cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Where Did you Hear That?: Technology and the Social Organization of Gossip

What happens when gossip—one of the most traditionally intimate forms of communication—“goes public” on electronic bulletin boards? We explore how impersonal trust, generated by the mode of transmission and the social context in which it occurs, alters gossip in particular and observable ways. Drawing upon exchanges about the entertainment industry that are representative of gossip on electronic bulletin boards, we find that members draw upon a variety of resources that shift gossip's verifiability from reliance on intimate social bonds and assurances of truthfulness to overt negotiations that emphasize honesty. We also observe how status and power hierarchies surrounding information are influenced by negotiated honesty. We conclude with some observations about the impact of technologies on the nature of social bonds.
Discovery of Quinoline-Derived Trifluoromethyl Alcohols, Determination of Their in vivo Toxicity and Anticancer Activity in a Zebrafish Embryo Model

In this study the rational design, synthesis, and anticancer activity of quinoline-derived trifluoromethyl alcohols were evaluated. Members of this novel class of trifluoromethyl alcohols were identified as potent growth inhibitors in a zebrafish embryo model. Synthesis of these compounds was carried out with an sp(3) -C-H functionalization strategy of methyl quinolines with trifluoromethyl ketones. A zebrafish embryo model was also used to explore the toxicity of ethyl 4,4,4-trifluoro-3-hydroxy-3-(quinolin-2-ylmethyl)butanoate (1), 2-benzyl-1,1,1-trifluoro-3-(quinolin-2-yl)propan-2-ol (2), and trifluoro-3-(isoquinolin-1-yl)-2-(thiophen-2-yl)propan-2-ol (3). Compounds 2 and 3 were found to be more toxic than compound 1; apoptotic staining assays indicated that compound 3 causes increased cell death. In vitro cell proliferation assays showed that compound 2, with an LC50 value of 14.14 μm, has more potent anticancer activity than cisplatin. This novel class of inhibitors provides a new direction in the discovery of effective anticancer agents.
Long-term cloud change imprinted in seasonal cloud variation: More evidence of high climate sensitivity

The large spread of model equilibrium climate sensitivity (ECS) is mainly caused by the differences in the simulated marine boundary layer cloud (MBLC) radiative feedback. We examine the variations of MBLC fraction in response to the changes of sea surface temperature (SST) at seasonal and centennial time scales for 27 climate models that participated in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 3 and phase 5. We find that the intermodel spread in the seasonal variation of MBLC fraction with SST is strongly correlated with the intermodel spread in the centennial MBLC fraction change per degree of SST warming and that both are well correlated with ECS. Seven models that are consistent with the observed seasonal variation of MBLC fraction with SST at a rate −1.28 ± 0.56%/K all have ECS higher than the multimodel mean of 3.3 K yielding an ensemble-mean ECS of 3.9 K and a standard deviation of 0.45 K.
Mapping reusable software components onto the ARC parallel processor

It is shown how to map the components of a program onto the ARC (Architecture for Reusable Components) processor automatically in a way that exploits its features. Mapping consists of two phases. The first phase determines the maximum amount of parallelism attainable from a program in the model of parallel execution. This is done by mapping program components onto logical processors (of which there are an infinite number). The second phase maps the contents of the logical processors onto physical processors (of which there are a limited number). It is shown to (1) identify the distributable components, of the system, (2) determine the relevant relationships among the components, (3) model the maximum amount of parallelism attainable with the model of parallel execution used, and (4) use the information from steps 1-3 to map components onto the processor nodes of ARC. Previous related work is reviewed. >
Epoxidation and Deoxygenation of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes: Quantification of Epoxide Defects

Epoxidation of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) may be carried out by the reaction of SWNTs with either trifluorodimethyldioxirane or 3-chloroperoxybenzoic acid; the resulting O−SWNTs are spectroscopically similar to those formed by ozonolysis. Quantification of the epoxide substituents is possible through the catalytic de-epoxidation reaction using MeReO3/PPh3 and the 31P NMR spectroscopy. The de-epoxidation methodology may be used to determine that wet air oxidation is preferable to either acid or O2/SF6 purification. We have demonstrated that previously assumed “pure” SWNTs are actually “doped” to a level of at least 1 oxygen per 250 carbon atoms.
Computation of eigenpairs of Ax = γBx for vibrations of spinning deformable bodies☆

Abstract It is shown that, when linear theory is used, the general eigenvalue problem related with the free vibrations of spinning deformable bodies is of the type Ax = γ Bx , where A is Hermitian, and B is real positive definite. Since the order n of the matrices may be large, and A and B are banded or block banded, due to the economics of the numerical solution, one is interested in obtaining only those eigenvalues which fall within the frequency band of interest of the problem. The paper extends the well known method of bisections and iteration of Rn to n dimensional complex spaces, i.e. to Cn, so that it can be applied to the present problem.
Electroencephalographic detection of visual saliency of motion towards a practical brain-computer interface for video analysis

Though Electroencephalography (EEG)-based brain-computer interfaces (BCI) have come to outperform pure computer vision algorithms on difficult image triage tasks, none of these BCIs have leveraged the effects of motion on the human visual attention system. Here we consider the advantages of leveraging the effects of motion by testing a new method for EEG-based target detection using Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP) of short moving image clips. Comparatively, canonical methods present the operator with still images only. Our experiments show that presenting moving images in RSVP instead of still images significantly increases performance (p
Synthesis of isotopically labelled 1,1′‐thiobis (2‐chloroethane) and some related compounds

1,1′-Thiobis (2-hydroxyethane) has been synthesized isotopically labelled with sulphur-35, carbon-13 and deuterium. The conversion to 1,1′-thiobis (2-chloroethane) labelled with sulphur-35 and carbon-13 is described.
Rapid and reliable detection of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli by real-time multiplex PCR.

