cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mutually orthogonal LMP decompositions: Congestion decomposes, losses do not

A useful perspective on Locational Marginal Prices (LMPs) recognizes that, as Lagrange multipliers, they must lie in the null space of a network-structured Jacobian matrix evaluated at the optimal power flow solution. The authors have previously termed vectors in this null space satisfying necessary conditions for optimality “admissible LMPs.” The work here seeks to use this geometric perspective to clarify some of the concerns that have persisted in widely used LMP formulations: the appropriateness of decomposition approaches, and impact of (uniform cost) reference bus selection. A standard approach decomposes LMPs as a sum of uniform marginal energy, marginal loss, and marginal congestion cost contributions. Employing the null-space perspective, one might seek admissible LMP basis vectors that are likewise partitioned into these three contributions. However, work here will show that such a basis cannot in general be selected to separate the three contributions into mutually orthogonal subspaces. To this end, this paper will first review recent results in the literature that examined coupling of conduction losses to the uniform energy term, using a Taylor expansion perspective. Here, as an alternative, geometric perspective, losses will be shown to rotate a single basis vector within the admissible LMPs; specifically, that vector which appears as the uniform cost basis in the losses case. This is inherently different from the impact of congestion. Simply put, losses are a perturbation to existing equality constraints, while congestion on a line introduces a new active constraint. With these insights established, this paper develops a formulation that represents uniform marginal energy and marginal losses in a single, combined term. It then associates marginal congestion cost (MCC) contributions with mutually orthogonal admissible basis vectors, with these, in turn, orthogonal to the marginal energy/loss term. Our overall result produces a unique LMP decomposition, which is independent of choice of reference bus.
Nuclear Fine Structure Widths and Spacings

In recent years, high resolution measurements have led to a rather complete qualitative understanding of the statistical properties of nuclear fine- structure levels from an empirical point of view. Some recently obtained results are presented which show that both distributions can be derived from a single statistical hypothesis that the matrix elements of the Hamiltonian operator which defines the eigenstates of the compound nucleus follow normal distributions. (A.C.)
Regulation of gene expression in the preimplantation mouse embryo

The maternal to zygotic transition, which entails activation of the embryonic genome, is arguably the first important event that must occur following fertilization for further successful development. In mammalian preimplantation embryos, zygotic gene activation occurs at different developmental stages. What regulates the timing of gene expression, however, is poorly understood and the spectrum of genes that are expressed is ill-defined. This review will concentrate on results of experiments derived from studies using preimplantation mouse embryos and will focus on when zygotic gene activation occurs and what regulates its timing, as well as approaches to analyze genes whose expression is activated.
The N-terminal region of the human immunodeficiency virus envelope glycoprotein gp120 contains potential binding sites for CD4.

Abstract Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) vaccines targeted at blocking HIV-CD4 interactions are expected to be less affected by the sequence heterogeneity of HIV than those targeted at variable regions of the envelope outercoat glycoprotein, gp120. All potential CD4 binding sites identified thus far in HIV are localized in the C-terminal region of gp120. In this study we demonstrate that the N-terminal region of gp120 also contains conserved residues critical for binding to CD4 and that gp120-CD4 interactions can be blocked by an antiserum with binding specificity to an N-terminal region of gp120. These results suggest that not all potential CD4 binding sites are present in the C-terminal region of gp120 and that an alternative HIV vaccine development strategy may have to include the N-terminal gp120 region as a component to raise effective CD4-blocking antibodies.
Measurements of the contact force from myenteric contractions on a solid bolus

The development of robotic capsule endoscopes (RCEs) is one avenue presently investigated by multiple research groups to minimize invasiveness and enhance outcomes of enteroscopic procedures. Understanding the biomechanical response of the small bowel to RCEs is needed for design optimization of these devices. In previous work, the authors developed, characterized, and tested the migrating motor complex force sensor (MFS), a novel sensor for quantifying the contact forces per unit of axial length exerted by the myenteron on a solid bolus. This work is a continuation, in which the MFS is used to quantify the contractile strength in the small intestine proximal, middle, and distal regions of five live porcine models. The MFSs are surgically implanted in a generally anesthetized animal, and force data from 5 min of dwell time are analyzed. The mean myenteric contact force from all porcine models and locations within the bowel is 1.9 ± 1.0 N cm(-1). Examining the results based on the small bowel region shows a statistically significant strengthening trend in the contractile force from proximal to middle to distal with mean forces of 1.2 ± 0.5, 1.9 ± 0.9, and 2.3 ± 1.0 N cm(-1), respectively (mean ± one standard deviation). Quantification of the contact force against a solid bolus provides developers of RCEs with a valuable, experimentally derived parameter of the intraluminal environment.
ABS Rules for Integrated Power Systems (IPS)

