cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stress-induced dendritic internalization and nuclear translocation of the neurokinin-3 (NK3) receptor in vasopressinergic profiles of the rat paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus

Central neuronal circuits that relay stress information include vasopressin- (AVP) and oxytocin- (OC) containing neurons of the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN). These neurons are potentially modulated by neurokinin-3 receptors (NK3Rs) of the tachykinin family of neuropeptides. NK3Rs have been localized in PVN neurons and have showed nuclear translocation following an osmotic challenge in rodents. However, their subcellular distribution in AVP or OC neurons of the PVN and plasticity following restraint stress in rats are unknown. In the present study, densities of NK3Rs in PVN AVP- or OC-labeled somatodendritic profiles were measured by quantitative immunoelectron microscopy in control or stressed rats. In resting conditions, NK3Rs were predominantly located in AVP neurons, however sparsely distributed in OC neurons of the PVN. All NK3-labeled somata of the PVN in control rats showed cytoplasmic but no nuclear immunolabeling. An acute restraint stress session of 30 min significantly increased nuclear NK3R density in AVP-labeled somata but not in OC-labeled somata. These changes were accompanied by a respective decrease and increase in plasmalemmal and cytoplamic NK3R densities in AVP-labeled but not in OC-labeled dendrites. The results of this study suggest that in the rat PVN 1) NK3R distribution is conducive to modulation of systemic and/or central AVP release through PVN inputs to the posterior pituitary and/or the amygdala and 2) acute restraint stress activates (internalizes) NK3Rs on surface and evokes nuclear NK3R translocation exclusively in AVP neurons. This trafficking might contribute to neurochemical imbalances observed in neuronal circuits involved in stress-related disorders such as anxiety.
Illness Perceptions and Receptivity to Counseling: Implications for Individual and Couples Therapy

Clients' illness perceptions, particularly their beliefs about the cause, consequences, control, and curability of their condition, appear to be directly related to their receptivity to counseling and other health care interventions. This article defines illness perception and describes the importance of assessing these perceptions and then focusing treatment accordingly. Implications and applications for clinical practice are discussed. A case study and session transcription illustrate these points.
Publish/subscribe in a mobile environment

A publish/subscribe system dynamically routes and delivers events from sources to interested users, and is an extremely useful communication service when it is not clear in advance who needs what information. In this paper we discuss how a publish/subscribe system can be extended to operate in a mobile environment, where events can be generated by moving sensors or users, and subscribers can request delivery at handheld and/or mobile devices. We describe how the publish/subscribe system itself can be distributed across multiple (possibly mobile) computers to distribute load, and how the system can be replicated to cope with failures, message loss, and disconnections.
Relative Abundance of Lake Trout and Burbot in the Main Basin of Lake Michigan in the Early 1930s

Abstract We used general linear models to compare and to assess the sources of variation in CPUEs (catches per unit effort) of lake trout Salvelinus namaycush and burbot Lota lota netted in small-mesh gill nets from the main basin of Lake Michigan in the early 1930s, before populations of both species collapsed. Spring, summer, and fall CPUEs were modeled separately. In all seasons combined, CPUEs were over 2.5 times greater for lake trout than for burbot, and lake trout CPUEs were greater than burbot CPUEs in five of six regions of the lake. The hypothesized sources of variability in log e (CPUE) included lake region, depth (either as a linear [depth only] or a quadratic [depth and depth2 included] relationship), number of nights out that the nets fished (also as either a linear or quadratic relationship), and the possibility that the effects of depth could vary among regions. The models predicted 57–68% of the variation in lake trout CPUE and 29–37% of the variation in burbot CPUE (log scales). Lake reg...
Low Influence Functions over Slices of the Boolean Hypercube Depend on Few Coordinates

One of the classic results in analysis of Boolean functions is a result of Friedgut~cite{Fri98} that states that Boolean functions over the hypercube of low influence are approximately juntas, functions which are determined by few coordinates. While this result has also been extended to product distributions, not much is known in the case of nonproduct distributions. We generalize this result to slices of the Boolean cube. A slice of the Boolean cube is the set of strings with some fixed Hamming weight. In this setting, we define the notion of influence and determine a natural orthogonal basis for functions over these domains. We essentially follow the proof for the uniform distribution case, but the set up in order to do so is highly nontrivial. The main techniques used are combinatorics of Young tableaux motivated by the representation theory of the symmetric group along with an application of hypercontractivity in slices of the Boolean hypercube due to O'Donnell and Wimmer OWimmer:[OW09].
Plasma cocaine levels, metabolites, and locomotor activity after subcutaneous cocaine injection are stable across the postpartum period in rats