Escherichia coli O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145, and O157 are the predominant Shiga toxin–producing E. coli (STEC) serogroups implicated in outbreaks of human foodborne illness worldwide. The increasing prevalence of these pathogens has important public health implications. Beef products have been considered a main source of foodborne human STEC infections. Robust and sensitive methods for the detection and characterization of these pathogens are needed to determine prevalence and incidence of STEC in beef processing facilities and to improve food safety interventions aimed at eliminating STEC from the food supply. This study was conducted to develop Taqman real-time multiplex PCR assays for the screening and rapid detection of the predominant STEC serogroups associated with human illness. Three serogroup-specific assays targeted the O-antigen gene clusters of E. coli O26 (wzy), O103 (wzx), and O145 (wzx) in assay 1, O45 (wzy), O111 (manC), and O121 (wzx) in assay 2, and O157 (rfbE) in assay 3. The uidA...
The Length of the Upper Airway in Infants and Neonates A STUDY TO DETERMINE THE OPTIMAL LENGTH FOR ENDOTRACHEAL TUBES

The distances from the maxillary alveolar margin and external nares to the carina and the vocal folds were measured from chest roentgenograms in 77 patients weighing between 750 gm and 5000 gm. The tip of an endotracheal tube introduced 7 cm beyond the alveolar margin, or 8 cm beyond the external nares, would fall somewhere in the trachea in all patients in this series weighing between 800 gm and 4500 gm. The incidence of misplacement of endotracheal tubes is high (50% in this series). Introduction (or subsequent displacement) of the tube beyond 7 cm (if in the mouth) of 8 cm (if in the nose) should arouse suspicion of misplacement of the tube tip in the right mainstem bronchus.
Fiber-optic rotation of micro-scale structures enabled microfluidic actuation and self-scanning two-photon excitation

Here, we report non-restricted, controlled fiber optic rotation of micro-motor, in counter-propagating fiber-optic beams having transverse-offset, for actuation of microfluidic flow. Ray-optics based simulations of the torque (and angular velocity) were conducted for different fiber transverse-offsets in order to determine optimal geometry for effective actuation. Further, self-scanning two-photon excitation of the fiber-optically rotated microscopic object is achieved by use of an ultrafast laser beam in one of the fiber arm.
The Neurospora crassa dfg5 and dcw1 Genes Encode α-1,6-Mannanases That Function in the Incorporation of Glycoproteins into the Cell Wall

The covalent cross-linking of cell wall proteins into the cell wall glucan/chitin matrix is an important step in the biogenesis of the fungal cell wall. We demonstrate that the Neurospora crassa DFG5 (NCU03770) and DCW1 (NCU08127) enzymes function in vivo to cross-link glycoproteins into the cell wall. Mutants lacking DFG5 or DCW1 release slightly elevated levels of cell wall proteins into their growth medium. Mutants lacking both DFG5 and DCW1 have substantially reduced levels of cell wall proteins in their cell walls and release large amounts of known cell wall proteins into the medium. DFG5 and DCW1 are members of the GH76 family of glycosyl hydrolases, which have specificity to recognize and cleave α-1,6-mannans. A model for incorporation of glycoproteins into the cell wall through the α-1,6-mannan core of the N-linked galactomannan is presented. In this model, DFG5 and DCW1 recognize the N-linked galactomannan present on glycoproteins and cross-link it into the cell wall glucan/chitin matrix.
Beta decays of 25Na, 25Al and 29Al

Abstract The radioactivities 25 Na, 25 Al, and 29 Al were produced in the 23 Na(t, p) 25 Na, 24 Mg(d, n) 25 Al, and 27 Al(t, p) 29 Al reactions using a 3.5 MV Van de Graaff. γ-radiations were measured by means of a target-transfer system and a Ge(Li) detector with or without Compton suppression. Decay schemes derived for 25 Na and 29 Al are in general agreement with earlier results, but with improved accuracy of branching ratios and much sharper limits on the intensities of certain unobserved β- and γ-ray transitions. Precision measurements of the energies of principal γ-rays gave results in keV for the listed decaying bodies as follows: 25 Na − 1611.716(11); 25 Al − 1611.708(11); and 29 Al − 1273.361(9). The energy determinations of the 25 Mg 1612 keV γ-transition measured in the decays of 25 Na and 25 Al differ by 8 ± 9 eV.
Drosophila cortex and neuropile glia influence secondary axon tract growth, pathfinding, and fasciculation in the developing larval brain

