cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Benchmarking whole-building energy performance with multi-criteria technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution using a selective objective-weighting approach

This paper develops a robust multi-criteria Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) based building energy efficiency benchmarking approach. The approach is explicitly selective to address multicollinearity trap due to the subjectivity in selecting energy variables by considering cost-accuracy trade-off. It objectively weights the relative importance of individual pertinent efficiency measuring criteria using either multiple linear regression or principal component analysis contingent on meta data quality. Through this approach, building energy performance is comprehensively evaluated and optimized. Simultaneously, the significant challenges associated with conventional single-criterion benchmarking models can be avoided. Together with a clustering algorithm on a three-year panel dataset, the benchmarking case of 324 single-family dwellings demonstrated an improved robustness of the presented multi-criteria benchmarking approach over the conventional single-criterion ones.
A class of narrow-band-gap semiconducting polymers

Scientific interest in electrically conducting polymers and conjugated polymers in general has been widespread among workers in polymer science, chemistry, condensed matter physics, materials science and related fields since the discovery of doped conductive poly acetylene1,2. Many doped conducting organic polymers with conductivity spanning the range from insulator to near-metallic ∼10−15–103 ohm−1cm−1) are now known1–13. Of prime importance and fundamental interest in the continuing experimental and theoretical search for new conducting, and perhaps superconducting, polymers is the achievement of small or vanishing values for the semiconductor band gap (Eg), which governs the intrinsic electronic, optical and magnetic properties of materials. Existence of a finite Eg in conjugated polymers is thought to originate principally from bond-length alternation, which is related to the Peierls instability theorem for one-dimensional metals114–17. Here I describe a novel class of conjugated polymers, containing alternating aromatic and quinonoid segments, whose members exhibit intrinsic band gaps as low as 0.75 eV, the smallest known value of Eg for an organic polymer.
Slow growth and unstable ribosomal RNA lacking pseudouridine in mouse embryonic fibroblast cells expressing catalytically inactive dyskerin

Pseudouridine is the most abundant modified nucleotide in ribosomal RNA throughout eukaryotes and archaea but its role is not known. Here we produced mouse embryonic fibroblast cells expressing only catalytically inactive dyskerin, the pseudouridine synthase that converts uridine to pseudouridine in ribosomal RNA. The mutant dyskerin protein, D125A, was extremely unstable but cells were able to divide and grow very slowly. Abnormalities in ribosome RNA synthesis were apparent but mature cytoplasmic RNAs lacking pseudouridine were produced and were very unstable. We conclude that pseudouridine is required to stabilize the secondary structure of ribosomal RNA that is essential for its function.
NMR Shielding Calculations across the Periodic Table: Diamagnetic Uranium Compounds. 2. Ligand and Metal NMR

In this and a previous article (J. Phys. Chem. A 2000, 104, 8244), the range of application for relativistic density functional theory (DFT) is extended to the calculation of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) shieldings and chemical shifts in diamagnetic actinide compounds. Two relativistic DFT methods are used, ZORA (“zeroth-order regular approximation”) and the quasirelativistic (QR) method. In the given second paper, NMR shieldings and chemical shifts are calculated and discussed for a wide range of compounds. The molecules studied comprise uranyl complexes, [UO2Ln]±q; UF6; inorganic UF6 derivatives, UF6-nCln, n = 0−6; and organometallic UF6 derivatives, UF6-n(OCH3)n, n = 0−5. Uranyl complexes include [UO2F4]2-, [UO2Cl4]2-, [UO2(OH)4]2-, [UO2(CO3)3]4-, and [UO2(H2O)5]2+. For the ligand NMR, moderate (e.g., 19F NMR chemical shifts in UF6-nCln) to excellent agreement [e.g., 19F chemical shift tensor in UF6 or 1H NMR in UF6-n(OCH3)n] has been found between theory and experiment. The methods have been used ...
A motorized Power Glider

We report the Power Glider, a motorized walker for injury rehabilitation and use for the elderly. This product is a motorized walker, or a Power Glider. This device is a four-wheeled rollator style walker with a motor that will give the user an added push in the initial stages of movement. This walker will have two key additions not currently found in walkers available in the market. First, it will have a reverse braking system that will apply the brakes when the user is not holding the braking levers and release once both levels are held. It is important to note that if only one of the levers is held, nothing will happen and the brakes will remain applied. The second feature is a direct current (DC) motor that will push the walker at a pace determined by the user. If the user is a more agile individual, they may choose to travel at the faster setting or if not, they may choose to go slower.
Phylogeny of bacterial methylotrophy genes reveals robustness in Methylobacterium mxaF sequences and mxa operon construction

