cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pulmonary Hypertension in Thalassemia: Association with Platelet Activation and Hypercoagulable State.

Abstract Pulmonary hypertension (PHT) is a serious, under diagnosed, potentially fatal complication, reported mostly in non-transfused adult thalassemia intermedia (TI) and fewer thalassemia major (TM) patients. Even a mild PHT can further impair cardiac function in these patients with a frequent left heart disease. Yet, understanding of the pathogenesis, early detection and treatment of established PHT are inadequate. Previous reports and autopsies in patients with PHT, suggest thrombotic obstruction of pulmonary arteries, more so in splenectomized non-transfused TI patients. 25 patients, 7 TI and 18 transfused TM patients ages 10 to 47 years (mean 26±10 years) were screened for PHT by Doppler echocardiogram. A right ventricular (RV) pressure of 25mmHg or higher, corresponding to 2.5meter/second (m/sec) tricuspid jet velocity (TJV) was used as the threshold for presence of increased pulmonary artery pressure indicating PHT. In order to determine that hypercoagulability has an important role in the pathogenesis and progression of PHT, we evaluated specific markers of platelet activation and hypercoagulability and their association with PHT. We measured P-selectin levels, a marker for platelet activation; thrombin-anti thrombin III (TAT), indicating increased thrombin generation; abnormal fibrinolysis as indicated by plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and by elevated d-dimers, and vWF:Ag a marker for endothelial cell activation/platelet adhesion. PHT was found in seventeen out of twenty five patients (68%). Mean pulmonary artery pressure was 39.8±5.4mmHg (range 33–53mmHg), corresponding to a TJV of 2.5 to 3.6 m/sec. The remaining 8 patients had only trace or no tricuspid regurgitation. PHT was strongly associated with prior splenectomy, noted in 16 of the 17 patients, and was more severe in older patients: 7/17 (41%) with a pressure of ≥40mmHg, were over 30 years old. Surprisingly, a high proportion of patients 10/17 (58%), was on regular transfusions. Elevated P-selectin levels were significantly associated with PHT (p Our data shows a high prevalence of mild to moderate PHT in adult thalassemia patients, even in the ones on regular transfusions, implying that regular transfusions do not prevent but rather attenuate the progression of increased pulmonary pressure. The impact of even modest PHT is crucial in these patients who have a limited ability to tolerate cardiac dysfunction due to other cardiac and systemic manifestations of their disease. This preliminary data confirms the presence of platelet activation and a procoagulant state in patients with PHT, correlating with prior splenectomy, and suggests that endothelial disruption is involved in the pathogenesis. Moreover, P-selectin, a marker of platelet activation and a direct inducer of procoagulant activity, proved to be a sensitive marker for the presence of PHT. Future interventional studies with direct P-selectin inhibitors may be an effective treatment modality.
Control of enzymatic reactions via quadratic immersion

One of the aims of Synthetic Biology is to regulate metabolic products for specific biochemical reaction networks. These networks are usually designed as elementary modules to be interconnected each other and efforts are spent to minimize undesired coupling effects arising from the mutual interaction. Within this framework, this note considers a basic enzymatic reaction scheme as an elementary input/output module, with a related specific control problem addressed according to a quadratic immersion, a recently developed control methodology. The quadratic immersion embeds the system equations that model the enzymatic reaction network into an extended, finite-dimensional state-space, according to which the control problem may be restated in a simplified version, whose solution guarantees the output asymptotic convergence to a desired value according to a smooth trajectory.
Identification of genomic aberrations associated with overall survival in metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (mccRCC).

745Background: Tumor comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) in addition to risk stratification by IMDC criteria may aid in improving risk stratification. The objective of this study was to assess th...
Revenue Usages, Pricing Schemes, and Media Discussions for Taxing Ridesourcing Services:

Shared mobility is transforming transportation in major urban cities. This paper focuses on taxes and fees on ridesourcing services, particularly those revenue strategies levied on their usages, ge...
Syndromic Surveillance: A Practical Application of Informatics

Syndromic surveillance was born out of a practical need that sought to take advantage of emerging technologies and electronic health records for assessment of near-real time data. The journey of modern syndromic surveillance includes radical departures from standard surveillance practices. Although initially received with skepticism, it is now recognized as a valuable complement to other surveillance strategies. The practice of syndromic surveillance requires stakeholder engagement; computing power to support complicated statistical evaluation of large amounts of daily data; parsing text to reveal patterns in daily data; and transforming, analyzing, and visualizing statistical results and patterns in the data for the epidemiologist. The volume of data received and the algorithms applied to these data to reveal potential public health threats required technological advances in order to optimize processes and ensure timely and nimble exploration of data.
The MAP She1 coordinates directional spindle positioning by spatially restricting dynein activity