This paper will provide an overview of the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) Rules and for integrated power systems (IPS). The paper will include a review and comparison of the key requirements from the ABS Steel Vessel Rules (for commercial ships) and the ABS Naval Vessel Rules (for military ships) for integrated electric propulsion systems. The paper will explain how to apply the ABS propulsion redundancy notations (R1, R2, R1-S, R2-S) and dynamic positioning system (DPS) notations (DPS-0, DPS-1, DPS-2, and DPS-3) to vessels with integrated electric propulsion systems. Various military and commercial electric propulsion and integrated power system architectures will be examined and contrasted, and the merits and rationale behind the different approaches will be explained. The paper will also provide a brief summary of other standards for electric propulsion systems such as IEEE Standard 45 (2002), IEEE Recommended Practice for Electrical Installations on Shipboard, Clause 31. Electric propulsion and maneuvering system and IPS power electronics conversion equipment standards such as the new IEEE Standard P-1662 - Guide for the Design and Application of Power Electronics in Electrical Power Systems on Ships and the IEC Publication 60146 Series, Semiconductor converters - General requirements and line commutated converters. This paper will provide guidance on the development of Rules and proposed changes to the ABS Steel Vessel Rules and Naval Vessel Rules. The paper will emphasize that ABS is always looking for feedback from industry on ways to improve the clarity of the Rules, capture new technology and lessons learned from shipbuilding programs. ABS has extensive experience with electric propulsion going back as far as the T-2 tankers of World War II fame to modern day electric propulsion designs on many Military Sealift Command (MSC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and U.S. Navy ships. These designs include various MSC and NOAA oceanographic research vessels, the T-AKE dry cargo ships, the new T-AGM 25 missile range instrumentation ship, and the most advanced integrated power system using electric drive on the DDG-1000 ZUMWALT class destroyers.
Electrical enhancement of Streptococcus gordonii biofilm killing by gentamicin.

Abstract This electrical enhancement was demonstrated in an in vitro model. Streptococcus gordonii biofilms were grown for 6 days in continuous-flow reactors on one-tenth strength trypticase peptone broth. The biofilms attained a mean areal cell density of 2.4×10 8 c.f.u./cm 2 and a thickness of approx. 19 μm. Biofilms exhibited characteristic resistance to killing by an antibiotic. When treated with 2 μg/ml gentamicin for 24 h, they exhibited a 0.84 log reduction in viable cell numbers; a 4.7 log reduction was measured in a planktonic culture. Killing of planktonic bacteria by this treatment was reduced to 1.2 log when an oxygen-scavenging enzyme was added to the medium. When a 2-mA direct current was applied during antibiotic treatment, biofilm killing increased to a 4.3 log reduction. Electrical current alone caused a 1.9 log reduction in biofilm cell counts. It is suggested that gentamicin was less effective against Strep. gordonii under anaerobic conditions than it was under aerobic conditions and that this can explain both the reduced susceptibility of the biofilm (due to oxygen depletion) and electrical enhancement of efficacy (due to oxygen generation by electrolysis).
Tracking stars: automated two-dimensional analysis of Ca2+ events. Focus on “Automated region of interest analysis of dynamic Ca2+ signals in image sequences”

ca2+ ion serves as a multifunctional messenger that is responsible for numerous cellular functions. Since the first recording of Ca2+ transients using aequorin in live cells, technological advances have been made on many fronts for monitoring intracellular Ca2+ dynamics. These advances include both the engineering of a large repertoire of Ca2+ fluorescent probes and target-specific biosensors whose optical properties are sensitive to intracellular Ca2+ concentration, as well as improvements in the detection and imaging of Ca2+ signals with high temporal and spatial resolution at subcellular levels within the cytosol and specific organelles such as sarcoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, and nucleus.
Mapping a Space Manipulator to a Dynamically Equivalent Manipulator

In this paper, we discuss the problem of how a free-floating space manipulator can be mapped to a conventional, fixed-base manipulator which preserves both its dynamic and kinematic properties. This manipulator is called Dynamically Equivalent Manipulator (DEM). The DEM concept not only allows us to model a free-floating space manipulator system with simple, well-understood methods, but also to build a conventional manipulator system to experimentally study the dynamic performance and task execution of a space manipulator system, without having to resort to complicated experimental set-ups to simulate the space environment. This paper presents the theoretical development of the DEM concept, demonstrates the dynamic and kinematic equivalence, and presents simulation results to illustrate the equivalence under open-loop and closed-loop control strategies.
An efficient fault-tolerant decentralized commit protocol for single site failure

To maintain consistency on a distributed database system, a commit protocol is often employed to ensure that either all the sub-transactions of a transaction commit or all abort. Special care needs to be taken to ensure the correct functioning of a commit protocol in the face of node failures during the execution of the protocol. A protocol is said to be fault-tolerant if it properly commits or aborts, even if nodes fail. In this paper, we present a fault tolerant decentralized commit protocol which is message optimal in the absence of failures. Furthermore, the protocol (FTDCP) ensures that all sites can achieve a consistent final decision by at most 4 extra messages in the single site failure situation.
The spectrum of resistance in SR/CR mice: the critical role of chemoattraction in the cancer/leukocyte interaction

