cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
REVERSIBLE ACTIVATION FOR GERMINATION AND SUBSEQUENT CHANGES IN BACTERIAL SPORES

Lee, W. H. (University of Illinois, Urbana) and Z. John Ordal. Reversible activation for germination and subsequent changes in bacterial spores. J. Bacteriol. 85:207-217. 1963.-It was possible to isolate refractile spores of Bacillus megaterium, from a calcium dipicolinate germination solution, that were activated and would germinate spontaneously in distilled water. Some of the characteristics of the initial phases of bacterial spore germination were determined by studying these unstable activated spores. Activated spores of B. megaterium were resistant to stains and possessed a heat resistance intermediate between that of dormant and of germinated spores. The spontaneous germination of activated spores was inhibited by copper, iron, silver, or mercury salts, saturated o-phenanthroline, or solutions having a low pH value, but not by many common inhibitors. These inhibitions could be partially or completely reversed by the addition of sodium dipicolinate. The activated spores could be deactivated and made similar to dormant spores by treatment with acid. Analyses of the exudates from the variously treated spore suspensions revealed that whatever inhibited the germination of activated spores also inhibited the release of spore material. The composition of the germination exudates was different than that of extracts of dormant spores. Although heavy suspensions of activated spores gradually became swollen and dark when suspended in solutions of o-phenanthroline or at pH 4, the materials released resembled those found in extracts of dormant spores rather than those of normal germination exudates.
Yin Yang 1 is a Repressor of Glutamate Transporter EAAT2 and it Mediates Manganese-induced Decrease of EAAT2 Expression in Astrocytes

Impairment of astrocytic glutamate transporter (GLT-1; EAAT2) function is associated with multiple neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease (PD) and manganism, the latter being induced by chronic exposure to high levels of manganese (Mn). Mn decreases EAAT2 promoter activity and mRNA and protein levels, but the molecular mechanism of Mn-induced EAAT2 repression at the transcriptional level has yet to be elucidated. We reveal that transcription factor Yin Yang 1 (YY1) is critical in repressing EAAT2 and mediates the effects of negative regulators, such as Mn and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), on EAAT2. YY1 overexpression in astrocytes reduced EAAT2 promoter activity, while YY1 knockdown or mutation of the YY1 consensus site of the EAAT2 promoter increased its promoter activity and attenuated the Mn-induced repression of EAAT2. Mn increased YY1 promoter activity and mRNA and protein levels via NF-κB activation. This led to increased YY1 binding to the EAAT2 promoter region. Epigenetically, histone deacetylase (HDAC) classes I and II served as corepressors of YY1, and, accordingly, HDAC inhibitors increased EAAT2 promoter activity and reversed the Mn-induced repression of EAAT2 promoter activity. Taken together, our findings suggest that YY1, with HDACs as corepressors, is a critical negative transcriptional regulator of EAAT2 and mediates Mn-induced EAAT2 repression.
Leveraging BIM to Provide Automated Support for Efficient Troubleshooting of HVAC-Related Problems

AbstractPrompt response and troubleshooting of HVAC-related problems in facilities are vital to ensure a comfortable indoor environment for occupants. Two main challenges in the current practice result in an ad hoc troubleshooting process and waste of resources: the lack of access to the required facility and system information in a timely manner and the large search space of possible causes for a given HVAC-related problem. This paper presents a formalized approach to bring solutions to these problems. The approach reasons with a facility-specific model-based information repository in order to identify an accurate set of applicable causes for a reported HVAC-related problem in the large search space of possible causes and to retrieve related facility and system information. By eliminating the inapplicable HVAC components and space-related factors for a reported problem, the approach increases the efficiency of the troubleshooting process. The research enhances the existing body of knowledge in the facili...
Crystal Structure of the Kinase Domain of ABL in Complex with a Potent Rationally-Designed Derivative of the PP1 Inhibitor, AB129

As part of our effort to understand the determinants of drug binding to the Abl tyrosine kinase, we determined the crystal structure of the Abl kinase domain bound to a derivative of the PP1 nucleoside analog. Just as the cancer drug imatinib selectively inhibits the tyrosine kinase activity of c-Abl, c-Kit, and the PDGF receptor, but is a poor inhibitor of the closely related Src kinases (1), PP1 is a selective inhibitor of the Src family (2), c-Kit (3), and PDGFR kinases but not of Abl tyrosine kinase activity (3, 4). In fact, PP1 is 1000X less effective at inhibiting Abl and Bcr-Abl kinases than at inhibiting the Src kinases (3, 4). We rationally designed a derivative of the PP1 compound to introduce hydrogen bonding between it and a strictly conserved lysine residue that coordinates the alpha and beta phosphate groups of ATP in protein kinases (5). By expanding the interactions between the inhibitor and Abl kinase, we sought to make the PP1 derivative, AB129, less selective. Our crystal structure of the Abl kinase domain bound to the AB129 inhibitor shows three important features. First, the compound binds to the kinase domain in the active conformation: alpha C helix is rotated inward facilitating a salt bridge between Lys271 and Glu286 and the conserved Asp-Phe-Gly (DFG) motif is oriented Asp-In. In contrast, the structure of PP1 bound to the Src family kinase Hck is in the inactive conformation (6). Second, the strictly conserved Glu286 residue, not Lys271, hydrogen bonds to the hydroxyl group of AB129. Third, the conformation of the phosphate binding loop (P-loop) is extended. We provide kinetic and calorimetric data to support our rationale for the observed conformational changes.
Effects of Mississippian Tectonic Movement on Sedimentation and Diagenesis of Greenbrier Group in Eastern Appalachian Plateau: ABSTRACT