Dynein motors move the mitotic spindle to the cell division plane in many cell types, including in budding yeast, in which dynein is assisted by numerous factors including the microtubule-associated protein (MAP) She1. Evidence suggests that She1 plays a role in polarizing dynein-mediated spindle movements toward the daughter cell; however, how She1 performs this function is unknown. We find that She1 assists dynein in maintaining the spindle close to the bud neck, such that at anaphase onset the chromosomes are segregated to mother and daughter cells. She1 does so by attenuating the initiation of dynein-mediated spindle movements specifically within the mother cell, ensuring such movements are polarized toward the daughter cell. Our data indicate that this activity relies on She1 binding to the microtubule-bound conformation of the dynein microtubule-binding domain, and to astral microtubules within mother cells. Our findings reveal how an asymmetrically localized MAP directionally tunes dynein activity by attenuating motor activity in a spatially confined manner.
ATRIBUCIONES DE AGENCIA MENTAL Y EL DESAFÍO DESDE LA PSICOPATOLOGÍA

RESUMEN Una atribucion de agencia mental es definida como el acto de asignar el inicio o autoria de un pensamiento en primera persona a un agente especifico, esto, con el fin de generar grados suficientes de control sobre nuestra vida cognitiva. Si bien esta estrategia es fundamental para distinguir diferentes tipos de estados cognitivos - tales como deliberaciones, razonamientos, juicios, entre otros -, muchos autores han indicado que tambien es clave para entender experiencias cognitivas psicopatologicas en psicosis. Este articulo revisa la forma en que la estructura subjetiva de los delirios de insercion de pensamiento puede ser utilizada como una estrategia para evaluar los meritos argumentativos de las teorias que intentan explicar la arquitectura y naturaleza de las atribuciones de agencia mental. Luego de evaluar algunos aspectos fundamentales de las dos teorias dominantes en la literatura actual, se sugiere que, a pesar de sus importantes aportes al desarrollo de la discusion, tales enfoques no poseen los recursos explicativos suficientes para lidiar con el desafio propuesto.
Did the Unconventional Monetary Policy of the U.S. Hurt Emerging Markets

Policymakers in emerging markets complained that the unconventional US monetary policy response to the Great Recession hurt their economies. US policymakers responded that the policy was geared toward conditions in the US, and that a strong US economy benefited everyone. Here we evaluate these claims in a two country model of the US and an emerging market country, bombarded by shocks to the net worth of US banks. Our model allows us to calculate a “passive equilibrium” in which US monetary policy does not respond to the shock in any way. Then, we calculate a “self oriented” equilibrium in which quantitative easing is set optimally to maximize US welfare, and a “cooperative” equilibrium in which quantitative easing and the monetary policy in the emerging market country are set to maximize joint welfare. Comparing welfare in these equilibria, we find that the self oriented US monetary policy benefits both countries, and that cooperation brings little further improvements in welfare.
Depictions of teachers and teacher practices in picture books about starting kindergarten

Educators and families frequently use children’s picture books to introduce young children to unfamiliar experiences, including the start of school. In this study, we examine 52 U.S. picture books ...
Advances in Microprocessor Cache Architectures Over the Last 25 Years

Over the last 25 years, the use of caches has advanced significantly in mainstream microprocessors to address the memory wall challenge. As we transformed microprocessors from single-core to multicore to manycore, innovations in the architecture, design, and management of on-die cache hierarchy were critical to enabling scaling in performance and efficiency. In addition, at the system level, as input/output (I/O) devices (e.g., networking) and accelerators (domain-specific) started to interact with general-purpose cores across shared memory, advancements in caching became important as a way of minimizing data movement and enabling faster communication. In this article, we cover some of the major advancements in cache research and development that have improved the performance and efficiency of microprocessor servers over the last 25 years. We will reflect upon several techniques including shared and distributed last-level caches (including data placement and coherence), cache Quality of Service (addressing interference between workloads), direct cache access (placing I/O data directly into CPU caches), and extending caching to off-die accelerators (CXL.cache). We will also outline potential future directions for cache research and development over the next 25 years.
Mitogenic signaling by lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) involves Gα12

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a major G protein coupled receptor (GPCR)-activating ligand present in serum, elicits growth factor like responses by stimulating specific GPCRs coupled to heterotrimeric G proteins such as G(i), G(q), and G12/13. Previous studies have shown that the overexpression of wild-type Galpha12 (Galpha12WT) results in the oncogenic transformation of NIH3T3 cells (Galpha12WT-NIH3T3) in a serum-dependent manner. Based on the potent growth-stimulating activity of LPA and the presence of LPA and LPA-like molecules in the serum, we hypothesized that the serum-dependent neoplastic transformation of Galpha12WT-NIH3T3 cells was mediated by the stimulation of LPA-receptors (LPARs) by LPA in the serum. In the present study, using guanine nucleotide exchange assay and GST-TPR binding assay, we show that the treatment of Galpha12WT-NIH3T3 with 2 muM LPA leads to the activation of Galpha12. Stimulation of these cells with LPA promotes JNK-activation, a critical component of Galpha12-response and cell proliferation. We also show that LPA can substitute for serum in stimulating JNK-activity, DNA synthesis, and proliferation of Galpha12WT-NIH3T3 cells. LPA-mediated proliferative response in NIH3T3 cells involves Galpha12, but not the closely related Galpha13. Pretreatment of Galpha12WT-NIH3T3 cells with suramin (100 microM), a receptor-uncoupling agent, inhibited LPA-stimulated proliferation of these cells by 55% demonstrating the signal coupling between cell surface LPAR and Galpha12 in the neoplastic proliferation of NIH3T3 cells. As LPA and LPAR mediated mitogenic pathways have been shown to play a major role in tumor genesis and progression, a mechanistic understanding of the signal coupling between LPAR, Galpha12, and the downstream effectors is likely to unravel additional targets for novel cancer chemotherapies.
Effectiveness of Foliar Fungicides by Timing on Hybrid Corn in Iowa

