic lupus erythematosus or circulating anticoagulant. Continued, surveillance, steroid induction of lung maturity, and delivery should be considered in these cases.
Unified thermodynamic constitutive model and finite element analysis of active metal matrix composites

A unified thermodynamic constitutive model for Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) materials, derived by a proper extension of the thermodynamic model proposed by Boyd and Lagoudas is presented in this paper. The specific selections for the form of the mixing energy associated with the martensitic volume fraction are identified for several earlier models. The heat energy released or absorbed during the forward or reverse transformation predicted by the different models is compared with the experimental data from calorimetric measurements. The constitutive model is implemented in a finite element analysis scheme using a return mapping integration technique for the incremental formation of the model. Finally, the constitutive model is utilized to analyze the thermomechanical response of an active metal matrix composite with embedded SMA fibers. Both tetragonal and hexagonal periodic arrangements of SMA fibers are considered in the calculation and the results from the different arrangements of SMA fibers are compared.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The 1.7 A crystal structure of BPI: a study of how two dissimilar amino acid sequences can adopt the same fold.

Abstract We have extended the resolution of the crystal structure of human bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI) to 1.7 A. BPI has two domains with the same fold, but with little sequence similarity. To understand the similarity in structure of the two domains, we compare the corresponding residue positions in the two domains by the method of 3D-1D profiles. A 3D-1D profile is a string formed by assigning each position in the 3D structure to one of 18 environment classes. The environment classes are defined by the local secondary structure, the area of the residue which is buried from solvent, and the fraction of the area buried by polar atoms. A structural alignment between the two BPI domains was used to compare the 3D-1D environments of structurally equivalent positions. Greater than 31 % of the aligned positions have conserved 3D-1D environments, but only 13 % have conserved residue identities. Analysis of the 3D-1D environmentally conserved positions helps to identify pairs of residues likely to be important in conserving the fold, regardless of the residue similarity. We find examples of 3D-1D environmentally conserved positions with dissimilar residues which nevertheless play similar structural roles. To generalize our findings, we analyzed four other proteins with similar structures yet dissimilar sequences. Together, these examples show that aligned pairs of dissimilar residues often share similar structural roles, stabilizing dissimilar sequences in the same fold.
Some Remarks on Data Handling Systems

Three classes of nuclear data handling problems are discussed, and three output devices are described. These include a card punching system for a neutron diffraction spectrometer, an electric typewriter system for a large counting room, and a proposed magnetic drum storage system for a time-of-flight analyzer.
Flow-Induced Vibrations and Damages of Hydrofoil Systems

Vibrations of hydrofoils on fast ferries are the subject of this paper. Relatively small foil surfaces, already supporting the total ship weight, must sustain unsteady hydrodynamic forces in rough seas and while maneuvering. The resulting hydrofoil oscillations can be estimated for practical purposes, as well as the consequences of such motions. Typical damage induced by vibrations on hydrofoil systems is shown. The eminent example of self-excited oscillations is the hydrofoil singing phenomenon, which is caused by interaction between the foil trailing knife and vortex shedding from the foil trailing edge. Discussion of this effect and means for elimination of the singing phenomenon are presented.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Dynamic screening induced softening of excitation gap and anticrossing of magneto-plasmon modes

Abstract A self-consistent field model is applied to calculate the magnetic-field dispersion of both tunneling-like and cyclotron-like collective excitations in double quantum wells. Anticrossing between two dipole-active cyclotron-like modes and a softened excitation gap of the tunneling-like mode are predicted and explained as a result of the dynamic electron screening effect in double quantum wells.
Alfalfa Persistence and Regrowth Potential under Continuous Grazing

Cultivars differed significantly for stand persistence after 3 yr of continuous grazing with 6 to 9 plants m −2 remaining for the hay-type cultivars and 40 to 48 plants m −2 remaining for grazing-type cultivars. Total nonstructural carbohydrates (TNC) in roots at the end of 1986 and 1987 grazing seasons ranged from 256 g kg −1 for Florida 77 to 429 g kg −1 for Travois, suggesting that grazing tolerance may be related to the TNC concentration in roots of alfalfa that had been heavily and continuously grazed. This study indicates that selection for plant persistence under continuous grazing from a broad-based population improved the grazing tolerance of the resulting germplasm (GA-GC) while maintaining the potential for good forage yields
Serum thyroxine and seasonal fattening of free-living piute ground squirrels, Spermophilus mollis (Rodentia: Sciuridae)

Abstract 1. 1. Serum thyroxine and body composition of free-living Piute ground squirrels were examined during the season of above-ground activity. 2. 2. Serum thyroxine titers were 2–10 times higher than those reported in laboratory studies on other species. 3. 3. Among juveniles, both body size and lipid content were negatively correlated with thyroxine, whereas these variables were not significantly correlated among adults. 4. 4. Significant sex differences in serum thyroxine were observed for both age groups. 5. 5. Results suggest that the seasonal cycle of body weight is driven by an underlying metabolic cycle but that individual fattening schedules are determined by environmental conditions.
SU-E-T-417: The Impact of Normal Tissue Constraints On PTV Dose Homogeneity for Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT), Volume Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) and Tomotherapy