Glial cells play important roles in the developing brain during axon fasciculation, growth cone guidance, and neuron survival. In the Drosophila brain, three main classes of glia have been identified including surface, cortex, and neuropile glia. While surface glia ensheaths the brain and is involved in the formation of the blood-brain-barrier and the control of neuroblast proliferation, the range of functions for cortex and neuropile glia is less well understood. In this study, we use the nirvana2-GAL4 driver to visualize the association of cortex and neuropile glia with axon tracts formed by different brain lineages and selectively eliminate these glial populations via induced apoptosis. The larval central brain consists of approximately 100 lineages. Each lineage forms a cohesive axon bundle, the secondary axon tract (SAT). While entering and traversing the brain neuropile, SATs interact in a characteristic way with glial cells. Some SATs are completely invested with glial processes; others show no particular association with glia, and most fall somewhere in between these extremes. Our results demonstrate that the elimination of glia results in abnormalities in SAT fasciculation and trajectory. The most prevalent phenotype is truncation or misguidance of axon tracts, or abnormal fasciculation of tracts that normally form separate pathways. Importantly, the degree of glial association with a given lineage is positively correlated with the severity of the phenotype resulting from glial ablation. Previous studies have focused on the embryonic nerve cord or adult-specific compartments to establish the role of glia. Our study provides, for the first time, an analysis of glial function in the brain during axon formation and growth in larval development.
Sensitivity-enhanced, common-mode-compensated Mach-Zehnder fiber-optic sensor circuit with electro-optic feedback.

A Mach–Zehnder fiber-optic sensor circuit incorporating an optical compensation circuit to reduce errors from common-mode perturbations and electro-optic feedback to enhance measurand sensitivity is proposed and demonstrated. Experimental results show that the phase bias and the feedback constant can be adjusted to yield an operating region with negligible sensitivity to common-mode perturbations and a measurand sensitivity an order of magnitude above that expected from an equivalent conventional Mach–Zehnder sensor, in good agreement with theory.
First Report of 1 Micron Spatial Resolution Chemical Imaging of a Zirconium Single Crystal by FT-NIR Microspectroscopy

This is the first report of 1 micron resolution chemical images of a Zirconium single crystal by FT-NIR Microspectroscopy. The FT-NIR spectra were obtained with a PerkinElmer SpectrumONE NTS spectrometer. The chemical images were obtained with a PerkinElmer Autoimage model FT-NIR microscope equipped with a very high sensitivity In /GaAs detector capable of precise measurements at ~10 ng, that was coupled to the SpectrumONE NTS FT-NIR spectrometer.
But i nEver Learned To Waltz: the "Real" and Imagined Education of a Courtesan in the Late Qing

This article illustrates the complex web of agency, voice, compliance, and resistance that men and women alike wove and unraveled in (re)presenting fictional and nonfictional versions of the education and the life-cycle of courtesans at the turn of last century. On the one hand, it shows how Chinese male novelists appropriate the long-standing cliche of the courtesan to expand (albeit in a limited way) and exoticize the horizons of female subjectivity. On the other hand, it reveals how, thanks to the explosive development of print culture begun in the late nineteenth century, the courtesan herself could step in to redefine those horizons and to problematize her role as a "modern" heroine.
RSVP: Ridiculously Scalable Video Playback on Clustered Tiled Displays

This paper introduces a distributed approach for playback of video content at resolutions of 4K (digital cinema) and well beyond. This approach is designed for scalable, high-resolution, multi-tile display environments, which are controlled by a cluster of machines, with each node driving one or multiple displays. A preparatory tiling pass separates the original video into a user definable n-by-m array of equally sized video tiles, each of which is individually compressed. By only reading and rendering the video tiles that correspond to a given node's viewpoint, the computation power required for video playback can be distributed over multiple machines, resulting in a highly scalable video playback system. This approach exploits the computational parallelism of the display cluster while only using minimal network resources in order to maintain software-level synchronization of the video playback. While network constraints limit the maximum resolution of other high-resolution video playback approaches, this algorithm is able to scale to video at resolutions of tens of millions of pixels and beyond. Furthermore the system allows for flexible control of the video characteristics, allowing content to be interactively reorganized while maintaining smooth playback. This approach scales well for concurrent playback of multiple videos and does not require any specialized video decoding hardware to achieve ultra-high resolution video playback.
From the Heliosphere to the Local Bubble-What Have We Learned?