Plasma levels of cocaine (COC) and two of its principle metabolites, benzoylecgonine (BE) and ecgonine methyl ester (EME) were determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) in samples collected up to 3 h after a subcutaneous injection of cocaine (10 mg/kg) on six different days between days 4 and 24 postpartum, a period of dramatic change in the endocrine state of the female rat. Locomotor activity was measured in the same animals during this period using automated animal activity monitors. Additional measures in males provide a link to existing literature. We found that plasma levels of cocaine and its metabolites, as well as their respective time courses, are remarkably uniform across the postpartum period in female rats, as are the effects of cocaine on locomotor activity. Data from males show accord with prior published values. COC and BE, but not EME levels, were higher in males, and the time courses of COC and BE levels after injection varied somewhat between postpartum females and males; however, neither baseline nor cocaine-induced locomotor activity differed between postpartum females and males. We conclude that in the postpartum rat, there are no significant differences in the peripheral processing or general accessibility of cocaine to the brain to activate motor systems across the postpartum period. These data are critical to our understanding of differences in the reward salience of cocaine across the postpartum period and in other adult rat models [Mattson BJ, Williams S, Rosenblatt JS, Morrell JI. Comparison of two positive reinforcing stimuli: pups and cocaine throughout the postpartum period. Behav Neurosci 2001;115:683-94, Mattson BJ, Williams SE, Rosenblatt JS, Morrell JI. Preferences for cocaine- or pup-associated chambers differentiate otherwise behaviorally identical postpartum maternal rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2003;167:1-8].
The combination of plumbagin with androgen withdrawal causes profound regression of prostate tumors in vivo

BACKGROUND Hormonal ablation is the standard treatment for disseminated androgen-dependent prostate cancer. Although tumor growth is controlled at first, the tumor invariably recurs in the form of castration-resistant prostate cancer. This study assessed the efficacy of a new therapeutic strategy that combines plumbagin, a naturally occurring naphthoquinone, with androgen ablation. METHODS Viewing microscopy chambers were placed in the dorsal skinfold of mice. Syngeneic prostate tissue was grafted within the chambers and allowed to vascularize. H2B-GFP/PTEN-P2 prostate cancer cells were co-implanted on top of the grafted prostate tissue. Androgen ablation was achieved using surgical castration. Intact and castrated mice were administered plumbagin or sham treatment. Tumor growth, mitosis and apoptosis were monitored in real-time using fluorescent Intra-Vital Microscopy. The mechanism of action of plumbagin was explored using human and mouse prostate cancer cells. RESULTS Whereas both plumbagin and castration alone impeded tumor growth, only the combination of plumbagin and castration caused profound tumor regression in vivo, mostly due to increased apoptosis of the tumor cells. The cytotoxicity of plumbagin was not affected by androgens in vitro, suggesting that microenvironmental factors not present in culture play a crucial role in the combination effect. Plumbagin-induced cell death was mediated, at least in part, by activation of ERK and was due to generation of reactive oxygen species, because it was abolished by the anti-oxidant N-acetyl-L-cysteine. CONCLUSION Androgen deprivation in combination with plumbagin may provide a significant improvement over androgen deprivation alone and deserves further evaluation. Prostate 73: 489–499, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
OPC accuracy and process window verification methodology for sub-100-nm node

As optical lithography has been pushed down to its theoretical resolution limit, the application of very high NA and aggressive Resolution Enhancement Techniques (RETs) are required in order to ensure necessary resolution and sufficient process window for DRAM cell layouts. The introduction of these technologies, however, leaves very small process window for core and peripheral layouts. In addition, new generation DRAM devices demand very precise CD control of the core and peripheral layouts. It implies that the time has come to keep a very watchful eye on the core and peripheral layouts as well as DRAM cells. Recently, Process Window Qualification (PWQ) technology has been introduced and is known to be very useful to estimate process window of core and peripheral layouts. Also, novel measurement system which can compare SEM image with CAD data is being developed and it can be of great help to evaluate OPC accuracy and feed back the CD deviation to OPC modeling. Last but not least, New Mask Qualification (NMQ) is proposed to verify very low K1 lithography by comparing with relatively high K1 lithography. In this paper, most effective OPC verification methodologies for sub-100nm node are discussed.
Asymmetric flow control for data transfer in hybrid computing systems

Hybrid computing systems that combine specialized accelerators with general-purpose processors are now being used to improve performance in many application areas. However, processing of network communications by the accelerators is often a significant bottleneck to the performance of the hybrid system. At the same time, the powerful yet underutilized general-purpose processors of the hybrid system are well suited to processing significant levels of network traffic. In this paper, we propose a novel asymmetric network data flow control system optimized for data stream processing. The system allows the general-purpose processors in a hybrid system to take complete control of network data movement. The system uses remote direct memory access to allow direct communication between the general-purpose processors and the main memories of the accelerators, with no network processing overhead on the accelerators. The accelerators only perform read and write operations with respect to the main memory. Our Cell Broadband EngineA implementation of the system returns a high throughput of up to 934 MB/s, directly communicating with multiple processor cores with full data flow control to multiple processor cores, while eliminating the network processing bottleneck on the accelerator system. Furthermore, our implementation demonstrates excellent performance scalability when targeting increasing numbers of processor cores on the accelerator system.
Using an Efficient Sparse Minor Expansion Algorithm to Compute Polynomial Subresultants and the Greatest Common Denominator

