cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The impact of snow cover on diurnal temperature range

Many parts of the world are presently experiencing a decrease in the daily temperature range, and a number of investigators in the past have suggested that this change in climate may be related to the observed buildup of greenhouse gases. However, other geophysical variables, themselves related to increases in greenhouse gases, may be influencing the daily temperature range. In this investigation, we demonstrate a statistically significant, inverse correlation between the area of North American snow cover and the United States diurnal temperature range. Because global warming is expected to reduce the areal extent of snow cover, the results of this study reveal snow cover should act to increase the diurnal temperature range in the years to come. This climate variable appears therefore to be influencing the daily temperature range counter to other feedbacks discussed in previous studies. Ultimately, our work demonstrates that the direct linkage between the diurnal temperature range and greenhouse gases may be complicated by feedbacks associated with other geophysical variables.
Geometry and the deformation of pack ice: II. Simulation with a random isotropic model and implication in sea-ice rheology

In this paper, we extend the analysis of geometry and deformation of pack ice initiated in part I by considering random isotropic geometry using the Poisson line process. The model is used to estimate opening, ridging and sliding coefficients for more realistic geometry than the idealized simple and regular geometry considered in part I. We then derive the shape of yield curves by applying minimization of the maximum shear stress to a linear combination of the estimated ridging and sliding coefficients. It is found that isotropic crack geometry results in a sine-lens shape for the yield curve if sliding makes no contribution to the energy dissipation. By contrast, when sliding contributes, the shape of the yield curve becomes teardropped. These results suggest the presence of a consistent relationship between large-scale characterization of inter-floe interactions and small-scale (crack and lead) ridging processes.
Topographic Maps are Fundamental to Sensory Processing

In all mammals, much of the neocortex consists of orderly representations or maps of receptor surfaces that are typically topographic at a global level, while being modular at the local level. These representations appear to emerge in development as a result of a few interacting factors, and different aspects of brain maps may be developmentally linked. As a result, evolutionary selection for some map features may require other features that may not be adaptive. Yet, an overall adaptiveness of brain maps seems likely. Most notably, topographic representations permit interconnections between appropriate sets of neurons to be made in a highly efficient manner. Topographic maps provide an especially suitable substrate for the common spatiotemporal computations for neural circuits. Finally, aspects of perception suggest the functional importance of topographic maps.
Children's Reactions to Loss of Parent through Violence

Abstract Twenty-one cases of violent (murder or suicide) parent loss involving young children are discussed. A review of the medical records of these children revealed that a majority were from lower socioeconomic familes and were of preschool age at the time of the death of their parent(s). They were diagnosed as having overanxious, dysthymic or conduct disorders, and they seemed to be at greater risk developmentally if their current caretakers had conflicted feelings toward them and their dead parent(s). It was not clear whether the violent nature of their parents' deaths, witnessing their parents' deaths, prior losses, or exposure to violence before the death of their parent(s) are important variables predisposing the child to psychiatric illness.
Cool Cymru, rugby union and an imagined community

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to critically reflect upon the place of rugby union in contemporary Wales where the game is used as an important tool to promote images of the nation. Using Benedict Anderson's conceptualisation of the nation as an “imagined community” the paper aims to locate and analyse the game within and around discourses of Cool Cymru, a term coined in the late twentieth century to promote images of a new vibrant Wales as popularised through its leading music bands.Design/methodology/approach – A critical sociological approach analyses and problematises notions of Welshness as it relates to the national sport of rugby.Findings – The nation is often (re)presented and conceptualised as a monolithic whole where rugby's assumed centrality is rarely questioned. This essay focuses upon the areas of language, geography and gender to demonstrate the situated limits of these (re)presentations. Rugby union and Cool Cymru are also located alongside devolution and are examined further with ...
Tagging quantitative trait loci for heading date and plant height in important breeding parents of rice ( Oryza sativa )

Heading date and plant height are important determinants for plant growth rate. In this study, simple sequence repeat markers were used to tag quantitative trait loci (QTL) using a recombinant inbred line mapping population derived from two important breeding parents, genetic stock Kaybonnetlpa1-1 and indica cultivar Zhe733, using data collected under field and greenhouse conditions. Interval mapping, composite interval mapping, and multiple interval mapping were performed to map QTL for heading date and plant height, and to identify epistatic interactions between the QTL. qHD3.1 on chromosome 3 from KBNTlpa1-1 had the largest effect on heading date contributing an average of 28.4 % of the total phenotypic variation. qHD7.1, 7.2, and 8.1 also had a significant contribution to heading date from Zhe733 averaging 8.1, 12.8, and 12.8 % of the phenotypic variance, respectively, and there was a positive additive-by-additive epistatic interaction between qHD7.1 and qHD8.1. QTL, qPHT1.1 and qPHT3.1, for plant height were detected on chromosomes 1 and 3, respectively. qPHT1.1 contributed the largest effect representing 38.2 % of the total phenotypic variation. Comparison of the QTL identified in our study with previous results revealed that the chromosomal locations for QTL coincided closely with positions reported previously in other rice populations worldwide, suggesting that these QTL have coevolved and become domesticated. The tightly linked SSR markers that flank these QTL should be desirable for tagging heading date and plant height genes and facilitating their incorporation into advanced breeding lines using marker assisted selection.
Synthesis and biological evaluation of paclitaxel-C225 conjugate as a model for targeted drug delivery.

