cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Integrating heterogeneous distributed energy resources to manage intermittent power at low cost

A power distribution feeder where a heterogeneous set of distributed energy resources is deployed is examined by simulation. The resources include PV, battery storage, natural gas genset and fuel cells, and active thermal storage for commercial buildings. The resource scenario considered is one that may exist in a not too distant future, and is based on an existing demonstration system in Albuquerque, NM (USA). The operation of individual DERs, and its effects on the global power flow on the feeder, are considered. Two cases of interaction between different resources are examined. One interaction involves a genset used to partially offset the duty cycle of a smoothing battery connected to a large PV system. The other example involves the coordination of twenty thermal storage devices, each associated with a commercial building. The storage devices are intended to provide maximum benefit to the building, but it is shown that this can have a deleterious effect on the overall system, unless the action of the individual storage devices is coordinated - in which case there is overall benefit to the system. The main finding is that it is possible to achieve synergy between DERs on a system, however this required a unified strategy to coordinate the action of all devices in a decentralized way.
Situating L2 writing in global communication technologies

Abstract This article draws on the strengths of two fields—technology and intercultural studies—to present a model for theorizing and developing research methods that ethically and accurately situate L2 writing and communication technologies. Much research in communication technologies and writing use so-called localized approaches to intercultural inquiries. However, because these approaches focus on the concreteness of local situations, they do not provide a valid or ethical frame for understanding the influence of communication technologies across cultures. Because communication technologies restrain and reinforce certain communication possibilities and corresponding rhetorical and cultural patterns, they do not relate to or fit each cultural and rhetorical tradition the same way. Rather, communication technologies develop complexly different relations to each cultural and/or rhetorical tradition across the globe. Consequently, each rhetorical tradition uses each communication technology with a distinct sense of purpose, audience-author relations, information needs, and organizational patterns. This article first overviews the debate about technology-culture relationships and then explores how the difference-based lens cannot ethically and accurately situate L2 writing and technology. Next, drawing on research in intercultural studies and international human rights, the article sets up an intercultural frame for examining L2 writing and technologies. Finally, it puts into practice this intercultural-technology frame by looking at L2 writing in Ecuadorian contexts.
Comparison of Landsat MSS, Nimbus-7 CZCS, and NOAA-7 AVHRR features for land-use analysis

Spectral characteristics of the Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) on board Nimbus 7, the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) on NOAA 6 and 7 and the Multispectral Scanner (MSS) on Landsat 1-3 are analyzed to comparatively assess their utility for land use analysis through remote sensing. The examination of simulated in-band radiances suggests that each sensor would respond to incident radiation reflected from a typical agricultural scene in a highly comparable manner, with most of the variation captured in two physically related variables. Several measures of green vegetation are examined and features are proposed for crop condition assessment with consideration of the course resolution characteristics of AVHRR and CZCS.
Cloning and expression of a gene encoding an integrin-like protein in Candida albicans

Abstract The existence of integrin-like proteins in Candida albicans has been postulated because monoclonal antibodies to the leukocyte integrins alpha M and alpha X bind to blastospores and germ tubes, recognize a candidal surface protein of approximately 185 kDa, and inhibit candidal adhesion to human epithelium. The gene alpha INT1 was isolated from a library of C. albicans genomic DNA by screening with a cDNA probe from the transmembrane domain of human alpha M. The predicted polypeptide (alpha Int1p) of 188 kDa contains several motifs common to alpha M and alpha X: a putative I domain, two EF-hand divalent cation-binding sites, a transmembrane domain, and a cytoplasmic tail with a single tyrosine residue. An internal RGD tripeptide is also present. Binding of anti-peptide antibodies raised to potential extracellular domains of alpha Int1p confirms surface localization in C. albicans blastopores. By Southern blotting, alpha INT1 is unique to C. albicans. Expression of alpha INT1 under control of a galactose-inducible promoter led to the production of germ tubes in haploid Saccharomyces cerevisiae and in the corresponding ste12 mutant. Germ tubes were not observed in haploid yeast transformed with vector alone, in transformants expressing a galactose-inducible gene from Chlamydomonas, or in transformants grown in the presence of glucose or raffinose. Transformants producing alpha Int1p bound an anti-alpha M monoclonal antibody and exhibited enhanced aggregation. Studies of alpha Int1p reveal novel roles for primitive integrin-like proteins in adhesion and in STE12-independent morphogenesis.
Access to scientific publications: the scientist's perspective.

