cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
5-Hydroxytryptamine causes contraction of smooth muscle cells in preovulatory hamster follicles.

We have examined the effect of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) on ovaries removed from hamsters and placed in culture 12 or 13 hours after hCG injection. The four responses to 5-HT which were studied include: (1) contraction of follicular smooth muscle cells (SMC), (2) formation of a V-shaped constriction in the base of follicles, (3) changes in the profile of follicles, and (4) changes in intrafollicular pressure. Our results show that 10−3 M 5-HT alters the ultrastructure of follicular SMC to that characteristic of a contracted state. The contraction of these SMCs produces in turn: (1) a V-shaped constriction in the base of the follicle similar to that observed in unstimulated 13 hour ovaries undergoing in vitro ovulation (Martin and Talbot, '81a), and (2) a change in the profile of the follicle which becomes taller and more spherical, but not identical to the “true” tall follicle seen during normal in vitro ovulation. The fact that 5-HT does not change the follicle to a “true” tall profile and does not induce immediate ovulation in most cases (even though SMC are contracted) suggests to us that the apices of these follicles were not sufficiently weakened by enzymes to permit immediate rupture when SMC contracted. The response of SMC to 5-HT was immediate, rapid, sustained at least 10 minutes, and could be inhibited by methysergide. The latter observation suggests that 5-HT interacts with “D” receptors of SMC and not “M” receptors of nervous tissue. The degree of contraction elicited by 5-HT varied from one follicle to another; many SMC did not appear maximally contracted by morphological criteria. Intrafollicular pressure increased in most follicles treated with 5-HT; pressure returned to initial levels relatively quickly, presumably because fluid was able to seep through developing ruptures in the apex. Intrafollicular pressure does not increase during unstimulated in vitro ovulation (Schroeder and Talbot '82). We interpret the intrafollicular pressure data of this study to mean that 5-HT elicits a much more rapid contraction of SMC than would ordinarily occur in vitro. Thus, SMC contraction in follicles not stimulated by 5-HT would be a slow, gradual, process allowing constant or decreasing levels of pressure to be maintained. Our observations are important in directly showing that: (1) 5-HT stimulates contraction of SMCs in hamster follicles, and (2) this contraction produces a V-shaped constriction in the base of the follicle and a change in the profile of the follicle, and (3) that intrafollicular pressure will increase abruptly upon strong, simultaneous contraction of follicular SMC. These observations provide further support for our earlier statement that SMC function in hamster ovulation (Martin and Talbot,'81a).
Characterization of Grafting Density and Binding Efficiency of DNA and Proteins on Gold Surfaces

The surface grafting density of biomolecules is an important factor for quantitative assays using a wide range of biological sensors. We use a fluorescent measurement technique to characterize the immobilization density of thiolated probe DNA on gold and hybridization efficiency of target DNA as a function of oligonucleotide length and salt concentration. The results indicate the dominance of osmotic and hydration forces in different regimes of salt concentration, which was used to validate previous simulations and to optimize the performance of surface-stress based microcantilever biosensors. The difference in hybridization density between complementary and mismatched target sequences was also measured to understand the response of these sensors in base-pair mismatch detection experiments. Finally, two different techniques for immobilizing proteins on gold were considered and the surface densities obtained in both cases were compared.
Inerted vessels: Avoiding hazards caused by gas buoyancy

Performing hot work on a process vessel that previously contained a flammable hydrocarbon liquid poses a significant explosion and fire hazard. To reduce the combustion hazard potential, the facility operator may choose to purge and blanket the vessel with an inert gas such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide. Numerous accidents have occurred during hot work due to inadequate inerting operations. Oftentimes the source of the problem was inadequate gas composition control caused by gas buoyancy. A useful paradigm for analyzing the inerting process is the well-stirred control volume with a spatially uniform chemical composition (i.e., perfect mixing). Certain features of the vessel construction, in concert with the physical properties of the inert gas, can interfere with the complete mixing of the inert gas with the vessel atmosphere. This paper discusses how to evaluate the potential for buoyant flows to disrupt and interfere with the design goal of perfect mixing. Three case studies of accident investigations are used to illustrate the potentially detrimental effects of buoyancy on inerting operations. Finally, recommendations are presented on how to use buoyancy to improve the effectiveness of inerting operations.
The natural compound chebulagic acid inhibits vascular endothelial growth factor A mediated regulation of endothelial cell functions

Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) plays an important role in tumour angiogenesis and its angiogenic action is mainly mediated through its VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR-2). Therefore drugs targeting VEGFA/VEGFR-2 are being presently used in the clinics for treatment of several types of solid malignant tumours. We here in report that low dose of chebulagic acid (CA), a hydrolysable tannin found in myrobalan fruits can inhibit VEGFA induced vascular permeability, endothelial cell proliferation, migration, tube formation and thereby, angiogenesis by suppressing VEGFR-2 phosphorylation. CA may thus be an effective and useful natural inhibitor of VEGFA mediated angiogenesis.
Issues and options in addressing the environmental consequences of livestock sector’s growth