Tumor-targeted drug delivery is an attractive strategy in cancer treatment. We have previously reported a paclitaxel model conjugate using a bombesin receptor-recognizing peptide in which the drug cytotoxicity against H1299 human nonsmall cell lung cancer was enhanced compared to unconjugated taxol. In an effort to expand the development of tumor-recognizing taxanes, paclitaxel (PTX, taxol) was conjugated to the anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (anti-EGFR) monoclonal antibody (MAb) Erbitux (C225) to serve as a model MAb-mediated drug delivery compound. Thus, paclitaxel was derivatized at its 2‘-hydroxy function by introduction of a succinate linker, and the carboxyl group of the latter was covalently attached to C225 through amide bond formation. The final product conjugate (PTXC225) was analyzed mass spectrometrically for assessment of the drug-to-antibody ratios. Cytotoxicity screening of the drug-antibody conjugate against A431, UM-SCC-1, and UM-SCC-6 cells indicated an enhancement in cytocidal ef...
To Nuss or Not to Nuss? Two Opposing Views

Although the issue of the appropriate approach for the repair of pectus excavatum remained unsettled for decades, just when we thought that the consensus was clear, an entirely new method was introduced: the Nuss operation. This technique now challenges not only the previously established standards, but also the basic conceptual views of pectus surgery. In the following text, 2 opposing views on the subject are presented: the angle from which Francis Robicsek, a pioneer in conventional pectus excavatum surgery, views the issue, and the opinion of Andre Hebra, who has extensive experience with the Nuss operation.
On the Sidon-Telyakovskii integrability class for cosine series

Abstract Various reformulations of the classical Sidon integrability condition for cosine series are considered. Two apparent generalizations are shown to be equivalent to Sidon's condition. As an offshoot of these results it is shown that if the cosine Fourier coefficients satisfy n¦Δa n ¦ = o(1) (n → ∞) , then ∥Sn(f) −f ∥ = o(1) (n → ∞) is equivalent to anlg n = o(1) (n → ∞).
Adaptive cancellation of the respiratory artifact in surface recording of small intestinal electrical activity

Abstract In the human small intestine there is omnipresent electrical activity with a frequency of 0.15–0.2 Hz. The electrical activity of the small intestine can be measured by surface electrodes placed on the abdominal skin. The most annoying problem in the surface electrical recording is the respiratory artifact which is not discernible from the small intestinal signal. The frequency of the respiration is about 0.2–0.4 Hz, which is very close to that of small intestinal activity, making the use of the conventional bandpass filtering impractical. In this paper a selective frequency domain adaptive filter was proposed for the cancellation of the respiratory artifact. The basic principle of the selective frequency domain adaptive filter is that only selected filter weights are adapted based on the frequency characteristics of the respiratory artifact. Therefore, a substantial reduction of computation is achieved. A series of computer simulations was conducted for the optimization of the system parameters and for the investigation of the system performace. It was demonstrated in this paper that the selective frequency domain adaptive filter is as effective as, but more efficient than, the conventional frequency domain adaptive filter. The adaptive system for the cancellation of the respiratory artifact based on the selective frequency domain adaptive filter is very efficient in computation, has a fast convergence (about 100 adaptations), substantial reduction of the respiratory artifact and little effect (or distortion) on the small intestinal electrical signal.
Graft-versus-host response in sex-linked dwarf, autosomal dwarf and control K strain chickens.

Abstract Two independent experiments were conducted to examine the ability of 1) the autosomal-dwarf (ADW) strain and 2) the sex-linked (SLD)strain chicken to make a Graft-versus-Host (GvH) response. In each experiment the GvH response of the dwarf strain was compared to the GvH response of a normal growing control strain, the Cornell K strain chicken. All 3 strains were homozygous B 15/ B 15 at the major histocompatibility complex. GvH responsiveness of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from females of each strain was assessed at various intervals from 1.5 to 20 months of age using the chorio-allantoic membrane (CAM) assay. The GvH response in female chickens from the ADW strain was significantly higher than in K strain females after the birds had reached sexual maturity (after 5.5 months). The GvH response in females from the SLD strain was, however, significantly lower than in the K strain females throughout the experiment. All strains tended to have a biphasic GvH response. There was a significant increase in GvH responsiveness from 1.5 to 5.5 months of age in chicks from all strains. In the SLD and K strain chickens, this was followed by a drop in the GvH response until 8.5 months of age. In 16-to 20-month-old SLD and K strain hens, the ability to mount a GvH response returned to levels observed in younger (5.5 months) pullets. The GvH responsiveness of the ADW strain remained at a constant level from 5.5 to 12 months of age. However, a second peak in GvH responsiveness was observed in 16-month-old ADW strain hens. Strain differences in GvH responsiveness may be due to the known hormonal abnormalities in the dwarf strains. The suitability of these dwarf strains for the study of endocrine-immune interrelationships is discussed.
Objective Analysis of Constant Altitude Aircraft Measurements in Thunderstorm Inflow Regions