Purpose: Complex intensity modulated arc therapy tends to spread low dose to normal tissue(NT)regions to obtain improved target conformity and homogeneity and OAR sparing.This work evaluates the trade-offs between PTV homogeneity and reduction of the maximum dose(Dmax)spread to NT while planning of IMRT,VMAT and Tomotherapy. Methods: Ten prostate patients,previously planned with step-and-shoot IMRT,were selected.To fairly evaluate how PTV homogeneity was affected by NT Dmax constraints,original IMRT DVH objectives for PTV and OARs(femoral heads,and rectal and bladder wall)applied to 2 VMAT plans in Pinnacle(V9.0), and Tomotherapy(V4.2).The only constraint difference was the NT which was defined as body contours excluding targets,OARs and dose rings.NT Dmax constraint for 1st VMAT was set to the prescription dose(Dp).For 2nd VMAT(VMAT_NT)and Tomotherapy,it was set to the Dmax achieved in IMRT(~70-80% of Dp).All NT constraints were set to the lowest priority.Three common homogeneity indices(HI),RTOG_HI=Dmax/Dp,moderated_HI=D95%/D5% and complex_HI=(D2%-D98%)/Dp*100 were calculated. Results: All modalities with similar dosimetric endpoints for PTV and OARs.The complex_HI shows the most variability of indices,with average values of 5.9,4.9,9.3 and 6.1 for IMRT,VMAT,VMAT_NT and Tomotherapy,respectively.VMAT provided the best PTV homogeneity without compromising any OAR/NT sparing.Both VMAT_NT and Tomotherapy,planned with more restrictive NT constraints,showed reduced homogeneity,with VMAT_NT showing the worst homogeneity(P<0.0001)for all HI.Tomotherapy gave the lowest NT Dmax,with slightly decreased homogeneity compared to VMAT. Finally, there was no significant difference in NT Dmax or Dmean between VMAT and VMAT_NT. Conclusion: PTV HI is highly dependent on permitted NT constraints. Results demonstrated that VMAT_NT with more restrictive NT constraints does not reduce Dmax NT,but significantly receives higher Dmax and worse target homogeneity.Therefore, it is critical that planners do not use too restrictive NT constraints during VMAT optimization.Tomotherapy plan was not as sensitive to NT constraints,however,care shall be taken to ensure NT is not pushed too hard.These results are relevant for clinical practice.The biological effect of higher Dmax and increased target heterogeneity needs further study.
Nephronophthisis: Disease Mechanisms of a Ciliopathy

Nephronophthisis (NPHP), a recessive cystic kidney disease, is the most frequent genetic cause of end-stage kidney disease in children and young adults. Positional cloning of nine genes (NPHP1-9) and functional characterization of their encoded proteins (nephrocystins) has contributed to a unifying theory that defines cystic kidney diseases as “ciliopathies”. The theory is based on the finding that all proteins mutated in cystic kidney diseases of humans or animal models are expressed in primary cilia or centrosomes of renal epithelial cells. Primary cilia are sensory organelles that connect mechanosensory, visual, and other stimuli to mechanisms of epithelial cell polarity and cell cycle control. Mutations in NPHP genes cause defects in signaling mechanisms that involve the non-canonical Wnt signaling pathway and the sonic hedgehog signaling pathway, resulting in defects of planar cell polarity and tissue maintenance. The ciliary theory explains the multiple organ involvement in NPHP, which includes retinal degeneration, cerebellar hypoplasia, liver fibrosis, situs inversus, and mental retardation. Positional cloning of dozens of unknown genes that cause NPHP will elucidate further signaling mechanisms involved. Nephrocystins are highly conserved in evolution, thus allowing the use of animal models to develop future therapeutic approaches.
New axioms for rigorous Bayesian probability

