cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bone Collagen: New Clues to Its Mineralization Mechanism from Recessive Osteogenesis Imperfecta

Until 2006 the only mutations known to cause osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) were in the two genes coding for type I collagen chains. These dominant mutations affecting the expression or primary sequence of collagen α1(I) and α2(I) chains account for over 90% of OI cases. Since then a growing list of mutant genes causing the 5-10% of recessive cases has rapidly emerged. They include CRTAP, LEPRE1, and PPIB, which encode three proteins forming the prolyl 3-hydroxylase complex; PLOD2 and FKBP10, which encode, respectively, lysyl hydroxylase 2 and a foldase required for its activity in forming mature cross-links in bone collagen; SERPINH1, which encodes the collagen chaperone HSP47; SERPINF1, which encodes pigment epithelium-derived factor required for osteoid mineralization; and BMP1, which encodes the type I procollagen C-propeptidase. All cause fragile bone in infancy, which can include overmineralization or undermineralization defects as well as abnormal collagen posttranslational modifications. Consistently both dominant and recessive variants lead to abnormal cross-linking chemistry in bone collagen. These recent discoveries strengthen the potential for a common pathogenic mechanism of misassembled collagen fibrils. Of the new genes identified, eight encode proteins required for collagen posttranslational modification, chaperoning of newly synthesized collagen chains into native molecules, or transport through the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi for polymerization, cross-linking, and mineralization. In reviewing these findings, we conclude that a common theme is emerging in the pathogenesis of brittle bone disease of mishandled collagen assembly with important insights on posttranslational features of bone collagen that have evolved to optimize it as a biomineral template.
Testing Complementarity With Quantum Entangled Photons

Entangled photons are used to explore complementarity, with one sent through a double-slit without direct observation and the second used to indirectly determine the which-slit information of the first photon.
Nonlinear effects in the unsteady flow of viscoelastic fluids

It has long been recognized that interesting features of viscoelastic materials can be revealed through study of the response of such materials to unsteady inputs. Indeed, most of the early work dealing with measurement of viscoelastic properties consisted of a study of the response of specimens to imposition of small-amplitude oscillatory stress or strain (1). Though much of the early work dealt with viscoelastic polymer solids, oscillatory testing has been extended to liquids, and there is now an extensive literature on the subject [see, for example, (2–5)]. However, by far the greatest interest to date has been in analyses and experiments which are restricted to a linear relation between input (for example, strain or strain rate) and output (for example, stress). This is the province of linear viscoelasticity, a subject which is now well developed and which has been quite successful for study of solid-like materials. Linear theory is insufficient, however, for characterization of many situations involving flow of liquid-like polymer melts, polymer solutions, and suspensions.
Between Literature and Science: Inscribing Zora Neale Hurston's Mules and Men in the Post-human Condition

Intrigued by the influence of technology on or in literature as well as the ways of which the posthuman body subverts the existing social constructs of race, gender, and culture, this paper appropriates the Foucauldian concept of “technologies of the self” to investigate the narrating “I/eye” in Zora Neale Hurston’s Mules and Men. I flesh out how Hurston’s new “cyborg” identity, along with the idea of performativity—particularly in relation to her manipulation of the genre of autoethnography—resists the dominant constructs of race, gender and culture. Through a re-examination of these major moments of transformations of knowledge/power in Hurston’s Mules and Men through the lens of cyborg feminism, my ultimate goal is to offer a new connection between science and literature. When Zora Neale Hurston introduces her 1935 autoethnographical work Mules and Men to her readers, she immediately calls our attention to the gap between the old Zora and the new Zora: When I pitched headforemost into the world I landed in the crib of negroism. From the earliest rocking of my cradle, I had known about the capers Brer Rabbit is apt to cut and what the Squinch Owl says from the house top. But it was fitting me like a tight chemise. I couldn’t see it for wearing it. It was only when I was off in college, away from my native surroundings, that I could see myself like somebody else and stand off and look at my garment. Then I had to have the spy-glass of Anthropology to look through at that (Hurston 3). Here Hurston emphasizes the difference between her naive internalization of the African American folklore cultures in her childhood and her scientific approach to them after her college education. “The spy-glass of Anthropology [looking] through” implies that, far from being a passive transcriber of the Black folklores, Hurston has to recollect the “garment” that she has thrown away in order to see what she used to cover herself. Mules and Men unobtrusively functions as a vehicle of Hurston’s own anthropological theory. When gazing upon those fabrics of “big old lies,” what Hurston sees is no laughing matter—they are of power struggles, wrestling forces, and survival strategies used by her own people in her own times in order to live. A “life” is abbreviated into a “lie.” The narrating Zora, however, is not simply an outsider looking in. What complicates her role in her auto/ethnography is her being an outsider from the inside, attempting to be an insider again. What separates her from other true insiders is the “spy-glass” of many new technologies registered on her body. My primary concern is the influence of technology on or in literature and 1 Lin: Inscribing Hurston’s Mules and Men in the Post-human Condition
A case study of early event representation development

