cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Extracellular matrix in prostate adenocarcinoma:: Changes in the glycoprotein component of the basement membrane

This study was designed to assess the condition of the basement membrane of archival prostate carcinoma tissue when adjacent to tumor cells of varying degrees of malignancy, using a simple staining technique. Tissue was obtained from 87 patients with untreated prostate cancer. Tissue was randomly selected from four patients from each of four Gleason grades of 2, 3, 4, and 5. Tissue was fixed in 10% formalin and routinely processed. Sections were freshly cut from paraffin blocks and slides were subjected to the periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) reaction. Gleason grades 2, 3, 4, and 5 were visualized. As the Gleason grade increased, the intensity of staining, density, and thickness of the gel-like basement membrane decreased. With the increasing Gleason grade, as seen by the PAS stain, the basement membrane glycoprotein decreased in its density and thickness with increased fragmentation, which suggested that the basement membrane would be so modified by the tumor cells to allow the tumor to spread locally. The breakdown of the basement membrane is probably a consequence of increased intratumor pressure, certain proteolytic enzymes, and increased cell motility associated with increased degree of malignancy.
Nonlinear measures of technical efficiency

Abstract The data envelopment analysis for measuring efficiency of decision-making units is generalized here to include nonlinearities, which in suitable cases outperform the linear efficiency measures in terms of explanatory power and goodness of fit.
On differential pursuit games

A nonlinear differential pursuit game with a general closed terminal set is studied. Notions of various terminabilities are introduced. These notions include the notions of asymptotic stability, stabilizability and reachability of control systems. By using Lyapunov’s direct method; some sufficient conditions for these terminabilities of the game are obtained. As a special case, a linear differential pursuit game with the terminal set as a subspace is discussed as well.
A hybrid ray-tracing and radiosity method for calculating radiation transport and illuminance distribution in spaces with venetian blinds

Abstract This paper presents a hybrid ray-tracing and radiosity method for processing luminous flux in spaces equipped with horizontal venetian blinds. The method considers both diffuse and specular characteristics of the blinds and aims to establish a balance between computational speed and accuracy. Direct components are treated with ray-tracing techniques employing a shining factor for the blinds to split between specularly and diffusely reflected components. The specular components are traced inside the blind cavity and inside the room while the direct-diffuse components inside the blind cavity are processed in a two-dimensional radiosity calculation until the final diffuse flux departing the cavity is determined. Diffuse-to-diffuse transmission is considered using a traditional radiosity method. Each room surface is divided into sub-surfaces and given an initial luminous exitance, after accounting for directly traced portions. Then a three-dimensional radiosity method is employed for the entire room to compute illuminance distributions on each sub-surface and on the work plane. Comparison between the current model and results obtained with full radiosity showed that significant errors can be introduced by improper modeling of blind specular components for almost all profile angles and slat angles. An in-depth analysis of the transmission process with different profile angles and shining factors showed the potential of blinds with diffuse characteristics to transmit more light than blinds with highly specular surfaces for certain angles. Further analysis for profile angle close to 45°, showed that for certain commonly used slat angles, a second reflection occurs at the bottom side of the upper slat, redirecting direct light towards the work plane, with serious potential glare consequences. The model contributes to rapid and accurate assessment of illuminance/solar radiation distribution in spaces with venetian blinds and related potential lighting energy savings when electric lighting controls are utilized. Analysis of the number of inter-reflections as a function of profile and slat angles with simultaneous consideration of different reflectances and shining factors is particularly important for providing guidelines and recommendations for venetian blinds optimized design and control.
Free Distributional Data of Arithmetic Functions and Corresponding Generating Functions Determined by Gaps Between Primes

In this paper, we study free probability on the algebra \(\mathcal{A }\) consisting of all arithmetic functions, determined by the gaps between primes. As a continuation and as an application of Cho (Classification on Arithmetic Functions and Free-Moment \(L\) -Functions. Submitted to B. Korean Math Soc, 2013), we study moment series and R-transforms induced by both arithmetic functions and gaps between primes. Also, we consider R-transform calculus on the arithmetic algebra.
Accelerated Aging in HIV/AIDS: Novel Biomarkers of Senescent Human CD8+ T Cells

Clinical evaluation of immune reconstitution and health status during HIV-1 infection and anti-retroviral therapy (ART) is largely based on CD4+ T cell counts and viral load, measures that fail to take into account the CD8+ T cell subset, known to show features of accelerated aging in HIV disease. Here, we compare adenosine deaminase (ADA), glucose uptake receptor 1 (GLUT1), and leucine-rich repeat neuronal 3 (LRRN3) to CD38 expression and telomerase activity, two strong predictors of HIV disease progression. Our analysis revealed that reduced ADA, telomerase activity and LRRN3 gene expression were significantly associated with high CD38 and HLA-DR in CD8+ T cells, with % ADA+ cells being the most robust predictor of CD8+ T cell activation. Our results suggest that ADA, LRRN3 and telomerase activity in CD8+ T cells may serve as novel, clinically relevant biomarkers of immune status in HIV-1 infection, specifically by demonstrating the degree to which CD8+ T cells have progressed to the end stage of replicative senescence. Since chronological aging itself leads to the accumulation of senescent CD8+ T cells, the prolonged survival and resultant increased age of the HIV+ population may synergize with the chronic immune activation to exacerbate both immune decline and age-associated pathologies. The identification and future validation of these new biomarkers may lead to fresh immune-based HIV treatments.
Continuous current and temperature rise in bundled cables for aircraft