By basing Bayesian probability theory on flve axioms, we can give a trivial proof of Cox's Theorem on the product rule and sum rule for conditional plausibility without assuming continuity or difierentiablity of plausibility. Instead, we extend the notion of plausibility to apply to unknowns, giving them plausi- ble values. Thus, we combine the best aspects of two approaches to Bayesian probability theory, namely the Cox-Jaynes theory and the de Finetti theory. The problem of developing the foundations of Laplacian or Bayesian probability has led to many difierent approaches, which are mainly variations on two. The flrst, which is our main concern is due to R. T. Cox (1961). The second is due to Bruno de Finetti (1974), de Finetti (1975) and a concise general treatment is in Regazzini (1985). We flnd that by combining aspects of both, we can substantially weaken the assumptions and arrive at a proof of the problematic Cox theorem which is very simple, in fact trivial, as it should be. This triviality is of the utmost importance. The foundational axioms assumed by de Finetti for conditional expectation (his conditional prevision) require a positive normalized linear functional on a partially ordered commutative algebra (with identity element and over the reals) of objects more general than random variables which he calls \random quantities" and which we will simply call \unknowns" or \unknown numerical quantities". Even though it is not explicitly pointed out axiomatically, de Finetti, in his discussion in the flrst two chapters of his book, assumes that the ordering of the lattice of idempotents is inherited from that of the algebra. To deflne his conditional prevision, he requires a coherence condition (see also Regazzini (1985)) equivalent to a quadratic minimization property assumed to be satisfled by the choice of previsions. We merely assume the existence of some form of rules and demonstrate that if the assignment of plausible value (what de Finetti calls \prevision") is required to be logically consistent, then the actual rules themselves are uniquely determined. In particular, as a conse- quence, the rules of conditional expectation in Bayesian probability theory are uniquely determined by the requirement of logical consistency. Thus we flnd a trivial proof of the Cox Theorem, which properly understood, is a uniqueness theorem, and we show that the theory of de Finetti is a consequence. That is, de Finetti assumes his coherence condition, meaning existence of a positive linear functional which also satisfles a cer- tain quadratic minimization criteria, and he uses the quadratic minimization criteria to
FUNCTIONAL GLYCOSYLATION SITES OF THE RAT LUTEINIZING HORMONE RECEPTOR REQUIRED FOR LIGAND BINDING

The contribution of N-linked glycosylation to the ligand binding activity of the rat luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR) was studied in wild-type and mutant LHR expressed in mammalian (COS1) cells and overexpressed in insect (Sf9) cells. The binding affinities of the holoreceptor and its truncated splice variant (form B) lacking the transmembrane domain were equivalent in both cell lines. Tunicamycin-treated transfected Sf9 cells expressed a carbohydrate-free LH receptor that lacked hormone binding activity. Functional carbohydrate chains essential for binding activity were localized to glycosylation sites at Asn-173 and Asn-152. Glycosidase treatment of the double mutant N173Q/N152Q revealed the presence of at least one additional carbohydrate chain at Asn-269, Asn-277, or Asn-291 that does not contribute to hormone binding. Asn-77 was not glycosylated, but its mutation to Gln reduced hormone binding. LHR expressed in insect cells contained only high mannose carbohydrate chains, and those located at Asn-173 and Asn-152 were sufficient for high-affinity hormone binding. Enzymatic cleavage of glycosyl chains indicated that only the proximal N-acetylglucosamine residue, which is common to high mannose and complex carbohydrate forms, is necessary for acquisition of the high affinity conformation of the receptor. The carbohydrate chains of the LHR appear to be involved in intramolecular folding of the nascent receptor rather than in its interaction with the hormone.
Quantum Coherence and Decoherence in Magnetic Nanostructures

The prospect of developing magnetic qubits is discussed. The first part of the article makes suggestions on how to achieve the coherent quantum superposition of spin states in small ferromagnetic clusters, weakly uncompensated antiferromagnetic clusters, and magnetic molecules. The second part of the article deals with mechanisms of decoherence expected in magnetic systems. Main decohering effects are coming from nuclear spins and magnetic fields. They can be reduced by isotopic purification and superconducting shielding. In that case the time reversal symmetry of spin Hamiltonians makes spin-phonon coupling ineffective in destroying quantum coherence.
Targeting neutrophil: new approach against hypertensive cardiac remodeling?

See related article, p 1241–1250 An association between hypertension and immune system activation has long been recognized as a potential mechanism of hypertensive end-organ damage. Indeed, recent accumulating evidence using mouse models of hypertension induced by angiotensin II (Ang II) supports the roles of T lymphocytes and macrophages in the pathogenesis of hypertension and its complications.1 Curiously, although neutrophil infiltration seems to be the earliest immune and inflammatory response observable with Ang II infusion, limited findings are available regarding the pathophysiological significance of neutrophil accumulation and its signaling mechanism in cardiovascular diseases. Neutrophil-derived myeloperoxidase was shown to be critical for atrial fibrosis and subsequent atrial fibrillation induced by Ang II, which involves hypochlorous acid-induced tyrosine chlorination and activation of matrix metalloprotease-9.2 Likewise, neutrophil-generated matrix metalloprotease-9 is required for aortic dissection induced by cotreatment with Ang II and a lysyl oxidase inhibitor. Thus, depletion of neutrophils with granulocyte differentiation antigen 1 antibody prevented the dissection.3 However, whether neutrophils and their signal transduction play a role in Ang II–induced hypertensive organ damage had not been investigated. In this issue of Hypertension , Wu et al4 provide the first compelling evidence supporting that neutrophil-generated S100a8/S100a9 proteins are the key molecules to initiate Ang II–induced cardiac …
Pleiotropic effects of statins: benefit beyond cholesterol reduction? A meta-regression analysis.

