cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of micrograzers on algal community structure in a coral reef microcosm

The effect of amphipod grazing on algal community structure was studied within a 75 l refuge tank connected to a 6500 l closed-system, coral reef microcosm. When amphipods (Ampithoe ramondi) were absent or present in low numbers, a high biomass of mostly filamentous algal species resulted, including Bryopsis hypnoides, Centroceras clavulatum, Ceramium flaccidum, Derbesia vaucheriaeformis, Enteromorpha prolifera, Giffordia rallsiae, and Polysiphonia havanensis. These microalgae disappeared when amphipod density increase beyond approximately 1 individual cm-2 of tank surface. The macroalga Hypnea spinella germinated in the system in association with amphipod tube sites. H. spinella plants remained rare until filamentous species were eliminated by amphipod grazing. Feeding trials confirmed that H. spinella was protected from grazing by its size rather than a chemical defense strategy. The H. spinella community we observed is similar to the flora described on algal ridges where physical conditions exclude fish grazing. We suggest that amphipods and similar micrograzers are responsible for the algal community structure of these ridges. Caging experiments may be subject to similar effects from increased amphipod grazing on the algae. Introduction of fish that are amphipod predators into the refuge tank caused an increase in algal species diversity but total H. spinella growth rates fell from 25 g dry wt month-1 to less than 8 g dry wt month-1. We describe amphipod behavior in relation to changes in population density and food supply, and we stress the potential for increasing the productivity of commercial seaweeds through maintenance of appropriate amphipod species in mariculture facilities.
Effects of thyroid hormone on left ventricular performance and regulation of contractile and Ca(2+)-cycling proteins in the baboon. Implications for the force-frequency and relaxation-frequency relationships.

The transcriptional, posttranscriptional, and related functional effects of thyroid hormone on primate myocardium are poorly understood. Therefore, we studied the effects of thyroid hormone on sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca 2+ -cycling proteins and myosin heavy chain (MHC) composition at the steady state mRNA and protein level and associated alterations of left ventricular (LV) performance in 8 chronically instrumented baboons. The force-frequency and relaxation-frequency relations were assessed as the response of LV isovolumic contraction (dP/dt max ) and relaxation (Tau), respectively, to incremental atrial pacing. Both the heart rate at which dP/dt max was maximal and Tau was minimal (critical heart rates) in response to pacing were increased significantly after thyroid hormone. Postmortem LV tissue from 5 thyroid-treated and 4 additional control baboons was assayed for steady state mRNA levels with cDNA probes to MHC isoforms and SR Ca 2+ -cycling proteins. Steady state SR Ca 2+ -ATPase and phospholamban mRNA increased in the hyperthyroid state, and α-MHC mRNA appeared de novo, whereas β-MHC mRNA decreased. Western analysis (4 thyroid-treated and 4 control baboons) showed directionally similar changes in MHC isoforms and a slight increase in SR Ca 2+ -ATPase. In contrast, there was a statistically nonsignificant decrease in phospholamban protein, which resulted in a significant 40% decrease in the ratio of phospholamban to SR Ca 2+ -ATPase. Thus, thyroid hormone increases the transcription of Ca 2+ -cycling proteins and shifts MHC isoform expression in the primate LV. Our data suggest that both transcriptional and posttranslational mechanisms determine the levels of these proteins in the hyperthyroid primate heart and mediate, in part, the observed enhanced basal and frequency-dependent LV performance.
Role of extracellular polymeric substances in bioflocculation of activated sludge microorganisms under glucose-controlled conditions

Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) secreted by suspended cultures of microorganisms from an activated sludge plant in the presence of glucose were characterized in detail using colorimetry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. EPS produced by the multi-species community were similar to literature reports of pure cultures in terms of functionalities with respect to C and O but differed subtly in terms of N and P. Hence, it appears that EPS produced by different microorganisms maybe homologous in major chemical constituents but may differ in minor components such as lipids and phosphodiesters. The role of specific EPS constituents on microbial aggregation was also determined. The weak tendency of microorganisms to bioflocculate during the exponential growth phase was attributed to electrostatic repulsion when EPS concentration was low and acidic in nature (higher fraction of uronic acids to total EPS) as well as reduced polymer bridging. However, during the stationary phase, polymeric interactions overwhelmed electrostatic interactions (lower fraction of uronic acids to total EPS) resulting in improved bioflocculation. More specifically, microorganisms appeared to aggregate in the presence of protein secondary structures including aggregated strands, beta-sheets, alpha- and 3-turn helical structures. Bioflocculation was also favored by increasing O-acetylated carbohydrates and overall C-(O,N) and O=C-OH+O=C-OR functionalities.
Stress-resultant plasticity theories for composite laminated plates

Abstract Constitutive laws are presented for the inelastic analysis of laminated composite plates. The implications of using an elastoplastic theory, applied in a stress-resultant formulation, are discussed and investigated. Two different stress-resultant plasticity theories are proposed, both of which overlook the matrix and fiber inelastic behavior and describe the inelastic response of the laminate as a function of overall laminate properties. Results from numerical experiments with the proposed models are compared with results obtained using a micromechanical elastoplastic composite constitutive model.
On finite life times and growth

