cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The hemolymph proteins of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus. I. Hemocyanins and certain other major protein constituents.

Abstract 1. 1. Starch-gel electrophoresis revealed considerable qualitative and quantitative variation in the proteins of hemolymph samples from individual adult specimens of Callinectes sapidus . 2. 2. Partial separation of the hemolymoh proteins was achieved by continuous-flow paper curtain electrophoresis. 3. 3. Two hemocyanins, fast and slow, are not interconvertible. 4. 4. Removal of copper from isolated hemocyanins by dialysis against cyanide-containing buffers produced apohemocyanins with electrophoretic mobilities identical to those of the intact hemocyanins. 5. 5. Fast hemocyanin has a copper-protein ratio of 0·2:100 and dissociates at alkaline pH. 6. 6. Slow hemocyanin is found almost exclusively in hemolymph from females. 7. 7. Another female-limited protein is found only in those specimens with maturing oocytes; this yellow, high-density lipoprotein is apparently associated with vitellogenesis. 8. 8. A “complex” protein, extremely variable in quantity, binds 59 Fe and possesses amylase activity. 9. 9. A clotting protein is more abundant in serum than in plasma from the same animal. 10. 10. Species specificity of the electrophoretic patterns is confined to the characteristic mobility and dissociation of fast hemocyanin, the only protein found to be present in all samples of blue crab hemolymph.
The spinal pathway for shivering

Abstract Using ablation technics, it was possible to localize the shivering pathway in the spinal cord of cats in the middle third of the medial portion of the lateral column. This pathway is near but not coextensive with the bladder pathway. Locomotion is possible with only the anterior column and ventral half of lateral columns or with the lateral half of a lateral column intact. In such preparation voiding and shivering below the lesion do not occur. In other animals, lesions were placed in the region of decussation of the rubrospinal and tectospinal pathways. Shivering, voiding, and locomotion were not affected.
Balloon-assisted enteroscopy: technology and troubleshooting

Once peristalsis enabled the device to be propelled intothe jejunum, biopsy specimens could be obtained; how-ever, usage of the biopsy tube was cumbersome, so thetechnique was not widely adopted.Sonde enteroscopy was introduced in 1986, but it waseventually abandoned because it was labor intensive forthe gastroenterologist and uncomfortable for the patient.
Coordinate inhibition of expression of several genes for protein subunits of human nuclear RNase P

The deliberate inhibition of expression of one of the protein subunits (Rpp38) of human nuclear RNase P is achievable by using external guide sequence (EGS) technology. Both the protein product and the mRNA are greatly reduced 24 h after transient transfection with a gene coding for an appropriate EGS. Control experiments indicated that four other protein subunits of RNase P and their RNAs are also inhibited with no external manipulation. The remaining RNase P proteins, their mRNAs, and the RNA subunit of RNase P all are unchanged. Several short nucleotide sequences adjacent to the ORFs for the inhibited genes are similar and could be targets for transcriptional repression. The explanation of coordinate inhibition of the expression of the product of one particular gene by the transfection of an EGS (or RNA interference) requires some care in terms of interpreting phenotypic effects because, in our case, several gene products that are not targeted are also inhibited.
Surface energetics of freely suspended fluid molecular monolayer and multilayer smectic liquid crystal films

A study of the surface energetics of the thinnest substrate-free liquid films, fluid molecular monolayer and multilayer smectic liquid crystal films suspended in air, is reported. In films having monolayer and multilayer domains, the monolayer areas contract, contrary to predictions from the van der Waals disjoining pressure of thin uniform slabs. This discrepancy is accounted for by modeling the environmental asymmetry of the surface layers in multilayer films, leading to the possibility that preferential end-for-end polar ordering of the rod shaped molecules can reduce the surface energy of multilayers relative to that of the monolayer, which is inherently symmetric.
FIRST FOSSIL ORTHOPTERA FROM THE JURASSIC OF NORTH AMERICA

A new species of Orthoptera, Parapleurites morrisonensis, is described from the upper Jurassic Morrison Formation of Colorado, USA. This is the first insect described from the Morrison Formation and the first orthopteran described from the Jurassic of North America. No other members of the family Locustopsidae have been described in North America previously, and the other species of Parapleurites are only known from Siberia. The lack of Jurassic Orthoptera in North America is likely due to a combination of taphonomic variables and collector bias. The discovery of Parapleurites morrisonensis and the potential for finding other Jurassic Orthoptera are important to understanding the evolution of this diverse and widely distributed group.
Effects of Nitrogen Fertilization on the Phenolic Composition and Antioxidant Properties of Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)

