cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Efficiency modeling of tuning techniques for silicon carrier injection ring resonators

Modeling of carrier injection ring resonator devices with common thermal tuning and a new dual-bias/thermal scheme reveals that the latter scheme offers ~50% improvement in power with small variations and close to 16X speed improvement.
K-hyperon production threshold phenomena

The energy dependence of pion proton scattering and K-meson hyperon production cross sections is studied on the basis of a simple model. It is found that the threshold effects can be big enough to be experimentally detectable for the purpose of determining relative hyperon and K-meson parities.
Complete interruption of the aortic arch in an adult associated with a dissecting aneurysm of the pulmonary artery.

Survival to the age of twenty-three years of a patient with complete interruption of the aortic arch is reported. Coexistent lesions included patent ductus arteriosus, ventricular septal defect, aberrant origin of the right subclavian artery and a bicuspid aortic valve. Death occurred from pericardial tamponade resulting from a dissecting aneurysm of the pulmonary artery. A hypothesis for the patient's long survival is offered, based on serial hemodynamic observations.
Diagnosis of total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage by Doppler color flow imaging

Over a 2.5-year period, 16 consecutive infants were prospectively diagnosed as having total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage. The sites of drainage were cardiac (to the coronary sinus) in four patients, supracardiac in nine, infracardiac in two and mixed in one patient. In every case, two-dimensional echocardiography with color flow imaging enabled complete and correct diagnosis of the sites of drainage and the presence or absence of pulmonary venous obstruction. The echocardiographic findings were verified at surgery or autopsy in all. Color flow imaging rapidly provided information about the direction and mean velocity of flow through abnormal vascular structures in any two-dimensional echocardiographic plane. It facilitated the acquisition of quantitative velocity information with standard Doppler ultrasound techniques by identifying areas of high velocity or turbulent flow and was invaluable in the assessment of anomalous pulmonary venous drainage occurring either as an isolated anomaly or in conjunction with complex intracardiac lesions.
Biogenesis of microbial transport systems: Evidence for coupled incorporation of newly synthesized lipids and proteins into membrane

Abstract The biogenesis of the independent β-galactoside and β-glueoside transport systems of Escherichia coli K12 has been studied using an unsaturated fatty acid auxotroph. The response of transport rate to temperature was determined for cells grown with different fatty acid supplements. A change in the slope of an Arrhenius plot for transport rate was obtained at transition temperatures unique for each of the five fatty acid supplements tested. Both of the transport systems studied here had identical transition temperatures when the cells were grown with the same fatty acid supplement, indicating that the transport temperature characteristics are determined primarily by the properties of the lipid phase of the membrane. The specification of the transport temperature profile by membrane lipid composition was exploited in the study of transport system biogenesis. When the auxotroph was grown, for example, in a medium supplemented with oleic acid and then shifted to growth in a medium supplemented with linoleic acid for a brief period of induction of the transport system, the effect of temperature on transport was characteristic of cells grown entirely in medium supplemented with linoleic acid. In contrast, when cells induced for transport in medium supplemented with oleic acid were subsequently shifted to medium supplemented with linoleic acid for up to one generation of growth, the transport temperature profile remained characteristic of cells grown entirely with the first fatty acid supplement. These and the accompanying data clearly indicate a preferential association of newly synthesized transport proteins with newly synthesized lipids.
New frontier in thin film epitaxy and nanostructured materials

Nanomaterials hold the key to the success of nanotechnology. This review starts with a new paradigm for thin film growth based upon matching of integral multiples of lattice planes across the film-substrate interface. This paradigm of domain matching epitaxy (DME) unifies small as well as large misfit systems utilising the concept of systematic domain variation. By controlling the kinetics of clustering and energetics of interfaces, it is possible to obtain nanoclusters of uniform size and create novel nanostructured materials by design, where relative orientation with respect to matrix can be controlled by DME. In nanostructured materials with unit dimensions 1?100 nm, science and processing challenges include self-assembly processing, control of interfacial atoms and energetics, quantum confinement issues, nanoscale structure-property correlations. In addition, metastability of interfaces should be controlled for reliability in manufacturing of nanosystems. This paper presents fundamentals of synthesis and processing of nanomaterials, role of interfaces, nanoscale characterisation to establish atomic structure-property correlations and modelling to create novel nanostructured structural, magnetic, photonic and electronic systems with unique and improved properties for next-generation systems with new functionality.
Synthesis and structure of the s-methylsulfenator bridged cation [η6-MeC6H5)Mo(μ-S(O)Me)(μ-SMe)3Mo(η6-MeC6H5)]2+

Abstract The novel S-methylsulfenato bridged cation [(η6-MeC6H5Mo(μ-S(O)Me)-(μ-SMe)3Mo(η6-MeC6H5]2+ has been synthesized by KMnO4 oxidation of the cation [(η6MeC6H5Mo(μ-SMe)4Mo(η6-MeC6H5)]2+ and characterized by IR, and 1H NMR spectroscopy.
Innovation and international trade in technology