Abstract Objective numerical techniques are applied in analyzing constant altitude aircraft measurements obtained from coordinated research flights in thunderstorm inflow regions. The approach combines meteorological and flight track data from dual or single aircraft missions in a common frame of reference and transforms the observations from original analogue format to horizontal two-dimensional Cartesian coordinates. Operational procedures guiding the data collection, intercomparison techniques for refining instrument calibrations and corrections for aircraft navigation errors are all considered. Results of the interpolations are judged in the context of the storms' associated radar echo features. Primary applications include calculation of water vapor influx in cloud base updrafts. Evidence indicates that the fullest exploitation of the inflow mapping will come through combining kinematic fields observed concurrently by aircraft and multiple Doppler radars.
Questioning Discrepancies: Retaking the First Step 20 Years Later.

The term learning disability was scarsely off the breath of the early pioneers when a profession began questioning its own integrity. Today, the proliferation of students classified as learning disabled (LD) has caused social, political, economic, and educational concerns that, in turn, have produced serious questioning of practices. The driving force behind most conceptualizations of learning disabilities is the discrepancy between ability and achievement; yet, the dimensions of this parameter have not been documented.The purpose of this investigation was to examine the nature and occurrence of discrepancies between ability and achievement scores of students demonstrating average overall performance on commonly used assessment devices. Ability and achievement scores in several domains on individual and group-administered tests were compared. In general, difference patterns of students with average overall performance scores were similar across grade levels and achievement tests. Average discrepancies wer...
Endemic Contamination of Clinical Specimens by Mycobacterium gordonae

Contamination of clinical specimens by Mycobacterium gordonae is a significant endemic problem in many laboratories. To investigate this problem, 84 cases at 1 hospital were retrospectively identified during 20 months. The overall rate of specimen contamination was 2. 4%, and 72 of the contaminated specimens were respiratory. A case-control comparison showed that the risk of respiratory specimen contamination was significantly increased if the specimen was expectorated (odds ratio [OR], 3.62; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1. 36-9.50) or if the patient consumed fluids within 2 days before specimen collection (OR, 8.92; 95% CI, 1.40-71.20). Cultures of tap water, ice, and iced drinking water all yielded M. gordonae at 10(-2)-10(0) cfu/mL. A culture survey of consenting patients showed contamination of 8 (24%) of 34 sputum specimens collected immediately after a tap water mouth rinse. These findings demonstrate that endemic specimen contamination arises from mycobacteria in hospital tap water and provide a foundation for control efforts.
Implementation of 5-point/9-point multi-level methods on hypercube architectures

Computational complexity of implementing 5/9-point multi-level methods on hypercube architectures is considered. The embedding of the nested red/black structures of these methods is described, and an analysis is made of data distances involved.
A simple quantile approach to the two-sample location-scale problem with random censorship

When the generalized Wilcoxon test is applied to the mouse leukemia data in Kalbflesch and Prentice (1980), it fails to detect a difference between the lifetime distributions of the male and the female mice which died from thymic leukemia. This may be a result of the insensitivity of the test in detecting a distributional difference in location and scale simultaneously. In this article, a simple quantile-based approach to the two-sample problem under a location-scale model is studied. Large sample inference on the location and the scale parameters is discussed. Subject to random right censoring, a preliminary test is proposed to detect a scale change in the location-scale model against the pure location model. The mouse leukemia data are used to illustrate the proposed approach.
The Reduced Levels of χ Recognition Exhibited by the RecBC1004D Enzyme Reflect Its Recombination Defect in Vivo

Homologous recombination in Escherichia coli is initiated by the RecBCD enzyme and is stimulated by an 8-nucleotide element known as Chi (chi). We present a detailed biochemical characterization of a mutant RecBCD enzyme, designated RecBC1004D, that displays a reduced level of chi site recognition. Initially characterized genetically as unable to respond to the chi sequence, we provide evidence to indicate that the ability of this mutant enzyme to respond to chi is reduced rather than lost; the mutant displays about 20-fold lower chi recognition than wild-type RecBCD enzyme. Although this enzyme exhibits wild-type levels of double-stranded DNA exonuclease, helicase, and ATPase activity, its ability to degrade single-stranded DNA is enhanced 2-3-fold. The data presented here suggest that the reduced recombination proficiency of the recBC1004D strain observed in vivo results from a basal level of modification of the RecBC1004D enzyme at both chi-specific, as well as nonspecific, DNA sequences.
The design and performance of an isotropic negative-refractive-index metamaterial lens

In this paper, a three-dimensional, fully-isotropic, broadband negative-refractive-index (NRI) medium is proposed. The structure has a NRI bandwidth of 23.5% and a simulated loss of 0.063dB/cell at the operating frequency of 1.51GHz (where μ r ≈ −1). The metamaterial is used to realize a NRI lens, the fabrication of which is described in detail. Analytical methods are used to predict the focusing capabilities of this lens at different frequencies based on the material parameters obtained from full-wave simulations.
A comparison of two correlation schemes

