cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vertical magnetic measurements of the first full-length prototype MQXFAP2 quadrupole for the LHC Hi-Lumi accelerator upgrade project

This paper reports the commissioning of the vertical magnetic measurement system and the room temperature (warm) and cryogenic (cold) magnetic field measurements of the first full-length (4.2 m) quadrupole built by the U.S. Accelerator Upgrade Project (AUP) (formerly the LARP collaboration) for the high luminosity upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. The magnet, designated MQXFAP2, is a prototype preceding production for the AUP which will provide ten sets of 8.4-m superconducting insertion region quadrupoles for the Hi-Lumi Upgrade. The quadrupoles will be built by assembling two 4.2-m magnets in a single cryostat. Agreement between Brookhaven National Laboratory's (BNL's) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's (LBNL's) warm measurement data has indicated that the upgraded vertical magnetic measurement system at Brookhaven National Laboratory is ready for MQXFA magnet production testing. The cold magnetic measurement has been performed and preliminary data analysis has been conducted.
Evaluation of the Quality Characteristics of Premium Pork Loins

ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to determine the quality attributes of premium pork loins.Materials and MethodsPork loins (n = 30/treatment) from 5 premium (PRE A, B, C, D, and E) and 2 commodity brands (COM A and B), were purchased from food service purveyors and commercial abattoirs. Loins were fabricated at 14 or 15 d postmortem. Prior to fabrication, loins were weighed in the package to obtain an initial weight. After unpackaging, loins were dried and reweighed to determine the amount of purge lost during storage (PL). After unpackaging, L*, a* and b* values were collected on the ventral side of the loin using a Hunter Lab Miniscan spectrophotometer (Illuminant A, 2.54-cm aperture, 10° observer, Hunter Lab Associates Laboratory, Reston, VA). Each loin was evaluated for subjective color (SC) and marbling scores according to the National Pork Board Color and Marbling Standards. Loins were cut immediately posterior to the spinalis dorsi and the posterior end of the loin was used for all analyses. Loins were then fabricated into 2.54 cm chops. Chops were assigned to either: pH, instrumental (IC) and SC analysis, visual marbling (VM) and proximate analysis, Warner-Bratzler Shear force (WBSF), Slice Shear force (SSF) analysis or drip loss analysis. Chops designated for instrumental and visual color analysis were evaluated 30 min after slicing. Chops designated for WBSF and SSF were cooked on clam style grills to a peak temperature of 71°C.ResultsAll PRE brands were similar (P > 0.05) with lesser (P 0.05) found among the other PRE products. Commodity A was also tougher (P 0.05) chop color score, however COM B, was lighter (P 0.05) among all PRE brands, with only PRE C having a greater (P 0.05) in a* was found among the PRE brands and only PRE D and E differed (P 0.05) found among the 2 COM brands and the other 3 PRE brands. However, for chop VM, the 2 COM brands had less (P < 0.05) marbling than all PRE brands, except PRE B and C. For fat percentage, all brands had between 2 to 3% fat, with COM A having less (P < 0.05) fat than all PRE brands other than PRE B and D. Premium A, C and D had less (P < 0.05) weight lost as purge than any of the other brands.ConclusionThe differences observed within the quality traits evaluated show variation among different premium pork loin brands. This provides evidence that consumers and retailers will receive different levels of pork quality and eating satisfaction dependent on the premium brand purchased.
Characterization of ovarian development in girls from birth to 9 months.

Background The minipuberty of infancy is a period of increased reproductive axis activity. Changes in reproductive hormone concentrations and organ size occur during this period, but longitudinal changes have not been well described. Objectives The objective of this study was to characterize ovarian growth trajectories and ovarian follicle development during the first 9 months of life in a large longitudinal cohort of healthy girls. Methods Data from the Infant Feeding and Early Development Study, a longitudinal cohort study of oestrogen-responsive outcomes in healthy infants, were used to estimate ovarian growth trajectories and describe the presence of ovarian antral follicles in girls 0-9 months old. Ovarian ultrasound evaluations were performed on the infants within 72 hours of birth (newborn visit) and at 4, 8, 16, 24, and 32 weeks of age. Mixed-effects regression splines were used to characterize changes in ovarian volume during infancy and assess the association between the presence of ovarian follicles at the newborn visit and ovarian growth. Results This analysis included 163 girls with two or more ovarian ultrasounds in the study. Results from the estimated overall ovarian growth trajectory show that ovarian volume increases more than sixfold during the first 16 weeks after birth and then remains relatively stable in the later weeks of infancy. Among girls with observable ovaries at the newborn visit (n = 133), girls with at least one visible ovarian follicle showed more rapid initial ovarian growth compared with girls without visible follicles. Conclusions Infant ovarian volume increased to a peak at 16 weeks, which was influenced by the number and size of developing follicles. This research contributes to future development of reference ranges for postnatal ovarian growth in healthy, term infants.
Definitions and Basic Mechanism of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)