The Greenbrier Group of eastern West Virginia consists of marine carbonates interbedded and mixed with siliciclastics that were deposited on a shallow shelf in the Late Mississippian. The Denmar Formation is the lowest unit of the Greenbrier Group present in east-central West Virginia, and it represents a shallow tidal-flat and platform sequence deposited by a transgressing sea during the Meramecian. This transgression was followed by a regression with progradation of Taggard Formation terrigenous clastics onto restricted tidal flats during the earliest Chesterian. The Denmar tidal-flat deposits are characterized by pelleted mudstones, limited and depauperate fauna, calcite-filled and dolomite-filled geodes, caliche crusts, fenestral structures, dolomite, burrows, and channel deposits. The platform deposits include more diverse fauna, less micrite, cross-bedded and massive oolitic grainstones, and cross-bedded quartzarenites. Most of the siliciclastics were derived from the north and east of the Appalachian basin. Additional quartz silt, sand, and pebbles were eroded from an uplifted area within the basin and were incorporated into the tidal-flat and platform sediments. This Meramecian tectonic uplift, considered to be part of the 38th parallel lineament, created a subaerial and submarine topographic high that affected sedimentation patterns dur ng the remainder of Greenbrier deposition. Early phreatic cementation occurred along the flank of the uplift in at least two stages. There is evidence of both penecontemporaneous and later replacement dolomite. In certain strata in the western outcrops, hydrocarbons migrated through permeable layers and filled remaining pores. End_of_Article - Last_Page 318------------
A Tale of Two Domains—Opportunity in the Face of Despair

At the joint meeting of the Association for Surgical Education (ASE) and the Association of Program Directors in Surgery (APDS) in Nashville in March 2001, the (mis)match captured the creative energy and angst of most of the audience and many speakers and panel members. Electrified dialog from the floor followed on the heels of numerous podium presentations, but attention returned often to the nagging issue on everyone’s mind: our failure to attract adequate numbers of talented medical students into surgery’s residency applicant pool. Other topics discussed were the attrition of residents during their training, attrition of ATLS skills and knowledge over time, the key role of M&M conferences in resident education, issues associated with residents seeking informed consent, professionalism, the “surgical personality,” and the impact of tension among operating room personnel. Yet, the conundrum knotting the collective surgical brow was how to assure a steady stream of highly qualified and motivated students into careers in surgery. This overarching dilemma was revisited throughout the week, and a few paradigm shifts were suggested for American surgery’s “March madness.” When the American Association of Clinical Anatomists
The Evolution of Stalking

We propose that stalking tactics have been shaped by evolutionary processes to help solve mating problems. These include: (1) acquiring new mates, (2) guarding existing mates to prevent defection, (3) fending off mate poachers, (4) poaching someone else’s mate, (5) interfering with intrasexual competitors, (6) reacquiring ex-mates, (7) sexual exploitation and predation, and (8) guarding kin from sexual exploitation. We hypothesize several, gender-differentiated design features of psychological adaptations, including sensitivity to adaptive problems for which stalking was an ancestral solution and cognitive biases that function to motivate and perpetuate stalking behaviors. Although often abhorrent, cost-inflicting, and illegal, stalking sometimes enables successful adaptive solutions to problems of mating and within-gender competition faced by both men and women.
Role of the Renin-Angiotensin System In the Pathogenesis of Severe Hypertension in Rats

Plasma renin levels are elevated in accelerated or malignant hypertension. To see if this increase of renin is a concurrent phenomenon or a pathogenetic factor in the increase of blood pressure, severe hypertension was produced in rats by occluding the aorta between the origins of the renal arteries. Eight days later, these animals had developed severe hypertension (mean blood pressure = 201 ± 3 mm Hg) and markedly elevated plasma renin levels (151 ± 35 ng angiotensin II/ml hr-1; normal range = 11 ± 0.6). When the kidney distal to the ligature was excised at the time of the coarctation, the animals developed only a moderate increase in blood pressure (mean = 120 ± 1.3 mm Hg) and their plasma renin levels remained in the normal range. When the nonnephrectomized animals with severe hypertension were injected with antibodies against angiotensin II, blood pressure decreased, reaching its lowest point (126 ± 12 mm Hg) 2 days later. This work demonstrates that the severe increase in blood pressure is not due to...
Simultaneous homographic and comparametric alignment of multiple exposure-adjusted pictures of the same scene

