cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hermite-Gaussian expansion for pulse propagation in strongly dispersion managed fibers

We represent a pulse in the strongly dispersion managed fiber as a linear superposition of Hermite-Gaussian harmonics, with the zeroth harmonic being a chirped Gaussian with periodically varying width. We obtain the same conditions for the stationary pulse propagation as were obtained earlier by the variational method. Moreover, we find a simple approximate formula for the pulse shape, which accounts for the numerically observed transition of that shape from a hyperbolic secant to the Gaussian. Finally, using the same approach, we systematically derive the equations for the evolution of a pulse under a general perturbation. This systematic derivation justifies the validity of similar equations obtained earlier from the conservation laws.
Effect of newborn splenectomy on homograft survival in inbred mice.

Abstract Splenectomy was carried out in newborn and in 3-, 6-, and 9-day-old mice. The survivors and their sham-operated litter mates were homografted with skin at 42+ days of age. The survival times of the homografts were normal and identical in the two groups of mice. These results suggest that splenectomy at birth and shortly thereafter does not alter the immunologic mechanism responsible for homograft rejection in mice.
Serotype 5 Adenovirus fiber (F7F41S) chimeric vectors incur packaging deficiencies when targeting peptides are inserted into Ad41 short fiber.

Abstract Adenovirus is a well-established viral gene transfer model system that presents two major hurdles when being considered for cell-specific targeting applications. First is the need to detarget the vector from inherent host binding mechanisms, and second is the need to establish a productive and stable method to retarget the vector to a desired cell receptor. In previous studies we had generated an adenovirus vector platform that lacks the normal targeting attributes derived from the fiber and penton capsid proteins. In the current study we characterized our detargeted Ad5-based vectors (Ad5.F7F41S and Ad5.F7F41SΔRGD) as platforms for novel retargeted viruses. The experimental strategy relied on incorporating small peptide ligands into several sites of the Ad 41short fiber knob domain (AB, CD, HI, G and Cterm). Reengineering of Ad41 short fiber resulted either in a bypass to fiber 7 usage, or in a dominant negative packaging/production deficiency phenotype. Under specific growth conditions we could remedy some of the capsid deficiencies and generate high titer viruses. However when examined by Western blot analysis, the resulting viruses were still defective in capsid content. The tandem fiber F7F41S platform has revealed an unanticipated sensitivity of Adenovirus packaging to fiber 41short structural modifications. These studies indicate fiber assembly into an intact virion or fiber influenced capsid stability as a bottleneck to efficient particle production. We also demonstrate that virus particles characterized as mature virions following CsCl banding can vary significantly in capsid protein content. Considering the complexity of virus entry into a target cell, modified “mature virions” may be compromised at the level of transduction not only through the intended modification, but also by virtue of secondary structural packaging conflicts.
Real-time performance modeling for adaptive software systems with multi-class workload

Modern, adaptive software systems must often adjust or reconfigure their architecture in order to respond to continuous changes in their execution environment. Efficient autonomic control in such systems is highly dependent on the accuracy of their representative performance model. In this paper, we are concerned with real-time estimation of a performance model for adaptive software systems that process multiple classes of transactional workload. Based on an open queueing network model and an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF), experiments in this work show that: 1) the model parameter estimates converge to the actual value very slowly when the variation in incoming workload is very low, 2) the estimates fail to converge quickly to the new value when there is a step-change caused by adaptive reconfiguration of the actual software parameters. We therefore propose a modified EKF design in which the measurement model is augmented with a set of constraints based on past measurement values. Experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach that leads to significant improvement in convergence in the two cases.
Synthesis and reactivity of the rhodium monocarbollide complexes [1-NHCMe2-2-Cl-2-PPh3-closo-2,1-RhCB10H10] and [1-NH3-2-Cl-2-PPh3-closo-2,1-RhCB10H10]

Abstract The carborane 7-NHCMe2-nido-7-CB10H12 reacts with [RhCl(PPh3)3] in toluene at reflux temperatures to give the charge-compensated 16-electron Rh(III) complex [1-NHCMe2-2-Cl-2-PPh3-closo-2,1-RhCB10H10] (1) in good yield. The structure of this product was established by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Upon methanolysis 1 affords [1-NH3-2-Cl-2-PPh3-closo-2,1-RhCB10H10] (2), also a 16-electron charge-compensated Rh(III) complex. Some reactions of 2 were investigated. At room temperature, in the presence of Na2CO3, it reacts with acetic, methacrylic, and crotonic anhydrides to give the complexes [1,2-μ-{NHC(R)O}-2-PPh3-closo-2,1-RhCB10H10] [R=Me (3), CMeCH2 (4a), and (E)-CHCHMe (4b)], respectively. Benzoyl bromide with 2 and Na2CO3 yields [1,2-μ-{NHC(Ph)O}-2-PPh3-closo-2,1-RhCB10H10] (5). An XRD study of 4a established that the acyl group is coordinated to the rhodium through the oxygen. In the crystal molecules lie pair-wise linked by a BH⇀Rh bridge so that in one molecule the rhodium atom has a 16-electron valence shell and in the other an 18-electron configuration. However, in solution NMR studies reveal that only monomeric molecules occur. With CNBut in the presence of Na2CO3, compound 2 affords [1-NH2-2,2-(CNBut)2-2-PPh3-closo-2,1-RhCB10H10] (7), the structure of which was determined by XRD. The NMR parameters of the new compounds are reported and discussed.
How we are evolving.