Background Scientific publishing is undergoing significant changes due to the growth of online publications, increases in the number of open access journals, and policies of funders and universities requiring authors to ensure that their publications become publicly accessible. Most studies of the impact of these changes have focused on the growth of articles available through open access or the number of open-access journals. Here, we investigated access to publications at a number of institutes and universities around the world, focusing on publications in HIV vaccine research – an area of biomedical research with special importance to the developing world. Methods and Findings We selected research papers in HIV vaccine research field, creating: 1) a first set of 50 most recently published papers with keywords “HIV vaccine” and 2) a second set of 200 articles randomly selected from those cited in the first set. Access to the majority (80%) of the recently published articles required subscription, while cited literature was much more accessible (67% freely available online). Subscriptions at a number of institutions around the world were assessed for providing access to subscription-only articles from the two sets. The access levels varied widely, ranging among institutions from 20% to 90%. Through the WHO-supported HINARI program, institutes in low-income countries had access comparable to that of institutes in the North. Finally, we examined the response rates for reprint requests sent to corresponding authors, a method commonly used before internet access became widespread. Contacting corresponding authors with requests for electronic copies of articles by email resulted in a 55-60% success rate, although in some cases it took up to 1.5 months to get a response. Conclusions While research articles are increasingly available on the internet in open access format, institutional subscriptions continue to play an important role. However, subscriptions do not provide access to the full range of HIV vaccine research literature. Access to papers through subscriptions is complemented by a variety of other means, including emailing corresponding authors, joint affiliations, use of someone else's login information and posting requests on message boards. This complex picture makes it difficult to assess the real ability of scientists to access literature, but the observed differences in access levels between institutions suggest an unlevel playing field, in which some researchers have to spend more efforts than others to obtain the same information.
Concentration and temperature dependence of hydrogen vibrations along the c axis for hydrogen in yttrium: Evidence of dynamically coupled hydrogen pairs

The c-axis vibrations of hydrogen in yttrium have been measured at various concentrations and temperatures using high-resolution neutron spectroscopy. The unusual splitting of these modes is revealed to be highly sensitive to both conditions and to isotopic dilution. The results indicate that the splitting is caused by hydrogen pairs dynamically coupled across metal atoms and that this interaction is modulated by concentration- and temperature-dependent occupation correlations along the c axis.
Helping Psychiatry Residents Cope with Patient Suicide

Every clinical specialty has its own high risk patient challenges that threaten to undermine their trainees’ professional identity, evolving sense of competence. In psychiatric training, it is patient suicide, an all-too frequently encountered consequence of severe mental illness that may leave the treating resident perplexed, guilt-ridden, and uncertain of their suitability for the profession. This study evaluates a patient suicide training program aimed at educating residents about patient suicide, common reactions, and steps to attenuate emotional distress while facilitating learning. The intervention was selected aspects of a patient suicide educational program, “Collateral Damages,”—video vignettes, focused discussions, and a patient-based learning exercise. Pre- and post-survey results were compared to assess both knowledge and attitudes resulting from this educational program. Eight psychiatry residency training programs participated in the study, and 167 of a possible 240 trainees (response rate = 69.58 %) completed pre- and post-surveys. Knowledge of issues related to patient suicide increased after the program. Participants reported increased awareness of the common feelings physicians and trainees often experience after a patient suicide, of recommended “next” steps, available support systems, required documentation, and the role played by risk management. This patient suicide educational program increased awareness of issues related to patient suicide and shows promise as a useful and long overdue educational program in residency training. It will be useful to learn whether this program enhances patient care or coping with actual patient suicide. Similar programs might be useful for other specialties.
In-situ diagnostics and degradation mapping of a mixed-mode accelerated stress test for proton exchange membranes

Abstract With increasing availability of more durable membrane materials for proton exchange membrane fuel cells, there is a need for a more stressful test that combines chemical and mechanical stressors to enable accelerated screening of promising membrane candidates. Equally important is the need for in-situ diagnostic methods with sufficient spatial resolution that can provide insights into how membranes degrade to facilitate the development of durable fuel cell systems. In this article, we report an accelerated membrane stress test and a degradation diagnostic method that satisfy both needs. By applying high-amplitude cycles of electrical load to a fuel cell fed with low-RH reactant gases, a wide range of mechanical and chemical stressful conditions can be created within the cell which leads to rapid degradation of a mechanically robust Ion Power™ N111-IP membrane. Using an in-situ shorting/crossover diagnostic method on a segmented fuel cell fixture that provides 100 local current measurements, we are able to monitor the progression and map the degradation modes of shorting, thinning, and crossover leak over the entire membrane. Results from this test method have been validated by conventional metrics of fluoride release rates, physical crossover leak rates, pinhole mapping, and cross-sectional measurements.
Single run heat capacity measurements

An outline for the data analysis of single-run heat capacity measurments by dual sample DSC is presented with the following features: 1. Heat flow correction by subtracting the contribution due to the sample pan, including correction for mismatched pan masses. 2. Heat flow and temperature correction with a nonlinear temperature calibration, temperature lag correction, and heating rate correction. 3. Calculation of the cell constants for both cell positions and evaluation of the asymmetry factor between cell positions A and B. 4. Heat capacity calibration and calculation with slope and asymmetry correction. 5. Calculation of heat capacity for multiple runs. 6. Data curve fitting for heat capacity.
Deltapine Revisited: The Metamorphosis of a Plantation