Abstract mxaF , the structural gene for the methanol dehydrogenase (MDH enzyme), encodes for alpha subunit of the MDH enzyme. This member of the mxa family is required for production of a functional MDH enzyme. Methylobacterium species, pink-pigmented facultatively methylotrophic bacteria (PPFMs), are plant colonizing, methylotrophic bacteria that utilize methanol as a carbon and energy source during phyllosphere and rhizosphere growth. In a previous study that examined the phylogeny of soil and blueberry skin biofilm isolates, mxaF sequence was found to be a more useful indicator of species distinction within the Methylobacterium genus than 16S rRNA gene sequence and that it was not influenced by several environmental properties, including pH. Here, the phylogeny of methylotrophy genes including mxaF is examined to assess the potential for use of mxaF sequence as a biomarker for the Methylobacterium genus. A phylogenetic comparison of 311 archived PPFM and non-PPFM GenBank bacterial sequences of mxaF , xoxF , and generically annotated PQQ-dependent dehydrogenase genes in the methanol/ethanol family was conducted, including 270 mxaF , mxaF′ and mxaF -like sequences. In addition, construction of operons within the mxa gene family was compared using GenBank completed genome sequences to investigate potential horizontal gene transfer (HGT) events within the mxa methylotrophy system. mxaF sequence and mxa gene family operon construction was found to be highly conserved within the genus Methylobacterium as compared to other bacterial genera. The data reveal evidence of HGT events between Methylobacterium species and other bacterial genera as well as the potential for mxaF sequence to be used as a taxonomic indicator for environmental Methylobacterium strains.
Some consequences of the Polynomial Freiman–Ruzsa Conjecture

Abstract Assuming the Weak Polynomial Freiman–Ruzsa Conjecture, we derive some consequences on sum-products and the growth of subsets of SL 3 ( C ) . To cite this article: M.-C. Chang, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 347 (2009).
Relationship between biological extinctions and geomagnetic reversals

It has been repeatedly suggested that reversals of Earth9s magnetic field play a controlling role in evolution. Empirical evidence put forward to support this hypothesis has come from comparisons of the stratigraphic positions of microfossil extinctions with individual reversals and from comparisons of various estimates of changes in Phanerozoic diversity or turnover rates to some measurement of polarity change. Published associations between microfossil extinctions and magnetic reversals are reanalyzed using probabilistic techniques. The interrelationships of Phanerozoic diversity and turnover rates to measurements of the magnetic field are examined through correlation analysis. Results indicate that no currently demonstrable relationship exists between faunal extinctions and geomagnetic reversals.
Conjugated Polymers as Efficient Fluorescence Quenchers and Their Applications for Bioassays

We have developed a novel approach for simple and convenient detection of ligand−receptor interactions with high sensitivity and selectivity. The method harnesses a reversible fluorescence quenching between nonfluorescent polyelectrolyte quenchers and fluorescent probes tagged to ligands. Formation of more strongly bound ligand−receptor complexes forces the breakup of nonspecific, electrostatic interaction-based quencher/probe pairs to reverse the fluorescence quenching, triggering a fluorescence increase, and providing an off-to-on detection of the ligand/receptor interaction. Although a conjugated polyelectrolyte was used in the study, other nonconjugated polyelectrolyte quenchers are expected to work as well. The method should potentially find a wide variety of applications in several areas, ranging from drug screening, medical diagnostics, and biosensing to assay development.
White-Tailed Deer as Hosts of Cattle Fever-Ticks

A penned study for obtaining definitive information on the status of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) as a host for cattle fever-ticks (Boophilus microplus) was conducted on St. Croix of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Four generations of fever-ticks were propagated on one deer during a six month period. Nine wild white-tailed deer also were collected from four insular estates to evaluate the carrier status of these animals on an island where cattle fever-ticks are indigenous. Two deer were infested with B. microplus where contact with domestic livestock had not occurred for 20 years; five deer were free of B. microplus where a vigorous cattle dipping program had been practiced for three years; and, two deer were infested with B. microplus where contact with fever-tick infested cattle occurred at irregular intervals. It was concluded that white-tailed deer constitute a host species for B. microplus and must be considered in future fever tick eradication endeavors. This study also suggested that, throug...
A new Be star in an open cluster: NGC 6871-8

Spectroscopic observations of H-alpha show that star eight in the open cluster NGC 6871 is a previously-undiscovered Be star. The H-alpha profile was observed to vary from clear emission to pure absorption over a period of ten days; later observations over a five-day interval show weak emission along with asymmetries and filling in of the profile.
Cytoprotective actions of 2,4-dimethoxybenzylidene anabaseine in differentiated PC12 cells and septal cholinergic neurons