Abstract The international market for technology is growing rapidly relative to world GDP. To study the international technology market, I present a model of innovation and international trade in which inventors auction their technology in both domestic and foreign markets. There is monopolistic competition in differentiated products. International trade in technology has number of significant economic effects. Technology trade improves the quality of innovation by increasing the pool of R&D experiments from which the best technology is chosen. Technology trade increases the efficiency of invention while at the same time lowering the total number of inventors relative to the equilibrium without technology trade. Technology trade increases the volume of trade in goods. Technology trade increases product variety at the market equilibrium. Technology trade increases national income in each country and increases total gains from trade.
Computing the skeleton of coronary arteries in cineangiograms

In this paper we describe techniques to determine the skeleton of coronary arteries and to measure their medically significant geometric properties (such as boundaries and orientations) in cineangiograms. We use these geometric properties for segmentation, i.e., for separating the image of the arteries from the background. The purpose of this segmentation is to produce a structural description of the arterial tree for high-level processing. Our technique is completely automatic, efficient, and reliable. Our technique starts with the detection of skeleton points from a local ridge detector using density profiles of the arteries. Local orientations of skeleton points are obtained directly from the ridge detection or from local edge directions. Boundaries of the arteries are computed from the density profile along a straight line perpendicular to the skeleton. From this, a sequential and raster-scan tracking procedure is applied to obtain segments of the arteries from two scanning directions. The final segments are generated by merging all the segments.
Blazing a new trail for nature

Could the army of green workers who transformed the US landscape inspire today's ecological revolution?
Portfolio Evaluation and Benchmark Selection: A Mathematical Programming Approach

This paper illustrates a new approach to evaluating portfolios in the context of multiple performance measures. The approach is based upon linear programming techniques and identifies the n-dimensional efficient portfolio frontier. An illustrative example with commodity trading advisor (CTA) returns shows that benchmarks can be identified for each individual portfolio.
Location, Location, Location: Alterations in the Functional Topography of Face- but not Object- or Place-Related Cortex in Adolescents with Autism

In autism, impairments in face processing are a relatively recent discovery, but have quickly become a widely accepted aspect of the behavioral profile. Only a handful of studies have investigated potential atypicalities in autism in the development of the neural substrates mediating face processing. High-functioning individuals with autism (HFA) and matched typically developing (TD) controls watched dynamic movie vignettes of faces, common objects, buildings, and scenes of navigation while undergoing an fMRI scan. With these data, we mapped the functional topography of category-selective activation for faces bilaterally in the fusiform gyrus, occipital face area, and posterior superior temporal sulcus. Additionally, we mapped category selective activation for objects in the lateral occipital area and for places in the parahippocampal place area in the two groups. Our findings do not indicate a generalized disruption in the development of the entire ventral visual pathway in autism. Instead, our results suggest that the functional topography of face-related cortex is selectively disrupted in autism and that this alteration is present in early adolescence. Furthermore, for those HFA adolescents who do exhibit face-selective activation, this activation tends to be located in traditionally object-related regions, which supports the hypothesis that perceptual processing of faces in autism may be more akin to the perceptual processing of common objects in TD individuals.
Mechanical strength of abalone nacre: Role of the soft organic layer

The nacreous portion of the abalone shell is composed of calcium carbonate crystals interleaved with layers of viscoelastic proteins. The resulting structure yields unique mechanical properties. In this study, we focus on the thin viscoelastic layers between the tiles and on their role on the mechanical properties of the shell. Both SEM and AFM show that the thin (approximately 30 nm) organic layer is porous, containing holes with diameter of approximately 50 nm. These holes enable the formation of mineral bridges between adjacent tile layers. The mineral bridges play a pivotal role in growth and ensure the maintenance of the same crystallographic relationship through tile growth in the 'terraced cone' mode. The existence of mineral bridges is consistent with the difference between tensile and compressive strength of the abalone. Mechanical tests with loading applied perpendicular to the plane of the organic layers reveal a tensile strength lower than 10 MPa, whereas the compressive strength is approximately 300-500 MPa. These nanoscale bridges have, by virtue of their dimensions (50 nm diameter x 30 nm length), a strength that reaches their theoretical value. The calculated tensile strength based on the theoretical strength predicts a bridge density of approximately 2.25/microm(2). A major conclusion of this investigation is that the role of the organic layer is primarily to subdivide the CaCO(3) matrix into platelets with thickness of 0.5 microm. Its intrinsic effect in providing a glue between adjacent tiles may not be significant.
Bovine estrogen receptor binds chromatin at pre-existing nuclease hypersensitive sites