OBJECTIVES This study sought to determine whether statins reduce coronary heart disease (CHD) risk more than other interventions that also primarily lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). BACKGROUND Statins have anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antithrombotic, vascular, and other non-LDL-C-lowering effects. It is unclear whether these pleiotropic effects contribute to cardiovascular risk reduction beyond that expected from LDL-C reduction alone. METHODS Trials published in English language journals were retrieved by searching Medline (1966 to October 2004), bibliographies, and the author's reference files. Randomized, placebo-controlled trials of interventions to primarily lower LDL-C of three or more years' duration in which clinical disease or death were primary outcomes were used. Information on sample size, treatment type and duration, participant characteristics at baseline, reduction in lipids, and outcome was independently abstracted by two authors (J.R. and N.M.) using a standardized protocol. Data from 5 diet, 3 bile acid sequestrant, 1 surgery, and 10 statin trials, with 81,859 participants, were included in the CHD meta-regression analysis. RESULTS The regression lines for non-statin and statin trials were similar and consistent with a one-to-one relationship between LDL-C lowering and CHD and stroke reduction over five years of treatment. CONCLUSIONS The pleiotropic effects of statins do not seem to contribute an additional cardiovascular risk reduction benefit beyond that expected from the degree of LDL-C lowering observed in other trials that primarily lowered LDL-C.
REPAIR OF ULTRAVIOLET‐IRRADIATED TRANSFORMING DNA IN A recA MUTANT OF Haemophilus influenzae

—Ultraviolet-irradiated transforming DNA was assayed on a wild-type strain of Haemophilus influenzae strain Rd, on an excision repair-deficient (uvr-2) mutant, on a recombination repair-deficient (recA4) mutant, and on a strain carrying both mutations. The donor DNA had a point mutation genetic marker (strAl) and a long nonhomologous plasmid-derived DNA segment inserted in the HP1 prophage. The shape of the inactivation curves suggested that only recombination was responsible for the inverse square root kinetics observed with excision repair-proficient recipients.
Multi-Rate Continuous Phase Modulations for Gaussian Broadcast Channels

We consider unequal error-protection schemes obtained by two-level superposition coding. While the existing schemes implement superposition by means of linear modulations, we propose superposition implemented through continuous phase modulations (CPMs). In the considered scheme, unlike in the linearly-modulated ones, the transmitted signal has constant envelope and thus the system does not rely on the presence of expensive amplifiers. We investigate the potential of CPMs for multi-rate transmissions over channels impaired by additive white Gaussian noise. Particularly, we derive the relevant algorithm for maximum-a-posteriori symbol detection, evaluate the ultimate information rate, and design practical coding schemes that perform fairly close to the theoretical limits.
DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit mediates T-cell loss in rheumatoid arthritis

In the autoimmune syndrome rheumatoid arthritis (RA), T cells and T-cell precursors have age-inappropriate shortening of telomeres and accumulate deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) double strand breaks. Whether damaged DNA elicits DNA repair activity and how this affects T-cell function and survival is unknown. Here, we report that naive and resting T cells from RA patients are susceptible to undergo apoptosis. In such T cells, unrepaired DNA stimulates a p53-ataxia telangiectasia mutated-independent pathway involving the non-homologous-end-joining protein DNA-protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs). Upregulation of DNA-PKcs transcription, protein expression and phosphorylation in RA T cells co-occurs with diminished expression of the Ku70/80 heterodimer, limiting DNA repair capacity. Inhibition of DNA-PKcs kinase activity or gene silencing of DNA-PKcs protects RA T cells from apoptosis. DNA-PKcs induces T-cell death by activating the JNK pathway and upregulating the apoptogenic BH3-only proteins Bim and Bmf. In essence, in RA, the DNA-PKcs-JNK-Bim/Bmf axis transmits genotoxic stress into shortened survival of naive resting T cells, imposing chronic proliferative turnover of the immune system and premature immunosenescence. Therapeutic blockade of the DNA-PK-dependent cell-death machinery may rejuvenate the immune system in RA.
Renal oncocytoma in Taiwan.

Background. Renal oncocytoma has been repeatedly reported in Western countries, but only a few cases have been reported in Eastern countries. This study aims to review the clinical course of renal oncocytoma in an Eastern country such as Taiwan. Materials and Methods. Sixteen cases of renal oncocytoma seen between 1987 and 2002 at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, were studied. Results. Preoperatively, all patients were diagnosed to have renal cell carcinoma, following various radiologic studies. Perioperatively, frozen sections of three patients indicated renal oncocytoma in two and renal cell carcinoma in one. Renal oncocytoma has marked similarities to renal cell carcinoma, according to various radiologic, cytologic, and pathological investigations, so an accurate diagnosis is difficult to achieve, either preoperatively or perioperatively. Therefore, rather than being treated with partial nephrectomy, all patients were treated aggressively with unilateral radical nephrectomy. Postoperativel...
Differential focal and nonfocal prospective memory accuracy in a demographically diverse group of nondemented community-dwelling older adults.