The article discusses how human beings are evolving. According to the author, an analysis of the human genome suggests that human beings have not evolved the way biologists would have expected. An overview of early Homo sapiens, who spread out from Africa 60,000 years ago is presented, including the environmental challenges they faced. Topics include an overview of a hypothesis by scientists which states that the inability of early humans to overcome challenges with prehistoric technology would lead to novel genetic mutations spreading rapidly through different populations by natural selection. A discussion of the results of an analysis of the human genome, which revealed that most detectable natural selection happened slowly, is presented. INSET: Selection Signal.
Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic analysis of spin-on dopant layers used in proximity rapid thermal diffusion

Abstract/Introduction: A new Rapid Thermal Diffusion (Proximity RTD) method, utilizing Spin..on Dopant (SOD) layers, was reported recently1'2. This technique is based on an evaporation gas phase diffusion - adsorption surface reaction diffusion in Si scheme (Fig. 1). In this paper weuse FTIR spectroscopy to investigate a relationship between the SOD layer structure/composition andits doping efficiency, as determined by sheet resistance (R3) measurements (Fig. 2), for a phosphorus diffusion case. Experimental Technique/Discussion: Phosphorus dopant sources were fabricated by spin coating of p-type Si wafers with a solution of a 3wt.% phosphosilicate polymer {[SjOa(0C2H5)b(OF1)c(0uid]n; P-8545, Allied Signal, Inc.) in an alcohol based solvents mixture. After coaling, wafers were baked for 60 mm. in air at Tb 20 - 600°C so that an SOD glass.likestructure was formed. Sirigle..side polished, 9-25L..cin wafers were used for diffusion experiments anddouble-side polished, 35-65-cin wafers were used as an 501) holder for FTIR measurements with aBomem DA8 spectrometer equipped with KJBr beamsplitter and MCT detector. Infrared absorbancespectra at 8 cm' resolution have been measured for SOD layers after baking. To identify P relatedabsorbance bands, SOD layers enriched by adding 4wt.% and iOwt.% of P2O to the standard SODsolution were fabricated and their absorbance measured. SOD coated wafers were placed in proximity
Characterization of a gene coamplified with Ki-ras in Y1 murine adrenal carcinoma cells that codes for a putative membrane protein

We report the sequence and genomic organization of a gene linked to Ki-ras in the mouse and coamplified in Y1 murine adrenal carcinoma cells. The entire 4.4-kb cDNA sequence as well as promoter and splice sites for each of the three exons was determined. The gene, designated KRAG (Ki-ras-associated gene) has a CG-rich first exon and promoter region and a long 3' untranslated region and encodes 216 amino acids. The putative 23.9-kDa protein has four potential transmembrane hydrophobic domains. The hydropathy plot resembles that of certain tumor-associated antigens, including CO-029 and ME491. A potential human homologue, EST05985, was identified and provisionally mapped to human chromosome 12, a chromosome syntenic to mouse chromosome 6, the previously mapped location of KRAG.
Crossed fingers and other tests of u1nar nerve motor function

All tests for ulnar nerve motor function require demonstration and explanation if they are to be carried out reliably. The tests used most commonly may be difficult to elicit, particularly in children or in the presence of an acute injury. The authors have found that the ability to cross the middle over the index finger is a reliable test of ulnar nerve function. This maneuver of "crossing the fingers" is in common usage from childhood on as a good luck sign and is elicited easily in the presence of an intact ulnar nerve. An annotated table is included of other tests that may be useful in evaluating ulnar nerve integrity.
A 48-Year Clinical and Epidemiologic Study of Keratoconus

From 1935 through 1982, keratoconus was newly diagnosed in a total of 64 residents (35 males and 29 females) of Olmsted County, Minnesota. There were no significant trends in incidence rates over time; the overall average annual rate was 2.0 per 100,000 population. The age-specific incidence rates were greatest in the younger groups. The incidence rates did not differ significantly by sex. On Dec. 31, 1982, the overall prevalence rate was 54.5 per 100,000 population. At the time of diagnosis, keratoconus was unilateral in 26 patients (41%) and bilateral in 38 patients (59%). Follow-up of the patients showed that survival did not differ significantly from that of the general population. The cumulative probability of survivorship without corneal transplantation for more than 20 years after diagnosis was greater than 80%.
A preliminary case study of androgen receptor gene polymorphism association with impulsivity in women with alcoholism.