Abstract The purpose of this study was to describe the emergence and early development of event knowledge in a very young child. The results of two methodologies—a diary study and an experiment-were combined in a case study of one toddler's memory for making cookies. Questions about contextual control of event memory, combination of event experiences in memory, and the relationship between event representation and object category representation were addressed. The data indicated that development of an event representation for making cookies was rapid. This representation permitted memory retrieval even outside of the event situation, organized different event experiences, and allowed new object category definition, yet was itself largely defined by object categories.
Performing family stories, forming cultural identity: Franco American Mèmëre stories

Family stories participate in the formation of culture as they imagine and reproduce ethnic identity. This essay examines grandmother (memere,) stories in Franco American families as the cultural location of a global moment where family, white ethnic identity, and gender intersect. Within a transnational feminism and performative theory of family storytelling which historidze and situate cultural texts, grandmothers become linked with the motherland and mother tongue in the imagination of Franco American identity. The analysis of a corpus of memere stories identifies both the performative agency and constraints on traditional ethnic women within structures of gender, culture, ana power. The performance of memere stories enchants the grandmother as a cultural icon and reproduces the Franco American family. However, the formation of cultural identity through family storytelling in memere stories is a problematic achievement because it is built upon myths of cultural purity and “goodness,“ although narrative...
Investigation of one of the most fundamental limits to parametric processes: Two-photon absorption

Abstract Among almost all the work done on parametric processes in the past, two-photon absorption (TPA) has been intentionally avoided by properly choosing the pump wavelength. On the contrary, we have purposely explored how TPA sets the fundamental limit on the optical parametric generation (OPG) and oscillation (OPO) by using periodically poled LiNbO 3 (PPLN) as a testing nonlinear medium. Indeed, we have demonstrated that the TPA dramatically affects the characteristics of these two parametric processes. To our surprise, the OPO is actually not a preferred parametric process anymore compared with the OPG due to the presence of the strong TPA. In addition, the TPA can further be enhanced by self-focusing effect caused by accumulated thermal effect (ATE).
Detection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in skin oil obtained from roofing workers

Abstract Twelve polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have been analyzed in blood serum and skin oil collected from roofing workers. Although a range of 0.05–36 ng was observed in skin oil samples, none was detected in serum, at detection limits of 1–175 pg/ml.
EGRET Diffuse Gamma Ray Maps Between 30 MeV and 10 GeV

This paper presents all-sky maps of diffuse gamma radiation in various energy ranges between 30 MeV and 10 GeV, based on data collected by the EGRET instrument on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. Although the maps can be used for a variety of applications. the immediate goal is the generation of diffuse gamma-ray maps which can be used as a diffuse background/foreground for point source analysis of the data to be obtained from new high-energy gamma-ray missions like GLAST and AGILE. To generate the diffuse gamma maps from the raw EGRET maps, the point sources in the Third EGRET Catalog were subtracted out using the appropriate point spread function for each energy range. After that, smoothing was performed to minimize the effects of photon statistical noise. A smoothing length of 1 deg vas used for the Galactic plane maps. For the all-sky maps, a procedure was used which resulted in a smoothing length roughly equivalent to 4 deg. The result of this work is 16 maps of different energy intervals for absolute value of b < or equal to 20 deg, and 32 all-sky maps, 16 in equatorial coordinates (J2000) and 16 in Galactic coordinates.
Maximum length codes and their relation with the incomplete block design

Abstract This paper shows that for every maximum length code of length n = qm; — 1, there exists a corresponding $ symmetric incomplete block design. As a result, an efficient programmable algorithm for the construction of this special class of incomplete block design is obtained. If q is a prime, then only q and m are required as inputs to the computer. If q=ps, the power of a prime, then besides q and m, the primitive polynomial of GF(ps) is also required as inputs to the computer.
Optimal investment in pollution control capital in a neoclassical growth context

A neoclassical growth model is employed to study the optimal division of investment between pollution control capital and directly productive capital while simultaneously treating the saving rate as a policy variable to be varied to the optimal. The model treats pollution as a flow positively related to aggregate output, negatively related to the stock of pollution control capital, and having a negative effect on utility. Under the assumptions chosen, the optimal policy is an unbalanced one of specializing investment first in directly productive capital and subsequently in pollution control capital.
Statin Treatment, New-Onset Diabetes, and Other Adverse Effects: A Systematic Review

Statin treatment prevents cardiovascular diseases probably beyond their lipid-lowering effect. Increasing evidence suggests that statins might increase the risk of new-onset diabetes; however, diabetes is known to increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The majority of the literature suggests an increased risk of new-onset diabetes in patients treated with statins in a number of different settings and that the risk appears greatest among the more potent statins. Furthermore, a dose-response curve has been shown between statin treatment and the development of diabetes. Possible mechanisms include muscle insulin resistance, lower expression of GLUT-4 in adipocytes impairing glucose tolerance and suppression of glucose-induced elevation of intracellular Ca(2+) level. However, other side effects have been reported such as increased risk of myotoxicity, increased liver enzymes, cataracts, mood disorders, dementias, hemorrhagic stroke and peripheral neuropathy, which should maybe be added to the increased risk of new-onset diabetes, when considering the risk- benefit ratio of statin treatment.
Compounding and mechanical properties of biodegradable hemp fibre composites