An approach is presented that can simultaneously align multiple exposure-adjusted pictures of the same scene both in their spatial coordinates as well as in their pixel values. The approach is featureless and produces an image mosaic at a common spatial and exposure reference and also addresses the misalignment problem common to methods that compose mosaics from only pair-wise registered image pairs. The objective function considered minimizes the sum of the collective variance over pixels of a global coordinate grid on which to create the final image. The models employed relate images spatially by homographic transformations and tonally by comparametric functions. The importance of performing joint spatial and tonal registration on exposure-adjusted images is emphasized by providing two examples in which spatial-only registration fails. The performance between pair-wise and simultaneous registration under both spatial-only and joint registration procedures is discussed.
Versatile bioelectronic interfaces on flexible non-conductive substrates.

Bioelectronic interfaces that establish electrical communication between redox enzymes and electrodes have potential applications as biosensors, biocatalytic reactors, and biological fuel cells. These interfaces are commonly formed on gold films deposited using physical vapor deposition (PVD) or chemical vapor deposition (CVD). PVD and CVD require deposition of a primer layer, such as titanium or chromium, and require the use of expensive equipment and cannot be used on a wide range of substrates. This paper describes a versatile new bench-top method to form bioelectronic interfaces containing a gold film, electron mediator, cofactor, and dehydrogenase enzyme (secondary alcohol dehydrogenase, and sorbitol dehydrogenase) on nonconductive substrates such as polystyrene and glass. The method combines layer-by-layer deposition of polyelectrolytes, electroless metal deposition, and directed molecular self-assembly. Cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, field emission X-ray dispersive spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy were used to characterize the bioelectronic interfaces. Interfaces formed on flexible polystyrene slides were shown to retain their activity after bending to a radius of curvature of 18 mm, confirming that the approach can be applied on cheap and flexible substrates for applications where traditional wafer-scale electronics is not suitable, such as personal or structural health monitors and rolled microtube biosensors.
Scenario-based modeling and its applications

Use-oriented techniques are widely used in software requirement analysis and design. Use cases and usage scenarios facilitate system understanding and provide a common language for communication. This paper presents a scenario-based modeling technique and discusses its applications. In this model, scenarios are organized hierarchically and they capture the system functionality at various abstraction levels including scenario groups, scenarios, and sub-scenarios. Combining scenarios or sub-scenarios can form complex scenarios. Data are also separately identified, organized, and attached to scenarios. This scenario model can be used to cross check with the UML model. It can also direct systematic scenario-based testing including test case generation, test coverage analysis with respect to requirements, and functional regression testing.
Radiation chemistry of linear low-density polyethylene. II. Kinetics of alkyl and allyl free-radical decay reactions

Quenched and annealed samples of linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) were γ irradiated in vacuo at 77 K; the kinetics of the alkyl free-radical decay reactions were studied at room temperature, and of the allyl free-radical reactions at 60, 70, and 80°C. The ESR signals saturate at a slightly higher microwave power in the LLDPE than in high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and the alkyl radicals start decaying at a lower temperature in the LLDPE than in the HDPE. As in the HDPE the decay of the alkyl free radicals at room temperature in the LLDPE follows the kinetic equation for two simultaneous first-order reactions with the fraction of the faster-decaying component being slightly greater in the quenched than in the annealed samples. In the case of the allyl free radicals the decay at 60°C follows the equation based on one fraction of the radicals decaying according to second-order kinetics in the presence of other nondecaying radicals. At higher temperatures the data are best understood in terms of a second-order rate equation with a continuously variable time-dependent rate constant as suggested by Hamill and Funabashi.
Introducing multidimensional item response modeling in health behavior and health education research

When measuring participant-reported attitudes and outcomes in the behavioral sciences, there are many instances when the common measurement assumption of unidimensionality does not hold. In these cases, the application of a multidimensional measurement model is both technically appropriate and potentially advantageous in substance. In this paper, we illustrate the usefulness of a multidimensional approach to measurement using an empirical example taken from the Behavior Change Consortium. Data from the Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire have been analyzed to investigate whether self-regulation can be regarded as a single construct, or if it has multiple dimensions based on the type of regulation or motivation that participants say helps them consider an improvement in healthy behavior. Comparison with consecutive analyses shows the advantages of multidimensional measurement for interpreting participant-reported data.
Patterns of Racial-Ethnic Exclusion by Internet Daters