OBJECTIVE The androgen receptor (AR) gene, located on the X chromosome, contains a common polymorphism involving cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) repeats, which impacts disease and could contribute to the unequal sex ratio in alcoholism. CAG repeats in the AR gene are known to correlate with impulsivity in males. We report the first preliminary study examining the association between the number of CAG repeats and measures of impulsivity in females with chronic alcoholism. METHODS A total of 35 women and 85 men with chronic alcoholism were previously recruited for a nutritional clinical trial, and 26 well-characterized females (19 African-American and seven Caucasian) with alcoholism agreed to participate for genetic testing. Genomic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was isolated from peripheral blood and CAG repeats determined by analyzing polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-amplified products, using the polymorphic AR gene assay. CAG repeat length was correlated with raw scores from the Barratt Impulsivity Scale, version 11 and the Alcoholism Severity Scale. RESULTS CAG repeat lengths were significantly longer in Caucasian alcoholic women compared with African-Americans, and the average number of CAG repeats were significantly, positively correlated (P<0.05) with impulsivity scores. Women with average CAG repeat length (CAGave) ≥18, representing the upper quartile of the repeat range, showed significantly greater mean raw impulsivity scores. CAG repeat length appeared to have less effect in African-American compared with Caucasian women, possibly due to a shorter average repeat length. CONCLUSION We found an association between the number of CAG repeats and impulsivity in females with chronic alcoholism, specifically in women with CAGave ≥18, seen more commonly in Caucasian compared with African-American women.
Paraneoplastic pseudo-obstruction, mononeuropathy multiplex, and sensory neuronopathy

A patient with mononeuropathy multiplex, sensory neuronopathy, and diffuse intestinal pseudo-obstruction consisting of gastroparesis and impaired small and large bowel motility was found to have a small cell carcinoma of the lung. The constellation of findings were indicative of paraneoplastic neuropathy, which was confirmed with the appropriate antibody studies demonstrating antineuronal nuclear antibodies. Identification of paraneoplastic neuropathy is important, since early treatment of the primary cancer, which is virtually always a small cell carcinoma of the lung, may halt the progression of the disorder. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Transitions Near the Open State in Shaker K+-channel: Probing with Temperature

Ionic currents from non-inactivating Shaker K+-channels were expressed in Xenopus oocytes and recorded with the cut-open oocyte voltage clamp technique. Kinetic properties of ionic currents were studied between 1.4 and 19°C. The forward step of the last transition (…C → O) of the activation pathway, just before the channel opening, was studied by the recovery of the ionic current after a short interval ( 4), having an Ea of 24–25 kcal/mol. The closure of the channel also is voltage dependent, having a valence times fraction of the electric field, zβ of 0.5 eo. We conclude that the transition from the closed to the opened state has a net decrease in entropy and enthalpy, suggesting that the channel gets more ordered when it is open. Copyright © 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd
The effect of turbulence on the variation of the ultrasonic Doppler amplitude within the cardiac cycle

The effect of turbulence on the variation of the ultrasonic Doppler signal within the cardiac cycle have been evaluated experimentally using a pulsatile flow loop model. Turbulence has been generated in the model by adding a screen mesh in the tube. Porcine red cells suspended in saline solution at 40% hematocrit were used as the scattering fluid. Experiments were performed at a mean flow velocity of 12 cm/s and a maximal flow velocity at peak systole of approximately 60 cm/s. The amplitude of the Doppler signal in presence of turbulence was found to increase during systole with a maximum occurring early after peak systole, and to decrease in diastole during deceleration of flow. It is postulated that the variation of the Doppler amplitude within the flow cycle is associated with a cyclic change in the correlation among red cells.
Utility of routine carotid duplex screening in patients who have claudication

Abstract Purpose: The recently published Asymptomatic Carotid Atherosclerosis Study (ACAS) demonstrated the benefit of performing carotid endarterectomy in selected asymptomatic patients who have >60% carotid stenoses. It therefore becomes clinically important to identify the subgroups of patients who have a sufficiently high incidence of high-grade carotid stenosis to warrant routine carotid duplex screening. Methods: To determine the incidence of asymptomatic carotid disease in patients who had a chief complaint of claudication, we evaluated 188 patients who had claudication and no history of cerebrovascular symptoms. After a complete history was taken and a physical examination performed, patients underwent standard lower-extremity noninvasive vascular laboratory studies and carotid duplex scanning. Carotid duplex findings were interpreted by the Strandness criteria. Associated atherosclerotic risk factors were assessed (patient age, male sex, diabetes, hypertension, smoking history, lipid levels, history of coronary artery disease, coronary or vascular surgery, and family history of cerebrovascular disease). Presence of a carotid bruit was also noted. Univariate analysis, logistic regression, and odds ratios were performed to identify subgroups of patients that had an increased incidence of significant carotid disease. Results: Of the 188 patients with claudication who were screened, 8% had an internal carotid artery stenosis of 16% to 49%, 21.8% had a stenosis that exceeded 50%, and 2.7% had an occluded internal carotid artery. The presence of a carotid bruit on physical examination was predictive of a ≥50% internal carotid artery stenosis ( p = 0.027). The ankle-brachial index was highly predictive of the presence of carotid stenoses in an inverse relationship ( p = 0.001). Patient age approached significance ( p = 0.143). Patients older than 65 years of age who had claudication, an ankle-brachial index less than 0.7, and a carotid bruit had a 45% incidence of significant carotid disease. The atherosclerotic risk factors of male sex, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, smoking history, coronary history, previous coronary or vascular surgical history, and family history were not predictive of the presence of a >50% carotid stenosis. Conclusions: In patients who seek medical attention with the chief complaint of claudication and who have no cerebrovascular symptoms, there is a 24.5% incidence of a >50% internal carotid artery stenosis or occlusion on duplex examination. Select subsets of these patients have upwards of a 45% incidence of significant asymptomatic carotid disease. All patients who seek medical attention with claudication should therefore undergo routine carotid duplex screening to detect asymptomatic high-grade stenosis. (J Vasc Surg 1996;24:572-9.)
Initial development of the two-dimensional ejector shear layer - Experimental results