THE need for bundle ratings arises from the fact that cables installed in aircraft are grouped together for a portion of the cable run from the distribution bus to the individual load devices. Stated in its simplest form, the bundle-rating problem is to determine a method for selecting the proper combination of cable sizes for any given group of currents; or stated, conversely, given a group of cables, to find the combination of currents which may be carried safely by the group.
Effect of Sense Modality Switching on Serial Learning

Previous research has indicated that, when a serial learning task involves switching sense modality, learning is depressed. The switching involves a period of about 200 msec., which is not a part of the time available for learning. In a serial learning task, with nonsense syllables, sense modality was switched from the auditory to the visual to the auditory or the reverse, but only one switch was involved in the 7-syllable list. The prediction was that a depression would be produced in the learning of the syllable following the switch and that the syllable involved in the switch would be influenced both by the von Restorff effect and by the reduction in time available for learning as a result of switching. At the faster of two speeds some evidence was consistent with predictions.
The macrophage aggregation assay for delayed hypersensitivity: Development of the response, role of the macrophage, and the independence of humoral antibody

Abstract In vitro aggregation of guinea pig peritoneal exudate cell (PEC) suspensions in the presence of antigen was found to correlate with cutaneous delayed hypersensitivity. In contrast, PEC from animals with humoral antibody and negative delayed skin tests did not aggregate when antigen was added. Separation of lymphocytes and macrophages in the PEC suspensions demonstrated that the macrophages were the aggregating cells which could be derived from either immunized or unimmunized animals. Macrophage aggregation took place in the presence of sensitive lymphocytes plus antigen or upon incubation of macrophages with supernatant fluids from cultures of sensitive lymphocytes with antigen. Following immunization with Bacillus Calmette-Guerin the macrophage aggregation assay paralleled the conversion of skin tests.
HEPATOCELLULAR TRANSPLANTATION (HCT) VIA PORTAL VEIN CATHETER IN A PATIENT WITH FULMINANT LIVER FAILURE. † 746

HEPATOCELLULAR TRANSPLANTATION (HCT) VIA PORTAL VEIN CATHETER IN A PATIENT WITH FULMINANT LIVER FAILURE. † 746
Precise mapping of the replication and transcription promoters of human parainfluenza virus type 3.

Abstract The terminal RNA regions of the genomic and antigenomic RNAs of the paramyxoviruses and rhabdoviruses are known to contain sequences essential for directing RNA replication and transcription. The 3′ terminus (leader region) of the negative-sense, genomic RNA of the rhabdoviruses and paramyxoviruses is known as the leader (Le) promoter and directs synthesis of positive-sense replication and transcription products. The 3′ terminus of the antigenome is termed the trailer complementary (TrC) promoter and directs the synthesis of genomic RNA. By creating mutations in the corresponding regions of an HPIV3 minireplicon in which the viral protein coding sequences were replaced by the luciferase gene, we were able to precisely define the elements of the leader promoter involved in directing positive-strand replication of HPIV3. Nucleotides 1 through 12 (from the terminus) formed a domain critical for replication. The region from nucleotides 13 through 55 was important but not crucial for replication, while G residues at positions 79, 85, and 91 comprised another domain critical for replication. It was also shown that the TrC promoter is similar, though not identical, to the Le promoter. Nucleotides 1 through 12 of the TrC promoter were critical for synthesis of genomic RNA, though specific positions behaved differently from the corresponding positions of the Le promoter. While many of these mutations could not be analyzed for transcription because they completely abrogated genomic RNA synthesis (the template for transcription), we were surprised to find that no mutations in the leader promoter which decreased replication had any significant effect on transcription. However, mutations in the intergenic sequence and gene start signal following the leader and preceding the luciferase message severely decreased transcription, but not replication.
Preliminary X-ray studies of a cytochrome c from Micrococcus denitrificans

Abstract Single crystals of a cytochrome c from Micrococcus denitrificans have been grown and studied by diffraction techniques. The most favorable form for structural analysis has been found to be P212121 with cell dimensions of a = 42.7 A , b = 82.1 A , c = 31.6 A , containing one molecule per asymmetric unit. Three heavy-atom derivatives have been produced and the analysis of one has progressed to the stage of difference Patterson synthesis.
A numerical study of gas transport in human lung models