Introduction Fungicide use on hybrid corn has increased considerably in the past four growing seasons primarily due to reports of increased yields, even in the absence of disease and higher corn prices. A number of fungicides are registered for use on corn. The objectives of this project were to 1) assess the effect of timing of application of fungicides on standability, and 2) evaluate the yield response of hybrid corn to foliar fungicide application.
How does Ambiguity Affect Insurance Decisions

There is increasing empirical evidence that one reason the insurance industry has been reluctant to cover a number of risks is the ambiguity or uncertainty associated with either the probability of specific events occurring or the magnitude of their potential consequences or both.
Graft Rejection: Mechanisms

The body uses a number of inflammatory and immune responses to promote clinical and experimental graft rejection. Various clinical strategies have been designed to treat transplantation patients who develop acute and hyperacute rejection. Keywords: alloantibodies; allograft; antigen-presenting cells; autograft; chronic rejection; cytokines; endothelial cells; hyperacute rejection; immunosuppression; inflammation; major histocompatibility complex; T cells; transplantation; xenograft
Political Business Cycles

It is impossible to consider the ordinary course of affairs in the United States without perceiving that the desire to be re-elected is the chief aim of the President;…and that especially as [election] approaches, his personal interest takes the place of his interest in the public good.-Alexis de Tocqueville as quoted by Mueller (1989).
VENTRICULAR ECTOPIC BEATS WITH FIXED AND VARIABLE COUPLING. INCIDENCE, CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE AND FACTORS INFLUENCING THE COUPLING INTERVAL.

Abstract An analysis of possible factors which determine the coupling intervals of ventricular ectopic beats was made in the electrocardiograms of 88 persons who had at least 10 unifocal ventricular ectopic beats. The material was selected at random and included life insurance applicants, outpatients and patients from a psychiatric state hospital and a general hospital. The coupling interval which varied by less than 0.12 sec. was considered as fixed. Forty persons had fixed coupling and 48 variable coupling. Persons with no heart disease and three groups of patients with heart disease of varying severity had a similar incidence of fixed and variable coupling. Measurements of the relation between the duration of the coupling interval and the preceding R-R interval and of the duration of the interectopic intervals allowed us to separate the ventricular ectopic beat with variable coupling interval into several categories. However, we found no feature of ventricular ectopic beats which differentiated persons without heart disease from those with heart disease. Similarly we found no features of ventricular ectopic beats which differentiated persons receiving digitalis from those not receiving the drug. A significant positive or negative correlation between the duration of the preceding R-R interval and coupling interval was rarely found. In the great majority of the persons there was no significant correlation between the two parameters. Possible reasons for such distribution of correlations are discussed. An analysis of the timing of the ventricular ectopic beat during the cardiac cycle frequently revealed a “clear zone” free of ventricular ectopic beats between the end of the U wave and the onset of the P wave. This period of an apparent relative refractoriness of the ventricular myocardium was observed in persons with and without heart disease. Our results suggest that the factors which determine the time of appearance of ventricular ectopic beats with relation to the preceding R-R interval operate in the same manner regardless of the presence or absence of heart disease and treatment with digitalis.
Miniature and Reconfigurable CPW Folded Slot Antennas Employing Liquid-Metal Capacitive Loading

Microfluidic channels filled with liquid metal are used to realize miniature and reconfigurable CPW folded slot antennas. The method is based on employing the reactive loading effect of fluid metal bridges on top of the CPW slot antenna. As a result of this reactive loading, the frequency of the antenna reduces and the antenna is miniaturized by a factor of 85%. Also, by changing the configuration of filled and empty channels, each channel can be used as a switch. By using two pairs of microfluidic channels, three different frequency bands of 2.4, 3.5, and 5.8 GHz can be achieved. This translates to a switching ratio ( $\bm{f}_{\bm{TR}}=\bm{f}_{\mathbf{2}}/\bm{f}_{\mathbf{1}}$ ) of more than 2.5. The antenna is realized using common PCB techniques for the antenna circuit board and three-dimensional (3-D) printing technology for PDMS-based microfluidics structure. The antenna circuit board and the PDMS structure are bonded to each other using a very thin spin-coated PDMS layer. Design methodology, simulation, and measurement results of both antenna prototypes are presented. Both the miniature and reconfigurable antennas have similar radiation patterns to a normal CPW folded slot antenna and show low cross-polarization levels at all operating frequencies.
Evaluation of the New MALDI Matrix 4-Chloro-Alpha-Cyanocinnamic Acid