Coronary artery disease (CAD) also known as coronary heart disease (CHD) is described as the pathologic process affecting the coronary arteries, while atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD or CVD for short) is referred to as the pathological process affecting the entire arterial circulation, not just the coronary arteries. This chapter defines CAD and CHD along with their atherosclerotic pathogenic pathway and all the factors associated with it. The progression of atherosclerosis and its clinical findings are explained at various stages together with a description of the time course of inflammation and atherosclerotic calcification.
High Pressure NMR Studies of the Dynamics in Liquids and Complex Systems

For the last twenty years, our laboratory has been using high pressure NMR techniques to study the dynamic structure of liquids, supercritical fluids, polymers and disordered solids. After a brief introduction discussing the important reasons for using pressure as an experimental variable in NMR studies of liquids, the section on instrumentation deals with high resolution, high pressure NMR probes and other specialized high pressure NMR techniques. Several specific examples illustrate the range of applications of high resolution, high pressure NMR spectroscopy. The following two topics are covered: transport and relaxation in complex liquids and studies of dynamical solvent effects on reaction rates in solutions.
General Principles of Biological Assays

This chapter discusses the general principles of biological assays. In designing a satisfactory assay, the first stage is to determine the relation between dosage and response with a single preparation. In each case, the dose that reaches the site of action in the test organism is assumed to be proportional to that measured by the experimenter. As the dose of an active preparation is increased from which it gives no effect to one giving a maximum effect, the response increases (or decreases) continuously to form in many cases a sigmoid curve. An initial objective is to select units of response and of dose that will lead to a straight line over a range that is wide enough for assay purposes. The units used in the calculation are sometimes referred to as metameters. The response metameter varies considerably from one assay to another, but only two dose metameters lead to satisfactory assays. The more important of these is the logarithm of the dose.
Role of Kalirin and mouse strain in retention of spatial memory training in an Alzheimer's disease model mouse line.

Abstract Nontransgenic and 3xTG transgenic mice, which express mutant transgenes encoding human amyloid precursor protein (hAPP) along with Alzheimer’s disease–associated versions of hTau and a presenilin mutation, acquired the Barnes Maze escape task equivalently at 3–9 months of age. Although nontransgenics retested at 6 and 9 months acquired the escape task more quickly than naive mice, 3xTG mice did not. Deficits in Kalirin, a multidomain protein scaffold and guanine nucleotide exchange factor that regulates dendritic spines, has been proposed as a contributor to the cognitive decline observed in Alzheimer’s disease. To test whether deficits in Kalirin might amplify deficits in 3xTG mice, mice heterozygous/hemizygous for Kalirin and the 3xTG transgenes were generated. Mouse strain, age and sex affected cortical expression of key proteins. hAPP levels in 3xTG mice increased total APP levels at all ages. Kalirin expression showed strong sex-dependent expression in C57 but not B6129 mice. Decreasing Kalirin levels to half had no effect on Barnes Maze task acquisition or retraining in 3xTG hemizygous mice.
Using Wearable Technology to Evaluate the Kinetics and Kinematics of the Overhead Throwing Motion in Baseball Players

Recent advancements in wearable technology have made kinetic and kinematic analysis of the throwing motion more accessible to recreational and professional baseball pitchers. Utilization of wearable technology to monitor the pitching motion has several potential applications for injury prevention and postinjury rehabilitation. However, the device must be properly applied to collect meaningful data. Erratic or inconsistent measurements can be caused by inadequate battery charge, incorrect sensor placement, and inadvertent motion capture of fielding maneuvers or other nonpitching throws. These problems can be overcome with a protocol that includes collecting biomechanical data in real time and routinely checking the sensor position throughout the duration of the throwing session. In this article, we outline our protocol for collecting biomechanical data and troubleshooting suboptimal device function during pitching sessions.
CD4+ T Cell-Mimicking Nanoparticles Broadly Neutralize HIV-1 and Suppress Viral Replication through Autophagy.

Therapeutic strategies that provide effective and broad-spectrum neutralization against HIV-1 infection are highly desirable. Here, we investigate the potential of nanoengineered CD4+ T cell membrane-coated nanoparticles (TNP) to neutralize a broad range of HIV-1 strains. TNP displayed outstanding neutralizing breadth and potency; they neutralized all 125 HIV-1-pseudotyped viruses tested, including global subtypes/recombinant forms, and transmitted/founder viruses, with a geometric mean 80% inhibitory concentration (IC80) of 819 μg ml-1 (range, 72 to 8,570 μg ml-1). TNP also selectively bound to and induced autophagy in HIV-1-infected CD4+ T cells and macrophages, while having no effect on uninfected cells. This TNP-mediated autophagy inhibited viral release and reduced cell-associated HIV-1 in a dose- and phospholipase D1-dependent manner. Genetic or pharmacological inhibition of autophagy ablated this effect. Thus, we can use TNP as therapeutic agents to neutralize cell-free HIV-1 and to target HIV-1 gp120-expressing cells to decrease the HIV-1 reservoir.IMPORTANCE HIV-1 is a major global health challenge. The development of an effective vaccine and/or a therapeutic cure is a top priority. The creation of vaccines that focus an antibody response toward a particular epitope of a protein has shown promise, but the genetic diversity of HIV-1 hinders this progress. Here we developed an approach using nanoengineered CD4+ T cell membrane-coated nanoparticles (TNP). Not only do TNP effectively neutralize all strains of HIV-1, but they also selectively bind to infected cells and decrease the release of HIV-1 particles through an autophagy-dependent mechanism with no drug-induced off-target or cytotoxic effects on bystander cells.
Type I collagen deletion in αSMA+ myofibroblasts augments immune suppression and accelerates progression of pancreatic cancer