Partially purified estrogen receptor prepared from heifer uterine cytosol, and labeled in vitro with tritiated estradiol, was used to locate receptor binding sites in target and non-target nuclei from various bovine tissues. Nuclei were digested to various extents with bovine pancreatic deoxyribonuclease I, micrococcal nuclease or endogenous nuclease and then assessed for their ability to bind charged estrogen receptor. After very brief digestion with DNAase I, such that only hypersensitive sites were cleaved, calf uterus nuclei were no longer able to bind estrogen receptor. Brief digests with micrococcal nuclease or endogenous nuclease, such that most DNA was still of polynucleosomal length, eliminated the binding ability of both calf and heifer uterus nuclei. These results suggest that estrogen receptor binds to pre-existing nuclease hypersensitive sites. Interestingly, nuclei digested by HaeIII restriction endonuclease, which cleaves at specific sequences, demonstrated no loss of labeled estrogen receptor binding, even though digestion products were of similar size to those obtained from nuclei after treatment with the other nucleases. Since nuclease hypersensitive sites occur in regulatory regions of actively transcribed genes, including estrogen-inducible genes, binding of estrogen receptor at these sites, in vivo, may be part of the mechanism by which transcription is induced.
A Comparative anatomical study of the mammalian uterotubal junction

Among eight species of mammals in this study (cattle, sheep, pig-tail and rhesus monkeys, rabbit, pig, rat, and dog) four basic patterns of anatomical structure at the uterotubal junction are described. The classification of types is based upon the presence or absence of an intramural portion of the oviduct and of isthmal folds or plicae projecting into the lumen of the uterine cornu. Histological variations are reported for three tissues: epithelial and connective of the mucosa and smooth muscle of the tunica muscularis. In the epithelium during the estrous cycle the differences recorded include: (a) absence of ciliated cells in the distal end of the oviduct in rat and dog; (b) variations in ciliated and nonciliated cells in (1) cell height, (2) location, shape and stainability of the nucleus, and (3) in amount and stainability of apical cytoplasm; (c) presence of lymphoblast-like cells which appear to migrate through the epithelium from the lamina propria. The connective tissue of the mucosa, as a circular layer and as cores for the mucosal folds, shows variations in thickness and in relative density of cells and fibers of the matrix. Emphasis is given to the presence of an inner longitudinal layer of smooth muscle in the tunica muscularis of the distal oviduct in six of the eight species.
Continuous-flow monitor system for detection of UV absorbance, 14C, and 3H in effluent of a column chromatogram.

Abstract A flow monitor system is described that permits a column chromatogram to be monitored at two or more wavelengths spectrophotometrically and for radioactivity of two different isotopes. Radioactivity is measured on part of the effluent, which is mixed with a dioxane-based scintillator for passage through a polyethylene coil flow cell in a dual-channel liquid scintillation flow monitor. An efficiency of up to 14% is obtainable for 3 H and 70% for 14 C.
The future of diagnostic testing in clinical psychology.

Originally published in JCLP, 2, 311–317 (1946). © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Psychol 56: 341–347, 2000.
Names, types, and distribution of neotropical species of Erythroxylum (Erythroxylaceae)

Abstract Names, types, and distribution of neotropical species of Erythroxylum (Erythroxylaceae). Brittonia 56: 1–53. 2004.—A list is provided of all 358 taxa of Erythroxylum described from the Neotropics through the year 2000, including type specimen citations, probable synonymy, geographic distribution, and designation of 41 new lectotypes and one new neotype. The list includes 187 accepted species, eight accepted varieties, 27 infraspecific names of uncertain status, and 136 synonyms. A searchable specimen database and type image archive may be accessed at .
Oral Versus Vaginal Sex Among Adolescents: Perceptions, Attitudes, and Behavior

Objective. Despite studies indicating that a significant proportion of adolescents are having oral sex, the focus of most empirical studies and inter- vention efforts concerning adolescent sexuality have focused on vaginal intercourse. This narrow focus has created a void in our understanding of adolescents' per- ceptions of oral sex. This study is the first to investigate adolescents' perceptions of the health, social, and emo- tional consequences associated with having oral sex as compared with vaginal sex, as well as whether adoles- cents view oral sex as more acceptable and more preva- lent than vaginal sex. Methods. Participants were 580 ethnically diverse ninth-grade adolescents (mean age: 14.54; 58% female) who participated in a longitudinal study on the relation- ship between risk and benefit perceptions and sexual activity. Participants completed a self-administered ques- tionnaire that inquired about their sexual experiences and percent chance of experiencing outcomes from, atti- tudes toward, and perceived prevalence of oral versus vaginal sex among adolescents. Results. More study participants reported having had oral sex (19.6%) than vaginal sex (13.5%), and more par- ticipants intended to have oral sex in the next 6 months (31.5%) than vaginal sex (26.3%). Adolescents evaluated oral sex as significantly less risky than vaginal sex on health, social, and emotional consequences. Adolescents also believed that oral sex is more acceptable than vagi- nal sex for adolescents their own age in both dating and nondating situations, oral sex is less of a threat to their values and beliefs, and more of their peers will have oral sex than vaginal sex in the near future. Conclusions. Given that adolescents perceive oral sex as less risky, more prevalent, and more acceptable than vaginal sex, it stands to reason that adolescents are more likely to engage in oral sex. It is important that health care providers and others who work with youths recog- nize adolescents' views about oral sex and broaden their clinical preventive services to include screening, coun- seling, and education about oral sex. Pediatrics 2005;115: 845-851; adolescent sexual behavior, risk perception, STDs, oral sex. ABBREVIATIONS. STI, sexually transmitted infection; ANOVA, analysis of variance.
Free Amino Acids in Dark- and White-muscle Fish as Determined by O-phthaldialdehyde Precolumn Derivatization