Forty years ago Merle Prunty published a series of articles based upon his seminal research on Southern cotton plantations. One of these was entitled "Deltapine: Field Laboratory for the Neo- plantation Occupance Type," (published in Festschriftfor Clarence F. Jones, (Evanston, IL, North- western University Press, Studies in Geography, No. 6 (1962), pp. 151-172). In this study, Prunty addressed the morphologic and functional evolution of the Deltapine Plantation, a 38,000-acre landholding in Bolivar and Washington counties, Mississippi, from its inception in the early 20th century through the late 1950s. This study revisits Deltapine, seeking to document the morphologi- cal and operational evolution ofthe landholding from 1960 through the present. INTRODUCTION. In his seminal paper, "The Renaissance ofthe Southern Planta- tion," Merle Prunty argued that the Southern plantation did not disappear after the War Between the States as some scholars claimed, but had undergone a series of modifications due to changes in both labor conditions and control of cultivating power (Prunty, 1955). Throughout the evolution of the various plantation types, from the antebellum through sharecropper and share tenant to neoplantations, he contended that the essential criteria ofthis occupance form remained constant: (1) a landholding large enough (minimum of 260 acres) to be distinguishable from the family farm; (2) a distinct division of management and labor (with management "customarily" in the hands ofthe owner and with a minimum offive full-time labor- ers); (3) specialized crop production (two or three cash crops); (4) location in the South in areas with a (antebellum) plantation tradition; (5) distinctive spatial organi- zation and settlement forms reflecting centralized control ofcultivating power; and (6) relatively large inputs ofcultivating power per unit area (Prunty, 1955, p. 440). At the time of Prunty's fieldwork, in the mid-1950s, a metamorphosis was occurring among these landholdings in the South. They were in transition from the share tenant and the sharecropper plantation type to what he termed the neoplanta- tion. One example ofthis occupance form is the Deltapine Plantations, headquar- tered in Scott, MS, approximately 15 miles north ofGreenville (Fig. 1). At the time of his research this landholding consisted of 16 operational units, each of them plantations in their own right. The purpose of his research on Deltapine was to
Target I.D. using natural resonances

The use of electromagnetic natural resonance as non-cooperative target recognition (NCTR) parameters is quite different from the conventional Doppler-based radar approach and is investigated for use in future radar systems. Natural resonance frequencies contained in a target's radar signature are determined by its structure and serve to identify the target. The physics of natural resonances are described, and natural resonance estimation is detailed. Real world implementation of natural resonance NCTR is discussed. >
Mesquite establishment in arid grasslands: an experimental investigation of the role of kangaroo rats

Kangaroo rats are thought to play a role in promoting the establishment of woody shrubs in arid grasslands by caching mesquite seeds. We examined this hypothesis experimentally by comparing mesquite establishment on plots from which kangaroo rats have been continuously removed for either 10 or 21 years to control plots with kangaroo rats present. Contrary to the above hypothesis, mesquite establishment was lowest on plots that contained kangaroo rats and highest on plots from which kangaroo rats have been absent for 21 years. We suggest that herbivory, either by kangaroo rats or lagomorphs, who were found to be more active on plots with kangaroo rats, more negatively affects mesquite seedling establishment than the potential positive effects of kangaroo rat seed-caching behavior in arid grasslands.
Farming as feedback control

This paper surveys a brief history of agriculture, demonstrating how advances in genetics, equipment, and management practices have resulted in the remarkable productivity experienced by today's agriculture industrial complex. We then show that progress in each of these areas is, in part, the result of new solutions to a feedback-control problem, whether it be for selective breeding, exploiting new sensor and actuation technology on a tractor or harvester, or using advanced crop and weather models to make better decisions about irrigation or pesticides. The paper concludes with an invitation for the controls community to explore the varied and important feedback-control problems in this area, emphasizing that sustainably feeding the exponentially growing global population, without harming the environment, will demand creative, careful thinking for years to come.
Expansion and tumour specific cytokine secretion of bryostatin-activated T-cells from cryopreserved axillary lymph nodes of breast cancer patients