Summary Stromal desmoplastic reaction in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) involves significant accumulation of type I collagen (Col1). However, the precise molecular and mechanistic contribution of Col1 in PDAC progression remains unknown. Activated pancreatic stellate cells/αSMA+ myofibroblasts are major contributors of Col1 in the PDAC stroma. We use a dual-recombinase genetic mouse model of spontaneous PDAC to delete Col1 specifically in myofibroblasts. This results in significant reduction of total stromal Col1 content and accelerates the emergence of PanINs and PDAC, decreasing overall survival. Col1 deletion leads to Cxcl5 upregulation in cancer cells via SOX9. Increase in Cxcl5 is associated with recruitment of myeloid-derived suppressor cells and suppression of CD8+ T cells, which can be attenuated with combined targeting of CXCR2 and CCR2 to restrain accelerated PDAC progression in the setting of stromal Col1 deletion. Our results unravel the fundamental role of myofibroblast-derived Co1l in regulating tumor immunity and restraining PDAC progression.
Supporting mental health and productivity within labs

Laboratories are the central workplace for academic scientists and can play a key role in supporting psychological safety, mental health, and well-being. We provide strategies to build inclusive structures within laboratories and support mental health for all members.
Accreditation and Anticipatory Socialization to Doctoral Education in Kosovo

In 2013, controversial accreditation regulations effectively mandated that Kosovo universities employ three PhD holders in every academic program to maintain accreditation (Kosovo Accreditation Agency [KAA] 2018; Ministry of Education Science and Technology [MEST] 2013; National Qualification Authority 2016). This requirement is difficult for higher education institutions (HEIs) to fulfill for two reasons. First, only about 70 students begin PhDs in Kosovo annually (MEST 2019). Second, undergraduate enrollment at Kosovo’s universities has increased since the country’s independence in 2008 (Danuza, Mehmeti, and Saqipi 2016), driving greater demand for PhD holders to teach across the disciplines. With only 0.1 percent of GDP allotted for scientific research (Muja 2015), initiatives to increase capacity for doctoral education must be strategically tied to national priorities.
Word Learning by Preschool-Age Children With Developmental Language Disorder: Impaired Encoding and Robust Consolidation During Slow Mapping.

Purpose Learning novel words, including the specific phonemes that make up word forms, is a struggle for many individuals with developmental language disorder (DLD). Building robust representations...
Outcomes among preterm infants with patent ductus arteriosus: Relationship with treatment, gestational age, hemodynamic status and timing of treatment.

BACKGROUND There remains controversy regarding the outcomes resulting from treatment versus conservative management of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) among preterm infants. The effects of extreme prematurity, hemodynamic status of the PDA, and age at treatment remain poorly defined. STUDY DESIGN This retrospective case-control study including infants < 1250 gm who were categorized into 3 groups: Group 1: without PDA, Group 2: with untreated PDA, and Group 3: treated PDA. Diagnosis and treatment of PDA extracted from the medical records. Demographics, clinical characteristics, and outcomes compared using chi-square and analysis of variance. Logistic regression used to estimate adjusted odds ratios. RESULTS The study included 734 infants, with 141(19%) in Group 1, 329 (45%) in 2, and 264 (36%) in 3. Group 3 had higher incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) (aOR, 2.9; 95%CI 1.7-4.8). Infant treated for hemodynamically significant PDA (HSPDA) had higher incidence of BPD (aOR, 1.9; 95%CI 1.0-3.8) and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) (aOR, 3.4; 95%CI 1.6-6.9). There were no differences in outcome associated with treatment among≤26 weeks gestation and the age when treated. CONCLUSION Infants with PDA who were treated had higher incidence of BPD. Among those who were treated, those with HSPDA had a higher incidence of BPD and ROP.
Comparative study of various interpretative methods of the pile load test