Many herbs and spices have been shown to contain high levels of polyphenolic compounds with potent antioxidant properties. In the present study, we explore how nutrient availability, specifically nitrogen fertilization, affects the production of polyphenolic compounds in three cultivars (Dark Opal, Genovese, and Sweet Thai) of the culinary herb, basil (Ocimum basilicum L.). Nitrogen fertilization was found to have a significant effect on total phenolic levels in Dark Opal (p < 0.001) and Genovese (p < 0.001) basil with statistically higher phenolic contents observed when nutrient availability was limited at the lowest (0.1 mM) applied nitrogen treatment. Similarly, basil treated at the lowest nitrogen fertilization level generally contained significantly higher rosmarinic (p = 0.001) and caffeic (p = 0.001) acid concentrations than basil treated at other nitrogen levels. Nitrogen fertilization also affected antioxidant activity (p = 0.002) with basil treated at the highest applied nitrogen level, 5.0 mM, ...
Kinetics and Morphology of Homoepitaxial CVD Growth on Diamond (100) and (111)

Growth rates for homoepitaxy of diamond (100) and (111) by hot-filament chemical vapor deposition were measured via in situ Fizeau interferometry and the surface morphologies were subsequently characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM). (100)-oriented growth from 0.5% CH4 in H2 exhibited pure Arrhenius behavior, with an activation energy of 17±1 kcal/mol, up to a substrate temperature of 1100°C. Addition of oxygen to the feed gas resulted in an increased growth rate below 900°C, a maximum growth rate between 900 and 1000°C, and etching (of diamond) above 1050 - 1100°C. However, the presence of oxygen apparently had less effect on the surface morphology than did the (100)-to-(111) growth rate parameter α, determined directly from the relative growth rates of (100) and (111) substrates mounted side by side. During homoepitaxial growth from 0.5% CH4 in H2 at 875°C of ca. 1-micron-thick films, α was 2.2 without oxygen and 1.3 for growth with 0.14% O2. The (100) film grown with α = 2.2 was quite smooth, while that with α = 1.3 was covered by numerous hillocks and penetration twins. AFM analysis revealed surprisingly little difference between the (111) films despite the considerable difference in α. Implications of these results for the growth mechanism are discussed.
The Bible in African American Perspectives

This modified “note from the classroom” is a dialogue between two scholars about African American study of the Bible. Bellis introduces the subject by advocating the primacy of social location and the African American student's religious experience in the method that she uses in her classes. (Her sample bibliography, syllabus and course outline for teaching about the Bible in African American perspectives can be found on the Wabash Center web page: http://www.wabashcenter.wabash.edu.) Brown's response takes a different stance with regard to the relative importance for exegesis of historical-critical method and the reader's social location. While Bellis and Brown agree on the appeal that the King James Version holds for many African Americans (but for different reasons), their differing assessments of translations, the distinctiveness of African American interpretations, and the ethnicity of Biblical characters models a lively discussion of issues in teaching and learning.
Impact of self-heating on digital SOI and strained-silicon CMOS circuits

In this paper, we describe the worst-case drain current reduction due to self-heating in digital SOI CMOS circuits.
A Novel Promoter for Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor (flt-1) That Confers Endothelial-specific Gene Expression

The human transmembrane fms-like receptor tyrosine kinase Flt-1 is one of the receptors for vascular endothelial growth factor, a growth factor which induces endothelial proliferation and vascular permeability. Flt-1 is expressed specifically in endothelium and is likely to play a role in tumor angiogenesis and embryonic vascularization. To elucidate the molecular basis for the endothelial specific expression of Flt-1, the promoter region has been isolated and functionally characterized. The promoter region contains a TATA box, a GC-rich region, and putative transcription factor binding elements such as cAMP response element binding protein/activating transcription factor (CREB/ATF) and ets. Adenovirus-mediated transient expression of the flt-1 promoter/luciferase fusion gene in endothelial cells and other cell types demonstrated that a 1-kilobase fragment of the 5′-flanking region of flt-1 is involved in the endothelial-specific expression. A CREB/ATF element was found to be essential for basal transcription of the flt-1 expression. In addition, we also showed that the first intron negatively regulates flt-1 promoter activity. The flt-1 promoter will be useful in functional studies on the regulation of endothelial-specific gene expression and also as a tool in targeting the expression of exogenously introduced genes to the endothelium.
Cardiac amyloidosis in African Americans: comparison of clinical and laboratory features of transthyretin V122I amyloidosis and immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis.

Background Transthyretin (TTR) mutations known to cause cardiac amyloidosis include V122I, found almost exclusively in African Americans at a prevalence of 3-3.9%. This retrospective study describes TTR V122I-associated cardiac amyloid disease (ATTR) in a major amyloid referral clinic population. Methods Self-identified African Americans with amyloidosis (n = 156) were screened for TTR V122I by serum isoelectric focusing; mutant TTR was confirmed by DNA sequencing or mass spectrometry. Cardiac findings in ATTR V122I and immunoglobulin light chain (AL) amyloidoses were compared. Results TTR V122I was identified in 36/156 (23.1%) of evaluated patients and included 5 homozygotes; the allele frequency was 0.013. One compound heterozygote (F44L/V122I) and 4 patients who had AL and the mutant TTR allele were characterized. In patients negative for V122I, AL was the most frequent diagnosis (86/120). Cardiomyopathy was present in 100% of patients with ATTR and 84% of patients with AL (P = .01). In patients with dominant cardiac involvement, better survival occurred in ATTR (n = 30) compared to AL (n = 31), (27 vs 5 months, P Conclusions ATTR V122I and AL are equally prevalent as the cause of cardiomyopathy in African Americans referred for a diagnosis of amyloidosis. Available therapy for AL underscores the need for early and accurate determination of amyloid type.
Metabolic support of collecting duct transport