An experimental investigation designed to study the development of shear layers in a two-dimensional single-nozzle ejector has been completed. In this study, combinations of air/air, argon/air, helium/air, and air/helium were used as the supersonic primary and subsonic secondary, respectively. Mixing of the gases occurred in a constant-area tube 39.1 mm high by 25.4 mm wide, where the inlet static pressure was maintained at 35 kPa. The cases studied resulted in convective Mach numbers between 0.058 and 1.64, density ratios between 0.102 and 3.49, and velocity ratios between 0.065 and 0.811. The resulting data shows the differences in the shear-layer development for the various combinations of independent variables utilized in the investigation. The normalized growth-rates in the near-field were found to be similar to two-dimensional mixing layers. These results have enhanced the ability to analyze and design ejector systems as well as providing a better understanding of the physics.
Localization of retinaldehyde dehydrogenases and retinoid binding proteins to sustentacular cells, glia, Bowman's gland cells, and stroma: potential sites of retinoic acid synthesis in the postnatal rat olfactory organ.

Work from our laboratory suggests that retinoic acid (RA) influences neuron development in the postnatal olfactory epithelium (OE). The studies reported here were carried out to identify and localize retinaldehyde dehydrogenase (RALDH) expression in postnatal rat OE to gain a better understanding of potential in vivo RA synthesis sites in this continuously regenerating tissue. RALDH 1, 2, and 3 mRNAs were detected in postnatal rat olfactory tissue by RT-PCR analysis, but RALDH 1 and 2 transcripts were predominant. RALDH 1 immunoreactivity was localized to sustentacular cells in the OE and to Bowman's gland cells, and GFAP+/p75− olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) in the underlying lamina propria (LP). RALDH 2 did not colocalize with RALDH 1, but appeared to be expressed in GFAP−/RALDH 1− OECs as well as in unidentified structures in the LP. Cellular RA binding protein (CRABP II) colocalized with RALDH 1. Cellular retinol/retinaldehyde binding protein (CRBP I) was localized to RALDH 1+ sites in the OE and LP and RALDH 2+ sites, primarily surrounding nerve fiber bundles in the LP. Vitamin A deficiency altered RALDH 1, but not RALDH 2 protein expression. The isozymes and binding proteins exhibited random variability in levels and areas of expression both within and between animals. These findings support the hypothesis that RA is synthesized in the postnatal OE (catalyzed by RALDH 1) and underlying LP (differentially catalyzed by RALDH 1 and RALDH 2) at sites that could influence the development, maturation, targeting, and/or turnover of olfactory receptor neurons throughout the olfactory organ. J. Comp. Neurol. 496:149–171, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Complex susceptibility for collisional broadening

A unified approximate expression for the real part of the susceptibility for collisionally broadened transitions, including line coupling, has been developed. The Hilbert transform has been applied to the impact approximation line shape (Kramers-Kronig relationship) to obtain a result that is applicable from the microwave to the infrared. The approximate function has been compared numerically with the exact result using a newly developed algorithm. The results are applicable to spectral computations of the index of refraction and propagation delays.
Does epidural analgesia affect the second stage of labour

Epidurals are becoming an important part of obstetric analgesia, with growing demand for this service in labour. It is however still uncertain if epidural analgesia has adverse consequences in the ...
Impact of Abdominal Visceral and Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue on Cardiometabolic Risk Factors: The Jackson Heart Study

Objective: Obesity is a major driver of cardiometabolic risk. Abdominal visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and sc adipose tissue (SAT) may confer differential metabolic risk profiles. We investigated the relations of VAT and SAT with cardiometabolic risk factors in the Jackson Heart Study cohort. Methods: Participants from the Jackson Heart Study (n = 2477; 64% women; mean age, 58 yr) underwent multidetector computed tomography, and the volumetric amounts of VAT and SAT were assessed between 2007 and 2009. Cardiometabolic risk factors were examined by sex in relation to VAT and SAT. Results: Men had a higher mean volume of VAT (873 vs. 793 cm3) and a lower mean volume of SAT (1730 vs. 2659 cm3) than women (P = 0.0001). Per 1-sd increment in either VAT or SAT, we observed elevated levels of fasting plasma glucose and triglyceride, lower levels of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and increased odds ratios for hypertension, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. The effect size of VAT in women was larger than tha...
Tumor localization and photosensitization by derivatives of hematoporphyrin: A review