Although prospective memory (PM) is compromised in mild cognitive impairment (MCI), it is unclear which specific cognitive processes underlie these PM difficulties. We investigated older adults’ performance on a computerized event-based focal versus nonfocal PM task that made varying demands on the amount of attentional control required to support intention retrieval. Participants were nondemented individuals (mean age=81.8 years; female=66.1%) enrolled in a community-based longitudinal study, including those with amnestic MCI (aMCI), nonamnestic MCI (naMCI), subjective cognitive decline (SCD), and healthy controls (HC). Participants included in the primary analysis (n=189) completed the PM task and recalled and/or recognized both focal and nonfocal PM cues presented in the task. Participants and their informants also completed a questionnaire assessing everyday PM failures. Relative to HC, those with aMCI and naMCI were significantly impaired in focal PM accuracy (p<.05). In a follow-up analysis that included 13 additional participants who successfully recalled and/or recognized at least one of the two PM cues, the naMCI group showed deficits in nonfocal PM accuracy (p<.05). There was a significant negative correlation between informant reports of PM difficulties and nonfocal PM accuracy (p<.01). PM failures in aMCI may be primarily related to impairment of spontaneous retrieval processes associated with the medial temporal lobe system, while PM failures in naMCI potentially indicate additional deficits in executive control functions and prefrontal systems. The observed focal versus nonfocal PM performance profiles in aMCI and naMCI may constitute specific behavioral markers of PM decline that result from compromise of separate neurocognitive systems. (JINS, 2014, 20, 1–13)
Think-Share-Write: An Effective Strategy for Group Quizzes.

ABSTRACT Group Quizzes using the Think-Share-Write strategy can be very effective in engaging students and enhancing their learning in the classroom. In this article, I describe my experiences in implementing this method in both lower division and upper division Mathematics courses.
Walking the Eco-Talk Movement: Higher Education Institutions as Sustainability Incubators

Management scholars can have a major impact on advancing environmental sustainability by focusing on their own home institutions. A “four-type” sustainability action model is presented to foster thinking about how professors can engage and empower students, faculty, and staff to be active environmental change agents on their own campuses and local community. Faculty can assign sustainability class projects, integrate sustainability throughout the Business School’s core curriculum, participate on a campus sustainability committee, and conduct research on sustainability in higher education that flows out of these activities. Some examples of these different types of efforts are offered based on experiences at Edgewood College, a small U.S. Midwestern college. A coordinated effort among faculty engaged in similar activities on other campuses would dramatically advance environmental sustainability.
Efficient Runtime Environment for Coupled Multi-physics Simulations: Dynamic Resource Allocation and Load-Balancing

Coupled Multi-Physics simulations, such as hybrid CFD-MD simulations, represent an increasingly important class of scientific applications. Often the physical problems of interest demand the use of high-end computers, such as TeraGrid resources, which are often accessible only via batch-queues. Batch-queue systems are not developed to natively support the coordinated scheduling of jobs – which in turn is required to support the concurrent execution required by coupled multi-physics simulations. In this paper we develop and demonstrate a novel approach to overcome the lack of native support for coordinated job submission requirement associated with coupled runs. We establish the performance advantages arising from our solution, which is a generalization of the Pilot-Job concept – which in of itself is not new, but is being applied to coupled simulations for the first time. Our solution not only overcomes the initial co-scheduling problem, but also provides a dynamic resource allocation mechanism. Support for such dynamic resources is critical for a load balancing mechanism, which we develop and demonstrate to be effective at reducing the total time-to-solution of the problem. We establish that the performance advantage of using Big Jobs is invariant with the size of the machine as well as the size of the physical model under investigation. The Pilot-Job abstraction is developed using SAGA, which provides an infrastructure agnostic implementation, and which can seamlessly execute and utilize distributed resources.
Desorption rates and mechanisms for dissociatively chemisorbed molecules

The desorption kinetics of dissociatively chemisorbed diatomic molecules are examined from a kinetic-modeling point of view. A comparison is made between a one-step process, resulting in the usual second-order kinetics, and a two-step process which takes into account explicity recombination of atoms and subsequent desorption of molecules. The kinetics from the two-step mechanism are found to be equivalent to second-order desorption with a coverage-dependent activation energy which, in many cases, is a linear function of coverage. The two-step process leads to second-order kinetics with a constant activation energy only for special values of the model rate parameters, or if chemisorption is activated. The steady onate approximation for the intermediate in the two-step process is often adequate, but the transient period during which a steady state is reached also contains important kinetic information. The implications of these results for desorption kinetics and molecular beam reaction experiments are discussed.
Segmentation of Anatomical Structures in Four-Chamber View Echocardiogram Images