Metabolic support of collecting duct transport. The present studies address the metabolic processes that support the reabsorption of sodium and the secretion of bicarbonate in the interspersed but distinct principal and intercalated cells of the cortical collecting duct (CCD). In microperfused rabbit CCD, sodium reabsorption was measured by lumen-to-bath 22Na flux, and bicarbonate transport was assayed by microcalorimetry. Flux measurements were made before and after metabolic substrate changes or application of metabolic inhibitors. Both sodium reabsorption and bicarbonate secretion were dependent on oxidative metabolism (inhibited by antimycin A) and appeared to have no special dependence on glycolysis or the hexose-monophosphate shunt pathways. Endogenous substrates (in the absence of exogenous metabolic substrates) supported a small component of sodium transport; in contrast, bicarbonate reabsorption in the outer medullary collecting duct, which was studied for comparison, was fully supported by endogenous substrates. In the CCD, sodium reabsorption was supported best by a mixture of basolateral metabolic substrates (glucose and acetate, as a fatty acid), whereas bicarbonate secretion was fully supported by either glucose or acetate. Alanine, as a representative amino acid, was not an effective metabolic substrate. Another contrasting feature of the two transport processes was that bicarbonate secretion, and not sodium transport, was supported to some extent by luminal glucose. In sum, principal cells and intercalated cells differ not only in their morphology and function, but also in their metabolism.
Mass Spectrometric Evidence for the Existence of Distinct Modifications of Different Proteins by 2(E), 4(E)-Decadienal

2(E),4(E)-Decadienal (DDE), a lipid peroxidation product, was found to covalently modify Lys residues of different proteins by different reactions using mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS and LC-ESI-MS). DDE mainly formed Lys Schiff base adducts with cytochrome c and ribonuclease A at 10 min, but these reversibly formed adducts almost disappeared after 24 h. In contrast, β-lactoglobulin (β-LG) was highly modified by DDE after 24 h. In addition to the Lys Schiff base adducts, DDE formed novel Lys pyridinium adducts as well as Cys Michael adducts with β-LG.
Influence of Washing on Properties of Small Curd Cottage Cheese Made on the Pilot Scale

Abstract Unwashed and washed small curd cottage cheeses were produced by three-step washing treatments with deionized water adjusted to pH 4.5 and by cooling in whey, respectively, resulting in temperatures of about 35°C, 28°C, and 16°C after each step. Washed curd was firmer than unwashed curd and contained lower percent total solids and more casein. Washed and unwashed curds showed separate relationships between firmness and total solids but a common relationship for firmness versus casein content.
Good Times in America? Work Schedule Flexibility among U.S. Workers

This paper aims to discuss the importance of flexible working time arrangements in the United States (U.S.). Section I creates a framework to analyse the various dimensions of working time and their impacts. It examines the availability of flexitime and its potential costs and benefits to workers and employers. Section II describes the current distribution and differential access to flexitime by workers' demographic characteristics and by industry and occupational sector. Section III analyses these data to estimate the probability that workers with a given demographic or work characteristic have access to flexitime daily schedules. The fourth and final section discusses the implications of the findings. The empirical findings reveal that many workers are gaining flexibility in the timing of their daily work schedules, but access to flexible schedules remains uneven by characteristics of workers such as gender or race and by their jobs such as skill‐level, job status and hours status. Having flexible scheduling comes at the expense of working long average hours per week, or re‐locating to part‐time or self‐employment status or “unsocial” evening shifts. One implication of this is that a public policy aimed at flexible work hours for workers benefit must seek first to spread such flexibility to those who are currently not sharing it because of their occupation, industry or other personal or labour market characteristics.
The blasted pheasant.

Intracranial blast injuries in a pheasant found near a bomb crater were reported in 1941 and are reviewed here.
Relationship between DDE concentrations and laying sequence in eggs of two passerine species.