The growth of the livestock sector is being achieved at substantial environmental costs. Today, livestock are a major stressor of the global environmental, occupying a quarter of emerged land (including a third of arable land), contributing close to a fifth of the anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, using eight percent of all water resources and threatening a wide range of endangered species. At the same time, livestock are also a crucial engine of rural growth and a tool for improving food security. Policies are required to guide the sector in achieving sometimes conflicting development objectives. Potential pathways include encouraging resource use efficiency, correcting for environmental externalities and accelerating technological change.
A complex event processing project

Event processing is defined as computing that performs operations on event objects, including creating, reading, transforming or deleting them. Complex Event Processing (CEP) is a new way to deal with applications where lots of agents producing huge amounts of data per second and you need to transform data into reliable information in a short amount of time. These applications consist of massive amounts of data being produced by the minute where traditional computing power (hardware and software) is not able to handle it. The objective of this project was to merge technical indicators (analysis of how the stock is negotiated in the market) with fundamental indicators (analysis of the company) in order to reveal good investments opportunities.
Failure mechanism of 20 μm pitch microjoint within a chip stacking architecture

In order to investigate the failure mechanism of microjoints within a chip stacking architecture, four chips with more than 3000 microbumps each were assembled on a Si interposer by Toray's FC-3000WS bonder at a peak temperature of 280oC without any flux. The defects such as missing bumps and deformation of microjoints induced by the undercut of Cu pillar have been improved based on a new design rule of seed layer. Then two different underfill materials were used to seal the microgaps between the chips and the interposer, respectively. They were post-cured at 150oC for 30 minutes and 165oC for 120 minutes. The inspection results of scanning acoustic microscope (SAM) showed that no gas voids were formed within the underfill material having a lower viscosity of 9 Pas and a smaller averaged filler size of 0.3 um, even though the gap width is less than 20 μm. In the previous works [7, 8], the authors pointed out that the 30 μm pitch microjoints are easily failed under temperature cycling test (TCT), therefore, the same test condition (JESD22-A104-B, Condition B, Soak mode 2) were adopted again to assess the reliability of the 20 um pitch microjoints sealed by different underfill materials. From the test results, the various underfill materials gave different failure rates but had the same failure mode under TCT, and the microjoints sealed by the previously mentioned underfill had a longer lifespan. The cross-sectional images of scanning electronic microscope (SEM) indicated that the failure was induced by the interfacial fracture of the microjoints. The elemental distributions of Sn and Ni were identified by mapping analyses using energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), in which the intermetallic phase of Ni 3 Sn 4 at the chip-side and the interposer-side could not cohere during their growth as heated. This is because a Sn depletion zone caused by the unbalanced growth kinetics of the Ni 3 Sn 4 at both interfaces was formed in the microbumps at the chip-side as aged, and which perhaps made the Ni 3 Sn 4 have too much defects and could not link up with the Ni 3 Sn 4 at the interposer-side by solid-solid interdiffusion. Finally, the tensile stress came from the thermal expansion of underfill resulted in the fracture of the 20 μm pitch microjoints along the interface between the Ni layer and the Sn2.5Ag solder alloy of the top chip.
Target-oriented joint least-squares migration/inversion of time-lapse seismic data sets

Two related formulations are proposed for target-oriented joint least-squares migration/inversion of time-lapse seismic data sets. Time-lapse seismic images can be degraded when reservoir overburden is complex or when acquisition geometries significantly differ, because the migration operator does not compensate for the resulting amplitude and phase distortions. Under these circumstances, time-lapse amplitudes are poor indicators of production-related changes in reservoir properties. To correct for such image degradation, time-lapse imaging is posed as joint inverse problems that utilize concatenations of target-oriented approximations to the linear least-squares imaging Hessian. In both formulations, spatial and temporal constraints ensure inversion stability and geologically consistent time-lapse images. Using two numerical time-lapse data sets, we confirmed that these formulations can attenuate illumination artifacts caused by complex overburden or geometry differences, and that they yield better-quality images than obtainable with migration.
“Grab” and Good Science: Writing Up the Results of Qualitative Research

Qualitative researchers have an array of choices in how to write up their research. Yet many write in distanced, third-person voices and give short shrift to the voices of informants, as if neither they nor their informants were part of the research. In doing so, they might believe that their writing style is scientific. Unfortunately, such styles of writing not only silence their informants and themselves, but many times they also contradict the philosophies of science on which many forms of qualitative research are based. If our philosophies of science are science, then how we write up our research, when it is consistent with our science, must logically be scientific. “Grab,” or writing that is both interesting and memorable, goes hand in hand with good science.
Reliability and benefits of medical student peers in rating complex clinical skills

AbstractBackground: Peers have been shown to be reliable raters in an objective structured clinical exam (OSCE). While the literature supports the use of senior level students in rating basic clinical skills, little is known about the reliability of peers of the same level of training in assessing complex clinical skills.Aim: To investigate the reliability of student peers of the same level of training in rating complex clinical skills in a geriatric OSCE.Methods: Peer (n = 115) ratings were compared to faculty ratings using correlation and generalizability analysis. Paired Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test was used to establish peer learning benefits.Results: Reliability of the OSCE was moderately strong (G-coefficient = 0.70) with strong correlations between peer and faculty ratings for the overall OSCE (r = 0.78, p = 0.001) and for each case (r = 0.70–0.85, p = 0.001). Generalizability analysis indicated that raters contributed minimally to score variance. Peers reported gaining learning benefits from the rati...
The Benefit of the Neutropenic Diet: Fact or Fiction?