Pile foundation is one of the most commonly used types of deep foundations provided when the required bearing capacity of the soil is not achieved through shallow foundations. Comparatively, the pile foundation is more complex to design and has a greater impact on the economy of a project. The unpredictable and heterogeneous nature of soil demands to verify analytical pile capacity by performing a full-scale pile load test. Different methods with unique assumptions and limitations are available to interpret ultimate pile capacity based on the results of the pile load test. This study provides a quantitative analysis of eight commonly used methods and investigates the most suitable and reliable interpretation method to be adopted for cast in situ piles. A comparison between these pile capacity interpretation methods is made using a database of 45 pile load tests conducted on the cast in situ (bored) piles as per the procedure specified by ASTM-D1143. The consistency and accuracy of each method are quantified statistically using pile capacity predicted analytically and pile capacity interpreted based on load test results. Debeer intersection load and Mazurkiewicz methods were found to be the most suitable and reliable pile capacity interpretation methods for bored piles.
Credit policies : lessons from East Asia

Directed credit programs were a major tool of development in the 1960s and 1970s. In the 1980s, their usefulness was reconsidered. Experience in most countries showed that they stimulated capital-intensive projects, that preferential funds were often (mis)used for nonpriority purposes, that a decline in financial discipline led to low repayment rates, and that budget deficits swelled. Moreover, the programs were hard to remove. But Japan and other East Asian countries have long touted the merits of focused, well-managed directed credit programs, saying they are warranted when there is a significant discrepancy between private and social benefits, when invesment risk is too high on certain projects, and when information problems discourage lending to small and medium-size firms. The assumption underlying policy-based assistance and other forms of industrial assistance (such as lower taxes) is that the main constraint on new or expanding enterprises is limited to access to credit. The authors give an overview of credit policies in East Asian countries (China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea) as well as India, and summarize what these countries have learned about directed credit programs. Among the lessons: 1) Credit programs must small, narrowly focused, and of limited duration (with clear sunset provisions); 2) subsidies must be low to minimize distortion of incentives as well as the tax on financial intermediation that all such programs entail; 3) credit programs must be financed by long-term funds to prevent inflation and macroeconomic instability, recourse to central bank credit should be avoided except in the very early stages of development when the central bank's assistance can help jump-start economic growth; 4) they should aim at achieving positive externalities (or avoiding negative ones), any help to declining industries should include plans for their timely phaseout; 5) they should promote industrialization and export orientation in a competitive private sector with internationaly competitive operations; 6) they should be part of a credible vision of economic development that promotes growth with equity and should involve a long-term strategy to develop a sound financial system; 7) policy based loans should be channeled through well-capitalized, administratively capable financial institutions, professionally managed by autonomous managers; 8) they should be based on clear, objective, easily monitored criteria; 9) programs should aim for a good repayment record and few losses; and 10) they should be supported by effective mechanisms for communication and consultation between the public and private sectors, including the collection and dissemination of basic market information.
Purification and identification of the heat-stable factor required for pregnenolone-binding protein activity. Evidence that the factor is adenosine 3',5'-diphosphate.

This paper presents data identifying adenosine 3',5'-diphosphate (3',5'-ADP) as the small heat-stable factor essential for the active steroid binding complex of the adrenocortical pregnenolone-binding protein (PBP). Factor activity obtained from the boiled supernatant of partially purified PBP was isolated by high performance liquid chromatography using weak anion-exchange and hydrophobic (C18) chromatography sequentially. The purified material retained characteristic factor activity and presented a UV spectrum identical to that for authentic 3',5'-ADP. Mass spectroscopic analysis of the isolated factor revealed an M-H ion of appropriate mass (m/z = 426) and a decomposition pattern for the M-H ion that was consistent with the structure of 3',5'-ADP. The studies presented here demonstrate that authentic 3',5'-ADP can categorically substitute for factor prepared from the soluble fraction of the guinea pig adrenal. Specifically, 3',5'-ADP potentiated ligand binding of partially purified native PBP and restored binding capacity to alkaline phosphatase-inactivated PBP in a dose-dependent manner. As is the case for adrenocortical factor activity, these effects were negated by pretreating the 3',5'-ADP with calf intestinal alkaline phosphatase. Other nucleotides similarly tested, including ADP isomers, were ineffective as factor substitutes. The sulfated form of 3',5'-ADP (i.e. 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate) demonstrated some potential for restoring binding capacity to phosphatase-inactivated PBP; however, this compound was clearly inhibitory rather than stimulatory for native PBP activity. Taken collectively, the data overwhelmingly demonstrate that 3',5'-ADP is in fact the molecule required by the PBP for high affinity steroid binding complex formation. It is not yet known whether 3',5'-ADP acts allosterically or contributes directly to the structure of the steroid binding site.
The Criminal Responsibility of the Juvenile Murderer

Criminal intent is necessary to hold a person amenable to the criminal law for murder. At common law a child under seven was conclusively presumed to be incapable of entertaining such an intent and no evidence could be received to show capacity in fact. A child between seven and fourteen was presumed to be incapable of entertaining a criminal intent but the presumption was rebuttable by a showing to the criminal court jury that the child was of sufficient intelligence to distinguish between right and wrong and did understand the nature and illegality of his act. This presumption was extremely strong at the age of seven and diminished gradually until it disappeared entirely at the age of fourteen. A child over fourteen was in substantially the same position with regard to criminal responsibility as an adult. He was presumed to be capable of criminal intention and therefore responsible, unless he could show that he was not of sufficient capacity! Juvenile courts, special courts having jurisdiction over juvenile
Postales de un territorio excéntrico