The potential cytoprotective actions of a novel nicotinic agent 2,4-dimethoxybenzilidene anabaseine (DMXB) were investigated in differentiated PC12 cells and transected rat septal cholinergic neurons in vivo. In NGF-differentiated PC12 cells, removal of both NGF and serum led to cell loss, a reduced % of cells expressing neurites, the release of lactate dehydrogenase, and a decrease in total cellular protein. Cell loss was apparent within 24 h, and remained constant between 4–8 days post-NGF removal. NGF alone (100 ng/ml), DMXB (10 μM), but not nicotine (10 μM), prevented these cell and neurite losses. DMXB-induced cytoprotection was blocked by 1 μM mecamylamine. DMXB (1 mg/kg, ip) injected twice but not once per day protected cholinesterase-staining septal neurons from retrograde degeneration following unilateral fimbrial transections. The twice per day DMXB injection-protocol also decreased cell roundness among cholinesterase-staining cells in the lesioned septal hemisphere compared to saline-injected animals. These studies suggest that DMXB may exert cytoprotective activity in NGF-sensitive neuronal populations. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Impact of atmospheric submonthly oscillations on sea surface temperature of the tropical Indian Ocean

[1] Impacts of atmospheric intraseasonal oscillations (ISOs) at submonthly periods (10–30 days) on Indian Ocean sea surface temperature (SST) are studied using satellite observed outgoing long wave radiation, QuikSCAT winds, SST and an ocean general circulation model for the period of 1999–2004. The results suggest that submonthly ISOs can cause significant 10–30 day SST changes throughout the equatorial basin and northern Bay of Bengal, with an amplitude of as large as 0.5°C and standard deviation of exceeding 0.2°C for a 4-year record. Impact of the submonthly ISO associated with the Indian summer monsoon is separately examined. It is associated with basin-scale SST evolution with distinct spatial structures. The SST variation results mainly from submonthly wind forcing, which causes changes in oceanic processes and surface turbulent heat fluxes. Radiative fluxes can also have large influences in some regions for some ISO events.
Technical change and irreversible investment under risk

Abstract A stochastic dynamic model was constructed to analyze investment decisions of an individual farmer under risk in the presence of irreversibilities, embedded technical change and indivisible capital. An analytical solution was obtained and its local behavior studied by numerical methods. Optimal investment is obtained by regulating the difference between the desired and actual capital stocks between two barriers that define an inaction interval. While the desired capital drifts between the barriers, no action is taken. If the desired capital touches the upper barrier, the farmer invests pushing the average efficiency of the actual capital stock up. This in turn raises the desired capital even higher and contracts the inaction interval. If these effects are strong enough, the farmer will invest again until the potential gains of the technological package are exhausted. If the desired capital falls enough, the farmer disinvests, pushing down the average productivity and expanding the inaction interval. Disinvestment continues until it stops either because the inaction interval becomes so wide that it is no longer optimal to disinvest or because the actual capital stock is so small that it is no longer profitable to produce.
Cdc42 controls spindle orientation to position the apical surface during epithelial morphogenesis

The establishment of apical–basal polarity within a single cell and throughout a growing tissue is a key feature of epithelial morphogenesis. To examine the underlying mechanisms, the human intestinal epithelial cell line Caco-2 was grown in a three-dimensional matrix to generate a cystlike structure, where the apical surface of each epithelial cell faces a fluid-filled central lumen. A discrete apical domain is established as early as the first cell division and between the two daughter cells. During subsequent cell divisions, the apical domain of each daughter cell is maintained at the center of the growing structure through a combination of mitotic spindle orientation and asymmetric abscission. Depletion of Cdc42 does not prevent the establishment of apical–basal polarity in individual cells but rather disrupts spindle orientation, leading to inappropriate positioning of apical surfaces within the cyst. We conclude that Cdc42 regulates epithelial tissue morphogenesis by controlling spindle orientation during cell division.
The importance of an inter-compartmental delay in a model for human gastric acid secretion

In this work we re-examine an existing model of gastric acid secretion. The model is a 2-compartment model of the human stomach accounting for regions where relevant cells (D, G, ECL and parietal cells) and proteins and acid they secrete (somatostatin, gastrin, histamine, and gastric acid, respectively) are found. These proteins compose a positive and negative feedback system that controls the secretion of gastric acid by parietal cells. The original model consists of 18 ordinary differential equations and yields a stable 3-period limit cycle solution. We modify the existing model by introducing a delay into the system and assuming that the cell populations are in steady state over a short-time window (<300 h) and are able to reduce the system to an 8-equation delay differential equation model. In addition to demonstrating congruency between the two models, we also show that a similar stability is only reproducible when the delay in gastrin transport is approximately 30 min. This suggests that gastric acid secretion homeostasis likely depends strongly on the delay in gastrin transport from the antrum to the corpus.
Examining the role of the orthodontist in preventing adolescent tobacco use: a nationwide perspective.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the level of antitobacco practices currently in place in orthodontic offices across the United States, so that an antitobacco standard of care might be derived. Methods: A 23-item survey was constructed and mailed to 200 orthodontists practicing in the United States, asking about antitobacco counseling and record keeping, concern for the matter, level of preparedness in helping a patient quit smoking, and potential barriers to effective antitobacco practices. Results: A corrected response rate of 59.5% (n = 119) was obtained. Whereas 89.9% of respondents were concerned about tobacco use by their adolescent patients, only 50% reported actually asking their patients whether they use tobacco. Most orthodontists (67.5%) reported that they are either “not sure” or “not ready” to provide effective cessation counseling to patients who use tobacco, but 61.1% would be willing to integrate a tobacco control program into their practices. No orthodontists were familiar with the National Cancer Institute’s strategy for doctors to help their patients stop tobacco habits, called the “Five A’s” (formerly the “Four A’s”). Conclusion: Because of the unique and often positive interactions orthodontists have with their adolescent patients, members of the specialty can play significant roles in educating patients about the health effects of tobacco use. Because of the lack of adequate training, this education is not taking place in orthodontic practices in the United States.
20.2: Testing of the omniguide traveling-wave tube