Spontaneous regression/complete resistance (SR/CR) mice are a unique colony of mice that possess an inheritable, natural cancer resistance mediated primarily by innate cellular immunity. This resistance is effective against sarcoma 180 (S180) at exceptionally high doses and these mice remain healthy. In this study, we challenged SR/CR mice with additional lethal transplantable mouse cancer cell lines to determine their resistance spectrum. The ability of these transplantable cancer cell lines to induce leukocyte infiltration was quantified and the percentage of different populations of responding immune cells was determined using flow cytometry. In comparison to wild type (WT) mice, SR/CR mice showed significantly higher resistance to all cancer cell lines tested. However, SR/CR mice were more sensitive to MethA sarcoma (MethA), B16 melanoma (B16), LL/2 lung carcinoma (LL/2) and J774 lymphoma (J774) than to sarcoma 180 (S180) and EL-4 lymphoma (EL-4). Further mechanistic studies revealed that this lower resistance to MethA and LL/2 was due to the inability of these cancer cells to attract SR/CR leukocytes, leading to tumor cell escape from resistance mechanism. This escape mechanism was overcome by co-injection with S180, which could attract SR/CR leukocytes allowing the mice to resist higher doses of MethA and LL/2. S180-induced cell-free ascites fluid (CFAF) co-injection recapitulated the results obtained with live S180 cells, suggesting that this chemoattraction by cancer cells is mediated by diffusible molecules. We also tested for the first time whether SR/CR mice were able to resist additional cancer cell lines prior to S180 exposure. We found that SR/CR mice had an innate resistance against EL-4 and J774. Our results suggest that the cancer resistance in SR/CR mice is based on at least two separate processes: leukocyte migration/infiltration to the site of cancer cells and recognition of common surface properties on cancer cells. The infiltration of SR/CR leukocytes was based on both the innate ability of leukocytes to respond to chemotactic signals produced by cancer cells and on whether cancer cells produced these chemotactic signals. We found that some cancer cells could escape from SR/CR resistance because they did not induce infiltration of SR/CR leukocytes. However, if infiltration of leukocytes was induced by co-injection with chemotactic factors, these same cancer cells could be effectively recognized and killed by SR/CR leukocytes.
An alkyl-cysteine sulfoxide lyase in Tulbaghia violacea and its relation to other alliinase-like enzymes

Abstract A carbon-sulfur lyase has been found in Tulbaghia violacea Harv. which is capable of acting on l -cysteine sulfoxides in a manner similar to the alliinase reaction described in the genus Allium . The enzyme has a substrate specificity similar to that of alliinase, and its activity is enhanced by pyridoxal phosphate. Cupric ion also stimulates its activity, but the enzyme does not appear to require copper as a co-factor. Amino acid sulfoxides found in the tissue give rise to pyruvate when treated with an enzymic preparation from T. violacea , indicating that the mechanism responsible for odor production in Tulbaghia is the same as that in Allium . Data are presented to support the classification of alliinase-like enzymes into two groups on the basis of optimal pH.
The Fate of Intravenously Injected Tumor Cells

In spite of a large volume of information from clinical and experimental observations on tumor metastasis, the subject is still largely a matter of speculation. Blood-borne metastases, often dramatic and bizarre, have attracted much attention, particularly in the study of “silent” or “healing” emboli seen in human material and carefully described by Schmidt (9), Teacher (12), and others. Iwasaki (3) and Takahashi (11) have shown strikingly similar changes in animals with intravenously injected tumor. Probably the closest approximation to spontaneous vascular metastases in man was obtained in the experimental massage of tumor by Tyzzer (13), Knox (4), and Marsh (8). This method, however, is complicated by the possibility of naturally occurring metastases by other routes. There is no doubt that tumor emboli may become organized and disappear or remain latent over long periods without establishing true metastasis. Whether this is due to death of some of the cells which initiates thrombus formation, or whether it is due to mechanical factors or to resistance of the host is not certain. The relative significance of the biological character of the tumor and of the local reaction to implantation in metastasis is still not clear, although Slye (10) has given very interesting evidence as to the latter. Since many animal tumors metastasize readily by the blood stream, they are well adapted for this type of experimentation. As the simplest experimental approach to the study of metastasis, we have attempted to follow the way in which tumor nodules are established in the lung after the intravenous injection of a known number of uninjured tumor cells, by killing the animals at short intervals. Similar experiments carried out by others are clouded by the use of mixtures of crushed, autolyzed, and viable cells. Since no process of dispersing and suspending tumor cells for injection has heretofore been carried out without cell injury, the experimental results have been confused by the effects of products of cellular degeneration. The toxicity of such suspensions has long been known and is confirmed in our own work. Consequently when we improved and standardized a procedure for the intravenous injection of uninjured tumor cells, the advisability of reinvestigating the subject was obvious both as a means for establishing a basis for further work on metastases with this tumor, and for comparison with previous work. The method is based on the observation of Hesse (2) that peritoneal fluid resulting from intraperitoneal inoculation of Flexner-Jobling carcinoma contained tumor cells capable of transmitting the tumor (Fig. 1).
A Permanent Magnet Linear Oscillatory Motor for the Total Artificial Heart