In this paper, the use of an efficient sparse minor expansion method to directly compute the subresultants needed for the greatest common denominator (GCD) of two polynomials is described. The sparse minor expansion method (applied either to Sylvester's or Bezout's matrix) naturally computes the coefficients of the subresultants in the order corresponding to a polynomial remainder sequence (PRS), avoiding wasteful recomputation as much as possible. It is suggested that this is an efficient method to compute the resultant and GCD of sparse polynomials.
Training municipal elected officials: Current practice and a developmental model

This paper reviews training currently available to elected officials in US municipalities. It examines training offered by municipal leagues, professional associations and universities. The paper also reviews the literature on the kind of training needed by local elected officials. Needs vary with community size. From this information a model of training needs and delivery agencies available or appropriate for that training is developed. Due to the constraints on local officials in smaller communities, the collaborative model proposes that municipal leagues, professional associations, and universities work together to provide necessary training. A special role for Cooperative Extension Service agents is proposed as well.
Role of alpha- and beta-calcitonin gene-related peptide in postoperative small bowel ileus.

Ablation of α-calcitonin gene-related polypeptide (CGRP) containing neurons with the afferent neurotoxin capsaicin improves postoperative foregut transit in a rodent model. Similarly, administration of a selective α-CGRP antibody or hCGRP(8–37), a CGRP receptor antagonist, improves postoperative gastric emptying. Unlike the stomach, which contains only α-CGRP, the small bowel additionally contains β-CGRP. The role of the latter in postoperative small bowel transit is unknown. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of an a-CGRP antibody and hCGRP(8–37) on postoperative small bowel transit. Male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent placement of duodenal catheters and were randomly assigned to 1 of 11 groups. Four groups were pretreated with 1% capsaicin. One week later, all animals underwent standardized laparotomy following administration of a control antibody or the α-CGRP monoclonal antibody, or during infusion of hCGRP(8–37) at varying doses. Small bowel transit was measured 25 minutes postoperatively. The a-CGRP antibody sped postoperative transit when given alone or in combination with capsaicin. In contrast, animals treated with hCGRP(8–37) showed no significant improvement in postoperative transit, and the beneficial effect of capsaicin was blocked. Unlike their similar effects on postoperative gastric emptying, we found that hCGRP(8–37) and the α-CGRP antibody had differing effects on postoperative small bowel transit. The reason for this is unknown but may be related to their differing specificities for α- and β-CGRP.
Antitumor activity in a rat mammary adenocarcinoma: The effect of cyclooxygenase inhibitors and immunization against prostaglandin E2

Abstract Female Fischer 344 rats bearing the R3230AC mammary tumor were treated with three different inhibitors of cyclooxygenase--indomethacin, ibuprofen, and flurbiprofen (5 mg/kg body weight). After three weeks, the weight and volume of tumors from treated animals were smaller than those of control rats. Rats bearing the same tumor but immunized against PCE 2 conjugated to bovine serum albumin showed similar trends in tumor grown inhibition. Thus we conclude that PGE 2 plays an important role in the establishment and growth of the R3230AC mammary tumor.
The oxygen and hydrogen isotope geochemistry of clay minerals

Abstract Oxygen and hydrogen isotope analyses have been made on a variety of clay minerals of sedimentary and diagenetic origins. The interlayer water of clay minerals was found to exchange rapidly with atmospheric water. Conditions under which the interlayer water could be removed from the clays without affecting the isotopic compositions of their aluminosilicate oxygen and hydrogen were therefore determined, and the interlayer water was routinely removed and discarded prior to isotopic analysis. Approximate fractionation factors for clay mineral-water systems at sedimentary temperatures, inferred from the isotopic compositions of natural samples, are: α Oxygen min - H 2 O α Hydrogen min - H 2 O Montmorillonite 1.027 0.94 Kaolinite 1.027 0.97 Glauconite 1.026 0.93 Consistency of a relationship between oxygen and hydrogen isotope ratios of kaolinites taken from a variety of areas and having different isotope ratios was demonstrated. This relationship results from exchange of clays with different meteoric waters under conditions in which the fractionation factors are relatively constant. This strongly suggests that the fractionation factors are equilibrium ones and that kaolinite forms in isotopic equilibrium with its environment. Deviations of the isotopic composition of montmorillonites from a similar relationship have been interpreted as resulting from isotopic exchange at slightly elevated temperatures. There was no clearly demonstrable case of clay minerals undergoing isotopic re-equilibration at sedimentary temperatures, although this is one possible interpretation of the data of some Upper Cretaceous glauconites.
Environmental impact of cardiac imaging tests for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease

The use of cardiovascular imaging is growing inexorably and concerns have been expressed about its cost and radiation safety. In this study, the relative environmental impact of MRI, single photon emission tomography and cardiac ultrasound (echo) for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease were examined. The results emphasise that echo causes the least environmental impact at each stage of its life cycle. The effect of one echo on human health, ecosystem effects and resource use was of the order of 1–20% of those of the alternative methods. Although there are circumstances in which one imaging modality is preferred on clinical grounds, when everything else is equal, these results support the selection of echocardiography as the preferred test on environmental grounds.
Routine Testing of Diamond-Turned Optics Using A 10.6 Micron Interferometer