RP-53 Matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF) continues to be an important tool for many proteomic studies. Recently Jaskolla, et.al. introduced a new rationally designed matrix (4 chloro-alpha-cyanocinnamic acid) which is reported to have superior performance as compared to the “gold standard” alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid. We decided to investigate the performance of this new matrix in the Shimadzu Biotech Axima TOF2. In this study we compared the performance of this new matrix to alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid in the analysis of protein digests. We looked at the overall sequence coverage as well as sensitivity in this comparison with standard protein tryptic digests. We also looked at the performance of this matrix with labile peptides such as phosphopeptides and 4-sulphophenyl isothiocynate derivitzed peptides (SPITC) to facilitate de novo sequencing. This matrix was found to be better performing than alpha cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid in overall sequence coverage since it has less of bias for C-terminal arginine containing peptides. It also showed as much as a 5 fold improvement in sensitivity with standard stainless steel targets. In addition due to the much cooler nature of this matrix labile peptides are readily seen intact with much less fragmentation in MS mode. This matrix was also evaluated in the MS/MS fragmentation modes of both post-source-decay (PSD) and collisional induced dissociation (CID). It was found that fragmentation occurs readily in CID however due the very cool nature of this new matrix the PSD fragments are quite weak. This matrix promises to be an important addition to the already extensive array of MALDI matrices once a good commercial source of a highly purified preparation becomes available. Jaskolla, T.W.; Lehmann, W.; and Karas, M. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2008, 105, 12200-12205.
Image and Brain: The Resolution of the Imagery Debate

Resolving the imagery debates carving a system at its joints high-level vision identifying objects in different locations identifying objects when different portions are visible identifying objects in degraded images identifying contorted objects identifying objects - normal and damaged brains generating and maintaining visual images inspecting and transforming visual images visual mental images in the brain.
Incorporation of gene-specific variability improves expression analysis using high-density DNA microarrays

The assessment of data reproducibility is essential for application of microarray technology to exploration of biological pathways and disease states. Technical variability in data analysis largely depends on signal intensity. Within that context, the reproducibility of individual probe sets has not been hitherto addressed.
Lens Design Short Course

No matter how it is done, the design of a lens follows this simple flow chart: S elect a likely first form] Trace rays to evaluate the system (Is it good enough) yes End no Make changes in the system parameters© (1983) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Bilirubin Toxicity in Hepatoma Cells

BILIRUBIN is present in toxic concentrations in foetuses and premature infants with haemolysis due to blood group incompatibility1. Hyperbilirubinaemia in the neonate has been associated with irreversible nuclear damage in the brain and other tissues2,3 and experimental evidence suggests that bilirubin interferes with oxidative phosphorylation4,5. We have shown that bilirubin inhibits the growth of cells which share with developing tissues the ability to derive an appreciable part of their energy from extramitochondrial processes.
Conceptions of schizophrenia as a problem of nerves: A cross-cultural comparison of Mexican-Americans and Anglo-Americans

This paper explores indigenous conceptions of psychosis within family settings. The cultural categories nervios and 'nerves', as applied by Mexican-American and Anglo-American relatives to family members diagnosed with schizophrenia, are examined. While Mexican-Americans tended to consider nervios an appropriate interpretation of the problem, Anglo-Americans explicitly dismissed the parallel English term 'nerves'. Anglo-American relatives were likely to consider the problem as 'mental' in nature, often with specific reference to psychiatric diagnostic labels such as 'schizophrenia'. Although variations in conceptions appear related to both ethnicity and socioeconomic status, significant cultural differences were observed independent of socioeconomic status. These results raise questions concerning contemporary anthropological views that psychosis is conceptualized in substantially similar ways cross-culturally, and underscore the need for more contextualized understanding of the meaning and application of indigenous concepts of mental disorder. The paper concludes with a discussion of psychocultural meanings associated with ethnopsychiatric labels for schizophrenia and their importance for the social and moral status of patients and their kin.
Breeding behavior of the cytogenetically engineered wheat-rye translocation chromosomes 1RS.1BL

The rye (Secale cereale L.) chromosome arm in the wheat-rye centric translocation 1RS.1BL in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) had been engineered by induced homoeologous recombination to remove the associated breadmaking quality defect. From a range of primary wheat-rye recombinant chromosomes, two classes of multipoint translocated chromosomes were assembled, MA and Te, that contain Gli-B1 and Glu-B3 loci of wheat and are missing the Sec-1 locus of rye. Their disassembly rates by recombination with normal 1BS and 1RS and the segregation ratios from heterozygotes were studied in populations involving the original, unmodified translocation 1RS.1BL and chromosomes 1B from several wheat cultivars. Overall, the four-point translocation chromosomes MA recombined with 1BS with 4A% frequency; their intercalary rye segment recombined with 1RS with 3.2% frequency. The overall recombination frequency of the three-point translocation chromosome Tel with 1BS was 18.1% but only 5.4% resulted in the disassembly of the chromosome, The remaining 12.7% recombination was in the terminal wheat segment and in most cases it introduced new alleles at the wheat storage protein loci. The male transmission rate of all engineered chromosomes was similar to that of the original 1RS.1BL translocation. In competition with 1B, it was reduced to about 22 to 37%. As a result of the disassembly and reduced transmission, the probability of selection of homozygotes for unaltered engineered chromosomes among the progenies of heterozygotes with 1B was about 15 to 16%.
On the estimation of residual stresses by the crack compliance method