Free amino acids in fish reflect microbial spoilage, and are precursors of biogenic amines, factors of health concern and indicators of fish decomposition. The objective of this research was to quantify levels of free histidine, lysine, ornithine and glutamine, which may become originators of highly undesirable histamine, cadav- erine and putrescine in fish tissue. Liquid chromatography using o-phthaldialdehyde (OPA) pre-column derivatiza- tion, gradient elution and a C18 column were used for separation. Histidine was higher in white tissue of mahi-mahi and tuna than in red tissue. No significant difference in lysine levels was found between the two tissues of tuna. Glutamine and ornithine were higher in red tissue of mahi-mahi and tuna. Red snapper had higher levels of lysine than histidine.
Stretch-induced TRPC4 downregulation is accompanied by reduced capacitative Ca2+ entry in WKY but not SHR mesenteric smooth muscle cells.

Our previous work showed that a 6-hour cyclic stretch significantly decreases TRPC4 protein expression and capacitative Ca2+ entry in vascular smooth muscle cells from Sprague-Dawley rats. To parallel these studies, mesenteric smooth muscle cells from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and their normotensive controls, Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats, were subjected to stretch. TRPC4 protein expression was evaluated by Western blot and Ca2+ mobilization was measured using fura-2. As in Sprague-Dawley cells, a 6-hour stretch resulted in a significant down-regulation of TRPC4 protein in both SHR and WKY mesenteric smooth muscle cells. While WKY cells showed a stretch-induced decrease in Ca2+ dynamics to accompany the reduction in TRPC4 expression, mesenteric smooth muscle cells from SHR showed a stretch-induced increase in both the release of stored Ca2+ and capacitative Ca2+ entry. TRPC4 proteins may be working as store-operated channels in normotensive vascular smooth muscle cells and their down-regulation by s...
Improved disk-drive failure warnings

Improved methods are proposed for disk-drive failure prediction. The SMART (self monitoring and reporting technology) failure prediction system is currently implemented in disk-drives. Its purpose is to predict the near-term failure of an individual hard disk-drive, and issue a backup warning to prevent data loss. Two experimental tests of SMART show only moderate accuracy at low false-alarm rates. (A rate of 0.2% of total drives per year implies that 20% of drive returns would be good drives, relative to /spl ap/1% annual failure rate of drives). This requirement for very low false-alarm rates is well known in medical diagnostic tests for rare diseases, and methodology used there suggests ways to improve SMART. Two improved SMART algorithms are proposed. They use the SMART internal drive attribute measurements in present drives. The present warning-algorithm based on maximum error thresholds is replaced by distribution-free statistical hypothesis tests. These improved algorithms are computationally simple enough to be implemented in drive microprocessor firmware code. They require only integer sort operations to put several hundred attribute values in rank order. Some tens of these ranks are added up and the SMART warning is issued if the sum exceeds a prestored limit. These new algorithms were tested on 3744 drives of 2 models. They gave 3-4 times higher correct prediction accuracy than error thresholds on will-fail drives, at 0.2% false-alarm rate. The highest accuracies achievable are modest (40%-60%). Care was taken to test will-fail drive prediction accuracy on data independent of the algorithm design data. Additional work is needed to verify and apply these algorithms in actual drive design. They can also be useful in drive failure analysis engineering. It might be possible to screen drives in manufacturing using SMART attributes. Marginal drives might be detected before substantial final test time is invested in them, thereby decreasing manufacturing cost, and possibly decreasing overall field failure rates.
Mimicking the First Step of RNA Splicing: An Artificial DNA Enzyme Can Synthesize Branched RNA Using an Oligonucleotide Leaving Group as a 5'-Exon Analogue †