Stable Xenon (Xe) gas has been used as an imaging agent for decades in its radioactive form, is chemically inert, and has been used as a ventilation tracer in its non radioactive form during computerized tomography (CT) imaging. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using hyperpolarized Helium (He) gas and Xe has also emerged as a powerful tool to study regional lung structure and function. However, the present state of knowledge regarding intra-bronchial Xe and He transport properties is incomplete. As the use of these gases rapidly advances, it has become critically important to understand the nature of their transport properties and to, in the process, better understand the role of gas density in general in determining regional distribution of respiratory gases. In this paper, we applied the custom developed characteristic-Galerkin finite element method, which solves the three-dimensional (3D) incompressible variable-density Navier-Stokes equations, to study the transport of Xe and He in the CT-based human lung geometries, especially emulating the washin and washout processes. The realistic lung geometries are segmented and reconstructed from CT images as part of an effort to build a normative atlas (NIH HL-064368) documenting airway geometry over 4 decades of age in healthy and disease-state adult humans. The simulation results show that the gas transport process depends on the gas density and the body posture. The implications of these results on the difference between washin and washout time constants are discussed.
Rapid Experimentation in Complex Internal Flow Passages Using SLA and MRV

Designing complex internal cooling passages is extremely difficult without detailed information about the flow behavior due to the presence of separated flow zones and strong secondary flows. This paper describes a new approach to designing internal flow passages called Rapid Iterative Design Using Experimentation (RIDUE). RIDUE utilizes rapid prototyping (RP) manufacturing to quickly build an accurate model of a complex internal flow passage and magnetic resonance velocimetry (MRV) to measure the full three dimensional velocity field. Because both techniques offer very fast turnaround, it is feasible to conduct iterative design with a cycle time of 1–2 days. RIDUE is demonstrated using a generic turbine blade internal cooling passage with four serpentine channels. Two channels have rectangular cross-section and two are square. In each channel, two of the four walls have ribs (also called turbulators) angled at 45 degrees to the main flow direction. Two models based on the generic geometry are studied, each with different turbulator cross-sections, one square and one rounded. Both models were built using a stereo lithography apparatus. MRV provided three-component velocity vectors for flow at a Reynolds number of 10,000 based on the hydraulic diameter of the first passage. Sample vector fields are presented to illustrate the detail with which the flow can be investigated. Although little difference is seen in the flows between the two models, it is demonstrated that through its use of RP processes and the MRV measurement technique, RIDUE is a viable technique for modern internal passage design.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
The changing Amman: notes on the injury of war in Eastern Sri Lanka

(1997). The changing Amman: notes on the injury of war in Eastern Sri Lanka. South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies: Vol. 20, Conflict and Community in Contemporary Sri Lanka, pp. 215-236.
Calcium Block of Sodium Current in a Model Calcium Channel: Cylindrical Atomistic Pore with Glutamate Side Chains

Biological calcium channels are known to have permeation selectivity governed by the acidic groups on four conserved glutamate side chains, one each from the P regions of the four homologous domains. The binding selectivity of this filter region is revealed experimentally by the fact that at low external [Ca2+] (1 μM), current carried by Na+ ions is blocked completely. In our previous applied field non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (AF NEMD) simulations with confined but mobile half-charged oxygen atoms, there was no evidence of high affinity calcium block of sodium current [Yang, Y., Henderson, D. and Busath, D. (2003) “Applied-field molecular dynamics study of a model calcium channel selectivity filter”, J. Chem. Phys. 118, 4213]. Here we report similar simulations with a similar model in which the glutamate side chains are explicitly represented. To efficiently optimize ion chelation in the filter, the channel was initiated with an ion in the filter. With the right channel diameter and sufficient chan...
Purification and properties of two forms of α-l-fucosidase from Turbo cornutus

Abstract 1. 1. Two forms of α- l -fucosidase were isolated from the gastropod, Turbo cornutus and their properties studied. 2. 2. Fucosidase I (pI 6.78) and Fucosidase II (pI 5.5) were purified by a scheme which included Sephadex G-200 column chromatography, DEAE-Sephadex column chromatography, heat treatment, CM-cellulose column chromatography and preparative isoelectric focusing. 3. 3. The purified forms were substantially free of all other glycosidase contaminations and had specific activity approximately 73 and 65 fold of the starting material. 4. 4. The pH activity profile of Fucosidase I displayed a pH optimum at 4.0, and that of Fucosidase II showed a broad optimum centered at pH 3.6. 5. 5. Fucosidase I was thermolabile and lost greater than 90% of its activity when incubated at 55°C for 15 min. Fucosidase II was thermostable, and lost less than 30% of its initial activity under identical incubation conditions. 6. 6. Both enzymes had an apparent molecular weight of 230,000 ± 20,000 and were inhibited by Hg2+, l -fucose and l -galactose. 7. 7. The Km values of Fucosidase I and II for the substrate p- nitrophenyl-α- l -fucopyranoside were 0.38 and 0.14 mM, respectively.
The distribution of peroxide regulating enzymes in the canine eye.