The crack compliance method is a destructive experimental method used for the estimation of residual stress profiles in thick metal plates. Simplifying assumptions, such as dimensional reduction, are generally used in applications of this method. The question of how the simplifying assumptions affect the estimated residual stresses is addressed in this paper.
Conformal invariance and parastatistics in two dimensions

We show that the conformally invariant O(N) nonlinear σ-models with a Wess-Zumino term with coefficient k, have the same current and conformal algebras with a theory of N Majorana fermions with a hidden (gauged) O(k) quantum number. These latter are interpreted as N particles obeying the free Dirac equation but quantized with (nonlocal) para-Fermi statistics of order k, an interpretation that we verify by deriving the exact finite-temperature propagator, thereby explicitly relating the anomalous scaling dimensions to nonstandard statistics.
Aircraft Flight by an Optical Periscope

A binocular aircraft periscope has been constructed and flight tested. The periscope provided a 70-degree true field of view at a magnification of 1× and mechanically operated azimuth and declination prisms scanned 180 degrees. Flight instruments were included in the field of view. The periscope was installed in the nose of a B-17 aircraft together with a duplicate set of controls. Twenty impartial U. S. Air Force pilots carried out most routine flight operations competently. It is concluded that flight by this type periscope is feasible even by subjects with minimal training.
Temporally- and spatially-regulated transcriptional activity of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor β4 subunit gene promoter

Signaling through nicotinic acetylcholine (nACh) receptors underlies a diverse array of behaviors. In order for appropriate signaling to occur via nACh receptors, it is necessary for the genes encoding the receptor subunits to be expressed in a highly regulated temporal and spatial manner. Here we report a transgenic mouse approach to characterize the transcriptional regulation of the gene encoding the nACh receptor β4 subunit. nACh receptors containing this subunit play critical roles in both the central and peripheral nervous systems. We demonstrate that a 2.3-kilobase pair fragment of the β4 5′-flanking region is capable of directing reporter gene expression in transgenic animals. Importantly, the transcriptional activity of the promoter region is cell-type-specific and developmentally regulated and overlaps to a great extent with endogenous β4 mRNA expression. These data indicate that the 2.3-kilobase pair fragment contains transcriptional regulatory elements critical for appropriate β4 subunit gene expression.
Recent development of a real-time particulate mass sampling system for high temperature applications☆

Abstract We have successfully completed laboratory tests which demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing a new real-time sampling system for particulate loading measurements in gas flows above 900°C. Measurements were obtained every 2–5 s for periods of up to 1 h with accuracies of better than 5% with respect to conventional batch sampling measurements. Measurements were made at particle mass loading of up to 4.59 g per actual cubic meter and at gas temperatures of up to 970°C. Automatic self-cleaning of the particle mass detector inside the sampling system was also demonstrated. On the basis of the test results, we are convinced that this new particle mass sampling system can provide, for the first time, critical real-time information on particulate mass loading inside conventional and advanced combustion systems.
Coverage breach problems in bandwidth-constrained sensor networks

Recent research in sensor networks highlights the low-power mode operation of sensor networks. In wireless sensor networks, network lifetime can be extended by organizing sensors into mutually exclusive subsets and alternatively activating each subset. Coverage breach occurs when a subset fails to cover all the targets. In bandwidth-constrained sensor networks, coverage breach is more likely to happen because when active sensors periodically send data to the base station, contention for channel access must be considered. Channel bandwidth imposes a limit on the cardinality of each subset. To make efficient use of both energy and bandwidth with minimum coverage breach requires optimal arrangement of sensor nodes.This article addresses three coverage breach problems related to the low-power operation of wireless sensor networks where channel bandwidth is limited. The three coverage breach problems are formulated using integer linear programming models. A greedy approximation algorithm and a heuristic based on the LP-relaxation method are proposed. Effects of changing different network resources on sensor network coverage are studied through simulations. One consistent result is that when the number of sensors increases, network lifetime can be improved without loss of network coverage only if there is no bandwidth constraint; with bandwidth constraints, network lifetime may be improved further at the cost of coverage breach.
Highly accurate treatment of electron correlation in polymers: Coupled-cluster and many-body perturbation theories