Current adoptive immunotherapy strategies in cancer patients require large numbers of activated T-cells and are limited by the availability of autologous tumour. We describe a novel method of T-cell activation that produced relatively rapid, high-fold expansion of stored, frozen lymphocytes obtained from the lymph nodes of 20 breast cancer patients during axillary dissection but does not require autologous tumour. In vitro exposure of thawed cells to bryostatin-1 (B), a non-tumour promoting protein kinase C activator and ionomycin (I), a calcium ionophore, at day 0 followed by culture in low dose interleukin-2 (IL-2 20 units ml −1 ) and restimulation again on day 10 results in 269–28,206 fold (geometric mean=2254) expansion in cell numbers counted 17 days after initial stimulation. Analysis of cell surface markers revealed that B/I expanded human cells were predominantly T-cells (83–97%) and consisted of a mixture of CD8 + (46–74%) and CD4 + (4–30%) cells. Bill expanded cells did not lyse autologous tumour cells when tested in a 4-h 51 Cr release assay, but murine studies reported previously have demonstrated specific and curative in vivo efficacy in MCA-105 tumour-bearing mice despite an inability to lyse autologous tumour in vitro . B/I expanded T-cells from five of six patients secreted the cytokines tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) in response to co-culture with autologous tumour cells but not with irrelevant B/I expanded T-cells mediated specific, curative anti-tumour effects in vivo , and lay the groundwork for a clinical trial of this novel strategy for the adoptive immunotherapy of breast cancer patients.
Electron affinity of the guanine-cytosine base pair and structural perturbations upon anion formation.

The adiabatic electron affinity (AEA) for the Watson−Crick guanine−cytosine (GC) DNA base pair is predicted using a range of density functional methods with double- and triple-ζ plus polarization plus diffuse (DZP++ and TZ2P++) basis sets in an effort to bracket the true electron affinity. The methods used have been calibrated against a comprehensive tabulation of experimental electron affinities (Chem. Rev. 2002, 102, 231). Optimized structures for GC and the GC anion are compared to the neutral and anionic forms of the individual bases as well as Rich's 1976 X-ray structure for sodium guanylyl-3‘,5‘-cytidine nonahydrate, GpC·9H2O. Structural distortions and natural population (NPA) charge distributions of the GC anion indicate that the unpaired electron is localized primarily on the cytosine moiety. Unlike treatments using second-order perturbation theory (MP2), density functional theory consistently predicts a substantial positive adiabatic electron affinity for the GC pair (e.g., TZ2P++/B3LYP: +0.48 ...
Two Complimentary Methods For Aligning Linear Arrays

Two approaches are presented for implementing a simple method for aligning the object and image planes of linear arrays of elemental detectors. Both variants begin by firing a laser beam into cubic beamsplitters which change the direction of the resulting parallel beams to one perpendicular to the array. A neutral density filter is located along the beam path and an optical microscope is located beyond the exit plane of the beamsplitters. In the first variant, the beam is tuned to the spectral sensitivity of the elements. In the second version, a lens and a microscope are situated outside the exit plane of the beamsplitters, and spectral tuning is unnecessary. Subsequent rotations of the array are shown to reveal the coincidence or lack of coincidence of the image plane and the linear array.
Renegotiating Identity in Unscripted Territory: The Predicament of Queer Men in Heterosexual Marriages

Most queer men in mixed-orientation marriages initially expect to have a traditional, monogamous heterosexual marriage. When they later confront the conflict between their same-sex desires and their marriage, they reopen fundamental identity questions. These queer spouses share with other people who come out in adulthood the problems of renegotiating identity in adulthood and achieving a queer identity in a heteronormative culture. In addition, their attempt to reformulate adult identity is made problematic by the fact that they often cannot make sense of their experience in terms of dominant cultural scripts about love, desire, and commitment. Specifically, the essentialist script for understanding sexual desire and the monogamy script for understanding love and commitment put the queer man's straight marriage and his same-sex desires in contradiction: to have a coherent identity, one or the other must be denied. Queer spouses can overcome this contradiction by entering “unscripted territory” and constru...
Role of Chain Architecture in the Adhesion of Block Copolymers

We have used Johnson-Kendall-Roberts contact mechanics methodology to study the self-adhesion of block copolymers. The block copolymers studied contain building blocks that have different physical states as well as different dynamic characteristics. The polymers chosen are poly(styrene)-poly(isoprene) (PS-PI), poly(styrene)-poly(ethylethylene) (PS-PEE) diblocks and PS-PI-PS, PS-PEE-PS triblocks that have the tail and looped chain surface architectures, respectively. Our results for unloading of the diblock/triblock mixtures, where two surfaces are separated by decreasing the amount of compression, show a maximum in adhesion vs mixture composition when the contact time is short. For contact times longer than 30 min, only unloading of triblock-dominated mixtures shows considerable buildup of adhesion with time. The surface energies obtained from loading experiments do not show any detectable influence of chain architecture on the thermodynamic work of adhesion.
Peptide electroextraction for direct coupling of in-gel digests with capillary LC-MS/MS for protein identification and sequencing.