Passerine eggs make useful biomonitors of environmental pollutants. Among passerines, it is not known whether organochlorine contaminants in eggs within the same clutch are independent observations or follow a laying order effect. Intraclutch variation of DDE (1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis[(p-chlorophenyl)]ethylene) concentrations was studied in eggs collected from prothonotary warblers (Protonotaria citrea) and European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) nesting on National Priority List sites in lower Alabama and central Colorado, respectively. All 209 eggs collected for this study contained detectable levels of DDE. Mean concentration of DDE across all prothonotary warbler eggs (mean 8.71 μg/g ± 1.19, n = 20) was almost two orders of magnitude greater than mean concentrations of DDE in all starling eggs (mean 0.70 μg/g ± 0.06, n = 189). In both species, there was a large amount of variability among individual eggs of the same clutch and no significant relationship between laying order and DDE concentration. Variation among eggs laid in the same sequential order was high and effectively masked any potential trends in laying order effect. We hypothesized that the variability was caused by the spatial heterogeneity of DDE on our study sites, the nature of egg development within a female passerine, or a combination of these factors. Investigators focusing on lipophilic contaminants should exercise caution when making inferences about contaminant concentrations in an entire clutch of passerine eggs after the collection and analysis of a single egg because our data show that DDE levels in a single egg collected for analysis do not consistently reflect DDE levels in the eggs remaining in the nest.
Reaction of secondary alkyl halides with platinum(O) complexes. Some new five-coordinate platinum(II) complexes

Abstract The reactions of various secondary alkyl and benzyl halides with complexes of the type PtL n (where n = 3 or 4 and L is a phosphine) have been studied. Instead of the expected product of oxidative addition, only complexes of the type PtX 2 L 2 (X = Cl, Br or I) are isolated. A possible mechanism has been proposed and the order of reactivity for the alkyl halides and the various platinum(O) complexes used, is given. More-over, the formation of some new five-coordinate complexes, PtX 2 L 3 is observed and their importance in the mechanism of phosphine catalyzed isomerization of square-planar complexes PtX 2 L 2 is discussed.
{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1250\deff0\deflang1038\deflangfe1038\deftab708{\fonttbl{\f0\froman\fprq2\fcharset238{\*\fname Times New Roman;}Times New Roman CE;}}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\f0\fs24 Neutron activation analysis using Excel files and Canberra Genie-2000\par }

{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1250\deff0\deflang1038\deflangfe1038\deftab708{\fonttbl{\f0\froman\fprq2\fcharset238{\*\fname Times New Roman;}Times New Roman CE;}} \viewkind4\uc1\pard\f0\fs24 We have developed a method for analyzing neutron activated sample data by using Microsoft Excel as the analysis engine. A simple technique for inputting data is based on report files generated by Canberra’s Genie-2000 spectroscopy system but could be easily modified to support other vendors having report formats with consistent text placement. A batch program handles operating an automatic sample changer, acquiring the data, and analyzing the spectrum to create a report of the peak locations and net area. The entire report is then transferred to within an Excel spreadsheet as the source data for neutron activation analysis. Unique Excel templates have been designed, for example, to accommodate short-lived and long-lived isotopes. This process provides us with a largely integrated solution to NAA while providing the results in an industry standard spreadsheet format. This software is ideally suited for teaching and training purposes. \par }
Assembly of Sendai virus: M protein interacts with F and HN proteins and with the cytoplasmic tail and transmembrane domain of F protein.

Sendai virus matrix protein (M protein) is critically important for virus assembly and budding and is presumed to interact with viral glycoproteins on the outer side and viral nucleocapsid on the inner side. However, since M protein alone binds to lipid membranes, it has been difficult to demonstrate the specific interaction of M protein with HN or F protein, the Sendai viral glycoproteins. Using Triton X-100 (TX-100) detergent treatment of membrane fractions and flotation in sucrose gradients, we report that the membrane-bound M protein expressed alone or coexpressed with heterologous glycoprotein (influenza virus HA) was totally TX-100 soluble but the membrane-bound M protein coexpressed with HN or F protein either individually or together was predominantly detergent-resistant and floated to the top of the density gradient. Furthermore, both the cytoplasmic tail and the transmembrane domain of F protein facilitated binding of M protein to detergent-resistant membranes. Analysis of the membrane association of M protein in the early and late phases of the Sendai virus infectious cycle revealed that the interaction of M protein with mature glycoproteins that associated with the detergent-resistant lipid rafts was responsible for the detergent resistance of the membrane-bound M protein. Immunofluorescence analysis by confocal microscopy also demonstrated that in Sendai virus-infected cells, a fraction of M protein colocalized with F and HN proteins and that some M protein also became associated with the F and HN proteins while they were in transit to the plasma membrane via the exocytic pathway. These studies indicate that F and HN interact with M protein in the absence of any other viral proteins and that F associates with M protein via its cytoplasmic tail and transmembrane domain.
Transferability of kinetic inhibitors between laboratory and pilot plant

This work concerns the transferability of hydrate kinetic inhibition results between two small bench scale apparatuses and a pilot scale flow loop. Industrial use of hydrate kinetic inhibitors depends on the transferability of the results between the lab, pilot plant, and field. Experimental data are presented showing the transferability of hydrate kinetic inhibitor results between two bench scale apparatuses at the Colorado School of Mines (CSM) and an industrial pilot scale flow loop. The transferability was based in terms of the amount of subcooling observed for each apparatus. The kinetic inhibitors tested (PVCAP and VC-713) were discovered at CSM and shown to be economic alternatives to thermodynamic inhibitors such as methanol.
Factors of Employees’ Effective Voice in Corporate Goverance*