Using data from 6070 U.S. heterosexual internet dating profiles, this study examines how racial and gender exclusions are revealed in the preferences of black, Latino, Asian and white online daters. Consistent with social exchange and group positions theories, the study finds that whites are least open to out-dating and that, unlike blacks, Asians and Latinos have patterns of racial exclusion similar to those of whites. Like blacks, higher earning groups including Asian Indians, Middle Easterners and Asian men are highly excluded, suggesting that economic incorporation may not mirror acceptance in intimate settings. Finally, racial exclusion in dating is gendered; Asian males and black females are more highly excluded than their opposite-sex counterparts, suggesting that existing theories of race relations need to be expanded to account for gendered racial acceptance.
Dynamic three‐dimensional imaging of phosphocreatine recovery kinetics in the human lower leg muscles at 3T and 7T: a preliminary study

The rate of phosphocreatine (PCr) resynthesis after physical exercise has been extensively studied with phosphorus (31P)-MRS. Previous studies have used small surface coils that were limited to measuring one superficial muscle per experiment. This study focuses on the development and implementation of a spectrally selective three-dimensional turbo spin echo (3D-TSE) sequence at 3T and 7T with temporal resolution of 24 s, using two geometrically identical volume coils. We acquired imaging data of PCr recovery from four healthy volunteers and one diabetic patient, who performed plantar flexions using resistance bands. We segmented the anatomical regions of six different muscles from the lower leg, namely the gastrocnemius [lateral (GL) and medial (GM)], the tibialis [anterior (TA) and posterior (TP)], the soleus (S) and the peroneus (P) and measured the local PCr resynthesis rate constants. During the same examination, we also acquired unlocalized 31P-MRS data at a temporal resolution of 6 s. At 3T, the PCr resynthesis rate constants were measured at 25.4 ± 3.7 s [n = 4, mean ± standard deviation (SD)] using the MRS method and 25.6 ± 4.4 s using the MRI method. At 7T, the measured rates were 26.4 ± 3.2 s and 26.2 ± 4.7 s for MRS and MRI. Using our imaging method, we measured the local PCr resynthesis rate constants in six individual muscles of the lower leg (min/max 20.2/31.7 s). The recovery rate constants measured for the diabetic patient were 55.5 s (MRS) and 52.7 s (MRI). The successful implementation of our 3D-method suggests that imaging is possible at both fields with a relatively high spatial resolution (voxel size: 4.2 mL at 3T and 1.6 mL at 7T) using volume coils and that local PCr resynthesis rates can be obtained in a single measurement. The advantage of the imaging method is that it can highlight differences in PCr resynthesis rates between different muscles in a single measurement in order to study spatial gradients of metabolic properties of diseased states for which very little is currently known. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
First-Passage Processes in the Genome

Many essential processes in biology share a common fundamental step-establishing physical contact between distant segments of DNA. How fast this step is accomplished sets the "speed limit" for the larger-scale processes it enables, whether the process is antibody production by the immune system or tissue differentiation in a developing embryo. This naturally leads us to ask, How long does it take for DNA segments that are strung out over millions of base pairs along the chromatin fiber to find each other in the crowded cell? This question, fundamental to biology, can be recognized as the physics problem of the first-passage time, or the waiting time for the first encounter. Here, we review a number of approaches to revealing the physical principles by which cells solve, with astonishing efficiency, the first-passage problem for remote genomic interactions.
Cigarette smoking among adolescents with type 1 diabetes: Strategies for behavioral prevention and intervention

Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the U.S. and preventing smoking initiation among adolescents is a public health priority and a central element of comprehensive tobacco control. While cigarette smoking is harmful to all youths, those with special healthcare needs are particularly vulnerable to the negative health consequences of smoking, and adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) urgently stand out as a high-risk group. Available literature suggests the prevalence and risk factors for smoking among adolescents with T1D are strikingly similar to the general population. Moreover, smoking negatively affects T1D management and increases risk for and progression of adverse health outcomes related to T1D. Adolescents with T1D are also influenced by disease-related social and behavioral factors that affect decisions about smoking. Pediatric health care providers (HCPs) are optimally-positioned to screen and counsel adolescents with T1D to avoid smoking, as they have well-established relationships with young patients and regularly scheduled visits surrounding T1D management. However, several barriers inhibit HCPs from screening/counseling adolescents with T1D for smoking on a regular basis. Well-established strategies for behavioral counseling for smoking in the healthcare setting may be effective to prevent and reduce smoking among adolescents with T1D. HCPs who care for these young patients can tailor proven counseling approaches to the context of T1D to address smoking alongside other behavioral factors that are central to disease management. Empirical research is also needed to inform the development and deployment of healthcare-based interventions and maximize their impact within this population.
Mapping maintenance for data integration systems