Automatic generation of a cardiac atlas from echocardiogram images requires that a good segmentation of all anatomical structures be available. In this paper, we present an algorithm for automatic segmentation of all relevant anatomical regions visible in four-chamber view echocardiogram images. Specifically, we propose a two-pass segmentation algorithm in which we first process the image to identify the heart muscle (bright) and chamber regions (dark) by adapting an edge-weighted centroidal Voronoi tessellation (AEWCVT) algorithm. We then partition the resulting bright and dark regions into approximately convex regions using a new convexity pursuit segmentation algorithm. Experimental comparison with several region segmentation algorithms for general imaging shows that our method outperforms these algorithms as it is able to better adapt to known cardiac anatomical structures.
Calcium dynamics in vascular smooth muscle

Smooth muscle cells are ultimately responsible for determining vascular luminal diameter and blood flow. Dynamic changes in intracellular calcium are a critical mechanism regulating vascular smooth muscle contractility. Processes influencing intracellular calcium are therefore important regulators of vascular function with physiological and pathophysiological consequences. In this review we discuss the major dynamic calcium signals identified and characterized in vascular smooth muscle cells. These signals vary with respect to their mechanisms of generation, temporal properties, and spatial distributions. The calcium signals discussed include calcium waves, junctional calcium transients, calcium sparks, calcium puffs, and L-type calcium channel sparklets. For each calcium signal we address underlying mechanisms, general properties, physiological importance, and regulation.
Plastic scintillators with efficient neutron/gamma pulse shape discrimination

A possibility of manufacturing plastic scintillators with efficient neutron/gamma pulse shape discrimination (PSD) is demonstrated using a system of a polyvinyltoluene (PVT) polymer matrix loaded with a scintillating dye, 2,5-diphenyloxazole (PPO). Similarities and differences of conditions leading to the rise of PSD in liquid and solid organic scintillators are discussed based on the classical model of excited state interaction and delayed light formation. First characterization results are presented to show that PSD in plastic scintillators can be of the similar magnitude or even higher than in standard commercial liquid scintillators.
Regional and Local Influences on Freezing Drizzle, Freezing Rain,and Ice Pellet Events

Regional and local influences on frequency and type of freezing precipitation (freezing drizzle, freezing rain, and ice pellets) are investigated via in-depth climatologies of six continental United States (CONUS) sounding sites. For each site, wind roses of precipitation type occurrences are compared with those for nearby stations and the aggregate values for the CONUS. Synoptic scenarios and sounding structures are identified for prolonged events of each precipitation type and probable formation mechanisms are discussed. Station location relative to topographic features smaller than 1 km in height, water bodies ranging in size from oceans to small bays, and dominant wintertime storm tracks are shown to play a major role in the determination of the frequency and type of freezing precipitation at each site. Results help to explain the regional maxima and minima of freezing precipitation across the CONUS, as well as the dominance of certain precipitation types and formation mechanisms in different portions thereof. Understanding these differences is necessary for proper development of techniques used to diagnose and forecast surface precipitation type and the occurrence of hazardous aircraft icing conditions associated with freezing precipitation aloft.
Tangled Up: Gendered Nationhood in Indo-Caribbean Indenture Narratives

Novels that explore the British imperial system of indentured labor in the Caribbean often contain the trope of a relationship developing between a British man in power and a female Indian laborer. This essay explores the use of this relationship as a metaphor for Britain’s colonial relationship with India in two novels by contemporary Indo-Caribbean authors, David Dabydeen’s The Counting House and Sharlow’s The Promise. The Counting House and The Promise use this metaphor to attack the racist interventions of imperialism and indenture, but the novels also maintain the more conventional views of gender that were concretized under these systems and that persist in the Caribbean today.
Modeling Energy Flow in an Integrated Pollutant Removal (IPR) System with CO2 Capture Integrated with Oxy-fuel Combustion

Oxy-coal combustion is one of the technical solutions for mitigating CO{sub 2} in thermal power plants. Many processes have been evolved in past the decade to capture CO{sub 2} from process industries. Researchers at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) have patented a process, integrated pollutant removal (IPR), that uses off the shelf technology to produce a sequestration-ready CO{sub 2} stream from an oxy-combustion power plant. The IPR process as it is realized at the Jupiter Oxygen Burner Test Facility is a spray tower (direct-contact heat exchanger) followed by four stages of compression with intercooling. To study the energy flows of the oxy-combustion process, a 15 MW{sub t}h oxy-combustion pulverized-coal-fired plant integrated with the IPR system was simulated and analyzed using ASPEN Plus and ASPEN energy analyzer. This paper discusses flue-gas recycle, energy flow, recovery, and optimization of IPR systems. ASPEN models of heat- and mass-transfer processes in aflue-gas-condensing heat-exchanger system were developed to predict the heat transferred from flue gas to cooling water. The flue-gas exit temperature, cooling water outlet temperature, and energy flows of IPR streams were computed using ASPEN models. Pinch principles are deployed for targeting design and operation-guiding purposes and balancing the heat and mass transfermore » in the IPR system. The results are expected to support sophistication of the IPR system design, improving its application in a variety of settings. They open the door for valuable IPR efficiency improvements and generalization of methodology for simultaneous management of energy resources.« less
Role of MARCKS in regulated secretion from mast cells and airway goblet cells.