Abstract Following Diamond (1965), most authors assume that “capital argument of the production function is the saving of the previous period”, but ignore this lag in determining the capital price. In an overlapping generations model with production lags, growth is feasible if capital productivity is sufficiently high and borrowing is for capital services. If labor services must also be financed, that is, if wages should be paid in advance, then steady growth is infeasible, if capital is fully owned by the old. Our results highlight the crucial role played by time-structure of production in the determination of growth process.
INJECTION DRUG USERS AND HIV RISK BEHAVIORS: CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROFESSIONALS’ ROLE IN IDENTIFYING AND RESPONDING TO RISK BEHAVIORS

ABSTRACT This research uses data from a community wide assessment of knowledge, attitudes and behaviors to determine risks for HIV infection among traditional high risk populations. This analysis is based upon a sample of self-identified injection drug users. It examines the multiple avenues to infection that threaten this population. The role of criminal justice practitioners in the control and reduction of the likelihood of HIV transmission by this population is also considered Policy makers should reevaluate traditional methods of compelling interactions between offenders and revise their means and systems for communicating information about HIV to injection drug using offenders.
Load transfer from a web to two parallel sheets

This paper deals with the elastostatic transfer of a tensile load from an infinite strip-shaped web of uniform rectangular cross section to two identical parallel sheets of infinite extent. The web is perpendicular to the sheets and is continuously bonded to the latter along finite portions of its “top” and “bottom” edges. The sheets are treated within the two-dimensional theory of generalized planes stress. On the other hand, two alternative models for the web are considered: (a) the web likewise is regarded as a two-dimensional continuum within the conventional theory of generalized plane stress and (b) the web is idealized as a one-dimensional elastic continuum. In either case, an integral equation with a Cauchy-type singular kernel is obtained for the density of the bond force between the web and the sheets. This equation, in turn, is reduced to a Fredholm integral equation of the second kind. Numerical results for the axial force in the web and the bond force are presented for several combinations of the governing material and geometrical parameters.
Central nervous system regulation of mammalian hibernation: implications for metabolic suppression and ischemia tolerance

Torpor during hibernation defines the nadir of mammalian metabolism where whole animal rates of metabolism are decreased to as low as 2% of basal metabolic rate. This capacity to decrease profoundly the metabolic demand of organs and tissues has the potential to translate into novel therapies for the treatment of ischemia associated with stroke, cardiac arrest or trauma where delivery of oxygen and nutrients fails to meet demand. If metabolic demand could be arrested in a regulated way, cell and tissue injury could be attenuated. Metabolic suppression achieved during hibernation is regulated, in part, by the central nervous system through indirect and possibly direct means. In this study, we review recent evidence for mechanisms of central nervous system control of torpor in hibernating rodents including evidence of a permissive, hibernation protein complex, a role for A1 adenosine receptors, mu opiate receptors, glutamate and thyrotropin-releasing hormone. Central sites for regulation of torpor include the hippocampus, hypothalamus and nuclei of the autonomic nervous system. In addition, we discuss evidence that hibernation phenotypes can be translated to non-hibernating species by H2S and 3-iodothyronamine with the caveat that the hypothermia, bradycardia, and metabolic suppression induced by these compounds may or may not be identical to mechanisms employed in true hibernation.
Symmetry-breaking instabilities on a fluid surface

Abstract A sequence of symmetry-breaking instabilities leading to a chaotic state has been discovered in the surface deformations of a fluid layer subjected to a vertical oscillation. For driving amplitudes above a critical value, a primary instability leads to circularly symmetric standing waves at half the driving frequency. A second instability at a higher threshold breaks the circular symmetry and leads to a slow precession of the pattern, so that the overall motion is quasiperiodic. Beyond a third threshold, azimuthal modulations produce chaotic time dependence A fourth instability leads discontinuously to a spatially disordered flow. The spatial structure associated with each instability has been determined qualitatively, and the frequency spectrum of the local surface deformation has been measured using a sensitive laser deflection technique.
New Identities for Orthogonal Polynomials on a Compact Interval

Abstract We derive new identities for orthonormal polynomials with respect to an arbitrary (probability) measure on the interval [−1, 1], which generalize the well known identity (1 − x 2 ) U 2 n −1 ( x ) + T 2 n ( x ) = 1 for the Chebyshev polynomials of the first ( T n ) and second kind ( U n ). The results are established using necessary conditions of statistical optimal design theory for weighted polynomial regression. As special cases new identities are given for the Legendre, Chebyshev, ultraspherical, and Jacobi polynomials.
Improving Advising Using Technology and Data Analytics

Traditionally, the collegiate advising system provides each student with a personal academic advisor who designs a pathway to the degree for that student in face-to-face meetings. Ideally, this is ...
Synthesis, Characterization, and Ethylene Polymerization Activities of Neutral Nickel(II) Complexes Derived from Anilino-Substituted Enone Ligands Bearing Trifluoromethyl and Trifluoroacetyl Substituents