A mixture of porphyrins derived from hematoporphyrin and termed HPD (hematoporphyrin derivative) has been useful for localization and therapy of neoplastic disease. The fluorescence and photosensitization of tissues which accumulate an HPD fraction have been examined by many research groups, and the clinical applications of these phenomena are now being explored.
Airborne and ground measurements of the atmospheric potential gradient during a solar eclipse

Airborne and ground measurements of the atmospheric potential gradient were made during the total solar eclipse of 7 March 1970 at Norfolk, Virginia. The ground measurements indicate the potential gradient tends to reduce during and immediately after the eclipse. The airborne measurements suggest possible enhancement and increased variability of the potential gradient during the central portion of the eclipse.
Genomic structure and promoter analysis of PKC-δ

Protein kinase C-delta (PKC-delta) is a ubiquitously expressed kinase involved in a variety of cellular signaling pathways including cell growth, differentiation, apoptosis, tumor promotion, and carcinogenesis. While signaling pathways downstream of PKC-delta are well studied, the regulation of the gene has not been extensively analyzed. A mouse genomic DNA fragment containing the PKC-delta gene was sequenced by the primer-walking method, and the subsequent DNA sequence data were used as a query to clone Caenorhabditis elegans and human genomic homologs from the publicly available genomic databases. The genomic structures of C. elegans, mouse, rat, and human PKC-delta were analyzed, and the result revealed that PKC-delta genes comprise 12, 18, 19, and 18 exons for C. elegans, mouse, rat, and human, respectively. The translation start methionine resides in the second exon in mouse and human and in the third exon in rat. The first intron between the first exon and the exon with the translation start methionine in mammalian genes represents a very large gap, as long as 17 kb in human, indicating a complexity involved in gene splicing. Overall exon-intron genomic structure is highly conserved among mammals, while significantly diverged in C. elegans. Putative transcription factor binding sites on the 1.7-kb promoter region of the mouse gene suggest that PKC-delta might be involved in spermatogenesis, embryogenesis, development, brain generation, immune response, oxidative environment, and oncogenesis. Studies on the promoter and subsequent biological testing on mouse keratinocytes indicate that tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha increases the expression of PKC-delta, and this correlates with the time of NFkappaB nuclear translocation and activation. This TNF-alpha-mediated upregulation of PKC-delta is repressed in keratinocytes that are preinfected with IkappaB superrepressor adenovirus, suggesting that NFkappaB is involved directly in PKC-delta expression.
Output-based space-time mesh adaptation for the compressible Navier-Stokes equations

This paper presents an output-based adaptive algorithm for unsteady simulations of convection-dominated flows. A space-time discontinuous Galerkin discretization is used in which the spatial meshes remain static in both position and resolution, and in which all elements advance by the same time step. Error estimates are computed using an adjoint-weighted residual, where the discrete adjoint is computed on a finer space obtained by order enrichment of the primal space. An iterative method based on an approximate factorization is used to solve both the forward and adjoint problems. The output error estimate drives a fixed-growth adaptive strategy that employs hanging-node refinement in the spatial domain and slab bisection in the temporal domain. Detection of space-time anisotropy in the localization of the output error is found to be important for efficiency of the adaptive algorithm, and two anisotropy measures are presented: one based on inter-element solution jumps, and one based on projection of the adjoint. Adaptive results are shown for several two-dimensional convection-dominated flows, including the compressible Navier-Stokes equations. For sufficiently-low accuracy levels, output-based adaptation is shown to be advantageous in terms of degrees of freedom when compared to uniform refinement and to adaptive indicators based on approximation error and the unweighted residual. Time integral quantities are used for the outputs of interest, but entire time histories of the integrands are also compared and found to converge rapidly under the proposed scheme. In addition, the final output-adapted space-time meshes are shown to be relatively insensitive to the starting mesh.
An expert network for DNA sequence analysis

The expert neural network system the author has developed for use in DNA sequence analysis combines a traditional symbolic expert system with an artificial neural network. The resulting hybrid system can accurately model underlying domain knowledge to improve accuracy, generalization performance, and information-processing speed.
An economic analysis of microbial reduction of sulfur dioxide as a means of byproduct recovery from regenerable processes for flue gas desulfurization.