The ISSI Workshop “From the Heliosphere to the Local Bubble” has brought together space physicists who work on the in-situ study of the interaction of the heliosphere with the surrounding circum-heliospheric interstellar medium (CHISM) and astrophysicists interested in the interstellar medium itself and in the wider neighborhood known as the Local Bubble. This paper contains a summary of the workshop except for the big picture presentations given at the last day. It contains highlights as viewed by the author and is organized to lead the reader from the heliosphere, via the immediate solar neighborhood into the Local Bubble, with the attempt of a brief outlook into the future.
Does Chronic Kidney Disease Affect Outcomes after Major Abdominal Surgery? Results from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program

The impact of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease on outcomes following major abdominal surgery is not well defined. The 2008 NSQIP database was queried to identify adult patients undergoing complex abdominal surgery (major colorectal, hepatobiliary, pancreatic, gastric, and esophageal operations). Thirty-day morbidity and mortality in patients on hemodialysis (HD) versus patients not on HD were compared. The impact of preoperative renal insufficiency, measured by glomerular filtration rate (GFR), on morbidity and mortality was then assessed in non-dialysis patients. Of 24,572 patients who underwent major abdominal operations, excluding emergency cases, only 149 (0.6 %) were on HD preoperatively. Thirty-day mortality in the HD group was 12.8 % compared to 1.8 % for those not on HD (p < 0.0001). Overall complication rate was 23.5 versus 12.3 % (p < 0.0001). In particular, rates of pneumonia (6.7 vs 3.0 %, p < 0.05) and sepsis (12.8 vs 5.3 %, p < 0.001) were higher in patients on HD. In patients not on HD, GFR was significantly predictive of postoperative mortality after controlling for age, gender, race, emergency status, and comorbidities. Compared to patients with normal preoperative kidney function (GFR, 75–90 ml/min/1.73 m2), even modest CKD (GFR, 45–60 ml/min/1.73 m2) was associated with increased postoperative mortality (odds ratio (OR), 1.62). With greater impairment in kidney function, postoperative mortality was even more marked (GFR, 30–45 ml/min/1.73 m2 and OR, 2.84; GFR, 15–30 ml/min/1.73 m2 and OR, 5.56). In addition, CKD was independently associated with increased postoperative complications. Any degree of preoperative kidney impairment, even mild asymptomatic disease, is associated with clinically significant increases in 30-day postoperative morbidity and mortality following major abdominal surgery.
Nitrate loss from soil in relation to temperature, carbon source and denitrifier populations.

Abstract Added nitrate did not disappear from two soils maintained under anerobiosis for 7 days at 1°C. Nitrate was reduced slowly at 7°C, and the rate increased with increasing temperature. The rate was markedly enhanced by glucose, but succinate and methanol were less stimulatory. Sewage effluent enhanced the rate to a small extent or inhibited the reduction. During the phase of rapid NO3− reduction, the population of denitrifying bacteria rose rapidly, but the cell density quickly declined as the rate of NO3− loss declined. From 1.8 to 8.4 pg of NO3−-N was reduced per denitrifying cell that proliferated during exponential NO3− reduction in soil. In culture, strains of Pseudomonas and Flavobacterium reduced 0.82–2.0 pg of NO3−-N per cell that appeared during exponential growth.
Uniform approximation of vector-valued functions

Uniform approximation of vector-valued functions is defined, together with analogs of extreme points and H-sets. Characterizations of best approximations are given in terms of these, and some applications are presented.
An electronic stimulus artifact suppressor.

Abstract A new method for abolishing unwanted stimulus artifacts is presented. A simple, inexpensive electronic stimulus artifact suppressor is described which can be used to reduce unwanted stimulus artifacts to any desired amplitude regardless of their magnitude, or of the number or configuration of stimulating or recording electrodes.
Simulation models for European corn borer postdiapause morphogenesis and early infestation of maize in Missouri, USA

The European corn borer is one of the most damaging insect pests to maize in the United States. Different methods exist for the estimation of time of damage to corn by first generation European corn borer. The most commonly used method is the linear thermal constant concept of phenology which by convention calculates cumulative thermal units from January 1 or another arbitrary date. Linear and nonlinear models based on the thermal units concept developed were to predict and simulate postdiapause development of the European corn borer and subsequent infestation of the maize crop using early spring temperatures (May 1–15) in central Missouri. The developmental rates of European corn borer were obtained from growth chamber investigations that simulated those temperatures, the operational temperatures being selected from a compilation of archival meteorological data from 1948 to 1989. The linear and polynomial regression models were developed to predict phenological stages of the European corn borer using thermal units as developmental rates. The models were compared against each other to determine the better predictor of estimation values: each explained 94 and 98% of the variation in developmental stages, respectively. In addition, the models were tested against independent field data and both models gave good predictions of developmental stages, indicating that either model would be a good predictor.
Hamiltonian adaptive control of spacecraft

A new approach to the accurate attitude tracking control of rigid spacecraft handling large loads of unknown mass properties is proposed. The method, based on the construction of a physically motivated Lyapunov-like function, is inspired by the adaptive robot control algorithm of J.J.E. Slotine and W. Li (Int. J. Robot. Res., vol.6, no.3, 1987), and presents similar advantages over techniques based on inverse dynamics in terms of simplicity, easier approach to robustness issues, and adaptive capabilities. The approach is illustrated in simulations. >
ON THE POLYGONAL MEMBRANE WITH A CIRCULAR CORE

The purpose of the present paper is two fold. First, we study in detail the asymptotic properties where the center core shrinks to a point,ie the membrane is pinned at the center. Second, we show that the point match method yields results that differ considerably from those of Laura et al. , especially when the fixed center core is large
High-frequency high-density converters for distributed power supply systems