The retina and rod outer segments (ROS), rich in unsaturated lipids, are highly susceptible to au-toxidation via free radical mechanisms. In the canine eye, four enzymes, i.e.; p-phenylenediamine (PPD) peroxidase, glutathione peroxidase, cata-lase and superoxide dismutase which are involved in the production or degradation of peroxides, were measured. All enzymes were present in the retina, ciliary body and iris, but differed in concentration. Superoxide dismutase showed high activity in the ROS. In the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) a peroxidase utilizing PPD as co-substrate and superoxide dismutase were both present. The former enzyme was found equally distributed between soluble and insoluble forms. A pigment granule fraction from the RPE only contained PPD-peroxidase.The compartmentalization of peroxide regulating enzymes in the eye is striking. Whereas the retina seems well protected against superoxide free radicals and hydrogen peroxide by virtue of superoxide dismutase, peroxidases and catalase a...
Rendering the Leukemia Cell Susceptible to Attack

In mice, short-term treatment with interferon-α pushes dormant hematopoietic stem cells into a state of proliferation. This finding may be relevant to the treatment of patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia, and treatment may be more effective if patients are first “primed” with interferon-α.
Terbutaline Infusion in Cardiogenic Shock: Acute Hemodynamic Effects and Clinical Response

: The effect of terbutaline infusion was studied in six patients with cardiogenic shock due to acute myocardial infarction. Terbutaline was initiated at 3 μg/kg/min, and the subsequent infusion rate was adjusted according to heart rate and blood pressure. At 3 hours after infusion, arterial pressure increased from 62 ± 13 mm Hg (mean ± S.D.) to 89 ± 13 mm Hg (P < 0.001), cardiac index increased from 1.38 ± 0.29 liter/min/m2 to 2.68 ± 0.47 liter/min/m2 (P < 0.001), and heart rate increased from 92 ± 32 beats/min to 112 ± 29 beats/min (P < 0.005). Pulmonary artery wedge pressure fell from 24 ± 7 mm Hg to 17 ± 3 mm Hg (P < 0.01), right atrial pressure fell from 12 ± 4 mm Hg to 6 ± 3 mm Hg (P < 0.005), and systemic vascular resistance fell from 1880 ± 641 dyn-sec/cm5 to 1515 ± 418 dyn-sec/cm5 (P < 0.05). In addition, urine flow increased from 4 ± 6 ml/hr to 314 ± 237 ml/hr (P < 0.05), and subjective improvement was noted in all subjects. Undesirable effects observed were hypokalemia (all subjects), supraventricular tachycardia (one subject), and ventricular ectopic beats (three subjects), which responded to potassium replacement and other treatments. All patients required prolonged maintenance infusion to maintain adequate hemodynamic and clinical response. Four patients were weaned off from maintenance therapy after a mean duration of 4.8 days and eventually were discharged from the hospital. Two patients died, one from cardiogenic shock and one from aspiration pneumonia. This preliminary study indicates that terbutaline infusion produced beneficial hemodynamic and clinical response and may be potentially useful for the management of cardiogenic shock if careful monitoring and potassium replacement are implemented.
The effect of a fish oil diet on the fatty acid composition of individual phospholipids and eicosanoid production by rat platelets

When rats were fed a diet containing chow or fish oil for six weeks, the platelet phospholipid content and percent distribution were similar. In the fish oil fed animals there was a 54, 40, 41, and 24% reduction, respectively, in the levels of 20∶4(n−6) in the choline-, ethanolamine-, inositol-and serine-containing glycerophospholipids. Dietary fish oil increased the total (n−3) polyunsaturated fatty acid content in all lipids. This effect was most pronounced in the ethanolamine glycerophospholipids which now contained 26, 11, and 4 nmols of 20∶5(n−3), 22∶5(n−3), and 22∶6(n−3) in 109 cells. Ionophore A23187 stimulation of platelets from the chow fed rats resulted in the synthesis of 7, 64, and 3.5 nmols of 12-hydroxy-5,8,10-heptadecatrienoic acid, 12-hydroxy-5,8,10,14-eicosatetraenoic acid and 12-hydroxy-5,8,10,14,17-eicosapentaenoic acid, respectively, from 1×109 cells. The values from animals fed fish oil were 4, 18, and 27 nmol/109 platelets. It was not possible to detect any lipoxygenase products from 22∶5(n−3) or 22∶6(n−3), even though both acids are readily metabolized by lipoxygenase when added directly to platelets. These findings suggest that 22-carbon (n−3) fatty acids are not liberated when phospholipases are activated by calcium mobilization.
A New Race of Colletotrichum trifolii Identified on Alfalfa in Ohio

Anthracnose of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), caused by the fungus Colletotrichum trifolii Bain & Essary, was identified as a potential problem of alfalfa in the United States in the late 1960s. Races 1 and 2 are known in the United States, and recently, race 4 was described in Australia (1). An additional race, race 3, had previously been reported in the United States, but isolates of this proposed race were not preserved and its status as a distinct race of C. trifolii is unclear. In June 2003, an isolate of C. trifolii was collected in Columbus, OH from a 4-year-old alfalfa stand of cv. 520. The isolate was obtained from typical anthracnose stem lesions. Stem sections with lesions were scraped with a sterile inoculation loop, and conidia were directly streaked onto acidified potato dextrose agar. Individual colonies were transferred to half-strength oatmeal agar. Morphological characters (conidia, acervuli, and setae) of this isolate, designated OH-WA-520, were consistent with those of other C. trifolii...
The Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans Ribose Binding Protein RbsB Interacts with Cognate and Heterologous Autoinducer 2 Signals