A variety of difficulties have been encountered while testing diamond turned optics with a standard HeNe interferometer. This is especially true in multiple-pass test configurations, where scattering and moire' effects create an ambiguity in interpretation of the interferogram, making slope error and finish determina-tion difficult if not impossible. In a production environment it is also desirable to speed inspection and "buy-off" by viewing the surface at the wavelength of use, namely in the 8-12 micron region. A 10.6 micron laser unequal path interferometer was designed and built to satisfy these needs. Zinc selenide optics are used throughout to facilitate alignment in the visible and allow expansion to near infrared wavelengths in the future. The output is displayed on a TV monitor through the use of a pyroelectric vidicon(PEV). Examples are given of standard interferometric tests in the IR as compared to visible interferograms, clearly showing the reduced effects of surface errors.
Rituximab Induced Left Bundle Branch Block

Rituximab (a monoclonal antibody directed against CD 20) therapy can be acutely complicated by infusion reactions and cardiac arrhythmia on rare occasions. We report the first case of a new onset left bundle branch block (LBBB) after rituximab therapy for Wegener's vasculitis.
Pirfenidone Prevents the Development of a Vulnerable Substrate for Atrial Fibrillation in a Canine Model of Heart Failure

Background— Atrial fibrosis is an important substrate in atrial fibrillation (AF), particularly in the setting of structural heart disease. In a canine model, congestive heart failure (CHF) produces significant atrial fibrosis and the substrate for sustained AF. This atrial remodeling is a potential therapeutic target. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the effects of the antifibrotic drug pirfenidone (PFD) on arrhythmogenic atrial remodeling in a canine CHF model. Methods and Results— We studied 15 canines, divided equally into 3 groups: control, CHF canines not treated with PFD, and CHF canines treated with PFD. CHF was induced by ventricular tachypacing (220 bpm for 3 weeks), and oral PFD was administered for the 3-week pacing period. We performed electrophysiology and AF vulnerability studies, atrial fibrosis measurements, and atrial cytokine expression studies. Only canines in the untreated CHF group developed sustained AF (>30 minutes, 4 of 5 canines; P<0.05). Treatment of CHF canines...
Formal Procedures, Informal Processes, Accountability, and Responsiveness in Bureaucratic Policy Making: An Institutional Policy Analysis

This study examines the role of public notice and comment in the development of 42 rules. These procedures can provide useful information to policy makers about the preferences of those who stand to be affected by agency actions. More importantly, they serve as cues for the accommodation of interests and the resolution of conflict through processes that are grounded in agencies' accountability to political officials. Yet, an examination of the interrelationship between formal, procedural constraints and the informal processes surrounding them reveals that the effects of notice and comment in promoting bureaucratic responsiveness are limited in ways that have received little systematic analysis. A consideration of the tension between the instrumental goal of procedural accountability and the political tasks that often dominate bureaucratic policy making suggests that it is desirable to return to the original use of notice and comment as a device for exposing agencies to the views of affected interests.
On the use and meaning of already

L'A. montre que l'analyse du deroulement precoce (early eventuation) proposee par Van der Auwera (1993) rend compte d'un grand nombre de cas de already, mais est trop restrictive pour fournir une representation semantique adequate. L'adverbe already evoque en fait un type particulier de priorite temporelle qui implique diverses fonctions derivees non pas des differents sens du mot, mais du contexte linguistique et extralinguistique. L'A. tente ensuite de determiner dans quelle mesure already se conforme a l'echelle des operateurs contextuels caracterisee par Kay (1990) et discute de la fusion de fonction, qui distingue emploi et sens, et de la distinction entre emploi et intention argumentative
Prevalence and Correlates of Silent Cerebral Infarcts in the Framingham Offspring Study

Background and Purpose— Previous estimates of the prevalence of silent cerebral infarction (SCI) on MRI in community-based samples have varied between 5.8% and 17.7% depending on age, ethnicity, pr...
Undesirable reaction of aqueous cyclodextrin solutions with polypropylene

Abstract Cyclodextrins are cyclic sugars that have extensive applications in the pharmaceutical, food, biomedical, and other industries. Although cyclodextrins are water-soluble sugars, they have hydrophobic central cavities that are capable of accommodating nonpolar molecules of the right dimensions. This inclusion complexation property, which is key to its utilization in solubilization and stabilization of nonpolar guest molecules, can also lead to undesirable reactions. The present investigation demonstrates the ability of aqueous cyclodextrin solutions to extract plastic additives when stored in polypropylene tubes that are commonly used in biological research. Storage of α- and γ-cyclodextrin solutions in polypropylene microcentrifuge tubes led to the extraction of 2,6-di- tert -butyl- p -cresol, or BHT, a common additive used as an antioxidant and for polymer stabilization. γ-Cyclodextrin solutions also formed an insoluble complex with an unidentified substance. These results suggest the potential of cyclodextrin solutions stored in plastic containers to be contaminated with additives. In many cases, the additives added by plastic manufacturers may be trade secrets and difficult to identify. One should be cautious in using aqueous cyclodextrin solutions stored in plastic containers for biological or biomedical research and applications.
Polymorphic minisatellite amplified on avian W chromosome