Up to now the reinforcing potential of hemp fibres has not been exhausted, as the fibres are bundled and, therefore, a homogenous distribution of fibres and matrix has not been possible. In the present study the fibre bundles used for the composites were degummed by means of biological processes and steam explosion. The degummed fibres, separated into single cells, were integrated into the brittle poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) matrix and into the ductile co-polyester amide matrix by means of a co-rotating twinscrew extruder. Composites with a fibre volume fraction of up to 42% could be achieved. The tensile strength of the ductile material was almost doubled by the reinforcement with 27% of fibres to 30 MPa, the E-modulus was quadrupled to 3.5 GPa. No improvement of the tensile strength of the brittle matrix could be achieved, whereas its E-modulus was increased up to 6 GPa. As the composite behaviour is determined by the matrix, the fibre reinforcement is accompanied by a reduction of the impact strength.
Further Development of the Interpersonal Contingencies Model: Our Reply to the Mezulis & Funasaki and Burwell & Shirk Commentaries

In our reply to the commentaries on Cambron, Acitelli, & Pettit’s paper (this issue), we address the issue discussed in both commentaries: the need to take a developmental approach to the study of gender differences in depression. In response to Mezulis and Funasaki (this issue), we attempt to specify where the Cambron et al. paper supports their point that vulnerability, stress, and vulnerability-stress interaction may vary across domains. We also enumerate several hypotheses that are derived from our model of gender differences in depression. In response to Burwell and Shirk (this issue), we agree with the need to investigate the origin of self-esteem contingencies, and that the measurement of self-esteem contingencies is fraught with problems. We also remind readers that whether examining interpersonal relationship or physical appearance risk factors for depression, we must focus on the extent to which one’s self-esteem is based on that domain.
Olfactory identification deficits in down's syndrome and idiopathic mental retardation

Abstract We investigated olfactory identification in children and adults with Down's syndrome (DS) and idiopathic mental retardation (IMR) and in age-matched normal controls (NC). Identification was assessed with a four alternative-forced-choice task modified from the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (M-UPSIT) and a yes/no task yielding measures of discrimination and response bias for the same stimulus material. Control tactile identification tasks were also administered. Results were that odor identification performance on both tasks was specifically impaired in DS compared to IMR and NC. Accuracy of identification on the M-UPSIT correlated inversely with age in DS only. When uncertain, DS and IMR subjects guessed “yes” more often than “no” on the Yes/No task (liberal decision bias) and guessed the last response alternative on the M-UPSIT (recent position bias), whereas the normal subjects had neutral decision bias on the Yes/No task and matched the objective position presentation probabilities on the M-UPSIT. Decision bias correlated with accuracy of identification in both tasks for the DS subjects only.
Diagnostic evaluation of cancer antigens RAK .1. Cervical and ovarian cancer.

Cancer antigens RAK-p120, p42, and p25, which exhibit biological, immunological and molecular similarity to the proteins expressed by Human Immunodeficiency Virus 1 (HIV-1), were found in 47 of 47 tested cases of serous adenocarcinoma of the ovary, and 45 of 45 tested cases of squamous carcinoma of the cervix. Normal ovary and cervix did not express antigens RAK. High molecular weight protein (RAK-p160) was detected in the blood of over 61% of ovarian and 72% of cervical cancer patients, and in 14.3% of healthy women with family history of breast and/or gynecological cancer. Antigens RAK might represent new diagnostic markers.
Transportation Scholars: The Legacy, The Future

This paper presents a review of the National Park Foundation Transportation Scholars program, documenting its long-term positive effect on the National Park Service and the scholars. Case studies were made of three parks that had hosted a scholar. For each park, the final report created by the scholar was reviewed for recommendations made. Then interviews of park personnel were conducted to determine if the recommendations had been implemented. A survey of program alumni provided insight into the effect of the program on participants’ careers. Many scholar recommendations were implemented. However, the recommendations may not have been the most effective aspect of the program. Rather, fresh ideas, transportation-related expertise, enthusiasm for the project, and the ability to focus on transportation issues may be some of the significant program benefits to the parks. The results of the alumni survey showed that a majority held positions in a federal agency. Trends established this program as a conduit for young talent to work within a federal agency.
Ductile failure in polycrystalline OFHC copper