There really should not be a debate about the use of neutropenic diet for cancer patients. Its usefulness has never been scientifically proven. However, neutropenic diets remain in place in many institutions even though their usefulness is controversial. Neutropenic diets were once thought to be important in protecting patients from having to succumb to infection from neutropenia while undergoing chemotherapy. Although food may contain harmful organisms and research has shown that bacterial translocation is possible, recent studies have been unable to obtain significant differences between placebo and intervention groups. The dietetic challenges neutropenic patients struggle with include decreased quality of life, malnutrition, gastrointestinal side effects, food aversion, and impaired cell-mediated immunity from vitamin deficiency. Unanswered questions in regard to the neutropenic diet include the following: (a) which food should be included; (b) which food preparation techniques improve patient compliance; (c) which patient populations benefit most; and (d) when should such a diet be initiated. Without scientific evidence, the best advice for neutropenic patients is to follow food safety guidelines as indicated by government entities.
Python as a Vehicle for Teaching Natural Language Processing

I have taught Introduction to Natural Language Processing several times at Northern Illinois University. Since the students are more interested in the Python code that holds the assignments together than in the NLP content, over time I have cut back on linguistic content and added to the programming content. This year I renamed the course “Introduction to NLP in Python” and spent the first few weeks teaching Python from scratch. This decision has been very successful. The syllabus interweaves Python topics, core NLP topics, and essential computer science topics I feel every student should learn before graduating. In this paper I describe the motivation for teaching the course this way, the syllabus and its rationale, and prospects for expanding the course to two semesters.
The design verification module for a SAW design automation system

This paper presents a stand-alone version of the design verification module for a SAW design automation system. The automation system that is being developed requires a verification phase that will be used to examine S-parameter data from test devices and determine if a specific device meets design requirements. This paper includes the specification and performance data structures, methods of extracting performance data, and methods of verifying performance versus requirements. The algorithms and techniques for efficiently extracting device performance data from experimental data are presented. Techniques including Fourier and wavelet coefficient reduction for parameter extraction are included. The core of the system contains the specification and performance data structures appropriate for SAW bandpass filter devices. The specifications contain the time response constraints, frequency response magnitude and phase, and delay constraints. Performance data is extracted from measured or calculated S-parameters as a function of frequency. This data is compared with the design requirements to see if a device meets these specifications. If a device fails, the device parameters that caused the failure are identified. All performance failures can be used as a basis for design corrections. The algorithms and programs developed in this paper will be available via the Internet at http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/-mjm05082/fcs1999/.
ANAPHYLACTOID REACTION TO DIPHENHYDRAMINE HYDROCHLORIDE.

Introduction The efficacy of antihistaminics in the treatment of allergic reactions is well established. Not so widely recognized is the fact that antihistaminics themselves may be allergenic. The purpose of this report is to present the case of a patient in whom the intravenous administration of diphenhydramine hydrochloride (DPH, Benadryl) produced an anaphylactoid response. Report of Case A 32-year-old Negro woman came to the Emergency Room of the Ben Taub General Hospital on Jan 31, 1964, because of hives of two days' duration. She had no associated complaints and otherwise was in good health. Years previously an urticarial reaction had occurred after an injection of penicillin and had been relieved by DPH administered orally. There was no known recent exposure to recognized allergens. On physical examination the patient showed a generalized urticarial eruption. In order to alleviate the associated pruritus, the physician administered 25 mg of DPH intravenously via a
Branched-chain fatty acids produced by mutants of Streptomyces fradiae, putative precursors of the lactone ring of tylosin.

Abstract Three branched-chain fatty acids (7-hydroxy-4,6-dimethylnona-2,4-dienoic acid [compound 1], its 7-epimer [compound 2], and 7-keto-4,6-dimethylnona-2,4-dienoic acid [compound 3]) and a ketone (9-hydroxy-6,8-dimethylundeca-4,6-dien-3-one [compound 4]) were isolated from the culture broth of mutants of Streptomyces fradiae which were blocked in the biosynthesis of the macrolide antibiotic tylosin. Two phenotypic classes of mutants of this organism which were blocked in the addition of mycaminose to tylactone (compound 6) accumulated these compounds. These compounds were not produced by mutants which were blocked in lactone synthesis, in steps beyond mycaminose addition, or by the wild-type strain. Synthesis of these compounds, like synthesis of tylosin, was inhibited by the addition of cerulenin. Compounds 1, 2, and 3 were partially interconvertible by these mutants; but they were not produced from the degradation of tylactone and they were not directly incorporated into tylosin by intact cells. The structures of compounds 1 and 2 were equivalent to that of a predicted intermediate (S. Yue, J. S. Duncan, Y. Yamamoto, and C. R. Hutchinson, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 109:1253-1255, 1987) in the biosynthesis of tylactone. The ketone (compound 4) reported previously (N. D. Jones, M. O. Chaney, H. A. Kirst, G. M. Wild, R. H. Baltz, R. L. Hamill, and J. W. Paschal, J. Antibiot. 35:420-425, 1982) appears to be the decarboxylation product of the intermediate following that represented by compound 1. This represents the first report of the isolation of putative precursors of tylactone from tylosin-producing organisms.
Synthesis of Chain-end Functionalized Polyolefins and Polyolefin Diblock Copolymers via the Combination of Metallocene Catalysts and Reactive Chain Transfer Agents