We have designed, fabricated and tested with low power a novel W-band TWT based on a slow-wave cylindrically-symmetric PBG dielectric structure, or an “omniguide”. PBG TWT structures have great potential for very large bandwidth and linear dispersion. A gain experiment is under way at Los Alamos with the structure being driven by a 2 A, 110 kV electron beam. In this presentation we will report the design of the omniguide TWT structure, theoretical computations of the gain and the results of S-parameters measurements. We will also describe the electron beam test stand setup and report first results from the gain measurement experiment.
A Value Network Model for Strategic Analysis

This paper describes a new framework for modeling value network of inter-organization interactions. We propose a set of building blocks elements of the model made of economic entities and offering transfers and describe a methodology that configures a business or organization network based on maximizing the consumption of the common value proposition.
Technical Note: A comparison of model and empirical measures of catchment-scale effective energy and mass transfer

Abstract. Recent work suggests that a coupled effective energy and mass transfer (EEMT) term, which includes the energy associated with effective precipitation and primary production, may serve as a robust prediction parameter of critical zone structure and function. However, the models used to estimate EEMT have been solely based on long-term climatological data with little validation using direct empirical measures of energy, water, and carbon balances. Here we compare catchment-scale EEMT estimates generated using two distinct approaches: (1) EEMT modeled using the established methodology based on estimates of monthly effective precipitation and net primary production derived from climatological data, and (2) empirical catchment-scale EEMT estimated using data from 86 catchments of the Model Parameter Estimation Experiment (MOPEX) and MOD17A3 annual net primary production (NPP) product derived from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). Results indicated positive and significant linear correspondence (R2 = 0.75; P
Age‐specific fecundity of mammalian populations: A test of three mathematical models

Empirical age-specific fecundity distributions are often based on small samples and hence include high levels of sampling error, particularly at the older ages. One solution to this problem is to smooth the distributions using appropriate models. The aim of this article is to compare the utility of three models for smoothing and/or graduating these distributions. The three models examined are 1) the Gamma distribution, 2) the Hadwiger function, and 3) the Brass polynomial. Test data sets consist of four types of primates (including humans), Asian elephants, and Przewalski’s horse (an extinct species). The results indicate that all three models work well with a variety of mammalian data. The simplest of these models, the Brass polynomial, cannot be rejected based on available data and appears to be the optimum choice. Zoo Biol 20:487–499, 2001. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
PHAGOSOME-LYSOSOME FUSION IS A CALCIUM-INDEPENDENT EVENT IN MACROPHAGES

Phagosome-lysosome membrane fusion is a highly regulated event that is essential for intracellular killing of microorganisms. Functionally, it represents a form of polarized regulated secretion, which is classically dependent on increases in intracellular ionized calcium ([Ca2+]i). Indeed, increases in [Ca2+]i are essential for phagosome-granule (lysosome) fusion in neutrophils and for lysosomal fusion events that mediate host cell invasion by Trypanosoma cruzi trypomastigotes. Since several intracellular pathogens survive in macrophage phagosomes that do not fuse with lysosomes, we examined the regulation of phagosome-lysosome fusion in macrophages. Macrophages (M phi) were treated with 12.5 microM bis-(2-amino-S-methylphenoxy) ethane-N,N,N',N',-tetraacetic acid tetraacetoxymethyl ester (MAPT/AM), a cell-permeant calcium chelator which reduced resting cytoplasmic [Ca2+]; from 80 nM to < or = 20 nM and completely blocked increases in [Ca2+]i in response to multiple stimuli, even in the presence of extracellular calcium. Subsequently, M phi phagocytosed serum-opsonized zymosan, staphylococci, or Mycobacterium bovis. Microbes were enumerated by 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole, dihydrochloride (DAPI) staining, and phagosome-lysosome fusion was scored using both lysosome-associated membrane protein (LAMP-1) as a membrane marker and rhodamine dextran as a content marker for lysosomes. Confirmation of phagosome-lysosome fusion by electron microscopy validated the fluorescence microscopy findings. We found that phagosome-lysosome fusion in M phi occurs noramlly at very low [Ca2+]i (< or = 20 nM). Kinetic analysis showed that in M phi none of the steps leading from particle binding to eventual phagosome-lysosome fusion are regulated by [Ca2+]i in a rate-limiting way. Furthermore, confocal microscopy revealed no difference in the intensity of LAMP-1 immunofluorescence in phagolysosome membranes in calcium-buffered vs. control macrophages. We conclude that neither membrane recognition nor fusion events in the phagosomal pathway in macrophages are dependent on or regulated by calcium.
A hybrid Ling carry-select adder