The 7S11 deoxyribozyme synthesizes 2',5'-branched RNA by mediating the nucleophilic attack of an internal 2'-hydroxyl group of one RNA substrate into the 5'-triphosphate of a second RNA substrate, with pyrophosphate as the leaving group. Here we comprehensively examined the role of the leaving group in the 7S11-catalyzed reaction by altering the 5'-phosphorylation state and the length of the second RNA substrate. When the leaving group is the less stabilized phosphate or hydroxide anion as provided by a 5'-diphosphate or 5'-monophosphate, the same 2',5'-branched product is formed as when pyrophosphate is the leaving group, but with an approximately 50- or approximately 1000-fold lower rate (Bronsted beta(LG) = -0.40). When the 5'-end of the RNA substrate that bears the leaving group is longer by one or more nucleotides, either the new 5'-terminal alpha-phosphate or the original alpha-phosphate can be attacked by the branch-site 2'-hydroxyl group; in the latter case, the leaving group is an oligonucleotide. The choice between these alpha-phosphate reaction sites is determined by the subtle balance between the length of the single-stranded 5'-extension and the stability of the leaving group. Because the branch-site adenosine is a bulged nucleotide flanked by Watson-Crick duplex regions, we earlier concluded that 7S11 structurally mimics the first step of natural RNA splicing. The observation of 7S11-catalyzed branch formation with an oligonucleotide leaving group strengthens this resemblance to natural RNA splicing, with the oligonucleotide playing the role of the 5'-exon in the first step. These findings reinforce the notion that splicing-related catalysis can be achieved by artificial nucleic acid enzymes that are much smaller than the spliceosome and group II introns.
Comparison of High Performance Liquid Chromatographic, Radiometric, and Lactobacillus casei Methods for the Determination of Folacin in Selected Foods

The results of reverse phase high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC), competitive binding radiometric, and Lactobacillus casei methods were compared for the determination of total folacin in raw cabbage, a fortified cereal, and a fortified infant formula. A cation exchange procedure was developed which permitted the analysis of cabbage folacin by reverse phase HPLC after hydrolysis of folacin polyglutamates with endogenous conjugase. Although general agreement was observed between assays for the cereal product, marked variation was found for cabbage and the infant formula. These results suggest that the accuracy of the radiometric and L. casei assays may be influenced by the distribution of folacin derivatives present and other sample components. Reverse phase HPLC provides a direct analysis which is not subject to such variability.
Supraventricular tachycardia induced by swallowing: A case report and review of the literature

A 64-year-old man who complained of palpitations brought on by swallowing was found to have short runs of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) induced by swallowing. Electrophysiology studies suggested that the SVT was an automatic atrial tachycardia. An esophageal manometric study demonstrated that the tachycardia was coincident with relaxation of the upper esophageal spincter and preceded peristaltic activity in the esophageal body. Atropine and bethanechol did not affect the swallow-induced tachycardia. The patient's symptoms were controlled by verapamil and quinidine. After five months, these medications were discontinued, with no recurrence of symptoms. Based on analysis of ten prior cases and the present case, it appears that swallow-induced SVT generally occurs in men between the ages of 45-75 years who have no evidence of structural heart disease or an esophageal disorder. The SVT is usually either a nonsustained automatic atrial tachycardia or atrial fibrillation. The mechanism is conjectural, but the most likely possibility is a vagally-mediated neural reflex, probably involving a neurotransmitter other than acetylcholine.
Pollutant Standards Index

Air quality indicators can take many different forms. The question that needs to be answered is: ‘Why are they needed?’. Indicators are needed to translate this environmental data into a form that is readily understood by decision-makers, as well as by laymen. In order to accomplish this, different indicators are proposed for different pollutants or combinations of pollutants. These air quality indicators can play an important communications role. Some of the questions that will be addressed in this entry are: Can an air quality index be misleading? Can it mask significant changes in pollutant trends? What information do you lose when you combine multiple pollutants into a single index? How do you deal with these problems? Does the solution lie in the development of multiple air quality indicators and indices? This entry will attempt to address these questions for daily air quality reporting and for the purposes of assessing air quality status and trends.
Discovering and Building Semantic Models of Web Sources

To achieve widespread use of the Semantic Web depends on having a critical mass of Web data available with semantic annotations. Since there are a huge number of sources available today without any such annotations, the challenge is how to find and build semantic models for these sources. In this talk I will describe an integrated end-to-end approach that automatically discovers information-producing web sources, invokes and extracts the data from these sources, builds semantic models of the sources, and validates the results by comparing the data produced by the source with the model of the source. These techniques are implemented in a system called DEIMOS, which integrates a diverse set of technologies to completely automate this task. DEIMOS starts with a "seed" source and finds other similar sources online using data from a social networking web site. Next the system learns how to invoke these sources through experimentation and then extracts data from these sources with automatic wrapping techniques. Finally, DEIMOS learns a semantic model of a source, which identifies the semantic types of the data produced by a source as well as the function that maps the inputs to the outputs. I will describe the challenges in integrating the component technologies into a unified approach to discovering, extracting and modeling new online sources. I will also present an evaluation of the integrated system on three different domains to demonstrate that it can automatically discover and model new Web sources.
Humans are more sensitive to the taste of linoleic and α-linolenic than oleic acid