A series of neutral Ni(II) complexes derived from anilino-substituted enone ligands bearing electron-withdrawing trifluoromethyl and trifluoroacetyl groups have been synthesized and characterized: [η2-ArNC(R1)CC(R2)C(O)CF3]Ni(PPh3)Ph (3a, Ar = 3,5-i-Pr2C6H3, R1 = H, R2 = COCF3; 3b, Ar = 3,5-i-Pr2C6H3, R1 = Me, R2 = COCF3; 3c, Ar = 3,5-i-Pr2C6H3, R1 = Me, R2 = H; 3d, Ar = 3,5-Me2C6H3, R1 = Me, R2 = COCF3). When they are activated with either Ni(COD)2 or B(C6F5)3, these complexes are active for the polymerization of ethylene to branched polyethylenes. Complex 3a is especially active and long-lived, with a turnover frequency of 5 × 105 at 60 °C and 200 psig of ethylene, a half-life exceeding 15 h at 35 °C, and a total turnover number exceeding 106 at 35 °C and 200 psig. Molecular weights and degrees of branching of polyethylenes obtained from 3a are reported as a function of reaction temperature and ethylene pressure.
Half-Life and g Factor of the 75-keV Level in Rh 100

The half-life of the 74.8-keV level in ${\mathrm{Rh}}^{100}$ has been measured by delayed-coincidence techniques. The result is ${T}_{\frac{1}{2}}=235\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3$ nsec. Using the time dependence of the 84-74.8-keV angular correlation in an external magnetic field, the $g$ factor of the 74.8-keV level was found to be $g=+2.13\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.03$.
Cyclic GMP-Dependent Pathways Protect Differentiated Oligodendrocytes from Multiple Types of Injury

The cyclic GMP analog 8-bromo-cyclic GMP (8-Br-cGMP) protects differentiated murine oligodendrocytes (OLs) from caspase-mediated death initiated by staurosporine, thapsigargin or kainate. Caspase-independent death caused by high levels of NO is also partially prevented by 8-Br-cGMP. Inhibitors of protein kinase G (cGMP-dependent protein kinase, cGK) reversed protection, supporting involvement of cGK. Since NO stimulates soluble guanylate cyclase, increasing cGMP, we treated OLs with low levels of NO and observed partial protection against thapsigargin, staurosporine and kainate. Two inhibitors of mitochondrial pore transition (MPT), cyclosporin A and bongkrekic acid, were poorly protective, indicating that cGMP is not acting primarily by blocking MPT. 8Br-cGMP was more effective than 8Br-cAMP in protecting against staurosporine or release of intracellular Ca++ by thapsigargin. The cAMP analog exhibited little or no protection against kainate or high levels of NO. Thus cGK signaling is more effective than protein kinase A or phosphodiesterase 3 signaling in preventing OL death.
SUPREX (Stability of Unpurified Proteins from Rates of H/D Exchange) analysis of the thermodynamics of synergistic anion binding by ferric-binding protein (FbpA), a bacterial transferrin.

SUPREX (stability of unpurified proteins from rates of H/D exchange) is a H/D exchange- and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI)-based technique for characterizing the equilibrium unfolding/refolding properties of proteins and protein−ligand complexes. Here, we describe the application of SUPREX to the thermodynamic analysis of synergistic anion binding to iron-loaded ferric-binding protein (Fe3+FbpA−X, X = synergistic anion). The in vivo function of FbpA is to transport unchelated Fe3+ across the periplasmic space of certain Gram-negative bacteria, a process that requires simultaneous binding of a synergistic anion. Our results indicate that Fe3+FbpA−X is not a so-called “ideal” protein system for SUPREX analyses because it does not exhibit two-state folding properties and it does not exhibit EX2 H/D exchange behavior. However, despite these nonideal properties of the Fe3+FbpA−X protein-folding/unfolding reaction, we demonstrate that the SUPREX technique is still amenable to the quantitati...
Modeling Gait Transitions Between Two Periodic Gaits for Quadrupeds and Hexapods

Gait study is important to the development of a practical legged robot. While many works of gait study have been presented in the past, gait transition between two gaits has not been fully studied. In this paper, an approach to formulate gait transition between two periodic gaits and between a wave gait and a continuous follow-the-leader (FTL) gait is developed for quadrupeds and hexapods. Special foot placement conditions such as the FTL feature during the transition cycle can be included in the formulation process. This approach can be extended to formulate gait transition between other gaits.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Effect of Dimethyl Sulfoxide and Ficoll on Rat Skin