Jeffrey's minisatellite probe 33.15, which screens dozens of hypervariable loci throughout the genome, detects female-specific fragments in stripe-backed wrens (Campylorhynchus nuchalis). HaeIII subdivides the single large female-specific fragment observed with other enzymes into a polymorphic suite of fragments of similar total molecular weight among patterns. Sex-linked HaeIII haplotypes are perfectly transmitted from mother to daughter but not to sons. These results suggest that the female-specific HaeIII fragments represent variable subunits of a single long tandem repetitive array composed of approximately 20-bp repetitive units located outside the pairing region of the W chromosome. That sex-linked fragments do not occur in the congener Campylorhynchus griseus suggests that their entrapment and amplification on the W chromosome in C. nuchalis occurred since the divergence of the two species.Key words: minisatellites, sex chromosome, W chromosome, amplification.
High volume manufacturing issues for on-die interconnects at the 45nm process node

High volume manufacturing (HVM) for silicon devices poses numerous challenges beyond simply designing and demonstrating a useful product. This paper describes several of those challenges using examples from Intel's HVM experience fabricating on-die interconnects for high performance logic products at the 45nm process node.
Rebuilding the Past: Health Care Reform in Post-Katrina Louisiana

After Hurricane Katrina, there was good reason to believe that a gaping window of opportunity had opened for Louisiana to revamp its safety-net health care system. But two years of discussions among stakeholders within Louisiana and extensive negotiations with federal officials resulted in no such change. This article argues that any explanation for this outcome needs to incorporate both structure and process. In terms of structure, the rules of the Medicaid disproportionate-share hospital (DSH) program give states substantial independent authority to decide which hospitals to fund. Federal authorities could not force Louisiana, which had historically turned its DSH money over to the state hospital system, to redirect it toward an insurance expansion. In the process of negotiation after Katrina, those who defended the institutions wedded to the prestorm status quo conducted a better strategy than their challengers. They narrowed the purview of the Louisiana Health Care Redesign Collaborative, set up to propose changes in the safety net to the federal government, such that the question of whether to rebuild Charity Hospital in New Orleans was off the table. Meanwhile, on a separate track, the state and the Department of Veterans Affairs successfully pursued a plan to jointly build replacement hospitals.
State equation, controllability, and maximal matchings of petri nets

Petri nets are a versatile modeling device for studying the structure and control of concurrent systems. Petri nets and related graph models have been used for modeling a wide variety of systems from computers to social systems. In order to introduce this interesting modeling device to the researcher in control theory, this paper discusses Petri nets in the context of the state equation for a linear discrete-time system. The controllability concept of dynamic systems is applied to Petri nets for the first time. It is also shown that the controllability and reachability of a Petri net are related to maximal matchings of its bipartite graph.
Using Shibboleth for Authorization and Authentication to the Subversion Version Control Repository System

A version control repository structure has been created based on open source utility software. The structure consists of a subversion repository with an Apache Web interface that is protected by a Shibboleth authentication system. This structure can allow authorized and authenticated data sharing between institutions, yet retains simplicity and protects privacy for users. In addition, it also helps local administrators from having to perform extra account management for new users from other institutions
Larynx Preservation Clinical Trial Design: Summary of Key Recommendations of a Consensus Panel

An international consensus panel was convened to develop guidelines for the conduct of phase III clinical trials of larynx preservation in patients with locally advanced laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer. According to their recommendations, future trial populations should include patients with T2 or T3 laryngeal or hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma not considered for partial laryngectomy and should exclude those with laryngeal dysfunction or aged >70 years. Baseline and post-treatment functional assessments should include speech and swallowing evaluations. Furthermore, voice should be routinely assessed with a simple, validated instrument. Regarding endpoints, the primary endpoint should capture survival and function. As a result, the panel created a new endpoint of laryngoesophageal dysfunction (LED)-free survival, which includes the events of death, local relapse, total or partial laryngectomy, tracheotomy at ≥2 years, or feeding tube at ≥2 years. Recommended secondary endpoints are freedom from LED, overall survival, progression-free survival, locoregional control, time to tracheotomy, time to laryngectomy, time to discontinuation of feeding tube, and quality of life/patient-reported outcomes. Future exploratory correlative biomarker studies should include epidermal growth factor receptor, excision repair cross-complementation group 1 gene, E-cadherin and β-catenin, epiregulin and amphiregulin, and TP53 mutation. Revised trial designs in several key areas are needed to advance the study of larynx preservation. With consistent methodologies, clinical trials can more effectively evaluate and quantify the therapeutic benefit of novel treatment options for patients with locally advanced laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer.
Climate effect on food supply to depths greater than 4,000 meters in the northeast Pacific