In summary, it appears that the microbial reduction process is clearly not competitive with conventional SO2-reduction techniques when glucose (DE95 corn hydrolysate) is utilized as the feedstock hydrogen source. Other and indeed considerably cheaper feedstock (carbon and energy sources) will be required to make the SO2-bioreduction process competitive with conventional SO2-reduction techniques. Cheaper feedstocks have been identified (sewage sludge and CO2/H2) that have the potential for significantly lowering raw materials costs. These carbon and energy sources are currently under investigation.
Arrhythmogenic KCNE gene variants: current knowledge and future challenges

There are twenty-five known inherited cardiac arrhythmia susceptibility genes, all of which encode either ion channel pore-forming subunits or proteins that regulate aspects of ion channel biology such as function, trafficking, and localization. The human KCNE gene family comprises five potassium channel regulatory subunits, sequence variants in each of which are associated with cardiac arrhythmias. KCNE gene products exhibit promiscuous partnering and in some cases ubiquitous expression, hampering efforts to unequivocally correlate each gene to specific native potassium currents. Likewise, deducing the molecular etiology of cardiac arrhythmias in individuals harboring rare KCNE gene variants, or more common KCNE polymorphisms, can be challenging. In this review we provide an update on putative arrhythmia-causing KCNE gene variants, and discuss current thinking and future challenges in the study of molecular mechanisms of KCNE-associated cardiac rhythm disturbances.
MO‐E‐I‐609‐05: Volumetric Assessment of Glandularity in Screen‐Film Mammography

Purpose: A clinical dosimetry protocol is developed that utilizes a dosimetric breast phantom series based on population demographics to predict the mean glandular dose (MGD) imparted to the patient during a routine screening mammogram. Method and Materials: A dosimetric breast phantom was developed from published data to represent the glandular (67.8%, 42.6%, 25.4%, and 16.2%) and compressed thickness (2, 4, 6, 8 cm) of a cranial-caudal view. In addition, a step phantom was developed which is composed of glandularity and thickness ranging from 0–100% glandular and thicknesses ranging from 1 to 8 cm. A prospective study composed of 253 women from a screening mammography population with an ACR diagnosis category of 1 or 2. The cranial-caudal (CC) and medial-lateral oblique (MLO) mammograms were digitized and segmented to determine the population mammogram demographics. Glandularity was also determined from radiologist ACR density code, planimetry, tube loading, and volumetric method for comparison. Results: The dosimetric breast phantoms had breast thickness and glandularity comparable to published data. The CC and MLO compressed thicknesses and lateral dimensions are extracted from the population data with average compressed thicknesses of 4.46±1.17 cm and 5.21±1.39 cm, respectively. Glandularity determined from a planimetry method resulted in glandularities of 30 ± 16 % and 18 ± 18 % for CC and MLO, respectively. Glandularity based on tube loading was developed using the BRTES-MOD phantom AEC response. The AEC response was fitted to a three dimensional plane correlating compressed breast thickness. Grandularity determined from tube loading method resulted in granularities of 61.94 ± 27.75 % and MLO was 51.19 ± 29.93 % for CC and MLO, respectively. Conclusion: The resultant data was used to develop a clinical protocol that correlated pixel intensity from a digitized mammogram to breast glandularity using a volumetric technique.
Survival in trigeminal neuralgia.

Abstract A cohort of persons with trigeminal neuralgia was followed to evaluate overall mortality and death due to specific causes. The relative survival ratio indicated that trigeminal neuralgia patients may survive longer than the general population. This finding was present in both sexes, although more marked for females. The deficiency in the observed number of deaths could not be ascribed to any specific cause of death. While it is unlikely that trigeminal neuralgia protects against death, it is possible that risk factors for trigeminal neuralgia are associated with long life.
A Lagrangian method for the shallow water equations based on a Voronoi mesh—one dimensional results

Abstract A Lagrangian method for the Shallow Water equations in one dimension is presented. The method is based on the following idea. Place N points on a line to represent the fluid. Each point represents all the fluid that is closer to this point than to any other. This partitions the line into intervals. The principle of Least Action yields a set of difference equations which can be easily solved at each time step to give new values for the height and velocity of the fluid particles in each interval. The points are then moved to their new locations and the intervals reconstructed. In the event that two points get too close to each other, consider the points to have collided. The collision is treated as an inelastic collision and the two points are merged into one, according to certain conservation laws. It is then possible to handle flows with shocks by modelling a shock as a collision between two particles. That is, a shock is thought of as one fluid particle overtaking another one and colliding with it. The results of this method on the Dam-Breaking problem are presented. The solution is compared to the exact solution and to a solution by the Random Choice Method.
Nuclear size control in fission yeast

A long-standing biological question is how a eukaryotic cell controls the size of its nucleus. We report here that in fission yeast, nuclear size is proportional to cell size over a 35-fold range, and use mutants to show that a 16-fold change in nuclear DNA content does not influence the relative size of the nucleus. Multi-nucleated cells with unevenly distributed nuclei reveal that nuclei surrounded by a greater volume of cytoplasm grow more rapidly. During interphase of the cell cycle nuclear growth is proportional to cell growth, and during mitosis there is a rapid expansion of the nuclear envelope. When the nuclear/cell (N/C) volume ratio is increased by centrifugation or genetic manipulation, nuclear growth is arrested while the cell continues to grow; in contrast, low N/C ratios are rapidly corrected by nuclear growth. We propose that there is a general cellular control linking nuclear growth to cell size.
Menstrual cycle changes in mate preferences for cues associated with genetic quality: the moderating role of mate value.