Abstract Ductile failure in polycrystalline oxygen-free, high-conductivity copper is explored through uniaxial tension experiments. Specimens obtained through tests interrupted at various stages of deformation and failure evolution are examined through quantitative microscopy to discern the mechanisms of failure and the local strain evolution. The formation of a single rectangular prismatic channel-like cavity, and its subsequent growth as a rectangular cavity, are demonstrated. Fractographic observations are used to suggest that self-similar expansion of the cavity is through an alternating slip mechanism. Local strain levels are estimated from measurements of the change in grain size with deformation and used to indicate that the local values of failure strains are likely to be much larger than that estimated from strains averaged over characteristic specimen dimensions such as the gage length or the specimen diameter.
Proton resonance assignments and ligand exchange kinetics in high-spin and mixed-spin myoglobin complexes using two-dimensional exchange spectroscopy

The task of assigning resonances in proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of paramagnetic heme proteins can be an arduous process, but with the development of multi-dimensional NMR methods the situation has improved. It is demonstrated here that two-dimensional exchange spectroscopic experiments can be used to obtain to assignment correlations for the heme protons of methydroxy-, metthiocyano-, metaquo-, and metimidazole-myoglobin forms. All the assignments are unambiguous and straightforward when the temperature and mixing times are adjusted to minimize nuclear Overhauser cross-peaks from each complex. Moreover, saturation transfer experiments allow the study of ligand binding kinetics. The exchange rates between metaquo- and metimidazole- (or methyl substituted imidazole) myoglobin complexes are estimated. The differences between the exchange rates reflect differences in the hydrophobic and steric interactions between the ligands and the protein moiety.
Natriuretic response to direct renal interstitial volume expansion (DRIVE) in pregnant rats.

Background Basal renal interstitial hydrostatic pressure (RIHP) is lower in pregnant rats, suggesting an increase in renal interstitial compliance during pregnancy. The RIHP responses to increases in renal perfusion pressure (RPP) and acute saline volume expansion (VE) are attenuated in pregnant rats. Pressure natriuresis and diuresis responses are significantly attenuated during normal pregnancy, whereas the natriuretic and diuretic responses to VE remain intact. Methods The objectives of this study were to use direct renal interstitial volume expansion (DRIVE) to selectively increase RIHP and determine the renal interstitial compliance and the relationship between RIHP, natriuretic, and diuretic responses in nonpregnant (NP; n = 8), midterm pregnant (MP; n = 8), and late-term pregnant (LP; n = 8) Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Results DRIVE resulted in significant increases in RIHP, fractional excretion of sodium (FE Na ), and urine flow rate (V) in all groups of rats. The increase in RIHP (ΔIHP) was greatest for NP (3.3 ± 0.2 mm Hg) as compared to MP (1.3 ± 0.1 mm Hg; P v NP) and LP (1.4 ± 0.2 mm Hg; P v NP) in response to DRIVE showing that renal interstitial compliance was greater in MP and LP as compared to the NP group of rats. The increase in fractional excretion of sodium (ΔFE Na ) was similar in NP (3.1% ± 0.3%) and LP (3.6% ± 0.8%), but was significantly lower in MP (1.5% ± 0.4%; P v NP and LP) in response to DRIVE. Conclusions These data suggest that the blunted increase in RIHP and natriuresis in response to DRIVE in midterm pregnant rats may play an important role in the gradual plasma volume expansion that is occurring during this stage of pregnancy.
The Effect of Robust Growth on Poverty: A Nonlinear Analysis

Previous research has shown that economic growth should help to reduce the rate of poverty. However, a number of recent studies find that the economic expansion of the 1980's had no statistically significant effect on aggregate poverty. We show that a Fourier approximation provides a better empirical model of poverty than the standard linear model. It is noteworthy that the nonlinear specification shows a large and significant effect of the 1980's expansion on poverty.
Energy-dissipation characteristics of steel tubes

This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation of the energy-dissipation characteristics of steel tubes subjected to large deformations under both quasistatic and impact diametrical loading conditions. Recently, such structural elements have been employed in the design of several impact attenuation systems used in highway-safety applications. The importance of considering the effects of different boundary conditions, strain-rate effects, and the influence of inertia in predicting the response of such systems is demonstrated. Under impact conditions it is shown that a cluster of such tubes is subjected to a shock wave which travels through the system. These experimental results compare favorably with numerical-structural shock-wave-theory predictions.
Use of branched-chain esters to reduce the crystallization temperature of biodiesel.