Processes involving the cross-correlation of two noisy data streams are frequently encountered in signal processing. The performances of two commonly used correlators, the simple and complex correlators, are examined. The conventional view is that the complex correlator is superior to the simple correlator by a factor of the square root of two in output signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). However, by modifying the simple correlator to utilize all the available information, its performance is improved. The development of the modified correlator is explained, and a computer simulation shows that this modified correlator is approximately equivalent to the complex correlator in noise performance. >
In the Eye of the Impulsive Beholder: The Interaction Between Impulsivity and Perceived Informal Social Control on Offending

Substantial evidence indicates that impulsivity is a robust correlate of offending. However, its effects appear to be partially contingent upon other criminological factors, such as neighborhood context. The research examining the moderating influence of neighborhoods on the impulsivity—offending relationship has yielded inconsistent findings. The current analysis further investigates the possible interaction by exploring different types of impulsivity-related traits, perceptions of neighborhood informal social control, and their interaction among young women and men. Results indicate that thrill and adventure seeking (among men) and lack of premeditation (among men and women) exert stronger influences on offending among those who live in neighborhoods low in perceived supervision. These findings have implications for criminological theories and intervention efforts.
Fluorine N.S.R. Spectroscopy, II. A “Distant” Carbon-13 Isotope Effect

A nuclear spin resonance "isotope effect" upon shielding values for fluorine atoms attached to C/sup 13/was investigated. The small excess shielding produced by "distant" C/sup 13/ is shown to vary by a statistically significant factor of two among the compounds studied in the F--C/sup 12/--C/sup 13/ system. No correlation is observed between this strongly varying quantity and other closely related measurements, nor to the fluorine shielding values listed for the compounds. The magmtude of the C/sup 13/ effect increases with the number of trigonal carbons in the F--C--C/sup 13/ system; this "correlation" may perhaps extend to the smaller F--C/sup 13/ system, with the opposite sign. Experiments are underway to determine the relative sign of the two C/sup 13/ coupling constants. (B.O.G.)
Light-Scattering Study of the Normal Human Eye Lens: Elastic Properties and Age Dependence

The human ocular lens is a tissue capable of changing its shape to dynamically adjust the optical power of the eye, a function known as accommodation, which gradually declines with age. This capability is the response of the lens tissue to external forces, which, in turn, is modulated by the biomechanical characteristics of lens tissues. In order to investigate the contributions of lens sclerosis to loss of accommodation, we report on in vitro confocal Brillouin light scattering studies of human ocular lenses spanning over a 30-70 year age range. Using this nondestructive measurement method, we determined that the longitudinal bulk modulus (average ± SD) of the lens nucleus (2.79 ± 0.14 GPa) was consistently greater than the bulk modulus of the lens cortex (2.36 ± 0.09 GPa). Moreover, our results showed that these differences were not age dependent over the 40 year age range that we evaluated using healthy lens tissues. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that an age-dependent change in the bulk modulus of lens tissues does not fully account for the natural decline of accommodation.
Mutations in the tryptophan operon allow PurF-independent thiamine synthesis by altering flux in vivo.

Phosphoribosyl amine (PRA) is an intermediate in purine biosynthesis and also required for thiamine biosynthesis in Salmonella enterica. PRA is normally synthesized by phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate (PRPP) amidotransferase, a high-turnover enzyme of the purine biosynthetic pathway encoded by purF. However, PurF-independent PRA synthesis has been observed in strains with different genetic backgrounds and growing under diverse conditions. Genetic analysis has shown that the anthranilate synthase-phosphoribosyltransferase (AS-PRT) enzyme complex, involved in the synthesis of tryptophan, can play a role in the synthesis of phosphoribosyl amine (PRA). This work describes the in vitro synthesis of PRA in the presence of the purified components of AS-PRT complex. Results from in vitro assays and in vivo studies indicate the cellular accumulation of phosphoribosyl anthranilate can result in non-enzymatic PRA formation sufficient for thiamine synthesis. These studies have uncovered a mechanism used by cells to redistribute metabolites to ensure thiamine synthesis, and may define a general paradigm of metabolic robustness.
Laboratory studies of binary salt CVD in combustion gas environments

A flash-evaporation technique is used to obtain vapor deposition characteristics for the binary alkali sulfates K2SO4 + Na2SO4 at 1 atm above 1100 K. The experimental equipment and techniques are described, and preliminary results are reported which indicate that this experimental technique meets most of the research requirements for studying multicomponent systems of current interest. The various deposition rate effects of introducing additives and the relevant inferences of condensate composition are presented, and the theoretical implications are discussed. It is concluded that alkali sulfate deposition and vaporization in combustion environments are inevitably influenced by chemical reactions such as hydroxide formation, and that solution nonideality is important even for homologous alkali-salt mixtures.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Legionella pneumophila Phagosomes Exhibit Arrested Maturation despite Acquisition of Rab7