The cytochrome oxidase of skin has been characterized biochemically in the presence of DMSO and Ficoll. The pH optimum for the oxidation of ferrocytochrome c was found to be very sensitive to changes in ionic strength of the phosphate buffer. Maxima were observed at pH 7.0 in constant molarity (0.033M and 0.05 M) buffers. There was no apparent pH optima above 6.0 in constant ionic strength (I = 0.07, 0.11) buffers. Kinetic analysis revealed that the apparent maximal reaction rate ( V max ) and the ( K max ) for cytochrome c were greater in the presence of Ficoll than DMSO. These reagents did not inhibit or activate the enzymatic activity at the concentrations utilized in the study. Cytochrome oxidase was inhibited by cyanide and azide in a classical fashion.
Effects of α-difluoromethylornithine on initiation and promotion of urinary bladder carcinogenesis in a heterotopically transplanted rat urinary bladder

We previously demonstrated that repeated intravesical instillation of DFMO, an irreversible inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase, inhibits (or retards) urinary bladder carcinogenesis in rats. The present investigation was conducted to determine if high intraluminal concentration of DFMO alters initiation by MNU and to determine if DFMO inhibition is due to arrest of tumor progression or simply retardation of the tumor development. Results showed that the inhibitory effects demonstrated by DFMO treatment during the early phase of study disappeared as the observation period was extended. Failure to suppress tumor development might be due to failure to control intracellular polyamine levels below the critical level and this failure in turn might be due to the rapid fall of intravesical DFMO concentration following instillation.
First trimester twin discordance as a predictor of adverse twin pregnancy outcomes

PREGNANCY OUTCOMES JUDY TAI, WILLIAM GROBMAN, Northwestern University, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chicago, Illinois OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between first-trimester crown rump length (CRL) discordance in twin gestations and subsequent adverse pregnancy outcomes. STUDY DESIGN: Women who received first-trimester ultrasound of twin pregnancies between 7 and 14 weeks of gestation and subsequently delivered between June 2000 and March 2006 at a single tertiary care academic medical center were identified. Maternal and neonatal charts were abstracted for demographic characteristics, ultrasound data, and pregnancy outcomes. The percentage difference in CRL was calculated as the difference in CRL’s divided by the larger CRL. The percentage difference in birth weight (BW) was calculated as the difference in BW’s divided by the larger BW, and if O20% was defined as discordant. RESULTS: One-hundred and seventy eight women met inclusion criteria. The mean CRL difference was 5.9% and the mean BW difference was 11.4%. The CRL difference was significantly correlated with birth weight difference (r =0.43; P!.0001). The 85th percentile for CRL difference in this population was 11.1%. Those women with CRL differences O=85th percentile had a similar maternal age, EGA at time of first trimester scan, and frequency of monochorionicity as those women with twin CRL differences of !85th percentile. However, when the CRL difference was at O=85th percentile, women were more likely to have twins that were discordant at birth (46% vs. 8%, P !.001), be admitted to the NICU (59% vs. 38%, P!.05), and have significant perinatal morbidity (48% vs. 24%, P!.01). CONCLUSION: The CRL difference in the first trimester is correlated with differences in the ultimate BW of twins, and a CRL difference greater than the 85th percentile is associated with several measures of adverse perinatal outcome.
Response of saturated and nearly saturated porous media: Different formulations and their applicability

The response of saturated porous medium is of significant interest in many fields ranging from geomechanics to biomechanics. Biot was the first to formulate the basic equations governing the process of coupled flow and deformation in porous media. Depending on the nature of loading vis-a-vis the characteristics of the media, different formulations (fully dynamic, partly dynamic, quasi-static) are possible. In this study, analytical solutions are developed for the response of saturated and nearly saturated porous media under plane strain condition. The solutions for different formulations are developed in terms of non-dimensional parameters. The response is studied for various conditions and the regions of validity for various formulations are identified in a parametric space. An assessment of the needed formulation for few important problems is also presented.
Obstacles to and opportunities for more effective peptide-based therapeutic immunization in human melanoma

Melanoma cells can play a number of tricks to evade the host immune response. They can make themselves invisible to cells of the immune system poised to attack them, elaborate molecules that are frankly immunosuppressive, and can create a microenvironment that is hostile to cells of the immune system. Efforts are underway to institute measures that would make tumor cells more susceptible to immune attack, but these efforts have not been all that successful so far. This contribution reviews the history and the rationale of cancer vaccines, the major obstacles to peptide-based immunization, and a discussion on how to surmount them. Also included are the roles played by peripheral tolerance, low-affinity T-cell receptors, T-cell ignorance, activation-induced cell death, exhaustion of T cells and regulation of the immune response, helpless cytolytic T lymphocytes, and evasion by tumor cells.
A novel method for the serum-free plating of stage-24 chick limb bud cells

A modification of the standard plating of Stage 24 chick limb bud cells in serum-containing media (SCM) is described in which the cells are incubated in SCM for 3 hours before direct plating in a serum-free chemically defined media (SFM). This results in equal plating efficiencies to those obtained with plating in SCM and may allow for more defined culture conditions when testing mitogenic growth factors found in serum.
Polymerase chain reaction detection of naturally occurring Campylobacter in commercial broiler chicken embryos