MARCKS (myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate) is postulated to regulate the passage of secretory granules through cortical actin in the early phase of exocytosis. There are, however, three...
Abstract 20180: Erroneous Diagnosis of Brugada Syndrome: Advanced Multi-Modality Coronary Evaluation to Establish an Ischemic Etiology for Recurrent Ventricular Arrhythmia

Introduction: Rapid diagnosis of ST-segment elevation (STE) myocardial infarction is mandatory for optimal treatment, but standard coronary angiography may occasionally result in misdiagnosis. Case presentation: A 54-year-old man was referred for second opinion on treatment of recurrent ventricular tachycardia (VT) and chest pain. Three years prior, he suffered a cardiac arrest requiring AED shock. Initial EKG showed 5-10 mm STE in leads V2-V6. Emergent coronary angiography at another facility reportedly showed non-obstructive disease, and STE resolved spontaneously. Procainamide challenge during a subsequent electrophysiology study elicited changes diagnosed as Brugada syndrome, and an ICD was implanted. Over the next several years, he had frequent episodes of VT, often associated with chest pain and terminated with anti-tachycardia pacing. Multiple antiarrhythmic drugs were ineffective, and VT ablation was recommended. Based on the history and original EKG, we proceeded with multi-modality coronary evaluation and provocative testing for coronary vasospasm. An indistinct proximal LAD lesion was further evaluated with fractional flow reserve (FFR) testing, showing a baseline FFR of 0.90 that decreased to 0.67 after administration of intracoronary adenosine. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) revealed 90% eccentric ostial LAD stenosis (see Figure). Given the location and severity of the lesion, he underwent successful robotic totally endoscopic beating heart LIMA-LAD bypass grafting. Post-operatively, both chest pain and episodes of VT resolved. Conclusions: The differential diagnosis of transient STE includes several non-coronary etiologies. However, in the setting of dramatic STE across the precordium and recurrent ventricular arrhythmias, a comprehensive, multi-modality coronary evaluation should be employed to identify lesions that may be otherwise equivocal via angiography or sites of significant vasospasm.
Study on Process Precision Control Method for Engine Piston Hole Boring

Through boring distortion simulation and boring trajectory analysis for automobile engine piston hole,a process method was presented in which position change factor and feed speed change factor were used to make the feed rate gradually decease and then increase to original value. Thus the deformation in corresponding positions of the piston bore was controlled. At the same time, the level of the tool path intensity was changed,thereby the shape was amended. So the cylinder hole size precision,the roundness and the cylindricity,the quality of the plateau honing net vein are improved.
Eclampsia: III. Neonatal outcome, growth, and development

Abstract Infants of 72 recently managed women with eclampsia before delivery were studied. Infants with gestational age of 36 weeks or less (56%) were analyzed separately from those infants of more than 36 weeks' gestation (44%). In addition, premature infants of eclamptic mothers were compared with 40 premature infants whose mothers did not have any medical complications. Intrauterine growth retardation was symmetrical in all seven infants whose mothers had eclampsia prior to 32 weeks. All neurological abnormalities were associated with abruptio placentae or intrauterine growth retardation. Among the preterm infants of eclamptic mothers and those of mormotensive mothers, there was no significant difference in any commonly acquired laboratory data. Neonatal complications in premature infants of eclamptic mothers were frequent. However, neonatal complications of the low-birth weight infants were strikingly similar regardless of the presence of eclampsia. It is possible that most neonatal complications are consequence of prematurity, instead of a sole consequence of eclampsia. Observations from follow-up data (up to 4 years of age) suggest normal growth and development for infants of mothers with uncomplicated eclampsia.
Superconductivity: Finding a direction

The experimental observation of superconductivity that breaks spin-rotation symmetry in copper-doped Bi2Se3 provides a qualitatively distinct kind of unconventional superconducting behaviour — one that brings the importance of the spin–orbit interaction to the fore.
The Use of Thorium Dioxide Sol (Thorotrast) in the Roentgenologic Demonstration of Accessory Spleens

Experience with the use of thorium dioxide sol (Thorotrast) in the roentgen demonstration of accessory spleens is described. The importance of the application of this technic to the clinical management of patients with hematologic relapse following splenectomy is emphasized and illustrative case reports are presented. Nine patients were given thorium dioxide in an attempt to demonstrate an accessory spleen. A remission was induced in 1 patient with acquired hemolytic anemia, who had failed to respond to splenectomy, by removal of an accessory spleen demonstrated with thorium dioxide. A second patient with hereditary spherocytosis who relapsed seven years after splenectomy was shown to have an accessory spleen. Seven patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura who had relapsed following splenectomy were given thorium dioxide and in no case was an accessory spleen found.
Contraceptive choices and preferences in a cohort of women with cystic fibrosis.