La fuerza decolonial trabaja desde el interior del proyecto colonial/moderno, lo cual genera tensiones de aceptacion o resistencia dentro del modelo, que producen luchas, rebeliones e insurgencias, o crean mundos bizarros y formas de re-existencia. Este ensayo subraya como cierta produccion cultural en Colombia, en especial el trabajo del artista visual Fernando Pertuz, viene estableciendose como el corpus de esos mundos bizarros, y el locus del terror en la cultura. El texto no busca establecer esta produccion como hegemonica, pues el rango del quehacer artistico y cultural es amplio y diverso, sino hacer aportes a la emergencia de nuevas esteticas y formas de escritura, vinculadas a fenomenos culturales y artisticos contemporaneos. Se pretende incorporar al proceso critico un contexto y unas demandas particulares, que aportan a la construccion de narrativas historicas complejas, y formas de re-existencia que son producto de la historia postcolonial/moderna.
Bacterial proteins required for replication of phage Q ribonucleic acid. Pruification and properties of host factor I, a ribonucleic acid-binding protein.

A bacterial protein (host factor I) required for the replication of bacteriophage Qβ RNA in vitro has been purified from uninfected Escherichia coli to apparent homogeneity. When analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate the purified protein migrates as a single band with an apparent molecular weight of 12,500. The molecular weight of the active protein is approximately 75,000, suggesting a subunit structure composed of six polypeptide chains. RNA synthesis catalyzed by the Qβ RNA polymerase with Qβ RNA as template is completely dependent upon the presence of the purified protein. The concentration of factor required for the maximum rate of synthesis varies according to the amount of Qβ RNA added, but is independent of enzyme concentration. The stoichiometry of the reaction suggests that 1 molecule of factor is required per molecule of RNA. Binding of factor to several different types of single stranded RNA was demonstrated by zonal centrifugation; binding was not detected with double stranded reovirus RNA or with double or single stranded DNA. Studies on the role of factor in the reaction suggest that this host protein acts as a positive control element required at some step prior to the initiation of synthesis with Qβ RNA template.
Pregnandiol excretion at the time of labor.

Abstract Six pregnant women, four multiparas and two primiparas, had periodic studies of urine for pregnandiol, totaling 46 assays, covering periods involving the last weeks of pregnancy, immediately prior to labor, during labor, and following delivery. It was found that although the quantity of pregnandiol excretion dropped during the last weeks of pregnancy, the pregnandiol curve prior to the onset of labor rose sharply and continued at an appreciable level throughout labor, at the conclusion of which pregnandiol output fell to a negligible amount within 72 hours. A discussion of the possible significance of these findings was advanced and several suggestions were offered regarding
Electronic nursing documentation as a strategy to improve quality of patient care.

Purpose: Electronic health records are expected to improve the quality of care provided to hospitalized patients. For nurses, use of electronic documentation sources becomes highly relevant because this is where they obtain the majority of necessary patient information. Methods: An integrative review of the literature examined the relationship between electronic nursing documentation and the quality of care provided to hospitalized patients. Donabedian's quality framework was used to organize empirical literature for review. Results: To date, the use of electronic nursing documentation to improve patient outcomes remains unclear. Conclusions and Implications: Future research should investigate the day-to-day interactions between nurses and electronic nursing documentation for the provision of quality care to hospitalized patients. Clinical Relevance: The majority of U.S. hospital care units currently use paper-based nursing documentation to exchange patient information for quality care. However, by 2014, all U.S. hospitals are expected to use electronic nursing documentation on patient care units, with the anticipated benefit of improved quality. However, the extent to which electronic nursing documentation improves the quality of care to hospitalized patients remains unknown, in part due to the lack of effective comparisons with paper-based nursing documentation.
Understanding Customer Value in Technology-Enabled Services: A Numerical Taxonomy Based on Usage and Utility

Use of technologies in service encounters can enhance service delivery and increase customer satisfaction in services. Our research develops a numerical taxonomy that provides a deeper understanding of usage and value of customer-facing technology-based innovations in the U.S. restaurant industry. In this study, utility is a proxy for intrinsic customer value. Usage was estimated by past visits to restaurants and utility was calculated by using a specific type of discrete choice experiment known as Best-Worst or max-diff experiment. We offer insights for service strategy technology choices and customer value in service delivery systems research and practice. Furthermore, we advance service science by discussing the inherent management pitfalls of failing to distinguish between technology usage and utility in services.
New Insights into the Regulation of the Actin Cytoskeleton by Tropomyosin