Health concerns have led to recommendations to replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats. However, addition of unsaturated fatty acids may lead to changes in the way foods are perceived in the oral cavity. This study tested the taste sensitivity to and emulsion characteristics of oleic, linoleic, and α-linolenic acids. The hypothesis tested was that oral sensitivity to nonesterified fatty acids would increase with degree of unsaturation but that in vitro viscosities and particle sizes of these emulsions would not differ. Oral taste thresholds were obtained using the three-alternative, forced-choice, ascending method. Each participant was tested on each fat 7 times, for a total of 21 study visits, to account for learning effects. Viscosities were obtained for the blank solutions and all three emulsions. Results indicate lower oral thresholds to linoleic and α-linolenic than oleic acid. At higher shear rates, 5% oleic and linoleic acid were more viscous than other samples. More-dilute emulsions showed no significant differences in viscosity. Particle sizes of the emulsions increased very slightly with increasing unsaturation. Together, the emulsion characteristics and oral sensitivity data support a taste mechanism for nonesterified fatty acid detection.
Infectious Molecular Clones with the Nonhomologous Dimer Initiation Sequences Found in Different Subtypes of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Can Recombine and Initiate a Spreading Infection In Vitro

Recombinant forms of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) have been shown to be of major importance in the global AIDS pandemic. Viral RNA dimer formation mediated by the dimerization initiation sequence (DIS) is believed to be essential for viral genomic RNA packaging and therefore for RNA recombination. Here, we demonstrate that HIV-1 recombination and replication are not restricted by variant DIS loop sequences. Three DIS loop forms found among HIV-1 isolates, DIS (CG), DIS (TA), and DIS (TG), when introduced into deletion mutants of HIV-1 recombined efficiently, and the progeny virions replicated with comparable kinetics. A fourth DIS loop form, containing an artificial AAAAAA sequence disrupting the putative DIS loop-loop interactions [DIS (A6)], supported efficient recombination with DIS loop variants; however, DIS (A6) progeny virions exhibited a modest replication disadvantage in mixed cultures. Our studies indicate that the nonhomologous DIS sequences found in different HIV-1 subtypes are not a primary obstacle to intersubtype recombination.
Pref-1, a Preadipocyte Secreted Factor That Inhibits Adipogenesis

Preadipocyte factor 1 (Pref-1) belongs to the Notch/Delta/Serrate family of epidermal growth factor-like repeat-containing proteins. Pref-1 is highly expressed in 3T3-L1 cells but is extinguished during adipocyte differentiation. Pref-1 serves as an excellent marker for preadipocytes. Furthermore, Pref-1 is an inhibitor of adipogenesis. Constitutive expression of Pref-1 inhibits, whereas antisense Pref-1 enhances, 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation. We found that Pref-1 is synthesized as a transmembrane protein but processed to generate soluble forms, including a large 50-kDa soluble form and the small soluble forms. Furthermore, only the large soluble form, but not the small soluble or the transmembrane forms of Pref-1, is biologically active to inhibit adipogenesis. We recently elucidated that the 50-kDa soluble form of Pref-1 is released by an ADAM family member, tumor necrosis factor-alpha converting enzyme (ADMA 17). In vivo, mice lacking Pref-1 show accelerated fat deposition; conversely, mice overexpressing soluble Pref-1 in adipose tissue show a decrease in fat mass, reduced expression of adipocyte markers, and lower adipocyte-secreted factors. These findings clearly demonstrate the inhibitory effect of Pref-1 on adipogenesis in vivo.
Very long period conduit oscillations induced by rockfalls at Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii

[1] Eruptive activity at the summit of Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii, beginning in 2010 and continuing to the present time is characterized by transient outgassing bursts accompanied by very long period (VLP) seismic signals triggered by rockfalls from the vent walls impacting a lava lake in a pit within the Halemaumau pit crater. We use raw data recorded with an 11-station broadband network to model the source mechanism of signals accompanying two large rockfalls on 29 August 2012 and two smaller average rockfalls obtained by stacking over all events with similar waveforms to improve the signal-to-noise ratio. To determine the source centroid location and source mechanism, we minimize the residual error between data and synthetics calculated by the finite difference method for a point source embedded in a homogeneous medium that takes topography into account. We apply a new waveform inversion method that accounts for the contributions from both translation and tilt in horizontal seismograms through the use of Green's functions representing the seismometer response to translation and tilt ground motions. This method enables a robust description of the source mechanism over the period range 1–1000 s. The VLP signals associated with the rockfalls originate in a source region ∼1 km below the eastern perimeter of the Halemaumau pit crater. The observed waveforms are well explained by a simple volumetric source with geometry composed of two intersecting cracks including an east striking crack (dike) dipping 80° to the north, intersecting a north striking crack (another dike) dipping 65° to the east. Each rockfall is marked by a similar step-like inflation trailed by decaying oscillations of the volumetric source, attributed to the efficient coupling at the source centroid location of the pressure and momentum changes induced by the rock mass impacting the top of the lava column. Assuming a simple lumped parameter representation of the shallow magmatic system, the observed pressure and volume variations can be modeled with the following attributes: rockfall volume (200–4500 m3), length of magma column (120–210 m), diameter of pipe connecting the Halemaumau pit crater to the subjacent dike system (6 m), average thickness of the two underlying dikes (3–6 m), and effective magma viscosity (30–210 Pa s). Most rockfalls occur during episodes of sustained deflation of the Kilauea summit. The mass loss rate in the shallow magmatic system is estimated to be 1400–15,000 kg s−1 based on measurements of the temporal variation of VLP period in the two large rockfalls that occurred on 29 August 2012.
Preservice Elementary Teachers' Reflection on Narrative Images of Inquiry