ABSTRACT This paper discusses the analysis, construction and initial tests of a permanent magnet linear oscillatory motor suitable for application in an artificial heart pump. Description of the motor design and power conditioning drive are presented. A hardware realization of a microprocessor based controller is also described. Test results indicate the nature of attraction and repulsion forces, and thus lead to the feasibility of the motor to drive the pump of an artificial heart.
Equilibrium air stagnation point boundary-layer calculations using a variable heat of dissociation model

Abstract Numerical calculations for equilibrium air stagnation point heat transfer have been carried out using the variable heat of dissociation model postulated by Fenster and Heyman. In studying the application of this model, it is noted that there is a discrepancy in the conservation of energy equation as used by Fenster and Heyman and that it is this discrepancy which led to their results being significantly different from those of previous investigations. Present calculations indicate that the use of the correct formulation of the boundary-layer energy equation for a variable heat of dissociation model yields results for equilibrium air that are in basic agreement with those obtained using a constant heat of dissociation model.
Sufficient Dimension Reduction for Censored Regressions

Methodology of sufficient dimension reduction (SDR) has offered an effective means to facilitate regression analysis of high dimensional data. When the response is censored, however, most existing SDR estimators can not be applied, or require some restrictive conditions. In this article we propose a new class of inverse censoring probability weighted SDR estimators for censored regressions. Moreover, regularization is introduced to achieve simultaneous variable selection and dimension reduction. Asymptotic properties and empirical performance of the proposed methods are examined.
Heat-current operator and transport entropy of vortices in type-II superconductors

The definition of a heat-current operator and the microscopic treatment of a temperature gradient in a magnetic conductor are revised in order to resolve a conflict with the third law of thermodynamics and Onsager's principle. Some new theoretical results on the transport entropy of vortices in type-II superconductors with magnetic and nonmagnetic impurities are reported to substantiate our new lineartransport analysis.
Characters, dual pairs, and unipotent representations

Abstract We lift distribution characters of irreducible unitary representations of classical groups from the group to the Lie algebra via the Cayley Transform. Then a specific class of these characters admits Fourier transform supported on the closure of a single nilpotent coadjoint orbit. We calculate also the wave front set of the most singular low rank representations.
Observations on Infectious Synovitis

ABSTRACT IN REVIEWING the literature of infectious synovitis it is observed that the etiological agent or agents causing the disease remain in doubt. Olson (1956) has reported isolating a large particle virus, as well as pleuropneumonia like organisms (PPLO) and two unidentified viruses from disease outbreaks. Cover (1956) has described the etiological agent as a virus or virus-like organism, and Cover and Benton (1957) have recently been able to isolate the agent from many of the internal organs including the testes and ovary. Leece et al. (1955) cultivated the virus on heart fibroblasts. Wills and Delaplane (1955) suggested possible hatching egg transmission in one experiment. In reference to the control of the disease, differences in results have occurred with both furazolidone (nf-180) and antibiotics. Olson et al. (1956a) reported that in birds inoculated with two of seven strains of infectious synovitis, the infection could not be controlled by feeding nf-180 at . . .
Robert Yerkes' Rabbit

A case of distortion in the history of psychology literature is described. Three significant details of an incident in the boyhood of Robert Yerkes were distorted in a recent article. It is important that such errors be corrected because they can greatly alter interpretations of the significance of historical events and they are difficult to eliminate from the secondary literature once perpetrated.
TEACHING SAFETY SKILLS TO CHILDREN TO PREVENT GUN PLAY

Research has shown that children often engage in gun play when they find a firearm and that this behavior is often involved in unintentional firearm injuries. Previous research has shown existing programs to be ineffective for teaching children safety skills to reduce gun play. This study examined the effectiveness of a behavioral skills training (BST) program supplemented with in situ training for teaching children safety skills to use when they find a gun (i.e., don't touch, leave the area, tell an adult). Eight 4- to 5-year-old children were trained and assessed in a naturalistic setting and in a generalized setting in a multiple baseline across subjects design. Results showed that 3 of the children performed the skills after receiving BST, whereas 5 of the children required supplemental in situ training. All children in the study learned to perform the skills when assessed in a naturalistic setting and when assessed in a generalization setting. Performance was maintained at 2- to 8-week follow-up assessments.
Sensitive Visual Test for Concave Diffraction Gratings

A simple visual test for the evaluation of concave diffraction gratings is described. It is twice as sensitive as the Foucault knife edge test, from which it is derived, and has the advantage that the images are straight and free of astigmatism. It is particularly useful for gratings with high ruling frequency where the above image faults limit the utility of the Foucault test. The test can be interpreted quantitatively and can detect zonal grating space errors of as little as 0.1 A.
A Retrograde Trafficking Inhibitor of Ricin and Shiga-Like Toxins Inhibits Infection of Cells by Human and Monkey Polyomaviruses