To answer user queries, a data integration system employs a set of semantic mappings between the mediated schema and the schemas of data sources. In dynamic environments sources often undergo changes that invalidate the mappings. Hence, once the system is deployed, the administrator must monitor it over time, to detect and repair broken mappings. Today such continuous monitoring is extremely labor intensive, and poses a key bottleneck to the widespread deployment of data integration systems in practice.We describe MAVERIC, an automatic solution to detecting broken mappings. At the heart of MAVERIC is a set of computationally inexpensive modules called sensors, which capture salient characteristics of data sources (e.g., value distributions, HTML layout properties). We describe how MAVERIC trains and deploys the sensors to detect broken mappings. Next we develop three novel improvements: perturbation (i.e., injecting artificial changes into the sources) and multi-source training to improve detection accuracy, and filtering to further reduce the number of false alarms. Experiments over 114 real-world sources in six domains demonstrate the effectiveness of our sensor-based approach over existing solutions, as well as the utility of our improvements.
A programmable telephone rate meter: a hardware/software codesign case study

We present an example of the design of an embedded digital system using hardware-software codesign methodology. The use of this methodology permits a relatively inexperienced digital designer to develop a reasonably sophisticated device consisting of a microprocessor and custom hardware in a very short time. The device under production is a telephone rate meter that keeps track of the cost of calls made from a particular telephone. Given the plethora of calling plans marketed by telecommunications providers, a great deal of flexibility is required in the manner in which the rate structure can be specified. Use of codesign methodology permits the metering of any rate structure that can be specified algorithmically.
A Note on [Hippocrates], De Morbis II 1, 4a

In the fourth chapter of the Hippocratic treatise De mortis II 1 an unnamed illness is discussed which arises allegedly from an overabundance of blood in the vessels around the brain. The author of the chapter, however, disputes this aetiology:
Dissociating top-down attentional control from selective perception and action

Research into the neural mechanisms of attention has revealed a complex network of brain regions that are involved in the execution of attention-demanding tasks. Recent advances in human neuroimaging now permit investigation of the elementary processes of attention being subserved by specific components of the brain's attention system. Here we describe recent studies of spatial selective attention that made use of positron emission tomography (PET), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and event-related brain potentials (ERPs) to investigate the spatio-temporal dynamics of the attention-related neural activity. We first review the results from an event-related fMRI study that examined the neural mechanisms underlying top-down attentional control versus selective sensory perception. These results defined a fronto-temporal-parietal network involved in the control of spatial attention. Activity in these areas biased the neural activity in sensory brain structures coding the spatial locations of upcoming target stimuli, preceding a modulation of subsequent target processing in visual cortex. We then present preliminary evidence from a fast-rate event-related fMRI study of spatial attention that demonstrates how to disentangle the potentially overlapping hemodynamic responses elicited by temporally adjacent stimuli in studies of attentional control. Finally, we present new analyses from combined neuroimaging (PET) and event-related brain potential (ERP) studies that together reveal the timecourse of activation of brain regions implicated in attentional control and selective perception.
Adaptive synchronization for non-coherent UWB receivers

Ultra-wideband (UWB) radio transmits data using sub-nanosecond pulses with a very low duty-cycle. It is a promising candidate for short-range communications in dense multipath environments. However, UWB systems have to cope with great design challenges, including difficulties on synchronization, template signal design, and multipath energy combining. The UWB differential scheme with a non-coherent receiver offers a way to solve these problems, but may experience performance degradation due to inadequate synchronization knowledge. In this paper a novel adaptive synchronization algorithm for UWB non-coherent receivers is proposed, which adaptively improves on partial synchronization information until frame-level synchronization is achieved. The algorithm requires only tens of symbol durations, which is orders of magnitude less than that of the coherent receiver. Performance enhancement is observed through both theoretical analysis and simulations.
An immersed boundary method for two-fluid mixtures

We present an immersed boundary method for interactions between elastic boundaries and mixtures of two fluids. Each fluid has its own velocity field and volume-fraction. A penalty method is used to enforce the condition that both fluids? velocities agree with that of the elastic boundaries. The method is applied to several problems: Taylor?s swimming sheet problem for a mixture of two viscous fluids, peristaltic pumping of a mixture of two viscous fluids, with and without immersed particles, and peristaltic pumping of a mixture of a viscous fluid and a viscoelastic fluid. The swimming sheet and peristalsis problems have received much attention recently in the context of a single viscoelastic fluid. Numerical results demonstrate that the method converges and show its capability to handle a number of flow problems of substantial current interest. They illustrate that for each of these problems, the relative motion between the two fluids changes the observed behaviors profoundly compared to the single fluid case.
Recent Progress in Nanoethics and its Possible Effects on Engineering Education