Traditionally, corporate governance has focused on the problem of crafting mechanisms to align the interests of owners and managers. The key characteristic has been to minimize the potential for managers to act in their own self-interest at the expense of shareholders. The purpose of this paper is to focus on employees as stakeholders in the governance process. We argue that creating an environment where employees have help in behaving ethically, in the course of their work, is the first step in encouraging them to voice observations of wrongdoing. Seven groups of professionals in the accounting and insurance fields were surveyed during a 10-year period and asked to indicate the extent to which 14 items were helpful in dealing with ethical challenges. Over 2700 responses were analyzed. The findings indicate that professionals think that their organizational culture and policy for voice was more helpful in dealing with ethical dilemmas than was their professional association.
Molecular basis for the binding of SH3 ligands with non-peptide elements identified by combinatorial synthesis.

Background: Protein-structure-based combinatorial chemistry has recently been used to discover several ligands containing non-peptide binding elements to the Src SH3 domain. The encoded library used has the form Cap-M1-M2-M3-PLPPLP, in which the Cap and Mi's are composed of a diverse set of organic monomers. The PLPPLP portion provided a structural bias directing the non-peptide fragment Cap-M1-M2-M3 to the SH3 specificity pocket. Fifteen ligands were selected from >1.1 million distinct compounds. The structural basis for selection was unknown. Results: The solution structures of the Src SH3 domain complexed with two ligands containing non-peptide elements selected from the library were determined by multidimensional NMR spectroscopy. The non-peptide moieties of the ligands interact with the specificity pocket of Src SH3 domain differently from peptides complexed with SH3 domains. Structural information about the ligands was used to design various homologs, whose affinities for the SH3 domain were measured. The results provide a structural basis for understanding the selection of a few optimal ligands from a large library. Conclusions: The cycle of protein-structure-based combinatorial chemistry followed by structure determination of the few highest affinity ligands provides a powerful new tool for the field of molecular recognition.
Hepatic mixed-function oxidase activity in mice treated with methylated benzenes and methylated naphthalenes.

Eight methylated benzene and five methylated naphthalene compounds were injected ip into adult male mice daily for 3 days. On the fourth day livers from control and treated mice were compared with regard to weight, microsomal N‐ and O‐demethylase activity, and various spectral characteristics of microsomal cytochrome PASO. Three methylated benzenes and one methylated naphthalene produced significant increases in liver weight/body weight ratios, O‐demethylation of p‐nitroanisole, N‐demethylation of aminopyrene, or a combination of these.
The relationship between genome size and synaptonemal complex length in higher plants

There appears to be only a weak correlation between genome size and the corresponding total length of a complete set of synaptonemal complexes (SCs) based on published evidence for several fungal, plant, and animal species. This result is unexpected, considering the strong positive correlations between genome size (DNA amount) and total chromosome length and volume and between relative lengths of chromosomes and SCs. Because the observed weak correlation was based on limited data, we systematically investigated the relationship between genome size and SC length, using ten higher plant species. Two-dimensional spreads of SCs from primary microsporocytes at pachytene were prepared using a hypotonic bursting technique. The SC spreads were examined either by light or electron microscopy, and the lengths of at least ten complete sets of SCs were measured for each of the ten species. Additionally, the genome size of each species was determined from pollen tetrad protoplasts using flow cytometry. A strong correlation (r = 0.97) between total SC length and genome size was observed for higher plants, indicating a constant amount of DNA is associated with a given length of SC, at least when averaged over the whole genome.
Cultural and Demographic Factors Influencing Noise Exposure Estimates From Use of Portable Listening Devices in an Urban Environment

Purpose This study examined listening levels and duration of portable listening devices (PLDs) used by people with diversity of ethnicity, education, music genre, and PLD manufacturer. The goal was...
A Systematic Approach to Predict Performance of Human–Automation Systems

This paper discusses an approach for predicting system performance resulting from humans and robots performing repetitive tasks in a collaborative manner. The methodology uses a systematic approach that incorporates the various effects of workload on human performance, and estimates resulting performance attributes derived between teleoperated and autonomous control of robotic systems. Performance is determined by incorporating capabilities of the human and robotic agent based on accomplishment of functional operations and effect of cognitive stress due to continuous operation by the human agent. This paper provides an overview of the prediction system and discusses its implementation on a simulated rendezvous/docking task.
A discrete-time charge-domain filter with bandwidth calibration for LTE application

A discrete-time charge-domain filter (CDF) with bandwidth calibration was proposed for LTE application. The CDF, based on feedback gain and delay, could suppress sinc distortion to achieve a like brick-wall filtering. Moreover, CDF with non-decimation and multi-stage topology could overcome the noise-folding issue and save chip area. The measurement showed that CDF performed a >59dB adjacent channel rejection (ACR), >85dB stop-band attenuation, and 5-to-26 MHz reconfigurable bandwidth. The chip also possessed 41dB conversion gain under 7mA current from a 1.2V power supply. The chip, including whole CDF and clock circuits, occupies 0.52mm2 in 65nm CMOS process.
A hybrid classifier approach for Web retrieved documents classification