Rab7 is a small GTPase that regulates vesicular traffic from early to late endosomal stages of the endocytic pathway. Phagosomes containing inert particles have also been shown to transiently acquire Rab7 as they mature. Disruption in the pathway prior to the acquisition of Rab7 has been suggested as playing a role in the altered maturation of Mycobacterium bovis BCG phagosomes. As a first step to determine whether disruption in the delivery or function of Rab7 could play a role in the altered maturation of Legionella pneumophila and M. tuberculosis phagosomes, we have examined the distribution of wild-type Rab7 and the GTPase-deficient, constitutively active mutant form of Rab7 in HeLa cells infected with L. pneumophila or M. tuberculosis. We have found that the majority of L. pneumophila and M. tuberculosis phagosomes acquire relatively abundant staining for Rab7 and for the constitutively active mutant Rab7 in HeLa cells that overexpress these proteins. Nevertheless, despite acquisition of wild-type or constitutively active Rab7, both the L. pneumophila and the M. tuberculosis phagosomes continue to exhibit altered maturation as manifested by a failure to acquire lysosome-associated membrane glycoprotein 1. These results demonstrate that L. pneumophila and M. tuberculosis phagosomes have receptors for Rab7 and that the altered maturation of these phagosomes is not due to a failure to acquire Rab7.
Spin-up of a stratified fluid: theory and experiment

Stratified spin-up, the process of adjustment of a uniformly rotating stratified fluid to an abrupt change in the rotation of the container, is important in many geophysical contexts. An experimental study of this process is presented here for the case where a linearly stratified salt solution is enclosed in a cylindrical container whose rotation rate is changed by a small amount. Results are presented for a limited range of values of B, the internal Froude number, which measures the ratio of the frequencies due to buoyancy and rotation. The experimental study is augmented by a theoretical treatment of idealized models which clarify the more fundamental physical processes that occur. The response of a stratified fluid is faster than that of a homogeneous fluid but the adjustment is limited to layers near the bottom and top boundaries the thickness of which is determined by the value of B. A comparison of the experimental results with the theories of Holton, Walin and Sakurai is also made and it is shown that for the present physical arrangement (insulated side walls) the theories of the latter two authors agree much more closely with experiment than does the theory of Holton. However, all three theories tend to over-estimate the azimuthal displacement in the regions near the upper and lower boundaries where the spin-up is most rapid. The Sweet-Eddington circulation, which accompanies the ideal state of rigid-body rotation, can be significant under normal laboratory conditions and it was necessary to correct some of the spin-up results for this effect. The circulation in the vertical plane is described qualitatively.
On Colliding Waves that Develop Time-Like Singularities: A New Class of Solutions of the Einstein-Maxwell Equation

Solutions of the Einstein-Maxwell equations are found that provide generalizations of a solution discovered by Bell and Szekeres, which represents the collision of impulsive gravitational waves coupled with electromagnetic shock-waves in a conformally flat space-time. Starting with the Bell-Szekeres solution in a form more general than their original one (though equivalent to it) and applying to it a so-called Ehlers transformation, we obtain a new family of Petrov type-D space-times in which horizons form and subsequently two-dimensional time-like singularities develop. A second solution provides a generalization of the Bell-Szekeres solution in the same way as the axisymmetric distorted static black-hole solutions provide a generalization of the Schwarzschild solution. This second solution also forms a horizon but the time-like singularity that develops is three-dimensional. The mathematical theory that is developed seems specially adapted to the solution of these and related problems.
Smokeless Tobacco Use and Periodontal Health in a Rural Male Population

Background: Despite the reported effects of smokeless tobacco (ST) on the periodontium and high prevalence of ST use in rural populations and in men, studies on this specific topic are limited. The purpose of this cross-sectional investigation is to evaluate the periodontal health status of male ST users from a rural population.Methods: Adult male residents of two rural Appalachian Ohio counties and daily ST users, with a unilateral mandibular oral ST keratosis lesion, were recruited. Subjects completed a questionnaire and received oral examination. Teeth present, ST keratosis lesion, plaque and gingival index, probing depth (PD), recession depth (RD), and attachment level were recorded. Statistical analysis compared ST-site mandibular teeth (teeth adjacent to the subject's unilateral ST keratosis lesion) to NST-site teeth (contralateral corresponding teeth).Results: This study includes 73 ST users. Recession prevalence is much greater in ST-site quadrants (36%) compared to NST-site quadrants (18%; P <0.0...
Oestrogen enhances cardiotoxicity induced by Sunitinib by regulation of drug transport and metabolism