ABSTRACT Polyomaviruses are ubiquitous pathogens that cause severe disease in immunocompromised individuals. JC polyomavirus (JCPyV) is the causative agent of the fatal demyelinating disease progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), whereas BK polyomavirus (BKPyV) causes polyomavirus-induced nephropathy and hemorrhagic cystitis. Vaccines or antiviral therapies targeting these viruses do not exist, and treatments focus on reducing the underlying causes of immunosuppression. We demonstrate that retro-2 cycl , an inhibitor of ricin and Shiga-like toxins (SLTs), inhibits infection by JCPyV, BKPyV, and simian virus 40. Retro-2 cycl inhibits retrograde transport of polyomaviruses to the endoplasmic reticulum, a step necessary for productive infection. Retro-2 cycl likely inhibits polyomaviruses in a way similar to its ricin and SLT inhibition, suggesting an overlap in the cellular host factors used by bacterial toxins and polyomaviruses. This work establishes retro-2 cycl as a potential antiviral therapy that broadly inhibits polyomaviruses and possibly other pathogens that use retrograde trafficking. IMPORTANCE The human polyomaviruses JC polyomavirus (JCPyV) and BK polyomavirus (BKPyV) cause rare but severe diseases in individuals with reduced immune function. During immunosuppression, JCPyV disseminates from the kidney to the central nervous system and destroys oligodendrocytes, resulting in the fatal disease progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. Kidney transplant recipients are at increased risk of BKPyV-induced nephropathy, which results in kidney necrosis and loss of the transplanted organ. There are currently no effective therapies for JCPyV and BKPyV. We show that a small molecule named retro-2 cycl protects cells from infection with JCPyV and BKPyV by inhibiting intracellular viral transport. Retro-2 cycl treatment reduces viral spreading in already established infections and may therefore be able to control infection in affected patients. Further optimization of retro-2 cycl may result in the development of an effective antiviral therapy directed toward pathogens that use retrograde trafficking to infect their hosts.
The Subtle Micro-Effects of Peacekeeping: Evidence from Liberia ⁄

We use original survey data and administrative data to test a theory of the micro-level impacts of peacekeeping. The theory proposes that through the creation of local security bubbles and also through direct assistance, peacekeeping deployments contribute to economic and social revitalization that may contribute to more durable peace. This theory guides the design of current United Nations peacekeeping operations, and has been proposed as one of the explanations for peacekeeping’s well-documented association with more durable peace. Our evidence paint a complex picture that deviates substantially from the theory. We do not find evidence for local security bubbles around deployment base areas, and we do not find that deployments were substantial contributors to local social infrastructure. In addition, we find a negative relationship between deployment basing locations and NGO contributions to social infrastructure. Nonetheless, we find that deployments do seem to stimulate local markets, leading to better employment possibilities and substantially higher incomes. The result is something of a puzzle, suggesting that more work needs to be done on other types of direct assistance by peacekeeping contingents—e.g. the impact of mission procurement and routine spending by those associated with the mission. Also, the findings with respect to NGO activities suggest that this is an important factor that past case studies and cross-national studies have not taken into account sufficiently.
Fabrication of Two-Dimensional PEDOT:PSS Nanosheets Through In Situ Formed Complexes

This paper presents a simple and effective method to fabricate water-soluble two-dimensional (2D) conductive poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly (sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) nanosheets. Linear PSS is water-soluble and exhibits a quasi 1D structure in the dilute solution. Addition of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) monomers into acidic solutions would form 2D molecular complexes due to charge attraction. In situ polymerization of the ethylenedioxythiophene monomers produces 2D poly EDOT nanosheets. Both transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy characterizations have confirmed the 2D polymeric nanosheets. Further Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) characterization also validated that the 2D nanosheet is composed of EDOT-based units and Raman spectroscopy indicated the strong interactions between ethylenedioxythiophene units in the 2D nanostructures. The electrical conductivity is measured to as high as 551.58 S/m for the thin film of as-produced 2D PEDOT:PSS nanosheets.
A Variational Principle for KPP Front Speeds in Temporally Random Shear Flows

We establish the variational principle of Kolmogorov-Petrovsky-Piskunov (KPP) front speeds in temporally random shear flows with sufficiently decaying correlations. A key quantity in the variational principle is the almost sure Lyapunov exponent of a heat operator with random potential. To prove the variational principle, we use the comparison principle of solutions, the path integral representation of solutions, and large deviation estimates of the associated stochastic flows. The variational principle then allows us to analytically bound the front speeds. The speed bounds imply the linear growth law in the regime of large root mean square shear amplitude at any fixed temporal correlation length, and the sublinear growth law if the temporal decorrelation is also large enough, the so-called bending phenomenon.
Cerebellar Climbing Fibers Modulate Simple Spikes in Purkinje Cells