Preservice elementary teachers face challenges in learning to teach science. Educative curriculum materials, designed to promote teacher learning, can provide support for overcoming these challenges. The educative curriculum materials used in this study provide narrative vignettes describing a teacher’s decision making with regard to lesson plans. As part of an elementary science methods course, 40 preservice teachers were asked to reflect on and respond to the narratives. Results suggest that descriptions of teaching situated in lesson plans can promote productive reflection for preservice teachers. This study informs the design of educative curriculum materials and elementary science teacher education experiences and helps improve the pedagogical content knowledge of elementary science teacher educators.
Improving Throughput for Grid Applications with Network Logistics

This work describes a technique for improving network performance in Grid environments that we refer to as "logistics." We demonstrate that by using storage and cooperative forwarding "in" the network, we can improve end to end throughput in many cases. Our approach uses TCP connections in series and offers performance benefits for high-bandwidth, high-latency networks. First, we examine the underlying causes of the logistical effect. Next, we present a graph based scheduling approach that can be solved quickly and, within our assumptions, optimally. Finally, we present a large-scale empirical evaluation of the system in order to validate our scheduling approach for taking advantage of network logistics. This study demonstrates performance improvement in many situations and aggregate speedup results are presented.
Influence of carbohydrate ingestion on salivary immunoglobulin A following resistance exercise

Background: Heavy exercise stresses immune function, however carbohydrate (CHO) supplementation has been shown to attenuate the decline in some measures of immune function after exercise. The purpose of the study was to investigate the impact of CHO supplementation on salivary immunoglobulin A (s-IgA) levels, interleukin 2 (IL-2), and interleukin 5 (IL-5), following an acute bout of resistance exercise (RE). Methods: Ten resistance trained male collegiate athletes (21±2 yr; 174±6 cm, 80±11kg, 14%±4% fat) performed RE consisting of four exercises (leg press, lat pull-downs, bench press, and leg curls). Volunteers performed four sets of 10 repetitions at 65% of 1-RM, with 2 min rest between sets for all exercises. Subjects consumed either CHO beverage (1 gkg -1 body weight) or placebo (P) prior to, during, and after RE (randomized, double blind design). Saliva and venous blood were collected pre-, post- and 90 min post-exercise. Results: No change occurred in s-IgA from rest relative to osmolality or as a secretion rate (p > 0.05). IL-2 levels were unchanged by exercise in both trials (time effect p = 0.342). IL-5 was significantly (time effect p = 0.04) decreased between rest (1.55 ± 0.07 pgml -1 ) and 90 min post-exercise (0.96 ± 0 .11 pgml -1 ), with no difference between treatments (group x time effect p = 0.610). There was no time-by-treatment interaction (p < 0.05) observed between CHO and P treatments for s-IgA or IL-5. Conclusion: IL-5 decreases after RE, but s-IgA and IL-2 levels remain stable. CHO ingestion prior to-, during or following RE did not appear to alter salivary immune responses.
Filling key gaps in population and community ecology

We propose research to fill key gaps in the areas of population and community ecology, based on a National Science Foundation workshop identifying funding priorities for the next 5-10 years. Our vision for the near future of ecology focuses on three core areas: predicting the strength and context-dependence of species interactions across multiple scales; identifying the importance of feedbacks from individual interactions to ecosystem dynam- ics; and linking pattern with process to understand species coexistence. We outline a combination of theory devel- opment and explicit, realistic tests of hypotheses needed to advance population and community ecology.
Electromagnetic gyrokinetic-ion drift-fluid-electron hybrid simulation