The paper presents a hybrid technique for the classification of Web returned hits into concept hierarchies. The technique involves a combination of manual and automatic classifiers. At first, all Web returned documents are assigned to human defined categories using manual classifiers, and then automatic classifiers are used to generate a concept hierarchy for each of these categories. The results of the evaluation reveal the following: (a) for polysemous queries, our system is able to generate meaningful categories corresponding to (but not limited to), the different semantic facets of the queries; (b) as expected, for non-polysemous queries the system generates fewer categories; (c) the hierarchy precision of the concept hierarchies generated for polysemous queries is found to be significantly better when compared to the one obtained using a baseline system.
Signal constellations for quasi-orthogonal space-time block codes with full diversity

Space-time block codes (STBCs) from orthogonal designs proposed by Alamouti, and Tarokh-Jafarkhani-Calderbank have attracted considerable attention lately due to their fast maximum-likelihood (ML) decoding and full diversity. However, the maximum symbol transmission rate of an STBC from complex orthogonal designs for complex signals is only 3/4 for three and four transmit antennas, and it is difficult to construct complex orthogonal designs with rate higher than 1/2 for more than four transmit antennas. Recently, Jafarkhani, Tirkkonen-Boariu-Hottinen, and Papadias-Foschini proposed STBCs from quasi-orthogonal designs, where the orthogonality is relaxed to provide higher symbol transmission rates. With the quasi-orthogonal structure, the quasi-orthogonal STBCs still have a fast ML decoding, but do not have the full diversity. The performance of these codes is better than that of the codes from orthogonal designs at low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), but worse at high SNR. This is due to the fact that the slope of the performance curve depends on the diversity. It is desired to have the quasi-orthogonal STBCs with full diversity to ensure good performance at high SNR. In this paper, we achieve this goal by properly choosing the signal constellations. Specifically, we propose that half of the symbols in a quasi-orthogonal design are chosen from a signal constellation set A and the other half of them are chosen from a rotated constellation e/sup j/spl phi// A. The resulting STBCs can guarantee both full diversity and fast ML decoding. Moreover, we obtain the optimum selections of the rotation angles /spl phi/ for some commonly used signal constellations. Simulation results show that the proposed codes outperform the codes from orthogonal designs at both low and high SNRs.
Optical Amplification In Nanocrystalline Silicon Superlattices

The ever-increasing integration density and operating frequency of electronic chips is causing an electrical interconnect bottleneck to emerge [1]. Today, the overall performance of a multichip computing system is dominated by the limitations of the interconnections between chips and it is predicted that this problem will migrate to the single chip level after one decade. Interconnects are now the major bottleneck not only in terms of limiting performance, such as speed and signal integrity, but also in terms of power use and heat dissipation. Material innovations and traditional scaling will stop satisfying performance requirements when the feature size approaches 50 nm. Without a solution to the “interconnect problem,” the growth of the semiconductor industry may come to a halt. Finding a solution to this problem is at least as crucial as any breakthrough in individual device performance (e.g., silicon quantum dot transistors) or any revolutionary advance in computing architecture (e.g., quantum computing).
Time-Course of the Uterine Response to Estradiol-17β in Ovariectomized Ewes: Expression of Angiogenic Factors

Uterine expression of angiogenic factors (vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF] and basic fibroblast growth factor [bFGF]) was evaluated in ovariectomized ewes at 0, 2, 4, 8, 24, 48, or 72 h after estradiol (E2) treatment. Endometrial VEGF mRNA increased more than 5-fold from 0 to 4 h, remained elevated at 8 h, and then declined through 72 h after E2 treatment. In contrast, endometrial bFGF mRNA remained constant from 0 to 4 h, increased 2.2-fold from 4 to 8 h, remained elevated at 24 h, and then declined through 72 h. Immunostaining for VEGF was present in myometrial and endometrial microvessels (arterioles, venules, and/or capillaries) and also in myometrial smooth muscle; the pattern of VEGF immunostaining followed that of mRNA expression, being elevated at 4 and 8 h after E2 treatment. Immunostaining for bFGF was present exclusively in uterine glands; the pattern of bFGF immunostaining also followed that of its mRNA, being elevated at 8 and 24 h after E2. On the basis of these observations, we suggest that VEGF and bFGF are probably important factors responsible for the dramatic uterine microvascular response that occurs 8 to 24 h after E2 treatment in ovariectomized ewes.
Sex Differences in the Social Perception of Rape Victims