Autoinducer 2 (AI-2) produced by the oral pathogen Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans influences growth of the organism under iron limitation and regulates the expression of iron uptake genes. However, the cellular components that mediate the response of A. actinomycetemcomitans to AI-2 have not been fully characterized. Analysis of the complete genome sequence of A. actinomycetemcomitans (www.oralgen.lanl.gov) indicated that the RbsB protein was related to LuxP, the AI-2 receptor of Vibrio harveyi. To determine if RbsB interacts with AI-2, the bioluminescence of the reporter strain V. harveyi BB170 (sensor 1-, sensor 2+) was determined after stimulation with partially purified AI-2 from A. actinomycetemcomitans or conditioned medium from V. harveyi cultures in the presence and absence of purified six-His-tagged RbsB. RbsB efficiently inhibited V. harveyi bioluminescence induced by both A. actinomycetemcomitans AI-2 and V. harveyi AI-2 in a dose-dependent manner, suggesting that RbsB competes with LuxP for AI-2. Fifty percent inhibition occurred with approximately 0.3 nM RbsB for A. actinomycetemcomitans AI-2 and 15 nM RbsB for V. harveyi AI-2. RbsB-mediated inhibition of V. harveyi bioluminescence was reversed by the addition of 50 mM ribose, suggesting that A. actinomycetemcomitans AI-2 and ribose bind at the same site of RbsB. The RbsB/AI-2 complex was thermostable since A. actinomycetemcomitans AI-2 could not be recovered by heating. This was not due to heat inactivation of A. actinomycetemcomitans AI-2 since signal activity was unaffected by heating in the absence of RbsB. Furthermore, an isogenic A. actinomycetemcomitans mutant that was unable to express rbsB was deficient in depleting A. actinomycetemcomitans AI-2 from solution relative to the wild-type organism. Inactivation of rbsB also influenced the ability of the organism to grow under iron-limiting conditions. The mutant strain attained a cell density of approximately 30% that of the wild-type organism under iron limitation. In addition, real-time PCR showed that the expression of afuABC, encoding a major ferric ion transporter, was reduced by approximately eightfold in the rbsB mutant. This phenotype was similar to that of a LuxS-deficient mutant of A. actinomycetemcomitans that is unable to produce AI-2. Together, our results suggest that RbsB may play a role in the response of A. actinomycetemcomitans to AI-2.
A phylogenetic analysis of the fungus‐growing ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Attini) based on morphological characters of the larvae

A phylogenetic hypothesis of the fungus-growing ants (subfamily Myrmicinae, tribe Attini) is proposed, based on a cladistic analysis utilizing forty-four morphological characters (109 states) of the prepupal worker larva. The fifty-one attine species analysed include representatives of eleven of the twelve currently recognized attine genera, excluding only the monotypic workerless parasite Pseudoatta; the non-attines include two outgroups (species of the basal myrmicine genera Myrmica and Pogonomyrmex), two myrmicine species presumed to be distantly related to the attines, and twelve species representing taxa that have been proposed by prior workers as possible sister groups of the Attini. There is strong character support for the monophyly of the Attini and for a sister-group relationship of the Attini and the Neotropical Blepharidatta brasiliensis. The Attini are divided into two distinct lineages, an ‘apterostigmoid’ clade (containing Apterostigma and Mycocepurus) and an ‘attoid’ clade (containing all other attine genera except Myrmicocrypta). The attine genus Myrmicocrypta appears to be paraphyletic with respect to these two groups; the species M.buenzlii in particular retains many attine plesiomorphies. These results indicate that the fungus-growing behaviour had a single evolutionary origin in the ants. They also indicate that mycelium cultivation is plesiomorphic and that yeast cultivation is derived within the Attini, overturning the long-standing assumption that the yeast-growing Cyphomyrmex species are the most primitive Attini. Behavioural and ecological investigations into the origin and evolution of the fungus-growing behaviour might more profitably focus on species in the attine genus Myrmicocrypta, as well as those in the closely related non-attine genera Blepharidatta and Wasmannia.
Modulation of magnetic behavior via ligand-field effects in the trigonal clusters (PhL)Fe3L*3 (L* = thf, py, PMe2Ph)

Utilizing a hexadentate ligand platform, a series of trinuclear iron clusters (PhL)Fe3L*3 (PhLH6 = MeC(CH2NPh-o-NPh)3; L* = tetrahydrofuran (1), pyridine (2), PMePh2 (3)) has been prepared. The phenyl substituents on the ligand sterically prohibit strong iron–iron bonding from occurring but maintain a sufficiently close proximity between iron centers to permit direct interactions. Coordination of the weak-field tetrahydrofuran ligand to the iron centers results in a well-isolated, high-spin S = 6 or S = 5 ground state, as ascertained through variable-temperature dc magnetic susceptibility and low-temperature magnetization measurements. Replacing the tetrahydrofuran ligands with stronger σ-donating pyridine or tertiary phosphine ligands reduces the ground state to S = 2 and gives rise to temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility. In these cases, the magnetic susceptibility cannot be explained as arising simply from superexchange interactions between metal centers through the bridging amide ligands. Rather, the experimental data are best modelled by considering a thermally-induced variation in molecular spin state between S = 2 and S = 4. Fits to these data provide thermodynamic parameters of ΔH = 406 cm−1 and Tc = 187 K for 2 and ΔH = 604 cm−1 and Tc = 375 K for 3. The difference in these parameters is consistent with ligand field strength differences between pyridine and phosphine ligands. To rationalize the spin state variation across the series of clusters, we first propose a qualitative model of the Fe3 core electronic structure that considers direct Fe–Fe interactions, arising from direct orbital overlap. We then present a scenario, consistent with the observed magnetic behaviour, in which the σ orbitals of the electronic structure are perturbed by substitution of the ancillary ligands.
Target prediction for indirect jumps