ABSTRACT Campylobacter, a foodborne pathogen closely associated with poultry, is recognized as a leading bacterial etiologic agent of human gastroenteritis in the United States. In this investigation, 2 trials were performed where tissues from 7-, 14/15-, and 19-d-old commercial broiler chicken embryos were tested for the presence of Campylobacter using both culturing methodology and PCR. Conventional culturing methods failed to detect Campylobacter from any samples tested during this investigation. Using a set of primers specific for the Campylobacter flagellinA short variable region (flaA SVR), Campylobacter DNA was amplified in 100, 80, and 100% of gastrointestinal tracts from 7-, 15-, and 19-d-old embryos, respectively, in the first trial. Similarly, Campylobacter DNA was detected in 100, 70, and 60% of gastrointestinal tracts of 7-, 14-, and 18-d-old embryos, respectively, in the second trial. In both trials, yolk sac, albumin, and liver/gallbladder samples from 19-d-old embryos all failed to produce amplicons indicative of Campylobacter DNA. Subsequent DNA sequence analyses of the flaA SVR PCR products were consistent with the amplicon arising from Campylobacter. Although a determination of whether the Campylobacter was living or dead within the embryos could not be made, these results demonstrate that Campylobacter- specific DNA is present within the gastrointestinal tract of broiler chicken embryos; however, the means by which it is present and the relative contribution to subsequent Campylobacter contamination of poultry flocks requires further investigation.
Cortical inputs to m2-immunoreactive striatal interneurons in rat and monkey.

Previous anatomical studies have been unsuccessful in demonstrating significant cortical inputs to cholinergic and somatostatinergic striatal interneurons in rats. On the other hand, electrophysiological studies have shown that cortical stimulation induces monosynaptic EPSPs in cholinergic interneurons. It has been proposed that the negative anatomical findings might have been the result of incomplete labeling of distal dendrites. In the present study, we reinvestigated this issue using m2 muscarinic receptor antibodies as a selective marker for cholinergic and somatostatinergic interneurons in the striatum. This was combined with injections of either the anterograde tracer biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) in the monkey prefrontal cortex or aspiration lesion of the sensorimotor cortex in rats. The results showed that, in both species, a small percentage (1–2%) of cortical terminals make asymmetric synaptic contacts with m2-immunoreactive interneurons in the striatum. Interestingly, the majority of these synapses are onto small dendritic spines or spine-like appendages, as opposed to dendritic shafts and/or cell bodies. Thus, m2-containing striatal interneurons do receive direct cortical inputs and can, therefore, integrate and modulate cortical information flow through the striatum. Although the density of cortical terminals in contact with individual striatal interneurons is likely to be relatively low compared to the massive cortical input to projection neurons, both cholinergic and somatostatinergic interneurons display intrinsic properties that allow even small and distal inputs to influence their overall state of neuronal activity. Synapse 37:252–261, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Shallow structure of the Yadong‐Gulu rift, southern Tibet, from refraction analysis of Project INDEPTH common midpoint data

Refracted arrivals on International Deep Profiling of Tibet and the Himalaya (INDEPTH) common midpoint (CMP) data provide insight into the shallow structure of the Yadong-Gulu rift in southern Tibet. This is the first such in-formation available for the Neogene-Quaternary rifts on the Tibetan Plateau. Geologic cross sections across three separate valleys within the rift have been constructed from these data and available surface geological information. In each case, the valleys are floored by asymmetric, low-velocity sedimentary fills ranging from ~100 m to ~1.5 km in thickness. Beneath all three, the basement appears to dip gently to the east (~ 5°). Seismic reflection data from one of these valleys ( Nyinzhong) show a ~30° east dipping reflector within the basement beneath the valley that projects upward to the normal-sense Nyainqentanglha detachment exposed in the range immediately to the west. Field investigations by INDEPTH personnel have additionally shown the existence of previously unrecognized normal-sense shear zones bordering the other two valleys. The newly discovered shear zones are 200 to >500 m thick and in both instances are characterized by moderately to steeply west dipping mylonites with top-to-west shear sense. Metamorphic minerals within the shear zones indicate at least amphibolite grade metamorphism with increasing metamorphic grade down section. The seismic data, coupled with the new geologic information and geomorphologic data from Landsat imagery, suggest that the structure of the northern Yadong-Gulu rift is comparable to other well-documented rift systems in which steep range-front normal faults terminate at, or sole into, moderately dipping normal-sense detachments at depth that have undergone substantial footwall uplift and rotation during extension. This geometry implies that the extension of the Tibetan Plateau crust has been accommodated at depth by lateral flow within the middle crust. It also suggests that E-W extension of the plateau may have been substantially greater than has generally been presumed.
Price deflation, money demand, and monetary policy discontinuity: a comparative view of Japan, China, and the United States