To reduce the tendency of biodiesel to crystallize at low temperatures, branched-chain alcohols were used to esterify various fats and oils, and the crystallization properties of the branched esters were compared with those of methyl esters by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), cloud point, and pour point. Compared with the methyl esters that are commonly used in biodiesel, branched-chain esters greatly reduced the crystallization onset temperature (TCO) of neat esters and their corresponding ester diesel fuel blends. Isopropyl and 2-butyl esters of normal (∼10 wt% palmitate) soybean oil (SBO) crystallized 7–11 and 12–14°C lower, respectively, than the corresponding methyl esters. The benefit of the branched-chain esters in lowering TCO increased when the esters were blended with diesel fuel. Esters made from a low-palmitate (3.8%) SBO crystallized 5–6°C lower than those of normal SBO. Isopropyl esters of lard and tallow had TCO values similar to that of methyl esters of SBO. DSC provided an accurate means of monitoring crystallization, and the DSC results correlated with cloud and pour point measurements.
Acoustic emission monitoring of bridges: Review and case studies

This paper gives a brief review of the acoustic emission technique and its applications to bridge health monitoring. Emphasis is given to the discussion of available techniques of AE data processing, both qualitative and quantitative. An assessment of the statistical quantitative analysis technique, intensity analysis, is illustrated through two case studies. This technique of damage quantification is applied to AE data collected from two genres of bridges in Louisiana: a prestressed concrete slab-on-girder bridge and a steel bridge with a concrete deck. Although there were limitations concerning the number and type of sensors used, much information was collected and useful inferences were made that may help better diagnose the health of bridges monitored in the future using this technique.
Gas-filled hollow drops in aerosols

Abstract The generalized equations for the tension and negative pressure in an envelope of fluid filled with an inert gas under pressure are given. It is shown that these equations can be used to derive Kelvin's now classical equations for the tension of a fluid at its equilibrium height in a capillary. These equations have been applied to the condensation of water in air-filled hollow drops, resulting in a satisfactory theory of cloud formation for the first time. An abbreviated double entry table is given for the tension in metastable air-filled hollow drops as they fall from the original height of formation. This table can be used to estimate the relative density of drops of various sizes in the clouds as a function of altitude. The equations for the air-filled water drop are used to calculate summit temperatures and summit heights of cumulus clouds as well as the probable height of the base. These calculations are shown to be in agreement with relevant exploratory observations.
Motor functions but not learning and memory are impaired upon repeated exposure to sub-lethal doses of methyl parathion.

Our previous work showed that repeated exposure to methyl parathion (MP) caused a prolonged inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity (∼80%) and down-regulation of M1 and M2 muscarinic receptors (up to 38%) in rats at brain regions, including frontal cortex, striatum, hippocampus and thalamus. In the present neurobehavioral study, we found this repeated MP treatment had suppressant effects on rat’s locomotor activity. However, we observed no evidence of long-term effects of MP on associative learning and memory. Our data demonstrated that repeated exposure to MP caused some functional deficits in CNS, but motor activity and associative learning/memory process might differ in the sensitivity to its toxic effect. The motor dysfunctions in MP-treated rats may be mediated via reciprocal balance between cholinergic and dopaminergic systems at striatum following cholinergic over-stimulation. Our findings also suggest that the CNS deficits induced by repeated exposure to MP or other organophosphate (OP) pesticides cannot be attributed entirely to the inhibition of AChE. To accurately assess the neuro-toxic risk by occupational exposure to sub-lethal doses of MP, novel biomarkers besides in vivo anticholinesterase potency are needed.
FIELD PROCESSING OF TOMATOES. 1. Process and Design

SUMMARY— Among the advantages of processing tomatoes in the field, compared with processing solely at a cannery, are increased yield and reduced waste. Mechanically harvested tomatoes were processed at 500 lb/hr through a mobile field unit within 6 hr after harvest during the 1969 season. Processing within 6 hr from harvest prevented a loss of about 9.5% of the ripe tomatoes that occurred when processing was delayed 24 hr. An increase of 4.3% in solids recovery was obtained by acid treatment of the hot macerate, bringing the total increase to 13.8% for field processing. Either the single strength or concentrated material is suitable for bulk transport to a cannery for storage, additional concentration, or immediate formulation into sauces, catsup and other tomato products.
Service‐eLearning: educating today's learners for an unscripted future

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to offer the proposition that by marrying service‐learning and eLearning pedagogies, educators can devise innovative pedagogical approaches that respond to the personal characteristics and educational preferences of today's “millennial” learners.Design/methodology/approach – The paper explores the complementary pedagogical theories of service‐learning and eLearning in the context of preparing millennial learners for an increasingly “unscripted” future.Findings – Research suggests that learners today must be equipped to make knowledge applicable in any setting, to gain the dispositions needed to effectively communicate globally, and to operate within advanced technological systems. Technology is not only a part of what shapes and defines learners' unscripted future; it is likewise essential to education within the context of that unscripted future. When considered in light of the unscripted future faced by millennial learners, service‐learning can gain greater relevan...
Integration in the umbral calculus

Abstract The adjointness between “multiplication” and “derivation” is a recurrent theme in Rota's umbral calculus. The subject of this paper is the companion adjointness between “division” and “integration.”
Thomson scattering diagnostics and computational modeling of a low pressure microwave excited microplasma source