This paper discusses a facile route to prepare chain-end functionalized polyolefins containing a terminal functional group (OH, COOH, NH2, etc.), and polyolefin diblock copolymers containing a polyolefin block and a functional polymer block. The chemistry is centered at an in situ chain transfer reaction during metallocene-mediated α-olefin polymerization using two reactive chain transfer (CT) agents, including dialkylborane (R2B-H) and styrenic molecule/H2, to form polyolefin containing a reactive alkylborane and styrenic terminal group, respectively. With the appropriate choice of metallocene catalyst, the polymer formed shows narrow molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn∼2), and the polymer molecular weight is inversely proportional to the molar ratio of [CT agent]/[α-olefin]. In turn, the terminal borane group is very versatile in interconversion to various polar groups. More importantly, it can be quantitatively transformed to a living radical initiator for chain extension reaction with functional monomers. On the other hand, the terminal styrenic group was then selectively metallated and transformed to a stable polymeric anion for living anionic polymerization. The overall diblock co-polymer process resembles a transformation reaction from metallocene-mediated α-olefin polymerization to a living free radical or a living anionic polymerization of functional monomers.
Adventures in the Public Secret Sphere: Police Sovereign Networks and Communications Warfare

What are the contours of the contemporary public secret sphere? Some key manifestations can be found in the hybrids of network and sovereign power shaped by communications warfare. This article exa...
Thermodynamics of formation of double salts M2SO4.M'SO4.6H2O and M2SeO4.M'SeO4.6H2O where M denotes Rb, or Cs and M' denote Co, Ni, or Zn

Abstract This paper describes a chemical model that calculates (solid + liquid) equilibria in the (m1Rb2SO4 + m2CoSO4)(aq), (m1Rb2SeO4 + m2CoSeO4)(aq), (m1Rb2SO4 + m2NiSO4)(aq), (m1Rb2SO4 + m2ZnSO4)(aq), (m1Rb2SeO4 + m2ZnSeO4)(aq), (m1Cs2SO4 + m2CoSO4)(aq), (m1Cs2SeO4 + m2CoSeO4)(aq), (m1Cs2SO4 + m2NiSO4)(aq), (m1Cs2SeO4 + m2NiSeO4)(aq), (m1Cs2SO4 + m2ZnSO4)(aq), and (m1Cs2SeO4 + m2ZnSeO4)(aq) systems, where m denotes molality at the temperature T=298.15 K. The Pitzer ion-interaction model has been used for thermodynamic analysis of the experimental osmotic and solubility data presented in the literature. The thermodynamic functions needed (binary and ternary parameters of ionic interaction, thermodynamic solubility products) have been calculated and the theoretical solubility isotherm has been plotted. The mixing parameters {θ(MN) and ψ(MNX)} have been chosen on the basis of the compositions of saturated ternary solutions and data on the binary solubility of the sulfate M2SO4. M′SO4 · 6H2O double salts in water. To validate the mixing solutions model two different approaches have been used in evaluation of the ternary parameters: (I) preserving the same value of the binary mixing θ(MN) for the corresponding chloride, bromide, sulfate, and selenate systems with the same cations, and (II) with constant θ(MN) value (set equal to −0.05) for the all 11 sulfate and selenate systems. Very good agreement between experimentally determined and model predicted solubilities has been found. Important thermodynamic characteristics (thermodynamic solubility products, standard molar Gibbs free energy of formation) of the solid phases (simple salts, six sulfate – M2SO4 · M′SO4 · 6H2O, and five selenate – M2SeO4 · M′SeO4 · 6H2O – double salts) crystallizing in the systems under consideration are determined.
Delayed Addition of Glucocorticoids Selectively Suppresses Cytokine Production in Stimulated Human Whole Blood