Hybrid adders, combining a sparse carry-lookahead tree and a carry-select output stage are a well-known implementation form of high-speed adders. In this paper, a hybrid Ling carry-select adder is presented. It is shown how a carry-select output stage can be used to eliminate the entire conversion of all pseudo-carries. The adder is implemented in enhanced multiple output domino logic (EMODL). A technique is presented to avoid false discharge paths, which present impairment to EMODL, in the sum selection multiplexer.
Reproductive control in wild baboons measured by fecal steroids.

Measurements of reproductive hormones (progestins and estrogens) excreted in feces were used to discriminate between 25 conceptive and 76 nonconceptive (including undetected early abortion) cycles of free-ranging yellow baboons at Mikumi National Park, Tanzania. Conceptive cycles had significantly higher luteal-phase progestin and estrogen concentrations than nonconceptive cycles as early as Day 4 postovulation. However, mean early luteal-phase progestin concentrations in conceptive cycles were lower when conception occurred during ecologically optimal vs. suboptimal times, and among females of high compared to low dominance rank. Mean estrogen concentrations in conceptive cycles showed the opposite dominance rank pattern: mean luteal-phase estrogen concentrations were higher in conceptive cycles of high-compared to low-ranking females. None of these relations existed for nonconceptive cycles. These data suggest that successful implantation is facilitated by relatively high early luteal-phase progestin and estrogen concentrations. However, long-term environmental cues predicting the probability of offspring survival appear to influence the amount of progesterone required for successful implantation; progesterone concentrations necessary to facilitate successful implantation are higher during suboptimal seasons or among females of low dominance rank-cues that also suggest that offspring survival conditions are relatively poor. This may act as a reproductive filter, restricting conception to females whose immediate condition (e.g., low social stress and good physical health) enables them to compensate physiologically and behaviorally for effects associated with these relatively harsh offspring survival conditions.
Standing radial cross-waves?

Standing radial cross-waves in an annular wave tank are investigated using Whitham's average-Lagrangian method. For the simplest case, in which a single radial cross-wave is excited, energy is transferred from the wavemaker to the cross- wave through the spatial mean motion of the free surface, as described by Garrett (1970) for a purely transverse cross-wave in a rectangular tank. In addition, energy is transferred through spatial coupling since, in contrast to the purely transverse cross-wave in the rectangular tank, the (non-axisymmetric) radial cross-wave is three-dimensional. It is shown in an Appendix that this spatial coupling does occur for a three-dimensional cross-wave in a rectangular tank. The equations that govern this single-mode resonance are isomorphic to those that govern the Faraday resonance of surface waves in a basin of fluid subjected to vertical excitation (Miles 1984 a). It is found that the second-order Stokes-wave expansion for deep-water, standing gravity waves, which is regular for rectangular containers, may become singular for circular containers (Mack (1962) noted these resonances for finite-depth, standing gravity waves in circular containers). The evolution equations that govern two distinct types of resonant behaviour are derived : (i) 2 : 1 resonance between a radial cross-wave and a resonantly forces axisymmetric wave, corresponding to ap- proximate equality among the driving frequency, a natural frequency of the directly forced wave, and twice the natural frequency of a cross-wave; (ii) 2: 1 internal resonance between a radial cross-wave and a non-axisymmetric second harmonic, corresponding to approximate equality among the driving frequency, the natural frequency of a non-axisymmetric wave of even azimuthal wavenumber, and twice the natural frc.quency of the cross-wave. The axisymmetric, directly forced wave in (i) is resonantly excited and exchanges energy with the subharmonic cross-wave through spatial coupling, whereas the cross-wave in (ii) is parametrically excited and exchanges energy with the non-axisymmetric second harmonic through spatial coupling. The equations governing case (i) are shown to exhibit chaotic motions; those governing (ii) are shown to be isomorphic to the equations governing 2: 1 internal resonance in the Faraday problem (Miles 1984a, $6), which have been shown to exhibit chaotic motions (Gu & Sethna 1987). Preliminary experiments on standing radial cross-waves are reported in an Appendix, and theoretical predictions of mode stability are in qualitative agreement with these experiments. For the single-mode theory, the interaction coefficient that is a measure of the energy exchange between the wavemaker and the cross-wave is evaluated numerically for a particular wavemaker. The maximum interaction
Substance use patterns of Latinas: commentary.