Summary form only given. Low-pressure microwave-excited microplasmas1 are promising sources of VUV photons for a variety of applications, including photoionization for mass spectrometry. A split-ring resonator microstrip architecture can be used to initiate and sustain these microplasmas using the extremely high electric field generated in the sub-millimeter gap between electrodes. The VUV flux, primarily the result of resonance radiation following electronic excitation of rare gas atoms, is a sensitive function of the distribution of electron energies. Direct measurement of the electron energy distribution (EED) could provide critical insight into the physics of the microplasma operation. We present Thomson scattering measurements of the EED in a split-ring resonator argon microplasma operating at 2.5 GHz and approximately 1 Torr. The diagnostic consists of a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser operating at 532 nm. Thomsonscattered light is collected with a high throughput (f/2) triple grating imaging spectrometer and an intensified CCD camera gated to the laser pulses. Stray and Rayleigh-scattered laser light, which can exceed the intensity of the Thomsonscattered light by factors of over 105, is filtered out using a mask placed between the first two gratings, which are operated in subtractive mode. Other available diagnostics include VUV flux measured using a vacuum UV monochromator. Plasma parameters are measured as a function of gas flow rate, absorbed microwave power, and spatial location both within the plasma cavity and in the downstream plume. Experimental results of the EED and VUV flux are compared with computational modeling using the Hybrid Plasma Equipment Model (HPEM).2 In this model, the EED and radiation transport are computed using Monte Carlo simulations, and neutral gas and plasma transport are addressed using fluid techniques. These experimental and computational modeling results provide a means for optimizing the VUV flux produced by the source.
Gravitational field-induced orientational transition of aligned nematic liquid crystals

We demonstrate induced orientational transition of liquid crystal (LC) E7 between two optical fibre tips in a gravitational field as a result of minimising the free energy. The LC orientational transition is from a homeotropic state, with respect to fibre tip, to a tilted state as the spacing between two fibre tips is increased. The orientational distortion introduces birefringence in the optical fibre that changes the polarised direction of the output light. At short spacing, the undistorted homeotropic orientation of LC is preferred. However, at longer spacing, a distorted orientation is preferred. Once the LC director profile is known, a Finite Difference Time Domain method is used to calculate the optical properties, which agree well with the experimental results.
A new shuttle vector system for the identification of spontaneous and radiation-induced mutations in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

Abstract A shuttle vector, pCRR1, has been constructed for the detection of spontaneous and radiation-inducec mutations in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe . This vector contains an Escherichia coli supF suppressor tRNA gene as the target for mutagenesis and bacterial pMB1 and yeast ars1 replication origins, which can be used to propagate the plasmid in bacterial and fission yeast cells, respectively. supF mutations can be detected after plasmid transformation into S. pombe and recovery in a bacterial indicator system, KS40/pKY241, by selecting for nalidixic acid resistance and/or by screening for lacZ − cells. We found that UV light or γ-rays induced mutations in a dose-dependent manner in this system. Treatment of ultraviolet light (UV)-irradiated DNA with E. coli photolysae, which monomerizes cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers, before introduction into S. pombe reduced mutation frequencies to nearly background levels, indicating that this type of lesion is the major source of mutations. Comparison of spontaneous and UV-induced mutation frequencies in rad + , rad8-190 and rad13-A cells revealed no significant difference in background levels or induced levels after exposure to 100 J/m 2 of UV. However, when plasmid DNA was UV-irradiated with 500 J/m 2 , the rad8-190 cells generated only 38% as many induced supF mutations as the rad + strain, whereas the rad13-A cells produced more than a 6-fold increase in mutability relative to the level observed for the wild-type strain. These mutability patterns are consisten with previous studies that characterized rad8-190 cells as hypomutable and rad13-A cells as hypermutable by UV light at chromosomal loci. Thus, this shuttle vector system provides a useful and sensitive tool to assess mutability in S. pombe .
Group B streptococcal osteomyelitis and septic arthritis. Its occurrence in infants less than 2 months old.

• Nine infants less than 2 months of age with group B streptococcal (GBS) osteomyelitis or septic arthritis, or both, were seen from January 1975 through January 1978. The infants had local joint signs, usually in the absence of systemic signs. The bones and joints involved were equally distributed between proximal humerus and proximal and distal femur. An infant had involvement of the talus. Treatment consisted of two to three weeks of parenteral antibiotics, arthrotomy in infants with arthritis, and bone decompression in infants with osteomyelitis. Clinical follow-up showed normal growth and function of the affected joint. Of the organisms, five were typed: four were type III and one was type lb. Group B streptococcal osteomyelitis and/or septic arthritis was the second most common late-onset GBS infection, being surpassed only by meningitis. ( Am J Dis Child 133:921-923, 1979)
Erratum to: Influence of the Pacific quasi-decadal oscillation on the monsoon precipitation in Nepal

Fig. 1 a July–August climatology of precipitation (contours; mm/day) and the topography (shadings), and b annual lightning frequency between 1997 and 2002 derived from the Lightning Imaging Sensor onboard the TRMM satellite and between 1995 and 2000 by the Optical Transient Detector (Source: NASA Earth Observatory Webpage). The black dot in a marks Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital city The online version of the original article can be found under doi:10.1007/s00382-012-1376-2.
Approximate nearest neighbors via dictionary learning