Glucocorticoids (GC) are potent drugs proven to effectively treat inflammatory diseases, although patients typically begin therapy after the onset of symptoms. Clinical studies with cytokine inhibitors prove that these mediators drive inflammatory responses in diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease. Despite the clear sequence of cytokine-induced inflammation followed by effective GC treatment, most basic science investigations have examined the ability of GC to prevent an inflammatory response rather than halt its progression. The current studies used the Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) agonist palmitoyl(3)-cysteine-serine-lysine(4) (PAM) or the TLR4 agonist lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to stimulate human whole blood and determine whether postponing the addition of the GC dexamethasone (DEX) limits its ability to decrease cytokine production. Twenty-four hours after stimulation, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), IL-6, and IL-8 levels were measured, in addition to the cytokine inhibitors IL-1 soluble receptor II (SRII), IL-1 receptor antagonist, and TNF SRII. LPS rapidly induced all of the proinflammatory mediators over 24 h while failing to induce any of the cytokine inhibitors. PAM stimulation also induced IL-1beta, IL-6, and IL-8. Concomitant addition of DEX plus LPS or PAM significantly suppressed all cytokine levels. Delaying the addition of DEX until 6 h after LPS stimulation failed to decrease TNF or IL-6. In contrast, delayed DEX addition significantly suppressed PAM-induced IL-1beta, IL-6, or IL-8 and also suppressed LPS-induced IL-1beta and IL-8. Our results show that cytokines which typically increase in concentration between 6 and 24 h after stimulation were significantly suppressed by the addition of DEX 6 h after stimulation.
Enhanced Spray and Evaporation Model with Multi-Fuel Mixtures for Direct Injection Internal Combustion Engines

A spray and evaporation model has been developed and embedded in a quasi-dimensional multi-zone direct injection internal combustion engine simulation framework. The model accounts for the behavior...
Global warming and long-term climatic changes: a progress report

The authors believe that recent global warming of Earth’s atmosphere is not due to an increase in anthropogenic carbon dioxide emission but rather to long-term global factors. The human contribution to the CO2 content in the atmosphere and the increase in temperature is negligible in comparison with other sources of carbon dioxide emission. Discussed in this paper are sources, avenues of migration, and the amounts of naturally produced carbon dioxide and methane (greenhouse gases) and long-term changes in the Earth’s climate, which are necessary for understanding the causes of current temperature trends.
Mathematical Treatment of Rectification Phenomena

By Fourier series analysis of the no-load voltage waves of multiphase tube rectifiers, the direct current component, the ripple voltage of the various harmonic frequencies, the available transformer output, and the harmonic composition of the supply current are obtained and tabulated for various cases. The effect of any unbalanced direct current component in the secondary circuit on transformer operation is described, and practical conclusions as to design are drawn. The effect of smoothing networks is considered, as well as the efficiency of utilization of the tubes in various multiphase combinations
Cytoskeletal and transmembrane interactions in the expression of tumorigenicity in human cell hybrids.

SUMMARY The cytoplasmic cytoskeletal organization was examined by immunofluorescence analysis in a series of paired non-tumourigenic and tumourigenic HeLa/fibroblast hybrids. The microfilament and microtubule complexity in tumourigenic hybrids was compared to that of the corresponding transformed, non-tumourigenic hybrids from which they were derived. Since both the non-tumourigenic and tumourigenic hybrids displayed well-organized microtubules, the disruption of these cytoskeletal elements is not required for transformation or tumourigenicity. In contrast, the microfilament organization was drastically altered in association with the re-expression of tumourigenicity. However, treatment of these tumourigenic segregant lines with sodium butyrate or dexamethasone resulted in a more flattened morphology and the appearance of well-developed microfilament bundles. This indicated that microfilament complexity was related to cellular morphology and not to tumourigenic potential. Finally, results of double immunofluorescence analyses for microfilaments and fibronectin staining in these hybrids agree with the existence of a transmembrane association between these 2 systems. In both normal fibroblasts and non-tumourigenic hybrids a close, but not identical, distribution was seen for surface fibronectin and cytoplasmic microfilaments. In the tumourigenic hybrids the lack of a well-organized miciofilament system was associated with a much reduced stitchedlike pattern for fibronectin. The antibody-induced redistribution of surface /?z-microglobulin reflected this loss of a transmembrane influence on the organization of surface components. Unlike the non-tumourigenic hybrids, the tumourigenic segregants possessed an altered extracellular matrix, rounded morphology, and reduced adhesion capabilities. The corresponding reduction in microfilament organization in these hybrids suggests that there is a close interrelationship between these cellular parameters. The exact contribution of these alterations to tumourigenic potential is unclear but the apparent loss of the transmembrane interaction with the cell surface organization may well represent a crucial alteration central to in vivo growth potential.
Water Structure at the Water-Polymer Interface

The fact that multiple layers of gaseous molecules sorb on solid surfaces has long been known. A favorite subject of study has been the condensation of water on glass surfaces (Lehner, 1927; Smith, 1928). In 1929, deBoer and Zwikker (1929) presented a polarization theory, in which they attributed multilayer condensation to a propagated electrical polarization initiated at the polar solid surface.
Diagnosis of Paratuberculosis

The currently available and accurate diagnostic tests for paratuberculosis are reviewed. Technical issues concerning test performance are briefly mentioned and the advantages, disadvantages, and comparative accuracy are described. The article concludes with recommendations on which tests to use in eight different situations requiring laboratory diagnostics for paratuberculosis.
Mobile grid computing for data- and patient-centric ubiquitous healthcare