The purpose of the study was to explore the influence of mate value and fertility status on women's implicit and explicit preferences for male traits associated with genetic quality. It was hypothe...
Monitoring shifts in plant diversity in response to climate change: A method for landscapes

Improved sampling designs are needed to detect, monitor, and predict plant migrations and plant diversity changes caused by climate change and other human activities. We propose a methodology based on multi-scale vegetation plots established across forest ecotones which provide baseline data on patterns of plant diversity, invasions of exotic plant species, and plant migrations at landscape scales in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA. We established forty two 1000-m2 plots in relatively homogeneous forest types and the ecotones between them on 14 vegetation transects. We found that 64% of the variance in understory species distributions at landscape scales were described generally by gradients of elevation and under-canopy solar radiation. Superimposed on broad-scale climatic gradients are small-scale gradients characterized by patches of light, pockets of fertile soil, and zones of high soil moisture. Eighteen of the 42 plots contained at least one exotic species; monitoring exotic plant invasions provides a means to assess changes in native plant diversity and plant migrations. Plant species showed weak affinities to overstory vegetation types, with 43% of the plant species found in three or more vegetation types. Replicate transects along several environmental gradients may provide the means to monitor plant diversity and species migrations at landscape scales because: (1) ecotones may play crucial roles in expanding the geophysiological ranges of many plant species; (2) low affinities of understory species to overstory forest types may predispose vegetation types to be resilient to rapid environmental change; and (3) ecotones may help buffer plant species from extirpation and extinction.
The Comforts of Home

Introduction. Tim defines a "luminous" condition as one that we are always in a position to know that we are in, whenever we are in it.1 To explain the idea of being in a position to know, Tim tells us that we are in a position to know a proposition when it states a fact that is open to our view, unhidden, and with no obstacle to our knowing it. He also tells us that if we are in a position to know a proposition, and we do what we are in a position to do toward knowing whether or not it is true, then we know it to be true. So a luminous condition obtains only if it is all set to be known to obtain by the one in the condition.
Physical Fitness in Children With End-Stage Renal Disease

Medical advances have allowed the majority of children with ESRD to survive into adulthood. As a result, more attention is being focused on improving the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) for children with ESRD. However, most pediatric ESRD HRQOL studies have highlighted on the psychosocial effects of ESRD, with less attention paid to the physical effects. A few studies have recently measured exercise capacity in children with ESRD in the last 5 years. This article reviews studies that detail the physical components of HRQOL as well as other studies that have started to document the exercise capacity of children with ESRD.
Methamphetamine-Like Discriminative-Stimulus Effects of Nicotinic Agonists

Nicotine was recently shown to engender d-methamphetamine (MA)-like discriminative-stimulus effects in rats, which may be indicative of shared psychomotor stimulant properties. To further investigate such overlapping discriminative-stimulus effects, nicotinic agonists varying in efficacy and selectivity were studied in squirrel monkeys that discriminated a moderate intramuscular dose of MA (0.1 mg/kg) from vehicle. These included α4β2-selective ligands that may vary in efficacy from relatively high [nicotine, (+)- and (−)-epibatidine] to relatively low [isoarecolone, varenicline, (−)-cytisine, (−)-lobeline] and the α7-selective ligands anabaseine and anabasine. Results show that nicotine, (+)-epibatidine, and (−)-epibatidine substituted fully for MA, whereas the highest doses of other nicotinic agonists produced intermediate levels of MA-like effects (isoarecolone, anabaseine, anabasine, and varenicline) or did not substitute for MA [(−)-cytisine and (−)-lobeline]. The relative potencies of nicotinic agonists, based on effective dose50 (ED50) values, corresponded more closely with their relative affinities at α4β2 than at α7 receptors. Regardless of selectivity or efficacy, nicotinic agonists also were observed to produce untoward effects, including salivation and emesis during or after experimental sessions. In pretreatment studies, the α4β2-selective antagonist dihydro-β-erythroidine hydrobromide (DHβE) (0.032 and 0.1 mg/kg) and the partial agonists varenicline (0.0032–0.1 mg/kg) and (−)-cytisine (0.032 and 0.1 mg/kg) surmountably antagonized (>10-fold rightward shift) nicotine’s MA-like effects but were ineffective in blocking nicotine’s emetic effects. Overall, our results show that 1) MA-like discriminative-stimulus effects of nicotinic agonists likely are mediated through α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor actions, and 2) nicotinic α4β2 partial agonists, like the nicotinic antagonist DHβE, can reduce MA-like behavioral effects of nicotine.
Modeling of strained quantum-well lasers with spin-orbit coupling

A complete model with the spin-orbit coupling for strained quantum-well lasers is presented. Explicit formulas for the momentum-matrix elements are given. The improvement in the threshold current density of tensile strained quantum-well lasers, as compared with that of the unstrained quantum well, is shown to result from the enhanced momentum matrix. The differential gain and the linewidth enhancement factor are calculated. The theoretical results show a smaller linewidth enhancement factor for compressively and tensile strained quantum wells than that of the unstrained structure, as has been experimentally observed. The temperature behavior of both the radiative component and the Anger component of the threshold current density is shown. Due to a decrease of gain and differential gain with increasing temperature, the threshold carrier density in unstrained quantum wells is increased with a large increment of the Auger recombination current at high temperature. For strained quantum wells, this increment is moderate because of the smaller threshold carrier density. >
Development and function of the early B cell repertoire.