Purkinje cells have two action potentials: Climbing fiber responses (CFRs) and simple spikes (SSs). CFRs reflect the discharge of a single climbing fiber at multiple synaptic sites on the proximal dendrite of the Purkinje cell. SSs reflect the summed action of a subset of parallel fiber synapses on Purkinje cell dendritic spines. Because mossy fiber afferents terminate on granule cells, the ascending axons of which bifurcate, giving rise to parallel fibers, the modulation of SSs has been attributed to mossy fiber afferent signals. This inference has never been tested. Conversely, the low discharge frequency of CFRs has led many to conclude that they have a unique and intermittent role in cerebellar signal processing. We examine the relative potency of vestibularly modulated mossy fiber and climbing fiber signals in evoking CFRs and SSs in Purkinje cells of the uvula-nodulus in chloralose-urethane-anesthetized rabbits. Vestibular primary afferents were blocked by unilateral labyrinthectomy (UL). A UL destroys the vestibular primary afferent signal to the ipsilateral uvula-nodulus, while leaving intact the vestibular climbing fiber signal from the contralateral inferior olive. After UL, vestibular stimulation modulated CFRs and SSs in ipsilateral uvula-nodular Purkinje cells, demonstrating that the primary vestibular afferent mossy fiber input to the ipsilateral uvula-nodulus was not necessary for SS modulation. Unilateral microlesions of the caudal half of the beta-nucleus of the inferior olive reduced a modulated climbing fiber signal to the contralateral uvula-nodulus, causing loss of both vestibularly modulated CFRs and SSs in contralateral Purkinje cells. Vestibular climbing fibers not only evoke low-frequency CFRs, but also indirectly modulate higher-frequency SSs. This modulation must be attributed to cerebellar interneurons. Golgi cell inhibition of granule cells may provide the interneuronal mechanism for CFR-induced SS modulation.
Early events in the life of apple roots: variation in root growth rate is linked to mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal fungal colonization

Early events of mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal fungal colonization in newly-emerging roots of mature apple (Malus domestica Borkh) trees were characterized to determine the relationship of these events to fine root growth rate and development. New roots were traced on root windows to measure growth and then collected and stained to quantify microscopically the presence of mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal fungal structures. Most new roots were colonized by either mycorrhizal or nonmycorrhizal fungi but none less 25 days old were ever internally colonized by both. Compared to nonmycorrhizal colonization, mycorrhizal colonization was associated with faster growing roots and roots that grew for a longer duration, leading to longer roots. While either type of fungi was observed in roots as soon as 3 days after root emergence, intraradical colonization by mycorrhizal fungi was generally faster (peaking at 7 to 15 days) than that by nonmycorrhizal fungi and often occurred more frequently in younger roots. Only 15 to 35% of the roots had no fungal colonization by 30 days after emergence. This study provides the first detailed examination of the early daily events of mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal fungal colonization in newly emerging roots under field conditions. We observed marked discrimination of roots between mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal fungi and provide evidence that mycorrhizal fungi may select for faster growing roots and possibly influence the duration of root growth by non-nutritional means.
The roles of a spokesperson and brand-message congruity in advertising effectiveness of coffeehouse brands.

This study aims to examine the impacts of spokesperson type (celebrity vs. non-celebrity) and brand-message congruity status (congruity vs. incongruity) on consumer responses. Based on the responses of 366 consumers, a multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) test is conducted to determine main and interaction effects of a spokesperson type and brand-message congruity status on consumer responses, while controlling for a product involvement level. The results show that a celebrity spokesperson generates more positive ad attitudes than does a non-celebrity spokesperson. Also, an interaction effect exists between spokesperson type and brand-message congruity status on brand attitudes. The ad using a celebrity with a congruent brand-message (hedonic brand-hedonic message or utilitarian brand-utilitarian message) yields more positive brand attitudes than the ad with an incongruent one (hedonic brand-utilitarian message or utilitarian brand-hedonic message). These results provide empirical directions for ...
America’s public schools: from the common school to ‘No Child Left Behind’

, William J. Reese, Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2011, 384 pp., US$25.00 (paperback), ISBN 9781421400174 In March 1989, Lawrence A. Cremin, then the Dean of the History of American Ed...
Oxygen sensing properties of a new ruthenium (II) compound

Abstract The design of efficient oxygen measuring devices has important environmental, clinical and process control applications. Several methods are available for oxygen quantitation, but those based on the dynamic quenching of luminescence of inorganic compounds have several advantages. In this work the oxygen-quenching luminescence characteristics of a newly synthesized ruthenium (II) compound immobilized on an optical fiber was investigated using Stern-Volmer kinetic analysis. Results obtained show that the luminescence intensity of the newly synthesized compound exhibits a second order dependence on oxygen concentration from 0–100 %. The oxygen sensing characteristics of this new compound are comparable to other conventional oxygen sensing compounds.
Duplex distortion models for limited feedback MIMO communication