Aims To define the molecular mechanisms of cardiotoxicity induced by Sunitinib and to identify the role of biological sex in modulating toxicity. Methods and results Exposure of isolated cardiomyocytes to plasma-relevant concentrations of Sunitinib and other tyrosine kinase inhibitors produces a broad spectrum of abnormalities and cell death via apoptosis downstream of sexually dimorphic kinase inhibition. Phosphorylation of protein kinase C and phospholipase γ abrogates these effects for most tyrosine kinase inhibitors tested. Female sex and estradiol cause increased cardiotoxicity, which is mediated by reduced expression of a drug efflux transporter and a metabolic enzyme. Female but not male mice exposed to a 28-day course of oral Sunitinib exhibit similar abnormalities as well as functional deficits and their hearts exhibit differential expression of genes responsible for transport and metabolism of Sunitinib. Conclusion We identify the specific pathways affected by tyrosine kinase inhibitors in mammalian cardiomyocytes, interactions with biological sex, and a role for oestrogen in modulating drug efflux and metabolism. These findings represent a critical step toward reducing the incidence of cardiotoxicity with tyrosine kinase inhibitor chemotherapeutics.
Heat Transfer Enhancement of Steam-Reformation by Passive Flow Disturbance Inside the Catalyst Bed

Because of the potential for high efficiency and low emissions, hydrogen powered fuel cell systems are considered to be the next generation power source for both stationary and transportation applications. Providing a hydrogen source to feed a fuel cell is a critical challenge. Steam reforming processes are demonstrated for producing hydrogen for fuel cell and other applications. Generating hydrogen via steam reformation requires that heat energy be transferred to the reactants to support the endothermic reaction. For a cylindrical steam-reforming reactor, large thermal gradients between the heat source (reactor wall) and reactor centerline create a non-ideal condition for complete conversion. This gradient is caused by insufficient heat transfer inside the catalyst bed. Passive flow disturbance inside the catalyst bed provides a potential to enhance the heat and mass transfer in the steam reforming process. This paper presents experimental research that investigates the effect of changing the flow pathway inside the reactor to improve the heat and mass transfer and thus enhance fuel conversion. The results of this study contribute to the improvement of reformer design for better fuel processing system performance.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Nifty tools & assignments

Video poker is a card game that starts each round with five cards dealt face up. The player chooses to keep 0-5 of the cards and the others are replaced on a second deal. Player attempts to form the highest paying poker hand (i.e. four of a kind, royal flush, straight, etc...).
A Eukaryotic DNA-Binding Protein in Meiotic Cells

In recent years a number of DNA-binding proteins have been reported to occur in organisms ranging from viruses (3,9) and bacteria (1), to flowering plants and mammals (4,6,7,10). In the case of the gene-32 protein whose function has been closely studied the importance of its biological role has been clearly established. Thus, in T4 infected bacterial cells, 32-T4 mutants are deficient in both replication and recombination (2).
Hemodynamic monitoring using switching autoregressive dynamics of multivariate vital sign time series

In a critical care setting, shock and resuscitation end-points are often defined based on arterial blood pressure values. Patient-specific fluctuations and interactions between heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP), however, may provide additional prognostic value to stratify individual patients' risks for adverse outcomes at different blood pressure targets. In this work, we use the switching autoregressive (SVAR) dynamics inferred from the multivariate vital sign time series to stratify mortality risks of intensive care units (ICUs) patients receiving vasopressor treatment. We model vital sign observations as generated from latent states from an autoregressive Hidden Markov Model (AR-HMM) process, and use the proportion of time patients stayed in different latent states to predict outcome. We evaluate the performance of our approach using minute-by-minute HR and mean arterial BP (MAP) of an ICU patient cohort while on vasopressor treatment. Our results indicate that the bivariate HR/MAP dynamics (AUC 0.74 [0.64, 0.84]) contain additional prognostic information beyond the MAP values (AUC 0.53 [0.42, 0.63]) in mortality prediction. Further, HR/MAP dynamics achieved better performance among a subgroup of patients in a low MAP range (median MAP < 65 mmHg) while on pressors. A realtime implementation of our approach may provide clinicians a tool to quantify the effectiveness of interventions and to inform treatment decisions.
Driving Dixie Down: Removing the Confederate Flag from Southern State Capitols

On April 9, 1865, General Robert E. Lee conceded, "[T]here is nothing left for me to do but go and see General Grant."' The Confederate Army surrendered, and Dixie, the Confederate battle flag,2 ceased to fly. But only temporarily. In 1956, for the first time in nearly a century, Georgia resurrected the Confederate symbol by changing its state flag3 in symbolic opposition to Brown v. Board of Education.4 South Carolina followed suit six years later,5 hoisting the flag above its state capitol. The following year, Alabama revived Dixie, with Governor George Wallace raising the flag as part of his "Segregation Forever" campaign.6 Brown is still the law of the land, yet Dixie remains entrenched. Last year, in NAACP v. Hunt, the Eleventh Circuit rejected the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's (NAACP) claim that the Constitution of the United States and federal statutes mandate the removal of
Rapid Assay for Measurement of Serum Ferritin

The authors present a rapid modification of the tube immunoradiometric assay for serum ferritin quantitation. The method involves gentle rotatory mixing of the tube contents at ambient temperature and can be performed in a few hours. Variables affecting different stages of the assay were systematically investigated. The performance characteristics of the shortened assay in terms of reproducibility, sensitivity and recovery were then validated. Results with this method correlate well with those obtained by the conventional assay.
Long-Term Evaluation of the Bonding Strength of Composite Repairs