Abstract A series of accurate and size-extensive ab initio wavefunction-based methods, i.e., coupled-cluster (CCD, CCSD, LCCD, ACCD, QCISD, and LCCSD) and many-body perturbation theories [MBPT(2) and MBPT(3)], are formulated and implemented for infinitely extended one-dimensional lattices (polymers), by taking account of the periodic boundary conditions. We present the results of initial benchmark calculations and also investigate the spatial spread of electron correlation by plotting the atomic-orbital-based t 1 - and t 2 -amplitudes with respect to a unit cell parameter n . The two-electron integrals and t 2 -amplitudes decay as n −1 and n −3 , leading to the n −3 convergence of the lattice summations for correlation energies.
Police Unions and the Police Role

We studied the relationship of police unions to several dimensions of the police role while controlling for characteristics of the department, its external environment, duty assignments, and the demographic characteristics of police officers. We also examined the relationship between these variables and the role outcomes. Questionnaire data were collected from 830 randomly selected rank-and-file police officers from 15 urban police departments. Our findings support our hypothesis that unionization is related to greater emphasis on the law enforcement component of the police role. There also are significant relationships between organizational tenure, duty assignment, geographic location, and variation in the way police roles are performed. Our findings also include significant relationships between various characteristics of the department's environment, characteristics of the department itself, duty assignments, demographic characteristics of police officers and the satisfaction of police officers with t...
Maternal metformin treatment decreases fetal inflammation in a rat model of obesity and metabolic syndrome

Objective Obesity and metabolic syndrome are associated with systemic inflammation and increased perinatal morbidity. Metformin improves metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers in nonpregnant adults. Using in vivo and in vitro models, we examined the effect of metformin on maternal and fetal inflammation. Study Design Female Wistar rats (6-7 weeks old) were fed a normal diet (NORM) or a high-fat/high-sugar diet (HCAL) for 5-6 weeks to induce obesity/metabolic syndrome. After mating with NORM-fed male rats, one-half of the HCAL-fed female rats received metformin (300 mg/kg, by mouth daily). All dams continued their respective diets until gestational day 19, at which time maternal and fetal outcomes were assessed. Maternal and fetal plasma and placentas were analyzed for metabolic and inflammatory markers. Cultured human placental JAR cells were pretreated with vehicle or metformin (10 μmol/L-2.5 mmol/L) before tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α; 50 ng/mL), and supernatants were assayed for interleukin-6 (IL-6). Results HCAL rats gained more prepregnancy weight than NORM rats ( P = .03), had higher levels of plasma insulin and leptin, and exhibited dyslipidemia ( P P P Conclusion Diet induced-obesity/metabolic syndrome during pregnancy significantly enhanced fetal and placental cytokine production; maternal metformin reduced fetal cytokine levels. Similarly, metformin treatment of a placental cell line suppressed TNF-α–induced IL-6 levels by NFκB inhibitor.
Pulsed Hf Laser Oscillator - Amplifier Experiments

Pulsed HF chemical laser oscillator energies were scaled from millijoules to several kilojoules over the period 1970 - 1974, reaching q, 10 J with SFE, and transverse discharges, and using electron-beam initiation and elemental F2 above 1000J. This demonstrated scalability to large energy with acceptable electrical efficiency is only one prerequisite for application of this gas laser in fusion; equally important matters are achievement of focusable, % 1 ns pulses, couplable to light-element targets, all from an affordable system. Exploratory MOPA experiments are reported which address control of HF laser beam focusability and pulse duration, using SF6-based experimental oscillator - amplifier sequences and Pockels' cell switching. Simultaneous multiline lasing with 2.6 10 J, e-beam energized amplifier is under development.© (1976) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Platelet inhibitor agents in cardiovascular disease: An update

Abstract Platelets interact with the coagulation and fibrinolytic systems in the maintenance of hemostasis. However, these physiologic mechanisms may become pathologic, requiring prevention and treatment. In this review, the following clinical developments are analyzed: 1) the role of platelets in thrombogenesis; 2) the pharmacology of platelet inhibitory agents; and, most important, 3) the results of recent randomized trials of platelet inhibitor agents in different cardiovascular disorders. Aspirin reduces mortality and infarction rates in unstable angina and significantly decreases vascular mortality in acute myocardial infarction. Platelet inhibitors decrease mortality and recurrent cardiovascular events in the chronic phase after myocardial infarction. They also decrease vein graft occlusion rates after coronary bypass surgery. Although platelet inhibitors are beneficial in preventing acute vessel occlusion during coronary angioplasty, they are ineffective in preventing chronic restenosis. Antiplatelet agents, combined with warfarin, reduce thromboembolic events in patients with a mechanical prosthesis. Platelet inhibitors are also effective in secondary prevention of vascular events in patients with cerebrovascular disease. Finally, the use of aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease is still evolving, particularly in individuals at high risk. In conclusion, platelet inhibitors are effective in patients with a variety of cardiovascular disorders. The best studied, most inexpensive and least toxic agent is aspirin at a daily dose of 160 to 325 mg. Studies using new platelet inhibitor agents with different mechanisms of action are currently underway.
Hyperfine Splitting of Ground State Charmonium