As the issue rate and pipeline depth of high performance superscalar processors increase, the amount of speculative work issued also increases. Because speculative work must be thrown away in the event of a branch misprediction, wide-issue, deeply pipelined processors must employ accurate branch predictors to effectively exploit their performance potential. Many existing branch prediction schemes are capable of accurately predicting the direction of conditional branches. However, these schemes are ineffective in predicting the targets of indirect jumps achieving, on average, a prediction accuracy rate of 51.8% for the SPECint95 benchmarks. In this paper, we propose a new prediction mechanism, the target cache, for predicting indirect jump targets. For the perl and gcc benchmarks, this mechanism reduces the indirect jump misprediction rate by 93.4% and 63.35% and the overall execution time by 14% and 5%.
The Late Archean High-Grade Terrain of South India and the Deep Structure of the Dharwar Craton

The Dharwar Craton of southern India is an Archean continental fragment showing a continuous exposed crustal section from low-grade gneisses and greenstone basins in the north to granulites in the south with more than eight kilobars paleopressure, corresponding to nearly thirty kilometers depth. Low-potassium acid to intermediate “gray gneiss” was massively accreted 3.4 to 3.0 Ga ago and was capped by tholeiitic to komatiitic flows and their sedimentary detritus 3.0 to 2.6 Ga ago. Juvenile crust formation recommenced 2.6 Ga ago, probably in the form of granodioritic Andean margin and island arc plutonics. Termination of this quasi-modern magmatism by suturing of the island arc(s) coincided with large-scale wrenching of the South India continent, which created channelways for the rise of metasomatizing solutions from the mantle. These CO2-H2O fluids destabilized biotite and amphibole at deep levels in the thickened southern cratonal region, extending the development of the pyroxene granulite fades, which may have existed in the deep crust from earlier metamorphic episodes. Liberated H2O and alkalis were implanted in the middle crust in granitic liquid and CO2-bearing fluids caused widespread carbonate metasomatism at higher crustal levels, with emplacement of the Kolar gold ores. The Craton as a whole has been nearly inert since latest Archean, though the tectonized southern region was affected by Proterozoic remobilization. This plate tectonic interpretation suggests that the exposed granulites of the southern cratonal region should not be supposed to represent the normal deep crust under the low-grade gneiss-greenstone terrain, but rather may be the middle levels of a crust thickened in continental collision. The inertness, hence great longevity, of the northern cratonal interior results from low radioactivity at deep levels and massive, unsutured foundations. Exposed Archean granulite facies terrains may represent deformed margins of ancient continental nucleii.
CheZ Has No Effect on Flagellar Motors Activated by CheY13DK106YW

The behaviors of both cheZ-deleted and wild-type cells of Escherichia coli were found to be very sensitive to the level of expression of CheZ, a protein known to accelerate the dephosphorylation of the response regulator CheY-phosphate (CheY-P). However, cells induced to run and tumble by the unphosphorylated mutant protein CheY13DK106YW (CheY**) failed to respond to CheZ, even when CheZ was expressed at high levels. Therefore, CheZ neither affects the flagellar motors directly nor sequesters CheY**. In in vitro cross-linking studies, CheY** promoted trimerization of CheZ to the same extent as wild-type CheY but failed to induce the formation of complexes of higher molecular weight observed with CheY-P. Also, CheY** could be cross-linked to FliM, the motor receptor protein, nearly as well as CheY-P. Thus, to CheZ, CheY** looks like CheY, but to FliM, it looks like CheY-P.
Genesis: A Scalable Self-Evolving Performance Management Framework for Storage Systems

data-center environment, the administrator needs to understand the root-cause of the issue. The growing trend of system virtualization, combined with the need to support end-to-end performance goals for enterprise applications, have made root-cause analysis a nontrivial problem - administrators are required to manually parse all hardware events, configuration modifications, and changes in access characteristics, across all tiers of the IO path from application servers to the disks. We propose a framework that assists storage administrators with root-cause analysis in distributed systems. GENESIS consists of three key modules: Abnormality Detection, Snapshot Generation, and Diagnosis. The Abnormality Detection module uses clustering algorithms to create and constantly evolve the normality models of measurable parameters in components. The Snapshot Generator is triggered by a combination of abnormality detection and policies to take compact snapshots of the system state for analysis whenever a significant change occurs. The Diagnosis module parses the snapshots and shortlists the root-cause for the administrator using knowledge about the impact of the run-time changes on IO performance. We have implemented an initial proof-of-concept of GENESIS in GPFS (a high performance distributed file-system) and validated its operation for several interesting real-world scenarios. Encouraged by the results, we are currently deploying our prototype in an existing data center environment.
Time dependence of 2.5% nitric acid solution as an etchant on human dentin and enamel.