An electrophoretic method has been developed for the extraction of peptides following in-gel digests of SDS−PAGE separated proteins. During electroextraction, the peptides are trapped on a strong cation-exchange microcartridge, before analysis by capillary LC−ESI-tandem mass spectrometry. The spectra obtained by tandem mass spectrometry are searched directly against a protein database for identification of the protein from which the peptide originated. By minimizing surface exposure of the peptides during electroextraction, a reduction of the detection limits for protein identification is realized. The performance of the peptide electroextraction was compared directly with the standard extraction method for in-gel protein digests, using a standard dilution series of phosphorylase B and carbonic anhydrase, separated by SDS−PAGE. The lowest gel loading in which phosphorylase B was identified using the standard extraction method was 2.5 ng or 25 fmol, and the lowest gel loading in which phosphorylase B was i...
About the Linear Stability of the Spherically Symmetric Solution for the Equations of a Barotropic Viscous Fluid under the Influence of Self-Gravitation

This paper is concerned with the question of linear stability of motionless, spherically symmetric equilibrium states of viscous, barotropic, self-gravitating fluids. We prove the linear asymptotic stability of such equilibria with respect to perturbations which leave the angular momentum, momentum, mass and the position of the center of gravity unchanged. We also give some decay estimates for such perturbations, which we derive from resolvent estimates by means of analytic semigroup theory.
Recent progress in the development of capsule targets for the National Ignition Facility

The capsule targets for ignition experiments at the National Ignition Facility must meet very exacting requirements. Primary among them is an extremely high degree of symmetry at all length scales for the 2-mm-diameter 150-μm-walled capsule. At LLNL work is in progress to produce both polyimide and sputtered beryllium targets that meet these specifications. Both of these targets require a thin-walled spherical-shell plastic mandrel upon which the beryllium or polyimide ablator is deposited. In this paper we report on recent progress in developing NIF capsules that meet the demanding design requirements.
Effects of a new sterile product preparation and delivery process on operational efficiency and cost.

Purpose Process changes in a hospital pharmacy’s batch preparation of sterile products to reduce product and human resource waste are described. Summary The pharmacy information system and direct observation were used in the collection of data on the existing i.v. room process, which generated batches of drug products every 12 hours. The daily numbers of doses prepared and doses credited, the percentage of doses credited, the cost of wasted doses, and the number of pharmacy technician hours wasted in the process were recorded. After a change to every-4-hour batch preparation and a modification of the schedule for delivering products to nursing units, data were again collected to determine savings of waste and costs. Fewer doses were prepared daily in the new batch process. The percentage of doses credited daily decreased from 26% to 18%, and pharmacy technician workload decreased by 3.05 hours. The reductions in waste led to a projected annual product cost saving of $122,000 and a workload reduction of 0.5 technician full-time equivalent. Conclusion The implementation of a new i.v. room batch process improved operational efficiency by reducing the production of waste and led to a substantial projected annual cost saving.
Beam position monitoring in the 100-MHz to 500-MHz frequency range using the log-ratio technique

A logarithmic-ratio beam position monitor (BPM) circuit has been designed that operates directly from radio frequency signals in the 100-MHz to 500-MHz frequency range. The circuit uses four logarithmic amplifiers, a pair for each channel. One amplifier per channel receives its signal input directly from a BPM electrode, while the second amplifier receives the same signal attenuated by 7-dB. The two outputs of each channel are summed together and the composite video outputs are applied to a differencing amplifier. The net result is the logarithmic-ratio position measurement derived from the two input RF signals. Paralleling the pairs of outputs from the amplifiers provides measurement accuracy that is comparable to other circuit techniques used for position measurement. >
Making the boundaries clearer: revisiting information systems with fading boundaries.

Purpose: To address issues of importance in 1994 and what has happened in those issues. Methods: A number of questions and issues will be examined. Were we right in our focus at that time and what did we miss? What has happened that perhaps changed our perspectives and philosophies? Has the need changed? Is the model of fading boundaries a correct one, and how far have we gone in realizing a communication system in dealing with those boundaries? What progress have we made internationally on these issues? How are we working internationally to solve these problems? Results: The fifth working conference relating to hospital information systems (HIS) was held in Durham, North Carolina in August 1994. The Institute of Medicine publication The Computer-based Patient Record: An Essential Technology for Health Care had been published in 1991 and had begun influencing thinking and direction for clinical information systems. The difference between and relationship of HIS and Computer-based Patients Records was the topic of much discussion and debate. The 1994 conference strongly recognized the need for standards specifically for data exchange, unique patient identifier, data definitions and common clinical data sets and for clinical terminology. Interconnectivity and interoperability were identified as separate but related problems to be solved. Technology was not considered to be a barrier, and projections for bandwidth to meet data dissemination requirements were favorable. In the 7 years after the Durham conference, many things have changed dramatically. Progress has been made in a number of areas, and some of the projections have been realized. However, it is surprising to note what areas still remain problems, particularly noting what problems have been worked on without success and what problems have not even been addressed. It is interesting to speculate that if the Durham conference was repeated today, would it be accepted as a current event?
Photon Decay of Giant Resonances