The technical challenges of developing very-high-power-density power supplies operating of switching frequencies in the vicinity of 10 MHz are considered. Primary applications are in the computer, telecommunications, and automotive industries. It is shown that a successful development requires simultaneous considerations of topologies, materials, devices, control, electromagnetic interference, manufacturing, and packaging. Some results of work being done at MIT are presented, including a new integrated power MOSFET/driver, high-field frequency magnetic material characterizations, and high-frequency synchronous rectifiers. The design and performance of a 50-W 3.5-MHz converter is described. >
Interferon-γ Decreases Cell Surface Expression of Galactosyl Ceramide, the Receptor for HIV-1 GP120 on Human Colonic Epithelial Cells

HT-29-A7, a CD4-negative clonal derivative of the human colonic adenocarcinoma cell line HT-29, is particularly sensitive to infection by several isolates of HIV-1 and, correspondingly, expresses high amounts of galactosylceramide (galactocerebroside, GalCer). GalCer is a neutral glycolipid which binds to the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein gp120 and is present at abundant levels in normal human epithelial cells of the small and large intestine. Treatment of the HT-29-A7 cells with recombinant gamma-interferon (rlFN gamma) induced a dose-dependent inhibition of GalCer expression on the cell surface, as demonstrated by indirect immunofluorescence and by enzymatic labeling of cell surface glycoconjugates with oxidase-tritiated sodium borohydride. The rIFN gamma effect was not associated with any toxicity and was specific for GalCer, since expression of carcinoembryonic antigen did not decrease following treatment. The decrease in GalCer expression was associated with resistance of the cells to HIV-1 infection. In contrast, rIFN gamma did not alter cell surface expression of CD4, the classical HIV receptor, in HT-29-A7 cells that had been transduced with a retroviral vector expressing full-length CD4, and there was no effect on their infection. These results strongly suggest that rIFN gamma blocks HIV-1 infection of HT-29-A7 cells by decreasing GalCer synthesis and expression. This effect on expression of a viral receptor is a novel antiviral property of rIFN gamma which should be exploited for antiviral therapeutics.
Baer orderings with noninvariant valuation ring

We construct division algebras with involution containing a Baer ordering with noninvariant order ring. This gives a negative answer to a question of Holland, whether the order ring is always invariant under inner automorphisms. Furthermore, we give examples of any index. Previously, the only known examples of division algebras containing Baer orderings were of index 2 n or of indexp forp a prime of the form 4m + 3.
Interaction of ATP and lens alpha crystallin characterized by equilibrium binding studies and intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence spectroscopy

Abstract α-Crystallin, the most prevalent protein in vertebrate lenses, is a high molecular weight aggregate composed of αA and αB subunits. Evidence is presented that ATP, a major phosphorus metabolite of the lens binds to α-crystallin extracted from calf lenses. The following parameters were obtained from equilibrium binding studies conducted at 37°C: binding sites per 400 kDa aggregate = 10 and Ka = 8.1 · 103 M−1; and an essentially identical Ka of 7.84 · 103 M−1 and 22 binding sites were determined for a 850 kDa aggregate. The cooperativity parameter, all, approximates unity which denotes that the binding of ligand is at independent sites. Binding was not significant at 22°C and was absent at 4°C. The specificity of the binding site for ATP was established by intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence spectroscopy. In the presence of increasing concentrations of ATP (0.05–0.3 mM), tryptophan fluorescence decreases in a concentration dependent manner to a minimum at 0.2 mM above which there is a non-linear response. Quenching of fluorescence was not evident with Pi, AMP or ADP. GTP elicited a minimal quenching of fluorescence only at the highest concentration (0.30 mM). Modulation of both supramolecular organization and lens metabolism is predicted as a consequence of ATP/α-crystallin binding.
Change in ribosomal DNA intergenic spacer-length composition in maize recurrent selection populations. 1. Analysis of BS13, BSSS, and BSCB1.

Five different ribosomal DNA (rDNA) intergenic spacer-length variants (slvs) were detected among the maize inbreds which were the progenitors of Iowa Stiff Stalk Synthetic (BSSS). One rDNASstI restriction site polymorphism in the 3′ region of the 26S gene was detected. Nine different rDNA intergenic spacer (IGS) hybridization fragment patterns (assigned letter designations A-I) were observed among the BSSS progenitors. Following 7 cycles of half-sib recurrent selection in BSSS using the Ia13 double cross as a tester, hybridization fragment pattern E became predominant in the population. In contrast, 11 cycles of reciprocal recurrent selection in BSSS with the Iowa Corn Borer Synthetic No. 1 (BSCB1) population resulted in hybridization pattern D becoming predominant. Hybridization pattern E is present in the elite inbreds B14, B37, B73, and B84, which were derived from different cycles of the BSSS half-sib recurrent selection program with Ia13. Hybridization pattern D is present in the elite inbreds B89 and B94, which were derived from different cycles of the BSSS reciprocal recurrent selection program with BSCB1. Therefore, two different forms of recurrent selection on BSSS resulted in different hybridization patterns becoming predominant in the selected populations and present in elite inbreds derived from the populations. These results also suggest that rDNA IGS hybridization fragment patterns D and E, which both have the longest slv detected, may have a selective or adaptive advantage in BSSS materials grown in the Corn Belt.
The effect of subsidized family planning services on reproductive behavior in the United States, 1969–1974