Abstract Although nitric acid is a component in some new bonding systems, the action of nitric acid as an etchant for the improvement of adhesion of bonding systems for resin composites to dentin and enamel has not been reported. A determination of the extent of etching on both dentin and enamel using 2.5% HNO3 solution at various application time periods was the purpose of this study. Extracted human molars were cleaned and sectioned so that flat samples of dentin and enamel would be produced. Surfaces were abraded with 320-grit aluminum-oxide paper, washed with distilled water for 10 s, and blown with air for 10 s. Duplicate samples of dentin and enamel were treated with a drop of 2.5% HNO3. Application periods varied by 10-second intervals, from 10 s up to 60 s. After being rinsed with distilled water and dried, the sections were routinely processed for observation by SEM. The micrographs of the treated surfaces showed various degrees of etching and erosion proportional to the length of application time. The 30-second application revealed a well-etched surface with minimal erosion.
A hybrid actuation approach for human-friendly robot design

Safety is a critical characteristic for robots designed to operate in human environments. This paper presents the concept of hybrid actuation for the development of human- friendly robotic systems. The new design employs inherently safe pneumatic artificial muscles augmented with small electrical actuators, human-bone-inspired robotic links, and newly designed distributed compact pressure regulators. The modularization and integration of the robot components enable low complexity in the design and assembly. The hybrid actuation concept has been validated on a two-degree-of-freedom prototype arm. The experimental results show the significant improvement that can be achieved with hybrid actuation over an actuation system with pneumatic artificial muscles alone. Using the manipulator safety index (MSI), the paper discusses the safety of the new prototype and shows the robot arm safety characteristics to be comparable to those of a human arm.
Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators for primary prevention of sudden cardiac death: too little and too late?

The implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) has been one of the most significant advances made in sudden cardiac death prevention. Landmark randomized clinical trials convincingly demonstrated survival benefits of ICD therapy in patients 40 days after myocardial infarction with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of <30%1 and in patients with stable New York Heart Association Class II-III congestive heart failure and LVEF of <35%,2 and subsequent observational studies have confirmed these mortality benefits.3 Results from clinical trials were rapidly incorporated into guidelines,4,5 and the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services approved both indications for primary prevention ICDs by 2005. At the same time, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services mandated that data on all patients receiving ICDs be entered into a national registry to track use. Approximately 10 years later, what progress have we made with respect to allocating and disseminating this life-saving technology, and what additional impact can be made with this technology on mortality attributable to sudden cardiac death? The article by Narayanan et al6 in this issue of Circulation highlights these questions. Article see p 1733 The authors examined the proportion of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) victims in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area who had an ICD implanted for primary prevention before their cardiac arrest from 2003 to 2012. Among individuals in which echocardiogram results were available, only a minority (13%) of victims who met contemporary guidelines for prophylactic ICD implantation had received an ICD. This rate of ICD use is much lower than that for patients enrolled in heart failure registries, in which use rates range from 35% in the inpatient7 to 51% in the outpatient8 settings. Because these registries were specifically designed to evaluate and improve the use of medical therapies among heart failure patients, these use …
Tunable narrow linewidth all-buried heterostructure ring resonator filters using vernier effects

Channel configurable optical filters are realized by using buried heterostructure semiconductor ring resonators. Two rings having slightly different radii are laterally coupled to bus waveguides in a cascaded manner, which affords free spectral range (FSR) expansion and channel configuration by Vernier effects. The effective FSR and spectral linewidth at resonance measured from a drop port are 10.2 and 0.017 nm, respectively, that corresponds to a finesse (F) of 600. By shifting the resonant wavelength of one of the resonators with free carrier injection, we demonstrate digital tuning filters where a distinct channel isolation of 15-20 dB is achieved with 0.68-nm spectral spacing.
Shrub-Steppe Early Succession Following Juniper Cutting and Prescribed Fire

Pinus-Juniperus L. (Pinon-juniper) woodlands of the western United States have expanded in area nearly 10-fold since the late 1800’s. Juniperus occidentalis ssp. occidentalis Hook. (western juniper) dominance in sagebrush steppe has several negative consequences, including reductions in herbaceous production and diversity, decreased wildlife habitat, and higher erosion and runoff potentials. Prescribed fire and mechanical tree removal are the main methods used to control J. occidentalis and restore sagebrush steppe. However, mature woodlands become difficult to prescribe burn because of the lack of understory fuels. We evaluated partial cutting of the woodlands (cutting 25–50% of the trees) to increase surface fuels, followed by prescribed fire treatments in late successional J. occidentalis woodlands of southwest Idaho to assess understory recovery. The study was conducted in two different plant associations and evaluated what percentage of the woodland required preparatory cutting to eliminate remaining J. occidentalis by prescribed fire, determined the impacts of fire to understory species, and examined early post-fire successional dynamics. The study demonstrated that late successional J. occidentalis woodlands can be burned after pre-cutting only a portion of the trees. Early succession in the cut-and-burn treatments were dominated by native annual and perennial forbs, in part due to high mortality of perennial bunchgrasses. By the third year after fire the number of establishing perennial grass seedlings indicated that both associations would achieve full herbaceous recovery. Cutting-prescribed fire combinations are an effective means for controlling encroaching late successional J. occidentalis and restoring herbaceous plant communities. However, land managers should recognize that there are potential problems associated with cutting-prescribed fire applications when invasive weeds are present.
Approaches to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use in the high-risk patient.