Abstract In this paper we review the history of deflation in China, Japan, and the United States, and summarize the stylized empirical facts regarding deflation and key real and monetary variables in these economies. Based on a review of the institutional background of deflation in these economies, we argue that deflation in China is largely supply-led, whereas deflation in Japan is demand-led. We discuss the adverse effects of demand-led deflation, and argue that deflation is not simply inflation in reverse. Based on these adverse effects, we explain the basis of a discontinuity in the monetary policy process, and contrast the discontinuity process with the 1930s-era liquidity trap concept. We then provide empirical evidence on an important link in the discontinuity process: the effect of demand-led deflation on money demand. We consider a variety of money demand function estimates for Japan, China, and the United States in order to illustrate that deflation in Japan may have indeed contributed to a discontinuity in monetary policy by shifting the demand for money upward, and we then suggest several implications for central bank policy in a deflationary environment.
Magnetohydrodynamic entry flow for a plane channel in an axial magnetic field

An integral solution is described for flow of an electrically conducting fluid in a plane channel in a magnetic field which is aligned with the direction of the mean flow. It is shown that the presence of the magnetic field retards the development of the velocity profile by producing Lorentz forces which oppose the movement of fluid from the viscous wall region to the core. Solutions are presented for the entry length as a function of the magnetic interaction parameter. Solutions are also given for the dependence of the frictional component of the pressure drop on the magnetic field strength. The transverse pressure gradient produced by Lorentz forces is discussed for a typical case.
A methodology for the evaluation of research and development projects and associated resource allocation

Abstract This paper develops a methodology for the evaluation of research and development projects and the allocation of resources for the development of large scale technologies. The methodology is directed at the problem of selecting a research portfolio when the number of projects is large enough that enumeration of all the possibilities is impractical. In a series of successive screening stages, the number of candidate portfolios is reduced to a practical number. The initial screening stage is based on projected performance of the technology. Successive stages first screen market penetration by ignoring competition from other projects in the portfolio, and then screen by considering project competition. Thus succeeding stages in the methodology are successively finer but more costly to implement. Project screening techniques, which include elimination by aspects, ranking, and stochastic dominance are applied througout the methodology to result in a heuristic and effective approach to evaluation, and associated resource allocation, in very large scale systems.
Clinical aspects of CAG repeat diseases.

Seven neurodegenerative disorders are known to be caused by unstable expansions of the trinucleotide CAG within human genes, and more will be discovered in the coming years. These disorders share some clinical similarities, as well as some differences, which are summarized here. These diseases have unusual clinical genetic properties related to the dynamic nature of CAG repeat expansions, including instability of the repeat expansion in meiosis, particularly male meiosis; a strong correlation between onset age and size of the repeat expansion; anticipation (earlier disease onset in succeeding generations); new mutations arising from unstable, mutable alleles with a high-normal CAG repeat number; and reduced penetrance for alleles in the lowaffected range. Much more remains to be learned about the molecular biology and clinical pathophysiology of this new class of genetic diseases. Summary In the last six years, seven neurodegenerative diseases have been found to be caused by expansions of intragenic CAG repeat sequences. The diseases share a variable (usually adult) age of onset, which is highly dependent on the length of the CAG repeat, and effects on multiple systems within the central and peripheral nervous systems. The cerebral cortex is not a primary site of pathology for any of the diseases, and organs other than the nervous system are not primarily affected (except for SBMA). The diseases differ in their primary site of neuropathology, and for that reason have widely varying neurologic profiles. The distributions of normal and abnormal CAG repeat sizes vary among the diseases, and suggest that different mechanisms of mutagenesis or disease pathogenesis could exist for the different disorders. The dynamic nature of trinucleotide repeat mutations has clarified a number of clinical and genetic observations in these diseases. New mutations arising from mutable normal alleles have been reported for some of the diseases. The tendency to further expansion of an expanded allele provides a molecular correlate to the clinical observation of anticipation (171). Sex- and disease-dependent meiotic instability correlates with the observation of a paternal bias among juvenile onset cases for HD, SCA1 and DRPLA. Finally, reduced penetrance for alleles at the low end of the abnormal range has been observed for some (but not all) diseases in the group. Detection of CAG repeat expansions is relatively easy and inexpensive in the clinical laboratory, and molecular diagnosis has greatly improved diagnostic accuracy for this group of disorders. However, a full understanding of the biology and pathophysiology of this new class of mutations is still to come, and is awaited eagerly by clinicians and patients alike.
California annual grass invaders: the drivers or passengers of change?