The early B cell repertoire is characterized by extensive interconnectivity, autoreactivity and multispecificity. Our preliminary sequence analysis of some of the idiotype specific antibodies is beginning to provide molecular clues to explain the observed multireactivity and the expression of shared idiotypic determinants on immunoglobulins of early B cells. The VH gene rearrangements analyzed are typical of the early pre-B cell and CD5 B cell repertoire. Some of these include shared or identical CDR3 regions resulting from the use of germline VH, D and JH gene segments in the absence of N region addition. As previously described, the most D proximal VH genes are also used most frequently. Collectively these genetic restrictions, together with the lack of somatic mutation, suggest that the characteristic self reactivity of the early B cell repertoire is related to the expression of germline gene segments and limited use of diversification mechanisms. It has also been possible for the first time to isolate...
Two-Stage Hashing for Fast Document Retrieval

This work fulfills sublinear time Nearest Neighbor Search (NNS) in massivescale document collections. The primary contribution is to propose a two-stage unsupervised hashing framework which harmoniously integrates two state-of-theart hashing algorithms Locality Sensitive Hashing (LSH) and Iterative Quantization (ITQ). LSH accounts for neighbor candidate pruning, while ITQ provides an efficient and effective reranking over the neighbor pool captured by LSH. Furthermore, the proposed hashing framework capitalizes on both term and topic similarity among documents, leading to precise document retrieval. The experimental results convincingly show that our hashing based document retrieval approach well approximates the conventional Information Retrieval (IR) method in terms of retrieving semantically similar documents, and meanwhile achieves a speedup of over one order of magnitude in query time.
How to solve a quadratic equation

One of the author's favorite experiences in high school mathematics was learning how to solve quadratic equations. As is usual with life, things are not as simple as they were in high school. There are several problems with the quadratic formula. In this article, the author talks about these problems and various solutions to them.
Role of Phenol-Soluble Modulins in Formation of Staphylococcus aureus Biofilms in Synovial Fluid

ABSTRACT Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of prosthetic joint infections, which, as we recently showed, proceed with the involvement of biofilm-like clusters that cause recalcitrance to antibiotic treatment. Here we analyzed why these clusters grow extraordinarily large, reaching macroscopically visible extensions (>1 mm). We found that while specific S. aureus surface proteins are a prerequisite for agglomeration in synovial fluid, low activity of the Agr regulatory system and subsequent low production of the phenol-soluble modulin (PSM) surfactant peptides cause agglomerates to grow to exceptional dimensions. Our results indicate that PSMs function by disrupting interactions of biofilm matrix molecules, such as the polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA), with the bacterial cell surface. Together, our findings support a two-step model of staphylococcal prosthetic joint infection: As we previously reported, interaction of S. aureus surface proteins with host matrix proteins such as fibrin initiates agglomeration; our present results show that, thereafter, the bacterial agglomerates grow to extremely large sizes owing to the lack of PSM expression under the specific conditions present in joints. Our findings provide a mechanistic explanation for the reported extreme resistance of joint infection to antibiotic treatment, lend support to the notions that Agr functionality and PSM production play a major role in defining different forms of S. aureus infection, and have important implications for antistaphylococcal therapeutic strategies.
GROUND-BASED MICRODYNAMIC TESTING OF DEPLOYED OPTICAL STRUCTURES

The design, development and characterization of a new and unique ground facility for testing optically precise deployable structures is described. Through careful control and elimination of subtle systematic error sources, this facility allows the characterization of the mechanics of deployed structures up to 3-meters in size with nanometer resolution, This paper itemizes the effect of individual systematic errors and shows how experimental measurements which otherwise neglect these effects lead to falsely exotic mechanics. Implications of this research for the ground testing of deployed optical spacecraft instruments are also described.
Measuring money growth when financial markets are changing

Abstract This article considers constructing monetary aggregates in the presence of financial market innovations and changes in the relationship between individual assets and output. We propose two procedures for constructing a monetary aggregate with the objective of providing a reliable monetary leading indicator of nominal GDP. In the first, subaggregates discretely switch in and out; in the second, the aggregate's growth is a time-varying weighted average of the growth of the subaggregates, where the weights follow a multivariate random walk. These procedures are used to examine augmenting M2 with stock and/or bond mutual funds. The alternative aggregates are broadly similar to M2, but during 1992–1993 they outperform M2.
THE 2-GROUPS OF ODD STRONG SYMMETRIC GENUS

Let G be a finite group. The strong symmetric genusσ0(G) is the minimum genus of any Riemann surface on which G acts preserving orientation. We show that a 2-group G has strong symmetric genus congruent to 3 (mod 4) if and only if G is in one of 14 families of groups. A consequence of this classification is that almost all positive integers that are the genus of a 2-group are congruent to 1 (mod 4).