Two investigations were conducted to examine sex differ ences in the way rape victims are perceived. In the first study, 25 statements pertaining to rape were administered to a group of 111 female and 70 male undergraduates. Factor analysis of item ratings identified two factors: perceived causality and perceived severity of consequences. Comparisons of the items loading on each of the two factors revealed consistent sex differences in per ceived causality and no significant differences in perceived sev erity of consequences. In the second study, a role-played video tape interview between a presumed rape victim and a police officer was shown to 23 male and 24 female undergraduates. Subjects rated the victim on a series of scales thematically similar to the state ments used in the first study. Sex differences, consistent with the first study were found, with males viewing the victim as play ing a greater causal role in the rape episode than females.
Movement Protein of a Closterovirus Is a Type III Integral Transmembrane Protein Localized to the Endoplasmic Reticulum

Cell-to-cell movement of beet yellows closterovirus requires four structural proteins and a 6-kDa protein (p6) that is a conventional, nonstructural movement protein. Here we demonstrate that either virus infection or p6 overexpression results in association of p6 with the rough endoplasmic reticulum. The p6 protein possesses a single-span, transmembrane, N-terminal domain and a hydrophilic, C-terminal domain that is localized on the cytoplasmic face of the endoplasmic reticulum. In the infected cells, p6 forms a disulfide bridge via a cysteine residue located near the protein's N terminus. Mutagenic analyses indicated that each of the p6 domains, as well as protein dimerization, is essential for p6 function in virus movement.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1–Infected Persons with Residual Disease and Virus Reservoirs on Suppressive Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy Can Be Stratified into Relevant Virologic and Immunologic Subgroups

A significant percentage of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected persons treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) will develop plasma HIV-1-specific virion RNA levels <50 copies/mL. HIV-1-infected persons receiving virally suppressive HAART were studied with a viral outgrowth assay of the patients' peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), and a quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay was used to analyze HIV-1 2-long terminal repeat (2-LTR) circular DNA in PBMC, which indicates new HIV-1 infections of cells in vivo. Viral outgrowth in vitro correlated inversely with the level of peripheral blood CD4(+) T lymphocytes. Detection and quantitation of 2-LTR circular DNA correlated strongly with viral outgrowth patterns and inversely with CD4(+) T lymphocyte counts. Relevant subgroups of HIV-1-infected subjects on suppressive HAART with residual viral disease and reservoirs can now be stratified.
Three-Dimensional Visual Servo Control of a Magnetically Propelled Microscopic Bead

This paper presents the development of a visual servo control system that is capable of trapping and steering a microscopic magnetic bead in a 3-D workspace using a hexapole magnetic actuator. The magnetic actuator employs six sharp-tipped magnetic poles, arranged in a hexagonal configuration, and six actuating coils to achieve 3-D magnetic actuation. Real-time 3-D visual tracking is realized through processing video images acquired by a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) camera to achieve nanometer-scale resolution for particle tracking. A model-based nonlinear control law is developed to achieve two objectives: 1) to stabilize the magnetically propelled microscopic bead and control its Brownian motion and 2) to rapidly steer the microscopic bead within the 3-D workspace. Specifically, 3-D visual servo control of a 2.8-μm magnetic bead is employed to validate the capability of the developed control system. The control performances in terms of variance minimization, 100 nm stepping, and large range steering are experimentally demonstrated.
Response to sex hormones differs in atherosclerosis-susceptible and -resistant mice

Genetic factors that determine the degree of susceptibility to atherosclerosis may also influence the effects of estrogens and progestins in arterial vessel disease. We examined and compared estrog...
The More Food Young Adults Are Served, the More They Overeat

Young and Nestle suggested that the increase in the portion size of food products evident in the United States during the past 20 years may be responsible for the epidemic of overweight and obesity. They based their conclusion on statistical correlations. The purpose of the present study was to provide experimental evidence to support their proposal. Cornell undergraduate students were given access to a buffet lunch on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and were told this was a test of flavor enhancers. They were instructed to eat as much or as little as they wanted. On the same days of the following week, the subjects were divided into 3 groups. Each group was served either 100%, 125%, or 150% of the amount of food they had consumed the previous week. When larger amounts were served, significantly greater amounts of food were consumed. Each of the 4 foods that comprised the meal (soup, pasta, breadsticks, ice cream) increased significantly in proportion to the portion size. The data clearly support the hypothesis proposed by Young and Nestle and support the powerful role that environment plays in determining energy intake and potential increases in body weight.
Pioneers in Optics: Alexandre Edmond Becquerel and William Henry Bragg

Four successive generations of the Becquerel family were educated at the prestigious French scientific institution of higher learning, the Ecole Polytechnique, and became physics professors at the French Museum of Natural History. Alexandre Edmond Becquerel was the son of Antoine Cesar (1788– 1878), discoverer of piezoelectricity; father of Antoine Henri (1852– 1908), who discovered radioactivity; and the grandfather of Jean Antoine (1878–1953), who is best known for his work on relativity and the discovery of polarization rotation in the presence of a magnetic field. Though all of these notable scientists carried out a variety of experiments related to optics, it was Alexandre Edmond Becquerel who made the greatest contributions to the field.
Autoimmune type 2 diabetes mellitus and rational classification.