Nanotechnology can improve many physical, chemical, physicochemical, and biological properties of materials, which can be very useful for many industries, including the biomedical, aerospace, textile, cosmetics, manufacturing, oil, agricultural, defense, and electronics industries. However, nanotechnology products (or nanomaterials) can be hazardous because of the way they are manipulated on an atomic scale. Since nanomaterials, such as nanotubes, nanoparticles, nanowires, nanofibers, nanocomposites, and nanofilms, are all new, produced with entirely new manufacturing techniques, there are no specific rules and regulations for them. In the present nanoethics study, we provide a detailed report of the ethical, social, philosophical, environmental, safety, and legal issues surrounding nanotechnology and its products, which can be very useful for the training and protection of students, as well as scientists, engineers, policymakers, and regulators working in the field.
Slip behavior in liquid films on surfaces of patterned wettability: Comparison between continuum and molecular dynamics simulations

We investigate the behavior of the slip length in Newtonian liquids subject to planar shear bounded by substrates with mixed boundary conditions. The upper wall, consisting of a homogenous surface of finite or vanishing slip, moves at a constant speed parallel to a lower stationary wall, whose surface is patterned with an array of stripes representing alternating regions of no shear and finite or no slip. Velocity fields and effective slip lengths are computed both from molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and solution of the Stokes equation for flow configurations either parallel or perpendicular to the stripes. Excellent agreement between the hydrodynamic and MD results is obtained when the normalized width of the slip regions, a/sigma>~O(10), where sigma is the (fluid) molecular diameter characterizing the Lennard-Jones interaction. In this regime, the effective slip length increases monotonically with a/sigma to a saturation value. For a/sigma<~O(10) and transverse flow configurations, the nonuniform interaction potential at the lower wall constitutes a rough surface whose molecular scale corrugations strongly reduce the effective slip length below the hydrodynamic results. The translational symmetry for longitudinal flow eliminates the influence of molecular scale roughness; however, the reduced molecular ordering above the wetting regions of finite slip for small values of a/sigma increases the value of the effective slip length far above the hydrodynamic predictions. The strong correlation between the effective slip length and the liquid structure factor representative of the first fluid layer near the patterned wall illustrates the influence of molecular ordering effects on slip in noninertial flows.
Principle of Spectral Reciprocity in Biomechanics of Locomotion

We offer the rationale for considering tuning out of resonance in gait to be a phenomenon at least as important as tuning to resonance. The latter is a traditional topic in biomechanical analysis, while antiresonance activity in the human body has not been investigated. We suggest a model of spectral optimization where the control vector consists of stiffnesses in joints. The proposed approach bridges resonance and antiresonance control with the design of prosthetic joints.
Microstructural evolution of NF709 (20Cr–25Ni–1.5MoNbTiN) under neutron irradiation

Abstract Because of its superior creep and corrosion resistance as compared with general austenitic stainless steels, NF709 has emerged as a candidate structural material for advanced nuclear reactors. To obtain fundamental information about the radiation resistance of this material, this study examined the microstructural evolution of NF709 subjected to neutron irradiation to 3 displacements per atom at 500 °C. Transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and high-energy x-ray diffraction were employed to characterize radiation-induced segregation, Frank loops, voids, as well as the formation and reduction of precipitates. Radiation hardening of ∼76% was estimated by nanoindentation, approximately consistent with the calculation according to the dispersed barrier-hardening model, suggesting Frank loops as the primary hardening source.
The (Not so) Little House on the Prairie: The Hidden Costs of the Home Mortgage Interest Deduction

Is there a connection between the Federal subsidy for home ownership and urban sprawl? Should the Federal government encourage homeownership? Does the home mortgage interest deduction encourage homeownership for all Americans? Is the cost of the home mortgage interest deduction justified? This article considers whether the home mortgage interest deduction is an effective policy tool for encouraging home ownership, and whether it contributes to urban sprawl. The article concludes that while the home mortgage interest deduction provides an effective incentive for certain taxpayers to purchase certain types of homes, it fails to extend this incentive to all potential home owners. Moreover, combined with Americans' prevailing preference for large, single-family homes, the home mortgage interest deduction encourages urban sprawl, considered by many to be America's most important environmental issue. The article examines the potential consequences of a repeal of the home mortgage interest deduction, focusing on the economic consequences of repeal and comparing the tax treatment of home ownership and home ownership rates in other countries. Although the economists' opinions on the consequences of the repeal of the home mortgage interest deduction vary, several economists suggest that repeal would reduce housing prices and demand for housing in the outer suburbs. However, repealing the home mortgage interest deduction would neither encourage home ownership for all Americans nor affirmatively discourage sprawl. Accordingly, the article presents a new proposal designed to encourage home ownership for all Americans while reducing incentives for sprawl - the refundable Federal shelter credit, with a location efficiency premium to encourage home buyers to purchase close-in, transit-accessible housing.
New sulfur adsorbents derived from layered double hydroxides: I: Synthesis and COS adsorption