Abstract Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are probably the most common cause of gastroduodenal injury in the United States today. Approximately half of patients who regularly take NSAIDs have gastric erosions, and 15%–30% have ulcers when they are examined endoscopically. However, the incidence of clinical gastrointestinal (GI) events caused by NSAIDs is much lower. Clinical upper GI events may occur in 3%–4.5% of patients taking NSAIDs, and serious complicated events develop in approximately 1.5%. However, the risk varies widely in relationship to clinical features such as history of ulcers or GI events, age, concomitant anticoagulant or steroid use, and NSAID dose. This review discusses the risks of clinical GI disease in NSAID users, the predictors of increased risk, and strategies for prevention of NSAID-associated GI disease. GASTROENTROLOGY 2001;120:594-606
Automatic Cookie Usage Setting with CookiePicker

HTTP cookies have been widely used for maintaining session states, personalizing, authenticating, and tracking user behaviors. Despite their importance and usefulness, cookies have raised public concerns on Internet privacy because they can be exploited by Web sites to track and build user profiles. In addition, stolen cookies may also incur security problems. However, current web browsers lack secure and convenientmechanisms for cookie management. A cookie management scheme, which is easy-to-use and has minimal privacy risk, is in great demand; but designing such a scheme is a challenge. In this paper, we introduce CookiePicker, a system that can automatically validate the usefulness of cookies from a Web site and set the cookie usage permission on behalf of users. CookiePicker helps users achieve the maximum benefit brought by cookies, while minimizing the possible privacy and security risks. We implement CookiePicker as an extension to Firefox Web browser, and obtain promising results in the experiments.
Power monitors: a framework for system-level power estimation using heterogeneous power models

Power analysis early in the design cycle is critical for the design of low power systems. With the move to system-level specifications and design methodologies, there has been significant research interest in system-level power estimation. However, as demonstrated in this paper, the addition of power estimation capabilities to system-level simulation tools can significantly degrade simulation efficiency (up to 8.5/spl times/), limiting the use of power estimation during long simulation rum, and the ability to perform extensive design space exploration. Some power modeling techniques for system components provide "local" tradeoffs between power estimation accuracy and computational cost This work addresses a complementary problem - the optimized integration and usage of heterogeneous component power models within a system-level simulation framework. We view system-level power estimation as a global deployment of computational effort (the effort required to perform power estimation) over space (the different components) and time (the duration of the simulation). We illustrate the advantages of optimizing the allocation of power estimation effort based on run-time variations of component-level, as well as system-level power consumption characteristics. To achieve this, we have developed a novel power estimation framework, based on a network of power monitors. Power monitors observe component- and system-level execution and power statistics at run time, based on which they (I) select between multiple alternative power models for each component, and/or (II) configure the component power models, to best negotiate the trade-off between efficiency and accuracy. In effect, the power monitor network performs a coordinated, adaptive, spatio-temporal allocation of computational effort for power estimation. Experiments conducted on a commercial system-level simulation framework and system-on-chip platform demonstrate that the proposed techniques yield large reductions in power estimation overhead (nearly an order of magnitude), while minimally impacting power estimation accuracy.
Atrazine Exposure in Public Drinking Water and Preterm Birth

Objectives. Approximately 13% of all births occur prior to 37 weeks gestation in the U.S. Some established risk factors exist for preterm birth, but the etiology remains largely unknown. Recent studies have suggested an association with environmental exposures. We examined the relationship between preterm birth and exposure to a commonly used herbicide, atrazine, in drinking water. Methods. We reviewed Kentucky birth certificate data for 2004–2006 to collect duration of pregnancy and other individual-level covariates. We assessed existing data sources for atrazine levels in public drinking water for the years 2000–2008, classifying maternal county of residence into three atrazine exposure groups. We used logistic regression to analyze the relationship between atrazine exposure and preterm birth, controlling for maternal age, race/ethnicity, education, smoking, and prenatal care. Results. An increase in the odds of preterm birth was found for women residing in the counties included in the highest atrazine exposure group compared with women residing in counties in the lowest exposure group, while controlling for covariates. Analyses using the three exposure assessment approaches produced odds ratios ranging from 1.20 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.14, 1.27) to 1.26 (95% CI 1.19, 1.32), for the highest compared with the lowest exposure group. Conclusions. Suboptimal characterization of environmental exposure and variables of interest limited the analytical options of this study. Still, our findings suggest a positive association between atrazine and preterm birth, and illustrate the need for an improved assessment of environmental exposures to accurately address this important public health issue.