The actin cytoskeleton is regulated by a variety of actin-binding proteins including those constituting the tropomyosin family. Tropomyosins are coiled-coil dimers that bind along the length of actin filaments. In muscles, tropomyosin regulates the interaction of actin-containing thin filaments with myosin-containing thick filaments to allow contraction. In nonmuscle cells where multiple tropomyosin isoforms are expressed, tropomyosins participate in a number of cellular events involving the cytoskeleton. This chapter reviews the current state of the literature regarding tropomyosin structure and function and discusses the evidence that tropomyosins play a role in regulating actin assembly.
Probing Superluminal Neutrinos Via Refraction

One phenomenological explanation of superluminal propagation of neutrinos, which may have been observed by OPERA and MINOS, is that neutrinos travel faster inside of matter than in vacuum. If so neutrinos exhibit refraction inside matter and should exhibit other manifestations of refraction, such as deflection and reflection. Such refraction would be easily detectable through the momentum imparted to appropriately shaped refractive material inserted into the neutrino beam. For NuMI this could be as large as ~10g cm/s. If these effect were found, they would provide new ways of manipulating and detecting neutrinos. Reasons why this scenario seems implausible are given, however it is still worthwhile to conduct simple searches for differential refraction of neutrinos.
Packages, Libraries, and Components

Rosetta provides a collection of capabilities for grouping declarations into composite structures. This chapter discusses packages, libraries, and components in context of Rosetta. A package is a parameterized Rosetta construct used to group definitions together into reusable collections. Packages represent containers for various related declarations. They are used to represent entire projects, component libraries, abstract data types, and collections of related functions and data types. While a facet represents a model, a package represents a related collection of models and other items. A library defines a location for packages by associating a universal resource indicator (URI) with a local name. A component is a collection of definitions that allow inclusion of usage assumptions and verification conditions along with a specification in a single construct. Components also allows information, including design rationale, correctness connections, and assumptions for correct usage to be encapsulated with a facet in a standard manner.
Stimulation of human monocytes by endotoxin-associated protein: inhibition of programmed cell death (apoptosis) and potential significance in adjuvanticity.

Abstract Mononuclear phagocytes are essential for adjuvant activity and polyclonal immunoglobulin synthesis induced by endotoxin-associated protein (EP) from Salmonella spp. To define the mechanisms of EP-mediated immunostimulation, we evaluated monocyte functions central to adjuvanticity following exposure to Salmonella typhimurium EP. In this study, we show that EP promotes the survival of monocytes by blocking programmed cell death (apoptosis), enhancing the production of the immunostimulatory cytokine interleukin-1 (IL-1) and stimulating the increased expression of HLA-DR and IL-2 receptors, which are cell membrane proteins that facilitate antigen presentation and IL-2 regulation, respectively. These results indicate that, like lipopolysaccharide, EP is a potent activator of human monocytes and suggest that EP-induced immunostimulation may be mediated, in part, by enhanced monocyte survival, cytokine release, and receptor expression.
Efficient guaranteed search for gray-level patterns

We address the problem of locating a gray-level pattern in a gray-level image. The pattern can have been transformed by an affine transformation, and may have undergone some additional changes. We define a difference function based on comparing each pixel of the pattern with a window in the image, and search efficiently for transformations that minimize the difference function. The search is guaranteed: it will always find the transformation minimising the difference function, and not get fooled by a local minimum; it is also efficient, in that it does not need to examine every transformation in order to achieve this guarantee. This technique can be applied to object location, motion tracking, optical flow, or block-based motion compensation in video image sequence compression (e.g., MPEG).
Solar-powered racing vehicle concept

The first US solar race car to compete in a solar race, Tour de Sol, was Solectria III, which is described as an inexpensive, fairly simple vehicle that has the advantages of small size and light weight. The vehicle finished the race but was not competitive due to poor aerodynamics, low battery capacity and lack of efficient control system. Features of later, improved models are reported. >
Review of programs for persons who are homeless and mentally ill.

Despite recent prosperity in the U.S., homelessness is still a widespread social problem. It is estimated that 25% of homeless persons have a serious mental illness. This article will review the literature evaluating prevention services and specialized outreach, treatment, and housing programs designed to reduce homelessness for individuals who are mentally ill. Although these interventions have been helpful in addressing the complex needs of the homeless mentally ill, it is difficult to measure how they have improved outcomes. It is even more challenging to determine whether the programs are cost-effective. Since public resources are used to maintain services for the homeless mentally ill, policy-makers must be informed about whether the best outcomes are achieved at the lowest possible cost. Following a discussion of the successes of the individual programs and the challenges they confront, several important questions are identified related to improving the efficiency of these programs. Although the establishment of such programs indicates that progress has been made toward alleviating the burdens facing people who are homeless and mentally ill, collaboration among all stakeholders-especially between the mental health community and consumer advocates-needs to be further enhanced. New research can be conducted in a way that improves how information is evaluated and used.
TH‐C‐BRA‐04: Radiation Therapy Dose Calculation Using Graphics Processing Units