Abstract Mixed oxides, prepared via the thermal decomposition of layered double hydroxides (LDHs), were screened gravimetrically for their ability to adsorb carbonyl sulfide (COS). Based on promising results obtained for Ni/Mg/Al, Ni/Mg/Fe and Co/Mg/Al mixed oxides, a study was undertaken to optimize the composition of these materials for COS adsorption. To investigate the effect of the M(II):M(III) ratio, LDHs of the type [MzMgyAlx(OH)2](CO3)x/2·0.5H2O (where M = Ni or Co, and x + y + z = 1) were prepared at values of x corresponding to 0.33 and 0.20. Simultaneously, the elemental ratio of transition metal to magnesium (z/y) was varied. Mixed oxides obtained from the resulting LDHs were tested in fixed bed mode with a feed of 100 ppm COS in N2 to determine breakthrough capacity. In general Ni/Mg/Al mixed oxides showed the best performance, a composition with Ni/Mg/Al = 0.32/0.48/0.20 showing the best adsorption capacity. Treatment of the spent adsorbent under an atmosphere of 5% H2 in N2 at 450 °C was found to provide an effective means of restoring the adsorption capacity over two cycles of adsorption and regeneration, although after three such cycles, adsorption capacity decreased.
Multi-body structural effects on the head-disk interface during operational shocks in hard disk drives

Over the past decades, there has been an increase in the demand for hard disk drives (HDDs) used in mobile computing devices. The work performance of a HDD mainly depends on its ability to withstand external disturbances in such applications. Studies of the HDD's responses and failures during external shocks can be very beneficial for improving the HDD's designs. Multi-body operational shock (op-shock) models are developed to study the HDDs' responses during external shocks. Four models which include different components (a disk, a spindle motor, a base plate, a pivot and a head actuator assembly) are introduced in this study to investigate the effects of various components on the drives' operating performance. It is found that the models must include certain critical components in order to give results for performance reliability when subjected to operational shocks.
Key Features of Academic Detailing: Development of an Expert Consensus Using the Delphi Method.

Background Academic detailing is an outreach education technique that combines the direct social marketing traditionally used by pharmaceutical representatives with unbiased content summarizing the best evidence for a given clinical issue. Academic detailing is conducted with clinicians to encourage evidence-based practice in order to improve the quality of care and patient outcomes. The adoption of academic detailing has increased substantially since the original studies in the 1980s. However, the lack of standard agreement on its implementation makes the evaluation of academic detailing outcomes challenging.
Population Dispersion and Sequential Count Plans for the Bean Leaf Beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) on Soybean During Late Season

Bean leaf beetle adult and injured-pod dispersion was determined by using Iwao’s regression and Taylor’s power law. Both analyses indicated that adults are significantly aggregated, but injured pods are randomly distributed. Sequential count plans were developed for bean leaf beetle-adult and injured-pod sampling.
Radioimmunoassay for human luteinizing hormone.

SummaryA sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay technique for quantitating human luteinizing hormone (LH) is described. Purified human pituitary LH is used for the development of antibodies, for radioiodination and for standards. A good correlation was seen between biological and immunological potency estimates of a number of pituitary extracts varying greatly in their LH and FSH contents. This method, when applied to serum, revealed differences in levels between normal adults and postmenopausal women. Cyclic variation was noted in the normally menstruating woman and the presence of LH in the serum of prepubertal children was also confirmed.
Performance of CSSS Signals with Orthogonal Overlay Codes

The use of orthogonal overlay codes in spread spectrum communication systems is relatively well known practice, most often to mitigate the interference of other narrowband communication signals in a shared channel [1] or to facilitate space-time coding in multi-carrier code division multiple access (MC-CDMA) [2] communications. This paper proposes an alternative usage of a variable duration wavelet-like overlay code that helps ensure optimal correlation in Gaussian distributed digital chaotic sequence spread spectrum (CSSS) systems. This process is shown analytically, through fixed precision simulations, and through hardware measurements to improve the effective signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) performance of receivers for these Gaussian chaotic signals, ultimately validating a computationally efficient mechanism for building sequence based carrier shift keying (CSK) modulations from non-constant envelope spreading signals.
Mental health of protective services workers: results from the national epidemiologic survey on alcohol and related conditions.

Objectives To determine the prevalence of mental disorders in a nationally representative sample of protective services workers (PSWs), compare it to that of adults in other occupations, and determine if an association exists between trauma exposure and 3-year incident psychiatric disorders in PSWs. Methods Data from the longitudinal US National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions waves 1 (fielded 2001-2002) and 2 (fielded 2004-2005) were used to compare the prevalence of mental disorders at baseline in a representative sample of PSWs to that of adults in other occupations. Among PSWs, we also explored the association between recent exposure to potentially traumatic events and the development of mood, anxiety, and alcohol-use disorders over a 3-year follow-up period. Results At baseline, PSWs had a lifetime prevalence of mental and alcohol-use disorders similar to that of adults in other occupations. However, PSWs experienced a greater variety of potentially traumatic events between baseline and follow-up. Exposure to a greater number of different trauma types was associated with increased odds of incident mood (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.87, 95% CI = 1.09-3.22, P = .024), and alcohol-use disorders (AOR = 1.84, 95% CI = 1.16-2.91, P = .011). These associations were particularly strong among early career PSWs who joined the profession between waves 1 and 2 (AOR = 2.30, 95% CI = 1.26-4.19, P = .008, for mood disorders; AOR = 2.44, 95% CI = 1.30-4.58, P = .007, for alcohol-use disorders). Conclusions While PSWs do not appear to have a higher prevalence of mental health problems than workers in other occupations, they are more likely to experience multiple types of potentially traumatic events. PSWs who are exposed to multiple types of potentially traumatic events are at increased risk of developing new mental disorders, particularly in the early stages of their careers. Developing curricula in coping skills and providing timely interventions for early career PSWs may help reduce future psychiatric morbidity in these workers. ( Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness . 2013;7:36-45)
Reproductive Success of Colonial and Noncolonial Female Yellow-Bellied Marmots (Marmota flaviventris)