The use of limited feedback in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless communications has grown in interest over the last few years. Research has shown that feedback can be used to increase achievable data rates and add resilience against fading. Most of the work to this point, however, has ignored the data rate overhead associated with feedback. Models that do not consider feedback overhead are valid in wireless systems with ever present control channels, but they fail to capture the data rate cost of feedback when control channels are not present. In this paper, we present a new system model, called a duplex model, that captures the true loss (or cost) of feedback. A new distortion function for use with codebook design follows from the duplex system model. This system model is used to derive bounds on the amount of feedback needed under different antenna, signal-to-noise ratio, and bandwidth assumptions. Simulation results show the necessity of taking feedback into account.
Concern for the Environment Among General Publics: A Cross-National Study

Concern for the environment has been noted in recent decades as a global phenomenon that is present among general publics in regions around the world. Though a topic of emerging interest, at present, assessments of environmental concern cross-nationally do not provide definitive evidence as to whether similar levels of environmental concern are identifiable across mass publics and whether its underpinnings are similar across national contexts. This research compares concern for the environment across 15 countries, examining the role of measurement cross-nationally. I demonstrate that different rankings of general publics can be distinguished with regard to different measures of environmental concern. I also examine demographic factors typically associated with the expression of environmental concern to determine their cross-national comparability. Results demonstrate that the measurement of environmental concern matters, both in terms of describing its composition in different countries and in identifying...
"No Matter What Has Been Done Wrong Can Always Be Redone Right": Spirituality in the Lives of Imprisoned Battered Women

In this article, the authors explore the religious and spiritual experiences and beliefs of incarcerated battered women who killed abusive intimate partners or (step)fathers. Through in-depth interviews with 12 imprisoned battered women, the authors examine the role that religion and spirituality played in the women's lives before and during their incarceration. Regardless of their religious upbringing, most had what they described as spiritual experiences during their time in prison. For them, participation in the support group for battered women and their spiritual experiences "freed them" by giving them a way to reconstruct and reinterpret their victimization, perpetration of violence, and subsequent incarceration.
Honokiol abrogates leptin-induced tumor progression by inhibiting Wnt1-MTA1-β-catenin signaling axis in a microRNA-34a dependent manner

// Dimiter B. Avtanski 1 , Arumugam Nagalingam 1,* , Panjamurthy Kuppusamy 2 , Michael Y. Bonner 3 , Jack L. Arbiser 3,4 , Neeraj K. Saxena 2 and Dipali Sharma 1 1 Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD, USA 2 Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA 3 Department of Dermatology, Emory University School of Medicine, Winship Cancer Institute, Atlanta, GA, USA 4 Atlanta Veterans Administration Medical Center, Atlanta, GA, USA * Co-first author Correspondence to: Dipali Sharma, email: // Neeraj Saxena, email: // Keywords : honokiol, leptin, miR-34a, breast cancer Received : January 20, 2015 Accepted : March 20,2015 Published : April 15, 2015 Abstract Obesity greatly influences risk, progression and prognosis of breast cancer. As molecular effects of obesity are largely mediated by adipocytokine leptin, finding effective novel strategies to antagonize neoplastic effects of leptin is desirable to disrupt obesity-cancer axis. Present study is designed to test the efficacy of honokiol (HNK), a bioactive polyphenol from Magnolia grandiflora , against oncogenic actions of leptin and systematically elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Our results show that HNK significantly inhibits leptin-induced breast-cancer cell-growth, invasion, migration and leptin-induced breast-tumor-xenograft growth. Using a phospho-kinase screening array, we discover that HNK inhibits phosphorylation and activation of key molecules of leptin-signaling-network. Specifically, HNK inhibits leptin-induced Wnt1-MTA1-β-catenin signaling in vitro and in vivo. Finally, an integral role of miR-34a in HNK-mediated inhibition of Wnt1-MTA1-β-catenin axis was discovered. HNK inhibits Stat3 phosphorylation, abrogates its recruitment to miR-34a promoter and this release of repressor-Stat3 results in miR-34a activation leading to Wnt1-MTA1-β-catenin inhibition. Accordingly, HNK treatment inhibited breast tumor growth in diet-induced-obese mouse model (exhibiting high leptin levels) in a manner associated with activation of miR-34a and inhibition of MTA1-β-catenin. These data provide first in vitro and in vivo evidence for the leptin-antagonist potential of HNK revealing a crosstalk between HNK and miR34a and Wnt1-MTA1-β-catenin axis.
Tactile Directories of Building Interiors as Orienting and Way-Finding Aids for the Visually Impaired: A Prototype

A tactile map/directory designed to provide the visually impaired with directional and orienting information about the interior of a complex building was tested for efficiency of use by sighted, partially-sighted, and non-sighted individuals. Preliminary evaluations suggest that simpler, more schematic maps may be more effective as way-finding aids than was the detailed, more architecturally-true map tested. Tactile discriminability of symbols used to represent various interior building features was also compared in order to specify a highly discriminable symbol set. Language: en
Functional Anatomy of Biological Motion Perception in Posterior Temporal Cortex: An fMRI Study of Eye, Mouth and Hand Movements