Scientific classification is a transitory construct, subject to alteration with each new level of discovery. Challenging existing classifications requires a thorough understanding of the basis of the classification, new information supporting reclassification (or renaming), and a reasonable expectation that clinical and scientific objectives and understanding will be enhanced. The classification of commonly seen diabetes mellitus (DM) has evolved in the past half-century from one based primarily on age of onset (juvenile versus adult onset) through principal form of therapy or risk of decompensation (insulindependent or ketosis prone versus non-insulindependent or ketosis resistant) to a taxonomy
Osmotically and thermally driven membrane processes for enhancement of water recovery in desalination processes

Osmotically-driven membrane processes, including forward osmosis (FO) and pressure retarded osmosis (PRO), are emerging technologies that have come under renewed interest and subjected to numerous investigations in recent years. In FO, water is extracted from a feed solution utilizing the high osmotic pressure of a concentrated draw solution (DS) that flows on the opposite side of an FO membrane; RO or a distillation process can be utilized to reconcentrate the DS for reuse in the FO process and to produce purified water. The main advantages of FO include operation at very low hydraulic pressures, high rejection of a broad range of contaminants, and lower membrane fouling propensity than in pressure-driven membrane processes. Existing and potential applications of the osmosis phenomenon extend from water treatment and food processing to power generation and novel methods for controlled drug release. While FO relies on osmotic pressure driving force to separate water from a feed streams, thermally driven membrane processes, such as membrane distillation (MD), rely on vapor pressure difference across a microporous hydrophobic membranes to facilitate separation of volatile solvent (water from salt solution) or volatile solutes from impaired feed streams. The vapor pressure gradient is usually achieved by maintaining temperature differ ence between a warm feed solution and a colder distillate that flow on the opposite side of the mem brane. In thermally-driven membrane processes, desalination and production of highly-purified water can be achieved in one step compared to osmotically-driven membrane processes, at much lower temperatures compared to distillation processes, and at much lower pressures compared to pressure-driven membrane processes. It can be most effectively and beneficially used when low-grade heat is readily available. Furthermore, compared to other membrane processes, in MD the salinity of the feed stream minimally affects the driving force for mass transport through the membrane; salts, even at high concentrations, only slightly reduce the partial vapor pressure of such feed streams. Thus, MD can be beneficially used to enhance water recovery in many desalination processes. In this paper, a brief review of the principles of FO and MD is provided. Special aspects of mass transport as well as the membranes used in the processes are discussed, and relevant results from recent studies are presented. Strengths and limitations of the FO and MD processes in a broad spectrum of applications are reviewed and discussed.
Iterative equalization and decoding for high-data-rate frequency-hop spread-spectrum communications

In this paper, a packet-level iterative equalization-and-decoding technique is evaluated for slow-frequency-hop spread-spectrum communications with Reed-Solomon coding. The receiver employs MAP equalization with priors during each iteration, and the soft equalizer outputs are used for bounded-distance successive-erasures decoding. Successful decoding of some R-S codewords of the packet in earlier iterations is used to update the priors for equalization in subsequent iterations. The performance of this iterative technique is compared with the performance of one-shot equalization and successive-erasures decoding, and both are compared with the performance of a system using MLSE equalization and the parity-bit method for erasure generation. The decoding complexity of each approach is also considered, and the effect of limits on the maximum decoding delay is examined.
Role of a Sodium-Dependent Symporter Homologue in the Thermosensitivity of β-Lactam Antibiotic Resistance and Cell Wall Composition in Staphylococcus aureus

Expression of high-level β-lactam resistance is known to be thermosensitive in many methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains, including strain COL, in which the high methicillin MIC for cultures grown at 37°C (800 μg/ml) was reduced to 12 μg/ml at 42°C. COL grew faster at 42°C than at 37°C and at the higher temperature produced cell walls of abnormal composition: there was an over-representation of the monomeric muropeptide without the oligoglycine chain and an increase in the representation of multimers that contained this wall component as the donor molecule. Screening of a Tn551 insertional library for mutants, in which the high and homogenous β-lactam antibiotic resistance of strain COL is retained at 42°C, identified mutant C245, which expressed high-level methicillin resistance and produced a cell wall of normal composition independent of the temperature. The Tn551 inactivated gene was found, by homology search, to encode for a sodium-dependent symporter, homologues of which are ubiquitous in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes. Inactivation of this putative symporter in several heteroresistant clinical MRSA isolates caused striking increases in the level of their β-lactam resistance.
Tunable two-wavelength mode locking of the CW dye laser

Tunable model-locked laser output is achieved at two wavelengths with a CW dye laser containing a rhodamine 6G and a cresyl violet jet. Rhodamine 6G is pumped by a mode-locked argon laser. Output pulses of 4-5 ps duration are obtained.