A new context-aware data- and patient-centric paradigm for ubiquitous healthcare is central to deliver personalized healthcare solutions to the elderly and the physically challenged. However, this new paradigm requires real-time in-the-field processing of wirelessly collected vital signs using inherently complex physiological models and analysis of the processed information (derived physiological parameters) under context (e.g., location, ambient conditions, current physical activity) to extract knowledge about the health condition of patients. As the computational capabilities of biomedical sensor nodes are insufficient to run these models, an innovative resource provisioning framework that harnesses the computing capabilities of under-utilized electronic devices in the vicinity (e.g., smart phones, laptops, tablets, DVRs, medical terminals) to form a mobile computing grid is presented. The framework is imparted with self-optimization and self-healing capabilities for efficiency and robustness under uncertainty, respectively. The proposed mobile grid management framework serves as a key enabling technology for Internet-of-Things- (IoT-) based next-generation ubiquitous healthcare solutions.
Tightly Linked Systems: Reciprocal Relations Between Maternal Depressive Symptoms And Maternal Reports of Adolescent Externalizing Behavior

The frequently observed link between maternal depressive symptoms and heightened maternal reporting of adolescent externalizing behavior was examined from an integrative, systems perspective using a community sample of 180 adolescents, their mothers, fathers, and close peers, assessed twice over a 3-year period. Consistent with this perspective, the maternal depression-adolescent externalizing link was found to reflect not simply maternal reporting biases, but heightened maternal sensitivity to independently observable teen misbehavior as well as long-term, predictive links between maternal symptoms and teen behavior. Maternal depressive symptoms predicted relative increases over time in teen externalizing behavior. Child effects were also found, however, in which teen externalizing behavior predicted future relative increases in maternal depressive symptoms. Findings are interpreted as revealing a tightly linked behavioral-affective system in families with mothers experiencing depressive symptoms and teens engaged in externalizing behavior and further suggest that research on depressive symptoms in women with adolescent offspring should now consider offspring externalizing behaviors as a significant risk factor.
Don't drop, detour!

Today's data centers must support a range of workloads with different demands. While existing approaches handle routine traffic smoothly, ephemeral but intense hotspots cause excessive packet loss and severely degrade performance. This loss occurs even though the congestion is typically highly localized, with spare buffer capacity available at nearby switches.We argue that switches should share buffer capacity to effectively handle this spot congestion without the latency or monetary hit of deploying large buffers at individual switches. We present detour-induced buffer sharing (DIBS), a mechanism that achieves a near lossless network without requiring additional buffers. Using DIBS, a congested switch detours packets randomly to neighboring switches to avoid dropping the packets. We implement DIBS in hardware, on software routers in a testbed, and in simulation, and we demonstrate that it reduces the 99th percentile of query completion time by 85%, with very little impact on background traffic.
A novel technique for multiaxial fatigue modelling of ground vehicle notched components

Fatigue failures of driveline and suspension for ground vehicles under multiaxial loading conditions are common, since most of those components are subjected to complex multiaxial loadings in service. A computational fatigue analysis methodology has been proposed here for performing multiaxial fatigue life prediction for notched components using analytical and numerical methods. The proposed fatigue analysis methodology consists of an elastic-plastic stress/strain model and a multiaxial fatigue damage parameter. Results of the proposed fatigue analysis methodology are compared to sets of experimental data published in the literature to verify the prediction capability of the elastic-plastic stress/strain model and the multiaxial fatigue damage parameter. Based on the comparison between calculated results and experimental data, it is found that the proposed multiaxial analysis methodology correlates well with experimental strain data for SAE 1070 steel notched shafts and experimental fatigue data of SAE 1045 steel notched shafts.
A Lipolytic Lecithin:Cholesterol Acyltransferase Secreted by Toxoplasma Facilitates Parasite Replication and Egress

The protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii develops within a parasitophorous vacuole (PV) in mammalian cells, where it scavenges cholesterol. When cholesterol is present in excess in its environment, the parasite expulses this lipid into the PV or esterifies it for storage in lipid bodies. Here, we characterized a unique T. gondii homologue of mammalian lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT), a key enzyme that produces cholesteryl esters via transfer of acyl groups from phospholipids to the 3-OH of free cholesterol, leading to the removal of excess cholesterol from tissues. TgLCAT contains a motif characteristic of serine lipases "AHSLG" and the catalytic triad consisting of serine, aspartate, and histidine (SDH) from LCAT enzymes. TgLCAT is secreted by the parasite, but unlike other LCAT enzymes it is cleaved into two proteolytic fragments that share the residues of the catalytic triad and need to be reassembled to reconstitute enzymatic activity. TgLCAT uses phosphatidylcholine as substrate to form lysophosphatidylcholine that has the potential to disrupt membranes. The released fatty acid is transferred to cholesterol, but with a lower transesterification activity than mammalian LCAT. TgLCAT is stored in a subpopulation of dense granule secretory organelles, and following secretion, it localizes to the PV and parasite plasma membrane. LCAT-null parasites have impaired growth in vitro, reduced virulence in animals, and exhibit delays in egress from host cells. Parasites overexpressing LCAT show increased virulence and faster egress. These observations demonstrate that TgLCAT influences the outcome of an infection, presumably by facilitating replication and egress depending on the developmental stage of the parasite.
Materials, Strands, and Cables for Superconducting Accelerator Magnets. Final Report