The mass splitting of $\ensuremath{\psi}(3100)$ and its pseudoscalar partner ${\ensuremath{\eta}}_{c}$ is examined within the context of nonrelativistic linear-potential models for bound charmed quarks. If the Coulomb-type short-range gluon interaction is the sole contribution to this hyperfine splitting, then a mass splitting of 15-25 MeV is obtained. However, if the long-range forces that confine quarks also produce shorter-range spin-spin interactions, then the $\ensuremath{\psi}\ensuremath{-}{\ensuremath{\eta}}_{c}$ mass splitting is predicted to be in the range 40-80 MeV. If one abandons the assignment of ${\ensuremath{\psi}}^{\ensuremath{'}}(3700)$ as the first radial excitation of $\ensuremath{\psi}(3100)$, then the ${\ensuremath{\eta}}_{c}$ is predicted to lie 150-300 MeV below $\ensuremath{\psi}(3100)$. This possibility has the consequence that the rate predicted for the yet-unobserved decay $\ensuremath{\psi}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\eta}}_{c}+\ensuremath{\gamma}$ is uncomfortably large.
C. elegans as a Model Organism to Investigate Molecular Pathways Involved with Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is an age-related movement disorder resulting, in part, from selective loss of dopaminergic neurons. Both invertebrate and mammalian models have been developed to study the cellular mechanisms altered during disease progression; nevertheless there are limitations within each model. Mammalian models remain invaluable in studying PD, but are expensive and time consuming. Here, we review genetic and environmental factors associated with PD, and describe how the nematode roundworm, Caenorhabditis elegans, has been used as a model organism for studying various aspects of this neurodegenerative disease. Both genetic and chemical screens have been conducted in C. elegans to identify molecular pathways, proteins, and small molecules that can impact PD pathology. Lastly, we highlight future areas of investigation, in the context of emerging fields in biology, where the nematode can be exploited to provide mechanistic insights and potential strategies to accelerate the path toward possible therapeutic intervention for PD.
Singly Resonant CW Mid-IR Optical Parametric Oscillator Pumped by a Tunable C-Band Source for Free Space Coherent Optical Communications

We demonstrate the first CW PPLN OPO pumped with a C-Band tunable laser with a ~3800nm idler output suitable for free space coherent communications. The threshold is 6-7W and idler power up to 2W.
Predicting Palmar Radio-Carpal Ligament Disruption in Fractures of the Distal Articular Surface of the Radius Involving the Palmar Cortex

Abstract 12 adult cadaver wrists were dissected to identify the regions of origin of the four palmar radiocarpal ligaments. A non-dimensionalized value, called the radio-carpal ligament ratio (RLR), was defined as the width of ligament origin from the radius divided by the length of the capitate. Both values were measured directly from radiographs of the cadaver specimens. The RLRs for the four palmar radio-carpal ligaments were found to be statistically consistent. We applied the RLR concept retrospectively to 20 wrists with intraarticular distal radius fractures requiring open reduction. It was found that those fracture patterns in which the fracture fragment ratios (FFR: widths of the fracture fragments divided by the length of the capitate) were outside the limits of corresponding RLRs had clear intra-operative evidence of palmar radio-carpal ligament disruption, while those with FFRs within the limits of corresponding RLRs were noted to have no ligament disruption.
Transfer of lexical information in adults with reading disorders.

This study was designed to test whether adults with reading disorders differ from adults with normal reading abilities in their interhemispheric transfer rates during a lexical decision task. Correlations of performance were completed between lexical decision vocal reaction times (msec.), interhemispheric reaction rates (RVF vocal reaction times–LVF vocal reaction times) and measures of decoding skills, including sight-word decoding and phonological decoding for 20 adults with reading disorders and 20 with normal reading abilities. Following a series of Pearson product-moment correlations, the correlation between interhemispheric transfer time and sight-word recognition was significant and negative for the adults with reading disorders. This value indicates a significant association between the direction of the interhemispheric transfer time times and sight-word recognition for reading-disordered adults. When correlations were negative (LVF reaction times <RVF reaction times), stronger sight-word recognit...
Identifying Optimum Locations for Tropical Testing of United States Army Materiel and Systems

This paper is an example of applied military geography focusing on a particular problem arising from the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977. One of the provisions of the treaty required the United States (US) military to completely withdraw from and relinquish its military and government facilities to the Republic of Panama prior to midnight on 31 December 1999. In so doing, the US army turned over to the Panama government all of its military bases, some of which had been used since World War I to test materiel, equipment and systems within a tropical environment. Given its global mission and responsibilities, the US army has a well-established practice of testing its materiel, equipment and systems throughout the entire range of potential operating environments. The US experience in the Pacific in World War II and in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War clearly demonstrated the need to test the performance of new equipment under the harsh conditions found in tropical jungles. Furthermore, since 1960, nearly 75 per cent of all international and internal armed conflicts have been in countries that are totally or partially in the tropics. This paper presents the findings of a scientific panel that was organised to propose a new location for testing US army materiel and systems within a tropical environment. Rather than simply choosing a location analogous to Panama, the panel sought to develop a methodology that could be employed for site selection based on any set of environmental criteria. This study is a classical locational analysis and reconfirms the integrative nature of geography and its utility for solving complex problems that cut across disciplinary boundaries.
Effect of growth and maturation on membrane-initiated actions of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3-II: calcium transport, receptor kinetics, and signal transduction in intestine of female chickens.