A long time-series study was conducted over 15 yr (1989–2004) to measure particulate organic carbon (POC) flux as an estimate of food supply reaching .4,000-m depth in the northeast Pacific. Sequencing sediment traps were moored at 3,500-and 4,050-m depth, 600 and 50 m above the seafloor, respectively, to collect sinking particulate matter with 10-d resolution. POC fluxes were compared with three climate indices in the Pacific: the basinscale multivariate El Nin˜o Southern Oscillation index (MEI) and northern oscillation index (NOI) and the regionalscale Bakun upwelling index (BUI). The NOI and MEI correlated significantly with POC flux, lagged earlier by 6–10 months, respectively. The BUI also correlated with POC flux, lagged by 2–3 months, suggesting a direct relationship between upwelling intensity and rates of POC supply to abyssal depths. Satellite ocean color data for the surface above the study site were used to estimate chlorophyll a concentrations and, combined with sea surface temperature and photosynthetically available radiation, to estimate net primary production and export flux (EF) from the euphotic zone. EF was significantly correlated with POC flux, lagged earlier by 0–3 months. An empirical model to estimate POC flux, with the use of NOI, BUI, and EF, yielded significant agreement with measured fluxes. Modeling of deep-sea processes on broad spatial and temporal scales with climate indices and satellite sensing now appears feasible.
Antipneumococcal Activities of Gemifloxacin Compared to Those of Nine Other Agents

The activities of gemifloxacin compared to those of nine other agents was tested against a range of penicillin-susceptible and -resistant pneumococci by agar dilution, microdilution, time-kill, and post-antibiotic effect (PAE) methods. Against 64 penicillin-susceptible, 68 penicillin-intermediate, and 75 penicillin-resistant pneumococci (all quinolone susceptible), agar dilution MIC 50 s (MICs at which 50% of isolates are inhibited)/MIC 90 s (in micrograms per milliliter) were as follows: gemifloxacin, 0.03/0.06; ciprofloxacin, 1.0/4.0; levofloxacin, 1.0/2.0; sparfloxacin, 0.5/1.0; grepafloxacin, 0.125/0.5; trovafloxacin, 0.125/0.25; amoxicillin, 0.016/0.06 (penicillin-susceptible isolates), 0.125/1.0 (penicillin-intermediate isolates), and 2.0/4.0 (penicillin-resistant isolates); cefuroxime, 0.03/0.25 (penicillin-susceptible isolates), 0.5/2.0 (penicillin-intermediate isolates), and 8.0/16.0 (penicillin-resistant isolates); azithromycin, 0.125/0.5 (penicillin-susceptible isolates), 0.125/>128.0 (penicillin-intermediate isolates), and 4.0/>128.0 (penicillin-resistant isolates); and clarithromycin, 0.03/0.06 (penicillin-susceptible isolates), 0.03/32.0 (penicillin-intermediate isolates), and 2.0/>128.0 (penicillin-resistant isolates). Against 28 strains with ciprofloxacin MICs of ≥8 μg/ml, gemifloxacin had the lowest MICs (0.03 to 1.0 μg/ml; MIC 90 , 0.5 μg/ml), compared with MICs ranging between 0.25 and >32.0 μg/ml (MIC 90 s of 4.0 to >32.0 μg/ml) for other quinolones. Resistance in these 28 strains was associated with mutations in parC , gyrA , parE , and/or gyrB or efflux, with some strains having multiple resistance mechanisms. For 12 penicillin-susceptible and -resistant pneumococcal strains (2 quinolone resistant), time-kill results showed that levofloxacin at the MIC, gemifloxacin and sparfloxacin at two times the MIC, and ciprofloxacin, grepafloxacin, and trovafloxacin at four times the MIC were bactericidal for all strains after 24 h. Gemifloxacin was uniformly bactericidal after 24 h at ≤0.5 μg/ml. Various degrees of 90 and 99% killing by all quinolones were detected after 3 h. Gemifloxacin and trovafloxacin were both bactericidal at two times the MIC for the two quinolone-resistant pneumococci. Amoxicillin at two times the MIC and cefuroxime at four times the MIC were uniformly bactericidal after 24 h, with some degree of killing at earlier time points. Macrolides gave slower killing against the seven susceptible strains tested, with 99.9% killing of all strains at two to four times the MIC after 24 h. PAEs for five quinolone-susceptible strains were similar (0.3 to 3.0 h) for all quinolones, and significant quinolone PAEs were found for the quinolone-resistant strain.
Meaningful use of health information technology by rural hospitals.