Six papers were presented in the course of a 2-day symposium on the topic of Latinas and Substance Use. The individuals invited to present included established as well as evolving female investigators within the fields of indigenous peoples’ psychology, sociology, and ethnography. Methodology used in the studies ranged from epidemiological telephone surveys to ethnographic observations. What made this conference unique and exciting in the first place was that a select group of female researchers, who have as the focus of their investigations substance use patterns in Latino populations, were gathered together for 2 days to listen, process, and discuss the Latina experience as it relates to her profile of substance use, abuse, and her response to substance use and abusing patterns within her family and community. Topics of investigations included depth of HIV knowledge among adolescent Latinas, prevalence of protective practices of Latinas when engaging in high-risk behaviors, and childhood experiences of ...
Does the red tide dinoflagellate Karenia brevis use allelopathy to outcompete other phytoplankton

Monospecific blooms of phytoplankton can disrupt pelagic communities and negatively affect human health and economies. Interspecific competition may play an important role in promoting blooms, and so we tested (1) whether the outcome of competition between the red tide dinoflagellate Karenia brevis (ex Gymnodinium breve) and 12 cooccurring phytoplankters could be explained by allelopathic effects of compounds released by K. brevis and (2) whether waterborne, lipophilic molecules, including brevetoxins, are involved. Nine of 12 phytoplankton species were suppressed when grown with live K. brevis at bloom concentrations. K. brevis extracellular filtrates or lipophilic extracts of filtrates inhibited six of these nine species, indicating allelopathy. However, these inhibitory effects were weaker than those experienced by competitors exposed to live K. brevis. Brevetoxins at ecologically reasonable waterborne concentrations accounted for the modest inhibition by K. brevis of only one competitor, Skeletonema costatum. The addition of brevetoxins also caused significant autoinhibition, reducing the maximum concentration of K. brevis. Allelopathy is one mechanism by which K. brevis appears to exhibit competitive advantage over some sympatric phytoplankters, although unidentified compounds other than brevetoxins must be involved, in most cases. K. brevis was also susceptible to competitive exclusion by several species, including Odontella aurita and Prorocentrum minimum, known to thrive during K. brevis blooms. Although field experiments are required to assess whether allelopathy plays a fundamental role in bloom dynamics, our results indicate that allelopathy occurs widely but with species-specific consequences.
Divergent expansion, Borel summability and three-dimensional Navier–Stokes equation

We describe how the Borel summability of a divergent asymptotic expansion can be expanded and applied to nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs). While Borel summation does not apply for non-analytic initial data, the present approach generates an integral equation (IE) applicable to much more general data. We apply these concepts to the three-dimensional Navier-Stokes (NS) system and show how the IE approach can give rise to local existence proofs. In this approach, the global existence problem in three-dimensional NS systems, for specific initial condition and viscosity, becomes a problem of asymptotics in the variable p (dual to 1/t or some positive power of 1/t). Furthermore, the errors in numerical computations in the associated IE can be controlled rigorously, which is very important for nonlinear PDEs such as NS when solutions are not known to exist globally.Moreover, computation of the solution of the IE over an interval [0,p0] provides sharper control of its p-->infinity behaviour. Preliminary numerical computations give encouraging results.
Quality-based adaptive resource management architecture (QARMA): a CORBA resource management service

Summary form only given. We describe the quality-based adaptive resource management architecture, QARMA, a framework for resource management within CORBA. QARMA consists of three major components: the system repository service, the resource management service, and the enactor service. QARMA serves as a basis for integration of existing CORBA services and management mechanisms into a single, coherent framework for resource management. QARMA supports the management of a wide variety of applications developed using various development paradigms, easily integrates with other management and infrastructure components that already exist as CORBA services, and is easily extended to allow the use of new resource management mechanisms as they become available.
Designing digital library evaluation instruments: conceptualizing a participatory methodology

Eliciting users' perceptions and understandings of digital libraries involves guiding users and evaluators lost in translation toward communicating on the same wavelength. In order to mitigate potential misunderstandings, it is necessary to craft evaluation instruments into boundary objects that afford communication with precise terminology, ultimately facilitating the exchange of knowledge and meaning among various stakeholders. This poster describes the preliminary findings from pilot testing and proposes new evaluation methods for the participatory design of digital library evaluation instruments that bridge meaning across users and evaluators.
Reply to the Letter to the Editor of T.P. Schlösser et al. concerning "Pelvic incidence: an anatomic investigation of 880 cadaveric specimens" by Weinberg DS, Morris WZ, Gebhart JJ, Liu RW: Eur Spine J (2015); DOI 10.1007/s00586-015-4317-z.