This paper evaluates the impact of federally subsidized family planning programs in the United States, from 1969 to 1974, on the reproductive behavior of ever-married women, 15–44 years old. The study began with an experimental design and the random assigment of areas to treatment and control but was completed as a multivariate analysis, treating program input as an interval-scaled independent variable. Using “before” and “after” area sample surveys and patient service data from operating programs, the demographic impact of the program was estimated. The impact detected was nonsignificant; according to our analysis, overall use of physician-administered contraception was not affected by the subsidized programs. The only program-induced change of activity related to reproduction that we recorded was increased use of subsidized services in study areas with high program input and increased use of private physician services where program input was low. These findings need to be interpreted with the caution usually exercised in evaluating imperfect field experiments.
The production of externally measurable ammonia and urea in the snail, Lymnaea stagnalis jugularis say☆

Abstract 1. 1. Production of ammonia and urea by snails isolated singly for 24 hr at 25°C has been measured. In average values, snails weighing 225, 479, 1134 and 2480 mg (whole weight) have been found to produce 1·0, 1·2, 4·2 and 6·0 μmoles of ammonia respectively. Snails weighing 203, 479, 1134 and 2480 mg likewise produced 0·3, 0·4, 0·95 and 1·7 μmoles of urea in the same period. 2. 2. The rates of production (μmoles/g whole wt. per hr) of both ammonia and urea appear to be relatively constant over the approximate twelve-fold weight range indicated above (ammonia, 0·1–0·2 μmoles/g per hr; urea 0·03–0·06 μmole/g per hr.).
Experimental investigation of buried landmine detection using time division multiplexing of multibeam laser Doppler vibrometer channels

Producing vibration images of buried landmines using a multi-beam laser Doppler vibrometer (MB-LDV) operating from a stationary platform have been accomplished in the past. Detection from a continuously moving platform can reduce the time of detection compared to stop-and-stare measurement. However, there is a speed limitation, imposed by the required spatial and frequency resolution. NCPA proposed a concept of time division multiplexing (TDM) of laser beams of a MB-LDV to overcome that speed limitation. The system, based on 16-beam MB-LDV, has been built and experimentally tested at an Army test facility. Vibration velocity profiles of buried mines have been obtained at different system speeds. Algorithms for speckle noise reduction in continuously moving MB-LDV signals have been developed and explored. The results of the current data collection, recent past data collection as well as the results of the effectiveness of speckle noise reduction techniques are presented.
Consequences of host adaptation for performance of vesicular stomatitis virus in novel thermal environments

Although it is widely assumed that the selective advantage of niche specialization drives species biodiversity, some theory suggests that generalists are favored over specialists when environments change unexpectedly. But this idea is rarely tested empirically, and its relevance is unknown for microparasites such as RNA viruses. Due to their small genome sizes pleiotropy is not uncommon in RNA viruses. Therefore, the genetic architectures underlying generalist traits may be indirectly molded by selection to better prepare generalist organisms for growth in new environments. Previously, vesicular stomatitis viruses were evolved to specialize on a single host, or to generalize on multiple hosts. Here we test whether virus generalists arising in the context of host adaptation also perform differently than specialists when viruses grow at novel temperatures. We compared thermal reaction norms of performance, within and among groups of viral specialists and generalists. Results showed that host adaptation was consequential for some fitness traits at novel temperatures due to modification of pleiotropic viral genes. Contrary to theoretical predictions, host generalists were selectively disadvantaged at extreme cool and warm environments. Multi-host adaptation may compromise the evolved thermostability of viral proteins, creating a cost of host generalization when viruses replicate at extreme temperatures.
Sports Hypnosis in Practice: Scripts, Strategies, and Case Examples by J. Tramontana

This is a short, easy-to-read summary of the author's experience with sports hypnosis. It covers numerous basic applications of hypnosis, as well as their specific uses in a variety of different sp...
Chromosome analyses of 16 cases of Wilms tumor: different pattern in unfavorable histology.

Cytogenetic analyses of 16 cases of Wilms tumor with abnormal karyotypes were reviewed, 15 cases of unilateral tumor and 1 bilateral. Three tumors exhibited an unfavorable histology (i.e., anaplastic changes); the rest fell into the favorable histology group. Of the 17 tumors with abnormal clonal aberrations, 9 tumors were hyperdiploid (53%), 7 had pseudodiploid karyotypes (41%), and 1 was hypodiploid (6%). The most common numerical aberrations in descending order of frequency were gain of chromosomes 12, 8, and 6 and loss of chromosome 16. Structural rearrangements mostly involved chromosome 1, followed by chromosomes 7, 14, and 17. Clustering of breaks around 1p22∼p31→pter resulting in partial loss of 1p was the most frequent structural aberration. Additionally, i(7q) was observed as a sole abnormality in two tumors and a 7p translocation in two other tumors. Two other recurrent abnormalities were a partial deletion of 14q, seen in three tumors, and complete loss of chromosome 14 in one tumor. All three Wilms tumors with unfavorable histology had abnormalities of 17p, resulting in TP53 gene deletion. These findings provide further support for the importance of gains of chromosomes 12, 8, and 6 and loss of 1p in the development of Wilms tumor. The results also support the association of unfavorable-histology Wilms tumors with TP53 deletion. The nonrandom losses of 16/16q, 7p, and 14q may point to the importance of genomic imbalance in the pathogenetic consequences and progression of Wilms tumor.
Properties of an Alkaline Phosphatase from Sinclair Swine Melanoma