This report focuses on Materials, Strands and Cables for High Energy Physics Particle accelerators. In the materials area, work has included studies of basic reactions, diffusion, transformations, and phase assemblage of Nb3Sn. These materials science aspects have been married to results, in the form of flux pinning, Bc2, Birr, and transport Jc, with an emphasis on obtaining the needed Jc for HEP needs. Attention has also been paid to the “intermediate-temperature superconductor”, magnesium diboride emphasis being placed on (i) irreversibility field enhancement, (ii) critical current density and flux pinning, and (iii) connectivity. We also report on studies of Bi-2212. The second area of the program has been in the area of “Strands” in which, aside from the materials aspect of the conductor, its physical properties and their influence on performance have been studied. Much of this work has been in the area of magnetization estimation and flux jump calculation and control. One of the areas of this work was strand instabilities in high-performance Nb3Sn conductors due to combined fields and currents. Additionally, we investigated quench and thermal propagation in YBCO coated conductors at low temperatures and high fields. The last section, “Cables”, focussed on interstrand contact resistance, ICR, it origins,more » control, and implications. Following on from earlier work in NbTi, the present work in Nb3Sn has aimed to make ICR intermediate between the two extremes of too little contact (no current sharing) and too much (large and unacceptable magnetization and associated beam de-focussing). Interstrand contact and current sharing measurements are being made on YBCO based Roebel cables using transport current methods. Finally, quench was investigated for YBCO cables and the magnets wound from them, presently with a focus on 50 T solenoids for muon collider applications.« less
Methotrexate-insensitive mutants of human dihydrofolate reductase (hDHFR) constructed by site-directed mutagenesis at phenylalanine 34.

Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) catalyzes NADPH-dependent reduction of 7,8-dihydrofolate (H2folate) into 5,6,7,8-tetrahydrofolate (H4folate), which is essential for the synthesis of thymidylate and hence the synthesis of DNA. Since rapidly growing cells can be killed by inhibition of hDHFR by methotrexate (MTX), this and other inhibitory drugs are used in the chemotherapy of cancer. A serious problem in such chemotherapy with MTX is development of MTX-resistance in tumor cells. Spontaneous mutation in the DHFR gene is suspected to be one of the causes for such resistance.
A framework for the representation of cohesion in small combat units

Current combat simulations deal well with large unit formations, weapon systems, and physical effects such as attrition. Human factors such as morale, cohesion, and effects of stress are modeled much less adequately. Of the human factors affecting the psychology of a combat unit, military psychologists have identified cohesion as one of the most important. The concept of cohesion, referring to both the interpersonal relationships between soldiers in a military unit and to the morale solidarity of a military force, has been central to military analysis for many years. A model framework has been developed that can operationalize the concept of cohesion by measuring the relationship between members of a small combat unit to the individual soldier's reaction to battlefield stress. This framework is such that it will be able to be implemented in any modeled environment that has a need to represent cohesion within the context of a training or analysis experiment. To evaluate the assumption of constant human factors, a model was created to represent a classical Greek phalanx unit. Three historically based scenarios were run to validate the model. The results show that a model with the properties defined in the framework can represent a reasonable facsimile of infantry combat showing the effect of stress and cohesion. These results imply possible uses for the framework in the future of military training, analysis and experimentation using computer simulations.* *This dissertation is a compound document (contains both a paper copy and a CD as part of the dissertation).
A grammar for black education beyond borders: exploring technologies of schooling in the African Diaspora

AbstractEducation has been a technology used to sustain black abjection across the African Diaspora. Employing Mills’ Racial Contract and Althusser’s theory of the Ideological State Apparatuses (ISA) through a racial lens, this article will discuss how white supremacist education has been used to promote the misrecognition of black subjects as sub-human. German colonizers’ recruitment of Booker T. Washington to develop cotton schools in Togo, West Africa will be explored to highlight this phenomenon. Beyond this, the article demonstrates how members of the Diaspora have resisted white supremacist education, through what I have termed as Educational Diasporic Practice. This concept will be explored through the work of Chinua Achebe and Carter G. Woodson. Ultimately, this article recommends a global language of blackness as context for educators and researchers concerned with schooling experiences of black students.
Wound healing in Eisenia foetida (Oligochaeta)