Summary 1. The dominance of invasive species is often assumed to reflect their competitive superiority over displaced native species. However, invasive species may be abundant because of their greater tolerance to anthropogenic impacts accompanying their introduction. Thus, invasive species can either be the drivers or passengers of change. 2. We distinguish between these two possibilities in California grasslands currently dominated by Mediterranean annuals (exotics) and subjected to livestock grazing since European settlement. We focused on native annual grasses and forbs, an understudied species-rich component of the California flora, and Mediterranean annual grasses, currently dominant and among the first nonnative plants introduced to the area. 3. We established a field experiment with fenced and unfenced blocks in a cattle pasture. We measured concentrations of limiting resources (nitrogen, phosphorus, light and soil moisture) in monoculture plots as an index of competitive ability (i.e. R*). We then quantified grazing impacts on biomass and seed production in grazed vs. ungrazed monoculture plots. Finally, we measured biomass and seed production of each species competing in mixture plots, in the presence and absence of grazers. 4. We found that native and exotic species did not differ in R* indices of competitive ability, i.e. concentrations of limiting resources in ungrazed native monoculture plots did not differ from concentrations in ungrazed exotic monoculture plots. By contrast, exotic annuals suffered less from grazing than native annuals, perhaps reflecting their longer evolutionary history with cattle grazing. Consistent with these results, native and exotic annuals were equally abundant in ungrazed mixtures, but exotic species overwhelmingly dominated grazed mixtures. 5. Species able to draw down nitrogen and light to lower levels in monocultures (i.e. those with lower R* values) dominated biomass and seeds in mixed plots without grazers. However, R *d id not predict the relative abundance of species in grazed plots. Moreover, the relative abundance of species in mixtures did not correlate with grazing impacts on their monocultures, implying that grazing alters inter-specific competitive dynamics. 6. Synthesis. We demonstrate that the displacement of native annuals by Mediterranean annual grasses in California may largely have been driven by cattle grazing.
Accurate Quantification of Gene Expression using Fuzzy Clustering Approaches

Despite the widespread application of microarray imaging for biomedical research, barriers still exist regarding its reliability and reproducibility for clinical use. A critical problem lies in accurate spot segmentation and quantification of gene expression level (mRNA) from microarray images. A variety of commercial and research freeware packages are available, but most cannot handle array spots with complex shapes such as donuts and scratches. Clustering approaches such as k-means and mixture models were introduced to overcome this difficulty, which used the hard labeling of each pixel. In this paper, we introduce a more sophisticated fuzzy clustering based method. We show that possiblistic c-means clustering performed the best among several fuzzy clustering approaches. In addition, we compared three statistical criteria in measuring gene expression levels and show that a new unbiased statistic is able to quantify the gene expression level more accurately. The proposed algorithms have been tested on a variety of simulated and real microarray images, demonstrating their better performance.
A 3-D micromirror utilizing inverted-series-connected electrothermal bimorph actuators for piston and tilt motion

A new electrothermal micromirror with large piston and tilt motions was proposed and fabricated. Large initial tilt angles and optical path shifting of previously fabricated thermal micro mirrors were eliminated by employing inverted-series-connected (ISC) bimorph actuators
A graph based simplex method for the integer minimum perturbation problem with sum and difference constraints

The integer minimum perturbation problem with sum and difference constraints is stated as follows: minimize f(x)=a1x1b1 +a2-b2 +…+anxn-bn under constraints ±xi1±xj1≥c1, ±xi2±xj2≥c2, … … … ±xim±xjm≥cm, where the sign in front of each variable is either "+" or "-", a1; a2…an≥0 and all variables and constants are integers.The minimum perturbation problem [6] arose from layout migration. The sum and difference constraints arose from the hierarchical nature of the layout. We proposed and implemented a graph based algorithm to solve this optimization problem. Our algorithm consists of two steps. First find the optimal solution for the non-integer version of the problem by using a modification of simplex method which takes advantage of the special form of the constraints (a graph based simplex method). Then find an integer solution close to the optimal by solving a 2-SAT problem. The time complexity of the algorithm is O(p(m + n), where p is the number of pivots in the simplex algorithm; note that the regular simplex method, being applied to this problem, would require O(pn(m + n)) time.Our result on production layouts shows that the runtime scale very well with a O(nlog(n)) scanline algorithm used to generate the constraints for the layouts. This makes it a very practical solver for the problem.
Applications of Fuzzy Logic to Bridge Engineering

This article summarizes several attempts made to apply fuzzy logic to structural engineering and particularly to bridge engineering. Many of these attempts have been implemented in depth and are readily available for practical use. The major research activity has been in the areas of structural damage assessment, bridge condition evaluation, and structural rating. In the case of bridge rating, the inspection procedure currently being used suggested the need for a multi-attributive decision making model. Two fuzzy models previously proposed in the literature and a third model adopted by the authors are presented here. The later produces a priority setting obtained through the solution of an eigenvalue problem involving a closest discrete pairwise matrix indicative of the relative structural importance of the different elements of the bridge components considered.
Reconstructing plant invasions using historical aerial imagery and pollen core analysis: Typha in the Laurentian Great Lakes