The long-term performance of composite repair systems depends on their structural integrity and interaction with the carrier pipe. The adhesives used in the composites are critical components that not only bond the repair to the pipe, but also bond the individual layers of the repair to one another. The durability of the inter-laminate adhesive bond is required to ensure adequate load transfer between the pipe and the composite layers over the predicted lifetime of the repair.A testing program was performed to evaluate the shear strength of the adhesives used in composite repairs. The testing program evaluated the performance of seven commercially-available composite repair systems and it consisted of short-term and long-term shear tests on the adhesives and cathodic disbondment tests on the repair systems. The long-term shear tests were performed for 10,000 hours on samples submerged in a water solution with pH value of 9 and at various loading levels at temperatures of 70°F, 105°F and 140°F.The results of the long-term tests at elevated temperatures were extrapolated to predict the shear strengths at longer durations. The 20-year shear strengths of the composites were estimated using: (a) direct extrapolation of the best-fit curves and (b) the application of the rate process procedure. The results demonstrated the significant effect of temperature on the bond strength of the composites and provided a comparative analysis to evaluate the long-term shear strength and cathodic disbondment of the composite repair systems.© 2012 ASME
On the Closed-Form Constitutive Relations for Damageable Elasto-Viscoplastic Materials

The objective of this paper is to derive the closed-form constitutive relations for damageable elasto-viscoplastic materials exhibiting damage anisotropy, damage hardening, viscoplastic anisotropy, and combined isotropic-kinematic hardening. Some fundamentals of continuum damage mechanics and thermodynamics are briefed, and the second-order damage tensor is redefined with an emphasis on a clear physical meaning. An affine formulation of the constitutive relations in the undamaged configuration, the damage evolution law, and the constitutive relations in the damaged configuration are subsequently derived. The use of the current constitutive relations is demonstrated by modeling an aluminium alloy exhibiting various material behaviors. The current constitutive relations are found to be capable of handling complex material models. More sophisticated material behaviors can be incorporated.
Musical therapy for children receiving venous transfusion in outpatient department

Objective To share the experience of musical therapy for children who receive venous transfusion in outpatient department.Methods Behavior scales and parents questionnaire were developed to obtain data before and after musical therapy for children receiving venous transfusion.Results Musical therapy could significantly reduce fearful language expression and tonic limb action.Conclusion Musical therapy was effective in reducing anxiety and distress.
Optimal and efficient parametric auctions

Consider a seller who seeks to provide service to a collection of interested parties, subject to feasibility constraints on which parties may be simultaneously served. Assuming that a distribution is known on the value of each party for service---arguably a strong assumption---Myerson's seminal work provides revenue optimizing auctions [12]. We show instead that, for very general feasibility constraints, only knowledge of the median of each party's value distribution, or any other quantile of these distributions, or approximations thereof, suffice for designing simple auctions that simultaneously approximate both the optimal revenue and the optimal welfare. Our results apply to all downward-closed feasibility constraints under the assumption that the underlying, unknown value distributions are monotone hazard rate, and to all matroid feasibility constraints under the weaker assumption of regularity of the underlying distributions. Our results jointly generalize the single-item results obtained by Azar and Micali [2] on parametric auctions, and Daskalakis and Pierrakos [6] for simultaneously approximately optimal and efficient auctions.
Familial Clustering of Mesothelioma: A Report on Three Affected Persons in One Family

Pleural mesothelioma developed in at least three members of a family of first-degree relatives. Only one member had probable direct asbestos exposure. An analysis of these cases and their circumstances leads us to suspect that a latent genetic susceptibility may be present in this cancer-prone family.
Community psychiatry--another bandwagon?

The author, from a background of Canadian, British and European psychiatry, reviews the development of community psychiatry in the evolution of psychiatry in the United States. The essential premis...
Language and Ethnicity: What is ethnicity?

Race is not rocket science. It's harder than rocket science. (Christopher Edley, Jr., Foreword to America Becoming: Racial Trends and Their Consequences, vol. 1 , 2001) As a professor, I've noticed a recent trend of resistance among my students to forms that ask them to specify their ethnicity by checking a box. They see it variously as racist, irrelevant, inaccurate, or nobody's business but their own. Several students have told me that they respond to such forms by marking “other___” and writing in next to it simply “human being.” I respect their choice to do this and I applaud their small protest against the way that such forms oversimplify the question of ethnicity in our diverse and complex world. However, I also know as a social scientist that most “human beings” do not see themselves as members of a great undifferentiated whole. Whatever our political leanings, however open and accepting of others our character might be, we nonetheless tend to cling to the distinctions among us. Most teenagers in Western societies, for instance, would die of embarrassment if somebody thought that they dressed like, acted like, or talked like their parents. They go to great lengths to avoid this possibility, including developing new slang terms and discarding them like used tissues, in an attempt to stay one step ahead of the game. In our heterosexually oriented modern communities, men do not usually like to be mistaken for women and vice versa.
Cytogenetic Findings and Pattern of Clonal Evolution Determine Survival in Patients with Primary or Secondary Myelofibrosis