The esophagus of Eisenia foetida is either everted or retracted after anterior wounding (first eight segments removed). When everted, it forms a temporary wound covering that is probably ultimately replaced by the migrating epidermis. The plug of coelomic cells which forms around the esophagus soon after wounding is composed mainly of free coelomic cells (amoebocytes and eleocytes), with a predominance of the phagocytic amoebocytes. The fixed coelomic cells (parietal peritoneum and visceral peritoneum (chlorogogue)) make little contribution. There is little evidence for body wall muscle dedifferentiation within four days of injury, though some degradation of muscle fibers occurs. In shallow surface wounds that do not pierce the coelom epidermal basal cells and one class of cells found between the body wall muscle fibers form a plug similar to that formed by amoebocytes after anterior wounding. Structural and functional similarities indicate a relationship among these three cell types (epidermal basal cells, coelomic amoebocytes, one class of cells of the body wall), though they are normally found in different locations within the animal.
Scaling of elliptic flow in heavy-ion collisions with the number of constituent quarks in a transport model

We studied the number of constituent quark scaling (NCQ) behavior of elliptic flow $({v}_{2})$ under the framework of a multiphase transport model (AMPT) at both top-RHIC and LHC energies. The NCQ-scaling in ${v}_{2}$ holds at top RHIC energy with AMPT string melting version, while it breaks in Pb+Pb collisions at LHC energy using the same framework. The breaking of NCQ scaling at LHC energy has been studied by varying the magnitude of parton-parton scattering cross sections and lifetime of hadronic cascade as implemented in AMPT. We find that the breaking of NCQ scaling in Pb+Pb collisions at $\sqrt{{s}_{\mathit{NN}}}=2.76$ TeV is independent of the magnitude of parton-parton cross sections and the later stage hadronic interactions. Further we observed that scaling holds in a small collision system like Si+Si at $\sqrt{{s}_{\mathit{NN}}}=2.76$ TeV. We discussed that the breaking of NCQ scaling is possibly due to high phase-space density of constituents quarks in Pb+Pb collisions at $\sqrt{{s}_{\mathit{NN}}}=2.76$ TeV.
Stability testing after osseointegrated implant surgery without skin thinning in children: case reports after abutment loss.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate 2 cases of implant loss after osseointegration using low-resonance frequency analysis. PATIENTS Ten children were operated on consecutively with the non-skin-thinning implantation of bone-anchored hearing devices. A capsule report was completed with 2 children who experienced loss of their abutments 3 to 4 weeks after implantation. INTERVENTION Eligible children for bone-anchored hearing device implantation were operated on and followed for a total of 1 year. Visits were planned for 1 week, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after surgery. Each visit included clinical controls and a stability test with Osstell's resonance frequency analysis measurement, using stability values from 0 to 100 (representing a range of low to high stability, respectively). Of the 10 cases, two were performed as a 2-step, whereas the other 8 were performed as a 1-step non-skin-thinning procedure. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE AND RESULTS Two of the children (1 two-step and 1 one-step) showed low-resonance measurements of 30 or less after surgery. Both of these children lost their abutments early after surgery. These children had no skin-related problems at the time of abutment loss. CONCLUSION It may be possible to predict abutment loss in children with primary resonance values lower than 30.
Changes in the hydrogen ion concentration of healing fractures.

Conclusions1. In the dog, there is an initial local acidity in the hematoma resulting from a fracture, followed by a change to alkalinity beyond the value in the venous blood.2. Biopsy of the fracture site after the fluid became alkaline, at the end of the experiment, showed calcification in 6 out of 8 cases.3. Infection at the site of fracture produced a persistent local acidity.
Channel constructing based on enterprise crisis

As a vital part of the enterprise marketing system,sales channel plays an important role on the process of avoiding and converting enterprise crisis.This paper has analyzed the roots of the emergence of enterprise crisis and has explained the importance that channel acts in the crisis management,and then probes the connection between channel issues and enterprise crisis.The aim of this paper is to focus on how to construct an effective channel to keep the crisis away from the enterprise.
Iterative-Expansion A.

In this paper we describe an improvement to the popular IDA* search algorithm that emphasizes a different space-for-time trade-off than previously suggested. In particular, our algorithm, called Iterative-Expansion A* (IEA*), focuses on reducing redundant node expansions within individual depth-first search (DFS) iterations of IDA* by employing a relatively small amount of available memory—bounded by the error in the heuristic—to store selected nodes. The additional memory required is exponential not in the solution depth, but only in the difference between the solution depth and the estimated solution depth. A constant-time hash set lookup can then be used to prune entire subtrees as DFS proceeds. Overall, we show 2to 26-fold time speedups vs. an optimized version of IDA* across several domains, and compare IEA* with several other competing approaches. We also sketch proofs of optimality and completeness for IEA*, and note that IEA* is particularly efficient for solving implicitly-defined general graph search problems.
A Progress Report from the Linguistic Data Consortium: Recent Activities in Resource Creation and Distribution and the Development of Tools and Standards.

This paper described recent activities of the Linguistic Data Consortium in the collection, annotation and distribution of language data the developments of tools and standards for using that data, the creation of metadata to facilitate the search for linguistic resources.
Heterogeneity of L-type calcium current density in coronary smooth muscle

Heterogeneity of vascular responses to physiological and pharmacological stimuli has been demonstrated throughout the coronary circulation. Typically, this heterogeneity is based on vessel size. Al...