Purpose: This study examines the current status of meaningful use of health information technology (IT) in Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), other rural, and urban US hospitals, and it discusses the potential role of Medicare payment incentives and disincentives in encouraging CAHs and other rural hospitals to achieve meaningful use. Methods: Data from the American Hospital Association (AHA) Annual Survey IT Supplement were analyzed, using t tests and probit regressions to assess whether implementation rates in CAHs and other rural hospitals are significantly different from rates in urban hospitals. Findings: Of the many measures we examined, only 4 have been met by a majority of rural hospitals: electronic recording of patient demographics and electronic access to lab reports, radiology reports, and radiology images. Meaningful use is even less prevalent among CAHs. We also find that rural hospitals lag behind urban institutions in nearly every measure of meaningful use. These differences are particularly large and significant for CAHs. Conclusion: The meaningful use incentive system creates many challenges for CAHs. First, investments are evaluated and subsidies determined after adoption. Thus, CAHs must accept financial risk when adopting health IT; this may be particularly important for large expenditures. Second, the subsidies may be low for relatively small expenditures. Third, since the subsidies are based on observable costs, CAHs will receive no support for their intangible costs (eg, workflow disruption). A variety of policies may be used to address these problems of financial risk, uncertain returns in a rural setting, and limited resources.
Self-organization of architecture by simulated hierarchical adaptive random partitioning

A simulation environment based on the concept of hierarchical random partitioning for simultaneously self-organizing the architecture and connection weights of neural networks to approximate multivariate mappings is presented. The constructed approximation can be modeled as a modular, feedforward neural network with two hidden layers. The proposed environment shows good generalization even for small data sets and computes a confidence index for its predicted output. The simulation environment has a fast, automatic learning process and is based on a sound mathematical foundation. >
Adaptive error compensation for photonic analog-to-digital converters

Factors limiting the accuracy of a wideband optically sampled analog-to-digital converter are analyzed. An algorithm for adaptive error compensation in a post-processing step is proposed and shown to be effective against various system imperfections.
Oppositional biogeography-based optimization for combinatorial problems

In this paper, we propose a framework for employing opposition-based learning to assist evolutionary algorithms in solving discrete and combinatorial optimization problems. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to apply opposition to combinatorics. We introduce two different methods of opposition to solve two different type of combinatorial optimization problems. The first technique, open-path opposition, is suited for combinatorial problems where the final node in the graph does not have be connected to the first node, such as the graph-coloring problem. The latter technique, circular opposition, can be employed for problems where the endpoints of a graph are linked, such as the well-known traveling salesman problem (TSP). Both discrete opposition methods have been hybridized with biogeography-based optimization (BBO). Simulations on TSP benchmarks illustrate that incorporating opposition into BBO improves its performance.
Quadratic optimization in the problems of active control of sound

We analyze the problem of suppressing the unwanted component of a time-harmonic acoustic field (noise) on a predetermined region of interest. The suppression is rendered by active means, i.e., by introducing the additional acoustic sources called controls that generate the appropriate anti-sound. Previously, we have obtained general solutions for active controls in both continuous and discrete formulation of the problem. We have also obtained optimal solutions that minimize the overall absolute acoustic source strength of active control sources, which is equivalent to minimization in the sense of L"1. By contrast, in the current paper we formulate and study optimization problems that involve quadratic functions of merit. Specifically, we minimize the L"2 norm of the control sources, and we consider both the unconstrained and constrained minimization. The unconstrained L"2 minimization is an easy problem to address numerically. On the other hand, the constrained approach allows one to analyze sophisticated geometries. In a special case, we can compare our finite-difference optimal solutions to the continuous optimal solutions obtained previously using a semi-analytic technique. We also show that the optima obtained in the sense of L"2 differ drastically from those obtained in the sense of L"1.
Utilizing Proverbs as a Focal Point to Cultural Awareness and Communicative Competence: Illustrations from Africa.

Foreign language teachers often insert proverbs into courses in order to impart cultural awareness to their students. However, these proverbs are usually randomly selected and randomly placed into the course content. In certain languages this becomes a major concern, because proverbs are a prime vehicle of communication in many cultures. Proposed in this article is a model of target- and native-language proverb comparison which can be used to assist proverb analysis in the language curriculum. This study uses examples from the West African language, Mandinka.
Tuning Promoter Strength through RNA Polymerase Binding Site Design in Escherichia coli

One of the paramount goals of synthetic biology is to have the ability to tune transcriptional networks to targeted levels of expression at will. As a step in that direction, we have constructed a set of 18 unique binding sites for E. coli RNA Polymerase (RNAP) s 70 holoenzyme, designed using a model of sequence-dependent binding energy combined with a thermodynamic model of transcription to produce a targeted level of gene expression. This promoter set allows us to determine the correspondence between the absolute numbers of mRNA molecules or protein products and the predicted promoter binding energies measured in kBT energy units. These binding sites adhere on average to the predicted level of gene expression over 3 orders of magnitude in constitutive gene expression, to within a factor of 3 in both protein and mRNA copy number. With these promoters in hand, we then place them under the regulatory control of a bacterial repressor and show that again there is a strict correspondence between the measured and predicted levels of expression, demonstrating the transferability of the promoters to an alternate regulatory context. In particular, our thermodynamic model predicts the expression from our promoters under a range of repressor concentrations between several per cell up to over 100 per cell. After correcting the predicted polymerase binding strength using the data from the unregulated promoter, the thermodynamic model accurately predicts the expression for the simple repression strains to within 30%. Demonstration of modular promoter design, where parts of the circuit (such as RNAP/TF binding strength and transcription factor copy number) can be independently chosen from a stock list and combined to give a predictable result, has important implications as an engineering tool for use in synthetic biology.
IL-13 Effector Functions*