Passive viewing of biological motion engages extensive regions of the posterior temporal-occipital cortex in humans, particularly within and nearby the superior temporal sulcus (STS). Relatively little is known about the functional specificity of this area. Some recent studies have emphasized the perceived intentionality of the motion as a potential organizing principle, while others have suggested the existence of a somatotopy based upon the limb perceived in motion. Here we conducted an event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment to compare activity elicited by movement of the eyes, mouth or hand. Each motion evoked robust activation in the right posterior temporal-occipital cortex. While there was substantial overlap of the activation maps in this region, the spatial distribution of hemodynamic response amplitudes differentiated the movements. Mouth movements elicited activity along the mid-posterior STS while eye movements elicited activity in more superior and posterior portions of the right posterior STS region. Hand movements activated more inferior and posterior portions of the STS region within the posterior continuing branch of the STS. Hand-evoked activity also extended into the inferior temporal, middle occipital and lingual gyri. This topography may, in part, reflect the role of particular body motions in different functional activities.
Addition of N-Glycans in the Stalk of the Newcastle Disease Virus HN Protein Blocks Its Interaction with the F Protein and Prevents Fusion

Most paramyxovirus fusion (F) proteins require the coexpression of the homologous attachment (HN) protein to promote membrane fusion, consistent with the existence of a virus-specific interaction between the two proteins. Analysis of the fusion activities of chimeric HN proteins indicates that the stalk region of the HN spike determines its F protein specificity, and analysis of a panel of site-directed mutants indicates that the F-interactive site resides in this region. Here, we use the addition of oligosaccharides to further explore the role of the HN stalk in the interaction with F. N-glycans were individually added at several positions in the stalk to determine their effects on the activities of HN, as well as its structure. N-glycan addition at positions 69 and 77 in the stalk specifically blocks fusion and the HN-F interaction without affecting either HN structure or its other activities. N-glycans added at other positions in the stalk modulate activities that reside in the globular head of HN. This correlates with an alteration of the tetrameric structure of the protein, as indicated by sucrose gradient sedimentation analyses. Finally, N-glycan addition in another region of HN (residues 124 to 152), predicted by a peptide-based analysis to mediate the interaction with F, does not significantly reduce the level of fusion, arguing strongly against this site being part of the F-interactive domain in HN. Our data support the idea that the F-interactive site on HN is defined by the stalk region of the protein.
Dilated Iris Vasculature in the Setting of the Neonatal Hypoxic Encephelopathy

The differential diagnosis of dilated iris vasculature in a neonate includes retinopathy of prematurity with anterior segment plus disease, persistent fetal vasculature, intrauterine cocaine exposure, maternal diabetes, and other pathologies associated with iris neovascularization and ischemia seen in adult populations, such as central retinal vein occlusions, ocular ischemic syndrome, and chronic retinal detachment. We present neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy as a new etiology of dilated iris vasculature in a male baby who suffered a large in-utero brain vasculature insult three weeks prior to delivery but with normal fundi, no risk factors for retinopathy of prematurity (normal birth weight, and gestational age), and no other explanatory etiologies. The mechanism of the dilated iris vasculature is likely also ischemic and therefore its presence likely portends a poor prognosis. We recommend that the neonatologist evaluate for this sign for this reason and consult ophthalmology to ensure its correct etiology.
Classification with missing data in a wireless sensor network

We have developed a novel method to estimate missing observations in wireless sensor networks. We use a hierarchical unsupervised fuzzy ART neural network to represent the data cluster prototypes and describe missing input patterns based on the network. We then estimate missing inputs by a spatial-temporal imputation technique. Our experimental results show that our proposed approach performs better than nine other missing data imputation techniques including moving average and Expectation-Maximization (EM) imputation.
A TEST OF OPTIMIZED PERTURBATIVE QCD TO ${\mathcal O}(\alpha _s^2)$ AND ${\mathcal O}(\alpha_s^3)$ FROM Z0 AND τ DECAYS, AND A METHOD TO DEAL WITH THE RENORMALIZATION SCALE AMBIGUITY

A QCD analysis of the published LEP data on 11 observables measured in the Z0 and τ decays is performed in order to probe the renormalization scale optimization of perturbative QCD to and . The explicit dependence of the fundamental QCD parameter on the renormalization scale μ2 is extracted from the data. The theoretical predictions for the optimized scale are calculated using various QCD-inspired procedures, and are compared to the experimental results. An experimental procedure is presented to deal with the renormalization scale ambiguity in the determination of αs. Applying this procedure to 11 observables, we obtain αs(Mz0)=0.114±0.004 as our final result.
Comments on Ehrenberg's Appraisal of Brand-Switching Models:

Ehrenberg's recent article, "An Appraisal of Markov Brand-Switching Models" [2], has raised questions about the general class of "stochastic" brand-switching models and about Markov models themselves. Although his criticisms are technically correct, the authors believe the overall sense of that article is misleading. They disagree with some of Ehrenberg's arguments even though the authors agree with his basic conclusion that simple aggregative Markov models are inadequate and should be discarded.