Previous work comparing reproductive success of colonial and noncolonial yellow-bellied marmots ( Marmota flaviventris ) indicated that noncolonial females had lower fitness; they reproduced less often and their offspring had a lower survival to age 1 year. This work, however, may have been affected by a bias in sampling effort. We initiated a new study and found no significant differences between colonial and noncolonial females in litter size or frequency of reproduction. We did, however, recapture a lower percentage of noncolonial offspring as yearlings; this may have resulted from early dispersal, higher mortality, or both. Further, survival of noncolonial offspring from age 1 to 2 years was lower; the cause probably was a higher dispersal rate of noncolonial versus colonial yearlings, coupled with lower survival of dispersers. We suggest that lower fitness of noncolonial females, as indicated by the apparently lower survival of their offspring and their lower likelihood of recruiting daughters to form matrilines, derives from lower quantity and quality of resources at localities of noncolonial females.
Experiments with More Than One Random Factor: Designs, Analytic Models, and Statistical Power

Traditional methods of analyzing data from psychological experiments are based on the assumption that there is a single random factor (normally participants) to which generalization is sought. However, many studies involve at least two random factors (e.g., participants and the targets to which they respond, such as words, pictures, or individuals). The application of traditional analytic methods to the data from such studies can result in serious bias in testing experimental effects. In this review, we develop a comprehensive typology of designs involving two random factors, which may be either crossed or nested, and one fixed factor, condition. We present appropriate linear mixed models for all designs and develop effect size measures. We provide the tools for power estimation for all designs. We then discuss issues of design choice, highlighting power and feasibility considerations. Our goal is to encourage appropriate analytic methods that produce replicable results for studies involving new samples o...
Analysis of Gas Geological Features and Influence Factors in Tashan Mine

Taking the gas geology theory as the foundation,combining coal geological data with the measured gas parameter,the distribution of igneous rocks,metamorphic degree of coal,coal seam thickness,burial depth of coal seam and the overlying bedrock thickness geological factors on two geological units within the gas occurrence is carried out qualitative and quantitative analysis,the results show that volatile measure of metamorphic degree of coal is the main controlling factors of the gas content of magmatic intrusion,the burial depth and the overlying bedrock thickness are the main controlling factors which affect the gas content of magmatic rock region in coal seam.
Nodular Renal Blastema, Renal Dysplasia and Duplicated Collecting Systems

AbstractThe association of nodular renal blastema, renal dysplasia and duplicated collecting systems may represent more than a histopathological observation. Based on the “double hit” theory of oncogenesis, the appearance of this histologic pattern in kidneys with other developmental alterations may account for an increased risk of neoplasia.
Hydrogen peroxide activates glibenclamide-sensitive K+ channels in LLC-PK1 cells.

Oxidant-induced damage has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several forms of cellular injury. The present study employed patch-clamp methods to determine if oxidant stress leads to activation...
Thalidomide for recurrent renal-cell cancer in a 40-year-old man

A pilot study was performed at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center to determine the feasibility of using thalidomide in a population of renal-cell carcinoma patients who had progressive disease despite chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Metastatic renal-cell carcinoma patients with adequate oral function were entered onto a study after signing an internal review board-approved informed consent. There were no exclusion criteria for prior therapy. Nineteen previously treated patients and one untreated patient with progressive renal-cell carcinoma received oral thalidomide as a single agent. The starting dose was 200 mg and the dose was increased by 100 to 200 mg every week until it reached 1,200 mg/d. Response was assessed on the basis of a radiographic reduction of the metastatic sites involved. A case report describing one of the patients involved in the pilot trial is included. [ONCOLOGY 14(Suppl 13):33-36, 2000]
Computed tomographic angiography had high sensitivity for coronary artery disease in patients at intermediate risk.

Source Citation Hausleiter J, Meyer T, Hadamitzky M, et al. Non-invasive coronary computed tomographic angiography for patients with suspected coronary artery disease: the Coronary Angiography by C...