Abstract The significance of conventional cytogenetic analysis and the pattern of clonal evolution in patients with primary or secondary myelofibrosis (MF) are not well defined. In a cohort of 371 MF patients managed at the MD Anderson Cancer Center between 09/76 and 04/07, 337 (91%) had an adequate conventional cytogenetic study at the time of presentation. Seventy-eight percent had primary MF, 11% had post-PV MF, and 11% had post-ET MF. The patient characteristics (median and range) were: age 63 years (24–86); male 60%; previous therapy with radiation or alkylating agents 6%; hemoglobin 10.0 g/dL (6.2–16.0), transfusion-dependent 33%; white blood cell count 10.4 x 10^9/L (1.3–171.0), circulating blasts 1% (0–17); platelet count 203 x 10^9/L (1–1958); spleen size 6cm below LCM (0–30); performance status ≥2 in 6%. The median survival from presentation was 34 months, with a median follow-up of 39 months for the survivors. Conventional cytogenetic analysis performed at presentation (n = 337) demonstrated: 63% diploid; 9% deletion 20q; 7% abnormality (abn) of chromosome 5 or 7 or ≥3 abn (5/7/CPX); 5% deletion 13q; 5% translocations; 3% isolated trisomy 8; 3% abn of chromosome 17 (abn17); 2% trisomy 9; 3% other abn. The survival of patients with standard-risk cytogenetic abnormalities was similar to patients with normal diploid karyotypes (median survival [mOS] 34 months), and included deletion 20q (mOS 53 months), deletion 13q (mOS 52 months), translocations (mOS 61 months), isolated trisomy 8 (mOS 30 months), and trisomy 9 (no deaths at median 50 months). Among the standard-risk cytogenetic categories, the co-existence of an additional abnormality not affecting chromosomes 5, 7 or 17 had no significant impact on survival (p>0.50). The median survival by cytogenetic risk were: standard-risk (diploid or favorable cytogenetic findings), 40 months; high-risk (5/7/CPX), 15 months; very high-risk (abn17), 5 months [p
Diffusion Tensor Imaging-Defined Sulcal Enlargement Is Related to Cognitive Impairment in Multiple Sclerosis

Background and purpose Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the brain can be compartmentalized into two main divisions: ventricular CSF and subarachnoid space (sulcal CSF). Changes in CSF volumetry are seen in many neurological conditions including multiple sclerosis (MS) and found to correlate with clinical outcomes. We aimed to test the relation between the volumetry of sulcal and ventricular CSF and cognitive impairment (CI) based on the minimal assessment of cognitive function in MS (MACFIMS) in patients with MS. Material and methods Forty-six patients with MS underwent the MACFIMS battery and classified as nonimpaired (MSNI) (n = 10) and cognitively impaired (MSCI) (n = 30) and borderline (MSBD) MS patients (n = 6). Volumes of sulcal and ventricular CSF along with global gray and white matter volumes and cortical thickness were obtained by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and T1-weighted (T1w)-based segmentation. These measures were statistically analyzed for associations with CI after adjusting for the age, education in years, lesion load, and disease duration. Results Sulcal CSF showed the strongest correlation with CI (r = .51, P = .001) in our cohort, whereas ventricular CSF (P = .28, P = .19) along with cortical thickness and gray matter volume failed to show a significant correlation. Group analyses unadjusted for multiple comparisons showed significant difference in volumes of sulcal CSF and ventricular CSF between MSNI and MSCI groups (P Conclusion Sulcal CSF correlates with CI in patients with MS, possibly explained by cortical atrophy. DTI/T1w-based sulcal CSF segmentation method might be used as an indirect and simple neuroimaging marker to monitor CI in MS patients.
A Genome-Wide Identification and Analysis of the Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors in Brown Planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens

The basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors in insects play essential roles in multiple developmental processes including neurogenesis, sterol metabolism, circadian rhythms, organogenesis and formation of olfactory sensory neurons. The identification and function analysis of bHLH family members of the most destructive insect pest of rice, Nilaparvata lugens, may provide novel tools for pest management. Here, a genome-wide survey for bHLH sequences identified 60 bHLH sequences (NlbHLHs) encoded in the draft genome of N. lugens. Phylogenetic analysis of the bHLH domains successfully classified these genes into 40 bHLH families in group A (25), B (14), C (10), D (1), E (8) and F (2). The number of NlbHLHs with introns is higher than many other insect species, and the average intron length is shorter than those of Acyrthosiphon pisum. High number of ortholog families of NlbHLHs was found suggesting functional conversation for these proteins. Compared to other insect species studied, N. lugens has the highest number of bHLH members. Furthermore, gene duplication events of SREBP, Kn(col), Tap, Delilah, Sim, Ato and Crp were found in N. lugens. In addition, a putative full set of NlbHLH genes is defined and compared with another insect species. Thus, our classification of these NlbHLH members provides a platform for further investigations of bHLH protein functions in the regulation of N. lugens, and of insects in general.