Approximate Nearest Neighbors (ANN) in high dimensional vector spaces is a fundamental, yet challenging problem in many areas of computer science, including computer vision, data mining and robotics. In this work, we investigate this problem from the perspective of compressive sensing, especially the dictionary learning aspect. High dimensional feature vectors are seldom seen to be sparse in the feature domain; examples include, but not limited to Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) descriptors, Histogram Of Gradients, Shape Contexts, etc. Compressive sensing advocates that if a given vector has a dense support in a feature space, then there should exist an alternative high dimensional subspace where the features are sparse. This idea is leveraged by dictionary learning techniques through learning an overcomplete projection from the feature space so that the vectors are sparse in the new space. The learned dictionary aids in refining the search for the nearest neighbors to a query feature vector into the most likely subspace combination indexed by its non-zero active basis elements. Since the size of the dictionary is generally very large, distinct feature vectors are most likely to have distinct non-zero basis. Utilizing this observation, we propose a novel representation of the feature vectors as tuples of non-zero dictionary indices, which then reduces the ANN search problem into hashing the tuples to an index table; thereby dramatically improving the speed of the search. A drawback of this naive approach is that it is very sensitive to feature perturbations. This can be due to two possibilities: (i) the feature vectors are corrupted by noise, (ii) the true data vectors undergo perturbations themselves. Existing dictionary learning methods address the first possibility. In this work we investigate the second possibility and approach it from a robust optimization perspective. This boils down to the problem of learning a dictionary robust to feature perturbations, viz. paving the way for a novel Robust Dictionary Learning (RDL) framework. In addition to the above model, we also propose a novel LASSO based multi-regularization hashing algorithm which utilizes the consistency properties of the non-zero active basis for increasing values of the regularization weights. Even though our algorithm is generic and has wide coverage in different areas of scientific computing, the experiments in the current work are mainly focused towards improving the speed and accuracy of ANN for SIFT descriptors, which are high-dimensional (128D) and are one of the most widely used interest point detectors in computer vision. Preliminary results from SIFT datasets show that our algorithm is far superior to the state-of-the-art techniques in ANN.
A Simple Change To The Medicare Part D Low-Income Subsidy Program Could Save $5 Billion

Medicare Part D provides a subsidy to beneficiaries with incomes below 150 percent of the federal poverty level. Enrollees with the low-income subsidy accounted for 75 percent of the $60 billion in total federal Part D spending in 2013. The government randomly assigns any new beneficiary who automatically qualifies for the subsidy, or who successfully applies for it without indicating a preferred plan, to a stand-alone Part D plan whose premium is equal to or below the average premium for the basic Part D benefit in the region. We used an intelligent reassignment algorithm and 2008–09 Part D drug use and spending data to match enrollees to available plans according to their medication needs. We found that such a reassignment approach could have saved the federal government over $5 billion in 2009, for mean government savings of $710 (median: $368) per enrollee with a low-income subsidy. Implementing that simple change to reassign beneficiaries would have also lowered the proportion of prescriptions that r...
Elevated Frequency of Carriers for Triosephosphate Isomerase Deficiency in Newborn Infants

Summary: Seven newborns with erythrocyte triosephosphate isomerase (TPI) activity levels consistent with the existence of a “null” allele in heterozygous form were identified among 146 Black infants studied. This allele frequency of 0.024 is ten times the frequency of 0.0024 observed in White newborns (5 heterozygotes/1048 infants). Each carrier infant has one parent with a level of TPI activity expected of a heterozygous deficient (carrier) adult, whereas the other parent has a normal level of TPI activity, as would be expected for an autosomally inherited genetic trait. All probands as well as affected parents, are asymptomatic as anticipated for heterozygotes having 50% of the expected enzymatic activity. The data are consistent with the existence of a “null” allele, designated TPI 1°, at the structural locus for TPI, although no immunologic or other direct evidence of inactive or altered subunits was obtained. This high allele frequency implies one of every 2000 Black newborns should be homozygous deficient; this is in conflict with the low number of homozygous deficient afflicted individuals which have been actually identified to date.
Epidemiology of Substance Abuse Among Latinos

The importance of conducting substance abuse research among ethnic minorities is underscored by findings that members of many ethnic minorities in the United States report higher rates of heavy drinking and alcohol-related problems than do Whites and have increased rates of illicit drug use, abuse, and dependence. It is important to better understand ethnic-specific substance use from a public health perspective. Recent data suggest that the prevalence of past month alcohol use and heavy alcohol use among Hispanics is lower than and the prevalence of binge drinking and alcohol abuse or dependence is comparable to that of non-Hispanic Whites. These estimates vary among Hispanic subgroups and across gender and age groups. The prevalence of past month illicit drug use is also lower among Hispanics than that of several other groups, including non-Hispanic Whites. These trends are consistent among both men and women, although the prevalence for men is nearly twice that of women in nearly all subgroups. Conversely, the prevalence of illicit drug abuse or dependence among Hispanics is slightly higher than that of non-Hispanic Whites. This article describes national level epidemiological data on the prevalence of alcohol and illicit drug use, abuse, and dependence among Latinos/Hispanics in the United States in comparison to other race and ethnic groups. Previous findings in the literature will be reviewed and new analyses using the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health will be presented. Given the heterogeneity of Hispanics in the United States, data for Hispanics will be broken down by national groups whenever possible.
Selection of iron‐efficient soybean cell lines using plant cell suspension culture