Dosecomputation methods in radiotherapy have traditionally been developed for central processing units (CPUs). Methods used in radiation therapytreatment planning must balance clinical accuracy requirements with practical planning time limits. The first commercial 3D treatment planning systems in the early 1990s took between 5–30 minutes to compute a beam depending on the dose grid size and computation method. In the years that followed CPU performance increased with Moore's law and more reasonable dose computation speeds of several seconds to minutes were achieved. However in recent years CPUs have increased computing power with additional cores not clock speed. At the same time graphic processing units (GPUs) have evolved from fixed function devices into flexible general purpose hardware. Today general purpose GPU computing (GPGPU) has turned desktops into supercomputers and languages such as OpenCL CUDA (Compute Unified Device Architecture) Fortran CUDA C and DirectCompute have allowed for fast GPU program development. Currently convolution/superposition algorithms are the primary computation methods used in treatment planning systems due to their combination of reasonable performance and accuracy. Monte Carlo methods are becoming more prevalent but they still have performance problems. Porting these algorithms to the GPU promises to provide a several orders of magnitude performance increase; resulting in near real‐time convolution/superposition dose computation. The implementation of these algorithms on the many‐core architecture of the GPU poses several challenges and opportunities. The first concern is dividing the algorithm up into many separate parallel processes that can be run independently of one another. The second concern is memory access patterns; for example the manually caching via shared memory the avoidance of write on write conflicts and the maximization of memory bandwidth efficiency. The third concern is how to best leverage the specific processing capabilities of the GPU such as hardware exponentials. Several approaches to implementing dose computation algorithms on the GPU will be discussed. The performance increase in these newer algorithms provides new opportunities in the way we approach treatment planning — whether it be real time treatment planning or enabling dosimetric guidance to treatment delivery. Learning Objectives; 1. To understand the architecture differences between CPU and GPU 2. To understand approaches complications and advantages to implementing pencil beam convolution/superposition algorithm and Monte Carlo algorithms on the GPU 3. To understand the implications of the performance gain on treatment planning processes
Merging a DSP-Oriented Signal Integrity Technique and SW-Based Fault Handling Mechanisms to Ensure Reliable DSP Systems

Hereafter, we present an approach aiming to improve the reliability of digital signal processing (DSP) systems operating in real noisy (electromagnetic interference—EMI) environments. The approach is based on the coupling of two techniques: the “DSP-oriented signal integrity improvement” technique deals with increasing the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and is essentially a modification of the classic Recovery Blocks Scheme. The second technique, named “SW-based fault handling” aims to detect in real-time data- and control-flow faults throughout modifications of the processor code. When compared to conventional approaches using Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and Hamming Code, the primary benefit of such an approach is to improve system reliability by means of a considerably low complexity, reasonably low performance degradation and, when implemented in hardware, with reduced area overhead. Aiming to illustrate the proposed approach, we implemented a HW/SW prototype to operate as a speech recognition system (SRS). This prototype was tested under a home-tailored EMI environment according to the IEC 61000-4-29 International Standard Normative. The obtained results indicate that the proposed approach can effectively improve the reliability of DSP systems operating in real noise (EMI) environments.
Early lung disease in asbestos-product workers.

We attempted to detect early signs of asbestos-induced lung disease in groups of workers in a factory which manufactured heat-resistant and friction composites. Chest auscultation results, scored on the frequency, persistence, and distribution of rales, were 2+ in 25/79 asbestos-exposed workers (32%) vs. 1/22 non-exposed workers (5%). Vital capacity was slightly but significantly reduced in two of three subgroups of asbestos workers compared to non-exposed workers. Although none of the workers had asbestosis according to clinical criteria, and only 2 had more than slight parenchymal lesions on a 70 mm chest x-ray film, the asbestos-exposed men as a group had signs of early parenchymal lung disease which were absent or minimal in the control subjects. If medical examinations of asbestos workers are to be useful in detecting early lung disease in individuals or are to serve as a "biological monitor" of the work environment, they should at least include chest auscultation, as well as lung function tests which are adequately standardized to allow definition of slight degrees of lung function loss.
Dose-related hemodynamic and renal effects of dopamine in congestive heart failure.

Summary The hemodynamic effects of dopamine were studied in nine patients with congestive heart failure. A dose-related increase in cardiac output and stroke volume was observed with infusion rates up to 5 μg per kilogram per minute in all patients; more rapid infusions resulted in a diminished response in many individuals. Tachycardia was significant only at an infusion rate of 10 μg per kilogram per minute. Dose-related increments in aortic dp/dt, urine flow, sodium excretion, and creatinine clearance were also observed. A correlation of invasive and noninvasive techniques for evaluating the hemodynamic effects of dopamine is presented and the potential clinical usefulness of dopamine discussed.
Properties of fructose-1,6-diphosphate aldolase from two thermophilic and a mesophilic clostridia.