IL-13 was first recognized for its effects on B cells and monocytes, where it upregulated class II expression, promoted IgE class switching and inhibited inflammatory cytokine production. It was also thought to be functionally redundant with IL-4. However, studies conducted with knockout mice, neutralizing antibodies, and novel antagonists demonstrate that IL-13 possesses several unique effector functions that distinguish it from IL-4. Resistance to most gastrointestinal nematodes is mediated by type-2 cytokine responses, in which IL-13 plays a dominant role. By regulating cell-mediated immunity, IL-13 modulates resistance to intracellular organisms including Leishmania major, Leishmania mexicana, and Listeria monocytogenes. In the lung, IL-13 is the central mediator of allergic asthma, where it regulates eosinophilic inflammation, mucus secretion, and airway hyperresponsiveness. Manipulation of IL-13 effector function may also prove useful in the treatment of some cancers like B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia and Hodgkin's disease, where IL-13 modulates apoptosis or tumor cell growth. IL-13 can also inhibit tumor immunosurveillance. As such, inhibitors of IL-13 might be effective as cancer immunotherapeutics by boosting type-1-associated anti-tumor defenses. Finally, IL-13 was revealed as a potent mediator of tissue fibrosis in both schistosomiasis and asthma, which indicates that it is a key regulator of the extracellular matrix. The mechanisms that regulate IL-13 production and/or function have also been investigated, and IL-4, IL-12, IL-18, IFN-gamma, IL-10, TGF-beta, TNF-alpha, and the IL-4/IL-13 receptor complex play important roles. This review highlights the effector functions of IL-13 and describes multiple pathways for modulating its activity in vivo.
Symmetry and Higher Superconductivity in the Lower Elements

At one atmosphere 29 elements are classified as superconductors; at high pressures there are to date an additional 23, many of these being drawn from the lighter elements. The number of superconductors for the elements in combination appears to be illimitable. Observed symmetries in these systems generally include orderings in both nuclear and electronic degrees of freedom. The fluctuations impelling order in the electron sub-system include those originating with the nuclear degrees of freedom but also with the electrons themselves, both itinerant and localized. For the elements in combination coherent multipole fluctuations in localized states may arise, and the relative contributions of such excitations to electron-pairing is then of some especial interest. When the elements are placed in combination the effects of external pressure may be replicated in part by an equivalent internal pressure, this resulting from a form of chemical pre-compression.
Single-channel basis for conductance increase induced by isoflurane in Shaker H4 IR K+ channels

Volatile anesthetics modulate the function of various K(+) channels. We previously reported that isoflurane induces an increase in macroscopic currents and a slowing down of current deactivation of Shaker H4 IR K(+) channels. To understand the single-channel basis of these effects, we performed nonstationary noise analysis of macroscopic currents and analysis of single channels in patches from Xenopus oocytes expressing Shaker H4 IR. Isoflurane (1.2% and 2.5%) induced concentration-dependent, partially reversible increases in macroscopic currents and in the time course of tail currents. Noise analysis of currents (70 mV) revealed an increase in unitary current (approximately 17%) and maximum open probability (approximately 20%). Single-channel conductance was larger (approximately 20%), and opening events were more stable, in isoflurane. Tail-current slow time constants increased by 41% and 136% in 1.2% and 2.5% isoflurane, respectively. Our results show that, in a manner consistent with stabilization of the open state, isoflurane increased the macroscopic conductance of Shaker H4 IR K(+) channels by increasing the single-channel conductance and the open probability.
Discriminative Improvements to Distributional Sentence Similarity

Matrix and tensor factorization have been applied to a number of semantic relatedness tasks, including paraphrase identification. The key idea is that similarity in the latent space implies semantic relatedness. We describe three ways in which labeled data can improve the accuracy of these approaches on paraphrase classification. First, we design a new discriminative term-weighting metric called TF-KLD, which outperforms TF-IDF. Next, we show that using the latent representation from matrix factorization as features in a classification algorithm substantially improves accuracy. Finally, we combine latent features with fine-grained n-gram overlap features, yielding performance that is 3% more accurate than the prior state-of-the-art.
A Multi-Objective Optimization Decision Support Model for Renewal Planning of Sewer Networks

A new integrated approach for optimal renewal planning of municipal infrastructure systems has been developed. This chapter discusses the application of the proposed approach to implement a GIS-based Decision Support System (DSS) to support the renewal planning of sewer networks. The approach involves several steps addressing condition rating, risk assessment, and prioritization of sewers. It also incorporates a procedure for identifying and selecting the most suitable renewal technologies. A genetic algorithm (GA)-based multi-objective optimization (MOO) technique is used to find a Pareto front and identify a set of feasible solutions, in which a set of sewers is selected for renewal each year, along with the associated costs and expected benefits in terms of condition improvement and risk reduction. The chapter also presents an example application of the prototype DSS on the sewer network in Regina, Canada.