Progress on gyrokinetic-ion drift-fluid-electron hybrid simulation is reported. Simulation results are shown from a threedimensional toroidal electromagnetic simulation using field-line-following coordinates. It is found that for & 1:5% there is strong destabilization of Alfvenic ion-temperature-gradient (ITG) driven instabilities. Nonlinear results show a corresponding increase in the the ion heat flux. Secondly, we report very good parallel performance and near perfect scalability was shown on the Cray T3E and SGI O2K using a one-dimensional domain decomposition and digital filtering to handle the shift at the boundary along the magnetic field-line due to toroidal boundary conditions. Finally, we report recent results in the electrostatic limit, which explore a scheme to reduce the heat flux by adding a ripple to the ion temperature profile. Both self-generated and equilibriumEr shear flows are included for the first time. It may be possible to achieve similar results experimentally using ion cyclotron resonance heating. © 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Comparison of Quality of Service in Two Central Business Districts: Two-Fluid Model Approach in Texas

In 2003-2004, the City of Fort Worth, Texas, undertook an exercise to retime traffic signals, to convert several one-way streets to two-way streets, and to make significant changes to the land use in the downtown area. Those changes were expected to have a significant impact on the quality of service of the downtown street network. After an urban street network undergoes modifications of its control system or geometric configuration as in Fort Worth, there is a need to have quantifiable tools to perform before-and-after studies on network quality of service. The purpose of this study was to use the two-fluid model to compare network performance over time and after a recent major modification. In 1983 and 1994, the two-fluid model was calibrated for the Dallas and Arlington, Texas, networks. The model was then recalibrated for the two networks with data collected in 2003; this allowed comparisons of the quality of traffic service in these networks over a long time. To assess the changes in Fort Worth, a ne...
Ambient ionization for methane quantification in simulated Martian atmosphere using miniature inductively coupled plasmas

The fundamental importance of understanding the origins of life has encouraged searching for extra-terrestrial organic molecules. Methane (CH 4 ) is the simplest organic molecule and has been sought on Mars for many years1. Additionally, the recent developments in ambient ionization techniques enable the ionization of samples in their native environment, without sample preparation or separation, providing sensitive, selective, rapid, direct, and high throughput analysis technique for a wide range of compounds2. Interestingly, intrinsic conditions of the Martian atmosphere provide favorable conditions for the formation of plasmas at ambient conditions. The Martian atmosphere consists of 95.32% carbon dioxide, 2.7% nitrogen, 1.6% argon, and trace amounts of other constituents such as oxygen, carbon mono oxide, water vapor and methane. The atmospheric pressure on Mars varies from around ∼0.2 Torr on Olympus Mons's peak to over ∼8.7 Torr in the depths of Hellas Planitia, with a mean surface level pressure of ∼4.5 Torr.
Driving and detecting ferromagnetic resonance in insulators with the spin Hall effect

We demonstrate the generation and detection of spin-torque ferromagnetic resonance in $\text{Pt/}{\mathrm{Y}}_{3}{\mathrm{Fe}}_{5}{\mathrm{O}}_{12}$ (YIG) bilayers. A unique attribute of this system is that the spin Hall effect lies at the heart of both the generation and detection processes and no charge current is passing through the insulating magnetic layer. When the YIG undergoes resonance, a dc voltage is detected longitudinally along the Pt that can be described by two components. One is the mixing of the spin Hall magnetoresistance with the microwave current. The other results from spin pumping into the Pt being converted to a dc current through the inverse spin Hall effect. The voltage is measured with applied magnetic field directions that range from in plane to nearly perpendicular. When compared with theory, we find that the real and imaginary parts of the spin mixing conductance have out-of-plane angular dependences.
Determining Efficient Seasonal Grain Inventories: An Application of Quadratic Programming

The problem of managing seasonal grain inventories at farms and elevators is viewed here as a special case of the general problem of resource allocation under risk. The similarities between this problem and the stock portfolio problem treated by Markowitz are noted. By employing the concept of E,V efficiency we are able to apply a technique Markowitz developed for portfolio analysis to the seasonal grain inventory problem. The technique involves the use of quadratic programming to select combinations of grain storage activities and futures trading activities that minimize revenue variance for various levels of expected storage revenue. Solutions are presented for combinations of up to 20 activities involving the storage of three different grains in Michigan. The solutions illustrate that unhedged seasonal grain inventories and nondiversified inventories are inefficient relative to fully hedged diversified inventories.
How do Drug Courts Work

This presentation investigates the factors enhancing the success of drug courts through an empirical evaluation of drug court?s effects on desistance, focusing on three key criminological theories: deterrence theory, procedural justice theory, and life-course theory. Using a quasi-experimental sample of 1781 individuals across 23 courts and 6 comparison jurisdictions in 8 states, the presentation employs multiple structural equation modeling and path analysis to determine and contrast the effects of official supervision and sanctions, procedural justice, and substance abuse treatment on drug court participants and their efficacy in reducing substance abuse. The paper uses principal component analysis to indicate the most critical factors that facilitate compliance from drug court participants; this approach is intended to link criminological theory to practice, as well as to offer guidance on where efforts should be concentrated in the design of public policy.