Abstract Frutose-1,6-diphosphate aldolase (fructose-1,6-diphosphate d -glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate-lyase, EC 4.1.2.13) from the two thermophiles Clostridium tartarivorum and Clostridium thermosaccharolyticum and from the mesophile Clostridium pasteurianum has been purified about 55-fold. The partially purified proteins exhibited properties characteristic of Class II aldolases, i.e. they showed a requirement for a divalent cation best satisfied by Co2+, were stimulated by K+ or NH4+, exhibited a sharp pH optimum of 7.3–7.6, were not inactivated by carboxypeptidase or treatment with NaBH4 in the presence of dihydroxyacetone phosphate and had a molecular weight of about 68000. The Michaelis constants for the cofactors and the substrate fructose 1,6-diphosphate were found to be similar for all three clostridial enzymes. The presence of cysteine or dithiothreitol in the absence of Co2+ caused a 2-fold stimulation in activity. However, in the presence of Co2+ the thiol compounds caused inhibition. Reaction with the sulfhydryl reagents p- chloromercuribenzoate and 5′,5′-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) caused complete inactivation of the enzyme which could be reversed by the addition of 2-mercaptoethanol. Co2+ but not fructose 1,6-diphosphate protected by enzyme from inactivation by the sulfhydryl reagents. C. pasteurianum aldolase exhibited maximum activity when assayed at 42° whereas the thermophile enzymes showed a maximum at 70–72°. The mesophile enzyme was completely inactivated within 5 min when incubated at 57°; the thermophiles aldolases remained stable for at least 4 h. Both the mesophile and thermophile enzymes were found to be equally susceptible to the denaturants urea and guanidine · HCl.
Syndrome of cyanosis, digital clubbing, and hepatic disease in siblings

A 5-year-old boy and his 2 1/2-year-old sister developed cyanosis and digital clubbing after the onset of hepatitis of undetermined etiology. Multiple, small, pulmonary arteriovenous fistulas seemed to be primarily responsible for the systemic arterial oxygen desaturation. Overt cyanosis appeared when pathological changes of liver disease were minimal. After the liver disease gradually subsided in the boy, his cyanosis, clubbing, and arterial desaturation completely disappeared. The liver disease was progressive in the girl, and her acquired cardiovascular abnormalities were fatal. Pulmonary arteriovenous fistulas were delineated by postmortem injections of viscous radiopaque material. The observations suggest that liver injury may be the important event in initiation and maintenance of arteriovenous shunting in susceptible individuals.
Free splenic artery used in aortocoronary bypass

Many alternative bypass conduits for coronary revascularization have been used since the introduction of the saphenous vein. The internal mammary artery has demonstrated superior long-term patency rates compared with vein grafts. Other arterial grafts previously investigated include the right gastroepiploic artery, inferior epigastric artery, radial artery, and splenic artery. This case reports bypass using a free splenic artery and a pedicled right gastroepiploic artery, each with successful postoperative patency.
Effects of starvation and desiccation on energy metabolism in desert and mesic Drosophila

Energy availability can limit the ability of organisms to survive under stressful conditions. In Drosophila, laboratory experiments have revealed that energy storage patterns differ between populations selected for desiccation and starvation. This suggests that flies may use different sources of energy when exposed to these stresses, but the actual substrates used have not been examined. We measured lipid, carbohydrate, and protein content in 16 Drosophila species from arid and mesic habitats. In five species, we measured the rate at which each substrate was metabolized under starvation or desiccation stress. Rates of lipid and protein metabolism were similar during starvation and desiccation, but carbohydrate metabolism was several-fold higher during desiccation. Thus, total energy consumption was lower in starved flies than desiccated ones. Cactophilic Drosophila did not have greater initial amounts of reserves than mesic species, but may have lower metabolic rates that contribute to stress resistance.
A comparison of suture and tubulization nerve repair techniques in a primate

This study compared standard methods of nerve repair, epineurial or perineurial sutures with a technique termed fascicular tubulization using a biodegradable polyglycolic acid tube in a nonhuman primate model. Electrophysiologic analysis demonstrated that the percentage of proximal axons that conducted across the repair site did not significantly differ among the three techniques while epineurial suture repairs were associated with significantly longer conduction delays across the repair site compared with the other two techniques. Even though fascicular tubulization using the current polyglycolic acid tube resulted in regeneration equal to the currently perceived best suture repair technique, associated technical problems with the current tube design indicate that this fascicular tubulization technique cannot, at present, be considered as an alternative to present clinically used nerve suture techniques.
Spatially selective sound capture for speech and audio processing

Abstract Advances in transducer technology, signal processing and computing make possible high-quality sound capture from designated spatial volumes under adverse acoustic conditions. The techniques of multiple beamforming and matched filtering are applied to two- and three-dimensional arrays of sensors. Array performance is assessed in a preliminary way from computer simulations of rooms and from image characterization of the multipath environment. The results suggest that high-quality signals can be retrieved from spatially-selected volumes in severely reverberant enclosures. Reciprocally, the same techniques can be applied to spatially-selecteve sound projection.