We recently reported (Larsson and Nemere [2003]: Endocrinology 144:1726) the effects of growth and maturation on 1,25(OH)2D3-membrane initiated effects in the intestine of male chickens. Here we extend our observations to studies on females with two stages of high calcium demand: growth (7-14 weeks) and egg laying (28-58 weeks). The rapid stimulatory effect of 130 pM 1,25(OH)2D3 on calcium transport was assessed as a physiological response in perfused duodena of 7-, 14-, 28-, and 58-week-old chickens, and determined to be 308%, 184%, 170%, and 153%, respectively, of corresponding controls after 40 min. Saturation analyses of [3H]1,25(OH)2D3 binding to nuclear vitamin D receptor (VDR) indicated an absence of cooperative binding, no changes in dissociation constant (Kd) with age, and an increase in maximum binding capacity (Bmax) between 7-week birds and older age groups. Analyses of saturable binding of [3H]1,25(OH)2D3 to the membrane associated rapid response steroid binding protein (1,25D3-MARRS bp) in basal lateral membranes (BLM), indicated cooperative binding, and an increase in both Bmax and Kd with age. No changes in the age-related expression of 1,25D3-MARRS bp were found, as judged by Western analyses, suggesting that a shift in ligand binding to lower affinity membrane components accounted for the increase in calculated Bmax. Basal levels of protein kinase C (PKC) activity decreased with age, as did hormone enhancement of activity. Basal levels of protein kinase A (PKA) activity remained constant with age, while the magnitude of hormone stimulation increased. Comparison of dose-response curves for ion transport and kinase activities in 7-week chicks suggested that PKC mediates phosphate transport while PKA mediates calcium transport. Thus, the age-related loss of calcium transport is most likely related to loss of PKC-mediated phosphate transport.
Preparation and ultrafast optical characterization of metal and semiconductor colloidal nano-particles

The ultrafast dynamics of photoinduced electrons in several metal and semiconductor colloidal nano-particle systems are characterized using femtosecond laser spectroscopy. Various preparation methods are used and, in several cases, modified for making particles with long-term stability and narrow and controllable size distributions. The particle size and size distribution are determined using transmission electron microscopy and electronic absorption spectroscopy. For aqueous gold and silver colloids, spatial size confinement is found to cause substantially slower electronic relaxation due to reduction of non-equilibrium electron transport and weaker electron-phonon coupling. In gold colloids, photoejection of electrons into the liquid is observed, which is attributed to a two-photon enhanced ionization process. The effect of surfactant on the electron dynamics in CdS colloids is examined and found to be significant, substantiating the notion that electrons are dominantly trapped at the liquid-solid interface. In Ru3+-doped TiO2 colloids, the electronic decay is found to be as fast as or even faster than in undoped TiO2 and other semiconductor colloids such as CdS, suggesting that ion doping of large bandgap semiconductor colloids is not necessarily effective in lengthening the electron lifetime. In almost all cases studied, the majority of the photoinduced electrons are found to decay within a few tens of picoseconds due to non-radiative relaxation. The results are discussed in the context of the potential applications of metal and semiconductor nano-particles in areas including photocatalysis and photoelectrochemistry.
Reinforcement-Learning-Based Intelligent Maximum Power Point Tracking Control for Wind Energy Conversion Systems

This paper proposes an intelligent maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm for variable-speed wind energy conversion systems (WECSs) based on the reinforcement learning (RL) method. The model-free Q-learning algorithm is used by the controller of the WECS to learn a map from states to optimal control actions online by updating the action values according to the received rewards. The experienced action values are stored in a Q-table, based on which the maximum power points (MPPs) are obtained after a certain period of online learning. The learned MPPs are then used to generate an optimum speed–power curve for fast MPPT control of the WECS. Since RL enables the WECS to learn by directly interacting with the environment, knowledge of wind turbine parameters or wind speed information is not required. The proposed MPPT control algorithm is validated by simulation studies for a 1.5-MW doubly-fed induction generator-based WECS and experimental results for a 200-W permanent-magnet synchronous generator-based WECS emulator.
Self-Aligned N-Polar GaN/InAlN MIS-HEMTs With Record Extrinsic Transconductance of 1105 mS/mm

In this letter, we demonstrate state-of-the-art performance from N-polar GaN/InAlN metal-insulator-semiconductor high-electron mobility transistors (MIS-HEMTs). Self-aligned gate-first process was used for the fabrication of transistors. Graded InGaN and InN contact layers were used to achieve a low ohmic contact resistance of 25 Ω · μm. Excellent dc performance with the highest extrinsic gm of 1105 mS/mm, lowest Ron of 0.29 Ω · mm, and maximum current of 2.77 A/mm was achieved for Lg = 60 nm. The dc performance was found to scale well with the gate length. The highest fT of 155 GHz was obtained for Lg = 30 nm.