We have determined the total gamma-decay probability, the ground-state gamma branching ratio, and the branching ratios to a number of low-lying states as a function of excitation energy in 208Pb to ~ 15 MeV. The total yield of ground-state E2 gamma radiation in 208Pb can only be understood if decay of compound states is considered. Other observations in 208Pb include the absence of a significant branch from the giant quadrupole resonance (GQR) to the low-lying collective states at 2.6 MeV and 4.08 MeV, and a strong branch to a 3- state at 4.97 MeV.
Asymptotic Multiuser Efficiency for 2-Stage Detectors in Awgn Channels

In the AWGN multiple-access channel with binary phase-shift keying modulation, the k/sup th/ user error probability for a given demodulator vanishes exponentially with the noise level as -n/sub k/ SNR/sub k/2, where n/sub k/ is the asymptotic multiuser efficiency (AME), and SNR/sub k/ is the received signal-to-background-noise ratio. Thus, the asymptotic multiuser efficiency is an attenuation of the error rate exponent for isolated transmission and maximum a posteriori demodulation, and provides a simple yet precise means of comparing multiuser receivers for sufficiently low noise levels. To date, this parameter is only known for the following receivers in the 2-user, asynchronous AWGN channel: the maximum likelihood sequence detector, the decorrelating detector, the linear MMSE detector, and the conventional detector. In this talk the asymptotic multiuser efficiencies for a class of detectors for the 2-user, asynchronous AWGN channel will be presented. This class may be loosely described as receivers which estimate and subtract multiple-access interference (MAI) by using tentative data decisions, and includes the two stage detectors with both conventional or decorrelated tentative decisions. The asymptotic multiuser efficiencies for this class of detectors clearly indicate regions for which a given user should avoid updating tentative decisions and suggest combinations of the above receivers to improve single-user performance. This technique applies to the AME of soft tentative decision strategies as well, and we demonstrate that the near-far resistance of two-stage detectors may be markedly improved using soft decision nonlinearities. Below we present an outline of the approach for conventional tentative decisions.
Detection of neutron-induced nuclear recoils in a low-pressure gaseous detector for particle dark matter searches

Recent neutron beam tests of a prototype detector to search for weakly interacting massive particles in the Galactic Halo are presented. The detector is an optically imaged time-projection chamber using various low-pressure gas mixtures. This technique potentially offers significant advantages for the detection of galactic dark matter in that it measures both the energy and direction of the nuclear recoil. In this paper we present measurements of ranges of neutron-induced nuclear recoils in different target gasses which are then used to determine the sensitivity of the device in a dark matter search. We also demonstrate the ability to accurately determine the direction of the recoil which can be used to discriminate signal from background using the expected diurnal modulation in the average recoil direction, which is unique to particle dark matter interactions.
The src Homology 3-Like Domain of the Diphtheria Toxin Repressor (DtxR) Modulates Repressor Activation through Interaction with the Ancillary Metal Ion-Binding Site

The diphtheria toxin repressor (DtxR) is a transition metal ion-activated repressor that acts as a global regulatory element in the control of iron-sensitive genes in Corynebacterium diphtheriae. We recently described (L. Sun, J. C. vanderSpek, and J. R. Murphy, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 95:14985-14990, 1998) the isolation and in vivo characterization of a hyperactive mutant of DtxR, DtxR(E175K), that appeared to be constitutively active. We demonstrate here that while DtxR(E175K) remains active in vivo in the presence of 300 μM 2,2′dipyridyl, the purified repressor is, in fact, dependent upon low levels of transition metal ion to transit from the inactive apo form to the active metal ion-bound form of the repressor. Binding studies using 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid suggest that the E175K mutation stabilizes an intermediate of the molten-globule form of the repressor, increasing exposure of hydrophobic residues to solvent. We demonstrate that the hyperactive DtxR(E175K) phenotype is dependent upon an intact ancillary metal ion-binding site (site 1) of the repressor. These observations support the hypothesis that metal ion binding in the ancillary site facilitates the conversion of the inactive apo-repressor to its active, operator-binding conformation. Furthermore, these results support the hypothesis that the C-terminal src homology 3-like domain of DtxR plays an active role in the modulation of repressor activity.
Predation and Scavenging by American Alligators on Whooping Cranes and Sandhill Cranes in Florida