Abstract Plant cell suspension culture may prove to be useful in the selection and isolation of cell lines which are efficient in mineral utilization. We have successfully used plant cell suspension culture to select for iron‐efficient soybean cell lines. Some of the iron utilization characteristics of iron‐efficient, Hawkeye (HA) and iron‐inefficient, PI‐54619–5–1 (PI) soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] cell lines in plant cell suspension culture were examined to determine their suitability as markers for identifying selected iron‐efficient cell lines. The growth response of soybean cell lines to low iron levels can be used to identify iron‐efficient plant cells. Cell suspension cultures of Pi‐soybeans grown on Gamborg's B5C medium required a higher concentration of iron as FeEDTA than HA‐soybeans. Both cell lines adapted to growth at sub‐optimal iron concentrations and yields increased after prolonged culture with sub‐optimal iron. Short term iron absorption experiments failed to differentiate iron‐effi...
22.1 A 25Gb/s burst-mode receiver for rapidly reconfigurable optical networks

Rapidly reconfigurable optical networks that keep the data in the optical domain potentially offer significant advantages in latency, bandwidth and power dissipation. Existing optical switch technologies (e.g., MEMS-based) are limited to millisecond-scale reconfiguration times, severely reducing their application space. The emerging field of silicon photonics enables optical switches operating on a nanosecond scale [1]. However, full utilization of the speed of these switches requires nanosecond-scale burst-mode transceivers, similar to those used in passive optical networks [2]. In this work, we reporta burst-mode receiver for optical links in a dynamically reconfigurable network. Through the introduction of interlocking search algorithms, a robust 25Gb/s burst-mode operation is achieved with 31ns lock time, −10.9dBm sensitivity, and 4.4pJ/b efficiency.
The agroecology of corn production in Tlaxcala, Mexico

The primary components of Tlaxcalan corn agriculture are described, including cropping patterns employed, resource management strategies, and interactions of human and biological factors. Tlaxcalan farmers grow corn in an array of poly-culture and agroforestry designs that result in a series of ecological processes important for insect pest and soil fertility management. Measurements derived from a few selected fields show that trees integrated into cropping systems modify the aerial and soil environment of associated understory corn plants, influencing their growth and yields. With decreasing distance from trees, surface concentrations of most soil nutrients increase. Certain tree species affect corn yields more than others. Arthropod abundance also varies depending on their degree of association with one or more of the vegetational components of the system. Densities of predators and the corn pest Macrodactylussp. depend greatly on the presence and phenology of adjacent alfalfa strips. Although the data were derived from nonreplicated fields, they nevertheless point out some important trends, information that can be used to design new crop associations that will achieve sustained soil fertility and low pest potentials.
Evolving role of cardiac transplantation for end-stage congestive heart failure

Abstract The dramatic efficacy of cardiac replacement therapy, an expanding population of potential recipients, and a shrinking donor supply have converged to create thorny medical and ethical issues for practitioners and patients. Based on scientific evaluation of current practice, new policies are being considered to optimize outcomes for end-stage heart failure patients in an equitable way. Meanwhile, improving efficacy of mechanical assist devices may soon justify transitioning from "bridge-to-transplant" to "destination therapy" as a standard approach for those who cannot safely await a transplant, further altering the landscape of surgical therapy for end stage heart failure. In this review, selected aspects of heart transplantation of interest to the broader transplant community are briefly reviewed, focusing on recipient and donor selection, surgical considerations, and subsequent management.
Mars Science Laboratory - Backshell Interface Plate and Parachute Support Structure Subsystem

Mars Science Laboratory is a scientific mission to deliver a rover with ten science instruments to the surface of Mars. In order to accomplish this, a cruise stage and entry vehicle, which is comprised of an aeroshell and descent stage, are used. The backshell interface plate (BIP) interfaces to the backshell, the cruise stage and the descent stage. Also attached to the BIP is the parachute support structure (PSS) which interfaces to both structure and soft goods of the parachute deceleration system. The primary function of the BIP and PSS is to anchor all of these major subsystems together and provide the structural load paths necessary to support the launch, entry, mortar fire, and parachute inflation loads. The key challenges for this hardware lie in the complex configuration, several unique load cases, multiple load paths, and the magnitude of the loads. This paper will describe the design of the backshell interface plate and parachute support structure as well as the key challenges and how they were met.