In Sinclair swine, there is an increase in alkaline phosphatase activity in spontaneously arising melanoma tumors when compared to normal skin. While alkaline phosphatase activity could be detected in melanomas from animals 1 day old, the maximum levels of alkaline phosphatase activity occurred in tumors from animals greater than 30 days old. The alkaline phosphatase was purified from cutaneous melanomas using chloroform precipitation, Phenyl-Sepharose chromatography, and concanavalin A Sepharose chromatography approximately 146-fold, with an overall recovery of 15%. The purified enzyme exhibited optimal activity over the pH range of 8.9–10.6. The apparent K m of the enzyme for p -nitrophenyl phosphate was 0.15 mM. The enzyme exhibited a relative mobility of 0.04 in nondenaturing polyacrylamide gels. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated by gel filtration chromatography to be 122,000 and it was composed of two identical subunits each having a molecular weight of 67,000. The enzyme was thermolabile at 56°C (T 50 , 18 min) and its activity was inhibited by L-homoarginine, levamisole, and vanadate, but not by L-phenylalanine or L-phenylalanylglycylglycine. These characteristics distinguished the enzyme from the intestinal isoenzyme that is found in normal swine skin but were similar to those exhibited by the porcine placental isoenzyme of alkaline phosphatase. These results suggest that the development of malignant melanoma in Sinclair swine is accompanied by the expression of a placental-like alkaline phosphatase activity.
The placenta in preterm birth

Rates of preterm birth range from 5% to 13% of deliveries in developed countries. About two-thirds of preterm deliveries are due to spontaneous onset of preterm labour or preterm premature rupture of membranes. Approximately one-third follow induction of labour or caesarean section performed for maternal or fetal indications such as preeclampsia, haemorrhage, non-reassuring fetal heart rate or intrauterine growth restriction. Thus, pathologists are frequently called on to evaluate preterm placentas, to determine the cause of the spontaneous preterm birth and/or correlate placental findings with the clinical history. This review provides pathologists with an overview of the recent clinical research in the pathogenesis of preterm birth and relates these to the correlative placental pathologies of the major causes of spontaneous preterm birth. A brief summary of the placental gross and histopathological findings in indicated preterm birth is also included.
Biologic and Immunologic Comparison of Nephritogenic and Nonnephritogenic Strains of Group A, M-Type 12 Streptococcus

Various biologic properties and certain physical and immunologic characteristics of acid-extracted M protein from nephritogenic and nonnephritogenic strains of group A, M-type 12 Streptococcus were studied. Assessments of colonial morphology, patterns of hemolysis, production of growth-inhibiting substances, resistance to antimicrobials, accumulation of starch, and M and T proteins failed to discriminate between strains isolated from patients with post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis and those from patients without this disease. In addition, two distinctly different forms of type 12 M protein were studied by the acrylamide gel electrophoresis technique. One pattern was characterized by a dominant double band with an R1 of 0.42, and the other pattern was distinguished by a proximal, densely stained, broad band. When the latter form of M protein was subjected to immunoelectrophoresis against absorbed type-specific antisera, an additional bidirectional precipitin arc was observed.
Hyperthermia and platinum complexes: Time between treatments and synergy in vitro and in vivo

To investigate the greatest therapeutic efficacy, we investigated the effect of scheduling on the cytotoxic interaction between hyperthermia and seven different platinum complexes in vitro and in vivo using the FSaII murine fibrosarcoma cells. Hyperthermia treatment (43°C, 1 h) was administered at various times relative to exposure of the cells to the IC90 (at 37°C, 1 h) of each platinum complex. Greater-than-additive killing of FSaII cells was obtained with cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II) (CDDP) and hyperthermia when the drug and heat exposure were overlapping or simultaneous. The same cell killing effect with carboplatin and hyperthermia resulted from heat exposure up to 5 h prior to, simultaneous with, or immediately after the drug exposure. D-Tetraplatin and K2PtCl4 were synergistic with hyperthermia only if the drug and heat exposure were simultaneous. PtCl4(Nile Blue)2 and hyperthermia produced greater-than-additive cell killing if the heat and drug exposure occurred in immediate sequence, simulta...
Fluorescent sensors for the basic metabolic panel enable measurement with a smart phone device over the physiological range