Abstract We documented 15 cases of Grus americana (Whooping Crane) mortality in 6 Florida counties during 1997–2010 that may have been associated with Alligator mississippiensis (American Alligator; hereafter Alligator) predation or scavenging. In four cases, Whooping Crane remains were identified within Alligator mouths or stomachs. The latter is a first in the literature. Other cases were less conclusive but suggestive that Alligators were involved with predation or scavenging of Whooping Cranes. An Alligator was videotaped eating the eggs of G. canadensis pratensis (Florida Sandhill Crane), plus Alligators were implicated in the depredation of eggs from another Sandhill Crane nest and a Whooping Crane nest; the latter was the first record of Alligators depredating Whooping Crane eggs. All 4 populations of Whooping Cranes and 4 populations of Sandhill Cranes in the southeastern United States spend at least part of the year within the range of Alligators. To improve survival of cranes in areas where wate...
Immunochemical and Biologic Properties of Antibodies against Opioids

The preparation of antibodies against opioids has provided reagents for assay techniques which are more sensitive than existing procedures and which are potentially useful in basic studies of opioid p h a r m a c o l ~ y (1-8). W e have been interested in developing different species of opioid-reactive antisera and studying their different properties with the general purpose of developing immunochemical techniques for the study of opioid pharmacology. The studies to be described are divided into three broad areas, the first of which was the preparation of several semisynthetic opioid derivatives containing suitable reactive groups which would allow covalent attachment to protein carriers forming immunogenic hapten-protein conjugates. The second area was concerned with an investigation of the immunochem~cal reactivities of antibodies produced following immunization with such conjugates. The third area invoked a n investigation of some of the biological properties of the various antisera with respect to their effects on the pharmacological actions of opioids.
Effect of Modification of the NI Artificial Diet on the Biological Fitness Parameters of Mass Reared Western Tarnished Plant Bug, Lygus hesperus

The NI artificial diet is the only known successful diet for mass rearing the western tarnished plant bug, Lygus hesperus Knight (Hemiptera: Miridae). This diet has been used for more than a decade. However, because it contains cooked chicken egg, and thus requires laborious preparation (Cohen 2000), this diet is difficult to use. Three modifications (D1, D2, D3) of the NI diet were investigated in hopes of developing a more easily prepared diet that avoids the cooked egg and improves mass fitness parameters of L. hesperus. The modified D3 diet, containing autoclaved chicken egg yolk based component, had the highest egg/cage/day production (13120 ± 812 SE). This was significantly greater than diets D1, containing autoclaved dry chicken egg yolk based component (9027 ± 811 SE), D2, containing autoclaved chicken egg white based component (8311 ± 628 SE), and NI, which contained autoclaved chicken egg yolk + cooked egg diet (7890 ± 761 SE). Significant differences were observed in the weights of all developmental stages except for eggs and first instar nymphs. Higher rates of fertility, hatchability, and low mortality in nymphs during the first instar were also obtained in the modified D3 diet. The results clearly indicated that the D3 diet provided an opportunity to significantly reduce rearing cost by avoiding time-consuming issues with preparation of a cooked egg diet. This should result in an increase in production capacity and a reduction in production costs.
Peril and pleasure: an rdoc-inspired examination of threat responses and reward processing in anxiety and depression.

As a step toward addressing limitations in the current psychiatric diagnostic system, the National Institute of Mental Health recently developed the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) to stimulate integrative research—spanning self-report, behavior, neural circuitry, and molecular/genetic mechanisms—on core psychological processes implicated in mental illness. Here, we use the RDoC conceptualization to review research on threat responses, reward processing, and their interaction. The first section of the manuscript highlights the pivotal role of exaggerated threat responses—mediated by circuits connecting the frontal cortex, amygdala, and midbrain—in anxiety, and reviews data indicating that genotypic variation in the serotonin system is associated with hyperactivity in this circuitry, which elevates the risk for anxiety and mood disorders. In the second section, we describe mounting evidence linking anhedonic behavior to deficits in psychological functions that rely heavily on dopamine signaling, especially cost/benefit decision making and reward learning. The third section covers recent studies that document negative effects of acute threats and chronic stress on reward responses in humans. The mechanisms underlying such effects are unclear, but the fourth section reviews new optogenetic data in rodents indicating that GABAergic inhibition of midbrain dopamine neurons, driven by activation of the habenula, may play a fundamental role in stress-induced anhedonia. In addition to its basic scientific value, a better understanding of interactions between the neural systems that mediate threat and reward responses may offer relief from the burdensome condition of anxious depression. Depression and Anxiety 31:233– 249, 2014. C � 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effects of Writing About Emotions Versus Goals on Psychological and Physical Health Among Third-Year Medical Students