Aim Determining the spatial-temporal spread of an invasive plant is vital for understanding long-term impacts. However, invasions have rarely been directly documented given the resources required and the need for substantial foresight. One method widely used is historical photography interpretation, but this can be hard to verify. We attempt to improve this method by linking historical aerial photos to a paleobotanical analysis of pollen cores. Location Laurentian Great Lakes coastal wetlands, United States of America. Methods We chose invasive cattail ( Typha) as our model species because it is identifiable from aerial imagery and has persistent, identifiable pollen, and its ecological impacts appear to be time-dependent. We used Geographic Information Systems, aerial photo-interpretation and field verification to post-dict the invasion history of Typha in several wetland ecosystems. Using 210 Pb and 137 Cs sediment dating and pollen classification, we correlated the temporal dominance of Typha to our estimates of per cent coverage at one site. The pollen record was then used to estimate the Typha invasion dynamics for dates earlier than those for which aerial photos were available. Results Typha spread through time in all study wetlands. Typha pollen dominance increased through time corresponding with increased spatial dominance. Hybrid cattail, T. × glauca increased in pollen abundance relative to T. angustifolia pollen through time. Main conclusions This study illustrates the value of generating historical invasion maps with publically available aerial imagery and linking these maps with paleobotanical data to study recent (< 100 years) invasions. We determined rates of Typha expansion in two coastal wetland types, validated our mapping methods and modelled the relationship between pollen abundance and wetland coverage, enhancing the temporal precision and breadth of analyses. Our methodology should be replicable with similar invasive plant species. The combination of pollen records and historical photography promises to be a valuable additional tool for determining invasion dynamics.
An Optimal Projection Controller for an Experimental Truss Struct~rel~~

Optimal Projection (OP) reduced order control theory is applied experimentally to a controlled structure testbed. The test structure has twenty-five disturbed modes, and the controller uses four strain sensors to command four noncollocated stress actuators. The best OP design, an 18th order controller derived from a 58th order structnral model, is experimentally found to reduce the broad-band vibration of live independent pointing error measures by as much as 66% without saturating the actuators and without destabilizing high frequency modes. A similar reduced order Linear Quadratic Gaussian (LQG) controller is found to always destabilize high frequency modes. The homotopy algorithm used to solve the OP synthesis equations is described, and its convergence is discussed. Analytical and experimental closed-loop performance for a series of OP and LQG controllers are compared to illustrate the effect of structural dynamic modeling errors on the results.
Bowling with our imaginary friends

Abstract Putnam [J. Democracy 6 (1995) Putnam, R. D. Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community (2000). New York: Simon & Schuster.] claims that Americans are socially and civically disengaged because they watch too much TV. I contend that, because evolved psychological mechanisms have difficulty comprehending entities that did not exist in the environment of evolutionary adaptedness (EEA), humans should fail to distinguish between real friends and the imaginary ones they see on TV. Consistent with my contention, the analysis of the US General Social Survey (GSS) data indicates that people who watch certain types of TV are more satisfied with their friendships as if they had more friends and socialized with them more often.
Does Private Information Lead to Delay or War in Crisis Bargaining

Many game-theoretic models of crisis bargaining find that under incomplete information, an initial offer is either accepted, or war occurs. However, this finding is odd in two ways: (a) empirically, there are many cases of an agreement being peacefully reached after a number of offers and counteroffers and (b) theoretically, it is not clear why a state would ever leave the bargaining table and opt for inefficient war. We analyze a model in which, as long as the dissatisfied state is not too impatient, equilibria exist in which an agreement is peacefully reached through the offer‐ counteroffer process. Our results suggest that private information only leads to war in conjunction with other factors that are correlated with impatience, such as domestic political vulnerability, exogenous obstacles to the ability to make counteroffers rapidly, and bargaining tactics that create incentives to strike quickly or that lock the actors into war.
Interferon-γ Protects First-Trimester Decidual Cells against Aberrant Matrix Metalloproteinases 1, 3, and 9 Expression in Preeclampsia

Human extravillous trophoblast (EVT) invades the decidua via integrin receptors and subsequently degrades extracellular matrix proteins. In preeclampsia (PE), shallow EVT invasion elicits incomplete spiral artery remodeling, causing reduced uteroplacental blood flow. Previous studies show that preeclamptic decidual cells, but not interstitial EVTs, display higher levels of extracellular matrix–degrading matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9, but not MMP-2. Herein, we extend our previous PE-related assessment of MMP-2 and MMP-9 to include MMP-1, which preferentially degrades fibrillar collagens, and MMP-3, which can initiate a local proteolytic cascade. In human first-trimester decidual cells incubated with estradiol, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) significantly enhanced MMP-1, MMP-3, and MMP-9 mRNA and protein levels and activity measured by real-time quantitative RT-PCR, ELISA, immunoblotting, and zymography, respectively. In contrast, interferon γ (IFN-γ) reversed these effects and medroxyprogesterone acetate elicited further reversal. Immunoblotting revealed that p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling mediated TNF-α enhancement of MMP-1, MMP-3, and MMP-9, whereas IFN-γ inhibited p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation. Unlike highly regulated MMP-1, MMP-3, and MMP-9, MMP-2 mRNA and protein expression was constitutive in decidual cells. Because inflammation underlies PE-associated shallow EVT invasion, these results suggest that excess macrophage-derived TNF-α augments expression of MMP-1, MMP-3, and MMP-9 in decidual cells to interfere with normal stepwise EVT invasion of the decidua. In contrast, decidual natural killer cell–derived IFN-γ reverses such TNF-α–induced MMPs to protect against PE.