The advanced functionality of portable devices such as smart phones provides the necessary hardware to potentially perform complex diagnostic measurements in any setting. Recent research and development have utilized cameras and data acquisition properties of smart phones to create diagnostic approaches for a variety of diseases or pollutants. However, in concentration measurements, such as blood glucose, the performance of handheld diagnostic devices depends largely on the sensing mechanism. To expand measurements to multiple components, often necessary in medical tests, with a single diagnostic device, robust platform based sensors are needed. Here, we developed a suite of dual wavelength fluorescent sensors with response characteristics necessary to measure each component of a basic metabolic panel, a common clinical measurement. Furthermore, the response of these sensors could be measured with a simple optical setup to convert a smart phone into a fluorescence measurement instrument. This approach could be used as a mobile basic metabolic panel measurement system for point of care diagnostics.
Climate response of fossil fuel and biofuel soot, accounting for soot's feedback to snow and sea ice albedo and emissivity

[1] The first three-dimensional global model in which time-dependent spectral albedos and emissivities over snow and sea ice are predicted with a radiative transfer solution, rather than prescribed, is applied to study the climate response of fossil fuel plus biofuel black carbon plus organic matter (ff+bf BC+OM) when BC absorption in snow and sea ice is accounted for. The model treats the cycling of size-resolved BC+OM between emission and removal by dry deposition and precipitation from first principles. Particles produce and enter size-resolved clouds and precipitation by nucleation scavenging and aerosol-hydrometeor coagulation. Removal brings BC to the surface, where internally and externally mixed BC in snow and sea ice affects albedo and emissivity through radiative transfer. Climate response simulations were run with a ff+bf BC+OC emission inventory lower than that used in a previous study. The 10-year, globally averaged ff+bf BC+OM near-surface temperature response due to all feedbacks was about +0.27 K (+0.32 in the last 3 years), close to those from the previous study (5-year average of +0.3 K and fifth-year warming of +0.35 K) and its modeled range (+0.15 to +0.5 K) because warming due to soot absorption in snow and sea ice here (10-year average of +0.06 K with a modeled range of +0.03 to +0.11 K) offset reduced warming due to lower emission. BC was calculated to reduce snow and sea ice albedo by ∼0.4% in the global average and 1% in the Northern Hemisphere. The globally averaged modeled BC concentration in snow and sea ice was ∼5 ng/g; that in rainfall was ∼22 ng/g. About 98% of BC removal from the atmosphere was due to precipitation; the rest was due to dry deposition. The results here support previous findings that controlling ff+bf BC+OM and CO2 emission may slow global warming.
Sensor Calibration using In-Situ Celestial Observations to Estimate Bias in Space-Based Missile Tracking

The work presented here demonstrates a new methodology of using star observations and advanced nonlinear estimation algorithms to improve the ability of a space-based electro-optical (EO) tracking system to track targets in space. Nominally, the tracking system consists of two satellites flying in a lead-follower formation tracking a ballistic or space target. Each satellite is equipped with a narrow-view EO sensor that provides azimuth and elevation measurements to the target. The tracking problem is made more difficult due to a constant, nonvarying or slowly varying bias error present in each sensor's line of sight (LOS) measurements. The conventional sensor calibration process occurs prior to the start of the tracking process and does not account for subsequent changes in the sensor bias. This study develops a technique to estimate the sensor bias from celestial observations while simultaneously tracking the target. As stars are detected during the target tracking process, the instantaneous sensor pointing error can be calculated as the difference between a measurement of the celestial observation and the known position of the star. The system then utilizes a bias filter to estimate the bias value based on these measurements and correct the target line of sight measurements. After bias correction, we compare the ability of three advanced nonlinear state estimators to update the target state vector: a linearized Kalman filter (LKF); an extended Kalman filter (EKF); and an unscented Kalman filter (UKF). The bias correction-state estimation algorithm is validated with a number of scenarios that were created using The Satellite Toolkit (STK). The target position error resulting from the nonlinear estimation filters are compared to the Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) and a filter consistency check. The results of this research provide a potential solution to sensor calibration while simultaneously tracking a space target with a space-based sensor system.
5S ribosomal gene variation in the soybean and its progenitor

The soybean, Glycine max and its wild progenitor, Glycine soja, have been surveyed for repeat length variation for the nuclearly encoded 5S ribosomal RNA genes. There is little variation among the 33 accessions assayed, with a common repeat length of 345 bases being typical of both taxa. A 334 base size variant was encountered in individuals from two populations of G. soja from China. The low level of variability is in marked contrast to the variation observed within and between the species of the perennial subgenus Glycine.
An energy-efficient custom architecture for the SKA1-low central signal processor

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) will be the biggest radio telescope ever built, with unprecedented sensitivity, angular resolution, and survey speed. This paper explores the design of a custom architecture for the central signal processor (CSP) of the SKA1-Low, the SKA's aperture-array instrument consisting of 131,072 antennas. The SKA1-Low's antennas receive signals between 50 and 350 MHz. After digitization and preliminary processing, samples are moved to the CSP for further processing. In this work, we describe the challenges in building the CSP, and present a first quantitative study for the implementation of a custom hardware architecture for processing the main CSP algorithms. By taking advantage of emerging 3D-stacked-memory devices and by exploring the design space for a 14-nm implementation, we estimate a power consumption of 14.4 W for processing all channels of a sub-band and an energy efficiency at application level of up to 208 GFLOPS/W for our architecture.