We thank you for your interest and critical review of our manuscript [1]. We share your concerns regarding the reliabilities and potential limitations of conventional radiographic assessment of pelvic incidence, as were discussed in our manuscript as well as yours [2]. We too would agree that 3D analysis may provide more useful analyses in many settings, and share your enthusiasm for their potential for clinical use. As you mention, ex vivo CT shows equivalent reliability to osteological methods. Going forward, it is our hope that research such as yours will spark an increased clinical awareness and utility of pelvic incidence. Obviously, the osteological method we performed could not be performed in vivo, and CT may provide a more tangible intermediary. We suspect that this may be especially useful for practitioners evaluating concomitant pathologies of the hip, where CT imaging may have already been performed; we look forward to soon sharing our ongoing research in this area [3]. Regarding some of the methodological inquiries that were raised, we would like to remind readers that normality was appropriately accounted using the statistical methods described. Moreover, nonparametric analyses are rigorously more ‘‘liberal’’ and therefore more inclined to cause a type-I error. Therefore, readers should feel especially confident when interpreting a negative result in the present study that suggests no significant differences existed between the groups in question. In terms of selection bias, our cadaveric collection has no bias toward musculoskeletal disease nor abdominal or pelvic disease, but rather was created from unclaimed deceased bodies collected in a random fashion. Finally, we would like to thank Schlosser et al. [2] for reporting their interesting results on pelvic incidence during growth. Since our study only included adult subjects, we were not able to comment on such, although studies such as yours as that of Mangione et al. [4] provide convincing evidence that pelvic incidence increases throughout growth until adolescence.
Trithiols and their arsenic compounds for potential use in diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals

Abstract Introduction Arsenic-72 ( 72 As; 2.49MeV β + , 26h) and 77 As (0.683MeV β − , 38.8h) have nuclear properties useful for positron emission tomography (PET) and radiotherapy applications, respectively. Their half-lives are sufficiently long for targeting tumors with antibodies, as well as peptides. Potential radiopharmaceuticals based on radioarsenic require development of suitable bifunctional chelates for stable conjugation of arsenic to vectors under in vivo conditions at high dilution. Methods The thiophilic nature of arsenic led to the synthesis and characterization of a simple trithiol ligand and its arsenic complex, and radiolabeling studies at the no carrier added (NCA) 77 As level. Results 1 H- and 13 C-NMR spectroscopy, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), and single crystal X-ray diffraction were used to characterize the trithiol ligand and its arsenic(III) complex. Radiotracer studies with no carrier added (NCA) 77 As resulted in high radiolabeling yields (>96%) with high in vitro stability. Conclusions The high yield and stability of a single NCA 77 As trithiol complex indicates that this framework is suitable for developing matched pair agents for non-invasive in vivo PET imaging and radiotherapy of tumors with 72,77 As. This is the first reported chelate developed for NCA radioarsenic and studies are underway for developing a trithiol bifunctional chelate conjugated to a targeting vector, such as a peptide or monoclonal antibody.
Higher Standards of Honorable Conduct Reinforced: Lessons (Re)Learned from the Captain Honors Incident

JURIST Guest Columnist Kevin Govern of Ave Maria School of Law says that the recent actions against U.S. Navy Captain (Capt.) Owen Honors is a regrettable redux of the Las Vegas, NV Tailhook Association scandal of 1991. Still, this incident may reinvigorate the Department of Defense's efforts to promote dignity and respect for all service-members, to foster a culture of accountability, and to promote and to hold those in leadership positions consistent with the highest standards of moral and ethical conduct.
A Method to Determine Step-Shaped Electricity Consumption Levels for Residential Area Based on Variable-Density Clustering

There are a certain anthropogenic factors and arbitrariness during the determination of residential step-shaped electricity consumption levels in residential area,which is the base for drafting step-shaped electricity rate in residential areas.For this reason,a synthetical method to draft step-shaped electricity consumption levels in residential area,which is based on variable-density clustering,is proposed.Firstly,the residential consumers is preliminarily classified by variable-density cluster analysis based on monthly average electricity consumption of each family,which is decided according to the density of family numbers in the neighborhood of monthly average electricity consumption of the families;then the estimation of household appliances and probabilistic method are utilized to decide the step-shaped electricity consumption in each step and corresponding rate of coverage,and taking them as constraints the preliminary classifications by cluster analysis are merged to construct selectable scheme for each step-shaped electricity consumption;finally,optimal decision-making models for step-shaped electricity consumption in all steps are built,and the synthesis optimum electricity consumption level in each step is chosen from these schemes.The correctness and reasonableness of the proposed method are verified by practical cases.
Quantitative Trait Variation, Molecular Basis of

Heritable variation in quantitative traits is caused by genetic variants that influence the expression and function of specific genes. Identifying these variants and characterizing their effects on molecular function can reveal mechanisms that generate phenotypic diversity. Research along these lines has begun to show how commonly studied quantitative genetic effects arise at the molecular level.
Flight-Test Measurement of the Aero-Optical Environment of a Helicopter in Hover

Methods and results are described for flight-test measurements of the aero-optical effect of the near-field flow surrounding a medium-sized helicopter in hover. The data were acquired using a novel, passive measurement approach in which optical wave-front aberrations were computed from the displacements of light-emitting diodes attached to a target array mounted under the helicopter fuselage. The resulting aero-optical data are shown through the rotor downwash and through the engine exhaust of the helicopter, and they are compared to estimates computed using parametric models for the helicopter wake structure and rotor–vortex diffusion. The experimental data provide additional information on the magnitude and frequency content of the aero-optical aberrations, as well as vibration data, that will be valuable for future beam-control and modeling studies.
Early life sets the stage for aging.