Abstract Objectives As life expectancy for women with cystic fibrosis (CF) improves, reproductive decision-making is becoming increasingly relevant. We sought to characterize fertility intentions, contraceptive use, and preferences among adult females with CF. Study design We conducted a cross-sectional survey of contraceptive use and preferences in reproductive-aged women with CF. Subjects were recruited via an electronic mailing list from the Penn Adult Cystic Fibrosis Program. Results Fifty-three women with CF responded and met eligibility criteria. Most (83%) were sexually active, however only 49% used contraception. Condoms and the oral contraceptive pill were the most commonly used methods. Compared to the national contraceptive use among Caucasian women (65%), use in our cohort was significantly lower (p = 0.01). Participants prioritized effectiveness and ease of use in their contraceptive method; they wanted to avoid side effects and interference with sexual enjoyment. Although these priorities are similar to Caucasian women in the literature, additional contraceptive priorities differed significantly between the groups. Conclusions This CF cohort is sexually active but contraceptive utilization was low, and women with CF identify specific contraceptive preferences. There is a significant unmet need for contraception among women with CF.
A Tide-Dominated Beach from the Cambro-Ordovician Cabos Formation of Northwestern Spain

Abstract: Beaches on which tidal processes play a significant role, as opposed to purely wave-dominated beaches, are little known from the rock record due to a lack of suitable sedimentological criteria and facies models. Cambrian strata of the Cabos Formation in Asturias, Spain, with a wealth of tide-generated sedimentary structures and a close similarity to modern tide-dominated beaches, provide an opportunity to advance our understanding of ancient tidal beaches. Our field-based analysis of the Bres and Taramundi members identifies three lithofacies: Facies 1—simple bedsets of fine sandstone, divided into (1A) sandstone with tabular and wedge-shape geometries and horizontal to low-angle laminae, (1B) sandstone with tabular, wedge-shape, and wave-form geometries and decimeter-scale planar cross-bedding, and (1C) sandstone with a channel form and erosional base; Facies 2—composite bedsets of mudstone and fine sandstone; and Facies 3—intraformational breccias composed of (3A) rip-up clasts, (3B) sandstone clasts, and (3C) skeletal clasts. The numerous tidal structures testify to bed-load transport by unidirectional and bidirectional tidal currents, alternating deposition from bed load and suspended load, emergence during the ebb stage of tidal cycles, tidal scour, and regular fluctuations of tidal-current velocity. In contrast, structures indicative of swash–backwash, oscillating waves, and storms are much less conspicuous. This study argues that the Cabos sandstone and mudstone accumulated on a tide-dominated, wave-influenced beach distinguished by four morphologic zones: a flat sandy supratidal beach (Subfacies 1A), a sandy intertidal beach characterized by small 2-D dunes of a ridge-and-runnel system (Subfacies 1B), cross-shore channels (Subfacies 1C), and the subtidal nearshore with a mix of mud and rippled sand (Facies 2). Rare storm processes on the tidal beach are suggested by the breccias (Facies 3). As increasingly more local examples like the Cabos are recognized in the rock record, sedimentologists can begin to construct a generalized facies model for this largely unexplored sedimentary environment.
História intelectual e a longa duração: a Guerra Civil em perspetiva

Historians of all kinds are beginning to return to temporally expansive studies after decades of aversion and neglect. There are even signs that intellectual historians are returning to the longue duree. What are the reasons for this revival of long-range intellectual history? And how might it be rendered methodologically robust as well as historically compelling? This article proposes a model of transtemporal history, proceeding via serial contextualism to create a history in ideas spanning centuries, even millennia: key examples come from work in progress on ideas of civil war from ancient Rome to the present. The article concludes with brief reflections on the potential impact of the digital humanities on the practice of intellectual history.
The NPOESS Preparatory Project

The NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) is a mission designed to bridge the gap between the Earth Observing System (EOS) of NASA and the National Polar Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS), the United States’ next generation of operational environmental satellites. NPP will carry four of the most important NPOESS sensors into orbit in late 2009. The goals of NPP are to provide data continuity for global change research and to provide risk reduction for the operational program as it prepares to upgrade the quality of space- borne measurements to match that of the current research measurements.
ChartAccent: Annotation for data-driven storytelling

Annotation plays an important role in conveying key points in visual data-driven storytelling; it helps presenters explain and emphasize core messages and specific data. However, the visualization research community has a limited understanding of annotation and its role in data-driven storytelling, and existing charting software provides limited support for creating annotations. In this paper, we characterize a design space of chart annotations, one informed by a survey of 106 annotated charts published by six prominent news graphics desks. Using this design space, we designed and developed ChartAccent, a tool that allows people to quickly and easily augment charts via a palette of annotation interactions that generate manual and data-driven annotations. We also report on a study in which participants reproduced a series of annotated charts using ChartAccent, beginning with unadorned versions of the same charts. Finally, we discuss the lessons learned during the process of designing and evaluating ChartAccent, and suggest directions for future research.