A randomized, controlled trial compared writing about emotional topics (EMO) to writing about goals as the "best possible self" (BPS; after King, 2001) and evaluated emotional approach coping, i.e., efforts to cope through processing and expressing emotion, as a moderator of writing effects on psychological and physical health in 64 third-year medical students. In participants with higher baseline hostility, the EMO condition was associated with less hostility at 3 months compared to the BPS and control conditions. Emotional processing (EP) and emotional expression (EE) moderated the effect of experimental condition on depressive symptoms at 3 months; high EP/EE participants reported fewer depressive symptoms in the EMO condition, whereas low EP/EE individuals reported fewer depressive symptoms in the BPS condition compared to the EMO and control conditions. A moderating effect of EP on physical health was also identified, such that low EP individuals who wrote about goals (BPS) had fewer health care visits at 3 months compared to low EP participants in the EMO and control conditions.
The Three-Dimensional Structure of Perturbation Kinetic Energy and Its Relationship to the Zonal Wind Field

Abstract We seek relationships between the perturbation kinetic energy (PKE), the zonal wind, and outgoing longwave radiation. It is found that the mean low-level PKE extratropical maxima are located at the “atmospheric centers of action” (e.g., the Aleutian and Iceland lows), which lie beneath the high-level PKE-maxima downstream of the westerly jet streams. As expected, this means that the PKE maxima in the middle latitudes are closely related to the propagating disturbances. In the tropics, however, the high-level PKE maxima and minima are located in the strongest upper tropospheric westerlies and easterlies, respectively, while the low-level PKE maxima and minima are located in the monsoon systems and the easterly trade winds, respectively. It is also found that the maxima and minima of the PKE in the middle latitudes, at least in the Northern Hemisphere, are in phase in the vertical but completely out of phase in the tropics. These features are closely linked to the structure of the zonal wind compon...
New Orleans: An Environmental History of Disaster

If Egypt is the gift of the Nile, similarly New Orleans and all southern Louisiana are the gifts of the Mississippi River. Without human interference, the river would continue to add to its vast, flat delta, flooding and shifting from one channel to another. The wetlands, along with grassy marshes, and the barrier islands formed further out on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico, formed insulation against hurricanes. New Orleans, a city that is largely below sea level, has been hit by a major hurricane every few decades, but the earlier ones tended to do less damage due to the protection they offered. Healthy ecosystems served as natural defenses. They were like speed bumps against storm surges. But much has disappeared and the rest is endangered, and the reason why can be explained by the environmental history of the region. Natural protection has been stripped away in large part by human projects.
The Confrontation Clause and Expert Testimony: Recent Developments in the Supreme Court and the New York State Court of Appeals

Crawford v. Washington promised an entirely new approach to the Confrontation Clause. Under the regime of Ohio v. Roberts, the scope of the Clause was essentially coterminous with the rule against hearsay. A nontestifying declarant’s out-ofcourt statements, including her written reports, were generally admissible in New York because of the state’s expansive view of the exceptions to the hearsay rule. Crawford, however, overruled Roberts and seemed to signal transformative change, because it explicitly severed the link between the Clause and the scope of the prohibition against hearsay. The decisive inquiry became whether an out-of-court hearsay statement is testimonial in character, rather than whether it is reliable. If a statement is testimonial, and is offered for its truth, its introduction is prohibited in the absence of an opportunity to cross-examine the declarant, regardless of its evidentiary admissibility. In deciding to abandon the Roberts approach, Justice Scalia’s opinion in Crawford condemned the Roberts Court’s willingness to “leave the Sixth Amendment’s protection to the vagaries of
Circulation times in the splanchnic and hepatic beds in alcoholic liver disease.

In 50 patients with alcoholic liver disease (ALD)—32 with cirrhosis (C) and 18 with cirrhosis and superimposed alcoholic hepatitis (AH)—and 9 normal subjects, splanchnic circulation times were studied by injecting a bolus of I131 serum albumin into the hepatic (HA), superior mesenteric (SMA), and splenic (SA) arteries while hepatic venous blood was withdrawn through a well scintillation counter. The appearance time (AT) and mean transit time (MTT) of albumin was calculated from the isotope dilution curves. In ALD, AT from HA, SMA and SA were significantly shorter than normal. Prehepatic AT, measured by subtracting HA AT from SMA and SA AT, also was significantly shorter in ALD than in normal subjects. MTT from HA and SMA was significantly shorter in ALD, whereas splenic MTT and splenic and mesenteric prehepatic MTT tended to be shorter but the difference from normal was not significant. In AH, hepatic MTT was significantly shorter than in C and hepatic blood flow was significantly higher in AH than in C. It is concluded that hepatic circulation time is usually reduced, and prehepatic circulation time frequently reduced in ALD. The shorter intrahepatic transit was most prominent in patients with alcoholic hepatitis and was due primarily to high hepatic blood flow. The shortened prehepatic circulation times in some patients with portal hypertension and a presumed increase in splanchnic blood volume suggests abnormally high flow in the mesenteric or splenic beds, much of which may be directed into porta-systemic collateral channels.