Although many people would agree with the proposition that factors in early life can have profound consequences for a person’s health and well-being in later life, the extent of this relationship and the mechanisms that underlie it are debatable. This is especially true when considering how childhood and even gestation might affect outcomes seven or eight decades later. We know that aging is associated with great variability in cognitive and physical health, yet attempts to explain this variability have largely been limited to a few genetic factors and a host of exposures measured in mid- and late-life. Increasing attention, however, is being drawn to the ways in which development and aging may be linked. In PNAS, Walhovd et al. (1) provide novel observations on how early-life events are related to pervasive lifelong effects on brain and cognition. Cognitive abilities in older people are highly variable between individuals but tend to be consistent across cognitive domains within individuals (2). Put simply, some people do better than others in general; those with preserved memory also tend to show preservation in language, perceptual speed, and visuospatial ability. This finding is consistent with studies of intelligence through the lifespan, with a general intelligence factor, or g , explaining considerable variance across many different cognitive abilities. The source of this age-related variability is often ascribed to clinical and preclinical age-related brain disease along with “brain aging,” a poorly understood process that affects multiple neural systems (3). Both genes and the environment drive these processes, and their effects on behavior and cognition may be mediated by another factor, defined as “brain reserve.” Brain reserve is a construct that cannot be directly measured; its presence is inferred through the observation that individuals show different behavioral responses to similar levels of brain pathology (4). One of the proxy … [↵][1]1Email: jagust{at}berkeley.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Carbamazepine-Related Status Epilepticus

High serum carbamazepine-epoxide concentrations were correlated with unexpected seizure exacerbation and partial status epilepticus in 6 young adults reported from the Marshfield Clinic, WI, and the Mayo Clinic, MN.
A Critical Role for CCL Chemokines in the Immuno-Protection Induced by Type I Interferons and IRF8/ICSBP Against Bcr/Abl-Induced Leukemia.

Until recently, the mainstay of Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) therapy was Interferon (IFN) alpha, which in a minority of patients induces long lasting cytogenetic remission. While the exact mechanism of action of IFN alpha in CML is still obscure, it is clear that the clinical response to IFN alpha correlates with immune system reactivity against leukemic clones. As minimal molecular disease often persists despite the use of imatinib and new Bcr-Abl inhibitors, immunotherapy remains an appealing adjunct to molecularly targeted inhibitors in CML therapy. We have shown that IRF8/ICSBP (Interferon Consensus Sequence Binding Protein) expression in Bcr-Abl transformed cells prevents their capacity to form a lethal leukemia when injected into mice, and that this protection is mediated by a long-lasting and potent CD8+ response against unknown epitopes on the leukemic cells. We hypothesized that the protection mediated by IRF8/ICSBP might be related to the anti-leukemic effects of IFN alpha. We now find that Type I IFNs like IFN alpha regulate IRF8/ICSBP expression in mouse and human cells and in Bcr-Abl transformed cells. Furthermore, type I IFNs can substitute for ICSBP in inducing the anti-leukemic immunity against Bcr-Abl transformed cells. Transcriptional profiling of cells expressing ICSBP, Bcr-Abl, or both ICSBP and Bcr-Abl identified two chemokines, CCL6 and CCL9, which were associated with the immune protection induced by IRF8/ICSBP expression. Type I IFNs and IRF8/ICSBP induce the expression of these chemokines in cells transformed with Bcr-Abl. RNAi-mediated inhibition experiments in our mouse model of CML show that these chemokines are required for the IRF8/ICSBP-mediated CD8+ anti-leukemic response to the Bcr-Abl transformed cells, suggesting that these chemokines could be exploited for immunotherapy in combination with existing Bcr-Abl peptide vaccines.
The mycobiome of the human urinary tract: potential roles for fungi in urology

The mycobiome, defined as the fungal microbiota within a host environment, is an important but understudied component of the human microbial ecosystem. New culture-independent approaches to determine microbial diversity, such as next-generation sequencing methods, have discovered specific, characteristic, commensal fungal populations present in different body sites. These studies have also identified diverse patterns in fungal communities associated with various diseases. While alterations in urinary bacterial communities have been noted in disease states, a comprehensive description of the urinary mycobiome has been lacking. Early evidence suggests the urinary mycobiome is a diverse community with high intraindividual variability. In other disease systems, the mycobiome is thought to interact with other biomes and the host to play a role in organ homeostasis and pathology; further study will be needed to elucidate the role fungi play in bladder health and disease.
Flexible activity behaviour aids survival in the Arctic

![Graphic][1] Activity is an essential part of life for animals, whether it be to find food, shelter or a mate. And the key ingredient for such forays is energy, derived from the food they find. Animals need energy not only to be active, but also for a suite of basic life functions, including